BLOG POSTS
What did Shania sing?
The RSPB really is in a pickle over its line on bird of prey persecution. Having welcomed the Hen Harrier inaction plan, welcomed the pathetic statement by the Moorland Association and disappointed many (except the Chief Exec of Songbird Survival) with its line on the Hen Harrier breeding season update, more and more people are…
Remarkable
I have it on good authority (though not absolutely cast-iron I would admit) that Defra minister(s) have asked, through the Defra Press Office, that the Natural England Press Office don’t bother to include any links to this blog in media summaries they send to Defra, as ministers won’t read them. That’s not remarkable – but…
43,000
That’s another thousand in the bag and we still aren’t half way in time yet. And it comes only two days after 42,000 was reached. That was a successful over! Thanks everyone! Take a look at the map which you will see is still dominated by rural constituencies, many of them in grouse moor areas:…
Congratulations to Sir Ian Booo!tham
Sir Ian Booo!tham has been awarded the inaugural ‘Outstanding guns’ award by Fieldsports Magazine. This award ‘gives recognition to individuals in the world of game shooting who truly deserve it, for all the right reasons‘ apparently. The award has been invented because ‘the game shooting community must do all that it possibly can to ensure…
Will football results affect the EU referendum?
I’ll be watching ‘the’ football match this afternoon and wondering whether the result might affect the EU referendum. And if it does – how? If Wales beats England today, and I certainly wouldn’t rule it out, how will that affect English voters in the EU referendum? And Welsh ones, and Scots and those in…
Lack of vowels shock, warning by wildlife gunners
The GWCT (Gunning wildlife, conserving tadpoles) thrash around in a complete dither these days. They don’t know whether they are coming or going – quite literally. Having said that they would be pleased to field someone for the Bird Fair debate on whether driven grouse shooting should be banned they have now come back to…
Round up
A few things that have caught my eye: remember microbeads? – Defra minister says UK supports a ban another dead Red Kite found dead in Yorkshire near Blubberhouses – this one was shot Craig Bennett, FoE, on why Brexiteers don’t want to talk about the environment please sign this e-petition to call on Norway…
Moorland Association rattled – keepers take note!
In their June newsletter, the Moorland Association mention to their members that there have been three damaging incidents for the reputation of grouse shooting in recent weeks. The first they describe as the ‘Hen Harrier Decoy Film’ incident – although at the time Amanda Anderson wasn’t sure what she was looking at, saying ‘From the…
That sovereignty thing #Remain
A lot is made by the Brexiteers of taking back our sovereignty. Piffle! And much was made of President Obama’s pronouncements on whether the UK should stay in the EU, and the suggestion was that the USA would never give up its sovereignty in a similar way. Eh? The clue is in the name –…