Sea eagles return: a forty year success story

RSPB Scotland’s Paul Walton and Richard Evans reflect on the successful reintroduction programme that brought sea eagles back to Scotland after an absence of nearly 60 years.  

The sight of a sea eagle provokes delight and excitement. Yet, this sight – so iconic in Scotland – was absent for much of the 20^th century, until a conservation effort brought…

Five facts you should know about nuthatches

Nuthatches were once restricted largely to south-eastern England but, during the 20th century, they started spreading north. Nuthatches started breeding regularly in Scotland only in 1989. If you have them visiting your garden, or you've seen them at a nature reserve or while out on a walk, you'll know they're pretty bold and are able to stand their ground fairly well against…

How often to do you get to see something new, that you’ve never laid eyes on before? During migration, in spring and autumn, rare or unusual birds are occasionally blown off course and can turn up in places you just wouldn’t expect. One such visitor has recently appeared at our Lochwinnoch nature reserve near Glasgow – a lesser scaup.

The lesser scaup is a black, white and grey duck that is native…

It's common in spring and summer to find young birds sitting on the ground or hopping about without any sign of their parents. But what do you do if you come across one? 

You might have experienced it yourself. Coming home after walking the dog, you find a confused-looking baby house sparrow in the driveway. Or whilst playing football in the park, you come across a seemingly abandoned freshly-fledged wood pigeon…