CONTENTS
April 2017
SPECIAL OFFER
SAVE
WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE
SEE P28
76
How volunteers at a sanctuary are rearing and returning orphan wombats to the wild
Wild
6 Great crested grebes
A glorious courtship display that should not be missed 8 April highlights
Migrating toads, soaring buzzards, blooming primroses and boxing hares 11 Hidden Britain
Nick Baker’s new column celebrates lampreys 12 Wild events
Visit Foulshaw Moss to see ospreys. Plus attend a talk on turtle dove conservation 14 Latest science research
A species that has been named after Barack Obama and a male spider that helps protect its young
Features
20 Fish hunter
Why cormorants are loved and hated equally 30
Oil spill! 50 years after the To r r e y Canyon shipwreck 36 Dolphins on the hunt
Ingenious mud-ring feeding technique
11
Why April is a peak month for seeing lampreys
38 British spring
What is happening to our seasons? 46 Wild Welsh holiday
Visit Wales in May to see puffins and grey seals 60 Avian curiosity
Meet the strange shoebill 68 The real Gerald Durrell
Inspiring new generations 76 Wombat hosp i t a l
Endearing images of cute marsupials being rescued 112 Best UK wildlife images
Enter the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2017
Agenda
47 Alarm call over curlews
The species may be wiped out in Southern England 48 Threat to hedgehogs
New trap could cause harm 49 Beyond the headlines
The truth behind turtle hatchlings in Barbados 50 Conservation insight
Changes to farm practices have caused kestrel decline 53 Mark Carwardine
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 54 Animal odd couples
Why do disparate species develop unlikely relationships?
4 BBC Wildlife
April 2017
