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Andre Farrar

@andrerfarrar.bsky.social
351 followers 344 following 87 posts

Worked for RSPB for ages and for IEMA. Based in Kent (UK). Chair Kent Ornithological Society, Speaker Zoom (everywhere) and live (southern half of England). Advisory board member for DICE. Trying to maintain a sense of humour in these troubled times.

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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Many congratulations - now listen to her!
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
RSPB buys Bass Rock after 300 years in private hands
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
RSPB buys Bass Rock after 300 years in private hands
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RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Sir David Attenborough… on your 100th birthday, we thank you. For a lifetime dedicated to the natural world, and for sharing its story with such grace and wonder. Generations have fallen in love with nature because of you. Happy birthday, Sir. 🎉
This photograph captures Sir David Attenborough seated outdoors on the rugged terrain of Skomer Island. Behind him, the ocean and coastal cliffs form a scenic backdrop under a clear sky. Sir David, dressed in a khaki jacket and light trousers, looks towards the camera with a gentle expression, exuding a sense of warmth, calm, and wisdom. Around him, puffins can be seen flying and perched on the rocky ground, illuminated in rays of golden sunlight as the sun sets behind the cliffs.
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BirdGuides @birdguides.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
The RSPB has reported a significant increase in Western Capercaillie numbers at its Abernethy Forest reserve in the Scottish Highlands, providing a rare piece of positive news for a species facing extinction in the UK:
bit.ly
Capercaillie numbers rise at Abernethy Forest
A 50% rise in lekking Western Capercaillie at Abernethy Forest RSPB in the Scottish Highlands offers cautious optimism for one of the UK's rarest birds, as intensive habitat management begins to pay dividends.
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Kent Ornithological Society @kentishplover.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Today is World Wetlands Day celebrating the more than 2500 areas of international importance. Some of these are in Kent such as the Thames Estuary and Swale. Wetlands represent 6% of Earth but are home to 40% of all plant and animal species. #kentbirding #WorldWetlandsDay2026
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Kent Ornithological Society @kentishplover.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
The Red-flanked Bluetail and Pallas’s Warbler remained into this week, while a Black Guillemot flew past Dungeness and a Glaucous Gull offered close-up views in Margate. Full details on kentos.org.uk. #kentbirding #birdguides
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Kent Ornithological Society @kentishplover.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
KOS species of the month – January Kittiwake – No longer a breeding species within Kent these medium sized gulls are best identified off the coast in winter by their yellow bill, grey wash over the back of the neck, black wing tips and black legs.  #kentosbirding #kentbirding
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
Winter Aconites peeping through the leaf litter - a week ahead of themselves!
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Kent Ornithological Society @kentishplover.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
A nice week of winter birding with Black Guillemot, winter swans and ducks, the Hume’s Warbler again and an increase in Caspian Gulls. For all weekly highlights in Kent see kentos.org.uk. #kentbirding #birdguides
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Kent Ornithological Society @kentishplover.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
The third Hume’s Warbler of the autumn was finally more cooperative and could be seen one and off at Sandwich Bay. Sandwich Bay also hosted a Shore Lark and four Snow Bunting. For full weekly highlights in Kent birding see kentos.org.uk. #kentbirding #birdguides
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Scientists warn of severe climate-related risks to UK economy and security
Experts lay out scale of changes needed in ‘first-of-its-kind national emergency briefing’ in Westminster
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Latest post on Canterbury RSPB Local Group blog group.rspb.org.uk/canterbury/n...
group.rspb.org.uk
The Godmersham Gannet - Canterbury Local Group
My phone rang and it was my son Jack, reception was dreadful – I could barely hear what he was saying, but eventually I picked up the word ‘Gannet’. Odd because he was walking along the cycle track be...
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Graham Appleton @wadertales.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Lessons from extinction? wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/12/12/l... #ornithology
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TG42Birder🇵🇸 @tg42birder.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Heatwaves are already killing Pallid Swifts in Spain “You would walk down the street and there would be 100 chicks, lying at the foot of a building, some dying and some barely alive,” www.theguardian.com/world/2022/j...
theguardian.com
‘They’re being cooked’: baby swifts die leaving nests as heatwave hits Spain
Ecologists raise concern over chicks’ attempts to escape high temperatures during one of earliest heatwaves on record
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Moths have evolved many way of hiding in plain sight - or looking like something else. Here a December Moth trying to pretend it’s a Musk Ox.
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Kent Ornithological Society @kentishplover.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
The weekly update is again available on the KOS website, with Pallid Swift, Pallas Warbler, good seawatching and an update on the Kent year list at the end of October. See kentos.org.uk. #kentbirding #birdguides
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
www.theguardian.com/environment/... Abject, craven, weak- utterly shameful failure of leadership by a government failing to tackle the biggest threat we face.
theguardian.com
UK opts out of flagship fund to protect Amazon and other threatened tropical forests
Decision is bitter blow to Brazil ahead of fund’s launch at Cop30 – and an embarrassment to Prince William
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Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
🙏 💚
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Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
Jane Goodall, world-renowned primatologist, dies aged 91 “one of the true conservation giants of our time” www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
theguardian.com
Jane Goodall, world-renowned primatologist, dies aged 91
Jane Goodall Institute says ‘tireless advocate’ for natural world died in California during US speaking tour
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
So sad to hear of the loss of the inspirational Jane Goodall - a brief meeting in 2017 was special. Another light had gone out in the dark times.
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Wild bird numbers continue to fall in UK with some species in ‘dramatic freefall’
Species index fell by 4% between 2019 and 2024 – although data shows woodland populations beginning to stabilise
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Kent Ornithological Society @kentishplover.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
The most unusual sighting in Kent this week was an unseasonal Jack Snipe at Worth while the Bonaparte’s remained at Oare and juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were at Dungeness. Full highlights on Kentos.org.uk #kentbirding #birdguides
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Kent Ornithological Society @kentishplover.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
A second rare American gull visiting the county, another Caspian Tern and a large group of Cattle Egrets were among the highlights in Kent birding this week. See kentos.org.uk. #kentbirding #birdguides
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 29/06/2025
Here’s looking at yer! Large Emerald and Black Arches - two favourite moth faces.
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 22/06/2025
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘It takes 25 years for a footprint to disappear’ – the secret, beguiling magic of Britain’s bogs
They are the air-conditioning units of the world – filtering water, preventing flooding, preserving history and providing habitat. Our human ancestors knew the extraordinary power of peatlands, so why...
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
Orange-tailed Clearwing - fifth clearwing species for the garden.
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Kent Ornithological Society @kentishplover.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
The weekly birding highlights in Kent included Golden Oriole, Black Kite and Bee-eater. See full details on kentos.org.uk #kentbirding
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 14/06/2025
The distinctive female Four-spotted Footman.
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 14/06/2025
An egg box of loveliness
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 14/06/2025
I’m being judged.
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
4th clearwing for the garden - Lunar Hornet Moth - yes it’s a moth!
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
A female Ghost Moth in all her glory.
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Kent Ornithological Society @kentishplover.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
KOS Site of the month – June Old Park and Chequers Wood, Canterbury – This 200ha site much of which is SSSI designated on the outskirts of Canterbury is currently under threat. Amongst other species it is home to Turtle Doves and Nightingales. #kentbirding
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Natural England chair rejects ministers’ claim that nature blocks development
Exclusive: Tony Juniper, who will oversee nature restoration fund, says claims ‘not fully backed by evidence’
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
www.theguardian.com/politics/202... Great article - focus on land banking is correct. Pursuit of extra profit is screwing nature. Let’s keep this pressure on.
theguardian.com
Labour MPs poised to rebel over planning bill amid concerns for nature
Ministers understood to be drawing up amendments to bill to try to head off threatened rebellion by two dozen MPs
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
www.theguardian.com/environment/... Sadly this ecologically illiterate govt show no sign of listening.
theguardian.com
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
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Graham Appleton @wadertales.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
16 species of wader/shorebird are in worse trouble than we thought. There's a list at the end of this blog about recently red-listed Broad-billed Sandpipers: wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/12/08/b... #ornithology BB s/p papers by @bksandercock.bsky.social & Skitts Rae
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
Time spent with the Lady and the Duke is never wasted.
Lady OrchidDuke of Burgundy
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
I’ve just come across a fungus weevil - not sure seen one before! If I’m right this one eats King Alfred’s Cakes. VC 15
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Kent Ornithological Society @kentishplover.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Following some good birds in recent weeks at Dungeness and North Foreland, it was Sandwich Bay’s turn! A Western Bonelli’s Warbler was the best of a long list of scarcities. Elsewhere a Montague’s Harriet was noteworthy. See all highlights on Kentos.org.uk #kentbirding
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
Ecological illiterate wreckers in govt must listen and act to back out of disastrous legislation.
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Dungeness Bird Observatory @dungenessbirdobs.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
Kerton Pit, near Lydd-on-sea has been gathering waders on the high tides lately. One of the Bar-tailed Godwits on the 1st May was colour ringed - it was ringed in November 2022 in Mauritania, over 3700km away! Giving us an idea of where some of the 10k birds past this spring are coming from.
Map shows a straight line between the two sites.
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Bonkers moth spring continues 130 moths of 38 species with 1 new one (Great Prominent) and 9 others new for the year. On 107 two weeks earlier than previous best garden ton!
Great Prominent
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
Cox-comb Prominent and Buff Tip having a camouflage-off!
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
One of the many benefits of #nomowmay is my patch of Adder’s tongue Fern is spreading!
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
Angleshades and Pebble Prominent two garden regulars.
AngleshadesPebble Prominent
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
Four moths checking in as new for the year in the garden. The exquisite Brimstone and Shuttle-shaped Dart are common Mullein I see usually as caterpillars on … Mullein! And just my second Fox Moth.
Fox MothBrimstoneMulleinShuttle-shaped Dart
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 26/04/2025
Nigel Farage thinks net zero is the new Brexit. Starmer can prove him wrong | Rafael Behr
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Andre Farrar @andrerfarrar.bsky.social · 26/04/2025
Nearly May so time for the first May Bugs in the moth trap - Cockchafers are my happy beetles!
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