Category Archives: Birds

The bountiful birds of St Cyrus NNR

Posted on October 14, 2019 by

Simon Ritchie has been working at St Cyrus National Nature Reserve since he was 16 – initially as a volunteer, he is currently employed as a Seasonal Reserve Officer. Simon  has previously written about his passion for the wildflowers of … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, coastal, Flowers, gulls, National Nature Reserves, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, St Cyrus National Nature Reserve, Staff profile, Uncategorized, Volunteering, wild flowers, Young people | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Stormie nights on Fair Isle

Posted on October 8, 2019 by

Fair Isle sits at the southernmost point of Shetland and its name derives from the Old Norse name Friðarey, meaning ‘island of peace’. Fair Isle is famous for its knitwear, historic shipwrecks and its diverse bird life, so what better … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, coastal, Marine, Marine Protected Areas, MPA, MPAs, Non-native species, Scottish Natural Heritage, sea life, seals, Shetland, SNH, survey, Young people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Find autumn gold in Scotland’s National Nature Reserves

Posted on August 29, 2019 by

Autumn, with its depth of colour and light, is a fantastic season to get out and explore our mountains, forests and coasts, especially if you’re looking for ideas to get the kids active during the school break. Scotland’s wonderful National … Continue reading →

Posted in Argyll National Nature Reserves, beaches, Beinn Eighe NNR, Birds, coastal, deer, Flanders Moss NNR, Glasdrum NNR, green health, Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve, mushrooms, National Nature Reserves, Natural Health Service, Noss National Nature Reserve, photography, Rum NNR, Scotland's Protected Places, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, St Cyrus National Nature Reserve, Taynish NNR, The Flow Country, trees, Uncategorized, woodlands | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Terns of Forvie

Posted on August 6, 2019 by

At Forvie National Nature Reserve (NNR) the breeding season for the terns is coming to an end. It has been another mixed year for one of Scotland’s biggest colonies of terns and a time when the NNR staff and volunteers … Continue reading →

Posted in biodiversity, Birds, Ecology, National Nature Reserves, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH

Short-eared owls dazzle at Forvie

Posted on February 13, 2019 by

Our guest blog this week is written by our SNH former colleague, Ron Macdonald. Now retired from the day job, Ron is still staying busy, chairing the North East Biological Records Centre and serves on the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Conservation … Continue reading →

Posted in biodiversity, Birds, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Inch Farm: farming and the environment in action

Posted on February 8, 2019 by

Kirsten Brewster, SNH Agriculture Officer, visited Inch Farm and met with farmer Andrew to discuss his Agri-Environment Climate Scheme. The farm, in Fife’s East Neuk, has views across to both the Isle of May and Bass Rock. On the day … Continue reading →

Posted in Agri-Environment Climate Scheme, biodiversity, Birds, climate change, conservation, Farming, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, sustainable farming | Tagged , , , ,

On the trail of the 64s group – capturing Wild Shetland

Posted on January 24, 2019 by

Wildlife cameraman Fergus Gill was Maramedia’s main team member on the ground throughout summer 2017, when they filmed their latest spectacular nature documentary Wild Shetland: Scotland’s Viking Frontier. Fergus is of course the son of our own celebrated photographer, Lorne, … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, coastal, Marine, National Nature Reserves, photography, Scottish Natural Heritage, sea life, seals, Shetland, SNH, Uncategorized, Young people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The bird with the golden eye

Posted on January 23, 2019 by

Goldeneye may bring to mind one of the better James Bond movies of the 1990s but it is of course also a medium sized duck which is found all around the world’s more northerly regions, from North America, across Europe … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, coastal, Marine, sea life, SNH, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , ,

A small bird with a big impact

Posted on January 16, 2019 by

Weighing in at less than 12 g and 10 cm long, the wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) is one of Britain`s smallest birds; only the goldcrest and firecrest are smaller. Nigel Buxton, our Natura Project Manager, tells more about this surprisingly successful bird. … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, SNH, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , ,

Monitoring the condition of our Marine Protected Areas

Posted on December 27, 2018 by

Almost 90 years after St Kilda’s last 36 residents were evacuated to the mainland, the islands remain hugely important for the wildlife they support.   The World Heritage Site hosts huge seabird populations, including the world’s second largest colony of North … Continue reading →

Posted in biodiversity, Birds, conservation, cowries, Marine, Marine Protected Areas, MPA, MPAs, photography, Priority Marine Features, Protected Areas, Scottish Natural Heritage, sea life, SNH, survey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,