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Read the latest about our views on CAP reform on Martin's blog here

Many farmers across the East and South East are working hard to give turtle doves a home as they return from their wintering grounds in Africa. But still, as numbers are ever dwindling and their breeding range consistently retracting, many will never have been lucky enough to ever see a turtle dove....

Hywel Maggs, Conservation Officer for North East Scotland, tells us about one of the fabulous farmers he has been working with to help corn buntings John Moir has recently been nominated for the Species Champion category in the Nature of Scotland Awards by Scottish Agricultural College Consulting...

Increases in food prices have raised consumer concerns around the affordability of food and our future food security. In today's blog, RSPB Environmental Economist Donal McCarthy tells us what recent trends in food prices might mean for food security and wildlife, both in the UK and more widely....

We've heard a lot this week about growing food in the UK and how British farmers can do their bit for wildlife. But what difference do our food choices make to the wider world? Today we hear from Laura Stevens about the effect our buying habits can have on rainforests and it's very special wildlife...

I walked in to my office this morning and found a cake tin sitting on my desk. I haven't seen the results of what came out of it yet, but apparently the polar bear it was used for made a little boy very happy on his 4th birthday! Funny really, as last night I was in a baking mood myself and made...

While researching my article for Birds magazine, I had lots of suggestions for farms to use as case studies from RSPB staff all over the UK. One suggestion that particularly inspired me was the work that Amanda, Chris and Denise are doing on Peelhams Farm. So much so that I’ve just placed my first...

Last month EU agriculture ministers failed our pollinators – and therefore failed food producers and food eaters. That’s a pretty comprehensive failure. They failed us because they blocked the commission’s proposal to restrict the use of neonicotinoids for a two-year moratorium....

The weather dictates everything in farming whether you are an arable or livestock farmer. For us as an arable farm cultivations, spraying operations and harvesting are all at the mercy of the weather. Crop growth is also very much affected by the weather. © Andy Hay, RSPB Images When wheat...

Yesterday I recommended reading Martin's blog for our views on predation. Check it out again today for more news about predation and the fortunes of some of our wonderful - but waning - waders, and the impact of agrienvironment schemes. Redshank: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

The issue of predation is one that inflames strong passions and hot debate. Check out Martin Harper's blog today for our latest thoughts - and share yours too. Buzzard: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Seeing the first swallow of the year is always exciting and the dates tend to stick in my head: 24th March 2010 on a V&FA volunteer training day, 26th March 2011 on my way to work, and yesterday the 14th April (not me though- my mum emailed me to say she’s seen hers... I still haven't seen...

Turtle doves are just embarking on their long flight to return to our shores – but in far fewer numbers than even 5 years ago. We are working hard to understand the causes of these declines. Jenny Bright , one of our dedicated Conservation Scientists, shares her experiences of working on this project...

This week is your last chance to enter the Nature of Farming Award for 2013 – the UK’s largest farm wildlife competition. Entry closes on 18 th April – yes, that’s next Thursday. But why should you spend some of your valuable time taking part in an Award? For one thing,...

By Derek Gruar, Senior Research Assistant, Hope Farm After one of the wettest summer for years, winter continued the theme of damp and dull weather conditions; with the ground still saturated we like many farmers across the UK have struggled to get crops in for the 2013 harvest. This also made...

The last few months have seen a flurry of activity on CAP reform and the next few months should see the deal sealed. But what has actually happened and what are the prospects for a ‘greener’ policy? March was a particularly busy month. Almost 18 months after the European Commission released...

... To find out our views on the Environmental Audit Committee report on ‘Pollinators and Pesticides’ which was published this morning – and to share your views with us too.

By Christina Taylor, Conservation Monitoring Officer I have been very privileged to have worked as a project officer for the RSPB’s Volunteer and Farmer Alliance (V&FA) for the past two and a half years, initially based in Scotland and latterly in North East England. Not least because...

Doesn't this picture make you smile? This is 6 year old Alice Stavert-Dobson, winner of the Operation Turtle Dove competition to name the doves on the logo , receiving her yummy prize. Alice came up with the winning names of Heart and Hope . Alice told us “I chose ‘Heart’...

On Wednesday a new report was launched at the NFU conference which calls for faster deregulation in the farming and food processing sector to boost competitiveness and cut costs. The timing of this is interesting given the recent horsemeat scandal. Among other things the report recommends publicly...

Check out Martin Harper's blog today to read our thoughts on the NFU's Fair Deal for Farmers.

I want to know what you think. I need to know what you think. "What about?", you may ask. Its one of my favourite subjects - the RSPB Telegraph Nature of Farming Award . This year I want it to be BIGGER and BETTER than ever. So when voting opens in the hopefully sunny summer days...

By Bruce Fowkes, Corporate Partnerships Farm Adviser It is now a year since the RSPB joined forces with Tesco in the Together for Trees project, which has been raising funds to help save threatened rainforests around the world. As a spin off from this, we have also been working a bit closer to...

To hear our latest views on neonicotinoids - and our reasons - check out Martin Harper's blog today . Photo credit: Bumble bee Bombus terrestris, pollenating oil seed rape flowers - Richard Revels (rspb-images.com)

Think of a wild place in the UK. It doesn’t matter where, just a place you think of as ‘wilderness.' It might be rolling moorlands and mountains, deep forest, fields stretching as far as the eye can see, upland bogs, or a network of waterways glinting in the sun. Many of you may...