Save the Date: 6 – 22 February 2026 The national annual census of farmland birds, run by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and supported by NFU Scotland, is returning in February next year and has moved to a new digital platform making it even easier than… Read More »Big Farmland Bird Count 2026: New digital platform makes counting easier
By Felix Meister, D.Phil., Advisor Scotland 10 December marks the official end of the grouse-shooting season in the UK. Thus, it provides an excellent opportunity to update on the results of the health testing in red grouse carried out by… Read More »Red grouse health testing 2025
One aim of the PepsiCo FAB project is to enhance communication between project participants. Over the course of the project, this has been done in a number of ways including regular updates, building relationships and providing project-related training events. One… Read More »PepsiCo FAB farm delivering for nature
By Felix Meister, D.Phil., Advisor Scotland Today (1 October 2025) marks the beginning of the 2025/26 muirburn season in Scotland. This season will be a special one, as many of the new provisions of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland)… Read More »The 2025/26 Muirburn Season
In July and August, GWCT staff and their pointing dogs revisited study sites across the North of England and Scotland to count red grouse. After the pair counts in the spring, which aim to determine the number of breeding pairs,… Read More »Red Grouse Brood Counts 2025
By Felix Meister, D.Phil., Advisor Scotland The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 introduced Muirburn Licences as a new legal requirement for making muirburn in Scotland. The new licensing scheme was expected to come into effect ahead of the… Read More »Muirburn Licences: Important Update
By Felix Meister, D.Phil., Advisor Scotland The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 introduced the Wildlife Trap Licence as a new legal requirement for operating spring traps and corvid traps in Scotland. The Act makes it a prerequisite for… Read More »Wildlife Trap Licence: Important Update
By Felix Meister, D.Phil., Advisor Scotland In March and early April, GWCT staff commenced the 2025 red grouse monitoring season by carrying out pair counts across Scotland. Pair counts aim to determine the number of pairs going into the breeding… Read More »Red grouse pair count results: Visible effects of poor 2024 breeding season
Written by Fiona Torrance, Farmland Biodiversity Advisor As spring crops are drilled and lambs frolic amongst the grass, many land managers across Scotland are enduring their busiest time of year. Once this period is over, some may wish to consider… Read More »Scottish Government funding available for GWCT Biodiversity Assessments
Written By Laura Williamson, Ecologist & Assistant Advisor It is no secret that traditional land management practices face unprecedented pressure in today’s political climate. Likewise, it is widely known that bird populations face exceptional pressures, with some suggesting that more… Read More »Where Birds Thrive: The power of surveys & best practice land management