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Survey hopes to unlock goldfinch mystery
goldfinch
Learning more about how birds use garden resources will help conservationists to provide for them when times are hard.

Garden songbird is becoming increasingly common
 
One of Britain's most charming songbirds is an increasingly common sight in our gardens. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is asking members of the public to help find out why.

Over the past 25 years, goldfinch numbers have risen dramatically, according to the trust's Garden Bird Feeding Survey. But the reasons for this increase are not well understood.

BTO is launching a new survey to find out if its increasing use of garden bird foods is helping the species to grow.

The trust wants to explore the importance of the type of food we put out and the plants we grow; whether goldfinches prefer nyger seed or sunflower seed.

Learning more about how birds use garden resources will help conservationists to provide for them when times are hard.

BTO is asking members of the public to spend two minutes watching goldfinches in their garden, reporting how many birds are seen and what they are eating.

The trust is also interested in how their feeding behaviour changes throughout the winter.

The goldfinch feeding survey will run from November 2015 to February 2016. To find out more visit: http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/about/background/projects/goldfinch-feeding-survey/instructions

Image © Francis C. Franklin / CC-BY-SA-3.0

 

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.