Blogs

The final dusk watch of 2011 took place on Thursday 22 nd September with the last lucky group of visitors. Some evenings throughout the summer we were more lucky than others, but always enjoying the atmosphere of the reserve as night falls. We had three nights with unbelievable and magical views of...

Blogger: Sarah Newton, Youth Project Officer WildSquare is the RSPB’s new children’s nature offering. It is a national bi-monthly survey aimed at helping children to discover the fascinating nature on their doorstep without being bamboozled by technical terms, tricky identifications or...

A HUGE thank you to the Diss family (especially Matilda, Finty and Arthur) for their efforts in raising money for our Birds of Prey appeal ! We were thrilled to hear your story this week, and we hope it will inspire some of the people who visit this blog to get out there and step up for nature! Good...

Despite the feint hope of an Indian summer, the last few days of high winds, heavy rain and chilly temperatures have a much more autumnal feel. For those of you who like me are struggling to believe September is here already, there are a few stark reminders that are starting to ram this home with leaf...

Welcome again to the RSPB Learning Community pages! I hope you have had a great summer holiday and are suitably relaxed and rested for the start of the new school year. The summer has been kind to us here at the RSPB office in Sandy and has included some rare (and lots of common) sightings of wildlife...

Blogger: Charlotte Pledger, Youth, Education & Families Officer So onto the last of my family activity blogs for this summer – Minsmere. I have been fortunate enough to have visited the reserve several times over the holidays, mainly to help with some of the survey work in preparation for...

Blogger: Charlotte Pledger, Youth, Education and Families Officer Last Friday saw me at one of Fen Drayton’s family events. I arrived feeling very good about my carbon footprint, having got there by train and the shiny new Guided Busway! The bus stops on the doorstep of the reserve so no excuses...

Blogger: Adam Murray, Communications Officer My Dad is a clever man, a bit too clever sometimes but clever none the less. However, when it comes to summer timeyou will see him flailing around his garden getting crosser and crosser. With gusto you will hear him shout ‘What's the point of...

Blogger: Charlotte Pledger, Youth, Education and Families Officer So my journey around the region investigating family events continues. This week I have visited Titchwell and Frampton – different activities and very different weather conditions, but both engaging with loads of families. ...

Blogger: Aggie Rothon, Communications Officer It made me laugh when, sitting behind me in the canoe this weekend, Paul suddenly mused, ‘Canoeing can either be beautifully graceful or incredibly ungraceful can’t it.’ I got the feeling that I fell in to the latter category as I paddled...

Former ball clay pit now being flooded to create a lagoon habitat for wildlife. RSPB Arne, Dorset, UK. 14/07/11. This area is currently off-limits to the public for safety reasons.

Barn owl at RSPB Arne, Dorset, UK. 27/06/11.

Parhelion effect over the Isle of Purbeck from Arne. The possible result of smoke particles in the atmosphere from the nearby Upton Heath fire the same afternoon. 09/06/11.

Wareham channel from the Arne peninsula, around dusk. Dorset, UK. Taken on the weekly Nightjar Walk. 01/06/11.

I think all of our summer residents have now arrived including wood warblers, winchats, house martins and swifts.

Spring, summer, autumn or winter, they all have something different to offer at Ynys-hir: Winter is the time when Ynys-hir offers you the only chance in Wales and England of seeing Greenland white fronted geese. Pretty barnacle geese are also here along with large flocks of lapwing, and lots of...

Hi Claire, thanks for this info and it is interesting to know about the work you are doing. The increase in summer events is my particular concern - in addition to the Nov 5 explosions - because nesting birds are, in a sense, captive and the impacts greater with larger numbers. I have put in a request...

Does anyone have any data on the impact of fireworks on nesting birds? There are more and more summer events, increasingly with fireworks, and many are held in parks and gardens, often along the Thames. Do we know whether they cause birds to abandon their nests, eggs or broods? I only know that I saw...

I have lived in the same house for 26 years and each July has been the same, Starlings by the score feeding on the ripe fruit in the mass of Cherry trees at the back of our garden. It's a very noticeable event as they pick the fruit and then sit on our roof and eat them, discarding the cherry pits...

We often get asked where have all the birds gone in the late summer and autumn months. Many people fear the worst or think they have done something to put them off. I thought i would take this chance to point out a few things to remember about wild birds at this time of year that might explain why they...

We are regularly asked about summer feeding and what's good for birds. It would be interesting to find out what food people are putting out and what seems to be most popular with the birds at this time of year.

I've just got back from visiting the Cairngorms National Park (this was taken 23rd June) and thought I took a photo of an Osprey. On closer inspection it appears to me that it might be a Golden Eagle but would really like a confirmation. I was at the RSPB reserve Loch Ruthven and because another...

Dramatic June evening sky!

Watching Bumble Bees come and go on a wonderful summers day

A farmer making ready for the coming summer months, Spring is in the air at last

I heard what i thought was birdsong but thought it too wintery , when i looked outside i saw one beautiful blackbird singing from a chimmeny, this brightened up my day and showed me that the weather is warming up and nature is coming out to play soon

A blackbird's rich song - unhurried, melodious - in the evening air unfurls a sense of peace.. .. after the day's work is done which settles in the cool, peach sunset sky.