Six more rare Hen Harriers vanish on or near grouse moors with another confirmed poisoned Seven RSPB satellite tagged Hen Harriers are suspected or confirmed to have been illegally killed in England on or near land managed for grouse shooting in 2025 – with three in just thirteen days. Hen Harriers are a protected, Red-listed…
Tag: RSPB
RSPB’s reaction to OEP’s report on environmental improvement ‘progress’
RSPB’s reaction to Government Watchdog’s report on environmental improvement progress The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has shown that progress remains far too slow on environmental improvement. This puts economic growth, net zero, and public health at risk. Beccy Speight, RSPB chief executive, said: “Nature in England is still in freefall, and the UK Government…
RSPB press release – Yorkshire Buzzard basher pleads guilty
Gamekeeper filmed brutally killing protected Buzzard In March 2024, secret RSPB filming caught gamekeeper Thomas Munday brutally killing a protected Buzzard whilst it was caught in a cage trap on a pheasant shoot near Hovingham, North Yorkshire. Today, at Scarborough Magistrates Court, Munday pleaded guilty to killing a Buzzard and was fined £1,215. Although cage…
RSPB report on farming
The RSPB sets out vision for how farming can help save nature In a brand-new report, published at this week’s Oxford Farming Conference, the RSPB sets out how farming can help reverse wildlife declines. The RSPB calls on governments to make three key steps to support farmers in making this transition, as well as detailing how…
Guest blog – Let’s Ban Bio-beads by Chris Corrigan
Chris Corrigan is CEO of the Sussex Wildlife Trust and has worked in nature conservation for almost 40 years. He spent most of his career with the RSPB, most recently as Director England, but has also worked for BirdWatch Ireland and Butterfly Conservation and is a trustee of the South Georgia Heritage Trust. He is…
Twelfth Night wildlife round up
Opinions differ as to how and when one ‘should’ take down Christmas decorations, just as they do about how and when one should take down Venezuelan presidents. But on the former I stick to the Twelfth Night rule which gives me an opportunity to have a look at all the Christmas cards that have arrived….
Guest blog – Walshaw Turbine 19 by Nick MacKinnon
Nick MacKinnon is a freelance teacher of Maths, English and Medieval History, and lives above Haworth, in the last inhabited house before Top Withens = Wuthering Heights. In 1992 he founded the successful Campaign to Save Radio 4 Long Wave while in plaster following a rock-climbing accident on Skye. His poem ‘The metric system’ won…
RSPB press release – Peat with a Dram
Major whisky makers join forces for first-of-its-kind peatland revival at RSPB reserve A landmark conservation partnership has been announced, with RSPB Scotland and major whisky distillers Suntory Global Spirits, Diageo and The Glenmorangie Company uniting to restore peatland on Islay; one of Scotland’s most iconic landscapes. The project at The Oa nature reserve is set…
RSPB press release – ‘Skylark Lane’ and ‘Swift Avenue’
‘Skylark Lane’ and ‘Swift Avenue’ – UK wildlife in freefall while nature-related road names increase New insights from the RSPB, based on OS Open Names data, show that while the devastating decline of UK wildlife continues, the prevalence of nature-related road names in Great Britain is rising rapidly. The last 20 years has seen increases…
Growth
This is an image of Raunds; the rural town where I have lived for half my life. In passing, you can see Stanwick Lakes, my local birdwatching patch, to the west of the A45, at the left hand side of the image. And the B663 is the road by which I left home to head…