"Almost every feather sample tested from five common species of UK garden birds contained either permethrin, imidacloprid or fipronil – all insecticides that are banned for agricultural use but still common in pet tick and flea treatments."
1918 has entered the chat.
Figure 1. Hypothesised drivers and movements of Nearctic landbirds associated with the passage of Hurricane Lee in autumn 2023. NAO, North Atlantic Oscillation. Image credits: Eastern Spruce Budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) used with permission from Lucas Benaiche, wildfires and solar eruption by Gerd Altmann/geralt (Pixabay), Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) by Lucas Lombardo, Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) by Ian Davies, and Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) by Sam Viles.
New paper on the pattern, process and implications of trans-Atlantic vagrancy for ecology and evolutionary biology, written with @pauldufour80.bsky.social and Andrew Farnsworth read free at: authors.elsevier.com/a/1mzPI3QW8S... #Ornithology #Ecology #UKBirding 🪶🦋🌱🌎🌍🧪
The Isle of Man's assisted dying law offers a compassionate choice for terminally ill people, has huge public support, and was passed through a full democratic process. It's outrageous to block it at the 11th hour.
I'm having a rant.. Yester I spent a few hrs on Exmoor watching Cuckoos. I tucked into gorse, under camo. Saw & heard 5 males in 2 spots. A man with long lens camera, walked down 2wds me, pulled out phone & started playing Cuckoo bait calls. NOT fieldcraft! They need to feed & breed!! 😠 #UKBirding
Not that we saw it but apparently a Red-rumped Swallow in off at the Bill at c10am this morning per Steve Starling
two pomarine skua east at Selsey Bill 1051am
Pretty good advert for joining a union, here.
Fantastic news! 💚
Male Redstart in Littlesea garden yesterday, female today. Today is best day of spring for Swallow moving into strong NE wind. First Swift for year today also.
A very smart Woodchat Shrike at Pembrey Burrows early evening, only the 3rd Carmarthenshire record
That was Johnson & Cummings👇 After the initial COVID contract in
2020 a £23m extension for tNHS data store.
2023: £330 m contract for the NHS Federated Data Platform.
2022 onward: contracts with the Ministry of Defence for defence data analytics.
#NoToPalantir
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Roughly 14% of this evening’s Barwits
I’ve long been told ‘Barwit’ day is the best day on my adopted patch. While today was 1500 away from the best day, seeing 520 come in low up the Severn, see the M4 bridge and then head NE inland was a great spectacle @bristolbirding.bsky.social
A slow week of migration despite some rather suitable conditions @longpointbirds.bsky.social So still low numbers of expected migrants. However Ovenbird & Yellow Warbler did sneak in to keep us happy.
Photo of a pied flycatcher by ViiruPesonen, Wikimedia commons
Fig. 1 from the article: (a) Correlation between the annual average hatching date and the date of the caterpillar peak (open dots are experimental years: 2015 (intermediate in caterpillar peak date of the three experimental years), 2021 (latest caterpillar peak date) and 2022 (earliest caterpillar peak date), (b) the interval between arrival and laying in response to the caterpillar peak, (c) the annual strength of selection on laying date, measured as the linear slope of standardized laying date on relative fitness (measured as the number of locally recruiting offspring per female) (open dots are experimental years: 2015, 2021 and 2022), (d) example of the correlation between individual interval between arrival and laying in response to variation in arrival date for two experimental years: blue triangles: 2021, a cold spring, and red dots: 2022, a relatively warm spring.
New paper: can food availability explain timing of breeding? Across studies, effects of supplemental feeding on laying date vary, suggesting that ecological context matters and should be reported to interpret experimental results.
➡️ vist.ly/4z3jj
#ornithology #birds #diet #layingdate
Now online in Journal of #Ornithology
Effect of beaver activity on bird communities in Mediterranean riparian ecosystems
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Spring 2026 – Day 25 of Bird Ringing
Just over 100 birds across 29 species were recorded today. Nightjars and Cuckoos are still present, while Pied Flycatchers and Tree Pipits remain the most abundant.
Well we were hoping for a scarce the day after the fall but imagined something a little different to the Siberian Chiffchaff just trapped in the Crown Estate Field. Far lower numbers/variety than yesterday coming from the mist-nets so far this morning.
Picture of Baroness Finlay speaking in parliament with caption The transcript of the assisted dying debate in the Lords is longer than War and Peace
We could not be clearer. This is an egregious and undemocratic filibuster of the Assisted Dying Bill. No matter what metric is used, the evidence shows that opponents of the Bill, who will never support it and never be satisfied with any safeguard, have deliberately run down the clock.
and the company and the football?!!
Sedge Warbler, 19th April 2026 - the first ringed this year
Lesser Whitethroat, 19th April 2026 - the first ringed this year
The joint best ringing day of the month - equaling the total of 148 on 1st April. Willow Warblers still to fore on 78 but variety now much improved incl 26 Bcaps, 10 Whitethroats, 5 Redstarts, 2 Reed Ws, 2 LWTs and singles of Sedge W and Garden W (Sedge and LWT both firsts for the year).
Usk Valley Osprey resident pair Clogwyn and Syfaddan have first egg of the season 19th April at 20:38, fantastic news. If you wish to visit details on parking and visiting the viewpoint link is below.
#UKOspreys
(c)UVO (c)Welsh Government (c)Wildlife Windows
www.uskvalleyospreys.org/accessing-th...
Male Whinchat
Male Redstart
Male Whinchat
Female Redstart
An enjoyable afternoon spent birding north Portland, personal totals from various sites: 2 Whinchat, 5 Redstart, 21 Willow Warbler, 28 Wheatear #ukbirding #dorsetbirds
a bit better on portland today, no rarities but a nice mix
Redstart in the garden this morning. Other migrants: 9 Blackcaps, 6 Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler
News: a leading NSF supported University of Oklahoma atmospheric science summer undergraduate research program that has mentored hundreds of top atmospheric scientists over two decades has been canceled for 2026 due to funding loss. (repost w/correct link) More: tinyurl.com/3zjzf7vu
C) BGGW.
Egg at Glaslyn, time to be confirmed.
Redstart, 19th April 2026
Lesser Whitethroat, 19th April 2026
A decent little fall at the Bill this morning: towards 130 ringed so far incl the first Lesser Whitethroats of the spring and several Redstart - nice!
