Whether you’re swinging in a hammock in the shade, or stretched out in the summer sunshine, disappear into a great book this summer, with our guide to the latest wildlife books.
Culling by grouse moor managers is being blamed for the drastic decline of mountain hares on eastern Scottish moorlands to less than 1% of the level recorded more than 60 years ago.
Common cranes have been an annual sight along the coast of Aberdeenshire for a number of years, during spring passage. However, breeding was only proven in 2012, when a pair nested and fledged one chick. This was the first confirmed breeding attempt of cranes in Scotland for over 400 years!
This paper was first published in the May 2018 issue of British Birds (Vol. 111, p275-290).
Raptor persecution is an important conservation issue and British Birds has therefore made this paper available free of charge. To download it, click below.
In this study, we investigated the backward free flight of a dragonfly, accelerating in a flight path inclined to the horizontal. The wing and body kinematics were reconstructed from the output of three high-speed cameras using a template-based subdivision surface reconstruction method, and numerical simulations using an immersed boundary flow solver were conducted to compute the forces and visualize the flow features. During backward flight, the dragonfly maintained an upright body posture of approximately 90° relative to the horizon. The upright body posture was used to reorient the stroke plane and the flight force in the global frame; a mechanism known as ‘force vectoring’ which was previously observed in manoeuvres of other flying animals…
What a year it has been! When I wrote Special Black-tailed Godwits last year, I finished by saying, “Imagine how exciting it will be if one of this year’s head-started birds is found breeding in the Nene or Ouse Washes next year”. Amazingly, nine of the 26 head-started birds from 2017 were back this year and two females definitely had nests, with one fledging a chick, and a further two paired together are suspected to have attempted to nest. From data shared with me by Roos Kentie, this return-rate is comparable to wild-breeding Limosa Black-tailed Godwits in her Dutch study-area.
The researchers studied the birds at sewage works where they flock to feed all year round. The worms, maggots and flies at sewage treatment plants have been found to contain many different pharmaceuticals, including Prozac.
The study showed that dilute concentrations of Prozac similar to those measured at sewage works appeared to make female starlings less attractive to the opposite sex.
Thanks to Janice Robinson and Mike LeRoy for their input. The most likely option seems to be:
It could be a male. Males don’t have pollen baskets, have a seventh abdominal segment (females have six), they have a more blunt tip to the abdomen with no sting, their antennae have an extra segment and curve away from the face. Perhaps a closer look at the original photo might show some of these features? The possibilities then are:
1. The male of the Red-tailed bumblebee Bombus lapidarius, which has some yellow on the face, a band of yellow on the front of the thorax and a narrow one at the rear of the thorax, as well as the red tail. Males have visibly longer hair; the hair of the photographed bumble looks rather punky. Males of this species emerge from June.
2. The male of the Red-tailed cuckoo-bee Bombus rupestris, which has two faded yellow bands on front and back of the thorax, but also narrow pale straw-coloured bands on the abdomen, and the red tail. Males emerge July and August.
The Bilberry bumblebee Bombus monticola tends to be in mountains, uplands and moorlands. The only place I have seen it is amongst heather close to the Kerry Ridgeway in Shropshire, close to the Welsh border.
Original Post:Julie would like help to identify a Fuzzy Bumble (no it’s not something you do after a night at the pub).
In Julie words
Not a great photo but the only bee I can see that resembles it in any way is the bilberry bumblebee, bombus monticola which is not meant to be in this part of the country.
Sand dunes across England are set for a golden future following £4.3 million worth of funding to help restore and protect these at risk habitats.
The funding – awarded to a partnership led by Natural England as part of the European Union’s LIFE programme – will help deliver a major conservation project to explore how to re-establish the natural movement within dunes and create the conditions that some of our rarest wildlife relies upon.
Few four-legged animals cut figures as distinctive as giraffes. And new research suggests they do things differently, too. Animals form groups for a variety of reasons but, as a general rule, the greater the risk from predators, the bigger the group.
Only 12 hours after Sir David Attenborough explained the personal and scientific benefits of Big Butterfly Count to the watching nation, I was standing under a tree in the pouring rain…
The Mammal Society have produced an app to monitor mammals:
Most wild mammals, including rabbits and iconic species like hedgehogs and mountain hares, are very poorly monitored. This makes it difficult to know which regions or habitats are most important, or to detect changes in their population sizes. The Mammal Mapper is designed to record information on the location and number of animals spotted on walks or bicycle rides.
Lewis Dickinson led the walk. He explained that the site was important for whorled water-milfoil and bladderwort.
During the second World War gravel was extracted from Felmersham gravel pits to be used in the construction of local war-time air fields and other military needs. Over the decades the disused and flooded gravel pits have been managed as a nature reserve and they provide a protected area for many varieties of flora and fauna. It is also important as bird sanctuary, both as a breeding habitat and for birds on migration.
It is one of the best sites in Bedfordshire for dragonflies and damselflies. One problem managing the site is that areas have become overrun with Water Soldier. You can view an interesting video showing its removal using the Truxor Amphibious Vehicle
Lewis explained that there was some concerns raised with the removal of the Water Soldier as they were hoping it would attract the Norfolk Hawker dragonfly to the site. As a compromise, the Water Soldier is being removed from most of the lakes but is being left in one contained area.
To start the walk we crossed the road and headed North East where we had good views of damselflies, dragonflies and butterflies. There was lots of dragonfly activity, some ovipositing, a lot of aerial combat and one unfortunate dragonfly being eaten by another. After 1.5km we turned right as if we continued on our path we would have reached the fishing lakes which tend to be more shaded with less diversity.
We tried to spot Bladderwort in some of the lakes. There were no yellow flowers visible, but some people thought they could see the small hollow sacs that are used to capture and digest tiny animals such as insect larvae, aquatic worms, and water fleas.
We passed a couple of active badger sets and we saw a couple of Buzzards circling and calling overhead. Crossing the road, we continued in a circle back to the car park where we had excellent views of a Brown Hawker perched conveniently on a low branch.
We didn’t keep a species list, but some of the species we saw were:
Butterflies
Green-veined White
Holly Blue
Large White
Speckled Wood
Dragon/Damselflies
Brown Hawker
Common BlueDamselfly
Emerald Damselfly
Rudddy Darter
Small Red-eyed Damselfly
Insects
Dark bush-cricket
Dock bug (Coreus marginatus)
Forest shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes)
Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus
Scorpion Fly
Moths
Straw Dot
Mother of Pearl
Click on any of the pictures for a larger image.
Unless captioned otherwise, photos are by Peter Hassett licensed under CC BY-NC-SA
Listen up everyone!!! Big Wasp Survey 2018 is launching…see link below. Last year we caught zero queens (so impact on wasp populations) and our limited bycatch has gone to other studies. So become a wasp sampler please! Some very exciting data in 2017 and we need more this year
Normally, any news relating to hen harriers is bad news. For the past few years they have been on the brink of extinction as a breeding bird in England. Last season there were only three successful nests in the whole of England, all of which were in Northumberland. 2016 told a similarly dismal story.
But now there’s a small chink of light; the tiniest ray of light perhaps signalling hope. As we reported earlier in the week, this season there has been a threefold increase with nine successful nests this year, fledging a total of 34 chicks, and across a much wider geographical area, with four counties in England hosting hen harrier nests.
New BTO research uses information collected by bird ringers to investigate large-scale differences and flexibility in the timing of feather moult across 15 passerine species that breed in the UK. Different moult strategies were found between migrant and resident species, alongside within-species regional variation in moulting schedules.
The third Bedfordshire Natural History Society Insect Conference will be held on Saturday 17th November 2018. The programme of speakers comprises:
Craneflies – John Kramer
Dolichopodidae – Long-legged flies or ‘Dollies’ – Martin Drake
Sciomyzidae – Snail-killing flies – Stuart Ball
Ladybirds – Peter Brown
Scarabaeids – Scarab Beetles – Darren Mann
Ichneumons – Gavin Broad
Scale Insects and Mealy Bugs – Chris Malumphy
Venue: The Forest Centre, Millenium Country Park, Marston Moretaine, MK43 0PR
Fee: £20 for BNHS & Bird Club members, £25 for non-members. Entrance by ticket only. To book please complete and return this form:.docx.pdf
It’s usually a good day if you see a Spotted Redshank in Britain or Ireland. How about a flock of 60?
On 27 July 1975, I was fortunate to be part of a Wash Wader Ringing Groupcannon-netting team that caught 60 Spotted Redshanks at Terrington, on the Lincolnshire border of Norfolk. When we fired the nets, we knew that there were some Spotted Redshanks in the catching area but, as these birds were part of a mixed catch of 414, most of which were Redshank and Dunlin, the total number of these elegant ‘shanks came as a very welcome surprise. Why so many, what did we learn about Spotted Redshanks and what do we know now?
Linford Lakes NR BioBlitz by David Easton. 24 June 2016
As part of the IUCN SSC Species Monitoring Specialist Group’s work to improve species monitoring for conservation (Stephenson 2018; Oryx 52: 412-413), and parallel efforts to improve the monitoring of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), we are conducting a global audit of biodiversity monitoring to identify gaps in data, coverage and capacity in long-term species monitoring. This project is funded by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) Collaborative Fund, and involves partners and collaborators from around the world.
Conserving and making such data accessible is vitally important. The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology is the custodian of a wealth of ecological datasets. In some cases, these date back to the days of the Nature Conservancy in the 1950s and 1960s. Thanks to the efforts of our Environmental Informatics Liaison scientists, with a bit of help from CEH Fellows, many of these historic datasets are now being saved for long term re-use in the NERC Environmental Information Data Centre.
International photographic competition, which runs in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, awards special prize for the best close-up images
A strong argument can be made that the European Union has the most rigorous regulatory system for pesticides in the world, and that modern pesticide use poses fewer environmental threats than older regimes. Nevertheless, the impacts of pesticides on bees and other non-target organisms are much debated in Europe as elsewhere. Here we document changing patterns of pesticide use in arable and horticultural crops in Great Britain from 1990 to 2015. The weight of pesticides used has approximately halved over this period, but in contrast the number of applications per field nearly doubled. The total potential kill of honeybees (the total number of LD50 doses applied to the 4.6 million hectares of arable farmland in Great Britain each year) increased six-fold to approximately 3 × 1016 bees, the result of the increasing use of neonicotinoids from 1994 onwards which more than offset the effect of declining organophosphate use. It is important to stress that this does not mean that this number of bees will be killed, and also to acknowledge that our simple analysis does not take into account many factors such as differences in persistence, and timing and mode of application of pesticides, which will affect actual exposure of non-target organisms. Nonetheless, all else being equal, these data suggest that the risk posed by pesticides to non-target insects such as bees, other pollinators and natural enemies of pests, has increased considerably in the last 26 years.
Almost one in five of British mammal species face a high risk of extinction, according to the first comprehensive review of their populations for more than 20 years launched today by The Mammal Society and Natural England.The red squirrel, wildcat and the grey long-eared bat are all listed as facing severe threats to their survival.The review – commissioned by Natural England working
Following on from the very successful BTO Owl Appeal this year will be the start of our Project Owl research. With new surveys starting from autumn 2018, we need your help to learn more about our nation’s fascinating but often mysterious owl species.
A special cricket and grasshopper event will take place this Sunday.
Also
Tea and coffee, home-made cakes available.
Second-hand books on sale as well as crafts and bird seed.
Great views through the Centre’s windows and balcony
Plenty to see: ducklings, dragonflies, butterflies, the first returning migrant birds.
Bring friends and family to enjoy the reserve.
A wealth of wildlife can be found and experienced in our parks and green spaces across Milton Keynes. The land in our care includes ancient woodlands and recent plantations; old hedgerows and ‘veteran’ trees; grazing pastures and hay meadows; areas of scrubland; ponds, lakes, rivers and streams.
Click here to find out more and to download the Parks Trust Biodiversity Action Plan
New research has identified the species of shark currently found in hotter parts of the world that could migrate to UK waters by 2050 as the oceans warm
Small, spiky and seriously endangered, the hedgehog is a much-loved mammal in Britain, and further afield. Four hundred years ago, however, things were very different
Be part of this nationwide survey and help take the pulse of nature. Butterfly declines reveal the poor health of the environment. We need your sightings
It seems a shame to mention the autumn whilst we are enjoying an amazing summer but autumn migration is gathering pace already. All of the BTO satellite tagged Cuckoos had left the UK by the end of June but since leaving some of them have had a rapid migration south; five have already successfully crossed the Sahara
From the nut-cracking crows of Sendai to ‘Turdus urbanicus’ (the new urban blackbird), animals are changing their behaviour and evolution in cities – and in dramatic and surprising ways
Our planning and preparation for the second year of Poole Harbour Osprey Project, a partnership between the Foundation, Birds of Poole Harbour and Wildlife Windows, started at the end of winter when we checked nests that looked fragile the previous year, and others that had been damaged by winter storms. In early March 2018 we […]
Silver-washed-Fritillary by Julian Lambley Bernwood Butterfly trail 24June 2017
Butterflies are benefitting from environmental action to increase their habitats, scientists have argued following a pioneering government report.
Research published today by Defra on the ability of butterflies to move around the countryside shows butterflies, including much-loved species like the Speckled Wood butterfly, have recovered significantly since a worrying decline at the end of the last millennium.
The northern bald ibis is critically endangered, with fewer than 1,000 existing in the wild. But a German group is reintroducing these birds in Europe, where they once thrived, and is using ultralight aircraft to lead them on migrations south toward the Mediterranean.
Ambitious conservation project underway to save England’s forgotten farmland flowers and wildlife.
The poppy, one of the nation’s favourite wildflowers, is as iconic as the Brown Hare, Harvest Mouse and Skylark – endearing species we associate with England’s golden cornfields in summer. But did you know colourful cornfield flowers that characterised our farmland abundantly 100 years ago, are now the fastest declining group of wildflowers in the country and risk disappearing altogether if urgent action isn’t taken?
A newly discovered bandy bandy snake species, jumping sweetfish and baby tarantulas in Derbyshire are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world
The evidence of negative impacts of agricultural pesticides on non-target organisms is constantly growing. One of the most widely used group of pesticides are neonicotinoids, used in treatments of various plants, e.g. oilseed crops, corn and apples, to prevent crop damage by agricultural insect pests. Treatment effects have been found to spill over to non-target insects, such as bees, and more recently also to other animal groups, among them pas- serine birds. Very little is known, however, on the presence of neonicotinoids in other wild species at higher tro- phic levels. We present results on the presence of neonicotinoid residues in blood samples of a long-distant migratory food-specialist raptor, the European honey buzzard. Further, we investigate the spatial relationship be- tween neonicotinoid residue prevalence in honey buzzards with that of crop fields where neonicotinoids are typ- ically used. A majority of all blood samples contained neonicotinoids, thiacloprid accounting for most of the prevalence. While neonicotinoid residues were detected in both adults and nestlings, the methodological limit of quantification was exceeded only in nestlings. Neonicotinoids were present in all sampled nests. Neonicotinoid presence in honey buzzard nestlings’ blood matched spatially with the presence of oilseed plant fields. These are the first observations of neonicotinoids in a diurnal raptor. For better understanding the potential negative sub- lethal of neonicotinoids in wild vertebrates, new (experimental) studies are needed.
Today the Government has published a revised version of its National Planning Policy Framework which now includes some reinstated protection for Local Wildlife Sites following a campaign supported by 25,000 people.
I have been reading a fascinating book Dragonfly by David Chandler and Steve Cham where they describe a stage in the dragonfly life cycle that is new to me:
What comes out of the egg?
Often a Dragonfly’s life cycle is simplified as egg—larva—adult—egg. This misses out one vital if short—lived stage — the prolarva.
The prolarva is what comes out of the egg. It can leap and squirm, and its job is to get to water, which is often where it finds itself on hatching anyway. But that isn’t always the case. The Willow Emerald Lester Lestes viridis damselfly is unusual among its near relatives in that it lays its eggs in twigs and branches over water. When things go well, its prolarvae simply fall into the water. When things don’t go well, however, the prolarvae find themselves on the ground and have to make their way to water. Prolarvae are not able to walk or swim, but they can have remarkable jumping abilities — one leap from the prolarva of the Japanese Relict Dragonfly Epiophlebia superstes can take it about 100 times further than its own length.
When it gets to water, a prolarva’s job is done. It moults and a very small true larva takes to the water. The prolarva may have survived for just seconds or perhaps an hour or two. Those of Aeschnophlebia longistigma, an Asian species, can make it to 14 hours.
Whether you’re swinging in a hammock in the shade, or stretched out in the summer sunshine, disappear into a great book this summer, with our guide to the latest wildlife books.
Julie Lane has recommended “For the Birds”, part of the Milton Keynes International Festival:
I thought I should draw peoples attention to a wonderful lighting and sound installation called ‘For the Birds’ taking place this week at Linford Manor Park as part of the MK International Festival. It is a truly magical experience and great fun and for anyone who is interested in birds it would be a pity to miss out on it. Quite what the local wildlife makes of it is a different matter but it is well worth a visit. Tickets are £15 available from the Box office 01908 280800 and it is on in the evenings Wed 25th – Sat 28th July.
We have been colour ringing black-tailed godwits at the Nene and Ouse Washes to help us understand more about the birds’ movements in the breeding and non-breeding season. Godwits are known to undertake long and often complex migratory journeys, and the marking of individual birds provides valuable information about the remarkable journeys these birds undertake.
Red-tailed Bumblebee by Harry Appleyard, Howe Park Wood 14 March 2017
English sea wall flood defences support an important grassland habitat for bumblebees (Bombus spp.). However, annual cutting in midsummer (July-August) could negatively affect them. The mowing regime was then changed to a ‘late’ cut (September) on a sea wall and compared with an adjacent sea wall cut ‘normally’ (midsummer).
There were significantly more queens nest-searching in May compared to April. Sward height and the number of queens nest-searching were significantly higher on the normal cut sea wall than on the late cut one. No correlation between queen abundance and forage availability was significant. The nesting habitat therefore seems more important than forage abundance for queens.
The summer studies revealed the workers’ higher abundance on the late cut wall. However, this new spring study of queens reveals their preference for the normal cut wall. Having a mosaic of habitats seems the key to conserving sea wall grassland bumblebees.
For European starlings, the presence of aromatic herbs in the nest leads to some improved parenting behaviors, according to a new study. Specifically, birds whose nests incorporate herbs along with dried grasses were more likely to attend their nests, exhibited better incubation behavior for their eggs, and became active earlier in the day.
With Britain experiencing a sustained heatwave, our Chief Executive, Brian Eversham, looks at the effect warm summers have on Britain’s insect populations.
Dinosaurs are often depicted as fierce creatures, baring their teeth, with tongues wildly stretching from their mouths like giant, deranged lizards. But new research reveals a major problem with this classic image: Dinosaurs couldn’t stick out their tongues like lizards. Instead, their tongues were probably rooted to the bottoms of their mouths in a manner akin to alligators.
Eight out of 14 critically endangered black rhinos have died after being moved to a reserve in southern Kenya, wildlife officials have revealed, in what one conservationist described as “a complete disaster”.
Today we achieved 100,000 page views. That’s right, people have now viewed the website 100,000 times since it was launched on 17 March 2015.
Although we mainly publish articles about wildlife in the United Kingdom, our website has been accessed by over 100 different countries. Our top 10 countries are shown on the right
If you have any comments on the website, wildlife related article or local wildlife events that you would like to be published, please let me know at webmaster@mknhs.org.uk
If you enjoy reading the website, have you considered joining the Society? See our membership page for more information.
Linford Lakes NR BioBlitz by David Easton. 24 June 2016
We need to encourage people to spend more time noting what they see and hear so we can build up a much clearer picture of exactly how wildlife is affected by changes in climate and land use etc.
Over the past few years I’ve posted several pieces about how colleagues, students and myself have been monitoring one aspect of the environmental impact of the University of Northampton’…
Linford Lakes NR BioBlitz by David Easton. 24 June 2016
Our team at UEA (University of East Anglia) is studying how we might rank the importance of individual sites within ecological networks. To help us, we are examining how conservation and land management professionals emphasise various ‘criteria’ that could be used to prioritise sites for funding or management.
We would value your contribution to this survey – survey completion should take no more than 10 minutes.
A couple of weeks ago farmer David Corrie-Close wowed an audience of politicians, fellow farmers and NGOs with the inspirational story of his and his wife Bekka’s commitment to farming with n…
Howe Park Wood Education and Visitor Centre by Peter Hassett
The nature conservation agencies have a duty under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended, to notify any area of land which in their opinion is ‘of special interest by reason of any of its flora, fauna, or geological or physiographical features. Such areas are known as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). In 1989 the then Nature Conservancy Council published guidelines for the selection of biological SSSIs. Since 1991 the Joint Nature Conservation Committee has been the focus for the production and revision of the guidelines.
Species such as wild strawberry, ragged robin and harebell are in decline across the UK. This decrease in wildflowers has a knock-on effect for other wildlife, including butterflies, bees and beetles.
MKNHS members mothing at Linford Lakes NR by Julie Lane9 July2016
National Moth Week (NMW) invites moth enthusiasts, a.k.a. “moth-ers,” of all ages and abilities to participate in this worldwide citizen science project that shines a light on moths, their beauty, ecological diversity and critical role in the natural world as pollinators. Online registration is in full swing with events already registered in 10 countries and 17 U.S. states as of mid-May.
The autumn squill, Scilla autumnalis, has bright bluebell-coloured starry flowers. It is rare in the British Isles. It is also tiny, so small that most people could easily clodhop straight over it without noticing how lovely it is. I nearly did just that when I went looking for it in Surrey last summer until a kindly local botanist helped me find it flowering away on a grass verge.
I went home pleased to have met such a minutely pretty wild flower. But a few days later, the kindly local botanist got in touch again, distraught. The local council had strimmed the verge where the autumn squills grew, and they were no more. He had even told them that they should leave this patch of grass until later in the year so that the tiny squills could set seed, but someone had cut them down all the same.
What is really, truly happening to wildlife across the UK? Is wildlife disappearing, or are the reports of disappearing insects, road-verge dwelling wildflowers being mown to destruction, and swift…
Icelandic whalers out hunting fin whales for the first time in three years appear to have killed a rare, protected blue whale (or blue/fin hybrid) by mistake.
Images documenting the slaughter of what is an iconic symbol of the natural world have deeply concerned international whale experts and confirm the indiscriminate and cruel nature of whale hunting.
Thank you to everyone who sent in suggestions. The plant is called Devils Claw (physoplexis comosa) and was photographed by Julie Lane in the , Julian Alps, Slovenia on 26 June 2016
Whether you’re swinging in a hammock in the shade, or stretched out in the summer sunshine, disappear into a great book this summer, with our guide to the latest wildlife books.
Culling by grouse moor managers is being blamed for the drastic decline of mountain hares on eastern Scottish moorlands to less than 1% of the level recorded more than 60 years ago.
Slavc is a wolf. In 2011, he began an epic 2,000 kilometre migration across Europe from Slovenia to Italy via the Austrian Alps
The RSPB have launched the Raptor Persecution Map Hub.Common cranes have been an annual sight along the coast of Aberdeenshire for a number of years, during spring passage. However, breeding was only proven in 2012, when a pair nested and fledged one chick. This was the first confirmed breeding attempt of cranes in Scotland for over 400 years!
The number of mountain hares on moorland in the eastern Highlands is at less than 1% of their levels in the 1950s according to new research.
This paper was first published in the May 2018 issue of British Birds (Vol. 111, p275-290).
In this study, we investigated the backward free flight of a dragonfly, accelerating in a flight path inclined to the horizontal. The wing and body kinematics were reconstructed from the output of three high-speed cameras using a template-based subdivision surface reconstruction method, and numerical simulations using an immersed boundary flow solver were conducted to compute the forces and visualize the flow features. During backward flight, the dragonfly maintained an upright body posture of approximately 90° relative to the horizon. The upright body posture was used to reorient the stroke plane and the flight force in the global frame; a mechanism known as ‘force vectoring’ which was previously observed in manoeuvres of other flying animals…
What a year it has been! When I wrote Special Black-tailed Godwits last year, I finished by saying, “Imagine how exciting it will be if one of this year’s head-started birds is found breeding in the Nene or Ouse Washes next year”. Amazingly, nine of the 26 head-started birds from 2017 were back this year and two females definitely had nests, with one fledging a chick, and a further two paired together are suspected to have attempted to nest. From data shared with me by Roos Kentie, this return-rate is comparable to wild-breeding Limosa Black-tailed Godwits in her Dutch study-area.
The researchers studied the birds at sewage works where they flock to feed all year round. The worms, maggots and flies at sewage treatment plants have been found to contain many different pharmaceuticals, including Prozac.
Sand dunes across England are set for a golden future following £4.3 million worth of funding to help restore and protect these at risk habitats.
Few four-legged animals cut figures as distinctive as giraffes. And new research suggests they do things differently, too. Animals form groups for a variety of reasons but, as a general rule, the greater the risk from predators, the bigger the group.
The Mammal Society have produced an app to monitor mammals:
Listen up everyone!!! Big Wasp Survey 2018 is launching…see link below. Last year we caught zero queens (so impact on wasp populations) and our limited bycatch has gone to other studies. So become a wasp sampler please! Some very exciting data in 2017 and we need more this year
Normally, any news relating to hen harriers is bad news. For the past few years they have been on the brink of extinction as a breeding bird in England. Last season there were only three successful nests in the whole of England, all of which were in Northumberland. 2016 told a similarly dismal story.
New BTO research uses information collected by bird ringers to investigate large-scale differences and flexibility in the timing of feather moult across 15 passerine species that breed in the UK. Different moult strategies were found between migrant and resident species, alongside within-species regional variation in moulting schedules.
Discover the amazing wildlife and nature events happening around the UK this month!
In this series for Lush Times, Charlie Moores and Dr Rob Sheldon look at recent conservation or environmental stories discussed on social media through the lens of ‘shifting baselines’, the accepted thresholds for environmental conditions which are typically being lowered as we forget or are unaware of historical conditions – the ‘new normal’ in other words.In this episode, Charlie And Rob discuss ‘shifting baselines’ in bird and insect populations with the help of an example from naturalist and campaigner Chris Packham.Photo: Turtle Dove, ©trebol_a, via Flickr Creative Commons.
In his second blog on the subject, our Chief Executive Brian Eversham discusses the long-term effects the long hot summer could have on our wildlife.
It’s usually a good day if you see a Spotted Redshank in Britain or Ireland. How about a flock of 60?
The photographer who took the pictures says it is “very exciting” to have the birds nesting in Hoy.
Conserving and making such data accessible is vitally important. The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology is the custodian of a wealth of ecological datasets. In some cases, these date back to the days of the Nature Conservancy in the 1950s and 1960s. Thanks to the efforts of our Environmental Informatics Liaison scientists, with a bit of help from CEH Fellows, many of these historic datasets are now being saved for long term re-use in the NERC Environmental Information Data Centre.
International photographic competition, which runs in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, awards special prize for the best close-up images
The Angus Glens’ wildlife is “impoverished” according to a leading animal charity investigator.
A strong argument can be made that the European Union has the most rigorous regulatory system for pesticides in the world, and that modern pesticide use poses fewer environmental threats than older regimes. Nevertheless, the impacts of pesticides on bees and other non-target organisms are much debated in Europe as elsewhere. Here we document changing patterns of pesticide use in arable and horticultural crops in Great Britain from 1990 to 2015. The weight of pesticides used has approximately halved over this period, but in contrast the number of applications per field nearly doubled. The total potential kill of honeybees (the total number of LD50 doses applied to the 4.6 million hectares of arable farmland in Great Britain each year) increased six-fold to approximately 3 × 1016 bees, the result of the increasing use of neonicotinoids from 1994 onwards which more than offset the effect of declining organophosphate use. It is important to stress that this does not mean that this number of bees will be killed, and also to acknowledge that our simple analysis does not take into account many factors such as differences in persistence, and timing and mode of application of pesticides, which will affect actual exposure of non-target organisms. Nonetheless, all else being equal, these data suggest that the risk posed by pesticides to non-target insects such as bees, other pollinators and natural enemies of pests, has increased considerably in the last 26 years.
Almost one in five of British mammal species face a high risk of extinction, according to the first comprehensive review of their populations for more than 20 years launched today by The Mammal Society and Natural England.The red squirrel, wildcat and the grey long-eared bat are all listed as facing severe threats to their survival.The review – commissioned by Natural England working
Following on from the very successful BTO Owl Appeal this year will be the start of our Project Owl research. With new surveys starting from autumn 2018, we need your help to learn more about our nation’s fascinating but often mysterious owl species.
A wealth of wildlife can be found and experienced in our parks and green spaces across Milton Keynes. The land in our care includes ancient woodlands and recent plantations; old hedgerows and ‘veteran’ trees; grazing pastures and hay meadows; areas of scrubland; ponds, lakes, rivers and streams.
There’s concern that birds of prey are being targeted in Dorset after two were found dead
It’s more important than ever to protect sharks and rays, says Global FinPrint’s lead principal investigator, Dr. Demian Chapman.
10:00- 13:00hrs.Researchers studying silk moths have found that the shape of their hindwings contributes to their survival.
Satellite imagery shows hundreds of glaciers shrinking as average annual temperature rises 3.6C in 70 years
The researchers are studying factors affecting the presence and absence of the European hedgehog in gardens across the UK.
By resurrecting a proposal to allow trophy hunters to shoot 250 hippos annually, Zambia stirs controversy.
New research has identified the species of shark currently found in hotter parts of the world that could migrate to UK waters by 2050 as the oceans warm
Small, spiky and seriously endangered, the hedgehog is a much-loved mammal in Britain, and further afield. Four hundred years ago, however, things were very different
Twelve custom-made insects will be taking over 13 shopping centres around the UK until September 2019, in an effort to reconnect people with nature.
Be part of this nationwide survey and help take the pulse of nature. Butterfly declines reveal the poor health of the environment. We need your sightings
From the nut-cracking crows of Sendai to ‘Turdus urbanicus’ (the new urban blackbird), animals are changing their behaviour and evolution in cities – and in dramatic and surprising ways
Our planning and preparation for the second year of Poole Harbour Osprey Project, a partnership between the Foundation, Birds of Poole Harbour and Wildlife Windows, started at the end of winter when we checked nests that looked fragile the previous year, and others that had been damaged by winter storms. In early March 2018 we […]
The northern bald ibis is critically endangered, with fewer than 1,000 existing in the wild. But a German group is reintroducing these birds in Europe, where they once thrived, and is using ultralight aircraft to lead them on migrations south toward the Mediterranean.
Ambitious conservation project underway to save England’s forgotten farmland flowers and wildlife.
A newly discovered bandy bandy snake species, jumping sweetfish and baby tarantulas in Derbyshire are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world
A photographer in Minnesota recently captured an adorable shot of a Common Merganser followed by dozens of fuzzy babies.
Today the Government has published a revised version of its National Planning Policy Framework which now includes some reinstated protection for Local Wildlife Sites following a campaign supported by 25,000 people.
Model predicts population of UK’s tallest bird could double within 50 years after its return to the east of England following a 400-year absence
Deadly heatwaves could continue for weeks, and possibly months, across much of the northern hemisphere, meteorologists predicted this week
An introduction to the UK Biodiversity Indicators 2018 publication, and the UK suite of headline indicators
Hope is that dams built by pair of beavers help hold back water and improve biodiversity
The long-term use of the pesticides for killing parasites is damaging the populations of these important insects.
A Yellow-spotted Emerald Dragonfly has been seen for the first time ever in Britain.
Radiocarbon dating of ‘antique’ ivory being sold in European countries reveals that many are not antique at all.
Facts that will keep you busy
We have been colour ringing black-tailed godwits at the Nene and Ouse Washes to help us understand more about the birds’ movements in the breeding and non-breeding season. Godwits are known to undertake long and often complex migratory journeys, and the marking of individual birds provides valuable information about the remarkable journeys these birds undertake.
For European starlings, the presence of aromatic herbs in the nest leads to some improved parenting behaviors, according to a new study. Specifically, birds whose nests incorporate herbs along with dried grasses were more likely to attend their nests, exhibited better incubation behavior for their eggs, and became active earlier in the day.
Sweden worst hit as hot, dry summer sparks unusual number of fires, with at least 11 in the far north
With Britain experiencing a sustained heatwave, our Chief Executive, Brian Eversham, looks at the effect warm summers have on Britain’s insect populations.
Nature experts tell us which species are benefiting and which are suffering in this never-ending hot weather
Dinosaurs are often depicted as fierce creatures, baring their teeth, with tongues wildly stretching from their mouths like giant, deranged lizards. But new research reveals a major problem with this classic image: Dinosaurs couldn’t stick out their tongues like lizards. Instead, their tongues were probably rooted to the bottoms of their mouths in a manner akin to alligators.
Another year, another incredible—and incredibly hard—selection of images to choose from.
Eight out of 14 critically endangered black rhinos have died after being moved to a reserve in southern Kenya, wildlife officials have revealed, in what one conservationist described as “a complete disaster”.
Over the past few years I’ve posted several pieces about how colleagues, students and myself have been monitoring one aspect of the environmental impact of the University of Northampton’…
A couple of weeks ago farmer David Corrie-Close wowed an audience of politicians, fellow farmers and NGOs with the inspirational story of his and his wife Bekka’s commitment to farming with n…
Species such as wild strawberry, ragged robin and harebell are in decline across the UK. This decrease in wildflowers has a knock-on effect for other wildlife, including butterflies, bees and beetles.
The autumn squill, Scilla autumnalis, has bright bluebell-coloured starry flowers. It is rare in the British Isles. It is also tiny, so small that most people could easily clodhop straight over it without noticing how lovely it is. I nearly did just that when I went looking for it in Surrey last summer until a kindly local botanist helped me find it flowering away on a grass verge.
MPs demand legislation to ensure the government delivers on post-Brexit air pollution promises
Find out how to make a bee hotel.
What is really, truly happening to wildlife across the UK? Is wildlife disappearing, or are the reports of disappearing insects, road-verge dwelling wildflowers being mown to destruction, and swift…
A pink house sparrow has been filmed visiting a garden near Glasgow to feast on bird food
A new study has discovered that archerfish suffer from social inhibition.
Icelandic whalers out hunting fin whales for the first time in three years appear to have killed a rare, protected blue whale (or blue/fin hybrid) by mistake.
Creation of the world’s largest marine reserve comes a step closer as major companies add support
A project to restore an areas of chalky grassland on campus will help rare plants and creatures to thrive.
New research suggests that large fenced reserves could be the answer to wolf reintroduction in Scotland.