Standing up for Nature
We have two species of ‘whitethroat’ warblers in the UK, the Common Whitethroat and the Lesser Whitethroat. They look rather similar, although there are lots of differences when you look closely, and they live in similar habitats (hedgerows and scrub) but they sound quite different. Both have now arrived in east Northants, with Lesser Whitethroat…
We know why bird song is a feature of Spring – it’s because the function of bird song is usually to defend a territory and its food and nesting resources and to attract a mate. Song is largely concentrated in the Spring in high latitudes because that’s when birds breed. But why is there a…
In yesterday’s Natural England blog on the licensing of taking Peregrines from the wild Natural England’s Director for wildlife licensing, Dave Slater, points out that Natural England can issue licences for a variety of purposes which include falconry. The legislation in question is the Wildlife and Countryside Act where the relevant section is, I think,…
I received an email from Helena Horton of the Daily Telegraph yesterday afternoon asking for a quote and a chat about NE’s licensing of taking Peregrines from the wild. I, and Wild Justice, have recent experience with the Telegraph and Ms Horton (see here, here) and so back in February, after another lapse on the…
A bright yellow farmland bird, sitting atop a hedge and singing ‘A little bit of bread and no cheeeeeeese’ makes this a winning combination and a relatively easy bird to identify by song or sight. It’s a rattle followed by that cheeeeeese note – there’s nothing quite like it in most parts of the UK…
Yesterday’s two blog posts on the decision of Natural England to license the taking of a very small number of Peregrine chicks for captive breeding by falconers caused quite a storm (see here and here). Here are my thoughts: Many thanks to Gary Wall for writing a blog and for responding to all of the…
Mark writes: Gary Wall is a falconer and I’m grateful that he took up my offer to write about the licence he has been issued by Natural England to take a small number of Peregrine Falcons from the wild. This blog gives more detail and background. Gary writes: Having been a falconer for 47 years…
I’m interested to see that Natural England has issued licences for falconers to take 2 Peregrine chicks from the wild in order to establish a stud book of British Peregrines. I’m not sure how I feel about this. I would like to know what are the licence conditions and from where it is envisaged that…