A successful restoration project on the Swindale Beck River provides an ideal habitat for breeding fish.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Meandering river in Cumbria attracts spawning salmon | Discover Wildlife

Over the next three winters, a new study focusing on Blackcaps wintering in Britain and Ireland will help reveal how novel migratory changes arise and spread. The study will look at genetic and morphological differences between breeding populations and migration strategies, as well as investigate aspects of wintering behaviour, movements and survival of individuals wintering in Britain.

Source: BTO Bird Ringing – ‘Demog Blog’

Click on the [] symbol to view full screen. Click thearrows to urn the pages.

https://issuu.com/nfbr/docs/nfbr_newsletter_53

iRecord Butterflies is a free app that will guide you through the identification of any butterfly that you see in the UK and allow you to add your sighting to millions of other valuable records that inform the work of Butterfly Conservation.

Click here for more information: Butterfly Conservation – iRecord Butterflies

Paul Duff, APHA Veterinary Investigation Officer, talks about how he volunteered to help Butterfly Conservation in their project to save the marsh fritillary butterfly in Northern England.

Source: Rare butterfly helped along by APHA Penrith | APHA science

Emperor Dragonfly, Stonepit Field, 15Jul14, Peter Hassett

Whilst ambling along your favourite riverside walk there’s nothing like the colourful glimpse of a dragonfly to tell you that summer is well and truly here. And though these vibrant insects might feel like a familiar sight, there’s plenty you may not know about them. Here’s a handful of facts that might make you see these winged wonders in a different light.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: BBC Blogs – Springwatch – Five things you didn’t know about dragonflies

Increased numbers of sea lice in farmed salmon could affect wild fish too.

Source: Wild fish at risk from salmon farms | Discover Wildlife

The much-loved creature of the suburban garden is in rapid decline – with new builds, roads and badgers to blame. Can we prevent their extinction?

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Apocalypse hedgehog: the fight to save Britain’s favourite mammal | Environment | The Guardian

Black-headed Gull by Peter Hassett Caldecotte Lake 29 December 2016

New research has shown a population of large gulls on a Scottish island declined sharply as the fish catch landed by the local fishing fleet fell.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: BTO: Hebridean gull decline linked to loss of fishing discards

Twin-spotted Quaker by Gordon Redford taken at Linford Lakes NR 03Apr15

The early spring period is just round the corner, and for many mothers this is one of the most exciting times of the year, especially after a long winter of rather extreme weather with only a few windows of trapping opportunity.

Following the very cold early winter of 2010–11 there was a bumper crop of macro-moths in March and April of that spring. The majority of these consisted of noctuids in the genus Orthosia. A cold second half to this winter could trigger another good emergence if the temperatures rise quickly in March.

This time last year we dealt with Challenging Chestnuts using a selection of images to illustrate variations among this tricky species duo. This year we will look at the range of Orthosias and observe some routine moths and later, some variations and potential pitfalls along the way.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Moths of the season: Spring Quakers and Drabs, Part I

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a talk:

Location: Cruck Barn, City Discovery Centre, Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes
Postcode: MK13 9AP (Google map)
As Biodiversity Officer for the Trust, Martin Kincaid is perfectly placed to give us an insight into how they are conserving wildlife. In particular, he’ll be telling us about the Floodplain Forest reserve, which he believes is “the most exciting habitat creation scheme in Milton Keynes’ young history.

Time: Doors open 7.15 pm for a prompt 7.45 pm start
Price: Group members £2.50, Non-Group members £3.50, Children £1

See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information

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

A decade ago, scientists first detected fast radio bursts (FRB). They’re so-called because they’re incredibly powerful bursts of radio signals, but they’re extremely short-lived: a few milliseconds in length. Last year, scientists finally managed to catch one happening in real-time. And now we’ve managed to pinpoint where a repeating signal – FRB 121102 – is coming from. What is causing it is still open to speculation.

Source: Scientists pinpoint location of unexplained space radio signals | Alphr

BloomsForBees has produced a video detailing how to identify the seven most common bumblebees in the UK.

Click on the play button to watch the video

Work Sunday at Linford Lakes NR on 5 March 2017 10:00-13:00hrs.

Refreshments available. Clearing Reeds, clearing paths. Help needed.

Common Frogs by Harry Appleyard, Howe Park Wood, March 2016 (Short-listed in Countryfile 2016 Competition)

Biosecurity for everyone

Everyone visiting a water body is responsible for helping to avoid the spread of non-native species on their clothes, equipment and everything else that comes into contact with water.

This guidance sets out simple instructions that can help everyone prevent the accidental transfer of non-native species.

Click on the link for more information: Biosecurity for everyone – Check, Clean, Dry – GB non-native species secretariat

“In 1795, the renowned naturalist Gilbert White observed that the first celandines usually appeared in his Hampshire village of Selborne on the 21st February. A hundred years later, exactly the same average date was observed…”

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Plantlife :: Have you seen a Celandine?

NASA has released the first photos from their new weather satellite and they’re stunning shots of the earth.

Click this link for more information: New NASA Satellite Captures Beautifully Detailed Images Of Earth

Winner. Hoverflies by Mark Strutton. 3 July 2016

Congratulations to the winners of the 2017 Photo Competition.

You can see the winning and shortlisted entries in the Gallery or by clicking here.

If anyone can remember the eight shortlisted entry, please let me know using this link.

Buckinghamshire Bird Club will be hosting an Field Trip on 5 March 2017 – 9:30 to 16:00 to Elmley National Nature Reserve, Elmley (Lat/Long 51.3772 and 0.783506)

Raptors, waders and seabirds.

Meet RSPB/NNR Car Park; TQ937678 Post Code ME12 3RN

Click on the link for more information:

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

Chemicals banned in the 1970s have been found in the deepest reaches of the ocean, according to a new study.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Banned chemicals persist in deep ocean – BBC News

Yellow Dung fly by Peter Hassett, Whipsnade Zoo, 6 September 2016

Flies have some of the most elaborate visual systems in the Insecta, often featuring large, sexually dimorphic eyes with specialized “bright zones” that may have a functional role during mate-seeking behavior. The fast visual system of flies is considered to be an adaptation in support of their advanced flight abilities. Here, we show that the immense processing speed of the flies’ photoreceptors plays a crucial role in mate recognition.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Flirting on the ‘fly:’ what blow flies can tell us about attraction, dating apps — ScienceDaily

It has been 400 years since Britain was home to beavers. Now they have returned, and they are rapidly proving their worth

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: BBC – Earth – Beavers are back in the UK and they will reshape the land

There is something primally horrifying about a spider or insect attacking and eating a furry or feathered animal. But this unsettling event happens all the time

Source: BBC – Earth – Monstrous spiders and centipedes that prey on large animals

Bluebells by Alan Piggott taken in Kings Wood across the road from Stockgrove Park car park.

We are running day courses for a number of different invertebrates species, including earthworms, moths and butterflies. As well as flower courses and a course on chalk streams.

For information on all the courses click here.

An illustration shows the view from just above one of the middle planets in the TRAPPIST-1 star system, which is now known to host seven Earth-size worlds. ILLUSTRATION BY M. KORNMESSER, SPACEENGINE.ORG/ESO

The Earth-size worlds orbit a star just 39 light-years away, and most may have the right conditions to host liquid water on their surfaces.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Seven Alien ‘Earths’ Found Orbiting Nearby Star

Flounced Rustic Moth: light trap, garden ©Ian Saunders, Stoke Goldington 5 August 2018

The national E-moth newsletter Jan 2017 is out.  Some fascinating statistics from it:There are now 20.9 million macro-moth records in the NMRS database; 621,587 more records than we reported in Se

Source: E-moth newsletter out | Dorset Butterflies

Buckinghamshire Bird Club will be hosting an Indoor Meeting – Black, White & Gold in Finland on 2 March 2017 – 19:30 to 22:00 at Wendover Memorial Hall, Wendover.

Click on this link for more information

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

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip to Draycote Water, Warwickshire on 1 March 2017:

Location: Map ref SP 463 691
Near Dunchurch, just south of Coventry, at the main car park.
Postcode: CV23 8AB (Google map)

This is yet another new location for us. It is a 630 acre reservoir with a flat paved path all round. The bird list for 2016 (up to mid-May) covers 137 species. Leader Brian Lloyd.

Time: 10.00 am

Price: Free

See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information

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

Whether stubby, slender, spoon-shaped, flattened or sharply pointed, bird beaks can be highly specialized, and now, researchers have found that some even have built-in AC.

For the first time, scientists were able to image tiny structures inside nasal cavities in song sparrow beaks. These structures function like air conditioning units, cooling airflow during breathing and helping to reclaim moisture in dry habitats.

Previous studies have examined the role that beaks’ sizes and shapes play in regulating birds’ body temperatures, and how certain bill types are linked to particular climates. But far less was known about how beaks’ internal structures were involved

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Bird Beaks Are Cooler Than You Think — Literally

Small White Tattenhoe Park Harry Appleyard 14th October 2016

Over the course of 20 years, 28 species of butterfly in urban and countryside environments were monitored and the results are a cause for concern.

In rural areas, butterfly numbers declined by 45%, while in urban environments, a 69% decrease occurred.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Butterflies face a sharp decline in urban areas | Discover Wildlife

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

Many flowers are attractive to bees, with different types of bee varying in their particular preferences. In particular, long-tongued bumblebees such as Bombus hortorum tend to favour deep flowers, and of course short-tongued bumblebees such as Bombus terrestris prefer shallow flowers. Sometimes short-tongued bees rob deep flowers by biting a hole in the side of the flower so they can reach the nectar.

In general herbs and cottage garden perennials are good, and annual bedding plants are best avoided (because they have been intensively bred and have often lost their rewards or become so mishapen that insects cannot get in to them – also, many have been drenched in insecticides).

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: The best garden flowers for bees : Resources : Goulson Lab : School of Life Sciences : University of Sussex

Poster – Wildlife in Milton Keynes talk 13 March 2017

Stony Stratford in Bloom have arranged a talk in Stony Stratford Library on Monday 13 March 2017 at 7 p.m., when Martin Kincaid of the Milton Keynes Parks Trust will speak on ‘Wildlife in Milton Keynes (focusing on Ouse Valley Park)‘.

Wine, juice and cake will be provided after the talk. For tickets, contact Judy Deveson at judith.deveson@gmail.com or on 01908-562876.

Tickets are free of charge, but donations will be requested on the night to cover costs.

Use this link to download a poster for this event.

Nymph of Roesel’s Bush Cricket by Paul Lund, Linford Lakes NR 16 June 2015

Experts assessed the conservation status of grasshopper, cricket and bush-cricket species found across Europe for a IUCN report.

They discovered that more than 25 per cent of the 1,082 species studied were at risk of extinction due to intensive agriculture, wildfires and tourism development.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Grasshoppers and crickets are in trouble | Discover Wildlife

Bee by Paul Lund. Taken in Paul’s garden using two flash guns to freeze motion.

Research on urban insect pollinators is changing views on the biological value and ecological importance of cities.

The abundance and diversity of native bee species in urban landscapes that are absent in nearby rural lands evidence the biological value and ecological importance of cities and have implications for biodiversity conservation.

Lagging behind this revised image of the city are urban conservation programs that historically have invested in education and outreach rather than programs designed to achieve high-priority species conservation results.

We synthesized research on urban bee species diversity and abundance to determine how urban conservation could be repositioned to better align with new views on the ecological importance of urban landscapes. Due to insect pollinators’ relatively small functional requirements—habitat range, life cycle, and nesting behavior—relative to larger mammals, we argue that pollinators put high-priority and high-impact urban conservation within reach. In a rapidly urbanizing world, transforming how environmental managers view the city can improve citizen engagement and contribute to the development of more sustainable urbanization.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: The city as a refuge for insect pollinators – Hall – 2017 – Conservation Biology – Wiley Online Library

The first ever European Red List of Habitats reviews the current status of all natural and semi-natural terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats and highlights the pressures they face.

Using a modified version of the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems categories and criteria, it covers the EU28, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the Balkan countries and their neighbouring seas. Over 230 terrestrial and freshwater habitats were assessed.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Red List of Habitat Types – Nature – Environment – European Commission

Common Toad by Harry Appleyard, Howe Park Wood 23 March 2016

Toads spend the winter underground.

They use their back legs to ‘knead’ their bodies into the soil, submerging themselves completely when the days get shorter and nights turn colder.

There is increasing concern that this could pose problems for the animals in milder conditions.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: How do warm winters affect hibernating toads? | Discover Wildlife

Tom.bio has been working with moth trap designer Paul Palmer to produce a series of short films, designed to accompany his book ‘How to Build Your Own Moth Trap’.  Paul has designed a low cost, lightweight and highly portable moth trap which can be easily built at home using household tools and a few bits of specialist equipment.

Source: How to build your own moth trap – video guides | Tomorrow’s Biodiversity

Active Hedgehogs were being seen in gardens well into December, according to reports from the British Trust for Ornithology’s weekly Garden BirdWatch (BTO GBW) scheme. Volunteer Garden BirdWatchers reported more Hedgehogs in November and December than in previous years.
Before the onset of winter Hedgehogs are busy foraging for earthworms and insects to gain plentiful fat reserves. These reserves are crucial for surviving during their hibernation, which is normally from November to March. However, timing of hibernation varies between individuals and depends on weather conditions. This year results from Garden BirdWatch show that more Hedgehogs were active later in the year than usual, likely as a result of mild weather.

Click on the link to read the rest of the articleWhy are you still awake? Rise in Hedgehog sightings due to late start to winter | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

Tadpoles and Sticklebacks by Harry Appleyard, Howe Park Wood 23 May 2016

Julia Carey of the Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Environmental Records Centre has asked for help to record frog and toad spawn.

We have been asked by the Freshwater Habitats Trust (Pond Action or Pond Conservation Trust for those of us who have known them a while…) to forward information on this year’s survey effort for frog and toad spawn. See below and attachments for information. Looks simple, and even the BMERC staff can manage this one!

If anyone has trouble opening the forms can they let us know at erc@buckscc.gov.uk and we will see if we can get a different version for you. If needed, I’m sure we can also print some paper copies for those who aren’t happy to record straight onto the web. The data will be collected direct by the FWHT, and once considered like other Record Centres we will welcome a copy of it back to local centres so whatever you capture will be back in Bucks later. No need to copy us in. NB for those not in Bucks, it doesn’t matter, the survey is national.

Given how warm and sunny it is today this may be of use sooner rather than later.

Happy recording.

Julia Carey
PondNet Spawn Survey 2017 Recording Form
PondNet Spawn Survey 2017 Poster

Click on this link for more information on the survey: PondNet Spawn Survey 2017

The winter months are normally a busy time for Blue Tits in our gardens. However, the latest figures from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) show that numbers are down, probably due to a wet summer.

During the winter months a lack of food in the wider countryside encourages both adult and juvenile Blue Tits into gardens, to make use of feeders. However, this November BTO Garden BirdWatchers reported the lowest numbers of Blue Tits in gardens since 2003, thought to be due to a lack of young birds this year.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Blue Tits missing from gardens after washout summer | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

Male Wigeon by Harry Appleyard, Emerson Valley 3 February 2017

Linford Lakes NR is hosting an evening presentation on Wednesday 22^nd February 2017. Doors open at 19:15hrs for 19:30hrs start.

“Waders, their conservation and inspirational qualities”.
Given by:- Rick Simpson of Wader Quest.
Come and learn of Ricks passion for there lovely birds.

Friends and family welcome. £2:00 per adult.

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

Robin by Peter Hassett, College Lake 29 December 2016

Join volunteer Mike Bird on a walk to discover the wildlife of neighbouring Rammamere Heath – a site of Special Scientific Interest managed by The Greensand Trust on behalf of landowner Tarmac – and Kings Wood. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult – warm, waterproof clothing and sturdy footwear are recommended. The walk is funded by Natural England under Higher Level Stewardship Park and meet at the Stockgrove entrance – £2 car parking fee applies

Click on the link for more information: Discover the birds and wildlife of Rammamere Heath and Kings Wood Tickets, Tue, 21 Feb 2017 at 10:00 | Eventbrite

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

The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs report is the definitive assessment of how hedgehogs populations are fairing in Britain, across rural and urban areas.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2015 – Peoples Trust for Endangered SpeciesPeoples Trust for Endangered Species

Robin by Peter Hassett, College Lake 29 December 2016

National Nest Box Week takes place each year from 14-21 February, and after more than 15 years it is now an established part of the ornithological calendar.

NNBW aims to encourage everyone to put up nest boxes in their local area in order to promote and enhance biodiversity and conservation of our breeding birds and wildlife.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: National Nest Box Week | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

Logs tend to get all the headlines when it comes to giving nature a home with deadwood, but I’m here to shout out for the humble stick. On its own, it may not be much, but with a load of its friends, it can make a great habitat.

Source: Let’s get sticky! – Gardening for wildlife – Homes for Wildlife – The RSPB Community

Athayde Tonhasca suggests that there is more to the sexton beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides than meets the eye. If you go for a stroll in the woods now and then, you may have come across a dead bird…

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Species of the month: the sexton beetle | Scotland’s Nature

Buckinghamshire Invertebrate Group

The Buckinghamshire Invertebrate Group have made a number of useful resources available on their website:

Checklists:
Ants, bees and wasps in Buckinghamshire
Caddisflies in Buckinghamshire
Craneflies in Buckinghamshire
Ground beetles in Buckinghamshire

Bulletins covering 1989-2016

Click on this link for more information.

Open Sunday at Linford Lakes NR 19^th February 2017 10:00-16:00hrs.

Bring friends and family and explore the reserve.

We have two walks today, 10:00 Leader Chris Coppock

& 13:00hrs Leader Steph Kimsey.

Both leave from the centre.

Refreshments, home-made cakes and facilities available

Crafts, second-hand books and bird seed for sale.

Viewing gallery open, also display of wildlife.

Buckinghamshire Bird Club will be hosting a Field Trip on 19 February 2017 – 09:30 to 16:00 to Rainham Marshes RSPB, Marine Court, Rainham (Lat/Long 51.487 and 0.227736)

Waders, Bearded Tits and winter raptors and much more. There is the possibility of Water Vole.

Meet at the RSPB Car Park: TQ552792 Post Code RM19 1SZ

Access car park from Tank Hill Road.

Click on this link for more information.

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

What should you do when you see a baby bird on the ground? It is hard to resist the urge to rescue. Often people intervene when in fact most chicks should be left alone.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Resist the call of the cute | BirdLife

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip to Linford Lakes Nature Reserve on 18 February 2017:

Location: Map ref SP 843 429, at the end of the lane off Wolverton Road.
Postcode: MK14 5AH (Google map)

Another of our regular visits to this reserve near Wolverton which is maintained by the MK Parks Trust. It offers woodland, a large lake and open views with 3 hides. Leader Chris Ward.

See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information

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

Welcome to New Nature- a magazine created to help promote, showcase and aid young people passionate about nature, conservation and ecology.

Click here to read the magazine.

Cowslip by Peter Hassett, Newton Bromswold 17 April 2016

We are doing Saturday mornings from 10 – 1 ish…..  Tools provided … and lots of levels of strenuous-ness catered for …

Heat exhaustion not predicted !  unlike our event of last summer….

Bonfire is planned for 18 February with baked spuds …

my mobile no is

0777 243 7930

Who will spot the first cowslip of 2017?

Jenny Mercer

We tend to think of parasites as harmful, itchy, nasty, creepy crawlies. But these strange, beautiful creatures have many uses – and they need our help

Source: No wildlife charity campaigns to save parasites. But they should | Science | The Guardian

Watch this video and you will soon know the answer.

France bans the use of pesticides in public parks and the sale of chemical pest-control solutions to amateur gardeners.

Source: French parks and public gardens bid adieu to pesticides | MNN – Mother Nature Network

Scientists have reconstructed the “voicebox” of an extinct bird that lived at the time of the dinosaurs – and they say it honked or quacked like a duck.

Source: Fossil sheds light on evolution of birdsong – BBC News

A fortnight ago, I was checking the press release we were issuing in response to the latest plans to develop Lodge Hill. In it we referred to the 90% decline in our nightingale population in the last fifty years. I paused on the 90% figure. It didn’t seem right. I knew the decline was significant, but for some reason I hadn’t equated the nightingale decline to that suffered by turtle dove or willow tit. So, I went on the BTO website – the best place to check bird trend statistics – and this confirmed the 90% decline.

Source: The battle of Lodge Hill (part 9): how you can help save Lodge Hill and its nightingales – Martin Harper’s blog – Our work – The RSPB Community

Corncrake Reintroduction Project poster

South Beds. Wildlife Trust Local Group are hosting a talk entitled ‘Corncrake Reintroduction Project’ on Wednesday, 15 February 2017 at Dunstable Community Fire Station Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm. Please note: doors open 7.15pm.

Click on this link for more information Corncrake Reintroduction Project

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

 

Red Admiral by Harry Appleyard, Howe Park Wood 20 December 2016

The Garden Butterfly Survey allows you to record and report the butterflies that visit your garden over the course of a year. Create a free account, submit your sightings and help us learn more about how butterflies are faring in UK gardens.

Click on this link to read the rest of the article.

An application to reintroduce 10 beavers to the wild has been resubmitted to Natural Resources Wales.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Beavers could return to Wales | Discover Wildlife

In perhaps as many as 60 per cent of all insect species a worm-like larva transforms into a more distinctive adult.

So a larval stage must have some evolutionary advantage. It might be that larvae, many of whom burrow, can live in environments where predators struggle to co-exist, or that a mobile larva that can find its own food gets more nutrition than if it had to rely on the finite energy supply of an egg.

Source: How did insects’ larval stage evolve? | Discover Wildlife

Can a mosaic of habitats boost hatching success in grassland-breeding Lapwings? Lapwings are becoming more and more restricted in their distribution within the United Kingdom, with an increasing pr…

Source: Can habitat management rescue Lapwing populations? | wadertales

Evidence that continental ice sheets are sensitive to slight increases in ocean temperature suggests ocean levels will continue to rise for centuries

Source: Sea levels could rise by six to nine metres over time, new study warns | Science | The Guardian

Sedentary herbivores may improve the food resources available to them by ‘gardening’, and most obviously by fertilising primary producers with excreted nutrients such as nitrogen. In five English lakes, spanning a gradient of nutrient availability, we predicted that fertilisation of the larval retreat by the littoral, gallery-building caddisfly Tinodes waeneri would result in: (a) a distinct algal assemblage from that in the background epilithon, and that (b) the difference would be greatest in the least productive lakes (where the importance of the nutrient subsidy from larvae should be greatest).

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Modification of littoral algal assemblages by gardening caddisfly larvae – Ings – 2017 – Freshwater Biology – Wiley Online Library

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a talk:

Location: Cruck Barn, City Discovery Centre, Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes
Postcode: MK13 9AP (Google map)
Based on his experience of leading more than 20 birdwatching tours to Ethiopia, Steve will tell us about the rich and varied wildlife to be found in this fascinating country. This includes a range of bizarre endemic birds and mammals such as Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco, Stresemann’s Bush Crow and the Ethiopian Wolf.

Time: Doors open 7.15 pm for a prompt 7.45 pm start
Price: Group members £2.50, Non-Group members £3.50, Children £1

See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information

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

The global economy treats the stability of Earth as a luxury good. This is a fundamental flaw that threatens humanity. It must change.

Source: 5 reasons why the economy is failing the environment, and humanity | World Economic Forum

Buckinghamshire Bird Club will be hosting a Field Trip to Gallows Bridge/Calvert/Quainton Hills on 5 February 2017 – 09:30 to 13:00

Wintering ducks plus thrushes and much more.  The three sites are fairly close together so we hope to be able to visit all three.

Click on the link for more information: Gallows Bridge/Calvert/Quainton Hills • Buckinghamshire Bird Club

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

Buckinghamshire Bird Club will be hosting an Indoor Meeting  – Bird Reserves in Kent on 2 February 2017 – 19:30 to 22:00 at Wendover Memorial Hall, Wendover (Lat/Long 51.7662 and -0.739901)

This is a presentation by Jonathan Forgham.  The talk starts at Cliffe Pools and works its way, clockwise around Kent, stopping off at Northward Hill, Oare Marshes, Stodmarsh along with other sites before finishing at Dungeness. Details of access and bird species that may be seen are given.

Jonathan has been visiting these sites for many years, so this should be a very interesting talk.

Click on the link for more information: Talk – Bird Reserves in Kent • Buckinghamshire Bird Club

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

Linford Lakes NR BioBlitz by David Easton. 24 June 2016

Berrycroft Hub is comprised of a selection of practical educational workshops run by experts in their various fields from entomology & archaeology to bushcraft & woodwork. Below are some of the workshops and courses currently offered, price shown is per attendee. All are limited spaces so please book early to avoid disappointment. We look forward to welcoming you to the Hub!

Click on the link for more information: Featured Products

Small Copper butterfly by Peter Hassett

The Upper Thames Branch of Butterfly Conservation are running a free introduction to Butterfly and Moth Identification Surveying & Recording.

“It helps land managers to know not only which species are breeding on any patch, but how their management affects numbers. So, records you supply will make an enormous difference to efforts to conserve wildlife locally and nationally. Plus, such extra knowledge will boost your enjoyment of any walk, even in your own garden.”

All session run from 10.00 – 17.00 on the following dates:

Sunday 12 March 2017
Maiden Erlegh Nature Reserve, Lakeside, Earley, Reading, Berks. RG6 5QE.

Sunday 26 March 2017
Howe Park Wood Education & Visitor centre, H7, Chaffron Way, Milton Keynes, MK4 3GG

Sunday 09 April 2017
SCEEC, Sutton Courtenay, near Didcot, Oxon. OX14 4TE

Programme (for each day)

09.45 – 10.15   tea/coffee and biscuits
10.15 – 11.15  Identification of the butterflies of Berks., Bucks. & Oxon.
11.15 -11.30  tea/coffee and biscuits
11.30 – 11.45   a quick butterfly i.d. quiz
11.45 – 12.30   Separating moths into their families – a start to moth identification.
12.30 – 13.10   Conducting timed count and standardised surveys
13.10 – 13.45 lunch (please bring a packed lunch) tea/coffee and biscuits are provided
13.45 – 15.30  Transect recording – why and how
15.30 – 15.45  a quick moth family quiz
15.45 – 16.00   tea/coffee and biscuits
16.00 – 16.30   Record submission – and how it helps conservation
16.30 – 16.45   closing remarks

If you wish to attend either day please email nick.bowles@ntlworld.com

– all places are free and open to non-members of UTB/BC but are subject to availability. So, please do not plan to attend without pre-booking.

From penguins in Antarctica, to butterflies in Spain, and rodents and coral in the Great Barrier Reef, as the world warms these species are disappearing

Click on the link for more information: The 10 species most at risk from climate change | Environment | The Guardian

            I’m delighted to be able to tell you about this new report which is published today. It’s the first People Need Nature policy report – A …

Source: A Pebble in the Pond: People Need Nature report on opportunities for farming, food & nature after Brexit. | a new nature blog

The beginning of the year seems an appropriate time to give an update on the progress of the initial phase of the NBN Atlas and provide broad timescales for some aspects of the work.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: NBN Atlas development update – National Biodiversity Network

By Peter Cairns, Mark Hamblin & David Hetherington. Many generations have passed since the shy, beautiful, and charismatic lynx roamed the wild forests of Scotland. Today, the possibility of reintroducing this native predator is a tantalising prospect for some but for others, represents an unwelcome imposition.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Living with Lynx · Maptia

Blog “TAKING MY BREATH AWAY”

Local naturalist Ashley Beolens has won the second BBC Wildlife Magazine blogger of the week award of 2017 for his blog “View from an Urban Lake”.

Click here to read the blog.

Ecologists find that the weight of reindeers is reducing, and believe that warming temperatures could be the cause

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Shrinking reindeer linked to climate change | Discover Wildlife

Many counties in southern England have lost more than 60% of their juniper population – in Bedfordshire the last remaining population is found at Cemex’s Kensworth Quarry, which is a working quarry and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Juniper is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the cypress family. They are slow-growing, typically they grow about 3-5cm per year and live on average for about 100-120 years, however they can live for longer, for example, the oldest recorded juniper in the UK was aged at 255 years.

Source: Juniper regeneration | Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire

Painted Lady by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe Park 5 June 2016

Scientists recorded movement above radar sites in southern England and found large seasonal differences, with mass migrations of insects generally going northwards in spring and southwards in autumn.

Source: Mass insect migrations in UK skies | Rothamsted Research

With its striking crown of yellow and piercing stare, this newly discovered moth could only have been named after one man.

Click on the link for more information: Meet ‘Neopalpa donaldtrumpi’ – the threatened moth named after Donald Trump 

Blue Tit with an all-dark head, a condition known as ‘melanism’ (photo: Andrew Cook)

“Welcome to the BTO’s Abnormal Plumage Survey, a study looking at abnormal plumage of British and Irish garden birds.

This survey has been set up to allow you to report observations of birds in gardens showing unusual plumage characteristics, notably those associated with pigmentation problems. Plumage abnormalities associated with feather loss are NOT being recorded through this survey.”

If you see birds with unusual plumage, use this link to complete the survey: BTO Abnormal Plumage Survey

The winter months are normally a busy time for Blue Tits in our gardens. However, the latest figures from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) show that numbers are down, probably due to a wet summer.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Blue Tits missing from gardens after washout summer | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

UK scientists have decoded the genome of the ash in the fight against a devastating plant disease.

Source: Ash tree genome sequenced for first time – BBC News

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

Some of the UK’s best-loved birds and butterflies could be wiped out as there is not enough habitat for them to cope with the effects of a warming climate, a study involving Butterfly Conservation has revealed.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Butterfly Conservation – Cold-loving butterflies threatened by climate change and habitat loss

Migrating birds are arriving at their breeding grounds earlier as global temperatures rise, an Edinburgh University study finds.

Source: Birds migrating earlier as temperatures rise – BBC News

The world’s oldest known breeding wild bird has laid yet another egg

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Expectant (bird) mother at 66 years old | Discover Wildlife

The rare, amber-encased fossil, which belonged to a young coelurosaur, tells a new story about feather evolution.

Click on the link for more information: Scientists Discover First Mummified Example of a Feathered Dinosaur Tail | Audubon

The Large Blue is the largest and rarest of blue butterflies and is a protected species

Phillip Cullen denies six charges relating to large blues allegedly taken from sites in Somerset and Gloucestershire

To find out more click on the following links:

The Guardian
BBC News

Well what a year that was! For birdwatchers, 2016 will be remembered as a year of extraordinary proportions with rare birds aplenty! What will you remember about 2016 – will it be the Peregrine on the Erskine Bridge traffic camera or the Snowy Owl making an appearance on that traffic camera in Toronto? Perhaps those extraordinary photos of a Wren feeding a Cuckoo chick stick in your mind, or the astonishing tale of Beijing’s Cuckoos migrating to Africa. Whatever your Birding Moment of 2016, thanks for supporting our work and sharing your stories with us, here’s a brief summary of some of our highlights of the year.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Review of the year – 2016 | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

Non-expandable stomachs mean these ants need to use absorbent tools to transport tasty liquids to their nests – and they figure out the best objects for the job

Source: Ants craft tiny sponges to dip into honey and carry it home | New Scientist

Welcome to New Nature- a magazine created to help promote, showcase and aid young people passionate about nature, conservation and ecology.

Click here to read the magazine.

Anthropogenic noise is one of the fastest growing and most ubiquitous types of environmental pollution and can impair acoustic communication in a variety of animals [1]. Recent research has shown that birds can adjust acoustic parameters of their sexual signals (songs) in noisy environments 2 and 3, yet we know little about other types of vocalizations. Anti-predator signals contain subtle information that is critical for avoiding predation 4 and 5, and failure to detect these calls 6 and 7 as a result of anthropogenic noise pollution could have large fitness consequences by negatively impacting survival. We investigated whether traffic noise impacts both the production and perception of avian alarm calls using a combination of lab and field experiments with great tits (Parus major), a songbird that frequently inhabits noise-polluted environments.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Traffic noise drowns out great tit alarm calls

Linford Lakes Nature Reserve showing observation deck by Peter Hassett

General Quiz and Fish & Chip Supper.

Wednesday 24^th January, 2018

A range of general knowledge questions followed by fish & chips supper.

Soft drinks and nibbles available. Feel free to bring your own alcohol.

Prompt 7pm start, doors open 6:45pm.

Tickets cost £8.00 and are going fast, only a few left.

Please buy tickets on FoLLNR events.

Around 360 earthquakes were detected in Iceland in the week beginning 4 December, which is pretty normal. Earthquakes can give hints about impending volcanic eruptions so they‘re important to Icela…

Source: Black-tailed Godwits and Volcanic Eruptions | wadertales

Orange Peel Fungus by Jason Hollinger

Mushrooms probably run the world but we do not know this yet. My old friend Jim Trappe from Oregon State told me this long ago, and partly as a result of this interaction we began counting mushroom…

Source: On Mushrooms, Monitoring, and Prediction | Ecological Rants

Wood Warbler by Peter Garner, Linford Lakes NR, 2 May 2016

Open Sunday at Linford Lakes NR 15 January 2017 10:00-16:00

On Open Sunday’s there is access to hides and centre.

Hot and cold drinks, home-made cakes. Second hand book sales, gifts and bird food on sale.

Come and see our winter visitors. There will be a walk with Andy Harding, County Bird Recorder. Andy has a relaxed, fun way of teaching. The walk will leave the centre at 10:00.

The primary aim of BTO surveys is to monitor changes in the health of Britain’s birds, tracking declines and increases via the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey and exploring the factors driving them through bird ringing and nest recording. The long-term trends in abundance, survival and breeding success generated by these schemes are presented on the BirdTrends webpages.

This report provides a preliminary assessment of the 2016 breeding season in terms of population sizes and breeding success, comparing this year’s results to the averages recorded over the previous five seasons.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Preliminary report on the 2016 breeding season | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

The world famous dinosaur made up of 292 bones is being taken apart and will leave the Natural History Museum.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: How Dippy the Diplodocus will be dismantled | Discover Wildlife

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip to Summer Leys Nature Reserve on 14 January 2017:

Location: Map ref SP 885 634. Just west of Wollaston, Northants – on Hardwater Road, just before Ryeholms Bridge.
One of the group’s favourite walks just over the border into Northants – this time a winter visit. Leader Chris Ward.

Time: 10.00 am
Price: Free

See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information

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

Work Sunday at Linford Lakes NR 8 January 2017 10:00-13:00hrs.

Willing hands will be made welcome today.

There are lots of jobs around the reserve in the winter.

Cutting back overgrowth, trimming hedges, clearing paths.

Refreshments available.

Tickets to FoLLNR Quiz available at this event.