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…
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
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…
IUCN UK National Committee meeting next week
I wonder what Julian Huxley would think of this… It probably is better if I do not comment on this. If you are attending, please do feed back.
EU Member States Approve Enhanced Insecticide Ban
The EU has banned outdoor use of neonicotinoid pesticides on the grounds that they harm bees (and probably other insects and other invertenrates too). What they say: Buglife – ‘Today is a red letter day for the continent’s pollinators, we salute and thank all of the organisations, members of the public and politicians…
Stitching The Western Oakwoods: The Green and the Red by Stephen Halton
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…
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…