Your votes in the poll on your preferred future name for the RSPB show you to be a pretty conservative bunch – no surprises there. Almost two thirds of the 600+ votes were for ‘no change’ with the remainder of the votes split more or less equally between a name that would stick to birds…
BLOG POSTS
Children’s Eyes on Earth
You have a few days to vote in this international photographic competition for children and young people up to the age of 17. Voting closes at midnight on 25 September but why not vote now, otherwise you’ll forget won’t you? There are 50 photographs from around the world and some of them are stunning –…
Ralph Underhill cartoon
I’m pleased to announce that each Saturday the Standing up for Nature blog will now feature the work of talented cartoonist Ralph Underhill. Feel free to comment and to suggest future subjects for Ralph’s pen.
Are you game?
The Spanish Agency on Food Safety and Nutrition has looked at the human health risks associated with use of lead shot in hunting. I guess Spaniards eat quite a bit more game than you and I, and that hunters eat more than non-hunters do. If you are an Andalucian game-hunter (and I guess you are…
Benefits
‘Tory MPs press Osborne on benefits‘ was a headline on the FT website on Tuesday evening, referring to the wish of some Conservative MPs to cut benefits in order to reduce government spending. Apparently the linking of benefits to inflation could be changed to a link to earningsbut only over the Liberal Democrats’ bodies –…
Wednesday
Do have a look at the comments on the online poll on the best future name for the RSPB. Voting will close later this week so don’t delay to have your say. And even if you have voted – do have a look at the comments. I’m waiting for the next round of reviews for…
Woodcock
It’s not just the BTO who are doing exciting things with tagged birds. The GWCT are tracking woodcock which were wintering in the UK. Now I would have thought that these birds would come from Scandinavia , eastern Europe and the near parts of Russia – and on the whole I’d be right. But look…
Cuckoos
I’m doing a bit of travelling myself over the next few days so blogging may be difficult. I’m not going far, but you never know where the next bit of wifi might come from in the UK. So why not have a look at where the BTO cuckoos have reached on their travels. I find…
Montreal
25 years ago, that’s all, the Montreal Protocol was signed. The ozone hole is healing. International agreements can be agreements and can make a difference. Let’s have some more please.
For all that’s sacred…
I had a brief and pleasant walk at Stanwick Lakes one lunchtime this week. The sun shone and there were lots of birds around. A common sandpiper meant that it was either autumn or spring. An adult yellow-legged gull made it more likely that it was late summer as that is when I see most…