For all that’s sacred…

I had a brief and pleasant walk at Stanwick Lakes one lunchtime this week.  The sun shone and there were lots of birds around. A common sandpiper meant that it was either autumn or spring.  An adult yellow-legged gull made it more likely that it was late summer as that is when I see most…

Wuthering Moors 27 – Secrecy and power

The revelations over the 23-year old events at Hillsborough have been shocking – deeply shocking.  But I wonder how many of us felt a little personal guilt for moments when we thought ‘It’s a long time ago’ or ‘Let it go’? This week the obstinacy and determination, and passion (there was lots of passion),  from…

For heaven on Earth’s sake

An interesting poll was reported yesterday.  Young people are more likely to cite ‘caring for the environment’ as their top moral issue than ‘having a religious faith’.  Admittedly there wasn’t much in it, and both of those answers were way below ‘looking after your family’ which headed the list. There is a strong moral element…

Maybe that’s why

I didn’t see many eagles on my holiday in Scotland.  I did travel down the A82 through Bridge of Orchy, and very pretty it was too. Last week a farm manager from Bridge of Orchy was convicted of possessing Carbofuran, an illegal poison whose use has been banned since 2001.  A dead golden eagle had…

Mmmmm! Yummy!

I tell the story in Fighting for Birds of staying at the house of a grouse moor manager and being given grouse to eat for dinner. I quite like grouse but I prefer pheasant on my plate.  There was a bit of an expectant hush as my host and some other guests waited to see…