Martin George
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jannerbirder.bsky.social
Martin George
@jannerbirder.bsky.social
1.7K followers 1.6K following 1.7K posts
Bird nerd, patch worker and BTO surveyor. MSc Ornithology (mostly a seabirds thing). Proud Devonian currently exiled to North Shropshire. I also run the #Shropshirebirds feed.
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jannerbirder.bsky.social
Martin George @jannerbirder.bsky.social · Oct 17
I've just created a Shropshire Birding feed for bird sightings and updates in the county.

Please use #Shropshirebirding or #Shropshirebirds in your post.

A big thank you to @jamiedunning.bsky.social for his guidance.

Don't forget to pin the feed once you've followed it!

bsky.app/profile/did:...
Reposted by Martin George
jerutter.bsky.social
🪶 Birds inspire me daily — their songs, resilience, and epic journeys remind us why conserving them matters.
Join me 🗓 Nov 19th at 🕓 4 PM ET for a FREE #ornithology webinar, From Wonder to Action for #Birds Across the Americas with @abcbirds.bsky.social
RSVP: abcbirds.org/JERsvp
Jordan, a white woman with brown hair, holds binoculars and looks upward with some foliage behind here. There is text overlay with the info for the webinar including the title, date/time, and a "RSVP NOW" call out.
November 13, 2025 at 11:23 PM
jannerbirder.bsky.social
"Shouting at seagulls makes them more likely to leave your food alone, research shows."

#Gulls

news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-e...
Shouting at seagulls could stop them stealing your food
Shouting at seagulls makes them more likely to leave your food alone, research shows. University of Exeter researchers put a closed Tupperware box of chips on the ground to pique herring gulls’ intere...
news.exeter.ac.uk
November 12, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Reposted by Martin George
saloplarus.bsky.social
I've taken on a couple of new WeBS @webs-gsmp.bsky.social sites this autumn, one hasn't been counted in my lifetime and the other was my childhood patch. Both had Great Egrets this weekend, unthinkable back in their/my day! #shropshirebirding @btobirds.bsky.social
Golden leaves reflecting on Pitchford Pool Oss Mere between the reeds Great Egret and Grey Heron in waterside trees Red-ringed Great Egret in a tree. AJH, ringed in the nest at RSPB Ham Wall in May 2024
November 10, 2025 at 7:50 PM
jannerbirder.bsky.social
Good to see this development by WWT.

"The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in Gloucestershire is among the first UK nature reserves to use glass protection technology to tackle a major cause of bird deaths - window collisions."

Link to supplier in the thread.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Nature reserve installs bird protection film on windows
The Gloucestershire reserve is one of the first to use glass film technology to protect birds.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Reposted by Martin George
pilning.bsky.social
Venus Pool WeBS early morning 660 Canadas, Canlag, 21 Greylag, 12 Egyptian, 61 Teal, 21 Shoveler, 15 Wigeon (influx), 3 GWE, L Egret, 2 W Rail, 210 Lapwing, 5 Snipe. 2 L Grebe & GCG on CF. Influx of 22 Corn Bunting with 4 Y'hammer, 35 Linnet, 35 Greenfinch, 15 Reed B, 2 Chiffs. #shropshirebirding 🪶
Male Wigeon Venus Pool with chestnut head and yellowy stripe down crown. This one has more green in face than normal and has been about a while. A flock of 13 seemed new in Corn Bunting in hedge by arable at VP. 4 of the Corn Buntings in flight
November 9, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Reposted by Martin George
saloplarus.bsky.social
Flock of 21 Whoopers went WNW past us in Lincs this morning on a direct line from Welney to the Ribble... #migration #climatechange #ukbirding
Part of a flock of 21 Whooper Swans migrating through a gloomy grey sky
November 7, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Martin George
btoshropshire.bsky.social
Did you know that Tom McKinney’s morning programme on BBC Radio 3 starts with a short dawn chorus piece just after the 6:30 news? Tom is a birder!

Love the feature, @tommckinney.bsky.social, birdsong and classical music are a great start to the day!

Too early? ⬇️

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/sched...
BBC Sounds - Radio 3 - Schedules
View the daily broadcast schedule for Radio 3. Find out what's on now and what's up next, or see schedules up to 7 days ahead.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Reposted by Martin George
btoshropshire.bsky.social
We've had two separate reports of sick Mute Swans in North Shropshire today, and referred both callers to Defra.

Please be vigilant, and report any sightings of sick birds to Defra (link in thread) and also log them in BirdTrack. #ShropshireBirds
btobirds.bsky.social BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 7d
Worrying reports of bird flu (avian influenza) are coming in, including an outbreak in Whooper Swans in the Fens. Other waterbirds are also being affected, and cases are rising.

📷 Sick Whooper Swan by Kane Brides

#UKBirding #BirdingWales #BirdingScotland
Whooper Swan sick with bird flu in a field, photograph by Kane Brides
November 6, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Reposted by Martin George
raptorpersuk.bsky.social
Merrick was shot & killed as she slept, over two years ago. NatureScot has had all the evidence on its desk for over 18 months. Now we're being asked to wait "a few weeks" more. It's pathetic.

#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/11/05/n...
NatureScot says “decision in next few weeks” on whether to impose General Licence restriction in relation to shooting & killing of golden eagle Merrick
The Scottish Government’s nature advisory agency, NatureScot, has been now been procrastinating for over 18 months on whether to impose a sanction on an estate in relation to the ‘shooting and kill…
raptorpersecutionuk.org
November 5, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Reposted by Martin George
kanebrides.bsky.social
A pretty depressing day counting sick & dead Whooper Swans. Avian influenza is within the population. Please report all dead birds for possible collection & testing. In 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 & 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 this is Defra
gov.uk/guidance/repor…
Reporting to @birdtrack.bsky.social also helps with monitoring.
November 4, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Reposted by Martin George
paulgreenwildwire.bsky.social
UPDATE.A prompt response from Finland confirms that this is only the Fourth recovery of a Finnish ringed Rock Pipit in England.Ringed as a Nestling in Saltvic Archipelago SW Finland 27,06,2025. and recorded Lowestoft 03,11,2025 #suffolkbirdgroup #bto #ukbirding #birdingfinland #rockpipit
Rock pipit AEJ Saltvic,Finland to Ness Point,Lowestoft 03,11,2025
November 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Martin George
penrhynbirder.bsky.social
Woodpigeons are travelling, but where from - and where to?

Plus a roundup of recent sightings in #NorthWales, including several summer visitors that really need to get a move on. #BirdingWales

www.birdnotes.wales/blog/pigeons...
Pigeons move in mysterious ways
As I stepped into Sunday morning’s sunshine, a flock of several hundred Woodpigeons flew overhead, following the coast. It’s not something I see frequently, unlike on the South Wales coast where...
www.birdnotes.wales
November 3, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by Martin George
lobb66.bsky.social
St Ives Island. An ‘all-dayer’. 13 Leach’s Petrel, 2 Cory’s, 3 ESP, 2 Pomarine Skua, 1 Little Auk, 2 Puffin, 3 Little Gull, 8 Sootys & a Snow Bunting with 000’s Kitts, Auks etc. But the highlight was the Loggerhead Turtle off the NCI gully for a few mins. #cornwallbirding

Pic thanks to Adam H
This little guy was off The Island on the east side. It drifted off towards the beaches with the incoming tide. Apparently the BMDS were called and if it’s seen again it should be captured for rehabilitation.
November 2, 2025 at 5:55 PM
jannerbirder.bsky.social
Fourth record of Common Cuckoo for the eastern USA and Canada causes big twitch in New York State after being photographed by golfer.

www.local10.com/news/weird-n...
Birders going ‘cuckoo’ after unexpected sighting in New York City area
Birders going ‘cuckoo’ after unexpected sighting in New York City area
www.local10.com
November 1, 2025 at 7:23 PM
jannerbirder.bsky.social
This is heartbreaking.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...
Thousands of dead cranes litter cherished European birdwatching spot
Birds have been seen staggering and then collapsing
www.independent.co.uk
October 30, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Reposted by Martin George
westmidlandsrg.bsky.social
Over 1,000 Redpoll ringed on Cannock Chase, Staffs and one had quite the story! 💫
Originally ringed on 01/10/25 in South Landing, Yorkshire 196 km away, it was recaptured by us just 13 days later. 🐦✨
Incredible journey for such a tiny traveller! #Redpoll #Migration
October 30, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Reposted by Martin George
rdpphoto.bsky.social
The not so black & white Magpie #photography #birds #Nature #wildlife #ukwildlife #shropshirebirds #birdphotography
Magpie on top of a wooden post, beside a pool.
October 29, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Martin George
lowcarbonkev.bsky.social
My morning tomorrow - Radio 4 is repeating this at 09:00, a good listen from a couple of years back.

Or there's a the link here:
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
BBC Radio 4 - In Our Time, Bird Migration
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how birds navigate and the risks and benefits of migration
www.bbc.co.uk
October 29, 2025 at 7:31 PM
jannerbirder.bsky.social
This is why I can’t get excited about Ruddy Shelduck, Ferruginous Duck, Red-crested Pochard etc.
richardkbroughton.bsky.social Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 16d
Interesting(!) that these captive-bred ducks for sale in East Yorkshire seem to be unringed in very many cases. Baikal, Blue-winged, Green-winged Teals, plus Garganeys. Dread to think how many end up in the wild and in local bird reports... #ukbirding
October 29, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Reposted by Martin George
saloplarus.bsky.social
Another great #salopobs morning with 61 species recorded including 💥19,120💥 Woodpigeons SW, 2 Great Egrets, Brambling +225 Chaffinches, 79 Fieldfares, 2,310 LBBGs... ebird.org/checklist/S2... #vismig #ukbirding
Three layers of migrant Wodpigeons passing SW over the Shropshire countryside, Wenlock Edge in the background
October 26, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Reposted by Martin George
shiphaybirder.bsky.social
This clip of today's #Brambling at Devon's, Hope's Nose, has the bird give the distinctive nasal 'wheeze' call. A sound often associated with coastal flyovers. It was this that alerted me to its presence on the headland's extremity this morning. #DevonBirds #UKBirding #BirdMigration
October 23, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by Martin George
davidho.bsky.social
These videos of a rat hunting and eating bats will haunt my dreams.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 24, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Reposted by Martin George
n8swick.bsky.social
Suck it robots!
October 24, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Martin George
btoshropshire.bsky.social
Pleased to announce that two of these three sites have now been allocated to new WeBS surveyors, but we still have room for new team members who can identify and count wildfowl and waders on the monthly count date!

You can view the vacant sites map here: www.bto.org/get-involved...
#ShropshireBirds
btoshropshire.bsky.social BTO Shropshire @btoshropshire.bsky.social · 27d
We have several vacant Wetland Bird Survey sites across Shropshire (three examples shown) and you only need basic wildfowl ID skills to join the team and start #YourWeBSJourney 🙂

For more info and to see all of the vacant sites go to www.bto.org/get-involved...

#ShropshireBirds
#WeBSSiteInsight
A graphic promoting the Wetland Bird Survey along the River Severn in Shrewsbury from Coton Hill to the weir, showing maps of the site and an image of a male and female Goosander. Photo: BTO/Edmund Fellowes A graphic promoting the Wetland Bird Survey at Priorslee Flash, Telford, showing maps of the site and an image of a male Tufted Duck. Photo: BTO/Edmund Fellowes A graphic promoting the Wetland Bird Survey at Priorslee Lake, Telford, showing maps of the site and an image of a summer plumage Black-headed Gull. Photo: BTO/Edmund Fellowes
October 22, 2025 at 8:40 PM