Used to see them in Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage all the time!

True but we have 15-20 years more data since then. Which, combined with some albeit anecdotal evidence , offers faint hope it may be holding up better. The next round of projects will likely be the last chance, so important they actually ask right questions & not carry out more failed hypotheses!

Durham may be the last hope for the species in England, although we have no population trend or demographic data to interrogate that (yet). Previous studies have been on “stable” populations that then collapsed. Why no “mainstream” conservation organisation has bothered to look at Durham is baffling

For Great tits and Blue tits combine studies across England range from 0-67%. For GSW predation (which often happens after usurpation) it’s then 17-28%. Not many studies have looked at the first bit as it involves following paired birds. And none of the studies have been in the North East 1/2

Highlight of last night's first moth trap of the year was this pristine Chocolate-tip. The first I've ever had to the garden here in South Cambs. Also Brindled Beauty x 2, Streamer, Common Quaker, Nut Tree Tussock and Early Grey.

Yes at the moment, the best thing we can do for the species as a whole is demonstrate and document the scale of the problem, then broadcast across the sector. Once that is done, solution trialling on how to stop it can start with hopefully a lot of weight behind it

yes hopefully it survives, but a silver lining if not is that it will go towards the greater good 😂

If you can get a video of a GSW plundering the nest with one of the adult Wtits in shot looking helplessly on that would be very useful!

Some ominous footage gathered a few days ago from one of the Willow Tit nests we are monitoring. GSW are the most common predator of WT nests in Britain, and having increased by ~400% since the late 60s, it's not a threat that's going away. Let's hope this one has amnesia... #UKBirding #Yikes

Some footage of GSW destroying nests may come in useful down the line though!

Still think the birdfood industry is about 'conservation', rather than endless commercial growth in pursuit of £££? See how their industry leader reacted. The science is well known, but heaven forbid there'll be a threat to his industry's profits (and sod the wildlife): www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This new advice will sound familiar to older folk, as strong rule until 1990s was to only feed birds in winter. That changed when birdfood industry started wagging the dog, seeking huge commercial growth. Now we've got mass disease & waste. And not one species of conservation concern has benefited.

Good to see some more movement on garden bird feeding but ultimately we need a rethink, not just because of disease but because making common birds commoner can make rare ones rarer #Ornithology #UKBirding
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Elements of this debate also apply to Britain, where there is also no evidence at all that European Bison were ever present.

What better way is there to spend the Easter 🐣 🐣🐣 weekend than birdwatching, and hopefully finding and recording rare breeding birds to help their conservation? There’s lots to look for in April, so here’s some ideas from RBBP Secretary @markaeaton.bsky.social #ornithology #UKbirding

Nice meander down Devil's Dyke this morning. Spring was definitely in the air with Brimstone, Comma, Speckled Wood, Small White and Peacock all on the wing. Lots of Bee flies and some impressive Pasqueflower displays (although snall-scale compared to the 1000s dowm the road at Therfield)

Either way, I think Crane is GB Red Listed as "Vulnerable" (breeding) anyway, so wouldn't apply

No it doesn't, unless you take those IUCN GB Red Listed in the "endangered" category, but then this overlooks the even worse "Critically Endangered" category

Depends how hard you push it and who you reach! There is certainly more scope now to push things up the conservation agenda and use social media to influence where the traditional players aren’t prioritising / overlooking

Hmm not sure - one positive in the age of social media is that the news can be broadcast far and wide

Twite, and on my pessimistic days Turtle Dove too

Hard to not escape the fact that if things carry on the way they are, we will have a similar article written about Willow tit and Britain in the not too distant future...

Well done @wildlifebcn.org. At some point something is going to have to give with dog disturbance at nature reserves, although it is a wider societal issue (which I say as a dog owner)

Well it’s “a” rewilding view. But if saving declining species were as simple as chucking more of them out, we would all be able go home in a few years. As ever, conservation isn’t as simple as that. What becomes of the remaining English birds if found to be genetically distinct is a conundrum though

GSW numbers plateaued after increasing by 400% since 1970s though. It needs national study looking at demographic data, which is what is finally being dome now

Forgot to add that feeder interaction with Willow tits is less about disease (although this could still be a factor) and more about widespread feeder provision boosting potential competitor species like blue tits, GSW

Threatened Species Recovery Actions 2025 baseline - JP065 Threatened Species Recovery Actions (TSRA) is a partnership species action-planning project (2023-25) focusing on England’s threatened species and is key to the delivery of the 2042 Extinction Risk ta...

NE has funded work looking at this working with Rich, RSPB and BTO in 25/26 based on BTO data with future paper in pipeline. Investigating the effects of competition are one of the key actions in the newly published TSRA by NE for both species publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/...

Watch this space!

This is the worst I’ve felt after a game all season, think because City finally look like going on a run (hope I’m proved wrong), as well as the fact I hate how we just prove people right time and again

Don’t think it’s got that far yet, if it’s still going