The first Black-tailed Godwits to return from Iceland are failed breeders so lots of early birds is not a good sign. Productivity is lower in colder springs & after volcanoes ⬇️ 2026 warm/dry spring may mean poor grass growth (to hide nests). wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/b... #ornithology

Please look out for colour-ringed birds (as John always does!) These early-returning Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits will be failed breeders. Success is linked to spring temperatures - more here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/b... Hope these birds have better luck next year! #ornithology

A 36-year-old Avocet has hit the BBC headlines by breaking the UK's longevity record for the species. The only wader that has been shown to live longer is the Oystercatcher at 40+. Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwit also 30+ More here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w...

Lovely video. Mix of newly-arrived summer plumage Black-tailed Godwits and young birds - probably mostly yougsters that fledged in 2025. These will already be moulting their primary feathers. Blog about Blackwit moult: wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/m...

Magic moment! Thanks for sharing, Peter. Hope these young Woodcocks fledge. There's been a long-term decline in UK Woodcock numbers, as discussed here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/c... #ornithology Photo illustrates the 'eyes at the top of their heads' security system.

Lovely video. Mix of newly-arrived summer plumage Black-tailed Godwits and young birds - probably mostly yougsters that fledged in 2025. These will already be moulting their primary feathers. Blog about Blackwit moult: wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/m...

A 36-year-old Avocet has hit the BBC headlines by breaking the UK's longevity record for the species. The only wader that has been shown to live longer is the Oystercatcher at 40+. Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwit also 30+ More here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w...

Ever seen a migrating Great Snipe? Look up! A long way up! Especially during daylight hours! Blog from 30 June 2021 🎂5️⃣ wadertales.wordpress.com/2021/06/30/f... Paper by Åke Lindström et al #ornithology

Unseen, out over the Atlantic Ocean, the first Whimbrel will soon be passing Ireland, on their way south from Iceland to West Africa. What determines the timing of their migratory journies? wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/07/02/w... 🎂7️⃣ Paper by Camilo Carneiro et al. #ornithology

Seeing some lovely pics of summer plumage Black-tailed Godwits on this platform, fresh in from Iceland. These birds only completed spring moult in April and now they're going to moult again! Blog: wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/m... #ornithology

Seeing some lovely pics of summer plumage Black-tailed Godwits on this platform, fresh in from Iceland. These birds only completed spring moult in April and now they're going to moult again! Blog: wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/m... #ornithology

Unseen, out over the Atlantic Ocean, the first Whimbrel will soon be passing Ireland, on their way south from Iceland to West Africa. What determines the timing of their migratory journies? wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/07/02/w... 🎂7️⃣ Paper by Camilo Carneiro et al. #ornithology

Such an exciting time of year for wader fans. The orange of a breeding blackwit's beak soon fades, then it will be time to moult into grey winter plumage. Blog about moulting Black-tailed Godwits: wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/m... #ornithology

Please look out for colour-ringed birds (as John always does!) These early-returning Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits will be failed breeders. Success is linked to spring temperatures - more here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/b... Hope these birds have better luck next year! #ornithology

Lovely to see another moult paper using the 'shed feather' method, as described by Barbara and David Snow fifty years ago ⬇️. Blog about early study and other Lapwing stuff: wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/07/27/l... #ornithology

Ever seen a migrating Great Snipe? Look up! A long way up! Especially during daylight hours! Blog from 30 June 2021 🎂5️⃣ wadertales.wordpress.com/2021/06/30/f... Paper by Åke Lindström et al #ornithology

Smart Spotted Redshanks! Thanks for posting, Mike. A sure sign of autumn. Sadly, we don't see as many as we used to, as discussed here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/07/26/f... #ornithology

Lovely to see another moult paper using the 'shed feather' method, as described by Barbara and David Snow fifty years ago ⬇️. Blog about early study and other Lapwing stuff: wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/07/27/l... #ornithology

Magic moment! Thanks for sharing, Peter. Hope these young Woodcocks fledge. There's been a long-term decline in UK Woodcock numbers, as discussed here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/c... #ornithology Photo illustrates the 'eyes at the top of their heads' security system.

How does climate change affect waders? For Dunlin breeding around the Baltic, climate change brings higher water levels, more storms and flooded nests. Blog from 20 June 2021 🎂5️⃣ wadertales.wordpress.com/2021/06/20/d... Papers by @vmpakanen.bsky.social @koivulakari.bsky.social et al. #ornithology

I'd heard this new Poyser book was coming, but great to see it available for pre-order. The Bullfinch by Ian Newton. www.bloomsbury.com/uk/bullfinch... Well-known for raptors (classic Poyser 'The Sparrowhawk') and ornithology books, Ian actually began his career with finches. #ornithology #ukbirding

The move from oil/gas to electricity is going to mean lots more power-lines. Hopefully they won't go through important wader breeding areas. Useful info about impacts of power-lines on breeding waders: wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/06/09/p... 🎂4️⃣ #ornithology

A forty-year-old Oystercatcher will have been hatched when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of the UK ... ... and will soon see its eleventh PM. Records for BTO-ringed waders and thoughts about longevity and survival. wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w... #ornithology

A forty-year-old Oystercatcher will have been hatched when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of the UK ... ... and will soon see its eleventh PM. Records for BTO-ringed waders and thoughts about longevity and survival. wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w... #ornithology

WIN-WIN-WIN Win for breeding waders (wet features where chicks feed) Win for farmers (water to keep grass growing) Win for local area (flood alleviation in winter) Perhaps my favourite WaderTales blog 🎂7️⃣ wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/06/14/m... Celebrating much-missed Mark Smart

How does climate change affect waders? For Dunlin breeding around the Baltic, climate change brings higher water levels, more storms and flooded nests. Blog from 20 June 2021 🎂5️⃣ wadertales.wordpress.com/2021/06/20/d... Papers by @vmpakanen.bsky.social @koivulakari.bsky.social et al. #ornithology

Bringing back the waders. Two blogs about reinstating breeding habitat in NE Scotland/ 1️⃣ Removing the trees wadertales.wordpress.com/2020/06/19/t... 🎂7️⃣ 2️⃣ Recreating peatland wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/08/16/p... #ornithology

Bringing back the waders. Two blogs about reinstating breeding habitat in NE Scotland/ 1️⃣ Removing the trees wadertales.wordpress.com/2020/06/19/t... 🎂7️⃣ 2️⃣ Recreating peatland wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/08/16/p... #ornithology

Trees v waders Problem 1 - planting trees close to breeding areas: wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/06/18/i... 🎂4️⃣ Problem 2 - trees spread outside planted areas: iris.hi.is/en/publicati... #ornithology

Trees v waders Problem 1 - planting trees close to breeding areas: wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/06/18/i... 🎂4️⃣ Problem 2 - trees spread outside planted areas: iris.hi.is/en/publicati... #ornithology

Ticks may be tiny, but their bite can have big consequences. In his latest article, Ben Dolphin takes a closer look at ticks and what we all need to look out for. www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/ticks-a...

On this day in 2021, I wrote: "British Curlew need to fledge 10,000 more youngsters - every year", based on survival/productivity figures in what was then a new paper. More here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2021/06/12/m... The figure has been much quoted (and not disputed) #ornithology

First sign of autumn? The @birdtrack.bsky.social graph for Black-tailed Godwit is about to kick upwards, as the first failed breeders return from Iceland, to join flocks of immatures on British & Irish estuaries. Learn more about wader migration: wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/07/20/w... #ornithology

First sign of autumn? The @birdtrack.bsky.social graph for Black-tailed Godwit is about to kick upwards, as the first failed breeders return from Iceland, to join flocks of immatures on British & Irish estuaries. Learn more about wader migration: wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/07/20/w... #ornithology

Heads-up, Curlew people! In case you missed it, Mary Colwell was awarded an MBE this weekend! Delighted to write about her for @curlewaction.bsky.social website. www.curlewaction.org/royal-recogn... Blog about her wonderul book, Curlew Moon: wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/c... #ornithology

Pioneering Oystercatcher! Up until about 1840, British Oystercatchers were coastal breeders. Inland nests first appeared in Grampian (Scotland), a trend that spread to England by about 1900. Now, many pairs breed on roof tops. More here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/06/13/o... #BirdingScotland

WIN-WIN-WIN Win for breeding waders (wet features where chicks feed) Win for farmers (water to keep grass growing) Win for local area (flood alleviation in winter) Perhaps my favourite WaderTales blog 🎂7️⃣ wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/06/14/m... Celebrating much-missed Mark Smart

On this day in 2017, I asked what would happen to head-started Black-tailed Godwit numbers: wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/s... 🎂9️⃣ Here's an assessment from 2024: wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/09/26/h... And some 2025 stuff about inbreeding: wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/04/29/i... #ornithology

Breeding waders and power lines. The effects of power transmission lines can be seen 500 metres away. wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/06/09/p... 🎂4️⃣ #birds

On this day in 2017, I asked what would happen to head-started Black-tailed Godwit numbers: wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/s... 🎂9️⃣ Here's an assessment from 2024: wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/09/26/h... And some 2025 stuff about inbreeding: wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/04/29/i... #ornithology

Pioneering Oystercatcher! Up until about 1840, British Oystercatchers were coastal breeders. Inland nests first appeared in Grampian (Scotland), a trend that spread to England by about 1900. Now, many pairs breed on roof tops. More here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/06/13/o... #BirdingScotland

A very exciting blog topic today! Read about our director, Mary Colwell, who has been awarded an MBE! Royal Recognition, by Graham Appleton, available to read now: www.curlewaction.org/royal-recogn...

This weekend, UK birdwatchers will be counting Wetland Birds for @btobirds.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social. With most waders away, breeding, this is a great opportunity to count non-breeding 'teenagers'. Why are they important? wadertales.wordpress.com/2020/08/28/t... #ornithology

On this day in 2021, I wrote: "British Curlew need to fledge 10,000 more youngsters - every year", based on survival/productivity figures in what was then a new paper. More here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2021/06/12/m... The figure has been much quoted (and not disputed) #ornithology

Breeding waders and power lines. The effects of power transmission lines can be seen 500 metres away. wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/06/09/p... 🎂4️⃣ #birds

How quickly do juvenile birds learn to feed effciently? Neat Black-tailed Godwit paper by Josh Nightingale, summarised as a WaderTales blog: wadertales.wordpress.com/2026/02/05/l... #birds

The move from oil/gas to electricity is going to mean lots more power-lines. Hopefully they won't go through important wader breeding areas. Useful info about impacts of power-lines on breeding waders: wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/06/09/p... 🎂4️⃣ #ornithology

NEW on #theBOUblog from Lillias August Reaching into another world: Watercolour painting at BOU 2026 Conference, ‘Birds and People’ bou.org.uk/blog-augu...#theBOUblog #ornithology 🪶

As wader chicks forage for insect food in the grass, they are easy targets for ticks. Blog about the impacts that ticks can have on chicks, based on paper by David Douglas and James Pearce-Higgins: wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/06/04/c... #birds