Read my blog on The reintroduction of beavers to Wales here.

markwarnes-photography.co.uk/beaver-reintroduction-wales/

© Copyright 2017 Mark Warnes Photography All rights reserved. This image is not free for use www.markwarnes -photography.com

Tee shirt..

Here is a wonderful quote from the back of David Attenborough's new (2020) book:

"A Life on Our Planet; my witness statement and a vision for the future":

To restore stability to our planet, therefore, we must restore its biodiversity, the very thing we have removed. It is the only way out of this crisis that we ourselves have created. We must rewild the world."

Oostvardersplassen, rewilding natural reserve

Over the years our garden has been transformed into a wild place. Wild flowers, orchids, fungi, birds, hedgehogs, squirrels, insects and butterflies. In the woodland area we have seen many fungi appearing this year from the leaf litter and logs left to decay, oops, first drops of rain, time for a cuppa....

A pair of native Sessile Oak trees, a remnant of the ancient forest that once covered much of upland Galloway. There are a few Caledonian Pines, around here, too, and there is work ongoing to rewild some parts of this stunning forest.

Quite often I have come across competing females during the breeding season, such as I encountered in Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on a fine spring day just after dawn.

Here, two females are having a aerial battle as a male sits below and watches. No feathers were lost but the acrobatics of these slim structures female Montagu's Harriers was like pure poetry in motion. Beautiful memories last forever.

The Montagu's Harrier is a migratory bird of prey. Adult males are characterised by their overall pale grey plumage contrasting with black wingtips. Adult females have mostly pale yellow-brown underparts, the belly with longitudinal stripes and spotted wing coverts. The upper-parts are uniform dark brown except for the white upper tail coverts ("rump"), and the sightly paler central wing coverts. The juvenile birds resemble the females, but their belly and underwing coverts are not spotted, but uniformly red-brown in colour.

Montagu's Harriers breed in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Birds from Eurasia spend the winter in sub-Saharan Africa, while those from the eastern part of the range migrate to the Indian subcontinent. In Europe, they travel over a broad front, crossing the Mediterranean at various points, and only a small number are observed at migration choke points. Western birds don't go further south than the gulf of Guinea, but some eastern birds travel as far as South Africa. Montagu's Harriers nest mostly in broad river valleys, plains, and levels bordering lakes and the sea. They can breed in wetlands and also utilise heaths, dunes, moors, and can be found in the steppe. They adapt to shrub-lands in gorse or heather and to areas planted with young conifers. When no other suitable habitat is available these birds will nest in agricultural farmlands. For breeding, Montagu's Harriers require a large open area, with sufficiently tall ground vegetation.

Montagu's Harriers can be both solitary and gregarious at times, both during the breeding season and in winter quarters. They are diurnal and hunt by day. As these birds have a wide distribution, they will take whatever prey is available in the area where they are. Prey is caught while flying along fixed routes at low heights and constant low speeds. Their flight is considered lighter and more dexterous than other harriers enabling them to take more agile prey. When possible Montagu's Harriers often follow the edges of various vegetation to catch their prey by surprise. This is taken after a short stoop, though fast running animals and flying birds can be chased over a short distance. Montagu’s Harriers are generally silent birds, but during the breeding season and near the nests, they become noisy.

Montagu's Harriers are carnivores. They feed mainly on small rodents, small birds, bird eggs, reptiles (including small snakes) and large insects like Dragonflies and Damselflies.

The main threats to Montagu's Harriers include the massive use of agricultural pesticides such as DDT and other environmental poisons, as well as rarefying their prey, in particular large insects. The modification of agricultural practices, with an evolution towards more intensive farming, also puts pressure on Montagu's Harriers; many nests are destroyed by harvesting machines because the harvesting of crop fields is done during the breeding season. In some countries, Montagu's Harriers are still illegally killed during migration.

Przewalski's horse, also called the takhi, Mongolian wild horse or Dzungarian horse, is a rare and endangered wild horse originally native to the steppes of Central Asia.

Part of the rewinding europe project.

rewildingeurope.com/rewilding-in-action/wildlife-comeback...

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created in Nightcafe for a nightcafe challenge on wild life

Fluffy fallow fawn for a rainy day, taken at Bradgate Park, the legs aren't important are they. For Maria ( aka rockwolf ) who liked it as an extra picture, one of the first people I met on flickr and an absolute star : )

I'm reading this amazing book by George Monbiot called Feral about so-called ' rewilding ' ( I know it sounds a bit like those stupid words like ' imagineering ' or something ! ), he explains the idea in this little video ( sorry about the adverts.... )

www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/video/2013/may/30/re...

Mindblowing to think many of our native trees are so tough and resilient because in the past they had to survive grazing by elephants !

Acrylic & pencil on paper. From sketchbook.

First printed in The Fourth River, US, later in Rewilding Earth.

Prints available.

tasmania.com/things-to-do/hiking-walking/south-coast-track/

SOUTH COAST TRACK

Summon up a map of Tasmania and take a good look. You'll find Hobart in the southeast with plenty of roads leading north to Launceston and Devonport. Then take your eye down to the southwest of the island to see a large swath of green. Look closer. There are no roads, no towns and only one tiny port on the southwest tip of the island. You're marvelling at Southwest National Park and all of its wild glory. You'll find the South Coast Track along its southern edge.

Spanning 85 kilometres from Melaleuca to Cockle Creek, this walk takes 6 to 8 days to complete. It meanders through some of the wildest lands on planet Earth, and, because of this wildness, it is recommended that you gain experience on some of Tasmania's other difficult walks before challenging yourself on the South Coast Track. The Overland Track in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park serves as a good warmup.

While there is a rugged road to Cockle Creek, there are no roads to Melaleuca. The small encampment on the southwest side of Southwest National Park has a small airstrip and Port Davey for the landing of boats. You can only fly, boat or walk your way out of Melaleuca. Boats and planes can be arranged in the west coast town of Strahan.

The South Coast Track by Season

It is advisable to take the track during the summer months. It is warmer between September and March but you are at risk of high winds, cold temperatures and a deluge of rain at any time of year. And while it is possible to complete the track alone or during winter, it is highly inadvisable to complete the track alone in winter. After all, you're a long ways from help if you need it. Always hike in groups of 6 or less.

Here is a wonderful quote from the back of David Attenborough's new (2020) book:

To restore stability to our planet, therefore, we must restore its biodiversity, the very thing we have removed. It is the only way out of this crisis that we ourselves have created. We must rewild the world."

Scottish wildcat kittens-Felis silvestris silvestris at play. Uk

Sometimes in life whilst turning a corner, and on this occasion on the lookout for a animal, a much different and a very unexpected one altogether stands before you (and luckily behind a very strong 5 bar gate!) I managed a few bursts and continued on around the corner that I should have taken!! So…. it set me off when I got home to find out more about what I had seen as I had never heard of them nor had I ever met them: “Heck Cattle!! —- and by heck!! they were certainly big”! So here is the Fascinating history (it was for me - so I hope I don’t bore you!) of the Heck Herd!!

The aurochs is the ancestor of all cattle and thereby a most important animal in the history of mankind. It is also a keystone species for many European ecosystems, but was hunted to its extinction in 1627. They have not been in Britain since the Iron Age more than 2000 years ago. The only real reason why the aurochs disappeared was because man hunted it to extinction. First for meat, but when man later brought in domestic cattle, it was also an intentional extermination because of grazing competition from the aurochs.

However, its DNA is still alive, but distributed among a number of the ancient original cattle breeds. “The Tauros Programme” 2009 aims to bring back the aurochs as a functional wild animal, by back-breeding the closest relatives of the original aurochs. In order to graze the landscapes of Europe to help maintain biodiversity. The final goal of the programme, to be met in some 20 years, is the presence of the Tauros as a self-sufficient wild bovine grazer in herds of at least 150 animals each in several rewilding areas in Europe.

The Heck Cattle were the forerunners of the Tauros Programme initiated in the 1930’s by the German Heck brothers who independently cross bred auroch genetically linked cattle.

There is only one Heck herd in Britain and is owned by the conservationist Derek Gow who initially imported the herd from Europe consisting of 4 bulls and 9 cows. They bred successfully and the herd grew to 20. However, the unpredictable and very aggressive aspect in their genes caused the herd to endanger staff and all but a few cattle tried to kill anyone entering their environment. Therefore culling of the most aggressive and dangerous members of the herd was done. Since then the herd is growing again and although not domesticated is manageable.

(My words - a précis of the sourced material/information found on the internet)

A Youtube link:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=28wUB3kgWoA

Aurochs were immortalised in prehistoric cave paintings and admired for their brute strength and "elephantine" size by Julius Caesar.

Aurochs are also depicted in ochre and charcoal in paintings found on the walls of cave galleries such as those at Lascaux in France Photo: ALAMY

The lily flower family has usually has 6 petals, just like the flower shown here. My big discovery this year was a flower with 8 petals, instead of 6 within the Darts Hill Erythronium population.

I think there may be more than just the one flower because I went back and discovered a few more seed heads with four compartments instead of three. I have planted these seeds but have a bit of a wait to see if the 8 petal trait is passed on through the genetics. I intent to create large floral portrait of Erythronium revolutum with 8 petals, based on one that I find next spring. Once you drill down and really start looking at this plant – it is pretty wonderful.

I think my reaction is similar to the way that some gardeners celebrate the differences within snowdrops. I like snowdrops well enough but find watching the crazy love over the different varieties almost as entertaining as seeing the different forms. Such small differences, but if that is your thing – it is a big deal. Anyway – my big deal - 8 petals instead of 6. It’s worth a giant flower portrait IMO.

Blessings for our ways forward, in 2017 and always.

To being kinder to ourselves and others. To rewilding our souls. To dreaming big and working them into existence. To health, healing, forgiveness (for ourselves and others) and growth, and to navigating the changes that any one of those things will bring us with as much grace as we can muster.

Be well friends.

Knepp, West Sussex, England // July 2025

5472px x 3648px

Ref: W0054

wildlife.gavtroon.com

I've tried to make a collection of images from the National Trust Dyffryn Gardens round the corner from my house. I wanted to remind people about the beautiful gardens with all this colour . It needs recording before the people managing this wonderful House and Gardens becomes totally a vision of their "Rewilding" of one of the nicest gardens you can view.

Enjoy it while you can.

Persuaded Cardiff Council to leave an area of a nearby green space unman, to allow wild flowers to thrive and encourage butterflies

Knepp Wildland Project ...

Small, dark butterflies fidgeting around the canopy of mature oak trees are most likely to be Purple Hairstreaks. The Purple Hairstreak is the only British butterfly that is reliant solely on oak to complete its life cycle.

The adult is fond of honeydew produced by aphids high up in the trees, and not often attracted to flowers, so rarely descends to ground level, as seen here.

Knepp is a 3,500 acre estate just south of Horsham, West Sussex. Since 2001, the land – once intensively farmed - has been devoted to a pioneering rewilding project. Using grazing animals as the drivers of habitat creation, and with the restoration of dynamic, natural water courses, the project has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife. Extremely rare species like turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons and purple emperor butterflies are now breeding here; and populations of more common species are rocketing.

The vision of the Knepp Wildland Project is radically different to conventional nature conservation in that it is not driven by specific goals or target species. Instead, its driving principle is to establish a functioning ecosystem where nature is given as much freedom as possible. The aim is to show how a ‘process-led’ approach can be a highly effective, low-cost method of ecological restoration - suitable for failing or abandoned farmland - that can work to support established nature reserves and wildlife sites, helping to provide the webbing that will one day connect them together on a landscape scale.

knepp.co.uk/home

Knepp Wildland Project ...

Knepp is a 3,500 acre estate just south of Horsham, West Sussex. Since 2001, the land – once intensively farmed - has been devoted to a pioneering rewilding project. Using grazing animals as the drivers of habitat creation, and with the restoration of dynamic, natural water courses, the project has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife. Extremely rare species like turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons and purple emperor butterflies are now breeding here; and populations of more common species are rocketing.

The vision of the Knepp Wildland Project is radically different to conventional nature conservation in that it is not driven by specific goals or target species. Instead, its driving principle is to establish a functioning ecosystem where nature is given as much freedom as possible. The aim is to show how a ‘process-led’ approach can be a highly effective, low-cost method of ecological restoration - suitable for failing or abandoned farmland - that can work to support established nature reserves and wildlife sites, helping to provide the webbing that will one day connect them together on a landscape scale.

knepp.co.uk/home

Harvest mouse, Micromys minutus. 28 April 2024. Perivale Wood Local Nature Reserve, Ealing, London, England, UK.

The photograph is of a release of 140 harvest mice by Ealing Wildlife Group into newly restored habitat as part of a bigger rewilding project. The last record of a harvest mouse in Ealing was in Perivale Wood in 1979, 45 years ago, at the location of this reintroduction. This is the fifth local site where habitat has been restored and 1,800 harvest mice have been released in those places. Site surveys indicate that colonies have established with breeding evidence. They are doing well. The harvest mice are bred in carefully controlled conditions where their welfare is of the utmost priority. Breeding programmes are shared with partner organisations to ensure that inbreeding does not occur and new genes are introduced.

Please contact me to arrange the use of any of my images. They are copyright, all rights reserved.

Two of the Poppy fields on a large (4000 acres) local estate this morning. Estate is going through an interesting period. they have just started rewilding roughly one third of the land with the rest given over to regenerative agriculture with minimum use of chemicals.the poppy fields will be part of that system & there are other fields with poppy's in. the rewilding side has already introduced a trial Beaver pair to a 50 acre enclosure

Since 1966, a remarkable process has been underway in the center of Heerenveen-Midden along Europalaan and President Kennedylaan. In this kilometer-long and 20-meter-wide green space, people, plants, and animals collaborate without any one dominating. It is a place where space is given time, and time is given space.

It is an eco-cathedral, based on the idea of Louis Le Roy (1924-2012). Le Roy advocated that every place in the Netherlands should designate 1% of its territory as an eco-cathedral. This doesn't necessarily have to involve stones, but it should be a place where people, plants, and animals collaborate endlessly. Without a fixed plan, without an end goal, and with free energy (volunteers). Today, you could call it a 'rewilding' project, although people still play a significant role in eco-cathedrals. In 2005, a declaration of intent was signed by the Municipality of Heerenveen and the TIJD Foundation, granting the TIJD Foundation 100-year management of the green space. The municipality's role is limited to maintaining the area's safety by removing dead branches. A master architect has been appointed to ensure the area develops as an eco-cathedral.

As mentioned, all these recent wildlife photos were taken a photography experience day at Wildwood rewilding centre in Kent. During the day the animals we could photograph was very much down to the animals - quite a few were having their naps or just wanted to be otherwhere in their enclosures, so we couldn't see them, including the Lynx.

Once the official course bit was over the part was still open for another hour or so, and out of the eight or so of us I was the only one who stayed on to take more photos. The reward was that many of the animals we'd missed that morning were now out, including the Eurasian Lynx here, who is currently paying attention to the park staff approaching with food.

It's not the most interesting composition, but I like the detail of the fur and the attentive look.

Luttre.

We lost about half the field maples I planted in the storms in late winter, and I do mean "lost", their wee protectors got blown off and I couldn't find the saplings sticking out the ground - sticks in a field of sticks! So today I topped up with 5 hornbeams!

I want a couple of real wet conditions specialists next, willow or something perhaps, to soak up some manky wet ground. Them some hazel and rowan to form a lower hight periphery before moving on to some gorse and juniper to dot around the field. We may use some more hazel and rowan along with the shrubby stuff further up the field too once work is complete on site and I will then sow the remaining grassland with meadow flowers.

We may only have a couple of acres to rewild, but it rewilded it will be. Kinda.

This is maybe not that impressing - a Dxanish jungle, but a trip to Mols Bjerge in Syddjurs (south Djurs, Jutland, Danmark) had some incredible nature experiences for me. Arriving early, just before sunset at 5:24 AM and got up two hours earlier seeing the process of a new world arise on my own.

This state of mind was a long me while strolling around the nature parks here. Danmark is the most agricultural land in Europe, so not many places like this where nature is untouched.

This house near me has a beautiful wildflower front garden. I often stop and watch the bees.

The Lesser Kestrel colony at the Hotel El Palomar de La Breña, Barbate, Cadiz, Spain.

Some Facts about Kestrels.

1. In medieval falconry the kestrel was reserved for the knave, reflecting its lowly status.

2. Country kestrels feed almost exclusively on small rodents (particularly voles), but those living in towns will take sparrows instead.

3. Though rodents may be the principal diet, they will also take a wide variety of other prey, including lizards, earthworms, large insects and even bats.

4. Vole numbers affect kestrel numbers: in good vole years more young kestrels are fledged.

5. Kestrels have remarkably keen eyesight even in extremely poor light, allowing them to hunt almost until dark.

6. Kestrels hunt from static perches and by hovering: the latter is far more productive, but uses lots of energy, which is why they hunt mainly from perches during the winter.

7. Hovering gives the kestrel its country name of windhover.

8. Kestrels aren’t as big as they look. An adult weighs on average a mere 220gm, less than half the weight of a red-legged partridge.

9. Our kestrel is one of a large group of similar species, found throughout much of the world, but it has the largest range, breeding through much of Europe, Africa and Asia.

10. Kestrels are Britain’s most widely distributed bird of prey, breeding throughout the mainland and on many offshore islands.

11. Kestrels rarely breed on Shetland: the most recent record was in 1905.

12. Their absence from Shetland may be explained by the absence of voles there.

13. Until recently kestrels were also our most numerous bird of prey, but the buzzard has taken over the No 1 slot.

14. Breeding kestrels like to use old crows’ nests, but they will also use holes in trees, nest boxes and cliff ledges.

15. Most kestrel nest failures occur during incubation; if eggs hatch, then it is most likely that some of the young will fledge.

16. Though not a colonial species, in years when there is an abundance of voles they will sometimes nest within a few metres of each other.

17. The lesser kestrel, which breeds in southern and eastern Europe, is a strictly colonial nester, often found in large colonies.

18. The world’s rarest species of kestrel lives on Mauritius, where it has come perilously close to extinction. There were just eight birds left in the wild 30 years ago, but the number is now close to 1,000.

19. Kestrels have been seen to rob sparrowhawks and both barn and short-eared owls of their prey.

20. The major cause of death among young kestrels is starvation: only 30-40% survive their first year.

21. The film Kes, about a young working-class boy training a kestrel, was made in 1969 but is still regarded as a classic.

... at least, it feels that way.

Here is a link to my most recent publication on the value of the American mustang: aboutplacejournal.org/issues/rewilding/restoration-and-he...

Sheffield Park

In the hills of South Djurs, Mols (Jutland, Denmark) an rewilding project has set these horses free. They have to survive on the premise of nature.

This has risen a great deal of debat on animal rights whether these animals suffer; starvation or to die of thirst.

If you can read Danish, this article, called "Horse war", is written concerning the feelings involved to this project may be intersting; www.altinget.dk/kultur/artikel/hestekrigen

...

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Sunday, just like a spring day and time to build the "Bug Hotel" from broken palettes, old fence slats and some wood found in the garage. The re-wilding process continues. All the trees have been planted including silver birch, rowan and field maple, the site dug over and ready for planting out next month with woodland wild plants including fox gloves, spurge, primroses and some Common Spotted Orchids to go with the Man Orchids already here. Bird boxes have been placed in the mature trees, in the ivy on the fences for blue tit's, wrens and robins and the wild life pond has been cleared out of the autumn leaves and restocked with oxygenators. The "Bug Hotel" was nearly finished just let down by the non arrival of the roofing materials so we can make the living roof. The "Rooms" are starting to be decorated, so far brocken crocks for the spiders, drilled logs and a small collection of bamboo canes. Over the next few weeks durring Phoebe's and my walks we will collect stuff, like pine cones, willow sticks and the like to fill each room and hopefully all will be finished ready for the guests to arrive.....

We spent Lee's birthday this year at Knepp Farm in Sussex, which has been very successful at rewilding the countryside. One of the results is a large population of purple emperor butterflies, one of the largest species in the UK

Our back garden looking green after the rewilding process continues. The wild grass area under the apple trees has come along nicely as has the Insect Hotel starting to be filled. We have a wren nesting in the Ivy wall and Blue tits have moved into our bird box on the large Field Maple. Next are the wild woodland flowers which are being delivered next week including Foxgloves, Cow Parsley, Enchanters Nightshade, Lilly of the Valley and Honeysuckle along with a couple of big logs for mushroom inpregnating. So coming along nicely......

Since 1966, a remarkable process has been underway in the center of Heerenveen-Midden along Europalaan and President Kennedylaan. In this kilometer-long and 20-meter-wide green space, people, plants, and animals collaborate without any one dominating. It is a place where space is given time, and time is given space.

It is an eco-cathedral, based on the idea of Louis Le Roy (1924-2012). Le Roy advocated that every place in the Netherlands should designate 1% of its territory as an eco-cathedral. This doesn't necessarily have to involve stones, but it should be a place where people, plants, and animals collaborate endlessly. Without a fixed plan, without an end goal, and with free energy (volunteers). Today, you could call it a 'rewilding' project, although people still play a significant role in eco-cathedrals. In 2005, a declaration of intent was signed by the Municipality of Heerenveen and the TIJD Foundation, granting the TIJD Foundation 100-year management of the green space. The municipality's role is limited to maintaining the area's safety by removing dead branches. A master architect has been appointed to ensure the area develops as an eco-cathedral.

Harvest mouse, Micromys minutus. 28 April 2024. Perivale Wood Local Nature Reserve, Ealing, London, England, UK.

The photograph is of a release of 140 harvest mice by Ealing Wildlife Group into newly restored habitat as part of a bigger rewilding project. The last record of a harvest mouse in Ealing was in Perivale Wood in 1979, 45 years ago, at the location of this reintroduction. This is the fifth local site where habitat has been restored and 1,800 harvest mice have been released in those places. Site surveys indicate that colonies have established with breeding evidence. They are doing well. The harvest mice are bred in carefully controlled conditions where their welfare is of the utmost priority. Breeding programmes are shared with partner organisations to ensure that inbreeding does not occur and new genes are introduced.

Please contact me to arrange the use of any of my images. They are copyright, all rights reserved.