Birding247.co.uk
  • EDITOR'S CHOICE
  • NEW GEAR & TECH
    • BOOK SALE
    • British Birds and the British Trust for Ornithology announce the winner of the award for Best Bird Book of the Year 2020
    • Gearing company set to launch the 'future of tripods'
    • A closer look at SWAROVSKI OPTIK's NL Pure binoculars for birding
    • How to take better bird photographs with a simple and affordable smartphone adapter
    • Stylish and practical new outdoors jackets from Country Innovation about to hit the shops after 2 year wait
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK releases new CL Pocket binoculars for those looking for a compact all-rounder
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK launches new GEAR collection
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK release 'first of its kind' new 115-mm objective module for birders
    • OXAZ unveils the OVERCAP - the first all-weather removable hood for birders and wildlife watchers
    • Discover the secrets of your garden and the great outdoors with exclusive Kowa garden kit offers
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK announce new NL Pure binoculars
    • Video: How to use SWAROVSKI OPTIK's digital guide (dG)
    • Kowa's SV II series binoculars: we get in touch with nature from the comfort of the garden sofa
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK changes the game of bird identification with release of their digital guide
    • Kowa's definition of 'crystal clear' makes sense with their Prominar technology
    • The fluorite magic behind Kowa's TSN-880 scope explained
    • Video #2: Kowa's BDII-XD wide angle binoculars explained
    • Video: Kowa BDII-XD wide angle binoculars
    • Kowa's SV binoculars receive stylish cosmetic makeover with the second generation SV II's
    • Canon launches two new pairs of image stabiliser binoculars - 8x20 IS and 10x20 IS
    • New Kowa BDII-XD wide angle binoculars will be available in UK dealers this September
    • KITE OPTICS release new Lynx HD+ binoculars
    • New camo travel tripod from Manfrotto for all levels of bird photography
    • Gitzo's new 2 way fluid tripod head for bird observers using medium-sized scopes and camera lenses up to 200mm
    • Five things to look for when purchasing a bird nest box
    • Country Innovation launches new RSPB Avocet jackets
    • Walkstool - a Swedish three-legged stool invention that's ideal for birding
    • KITE Optics expand their SP range with compact 65mm model
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK release PA-i8 digiscoping adapter for iPhone 8 owners
    • BirdSpotter - what it does & why should you use it
    • First Look at the popular field pouch from Country Innovation
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK to launch brand new BTX binocular spotting scope at some of UK's most popular nature reserves
    • Raptor smock and trousers from Country Innovation
    • Swarovski launches new EL family of Binoculars
    • Steiner launch new Observer series Binoculars with 10 year warranty
    • Swarovski Optik launches new digiscoping adapter for the iPhone 6
    • First Look: Country Innovation's New Raptor (15 Pocket) Waistcoat
    • Swarovski Optik launches new CL Companion Africa range of binoculars
    • Field test: New Vanguard Endeavor ED II series 8x42 binoculars
    • Insightful new book details climate change impacts, extinction risks of global bird populations and conservation responses
    • First look: new Steiner SkyHawk 3.0 8x32 binoculars
    • Swarovski Optik and World Land Trust announce new ranger programme partnership
    • New range of BUFF® multifunctional headwear designed for birdwatchers by wildlife artist Jane Smith
    • Just in: New edition of classic handbook, released to celebrate 125 years of the RSPB
    • The latest innovation from Swarovski Optik will allow a new perspective in smartphone photography
    • New Vortex Viper HD 12x50 Roof Prism Binoculars arrive in the UK
    • Swarovski Optik launches new range of compact CL pocket binoculars
    • Swarovski Optik prepares to unveil new SLC binocular range in October
    • Country Innovation's Rover Jacket - ideal for birding?
  • NEWS & REVIEWS
    • Rarities & Conservation >
      • Crane population hits record-breaking high after becoming extinct in the UK nearly 400 years ago
      • Seabirds killed in Namibia fishery reduced by 98% thanks to innovative bird-scaring lines adopted by fleets
      • The National bird of Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia is now globally threatened with extinction
      • British cuckoo tracked making 1,850 miles journey over Atlantic and Sahara Desert as weather system makes it all possible
      • Rare wading bird breeds at Somerset reserve in miracle first for South West England
      • Rosy starlings spotted across all four countries with many more possibly to come...
      • Record breakers! 2019 was a record-breaking year with 122 breeding pairs of Roseate terns
      • Pair of rare Mistle thrush set-up family home in Leeds traffic light!
      • World's rarest duck breeds in the wild for the first time
      • Curlew hunting given green light in France despite experts’ warnings
      • Rathlin could be a ‘Love Island’ for corncrakes as two pairs recorded for first time since the ‘80s
      • Rare birds eggs stolen from Norfolk beach
      • Endangered curlews in lowland England have been handed a lifeline after dozens of rescued eggs hatched at WWT Slimbridge
      • Conservationists concerned about late swift return
      • 150th osprey chick hatches at Rutland Water Nature Reserve
      • A case of mistaken identity - Bewick’s swans being hunted accidentally, research finds
      • Stone-curlews, one of the UK's rarest breeding birds, are still vulnerable despite decades of recovery
      • New study suggests widespread illegal killing of hen harriers on English grouse moors
      • Illegal songbird trapping in Cyprus at ten year low on UK military base
      • Recorded movement of a steppe eagle over 20 year period
      • Bald eagle rescued after developing huge ball of ice on his tail
      • Swifts are in trouble... here's how you can help them
      • Hen harrier named 'River' disappears in suspicious circumstances over North Yorkshire
      • History made as world’s rarest bird released into the wild
      • Take a walk with penguins in immersive 3D short film experience
      • Which penguin species will be most affected by climate change?
      • Figures released reveal 2018 has been the most successful year for Britain's tallest bird - the common crane - since the 17th century
      • New report says grouse moor regulation is vital to ending illegal killing of Scotland's Birds of Prey
      • Bitterns breed on Isle of Wight for first time ever
      • New report finds a third of Welsh birds are in decline
      • If a proposal by Norway to the EU is adopted, it will soon become legal to kill wild barnacle geese in the UK
      • Proposal to allow legal killing of barnacle geese has been rejected!
      • European storm petrel chick has been recorded calling on the Shiant Isles for the very first time
      • Spoon-billed sandpiper reared by a WWT conservationist in Russia was sighted by a friend over 3,000 miles away in China just weeks later
      • Project to create Europe’s first solar-powered flamingo house and boost breeding conditions wins funding bid through public vote
      • National Lottery award £4.1m grant to support transformation of WWT Slimbridge
      • British charity urges support for Vulture and Birds of Prey Conservation Projects in Bulgaria, India and South Africa
      • New behaviour seen in rare wading birds
      • British film stars lead support for first ever lone female expedition to save Europe's smallest swans
      • Murky past of Britain’s rarest duck revealed by Big Ben - a giant sediment corer...
      • Spoon-billed Sandpiper team recognised for innovative ornithology
      • New figures reveal UK's smallest and rarest Swan suffers alarming crash in numbers
      • Autumn migration: Swallow in focus
      • First ever Spoon-billed Sandpiper chick hatches in the wild by a hand-reared bird
      • Seabirds on autumn passage: Little Gull in focus
      • First ever study of the world’s rarest bird has revealed that 96% of its chicks die before fledging - new wetland home needed
      • Open debate hosted by World Land Trust and Chris Packham to tackle controversial subject of hunting and its impact on conservation
      • Critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper gets renewed support from Leica Camera AG
      • 16 young Great Crane chicks graduate from last ever school class
      • World bird news: first hand-reared Spoon-billed Sandpiper returns to breed in Chukotka, Russia
      • Cranes are like buses, you wait 400 years and then two come along at once!
      • Recently-hatched Crane chicks give conservationists fresh hope about seeing a new generation of wild Cranes in the west of Britain
      • World Land Trust and Sir David Attenborough celebrate 25 years of successful conservation projects at the BAFTA theatre, London
      • Rare Rufous Owl sightings in Australia's Northern Territory delights birders with their return
      • Rare hand-reared Spoon-billed Sandpiper spotted after flying quarter-way round the world
      • New hope for two of the most world's most threatened birds, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Nordmann's Greenshank
      • Researchers from WWT using Facebook style 'Likes' to record Flamingo data
      • New species of Tailorbird discovered in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh
      • Spoon-billed Sandpipers gain much-needed financial help from Leica Camera AG
      • Twenty critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper chicks hatch under expert care in the Russian Far East.
    • Phonescoping & Digiscoping >
      • DIGISCOPING SERIES: watch Kowa's powerful 'System' in action
      • Paul Hackett Phonescoping: ​Juvenile Eurasian Bittern, RSPB Lakenheath Suffolk UK 🇬🇧 July 2018
      • Update for Digiscoper of the Year by SWAROVSKI OPTIK: 13th edition
      • PhoneSkope's new C-4 Universal Mini Adapter arrives in UK
      • Digiscoping Tutorials
      • Digiscoping Gear
      • Digiscoping Top 10's
    • Nature Reserves >
      • Staycations in 2020 produced the ultimate seabird watching opportunities for UK's birders
      • 2020 has been a record-breaking year for UK's roseate turns
      • WWT to re-open 6 wetland centres from June 10
      • Spoon-billed sandpipers given fresh hope after chicks hatch at WWT Slimbridge reserve
      • New state-of-the-art estuary hide being opened at WWT Slimbridge
      • Where can you see pink-footed geese in England this winter?
      • Britain is booming! Bitterns on the rise and here's where to see one
      • History made as first pair of Savi’s warbler nest in Wales
      • Dozens of hand-reared curlews released onto reserves in Gloucestershire as part of a trial to conserve the species
      • Miracle birds hatched from ‘muddy potato’ eggs return thousands of miles to rearing site
      • Get your 2019 off to a flying start with a visit to one of these five marvellous nature reserves on New Year's Day
      • Video from the annual ‘swanfall’ at WWT Slimbridge
      • The annual ‘swanfall’ at WWT Slimbridge has kicked off with a flurry of Bewick’s swans checking in for the winter
      • Winter owls! Plan your trip with Birding24/7's six best places to watch owls this winter
      • Starling spectacular!
      • Common Crane breeds for the first time at WWT Welney Wetland Centre
      • London Wetland Centre provides success story as European nature declines overall
      • Video series highlights - boom time for wetland birding as highest ever Shoveler numbers are recorded at WWT Slimbridge
      • Visitors expected to flock to WWT Slimbridge to see work of famous Flamingo artist, Jeremy Houghton
      • Video series - weekly wildlife round-up from WWT Slimbridge
      • Power line research to reduce risks for tens of thousands of swans and geese
      • Wildlife enthusiasts offered a piece of conservation history
      • Top 20 birdwatching Highland highlights
    • TV, Tours, Talks & Events >
      • Indy Greene and the goshawks of Sherwood Forest
      • World records tumble at the biggest birdwatching event in history
      • Mega birding milestones on the Isles of Scilly
      • Virtual Birdfair 2020 preview - Kowa exclusive deals, spotlights and webinars
      • How have Barn owls been impacted by COVID-19 restrictions/lack of tourism?
      • OSME’s first online Summer Meeting – save the date
      • Birdfair 2019: a look at what awaits you on the Kowa booth
      • Birdfair 2019: Simon King's Wild World Talks - don't miss this!
      • Conservation careers clinic for 16-25 year olds at this years Birdfair
      • Buy a ticket to attend the Birdfair, nature's 'Glastonbury' this August and help raise vital funds for conservation
      • Birdfair breaks £5million barrier - and focuses on saving Cambodia's big five
      • Birdfair - Destination Hotspots
      • European Bird Tours >
        • Short bird tour - experience the delights of the Black Forest and Lake Constance
        • Birdwatching in the Algarve
    • Wildlife & Insects >
      • >> Wildlife247.co.uk
      • Is avian malaria behind drastic decline of London’s iconic sparrow?
      • Please feed your garden birds this Christmas - but not with turkey fat
      • The Wildlife Trusts have condemned HS2's phase 2B draft environmental statement - saying the impact on wild plants and animals will be absolutely devastating
      • Advice and top tips to improve your garden birds chances of survival this winter
      • Record breaking number of Pink-footed Geese arrive at Lancashire reserve
      • The WWT’s entire history of scientific publishing is now available online to all waterbird and conservation enthusiasts, dating back to 1947
      • Britain’s biggest public-led investigation into the health of native wildlife begins
      • Spectacular results for British garden butterflies after fantastic summer
      • Otter snapped by camera trap at Steart marshes for first time
      • Wetlands futures conference to address flooding and drought
      • Columbian golden poison frog's being reared in cups of redbush tea by WWT
  • GARDEN BIRDWATCH
    • Feeding garden birds in winter: how to prepare a Christmas feast for your garden bird visitors
    • Where have all our blue tits gone in 2020?
    • Learn more about robins with our handy fact file
    • Researchers ask for help to track finches in UK gardens
    • Actor Martin Shaw teams up with ornithologists to support well-being and mental health
    • Sunday 3rd May is International Dawn Chorus Day – a day to celebrate the early morning swell of birdsong!
    • It's official! The Wren is the UK's most commonest bird
    • Nuthatch is the gift that keeps on giving this Christmas
    • Scottish Short-eared Owl is tracked to Morocco's 'oyster capital'
    • Robin flies across the North Sea in just 4 hours!
    • Fifty years of data shows species winners and losers of climate change in England
    • British scientists working with local conservationists to track the fortunes of Cuckoos in Mongolia
    • Tickets now on sale for the 7th annual spurn migration festival
    • UK's birds hit by weather double whammy in 2018
    • Volunteer efforts yield new insights into Britain and Ireland's birds
    • Britain's owls need twenty minutes of your time this winter
    • Wading birds are benefiting from conservation action
    • Bird Photographer of the Year 2018 winners announced
    • BTO fits 10 Cuckoos with tiny satellite tags in a bid to follow them back to their wintering grounds in central africa
    • Bullfinches are flourishing in Britain's gardens according to the BTO's garden birdwatch survey
    • On eve of world migratory bird day - survey celebrates platinum anniversary
    • New report states many rare UK breeding bird species are already being affected by climate change
    • Next Generation Birders and the BTO are running a competition to find Spurn Bird Observatory's young birder of the year
    • UK bird populations benefitting from innovative partnerships between conservation organisations and corporate industries
    • Nature alert: nearly one-in-five bird species in Europe is at risk of extinction
    • Decades of data analysed to establish breeding movement change
    • New BTO BirdTrends report says twenty-eight UK species have exhibited a fall in numbers of greater than 50% over the last 35-45 years
    • Unusual weather in 2014 prompting the question: what will the winter hold for our garden birds?
    • Latest Breeding Bird Survey annual report reveals all three UK breeding wagtail species are in long-term decline
    • Latest data collected by thousands of Wetland Bird Survey volunteers show that populations of the UK’s most familiar coastal waders have declined markedly in the last ten years
    • Chris the Cuckoo sets off on another Congo adventure, waves goodbye to Britain for the fourth time - follow his progress...
    • People power: New survey launches to learn more about the intelligence of our garden Rooks
    • Record breaking birds: remarkable Buzzard clocks out at 28 years, 1 month and 11 days - more than double the species' usual lifespan
    • Fifteen satellite-tagged Cuckoo's will take to the skies in a bid to tackle their worrying decline
    • Summer bird feeding tips from the BTO
    • UK Scientists hold their breath for the return of a very special Cuckoo
    • New study demonstrates that climate change alters natural relationships between bird species
    • All of Britain and Ireland’s birds mapped digitally for the first time ever
    • What a difference a year makes; early nesting in 2014
    • Dedicated birders receive special recognition after counting birds for twenty years in the name of science
    • Garden BirdWatch results just in, revealing a roller coaster 2013...
    • Record numbers of British Puffins caught up in recent Bay of Biscay storms - outlook not good...
    • Early breeders bring major cause for concern as numbers fall rapidly
    • Why putting up a nest box is one of the best things you can do for bird research
    • BTO announce Chris Packham as their new President for the next four years
    • Where are all the thrushes?
    • Nesting birds take inspiration from the swinging sixties after cold spring
    • The Marsh Award for Ornithology presented to Dr Jane Reid
    • UK’s internationally important seabird populations are being affected by fishing activities in the North Sea
    • Bird Atlas 2007–11: hugely ambitious volunteer project throws up some startling results
    • New research provides strong evidence on how climate change is affecting British birds
    • Latest results from BTO's small army of garden birdwatchers spells problems for Collared Doves, Greenfinches and Starlings
    • Reduction in garden pesticide use and changes in farming practices stabilising our House Sparrow numbers
    • Changing fortunes for Britain's winter birds
    • Where have all your Blackbirds gone?
    • All change in the finch family; Siskins and Lesser Redpolls increase while Greenfinches decline
    • More food in spring brings earlier egg laying and increased productivity for Great Spotted Woodpecker
    • Where on Earth do British House Martins go?
    • How did the 2012 downpours affect nesting in garden birds and what will the rest of 2013 hold?
    • Garden birds indicate widespread failure in seed crops of various trees
    • Cuckoo's are on their way back - so its hello BST!
    • Green gauge: twice as many Siskins as normal are currently visiting the nation’s gardens.
    • Give a bird a home for National Nest Box Week 14-21 February 2013
    • Farming in the tropics: how can both food production and biodiversity be maximised?
    • Citizen Scientists reveal how snow brings birds into gardens
    • Latest Sightings: BTO's Garden Blackcap Survey
    • COVID-19 Lockdown: RSPB begins a daily breakfast birdwatch between 8-9am weekdays
    • For the first time in 29 years roseate terns, the UK’s rarest nesting seabirds, hatched four fluffy chicks on The Skerries, off Anglesey
    • Over 10 hen harrier chicks satellite tagged this summer in Scotland
    • Island restoration could mean a ‘rosy’ future for rare terns
    • RSPB's project puffin is back! This time scientists need snaps of puffins with fish in their bills from any year
    • Half a million people across the UK take part in RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch, counting more than 7.5 million birds in total
    • RSPB asks public to download and stream song to highlight the fact that there are 40 million fewer birds in the UK now than half a century ago
    • The UK’s second rarest breeding seabird, the little tern, benefits from nest site protection at vulnerable beach sites
    • Lake District nature reserve awarded grant for woodland creation
    • Albatross-eating mice responsible for two million fewer seabird chicks on UK island each year
    • RSPB’s Birdcrime report reveals 68 confirmed incidents of bird of prey persecution in the UK during 2017, but many illegal killings are going undetected or unreported
    • Arctic skuas could become extinct as a breeding species in the UK according to a new study
    • Nightjars breeding at RSPB HQ for first time in 45 years
    • We take a closer look at the south coast RSPB reserve which attracted the American Royal tern - Pagham Harbour
    • HD Video: White-tailed Eagle chick has successfully hatched in Orkney for the first time in 140 years
    • Rare Black-tailed Godwit eggs hatch after being saved from Spring flooding
    • Three more satellite-tagged hen harriers have disappeared in suspicious circumstances
    • First RSPB record of bittern booming on Isle of Wight
    • Rescue effort saves rare black-tailed godwit eggs after spring flooding
    • Male Osprey at Bassenthwaite lake adding flowers to his nest to impress new mate
    • Have you seen a Hen Harrier? RSPB reboots Bird of Prey hotline
    • Reintroduction project celebrates flight of first wild White-tailed Sea Eagle chick
    • Rare birds suffer as the effects of an exceptionally late spring take hold
    • Robins, not Nightingales, are the mystery evening songsters
  • EDITOR'S CHOICE
  • NEW GEAR & TECH
    • BOOK SALE
    • British Birds and the British Trust for Ornithology announce the winner of the award for Best Bird Book of the Year 2020
    • Gearing company set to launch the 'future of tripods'
    • A closer look at SWAROVSKI OPTIK's NL Pure binoculars for birding
    • How to take better bird photographs with a simple and affordable smartphone adapter
    • Stylish and practical new outdoors jackets from Country Innovation about to hit the shops after 2 year wait
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK releases new CL Pocket binoculars for those looking for a compact all-rounder
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK launches new GEAR collection
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK release 'first of its kind' new 115-mm objective module for birders
    • OXAZ unveils the OVERCAP - the first all-weather removable hood for birders and wildlife watchers
    • Discover the secrets of your garden and the great outdoors with exclusive Kowa garden kit offers
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK announce new NL Pure binoculars
    • Video: How to use SWAROVSKI OPTIK's digital guide (dG)
    • Kowa's SV II series binoculars: we get in touch with nature from the comfort of the garden sofa
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK changes the game of bird identification with release of their digital guide
    • Kowa's definition of 'crystal clear' makes sense with their Prominar technology
    • The fluorite magic behind Kowa's TSN-880 scope explained
    • Video #2: Kowa's BDII-XD wide angle binoculars explained
    • Video: Kowa BDII-XD wide angle binoculars
    • Kowa's SV binoculars receive stylish cosmetic makeover with the second generation SV II's
    • Canon launches two new pairs of image stabiliser binoculars - 8x20 IS and 10x20 IS
    • New Kowa BDII-XD wide angle binoculars will be available in UK dealers this September
    • KITE OPTICS release new Lynx HD+ binoculars
    • New camo travel tripod from Manfrotto for all levels of bird photography
    • Gitzo's new 2 way fluid tripod head for bird observers using medium-sized scopes and camera lenses up to 200mm
    • Five things to look for when purchasing a bird nest box
    • Country Innovation launches new RSPB Avocet jackets
    • Walkstool - a Swedish three-legged stool invention that's ideal for birding
    • KITE Optics expand their SP range with compact 65mm model
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK release PA-i8 digiscoping adapter for iPhone 8 owners
    • BirdSpotter - what it does & why should you use it
    • First Look at the popular field pouch from Country Innovation
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK to launch brand new BTX binocular spotting scope at some of UK's most popular nature reserves
    • Raptor smock and trousers from Country Innovation
    • Swarovski launches new EL family of Binoculars
    • Steiner launch new Observer series Binoculars with 10 year warranty
    • Swarovski Optik launches new digiscoping adapter for the iPhone 6
    • First Look: Country Innovation's New Raptor (15 Pocket) Waistcoat
    • Swarovski Optik launches new CL Companion Africa range of binoculars
    • Field test: New Vanguard Endeavor ED II series 8x42 binoculars
    • Insightful new book details climate change impacts, extinction risks of global bird populations and conservation responses
    • First look: new Steiner SkyHawk 3.0 8x32 binoculars
    • Swarovski Optik and World Land Trust announce new ranger programme partnership
    • New range of BUFF® multifunctional headwear designed for birdwatchers by wildlife artist Jane Smith
    • Just in: New edition of classic handbook, released to celebrate 125 years of the RSPB
    • The latest innovation from Swarovski Optik will allow a new perspective in smartphone photography
    • New Vortex Viper HD 12x50 Roof Prism Binoculars arrive in the UK
    • Swarovski Optik launches new range of compact CL pocket binoculars
    • Swarovski Optik prepares to unveil new SLC binocular range in October
    • Country Innovation's Rover Jacket - ideal for birding?
  • NEWS & REVIEWS
    • Rarities & Conservation >
      • Crane population hits record-breaking high after becoming extinct in the UK nearly 400 years ago
      • Seabirds killed in Namibia fishery reduced by 98% thanks to innovative bird-scaring lines adopted by fleets
      • The National bird of Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia is now globally threatened with extinction
      • British cuckoo tracked making 1,850 miles journey over Atlantic and Sahara Desert as weather system makes it all possible
      • Rare wading bird breeds at Somerset reserve in miracle first for South West England
      • Rosy starlings spotted across all four countries with many more possibly to come...
      • Record breakers! 2019 was a record-breaking year with 122 breeding pairs of Roseate terns
      • Pair of rare Mistle thrush set-up family home in Leeds traffic light!
      • World's rarest duck breeds in the wild for the first time
      • Curlew hunting given green light in France despite experts’ warnings
      • Rathlin could be a ‘Love Island’ for corncrakes as two pairs recorded for first time since the ‘80s
      • Rare birds eggs stolen from Norfolk beach
      • Endangered curlews in lowland England have been handed a lifeline after dozens of rescued eggs hatched at WWT Slimbridge
      • Conservationists concerned about late swift return
      • 150th osprey chick hatches at Rutland Water Nature Reserve
      • A case of mistaken identity - Bewick’s swans being hunted accidentally, research finds
      • Stone-curlews, one of the UK's rarest breeding birds, are still vulnerable despite decades of recovery
      • New study suggests widespread illegal killing of hen harriers on English grouse moors
      • Illegal songbird trapping in Cyprus at ten year low on UK military base
      • Recorded movement of a steppe eagle over 20 year period
      • Bald eagle rescued after developing huge ball of ice on his tail
      • Swifts are in trouble... here's how you can help them
      • Hen harrier named 'River' disappears in suspicious circumstances over North Yorkshire
      • History made as world’s rarest bird released into the wild
      • Take a walk with penguins in immersive 3D short film experience
      • Which penguin species will be most affected by climate change?
      • Figures released reveal 2018 has been the most successful year for Britain's tallest bird - the common crane - since the 17th century
      • New report says grouse moor regulation is vital to ending illegal killing of Scotland's Birds of Prey
      • Bitterns breed on Isle of Wight for first time ever
      • New report finds a third of Welsh birds are in decline
      • If a proposal by Norway to the EU is adopted, it will soon become legal to kill wild barnacle geese in the UK
      • Proposal to allow legal killing of barnacle geese has been rejected!
      • European storm petrel chick has been recorded calling on the Shiant Isles for the very first time
      • Spoon-billed sandpiper reared by a WWT conservationist in Russia was sighted by a friend over 3,000 miles away in China just weeks later
      • Project to create Europe’s first solar-powered flamingo house and boost breeding conditions wins funding bid through public vote
      • National Lottery award £4.1m grant to support transformation of WWT Slimbridge
      • British charity urges support for Vulture and Birds of Prey Conservation Projects in Bulgaria, India and South Africa
      • New behaviour seen in rare wading birds
      • British film stars lead support for first ever lone female expedition to save Europe's smallest swans
      • Murky past of Britain’s rarest duck revealed by Big Ben - a giant sediment corer...
      • Spoon-billed Sandpiper team recognised for innovative ornithology
      • New figures reveal UK's smallest and rarest Swan suffers alarming crash in numbers
      • Autumn migration: Swallow in focus
      • First ever Spoon-billed Sandpiper chick hatches in the wild by a hand-reared bird
      • Seabirds on autumn passage: Little Gull in focus
      • First ever study of the world’s rarest bird has revealed that 96% of its chicks die before fledging - new wetland home needed
      • Open debate hosted by World Land Trust and Chris Packham to tackle controversial subject of hunting and its impact on conservation
      • Critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper gets renewed support from Leica Camera AG
      • 16 young Great Crane chicks graduate from last ever school class
      • World bird news: first hand-reared Spoon-billed Sandpiper returns to breed in Chukotka, Russia
      • Cranes are like buses, you wait 400 years and then two come along at once!
      • Recently-hatched Crane chicks give conservationists fresh hope about seeing a new generation of wild Cranes in the west of Britain
      • World Land Trust and Sir David Attenborough celebrate 25 years of successful conservation projects at the BAFTA theatre, London
      • Rare Rufous Owl sightings in Australia's Northern Territory delights birders with their return
      • Rare hand-reared Spoon-billed Sandpiper spotted after flying quarter-way round the world
      • New hope for two of the most world's most threatened birds, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Nordmann's Greenshank
      • Researchers from WWT using Facebook style 'Likes' to record Flamingo data
      • New species of Tailorbird discovered in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh
      • Spoon-billed Sandpipers gain much-needed financial help from Leica Camera AG
      • Twenty critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper chicks hatch under expert care in the Russian Far East.
    • Phonescoping & Digiscoping >
      • DIGISCOPING SERIES: watch Kowa's powerful 'System' in action
      • Paul Hackett Phonescoping: ​Juvenile Eurasian Bittern, RSPB Lakenheath Suffolk UK 🇬🇧 July 2018
      • Update for Digiscoper of the Year by SWAROVSKI OPTIK: 13th edition
      • PhoneSkope's new C-4 Universal Mini Adapter arrives in UK
      • Digiscoping Tutorials
      • Digiscoping Gear
      • Digiscoping Top 10's
    • Nature Reserves >
      • Staycations in 2020 produced the ultimate seabird watching opportunities for UK's birders
      • 2020 has been a record-breaking year for UK's roseate turns
      • WWT to re-open 6 wetland centres from June 10
      • Spoon-billed sandpipers given fresh hope after chicks hatch at WWT Slimbridge reserve
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Miracle birds hatched from ‘muddy potato’ eggs return thousands of miles to rearing site


28 May 2019
Miracle black-tailed godwits hand-reared at WWT Welney after their eggs were freed from muddy farmland have flown thousands of miles home for summer.

Experts were doubtful the eggs, encased in dirt, would survive but despite the dim outlook, the muddy eggs successfully hatched. The birds were then hand-reared and released onto the Fens before flying south for the winter.


​The rare waders, named Estragon and Dill, join 16 other black-tailed godwits who have returned to where they were raised as part of Project Godwit - a partnership between WWT and RSPB, now in its third year. The mission aims to restore the UK breeding population by collecting eggs for rear and release, known as head-starting.
​

WWT’s Principal Species Conservation Officer Rebecca Lee said: “The incredible story of Estragon and Dill demonstrates the importance of Project Godwit - without the team stepping in these birds would not have survived. At a time when there are fewer than 50 pairs, every egg, every godwit counts towards the survival of the species. It’s been a remarkable start to the third year of Project Godwit. 13 of the birds released in 2017 have migrated back to our sites here in the Fens, joining five birds from the of class of 2018. There was drama last year when heavy spring rains forced some godwits to nest offsite on arable land prompting a rescue mission to free the eggs. For those ‘muddy potato’ eggs, in a dreadful condition, to hatch into healthy birds and complete their migration cycle some 3000 miles, is the cherry on top of the cake, or should I say, all that and a bag of chips.”

There were some familiar faces amongst the 2017 group, who also visited last year such as Denver, the first head-started bird to arrive back at Welney and Earith, who bred successfully at the project sites last year. However, this should be the first breeding season for most of the birds, who usually reach sexual maturity at two years old.

The Nene and Ouse Washes in the Fens are the two main breeding sites for black-tailed godwits in the UK. There are now three pairs of head-started birds at Welney and the breeding season is underway  at the RSPB Nene Washes.

Project Godwit Manager, RSPB’s Hannah Ward added: “It has been heartening to watch the progress of these wonderful waders over the past two years. The project is going from strength-to-strength and the arrival of 18 head-started birds is a real boost to the work we do. This sets us up nicely for class 2019. We plan to head-start two groups of godwits, one group will be released at WWT Welney and the other one at the RSPB Nene Washes.”

There are fewer than fifty pairs of godwits breeding in the UK, and in recent years they have struggled to hatch and raise their chicks in safety. Conservationists have been using a technique known as head-starting - raising young birds from eggs collected in the wild - to help grow the UK godwit population. Their numbers at the Ouse Washes are now critically low but it’s hoped that head-starting in combination with the creation of wetland habitat could restore the population to the numbers previously seen in the 1970s. Head-starting is just one aspect of Project Godwit which also focuses on monitoring, habitat management and trialling conservation techniques.
 
Visitors can visit the head-started birds by taking part in Project Godwit Guided Tours at Welney. A Godwit Festival - a weekend of talks, walks and activities to celebrate the black-tailed godwit takes place from June 1st and 2nd.

WIN - enter our new photography competition for UK birders here
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