Let’s have a 5-year reunion at the Derwent Dam! Chris Packham is up for it, Ruth Tingay is up for it, I’m up for it – are you up for it? Next year – Sunday 11 August 2019 – save the date.
BLOG POSTS
Four signatures so far (Icelandic whaling letter from tour operators)
The letter below was sent to eight travel companies asking them whether they would sign up. So far we have four signatures and two refusals (see below). I have no beef with the two companies, so far, who have said a polite ‘no’. All companies are different, they face different constraints and signing this letter…
After they get back from Specsavers, the Angus Glens Moorland Group may wish to have a go at this one… Many thanks to Mr Carbo for this.
Angus Glens – they should have gone to Specsavers
The Angus Glens Moorland Group provide this useful checklist for visitors – there won’t be too many genuine ticks on the left hand side of the page and anyone ticking Redshank here ought to provide a photo of the bird to their local county bird recorder for verification. 103 bird species were not just recorded…
A letter to the Icelandic Prime Minister from wildlife tour operators?
Following on from last week’s blogs about tour operators and Icelandic whaling (see here and here ) I have had some fruitful and positive interactions with several tour operators who take visitors to Iceland. I have to say that these have been entirely polite, apparently open and wholly constructive. As a result I have drafted…
Bowland Gull Cull 14 – some information
At 14:59 this afternoon I received some answers to my FOI request of 10 July 2017 about the Bowland gull cull (see here for summary). I’m very grateful to NE for their response. It will take me a few days to read the large documents that I have been sent and to figure out what…
That damning report on the Raven cull
Earlier today SNH issued a statement and published their own Scientific Advisory Committee’s views on the value of SNH’s highly controversial licensing of a Raven cull in the Strathbraan area. Reading the SNH statement you might get the impression that the SAC did have some serious doubts about the project that SNH had licensed but…
NEWS: SNH admit Raven cull error – but fail to apologise for it
This was issued this morning by SNH – it represents a significant victory for the challenge by the Scottish Raptor Study Group, led by Ruth Tingay, to the legality of the licence to cull Ravens issued by SNH. See also the report by the Scientific Advisory Committee. I’ll come back to this later today….
Guest blog – Wildfire and Moorland Management by Bob Berzins
Wildfire and Moorland Management The moorland above Carrbrook Greater Manchester has been devastated by one of the largest moorland fires in recent years. The fire started on 24th June and burnt for around three weeks covering an area of 18 sq km. The cloud of smoke was visible from space and residents had to abandon…
Paul Leyland – Wool Carder Bee
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Paul writes: The Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum) is a favourite of mine, one I always look out for at this time of year. The beautiful, yellow spotted abdomen really catches your eye as the bee darts around a flower patch. The male is very territorial, an aggressive male will patrol an area and defend…