The soundscape in mangrove forests can be wonderfully complex. If you prime your ears, you might chance to hear mudskippers sloshing their bellies across silky mud, or fiddler crabs pattering between their burrows. If you’re lucky, a rustling overhead might indicate monkeys creeping along branches, intently curious, or it could be a Brahminy kite taking […]
Tag: birds of prey
National Trust records ‘alarming’ drop in insects and seabirds at its sites
There have been alarming declines this year in some insect species including bees, butterflies, moths and wasps, while many seabirds have also been “hammered” by unstable weather patterns caused by the climate emergency, a conservation charity has said. In its annual report on the impact of the weather on flora and fauna, the National Trust […]
Water voles bounce back in key areas but distribution across UK declines
Water voles continue to decline in their distribution across Britain but there are signs of recovery in some regions, with populations bouncing back in 11 key areas, according to a report. The river-residing mammal, which inspired Ratty in the Wind in the Willows, has revived in number in parts of Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and East […]
Scottish conservation agency accused of undermining law to protect birds of prey
Wildlife charities have condemned a decision by Scotland’s nature conservation agency to dilute a new law designed to combat the illegal killing of birds of prey. NatureScot, a government agency, has decided to greatly reduce the area of land affected by a new licensing regime for grouse moors after legal threats from shooting estates and […]
Steady flight of kestrels could help aerial safety soar
A new joint study by RMIT and the University of Bristol has revealed secrets to the remarkably steady flight of kestrels and could inform future drone designs and flight control strategies. The study, “Steady as they hover: kinematics of kestrel wing and tail morphing during hovering flights,” was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. […]
7 Ways to Attract Beneficial Insects & Animals to the Garden
An important part of creating a healthy, organic garden space is supporting a well-balanced ecosystem. That can’t be done with the use of pesticides and other biocides because they, by design, create imbalance. There are insects and small animals that feed on unwelcomed garden visitors like aphids and slugs, so if there are no aphids […]
New York’s Flaco the owl had fatal conditions before colliding into building
Flaco, the Eurasian eagle owl who gained fame after living free in New York City after escaping from captivity, was weakened by rat poison and a pigeon virus to the extent he would have died even if he had not fatally collided with a building earlier this year, a postmortem has found. Flaco was 13 […]
Scottish grouse moors to be licensed in attempt to protect birds of prey
Grouse moors across Scotland will be required to hold licences and could face shooting bans as part of radical measures to combat bird of prey persecution passed by MSPs on Thursday. The Scottish parliament voted for the controls amid intense pressure from conservation scientists and campaigners after decades of illegal attacks on birds of prey […]