Thanks! Was happy to get a decent fall after a few quiet days.

Sand Point/Middle Hope AM: 9 Whimbrel, 1 Sand Martin, 15 Swallow, 19 Willow Warbler, 22 Chiffchaff, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 10 Blackcap, 6 Garden Warbler, 6 Lesser Whitethroat, 34 Whitethroat, 1 Redstart, 2 Whinchat, 7 Yellow Wagtail, 16 Tree Pipit, 4 Redpoll & 5 Siskin. @bristolbirding.bsky.social

Interesting you managed to see a female Ring Ouzel. Me and Ross have been debating if there was a female associating with the male that was in the cove but were never able to pin it down. Was yours also around there too?

Sand Point/Middle Hope w/ BOC & @reuben-veal.bsky.social: 8 Sandwich Tern, 2 GBB Gull, 1 skua sp., 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Shag, 1 Merlin, 156 Swallow, 24 House Martin, 4 Willow Warbler, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 10 Blackcap, 2+ Ring Ouzel, 1 Redstart, 1 Wheatear & 60 Goldfinch. @bristolbirding.bsky.social

Think I am going to label the first skua as an sp. rather than a definitive Arctic. Was flying like a Great but lacked white primary flashes and likely too early for Pom. Where did you get your Merlin?

P schreberi moss and text: Monitoring moss reveals widespread deposition of airborne microplastics across the UK

Close-up of Glittering woodmoss and text 52 rural sites across the UK were surveyed for microplastics

Particles in moss fronds captured under powerful microscope, plus text 94% of these sites contained microplastics above our limits of detection

The first national-scale study of its kind, led by UKCEH, has found detectable microplastics in moss at 94% of UK rural sites surveyed.

Lead author @richardkcross.bsky.social discusses the findings & importance of such surveys as production/use of plastics increases.

🔗 tinyurl.com/yc2acct4

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Nice to see all three black-and-white flycatcher species during the week w/ Semi-collared, Collared and Pied Flycatchers all seen (the latter being surprisingly the least common out of the three!)
#WildTravelling #Cyprus #CyprusBirds

Sand Point/Middle Hope AM: 240 Woodpigeon, 1 Merlin, 55 Sand Martin, 25 Swallow, 47 Willow Warbler, 26 Chiffchaff, 37 Blackcap, 8 Whitethroat, 3 Redstart, 3 Wheatear, 1 Yellow Wag, 11 Tree Pipit, 4 Redpoll & 1 Siskin. Willow Warbler photographed from my garden yesterday. @bristolbirding.bsky.social

Sylvia warblers were conspicuous all over Cyprus w/ Ruppell's being a common passage migrant & Sardinian a very common breeder. Cyprus Warbler was very scarce but we did manage to see a couple in the Paphos area, whilst Spectacled was only seen around Larnarca.
#WildTravelling #Cyprus #CyrpusBirds

Nice views of drake Lesser Scaup at Cheddar Reservoir this evening. Also 3 Greater Scaup (2m, 1f), 5 Common Sandpiper, 200 Sand Martin, & a singing Willow Warbler present. #somersetbirding

Most regular wheatear spp. in Cyprus were Northern, Isabelline and Black-eared, w/ many around Paphos Headland itself. The endemic Cyprus Wheatear was more regular inland and we managed a single encounter with a Desert Wheatear on the first day.
#WildlifeTravelling #Cyprus #CyprusBirds

Just got back from Cyprus. Witnessed bird migration like I have never seen before w/ 36 lifers, 127 species and birds dropping out the sky wherever we went, incl a many herons, wheatears, flycatchers and a Roller that came in/off the sea!
#WildlifeTravelling #Cyprus #CyprusBirds

It really is a brilliant place for migration. Would have been better still if we had stayed another day as conditions for falls were looking promising.

Excellent totals! Must be the highest count of Kittiwake in the estuary for at least the past 20 years or so.

Not too hot here so just the right temperature. Apparently a Tristis Chiffchaff was seen at Sand Point the other day so definitely worth a look..

Definitely one of the best places for migration! Even better than Sand Point😉

Yes it’s been brilliant so far. Already had 25 lifers at least!

Day 2 of Cyprus trip and already managed three Cyprus endemics (Cyprus Scops Owl, Cyprus Wheatear and Cyprus Warbler) as well as a vagrant Desert Finch. Phone pic of the Scops Owl. #cyprusbirding

No Sean Davies was the first person to find it.

First Wheatear of the year at Middle Hope in usual spot above the cove. Later trip to Cheddar produced Little Gull and Bonaparte's Gull (the latter being a great Somerset rarity!) @bristolbirding.bsky.social #somersetbirding

Work-related trip to north Wales last week proved very productive with Common Scoter, 8+ Red-breasted Merganser, 3+ Goosander, Red-necked Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, 3 Guillemot, Kittiwake, c.10 Red-throated Diver, 15+ Great Northern Diver, 2 Chough and my first Sand Martin of the year. #ukbirding

Bird nests support a diverse, dynamic and distinctive macroarthropod community on the forest floor Nests built by vertebrates, such as birds and mammals, constitute diverse microhabitats that are inhabited by many arthropod taxa and represent important hubs of local biodiversity. Compared to leaf...

New paper! Bird nests (Wood Warblers) are hubs of invertebrate biodiversity on forest floor, hosting more species/individuals than leaf litter. Probably due to heat & food detritus. Losing Wood Warblers = ecological networks lost. #ornithology
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Ross's Gull put on excellent show at Newlyn Harbor yesterday (28/02). Supporting cast of Ring-billed Gull, Little Gull and 2 Med Gulls at Hayle Estuary. @cbwps.org.uk #cornwallbirding #ukbirding

Late evening dash to see Hooded Merganser at Pilning Wetland. Not a bird I ever expected to see in Avon! @bristolbirding.bsky.social @severnsidebirds.bsky.social #ukbirding

Productive trip to Wales with @reuben-veal.bsky.social
Pallid Harrier showed well late afternoon w/ supporting cast of Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Baikal Teal, Eider, Slavonian Grebe, Knot, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Great Northern Diver & Merlin. #ukbirding

Bonaparte's Gull off Newlyn Lawn was a welcome addition to my life list this weekend. Now on 448! #CornwallBirding #ukbirding

Hmm… I wouldn’t want to overestimate my own counting skills but thanks for the encouragement😂
Will see if I can find the flock!

I sometimes get flocks of up to 150 around Sand Point in the autumn but 200 is a very big count for the W-s-M area!

Red-necked Grebe showed well late afternoon at Cheddar Reservoir, spending most of its time just south of the Axbridge Tower. Another one for the Somerset list! #ukbirding

BTO Ringing Report also shows historic lows for Willow Tits & Wood Warblers. 2024 saw just 132 Willow Tits and 109 Wood Warblers ringed in UK, lowest for ~65 years since introduction of mist-nets. Not a single Willow Tit chick ringed since 2022. Number of Marsh Tits ringed also declining.