Wildlife and bird watching in the South East of England
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Despite being the most densely populated part of the country, there is still plenty of wildlife viewing available. Even within London there are surprising opportunities for wildlife watching, from some of the great parks at Richmond, to fantastic birding sites on reservoirs, along the Thames and also in the Lee Valley and the Marshes of the Thames Estuary.
Photograph of the beautiful Ashdown Forest
County by county
Recent South East news
- Wet weather delaying and confusing butterflies
- Boris – Time to stop playing the clown – Keep London’s wildlife police
- Bumblebee to return to Britain with reintroduction in Kent
- Rare sea bird killed by marine litter in Chichester
- Water voles unexpected reappearance in Kent wildlife reserve
- Wildlife at risk as drought spreads
- Drought conditions playing havoc with bluebell season
- Sussex bird sanctuary objects to clay pigeon shoot
- Exotic beetle pest outbreak threatening UK broadleaved trees
- Woodland Trust halfway to creating England's largest new native forest
- Wildlife warning as drought continues
- Oil beetle populations in decline – Help with the UK survey
- Major Surrey heathland restoration after road tunnel completed
- London’s mayors urged to help fight against wildlife crime
- UK government announces 12 large scale 'wildlife zones'
More South East news
- Olympics 2012: going for green
- Egg collector banned from Scotland
- Albino fallow deer in the New Forest
- Wildlife suffering as countryside dries out
- World Society for the Protection of Animals team up with Met police in fight against wildlife crime
- Wildlife crime in Surrey part of ‘vile’ global trade
- Thames airport proposals ‘catastrophic’ for wildlife
- New invasive crayfish even more damaging
- English egg collector jailed for fourth time
- 3400 whales, dolphins and porpoises stranded in UK 2005 - 2010
- Kent wildlife site at risk from 5,000 house development
- Swifts and swallows still flying, eggs hatching, bats and dragonflies still about!
- Rarely-seen warbler wings its way from Eastern Asia to Hertfordshire
- Bitterns are back at WWT London Wetland Centre
- Short-snouted seahorse found in the Thames at Greenwich
Exotic beetle pest outbreak threatening UK broadleaved trees An outbreak of the Asian longhorn beetle (ALB), an exotic beetle pest which could have severe consequences for British trees, has been found in Kent the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) have confirmed. This is the first time an outbreak of this pest has been found in the UK and it is being treated extremely seriously. Fera and the Forestry Commission are taking urgent steps to try to eradicate the outbreak before it has the chance to spread further afield.
First sighting of purple heron chicks confirm UK wildlife first It's a sight wildlife lovers have been waiting for - the first purple heron chick ever to be raised successfully in the UK has taken its first flight and is learning to fend for itself. But is this news good or bad as it is further evidence of global warming?
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Purple herons breed for the first time in the UKThe first purple herons ever to breed successfully in the UK have hatched their chicks on the RSPB's Dungeness Nature Reserve in Kent. It is not yet known how many chicks have hatched and confirmation will only be possible when the young fledge in a few weeks time.
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Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly breeding in SussexA rare migrant butterfly from Europe, the Queen of Spain Fritillary, has been breeding at a location on the Sussex coast.
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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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Albino Fallow deer spotted in SussexVolunteer 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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Court approves destruction of marshes and its protected wildlifeThe three-year battle to save West Thurrock Marshes from destruction suffered a massive set-back when the Court of Appeal judged that the decision to build on the site was lawful.
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'Extinct' dove breeds at London Zoo.A Socorro dove, extinct in the wild for 30 years, has bred for the first time at London Zoo.
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Campaign of cruelty to Birds Continues in East SussexAfter last week’s report of 5 gulls being shot in Sussex, we have today (April 21st) received 2 further reports of appalling cruelty from the Hastings/Eastbourne area.
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Rare Waders Successfully Breed in LondonFour rare Avocet chicks hatched on Saturday 17 June 2006 at the WWT London Wetland Centre .in Barnes, South West London – the closest breeding location to central London since records began.
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Squacco heron in LondonA Squacco heron, a very unusual sight in the UK, has taken up residence in London.
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Top wildlife sites in the South East
The Urban Birder
The clue is in the name of the book. David Lindo is the self styled ‘Urban Birder' and specialises in birding in towns and cities, and especially in London.Read full review »
