At 14:59 this afternoon I received some answers to my FOI request of 10 July 2017 about the Bowland gull cull (see here for summary). I’m very grateful to NE for their response. It will take me a few days to read the large documents that I have been sent and to figure out 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
That damning report on the Raven cull
Earlier today SNH issued a statement and published their own Scientific Advisory Committee’s views on the value of SNH’s highly controversial licensing of a Raven cull in the Strathbraan area. Reading the SNH statement you might get the impression that the SAC did have some serious doubts about the project that SNH had licensed but…
NEWS: SNH admit Raven cull error – but fail to apologise for it
This was issued this morning by SNH – it represents a significant victory for the challenge by the Scottish Raptor Study Group, led by Ruth Tingay, to the legality of the licence to cull Ravens issued by SNH. See also the report by the Scientific Advisory Committee. I’ll come back to this later today….
Guest blog – Wildfire and Moorland Management by Bob Berzins
Wildfire and Moorland Management The moorland above Carrbrook Greater Manchester has been devastated by one of the largest moorland fires in recent years. The fire started on 24th June and burnt for around three weeks covering an area of 18 sq km. The cloud of smoke was visible from space and residents had to abandon…
Paul Leyland – Wool Carder Bee
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Paul writes: The Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum) is a favourite of mine, one I always look out for at this time of year. The beautiful, yellow spotted abdomen really catches your eye as the bee darts around a flower patch. The male is very territorial, an aggressive male will patrol an area and defend…
Walk for Wildlife – 22 September
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Sunday book review – Wilding by Isabella Tree
This book, out of 40+ I reviewed in 2018, 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 – Siberian Jay
Tim writes; As the name suggests, this species occurs in the boreal forest zone across Siberia but also occurs in northern Scandinavia. They occur at low densities and are not easy to find, but when you do find them they can be incredibly confiding. This one is eating a tiny caterpillar and we also saw…
Shoddy misportrayal by BBC Radio 4 – not for the first time.
The Radio 4 Today programme is making a habit of attending the Game Fair and it covered quite a lot of ground, some of it quite well, this morning. Well done to Georgia Locock for speaking up against intensive grouse shooting. Georgia, a first-year undergraduate, was put up against 33 year-old, experienced spokesperson for shooting,…
Worth a small celebration #justice4henharriers
We have been given leave by the Hon Mrs Justice Lambert DBE to take our judicial review to court. We’ll soon find out what the date is, but it won’t be before October, it might not be before Christmas, but an autumn day in court is most likely. It appears that the RSPB will…