UK Wildlife News: Stories and Photo Projects 13th July 2025
Every week, new threads in the story of British wildlife emerge. Some hopeful, others sobering. As photographers and nature-lovers, we’re not just witnesses; we’re interpreters. With a lens, a notebook, or a quiet moment in a hide, we can translate ecological shifts into something tangible.
This week, three headlines stood out:
A national ban on lead ammunition to protect birds and ecosystems
A worrying decline in ancient woodland regeneration
A striking elephant hawk-moth sighting, hinting at climate shifts
These stories come from very different corners of the UK landscape, but each offers a meaningful opportunity for visual storytelling. Below, I’ll unpack each one—and explore how you might turn them into compelling, ethical photography projects of your own.
1. 🔫 A Lead Ammunition Ban to Save Birds
From 2026, the UK will begin phasing out lead shot and bullets for most hunting and shooting. This follows decades of pressure from conservationists, with organisations like the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) citing over 100,000 waterbird deaths per year from lead poisoning. Ducks, geese, swans, and even raptors suffer when lead enters the food chain—either by ingestion or through scavenging.
The ban is a long-awaited win, but not without friction. Some shooting organisations have expressed concern over supply chains and cost, while others feel the timeline is too short. But for wildlife, it’s a step toward cleaner habitats and safer feeding grounds.
📷 Photography Project:
“Wings Worth Saving”
This story offers the perfect prompt for a wetland bird conservation project. Instead of photographing the issue directly (which can be tricky), focus on celebrating the species most affected:
Mute swans, mallards, wigeon, teal, curlew, lapwing, and whooper swans
Birds that rely on estuaries, marshes, salt flats and flooded fields
🎯 Techniques & Approach:
Gear: 400mm–600mm lens; bean bag or gimbal head for stability in hides or ground-level setups
Settings: Shutter speed of 1/1600s+ to freeze flight, aperture f/5.6–f/8 for feather detail
Tips:
Photograph birds feeding or interacting in low light to avoid harsh reflections
Pair images with context: shots showing mixed flocks in protected areas like WWT sites
Use wide-angle landscapes at dawn to contrast fragility and resilience
2. 🌳 Ancient Woodlands Are Failing to Regenerate
In a report published last week, researchers revealed that tree sapling survival rates in the UK’s ancient woodlands have dropped from 41% (pre-2000) to just 16% today. In places like the New Forest, not a single sapling has survived to maturity in over a decade.
This collapse is linked to a toxic combination of heatwaves, drought, imported diseases (like ash dieback), and overgrazing by deer. With climate change compounding stressors, experts are trialling “genetic seed bootcamps”—breeding more resilient saplings for future planting.
📷 Photography Project:
“Forest Without Heirs”
This story lends itself to a slow, observational photo project set in your local or favourite ancient woodland. The aim? Document the tension between age and renewal.
Look for:
Majestic old trees surrounded by bare understorey
Tree guards, replanting attempts, or saplings fenced from deer
Signs of disease, such as ash dieback or beech bark fungus
Morning mist or golden light to add mood and melancholy
🎯 Techniques & Approach:
Gear: Wide-angle (16–35mm) for forest structure; 70–200mm to isolate saplings, bark textures, or human intervention
Settings: Aperture f/4–f/8; tripod recommended for low light conditions under canopy
Tips:
Visit in different seasons to show how slow change unfolds
Include people if possible—volunteers, foresters, or deer in the background
Use storytelling captions to connect your viewer to the unseen threat
3. 🪰 Pink Moth in a Garden Trap
Last week, a garden moth trap in Thirsk caught an elephant hawk-moth—a stunning creature with iridescent pink-and-gold wings and a fat, furry thorax. While not unheard of, its appearance this far north during a humid spell highlights how changing night temperatures are affecting insect life.
Elephant hawk-moths are one of the more charismatic moth species—active from May to August, often feeding on honeysuckle and rosebay willowherb at dusk. Their growing range is part of a wider pattern: some species are booming while others struggle as seasonal norms shift.
📷 Photography Project:
“Night Wings”
Insects are often overlooked in wildlife photography—but they offer extraordinary opportunities for creativity and experimentation.
This project could focus on:
Backyard moth trapping with ethical release practices
Pollinators and their flowers under low light
Colour, structure and wing symmetry of night-flying insects
🎯 Techniques & Approach:
Gear: Macro lens (90–105mm) or a telephoto with extension tubes
Settings: f/8–f/11 for depth, ISO 400–1600 depending on light
Lighting: Use a ring flash or handheld diffuser for controlled light without overexposing delicate scales
Tips:
Shoot early morning if moths are still resting
Use a small mirror to reflect catchlight into the eye
Backgrounds matter—aim for subtle contrasts with soft plants or neutral tones
🎯 Putting It All Together
These three stories span different ecosystems—wetlands, woodlands, and gardens—but they’re linked by a shared thread: shifting baselines and changing expectations.
As photographers, we can do more than take beautiful images. We can:
Bear witness to change
Tell nuanced, hopeful stories
Encourage action through empathy, not shock
Whether you spend this week in a reedbed, beneath an oak canopy, or crouched next to a garden moth trap, know that your images carry meaning. They give shape to abstract trends, faces to forgotten species, and a voice to those that can’t speak for themselves.
📸 Challenge for You
Try turning one of these headlines into a photo story of your own. Post it to Instagram or Facebook, tag @the.wildlifenomad, and use the hashtag #StoryBehindTheShot. I’d love to see what you create, and maybe feature your work in an upcoming article or email.
Thanks for reading, and for putting your camera to use for something wild and worthwhile.
Until next time,
Craig
The Wildlife Nomad