It must be difficult going in front of a Parliamentary Committee to justify why you should get a job, but that is what the Chair-designate of Natural England has to do. And that’s what birder, fisherman, environmentalist and wildlife enthusiast Tony Juniper did very well yesterday. It’s difficult because you are talking to a small…
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Burning continues
Strines Moor on Monday. Walshaw Moor on Monday From Upper Midhope looking across to Shaw Brook and Fenny Common, Peak District on Monday. Walshaw Moor on Tuesday
Guest blog – Toad Rage by Paul Sterry
Dr Paul Sterry has an academic background in freshwater biology and is a passionate conservationist. He has been writing about natural history and photographing wildlife for the last 40 years, with an emphasis on the British scene. Toad Patrol on a busy Hampshire lane. In early spring every year, thousands of toads, frogs and newts…
A spring-like winter bird survey
I was back to my farmland site to do the February visit for the English Winter Farmland Bird Survey on Sunday. It was a sunny day – and actually warmer than some May early mornings when I have surveyed this square for the BBS. There was a lot of bird song and so it felt,…
Countryfile makes a comeback
It is worth watching the piece on moorland burning that went out on Countryfile last night. (Click here from 14mins – 25mins in) There are claims that the system designed to protect [blanket bog] is not fit for purpose https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0002tww/countryfile-gloucestershire Well done to Guy Shrubsole and Friends of the Earth! That dossier of burning on…
Paul Leyland – Swollen-thighed Beetle
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Paul writes: This bright metallic coloured beetle is hard to miss when it’s out in the open. The Swollen-thighed Beetle is one of the many English names it goes by, its Latin name is Oedemera nobilis. Only the males have the swollen thighs but the female shares all the other characteristics, metallic green colour, wing…
Countryfile this evening
Burning of moorland, particularly the newly-invented ‘restoration burning’ of blanket bogs will feature on Countryfile this evening. The observations of burning of blanket bogs featured on this blog formed part of the dossier that was used by Guy Shrubsole and others and which will, I’m guessing, feature in the programme. The blurb for the programme…
Countryside Alliance clash with Defra policy on grouse hand-outs
The Countryside Alliance is giving Chris Packham a little rest and is turning its nastiness towards Tony Juniper, Michael Gove’s proposed new Chair of the hapless Natural England (who will appear before the Efra committee on Tuesday). According to the Sunday Telegraph, campaigners representing ‘farming, countryside communities and businesses‘, (though only the Countryside Alliance is…
Wicken on Friday evening
I paid a visit to Wicken Fen on Friday evening – it was such a lovely day I wanted to get out and away from a computer for a while. And with my NTS membership card it’s free to get in. Let’s cut to the punchline – we saw a male Hen Harrier twice. Twice,…
Tim Melling – Saker Falcon
Tim writes: the Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) is a very large falcon of plains and steppes across Eurasia, that feeds largely on small mammals. This is subspecies milvipes (which means kite-footed) which breeds across the steppes of Asia but winters further south, including China. I photographed this one above 3500m on the Tibetan Plateau where…