Rather than replanting a vast northern forest, allow nature to do the job, says author Isabella Tree
Click here to read the rest of the article.: We need to bring back the wildwoods of Britain to fight climate change | Isabella Tree | Opinion | The Guardian
There is a huge variety of animals that are active after sunset. The absence of light can make spotting them a challenge, especially when it comes to insects.
But by using a simple method, you can get to know your local wildlife and find out what nocturnal insects call your area home.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Night life: how to spot insects in the dark | Natural History Museum
An international team of marine biologists has discovered a new species of the seahorse genus Hippocampus in the waters off southeast Japan.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: New Species of Pygmy Seahorse Discovered: Hippocampus japapigu | Biology | Sci-News.com
The antlers are thought to be more than 10,000 years old and have a span of more than 3 metres.
Click here to view BBC video.: Antlers of extinct Irish Elk found in Lough Neagh – BBC News
A photographer managed to capture what could be the first-ever footage of a Javan rhino taking a mud bath.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Rare photos and footage of Javan rhino, one of the world’s rarest animals. – Discover Wildlife
The Society’s programme of walks and talks for January to April 2019 can now be viewed on the Programme page of the website.
A European storm petrel chick has been recorded calling on the Shiant Isles for the first time ever, following the eradication of black rats.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: First ever European storm petrel chick for Shiant Isles – Discover Wildlife
In previous years I’ve reported on the 6 mistletoe insects we have in Britain – and how we know very little about them. Indeed 2 of the 6 were only discovered here in the years since 20…
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Does the Mistletoe Weevil have its own parasite? – Jonathan’s Mistletoe Diary
The naturalist Sir David Attenborough has said climate change is humanity’s greatest threat in thousands of years.
The broadcaster said it could lead to the collapse of civilisations and the extinction of “much of the natural world”.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of United Nations-sponsored climate talks in Katowice, Poland.
The meeting is the most critical on climate change since the 2015 Paris agreement.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Sir David Attenborough: Climate change ‘our greatest threat’ – BBC News
MKNHS members mothing at Linford Lakes NR by Julie Lane9 July2016
The Rothamsted Insect Survey (RIS) has been running two trap networks since 1964. Its long-term data are unique providing information on aphids, larger moths and many other migrating insects to scientists, growers, conservation organisations, individuals and policy makers. As such, the networks represent the most comprehensive standardised long-term data on insects in the World and have a wide range of fundamental and applied uses.
The Insect Survey is host to a nationwide network of light-traps and suction-traps that collect invaluable data on the migration of moths and aphids.
Click here for more information.
Growing up on Bardsey, a small remote island off the coast of North Wales, has inspired a love for the natural world in Ben Porter, an award-winning young wildlife photographer.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Wildlife on the ‘Island of 20,000 Saints’ and 20,000 shearwaters, by Ben Porter – Discover Wildlife
The Buckinghamshire Fungus Group are conducting a field trip to Brill Common 16 December 2018:
Dear member(s),Firstly may I apologise for the inconvenience caused by the temporary loss of our website which thankfully is now restored. If you normally access the site via your Favourites you may find, as I did, that it still says it’s unavailable. By googling Bucks Fungus Group and resaving it in Favourites this problem should be overcome.Secondly, our final walk of the year is on Sunday, December 16th at Brill Common. Please note the late start time: 11.00. Details are (hopefully!) at www.bucksfungusgroup.org.uk/events.html with added instructions should the weather be particularly inclement.I’ll be sending out a last minute reminder in a couple of weeks, but other than that sadly that’s it for 2018! May I take this opportunity to thank you all for your support and we look forward to seeing you in 2019. – fingers crossed for a really good year for fungi after the somewhat disappointing one we’ve just experienced. I’ll be back in touch with details of any Springtime events once arranged.Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to all!Penny
Click here for more information.
A striking new swallowtail butterfly has been found in Fiji, that puzzled lepidopterists around the world.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: New species of butterfly discovered in Fiji – Discover Wildlife
House Sparrow by Harry Appleyard, Furzton Lake 28 December 2016
House sparrows have made their homes close to human habitation for centuries but since the 1970s their numbers have plummeted by 60 per cent and the decline is particularly noticeable in our towns and cities. Read more…
Read more at
This month it’s all about birds! We’ve been joined by many species that have come to the UK to escape the colder winter on the continent. From lakes and rivers, to hedgerows and car parks there is always somewhere to see some bird life.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Our top 10 wildlife sightings for December | Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust
In winter, our native chaffinches are joined by Bramblings migrating from the north.
Click on the play button to watch the video
Butterflies and moths, the Lepidoptera, are among the most beautiful of insects, familiar to almost everyone through thousands of different species from all around the world. But how they evolved has been something of a mystery to scientists because of a surprising lack of Lepidoptera fossils.
Now researchers in the Netherlands have discovered Lepidoptera fossils that are older than any previously found, proving these familiar insects have been around for at least 200m years. The particular type of fossils found mean we have to rethink Lepidoptera evolution. They imply that the long tube butterflies and moths use to suck nectar from flowers actually developed before flowering plants did, so it must have originally evolved for a different purpose.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Scientists have accidentally found the oldest ever butterfly or moth fossils
Our native trees have been steeped in myth and legend for thousands of years, each having their own magical associations and stories.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Discover some of the folklore surrounding British trees – Discover Wildlife
Canadian researchers have discovered a new kind of organism that’s so different from other living things that it doesn’t fit into the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom, or any other kingdom used to classify known organisms.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Rare microbes lead scientists to discover new branch on the tree of life | CBC News
National Tree Week started on Saturday 24th November and finishes on Sunday 2ndDecember, so you still have time to get involved!
The Parks Trust has produced a factsheet about the notable tress in Milton Keynes. Click here to download the factsheet.
The Publications section of our own website has details of Top Trees and Top Orchards in Milton Keynes.
In the last edition of Nature’s Home magazine, in the section where I get to visit a gardener who is doing amazing things for wildlife, I included a letter from a family who had made a lovely bug house with Hedgehog nestbox incorporated in its base. I thought they had been really creative, and they clearly get a lot of pleasure from the Hedgehogs that come to visit.
However, what I failed to register was where they said that they feed their Hedgehogs on mealworms.
Quite rightly, several people have picked me up on the fact that I should have pointed out that mealworms should not be fed to Hedgehogs.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Study of beetles could explain global decline – and also be a warning to humankind
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Heatwaves can ‘wipe out’ male insect fertility | Environment | The Guardian
Click here to view the Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust newsletter for November 2018.
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a talk:
Location: Cruck Barn, City Discovery Centre, Alston Drive, Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes
Postcode: MK13 9AP (Google map)Upper Ray Meadows and Calvert Jubilee are two fabulous reserves, managed by our local Wildlife Trust, BBOWT, to benefit wildlife – birds, butterflies, bees – and lots more too. Andy has worked on them for some time and will give us an insight into the main habitats found there, the species that they support and how BBOWT manages these sites to create the perfect conditions for wildlife to thrive.
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
Animals from six of the deepest places on Earth found to contain man-made fibres and plastic in their stomachs, scientists have shown.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Plastic Ocean – Press Office – Newcastle University
Linford Lakes NR BioBlitz by David Easton. 24 June 2016
Insect conservation needs sound information on species distribution trends. Developing this evidence relies—in practice—on long-term engagement of volunteers who observe and record species over large spatial and temporal scales. Many biodiversity monitoring schemes, including those for insects, are highly dependent on conservation-based citizen science programs with a long-term continuity. As these schemes are built entirely on good will, the nature of social relations and networks is pivotal to success.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: The social fabric of citizen science—drivers for long-term engagement in the German butterfly monitoring scheme | SpringerLink
FoLLNR December 2018 events
In the latest assessment from the IUCN Red List, mountain gorillas have been reclassified to Endangered thanks to conservation efforts.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Mountain gorillas no longer Critically Endangered – Discover Wildlife
What’s happening to all the insects? And what can we do about it? Join Nick as he interviews Brad Lister , who recently published an article showing dramatic insect declines, and Helen Roy , a conservation biologist in the UK, as they discuss this important topic.
Click here for more information.: Insect Declines — Entocast
Robin by Peter Hassett, College Lake 29 December 2016
European robins (Erithacus rubecula) live throughout Europe (except in the far north), Russia and western Siberia. British and Irish robins are largely sedentary, and most do not move more than 5km. Those that do are usually adult males moving between their breeding and winter territories.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: The RSPB: Ask an expert: My wife says robins migrate – I say NO! Who is right?
It is only in the last hundred years or so that we have really begun to understand migration. Before there were many theories about migration. Read more
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Theories About Migration | Understanding Migration – The RSPB
Apples originated on the flanks of the Tian Shan Mountains on the border between Kazakhstan and China, where wild forests of them still grow to this day, their seeds spread by bears. The familiar fruit of the apple tree is of course a seed dispersal mechanism, intended to tempt a hungry bear or other large mammal to eat it entirely, with the hope that some pips are passed out undamaged and at a distance from the parent tree, along with a healthy dollop of fertiliser to help them grow. Bears are well known to have a sweet tooth (as both Winnie-the-Pooh and Paddington would attest), and so it may well have been selection by bears for the sweetest fruit that resulted in the progenitors of the apples we love today.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Plant an Apple Tree Today – NearbyWild
Scientists have found that snow leopards are declining due to habitat loss and human persecution.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Snow leopard populations in Kazakhstan put under the spotlight – Discover Wildlife
Upper layer above northern hemisphere should be completely repaired in 2030s
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Ozone layer finally healing after damage caused by aerosols, UN says | Environment | The Guardian
Horseshoe crab outlived dinosaurs but is no match for medicine’s hunger for its blood.
Few people in the world are aware their wellbeing may one day depend on a blue-blooded crab that looks like a cross between the facehugger from Alien and a gigantic louse. Fewer still realise this ancient creature now faces its greatest threat in more than 450m years.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: This crab could save your life – if humans don’t wipe it out first | Environment | The Guardian
Protect the sleepy frogs, toads and newts hidden away in your garden this winter.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: How you can help hibernating amphibians – Discover Wildlife
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip to:
Location: Meet in car park (free) signed off minor road 1½ miles west of Brandon, SE of
Coventry. SP 386 761
Postcode: CV3 3GW (Google map)Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s flagship reserve with visitor centre, cafe, shop
and toilets. Mature gravel pits, marsh and wet woodland hold many species
including winter finches. Past visits produced peregrine and even an otter!
Paths are wet and narrow, unfortunately not suitable for wheelchairs or
buggies, wellies advised.Walk leader : Brian Lloyd
Time: 10 am to 1 pm
Price: Reserve entry £2.50, £1.50 concession
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a talk:
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE FUN QUIZ NIGHT
Location: Wicken Sports Club, Wicken, Milton Keynes
Postcode: MK19 6BU (Google map)Our Annual General Knowledge Fun Quiz Night
Teams of up to FIVE people – bring your own team or come along and join up with others.
£4 per person and a prize for each member of the winning team.
Extra “Spot round” in the interval for £1 – with an individual prize.
Wicken Sports Club will sell refreshments: tea, coffee and a bar.
Please book in advance by Friday 16 November
To Ann Davies e-mail: AnnRSPBNBucks@hotmail.co.ukTime: Doors open 7.30pm for a prompt 8pm start
Price: £4 per person for main quiz, £1 per person for interval “spot” round
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
At the beginning of June, I landed a part-time job as a data entry assistant for, ‘Caring for God’s Acre’, a secular charity that conserves old cemeteries for wildlife and heritage. I am part of the Beautiful Burial Ground team over the next four years from May 2018 – May 2022. In which we have four main aims:
Click here to read the rest of the article.: What its like Work for a Wildlife Conservation charity – The Unconventional Naturalist
Humans have proven adept at wiping out vast numbers of animals. Can we atone by saving species through captivity breeding?
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Tiny frog takes giant leap for the world’s endangered species | World news | The Guardian
Lapwing by Peter Garner, Floodplain Forest NR, 25 March 2016
This article summarises a Bird Study paper arising from a 25-year Scottish study of breeding Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Redshank & Curlew. The story is set against a backdrop of a changing farming…
Click here to read the rest of the article.: 25 years of wader declines | wadertales
Fungus by Peter Hassett, Bow Brickhill 1 November 2014
The facts and figures contained in the pages of the 2018 State of the World’s Fungi report and this website will probably come as a total revelation to many people. The first of its kind outlining the state of the world’s fungi, the report and associated website highlight just how important fungi are to all life on Earth. It is clear that Fungi should definitely be viewed on a par with the plant and animal kingdoms and that we have only just started to scratch the surface of knowledge of this incredible and diverse group of organisms. What also becomes apparent is that when looking for nature-based solutions to some of our most critical global challenges, fungi could provide many of the answers.
Click here for more information.: State of the World’s Fungi 2018
Fantastic footage behind all the hilarity too.
Warning Very Adult language and content throughout.
White-tailed Eagles were once widespread along the whole of the South Coast of England, from Cornwall to Kent, before being driven to extinction by relentless persecution that began in the Middle Ages. The last pair bred on Culver Cliff on the Isle of Wight in 1780. Many parts of southern England remain highly suitable for the species, and following the reintroduction of White-tailed Eagles to Scotland – where there are now over 130 breeding pairs – we believe that an English reintroduction would be equally successful and the best way to re-establish these magnificent birds in their former haunts. Restoring a population of White-Eagles on the South Coast would help to link populations in Scotland and Ireland with those in the Netherlands and France.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Proposed White-tailed Eagle Reintroduction on the Isle of Wight – Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation
A species of fly that has lived in the Cairngorms since the last Ice Age is at risk from climate change, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has said.
The tiny Wiedemmania simplex inhabits remote Loch Avon and is found nowhere else in Britain.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
The Woodland Trust has released an interactive map which shows the locations of the UK’s oldest trees. The Ancient Tree Inventory can help you find the UK’s oldest trees by location, by tree species and by status.
On the map each tree’s marker includes an ‘A’, ‘V’ or ‘N’ to indicate if the tree is of ancient, veteran or notable status. Ancient trees are those that are in the third and final stages of their life. The age of this final stage varies for different species of trees, as some species live longer than others. Oaks, yews and sweet chestnuts can live to over a 1,000 years old. Veteran trees are old trees which haven’t quite reached ancient status. Notable trees are usually mature large trees which for some reason stand out in their local environment.
Anyone can add ancient, veteran or notable trees to the Ancient Tree Inventory. The Woodland Trust has a recording guide which provides instructions on how to measure a tree and how to record different tree forms.
This link will take you to a copy of the map centered on Milton Keynes
Moths are a mainstay food source for bats, which use echolocation to hunt their prey. Scientists are studying how moths have evolved passive defenses over millions of years to resist their primary predators. While some moths have evolved ears that detect the ultrasonic calls of bats, many types of moths remain deaf. In those moths, researchers have found that the insects developed types of “stealth coating” that serve as acoustic camouflage to evade hungry bats. Neil will describe his work during the Acoustical Society of America’s 176th Meeting, Nov. 5-9. This image shows a Madagascar bullseye (Antherina suraka), one of the moth species used in Thomas Neil’s research. Credit: Thomas Neil
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Moths survive bat predation through acoustic camouflage fur
Get children started with astronomy and open their eyes and minds to the universe around us and the sciences.
Click here for more information.: The Beginner’s Guide to Astronomy [For Chidren]
https://www.wcl.org.uk/wanted-the-orange-spotted-emerald-stolen-from-future-generations.asp
Find out how you can help wildlife in your garden this autumn. Make a banquet for butterflies. Red Admiral adults are often abundant during the autumn months and a frequent visitor to gardens if the weather is mild as they feed to build up reserves before the arrival of winter…
Click here to read the rest of the article.: 10 ways to help butterflies and moths this autumn
Longhorn beetle (Stranglia maculata) by Peter Hassett Silverdale 18 July 2009
BioLink’s TCV trainee, Holly Dillon writes: “One thing I’ve realised from attending the Biolinks courses over the past few months is that it’s not always the collection of specimens or microscopic examination that puts people off invertebrate ID, some people seem to almost have a mental block and feel out of depth whenever any binomial names (or Latin/scientific names) are mentioned. Binomial nomenclature is a formal system for naming species and it was put in place to avoid confusion, not cause it.” Check out Holly’s new glossary that explains some more of these commonly used Latin and Greek words and their translations.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Nomenclature Glossary for Invertebrates | Biodiversity Projects
Watch Dr Trevor Dines (Plantlife Botanical Specialist) has published a video about Hay cut and grazing on his own meadow.
Click the play button to find out more
Urgent appeal on behalf of dormice in your local area
You may be surprised to know that the number of dormice has declined by more than a third since 2000 across many places in Britain. The damage to or complete loss of woodland and hedgerows and the decline of coppicing are all responsible for the decreasing populations of dormice.
We need to raise £40,000 by 23 November 2018 to cover the costs of all the activities we want to do this year and next, to improve woodland habitats in our three counties, for dormice and other woodland wildlife.
They need us!
We are asking you to give dormice a fighting chance of survival. A donation will help cover the costs of improving woodlands on our reserves to provide a suitable habitat for dormice and other woodland species to feed, breed, hibernate, and so survive.
How will your money help us?
Whatever you can give will help to give more protection to endangered dormice and other woodland species. Here are some examples of what your money could do:
Watch a dormouse in action
Because dormice are so rare, shy and nocturnal you’re unlikely to see one in the wild and because they are a protected species they must only be touched by licensed handlers. Click on the video below to watch a dormouse in action.
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Click here to donate.
The BTO’s BirdTrends report is a one-stop shop for information about the population status of the common breeding birds of the wider UK countryside. The report is based on data gathered by the many thousands of volunteers who contribute to BTO-led surveys.
For each of 121 species, users can quickly access the latest information on trends in population size, breeding performance and survival rates, as measured by our long-term monitoring schemes. For each species, you will find…
Click here to read the rest of the article.: BirdTrends 2018: trends in numbers, breeding success and survival for UK breeding birds | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology
Movement of cattle and poor fencing hamper control efforts, says government review
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Farming industry to blame for TB crisis, not just badgers – report | UK news | The Guardian
Linford Lakes Nature Reserve visitors enjoying an Open Sunday
Open Sunday at Linford Lakes NR 18 November 2018 10:00-16:00hrs.
The reserve is open to friends and family, bring the neighbours too.
Stop off at the centre for a fresh cuppa and a piece of home-made cake.
Buy a unique pre-Christmas gift and some bird-seed too.
Also, Andy Harding, the County Bird Recorder, will be taking his monthly wildfowl count this morning. He is willing to take a group along to the hides and will help with identifying ducks and other birds. Please meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Centre.
Autumn is a very special time of year as the temperature cools and the days get shorter. Here’s a preview of what the natural world has to offer this season
Linford Lakes NR BioBlitz by David Easton. 24 June 2016
Welcome to this free online introductory course about citizen science – the participation of people outside science (universities, research centres and government bodies) in scientific research.
This 5-module course will introduce you to the concept of citizen science and give you an accessible overview of some of the important aspects of citizen science, such as IT, understanding participants’ motivations, evaluation and environmental citizen science.The course was developed as part of the NERC-funded Opening up science for all! project. It was designed to be very accessible for anyone interested in citizen science. For a more comprehensive and academic course, see the free UCL course ‘Introduction to Citizen Science & Scientific Crowdsourcing’, which this course was partly built on.
Click here for more information.: CitizenScienceCourse
Meet a host of scientists and discover a whole new world under the microscope in our science fair festival.
Ages 8+
Click here for more information.: Super Science Saturday: Micro World | Oxford University Museum of Natural History
A pair of beavers are heading to a new home in a picturesque Essex village in a move which will see the species return to the county for the first…
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Beavers returning to Essex for first time in 400 years | Halstead Gazette
Need help identifying a moth? Want to know which moth species might be on the wing tonight in your area? Now you can find out easily using ‘What’s Flying Tonight’, a new smartphone app. Lead
Click here to read the rest of the article.: New app makes identifying moths easier | Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Renewable capacity has tripled in past five years, even faster growth than the ‘dash for gas’ of the 1990s
Click here to read the rest of the article.: UK renewable energy capacity surpasses fossil fuels for first time | Environment | The Guardian
Introduced mice are responsible for two million fewer seabird chicks each year on Gough Island
Source: House mice are eating seabird chicks at “an alarming rate” – Discover Wildlife
RSPB Scotland says the birds’ satellite tags stopped transmitting close to grouse shooting land.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: RSPB concern over four missing hen harriers – BBC News
The world has two years to secure a deal for nature to halt a ‘silent killer’ as dangerous as climate change, says biodiversity chief
Source: Stop biodiversity loss or we could face our own extinction, warns UN | Environment | The Guardian
Understanding the value of our roadside hedges and verges. The Cornwall AONB Unit is working in partnership with the Environment & Sustainability Institute (University of Exeter) to study hedges and road verges. The four year project is exploring their role in conserving nature and providing…
Click here to read the rest of the article.: ROADS FOR HUMANS AND NATURE — The Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
There’s a whole rainbow of colourful fungi to discover in woodlands and grasslands this autumn
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Have you seen a rainbow of fungi? | Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust
Winter migrants are arriving to spend the winter here, and there are colourful plants and fungi to discover. Find out which wildlife to look for this month in our area.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Our top 10 wildlife sightings in November | Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust
National Lottery backs conservation work to safeguard woodlands celebrated by Wordsworth, Coleridge and Tolkien
- Wonderful ‘Atlantic’ woodlands and their plants face severe challenges from climate change, air pollution, tree diseases and changes in management
- Emergency management will safeguard some of our most rare and threatened lichen communities, such as the string-of-sausages lichen Usnea articulata and the ‘stinky’ Stictas that smell of fish
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Plantlife :: Plantlife To Save And Protect ‘Atlantic’ Woodlands
Autumn is when a variety of mushrooms are on show in British woodlands. Use our ID guide to try and spot these 12.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: British woodland fungi ID guide – Discover Wildlife
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a talk:
Our Annual General Knowledge Fun Quiz Night
Teams of up to FIVE people – bring your own team or come along and join up with others.
£4 per person and a prize for each member of the winning team.
Extra “Spot round” in the interval for £1 – with an individual prize.
Wicken Sports Club will sell refreshments: tea, coffee and a bar.
Please book in advance by Friday 16 November
To Ann Davies e-mail: AnnRSPBNBucks@hotmail.co.ukTime: Doors open 7.30pm for a prompt 8pm start
Price: £4 per person for main quiz, £1 per person for interval “spot” round
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
Emperor dragonfly ©Janice Robertson Caldecotte Business Park ponds 30 June 2019
The floating Water Soldier plant, with its characteristic spiky leaves and white flowers, naturally grows in the fens and broads of Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. However, its popularity as a garden pond plant has resulted in its introduction and spread outside of its original native range. In this short document we discuss the ecological benefits of Water Soldier, as well as the management of introduced Water Soldier colonies.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Water Soldier | british-dragonflies.org.uk
During autumn and winter our woodland wildflowers are thin on the ground. Most will wait until spring before blooming again. But that doesn’t mean there is nothing to see…
No longer overshadowed by their more garish relatives, its the perfect time to discover the mosses, lichens and fungi that call our woodlands home. For while they may be small, they are no less beautiful. Below, Ray Woods presents ten worth looking out for, next time you take a walk in the woods.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: 10 Lichens, mosses and fungi to look out for | Celebrating our woodlands | Explore Nature
View the winning images from this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Source: Winning images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018 – Discover Wildlife
Urban areas need to cherish wetlands as a natural defence against flooding, experts warn.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Climate change: ‘Wetlands vital to protect cities’ – BBC News
Campaigners hail court verdict, which bans trapping of several species of the bird
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Malta’s ‘barbaric’ finch traps ruled illegal by EU court | Environment | The Guardian
A study led by Anglia Ruskin University and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has revealed the extent of the spread of the harlequin ladybird in the UK.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Citizen scientists map the rapid spread of harlequin ladybirds | Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Environment Secretary Michael Gove has announced a £60,000 fund to develop and test pollinator habitat mapping.
Click here for more information.: Michael Gove announces new funding to protect bees – GOV.UK
For ornithologists studying birds by adding colour-rings, flags and tracking devices, a question of fundamental importance is always “am I affecting the birds’ survival or behaviour by requiring th…
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Leg-flags and nest success | wadertales
In waders (shorebirds), the main moult (molt) usually takes place after the migration that follows the breeding season. Golden Plovers adopt a different strategy, starting wing moult while still nesting. Given that these adult birds are not going to fly anywhere any time soon, this seems like a very efficient strategy. So, why do Icelandic and Scandinavian Golden Plovers moult differently? Is this a reflection of available resources?
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Starting moult early | wadertales
petite group called the satyrines uses swollen veins to channel sound into tiny ears.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: The Butterflies That Hear With the Veins in Their Wings – The Atlantic
With winter migration well underway, it’s a great time to see some amazing birds, from honking whooper swans flocking to our wetlands from Iceland to huge swirls of knots, wintering on estuaries.
Click here for more information.
A project funded by the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership is working with the RSPB, The Greensand Trust and The Wildlife Trust to create better habitats and improve the chances of colonisation on heathlands across the landscape.
Greensand Country, an area of distinct, beautiful and loved countryside stretching from Leighton Buzzard to Gamlingay, has already seen some exciting results from the landscape partnership’s Living Heathlands project.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Greensand Country » Restoration Project Regenerates Areas of Heathland across Greensand Country
Click here to read BBOWT’s October 2018 Newsletter which has a plea for people to contact their MP to lobby for a new Environment Act.
There are articles on dormice, bats, migrant birds amd much, much more…
The Earthworks of Berkhamsted Castle by Peter Hassett
Climatic change is a hot subject and, if you excuse the pun, none can be hotter than the Ice Age. The last 2.6 million years have seen enormous changes in climate. As a result the UK has been thrust from freezing wastes (as ice sheets spread southwards) to hot and humid interglacials.
Such climatic upheavals have shaped the Chiltern Hills. This course will look at the evidence for the Ice Age shaping of the Chilterns, to find information and discover the local story. We will then explore how humans further shaped and used the Chilterns from the Stone Age through to the Iron Age. Individual sessions will include glimpses into the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age.
Click here for more information.
These beautiful dung beetles are relatively common in NW Spain, and can often be seen flying purposefully through the pine forests, like tiny green helicopters, on a mission to find a cow pat or some horse droppings. They are a variety of Dor beetle, (Trypocopris pyrenaeus var. coruscans), similar to a couple of Dumble Dorbeetles we have in the UK, but with a much more metallic, coppery-green sheen, which changes colour as the sun catches the iridescent cuticle. No apologies for blogging about this beetle of again, as it is one of my favourite insects, and continues to fascinate me!
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Beetles taking off! – Ray Cannon’s nature notes
Europe’s largest wildlife crime is the illegal trade of the critically endangered European eel. It’s an industry that many people are completely unaware of and may be unwittingly contributing to.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: You are probably completely unaware of the largest wildlife crime in Europe | Natural History Museum
FoLLNR logo
Task Day at Linford Lakes NR
10:00- 13:00hrs.
Help needed to care for the reserve.
Time for tea and a chat too.
Healthy exercise in the fresh air, all good fun!
Experts worry this will increase demand for the animals and jeopardise efforts to protect them.
Click here for more information.: Rhino horn: Alarm as China eases 25-year ban on rhino and tiger parts – BBC News
Migratory birds can travel thousands of miles across the planet, facing harsh weathers and vast open seas. Migration is a dangerous business.
But every year thousands of pink-footed geese touch down in the UK, and large flocks of finches and thrushes rush overhead. So how do they do it? Well, a lot of them find safety in numbers.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Why do birds fly in formation? – Natures Home magazine uncovered – Our work – The RSPB Community
Linford Lakes NR BioBlitz by David Easton. 24 June 2016
Meaningful species population trends from mass-participation citizen science: the Big Butterfly Count example…
Click here to read the rest of the article.: The value of citizen science
The Living Planet Report 2018 shows that wildlife populations have declined by over half in less than 50 years.
Click here to read the report.
Click here to read the BBC’s commentary
Click here to read the Environment Secretary’s response to the report.
To improve the performance of the Recent Sightings page it has been split into a page for each year.
The links in the sidebar and News menu will take you to the current year’s sightings.
Sightings for previous years can be found under the Reference menu.
The name of the Recent Sightings page has changed. If you have bookmarked the page you will need to replace your bookmark.
Officials in India say Obsession cologne may help trap animal that has killed nine people
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Calvin Klein fragrance could be used to lure killer tiger | World news | The Guardian
An international conference on illegal wildlife trade is missing plants from its agenda.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Warning that many of the world’s most endangered species are being side-lined – Discover Wildlife
Christmas being weeks away, wildlife lovers will be gathered around the ivy over the coming nights as they search for rare and spectacular moths looking for an autumn lifeline…”
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Ivy lifeline for autumn moths
The Buckinghamshire Fungus Group are conducting a field trip to Stowe Landscape Gardens on 11 November 2018
Click here for more information.
Biodiversity is in trouble.
The State of Nature report showed us that 56% of species were declining, 40% showing strong to moderate declines, and a relatively high proportion of UK species were threatened with extinction.
Yet we know that well-planned conservation interventions work and our protected areas have played a massive role in helping to restore iconic species, like the large blue butterfly, bittern, lady’s slipper orchid, pool frog and sand lizard, and they could do much more in the future.
Many years ago, this society organised overseas wildlife trips for its members and these were enjoyed by many. The last couple of years Nature Trek, a company I have travelled with for nearly twenty years, have been organizing wildlife trips for R.S.P.B. groups and Natural History Societies. In fact, I understand that the local R.S.P.B. group’s latest trip to Poland was arranged through Nature Trek.
I contacted Naturetrek and they advised me that if at least eight members of our Society were interested in a particular country they can create a trip to cater for the interests of the participants.
I looked at over 20 eight-day holidays to Europe with a general interest in a variety of wildlife, and during a telephone conversation with Naturetrek an unusual destination, Bulgaria, was suggested. I obtained the 2017 tour report and found during that eight-day trip 88 species of birds were recorded, 87 species of butterfly, 60 species of moth,11 amphibians and reptiles, 23 dragonflies/damselflies, many other insects, and 9 pages of plants listed.
If less than 8 members are interested the cost is £1,495 and the official dates in 2019 are July 18th to July 25th.
However, for 8 or more, maximum 14, they could arrange a separate trip before or after the advertised one with a possible discount or a donation to our Society. There is no commitment yet, but if you may be interested contact either myself. Tony Wood, or Colin Docketty at the weekly meetings, or at my e-mail address woodmice@tiscali.co.uk.
Details of the trip can be found on the Naturetrek website
Tony Wood
If you have any natural history books you no longer need that can be sold to raise funds for the MK Natural History Society, please bring them to Tuesday’s meeting (30th) as soon as you can after 7.30pm. We aim to sell them that evening.
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a talk:
Location: Cruck Barn, City Discovery Centre, Alston Drive, Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes
Postcode: MK13 9AP (Google map)This great reserve in Cambridgeshire is one that our Group visits regularly (and we’ll be doing so again in April 2019 – watch our website for more details). Probably best known for being our nearest good site for nightingales, it has so much more to offer throughout the year and Jim, who has been involved with the reserve for many years, is well placed to tell us about this – and about the improvements being made on the reserve.
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
