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| Bird of mystery - Nightjar in flight |
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| Some farmers fear White-tailed eagles pose threat to new-born lambs and Shetland ponies |
Letter in the Sunday Telegraph (September 7, 2025)
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| Emma Reynolds - enjoys running and cinema-going |
Meet Emma Reynolds (47), the newly appointed Environment Secretary whose decisions in government could do much to shape the fortunes of birds and other wildlife during the course of the remainder of this parliament. Married to a solicitor and with two sons (aged eight and six), she grew up in the West Midlands and was MP for Wolverhampton North East between 2010 and 2019 before being elected for Wycombe at last year' General Election. The extent of her interest in environmental affairs is not known. Ms Reynolds is said to enjoy running, pubs and cinema-going. She used to play football, and there is a strong likelihood that she supports Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. Ms Reynolds take over the Environment brief after her predecessor, Steve Reed, was promoted to Housing Secretary.
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| The Waverley Castle - one of the first Scottish hotels to be constructed from concrete |
Date: August 30, 2025
Time: 7.45am - 8.00am
Weather: Sunny and warm
Target species: Great Spotted Woodpecker
Star species seen: Siskin
Other species seen/ heard:
* Wood Pigeon
* Nuthatch
* Blue Tit
* Coal Tit
* Blackbird
* Carrion Crow
* Jackdaw
* Robin
These Jackdaws were finding plenty to feed on
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| The delightful grounds include their own small apple orchard |
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| Statue of Sir Walter Scott, celebrated novelist who spent most of his life in the area |
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| Giant Redwood - specimen tree imported many years ago from California |
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| Coal Tit in quest for something to eat |
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| Expansive lawns are a feature of the grounds |
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| This Nuthatch made its presence felt by calling persistently |
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| Juvenile Robin on high alert |
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| How Sunday Post newspaper headlined the 'story' |
A CROFTER has pointed an accusing finger at Sea Eagles after five recently-born foals disappeared from his herd of Shetland ponies
According to a report in the Sunday Post newspaper, Donald John Cameron believes the huge birds are the "most likely culprits" for the disappearance of his foals, and he has called on the Scottish Government wildlife agency, NatureScot, to investigate the disappearance.
Though they sometimes take lambs and deer calves, there is no known record of Sea Eagles predating foals, but it is understood NatureScot is willing to check nests for any prey evidence.
The report was later picked up in England by newspapers such as The Daily Telegraph.
The report in yesterday's edition of The Daily Telegraph newspaper
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| Barn owls - as featured as depicted in Birds of Great Britain |
AN antiquarian bird book failed to set the heather alight at a sale in Yorkshire.
Leyburn-based auction house Tennants had hoped John Gould's five-volume The Birds of Great Britain, which was published over a period between 1862 and 1873, would sell for between £25,000 and £35,000.
But, at the sale on August 22, a bid of £20,000 was sufficient to clinch the sale.
The volumes contains no fewer than 367 fine hand-coloured lithographic plates by Gould himself and by other notable artists of the day, namely, H.C. Richter, Joseph Wolf and William Hart.
In line with auction practice, the identities of neither the vendor nor the successful bidder have been revealed.
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| It was thought the five volumes could fetch as much as £25,000 |
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One of the plates - the Red-footed Falcon was known as the Orange-legged Hobby in Victorian times |
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| Peebles - delightful but unsung Borders town |
Date: August 25, 2025
Time: 11am - 11.30am
Weather: Sunny and warm
Target species: Dipper
Star species seen: Goosander
Other species seen/ heard:
* Wood pigeon
* Mallard
* Heron
* Black-headed Gull
* Nuthatch
* Blue Tit
* Great Tit
* Blackbird
* Carrion Crow
* Grey Wagtail
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| A heron waits to pounce |
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| On the rocks - juvenile Grey Wagtail |
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| Goosander surveys its territory |
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| The ever-enchanting River Tweed |
