Conservation Manager, Stuart Benn, is back with a new blog...

It’s not an Illusion

A wee girl clings on to the side of a house – HEEEEELLLLLLP!!!

I dangle from a window ledge.

But, don’t worry, it’s not as alarming as it looks – the whole thing is an illusion, part of an interactive piece of art in London that I went to when I was down south last week. The ‘house’ lies flat and…

RSPB Conservation Officer, Sarah Sankey,  tells us about the challenges facing Orkney's seabird cities...

The Orcadian seabird story

Orkney was, until recently, famed for its seabird spectacles. Today, as I ascend the cliffs of Marwick Head reserve, instead of a growing sense of awe and excitement, I walk with a heavy heart and a deep sense of foreboding. I remember that just ten short years ago, as I left the car…

A night in the great outdoors

I’ve been on lots of camping adventures in my life and anyone who knows me will know the majority of my stories come from those nights in the wild...or my backgarden.

Growing up, summer nights were the best opportunity to camp in our garden with lots of other kids from the neighbourhood. Ghost stories, shadow puppets, lots of snacks and the promise of staying up just a little bit…

Emily Scragg, Research Assitant with the Seabird Tracking and Research team (STAR), gives the final update of the season...

STAR- spangled seas

This will be the last update from the STAR seabird tracking work, as we near the end of our fieldwork season. For a background to the project please see our website and our previous blog posts (here, here and here, and also a post from Martin Harper when joined us for a day…

Conservation Manager, Stuart Benn, is back with a new blog...

Torn Between Two Plovers

Isn’t this weather just absolutely gorgeous?

It’s well overdue after that long, cold spring and a long, cold drink and a barbecue has sometimes felt like the best way to spend the day or at least the evening.

But here in North Scotland, we know that such good spells don’t last forever and we need to make the most of…

How is the revised Scottish Planning Policy shaping up for wildlife and for tackling climate change? Alexa Morrison, RSPB Conservation Policy Officer, gives some of our thoughts so far...

Conducting the renewables orchestra – a step towards strategic planning for onshore wind in Scotland?

Here in the planning team at RSPB Scotland, good planning policy is music to our ears. And everyone knows that, to have a…

Conservation Manager, Stuart Benn, on inspiring people to do more for nature...

Inspiring Every Generation

Wasn’t the Wimbledon men’s final just the business?  Ewan McGregor really nailed it with his tweet: What a match What a player Ya beauty!

Photo via www.mirror.co.uk

The next morning I went through Murray’s hometown, Dunblane, and it looked like there had been a bit of a party – and who can blame…

Alistair Baxter is completing a PhD investigating the reasons behind Dotterel declines in Scotland. Read on to find out more about his exciting work...

Dotterel declines in Scotland: Out of sight out of mind? 

Over the last thirty years, National Surveys led by the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have revealed dramatic declines in dotterel numbers across the UK. The most marked results have been the total disappearance…

RSPB research assistants Chris Taylor and Derren Fox, give us an update on tracking seabirds on Orkney...

Tracking seabirds on Orkney

Seabird communities are great indicators of the health of the marine environment. This summer myself (Chris) and Derren Fox have been given the fantastic opportunity to assist with the monitoring of where seabirds are foraging for food. We have been attaching small GPS devices onto shags…

Ellie Owen, RSPB Conservation Scientist, celebrates an important milestone with her team...

1000^th Seabird Mystery Solved

The seabird tracking team 2013 celebrating an important milestone...

This week I have been thinking back to April 2010 when I, along with the rest of RSPB’s FAME seabird tracking team, headed out to my remote island sites to start the first season of catching and tagging seabirds on a scale…

Conservation Manager, Stuart Benn, on Glastonbury and the joys of being out after dark...

Good Times

What did you make of Glastonbury this year?

I’d have loved to be there but had to make do with watching it on the telly and online.

I can’t say that The Stones did it for me but some of my own highlights were The Editors, Two Door Cinema Club, Jessie Ware, Chase & Status and one of my real current faves Toro…

Vicki Swales, Head of Land Use Policy, on the recent political deal on CAP reform.

Green is the colour of hope

“Every farmer in Scotland acting in a greener way than before”, is what Cabinet Secretary, Richard Lochhead told members of Scottish Environment LINK was one of his ambitions from the CAP reform process. So, it was rather surprising to read the Scottish Government’s press release announcing a political deal…

Jim Densham, Senior Land Use Policy Officer (climate), on the Scottish Government's Climate Change Adaptation Programme.

Climate Adaptation and the Star Trek approach

Do you remember Star Trek? Of course you do. When I was young I watched the Next Generation - Captain Picard and crew. Do you remember the opening lines?

Space: The final frontier
These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise
Its continuing m…