JANUARY 2012
contents
WILD
British wildlife to enjoy this month
6 SPECIES & HABITATS Ghostly barn owls, diminutive deer and reedbed birdlife. Plus a spotter’s guide to winter woods. 13 YOUR LOCAL PATCH Listen for courting foxes and search for springtails. 15 THINGS TO DO Start your own nature diary, organise a New Year’s Day birdwatch for family and friends, and plant native trees to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
52 WILD THINGS
TO DO IN 2012
AGENDA
News, conservation & analysis
36 Rhino hunting, oil spills, and how deer impact on our woodland birds. Plus Mark Carwardine on the terrible toll of tuna fishing.
W2
Essential information & expert advice
83 TV PLUS We preview Madagascar, Lemurs and Spies, and Nalla Muthu shares the highs and lows of filming a tiger translocation. 85 BOOKS January’s top reads, and Gordon
Buchanan reveals his favourite book. 89 Q&A Your questions answered, plus the latest discoveries and fascinating facts. 95 PHOTO MASTERCLASS
WORK ON A PROJECT Top wildlife photographers show why creating a portfolio on a subject will pay dividends.
REGULARS
17 RICHARD MABEY
A BRUSH WITH NATURE In 2012 we need to grasp the nettle and find new ways of defending the UK’s wildlife. 19 BILL ODDIE WILD AT HEART
A lament for Britain’s… sewage farms. 34 SUBSCRIBE Be sure not to miss out! 101 YOUR LETTERS 107 YOUR PHOTOS 110 CROSSWORD 122 MYWILD LIFE NATALIE HOLT
One of the RSPB’s youngest wardens chats about beards, bumblebees and chainsaws.
4 BBC Wildlife
60 WINTER Enjoy a white Christmas – get close to mountain hares and ptarmigan in their winter coats.
58 AUTUMN A bird in the hand… watch a bird-ringing demonstration.
50 SUMMER BBC film-maker Gordon Buchanan shares his love for the Cairngorms.
January 2012