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The State of Nature report is published today. I've listened to David attenborough talking about the report on Radio 4 this morning and it has generated a lot of publicity on the media channels. The report is sobering and concluded that nature is in trouble, but the report also shows that wildlife...

As you read this blog, you are already passionate about wildlife and Giving Nature a Home. If you would like to work for the RSPB as a Membership Development Officer and help in our mission to Save Nature by inspiring people to join us as members,please take a look at the available roles you can apply...

After an incredible holiday in Arizona, adding plenty of colourful new birds to my life list, I'm fighting the jet lag and noticing through hazy eyes that spring has erupted while I've been away. It seemed quite strange coming home to see our gloves and winter clothes laying around from the cold...

The daffs are done, the bluebells are blooming - lovely! - it's well worth a visit this weekend. It will be fantastic if the weather stays warm and sunny as forecast, and since trees are late coming into leaf it should be a great opportunity to actually see our woodland birds in full song. We have...

I did some bird surveying in the good weather last week. It involved me standing at certain points, and noting what birds and how many I could hear. All to assess our woodland for birds. It's one of the nicest things I get to do, though it's not easy! At last, there are some migrants! I heard...

Our chainsaw sculptor Patrick is busy creating an amazing sculpture in the bluebell wood. This will mark a small and beautiful corner of the reserve where people can remember their passed loved ones. If you pop down this week, you will see it all happening. Once it's all cleared up, it should look...

With the winds turning to the south and a warmer feel to proceedings, the first spring migrants have slowly been appearing. After last weeks chiffchaff, several swallows were over the reserve at the weekend and sand martins have been in the local area as well.We are just waiting for our first willow...

Hurray- at last- a chiffchaff has arrived and it greeted me with its welcome and constant 'chiffchaff' call from the New Heath when I arrived at The Lodge this morning.This is the first confirmed report as far as I'm aware and its at least three weeks later than the usual arrival dates! It's...

Just a whisper....I think spring is in the air at last! We've had two days of almost unbroken sunshine and its arrived just in time for the children and youngsters to come up and enjoy being outdoors in their school holidays. After the success of the weekends Easter Trail, I decided to leave the...

It may be a cold and dull Easter break, but here on the reserve we have been really busy. Plenty of families have come along to take part in the Easter trail and we've been dashing out searching the shops for the last few creme eggs in the county to give as rewards! We'll have had around 300...

It may be a cold and dull Easter break, but here on the the reserve we have been really busy. Plenty of families have come along to take part in the Easter trail and we've been dashing out searching the shops for the last few creme eggs in the county to give as rewards! We;ll have had around 300...

It may be a cold and dull Easter break, but here on the the reserve we have been really busy. Plenty of families have come along to take part in the Easter trail and we've been dashing out searching the shops for the last few creme eggs in the county to give as rewards! We;ll have had around 300...

Easter is nearly here, the sun is shining at last and it looks like a decent weekend ahead! Our Easter Trail will be on from Good Friday to Easter Monday ( 10am-3pm- £2 per trail sheet) for the youngsters to take part in, with a little chocolate treat as a reward. Come along to The Lodge and enjoy...

Having just returned from a week in the West Country, where torrential rain and gale force winds battered the area, I returned on the train on Sunday and watched as the fields turned from miles of flooded land to a landscape of frozen winter white countryside. The first sight I had at The Lodge this...

We've looked at the weather forecast for Saturday and spoken to our friends at Bedford Astronomical Society, and we've sadly taken the decision to cancel this event .It's forecast to be wet all day and night so it couldn't be worse for watching the night skies. Apoplogies if you were...

It's our Star Gazing night at The Lodge,Sandy, this coming Saturday, the 16th. The Bedfordshire Astronomical Society join us at The Lodge with their mega- telescopes and if the skies are (hopefully) clear, show us the amazing and mysterious sights that sit high above us. There are a few places left...

With winter still in the air the mixed flock of finches is still keeping us and our visitors and photographers well entertained. The cacophany of finch song greeted me this morning and good numbers of siskins and redpolls were still around and feeding on and under the feeders. The weather looks pretty...

With winter still in the air the mixed flock of finches is still keeping us and our visitors and photographers well entertained. The cacophany of finch song greeted me this morning and good numbers of siskins and redpolls were still around and feeding on and under the feeders. The weather looks pretty...

We get lots of fantastic bird images taken on the reserve, but It's always nice to get a picture of something we don't see so often. This picture of a cute bank vole, craftily taking advantage of the extra food we have been suppling the finch flock at the Gatehouse feeders ,was photographed by...

I've just been out on the Gatehouse lawn and the trees are still full of the weezy calls of siskins and other finches. This large finch flock has been here for well over two weeks now, and we have been putting supplementary food down to keep them all fed and happy! We estimate that over 120 siskins...

The sun is out, the air is warmer, it's almost half term and The Lodge woodpecker trail is set up and ready for action. Come along to the RSPB shop or the info hut and collect a trail sheet for the children to take along the woodpecker trail. We've changed it slightly this year and the idea is...

The Lodge has been the place to come to if you want to see good, close up views of siskins and lesser redpolls. They are coming to the feeders near the shop in really good numbers at the moment. As you'd expect with these flocks, scarcer mealy redpolls are also being seen, as well as the occasional...

The Gatehouse feeders near the shop are full of action again today; at least 4 bramblings with 2 splendid males have been around, with lots of siskins and redpolls.Joining them on the feeders have been nuthatch, great spotted woodpecker, long tailed tits and large numbers of chaffinches.I wonder if some...

I just had a quick scan around the shop feeders and a male brambling flew down amongst the chaffinches. I only saw it for a few moments and we haven't seen it again as yet. Numbers of siskin and redpoll around the feeding station have noticeably built up in numbers on this very cold day today.