What people are reading…

I’ve been asked by a few people about a good bird book – lockdown is making people look at what’s around them, and in many ways, the most obvious, alluring and beautiful things to watch are birds. And that’s why they are buying these titles on Amazon… The RSPB Pocket Guide is the 138th best-selling…

Guest blog – Peregrines and licences by Bob Elliot

Bob was the head of the investigations and species protection team for the RSPB for 14 years, fighting wildlife crime both in the UK and internationally. He is now the Director for OneKind, an animal welfare charity based in Edinburgh, that exposes cruelty and persecution to Scotland’s animals via investigations, research and campaigning. @onekindtweet OneKind…

Midnight deadline for entries to the Lockdown Nature-writing challenge

Entries continue to come in for this – I have only read two of them so far! I am expecting quite a lot of entries this afternoon because most people leave things to the last minute or so. You have until midnight and all entries are very welcome. For details see below. Across the world,…

Bird song (42) – Bittern

The booming song of the Bittern is not going to be heard in every garden in the land but probably this year in more than for a long time. The combination of less noise from road and air vehicles with a booming population (that’s a pun that few can resist) means that the extraordinary song…

BASC writes to George Eustice

BASC is asking DEFRA to take notice of them – that’s usually what BASC press releases are about. This one has an inherent flaw in it though, although I expect that they will get away with it. What is that flaw? BASC asks DEFRA to take account of shooting’s conservation benefits when considering what to…

Alok Sharma MP on COP26

Press release from UK Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Department and Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, President of COP26. COP26 President Alok Sharma gave his closing remarks to the Petersberg Climate Dialogue by video on Tuesday 28 April 2020. The UK, as incoming Presidency for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), co-hosted the two day…

Midnight tomorrow – entries for this blog’s Nature-writing Challenge

There are more than 20 entries already in for this blog’s Nature-writing Challenge. There’s plenty of time for you to compose your entry today, and come back to it tomorrow to polish it and send it in. Across the world, people are experiencing a shared concern for themselves and their loved ones and many are…

NEWS: no Minke whaling in Iceland in 2020

Following last week’s news that Fin whaling would not take place in Iceland in 2020 it is now reported that Minke whaling will not go ahead either. Minke whaling in Iceland is mostly for domestic consumption – in restaurants (often for tourists) and sold in supermarkets. Today it is reported that thanks to increases in…

Guest blog – International Dawn Chorus Day by Chris Baines

Chris Baines is an independent environmental adviser to industry and Government.  He is an award-winning writer and broadcaster and has been championing wildlife gardening and urban nature conservation for more than 40 years. A blog for International Dawn Chorus Day, First Sunday in May International Dawn Chorus Day is the first Sunday in May:  the…

RSPB press release – International Dawn Chorus Day

This weekend, wake up to the symphony of the Dawn Chorus! Sunday 3rd May is International Dawn Chorus Day – a day to celebrate the early morning swell of birdsong! In this unprecedented time when many of us have limited access to the outdoors, you only need to open your window to enjoy this natural…