Birders Twitter - S2E11

The eleventh time this series we’ve started the birding conversation!

Our guest this week lives and breathes birds and birding, with a resume that puts DDL and Jonny H to shame…

• Head of Surveys - BTO

• Atlas Coordinator 2007 - 2011 Bird Atlas

• Secretary European Bird Census Council

• Chair Rare Breeding Birds Panel

• Director British Birds

• British Birds Rarities Committee Member

Dame Dawn Balmer!

Even inland sites, like Black-headed Gull colonies are seabird colonies which can be included in seabird surveys. Same goes for nesting Terns, check out the BTO seabird monitoring programme to see if you can help...

We learn how to do a National bird Atlas.

We talk Avian Bird Flu and the latest updates from the BTO and partners...

Dawn gives Birders Twitter an exclusive; there will be a 2027 - 2031 Atlas! You heard it here first...

The next Atlas relies on there been funding, so keep an eye out for announcements and be sure to tweet Elon Musk twice daily to shake him down for a million or two...

Want to learn how to find the 3rd Bee-eater for Cambridgeshire, 1st Marsh Sand for Devon and the 1st Little Egret for Shropshire? Be more Dawn.

Dawn regales us some mystical birding memories - including a close Goshawk encounter the day of the recording!

We talk Ross’s Gull - Jonny is supposed to learn that Jonny R hasn’t actually seen Ross’s in the U.K.

We talk swifts; Pallid Swifts and that Birding Frontiers Pacific Swift blog post.

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY RBBP!

Friend of the show Lee Woods aka @BINsBirder reveals he has a Pacific Swift tattoo! We all agree to get swift neck tattoos.

Dawn recalls epic Moorhen and Kingfisher ringing recoveries..

Dawn dishes out advice for the aspiring young ornithologist, ecology - be passionate! Sell yourselves! You’ve got skills! Dawn's top advice...

'Get out birding' ~ Dawn Balmer 12th March 2023

Ian Bennell asks Pipit questions - we talk providence and proven Cat. D records

We make our predictions for an addition to the British List in ‘23 - if any of the following turns up - it's entirely our fault for manifesting them and we are owed premium whisky and mad respect:

• Black-winged Kite

• Pygmy Cormorant

• Black Vulture

• Lammergeier

• Ian B Black-throated Blue Warbler

• Willet