Yesterday I posted a very short blog with links to the Guardian story about a decision on nature conservation made by the Church of England (CofE) and the two papers which formed the background to the decision. I’ll call the first paper the Proposal and the second paper the Response. The Guardian article But let’s…
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Yesterday’s decision by the C of E on nature restoration – some reading
This was the Guardian’s report of yesterday’s decision which was leapt on by campaigners. Take a look at the paper that was put to the meeting: And take a look at the paper in response: I’ll come back to this later this week.
Henry Mayer-Gross
UPDATE – this post and its sharing on Bluesky @markavery worked! Thank you for sharing and responding. More news in due course if I am allowed. I’ve been contacted by the Looted Art Commission who are trying to track down Henry Mayer-Gross (an ornithologist who was appointed as the BTO’s first Nest Records Scheme…
The evolution of Chris Packham
I hardly ever watch Chris Packham on TV – he’s a friend and I just sit there slightly nervously hoping he isn’t going to say anything that gets him into trouble. But I’ll watch this 5-episode series on evolution because it’s a challenging subject to tackle and it is right up my street. Also, Chris’s…
Foxes eat gamebirds
I’m grateful to Dr Nathan Williams for sending me a link to this study he carried out as part of his doctoral research on the diets of Red Foxes in central southern England. Once I got past the phrase “Anthropogenic resource subsidies” which are non-natural sources of food made available deliberately or unintentionally by people…
RSPB – UK could be set to lose its first bird species due to climate change
UK could be set to lose its first bird species due to climate change The UK’s breeding Dotterel population has declined by 89% since 1988 The rate of decline has increased since the last national survey in 2011 Declines are similar inside and outside of Special Protection Areas, suggesting climate change could be one of the main causes Results from…
RSPB reconnects precious Welsh landscape to protect rare Celtic rainforest and Pied Flycatchers
The RSPB reconnects precious Welsh landscape to protect rare Celtic rainforest and Pied Flycatchers RSPB Cymru announces the purchase of Gallt-y-bere, an area boasting a diverse range of habitats in mid Wales Landmark acquisition creates a connected landscape for wildlife at RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas nature reserve for the first time in 60 years The acquisition will…
Oldest Avocet
Oldest bird of its kind discovered on RSPB nature reserve A record-breaking Avocet, found at RSPB Middleton Lakes, has been confirmed as the oldest of its kind at 36 years old – more than five times the average lifespan for the species. The individual has set a new national record after fledging in 1990, an…
Sunday book review – Forest of the Sea by David Helvarg
This is a fascinating account of the wonders of the Pacific kelp forests that run from Baja California to Alaska (and in the southern hemisphere off Chile). Like many of the world’s other great habitats, this one is under threat but we hear of a motley, diverse group of individuals who are doing their best…
Sunday book review – A Photographic Guide to Flies of Britain and Ireland by Stephen Falk, Gail Ashton, Rory Dimond and Peter Creed
I wish this book had been available through 2025 when I was carrying out a year-long bioblitz of my garden. The Diptera is a very species-rich taxon, perhaps even richer than Coleoptera in world terms, and there are over 7000 UK species. I found them difficult to catch, difficult to photograph and then difficult to…