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
Wild Justice
Wild Justice today expects to hear from the public body which has taken a month to reply to Wild Justice’s Pre Action Protocol letter. Expect news quite soon …
Guest blog – Why Flies? by Erica McCalister
Dr Erica McAlister is the Senior Curator of Flies and Fleas at the Natural History Museum, London, where she works mostly with the larger Brachyceran flies (Robber Flies and Bee Flies) and Mosquitoes. She is on the Dipterists Forum Committee and the President of the Amateur Entomology Society and the author of The Secret Life…
What Defra thinks is great…
If you are hanging around at reception in the entrance to Nobel House, Smith Square waiting for someone to come and take you to your meeting within the Defra HQ you may glance around and see lots of rather naff posters depicting what Defra thinks is great. Here is a selection (apologies for the poor…
Coul Links crowdfunder is boosted by Walshaw Moor success
The campaign to protect Coul Links is important to me. I know the site and the thought of it becoming yet another golf course when it is so important for wildlife is abhorrent and, in many ways, sums up the ways in which wildlife is so often pushed aside in the modern age. And I…
Guest blog – Toad Rage 3 by Paul Sterry
This blog by Dr Paul Sterry follows two earlier ones; Toad Rage and Toad Rage 2. Paul Sterry has an academic background in freshwater biology and is a passionate conservationist. He has been writing about natural history and photographing wildlife for the last 40 years, with an emphasis on the British scene. One way or…
Guest blog by anonymous.
Mark writes: I don’t normally publish anonymous guest blogs but in this case, knowing the circumstances, I can see why the person wishes to remain anonymous. And the text stands on its own. See also this recent blog on the same subject, from a different perspective, by our friends at Raptor Persecution UK. The New…
Paul Leyland – Owlfly Sulphur
Paul writes: this is a dramatic-looking creature, unfortunately not seen in the UK. It is an Owlfly (Ascalaphidae), Latin name Libelloides coccajus. The body has an overall length of 25mm and a wingspan of up to 55mm. The size together with the black and yellow colouring make it difficult to miss. At first it may…
Sunday book review – Green and Prosperous Land by Dieter Helm
This book, out of 25+ I reviewed in 2019, was the title I chose as my wildlife book of the year – I recommend it highly. You can buy this book from Bookshop.org and I have set up a booklist to make that easy through this link https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/MarkAvery Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org…
Tim Melling – Golden Takins
Tim writes: I came across two female Takins in the forest, and each female had a calf, one from this year and one from last year. The two-year old calf kept trying to show dominance over the younger calf, and this is the moment when the older calf with horns charged at the younger calf…