Adult twite with two fledglings in the Pennines today. These lovely finches are just about clinging on here, so it's good to see a pair raising a second brood. #ThePhotoHour #birds #birding #wildlife #nature #photography #PhotographersOfBluesky @yorkswildlife.bsky.social @j-dunning.net

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Of all the lawns what are the chances it would land on @severnsidebirds.bsky.social’s, who has seen 5/7 puffins recorded in Avon this century. The lights along the channel, at Hinkley point (and Paul’s garage), must be distracting for nocturnal fledging seabirds on Lundy and beyond.

Paul Bowerman@severnsidebirds.bsky.social · 2w ago

Well I wasn't expecting this on my front lawn/driveway tonight. A juvenile Puffin. Number 171 for my house list. Will be released at Weston super Mare at midnight.

Well I wasn't expecting this on my front lawn/driveway tonight. A juvenile Puffin. Number 171 for my house list. Will be released at Weston super Mare at midnight.

Last few days to submit abstracts for BOU:Avian Disease Ecology Conference in April, should be really interesting few days -- bou.org.uk/event/avian-... 🧪🪶

Really nice research on a familiar to system to all of us - pigeons in buildings.

British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU)@bou.org.uk · 2w ago

NEW on #theBOUblog from Will Smith The secret lives of Outer Hebridean Rock Doves: What can we learn from studying the wild counterparts of domesticated pigeons? bou.org.uk/blog-smit... Based on this paper doi.org/10.1093/orni... #ornithology 🪶

So the #Badock'sWood sparrowhawks that I've been following branched 3 days ago and fledged yesterday. Their development is so fast - from the left 7th, 10th, 14th (today's male). The adult female has clearly lost weight during the process - pics showing today and 7 May #ukbirding #birds

A few blowy days on steep holm for gull monitoring and planning habitat work for the Autumn. Good year for LB and HG (~150 ringed), GB recovering. Cormorant also having a good year. Storm petrel, fulmar and mistle thrush island ticks for me (and firsts for a long time)

Coastal ringers, I am after a good storm petrel tape for a survey. Can anybody recommend one?

The skyline has changed and my favourite pub is an Italian restaurant now but there are still black redstart singing in Manchester City centre - two in same places they bred 15 years ago.

🔈 NOMINATIONS OPEN Know someone in #ornithology deserving of recognition? Nominate them for a BOU award now! 🪶 🥇 Godman Salvin Prize 🥇 Alfred Newton Lecture 🥇 Janet Kear Union Medal 🥇 Early Professional Award Deadline: 15 September 2026 Nominate: bou.org.uk/about-the... 🪶

A visit up to Pico do Ariero on Madeira last light for Zino’s Petrel. Stunning scenery

Great to see juvenile Twite in the Pennines. These lovely finches are just about clinging on here, so fledglings are precious. #ThePhotoHour #birds #birding #wildlife #nature #photography #PhotographersOfBluesky @j-dunning.net @rspb.bsky.social @yorkswildlife.bsky.social

Barn owl seem to be having an excellent year - this evening we ringed 23 chicks in four boxes, including two broods of 7 and all at good weight.

Seabirds galore at Severn Beach! 250+ Manx Shearwater, Great Northern Diver, Bonxie, Arctic Skua, Fulmar, 2 Storm Petrel, 2 Common Scoter and 4 Kittiwake this morning. Dark phase Arctic Skua, 2 Guillemot, 5 Common Tern and 2 Kitts last night @andy-1963.bsky.social @severnsidebirds.bsky.social

Not a sentence I’d expected to read when I got up this morning. Remarkable finding!

Science Magazine@science.org · 2mo ago

Researchers have identified superparamagnetic macrophages in the livers of rock pigeons to be crucial for magnetic sensing. The finding uncovers an unexpected role for immune cells in sensory perception and may fundamentally change our understanding of animal navigation. https://scim.ag/4nTQ3nq

Our (Jenny Dunn, Carolina Chagas, @willjsmith.bsky.social) paper on the evolution of island Wrens is finally out @evojlinnsoc.bsky.social! We describe the evolution of island gigantism in the St Kilda and Shetland subspecies. academic.oup.com/evolinnean/a...

Look at the facial (rictal) bristles on this Icterine warbler (which had hit a window in Lecce, Italy). These are generally associated with low-light foraging, including in nocturnal migrants like this one. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Great to see Rufus here, and posting about his exciting work locally.

Rufus D@rufusdawson.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Deep within a Gloucestershire valley is a hidden world. The wider countryside is covered by mixed-age beech woodland in a complex mosaic of forest, commons and farmland. But in this quiet corner, a strikingly different blend of habitats can be found - and with it a mix of unusual species. (1/10)

Sea-watch over the Adriatic Sea from Puglia, Italy this morning, in a decent onshore wind, delivered three Eleonora's Falcon moving NW up the coast and briefly harrying a house martin over the water - a dream for me. No photos, but here's some of the constant line of Scopoli's.

Steep Holm has Avon's only(?) breeding Cormorants, a scarce southern sea-cliff breeding population of the coastal subspecies, carbo. They are difficult to see from land, but most with small chicks now.

Glad to have timed a chance mid-morning visit to Severn Beach with a clear-weather push of Arctic Skua moving up the river. w/ @andy-1963.bsky.social, Adam and Emily.

Last weekend’s ringing trip to Steep Holm started off well, but migrants cleared as the cloud lifted. Great to see work to clear the plateau of invasive growth progressing too. Marsh harrier, and lesser Whitethroat were new for the year there (the harrier for the decade).

Here is our Biol. Rev. paper on the downsides of extra-pair behaviour in birds, expertly led (and summarised) by @jorgensoraker.bsky.social 🪶🧪

Jørgen Søraker@jorgensoraker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

New paper out in Biological Reviews📝🚨 When trying to explain why female birds engage in extra-pair copulations/paternity, we mostly focus on the benefits. But what about the costs? Should we not consider the downsides of the behavior we try to understand? 🧵 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

There's been a push of new birders arriving here recently and I'm glad to see it, including @joeharkness.bsky.social whose work well worth following. Here is @stevedudley.bsky.social's excellent blog on how BSky works again - bou.org.uk/blog-dudley-...

Hello Bluesky! Goodbye Twitter - British Ornithologists' Union

Bluesky is proving to be an excellent alternative and welcome antidote to Twitter/X

bou.org.uk

Late to posting about the extraordinary vismig on the Severn this weekend, including good numbers of Common Tern and Little Gull, stacking high before tracking inland, but also Whimbrel, Black and Little Tern (a patch tick for me). @severnsidebirds.bsky.social

Almost four years after its conception at the hole nesting birds conference in Oxford, @jorgensoraker.bsky.social and I have had our paper, The costs of extra-pair behaviours in birds, accepted in Biological Reviews. More soon. 🪶🧪

I’ve long been told ‘Barwit’ day is the best day on my adopted patch. While today was 1500 away from the best day, seeing 520 come in low up the Severn, see the M4 bridge and then head NE inland was a great spectacle @bristolbirding.bsky.social

Before I’ve had one vismig this year, there are tree pipit back on territory and singing in mid wales 🏔️