Simon Ginnaw

@simonginnaw.bsky.social

Biodiversity and Conservation Advisor, Wildlife Tour Leader and lifelong naturalist.

We are receiving increased reports of dead auks, including Puffins, particularly in North East Scotland. It's quick and easy to report any dead or sick birds you find through the 'Deceased bird' function on the home page of the BirdTrack app Photo: Puffin by Richard Selman / BTO #ukbirding

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Early this morning #Whimbrel POTSKAR landed in Guinea, W Africa, after flying 7000+km from St-Petersburg, Russia. It took POTSKAR 5.5 days of NON-STOP flight, varying altitude from 10s of meters over the Baltic and the Med, to >5km over land. #ornithology www.globalflywaynetwork.org/tracks/speci...

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Wouter Vansteelant@wmgvs.bsky.social · last yr.

Early May we lost contact with the #Whimbrel we tagged in Fryslân (🇳🇱). Last week Potskar (pink) and Lytse Griene (purple) left their respective breeding sites in 🇷🇺 and 🇫🇮, and sent 2 mths worth of data! 🤩 Now waiting for Grutte Griene (green)! #ornithology www.globalflywaynetwork.org/tracks/speci...

Stay at Dungeness Bird Observatory! We have plenty of space in our dormitory accommodation this June, which can be an exciting month, with plenty of things to admire! Email on dungenessobs@vfast.co.uk to book. Price is £20 per night but is reduced to £15 for DBO Friends.

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An interesting spring at Elmley with it being so dry this year. Reels drying very quickly, but the floods are holding up well for the Avocets, Common Terns and gulls. The winners so far this spring appear to be Yellow Wagtail, Skylark, Corn Buntings, Pochard, Gadwall, and the herons.

Redshank nest with 4 eggs.

Still amazes me that this 11g Marsh Tit in my study is 10 years old, but when I was studying small rodents (Wood Mice, Bank Voles, Field Voles) that were more than double the size/mass, their maximum lifespan was ~2 years max. Why do small birds live so much longer than small mammals? Or vice versa?

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Pet owners accidentally poisoning garden birds. Our latest research finds pet flea treatments (fipronil and imidacloprid) in 100% of blue tit and great tit nests, with nestling mortality higher in the more contaminated nest. @SongBirdSBS @SussexUni @CannelleTassin

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The Bearded Reedlings have been stars at Elmley this week, feeding within 4 metres of visiting birders. The Shorties are now up to 25 individuals, and 3 Hen Harriers continue to roam the reserve, surprising the lucky few or rewarding those who are willing to wait #kentbirding

For any #KentBirding bods still intrigued by breeding Med Gull foraging distances, have a look at these results (distance and times) And have a look at the green roof pic where nesting- might need some of these when the island colonies go under..

Volker Dierschke@vdierschke.bsky.social · 2y ago

Interesting #seabird: new telemetry study about #Medgull foraging flights and prospecting behaviour in urban colonies in and around Hamburg: link.springer.com/article/10.1...