After 10 years' service, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust calls time on its all-terrain Spurn wildlife safari vehicle

                                                                

Expensive to repair - the Spurn peninsula 'Unimog' (photo YWT)

IT is the end of the road for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's 'Unimog'.

Over the past 10 years, the 16-seater  all-terrain vehicle has been used for  three-hour long Spurn Safaris. 

But, alas, no longer.

The trust has issued the following statement: "Very sadly, it is no longer viable for us, as a wildlife charity prioritising nature’s recovery, to keep up with an increasing number of repairs to the aged vehicle. 

"This means we have decided to pause our Spurn Safari trips and the Unimog will no longer be in use at Spurn. 

"The Unimog has had a fantastic final summer season and we will be very sorry to see her go." 

The statement continues: "It is the best time to make this difficult decision  as we head into more challenging seasonal weather conditions, an ever-changing beach and a quieter season.

"We are now researching other ways to transport visitors safely and sustainably along the beach three miles to the end of Spurn and lighthouse to ensure we give visitors an amazing wildlife experience on our beautiful nature reserve."

It adds: "We would also welcome discussions with partners or transport organisations and businesses whose values align with ours and who would be interested in working with us."                               

Wotalotabirds! Fantastic views of waders in flight were sometimes to be seen from the 'Unimog'. (Full disclosure: this photograph was snapped in Cleethorpes on the Lincolnshire  side of Spurn  peninsula and the Humber Estuary

New editor of British Birds journal is experienced ornithologist and chair of Spurn Bird Observatory

 

Sarah - graduate of  Aberystwyth University 

IT'S good luck to Sarah Harris who has taken over as editor and content manager of  British Birds journal.

She is replacing Stephen Menzie who has stepped down after almost five years as editor.

Sarah is well-known in the birding world not least because she is chairperson and one of three directors at  Spurn Bird Observatory.

A graduate of Aberystwyth University with a degree in Countryside Conservation, her varied career has also involved being a seabird monitoring programme organiser with the BTO.

Previously, she has also worked variously as RSPB white-tailed eagle officer on Skye, as assistant warden on  the islands of Skomer and Skokholm for the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales and as ornithological warden on the Calf of Man for the Manx Wildlife Trust.

Sarah's interests include witnessing and recording bird migration, bird ringing, supporting the work of bird observatories, patch birding in the Brecks, sea-watching, moth recording and travel, both home and overseas.

She also  also enjoys mountain biking, yachting, power-boating, yoga, gardening and keeping a large freshwater aquarium.

Meanwhile, her predecessor has described stepping down from the British Birds editor's chair as "a tough decision".  

He will stay involved with the organisation through his membership of the rarities committee.                                   

Established in 1907, the monthly journal is still going strong 

On the lookout for divers - the new British Birds editor

Natural England releases updated map on progress of King Charles III England Coast Path Trail

                                                       

Birder behaving badly! Twitcher under fire for seeking to flush rare Pechora Pipit from undergrowth

Pechora Pipit - species that likes to skulk (photo: Wikimedia commons)

A TWITCHER who allegedly sought to flush a rare bird has been rapped on social media.

The incident is reported to have occurred at Trow Quarry, South Shields in Co Durham, where a mega-rare Pechora Pipit turned up earlier this week.

This is a shy bird which is usually difficult to photograph because of its propensity to skulk low in vegetation.

For most of the the scores of birders waiting to snatch a glimpse - and preferably a photo - patience was the watchword.

But one broke ranks and allegedly walked into the undergrowth with the sole intention of flushing the bird into view.

In response, one birder posted on X:  "This sort of thing gets all birders and bird photographers a bad name."

The bird, which hails from the banks of the Pechora River in Siberia, is believed to be the first confirmed record on  mainland Britain since November, 2007, when one was seen, following days of heavy rainfall, near Goodwick in Pembrokeshire.

That Welsh bird was seen by many birders, the last sighting being some four days after it had arrived as it flew off in a south-westerly direction.

An account of the sighting subsequently appeared the following 12 months later in the Welsh Ornithological Society's publication Scarce and Rare Birds in Wales 2007.

                                          

The 2007 Pembrokeshire bird was a new species for Wales

It is believed the species was first recorded by English ornithologist Robert Swinhoe (1837-77) who spent much of his life in China as a career ornithologist and  naturalist.  

He encouraged like-minded compatriots to support his ornithological research and was intrigued when one of his team sent him a corpse of  a Pechora Pipit which had apparently been picked up dead near the base of a lighthouse.

Because of its secretive habitats, the Pechora is probably often overlooked or mistaken for confusion species such as  Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit or Red-throated Pipit.

An authoritative report on how to differentiate the species from its cousins was compiled by C. D. R. Heard and G. Walbridge and published in British Birds journal in September, 1988.

                                        

RSPB praised in House of Commons for its Howgill Beck river restoration project in north Cumbria

                                                

Award winner: RSPB Geltsdale

LABOUR MP Julie Minns has praised RSPB Geltsdale  which sits within her Carlisle constituency

During a Commons debate, she told colleagues: "I recommend  Members a visit to my beautiful constituency of Carlisle and north Cumbria - in particular to RSPB Geltsdale where they will see the award-winning Howgill Beck restoration project, which has won the UK river prize. 

"It is a fantastic restoration project that has restored the wetlands, and native species have returned to the environment. It is a stunning part of north Cumbria.

"The  RSPB and all its partners should be congratulated on this wonderful project."

                                         

Julia Minns - away from Westminster she enjoys walking and swimming (at dawn!) in Ullswater

Resort's coastal ranger in timely plea to dog-owners: Please spare a thought for our shorebirds

                                 

Black on black - dog has designs  on this carrion crow

A COASTAL ranger and wildlife officer has appealed to dog-owners not to allow their pets to run at the flocks of shorebirds that spend autumn and winter on the estuary, beach and saltmarsh in Cleethorpes, northern Lincolnshire.

Says Josh Forrester: "I routinely monitor recreational disturbance along our coast and have unfortunately witnessed recent incidents where scores of birds were being chased."

The Humber Estuary is a Special Protection Area and home to species such as curlew, redshank and knot which are all in decline.

Although they are seldom caught by canines, disturbance reduces their feeding time and depletes their energy.

In fairness, most dog-owners are responsible. They know that  disturbing birds  - preventing them from feeding or roosting, or causing them to take flight - is a criminal offence and can lead to prosecution under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations.

Water-sports enthusiasts, such as jet-skiers and paddleboard-users, are are also urged to stay away from the saltmarsh and sand banks - especially areas accommodating  large congregations of birds.

The memo also applies to birders who sometimes approach too close in their eagerness to snatch close-up photographs.

                                  

Danger beckons - the shorebirds in the foreground doubtless know it will soon be their turn to be chased

A handsome beast - but dogs off the lead spell danger for saltmarsh birds such as egrets, redshank and snipe 

                              

Sacked Government minister Lucy Powell is member of RSPB - and son is 'bit of a keen twitcher'

                                         

Lucy Powell - frontline politician who likes birds

IT has emerged that a Cabinet minister sacked earlier this month by the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is a member of the RSPB.

Lucy Powell had been Leader of The Commons until, much to her disgruntlement, she was shown the door by the PM.

Mother-of-three Ms Powell has represented the Manchester Central constituency since 2012 and is a supporter of Manchester City FC.

In a debate back in spring, she revealed her ornithological credentials when she said:  "I am a member of the RSPB, in part because my son is a bit of a keen twitcher."

Ms Powell is currently favourite to become the next Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, following the resignation, also earlier this month, of Angela Rayner.

Four-hour twitch: River Tweed footpath walk from Melrose to Abbotsford and back

Idyllic - the River Tweed and surrounding countryside 

    

Date: August 27, 2025

Time: 9.30am - 1.30 pm

Weather: Sunny and warm

Target species: Common Sandpiper

Star species seen: Osprey

Other species seen/ heard:

* Wood Pigeon

* Cormorant

* Mallard

* Goosander

* Heron

* Black-headed Gull

* Lesser Black-backed Gull

* Herring Gull

* Nuthatch

* Treecreeper

* Nuthatch

* Great Spotted Woodpecker

* Swallow

* Housemartin

* Willow Warbler

* Blue Tit

* Great Tit

* Coal Tit

* Blackbird

* Carrion Crow

* Grey Wagtail

* Buzzard

* Kingfisher

* Robin

* Chaffinch

The enchanting town of Melrose - starting point for the walk

Black-headed Gull in non-breeding plumage

                                                          

Abbotsford - home to Sir Walter Scott, author of Ivanhoe and other great novels 

Herring Gull

Treecreeper on silver birch tree

An Osprey passes overhead

Grey Wagtail - plentiful and conspicuous

Great Spotted Woodpecker on lookout perch

Speckled Wood butterfly

Family of Goosander

                                                              

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Flypast of two Herons - a common species on this stretch of the Tweed and not much loved by anglers

Shall I go or shall I stay? Kingfisher ponders its next move

Bumper week for Phalarope species with almost 450 individual birds logged across Britain and Ireland

 

One of two Grey Phalaropes that has spent most of this week at Anglian Water's Covenham Reservoir, near Louth in Lincolnshire  

This has been a bumper week for Grey Phalaropes with now fewer than  440 individuals logged at various British and Irish waters.

The biggest count is believed to have been the 60 reported on a single day at Brandon Point in Co Kerry.

The birds are believed to have been blown off course by recent strong westerlies on their southerly migration down the Atlantic.

One bird, alas, died after colliding with overhead power lines in Childswickham in Worcestershire.

Over the same period, there have also been sightings of nine Red-necked Phalaropes in England including two at RSPB Titchwell in Norfolk  where one perished apparently after having being snatched by a passing Hobby.  

      

Well camouflaged - in autumn plumage, phalaropes can be tricky to spot as they hunt for insects in choppy waters 

RSPB keen to step up fight against racism with appointment of £35,000-per-annum 'race equity' officer

                               

RSPB's HQ in Bedfordshire - the society is eager to encourage 'more ethnic diverse people to act for nature'

A SALARY of up to £35,259 per annum is on offer for a candidate who applies successfully to join the RSPB's anti-racism taskforce.

The closing date for applications is midnight next Friday September 26.

In these changing times,  the RSPB is not just about protecting birds, it is also about social engineering - in other words, encouraging  more non-white people to become involved with nature.

Says a spokesperson for the society: "This is a key role working alongside our senior programme manager and senior race equity specialist to shape our ways of working to enable more and more ethnic diverse people to act for nature."

The post is for 10 months only, with interviews being held from October 15.

For further information, contact the RSPB's Equity, Diversion and Inclusion unit at  edi@rspb.org.uk

BTO reveals programme of presentations for its 2026 annual conference in Northampton

Bird of mystery - Nightjar in flight

The BTO has today announced its programme for next year's  annual conference to be held at the Mercure Hotel in Northampton on Saturday February 28.The proposed talk by Greg Conway on Nightjar ecology promises to be one of many highlights.

Could bright-blue plastic bags safeguard young livestock from predatory threat of White-tailed Eagles?

 

Some farmers fear White-tailed eagles pose threat to new-born lambs and Shetland ponies

Letter in the Sunday Telegraph (September 7, 2025)

What future the welfare of wildlife as Wycombe MP Emma Reynolds takes over as Environment supremo?

                                                

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. 

15-minute twitch: Grounds of Waverley Castle Hotel, near Melrose, Scottish Borders

 

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 

The delightful grounds include their own small apple orchard

Statue of Sir Walter Scott, celebrated novelist who spent most of his life in the area

                                                                                   

Giant Redwood - specimen tree imported many years ago from California

Coal Tit in quest for something to eat

Expansive lawns are a feature of the grounds

                                                                            

This Nuthatch made its presence felt by calling persistently

Juvenile Robin on high alert

Five Shetland pony foals mysteriously disappear - were they taken as prey by Sea Eagles?

 

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