I hadn’t realised there are so many pigeons pecking away at the heather in our National Parks. Above is a Fairbang gas gun set up in the Peak District – is it really fair to have gas guns banging away in our National Parks? Is this what National Parks are for? I gather you can…
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Urban birding for the BTO
I took a leaf out of David Lindo’s book and went urban birding. Well, actually, it was the BTO House Martin survey and I had volunteered to visit lots of houses in Corby. Blackbird Road (off Dunnock Road) and near Robin Road, and with Jackdaw, Flycatcher, Fieldfare, Thrush, Nuthatch, Lapwing, Siskin, Magpie and Lark closes…
Looking forward to…
…speaking to the Surrey Bird Club on Friday evening at their meeting which starts at 1945 in East Horsley Village Hall. There will be copies of A Message from Martha …and even of Fighting for Birds and much…
The ghostly male Hen Harrier
That’s a bloody enormous male Hen Harrier flying across the Cairngorms! It took us, that’s me and Henry, weeks to pile the snow up like that but everyone on the A9 saw it…didn’t they? #HaveYouSeenHenry? Keep in touch with Hen Harrier Day events through this website.
Oddest sighting of Hen Harrier?
A reader of this blog was pleased to see a male Hen Harrier pictured on this Environment Agency sign on the Jubilee river (which is the flood prevention scheme near Slough – of all places). It would be possible to see a Hen Harrier near there in winter but it would be a good…
Fair do’s
Received from Natural England just now in response to my earlier request. Dear Dr Avery Access to information request – Acknowledgement – Request No 3002 Thank you for your request for information for extracts from Paper ref: NELG/S/07/4, which we received today. We are dealing with your request under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004….
Dear Natural England
Dear Natural England This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations. Please supply, in electronic format, the following extracts from Paper ref: NELG/S/07/4, Title: Designations Programme: Process to establish Gate Zero’, Sponsor: Dr Tim Hill, Chief Scientist, which was Item 4 on the meeting of the Natural England…
West Pennine Moors again
Local people involved in the West Pennine Moors lingering non-notification case have received various documents from Natural England under Freedom of Information requests. This blog uses information from the heavily redacted note to the NE Leadership Group Strategy meeting of 23 March 2015 (meeting no NELG/S/07) entitled Designations Programme: Process to establish Gate Zero (whatever…
Oscar Dewhurst – Dartford Warbler
Oscar writes: Over the past few weeks I’ve spent a couple of days photographing Dartford Warblers. This particular bird was a male that hadn’t yet paired up with a female so was still singing to proclaim its territory. Early in the morning the light was brilliant, showing off the bird’s colours really nicely. Dartford Warbler:…
Sunday book review – The Complete Naturalist by Nick Baker
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There is no such thing as the complete naturalist – that’s part of the fun of nature. There is always more to learn – more mysteries to unravel. And I doubt that Nick Baker would claim to be the complete naturalist. But when you get past the title of the book, and stop harrumphing about…