Eugene Archer

Donges ringing station (44), Loire estuary, FR. Another 5 Aquatics today (all 1cy) in a rather small haul of birds in general and on a dull day where rain stopped play at 11am. #acrola acrola.fr @PnrBriere @_EURING @loireatlantique

@GreenInFrance @AuroraCesa11387 😂

@AuroraCesa11387 In other news....the weather changed.

It was too good to be true, I guess! 😡 we had a beautiful poison free day and a stunning blue sky, but they can't help themselves! Bastards

Punktastic ! 😁Belted Kingfisher, Glomel, Brittany, FR. 24 Feb 2026.

@RichardTMills @ktmullarney @BirdWatchIE @BirdGuides Doh🤦‍♂️4th photo

@RichardTMills @ktmullarney @BirdWatchIE @BirdGuides 3rd photo is God and the 3 wise men (Jim D, Oran and Jim F) 😅

From the archives. A posse of happy birders at Shanagarry, Ballycotton, some time in the 80s, including famed bird artist Killian Mullarney. @ktmullarney @BirdWatchIE @BirdGuides

@RichardTMills @ktmullarney @BirdWatchIE @BirdGuides Sorry, that should be 2nd photo, not 1st

@RichardTMills @ktmullarney @BirdWatchIE @BirdGuides 1st photo has KM, Brian Madden, Brian Haslam, Paul Milne (maybe ?)+??, Ronan Hurley+??

If you only go to a cinema once this year go watch ''Le chant des Forêts'' (EN: Whispers in the Woods) by Vincent Munier with soundtrack by the wonderful @warrenellis13 Stunning cinematography, moving, absolutely enchanting 💚💛❤️ You won't be disappointed.

Its hard to decide whether the Steppe Eagle in Finistère (29) in October or this stunning and very confiding Desert Wheatear at Arzon, Morbihan (56) yesterday is my bird of the year 🤔 The eagle is obviously much rarer in France . . . but the wheatear was absolutely delightful🧡

@GreenInFrance @MrJamesMay will definitely know the answer to that !

Finally got around to opening some book boxes after 20 years here. Does anyone like to guess when this book was published?

@lottyswildlife cirtensis Long-legged Buzzard ?

Here's a fun one for the birders: What is this? Photographed in Morocco, I managed to get quite a good photo of the different diagnostic characteristics of this species.

x.com/WriterHannahBT x.com/swifts_uk

@EricTheBirdman Its pretty cool studying all this migrant stuff, site fidelity, etc 😉

@EugeneBirds That’s incredible! Such timing…often wonder how birds move within such time windows like that. Thanks for sharing.

Remember Ireland's first Penduline Tits in 2023 at the Gearagh and later near Cork harbour where they were ringed ? x.com/EricTheBirdman… On 15 Oct '23 we recaptured one of them here at Donges, FR, unbelievably we recaptured that same individual AGAIN on ...15 Oct '25 !☘️🇫🇷🇮🇪

@EdJBetteridge No need for further photos of this one; its 100% a juv Aquatic Warbler !

A busy month at Carey, Dorset with 3,912 birds caught! This included 1729 Chiffchaffs, 740 Blackcaps, 50 Wilwa, 198 Sedgies, 68 Gropper, 26 Cettis, 302 House Martins, 4 Redstart, 4 Spot Fly, 46 Stonechat, 55 Goldcrest and 13 Firecrest!!

It's one year today since we lost our dear friend and colleague, Steve Wing, @CCBOIE Wildlife Officer. In his memory, we are launching the Steve Wing Memorial Bursary, which will be open annually to aspiring ecologists/naturalists aged 18-25: birdwatchireland.ie/announcing-the…

2 years ago on 4 October I met an Osprey on migration from Finland. I met the same bird, in the same place, again today! What are the chances?! #Osprey #MaraisBretonVendéen

@RichardTMills Yeah, give us back our Hoopoes -I hardly saw or heard any this summer . . . . I wondered where they were ?🤔

@EugeneBirds They certainly have been turning up here in the last ten days or so with amazing numbers. A bit like that huge hoopoe invasion last spring.

Some of the 66 glossy ibises found by Aidan Duggan at the Gearagh, along with a great white egret. What an incredible number.

Some encouraging news on the Lithuanian translocation project on Aquatic Warblers instagram.com/p/DNkTtVEI0LN/… #LIFE_AWOM @ICOcells @FGlobalNature x.com/spea_birdlife @ebdonana @acrola_44/ @tour_du_valat @natuurpunt @wetlands_europe @fundacionmigres @Bretagne vivante

@capdevila_jesu @capdevila_jesu 5 Aquatics today at Donges on the Loire estuary (4 newly ringed, 1 retrap) 👍 maybe they're finally on their way 🙏 #LIFE_AWOM

@capdevila_jesu Interestingly, one juv from the LIFE4AquaticWarbler translocation project in Lithuania has been seen in the Nederlands 👍 aquaticwarbler.eu/life4aquaticwa… #LIFE_AWOM

Xtraordinary migration under way at Donges on the Loire estuary, FR. Since opening on 20th nearly 3,000 birds !!! with huge numbers of Sedge Warblers + lots of Reed, Bluethroats, etc. Still no Aquatic Warblers for the moment🤔 Anyone else seeing big numbers this year? #LIFE_AWOM