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Last week I went to the Isle of Sheppey and stood on a mound as the light faded. Red-legged Partridges and Pheasants added their non-native voices to that of a Robin (Britain’s favourite bird) as the light faded. Two Green Sandpipers flew up from the channel in front of me and I was pleased that…

Another honourable mention for Inglorious

Thank you to my friend Michael McCarthy for this mention of Inglorious in his nature books of the year. Michael’s own The Moth Snowstorm was in my own similar list, as were two of his choices. Inglorious was also listed in similar lists in Country Life, The Times, Mail on Sunday and The Guardian.

PM or PR?

David Cameron is presiding over one of the most radical Conservative governments ever with its assault on social services and the role of the state in general – and yet he himself doesn’t seem to have any strong views.  Unlike the Thatcher years (can you remember them? Yes, me too) the position of the Prime…

It’s behind you – oh no it isn’t

Last Wednesday I asked five wildlife conservation organisations what they thought was the best thing that Defra had done for wildlife in 2015. After a bit of sucking of teeth they came back with these thoughts, three of which refer to Rory Stewart’s words on Thursday (would Plantlife, Butterfly Conservation and RSPB have been stumped…

Spider numbers creep up

It was in a fairly early blog here that I told you about the reintroduction of Ladybird Spiders at Arne RSPB nature reserve. More than four years later it’s good to hear that this project is going well.  Surveys show that the spiders are expanding outside of the original release areas. Toby Branston, RSPB Dorset…