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Reposted by Mart_the_Gooner

Sheffield Swift Network @sheffswiftnetwork.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

We’re so grateful to announce that Sarah T‑W, a local firefighter, has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser in support of Sheffield Swift Network. Please give if you can, & share with friends who care about wildlife. Link to our news blog & the fundraiser 👇🙏 sheffieldswiftnetwork.org/2026/09/25/l...

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Happy #FlyDay #SEO #ShortEaredOwl #BirdsInFlight #ECK #BirdOfTheDay #Owll Hoping for a good year for the Shorties 🦉🤞 2025 was a disappointment, so fingers crossed for plenty more sightings this winter. This one from 2024. 📷

A Short-eared Owl flies low over a rough grassland field, its broad wings fully extended and striking yellow eye clearly visible. Its mottled brown and cream plumage blends with the muted winter vegetation in the background.

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

👁️ Blink and you’ll miss it… unless you slow things down to 480 fps I was just 8 feet away from this Eurasian Sparrowhawk, using a 600mm lens. In slow motion, its nictitating membrane sweeps across the eye and back again, acting like a tiny windscreen wiper.

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

A favourite pic from 2017, at the time I was using a secondhand Olympus EPL-5 & a 20mm Panasonic pancake lens. #Nightscape #Cityscape #London

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Jays will be caching as many acorns as possible over the coming weeks, burying them individually for later. But they’re not exactly sticking rigidly to the menu… 🥜 #BirdsInFlight #EuarsianJay

A Eurasian Jay in flight, wings and tail fully spread, carrying a peanut in its beak. Its crop appears visibly full, suggesting it has already swallowed food. The bird’s blue, black, grey and pink-brown plumage is sharply detailed against a softly blurred golden-green woodland background.

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Reposted by Mart_the_Gooner

Graham Knight @grahamknight10.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Two East Herts projects to install Swift boxes and House Martin cups this autumn: Buntingford: contact nehswifts@gmail.com Sawbridgeworth and Bishop's Stortford: sawbridgeworthswifts@gmail.com or Sawbridgeworth Swifts on Facebook Thanks to @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social for the Swift photos

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

A thermal scope is pretty useful when checking a swift box late in the season! Then you know it's worth hanging around to catch a glimpse! @tj-focus.bsky.social #pixfraseriuss635 #commonswift #thermalbirding

thermal image of a swift nest box showing two feint hot spots

thermal image of a swift nest box showing white hot spot where the nest cup is normally situated

a young swift peering out of a brown nest box

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Fantastic news regarding RSPB Rye Meads 👌

A kingfisher flies low over the water, with its vivid blue and orange plumage sharply in focus, while a grey heron stands blurred in the background on the pond’s edge.

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Swift Stories is a documentary about Swifts and people in Oxfordshire, exploring the threats facing our Swift population and the extraordinary bond people develop with these magical birds.

A close up image of a common swift against a green background

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Reposted by Mart_the_Gooner

Lev Parikian @levparikian.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

A few people expressing surprise at the numbers of birds migrating in a single night. But this is just the beginning of the season. On 8th October last year Birdcast recorded 1.25 billion birds in one night.

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

TFI #FlyDay #BirdsInFlight #SaveRyeMeads My first visit of the year to RSPB Rye Meads, and sadly it may be my last. Due to close in November, let’s hope there’s a longer-term solution for Rye Meads. Some places become more than just a reserve. They become part of our wildlife memories. 💙🧡

A Kingfisher flies low over the water, its vivid blue and turquoise plumage catching the light. Its long pointed bill is outstretched, wings spread wide and feet trailing behind, against a softly blurred green background.

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Just spotted more than half a dozen Swifts circling high overhead. They’re becoming fewer now, so every sighting feels a little more special. #CommonSwift #BirdsInFlight #MigratoryBirds #SaveOurSwifts @hertsbirds.bsky.social @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @btoengland.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Head-on photograph of a common swift in flight, its long, scythe-shaped wings stretched wide as it glides towards the camera. The bird’s dark plumage catches soft light, revealing subtle brown tones around the face and throat. A blurred tiled rooftop in the background creates a warm backdrop that highlights the swift’s speed, elegance and effortless aerial mastery.

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Reposted by Mart_the_Gooner

Graham Knight @grahamknight10.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

This makes me very happy. The pair are still occupying the box after 5 weeks. They are not seen so often now as there is less need to defend the nest site from other non-breeding Swifts, but are still returning to roost each night some time after 9pm

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

It’s not over til it’s over… I’m delighted to say that we still have dozen or more swifts screaming their way through the streets #CommonSwift #BirdsInFlight #MigratoryBirds

A common swift in mid-flight banks sharply toward the camera, its long scythe-shaped wings spread wide in a graceful arc. The bird’s dark eyes and pale throat are sharply in focus, creating a striking sense of eye contact. Soft green foliage melts into a smooth, creamy background, isolating the swift and emphasising its speed, agility, and elegant form.

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Reposted by Mart_the_Gooner

Graham Knight @grahamknight10.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

As we near the end of the Swift season, our Hertfordshire survey currently has 923 nests recorded. More nests to confirm from previous years and many yet to be recorded, especially in parts of South and West Herts. The www.swiftmapper.org.uk screenshot shows the 36 nests from St Albans in 2026

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

We still have plenty of Swifts house hunting for next Summer👌 #CommonSwift #BirdsInFlight

A Common Swift captured mid-flight as it banks through the air, revealing its sleek, streamlined body and long, curved wings. The bird’s dark eye and bill are in sharp focus, while the softly blurred green background isolates the swift and emphasises the speed and elegance of its aerial manoeuvre.

A Common Swift hovering directly at the entrance hole of a white wooden nest box, inspecting it closely, wings raised, pale throat visible against dark plumage.

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

A Reed Warbler picking its way through a dense reed bed carrying a food delivery to a well hidden nest. #BirdsInFlight #ReedWarbler

A Reed Warbler flies through a dense reedbed with wings fully spread, carrying insects in its bill. Warm morning light illuminates the golden reeds, while soft green stems blur in the foreground, creating a natural frame around the bird as it heads towards its hidden nest.

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

I've always struggled to get a decent fight shot of a Green Woodpecker, this my best attempt to date. It's a heavy crop but still looks okay for social media #GreenWoodpecker #BirdsInFlight

A European green woodpecker in flight against a pale blue sky. Its bright red crown, olive-green upperparts and pale face are clearly visible, with the wings swept back and the barred underwing feathers fanned out. The bird is captured side-on in crisp detail, appearing to glide effortlessly, while softly blurred tree foliage frames the lower corners of the image.

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Today is definitely a Happy #Flyday we might just have a breeding pair in our recently installed Action For Swifts (AFS30) nest box🤞 @rspb.bsky.social #BirdsInFlight #CommonSwift

A Common Swift hovers vertically beneath the entrance of a white nest box, wings fully outstretched and tail fanned wide as it prepares to cling to the entrance. Its tiny feet are extended towards the wooden landing strip, while the bird’s dark plumage contrasts against a softly blurred green background. The image freezes the split second before the swift disappears inside, showcasing the remarkable precision and agility of its flight.

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

A Common Swift launches from a nest box in a split second, folding and snapping its wings into perfect position almost instantly. I’ve been trying to capture this exact moment for ages, ,blink, and you’ve missed it. #BirdsInFlight #CommonSwift @rspb.bsky.social

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Reposted by Mart_the_Gooner

Graham Knight @grahamknight10.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

First Swift taxi of the year for me. This Swift was found in the street in Sawbridgeworth with a wound on the back. I took it to the brilliant South Essex Wildlife Hospital, where it joins 25 other Swifts already in their care. Grounded Swifts always need an expert rehabber

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Reposted by Mart_the_Gooner

RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Swifts don’t stop to feed their chicks one insect at a time. Instead, they collect hundreds in a special pouch in their throat, then head back to the nest with a little insect-packed parcel. It can contain up to 1,000 insects. 🤯 Check out that throat pouch 👇 📷 @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social

A Swift in flight, displaying its long curved wings and streamlined body, against a blurred background of green foliage. Under its small head, at its throat, a round bulge is visible - showing the Swifts' special throat pouch full of tasty insects ready to regurgitate as a 'bolus' (pellet) for its hungry chicks.

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Mart_the_Gooner @mart-the-gooner.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

A Common Swift returns to its nest beneath the eaves of a brick house in Puckeridge, Hertfordshire. The bird is captured in mid-air with its wings raised and tail spread as it approaches the nest entrance, with the softly blurred façade of the historic building in the background.

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