Plymouth Thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus) at (where else?) Plymouth Hoe and Plymouth Thistle selfie with @janettem34.bsky.social on the way back from the SW. Thanks to @andymus.bsky.social for the quality gen. Three plants in flower in this area #wildflowerhour

Written for an Australian audience but much of it applies to birders everywhere, although as a tribe we don’t all reach the lofty heights described 🙂 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

We currently have several vacant WeBS sites in Shropshire, including large, easy to access and count wetlands such as Priorslee Lake. Check the map on the WeBS pages or DM for more info.

Record-breaking morning on Cannock Chase! ➡️ 208 Redpoll ringed yesterday ➡️ 258 total including our test hour the previous day. Unbelievable numbers for the season, a real Redpoll influx! 🔴 #BirdRinging #Migration #Redpoll

Connection with nature can benefit our mental health and biodiversity, but how can conservation orgs and healthcare providers work together more effectively? Read on to find out 🧪 Full study: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... #WorldMentalHealthDay

Grab yourself a cup of tea, and sit back and enjoy this week's BTO Migration Blog. And then head out and let us know what you spot over the weekend! www.bto.org/our-work/new... 📷 Whooper Swans by Sarah Kelman/BTO #UKBirding #ornithology @birdtrack.bsky.social

“Archaeologists examining the nests of the Bearded Vultures in the southern Spanish mountains uncovered medieval artefacts, including a crossbow bolt, a slingshot, and a decorated piece of leather, some of which date back to around 1375.” www.independent.co.uk/news/science...

“If you've ever felt calmer after a walk in the park or a stroll through the woods, it's not your imagination - it's biology.” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The researchers then HEARD CHEWING SOUNDS on the biologger the bat was fitted with, FOR 23 MINUTES. YES I AM SHOUTING THIS IS AWESOME. LOOK AT THIS BAT WITH A FEATHER AND BLOOD IN ITS MOUTH. (Photo credit Jorge Sereno)

EXTREMELY COOL BAT STUFF: A study out in Science today found that the greater noctule bat, Europe's largest, hunts and catches *migrating birds* while in flight. In at least one case, a bat climbed to more than 1200 feet, then chased a robin downward FAST until it caught it near the ground.

Our autumn newsletter has just been sent to BTO members and supporters in Shropshire. It opens with a great account by @saloplarus.bsky.social of an aerial survey of nesting gulls in Shrewsbury, and also has lots of local BTO news. It's online here: padlet.com/martin690/bi... #ShropshireBirding

A sunny day and the urgent realisation that we had just 17 light evenings left in 2025 took me up to the Long Mynd after work, and it was glorious, but cold! Wonderful views plus Red Grouse and lots of Stonechat. It was a delight to just stand there and watch the sun set and the moon rise ♥️

I'm long-term loyal to @birdtrack.bsky.social and think it's brilliant, but this is an interesting, encouraging read, highlighting how many young people are contributing to large, enlightening datasets and generally engaging with wild birds. At a UK level that's probably true for BirdTrack.

Marc's fascinating and accessible feature is our favourite #SciComm feature of the year. So far! BTO News is always a great read, with regular articles on science, practical fieldcraft and results of BTO research. Arguably worth the membership fee on its own!

A Manx Shearwater was found grounded on an Oswestry industrial estate on 9 September and was safely released from Ynyslas beach the following day 😮 #ShropshireBirds www.bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk/news/2552177...

A composite shot from back in 2018 of salmon leaping at #Shrewsbury weir. #Shropshire

Two Grey Herons having words at Venus Pool nature reserve #ShropshireBirding

Some of us think the excellent BTO News magazine is worth the membership fee on its own, but then there's early access to highly regarded online training, and your gateway to the wonderful world of field ornithology, from simple garden surveys to ones requiring higher skills. Come and grow with us!

Enjoyed a very quiet first visit to Haughmond Hill near Shrewsbury for the Winter Bird Survey, an addition to @bbs-birds.bsky.social for this winter. Just 24 species seen, but that does include a few Crossbills. Some sites are still available, see www.bto.org/get-involved... #ShropshireBirds

👀 Want to see conservation in action? Join us for updates on bird ringing across the West Midlands, from robins to warblers. Follow, share & spread the word, together, we can give nature a voice! 🕊️ #BirdsOfBritain #CitizenScience

📊 Bird ringing helps answer BIG questions: ✨ Where do our garden birds migrate? ✨ How long do they live? ✨ How can we protect them from habitat loss? Every ring tells a story and every story guides conservation. 🌍💚

🔔 Ever wondered what bird ringing is all about? In the West Midlands, our volunteers carefully fit tiny ID rings to wild birds 🐦 unlocking secrets of their journeys, lifespans & survival. Here’s why it matters ⬇️ #BirdConservation #WestMidlands

A mild frost on the windscreen this morning, constant calls of migrating Skylarks and Meadow Pipits from above on a walk around the "Annscroft oaks", no Swallows for the first day since April. Checks calendar... Ah, autumn equinox! Just waiting for the first Redwings now. Two or three weeks to go.

Happy #AutumnEquinox 🍂 Stunning frosty, misty morning at #salopobs, coldest September morning for about 5 years! ❄️ #loveautumn

If you've been inspired by Tom Lowe's* posts about the huge Ellesmere gull roost, which has held seven species this weekend including Shropshire's third ever Sabine's Gull, here's a great opportunity to develop the necessary field skills. * @saloplarus.bsky.social #ShropshireBirding

More close views of a diving Osprey near Saltash this evening, spooking around 80 roosting Redshank at the Antony Passage mill pond. Also of note were around 30 Sandwich Terns feeding off Jupiter Point. The footpath beside Forder Creek was wellie-buckle deep and mullet strewn 🙂 #CornwallBirding

Three Eider, three Ringed Plover and five Sandwich Terns were the highlights at Hannafore Point, West Looe at lunchtime today. #CornwallBirding

To the meres tonight hoping for storm-driven waifs, and hit the jackpot with a juv 💥SABINE'S💥 on The Mere, #Ellesmere 🤩 Just the 3rd modern #shropshirebirding record! It stayed to roost alongside an adult #CaspianGull, 10 YLGs & 5,400 LBBGs #happydays #loveautumn #ukbirding

Two Grey Phalaropes at South Huish Marsh this evening, originally found by John Hurrell. Also present six Bar-tailed Godwit and three Dunlin. #DevonBirds

This little stunner and its three siblings were still being fed by their parents in the garden this afternoon. Wonder if they know what they're going to have to do very soon?! #salopobs #migration #ukbirding

Good luck to the Shropshire WeBS team for today’s count. The survey is mainly focused on recording changes in the distribution and abundance of more common species, but the September and October counts always hold the prospect of something special passing through!

A new study reveals that hybridisation between Mediterranean Shearwater and Balearic Shearwater has been decisive in maintaining genetic diversity and facilitating the survival of the most threatened seabird in Europe. #Seabirds phys.org/news/2025-09...

Well that's me done at Chelmarsh for the #WestMidsAllDayer. Bit of a mixed day with a lot of disturbance. Lots of sailing going on also strimming around the scrape. Common birds missing GSW, kestrel and m thrush etc, but some good birds as well Ruff, barn owl, yel wag, redstart & spot fly. Total 72

Counted another 1,980 LBBGs into roost from WNW-NE of Shrewsbury this evening, which along with a few smaller counts elsewhere means there are 💥5,500+💥 roosting on those all important roofs! Staggering 🤯 #urbangulls #shropshirebirding #seabirdscount

It doesn't look particularly impressive but this is the field pool on my local patch near Ellesmere, barely holding water after such a dry year. Big news for a small patch: the first two Curlew of autumn just pitched in, uttering those magnificent flight calls! 😍 #ShropshireBirding

And joining BTO can also open up opportunities through the Regional Network. We’ve provided training and mentoring and *lots* of signposting. Shropshire BTO members have benefited from @bbs-birds.bsky.social training by @btocymru.bsky.social just across the border at Powis Castle, for instance 🙂

A life-sized bronze statue has been unveiled on the island of Papa Westray, Orkney, in memory of the last known Great Auk Pinguinus impennis killed there in 1813. The statue is an exact replica of the preserved remains of the bird, which are held by the Natural History Museum.

A magical morning @SoultonHall 🌿✨ Over 50 birds ringed, from the delicate Whitethroat to the jewel-like Redstart and a shining Lesser Whitethroat. Each feather holds a story, and today we’ve added new chapters to the future of this special place 🐦💫

A nice reminder from Tom at the Salop Bird Observatory that autumn passage is happening right now. It’s a great time to get outside and check your local patch for passage migrants and massing hirundines (swallows and martins). And to log your sightings on @birdtrack.bsky.social, obviously!

Numbers of Greylag Geese in Shropshire have followed the UK trends and increased massively, showing the value of recording birds that are "just feral/common". Egyptian Goose is another one to record in BirdTrack, please, with 35 recorded at three locations earlier this month. #ShropshireBirds

I created my own website! There you can find everything about my research: marc-gilles.github.io

🦅 Spot something suspicious? Illegal bird trapping is a serious wildlife crime. If you see traps, nets, or suspicious activity please report it anonymously to @CrimestoppersUK at 0800 555 111. Protect our birds. Speak up. 🐦 #WildlifeCrime #ReportIt #ProtectNature

“When researchers fitted tiny cameras to the backs of two Red-footed Boobies, they got an intimate view of exactly how these acrobatic #seabirds hunt.” Press release and link to open access paper here: www.hw.ac.uk/news/2025/on... www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts...

"The Scottish Government’s decision to consent Berwick Bank today is devastating news for #seabirds, with tens of thousands predicted to be killed by the development." www.seabird.org/press-releas...

According to the study in late 2024, it’s the worst single species die-off in modern history and was triggered by "The Blob", a mass of warm water in the north Pacific Ocean that has had a lasting and devastating impact on marine and coastal species. #Seabirds www.iflscience.com/the-blob-tri...

The first Montagu's Harrier chicks to fledge in Britain since 2019 🙂 #UKBirding

The 2026 BTO Conference will be held in Northampton on Saturday 28 February. Treat your inner bird nerd to an inspiring day of talks and exhibition stands, in great company! We may be able to coordinate car sharing nearer the time. #ShropshireBirding More information: www.bto.org/our-work/eve...

Geometric Sandpiper #photography #Nature #wildlife #ukwildlife #birds #shropshirebirds

Thanks to @westmidlandsrg.bsky.social for their support and expertise with this. #shropshirebirds #birdringing #shropshire #waders