Join BTO Youth and @essexbirdnews.bsky.social for a Wetland Bird Survey walk on 4 October. ➡️ www.bto.org/our-work/eve... The event is FREE and open to young people between the ages of 12 and 25. #EssexBirding @webs-gsmp.bsky.social

Today is #PloverAppreciationDay! The UK holds host to six plover species, the commonest of which is the Ringed Plover, though its cryptic colours mean that it can be hard to spot! You can learn more about each species on the BTO Bird Facts page ➡️ bto.org/birdfacts

Are you a birder in Northern Ireland who can count this small pond in County Tyrone, which hasn’t been counted since 1992? If you think you can help please contact us via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at app.bto.org/websonline/s... #WeBSSiteInsight #YourWeBSJourney @bto-ni.bsky.social

Today is the September WeBS Core Count and the first of our winter counts! Let's see what we find on our WeBS sites!

This Sunday is the first count of the core winter counting period of WeBS, which runs from Sept to March (inclusive). It's an exciting part of the year, with migrants arriving to overwinter in our relatively mild climate. So you never know what could turn up on your WeBS site!

🦢The International Swan Census involves counters to carry out a one-off count on the weekend of 17th-18th January 2026. This involves counting Whooper and Bewick’s Swans, as well as recording age assessments and habitat. Visit the vacant site map⬇️ app.bto.org/gsmp/public/... #Ornithology

Are you a beginner birder in mid-Wales who can count the birds at this small pond, which hasn’t been counted since 1993? If you think you can help please contact us via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at app.bto.org/websonline/s... @btocymru.bsky.social

Next up for #WeBSSpeciesSpotlight ...🥁 Teal The Teal is our smallest duck, with WeBS results showing peak numbers between October and February ❄️ Keep an eye out, as we have just seen our first Autumn arrival at the @btobirds.bsky.social reserve in Norfolk today! #ornithology

(1/) New theme alert! For the next few Wednesdays, we will be sharing BBS trends for some of our most familiar wetland birds. We start with Canada Goose, which increased by 129% across the UK between 1995 and 2023. @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social #Ornithology

August @webs-gsmp.bsky.social Wetland bird count at the Aln Estuary yesterday came up with over 300 Lapwings, 295 Curlews, 97 Redshank, a few of both Black, and Bar-tails, Wood Sands, Greenshank, and Whimbrel. @wadertales.bsky.social #nebirding @btobirds.bsky.social

Not especially high tide for @webs-gsmp.bsky.social on the lower #Conwy. First Turnstones back for the winter; a flock of 10 Red-breasted Mergansers at the estuary mouth was unusual. >200 Herring Gulls, 95% of which were fledged young. Parents have already left, presumably. #BirdingWales

Don't forget that this Sunday is the August WeBS Priority Core Count! A great day to go out and count our birds! @btobirds.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social

A flock of 12 Cattle Egrets dropped into the @btobirds.bsky.social‬ reserve in Norfolk today! They are rapidly increasing, with over 800 counted in WeBS in 2023/24 —explore where at app.bto.org/webs-reporti... 📷by @neilcalbrade.bsky.social

Are you a birder in Durham who can take over counts at this High Priority site? The current counter is stepping down so handover is available. If you think you can help please contact us via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at app.bto.org/websonline/s... #WeBSSiteInsight #YourWeBSJourney

Check out the newly published Arctic Indicators paper ⬇️ which uses WeBS and GSMP data!

❓Did you know ❓ Diving ducks have their legs positioned further back than dabbling ducks... However this also makes them less agile on land

📢Job alert! We’re looking for the next Seabird Monitoring Programme Organiser to join the BTO Surveys Team!🔭📈 ℹ️ For more information and to apply: www.bto.org/jobs 🗓️ Deadline for applications: 8th Sept 2025. #seabirds #citizenscience @btobirds.bsky.social, @jncc.bsky.social, @rspb.bsky.social

First up on #WeBSSpeciesSpotlight... Black-tailed Godwit 🎉 Black-tailed Godwits are most common in Spring/Autumn as they move from their breeding grounds in Iceland to winter in Britain, Ireland, France and Portugal🌍 Find out more at www.bto.org/learn/about-... 🪶 #ornithology

📢 Looking for counters for WeBS Low Tide Count at Breydon Water this winter (November-February) ❄️ ✉️If you are interested in taking part, please email [email protected] Find out more about WeBS Low Tide Counts ⬇️ www.bto.org/get-involved... #ornithology

Two of the three Avocet chicks, which were bred here on the Aln Estuary, made their maiden flight this afternoon. I’ve watched them grow over the last few weeks, and it was brilliant to see them fly! @wadertales.bsky.social @webs-gsmp.bsky.social

Are you a beginner birder in Fife who can count the birds at this urban pond, which hasn’t been counted since 2020? If you think you can help please contact us via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at app.bto.org/websonline/s... #WeBSSiteInsight #YourWeBSJourney @btoscotland.bsky.social

Free autumn waterbird ID events up online! Join us for these sessions to brush up on your skills and find out more about the Wetland Bird Survey (you can filter by 'Region' and find them quickly that way). #BirdingScotland www.bto.org/our-work/eve...

Thank you to everyone who carried out their WeBS counts this weekend! 🦆 Please don't forget to input any outstanding data for the 2024/25 WeBS year (June 2024 ➡️ July 2025) into WeBS Online ASAP - 🖥️https://app.bto.org/websonline/

Happy New WeBS Year! This Sunday's Core Count is the first of the 2025/26 WeBS year, which runs from July to June (inclusive). So let's start this year with a splash and get all our waterbirds counted!

⚠️ Advance warning that this weekend certain areas of the BTO website will be unavailable. This includes 'My BTO', and event and membership registration. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Are you a birder on the Isle of Wight who can count Sandown Levels, which hasn’t been counted since 2019? If you think you can help please contact us via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at app.bto.org/websonline/s... #WeBSSiteInsight #YourWeBSJourney @btoengland.bsky.social

📢Job alert! We’ve got a great opportunity for a part-time Seabird Monitoring Support Officer to join the @btobirds.bsky.social Surveys Team!🔭📈 ℹ️ For more information and to apply: bto.org/jobs 🗓️ Deadline for applications: Thursday 24th July 2025. #Seabirds, @jncc.bsky.social, @rspb.bsky.social

Please continue to report all sightings of dead birds for possible testing for avian influenza: 📌In England, Wales & Scotland: www.gov.uk/guidance/rep... 📌In Northern Ireland: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/services/dae... 📌In Republic of Ireland: aviancheck.apps.services.agriculture.gov.ie/report

Are you a birder in Northern Ireland, who can count Craigmalady, which has only had one count, in 1996? If you think you can help please contact us via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at app.bto.org/websonline/s... #WeBSSiteInsight #YourWeBSJourney @bto-ni.bsky.social

Today is the June Priority Core Count date! 🥳

This Sunday is the last Priority Core Count date of the 2024/25 WeBS year! 🎉 Please ensure that you input your data for the whole year ASAP, so that our Local Organisers can carry out the annual job of data validation! 💻 @btobirds.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social

We are looking for a WeBS counter for Loch Ordie -a rural site with a small no. of wetland species, suitable for a beg. birder who is able to access the site. If you think you can help please contact us via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at bit.ly/3HzRFBI #WeBSSiteInsight #YourWeBSJourney

We are looking for a @WeBS_UK counter for Edgbaston Reservoir - an accessible site close to the centre of Birmingham. If you think you can help please contact me via DM or via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at bit.ly/4de8cHb #WeBSSiteInsight #YourWeBSJourney

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

Thank you to all our volunteers that participate in WeBS and GSMP! #VolunteersWeek

Our volunteers are not just out counting WeBS sites, but also in our Thetford office, digitising the huge amounts of historic forms that have resulted from > 75 years of waterbird counting. No mean feat and we are incredibly grateful! #VolunteersWeek

We are delighted that WeBS counter, Ben Rumsby, was the winner of the NBN Young Person’s Award 2024. Ben has been a member of the BTO and a WeBS counter at RSPB Rainham Marshes for many years. You can read more about the ceremony 👉 - bit.ly/4514nTF #volunteersweek

WeBS was established in 1947 and many of our volunteers have been counting their sites for decades, making them incredibly skilled and knowledgeable about waterbirds in the UK. In fact, our volunteers are award winning! Keep an👀out this week to learn more. #volunteersweek

This week is national Volunteers’ Week! So we’ll be taking the opportunity all week to celebrate and thank our amazing volunteers who fuel WeBS and GSMP and make the work that we do possible. #volunteersweek

In Waterbird News, we have a feature called 'WeBS Site in the spotlight'. Last year we featured an excellent article by Dan Owen on Woolston Eyes in Cheshire, but if you would like to write an article spotlighting your WeBS site for this year's issue, please email [email protected] 🖥️📝 #CitSci

Some more positive news from the #WITUK report 🎉📈 To see trends of non-breeding waterbirds in the UK, go to page 11 of the report linked below, or go to WeBS Report Online and search for individual species 🦆 @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

As always, this year’s Waterbirds in the UK report would not be possible without the dedication from 3,947 volunteers, making 44,539 count visits during winter 2023/24. Thank you! @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social #Ornithology #CitSci

The latest Waterbirds in the UK report (using data from WeBS & GSMP) shows positive news for Pink-footed Geese! 🎉📈 Read more on page 26: 🔗www.bto.org/webs-annual-report💻 @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social #ornithology #CitSci

Great White Egrets are one of our success stories of recent years, with their rapid expansion throughout the UK. 🎉📈 Go to page 29 of the Waterbirds in the UK report to find out more ⬇️ #Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

Wigeon are most numerous in the UK during winter, with birds from Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia arriving at their overwintering grounds Read more about their status on page 23 of the WITUK report ⬇️ #Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

The latest Waterbirds in the UK report shows a 26% decline in Golden Plover numbers over the last 25 years. 📉 To find out more about this species and trends, go to page 22 on the report. ⬇️ @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social #Ornithology

The May WeBS Priority Core Count is today! Don't forget to also check out the latest Waterbird in the UK report for 2023/24 here - www.bto.org/webs-annual-report

WeBS Alerts are carried out every few years, assessing whether protected sites continue to support the bird populations for which they were designated. View the most recent Alerts here: app.bto.org/webs-reporti... @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social #ornithology