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UKCEHseabirds

@ukcehseabirds.bsky.social
681 followers 75 following 103 posts

We study seabirds on the Isle of May and elsewhere to understand the effects of environmental change on marine ecosystems

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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
No nasty hills to obscure the view
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
That is a wrap today for the 2026 seabird breeding season research team after 3.5 months on the Isle of May. 515 people days from staff, collaborators and volunteers resulting in a wealth of data to process and analyse over the coming months.Huge thanks to all, you have been immense
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Hope the trip goes well. Happy memories from the trip 16 years ago!
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
The westerly winds have been holding up the guillemots from fledging. But finally the conditions are right and the noise is deafening. The best seabird spectator sport?
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
It has been a windy few days. Razorbills have been wind dancing in the updrafts almost at arms reach
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Enjoy your lunch...a kittiwake coughed up it's breakfast today. Normally it would be composed of sandeel or rockling but half of this one was a near-intact squid. A very rare occurrence in kittiwake diet on the Isle of May
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
So many layers to this evenings sunset on the Isle of May
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
A brisk westerly means for tricky monitoring on the cliffs. But the Razorbills love the updrafts. Display? Or just because they can?
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
From the extensive collection of awful photos: This colour ringed kittiwake was seen this afternoon in one of the Isle of May monitoring plots. Not a bird caught here but ringed last July on Puffin Island, Anglesey. Presumably not yet of breeding age and prospecting various colonies
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Been dodging a few showers today. Looks like we have a pot of gold on one of our guillemot monitoring plots
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Dramatic skies over the Isle of May tonight
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
The Puffin and the Sun Dog.
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Reposted by UKCEHseabirds
UK Seabird Monitoring Programme @smp-seabirds.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
The SMP is lacking breeding success data. In 2025, colony count data were submitted for 861 sites, but breeding success data were submitted for just 133 sites. If you can monitor seabird breeding success, email us at smp@bto.org! #seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social
Image of two Arctic Tern chicks, with the text: Breeding success data helps us understand short-term changes in populations.
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Great to have all of the UKCEH seabird team out to the Isle of May last week to chat about projects, brain storm new ideas, and have a general catch-up to the backdrop of seabird chatter! #seabirds #fieldwork #ornithology
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
The squallor of a guillemot colony. After overnight rain some of the ledges are a quagmire. Got to admire their resilience to lie in this for hours at a time
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Feeding time for these wee Shag chicks on the Isle of May today 🐣 #seabirds #superseabirdsunday #fieldwork #ornithology
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Meet the Eiders. Many spots are used year on year by the Isle of May eiders for nesting. Two of our favourites are named Fern & Daffy, for obvious reasons
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
A day of attempting to dodge showers and get some fieldwork done. Stunning skyscape at sunset though
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
The first Isle of May eider ducklings are appearing. Female leading two off to the sea with an overly optimistic male in pursuit
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Spot the migrant Painted Lady nectaring on Sea Pink on a stunning Isle of May day
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
A huge collaborative effort this week from the UKCEH team and NatureScot colleagues completing the biennial Puffin census on the Isle of May. 15 people, ~600 hours, ~1.5M steps, tens of thousands of burrows counted. Now we wait for the 2026 Puffin total 🐧 #seabirds #ornithology #fieldwork
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
📸Josie Hewitt #IsleOfMay #Seabirds #Razorbill #Fieldwork #WildlifeMonitoring #Conservation #Scotland #Ornithology @ukceh.bsky.social @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
This marks the beginning of months of careful observation of our monitoring plots which the team will be checking multiple times every day. This is to ensure that lay dates, hatch and failure dates are recorded as accurately as possible.
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
First Razorbill egg of 2026 💚🥚 Yesterday we found the first Razorbill egg of the season on the Isle of May in one of our auk monitoring plots — an exciting sign that the breeding season is officially underway.
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
A copy awaits my return from another Scottish island with another significant observatory
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
The Easter bunny has come early to the Isle of May, delivering us the first Shag eggs of 2026! 🥚🎉🥚 Here's to a bumper breeding season in 2026🤞🙏 #IsleOfMay #seabirds #ornithology @ukceh.bsky.social
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
More information on the Shag project can be found on the @ukceh.bsky.social website: www.ceh.ac.uk/our-science/... It's a massive collaboration between organisations, ringers, sites and observers! @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social @steelyseabirder.bsky.social #ornithology
ceh.ac.uk
Mapping winter distribution of seabirds
The current project is looking to map the wintering distribution of European shags that breed on the east coast of Scotland and England by collating reports of colour-ringed birds over the winter mont...
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Over 34,000 Shags colour ringed (inc >23,500 on Isle of May) in Scotland + Farne Islands since the 70s to understand their winter ecology, including the unusual locations during February's storms when many sadly died. Please send sightings to shags@ceh.ac.uk www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... #seabirds
bbc.co.uk
Scottish shag makes unusual 319-mile trip to Hull
The young seabird, ringed on the Isle of May in Scotland, was spotted at Victoria Dock in Hull.
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
📸Harry Scott
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
📸Richard Steel
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
This Sly Fox: It went all the way
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
@ukceh.bsky.social @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Last but not least in our 2025 Isle of May breeding summary: Puffins nest in burrows, raising a single chick each summer before spending winter at sea. They take ~3 years to mature & can live for >30 years. 📊Breeding success: 0.75, above average 📉Adult survival: 82%, average #IsleOfMay #Seabirds
Infographic summarising the 2025 Atlantic Puffin breeding season on the Isle of May. It shows two key metrics: breeding success of 0.75 chicks per pair (above average) and adult survival of 82%, which is on the long-term average. The graphic includes simple icons and highlights that adult survival is an important indicator for long-lived seabirds. Source: UKCEH.
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
@ukceh.bsky.social @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
How was the 2025 season for Guillemots on the Isle of May? 📊 Breeding success: 0.72, average 📉 Adult survival: 83%, below average Adult survival is crucial for long-lived seabirds, so even small changes matter. Long-term monitoring helps us track how they respond to a changing world. #seabirds
Infographic summarising the 2025 Common Guillemot breeding season on the Isle of May. It shows two key metrics: breeding success of 0.72 chicks per pair (average) and adult survival of 83%, which is below the long-term average. The graphic includes simple icons and highlights that adult survival is an important indicator for long-lived seabirds. Source: UKCEH.
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
@ukceh.bsky.social @smp-seabirds.bsky.social @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @steelyseabirder.bsky.social
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
This #WorldWildlifeDay, we’re celebrating the seabirds of the Isle of May — from Puffins & Guillemots to Razorbills & Kittiwakes. These cliffs support thousands of breeding birds, a powerful reminder to protect our marine wildlife & coastal habitats. 🐦🌊 #IsleOfMay #seabirds #ornithology
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
@ukceh.bsky.social @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Despite facing ongoing challenges from avian flu (amongst other things), the Isle of May Kittiwake population continues its upwards trend from a low count of 1,712 nests in 2013. 🐦📈 #IsleOfMay #seabirds #ornithology #breedingsuccess #productivity #island #wildlifescience #conservation
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
@ukceh.bsky.social @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Shags have had a tough few years on the Isle of May following a large mortality event in winter 2023/24 and a smaller event earlier this year. Thankfully both 2024 and 2025 saw above average productivity, so hopefully the population can recover in time. 🐣 #IsleOfMay #seabirds #ornithology
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
@ukceh.bsky.social @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social @steelyseabirder.bsky.social
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
The 2025 #seabird breeding results are in from the Isle of May: Razorbills fledged 0.63 chicks per pair - right on the long-term average. Even better: 91.2% survival, well above the long-term average of 83.9% Strong productivity + excellent survival = a really encouraging year for #Razorbills. 💚
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Puffins and Shags seem to have been hit hardest by recent storms, with many reports of birds washed ashore. This includes one Isle of May Puffin that was ringed as an adult in 1995, making it at least 34 years old! #stormChandra #seabirds #winterstorms www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Puffin aged 34 dies after being washed up in stormy weather
Staff at an Aberdeenshire rescue centre were able to trace its history thanks to a ring on its foot.
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Lots of reports of dead seabirds in the aftermath of recent storms. Please keep an eye out for any dead colour ringed Shags and send details to shags@ceh.ac.uk #seabirds #ornithology #winterstorm
The image contains a header at the top reading "Wanted: Shag resightings". Below this is a picture of a Shag weraing a blue colour ring with the code "UXE" and a text box of the information needed if you see a colour ringed Shag. This information is: date, location, colour of the ring, three letter code, and a photo if possible. All the information can be emailed to shags@ceh.ac.uk
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
After 9 days of strong easterlies they will not have been able to feed adequately along the east coast and have made a desperate flight for calm conditions. Suspect these are the lucky ones to have survived so far
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
As @aberladybirder.bsky.social says if you can report to shags@ceh.ac.uk with any shag colour rings we'll send back a full sightings history.
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
I'm looking forward to the 2027 conference even more now
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
I was concerned by the first photo with them upright on their objective lenses. Always gives me the fear when i see them perched like this and that a slight miss-grab will send them tumbling. Glad to see bins posture rectified in second image😰
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UKCEHseabirds @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
New Year, new job. Come and join the @ukceh.bsky.social team on the Isle of May ceh.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/CEH_Ca...
ceh.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
Avian Ecologist
Salary - £31,942 - £33,898 Depending on experience Hybrid working (50/50) Location: Edinburgh Closing date: 16th January 2026 We are looking for an enthusiastic Avian Ecologist to join our team in Edi...
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