Simon King (@UKTwitcher) header
Simon King (@UKTwitcher) profile picture

Mainly birds, some orchids, some mammals. UK and overseas.

Hampshire
Joined September 2010
Photo by Simon King (@UKTwitcher)Photo by Simon King (@UKTwitcher)Photo by Simon King (@UKTwitcher)Photo by Simon King (@UKTwitcher)Photo by Simon King (@UKTwitcher)Photo by Simon King (@UKTwitcher)Photo by Simon King (@UKTwitcher)Photo by Simon King (@UKTwitcher)Photo by Simon King (@UKTwitcher)Photo by Simon King (@UKTwitcher)
Walrus! Calshot Castle Hampshire. Swam out into Southampton water c. 1205. Amazing!
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Shore Lark, Hurst Spit, Hampshire 29 October 2026. A rare bird for the county. I was pleased it stayed so that I could enjoy time with it yesterday morning. A well marked individual showing well at times. @HOSbirding @HantsIWWildlife
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Desert Wheatear, Cley, Norfolk. Sunday 25 October. Great fun with this very confiding bird. Just pick a spot, wait quietly and it would come to you…..
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Nutcracker, Mundesley, Norfolk. What a great bird! My 4th Nutcracker in the UK although it has been a while with previous ones in 1985, 1991 & 1998. This one the first I have photographed.
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Pacific Golden Plover, Yarmouth, IOW. I haven’t had chance to see many of these in the UK. This bird my 5th and 1st since 2014. A bit distant for great photos however great scope views of this moulting adult. We now just wish for it to come across to Hampshire.. @HantsIWWildlife
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A few birds from a short trip to Shetland. Several year ticks seen including Two-barred Warbler at Quendale 1 Oct & Yellow-browed Warbler (photo taken at same location on 2 Oct). Also King Eider in Lerwick on 2 Oct & Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Fleck (not photographed).
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Sykes’s Warbler, Girdle Ness, Aberdeen. 1 October 2026. A nice UK tick for me. 26 years since one I should have seen closer to home at Portland in July 2000 but I was busy and whilst there have been a few records since I have not been able to go for any of those.
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Semipalmated Sandpiper performing exceptionally well on Fishtail Lagoon, Hants 26 Sept 2026. I went back for 2nds and my earlier photo has now been upgraded. Mostly seen in the company of a Little Stint although tricky to get both birds in focus in the same photo. @HOSbirding
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Lapland Bunting, Hook-with-Warsash LNR, Hampshire today. A typically confiding bird though a tricky bird to see in Hampshire these days. We have had a good couple of days in the county….. @HOSbirding @HantsIWWildlife
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Nice to catch up with this Semi-palmated Sandpiper at Pennington, Hampshire today. A great find by SC. Almost 7 years since my last one in Hampshire. @HOSbirding @HantsIWWildlife
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EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR! Wow! A very surprising but highly successful twitch to Shetland. I had to at least travel to a Scottish airport but was expecting to be heading home on negative news… Totally elated when positive news received early on 6 Sep of it still roosting - game on!
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Long-tailed Shrike. Eastleach Downs. Gloucestershire. This very popular bird is still performing very nicely to its admirers. Looking much smarter now and is close to completing its moult. I wonder how much longer it will stay? @BirdGuides @RareBirdAlertUK
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Queen Of Spain Fritillaries, Monk Sherborne, Hants last week. Lots of stationary open & closed wing shots posted by others already. So I thought I would try something different. I found flight shots tricky but managed a few ok’ish ones. @savebutterflies @HantsIWWildlife
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Long-tailed Shrike. Eastleach Downs. Gloucestershire/Oxfordshire border. I went to see this bird on Sunday as news broke however I was very lucky with much better views today Friday 24 July. Almost 26 years since I saw the first one in the UK. @birdguides @RareBirdAlertUK
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Pectoral Sandpiper, Pennington, Hampshire (Sat 18 July). An early start paid off with nice views. @HOSbirding @HantsIWWildlife
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Black-crowned Night Heron, Miller’s Pond, Southampton, Hants 10 July. Some excitement yesterday evening when news of its presence belatedly emerged. A few of Hampshire’s keenest went to check it out and we managed a few brief flight views. I went back for some photos this am.
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Western Reef Heron at Foryd Bay, Caernarfon yesterday evening (06/06/26). A successful twitch from seawatching at Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire with some quickly arranged plans. Thanks @LewisStuff for the lift arriving in perfect time for the evening showing.
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Common Rosefinch Martin Down (Sat 23 May). Perfect timing of my return from overseas on Friday to connect with the first twitchable Rosefinch in Hampshire. I am glad it returned early evening allowing some photos as I had arrived only to hear it sing and see it fly off south.
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A busy bank holiday weekend back in the UK - I couldn’t resist the Ross’s Gull in Essex (my 10th in UK although I have not seen two in the same year before 2026) and Lesser Kestrel in Cornwall (my last one in the UK was in 2002 although I was watching them in Spain last week…..
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A very showy and confiding Hoopoe in Basingstoke, Hampshire yesterday (19/04/26). @HantsIWWildlife @HOSbirding
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American Golden Plover, Hook-with-Warsash LNR, Hampshire (06/04/26). I went back to try for better photos today and got lucky with a flyby as the tide came in causing it to relocate. @HOSbirding @HantsIWWildlife
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