MERRY CHRISTMAS - see you on your Festive Seasonal Walk out and about at our reserves!

Blogger: Adam Murray, Communications Officer

Ahh the joys of collecting old encyclopaedias and natural world books (I know I am a chic geek) as well as the speed of Wikipedia. I was completely unaware that the Twelve Days of Christmas started on Christmas Day. Not only that but there are variations on the song and lots of debate about the origin and meaning.

In my eyes, it is a celebration of this time of year both…

Blogger: Rachael Murray, Media Officer

It’s an age-old tradition – using fresh holly branches to adorn your table and give your home a festive look – but don’t forget to leave enough out there for our wildlife this winter!

Holly is a valuable source of food and shelter for a number of birds, mammals and insects.  Thrushes, robins, dunnocks, finches and goldcrests use it for nesting as the prickly…

Blogger: Rachael Murray, Media Officer

For all you budding conservationists out there, the fab news is that we are looking for four people passionate about conservation who can dedicate a year to volunteering on their Eastern England reserves.

The internships begin in early March 2012 and will give volunteers the opportunity to spend two consecutive 6 month periods working at some of our favourite RSPB nature reserves…

Blogger: Lisa Robinson – Visitor Officer Intern, RSPB Minsmere

In light of the new internships that have been developed, I thought I’d tell you about my experience as an intern with the RSPB.

I’ve been an intern at the Minsmere visitor centre since early September. When I tell people where I’m working they tend to assume I’m outdoors all the time, getting hands on with conservation work. Not so! I’m pretty…

Blogger: Erica Howe, Communications Manager

We reported on some rather shocking news this week. The hen harrier is the bird most likely to become extinct in England because of human pressure. I’ve only ever seen a hen harrier once; on a visit to RSPB Titchwell Marsh last Christmas. As I stood on the path i was freezing with the bitter wind blowing through my rather unsuitable, not-very-winterproof-coat! My eyes were…

A Week in the life of a media heart!

Erica Howe - Communications Manager

What a week! It has been busy, emotional, hectic, funny, scary, and all in the last five days.

Monday morning was the calm before the storm, but a really inspiring start to the week. Together with the Broads Authority, The RSPB is looking to the future to plan how we can manage landscape scale conservation in this valuable area. This is…

Blogger: Sarah Green, Project Coordinator - Natura People Partnership Project

‘Yes!’ I hear you cry.  Well that’s to be expected as you’re reading this blog.  Lots of people appreciate the chance to get outdoors, experience the fresh air, discover some interesting wildlife and generally get involved with the natural world.  I got to do this recently and I wanted to share my experiences with you all…

Blogger: Aggie Rothon, Communications Officer

I remember picking up our Christmas turkey one year. I was only small, but I can still recall the slow drive up a rain sodden path following signs for ‘Norfolk Black turkeys.’  A few sheep grazed in the fields to the left, bundled up in their thick winter fleeces. Fluffy-footed chickens padded around pecking at stray pieces of straw avoiding the low-lying sheepdog…

Blogger: Rachael Murray, Media Officer

Suffolk Police, and RSPB in the East are appealing for information after a barn owl was found shot at a nature reserve in Suffolk. Derek Turner, from Saxmundham, found the bird on Tuesday 23rd November whilst walking his dog at nearby RSPB nature reserve, Snape Warren. 

The barn owl survived the incident, and is currently in a local bird rehabilitation centre.  It is hoped that the…

Blogger: Jon Reeves, Ouse Washes Site Manager

Due to the unique dry conditions on the Ouse Washes at this time of year. Roosting whooper swans are concentrated on pools of water in front of various hides. Currently the best viewing areas are Grose and Stocktdale’s hides, only 10 minutes walk from the car park. Of the 5000 whooper swans present on the Ouse Washes 700 are roosting in front of these hides as seen in photo…

Blogger: Gena Correale Wardle, Community Fundraising Officer

Being a Community Fundraiser is a varied life. When I tell people I am a ‘fundraiser’ they either think I do door-to-door fundraising with a clip board and a puppy-dog look in my eye, or that I sit behind a desk writing grant applications to raise funds for specific projects. My role sits somewhere in between, having some of both deskwork and face-to-face fundraising…

Blogger - Communications Manager, Erica Howe

I had to scrape ice off my car windscreen the other morning! Ok, so that’s hardly news I know, but I can’t believe we nearly made it to the end of November without having so much as a light frost. I live in the city so perhaps this isn’t unusual, but it fills me with comfort to think that winter is finally here. I’m a big fan of the warmer seasons don’t get me wrong, but I…

Blogger: Kim Matthews, Campaign Intern

This particular marine behemoth was not of the fishy variety; instead it consisted of an amazing conglomeration of sponge, strawberries and silver-coated chocolate on a board smothered in blue goo.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

My close encounter of the cake kind began earlier on this overcast Tuesday.  Emerging from the Westminster tube into a crisp winter’s day is quite…

December is here! The first door on the advent calendar has been opened.

And so here are our Steps for December, modelled by our regional volunteer team, Annie, Zahra and Jane.

Please see below for more detail on December’s Steps.

 Do: With winter arriving we are preparing for Big Garden Birdwatch already! Make sure to feed your garden birds with as wide a variety as possible to get the biggest batch of birds…