H a b i t a t - Daily wildlife and environment news from the British Isles


Birds
Resources
British Trust for Ornithology Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Birds Directive BirdGuides Bird News JNCC - Birds Natura 2000 Birds by Species Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside Black Grouse UK Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust BirdLife International Fat Birder

Glorious Twelfth shot down by grouse shortage

This year’s Glorious Twelfth looks set to be a financial disaster as a combination of bad weather and parasites has decimated stocks ahead of the opening day of the grouse shooting season.

Sunday Herald

Grouse beating a path to our plates

It is high in protein, low in fat and free from artificial additives. Vegetarians and anti-bloodsports campaigners won't like it but red grouse is about to be marketed as a healthy new meat alternative.

Scotland on Sunday

Cuckoos have gone missing

During the war years, many of us used to roam the local fields in search of mushrooms, blackberries and, in the spring and summer, birds' nests.

this is Leicestershire

Swan song hope for bullying bird

Wildlife conservationists are hoping a swan song is on the cards for an aggressive visitor to a Belfast pond.

BBC

Britain prepares for bird flu death toll of thousands

The government is to mount an exercise to help emergency services prepare for any potential bird flu pandemic that could kill thousands of people in Britain.

Times Online

Barn owls ready to woo again

Barn owls look like having their most successful breeding year in decades with conservationists confident a 70-year slump in numbers has been reversed.

Times Online

Tree sparrows call Suffolk home

Record numbers of sparrows are choosing Suffolk as the place to call home.

Evening Star

Feather report

Goldfinches are back on the thistles. Farmers do not like thistles, because they are so hard to get rid of, but goldfinches have no cause to complain.

Times Online

Wild birds targeted by crossbow attacker

Police today appealed for help in tracking down crossbow hunters who shot two wild geese.

this is Leicestershire


Animals
Resources
Mammal Society Mammals Trust UK The Deer Commission for Scotland Scottish Big Cat Trust Scottish Badgers International Otter Survival Fund Bat Conservation Trust National Federation of Badger Groups Froglife Herpetological Groups of Britain & Ireland Butterfly Conservation Butterflies of Ireland Spiders of NW-Europe British Dragonfly Society Buglife

A terrific night out with the creatures from the features

Bats, it has to be said, do suffer from a bad PR. Dracula and his blood-sucking, bat-loving ways probably started it - and hundreds of low-budget horror films with dodgy-looking plastic bats clinging to the necks of heroines haven't helped.

Scotsman.com

Marksmen out to catch panthers

Sharpshooters are undertaking night-time hunting expeditions in an attempt to wipe out one of the Moorlands' black panthers.

this is Staffordshire

Euro-wasp arrives to deliver stinging attack

Giant wasps with an agonising sting are arriving from Europe and making their homes in our gardens, according to insect experts.

this is Lincolnshire

Endangered great crested newt is returned to the wild

An endangered newt, which was first thought to be a frog, has been cared for by a Vale family.

this is Worcestershire

Homes will leave newts unharmed

A plan to build a new 800-home estate on the outskirts of Scunthorpe appears to have cleared one of the final hurdles and moved a step closer, following clearance of the scheme for environmental impact.

this is Scunthorpe

Playtime with Tarka

Philip Wayre was duck shooting on the River Stiffkey in Norfolk when he met his first otter. It was a brief encounter lasting less than a minute, perhaps, but he was captivated.

Telegraph

Hives crisis as bee inspectors face the sack

Worcestershire's bee population could be under threat because of Government plans to save money.

this is Worcestershire

The harlequin ladybird is the most invasive ladybird on Earth.
Now it's in Britain.
Help monitor its spread here


Marine
Resources
British Marine Life Study Society JNCC Fisheries Marine Conservation Society Marine Life Information Network for Britain and Ireland Shark Trust The European Register of Marine Species The UK Coastal Zone

Paddlers in peril as poisonous weever fish hit the beach

Holidaymakers should wear flip-flops on sandy beaches to protect them from an explosion in the numbers of a poisonous fish in Scotland, marine biologists warned last night.

Scotsman.com

Ben White, a voice for cetaceans, dies at 53

We are deeply sorry to have to report that Ben White, one of the world’s most important campaigners for the protection of whales and dolphins and other wildlife, died on July 30th at the age of 53.

Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

Fish life disaster as red tide scourge engulfs bay of death

An algal bloom in Dingle Bay in Co Kerry is leading to "an ecological disaster in marine terms" according to a sea fisheries officer and marine expert.

Irish Independent


Plants
Resources
The British Lichen Society The Woodland Trust Botanical Society of the British Isles Plantlife Flora locale Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Heritage Trees of Scotland The Postcode Plants Database Forestry Commission

Treetop path will give bird’s-eye view of forest

A walkway 120ft high is being planned to soar above the treetops of one of England’s largest natural forests.

Times Online

Woodland protesters win chainsaw face-off

Tree lovers in Golders Green have defied construction workers armed with chainsaws in a bid to protect valuable woodland.

Ham & High

So much more than just a pretty flower

When I was a very small child, my friends and I used to look for red clovers and detach the flowers' petals one by one to suck sweet nectar from their bases.

Gazette & Herald

Trust plants an idea for growth

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is replanting the banks of the River Ray with plants form the nearby meadows.

this is Wiltshire

Trust sues for forest damage

The National Trust is suing an Asian airline over the crash of one of its aircraft in 1999.

this is Wiltshire


National/Europe
Resources
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group Natural Environment Research Council Minerals and Nature Conservation Forum The Wildlife Trusts Wildlife and Countryside Link British Naturalists' Association EnvironmentJobs

Why Waste Your Waste?

grownupgreen has been waiting for George Pilkington to complete his latest book because we know that so many of you are interested in the subject matter.

grownupgreen

Naturenet
Countryside management and nature conservation
- here


England
Resources
English Nature Countryside Agency Environment Agency Campaign for the Protection of Rural England

Leaping to extinction: why the salmon, King of Fish, is vanishing from our rivers

Wild salmon are disappearing from most of the places where they used to swim, and could soon be gone completely.

Independent

Crayfish plague crushes colony on Izaak Walton fishing hotspot

A colony of the rare white-clawed crayfish, Britain’s only native species of crayfish, has been wiped out.

Fishupdate.com

Letting nature take its course at factory site

If ever evidence was needed that former industrial sites can be transformed into wildlife havens, a stroll round West Park should suffice.

this is the North-east

Council expected to join in battle against colliery plan

A District council is likely to throw its weight behind protestors fighting plans for a huge colliery at a beauty spot and wildlife haven.

this is the North-east

Valley residents get back to nature on their doorstep

People in the Gaunless Valley are being urged to make their mark on the future of a new wildlife haven by adding a flavour of the site's industrial past.

this is the North-east

Fine for mass fish deaths

A farm company involved in a slurry spill that killed more than 2,000 fish has been handed fines and costs of more than £13,000.

this is Bath
this is Wiltshire

Deadly legacy lingers

As the Post reported earlier this week, experts are tracking the source of chemical pollution linked to defects and deaths in Notts herons - with a risk to human health not yet ruled out.

this is Nottingham

Rain offers reprieve for our reserves' wildlife

As would seem to always be the case, the school holidays start and so does the bad weather.

this is Worcestershire

Night walk will take in bore thrills

The sounds and smells of the riverbank at night will be on offer on a walk this month. A large Severn Bore tidal wave is due to travel up the river on Sunday, August 21.

this is Gloucestershire

Going wild over organic farms

Organic farmers in Oxfordshire say turning away from conventional farming has boosted business and benefited wildlife.

this is Oxfordshire

David Bellamy to lead beach wildlife tour

Renowned wildlife expert David Bellamy is to give a guided tour of a Cornish beach, highlighting its flora and fauna.

this is Devon

Back to nature

A new nature reserve and conservation area is proposed on part of the site of two lakes between Abingdon and Radley into which millions of tonnes of spent coal ash could be dumped.

this is Oxfordshire


Ireland
Resources
Environment & Heritage Service (Northern Ireland) Northern Ireland Biodiversity Group National Parks and Wildlife Service Ireland's Environment All-Ireland review of introduced species

Anglers say salmon wiped out by drift netting

Salmon anglers have called for an emergency meeting with the manager of the Southern Regional Fisheries Board, Brian Sheerin, over dwindling stocks in the River Nore which have reached their lowest level in living memory.

Irish Independent

Quinn gets approval for disputed quarry

The Quinn Group plans to extract about a million tonnes of limestone a year from the site over 50 years. Its application was approved last week by An Bord Pleanála, subject to a number of conditions.

Business Post

Shell insists 2007 deadline for Corrib gas on schedule

The company said it notified theMinister for Communications, Marine andNatural Resources, Noel Dempsey, last Friday of its intention to dismantle the three-kilometre onshore gas pipeline after seeking legal advice.

Business Post

Give us the money, for peat's sake

In terms of producing carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases, burning peat for electricity is about as good for the environment as George W Bush.

Irish Independent

EPA lacks the expertise to enforce environmental regulations, expert claims

One of Ireland’s foremost experts on the chemical industry believes the Environmental Protection Agency has neither the expertise nor the resources to fully monitor and enforce environmental regulations within the industry.

Examiner

Government urged to scrap duty on biofuels and drive biodiesel cars

The Green Party has urged the Government to scrap excise duty on biofuels and has called for the State’s fleet of ministerial cars to be converted to run on biodiesel.

Examiner


Scotland
Resources
Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Environment Protection Agency Scottish Biodiversity Group Scotland's National Nature Reserves John Muir Trust Scottish Environment News Scottish Wildlife Trust Red Squirrels In South Scotland

Anger at salmon river dumping

Scotland's green watchdog is urging Beauly residents to help catch the fly-tipping culprits who almost polluted a local salmon spawning river.

North Star

Supermarket sweep at waterway

Supermarket staff are taking part in a clean-up of the Water of Leith this weekend.

Scotsman.com

Tightening up Green Belt planning

The role of green belts in the development of towns and cities will be strengthened and enhanced under new planning policy published for consultation today.

Scottish Executive

Woodland fires cause concern

Sutherland Estates this week expressed serious concern about three recent outbreaks if fire in Balblair Wood near Golspie.

Northern Times


Wales
Resources
Welsh Assembly Countryside Council for Wales Wales Biodiversity Partnership Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales Environment Agency (Wales)

Probe into oil spill on Welsh coastline

An oil spill has hit the Welsh coastline, triggering an investigation. Up to 500 tonnes of kerosene leaked from a tank owned by Petroplus in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire.

icWales

Fish killed by chemical in river

An investigation has been launched after thousands of fish were wiped out by a mystery pollutant - for the second time in a year.

icWales


Climate
Resources
Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research Southampton Oceanography Centre Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Natural Environment Research Council UK Climate Impacts Programme Impacts of Climate Change on Wildlife ENN Special Reports: Climate Change Global Warming: Early warning signs

Earth ‘losing fight against global warming’

The Earth is losing its natural resistance to global warming as the oceans and forests reach capacity in their ability to soak up carbon emissions, say scientists.

Sunday Herald

Historical evidence shows Larsen ice shelf collapse is 'unprecedented'

In the spring of 2002, a large chunk of the Larsen B ice shelf (LIS-B) on the Antarctic Peninsula broke off and tumbled into the Weddell Sea.

Scientific American.com

Alaskan people tell of climate change

For the past 20 years climatologists and ice and atmosphere scientists have been working in Alaska studying climate change.

BBC

Pension funds 'must consider risks of climate change'

Pension fund trustees have a duty to address the financial risk posed by climate change when making investment decisions, according to a report issued today by the Carbon Trust, the government-funded body that helps companies cut harmful emissions.

Telegraph

Rise in CO2 emissions will outpace Earth's absorption capacity

There are limits to the planet's ability to absorb increased emissions of carbon dioxide, according to one model in a new generation of computer climate models that include the effects of Earth's carbon cycle.

Environment News Service

All air fares to rise under Brussels plan

Every passenger flight leaving a European Union airport will have to pay for its greenhouse gas emissions under proposals being considered by Brussels, The Business can reveal.

The Business Online

Help produce a forecast of the climate in the 21st century, using your computer -
here


Global
Resources
IUCN - World Conservation Union Convention on Biological Diversity WWF - The global environment network World Land Trust

Madagascar's unique forest under threat

One of the world's biggest mining companies has been given permission to open up an enormous mine on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar which will involve digging up some of the world's most unique forest.

The Observer

Indonesia sanctuary puts the beast back into animals

Looking irritated, Indonesian animal trainer Alen tries to ignore the loud shrieks of "good morning" coming from white cockatoos in an outdoor cage.

Environmental News Network

'Move people to save tigers'

An Indian task force said on Friday that the country's tigers were under siege from poachers and people living in protected reserves, and called for thousands of villagers to be relocated to save the endangered big cat.

IOL

The World Land Trust is a conservation charity that has helped purchase and protect over 300,000 acres of rainforest and other threatened wildlife habitats worldwide. You can help us save even more - here

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Daily wildlife and environment news from the British Isles