December was, broadly speaking, an exceedingly mild, wet and windy month. The deep cold pool over Canada ramped up the jet stream, which funnelled a series of low-pressure systems, some quite potent, across the UK for the first half of the month. Along with the rain and wind came very mild air from the Azores, with Britain and western Europe seeing temperatures significantly higher than normal for the time of year. We saw 15C (59F) quite widely during the second week of December, which is 5C (9F) warmer than normal, but parts of Europe were 10C (18F) above average by day and night. Fort William, Kishorn, and Kyle in northern Scotland all recorded 17C (63F) on 9th December; it's normally about 8C (46F) this time of year. Indeed, this December is on track to be one of the warmest on record. 2025 ended on a cooler note, as high pressure moved in, with daytime maximums down at about 5C (41F) to see the year out.
I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year! May 2026 offer the right balance of productivity and peace you're hoping for. Here's to another 12 months of nature therapy.
Website news
Just a bit of a general "tidy up" on the website over the past few months owing to Christmas and a cold virus getting in the way. I hope to continue last year's theme of introducing a new species Speed Read (or upgrading an existing one) most months through 2026, as well as expanding some of the existing species' content.
News and discoveries
Toad trouble. Once a familiar and iconic part of Britain's natural world, common toads have declined dramatically, with their numbers nearly halving over the past generation, reflecting a broader and accelerating collapse in UK wildlife. Research led by the University of Cambridge, based on decades of data collected by volunteer toad patrols, found that UK toad populations fell by 41% between 1985 and 2021, with similar declines observed in Switzerland. Researchers warn that baseline populations are now far lower than in the 1980s and continue to fall, underscoring the urgency of conservation action. While the study focused on tracking trends rather than causes, likely drivers include road traffic, habitat loss, urbanisation, and declining insect prey. The findings suggest that the pressures facing toads in Britain mirror wider patterns across Europe, threatening a once common and culturally cherished species.
Red resurgence. Red squirrels have expanded their range in the Scottish Highlands by more than 25% following a decade-long reintroduction programme led by Trees for Life, with over a dozen new breeding populations now established and increasingly connected. Since 2015, the charity has relocated 259 squirrels to 13 sites where the species had disappeared, helping restore Reds to areas stretching from Ullapool and Brora to Morvern and across much of the central Highlands, with overall reintroductions since 2008 exceeding 340 animals at 16 sites. Careful, licensed translocations from healthy donor populations, strong animal welfare standards, and support from local volunteers have underpinned the project's success. The recovery offers hope for a species long threatened by habitat loss and competition from invasive grey squirrels carrying squirrel pox, and reinforces Scotland's role as the stronghold for the UK's remaining red squirrel population. Building on this progress, Trees for Life plans to further expand restoration through its new £3.6m Missing Species Programme, alongside continued woodland recovery to support long-term survival.
Media maharishi? Globally, water deer are considered a species of conservation concern because of steep declines in their native China, yet their populations appear to be thriving in both England and South Korea. In Korea, however, conservationists have recently warned that this apparent robustness may be taken for granted, particularly as government-backed bounty programmes pay farmers to shoot water deer as a form of pest control. Against this backdrop, a study published late last year found that even well-educated people may form their views of wildlife more from media portrayals than from scientific evidence, with potential consequences for future conservation. The study examined how Korean in-service biology teachers perceived urban wildlife, focusing on pigeons and water deer, through metaphor analysis. Data were collected from early-career middle and high school biology teachers participating in certification training programs, who described both animals using self-generated metaphors. Analysis identified nine metaphor categories, with negative perceptions predominating for both species. Pigeons were commonly framed as "dirty", "incompetent", or "overly common" beings, while water deer were frequently described as beings to be avoided, "bizarre", or "pitiful", largely due to concerns about traffic accidents and roadkill. Teachers' perceptions were strongly influenced by socio-cultural and media discourses rather than ecological knowledge or direct experience. These findings suggest that even biology teachers hold anthropocentric views that frame urban wildlife as nuisances, potentially shaping classroom practice. The study highlights the need for teacher education that fosters critical reflection on human–animal relationships and promotes multispecies perspectives to support coexistence in urban ecosystems.
Plastic percolation. Researchers at the University of Bonn have developed a bio-inspired washing machine filter, modelled on the gill arch system of filter-feeding fish, that can remove more than 99% of microplastic fibres from laundry wastewater. Washing machines are a major source of microplastics, releasing up to 500 grams per household each year, much of which ultimately spreads into the environment via sewage sludge used as fertilizer. Existing filters often clog or perform poorly, so the team turned to the natural crossflow filtration used by fish such as sardines and mackerel, whose funnel-shaped gill structures efficiently trap particles while remaining self-cleaning. By replicating this design and optimizing mesh size and funnel angles, the researchers created a low-cost, clog-resistant filter in which captured fibres are continuously collected and periodically removed as compacted waste. The patent-pending system, developed with the Fraunhofer Institute and published in npj Emerging Contaminants, could be integrated into future washing machines and help curb a growing pollution problem, as microplastics are increasingly linked to environmental and human health risks, having already been detected in organs including the placenta, breast milk, and brain.
For a round-up of Britain's seasonal wildlife highlights for mid-winter, including a look at bank vole behaviour and the flocking of waders, check out my Wildlife Watching - January blog. As mentioned last month, the pannage season (also known as the Common of Mast), where pigs are turned out onto the New Forest to eat the acorns, comes to an end this month. Learn more about this ancient tradition here.