Big thanks to @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social for the generous donation in support of our Yorkshire Bird Race team! With @duncbye.bsky.social & @ldvbirder.bsky.social Still time to donate: gofund.me/82e200515

Enjoyable day in the @ldvnnr.bsky.social for the Mike Clegg Memorial Yorkshire Bird Race, with @duncbye.bsky.social & @ldvbirder.bsky.social. Our total of 88 will not be submitted, as we used an EV due to icy conditions. Managed to miss all the scarce stuff! gofund.me/82e200515

A watchful female Marsh Harrier at Wheldrake Ings this morning. Makes a change from eagle pics! @yorkbirding.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social Swantail Hide now accessible in wellies.

Great way to start 2026, with the White-tailed Eagle perching atop a very spindly twig opposite Ellerton Church. Happy New Year everyone! @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Many of my best wildlife memories of 2025 were guiding for @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social. You can read about out best days here: www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/blog/categor...

The local Carrion Crows pulling the tail of the @ldvnnr.bsky.social White-tailed Eagle this morning, hoping to distract it so they could steal a scrap of fish. Their persistence paid off and they pinched a scrap! @yorkbirding.bsky.social

The week the #LDV is also supporting a total of 30,000+ waterfowl inc. 202 Whooper Swans, 1,030 Pink-footed Geese, 2,940 Greylag Geese, 118 Shelduck, 853 Pintail, 269 Tufted Ducks and 245 Pochard @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Wader counts over the last few days in the #LDV inc. 7,100 Lapwing, 500 Golden Plover, 250 Dunlin, 46 Black-tailed Godwits, 23 Redshank, 17 Ruff + the lingering Spotted Redshank. Nice to also see and hear the first returning Curlew with several in subsong in recent days @yorkbirding.bsky.social

With water levels now falling, access at Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings may be possible in wellies for some over the coming days - although Garganey Hide at North Duffield Carrs is likely to remain out of action for quite some time @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Incredible morning in the @ldvnnr.bsky.social with @duncbye.bsky.social and @ldvbirder.bsky.social. White-tailed Eagle, Glossy Ibis, Spotted Redshank, White-fronted Geese, Great Egret, 3 sparring Peregrines, 2 Scaup, 40 Black-tailed Godwits etc. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

An increase in diving ducks at Castle Howard this morning, with 30 Goldeneye, 71 Tufted Ducks and 22 Goosanders. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Sea-eagle seconds birdingdad.blogspot.com/2025/12/york...

Fantastic views of the juvenile White-tailed Eagle this morning at Thorganby. @yorkbirding.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Absolutely monster! Huge juv White-tailed Eagle on the river bank near Ellerton this afternoon from Thorganby. Looks to be unringed and untagged. Cheers @ldvbirder.bsky.social, @ollie333.bsky.social and @timsbirding.bsky.social for news Merry Christmas! @yorkbirding.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social

Spotted Redshank still near Bubwith, with Redshank and Ruff flock. Also, 2 Scaup at Ellerton Ings viewable from Thorganby platform. @yorkbirding.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

This book is available at the price of £25 with all funds going to the Friends of the #LDV and towards supporting conservation/research projects across the reserve 🐦🦆🪶 If you'd like to pre-order yourself a copy please contact [email protected], thank you @yorkbirding.bsky.social

After five years in the making, the first copies of the new ‘Birds of the #LowerDerwentValley – a Historical, Conservation & Migration Review’ have finally arrived 🤩 More information about the book can be found on our recent Facebook post (snipped below) 📖🐦🐦‍⬛🦆🪶 @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Write-up of the North Duff Spotted Redshank on the blog: birdingdad.blogspot.com/2025/12/it-i...

In case you missed this... www.ywt.org.uk/news/derwent...

This is why we need a full hunting ban but meanwhile the police to monitor all fox hunts and we need the law changed so they can’t say they were on a trail hunt. Because they should have called off the hounds anyway! think how this fox suffered @teamlabouruk.bsky.social @cheshirepcc.bsky.social

This is long overdue. The hunters only have themselves to blame. Constant trespass, animal abuse and aggression towards those that just ask them to stay within the law. This has to stop. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Tough time to be a Mole! Flooded out then scoffed by a Grey Heron. @ldvnnr.bsky.social

Stoked to find this Spotted Redshank with the wintering Ruff flock at North Duffield Ings thus morning. Quite a scarce bird in the @yorkbirding.bsky.social area, especially in winter. Also, 16 Ruff, 11 Redshanks, 70 Dunlin, 2000 Lapwings, 500 Golden Plovers. @ldvnnr.bsky.social

A fog bound Castle Howard lake this morning. Few ducks present, with one Great Egret the only bird of note. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Every pelagic tour we do is exciting, and this was one of the most memorable of the 2025 season. Hopefully see you on board next year!

Hunting must be good in the @ldvnnr.bsky.social as these three Marsh Harriers spent a while playing catch with a clump of grass! On our @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social Wetlands tour.

Merry Christmas from @yorkswildlife.bsky.social North Team. I'm so lucky to work with this fab bunch who are out in all weathers working for nature's recovery. Today, we visited @rspb.bsky.social St Aidans, enjoying Bearded Tits, Marsh Harriers, Bittern and Glossy Ibis. Plus Little Owl of course!

First-winter Drake Scaup at Bubwith Ings this afternoon @yorkbirding.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social

We are selling Christmas Gift Vouchers for our Yorkshire Wildlife Pelagic Boat Trips! Five Hour trips here: www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/products/124... Shorter three hour trips here: www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/products/134...

Second in line for our end of year blog series: 'Favourite Yorkshire Birding Days of 2025', is Richards choice cut. Read all about it here: www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/blog/558/my-... @nybirdnews.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social @nymnptrust.bsky.social

Serene scenes at Ellerton Ings @ldvnnr.bsky.social as a family of Whooper Swans glide past.

Icelandic fly past. Whooper Swans at North Duffield this morning @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

The Derwent Ings doing its job storing huge quantities of floodwater. Garganey Hide at @ldvnnr.bsky.social North Duffield Carrs still open but a snorkel needed! @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Totally tropical scenes at Ripon City Wetlands despite it being 2degC with ice on the puddles. Several Tree Sparrows in the hedge, 10 Water Rails squealing in the reeds and a dozen buffalo-headed Goldeneye enjoying the lagoons.

Unprecedented numbers of little white dots in a tree at Bishopthorpe Ings today. 15 Little Egrets! @yorkbirding.bsky.social

A male American Wigeon, perhaps/ probably the returning bird from previous Winters, at Thorganby ings today in the @ldvnnr.bsky.social reserve @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Just spotted these cool Collared Earthstars in our front garden! With a little tap, a jet of spores comes out the top like a mini volcanic eruption!

Tricky to count this sextet of Dabchicks (Little Grebes), this morning at Castle Howard! @yorkbirding.bsky.social

No sign of the recent Bittern at Castle Howard, but two Great Egrets were looking pristine and elegant despite the dismal weather. 30ish Goosanders too. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Was there an Aesop's fable about a Fox and a swan? Here's Foxy with some Icelandic Whooper Swans at North Duffield Carrs, near York, yesterday @ldvnnr.bsky.social

Spectacular afternoon sunshine in the @ldvnnr.bsky.social following a biblical downpour, on our @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social Wetlands birding day. A smart Peregrine landed nearby, having flushed thousands of waders and ducks from the flooded ings. Friday feeling!

Written to inspire. Designed to protect. Every copy of The Rarity Garden helps make a difference. Buy your copy here: www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/products/139... @flamboroughbird.bsky.social @nymnptrust.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

The ringing of Shoveler ducklings is somewhat of an #LDV speciality, so it was nice to receive a @btobirds.bsky.social recovery of one this week (ringed as a young male at Wheldrake Ings in July 2021 - recovered at Valle Morosina, Padova, Italy last week) 1,338 km SE of the reserve.

9 little white dots = 9 Little Egrets. The increase in the population of this elegant white heron in the UK is well known; it even breeds in Yorkshire these days. However, most birds in the York area head to the coast in winter so this flock at Bishopthorpe ings is notable. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Incredible wader scenes on the Humber this week. More in my Outstrays blog here: www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/blog/554/out... @northyorksbirds.bsky.social @birdingdad.bsky.social @markthebirder.bsky.social @mboyd7.bsky.social @waderquest.bsky.social

170+ Whooper Swans on the River Derwent at Ellerton this morning. An incredible clamor under the rainbow @yorkbirding.bsky.social

The Primitives at The Crescent, York, this evening...making me feel 17 again. Brilliant! With @duncbye.bsky.social

Frisky Goosanders flirting in the early morning gloom at Castle Howard. 13 in all, Red-crested Pochard also. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

This story is all Nigel Farage should be asked about by journalists for months

Proud to support the amazing work of these legends Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) with a grant from our birding trip income. Read all about their work, how you can help and good news about recent results in our new YCN blog here www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/blog/553/dir...