Here’s the Famous Grouse advert for 2019 Two species of grouse for the price of one. But what is that strange noise made by the Blackcock at the end of the advert? I know they make many strange noises but this one seems to be impersonating a Tawny Owl or maybe even a Lapwing… What…
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
Sunday book review – Neville Chamberlain’s Legacy by Nicholas Milton
What’s the first word that pops into your head when you hear the name Neville Chamberlain? Was it ‘appeasement’? Or ‘Piece of paper’? Or maybe ‘Peace for our time’? Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement was well-meaning but, in retrospect (and to be fair, at the time, in the minds of many), was fatally flawed. It didn’t…
Swift – Tim Melling
Tim writes: the scientific name Apus apus comes from the Greek “a pous” meaning without foot. Swift legs are so small that it was once believed that they did not have any feet. I remember the old Reader’s Digest book of birds illustrated Swift feet showing all four toes pointing forwards. But in fact the…
Fake news (7) by Diogenes
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Waiting for the train home – inconsequential thoughts
I was waiting at St Pancras Station one morning this week for the train home. I was early. I’m almost always early. St Pancras station, though it is large, feels more like an open air station than most London stations. Now I know there has to be some sort of hole to let the trains…
Remarkable Birds
Remarkable Birds is now published in five languages.
I’m not driving through there…
That flood, mentioned earlier this week, went away and then came back again. Only a fool would try to drive through there – even with all your handy tips.
BPOTY deadline – end of November
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If you are going to enter the Bird Photographer of the Year competition then you have just over two weeks to get your entry sorted out. I’m looking forward to judging the new Conservation Documentary category (with Mark Carwardine and others). Here’s an explanation of what’s needed from Paul Sterry. And here’s the weblink –…
Craig Bennett for Wildlife Trusts
It was announced today that Craig Bennett from FoE will take over from Steph Hilborne at the Wildlife Trust’s Head Office in Newark. Congratulations to him! But it’s a challenging role. It’s not as though you are in any way ‘in charge’ of all the individual county and country Wildlife Trusts (47 of them, is…
Election watch (1)
There are four weeks to go – and then we vote. I was very pleased two years ago when the grouse-shooting-supporting MP for High Peak, Andrew Bingham, lost his seat to Ruth George. I’m rather hoping she can hang on to it this time around. Ms George has a majority of just over 2000 and…