Social Distancing Week 9. Holly Blue. Paul writes: I’ve been watching Holly Blues flitting around my garden for the past few weeks but they have never settled anywhere, until this week. I have a Holly bush in the garden, that I’ve been watching regularly, hoping one of the butterflies would show an interest in it….
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Peregrine by Brian Leecy
This is a great image of one of three young Peregrines from a brood somewhere in the north of England. It’s an image to keep in mind when considering the controversy over Natural England’s licensing of removal of Peregrine chicks from nests for the purposes of ‘falconry’. Previous blogs on this controversy: 16 April: Natural…
Sunday book review – Atlas of the Mammals of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by Derek Crawley et al.
This is an up-to-date atlas of the distribution of mammals in the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. All such books are fascinating. The book is well produced and looks attractive. It follows a well-worn path of such books: some information at the front about the scope, history, methods and those involved…
Tim Melling – Black Grouse
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I was driving across a moor in County Durham in January and I spotted this female Black Grouse from the car. It is the first close photograph I have ever managed of a female Black Grouse. Some books call them Greyhens but they are brown rather than grey so that seems like quite a daft…
Saturday cartoon by Ralph Underhill
Ireland stops pigeon shooting for three month summer break.
The Irish Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, has ordered the end of pigeon shooting throughout the Republic of Ireland between 31 May and 1 September. I don’t know why she has done this – it’s quite interesting. In fact I can’t find anything about this move on her Department website but…
Stay local this weekend urge wildlife NGOs in England – press release
Stay local and check for info before travelling this weekend, urge major nature groups With fair weather expected this weekend and restrictions in England relaxed, people will be keen to get outside and into nature. Major nature charities are urging the public to consider four things before travelling to beauty spots or nature sites. The…
My second BBS visit
This morning I did the first visit of 2020 to my second Breeding Bird Survey square. Although starting in a sizeable village, as usual, there weren’t many people about, and as usual the caged canaries in a shed in a garden made me pause briefly to think ‘What’s that?’. I did meet a man with…
RSPB press release – raptor persecution
Bird of prey persecution crimewave during lockdown The RSPB has received a surge in reports of birds of prey being illegally killed since lockdown began The majority of incidents have been on or close to sporting estates managed for game bird shooting The public are being asked to stay vigilant and report crimes against birds of prey The RSPB’s Investigations Unit has been…
Press release – the Beaver Trust
Over 60 Leading Wildlife and Conservation NGOs Support Faster Beaver Restoration More than 60 leading conservation, wildlife and nature organisations have come together to support an appeal by Beaver Trust to speed up the restoration of beavers to Britain. “The loss of beavers from our natural environment has coincided with a dramatic decline of the…