Standing up for Nature
Oscar writes: On the day I took this, most of the water on my local nature reserve was frozen, forcing the majority of the ducks to congregate on the small areas of open water remaining. The coots, one of the most territorial of the birds there, kept getting into scraps with each other but they never…
I’ve just finished my Big Garden Birdwatch. I started at 1030 but then was on the phone for quite a while. Whose ears were burning? It was a good BGBW – no cats and lots of birds! Blackbird 4 Chaffinch 2 Reed Bunting 1 House Sparrow 4 Great Tit 1 Starling 5…
Still writing to an end-January deadline so little time for reading. Here instead is an email from America, forwarded to me by my publisher: Hello, Mark I just finished reading A MESSAGE FROM MARTHA…I have overwhelming sadness at the destruction of such a prolific bird, and I have anger mixed with sadness for the ignorance…
You’ll remember, perhaps, that the Countryside Alliance complained about the RSPB to the Charity Commission and got told to sling their hooks? ‘Your central complaint is that the RSPB has misused data and made unfounded allegations in their Birdcrime Report. Having examined the issues raised and met with the trustees, we have concluded that we…
I’m grateful to the Chair of the Hawk and Owl Trust for some attempts to answer some queries posted here yesterday (see comment by Philip Merricks on this blog and an abridged version copied with my comments below). The Hawk and Owl Trust is, of course, under no obligation to answer questions on this blog…
Mark writes: I’ll be doing the Big Garden Birdwatch on Sunday – probably while listening to Desert Island Discs, drinking tea and eating a Digestive Biscuit or two. The garden has been quite bird-filled recently with occasional Reed Buntings as well as the more usual Starlings, Blue and Great Tits, Robin, Blackbirds, House Sparrows,…
There are, it seems, several strong proponents for a Hen Harrier brood management scheme, which seem to number the GWCT, BASC, the Moorland Association, the National Gamekeepers Organisation and the Hawk and Owl Trust. There are some people who are dead against the very idea of a brood management scheme, although not, as best I…
Defra – where’s the report of the Lead Ammunition Group, please? The group will be convened for an initial 12-month period…. It’s only been going for five years. Hello? Is there anybody there? Hello??? How long does it take to write ‘We’re heading for a lead-free future as quickly as possible’?
The Hawk and Owl Trust has failed dismally to explain their position as far as I am concerned. This statement appeared on the Hawk and Owl website which I now intend to analyse: Philip Merricks, Chairman Hawk and Owl Trust 20 Jan 2015 ‘You will be aware that the RSPB formally announced last year that,…
Let’s take a step back and look at the idea of a brood management scheme for Hen Harriers. The idea of ‘doing something’ to Hen Harrier eggs, chicks and/or adults, to reduce their impacts on driven grouse shooting has been kicking around for years. If the shooting industry had not been so intransigent, and if…