It's here, Big Garden Birdwatch has finally arrived.
We're off to a great start, with Woodpigeon, Robin, two Great Tits on the feeder and a Blackbird rummaging for berries.
Let us know in the comments what you're seeing and share your photos with us too we'd love to see them.
A Robin with a bright red chest stood on vivid green grass next to wet brown leaves - Jo Taylor
Register now for the Big Garden Birdwatch 23-26 January to take part in the world's largest garden wildlife survey
Who will be this year's garden faithfuls and traitors?
One hour to sit, chill & watch the birds, recording the highest number of each species seen at any one time
Link in the comments
A close, detailed portrait of a Swift’s face. Its dark eyes and sleek feathers fill the frame, showing a rare close-up this special and vulnerable bird.
Last night, Peers voted against Swift bricks: rejecting a simple, proven way to help one of our fastest declining birds recover. ❌
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
A single Swift peeks out from a purpose-built nesting brick set into a red-brick wall. These simple hollow bricks provide vital nesting spaces for Swifts in new homes.
This was the last chance to secure Swift bricks in the Planning Bill itself.
We’ll keep pushing for other ways to make it happen.
Nature shouldn’t be optional in the places we live. 🍃
Several Swifts sweep and twist through a blue sky beside a row of houses, their silhouettes cutting across the sunlight.
Baroness Freeman withdrew am. 246 on bird-safe glass after the Government said it would look at possible targeted measures for commercial buildings.
We'll support her in holding them to this at the Third Reading...and keep fighting for a system that builds nature in, not out.❗️
A Wren perches upright on a thin branch, singing with full force, tiny but defiant. Its wide open beak and stance capture the spirit of a voice raised for nature, echoing the urgency of today’s vote on the Planning Bill.
The Planning Bill is back in the Lords today - and it still falls short of the win-win for nature the Government says it wants.
We’re grateful to the Peers that have stepped up with vital fixes.
But today’s votes help decide whether this Bill truly delivers for nature & people. 👇
A group of Swifts wheels and darts above the roofs of new houses under a clear blue sky. Their shapes slice the air: a reminder of what’s at stake, and why features like Swift bricks, bird-safe glass and hedgehog highways matter in new developments.
We urge all Peers to back:
148: To avoid environmental damage first & foremost
114: To add a duty to consider climate & nature in decisions
130: To limit EDPs to where they're effective
140, 245 & 246: To embed Swift bricks, bird-safe glass & hedgehog highways into new homes
A House Sparrow stands alert on a tiled rooftop, framed against warm brick. It looks outward, poised and watchful...reflecting our focus as the Lords debate decisions that will shape the future of nature.
The Government says this Bill is about growth, but there’s no long-term growth if nature is weakened. ‼️
Peers can change that today by backing science and backing nature.
This matters for everyone who cares about the future.
We’ll be watching... & our assessment will follow.
A Robin perches upright on a branch, chest puffed out and beak open mid-song. Its stance and expression convey urgency: a symbol of nature’s voice calling out as the future of England’s planning system hangs in the balance.
Today, the Planning Bill returns to the Lords. And the future of nature in England’s planning system is on the line. 🌳⚠️
Peers must back the amendments* that protect wildlife, ensure accountability, and build nature back into our homes & communities.
*130, 140 & 245, 114, 148
Latest government stats show a continued decline in many bird species across the UK 🪶🧪
www.gov.uk/government/s...
These data are made possible by the dedication of expert volunteers, allowing us to track common bird populations for >50 years
Peatlands are vital ecosystems and are home to diverse wildlife, they also play a crucial role in our efforts to tackle climate change. We hope this is a move towards ending peatland burning for good
Picture of a Hen Harrier mid flight
Thanks to brilliant conservation efforts with our partners it has been a record year for Hen Harriers in the Forest of Bowland, with one of the highest number of fledglings recorded in over 40 years! Read all about it here: www.rspb.org.uk/england/engl...
We are taking steps to help our wetlands become more resilient and adaptable to climate change. This will enable them to continue to support a wide range of species throughout changing weather systems.
Find out more
youtu.be/m6KGt7uOMqY?...
@btobirds.bsky.social @birdlifeglobal.bsky.social
Today’s report shows the UK Government has taken some steps to help restore nature over the past year - with over 10 million trees planted and new National Nature Reserves declared.
But it’s not enough.
Progress remains too slow, as nature is continuing to decline.
RSPB Exe Estuary nature reserves featured in lovely new film about importance of protected sites ...
Thank you Natural England, NERC and University of Exeter
www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen...
A Red Kite glides in mid-turn above a softly blurred countryside, its rust-red body and distinctive forked tail sharply outlined. The sun lights up the bird’s feathers and yellow eye as it scans the land below.
After decades of campaigning, restrictions on toxic lead ammunition are finally on the way. 👏
A long-overdue move that will save tens of thousands of birds & countless other wildlife from lead poisoning.
Thank you to all who campaigned with us & to UK Gov for taking this step.
Help us build a UK-wide picture of where Swifts are nesting, so that we can better target our conservation efforts, by logging your Swift nest sightings on Swift Mapper 👉brnw.ch/21wTMyw
Full guidance on what to look for and how you can help👉 brnw.ch/21wTMyv
It's Swift Awareness Week so we're celebrating the community projects currently underway across the country and highlighting things we can all to do to help 'Save our Swifts'.
Find out more and check out the Swift awareness events near you: brnw.ch/21wTKox
RETURN
From extinction to reintroduction, our new film charts the 50-year fight to return White-tailed Eagles to our skies.
Coming Summer 2025.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_A7...
A group of ten young people stand on a road as part of a march holding placards including 'Restore the Wonder' 'Life is beautiful' 'There's good in this world and it's worth fighting for' 'Nothing changes if it isn't challenged' 'Stop Robin us of our future'.
Are you aged 16-24 and passionate about protecting nature, or know someone who is? We’re looking for new RSPB Youth Council members!
Find out more and apply by 27th June: www.rspb.org.uk/about-us/how...
Congrats to everyone who's secured a place for the 2026 #LondonMarathon 🥳
And if you're not one of the lucky ones, don't fret, you can still apply for a place to run for the RSPB!
More details 👇
www.rspb.org.uk/helping-natu...
Let’s hope many more make use of this opportunity.
Together with Species Conservation Strategies (similar to PSS but for species) Protected Sites Strategies are now an available means to work strategically and collaboratively, within existing environmental law, to proactively restore nature, while supporting economic growth and food security.
Now, after 3 years of piloting, it’s great to see Natural England today launch the first version of their Protected Site Strategies (PSS) Advisory Guidance and identify the first 7 sites to take these forward.
naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2025/06/16/p...
And with a basis in law, once a PSS has successfully passed through public consultation, there’s a duty on public bodies to support its delivery.
www.gov.uk/guidance/com...
Crucially, Protected Site Strategies should act as an umbrella over existing plans and strategies, drawing these together and aligning and streamlining them to work more effectively and efficiently together.
Led by Natural England, Protected Site Strategies take a bottom-up approach, convening stakeholders to identify causes and co-design solutions to issues that can’t be solved at site-level, such as catchment-scale water pollution, deer management problems, and recreational disturbance.
A photograph of a Lapwing
Rooted in the Environment Act 2021, Protected Site Strategies offer a new statutory means to tackle the issues affecting some of our most important places for nature, by looking beyond the boundaries of protected sites to create a strategic landscape-scale plan for recovery.
A Yellowhammer perches quietly on a branch, bathed in golden evening light. Around it, leaves glow softly in the fading sun. The image captures a fragile moment in nature: beautiful, vital, and at risk...reminding us what’s at stake if we fail to invest in a thriving natural world.
The Chancellor spoke of ‘fixing the foundations.’
But no foundation is more vital – or more at risk – than nature. It underpins our health, our economy, and our food security.
The government must continue to invest in its recovery: because there is no future without it. 🍃
