Jonny R - 2023 Photo Essay

Little Owl (Lilith) - deep in the UAE desert c/o my man Gary Burns - what a legend

As a two-times @BTO-Suffolk 'Pic of the week' winner I am widely regarded as a bird photographer nowadays. More of a togger than a birder to be honest. Like a slightly more manic, two-eyed Eric Hosking with strawberry blonde hair.

So, it was inevitable people would ask me to choose my top 38 photos from this year - presented in a photo essay format. Needy - but inevitable. By popular and considerable demand, I present my 2023 photo essay:

Short-eared Owls are like crack to photographers - who will drive miles to chase one around, congregating in flocks to harass the poor, feeding raptors. Really the very worst of bird photography if I am honest. As a more refined, Eric Hosking style photographer in possession of shit-tons of field craft, I don't need to be so undignified. This Short-eared Owl pitched in on my Blythburgh patch just to show off how awesome it is. Yeah, it's not the best Short-eared Owl photo ever taken, but have you looked in the mirror lately? Not exactly a pretty picture is it.

Waxwings - on a par with Short-eared Owls - make bird photographers flip out. Serious - I've seen 16 million Waxwing photos on Twitter this lunchbreak alone. This one was flaunting itself in Reydon as I returned from a Southwold seawatch.

Drake Mallard - like me under-appreciated, intensely handsome and stunningly beautiful when studied up close. Truly one of our smartest ducks. This one was looking resplendent outside of the Welney WWT main observatory.

1st-winter drake Scaup at Welney - just a really great opportunity to study a sea duck up close.

Male Bearded Tits - a constant on my Blythburgh patch and best enjoyed on calm days. Along with Spotted Redshank, Bearded Tit are emblematic of bird watching in Blythburgh.

I finally caught up with a White-tailed Eagle in Suffolk this year, at the time it was my 287th County tick. 300 is on the cards in '24. Whilst watching the eagle this Red Kite paid close attention to me - providing this frankly stunning shot.

Saw this Buff-breasted Sandpiper every day of this year's week on St Agnes, with patience it would feed at your feet. I mean just look at it...

Shore Lark are always awesome, they get an extra awesome points when they're flaunting themselves on your fortieth birthday.

Yellow-browed Warbler - this one on St Agnes and creating the most autumnal snap ever.

In the madness of this year's Scillies trip I almost forgot the two Bobolink that greeted us off the Scillonian.

I love the sea, sea birds, the Scillonian and large shears. So these Great Shearwaters and supporting cast on the Scillonian crossing were a bit of a year-highlight.

My local Little Owls have been a constant this year. Always a pleasure to see.

Seagulls are resoundingly awful - so imagine my surprise when I actually enjoyed seeing and photographing Laughing Gulls in New York. Hopefully it's a phase and I'll grow out of it.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron stateside - just awesome.

Red-winged Blackbird - Central Park

Killdeer - good practice for when I inevitably find one in Suffolk - which Jonny H will probably twitch.

Up close and personal with a Black-crowned Night Heron.

Little-ringed Plover - a highlight of summer bike rides.

Slavonian Grebe from a late Spring visit to Scotland - hands down one of the smartest birds that occurs in the UK.

Song Sparrow - Central Park. The only of the six squillion American Sparrow species I saw on our visit.

Ruddy Shelduck - I've thrown this one in the mix for DDL and Jonny R. They are such a pair of duck lovers. Insatiable really.

Crested Honey Buzzard - one of the last birds seen on my visit to look after DDL back in January. I really like giving back to early year's birders and hope to do more outreach work in 2024.

Flamingo - doesn't even look like a real bird. Madness.

Lesser Sand Plover - just practice for when, not if, I find a Blyth or Minsmere bird. Cold hard facts.

I put Arabian Green Bee-eaters in the same bag as Flamingo - just hyper real.

Kentish Plover - I would go on to see my first Suffolk Kentish this year. Always awesome birds.

Much like Laughing Gull - I was surprised to find myself actively enjoying looking at Sooty Gulls in the UAE. They're not like your run-of-the-mill chip stealer - much nicer to look at. More aesthetically pleasing if you will.

Black-winged Stilt. Sublime bird - sublime photo.

Isabelline Shrike - I am waiting to take receipt of the new shrike book to better understand the shrikes I saw in the UAE.

Indian Pond Heron - insanely confiding bird, on a golf course in the UAE.

Long-billed Pipit - a non-shit Pipit.

Indian Roller - massive awesome more like.

House Crow - I like these.

Purple Sunbird - seriously cool.

Magpie Goose - this is DDL's favourite bird in the world and we are going to co-author a paper on them.

Striated Heron - similar to several other species of heron and similarly awesome.

Arabian Babbler - awesome name, awesome bird.