The Passenger Pigeon went extinct in 1914, the same year the Great War began. To commemorate the centenary of those two events, my band, The Corner Laughers, has released an ode to the last Passenger Pigeon, Martha, in the style of a First World War-era song (but with synthesizers, for no good reason, really). …
Author: Mark
Born Bristol, UK
Educated: Cleeve House School Bristol, Bristol Grammar School and Downing College Cambridge
Ph.D. University of Aberdeen, Winter activity of pipistrelle bats.
NERC post-doctoral Research Fellow, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford University
Former Conservation Director of the RSPB, 1989-2011
Hen Harrier Day update
Not a great deal of news this week. We are ‘good to go’ for the event at Fairholmes Visitor Centre at 10am on 10 August. This event is FULL – the car park is likely to be full to overflowing and there is no chance of extra capacity. If you can come by bus, or…
Bee-eaters on IoW
The National Trust has announced that there is a pair of Bee-eaters (the only bird with three consecutive ‘e’s in its name? Probably not, though I can’t think of another) nesting on the Isle of Wight. As someone who spent six summers studying bee-eaters in the Camargue, I must say I am delighted. The birds…
Letter to my MP – please ask Ed to join the Hen Harrier thunderclap
To Andy Sawford MP Dear Andy I haven’t written to your for a while. I thought you deserved a bit of a rest from me and I know you weren’t too pleased that I voted Green in the euro-elections so I’ve been keeping my head down. However, as I’ve always said, you can rely…
Oscar Dewhurst – Hoatzin
Oscar writes: Hoatzin were one of the most common birds around the oxbow lakes in the lowlands. They would perch on the bushes surrounding the lake in small groups, and usually allowed a fair close approach before clumsily flying off. Nikon D300s, Nikon 200-400mm f4 VR