Did you dip in to Hen Harrier Day online 2020? This is what you could have seen and listened to. It’s an amazing collection of science, culture and conservation. And a very fitting and diverse programme with top presenters Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin weaving all the strands together. Click here to view. And there…
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
Paul Leyland – Hoverflies on Umbellifers
Hoverflies on Umbellifers Umbellifers, such as Hogweed and Angelica, are a great place to see hoverflies at this time of year, they provide a convenient platform for feeding and resting. Most of the hoverflies I see are the common orange and black striped ones or maybe yellow and black ones. Anything different immediately stands out…
Sunday book review – The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes
This is my type of book. In fact, you could say it is right up my street given the quote on page 121 which points out that the Boughton Estate now sells firewood back to the commoners at £95 per cubic metre when once it was a right to collect such wood. That’s the source…
Saturday cartoon by Ralph Underhill
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Hen Harrier Day online tomorrow
Hen Harrier Day Online goes live at 10am tomorrow – introduced by Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin. To watch through the day visit the Hen Harrier Day YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/HenHarrierDayUK Alan Cranston, Chair of Hen Harrier Action, said:“The hen harrier is a symbol for our wider concerns about nature in the uplands and that is…
Natural England’s specific general licences from 2019
Recap: Bob Berzins discovered that Natural England had issued what amounted to a general licence for conservation purposes after they had stopped issuing general licences for conservation purposes (sounds odd doesn’t it – see Bob’s guest blogs Natural England licences; a cover up? Part 1 and Natural England licences; a cover up? Part 2). And…
Scottish petition – Beavers
Trees for Life has launched a petition to urge the Scottish Government to relocate Beavers to suitable areas rather than licencing their killing.
An interesting paper
These results show that shooting has a greater non-lethal effect on crows than trapping. While trapping may be a more efficient way of removing crows than shooting, shooting not only reduces the number of nuisance animals directly, but also affects their behaviour and habitat use so that damage is reduced indirectly. https://bioone.org/journals/Ornithological-Science/volume-19/issue-2/osj.19.125/Alert-and-Flight-Initiation-Distances-of-Crows-in-Relation-to/10.2326/osj.19.125.short
Press release Red List Mammals from the Mammal Society
One quarter of native mammals now at risk of extinction in Britain The first official Red List for British Mammals highlights species most at risk of national extinction in the near future, with researchers calling for urgent action to prevent their loss. The first official Red List for British Mammals, produced by the Mammal Society…
What is happening to the Moorland Association?
This is an email sent to Media House at, by chance, exactly 13:00 today. No response yet. I’m worried about Amanda. And it’s not like the Moorland Association to be so silent this close to the Inglorious 12th. Hi!My name is Dr Mark Avery, I am a blogger. This is a media enquiry about the…