birds

Volunteers and Countryside rangers welcome nesting kestrels to Seaton's local nature reserve

In the spirit of spring cleaning, the East Devon District Council Countryside team, with the support of three volunteers, has replaced a kestrel box at Seaton Wetlands. Seaton Wetlands is a popular breeding ground for kestrels and has several boxes located across the reserve. These boxes are mounted high on poles and are therefore challenging to check, clean and repair. Site Manager for Seaton Wetlands, James Chubb said: "Each year checking the kestrel boxes is a tough task, so I set out to...

The breeding season for moorland birds on Dartmoor coincides with the lambing season and, with the arrival of spring, the moorland will be full of new life, so it is particularly important for all of us to be Moor aware.

Many visitors and local people exercise their dogs when enjoying Dartmoor. Although a dog may not be actively chasing livestock, its presence can still cause disturbance. During the lambing and calving season, expecting ewes or cows are particularly vulnerable. A frightened animal may abort or abandon its young – a tragedy for the animal and a financial loss to the...

An ‘off-the-cuff’ farmland bird survey in East Devon last week suggested how habitat improvements can help some of our most threatened birds. Devon Wildlife Trust land advisor David Rolls was visiting three farms in the Otter catchment in one day. As it was the beginning of the Big Farmland Bird Count, organized each February by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, David decided to do a short survey on each land-holding. All three sites contain areas of wetland that are being improved for wildlife through DWT’s Upstream Thinking work, funded by South West Water. The 30-minute survey...

More than half a million people are expected to watch and count their garden birds for this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch, organised by the RSPB.

The world’s largest garden wildlife survey (now in its 38th year!) takes place on the 28th, 29th and 30th January 2017. In response to popular demand, this will be the first time ever that the Birdwatch will take place over three days. This time round, Monday is included, to give workers the opportunity to take a screen break and participate from their office gardens.

The public is asked to spend just one hour of the day watching...

New homeowners in Exeter are being encouraged to give nature a home in their new home this autumn following the launch of a partnership between five star housebuilder Barratt Homes and the RSPB.

Barratt has teamed up with the conservation charity to give its customers five top tips this autumn on how they can keep your garden wildlife friendly to encourage them to do their bit for nature.

The cool tips and tricks on what to do as the seasons change are fun for all of the family and have been carefully selected to fit around a small budget and a time frame of less than two...