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More choices, more choices
The Birdwatch Birders’ Choice nominations are published, and the closing date is the end of this month – click here. Book of the Year? Bird Therapy by Joe Harkness Rebirding by Benedict MacDonald RSPB Guide to Birdsong by Adrian Thomas Gulls by John Coulson Oceanic Birds of the World by Steve NG Howell I’ve only…
Guy Fawkes night cartoon by Ralph Underhill
Shouty Blackbirds
The Blackbird is an incredibly familiar bird – have you seen one today? Or heard one? When I was doing fieldwork for my PhD I spent a lot of autumn and winter evenings, at dusk, hanging around in places. The characteristic sound of that time was the ‘Chink!!’ of Blackbirds as the light faded. In…
Craig Whittaker must go – please
The Calder Valley constituency is currently the one offering the greatest support to the e-petition calling for a ban of driven grouse shooting. That’s not surprising since it is the home of the Ban the Burn campaign and there is plenty of support for the idea that recent floods have been caused by the intensification…
Labour’s new Green Deal
Labour’s election pledge for a big investment in energy-saving and green energy production is a vote winner with younger voters – and with me (see here and here). If there is a climate crisis (and there is) then we need to invest in this type of thing. The investment in insulation, which is always at…
Choices, choices
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The Birdwatch Birders’ Choice nominations are published, and the closing date is the end of this month – click here. I haven’t changed my mind on the important Guano Award so I’ve been pondering over the other categories. How about the Conservation Hero of 2019 award? The shortlist is: David Attenborough Greta Thunberg Jonny Rankin…
Seven Worlds, One Planet (2)
Last night it was Asia – big place Asia, so it’s not surprising there was some good footage from the Walruses and Polar Bears of the Arctic and the fighting reptiles of the deserts to the disappearing Sumatran Rhinos and Orang Utans of the jungles. Vertebrate-heavy as usual – though not many birds were squeezed…
Be careful – but not too careful
‘Be careful what you wish for…’ is a phrase that any campaigner finds often crops up. It is almost always uttered by someone diametrically opposed to whatever it is that you are seeking. Rarely (I won’t say never) does it come from cautious people on your own side of debate and that tells you something….
Chough – Tim Melling
Tim writes: in Britain, Choughs are rather rare, and have likely always been so as there are few English folk names for them. There are many ancient references to Chough but that is because this was the name originally applied to the Jackdaw. Shakespeare refers to Choughs in seven of his plays but at this…