Wow! I wasn’t expecting that. Were you? I spent yesterday from 10:30am until 9pm, obviously with some breaks, phoning up potential Labour voters to get the vote out. I phoned hundreds of people, and spoke to scores of them. I spoke to some confused people and I spoke to some very nice people. 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
Remarkable Birds
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Remarkable Birds is widely regarded as a beautiful book – I’m very pleased with it. Here are just a few examples of the species covered in the book and some of the information it contains. Lear’s Macaw is named after Edward Lear, artist and author of nonsense verse, who painted one in London Zoo…
House Martins
It seems that many of you are missing your House Martins this year too. The other evening there was just an occasional single bird flying above me as I sat in the garden in the evening – I’d expect them to be present almost all the time and in numbers of up to double figures….
BBS 2 second visit
My Breeding Bird Survey walk starts near the church in the distance. I carried out the second visit to my second BBS square yesterday – it was a bit windy in the more exposed places but there were still plenty of birds around. Do you remember that on the first visit I was saying that…
May is in the past and Corbyn is the future
It seems as though this general election was set up to be a personality contest between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn – that isn’t what it should be, but it might be an important part of people’s decision making. May has looked anything but strong and stable whereas Corbyn has grown in stature through the…
Brexit – so that’s all very clear then?
If the general election is about Brexit then we should by now have a clear idea of what will happen to environmental protection and agricultural policy after Brexit. In particular, we should have a clear idea from the Conservative Party, although Labour (the only realistic alternative government (even though, in places other parties’ candidates may…
Seats I’ll be watching
I’m a Labour voter (and with more enthusiasm this election than in some) but I’ll be looking out for the result in particular constituencies as well as the overall result. Here are some of the constituencies that will make or break my day: Brighton Pavilion – a win for Caroline Lucas will please me Bristol…
The general election and driven grouse shooting
If the Conservatives win, and particularly if they win an increased majority I predict: weakening of site protection post-Brexit (see what Conservative manifesto says) – the fact that SPAs were partly notified because of their raptor populations will become irrelevant; the chance of stopping damaging activities (like building new roads and tracks across blanket bogs,…
World Oceans Day
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Tomorrow is UK general election day and World Oceans Day. Spare a thought for Jeremy and Theresa. Well done Oceana EU for these pertinent and witty videos.
Looking forward to this event in Wytham Wood
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I’m looking forward to this National Badger Week event in Wytham Woods. Should be a good discussion and I’d like to see some Badgers too.