Mark writes: the following poem is by Stephen Halton whose Poem for Swifts appeared here in May 2014. Stephen tells me ‘Two more of my ‘iconic birds’ (as well as Hen Harriers!) are Wood Warblers and Redstarts. Both have sadly disappeared as a breeding species from my part of the world in Bedfordshire but I…
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
A week today
Defra FoI – less of a fail
I wasn’t expecting to get such a prompt response (to this) promising action from Defra, but I did… To which I replied just now… Dear Thanks very much – that’s very good of you. I look forward to hearing from you. Dr Mark Avery So we should soon hear that Michael Gove met GWCT and…
Defra FoI continued fail
My nudge to Defra yesterday about their failure to respond to my FoI/EIR request elicited a response this morning. It wasn’t a good response, but it was a response. Here is a section from their response (I’ll keep the rest of it just between me and Defra for now): Later in the…
May Birdwatch (out in April, written in March (my column anyway))
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In the May Birdwatch there are lots of good things – available in your newsagents now! I’ve seen a Little Gull, rather like the one on the cover of the magazine, at Stanwick Lakes already this year so I am already springing. Steven Moss rattles off a few bird names and where they…
Bowland gull cull 10 – update
Last week the RSPB published an interesting blog about the Forest of Bowland which included these passages: ‘The situation is complicated. Natural England have been attempting to tackle the historical culling consent granted to the Abbeystead Estate. As part of a 2016 Memorandum of Understanding, the estate voluntarily agreed not to cull gulls using these…
Defra FOI fail
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Dear Defra I sent you an FOI request at 1:58pm on 9 March. You acknowledged it with an automated response at 1:59 on 9 March as follows: Thank you for your email. We have a target of replying to emails within 15 working days where a response is required, and 20 working days where…
Which logo?
Logo 1 – the original Logo 2 – slightly adjusted Logo 3 – slightly adjusted The Forest of Bowland AONB is consulting on its 5-year management plan. One thing they should consider is whether the…
Forest of Bowland wants your views
The Forest of Bowland AONB is consulting on its management plan – you have until 25 May to respond. Please respond to this consultation – I shall. Off the top of my head I might respond by saying; the logo of the AONB is inappropriate since the key species has been wiped out over the…
Bird flu update – another Buzzard
Following last week’s update on bird flu cases in ‘wild’ birds, there has been another case, in another Buzzard in Suffolk. So it looks as though the bird flu virus has been isolated from five dead Buzzards in the same location in Suffolk which might be the same location that a Goshawk tested positive too….