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BTO Shropshire

@btoshropshire.bsky.social

Regional account for the British Trust for Ornithology in Shropshire. If you'd like to help with surveys or to find out more about BTO's work in Shropshire please send a direct message or contact bto.shropshire@gmail.com Follow the #Shropshirebirds feed!

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

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

The BirdTrack reporting rate graph for Meadow Pipit in England, showing a small increase in reporting rate for March-April (20% compared with an average of around 10%) and a larger increase, peaking in late September and early to mid-October at 32%.The BirdTrack reporting rate graph for (Barn) Swallow, showing the arrival of the birds during April, and their departure in September/early October).
Martin George@jannerbirder.bsky.social · 4h 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

A cereal crop just emerging from the foreground field, the freshly ploughed distant field with a white stripe of gulls running left to right across it, and a grove of oaks in the right mid-ground, under a blues sky with pale grey clouds.
BTO Shropshire@btoshropshire.bsky.social · yesterday

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 · 2d 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

A Quail is shown. It is small brown game bird with streaked plumage. It is perched on the ground.
BTO Shropshire@btoshropshire.bsky.social · last wk.

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 · last wk.

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...

Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS)@bbs-birds.bsky.social · last wk.

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...

Regional Network | BTO

Regional RepresentativesA Regional Representative (RR) is our local leader for BTO in their region, and a key point of contact for other local members and volunteers. The key elements of the role are ...

bto.org

BTO Shropshire@btoshropshire.bsky.social · 2w 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! 🙂

A group of BTO Regional Network volunteers birdwatching beside a flooded gravel pit. One of them is wearing a fleece with the BTO strapline “Birds Science People” on the back.
BTO Shropshire@btoshropshire.bsky.social · 2w 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! 🙂

A group of BTO Regional Network volunteers birdwatching beside a flooded gravel pit. One of them is wearing a fleece with the BTO strapline “Birds Science People” on the back.A group of BTO Regional Network volunteers birdwatching beside a flooded gravel pit. One of them is wearing a fleece with the BTO strapline “Birds Science People” on the back.A sign on a wooden gate warning about anti-social behaviour. Above it is a group of birdwatchers walking away from the viewer along a footpath. The last person is wearing a jacket with the BTO strapline “Birds Science People” on the back.
Martin George@jannerbirder.bsky.social · 3w ago

An "in context" post about the VP Curlew Sand'. There were no BirdTrack records in 2025. The Shropshire Bird Report shows that this "very rare passage migrant" last occurred, briefly, on 9 Nov 2022 at Bridgwalton Quarry and in 2011 at Wood Lane NR (31 Aug) and Mirelake (13-18 Sep). #ShropshireBirds

A collection of birds on a muddy spit surrounded by water, with the margins lined with pale feathers from moulting birds. The Curlew Sandpiper is in the left foreground in the margins. The small, grey bird behind it is a Pied Wagtail. The larger birds are (left to right) Lapwing, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Cormorant, Shoveler and Teal. Wasn't paying much attention to the wildfowl at the time and the birds are mostly hunched brown balls so duck identifications should be viewed with caution!
Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)@webs-gsmp.bsky.social · 3w ago

With two weeks until our training sessions, there are still places left! Book your spot here ➡️www.bto.org/training

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

Not sure what WeBS is about or need a confidence boost with counting birds, before getting involved? In Sept, we will be running 3️⃣ FREE, virtual 'Counting Birds and WeBS' sessions, aimed for amateur birdwatchers who want to increase their skills. Sign up ➡️ www.bto.org/training

BTO Shropshire@btoshropshire.bsky.social · 3w ago

John has since added that Turnstone is a Shropshire rarity “and this is the largest group ever seen in Shropshire (previous best were groups of three at Whixall 15 May 1994 and Alscott Sugar Beet Factory on 1 Sep 1994).” Great work by Graham and John 🙂 #ShropshireBirds

John Martin@pilning.bsky.social · 3w ago

VP with G. Fewer birds but G picked up 4 juv Turnstone dropping in. They landed out of sight, emerged from behind island for 2 minutes & off to S calling. Total stay c5 min! Otherwise 2 Greenshank, 3 Green & 2 Common Sand, 3 Snipe, 10 Lapwing, 3 Y Wag, 4 Cl Yellow. #shropshirebirding 🪶 #ukwildlife

4 juvenile Turnstone along the shoreline at VP this morning, the right hand bird behind a dead Carp. Second record of the month here but it's a county rarity and this is the largest group ever recorded in Shropshire!
BTO Shropshire@btoshropshire.bsky.social · last mo.

Good luck to the #ShropshireBirds area WeBS team for today’s count. Many of us will be “zero heroes” with no wetland birds to count as our sites are dust bowls, but negative data are as important as positive data 🙂

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

Today is the August Priority Core Count. 🦆With the effects of drought in much of the UK impacting our wetlands, it's more important now, than ever, that we count our waterbirds to see how their populations are faring.

A picture of an adult Little Grebe swimming on calm water is accompanied by the heading 'August WeBS Core Count Today!'. At the bottom is the WeBS logo and the web address 'www.bto.org/webs'.
BTO Shropshire@btoshropshire.bsky.social · last mo.

In the #ShropshireBirds area any remaining wetlands, however small, are worth checking for Common, Green or (if you’re lucky) Wood Sandpipers. Did you hear Quail in the county? It may have been a record year! Please add any 2026 records to BirdTrack to help assess the extent of the influx.

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

It might be the middle of summer, but there are always birds on the move! Check out our latest Migration Blog to find out what to look for while you're out and about this August. www.bto.org/our-work/new... @birdtrack.bsky.social 📷 Greenshank by Philip Croft/BTO

A Greenshank walks right in the water, photo by Philip Croft/BTO.
John Martin@pilning.bsky.social · 2mo ago

VP this morning, hides only. Rarity - light drizzle briefly! Influx of Little Egrets (10 incl new juvs), 2+ Green & 3+ Common Sand, 4 Grey Heron, 15 Teal, 11 Egyptian Goose (5 flew in causing much scrapping), Green Woodpecker, Reed Warbler etc. #shropshirebirding 🪶

Adult Little Egret at Venus Pool, one of 10 including a number new in, mainly juvsGreen Sandpiper adult Venus PoolJuvenile Grey Heron Venus Pool
BTO Shropshire@btoshropshire.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Data from @birdtrack.bsky.social suggest this is the best Quail year in over 20 years. Please add details of any you find to the app 🙂

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

There are still some Quail in North Shropshire, but enjoy them while you can, they will soon leave us to head south. Towards the end of this clip you will hear the distinctive "wet my lips" call of one of two birds calling from barley fields off Crosemere Lane in Cockshutt. #ShropshireBirds