We mustn't be beastly to vultures or wasps - they are among humankind's very best friends

                                          

Vultures are among the creatures that feature in the latest wildlife book from Bloomsbury.  In it, Author Jo Wimpenny (below) challenges common perceptions of 'good' species and sets the record straight about those we label 'pests', 'scavengers' and 'predators'. She insists some villainised species may benefit humanity and are more sentient than is generally believed. From wasps that provide free 'pest' control and snakes whose venom may cure cancer to the deep social bonds of crocodiles, this book calls on us  to rethink our most misunderstood beasts.                                        

King Charles watercolour of mountain scene in Cairngorms sells for well above pre-auction guide price

                                        

A 2002 painting by Prince Charles - now King Charles III - has sold for more than double the highest  pre-sale estimate. Auction house Tennants of Leyburn in North Yorkshire set a pre-sale guide price of between £500 and £700, but bidding had reached £1,400 before the hammer fell. The study, measuring 32.5cm by 38 cm of Ben Avon, near Braemar, is not an original but one of 20 limited edition prints. The identity of the buyer has not been revealed.

                                                                            

'Quirky sells' says auctioneer ahead of Lincolnshire auction of stuffed owls and more

                                                                

Eastern Screech Owl and Northern Saw-Whet Owl, neither native British species, are included in  the sale

TO take birds - dead or alive - is today mostly illegal, except with a few species and only in special circumstances.

But before the 1939-4 war,  trapping songbirds and shooting larger ones, such as birds of prey,  was common and accepted as a legitimate form of recreation.

Some stuffed and mounted victims of the 'hobby' are up for auction next week to be held by John Taylors of Louth in Lincolnshire.

In total there are six separate Lots, with species including Sparrowhawk, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Long-eared Owl, Kingfisher and Blue Tit.  

What sort of a person buys the products of taxidermy?

Says James Laverack, of John Taylors: "They are bought and collected for any number of reasons - for study, for education, for display or even acquired as a decorative art form - a quirky form of decoration for the sitting room, perhaps, but then quirky sells."

Bids of up to £50, maybe more, are expected when they go under the hammer on March 10. 

Snow Bunting takes centre stage in enchanting Oliver Heywood painting which comes up for auction next week

Handsome male Snow Bunting in breeding plumage

DURING his lifetime (1920-1992), Gloucestershire artist Oliver Heywood was perhaps somewhat under-appreciated.

As a result,  his landscape paintings command firm - but not spectacular - prices when they come up for sale.

Heywood, who had his home and studio near Stroud, was an ornithologist who often liked to incorporate birds into his work which he felt was the outlet for his "spiritual energy".

This is the case with two of a trio of his paintings which are due to be sold as a single Lot - number 200 - at an auction to be conducted by Dominic Winter at their sale room in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, on March 11.

One depicts perched Cormorants and Herrings Gulls in flight, while the other, more interesting study is of a male Snow Bunting in breeding plumage with Arctic Terns overhead.

The Lot is expected to fetch between £300 and £400.      

                                                                       

Herring Gulls in dancing flight over rock where Cormorants are perched 

Worrying time for many birders currently on holiday in Oman and neighbouring Gulf states

                                                                   

Oman is a favourite destination for British birders at this time of year

THE flare-up in the Middle East has created a worry for the many birders currently on holiday in Oman and other parts of the region during for the spring migration.

There are already deadly missiles in the sky, and the situation will only get more dangerous if Iran decides to expand the conflict.

Among tour companies currently running holidays in Oman is Naturetrek whose customers are believed to be midway through a 13-day break in pursuit of  desert specialities (including sandgrouse and Greater Hoopoe-Lark), seabirds (such as Persian Shearwater, Jouanin’s Petrel and Red-billed Tropicbird) and numerous waders, plus exciting residents including Arabian Eagle-Owl, Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak and Arabian and Hume’s Wheatears. 

Oman is not in the front line of conflict apart from one incident at  the commercial port, Duqm, which  was targeted by two drones, one of which struck a mobile workers' housing unit, injuring an expatriate worker

Debris from the second drone landed in an area adjacent to fuel storage tanks, with no resultant loss of life or material damage. 

However, Foreign Office advice to nationals is not to travel to the southern city of Salalah (or within 100km) where the last four days of the birding holiday are due to be spent before the flight back to Heathrow.

Gone but not forgotten - the last-known example of the now-extinct Slender-billed Curlew

Extinct but definitely not forgotten - Chris captured this unique photograph of the world's last-known Slender-billed Curlew 

THERE are still a few limited-edition prints available of the last-known Slender-billed Curlew, a species that was officially declared extinct in October last year.

In what must have been an unforgettable encounter, it was snapped by former RSPB photographer Chris Gomersall  at at Merja Zerga, Morocco, in February, 1995.

Says he: "The image was  originally shot on film but subsequently re-scanned and digitally restored to the highest standard possible. 

"Unmounted prints - the edition has been limited to 50 - are signed on the reverse, authenticated by an emboss stamp plus accompanying certificate, and posted flat-packed (to UK addresses only). 

"The initial offer price is £95 per A3 print, including postage (image size 375 x 250mm).

"For each print sold I will make a donation of £10 to Curlew Action (registered charity no. 1187172)."

Prospective purchasers can email Chris at chris@chrisgomersall.co.uk with contact details, including postal address, and he will reply with information on how to pay securely.

Sixty-minute twitch: Pode Hall and Willow Tree Fen, near Spalding, Lincolnshire

Was a  Snow Goose among these Whooper Swans? Too far away to tell 

Date: February 22, 2026

Time: 3.55pm - 4.55pm

Weather: Sunny but blustery

Target species: Snow Goose (one had been reported here earlier in the week)

Star species seen: Crane

Other species seen included: 

* Long-tailed Tit

* Blue Tit

* Marsh Harrier

* Red Kite

* Little Egret

* Whooper Swan

* Shoveler

* Barn Owl

* Wigeon

* Mallard

* Cormorant

The copse at Pode Hall provides habitat for Long-tailed Tits and other passerines 

Distant view of Red Kite on the move

This group of birders' quest for an elusive Snow Goose proved in vain 

As many as 11 Marsh Harriers were counted at the two sites 

Willow Tree Fen is noted for its all-year population of wetland birds

Cranes - the star attraction at Willow Tree Fen