It’s been a long year of lockdown and to celebrate a return to exploring nature with loved ones, RSPB Exe Estuary nature reserve in Devon is inviting families to enjoy a Big Wild Summer this year. Throughout the school holidays the attraction will host a series of fun, nature-themed activities to help families discover nature at their local RSPB nature reserve or whilst escaping the everyday on a staycation.
From fairy hunts to pond dipping, discovery trails, getting to know our fascinating nocturnal creatures, and so much more – RSPB Exe Estuary nature reserve has something to...
RSPB invites people to experience their own doorstep dawn chorus
The RSPB is inviting wildlife lovers across the nation to wake at sunrise for an inspirational dawn chorus livestream from nature reserves across the UK as part of International Dawn Chorus day.
This year to help the public make the most of their reconnection with nature, the RSPB is celebrating International Dawn Chorus day with an ambitious livestream of dawn chorus from its nature reserves across the UK. We’ll also be joined as the morning progresses by special guests including Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin and...
The number of nature lovers who took part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch soared to a million people this winter after a year of lockdown restrictions saw people turn to nature for comfort.
Now in its 42nd year, the Big Garden Birdwatch is a chance for people of all ages to count the number of birds that visit their garden, helping the RSPB build up a picture of how birds are faring. This year, over a million people across the country took part counting 17 million birds, with over 28,800 taking part across Devon.
Hopes were raised for a bumper participation year after...
A major United Nations report has revealed the international community has failed to halt environmental decline over the last 10 years. Now, new analysis from the RSPB has revealed the UK’s self-assessment is overly optimistic as high environmental ambitions have not led to real progress being made.
The Global Biodiversity Outlook 5, published yesterday by the United Nations, contained no country-level breakdowns of how the UK has fared. Instead, an RSPB report ‘A Lost Decade for Nature’, has revealed our true performance.
With UK wildlife continuing to decline and vital...
Summer begins to mellow, winds begin to change and that is the herald for the beginning of a spectacular time of year for wildlife on the internationally important Exe Estuary.
As breeding grounds in Siberia turn icy cold and food supplies there dwindle, this prompts an exhausting annual migration of thousands of water birds. The rich food resources found in the Exe provide a welcome home to these birds, many of which travel in family groups.
With these changes in mind, people are asked to avoid wildlife refuges on the Exe Estuary at Dawlish Warren National Nature...
A new guide published today by the RSPB and Barratt Developments, which is currently building brand-new communities across Devon, shows how to turn balconies and small gardens into sanctuaries for wildlife.
The RSPB's ‘Welcome Wildlife into Your World' guide gives top tips and advice for bringing nature to your home, especially for people with a small amount of outdoor space such as a balcony or courtyard.
The leading housebuilder is building new homes at Tarka Ridge near Barnstaple, Embden Grange , Tavistock, Braid Park, Tiverton (from Barratt Homes and David Wilson...
Keepers at Paignton Zoo saved scores of animals after recent storms damaged a key building.
High winds ripped open a 36-metre-long air vent in the roof of Reptile Tropics at around 7.30 one morning, exposing vulnerable animals, plants and electrics. Staff rushed to save lizards, snakes, turtles, iguanas, chameleons and geckos as the temperature in the building dropped. Meanwhile, maintenance staff were able to carry out running repairs and prevent further damage.
In all, 65 reptiles and amphibians were saved, along with around 200 birds. It’s thought that no individuals...
Our Guided Bird Watching Cruises are ideal for anyone who would like to see the many thousands of birds that migrate to the area during the autumn and winter months. Suitable for beginners and beneficial to experts these cruises have a full commentary throughout from ornithologists Dave Smallshire and Derek Carter. You will discover and learn all about the species, habitat and behaviors of the thousands of birds on the Exe Estuary and East Devon Coast.
The award-winning Chunk of Devon pasties – both steak and vegetarian – are available to pre-order and the hot and super tasty Rod...
Paignton Zoo bird keeper Lisa Jones freely admits that she has an interest that borders on obsession. She’s fascinated by feathers.
“During the summer months, lots of birds at Paignton Zoo start to moult… I think feathers are among the natural world’s most incredible adaptations. While I was cleaning out the Ural owls, who are moulting heavily now, I wondered if anyone else would be as interested in feathers as me!”
It turns out, yes. Feathers are the often overlooked wonders of nature. We might admire a bird, but do we stop to ask what feathers are, why they are like they...
One of the most striking birds in the world has bred at Paignton Zoo. The scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) is famous for its bright red feathers – although, as you can see, the chicks are anything but scarlet.
There’s no other wading bird as scarlet as a scarlet ibis, but it takes time for juveniles to grow into the colour. It’s not until their second moult that the birds begin to take on that extraordinary rosy sheen. It can take two years or more for the dazzling change to be completed; the colour comes from the red crustaceans in their diet.
