Jamie Hicken

Pink Footed Goose at Hill Hook LNR earlier today @ecorecord.bsky.social Found by @pmandrews1973.bsky.social

Stubbers Green this am:
2 Common Gull
2 GBB Gull
7 LBB Gull
4 Herring Gull
129 BH Gull
2 Pochard
5 Teal
79 Lapwing
28 Tufted
17 Moorhen
@ecorecord.bsky.social

Pink-footed Goose this morning on the Mill Pool at Hill Hook NR was a probably a site first (certainly a first for me); also added to house list. Also 2 Cormorant, 2 Shoveler (m+f) & an impressive 115 BHG; 2 Little Egret + 3 Cormorant present yesterday @ecorecord.bsky.social @ruthnewby.bsky.social

The International Swan Census (ISC) is taking place on the weekend of 17th-18th January 2026 (WeBS January Core Count weekend), counting Whooper and Bewick’s Swans. Follow these simple steps to get involved 👇

@btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

#UKBirding #Ornithology

Next spring, we’re launching our Birds in Greenspaces project, which focuses on counting birds in publicly accessible spaces. It’s open to everyone and we’d love you to be involved. 😀

31 species around Hill Hook NR this morning - in addition to the below WeBS count I also had Skylark, Nuthatch, Siskin, Grey Wagtail, Redpoll and Raven
@ecorecord.bsky.social @ruthnewby.bsky.social

Graph and image showing the best year of BBS coverage across the UK yet.

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

HARTFORD SHIRE intermixed with BEDFORD SHIRE The Limits uncertain Mapmaker: Jefferys, Thomas, -1771. Title: The County of Bedford, surveyed anno 1765 and engraved / by Thomas Jefferys. Date: 1765 https://maps.nls.uk/view/262718874

County boundaries weren't always as neat as we'd like them to be. The area around Meppershall in Bedfordshire was particularly complicated giving rise to this cartographical equivalent of a shrug of the shoulders:

HARTFORD SHIRE intermixed with BEDFORD SHIRE
The Limits uncertain

#MappyMonday

Graphic displays an image of a Razorbill by Ben Darvill/BTO. A speech bubble with the text 'Your data is important!' extends from its mouth and there is text which reads 'SMP DATA ENTRY DAYS REMAINING: <1' to its left. In the top right hand corner is the Seabird Monitoring Programme logo. The caption reads: 'Today, October 31st, is the final day to submit your breeding seabird data to the Seabird Monitoring Programme! #seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social'

Today, October 31st, is the final day to submit your breeding seabird data to the Seabird Monitoring Programme! #seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Pure #PatchGold!
10 Crossbill @bibbeyswildfarms.bsky.social this morning!

It is so energising, inspiring and uplifting to fall in love with nature every day!

Every experience feels just as powerful as the first.

I would highly recommend that you fall in love with nature too! 😎

@nickpom9.bsky.social 2 Black Redstarts in my garden in Streethay, Lichfield today @Staffsbirdnews Last saw one here in December 2022!! :) @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social

Many thanks to the 20 sites who participated in yesterday's #westmidsalldayer - 4 sites managed to break the 100 mark with Blithfield narrowly pipping Belvide to the post. I'll pull together a list of all the species seen across the sites (usually c140 species). Well done all 👏

That makes a combined total of 73 species for Chasewater and Cuckoo Bank. Let me know if you’d be interested in joining the Chasewater Wildlife WhatsApp group :)

If you are a WeBS counter and would like to take part in ISC at your WeBS site during your WeBS Core Count, email gsmp@bto.org. You can then take part without creating a GSMP account.

Photo: Sarah Kelman/BTO

@btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

#UKBirding

🦢The International Swan Census involves counters to carry out a one-off count on the weekend of 17th-18th January 2026.

This involves counting Whooper and Bewick’s Swans, as well as recording age assessments and habitat.

Visit the vacant site map⬇️
app.bto.org/gsmp/public/...

#Ornithology

Next up for #WeBSSpeciesSpotlight ...🥁 Teal

The Teal is our smallest duck, with WeBS results showing peak numbers between October and February ❄️

Keep an eye out, as we have just seen our first Autumn arrival at the @btobirds.bsky.social reserve in Norfolk today!

#ornithology

Great Egret still present on Forge Mill Lake this am. 3 Tufted Duck broods, 2 Gadwall broods @ecorecord.bsky.social

Whereabouts at Blithfield was it? :)

Drake Garganey still present on FML this am. Also 1 Common Sand + Kingfisher

Barnacle Goose at Wyndley Pool, Sutton Park this am. Also good views of Kingfishers.

First time birding in Yorkshire! Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and Green Sandpiper all lined up within 10 mins of arriving @rspbblacktoftsands.bsky.social

🌟Tern up the good news!
We visited @SthStaffsWater Blithfield today to check on our Common Terns after early concerns about low adult numbers & we’re delighted to report a tern-around💚
✅ Active nests spotted
🐣 Chicks already hatching
Natures bouncing back🤩

4 Common Sandpipers at Forge Mill Lake this am @ecorecord.bsky.social

Saw this ringed Lesser Black-Backed Gull at Stubbers Green on Monday. Ringed as a chick in Worcester in 2023, next reported in A Coruña, Spain on April 24th this year, and now living the dream in Walsall this summer! @ecorecord.bsky.social

This Sunday is the last Priority Core Count date of the 2024/25 WeBS year! 🎉

Please ensure that you input your data for the whole year ASAP, so that our Local Organisers can carry out the annual job of data validation! 💻

@btobirds.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social

Red Kite and 5 LRPs at Whitemoor Haye this afternoon. Lots of ground works being done on the field opp. Roadside pit, with the sound of singing Skylarks directly above them! :( @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social

We are looking for a @WeBS_UK counter for Edgbaston Reservoir - an accessible site close to the centre of Birmingham. If you think you can help please contact me via DM or via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at bit.ly/4de8cHb

#WeBSSiteInsight #YourWeBSJourney

“Nature holds the answers to so many of today’s problems.” 🌿💚 - @chris4patches.bsky.social

Check out Chris Millward's new piece for the West Midlands news - he connects the dots between Brum’s 600+ green spaces, our mental health, and the city’s future. A powerful read!

Pair of Med Gulls and 4 LRPs at Marsh Lane NR yesterday

Image showing the title 'It's time to celebrate! #volunteersweek'. Below are the WeBS and GMP logos with the web address www.bto.org/webs and www.bto.org/gsmp.

This week is national Volunteers’ Week! So we’ll be taking the opportunity all week to celebrate and thank our amazing volunteers who fuel WeBS and GSMP and make the work that we do possible. #volunteersweek