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David Shearan

@iomtosalop.bsky.social

260 followers 410 following 150 posts

Website developer for www.corfubutterflyconservation.org Nature lover, butterfly transect-er, amateurish photographer. Keen on birds but mad about butterflies in Shropshire and Corfu See my transect at https://bsky.app/profile/cliffetransect.bsky.social

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 6d

@angbirdnews.bsky.social we finished our holiday on Anglesey today with a final visit to Cors Ddyga. The highlights were a female Hen Harrier, a Great White Egret, a Bullfinch and 10 Black-tailed Godwit (our 85th species of the holiday) plus calling Water Rail and Cetti's Warbler.

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 7d

@angbirdnews.bsky.social 1 Water Rail calling, 2 Cetti’s Warbler calling and a single Pochard at Llyn Cefni

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 8d

And here are the two Chough seen on the descent from Carmel Head to Cemlyn

David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 8d

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 8d

@angbirdnews.bsky.social some photos of species seen today.

David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 8d

@angbirdnews.bsky.social

David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 8d

Cemlyn today 10/10 2 Chough (photo to follow), 15 Turnstone, 1 Purple Sandpiper

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 8d

Cemlyn today 10/10 2 Chough (photo to follow), 15 Turnstone, 1 Purple Sandpiper

David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 8d

Beddmanarch Bay today @angbirdnews.bsky.social 30 Ringed Plover, Osprey with damaged primaries

Inland Sea 15 Mute Swan, 4 Chough flyovers and 1 Mediterranean Gull all today 10/10

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 8d

@angbirdnews.bsky.social Other bird sightings on days 1 and 2 of our trip.

Kingfisher at Maltraeth bridge 8/10 and another single on 9/10 at Traeth Coch by bridge near car park below Pentraeth.

2 Cetti’s Warbler and 2 Water Rail (all heard) at Cors Ddyga 8/10, 5 Jay at Pentraeth

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 9d

Red Kite, 1 at Aberffraw, 1 at Cors Ddyga 8/10

TBC

David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 9d

@angbirdnews.bsky.social Two days into our Anglesey break and 66 species so far. Solitary Greenshanks at Maltraeth 8/10 and Treath Coch 9/10. 3 Egyptian Geese Cors Ddyga 8/10, Wigeon c. 75 at Maltraeth 8/10, 2 Pintail Maltraeth 8/10, 2 Gadwall Cors Ddyga 8/10

Greekshank, medium-sized wader with long green legs, white front and grey back, standing in clear stony river with its long black beak pointing down intent on catching something to eat

Rock Pipit, a dark brown sparrow-sized bird with dark streaking on its offwhite chest and underparts. The bird is pecking around among the seaweed and stones searching for insects to eat.

Three Egyptian Geese in a wet grassy field.

A large flock of roosting Golden Plover on grassy bank alongside water-filled scrapes. The birds are distant but the golden brown of the birds can be easily seen in the evening sunlight.

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · 12d

Wow. That is amazing. My wife and I are on Anglesey for four days from Wednesday. I don’t imagine it will hang around long enough for us but we can but hope

David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · Apr 11

Highlights of our second day on Anglesey

3 Reed and 2 Sedge Warbler at RSPB Valley, pairs Pochard,2 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Chough and single boom of a Bittern.

16 Pale-bellied Brent Geese at Penrhyn

Cors Ddyga (7-8pm) two different Bittern, booming constantly.

@angbirdnews.bsky.social

Three Brent geese on sandy beach at Penrhyn. Long heads and necks with white collars and pale bodies.

Fulmar settled down on untidy pile of big twigs in a hole on the cliff face at South Stacks. Slate grey back and pure white chest and head with a jet black eye.

We watched this bird settle on the nest which had previously been used by ravens.

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · Apr 9

Highlights of our first day on Anglesey were:

3 Marsh Harrier, 1 Grasshopper Warbler (heard), c. 150 Golden Plover, 1 Snipe all at Cors Ddyga

Red Kite, Osprey over Maltraeth Cob

2 pairs of Eider, 3 Black Guillemot, 10 Sandwich Tern at Benllech

@angbirdnews.bsky.social

Around 50 of the c.150 Golden Plover, dumpy bids squatting down and most of them roosting with their head tucked into the feathers on their backs.

Male Eider duck on the sea, Black and white Sea duck with stiff short black taile, sloping forehead and greeny yellow patch on nape of the neck

Female Eider duck in the sea. The same sloping forehead as the male but colours completely different. Generally a grey appearance but on closer inspection they are variously coloured, grey, black and rufous brown, streaked on the neck but striped on the back and wings.

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · Apr 8

We start our 6 day holiday in Anglesey tomorrow. It looks as though there is plenty to see.

We aim to be out every day birdwatching and looking for butterflies.

@angbirdnews.bsky.social

Reposted by David Shearan

The Cliffe Butterfly Transect @cliffetransect.bsky.social · Apr 6

Completed the first survey week on our local butterfly transect today.

We saw 16 individuals in four species. To put this into context we had only ever reported a single butterfly for week 1 across all previous four years.

What a great start to the year

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · Mar 31

My best ever attempt at a BIF (bird in flight). An overflying buzzard near to Sinker's Field at Whixall Moss today.

#shropshirebirds

A soaring Buzzard with wings outstretched and feet tucked back under the spread tail feathers.

Reposted by David Shearan

The Cliffe Butterfly Transect @cliffetransect.bsky.social · Mar 26

Just under a week to go till the start of our butterfly transect for 2025

It’s encouraging that there have been so many sightings of our early butterflies. Could this year be a good one?

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · Feb 17

Have you observed any signs of their activity on the site yet?

David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · Feb 16

Another week of BTO #gardenbirdwatch and 16 species again. It's only a small garden in North Shropshire but we frequently attract this number of species and these maximum counts.

Brambling and Nuthatch were welcome visitors this week.

Page from a notebook with February 2025 total showing columns of bird species in the garden, and a tally per species per week.

The 16 species last week were Blackbird, Blue Tit, Brambling, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Nuthatch, Robin, Siskin, Starling, Wood Pigeon

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Reposted by David Shearan

Sarah Deere-Jones @sarahdeere-jones.bsky.social · Feb 4

Need vets on board, they push these treatments.

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David Shearan @iomtosalop.bsky.social · Feb 4

There are organisations that care about this. What would it take to get public support for their work?

www.pan-uk.org/pet-meds-env...

A call for toxic pesticides in pet medicines to be banned - Pesticide Action Network UK

Analysis reveals that five chemicals deemed to be too environmentally-damaging to be used as pesticides on crops are still being routinely included in pet medicines.

www.pan-uk.org

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Reposted by David Shearan

Jack Wallington @jackwallington.com · Jan 25

Almost there, just needs another thirty of so! Well done everyone - people power!

Jack Wallington @jackwallington.com · Jan 21

The @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social are calling on retailers to label all peat containing products to help consumers avoid buying it. You can sign their open letter here to support them www.wildlifetrusts.org/peat-inspect... I’ve signed!

Peat Inspectors Open Letter to Retailers | The Wildlife Trusts

Hidden Peat- an open Letter to Retailers

www.wildlifetrusts.org

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Reposted by David Shearan

Seb Elwood @sebelwood.bsky.social · Jan 21

Having managed Wild Woodbury #rewilding site for a few years, it was great to organise @bbcspringwatch.bsky.social to film there with thermal cameras for this years Winterwatch 🌱

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Reposted by David Shearan

Cllr Rob Wilson 🔶 @robwilson.bsky.social · Jan 21

Great to spot this in #Shrewsbury Library. 🥰

Highly recommended for all current (and potential future) #Shropshire Councillors

@modacitylife.com

A copy of “Building the cycling city” by Melissa and Chris Bruntlett in Shrewsbury Library, U.K.

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