High water at the Northney saltmarsh on the northern fringe of Hayling Island. The sun was shining and terns are passing through. What's not to like? 💙

As an update: 6 more birds were registered by the system yesterday, such that 8 birds are known to have arrived in total, with more spotted today. Synchronous, but not early, as the first-arrival summary-graph for the years 1994-2026 shows:

The warmth this week has bought on a wave of nest building at some of the Solent gull colony sites, with others following in the next few weeks. Black-headed Gulls at West Hayling are weaving seaweed & spartina to snuggle in. #SuperSeabirdSunday

On these fresh spring days, when the sea air is laden with the scent of the tide line and blossom, it's a joy just to breath it all in and absorb the approaching summer 🌞

Black-headed Gull nesting is underway in the Solent, driven on by some beautiful warm days this week. Over the next few months, some 10,000 pairs of Black-headed Gulls will attempt to raise young on the Solents saltmarsh, shingle islands & lagoons 🐥🐣

RSPB urges public to give ground-nesting birds space this spring The charity has asked people to give birds space this spring and summer, as increased outdoor activity risks disturbing vulnerable ground-nesting species.

The RSPB has urged the public to take simple steps to protect ground-nesting birds during the spring and summer breeding season, as increased recreational activity risks disturbing vulnerable species:

But shall this crazed old man be tamely suffered to drag a whole ship’s company down to doom with him?

Hallucinated citations are polluting the scientific literature. What can be done? Tens of thousands of publications from 2025 might include invalid references generated by AI, a Nature analysis suggests.

"Tens of thousands of publications from 2025 might include invalid references generated by AI, a Nature analysis suggests". Hallucinated citations are polluting the scientific literature. What can be done? share.google/rftun172OFqb...

Easter morning in Dawlish 💚

10/ China, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan face the loss of 100% of their fuel oil supply. Outside Asia, the US is worst affected, with the loss of around 60% of its supply.

A full disc image of Earth, as seen from the Orion Crew Module. The planet is a pale blue, swirling with white clouds and glowing slightly lighter blue in place from reflected light. At lower left, a large brown landmass is Africa, with Spain and Portugal with twinkling lights where the planet curves. At top right, auroras glow in a thin green glow, just barely separated from the planet's surface. Earth is set against the black of space (pic: NASA/R.Wiseman)

More context on this #Artemis II image:

* This is the night side, lit by moonlight. You can see city lights in Spain & Portugal, & a sliver of day at lower right

* The Sun is entirely behind Earth, which makes it a kind of solar eclipse, but w/ Earth doing the eclipsing instead of the Moon:
☀️🌍🚀🌕

Storm Dave to target UK with wind, rain and snow forecast for Easter weekend Damage and travel disruption are likely in the north of the UK with a Met Office named storm expected to sweep through on Saturday.

BBC News - Storm Dave set to batter UK with gales and blizzards over Easter weekend
www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...

A million new SpaceX satellites will destroy the night sky—for everyone on Earth More than 10,000 Starlink satellites currently orbit Earth. We see them crawling across dark skies, no matter how remote our location, and streaking through images from research telescopes.

Phys.org: A million new SpaceX satellites would destroy the night sky—for everyone on Earth phys.org/news/2026-03...

One of the lessons from Vietnam is that when they start bombarding you with numbers like these -- ordinance used, targets struck, so many killed and wounded -- there's more we're not being told.

First cable for world's largest wind farm pulled ashore at Norfolk village The first cable for Ørsted’s Hornsea 3, the world's largest offshore wind farm, has been pulled ashore at Weybourne in north Norfolk.

Cable for Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 wind farm arrives at Weybourne | Eastern Daily Press share.google/Q73v40cyqKkU...

This summary from the BBC on the current state of affairs across the Atlantic is apt.

The UK tech energy grab: how AI data centres are delaying the building of homes Artificial intelligence infrastructure is being handed priority access to Britain's overwhelmed electricity grid, pushing housing down the list. But as the US shows, there's an alternative: make Big T...

Artificial intelligence infrastructure is being handed priority access to Britain's overwhelmed electricity grid, pushing housing down the list

www.thenerve.news/p/ai-data-ce...

Port Talbot to become offshore wind hub for Celtic Sea Port operator ABP will begin work on developing a facility to assemble and launch turbines out to sea.

BBC News - Port Talbot to become offshore wind hub for Celtic Sea
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The Pears Foundation new report on Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools is well worth a read. It makes it very clear schools have become a frontline in the fight against conspiracy theories, and need serious support. counteringconspiracies.publicfirst.co.uk/Commission_i...

A few photo's from the little summer last week 🌞 (much missed during our little winter today ❄️).

Trump administration to pay French company $1B to walk away from US offshore wind leases The Department of Interior says a French energy company has agreed to give up two U.S. offshore wind leases and invest in fossil fuel projects instead.

Subsidising oil is reaching strange new frontiers.. Associated Press: Trump administration to pay French company $1B to walk away from US offshore wind leases
apnews.com/article/trum...

Cartoon showing a scientist wearing a white lab coat tapping a podium microphone and asking "Is this thing on".

The feeling right now of every scientist trying to communicate the seriousness of ongoing global warming and the urgency of reducing emissions.
Excerpt from a cartoon by the late Jon Kudelka.

The US President casually announcing his intention to commit war crimes on social media. That's where you're at, America.

It's that time of year, the Forsythia is in bloom across every other street in England 💛 Amazingly, it's name comes from botanist William Forsyth, the great great great great grandfather of Bruce Forsyth.

Farm worker tells of heartache over dog shooting as part of campaign to crackdown on livestock worrying A farm worker has described being faced with the agonising decision of having to shoot a dog which was repeatedly attacking his sheep as ‘one of my worst ever days in farming’.

www.derbyshire.police.uk/news/derbysh...

Ossoff: "After years of this president trashing our allies, we learned today that the Danish govt was preparing military options to defeat a potential American invasion of Greenland just months ago. The president has treated our allies like they don't matter then demanded they come to his aid."

Happy St.Cuthberts Day. The northern saint died on this day in 687 on Inner Farne, Farne Islands Northumberland. Amongst many other good deeds he helped protect the nesting Eider Ducks and some folk still call them Cuddy Ducks to this day.

Happy St Cuthberts day to all who celebrate. He had a great taste in islands, spending 10 years on the Inner Farne in Northumberland. Amongst some quite bizarre events (involving crows & otters), he also protected the Eiders out there, which are still sometimes called 'Cuddy ducks' in his honour.

Dog owners face unlimited fines for farm livestock attacks Police will have new powers to seize and detain dogs that have attacked or chased farm animals.

BBC News - Dog owners to face unlimited fines if their pets attack livestock under new law
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A sky full of stars over Chichester Harbour tonight, and the bright lights of Portsmouth on the horizon.