We’re looking for keynote speaker nominations for the #BOU Avian Disease Ecology conference in 2027. Please share widely! 🪶🧪 bou.org.uk/event/avian-...

#norfolkbirding 1/2 First half of Nov saw the total of Dusky Warblers in a mile of home increase by one to at least 12, several Siberian Chiffs & a 2-day Hume’s in the north half of TG42, which along with Sean’s last week takes the TG42 total to 8

Dusky warbler vocal in the bushes down to port mellon from Mevagissey this evening, following blue tits. Approximately w3w///collision.waitress.luckier #cornwallbirding

John Endler opens up #ISBE2024 showing his long term work on bowerbirds and how they use and manipulate sensory perception. Also reminds us to remain astute natural observers as that's where all our hypotheses come from.

📣Job vacancy!📣 Research Fellow in Global Conservation at Leeds, working with Dave Williams (and me, a bit) to assess the impact of conservation initiatives on biodiversity, carbon, and people: jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx... #ConservationScience 🌍

🦠 SAVE THE DATE! 🦜 I'm excited to announce that the theme of the 2027 BOU conference is Avian Disease Ecology! 📍 Nottingham, UK 📅 6–8 April 2027 🔗 Full details: lnkd.in/gPvFFDJe Please share widely! #BOU2027 #Ornithology #WildlifeDisease #AvianDisease #EcoHealth

Thermal-imaging of two shearwaters in flight over St John's Valley on Lundy last Spring. As well as the bare parts, look at the radiation from the feathered wings!

Another yellow-browed warbler and a patch-tick woodcock from a foggy Aust this morning. Only goldcrest in the nets and a slow push of finches and redwing overhead.

Having dipped the Severnside patch penduline by literal minutes yesterday I was delighted to see it was still there this morning! Patch mega! #ukbirding #patchbirding

This week we are excited to welcome Jamie Dunning from @universityofleeds.bsky.social, speaking on “Avian social networks in the wild — communication, social dynamics and disease.” Join us! Today at 12:00 | ZT702 & online

Thanks to the CASCB @uni-konstanz.de and @alexhhchan.bsky.social for hosting me today. It was a pleasure to see their exciting work on perception and decision making in person, and to talk about applied models of animal social behaviour.

So pigeon day came around again in Gwent with mine (+ the UK @trektellen.bsky.social 2nd ever highest count of 242,160 woodpigeons from Goldcliff - usual watchpoint fogged in. Most moving in huge streams up to 15k strong S/SW over the Severn east of me #UKBirding #Vismig @birdguides.bsky.social

Worrying reports of bird flu (avian influenza) are coming in, including an outbreak in Whooper Swans in the Fens. Other waterbirds are also being affected, and cases are rising. 📷 Sick Whooper Swan by Kane Brides #UKBirding #BirdingWales #BirdingScotland

Twite are now extirpated from this area of Derbyshire. More broadly declines are driven by climate change, but what’s the mechanism?

This is nice. Feeds are a powerful tool here, for bird news and dissemination of research. I wonder if the increased impact from #ornithology tags on Twitter will hold over here ? royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

We are still interested in any found twite feathers for a study on the relationships and genetic diversity between the British groups - particularly now for birds of Scottish origin in the NE of England or, birds on the Avon. DM me for me more info. #birdringing

Pigeons moving over central Bristol this morning, as well as Chaffinch, Siskin and Skylark. Highlight though was a single Crossbill - a first for the East Bristol patch.

Twite is a rare bird in Oxfordshire, the last being in November 2011. News of two birds at Farmoor late afternoon led to mad dash out to the reservoir on the bike, but great views in fading light and rain #Oxonbirding #UKbirding

Interested in a PhD in ornithology? Funding available for projects at the interface of ecology, behaviour & evolution from Oct '26 working on long-term population studies of tits at Wytham, based in @biology.ox.ac.uk in the new Life & Mind Building in Oxford www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Large citizen science datasets are powerful tools for biodiversity science, but they may have biases. Nice new paper from @louisbackstrom.bsky.social et al. showing that for eBird and Birdtrack lists there is a tendency for rare species to be over-represented onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

Our paper, describing kittiwake nesting on offshore infrastructure, is published OA today. There are obvious implications for population monitoring, but comparison with onshore colonies would also be an interesting extension. 🌊🌊🌊 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

NEW on the #BOUdiversityBlog from Ellie Leech Redressing the balance: why gender equity matters to BTO bou.org.uk/blog-leec...#BOUdiversityBlog #ornithology 🪶

Studying breeding waders sometimes involves catching chicks multiple times. Do these intensive studies have negative effects on chick growth? Blog about reassuring paper by Camilo Carneiro et al from 5 Oct 2024 🎂 wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/10/05/h...

Late to posting an early yellow-browed warbler, briefly through scrub at Aust on Monday morning. Otherwise, Siskin moving and single grey plover over. Despite the autumnal feel, still no redwing.

This has received no publicity but is damning. A clear explanation of why this type of reintroduction is not just a distraction and a waste of resources but is ACTIVELY HARMFUL to conservation. Environmental journalists please note and please publicise. operationturtledove.org/captive-rele...

We're looking for a new postdoc on our new BBSCR grant (Graham Taylor/Tim Guilford/Cait Newport). See link below! my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Cool opportunity to work with Joe on the mechanics of seabird migration. #ukbirding #ornithology

I've just had the disappointing news that Ladybird have discontinued their series of modern Ladybird Books due to declining sales, including the unpublished books in the series.

In his #ParentCarerScientist case study, Professor Ben Sheldon FRS talks about navigating crises at home and at work, and why it's important for leaders to set an example when it comes to balancing work with caring responsibilities: #CarersWeek #AndAScientist royalsociety.org/about-us/who...

This is the photo that best captures how good Monday was on the Severn. The first sooty shearwater for Bristol, and the first for Avon since 1974 (📸: @aravindramesh19.bsky.social)

Monday’s Sabines gull was still on the foreshore, below the sea-watchers bench, at Severn Beach yesterday. Still Manx, terns and phalarope in the channel.

Matt did better at getting photos than I did!

Big weather delivered an exceptional push of seabirds up the Severn today, including the first sooty shearwater for 45 years, grey phalaropes, sabines gull and Leach’s petrel.

Sea watching off Severn Beach challenging, but waders at New Passage impressive at high tide in between showers 3 little stint, 10+curlew sands, 2 ruff, 7 common sand, 6 wheatear, 2 whinchat, peregrine, med gull, nice to see @chittening.bsky.social @j-dunning.net @matthall95.bsky.social

More good birds today - cracking juv Spoonbill flying high to the NE, 8 Manx Shearwater and very friendly adult Med Gull again at Severn Beach. Unfortunately was too late for @j-dunning.net's Sabs Gull - becoming a bit of a nemesis bird on patch #ukbirding

Rounded off an excellent week with a Sabine’s gull from Severn Beach, pushed up the channel on squally weather. Also, 8+ Manx, comic and black tern, and spoonbill all on the river.

Sensational day on patch between biblical squalls. Wood Sand, 35+ Curlew Sand, 3 Little Stint, 2 Ruff, Knot, 9 Common Sand, 4 Pintail, 2 Spot Fly, 2 Yellow Wag, Tree Pipit at New Passage. 2 Black, Arctic and Common Tern plus Storm Petrel, 8 Manx Shearwater, Arctic Skua and Med Gull at Severn Beach

Big Severnside tide today and stacks of birds with @matthall95.bsky.social and @j-dunning.net - at least 24 juv curlew sands (other had more), 4 juv little stint (inc a rather grey one), 1 ruff, 2 knot, 4 common sand, 4 blackwit, 6 pintail, 4 wigeon and an adult hobby through SW #birding

The Skopeo surveyor network had an excellent breeding season, using local surveyors for commercial and conservation surveys. As ever, if you're a birder and keen to do more drop us an email - [email protected]

Emily has been touring around ringing groups to gain the experience needed for a ringing permit. She has written this excellent blog on her experience as a women in the UK birding scene.

A hard few days at Severnside (with a wind direction just cutting us off from the seabird action down the channel). Highlights have been juv. Yellow-legged Gull, wind-grounded migrants, and Black-headed Gulls from Poland and Netherlands in the same scope view.

Humans outperform Merlin Sound ID in field-based point-count surveys academic.oup.com/condor/advan... 😊 #ScotBirds #UKBirding

📣 Nominations for this year's round of @bou.org.uk awards are currently OPEN! Your chance to recognise those key people in #ornithology 👏 Find out more and make your nominations here: bou.org.uk/about-the-bo... 📆 Deadline 15th Sept 2025 1/5

This is a superb opportunity! More info below 👇

Book-shopping with my son today, we found a book with an illustration of a micro-discovery I made as a MRes student. The paper wasn’t breaking any ground, but I am proud of this particular exploration.

There is nothing more humbling than applying for independent fellowships.

The current position of Natural England is that (re)introduction of White Storks should not be supported. Evidence for their historical presence here is sketchy and it is difficult to rule out historical remains as not pertaining to regular vagrancy. Cultural evidence is weak at best #UKbirding 1/2

Porthgwarra(Gwennap Hd) 0630 - 1530hrs 19 Wilson's Petrel, 14 Corys Shearwater, Great Shearwater, 12 Balearic Shearwater, 150 Storm Petrel, Puffin, Sandwich Tern, 12 Sooty Shearwater, Whimbrel (with M Mckee, M Elliot, J Overfield) #UKBirding

My first ‘careers’ style blog post.

Lesser Whitethroat seem to always be an early season migrant at Aust - two caught this morning with first tennis ball Willow Warbler of the autumn. Otherwise, two more crossbill overhead and a site first ring-necked parakeet. 🎾🎾