1. Legal challenge: there is a saying that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ and I’m beginning to feel that quite strongly. The RSPB and I, separately, were granted the right to appeal the original judgment over the lawfulness of brood-meddling of Hen Harrier nests in autumn 2019 – yes, 2019. Our appeal was scheduled for…
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 – Light Rains Sometimes Fall by Lev Parikian
In Japan they have 72 seasons we learn – each of 5-6 days – which is quite a thing to find out. Japan has four main seasons, each divided into six subsections, and each of those has three parts. That’s fascinating, and forms the framework into which Lev Parikian plugs his light-hearted but accurate observations…
Sunday book review – Bee Tiger by Philip Howse
I enjoyed this book hugely – and rather more than I thought I might. Was I really interested in one large insect with a rather spooky pattern on its thorax? Well, yes I was as it turns out but this is really a book about perceptions, and that is a fascinating subject. Because of its…
The Hartoft Mural has been rewilded.
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…and the story behind it from last year.
FIBOT is appealing
I’ve never been to Fair Isle, and maybe I never will, but I care about it because of its place in British birding – both recreational and that verging on the much more scientific. See David Parkin’s guest blog about his Fair Isle memories – click here. Many charities have fallen on hard times because…
BBS extra
I told you, as I usually do, about my visits to my two Breeding Bird Survey squares (see here and here). Having done the surveys and entered the data online I thought I was done but those nice people in BTO HQ wanted to wring a little more from my volunteer effort because I had…
Let them eat croissants!
I like a good croissant – don’t you? Thursday mornings are now ASDA delivery mornings chez-nous, comme d’habitude. A wide variety of deliverymen (and yes, they have all been hommes to date) arrive in our early morning slot and deliver some of what we ordered. This is a covid-legacy pour nous. There is a minimum…
Ban the use of lead ammunition please Wales
Yesterday morning, this petition to the Welsh Senedd was on 600 signatures, I was the 601st, but today it has increased fivefold. It closes on 4 August, which is Wednesday. All petitions with 10,000 signatures are considered for debate in the Senedd and that would be great although it seems a big ask to get…
Shall we build back better?
This petition is about what you would like the approach to be to a post-covid recovery. Do you want the three legs of the sustainability stool to be given strong emphasis or is cash king? I would be very keen to see this petition debated in parliament because it would form a brilliant platform for…
A quick mention to The Nature of Summer by Jim Crumley
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I recently reviewed Jim Crumley’s book, Lakeland Wild, and loved it – see here. And Jim was kind enough to post a comment on that review recently. But publishers are no fools and those nice people in Saraband sent me another couple of Jim’s books, including this one, pointing out that it had recently been…