Are you looking for unusual and ethical gifts this Christmas?

Why not support your local RSPB, and see what handmade goodies you can find in our online shop or at our reserve Christmas fairs? With lots of local traders, festive food and fun, our Christmas fairs are a great way to get out in nature and help us make a difference.

Rainham Marshes Christmas Fair, Essex

Sunday 10 December, 10.30 am-7 pm, free entry…

Britain’s loudest bird, once extinct in the UK, has enjoyed its best year since records began, according to a new survey. The bittern – a kind of heron – is doing well following intensive conservation efforts. One of the best places to spot them in the South East is RSPB Dungeness, Kent.

Bitterns are highly secretive wetland birds and live most of their time within dense stands of reed, making them…

RSPB Pulborough Brooks is offering free entry to visitors between 25-26^th November, to encourage people to discover and celebrate the winter wildlife on the reserve.

The annual free event is always popular, as visitors get to explore the miles of nature trails before warming up with coffee and cake in the café. This year, new wildlife drawing and printing workshops will also be running over the weekend.

Our 2016 Birdcrime report reveals 39 incidents of bird of prey persecution reported in the South East of England during 2016, accounting for just over 8% of the reported incidents across the UK. Worryingly we have already received reports of peregrines being shot in the South East in 2017, a clear sign that illegal persecution is still continuing.

Without urgent action some of UK’s birds of prey face a bleak future after…