The mountains of Scotland are home to some iconic bird species. Seeing a Golden Eagle flying above a mountain ridge or spotting the striking Dotterel on a high plateau can add a little extra something to your day in the hills. But what if our birds started to disappear, and nobody noticed?The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) wants to improve monitoring and is asking for help from hillwalkers, climbers and other outdoor folk. They need volunteers to help out with their new Mountain Bird Survey. Perhaps you could help? Taking part in the survey is a great way to add another…

A new Commonwealth Forest near Loch Ness has been established as a lasting and green legacy to this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, in an initiative being launched by conservation charity Trees for Life during Legacy Week (9-13 June). Trees for Life has planted 6,500 trees in the new forest at its Dundreggan Conservation Estate in Glenmoriston – one for every athlete competing in the Games, with Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Moray MSP Richard Lochhead planting the 6,500th tree. The award-winning charity aims to expand the new forest with the support of spectators who attend the…

Scottish Energy minister Fergus Ewing has approved a new 67 turbine wind farm at Stronelairg – the largest ever proposed in the Highlands – on the Monadhliath mountains. The area had been identified as one of Scotland’s ‘Core Areas of Wild Land’ by Scottish Natural Heritage, and conservationists had hoped that the proposed new protection for such wild areas would result in rejection of the plan. Plans for another wind farm at Newfield Moor – on low moorland northeast of Lockerbie – were rejected by Mr Ewing, although this was far from wild land areas. The latter plan had seen…

Police Scotland have confirmed in a statement that the deaths of the buzzards and red kites in the Black Isle earlier this year were in fact due to banned poisons. The statement has dismissed widely-circulated rumours spread online that the investigation had found that the bird deaths connected with the RSPB’s Red Kite feeding station at Tollie. The RSPB has branded the rumours that it was responsible for the deaths “completely outrageous”. RSPB Scotland volunteer Andrea Goddard told the BBC that “these anonymous rumour-mongers seem to be attempting to muddy the waters and mislead the general public.” Mrs Goddard said…