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Sam Viles

@samviles.bsky.social
495 followers 270 following 36 posts
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
… and Cahow satellite tracking data/in-field obs). Barolo too. Cluster of Irish Blue Whale sightings is on the east side of the Porcupine Bight (upwellings/krill … WFSP?). Documented 'megas' include White-chinned Petrel, Black-browed Albatross, multiple SPSK, Double Crested Cormorant, etc)
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Porcupine Bight is a different habitat. Collapsed continental shelf vs deep sea canyons. Likely to be a different species mix (eg, my rogue prediction is Madeiran SP would be rare there), but its outstanding for cetaceans (lots of seabird food on offer), we know it gets Pterodromas (eg, Zino's …
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Per the story (hope you read it!), the Dorset bird is the only Category A record, the Nottinghamshire specimen is in Category B
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
No, it’s a plumipes European Nightjar
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
But it would be noticed if all of a sudden those birds ‘disappeared'. The current 2/3 wanderers are also 2026 juveniles. The species that does appear to have been 'guerrilla released' in the South-West is Black-crowned Night Heron …
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
I'm not saying it definitely hasn't happened, but there is no [current] evidence that 'those birds' in the South-West have been guerrilla released
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Hi Chris. We used negative news at 15:59. Sorry to hear that the bird didn’t behave for you
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Thanks for flagging it. I've just tried testing it on two Android devices and I'm unable to replicate (both show the miles when pressing a notification). But I'll note it to look at further. If you can DM us your phone make, model and operating system it'll help us to diagnose
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Hi Ray. What is the distance bug please?
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
There is a new version of the app in the Play Store that will fix this issue. Please could you delete the current version from your phone and re-download the new version. play.google.com/store/apps/d...
play.google.com
BirdGuides – Apps on Google Play
First for bird news
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Is that at Saltholme please Dave?
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
It is internationally-recognised scientific terminology
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Biologists use extirpated to describe species that no longer exist in a specific region apps.usgs.gov/thesaurus/te...
apps.usgs.gov
extinction and extirpation
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Thanks, agree it looks v good for minima
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Do you have any photos showing the [pure] Cackling please? Would be cool to see
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
That bird is still present!
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Is this a recent photo please Ron?
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
It’s actually Cat E …!
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
There is also a modern record of Snowfinch from RAF Lakenheath, a male resident for several years in the 1960-70s
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Hi Chris, I'm afraid BirdGuides is unable to drop you a direct message to discuss, as your DMs are only open to accounts that you follow. You weren't being willfully ignored. I'd like to apologise for the confusion our email caused you and can confirm that it was sent to you in error
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
Hi Martin. Yes and yes. If you drop me an email I'll run you thru it
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Reposted by Sam Viles
Alexander Lees @alexanderlees.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
Amazing incursion of Russian White-fronted Geese - today's records from @birdguides.bsky.social #UKBirding 🪶
Russian White-fronted Goose records on Birdguides from 24 December 2025
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
Record spread might it highly likely that a significant % of sparrows are. White-crowned Sparrow perhaps not tho, a fair few that seem to fit with genuine arrivals (plus some off boats)
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
Belgium hasn’t had a record of Great-tailed Grackle. Do you mean Boat-tailed
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
www.birdguides.com/articles/wes...
birdguides.com
Grackles in the Western Palearctic
Sam Viles takes a look at the history of grackle species occurring on the east side of the Atlantic.
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
The BOURC’s ship assisted policy is arbitrary and inconsistently followed. If you’re wanting to go and see it for a strict BOU British list, don’t bother. If you’re wanting to see a very smart-looking wild bird, go for it!
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
Couldn't be any better placed for a genuine ship-assisted vagrant
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
It sounds like you need to log back into the app
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
I agree with your overall point, but to say "no countries" are benefiting is unfair. Multiple severely threatened species in more tropical countries would be faring far worse or likely even extinct without ecotourism
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
This should be possible already. What device are you using, please?
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
It is undoubtedly woefully under recorded in the stats owing to a (very) high bar for acceptance, however here are currently only nine accepted records with the BBRC: Cornwall, Essex, London, Bedfordshire, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Norfolk, Lincolnshire & Scilly
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
Thanks Freddy. Could you DM me the photo(s) please?
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
When was the Pied Crow please Freddy? Are there any photos?
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
It wasn’t a drake!
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
I saw a photo of the Cattawade bird around the time the Abberton bird first appeared. Looked a bit odd but couldn’t pinpoint why
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Sam Viles @samviles.bsky.social · 30/11/2024
I would agree with you
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