Ian Merrill

[Jim Murray MBE @TheJimMurray]

A map of all the open pen salmon farms throttling the Norwegian coast line like a virus.
Unchecked greed from a handful of Norwegian billionaires coupled with pisspoor gov regulation has led to acute demise of the wild Atlantic salmon stock once so prolific here.
Don’t buy it.

[Little Green Space 🦋 @LGSpace]

“Society must heed the warning signs of ecological collapse, and take urgent action to restore nature”. Survey reveals that abundance of flying insects in our countryside has dramatically fallen.
More: https://t.co/SbBO2vDGAB
#biodiversity

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

West Himalayan Bush Warbler, Guijan/Brahmaputra, May 2024. Testament to the birding prowess of Rofik Islam, this individual is one of a tiny population of this enigmatic species which he discovered in 2023, representing a significant eastern range expansion #BirdsSeenIn2024

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Swamp Grass Babbler, Guijan/Brahmaputra, May 2024. This was a prinia when I missed it 14 years ago, in the intervening period it’s metamorphosed into a skulking babbler! Great to finally catch up with this charismatic river island grassland specialist #BirdsSeenIn2024

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Snowy-throated Babbler, Namdapha NP, Arunachal Pradesh, May 2024. A long bumpy drive and a lot of paperwork are required to see this exquisite babbler, with a tiny world range, but it’s very much worthy of the effort #BirdsSeenIn2024

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Spot-throated Babbler, Roing, Arunachal Pradesh, May 2024. Photo courtesy Andy Deighton. This wide ranging SE Asian babbler is notoriously elusive, being missed on various trips in the past. Yet for Rofik they sing from exposed perches!#BirdsSeenIn2024

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Bar-throated Minla, Mandala, Arunachal Pradesh, May 2024. Or Chestnut-tailed Minla, if you prefer! One of the many mouthwatering Himalayan bird-flock members which help to make this region perhaps the most exciting on the planet in which to go birding #BirdsSeenIn2024

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Pale-headed Woodpecker, Mishmi Hills, Arunachal Pradesh, May 2024. Time devoted to searching the extensive tracts of bamboo on the lower Mayodia Road is key to locating this cracking little pecker #BirdsSeenIn2024

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Manipur Fulvetta, Mayodia, Arunachal Pradesh, May 2024. Small flocks of these handsome little birds were regularly seen at the roadside in the Mishmi Hills. A new bird for me, though it occupies a wide montane range, across into Burma and Yunnan #BirdsSeenIn2024

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Mishmi Wren-Babbler, Mayodia, Arunachal Pradesh, May 2024. Not uncommon within its very restricted range, this tidy little babbler can be something of a challenge to photograph well #BirdsSeenIn2024

[Hannah Bourne-Taylor @WriterHannahBT]

Dear @BBCNews we would like to know why you didn’t cover a major news event in #London yesterday. Between 60-100 THOUSAND people marched at the #RestoreNatureNow. It looks like you are picking what you think is newsworthy. Isn’t that called bias? Regards, British wildlife.

[Little Green Space 🦋 @LGSpace]

Dear @BBCNews, despite @BBC’s top nature progs, BBC online rarely reports on the nature crisis. You even ignored today’s huge #RestoreNatureNow March (though you ran stories on Taylor Swift & ‘world’s ugliest dog’). Please fix your biodiversity news blind spot, for all our sakes.

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Large Blue Flycatcher, Mishmi Hills, Arunachal Pradesh, May 2024. No photographic awards for this one, but very pleased to catch up with this rare and enigmatic species. It’s breeding range is largely confined to Arunachal Pradesh, where it remains a scarce bird #BirdsSeenIn2024

[Jonathan Pie @JonathanPieNews]

One for the Tree-huggers.
@RNNMarch @ChrisGPackham

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler, Mayodia, Arunachal Pradesh, May 2024. This very tidy babbler was a regularly encountered roadside bird in the superbly scenic and extremely birdy Mishmi Hills #BirdsSeenIn2024

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Gould’s Shortwing, Mayodia, Arunachal Pradesh, May 2024. One of the most striking and sought-after birds in the Himalayas, this very rare species inhabits some of the most spectacular landscapes on the planet; you could say it has it all?!#BirdsSeenIn2024

[Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) @whalesorg]

Devastating news from Iceland. Fin whales will be hunted this summer. After months of deliberation, the Icelandic government has granted a new one-year fin whaling licence.

We scrutinised the suffering inflicted on fin whales during the 2022 and 2023 hunts and provided our report to the Icelandic government. They ignored the evidence, the wishes of Icelanders and the world. United, we will keep fighting until this barbaric practice ends.

@BjarkeyOlsen, you had the chance to safeguard intelligent, sentient whales and the world waited for you to do the right thing, but, with this year's quota, up to 128 of them will be inhumanely killed.

More info here: https://t.co/kencC2iCUw

📷 @RanFlygenring

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Purple Cochoa, Mayodia, Arunachal Pradesh, May 2024. Another gaping hole in the list plugged by this dapper Himalayan breeding visitor, one of two seen very well on a trip with so many highlights #BirdsSeenIn2024

[Hugo Tagholm @HugoSAS]

81% of the British public support a ban on bottom trawling in the UK's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

64% of respondents thought bottom trawling was already banned in MPAs.

@OceanaUK @oceana

[Ian Merrill @IanMerrill18]

Himalayan Monal, Sela Pass, Arunachal Pradesh, May 2024. Our early May visit proved to be a great time to see this iridescent wonder, as males were in active display, often making spectacular aerial forays to fend off rival birds #BirdsSeenIn2024