National Trust Director General Hilary McGrady said: “We are at a crossroads. It is just nine months until world leaders meet in Glasgow at COP26 to tackle the climate crisis that is devastating our natural world, home and abroad.
“Nature is in decline, homes for wildlife are vanishing before our eyes and some of our most special and significant historical places are being exposed to extreme weather events like never before.
“We can mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis though. Planting more trees and woodland, making sure our uplands and lowlands can cope with extreme rainfall – these are things that will help prevent the devastating flooding experienced by large sections of the country this year.
Siskins are a small finch with dark streaks on the flanks.
- Credit: Allan Drewitt
From Blackbirds to Long-tailed Tits, you’ll be surprised by how much wildlife you can discover in your garden.
And as lockdown continues, what better time to start a new hobby?
The British Trust for Ornithology lists seven birds to look out for in your garden.
Blackcap One species of warbler to look out for in your garden at this time of year is the Blackcap.
You may also want to watch: This stocky species is increasing as a winter visitor to the UK. They are well adapted to feeding in gardens and can sometimes be seen feeding on hanging bird feeders and bird tables.
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A leading bird protection charity say they are “looking forward” to other raptors flourishing in Highland Perthshire as kestrels have been reported to be.
Data sourced from studies by the British Trust for Ornithology, RSPB and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee showed kestrel numbers in Scotland have declined 82% between 1994 and 2019.
The small falcon, which the RSPB says has “a history of persecution” and was heavily targeted in the late 19th and early 20th Century by gamekeepers despite “rarely” preying on game-bird chicks, is now being mooted as a species requiring concerted conservation attention in Britain.
The British Trust for Ornithology reports its membership has doubled since enabling free access to its year-round Garden BirdWatch survey in March 2020. Photograph: incamerastock/Alamy Stock Photo
Grassroots bird-watching and gardening groups have seen an influx of new members during the pandemic, which has reignited a British love-affair for birds and their song.
“People have loved watching birds in the garden and it’s one of the great solaces of nature,” says Fran Halsall, founder of Sheffield’s Wildlife Gardening community Facebook group, which has nearly tripled in size since the first lockdown.
“Over lockdown, the group was incredibly busy. I’m expecting a big influx into our community in the spring. We’ve also had quite a lot of interest in bird walks in Ecclesall Woods, although unfortunately we’ve had to cancel some of them for reasons of safety.”