"We are the last continent in the world to have bird flu, it's quite remarkable that it hasn't come here already...that's meant...that we have had time … to make sure we're as well prepared as we possibly can be." But very frustratingly, we are not, Minister Watt! www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

'List of doom' outlines birds facing extinction if deadly flu spreads

A list of thousands of Australian species have been ranked by threat level as the deadly H5 bird flu spreads.

abc.net.au

For GOD'S SAKE. Massive landowners call for ban on disposable BBQs, but at the same time call for "a lifting of the ban on controlled burning" 'You oiks shouldn't burn moorland - that's OUR job' Entitled double standards. Ban both. @georgemonbiot.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

Calls to ban disposable barbecues in England and Wales over wildfire risk

Lib Dems and many Labour MPs join farmers, landowners and firefighters in urging temporary prohibition

theguardian.com

‘There’s no nurdle fairy’: thousands mobilise to clean up plastic spillage in north-east England

‘There’s no nurdle fairy’: thousands mobilise to clean up plastic spillage in north-east England

Volunteers painstakingly gather plastic pellets washing up on beaches after ship collision on 19 July

theguardian.com

The sad sight of Gannet chick in a nest at Noss NNR, Shetland containing masses of discarded fishing net. Gannets already face enough threats so the news today that NatureScot REFUSED the licence for the annual Guga hunt on Sula Sgeir is very welcome. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife

📢 ASSOCIATE EDITORS WANTED Join us! IBIS is looking for Associate Editors to join our editorial team and support the peer review process Read more and complete the application form: bou.org.uk/ibis/vaca... #ornithology 🪶

Job opportunity: Irish Bird Atlas Project Manager BirdWatch Ireland is seeking an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual to lead organisation of the upcoming Bird Atlas 2027-31 across the Republic of Ireland. Closing date 11th Sept. Find out more: birdwatchireland.ie/get-involved...

You'll have seen BASC grandstanding about it's recent 'win' over Natural England in the High Court....but If you're wondering why BASC hasn't been v vocal about the specific consequences of that 'win' then read on... raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/08/03/m...

More information about BASC’s legal challenge on keeping gamebirds on Special Protection Areas prior to release

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about BASC’s grandstanding antics in response to a High Court ruling about the keeping of non-native gamebirds (Pheasants and Red-legged Partridges) on Special P…

raptorpersecutionuk.org

A little Roman octopus to wish you a happy week! 🐙❤️ From a Roman villa mosaic at Villaquejida, León, Spain. Limestone, AD 100-200. Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Madrid 📷 by me #MosaicMonday #Archaeology

Really good article about how peat restoration is helping farmers - a good counter to all the nonsense from the usual nonsense about "fuel load" and "rewilding" from the minority. www.walesfarmer.co.uk/news/2614875...?

Elan Valley farmer speaks out after devastation of terrifying wildfire

A farmer has spoken out after watching the land she calls home ‘burn’ and the restored peatland that helped save it.

walesfarmer.co.uk

Rewilding is the best defence against wildfires (and why the Telegraph is unsurprisingly wrong): spectator.com/article/rewi...

Rewilding is the best defence against wildfires

Rewilding is not the cause of Britain's worsening upland wildfires. Increasingly, it looks like one of the most promising solutions.

spectator.com

Since Sep 2022, I've been building a website where you can find out who owns rural Scotland. Today I am publishing the latest update (July 2026) which contains ownership information on 5050 landholdings covering 5.9 million hectares (14.7 million acres) or over 77% of rural Scotland 1/2

There is 23% still to do. At the current rate of progress, it will take another 6 years to reach 80%. Subscriptions and licensing are the sole means by which this work is financed so please do consider taking out a subscription. Gift subscriptions are also available. 2/2 whoownsscotland.org.uk

Why have federal, state & territory governments not released their H5N1 response plans for native wildlife to the public & independent experts? They've had more than enough time to prepare. We have a right to know what's planned & what's not planned. Have a listen 👉 www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Mass bird deaths likely as H5 bird flu spreads - ABC listen

Australians are being warned to brace for mass wildlife deaths as the H5 bird flu outbreak takes hold.

abc.net.au

My favourite raptor - the spotted harrier. There are a lot of these about right now. I spotted this one terrorising the ducks on a dam along the Richman Valley Road near Quorn.

If you want to know why sadistic gamekeeper David Campbell thought he could get away with murder, and why a local community had lived in fear of him for decades, this compelling account provides some answers. The warning signs were all there, in plain sight. raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/08/02/b...

Book review – Prelude to Murder: Revenge Killing on a Highland Sporting Estate

Earlier this year, retired Scottish gamekeeper David Campbell was found guilty of murdering his former colleague from the Edradynate Estate in Perthshire, Brian Low, in February…

raptorpersecutionuk.org

Leaked emails have revealed that one of Scotland's wealthiest landowners, the Duke of Roxburghe, has been given a private meeting to lobby decision-makers amid a row over plans for a £2bn AI data centre on his estate 👇 www.thenational.scot/news/2...

The forensic traces that can help catch poachers - July's best science images ->Nature | More info at BigEarthData.ai | #Wildlife #Science #Poacher

The forensic traces that can help catch poachers - July's best science images

Hummingbird in ice: This image, nicknamed ‘the hummingbird’, shows streams of ice flowing down the slopes of Nunatak Zaterjavshijsja — an icy mountaintop in East Antarctica. It was captured by radar instruments on the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite by teams from the United States and India. The radar waves can penetrate snow and deep into ice, enabling researchers to observe properties of Antarctic ice that can’t be seen using optical imagery. The data are being released publicly to help researchers to track Earth’s land and ice masses and to monitor changes in ecosystems such as forests and wetlands. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Katalyst’s robotic spacecraft will approach the observatory, carefully capture it, and propel it to nearly its original orbit. Six months ago, this was a PowerPoint, and it looked nothing like this. In under a year, we’re going from identification of a problem, proposal, contract award, to launch. Saving Swift isn’t about just preserving one mission. It’s about moving forward in a future where we can give spacecraft a second life...

nature.com

A Black Bear napping in a Bald Eagle nest. This photo was taken by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska Photo Credit: Cayley Elsik, JBER Environmental Conservation

The warning signs are over: Australia now faces a devastating bird flu outbreak in wildlife https://www.europesays.com/health/20587/ The spread of H5N1 birdflu is worsening. At the time of writing, Australia has 53 confirmed detections in…

The warning signs are over: Australia now faces a devastating bird flu outbreak in wildlife - Health Europe

The spread of H5N1 birdflu is worsening.

europesays.com

A pair of crowned eagles in South Africa successfully incubated the eggs of an Egyptian goose. They hatched, then this happened... Read more from BBC's Discover Wildlife: bio-one.co/4wuVHQ8 Read the study from The Journal of Raptor Research: bio-one.co/4wlW1AU #Ornithology #Bird #Raptor #Eagle

Forest eagle finds goose eggs in nest. What happens next is staggering | Discover Wildlife

A pair of crowned eagles in South Africa successfully incubated the eggs of an Egyptian goose. They hatched, then this happened...

bio-one.co

New paper: Is migration more dangerous during disease outbreaks? Long-term GPS tracking of rough-legged buzzards suggests highly pathogenic avian influenza substantially increased mortality risk during both spring and autumn migration. ➡️ vist.ly/5d8rb #MigrationEcology #Ornithology

Adult female White-tailed Eagle G466 being mobbed by a Hobby this morning, viewed from the excellent @harbourbirds.bsky.social Summer Safari boat trip.

Natural England forced to admit 'Every White-tailed Eagle death in Dorset linked to rat poison'. #RaptorResearch raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/08/01/n...

Natural England forced to admit ‘Every White-tailed Eagle death in Dorset linked to rat poison’

Last week, the independent group Wildlife Poisoning Research UK (WPRUK) issued a press release confirming the poisoning of more White-tailed Eagles in Dorset, following the high profile poisoning o…

raptorpersecutionuk.org

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon #BirdsSeenIn2026 #isleofman #nature 🇮🇲

EARLY VIEW in IBIS Continued population recovery and high annual survival rates of White-rumped Vultures in Nepal | onlinelibrary.wiley.... John W. Mallord et al | #ornithology

🔈 APPLICATIONS OPEN... ...for BOU Small Research Grants & Career Development Bursaries Application deadline: 30 Oct 2026 Full details via links ⬇️ Grants: bou.org.uk/funding/s... Bursaries: bou.org.uk/funding/c... #ornithology 🪶

New documentary on the recent murder trial of retired Scottish gamekeeper David Campbell, convicted of shooting dead his former colleague from Edradynate Estate, Brian Low. BBC 2, Tues 11 Aug, 9pm (& on BBC iPlayer afterwards). Details ⬇️ raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/07/31/n...

New documentary on the recent murder trial of retired Scottish gamekeeper David Campbell, convicted of shooting dead his former colleague, Brian Low

Earlier this year, retired Scottish gamekeeper David Campbell was found guilty of murdering his former colleague from the Edradynate Estate in Perthshire, Brian Low, in February 2024. During a 13-d…

raptorpersecutionuk.org

Still 33% still to do & will take many years due to time & costs involved. Subscriptions and licensing are the sole means by which this work is financed so please do consider taking out a subscription. Gift subscriptions are also available. 3/3 whoownsscotland.org.uk

Who Owns Scotland? Since September 2022, I have been building an online platform that enables you to find out who owns rural land in Scotland. The June which ownership information on 5025 landholdings covering 5.9 million hectares (14.7 million acres) or over 77% of rural Scotland 1/3

H5N1 (bird flu) is now spreading through resident Australian wildlife. Why have the full details of federal, state, and territory risk assessments and response plans _still_ not been released to the public? Are the plans adequate? Full statement - australianmammals.org.au/files/1608_b...