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
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.
Three Penduline Tits at Aust made for great start to birding year this morning. Later trip to Slimbridge produced 55 Bewick's Swan, 80+ Russian WF Goose, 15 Tundra Bean Goose, Water Rail, 500 Golden Plover, 300 Dunlin, surprise Bittern & good views of Cetti's Warbler. @bristolbirding.bsky.social
Thanks James!
Last year for me was higher at 147 but year before was roughly the same. Missing key birds from previous years (e.g. Little Stint, Short-eared Owl, Woodlark, Wood Warbler, Hawfinch). Severnside sometimes get above 180 but they’ve got Pilning Wetland and Aust Warth!
Here are some of my highlights from what has been an action-packed 2025. Ended on a Sand Point patch list of 138 and a world list of 447! Hope everyone has a great 2026😃 #ukbirding
Brilliant find James!😃
Challenges still remain on how we can work with landowners to implement better grazing strategies across the upland landscape, as this is the only way we can effectively mitigate against the future effects of climate change on our insect and bird populations.
Great results from a study on migratory heather moorland breeding birds on Dartmoor. Heather moorland has long been overrun by Purple Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea) at sites across Dartmoor and the Welsh uplands so it’s encouraging to see small-scale actions to reverse this trend.
Merry Christmas Penny🙂 Hope to see you out again in the new year!
Yes will keep a look out for you🙂
Decent day birding with life tick in the form of Lesser Crested Tern on the Exe Estuary at Cockwood and patch tick in the form of Red-throated Diver down channel off Sand Point. @bristolbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding
Think I saw you at the twitch today! Very good views of the bird and always great to put a face to a name🙂
Excellent thread from @btobirds.bsky.social on this game changing development for studying Lesser Spots
Fantastic effort by everyone involved! Thermal imagery is definitely something I will invest in for next year.
Sand Point AM vismig: 1 Golden Plover, 1 GBB Gull, 1900 Starling, 12 Redwing, 1550 Chaffinch, 12 Brambling, 3 Greenfinch, 7 Redpoll & 28 Siskin.
Grounded: 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Firecrest & 5 Goldcrest. @bristolbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding
Patch year tick Snow Bunting in Sand Bay this evening. The bird was extremely showy, down to at least 5m! First one I have heard of locally this year. @bristolbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding
A video is now available of the lecture I gave last week to the Linnean Society & British Ornithologists' Club in London, on woodland birds, Marsh Tits & Willow Tits (~45 mins): www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7HF... #ornithology #ukbirding @ukceh.bsky.social
Not been out before in a strong north-westerly but seems to be ideal for birds crossing onto the Welsh side. Should be good for the next few days too!
Sand Point vismig: 2 Pintail, 162 Woodies, 1 Common/2 GBB Gull, 900 Starling, 18 Redwing, 14 Fieldfare, 1 Grey Wag, 1863 Chaffinch, 4 Brambling, 7 Redpoll, 1 Crossbill & 39 Siskin. Grounded: 1 Chiffchaff, 8 Goldcrest, 1 Treecreeper, 1 Redwing & 1 Fieldfare. @bristolbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding
Sand Point/Middle Hope: 210 Shelduck, 1 GBB Gull, 10 Common Gull, 1 Merlin, 40 Skylark, 2 Chiffchaff, 22 Goldcrest, 1 Treecreeper (3rd patch record!), 854 Starling, 2 Redwing, 583 Chaffinch, 3 Brambling, 44 Greenfinch, 4 Redpoll, 34 Siskin & 1 Reed Bunting. @bristolbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding
Middle Hope vismig AM: 2 Snipe, 148 Starling, 2 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, 39 alba Wag, 61 Mipit, 233 Chaffinch, 8 Greenfinch, 23 Linnet, 13 Siskin & 5 Reed Bunting. Grounded: 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Firecrest, 7 Goldcrest, 2 Song Thrush & a patch tick male Black Redstart! @bristolbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding
