🎄 Merry Christmas & Happy New Year / Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda 🎄 Thank you to all who’ve supported us through our transition to Glo i Natur CIC 💚 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year - with events, training and new projects ahead. Keep an eye on our socials for updates!

Bird of the year for me this year was Scops Owl, 15 mins from the house and I'm unlikely to see another in Wales. Closely followed by Brown Shrike found by @peninsulabirds.bsky.social ace bird. Super Scops Owl photo by @shaunevans.bsky.social

This year on Bluesky I wrote 148 posts and 113 replies. I received 24,443 likes, whereas 5,276 was from my most popular post, and apparently I love saying "birdingwales" and 👍! www.madebyolof.com/bluesky-wrap...

Couple of hours at Kidwelly Quay, Sibe Chiff, Marsh Harrier. Nice to chat with @pembsbikingbirder.bsky.social #birdingWales

Some festive finds at International Colliery, Blaengarw this weekend ❄️ These beautiful snow-white #lichens are Stereocaulon species - possibly S. evolutum and S. dactylophyllum. They’re delicate and only grow in places with very little disturbance, as they’re easily broken. A winter treat 🤍

Trip to North Wales for only my second Bufflehead and first in Wales, nice. #birdingWales

Early walk at Cefn Sidan, Pembrey Burrows. A pair of Raven tucking into the dead cows on the beach, Water Pipit in flooded field,nice to see a bit of sun. #birdingWales

December moth in drizzle. #TeamMoth

Early seawatch at Gilman Point before the rain, 100's Common Scoter. M Hen Harrier at Ginst. 45 Whooper Swan, 2 Black Swan at Dryslwyn. #birdingWales

Tufa springs on coal tips 💦 These rare micro-habitats form where water passing through coal spoil picks up calcium - likely from ancient marine bands - and deposits it at the surface. Unusual in the acidic Valleys, and vital for specialist wildlife like soldierflies. #GloiNatur #CoaltoNature

Early work finish for @welshnaturelady.bsky.social to see the Scops Owl at Dunvant Park and to test the new thermal imager. Bird showed just after dusk a couple of times before we headed off and left everyone to it. #birdingWales

We usually showcase the plants, fungi & invertebrates of coal spoil sites - but here’s some of the hidden life too 🐭 Wood Mice sheltering under a metal sheet at Darren Fawr Tip in the Garw Valley. Coal tips: full of surprises, even in winter. #GloiNatur #CoaltoNature #SouthWalesValleys

Great to speak with the Nature Restoration & Forestry students from Black Mountain College in Treherbert today about coal spoil wildlife. Sharing this knowledge is vital - inspiring future practitioners to recognise the biodiversity value of these sites. 🌿💚

Exciting to catch up with the drake Bufflehead that graced Point of Ayr #RSPB over high tide today. No sign of rings & behaving like a wild bird. @rspbcymru.bsky.social @britishbirds.bsky.social #birdingWales @birdsinwales.bsky.social @rspbburtonmere.bsky.social @penrhynbirder.bsky.social

#UKBirding Lesser crested Tern at Dawlish Warren on Thursday

Nice couple of hours out this evening watching the Scops Owl in Dunvant Park. Not something I ever expected to get on my Welsh list. #birdingWales

Few hours at Dawlish Warren, nice views of the Lesser Crested Tern fishing. #ukbirding

Andromeda Galaxy (4/12/25).

Visited the Lewis Merthyr coal tip above Trehafod last weekend. Once industrial spoil, it’s now heather, whinberry, lichens & warm bare ground supporting specialist wildlife. Conifers are creeping in, so management is key. Even in winter it’s beautiful 💚 #GloiNatur #CoaltoNature #CoalSpoil

Exciting red squirrel news 🔊 🐿️ The range of red #squirrels in the #ScottishHighlands has increased by more than 25% following our 10-year reintroduction project! Surveys show that new populations are thriving, breeding and linking up. Read the full story 👉 treesforlife.org.uk/red-squirrel...

The invasive plant, New Zealand Pigmywort Crassula helmsii, is a big trouble maker, but can be hand-picked & dug out of ponds & eradicated. Over recent days our Julia Mumford-Smith & 4 volunteers worked hard to clear Crassula from 2 species-rich North Norfolk farm ponds. Crassula can be beaten!!!

Orion Nebula, taken from Wales, Cwmbach, 2025. Couldn’t get the EQ mode to work on Dwarf 3 smart telescope, but happy as a first try. #astrophotography #orionnebula

Couple of hours at Kidwelly Quay. Siberian Chiff, 10 Rb Mergs, c30 Snipe and a few distant Pintail. #birdigWales

Amongst the rugged mountains of Eryri, a quiet but powerful conservation story is unfolding— one that blends science, farmer know-how, and a deep respect for the land ✍️Sian Shakespear, Plantlife Cymru wp.me/p8Mk4U-19kF

And we’re not stopping here! We’ll keep advocating for green spaces that support nature and help connect habitats, acting as vital stepping stones for wildlife across our landscape. #NatureNeighbours #NationalTreeWeek #ValeNature #ConnectingNature

✅ Started restoring grassland into species-rich meadows – By changing mowing practices to 'cut and collect', we’re encouraging native wildflowers and grasses to grow, supporting pollinators and wider biodiversity, making the park a more interesting place to explore.

Over the past couple of years, we’ve been working with Vale of Glamorgan Council, Penarth Tree Forum, St Cyres Primary students, and local residents to make St Cyres Park a better place for nature and people. Together we’ve:

I caught the train and bus to Broad Oak, Carmarthenshire from Haverfordwest, and then cycled to Cilsan Bridge to see Whooper Swans wintering there. It was lovely to ride a section of newly constructed cycle path through the Tywi Valley from Carmarthen to Llandeilo 😊 🚴

Early walk out from Weobley Castle, Green Sandpiper, Merlin. Ringtail Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, Llanrhidian Marsh. #birdingWales

First Snow Bunt of the Autumn/ Winter, Cefn Sidan Beach. #birdingWales

Working together for the Marsh Fritillary 💪 As the Wales Marsh Fritillary Recovery Partnership Project comes to a close, we take a look back at some of the amazing achievements and hear from the people who will continue this vital work into the future 👉 buff.ly/rRh1kB9

Join Us at The Knap! @valelnp.bsky.social are sowing wildflower seeds to create meadow areas. Come along and get involved, everyone is welcome. 🌼🌿 📅 Tuesday 18 November 🕚 10:30am 📍 Meeting point: what3words location: what3words.com/packet.learn... #Wildflowers #Biodiversity #ValeNature

Eastern Black Redstart at the point near the green beacon. Pic: T Willoughby. #spurnbirds @rarebirder.bsky.social

Bookings have gone so well for our Gower Bird Hospital talk - Wildlife ER - by Dr Dan Forman on Tuesday that we've released 10 extra places. Book soon on Eventbrite if you'd like to join us! #WTSWW www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wildlife-e...

Day out on the Gower, YBW, Black Redstart, Firecrest at Middleton. Showy Dartford at Mewslade. Pallid, 2 M Hen, Ringtail and Marsh Harrier at Llanrhidian. #birdingWales

🌼 Wildflower Seed Sowing – Sully Linear Park 🌼 Join us on Fri 14 Nov at 11am to help sow native wildflower seeds and boost local biodiversity! 🌱🐝 📍 Meeting point: what3words.com/hook.aims.ci... (Off Westminster & Dulverton Drive) All welcome – no tools needed! 💚 #ValeLNP #NatureInTheVale

Here is our open letter to the new NRW Chair asking him what he will do to reverse the decline in nature. He says his priority is to ‘position NRW as a national leader in nature recovery’. We want to hold him and NRW to those words. Here's our letter: www.natureconservation.wales/news/

A walk at Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, with @welshnaturelady.bsky.social, more planes flying over than birds, but can't wait to try here in the Spring.

Very breezy walk up to the trig point on Rhossili Down this morning enlivened by a confiding Snow Bunting, looking a bit out of place really. Also 2 Chough, Buzzard, Skylark and Snipe. #birdingWales #gowerbirds

Breezy walk at Whiteford, c150 Brent, Rb Merg. Quick stop at Llanrhidian F And Juv Marsh Harrier. #birdWales

Nice few hours at Strumble, 2 Great, 2 Sooty Shearwater, BND, RTD and GND, 2 Little Gull, Arctic Skua, missed the Little Auk. Rounded off with Pallid, M Hen Harrier at Dowrog. #birdingWales Couple of terrible skoped photos of the Pallid.

Break in work, so managed to get to Murton to see my first Glamorgan Hooded Crow, nice. #birdingWales

Really pleased to find a Red-throated Pipit on North Ronaldsay today. Other highlights today being Turtle Dove, Lapland Bunting and Yellow-browed Warbler. Nice to see that the Easterlies are producing birds. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

Local patch walk on Mynydd Gellionnen, c30 Redwing, 1 Fieldfare, 3 Swallow. Highlight was a Ringtail Hen Harrier on Mynydd y Betws. #birdingWales

Nice couple of hours yesterday afternoon, Lapland Bunting found by @markhipkin.bsky.social on the Vile and then the Pallid Harrier at Llanrhidian. #birdingWales

Nice couple of hours at Llanrhidian Marsh this afternoon with @welshnaturelady.bsky.social. Pallid, Ringtail, Male Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier and Glossy Ibis.

The Brown Shrike at St Davids today - a belter and a bit of a show off. Found it whilst driving down to Porthclais to look for Yellow-browed Warblers. First for Wales if accepted. Hope it sticks around. #birdingWales

Great views of the Brown Shrike found by Steve Jones. #birdingWales

Walk before work at Banc y lord, 9 Glossy Ibis, 6 Whooper, Marsh Harrier. #birdingWales . A couple of jets zipping about too.