The move by Waitrose to require its game suppliers to supply game meat that has not been shot with lead ammunition from the 2020/21 shooting season is likely to have considerable knock-on impacts. The GWCT is the leading scientific authority used by the shooting industry and, for example, restaurants that sell game. For example, when…
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Guest blog – Bermuda Petrel by Paul Sterry
Bird Photographer of the Year and the Bermuda Petrel The Cahow (to give it its local name) is Bermuda’s national bird and over the years this exquisite grey Pterodroma petrel has acquired almost mythical status, thanks to its remarkable story. Thought to be extinct for over three centuries, it was rediscovered and then brought back…
Tortoise media – try this article for a taste.
Read Simon Barnes’s long article on Sir David Attenborough. Tortoise is a great idea – I’ve signed up.
Country Life makes a lot of sense
This is a very well-written and fairly accurate editorial in Country Life magazine. You’ll see that it says many of the things that I have said myself in the blog post before this one. I’d written all of that blog before I saw the Country Life editorial so I was interested to see how similar…
Poor prospects for Red Grouse shooting – short, medium and long term
According to this round-up by Guns on Pegs this looks like being a poor year for Red Grouse shooting in most parts of the UK – the second year in a row. This looks like it is probably due to the weather – and the types of extreme weather events that haven’t helped this year…
Natural England begging for your money (2)
I wrote the other day about Natural England having a crowdfunder so that it can do its job, because ‘continuing’ its ‘vital conservation work’ is its job. The excellent ENDS Report, which seems to be a regular reader of this blog, has managed to get a quote from my mate, Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural…
I’ll be at…
…the first London Wildlife Festival tomorrow. I’m speaking about Hen Harriers at 17:45 in The Den.
YFTB – still got the wrong species
The You Forgot the Birds website still has that image, a gorgeous image, of a male Montagu’s Harrier to illustrate its Hen Harrier page alongside a more difficult identification problem of what is probably a 2nd summer Pallid Harrier. Maybe Hen Harrier Day would be a good time to get them both fixed.
RSPB press release
Over 10 hen harrier chicks satellite tagged this summer RSPB’s Hen Harrier LIFE project has fitted more than 10 young hen harriers with satellite tags this summer in Scotland. The EU LIFE funded project tagged birds from the Borders to the Highlands, with the generous support and assistance from of a variety of partners, volunteers,…
Ministerial responsibilities at Defra
Therese Coffey has had a promotion (and a payrise) but apparently has no responsibilities at all according to the Defra website this morning. Whereas new Parliamentary Under Secretary Zac Goldsmith seems to be doing quite a lot, and in two departments;