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| Migrants are missing from bumper breeding season (Conservation News) |
| The warm, settled weather that graced Britain & Ireland in the spring and summer of 2014 resulted in a bumper bird breeding season. Information collected by BTO volunteers shows that although not all of our summer migrants returned to take advantage of the conditions. Read the full story here |
| Written by: BTO (02 Dec 2014) | |
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| Amazing Cuckoo completes 60,000 mile journey (Conservation News) |
| Since being fitted with a satellite tag by the BTO four years ago, Chris the cuckoo, named after TV Wildlife Presenter Chris Packham, has travelled over 60,000 miles - the equivalent of flying twice round the world, and he's taken in 22 different countries along the way! Read the full story here |
| Written by: BTO (28 Nov 2014) | |
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| Mark Golley's weekly round-up: 19 - 25 Nov 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
The top bird this week was the latest ever British record of Isabelline Wheatear, in Cleveland. Elsewhere the supporting cast included White's Thrush, Red-flanked Bluetail, Cornwall's returning Pacific Diver, two American Coots, a lingering Grey-cheeked Thrush on Shetland and a wandering Black Stork in East Anglia.
Read mark's round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (26 Nov 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 12 - 18 Nov 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
| The first Little Bustard since 2002 is found in Dorset but disappears early on and isn’t available to the masses. A new American Coot on North Uist brings the monthly tally to two as the Kerry bird remains in residence. Elsewhere an extraordinary November Black Stork is seen in Essex and Suffolk and an equally unseasonal Roller is found in Co.Cork. Read the full story here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (19 Nov 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 05 - 11 Nov 2014 (Conservation News) |
| The week's rarest bird was Ireland's 4th American Coot, found in Co.Kerry whilst back in the UK a Grey-cheeked Thrush took the honours. A Trio of Desert Wheatears all proved very popular and as is often very typical for the species, were very showy too! However for many (those on the east coast at least) the highlight of the week was a large Little Auk passage. Read the review here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (13 Nov 2014) | |
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| Book review: 10 Million Aliens (Book review) |
| In this book Simon Barnes has brought us all together, seeking not what separates us but what unites us. He takes us white-water rafting through the entire animal kingdom in a book brings in deep layers of arcane knowledge, the works of Darwin and James Joyce, Barnes's own don't-try-this-at-home adventures in the wild, David Attenborough and Sherlock Holmes. Read the review here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (13 Nov 2014) | |
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| Book review: The Teal (Book review) |
Once hunted extensively for the pot, its numbers have recovered and it is now one of our commonest species of waterfowl. A flagship species for wetland conservation, the Teal is also an excellent model species for ecological research, and this forms the spine of this new Poyser monograph.
Read the review here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (13 Nov 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 29 Oct - 04 Nov 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Star billing this week undoubtedly goes to Britain's 3rd Eastern Crowned Warbler in Cleveland. Orkney scored a first with a dapper drake Bufflehead whilst in East Yorkshire a brief Blackpoll Warbler had mainland company in the shape of Red-eyed Vireo in Cumbria. Read the roundup here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (05 Nov 2014) | |
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| Book review: The Barnacle Goose (Book review) |
This book represents a culmination of more than 25 years of Barnacle Goose research. It represents the story of one of Europe's most celebrated long-term behavioural studies, detailing the lives of these social and sociable birds.
Read Andy's review here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (05 Nov 2014) | |
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| 421 million birds gone in 30 years! (Conservation News) |
| Bird populations across Europe have experienced sharp declines over the past 30 years, with the majority of losses from the most common species, say the University of Exeter, the RSPB and the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS) in a new study. Read the full story here |
| Written by: RSPB (03 Nov 2014) | |
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| Bird Atlas team scoop RSPB's most prestigious award (Conservation News) |
| At the annual RSPB Members' Day in Birmingham on Saturday 25th October 2014, the RSPB Medal was awarded to the BTO team behind the Bird Atlas 2007-11 in a special presentation that acknowledged its role as a valuable resource to everyone involved in conserving, researching or understanding Britain and Ireland's birds. Read the full story here |
| Written by: BTO (29 Oct 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 22 - 28 October 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
| There's no doubt about it, this week was all about the fall-out of ex-Hurricane Gonzalo, After everything calmed down, out of the sky fell a supreme array of rather old fashioned, almost unfashionable rarities! Both Black and Yellow-billed Cuckoo were found, alive, at opposite ends of Britain, there were Catharus thrushes a plenty and a Chimney Swift thrown in for good measure too! Read the roundup here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (29 Oct 2014) | |
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| Conviction for English egg collector who 'exported' crimes to Bulgaria (Press report) |
An English egg collector has been handed a six month prison sentence, suspended for three years, and a 5000 Lev (£2024) fine after pleading guilty to the illegal possession of 16 birds' eggs and three taxidermy specimens by a court in Burgas, Bulgaria, today. This follows a lengthy investigation by the Burgas Police, assisted by The Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), and the RSPB.
Read the full story here |
| Written by: RSPB (25 Oct 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 15 - 21 October 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
| A Siberian Thrush trapped in Shetland was found to have been ringed nearly three weeks earlier in Norway. Elsewhere a Bridled Tern flew past Cornwall and Shrikes made headlines from the east coast. Read the roundup here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (22 Oct 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 08 - 14 October 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Another fantastic week for rare and scarce migrants. Highlights include Eastern Bonelli's Warbler on Shetland, Audouin's Gull in Kent, Great Snipe in Wales, Brunnich's Guillemot off Yorkshire and a huge rarity in Scotland in the form of a Cetti's Warbler! Read the roundup here |
| Written by: Jon Dunn (15 Oct 2014) | |
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| Trail Camera Wildlife Recording - Code Of Practice (Conservation News) |
The use and popularity of motion activated trail cameras to record wildlife has exploded in the past 5 years. As prices reduce and quality of recorded images increases the audience for these powerful wildlife monitoring tools is likely to continue to grow at an incredible rate so a new code of practice has been drawn up.
More details here |
| Written by: Wildlife Gadgetman, Rare Bird Alert (15 Oct 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 01 - 07 October 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
| A very busy week with quality rarities being from Shetland to Scilly and Norfolk to Cape Clear. A Scarlet Tanager on Western Isles was the star turn but a male Siberian Rubythroat and White's Thrush double act meant Shetland remained in the headlines! Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (08 Oct 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 24 - 30 September 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
| The Northern Isles stole the show this week as east met west. North Ronaldsay scored a stunning Eyebrowed Thrush and on Shetland an uber showy White's Thrush got the heart beats racing with a supporting cast of Myrtle Warbler and Swainson's Thrush. Ireland wasn't to be outdone though scoring an Ovenbird and Red-eyed Vireo! Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (01 Oct 2014) | |
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| App Review: Aves Vox Pro for iOS (App Review) |
Marcus Nash reviews Aves Vox Pro, a comprehensive bird calls app which features over 30,000 recordings from the highly acclaimed Xeno-Canto website. At just £2.99 it appears to offer a lot of bang for your buck.
Read the review here |
| Written by: Marcus Nash (01 Oct 2014) | |
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| Book review: The World of Birds (Book review) |
| A groundbreaking guide to every aspect of bird life and a complete survey of the world's orders and families of birds. Written by eminent natural history expert Jonathan Elphick and with special photography from award-winning wildlife photographer David Tipling, it is the ultimate companion for birders and wildlife enthusiasts. Read the review here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (26 Sep 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 17 - 23 September 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
Britain's 3rd ever Masked Shrike made landfall at Spurn and topped the bill for rarities this week. A Fea's Petrel tracked along the north east coast over 9 hours and seen in five counties will be, for those who saw it at least, another big talking point. Elsewhere there were rarities a plenty and enough scarcities to keep one particular weekly roundup author indoors in front of a computer screen for far too long!
Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (24 Sep 2014) | |
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| Hen Harriers disappear without trace (Conservation News) |
Two young satellite-tagged Hen Harriers have vanished in Lancashire in unexplained circumstances. They had both fledged this year from nests on the United Utilities Bowland Estate in Lancashire where they had been protected around the clock by RSPB staff and volunteers
Read the full story here |
| Written by: RSPB (24 Sep 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 10 - 16 September 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Despite the weather the 'big rare' everyone hoped for never materialised. However There was plenty of scarce migrant action with large numbers of Red-breasted Flycatchers on the east coast and the first Yellow-browed Warblers touched down too. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (17 Sep 2014) | |
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| Review: The Bird Songs of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East for iOS (App Review) |
The Bird Songs of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East by Andreas Schulze & Karl-Heinz Dingler was originally released in 2003 as a 17 CD set. This app takes all the audio from the original CDs and adds an interactive user interface together with additional features, including species descriptions and photos. Marcus Nash from the 'The Bird Id Company' comprehensively reviews it for us.
Read the review here |
| Written by: Marcus Nash (16 Sep 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 03 - 09 September 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
| A Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler trapped and ringed in Hampshire was both a first for the county and the earliest record for Britain. In East Devon a Little Crake drew the crowds whilst across the Irish Sea the Stilt Sandpiper goes wandering and headed to the capital. And in Norfolk bitter-sweet news that the summering Short-toed Eagle went undetected, by most anyway. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (10 Sep 2014) | |
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| Review: Collins Bird Guide app for iPad and iPhone (App Review) |
Since publication in 1999 the Collins Bird Guide has been widely acclaimed as the pre-eminent field guide for the region. It has now moved into the digital age and is available for iPad and Iphone. Marcus Nash gives a comprehensively review but has it made a successful leap from paper to screen?
Read the full review here |
| Written by: Marcus Nash (10 Sep 2014) | |
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| RSPB to fight for nationally important site for Nightingales (Conservation News) |
The RSPB will be asking the Secretary of State to examine last night's decision by Medway Council, in North Kent to approve an outline planning application for the development of 5000 homes on Lodge Hill - a nationally protected wildlife site, home to a nationally important population of Nightingales.
Read the full story here |
| Written by: RSPB (05 Sep 2014) | |
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| Book review: National Birds of the World (Book review) |
There are now almost 100 national birds spanning every imaginable group from condors to parrots, Trogons to Frigatebirds. National Birds tells of how they came to be adopted and presents a wide range of official and cultural contexts where they appear from feathers in tribal costumes to stamps and currency.
Read the review here |
| Written by: Andy Stoddart (04 Sep 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 27 Aug - 02 Sept 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
Major new rarities were fairly thin on the ground though there was still [another] Swinhoe's Petrel in Ireland, Gloucestershire's first Marsh Sand whilst Norfolk had a Putative Eastern Common Tern. However the main talking point of the week was the fall of scarce migrants on the east coast.
Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (03 Sep 2014) | |
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| Batumi - Migration Marvel Under Fire (Personal Account) |
| With more than one million migrating raptors of up to 35 species passing through Batumi on Georgia's Black Sea coast, it is simply the greatest bottleneck for migrating birds of prey in all Eurasia. An estimated 10,000 raptors are illegally killed in the Batumi Gorge every year. Oliver Reville is part of team monitoring the situation this year and gives us his first in a series of reports. Read the full story here |
| Written by: Oliver Reville, Rare Bird Alert (02 Sep 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 20 - 26 August 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
Another week and yet more mega rare seabirds. A lucky few at the Bridge's of Ross scored a Swinhoe's Petrel, which more than made up for an otherwise very poor week there. Yet more Fea's Petrels this week as two were seen off a pelagic out of Baltimore in Co.Cork. Elsewhere, the east coast saw a modest fall of scarce migrants and on the Isle of Wight the numbers of fledgling Bee-eaters continues to grow!
Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (27 Aug 2014) | |
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| Bee-eater chicks fledge on the Isle of Wight (Conservation News) |
| Four Bee-eater chicks have fledged on National Trust land on the Isle of Wight thanks to a joint protection operation by the National Trust, the RSPB and Isle of Wight naturalists. It is the first time Bee-eaters have bred successfully in the UK for 12 years. Read the full story here |
| Written by: National Trust, RSPB (21 Aug 2014) | |
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| Weekly round-up: 13 - 19 August 2014 (Weekly Roundup) |
| Fea's Petrel's stole the show this week with two records from Ireland's west coast but it was a photographed bird off Scilly which will grab all the headlines. Elsewhere we learned about the first (unsuccessful) breeding attempt of Glossy Ibis in Britain and on the Isle of Wight the (successful) breeding Bee-eaters were playing happy families. Read the round-up here |
| Written by: Mark Golley (20 Aug 2014) | |
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| Finders in the Field: Fea's Petrel from Scilly Pelagic 18 Aug 2014 (Finders account) |
| The Scilly Pelagic team have been enjoying a vintage year in the Southwest Approaches with plenty of Wilson's Petrels, large shearwaters and even a contender for a Scopoli's. So it wasn't all that surprising when Bob Flood found a Fea's Petrel on the evening of 18th, but nobody could have predicted the the 'point blank' views those onboard were lucky enough to get. Read the full story here |
| Written by: Scilly Pelagics, Bob Flood (20 Aug 2014) | |
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| Hookpod - just 5 days to go to - and needs your help (Conservation News) |
| As many of you will know we have been supporting Hookpod for the last few weeks. With just 5 days to go it is £15,000 short of its target to raise £100,000 to get the device into large scale production and into the hands of fishermen. This is a final call to action to get this project 'over the line'. Read more here |
| Written by: Hookpod, Rare Bird Alert (19 Aug 2014) | |
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