Blue Planet 2 hasn’t yet really gripped me. I’m not sure why not. The filming is amazing. The creatures are amazing. It must be me. Yesterday’s programme was fascinating as it revealed lots of species that have never been filmed before and which therefore were new to almost everyone. There were quite a lot of…
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Dr Coffey’s reading list (16)
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Dr Therese Coffey is the junior minister at Defra. Now that Gavin Gamble’s e-petition in favour of banning driven grouse shooting has passed 10,000 signatures Dr Coffey will need to sign off a government response. In order that she does not make Defra look even more foolish than they do already I am providing a…
The first five weeks
Gavin Gamble’s e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting is still waiting for a response from Defra. It now stands at 10,867 signatures. Here are the leading constituencies so far – many of them are old friends (all with 50+ signatures): Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey, Drew Hendry MP, 83 signatures Skipton and Ripon, Julian Smith MP,…
Our friends in the north
Yesterday I was part of a large group of birders gathered at Parkgate on the Dee Estuary and waiting for high tide. These high tides can sometimes cause spectacular flooding of the entire saltmarsh causing small mammals and all birds to flee from the rising water. Yesterday wasn’t a very spectacular show but we had…
Paul Leyland – Heineken Hoverfly
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Not many hoverflies have English names and even this one has a fairly recent history. Due to its long proboscis, up to 13mm, it can apparently reach the parts other hoverflies can’t, this coupled with a popular beer advert, made the name inevitable. However I think most hoverfly enthusiasts will still use its Latin name,…