Sunday book review: The Birds of Bedfordshire by Tony Ploszajski Review: markavery.info/2025/11/09/s... Publisher: Beds Nat Hist Soc 'Excellent' The last Northants avifauna is 130 years out of date... #bedfordshire #birds @wildlifebcn.org #Sandy #TheLodge @rspb.bsky.social @steveblain.bsky.social

Lesser Scaup finally falls. Bedfordshire’s first today at Broom GP. Nice to have another Beds first on the local patch. Well done Matt Burgess for the find on his @webs-gsmp.bsky.social count. #BedsBirding

Nearly half of the United Kingdom’s most commercially valuable fish populations are either overexploited, critically low or both, according to a new report warning that the government continues to set catch limits above scientific advice.

A day in north Norfolk yesterday with Matt Burgess and @agrimsey.bsky.social . And what a day! We started at South Wootton for the Lesser Yellowlegs in its bizarre location on the edge of a new housing estate.

This gave me a shock last night at Broom GP. Superficially an Azorean Gull (hate the name Azores Gull!). However despite the hooded appearance, dark blue-grey mantle, stocky appearance, and mucky bill it didn’t quite stand up to scrutiny.

St Agnes today - pale / albino / leucistic Rock Pipit on Periglis and and a cracking Wheatear on Wingletang

The first Redwings of the autumn dashed west over the Pinnacle this morning. Just five but it’s a start. Looking forward to more. #vismig #BedsBirding

I think a lot of birders need to read this!

Do you do moth trapping in the UK? We'd love your help! 💡 At @ukceh.bsky.social we're training & testing AI to detect multiple moths in a single image. Send us top-down photos of multiple moths on egg trays to support this work. More info & form: forms.gle/e3HzBPEd7RVV... #mothsmatter #TeamMoth

You can’t beat a Dotterel. It’s even better when there are four of ‘em. Today at Nanjizal #CornwallBirding

@astrokev.bsky.social Hi Kevin, would you mind following me so I can PM you about a photo I believe you took a few years ago of a melanistic Montagu’s Harrier near Broom in Bedfordshire? Many thanks, Steve

How many people contribute records to county and local bird reports in Wales? How much data do those county recorders manage and through which channels? How wide is the coverage? More detail in Alt Text. Number-wrangling while I'm writing the @birdsinwales.bsky.social 2024 report. #BirdingWales

Have done a couple of Woodlark surveys in the last couple of days in Bedfordshire. No Woodlarks or Dartfords but habitats have been decent and the weather lovely. Bumped in to a few Woodcocks including four this morning at the Lodge. @btobirds.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Pleased to find a pair of vocal Marsh Tits in my local woods this morning. #BedsBirding

"Interesting" Magpie at Perranuthnoe on Monday. Picture courtesy of @paganbirder.bsky.social

Ooof this might be one of the most terrifying things I've ever read. The damage from climate change is already in effect and not even the pristine Amazon is escaping it. The fact that we are still talking about it as a future problem is wildly misguided.

A short visit to GLE this afternoon, with 36 Pochards, the long-staying Goldeneye and around 100 Greenfinches roosting in a roadside bramble. Then 11 Woodcocks heading in to the arable at dusk nearby #BedsBirding #ukbirdinf

A quick visit to Blunham Lake this lunchtime. Quite a few duck present but the most interesting bird was this third-winter Caspian Gull. This bird first turned up in the Ivel Valley last winter and looked a bit odd and hybridy. However it looks better the older it gets. #BedsBirding #ukbirding

A local review of 2024 (this may be long!): I managed 168 according to BirdTrack the same as 2023. I also tried to achieve 100 species a month in Beds in 2024 and I did it! My best month was April with 116 species, down from 128 in 2023, and my lowest was 101 species in December, up from 92 in 2023.

A damp and dreary start to 2025 brightened by two gaudy Hawfinches at Warden Warren this afternoon. Few other species to speak of, the best probably a (Lesser) Redpoll and some Siskins. No sign of any Woodcock in their usual spots via the thermal #BedsBirding #ukbirding

A very ordinary last visit to Derek Whites Eggs pit for the year this evening. Hoping for a roosting Bittern. None of those but did see a delightful drake Pintail, among the few ducks on the water. About 800 Starlings roosted in the reeds whcih was nice against the pink sky #BedsBirding #ukbirding

An afternoon visit to Stewartby lake for the gull roost today. Eight species of gull was a great return with a first-winter Med the highlight. Also 3 Caspian’s (1w,2w,3w), 4 Yellow-legs, 2 GBB’s, 400 Herring, 120 LBB’s and a few thousand each of Bh and Common Gull. #BedsBirding #ukbirding

Warden Warren this afternoon for a quick walk round. Four Hawfinches are a regular fixture currently and fairly reliable mid-afternoon in their canopy retreat. Also a thermaled Woodcock hiding under its laylandii shelter. #BedsBirding #ukbirding View my #BirdTrack list: app.bto.org/birdtrack/pu...

An early morning jaunt to Meadow Lane today. Bloomin’ good too! 4 Bearded Tits, Drake Pintail, Jack Snipe, Great White Egret, Redshank, Water Rail, and 72 Shovelers. 15 Chiffchaffs was also a very good count locally. And best of all made 101 for the month in Beds. #BedsBirding #ukbirding

A family walk round Woburn Park today. Pretty quiet due to the misty conditions. A single Goosander was on the pool in front of the Abbey but no Mandarins today. Star bird was a single Hawfinch which I found calling from the top of a tree in the grounds of the Abbey. PIX! #ukbirding #BedsBirding

Had a wander in some farmland near Cople this morning and stumbled on a flock of 26 Corn Buntings. These are getting very tricky to find in winter locally so that was nice. #ukbirding #BedsBirding

A showy Cetti’s Warbler was nice to see at Gypsy Lane East, Beds this Christmas morning. Earlier I had a Hawfinch and Woodcock near Southill along very peaceful empty roads. #ukbirding #BedsBirding

Job alerts! 📢 We’re looking for a BirdTrack Organiser and a Birds in Greenspaces Engagement Officer to join our team. 🐦 Find out more and apply ➡️ www.bto.org/jobs #Ornithology #UKbirding

Some exciting news for our first post - Strawberry Hill has been saved! This unique rewilding site is home to half of Bedfordshire's nightingales. Today we can announce you've helped us raise an amazing £1.5million and the site's future is safe. Thank you everyone who gave, we're so grateful.

A #digiscoped shot of the Houghton Regis Red-backed Shrike. #iPhone11Pro #Kowa 883 #BedsBirds