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From beginner friendly birding tips, easy bird identification hacks to birding news and exclusive international birding tours. Welcome, I am Austin a photographer based in the North West of England, but will happily photograph weddings all over the UK. I look forward to hearing your story soon but in the meantime enjoy having a look around or find out more about what I offer below. I love all types of photography and specialize in weddings, newborns and family portrait photography and I know everyone is different so I strive to tailor your wedding photography around you from start to finish.

12/10/2026

๐Ÿ•ต๏ธโ€โ™‚๏ธ Iโ€™ve now seen all the In the Locustella warbler that you can find in the UK.

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง The member of this genus is the Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia), an elusive summer visitor known for its distinctive, mechanical reeling song that sounds exactly like an angler's fishing reel or a loud cricket.

๐ŸŒŸ Other much rarer Locustella visitors to the UK include Savi's Warblers and River Warblers.

Have you ever been lucky enough to catch up with one or all of these out in the open? ๐Ÿ‘‡

12/10/2026

โ€ผ๏ธ No, it is not a crime to say the word "seagull." You can say the word as much as you like without breaking any laws.

๐Ÿฆ† Biologically speaking, there is no such bird: Ornithologists and bird enthusiasts will often point out that "seagull" is a colloquial umbrella term.

๐Ÿ“š And yes, the word "seagull" appears in all major English dictionaries.

So go on. Say whatever you like, just donโ€™t be keyboard warriors.

11/10/2026

The Pinecone Rule is real. ๐ŸŒฒ Every time a rare bird flashes by, my brain goes through these exact three stages

1๏ธโƒฃ Crushing Self-Doubt: "Oh my gosh, is that an American Yellow Warbler?!" ๐Ÿ˜ณ

2๏ธโƒฃ Imposter Syndrome: "No, itโ€™s just a House Sparrow in weird lighting... or a plastic bag." Because the rules of birding state: the moment you text the group chat, it instantly turns into a pinecone. ๐Ÿคก

3๏ธโƒฃ The Fine Art of Patience: Don't blink. Don't breathe. Just wait for it to move... ๐Ÿคซ

And then... it flies. You see the wing bars. Itโ€™s actually it! You are a birding god! ๐Ÿ‘‘

๐Ÿ’ฌ How many times have you mistaken a leaf for a rare bird? Tell me your most embarrassing "leaf-bird" story in the comments! ๐Ÿ‘‡

If there is one bird that knows how to play the ultimate game of hide-and-seek, itโ€™s the Common Quail. But not today, as...
10/10/2026

If there is one bird that knows how to play the ultimate game of hide-and-seek, itโ€™s the Common Quail. But not today, as we had crippling quail views in Shetland. Blown away by this usually shy bird. ๐ŸŒพ

Have you ever seen a quail here in the U.K.? Comment below and let me know! โฌ‡๏ธ

www.austinmorkey.blogspot.co.uk

10/10/2026

On This Day in Shetland History: Spotting the tiny titan of the boreal forest.

I met my first Blackpoll Warbler.

A rare warbler from America that weighs less than two coins but flies nonstop over the open ocean for up to 88 hours without a single break.

๐Ÿฆ‰ Did you know that the famous "twit-twoo" sound isn't actually made by just one owl? It is actually a duet between a ma...
09/10/2026

๐Ÿฆ‰ Did you know that the famous "twit-twoo" sound isn't actually made by just one owl? It is actually a duet between a male and a female!

๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ The "Twit-Twoo" Duet: The sharp โ€œkee-wickโ€ call is made by the female, and the hollow, hooting โ€œhoo-hoo-ooooโ€ is the male replying! When they call back and forth, it sounds like a single "twit-twoo".

Have you ever been lucky enough to hear or spot a tawny owl in your local woods or garden? Let us know in the comments! ๐Ÿ‘‡

09/10/2026

Meet the worldโ€™s smallest gull! ๐ŸŒ the Little Gull.

If you're out birding, look for its signature charcoal-black underwings and dainty, tern-like flight.

Here is how to spot them:
๐Ÿ” Short, fine black bill
๐Ÿ” Jet-black hood (in summer) or dark ear spot (in winter)
๐Ÿ” Bright red or dark red legs
Have you ever ticked this one off your lifelist? ๐Ÿ‘‡

๐Ÿ“ธ My recent grot finch post got me thinking about that time I saw this one in Shetland!Thereโ€™s truly no place quite like...
08/10/2026

๐Ÿ“ธ My recent grot finch post got me thinking about that time I saw this one in Shetland!

Thereโ€™s truly no place quite like the Shetland for wildlife photography. Spotting these resilient little birds against the rugged Shetland backdrop was an absolute highlight of my trip. ๐ŸŒพ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ

๐Ÿ“ Shetland Islands

08/10/2026

This tiny 10-gram bird does something that completely defies logic! ๐Ÿคฏโœˆ๏ธ

Meet the Arctic Warbler. It breeds in the freezing wild landscapes of Alaska and Siberia, but instead of flying south like normal American birds... it flies across the entire Bering Strait and journeys over 13,000 kilometres to spend the winter in the tropical jungles of Southeast Asia! ๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ๐Ÿ๏ธ

Imagine a creature the weight of a single AA battery crossing continents and oceans without a map. ๐Ÿ”‹๐ŸŒŠ

Would you survive a 13,000km journey on foot and wing? Drop your thoughts below! ๐Ÿ‘‡

08/10/2026

Why do birders call this stunning bird a "Grotfinch"? ๐Ÿ‘‡

Despite the male Common Rosefinch looking like a tropical jewel, they earned the affectionate nickname grotfinch from twitchers.

Why? Because when these rare migrants blow off course, they love to hide out in the scrubbiest, weediest, and most unglamorous "grotty" coastal bushes or garden corners.

Drop a ๐Ÿฆ if youโ€™ve been lucky enough to spot one of these beauties!

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