Julian Hughes

@penrhynbirder

Nature, and saving it. Editor Welsh Bird Report. Weekly BirdNotes in Daily Post North Wales. Co-editor of The Birds of Wales.

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Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· 25d

Does having conifers in the landscape provide a haven for Wood Warblers in years when oaks are not the place to hang out? There's so much more to find out... Thanks to @natreswales.bsky.social, @marcbuzzard.bsky.social, @martamaziarz.bsky.social and @richardkbroughton.bsky.social among others.

This is work in progress.What will happen in 2027…

This year’s report is available on Researchgate.net.

Our thanks to Richard Castell for the cover photo of one of the ringed males.

Thanks also to multiple landowners, Marc Hughes and Rob Booth who helped with fieldwork, and others named in the report for their valuable advice and guidance

Hughes, J. and Sandham, R. 2026. Wood Warblers in the Conwy catchment, North Wales, in 2026. Link to report in thread

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· 25d

Do you remember noticing acorns last autumn? Citizen scientists in Woodland Trust's "Nature's Calendar" project recorded oak mast 40% higher than the 2001-24 average. Lots of those acorns are now growing, but mice and Grey Squirrels probably ate a lot too. That probably attracted other predators.

Autumn 2025 was a mega year for acorns, evident by millions* of seedlings we saw across the landscape.

The decline in Wood Warblers following big masting years is consistent with other studies in Europe. Rodent numbers boom in response, and in turn predators of rodents (and Wood Warblers?) increase.

In these years, do conifer forests buffer the population from decline, we wonder?

*Full disclosure, we didn’t count millions of oak seedlings, but with 150/m2 in places we counted, let’s just agree there were a lot.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· 25d

This is the second year of targeted ringing effort under @btobirds.bsky.social licence. Another 44 were ringed, of which 38 were in the same study area as the surveys. A few of last year's males were recaught. Some had moved farther than others. But could some have moved even farther away?

Four males ringed in 2025 were recaught in 2026: two near their previous territory but one >9km away.

Another 44 were ringed this year under BTO licence. Bring on 2027!

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· 25d

This is Coed Gartheryr on a north-facing slope near Betws-y-coed. Mostly Douglas-fir planted in 1973/74 and thinned once. It held some of the highest densities of Wood Warbler this year (0.16 territory/ha). Woodland structure is critical. Lots of conifer plantations are unsuitable... but could be.

Some of the highest densities were in Douglas-fir plantations, with a greater number than last year in Sitka Spruce. But lots of plantations don’t hold Wood Warblers, they need a particular structure.

Half of territories used last year were vacant in 2026, even though the overall population was very similar.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· 25d

The first year of this study, in 2025, found high use of conifers by Wood Warblers. In 2026, it was higher still, and there were few in the oakwoods. A subset of 16 plots monitored over a longer time scale also contained similar numbers to 2025, with one site abandoned but three re-occupied.

The overall population was very similar to the previous year, but their distribution was very different.

85% of territories were in conifers, up from 70% in 2025. Only 6% were in oak this year.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· 25d

Across 18 square kilometres, about half of which is wooded, there was 0.11 Wood Warbler territory per hectare. The population in these tetrads alone was very similar to 2025 - the survey covered about half of Coed Gwydyr, so the total on this map will be far higher.

We found Wood Warbler territories in all 10 tetrads surveyed in the catchment of the Afon Conwy. These squares held 110 pairs, approximately 4% of the Welsh breeding population.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· 25d

If you went down to the woods in May... A short 🧵about how @birdsandbikes.bsky.social and I spent our spare time this spring in Coed Gwydyr and adjacent woodlands in the Afon Conwy catchment, #NorthWales. #BirdingWales

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· 26d

Just days after the Fire Service tackled the biggest fire on the #NorthWales coast for years, tonight three lads having a barbecue less than 500 m away. Words fail. Isn't it time to ban disposable BBQs?

Google Map from last Sunday showing the extent of the fire above Sychnant Pass, North Wales

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· 27d

Our biological records centre in #NorthWales, @cofnod.org.uk, has a fantastic tradition of nature-oriented cake for its celebration events. Today's chosen decor was more personal, to mark Roy Tapping's retirement after 21 years' leadership. Lovely gathering at @rspbcymru.bsky.social #Conwy reserve

A decorated rectangular cake with a white layer of icing and the following 3D icing characters: vanilla ice cream in a cone with chocolate flake, Orca, computer terminal with mouse and keyboard, red campervan, red rosette with black '1', three carrots, a row of peas in a pod, and a man in a blue vest sitting in the lotus position

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· 29d

Thanks to #PaddleCymru for featuring the value of our coastal wildlife in Ceufad mag: how to enjoy and respect these special places, avoid disturbing breeding birds and seals, and contribute to our knowledge from your #kayak or #SUP. 📷 @rspbcymru.bsky.social online.fliphtml5.com/mtwnw/Ceufad...

Two pages from Ceufad magazine (click the link to access the article). The left page features a kayaker on a calm green-blue sea below some limestone cliffs beneath the headline: "Birdlife at the Coast: paddling, watching and avoiding disturbance". The right page includes photos of a Fulmar, Puffin and a Stand-up Paddler (SUP) with a seac-cliff behind.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· Jul 12

Fanned by a strong breeze all day, hats off to the firefighters dealing with a blaze that is several times the size of the adjacent communities. And to the local hospitality businesses who have taken in the evacuees. Sadly, climate change means this is the new normal.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· Jul 11

Train home from London, further into the kitchen table reading heap. Good to see The Book of Birds* in @rspb.bsky.social Magazine feature the Species Recovery Curve, a framework for ensuring the right actions for the right species at the right time. *by @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social & Jackie Morris

Schematic and explanation of the Species Recovery Curve, a framework used by the RSPB and others to identify where a species is in terms of recovery effort, ensuring interventions are evidence-based but also that success is not declared until there is confidence that solutions are being delivered at a sufficient scale to have demonstrable impact on the population.

There are 10 stages, three in Diagnosis, three in Testing Solutions, three in Recovery and Long-term Legacy (which can be conservation-dependent such as the Bittern featured or policy-dependent, as Red Kite now is). Of the other birds in the article, Curlew and Turtle Dove are in the Trial Solutions stage, and Capercaillie, Yellowhammer and Corncrake in Recovery.

Movement along the SRC is not always forward, can sometimes stall (usually because of lack of funding or political will) and can go backwards, but it's a useful way to understand where all threatened species are at, what they need and to prioritise efforts. Species recovery is hard work, long-term and success is far from guaranteed. But walking around a wetland and hearing Bitterns booming and watching Red Kites soar is a great pay off when it works.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· Jul 10

Train to London, catching up on reading. BTO News read cover-to-cover as usual. Masterclass series is a brilliant example of asking world experts to convey science in an accessible way. Lots I learned about bird sleep, and it bust a long-held myth! #Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social @maxplanck.de

First page of BTO News article:

Ornithological Masterclass #40: Sleep in birds
We humans all know how important a good night's sleep is, but how does shut-eye work in the avian world? Niels C. Rattenborg explains.

NB. the myth busted is the belief that birds can grip a perch while sleeping thanks to its tendons stretching when relaxed, which pulls the toes tight. Although exactly how birds balance in their sleep remains unknown, the article explains why that can't be true, and also mentions several species that do not sleep upright on a branch. Mousebirds sleep hanging upside down but holding their head up, and Yellow-billed Oxpeckers cling from the 'armpits' of Giraffes!

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· Jul 5

Plenty of Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum) along the @walescoastpath1.bsky.social at Porth Cwyfan today. Actually a member of the carrot family. #WildFlowerHour

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· Jun 25

A joy to sit in the garden, watching at least 50 Swifts scream, circle, swoop, dive and climb to a distant speck. A few breed in the village, perhaps the others are subadults checking out their future summer landscape. Very tempting to sleep out here tonight...

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· Jun 22

Spotted in #Eryri at the weekend: neat idea from @cofnod.org.uk to raise awareness of the value of wildlife records when out in the countryside.

A round plaque on a wooden gatepost, with a green edge and white background and a QR code that goes to the Cofnod Online Record System. The sign reads 'Pa fywyd gwyllt ydych chi'i wedi weld / What wildlife have you seen'

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· Jun 21

A perverse offering for #PollinatorPals #WildFlowerHour... Despite the dry weather, the peatland pools in Cwm Trwsgl, Eryri, were full of Butterworts and Round-leaved Sundews. The latter self-pollinate because the insects are dinner.

Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) growing in a peaty pool. The tendrils on each reddish leaf are tipped with glistening droplets that attract passing insects. This mucilage (a new term for me) is very sticky, trapping insects. The tendrils detect the stuck prey and curl inwards to wrap around the insect, which is digested. The acidic habitats the round-leaved sundew lives in don't provide enough nutrients, so it has evolved this carnivorous way of life to supplement its diet.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· Jun 14

Another year over... always a quiet month as few waterbirds nest in this part of the estuary, but 120 non-breeding Oystercatchers roosted. Not many Herring Gulls, but it was a mid-morning count and the Conwy Quay chippy hadn't opened. I've added a key question to your form @webs-gsmp.bsky.social 😉

Completed Wetland Bird Survey form for Conwy Estuary (Lower) - Sector 3, showing start and end time, that no dead or sick waterbirds were seen, that there was 0% ice cover, the tide was high and the count was accurate. But with an additional spoof question added to the image to confirm that the chip shop was not open.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· Jun 9

Second Welsh county to publish its 2025 Bird Report is #Montgomeryshire. Well done to @simonboyes.bsky.social, who is standing down as county recorder with its completion. Tony Coatsworth takes over from 2026. #BirdingWales Download from montgomerybirdblog.blogspot.com/p/county-rep...

Montgomeryshire County Bird Report. Compiled by Simon Boyes, county bird recorder. Photo of a Dipper, a dark brown bird with a white throat and breast, facing to the right, perched on a rock in a calm river

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· Jun 7

Da iawn @shr-thing.bsky.social for finding Britain's first Western Reef Heron yesterday. He joins a select group of people who have found a British first in Wales. The 2020s now matches the 1980s as the decade with the most firsts. #BirdingWales @birdsinwales.bsky.social

Table showing the first records of a species in Britain that occurred in Wales, including two that are subject to acceptance by the British Ornithologists Union Records Committee and one that was initially found in Gloucestershire but moved into Wales a few weeks later. Photo of a Western Reef Heron by John Riley.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· Jun 5

Second visits to my two @bbs-birds.bsky.social completed. Hat very welcome for a June visit that felt like April. The annual fun of trying to find adults (recently fledged juveniles don't count) among fast-moving family flocks of Blue Tits high in the canopy.

Black BTO beanie hat and completed survey field recording sheet on a black clipboard

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· May 25

And so it ends... Three weeks of Wood Warbler surveys, most mornings starting with a woolly hat until yesterday. 176km of transects walked across 10 tetrads, with @marcbuzzard.bsky.social completing another. Number crunching next. I'll miss the best sound in a woodland, perhaps not the 4.30 alarm.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· May 15

If you walked in an oakwood last autumn, you might remember that there were a lot of acorns. Now there are a lot of tiny Oak trees, where no animals graze. This was a random square metre (approx) that contained c.50 tiny trees. Across Wales, there must be tens of millions.

An area of approximately one square metre, containing a variety of plants. Dominant are the bright green, irregularly shaped Oak leaves, with a small number of Bluebells among them, and Ivy and Bramble sp. They are all growing through the litter layer of brown Oak leaves from last year

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· May 11

There's more detail in the latest @northwaleswt.bsky.social members' magazine, featuring quotes from some of the volunteers involved, thanking @natreswales.bsky.social for funding, Baron Hill Estates for permission and @biosecuritylife.bsky.social for assistance.

Photo of part of the article in the North Wales Wildlife Trust magazine, featuring quote from three volunteers.

John Ratcliffe: "Some 25 years after organising the first eradication of rats on Ynys Seiriol, it has been really interesting to re-join this project. It's no island paradise — with rough terrain, impenetrable scrub and the sweet smell of guano and seal poo wafting around, a day here is a good workout but ensuring a rat-free island for the birds is one of the best things we've done as conservationists. I just hope the birds appreciate it!"

Emillie Minetii: "Helping out on Ynys Seiriol has been both personally meaningful and scientifically inspiring As a recent marine biology graduate, I feel proud to actively contribute to the monitoring and protection of wildlife in such an important ecological site The experience has strengthened my commitment to protecting our natural heritage and has been an important step in my journey as an early-career conservationist!'

Julian Hughes: "As a keen birder, Anglesey's seabirds are an important part of my life, so learning that rats were back on Ynys Seiriol was devastating. Working through the elder woodland and avoiding deep burrows in the tussocky grass was no doddle, but a great way to work off Christmas cake in the second half of each winter. The fellowship of other volunteers, morning boat rides that froze your face, and the opportunity to be somewhere that few others tread on fine days and foul will live long in the memory — as will the smell of the seals, the ringing calls of chough flocks and the groups of purple sandpipers foraging on the seaweed-coated rocks. It was a privilege to play a small part."

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· May 10

Another @cofnod.org.uk entry today was >110 spikes of Early-purple Orchid, although most were past their best. The previous highest count in this 10-km square was 19. The difference? Neighbouring farmer has shut the gate to prevent sheep grazing in the woodland SSSI in spring. #WildFlowerHour

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· May 10

Back home, found a Wasp Beetle (Clytus arietus) in the ivy by the front door, only the second record in this 10-km square, so duly submitted to @cofnod.org.uk

A long-bodied beetle. Head is black with a yellow line around the 'crown' from which the antennae are brown with a black tip. The wing cases are black with several lateral yellow lines that come together to form stripes of different shapes. The six legs are long and brown.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· May 10

First day this year I've recorded 10 butterfly species on a walk through and above the village, though numbers low in the cold wind. I was pointing the camera at Brown Argus when my partner came back with a smartphone shot of a Dingy Skipper, a good record here. List on @birdtrack.bsky.social

Brown Argus. A small butterfly resting on sunny vegetation with its wings open. The majority of the wings are chocolate-brown, edged in white, with a hint of dark blue around the abdomen. Towards the outer edge of all four wings are small, bright orange spots.

A screenshot of some of my list collected on BirdTrack today.

Slow-worm 1, Dingy Skipper 1, Large White 2, Orange-tip 2, Brown Argus 2, Common Blue 2, Red Admiral 1, Painted Lady 1, Peacock 1, Speckled Wood 1, Small Heath 1, Early Purple Orchid 110+

A Dingy Skipper nectaring on a Common Rockrose flower (taken with a smartphone). The top edge of the wings are straight, typical of skipper species, and all four wings are patterned in delicate shades of brown

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· May 4

Correct @wanderinglapwing.bsky.social, da iawn! Today was the first day monitoring Wood Warblers in my study area in the Conwy Valley, mostly in Welsh Government Woodland Estate managed by @natreswales.bsky.social. Obviously, way too early to make any comparisons with last year... #BirdingWales

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· May 4

And so it begins... The 5.45 alarm, the 18km before breakfast (ok, it was more like brunch), the sounds of the forest in the morning. Gotta love Wales in May. So, what am I listening for?

Read out from my phone app, showing that I walked 25,000 steps and over 18km by 11.21 am. And apparently I kept moving for 318 minutes.

Julian Hughes@penrhynbirder· May 3

Returned from holiday to find the first 2025 Bird Report from a Welsh county completed. 👏 Jon Green in #Pembrokeshire. Great to see it includes maps that draw on @birdtrack.bsky.social and #eBird records, produced by @btobirds.bsky.social. #BirdingWales pembsbirds.blogspot.com/p/the-annual...