Join us for this month’s episode of Nature Newscast, the third in our monthly round-ups of nature and wildlife news, where the theme is the arrival of Autumn. Presenter Ajay Tegala interviews Jonathan Revett, the author of a new book about a very special group of fungi, British Earthstars.
Ajay also gets to meet the remarkable polar explorer and Northumberland Wildlife Trust president Conrad Dickinson, who has just won the British Photographer of the Year Conservation Award for his series of images depicting the persecution of Hen Harriers in England, and the conservation efforts to save them.
And finally, Ajay has a fascinating conversation with one of the newest rangers at the National Trust’s Wicken Fen nature reserve, Anna Feeney, where she has been conducting surveys on Hen Harriers and spotting Bitterns and Bearded Tits among the reeds in this outstanding reserve.
Ajay talks to Jonathan Revett, fungi expert and the author of a new book – British Earthstars – which chronicles the 19 species of this rare fungus found in the UK. He describes the important role of fungi in the ecosystem of forests and wet woodland.
He explains that most are short-lived, just a few days, and advises that we can enjoy them, photograph them, but never eat them, illustrating his point with the Panther Cap mushroom, a close relative of the Death Cap mushroom, which can kill in a matter of hours!
Northumberland Wildlife Trust President Conrad Dickinson has been volunteering with the RSPB for ten years, and as a result he was invited to join the licensed team ringing and satellite tagging young Hen Harriers and photograph the process.
He tells Ajay of his lifelong passion for raptors and owls. “My parents took me to RSPB Geltsdale when I was about 10 years old, and I saw Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls, and thought, wow, this is a bit special!“
He is out with his camera most days, and he has helped to monitor Hen Harrier nests and roost sites. It was here that he got the idea to record the tagging process, after two years where Geltsdale had suffered from persecution incidents. His exceptional images won the Conservation Award at the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year competition.
Finally, Ajay caught up with the newest member of the ranger team at Wicken Fen nature reserve – Anna Feeney – who leads on wildlife monitoring across the reserve.
Anna confesses that she has never seen a Hen Harrier before, so she is really looking forward to surveying them during the winter months. “Every time you go out here you might see something new. I saw a gorgeous Marsh Harrier swooping over and experienced my first Starling mumuration of the year.” She noted her first Otter on the Fen recently, and spotted two Short-eared Owls while tending the reserve’s Konik ponies.