Drumming up some volunteers for the spring in Gwent with my talk on lesser spots for @lesserspotnet.bsky.social @kenandlindasmith.bsky.social

New job alert 🪶🧪 We are hiring a Conservation Scientist to work on links between hydrological restoration and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker conservation Deadline: 7/10/26 Apply here: app.vacancy-filler.co.uk/salescrm/Car... #SpeciesRecoveryProgramme @naturalengland.bsky.social 📷Ben Andrew

If you remember Bill Oddie for one thing, let it be for this 4 minutes of magic. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuY9...

Starling Magic

YouTube video by arcadeium

youtube.com

The last Willow Tit nest of the season now fledged, successfully protected from Great Spotted Woodpecker predation. No GSW predation in protected nests this year, in stark contrast to 100% predation rate by GSW in unprotected nests. Very promising results.

Good news: #NaturalEngland have offered RSPB funding through the #SpeciesRecovery Programme Working in partnership, this funding will allow the RSPB to take action for 25 threatened species in England - from Turtle Dove & House Martin to Lesser Spotted Woodpecker & Shrill Carder Bee #wildagain

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 'Ant-Flinger'- fascinating observations by David Bevan @djbevanphoto.bsky.social of a male LSW systematically removing & discarding wood ants whilst foraging for aphids. Article & video just published in @britishbirds.bsky.social see britishbirds.co.uk/journal/arti...

Great to get out and see some lovely Whinchat and tree pipits Rhondda valley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

A very unusual nest! A pair of Wood Warblers Phylloscopus sibilatrix feeding young Wrens Troglodytes troglodytes. I presume the warblers' nest was predated and they found this similar looking nest nearby and began to feed the young even though the adult Wrens were too! Dartmoor, Devon this morning.

"Wales' Bermuda Triangle’ - the most notorious bird of prey persecution hotspot in the country" #BirdingWales www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-w...

'Wales' Bermuda Triangle’ where bird killings have made it notorious

RSPB and police appeal for information to stop the illegal acts

dailypost.co.uk

Watch BBC Countryfile tonight, BBC One at 7:15. Woodpecker Network and @lesserspotnet.bsky.social volunteers, Ken and Linda Smith, will be in the New Forest talking about and looking for Woodpeckers.

An explosion of male Silver Washed Fritillaries in the woods of Dartmoor this weekend. Lots of fighting for territories. Numbers of Red and White Admirals growing. @bcdevon.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

White admirals are my favourite UK butterfly. They live in the woods, are black and white, elusive, beautiful and if you put in the work can be very rewarding. A lot like my favourite bird! 5 seen this afternoon as the sun came out. @bcdevon.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Feeling downhearted after the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker breeding season is over? This good cheer from Somerset LSW volunteer @angusrobin.bsky.social

@angusrobin.bsky.social · 5mo ago

A new Pied Flycatcher nest on a fledged Blue Tit nest @piedflynet.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social @btosomerset.bsky.social

A nice few hours at goldcliff lagoons saw a distant bittern and great to see so many whitethroats and reed bunting looks like the avocets didn’t do well again sadly due to predatation

Joy at Abberton Res yesterday where for the third year out of four the CES team caught this Nightingale originally ringed in The Gambia in January 2020. Now 7 years old and still going strong. Just brilliant! 🇬🇲🇬🇧 @btobirds.bsky.social @essexbirdnews.bsky.social

It was a two shrike day @rspbcymru.bsky.social's South Stack Cliffs reserve, though each tells a story of European loss in the face of farming change. Recent sightings from #NorthWales in the @northwaleslive.bsky.social BirdNotes. 📷John Riley. #BirdingWales www.birdnotes.wales/blog/shrikes...

Shrikes remind of summers past

RSPB South Stack hosted two different types of shrike at the weekend, one attracting plenty of attention from visitors. A female Woodchat Shrike spent several days hunting below the Visitor Centre....

birdnotes.wales

Incredible views of a migrating Common Quail as it flew past the ship in the English Channel! @sophieshrike.bsky.social

Great to see Sanderling and Curlew Sandpiper although distant. Plenty of Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Black- tailed Godwits - twitchy and often in flight. #Gwent_Birds

Goldcliff Birding #257 4K

YouTube video by john l uk

youtu.be

A young male lesser spotted woodpecker contemplates a leap of faith @edhorncastle.bsky.social @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Always nice to see the Spotted Flycatchers and Garden Warblers return to our valley, several birds seen over the past few days. First decent photos I’ve taken of a GW they’re usually in thick cover. #birdingwales #birdsseenin2026 #birds

The lesser spots have finally fledged! Want to see it don't watch this video! Watching through my bins and didn't notice my camera had frozen in the heat. Watch the pre-behaviour and you can hear the bird fly away calling at 31 secs. Then her siblings realise at 37 secs @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

What a wonderful spring Ive had following these lesser spots from drumming to fledging. Fun video from one of the few visits today. The parents were trying to force them out through hunger. Got a bit competitive in the nest. @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Back this morning to see if the nest was empty. Surprised to see the male chick. Watched for an hour. No feeding from adults. One quick visit followed by a close visit and the Male fledged! Female checked the empty nest and then they were off together. Absolute joy. @lesserspotnet.bsky.social #Birds

6 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nests have been monitored in Devon and Somerset this year. One failed at the hatching stage, others will be fledging in the next few days, 1-2 weeks early. Young can now be heard calling in nests @lesserspotnet.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social @ukrbbp.bsky.social

These 2m and 2f LSW young will fledge in the next few days. Two other Somerset nests have already fledged on Thursday. There will be young calling from LSW and GSW nests over the next two weeks @ukrbbp.bsky.social @lesserspotnet.bsky.social @btosomerset.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social

Here’s an example of LSW young calling from a nest (there were three young not far off fledging in this nest) @ukrbbp.bsky.social @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Stunning images and so much information on the food being brought for the LSW chicks, thank you both @edhorncastle.bsky.social and @stuckateur.bsky.social

Between the 100s of images of invertebrates being brought in a few “ flight shots “ @edhorncastle.bsky.social @kenandlindasmith.bsky.social @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Female was briefly spooked tonight by a strange noise which meant she stayed a while. Not many days to go until fledging. Could be tmrw @lesserspotnet.bsky.social If this is the last I see of them this year, good luck its been a beautiful spring. #Birds

Going through many images finding the food stuff brought to nest but do get the odd flight shot too @lesserspotnet.bsky.social big thanks to Ed 👍