FIRECREST TOURS : Guided Birdwatching & Wildlife Days

Common Scoters sleeping by   Graham Catley Of all the research projects carried out by RSPB Scotland, perhaps one of the most puzzling has been the case of a disappearing duck: the common scoter.

Cuckoo (BTO) Of the 18 Cuckoos we are tracking with satellite tags this year, 12 have already left the UK. Of the remaining six, three were tagged in Scotland and three in Norfolk. Those tagged in Devon, Sussex and Wales have already set off on migration. We currently have Cuckoos in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Corsica.  Take a look at the latest positions and blogs here. http://www.bto.org/news-events/news/2013-07/two-thirds-tagged-cuckoos-have-left

By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC News, Valencia, Spain Guillemot eggs have special structures on their shells that make them self-cleaning, according to new research. Guillemot (BBC) The study began after scientists noticed the liquid-repelling properties of a batch of eggs that had water spilled onto them. Further analysis revealed tiny cone-shaped structures on the eggs' shells were responsible for this property. The findings were presented at the Society for Experimental Biology conference in Valencia, Spain. Dr Steven Portugal from the Royal Veterinary College in London who conducted the research told BBC Nature that the project started with a "minor spillage" in the lab. "I accidentally spilled distilled water over a batch of eggs," Dr Portugal recalled. "And I noticed that the eggs from the guillemots stood out in terms of how the water droplets reacted on the surface. "They formed little droplets - th...