Dear Mr Pursglove I hope you are well, particularly at this time of COVID-19 and particularly as our local area of Northampton, Wellingborough and Kettering all seem to be hotspots for the disease. I feel that your government has dealt very badly with this emergency but that is not why I am contacting you. I…
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
Letter in Guardian
In Europe most lead exposure is via the diet, and one source that can be readily eliminated is lead fragments from ammunition used to shoot wild game. …in 2018 the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) recommended against screening for elevated blood lead levels in young children, so the extent of children’s exposure is unknown, and…
Press release – Trees for Life, Golden Eagle
Golden eagles breed at Highlands rewilding estate for first time in 40 years A pair of golden eagles has successfully reared a chick in an artificial nest at Trees for Life’s flagship Dundreggan rewilding estate in Glenmoriston between Loch Ness and Skye – marking the first known return of the spectacular birds of prey to breed at the Highlands…
Thoughts on today’s Inglorious 12th
I’ve enjoyed today’s Inglorious 12th more than most. I’ve had a relatively relaxing day. When I watered the vegetables at 6am this morning before making a cup of tea, I had seen the expected news that Labour had come out in favour of licensing grouse shooting. This is very much to be welcomed. Looking back…
Come on Scottish government!
With today’s call for grouse moor licensing by the Labour Party the SNP needs to act to maintain its formerly leading position on grouse moor reform. In the race to be ‘top UK government’ on grouse shooting reform the SNP government is strolling down the straight, way out ahead of the Conservative Party in England…
Labour calls for grouse shooting to be licensed
On the Inglorious 12th, the opening day of the Red Grouse shooting season, Luke Pollard, shadow DEFRA Secretary said: The government has failed to cut wildlife crime and a decade of austerity has left these birds [protected raptors] vulnerable to poaching, with fewer police preventing poaching and fewer officers able to catch those responsible. We…
The Inglorious 12th
Tomorrow is the Inglorious 12th – the traditional start of the grouse shooting season. There couldn’t be a better day to sign our e-action calling for change on the moors – click here to have a look. Many thanks! Over 24,000 e-actions so far (since Saturday).
Criminals show their backsides to Scottish government yet again
I’m sure that Nicola Sturgeon hasn’t personally read my email to her about the poisoned White-tailed Eagle found in the Cairngorms National Park (on a grouse moor) but if she had, I bet the bit that would have stuck in her mind would be the analogy that the shooting industry is showing her and the…
The Tory response to our e-action – pathetic!
You’ve got to give it to the Tories, they are quite efficient and are already sending out standard responses to their constituents about the future of driven grouse shooting. It’s a shame that the responses, presumably from Conservative Central Office and perhaps with some help from DEFRA, are inaccurate and misleading. I have yet to…
Another disappeared eagle – from RPUK and Chris Packham
Three things, please. Read this: Golden eagle Tom disappears in suspicious circumstances on Scottish grouse moor Watch this: 3. Sign this: https://wildjustice.eaction.org.uk/saveourskydancers Thank you.