Conservationists are using a technique called ‘tickling’ to round up young field crickets to help establish new populations.

Click here for more information.

Join Friends of the Earth’s Great British Bee Count from 17 May to 30 June 2018, and our free app will get you off to a flying start in identifying and recording different species.

Source: The Great British Bee Count | Friends of the Earth

Ancient meadows have quietly disappeared from under our feet. Without the roar of chainsaws or the sound of mighty oaks crashing to the ground, sites with undisturbed floral histories going back generations can be lost in a single afternoon. Since the 1930s, over 97% of our meadows – a staggering 7.5 million acres – have been ploughed, ‘improved’ or built on. This is a key driver in the higher-profile declines of pollinators and birds – and a loss to us all.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Colouring our countryside: meadows and the Agriculture Bill

AJC Springtails have produced a useful guide to Springtail identification. Click here for more information.

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip:

Location: Meet: roadside car park (tiny—please car-share if possible) 300m N of Calvert X-roads: SP 681 250. Short walk, but uneven in places.

CALVERT JUBILEE RESERVE & GALLOWS BRIDGE FARM, BUCKS
Two BBOWT reserves. Calvert, a former clay-pit, has “chalkland” butterflies like green hairstreak, dingy and grizzled skippers. Scrub holds many warblers, incl. possibly nightingale. Three miles on, Gallows Bridge Farm, part of the important Upper Ray Meadows, has breeding curlew.

Leader: Chris Coppock

All welcome

Time: 10 am to 1 pm

Price: Free

See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

After five years, 10,000 plants uprooted and replanted, 15,000 panes of glass replaced, 69,000 sections of metal, stone and timber repaired or replaced, enough scaffolding to stretch the length of the M25, and £41m spent, the largest Victorian glasshouse in the world is ready to open its doors again. The Temperate House in Kew Gardens is once again, as Sir David Attenborough describes it, ‘a breathtakingly beautiful space’

Click here for more information: Kew Gardens’ Temperate House restored – in pictures | Science | The Guardian

Bee Orchid by Julian Lambley at Three Locks on 11 May 2016

Wild flowers are being driven off Britain’s roadside verges by air pollution and poor management​, the charity Plantlife claims.

It says emissions from vehicle exhausts are acting as a fertiliser for a group of nitrogen-loving plants like nettles, which outcompete traditional flowers.

Plantlife article
BBC article
Telegraph article

The precarious state of a vast, remote Antarctic glacier will provide an inaugural mission for the British vessel once dubbed Boaty McBoatface, as scientists from the UK and US set up a new £20m research operation.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Boaty McBoatface leads £20m mission to melting Antarctic glacier | Environment | The Guardian

News of milestone comes as MPs say policy changes have caused collapse in investment in renewables

Source: Wind power overtakes nuclear for first time in UK across a quarter | Environment | The Guardian

Defining Earth’s resources as ‘natural capital’ is morally wrong, intellectually vacuous, and most of all counter-productive

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: The UK government wants to put a price on nature – but that will destroy it | George Monbiot | Opinion | The Guardian

Click on the play button to watch the video

Coral reefs and sunshine keep tourists flocking to Hawaii but add sunscreen to that holiday mix and the result can be serious damage to the marine environment that makes the islands so attractive to visitors in the first place.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Hawaii becomes first US state to ban sunscreens harmful to coral reefs | Travel | The Guardian

Teal ©Peter Hassett, Willen 25 January 2018

Waterbirds in the UK presents the results of the annual WeBS report, with digital PDF copies of current and past editions available below. It provides a single, comprehensive source of information on the current status and distribution of waterbirds in the UK for those interested in the conservation of the populations of these species and the wetland sites they use.

Click on the link for more information: Waterbirds in the UK – Summary report | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

Hairy-footed flower bee ©Julie Lane, Olney 2 May 2018

Slovenia proposed that the United Nations (UN) proclaim 20 May as World Bee Day. On 20 December 2017, following three years of efforts at the international level, the UN Member States unanimously approved Slovenia’s proposal, thus proclaiming 20 May as World Bee Day.

The purpose of the www.worldbeeday.org website is to present the initiative and its implementation, raise awareness of the importance of bees and beekeeping, inform the public of major beekeeping events around the world and celebrate World Bee Day.

Click here for more information: Welcome – Celebrate World Bee Day

Wet wipes are changing the shape of British riverbeds, campaigners said after finding more than 5,000 of them alongside the Thames in an area the size of half a tennis court.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Wet wipe pollution ‘changing the shape of British riverbeds’ | Environment | The Guardian

Sea otters, an African forest elephant and endangered Francois’ langurs are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world

Click here to view the photos: The week in wildlife – in pictures | Environment | The Guardian

Red Admiral by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe Park 22nd September 2016

Have you seen a Red Admiral? Please record it!

The Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a migratory butterfly colonising Central and Northern Europe every year from the South. In autumn, the offspring of these spring arrivals migrate southwards.

We investigate the migration of the Red Admiral by the help of citizen science. Thanks to the more than 40 citizen science portals across Europe that share their data with us, we are now able to study Red Admiral occurrence in an unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution.

Click on the link for more information: Red Admiral migration | Insect Migration & Ecology Lab

The EU’s highest court has ruled that Poland’s logging in the Unesco-protected Białowieża forest is illegal, potentially opening the door to multi-million euro fines.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Poland violated EU laws by logging in Białowieża forest, court rules | Environment | The Guardian

Three years after a fire destroyed heathland and killed wildlife, 21 young sand lizards have been introduced to a Surrey nature reserve.

Source: A brighter future for rare reptiles | Discover Wildlife

The last remaining herd of caribou to roam the contiguous United States is believed to be on the brink of disappearing, after an aerial count suggested that only three members survived the winter – all of them female.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Last caribou in lower 48 US states all but extinct: ‘The herd is functionally lost’ | World news | The Guardian

Osprey ©Peter Hassett Everglades, florida 26 February 2011

Rutland Osprey Project has reported that Maya (a female osprey) and her mate (known as 33 after his ring number), have successfully incubated a trio of eggs that began hatching during the early May Bank Holiday weekend.

This is the earliest recorded date of osprey eggs hatching at Rutland Water, and follows the earliest return date and egg laying of UK ospreys when Maya was spotted at her nest on 12 March, five days before the previous earliest return date on record.

Click here to read the rest of the article

Salcey Forest Treetop Walk is being closed, apparently due to neglect it has now become too dangerous to use.

The treetop walk is a large part of our community and hundreds of visitors, families and walkers will now be missing the opportunity to visit the forest for this fantastic addition to Northamptonshires countryside. We would like to urge the Forestry Commission to undertake the relevant repairs required in order to keep this well-loved attraction open.

Source: Petition · Please stop the closure of the Treetop Walk · Change.org

With their swept back wings and aerial lifestyle hirundines (Swallow, Sand and House Martins) and the similar, but unrelated, Swift often cause ID headaches. Let us help you to separate these amazing summer visitors.

Click on the play button to watch the video

Source: Identifying Hirundines and Swift | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

The Upper Thames area is important for its wet grassland and flower-rich meadows, and has historically supported large populations of breeding waders such as curlews, lapwings, snipe and redshank.

However, surveys in 1994, 1997 and 2005 showed that all four species had suffered significant declines. The project sets out to reverse this decline.

The project area supports large numbers of lowland curlew and lapwing, as well as wildlife such as brown hairstreak and turtle dove. In the face of pressures on habitat, flood risk and climate change, farmers, conservationists and local communities are working together to give nature a home across this landscape.

Source: Upper Thames Wader Birds Conservation Project – The RSPB

Finding the 85-foot ichthyosaur hints that other isolated bones from the U.K. may also belong to ancient behemoths.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: New ‘Sea Monster’ Fossil Found in U.K. May Be Largest Known

Silver-washed-Fritillary by Julian Lambley Bernwood Butterfly trail 24June 2017

Butterflies conjure up images of sunshine, the warmth and colour of flowery meadows, and summer gardens teaming with life. Moths are one of the most diverse group of insects on earth, ranging from spectacular Hawk-moths to small, intricately patterned Footman moths.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Butterfly Conservation – Why butterflies matter

Writer, producer and conservationist Mary Colwell reveals amazing facts about the world’s curlews.

Click on the link for more information: Fascinating facts you (probably) didn’t know about curlews | Discover Wildlife

Wildflower-rich meadows are very rare and important habitats. Some of these grasslands support an amazing number of wildflower species as well as providing habitats for many species of birds, invertebrates, amphibians and mammals. In particular they provide very important supplies of pollen and nectar for bumblebees and other insect pollinators.

Source: Wildflower-rich meadows – Farm Wildlife

Unregulated culling of Scotland’s mountain hares should be banned and the species protected, according to a report that says shooting the animals for sport is inhumane and uncontrolled.

Source: Culling of Scotland’s mountain hares should be banned, says charity | Environment | The Guardian

It’s that time of the year again, when The Smithsonian Magazine announces the finalists of their hotly contested photo contest. Year after year, the contest continues to blow us away with the quality of entrants, with only the cream of the crop qualifying as the 60 finalists, narrowed down from over 48,000 submissions.

Click here to see some stunning photos: Finalists Of The 15th Smithsonian Photo Competition 2017 Have Been Announced, And They’re Stunning | Bored Panda

The White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes) is a delicate little insect that can be found fluttering along lushly vegetated margins of rivers, streams, pools and lakes in southern England and Wales. At first glance they can be mistaken for other, more common, species of blue Damselflies, such as Azure Damselflies; as a result, it is likely that White-legged Damselfly are under-recorded. However, on closer inspection the species can be easily be identified by a number of features, the most prominent being its pale legs, which are broad and feathery in males.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: White-legged Damselfly Investigation | british-dragonflies.org.uk

The baby otter was rescued from a garden after getting lost in bad weather.

Click on the link for more information: RSPCA officer otter-ly surprised | Discover Wildlife

Emperor Dragonfly, Stonepit Field, 15Jul14, Peter Hassett

Resilin functions as an elastic spring that demonstrates extraordinary extensibility and elasticity. Here we use combined techniques, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to illuminate the structure and study the function of wing flexibility in damselflies, focusing on the genus Rhinocypha. Morphological studies using LSCM and SEM revealed that resilin patches and cuticular spikes were widespread along the longitudinal veins on both dorsal and ventral wing surfaces. Nanoindentation was performed by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), where the wing samples were divided into three sections (membrane of the wing, mobile and immobile joints). The resulting topographic images revealed the presence of various sizes of nanostructures for all sample sections. The elasticity range values were: membrane (0.04 to 0.16 GPa), mobile joint (1.1 to 2.0 GPa) and immobile joint (1.8 to 6.0 GPa). The elastomeric and glycine-rich biopolymer, resilin was shown to be an important protein responsible for the elasticity and wing flexibility.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Morphological and mechanical properties of flexible resilin joints on damselfly wings (Rhinocypha spp.)

BTO have produced a video to help you identify Hirundines and Swifts.

Click on the play button to watch the video

Source: Identifying Hirundines and Swift | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

As Britain’s hedgehog populations suffer ongoing declines, wildlife disease expert Dr Becki Lawson from the Garden Wildlife Health team at ZSL’s Institute of Zoology discusses some of the key threats facing one our most charismatic native mammals.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Hedgehog population health – what do we know? | Zoological Society of London (ZSL)

The world’s most widely used insecticides will be banned from all fields within six months, to protect both wild and honeybees that are vital to crop pollination

Click here to read the link to read the rest of the article: EU agrees total ban on bee-harming pesticides | Environment | The Guardian

Neonicotinoid pesticides are the most widely used type of insecticides, but there are concerns that they are toxic to nontarget species such as bees and butterflies

Source: Wildflower contamination with neonicotinoids | Science

Report on the state of the world’s birds reveals a biodiversity crisis driven by intensive farming, with once-common species such as puffins and snowy owls now at risk

Click here to read the link to read the rest of the article: One in eight bird species threatened with extinction, global study finds | Environment | The Guardian

Diseases caused by Amphibiocystidium and Amphibiothecum parasites have been reported in a range of amphibians, including frogs, toads, newts and salamanders. Evidence suggests that some amphibian species may be more susceptible to infection than others, but all amphibians should be considered at risk.

Click on the link for more information: Dermocystid Parasites in Amphibians – Garden Wildlife Health

Mark Thomas of RSPB Investigations is one of the authors of a new paper published today (28 April 2018) in the journal British Birds. Read his account of what the results of this paper mean to him, and for all of us.

Click here for more information: Raptor Persecution in the Peak District National Park – Investigations – Our work – The RSPB Community

Over the past two centuries, many animals and plants have become extinct in the UK – mostly due to the loss or degradation of habitats leading to increasingly isolated populations. This special collection of stamps and collectibles celebrates the UK’s successfully restored wildlife – including the Eurasian beaver, osprey, pool frog, sand lizard, large-blue butterfly and stinking hawk’s-beard.

Click on the link for more information: Reintroduced Species Stamps and Souvenirs | Royal Mail Group Ltd

A new strategy to conserve and enhance peatlands in the UK has been launched.

Click here to read the link to read the rest of the article

Linford Lakes Nature Reserve visitors enjoying an Open Sunday

Open Sunday at Linford Lakes NR 19 November 2018 10:00-16:00hrs.

Tea and coffee, home-made cakes available.
Second-hand books on sale as well as crafts and bird seed.
Great views through the new windows.
Lots of new arrivals come and hear the Warblers from the Warbler Hide!

Today we have a visit from Opticron Rep Sarah, who will demonstrate some of their products. Bins, scopes and magnifiers will be available to buy. Sarah will undertake some routine maintenance of Opticron products, so bring your bins along.

This image might look like someone left a coffee mug on a photograph of some Christmas lights, but it actually illustrates a fundamental part of our understanding of physics.What you’re looking at is a picture filled with distant galaxies, and in the middle of the image is a particularly dense cluster of galaxies. So dense, in fact, the cluster is distorting spacetime and creating what’s known as an Einstein ring.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Hubble captures a sublime “Einstein ring” created by distant galaxies | Alphr

This bunting species is now listed as Critically Endangered and faces an extremely high risk of extinction.

Click here to read the link to read the rest of the article

Butterfly Conservation have published the April 2018 of their electronic newsletter dedicated to moths.

Click here for more information

The European Space Agency (ESA) has discovered a second magnetic field surrounding our humble planet.

Source: ESA just discovered a second magnetic field surrounding Earth | Alphr

The world’s oldest known spider has died at the age of 43, outliving its nearest rival by 15 years, Australian scientists have reported.

Click here to read the link to read the rest of the article: Farewell, No. 16: scientists left ‘miserable’ after world’s oldest spider dies aged 43

Task Day at Linford Lakes NR

FoLLNR logo

10:00- 13:00hrs.

Come and help tidy up and give a bit of a spring clean to the reserve.

Great way to keep fit, work with a friendly group of people.

Refreshments available for helpers.

It is important to report any suspected sightings of this species as soon as possible.  Vigalence is particularly required in southern parts of England and the areas where other sightings have been made (Devon, Somerset and Gloucestershire).  The Asian hornet is active mainly between April and November (peak August/September) and is inactive over the winter.

Click on the link for more information: Species alerts – GB non-native species secretariat

By a quirk of the calendar, this year’s May Day bank holiday falls as late as it could – on the 7th. Thanks in part to The Beast From The East, everything is a week or two late this year so the bluebells will still be at their peak by next Monday. Even the forecast is now looking great, after the final sting in winter’s tail this weekend!

Arrangements for the Open Day as normal –

• free access to all of the wood 10am-5pm
• parking on site £10 and must be pre-booked through me (not on the day please!)
• lots of refreshments and home-made goodies
• guided walks (11am & 2pm), children’s activities and target practice
• be ready for lots of mud (although I hope everything will have dried out nicely by then!).

More details on http://www.hollingtonwood.com/calendar/ and https://www.facebook.com/events/2110446155650044/

For any last minute changes or updates see https://www.facebook.com/hollingtonwood/

MEMBERS OF THE crow family, the corvids, show a capacity to learn and solve problems that may be unrivalled in the bird world. It seems their greatest skill is an uncanny ability to turn new and tricky situations to their advantage.

Take the scourge of the introduced cane toad (Rhinella marina) for example. As this highly poisonous amphibian disperses across northern Australia, the numbers of predators attempting to eat them are crashing. The most notable victims are quolls, goannas and certain snakes, which have been all but wiped out in some regions. Crows, however, have learnt how to eat toads by avoiding the most toxic parts.

The large parotid glands on the toad’s neck and shoulders are the greatest risk. When a toad is harassed, milky white poison oozes from these glands. Any contact with this ooze is a likely death sentence. In many cases they die before even swallowing the toad.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Clever crows have learnt how to make a meal of cane toads – Australian Geographic

Between now and the end of May add your sighting to our online recording tool. Whether you’ve only got one or many, we’d love them to be included.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: The Big Bluebell Watch – Woodland Trust

In a bumblebee nest, a single fertile female, the queen, dominates the infertile female workers using a chemical scent – pheromone – identifying her as the egg-laying mother of them all.

Usually, all proceeds peacefully, but in some cases an intruder queen kills the nest’s matriarch and takes over.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: How do cuckoo bumblebees trick other species? | Discover Wildlife

The new Fen Edge Trail gives hikers the chance to wander this ancient, disappearing marshland, which is now being revived thanks to a 50-year project

Source: ‘Weirder than any other landscape’: a wild walk in the Fens | Travel | The Guardian

Researchers have been investigating the contents of orangutan faeces.

Click on the link for more information: Why are scientists so interested in orangutan poo? | Discover Wildlife

Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil by Peter Hassett at Grangelands NR. 23May15

Plantlife produce a number of interesting guides to wildflowers.

Click here to download their spotter sheet for May.

Thanks to dedicated birders, the UK snow bunting population has been calculated for the first time.

Source: Would you climb Ben Nevis to find this bird? | Discover Wildlife

Pre-publication offer – order before the end of April and save £1.45 on the published price. Available in May.

Click on the link for more information: Bookshop : A Guide to Finding Bees in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire

It’s pleasing to have a flock of Siskins arrive in your garden, and thanks to ringing, we might know where they come from or go to, but can ringing tell us anything about the link between these individuals in the flock? A note in Bird Study by Juan Senar and Jeff and Allison Kew in 2015 revealed that the individuals in Siskin flocks have stable social bonds and move in stable social units.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: BTO Bird Ringing – ‘Demog Blog’: Birds of a feather, fly together

How ecological communities respond to artificial light at night.

Click on the link for more information: Throwing light on communities – KEVIN J GASTON

Some bird species provide cultural services, being aesthetically pleasing and having behaviours that people find interesting to watch. Others provide disservices (e.g. gulls, pigeons and corvids) negative for well-being. By documenting how the abundance and richness of species in these two groups correlates with human population density it was apparent that socio-economically deprived areas support low ratios of birds to people, particularly of cultural service species. These results inform management of green space, and provision of feeding and nesting sites, to promote positive interactions between birds and people within urbanised landscapes.

Source: Shaping positive engagements with urban birds | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

Ceroxys urticae female

A relatively small family (20 British species) containing some very distinctive picture-winged flies, many of which can be identified in the field with the naked eye or a hand lens. Many of those picture-winged species actively wing-wave as they walk over foliage (e.g. Herina and Seioptera) or tree trunks (Myennis).

Click here for more information

Great Linford Manor ©Peter Hassett 7 July 2015

Dear Bucks Geology Group members, the up and coming events at Great Linford are yet another way of looking at geology but in a slightly unusual manner; and a chance to explore a stone circle  – an unusual feature of Buckinghamshire.

The BGG’s AGM this year will be held at the Art Centre Great Linford, and will be followed  by a local walk.

–       The AGM runs 1-1:30 – members and non-members alike are welcome to join us;  there is then a linked event

–       The walk runs 1:45 – 3:45pm. NB people who’d like to come on the walk but not the AGM are very welcome, the events are separate from that point of view, just sequential for those who wish to come to both.

For the main walk – If you fancy a gentle stroll with us to learn about the Jurassic Blisworth Limestone and its fossils through the building stones of Milton Keynes Arts Centre, St Andrews Church and Great Linford Stone Circle & Old Quarry; ending with a visit to MK Parks Trust’s Stone Pit field well known not only for its limestone surfaces but also wildflowers and insects.

For those who can’t open the attached flyer the key details are as follows:-.

• AGM only – Saturday 12^th May 2018 1:00 – 1:30
• Following walk , same day running 1:45 – 3:45
• Approximately 2kmon mostly flat terrain (no big hills!) although in places the ground can be a bit uneven.
• Wellies and specialist footwear not needed but sturdy shoes / walking boots are advised. Obviously dress for the weather on the day.
• Meet at the Milton Keynes Arts Centre. Parklands (off Ledgers Drive), Great Linford. Milton Keynes. MK14 5ZD
• Members free; non-members £3
• If you’re planning to attend either or both events please let Mike Palmer know on 01296 325223 or email mpalmer@buckscountymuseum.org

We look forward to some of you joining us on the day.

Julia Carey
On behalf of the Bucks Geology Group

Environmental Records Centre Manager
Historic and Natural Environment Team
Transport, Economy and Environment
Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Environmental Records Centre
6^th Floor, County Hall
Aylesbury
Bucks HP20 1UY
 

Tel 01296 382431

E-mail jcarey@buckscc.gov.uk

Visit our website:http://www.bucksmkerc.org.uk/

Has this dragonfly disappeared from your county? Scientists want to know

Click on the link for more information: The search is on for the common clubtail | Discover Wildlife

African Elephant ©Peter Hassett, Mara North Conservancy, Kenya 19 February 2015

Even though Botswana is pinning her hopes on tourism to diversify the economy, poaching, which is on the rise, remains a challenge and hinders the country’s efforts in diversifying the economy.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Botswana: Poaching in Botswana On the Rise – allAfrica.com

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a talk:

Location: The Cruck Barn, City Discovery Centre, Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes

Postcode: MK13 9AP (Google map)

Whether it’s a single wind-blown rarity or the sight of thousands of birds on the move together , bird migration is one of the great spectacles of nature. Colin Wilkinson’s talk considers how our knowledge of migration has grown, and looks at how and why even tiny birds undertake such astonishing journeys.
This indoor meeting will start with our short Annual General Meeting

Time: Doors open 7.15pm for a prompt 7.45pm start, ends at 10pm

Price: Group members £3, Non-group members £4, Children £1

See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

The UK has lost 97 per cent of its meadow habitat since the 1940s. Discover more about this beautiful habitat, thanks to Plantlife.

Source: 12 facts you (probably) didn’t know about wildflower meadows | Discover Wildlife

Expeditions uncover three new chameleon species.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Madagascar’s reptile list grows following discoveries | Discover Wildlife

Finding the 85-foot ichthyosaur hints that other isolated bones from the U.K. may also belong to ancient behemoths

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: New ‘Sea Monster’ Fossil Found in U.K. May Be Largest Known

Alphr have also covered the story.

Ashley Beolens, a local blogger has published an article with wonderful photographs of the Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve.

Source: Late Spring at the Floodplain Forest – Views From An Urban Lake

The patchwork of woods and fields seen across much of lowland Britain contain extensive lengths of woodland edge that could have a big impact on our woodland bird populations.

A new study between Bournemouth University, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the RSPB looked at how the structure of trees and shrubs in Cambridgeshire woods affect bird populations.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Woodland edges: why their structure is important for birds – Saving Species – Our work – The RSPB Community

The results of Clubtail Count 2017 have revealed the ‘Near Threatened’ Common Clubtail is absent on many of the surveyed rivers. However, there was also a ray of hope as the species was spotted for the first time in Devon.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Stark Decline of the Enigmatic Common Clubtail Dragonfly | british-dragonflies.org.uk

Lapwing nest ©Martin Kincaid, Stony Stratford NR 26 March 2014

A massive new study finds that how much a bird flies influences how their egg rolls

Click on the link for more information: Cracking the mystery of egg shape

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip:

Location: Meet in the car park (free) a mile down Otmoor Lane from the Abingdon Arms, Beckley
Nearest postcode OX3 9TD)
SP 570 126

Postcode: OX3 9TD (Google map)

This historic wetland was restored from arable land – and our Group helps to fund it!

A May visit for special birds like Turtle Dove and Hobby. Come prepared for little shelter, no toilets and lengthy (though level) walking.

See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

The anti-trafficking operation also identified a previously unknown smuggling route

Click on the link for more information: Record haul of pangolin scales seized | Discover Wildlife

Red-Tailed Bumblebee by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe 11 April 2016

Green spaces embedded within the urban matrix, particularly residential yards, could mitigate negative aspects of urban development and provide pollinator habitat.

Lawns represent a dominant green space, and their management consists of frequent mowing to inhibit the growth of ostensibly “weedy” species (e.g., dandelions and clover).

Since widespread population declines of bees and other pollinators from habitat loss are a growing concern, these spontaneous flowers could provide pollen and nectar sources throughout the growing season.

We experimentally tested whether different lawn mowing frequencies (1, 2 or 3 weeks) influenced bee abundance and diversity in 16 suburban western Massachusetts yards by increasing lawn floral resources.

Lawns mowed every three weeks had as much as 2.5 times more lawn flowers than the other frequencies. Interestingly, lawns mowed every two weeks supported the highest bee abundance yet the lowest bee richness and evenness. We suggest these patterns were driven by a combination of more abundant floral resources (compared with 1-week yards), easier access to lawn flowers due to shorter grass and a more drastic impact on grass biomass and floral resources (compared with 3-week yards), and the dominance of a few generalist bees overwhelming our samples, thus driving richness and evenness.

Our results highlight a “lazy lawnmower” approach to providing bee habitat. Mowing less frequently is practical, economical, and a timesaving alternative to lawn replacement or even planting pollinator gardens. Given the pervasiveness of lawns coupled with habitat loss, our findings provide immediate solutions for individual households to contribute to urban conservation.

Source: To mow or to mow less: Lawn mowing frequency affects bee abundance and diversity in suburban yards – ScienceDirect

The national decline of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is well documented. Since 1974, the UK population has fallen by at least 72% and in 2009 the species was added to the red list of Birds of Conservation Concern.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Low-down on Lesser Spots – a cause for concern | Northantsbirds

The young beaver was found by the side of a road.

Click on the link for more information: Devon Wildlife Trust announces beaver death | Discover Wildlife

The Lyrid meteor show roughly falls from 16-25 April each year. The peak in this period will generally coincide with a time when the moon is at its dimmest – allowing the meteoroids to be seen more clearly. This will happen on Sunday 22 April in 2018, which also happens to be Earth Day.

Click on the link for more information: Lyrid meteor shower 2018: How to watch the Lyrids in the UK | Alphr

The sun is up to old tricks again, having recently developed three new coronal holes. And it’s us Earthlings that are bearing the brunt, occupying a planet hit by geomagnetic storms.While this might sound like I’m hailing the next rapture, I’m not. Solar holes aren’t uncommon, particularly given that we’re in the solar minimum – a stage in the sun’s 11-year activity cycle in which coronal holes are pretty regular.

Source: Holey moly! Three holes have burst open on the sun hurtling geomagnetic storms towards Earth | Alphr

Silver-washed Fritillary by Harry Appleyard, North Bucks Way 21 July 2016

Local blogger, Ashley Beolens describes what he considers to be the top 5 butterfly sites in Milton Keynes – Source: 5 Best Butterfly Sites in Milton Keynes – Views From An Urban Lake

The UK is home to a significant proportion of the world’s population of bluebells. We need your help to find out where they are.

Be part of our most accurate bluebell survey ever.

Click on the link for more information: The Big Bluebell Watch – Woodland Trust

Linford Lakes NR BioBlitz by David Easton. 24 June 2016

Click here to download the newsletter: Newsletters | National Forum for Biological Recording

The Wildlife Trusts and the RHS set up Wild About Gardens to celebrate wildlife gardening and to encourage people to use their gardens to take action to help support nature. Help us turn the UK’s estimated 24 million gardens into a network of nature reserves, and invite our wildlife back. This year Wild About Gardens is going wild about worms! These wriggly fellows are well known to gardeners all over.

Click on the link for more information: Wild About Gardens

A proposed Oxford to Cambridge route poses “serious threats” to the wetlands at Otmoor Nature Reserve in Oxfordshire

You can read the BBC news article here: Oxford to Cambridge expressway plan ‘disastrous’ for nature – BBC News

Save Otmoor Campaign

RSPB Response here

You can also sign the government petition here.

Two of Britain’s declining butterfly species suffered their worst year on record in 2017, following a cold spring and a gloomy, wet summer.

Source: Bad weather to blame for butterfly declines | Discover Wildlife

The environment secretary says the ban will be one of the toughest in the world.

Source: UK government to ban ivory sales | Discover Wildlife

For the last few years, VBN/BirdLife Netherlands has been working closely with Dutch farmers in the hopes of making the country’s world-famous dairy products as sustainable and nature-friendly as they are tasty. Gerrit Gerritsen tells us more about a most promising start.International studies recently showed Dutch men to be the tallest in the world, standing on average at 1.84 metres – re

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Milking the cow: why Dutch dairy is becoming bird-friendly | BirdLife

New Nature magazine April 2018

New Nature is the only natural history magazine written, edited and produced entirely by young people: by young ecologists, conservationists, communicators, nature writers and wildlife photographers each boasting an undying passion for the natural world. It is intended, foremost, as a celebration of nature, but also of the young people giving their time, freely, to protect it.

Click here to download the magazine

The warm Atlantic current linked to severe and abrupt changes in the climate in the past is now at its weakest in at least 1,600 years, new research shows. The findings, based on multiple lines of scientific evidence, throw into question previous predictions that a catastrophic collapse of the Gulf Stream would take centuries to occur.

Source: Gulf Stream current at its weakest in 1,600 years, studies show | Environment | The Guardian

There is significant evidence to show that White Storks were once a breeding bird of Britain, with an archaeological record stretching back 360,000 years.

White Storks are particularly associated with the county of Sussex. The Saxon name for the village of Storrington, near Worthing, was originally “Estorchestone”, meaning “the village of the storks”. A pair of white storks still features on the village emblem. Other place names in the area, such as Storwood and Storgelond, evoke the stork’s historical presence here.

Together with a number of private landowners in West Sussex, East Sussex and Surrey, and in partnership with the Roy Denis Wildlife Foundation, Warsaw Zoo and Cotswold Wildlife Park, Knepp Estate is helping to establish a breeding population of free-living White Storks in Britain once again.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: White Storks — Knepp Wildland

Last year was the seventh worst on record for butterflies in Britain, and for two declining butterfly species it was their worst since records began.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: British butterflies suffered seventh worst year on record in 2017 | Environment | The Guardian