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Kate Fox @birdingfox.bsky.social · 6h

It’s always exciting getting a first for the Calf in the moth trap… but even more special when they are as stunning as this OLEANDER HAWKMOTH! 🤩

@calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social @manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social @mothiduk.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Ed Betteridge @edjbetteridge.bsky.social · 25d

A great bird boat around Poole Harbour yesterday morning with @harbourbirds.bsky.social, highlighted with great views of WT Eagle, 7 Curlew Sand (12 species of wader), Honey Buzzard, Bearded Tit, 62 Spoonbills, Kingfisher etc with great views of more WT Eagles over Carey today #ukbirding

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · 25d

A young COMMON ROSEFINCH ringed at the Observatory today!

A nice addition to the arrival of migrants, with a notable increase in Robins and Swallow passage, a family of 4 Pink-Footed Geese, 13 Golden Plover and 13 Redshank also.

www.trektellen.org/count/view/2...

📸 Matt Livsey

#ukbirding

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Aug 25

Second autumn vagrant in a week: RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER above Gibdale this morning, the first August record and 1st since 2020!

Also a more showy Pied Flycatcher present (pictured) for a handy comparison.

📸 Matthew Livsey

#ukbirding

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Aug 22

Birders check yer bramble bushes… immature BARRED WARBLER ringed at the Observatory this morning!

Autumn migration is well underway with birds continuing to trickle through the Calf, and this beauty was an exciting addition to the net round.

📸 @birdingfox.bsky.social

#ukbirding

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Kate Fox @birdingfox.bsky.social · Aug 22

Highlight of the morning, a bird I’ve always wanted to see up close. What a chonker! 🤩

With autumn migration picking up, hopefully a sign of more good things to come 🤞

@birdguides.bsky.social

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Aug 22

Birders check yer bramble bushes… immature BARRED WARBLER ringed at the Observatory this morning!

Autumn migration is well underway with birds continuing to trickle through the Calf, and this beauty was an exciting addition to the net round.

📸 @birdingfox.bsky.social

#ukbirding

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Aug 7

🗺️🐦 Our Wheatears are on the move!

One of this year’s Wheatear chicks colour-ringed on the Calf was seen at the Lower Otter Restoration Project in Budleigh Salterton, Devon!

One of over 100 pulli we ringed this year, with over 30 nests monitored.

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social
#ukbirding

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Reposted by Kate Fox

The Seabird Group @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social · Aug 6

Early career researcher who'd love a mentor? Or mid-career (onwards) looking to give back AS a mentor?

Sign up below for the new round of Guillemates 🥰🐧
Mentees👉 forms.gle/cdktNREkhUDb...
Mentors👉 forms.gle/uwA9X9giUPnA...

Such a great learning (or supporting!) opportunity 👩‍👩‍👦‍👦
Pls share! #seabirds

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Aug 6

3/3 The majority of chicks were colour ringed, allowing them to be identified in the field. We also had success catching adults in the breeding colonies, so we’re excited to see where they spend their winters.

Keep an eye out for the Calf Class of 2025!

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social
#seabirds

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Aug 6

2/ Herring Gulls did well with 277 chicks ringed (2x the highest total from the last 3 years and highest since 2019). LBB Gulls did poorly, with only 3 chicks ringed and stronghold colonies devoid of chicks. GBB Gull chick numbers were on par with the last 5/6 years, with 39 ringed.

#seabirds

The Bird Team ringing Herring Gull chicks at Cow Harbour

A Warden ringing Great Black-backed Gull chicks

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Aug 6

🐣 With the breeding season coming to an end, let’s look back at how our seabird colonies have done this year!

The Bird Team have been busy counting nests, monitoring productivity and ringing chicks and adults to help us understand how they’re doing. 1/

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social
#seabirds

A volunteer being trained in taking measurements on a Shag

The Calf Team counting seabirds from the boat

Shag ringing training on the coastal slopes of the Calf

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Ed Betteridge @edjbetteridge.bsky.social · Jul 20

Coming to the end of my first week working in Dorset. Not a bad start with over 350 birds ringed including 71 Groppers! And last night got lucky with great flight views of the Purple Heron! #ukbirding
@birdingfox.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Birds of Poole Harbour @harbourbirds.bsky.social · Jul 13

At the end of July our next free Young Birders event for 13-18s is an exciting Raptor and Osprey Watch with bird book giveaway 🦅
Find out more and sign up below ⬇️
www.birdsofpooleharbourbookings.co.uk/young-birders
📸Osprey CJ7 by Mark Wright

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Kate Fox @birdingfox.bsky.social · Jul 11

🌌 Always special seeing Storm Petrels up close ✨

A session at @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social on Wednesday night under a bright moon produced 7 new birds plus a retrap from last year.

One bird had some funky leucism on its foot, giving the Manxie look a go!

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Jul 2

LAUGHING GULL found by @edjbetteridge.bsky.social this afternoon!

Smart summer-plumage adult, very vocal circling with other gulls for 15mins before heading towards the Isle of Man.

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social
@britishbirds.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Breeding plumage Laughing Gull viewed from underneath

Ed and Eleanor watching the Laughing Gull flying over the sea

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Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Jun 27

4/4 After the females have left the nest, we return to check if they were successful. If so, we can estimate the number of chicks from the fragments of hatched shells around left the nest 🐣 This feeds into the @btobirds.bsky.social Nest Record Scheme, informing about Eider productivity!

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Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Jun 27

3/4 Once their chicks hatch, they walk them down to the sea and work their way round to the north of the island. There they wait for the tide to be just right so that they can paddle their family across the Sound to the Isle of Man to raise them!

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Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Jun 27

2/4 Catching the females informs us about our breeding population and their habits. One female retrapped this year was ringed on the Calf in 2009, a new Calf longevity record!

We also find some females consistently nesting earlier or later, and many returning to the same areas year on year

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Jun 27

🦆 Eider Update! 🐣

The Bird Team have been busy over the past 2 months monitoring our breeding Eiders. They’ve been mapping nests, recording clutch size and catching the females as part of a long-term project.

So far this season they’ve found 76 nests, predominantly in bracken and heather… 1/4

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Jun 26

🦆🔭 Join our Team!

We’re looking for a passionate ringer & birder to join our friendly team as Assistant Bird Warden! The role will involve monitoring autumn migration through daily census and bird ringing.

To find out more 👇
www.mwt.im/jobs/calf-ma...

🗓️ Applications close Friday 18th July

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Jun 22

A bit of excitement this afternoon when Ed found TWO Quails!

The seventh Calf record and first since 1990. It’s also the first involving more than one individual!

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social

#calfbirdobs #ukbirding #ManxNature

Ed Betteridge @edjbetteridge.bsky.social · Jun 22

I did not expect to flush not 1 but 2 Quails, metres apart from the cliffs on the Calf of Man this afternoon!! Not typical Quail habitat right next to a Herring Gull colony! #ukbirding

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Spurn Bird Observatory @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social · Jun 27

🚨 Peak Swift season is here!

Thousands of swifts blast past Spurn at breakneck speed 🐦💨

Stay at the Obs & catch the action from your doorstep!

🌱 Green travel discounts available

📍 Check rates: spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/accommodation/

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Jun 16

3/3 …but why the plastic Puffins?

We have placed decoys and speakers playing Puffin call as part of a project to bring them back as a breeding species on the Calf, following the successful eradication of longtails (🐀).

To find out more 👇
www.mwt.im/puffin-project

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Jun 16

2/ PUFFIN ASHORE! 🥳

Very promising signs, and one of several we’ve seen show an interest in landing near our decoy colonies we’ve planted around the coast. They’ve also been seen regularly offshore lately!

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social
@visitisleofman.bsky.social

🎥 @birdingfox.bsky.social

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Reposted by Kate Fox

Calf of Man Bird Observatory @calfofmanbirdobs.bsky.social · Jun 16

1/ 🐧🧐 Can you spot the real Puffin?

The team had a very exciting encounter yesterday during seabird productivity checks on Burroo Neck…

As we walked back, a Puffin circled close by and landed right next to our decoy Puffin colony! 🤩

@manxwildlifetrust.bsky.social
#calfbirdobs #ManxNature

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