Werritty evidence session tomorrow

Tomorrow morning, from 09:30, the Scottish Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee will take evidence from three members of the Werritty group whose report on licensing of grouse moor management was so inadequate. The three members are the Chair, Prof Alan Werritty, and Prof Colin Reid and Prof Alison Hestor. It will be interesting…

Wild Justice is fundraising and going birding

Wild Justice is fundraising in the month running up to the first anniversary of its launch – see here for details. Also, Ruth Tingay and I will be looking out for raptors over the next few weeks – see where we will be, click here. Maybe we’ll see you while we watch harriers flying past?

Coming soon to your bookshelf – Red Sixty Seven

A new creative collaboration, bringing together two of Britain’s wild bird charities and leading writers and artists, has just been launched. Titled ‘Red Sixty Seven’, the project seeks to raise awareness of our most at-risk birds and secure additional funds for BTO and RSPB scientists to carry out important research, work that should help to…

Tim Melling – Przewalski’s Nuthatch

Tim writes: Przewalski’s Nuthatch (Sitta przewalskii)  is a scarce Nuthatch that only occurs in mature pine forests in southeastern Tibet and west central China.  It was formerly considered just a subspecies of the White-cheeked Nuthatch of the western Himalayas but recent molecular work has confirmed it as a good species.  In addition, the ranges of…

Uptown girl…

Two Cambridge colleges, at either end of The Backs, have recently announced their new ‘Masters’. At the up-town end of the waterway, and said to be the richest per student capita college of all, St John’s, the new Master will be Heather Hancock. Mrs Hancock has featured in this blog now and again over the…

Guest blog: Planting Trees (2) by Ian Parsons

Ian Parsons spent twenty years working as a Ranger with the Forestry Commission, where he not only worked with birds of prey and dormice, but where he developed his passion for trees. Now a freelance writer, Ian runs his own specialist bird tour company leading tours to Extremadura. For more details see www.griffonholidays.com This is…

Garden birds

I keep glancing out of the window at the birds in the garden – many of them are on bird feeders and fat balls. There is often a good selection of Goldfinches, House Sparrows, Great and Blue Tits, Robins, Blackbirds and more. One of the ‘more’ at the moment is an occasionally-seen male Blackcap. ‘Pretty…