Chris Sharpe

70 years of data show extreme heat is already wiping out tropical bird populations A study using more than 90,000 scientific observations shows Earth is getting too hot for many tropical birds.

Handy summary of the original paper analysing one of the factors in the ongoing collapse: "the historical intensification of heat extremes has caused a 25–38% reduction in the level of abundance of tropical birds, which has accumulated from 1950 to 2020." theconversation.com/70-years-of-...

Anyone still not able to join the dots...?

Great thread, Philip! What is now known about causes of decline in UK? Our colonies collapsed when neighbouring houses replaced hedges with fencing. Dozens of pairs would formerly nest under our tiles.

Norfolk is set to warm back up to Caracas temperatures again next week. The Chinese can cook up some pretty convincing hoaxes.

These binoculars have been wonderful companions on many a field trip and tour, but although I've really pampered them the time has come to test that famous Swarovski warranty.

A Curse of Gold: Mining and Violence in Venezuela’s South | International Crisis Group Illegal gold mining is doing growing damage to southern Venezuela, its delicate ecosystem and its people. Curbing this harm is up to the government in Caracas. Foreign capitals should use whatever mea...

An excellent up-to-date review of the profound impacts of illegal government-promoted gold mining in the Venezuelan Guayana, one of the world's most severe and least acknowledged environmental crises. www.crisisgroup.org/latin-americ...

A beguiling myth once believed by people the world over living under similar autocratic regimes. Most observers are surprised how far Trump has managed to consolidate power in a few short months and how little resistance he has encountered. It took Chávez years to achieve that level of hegemony.

Even as a city lad, I can't agree more.

Trump’s Budget Would Clip Bird Banding. Hunters Are Not Happy.

🪶🌎🧪 Bird Banding Lab threatened by budget cuts: The lab falls under the U. S. Geological Survey’s Ecosystem Mission Area, the agency’s major ecology program, which under President Trump’s 2026 proposed budget would see funding cut to $29 million, from $293 million. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/s...

Trump’s DOGE Cuts Are a Texas-Sized Disaster Reckless agency layoffs and the dismantling of federal relief programs could leave the Lone Star State in peril.

A prophetic piece published before the 4 July Edwards Plateau flash floods. www.texasobserver.org/trump-texas-...

As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas

If true, the direct impacts of defunding NOAA's National Weather Service are being felt sooner than expected. @nws.noaa.gov www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/u...

The Misleading Panic over Misinformation People can’t agree on how to define misinformation and its related terms, making regulation nearly impossible. Instead, free expression serves as a better tool for discovering truth.

🧵 THREAD: Why the Cato Institute’s new paper on “misinformation panic” is dangerously wrong, and why it completely misunderstands the real crisis we face.
www.cato.org/policy-analy...

Look who's going to be at our AGM to be held at @globalbirdfair.bsky.social on the 12th of July. @themarshtit.bsky.social will talk about conservation in Bolivia after the formal part of the meeting. All welcome. Have you got something better to do?

I use @biodivlibrary.bsky.social all the time, an invaluable resource that, for example, archives past issues of Bull BOC back to 1893. Hard to see cash-strapped researchers adequately offsetting the termination of Smithsonian Institite's long-term hosting role, but donate here... #ornithology

YouTube video by Forbes Breaking News SHOCK MOMENT: Trump Says Mayorkas Might Be Arrested And Charged For Work During Biden Administration

"Te tengo la celda lista..." m.youtube.com/watch?v=77qQ...

A heart-stoppingly faithful rendition of Eurasian Curlew extended song by this little fellow this morning, a potential first for our garden. Curlew do breed in Breckland, which is presumably where this Starling learned the prank.

Três novos filhotes de rolinha-do-planalto são criados sob cuidados humanos SAVE Brasil avança em estratégia para proteger uma das aves mais raras do planetaTrês novos filhotes de rolinha-do-planalto (Columbina cyanopis), uma das aves mais raras do mundo, criados sob cuidados...

We have been involved with SAVE Brazil's conservation efforts for the Blue-eye Gound Dove through our Conservtion Awards Programme. Here is their press release in with an update on progress.

@birdlifeglobal.bsky.social @aba.org @abcbirds.bsky.social

www.savebrasil.org.br/post/tr%C3%A...

Our work on re-evaluating the status of Venezuela's shorebirds/waders is finally out in Cotinga. We hope to have addressed confusion perpetuated in the literature and present a new official checklist comprising 46 confirmed species. #ornithology

I'm having to routinely delete eBird tracks before submission now since distance and time are incorrect, e.g. my standard 20-minute garden counts, if which I have a long time series, are being incorrectly logged at 19–27 minutes. Hoping this can be fixed.

Aaah, so that's why they've stopped me logging actual routes 😂...

Is anybody else finding problems with distance-time-route measurement in the new @cornellbirds.bsky.social Android eBird update? Today's 3.77km survey track initially truncated by eBird to 3.00km, now showing 30.00 km! Track, time and distance all incorrect. #ornithology

With the 'conservation optimism' fad justifying the acceptance of shifting baseline syndromes, we refer to the stark reality of biodiversity and nature loss apologetically as 'doom-mongering'. Aldo Leopold had it right.

screen grab of the event Misinformation and the Threat to Conservation from https://members.linnean.org/events/67fd2addd5f1de00084dd431/description

I'll be in London next week discussing misinformation and the #biodiversity crisis with @amydickman.bsky.social and @clarecarlile.bsky.social at an event organised by the ‪@linneansociety.bsky.social ‬https://members.linnean.org/events/67fd2addd5f1de00084dd431/description 🌍

A sad end to the wanderlust of a Western Marsh Harrier, but an amazing bit of detective work!

Surprise encounter with a huge ancient coppiced Small-leaved Lime (Tilia cordata) along R Thet—possibly a naturally occurring tree? Lovely to behold whatever the case.

NSF, NASA and NIH budgets per year, inflation adjusted from 2000-2025 along with the proposed cuts. NSF includes research component only. Massive cuts across all sectors, well below support spanning 25 years.

How bad will it be? Catastrophic.

Proposed cuts to #NSF, #NIH, and #NASA will set the US R&D landscape back 25 yrs+, cause economic and job loss now, and undermine innovations to come.

But, this is the WH's *proposed* budget.

Speak up now before it is too late.

(inflation adjusted $-s below)

Proposed Bird Banding Lab Closure Endangers Bird Research - American Birding Association The 2026 federal budget proposes eliminating the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, threatening bird banding, research, and conservation nationwide, endangering 100+ years of vital ecological data.

Why is Elon Musk still a member of the Royal Society? www.aba.org/proposed-bir... #ornithology

No shorebirds on today's wader survey on ancient grazed heathland on the upper R Thet—but all the warblers are back and it looks and sounds wonderful! #NorfolkBirds

Yup... #birds

YouTube video by WHSRN Webinar - Pequeños Fondos Manomet 2025

El 30 de abril cierra la convocatoria para los 'Pequeños Fondos Manomet' 2025, becas de financiamiento de $ 3.000 para acciones de conservación y/o investigación que tengan beneficios medibles para las aves playeras del Neotrópico. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rvh... #ornithology