Young peregrine falcon rescued from roof in Addlestone
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The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Wild-born chough fledges and thrives in Kent for first time in 200 years
A young red-billed chough has successfully taken to the skies from a nest in the wild in Kent for the first time for more than two centuries, conservationists said. The successful fledging of the chick from a nest at Dover Castle comes just three years after the launch of a reintroduction programme led by Wildwood Trust, Kent Wildlife Trust and Paradise Park to restore the species into the region. The red-billed chough has strong cultural links with Kent and its history, appearing on pub signs, the coat of arms of Canterbury and in the legend of martyred Thomas Becket, whose blood was said to have stained the bird's red beak and legs. But the bird, a member of the crow family, vanished from the county more than 200 years ago, as a result of habitat loss and persecution, conservationists said. The rare birds, which forage on grassland and heath with short vegetation near their cliffside nests, are found only on the western fringes of Britain, the Isle of Man and the island of Ireland. A reintroduction programme to rear and release chicks aims to introduce up to 50 birds in the South East over five years, with the first cohort of released birds taking to the skies in 2022. And long-term efforts to restore and manage chalk grass land habitat, including through conservation grazing, has created the conditions for choughs to forage and breed, the team behind the project said. Chalk grassland supports a wide array of wildflowers and invertebrates, with the insects and larvae found in dung from grazing animals a crucial food source for choughs during the breeding season. Conservationists say the successful fledging of a wild-born chough is a landmark moment for the bird's return to the county. It follows a breeding attempt last year which ended when the chick went missing at the fledging stage during severe weather, but this year the youngster seems to be thriving, the team said. Liz Corry, chough release supervisor at Wildwood Trust, said: 'This is a moment we've all been hoping for. 'To see a wild chick not only hatch but fledge and take to the skies is a major step forward. 'It confirms that the birds are finding suitable nesting habitat, and pairing up to raise young – exactly what we've been working towards.' Paul Hadaway, director of conservation and engagement at Kent Wildlife Trust, said: 'This project shows what's possible when long-term habitat restoration meets ambitious species recovery. 'A thriving chough population in Kent not only revives a lost species – it also proves the value of restoring rare habitats like chalk grassland, which are vital for a huge range of wildlife.'
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Why thousands now face travel misery at popular airport
Flights at Birmingham Airport were suspended for over five hours on Wednesday following an emergency landing by a light aircraft. The incident, involving a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, occurred due to landing gear problems, leading to the runway's closure from 2:40 PM until shortly before 8 PM. Three people on board the aircraft were assessed by West Midlands Ambulance Service, with one person sustaining minor injuries. The emergency caused significant delays for passengers, both those departing from and arriving at Birmingham, even after the runway reopened. The Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) has launched an investigation into the incident, with a team of experts dispatched to the scene.
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
More teens to get their choice of uni even if they miss their grades, says Ucas
A record number of 18-year-olds are likely to get into their first choice of university this year, the head of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) has said - even if they narrowly miss their Jo Saxton said universities were keen to enrol UK undergraduates because there was more "uncertainty" around international student said they would "quite possibly" accept students who did not meet the conditions of their offer adding that domestic students offered universities "stability" for "financial planning".The prediction comes as thousands of students will open A-level, T-level, Btec and other level-three results next week. Dr Saxton said it was a "really, really good year to be a UK-domiciled 18-year-old that wants to go to one of our world-class universities"."I would anticipate a record number of 18-year-olds will wake up with confirmation, quite possibly even where they are near-misses," she added that universities were "recognising, actually, that a three-year undergraduate student is stability for your teaching and learning, for your university community, for your financial planning".Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said universities were "certainly competitive" with one another, which meant applicants had "lots of choice". Ucas says universities have made more offers this year, which it says "typically translates into more acceptances". Dr Saxton said she expected there to be "slightly fewer" places in clearing as a result - because if more places are taken up by students who have received offers, there will be fewer places to clearing system lets students search for university courses with available than 22,600 courses had listed vacancies for undergraduate students from England this week, according to a Press Association analysis of 129 were more than 3,600 courses advertised across 17 of the selective Russell Group universities. Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said year 13 students were "well placed" to study where they wanted to."The financial plight of universities makes them very keen to fill their courses and they will be falling over themselves to sign up good potential students," he from England and Wales will pay higher tuition fees for university this year, after the sector called for help with its fees have risen from £9,250 to £9,535 for the 2025-26 academic is the first time they have gone up in England since 2017, and comes after universities said their real-terms value had have become increasingly reliant on higher fees from international students in recent years to make up for frozen domestic fees - but the number of overseas students coming to the UK has May, the regulator in England, the Office for Students, warned that more than four in 10 universities expected to be in a financial deficit by this loans have also gone up this year, which means students can borrow more to help with day-to-day living England, the maximum maintenance loan for students from England who live away from their parents outside London has increased to £10,544 a year, up from £10, said last month that the number of 18-year-olds from the UK applying to university had risen again to 328, because the total number of 18-year-olds in the UK has also grown, those applicants make up a slightly smaller proportion of the total 18-year-old population than last year (41.2%).Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive A-level and other level-three grades next Scotland, the number of pupils achieving an A, B or C grade at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher rose across the board this Scottish Qualifications Authority also reported a reduction in the attainment gap between candidates from the most and least deprived areas. Sign up for Summer Essential, a weekly newsletter to help parents and families during the holidays.
