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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Beds 1st Lesser Yellowlegs appeared in front of me at Broom South Quarry this morning. LONG overdue and much anticipated, it flew off and disappeared for an hour and a half before returning and showed nicely this afternoon. Added Med Gull and my annual Beds Osprey this evening made it a decent day!

A brown and white wading bird, looking left, in a small muddy pool

A brown and white wading bird, looking left, in shallow water

A crowd of birders overlooking a gravel pit

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Well that livened up a dull bank holiday Monday! Nothing quite like finding a local mega on your patch. Amazing to see so many familiar faces come and go. Another splendid evening at Broom GP. Kentish Plover, 4th May 2026 #BedsBiding

A Kentish Plover facing right sat on a gravel island

A Kentish Plover facing right sat on a gravel island with a Little Ringed Plover flying above

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Reposted by Steve Blain

Mark Avery @markavery.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Sunday book review: The Birds of Bedfordshire by Tony Ploszajski Review: markavery.info/2025/11/09/s... Publisher: Beds Nat Hist Soc 'Excellent' The last Northants avifauna is 130 years out of date... #bedfordshire #birds @wildlifebcn.org #Sandy #TheLodge @rspb.bsky.social @steveblain.bsky.social

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Lesser Scaup finally falls. Bedfordshire’s first today at Broom GP. Nice to have another Beds first on the local patch. Well done Matt Burgess for the find on his @webs-gsmp.bsky.social count. #BedsBirding

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Mongabay @mongabay.com · 01/11/2025

Nearly half of the United Kingdom’s most commercially valuable fish populations are either overexploited, critically low or both, according to a new report warning that the government continues to set catch limits above scientific advice.

news.mongabay.com

UK fish stocks in trouble as catch limits exceed scientific advice: Report

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

A day in north Norfolk yesterday with Matt Burgess and @agrimsey.bsky.social . And what a day! We started at South Wootton for the Lesser Yellowlegs in its bizarre location on the edge of a new housing estate.

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

This gave me a shock last night at Broom GP. Superficially an Azorean Gull (hate the name Azores Gull!). However despite the hooded appearance, dark blue-grey mantle, stocky appearance, and mucky bill it didn’t quite stand up to scrutiny.

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Dr Adrian Colston @dartmoorac.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

St Agnes today - pale / albino / leucistic Rock Pipit on Periglis and and a cracking Wheatear on Wingletang

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

The first Redwings of the autumn dashed west over the Pinnacle this morning. Just five but it’s a start. Looking forward to more. #vismig #BedsBirding

A panoramic view from the Pinnacle, Sandy overlooking the Ivel valley

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

I think a lot of birders need to read this!

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Abigail Lowe @abigaillowe.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

Do you do moth trapping in the UK? We'd love your help! 💡 At @ukceh.bsky.social we're training & testing AI to detect multiple moths in a single image. Send us top-down photos of multiple moths on egg trays to support this work. More info & form: forms.gle/e3HzBPEd7RVV... #mothsmatter #TeamMoth

A top-down image of 12 various moths on a green egg carton.

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

You can’t beat a Dotterel. It’s even better when there are four of ‘em. Today at Nanjizal #CornwallBirding

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

@astrokev.bsky.social Hi Kevin, would you mind following me so I can PM you about a photo I believe you took a few years ago of a melanistic Montagu’s Harrier near Broom in Bedfordshire? Many thanks, Steve

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Julian Hughes @penrhynbirder.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

How many people contribute records to county and local bird reports in Wales? How much data do those county recorders manage and through which channels? How wide is the coverage? More detail in Alt Text. Number-wrangling while I'm writing the @birdsinwales.bsky.social 2024 report. #BirdingWales

Slide shows the number of bird records (not including those from structured surveys) contributed by birdwatchers in Wales to the national record through a variety of channels in 2024. Of 637,636 records, 67% were collected through BirdTrack, 27% through eBird, 4% directly to county bird recorders, 2% through the four Local Environmental Records Centres and the LERC Wales mobile app, and <1% through iRecord (figures are rounded). It is estimated that around 4000 people contributed records, making counts equivalent to 5.6 million birds. A map - produced by the British Trust for Ornithology - shows all the locations in Wales from which BirdTrack and eBird records were submitted. There was almost complete coverage around the coast and in the main river valleys but far fewer in the uplands of mid, west and north Wales. In total, records came from 277 of the 282 (96%) 10-km squares. The two main recording apps provided 26,089 complete lists which is the most useful way of providing records, during 49,573 hours of recording effort. Massive thanks to everyone who contributes, even bigger thanks to county recorders who manage all this data. My thanks to Simon Gillings at BTO, Sarah Woodcock at BIS on behalf of LERC Wales and all the county recorders who provided estimates.

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Have done a couple of Woodlark surveys in the last couple of days in Bedfordshire. No Woodlarks or Dartfords but habitats have been decent and the weather lovely. Bumped in to a few Woodcocks including four this morning at the Lodge. @btobirds.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

A view over some heather dominated lowland heathland in Bedfordshire

A view of an open tree planted area amongst pine woods in near Woburn, Bedfordshire

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Pleased to find a pair of vocal Marsh Tits in my local woods this morning. #BedsBirding

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Ian Hayes @ianhayes.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

"Interesting" Magpie at Perranuthnoe on Monday. Picture courtesy of @paganbirder.bsky.social

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Martha Henson @marthasadie.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Ooof this might be one of the most terrifying things I've ever read. The damage from climate change is already in effect and not even the pristine Amazon is escaping it. The fact that we are still talking about it as a future problem is wildly misguided.

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

A short visit to GLE this afternoon, with 36 Pochards, the long-staying Goldeneye and around 100 Greenfinches roosting in a roadside bramble. Then 11 Woodcocks heading in to the arable at dusk nearby #BedsBirding #ukbirdinf

A view over Gypsy Lane East pits from the south at dusk

A bright dusk sky with the moon and Venus showing

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

A quick visit to Blunham Lake this lunchtime. Quite a few duck present but the most interesting bird was this third-winter Caspian Gull. This bird first turned up in the Ivel Valley last winter and looked a bit odd and hybridy. However it looks better the older it gets. #BedsBirding #ukbirding

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

A local review of 2024 (this may be long!): I managed 168 according to BirdTrack the same as 2023. I also tried to achieve 100 species a month in Beds in 2024 and I did it! My best month was April with 116 species, down from 128 in 2023, and my lowest was 101 species in December, up from 92 in 2023.

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

A damp and dreary start to 2025 brightened by two gaudy Hawfinches at Warden Warren this afternoon. Few other species to speak of, the best probably a (Lesser) Redpoll and some Siskins. No sign of any Woodcock in their usual spots via the thermal #BedsBirding #ukbirding

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

A very ordinary last visit to Derek Whites Eggs pit for the year this evening. Hoping for a roosting Bittern. None of those but did see a delightful drake Pintail, among the few ducks on the water. About 800 Starlings roosted in the reeds whcih was nice against the pink sky #BedsBirding #ukbirding

Drake Pintail duck with three Wigeon on a lake

A silhouette of some trees against a pink and orange sky with dark cloud above

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

An afternoon visit to Stewartby lake for the gull roost today. Eight species of gull was a great return with a first-winter Med the highlight. Also 3 Caspian’s (1w,2w,3w), 4 Yellow-legs, 2 GBB’s, 400 Herring, 120 LBB’s and a few thousand each of Bh and Common Gull. #BedsBirding #ukbirding

A first-winter Mediterranean Gull facing right sat on water

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

Warden Warren this afternoon for a quick walk round. Four Hawfinches are a regular fixture currently and fairly reliable mid-afternoon in their canopy retreat. Also a thermaled Woodcock hiding under its laylandii shelter. #BedsBirding #ukbirding View my #BirdTrack list: app.bto.org/birdtrack/pu...

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

An early morning jaunt to Meadow Lane today. Bloomin’ good too! 4 Bearded Tits, Drake Pintail, Jack Snipe, Great White Egret, Redshank, Water Rail, and 72 Shovelers. 15 Chiffchaffs was also a very good count locally. And best of all made 101 for the month in Beds. #BedsBirding #ukbirding

Male Bearded Tit on a reed stem facing-on

A drake Pintail duck on a lake facing right

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

A family walk round Woburn Park today. Pretty quiet due to the misty conditions. A single Goosander was on the pool in front of the Abbey but no Mandarins today. Star bird was a single Hawfinch which I found calling from the top of a tree in the grounds of the Abbey. PIX! #ukbirding #BedsBirding

Woburn Abbey gardens, a view along the drive on the east side.

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

Had a wander in some farmland near Cople this morning and stumbled on a flock of 26 Corn Buntings. These are getting very tricky to find in winter locally so that was nice. #ukbirding #BedsBirding

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

A showy Cetti’s Warbler was nice to see at Gypsy Lane East, Beds this Christmas morning. Earlier I had a Hawfinch and Woodcock near Southill along very peaceful empty roads. #ukbirding #BedsBirding

A small rufous brown bird with a sticky-up tail facing left in a tree

A small rufous brown bird with a sticky-up tail facing right in a tree

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BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

Job alerts! 📢 We’re looking for a BirdTrack Organiser and a Birds in Greenspaces Engagement Officer to join our team. 🐦 Find out more and apply ➡️ www.bto.org/jobs #Ornithology #UKbirding

Image of a Kestrel on a purple background alongside the wording: Work with us! BirdTrack Organiser. Birds in Greenspaces Engagement Officer. www.bto.org/jobs

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Wildlife Trust BCN @wildlifebcn.org · 14/11/2024

Some exciting news for our first post - Strawberry Hill has been saved! This unique rewilding site is home to half of Bedfordshire's nightingales. Today we can announce you've helped us raise an amazing £1.5million and the site's future is safe. Thank you everyone who gave, we're so grateful.

wildlifebcn.org

Strawberry Hill saved! £1.5m raised to purchase and protect unique rewilding site for nature | Wildlife Trust for Beds Cambs & Northants

A former farm left to rewild for decades has been saved for generations to come following one of the Wildlife Trusts’ largest ever public fundraising appeals.

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