Phil Cunliffe

@angbirdnews.bsky.social Red kite over A5025, near the Bull Inn at Pentraeth at 11:00.

Hellllllloooo? Are you there? Please help birds by sharing this if you also want to ensure swifts & other urban birds have homes alongside us. People power works but only if we work together. SAVE OUR SWIFTS.

It's sunny! I spied through the kitchen window a blue tit on our feeder with a dunnock underneath. As I opened the door, a pair of house sparrows exchanged places with the blue tit and a pair of jackdaws flew from a neighbour's chimney. #FirstBirdOfMyDay

It's dry as me and Sophie head into the garden. Nothing moves except an invisible stiff breeze. Then, without warning, "our" mob of sparrows descend from our roof and raid the feeder. I hope it stays dry for them today 🤞

I had a late start today and thankfully it was dry when me and Sophie the poodle went in the garden. A gang of house sparrows had taken control of the feeder. They didn't seem too bothered by our interruption until one move too many and a dozen pairs of wings sprang into action. #FirstBirdOfMyDay

Agreed! When I lived in the North East (many moons ago now), the Rothbury Estate and the Simonside Hills were a regular retreat for me. I'll definitely chuck a few bob at the Wildlife Trust.

It's a calm start here, but rain is a-coming... There were no birds in the garden when I first ventured out, but I did hear a couple of jackdaws somewhere nearby and I saw 3 starlings fly past. #FirstBirdOfMyDay

Oh my! I thought our 'Dreaming Poodle' was noisy 😊

A much calmer day heralded by a fly-by of a small flock of linnet with an unseen crow cawing in the background. #FirstBirdOfMyDay
Good luck with the swift brick debate 🤞

👏👏👏

British icon, hilarious comic & bird-kind ⁦‪Bill Bailey‬⁩ thinks securing homes for birds reliant on cavity nesting habitat is an ace idea. The swift brick debate is tomorrow. Help the birds. Email SWIFT BRICKS to steve.reed.mp@parliament.uk & james.cleverly.mp@parliament.uk

A dry and breezy start after last night's downpour. The first birds that greeted me this morning were a dunnock and a goldfinch on our feeder. The feeder was swinging like a funfair ride but the birds carried on emptying it.
#FirstBirdofMyDay

I was there a few winters ago and was fortunate enough to see a glossy ibis on the pools and plenty of scoter on the Bay.

The last time I did any birding in Northumberland, I spent quite a bit of time at Druridge pools, then worked my way over to see what was around Druridge Bay. If you still have daylight and are heading south, you could work your way down to St Mary's Island, just north of Whitley Bay.

I've just gone down a rabbit hole looking for songs that use the devil's interval. There are some nice surprises in there. Thanks for mentioning it.

It's another windy day, but the house sparrows beat me to the garden this morning. #FirstBirdOfMyDay

@angbirdnews.bsky.social I did a bit of sea watching of Wylfa Head from our house yesterday, not ideal due to double glazing and dried on Saturday spray. It was hard to id most birds but I did see 3 gannet, 5 Manx shearwater and a fair number of what looked like auks.

Over the last 10 years, from your TiCL and social media posts, I’ve been developing a FREE, live, map and App guide to The Greatest Trees in Britain 🤩

The #GreatTrees of Britain #GTOB 🌳🏆 🇬🇧

#GreatTreesof #Britain

See them HERE (and download the new TiCL View App) NOW

ticl.me/the-great-tr...

A grey and blustery garden this morning. I opened the back door and heard the twittering of house sparrows flying off the feeder. I didn’t see them but I did see a robin and a dunnock on the fence. #FirstBirdOfMyDay

Water and sewerage companies in England: environmental performance report for 2024

Govt publishes England water companies' league of sewage dumping and pollution .

Worst since 2011. 9 companies collectively received 19 out of possible 36 stars.

Thames Water the lowest rating of 1. Seven firms score only 2.

No fines on execs. No exec prosecuted. Dividends paid. Customers fleeced

It's blowing a hooley off the sea. In the garden at 7:30 and not a sight of a feather, and little chance of hearing a tick or a cheep. An hour later, still windy, but we have a pair of goldfinches on the feeder with house sparrows waiting in the shrubs.

@angbirdnews.bsky.social a minimum of 6 turnstone at Traeth Bach, Cemaes this afternoon.

White House approves increased oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s national wildlife refuge National Petroleum Reserve lease sales and permitting for road through Izembek wildlife refuge were also approved

Behind all the shitshow clownery, bluster, racism, and fascist authoritarianism, this is what Trump is *really* all about:

Allowing the super-rich to get even richer by trashing what's left of wild nature and a stable climate.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

A late start this blustery day (dry for now). No garden birds and an empty feeder that I decided to fill. As I put the feeder back, the cries of "curlew, curlew" came from two curlew flying by over the coastal path. I think it's going to be a good day 🙂

Storm Benjamin is coming in over the sea this morning, and two herring gulls ride the winds over the coastal path. No sight nor sound of birds in the garden though. #FirstBirdOfMyDay

It's a very blustery morning here. In the gloom, I can hear our robin ticking, and then, as if by magic, he appears on the fence. The only bird I can see or hear. #FirstBirdOfMyDay

😬

University tuition fees in England to rise with inflation every year from 2026 Bridget Phillipson confirmed the plans for the next two years, with fees to increase automatically after that.

University tuition fees in England to rise with inflation from 2026.

Student debt is £267bn, could double in a decade. Due to low wages unlikely to be repaid. Young people burdened.

Most European countries don't charge uni fees. England destroying social mobility. Must abolish tuition fees.

A damp, dark, breezy start. A brief glimpse of a shape darting over our house, a starling maybe? A faint peep of a shore bird, maybe an oystercatcher? Half an hour later, a definite sighting! Our robin on the fence.

Government U-turns on support for bird-friendly swift bricks in new homes Housing minister Steve Reed refuses to back mandating measure, despite giving support while in environment job

Hey all! If you’re outraged by Steve Reed’s u-turn on swift bricks, TELL HIM! Email mailto:steve.reed.mp@parliament.uk
Send him the link www.theguardian.com/environment/...