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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 22h

ICYMI in a reply of mine, article by an earwig surveyor - 30-ish yrs ago, "282 in a night." 2024, 31 adults all year. This yr to early Aug, seven adults.

(🤔 How many bird species take earwigs I wonder? 🤔)

My daily surveys suggest British earwigs are declining drastically

Cool autumns and dry springs could help earwig populations recover.

theconversation.com

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 23h

👍 always had a soft spot for 'em.
Clearly not the only ones struggling: 32 yr census, 2025 worst yet:
"..so far, I have only caught 7 adults and 9 nymphs.." (Aug)
🤔 "If we have a cool autumn and a dry spring, followed by similar conditions next year, I’m hoping to record larger numbers in 2027.."

My daily surveys suggest British earwigs are declining drastically

Cool autumns and dry springs could help earwig populations recover.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Kevin Thornton

Tina Hagger @haggytea.bsky.social · 1d

We're all ready for you at the Grain Store Studio for East Kent Artists' Open House. Here today and tomorrow 10-3. It's a beautiful location and there are five artists all with very different work to peruse! From the Brenley Roundabout turn onto Brenley Lane then follow the signs.

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Reposted by Kevin Thornton

Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 1d

Looking for earwigs at Goodnestone Gardens in East Kent yesterday (with head gardener's permission). Only found Common Earwig,but this included several macrolabic males with big pincers. Also enjoyed the lovely gardens & café. #Goodnestone #Dermaptera #KentNature

A male Common Earwig with much larger than normal pincers (macrolabic form).

Maggie inkcap fungi growing on woodchip mulch in a plant bed.

A new area of amazing, 'jungle'-style planting.

'Birdwatcher Bill'. One of a number of sculptures around the garden.

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 1d

Macrolabic? Today's rabbit-hole of learning for me, right there.

🤔 "Staged encounters"? Down said rabbit-hole, have I discovered an underground Earwig Fight Club?😆😇

(Only saying to neighbour t'other day I don't think I've seen one in my tiny garden adrift a sea of urban concrete this year..)

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230269182_Two_Male_Types_of_the_Common_Earwig_Male-male_Competition_and_Mating_Success

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Reposted by Kevin Thornton

TG42Birder🇵🇸 @tg42birder.bsky.social · 1d

The morning of World Migratory Bird Day is being marked by a distinct lack of migrants in East Norfolk.

As in the rest of autumn so far.

When are we going to stop pretending things are still “normal”?

#ukbirding

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 1d

Was out for walk round the edge of town 04:45- 06:00. Not one single contact call heard overhead😧

Now not purposefully birding, no longer check s N Sea/ low countries BirdTAM daily. Just looked, last few days, zero movement.
What's betting it's been low like this most of autumn so far?

Today's BIRDstrike forecast To Air Men - https://www.flysafe-birdtam.eu/migration.html?radar=wier&subwindow=nw - 3 day forecast, 6 day actuals.

My tweet, similar dates, 10/23. How things used to be? Shorter quieter periods, activity most nights.
(Nb, always found forecast for near continent needed to be in orange/red for any potential of a decent-sized movement.)
Also added a temp forecast to this tweet, pointing out was finally getting cooler. Temperature-induced element of autumnal migratory movement not in play yet this year? Enough good feeding elsewhere for the falling populations?

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Reposted by Kevin Thornton

TG42Birder🇵🇸 @tg42birder.bsky.social · 1d

Going out “into nature” isn’t great for my mental health when I see the state of things and the lack of birds these days.

RSPB Science @rspbscience.bsky.social · 1d

Increasing disconnect between people and nature has been highlighted as a risk to conservation goals

Collaborations between conservation and healthcare orgs offer a potential win-win for mental health and nature

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Reposted by Kevin Thornton

EmmanuelSPV @emmanuelspv.bsky.social · 1d

Before (2014) / After (2025) the greening of this part Rue Edouard Pailleron, Paris 19. General traffic was cut off further down by a "school street". Now traffic is lower, some car parking and the old bike lane have been removed, and trees were planted on both sides in 2022.

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Reposted by Kevin Thornton

TG42Birder🇵🇸 @tg42birder.bsky.social · 2d

Curlews are in serious trouble. Climate change is outpacing conservation.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=eO8Z...

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 2d

Enjoying all the landscape shots of late for context, keep 'em coming sir!

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Reposted by Kevin Thornton

All Our Yesterdays @allouryesterdays.bsky.social · 2d

We are about to learn - the hard way - that food doesn't come "from supermarkets"....

James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2d

That England has had its three worst harvests on record inside the past five years really should be being treated as a much bigger cause for concern than is currently the case. www.businessgreen.com/news/4520171...

'This is what farming with climate change looks like': England endures second worst harvest on record

New analysis confirms three of the five worst harvests on record have occurred in the past five years on the back of extreme heat, drought, and rainfall

www.businessgreen.com

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Reposted by Kevin Thornton

Beth W @doodlebeth.com · 3d

Why does the @rspb.bsky.social magazine still have adverts for foreign travel birding holidays… in the same issue that mentions climate change’s affect on salt marshes etc. Jetting around the world to look at birds is not good for the planet!

The RSPB Magazine
Taking action for nature together
Autumn/Winter 2025
Saltmarsh sentinel
Thanks to you, Redshanks could face a brighter future despite recent declines

PATAGONIA &
THE CHILEAN FJORDS
An exploration of the land of fire & ice aboard the MS Island Sky
15th January to 1st February 2027
Those who have a passion for the wilder places on our planet usually have Patagonia on their must do list. Shaped by fire and ice, this rugged, yet hauntingly beautiful land of windswept pampas, hanging glaciers and cloud piercing peaks, remains today as enticing and fascinating as it did to Magellan, Drake and more latterly Darwin.
Chile is made for crising. Its shape and geographic location is just perfect; thousands of miles of coastline that you can of course explore aboard one of the many huge cruise vessels calling at the major cities of South America or alternatively join us aboard the 118-passenger MS Island Sky and enjoy the wonders of this magical country, some of which only small ships have access to.
Wildlife abounds here and the skies are filled with the cries of seabirds. Albatross' and petrels' wheel overhead and sea lions bark from their rocky outcrops. Helping us understand all the wonders we will encounter will be our experts and expedition staff who will accompany us ashore and our small ship will allow us to enter small inlets and explore fjords and stretches of magnificent coastline.

Naturetrek
Group & Tailormade Wildlife Holidays
AFRICA | ASIA | AUSTRALASIA | EUROPE: | THE AMERICAS | ANTARCTICA
Naturetrek is the UK's leading wildlife holiday specialist offering:
• The widest choice of expert-escorted birding & wildlife tours worldwide
• Tailormade wildlife & cultural holidays crafted by experts
• Wildlife cruises on exclusive Naturetrek charters
• Birdwatching, botany, mammals & more
• Unrivalled expertise built over 39 years

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 2d

Tho' mid-morning before I arrived, Skylarks and Mipits still moving s. following Gap. A few of my fave tidal river wader, Common Sandpiper, and noisy Kingfishers up and down the river.

A patch birder could be content here, f'sure. I was, but then I'm easily pleased (one blackbird in 3 hrs😲).

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A view west, inland from the river embankment; low scrub giving way to trees partly hiding a cement works, with the North Downs behind.

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 2d

As with much of the 'Medway Gap' thru the North Downs, a lot of good habitat beside the paths. With Halling village having a nice 'urban' open space (Low Meadow) next door, most locals were walking their dogs there, not out on the marshes.

Lovely spot to waste a few hours.

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On an OS map this area of scrub and overgrown dyke is called 'Halling Salt Marsh'. You could hide a few rares in there..

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 2d

And he kept waving his lunch at me (think he wanted to swap for one of my Monster Munch).

Jokes aside, a double-figure Stonechat day along a 2 km stretch of river is always a good day. Plus I successfully twitched the one remaining wall of the Bishop's Palace. Result.

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Same Stonechat, holding a woodlouse in his bill.

A view over the saltings and river to Wouldham church.

The one remaining wall of the Bishop's Palace http://www.hallinghistory.co.uk/community/halling-historical-society-18475/the-bishops-palace/

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 2d

I had to fight for today's lunch bench, but it was the only one for a km.
This hogger didn't want to share, and as soon as I'd finished he was back on and swearing at me.

Stonechat
#BareNakedBirding
#BirdingByTrain Halling marshes, 400 mtrs from station.
#KentNature

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Male stonechat perched atop a small bench.

Claiming the bench, shoulder bag, map and walking stick in situ. View over saltings to narrow tidal river (Medway). In distance, the white of an old quarry cut into the North Downs.

Looking back after lunch, and the Stonechat has reclaimed HIS bench.

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 3d

Anyhoo birder chums, hope this all helps.

If not, always remember - when our prayers fail and our personal birding Gods have deserted us, for a small amount of silver we can always buy our indulgences from a bird news provider.

I'll get me halo..
😇

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 3d

And a genuine reading, Jeremiah 8:7
"Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord*"

(*Slightly less damning than the judgement of a county rares committee)
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A crane(!) It's a big blue crane(!) It's a Medway miracle.
Ignoring all the heavy industry of the north shore, Redshanks gather as the tide covers the flats.

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 3d

And, yeah, I sang (well, mumbled) my version of 'For those in peril on the see':

🎵 Eternal Father, strong to save,
whose arm doth push the migrant wave,
who bidd'st them o'er ocean deep
their own appointed timings keep:
O, hear us when we cry to Thee,
for those stuck in viz-misery(!)

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A Stonechat. (Providing happy-chacky tamborine sounds to accompany me..)

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 3d

Today, to aid my poor birding chums suffering eternal viz-misery this autumn, I took my family leatherette-bound edition of the DIM Claims Aversion bible off the shelf and offered up a prayer dockside.

The sky then filled with larks and pipits and, hang on, there's a Greenshank down there..

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Rainham Docks East, Medway estuary, low tide. Holding up a 'birders' bible'.

Revealed to be an 11th edition of Peterson, Mountfort and Hollom, with contributions from Ferguson-Lees and (my hero) DIM Wallace.

Holding up the good book and, with the bookmark, pointing the way west.

Oh, temptation - a Greenshank in creek. Can't not look at a Greenshank.

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Reposted by Kevin Thornton

Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · 4d

"Salinity levels in the Shatt al-Arab have reached alarming concentrations, exceeding 30,000 total dissolved solids (TDS), which is approximately half the saltiness of seawater. This severe saltwater intrusion from the Persian Gulf is intensified by #climate change ..."

#Iraq 🇮🇶
#ClimateEmergency

Iraq’s Basra could become unlivable as climate crisis deepens, experts warn - Türkiye Today

Basra is facing increasingly severe heat waves, with extreme temperatures, especially near oil fields, which act as local heat centers and intensify the effects of climate change

www.turkiyetoday.com

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Reposted by Kevin Thornton

Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 4d

A Southern Green Shieldbug from scrub in the Rainham Dock East part of Riverside Country Park in Rainham (Kent) yesterday. #bugs #Truebugs #Hemiptera #KentNature

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 4d

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And even when the moon did poke thru' the clouds there'd be a flippin' plane and fading vapour trails in shot..

All of the joys of modern flightlines.

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Kevin Thornton @lowcarbonkev.bsky.social · 4d

In my purposeful birding days, this time of year I'd have been out counting gulls flighting to the estuary at dusk.

Nowadays takes a rising full moon to get me out. Tho' a cloudy horizon meant I was looking at gulls. So few nowadays. None of the joys of the old flightlines.

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