Murray Orchard

Greg Conway talked about latest Nightjar research and initial findings of 2025 survey. They need big moths which are declining, especially in SE.

Informative update from Arran Folly on Usutu virus and its impact on Blackbirds. Certain species like Blackbirds are susceptible…as is Great Grey Owl, but not Song Thrush!!

Emma Caulfield revealed the findings of the Winter Gull Survey (WinGS). Results to be published soon, but some significant changes in non-breeding populations.

Jess Stokes spoke about the Birds of Greenspaces, a new survey for April to June this year. A dedicated simple mobile App available, with target bird lists that can be selected according to birding experience. A survey to engage all and introduce folk to counting birds.

Great BTO Conference yesterday in Northampton. Packed programme of talks from Nightjars, Bird Atlas 2027-31, results of WinGS and Blackbirds/Usutu virus to tracking seabirds & Birds in Greenspaces 2026.
Good networking with staff/attendees and good catering.
Thanks BTO!
@_BTO

Bribery!😉
My contribution for Seabird Sunday.
Sandwich Terns in the Medway (Kent) earlier this year.
Pic by Bob Knight.
#SuperSeabirdSunday
@smp-seabirds.bsky.social

As part of nutrient neutrality mitigation, new wetland habitat has been created at Upper Mystole Park Farm by KWT. An unusual location on high chalk downland but offers great potential for wildlife in an otherwise dry landscape.

Upper Mystole Park Farm was a former fruit farm growing apples. Many trees remain but wilding habitat and scrub have attracted Nightingale and Turtle Dove…..the presence of water may make the area more attractive for these species.

In nearby Denge Woods I found a roadside flock of 14 Crossbills. The birds flew up from middle of young Sweet Chestnut coppice….which seemed odd.

An investigation revealed why the birds were flying down into the young coppice……a tiny pool of rainwater in tractor tracks. Surprising what water in a dry landscape can attract…….

Very enjoyable Naturalists Picnic Lunch at Upper Mystole Park Farm, hosted by Keith & Jenny Dugmore. Nice to say hello to long time birding colleagues and have tour of new wetland habitats.
A drive through Denge Woods afterwards produced a flock of 14 Crossbills.
@kentwildlife.bsky.social

The current position of Natural England is that (re)introduction of White Storks should not be supported. Evidence for their historical presence here is sketchy and it is difficult to rule out historical remains as not pertaining to regular vagrancy. Cultural evidence is weak at best #UKbirding 1/2

A lovely view of South Foreland Cliffs looking east. A moment of clarity between banks of sea mist which made for foggy conditions at times.

A splendid male Stonechat in the clifftop scrubby vegetation. Much agitated calling from the male and female, so likely nest or young nearby.

The long zigzag path down the cliffs eventually passes through a tunnel, which was dug in 2019 by NT volunteers to help improve access to the beach below.

The final steps down to the grey-pebble beach.

Enjoyable visit to Dover White Cliffs on Thurs despite the sea fret. A few nice flowers, a Chalk Hill Blue, pair of Stonechats, then the superb path down to the beach. A Black Redstart & Rock Pipits on the cliffs on way down. Ended with Raven flying over into the mist.
@whitecliffsdover.bsky.social

Wow, few will ever achieve that in the UK, let alone inland local patch!👏

Stop Trump's attack on our oceans! Donald Trump just announced he’s going to open the Pacific Ocean to deep sea mining!That means his friends will get permits to vacuum up the ocean floor, destroy irreplaceable marine life, and make bi

Donald Trump wants to open the spectacular deep Pacific Ocean to drilling and mining. It's a global emergency: resistors in the government say we need to flood the public comment process before it’s too late! action.eko.org/a/trump-atta...

Did my annual farm walk around Braughing/Bozen Green N Herts to check local Corn Bunts. Four pairs, plus 3 R/Bunt, 13 YH, Linnet, lots of Skylarks and a juv Y/Wagtail. Been like this for 20+years. Farmer/s here getting it right👏
In one 50m stretch got CB, RB, Y. S. LI & YW!😊
@hertsbirds.bsky.social

….and Cemlyn Bay

Yes👍

Razorbill, South Stack Island

Guillemots, South Stack Island

Great Black-Backed Gull and family, South Stack Island

Roseate Tern and Sandwich Terns, including an inquisitive youngster….what is that being dunked?

A collection of pics from Anglesey last week for Super Seabird Sunday😊
#SuperSeabirdSunday @smp-seabirds.bsky.social

Bring back the ancient woodlands smothered beneath your timber plantations Ancient woodlands are vanishing – and with them, some of our most loved and endangered wildlife. Forestry England manages over 100,000 acres of land that used to be ancient woodland - that’s bigger th...

🌳 Dame Judi Dench is calling for the return of ancient woodlands. Will you sign the petition to help restore the Ghost Woods and protect our green spaces for future generations? you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/br...

Sent my email👍

Looking back towards Kelshall from end of Sector 4. A Kestrel flew over, a couple of male Yellowhammer and singing L/Whitethroat

Looking towards Therfield church on walk back from BBS. My final registration was a pair of Yellowhammers - the female with nest material😊 The farmer/s around Therfield do a great job of reinstating footpaths👏 I never get wet legs/feet!

Lovely morning for Late BBS visit to TL3336, Therfield, N Herts.
Pleased to get singing Corn Bunting and Willow Warbler, both present on Early visit too. A surprise fly past Grey Partridge, L/Whitethroat, several Skylarks, Linnets & Yellowhammers. Song Thrush on the up?
@bbs-birds.bsky.social

Surprised to see a colony of Sandwich Terns on a part of their breeding island where never seen before…but cautious optimism short-lived when virtually none on usual breeding beach😱 Looked like scouring of the beach had occurred, and maybe tidal flooding. Perhaps 60 AON overall, well down on usual 2-300

Male Sandwich Tern trying to bribe female with a nice fish!

Some Meds and Sandwich Terns were resting up on saltmarsh - presumably non-breeding or failed breeders, deterred by the earlier battering by the cold north/east winds?

A total of up to 25 Little Terns on usual breeding island. Here 3 sitting birds (AON) with 3 others on standby.

Medway Islands WeBS/SMP count 26/5. Count of adults - B/H Gull 3,443, Med Gull 336, Sandwich Tern 155, Little Tern 25, but virtually no Com Terns. Sandwich Tern nesting beach deserted…although some birds have moved elsewhere. Effect of the earlier cold NE winds?
Pics by @Bknight_3
@smp_seabirds

Really sad to have to announce that Steve Blake @blakey9.bsky.social passed away last night after a long battle with illness. He will be greatly missed, not least as a good friend to many, a great birder and the man behind Herts Bird News @hertsbirds #hertsbirds #londonbirds 😢

Another very long seawatch today, with plenty of gaps between birds but by the end of the over 15hr watch, a decent total of birds had passed, including the joint second highest spring Grey Plover count, as well as 45 Pomarine Skuas amongst a very good variety of species. #kentbirding

Vast numbers of pheasants are released for shooting in Ireland too.

Each one survives by constantly devouring native wildlife alive. They artificially boost fox/mink populations, impacting vanishing native ground-nesting birds. They help spread Lyme disease to people, etc.

This madness MUST end.

Still early April, so Sandwich Terns (hopefully) still arriving, but great to see about 50 back at colony which has been in existence now since 1997

Pair of GBB Gull back on regular territory - third year now. A rare breeding bird in Kent with less than 5 pairs each year. This pair successfully raised young in 2023 & 2024….

Waterborne leisure activities are an increasing problem in the Medway. These kayakers flushed a roost of 300 Oystercatchers….twice!

More disturbance, this time a group of jet skiers.

Medway Islands WeBS - great to see 50 Sandwich Terns back at colony. Also 3 Com Tern & pr of GBB Gull on territory! Only 7 Med Gulls in the Estuary, but record 1,150 later at Cliffe Pools!
Disturbance remains an issue.
Pics by Bob Knight & me.
@birdwise.bsky.social @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social

Government of Mexico: Save Vaquitas Vaquitas are cute tiny porpoises that live only in the Mexican part of the Gulf of California. There are less than ten left in the wild and these shy and skittish mini-whales could be completely wiped

Mexico: save vaquitas! action.eko.org/a/mexico-sav...

HOS are here!
Details of the upcoming AGM and Members' Day below, with lots of interesting talks:
#HantsBirds

Sad to find this pristine 3cy Common Gull dead on my patch this morning. Reported to Defra for possible collection and testing for HPAI and to @birdtrack.bsky.social for monitoring. Please report all dead birds you find to Defra/Daera AND to BirdTrack.
#UKBirding

All action in the garden this morning. Mrs Blackbird building a nest in our ivy hedge (Mr Blackbird having a bath), a couple of Rooks down for scraps, with a Jackdaw, 3 Magpies (still waiting for a girl to appear🤔) and 5 Starlings, plus Robin chasing a Dunnock!
A few bees too😊

@bto-gbw.bsky.social

Salt Fleet Flats Reserve, Thames - aka ‘Salt Bay’. View of the W arm of the bay - 1,040 Avocets roosting in lee of cold NE wind, plus 2,000 Dunlin.

View along the W arm of the managed retreat on ebbing tide. The roosting waders having left to feed. See video of the swim-feeding Avocets.

After roosting along the remaining sea wall, the Avocets flew out into the bay to swim-feed on the ebbing tide.

An old barn at top of Cooling track by ‘Salt Bay’. Good to see see Barn Owl and Kestrel boxes put up (not in view).

Salt Fleet Flats managed retreat, Cooling, Thames.
WeBS count 16/3 - highlight 1,040 Avocets roosting then swim-feeding across bay on ebbing tide. Also 2,000 Dunlin roosted, plus 147 Oystercatcher, 72 Curlew and 30 Grey Plover. Group of 7 Corn Buntings on drive back.
@WeBS_UK

N Herts: Puckeridge
Pleased to see five Rooks nests in our village Oaks. A former regular site, the number of nests dwindled from 7 to none a few years ago. Nice to have them back!😊
@hertsbirds.bsky.social
@grahamknight10.bsky.social

View from Marsh Hide, Stodmarsh. Excellent water levels around the NNR and lots of management going on. Highlights 16-27 Cattle Egrets, Bittern, 2+ pr Marsh Harrier, 23 Snipe, displaying Lapwing, 7 Water Rails, singing Treecreeper, displaying G/C Grebes and 7 Grey Heron nests.

Flooded reedmarsh and Alder/Willow carr at Stodmarsh

An excellent area of cleared Chestnut coppice at Gorsley Wood in East Kent - four squares to be added for BTO Nightjar (Heathland Bird) Survey. Found a nice Marsh Tit too😊

Standing room only at the Red Lion in Stodmarsh for Dave Lodge’s talk on his lifetime studies of Bitterns at Stodmarsh. Some incredible pics illustrating aspects of their behaviour from breeding, feeding in extreme conditions to their Spring migration exit strategy to the continent. Needs to be in a book!👏

Great couple of days in Kent, staying at Red Lion, Stodmarsh. Talk to Thanet RSPB Mon night, day around Stodmarsh & Gorsley Wood Tuesday (checking for NJ habitat) and brilliant talk by Dave Lodge on Bitterns at Stodmarsh (in the pub) last night. More in Alt text.
@kentishplover.bsky.social

The magnificent Midland Hotel in Manchester, location of the BTO conference.

Wonderful work by Maire Kirkland et al on locating the wintering grounds of UK Nightingales. Isolated from other European winter populations in suboptimal habitat, so very vulnerable.

A timely summary of the effects of Bird Flu on UK birds by Phil Atkinson, with a recent upsurge in cases, mostly wildfowl. Fingers crossed, and keep using BirdTrack to record dead birds👍

A packed programme of talks at today’s Annual BTO Conference in Manchester, from problems for our wintering Nightingales, to the effects of Avian Flu and an impassioned talk on breeding English Dotterels. Wonderful to meet & chat with staff and attendees😊
Thanks for organising👏
@btobirds.bsky.social

Pleasure to be there. Great range of talks, enjoyable networking and good catering. John Callion’s talk on breeding Dotterel in the Cumbrian Fells in the 70/80’s will stay with me for some time. His love and passion for the birds was so obvious, and very moving.

A Hawfinch dropped in soon after I arrived, and perched at top of tree for several minutes. Two more seen in trees behind church later. Always great to see this species.

Impressive numbers of Snowdrops in the churchyard. Nice to hear and see Mistle Thrush and flock of Redwings - I’ve seen very few winter thrushes this winter?

Finally joined this winter’s Hawfinch party!😊 Headed to Holbrook Church in Suffolk, where 2-3 seen. Met up with @stuttonsparrows.bsky.social and enjoyed some birding chat over a beer at his favourite pub!
Mark, I finally made it over!👍