Happy New Year! 🎆 As expected, sadly, the radars once again lit up with MILLIONS of birds fleeing from #fireworks. GIF of the @knmi.nl Herwijnen radar See other years: horizon.science.uva.nl/fireworks/ Thread and more science below 🧪🪶

Every Said: The secret shared language of Heroneers. bsky.app/profile/car... #EveryHeronBestOf2025

Every week since early 2021 (i.e. lockdown times) has been a week without driving for me. But this year I learned about the official #WeekWithoutDriving and so wrote an account of that particular week - from Schiermonnikoog to Columbus. carfreebirdnoticer.substack.com/p/a-week-in-...

Not to make Traveller Heron jealous, but…

Since Bluesky still lacks a scheduling feature, I won't be using this platform to honour #EveryTimeZoneNYE - whether Heron-themed or otherwise. For those who do want to celebrate NYE in the best way, here's the reference. 38 time zones, 26 hours - have fun🥂🥳 🎆 www.timeanddate.com/counters/fir...

Today we celebrate having made it through Christmas and Boxing Day. Happy 27 December to all, and to all good night 🍷✨

My Christmas surprise was to hear back about the ringed #blackbird (/ #merel / #klyster) who visited my house every day during my last trip to Schiermonnikoog 🇳🇱🐦‍⬛ The bird was ringed just down the street in 2019, at age two. I think he looks pretty good for his age, no?

FFS this was published in 2013, and I am just *now* learning that dogs prefer to excrete with their bodies aligned along the North-South axis under calm magnetic field conditions?! Oh, and Happy Christmas everyone!

I concur: Active travel is great! Even if you're out of school, active travel is *still* great. I passed this sign while walking to the pub 🍻

Some #bird friends from Guernsey's northwest coast, passerine edition 🇬🇬 🪶

Some #bird friends from Guernsey's northwest coast 🇬🇬🪶

DON'T JUMP On the other hand, you can fly, little Stonechat, so might as well jump (jump), go ahead and jump (jump) 🪶

Oystercatchers at the bathing hole 🇬🇬 🐦

Here's the photo of mine (taken in Sark's Jewel Cave) that was on display at last year's Bailiwick of Guernsey Wildlife Photography Exhibition. I think it's kinda funny that the photo that was selected was taken not with my antiquated Nikon D500 but my even-more-antiquated 2016 iPhone SE 🇬🇬 🇨🇶 📸

Traveller Heron's Bluesky year in review.

Me: "I already have so many pictures of birds from Guernsey; I don't know how much I'll even bother taking my camera out this trip." 30 minutes later... 🐦 🇬🇬

They say there's no place like home for the holidays, but they also say that home is where the #heron is. It feels like a homecoming to return to Guernsey and see the reliable herons of La Clare Mare lined up in their favourite spot, right where I left them last January 🇬🇬 🪶

Saturday Morning Travel Story The host called me at the airport after I'd checked out from my apartment, in a panic because they couldn't open the door. I explained that I had locked the door and returned the key to the lockbox. Then everything was okay.

A Grey Heron that was initially banded at a @marillion.com Weekend in Utrecht has been recaptured at an H Natural show in East Sussex. This is perhaps the first evidence of Steve Hogarth groupie behaviour among Ardea cinerea. No idea who that lady is.

"A job for Christo, wrapping the sun with silk..." Glancing through my archives, I couldn't find a decent photo of a crow squawking at the sky, but nonetheless tonight's bird grid is crow-themed in honor of the spectacular @marillion.com Weekend that just wrapped up in Utrecht 🪶

As someone with extensive experience travelling solo, I believe that there are barely any downsides other than the obvious economic ones. However, far and away the worst of those few downsides is not having someone to watch your luggage at the airport bar when you need to take a leak.

A promising dining option in Utrecht... #héron #reiger

I am greatly enjoying Jantien de Boer's book Wondervogels (Wonder Birds)! ...but is this really the sort of material I want my Heron to be reading? 😬 🪶 www.birdeyes.org/book-launch-...

Traveller Heron was excited to discover a café in Utrecht serving bird-friendly coffee - something we don't think we've previously encountered outside of the US (or, for that matter, outside of Audubon meetings in the US) ☕️ 🐦 🇳🇱

"He fell through one of the ceiling tiles and went on a full-blown rampage, drinking everything." (Sometimes self-preservation requires following the news back in the US only very selectively.) apnews.com/article/drun...

When people ask if I would like to live permanently on a #carfree island, I usually ask them whether bears shit in the woods. (Car-free islands typically have only small wooded areas, so it might be unpleasant if bears often shit in them.) (Pictured: Hiddensee 🇩🇪 / Anholt 🇩🇰 / Sark 🇨🇶 / Tunø 🇩🇰)

"Is that bird a girl or a boy?" "I dunno. Just name them Pat." #turnstone #steenloper #stienpikker 🪶

Same here every time I leave a nearly car-free island for the mainland, and then every time I leave a European city for America.

Drieteenstrandlopers! 🪶

Some #birds that are not herons (on or near Westerplas, Schiermonnikoog).

"It boggles the mind that these guys can fly over the Gulf of Mexico [...] It's just amazing. But then we take them out, with some glass." 🐦 🪶 ...but there are solutions! (No, not hawk decals - "The only thing that does is keep the bird from hitting the hawk decal.") www.npr.org/2025/10/17/n...

🎶 Car-free highway, let me slip away on you… 🎶 I always misremember those lyrics – must be the way I always feel so free whenever I am out walking or cycling in a #carfree (or nearly so) place, like Schiermonnikoog here 🇳🇱

#Herons (Blauwe #Reiger) of Schiermonnikoog, November edition 🇳🇱 🪶

Sometimes people assume I'm anti-tech because I'm #carfree, enjoy nature, am sensitive to light/noise pollution, etc. Nope. I love telecommuting, for one... I just think the point of technology should be to make life more pleasant and less stressful, rather than of unleashing "lions" upon us 24-7...

Oh, damn, it looks like I totally missed #WorldAnteaterDay this year. youtu.be/qXD9HnrNrvk?...

Infinite wine glasses. Infinite Traveller Heron.

The hotel staff asked if I was expecting company, because I had booked a room with a second bed...

Stopping to admire the street art, part 2 ("Invasive Species" by Bernard Palchick) #Heron #AsSeenInColumbus

Perfect day for a Heron bike ride!

Well, that's depressing news, but also an important wake-up call for this #WorldMigratoryBirdDay "This devastating loss underlines the urgent and sustained need for stronger, coordinated conservation efforts for migratory #birds and migratory species in general."

How is the word 'burger' even a "'meat-like' term" when it's derived from the name of a city? There are actually lots of places to get vegan food in Hamburg these days... www.birdlife.org/news/2025/10...

Welp, the egret sold me on the Cajun Sunshine hot pepper sauce, but they're still working on the Rolex...

I've not driven in 4.5 years, but I've been taking notes on my everyday experiences in honor of #WeekWithoutDriving - from Schiermonnikoog to Columbus and everything in between - and a blog post on the topic should be forthcoming...

As seen in the airspace over Schiermonnikoog 🇳🇱 #heron #reiger #spoonbill #lepelaar 🪶

A few #waders seen on Monday's excursion to Schiermonnikoog with @waderstudy.bsky.social #IWSG2025 🇳🇱 🪶

Traveller Heron has been learning a lot at #IWSG2025

If it's not enough to deprive millions of Americans of health insurance, cancel childhood vaccinations, gut health research, etc., then also make sure that no one has a safe place to walk and bike for transportation and exercise. #MakeAmericaHealthyAgain

Herons don't just drink wine; sometimes they hydrate too (in this case, following a dinner of delicious seared scallops from the Isle of Coll 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿)

Saturday is #WorldSoundWalkDay "Put your phone away, slow down, and open your ears. Notice the sounds of birds, wind, water, insects, or even the subtle space of silence. Allow yourself to be fully present. A sound walk is not about talking, but about listening." www.quietparks.org/urban-quiet-...

Another Traveller Heron 😉 bsky.app/profile/sorr...