First Lapwing of the season for the BTO Nest Record Scheme.

There is a brilliant interview this week with @stuttonsparrows.bsky.social on the Countryslide podcast, discussing Operation Turtle Dove. countryslide.co.uk/64-big-farml...

Fallow Deer at Shimpling, Suffolk. A small part of a herd that recently numbered 114+ animals. From the local Landscape Recovery project: 'the highest risk to the success of habitat enhancement and creation in the long-term, is the lack of deer management.' I'd never have guessed! 🦌🦌🦌.......

Digging a buried #ghostpond in Norfolk farmland way back in 2013. The darker lower sediments are the muds from a pond filled in 70+ years ago. We now know that ghost pond ressurection may be the most successful form of ecological restoration known! @billsutherland.bsky.social

A recently restored #pond in arable. Clear plant-filled & fringed water & all sorts of habitats present. Birds will nest in the bushes & feed on emerging insects. Pollinators of all kinds will use the pond & its plants. Every critter in the landscape will drink its water day & night. *Ponds = Life*

One of the highlights of the year was having the good people from @btoengland.bsky.social run this nest recording taster day at Flatford back in May. The Reed Bunting nest found was a bonus.

This was recently forwarded to me by @stuttonsparrows.bsky.social A brilliant example of woodland creation on a site in Suffolk. It highlights the subsequent management and the positive conservation outcomes it is achieving. #positiveforestry farmwildlife.info/2025/10/21/c...

That pic of the Redwing! Straight off the sea.

Great day out birding North Norfolk yesterday with @stuttonsparrows.bsky.social @esbr-essex.bsky.social & @fivefootseven.bsky.social Kicked off at Sheringham with LITTLE AUK west, ARCTIC TERN, ARCTIC SKUA, LT DUCK, GANNETS, RAZORBILLS etc #Norfolkbirding #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025

Blackberries softening nicely for #moths now. Found this BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING this evening.

Incredible hour checking ivy last night. Recorded 30 species, including 5 I've not encountered on ivy before. That's 93 species since 2013. Ivy is flipin' amazing! #moths

@mothiduk.bsky.social Sean, any thoughts on this please, from Loch Lomond. Pseudococcyx turionella doesn't feel right, but it's the closest I can get.

Goat v. Leopard #moths

Top quality #moths last night. Peach Blossom the looker, but outdone on the rarity-scale by Bright Wave (netted at dusk by Sam Chamberlin), Shaded Fan-foot and Red-necked Footman.

Last week, the Forester was rediscovered in #Essex. First time since 1974. Keep an eye in flower-rich grassland with Sorrel/Sheep's Sorrel (caterpillar foodplant). Mesmerising emerald green in flight and they do love to perch up! #moths

SCARLET TIGER Still rare in #Suffolk. Somehow this one snuck in to the shed next to where the trap was running last night. #Moths

POND GHOSTS & ZOMBIES. A film on our #pond #restoration #Ghostponds work in @uclgeography.bsky.social by RAZOR Science featuring Norfolk Ponds Project, Helen Greaves, myself & many. Pond restoration achieves nature recovery so quickly: youtu.be/SYkbDdaUMBY?...

Nest-recording taster day with Lee & Cheryl @btoengland.bsky.social y'day. Finding a Reed Bunting nest brought elation & amazement all-round. Attendees inspired to take new skills forward. Why are there not more naturalists/ecologists doing this?

If anyone tries to convince you that farmers are biodiversity bad guys.. This picture was sent to me today from a really pleased senior member of that community, amazed at the quantity of mining bees in his field edges this year, after we started having a proper look last year.

Natural colonisation of woodland/shrubland at 4, 10 & 29 yrs. Same spot, looking towards ancient woodland seed source 90 m away at Monks Wood Chronosequence. Still in dynamic change, dense hawthorn & blackthorn thickets are nursery for emerging oaks. Teeming with warblers, soil carbon increasing.

Nice review in today’s Observer “Looks beyond the usual cliches of country life: An excellent second book, acutely observed, and often very funny” You can pre-order it here: harpercollins.co.uk/products/unc...

Our clients enjoyed seeing thousands of COMMON CRANES up close and personal during our tour to Sweden. Such photogenic birds! #wildlife #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birds #Sweden #nature

Fancy a free Dawn Chorus walk this Saturday? I'm leading one at Wrabness at 5am. Might see you there?

Slow out the blocks, but here's the first two Lapwing of the season for the @btobirds.bsky.social #NestRecordScheme

Elder is prob the very best cavity-bearing shrub, far better than hawthorn, hazel, blackthorn (very poor). Important nesting shrub for Marsh Tits & Willow Tits, but only if left to develop old trunks and cavities, not cut. Like Hazel, they self-coppice without management, with new growth from base.

PhD opportunity with me (RSPB) at Sheffield Hallam combining ecology (building-nesting birds esp. Swift) + building design & planning (Net Zero goals & retrofit). We need a strong student interested in both! Is that you? url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/cNyjCR636C... Please repost.

Great day at mid-Essex survey area. Highlights, a surprise ♀️Goshawk twice hunting along main wood ride briefly buzzing local Buzzards. Marsh Tit, Brambling and 6 Woodcock also. Nearby, my 2nd ever Otter was also surprise, showing twice at 10 ft range. 6 Snipe….⬇️ 1/2

Ringers: what's the bill length of a Starling please?

Good example of why feeding stations on reserves with Willow Tits are a Bad Idea: Willow Tit, Jay & Sparrowhawk attracted to same area by people providing food. Unfortunately for the Willow Tit, he's the food. A Willow Tit lost in March/April means the breeding territory fails for the whole year.

Nemapogon clematella (Black-barred Fungus Moth) larval silken tubes on Hazel. It's the older (uncoppiced) Hazel trees with standing dead stems that support the Hypoxylon fungus - which in turn support the moths! At least, that's where I'm finding them. #longmelford #suffolk #mothsmatter

Would recommend Birdsong on BBC4 now.

Strong recommend: the BTO News members' magazine really is a top notch read. It's the best wildlife society magazine I've seen; very good production, and really good, in-depth articles. BTO are really good at publications and comms (LifeCycle is also a very good magazine, for ringers). #ukbirding

Stop what you’re doing and listen to a 10 year old Marsh Tit. Colour ringed on this same territory in 2015. Paired and singing today. Officially the oldest Marsh Tit ever in our 22 yr study, and one of the oldest recorded in Britain. #ukbirding #ornithology

Five common spring #moths. Left to right, Small Quaker, Common Quaker, Hebrew Character, Clouded Drab and Chestnut.

Over-wintering critters. Managed uncut, ungrazed area on meadow on left. Cut and sheep-grazed main meadow on right, 10m from 1st site. 30 seconds sweep netting yesterday. 150 plays 20.

Good time of the year to check old Yarrow seed heads for Coleophora argentula larval cases. Around 4 found in 5 mins of looking in High Suffolk this afternoon.

Great advice from RBBP and Ken Smith on looking for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. It's very easy to add breeding evidence and comments on your BirdTrack records. This really adds value to the record.

Fab way to start the day listening to @stuttonsparrows.bsky.social of @rspb.bsky.social talking #OperationTurleDove and the importance of bringing back zombies🧟‍♂️ (of the pond variety) ... on @BBCRadio4 Start the Week with @tds153.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

The Pinpoint function in BirdTrack is a really useful tool to be able to pinpoint specific locations. Easy to use on the phone app when making a list. First enter your species then click on clipboard icon

A new blog by BTO’s Máire Kirkland and Chris Hewson looks at their research tracking Nightingales.➡️ bit.ly/NightingaleB... They found birds breeding in the UK overwinter in a very small area of West Africa so show an unusual degree of migratory connectivity. @springernature.com #Ornithology

Surveyed two Essex farms yesterday as part of the @gwct.org.uk Big Farmland Bird Count. Despite the gloomy weather we found YELLOWHAMMERS, BULLFINCHES, LINNETS, CHAFFINCHES, GOLDFINCHES and lots more. #BigFarmlandBirdCount #GWCT

We’re here and excited to join the #birding community. 🐦 #BirdTrack is a free online and in-field tool for your bird sightings. You can keep up to date with what others are seeing, view the latest trends, and contribute your data to #BTOScience ➡️ www.birdtrack.net #UKBirding #Ornithology

For interest to anyone on #OxonBirding. c.300 Linnet (I presumed) in wild bird cover next to The Boxing Hare, Swerford yesterday pm. #DriveByBirding.

Blast from the past, we are looking for submissions of the 2018-19 Pied Crow. We already have submissions for Easington, Clevedon & Kent, but it would be great to fill in as many gaps as possible with observers and proof of occurrence in proper submissions. Thanks. #RareBirdsUK

Hawfinch. Cor. #SuffolkBirding

Disgraced myself by actively twitching all of 2 miles to see one of 5 Hawfinch in Holbrook churchyard. Found by Emily Hasler and Claire Farnfield. #SuffolkBirding

Stone-curlew Field Officer - RSPB - www.environmentjob.co.uk/jobs/104513-... #UKBirding #Ornithology

Good advice if you're out and about this weekend #UKbirding #walesbirding #scotlandbirding

Apologies, its #SuffolkBirding. Wiggly border on the Stour.

Thought I'd give Cattawade North Marsh a check for Water Pipit....and found one! #EssexBirding