Latest news with #WiltshireWildlifeTrust
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
People urged to stay away from Warminster's nesting kingfishers
Signs have been put up around nature reserve's wetland to try and prevent the nesting birds being dogs or humans disturb the kingfishers at Smallbrook Meadows in Warminster they could leave their Dunn, from Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, said that the "beautiful bird" is usually quite hard to see, being very explained many of the rivers in the south Wiltshire area are hard chalk, so kingfishers cannot burrow into the banks to nest, but the wetland that makes up Smallbrook is soft. Wetlands are rare in Wiltshire and kingfishers like sandy banks."We potentially have higher numbers in that area than we would on other chalk streams in the area," added Mr Dunn. "They're just a beautiful bird to look at. They're incredibly enigmatic - you're much more likely to hear it than you are see it," said Mr Dunn."They tend to be a blue flash streaking down the river," he added, saying you have to be patient to see one, but when people do it is "magical".Mr Dunn told the the BBC that once eggs have been laid, the birds sit on up for up to 25 days, feed the chicks for three to fours weeks and once they are fully fledged will still be looking after them for a week or so before they are safe to leave the nest."All that time the parents will be desperately trying to get to the nest." If there is too much disturbance, especially from dogs, they will abandon it if it seems too unsafe to carry will land on a nearby branch before going in, to make sure a predator is not following them and they can be "discreet".
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Headlines: 'Weston Pier boycott' and 'Motion closure'
Here's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media. Our pick of local website stories There are calls to boycott Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier after it was announced that right-wing commentator Katie Hopkins will be performing there as part of a stand-up comedy tour.A newly-qualified teenage driver was sentenced to two years' detention after killing three friends and seriously injuring two children and an adult in a "catastrophic" head on there was some good news for Swindon's conservationists after Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and a group of councillors discovered a population of rare Great Crested Newts in the town. Our top three from yesterday What to watch on social media Bristol's popular nightclub, Motion, updated its followers with the sad news that it will be closing its doors at its Avon Street site for the last time in July. Bosses have promised that this is "not the end", and that they will go out with a animal rescue charity posted on Facebook about a "horrific" incident they had to deal with. They were called after a member of the public found a dead pregnant cat's body in a bin bag in Hanham, near the Swindon Advertiser shared the wonderful moment an 11-year-old girl heard again for the first time after undergoing life-changing surgery.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Saving the peewit: Hope for 'iconic' country bird
An "iconic" bird with a noticeable hairdo is on the red list for conservation after numbers have more than halved since 1967 - could farmers help bring them back? Peewit is the traditional name for the northern lapwing, or green plover, or - if you like your Latin - Vanellus Vanellus, meaning little fan, a reference to the sound when it flies. "It's very similar to their sound, their call. Peewit as they go off in the mornings," explained Sid Vincent, a gamekeeper working for a local farmer. He has noticed the decline in the birds after decades working in the countryside and is becoming a volunteer for Project Peewit in Wiltshire, which is aiming to help the lapwing. Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is behind the project, collaborating with volunteers on the Marlborough Downs who work on the land the birds nest in. It mostly includes farmers, gamekeepers and regular walkers. "They are just the most beautiful bird," said David White, one of the farmers in the area this project has started in. "To me, they are just the iconic bird of the Marlborough Downs. "They're part of our heritage really." A group of farmers in the Marlborough Downs Space for Nature project are already trying to help other bird species. David is one of them: "If you create the habitat, the wildlife will come in. Then you've got to manage that habitat and hope you get some success." The peewit has not just flown away. Jonny Cooper, from Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, is behind the project and he explained peewits are struggling to breed. "The idea behind this project is to understand their breeding success," he said. "They're not fledging enough chicks." He said the reasons for this are complex and varied and range from climate change and changes in farming, to an increase in predator numbers and struggles with finding food as there are fewer bugs for them to eat. There is also concern about nest disturbance, such as if dogs off of leads. One of the issues is chicks are easy prey. The birds nest on the ground and scoop out a small dent for eggs, usually in a bare patch of ground without crops. The idea is they can then see predators coming, but more predators hunting for fewer peewits is not helping matters. The decline in insects affects lots of creatures, including the lapwing. Some chicks have been found to die of starvation when there have not been enough invertebrates to eat. Farmers are being asked to keep an eye on insect populations too so the project can see how peewits might be choosing their food sources. There are a couple of ways the lapwing diet and bug population can be monitored: firstly, with insect traps to see what land has what, but also via poo. Mr Cooper has been putting together kits to check on chick poo. In a brown paper bag, he has a tray, and wire grating for the top. The chicks would be popped on top of the wire for no more than a few minutes, during which time they hopefully go to the loo and be released. The poo can then be studied to see what the chicks have been eating. Mr Cooper described the input of farmers as critical to the project. "We have to get farmers involved," he said. "We can come in and do work but ultimately it's the people who own the land and manage the land who are instrumental." Farmers are being encouraged to let him know when they see a peewit nest, create patches of ground ideal for nesting and help monitor the birds and bugs. More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire Farmer James Hussey hosted the introductory training day for the project. He said: "It's lovely to get this group together. Like so much conservation, the larger scale you do it on, the more chance the birds have of recovering numbers." He is already making changes to help wild birds and said he believes other Wiltshire farmers will get "lapwing envy" in the future, rather than "wheat yield envy". "I think there is hope," said Mr White, who also photographs local birdlife. "As long as we pull together and do everything we can. All we have to do is provide a bare area of ground, it can't be cropped, then the birds will find that." Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Something has gone wrong for insects, says charity Wildlife Trusts - Lapwing RSPB
BBC News
08-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Saving the peewit: Hope for 'iconic' country bird
An "iconic" bird with a noticeable hairdo is on the red list for conservation after numbers have more than halved since 1967 - could farmers help bring them back? Peewit is the traditional name for the northern lapwing, or green plover, or - if you like your Latin - Vanellus Vanellus, meaning little fan, a reference to the sound when it flies. "It's very similar to their sound, their call. Peewit as they go off in the mornings," explained Sid Vincent, a gamekeeper working for a local farmer. He has noticed the decline in the birds after decades working in the countryside and is becoming a volunteer for Project Peewit in Wiltshire, which is aiming to help the lapwing. Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is behind the project, collaborating with volunteers on the Marlborough Downs who work on the land the birds nest in. It mostly includes farmers, gamekeepers and regular walkers."They are just the most beautiful bird," said David White, one of the farmers in the area this project has started in. "To me, they are just the iconic bird of the Marlborough Downs."They're part of our heritage really."A group of farmers in the Marlborough Downs Space for Nature project are already trying to help other bird is one of them: "If you create the habitat, the wildlife will come in. Then you've got to manage that habitat and hope you get some success." Where have they gone? The peewit has not just flown away. Jonny Cooper, from Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, is behind the project and he explained peewits are struggling to breed."The idea behind this project is to understand their breeding success," he said. "They're not fledging enough chicks."He said the reasons for this are complex and varied and range from climate change and changes in farming, to an increase in predator numbers and struggles with finding food as there are fewer bugs for them to is also concern about nest disturbance, such as if dogs off of leads. One of the issues is chicks are easy prey. The birds nest on the ground and scoop out a small dent for eggs, usually in a bare patch of ground without crops. The idea is they can then see predators coming, but more predators hunting for fewer peewits is not helping decline in insects affects lots of creatures, including the lapwing. Some chicks have been found to die of starvation when there have not been enough invertebrates to are being asked to keep an eye on insect populations too so the project can see how peewits might be choosing their food sources. Poo Power There are a couple of ways the lapwing diet and bug population can be monitored: firstly, with insect traps to see what land has what, but also via Cooper has been putting together kits to check on chick a brown paper bag, he has a tray, and wire grating for the top. The chicks would be popped on top of the wire for no more than a few minutes, during which time they hopefully go to the loo and be poo can then be studied to see what the chicks have been eating. Mr Cooper described the input of farmers as critical to the project."We have to get farmers involved," he said. "We can come in and do work but ultimately it's the people who own the land and manage the land who are instrumental."Farmers are being encouraged to let him know when they see a peewit nest, create patches of ground ideal for nesting and help monitor the birds and bugs. Farmer James Hussey hosted the introductory training day for the said: "It's lovely to get this group together. Like so much conservation, the larger scale you do it on, the more chance the birds have of recovering numbers."He is already making changes to help wild birds and said he believes other Wiltshire farmers will get "lapwing envy" in the future, rather than "wheat yield envy". "I think there is hope," said Mr White, who also photographs local birdlife. "As long as we pull together and do everything we can. All we have to do is provide a bare area of ground, it can't be cropped, then the birds will find that."
