Ospreys Have Eggs In Tweed Valley

Breeding season going eggs-actly to plan  

Organisers for the Tweed Valley Osprey project are hoping for an action packed viewing season now that they have spotted two eggs in the nest.

It is understood that the first egg was laid around the 9th of April which means hatching could be as early as mid May, possibly making the chick the first to hatch in Scotland.

The organisers for the project have spotted two eggs to date but because the nest is piled high there could be more just out of sight.

Osprey Information Officer Diane Bennett said: “We’re thrilled that our ospreys are looking like having yet another successful breeding season and we are keeping our fingers crossed that all goes to plan. If there are more than two eggs that would be a real bonus.

“I’d welcome anyone with an interest in the ospreys, or wildlife in general, to pop into our new osprey viewing centre at Glentress Peel and at Kailzie to watch the birds live on our screens. Our team of volunteers are also on hand to explain what is going on.”

Ospreys have been nesting in the Tweed Valley for more than 16 years. The Tweed Valley Ospreys Project, a partnership between the Forestry Commission Scotland, Kailzie Gardens and RSPB Scotland, has helped safeguard the birds and allowed the public to enjoy them through two viewing centres.

The project not only offers close circuit TV footage of ospreys, but also of other birds. Both centres have been upgraded with state of the art high definition cameras and new flat screens to enhance the viewing experience for the visitor. Visitors can now watch every moment of the ospreys lives at their eyrie in stunning clarity and compare the family life with the herons at the same time.

The herons at Kailzie Gardens already have two chicks to watch and the blue-tits have just laid eggs. At Glentress the owl box has a visitor bringing in nesting material however it is a mystery to which bird is nesting….no-one has yet to spot the occupier.

Find out more and keep up to date with the ospreys at:
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/tweedvalleyospreys    

Wildlife & Nature Holidays In Scotland

Wild At Heart, Forres, Moray, Scotlandwww.wildatheart-ecoholidays.com

Wild At Heart offer unique wildlife watching and natural history breaks, volunteering holidays, nature retreats and family holidays, located in the stunning and unspoilt region of Moray Speyside, near the Scottish Highland capital of Inverness and based in beautiful eco-friendly accommodation.

Stay in a Victorian mansion run as a sustainable community. Try glamorous camping in our huge, comfortably outfitted canvas ‘bell tents’, or choose from self catering wooden lodges or a 4 star country Inn.

Fantastic range of short breaks and longer holidays. Activities include dolphin, seal and bird watching with expert wildlife biologist; or go a little Ray Mears with some campfire building, shelter making and wildlife tracking; release your inner child with tide-pooling & beach art or games; or enjoy reflective or creative time with nature writing and journaling, felting and willow weaving.

You are also welcome to join us in volunteering in the organic kitchen or gardens at our base Newbold House - a centre for sustainability education, workshops and retreats. Locally there are opportunities for walking, river rafting, horse riding, visiting the Cairngorm National Park and mountains, monster hunting at nearby Loch Ness, visiting our famous single malt whisky distilleries or learning about sustainable living at the Findhorn Foundation, a world famous eco-village and community.

Find out more about eco, wildlife watching and nature holidays on the Wild & Green Escapes website

Spring Wood Fair @ Westonbirt

Celebrate traditional woodland management at Westonbirt Silk Wood Spring Fair  

From Saturday 5 to Monday 7 May 2012, traditional woodland workers will celebrate their skills at the Forestry Commission’s National Arboretum at Westonbirt.

The Silk Wood Spring Fair will be hosted by a collective of professional coppice workers with products to sell and skills handed down through generations to demonstrate.

The Silk Wood Spring Fair will be located on the picnic area of the Downs, near to Maples restaurant.
Products on offer have been produced with material from Westonbirt Arboretum’s Silk Wood and neighbouring local woodlands. They include handmade wooden clogs, shingles, wood sales and garden accessories such as beanpoles and hurdles.

Visitors will also be able to watch demonstrations including clog making and saw milling, wooden flower making and more.

Plantlife, a charity which advises on woodland management and appropriate management and restoration of plants species will also be exhibiting.

Traditional woodland coppicing has taken place in Westonbirt Arboretum’s Silk Wood for over 700 years.
Coppiced wood is grown to produce long straight stems with few or no side branches. Coppicing cuts trees to ground level and manages the new shoots to a usable size before cutting again. This style of woodland management is also beneficial to wildlife as it opens woodland areas for different plants and animals to thrive in.

The Silk Wood Spring Fair is free after general admission to Westonbirt Arboretum.

General admission is £8 for adults, £7 for concessions and £3 for children. Entry for Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum members is free.

Visit www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt for more information on the event.

Dawn Chorus Walk - Crossbills @ Kielder

Crossbills turn up the volume in Kielder  

Nature fans are being urged to de-stress by turning off the MP3 player and tuning in to the dawn chorus.

A trek is being staged by the Forestry Commission in Kielder Water & Forest Park on Sunday 6 May setting out at 5am – and this year’s choral offering could be a vintage one!  Thousands of noisy crossbills have descend on the 62,000 hectare (155,000 acre) wilderness.

Martin Davison, Forestry Commission Ornithologist, said: "The forest was also packed with crossbills last year so it really is something special to see them again.  It’s possible we have Britain’s biggest breeding population. With so many still here they are turning up the volume on the dawn chorus.”

Crossbills can leave by the end of May – so the walk is a great chance to hear and see them.  Look for a bird hanging upside down like a parrot stripping seed from cones. Males are a distinctive brick-red and females greenish-brown.

The morning trek is being staged as part of International Dawn Chorus Day and Wild about Kielder season.  Wildlife fans will be joining other outings around the globe as the sun risers. 


Places must be booked on 01434 250209.  The cost is £14 including a post-walk breakfast at Kielder Castle. Bring walking boots, binoculars and waterproofs.

For more information go to www.forestry.gov.uk/NorthEastEngland

If You Go Down To The Woods Today... Bluebells

Have you spotted your first bluebells of the year yet?  Despite the less-than-spring-like weather we've had over the last few days it seems as though spring has sprung!

Wild & Green not only spotted bluebells in three separate woodlands over the weekend but we also heard our first cuckoo of the year.... now we just need some spring-like weather to go with them!

Discover a bluebell wood in your area via the Visit Woods website - just enter your town or postcode and away you go!

http://visitwoods.org.uk/en/visit-woods/things-to-do/nature/Pages/bluebell-walks.aspx

Wildlife Watching

Wildlife Tours and Education, Norfolk


Wildlife Tours and Education offer:

* Wildlife Days Out in Norfolk (Norfolk Safari)

*Birdwatching Day Tours in Norfolk

 *Photographing Wildlife For Beginners Day.

They also offer Wildlife Weekends and longer holidays throughout the UK and beyond.

Find out more on the eco and wildlife friendly holidays website Wild & Green Escapes

Wildlife Watching Event - Dawn Chorus

Nature fans to rouse from their slumber to hear magical dawn chorus 

Early birds are being invited to set their alarm clocks for 4.30am and head for a rendezvous with Mother Nature’s finest songsters.

The Forestry Commission is staging a magical dawn chorus walk in 360 hectare (900-acre) Chambers Farm Wood, near Wragby, Lincolnshire, on 6 May, followed by a breakfast of tea and toast in the woods.

Nightingales, chiffchaffs and other birds will be at their most tuneful, while woodpeckers add their own distinctive beat.  The event is being organised as part of International Dawn Chorus Day and other nature fans will be setting off on similar treks across the globe.

Walk leader Mary Porter, from Bardney, said: “Every dawn chorus is unique but they do tend to have a running order, with nightingales singing first and sparrows and robins joining later. It all builds to a wonderful peak just before dawn. The acoustics in Chambers and the absence of traffic noise really adds to the bewitching effect.”

Chambers Farm Wood is part of the Bardney Limewoods National Nature Reserve. Sensitive woodland management has boosted the fortunes of many birds and other wildlife.


The walk costs £5 and meets at Chambers Farm Wood Centre, signed off the B1202 Wragby to Bardney road. Booking is not required. More information on 01623 822447                .

 www.forestry.gov.uk/eastmidlands

Wildlife Gardening

National Gardening Week, organised by the RHS, runs from the 16th to the 22nd April in the UK and today (April 19) the focus is on Gardening For the Environment.  There are lots of different gardening events happening all over the UK, designed to get us all sowing, planting, composting and growing, with wildlife and the environment in mind.

Find out about events via the gardening week website:
http://www.nationalgardeningweek.org.uk/Events.aspx?page=2s 

Way Cleared For Survival Of Endangered Butterfly

Conservationists are celebrating after moves to reverse the dramatic decline of the small pearl-bordered fritillary in Clocaenog Forest boosted its chances of survival.

Clocaenog’s population of the butterfly, which is already near extinct in large parts of England, plummeted from 2,400 in 2003 to just 1,200 in 2011. But a joint effort to improve the butterfly’s habitat by Forestry Commission Wales and Butterfly Conservation Wales is paying dividends and has resulted in an increase in numbers.

The steady decline of the small pearl-bordered fritillary (SPBF) in Clocaenog was recorded over the past 11 years as foresters examined population dynamics of a number of species, including red squirrel and black grouse.
The discovery prompted Butterfly Conservation Wales and Forestry Commission Wales to put in place an urgent management programme for the SPBF.

Contractors were brought in to clear scrub and conifer alongside five kilometres of rivers and streams in the forest, creating sheltered, open habitats with marsh violet (the caterpillar’s foodplant) which the butterfly could once again use for breeding and feeding.

Mike Whitley, Forestry Commission Wales manager for the Clocaenog area, said: “Clocaenog Forest is a huge area with a wide variety of habitats supporting many different wildlife species. It’s great to see this rolling programme of conservation work benefiting many different species, in particular the small pearl-bordered fritillary.”

The SPBF is a UK Biodiversity Priority Species and a Species of Principal Importance in Wales as defined by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act, which classifies it as needing conservation action to prevent further decline.

Wales and Scotland represent its remaining strongholds in the UK but, although it is still relatively abundant on the upland fringe in Wales, the butterfly has declined dramatically in the lowlands and in woodlands.

Some six hectares of scrub – about the size of eight rugby pitches – has already been cleared over the past two years and the work will continue so that the future of the SPBF in Clocaenog can be assured.

Clare Williams, Conservation Officer for Butterfly Conservation Wales, said: “We are very pleased to be working with Forestry Commission Wales on this long running research project.It has helped to improve our understanding of how the butterfly responds to forest management at a landscape scale. It’s great now to be able to use this research to guide successful management to help ensure the continued survival of this beautiful butterfly.”

Eco Friendly Suffolk B&B

Earsham Park Farm, Earsham, Bungay, Suffolk

Earsham Park Farm offers luxury bed and breakfast accommodation in a comfortable and informal Victorian farmhouse with sweeping views over the Waveney Valley, within easy driving distance are the historic city of Norwich, the charismatic seaside town of Southwold, the extensive waterways of the Norfolk Broads and the Norfolk and Suffolk coastal resorts.

Earsham has gained the prestigious ETB Gold Award and the Green Tourism Scheme (GTBS) Silver award.

All rooms are ensuite.

Find out more about Earsham on the eco friendly holidays website Wild & Green Escapes

Osprey Watch @ Kielder

Second pair of love birds return to Kielder  

Another pair of rare ospreys has returned to Kielder Water & Forest Park in Northumberland.

The news that everyone has been waiting for duly arrived today when the birds were spotted in binoculars building their tree top nest on an artificial platform erected by the Forestry Commission.

The couple bred successfully for the first time last year in the 62,000 hectare (155,000 acre) wilderness last summer. 

Earlier this month experts revealed that the original Kielder osprey couple – which first bred in 2009 – were also back for a fourth year.

Martin Davison, Forestry Commission Ornithologist, said:"News that both pairs are back aiming to raise more chicks is a massive step forward. The second pair arrived a little late, causing us one or two anxious moments.  But the prospects are looking good and we hope to add to the nine chicks raised in Kielder since the species returned to breed for the first time in at least 200 years.”

Last year’s first time parents raised two chicks – one of which was much less developed than the other, but which nonetheless pulled through to grace the skies above Northumbrian Water’s Kielder Reservoir along with its sibling.  The nest was monitored from afar to avoid disturbing the family.  But this year cameras have been erected and live footage will soon be beamed into Kielder Castle Visitor Centre and Leaplish Waterside Park for visitors to enjoy. A nest cam on the original nest is already showing live images at Kielder Castle.

On the “to-do” list for the ospreys is a rapid courtship, laying and incubating eggs, nurturing and feeding youngsters and teaching them how to hunt on Kielder Water.  And all before the end of August!

Kielder is only the second location in England where ospreys have naturally recolonised after becoming extinct in the mid-19th century.

You can also follow the birds' fortunes at  http://kielderospreys.wordpress.com/ and sign up for regular updates on Twitter @KielderOspreys

To record your own osprey sightings go to the VisitKielder Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/kielder.

Kielder Osprey Watch 2012 is organised by the Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, the RSPB and Northumberland Wildlife Trust.

The partners are working hard to ensure that the ospreys are here to stay by maintaining a high quality habitat in Kielder Water & Forest Park and safeguarding and monitoring the nest site.  To find out more go to http://www.visitkielder.com/

Wildlife Watching Events This Weekend

This weekend (14 & 15 April 2012) sees the last few days of the 2012 Dumfries & Galloway Wildlife Festival.

There's still time to catch one (or more!) of the great variety of events happening on Saturday and Sunday, which include:

*Moorland Dawn Walk
*Wildlife Detectives
*Spring Has Sprung
*Red Kite Feeding Station Open Day
*Wild Food Forage
*Wigtown Bay Ospreys

Find out details on the Wildlife Festival website

Eco Friendly Luxury Lodges In Wales

Luxury Lodges, Powys


Luxury lodges, set in the mid-Wales countryside, provide the ideal eco friendly holiday home to explore the glorious Welsh countryside.
The lodges, in a peaceful and tranquil setting overlooking the Trannon Valley, provide sumptuous accommodation to a 5-star standard. Sited on a 80-acre estate with two wildlife ponds you will have a unique, romantic and relaxing experience when you visit.

Each centrally-heated lodge has 3 large bedrooms, 2 double or twin and 1 four poster king size double plus an upstairs sitting area leading onto your own private balcony. There is a hot-tub on the downstairs veranda, a steam/Jacuzzi/power shower in the main bathroom, 3 flat-screen televisions with Sky freeview, a DVD-player, WiFi access, and a fully-equipped kitchen.

Luxury Lodges Wales aim is to create a luxury 5 star self catering holiday destination whilst doing everything possible to make it as sustainable and environmentally friendly for visitors. They are members of the Green Tourism Scheme and  tourism ambassadors for the Cambrian Mountains initiative C.M.I a tourism initiative H.R.H Prince Charles has set up to promote local food and responsible green tourism for the area.

In addition to the 80 acre farm, the owners have constructed two wildlife ponds with free on site carp fishing in one of them. There is also a 2 mile wildlife walk on the farm with panoramic views over the open countryside, red kite's are frequent visitors above the lodges and there are wildlife diaries for guests in each lodge to note down all the wildlife spotted during their stay.

To find out more visit the wildlife and eco holidays website Wild & Green Escapes

World famous osprey returns to Loch of the Lowes - Scottish Wildlife Trust

World famous osprey returns to Loch of the Lowes - Scottish Wildlife Trust

Easter Day Out - Enjoy The Wildlife @ Whisby

Whisby Nature Park, Thorpe on the Hill, Lincolnshire

This nature park is handily located just off the A46 on the western side of Lincoln, yet it could be a world away from the bustling city and busy road.

There's everything you need on site:
* plenty of car parking - £1 charge for all day, great value!
* cafe, toilets, gift shop, children's play area
* some six miles of trails and walks to explore around the nature reserve/park
* Regularly updated information boards detailing which birds have been spotted on the water/ in the reserve over the last few days
* lots of wildlife to see, especially the birds on the lake - you can even hire binoculars at the visitor center!
* The Natural World Visitor Centre

Wild & Green thinks that Whisby makes a great wildlife day out for all the family - even the dog!  There are designated dog toilet enclosures plus plenty of dog bins.

A great day out for all!

Find out more - including forthcoming events - on the Whisby/Natural World website

Top Walks To Enjoy The Dawn Chorus

The Countryfile magazine newsletter has listed its top spots to enjoy a walk and the dawn chorus this spring, destinations include-

The official website of Countryfile Magazine

 

What better way to start the day then at the crack of dawn, to a cacophony of beautiful birdsong? Take part in a dawn chorus walk this spring

Tyntesfield, North Somerset
Dawn Chorus, 4 April 6am-7.45am; and Feel Good Friday, 11 May 5am-6.45am
Start the day with a difference and experience the wonderful dawn chorus at Tyntesfield with bird specialist Ed Drewitt. Using his skills as a wildlife detective, he will help you to tune your ears in to a variety of delightful bird songs during a guided tour of the area. Finish the morning with a much deserved hot drink and delicious bacon or egg butty at Home Farm.
£14.50 per adult and £8 per child, breakfast included. Booking required. Call 0844 249 1895                  

Knightshayes Court, Devon
Dawn Chorus Walk, 20 May 5am-8am
Accompanied by a National Trust ranger, this fantastic opportunity to listen, and identify early morning birdsong amid the beautiful Knighthayes estate is not to be missed. To finish, enjoy a warming breakfast back at Knightshyes. A lovely chance of pace to the start of the day.
£8 per person, including breakfast. Booking is essential, call 01884 254665              

Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire
Dawn Chorus, 6 May 5.30am-7.30am
What better time to appreciate nature’s symphony than on International Dawn Chorus Day. Along a three-mile walk you will hear both resident and migrant birdsong at its best whilst the sun rises. Afterwards, enjoy a hot drink and a muffin.
£2 per person, including refreshments. Booking necessary, call 01423 780688                 

Winkworth Arboretum, Surrey
Dawn Chorus Walk, 6 May 5.30am-8am
Early risers will be rewarded with the joyful sounds of the dawn chorus on this morning walk around beautiful Winkworth Arboretum. With the help of an expert, learn how to pick out individual songs before returning for a warming breakfast.
Normal admission charges apply, plus £10 per adult and £5 per child. Booking is advisable, call 01483 208936              

Calke Abbey, Derbyshire
Dawn Chorus Walk, 12 & 13 May 4.30am-8.30am
Get up early and join the Head Warden in a walk around the Grade I listed country house’s landscape-garden to hear a splendid choir of songbirds. After, enjoy a hearty cooked breakfast in the Restaurant.
Normal admission charges apply, plus 13.50 per person. Booking is essential, call 01332 695310              


Sheringham Park, Norfolk
Dawn Chorus Walk, 6 May 5am-8am
Celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day by enjoying a guided walk with Learning Officer Rob, and Warden Mark around the idyllic venue of Sheringham Park whilst listening to the many species of birds that populate the park’s varied habitats in full song. After walking at the best times of day to experience the countryside, warm yourself up with a hot drink provided at the end.
Normal admission charges apply, plus £7 per person. Booking needed, call 01263 820550              

Sissinghurst Castle, Kent
Dawn Chorus Walk, 20 May 5am-8am
A fantastic opportunity to see some of Sissinghurst’s diverse wildlife. Escorted by a Ranger, experience the extensive wildlife on offer at Sissinghurst’s estate and enjoy the marvellous sounds of the dawn chorus. Wrap up warm and don’t forget your binoculars!
Normal admission fee plus £5 per person. Booking is required, call 01580 710700               

Godolphin, Cornwall
Dawn Chorus Day Walk, 6 May 6am-8am
Owned by the National Trust, the 550 acres of the Godolphin Estate provide a splendid location to experience the dawn chorus. Accompanied by the Ranger, help to record all of the different species of birds you see and enjoy everything this impressive Tudor/Stuart country mansion has to offer.


Croyde, Woolacombe and Mortehoe, Devon
Dawn Chorus, 5 May 5.30am-8am
Join Head Ranger Jonathan Fairhurst as he shares his love and knowledge of the local birds on this stunning dawn walk. Taking approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, the walk at dawn provides a particularly special time to admire the beauty of this part of North Devon. Starting at Morthoe, the walk moves through the Kinever Valley and concludes at Bull Point, stopping throughout to enjoy and appreciate the dawn chorus of the local bird wildlife.
£4 per adult, children go free. Booking required, call 01598 763402         

Gibside, Tyne & Wear
Dawn Chorus Ramble, 29 April 5.30am-7am
As the sun rises over the Gibside estate, join a National Trust Ranger on an early morning ramble and listen to the pleasant chorus of birdsongs all around. If you’re lucky, you might even track down a roe deer.
£6 per person, including refreshments. Booking is not needed, call 01207 541820 for further information.