The Rare Breeding Birds Panel

NEW BLOG: ornithologist and drone expert Andy Harmer provides guidance on the use of drones for finding and monitoring nests tinyurl.com/RBBPdrones #ornithology #birds

NEW BLOG: ornithologist and drone expert Andy Harmer provides guidance on the use of drones for finding and monitoring nests tinyurl.com/RBBPdrones #ornithology #birds

Some light reading for the weekend… our most recent report, Rare Breeding Birds in the UK 2023, as published in @britishbirds.bsky.social, is now available open access at tinyurl.com/RBBP2023 #ornithology #ukbirding #birds

Little Egret has bred in north-east Scotland for the first time, with four chicks successfully fledging at Forvie National Nature Reserve in Aberdeenshire:

Reports from Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex suggest a good breeding season for Hawfinches. A trailcam in the Arundel area 1-23 July detected them daily, with up to nine in photos and up to five juveniles. @sussexornitholo.bsky.social @sussexwildlife.bsky.social @ukrbbp.bsky.social

I have 5 static recorders in Aberdeenshire forests & have had Quail in all: 1. 4 nights 23/5-3/7 2. 5 nights 21/5-19/6 3. 1 night 10/6 4. 10 nights 21/5-4/7 5. 8 nights 21/5-3/7 On only 2 nights calling started <midnight. @markaeaton.bsky.social @ukrbbp.bsky.social @inchgarthbirding.bsky.social

Another example of Quail song to get your ear in…

Worrying results from the 2025 national Dotterel survey, with a decline of 73% since the last survey in 2011, and 89% since the late 80s www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen... #ornithology #birds

Long-eared Owl and Tawny Owl last night in the forest in Aberdeenshire. Don't seem to be as many LEOs this year. #birdingscotland @scottishbirding.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social @ukrbbp.bsky.social

Birders are being given a rare opportunity to follow the breeding season of European Honey Buzzards in Sussex through a new nest livestream:

Female Wigeon with young in Northeast Scotland this week. Now’s a great time for confirming breeding by Wigeon and other rare breeding ducks e.g. Shoveler, Pintail, Garganey, Pochard & Goldeneye

Watch BBC Countryfile tonight, BBC 1 at 7:15. It will include a short film of us in the New Forest looking for Woodpeckers and talking about volunteering for Woodpecker Network and @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Summer’s a great time for confirming breeding by RBBP species, maybe by returning to sites where you’ve found possible or probable breeders in the spring to “upgrade” records. It can be challenging - here’s some tips on what to look for #UKBirding #birds #ornithology youtu.be/a3nDoucMHCk?...

NEW BLOG - enjoy some weekend reading on the results of the RSPB/BTO/NE national Heathland Bird Survey by Andy Stanbury of @rspbscience.bsky.social #ornithology #UKbirding @btobirds.bsky.social @naturalengland.bsky.social rbbp.org.uk/2026/06/18/t...

Birmingham City Black Redstart & fledgling 5 male Black Redstarts Great! @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @ecorecord.bsky.social @ukrbbp.bsky.social #birds #wmbirds

Some brilliant Spoonbill action on Pat's Pool this evening, the juvenile constantly on at one of its parents for food, barely giving the adult a chance to snooze. Excellent entertainment 😊 a proper summertime highlight here. @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleybirds #norfolkbirding

NEW BLOG - enjoy some weekend reading on the results of the RSPB/BTO/NE national Heathland Bird Survey by Andy Stanbury of @rspbscience.bsky.social #ornithology #UKbirding @btobirds.bsky.social @naturalengland.bsky.social rbbp.org.uk/2026/06/18/t...

Another day, another album cover. 🦅 This week we colour-ringed another Goshawk nest at a private Staffordshire site, bringing us to 5 nests for 2026. True ghosts of the forest. Fantastic to see plenty of grey squirrel prey in the nest too. #Goshawk #Raptors

Nice bit of breeding evidence for @ukrbbp.bsky.social … one of two broods of Shovelers at Buston Links this morning #NEbirding

So, as we head through the summer there’s still loads of rare breeding birds to be found and recorded… here’s some ideas youtu.be/50fFUafiVgY?...

My first fledged Long-eared Owl brood of the year, two juveniles with their characteristic begging calls, on the edge of Alnwick this evening #NEbirding @ukrbbp.bsky.social

There are now two more female Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers out in the world! What a joy it’s been to share this patch of woodland with these incredible birds for the last 11 days. Thanks to @lesserspotnet.bsky.social for the guidance. The clearing feels very quiet now! #HantsBirds #NewForest

Corncrakes! Part of the peaceful soundscape here at Mannal, Tiree #BirdingScotland

The latest survey of Western Capercaillie in the Cairngorms NP has produced encouraging results, with the number of lekking males rising by 30% this year:

Didn’t expect to end the week with another LIFER & my 175th bird of the year, only 10 minutes from home! A magnificent singing male red-breasted flycatcher. #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds #HighlandBirds

📣Dartford Warblers at highest numbers on RSPB reserves with 264 pairs in 2025. RSPB/BTO/NE Heathland Birds Survey estimated the national population at 4,100 territories - up from 3,200 in 2006 📈📈🐦🐦 @rspb.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social @naturalengland.bsky.social www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen...

Oh, and don’t forget that the RBBP also collects data on rare non-native breeding birds, which includes waterfowl such as Ruddy Shelduck, Red-crested Pochard, Muscovy Duck and Wood Duck

Wigeon are another under-recorded species in the breeding season, particularly in northern England and Scotland - again, please send all records in to help improve our understanding.

Goldeneye ducklings are now emerging - please keep an eye out, particularly in Northern Scotland - records of broods are a valuable addition to existing nestbox monitoring efforts.

Red-breasted Mergansers are very under-recorded in the UK, especially in north and west Scotland where they are relatively widespread. They’re a late breeder, but will be settling in territories by now, so please report them to improve our knowledge… there are concerns that they may be declining

DUCKS: by this time of spring most ducks will have settled at potential breeding sites. So all records of scarce & rare breeding ducks, including Shoveler, Wigeon, Garganey, Pintail, Pochard and Red-breasted Merganser, should be submitted, with breeding evidence, to the relevant county recorder

Although many records of Garganey earlier in the spring will be of birds still on migration, by mid-May birds are settling down and all records could be of birds hoping to breed. Females are very secretive when breeding.

If you are fortunate to find any of the RBBP duck species, please try to return to the site through the breeding season to look for broods - often the only way to confirm breeding as nests are usually well hidden.

Here’s a short video on Shoveler, Pochard and Wigeon. Even just presence at a suitable wetland (“H”, a bird in habitat) may indicate breeding. A male on its own may mean there’s a female incubating nearby! Remember to include numbers, sexes and any obvious pairs with all records.

The UK’s strangest avian couple at the Long Nanny, Northumberland this morning - the female American Black Tern with the same male Arctic Tern she bred (unsuccessfully) with in 2024. A small nest scrape but no eggs as yet. #NEbirding #rarebirdsUK

Here’s an example of LSW young calling from a nest (there were three young not far off fledging in this nest) @ukrbbp.bsky.social @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

Please remember when out #YorkshireBirding this spring and summer, to submit any rare breeding bird records to the county recorder, or through @birdtrack.bsky.social/eBird (including breeding status) to make sure they can be used in the yearly @ukrbbp.bsky.social Rare Breeding Bird Reports. Thanks!

It's coming to the end of lesser spot season, and chicks are fledging. Listen out for calling chicks if you're in the woods. Video by Paul Cox (thanks Paul for permission to use).

Wow! Well that was quick. First chick fully hatched by 15:10. A great start to what will hopefully be another successful year in terms of productivity for this nest www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/.../osprey-w... @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @careyssecretgarden.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social

Birders staying in the UK for spring & summer holidays can make a huge contribution to rare breeding bird monitoring, particularly in the north & west where there are more gaps in coverage. If you’re lucky enough to be heading away, please help the RBBP out by submitting your records!

One of our regular reminders to ensure you put the welfare of rare breeding birds first, and don't cause unnecessary and possibly illegal disturbance.

6 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nests have been monitored in Devon and Somerset this year. One failed at the hatching stage, others will be fledging in the next few days, 1-2 weeks early. Young can now be heard calling in nests @lesserspotnet.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social @ukrbbp.bsky.social

Breeding evidence is a key component of rare breeding birds recording. Here’s RBBP Secretary @markaeaton.bsky.social with a brief primer for those who’d rather be birding than watching our longer version (youtu.be/nYEtKaAH7RU?...)

Yet another new blog (like buses, you wait for ages then three come along at once) on how to use breeding evidence codes to make your records more valuable #UKbirding #ornithology rbbp.org.uk/2026/05/20/r...