UK Nature and Environment

A County Down farmer is celebrating the arrival of four new barn owl chicks after 10 years of conservation work on his land to increase numbers.

There are currently fewer than 30 breeding pairs of barn owls in Northern Ireland.

Ulster Wildlife say this is down to agricultural intensification, habitat loss, a lack of nest sites, and increased use of rat poisons.

David Sandford has provided a home for nearly 20 owlets in the past six years after installing wooden nest boxes on his farm in Strangford.

Campaigners have warned against "brutal" cuts to Wales' environmental watchdog, saying the plans "put nature at risk".

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is seeking to close 265 posts, and is considering reductions in areas including tackling waste crime, advising on climate change, managing heritage features and running visitor centres.

One trade union claimed the regulator could be left without "enough staff on the ground" to protect the environment.

Hossenfeffer - with a very seasonal shot of maple leaves.

Thanks for all the entries. We'll be picking another at the Winter solstice, so have your winter shots ready then.

A record-breaking ocean rower and MP has backed a Liberal Democrat proposal for a new Clean Water Authority (CWA) in an attempt to clean up the "disgusting" state of the country's waterways.

South Cotswolds MP Roz Savage urged her party to "go further" on its sewage policy at its autumn conference being held in Brighton.

Dr Savage holds two Guinness World Records for becoming the first woman to row across two and then three oceans solo and for the longest ocean row by a solo female.

She said a proposal to replace Ofwat with the new regulatory body could "lead the transformation of water companies into public benefit companies".

"Environmental DNA" is being analysed to help guide ambitious plans for a new wetland wildlife haven in west Norfolk.

Land managers at Albanwise Environment have teamed up with environmental DNA (eDNA) specialists NatureMetrics and law firm Mills & Reeve to transform an area of peatland near Stoke Ferry.

Mike Edwards, director at Albanwise Environment, said the site was identified as the land is prone to flooding and poor drainage, "making it a more difficult area to consistently farm productively,"

An £80,000 wetlands project to reduce flood risk and boost wildlife habitat in West Yorkshire has been completed.

As part of the work at Chellow Dene Wetlands, near Bradford, a leaky dam and meanders have been created to help slow the flow of water and allow fish to move freely.

The dam, made of natural materials, allows more flood water to enter the plain and reduces flows downstream before it gradually makes its way back into the beck.

CONSERVATIONISTS are working to preserve natural saltmarshes and create new habitat for wildlife and provide protection against climate change.

Essex Wildlife Trust has revealed plans for conservation work at Abbotts Hall nature reserve on the Blackwater Estuary near Colchester.

Environmentalists warn action is needed to protect and restore saltmarshes, as part of efforts to store carbon and tackle the climate and nature crisis.

An extremely rare moth discovered during a nature walk at a Dorset farm is a “significant find", according to experts.

Dr Jack Oughton, from Dorset Moth Group, came across two of the moths, known as the Gold-fringed Dot, at Bere Marsh Farm in Shillingstone.

The tiny creatures, which have a wingspan of 6 to 6.8mm, were also inspected by experts who confirmed the finding.

Swindale Beck, a stream in Cumbria, in the heart of the UK's Lake District, meanders through fields, farmland and valleys. However, not long ago, the river took a far more linear course.

A healthy river should be sinuous, free flowing and replete with wildlife. In Britain, however, 97% of rivers are fragmented by artificial barriers like weirs. Now, there is at least one artificial barrier for every 1.5km of stream in the country. And for centuries rivers have been slowly canalised – or artificially straightened – to stop water from flooding and spilling onto farmland and houses.

But removing a river's natural meanders has, in fact, achieved the opposite effect. Instead, it's disrupted the flow of rivers and degraded aquatic habitats, water quality and heightened flood risk. As the poor health of Europe's rivers and streams continues to make news – due to dwindling wildlife, sewage pollution and agricultural runoff – communities are turning towards natural solutions to restore their rivers.

The hobby, a small, elegant falcon, is a frequent summer visitor to the south and east of England and South Wales but less common further north. However, two of our volunteers recently reported what is believed to be the first confirmed sighting of a pair of nesting hobbies here in Cumbria.

Matthew Cookson and David Thexton are regular volunteers at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve. The site is no stranger to birds of prey, with a pair of breeding ospreys spending every summer here, and peregrine and marsh harrier are regularly spotted.

This summer, for the first time, they confirmed that a pair of hobbies were nesting here. Matthew takes up the story:

Rock-hugging river jelly lichen (Lathagrium dichotomum) has been found thriving along the River Sprint, marking a significant boost for local water quality. River jelly lichen is a species that won’t compromise on habitat conditions, and they will only live in the cleanest of waters.

The discovery, made by teams from the Environment Agency during a routine ecology survey, is the first ever recorded presence of the jelly-like species in the Kent catchment. This discovery demonstrates how important ecological monitoring is.

In recent years, only one other population of ‘Lathagrium dichotomum’ has been reported along the River Eden, though populations do have a small stronghold in the River Lune and some Lake District still-waters.

Rediscovery of rare bumblebee brings hope to South Kent

A rare species of bumblebee, not seen in South Kent for over a decade has been rediscovered on a small holding following dedicated conservation efforts.

The bumblebee – a Shrill carder – is the UK’s rarest species. The Shrill carder is a priority species for conservation efforts in England and Wales following significant declines since the 1950s.

The bumblebee, which was last recorded in this region in 2012, was discovered by Bumblebee Conservation Trust volunteer Claire Marshall, foraging on wildflower habitat that has carefully been restored over the past three years.

The Bumbles on Blooms project, which ran between February and May this year, invited members of the public to observe bumblebee sightings on flowers in gardens and parks across the UK, and record their findings and photographs. The aim of the project was to find out which plants bumblebees rely on most heavily at a critical time in the year as they establish their colonies.

Over a thousand records from the public included at least 10 species of bumblebees and almost 350 different plants. The top three most sighted bumblebees that were identified to species were Early, Buff-tail and Common Carder.

The results indicate that of all colours, white-petalled flowers received more visits than any other from these vital pollinators. White was closely followed by purple and pink, which was reflected in the fact that the top five reported plants in the project included comfrey, crocuses, chives and heather. All five are popular with gardeners and offer reliable flowering from early to late spring.

The hen harrier is one of our rarest birds of prey and just 11 years ago there were no successful nests in England. However, since Natural England issued its first licence for the Hen Harrier Brood Management Trial in 2018, one of the fundamental components of Defra’s Hen Harrier Action Plan, the number of hen harriers nesting in England has dramatically increased; thanks in no small part to the work of moorland managers. It is therefore disappointing that this year’s breeding figures are lower than those for the previous three years, with Natural England recording 34 breeding attempts (compared to 54 in 2023), of which 25 were successful (36 in 2023). Although the 80 chicks fledged this year was also lower than last year, it is important to keep these figures in perspective.

When the largest lake in the UK turns green, it's hard not to wonder about the effect on local wildlife.

Blue-green algae is known to emit toxins which can cause skin irritation in humans, or stomach upsets if a lot of affected water is ingested while swimming, for example.

And it is known to be potentially fatal for dogs.

But "surprisingly," says one scientist who's been studying the algae, very little is known about the effect of algae on wildlife.

The collapse in British butterfly populations is a “warning from nature” about the resilience of the UK’s ecosystems, says England’s nature chief, raising concerns about threats to national food security as the planet continues to heat.

Tony Juniper, the chair of Natural England, says new data showing a sharp fall in butterfly populations this summer was probably the consequence of habitat loss and the use of pesticides, making the insects less resilient to extreme weather fluctuations: the scorching heat and wetter weather driven by global heating.

Figures from Butterfly Conservation this week showed observed butterfly numbers had almost halved to 935,000 – the lowest ever total in the 14-year history of the UK count. Species including the common blue, the small tortoiseshell and Scotch argus recorded their lowest ever figures, according to the data.

When Europe’s heaviest land mammals were introduced into a woodland on the edge of Canterbury, it was hoped they would flourish and make space for other wildlife.

But the European bison have been so successful in West Blean and Thornden Woods that more space must be made for them – in the form of Britain’s first ever bison bridges.

Four bridges costing a total of £1m are being built in to allow introduced bison, which are classified as dangerous wild animals in UK law, to cross the maze of public footpaths in the ancient woods without interacting with people.

A £2m national art project aims to inspire people to connect with landscapes to improve their wellbeing.

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were renamed "National Landscapes" last year.

The team behind National Landscapes has now launched Nature Calling - a programme which will see people co-create artworks inspired by 34 National Landscapes, including the Mendip Hills and Weston-super-Mare.

A guide has told of the "hugely exciting" moment one of his groups discovered a rare species of fish near Coventry.

Alex Jones, from the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, was taking members of the public around the River Sherbourne when somebody pointed out what he realised was a critically endangered European eel.

The find was made on 7 September, the first day of Coventry's River Festival.

Seventeen-week old cocker spaniel Goose is being trained as a wildlife detection dog by his owners, Ellesse Janda and Tony Nellis to give a helping ‘nose’ to the wildlife charity as it continues surveying for water voles across the region’s waterways.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust lead volunteer and freelance social science consultant, Ellesse recently spent a four month placement with Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Forestry England, conducting water vole surveys in Kielder Forest and Water, following the completion of the Restoring Ratty water vole reintroduction project that saw over 2,000 captively bred voles released into the North Tyne catchment area.

Ellesse quickly realised that surveying for water voles in Kielder wasn't easy with extremely changing habitats and quickly rising water levels washing away signs of water vole activity - which is where Goose comes in.

A marine life rescue charity said it has never before seen so many stranded dolphins and porpoises on beaches across Merseyside.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue "has never been busier" according to its staff, who provide medical care for beached animals until they can be safely released.

It is unclear whether the rise is linked to climate change affecting sea temperatures or simply due to people being more aware of how to report cases, the charity said.

Hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide are being stored in the UK’s seabeds, according to a world-first report that sets out to quantify the role Britain’s coastal waters can play in the fight against climate change.

The study, known as the Blue Carbon Mapping Project, found the UK’s seabed habitats have the potential to capture up to 13 million tonnes of organic carbon every year, almost three times the amount sequestered by the UK’s forests.

But despite the role it plays as a huge carbon sink, the UK’s seabeds are not protected in the same way as other carbon sequestering habitats, such as forests and peatlands.