Neil Calbrade

No surprise where my most visited birding site was last (and every) year, and although my best streak was 127 days, I managed a BirdTrack list somewhere in the world every day last year, so you can see the four periods I was out of the country!

🦢 The International Swan Census is almost here – this weekend! We still have a few priority sites that need coverage. Please check the map & help us assess how well our Whooper & Bewick’s Swan populations are faring. Every count matters! 🙏 bto.org/gsmp-isc 📸@GriggTan

The next International Swan Census is almost here (17/18 Jan). Coverage is looking good, but there's a few small gaps. If you're able to help, please check the below map and get in touch with @WeBS_UK! Birders on Mull, Skye, Orkney & Uists are needed in particular! Thank you!!

A pretty depressing day counting sick & dead Whooper Swans. Avian influenza is within the population. Please report all dead birds for possible collection & testing. In 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 , 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 & 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 this is @DefraGovUK gov.uk/guidance/repor… Reporting to @BirdTrack also helps with monitoring.

I'm excited to be leading the International Swan Census again in January 2026 for the Iceland Whoopers! Check out 👇🏻 to get involved & visit the vacant site map. Every record counts to understanding the bigger picture. #Monitoring

Certainly not going to win any awards, but this rubbish record shot of a Corn Bunting down the Nunnery Lakes this morning, which was a welcome patch tick on an otherwise gloomy, damp morning

One week left to apply to join us in our creative and rewarding work in the surveys team, this role involves coordinating the collection of data and reporting on our world class seabird colonies here in the UK #Ornithology

Top find by @sconebirding this morning, this juvenile Purple Heron on the Nunnery Lakes reserve was the first record for the site, at one point sat on the same island as a Cattle Egret! Well worth the run back down the track having just walked past the lake it was favouring

A flock of 12 Cattle Egrets dropped in to the BTO reserve in Norfolk today! They are rapidly increasing, with over 800 counted in WeBS in 2023/24 —explore where at app.bto.org/webs-reporting… 📷by @NeilCalbrade

Since our first record as recently as 2022, and with only 6 records since, it was nice to find a flock of 12 Cattle Egrets this morning on the Nunnery Lakes, though I'm sure this scene will be a regular feature in years to come!

📢Job alert! We’ve got a great opportunity for a part-time Seabird Monitoring Support Officer to join the @_BTO Surveys Team!🔭📈 ℹ️For more information and to apply: bto.org/jobs 🗓️ Deadline for applications: Thursday 24th July 2025. #Seabirds #CitizenScience

Not sure why I have randomly woken up with the theme tune to the Beverley Hillbillies rattling around in my head! youtu.be/NwzaxUF0k18?fe…

@SteelySeabirder Went to visit your old stomping ground yesterday, next year might have to come visit your current island residence!

Morning :)

@FCackett Very jealous, I've been up Fuente De looking for them several times, only saw one fleetingly once

Crippling views of Wallcreeper in the Picos this morning, it pretty much landed at our feet on arrival, and wasn’t seen again all day😳👊

A Brent Goose down the Nunnery Lakes found by @sconebirding this morning was only my second record here, first one in March 2022 (also found by Nick), a very scarce bird in the Brecks

A fairly quiet #WeBS_UK count at Livermere and Ampton Water this morning, other than 450 noisy Greylags, 54 Shelduck and the first Oystercatcher of the spring back locally

Excited to be leading the next International Swan Census again for the Iceland Whooper population! Ensuring coordination across Britain, Ireland & Iceland. Working with BTO, @BirdWatchIE & Iceland. Stay tuned over the coming months on how to get involved! #Ornithology

While in Kaeng Krachan last week, it would have been rude not to twitch the Silver Oriole that had taken up residence there. The road up to it was hard going, but it was well worth the effort, and with bonus White-fronted Scops Owl and White-crowned Hornbill on the way up!

We're looking for volunteers to help in the final Winter Gull Survey (WinGS) on 19 January! Find out more and how to sign up on our website ➡️ bto.org/wings #Ornithology

Ever dreamt about working at one of the UK's premier Bird Observatories? Now you can! We're looking for a seasonal Assistant Warden to join our team here at Spurn from 1st April 2025. More information about this exciting and rewarding opportunity here - buff.ly/4gjCclB