Bitter harvest?

Around where I live the combines are out in the fields working by day and into the night.  It’s a bit unusual that some farmers are getting in their wheat before the end of the barley or rape harvests.  The high prices of wheat mean that everything depends on a good wheat harvest and yields…

TMS caught out by Batesian mimic?

England won the second test match yesterday on a very warm day.  After listening to see whether Bresnan would get a hat-trick (he didn’t) I nipped out to post some copies of my book to very astute purchasers.   This is becoming a regular afternoon outing and that’s fine by me. My route takes me through…

Do let it grow under your feet

I am quite busy in my post-RSPB life but I do find I have more time to read things that I would have meant to read in the past, but around to which I would not have got.  This report, Nature’s Tapestry, is a good example of something which I am glad that I can…

Something for the weekend sir?

I love farmers.  Well, admittedly not all of them, but then I don’t love all birdwatchers, all RSPB members or all of anything – maybe all hen harriers? But I do love the fact that some farmers are doing a fantastic job with the help of my taxpayer’s money on their farms. We have come…

The raptor haters – Sir Max Hastings

The raptor haters is an occasional series of articles on people who slag off birds of prey. Just over a week ago I was sitting next to Sir Max Hastings at the Game Fair and got on surprisingly well with him but he’s gone down in my estimations, not that that should worry him too…