Spring Birding Support poster - bit.ly/NI-spring-birding-26

Booking is now open for our Spring Birding Support sessions!

These are happening across NI between now and the end of June, giving you the chance to head out with a small group of people and develop your skills.

Check out bit.ly/NI-spring-birding-26 for more information and to book your place.

Just the song, no calls.

Sean Nixon has a recording here
x.com/sean_nixon/s...

Back on patch this morning and it was a chilly and misty start at East Wretham Heath. First records of Cuckoo and Garden Warbler for the patch this year but no Whitethroat yet. Good to see a bit of water in Langmere now but it appears to have stopped rising.
#NorfolkBirding

Last chance to apply to join BTO as a Senior Research Ecologist working on our #ClimateChange research portfolio! Apply online at www.bto.org/jobs

📆 Application deadline: Sunday 26 April.
📝 £44,637 per annum. #Ornithology

The graphic displays four images of Puffins showcasing the different recording units for them on SMP surveys. These are IND (individuals on land at the colony), AOB (apparently occupied burrows), SEA (individuals on the sea adjacent to the colony), and AIR (individuals flying over the colony).

Puffin colony count surveys are recommended from April 30th. Multiple survey methods and recording units can be used to monitor them. Take a look at the graphic below to visualise the different units! ⬇️ #seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Sean Nixon has photos and a sound recording over on X.

Finished off the day at the Ouse Washes. Always an impressive site to visit. 3cy Caspian Gull, drake Garganey, limosa and islandica godwits, lots of egrets @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

Bit of a Fens day. Started off at Hockwold Washes and Lakenheath Fen. My first Swift of the year, a drake Garganey, Bitterns and wonderful views of two Otters. Onto Welney, enjoyed all the ducks and waders, including a few limosa.

Excellent day at the Sussex Ornithological Society conference at the Falmer Campus of the University of Brighton. Katie and I talked about the next atlas and we had lots of great chats. Fab talks and stalls. The day went so quick! Many thanks to all the organisers, really excellent day.

We have a wonderful team of over 50 dedicated Wetland Bird Survey volunteers in our region who contributed to this important report by counting birds at their allocated wetland every month. Thanks to each and every one of them. 🙏👏🙏👏

Would you like to join them? www.bto.org/get-involved...

Thanks to the #worcsbirds birders who have contributed to this 👌👌

Ringing of migrants is a major part of our work and we rely heavily on drift migration. Hilbre Bird Obs receives funding from the British Birds Charitable Trust grants for purchasing materials to repair the Heligoland traps.

Read more: britishbirds.co.uk/journal/arti...

📸Steve Williams

An image of a Bullfinch is shown. It has a pink belly and a black cap. It is perched on the ground. A map of England is shown. It features a downward arrow, which states that this species declined across England by 43% 1995-2024. A map of Scotland is shown, with an arrow that says this species increased by 55% across Scotland between 1995-2024. The title says: ‘Bullfinch trends’. The BBS logo also features a drawing of a Goldfinch.

(1/) Two shy but colourful species with pink in their plumage, Bullfinch and Jay, are currently showing signs of contrasting fortunes in different parts of the UK. Read on to find out more about these often sought after species. @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social

The graphic displays an image of a Cormorant with the English and Latin names (Phalacrocorax carbo). Key facts about their wingspan, lifespan, diet, number of eggs laid, time of year to see them, and the number of pairs in the UK are included.

At a glance, Cormorants might seem drab, but closer inspection reveals some incredible plumage and facial features!
Learn more about them in the graphic below and by visiting their BTO BirdFacts page: www.bto.org/learn/about-... #seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Underneath the headline 'WeBS Site Insight: Scoulton Mere, Norfolk’ is an image of two adult Mallards, one male and one female on calm water, with a map of the site boundary and location within the UK. The WeBS logo is beneath with the text ‘ Join WeBS - Can you help count waterbirds here?’

Are you a birder in Norfolk? We are looking for a volunteer to count Scoulton Mere, between Watton and Hingham as it hasn’t been counted since 1976! If you think you can help please contact us
via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at
app.bto.org/websonline/s...

#Ornithology #NorfolkBirding

1/ The latest 2024/25 Waterbirds in the UK report has just been published and can be viewed online www.bto.org/wituk 🎉

Physical copies will be reaching your doorsteps very soon! 🗞️

To view the updated numbers and trends, visit www.bto.org/webs-reporting

#Ornithology #CitSci

This is the luggage me and my daughter took, by our car. Everyone meets at specified time for boat and luggage put in trailer, loaded into boat. On Bardsey, luggage delivered to Obs whilst you walk. All very easy and organised. Any questions, do ask.

It's a wonderful island. Not very big and you can explore everywhere. It's very peaceful and restful. The Obs is a lovely place to stay. Lovely to eat outside with a glass of wine as the sunsets. Manx Shears to keep you company at night. Quite magical.

It's actually really exciting taking everything you need for the week. Water is good to drink from one tap. Important to know the compost toilets are outside, not everyone is up for that. Perfectly clean! There is good electricity when the sun shines and generators and gas when it doesn't.

Hello, there us a small shop at the bird obs, great for mugs and Tshirts and emergency bag of pasta. There is a well equipped kitchen but you need to take all the food for the week with you in plastic boxes on the boat. Plan all your meals and take extra in case there is a delay getting off.

If you can go - do it! Bardsey is a fab place to visit.

Great to have played a small part in this exciting new paper. Huge thanks to all volunteers who undertake common bird monitoring and contribute to national schemes.

An image of a Great Spotted Woodpecker is shown. It is a mainly black and white bird with a creamy white breast. It has a red belly. It has two white spots on its back. A map of the UK is shown. The text says: Woodpeckers: Great Spotted Woodpecker 124% increase 1995-2024 UK. The BBS logo also features a drawing of a Goldfinch.

(1/) It’s hammer time! Great Spotted Woodpeckers continue to increase across the UK. This distinctive species is even being seen more regularly in Northern Ireland, where it used to be very scarce. @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social #Ornithology #CitizenScience

If you like bioacoustics, you will love this issue of Bird Census News. It also features the work of @bbs-birds.bsky.social volunteers who are putting out PAM recorders on squares in Scotland, with the aim of seeing if PAM can augment traditional monitoring, especially in hard-to-reach places.

Anyone fancy this role with our friends at SOC?

That's brilliant work, Scott!

At this time of year when I'm out birding I really try to make an effort to add breeding evidence to my records. It's really quick and easy in @birdtrack.bsky.social and adds value to my records, especially for @ukrbbp.bsky.social species. Added P for pair in suitable habitat.
#ornithology

The graphic displays a Puffin covering half the page and a Cormorant covering the other half. The title reads 'Survey Start Dates' with the dates '30th of April' for Puffins and '1st of May' for Cormorants, the start dates of the recommended colony count survey periods for these species in SMP.

Some important SMP dates are approaching!
Soon, the recommended colony count period for Puffins and Cormorants starts. Keep an eye out for more posts over the next couple of weeks looking at these species and their survey methods! #seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

The graphic shows a Puffin with its English and Latin names (Fratercula arctica). There is a key facts box on the graphic that covers their wingspan, lifespan, diet, breeding behaviour, seasonality, and UK breeding abundance.

Perhaps our most familiar and charismatic auks, these bright-billed burrow nesters certainly catch the eye!
Find out more about Puffins in the graphic below and by visiting their BTO BirdFacts page: www.bto.org/learn/about-... #seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social