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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 13h

Grab yourself a cup of tea, and sit back and enjoy this week's BTO Migration Blog.

And then head out and let us know what you spot over the weekend!

www.bto.org/our-work/new...

📷 Whooper Swans by Sarah Kelman/BTO

#UKBirding #ornithology @birdtrack.bsky.social

Three Whooper Swans in flight. Photograph by Sarah Kelman/BTO.

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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 6d

⚠️ Please report sightings of dead birds for possible testing for Avian Influenza. ⬇️

📌 In England, Wales & Scotland: www.gov.uk/guidance/...
📌 In Northern Ireland: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/...
📌 In Republic of Ireland: aviancheck.apps.serv...

#UKBirding #BirdingWales #BirdingScotland

Image of a deceased Puffin lying on the ground. White wording on an orange background reads: Please report sightings of dead birds.

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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 7d

Read this week’s @birdtrack.bsky.social migration blog ➡️ www.bto.org/our-work/new...

Highlights include 260 Goldcrests at Spurn, Yorkshire on 26/09, three Red-breasted Flycatchers on Holy Island, Northumberland on 28/09 & 31,300 House Martins flying over Dorking, Surrey on 26/09.😮 #UKBirding

A Goldcrest perches on the stem of a plant. Image by Graham Catley/BTO.

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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 14d

New @birdtrack.bsky.social migration blog ➡️ www.bto.org/our-work/new...

This week we look at reporting rate for Dark-bellied Brent Goose and Wigeon, and sightings of several eastern vagrants including a Pechora Pipit in County Durham!

#Ornithology #UKBirding

📷 Brent Goose by Liz Cutting/BTO

A Brent Goose flies through a bright blue sky.

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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 21d

It's Friday.

It's autumn.

It must be time for the latest installment of our BTO Migration Blog!

Find out what species to expect, and let us know if our predictions are up to scratch.

www.bto.org/our-work/new...

📷 Grey Phalarope by Neil Calbrade/BTO

@birdtrack.bsky.social

Grey Phalarope wading in water, by Neil Calbrade/BTO

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BirdWatch Ireland @birdwatchireland.bsky.social · 21d

It's one year today since we lost our dear friend and colleague, Steve Wing, Cape Clear Bird Observatory Wildlife Officer. In his memory, we are launching the Steve Wing Memorial Bursary, which will be open annually to aspiring ecologists/naturalists aged 18-25: birdwatchireland.ie/announcing-t...

The late Steve Wing, BirdWatch Ireland's Cape Clear Bird Observatory Wildlife Officer, holding a Robin during a bird-ringing demonstration

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BirdTrack @birdtrack.bsky.social · 28d

This week's BTO Migration blog explores a recent arrival of drift migrants on the east coast, a record breaking influx of Glossy Ibis and what we might expect in the second half of September #ukbirding

www.bto.org/our-work/new...

Glossy Ibis by Philip Croft

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BirdTrack @birdtrack.bsky.social · Sep 9

Interesting to see very high numbers of Curlew Sandpipers in northern Scotland, while numbers in England are lower than average. Easterly winds across the northern North Sea have pushed birds to the Northern Isles and Outer Hebrides, while the opposite has happened further south #ukbirding

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Julian Hughes @penrhynbirder.bsky.social · Sep 8

The largest flock of Glossy Ibis ever seen in #Wales heralded an unprecedented influx into Britain & Ireland. Plus other sightings from across #NorthWales, bookings open for the @birdsinwales.bsky.social Conference and finally my Swifts have left the building.

www.birdnotes.wales/blog/swift-d...

Swift departure and Ibis arrival

The weather’s rapid switch into autumn has served as a reminder to summer visitors that they need to make a move. Through the weekend, thousands of Swallows streamed south, Wheatears dropped in to...

www.birdnotes.wales

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BirdTrack @birdtrack.bsky.social · Sep 5

This week's BTO Migration Blog explores the recent influx of seabirds, autumn waders, and what might be seen over the next week #ukbirding
www.bto.org/our-work/new...

Grey Phalarope, by Neil Calbrade

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BirdTrack @birdtrack.bsky.social · Sep 3

Last week saw a big increase in the BirdTrack reporting rate for Curlew Sandpipers - look out for a slightly larger wader with a peachy breast amongst flocks of Dunlin #ukbirding

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Jared Wilson @wilsonjaredm.bsky.social · Sep 1

I wrote this short note on birding with hearing aids and thought I’d post the link here in case of interest/relevance to some birders out there
#birding #birdingScotland #birdingUK

chatterstanes.wordpress.com/2025/09/01/b...

Birding with Hearing Aids

A startling proportion of the UK population suffers from hearing loss, with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) indicating that one in five adults are deaf, have hearing loss or suffer…

chatterstanes.wordpress.com

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BirdTrack @birdtrack.bsky.social · Aug 26

Last week saw an excellent arrival of juvenile Little Stints, with the BirdTrack reporting rate reaching 3% across Britain and Ireland as a whole. Records were most frequent on the east coast of England - in Lincolnshire it appeared on 22% of complete lists! #ukbirding

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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · Aug 20

Apply to join BTO's Youth Advisory Panel👉 bit.ly/_YAPVolunteer

If you're aged 16-24, passionate about nature and people’s engagement in the natural world, then this is your chance to have a positive impact.

📆 Applications close on Sunday 7 September. We look forward to hearing from everyone!

A group of young people are looking into the distance, with countryside around them. Wording alongside reads: BTO Youth. Join Our Youth Advisory Panel! Scan the QR code to find out more and apply. A QR code sits to the right of the wording.

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BirdTrack @birdtrack.bsky.social · Aug 20

Easterly winds across the North Sea last week led to a small arrival of Pied Flycatchers along the east coast between Essex and Yorkshire and an uptick in the BirdTrack reporting rate. Reports usually peak in mid to late August but later influxes can occur in the right conditions #ukbirding

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BirdTrack @birdtrack.bsky.social · Aug 15

This autumn's first BTO Migration Blog looks at what we might expect in the second half of August, as the first wave of Pied Flycatchers arrives on the east coast #ukbirding
www.bto.org/our-work/news/blog/migblog/14-aug-2025

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BirdTrack @birdtrack.bsky.social · Aug 13

The second half of August will see the peak period for autumn migration of Tree Pipit. Usually detected when calling in flight, they can occur across a range of habitats on migration #ukbirding

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Graham Appleton @wadertales.bsky.social · Aug 9

Nice pic from @tomcadwallender.bsky.social
About 300 Green Sandpiper winter in the UK (BTO BirdFacts) but far more stop for a bit in autumn.
Blog about tagging Green Sandpipers to study migration:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/04/12/g...
Old graph from @birdtrack.bsky.social
#ornithology

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Mike Pollard @mikepnature.bsky.social · Aug 8

2024 NE Wales Bird Report now available to download from @cofnod.org.uk Big thank you to all contributors. Majority of records via @birdtrack.bsky.social.
@birdsinwales.bsky.social @btocymru.bsky.social @rspbcymru.bsky.social

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BirdGuides @birdguides.bsky.social · Aug 7

Research in the Cairngorms NP has shown that non-lethal predator management can significantly boost breeding success for Western Capercaillie:

Diversionary feeding of predators boosts Capercaillie breeding success

Research in the Cairngorms National Park has shown that non-lethal predator management can significantly boost breeding success for Western Capercaillie. The three-year study revealed that with the number of chicks per female more than doubled in areas with diversionary feeding taking place. With fewer than 550 individuals left in Britain, there is a serious risk of Western Capercaillie becoming extinct for a second time nationally.

bit.ly

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BirdTrack @birdtrack.bsky.social · Aug 6

Crossbills are not a typical seasonal migrant but are an irruptive species that move in response to the availability of food. This summer has seen a notable arrival of Crossbills into Britain and this was clearly reflected in the BirdTrack reporting rate in June and July #ukbirding

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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · Aug 3

11 years, 1 month & 11 days is the longevity record for Swallow in Britain & Ireland! 😮 🪶

You can share your sightings with us by using @birdtrack.bsky.social at www.birdtrack.net

📷 Swallow by Philip Croft/BTO

Swallow in flight against a blue sky showing its long tail streamers, red throat, white belly, and bill that is wide open.

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BirdTrack @birdtrack.bsky.social · Jul 28

Where a site is defined as a point (which all sites created on the mobile app are) this will result in an eight figure grid ref, but there is no uncertainty measure and this should not be taken as a pinpoint for a specific record

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BirdTrack @birdtrack.bsky.social · Jul 28

polygon and I assume the grid reference will be the highest possible based on this - 1km if within a 1km square, 2km if within a tetrad, 10km if it crosses squares in different tetrads. So in the example below, the given grid ref is SU42, but the actual location must be within the circle

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