Is your outdoor space providing the resources birds need to breed (including food, shelter, water and nesting sites)? Watching what birds are doing, their behaviour, can provide the answers. We need your help to find evidence of how common garden birds benefit from our outdoor spaces at this critical time of year. Don’t forget to report back – your observations can help us understand how we can better support the birds and other wildlife on our doorsteps.
Click here for more information.: Mission 3 – Bird detective | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology
BTO research has used information collected by bird ringers to investigate large-scale differences and flexibility in the timing of feather moult across 15 passerine species that breed in the UK. Different moult strategies were found between migrant and resident species, alongside within-species regional variation in moulting schedules.
There are over 250 species of larger wasp in the UK, but about 6000 species in total, including tiny parasites and gall-wasps right up to the magnificent brown and yellow hornet, one of our largest insects, with quite a reputation. The wasps most of us know are the nine social species, the paper wasps, named from their nests, including the common wasp, the German wasp and the hornet.
A regular question we get asked at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust is “How are the UK’s bumblebees doing?” It seems such a simple question that you’d think demands a simple answer, but like most things in life, it’s actually a lot more complicated!
Males blue with dark border. Females brown with row of red spots. Undersides brown-grey with black spots, a row of orange spots, and small greenish flecks on outer margin. Males similar to Common Blue, which lacks greenish spots.
Creating a garden that’s fantastic for wildlife may be easier than you think. Here are 10 simple ideas to get you started
Plastic pollution represents a pervasive and increasing threat to marine ecosystems worldwide and there is a need to better understand the extent to which microplastics (<5 mm) are ingested by high trophic-level taxa, such as marine mammals. Here, we perform a comprehensive assessment by examining whole digestive tracts of 50 individuals from 10 species whilst operating strict contamination controls…
We are working hard to protect our native species from invasive non-native species including Himalayan balsam and American mink
Environment Secretary Michael Gove has today created 41 new Marine Conservation Zones, marking the most significant expansion of England’s ‘Blue Belt’ of protected areas to date.
Stinging Nettles
What’s living below ground? Earthworms and other ground-dwelling invertebrates are an essential part of the diet of many birds and mammals. We need you to take part in an experiment to tell us what’s living beneath the soil in your garden so we know how much of this vital food is available to other wildlife. Some of the birds and mammals that rely on soil invertebrates to form the bulk of their diet are under threat. In particular, both song thrush and hedgehog numbers have halved in the last few decades. We hope to find out how the quantity of invertebrates varies from garden to garden around the UK, so we understand out how abundant this vital food source is in different garden habitats.
Moths are declining in the UK. Studies have found the overall number of moths has decreased by 28% since 1968. The situation is particularly bad in southern Britain, where moth numbers are down by 40%. Many individual species have declined dramatically in recent decades and over 60 became extinct in the 20th century.
For many people, their garden birds are the wildlife they interact with most regularly, whether it is by watching the daily visitors on the feeders, the trials and tribulations of a nest box, or simply seeing which species have popped into the garden. This regular contact provides a window into the lives of wild birds and with that comes a sense of caring for these animals and wanting to provide for them.
An average of three harbour porpoises are killed each day in the UK with fishing nets being the biggest cause of death.
A newly discovered species of snakehead fish has been named Aenigmachanna gollum after J.R.R. Tolkien’s Gollum.
Take part in citizen science in the UK’s biggest nature reserve – our gardens. Help us understand how gardens can help our wildlife thrive.
Humans are threatening one million species across the world with extinction, according to a stark report by the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Often described as ‘the IPCC for biodiversity’, IPBES was set up by the United Nations to provide the best-available evidence to inform better decisions about nature. Professor Helen Roy of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, who worked on one of the regional assessments that the global report built on, explains its significance.
New research reveals the fatal spread of Ranavirus will increase if carbon emissions are not reduced.
Report finds popular parks such as Yosemite and Joshua Tree have pollution at levels that threaten visitors and wildlife
May is upon us, and the dragonfly sightings have been coming in by the bucket load. We hope that you have also seen your first dragonfly of the year, if not then we have our fingers crossed that they will emerge near you soon. Please keep your records and photos coming in. We love seeing them and the data is crucial in establishing how well our favourite insects are doing.
Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are highly dependent on flowers to provide nectar as food; at the same time, those plants are reliant on the pollinators for reproduction. Over the past few decades, declines in both flower and pollinator diversity and abundance have prompted ecologists to wonder about the consequences of flower loss for pollinator communities and for plant pollination.
There are, sadly, probably more misguided perceptions about insects than there are accurate ‘takes’. But there are plenty of preconceived ideas about those who take an interest in them, too.
Puffins are one of our favourite seabirds, instantly recognisable with their brightly-coloured bills. Sadly, their numbers have plummeted and they’re now threatened with global extinction. We think this may be down to lack of food, so we need to find out how the food puffins carry in their bills has changed over time.
The ongoing global appetite for meat is having a devastating impact on the environment driven by the production of crop-based feed for animals, a new report has warned.
In Chile the beloved native bee is venerated as carrying the spirit of the dead, but its numbers are dwindling as farmers use imported species infected with parasites to pollinate crops
This is the same sperm whale pod Blue Planet filmed off Sri Lanka – but flocking tourists are making it less of a safe place for these stunning animals
The Rutland Osprey Project celebrated a major milestone and welcomed its 150th chick into the world.
The Trump administration on Thursday moved to ease safety regulations adopted after the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon blowout, the worst offshore oil disaster in US history that killed nearly a dozen people and caused massive pollution.
Unhindered by regulation, driven by greed, the fishing industry is the greatest threat to our oceans. We must take action
The Republic of Ireland has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency.
Then they mate and their babies eat the barnacle. Seriously.
Steve Portugal explains why and how birds undertake long and perilous migratory journeys
Swifts have declined by 53% between 1995 and 2016. We think loss of nest sites could be contributing. If you’ve seen a nesting swift or screaming parties of swifts, tell us. You’ll help build a picture of where swifts are nesting and where they need help.
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen studied the blue-tailed damselfly, which uses its colour to communicate and to signal their social and reproductive strategies to other members of their species.
Britain’s hunting estates were once beautiful. Walking through the New Forest, we can all appreciate how the purchase of land for hunting can radically protect our countryside. Almost a thousand years after William the Conqueror set aside this wooded wonderland, we can still enjoy its aged oak pastures, Britain’s largest herds of free-roaming grazing animals, and a chorus of birdsong that has been lost in most other corners of our land.
With continuing advances in tracking technology, our capacity to track birds keeps breaking new barriers. One species that has benefited from smaller tags and almost real-time satellite transmission is the globally-threatened European Turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur), a widespread summer visitor that is now a global conservation priority with a decline above 30% since 2000 across Europe. In the UK, for every 100 turtle doves that there were in 1995 just six remain. Knowing more about their movements and ecology is a fundamental step in conserving this bird.
Small and orange and brown, like a tiny fritillary. Undersides of hind wings have rows of white spots. Lives in small colonies on grassland or woodland clearings.
A corner of England that has more species of plants and wildlife than anywhere in the UK is celebrating its 120th anniversary – with the arrival of never seen before animals.
Tell us about sick and diseased wildlife found in your garden. Garden BirdWatch participants can also add observations when entering their usual GBW counts.
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The Elms for Adur Hairstreaksproject is being led by BC’s Sussex Branch, with support from the South Downs Volunteer Ranger Service, and will see at least 550 disease-resistant elm trees planted at Lancing College near Shoreham airport, to help the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly.
Glaciers are set to disappear completely from almost half of World Heritage sites if emissions continue.
The release of methane and carbon dioxide from thawing permafrost will accelerate global warming and add up to $70tn (£54tn) to the world’s climate bill, according to the most advanced study yet of the economic consequences of a 
This June, join hundreds of thousands of people taking part in 30 Days Wild. We’re challenging you to do something a little bit wild every day: that’s 30 Days of fun, exciting and simple Random Acts of Wildness. It’s easy!
A butterfly on the brink of extinction in Kent has seen its population more than treble across the county thanks to a decade of conservation work to turn its fortunes around, wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation (BC) can reveal.
April and May mark the start of the Common Sandpiper breeding season, as males display along rivers and streams and around the banks of lakes and reservoirs. Numbers in the United Kingdom have declined by 26% in just over 20 years, providing an increased focus to research that has been taking place over five decades.
Our moth guide looks at how to identify UK species, trapping and the best plants for attracting moths to your garden
Emperor penguins at the Halley Bay colony in the Weddell Sea have failed to raise chicks for the last three years.
Renowned amphibian and reptile photographer Matthijs Kuijpers has released his first book, Cold Instinct. Kuijpers says the aim of the work is ‘for the viewer to abandon the fear and negative thoughts that often surround these animals’. What’s left is the bizarre beauty of these creatures in their simplest form – no backgrounds and no distractions
There are some 30 different species of harvestmen (Opiliones) in the UK. This interactive guide is a resource for anyone who wants to identify a harvestman and/or learn about the features that can be used to separate the different taxa in the field.
The beauty of a wildflower meadow is that it is constantly in a state of change. Nature teaches me to be patient: to wait and see what happens each year. It is beyond my control. Nature teaches me to let-go. Observing the wildflowers and the life that thrives there is a form of meditation, as self is forgotten and is immersed amidst endlessly fascinating beauty and a constantly changing scene. The wildflowers and life amongst them have become family and are regarded with loving-kindness. I care deeply about their well-being. Nature is sacred and is observed with awe and wonder. I cannot stress enough how beneficial a wildflower meadow’s beauty, wildlife and perfume is for your health. We need them to become the common, uncommonly beautiful sight that they were in the middle ages once again.
An antidote has been discovered for the world’s most venomous creature, the Australian box jellyfish.
Wildlife campaigners have hailed a “historic day for Scotland” as beavers are granted protected status a decade after their successful reintroduction in Argyll.
Good news! Ravens venturing on to the grouse moors of Strathbraan in Highland Perthshire this year will NOTbe the victims of an SNH-sanctioned kill-fest ‘just to see what happens’, 
This tropical-looking moth is very distinctive. Rarely, individuals with yellow hindwings or yellow spots on the forewings occur, and in some forms the hindwings may be extensively black.
Plastic bags that claim to be biodegradable were still intact and able to carry shopping three years after being exposed to the natural environment, a study has found.
Strongly associated with buildings and summer skies, the swift is the poster bird for urban nature conservation. The fastest bird in level flight, built for speed and to stay on the wing – including to eat, drink, preen and mate – they only land to nest and raise their young.
Check out this new ID guide for Large and Medium Fritillaries, now available to download from the 
Britain has gone a week without using coal to generate electricity for the first time since Queen Victoria was on the throne, in a landmark moment in the transition away from the heavily polluting fuel.
Police wildlife crime officers are investigating the shooting of two birds of prey in the Borders.
A biological record is essentially a point on a map showing you that a certain species/organism was found at that location by someone on a certain date. If you see an organism you know how to identify in your garden, whilst out walking, or anywhere, you can create a biological record. Some people are active recorders recording on a weekly or even daily basis, some just send in casual records when they’re out and about. However, before making a record, you must have these four key components covered:
The world’s leading scientists will warn the planet’s life-support systems are approaching a danger zone for humanity when they release the results of the most comprehensive study of life on Earth ever undertaken.
The Lummi Nation is dropping live salmon into the sea in a last-ditch rescue effort: ‘We don’t have much time’
British hedgehogs have suffered a rapid population decline. Here are 10 ways you can save these adorable mammals.
With their elongated bills and specially adapted tongues, hummingbirds are built to extract nectar from flowers. As new research shows, however, some hummingbirds from South America have evolved beaks designed to poke, prod, and pinch—at the expense of feeding proficiency.