Puffin. Photo: ©National Trust Images/Paul Kingston Farnes puffin numbers rally after initial concern in five-yearly survey results Results from a five-yearly survey reveal puffin numbers are stable on the remote Northumberland Farne Islands, cared for by the National Trust. Last May concerned rangers speculated that the initial low numbers from the outlying islands of this…
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Save the Gwent Levels from the Welsh Assembly Government
If Natural Resources Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government’s regulator and advisor, is against the plans to drive a motorway through the wildlife-rich Gwent Levels, then why is the Welsh Assembly Government intent on doing just that? My mother grew up in this part of South Wales and so I have personal memories of it. And…
Well done BBOWT and friends!
Yesterday I was in London so I had the opportunity to pass by the Royal Courts of Justice and wish these campaigners the best of luck. Last month the High Court refused permission for Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust’s (BBOWT) claim against the government regarding the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway – the story is…
Warm words on burning
Natural England has issued a position statement on burning of blanket bogs – the position is basically ‘Don’t!’. We understand that the serial blanket bog burners in the uplands are less than chuffed by actually being told what they can and can’t do. We can’t see any comment from the Moorland Association on this subject…
Please support the World Land Trust appeal
I’ll be in London tomorrow for a workshop of World Land Trust trustees and supporters so I thought I ought to urge you to support this appeal please. World Land Trust does a great job (I am slightly biased as a trustee, but also well-informed) and occupies a unique niche in raising money for land…
Dear Petitions Committee
Dear Petitions Committee (petitionscommittee@parliament.uk) I am a great supporter of the petitions process set up by the Westminster Parliament – at least I am in principle, but in practice my enthusiasm is waning a little. I’d like to suggest some changes to the system that, I believe, would improve its ability to command the confidence…
Hen Harrier champion goes independent
One of the MPs departing the Labour Party today is Angela Smith, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, and the Hen Harrier champion in Westminster. I know Angela to speak to, and she attended the Hen Harrier Day rally in the Goyt Valley in 2015, and so I sent her a quick message of support today….
Government response: not so much poor as awful.
Les Wallace’s epetition, having secured over 10,000 signatures, was entitled to an honest, serious and lucid response from Defra but it failed to get one. We know that these responses are signed off by government ministers and we assume that this one was signed off by the minister responsible for the areas covered by the…
Paul Leyland – Great Pied Hoverfly
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Paul writes: the Great Pied Hoverfly (Volucella pellucens) is pretty easy to identify. It is one of the largest flies in the UK with a body length of 13-17mm and wing length of up to 15mm. The size, combined with the black and white body, a protruding yellow face and a beautiful dark wing patch…
6000th blog post
I couldn’t let the moment pass without marking the fact that this is this blog’s 6000th post. And, with all respect to Paul Leyland and the marvellous image with interesting words coming up here at 6pm, I did want a landmark post to be written by me. From the very first blog post, which rather…