The current Natural England board is: Andy Clements – stands down 13 July 2020 Teresa Dent – stands down 13 July 2020 Simon Lyster – stands down 13 July 2020 Michael Winter – stands down 20 August 2020 Catherine Dugmore Sue Hartley Henry Robinson And so get your hankies out to wish a tearful farewell…
BLOG POSTS
Cuckoos – good year or bad year?
My farmer friend Duncan told me he hadn’t yet heard a Cuckoo this year when I saw him this morning – and I told him that, for the first time since 2014, I’d heard one from the garden. Such are the sharing of bird observations that happen all over and which tend to form a…
Down on the farm…
This morning, early, I paid a visit to the workplace of one of my favourite farmers: Duncan Farrington’s place down the road from me, the home of the Mellow Yellow range. Those who have read the last chapter of A Message from Martha might have guessed what my visit was about, and yes, I was…
Guest blog – Wool-carder Bee by Jane V. Adams
Jane is a naturalist, photographer and nature writer living in Dorset. Her work has appeared in books, anthologies and blogs for charities such as The Wildlife Trusts and the International Bee Research Association. When she’s not exploring Dorset’s lanes and countryside she can be found lying on her stomach watching insects in her garden. Jane’s…
Countryfile last night
Last night’s Countryfile programme was great on butterflies and better than usual on crimes against birds of prey. You can watch the whole entertaining programme here and the raptor slot started at about 10:20 into the show (the butterflies before were really great!). Tom Heap was the presenter of this item and he’s pretty good,…
Black birders week #blackbirdersweek
This week is black birders week – a mainly North American thing. And, by chance, it comes at the time when there are riots across the USA after the death of George Floyd at the hands, or knee, of a white policeman. Last week I read about this event in Central Park where a black…
I’d love to see this…
Every 13 or 17 years there is an emergence of Periodical Cicadas in parts of the eastern USA. This is a year for the 17-year emergence. I wish I were able to be in North Carolina, west Virginia or West Virginia to check in with this phenomenon. What were you doing in 2003? What do…
A new nature writer blog – and an interview with me
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Amanda Tuke has jacked in her former day job and is attempting to make a small living out of freelance nature and travel writing – good luck Amanda! I’ve subscribed to her blog because I think this could be an interesting story unfolding over the months. And Amanda asked whether she could interview me on…
After…things I would like to be different (6)
Why don’t we just scrap HS2? And some aircraft carriers? If you were wondering back in February why the government was ploughing onward with such an unpopular and costly project as HS2 then you should be wondering that even more now. The future will involve more working from home, less rushing in to and out…
Guest blog – Young Wild Writer Competition for Hen Harrier Day 2020 – Gill Lewis
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Gill Lewis writes: I’m really excited to have been given the chance to organise and announce the Young Wild Writer Competition for Hen Harrier Day 2020. My books have covered various issues, such as the impacts of bear bile farming in Southeast Asia and coltan mining the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, but…