birdwatching

Author Margaret Atwood has donated C$1 million to avian research, telling the Guardian that birdwatching brings her something 'close to rapture'. The gift by the Booker Prize-winning novelist, long known for her environmental activism, is aimed at supporting scientific study of bird populations at a time when many species face steep declines from habitat loss and climate change.

A photographer based in Melbourne has shared a new wildlife image capturing birds during an early morning moment, tagged under Australian bird photography hashtags. The post is drawing positive engagement from birdwatching and photography communities, who regularly share and celebrate native Australian species through these tags.

A hobbyist photographer is sharing pictures of birds they snap in their spare time, jokingly calling them 'weird little flying dinosaur things that everybody around me seems to be crazy about'. One of their recent shots turned out to be a Senegal coucal, a bird they only identified after the fact. The lighthearted post has drawn attention for its affectionate take on casual birdwatching and photography.

A grey heron (Ardea cinerea) was photographed at the Santillana Reservoir near Soto del Real, Spain, on 10 July 2026. The sighting was shared with nature and birdwatching communities, with the observer linking information about the species. Grey herons are common wading birds across Europe, and local reservoirs like Santillana regularly attract them, drawing interest from birders and wildlife photographers in the Madrid region.

A photograph of a Great Blue Heron is circulating among wildlife and bird photography enthusiasts, tagged under birdwatching and nature photography communities. Viewers are sharing and liking the image of the striking wading bird, reflecting steady interest in heron sightings and wild bird photography across nature-loving online communities.

A photographer based in Melbourne has shared a new set of glossy bird photographs, celebrating Australian birdlife with a burst of enthusiasm. The images are drawing likes from the wildlife and birdwatching community, which regularly exchanges shots of native species such as parrots and other Australian birds.

A red-shouldered hawk was seen perched and hunting for a meal in a garden, in a post tagged with birds and gardening. The sighting is drawing attention from birdwatchers and gardening enthusiasts who enjoy watching birds of prey visit backyard spaces, where hawks typically hunt small rodents and songbirds.

Birdwatchers and nature photographers are sharing images of the Cape Bulbul, a songbird native to South Africa. The photos highlight the bird's distinctive features and appeal to ornithology and wildlife photography communities, where users across multiple languages are engaging with the shots.

A photographer in Norman, Oklahoma, shared a close-up photo of a House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) taken on August 23, 2026, and published the camera settings used to capture it. The image highlights the small songbird common to the Crosstimbers ecoregion and has drawn modest appreciation from birdwatching and wildlife photography communities.

A photographer has shared a picture of a Silver-throated Bushtit taken on August 27 at Huanggang Binjiang Park in Shenzhen, China. The small songbird, native to southern China, was photographed in the park's greenery as part of an ongoing series of bird and wildlife photos the poster shares with fellow birding and photography enthusiasts.

A photographer in Norman, Oklahoma has shared a close-up image of a Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) perched on a wild grape vine, taken on August 24, 2026. Alongside the photo, details of the camera settings used were made available. The image is drawing attention from birdwatching and wildlife enthusiasts, who appreciate the clear capture of the small songbird in its natural habitat.

A wildlife photographer has shared images of a Yellow Bittern spotted a few days ago at Tuhai Wetland Park, noting that the species are very small herons that favour marshy, well-vegetated water bodies. The sighting highlights the wetland park's value as habitat for this secretive bird, and birdwatchers online have been exchanging photos and observations of bitterns and other wetland species in China.

A nature observation from Finnish Lapland highlights the yellowhammer, a rather plain but common songbird in the forests around Rovaniemi. Its song is described as characteristic and audible from far away, even though the bird itself is difficult to spot. Travel and birdwatching fans are sharing the note, which points visitors to Finland's north for summer bird encounters.

Birdwatchers are reporting a Eurasian Hobby hunting up and down Wicken Lode, just north of the mere, at National Trust Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire. The sighting, recorded in May 2026, has drawn attention from the UK birding and wildlife photography community, with nature enthusiasts sharing the observation widely. The Hobby, a small falcon known for its agile flight, is a prized sight at the nature reserve.

A grey heron (Ardea cinerea) has been photographed at the Embalse de Santillana reservoir in Soto del Real, north of Madrid, Spain. The image, dated 10 July 2026, shows the wading bird in its natural wetland habitat and has drawn appreciation from nature and birdwatching enthusiasts. The Santillana reservoir is a known spot for herons and other waterbirds in the Sierra de Guadarrama area.

A photographer in Fredensborg, Denmark, posted a wildlife image capturing a bird apparently fishing alongside another bird, described as 'Gone Fishing with a friend'. The shot is being shared among nature and birdwatching communities, drawing attention for its charming depiction of two birds together at the water, with viewers praising the moment of animal behaviour caught on camera.

Birdwatchers at Titchwell Marsh in Norfolk were treated to close views of Pied Avocets feeding along the water, with many birds gathered near one of the reserve hides. Visitors had been hoping to spot a rare Spotted Crake, which did appear, though the best photographs came from other birds, including the striking avocets sweeping for food.

On the North Sea island of Helgoland, a wildlife photographer reports that some of the island's oystercatchers are remarkably tame — so trusting, in fact, that the camera is briefly at risk of being pecked. The lighthearted account, shared with bird photography and birdwatching tags, is drawing warm responses from birding communities. It highlights how close visitors can get to the seabirds breeding along the German coast.

Nature and bird photography communities are sharing photographs of hawks, celebrating the birds of prey under popular wildlife and nature hashtags. The images are drawing appreciation from birdwatchers and photographers, adding to a steady flow of wildlife photography that circulates across photo-sharing and social platforms, where raptor shots are consistently among the most popular bird subjects.

A wildlife photographer has thanked the RSPB after the conservation charity shared one of their photographs. The exchange drew warm reactions from nature lovers, who congratulated the photographer on the recognition. It is a small but positive moment of appreciation within the wildlife photography and birdwatching community.

A German nature photographer has published the 107th entry in an ongoing 2026 birdspotting photo series, featuring a woodpigeon. The image, shared on a personal photography site, highlights common garden birds through nature photography. Bird enthusiasts continue to follow such series for their regular documentation of everyday wildlife.

Birdwatchers in Norfolk shared photographs of curlews, including one bird whose plumage blended almost invisibly into the colourful heather. Several curlews were seen during the outing, with the camouflaged individual drawing particular attention from nature and wildlife photography enthusiasts commenting on the bird's remarkable natural disguise.

A birdwatcher reports an unusual sighting of Eurasian collared doves, noting that while the species typically appears in one standard shade, two juveniles that recently joined the local flock show strikingly different colouring — one dark brown and one light cream. The post celebrates the visible diversity within the visiting doves.

Photographers and bird lovers are sharing a striking image of a ground hornbill in flight, a sight many describe as unusual since these large birds spend most of their time walking on the ground. The picture is being circulated among nature and wildlife photography communities, drawing appreciation for capturing such an uncommon moment.

Cheyenne's city government has rejected a proposal to rezone a parcel near local bird habitat for Business Park use, a decision welcomed by the Cheyenne Audubon group, which had opposed the change. The rezoning denial preserves land adjacent to habitat valued by birdwatchers and conservationists in the Wyoming capital.

BirdLife International has published a new installment of its 'Voices of the Flyways' series featuring Luisa Plaza Urrutia. The series spotlightises people working along the world's migratory bird flyways, highlighting conservation efforts to protect the routes birds travel between continents. The latest profile has drawn attention within the bird conservation community.