Notes on nature

Guest blog by Miranda Krestovnikoff

This week, 9 to 13 September, is Remember a Charity in your Will Week. It’s a good time to talk about how we can make a positive difference through the simple act of leaving a legacy.

If I could pass on something wonderful for my children, their children, and generations to come I think it would be pristine, healthy seas and beaches. Dolphins leaping, crabs scuttling, gannets diving…

When it comes to the Big Garden Birdwatch, the beauty of it is that it’s super simple. That’s the key – but there are still ways you can make the experience your own.

• First of all, it doesn’t have to be a big GARDEN birdwatch! You can wrap up warm and go to your local park for an hour. Also, you don’t have to do it in your own garden. You could do it at a friend’s house, or a relative’s… just make…

Joining in with the Big Garden Birdwatch isn’t just a really fun thing to do: it’s really easy too! Here are some simple steps you can take to really get the best out of it – for you, for us and for nature.

1. Decide on a good place to spend an hour watching your garden on 27, 28 or 29 January 2018.
   
   Is there one particular window that gives a good view? Get yourself nice and comfortable, and why not…

Most people know that an easy way to attract birds to your garden is to put out some food. But have you thought about other ways to make your outside space more bird-friendly?

To create a true bird paradise, you have to play the long game. We’re talking about planning and planting trees, shrubs and plants that will harbour all sorts of wildlife. Some birds will be happy to munch on seeds, nuts and fat that you give…

In a special guest post, Stockport Local Group leader Jean Crouch explains how she got involved with local groups initially and why she’s still going along nearly 40 years later…

Over 40 years ago my daughter’s friend’s Mum and I decided that there was more to life than bringing up a family and working in the NHS! As we both had an interest in birds, but knew very little about them, we joined a Bird ID Class…

What will you see during your Big Garden Birdwatch?

Here are some of our favourite things to look out for. They’re not rare or unusual, but they are fascinating:

• There’s nothing more splashy than a flock of starlings having a bath together
• Watch out for flocks of small birds like long-tailed tits passing through your garden – they might bring something different like a goldcrest
• Keep an eye on…

A special guest post from Kim Gutteridge explains why National Lottery players can get a free hot drink on selected RSPB reserves:

As a big thank you to National Lottery players we’re saying #ThanksToYou for your funding support by offering a free cuppa at 15 of our RSPB nature reserves from Monday 11 to Friday 15 December 2017.

Many of these sites have benefited from the Heritage Lottery Fund, but we’ve included…

The 2018 Big Garden Birdwatch is coming soon, from 27-29 January. To help you out, we’ve selected our top 5 tips to make it an hour to remember…

1. Be prepared

The Birdwatch isn’t a competition, and whether you see hundreds of birds or even none at all, we’d like to hear from you. But still, it’s far more fun when some birds show themselves.
So why not do a little homework before the big…

Take a break and discover some of the best summer wildlife.

August is a great time for nature. And a great time for a break. Long, warm days make it the perfect time to relax, take your time and watch wildlife.

Lazy, hazy summer days

Enjoy summer meadows buzzing with butterflies, bees and other insects. Marvel at huge swirls of waterbirds gathering and feeding on coastal estuaries. Look out for lizards basking in heather…

Did you know that it’s almost time for Birdfair again?

Running from 18-20 August at Rutland Water, there are fascinating talks from wildlife experts, a wonderful food area catering for all tastes and children’s activities from stands like the RSPB and the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. You can even take a special wildlife cruise on Rutland Water itself. As well as all this, there are a plethora of wildlife…

Have you wondered what goes on at RSPB local groups?

What are they, what goes on and how do you join? Dean Ware really wanted to find out more about nature, and after a quick online search he discovered his local RSPB group.

Now he’s out and about all the time, learning lots and seeing some fantastic sights. Read his story to hear how he got involved... and how you could too!

Dean’s local group story

To get you started on your Big Wild Sleepout adventure, we have an Ultimate Big Wild Sleepout kit worth £600 to give away as a competition prize.

The kit includes a £500 gift voucher, supplied by Rohan, to spend on a selection of outdoor clothing and equipment, and a selection of RSPB nature goodies worth nearly £100.

Please note: The image shown is a representation of how your prize voucher could…

If you want to know how nature is faring, it’s worth having a look at The state of the UK’s birds 2016.

The stories of our birds, our nature, are laid bare. It’s not speculation, it’s all based on data collected painstakingly in the field, largely by an army of volunteers. Some stories are good news, but not all.

There’s a traffic-light system which makes it easy to see which bird species are…

With their upright stance, smart black and white ‘tuxedo’ and brightly-coloured bills filled with fish, everybody loves puffins. But there are aspects of their lives that we are only just beginning to understand. Let’s learn more from Dr Euan Dunn, the RSPB’s Principal Policy Officer on marine issues and a puffin fan.

Puffin and its 'puffling' by Adrian Ewart

Breeding puffins touch…

Guest blog by Jenny Shelton of the RSPB Investigations team

vimeo.com/.../c255f70010

The RSPB's Mark Thomas talks about Sally and Roger's remarkable journey

The first of May marked the meeting of two lovebirds after a long winter apart. Sally and Roger, a pair of rare Montagu’s harriers, raised two chicks together in Norfolk in summer 2016 then went their separate ways. But they were destined to find each…

Remembering the rules when photographing nests

Wildlife photographers have a moral responsibility towards their subjects – and there are laws to consider too. Award-winning photographer Ben Andrew shares advice on taking pictures in the bird breeding season.

The accessibility of digital photography has, to an extent, turned us all into wildlife photographers. Everyone has a camera on their phone these days…

STOP PRESS: The petition will now close at midnight on 2 May

The illegal hunting of birds in Mediterranean countries has again been highlighted in the media recently, with our Vice President Chris Packham experiencing first-hand the situation in Malta.

But Malta isn’t the only place where large-scale illegal hunting takes place.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is responsible for looking after two ‘Sovereign…

Right now ospreys are heading back to the UK from their winter homes in Africa. But what makes them so special?

The sight of an osprey, expertly diving into water to catch fish, is one of nature’s most breathtaking experiences. Sadly, they died out in the 1950s largely due to illegal killing, but their fortunes gradually reversed and Scandinavian ospreys returned naturally to Loch Garten, at our Abernethy Forest nature…

Last week, the first stone-curlew of the year was seen at Winterbourne Downs in Wiltshire. This bird, which probably spent the winter in southern Spain or north Africa, returned to a British landscape which, over the past four years, has been much improved for stone-curlews thanks to a collaboration between the RSPB, Natural England and local farmers.

Securing the stone-curlew, funded by EU LIFE+, began in 2013 with…

“Join a local RSPB Group, you will meet people with a common interest!” said my Father after I had moved 200 miles across the country from Devon to Surrey. He was right!

And so Mary Braddock, and her husband Dave, began their local group adventure. But, just what are local groups and how can you get involved?

Here is Mary and Dave’s local group story:

Less than a year after joining the North West…

It’s all change this year for the RSPB Weekend!

Having swapped York for Nottingham, there are new excursions to enjoy, new places to explore and new people to hear from. One thing that hasn’t changed though, is that it’s one of the highlights of the RSPB year.

Hear from Mike Dilger

Mike Dilger is this year’s celebrity after-dinner speaker. And it’s fair to say he’s excited about the weekend:…

RSPB nature reserves are teeming with nature.

Whatever the weather, our reserves are bursting with life. So wrap up warm this winter and enjoy some of the UK's best winter wildlife spectacles: from whirling clouds of hundreds of birds to fluffy white seal pups, this is the season to see nature at its wildest.

Where to explore

Our coastal nature reserves in winter host spectacular numbers of wildfowl and waders…

Asian hornets arrived in the UK for the first time in 2016. This is bad news for our native insects. Jess Chappell, from the RSPB's nature policy team, tells us why:

Already threatened by habitat degradation, pesticides and a range of pathogens, our native insect pollinators aren't doing well.

Declines have been reported for all key insect pollinator groups including honeybees, bumblebees and hoverflies, yet…

The anticipation is over!

At Big Garden Birdwatch HQ, and all over the country, we’ve been working ourselves up into a froth of excitement, and finally it has arrived. This is a wildlife highlight of the year, and we’re so glad you’re here to share it with us.

How to take part

If you’ve not done Big Garden Birdwatch before and don’t know what’s involved, relax, it’s a piece of cake. Here’s how…

We're so excited!

We're now only a few weeks away from Big Garden Birdwatch, and up and down the country, hundreds of thousands of participants are getting ready for the big event.

Taking part

If you’ve not done Big Garden Birdwatch before and don’t know what’s involved, relax, it’s a piece of cake. Here’s how it goes:

1. Pick a time of day that’s ideal for you. You’re more likely…