More news on the satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle that 'disappeared' on a grouse shooting estate in the North York Moors National Park. #RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/06/03/m...

Two out of the (only) three White-tailed Eagles fledged in England in 2025 have since 'disappeared in suspicious circumstances', i.e. people killed them within months. Read this, and see how much effort those people go to, to kill them. We all know who & why. Two out of three. Within months.

This afternoon North Yorkshire Police announced the suspicious disappearance of young male White-tailed Eagle G834, the first to fledge from Dorset in centuries. This eagle was special for multiple reasons, not only his historic status but also wowing visitors & school children around Poole Harbour

Young White-tailed Eagle 'disappears' from grouse shooting estate in North York Moors National Park. Police think its disappearance is 'suspicious'. No shit. #RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/06/01/y...

Young Gannet ‘hunt’ faces calls for ban as 2026 licence considered Campaigners are urging NatureScot to refuse permission for the annual killing of young Gannets, while the agency says any decision will be based on the latest scientific evidence. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/Y...

Incredibly exciting news, one of our newly returned 2-year old Ospreys, male 5R0 has just briefly landed on a harbour nest platform with Scottish ringed female 6J8, a 2024 female from the Tweed Valley & was recently seen in the Usk Valley @careyssecretgarden.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Fascinating example of the workings of modern social media, togging and AI 'editing': the same photo of a Turtle Dove that's clearly been run through AI in some way before being posted on two different Facebook groups three days apart by two apparently different people (we've blanked out the names)

32.3ºC at Kew Gardens is the hottest May temperature on record at the station since records began in 1881, beating its previous May maximum by 2ºC (30.3ºC, 25th May 1922). It beat its maximum temperature date record for the 24th of May by OVER 2ºC (30.2ºC, 1922), exceptional.

202 years ago today, this stork was shot in the village of Klütz in northern Germany. It already had a 30-inch arrow in its neck. The arrow was made of African wood, and this first ‘Pfeilstorch’ (‘arrow stork’) played a pivotal role in the understanding of bird migration.

So, we have 4 healthy chicks ringed: 1048g, 983g, 978g and 730g. Looks like 3 females and 1 male. 🤔 DNA swabs taken but won’t be confirmed until later in the year #ukbirding #peregrines #leicester @leicsperegrines.bsky.social @lrosbirds.bsky.social

Essex man charged with various offences relating to illegal theft/trade of wild birds' eggs. NB: Comments turned off as legal proceedings are live ⚖️ #RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime #OperationPulka raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/05/15/e...

Statement from Natural England on decision to licence release of White-tailed Eagles in Exmoor National Park. My commentary at the end. New blog ⬇️ #RaptorResearch raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/05/14/s...

White-tailed Eagles to be released in Exmoor National Park this summer. Statement from the project partners ⬇️ #RaptorResearch raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/05/14/w...

We just won a landmark case to protect one of Europe’s most important marine sanctuaries: the Dogger Bank. 💫 The court ruling sets a precedent for governments across Europe and sends a clear message: protected must mean protected.

And on the subject of schedule 9, I think, for different reasons, turtle dove is a good candidate too. The recent release of captive-bred doves seems to have many echoes of the releases of captive-bred barn owls in the late 80s & 90s, only halted by inclusion in Sch 9. 5/5

Releases in England have implications for GB. There is a good case to add both storks to Schedule 9 of the WCA to regulate further releases (& consult with other GB bodies). These releases are not re-introductions, NE could oppose these in principle, not merely say they are not a priority 4/5

For 7 days, a pair of Great Spotted Woodpecker kept a close eye on this Willow Tit nest. The male GSW took 3 minutes to destroy it. The clutch of 9 eggs were left by the GSW and abandoned by the Willow Tits. It’s touch and go if the WTs have a last nesting attempt this season…

UK Great Spotted Woodpeckers & Blue Tits destroy half of all Willow Tit nests, far higher than elsewhere, far higher losses than other tits. UK has among highest GSW & Blue Tit abundance in the World, as we've created a paradise of endless free food, safe nestboxes, and few nest predators (martens).

Texas man sentenced for trafficking Bald and Golden Eagles. Five years probation + $77,500 restitution (fine) #RaptorResearch hilinetoday.com/texas-man-se...

It's important that France renews the ban on hunting Curlew, each year. wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/07/30/b... Birds tagged when wintering in Brittany return to English and Scottish breeding sites. Species is 'near-threatened' globally. wadertales.wordpress.com/2015/11/03/i... #ornithology

Species go up and down annually, but a two-thirds (66%) decline of a resident bird in a single year is sign of accelerating terminal decline - that's not a slump that the single-brooded, low-density, low dispersal Willow Tit is going to bounce back from. Bad years get worse, better years are rare.

Post mortem on Cambridgeshire Peregrine reveals shotgun pellets. Statement from Beds, Cambs & Northants Wildlife Trust. #RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/05/05/p...

Exciting news from Willow Tree Fen, where two crane chicks emerged from the reeds last week. We've been keeping their arrival quiet over the bank holiday as they are very sensitive to disturbance. If you're visiting, binoculars are recommended and our amazing Crane Watch volunteers are on hand.

A gamekeeper has been sentenced after pleading guilty to the illegal killing of a Eurasian Goshawk at a Perthshire shooting estate:

Blue Tits are a problem for Willow Tits, often taking over WT nest cavities by aggressive eviction. With 6 WT eggs inside, these BTs spent an entire day removing nesting material! The second day was full on warfare, ending in successful WTs. Now a full clutch of 8 eggs safely under incubation. Phew!

Stanford Reservoir - unexpected #patchgold with this smart drake Ring-necked Duck. Patch tick and only the 2nd record for the site, the first in 1978. Whimbrel yesterday keeps the #PWC2026 total ticking along nicely. @lrosbirds.bsky.social

“Italy’s abundance of wolf-dog hybrids threatens to disrupt the key role wolves play in the ecosystem… putting the uniqueness of the species at risk… with all its cultural, ecological & evolutionary value.” This also highlights the shaky grounds on which we tend to demonise wolves but idolise dogs.

Trial extended for two Scottish gamekeepers accused of offences relating to alleged shooting of Red Kites in Cairngorms National Park. NB: Comments turned off as legal proceedings are live ⚖️ #RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/05/01/t...

found out today that there's twice as many Hen Harriers breeding in Orkney as there are in the whole of England.

Wedge-tailed Shearwater colony devastated by feral cat attack Conservationists report 168 adult birds killed at a breeding colony, highlighting ongoing threats to seabirds across the Hawaiian Islands www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/W...

Nice news from Kent, but coppicing trends & deer don't seem to explain Nightingale declines nationally. Coppicing hasn't been common for almost a century, and they're disappearing from sites where habitat unchanged or improved (Paxton,Bradfield), esp north & west. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

For the goliath birdfood industry, money talks, while greenfinches/chaffinches croak.

Black Redstarts nesting in a Swift brick in Winchester!! We advocate for these as universal nest bricks and they really are. No other types of integrated bird box are required @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social @ukrbbp.bsky.social @sosswifts.bsky.social

Then more protection for corvids and a rethink on Larsen traps?

Very telling from the birdfood industry. Despite new RSPB/BTO advice on birdfeeding based on a solid scientific review, and RSPB taking a ££ hit themselves, EVERY major birdfood company is attacking/rejecting the guidance, claiming to know better, putting their incomes over conservation. Shameful.

Maybe just me, but it looks like he's done that a few times before. Routine, even. The industry cannot be reformed, it won't even try despite decades of this evidence and court cases, so it has to be ended by everyone else. They've got to go.

Sadly, this is just the latest in a long line of cases.   Since 2017, 77% of individuals convicted of bird of prey persecution-related offences have links to the gamebird shooting industry.   Read the full story here: www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen...

Shocking footage, captured by a covert RSPB camera, shows gamekeeper Russell Mason brutally killing a Goshawk in a crow cage trap in Perthshire.   After pleading guilty, today he was given a 200-hour Community Payback Order for killing the Goshawk and fined £890 for firearm offences.

Raptor expert warns risks remain for Golden Eagle reintroduction www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/R...

@cambsbirdclub.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social got the info back on this White-tailed Eagle seen at RSPB Ouse Washes on April 8th. Ringed WNAZ at Grevelingen, Holland in May 2025.

The conflict in Iran has severely disrupted conservation efforts for the Critically Endangered Asiatic Cheetah, raising fresh concerns for the survival of the world's rarest big cat:

Plans to restore Golden Eagle to England have advanced after DEFRA confirmed that funding would be available:

UKBMS results out today! Results from fifty years of butterfly monitoring! The UKBMS data reveals declines in 33 species over the last 50 years. Check out the full story below butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo... And the full 2025 statistics can be found here: jncc.gov.uk/our-work/off...

Eastern Imperial Eagle in Skagen! Only the second adult to ever be seen in Denmark. The last adult was in 1990!

Some ominous footage gathered a few days ago from one of the Willow Tit nests we are monitoring. GSW are the most common predator of WT nests in Britain, and having increased by ~400% since the late 60s, it's not a threat that's going away. Let's hope this one has amnesia... #UKBirding #Yikes

Saving your money on peanuts and suet, and instead planting up your garden for wildlife is also an option. After all, how much time does anyone actually spend *looking* at their birdfeeders? Donate those savings to groups/charities doing habitat creation instead, for real conservation benefits.

Woodcocks can no longer be shot in Poland. Evidence & pressure from ornithologists/NGOs resulted in full protection for Woodcocks and 4 other species. Long overdue in Britain too, to conserve UK-breeding Woodcocks... and the migrants coming from/through Poland. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

🤗 Meet Charnia masoni 🌟 Charnia was the first Precambrian fossil described from Charnwood Forest, and one of the oldest animal fossils ever found! 🎥 This is one of a number of new animations produced by Martin Lisec, bringing to life our ancient fossils from 560 million years ago.

Another confused #rewilding story - there aren't 87 pairs of Common Cranes in Somerset that is the national population estimate, most of which were derived from natural recolonisation and not reintroduction #UKbirding #Ornithology www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Hard to not escape the fact that if things carry on the way they are, we will have a similar article written about Willow tit and Britain in the not too distant future...