A few highlights from the mid-Yare Valley (and nearby) so far this spring, including an arboreal Black Redstart, some stunning Black Tern, a drake Garganey and great views of Bittern. A flock of 8 Wood Sandpiper at Strumpshaw Fen was excellent too. Just need that rarity next! 🤞 #NorfolkBirding

Thanks to the fantastic guided walk at Strumpshaw Fen last week by @djlbirding.bsky.social for getting my ears in Garden Warbler song. Left me suspecting we had one singing in the bushes opposite the house, among all the Blackcap activity. Picked one out by sound, and then sight at 5am this morning

It's Swallowtail season soon! I'll be leading walks at the fantastic RSPB Strumpshaw Fen in celebration of it's 50th year of being open to the public, in hope of spotting these plus lots of other scarce wildlife of the area. #UKButterflies #UKBirding ➡️ Book here: events.rspb.org.uk/browse?filte...

Great to get in on the Bar-tailed Godwit movement taking place across the UK this morning, with one (then shortly joined by another four!) at RSPB Cantley Marshes. #NorfolkBirding

Some spectacularly colourful invertebrates from Taiwan over the last couple of weeks! If anyone can ID the butterfly from the 400+ species found there, that would be great. 😄🇹🇼

A selection of highlights from the last couple of weeks spent in Taiwan including Mikado Pheasant, Taiwan Rosefinch, Collared Bush Robin and Malay Night Heron. #BirdsSeenIn2026 🇹🇼

Our two week trip to Taiwan featured a little excursion to Okinawa (Japan) for some endemics - here's just a taster of some of the brilliant birds we saw on that wondeful little island (Okinawa Rail, Robin and Woodpecker plus Ryukyu Flycatcher!). #BirdsSeenIn2026 🇯🇵

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

A new record Sahara crossing 🪶 Ashok is not only the first of our tagged Cuckoos to reach Europe this year but his arrival is also the earliest ever date that one of our satellite-tagged birds has done so! He crossed the Sahara, reached Algeria, then crossed the Med & arrived in Spain on 25 March!

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

Here we go! Bookings for RSPB Strumpshaw Fen guided walks during the reserves best season (in this naturalist's opinion) just opened!! First two weekends of June! Don't miss out: events.rspb.org.uk/events/155515 #NorfolkBirding @norfolknats.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

It feels like such a rare treat to encounter a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker these days (especially in the UK), so seeing this male showing so well in the Spanish Pyrenees last week really was epic! #BirdsSeenIn2026

A few highlights from patch (RSPB Strumpshaw Fen) today, including Sand Martin, Raven and Woodcock. The sunset was worth sticking around for too. #BirdsSeenIn2026 #NorfolkBirding

A new bird atlas for Britain and Ireland has been announced by five conservation organisations:

The UK Government has unveiled a 10-year deer management strategy for England, pledging to make culling easier in a bid to address what it describes as an expanding deer population that is damaging woodlands and farmland and impacting ground-nesting birds:

The Dutch Spectacled Eider is to be released back into the Wadden Sea after it was taken into care at the end of 2025:

David Waugh summarises the findings of two key studies surrounding the Critically Endangered Swift Parrot:

There's still some spaces left on my guided walk at RSPB Buckenham Marshes this Saturday. On the last one we saw Pintail, Ruff, Peregrine, Crane and thousands of Wigeon and Lapwing! 🤩 #NorfolkBirding #PatchBirding #RSPB Book tickets here: events.rspb.org.uk/browse?filte...

Top afternoon's birding in east Norfolk with @sophgoesbirding.bsky.social. The Iceland Gull was showing well at Sea Palling where Sophie also picked out a Purple Sandpiper on the beach. Afterwards at Great Yarmouth North Denes, we bumped into a trio of SEO and 7 Snow Bunting. 😄 #NorfolkBirding

Three eider were quite the inland surprise on Filby broad today! Found by @djlbirding.bsky.social when they drifted into view outta nowhere on the piece of broad I had just checked 😌🤨 (not that I’m salty)

Some great birding to be had over the winter break so far starting with a #lifer of Snow Goose in Lincs on Xmas day (just 15 mins from me where I was visiting family), and today, caught up with the Green-winged Teal and found some Tundra Bean Geese in mid-Yare Valley! #NorfolkBirding 😁🎄

I'll be at 'The Settlement' in Letchworth this Friday (7.30pm) with the local RSPB group there, showcasing the best of RSPB Strumpshaw Fen! Come along to learn about this incredible reserve - expect scarcities, swallowtails and more! #HertsBirds @hnhsoc.bsky.social @hertsbirds.bsky.social

This #InternationalMensDay we’re reminded that suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK. We all have mental health, and talking about it matters. Check in with the men in your life. Reach out. A small conversation can make a big difference.

Have you booked your place yet? Grab your ticket to our 2026 Annual Conference & join us for a full day of inspiring talks on a range of topics, from Nightjars and Curlews, to Blackbirds and seabirds. We'd love to see you there! 😀 #Ornithology Find out more and book ➡️ www.bto.org/our-work...#Ornithology

Whooper Swan have been a scarce bird in the mid-Yare Valley over the last decade or so, therefore very pleased to find these two at Limpenhoe Marshes this afternoon. #NorfolkBirding

My harrier roost walks at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen are booking up quick and far in advance! Know anyone interested? Recommend booking quick before the places are gone. #NorfolkBirding #Birds #UKBirding events.rspb.org.uk/browse?filte...

2025 has been a record year for BBS coverage! 4,054 visits to BBS squares have been made this year. This beats the 2018 record of 4,048. Thanks so much to all of the BBS volunteers across the UK who have contributed to this! @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social

Great weekend in Sussex celebrating a friend's 30th birthday. Some wildlife highlights of finding a Vagrant Emperor at Beachy Head plus many, many Firecrest! Also twitched the Isabelline-type Shrike on the way home. #SussexBirding

Great to drop in on the Brown Shrike at Upper Hollesley Common on Friday on the way down south. It was still attracting plenty of admirers. #SuffolkBirding

A rather sad one as this Gannet flew in off sea at Cromer last week while tangled in rope! It circled the church there before heading south-east. This same bird was later brought into the Runham Wildlife Rescue Centre! Hopefully it's stay there was short and successful. #NorfolkBirding #Birds

Very entertaining watching a couple of first-winter Caspian Gull around Cromer Pier last week. This one was scrapping for leftovers from visitors that had been crabbing. #NorfolkBirding

A quieter sea-watch off Cromer this morning, where a single Black Guillemot and a Little Gull were the highlights, before an amble around Beeston Regis that held a few common migrants like Brambling and Chiffchaff. Anyone else noticed Rock Pipit everywhere along the coast this year? #NorfolkBirding

A week off in North Norfolk with @sophgoesbirding.bsky.social, so far featured Dusky, Barred and YB Warblers, Ruddy Shelduck and an arrival of classic autumn migrants like Brambling and Redwing. Also a strong passage of ducks out at sea including Velvet Scoter, Eider and Goosander. #NorfolkBirding

Birders across the UK are being encouraged to take part in the BTO's new Winter Bird Survey, designed to provide a clearer picture of how the nation's birds are faring outside the breeding season:

Carrying on my streak of Shrikes in East Anglia, today I dropped in on the Red-tailed Shrike at Dunwich Heath. Showed fantastically in the morning sun, well worth the trip.

Argh! The one that got away? Saw a ringtail Harrier sp. over the @btobirds.bsky.social HQ this lunchtime which whipped low over my head and out of view over the treeline. Looked small, slim, long-tailed and very plain buff underneath but little more to go on. All too brief. 😵‍💫 #NorfolkBirding

Unexpected surprise encountering a Ruddy Duck distantly at Abberton Reservoir yesterday during a work team away day! I wonder whether this is the same bird that was in Lowestoft a couple of weeks ago? Was hard to pick out in the masses of wildfowl and Coot. #EssexBirding

The first-winter Isabelline / Red-tailed Shrike at Happisburgh showed very nicely for me and @sophgoesbirding.bsky.social late afternoon in the gardens behind the beach car park. Hides well in the buddliea at times. #NorfolkBirding

A wholesome day at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen that included attending the annual volunteer thank you event. A pleasure to be part of the team of such wonderful and dedicated people! #NorfolkBirding #Nature #Wildlife

A brand NEW event I'm trialing at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen this autumn. If you'd like to discover a different side of this awesome reserve, why not come along. #NorfolkBirding #Birds events.rspb.org.uk/events/13167...

We had a great Regional Network meeting at Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve at the weekend, discussing upcoming BTO projects and of course we slotted in some time for birding. 🐦 A huge thanks to our brilliant volunteers for joining us and for all the incredible work they do to support BTO! 😀

We have made some changes to the list of species requiring descriptions. From immediate effect Leach’s Petrel and Rough-legged Buzzard has been added Limosa Black-tailed Godwit removed

A few shots from patch yesterday. Swallowtail still on the wing at Strumpshaw Fen, and lots of waders passing through Buckenham too. #NorfolkBirding

A top lunchtime bonus courtesy of the @btobirds.bsky.social Nunnery Lakes Reserve - a juv Purple Heron! It's a skittish bird but gave some quality flight views at times. A great excuse to take a break from the desk. #NorfolkBirding

A lovely sunny day at Winterton Dunes with @sophgoesbirding.bsky.social where there may have been a shortage of migrant birds (an understatement) but still a couple of smart Lesser Emperor Dragonfly and a juv Caspian Gull to see. Bring on autumn! #NorfolkBirding 😎

Patching has been relatively quiet in the mid-Yare Valley recently (aside from finding a small flock of Wood Sandpiper a couple of weeks ago) but the insects have been brilliant! So many Swallowtail at Strumpshaw today and a fantastic Hummingbird Hawkmoth too. #NorfolkBirding

Great to see this with @sophgoesbirding.bsky.social on Sunday afternoon. Congratulations to the finder! 😁👏

Blog post to mark today's achievements. ♠️ #SuffolkBirding #ThreeTonBadLad #Glory #Monumental thewrongtimebirding.blogspot.com/2025/08/rju-...

I'm meant to be flying to India today for a birding holiday, but sadly fell victim to their awful e-visa system (😔). To cheer me up, I'll reflect on a great experience last weekend with @sophgoesbirding.bsky.social when we spent a night at the wonderful yet stormy Whipsnade Zoo! Lucky to have her! 😊