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Malta response from Foreign Office.
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I walked past the Foreign Office the other day when I was in London and it made me wonder when my excellent local MP, Andy Sawford, might get a reply to his letter to them about ‘Maltese spring slaughter’. I found a letter waiting for me on my return. The letter is almost identical to…
Another unsatisfactory response from Defra
I met up with Sir John Randall MP earlier in the week for a chat about a range of issues – mostly about birds as Sir John is a keen birder. Yes, we covered Malta, Hen Harriers, the banning of driven grouse shooting and a range of other topics. We also talked about diclofenac use…
A bit of a round up – all good news
Virunga – good news here! And well done! to WWF. Hen Harriers in Bowland – some good news here – there are three pairs of Hen Harrier in England this year – that’s just under 1% of the number that there could be judging by the suitable habitat available. Hen Harriers on Springwatch – did…
BBS second visit
I’m really quite fond of my Breeding Bird Survey square (I have two but there is one that I think of as ‘mine’ more than the other). It really doesn’t photograph that well – being a bog-standard bit of arable farmland – but still, I am fond of it. On Sunday morning I made my…
Second blog of the day
My first blog of the day is posted at 6am, so when I started producing a second blog each day, 6pm seemed to have a certain symmetry about it. I definitely use this second blog of the day in a slightly different way – it’s usually less contentious, less hard-hitting and sometimes produces updates etc…
Farmland wildlife and taxpayer short-changed
Yesterday Defra announced what it is going to do with £11bn of your money – the answer is ‘not much’ except give it to farmers. That is £11,000,000,000. If you earn £100k a year (I bet you don’t) then it is the whole of your salary for 110,000 years. This is what the RSPB said:…
Malta
I recently received this letter from the British High Commission in Malta after emailing them to ask them, what they were doing on my behalf to make my feelings about illegal spring hunting clear to the Maltese government. Dear Dr Avery, Thank you for your email about the hunting of wild birds in Malta….
Hen Harrier Day – 10 August in the Peak District
I was in the Peak District for a few days last week – after seeing a Hen Harrier in Snowdonia at 0643 on the 60th anniversary of the Protection of Birds Act becoming law. I celebrated with a big Welsh breakfast (see above)(and a whoop of joy,…
Open Farm Sunday
I did a turn for my favourite local farmer yesterday on Open Farm Sunday. Duncan Farrington, of the delicious Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil (and the even more delicious Mellow Yellow garlic mayonnaise) had an event just down the road. I spent the day, in the sunshine, talking to people about birds, as I have done…