Unfortunately, yet another mass poisoning incident occurred in Africa, ending 2019 on a sad note for vulture conservation. Two days before Christmas in Northern Zululand, 16 vultures met a tragic fate. The continuation of such poisoning incidents are causing alarm for the region’s diminishing vulture populations fearing that they could face extinction. This has been an overall unfortunate year for vultures affected by poisoning in Africa, with more than 1,200 vultures estimated to have been deliberately poisoned across Southern and Eastern Africa, according to the Endangered WildLife Trust (EWT).
Author Archives: admin
UN draft plan sets 2030 target to avert Earth’s sixth mass extinction
Almost a third of the world’s oceans and land should be protected by the end of the decade to stop and reverse biodiversity decline that risks the survival of humanity, according to a draft Paris-style UN agreement on nature.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: UN draft plan sets 2030 target to avert Earth’s sixth mass extinction | Environment | The Guardian
UK Wildlife Podcast – Pond life in Winter
The main topic is what pond creatures, such as the pond oilve mayfly, do to survive the cold in winter, and give some tips on how to look after your pond when it freezes over.
Neil and Victoria’s News
Victoria talks about a trip to German museum with a amber collection and Neil mentions his productive Christmas period photography trips, with sparrowhawk, cattle egret and kestrel photos.Readers questions
We answer questions on kestrels decline, and what our first memory of wildlife in the garden was, along with what surprises us about nature.Click here for more information.
Falcons see prey at speed of Formula 1 car
Extremely acute vision and the ability to rapidly process different visual impressions — these two factors are crucial when a peregrine falcon bears down on its prey at a speed that easily matches that of a Formula 1 racing car: over 350 kilometres per hour.
Source: Falcons see prey at speed of Formula 1 car, #ornithology research news via @RareBirdAlertUK
Country diary: orb-weaver spider
While the ubiquitous garden cross spider (Araneus diadematus) perishes in late autumn, another species of orb-weaver remains active throughout the winter. Common and widespread, Zygiella x-notata is typically found close to human habitation, its webs strung under guttering, and spanning door and window frames. Though similar in appearance to the two-dimensional, concentric-circle webs constructed by its more familiar relative, its orbs usually have a distinctive wedge-shaped segment missing from an upper quadrant, hence the spider’s common name, missing-sector orb-weaver.
HS2 could threaten irreplaceable natural habitats, report warns
HS2 risks dividing and destroying “huge swathes” of “irreplaceable” natural habitats, including 108 ancient woodlands, a report has warned.
The Wildlife Trust said the high-speed rail line linking London and northern England could wipe out rare species.
Click here for more information:
HS2 could threaten irreplaceable natural habitats, report warns – BBC News
The Guardian
England’s first wild beaver colony in centuries is ‘helping communities and climate’
England’s first beavers to live in the wild in 400 years are positively affecting the community and the environment, experts have said.
Wildlife visitors warning of climate disaster
Britain’s milder weather is attracting exotic guests. While we may celebrate their arrival now it should also alert us to what’s ahead
Source: A warm welcome? The wildlife visitors warning of climate disaster | Environment | The Guardian
Top plants for pollinators in your wildlife garden
Dave Goulson, author of The Garden Jungle, reveals some of the best plants you can grow to give garden pollinators a helping hand.
Source: Top plants for pollinators in your wildlife garden – Discover Wildlife
Exciting new vacancy!
Peter our webmaster is standing down in March and we are keen to retain and further develop our wonderful website which is proving such an asset to the Society.
If you have some technical or editorial skills already or are interested in acquiring these skills then we are looking to set up a small team of people to be involved in taking this forward.
Ideally we are looking for a couple of people to run the technical side of the website as Administrators and 2-3 to act as Editors providing content.
We very much hope that members of the Society will want to become involved but if you know of anyone outside of the society who might enjoy the challenge please let us know. We can be contacted either at a meeting by talking to Linda Murphy, Mike LeRoy, or Julie Lane or by emailing Julie Lane at silverteasel@hotmail.com
HS2 destroyed trees in way of train line without permission
Contractors removed potential habitats for bats and butterflies in Buckingham nature reserve to prepare for rail line
Click here for more information.: HS2 destroyed trees in way of train line without permission | UK news | The Guardian
Snowdrops guide and walks
After the darkness of winter, snowdrops are a welcome and early sign that spring is on its way. Our snowdrop guide looks at the best snowdrop walks in the UK, snowdrop facts and how to grow your own.
Click here for more information.: Snowdrops guide and walks: facts, how to grow and the best places to see snowdrops around the UK – Countryfile.com
Lifeline for species on verge of extinction
Species on the verge of extinction have been handed a lifeline as £7.4million from The National Lottery is awarded for nature projects across the UK.
Source: Lifeline for species on verge of extinction | The National Lottery Heritage Fund
12 roosting birds to spot this winter
Short winter days may restrict your birdwatching time, but if you’re canny you can just wait for the birds to come to you. Use this guide to improve your roosting bird ID skills.
Source: 12 roosting birds to spot this winter and how to identify them – Discover Wildlife
North Chilterns Chalk January 2020 – Upcoming Events
As we head into January we look forward to our upcoming talks. Please do get in touch to book your place(s) or use the “Book Now” tabs to book online to benefit from our member discount. I look forward to seeing you at an event soon!
Click here for details of future events: North Chilterns Chalk – Upcoming Events
Plants make galls to accommodate foreigners
Gall formation by plants is a commonly-seen phenomenon that occurs in response to foreign entities (here called “gall-inducers”) such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, etc. In this review Harris and Pitzschke set out criteria for what is and is not a gall;
Rediscovering the moths of Whittingehame
A year ago, as I set out to explore the life of Alice Balfour and her moths, I didn’t give much thought to what I might find or where it might lead. I wanted to discover more about the moths she encountered and was interested to learn more about the pursuit of natural history in the Edwardian era, but mostly I was starting ‘a project’ to add purpose to my own everyday moth recording in East Lothian. Making lists of moths from different sites is all very well, but it is much more rewarding to put these lists into some sort of context. Scientific or otherwise.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: 2019 – Lessons learned – Rediscovering the moths of Whittingehame
Fresh hope for Spoon-billed Sandpipers
The world’s rarest wader has been thrown a lifeline after two Spoon-billed Sandpiper chicks hatched at WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire.
Click here for more information.: Fresh hope for Spoon-billed Sandpipers after chicks hatch, news via @RareBirdAlertUK
Wildlife Trusts’ marine review 2019
2019 has seen extraordinary sightings of minke whales and bottlenose dolphins in UK waters, restoration of vital saltmarshes and conservation action by thousands of marine and coastal volunteers.
Click here for more information.: Thousands wade-in to protect UK seas – The Wildlife Trusts’ marine review 2019 | The Wildlife Trusts
Build a Winter Home for Beetles
Making a beetle stack is a way of providing beetles and many other insects with shelter through the winter. This stack is simple to make and costs next to nothing, but will make a world of difference to garden wildlife.
Source: Build a Winter Home for Beetles – BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine
Australia’s bushfires push countless species to extinction
Close to the Western River on Kangaroo Island, Pat Hodgens had set up cameras to snap the island’s rare dunnart – a tiny mouse-like marsupial that exists nowhere else on the planet.
Now, after two fires ripped through the site a few days ago, those cameras – and likely many of the Kangaroo Island dunnarts – are just charred hulks.
“It’s gone right through the under storey and that’s where these species live,” said Hodgens, an ecologist at Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife, a not-for-profit conservation group. “The habitat is decimated.”
Click here to read the rest of the article.: ‘Silent death’: Australia’s bushfires push countless species to extinction | Environment | The Guardian
Grow your own slime moulds
Movement, memory and problem solving are abilities we normally associate with animal behaviour and a nervous system but is that always the case? Could a brainless organism exhibit intelligent behaviour, could it be capable of learning and if so, can we learn anything from it?
Source: Slime Moulds
2020: time to walk the talk on climate and nature
This post is by Tony Juniper CBE, chair of Natural England and Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency.
As we start the New Year, it’s clear that 2020 is our last chance to bring the world together to take decisive action on climate change, to protect our communities and reverse the alarming loss of wildlife we have witnessed in recent years.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: 2020: time to walk the talk on climate and nature | Inside track
10 of the strangest animal stories from 2019
The team from the award-winning podcast No Such Thing As A Fish have collated some of this year’s craziest animal stories, including tardigrades on the moon, dead alligators being dropped into seas and rhinos being provided with emotional-support humans.
Source: 10 of the strangest animal stories from 2019 – Discover Wildlife
RSPB Notes on Nature: get ready to Birdwatch
Click here to read the latest edition of the RSPB Notes on Nature newsletter.
Saving the endangered pool frog in the UK
The end of the summer marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for over a hundred young pool frogs released into the wild in Norfolk this year. The pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae) became extinct in the 1990s in the UK but thanks to collaborative efforts by Natural England, the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC), Norfolk Wildlife Trust, ZSL and partners, the species persists in protected areas where ancient ponds have been restored to provide optimal habitat.
Click here for more information.: ZSL lends a helping hand to save the endangered pool frog in the UK | Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
Tagus estuary: for birds or planes?
A planned new airport that will serve Lisbon threatens the future of internationally important flocks of waders and other waterbirds. These same birds pose safety concerns for the passenger aircraft that will fly through the airspace that is currently reserved for them.
Top 10 wildlife sightings for January
From early spring flowers and farmland birds to frosty footprints there’s plenty to look out for this month.
Click here for more information.: Our top 10 wildlife sightings for January | Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust
England-wide data for great crested newts now available
Natural England has now uploaded baseline survey data on great crested newts (GCN) to create a map of where they are across the whole of England. The project – which took three years to complete – is the largest ever survey of its type for GCN across England, and was funded by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Click here for more information.: Natural England’s Geoportal: England-wide data for great crested newts now available – Natural England
Grouse-shooting estates face ban on burning of peat bogs
The government has been developing plans to ban grouse-shooting estates from the environmentally damaging practice of burning peat bogs, a minister has told parliament.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Grouse-shooting estates face ban on burning of peat bogs | UK news | The Guardian
What is that wildflower? And why don’t we know?
How many people know our common wildflowers? The charity Plantlifecommissioned a poll by YouGov two years ago to find out if people could identify wildflowers and discovered a shocking lack of knowledge. Most could not identify, or mis-identified, the common dog-violet, one of the most widespread wildflowers found in 97% of the UK, and only 6% of 16- to 24-year-olds correctly named it. There were similar results for red clover, another common wildflower. But most people said they would like to identify more wildflowers, although only about half of young people were so enthusiastic.
Click here for more information.: Plantwatch: What is that wildflower? And why don’t we know? | Science | The Guardian
Non-native plants provide habitats for variety of British insects
Non-native plants are providing new habitats for British insects affected by human-driven environmental changes, a new study has found.
Committee Against Bird Slaughter 2019 Annual Report
In 2019, the various campaigns and operations coordinated by Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) once again saved countless migratory birds from doomed fate being killed, caught or prematurely destined for a cooking pot. As ever, our main field campaigns focused on the bird poaching hotspots in the Mediterranean region, with CABS teams active in Italy, Malta, France, Spain, Cyprus and Lebanon during the migration period. The primary aim of our fieldwork is the same everywhere: Take direct action to stop poachers, document illegalities and to persuade authorities to intervene, with public support and international political pressure.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Annual Reports / Komitee gegen den Vogelmord e. V.
Dinosaurs had feathers ruffled by parasites
Ancient pieces of amber found to contain dinosaur feathers riddled with louse-like insects
Source: Dinosaurs had feathers ruffled by parasites, study finds | Science | The Guardian
Lawn-mowing reduction can help wildlife, says study
Rewilding gardens may be growing in popularity but even a modest reduction in lawn mowing can boost wildlife, increase pollinators and save money, according to a study.
Researchers from the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières found that reducing the intensity of trimming lawns in urban areas can also reduce pests and weeds that cause allergies.
Click here for more information.: Lawn-mowing reduction can help wildlife, says study | Environment | The Guardian
Surrey Small Blue Stepping Stones Project
In 2019 we completed a project to help the Small Blue Butterfly on the Surrey Downs. The project has helped to create an extensive network of sites between Guildford and Box Hill, with individual butterflies now more able to move between different areas and sites, enabling the creation of a strong and sustainable metapopulation.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Surrey Small Blue Stepping Stones Project
Pond Ponderings – Story of a Small Pond So Far
Building work needed on the old neglected and abused Victorian house took priority, then in March 2018, I built a small wildlife pond into the middle of the garden. From the start, it was aimed at dragonflies plus other insects, plant life and nature in general.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Pond Ponderings – Story of a Small Pond So Far, by Dan Brawn – British Dragonfly Society
National Trust State of Nature report 2019
Click here for more information:
State of Nature report 2019 | National Trust
The Guardian
New virus implicated in bald eagle disease
‘Eagle health strike force’ may protect America’s national emblem.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: New virus implicated in bald eagle disease – Discover Wildlife
Peatlands: An important carbon store
As our climate increasingly warms, the UK’s peatlands are put under ever greater pressure.
Long dry spells are predicted to become more commonplace, raising the question of whether future predicted climate scenarios will maintain the wet conditions needed in some areas for continued peat formation.
Kew selects its top new species of 2019
The scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew have published their 10 highlights of new species discovered in 2019.
Source: Kew selects its top new species of 2019 – Discover Wildlife
Electric eel powers aquarium’s Christmas tree
Special system connected to Miguel’s tank enables his naturally occurring shocks to power strands of lights on a nearby tree
Click here for more information.: Flashy fish: electric eel powers Tennessee aquarium’s Christmas tree | US news | The Guardian
Oceans losing oxygen at unprecedented rate
Sharks, tuna, marlin and other large fish at risk from spread of ‘dead zones’, say scientists
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Oceans losing oxygen at unprecedented rate, experts warn | Environment | The Guardian
Short-eared Owl Tracking
Short-eared owls appear to be nomadic, breeding almost prolifically in suitable habitat in some years, yet in others appearing to be absent. Adults owls can be seen flying during daylight hours when they have dependent young, but at other times they can be largely nocturnal, making the population hard to monitor. The best evidence that we have suggests that the population has declined, perhaps by as much as 50%. The reasons underlying these changes are poorly understood, but recent advances in technology have presented new opportunities for research.
Source: Short-eared Owl Tracking | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology
Plastic pollution kills half a million hermit crabs on remote islands
Experts fear species decline after huge number of deaths on Henderson and Cocos
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Plastic pollution kills half a million hermit crabs on remote islands | Environment | The Guardian
Hundreds of Gyr Falcons released into the Scottish countryside
Hundreds of Gyr Falcons, as well as hybrids, have been released into the Scottish countryside in recent summers as part of a process known as wild hacking.
Source: Hundreds of Gyr Falcons released into the Scottish countryside – BirdGuides
Global warming bringing new species of moths to Ireland
Human-made global warming is bringing new species of moths to Irish shores, a new atlas suggests.
The Rosy Wave, Orange Sallow and Blair’s Shoulder-knot have all been recorded in Ireland since the start of the new millennium, according to the Atlas of Britain and Ireland’s Larger Moths.
Click here for more information.: Global warming bringing new species of moths to Ireland
Managing land for butterflies and moths
Our work seeks to help the development of new land management support schemes by combining the latest scientific evidence and Butterfly Conservation’s practical experience of working with farmers and land owners on the ground.
Hundreds of endangered starlings found dead
The “very strange” discovery of hundreds of dead starlings on a road in north Wales has sparked a police investigation.
Source: ‘Complete mystery’ as hundreds of endangered starlings found dead in Anglesey road | The Independent
Paleontologists Find Fossils of Six New Dragonfly Species
Six new species of dragonflies that lived about 50 million years ago (early Eocene epoch) have been identified from fossils found in the Okanagan Highlands, an elevated hilly plateau area in British Columbia, Canada, and the U.S. state of Washington.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Fennoscandian wader factory
At the end of the summer, vast numbers of waders leave Norway, Sweden and Finland, heading southwest, south and south-east for the winter. In a 2019 paper by Lindström et al, we learn what is happening to these populations of Fennoscandian breeding species, as diverse as Temminck’s Stint and Curlew. The news for the period 2006 through to 2018 is basically pretty good – most populations have been stable and there are even some that have increased – but there are worrying signs for Broad-billed Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope and Whimbrel.
Click here for more information.: Fennoscandian wader factory | wadertales
The State of European Cetaceans Report 2019
The State of European Cetaceans is ORCA’s report series, documenting the results of its survey findings, and more importantly, drawing conclusions about what this means for whales, dolphins and porpoises in the wild.
Click here for more information.: ORCA – The State of European Cetaceans
Start of winter brings first ‘swanfall’ at WWT Slimbridge
The start of December, and a dip in temperatures, has seen the first ‘swanfall’ at WWT Slimbridge, with more than 50 majestic Bewick’s swans arriving at the end of the final leg of their migration. This year’s ‘swanfall’ was bang on time, as it traditionally heralds the beginning of winter, which officially started on 1st December.
The insects that made Christmas
From midges and flies to beetles and bees, various insects are essential to the reproduction of at least 15 Christmas dinner ingredients.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: The insects that made Christmas – BBC News
December 2019 issue British & Irish Botany published
Click here for more information.: British & Irish Botany
House mice seen attacking adult albatrosses for the first time
Introduced house mice on the UK Overseas Territory of Gough Island in the South Atlantic have been seen attacking adult albatrosses for the first time.
Click here for more information.: House mice seen attacking adult albatrosses for the first time
BirdTrends 2019 published
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.
Click here for more information.: BirdTrends 2019: trends in numbers, breeding success and survival for UK breeding birds | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology
You can now see even more Natural History Museum exhibits online
The Natural History Museum data team have just completed a major Data Portal upgrade which includes a new look, faster response times and more complex search capabilities.
Click here for more information.: The Data Portal grows up | Digital Collections Programme – Blogs from the Natural History Museum
Lesser Redpoll: our ‘new’ garden finch
The finch family boasts many popular garden birds, including Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Bullfinch. More recently, a growing number of people have been able to add Lesser Redpoll to this list. Results collected through the year-round BTO Garden BirdWatch survey show a 15-fold increase in the use of gardens by Lesser Redpolls during early spring over the past five years.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Lesser Redpoll: our ‘new’ garden finch | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology
The effects of thinning management on bats and their insect prey in temperate broadleaved woodland
Highlights
- Thinning significantly alters woodland habitat characteristics.
- Common and adaptable bats benefit from thinning.
- Rarer bat species that roost predominantly in trees do not.
- Tree cavities are most frequent in abandoned woodland.
- Bats and insects have opposed non-linear responses to time since management.
Click here for more information.: The effects of thinning management on bats and their insect prey in temperate broadleaved woodland – ScienceDirect
Identifying Marsh Tit and Willow Tit
How Do Birds Survive The Cold?
If you walk around a woodland in the winter you may be forgiven for wondering where all the birds have gone. In fact, there are likely to be plenty of birds about, but instead of being evenly spread throughout the area, several species group together in a loose, mixed feeding flock. Flocking together in winter improves the chances of locating food and huddling together during the critical night-time period helps conserve body heat.
Source: How Do Birds Survive The Cold? | Birds in Winter – The RSPB
The best plants for attracting insects to gardens
You can do your bit for insects by growing lots of foliage in your garden, a study has found.
Click here for more information.: Biodiversity: The best plants for attracting insects to gardens – BBC News
Seal Pups in the UK
Autumn and winter is when most female grey seals haul themselves ashore to give birth.
It seems like a strange time to do it, when icy winds are blowing and the nights are long. One explanation is that after a summer of catching fish, the females are simply in great shape to feed their young.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Seal Pups in the UK | See The Baby Seals This Winter – The RSPB
Find out about Bird Calls in the UK
Bird songs are common sounds to us all, but why do birds sing? Imagine you’re a male willow warbler, and you’ve just flown 2,400 miles (4000 km) from Africa. It’s spring, and you need to find a mate quickly. However, your home is a woodland and you’re the colour of leaves. What better way of advertising to a passing female that you are here and would make a fine father for her chicks than by having a clear, loud and recognisable song?
Click here for more information.: Bird Songs | Find out about Bird Calls in the UK – The RSPB
Starling Migration
Starlings in the UK
These birds are residents, and most never leave us. However, this number almost doubles every winter with the arrival of thousands more birds from Eastern Europe. Hard weather there forces them to migrate west in search of food.
Sir David Attenborough’s new Green Planet series will use robots to tell ’emotional stories’ about plants
Using new technology including robot cameras which can be remotely controlled by humans to look at plants in remote places, the show will treat audiences to a “mind-blowing” look at an “unseen” world.
Click here for more information.: Sir David Attenborough’s new Green Planet series will use robots to tell ’emotional stories’ about plants
Victoria Falls dries to a trickle
One of southern Africa’s biggest tourist attractions has seen an unprecedented decline this dry season, fuelling climate change fears
Click here for more information.: Victoria Falls dries to a trickle after worst drought in a century | World news | The Guardian
The fight against France’s ‘barbaric’ glue traps
French hunters claim tradition justifies their exemption from EU rules. But with many species endangered, there is growing pressure for a ban
Study busts myths about origins of UK’s parakeets
Their bright green feathers and unmistakable squawk make ring-necked parakeets a striking addition to British park wildlife, but the question of how the tropical birds were first introduced has been a subject of contention.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Hendrix? Hepburn? Study busts myths about origins of UK’s parakeets | Science | The Guardian
Eel recorded embarking on its epic migratory voyage
An acoustic camera has captured never-before-seen footage of the endangered fish setting off on its journey from the Gloucestershire wetlands to the Sargasso sea. This success story comes at a time of turning fortunes for the mysterious and fascinating animal.
Source: Eel recorded embarking on its epic migratory voyage – Discover Wildlife
Where do butterflies and moths go in winter?
Unlike mammals and birds, butterflies and moths rely mainly on external sources of heat to warm their bodies so that they can be active. Although many are adept at increasing their body temperature way above ambient air temperature by basking in sunshine or shivering (vibrating their flight muscles), when their surroundings are really cold, most butterflies and moths are forced to remain inactive.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Where do butterflies and moths go in winter?
Number of rescued hedgehogs hits a 5-year high
1 hedgehog was admitted to an RSPCA rescue centre, on average, every 2 hours throughout October.
Source: Number of rescued hedgehogs hits a 5-year high – Discover Wildlife
Butterflies in the Time of Dinosaurs
Jurassic butterflies disappeared a full 45 million years before the first caterpillar decided to grow up and become a beautiful butterfly—again
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Butterflies in the Time of Dinosaurs, with Nary a Flower in Sight – Scientific American Blog Network
Climate change is forcing butterflies and moths to adapt – but some species can’t
Butterflies are rather like Goldilocks, preferring conditions to be neither too hot nor too cold, but “just right”. Under climate change, the temperature at any given time of summer is, on average, getting warmer, leaving butterflies (and their nocturnal cousins, the moths) with the challenge of how to remain in their optimal temperature window.
Source: Climate change is forcing butterflies and moths to adapt – but some species can’t
We need to talk about Nitrogen…
Nitrogen in the air is one of the greatest threats to our wild plants, lichens and fungi, yet few people have even heard about it. Plantlife’s new report We need to talk about Nitrogen raises the alarm about its devastating impacts.
Click here for more information.: Plantlife :: We need to talk about Nitrogen…
How insect orders got their names
Anyway, after some fun time with my Dictionary of Entomology, (which is much more of an encyclopaedia than a dictionary), and of course Google, I have great pleasure in presenting my one stop shop for those of you who wonder how insect orders got their names. Here they are, all in one easy to access place with a few fun-filled facts to leaven the mixture.
Source: Twisted, hairy, scaly, gnawed and pure – side-tracked by Orders | Don’t Forget the Roundabouts
Sumatran rhinoceros now extinct in Malaysia
Last of the species in country, a female rhino named Iman, ‘died sooner than expected’
Source: Sumatran rhinoceros now extinct in Malaysia, say zoologists | Environment | The Guardian
We need to protect nature to stand any chance of tackling climate chaos
Voters have woken up to the climate emergency. Equally urgent is the threat to nature and wildlife – and the issues are linked
Pond Ponderings: From a Redesigned Mature Pond in Suburban Suffolk!
“I have loved nature for as long as I can remember, certainly before I was old enough to go to school. I used to spend hours peering into our garden pond in the 1960’s and marvelling at the different creatures to be found living there. There were many frogs, toads and newts that used the pond for spawning and I would watch the progress of their tadpoles each year. There was much invertebrate life there too which was also a fascination to me. We lived about a mile from Gatwick airport and one negative aspect of this was that I often had to use newspaper on the surface of the pond to take off the thin coating of oil that accumulated, presumably from fuel dumping.
Click here for more information.: Pond Ponderings: From a Redesigned Mature Pond in Suburban Suffolk! – British Dragonfly Society
I spied-a spider: Microscope work isn’t as daunting as it appears!
There are around 650 species of spider in the UK alone. That’s a lot! Some spiders can be identified by eye, others require hand lenses and many even require microscopes to correctly identify them to species level. Most people find spiders creepy though, so never get close enough to identify them in the field, let alone choose to look at them down a microscope. Earlier this year, however, I attended the Tomorrow’s Invertebrate Recorders course run by the FSC Biolinks team during which I chose to spend a whole day learning microscopic identification of spiders.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: I spied-a spider: Microscope work isn’t as daunting as it appears! | Biodiversity Projects
Stephen Moss’s 2019 Round-up of Nature books
Stephen Moss has written a round-up of nature books for many years and this is the second year when it has appeared here on this blog. Stephen is course leader of the MA Travel & Nature Writing at Bath Spa University.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Stephen Moss’s 2019 Round-up of Nature books. – Mark Avery
MKNHS Spring 2020 programme has been published
You can view our exiting new programme of talks and walks on the programme page of our website.
Rescue mission to save ‘gin plant’ juniper in southern England bears fruit
Juniper, a rare conifer which is used to flavour gin, is making a comeback in southern England with the help of a conservation rescue mission, Plantlife has said.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Rescue mission to save ‘gin plant’ juniper in southern England bears fruit – ITV News
The ‘unnoticed insect apocalypse’: How people in towns and cities can help
An ‘unnoticed apocalypse’ may have killed half of the world’s insects in the 50 years since 1970, according to a new study.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: The ‘unnoticed insect apocalypse’: How people in towns and cities can help – BBC News
The year of the fly – Exploring the families of British Diptera
Since 2019 is the Year of the Fly I thought it was time to dust off my boyhood interest in flies and see how many families of flies I could see through the year. Each time I see one from a new family I will write a post, and by the end of the year I hope to know my way around them.
Click here for more information.: The year of the fly – Exploring the families of British Diptera
Jaguars under threat from palm oil expansion
Latin America’s mammals could be the next to suffer under palm oil production, warns charity.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Jaguars under threat from palm oil expansion – Discover Wildlife
Winter is Coming – The Trees Prepare
The days are shortening and the temperature is falling. This is a signal to deciduous (broadleaf) trees that it is time to close down for the winter, conserve energy and prevent it from losing precious nutrients.
Source: Winter is Coming – The Trees Prepare – Back From The Brink
Microplastics polluting Indonesian feeding grounds of ocean giants
Plankton-feeding manta rays and whale sharks may accidentally ingest harmful microplastics in Indonesian oceans.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Microplastics polluting Indonesian feeding grounds of ocean giants – Discover Wildlife
Bee Identification Guides
This page is a very useful guide to bee identification guides:
Source: Identification Guides | BWARS
Jackdaw mobs flip from chaos to order as they grow
Chaotic mobs of jackdaws suddenly get organised once enough birds join in, new research shows.
Click here for more information.: Jackdaw mobs flip from chaos to order as they grow, #ornithology research news via @RareBirdAlertUK
BCN Wildlife Trust newsletter November 2019
Click here to view the Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust newsletter.
First evidence of the impact of climate change on Arctic Terns
Data collected from electronic tags retrieved from 47 journeys made by the Farne Island Arctic Terns, has revealed for the first time how climate change might affect their behaviour.
Click here for more information.: First evidence of the impact of climate change on Arctic Terns, #ornithology research news via @RareBirdAlertUK
The Widest Insect in the World! The White Witch Moth
How big is the biggest insect wingspan in the world? One foot wide, wingtip to wingtip. This encounter in the rainforests of Brazil is on I’ll always remember. http://www.instagram.com/phil_torres
Beavers to be released in plan to ease flooding
‘Nature’s engineers’ to be introduced on National Trust land in south of England
Click here for more information.: Beavers to be released in plan to ease flooding and aid biodiversity | Environment | The Guardian
Light pollution is key ‘bringer of insect apocalypse’
Light pollution is a significant but overlooked driver of the rapid decline of insect populations, according to the most comprehensive review of the scientific evidence to date.
Source: Light pollution is key ‘bringer of insect apocalypse’ | Environment | The Guardian
Weather triggers magical season for exotic fungi
Outstanding conditions for growth topped by finds of exceptionally rare species around the UK
Click here for more information.: Plantwatch: weather triggers magical season for exotic fungi | Science | The Guardian
New hope for trees affected by ash dieback
A study has identified the genes that give trees resistance to ash dieback, which arrived in the UK in 2012 and has now spread to almost every part of the country.
Source: New hope for trees affected by ash dieback – BBC News
Painted Lady migration secrets revealed
One of the longest standing mysteries of migration has finally been solved after scientists discovered where the UK’s Painted Lady butterfly population goes each autumn.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Painted Lady migration secrets revealed
Human hair behind pigeons’ lost toes
Research suggests density of hairdressers in an area – and resulting human hair – affects rate of lost toes
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Human hair behind pigeons’ lost toes, Paris study finds | World news | The Guardian