This is an account of the history of the Woodland Trust – an organisation which reaches its 50th birthday on 10 October 2022. I used to be quite sniffy about the Woodland Trust, and I think I was right because in the past it neglected the importance of management of woodland and seemed to prioritise…
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Short-eared Owl by Brian Leecy
Isn’t this a beautiful bird?
Bird flu strategy for England and Wales
In response to this document published yesterday I said this (in a series of tweets, reproduced here below with typos corrected) and the RSPB said this (lower still): UK context: this is by and for England and Wales. It rather ignores the fact that birds fly around between England and Wales and Scotland. For example,…
Passenger Pigeon Day
The pigeon was known as Martha, and the species was the Passenger Pigeon. Amongst all extinctions, this example remains unusual in two respects: the precision with which the timing is known and the overwhelming abundance of the species just a few decades earlier – for, just a few decades before Martha died, the Passenger Pigeon…
RSPB press release – offshore wind energy projects might be a catalyst for marine restoration
New report shows how the expansion of offshore wind could be a catalyst for marine restoration New report from experts from conservation and energy shows how we can deliver offshore wind safely and help threatened seabird populations to recover and thrive again The UK’s coast and seas are home to amazing wildlife above and below…
Book review – Through a Vet’s Eyes by Sean Wensley
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To say that I enjoyed this book wouldn’t quite be right because it is about man’s inhumanity to other living creatures, but the author, a vet, has a gentle and engaging manner which makes this a very good read. I learned a lot, and most of it was disquieting. The author is keen on wildlife…
Guest blog – Saving Dead Wood (1) by Les Wallace
Who I am – Scottish with a fascination for wildlife from childhood – in lieu of formal qualifications (and not being able to flash them about!) – was on the 1990 International Youth Conservation Exchange to Hungary, was the 1993 winner of the BBC Wildlife Magazine ‘Realms of the Russian Bear’ competition and spent nearly…
Good news on Hen Harriers
This news from Natural England is very welcome – for two main reasons. First, it is good news, and second, it is fairly informative and doesn’t look as though it was written by the shooting industry. 119 Hen Harrier chicks fledged from 49 nests (actually from the 34 successful nests, and some nests were re-nests…
RSPB press release
RSPB warns of nature disaster as Tory leadership rhetoric targets laws that protect wildlife RSPB warns that loss of vital laws that protect wildlife, and the bodies that enforce them, will result in a disaster for nature and development free for all. RSPB calls on Tory leadership candidates to urgently commit to high standards and…
Truss beats Sunak – a dead cert?
I’ve made money over the years on political betting, although I nearly got my fingers burned over Brexit and Trump but, in both cases, could see which way the wind was blowing right at the end. The largest bet I’ve ever had was on the result of the 2001 general election which looked like a…