Discover what it's like completing a @bbs-birds.bsky.social survey in an urban area as Mary takes us through her site in Belfast for @theguardian.com Country Diary ➡️ www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Big thanks to our first NI Science & Engagement Intern, Lois, who wraps up her time with BTO this July! 🐣 She says: “I’ve loved being part of BTO NI and meeting our amazing volunteers. Thanks for this opportunity!” 💚🐦 #ukbirding

🌸 Wildlife Wander in Victoria Park 🌿 Sun 15 June | 2–4PM Slow down & tune into nature with us on a gentle stroll exploring late-spring wildlife. Damselflies, birdsong & good company await. Wheelchair accessible. Free but booking essential: email [email protected] to reserve your spot

To all BTO volunteers, thank you for everything you do for birds and people. 💚🐦 Here's just some of the incredible volunteer contributions to our surveys in 2024. ⬇️ #VolunteersWeek

Job alert! We've got a great opportunity for a Science/Engagement Intern to join us at BTO Northern Ireland on a 3 or 6 month internship to learn, grow and contribute to our work to make a positive impact for birds. Find out more and apply ➡️ www.bto.org/jobs #Ornithology Closing date: 22 June 2025

The 2025 @daera-ni.gov.uk Environmental Statistics Report is now available! It includes our Annual Wild Bird Indicator for NI plus Indicators for each habitat. 🐤🌿 We spotlight 2 species' trends below: one positive and one negative. 📈📉 Check out the report 👉 www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications...

What a wonderful Bat Walk in Victoria Park last night led by Mark who's a regular at our monthly Wildlife Wander events! You can't beat the sounds of echolocating bats on a bat detector 🦇 Turn the volume up! 🔊 www.bto.org/our-work/eve...

Booking for the Big Nature Day on Saturday 7th June closes this Sunday! Join us for a ringing demonstration, and workshops on plants, birdsong, moths, bees, butterflies, pond life and more 🌿 See the full programme and book your spot 👉 bit.ly/BigNatureDay25

What a lovely morning at Oxford Island with Dot and Eve from BBC Radio Ulster's Your Place And Mine! Listen in at 8-9am on Saturday 7th June to hear our piece, unless you’re at the Big Nature Day with us! Booking closes this Sunday for the Big Nature Day, get your ticket now bit.ly/BigNatureDay25

Discover what the latest @bbs-birds.bsky.social results mean for Northern Ireland in this thread! ⬇️🐦 #Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social

🎉 Applications are now open for the 2025 Young Leaders Course. ➡️ bit.ly/YoungLeadersBTO 📅 Tuesday 12 August to Friday 15 August, 2025 📍 Cameron’s Cottage, New Forest, Hampshire, UK

🦇✨ Discover the bats of Victoria Park! ✨🦇 Wed 28 May | 9:30–10:30pm Join us for a magical dusk walk using bat detectors to listen to bats swooping overhead guided by Victoria Park Wildlife Wander regular Mark. 🌙 Free – booking essential 📧 Email [email protected] to book ♿ Wheelchair accessible

1/ Concerns for long-term bird populations are revealed in the latest Waterbirds in the UK report out now. Discover more ⬇️ and read the report ➡️ www.bto.org/webs-annual-report #Ornithology #citsci @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

We're loving hearing from previous BTO NI Youth Rep Benjamin on BTO's new Becoming More Inclusive video. Nature is for everyone - in NI and everywhere 🌱🌍

The @bbs-birds.bsky.social 2024 Report has been published today and there’s good and bad news for birds in Northern Ireland. An 82% decline since the mid-1990s has been seen in Greenfinches, whereas Blackbirds have increased by 40% in the last 10 years in Northern Ireland. ➡️ www.bto.org/bbs-results

🌼🌿 Wildlife Wander in Victoria Park 🌳🌼 Join us for a gentle stroll through nature this Sun 18th May! Spot birds, bees & blooms in full swing. Free & wheelchair accessible. Booking essential: email [email protected] to book. No nature knowledge needed—just bring your curiosity! 🌸🦋

Nest recording is such a unique, personal, and rewarding way to experience spring nature 🐣 Join experienced 'nester' Stephen Hewitt for an Introduction to Nest Recording on Saturday 17th May at Traad Point, Co. Derry/Londonderry. It's free! Book your place: www.bto.org/community/ev...

Last year, @btobirds.bsky.social CEO Juliet Vickery ventured to Scotland to survey a BBS Upland Rovers site. The sun was shining for her recce visit, stay tuned for the survey video! Do you love exploring and recording birds? Join BBS Upland Rovers ➡️ www.bto.org/upland-rovers #BirdingScotland

What a morning for a bird survey! Our Engagement Coordinator Sorrel was out near Limavady this morning for her Breeding Bird Survey, in perfect calm and sunny weather. Her highlights were Cuckoo, Spotted Flycatcher, Wheatear, Whimbrel, and Redpoll! A very rewarding morning. @bbs-birds.bsky.social

#DawnChorus at Oxford Island, Co. Armagh @rspbni.bsky.social @bto-ni.bsky.social

Northern Ireland lacks enough vital monitoring data needed to fully understand and tackle biodiversity loss. In the latest #TSDA partnership report, @btobirds.bsky.social investigates why 👇 bit.ly/JNCC-Report777 #CitizenScience #NatureForAll @ukceh.bsky.social

To tackle biodiversity loss in Northern Ireland, more biological monitoring data are needed so @btobirds.bsky.social & @jncc.bsky.social investigated barriers for people getting involved in biological recording. Read about it here ➡️ bit.ly/NIBiological... #CitizenScience #NatureForAll

Develop your wildlife skills at our Big Nature Day! 📅 Saturday 7th June 📍 Oxford Island Nature Reserve, Co. Armagh 🌿 Wildlife workshops with NI's nature organisations Tickets (includes lunch!): £15 per person, £10 for 18-25s/low-income, and £8 for under 18s. Public transport pick ups available!

This small Wetland Bird Survey site in West Belfast is perfect for people new to birdwatching to contribute to this important survey. If you're interested in counting the Mallard ducks and Greylag geese here each month, give us a shout!

Our #CormorantCams are up and running to explore how our breeding Cormorants are doing on Sheep Island and Strangford Lough! Few sites in the UK and Ireland are consistently monitored for Cormorant productivity, so we’re excited to see what our nest cameras capture! 🌊📸 Find out more ⬇️ #ornithology

If you’re near Strangford Lough, Outer Ards or the North Coast we’d especially love your help! ⤵️ Choose your site👉 app.bto.org/seabirds/pub...

The all-island Tystie count is on! Count your local Black Guillemots (or 'Tysties'!) by early-May to help us monitor these charming #seabirds Find a site near you 👉 app.bto.org/seabirds/pub... @npwsireland.bsky.social

It's time to say goodbye until next winter to some of Northern Ireland's wetland wonders. Find out why NI is so special for this winter waterbird ⬇️ #ukbirding

The 2024 Northern Ireland Seabird Report by the @btobirds.bsky.social alongside a wonderful team of volunteers and conservation groups, gives an insightful look at seabird breeding trends in the area. The report underscores encouraging recoveries and worrying declines. bit.ly/41ZTcsx

Relax in a local greenspace and make your birdwatching count with our new Birds in Greenspaces survey - for all experience levels, anywhere in NI! If you're in Derry-Londonderry we'd especially love your feedback to help us improve this programme. More here ➡️ www.bto.org/greenspaces-... #ukbirding

Have you seen a Tystie near you yet? They're back inshore after spending the winter a bit further out to sea. Help us to count your local Tysties for the Seabird Monitoring Programme, find a site near you on our map viewer: app.bto.org/seabirds/pub...

The 2024 Northern Ireland Seabird Report is hot off the press! Check out the 2024 report 👉 bit.ly/NISeabirdReport24 It’s free to read on our website! You can get involved through the Seabird Monitoring Programme @smp-seabirds.bsky.social 🌊🐣 #ornithology #seabirds

1/ We had a brilliant evening last Thursday at the launch of 2024’s #BTONISeabirdReport 🌊 We heard from fantastic speakers and celebrated the efforts of all of our invaluable #seabird counters this year Read on ⬇️🧵

Boost your birdwatching confidence with us this spring! Get out birdwatching with others at sites local to you and develop your skills in a friendly atmosphere. It's all free! Join our online introduction session tomorrow evening Tuesday 1st April 7-8pm. bit.ly/NI-spring-birding-25

Don't miss out on our FREE Bird Camp in Northern Ireland! Join us for an exciting adventure where you can meet fellow young nature lovers, learn from our expert staff and guides, and spot some amazing wildlife! 🌱 Apply today!➡️ www.bto.org/bird-camp

1/ How did Northern Ireland’s breeding #seabirds fare in 2024? Thanks to mammoth monitoring efforts of volunteers, researchers, & organisations, we report annually on our current knowledge of NI's breeding seabirds. #BTONISeabirdReport #Ornithology Report here bit.ly/NISeabirdRep... Highlights⬇️🧵

We have joined Bluesky! For anyone who isn't aware of who Belfast Hills Partnership are you can head to our website to find out more about us: belfasthills.org/about-us/

We celebrated our Official Office Opening last Thursday with stakeholders, funders, and members 🎉 We cut the ceremonial ribbon & heard how much BTO means to some of our partners and volunteers. Come see us in Lisburn if you’re nearby! 🐦🪶 #ukbirding @daera-ni.gov.uk

A brilliant opportunity to not just learn from experienced field event organisers but also to add you own insights and suggestions. Come along! It'll be great to have you! @ulsterwildlife.bsky.social @bto-ni.bsky.social @rspbni.bsky.social @nationaltrust.bsky.social @belfastnfc.bsky.social

This Monday, we joined BTO Senior Research Ecologist Daniel & National Trust staff at Sheep Island to install nest cameras for monitoring Cormorants 🌍🌞 Very few sites in the UK & Ireland are monitored for Cormorant productivity so we can't wait to see what our cameras capture! 🌊📸 #seabirds

Maggie, Joyce & the other Wildlife Wander Volunteers really put in the hours in 2024 to record their local birds, racking up a very impressive 52 species in their local urban parks. Their year-round recording is improving our knowledge of birds in this area - thank you all! @birdtrack.bsky.social

Don't miss out on our FREE Bird Camp in Northern Ireland! The deadline for applying is Sunday 30th March 2025! Apply now ➡️ www.bto.org/bird-camp Bird Camps are a fun way to meet other young people, learn from our experienced staff and guides and of course see some really cool birds too! 🐦

We’d love to see you at our Seabird Report Launch next week - whether you’re new to birds or a long-time seabird enthusiast. 📅 Thursday 27th March 🕐 6-8pm 📍 Bangor Castle 💷 Free! Book your place bit.ly/NI-SeabirdReport2024 P.S. Spot the Brent Geese in the background! @smp-seabirds.bsky.social

Storytelling for #seabirds 📖 Hear from Ruby Free, author of Rathlin, A Wild Life, at our Seabird Report Launch next month about her experiences on the wonderfully wild Rathlin Island. Celebrate NI's seabirds with us! Book your free place bit.ly/NI-SeabirdReport2024 @rubyfree.bsky.social

BTO Northern Ireland Bird Camp applications are open! 😀 Are you a secondary school student under 18, and want to discover more about nature? 🐦🦋🐝Join us for a fun, and totally FREE, weekend! Find out more and apply ➡️ bit.ly/BTOBirdCamps

Restoring Rathlin's seabird colonies 🌊🐣 RSPB NI's Head of Species, Anne-Marie, will update us on the LIFE Raft Project on Rathlin Island at our #BTONISeabirdReport launch event this month. We'd love for you to join us! Book your free place bit.ly/NI-SeabirdReport2024 @rspbni.bsky.social #Seabirds

Tales from the field - hear about monitoring the Cormorant colony on Bird Island in Strangford Lough at our #BTONISeabirdReport launch event. BTO Senior Research Ecologist Daniel is one of our speakers at this free event to celebrate NI’s breeding #seabirds. Join us! bit.ly/NI-SeabirdReport2024

1/ On Friday we had an incredible event at CAFRE's Greenmount Campus called Biodiversity and Agriculture: A Two Way Street. With CAFRE students we explored interactions between nature and farming with a range of NI's nature organisations and @daera-ni.gov.uk 🌎🌱 Read on ⬇️🧵

(1/) Blink and you’ll miss this week’s ‘Talon Spotting’ species focus, the speedy Peregrine! After a significant increase in population across the UK prior to the mid-1990s, this species has unfortunately declined since then. @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social #Ornithology

(2/) Look and listen out for the breeding behaviour of this species over the next few months. It very much has a penchant for high places, so it now nests in some urban areas on some very famous landmarks. You can find out more about this species of falcon here: www.bto.org/understandin...