BLOG POSTS
January – rain stopped play
I am suffering from bird deprivation! I’ve seen under 90 species of bird so far this year. My visit to the Exe Estuary and a boat trip was rained off. My visit to the north Norfolk coast was rained off. My visit to the Nene Washes was curtailed by the rain. I was so desperate…
The raptor haters? – Lord Tebbit.
The ‘raptor haters?’ is an occasional series of posts about those who slag off raptors. Lord Tebbit was a pilot and therefore could be expected to have empathy with those with mastery of the air. He also has sound environmental transport credentials having recommended that people get on their bikes. How sad then, to discover…
Grouse moor licensing
Four weeks today we will know how many signatures have been attached to John Armitage’s e-petition on licensing of grouse moors (a policy supported by the RSPB). In the last 10 days the e-petition has really picked up speed – it’s amazing what a deadline does, isn’t it? It now stands at over 8350 signatures…
Letter to my MP
This is my latest letter to my MP – in line with my suggestion to readers of my Birdwatch column – ‘the political birder’. Why don’t you drop your MP an email along similar lines? Dear Andy First may I thank you for coming round and doing the Big Garden Birdwatch with me. You seemed…
Two passings
I spent much of yesterday sitting at a computer and listening to the music of the late Pete Seeger on Spotify. As I travelled through the USA last summer I listened to his voice quite often and I found it inspiring. Many of us, of a certain age, will have heard songs such as Where…
Guest Blog – Top ten tips for getting a job in conservation by Nick Askew
Nick Askew has 15 years’ experience working in wildlife conservation in the UK and internationally. He runs Conservation Careers which is a social enterprise helping job seekers and conservation organisations to form lasting relationships. His website lists careers advice and job vacancies from within the world of wildlife conservation, and provides an opportunity for job-seekers…
It’s wet in my ‘back yard’
It was a bit of a toss-up whether to go out for a walk this morning or not. I’d been up since 5am and got quite a lot of work done – I’d written 700 words on Stanwick Lakes for a book that is being compiled about the Nene Valley so I felt pretty good. …
Doves of peace
When the ecological Pope Francis released some white doves as a sign of peace they were attacked by a corvid and a larid see here, here, here. How metaphorical can you get? My reactions were varied: 1. The nerdy birder: it’s not a ‘seagull’ – it looks like Larus michahellis to me with those yellow…
Petitions, petitions, petitions.
Tomorrow, wildlife cameraman and natural history presenter Gordon Buchanan will appear at the Holyrood Petitions Committee to ask the Scottish Parliament to support a RSPB campaign formally to adopt the Golden Eagle as Scotland’s national bird. The campaign calls for the adoption of the Golden Eagle as a new national symbol, alongside the lion rampant,…