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Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)
@webs-gsmp.bsky.social
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The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) and Goose & Swan Monitoring Programme (GSMP) are volunteer-based UK monitoring schemes for non-breeding waterbirds. https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/wetland-bird-survey
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webs-gsmp.bsky.social
Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP) @webs-gsmp.bsky.social · Feb 14
The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) and Goose & Swan Monitoring Programme (GSMP) are now on Bluesky! 🦢 We'll be sharing our latest research findings, how to get involved & vacant survey sites.

We’d love to know what you’ve seen on your surveys too, so tag us in your posts. 🦆 #Ornithology #UKBirding
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
1/ This weekend marks the final IGC count of the season, focusing on Greylag Goose counts, and Pink-footed Geese, at their roosts. Thank you to all of our #GSMP_UK volunteers and hope you enjoy your counts this weekend!

@btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

#UKBirding
Picture of a Greylag Goose flying, with the words 'Icelandic-breeding Goose Census this weekend' on top and the date '22nd/23rd November' on the right hand side of the image. Photo credit: BTO/John Harding. For more information, visit www.bto.org/gsmp.
November 21, 2025 at 3:11 PM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
The International Swan Census (ISC) is taking place on the weekend of 17th-18th January 2026 (WeBS January Core Count weekend), counting Whooper and Bewick’s Swans. Follow these simple steps to get involved 👇

@btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

#UKBirding #Ornithology
November 18, 2025 at 10:27 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
Wow! We have some truly dedicated volunteers! 🌟
penrhynbirder.bsky.social Julian Hughes @penrhynbirder.bsky.social · 12d
Chwarae teg, Darryl. @btocymru.bsky.social volunteers stop at (almost) nothing to do their @webs-gsmp.bsky.social count.
darrylspittle.bsky.social Darryl @darrylspittle.bsky.social · 12d
Turns out you can do a @btobirds.bsky.social WeBS count on one good foot. Who knew?
Ynysyfro: female/1st cal-yr Common Scoter(!), 6 Pochard, 9 GBB Gull, 90 Redwing, etc. #gwentbirding #birdingWales #WeBS
November 10, 2025 at 8:28 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
Today is the November WeBS Core Count! Remember to look out for any sick or dying birds and report these in the Core Count form and to DEFRA for possible testing. in England, Wales & Scotland, contact @DefraGovUK , in Northern Ireland contact @daera_ni
& in ROI @agriculture_ie
November 9, 2025 at 8:00 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
Ahead of the Core Count weekend, don't forget to record any dead birds you see on your WeBS Count on the data entry form in WeBS Online, as well as reporting to Defra for possible collection
WeBS Online data entry form with option for recording dead or sick birds
November 7, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Reposted by Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)
btobirds.bsky.social
⚠️ Please report sightings of dead birds for possible testing for Avian Influenza. ⬇️

📌 In England, Wales & Scotland: www.gov.uk/guidance/...
📌 In Northern Ireland: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/...
📌 In Republic of Ireland: aviancheck.apps.serv...

#UKBirding #BirdingWales #BirdingScotland
Image of a deceased Puffin lying on the ground. White wording on an orange background reads: Please report sightings of dead birds.
October 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Reposted by Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)
tomcadwallender.bsky.social
Sanderling and friends at the beach at Alnmouth. #birdsoftheworld @webs-gsmp.bsky.social @wadertales.bsky.social
October 27, 2025 at 8:05 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
Thank you to everyone who carried out their Icelandic-breeding Goose Census (IGC) last weekend as part of #GSMP_UK🪶
dfoyliv.bsky.social Dan Foy @dfoyliv.bsky.social · Oct 19
#WeBS Icelandic Breeding Goose Survey on the Mersey this morning. A whopping 13k Pink-footed Geese left their sandbanks roost with 8k heading north into Lancs and 5k into Cheshire, 2 Barnacles mixed in too. #GSMP #Mersey #geese @webs-gsmp.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social @mbblerc.bsky.social
October 22, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Reposted by Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)
wadertales.bsky.social
Godwit #genetics
Rethinking what we thought we knew about Bar-tailed Godwit migration - with important consequences for conservation.
wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/10/18/r...
Paper by Jesse Conklin et al in IBIS (@bou.org.uk)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
October 20, 2025 at 6:52 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
The latest edition of Waterbirdnews should be arriving on your doormats this week. 🗞️

💻Or read it online here: bto.org/our-work/sci...

As always, thank you to all of our WeBS and GSMP counters for your amazing contributions.

#Ornithology #UKBirding
October 22, 2025 at 9:21 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
This weekend marks the first Icelandic-breeding Goose Census (IGC) of the 2025/26 season, where #GSMP_UK counters count Pink-footed Geese and Icelandic Greylag Geese at their roosts.
💻Find out more: www.bto.org/gsmp
#Ornithology
@btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social
October 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
The Icelandic/Greenlandic population of Pink-footed Geese arrive in the UK during Autumn/Winter. A substantial population increase over the last 40 years makes skeins of migrating Pink-footed Geese a common sight. 📈

#Ornithology

@btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social
An image of a Pink-Footed Goose with labels describing its physical features (Pink feet and legs, pink bill with a black tip and base, brown/grey plumage). Photo credit: Tom Cadwallender (BTO). Text on the left of the image reads: Status: common. Weight: 2.8kg. Eggs: 4-5. Habitats: Marine and intertidal, farmland, wetland, grassland. The bottom left reads: www.bto.org/gsmp. The bottom right reads: www.bto.org/birdfacts.
October 14, 2025 at 9:45 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
Today is the October WeBS Priority Core Count day! Time to get out and count our birds!
Four adult Mute Swans are flying across a grey sky. Above is the heading 'October WeBS Core Count TODAY!' and below is the WeBS logo and the web address 'www.bto.org/webs'.
October 12, 2025 at 6:00 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
This weekend is the October Core Count! Did you know that with WeBS beginning as the National Wildlife Counts, we are continuing a tradition of counting that began in 1947! Learn more about our history here▶️https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/wetland-bird-survey/about/history-webs
A male Pochard is floating on still water, facing forward. Above is the heading 'October WeBS Core Count Sunday 12th' and below is the WeBS logo and the web address 'www.bto.org/webs'.
October 10, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Reposted by Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)
bbs-birds.bsky.social
(1/) Hi, I’m David, and I help to run the BBS social media channels. This #DyslexiaAwarenessWeek, I am sharing something about myself, rather than the usual BBS posts, in order to raise awareness of my mild learning difficulties.
David White saying that he is Dyslexic and Dyspraxic.
October 9, 2025 at 6:38 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
📢We are looking for new WeBS counters in Derbyshire!📢

View which vacant sectors need counters at bto.org/webs-vacant-sites or if you know of a local wetland that isn't mapped, get in touch with the Local Organisers at derbyshire.webs@gmail.com and we can set this up for you! 🌊
Within the tile is an image of a Mallard in water with it's bottom in the air. There is the heading 'WeBS Counters Needed in Derbyshire!' and below this, 'Join the Wetland Bird Survey if you enjoy birdwatching and want to help monitor our vital wetland habitats. - Choose a vacant site near you or... - set up a brand new site! - Contribute to an ongoing national conservation project. - Beginners and seasoned birders welcome! - September to March is the core winter period for recording wetland birds! Get in touch with the Local Organisers at derbyshire.webs@gmail.com'. Below this is the WeBS logo and 'Can you help count waterbirds here? Join WeBS!'.
October 2, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Reposted by Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)
btobirds.bsky.social
More spaces added for this FREE walk this weekend for young bird and nature enthusiasts with BTO Youth and @essexbirdnews.bsky.social! Sign up ➡️ www.bto.org/our-work/eve... #EssexBirding @webs-gsmp.bsky.social
btoengland.bsky.social BTO England @btoengland.bsky.social · Sep 17
Join BTO Youth and @essexbirdnews.bsky.social for a Wetland Bird Survey walk on 4 October. ➡️ www.bto.org/our-work/eve...

The event is FREE and open to young people between the ages of 12 and 25. #EssexBirding @webs-gsmp.bsky.social
A Black-tailed Godwit wades in shallow water. Wording reads: WeBS & Waders Walk. Two Tree Island Essex. Saturday 4th October. 10:00 - 14:00. Open to 12-25 year olds. Free entry. www.bto.org/youth-events
October 1, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Reposted by Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)
eastglambto.bsky.social
Calling on all East Glamorgan birders. Nothing in your diary this Saturday night? Fancy crossing the border into Gwent for this event?

This @gos-birds.bsky.social talk is about our local BTO / @webs-gsmp.bsky.social / @glamorganbirdclub.bsky.social Green Sandpiper project and its amazing findings.
gos-birds.bsky.social Gwent Ornithological Society @gos-birds.bsky.social · Sep 29
A reminder that we will be holding an indoor meeting this coming Saturday. All are welcome. #gwentbirding #birdingwales
September 30, 2025 at 10:25 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
Wigeon is up next for #WeBSSpeciesSpotlight 🎉

In autumn, Britain & Ireland receive vast numbers of Wigeon from the breeding grounds located further north. This wintering population has increased significantly since 1983/84, with WeBS revealing a few locations holding over 30,000 birds in winter. 🍂❄️
Picture of Wigeon with a male and female up front and annotated with their physical features. Male Wigeon annotated with chestnut head and neck, grey body and pink breast and white body. Female is annotated with mottled brown plumage, dark speculum patch of iridescent green or dark feathers bordered by white, and a white body. Both male and female are annotated with round head and small blue/grey bill with black tip. The top of this graphic reads 'WeBS Species Spotlight'. On the left side, it reads: 'Wigeon (Mareca Penelope). Status: Common. Weight: 748.5g. Eggs: 8-9. Habitats: Marine and intertidal, Wetland Grassland. The bottom reads 'www.bto.org/webs' and 'www.bto.org/birdfacts'. Photo credit: Philip Croft/BTO
September 29, 2025 at 9:29 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
We are looking for a temp. volunteer to cover this site, for the core period of September to March incl. This could be the perfect way to get involved in WeBS! If you are interested, contact the Local Organisers at derbyshire.webs@gmail.com

#WeBSSiteInsight #YourWeBSJourney
Underneath the headline 'Cromford Canal - Whatstandwell to Ambergate’ is an image of a Moorhen floating on the water’s surface, with a map of the site boundary and location within the UK. The WeBS logo is beneath with the text ‘Can you help count waterbirds here? Join WeBS!’
September 25, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)
btobirds.bsky.social
7/ The Wintering Waterbird Indicator is composed of trends since 1975/76 in wintering populations of 46 waterbirds. The UK indicator is 92% higher than in 1975/76 but the trajectory is a strong increase until the early 2000s, after which the indicator has declined at a shallower rate.
A Bewick's Swan on water. Wording to the left reads: Winter Waterbird Indicator. A graph below shows the UK Wintering Waterbirds Indicator with lines depicting subgroup, all, waders and wildfowl populations.
September 23, 2025 at 12:46 PM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
1/ The Wintering Waterbird Indicator, published in the Wild Bird Indicators publication today by Defra, is based on the trends of wintering populations of 46 waterbird species or races since 1975/76.

📖: www.gov.uk/government/s...

#Ornithology #UKBirding
September 23, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Reposted by Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)
btobirds.bsky.social
Do you find recognising gulls tricky? 🤔 Join our expert team for our Gull ID training sessions in November ➡️ www.bto.org/training

Our two-part, online Gull ID course has been carefully crafted to build your knowledge and confidence and make gull ID easier! #Ornithology
A Mediterranean Gull in flight with white-grey plumage, black head and red bill against a blue sky. Wording over the image reads: Gull ID Training Session. Online. BTO Logo with the words birds, science, people features bottom right.
September 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Reposted by Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | Goose & Swan Monitoring (GSMP)
btoengland.bsky.social
Join BTO Youth and @essexbirdnews.bsky.social for a Wetland Bird Survey walk on 4 October. ➡️ www.bto.org/our-work/eve...

The event is FREE and open to young people between the ages of 12 and 25. #EssexBirding @webs-gsmp.bsky.social
A Black-tailed Godwit wades in shallow water. Wording reads: WeBS & Waders Walk. Two Tree Island Essex. Saturday 4th October. 10:00 - 14:00. Open to 12-25 year olds. Free entry. www.bto.org/youth-events
September 17, 2025 at 10:51 AM
webs-gsmp.bsky.social
Today is #PloverAppreciationDay! The UK holds host to six plover species, the commonest of which is the Ringed Plover, though its cryptic colours mean that it can be hard to spot!

You can learn more about each species on the BTO Bird Facts page ➡️ bto.org/birdfacts
Under the title 'Plover Appreciation Day!' are pictures of the six UK plover species along with their latin names - Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Dotterel, Ringed Plover and Lapwing. Underneath is a fact and the web addresses www.bto.org.webs and www.bto.org/birdfacts.
September 16, 2025 at 8:35 AM