Natural England should be replying to Wild Justice’s Pre-Action Protocol letter over General Licence GL26 by 4pm today. Looking forward to seeing what they have to say.
BLOG POSTS
A conversation about lead levels
I was talking to a young-ish woman a while back (I’d guess she was in her 30s) in a social context and the subject of game meat came up, pretty much by chance. Now I don’t know this woman well, it was the first time we’d met, and we may never meet again, but I’m…
Swift Awareness Week press release
Over 100 local events have been organised by local Swiftconservation groups around the UK and in Eire in an attempt to raise the profile of this fast declining bird.To see a map showing where the events are and to read full details of each one, go to the Action for Swifts blog: https://actionforswifts.blogspot.com/p/2019-swift-awareness-week.html Nick Brown, SAW2019 Coordinator and the organiser of the Derbyshire Swift Conservation Project, said: “The very…
BBS
Next week I’m going to have to do my two ‘late’ BBS visits before the end of June. The combination of poor weather and rushing around has pushed them off the agenda but time is running out. I’m also going to have to finish the data entry for the English farmland bird surveys I carried…
The time is now
A week today there will be a rally in Westminster calling for politicians to take action on climate change and environmental decline. Kick-off 1pm. Save the date, book your transport, and come to London. I’m in London anyway that day, for a World Land Trust meeting, I hope I’ll be able to add myself to…
Guest blog – Dewilding Basingstoke by Paul Sterry
Dewilding Basingstoke One thing leads to another. This all harks back to the saga of Basingstoke’s beleaguered Common Toads, a story that not only continues but also evolves. So as summer approaches, and all those young toadlets leave their breeding ponds, perhaps an alternative title for this blog might be ‘Toad Rage – metamorphosis’. To…
Guest blog – The Ethics of Animal Exploitation part 2 by Alick Simmons
Alick Simmons is a veterinarian, naturalist and photographer. After a period in private practice, he followed a 35-year career as a Government veterinarian, latterly as the UK Government’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer. Alick’s lifelong passion is wildlife; he volunteers for the RSPB and NE in Somerset, is chair of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare,…
Paul Leyland – Common Cockchafer
Comments Off on Paul Leyland – Common Cockchafer
Paul writes: this beautiful pinkish brown beetle, the Common Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha), is a regular night time visitor to many gardens. I usually see them from the beginning of May to the middle of June, this one appeared on 14 May. They fly at night and are attracted to lights, so are often brought to…
Now and again I get something like this
I have just finished reading you (sic) very good book, “Inglorious” and even though I have lived a very different lifestyle to yours, at the end of the day we both share the same ideals, which is to help bring an end to driven grouse shooting. Five years ago I hadn’t even got a contract…
Tim Melling – Baby Gentoo Penguin
Comments Off on Tim Melling – Baby Gentoo Penguin
Tim writes: this baby Gentoo Penguin was wide awake while its parent standing guard is seizing the opportunity for a little snooze. They normally lay two eggs so it is likely that one egg or small chick will have been taken by a South Polar Skua. The parents share incubation and child-minding duties, having daily…