The paths between rows of houses in this part of Northamptonshire are called jitties. It’s not a phrase I had come across before I came to live in this part of the world and it does appear to be an East Midlands’ phrase. As I headed down this jitty yesterday morning on my way to…
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Saturday cartoon by Ralph Underhill
Nitrogen oxides kill people. The revelation that a massive company would install software in its products to avoid being caught by regulations designed to reduce the products’ harmful impacts on human health is still a shocking one. It is deeply shocking. But given big industry’s record in knuckling down to regulation (tobacco and cancer,…
Not interested in the rugby world cup?
Then go out and see some birds! And while you’re at it – buy the October issue of Birdwatch. This month there is a fascinating article about Scillonian pelagics (where I saw my first and only (so far) Wilson’s Petrels) and an interesting review of eastern rarities and when and where they occur these days….
Bobbing about
I like boat trips – I never have to drive. Sunday was a lovely day, and there’s the rub – lovely weather often means not many seabirds! What we needed on the Yorkshire Belle was a strong wind and heaving seas – but there’s a rub there too – if the weather’s too bad then…
Satellite tags
Defra doesn’t have a plan for Hen Harrier conservation – if it did then the deployment of satellite tags on a large scale by private individuals and wildlife NGOs would have to be part of it. Of course, we taxpayers have paid for satellite (and radio) tags to be deployed on a moderate scale for…