Great work by Rhys, White-fronted Geese are a county rarity in Shropshire and his images are superb 😮

Rhys@rdpphoto.bsky.social · 7h ago

White-fronted Geese, 29 in total, over Polemere NR, Shrewsbury #ukwildlife #shropshirebirds #Nature #wildlife #birdphotography #UKBirding #birds #photography

Fancy a challenge?! We can expect to see up to eight species of gull in the #ShropshireBirds area during the winter months, and The Mere (Ellesmere) held the fourth largest Lesser Black-backed Gull roost in Britain and Ireland during the Winter Gull Survey period, more than 10,000 birds!

BTO | British Trust for Ornithology@btobirds.bsky.social · 4d ago

Join our Gull ID sessions run by our expert team. Book now ➡️ www.bto.org/training 📍 Two online Zoom training sessions. 📆 Tuesdays (7pm) or Wednesdays (10am or 7pm) for set dates in November and December.

Data collected by thousands of volunteer birders is helping to understand the changing nature of bird migration, as revealed in our first annual report 📌2025 saw record influxes of Hoopoe and Glossy Ibis 📌Familiar migratory species such as Wheatear and Fieldfare are being reported less often

Autumn Reed Bunting #ukwildlife #shropshirebirds #Nature #wildlife #birdphotography #UKBirding #birds #photography

The 2025 Online Ringing & Nest Recording Report has now been published. It’s a fascinating record of migration and longevity. Highlights for #ShropshireBirds include a Woodcock to Russia and a long-lived Long-tailed Tit at Attingham Park. You can view the report here: app.bto.org/ring/countyr...

A Solitary Ruff hanging out with Lapwings at Polemere, near Shrewsbury #ukwildlife #shropshirebirds #Nature #wildlife #birdphotography #UKBirding #birds #photography

After a slow start to October, recent easterly winds have boosted arrivals of Woodcock, coming from Russia, Fennoscandia and the Baltics. Unfortunately Woodcock are prone to colliding with buildings. If you find a dead Woodcock, please do report to BirdTrack or email woodcock@bto.org #ukbirding

Great advice! There’s always space for more people to join the WeBS team in the #ShropshireBirds area, either at a vacant site (see map on the WeBS pages of the BTO website), or at a new site that you have access to. DM if you need more info 🙂

Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)@webs-gsmp.bsky.social · 4w ago

Many of us could do with a reason to get outside, connect with nature, and make a difference for conservation, for our own wellbeing as well as our environment's. Here are 5 reasons why WeBS might be your answer 🍂 @rspb.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social #UKBirding #Ornithology ➡️ www.bto.org/webs

The programme for our 2027 Annual Conference is here! ➡️ bit.ly/Conference2027 Journey from gardens and coastal cliffs, to farmland and urban greenspaces with our fantastic line-up of expert speakers. 🐦 Book a space ➡️ bit.ly/Conference202... # Ornithology

The Sunday morning sky was full of birds at #salopobs with totals of 13,550 Woodpigeons SW, 2,200 Redwings (at last), the first 84 Fieldfares, 420 Starlings, 570 Jackdaws, Brambling, 3 Pintail, 8 Wigeon, Great Egret... #ukbirding #vismig #loveautumn

Fantastic autumn pick n mix from the #salopobs garden today: the new flock of Corn Buntings climbed to 💥23💥, 9 newly arrived Whoopers flew south, 5,660 Woodpigeons SW in 90mins, a random Shelduck with 5 Gyps, and the first Goosanders and Goldies of the season #loveautumn #ukbirding

Please look out for Golden Plover this weekend and add any you see to BirdTrack. A flock of around 80 are currently on the Long Mynd between Shooting Box and the trig point, along with 3 Brambling 🙂 #ShropshireBirds

BirdTrack@birdtrack.bsky.social · last mo.

This weekend, 17-18 October, is the International Golden Plover Census. WeBS data will be included in the census, but if you see any flocks of Golden Plover away from wetlands and are able to record a count, we would be very grateful if you could enter this to BirdTrack. Photo: Liz Cutting / BTO

1/ Nature is in peril. Drastic declines and specialist species struggling is what the Wild Bird Indicators, using BTO data & published by Defra, show. Here’s what we know ⬇️ The All Bird Species Index shows 19% declines in the UK since 1970. This comprises 132 species. 📉 #Ornithology

A great day around the county started with WeBS counts and assists, and a mega flock of 157 sinensis, then home to tractors and gulls in front of #salopobs with a 3cy YLG and LBBG rings from Germany and the Netherlands 👌 #ukbirding

The winter visitors are back! A few of the Shropshire WeBS team recorded returning Wigeon and Goosander on today’s core count, and one found two Whooper Swans at his site near Bishop’s Castle. The birds stayed briefly before flying off to the south. #ShropshireBirds @webs-gsmp.bsky.social

Today is the October WeBS Core Count - keep an eye out for winter visitors arriving at our WeBS sites! 👁️ #ornithology #birdingUK/IRE

🐦💚 It's World Mental Health Day! Did you know that watching and listening to birds may support your mental wellbeing? We've rounded up 3 scientific studies exploring how birds can help us feel better. 🧵👇

In the #ShropshireBirds area "our" adult Shelducks make a moult migration and leave us for the Dutch or German coast, or to one of six UK coastal sites, to drop all of their flight feathers in relative safety. Adults depart in June/July and return in November, leaving the juveniles behind.

Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)@webs-gsmp.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Time for a #WeBSSpeciesSpotlight✨ Today we have the gorgeous Shelduck. These chunky, charismatic birds are usually seen on estuaries and coastal marshes, and they nest in burrows! To learn more about Shelducks and other WeBS species, visit BirdFacts➡️www.bto.org/birdfacts #Ornithology #UKBirding

Important habitat and site maintenance work at Venus Pool NR 1) From 29 September. Major programme of willow scrub management to restore the grassland away from the pool to the north. 2) 5 to 7 October. Annual maintenance work. Essential, but likely to cause some disturbance. #ShropshireBirds

These sessions are so good; a little bit of helpful theory and lots of practice time. We were joined by one new and two potential Shropshire counters for @webs-gsmp.bsky.social and also had bonus flyovers from a Spitfire!

BTO England@btoengland.bsky.social · 2mo ago

On 20 September, a team of BTO staff and volunteers, including @btoshropshire.bsky.social, led two face to face sessions @staffswildlife.bsky.social The Wolseley Centre about waterbird identification and taking part in @webs-gsmp.bsky.social & @birdtrack.bsky.social We saw Great White Egret & Hobby!

It was an exceptional summer for Quail in Shropshire, too. Please add any notebook records to @birdtrack.bsky.social so that the Shropshire Bird Report for 2026 can better reflect where, when and how many of these enigmatic little birds were present. #ShropshireBirds

BTO | British Trust for Ornithology@btobirds.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The peak weekly reporting rate for Quail in BirdTrack in early July this year was 2%! This was the highest ever recorded for this species in this scheme. You can get involved and record the birds you encounter via www.bto.org/birdtrack 📷 Graham Catley / BTO

BTO News is an excellent magazine and worth the price of a monthly takeaway coffee on its own, but there are plenty of other benefits to BTO membership. Follow the link to find out more!

BTO | British Trust for Ornithology@btobirds.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The latest issue of BTO News has just landed! Our membership magazine is packed with engaging and informative articles, with all the latest updates on BTO research, events and more. Become a BTO member today from only £3 a month to start receiving BTO News! ➡️ www.bto.org/support-... #Ornithology

The departure of the Swallows and the return of the Meadow Pipits. Observations added to @birdtrack.bsky.social as "complete lists" through the app or browser version help us to map seasonal changes such as this. It's a nice, mindful way to feel connected to time and place! #ShropshireBirding

Martin George@jannerbirder.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The equinox occurs on 23 September, but for me autumn started at 17:25 today as I left the office, noticed a thin white line of gulls in the just-ploughed far field, and for the first time since spring no Swallows or martins, but 40+ Meadow Pipits, calling and flying south overhead. #ShropshireBirds

It's been a great Quail year in the #ShropshireBirds area, too! First recorded on 11 May with a total of 22 records that month and another 30 in June. Q2 total of 52 (awaiting July & August data) compares well with these annual totals from the Bird Report: 2024 19 2023 36 2022 8 2021 26 2020 74

Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS)@bbs-birds.bsky.social · 2mo ago

(1/) It has been something of a Quail ‘year’ this year. This mysterious species is sometimes recorded on BBS squares, almost exclusively detected by its loud and distinctive ‘Wet My Lips!’ call that is typically delivered from deep cover. @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social #Ornithology

Zero counts count! 🦸‍♀️ With the dry weather that much of the UK has experienced this summer, many of our wetland sites have dried up. We ask that counters still continue visiting dried up WeBS sites, as counts with zero birds is still incredibly important data. #zerohero

Welsh Ornithological Society Annual Conference 2026 📅 31 October 2026 📍 Aberystwyth University ⏰ 10am–5pm 🎯 Theme: ‘Bound for Wales’ | ‘Ar y ffordd i Gymru’ 🎟️ Book your place now - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/welsh-orni...

Led by Stuart Edmunds, whose trail cameras discovered Shropshire’s Pine Marten population and… our county’s only Red-flanked Bluetail!

Martin George@jannerbirder.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The course will be a mix of classroom based presenting and guided field walk along river banks and hedgerows. The species covered include stoats, weasels, pine martens and polecats, plus the potential for discovering signs of otters and mink. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-introdu...

Ever wondered how people count large numbers of #birds? I've just signed up for @btobirds.bsky.social's free online training so I can learn how to count flocks... AND how to put these skills to use in the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) Choose from 3 dates next week, here: www.bto.org/our-work/tra...

David from the BBS Team attended this Regional Network Meeting at Attenborough Nature reserve near Nottingham this past weekend! It was great to see some of our fantastic volunteers who are based across England. Find out more about the BTO Regional Network here: www.bto.org/get-involved...

BTO Shropshire@btoshropshire.bsky.social · 2mo ago

What a great mix of birds, science and people at our BTO Regional Gathering at Attenborough NR today! Exciting times are ahead with Atlas 27-31 ever closer. Talking to people about birds and showing them Hobbies and an Otter through our scopes doesn't count as anti-social behaviour. We checked! 🙂

New job alert🪶 Research assistant to support research on Willow Tit demographics. Must have a BTO ringing licence at C level or above Location: Midlands and North of England Duration: Oct-Nov 2026 Deadline: This Wednesday Sept 9th Apply here: app.vacancy-filler.co.uk/salescrm/Car... 📷Ben Andrew