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Northern Ireland

Sixty per cent of UK species in decline, groundbreaking study finds

22 May 2013

UK nature is in trouble – that is the conclusion of a groundbreaking report published today by a coalition of leading conservation and research organisations.

Marsh fritillary

Have you seen a red kite?

9 May 2013

The RSPB is asking people in the south Down area to report suspected breeding of red kites. The Northern Ireland Red Kite Reintroduction Project saw 80 red kite chicks released in Castlewellan Forest between 2008 and 2010, and in 2010 the first red kite chicks to be born here in over 200 years took to the skies. Currently, it is estimated that in 2012 there were only 13 breeding pairs of red kites in Northern Ireland.

Red kite in flight

Last chance for farmers to enter Nature of Farming Award

9 April 2013

Farmers across Northern Ireland have been entering 2013’s competition since it launched earlier this year, but today the RSPB NI is reminding those who’ve yet to throw their hat into the ring to do so before it’s too late. With applications only being accepted until Thursday 18 April, the race is on to find the UK’s top wildlife friendly farmer.

Hope Farm, Cambridgeshire

B&Q staff turn their hand to help seabirds

9 April 2013

Staff at the B&Q ‘You can do it’ centre yesterday helped pupils from Priory College and RSPB volunteers making nestboxes for one of our rarest breeding seabirds-the roseate tern. Pupils and RSPB volunteers learned from the B&Q staff about the best materials, crafty techniques and skills to make bespoke 5 star nestboxes that are water tight, ensuring chicks are kept warm and dry throughout our unpredictable summer weather.

Roseate tern pair performing courtship display

The long term investment in marine protection that can pay for itself

9 April 2013

Local Marine Task Force argues that an effective NI Marine Protection Programme will bring economic and environmental benefits for NI seas.

Orcas 'porpoising'

Tyrone Big Garden Birdwatch results

28 March 2013

Tyrone often has very different results to the rest of the north and this year chaffinch, house sparrow and goldfinch were recorded as the top three species as well as robin appearing in around 93 per cent of gardens! Sightings of the beautiful jay have increased in Tyrone, perhaps as a spin off of the poor acorn crop in autumn.

Jay

County Fermanagh tells the tale of garden birds in the west

28 March 2013

Fermanagh often has very different results to the rest of the north and this year chaffinch, house sparrow and blue tit were recorded as the top three species as well as robin appearing in around 94 per cent of gardens! Waxwing were also recorded in the county; a striking and beautiful visitor from further north.

Blue tit on snowy branch

Derry Gardens vital Big Garden Birdwatch reveals

28 March 2013

Almost 590,000 people across the UK took part in the Birdwatch in January, including over 10,000 in Northern Ireland

Chaffinches

Big Garden Birdwatch County Armagh

28 March 2013

Numbers of house sparrows, also on the red-list, dropped by 17 per cent in gardens compared to 2012, whilst bullfinches and dunnocks, both amber-listed, fell by 20 per cent and 13 per cent respectively. Despite this, the top three sightings for County Armagh were house sparrow, starling and chaffinch with blackbirds and robins being recorded in 90 per cent of Armagh gardens!

Waxwing on branch

County Antrim gardens ‘vital’ for some of our most threatened birds

28 March 2013

Some of the UK’s most threatened and best-loved bird species are continuing to decline, according to results from the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch survey 2013, released today. Starlings, a UK ‘red-listed’ species meaning it is of the highest conservation concern, hit an all-time low in the Birdwatch last year and their numbers sunk by a further 16 per cent in gardens this year.

Red kite in flight, Wales

An Island Home- Fermanagh

28 March 2013

The RSPB Lower Lough Erne Islands Reserve is a special, wonderful place, home to a wide variety of native and visiting wildlife. Of the thirty-nine islands which make up part of the Nature Reserve are a collection of four small islets in the Broad Lough. These rocky outcrops and gravelly ridges host a unique colony of breeding Sandwich terns. As far as we know this is the only site in the world where this species regularly breeds so far inland on fresh water, this has resulted in Gravel Ridge Island being designated as an Area of Special Scientific Interest by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

Sandwich tern adults feeding sand eel to chick

Northern Ireland’s most environmentally-friendly buildings

15 March 2013

The 2012 winners of the Sustainable Planning Awards were announced today in the Long gallery in Stormont. The awards, which are a joint initiative with RSPB NI and The Royal Town Planning Institute, seek to reward and celebrate the efforts of individuals and organisations to create a better, more sustainable future in Northern Ireland.

Castle Espie

MEPs fail the environment in crucial CAP vote

15 March 2013

The EU parliament let down the countryside yesterday by voting through weak proposals for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. MEPs in Strasbourg ignored more than a million emails from members of the public who urged them to reform the Common Agricultural Policy so that it delivers for the environment and farming.

Hedgehog

Big Schools Birdwatch 2013

15 March 2013

Starlings, song thrushes and gulls are being seen in much greater numbers in schoolgrounds around the UK according to the results from this year’s RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch

Adult starling on bird feeder

Vote for Nature

15 March 2013

RSPB NI are asking the public to encourage their local MEPs to ‘vote for nature,’ in advance of a crucial vote on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the European Parliament on Wednesday 13th March. This vote will decide the future of CAP funding in Member States, including important schemes for the environment.

Brown hare in green grass

Hang on to your Hedges!

15 March 2013

Hedgerows are an important natural feature of the countryside and provide vital nesting habitat for a wide variety of birds. Trees play the same role and are often chosen by bats as roost sites. It is generally accepted that 01 March to 31 August is the standard bird breeding season and the RSPB recommends using these dates as a guide for the period to avoid cutting hedges and trees.

Hawthorn, with berries in hedgerow

LIVESTOCK FARMING ESSENTIAL TO PRESERVING WILDLIFE AND CHARACTER OF ICONIC LANDSCAPES

6 March 2013

The right type of livestock grazing is essential to maintain a range of threatened wildlife and habitats across the UK’s uplands. However, a new report commissioned by the RSPB reveals that changes in livestock grazing in the UK’s most vulnerable farming areas could have an impact on threatened wildlife and habitats.

David and Marian Harding

Beautiful Belfast Harbour

6 March 2013

The RSPB’s fantastic Belfast Harbour Reserve is a wildlife haven for some of our most threatened species, an oasis of calm in the urban environment, located just 10 minutes from the centre of Belfast. From the observation room visitors are treated to wildlife spectacles at very close quarters whilst relaxing in the bright, cosy room with friendly, knowledgeable staff.

Aerial view of RSPB Belfast Lough nature reserve

Get the Marine Bill moving again

26 February 2013

The Northern Ireland Marine Bill is at a crucial stage. It’s currently sitting with the NI Executive and getting no where fast. Now we’re running out of time to make sure that the Marine Bill becomes an Act and gets to work protecting our seas .

Adult common seal 'spy hopping' in sea off Kildonan, Isle of Arran

Peak District

18 February 2013

Northern Ireland Water, RSPB and United Utilities (UU) hosted a visit to the Sustainable Catchment Management Programme (SCaMP) at Dovestone Reservoir in the Peak District for key stakeholders. NI Water is working with a number of statutory and non-governmental bodies to develop and deliver the Sustainable Catchment Management Area Programme for Northern Ireland (SCAMP NI). This visit provided opportunity to observe and share best practice with an established catchment management programme in North West England.

Bowness Common

Award to celebrate farmers who do great things for wildlife gets underway But following spending cuts in the EU Budget, wildlife on farms faces an uncertain year

18 February 2013

The RSPB has launched its annual search to find the UK’s most wildlife-friendly farmer. The Nature of Farming Award celebrates farmers who work hardest to help threatened countryside wildlife, such as yellowhammer, hedgehog, bees, butterflies and plants. It’s run by the RSPB, supported by Butterfly Conservation and Plantlife, and sponsored by The Telegraph.

Wildflower margin at Cereals show

Lough Beg

18 February 2013

The RSPB’s work at Lough Beg was put under the spotlight on Saturday 2 February when local people were welcomed onto the Lough Beg National Nature Reserve to celebrate World Wetlands Day. Thirty people were given a guided walk of the reserve with plenty of opportunities to admire the wonderful wealth of wildlife and see the conservation work being undertaken by RSPB in partnership with local farmers and the NIEA.

Southern marsh orchid and yellow rattle, in wet meadow, Strumpshaw Fen

UK LEADERS NOW THE ONLY HOPE FOR OUR WILDLIFE, FOLLOWING ‘TERRIBLE’ EUROPEAN BUDGET DEAL

18 February 2013

A regressive deal for wildlife: that’s how the RSPB has described the European Budget deal, which has seen potentially huge cuts for payments for wildlife-friendly farming.

Hope Farm, Cambridgeshire

Finally getting it right? Marine Task Force welcomes major reform of Common Fisheries Policy.

18 February 2013

Today, Members of the European Parliament have for the first time voted on legislative reforms to the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), a once in a decade opportunity to improve EU fisheries. The vote represents a major step; moving towards an end to the practice of overfishing that has decimated fish stocks throughout the EU. The Parliament voted for an end to discards and an end to over-fishing by 2015 and for the recovery of fish stocks by 2020. This could be the most significant step towards ensuring the future sustainability of EU fish stocks and for the long-term stability of the EU fishing fleet in a generation.

Cod

Running out of time to save our seas?

18 February 2013

The Northern Ireland Marine Taskforce* is calling on the Executive to finally give the green light to the long awaited and now long overdue NI Marine Bill.

Basking shark

Young photographers urged to get snapping

18 February 2013

Aspiring young wildlife photographers are urged to get out their cameras and get snapping to be in with a chance of winning this year’s WildPix competition, led by RSPB and British Wildlife Photography Awards.

Young rabbit

Frozen North could mean a bumper Birdwatch

8 February 2013

Freezing temperatures across the UK and Ireland are likely to drive more birds into gardens in their search for food. It could mean bumper numbers of garden birds seen in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend. Thousands of people will be taking part in the World’s biggest wildlife survey spending just one hour at any time over Big Garden Birdwatch weekend Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 January 2013 and noting the highest number of each bird species seen at any one time, then submitting the results to the RSPB.

Female brambling in snow

All Ireland Conference 2013

16 January 2013

This year's All Ireland Conference with BirdWatch Ireland will take place on 17-19 May at the beautiful La Mon Hotel on the outskirts of Belfast. A slight change to the usual date but still shaping up to be a fantastic weekend, be sure to save the date!

Coast on a stormy day with heavy rain falling on coastal headland

Bags of nettles

16 January 2013

Stingy, tall, vibrant green nettles are fairly underrated when it comes to public opinion. But when it comes to the amount of biodiversity they support and the wildlife that rely on them, they cannot be overlooked.

Corncrake hiding in meadow

Big Garden Coffee Morning

16 January 2013

Ahead of this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch the RSPB invites you along to a fundraising coffee morning at Regent Street Methodist Church, Newtownards from 10am - 2pm, admission is by donation. Come and enjoy a cuppa and some sweet treats and find out more about how to get involved in the world’s biggest wildlife survey.

Blue tit on broken plant pot

Minister helps promote the World’s Biggest Wildlife Survey!

16 January 2013

The RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch is back on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 January 2013, giving people across the UK the chance to be part of the world’s biggest wildlife survey. All you need to do to take part is to spend just one hour at any time over Big Garden Birdwatch weekend noting the highest number of each bird species seen in your garden or local park at any one time.

Robin and goldfinch on feeder

Local Woman Christmas Gift to Conservation Charity

16 January 2013

The RSPB’s Belfast Harbour Reserve is an oasis of calm just 10 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Belfast City Centre. This tranquil lagoon nestled in the heart of Belfast’s Harbour Estate is home to many species of wildlife from year-round residents such as the newly arrived Konik ponies to migrating birds such as the Terns who visit our shores to breed in the summer months.

Konic Ponies at Portmore reserve

Winter Tidy up

16 January 2013

Mature native trees such as oak, elm and willow are covered in crevices and gnarly branches, perfect for providing roosts for birds and bats alike. Even in winter when the trees lose their leaves they continue to provide shelter from the elements with their web of nooks and crannies. Our native yew trees and Scots pine don’t lose their leaves in winter and along with other evergreen trees and hedgerows they provide warmth through the core winter months for hibernating bats and roosting birds.

Pipistrelle in flight at night