Badger Watch @ Caerlaverock

Watch Wild Badgers Feeding

As part of the Dumfries & Galloway Wildlife Festival you can watch wild badgers feeding at a series of special events running nightly from April 4th to 17th at the Caerlaverock Wetland Centre.

For more information or to book a place (booking essential) call 01387 770200

A Wildlife Mothers Day

Mothers Day Wildlife Festival Event

As part of the Dumfries & Galloway Wildlife Festival there's an event this Sunday April 3rd (Mothers Day) where you can join the Buccleuch Rangers on a guided walk to learn all about how wildlife mums care for their young.

The event starts at Drumlanrig Castle visitor centre. For more details or to book a place call 01848 331555 or email: rangerservice@buccleuch.com

Crossbills @ Kielder

Wildlife Watch: crossbills numbers soaring @ Kielder  

According to the Forestry Commission nature lovers are flocking to Kielder Water & Forest Park in Northumberland to see a spectacle of nature.

Thousands of crossbills have appeared in the 155,000 acre Northumberland wilderness, apparently attracted by the abundance of seed offered by an excellent cone crop this year.

Martin Davison, Forestry Commission ornithologist who has worked in Kielder for over 30 years monitoring and protecting bird life, said: "Some years the bird fails to show up at all, so getting such large numbers is something special. It all depends on how good the cone crop is and this year it is very good indeed. It's impossible to say how many have arrived, but a guess could put it as high as 10,000 pairs. That could be the biggest breeding population in the country at the moment.”

Crossbills have chicks in January and February, which take to the wing in March, by the of May they begin to leave. Look out for the bird hanging upside down like a parrot stripping seed from cones.

To find out more go to www.visitkielder.com/ or call 01434 220242.

Wildlife Festival in April

Dumfries & Galloway Wildlife Festival

If you're in Scotland next month (April 2011) then you might want to plan a visit to Dumfries & Galloway which is holding a Wildlife Festival between the 2nd and 25th of the month.

There's loads of events planned and we'll blog about some specific ones over the next week or so, in the meantime you can find out more by visiting the festival's website.   http://www.wildlifefestival.org.uk/

Tree Planting Volunteers Sought

Wellies on for wildlife at Alice Holt Forest  

The Forestry Commission is welcoming volunteers to take part in a tree planting morning at Alice Holt Forest, near Farnham, on Saturday 26 March.

 A unique tree planting event, it is part of a national wet woodland and pond conservation project, so wellies are essential.

Forestry Commission staff, the Alice Holt Community Forum and local volunteers will be planting native trees around a network of new ponds to create wet woodland habitat, both priority wildlife habitats in the UK.

The new habitat will benefit frogs, newts, grass snakes, dragonflies and damselflies.  It will also provide a suitable refuge for the return of the water vole to Alice Holt Forest.

The project is part of a national programme to create new ponds and restore wet woodland, as part of the Million Ponds Project.  Action is required particularly in the south of England as there is an increased risk of drought with hotter drier summers predicted in the future as well as other climate changes.


Meet at 10am on Saturday 26 March at the Forestry Commission entrance off Gravel Hill Road. Tree planting will commence at 11am. 

For more information and to book a place contact Tori Wright on 01420 23666.

Spring Flora - Daffodil Walks

I wandered lonely as… Daffodil Walks

Spring flowers really cheer up the countryside (and us!) so when it’s a sunny day it’s great to get outside and enjoy those pretty wafting daffodils in all their wonderful yellowy-ness!

The following are great walks where you can delight in the daffodils (and the wildlife!):

Wales - Wentwood Forest, Gwent

Devon – Dunsford Wood

Sussex – West Deans Wood

North Yorkshire – Farndale

Cumbria – Grasmere

Midlands - Golden Triangle / Daffodil Way - in Gloucestershire & Herefordshire around the village of Newent and Dymock.

Wildlife Watch In March: Herons

Herons

March – this month is a great time to see courting and nesting grey herons in the UK as they perform their greeting and courtship displays. These large birds (wingspans of as much as 5ft) can be surprisingly graceful in flight.

They love water and can be found near wetland marshes, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries and rivers. They can also be seen in urban areas and have even been known to be seen around garden ponds!

Wild & Green top places to spot herons include:

• Muncaster Castle, Cumbria
• Northward Hill RSPB Reserve, High Halstow, Kent – UK’s largest heronry with between 100 and 150 pairs.
• West Sedgemoor RSPB Reserve, Somerset levels, one of largest heronries in the UK.

Spring Events

Discover Spring at Westonbirt

Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, which is managed by the Forestry Commission, will hold a series of activities and walks this spring to explore the exciting changes taking place as the woodlands bounce back into life:

* Discover Spring fortnight will run between 21 April -   2 May with a variety of guided walks, trails and a traditional fair amonst the attractions plans.

* The Great Oak Hall will host an exhibition between 21-26 April, taking visitors behind the scenes with examples of how Westonbirt cares for its tree collection. Visitors can also take part in guided walks or discover Westonbirt’s stars of spring through a self–led seasonal trail.

* From 30 April-2 May, Westonbirt will celebrate the heritage of its working woodlands with a traditional Silk Wood fair, hosted by West Country Coppice.

Visit www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt for detailed event and activity information.  Admission for adults in spring and summer is £8; £7 for concessions and £3 for children. Visitors receive half price entry to Westonbirt every Wednesday during April and May.

Date With Nature Event: Black Grouse Watch

Ghosts Of The Forest - Black Grouse Watch Events

12 March to 20 May 2011

Join RSPB Cymru for an intimate Date With Nature

Each spring Black Grouse perform their love dance – called lekking – in the hope of securing a mate for the breeding season.

Given the long term decline of the species, which was accelerated in the 1990’s, a recovery programme was put in to operation to maintain the presence of this remarkable bird. Having teetered on the verge of extinction, 2010 was the year of the comeback, with a 38% increase in numbers.

Sadly, given the rarity of this species, not many people have had the opportunity to see these magnificent spectacles in action. Now, thanks to RSPB Cymru you too can come along and see this amazing sight for yourself from a purpose-built hide in UPM Tilhill’s Coed Llandegla Forest in Denbighshire, North Wales.

The Date With Nature Black Grouse Watch events run on selected dates from March 12th – May 20th  2011.

Date With Nature is an RSPB scheme aimed at bringing people closer to nature.

This walk costs £6 per person, and an experienced guide is on hand to take you on the paths that weave through the forest to the viewing hide. The RSPB say that the 5:15am start is definitely worth while!

Telescopes and binoculars are on-hand to help visitors get the best view of the birds, plus a microphone will bring the strange bubbling and screeching calls of the lek even closer.

Booking for all walks is essential as places are limited to 15 per walk. 

To reserve your place, please telephone RSPB Cymru on (029) 2035 3008  or email cymru@rspb.org.uk

For more information on Black Grouse visit: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/blackgrouse/index.asp

What Makes A Holiday Green?

What Makes A Holiday Green?

If you like the idea of doing your bit for the environment when planning your UK holiday but are unsure of where to find eco aware accommodation then there are several websites dedicated to helping you find your ideal green self catering cottage or B&B.

The accommodation providers in the UK can choose to join one of the national accreditation schemes, such as GTBS (Green Tourism Business Scheme) and have their hotel, B&B, cottage or camp site assessed against set eco criteria or they can opt for a less formal approach and declare their own green agenda instead.

If you’re wondering what kinds of things make holiday accommodation greener then here are some ideas:

• An energy efficiency drive – use of low energy light bulbs or lighting fitted with motion sensors, high levels of insulation in a property, use of renewable energy such as solar panels for generating hot water
• Using local produce on menus as much as possible – think of eggs from the chickens in the garden, meat from the farm down the road, home-made marmalade and jams – adds up to low or zero food miles and supporting the local economy.
• Promoting local walks and cycle hire
• Providing local transport information to encourage car free days
• Suppling eco friendly toiletries in bathrooms and eco friendly cleaning products in the kitchen
• Encouraging recycling at the property - from newspapers to wine bottles

To find environmentally friendly holiday accommodation in the UK try the Wild & Green website.

Scottish Woodland Wildlife Events Planned

International Year of Forests:
Scotland Celebrates Its Woodlands In 2011

The United Nations has declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests, to help raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.

Forests, trees and woodlands provide Scotland with a wide range of benefits such as providing a home for rare biodiversity, creating jobs in rural areas, and recreation and tourism opportunities.

Forestry Commission Scotland is leading on Scotland’s response to the year.
Environment and Climate Change Minister, Roseanna Cunningham, said:
“A range of events, exhibitions, displays, guided walks and other celebrations are planned for the year. Highlights include fungi foraging, wildlife spotting, and cooking rolls in an iron age oven!"


 For more information on what’s on check out www.forestry.gov.uk/IYFscotland2011 or www.facebook.com/internationalyearofforestsinscotland