Tesco has had a tough time of it since teaming up with the RSPB earlier this year. But at least they have discovered wildlife including the mice that have ‘infested‘ their Covent Garden store causing it to close. It is expected to reopen as an RSPB nature reserve very soon. London tube stations are just…
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
Guest blog – Blogging for victory by Alison Fure
Alison Fure is a field ecologist specialising in studying the effect of light pollution on wildlife: particularly bats and river corridors. She moderates the Yahoo Group Lights and Wildlife and gave evidence to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (R.I.P). She is the south London contact for the London Bat Group and a local bat…
Flying noses – not to be sniffed at
I am a birder, but I have got used to looking for signs of spring other than the arrival of warblers and hirundines, wheatears and garganey, Sandwich terns and ring ousels. I can just about recognise a few butterflies and even some of the commoner spring plants. But I have become quite adept at spotting…
Wuthering Moors 13
To Dave Webster Interim Chief Executive Natural England Dear Mr Webster I am writing to you, again, concerning the Natural England decision to reach an agreement with the Walshaw Moor Estate over their past, present and future management of moorland and blanket bog. I believe that this enquiry falls under the remit of the…
Wuthering Moors 12
To Richard Benyon Parliamentary Under Secretary Defra Dear Richard I am writing to you concerning the Natural England decision to reach an agreement with the Walshaw Moor Estate over their past, present and future management of moorland and blanket bog. I believe that this enquiry falls under the remit of the Freedom of Information…
Wuthering Moors 11
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Dear [name of civil servant] I am writing to ask you about your role, if any, in the Natural England decision to reach an agreement with the Walshaw Moor Estate over moorland management. I believe that this enquiry falls under the remit of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004,…
Wuthering Moors 10
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to: Dave Webster Interim Chief Executive, Natural England Dear Mr Webster I am writing to you concerning the Natural England decision to reach an agreement with the Walshaw Moor Estate over their past, present and future management of moorland and blanket bog. I believe that this enquiry falls under the remit of the Freedom of…
Wuthering Moors 9
Steve Downing, Chairman of Calderdale Raptor Study Group said, “At the beginning of August 2010 I visited Walshaw Estate with a friend looking for merlin, short-eared owls and hobby. Whilst we were there we noticed that a stream appeared to have been diverted and converted into a vehicle track, a separate track on another part…
Wuthering Moors 8
Walshaw Moor is owned by Richard Bannister who almost always seems to be described as ‘wealthy’ so I guess he must be. He lives near the estate and is a director of Walshaw Moor Estate alongside being an apparently successful businessman. As far as I can recall, he and I have never met but he…
Wuthering Moors 7
If you aren’t interested in what I am beginning to think of as the ‘Walshaw Moor affair’ then come back to this blog tomorrow – but if you are, then come back to this blog during the day to see a range of blogs on the subject. The story so far: the peculiarly British sport…