#ShropshireBirding 🙂

1/ For #WorldAutismAwarenessDay we asked some of the members of the BTO team who are on the Autism spectrum to share their experiences of working for the organisation. At BTO we’re committed to becoming more inclusive, find out more about this work at www.bto.org/inclusivity

Out on a deserted Shawbury Heath for the first time in 2026 this afternoon... a very respectable 28 bird species recorded, with 8 finches (including 2 brambling, and loads of Siskin), a couple of swallows, and many chiffchaff now in residence! #ShawburyHeath #Shropshire #ShropshireBirding ⛅

If you live in and around Shropshire and you are thinking of taking on a Breeding Bird Survey square this spring, three examples of vacant squares can be found below. All three squares have been surveyed before, and already have established transect routes set up. #ShropshireBirds #Ornithology

We need counters for three long-standing BBS squares. Just two early morning visits between April and June, plus a recce. It's a very rewarding survey. You need to be able to identify, by sight and by sound, the birds likely to be encountered. More info: [email protected] #ShropshireBirds

Work Experience applications now open! 🎉 Discover more and apply ➡️ www.bto.org/jobs We offer five days of work experience for young people currently studying for their GCSEs or A-levels, aged 14 to 18. 📝 Deadline for applications: Sunday 26 April.

Titterstone Clee this morning, 2 ring ouzel feeding on the slopes at w3w punters layover static and a wheatear. #shropshirebirding

Not long now. Tempted?! BBS is a very rewarding survey and we need more counters from the #ShropshireBirding community 🙂 DM for more info on local sites or ➡️ www.bto.org/get-involved...

Quick pre breakfast trip to VP to chase the Grey Plover found by Sally J. Still there when I left at 0800 but apparently had gone later in the day. Only my second for VP, maybe averaging one a year in the county recently and another good Shropshire bird. #shropshirebirding 🪶

At Venuspools, Shropshire over the last week enhancing the current Sand Martin box, which had not housed any SM since its fitting. We changed the colour, fitted a sound system and was pleased to report within an hour of the tape lure being on, over 60 were seen investigating. 💚

A nice spring-like @webs-gsmp.bsky.social for our County Recorder: newly arrived Little Ringed Plover and Sand Martins, plus soon to depart Fieldfares 🙂

Advance notice: help needed to record #Shropshire rookeries *between 11 and 19 April* If you know of a rookery in Shropshire please check the project website to see if an updated count or status is needed. ➡️ www.lanius.org.uk/rookeries/ #ShropshireBirds

So good to see this 🙂 #ShropshireBirding

Today is the March WeBS Priority Core Count day!

Lots of potential for this open-to-all survey in #Shropshire You don't need to be a bird expert, and you can take part using a simple app that is about to launch (survey starts in April). #ShropshireBirds

Are you a skilled birder and want to help others to improve their skills? 🐦 Apply for our Training Officer role via www.bto.org/jobs The successful candidate will join the team at BTO HQ in Norfolk who deliver courses, both in person and online. Application deadline: Sunday 5 April. #Ornithology

Good luck to the Shropshire WeBS team for Sunday’s count. We’re confidently expecting the first Little Ringed Plover of the year at one or more sites 🤞 #ShropshireBirds

Increasing reports of Chiffchaff to @birdtrack.bsky.social! Read more about spring arrivals in our latest migration blog ➡️ bit.ly/4so4XDX The weekly reporting rate in BirdTrack for Chiffchaff has risen from 4-6% during the winter to 41% in the most recent week! #Ornithology 📷 Liz Cutting / BTO

BBS 2026 starts soon! Later this week we will be sharing details of some vacant sites with long term datasets. Your chance to be part of this very rewarding survey!

Shropshire’s third Lesser Scaup is an impressive bird, and very accessible. Another great find by Tom @saloplarus.bsky.social #ShropshireBirding

Thought I'd use the courtesy car to do a @btobirds.bsky.social heronry survey, and accidentally found a drake Lesser Scaup! Shropshire's third, but second at this site this year! South end of The Mere, #Ellesmere currently 🤩 #shropshirebirding #ukbirding

Out now: Special issue on acoustic monitoring in Bird Census News from @ebcc.info. It includes an article by @btobirds.bsky.social scientists on how @bbs-birds.bsky.social data is being used to understand how acoustics can augment traditional monitoring.

Sand Martins have continued to arrive into Britain and Ireland in recent days, with 420 records now received. Numbers should continue to rise over the coming weeks, ahead of the peak reporting rate in April. They are often seen hawking for insects over wetlands #ukbirding

Calling all young nature explorers! 🐦 Join BTO Youth for Nest Quest & celebrate nest recording. Sign up at www.bto.org/nest-quest Whether you’re new to nest recording or more experienced, this is your chance to learn about birds’ breeding behaviour, record data for science & win prizes!

VP w G this a.m.: 5 Sand Martin my first 'proper' migrants, (LRP left just before we arrived returned after we left!), 5 singing Chiffchaff, 2 W Rail, 5+ Pochard, 14 Tufted, 24 Shoveler, displaying Lapwings, 4 Snipe, 2 Oysterc, pair Stonechat, 2 Red Kite, 8 Stock Dove, 2 Siskin #shropshirebirding 🪶

The eighth #CaspianGull of the year was in the Battlefield gull field this morning, a large and advanced 3cy shining through the gloom. Who knows how many individuals daily rather than weekly visits would have produced #shropshirebirding #ukbirding

1/ We need you to help us monitor raptors in Wales! 🦅 You choose your survey patch, like the route you enjoy walking each week, and the raptors you want to record. It’s as easy as that! Find out more and take part ➡️ bit.ly/CudyllCymru #BirdingWales

More preparation work underway for the upcoming season! 🐦🌿 We’ve been out at Cound Stank, Shropshire, installing dipper boxes to help support these incredible birds. Some of the locations weren’t exactly ideal, due to the flood risk. Fingers crossed.

It’s always special to connect with these sea ducks inland. Most seem to migrate from the Irish Sea to the North Sea non-stop overnight. As well as the Priorslee bird there were eight on The Mere (Ellesmere) on Saturday, with reports from seven other West Mids sites. #ShropshireBirding

Another home from work diversion allowed me to catch another of #shropshirebirding recent purple patch with the 3 Cranes on the Weald Moors north of Telford until they got up at 1400 and headed SE until lost to view. @belvidebirding.bsky.social next? #ukbirding

(1/) The twittering, wheezy song of Greenfinch can now be heard in many areas. It is sometimes combined with a display flight, where males fly around in circles whilst they deliver their song. @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social #Ornithology #CitizenScience

Our friends in @btocymru.bsky.social BTO are running a free Breeding Bird Survey training event at Llandrindod Lake on 28 March. This survey is incredibly valuable for conservation, but takes just a few hours to do! Open to the #ShropshireBirding community, too! Click on the link to sign-up.

A reminder about tomorrow's SOS talk by Dawn Balmer. Should be a fascinating evening!

A fascinating, thought provoking paper by @btobirds.bsky.social researchers. Accessible and well worth reading. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Great work by Charlotte and Callum, we’ve heard very positive things about the event from Marches birders 👏

Crossbills at Haughmond Hill #photography #birds #ukwildlife #shropshirebirds #Nature #wildlife #birdphotography #ukbirding

A show garden to look out for if you go to the RHS Malvern Spring Festival (7-10 May): "Lifted by Birds is a peaceful, nature‑rich garden designed to support British birdlife" in partnership with the British Trust for Ornithology's @bto-gbw.bsky.social project. rhsmalvern.co.uk/whats-on/gar...

Great work by WMRG and the person who reported the sighting. If you see a colour-ringed bird, or can read the number on a metal ring, the place to report it is ring.ac #ShropshireBirding

If you missed the BTO Conference today there's another chance to hear from BTO this Wednesday (4 March) when @debalmer.bsky.social will be talking about Rare Breeding Birds in the UK and Bird Atlas 2027-31, in Bayston Hill, near Shrewsbury. 👉 www.shropshirebirds.com/index/indoor... #ShropshireBirds

#BTOConference2026 was an excellent day of "birds, science and people", opened brilliantly by Ieuan Evans, and perfectly closed by James Pearce-Higgins. Lots of hard work goes into making this sort of event such a success; it was a great credit to the @btobirds.bsky.social team.

We’re heading into the final sessions of the afternoon at the BTO Annual Conference here in Northampton - it’s been a really great day! Thanks to all the speakers for their inspirational & enlightening talks, and to all the attendees for their energy & enthusiasm! #BTOAnnualConference2026

#BTOConference2026 is go! Looking forward to some great talks and being among like-minded people for a day 🙂

Great to see BTO Carmarthenshire and Gower join the volunteer presence on Bluesky, alongside @eastglambto.bsky.social and us. Unless we've missed another @btobirds.bsky.social Regional Network account? One for the #birdingwales community to follow! 👉 @carmgowerbto.bsky.social

There's still time to apply for BTO Bird Camps if you're aged between 11-17 ➡️ www.bto.org/birdcamps This year our Southern England Bird Camp is run in collaboration with @harbourbirds.bsky.social. We are delighted to be working alongside them to make this year's camp an unforgettable experience!

Local-ish Dippers have started nest building 🪺 #photography #birds #ukwildlife #shropshirebirds #Nature #wildlife #birdphotography

There's less than a week to go in the Winter Bird Survey! We hope you've enjoyed it! Please submit your data no later than 30 April ➡️ app.bto.org/bbs/public/l... A huge thanks to all who have helped us collect important information on the numbers and distribution of the UK’s wintering birds.

Taking a dive into the wealth of data produced by users of @birdtrack.bsky.social and @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social eBird in Wales in 2025 for @birdsinwales.bsky.social Report. Number of users, records and time spent were up almost 20% on 2024. Thank you @btobirds.bsky.social for the data pack.

Details of three worthwhile surveys in S Shropshire. Two are suitable for anyone (all welcome!) but the Long Mynd Breeding Bird Survey needs good ID skills and fitness, as it involves coverage of steep upper valleys, largely on sheep tracks. More info: tinyurl.com/BTOShropshire #ShropshireBirds

We were hoping for Siberian geese this weekend, but our thoughts should have been for something warmer! 😎