Ralph Underhill is on holiday. We should beat Sweden today, and we could beat Sweden today but it would be a rash person who assumed that we will beat Sweden today. The Betfair odds are that England are even money to win (in 90 mins), Sweden 3.8/1 and the draw is 2.35/1. The best looking…
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National Trust makes meadow purchase in the White Peak
National Trust Press Release Lifeline for plunging wildlife as important hay meadows saved in the Peak District The National Trust has purchased 186 hectares (460 acres) of wildflower-rich farmland in the Peak District – securing a potential lifeline for plunging butterfly and bee populations. As Britain marks National Meadows Day, the conservation charity…
Wild food (39) – Bilberry by Ian Carter
I used to think of the Bilberry (often Blaeberry north of the border) as an upland plant – something available for browsing in high summer when crossing wide expanses of heath or moor. In recent years I’ve found it along local hedge-banks and within deciduous woodland in the dairy and sheep country of the lowlands,…
Fair Game?
The Game Fair is limping along still. It seems to have settled at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire. This year’s dates are 27-29 July, that’s just over three weeks away. Here are a few of the events where the shooting community tells itself how wonderful it is and how everyone is on its side provided they all…
Almost there…ha ha!
The Cabinet meets today on an away-day to iron out the last few wrinkles in the UK’s Brexit programme. All that needs to be resolved is that they decide what sort of Brexit we want and what might be remotely achievable. What could go wrong? By the end of today we will either be seeing…
Potteric Carr 50th birthday, Sunday 22 July
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Emperors
Yesterday the Purple Emperors were showing well at Fermyn Woods. This one was on the path about 100m from where I parked my car. Simples! And FC seem to have done some quite sensible ride widening too.
BBS done for this year.
I completed the second survey for my second BBS square the other day. Very few birds on this visit – amazingly few actually. Even few Carrion Crows and few Wood Pigeons. And yet I added a new species to the site (this was my 14th year of surveys here) – a very topical Raven. Maybe…
Missed this one!
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Having been in the USA for a significant chunk of time recently, I noticed this press release. It refers to the extinct Carolina Parakeet – a species which was probably last seeen in the wild in 1904, but whose last individual survivor died in Cincinnati Zoo (in the same cage that housed the last Passenger…
A welcome task
I’ve been out of the UK for weeks – so I had to get special dispensation from my BTO regional organiser to do my second BBS visits in early July instead of by the end of June. I visited what I think of as my ‘second’ square first: partly because it is an easier walk,…