Graham Appleton

Writer & life-long birdwatcher.
Formerly Director of Communications for BTO.
#WaderTales blogs about #waders #shorebirds #ornithology

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

How quickly do juvenile birds learn to feed effciently?
Neat Black-tailed Godwit paper by Josh Nightingale, summarised as a #WaderTales blog:
https://t.co/N8HX4la990
#birds #ornithology #waders #shorebirds
#AnimalBehaviour #AnimalBehavior

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

Most waders lay four eggs (Ringed Plover in photo).
Why not lay a fifth egg?
Blog about paper by Oddvar Heggøy et al:
https://t.co/3riZQcjxxE
#ornithology

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

Very smart (and fat) Grey Plovers, ready to head to Siberia.
Thanks for sharing @GaryWright62
Just about the last waders to head north: https://t.co/6bxsnvRurS
#ornithology

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

Great footage of a Broad-billed Sandpiper.
A secretive and threatened wader.
More here:
https://t.co/vdtLNXmXDv
#ornithology

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

Great footage of a Broad-billed Sandpiper.
A secretive and threatened wader.
More here:
https://t.co/vdtLNXmXDv
#ornithology

[Rob Murphy @rob_murphy66]

A Broad-Billed Sandpiper on the waters edge, in the bight at Dawlish Warren on high tide. A Lifer for myself and Mrs M 😊✔️.
@RareBirdAlertUK
@BirdGuides
@WarrenBirding
@DevonBirds

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

31 May - the final day of 'spring' for waders.
The last Grey Plovers & Dunlin are heading for Taymyr (Russia), which is probably where this Culrew Sandpiper is going.
Blog about wader migration:
https://t.co/a3zTBK4aXu
#ornithology

[Tony Conway ⚜️ @Merseybirders]

A few new arrivals the last 2 days, a moulting ad Curlew Sandpiper and a Black Tern arrived on Thursday after overnight thunderstorms, and today bang on cue a Roseate Tern settled down for a few hours mainly resting amongst the chaos that is a mixed common Tern and BH Gull colony

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

Very smart (and fat) Grey Plovers, ready to head to Siberia.
Thanks for sharing @GaryWright62
Just about the last waders to head north: https://t.co/6bxsnvRurS
#ornithology

[Gary Wright @GaryWright62]

A few of a spectacular 3000+ grey plover at Snettisham last week. One of the best waders IMO

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

As May turns into June, wader spring ends and wader autumn starts.
The last Sanderling and Grey Plover are still heading north but the first failed breeders will soon be heading south.
Here's a story about a Curlew leaving the UK in June
https://t.co/yntx4ofsmH
#ornithology

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

As May turns into June, wader spring ends and wader autumn starts.
The last Sanderling and Grey Plover are still heading north but the first failed breeders will soon be heading south.
Here's a story about a Curlew leaving the UK in June
https://t.co/yntx4ofsmH
#ornithology

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

There are huge pressures on UK-breeding Redshank, especially on the coast.
🎂 Blog from 28 May 2019 based on paper by Lucy Mason and RSPB colleagues:
https://t.co/T5V8V4tzGv
#ornithology

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

There are huge pressures on UK-breeding Redshank, especially on the coast.
🎂 Blog from 28 May 2019 based on paper by Lucy Mason and RSPB colleagues:
https://t.co/T5V8V4tzGv
#ornithology

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

A Knot does not know which subspecies it belongs to!
Mixing on migration:
https://t.co/Wgvz129rp6
#ornithology
🎂5️⃣

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

Do hidden nests (e.g. this Redshank) do better than open nests (e.g. Golden Plover).
It depends:
https://t.co/CR3b6hhg2H
Video taken by nest recorder for BTO.
#ornithology

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

How strong is site fidelity in Black-tailed Godwits?
We know that adults return to the same sites each year but what do their chicks do, when it is their turn to breed?
https://t.co/wG4ZUc1szB 🎂8️⃣
#ornithology

[Mary Colwell @curlewcalls]

Two new blogs from our visit to Germany to see Curlews, one from North Rhine-Westphalia, the other from the vast wetlands around Dümmer Lake. Across Europe and the UK Curlews are disappearing fast, but these visits revealed the extraordinary dedication, skill and passion of the people fighting to save them.
https://t.co/p8Kqfw1K1U
https://t.co/jdCPgMVXMF

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

#WaderWeek 2/5
Good luck, also, to everyone protecting beach-nesting Ringed Plovers, Oystercatchers and terns.
With a bank-holiday heatwave, you're going to have lots of people to talk to!
Background:
https://t.co/085D9L3JS7

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

Oops!
Late to join #WaderWeek.
Short thread. 1/5
First - good luck to everyone trying to help UK #Curlew.
Here's to a productive breeding season. Need 10,000 more chicks to fledge.
More here:
https://t.co/5EVZBNiZFM
#ornithology #waders #shorebirds

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

#WaderWeek 4/5
Sanderling migration is still happening too, with birds pausing on west coast beaches, on their way to Greenland.
Some Americans may just have discovered that Greenland exists but Sanderling have been breeding their for centuries!
https://t.co/SUaLlrTL8w
#birds

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

@Gillianfc Good question. I have no answer.

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

Estimated 100 pairs of Curlew breed on Munich Airport. No problems!
In the UK, Curlew eggs are still being removed from air bases to reduce birdstrike risk.
Eggs used to be destroyed (under license) but many are now headstarted:
https://t.co/wJuKqjM5de
#birds

[Mary Colwell @curlewcalls]

Just amazing

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

#WaderWeek 5/5
There are 156 blogs about waders in the WaderTales catalogue: https://t.co/dZIamR4bMd
and one about Little Terns and Kestrels.
https://t.co/oGaikiO0Am
#ornithology

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

Oops!
Late to join #WaderWeek.
Short thread. 1/5
First - good luck to everyone trying to help UK #Curlew.
Here's to a productive breeding season. Need 10,000 more chicks to fledge.
More here:
https://t.co/5EVZBNiZFM
#ornithology #waders #shorebirds

[Graham Appleton @GrahamFAppleton]

#WaderWeek 4/5
Sanderling migration is still happening too, with birds pausing on west coast beaches, on their way to Greenland.
Some Americans may just have discovered that Greenland exists but Sanderling have been breeding their for centuries!
https://t.co/SUaLlrTL8w
#birds