Following the UK Government’s response – click here – to the OEP’s report on Protected Sites in England – click here, Gemma Cantelo, head of policy and advocacy for RSPB England, said: “Despite countless wake-up calls the UK Government still believes a business-as-usual approach will stop nature disappearing over a cliff edge. The OEP could…
Tag: RSPB
RSPB – 726,000 songbirds illegally killed in Cyprus last autumn as enforcement gaps exposed
An estimated 726,000 migrating songbirds were illegally trapped and killed on the island of Cyprus last autumn, a new report from BirdLife Cyprus has revealed. Species including Blackcaps, Redstarts, Whitethroats and Willow Warblers were found to have been caught using mist nets and limesticks within the survey area, which includes land around British military bases….
BTO Conference
The annual BTO conference took place in Northampton on Saturday – and it was all very good. The venue was good, the food was good, the venue was close to the railway and bus stations and the talks were good and were enjoyed by a good audience of 300 or so. I mean it about…
RSPB – Mass death of seabirds across UK and Europe following winter storms underlines fragility of populations
Mass death of seabirds across UK and Europe following winter storms underlines fragility of populations The RSPB is calling for the urgent nationwide delivery of actions to support seabirds following the reported deaths of hundreds of Puffins, Guillemots and other species, with potentially thousands of birds affected across the UK and Europe. Seabirds have been…
Why Hen Harriers don’t prosper in the Forest of Bowland and what could be done about it
Introduction: This blog was prompted by reading the Draft Management Plan for the Forest of Bowland National Landscape (the new name for the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). I have written several earlier versions of this blog and electronically ripped them up and put them in the bin. This is where I…
Research in Cumbria explores how fungal networks shape upland treescapes
New scientific research in Cumbria explores how hidden fungal networks shape treescapes in the UK’s uplands Cumbria Connect, the landscape-scale nature recovery programme, has secured new funding for its science programme to investigate how underground fungal networks influence the success of woodland creation in Cumbria’s upland landscapes, at a time of unprecedented national ambition to…
RSPB – Capercaillies at Abernethy Forest
Boost for one of the UK’s rarest birds at key site The RSPB has revealed a promising increase in the number of Capercaillie at RSPB Abernethy in Scotland with 30 lekking males recorded in 2025, a 50% increase since 2020. The Capercaillie was once more widely spread across the UK but is now confined to native pinewood forests of Scotland where their total population is estimated at 532 birds. The…
Rare Pennine wading bird given boost as RSPB survey reveals Dunlin breeding success
Rare Pennine wading bird given boost as RSPB survey reveals Dunlin breeding success First-ever large-scale survey reveals rare Dunlin still breeding across the North Pennines, offering new hope for a declining species. RSPB-led project uses technology – including drones, cameras and acoustic recorders – to uncover hidden upland bird populations. Partnership conservation delivers results, with Dunlin chicks…
RSPB – Gamekeeper pleads guilty in Hen Harrier persecution case
Gamekeeper pleads guilty in England’s first-ever Hen Harrier persecution case On 29 January at York Magistrates Court Racster Dingwall – a head gamekeeper on the Conistone and Grassington Estate in the Yorkshire Dales National Park – pleaded guilty to conspiring to kill Hen Harrier. Footage and sound recordings obtained lawfully by the RSPB’s Investigations team were…
Guest blog – Is this a mole trap I see before me by Alick Simmons
Alick Simmons spent most of his career in public service serving as the UK Food Standards Agency’s Veterinary Director (2004-2007) and the UK Government’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer (2007-2015). He is the current chair of the Zoological Society of London’s Ethics Committee on Animal Research and a member of the Wild Animal Welfare Committee. He…