There should be plenty of interest from birders in a new film that is due to open British cinemas on November 13. Set in France's Vosges forests, it is a captivating study of members of three generations as they explore the sights and sounds of wildlife. Among scarce or little-seen birds featured are Black Woodpecker, Capercaillie and Crested Tit. The running time is 95 minutes, and trailers of the film can be found on YouTube and elsewhere online.
A private broadleaved woodland that looks promising for breeding Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts and Wood Warblers has come on the market with an asking price of £70,000. Bosworth Wood, which stretches across 5.6 acres, lies off the A523 road and is next to a lake at Rudyard, near Leek, on the edge of the Peak District. More details from woods4sale at 01248 364362
Bosworth Wood, Rudyard, Leek Staffordshire - Woodland For Sale.
This limited print of a painting of Balmoral Castle sold for £1,408 including the buyer's premium when it went under the hammer at an online autumn auction conducted by Bonhams. Measuring 280mm x 400mm, it was painted by King Charles in 2001 long before he came to the throne. Might the study have been livelier if a Golden Eagle or some other raptor has been included in the sky?
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| Although it is now almost mid-October, a few migrant passerines, such as the young Wheatear above, are still lingering in Britain. This bird was at Tetney Lock, near the coast in northern Lincolnshire yesterday morning. Nearby, a make Stonechat an autumn and winter visitor to this part of the coast was perched (left) next to a female Chaffinch. |
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| Rousay stoat caught but, on the mainland, the eradication programme continues |
THE RSPB and partner organisations are cockahoop after catching and slaughtering a stoat that, back in May, had apparently swum two miles from Orkney mainland to the small hilly island of Rousay where it was feasting on birds and small mammals such as the Orkney Vole.
Attempts to catch it had been in vain - and reportedly cost up to £200,000 - until late last week when it was finally trapped, prompting a jubilant announcement from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project which is part-funded by the RSPB and supported by NatureScot and Orkney Islands Council.
"We have some excellent news to share!
"The invasive non-native stoat in Rousay has been caught!
"Over the past months, we have been co-ordinating the response to find and remove this stoat, using response trapping, trail cameras, detection dog searches and other tools, with the support of trained local volunteers.
"Now all our efforts have paid off.
"The stoat has been confirmed as male which is more good news.
"It means that there are currently no signs of female stoats or stoats breeding on Rousay, and that this incursion was almost certainly limited to a single animal.
"This stoat has been removed before it could cause any serious harm to native wildlife on Rousay.
"But there’s still more work to be done.
"Over the coming months, the Orkney Native Wildlife Project and local community volunteers will continue to keep the island under observation, so we can be completely confident that no other stoats are present.
"In line with international best practice, monitoring will continue until up to two years after the stoat's removal.
"An episode like this only reinforces how important it is that we remove every single stoat from the Orkney archipelago, to keep it safe as a haven for its many different native species.
"It also shows just how much we can achieve for nature when we all work together.
"This would not have been possible without the efforts of the volunteers from the Rousay community as well as all the landowners who have worked with us to allow trapping and searching on their land, and the folk who have reported their stoat sightings to us.
""We couldn’t have got here without your support for native wildlife. Thank you all so much!"
The campaign to rid the mainland of stoats, not a native species to The Orkneys, continues, and the RSPB is currently recruiting for two trappers.
The Orkneys are important place for nature - from breeding seabirds to birds of moorland, peatland and lochans such as Curlews, Red-throated Divers, Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls.
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| The invasive Rousay stoat - as captured on trail camera |
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| Red-throated diver - Rousay breeding species |
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| Inquiries continuing following lzarge-scale incident at Kent woodland (photo: Kent Wildlife Trust) |
There are hopes that songbirds and other wildlife will return to Hoad's Wood, near Ashford, Kent, following the removal of 39,500 tonnes of commercial waste - a project undertaken over two years by up to 50 employees of Acumen Waste Services Ltd at the behest of the Environment Agency.
Three men aged between 42 and 63 have been quizzed by about the illicit dumping but information from the public continues to be sought as inquiries continue.
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| Now cleared and awaiting natural regeneration, the waste had been dumped in the heart of the ancient wood which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (photo: Environment Agency) |
