Up to 20 White-tailed Eagles could be released on Exmoor as part of ambitious project to expand species' range

                                        

The Exmoor coastline is thought to provide excellent feeding and breeding habitat for White-tailed Eagles (photo: Roy Dennis Wildlife  Foundation)

UP to 20 young White-tailed Eagles could be released in Exmoor National Park over the next three years.

The initiative is planned by the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation as part of ongoing efforts to establish a population of the species on Britain's South Coast.

Says the Foundation's Zoe Smith: "We think that releasing a up to 20 birds over three years would help reinforce the English population by aiding the geographical expansion.

"Eagles from our established  Isle of Wight project have been frequent visitors to Exmoor over the past five years, and we know that many people have enjoyed seeing them." 

What about those scare stories about livestock predating livestock?

"This is a common fear," concedes Zoe. "But there has been no record of this since the Isle of Wight project began. 

"The birds prefer to hunt fish but will also eat birds (including gulls and corvids), small mammals and dead animals (carrion). 

"For young birds, carrion makes up a large proportion of their diet but, by their third year, White-tailed Eagles will have gravitated towards wetland sites, home to their preferred diet of fish." 

                                                 

Exmoor ahoy!

Exmoor National Park officials are supportive of the proposal but have been conducting a 'public perception survey' before giving the green light.

Says one, who prefers not to be named: "White-tailed Eagles formerly bred on the coast of Exmoor.

"The extensive areas of coastal woodland and abundant marine fish species, such as grey mullet, provide exceptional breeding habitat."

Forestry England, which has extensive interests in the area is supportive, but the prevailing views of farmers and landowners are not known.

No target date has been announced for the launch of the Exmoor project.

                                                     

   

Will long-term partnership with Mexican company help Dartford Warblers to set up home at RSPB's HQ reserve?

                                                             

RSPB is optimistic about the expanding reserve at its Bedfordshire HQ  

HOPES have been sounded that Dartford Warblers might become established at the reserve surrounding the RSPB's HQ in Sandy, Bedfordshire.

At present, the species is only an occasional visitor, but the society's new board chairman, Sir Andrew Cahn, believes that "one day it might actually colonise."

The reason for his optimism is that the  reserve is expanding by taking on spent-out sections of the neighbouring Sandy Heath quarry from the UK subsidiary of Cemex, a  Mexican-owned multinational company with interests in cement, concrete and other building products.

                                  

Dartford Warbler -  heathland specialist  

This week is the 15th anniversary of the partnership between the RSPB and Cemex UK.

Says Sir Andrew: "The nature reserve is doing really well.

"It continues to grow, and I am pleased to say that we will be there for the foreseeable future. 

"We have a long-term agreement with Cemex where we take on management of sections of the neighbouring quarry site as the company finishes with them. 

"All told it’s going to be the largest heathland restoration in the South-east."

Continues the chairman: "There have been breeding Nightjar in recent years and  the odd Dartford Warbler appearing (hopefully one day actually colonising)."

He adds: "The introduction of ponies for some of the year has helped with heathland maintenance."

They save money, so RSPB annual meetings are 'here to stay' says new chairman of the board

                                                       

Sir Andrew Cahn: Feedback to online meetings has been 'overwhelmingly positive' 

THE RSPB has ruled out a return to in-person AGMs.

Since Covid, the society held its annual meetings online, encouraging more viewer-participation but depriving members of the chance to meet and/or to chat to staff.

Unlike other organisations such as the National Trust - it has also opted not to make the event hybrid - in other words, both in-person and online.

Says its newly-appointed chairman Sir Andrew Cahn: "By the time the pandemic hit, numbers attending the in-person AGMs had declined.

"The lockdown restrictions gave us a chance to try a different model of event. 

"I appreciate it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but the feedback we have had from the majority of attending members (an increase on the numbers that attended the in-person event) has been overwhelmingly positive.

"And it’s also saving us money. 

"Could it be improved? Absolutely, and we will continue to evolve the format. 

"For example, I think that we could probably do more to use it to highlight our conservation successes and challenges.

"Furthermore, the Q&A section with board members could be longer and more in depth, but the online version is here to stay."

* Sir Andrew's  comments have come in response to an open letter posted on his blog by former RSPB conservation director Dr Mark Avery. 

Collision with blade of 125-metre high wind turbine in Galloway proves fatal for three-year-old Golden Eagle

                                                                   

Eagle officer john wright with the dead bird - photo: South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project

A GOLDEN Eagle has died after colliding with one of 12 turbines at the Windy Rig windfarm near  Carsphairn in Galloway.

The three-year-old male bird is thought to have had  its left wing sliced off after flying into a rotating blade on one of the 125-meter high turbines.

The incident came to light because  a satellite tag was attached. The prone bird, known as Sparky to researchers,  was 15 metres from the turbine.

The cause of  death was confirmed by the Veterinary Investigation Centre at Scotland’s Rural College  in Dumfries. 

A series of tests - toxicology, histopathology, virology, bacteriology and parasitology - revealed that  the bird had been in good condition.

The assessment concluded that the bird's  fatal injuries were "typical of those associated with a wind turbine strike".

Planning consent for the windfarm was approved by Dumfries and Galloway Council in November 2018 despite misgivings about potential impact not just on Golden Eagles but also on Peregrines, Merlins and Red Kites which are also recorded in the area.

According to a report Golden Eagles were being seen "fairly regularly".

RSPB Scotland, which was involved in the pre-decision discussions, was relaxed about the development, though it cautioned on the welfare of Black Grouse where there had been historic records of leks in the vicinity.

There were few objectors to the application though Glasgow Prestwick Airport sought measures to ensure that the turbines would not interfere with their surveillance radar, while the Mountaineering Council of Scotland protested about the impact on the scenery.

One local resident, Martin Temple, expressed concern that the preliminary ornithological survey had not covered a sufficiently wide area 

Had Sparky not been tagged, it is highly unlikely the bird's fate would have come to light.

The chairman of Dumfries and Galloway Raptor Study Group, Chris Rollie, comments: "Evidence  has suggested Golden Eagles tend to avoid windfarms, but, without satellite tagging, incidents of this nature are hard to detect."

"This reinforces the urgent need for decision-makers to work closely with wildlife conservation groups as further windfarm approvals are sought."

The tagging was carried out by the Moffatt-based South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project which is currently fundraising to secure survival in advance of a proposed name-change, next year, to  RUN (Restoring Upland Nature).

The windfarm became operational in 2022.

More details about the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project and its fundraising appeal are at: https://www.goldeneaglessouthofscotland.co.uk/

                                                      

The Wryneck says: Fatal bird strikes are said to be 'rare'. But it would surely be more accurate to describe them as 'rarely recorded'. Unless the victim has been satellite-tagged, collisions are unlikely to come to light. What happens, now, to Sparky? Perhaps his one-winged corpse should be preserved and mounted at some public place as a reminder that, whatever their benefits, turbines represent, alas, an abiding threat to flying birds.  

Opportunity beckons to study Nightjars, Woodlarks and Dartford Warblers - and to be paid for your research

At repose - a family of nightjars

THE RSPB is currently seeking to recruit four birders to study three key heathland species -  Nightjar, Woodlark and Dartford Warbler.

These are six-month posts that will run from early February 2005 to the end of July 2025.

The pay will be the equivalent of between £12, 445 and £13,160.

What is involved?

Says a society spokesperson: "These are research assistant posts which require experience of conducting fieldwork on lowland heathland, moorland and in conifer plantations, by 1km-square. 

"The post holders should have a good knowledge of the ecology of Nightjars, Woodlarks and Dartford Warblers and should be able to ensure the smooth running of the surveys by dealing diplomatically with all interested parties. 

"Fieldwork will involve long and unsociable hours in the field at priority sites and will be physically demanding over the contract period. 

"Extensive travel to different sites may also be required.

"Applicants must be able to regularly travel to, from and within remote locations not served by public transport. 

"If work from a home base is not possible the post holder will be responsible for finding their own accommodation, though the RSPB will be able to contribute towards costs.

"The precise locations have not been revealed, but they are mainly in southern England."

The surveys will follow the standard national survey methods for each species, with the following survey periods for each species: 

* Woodlark - mid February to late May (two visits to each square)

* Dartford Warbler - early April to late June (two  visits)

* Nightjar - June and July (two visits). 

The fieldwork will include a combination of early mornings, and survey work around dawn and dusk.

What qualifications are required?

Preferably the following:

* Expected to have a degree or equivalent experience.

* Demonstrable specialist knowledge in relevant taxonomic groups appropriate to the post.

Knowledge of conservation issues and scientific principles.

* Knowledge of, and adherence to, legal and practical requirements for ensuring own health and safety, sometimes in challenging field conditions.

* Demonstrable, specialist identification and practical field skills appropriate to the post.

* Ability to use own initiative to solve day-to-day problems in the field

* Ability to be self-motivated and work efficiently within a defined work plan.

* Practical scientific skills of a standard that provides the highest quality data

* Demonstrable experience of relevant research or survey techniques - desirable

* Skilled use of Microsoft Office - desirable

* Knowledge of conservation issues and practice, and conservation science - Desirable

The closing date for applications is December 3, and the RSPB is looking to conduct interviews for this position from  December 9 2024. 

For further information, contact andrew.stanbury@rspb.org.uk; fiona.burns@rspb.org.uk; or simon.wotton@rspb.org.uk.

* Illustrations: The Birds of Great Britain by John Gould

Dartford Warblers

                                               

Woodlarks

                                 

                                          

What impact - if any - will discharge of 'contaminated' chemical have on welfare of wildlife off Norfolk Coast?

At risk from contaminated chemical dumped in North Sea? A Great Northern Diver 

CONSERVATION groups have so far been silent on the dumping off the Norfolk Coast of a potentially harmful chemical.

The 20,000-tonne load of ammonium nitrate was reportedly en route from Kandalaksha in Russia to an unnamed African country when its carrier, the merchant ship, Ruby, sustained damage to propellor, rudder and hull.

Because some of the cargo was deemed to be 'contaminated', the vessel was turned away from potential repair havens on the coasts of Norway and Lithuania.

But, in Britain, Peel Ports agreed to allow temporary refuge  in Great Yarmouth's outer harbour  on October 28.

Thereafter, Ruby sailed out beyond 12 miles to international waters where, it has been claimed, much of the cargo was discharged into the North Sea.

Ammonium nitrate is commonly used a fertiliser on farmland, but its presence in the sea risks causing  harm to marine life at both ends of the food chain and all points in between.

At this time of year, the East Coast is home to hundreds of thousands of divers, grebes, waterfowl and shorebirds whose welfare may  have been put at risk.

No details have been released about the nature and extent of the 'contamination' of the chemical. 

The episode has prompted an  angry response from both Great Yarmouth Council and Norfolk County Council, neither of which believed the Ruby should have been allowed access to a British port.

But Peel Ports insist their staff are well qualified to handle hazardous materials, and their actions were  approved by both the Health and Safety Executive and the Department of Transport.

According to the DoT, ammonium nitrate is not a "persistent chemical"  and, in the sea,  will dissipate with no lasting impact.

It is understood the remainder of the cargo is this weekend being transferred to another vessel before being conveyed to its intended destination in Africa.

                                                                                       

Great Yamouth outer harbour - where the stricken ship is currently berthed (photo: Environment Agency via Wikimedia Commons) 

The Wryneck says: It is mystifying  that there has been not so much as a hint of concern about this episode from organisations such as Natural England, Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the RSPB. How can they stay silent when 'contaminated' chemicals are apparently discharged into such precious marine habitat? There are globally applicable  rules about 'distressed' cargoes and what can legally be dumped at sea. If they are not already doing so, the international maritime authorities should also investigate without delay.

Stuffed and unloved. Bearded tit went unsold at auction in North Yorkshire town. Who can surmise why?

          

This sad-looking Bearded Tit, mounted in a glass dome, went unsold at an auction staged yesterday by Tennants at their saleroom in Leyburn in North Yorkshire. Prior to the event, it was estimated that it would fetch between £80 and £120. 

                               

Book publishers likely to take a hit when RSPB starts closing some of its reserve shops early next year

                                                       

BOOK publishers will soon be lamenting the RSPB's decision to start closing shops at some of its nature reserves early in the New Year.

The shops have long been an important outlet for titles about nature and  wildlife - particularly ornithology.

They are sold alongside binoculars and other optical equipment, outdoor clothing, greeting cards, nestboxes and birdfood.

The society says the initiative is prompted by financial consideration as its income struggles to keep up with costs.  

One of  the first reserve shops to close, probably in January, will be at RSPB Rainham Marsh on the outskirts of  London.

Others earmarked for January closure include

* Loch Garten Nature Reserve, Abernethy, Scotland

* RSPB Newport Wetlands, Newport, Wales 

* RSPB Dungeness, Kent, England 

* RSPB Fairhaven Lake, Lancashire, England 

Shops at what the society calls its 'flagship' reserves - such as Minsmere in Suffolk  and Titchwell in Norfolk - are likely to be spared, but there could be further closures later in 2025 and beyond.

Other RSPB reserves where there are 'at risk' shops include:

* Bempton Cliffs

* Conwy

* Fairburn Ings

* Lake Vyrnwy

* Leighton Moss

* Loch Leven

* Lochwinnoch

* Old Moor

* Pulborough Brooks

* Saltholme

* South Stack Cliffs 

* The Lodge

Says a spokesperson: "The economy has not been in the best of shape in recent years. 

"Every one of us is feeling the cost-of-living crisis and inflationary pressure, and many people are having to make difficult decisions in their day-to-day lives to make ends meet.

"This situation also impacts the RSPB, and indeed many in our sector, in several ways, including increasing cost pressures as suppliers put up prices and rising energy costs across our large estate. 

"Our income is growing but not fast enough to keep up with rising costs. 

"We have therefore been looking at our reserve networks a to make sure that what we are doing in these places makes sense financially."

                                      

What a great selection - above and below the titles on sale (but not for much longer) at the Abernethy reserve

                                            

Above and below - the shop at the RSPB's HQ at the Lodge in Sandy and some of the books currently on offer

The Wryneck says: For many visitors to its reserves, buying a book or two is as much as part of the recreational experience as  watching the birds. Properly run, the shops should not be a drain on resources but a means of generating precious income.  But they have probably never been promoted and publicised with sufficient energy and imagination. Why, for instance, could the RSPB not organise author events such as book-signing sessions? If the RSPB cannot make a go of things, it should commission another party to operate the shops on its behalf. Just to close them is like throwing in the towel without putting up a fight. Its members and supporters surely expect much better.

Remembering Eric Morecambe - a man who made us laugh and who loved watching birds, one species in particular

 

The bird that captivated Eric Morecambe - this painting graced a wall in one of the rooms at his Hertfordshire home (photo: Hansons)

ERIC Morecambe’s daughter, Gail, has revealed the favourite bird of her late father:  the Great Crested Grebe.

Morecambe, who died aged 58 in 1984, is most remembered as one half of the Morecambe and Wise comedy partnership which was an enduring success for many years.

The many shows on TV enjoyed huge viewing figures. Avid watchers  included the late Queen, Prince Philip and Margaret Thatcher.

But away from showbiz, Morecambe’s passions included fishing and birdwatching - particularly the latter.

His eyes (and ears) was always alert for  Kingfishers, Sedge Warblers, Reed Buntings and unusual species of duck.

"But it was the Great Crested Grebe that was his favourite," says Gail Stuart who lives in Northamptonshire.

An aquatint study of one such bird, which hung on the wall in one of the rooms of his home in Hertfordshire, will go under the hammer in a two-day sale of Morecambe’s possessions at an auction to be conducted by Hansons at  their salesroom in Etwall in Derbyshire on January 10-11 next year.

                                            

Eric Morecambe (right) with his birdwatching buddy, the artist, Gordon Beningfield (photo: Hansons)  

                                                                     

Aren't birds really just little humans in feather coats? How RSPB is 'reaching out' to teens via TikTok

Trivialisatyion? A Sparrowhawk gets the TikTok treatment 

                                        

IN its determination to move with the times, the RSPB is now stepping up its production of short-video clips to be posted on TikTok, the social media channel beloved of teenagers and pre-teens.

The Bedfordshire-based organisation is aware that its image is less than vibrant - not to say a trifle stodgy -  among under-20s, and it is determined to keep 'reaching out' to a more youthful section of society.

Says a spokesperson: "TikTok is the fastest growing social platform in the world, with a global membership of over one billion.

"We recognise the opportunity with this new role to grow our brand and reach new and diverse audiences!"

The society now has at least one officer on a salary of £33,000-plus per annum whose responsibility is firstly to develop short-form video which gets "impactful results" and secondly to recruit volunteers to do likewise.

Isn't this just jumping - at unnecessary expense - on the latest social media bandwagon?

Not so, says the RSPB which insists the initiative will benefit its "strategic objectives and communication plans".

Below are some images reflecting how the RSPB seeks to 'engage' a young audience in its ongoing efforts to promote bird conservation.

Whether it will prove effective remains to be seen.

                                        

                                                

The Wryneck says: Fun - and funny? Or puerile trivialisation? Hats off to RSPB for trying, but it is hard to think that posting frivolous videos on TikTok will coax many young people into a long-lasting interest in birds or into becoming crusaders for their conservation. But who knows? The initiative might be a roaring success. Only time will tell.

They should know better! Author's rap for birders who disturbed colony of nesting Little Terns on Yorkshire Coast

 

Fascinating insights - Richard Boon's delightful new book

A SOMEWHAT surprising (and dismaying)  statistic is detailed in Richard Boon's absorbing account of a summer spent as a shorebird warden near Spurn on the Yorkshire Coast.

It was birdwatchers and photographers who proved to be among the highest number of those causing disturbance to a colony of a small but important colony of shingle-nesting Little Terns.

The number was 17 - way below the 49 recorded for dog disruption - but significantly higher than that, for instance, of off-road vehicles or horse riding (both five).

Boon confesses that he finds it not easy to forgive "birders and photographers who get too close and are seemingly oblivious to the alarm calls of the birds they have flushed". 

He says: "They should know better."

At this point, it needs to be stressed that Clinging to The Edge is not a preachy or self-righteous book.

It is a crisply-written and often amusing account of the numerous challenges that the author and his fellow wardens had to overcome to safeguard these tiny, enchanting and incredibly vulnerable seabirds.

Diligence, stamina and ingenuity were the watchwords. 

Methods explored for keeping at bay  predators - raptors, mammals and reptiles - included the use of lions' dung, sonic alarms, fake predator eyes, air horns and tying rags to long bamboo canes, then waving them furiously at any approaching kestrel or sparrowhawk.

In the final analysis, however, it was the electric fence that proved most effective, albeit that it was time-consuming and complicated to maintain.

At just 134 pages, this is not a long book but it is packed with fascinating information both about the breeding behaviour of the terns and also about the daily trials and tribulations (and rewards) of being a shorebird warden.

Subtitled A Year in The Life of a Little Tern Colony, this entertaining (and amply-illustrated) paperback is published by Pelagic  (www.pelagicpublishing.com) at £25. 

An 'intimate relationship' - Jeff Ollerton's book explores the longstanding interaction between birds and flowers

 

HUMMINGBIRDS, and the balletic ways in which they feed on flowers, are familiar to most nature enthusiasts.

But they belong to just one of at least 74 bird families that are known, or suspected, to be pollinators.

Relationships between plants and birds first emerged at least 50 million years ago and over time have influenced the evolution of both groups.

This groundbreaking book by Sunderland ecology scientist and all-round naturalist Jeff Ollerton is the first to deal with pollinating birds in all their diversity, involving almost 1,390 avian species interacting with tens of thousands of different plants. 

It  explores these interactions in all their evolutionary and ecological significance. 

Pollinating birds have intricate lives that are often highly dependent on flowers, and the plants themselves are at the whim of birds for their reproduction. 

This makes them important players within many ecosystems, including tropical rainforests, dry grasslands, temperate woodlands, coastal mangroves and oceanic islands.

Bird–flower relationships are threatened by disease, habitat destruction and climate change. 

Some of the birds are already extinct. 

Yet there are optimistic stories to be told about conservation and restoration projects that reveal the commitment of people to preserving these vital ecological connections. 

In addition, as a source of cultural inspiration with a history stretching back millennia, pollinating birds and their flowers are part of the ongoing relationship between humanity and the rest of nature.

Birds & Flowers is published by Pelagic Publishing (  https://pelagicpublishing.com/ ) at £19.99.

That's it, then! Tragically, the Slender-billed Curlew has gone the same way as the Great Auk - and that's official

 Gone forever! This is  a painting of the bird from John Gould's Birds of Europe (1837) 

IT looks like the birding world has now, sadly,  given up on the Slender-billed Curlew.

The last example of this migratory species was recorded in a photograph taken at Merja Zerga in Morocco in 1995.

Since then, despite extensive and intensive searches - particularly in its traditional bogland breeding habitat in southern Russia and northern Kazakhstan - there have been no incontrovertible sightings.

The RSPB, the British Ornithologists' Union and the rest of the global birding community has therefore, with reluctance, decided to declare the bird globally extinct.

Since the 1500s, other British and European species have suffered the same fate - notably the Great Auk on an island off Iceland  in 1844.

Another European 'gonna' has been the Canary Islands Oystercatcher which was declared extinct in 1994, not having been since the 1940s.

But these two were largely island species, while the Slender-billed Curlew used to be found across the European mainland.

Historically, there have  been a handful of reported 'sightings' in Britain, though contemporary experts have discounted them as unreliable. The bird no longer features on the British List.

What have  been the reasons for the species spiral into extinction?

Pressures are likely to have included extensive drainage of boglands for agricultural use, the loss of coastal wetland habitat where it used to spend winter and, even when it was known to be endangered, hunting.

Pollution, disease, predation, and climate change may have also been factors.

Says the RSPB's Nicola Crockford: "This is one of the most fundamentally devastating stories to come out of nature conservation in a century.

"It gets to the very heart of why the RSPB and our partners  are doing what we do; that is, ultimately, to prevent extinction of species. 

"This is the first known global extinction of a bird from mainland Europe, North Africa and West Asia.

"This has happened in our lifetimes. 

"How can we expect countries beyond Europe to step up for their species when our comparatively wealthy countries have failed?"

A slightly larger cousin of the bird is the Eurasian Curlew which, at this time of year, is often to be seen  feeding on the mudflats and in the saltmarshes of Cleethorpes and Grimsby, sometimes venturing on to school playing fields later in winter.

But this species, too, is in serious decline. 

If we are not careful, it, could also be lost.

RSPB insists cost-cutting at its reserves will enable it to "remain strong and viable" in troubled times

                                                                   

Welcome to Loch Garten - but will the welcome be so warm after the New Year cutbacks?

          

In the wake of recent reports in The Wryneck, the RSPB has now confirmed that cuts are to be made at its network of 220-plus nature reserves, among them those at Abernethy/ Loch Garten (of Osprey fame) and Rainham Marshes - a favourite with Londoners (and actress Alison  Steadman). Neither will close but they are to lose their shops/ cafes early in the New Year. As it seeks to reduce costs, the society has identified five other target sites where facilities will be reduced or which might be offloaded altogether. The RSPB's statement is below. 

Like any responsible charity, we are always trying to make sure that the money that we receive from our generous members and supporters is spent in the best possible way to help nature.

The economy has not been in the best of shape in recent years. 

Every one of us is feeling the cost-of-living crisis and inflationary pressure, and many people are having to make difficult decisions in their day-to-day lives to make ends meet.

This situation also impacts the RSPB, and indeed many in our sector, in several ways, including increasing cost pressures as suppliers put up prices and rising energy costs across our large estate. 

Our income is growing but not fast enough to keep up with rising costs. 

To give a sense of this, it took £150 million to deliver our work two years ago. 

Today that same work will cost us £165 million, a 10 per cent cost rise.

And so, to ensure our longer-term sustainability, we have completed a comprehensive review of our operations. 

We have looked across the organisation for improvements and efficiencies - from how we do our work to where we buy the things we need to do it.

As our incredible nature reserves and what we deliver for nature on them make up the largest proportion of our financial spend each year, we have also been looking at our reserve network and other small pieces of land that we own or manage to make sure that what we are doing in these places makes sense both in terms of protecting and restoring nature and financially in the longer term. 

Because nature needs us to be at our very best not only for now but way into the future.

Our staff who work on these sites and our incredible volunteers who do so much are the beating heart of what we do. 

But to remain strong and viable we need to make some changes.

To be clear, it does not mean selling off large areas of land to the highest bidder and it does not mean that any of our flagship reserves will disappear.

This work has meant really focusing in on what each site’s unique contribution to our strategy and mission should be. 

At some of our nature reserves, a very small number of facilities are planned for closure or potential change of management. This includes five retail facilities, one cafe, and four visitor centres across a total of seven sites:

Loch Garten Nature Reserve, Abernethy, Scotland - retail facility

RSPB Newport Wetlands, Newport, Wales - retail facility

RSPB Dungeness, Kent, England - retail facility

Flatford Wildlife Garden, Suffolk, England - reviewing options for the future of the reserve during 2025, including potential change of management

RSPB Rye Meads, Hertfordshire, England - reviewing options for the future of the reserve during 2025, including potential change of management

RSPB Fairhaven Lake Visitor Centre, Lancashire, England - retail facility and visitor centre

Rainham Marshes in Essex, England  retail facility and cafe. The future management of the visitor centre will be explored over the next 12 months. The nature reserve will remain open.

At others, we are reducing our work in order to do more elsewhere.

At these sites, totalling less than 1 per cent of our landholding, this will mean working in partnership with other charities, community groups or local councils to find sustainable futures for these places. 

In the coming years, some will focus primarily on maintenance, and others on developing their incredible conservation outcomes.

Our long-term aim is to focus on what we do best and where we can do this most effectively, and we’re continuing to grow the area of land that we manage and conserve for nature year on year.

Strategic acquisitions, particularly to our existing reserves, are critically important to us, so we can provide nature with bigger, more joined-up places to call home. 

Since 2017, we have acquired over 8,500 hectares of new land to restore, from whole new reserves like Sherwood Forest and Glencripesdale in Scotland, through to strategic extensions such as at Blacktoft Sands in Yorkshire and Lakenheath in Suffolk.

The science tells us that nature does better in these larger more ecologically joined-up places and we have a number of exciting and large new acquisitions in the pipeline to be announced in the coming months.

We are also changing the schools visiting scheme on our reserves. 

Our education work has achieved some incredible things over many decades, bringing millions of children closer to nature, helping bring about change within the education system, and providing much-loved resources for teachers.

Young people are incredibly important to us. 

This is why we offer free entry to nature reserves for those aged 16-24 and our Youth Council recently collaborated on the 2024 Youth in Nature Summit, designed to inspire, empower and unite young people and leaders from across the environmental sector.

We have always regularly reviewed and refined our work to ensure it has the most impact, and our latest review of our educational programmes has concluded that our charitable and strategic aims are best delivered through an updated approach.

We will focus our education work on those areas where we can have the greatest impact and where we have a unique role to play. 

We are developing a new approach to education that we believe, over time, will reach even more children and allow them to connect with nature in a much deeper way. 

We will be able to share more details about what this means for the way we continue to welcome schools onto our reserves in 2025.

In the meantime, we remain committed to supporting schools and teachers through activities such as Schools Wild Challenge and Big Schools’ Birdwatch, and through our current digital resources for teachers on our website. 

We are also increasing our work with schools through our new ‘Environment Leaders’ qualification and the development of a teacher CPD programme (Continuing Professional Development) that will build the skills and confidence of many more teachers to support learning in, through, about, and for nature, working in partnership with others.

Change is always challenging. 

Since the RSPB began 135 years ago, we have been working to help create a world where wildlife and people can thrive. 

Today, thanks to the generosity of our members, supporters, partners, funders and volunteers, the RSPB is the UK’s leading charity for nature conservation. 

For this to continue for years to come, we will be even more focused on where this generous support can have the biggest impact - boosting numbers of birds and other wildlife, restoring the vital habitats they need, creating better nature havens for members to visit and bringing more people together who love birds and wildlife and who want to take action to restore the natural world.

We are committed to keeping our members informed about these changes, and we will next update them in the RSPB Magazine in December.

The Wryneck says: It is good that the RSPB has come clean about its intentions albeit with a statement that is mealy-mouthed, patronising and  self-congratulatory. But the fact is that this initiative will be extremely damaging.  Not only do the reserves provide a home for birds and other wildlife, but they showcase the RSPB to members and prospective members alike. To downgrade them can only have a negative effect, not least on the reputation of the society itself. There are 101 other ways in which it can save money, starting with the sale of its HQ in Sandy which is largely empty now that so many of its executive and administrative staff work from home. The society should also take a hard look at its ballooning management costs - especially in areas such as media management and diversity where its work is often not only misguided but also ineffective.

Two paintings by Lincolnshire artist George Lodge set bidders aflutter at weekend auction in Yorkshire

                                           

Star bird - bidding was brisk for this study of a Hobby

TWO original paintings by acclaimed Lincolnshire artist George Lodge (1860-1954) sold for more than expected at a weekend auction in Yorkshire.

First up was his study of a Snipe which fetched £450 compared with a pre-sale estimate of between £250 and £400.

The sale's next lot - his depiction of  a Hobby did even better.

The work had originally been catalogued as a Peregrine until it was amended by auction house Tennants following re-identification by a reporter for The Wryneck.

As with the Snipe, Leyburn-based Tennants had set a pre-sale guide price of between £250 and £400, but it proved to be an underestimate at Saturday morning's auction.

Bidding soared, and it was not until it had reached £1,300 that the hammer fell.

As is customary, the identity of the buyer(s) of the two paintings remains confidential.

                                              

Snipe - the painting sold for above the pre-sale estimate

RSPB set to close cafes and scrap school visits across its 220-plus reserves - starting with Rainham Marshes

                                                           

A view across Rainham Marshes. The site will remain open to the public but the shop and cafe will close  (photo: Romfordian via Wikimedia Commons)

COST-SAVING cuts are to be made at a nature hotspot popular with Londoners.

The RSPB intends to close both the cafe and the shop at its Rainham Marshes reserve in the New Year.

The site - a former Ministry of Defence firing range on the banks of the River Thames - will remain open to the public, but the society also plans to end its programme of school visits and education sessions.

The bird charity has a network of more than 220 nature reserves all of which have been subject to what it calls a "re-categorisation" exercise.

Many other reserves face similar cuts with  the jobs of some wardens and their assistants thought to be at risk. 

In the short term,  the shops at both Dungeness in Kent and Fairhaven Lake in Lancashire have also been slated for closure. 

If takers can be found, at least two reserves -  Rye Meads in Hertfordshire and Flatford Wildlife Gardens in Essex - are likely to be disposed of.

The society, which posted a record £170-million income in 2023-24, says: "The global and domestic financial pressures of the past two years have had an ongoing impact on our finances.

"As a charity, it is essential that we generate income to fund our work. 

"We cannot afford to subsidise loss-making facilities at the expense of our important charitable and strategic aims.

"Change of course is always challenging. 

"Since the RSPB began 135 years ago, we have been working to help create a world where wildlife and people can thrive. 

"As a responsible and prudent charity, we monitor the external environment closely, and, for the RSPB to continue to tackle the nature and climate emergency, we need to be able to adapt and evolve to the ever-changing external environment around us."

The RSPB wants to get shot of its reserve at Rye Meads in Hertfordshire (photo: RSPB)

                                                 

The RSPB will soon close its shop at Fairhaven Lake on the Ribble Estuary in Lancashire (photo: RSPB)

Not the full set - but rare opportunity beckons to bid for 122 volumes in New Naturalist series

 

BIDDING could be lively when 122 volumes from the Collins New Naturalist series go under the hammer later this month.

Yorkshire-based auction house Tennants estimates the hammer will fall at somewhere between £300 and £500.

It is not a complete run, and there are some duplicates.

Some prospective bidders might also be put off by price-clipped jackets on at least 14, with ink ownership inscriptions or ex-libris labels in others.

However, between them, they carry a wealth of wildlife knowledge, particularly on matters ornithological.

Online bidding is now open for Lot 83 in advance of the sale which will be held at the auction rooms at Leyburn in North Yorkshire at 10.30am on November 27.