Manx BirdLife

Our webcam is now active from 11am until 3pm each day. You never know what you might see, today it was a common sandpiper.

The RSPB has released the results of the 2023 Hen Harrier survey, including the results of the 2022 survey carried out by Manx BirdLife. The population has shown a 20% increase in numbers since 2016 but their future still hangs in the balance. For more info visit our website

This week, we are celebrating 20 years of Manx BirdLife's Garden Birdwatch with the release of a report analysing over 4 million garden Birdwatch records submitted by the Manx public since the scheme was founded in 2000. Visit manxbirdlife.im for more information.

Please take a minute to nominate Manx BirdLife for the chance to receive one of 10 donations of £5000 from the Benefact Group to wildlife charities. Entries close at midnight on Friday 23rd February so please click the link below to nominate us. animal.movementforgood.com/i…

And further to our previous tweet… Do not… - Call playback - Food lure - Run after - Ambush - Distract by clapping … or generally disturb feeding owls.

👍What MWT says… There has been some stupid behaviour recently by so-called nature photographers. ! PUT THE WELFARE OF BIRDS FIRST ! SPECIFICALLY, at the end of a winter, owls feed in daylight typically because they are struggling. Leave them alone! facebook.com/share/p/arLy9vJ…

!!!!!!!

Rare Dusky Warbler found today on private property in the Isle of Man. Photo by the lucky finder. Due to the location, there is no public opportunity to view. Nevertheless, it’s a great find and brilliantly captured. This species would ordinarily be wintering in southeast Asia!

A mother Bottlenose Dolphin and her rather large calf went on an exploratory excursion around Castletown Bay this afternoon. (You can just about see the calf’s pale grey bottlenose in front of the mother’s darker body in the first image.) @ManxCetaceans

Think about it … Ireland has just over twice the IOM’s number of Hen Harrier breeding pairs. We grieve for Ireland’s lost nature. And surely it emphasizes just how important The IOM’s Hen Harrier population is.

This report is damming. And the worst part? The Isle of Man is in grave danger of replicating the tragedy!!

Cancelled Manxman sailing provided a chance to check out Derbyhaven Bay IOM again today. Composite shows yesterday’s Slavonian Grebe + today’s Little Grebe (of 3), ad male LT’d Duck, GN Diver (of 2), Tysties (of c. 15) and Razorbill (of 2) + parent & sibling Pale-belled Brent.

Gusty evening for @_BTO #WinGS tonight at manxbirdlife.im/point-of-ayr…. Roost seemed disrupted by the strong winds. Star bird (remember all things are relative!) was a Lesser B-b’d Gull - first Island record since mid-Nov. And there can’t be many gull roosts with no Black-h’d Gulls!

Beautiful blue Castletown skies and seas today, though the arrival of a Black Redstart around the Quay - surprisingly the first of this winter - heralds the incoming bad weather. Meanwhile Twite and Long-tailed Duck are longstayers around the Castletown coast.

Manx Mountain Hare has got its Arctic ‘plumage’ ready for this week’s coming weather. Nicely settled on the moorland until six Ravens took a close look to see if it was carrion or carrying on living.

Join Manx Ornithological Society for their '24 for 24' event, a birding event for children and young people, this Thursday in Peel (meeting behind the old Kipper House at 10am).

#ManxBirdRace Day 7 Well, that’s a wrap. 121 species, a new record Christmas Bird Race week. Thank you for all the reports, and especial thanks to @MarkofBrickhill for keeping the daily tallies. Full and final details at Facebook/ManxBirdLife and manxbirdlife.im/sightings/ch….

#ManxBirdRace Day 6 No new birds spotted today, the penultimate day of the race, but 3 earlier reports have now been verified: Whimbrel, Long-eared Owl, Crossbill, taking the tally to a record-breaking 121 !! Check out which species are yet to be seen at manxbirdlife.im/sightings/ch…