Nigel Rowley is a founder member of the Save Mortimer Forest campaign which was started earlier this year when the public became aware of proposals by the Forestry Commission and Forest Holidays to build a large holiday complex in Mortimer Forest. Twitter: @MortimerForest Mortimer Forest, near Ludlow, on the border of Herefordshire and Shropshire, a…
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
Paul Leyland – Dandelions and hoverflies
Paul writes: Recently Mark wrote about the beauty of dandelions and I fully agree with him. As well as brightening up the dullest grass verge or lawn they are great for attracting insects. They are an ideal nectar source for lots of the early hoverflies that are beginning to appear. I found half a dozen…
Wild food (32) – Golden Saxifrage by Ian Carter
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There are two similar species of Golden Saxifrage known as ‘opposite-leaved’ and ‘alternate-leaved’, the names helpfully highlighting their main distinguishing feature. This one is opposite-leaved and it is very common locally, forming a low, dense carpet in patches of woodland with heavy, waterlogged soils. It acts as a handy warning that you risk a…
Sunday book review – The Wonderful Mr Willughby by Tim Birkhead
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Reviewed by Ian Carter This is a book I probably wouldn’t have read had I not been asked to review it. The name Willughby was not a familiar one – other than a vague notion that he, and his close associate John Ray, had something to do with birds a very long time ago….
Tim Melling – Red Panda (2)
Tim writes: Photographs of Red Pandas in the wild are so rare I have decided to post a second photograph. This one was high in a Berry tree, realising it was a little exposed as they normally feed on bamboo, so spend their time deep in bamboo thickets. They venture out in the autumn,…
Raptor persecution in PDNP in British Birds
Today British Birds publishes a paper on raptor persecution in the Peak District National Park by Tim Melling, Mark Thomas, Mike Price and Staffan Roos. Here is the abstract: Abstract: The Peak District National Park is the southernmost area managed for driven Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus shooting in England. Grouse-moor management includes intensive moorland burning…
An Unreliable History of Birdwatching (55) by Paul Thomas
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Saturday cartoon by Ralph Underhill
Please sign this petition against the ridiculous cull of Ravens . And please email the chair of SNH to tell him to reconsider this daft decision: chair@snh.gov.uk
My ‘Raven cull’ email to SNH
Dear Mr Cantlay Everyone makes mistakes, but I’m surprised that SNH has made this one. I’m also surprised that it hasn’t corrected it after a week of public outcry over your decision to license a mass cull of Ravens. SNH’s decision has damaged Scotland’s environmental reputation at a time when the Scottish Government has in…
Defra FoI – update
The story so far: Defra FoI fail, 25 April Defra FoI continued fail, 26 April Defra FoI – less of a fail, 26 April This morning I received this response (or at least this is the bit that I am revealing at the moment): Thank you to Defra for apparently pulling out the stops once…