Scott Paterson
@scaup63.bsky.social
Birder, alternative sounds, Dunfermline Athletic, Rough Collies and other stuff.
Reposted by Scott Paterson
Christmas is a time for giving, appreciating & reflecting on what matters most.
For those starting again in Scotland the reality is very different.
Give a loved one a meaningful gift: donate in their name to help someone start again in safety.
Order a £5 e-gift here: ow.ly/Brg850XA5r7 🧡
For those starting again in Scotland the reality is very different.
Give a loved one a meaningful gift: donate in their name to help someone start again in safety.
Order a £5 e-gift here: ow.ly/Brg850XA5r7 🧡
December 6, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Christmas is a time for giving, appreciating & reflecting on what matters most.
For those starting again in Scotland the reality is very different.
Give a loved one a meaningful gift: donate in their name to help someone start again in safety.
Order a £5 e-gift here: ow.ly/Brg850XA5r7 🧡
For those starting again in Scotland the reality is very different.
Give a loved one a meaningful gift: donate in their name to help someone start again in safety.
Order a £5 e-gift here: ow.ly/Brg850XA5r7 🧡
Reposted by Scott Paterson
Scottish Birdwatchers' Conference 2026
Join us & @btoscotland.bsky.social for next year's Spring Conference in Dundee on Saturday 14 March.
View the full programme of talks on 'The Birds of Tayside: conservation, migration and habitats' and book your place at www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
Join us & @btoscotland.bsky.social for next year's Spring Conference in Dundee on Saturday 14 March.
View the full programme of talks on 'The Birds of Tayside: conservation, migration and habitats' and book your place at www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
December 3, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Scottish Birdwatchers' Conference 2026
Join us & @btoscotland.bsky.social for next year's Spring Conference in Dundee on Saturday 14 March.
View the full programme of talks on 'The Birds of Tayside: conservation, migration and habitats' and book your place at www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
Join us & @btoscotland.bsky.social for next year's Spring Conference in Dundee on Saturday 14 March.
View the full programme of talks on 'The Birds of Tayside: conservation, migration and habitats' and book your place at www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
Reposted by Scott Paterson
Want a FREE resource pack with an ID guide to 30 species you’re likely to see in your local greenspace? 🐦🌳 Sign up to our Birds in #Greenspaces newsletter to receive one! ➡️ www.bto.org/greenspaces #Ornithology 🪶
Illustrations by @willrose.bsky.social
Illustrations by @willrose.bsky.social
November 20, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Want a FREE resource pack with an ID guide to 30 species you’re likely to see in your local greenspace? 🐦🌳 Sign up to our Birds in #Greenspaces newsletter to receive one! ➡️ www.bto.org/greenspaces #Ornithology 🪶
Illustrations by @willrose.bsky.social
Illustrations by @willrose.bsky.social
Reposted by Scott Paterson
The latest report from the RBBP, Rare Breeding Birds in the UK in 2023, is out now in British Birds. It reports on the 104 species and races of rare breeding birds recording breeding, or showing signs of breeding, in 2023. Read the summary at rbbp.org.uk/2023-report-... #ornithology #ukbirds 🧵[1/15]
November 4, 2025 at 10:51 AM
The latest report from the RBBP, Rare Breeding Birds in the UK in 2023, is out now in British Birds. It reports on the 104 species and races of rare breeding birds recording breeding, or showing signs of breeding, in 2023. Read the summary at rbbp.org.uk/2023-report-... #ornithology #ukbirds 🧵[1/15]
Reposted by Scott Paterson
A long journey for a little bird! 🗺️
This Reed Bunting, ringed on 11/02/2024 at Cannock Chase, Staffs, has been re-caught a remarkable 382 km away 😮 by @clydeRG in Cowcaddens, Glasgow on 16/10/25.
Ringing really does tell a story. 💫
#BirdRinging #ReedBunting #Migration
This Reed Bunting, ringed on 11/02/2024 at Cannock Chase, Staffs, has been re-caught a remarkable 382 km away 😮 by @clydeRG in Cowcaddens, Glasgow on 16/10/25.
Ringing really does tell a story. 💫
#BirdRinging #ReedBunting #Migration
November 4, 2025 at 1:12 PM
A long journey for a little bird! 🗺️
This Reed Bunting, ringed on 11/02/2024 at Cannock Chase, Staffs, has been re-caught a remarkable 382 km away 😮 by @clydeRG in Cowcaddens, Glasgow on 16/10/25.
Ringing really does tell a story. 💫
#BirdRinging #ReedBunting #Migration
This Reed Bunting, ringed on 11/02/2024 at Cannock Chase, Staffs, has been re-caught a remarkable 382 km away 😮 by @clydeRG in Cowcaddens, Glasgow on 16/10/25.
Ringing really does tell a story. 💫
#BirdRinging #ReedBunting #Migration
Reposted by Scott Paterson
1/ Despite a reasonable difference in size, Cormorants and Shags can be quite difficult to differentiate unless side by side!
In this thread ⬇️, we take a look at some of the key differences between adults and juveniles... #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
In this thread ⬇️, we take a look at some of the key differences between adults and juveniles... #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
October 6, 2025 at 1:57 PM
1/ Despite a reasonable difference in size, Cormorants and Shags can be quite difficult to differentiate unless side by side!
In this thread ⬇️, we take a look at some of the key differences between adults and juveniles... #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
In this thread ⬇️, we take a look at some of the key differences between adults and juveniles... #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
Reposted by Scott Paterson
Gannets go through quite the plumage change, being primarily black as juveniles and white as adults!
Have a scroll through this thread to see how their plumage changes on the way to adulthood! #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
Have a scroll through this thread to see how their plumage changes on the way to adulthood! #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
October 15, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Gannets go through quite the plumage change, being primarily black as juveniles and white as adults!
Have a scroll through this thread to see how their plumage changes on the way to adulthood! #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
Have a scroll through this thread to see how their plumage changes on the way to adulthood! #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
Reposted by Scott Paterson
Ten years ago, I wrote a blog to explain why the Curlew had been classifed as 'Near Threatened'. 🎂
Now updated for the tenth anniversary:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2015/11/03/i...
Links to more recent Curlew research.
#ornithology
Now updated for the tenth anniversary:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2015/11/03/i...
Links to more recent Curlew research.
#ornithology
November 3, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Ten years ago, I wrote a blog to explain why the Curlew had been classifed as 'Near Threatened'. 🎂
Now updated for the tenth anniversary:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2015/11/03/i...
Links to more recent Curlew research.
#ornithology
Now updated for the tenth anniversary:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2015/11/03/i...
Links to more recent Curlew research.
#ornithology
Reposted by Scott Paterson
Hoop, hoop, hoop.
Just sayin'.
Just sayin'.
September 22, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Hoop, hoop, hoop.
Just sayin'.
Just sayin'.
Reposted by Scott Paterson
Varied plumages makes identifying gulls tricky! This graphic identifies key features to look for on some of our common species. More tips on small gull identification can be found in the latest SMP news: www.bto.org/smp-news #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
September 10, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Varied plumages makes identifying gulls tricky! This graphic identifies key features to look for on some of our common species. More tips on small gull identification can be found in the latest SMP news: www.bto.org/smp-news #seabirds #birds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
Reposted by Scott Paterson
New to birding? Check out this Guardian article about 10 easy ways to start this hobby featuring top tips from BTO's Jon Carter! ➡️ www.theguardian.com/environment/...
June 20, 2025 at 12:56 PM
New to birding? Check out this Guardian article about 10 easy ways to start this hobby featuring top tips from BTO's Jon Carter! ➡️ www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Scott Paterson
OPTICS DEMO EVENT NEXT MONTH
Thursday 19th June | 10:30am - 3pm | Free event | No Booking
We’re hosting a Viking Optical demo at our HQ #WaterstonHouse in Aberlady, this is a fantastic chance to try out optics in field conditions and get advice from experts: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/gettin....
Thursday 19th June | 10:30am - 3pm | Free event | No Booking
We’re hosting a Viking Optical demo at our HQ #WaterstonHouse in Aberlady, this is a fantastic chance to try out optics in field conditions and get advice from experts: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/gettin....
June 8, 2025 at 11:50 AM
OPTICS DEMO EVENT NEXT MONTH
Thursday 19th June | 10:30am - 3pm | Free event | No Booking
We’re hosting a Viking Optical demo at our HQ #WaterstonHouse in Aberlady, this is a fantastic chance to try out optics in field conditions and get advice from experts: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/gettin....
Thursday 19th June | 10:30am - 3pm | Free event | No Booking
We’re hosting a Viking Optical demo at our HQ #WaterstonHouse in Aberlady, this is a fantastic chance to try out optics in field conditions and get advice from experts: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/gettin....
Reposted by Scott Paterson
Scarcely spotted flycatcher
Why is a once-common summer migrant becoming so hard to find? Catrin Eden profiles the stark decline of the UK's Spotted Flycatcher population:
Why is a once-common summer migrant becoming so hard to find? Catrin Eden profiles the stark decline of the UK's Spotted Flycatcher population:
Scarcely spotted flycatcher
Why is the once-common Spotted Flycatcher becoming so hard to find in the UK? Catrin Eden profiles the stark decline of this species over recent decades and ponders what the future might hold.
bit.ly
May 31, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Scarcely spotted flycatcher
Why is a once-common summer migrant becoming so hard to find? Catrin Eden profiles the stark decline of the UK's Spotted Flycatcher population:
Why is a once-common summer migrant becoming so hard to find? Catrin Eden profiles the stark decline of the UK's Spotted Flycatcher population:
Reposted by Scott Paterson
It’s great to see Cuckoo on the increase in Scotland, with populations increasing by 67% since 1994, but species like Wheatear and Curlew aren’t faring so well. Discover more from the @bbs-birds.bsky.social 2024 report out now ➡️ www.bto.org/bbs-results #BirdingScotland
Falling finch numbers, fading farmland birds, declining Dippers and vanishing Cuckoo calls in England are worrying findings from the 2024 Breeding Bird Survey report out now! Read the report ➡️ www.bto.org/bbs-results
@btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social #Ornithology
@btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social #Ornithology
May 15, 2025 at 1:30 PM
It’s great to see Cuckoo on the increase in Scotland, with populations increasing by 67% since 1994, but species like Wheatear and Curlew aren’t faring so well. Discover more from the @bbs-birds.bsky.social 2024 report out now ➡️ www.bto.org/bbs-results #BirdingScotland
Reposted by Scott Paterson
It’s the time of year for finding, recording and enjoying rare breeding birds, but we must remember to put their welfare first! Here’s some advice from RBBP Secretary @markaeaton.bsky.social, and there’s a blog here tinyurl.com/RBBPsafe [1/2] youtu.be/5xXc9Dl7vwk?...
Putting birds first, pt1
YouTube video by Rare Breeding Birds Panel
youtu.be
March 14, 2025 at 11:24 AM
It’s the time of year for finding, recording and enjoying rare breeding birds, but we must remember to put their welfare first! Here’s some advice from RBBP Secretary @markaeaton.bsky.social, and there’s a blog here tinyurl.com/RBBPsafe [1/2] youtu.be/5xXc9Dl7vwk?...
Reposted by Scott Paterson
I'm packing up for Christmas, I've been thinking about bird vision, so it is the perfect time for a festive story about Robins & #birds incredible ability to see magnetic fields. This is a cool story of quantum physics & biology, discovered from work on the UK's favourite seasonal bird! 🌿🌏🧪🧵 1/
December 20, 2024 at 5:26 PM
I'm packing up for Christmas, I've been thinking about bird vision, so it is the perfect time for a festive story about Robins & #birds incredible ability to see magnetic fields. This is a cool story of quantum physics & biology, discovered from work on the UK's favourite seasonal bird! 🌿🌏🧪🧵 1/
Reposted by Scott Paterson
Scottish Birdwatchers' Conference 2025
The 2025 conference will be held in Inverness on Saturday 15 March, hosted by SOC Highland Branch in collaboration with BTO Scotland.
For more information and to book your place, visit www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
Slavonian Grebe by Edmund Fellowes/BTO
The 2025 conference will be held in Inverness on Saturday 15 March, hosted by SOC Highland Branch in collaboration with BTO Scotland.
For more information and to book your place, visit www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
Slavonian Grebe by Edmund Fellowes/BTO
December 10, 2024 at 9:46 AM
Scottish Birdwatchers' Conference 2025
The 2025 conference will be held in Inverness on Saturday 15 March, hosted by SOC Highland Branch in collaboration with BTO Scotland.
For more information and to book your place, visit www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
Slavonian Grebe by Edmund Fellowes/BTO
The 2025 conference will be held in Inverness on Saturday 15 March, hosted by SOC Highland Branch in collaboration with BTO Scotland.
For more information and to book your place, visit www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
Slavonian Grebe by Edmund Fellowes/BTO
Reposted by Scott Paterson
Annual Conference Speaker Spotlight: Daisy Burnell & Dr Chris Wernham
Daisy will give us a brief dive into the Scottish results of Seabirds Count.
Chris will explain why getting involved in monitoring has never been more valuable for birds.
Find out more & book: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
Daisy will give us a brief dive into the Scottish results of Seabirds Count.
Chris will explain why getting involved in monitoring has never been more valuable for birds.
Find out more & book: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
November 13, 2024 at 4:17 PM
Annual Conference Speaker Spotlight: Daisy Burnell & Dr Chris Wernham
Daisy will give us a brief dive into the Scottish results of Seabirds Count.
Chris will explain why getting involved in monitoring has never been more valuable for birds.
Find out more & book: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
Daisy will give us a brief dive into the Scottish results of Seabirds Count.
Chris will explain why getting involved in monitoring has never been more valuable for birds.
Find out more & book: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...
Reposted by Scott Paterson
After >20 years of tracking, our ringed black-tailed godwits have revealed that the autumn & winter sites used by juveniles are (nearly always) the ones they use throughout their lives.
New @animalecology.bsky.social paper (besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....) & #wadertales blog:
New @animalecology.bsky.social paper (besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....) & #wadertales blog:
Finally ... ... @WaderTales is back!
After a 523 day hiatus, the appearance of a new Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit paper has finally spurred me into action! wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/09/12/j...
Link to paper: besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#ornithology
After a 523 day hiatus, the appearance of a new Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit paper has finally spurred me into action! wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/09/12/j...
Link to paper: besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#ornithology
September 12, 2024 at 4:28 PM
After >20 years of tracking, our ringed black-tailed godwits have revealed that the autumn & winter sites used by juveniles are (nearly always) the ones they use throughout their lives.
New @animalecology.bsky.social paper (besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....) & #wadertales blog:
New @animalecology.bsky.social paper (besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....) & #wadertales blog:
Reposted by Scott Paterson
Amid Iceland’s wild beauty, its wetlands are lifelines for migratory birds. ✨
We're teaming up with BirdLife Iceland & the Ecological Restoration Fund to bring these vital habitats back to life for species like the Golden Plover.
Discover how: community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/ac...
We're teaming up with BirdLife Iceland & the Ecological Restoration Fund to bring these vital habitats back to life for species like the Golden Plover.
Discover how: community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/ac...
September 12, 2024 at 11:01 AM
Amid Iceland’s wild beauty, its wetlands are lifelines for migratory birds. ✨
We're teaming up with BirdLife Iceland & the Ecological Restoration Fund to bring these vital habitats back to life for species like the Golden Plover.
Discover how: community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/ac...
We're teaming up with BirdLife Iceland & the Ecological Restoration Fund to bring these vital habitats back to life for species like the Golden Plover.
Discover how: community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/ac...