November 2015 was a good month for this blog with the fourth-highest number of page views (82882) and the sixth-highest number of unique users (18600). Compared with last November page views were 7.5% higher and unique users were 21% up.
BLOG POSTS
Guest blog – Death of Democracy by Andy Lester
Andy Lester is conservation director of the wildlife charity A Rocha UK. He also works as Chair to his local Wildlife Trust group, speaks nationally on wildlife issues and regularly writes columns for newspapers and magazines. Andy is married to Jacqui and live in Hampshire with their four boys. The residents of Roseacre and Little…
National Trust position on toxic ammunition and deer culling
The National Trust (E, W & NI), is a relatively small player in the world of deer culling – many hundred deer (perhaps low thousands) are culled on their very large landholding each year, but those are mostly with lead bullets at the moment (except where working in partnership with the RSPB where copper bullets…
Forest Enterprise Scotland position on toxic lead ammunition
Forest Enterprise Scotland seem to be moving rather more slowly towards getting rid of toxic lead ammunition – although I get the impression that they are probably heading in the right direction. What do you think – this is what they sent me as a statement?: Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) said: “Due to concerns regarding…
Forest Enterprise England to dump toxic ammunition
There is, of course, no need for anyone to wait for a legal ban on lead ammunition, or for Defra to stir themselves – they can just switch themselves. The legal move will sweep up the recalcitrant, the uninformed and the bloody minded and selfish. For example, the RSPB made the decision to drop lead…
Dear Secretary of State
Dear Ms Truss It is six months since you received the report of the Lead Ammunition Group and your department has, so far, not commented on it. Given that the findings of the report demonstrate human health impacts and wildlife health and conservation impacts your idleness is unacceptable. Each day you delay you are complicit…
If I can…
I get quite a lot of people who want stuff from me – they don’t all get it. Some of them are students and some of them seem, almost, to want me to write their essays or projects for them! But on the whole, I try to be helpful, particularly if they approach me in…
Westminster Hall debate on lead ammunition
There will be a Westminster Hall debate on lead ammunition next Tuesday on 8 December from 1630-1730. Members of the public are welcome to attend. It might be a good idea to contact your MP ahead of this debate and tell her or him what you think about the issue. These debates are fairly low-key…
Guest blog – GWCT 10th North of England Grouse Seminar by Dr Ruth Tingay
Dr Ruth Tingay is a raptor conservationist with field experience from North & Central America, Europe, Africa, Central and SE Asia. She studied the critically endangered Madagascar Fish Eagle for a PhD at Nottingham University and is a past president of the Raptor Research Foundation. She’s currently researching the illegal persecution of raptors & its…
Two days last week
I drove to Rainham Marshes to meet a friend for lunch and birding – both were good. We saw a very attractive Marsh Harrier with a cream crown and there were Blackwits and Golden Plover, and Pintail and Shovelerand Cetti’s Warbler and Stonechat too. And we moaned about the government, and a little about the…