This infographic has been sent to MPs by the Moorland Association and BASC recently. It allows me to make a few points. 1. They say: ‘Managing heather helps preserve and protect UK’s biggest carbon store‘. Not so according to The Times (1 October) reporting a recent study by Leeds University : ‘The owners of…
BLOG POSTS
Dear Andy – letter to my MP
Dear Andy I hope you are well. I’ll be coming to parliament a week today on a rally organised by the RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts and the League Against Cruel Sports, and supported by some other countryside organisations too. If you are around and could spare a few moments to talk then I’d be very…
If nothing happens, something will happen
It seems like the grouse shooters are in a corner and they are not sure what to do next. So they are falling back on the tactic that has served them well up until now – do nothing, give no ground, wait and see. Grouse shooting is in a corner – a corner of its…
Oscar Dewhurst – Stonechats
Oscar writes: While walking through a heathland last year I came across a family of Stonechats moving through the heather. I positioned myself slightly ahead of them and waited for them to come closer, which, luckily for me, they did. This image shows the two young birds perched on top of a clump of…
Books of the year
I seem to have reviewed 32 books on this site in 2014. They are all listed below. Reviewing books is a personal affair. I try not to say that books are good or bad – only that I like them or not. From that, you’ll have to make your own minds up. And I know…
Saturday cartoon by Ralph Underhill
Ralph says: ‘Black Friday causes Santa to have existential crisis‘
A bit of a round up
Comments Off on A bit of a round up
very nice blog by Findlay Wilde about coming runner up in the Animal Hero awards. I’m quite jealous that Findlay has had his photo taken with Brian May, but then Bohemian Rhapsody was at No 1 when I heard I had a place at Cambridge. Well done to Dominik Reynolds who won the award…
You should read this in Birdwatch
I have a great affection for Birdwatch magazine. First, they pay me to sound off about whatever is on my mind at the time and that is just completely lovely of them! Second, they put a Hen Harrier on the cover of the August issue with the headline ‘Stop killing our harriers’ and have been…
A little Stanwick bird quiz – and there’s a prize.
I’ve seen 154 species at my local patch of Stanwick Lakes since I started using Birdtrack in 2004. Here are 149 of them. Which are the missing five? Mute Swan Whooper Swan Pink-footed Goose White-fronted Goose Greylag Goose Canada Goose Shelduck Wigeon Gadwall Teal Mallard Pintail Garganey Shoveler Red-crested Pochard Pochard Tufted Duck…
We’re all on the same side really?
Amanda Anderson has handled her own PR company and the public relations of the Moorland Association for several years – now she is the Director of the Moorland Association. But she seems to have rather lost her temper in drafting this letter to the Durham Times. Maybe her boss, Moorland Association Chair Robert Benson lost…