Some thoughts on the 2018 Bird Fair – the numbers game

The Bird Fair is great; it’s always great, and it was great over the last three days too. But great doesn’t mean perfect. And great doesn’t mean invulnerable. I think, but I might well be wrong, that the Bird Fair was a little quieter this year than last year, and it was a little quieter…

Dear John

I missed seeing Sir John Lister-Kaye at the Bird Fair but I’m told he gave an excellent talk about raptor persecution.  He’s a good speaker, I know, and I’m sure his talk will have motivated many of his audience on this important subject. I’m told, by upwards of a dozen people (so I’m pretty sure…

Bird Fair asks Iceland’s Prime Minister to end whaling

I spent some, by no means all, of my time at the Bird Fair getting signatures, on bits of paper, to ask the Icelandic Prime Minister to bring an end to whaling in her country.  I’m amazed by the total: we got… 1,320 signatures. Thank you to all who signed (and see some more acknowledgements…

Bird Fair Day 3

Over a thousand good things about the Bird Fair: This petition, on bits of paper, at the Bird Fair over the three days, raised over 1,000 signatures asking the Prime Minister of Iceland to put an end to whaling in her country. Dear Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland Each year the British Birdwatching Fair…

Paul Leyland – Six-spot Burnet

There are several species of Burnet moth and they are amongst the most noticeable day-flying moths in the UK. All are very similar, however the Six-spot Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae) is the only one with six distinct spots on each forewing. It is also the commonest and most widespread, being seen almost everywhere except in Scotland,…