Ministers must seize chance to protect our countryside

countryside M Ministers must seize chance to protect our countrysideConservationists are urging ministers to grasp the opportunity tomorrow (October 12) to clear up one of the most controversial aspects of the planning reform debate.

The Government has faced a public backlash against its proposed reforms of the planning system. Although they claim the changes will maintain sustainable development as the

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Rangers’ high rise match making

1239360682 P5ksq S Rangers’ high rise match makingWildlife rangers went up in the world to help a frisky osprey bachelor entice a mate. The first of three new artificial osprey platforms was erected by the Forestry Commission in Kielder Water & Forest Park, Northumberland.

Wildlife rangers donned their harnesses and scaled a 20 metre spruce to lop the top of the tree with

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Film released of history making ospreys

Stunning new footage of Northumberland’s record breaking ospreys has been released by the Kielder Partnership. The adult osprey’s have been re-united in 155,000 acre Kielder Water & Forest Park after making their separate ways back from sub-Saharan Africa.

Last year the couple entered the record books by raising the first osprey chicks born in the North East of England for at least 200 years.

Now one of the two cameras trained on the nest –

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Osprey couple back at Kielder

831736488 kovhv S Osprey couple back at KielderKielder Water & Forest Park’s record breaking ospreys are a couple once again!

The Kielder Partnership can reveal that the female bird – who mothered three chicks last year, the first born in the North East of England for at least 200 years – has returned to the same nest she used last year, where she

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Osprey alert at Kielder

802242250 7VZt9 S Osprey alert at KielderRangers in Kielder Water & Forest Park are scanning the skies for the return of ospreys which last year nested in Northumberland for the first time in at least 200 years. The Kielder Partnership says it’s likely that the iconic birds will return to nest once again in the 62,000 hectare (155,000 acre) Northumberland wilderness, after the pair

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Bird lovers choose Kate for president

676959705 NkBYX S Bird lovers choose Kate for president

Kate Humble

Television presenter Kate Humble has been elected as the new president of the RSPB.

The organisation is confident Kate’s infectious enthusiasm for wildlife and wild places will inspire millions of people to get closer to nature.

She

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Crimes against wild birds soar

631806813 k23GC S Crimes against wild birds soar

Rescuing a trapped bird of prey.

Wild birds are suffering from near record levels of persecution.

During 2008 the RSPB received 1,206 reports of shooting, poisoning, trapping and disturbance of birds and of the theft of birds and their eggs.

While the figure is slightly down from the all-time high of 1,228 reports in 2007, it remains the second highest we’ve ever recorded. Many more incidents are believed to have gone undetected and unreported and the figures include 210 reports of shooting and destruction of birds of prey.

As a result, the RSPB is using its annual Birdcrime report to repeat its call for a fundamental shake-up of the way such crimes are policed.

Data from the report showed the two worst counties in England for all reported incidents against birds of prey were North Yorkshire with 24 and Derbyshire with 14 reported incidents. In Scotland, problems were worst in Perth and Kinross where there were 18 reported incidents and in the Borders where there were 15. Aberdeenshire, Angus and the Highlands each had 14 reports.

The persecution of birds of prey is something the RSPB is campaigning to stop and which Government has declared one of its ‘wildlife crime priorities’.

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