Nicola Crockford

Figure showing photgraphs of three seabird species (Atlantic Puffin, Sooty Shearwater and Eider Duck) plus illustration of new paper, a hand collecting seabird eggs and text reading: 'intentional take of seabirds for human consumption'

🚨New global review and next steps🚨

Intentional take of #seabirds for human consumption is happening in at least 56 countries and affects >100 migratory species. Data on sustainability, population impacts, and human health risks are often missing.

Read more: ➡️ tinyurl.com/ypbadzyr

#BLScience

Perched upright on a weathered stump, a small brown Wren tilts its head back mid-call against a soft golden backdrop, alert and vocal.

Many MPs claim to care about nature.

Tomorrow afternoon will be the test.

On Tuesday 3rd March there will be a debate in Parliament on red lines for nature.

We’ll be watching to see who shows up. Empty seats will say a lot.

Tell us who you expect to see there tomorrow. 👇

There is also a wadertales blog about this paper: wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/12/02/r...

Stone Curlew.

Finally caught up with Stone Curlew locally today. Five birds seen, including this (sitting) erythristic individual. #SuffolkBirds

Delighted by the Aquatic Vegetation Synopsis just published. This summerises the evidence of effectiveness of 206 actions. Amazing work by Nigel Taylor, Vanessa Cutts & Rebecca K. Smith

Waders in a changing climate?
New WaderTales blog:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2026/02/28/m...
To coincide with paper published on Saturday:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
#Iceland
#ConservationScience🌍

Number Of Sea Bird Species In The World

17 more maps in the series: brilliantmaps.com/biodivers...

Today we mark World Seagrass Day. 🌊

#Seagrass meadows span 159 countries and are vital feeding and nursery grounds for migratory wildlife like dugongs & green turtles. 🐢

Let’s protect and restore seagrass for wildlife, coastal communities and a healthier climate.

Read: www.cms.int/news/seagras...

Our 2026 Conference is taking place in Santiago de Compostela, in north-west Spain. Registration and Astract Submission opens on 1st April #IWSG2026 #IWSGconf

www.waderstudygroup.org/conferences/...

Where People Live, Hooded Vultures Survive – For Now New research shows that just 11.6% of The Gambia remains highly suitable for Hooded Vultures – and most of it lies within human landscapes.

New research shows that just 11.6% of The Gambia remains highly suitable for Hooded Vultures – and most of it lies within human landscapes.

theornithologist.org/where-people...

#TheOrnithologist #birds #birding #birdconservation #hoodedvulture #vultureconservation

Latest Wadertales blog on why timing of breeding advances more in short-distance migrants: wadertales.wordpress.com/2026/02/28/m..., from neat new @ecol-evol.bsky.social paper led by Verónica Méndez using 16 years of data on Icelandic waders: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
#ornithology

Dirty water, death and decline: the inside story of a privatisation scandal There is no end in sight to the pollution caused by a ‘broken’ system. Experts say it could even be getting worse

“Prof Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to clean water, has singled out the English system for criticism, saying water should be managed as a publicly owned service, rather than run by private companies set up to benefit shareholders.”
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

New🗒️@science.org this week - Shows patterns of sustained decline in North American birds are strongly linked to climate & agriculture - but increasing agricultural intensity is the main driver of accelerating decline @rspbscience.bsky.social @uclcber.bsky.social 📉🐦
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

🙅 People across Europe are demanding a lead-free future.

7 in 10 European citizens support a strong EU ban. Yet the latest draft weakens the restriction by excluding bullets.

Lead puts human, wildlife and nature health at risk. Ignoring science and public demand is not leadership.

#BanLeadNow

📢 Job Alert: Monitoring officer

I am looking for an experienced ornithological fieldworker to join the team this spring to lead on the monitoring of Black tailed godwits at WWT Welney.

Closing date: 6 March 2026

Apply ➡️

vacancies.wwt.org.uk/vacancies/77...

Voices of the Flyways: Hólmfríður Arnardóttir Join Hólmfríður to find out what is being done to protect precious wetlands in Iceland and the birds that depend on them.

For migratory birds, the lowland wetlands of Iceland are critical habitats for breeding, resting and refuelling. ✨

Despite heavy drainage, our Partner Fuglavernd, BirdLife Iceland, is working tirelessly to protect and restore these sites.🦆

Learn more here: www.birdlife.org/news/2026/02...

I eagerly await her return each year & this morning, there she was! 🥰 #Curlew CJ6 ringed as a chick in central #Finland in 2012, this is her 13th spring staging on the #AlstonWetland patch. 3-4 weeks fattening up on #Lancashire's finest earthworms then she'll be off once again. #waders #shorebirds

The countdown has started! One month till #CMSCOP15, where governments + partners will advance coordinated action to safeguard #MigratorySpecies across borders.

With 42 migratory species proposed for inclusion under CMS, COP15 will spotlight aquatic, avian & terrestrial wildlife: www.cms.int/cop15

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Managed realignment and regulated tidal exchange

With warden at Wallasea RSPB Reserve discussing managed realignment, regulated tidal exchange and the importance of understanding tidal prisms youtu.be/67goDiXDATA?...

📄 New #waders #shorebirds paper ⬇️

Earlier this year we heard of the sad passing of Gerard C. Boere, a former Chair of International Wader Study Group.

Our full obituary will be published in the next Wader Study journal, joining the chorus of other organisations celebrating his amazing life and work.

Photo by: N. Petkov

A deceased Puffin lies on its back on the ground. Wording above reads: Please report sightings of all dead birds. A graphic showing an exclamation mark in a triangle features.

⚠️ We've had reports of seabirds washing up. Please report ALL species of dead birds ⬇️

📍 In England, Wales & Scotland: www.gov.uk/guidance/...
📍 In Northern Ireland: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/...
📍 In Republic of Ireland: aviancheck.apps.serv...

#UKBirding #BirdingWales #BirdingScotland

An Eastern Curlew 'Numenius madagascariensis' from Lee Point in Darwin, #Australia #BirdsSeenIn2026

www.inaturalist.org/observations...

Congratulations to the winner of our Winter Curlew Photo Competition, Dennis Capewell.

The team fell in love with this "Reflections " image of a Curlew in flight.

We will post the runner up images in the coming days!

Thank you to everyone who entered.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Tomorrow is the deadline for EU Member States to publish their Renewable Acceleration Areas.

"Once people become inspired to clamour for real rivers, then the hard-won science that has been developed can be brought to bear on the problems. Yet, without that public advocacy, science can be easily ignored. Both are critical for having real rivers.”
Kurt Fausch […]

Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture | Exploring museum collections with a UV flashlight can be the start of a new scientific discovery! Certain bird species, flying squirrels,... | Instagram 199K likes, 468 comments - burkemuseum on December 29, 2025: "Exploring museum collections with a UV flashlight can be the start of a new scientific discovery! Certain bird species, flying squirrels,....

"did you know owl wings can glow hot pink in UV light?"
www.instagram.com/reels/DS3E8D... 🦉

Tracks of red knots moving around the Wadden sea

Track of one individual red knot flying from the Netherlands to the East coast of the UK

Track of one individual red knot arriving in the UK to Thorpeness

Red knot GPS tagging expedition on Griend off to a flying start (sorry). 6 birds released with 24 more to go. Most are hanging around in the Wadden sea but one left for the UK with strong tailwinds last night! #MovementEcology #ornithology @allertbijleveld.bsky.social @niozsearesearch.bsky.social

Meet the Endangered Indian Skimmer as it skims over shallow water, scooping its prey! 🐟

From India to Bangladesh, it travels along the Central Asian Flyway, but river degradation is impacting its survival.📉

Find out more about its conservation here👉 datazone.birdlife.org/species/fact...

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Seed banks or seedling banks?

We are used to thinking about seed banks but in tropical and temperate forests seedling banks are more important. youtu.be/HaGDHU2GbQk?...