More than 275,000 people and leading scientific and conservation organisations from the UK and around the world have called on the UK government to establish a protected area in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), which is comprised of the Chagos Islands and its surrounding waters.

If established, the Chagos Protected Area would be the largest marine reserve in the world and play a vital role in fulfilling the UK’s global international conservation commitments.

Rich marine biodiversity

The support for a marine reserve comes as the UK government closes its three-month public consultation period today [Friday 5 March 2010] on future management of the Chagos Islands. The government will now consider the creation of a Chagos Protected Area, a designation that would safeguard the rich marine biodiversity of the islands and their surrounding waters by prohibiting extractive activities, such as fishing. A final decision is expected sometime this spring.

Each winter Britain sees the arrival of millions of waterbirds of many different species from the Arctic and northern Europe.

Chichester Harbour is one of the prime destinations for these birds. It is listed as a principle site for waterbirds in the UK with three species occurring in internationally important numbers. These are: dunlin, black-tailed godwit and dark bellied brent goose.

In the last five years Chichester Harbour supported an average of 46, 588 birds and neighbouring Pagham Harbour supported 19,387.

Aquatic plants, imported from overseas and sold for use in gardens and ponds, can spread into wild areas where they don’t occur naturally and wreak havoc, threatening some of our most precious wildlife sites across the UK, including many RSPB nature reserves.

The launch of the invasive aquatic plant awareness campaign by Defra and the Scottish Government encourages gardeners to be aware of the risks posed by non-native plants and provides guidance on how to minimize the spread of these pest species. The Be Plant Wise campaign was launched today by celebrity gardener Charlie Dimmock and biodiversity minister Huw Irranca-Davies.

The spread of non-native pond plants to nature reserves is a major issue for the RSPB and the Society has today welcomed the initiative, known as Be Plant Wise.

Wanted: one bedroom house, bit of a squash, slightly drafty and previous owners not a problem. Immediate occupancy essential.

The RSPB is making a final call for putting up nest boxes and urging anyone that hasn’t done so yet to do it straight away.

The breeding season will soon get underway and whilst some birds may have already chosen their nest sites, a few species may still take up residence.

Richard James, RSPB Wildlife Adviser, says: “If you still have nest boxes in your shed or garage, now is the time to get them up.

“Ideally nest boxes should go up in autumn for winter shelter followed by breeding but you may just be lucky if you don’t delay.

Each winter Britain sees the arrival of millions of waterbirds of many different species from the Arctic and northern Europe. A report - Waterbirds in the UK 2007/08 – published today highlights some startling changes in the fortunes of these visitors over the last decade.

An analysis of the 50 most widespread winter-visiting wetland birds (excluding gulls) shows there have been some very dramatic changes over the last decade. The birds faring the worst, compared with a decade ago, include: ringed plover; pochard; bar-tailed godwit; and the Greenland white-fronted goose. The five species recording the greatest increases over the period include: little egret; whooper swan; black-tailed godwit; avocet and the Greenland barnacle goose.

Ravens are not responsible for the dramatic declines in the numbers of wading birds seen in many parts of the UK uplands, according to the results of a new study by RSPB and the University of Aberdeen's Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES). The research was co-funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

Police in Dumfries & Galloway are investigating after a dead Red Kite was discovered on the A75 at Castlehill, just west of Dumfries, on the 8th January. The bird had been illegally poisoned, confirmed by independent toxicology analysis by the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture agency.

Ringed as a chick in June 2009, the Red Kite was also fitted with coloured wing tags, making it easier to identify in the field. However, these wing tags were missing from the bird’s remains.

The body was sent to the government laboratory of Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture for testing and it was confirmed that the kite had been the victim of illegal poisoning. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the bird’s death is now underway.

New survey results show the cirl bunting – one of Britain’s most threatened songbirds - is continuing its comeback from the brink of extinction.

According to the latest figures published this week, the cirl bunting population has increased by 25 per cent since 2003, reaching 862 breeding pairs in 2009. Despite this increase the species remains confined to a small area of Devon and Cornwall.

Although their range once covered large parts of southern England and they could be heard singing from the trees of Wimbledon Common, cirl bunting populations declined massively in the second half of the 20th Century with just 118 pairs remaining in 1989.

The rise in numbers follows a joint campaign by the RSPB and Natural England to help local farmers manage their land in ways that provide year-round food supplies and breeding habitat for these threatened birds.

The RSPB is backing a campaign, launched today, for a Robin Hood Tax on banking. The tax would raise billions of pounds to help people and wildlife adapt to climate change, fight poverty, and enjoy the benefits of health and education worldwide.

The tax of 0.05% on international financial transactions, also known as a Financial Transaction Tax, would raise up to $400 billion per year. The campaign has the backing of an unprecedented coalition of domestic charities, aid agencies, unions, faith organisations and green groups including Oxfam, the TUC and Barnardos.

The illegal killing of birds migrating across Malta must stop now. That’s the message the RSPB is delivering today to its million-strong membership.

The Society is urging members and the public to show their condemnation by signing a petition – forming part of an international push - that will be delivered to the Maltese authorities.

The RSPB’s plea for the cessation of illegal hunting on the islands comes just weeks before millions of birds begin passing through the Mediterranean in spring, en route to Europe after spending the winter in Africa.