As someone who has always been interested in history and how the landscapes and habitats we see today have been formed the Brecks is a fascinating place to work. There is always something to learn about and see and serve as constant reminders of how we...

Calling all visitors and residents of North Kent, South Essex and London; The Big Picture – Greater Thames Photography Competition is open for entries! With a break in the weather and a wealth of winter waders out on the marshes, what better time...

This winter’s floods show us that we need a step change in the way we manage flooding and its consequences. Widespread dredging would not prevent floods during such overwhelming rainfall. Instead, we need to invest in natural ecosystems to complement...

Members of the Blueprint for Water Coalition, including the RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, have commissioned a report from The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) into dredging rivers to manage...

By now, we've all seen the devastating impact of the floods on householders and farmers. RSPB area manager for West Sedgemoor in Somerset Jane Brookhouse explains what life is like...

We live in Burrowbridge – yes, the place that everyone has seen...

The impact of flooding in southern England has not been far away from the headlines for the past two weeks.

Today the Times ran the letter below from our conservation director Martin Harper briefly outlining the RSPB’s hopes for the future of the Somerset...

What?

The Axholme and Idle Farmland Bird project supports local farmers who are giving nature a home on their land. A big part of this involves keeping a careful eye on numbers of farmland birds across the area. This spring there are opportunities for...

Andrew Holland writes.....

My name is Andrew Holland and I am the Brecks Farm Conservation Adviser and as the name suggests I work closely with farmers and landowners in the Brecks. After working on the family farm in Lancashire for 28 years, starting...

This past weekend was the culmination of the Cairngorms Futurescape Wader-friendly Recipe Competition. We ran this in partnership with Kingussie Food on Film Festival ( www.kingussiefoodonfilm.co.uk ) with support from Scotland's Natural Larder (...

Robert Hawkes, RSPB Grass Heath Project Officer writes....

Hi all.  This is my first blog so I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Robert Hawkes and I’m the RSPB grass heath project officer for the East of England.  The Brecks is located in...

It’s that time of year again, when thousands of British homeowners get involved in the biggest wildlife survey in the world, the Big Garden Bird Watch. For the past 35 years the RSPB has been asking people to spare just one hour counting the birds in...

The Competition is Hotting up ...and so is the food! We have had some fantastic recipes submitted for the Cairngorms Futurescape Wader-friendly Recipe Competition with the overall winner being announced at the Kingussie Food on Film Food Hall Day...

Our RSPB Nature Reserve at Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire is a jaw-dropping place to visit in the late spring and summer (pretty good at any time actually) when the nesting seabirds are at the height of the breeding season. The sights, sounds and smells...

As February nears, we’re preparing for our next three guided nature walks – all free to the public and aimed to showcase some of the amazing landscapes found in and around the South Downs.  And whilst we’re encouraging you all to don your walking...

Charlotte Lowry, Brecks Projects Manager writes...

I’ve been working for the RSPB for nearly 3 years now and have the pleasure of coordinating our work in the Brecks, under the banner of the Brecks Futurescape.
RSPB has been working in the Brecks...

We talk a lot about a syndrome called "nature deficit disorder" and worry that in busy, industrial and developed places such as the Greater Thames, young people will grow up not understanding the value and importance of our natural world. Fortunately...

Blog post by Nick Phillips, Senior Forestry Policy Officer As we approach the centenary of the birth of public forests, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to guide the way they will look for another 100 years. This is a pivotal year for the Public...

The hawfinch is our largest finch and a magnificent bird to see – when you can see one. A shy and elusive bird it often just seems to melt into the wooded landscapes where it occurs.

It is a star species of the Sherwood Forest Futurescape, which...

I spent an hour or so with my son at Grafham Water on Sunday watching a great northern diver swimming and fishing amongst the dozens of great crested grebes that spend the winter on the reservoir. It was Jack’s first great northern diver and I explained...

The late winter in 2013 may have set back recovery of the stone-curlew population in the Brecks by as much as eight years. Stone-curlews returning from southern Spain and north Africa in April, to their main stronghold in the UK, discovered too late that...

Apologies for yesterday's inexplicable font crisis. I hope this is easier to read.

Yesterday's Daily Telegraph reports that the Coalition Government is accused by planning experts of taking the 'nuclear option' on planning by giving developers...

A Happy New Year from the Brecks Team! I hope you had a good Christmas break and have made giving nature a home in your garden one of your resolutions! This year looks set to be a busy one for the team with several projects which you will hear more...

Derby County are having a good run in the Championship at the moment, pride is booming at Pride Park (overlooking the Chelsea result at the weekend in the FA cup of course).

But its not activity on the pitch that is the subject of this blog, within sight...

Gaggle, deceit, exaltation, murder, plump, covey, murmuration, wisp, sedge, skein, herd, spring, train and parliament – a wonderful array of collective nouns to describe flocks of birds – enjoy the richness of the English language.

Winter...

It’s good to start the new year with some positive news.

We return to the review of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, which I last blogged about on 25 October, here. Since then, the proposed text moved into an intense period...