BASC – so predictable

BASC is miffed by Wild Justice’s legal action against the lawfulness of Natural Resources Wales’s general licences. In a badly written statement which doesn’t say much, but says most of it twice, BASC calls Wild Justice a bunch of names. Apparently Wild Justice is attacking the countryside whereas we (Chris Packham, Ruth Tingay and I)…

Joke response to new gull licensing regime from Moorland Association

Following their joke response to the Committee on Climate Change’s report on land use the Moorland Association has issued another joke response today – this time to the new licensing regime of lethal control of gulls from Natural England. Even the thickest of journalists surely won’t quote the Moorland Association’s contention that their members, notably…

Countryside Alliance pokes at environmental protections post-Brexit

The charming Tim Bonner was interviewed in an incredibly friendly manner on Farming Today this morning. He said he didn’t like wildlife crime, but there were reasons why people killed raptors, and that’s because raptors conflicted with people’s interests. The example he came up with was that Hen Harriers can cause declines in the numbers…

Very nasty

I don’t think you will find this story in any newspaper other than the Daily Mail – they say it is an exclusive. And you’ll notice that it stems from a complaint by the Countryside Alliance. The story, such as it is, is that a senior, highly respected, female police officer, Chief Inspector Lou Hubble…

GWCT asks about lead ammunition

The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, whose Twitter account describes themselves as… Leading UK charity conducting scientific research to enhance the British countryside for public benefit. Follow us for latest news and practical advice. https://twitter.com/Gameandwildlife … is carrying out a poll on whether you are happy to move from toxic polluting lead shot to its…

BASC event mothballed

I’m told that BASC was planning to have an event in Derbty Museum and Art Gallery but that the museum has decided that this was a bit of a mistake. The event will go ahead but not in the Notice Nature, Feel Joy Gallery (which would have had to have been renamed the Notice Nature…

Press release – Moorland Association

Satellite data from an innovative scheme to help boost England’s Hen Harrier population has shed new light on the activities of the birds at the centre of the initiative. Five Hen Harriers which fledged this summer were fitted with satellite tags as part of a trial of a brood management scheme in which a brood…

Poor old Duke

We are often told that Hen Harriers depend on grouse moors for their survival – this is a big lie rather than a small one. The fact is that Hen Harrier breeding success over a long period of time (in England and Scotland) and survival (as measured by the lack of survival of satellite-tagged birds…