Born and bred in Inverness, with a zoology degree from Aberdeen, I managed the reintroduction of Sea Eagles from Norway to Rum 1975 to 1985, for NCC, and remain on the UK Project Team as an independent. Moved to South Uist as Area Officer for SNH/NatureScot covering Uist, Barra and St Kilda 1992-2006. Retired to…
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Guest blog – A Farewell by Twitcher in the Swamp
If you read British Wildlife, the subscription-only magazine that was launched back in 1989, and which has now reached its 35th volume, you may know my column Twitcher in the Swamp. It began halfway through Volume 1, and finally ended at the end of Volume 34. I have grown old with Twitcher. A single page…
Bye, bye Amanda
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The news that Amanda Anderson is leaving the Moorland Association after 10 years as Director doesn’t come as a great surprise. Ten years of batting on a very sticky wicket would be enough for most people. Also, Amanda has not been very high profile for a few years and the Moorland Association’s Twitter feed is…
Sunday book review – The Complete Insect edited by David A. Grimaldi
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Naming your book ‘The Complete…[Anything]’ is quite a statement, calling it The Complete Insect when there are 3.5 million such species might seem like asking for trouble, but this book carries off such a claim very well. It is a book packed with gorgeous photographs, informative and clear diagrams and a wealth of facts. There…
Sunday book review – Tadpole Hunter by Arnold Cooke
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The author of this book was probably Britain’s first professional amphibian conservationist and his recollections of the evolution of the subject go back over five decades. Such insider accounts are valuable records of how we got to the current day. An idea of the importance of Arnold Cooke’s contributions to the field can be gauged…