Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)

A group of seven people stand with their backs to the camera, looking through binoculars across a calm lake.

Today is the February WeBS Priority Core Count! What have you seen on your WeBS site today? 🦆 👀

#Ornithology
#UKBirding

RSPB
JNCC

An adult Greylag Goose stands on a wall while waves crash around it. The headline says 'February WeBS Core Count' and below says 'The Priority Core Count date is 22nd February. At the bottom of the image is the WeBS logo and the web address 'www.bto.org/webs'.

This Sunday, 22nd, is the February WeBS Core Count! Let's get out and count our wetland birds! 🌊

#Ornithology
#UKbirding

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

Underneath the headline 'WeBS Site Insight: River Don - Kemnay to Inverurie’ is an image of a Goosander swimming, with a map of the site boundary and location within the UK. The WeBS logo is beneath with the text ‘ Join WeBS - Can you help count waterbirds here?’

Are you a birder in Aberdeenshire who can count this section of the River Don? We need more data from rivers and this attracted a mix of species when last counted in 2022. If you can help, contact us via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at bit.ly/4tCNpVG

#WeBSSiteInsight #YourWeBSJourney

Image of a male and female Pintail on water (Sarah Kelman/BTO). Title reads 'WeBS Species Spotlight'. The image has labels, describing the long slender bill and long tail . Male has dark brown head and cream throat, whereas female has mottle brown plumage. Text on the left of the image reads: 'Status: Scarce. Weight: 934.3g. Eggs:7-9. Habitats: Marine and Intertidal, Wetland, Grassland.'

Pintail is up next for #WeBSSpeciesSpotlight🎉

Pintail are predominately winter visitors to Britain, favouring sheltered coasts, grazing marshes and estuaries. Key concentrations are found in Wales and Lancashire, however can be found throughout Britain and Ireland.

#Ornithology

Image of a deceased Puffin lying on the ground. White wording on an orange background reads: Please report sightings of dead birds.

⚠️ Please report sightings of dead birds for possible testing for Avian Influenza. ⬇️

📌 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

Bewick's and Whooper Swan are up next for #WeBSSpeciesSpotlight 🎉

Our target species for the International Swan Census; If you haven't already, please be sure to enter your ISC count data to help contribute to our understanding of these amazing species!

Today is #WorldWetlandsDay!

Thank you to all of our WeBS volunteers, contributing to our knowledge on wetlands and the birds they comprise of, providing essential data for decision makers.

📷 Brent Goose by Philip Croft/BTO
#Ornithology

Picture of a Whooper Swan with an orange colour ring/BTO/Bridget Hiza

Thank you again to everyone who carried out swan counts for the International Swan Census on 17th-18th January. Just a reminder to please enter your data. For more information: www.bto.org/gsmp-isc

Find out how to report swan colour rings on www.ring.ac

📷Bridget Hiza/BTO

Underneath the headline 'WeBS Site Insight: Llyn Padrig, Anglesey’ is an image of a Greylag Goose flying, with a map of the site boundary and location within the UK. The WeBS logo is beneath with the text ‘ Join WeBS - Can you help count waterbirds here?’

Are you a birder in Wales who can count these small ponds on Anglesey, which haven’t been counted since 2011? If you think you can help please contact us via the "Contact the Local Organiser" button at
app.bto.org/websonline/s...

#WeBSSiteInsight #YourWeBSJourney

That's great, thank you for your contribution to the ISC, and for your prompt data input :)

To the right is a map of Europe and Africa, highlighting the coastlines which make up the East Atlantic Flyway. Text says 'The East Atlantic Flyway is an internationally important migration route used by around 300bird species'. Below is the WeBS and Waterbirds International logos, along with the web addresses, www.bto.org/webs and www.wetlands.org/iwc60/

Did you know- the UK is located on the East Atlantic Flyway? Data from January WeBS counts/ Int. Waterbird Census gives insights into the total numbers and distribution of the populations using this flyway and the pressures they face along the route. Our counting counts! 🧮 #IWC60

For more information on how to enter your counts, please visit our website at: www.bto.org/gsmp-isc

Thank you to everyone who carried out their International Swan Census counts this weekend, contributing to our knowledge of Whooper and Bewick's Swan populations and distribution. 🦢

Zero counts are equally as important, so please input data for all sites you surveyed.

#Ornithology #UKBirding

Zero hero! Still valuable information to contribute to the ISC, thank you for your help

Glad you enjoyed your survey Louise, thanks for contributing!

That's a shame but zero counts are still important to assess distribution, thank you for contributing to the ISC!

Great to see, thanks for sharing Stephen!

Did you carry out WeBS, and therefore take part in the IWC this weekend? If so, @wetlandsint.bsky.social would love to hear your story, learn all about your site and add you to the IWC Counter Postcards map - iwc.wetlands.org/postcards!

Tell us all about your WeBS site here➡️ bit.ly/45hMTBO

Nice to have company! 😁

That's another thank you from us too! ⭐

Broody weather can be good for the soul!

Wow, ideal conditions!

That's fantastic, thank you so much for your efforts!

Beautiful! 😍

Image of 3 Whooper Swans flying with the text 'International Swan Census is this weekend', '17th/18th January 2026'. Photo credit Sarah Kelman/BTO.

We hope everyone taking part in the ISC this weekend is ‘swanning about’ successfully! For more information on the Census and how to enter your data, please visit: www.bto.org/gsmp-isc

#IWC60 #Ornithology

The title of the image is 'International Waterbird Census' and below are images highlighting key points in numbers - '189 countries and territories', 'More than 67,000 wetland sites surveyed', 'Nearly 2 billion waterbirds recorded in 60 years' and '570 waterbird populations rely on IWC data for their trend assessment'. Below is the WeBS and International Waterbird Census 60 logos and the web addresses 'www.bto.org/webs' and 'www.wetland.org/iwc60/'

Today is the WeBS Priority Core Count! January WeBS counts feed into the International Waterbird Census, which is celebrating it's 60th year of counting this month! Here’s how your data contributes to international effort...

Learn more➡️www.wetlands.org/iwc60/

Wetlands International

#IWC60

2/ If you see any Whooper/Bewick’s Swans on fields outside of your WeBS/ISC site, please either enter these details in BirdTrack or send the grid reference, count, age assessment and habitat information to gsmp@bto.org.

Image of 3 Whooper Swans flying with the text 'International Swan Census is this weekend', '17th/18th January 2026'. Photo credit Sarah Kelman/BTO.

1/ Thank you to everyone who has signed up to the ISC this weekend, helping to contribute to our knowledge of Whooper/Bewick’s Swan populations! For more information on when and how to carry out your count, please visit: www.bto.org/gsmp-isc. Happy surveying!

#Ornithology #UKBirding

Did you know the famous Children of Lir Irish legend is about Whooper Swans? 🦢

🎧 Hear more in this radio interview with our colleagues at @birdwatchireland.bsky.social — highlighting the census happening this weekend across Ireland, Britain and the rest of Europe!
👉 www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...