Birding247.co.uk
  • EDITOR'S CHOICE
  • NEW GEAR & TECH
    • 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
    • First Look: new 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
    • First Look: Country Innovation's Rover Jacket
  • NEWS, FEATURES & REVIEWS
    • Rarities & Conservation >
      • 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
    • BTO >
      • 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
    • RSPB >
      • RSPB's 'Birdcrime' report reveals bird of prey persecution is still rife
      • 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
    • Nature Reserves >
      • 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
    • Wildlife & Insects >
      • 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
    • Tours & Events >
      • 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
  • EDITOR'S CHOICE
  • NEW GEAR & TECH
    • 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
    • First Look: new 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
    • First Look: Country Innovation's Rover Jacket
  • NEWS, FEATURES & REVIEWS
    • Rarities & Conservation >
      • 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
    • BTO >
      • 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
    • RSPB >
      • RSPB's 'Birdcrime' report reveals bird of prey persecution is still rife
      • 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
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​Nightjars breeding at RSPB HQ for first time in 45 years

'Thanks to the dedication of a fantastic group of volunteers we have been able to carry out watches each evening to monitor the birds’ nesting progress, engage with birdwatchers, and prevent disturbance. Visiting local birders hoping to catch a glimpse of the nightjars have played their part too, without exception behaving impeccably to avoid disturbing the birds while they nest.' - Peter Bradley, Senior Site Manager
The RSPB has announced that nightjars are breeding at The Lodge nature reserve, home of the charity’s UK headquarters for the first time since 1973, 45 years ago.
 
A single pair of the nocturnal birds have nested and raised chicks on an area of restored heathland on the reserve.
 
Local birder Neil Bostock was the first to discover the birds on 3 June, when, on a regular walk of the site, he heard the “churring” call of a male nightjar. Later, the male and female birds were seen engaging in mating displays, signally their intent to breed.
 
Nightjars nest on the ground, using their cryptic camouflage to stay hidden during the day, and only come out after dark to feed on moths and other flying insects, making them notoriously elusive and difficult to see.
 
This means that while all the signs point to their having a nest and chicks, confirmation that they have successfully reared young, and how many, will have to wait until after they have finished nesting.
 
This has not dampened the mood of team at The Lodge nature reserve though. Peter Bradley, Senior Site Manager at The Lodge nature reserve said: “We’re over the moon, not only because these amazing birds have returned to the reserve and appear to be breeding here for the first time in so many years, but that they have chosen to nest on a part of the reserve where we expressly set about recreating the kind of heathland habitat used by nesting nightjars that has historically been lost for this and many other parts of the country. It is a great success story for The Lodge and for everyone who has been involved in the heathland re-creation work here over the last 15 years.”
 
Between 1972 and 1992, the nightjar’s population distribution, or range, in the UK contracted in area by almost 50% due primarily to habitat loss. Since then though, there are signs that nightjar numbers at least have increased, even if they have not returned to a lot of the places where they once bred. This recovery is thought to be down to efforts to restore lost heathland habitat and an increase in clear felling of pine forests, creating young open woodland in which nightjars can nest.
 
In 2003, the RSPB purchased 59 hectares of forestry land adjacent to The Lodge nature reserve and started a project to restore the area back to heathland. Over two winters, the non-native commercial forest trees were felled and heather was sown using seed from existing heathland on the reserve.
 
Since then, as well as attracting nightjars to breed on the reserve for the first time in nearly half a century, the new heathland has benefited lots of other rare wildlife, including natterjack toads and woodlarks.
 
Today, work to restore The Lodge nature reserve’s heathland continues with the support of the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership.
 
Claire Poulton, Programme Manager at the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership commented: “We are working on a number of projects across Greensand Country, an area of distinct, beautiful and loved countryside stretching from Leighton Buzzard to Gamlingay, to restore and regenerate living heathland.
 
“The partnership is very excited by the announcement of breeding nightjars on the heath at RSPB The Lodge. The objective of our project is to create better habitats for wildlife, which provide sustainable homes for a number of species and improve the chances of retention and colonisation on heathlands across Greensand Country. The news of nesting nightjars is a huge success in working towards that outcome.”
 
The nightjar is a summer visitor to the UK, spending the winter in Sub-Saharan West Africa.
 
At dusk in the breeding season, male nightjars emit a strange mechanical “churring” call that rises and falls as the bird turns its head and then takes flight, twisting and turning silently as it glides quickly across the heath.
 
When displaying, the males clap their wings, making a slapping sound, while showing their conspicuous white wing-patches to attract the female. At the same time, the male calls a liquidy “qwip qwip” in the air!
 
As ground-nesting birds, nightjars are particularly vulnerable to disturbance when they are nesting. RSPB reserve staff have been understandably keen to do as much as possible to give the birds the peace and quiet they need.
 
Peter Bradley, Senior Site Manager: “Thanks to the dedication of a fantastic group of volunteers we have been able to carry out watches each evening to monitor the birds’ nesting progress, engage with birdwatchers, and prevent disturbance. Visiting local birders hoping to catch a glimpse of the nightjars have played their part too, without exception behaving impeccably to avoid disturbing the birds while they nest.”
 
The nightjar in folklore
 
The nightjar is associated with many myths. In some European countries the nightjar is known as the “goatsucker”. The bird’s scientific name, Caprimulgus, comes from the Latin for “milker of goats". Folklore had it that nightjars fed on the milk of nanny goats, with the myth probably arising from the fact that they were often found in close proximity to livestock. In reality, this insectivorous species would have been searching for prey associated with domestic animals. Others believed the calls of the nightjar were the sound of witches hiding in the bushes.
 
Find out more about the RSPB’s nature reserve at The Lodge and plan your visit here - rspb.org.uk/thelodge
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