Sophie Barrell
LightNews LightNews
banner
sophieshrike.bsky.social
Sophie Barrell
@sophieshrike.bsky.social
1K followers 740 following 100 posts
Suffolk Birder/Twitcher. FISC Level 4 Botanist. Senior Ecologist. Views my own.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
sophieshrike.bsky.social
Sophie Barrell @sophieshrike.bsky.social · Oct 16
Kingfisher back on my Suffolk patch, showing so close!! Haven't seen them here for almost a year. Of course I had to tell every dog walker that passed me to share the excitement 😍
#UKBirding 🪶
##SuffolkBirding
Photo of the back of my camera showing a kingfisher, a birder with a bright blue back, blue wings and head, and orange belly. In the background is the river the kingfisher was photographed in
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
hcbirding.bsky.social
American Mourning Dove finally in the bag!!! 3 days of searching put to rest. Tiny little thing. #UKBirding #RareBirdsUK #IoSBirding #IslesofScillyBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social
A rare dove sits on a wooden pallet amongst a polytunnel frame
October 9, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
carlbovisnature.bsky.social
*IMPORTANT*
Please read & share, it could save you or a loved one from a lifetime of chronic system-wide illness. 🙏❤️

Today I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease.😔
I was bitten by 4 ticks 30 days ago & had a red rash come up around one of the bites, that soon started spreading...

*Continued below
July 10, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
milesking.bsky.social
Revealed: 5,000 English nature sites at risk under Labour’s planning proposals
www.theguardian.com/environment/... This is what the Planning & Infrastructure will mean, if it becomes law. Every single SSSI in England will lose its protected status, as well as non-SSSI sites for protected species.
Revealed: 5,000 English nature sites at risk under Labour’s planning proposals
Exclusive: Planning bill includes mechanism for developers to ‘pay to pollute’ valuable ecosystems, experts warn
www.theguardian.com
June 3, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
stuartspray.bsky.social
The Government’s Housing Bill Branded a ‘Licence To Kill’ Protected Species for Property Developers.

My latest for @bylinetimes.bsky.social

@batconservation.bsky.social @cieem.bsky.social @dom70.bsky.social

bylinetimes.com/2025/03/26/l...
The Government's Housing Bill Branded a 'Licence To Kill' Protected Species for Property Developers
Environmental groups and conservationists slam the Government's Planning and Infrastructure Bill
bylinetimes.com
March 26, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
hcbirding.bsky.social
Sharing a few photos from the amazing Flock to Marion Again cruise off South Africa in January, starting off with the first albatross of the trip, the smart Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross. #FlocktoMarionAgain @sophieshrike.bsky.social
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross in flight showing it's underwing
March 9, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
thebandcake.bsky.social
Ahem
Project 2025 Tracker
Track the progress on Project 2025
www.project2025.observer
February 21, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
yolobirder.bsky.social
It’s nearly spring so time to swot up on warbler identification.
Flowchart to identify common warblers. Where is it. Is it in a garden? Yes. It is a garden warbler. No. In a wood? It is a Wood warbler. No. In some reeds? Yes. Is it really good? It is a Great reed warbler. No. Is it in Blyth? Yes. It is a Blyth’s reed warbler. No. It is a reed warbler. Is it somewhere else? Yes. Is it kind of green coloured? Yes. It is a greenish warbler. Not sure. Does it say “Chiff chaff”? Yes. It is a Chiffchaff. No. It is a willow warbler.
February 16, 2025 at 9:30 AM
sophieshrike.bsky.social
Don't mean to brag but there are now FIVE tufted ducks on my mini patch 👌
#SuffolkBirding
February 17, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
bexcartwright.bsky.social
Curating a Starter Pack that will hopefully be useful to folk coming over to BlueSky and looking for all of the UK conservation orgs and recording societies go.bsky.app/Nget1LP Will keep adding to this. DM or reply to be added and please share.
February 12, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
bsbibotany.bsky.social
Our programme of field meetings & indoor events for 2025 is now live!
54 events across Britain & Ireland, inc training days, webinars & workshops for beginner botanists; specialist & residential courses for experienced botanists; conferences & great days out:
bsbi.org/field-meetin...
All welcome!
January 13, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
suecowley.bsky.social
I'm doing a free giveaway to celebrate the publication of my latest book! Like and repost to enter (UK only). Winner announced on Sunday. See the link below to find out more about the book. #freebie #giveaway
The Ultimate Guide to Self-Regulation in the Classroom, book by Sue Cowley
January 10, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
beyondmeatofficial.bsky.social
I hate to get political on here but I think it's important that we continue to have a habitable planet
January 7, 2025 at 5:42 PM
sophieshrike.bsky.social
Am I taking bad out-of-focus photos or is it ✨️artistic✨️ ?
#SuffolkBirding 🪶
Out of focus silhouetted kingfisher amongst reeds taken between two fence posts, with the background of water highlighted orange by the sunset
January 5, 2025 at 9:51 PM
sophieshrike.bsky.social
Ooh I already got tufted duck on my mini patch list this year! 💪
For context, 99.99% of the time it is mallards only and this is only my second tufted duck here- it's all relative! 🦆
#SuffolkBirding
#PWC2025
January 5, 2025 at 9:45 PM
sophieshrike.bsky.social
I may as well join in with a 2024 highlights summary! 15 new British bird lifers, including my 2000th world bird species this year, with sociable plover in Cornwall. I also started regular local patching with 82 species for the year, including our patch mega joint find of palla's warbler!
Sociable plover with lapwing Palla's warbler in Suffolk patch Yellow-rumped warbler in Scotland Northern waterthrush in Essex
December 31, 2024 at 9:47 PM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
hcbirding.bsky.social
Some 2024 birdy highlights in 4 photos - Sri Lanka Blue Magpie and Pied Thrush both in Sri Lanka, Dark-eyed Junco twitched in UK and working with Stone Curlews. Have a happy new year!
Sri Lanka Blue Magpie sits on a branch looking quizzical A male Pied Thrush lurks in a muddy gully A Dark-eyed Junco sits side on in a confier tree A Stone Curlew standing in a short grassy sward
December 31, 2024 at 5:15 PM
sophieshrike.bsky.social
Today got involved with the first day of the #NewYearPlantHunt, including common groundsel, cock's-foot, daisy, and petty spurge if that counts as flowers!
#WildflowerHour
@hcbirding.bsky.social
Grounsel Cock's-foot flowering grass Daisy Petty spurge
December 29, 2024 at 8:57 PM
sophieshrike.bsky.social
I've really enjoyed doing regular local patching this year. Even in December I'm getting new patch ticks on my tiny inland patch with goosander and pochard the latest brief visitors on 15th and 21st respectively. Relatively common birds elsewhere but still a buzz here!
#SuffolkBirding
#UKBirding 🪶
Goosander on a lake. A duck-like bird, white body with dark green back and head, and a red bill with a hooked tip A pochard on a lake. A duck with chestnut head, black breast and tail, and pale grey belly and back
December 29, 2024 at 9:06 AM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
hcbirding.bsky.social
What a way to bring up seeing 450 species in the UK than with the utterly brilliant Yellow Warbler at New Hythe GPs, Kent, today! Vocal at dawn, but it took till midday to see it well after which it was on show and calling almost constantly. #RareBirdsUK #UKBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social
A Yellow Warbler sits in an alder tree amongst catkins and cones.
December 26, 2024 at 7:39 PM
sophieshrike.bsky.social
American Yellow Warbler at New Hythe, Kent - a fab lifer to end the year!! ✅️🎉
@hcbirding.bsky.social
#RareBirdsUK
#UKBirding 🪶
Photo of the back of my camera with a bright yellow small bird perched on branches of an Alder tree Photo of the back of my camera with a bright yellow small bird directly looking at the camera Photo of the back of my camera with a bright yellow small bird perched amongst branches of an Alder tree Selfie of us in front of the Alders with the yellow warbler
December 26, 2024 at 1:37 PM
sophieshrike.bsky.social
Please consider supporting Lego Black-faced Spoonbill by casting a free vote!
Great idea to raise awareness for conservation 🪶🌏
ideas.lego.com/s/p:f6cb9380...
December 11, 2024 at 7:38 AM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
jeremybartlett.bsky.social
Since it's #Blackflyday here is one of my favourites, Tachina grossa. It's the largest European tachinid fly (1.5 to 2 cm long).

I don't often see it. My photo was taken at Roydon Common in Norfolk in August 2021.

Its larvae parasitise moth caterpillars.

rcannon992.com/2016/09/20/t...
Tachina grossa (Giant tachinid fly) on Bramble.
November 29, 2024 at 3:51 PM
sophieshrike.bsky.social
Sometimes I'm 🙁 but then I see any bird and I'm 🙂
#SuffolkBirding 🪶
Photo of a jackdaw, a small black corvid, also know as the crow family. Perched on a tree branch in sunlight, highlighting the black and grey glossy feathers of the bird.
November 29, 2024 at 9:47 AM
Reposted by Sophie Barrell
hankgreen.bsky.social
Huge win from @franzanth.bsky.social creating a Content Scraper Blocklist: bsky.app/profile/cont...

It's a blocklist for the kinds of engagement bait accounts that repost stolen content, often with misleading captions.
November 26, 2024 at 4:25 AM