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Altai Snowcock - a few video stills of a responsive individual this morning, low on the crags at Baga Bogd, one of ten seen after arriving yesterday afternoon:

I have travelled extensively throughout Asia photographing birds over the past 15-years but today’s experience here in Papua New Guinea of a male Blue Bird-of-Paradise displaying by hanging upside-down may rank as the most extraordinary encounter of them all [#BirdsSeenIn2025].

Pallas's Sandgrouse is an extreme vagrant to the UK, but a common bird of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia; the light was good enough for the R5 to track this male as it flew into drink at a stream:

Siberian House Martin, Mongolia a few days ago - this has not yet been recorded in Britain or Ireland but is a likely vagrant; the wholly white upper-tail coverts are a key feature; surprisingly, Western House Martin seems to be the commoner species here...

Relict Gulls at Boontsagaan Lake, Mongolia - we were surprised to find 11 of these rare gulls so far from the normal breeding lakes, but it looks as if they are having a good year across the country; shy birds while feeding, the best chances for pics were flybys:

Three birds from the Gobi Desert, Mongolia - the localised Saxaul Sparrow, Henderson's (Mongolian) Ground Jay and Asian Desert Warbler:

Asian Rosy Finch required a climb up to the highest snow patches in the mountains above Khukh Lake, Mongolia. They spent most of their time walking around on the snow looking for seeds, but this one flew in right next to us to preen:

The stunning Azure Tit is fairly common in the open woodland around the Hotel Mongolica on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. #BirdsSeenIn2025

Roseate Tern RSPB Minsmere 🌍 this morning - a very vocal bird, being chased relentlessly around South Scrape by the breeding Common Terns - it flew out to sea over the viewpoint late morning:

The open woodland around the Hotel Mongolica, Ulaanbaatar is a good site in summer for White-crowned Penduline Tit; also Spring passage migrants such as Yellow-breasted Bunting (Endangered) and Hawfinch:

Pallas's Warbler - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - it was a real treat to see so many Siberian migrants on the trip, as well as all of the specialities:

A male Flame Bowerbird, photographed today here in the rainforests of southern Papua New Guinea, about to insert a blue plastic object onto his bower with the female looking on and evaluating this male prospect [wwwBird-Photo-Tours.com, #BirdsSeenIn2025].

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Iona - I was lucky enough to see this colourful visitor recently, with a small group of visitors, before it disappeared:

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater - I tried a few flight shots with mixed results!

A few photos from our recent birding/mammal tour. - Black-billed Capercaillie - Altai Snowcock - Mongolian Accentor - Relict Gull

Silurian - Black Mountains 21/5/25 - a total of 4 (3 to Lepi-LED, 1 to MV) of this rare moth, arriving 1.30am to dawn at a traditional site. Ample reward after failing to trap any in 2023 and having to carrying the generator up the steep slope!

Scarce Hooktip - Wye Valley 22/06/25 - a total of 3 arriving from 2-4am today. A really stunning moth and one that I'd wanted to see for a long time:

A few other nice moths from the Black Mountains: Small Argent and Sable, Light Knotgrass and the very local Thyme Pug; the food plant of the latter is common on the 'Silurian slope':