Rob Chapman

A Brent Goose on saltmarsh with its head raised, while the head of another goose appears in the picture on the right hand side foraging.

Did you know that the two Light-bellied Brent Goose populations – from Canada and Svalbard – largely winter on Strangford Lough and Lindisfarne respectively, while the birds wintering elsewhere in Britain come from the Russian Dark-bellied population?

📷 Philip Croft / BTO

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

A Dartford Warbler perches on top of a gorse bush. Wording above reads: Heathland Birds Survey. Submit your data. The BTO logo is top right of the image.

We'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in the Heathland Birds Survey! 🙌

All remaining survey returns are urgently required, before 30th November, to inform future conservation action. If you need any help submitting your records please email heathlandbirds@bto.org. Thank you!

@yorkbirding.bsky.social

Our first indoor meeting of the autumn/winter season is on Tuesday 2nd September at St Olave's Church, Marygate, when Andrew Tiffany will be talking about St Aidan’s Nature Park.

Doors at 7pm & the meeting starts at 7.30pm. There is a charge of £2 (£4 for non-members) for talks, payable at the door

With a large passage of swallows and warblers also moving through the site @yorkbirding.bsky.social

A singing Dunnock.

There are now three weeks to go to submit your 2025 BBS and WBBS data! You can do so online or by submitting the data to us on paper forms, scanned by email or posted to us. @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social #Ornithology #CitizenScience

An image with some participation statistics for the Breeding Bird Survey.

Now that the BBS & WBBS survey season is over, we would like to thank all of our volunteers for their time and effort this year! We are going to have a break from posting for a while, so see you soon. @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social #Ornithology #CitizenScience

A woodland habitat.

There are just under two weeks to go to fit in your ‘Late’ visit to your Breeding Bird Survey or Waterways Breeding Bird Survey stretch. If you are unable to do it, please let your Regional Organiser know! @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social #Ornithology #CitizenScience

The BTO/RSPB/NE Nightjar Survey is well-underway and there are still a few vacant 1-km squares to cover (yellow). If you can spare two evenings, please check out the BTO website for more information: www.bto.org/get-involved...

#YorkshireBirding

BTO are looking for volunteers to cover 1-km squares to look for Nightjar. It's a really simple survey to take part in, just two evening visits
Find out more: www.bto.org/get-involved...
#YorkshireBirding

A reminder, our next indoor meeting is Tuesday 6th May at St Olave's Church Hall, Marygate, YO30 7BJ at 7.30pm. Dave Tate on Breeding Birds of Skipwith Common, sharing his expert knowledge of this key York birding site & NNNR

Parking nearby in Marygate car park & there is a charge.

If you've not checked out the BirdTrack mobile app for a few years then it's definitely worth having a look. It is incredibly simple to use and I love the stats, pinpoint function and how well sensitive species are handled.

(4/) In order to survey a BBS square, you need to be able to identify the bird species that are typically found on that square by sight, song and call. This varies between squares. More details here: www.bto.org/our-science/...

A map of a BBS square.

(3/) Last but not least, SE7970, which is in Norton-On-Derwent, was first surveyed in 1996. Since then, a total of 64 bid species and three mammal species have been recorded in the square.

A map of a BBS square.

(2/) SE7060 is situated near Claxton. A total of 65 bird species and eight mammal species have been recorded in it since 2005. #Ornithology #CitizenScience #UKBirding

A map of a BBS square.

(1/) There are currently several vacant BBS squares in the Vale of York. SE6071 for example is near Brandsby. Since it was first surveyed in 1994, a total of 76 bird species and 16 mammal species have been recorded in the square. @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social

As the breeding season starts, a reminder to think carefully before reporting/sharing pictures of rare breeding species on social media. They are vulnerable to disturbance & persecution. If in doubt, keep it quiet & contact local/county recorders instead.
yorkbirding.org.uk/reporting-ra...

It was reported on Birdguides at the Top Lagoon earlier. We only re-found it after it had moved to the main lake.

Image of a Dartford Warbler perched on a Gorse bush alongside the wording: Heathland Birds Survey. We need your help to monitor key species. www.bto.org/heathland-birds-survey BTO logo is top right of the image.

1/ 🔊 We need your help to survey Heathland Birds! 🐦 For the first time in two decades we’re asking birders to survey for key species, including Woodlark, Dartford Warbler and Nightjar. Visit our website to sign up. ➡️ www.bto.org/heathland-birds-survey #Ornithology #UKBirding

Exciting news!🥳 BTO country teams have joined Bluesky! 🐦 Give them a follow to discover science, events and bird news! #UKBirding #Ornithology
📝BTO England: @btoengland.bsky.social
📝BTO Cymru: @btocymru.bsky.social
📝BTO Northern Ireland: @bto-ni.bsky.social
📝BTO Scotland: @btoscotland.bsky.social

A few apples and a frost attracted 19 Fieldfares and 5 Blackbirds into our small suburban garden in York this morning. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

We heard Sooty and Great Shearwaters calling to each other when rafting in large numbers on calm seas off Cape Clear in September 2022. We were on a boat and very close to them.