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Passion: We are a very passionate bunch in the RSPB when it comes to farm wildlife (and about everything else we do in saving nature!). It shows we are by the volume of both Entry and Higher Level schemes RSPB work on together with farmers throughout the East, helping them help their farm wildlife. We...

I know this is an odd request, but I'd be really grateful if you could collect owl pellets and post them to us. We need them to help educate youngsters about the importance of the UK's wonderful wildlife-friendly farmers. Really?? Yes.... We use owl pellets at family fun days - children...

We are now well into the second year of the Great Crane Project – and have spent the spring and summer hatching and rearing another batch of cranes to joint the eighteen birds that were released last year. This brings the number out on the Somerset Levels and Moors to 34. After three weeks of ‘anchoring’...

By Ian Dillon, Hope Farm Manager As we enter the autumn it is time to reflect on the harvest and breeding season at Hope Farm. Farming is always a challenging business. Not enough rain, too much rain, too cold, crop damage from woodpigeons or rabbits, cost of fertiliser – the list of...

Back in the Wilkinson years, before Batty turned England Captain, before Kamara turned Sky pundit, and before Eric turned Red, I was a Leeds fan. Me and Dad had season tickets in the East Stand and never missed a home game. Eventually the endless 0-0 draws under George Graham put me off football altogether...

RSPB Scotland warns the countryside will suffer after yesterday's announcement that the Scottish Government's Spending Review will cut a further £10m from agri-environment budgets. Read what Stuart Housden, RSPB Scotland Director had to say here ...

Farming has never stood still, but few of its sectors have changed as much as dairying over the last few decades. Dairy farmers have been declining as fast as some of our farmland wildlife: in the past ten years alone, the number of dairy farmers has halved in England and Wales, and fallen by a third...

It’s been a busy few weeks for us here in Wales. The Royal Welsh Show kicked things off back in mid July, the biggest and best attended event of its kind in the UK, with four days of good weather and a huge number of visitors to the stand, so many in fact, we ran out of our increasingly popular...

When was the last time you had a cirl bunting on your farm? My guess is unless you live in Devon or parts of Cornwall you’ve probably never heard of them. These relatives of yellowhammers, until the turn of the 19 th century, had a stronghold throughout southern England and into parts of...

Welcome to my office. I reckon it’s one of the biggest in the UK. Vaguely speaking, the ‘walls’ are the A14 to the south, the Cambridgeshire border to the west, the start of the sandy Brecks to the east, and to the North... Well I haven’t quite decided but it’s somewhere...

Just returned from the Birdfair this last weekend, a three day event with the aim of raising as much money for conservation projects around the world. Both Inspiring and fantastic! Described as the birdwatcher’s Glastonbury, The British Birdwatching Fair is jointly organised by the Leicestershire...

There is just one week left in the RSPB Telegraph Nature of Farming Awards voting frenzy, which closes next Wednesday ( 31 August ). The vote is where we invite, encourage and cajole every man, woman and child old enough to make their own mind up, to vote for one of the four fabulous finalists in our...

This weekend we will be at BirdFair (Marquee 4, Friday 19 - Sunday 21 August, Egleton Nature Reserve, Rutland Water), the annual jamboree for birdwatchers and their flocks. As we are in the final 2 weeks of the public vote for the RSPB Telegraph Nature of Farming Award , its a great opportunity to remind...

Over the summer months, the RSPB has met with many MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) to discuss topics as varied as seabird by-catch from fishing fleets to biodiversity in the UK’s overseas territories. For two MEPs in July, the focus of our meetings was to demonstrate how farming and...

Do you want to add your voice to these discussions, but not sure how to? Its just three easy steps: Visit the RSPB website Click on the word ‘ Register’ in the top right-hand corner. Fill in your details, and we’ll e-mail you to confirm your registration. Go to www.rspb.org...

I love it when things work out well. We put a stack of effort into working with farmers to find new ways to help wildlife. Not every idea will turn out to be as practical or effective as we want it to be (that is the point of testing ideas out after all), but I’m pleased to say that we have a new...

"A new type of Environmental Stewardship Scheme is needed, particularly to help buffer sites and establish stepping stones and ecological corridors" [ Lawton Report , Recommendation 16, p 82]. "Delivering a more effective ecological network may require refinements to the [Entry...

Blogger: Niki Williamson, Fenland Farmland Bird Adviser How do you enjoy your new potatoes? I like to keep it simple – get them as fresh as possible, boil them till they’re just cooked, and eat them piping hot, with British butter and mint from the garden – a perfect combination...

Well, the wait is over and we finally have our Nature of Farming Award finalists - and I just about have some fingernails left! After much deliberation, our expert panel of judges have announced Robert Law , David White , Robert Kynaston and Somerset & Carolyne Charrington as this year's top...

This time of year is always quite exciting for me – lots of things to see and do in the countryside and hopefully the odd sunny day here and there... But for the last four years there’s been something else to get excited about – finding out who our winners are in the RSPB Telegraph...

Have you ever wondered why flowers make people smile? Many things that make us happy are things that promote our survival - a good square meal, a thirst-quenching drink on a sunny day. But what about flowers? Sure they’re nice to look at, but you can’t really live off them, or use them...

Unlike normal people, who spend their Wednesday evenings enjoying a free ticket to the cinema, the Agriculture Policy nerds at the RSPB have spent the last 12 hours or so digesting and interpreting the EU budget proposals for the period 2014-2020, which were announced last night. As many of you will...

The signs from the EU in the last few days are that the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, is considering major cuts to pillar two of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). An essential fund that amongst other things pays farmers and landowners to manage their land in wildlife...

Feedback on last week's Cereals has been overwhelmingly positive from the 20 plus RSPB staff who attended the two day event. It is one of the best opportunities in the farming calendar for us to get out and meet farmers who we may otherwise not bump into. On our own advisory stand we asked 'what...

Nature is increasingly under pressure - more people, needing more food, more houses, more transport links, more places to work, which means the fight to protect nature will only get tougher. By virtue of what farmers do, they are on the front line of that fight. And they need funds for that fight. ...