What ails Britain's Lesser Spotted Woodpecker? RSPB hopes project will lead way to reversing population slump

      

Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers have disappeared from many parts of  England

THE RSPB has announced what it describes as "a fantastic opportunity" for a scientist to join research into Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and their habitat.

The society is is recruiting for an individual to investigate whether "hydrological restoration of lowland broadleaved woodland improves invertebrate abundance and decaying wood resources or affects woodland phenology in relation to Lesser Spotted Woodpecker habitat requirements".

Says the job description: "Due to marked long-term declines, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is of high conservation priority and a key focus for the RSPB.

"This species, along with other declining woodland birds, is associated with wet features within woodland.

"The results of this research are expected to feed into woodland conservation management and policy recommendations."

It continues: "The successful candidate will be responsible for setting up and running the study and is expected to contribute to data collection, managing field staff, analysing data and communicating and publishing results. 

"The diet of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers consists predominantly of invertebrates, and the successful candidate is therefore expected to have experience in invertebrate sampling along with identifying and quantifying samples in the laboratory.

"Study sites will be across the southern half of England, and data collection is expected to run over six months of the years.  

"The postholder must be able to undertake regular visits to field sites plus occasional travel to meet colleagues, attend team and scientific meetings and conferences, entailing some overnight stays." 

The role will be home based with access to RSPB offices.

This is a fixed term 30-month contract of (37.5 hours per week) from October this year until March 2029.

The salary is £40,381- £43,112 per annum, and the deadline for applications is Wednesday October 7.

More information from:  paul.bellamy@rspb.org.uk

Auction in Yorkshire will cast spotlight on extinction fate of once-abundant Passenger Pigeon

Most people are familiar with the sad fate of the Passenger Pigeon, an American species which is said to have gone from 2,000 million birds to extinction in little more than a couple of decade. In 2004, the disaster 'inspired sculptor' Chris Manley (who died two years ago) to create this striking  memento. One of twelve, it stands 39 cm high and is expected to fetch between £300 and £500 at a sale to be held by Tennants auctioneers, of Leyburn in North Yorkshire, on Saturday October 3.  

Starting in Yorkshire Dales, birders Sam West and Ade Edmondson return for new three-part TV series

The first episode of the second series of Sam and Ade Go Birding sees Sam West and Ade Edmondson  in the Yorkshire Dales where they watch hirundines and Swifts and listen to the dawn chorus. There is also a trip to Nidderdale in search of the Curlew, a long-legged, curve-beaked wading species that is declining as a breeding species in Britain. It is light-touch birding but the duo make engaging and  personable company. The programme - the first of three episodes - screens on Channel 5 TV at 7pm on Thursday October 1. 

                                                                   

Few places are as scenic as the Yorkshire Dales

                                                                 

Target species - the Curlew is in long-term breeding decline

          

                                                                  

Uncertain future for staff and customers of Scottish Highlands hotel long popular with Osprey-watchers

Front of the Nethybridge Hotel

AN uncertain future awaits a Scottish hotel popular with birders.

The Nethybridge Hotel is close to the huge Abernethy national  nature reserve and Loch Garten - home to Ospreys, Crested Tits, Crossbills, Capercaillies and more.

But it is one of eight hotels in the portfolio of  Strathmore Hotels Ltd which has entered administration as a result of  financial and other challenges.

On the plus side, all all eight continue to trade while the administrators, Interpath Advisory, seek to find a buyer either of the whole group or the hotels individually.

Other Scottish hotels in the East Kilbride-based group are the Alexandra Hotel and Ben Nevis Hotel and Leisure Club in Fort William, the Ben Wyvis Hotel in Strathpeffer, the Royal Hotel in Oban, the Salutation Hotel in Perth.

In England, Strathmore owns the Cairn Hotel in Harrogate, and the Cumbria in Grange-over-Sands.

In total, the group employs just over 400 staff.

Spacious and grand - inside the Nethybridge Hotel

Entrance to the famous Scottish Highlands nature reserve

The extraordinary lightness of Chinese bird art to be showcased at October auction in Hong Kong

                                                                                         

Chinese bird art is invariably very different from that seen in the west - with the artists often disinclined  to identify the species. There is invariably a light touch to the depictions as can be seen in some of those to be featured at a sale to be conducted by auction house Bonham's at their premises in Hong Kong on October 6. And note also the significance of the calligraphy. All the works pictured here are expected to fetch sums of four figures (in UK sterling) or more. 

    

2026 Wainwright Prize goes to Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane for their 'compendium', The Book of Birds

                   

The 2026  Wainwright Prize has been awarded to illustrator Jackie Morris and writer Robert Macfarlane for their The Book of Birds - described by publishers Penguin as a compendium of 49 species including  Yellowhammer, Cuckoo, Dunnock, Kestrel, Grey Wagtail and Avocet.                                                                  

                                                           

                                                            

                                                  

Captivating images of diving Gannet and perched Great Horned Owl take top honours in global competition

 

Congratulations to Henley Spiers for taking the title of Bird Photographer of 2026 and a £3,000 prize with his study of a Gannet diving for fish in the Atlantic. Meanwhile, the  award for Young Bird Photographer of The Year goes to 16-year-old Parham Pourahmad with his enchanting shot of a Great Horned Owl framed against  full moon.