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A guide to the wildlife and nature reserves of the UK.

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Wildlife and bird watching in the UK

You don't need to go far to see some great wildlife, there is some near you. There are very well known sites across the UK, National Parks, National nature reserves, RSPB reserves and WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) reserves, but there are many other great wildlife spots all over the place. Every county has a wildlife trust that will run a series of local reserves, county councils have their own nature reserves and there are plenty of other places where there is ample wildlife.

We will point you in the direction of all the best sites in any given area, though we have no doubt that there are plenty we don't know about (please let us know by emailing us about anywhere that you can recommend).

For information and recommendations on whale and dolphin watching in the UK, click here.


Region by region

birds/2010_jan/rspca_starlings 75 starlings die in mystery crash landing
Mystery surrounds the death of 75 starlings which crashed to the ground and died on a single driveway in Somerset.
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whales/nov 2009/cornwall_fin_strand Huge Fin whale strands in Cornwall
The body of a huge whale has been found on the north coast of Cornwall; The Cornwall Wildlife Trust believes it to be a Fin whale, which had been reported floating close to the shore off Pendeen.
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birds/june_2009/mull_eagle_chicks_fc Are Sea eagles coming back to Suffolk? Vote on what you think should happen
In any debate about conservation, it is always important to discount 10% of the arguments at either end of the range, as some people will support all conservation, no matter what the cost or practicalities, and others would complain about spending 5 Euros to save the last elephant. Somewhere in the middle is a rational debate and, usually, the right answer.
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whales/nov 2009/orca_uk Britain’s only resident orca pod – No breeding for 20 years
The conservation status of the group is thought to be critical since no live calves have been sighted since research began almost two decades ago.
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birds/nov_2009/rspb_bee_eater 418 species of bird recorded in Britain in 2008
With up to 418 species of bird spotted in Britain, 2008 is looking likely to smash records for the number of bird species seen within a single year.
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photography/2009_uk_photo_competition/davis_puffin_gull UK wildlife photography competition - 2009 - results
Successful wildlife and wilderness photography does not necessarily involve long flights and equally long immigration queues. The inaugural Wildlife Extra UK wildlife photography competition is not only a fabulous example of just how beautiful the British Isles are, but also that it does not need a fat pay cheque to seduce talented photographers into wanting their work displayed. There are no remote cameras involved (yes, that is a dig) and no ludicrous Photoshop sorcery either, just a litany of belting images.
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butterflies/Queen_of_Spain_2__Neil_Hulme Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly breeding in Sussex
A rare migrant butterfly from Europe, the Queen of Spain Fritillary, has been breeding at a location on the Sussex coast.
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whales/october_2009/humpback_thames_zsl First ever recorded Humpback in Thames found dead
. A 28ft (9.5m) Humpback whale has been found dead in the River Thames near the Dartford Bridge.
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whales/Marine/basking_stranded_Goodall Basking shark strands in Cornwall
A young basking shark, which stranded on a beach in west Cornwall in August, was the first of its kind in England to be examined by veterinary pathologists. At over four metres long, the fish was so huge it wouldn't fit on the examination table and was too heavy to be weighed on their scales.
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old_images/b/beaver-swt1 Scottish beaver trial – Beaver disappears after shots heard
After the first week, one adult female disappeared; the time of her disappearance coincided with unauthorized shooting heard in the same area. There has been no sign of the animal since and the matter has been reported to the local police for further investigation.
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uk/uk_wildlife/Harlequin_ladybird_Majerus Harlequin ladybird invasion could endanger 1000 native UK species
Rapid spread of harlequin ladybird could threaten over 1000 native British species.
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birds/Birds_april_09/eagle_golden_poison_rspb Golden eagle poisoned in West Scotland
Strathclyde Police officers have carried out an extensive search of Beinn Udlaidh in the Glen Orchy area of Argyll following the discovery of a dead golden eagle.
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birds/Birds_april_09/kielder_osprey Ospreys breed in Northumberland for first time in over two centuries
For the first time in at least 200 years ospreys are nesting and are believed to have hatched chicks in Northumberland.
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birds/Birds_april_09/bustard_chick_rspb The First Great Bustard chicks hatch in the UK for 177 years
For the first time since 1832, the Great Bustard - one of Europe's most threatened birds - has nested in the UK with two separate females successfully hatching chicks.
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uk/uk_wildlife/Beaver_leaving_lodge_rzss Scotland welcomes back the beaver – Wildlife Extra questions the cost
Marking the first formal reintroduction of a native mammal species into the wild in the UK, three beaver families have now been released at carefully selected sites in Knapdale Forest, Mid-Argyll.
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uk/uk_wildlife/spiney_tag_trewhella UK Seahorse tagging project at Studland Bay in Dorset
Since the discovery of Seahorses at Studland Bay, the site has proven to be internationally important and has thrown up some amazing surprises. The bay has a surprising concentration of Seahorses; with more than 40 in recorded in 2008. This density has made it a site of international importance as nowhere else in the British Isles, or indeed for that matter in the world; except the Rio Formosa in Portugal is there this concentration of Seahorses.
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uk/uk_wildlife/albino_deer_2_wras Albino Fallow deer spotted in Sussex
Volunteer rescuers had a surprise when they went to rescue a deer that was caught in a rope swing in some Sussex woods. To their amazement the deer, a male fallow deer, was completely white and is thought to be a very rare albino.
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butterflies/High_Brown_Fritillary_Peter_Eeles UK butterfly numbers plunge to new low
UK Butterfly numbers have fallen to a new low, according to data from the Butterfly Monitoring Scheme.
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Top wildlife and bird watching in the South East

features/LorraineKellymedium

GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE

Lorraine Kelly launches the 'Wild about gardens' campaign in conjunction with the Royal Horticultural Society and the UK Wildlife Trusts. More.
features/rspbgardensmall

Plants recommended for a wildlife garden

The RSPB and RHS have got together to create a list of plants recommended for wildlife gardening.
See the full list.

Latest competitions

England nature

Read about the nature of England, and see a guide to nature reserves in England.
Click here to see more about English Nature

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