It was a grey and rainy start this week at Fairburn Ings, as a result a small flood made Lin Dike Hide and Arrow Lane inaccessible. However wildlife proved not to be put off by the rain, as 50+ curlews have turned up on New Flash and can be heard making their calls.


Curlew, Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

 The mini flood has now receded, so the Arrow Lane Trail and Link Dike hide can once again be enjoyed, where you can look…

Watching for starlings, Eleanor Bentall (rspb-images.com)

And the third pair were just right...

There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to binoculars and telescopes. You need to look through them, feel the weight and understand how they work to find the right pair for you.

Whether you’re after your first pair of binoculars or looking to replace your well worn ‘old faithfuls’, the RSPB is here…

You may have watched Countryfile this weekend and seen Matt Baker in the pond at Fairburn, digging in fresh pond plants. He was lending the warden team a hand and kicking off the exciting habitat improvements that are happening on the Discovery Trail at the moment.

Matt and the pond dippers, Pete Carr

What do the improvements involve?

Pond dipping runs from roughly March to October each year, depending on the weather…

The Kingfisher Screen has been alive with activity this week as the kingfishers are proving not to be easily deterred by the habitat improvement works. They can still be seen frequently throughout the day, attracted by the dense amounts of fish within the stream. During my short time at Fairburn I’ve been lucky enough to see the kingfishers at least once a week, and each time I am surprised by just how vibrant they really…

I’m almost a month into my internship here at Fairburn already, and how quickly the scenery has turned since I first arrived. The temperature has dropped and each morning, frost covers surrounding fields, but the early mornings are worth it for the sight of mist lifting over the main lake. The first of this season’s snowfall has given us a taste of winter, whilst the warden team begin to make preparations for exciting…

Hello again, I’m going to have another go at a recent sightings blog...

A few things remain the same; bearded tits and green woodpecker can still be heard/seen along Coal Tips trail and goldeneye on the Main Bay, pink footed geese can be seen in the sky, as they head to the coast.

Green woodpecker, Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Everyone has been enjoying the winter migrants, redwings are starting to get here in…