Today Natural England has published the licences for taking peregrine falcons for falconry. We are meeting with the agency tomorrow [7 May] to discuss this but we have serious doubt as to the justification for granting these licences. The RSPB’s Senior Investigations Officer, Guy Shorrock, describes the historical background to this ... 

The recent decision announced by Natural England (NE) to allow three people to…

The UK is home to a surprising amount of ground-nesting birds, with some of our most common species choosing to make their homes nearer the ground rather than in trees. In your garden, you may have come across a robin’s nest tucked under bushes or taking advantage of the shelter provided by your garden plant pots.

Out in the wider countryside, there are lot of other ground-nesting species too and these are often…

Jess Chappell , RSPB Senior Policy Officer in England, writes about the West Midlands Combined Authority recovery action plan and how a green economic recovery from coronavirus is absolutely essential if we are to “recover better”

It’s impossible to miss the role that nature is playing in providing a source of comfort and relief for so many during this difficult time. This comes as no surprise – a thriving…

The nation may be in lockdown, but the birds’ breeding season doesn’t stop for anything and neither, apparently, do HS2 Ltd and their contractors.

Colin Wilkinson, Senior Conservation Officer for RSPB shares the latest on HS2 ... 

At Broadwells Wood in Warwickshire, HS2 Ltd’s contractors are continuing to clear ancient woodland at the worst possible time of year. It’s technically legal, but against all…

Is nature bouncing back in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis? And will the lockdown hinder conservation efforts? RSPB England's Sara Humphrey explores the facts and the fiction behind many of the headlines. 

As humans stay home to flatten the curve of Covid-19, millions of people have been amazed and uplifted by the nature they can see from their homes and while locally exercising. As a result, we are getting a lot of…

The RSPB's Rupert Masefield describes how nature might thrive alongside development ... 

Three years ago, I put up a new nest box in our tiny terrace garden. By the start of this year it had sat empty for so long I’d nearly given up on it. Then, just as I was beginning to wonder if I should put up a “derelict” sign, a pair of blue tits finally decided to move in this spring. Last week the chicks hatched, and the coming…

As we observe nature from our windows and through our gardens more than ever during times like these, RSPB England’s Communications Officer, Becca Smith, discusses; “how can the garden benefit my mental health?”

In recent weeks, many of us will have found ourselves stressed or anxious, but a glance outside our window, a feeling of the sun on our backs, or a breath of fresh air can help to ease our minds…

Michael Coplestone is RSPB England's Head of Land, and absolutely WILD about wildlife. 

Join Michael, his eager little helper, Hannah, and his butterfly net as they answer all your wildlife questions, including:

• What are some good nature-based activities for under-5's?
• What are the best RSPB reserves to see butterflies?
• Why are birds pecking on my roof?
• How can I learn birdsong?
• Is it illegal to trim hedges during…

RSPB England's Lucy Hodson explores the differences between the two very similar-looking species.

What's the difference between a moth and a butterfly? It’s a common question, but how many of us know the answer?

The time of day? You might think it’s obvious – moths come out at night, and butterflies in the day.
Unfortunately, this isn’t as clear cut as it seems – some amazing moths, like the…

To celebrate World Curlew Day, RSPB England looks to the North Pennines for this week’s blog, where we have been working with volunteers and farmers to monitor threatened wading birds like curlew over the past few years. With our monitoring halted for the time being, Chris Jones reflects on our learnings and looks ahead to the future.

Photo credit: Dave Morris

At the end of January, Chris Jones started his role…

The RSPB's Mike Shurmer gives the low down on how to get the most out of a garden bug hunt. Get ready, get set, go...

Surveying insects can be an expensive business, with entomologists often spending hundreds of pounds on specialist equipment like moth traps, sweep nets and vacuum samplers. It can all be a bit daunting! But it is possible to find plenty of insects and other invertebrates in your garden with a few simple…

The RSPB's Mike Shurmer describes his top five garden bugs to spot this month ... how many can you find? 

From the largest rural garden to the smallest urban green space, our gardens provide homes for many insects throughout the year. These insects play a beneficial role for us - they pollinate flowers, provide natural pest control and recycle organic matter. At a time when our gardens, no matter how small, are providing…

Luke Phillips is RSPB England's Direct Marketing Manager who spends much of his spare time exploring the fascinating world of moths.

Join Luke as he delves into his moth trap and uncovers the species lurking within.

www.youtube.com/watch

Chris Dieck is an Ecology Supervisor for RSPB England with a passion for British bats. Chris spends much of his professional and personal life working to understand more about the behaviour of these fascinating creatures. 

We asked the public to indulge their curiosities and send in their British bat-related questions for Chris to answer. These included:

• What are the best ways to entice bats into your garden?
• How can we distinguish…

The RSPB's Lee Schofield describes the RSPB's restoration of the Swindale Beck in Cumbria ... 

The rivers of the UK have been very badly treated. Whether it be dredging, straightening, embanking, over-abstraction, or pollution, and there are precious few that exist in an unmolested state. Tristan Gooley, explorer and author of How to Read Water, has a useful rule of thumb. He says that if you see a river that runs straight…

As well as letting you know about the work we do, our blog at RSPB England brings you some of the most weird and wonderful wildlife found in British Nature.  
 
This week, our guest blogger Indy Kiemel Greene is writing for us. Indy is a 14 year old RSPB volunteer who, as well as leading guided walks and surveying birds, is just delving into wildlife writing. In this blog Indy introduces us to the life story of a fascinating insect;…

The RSPB's Rupert Masefield describes how you tell apart swifts, housemartins and swallows ... 

I love seeing these amazing fliers hunting their insect food in the air above houses, meadows and lakes, but for an amateur like me it’s not always easy to tell at a glance which one it is you’re looking at – especially on a sunny day when all you can make out is a blurry silhouette. I hope this blog post will help people…

The RSPB's Rupert Masefield looks forward to the first swallows of springtime ....

Right now, we could all do with something to look forward to. It hasn’t been an easy few weeks, and as we all adjust to the new reality of coronavirus, self-isolation and social distancing, taking solace in nature seems all the more important.

Something I have been looking forward to for a long time now – all winter in fact –…

Boxing hares, basking adders and bird song exploding – March is the month spring really takes hold as RSPB England's, Lucy Hodson, explains...

This will be the first of our monthly blogs exploring seasonal wildlife highlights, and celebrating the brilliant places giving it a home in England. Each month, we’ll bring you a spectacle not-to-be-missed, as well as exploring a weird and wonderful sighting that may…

With International Women’s Day and British Science Week around the corner, and in the midst of Mya-Rose Craig, a keen ornithologist, becoming Britain’s youngest receiver of the Doctorate of Science at just 17 years old, what better time to celebrate the women making a difference in the world of conservation science?

As the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, we’re taking a look at what life is like as…

The RSPB believes that essential major infrastructure can be developed in harmony with nature - that’s why we work hard with government, local authorities and developers to make sure new schemes avoid damaging our most important wildlife wherever possible, mitigate as much as possible and compensate, if doable, for any unavoidable damage. In the climate and ecological emergency we really need all developers to step…

Channel 4 News today ran a story about HS2Ltd contractors flying a falconer’s bird in a woodland in Warwickshire. The RSPB’s Tony Whitehead looks at the issues around this ... 

“We are facing a nature emergency and should be working to help nature, not chasing protected birds out of potential nesting habitat to make way for this development.” 
- Jeff Knott, RSPB Operations Director, Central and Eastern…

With nesting season upon us, RSPB England's Beth Markey explains how to navigate this challenging time of year.

Lighter evenings and twittering alarm clocks signal the start of nesting season, when wild birds – and some smaller mammals and reptiles – partner up and build homes to raise their young.

Running between February and August (with a start date that creeps forward as the climate warms), nesting…