Notes on nature

What do you want to pass on to the next generation?

2019-09-10T10:42:00Z

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 among glittering shoals of fish.

Rock pools teeming with life. The glorious cacophony of a cliff bustling with thousands of fulmars, guillemots, kittiwakes and razorbills. The waddling of puffins!

Watching my children’s faces when I showed them their first albatross and their first whale: these were truly magical moments. I want as many people as possible to have the chance to experience that. In twenty, fifty, a hundred years’ time. And beyond.

But nature faces multiple threats at sea. Those seabird colonies are threatened by climate change, overfishing and offshore development. On islands that were once safe from predators, animals brought in by people are devastating nesting sites by eating eggs and chicks.

However all is not lost. We can work together to save these special places. That’s what makes leaving a legacy to the RSPB so fantastic - it means that thanks to you we can carry on working to make sure nature thrives. We’re out there fighting to protect spaces for nature, restoring seabird islands, and campaigning to stop climate change.

As one of our supporters who has kindly pledged us a legacy says "We both have always enjoyed watching birds. We want future generations to be able to enjoy seeing birds so want to contribute to the work the RSPB does with conservation”.

I love that they want to share seeing birds, which is really special to them, with everyone.

Find out how you can pass on something wonderful here

An hour for nature: make it one to remember

2018-01-09T21:59:00Z

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 sure they know you’re coming round!
Birdwatch snacks. Make your hour of watching birds even more fun with a special snack for the occasion. Cookies, flapjacks, what’s your favourite? If you’ve ordered your Big Garden Birdwatch pack, you’ll find a Birdwatch Bites recipe in there. Make sure you’ve got a flask of tea or coffee too.
Remember to get your garden ready for the birds too. Make sure your feeder is topped up. Check your fridge for leftover scraps you can put out (you’ll find lots of tips on our bird feeding advice page), and if it’s really cold, break the ice on your bird bath – birds aren’t great ice skaters.

Share the experience

Even though it might feel peaceful and quiet in your home, remember you’re doing it with half a million people. Make your Big Garden Birdwatch even more fun by finding out what other people are up to. Just use #BigGardenBirdwatch on social media and join in the conversation.

Simple steps: how to take part in Big Garden Birdwatch

2018-01-02T17:46:38Z

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.

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 have a hot drink and a snack within reach too. Don’t forget somewhere that will allow you to make a note of what you spot during your hour’s watch! Check our website for a useful counting tool to help you keep track of what you see. If you don’t have a garden then don’t worry. Just head over to a local park or other favourite green space: you can join in there.
Now comes the interesting bit!

Sit back and spend an hour watching the birds that come and visit. We need to know the maximum number of each bird species that you see at any one time. In other words, if you see, say, a group of four starlings together, then later on you see a group of two and then maybe after that just another one, then the number of starlings that you would submit to us is four. We do it this way to reduce the likelihood of people just double-counting the same birds.
Now we want to hear all about it.

Visit the Big Garden Birdwatch website and tell us what you’ve seen.
And… that’s it.

We told you it was simple! We hope it will also be a fun experience, and we are very grateful to RSPB citizen scientists like you, who are helping us find out more about garden wildlife. It really does play a significant part in our mission, making sure that we do everything we can to give nature a home.

Ways to make your garden as bird-friendly as possible

2017-12-20T22:03:21Z

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 them, but some only eat insects. And they all need places to nest, hide and forage.

If you think it sounds complicated, it doesn’t have to be. Check out our ways to give nature a home in your garden – no matter how much space you have, there are things you can do. It’s the perfect time of year to plan a little project.

Birds also need to drink regularly and most like to bathe every day, even when it’s cold outside. A bird bath is good, but a pond is even better and provides refreshment and homes for all sorts of creatures. It’s not as difficult as you think!

While hedges, trees and shrubs provide ideal nesting places for lots of species, some have more specialist requirements. You can help birds that like to nest in holes by providing a nestbox. Buy one from our shop or find out how to build your own.

Why I joined my local RSPB group...

2017-12-20T15:00:00Z

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 did we get up to?

In 1979 a local group was starting up in Stockport, so naturally we went along to support it. As the group developed we not only held monthly indoor meetings, to which guest speakers were invited, but also ran coach trips, car trips and local walks. We were able to meet and make new friends, broaden our knowledge of birds and discover new places to visit.

I was a Young Ornithologist Club* leader for 18 years before becoming group leader of RSPB Stockport Local Group 10 years ago, and since my retirement from full time work I have become more involved in the group’s various activities. With two other committee members we have run Bird ID courses, given talks to youth groups, and adult organisations, and attended family fun days etc.

Without the local group I would never have gained the confidence, knowledge or interest in the environment and wildlife, or achieve all of the things that I now do. This has filled a void since retiring from full time work.

You do not have to get involved in volunteering, but for company and an opportunity to go to places and see new things, I thoroughly recommend you join your nearest local group.

Fancy giving it a go?

If Jean’s story has inspired you to try out your local group in 2018, take a look at our website and find the one nearest to you.

*YOC clubs are now called Wildlife Explorer Groups

What to look forward to as part of your Birdwatch

2017-12-11T18:09:21Z

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 your robins. They can be very aggressive to each other and to other birds
Blackcaps are warblers which have only started to spend the winter in the UK in recent decades. They like to eat fruit, sunflower hearts and fat
If the weather is cold and there’s snow on the ground, you could be visited by redwings and fieldfares – especially if you have some apples for them.

Nature is in it to win it #ThanksToYou

2017-12-04T15:00:00Z

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 a couple of extras because of their great cafes. Find out more about claiming your free cuppa by visiting our web page.

Did you know that you and millions of others are helping to save nature?

Since March 2017, National Lottery players have helped to raise over £37 billion for Good Causes, with more than 525,000 individual awards made across the UK – the equivalent of around 185 lottery grants in every community.

Nature benefits from the 20% of funding for good causes that goes towards our heritage. You might wonder what heritage has got to do with nature.

The UK is stuffed full of natural heritage (wildlife and great places) that also has many cultural and historic links, all of which the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) can support. It isn’t possible to describe the massive impact that all HLF funding has had for the RSPB but here are a few of the magic places that you have helped give nature a home in.

Where is it helping?

In the South West the HLF funded our Natural Connections Project which explored the cultural, natural and historical heritage at RSPB Radipole Lake nature reserve, including Roman history, reedbed, swans, thatching and the sea and harbour.

Practical activities were run to give people first-hand experience of how thatchers have managed reedbeds, living history experiences through oral history recordings, and volunteer interpreters on hand to provide opportunities for people to be up close and personal with the site’s amazing wildlife.

At Rainham Marshes, the HLF funded the construction of the Purfleet Environment and Education Centre, the site’s main building. This site is one of very few ancient landscapes remaining in London. With HLF funding these historic medieval marshes, right next to the River Thames, were opened to the public for the first time after being closed for a century, as they were used as a military firing range.

In Suffolk thousands more visitors have been able to enjoy RSPB Minsmere nature reserve as a result of funding. There are upgraded facilities, including a revamped visitor centre and learning area for families and school groups.

These improvements mean that more people can now enjoy Minsmere - which is home to rare birds, historical woodlands and stunning coastal scenery with links to World War II.

At Sandwell Valley in the Midlands, HLF funding has also reinvigorated the site with a redesigned centre about which the local residents said “They’ve got this place right, it’s a beautiful place for residents to enjoy.” Volunteers at the reserve have noticed wide ranging benefits, not only for nature but for people too, as a direct result of these improvements which include better health, sharing and increasing knowledge, gaining confidence and new skills, making new and lasting friendships.

Events with a local youth club have taken place and given young people a sense that this reserve is for them, not ‘for other people’. Police feedback has shown that this project has also had an impact on antisocial behaviour which previously had been a problem on the reserve.

The Seabird Centre at Bempton Cliffs offers some of the most stunning coastal views anywhere. Since opening the enhanced visitor centre in April 2015, we have had a phenomenal response from visitors – with positive reviews making us one of the Top Ten visitor rated natural outdoor attractions in the UK. The additional indoor space means we can tell the rich cultural stories associated with this stretch of Yorkshire’s Heritage Coast, including it being the birthplace of seabird protection.

Further north at Saltholme on Teesside, the HLF funded ‘A Date with Seals’ project. Here 32 volunteers worked on this project over three summers so that 10,828 people could connect to nature by coming to see the seals. Our monitoring highlighted that most of the visitors would not have normally travelled to a nature reserve.

In Scotland, the Loch Leven Heritage landscape partnership project led by The Rural Access Committee of Kinross-shire (TRACKS) created a heritage trail around the loch which has brought communities together and is helping promote a healthier lifestyle. The final section of the completed trail, runs for 6.5km from Kinross Mill to the RSPB Loch Leven nature reserve on the south side of Loch Leven.

Belfast’s Window on Wildlife (WOW) is an oasis of calm in the heart of Belfast’s industry. Thanks to significant HLF funding the refurbished visitor centre at WOW welcomes school groups and has a dedicated space to host a variety of events throughout the year. With over 50 visitor engagement volunteers there are always friendly faces throughout the week to happily answer questions and assist with bird identification.

Our visitors can use scopes and binoculars to view wading birds and ducks in the autumn and winter and breeding terns in the summer. Outside on the reserve there is a sand martin bank, a swift tower and two hides made out of shipping containers in-keeping with the hustle and bustle of the surrounding Belfast Harbour.

Due to HLF’s support to get this site off the ground, Newport Wetlands is now a thriving visitor centre with over 100,000 visitors a year. It’s a natural relaxation area close to the urban hub of Newport City.

Newport is also a key destination within the Living Levels Landscape Partnership – which, if successful with HLF funding, next year will start to connect the people of the Gwent Levels to their natural heritage. If you are in North Wales, why not pop along to South Stack instead. Although not a recipient of HLF funding itself, it’s a thrilling seabird reserve in North Holyhead. The recent creation of a nature playground has been of great benefit to the local community, who tend to visit after school when the crowds die down.

We hope to see you all in the run up to Christmas and as Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “December is a wonderful time to experience the UK’s rich, diverse and exciting heritage, which has been transformed by more than £7bn National Lottery funding since 1994. This is a small gesture of thanks and a way of giving something back to the people who buy tickets.”

Kim Gutteridge
Head of Grants, High Value Fundraising – Planning and Development

Participating free cuppa sites:
Arne
Bempton Cliffs
Conwy
Dearne Valley - Old Moor
Leighton Moss and Morecambe Bay
Loch Leven
Minsmere
Newport Wetlands
Pulborough Brooks
Radipole Lake
Rainham Marshes
Saltholme
Sandwell Valley (Wednesday 13 December-Friday 15 December only)
South Stack Cliffs
Titchwell Marsh

5 top tips for the best Big Garden Birdwatch ever

2017-11-17T19:37:00Z

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 day, and prep your outside space to encourage them in? Offer food and water, and don’t forget you can get 20% discount at the RSPB shop plus free delivery when you register to take part from 13 December! Not sure what food to put out? Don't worry, we've got you covered with our handy bird food guide.

2. Start early

In January, the nights are long and birds have less time to forage for food. That means that they’re hungry and need to pack in as much energy as possible, as soon as they can after waking up. So if you do your Big Garden Birdwatch earlier in the day, you’ll probably see more activity.

3. Get comfy

You can do your Birdwatch anytime over 27-29 January. Choose a setting that suits you, and you don’t need a garden. Your local park would be perfect, or how about watching from your favourite café window? We’d recommend a nice cuppa and your favourite biscuit too.

4. Use the website

To make counting during your Birdwatch hour easier, you can use our website to keep track of the time and record how many birds you’ve seen. It makes submitting your results easy-peasy.

5. Share the experience

Gather round friends and family to join in, and check what’s happening on social media using #BigGardenBirdwatch. It’s great to feel part of something really big!

Remember - register for Big Garden Birdwatch from 13 December for your free pack and to make taking part even easier.

Explore our reserves with nature break this summer

2017-07-31T21:36:00Z

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-topped heathland, or listen out for the summer songs of migrant warblers.

We’ve got lots of reserves to explore, all with different habitats and wildlife, but here’s a selection of our best picks for this month.

Coastal charm

Titchwell Marsh on the North Norfolk coast has long been a favourite – it’s one of our most visited reserves. Enjoying a prime position on the coast, easily accessible paths and close encounters with wildlife, it’s a wonderful place to enjoy nature.

At this time of year take a look at the wading birds – before they head back to their winter homes. Nature’s Home editor, Mark Ward, has written a blog post about waders to see this month. Have a read to find out about the birds you can spot.

Head to the coast and you may see lots of waders, like these knot.

And there’s plenty more to explore nearby. With its long coastline of clean sandy beaches, rural countryside, heathland and forests, it’s easy to see why North Norfolk is an ideal holiday destination. Take a look at UK Nature Breaks cottages and Lodges nearby.

Purple haze

Alternatively, try Arne in Dorset. This is an unusual and special landscape with a vast expanse of open heathland that’s a lovely deep purple in summer. As well as Dartford warblers and nightjars, Arne is home to all six UK reptiles. Keep your eyes peeled!

The heathland at RSPB Arne is a riot of colour in August.

Make sure you have time to discover the surrounding countryside. Why not check out some nearby cottages and lodges? This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has a timeless charm, with many pretty villages, country lanes and the fabulous stretch of 200 million year-old coastline known as The Jurassic Coast thanks to the many fossils found there.

Here be dragons

Nestled on the banks of the Conwy Estuary, RSPB Conwy is a haven for wildlife at any time of the year. The scenery is stunning and you can get up close with plenty of wildlife, from butterflies and dragonflies to flocks of migrating waders.
Set in the shadow of Conwy Castle and with Snowdonia nearby, this part of North Wales is perfect for those that love the outdoors, as well as those looking for a seaside holiday that’s fun for all the family.

A lodge is a great place to explore nature, RSPB reserves and the surrounding area from. Find one nearby from UK Nature Breaks, or how about a cottage?

Firm favourite for ospreys

Loch Lomond is rightly well-known on the Scottish tourist trail, but did you know the RSPB has a nature reserve there too? It’s on the south-east shore and has a great mix of habitats that attract a wealth of wildlife, including magnificent ospreys that fish in the lochs.
The Loch Lomond region has been a favourite with holidaymakers for years and with so much beautiful countryside and breathtaking wildlife long will it continue to be so.

A family exploring Loch Lomond from UK Nature Breaks lodges. Why not find one for yourself? Or perhaps cottages are more your thing?

Take a break and help the RSPB

With so much to see, you won’t want to rush a reserve visit, so why not a book a short-stay nearby? www.uknaturebreaks.co.uk has cottages, lodges and even boats close to RSPB nature reserves.

And the best bit is that with every booking made through the UK Nature Breaks website they will donate 10% to the RSPB. Not only will your break get you closer to nature, but you’ll be helping nature too.

Summer really can be a time to explore new horizons. We hope we’ve given you some inspiration but for plenty more beautiful places to explore and watch wildlife, take a look at www.uknaturebreaks.co.uk

Bill Oddie's take on Birdfair

2017-07-31T18:18:15Z

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 celebrities, doing talks, book signings and more.

To get you in the mood, we’ve managed to track down Bill Oddie for a special short story:

It is easy to imagine the residents of Rutland heaving many a sigh on the third weekend of every August.

“Grrr. It’s the flippin Birdfair again” chunters John - the local solicitor - as he follows the temporary detour to his home.

“It was originally called The British Birdwatching Fair, you know” says his pedantic wife, Janet.

People enjoying Birdfair.

“What?” said John incredulously “thousands of people all birdwatching together? I bet they don’t see much. How on earth do they drag it out for three days?”

“I imagine” said Janet “there must be other things as well as birds. There are several massive marquees. Perhaps they have circuses”

“They’re not allowed to have animals anymore.”

“Maybe they are bird circuses” suggested Janet.

“What? said John frivolously “Performing parrots, bouncing budgies, juggling jays. I bet they have a snowy owl like in the Harry Potter films.”

“It was a barn owl actually” said Janet pedantically.

“Actually, it was both.” retorted John. “In some shots it was a snowy, then in the next shot it was a barn.” “I must say, I do like owls” said John.

“I prefer ducks” said Janet.

“Well, there should be plenty of ducks. It is Rutland Water.”

“Mmm darling, you know in the evening when we see everyone leaving Birdfair?”

“Yes.”

“Well have you noticed the people always look really really happy? Almost as if they have been to, well….a real fair. Darling, how long has it been running?”

“It feels like a hundred years.”

“And we have never ever been to it.”

“So?” said John nervously.

“Darling, shall we?” said Janet enticingly.

‘What? Now!?”

“Well, why not? Let’s follow the signs, and go on in.”

And so, it was that - for the first time in their lives - John and Janet spent a day at Birdfair.

In fact, they spent three days. The first surprise was that the marquees weren’t all full of birds. Well, not real ones. There were fantastic paintings of birds and delightful sculptures of hedgehogs and badgers amongst the wide range of wildlife art.”

They spent over an hour in the art tent. Janet was enchanted, and John started looking for something special for her birthday. She absolutely fell in love with an exceptional bronze giraffe. John planned to go back later to order one.

Each day, they went back for more and enjoyed many great talks from wildlife experts on a wide range of subjects and met people from all over the world. On Sunday, they even brought their grandchildren along and went bug hunting and pond dipping. Just after lunch on Sunday, they realised that the fair would soon be closing. It was then that John began to panic. He hadn’t mentioned it to Janet, but he was beginning to be rather taken by this birdwatching lark. But he didn’t have any of the gear.

Family pond-dipping at Birdfair

Rushing from tent to tent and stall to stall, he purchased everything he needed, including an amazing pair of binoculars and a wonderful wildlife holiday.

As they were about to leave Janet asked John “shouldn’t we buy a bird book?”

“Damn, I knew there was something we had forgotten.”

“Don’t worry” said Janet “you get the car and I will rush back and get one.”

A little while later she returned gleefully brandishing a small book with a very colourful cover. John seemed puzzled. “That doesn’t look much like a bird book!”

“That’s because it isn’t!” teased Janet. “Well, it is a bit, but there’s a lot more to it than birds. Rather like Birdfair eh?”

John and Janet laughed, and that night – when they were both reading the book in bed - they laughed again. And laughed…and laughed.

“You know” said John “when I first saw the cover I thought ‘This book looks really daft’ and it is!”

“Well” said Janet “it is by Bill Oddie.”

Bill Oddie will be signing copies of his new book, Tales of a Ludicrous Bird Gardener at 2pm on Saturday 19 August at the RSPB stand. Why not pop in and have a chat with him?

Buy your tickets

If you fancy giving Birdfair a try this year, you can buy your tickets from the Birdfair website.

Why RSPB local groups are great

2017-07-26T23:00:00Z

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

I think the main reason that most people join the RSPB is that they love nature in general, and birds in particular.

I really wanted to find out more about nature, so I searched the web for the RSPB and came across links to local groups. I live in London so there are several to choose from. I decided that I wanted to do two things - go to the evening talks and go birding – so I made the leap, and joined the Central London Group.

The talks that they host are fascinating – so interesting. They are held in pleasant surroundings and are really professionally put together, as well as being inexpensive. There are usually refreshments provided as well. It’s an excellent way to spend an evening that otherwise might perhaps have ended up being just another night in front of the TV.

Another brilliant thing about local groups is the day trips that they organise. My local group lays on a coach trip once a month when we go to a reserve somewhere in England and are guided round looking at birds and wildlife (and the plants!). These outings are generally terrific: they provide a lovely level of activity along with some really wondrous sights.

Would you see a heron's nest or hear a nightingale sing if you were just sitting at home?

Overall it’s all so well worth the time it takes to join. Go on, give it a go!

Find your local group

If Dean's story has inspired you, why not take a look for your local group?

Win an Ultimate Big Wild Sleepout Kit!

2017-07-01T04:13:00Z

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 be spent. Winners will receive a prize voucher to the value of £500 and will be able to use that to spend in any Rohan shop, online at rohan.co.uk or by calling 0800 840 1412. Products featured are subject to availability at the time of redemption.

The winner will also receive a selection of RSPB nature items worth nearly £100. They will include:

Explorer carry case
Thinsulate black gloves
365 Outdoor Activities You Have to Try (book)
Apple crumble biscuits
Dewdrop bee biome
Outdoor adventure torch
Night sky chart
Silhouette classic nest box
Tripod folding stool

Enter now!

To enter, simply e-mail sleepoutcomp@rspb.org.uk, ensuring your e-mail is titled “BWSO comp” and contains the answer to the following question:

Which is the smallest owl that breeds in the UK?

Correct answers will be entered into the draw to win and the winner will be chosen at random.

The closing date is Saturday 15 July.

Terms and conditions

The winner will receive an Ultimate Big Wild Sleepout Kit containing a £500 gift voucher from Rohan, to spend on a selection of outdoor clothing and equipment, and a selection of RSPB nature goodies worth nearly £100
Any entry which is incomplete, illegible or late will be deemed invalid in the sole discretion of the RSPB
Prizes will be delivered within 28 days
The winner will be notified by telephone/email within 14 days
Entrants under 18 must have parental or legal guardian consent prior to entering the competition
If for any reason we cannot offer the prizes stipulated, Rohan and/or RSPB will supply an alternative for the same value
The RSPB's decision on all matters affecting this competition is final and legally binding. No correspondence regarding the results will be entered into
Any RSPB employee or anyone directly connected with the organisation or their immediate family will be ineligible to enter.

Download the competition rules (PDF)

The state of the UK’s birds 2016

2017-06-26T20:39:00Z

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 thriving (Green), those that are under threat (Amber) and those that are in most danger (Red). More than a quarter of the UK’s bird species are now on the Red list.

Red kite

On the up...

Rejoice in red kites, as their numbers soar, just like the birds themselves. There are more house sparrows than before, but not enough to be certain they’ll ever get back to the numbers of a few decades ago.

Bitterns and nightjars have moved from the Red to the Amber list, as their numbers have increased, while woodlarks and bearded tits are now Green-listed as their European populations are no longer declining.

And dropping down...

The UK supports up to 27% of the world’s curlews, and the species’ long-term trend shows a 64% decline from 1970 to 2014. That means we have a great responsibility to help this charismatic bird, which is now one of UK bird conservation’s top priorities.

Woodland birds are in particular trouble, with 16 species now Red-listed, including the nightingale and pied flycatcher. Did you know that wrynecks – beautifully camouflaged members of the woodpecker family – used to breed in most counties in the UK? Now they don’t breed in any. It’s a sad loss.

Pied flycatcher

See how our birds are doing

Each species has a story of its own and you can see how each is faring. Are there more of them, or less? And are the numbers increasing or dropping dramatically, or is it a slow change?

The state of the UK’s birds also looks at groups of species. For instance, there’s a section about farmland birds and another about woodland species and those that live in wilder, upland areas. It doesn’t leave out our seabirds, or our summer and winter visitors, so you’ll be able to find out what’s happening with migrating birds such as swallows, blackcaps, winter thrushes and geese. Many of these face hazards including hunters’ guns, deserts, and weather systems, and these issues are briefly discussed.

Everything in nature is interlinked. If one species is doing well, it usually means that there’s a network of other species which is thriving.

Brent geese

Want to know more?

Get the full story by downloading a copy of this year’s report from The state of the UK’s birds webpage.

The secret life of the puffin

2017-05-30T17:19:00Z

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 the sense of theatre, comedy and community in us all, but this feeling of connectedness is confined to just four months - April to August - during which these seabirds are obliged to be landlubbers in order to raise young. The other two-thirds of the year they are in their true element, riding out the high seas, off-stage and off-camera.

When the adults abandon the colony, they undergo a remarkable makeover, shedding their bright bill-plates, along with the eye ornamentation responsible for that quizzical look. With other gaudy paraphernalia shrinking or fading, little wonder that in centuries past the wintering puffin was thought to be a separate species! Outside the breeding season, then, the adult looks a bit more like its monochrome offspring.

In the colony, you might be lucky enough to spot such a chick venturing to the burrow mouth to explore the world it will soon join. It finally quits the burrow at night, the better to avoid marauding gulls and skuas, and makes a beeline for the sea.

Puffling at sea by John Anderson

Unlike the guillemot and razorbill chick which is chaperoned to sea by a parent to learn the ropes, the puffin is utterly independent of its parents the moment it flees the burrow, programmed to fend for itself and perfect the art of diving to catch sandeels and other fish deep below the surface.

If this sounds heroic, its parents’ post-breeding exploits are no less impressive, with rapidly developing electronic tracking technology revealing migration on a breathtaking scale from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Tiny devices called geolocators attached to a leg ring show that some birds from an Irish colony even headed to Newfoundland to exploit a feeding hotspot.

Adult puffin wearing a ring with geolocator by Dave Boyle

We have never had much insight into whether pair-members stick together when they migrate, but a new geolocator study from Skomer Island shows that some pairs do have similar migration routes. Such pairs then bred earlier and more successfully when they returned to the island the following spring than ones that had gone their separate ways in winter.

So the puffin is more than just a pretty face, it’s also a sophisticated globe-trotting mariner.

You can buy Euan’s book, RSPB Spotlight: Puffins, from our shop at £9.99.

When Roger met Sally

2017-05-05T20:51:00Z

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 other again. While one spent the winter in Ghana, the other was in Senegal, and in March this year both began their long and arduous journey across mountains, desert and sea, to rekindle their summer romance.

Our leading man and lady are one of just five pairs of Montagu’s harriers breeding in the UK. These slim, elegant birds of prey return to the UK just to breed, often (somewhat miraculously) re-locating and re-using the same nest sites. Males are a chalky blue-grey with black wingtips and arresting yellow eyes, females are shades of brown and cream. They nest on the ground, hidden within crops. Any eggs they lay are so precious they may as well be golden, and at this time of year the RSPB and local farmers have their eyes to the skies to watch for the returning harriers, so that they can mark and monitor the nests, and identify any new ones.

‘Montagu’ or Capulet? Montagu’s harriers are named after the British naturalist George Montagu (1753-1815)

Martin Hughes-Games releases Sally

The tags they wear also allow us to find out more about the birds’ migration location and the threats they face en route. Sally even made a star appearance on Winterwatch last year being tagged by Martin Hughes-Games.

It’s thanks to this specialist sat nav technology that we’ve been able to follow Roger and Sally’s epic journey from West Africa to the East of England. It reads like a road trip movie, with plenty of twists and turns, famous landmarks (the Sahara Desert! Casablanca! Ibiza!) and unexpected encounters along the way.

Two birds, 45 days, 1000 miles! (Photo credit Roger Wyatt)

It began on 17 March when Roger set off from Senegal. No-one fully knows how birds decide on the exact moment to start a 2,700-mile migration, but it’s triggered somewhat by the weather. A week later, 1000 miles away in Ghana, Sally – our plucky, dark-eyed heroine – also took to the wing. Cue opening credits.

Initially, Sally seemed to be following her heart: her transmitter showed her heading West, straight for Roger. Perhaps they’d travel back to Britain together? On 4 April, over the Western Sahara, they almost, tantalisingly met. But suddenly (thinking she wasn’t coming, perhaps?) Roger took off on his own, travelling up through Morocco without her.

Then Sally made an unexpected move: instead of following Roger she turned East and met up with a second tagged bird, an older female with light eyes called Beatriz who had been flying by a different route. The two girls met in Algeria and spent the Easter weekend there; meanwhile Roger had crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and was flying up through Spain alone.

The females parted company to cross the Mediterranean. Adding some dramatic tension, Beatriz, now in Spain, made a b-line for Roger... did we have a love triangle on our hands? Male Montys are notoriously polyamorous and will pair with several females. Sally responded by taking 24 hours off in Ibiza (you couldn’t make it up!) before landing in Marseilles.

Beatriz and Roger flew up the West coast of France together, Sally progressing up through wine country, but then Beatriz left Roger behind and was the first of the three to cross the channel and make it home. She returned to her nest site in South West England, where her mate Mark was patiently waiting.

On the first day of May, at last, Sally joined Roger in Norfolk. I went there to look for them, bringing journalist Anna Hill from Farming Today, plus two Montagu’s specialists, the RSPB’s Mark Thomas and Bob Image. We drove to the secret site where they were last seen, and as we turned up a dirt track who should appear, soaring overhead, but Sally herself, riding the wind magnificently. We spilled out of the car and went to watch her. As we did, in a flash of silver, Roger came into view, banking and drifting above the hedgerows, cutting through the air like a blade.

It was incredible to see the two of them back together after so long apart. They were clearly communicating; often Sally would follow in pursuit of Roger as they renewed their bonds and scouted the area for a suitable place to nest. They’re fast, too, covering ground with just a few effortless beats of their long wings.

Then, as quickly as they appeared, they were gone. Hopefully they’ll raise chicks again this year – stay tuned.

You can find out more about our tagged Montagu’s, and get live updates, on Twitter: @UKmontagus