Natural regeneration key to doubling woodlands and saving Britain’s crippled forests Government’s draft England Tree Strategy ‘woefully inadequate’ Allowing trees to naturally establish over huge areas could massively expand Britain’s woodlands more effectively and at a fraction of the cost of tree planting, according to research by Rewilding Britain. It says the Government’s draft England Tree Strategy,…
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
EU Member states vote for lead ban in all wetlands
This from the EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries; Woohoo! Obviously welcomed by conservationists across Europe. As I understand it this will include wetlands like blanket bogs and so, if only we were still in the EU, it would include driven grouse shooting. I’m still a Remainer but luckily (ha!ha!) all those Brexiteers like…
How many Hen Harriers?
In late June the Moorland Association jumped the gun and said there were 12 Hen Harrier nests on grouse moors in England this year. They also said that this equalled the number in the whole of England last year (not true according to Natural England). And they said that 6 of these nests were in…
Hen Harrier brood-meddling – just for the record…
Since we are definitely having a Hen Harrier-fllled day… On 27 July this blog pointed out to Natural England that it was all over the place with what it said about the reasons (there are no good ones) for the Hen Harrier brood meddling trial – see here. Natural England’s blog, written by their Director…
Natural England’s Hen Harrier numbers were wrong
RSPB has just sent me this; Just seen your blog. Many apologies for the confusion. To clarify, 24 nests were monitored in total and 19 were successful. Hope that clears things up. That’s what I guessed but there is no reason for RSPB to apologise, it is Natural England which has sent out an ambiguous…
Natural NoMates England and Hen Harriers
I bent over backwards, in my usual fair way, to see the good in Natural England’s press release about Hen Harrier breeding numbers in England this morning. And it does seem to be a good year for the birds, and that is the most important thing, and it does look like vole-fuelled and weather-assisted progress…
How many Hen Harriers?
There’s a clash, a discrepancy, a difference between the number of Hen Harrier nests in England this year between the Natural England figures and the RSPB figures. The discrepancy is only five nests but that is 5 nests out of 19 or 24 nests. Some physicists and chemists I know would say that level of…
RSPB statement on 2020 Hen Harrier numbers
Following today’s news from Natural England on breeding numbers of Hen Harriers in England this year, the RSPB says: The news that 60 hen harrier chicks have fledged in England this year is encouraging, and testament to the crucial monitoring from raptor workers. However, while 24 nests monitored is an improvement on the 7 nests in…
Natural England/DEFRA press release – Hen Harriers have record-breaking year (in England)
A record-breaking year for hen harrier breeding Natural England has recorded the best year for hen harrier breeding in England since Natural England’s Hen Harrier Recovery Project was established in 2002, with 60 chicks fledged from 19 nests across Northumberland, Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria and Lancashire in early summer 2020. The success has been down to…
RSPB press release – the planning system
The government is approaching a “fork in the road” that could “change the course of the future for nature” as it plans to shake up the country’s planning system, wildlife conservation charity the RSPB has warned. Today the UK’s largest conservation organisation the RSPB is asking people to speak up for nature and ensure wildlife…