Breaking news…Government forgot about the general election!!!

I have just (17:19) received this email:   Dear Dr Mark Avery, Unfortunately we’ve had to bring forward the closing date of your petition Ban driven grouse shooting from 28 May 2015 to 30 March 2015 The dissolution of this Parliament has now been scheduled for 30 March 2015, and it’s not possible for petitions…

Hen Harrier Day updates

Hen Harrier Day is now supported by RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust, the Hawk and Owl Trust, the Peak District National Park, the League Against Cruel Sports, Birdwatch magazine, Rare Bird Alert, the Welsh Ornithological Society and Quaker Concern for Animals.  Thank you to all who are supporting this day. Three events are…

Game Fair 3 – in photos

This must be about my 20th Game Fair, so I realised that when it said that it opened at 9am this was just nonsense – soon after 8am I had parked, got a lift on a trailer from the car park to the entrance, paid to enter and then started walking down the hill where…

What they say 10:

The latest in the excellent series of BAWC podcasts – this one by Terry Pickford.   ‘In 1974 we had 39 breeding females…every single estate had hen harriers…but many of them were interfered with’ ‘It changed about 1980’ ‘Derek Ratcliffe was asked the reason why there had been such a calamitous collapse in Hen Harriers…

What they say 9:

Andre Farrar of the RSPB talks to BAWC’s Charlie Moores in the latest of these excellent podcasts:   ‘Back then we had double figures pairs of hen harriers [in the Forest of Bowland]’ ‘It was quite a shock…the visceral loathing that gamekeepers had for Hen Harriers’ ‘Little’s changed over the intervening 30 years – except…

Hen Harrier Day update

Hen Harrier Day, 10 August 2014 – general information (see below for info specifically on the Peak District ‘event’) Due to circumstances beyond their control, and rather frustratingly for them, Birders Against Wildlife Crime have had to cancel the planned Yorkshire Hen Harrier day event.  Things are also looking doubtful for Cumbria, I believe. But…

Calling all media

              In a month’s time, if history is any guide, you will be publishing some puff pieces about grouse shooting and the Glorious 12th. Be aware, that this year is different – public opinion is turning against this ecologically damaging ‘sport’ and largely economically irrelevant ‘industry’.  This is what…

What they say 8:

Here I am talking to BAWC‘s Charlie Moores to raise the profile of Hen Harriers and Hen Harrier Day – click here to hear why I launched this e-petition.   ‘A very long time – and almost complete failure – there are fewer Hen Harriers now…’ ‘Things have got worse – they haven’t got better’…