As the weather gets steadily colder, and the turtle doves that breed in the UK are all heading back south for warmer climes, Les Bunyan tells us about his summer spent photographing these fantastic birds, and his hopes that they return next year. “I’m lucky enough to be a volunteer at Titchwell and can be […]
Continue readingTurtle Dove Talk
Turtle Dove Supplementary Feeding
Dr Tony Morris, Senior Conservation Scientist, and Laura Wright, Research Assistant with the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, tell us about the research they’ve been doing on supplementary feeding for turtle doves. Why do we need to do anything? Between 1995 and 2004 the number of breeding turtle doves in the UK fell by […]
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Jonny Rankin’s Dove Step date with Angela & RSPB scientists
On the 14th July I spent a day in the field with RSPB scientists tracking a satellite tagged Turtle Dove 161002, also known as Angela. Angela was one of ten Turtle Doves satellite tagged in 2016, but the only one still transmitting by the summer of 2017. Bird 161005, named Lawford, after its favoured village […]
Continue readingFlying Start – new hope for the Turtle dove
Joscelyne Ashpole from RSPB explains why there is new hope for the turtle dove across its migratory flyways. In ancient Greek mythology, the European Turtle-dove Streptopelia turtur was purported to be sacred to Demeter, goddess of the harvest and agriculture. As a species of cultivated areas and woodland, the Turtle-dove would have been a familiar farmland sight […]
Continue readingSussex farmer supporting turtle doves
Laurinda Luffman, RSPB chair of a migrant bird fundraising group, talks about a recent visit with farmer John Ford, to see his work to support turtle doves in Sussex Most of my days are office-based at the RSPB headquarters in Sandy, so it’s always a treat to be able to visit projects and meet the […]
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Gloves for Doves!
An exciting new partnership with Shropshire-based clothing company Turtle Doves will turn pre-loved cashmere jumpers into donations for Operation Turtle Dove. The company specialises in turning pre-loved cashmere jumpers into beautiful new garments and accessories. As part of this partnership, for every old cashmere jumper Turtle Doves receives, they’ll donate £5 to help turtle doves! […]
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Turtle doves helped by Wensum farming group
Chrissie Kelley, Head of Species Management at Pensthorpe Conservation Trust in Norfolk talks about turtle doves, farms and people… Spending time on a farm is always a pleasure but on a warm clear spring day, with a group of farmers who are really keen to make a difference, it was a privilege. The farmers are […]
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Lawford the turtle dove returns home
Dr John Mallord, Senior Conservation Scientist for the RSPB, has some great news about Lawford, one of the satellite tagged turtle doves… With all the cold weather we have been experiencing in the last two weeks, you’d be forgiven for believing that we are stuck in an extended winter. Yet the evidence is there that […]
Continue readingA letter from Gordon
Gordon is one of the RSPB’s satellite tagged turtle doves and he has been telling the readers of the children’s nature magazine Eco Kids Planet about the long journey he is preparing for, back to the UK from his winter home in Africa, and the plight faced by him and his fellow turtle doves… As Gordon […]
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All For The Love of a Dove
Thank you to Robert Yaxley for this update on the Dove Step 3 Challenge from Spain… As you read this, Jonny Rankin and myself with the help of support drivers Sven Wair and Malcolm Fairley will be halfway through a monumental physical walking challenge. The march from Tarifa to Gijon, crossing mainland Spain from south […]
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