A guide to the wildlife and nature reserves of the UK.
Wildlife and bird watching in the UK
You don't need to go far to see some great wildlife, there is some near you. There are very well known sites across the UK, National Parks, National nature reserves, RSPB reserves and WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) reserves, but there are many other great wildlife spots all over the place. Every county has a wildlife trust that will run a series of local reserves, county councils have their own nature reserves and there are plenty of other places where there is ample wildlife.
We will point you in the direction of all the best sites in any given area, though we have no doubt that there are plenty we don't know about (please let us know by emailing us about anywhere that you can recommend).
For information and recommendations on whale and dolphin watching in the UK, click here.
Region by region
Recent UK & Ireland Wildlife news
- Marine survey of Britain’s remotest nature reserve to reveal undersea wildlife
- Common Scoter numbers fall for second year in Carmarthen Bay
- Breeding bird survey shows woodland birds down, stonechat, nuthatch and buzzard up
- RSPB to restore 600 acres of Kent countryside & wetlands - hopefully
- Iconic silver studded blue butterfly thriving after the fire at Thursley National Nature Reserve
- Damselfly attacking or mating with dragonfly? Photos.
- Unknown insect found in Natural History Museum garden
- Landowners unfairly penalised by fly tipping law
- UK National Whale and Dolphin Watch Results 2008
- Another year of widespread seabird breeding failure on Scotland’s sea cliffs
- New species of ‘ghost’ slug discovered in Wales
- Giant 'extinct' British Beetle found in Gloucestershire
- 41 year old razorbill and 31 year old curlew amongst avian record breakers.
- ‘Wetland Vision’ sets scene for wetland creation and restoration across England.
- Garten ospreys to be satellite tracked for first time
More UK & Ireland Wildlife news
- Whale and dolphin strandings show big increase in Cornwall
- Rare damselfly habitat restored in Devon
- Hundreds of Yorkshire seabirds drowning in fishing nets – fishery closed temporarily
- Swordfish found on South Wales Beach
- Wildlife Trust statement on badger culling
- Dormouse recovery in Surrey
- Golden eagle persecution preventing the bird’s recovery in England and Scotland
- First choughs chicks in far west of Cornwall for nearly 150 Years
- Swans and Cygnets go walkabout in Eastbourne.
- First beaver dam in England for hundreds of years
- Rare dragonfly breeding on the Kennet & Avon Canal for the first time
- Three peregrine chicks stolen from nest.
- Two bittern nests found in Somerset
- Sustainable farming awards – Finalists announced
- DEFRA announces protection for Lyme Bay Reefs - one of the UK’s top marine wildlife sites
Swordfish found on South Wales BeachA rare and endangered swordfish has been discovered dead on a South Wales beach.
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Giant 'extinct' British Beetle found in GloucestershireAn amazing giant insect, thought to be extinct in the UK, has been discovered on a pavement in Gloucestershire.
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New species of ‘ghost’ slug discovered in WalesThe bizarre subterranean Ghost slug has been named Selenochlamys ysbryda by experts at National Museum Cardiff, Wales.
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Only breeding female Golden eagle in Scottish Borders poisoned.A joint investigation by Lothian and Borders Police, RSPB Scotland, the Scottish SPCA and the Scottish Executive discovered poisoned bait on a grouse moor in the Borders.
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Starving seabirds being found across Scotland and Northern Ireland.Staff at RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage are concerned about the number of common guillemots that have been found dead or dying.
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Harriers and Peregrines being persecuted in Northern Ireland.It appears that there has been an upsurge in raptor persecution in Northern Ireland in the last 3 years.
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Lyme Bay Reefs devastated.
Devon Wildlife Trust has collected evidence that the Reefs in Lyme Bay have been trashed by some fishing techniques.
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Otter comeback is good news for water voles, bad news for mink.A recent fall in mink numbers in the UK has been attributed to a rise in Otter numbers.
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First wild beavers in Scotland for 250 years to be caught.A pair of beavers has been found living in the wild in a remote Scottish Loch near the Bridge of Earn.
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'Extinct' dove breeds at London Zoo.A Socorro dove, extinct in the wild for 30 years, has bred for the first time at London Zoo.
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Scotland's wildcats down to the last 400Research shows that probably only 400 true wildcats are left in Scotland. Persecution used to be the main problem, but now hybridisation with domestic cats threatens the future of Scottish wildcats.
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Two Sightings of Northern Bald Ibis in Middle East Bring a Spark of Hope
Sightings of this incredibly rare bird in Djibouti and Ethiopia have raised hope that it might avoid extinction.
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Mass dolphin stranding in Cornwall - at least 26 dolphins deadOn Monday 9th June, 26 common dolphins stranded and died near St Mawes in Cornwall.
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Government may lift bird import banDespite Tony Blairs promise to ban the import of wild birds permanently, the government has recently revealed that the ban may only be temporary.
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Golden eagle persecution preventing the bird’s recovery in England and ScotlandStudy shows that persecution of Golden eagles is halting their recovery in Scotland and is thwarting the bird's return to northern England.
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Adonis unexpectedly reappears in the CotswoldsThe beautiful Adonis Blue butterfly has unexpectedly reappeared in the Cotswolds having become locally extinct more than 40 years previously.
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Very rare 'Leucistic' moorhens seen in the UK.We have now been sent 4 photos of different leucistic moorhens in the UK. Leucism is very rare and to have four birds in the country simultaneously is highly unusual.
Black Grouse turn the corner in England as numbers climb above 1000.Although times have been hard for the Black grouse, conservationists hope that the species may have turned the corner after years of decline thanks to more sensitive land management.
Garden Birds in Sharp Decline Across EuropeAn analysis of 124 of Europe’s common birds has revealed that over a 26-year period 56 species (45 percent) have declined across 20 European countries.
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Very Rare Leucistic White Red Deer Stag Spotted in the HighlandsAn extremely rare white red deer has been spotted by staff of the John Muir Trust on the west coast of Scotland.
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Top recommendations for wildlife watching activities in the UK.
- National Trust Coastal Wildlife Walks.
- A Year of Wildlife Walks with the National Trust.
- National Trust's top wildlife walks.
- Click here to see the ten best National Trust butterfly sites.
- Where to see glow worms in the UK.
- Watch the deer rut this autumn with the National Trust.
- Best places to watch whales in the UK.
Top wildlife and bird watching in the South East
GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE
Lorraine Kelly launches the 'Wild about gardens' campaign in conjunction with the Royal Horticultural Society and the UK Wildlife Trusts. More.
Plants recommended for a wildlife garden
The RSPB and RHS have got together to create a list of plants recommended for wildlife gardening.See the full list.
England nature
Read about the nature of England, and see a guide to nature reserves in England.
Click here to see more about English Nature