Feather's ruffled by bird migration jargon? Take a look at our handy glossary of bird migration terms.

I have something in common with Big Garden Birdwatch – we both turn 40 in 2019. A little bit of maths tells me I've taken part in 25 of the counts, but I know some people who have done every one since 1979! To celebrate this special anniversary Birdwatch, I’ve put together my Christmas wish list - the birds I’d most like to see in my garden on the Birdwatch. 

Bramblings are here in the UK in good numbers…

I think many of you would agree that this week has gotten a little Christmas heavy with the launch of the Christmas John Lewis advert (I didn't cry! You cried!) and the Black Friday madness.

But there is one bird that couldn't be more excited. In fact this black-tailed godwit seems to be so excited about Christmas that they've held onto their red summer plumage seeing it fit for the spirit of Noël. Santa would be…

It's not just in countryside and on coasts where you can see winter's new arrivals, there's plenty to be seen in cities, too. In the latest issue of Nature's Home, our columnist David Lindo shares how to see winter birds in your town or city.

Have you ever wondered what goes on after dark in your garden? What about what goes on over your garden?

As I walked out to my car on Friday night for a trip to the cinema, an unmistakable call sounded out twice as a bird flew over. It was a sound I associate with visits to the coast and especially muddy coastal marshes or estuaries. It was the call of a dunlin – one of several species of wader that are  now stacking…

This week our brilliant volunteer, Ben Hide, picked this brilliant photo and tells us why.

OK, so this photo probably isn’t going to win any awards for cuteness or make you go “awwww” but it seemed such a unique and interesting occurrence that I had to select it as photo of the week. Sent in by Karen Andrews, the photo was taken in Scarfskerry – the most northerly settlement in mainland Great Britain, it shows two leopard…

For hundreds of years we've marvelled at bird migration, observing the seasons change around us as birds arrive and depart. Today we know where they go when they leave our shores, but that wasn't always the case. Over the years, humans have had some pretty strange ideas about bird migration. Here are our top eight wild migration myths... in order of weirdness.

8. Windbreakers

Geese, such as these brent geese,…

As the seasons change, birds all over the planet are on the move. Whether it’s to get to their preferred breeding grounds, to find more food or to seek out a warmer or colder climates, many species travel throughout the year. Some species travel thousands of miles to different climates, while others shift just a few miles. Read on to learn everything you need to know about migration.

Birds migrate for food, shelter…

Every winter is different here in the UK. Sometimes, it’s a mild and wet winter and sometimes it’s a cold and crisp one. Sometimes it switches between the two with regularity.

For nature-lovers, and particularly birders, winters can be characterised by which migrant birds arrive in good numbers.

Every November, I like to make a prediction, based on reports of certain birds, their numbers and where they’ve…

What's better than an elegant and beautiful yellow, grey and black grey wagtail?

Two of them!

Nature's Home reader Jim Glover says: "Thought you may like to see this grey wagtail (and its reflection) I captured catching insects while I was sitting quietly adjacent to an area of water at Warnham Local Nature Reserve in October. It was a pleasure to watch."

I bet it was - thanks very much for sharing…

In winter a lot of our wildlife starts to disappear. Many mammals hibernate, some birds migrate, and the butterflies and dragonflies we saw all summer are gone. But where?

In the current issue of Nature's Home, entomologist Dr Ross Piper addresses this question. Most insects, he tells us, synchronise their activity with the warmer weather – their ability to move, feed and reproduce is governed by the ambient temperature…

Look on the ground under and near beech trees for the unmistakable magpie inkcap (image cMark Ward)

Worth waiting for
The recent rain plus the dewy mornings have meant that the fungi season has really kicked off in most places now: a little later than usual, but well worth the wait!

You should be able to find 20+ species on a walk around a good mixed woodland in October. The secret is to look on, below and near as many…

It's time to say goodbye to our summer visitors as they head to Africa and welcome in the Arctic migrants, so for one last hurrah, I've selected Nature's Home reader Tony Rayner's intimate shot of a house martin peering out of its mud cup nest for this week's Photo of the Week.

Wouldn't it be great to know where this bird is now?

Whether you want some fun days out with the kids or just need a breather from modern life, autumn is a great time to get out and about. Here's what's on in half term in the world of nature, and how you can make the most of it.

Grow a tree

Holly is a great choice for a small garden. It provides berries and shelter for wildlife and can be grown in a pot. Photo: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

You might be putting…

Few events in the UK wildlife year combine sight and sound quite so impressively as wild geese leaving their overnight roost - and returning in the evenings. Standing beneath thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of these Arctic visitors filling the sky as far as the eye can see,  their conversational calls blocking out everything else, is a special moment and one of my absolute favourites. For a few seconds, you are…

Our brilliant volunteer, Ben Hide, brings you his photo of the week once again.

As autumn starts to gather pace, wildlife spectacles are all around us. And few are more obvious to the eyes (and ears!) than the annual red deer rut. Whether it’s the wilds of the Scottish Highlands or the serenity of an urban park (as here) Stag’s are in full, testosterone-fuelled action gear in pursuit of the female hinds.

…

With autumn comes race for trees to reproduce. The seed dispersal begins. Trees are dropping, flinging and throwing their seeds, searching out new space and light to grow. But not all trees use the same technique – there are lots of ways to disperse a seed.

For a start, seeds come in many different packages.

A nut is a seed in a hard case, such as a hazelnut, while a seed is the plant embryo itself, such as the…

October is a great month for the meeting of wildlife from all parts of the world. It’s possible, in the right place on the right day to be watching birds fresh in from the Arctic, or the forests of northern Europe alongside waifs and strays from Siberia and maybe even a visitor from America! That’s the beauty of autumn in the UK – you never know what you’re going to get…

Migrants are arriving…

A songbird that lives solely at the water’s edge unlike many of its passerine pals, the dipper and its lunch is the subject of this week’s photo of the week.

The dipper is a plump and short-tailed bird that has the remarkable knack of walking into and under the water in search of grub. This birdie’s catch of the day was too much for its underlings so he had to return it for a smaller model.

Eye's…

Migratory birds can travel thousands of miles across the planet, facing harsh weathers and vast open seas. Migration is a dangerous business.

But every year thousands of pink-footed geese touch down in the UK, and large flocks of finches and thrushes rush overhead. So how do they do it? Well, a lot of them find safety in numbers.

Whooper swans migrate vast distances and find safety in travelling in formation. Photo…

Your Winter Nature's Home magazine is winging its way to you now (if you're an RSPB member that is), meaning it's time for another set of monthly "Must sees" set out in the Wild about pages,  Admittedly, I have an unfair advantage because I know what's coming as I choose the species, but I'm pleased to have found the first one already: "Look for earthstar fungi under trees". 

Due…

This week's photo was picked by our brilliant volunteer Ben Hide.

Think of Swan Lake and you probably conjure up images of graceful movement and serene calmness. However, sometimes reality can tell a different story, as is the case in this week’s Photo of the Week.

Sent to us by RSPB member Robin Kirwan-Taylor, this pair of mute swans are causing quite the commotion. Possibly a pair having a “marital disagreement…

So the Winter Issue of Nature's Home magazine has just landed on our desks, and is about to wing its way to you. It’s always a super-exciting moment when Nature’s Home returns from the printer’s. We're feeling proud to see all our hard work - and the stories that you help support - brought to life. 

RSPB Nature's Home magazine, Winter 2018 issue, focuses on bird migration into the UK during…

This week our brilliant volunteer Ben Hide chose his pick of the week and tells us why.

Now I understand spiders aren’t for everyone and arachnophobia is a very real affliction, but look a little closer and they are fascinating little creatures.

Whatever your stance on spiders, there’s no denying that their ability to make webs is one of the most delicately beautiful and skilled processes in nature. In fact I…

The days may be shortening and the temperature dropping, but now's the time to enjoy one of the most exciting events in nature’s calendar. Our estuaries may look bleak and birdless at low tide, but it's a very different story once the tide turns and thousands upon thousands of waders take to the air to perform in a show of aerial agility that once seen is never forgotten.

Given the choice, these hungry…