Tim writes: Also known as the Bearded Vulture, the Lammergeier is the only animal on the planet known to feed almost exclusively on bones. It has an extremely acidic stomach (with a pH of around 1) that can dissolve bones and the high fat content marrow inside. Even the young nestlings are fed on small…
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
Sunday book review – Songs of Love & War by Dominic Couzens
It’s quite difficult to tell what this book is about from its title, its prologue or from its dust jacket. You might be misled into thinking that it is mostly about bird song, but it isn’t. It dips into various aspects of bird behaviour and mixes these accounts with the author’s personal observations of birds…
Shot Buzzard in Yorkshire Dales National Park – hardly news!
Police are appealing for information as another dead raptor is found in the Yorkshire Dales National Park – this time a Buzzard just about a mile from the much-visited Malham Cove Peregrine site. The bird’s body was found (no details of when are given – 16 May) by a local farmer and a post-mortem X-ray…
An Unreliable History of Birdwatching (9) by Paul Thomas
Guest blog – De-mythologising ‘country people’ and ‘Rural Sports’ by John Burton
John Burton is one of the most experienced and free-thinking of British conservationists. He was a founder and the first chief executive of the World Land Trust. John blogs here. Robin Page has long been known for his outspoken opinions, and very often, he writes quite a lot of sense. Unfortunately, he also writes…
The good news from Scotland
I’ve been in Scotland for a couple of days and the glens were ringing to the sound of rejoicing as the Holyrood Parliament’s Environment Committee decided to explore the option of licensing of driven grouse shooting (see detailed coverage by our friends at Raptor Persecution UK). This is good news and all credit to the…
25 years is a long time in….
25 years is a long time in…well it’s a long time, full stop. Birdwatch magazine is 25 years old and this is its 300th issue. Happy Birthday! In this issue there are articles on the development of optics technology and digital photography (by Mike Alibone and Steve Young) and a piece by me on…
If only it were that easy…
The RSPB video of a man collecting Hen Harrier feathers, some apparently still attached to the bird, has now been viewed more than 15,000 times. If you get to it via the RSPB website and are all fired up about wildlife crime then the RSPB offers a suggestion for how you can help.
Election comment 6 – reports
Comments Off on Election comment 6 – reports
There was a bit of a fuss last week when the government, it was revealed, stopped the publication of NHS budget data – expected to be shockingly bad news – because Whitehall is in ‘electoral purdah‘. Now, as I recall, the purdah rules are really there to stop government putting out lots of good news…
Heading to the Highlands for Hen Harrier Day 2017
I’m heading for the Highlands on 6 August this year for a Hen Harrier Day in Scotland. 1pm Boat of Garten Community Hall. Will I see you there?