Simon Gillings
@simongillings.bsky.social
Birder, artist, sound recordist, data scientist at BTO; One half of Alula Designs. Views my own
Reposted by Simon Gillings
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
Photo: Puffin by Richard Selman / BTO
#ukbirding
February 3, 2026 at 4:57 PM
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
Photo: Puffin by Richard Selman / BTO
#ukbirding
Reposted by Simon Gillings
1/ Survey! 📝 How are automated species identifications from passive acoustic monitoring verified and quality-assured in practice? #bioacoustics
Take part here ➡️ forms.gle/Ak3eYgZivUPa...
Take part here ➡️ forms.gle/Ak3eYgZivUPa...
Verification and quality assurance in Passive Acoustic Monitoring
This survey explores how automated acoustic species identifications are verified and quality‑assured in practice, and how uncertainty is communicated and used.
The survey takes approximately 20 minut...
forms.gle
January 28, 2026 at 11:12 AM
1/ Survey! 📝 How are automated species identifications from passive acoustic monitoring verified and quality-assured in practice? #bioacoustics
Take part here ➡️ forms.gle/Ak3eYgZivUPa...
Take part here ➡️ forms.gle/Ak3eYgZivUPa...
Reposted by Simon Gillings
Want to learn what birds are singing? Join our Bird Sound ID in Early Spring training course ➡️ www.bto.org/training #Ornithology
January 31, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Want to learn what birds are singing? Join our Bird Sound ID in Early Spring training course ➡️ www.bto.org/training #Ornithology
Reposted by Simon Gillings
Free UK delivery on all Alula Designs clothing and mugs this weekend, from 9am Friday to midnight Sunday. Visit aluladesigns.co.uk/ for our latest designs #Birds #BirdArt #UKBirding
January 29, 2026 at 6:10 PM
Free UK delivery on all Alula Designs clothing and mugs this weekend, from 9am Friday to midnight Sunday. Visit aluladesigns.co.uk/ for our latest designs #Birds #BirdArt #UKBirding
Reposted by Simon Gillings
1/ Spotted Flycatchers are in trouble, declining by 92% in the UK between 1967 and 2020. New work led by @cateden91.bsky.social & involving BTO has revealed the importance of rivers for the survival of this Red-listed migratory species. ⬇️ #Ornithology
📖 www.bto.org/Spotted-Flyc...
📖 www.bto.org/Spotted-Flyc...
January 29, 2026 at 8:42 AM
1/ Spotted Flycatchers are in trouble, declining by 92% in the UK between 1967 and 2020. New work led by @cateden91.bsky.social & involving BTO has revealed the importance of rivers for the survival of this Red-listed migratory species. ⬇️ #Ornithology
📖 www.bto.org/Spotted-Flyc...
📖 www.bto.org/Spotted-Flyc...
Reposted by Simon Gillings
⭐️An exciting opportunity for a fully funded PhD with BTO British Trust for Ornithology and Liverpool John Moores University, to study the population-level movement patterns of over-wintering #Curlew!⭐️
#ornithology #movementecology
#ornithology #movementecology
📢 We're looking for a PhD student to focus on habitat use of wintering Curlew in and around coastal SPAs. Apply now ➡️ bit.ly/CurlewPhD
The student will be based at @ljmuofficial.bsky.social and BTO, starting in October 2026 for four years.
📆 Deadline to apply: Wednesday 18 February #Ornithology
The student will be based at @ljmuofficial.bsky.social and BTO, starting in October 2026 for four years.
📆 Deadline to apply: Wednesday 18 February #Ornithology
January 20, 2026 at 10:48 AM
⭐️An exciting opportunity for a fully funded PhD with BTO British Trust for Ornithology and Liverpool John Moores University, to study the population-level movement patterns of over-wintering #Curlew!⭐️
#ornithology #movementecology
#ornithology #movementecology
Reposted by Simon Gillings
✂️ Yesterday I finally responded to @agakowalska.bsky.social’s challenge to make a collage from a single piece of packaging. I present to you a green (tea) woodpecker, made from a big Yorkshire Tea box. It was fun and I’ll be rooting through our recycling bin for more materials later on ♻️
January 12, 2026 at 8:13 PM
✂️ Yesterday I finally responded to @agakowalska.bsky.social’s challenge to make a collage from a single piece of packaging. I present to you a green (tea) woodpecker, made from a big Yorkshire Tea box. It was fun and I’ll be rooting through our recycling bin for more materials later on ♻️
A four Aythya lunchbreak - as well as Tufted Duck and Pochard, drake Scaup and Ferruginous Duck at Milton Country Park. Top find by @jonheath.bsky.social #UKBirding
January 12, 2026 at 5:34 PM
A four Aythya lunchbreak - as well as Tufted Duck and Pochard, drake Scaup and Ferruginous Duck at Milton Country Park. Top find by @jonheath.bsky.social #UKBirding
A snowy but unsuccessful attempt to see the Black-winged Kite at Ludham (missed it by 15 mins!). Consolation in form of Bewick's Swans (a group of 6 over, then same or different 4), Water Pipit and 6 White-fronted Geese. #UKBirding
January 4, 2026 at 12:05 PM
A snowy but unsuccessful attempt to see the Black-winged Kite at Ludham (missed it by 15 mins!). Consolation in form of Bewick's Swans (a group of 6 over, then same or different 4), Water Pipit and 6 White-fronted Geese. #UKBirding
For various reasons 2025 has been a challenging year and my lowest birding effort for years. Somehow still saw 200+ species and found a couple of local rarities. Hopefully more birding in 2026! Happy #UKBurding
December 31, 2025 at 9:06 PM
For various reasons 2025 has been a challenging year and my lowest birding effort for years. Somehow still saw 200+ species and found a couple of local rarities. Hopefully more birding in 2026! Happy #UKBurding
Red-necked Grebe, the best from a 10k walk around Flamborough today. Also hundreds of Guillemots already on the cliffs #UKBirding
December 28, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Red-necked Grebe, the best from a 10k walk around Flamborough today. Also hundreds of Guillemots already on the cliffs #UKBirding
Also at Filey, one of two Purple Sandpipers feeding in the wrack #UKBirding
December 27, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Also at Filey, one of two Purple Sandpipers feeding in the wrack #UKBirding
Birders' Christmas 'robin' - the Eastern Black Redstart at Filey. It put on quite a show, actively feeding at the base of the cliffs and among the rocks #UKBirding
December 27, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Birders' Christmas 'robin' - the Eastern Black Redstart at Filey. It put on quite a show, actively feeding at the base of the cliffs and among the rocks #UKBirding
Thanks to @lothianrecorder.bsky.social for picking out the
White-winged Scoter at Ferny Ness. Extremely distant in low light and on the edge of ID range with my optics. Photo shows general view, not the WwS, probably #UKBirding
White-winged Scoter at Ferny Ness. Extremely distant in low light and on the edge of ID range with my optics. Photo shows general view, not the WwS, probably #UKBirding
December 26, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Thanks to @lothianrecorder.bsky.social for picking out the
White-winged Scoter at Ferny Ness. Extremely distant in low light and on the edge of ID range with my optics. Photo shows general view, not the WwS, probably #UKBirding
White-winged Scoter at Ferny Ness. Extremely distant in low light and on the edge of ID range with my optics. Photo shows general view, not the WwS, probably #UKBirding
Flat calm at Ferny Ness, Lothian today. 50+ Long-tailed Ducks, including the first I've ever heard displaying in the wild. 20 Slavonian and 1 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Black-throated and 4 Red-throated Diver. Unfortunately the Velvets were mostly too far out for me to find the White-winged. #UKBirding
December 24, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Flat calm at Ferny Ness, Lothian today. 50+ Long-tailed Ducks, including the first I've ever heard displaying in the wild. 20 Slavonian and 1 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Black-throated and 4 Red-throated Diver. Unfortunately the Velvets were mostly too far out for me to find the White-winged. #UKBirding
Reposted by Simon Gillings
1/ Can you help us count Bewick's and Whooper Swans for the International Swan Census on 17-18 January 2026? 🦢
Visit the vacant site map to request a site at app.bto.org/gsmp/pub...
#Ornithology @webs-gsmp.bsky.social
Visit the vacant site map to request a site at app.bto.org/gsmp/pub...
#Ornithology @webs-gsmp.bsky.social
December 19, 2025 at 5:00 PM
1/ Can you help us count Bewick's and Whooper Swans for the International Swan Census on 17-18 January 2026? 🦢
Visit the vacant site map to request a site at app.bto.org/gsmp/pub...
#Ornithology @webs-gsmp.bsky.social
Visit the vacant site map to request a site at app.bto.org/gsmp/pub...
#Ornithology @webs-gsmp.bsky.social
Reposted by Simon Gillings
Last call for UK priority shipping: the Alula Elves are closing the shop at midnight tonight to go birding, so get your final orders in now!
December 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Last call for UK priority shipping: the Alula Elves are closing the shop at midnight tonight to go birding, so get your final orders in now!
Reposted by Simon Gillings
You'll grouse if you're not swift about it. Last orders for Alula Designs for standard UK delivery (16th December), first class (19th) and priority (21st). aluladesigns.co.uk/ #ByBirdersForBirders
December 12, 2025 at 7:33 PM
You'll grouse if you're not swift about it. Last orders for Alula Designs for standard UK delivery (16th December), first class (19th) and priority (21st). aluladesigns.co.uk/ #ByBirdersForBirders
Reposted by Simon Gillings
The new update to the BirdTrack app introduces several features aimed at helping us collect accurate bird data and alert you to those slip of the finger data entry errors #ukbirding
December 10, 2025 at 7:46 PM
The new update to the BirdTrack app introduces several features aimed at helping us collect accurate bird data and alert you to those slip of the finger data entry errors #ukbirding
Reposted by Simon Gillings
BTO's Acoustics Pipeline has identified Bush-crickets in ‘bat’ data collected for the Landscape-scale Species Monitoring of Agri-environment Schemes Project & assessed the effects of agri-environment management on these species➡️ www.bto.org/Bush-cricket...
#bioacoustics @naturalengland.bsky.social
#bioacoustics @naturalengland.bsky.social
December 9, 2025 at 12:22 PM
BTO's Acoustics Pipeline has identified Bush-crickets in ‘bat’ data collected for the Landscape-scale Species Monitoring of Agri-environment Schemes Project & assessed the effects of agri-environment management on these species➡️ www.bto.org/Bush-cricket...
#bioacoustics @naturalengland.bsky.social
#bioacoustics @naturalengland.bsky.social
Hard to believe that 30 years ago today I started work at @btobirds.bsky.social. In that time I've been fortunate to work on some amazing projects with great colleagues and awesome volunteers. Hopefully more of the same with atlases and acoustics on the horizon
December 4, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Hard to believe that 30 years ago today I started work at @btobirds.bsky.social. In that time I've been fortunate to work on some amazing projects with great colleagues and awesome volunteers. Hopefully more of the same with atlases and acoustics on the horizon
Nice to see some water on the Ouse Washes yesterday, and plenty of Whooper Swans. But sadly 2 dead juv Whoopers likely avian flu victims. Reported via #BirdTrack and Defra website #UKBirding
November 22, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Nice to see some water on the Ouse Washes yesterday, and plenty of Whooper Swans. But sadly 2 dead juv Whoopers likely avian flu victims. Reported via #BirdTrack and Defra website #UKBirding
Reposted by Simon Gillings
Birdsong is not only beautiful, it’s also full of information. This is where Acoustic Monitoring comes in. Will you support the development of this new and important work? Find out more and donate today ➡️ www.bto.org/acoustic... #bioacoustics #ornithology
November 16, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Birdsong is not only beautiful, it’s also full of information. This is where Acoustic Monitoring comes in. Will you support the development of this new and important work? Find out more and donate today ➡️ www.bto.org/acoustic... #bioacoustics #ornithology
After missing a flock of Brent Geese over the patch this morning I was very pleased to pick up 2 adult winter Little Gulls over Ditton Meadows - a mega patch tick! Super views of a displaying Kingfisher too #LowCarbonBirding
November 16, 2025 at 1:36 PM
After missing a flock of Brent Geese over the patch this morning I was very pleased to pick up 2 adult winter Little Gulls over Ditton Meadows - a mega patch tick! Super views of a displaying Kingfisher too #LowCarbonBirding