RSPB Scotland

@rspbscotland.bsky.social

Protecting and restoring habitats, saving species and helping end the nature and climate emergency in Scotland.

@rspbscotland.bsky.social

The UK is part of the East Atlantic Flyway, a migration superhighway creating a chain of connected sites across 79 countries stretching down the globe. These species are shared between countries - and we share a responsibility to protect them.

@rspbscotland.bsky.social

It’s World Migratory Bird Day! 🐦️ 🌍️ From Redwings and Fieldfares in our cities to the ducks, geese and wading birds gathering on our coasts and wetlands, Scotland is welcoming some incredible seasonal visitors. And these arrivals are part of a bigger story 👇️

@rspbscotland.bsky.social

Hi. It would require better marine spatial planning so that the most important areas for nature are avoided and a more strategic approach to compensation for any impacts. As well as investment to tackle the other threats causing seabird declines. Together, this would put us in a much better position

@rspbscotland.bsky.social

Right now, there’s a rapid expansion of offshore wind in Scotland, with seabirds paying the price. We want the Scottish Government to do a better job of balancing their offshore wind ambitions with Scotland’s responsibilities as one of the world’s most important places for seabirds.

Atlantic puffin, Fratercula arctica, individual perched on clifftop looking at the camera.
@rspbscotland.bsky.social

A new poll shows that more than three quarters of people in Scotland think offshore wind farms should only be built where they won’t harm nature. And eight out of every 10 people would be more likely to support offshore wind farms away from important wildlife sites.

An off-shore windfarm. Text on the image reads: Offshore wind. A new poll has revealed that people in Scotland support renewable energy. But not if it puts wildife at risk.
@rspbscotland.bsky.social

Meet some of the most special species from the north coast of Scotland in the Species on the Edge conservation comic 🦋 🦇 Artist Aimee Lockwood worked with community groups to produce a fabulous comic highlighting the wildlife stories that mattered most to them and the nature they want to celebrate.

Page of the conservation comic. The title is 'It's the Small Blue Butterfly' with illustrations of Small Blue butterfly in flight below. Some fun facts say Cupido minimus, meaning the smallest love. On the wing from Mid may to early July in Scotland. The smallest butterfly in the UK at just 18-27mm. Not really very blue. The first panel is an illustration of the Caithness coastline. Caithness has the most northerly UK populations of these little insects in just. few isolated locations along the coastline. A series of three more panels shows illustrations of larva/caterpillar and Kidney vetch, a yellow flower. Their living conditions are quite specific. Like many other moth and butterfly species, they rely on one dedicated larval food plant to feed their caterpillars. For Small Blue butterflies that plan is Kidney Vetch. The butterflies lay a single egg on a Kidney Vetch flower head - If two caterpillars end up on the same flower, they'll fight for it. Here the illustration shows two caterpillars fighting, one is saying 'there can only be one'. The final three panels show a Small Blue on a kidney vetch slowly fading. Kidney Vetch is a plant in the same family as Purple Oxytropis and can be found in some of the same conditions - stretches of coastline where competition from other plants is limited. These areas have dwindled through the steady encroachment of shrubs like Gorse, and as the Kidney Vetch has been lost, so too have the butterflies.Page of comic book - Bats of Caithness. Centre of the page has illustrations of bats in flight. There are 10 species of bat found in Scotland and 18 in the wider UK, but only three are recorded in Caithness. Pipistrelle weighs 5 grams, that's the same as a 20p coin. It is the UK's smallest bat. Daubenton's is medium sized at around 7-8 grams, known for skimming low over water to catch flying insects. Brown Long-eared is common throughout the UK but rarer in Northern Scotland. The quieter echolocation they use to hunt moths gives them the nickname whispering bat. The first comic panel shows an illustration of the coastline at the top of Scotland's mainland. The following panel shows a sun setting over a white building with a figure walking and saying 'John O'Groats isn't far from here, which means my walk along the north coast is nearly at an end'. The next two panels are blue, indicating the evening. The character is now saying 'It looks like there is something going on at the mill, I'll take a quick look. Oh hey, It's a bat watch!' The next illustration is of a bat detector. Let's try otu a bat detector. Next panel shows bats in eaves of building. The ones living in the roof here are most likely to be Common Pipistrelles, our most common bat. A panel then illustrates the person again, now taking their glasses off. Despite the saying blind as a bat they actually have pretty good eyesight - unlike me! Further illustration shows the person using the bat detector with bats flying about: They use echolocation because hunting in the dark leaves them less vulnerable to predators. It also means I can use this bat detector to find them and don't have to rely on my own bad night vision. This is a vital tool because one tiny Pipistrelle can eat up to 3000 insects a night. Hunting at night isn't an easy task at the best of times but the drastic recent decline in insect numbers has threatened some bats with starvation. You can try to help them by growing a night garden.
@rspbscotland.bsky.social

Pine Hoverfly surveys involve searching through wet sawdust material from our human-created rot holes counting Pine Hoverfly larvae. No previous experience is required as the project team can fully train volunteers on-site.

@rspbscotland.bsky.social

You can catch the episode on the iPlayer from this evening or on live TV at the below times: BBC Scotland: Thursday 1st October (20:30) BBC One Scotland: Saturday 3rd October (11:30) BBC Two: Sunday 4th October (09:00)

Duncan Orr-Ewing ringing a pair of Red Kites at Argaty
@rspbscotland.bsky.social

We welcomed the Landward team to our latest ringing session this summer, which took place at Argaty Red Kites alongside the Scottish Raptor Study Group. Tune in tonight to learn more about the startling recovery of this incredible bird of prey.

@rspbscotland.bsky.social

Since their reintroduction to Scotland in 1989, RSPB Scotland has been ringing Red Kites to understand more about their movements, lifespans and population. Our director Duncan Orr-Ewing (pictured here ringing a pair of Red Kites) has been there since the very beginning.

RSPB Scotland director Duncan Orr-Ewing ringing at pair of Red Kites
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