LUSH stores spent a week featuring the plight of the Hen Harrier back in August. I was really impressed when I went into several stores to talk to the staff, starting with Martyn and Joe in Northampton and Amy, Grace, Helena, Hayley and Dave in Peterborough. My office still has the aroma of bath-bombs in…
BLOG POSTS
Just like a Hen Harrier
A female Montagu’s Harrier looks very similar to a female Hen Harrier. They can be rather difficult to tell apart unless you are familiar with the two species (or one of them very well). Both are brown, the same shape and with a white rump. Did you see the item on the One Show yesterday…
Do you tweet? – re-revisited
In April 2013 and October 2013 I listed the Twitter followings of a range of wildlife organisations in the UK. I thought it would be fun to revisit that list now. Here are the 17 organisations listed with, in brackets; their number of Twitter followers (in thousands), their previous ranking in October 2013’s list and…
Too late to be rescued this parliament
The report of the highly-respected Environmental Audit Committee dishes out Red and Amber cards to this government over its environmental record. It is now largely too late to rescue its reputation before we vote in May. Far from what David Cameron claimed, it is clear that this is the ‘Red-and-Amber-most’ government ever! See for yourself…
Birds and climate change in the USA
This Sunday will see a series of marches and rallies around the world to highlight the impacts of climate change ahead of a meeting of world ‘leaders’ in New York. I’ll be at the march in London on Sunday so maybe we’ll meet there? Last week National Audubon published an analysis of the potential fate…
Thank you BNSS
Comments Off on Thank you BNSS
I’d just like to thank the Bournemouth Natural Science Society for being lovely to me. First, they were the first organisation who invited me to talk about Passenger Pigeons. Then they were understanding and allowed me to switch dates so that I could attend the Green Party Conference. Then they were understanding when I arrived…
More thoughts on a future BBS
I’m heading up to Scotland tomorrow to give a talk in Edinburgh, and I’ll be scurrying home on Wednesday before the independence vote on Thursday. I’m an Englishman born of an English father and Welsh mother but I had my first job in nature conservation in Scotland (before university), met my wife in Scotland, changed…
Small tortoiseshell makes a comeback
Butterfly Conservation say: One of the UK’s favourite butterflies – the Small Tortoiseshell, continued its fight back this summer after years of decline, despite enduring the coldest August since 1993, results from the Big Butterfly Count have revealed. The Small Tortoiseshell, whose population has declined by 78% since the 1970s, saw numbers rise by almost…
Oscar Dewhurst – Red Deer
Oscar writes: While walking into Minsmere one morning from Eastbridge I spotted this Red Deer standing by the reeds in the mist. The light levels were so low that it took me about 100 images before one was sharp! Nikon D800, Nikon 600mm f4 AFS-II
Sunday book review – the Nature Magpie by Daniel Allen
This is a book to keep in the loo and dip into when you have a few moments. Or put in your bag and dip into on your commute to work or in your lunch break. It’s not a story – it’s a well-chosen miscellany of nature facts, stories and history. I liked it. It…