More than a third of all honeybee colonies in England died over the winter, according to figures from the British Beekeepers Association, the worst losses since its winter survival survey began. On average, 33.8 colonies in every 100 perished over the long winter of 2012-13 compared with 16.2% the previous winter. In the south-west of […]
Without heroic conservationists many of today’s most beloved species would be extinct: think of pandas, tigers, and elephants. By single-mindly focused on saving a particular species, these conservation champions bring much-needed research, publicity, and, most importantly, targeted actions to keep an imperiled animal from the brink. Through their own exuberance, these heroes also gather others […]
Wildlife in a Berkshire woodland was endangered by a “sledgehammer-to-crack-a-nut” approach to killing a toxic caterpillar, experts have said. Birds, bats and rare insects were affected by Forestry Commission aerial sprays to kill a moth larvae, Butterfly Conservation and Buglife claimed. It was unclear if oak processionary caterpillar larvae were even present in the Pangbourne […]
Many of the UK’s 250 bee species are in trouble, according to a report from the University of Reading and Friends of the Earth, with intensive farming, urban sprawl and coastal development blamed as well as pesticides. This article was written by Damian Carrington for The Guardian and re-posted on Focusing on Wildlife.
It may surprise you that I believe Canon’s 180mm macro lens to be the best macro lens for nature photography. After all, a few years ago, Canon released a new macro lens, the EF 100mm f/2.8L. It’s smaller, lighter, cheaper, auto-focuses faster, has a wider maximum aperture, and it even sports a new hybrid form […]
Welcome! hello there! I’d write more but my hands are frozen and typing is no fun (excuses, excuses, eh? Mmhmm)! Yeah…Texas, what? 35 degrees this morning? I do not approve. I’m craving my happy-thriving temperature of 84 and above. This 30’s thing this is pretty unacceptable. I’m not made for this nonsense, guys! But hey, […]
Sprinkled with pollen, buzzing bees fly from one blossom to another, collecting sweet nectar from brilliantly colored flowers. Bees tend to symbolize the pollination process, but there are many wild insects that carry out the same function. Unfortunately, wild insect populations are in decline, and, according to a recent study, adding more honey bees may […]
The UK government should suspend the use of a number of pesticides linked to the deaths of bees, a committee of MPs has said. Members of the Commons Environmental Audit Committee are calling for a moratorium on the use of sprays containing neonicotinoids. Britain has refused to back an EU ban on these chemicals saying […]