The debate has changed dramatically over the last few months – let’s say since 28 May when this e-petition was launched to ban driven grouse shooting. In that time: M&S have been persuaded to change their mind about selling Red Grouse on their shelves until they can assure the world of the sustainability of…
Category: EVENTS: BirdFair, HHDay, Game Fair etc
Let joy be unconfined!
Tomorrow I will address the pathetically evasive response from Defra to our e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting (that gives you a hint as to what I think about it) but you may have noticed that it mentions that there are four pairs of Hen Harrier in England this year. The existence of the fourth…
The Bird Fair
I really enjoyed the Bird Fair this year. I always do, but somehow this year was very good. It is partly because I signed a lot of books and that helps if you are aiming to make a bit of money from them! And it’s also, partly, because I gave a few talks and they…
Guest Blog – a reply on Hen Harriers and grouse shooting from the Chair of RSPB Council
Professor Steve Ormerod is Chair of RSPB Council and Professor of Ecology in Cardiff School of Biosciences. Here he replies to an open letter from me that was posted on 4 June where I asked the RSPB to clarify its position on the Hen Harrier and grouse shooting issue. I’m grateful to Steve for his…
Only 362 days until the next Bird Fair.
Well, that’s another Bird Fair of sun, rain, ice-creams, beer, books, binoculars, holidays, talks, friends, colleagues, queues and friendship. But it’s also the first one where Hen Harrier Day t-shirts were almost everywhere except on a very scantily clad lady who strolled through the food area. What are things coming to? Sunday was a quieter…
Bird Fair Day 2
The winner of the Fair to Nature farming award was unveiled at breakfast at the Bird Fair today and it was…drumroll….Graham Birch. Congratulations to him and to the two Highly Commended farmers (Ian Crabtree and Charles Porter)(click here for details). Thank you to Fair to Nature (formerly known as Conservation Grade) for a free breakfast,…
Bird Fair Day 1
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Well, that just shot past. I missed the opening ceremony. I gave half a talk and Tristan Reid gave the other half – it seemed to add up to a proper talk in the end. A lady was emotional about the fact that Turtle Doves had not turned up in her village this year –…
The book to buy at the Bird Fair
This morning I am talking about Passenger Pigeons in a double act with Tristan Reid in the Main Event Marquee at 1100 (until 1145). Come and listen to the tale of the Passenger Pigeon and what it signifies for us today in a countryside which is losing its farmland birds – and another pigeon, the…
20 things you must do at the Bird Fair
Buy a copy of A Message from Martha Miss the opening ceremony (it’s not exactly Danny Boyle) but if you find yourself waking up at the end of it then do stay for an interesting talk by Tristan Reid about running for Turtles Doves and some other bloke about a bird that’s been extinct…
The media war
First things first, no-one much would be talking about Hen Harriers today if it weren’t for Hen Harrier Day and an e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting. Well done us! Standing in the rain in Lancashire, Northumberland and Derbyshire (and in the sun in Dorset – yes, I’m envious) is changing the story. Chris Packham…