The 2019 Breeding Bird Survey report has been online for some time (which is very good – things are speeding up) and my paper copy arrived a while ago but I have now read most of what I am ever going to read in it. It’s a very good report – the 25th report covering…
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
More or less amazing
The BBC Radio 4 programme (20 minutes in), More or Less, was asked by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall about Pheasant numbers in the UK. Pat Thompson of the RSPB gave the figure, the most up-to-date figure available, of 47 million captive-bred Pheasants released into the countryside each year (but maybe not this year). And it is because…
Langholm community buy-out
There have been two guest blogs here by Kevin Cumming who is leading the buy-out attempt for Langholm Moor see here 2 December 2019, and 7 May 2020. There’s a well-produced and interesting podcast available here where you can hear more about things from Kevin and it ends with a chat with me. The fundraiser…
Changes on Natural England Board
The current Natural England board is: Andy Clements – stands down 13 July 2020 Teresa Dent – stands down 13 July 2020 Simon Lyster – stands down 13 July 2020 Michael Winter – stands down 20 August 2020 Catherine Dugmore Sue Hartley Henry Robinson And so get your hankies out to wish a tearful farewell…
Cuckoos – good year or bad year?
My farmer friend Duncan told me he hadn’t yet heard a Cuckoo this year when I saw him this morning – and I told him that, for the first time since 2014, I’d heard one from the garden. Such are the sharing of bird observations that happen all over and which tend to form a…
Down on the farm…
This morning, early, I paid a visit to the workplace of one of my favourite farmers: Duncan Farrington’s place down the road from me, the home of the Mellow Yellow range. Those who have read the last chapter of A Message from Martha might have guessed what my visit was about, and yes, I was…
Guest blog – Wool-carder Bee by Jane V. Adams
Jane is a naturalist, photographer and nature writer living in Dorset. Her work has appeared in books, anthologies and blogs for charities such as The Wildlife Trusts and the International Bee Research Association. When she’s not exploring Dorset’s lanes and countryside she can be found lying on her stomach watching insects in her garden. Jane’s…
Countryfile last night
Last night’s Countryfile programme was great on butterflies and better than usual on crimes against birds of prey. You can watch the whole entertaining programme here and the raptor slot started at about 10:20 into the show (the butterflies before were really great!). Tom Heap was the presenter of this item and he’s pretty good,…
Black birders week #blackbirdersweek
This week is black birders week – a mainly North American thing. And, by chance, it comes at the time when there are riots across the USA after the death of George Floyd at the hands, or knee, of a white policeman. Last week I read about this event in Central Park where a black…
I’d love to see this…
Every 13 or 17 years there is an emergence of Periodical Cicadas in parts of the eastern USA. This is a year for the 17-year emergence. I wish I were able to be in North Carolina, west Virginia or West Virginia to check in with this phenomenon. What were you doing in 2003? What do…