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Home » UK & Ireland Wildlife » Overview

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.


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Recent UK & Ireland Wildlife news

More UK & Ireland Wildlife news

 
uk/uk_2010/white_bat_crop_DM_Dodds Albino bat photo
A white, probably albino (we are debating whether it is albino or leucistic) bat photographed by Doug Mackenzie Dodds
Read more »
photography/2011 comp/mammal_hare_denness Winners of The UK Wildlife Photography Awards 2011

The Wildlife Extra UK Wildlife Photography Competition 2011 has been won by Peter Denness with his stunning image of a hare. We don't usually go for black and white images, but Peter's hare was just too good.

CATEGORY WINNERS

- Agnieszka Dymek - Bugs

- Peter Denness - Mammals

- Howard Booty - Birds

- Matthew Oxley - Reptile, Amphibian & Marine Life

- Martin Sothcott - Landscapes 

- Lisa Clyma - Under 16s

Read more »
photography/2011 comp/bird_kingfisher_miller UK wildlife photography competition 2011 - Finalists
Every year, an unexpected theme appears amongst the photos that we are sent. Last year it was all seals and deer, but in 2011 many of the best photos are of feeding, or feeding behaviour.
Read more »
photography/2011_general/wpoty_alien Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners 2012.
The winners of the internationally respected Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition 2011 have been announced. Young Wildlife Photographer of The Year - 10 Years and Under winner. Alien - By Hui Yu Kim (Malaysia)/ Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011.
Read more »
whales/whales_2010/dwarf_sperm_whale First record of a Dwarf sperm whale in UK waters
A small whale spotted in Mounts Bay next to the Cornish town of Penzance is thoughtto have been a dwarf sperm whale -  tropical/subtropical species that has never before been recorded off the UK coast.
Read more »
misc/misc_2009/tabby_and_nestling Killer cats - But it is avoidable
Cats kill an estimated 55 million birds in Britain every year and such predation could be contributing to long-term declines of garden birds like House Sparrows. 
Read more »
birds/birds_2011_june/goshawk_poison_RSPB 4 Goshawks poisoned in Devon
Devon and Cornwall Police and the RSPB are appealing for information after four goshawks and one buzzard were found dead in woodland to the west of Exeter.
Read more »
birds/birds_2011_june/Osprey_Einion First ospreys fledge at Cors Dyfi in over 400 years
This is the first time that ospreys have successfully bred on the Dyfi since 1604 and marks a milestone in the conservation of ospreys in Wales.
Read more »
whales/whales_2010/sei__Whale_seawatch Sei whale spotted off Scotland
Aerial photos taken by a Scottish paramedic of a large whale between Islay and Gigha off the west coast of Scotland have intrigued international scientists on both sides of the Atlantic. On balance they believe the sighting is most likely to be of a very rare Sei whale.
Read more »
New butterfly species discovered in Ireland
Read more »
birds/2010_jan/Osprey_Ring-14_fc Second osprey pair breed successfully at Kielder Water
The Northumbrian wilderness becomes the only location in England for over 170 years where more than a single pair of naturally re-colonising ospreys have bred successfully at the same time. The new birds have nested on an artificial platform erected by the Forestry Commission on top of a tall spruce tree. 
Read more »
uk/UK_reserves/upton_fire Fierce fire destroys Upton Heath wildlife
On what will be remembered as a black day for wildlife, an estimated one third of one of the most important wildlife sites in England was devastated by fire. Dorset Wildlife Trust's Upton Heath nature reserve, recognised internationally for the extreme rarity of habitat and wildlife, was engulfed by the biggest heath fire in decades just at the peak of the bird and reptile breeding season.
Read more »
whales/marine_2009/skye_leatherback_hwdt Leatherback turtle seen off Scotland
During a routine cetacean research survey, researchers and volunteers from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust were treated to an unusual encounter between Skye and Harris when they spotted a massive Leatherback turtle, measuring about 1.5 metres.
Read more »
whales/whales_2010/Fin_Whale_Brereton 21 Fin whales spotted in Irish Sea
One of the largest ever known gatherings of Fin whales in British waters has recently been observed in the Celtic Deep, 50-70 nautical miles off the coasts of north Cornwall and south west Pembrokeshire.
Read more »
uk/uk_wildlife/mink_in_trap_Jamie_Urquhart Largest ever attempt to remove mink from Scotland is underway
The largest ever initiative to remove breeding American mink from north Scotland is now underway, covering 20,000 square kilometres, from rural Tayside across Aberdeenshire, Moray, the Cairngorms and the Highlands.
Read more »
whales/whales_2010/Pilot_whale_heads 100 pilot whales in danger of stranding in Scotland.
The Scottish SPCA and British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) are monitoring up to 100 pilot whales thought to be in danger of becoming stranded off the South Uist coast.
Read more »
old_images/r/rutland-osprey5 Rutland osprey missing - feared shot
Staff from Anglian Water and the Rutland Osprey Project fear an osprey has been shot in Rutland. The missing bird was the first to return to the site from its African wintering grounds after being released in Rutland, as part of the Rutland Osprey Project.
Read more »
uk/wildlife_june_09/pine_marten_vwt Pine Marten rediscovered in Cumbria after 10 years!
England's rarest mammal, the pine marten, is living in the Forestry Commission's Grizedale Forest in Cumbria. DNA tests have provided the first unequivocal evidence for 10 years that this shy and elusive animal is in the Lake District.
Read more »
news/sept_2008/virunga_elephant_poached_ $40,000 to hunt an elephant and you can import the ivory legally into UK!
We are absolutely disgusted to find out that it is still legal to import ivory and rhino horn into the UK, as hunting trophies!
Read more »
birds/2011/lady_swt Extraordinary 26 year old osprey has returned to Loch of the Lowes for 21st year
The Scottish Wildlife Trust has confirmed that the osprey thought to be oldest breeding female of its kind ever recorded in the UK (Or probably anywhere) has returned for the 21st consecutive year to the Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve in Perthshire.
Read more »

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.
reviews/reviews_2010/book_of_shells

The Book of Shells

We've all picked up a shell or two on the beach, but outside the very most common ones, we have no idea what we are handling. The glorious 652 page book will be able to answer that question for you, no matter where in the world you are. 
Read full review »     

Top recommendations for wildlife watching activities in the UK.

news/Chris_Packham

Chris Packham's thoughts

Latest competitions

British Moth ID

reviews/british_moths

British Moths and Butterflies - A photographic guide

The book covers 1420 species of moth, 850 macros and 500 micros, as well as 314 caterpillars, pupae and eggs and 74 butterflies.
Read full review »
uk/UK_reserves/sugwas_lakes_wx

Why is Herefordshire ignored by national conservation bodies? RSPB, we need you.

There are no RSPB reserves, no WWT reserves, and no National Parks. To my surprise, I have discovered that there are 3 National Nature Reserves in Herefordshire, covering just 200 hectares between them, but 2 of them are permanently closed to the public.

Why is Herefordshire ignored by national conservation bodies? RSPB, we need you. 

Articles about the wildlife of the UK

reviews/reviews_2010/britain_birds

Where to Watch Birds in Britain - Second edition

The familiar format contains 34 new sites, giving a total of 454, now including 5 sites on the Isle of Wight. Each site now has a grid reference to aid those of you who are GPS dependent, and there is also a list of 100 birds you might want to see and the best places to see them.
Read full review »
reviews/reviews_2010/great_british_marine_animals

Great British Marine Animals - 3rd Edition

Many people think of the waters around Great Britain as cold, grey and fairly lifeless. This book will put you right (though noone can argue about the water temperature).
Read full review »
reviews/reviews_2010/britains-butterflies

Britain's butterflies

Comprehensive photo field guide to the butterflies of Britain.

Click Britain's Butterflies to find out more.

reviews/reviews_2010/butterflies_nt

Butterflies

This isn't just a guide to British butterflies, it is a lot more. Matthew Oates is the National Trust's, and one of Britain's, leading experts. He fell in love with butterflies, and particularly the purple emperor, at an early age, and has been following them all around Britain ever since.

Highly recommended. 

Read full review »
butterflies/dragonflies/migrant_hawker_bullrush_wx_crop

Garden wildlife photos

Having taken 2-3 photos, I walked back towards the office, but just before I reached the door, I notice something buzzing around in front of the flowers. The buzz was actually the hum of the very distinctive Hummingbird Hawkmoth, the first we have seen here. 

A top 10 minutes. 

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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