H a b i t a t - Blue for the world, green for the land, red for the living
Lesser spotted woodpecker
Birds
Resources
RSPB and BTO appeal for sightings of secretive woodpecker
The RSPB and British Trust for Ornithology have launched a joint appeal for sightings of the rapidly declining lesser spotted woodpecker.
Police vow to protect bird nests
Cumbria Police have pledged to prosecute anyone caught destroying wild birds’ nests in a tough new stance on wildlife crime following a high-profile court case earlier this week.
Seagulls to face a weekend cull
A Norfolk naturalist has questioned the need to shoot hundreds of seagulls in Yarmouth this weekend in a cull by the Port Authority.
Rare visitors wing in
A party of uncommon birds have been proving an attraction for twitchers at Tetney marshes.
Star swallow
One of the stars of the spring bird migration on the Lincolnshire Coast has been a red-rumped swallow.
Seabird Centre soars to new heights as eco-tourists flock in
Eco-tourism in Scotland has taken off with almost a million people visiting the Scottish Seabird Centre in East Lothian since it opened five years ago.
Mink
Animals
Resources
Mink to blame for decline in water vole population
Water voles have featured in these notes more as the prey of other mammals, and birds, than in their own right.
Bats save tree from the chop
A dead horse chestnut tree on a March playing field has been saved from the axe - because it is an important roost for a rare breed of bat.
TB prevention 'better than cure'
DEFRA IS to concentrate its efforts on preventing bovine tuberculosis spreading into areas free from infection, according to chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds.

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

Marine
Resources
UK Fisheries Minister calls for halt on whaling expansion
Plans to increase whaling activity have been roundly condemned by UK Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw and conservationists.
Sea litter clean-up set to expand
Trawlermen from 10 major ports across Scotland are joining forces to fish hundreds of tonnes of marine litter from the North Sea.
13 dolphins killed by driftnet
Fishermen off Greece's Aegean island of Samothrace have found 13 dead dolphins and a small whale in an illegal driftnet, local authorities said on Friday.
The Wildlife Trusts Your ocean needs you!
Show your support for the marine bill campaign by signing The Wildlife Trusts’ marine petition online by clicking here.
Plants
Resources
Ice Age forest due for spruce up
A £2.2m project to restore a forest that was left behind after the last Ice Age is due to be launched.
Nature notes
Ash treesare now coming into full leaf, the last trees to do so.
National
Resources
Bt11 gets thumbs-up from EFSA
European food safety advisers have declared that Syngenta's insect and herbicide resistant GM maize, Bt11, is suitable for cultivation in the EU, though it faces considerable delays before it is likely to be grown.
Water planning will clash with farming and wildlife, consultancy predicts
Water resource planning issues will clash with environmental legislation; dramatic increases in winter rainfall and even greater decreases in summer rainfall will force farmers to introduce wetlands and new water management techniques; and water shortages and hosepipe bans will become regular annual events.

Naturenet
Countryside management and nature conservation
- here

England
Resources
Bird plea to farmers
A network of mini-reserves on Lakeland hills could provide vital havens for declining bird species like yellowhammers, reed buntings and lapwings, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Funding secures valley's future
The future of a green oasis close to the UK's largest shopping mall has been secured today thanks to a £611,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
East of England on track for biodiversity
To mark International Biodiversity Day on 22 May, the Rural Development Service (RDS) has revealed figures indicating that more than 76% of Defra's Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) agreements in the East of England have directly contributed to the achievement of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and Public Service Agreement targets.
Fish poisoning fear
Fish found floating dead on the surface of a Worcester Park pond may have been poisoned.
Fire at woods' beauty spot
A fire which was started deliberately has destroyed part of a Battle beauty spot.
The end of Groundwork leaves a “gaping hole” to fill
Groundwork West Cumbria, part of the UK’s largest environmental regeneration charity, announced it was shutting last Thursday after employees were told of the company’s budget crisis.
Multi-coloured maps point the way as the country opens up
The changing face of Tynedale under Right to Roam legislation has been brought into focus by Government map-makers.
500,000 new acres to roam and a big headache for landowners
Over half a million acres of land in Cumbria will be freed to walkers when the new right-to-roam act hits the ground in the biggest change to the countryside in 50 years.
Ireland
Resources
Heritage body concerned about decline of natural habitats
The Heritage Council has warned that Ireland's natural habitats and biodiversity are under threat.
Maritime heritage at risk, council warns
Poorly informed planning and "simple neglect" are resulting in an "insidious" loss of Ireland's rich maritime heritage, according to the Heritage Council.
Wild salmon being caught 'before they can spawn'
A leading international wild salmon conservation group has accused the Government of being responsible for hundreds of thousands of wild salmon being caught at sea before they can return to spawning grounds across Europe.
Wales
Resources
Historic day for the Welsh countryside
Welsh Assembly Government Ministers and BBC Wales' Sara Edwards will pull on their hiking boots next week to celebrate new countryside access rights.
100-mile national park walk opens
The first walk to span the entire length of the Brecon Beacons National Park has opened.
Scotland
Resources
'Aliens' alarm fish experts
Agencies with interests in Lochaber wild salmon stocks yesterday condemned the mysterious appearance of "alien fish" in a local loch.
City wildlife reserve opens after revamp
A wildlife reserve in Glasgow has re-opened after £20,000-worth of improvements.
Energy
Resources
SNH objects to Dunmaglass windfarm proposals
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has submitted its formal response to the Scottish Executive on proposals for a 36 turbine windfarm at Dunmaglass near Loch Ness.
Lewis windfarm row 'shows lack of central policy'
There was condemnation last night of the continued absence of a coherent political strategy on the proliferation of windfarms in the Highlands and Islands.
Survey shows locals are concerned over windfarm plans for Sutherland
A survey carried out following fears that the picturesque county of Sutherland may become the windfarm capital of Scotland has shown that residents in the affected areas are very worried about that situation.
An ill wind blows as campaigners rap turbine report
Anti-wind farm campaigners in the West reacted angrily yesterday to a new report calling for more turbines to be built on the British countryside.
Windfarm campaigners in giant balloon protest
A large helium-filled balloon was flown high over the Devon countryside to drum up opposition to controversial proposals for a windfarm.
Roman soldiers help new fight against windfarm
Ancient Roman legions who once marched through South Yorkshire could soon be playing a part in a new battle—this time to halt a green scheme.
Proper use of the wind
I have no objection to seeing wind farms on our hills and horizons.
Windfarm could start co-operative shares sale
The development of a £15million windfarm near Banff could trigger the launch of a co-operative which would be the first of its kind in Scotland.
Switched on to wave power
The movement of the sea has inspired poetry, paintings and symphonies. Could it one day furnish us with light and heat as well?
Scottish company to build world's first commercial wave power station
The world's first commercial wave power station is to be built in Portugal by a Scottish company which employs 35 people but believes it is tapping into a market worth billions.
Climate
Resources
New report: Is the EU on target to meet its climate change commitments?
A new report from the European Environment Agency, European Community and Member States greenhouse gas emission trends 1990-1998, evaluates progress towards meeting commitments under the Climate Change Convention and Kyoto Protocol.
Air travel mars UK's green strategy
Greenhouse gas emissions from UK air travel has doubled in 13 years, damaging the government's claims to be a world leader in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Airport billed for climate change
An environmental group is presenting Bristol Airport with a "bill" for climate change as the airport prepares for its inaugural New York flights.
Soot revealed as major cause of global warming
Scientists believe soot from trucks and chimneys is having a major worsening effect on global warming.
Ice sheet confounds climate theory
The world's largest ice sheet is growing due to increased snowfall caused by climate change, scientists announce today.
Help produce a forecast of the climate in the 21st century, using your computer -
here
Global
Resources
Past century sees biodiversity dive
Biodiversity is disappearing faster than ever, according to a report backed by the United Nations.
Brazil announces five new nature reserves for Amazonia
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced the creation of five new nature reserves in the Amazon region during a ceremony today to commemorate International Biodiversity Day.
The rape of the rainforest... and the man behind it
It is stark. It is scarcely believable. But the ruthless obliteration of the Amazon rainforest continues at a headlong rate new figures reveal - and today we reveal the man who more than any other represents the forces making it happen.
Cornell to launch five-year study on coyotes
For many people, their closest encounter with a coyote is hearing its howl curdle the night from afar.
Tsunami a boon for endangered turtles
The highly endangered Olive Ridley turtles have had a safe breeding season this year along the coast of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
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