Are Scotland's White-tailed Eagles gobbling up lambs? New tagging project could help answer the question

                                                          

This time a fish - next time a lamb? Photo of White-tailed Eagle: NatureScot

 A TOTAL of 35 satellite tags are to be attached to juvenile White-tailed Eagles as part of a forthcoming project to establish the extent to which the birds prey on young farm livestock.

The initiative has been sparked by angry (but possibly exaggerated)  claims from farmers and crofters in Scotland that their lambs, and even foals, are falling victim to beak and claw.

Says NatureScot; "We are providing funding for the satellite tags for this collaborative research project, which will bring together a broad team of experts to assess predation.

"The transmitter tags will improve understanding of the movements and behaviour of adult and juvenile White-tailed and how they interact with their habitat and other creatures within it."

Over the next two years, the eagle chicks will be tagged when they are about eight weeks old. 

By then, they are full-sized and getting ready to fledge from 10 weeks of age on. 

Target ranges for tagging will be within Argyllshire, The Highlands and the Western Isles.

In Scotland, there are reckoned to be about 200 pairs of White-tailed Eagles.

Farm managers who are comfortable hosting trapping work on their land may be encouraged collaborate with this work.

The research project is a partnership between NatureScot, RSPB, Scotland’s Rural College SRUC, Natural Research Ltd, and a collective of independent ornithologists.

The costs are being shared, and there will be policy input from NFU Scotland and the Scottish Crofting Federation. 

It is hoped the project will also help to indicate how White-tailed Eagles interact with windfarms.

The research group will report periodically to the National Sea Eagle Stakeholder Group, while NatureScot has pledged to provide  updates on its website.

Bygone birding: Edmund Selous reflects on the piratical hunting method of the Arctic Skua

                                                            

Ornithologist Edmund Selous was fascinated by the feeding behaviour of  the Arctic Skua. In his book, Bird Watching (1901), he describes it thus:

Suddenly a dusky form, slender and Swallow-like, though as large as a Pigeon, shoots over the rounded bastion of the heather.

Sweeping upwards as it nears the cliffs, it darts upon one of a group of  gulls. 

A second pirate follows. 

With wild cries and long, gliding sweeps, they press and harass the larger bird, who, doubling, twisting, avoiding, dodging, but never resisting, utters again and again a cry of distress. 

Its companions sweep and eddy about them, shooting athwart and between. 

They protest, they cry to heaven, their wild voices mingle in harsh, discordant unison with the rock-dash of the waves, and the everlasting notes of the wind. 

Suddenly something drops from the oppressed gull. 

There is a sinking towards it of one of the dark shadows - swift beyond telling, but so soft that the speed is not realised.

The falling object is lost from view but then, almost with a jerk, the eye - or rather the brain -  realises that it has been caught in the descent. 

Empty, and now unregarded, the robbed bird sweeps on, and the pirates sweep back to the heather.

Who troubles over a robbed gull? What moral nemesis concerns itself with the wrongs of some cheated, done-to-death savage or tribe of savages? 

Over both, there is some shrieking, some eloquence at the time, but both are soon lost in oblivion, the waves close over and the world jogs on.

Retribution, retributive justice - such fine things may exist, perhaps, but, if so, they are reserved  for showier matters. 

Had the Skuas robbed an Albatross, something, perhaps, would have happened.

Their sin might have found them out 

Thus closes one of nature's wild dramas. The gulls are circling again now, and all is as before.

Scarce ground-nesting birds in peril as wildfire sweeps through the Cairngorms for a third day

No smoke without fire - scene in the Cairngorms

                                           

THERE are fears for the fate of rare Capercaillies and other birds as wildfire continue to sweep through an area where they are known to nest in the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands.

The RSPB has temporarily closed the nature centre at its Loch Garden nature reserve, near Aviemore, as the fire burns for the third day in succession.

The society's rangers are supporting the Scottish Fire & Rescue Services as they continue to respond to the emergency.

The RSPB has also been allowing use of one of its drone to monitor the spread of the flames.

Birders, walkers and others are being urged to stay away from the area until the situation is fully under control.

* Photos: Scottish Fire & Rescue Service. 

                                              

Water being pumped from Loch Morlich

Sad fate of a pair of Capercaillies - stuffed and soon to be sold at forthcoming auction in Yorkshire

                                                           

Given its declining status in the wild, especially in Scotland, there is something disquieting about this pair of stuffed Capercaillies currently to be viewed on the premises of  Tennants auctioneers in Leyburn, North Yorkshire ahead of a sale on August 5. The pre-sale estimate is that the hammer will fall at somewhere between £600 and £800. Sad to see but there are many more stuffed birds in the sale including (see below) Hoopoe (guide price: £250-£50), Roller (£120-£180), Bewick's Swan (£350-£400) and Gyr Falcon (£600-£800). 

                                             

                                         

                                           

                                                   

Stand by for autumn publication of another book - yes, another one - about the demise of the Great Auk

                                                  

Projected to be "a pivotal primary source in extinction science", this book is due to be published at £24.99 in  paperback in November. Derbyshire-born John Wolley (1823-1859) was a notable ornithologist who had a special interest in the Great Auk.

On song! Bumper price paid at auction for Charles Darwin letter about Nightingale migration

                                                               

A LETTER in which Charles Darwin inquires about Nightingale migration has this month sold at a London auction for an astonishing £22,860.

The sum is way higher than the pre-sale estimate of auction house Christie's that it would fetch  between £4,000 and £6,000.

Written from Beckenham in Kent, in May 1869, the three-page letter is addressed to ornithologist John Jenner Weir (1822-94) with whom Darwin (1804-81, author  of Origin of Species,  regularly corresponded about his sightings.

It includes a reference to a Darwin associate and collaborator, John Gould, also a notable author as well as being an illustrator 

A section reads: "'Mr Gould told me that male nightingales immigrate before the females; and that he had ascertained this was the case with the snipe and he believed that it was general with migratory birds.

" There is a man in or near Brighton, who sometimes writes in the Ibis, and who I imagine may be a bird-stuffer, and who seems to have paid special attention to migratory birds.

"I fear that the migratory birds are not largely caught by the bird-catchers, and the South coast would be the best place for observation."

According to a note in the Christie's sale catalogue, Darwin was "particularly interested in the role of migratory birds in dispersing plant and animal species over long distances."

The vendor of the framed letter is believed to have been a Japanese collector, but it is not known who bought it and whether it will remain in this country.

Saved from extinction? A brighter future beckons for Switzerland's rare Corncrakes - or does it?

                                                       

Corncrakes need herbaceous vegetation that provides good cover, but allows passage through  the ground, such as this nettle thicket. Photo: Lucas Lombardo, BirdLife Switzerland

 

There is some good news from Switzerland on determined efforts to ensure a future for the country's  small population of  breeding Corncrakes where the species has long suffered from the same challenges as in Britain. Birdlife Suisse (which has 72,000 members) has issued the following press release. 

It is 11 pm somewhere in the mountains of Graubünden. 

Silence.

Then then, suddenly, the characteristic crex-crex call. 

Hearing this in Switzerland has become very rare. However, it was once omnipresent: just a few decades ago, the "song" of the Corncrake was part of the balmy early summer nights on the Swiss Plateau. 

A century ago, people complained that they could not sleep because of the noise of the many Corncrakes. 

Today, in Switzerland his cries hardly resonate at all.

When BirdLife Switzerland launched it in 1996, its starting point was to save the Corncrake from extinction.

The project seems to be paying off. Last year, newly protected sites achieved 17 successful broods.

The field staff of BirdLife Switzerland spend nights searching (and listening) for singing males, certain farms have adjusted their crop-mowing dates and  cantons have provided finance for on-site protection.

"Without this partnership, the protection of Corncrake broods in Switzerland would not be possible," says Lucas Lombardo, project manager at BirdLife Switzerland.

All but gone from the country's plateau meadows, Switzerland's Corncrakes are now all but confined to sites 1000m above sea level

Graubünden has become the main refuge area, with around 50 per cent of all sightings. 

Corncrake nesting requires at least eight weeks of unmowed meadow - a period generally incompatible with current farm practices. Hence the need for protected zones.

Continues Lucas: "We are celebrating 30 years, but we are not celebrating without continuing concern.

"In Switzerland, the promotion of biodiversity occupies far too little place in agricultural policy.

"For the species to survive in the long term in the country, agricultural policy must become very much more orientated in favour of biodiversity. 

"Today, less than 15 per cent of direct payments are made for biodiversity, but  85 per cent is directed to  other areas, sometimes including payments that are harmful to biodiversity.

"If the nature and diversity of species were to be treated as what they are - our lifelines - then we could safeguard our Corncrakes much more effectively. 

"The challenge for the next few years is clear: to move from reactive nest protection actions to a proactive design of the environment.

"New technology - such as thermal imaging drones for detecting  Corncrakes -  are opening up new possibilities for research and protection. 

"But agricultural policy needs to promote and pays for large-scale environmental enhancement."                                  

Corncrakes need species-rich, late-mowed meadows, such as this flower meadow in Zuoz in the Engadine region. Photo: Enea Fadini, BirdLife Switzerland

                                                                   

The image may only be used in the context of this press release and with exact acknowledgement of the source.

Hammer price of bird paintings by Archibald Thorburn exceed expectations at today's auction in Yorkshire

                                          

This enchanting Archibald Thorburn painting of Common Terns at their nest was a star performer at an auction staged earlier today by Tennants of Leyburn in Yorkshire. It sold for £11,000 - more than three times higher than the pre-sale estimate of  £2,000-£3,00. Three other bird paintings by the same artist - Woodcock (£6,500), Jay (£5,000) and Robin (£4,000) - all also achieved substantially high prices than had been expected.
  

 

Judging by number of drumming males, Snipe seem to be flourishing at RSPB wetland reserve near Aviemore

                                            

Expansive - the huge Insh Marshes floodplain beloved of wetland birds

SNIPE seem to be faring well on the RSPB's expansive Insh Marshes reserve near Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands.

According to the society's recently published reserves report for 2025,  a record 128 drumming males were recorded.

Sadly, the Spotted Crake seems to be a breeding species here no longer.

None was recorded at Insh Marshes - nor at any of its other 200-plus reserves apart from Ynys-hir, in Powys, North Wales, which had four.

Other wetland bird absentees from RSPB sites in 2025 included  Little Bittern and Baillon's Crake.

                                            

Image of drumming Snipe on 1937 cigarette card 

         

Harmony - two Snipe feeding together

                         

Chris Packham: I'm often confronted by things which make me sad - but they never rob me of hope

 

Chris Packham: "I constantly change the way I think" (photo: BBC)

You can't keep celebrity naturalist Chris Packham off the TV. He returns on Monday July 13  (9pm) with a new five-part BBC-2 series, Evolution. The second of  the 60-minute episodes will focus on how birds - for instance, the Ostrich - have evolved from prehistoric creatures. Here, he talks about the show.

Introduce us to this news series.

It is the exploration of  a concept which to many people is quite impenetrable. They believe that it happens very slowly over vast periods of time, and they may even think that it's stopped. But evolution is a dynamic process. There's a pattern. There's a mechanism, but also it involves chance. And automatically through evolution we've come up with this diverse, beautiful, fascinating collection of life as we have it at the moment.

What is the purpose of  evolution?

It  is about the need for all life to try and avoid competition, to find its own way of doing things so that it can maximise its potential. Over a period of time - and that could be five minutes, it could be a year, it could be a million years - if resources change, then life has to change to be able to take advantage of those resources.  Nature has an inbuilt programme which allow species to change. Some will fail and become extinct. Others will then take advantage of the gap that they've left.

Did making the series change the way you see or think about the natural world?

I constantly change, and I constantly change the way I think about the natural world, because I care about it. And often I'm confronted by things which make me sad. But they never rob me of hope.

Meanwhile, writing for The Sun, celebrity farmer, broadcaster and columnist Jeremy Clarkson has this to say in today's edition:

                                         

Mixed picture on breeding fortunes of Ring Ouzels at RSPB reserves in England and Scotland

                                               

This trio of Ring Ouzels were spotted in a field in Lincolnshire - a stop-off county on their migration from northern Africa to Britain's moorlands

A NOTE of disappointment has been sounded by the RSPB  on the breeding fortunes in England  of  Ring Ouzels.

The society is disappointed that at two of its reserves in the Lake District -  Geltsdale and Haweswater - only 11 birds were recorded  in the 2025 breeding season.

This is lower than in previous years when there have sometimes been 20-plus.

On the plus side, numbers  appear to be holding up at its Dove Stone reserve in the Peak District, not far from Manchester, where eight singing males were recorded last summer.

There is also good  news from its Abernethy reserve in the Scottish Highlands, with 15 singing males recorded last summer. This compares with six in the previous survey in 2021.

Ring Ouzels migrate here from wintering grounds - shared with Dotterels - in  the Atlas mountains in North Africa.

                                                   

Dove Stone is  owned by the United Utilities water company but managed by the RSPB 

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RSPB scientist warns: 'Dotterels are disappearing almost before our very eyes'

                                                             

Although it occurs on migration in  England and Wales, breeding is restricted to high ground in Scotland 

IT is now looking increasingly certain that the Dotterel will soon be lost as a breeding species in Britain.

When a survey of 217 potential site was carried out in spring and summer last year, only 22 contained breeding birds.

It  may be that there were nesting birds elsewhere, but researchers reckon that, at best, the breeding population of Britain is now no more than  just 112 pairs.

This compares with 981 pairs when a similar project was carried out in 1989.

But the decline is believed to date back at least to the 1950s.

The species is migratory and spends winter in the Atlas mountains of North Africa.

It is many years since  breeding Dotterels have been detected in England, Wales or southern Scotland. The surviving  population is now restricted to the eastern and northern Highlands of Scotland. 

A gloomy note is sounded by one of the researchers, Dr Leah Kelly of the  RSPB: "We are seeing Dotterels disappear almost before our very eyes. 

"The fact they need mountain tops to breed has made them particularly susceptible to habitat loss as climate change alters their montane environment.

"Importantly, Dotterels' preferred food, cranefly larvae, also appear to have undergone declines in UK montane sites."

Although prospects look bleak, the RSPB suggests  grazing management to keep habitat in good condition and reducing disturbance by hillwalkers and dogs, may provide some help.

Photos: RSPB

                                       

Mountain range in the Cairngorms - habitat favoured (until climate change) by the Dotterel

Publicity poster for Hitchcock's famous 'ornithological' movie fails to take flight at auction

                                                       

On the scarce occasions when birds are depicted in film poster imagery, they are sometimes cast  in an unfavourable light as in this publicity poster for Alfred Hitchcock's famous horror movie, The Birds, which went under the hammer at an auction conducted earlier today by auction house Ewbank's. The pre-sale guide price was that it would sell for between £200 and £400, but the price achieved (including buyers fees) ended up being a slightly disappointing £195.

Bumper price at Christie's auction for original 1859 copy of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species

                                              

In advance of a sale held earlier this week, auction house Christie's had high hopes for Lot 168 - an original 1859 copy of Charles Darwin's famous Origin of Species. In excellent condition, it is one of a print-run of just 1250 copies, so the pre-sale estimate was that it would fetch between £100,000 and £150,000. This proved to be an under-estimate - the price realised was a remarkable £190,500! The identity of the successful bidder has not been divulged.

Raptors galore! Woodland on edge of Derbyshire Dales on market with price tag of £36,000

      

It is not known which songbirds might nest in  Rowan Edge Wood

A BROADLEAF woodland with views across the Derbyshire Dales has been put on the market.

The price tag for freehold of the 1.55-acre Rowan Edge Wood, near Wirksworth, Derbyshire is  £36,000. 

Say the agents: "The skies above frequently host Red Kites, Buzzards and Hobbies, while, down at ground level, Badger, Fox and Roe Deer are regularly sighted. 

"After dark falls. the calls of the Tawny Owl and the high-pitched squeak of bats fill the summer nights." 

Could there also be Redstarts, Pied Flycatchers and Wood Warblers? Who knows

They continue: "The woodland is moderate to severely sloping with some flatter areas towards the top. 

While this does present some management and access challenges, with a little industry and a few weekends of graft, one could create some very useful plateaux. 

"This would make use of the flat space and take advantage of the incredible views over the dales, including the historic Wirksworth dream cave, a natural limestone cavern where 43,000-year-old Woolly Rhinoceros remains were found in the 1800s."

More details from Wood4Sale at:  info@woods4sale.co.uk                                

View over the Derbyshire Dales

Migrating Whimbrel makes presence felt in new movie set partly on scenic Irish Coast

                                                 

The seven-whistle call of an overhead Whimbrel and a brief glimpse of a Chough in tumbling flight are ornithological highlights of 500 Miles, now being screened in British cinemas.  It is a somewhat disappointing film featuring mostly unappealing fictional characters,  unconvincing acting (even by veteran Bill Nighy) and persistently abrasive and uncouth dialogue. However, it is just about redeemed by the beautiful scenery around Dingle on the Irish coast, a clever late twist in the plot and a moving, sentiment-packed final sequence. 

                                      

Heard but not seen in new movie - Whimbrel

Bygone birding: artist-illustrator Eleazar Albin reflects on that most curious of birds, the Wryneck

                                         

Below is an extract  from a description by Eleazar Albin of the Wryneck in one of the first ornithological books, A Natural History of British Birds, published in 1731:

It strangely and ridiculously turns its head back to its shoulders.

It feeds upon ants which it strikes with its tongue, and then, contracting it, swallows them without ever touching them with its bill, having a glutinous matter sticking on the tongue. 

The hen is paler than the cock, being of a more cinereous colour.

                                          

Hot conservation topic - has time come to re-introduce apex predators to British countryside?

 

Should we learn to live with lynx, wolves and bears again? There has been much debate about whether these long-vanished species should be reintroduced to Britain. In this paperback (Pelagic Publishing £14.99), conservation-author Jonny Hanson explores the issues based on 50 interviews with commentators in seven countries.

Bygone birding: 'Nature's own sadness seems to speak in the 'voice of Stone-curlews'

                                                 

Stone-curlews in nuptial pose

 

Extract from his commentary on Stone-curlews in the book, Bird Watching (1901), by Edmund Selous (1857-1934)

During the day, Stone-curlews are idle and lethargic - sitting about, dozing or sleeping.

But as the air cools and the shadows fall, they rouse into a glad activity, and, coming down and spreading themselves over the wide space of the warrens, they begin to run excitedly about.

They raise and waving their wings, leaping into the air and often making little flights, or rather flittings, over the ground as a part of the disport. 

Over the warrens, their plaintive, wailing notes are heard - notes that seem a part of the deepening gloom and sad sky.

Nature's own sadness seems to speak in the voice of these birds. 

They swell and subside and swell again as they are caught up and repeated in different places from one bird to another and often swell into a full chorus of several together. 

Deeper now fall the shadows and light thickens until there are  only "dreary gleams about the moorland".

Now here, now there, the wings are flung up showing the lighter coloured inner surface  until gradually first one and then another, or by twos or threes or fours, the birds fly off into the night, wailing as they go. 

But this note on the wing is not the same as that uttered while running over the ground. 

The ground-note is much more drawn out, and a sort of long, wailing twitter  - called the "clamour" - often precedes and leads up to the final wail. 

In the air, it comes just as a wail without this preliminary. But it must not be supposed that all the birds perform these antics simultaneously.

If they did, the effect would be more striking, but it is, generally, only a few at a time over a wide space, or, at most, some two or three together.

Curlew proposed as 'mascot' for redevelopment project at abandoned Lincolnshire theme park

                        

On the prowl for something to eat - a Curlew on Cleethorpes beach

A CURLEW could be adopted as the "mascot" if the proposed redevelopment of an abandoned  theme park in northern Lincolnshire goes ahead.

The idea has been put forward for Pleasure Island in Cleethorpes by Lichfelds, the agents acting on behalf of the scheme's applicants, as part of an initiative to keep planners and  conservationists sweet.

Among the latter are Natural England and the RSPB who have expressed concerns that Curlews and other declining shorebirds could face increased disturbance if the Cleethorpes coastline becomes target destination for thousands of boisterous  holidaymakers.

Another proposal is for the redeveloped site to have its own dedicated Coastal Ranger  "for the lifetime of the lodge development".   

Subject to the organisation's  agreement, the appointee would be employed by the Humber Nature Partnership who would receive a financial contribution of approximately  £22,264 per annum - to be increased in line with inflation - to subsidise the role.

The intention is for the Ranger not just to monitor the shorebird bird population, plus incidents where they are disturbed, but also (good luck with this!) to "educate" holidaymakers about the importance of conservation.

The draft job description for the role outlines the main responsibilities thus:

1. To undertake programmes of ornithological and disturbance monitoring in accordance with agreed monitoring and reporting protocols.  

2. Monitoring and reporting any disturbance events or issues to stakeholders to enable continual review of the role and findings. 

3. To provide advice to holiday park and recreational users concerning the value of the coast to wildlife and how they can undertake their activities while avoiding disturbance.  

4. To support with effective public engagement programmes, including guided walks, educational programmes and help deliver compelling social media campaigns. 

5. To support holiday park engagement activities which may include the coordination of partners, local recreational groups, local industry and community groups to share the message about the importance of the Humber Estuary and connect people to the natural environment.   

6. Participate in the delivery of informative, engaging, inclusive and participative engagement programmes that connect people and place through storytelling, participation and learning, inspiring and helping to build capacity. 

7. Support the work of the partners, local community groups, the community and recreational user groups to share understanding of ecological issues and the place.  

8. Support with the delivery of important initiatives to conserve important wintering and breeding bird populations and their habitat.  

9. Undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected at this level.

The site's redevelopment will be recommended for approval at a meeting on Thursday, but it is unclear whether any of the above will be included as a formal planning condition of consent.

Ornithological note: Probably fewer than a dozen pairs of Curlews nest in Lincolnshire, but none anywhere near Cleethorpes. A few non-breeders linger in the Humber Estuary over summer, but most depart our shores in spring to nest in Scandinavia, chiefly at sites in Finland, thereafter to return to our beaches in autumn and winter.

                       

Pleasure Island - the theme park closed 10 years ago

The Wryneck says: Cynics might see the Curlew mascot idea as an attempt at "greenwashing". It reflects what has happened widely across the country where housing estates have been given names which include the words "fields", "forest" or "meadows" and where new streets have been named after displaced  birds, trees or wildflowers. It is uncertain if the applicants have the slightest interest in the welfare of Curlews, but, to give them their due, the idea of one being one used as a logo has its merits. In addition, the appointment of a Coastal Ranger would certainly (assuming the duties are fulfilled) do no harm.  

Would poet - and birdwatcher - William Wordsworth have appreciated living close to a kebab shop?

                                                   

Dove Cottage - home of Wordsworth between 1799 and 1808 (photo: Christine Hasman via Wikimedia Commons

A RUMPUS over whether a kebab shop should be allowed to open in the scenic Lakeland village of Grasmere has put its most famous resident, William Wordsworth, in the spotlight.

Would he have disapproved such a business opening close to Dove Cottage where he lived? Or, by contrast, would he have become a regular and appreciative customer?

These questions are being explored in current media reports.

Of incidental ornithological interest, it could be noted that Wordsworth (1770-1850) was an important chronicler of the birdlife of the Lake District and his huge output of verse includes references, sometimes frequent, to the species he used to encounter on his walks.

All told, there are reckoned to be more than 50 of them including Nightjar (Dor-hawk), Corncrake (Land-rail), Snipe and Stonechat.

His various poetic tributes to the Skylark are less admired than a corresponding work by Shelley, but one is particularly impressive.

It reads:

Ethereal minstrel! pilgrim of the sky!

Dost thou despise the earth where cares abound?

Or, while the wings aspire, are heart and eye

Both with thy nest upon the dewy ground?

Thy nest which thou canst drop into at will,

Those quivering wings composed, that music still!

Leave to the nightingale her shady wood;

A privacy of glorious light is thine;

Whence thou dost pour upon the world a flood

Of harmony, with instinct more divine;

Type of the wise who soar, but never roam;

True to the kindred points of Heaven and Home!

In his Book, Wordsworth's Birds (1985), Stanley Finch describes Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy, as "life-long bird lovers".

He writes: "Birds were their everyday companions - as much a part of surrounding life as mountains and lakes, trees and flowers, and equally loved."

According to the author, the Robin was the poet's favourite just ahead of the Wren.

Kindred spirit - poet always cherished seeing a Robin

                                     

Deep in reflection - William Wordsworth (photo: Benjamin Haydon via Wikimedia Commons)

 

Great Scott! Egg from 'most grotesque bird in all the world' expected to fetch as much as £15,000 at London auction

                                                           

A little bit of Antarctic history

 

AN egg from an Adelie Penguin  would not normally be an object of  desire, but an exception is set to go under the hammer (not literally) at a sale in London on Thursday July 9.

What makes this egg  special is that it was brought back by one of the scientists on Capt Robert Scott's ill-fated 'Terra Nova' 1910-13 expedition to the South Pole. 

Measuring circa 75cm x 55cm, the egg, which has been 'blown' of its contents, is contained in a black cardboard presentation box.

Also in the box, crucially, is a typewritten note signed by Herbert Ponting,  the man who gathered it.

This valuable historical document reads: "This box contains the egg of an Adelie Penguin - the most grotesque bird in all the world -which was brought back by me from the Antarctic regions where I was a member of Captain Scott's expedition on which he and four comrades - Captain Oates, Dr Wilson, Lieut Bowers and Petty Officer Evans - perished on their return journey from the South Pole. 

"The Adelie Penguin breeds farther south than any other known creature. 

"This egg was found by me, in November 1911, seven miles from Captain Scott's Winter Quarters, Lat:77.30 S., 750 miles from the South Pole."

The box and its contents are likely to be one of the star lots at an auction to be conducted by Sotheby's next Thursday July 9.

A report in the catalogue states:  "Herbert Ponting (1870-1935) is famed for his role as the expedition photographer and cinematographer for the British Antarctic Expedition, also known as the Terra Nova Expedition, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott. 

"Ponting took some of the first known colour photographs of Antarctica, and was also among the first men to use a portable movie camera in the region. 

"Having helped set up the winter camp at Cape Evans in 1911, Ponting took many photographs of Scott and his men, as well as over one hundred photographs of Adelie and Emperor Penguins."

It continues: "Whilst the tragic deaths of Scott and his men are central to the legend of the Terra Nova expedition, one of the expedition's major objectives was scientific, as this object reminds us. 

"The Terra Nova returned laden with specimens of plants, animals, and fossils, of which more than four hundred were new to science. 

"Penguin eggs were prized for their alleged importance in revealing evolutionary links between reptiles and birds. 

"The box and accompanying typewritten note signed by Ponting suggest that this item was presented as a gift. 

"Intriguingly, the Scott Polar Research Institute holds another Adelie Penguin egg housed in a box of apparently identical construction, with a near-identical typed note signed, stating that the specimen was found at the same location as the present egg ("Lat:77.30 S., 750 miles from the South Pole"). 

"The two specimens may well have been removed by an expedition member from the same clutch of eggs."

Online bidding has already begun and reached £9,000.

However, Sotheby's have high hopes that the hammer price on Thursday could reach between £10,000 and £15,000.

                                                    

Herbert Ponting's note

                                                    

Blown free of its contents - the hole on another side of the egg

                                          

Warden of Cape Clear John Horton lined up to give talk on bird observatories at Global Birdfair 2026

                                          

Plenty of coastal observatories but none inland

THERE should be a good attendance when John Horton discusses the work of bird observatories in the presentation he is due to give at Global Birdfair on Friday afternoon.

There are 21 observatories dotted around the coasts of Britain and Ireland - for some reason there are none inland - with John being warden at Cape Clear.

According to the Bird Observatories Council, their function is to "conduct long-term monitoring of bird populations and migration".

The BOC says: "Individual observatories are located at prime migration points where a daily census is taken in a defined recording area.

"An integral part of observatory work is bird ringing, undertaken within the national British scheme which is cordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology. 

"This provides data for guiding conservation policies of such bodies as Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage and their counterparts in Ireland.

"The observatories encourage volunteers to participate in scientific studies of birds and the environment.

" The results of these studies and more general information are made freely available to researchers and to the public who are welcome to visit observatories."

Some of the individual observatories - for instance, those at Dungeness, Fair Isle, Gibraltar Point and Spurn - are excellent at providing daily records.

Over the past day or two, for instance, Bee-eaters have been noted at Dungeness and Trumpeter Finch on Fair Isle.

However, disappointingly, some observatories seldom post any records at all until the publication of their annual reports.

John Horton’s talk will be at 5pm on Friday in the Avocet lecture theatre. 

New book explores how interests of birds and other wildlife get shunted to one side by 'powerful people'

                                 

"Nature deserves to be front and centre in the minds of decision-makers."

So says Simon Marsh in a new book chronicling how the interests of birds and other wildlife are so often put to one side when it comes to matters of planning and development.

He writes: "Sadly, powerful people, such as the Mayor of London, are prone not to learn from planning history.

"They will pursue grandiose schemes despite a mass of evidence of environmental harm."

Planning for Nature is this week published in paperback (£29.99) by Pelagic Publishing.

Financial squeeze means it's end of road for BBC-TV's Winterwatch nature show after 14-year run

      

Blaming financial pressures, the BBC has confirmed the scrapping of its live TV show, Winterwatch, which had been running since 2012. It will be replaced by a weekly pre-recorded programme to be called Naturewatch. The corporation has not revealed the extent, if any, to which Winterwatch's presenters, (from left) Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan  and Iolo Williams, will be involved in the new show.