SMP Species Focus 2: The Herring Gull - A raucous bunch who often draw negative attention to themselves via their poor mannered food pinching in urban settings! This week’s content will show that they’re much more than that! #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Part two of our Guillemot focus! Some of their features can be challenging to see when they’re densely packed on ledges of sea cliffs, so here’s a closer look at some adaptations, biometrics, and plumage quirks! #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Species Focus: The Guillemot - Noisy yet agile, they are a staple of many cliff faces around the UK and Ireland during the breeding season! More to come in the week on these splendid seabirds... #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Varied plumages makes identifying gulls tricky! This graphic identifies key features to look for on some of our common species. More tips on small gull identification can be found in the latest SMP news: www.bto.org/smp-news #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

With the seabird breeding season ending, and many species returning to sea or their wintering grounds, it’s the perfect opportunity to submit your breeding data to the Seabird Monitoring Programme! (deadline: end of October) #seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Here is the answer to last week’s Commic Tern Quiz! Let us know how you did in the comments and get out spotting these aerial acrobats before they’re gone until next year! #Seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social

Last chance to apply! 📢 We're looking for a Seabird Monitoring Programme Organiser. For the full job role and to apply visit www.bto.org/jobs Deadline for applications is Monday 8 September. #Ornithology @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social

Results are in for the Isle of May seabird breeding season. Fulmar breeding success was 41%. An average season with the long term mean at 40% @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social

Common & Arctic Terns are migrating south through the UK and Ireland right now! They are often lumped together as ‘Commic’ Terns. Use this graphic and tell us who’s who! Answer coming next Monday! #Seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social

Adult Roseate Tern and youngster on the Northumberland coast. Safe journey, and hopefully we'll see the adult next year and the youngster in a couple of years. @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social #seabirds #nebirding #birdsoftheworld

We are back on the Isle of May for the final bit of breeding season monitoring. Fulmar checks are now complete. We'll be sharing all the Isle breeding season results very soon. @smp-seabirds.bsky.social @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social

‘Adorable’, Fulmar chick still in the nest on the #Northumberlandcoast Be careful not to get too close, as you might just receive a shower you wouldn’t like. #seabirds @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social #nebirding

This Shag fledgling has all my Monday morning feels. #isleofmay #birdingscotland #seabirds

Come and join our top Surveys team!!

A great opportunity for a career involved in #Seabird monitoring with @btobirds.bsky.social! 🕊️🐦🐣🦅

📢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

“Terning a Deaf Ear” Roseate Tern and youngster on the Northumberland coast. #nebirding #birds #seabirds @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social @ntbirdclub.bsky.social

“There is a season, tern, tern, tern” Roseate Tern on the Northumberland coast. @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social #seabirds #nebirding #birds #birdsoftheworld

"I must go down to the sea again" Soon to be back out into the wide, wild sea. Puffin on the Northumberland coast. #nebirding #birds #birdsoftheworld @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social

Another close encounter with a Common Tern on the Northumberland coast. #nebirding #birds #seabirds #birdsoftheworld @ntbirdclub.bsky.social @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social

“Old friends, old friends Sat on their park bench like bookends” Puffins on the Northumberland coast. Soon they’ll be leaving for their ‘oceanic’ winter quarters. #birds #nebirding #birdsoftheworld #seabirds @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social

Finally!!! One of the three great black-backed gull chicks I ringed last year on Horse Isle (Clyde) has been resighted & is doing well! It was spotted at the end of May in Ardglass Harbour. Another one was found dead on Islay after Storm Bert last year, so I'm very happy to see this record #seabirds

Waiting for the beach to be clear of the tide to do my @smp-seabirds.bsky.social gull productivity count... Reading emails that were composting in my Inbox... @cofnod.org.uk newsletter features Sea Slaters... a movement from the corner of my eye. A Sea Slater. First record between Conwy and Bangor!

A collection of pics from Anglesey last week for Super Seabird Sunday😊 #SuperSeabirdSunday @smp-seabirds.bsky.social

⚠️ 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.

We're pleased to say that the Common Tern pair on our Wheldrake Ings raft have once again reared three chicks to fledging – bringing the total now reared to over 30 since the rafts were first installed by the Friends of the #LDV in 2017 @yorkbirding.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

The great news from #StKilda this #superseabirdsunday is that following a significant decline since 1999, our Kittiwake population is creeping ever closer back up to 4 figures this year, with 989 nests recorded last week! #NTSSeabirds @smp-seabirds.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

Food delivery-3 well grown Common Tern chicks, starting to exercise their wings. 1 female Cuckoo calling, from track above windmill, then Pool track. GWE on Pool with 11 Little E's. A Spotted Fly calling in poolside willows, near hide. Barn Owl hunting. @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Gethin from @btocymru.bsky.social was recently interviewed about SMP & the Kittiwakes of Mumbles Pier for the upcoming show 'Nôl o'r Dibyn' - a four part series co-production between S4C & the European Broadcasting Union focusing on wildlife mitigation projects in urban areas. 📺Keep a look out!👀

Noticing #Seabirds Kittiwake City cliffs : Urban #Nature #NewcastleUponTyne

Delighted to have my Common Tern sketches in the latest issue of Seabird Monitoring Programme News. It's also full of Archie's on amazing science, conservatio and awesome seabirds. Also a recent sketch of one of this year's chicks 😊🐣 #Seabirds #SeabirdMonitoringProgramme #SuperSeabirdSunday

HKL is back at Beacon Ponds, a breeding site since 1977. With confirmed nests, 2025 could be a record year. Reminder: Little Terns are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act. Please keep well away from the colony from the beach side. @rspb.bsky.social

In 2013, a Little Tern chick was ringed at Beacon Ponds. A decade later, in April 2024, that same bird was recaptured in Senegal, over 4,400 km away, & fitted with green Darvic ring "HKL". We ended the update with hope: “We look forward to hopefully seeing it again soon.” @btobirds.bsky.social

Wow! A very exciting discovery by one of our wardens, Tate, during his afternoon shift today. This Little Tern was first ringed as a chick at the Beacon Ponds colony back in 2013. It was recaptured in Senegal last April and fitted with a green colour ring - HKL. 1/2

A great 2nd week working for @n-t-s.bsky.social, helping to count #seabirds around Iona! 🐣 Getting accurate counts is an important first step in measuring and understanding long-term trends in seabird populations 📉 #NTSseabirds @smp-seabirds.bsky.social

A beautiful moment caught on camera, reminding us just how incredible our natural world is. 💚 #WildlifePhotography #Puffins #Seabirds

Bempton Cliffs has the nickname the ‘seabird city’ as it is home to around half a million sea birds. One of the seabirds you can find here is the Northern gannet where it has the largest mainland colony in Britain. #gannet #birds #ukwildlife #wildlife #seabirds

Will take a look next time I'm along the Tyne in Newcastle 👍 BTW, does Kittiwakes nesting on top of city centre street lamp posts count as an 'odd-servation'? 3 or 4 pairs been doing this for at least 7 years now, must be unique for a nest site type! 😃 @andyrickeard.bsky.social

SMPnews is out now - www.bto.org/smp-news 🥳 Issue 3 includes a call for 'Odd-servations' from #seabird colonies. Additionally, we've created a feedback form where you can let us know if anything significant that happened at your colony in a given year: bit.ly/SMP_SiteObservations Happy reading!

One of the Common Terns I help monitor doing a spot of preening, also having a well deserved rest from feeding its three hungry chicks. Happy #SuperSeaBirdSunday 💙🌊🪿🐧 #Seabirds #CommonTern @smp-seabirds.bsky.social

📖SMPnews is out now - Issue 3 | Spring 2025🌱 This newsletter is for anyone interested in #seabirds, #wildlife, #CitizenScience or simply enjoys a good read! Thank you to everyone who contributed.👏 🔭 Check it out at www.bto.org/smp-news 👀 @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

🐣📋 Huge shout-out to the SMP surveyors! 🔭🌊 Thank you! @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Great to see Northern Ireland’s #seabirds on #Springwatch. 😀 Our @bto-ni.bsky.social Seabird Report helps to monitor the fortunes of birds across the country. Discover the highs & lows from the 2024 report. ⬇️ #Ornithology

Carneddau was full of Woodpigeons feasting on Bilberry as I completed the @btobirds.bsky.social Dartford Warbler survey. Hopefully plenty left for the Ring Ouzels later. Never seen them ripe in May. #BirdingWales Then found a new Black Guillemot breeding site at my @smp-seabirds.bsky.social patch.

💻SMP Online now allows for improved site mapping! 🗺️Currently, some sites might look a bit ‘odd’ (e.g. Tysties - but still show start and end points), or show as basic pin for some other sites. We continue to work on these, and here is how you can help… ⬇️1/3

We hope you're having a better day than this clumsy guillemot 😅 Our clifftop webcam from the Farne Islands will be streaming live every day from dawn until dusk for the whole nesting season! See what you can spot over on our YouTube channel here: buff.ly/4GuHO8U

📰 Have you read SMPnews? 🖋️ It's packed with articles on all things seabirds, along with survey-specific news. Check out Rob's article covering the Little Tern colony at Beacon Ponds in East Yorkshire at 🔗 www.bto.org/smp-news 💻 ...and follow the Beacon Ponds project at @spurnterns.bsky.social 🐣

💻SMP Online now allows for improved site mapping! 🗺️Currently, some sites might look a bit ‘odd’ (e.g. Tysties - but still show start and end points), or show as basic pin for some other sites. We continue to work on these, and here is how you can help… ⬇️1/3