Eleonora’s falcon and a lady ahead of her time In the last couple of years I have been working for the RSPB on Cyprus during the autumn to help the authorities deal with the large scale of trapping of migrant birds on one of the British military bases. Encouragingly the annual monitoring report produced…
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
Red Kites in June, and a return to the UK
I’m keeping a note of whether I see Red Kites on each day through the year – since I spent less than 24 hours in the UK in June the tally was a feeble 0 days out of 30. January: 22 days out of 31. February: 24 days out of 28. March: 26 days…
Guest blog – My e-petition for licensing grouse shooting by Ed Hutchings
Ed writes about his e-petition to license driven grouse shooting. Twitter: @EdHutchings It was in India that I learnt the news that the Government had responded to my petition to license driven grouse shooting. The grouse moors of Britain felt a million miles away from the dusty śāl forests of central India immortalised by Kipling….
Tim Melling – Yellow-browed Warbler
Tim writes: The Yellow-browed Warbler is an enigma. It breeds in Siberia east of the Urals and winters in Malaysia and Thailand. Yet it occurs with great regularity in Britain, usually in autumn. To arrive in Britain would involve a journey of at least 4000 km, but flying in totally the wrong direction to…
Seen recently by readers of this blog
Near Kendal In Yellowstone National Park
Tim Melling – Bewick’s Swan
Comments Off on Tim Melling – Bewick’s Swan
Tim writes: Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) were named in honour of the bird engraver Thomas Bewick, though we don’t even know if he ever clapped eyes on one. In Bewick’s day (1753-1828) the two yellow billed swans were classed as one single species; the Wild Swan, as distinct from the Tame Swan (or Mute…
Saturday cartoon by Ralph Underhill
Seemed slightly odd but…
Seen by a reader of this blog in Kendal Library… 179 under the Dewey Library system is ‘Other ethical norms’ – an interesting classification of my book. Still, it’s good to see it in any library.
Paul Leyland – Giant Peacock moth
With a wingspan of 150-200 mm this is the largest European moth. I was fortunate to see one a few weeks ago in Arles in southern France, it was attracted to a ground light in the gardens of the hotel where I was staying. At first sight I didn’t believe my eyes, I thought it…
Raven support
The crowdfunder for a legal challenge of SNH’s licensing of a Raven cull has made great progress – over 16,000 pounds and counting. I donated to this crowdfunder on its first day and I’d really like it to meet its target of 25k. So I’ve gone back and given it a top-up from me. Can you help…