Wildlife & Conservation
Scottish sea eagle soars over Isle of Wight
A SCOTTISH white-tailed eagle has been relocated to the Isle of Wight as part of a reintroduction project. The young bird was collected by Forestry & Land Scotland (FLS), under a licence from Scottish Natural Heritage. It is one of seven birds being reintroduced to the South of England by Forestry England and the Roy…
Read MoreFirst autumn mammal survey gets underway
THE first autumn “Living With Mammals” survey kicks off on Monday, with Scots being asked to keep their eyes peeled for creatures, tracks and droppings in gardens, parks or other green spaces. People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) normally only runs its survey once a year, but is now capitalising on a successful spring count…
Read MoreCalls for beavers to be moved as shooting season begins
BEAVERS should be moved instead of being shot, according to an alliance of two dozen conservation charities and communities groups. The Scottish Rewilding Alliance has called on the Scottish Government to allow beavers to be shifted from areas such as Tayside and placed in other parts of the country. At present, landowners and farmers can…
Read MoreFirst golden eagle chick on Highland estate for 40 years
GOLDEN eagles have bred for the first time in 40 years on charity Trees for Life’s flagship Dundreggan rewilding estate at Glenmoriston between Loch Ness and Skye. Renowned conservationist Roy Dennis set up an eagle nest – or “eyrie” – on the estate five years ago. Estate manager Doug Gilbert said: “This is a rewilding…
Read MoreChildren’s wildlife drawing contest launched
GARDEN BirdWatch is marking its 25th anniversary with a drawing competition for children aged five to 11. The British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO’s) summer project includes watching, counting, drawing and writing. The results from each year’s Garden BirdWatch are used by the BTO’s scientists to understand how British birds are faring and how gardens can…
Read MoreKeeping children engaged with the great outdoors
During lockdown, many families have found the time to reconnect with the outdoors. Now that restrictions are starting to ease, conservation expert Jeff Waddell explains why it’s important that families continue to explore nature together and gives advice on how to keep young ones engaged with the great outdoors. THE National Trust for Scotland (NTS)…
Read MoreReport reveals Scottish birds’ epic journeys
A TINY bird’s 11,000 kilometre flight from the Isle of Rum to Argentina has been revealed in a new report from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). The Manx Shearwater – weighing only about 400 grams and with a wingspan of around 80 centimetres – migrated from its breeding grounds in Scotland to the sunshine of…
Read MoreChris Packham launches Big Butterfly Count
TELEVISION presenter Chris Packham today launches Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count. More than 113,000 people took part in last year’s survey and the wildlife charity expects even more participants this year. Fine spring weather led to the earliest average emergences of butterflies for the past 20 years and Butterfly Conservation has received thousands of extra…
Read MoreThreatened plants and wildlife get £1.8m
SIXTEEN projects to save Scotland’s wildlife an plants have been awarded £1.8 million from the Scottish Government’s Biodiversity Challenge Fund. Schemes receiving cash include Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust’s Endrick Legacy Project, which was awarded nearly £100,000 to tackle a wide range of highly-destructive invasive species, including Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed, American mink and American signal…
Read MoreSpot the smaller things in nature this summer
Travel writer Phoebe Smith and binocular maker Swarovski offer tips to help countryside explorers slow down this summer and notice the little things in nature. 1. Look for nature’s clues Sometimes, when we take a walk, we can get so fixated on where we are headed to that we forget to take the time to…
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