Wildlife Wednesdays! 🌿 Meet the European Bullhead (Cottus gobio), a unique fish found in the River Wear. 🐟 With their broad heads and wide fins, they thrive in fast, stony waters, feeding on invertebrates like Mayfly larvae. At Wear Rivers Trust, we’re working to protect these vital habitats! 💧

Green Bank Protection! 🌿 On Tuesday, Wear Rivers Trust staff were accompanied by our volunteers to undertake green bank protection on a stretch of the Hummerbeck! 💧 This task was completed as part of our Hummerbeck and Lower Gaunless Bluespaces Project, funded by Northumbrian Water! 🌊

Wildlife Wednesdays! 🌿 We found otter footprints along the riverbank! 🐾 These creatures are hard to spot, so this was a special moment! 🦦 At Wear Rivers Trust, it is our mission to conserve our local waterways, ensuring they are safeguarded and thriving for the wildlife that depends on them! 💙

Well can I finally call Ellington my 'Local Patch'. So here's the first list from the pond on my patch.😁 😁 Woopigeon,Chiffchaff,Jackdaw,Goldfinch,MSwan,Shoveler,Gadwall,LGrebe,Mallard,Wren,Gtit,Robin,Gfinch,H Sparrow,Rook,Chaffinch,Dunnock,Btit,Blkbird,Mhen,BHGull,Skylark,Magpie,H gull #NEBirding

It's always a good day when I get the chance to go work in the river! Plenty more to come on Herrington Burn!

Wildlife Wednesdays 🌿 Today’s focus: the stonefly! 🪰 From nymph to adult, stoneflies play a crucial role in our river ecosystems.💧Sensitive to pollution, they help us to monitor water quality and assess the impact of environmental changes within the Wear Catchment! 🔍 #riverfly #invertebrate #rivers

Our rivers are in crisis! ⚠️ It is almost time for Big River Watch, which is running from April 25th-May 1st! 💧 With the @theriverstrust.bsky.social Big River Watch app, you can help identify issues and contribute to a national data set that will help us build a picture of river health! 🤳

@wearriverstrust.bsky.social has just moved over to Bluesky. Give us a follow to see all the good work we do to improve river habitats in the Wear Catchment.

What a way to start the weekend! Glorious evening at East Chevington. Sand Martins everywhere you look, Marsh Harriers circling, a stunning Wheatear all topped by 4 close flybys from this absolute beauty!!! #NEBirding

Managed to get out birding more in 2024, and was rewarded with some cracking birds. Hopefully 2025 delivers a few more 'lifers'. #NEBirding #BTO @birdtrack.bsky.social

WeBS- Northumberlandia 16th Mar. 10:45-11:05 Little grebe 3 Mallard 7m 5f Tufted duck 6m 4f Mute Swan 1 Pochard 4m 2f WeBS - Ellington Pond 16th Mar. 11:40-12:00 Mallard 3m 2f Water Rail 1 Moorhen 1 Gadwall 3m 3f Coot 2 Little Grebe 2 #NEBirding #WeBS

Calling river-lovers everywhere: today the River Rescue Kit is released by River Action. It's a properly brilliant resource: * training on water testing * legal rights * campaigning advice * fundraising guides * much more Get stuck in; turn passion into action. Pass it on! kit.riveractionuk.com

5/ Let's make sure this now happens. You can write to Minister Pennycook saying you strongly support these plans - and urge the Govt and Land Registry to act on them swiftly. Ministerial email + template letter in my blog (scroll down): whoownsengland.org/2025/03/06/h...

There's a lot going on in the world right now to keep me up at night, but I'll certainly sleep easier after breaking news letting me know the pope is in a good mood 😂

First African spring migrant of the year with a male Northern Wheatear at Northwick, Avon. With strong southerly winds later this week will the first Sand or House Martin arrive too or possibly a Swallow or two? @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

WeBS- Northumberlandia 16th Feb. 10:10-10:45 Little grebe 1 Mallard 4m 3f Tufted duck 7m 3f Mute Swan 2 Pochard 2m 1f WeBS - Ellington Pond 16th Feb. 12:30-13:00 Coot 2 Teal 2m 2f Moorhen 1 Small sites, small numbers but lovely non the less. #NEBirding

Think this year I'm going to try my hand at digiscoping to better record my sightings. First attempt today, terrible visibility up the coast. Best I could manage were these 2 very noisy Whooper on Cresswell Pond #NEBirding

Can our BirdTrack community help with the UK-wide survey of Woodlark, Dartford Warbler and Nightjar this year? Lots of squares to cover! Please check out the map and sign up www.bto.org/our-science/... #UKBirding #Citizenscience #Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social

Mark Avery @markavery.bsky.social questioned in Birdwatch @birdguides.bsky.social whether Birdfair was going in the right direction. This prompted a response by Stephen Moss @stephenmossauthor.bsky.social In this article I argue why Mark Avery is right. lowcarbonbirding.net/2025/02/05/b...

Any patch watchers noticed a reduction in Linnet numbers this winter, yesterdays count at #BudleBay of 30 was lowest for many a year #NEBIRDING #UKBIRDING

We attended an online forum with other bird clubs around the country tonight to discuss Youth Membership. Key question - what do young people want from a bird club? (Answers in replies please!) #ukbirding

Sheep Eat Oystercatchers, Curlew & Lapwings! Extraordinary new case study out in BTO's magazine showing that out of 20 predated nests observed by nest cameras, **30% of predation took place by sheep eating the eggs!** And we still see sheep as benign... www.bto.org/sites/defaul... (pages 4-5)

Sustainable land use is key for both our environment & economy. Today’s conversation is a step forward, but we need action. We're ready to help shape a Land Use Framework that benefits nature, communities, & the economy. Read our full statement 👇 theriverstrust.org/press-releas...

Agreed! 5am and I'm lost in the details of this great tool!

An annual waterbird survey in Australia has revealed a 50% drop in overall numbers in 2024 compared to 2023:

❄️ The final count period of the Winter Gull Survey is next weekend on January 19th! Go to the WinGS Vacant Site Map and sign up to count gull roosts in your area. 🗺️➡️ app.bto.org/wings/pu... #Ornithology #UKBirding

Walking in a winter wonderland. #NEBirding

Starting to see some political folks start following me and the odd political post. Not trying to sound rude but can I just say, I won't be following back and I would be engaging with your post. The new start on here has given me a timeline purely for my interests #Birds #Nature and Im loving it!

Headed south of the water today. A great day out with @samaldenach.bsky.social on tour of his patch. Highlights included Purple Sandpiper and Shag at Hartlepool Headland plus SEO and Water Pipit at Saltholme. #NEBirding

I applaud @northpennines.bsky.social & especially its Director, Chris Woodley-Stewart, for persistently raising awareness about ongoing raptor persecution, not shying away & pretending its not an issue. Bravo! #RaptorResearch #ukbirding #wildlifecrime raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/01/03/t...

Three different project teams looking to release White-tailed Eagles in these areas. If you're local, or a visitor, pls take a few minutes to share your views via the project survey forms (links in blog). #RaptorResearch #Ornithology #birdingWales raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/01/02/p...

🧵THREAD🧵. A massive thank you to you all! Personally, 2024 has been a wonderful year of birding for me, and that's even without some cracking birding sightings we've had.

Final visit to my Killingworth Lake patch for 2024. 90 species in total for the year. From the resident Mute Swans and friends, to Whinchat and Ruddy Shelduck. Not bad for an urban lake, split by a main road, surrounded by housing, industry and retail. #NEBirding

Goldeneye in full courtship display at Killingworth Lake this morning #NEBirding

Working up Weardale today highlights were; 1 Barn Owl, 1 Hen Harrier, 2 Red Kite and 5 Black grouse. But, all that stayed still enough for a photo was this fungi. #NEBirding #Fungi

Some of the 930 Linnet recorded on farmland survey in mid Essex today. Other highlights: 460 Chaffinch, 6 Brambling, Woodcock, Tawny Owl, 2 Marsh Tit and Redpoll. Lots of birds present throughout the 4hr visit, a great credit to the farmer #essexbirding #birds #ukbirding

New to BlueSky #ornithology? Keen on waders/shorebirds? Three recent blogs about Black-tailed Godwit papers. Migration of juveniles: wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/09/12/j... Head-starting: wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/09/26/h... Nesting behaviour: wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/09/30/f...

Terrible record shot, but absolute pleasure to catch up with GHL today. Beautiful morning, beautiful light, beautiful bird. A male Hen Harrier putting on a display for me at WML was the cherry on the cake? #NEBirding

Grey-headed Lapwing now showing better at East Chevington #NEbirding #rarebirdsUK

Great to see new wild bird indicators for Europe published today pecbms.info/european-wil... as well as individual trends for 170 bird species pecbms.info/trends-of-wi.... Produced from volunteer-collected data from 30 countries - congrats to the PECBMS team #ornithology #conservationscience🌍

Borders Bird Report 2023 is now available 2023 in the Borders saw the second highest species total, four new species and the rediscovery of Marsh Tits. The report is priced at £13 (plus £3.25 p&p). For full details of how to get hold of your copy, visit www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/local-...

Having been ravaged by bird flu in recent summers, Coquet Island's important Roseate Tern population has enjoyed a successful breeding season in 2024:

NEW RECORD: 2024 is the first year in history when wind, solar and hydropower generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the UK.

Poland’s second-ever Ivory Gull has been found dead at a coastal town in the north of the country:

Some winter migrants on Killingworth Lake this morning. Gale force wind, driving rain....is there anything a Pochard can't sleep through! #NEBirding

Don't remember putting my fence there! just another fence causality. #StormDarragh

Unfortunately, couldn't get up to see the Grey-headed Lapwing this time round. Does a 'Grey-headed' woodpigeon count? 🙈 #NEBirding

Lovely evening walk around Cragside with the family. The lights and house looked stunning. #Cragside #NationalTrust

Very sad! Depressing to think I'm going to see many more reports like this in my lifetime

"Bird populations have long been considered to provide a good indication of the broad state of wildlife in the UK..." And the news is not good. Link to updates, using the most recent data from 2023, in @btobirds.bsky.social post below 👇 #birds #wildlife