These are just things that caught my eye:
- there has been at least one Blackcap in the garden for the last eight days. First it was a male, then a male and a female, then just the female, and yesterday one of each again. I haven’t seen two of the same sex at the same time but there might be hundreds of them passing through for all I can tell… But they weren’t there for BGBW!
- a White-tailed Eagle (see above) which, as a chick last year, took a tumble from its nest on Mull, is now hanging around the Mull of Galloway – as David Sexton said, she’s probably mulling it over.
- Talking of eagles, Labour has some thought for wildlife – an interesting blog by Martin Harper
- I enjoyed this Attenborough programme on birds of paradise immensely – combining the great Sir David, a great bunch of birds, great film footage and a great deal of interesting information, it was great! As you can tell, I recommend it highly.
- RSPB culling very few deer at Leighton Moss.
- Mike McCarthy and Richard Branson on climate change.
- We’re not winning the Ashes.
- Bird flu in Hampshire.
- Government falls at second hurdle to protect Dorset seahorses, and consultation launched on the feeble 23 sites up for designation. Defra has been hopeless on this issue – remember that on 7 May.
- I’m talking in Bristol on 27 February – not 2015, not 2016 even, but 2017!
- Robin Hood was a fiction, but ‘his’ oak tree is very real and deserves your vote for the Eurovision Tree Contest (or similar).
I’m no expert, but have always wondered where “our” interesting birds go during the Big Garden Bird Watch weekend. I’m glad it’s not just us that are deserted on one weekend in January!