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An interesting day today- we headed down with our marquee to support the Sandy Festival and Carnival at lunch time, but the weather defeated everyone! Just as the carnival procession entered the field, a massive wind and rain storm hit us and after sheltering under the marquee with a group of very wet...

After last year's successful breeding by ravens at The Lodge, we have been eagerly awaiting to see if they would breed here again this year. Today, 3 young ravens have been seen around the hillfort, with their parents noisily and actively watching over them. Excellent news! A pair of hobbies have...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Great to see at least five bramblings, with the siskins and redpolls around the gatehouse feeders this morning. Yesterday we didn't see one at all, so it seems that the flock is fairly transient with new birds joining all the time and others leaving. I'm away next week, so it's unlikely they'll...

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...

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 BBC have been here today setting up cameras ready to film the birds using the feeders at The hide at the Lodge. This will be shown live on the BBC web site over the weekend - you can take a look at all the action on www.bbc.c.uk/nature/21059915 Don't forget to spend an hour doing your own...

The BBC have been here today setting up cameras ready to film the birds using the feeders at The hide at The Lodge. This will be shown live on their web site over the weekend - you can take a look at all the action on www.bbc.c.uk/nature/21059915 Don't forget to spend an hour doing your own Big...

The BBC have been here today setting up cameras ready to film the birds using the feeders at The hide at The Lodge. This will be shown live on their web site over the weekend - you can take a look at all the action on www.bbc.c.uk/nature/21059915 Don't forget to spend an hour doing your own Big...

The BBC have been here today setting up cameras ready to film the birds using the feeders at The hide at The Lodge. This will be shown live on their web site over the weekend - you can take a look at all the action on www.bbc.c.uk/nature/21059915 Don't forget to spend an hour doing your own Big...

With all the snow and harsh conditions that are around, I've heard lots of comments on how many birds are visiting our gardens in search of food at the moment, so keep putting the feed out and it should be a great weekend for the Big Garden Birdwatch! Here at The Lodge there is a bundle of...

The Lodge today, covered in a heavy hoar frost and looking stunning.

This was the lovely snowy scene at The Lodge late afternoon, today with the sun appearing on the horizon beyond Galley Hill.RSPB staff member Alastair McArthur had made the journey down from East Anglia and took this picture for us.