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Mark Shorten

@sevenheads.bsky.social
493 followers 153 following 244 posts

Birder, Cork county recorder, co author Birds of County Cork,

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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Did not hear of progress, as of about 6 months ago. On more positive note I hear there will be some data sharing in the new Atlas, but no nothing more
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
BirdTrack does not allow access to data for Biodiversity Ireland, a point of contention here
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
@alexanderlees.bsky.social interesting paper on eBird and remote sensing in Ireland. Exponential rise in eBird usage and not a mention of BirdTrack… onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
A handsome Spotted Redshank dealing with a little crab at Rosscarbery
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Harry Hussey @harryhussey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
It's hard enough to connect with birds in Cork without extending the county bounds almost to France!
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Enough is never enough 😂
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Yes, currently birds within the limit are counted on the Irish list, out side are ‘at sea records’ ( someone might correct me). Interesting to see JFD on the trip ( current top Irish lister, I think). I have heard rumours it may change, would add quite a few to the Cork list….
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Hmmmm…how will the rest of the Cork contingent deal with this??? Though this is outside the current IRBC irish list area… unless there was a change in policy 🤔??
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Spain a bit dry this autumn I take it….
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Aidan G. Kelly @agk10k.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
A few shots of the Blackburnian taken in misty conditions yesterday. Thanks to Noel Linehan & Paul Rowe for a great find & to Tony Nagle for driving us up to the garden. Seeing this bird means that I, and a few others, have now seen all 15 American Wood Warblers on the Irish List😎
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Paul Moore @birderpaul.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
It took several hours of searching to connect with one of the juvenile Bairds Sandpipers at Ballycotton yesterday. So to find an adult shortly after was surprising. 1980 seems to be the last time 3 were at one site in Ireland. Finishing the day on Dursey Island merely seems bizarre by comparison.
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Harper's Island Wetlands @harpersisland.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
1/2 This week we have been very luck to have not one but two Pectoral Sandpipers taking a well earned rest on our wetlands after being diverted cross the Atlantic while on the migration from high arctic Canada or Alaska to their wintering grounds in South America.
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Friday Vermouth and olives
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Pectoral Sandpiper spent most of the time playing hide and seek in the salacornia but appeared for a few minutes @harpersisland.bsky.social
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Submitted (with Pat Smiddy) new project ‘Birds of Ireland’ to publisher. Bringing back early versions of Birds of County Cork on Amstrad WCP in the 1980s, Mac Classic in 1990s and finally published in 2020s on iMac😂 (emulators used for the screens).
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
KP😂
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Stunning images of Baird’s Sandpiper at the Geragh, first inland record for Cork and one of the few in Ireland. Found by PK
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Arctic Skua, Med and Cory’s Shearwater and Peregrine, from finedays sea watching on Seven Heads, no Barolo photos 🥲
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BC_Gemma @bcgemma.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Sandwich Tern arriving with a sprat for its chick - they’re on a feeding stopover at Ballycotton in preparation for the long migration south. #Birds #BirdsSeenIn2026 #Ballycotton
Young Sandwich Tern on the water with an adult flying towards it carrying a sprat.
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
So many vagrant American birds turn up there every autumn…..‘Tis half way there
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
And Ballycotton with a juv Little Stint and Dunlin in various stages of moult
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
A pint a vermouth (ice and orange) is yer only man
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
New lens new camera- R7 and 100-500, a shots between Barry’s and Galley Head. Sedge Warbler, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunt and Melodious Warbler
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Grand day out
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Cape Clear Bird Observatory (CCBO) @ccbowarden.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Melodious Warbler ringed this morning.
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Female Teal with four ducklings, probably over a week old on a pond in Tipperary. Grown juvenile nearby and four more in an adjacent pond - 2-3 broods, scarce breeder in S Ireland
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
@jamierohu.bsky.social I thought BNM were out of the peat business? Or am I reading this wrong?
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
My photo of the beastie
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Harry Hussey @harryhussey.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Found this male Southern Oak Bush-cricket on a lamp post along Sunday's Well Road, Cork city this eve (30th July). Only aware of 3 or so previous Irish records, at least 1 of which was also in Cork city. Following recent colonisation of Britain, it is perhaps likely to become established here too.
Male Southern Oak Bush-cricket. Note the long antennae, yellow dorsal stripe and lack of wings, latter excluding adult Oak Bush-cricket.Another photo of the same male Southern Oak Bush-cricket.
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Pure corned beef, Argentinan
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Eight bites out of one leaf!
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Busy, busy leaf cutter bees in the garden
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Robert Vaughan @robertvaughani.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
I was delighted to be asked to contribute a few illustrations to the Donegal Bird Report, excellently compiled by Derek Brennan . 2025 was an incredible year for rare and scarce birds in Donegal with several county and Irish firsts discovered. The report can be viewed at zenodo.org/records/2124...
The Pacific Diver was a first Donegal record, and spent over a month around Glashagh Bay on Fanad. During that time it moulted from winter to summer plumage and gave a great opportunity to study the subtle differences from Black-throated.The Harlequin Ducks were a long over due Irish first. Originally 2 were found in the harbour at Maheroarty. The birds separated after being spooked on the second day, and only one was seen again. But, that one ended up spending over 6 months in the general area, showing incredibly well.
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Harper's Island Wetlands @harpersisland.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Recent visitors to the reserve will have noticed the rapid progress of the work by artist Peter Martin on our new mural as you enter the site. Peter hopes to have it finished in the next few weeks. We managed to film and interview Peter recently about the mural and the process involved 👇
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BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
personally I think it would be good if America had organized political parties.
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Otterlee
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Oonagh Duggan @naturenymph.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Today BirdWatch Ireland published a Restoration Plan for habitats of threatened bird species in Ireland. We identified 71,450 ha of land w/restoration potential for 52 bird species. Plus farmland habitat+ 38 locations w/colonies of an additional 10 seabirds +more. birdwatchireland.ie/nature-resto...
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Printed copies of CBR 2019-23 have and are quite pretty!
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Harry Hussey @harryhussey.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
With thanks to @sevenheads.bsky.social , I got to see this stunning Striped Hawkmoth this evening after dinner. A beautiful creature, and unexpected within walking distance of my house!
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Video of same
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Striped Hawkmoth, outside my house. New for me. Only about 90 Irish records, I think!
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Peony time in the garden 🪴
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Steve Rogers 🟰🟰 @runnelstone.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Manx Shearwater this morning at Pendeen Watch (9th June). Estimate around 60,000 passed the lighthouse this morning (based on one minute sample counts, up to 600 per minute).
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
The Cork Bird Report 2019-23 is published today at doi.org/10.5281/zeno... and will be here birdwatchcork.com/publications/ also. Plenty of photos, charts and tables. Cork Ringing Report and urban breeding gulls in Cork etc. Free to all, enjoy
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Harper's Island Wetlands @harpersisland.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
We held our first BioBlitz on 21/22 May, the aim of which was to try to identify as many species in a 24 hour period as we could. The weather was not kind but you will be surprised to find out the number of species we did manage to identify. 🙏 to all those who made it possible!
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Peter Stronach @macstronach.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Are we overlooking displaying Wilson’s Snipe in Scotland?, there has been numerous summer records now in Scandinavia and Iceland but nothing here yet! - xeno-canto.org/1071315 #birdingscotland
xeno-canto.org
XC1071315 Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Saw it, finally had Reed Warbler there
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Tramore Valley?
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Harper's Island Wetlands @harpersisland.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
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Mark Shorten @sevenheads.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Nice to get out sea watching at Seven Heads again, pretty light, 4 Arctic Skua, 1 Pom, 1 Bonxi, 10 GND, stormiest, Puffins and basking sharks
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