Standing up for Nature
The following is taken from a Wildlife Trusts’ press release: The UK will elect 73 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) tomorrow who will have significant influence over a range of important EU policy decisions. For people who care about the future of nature in the UK, these decisions are crucial. During the next…
I inherited my ‘other’ BBS square a couple of years ago. I hope that choice of word wasn’t in bad taste as I don’t know whether the previous observer died, moved or gave up. But this is the third year I have counted birds here. It doesn’t feel like ‘my’ square – it feels like…
I survey two squares for the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey, and for my own interest, and for you. I made the first visit to each of them for 2014 over the weekend. The first of ‘my’ squares is one that I have surveyed for the past nine years. It’s a one-kilometre square of farmland near…
Danny Heptinstall is a 24 year old birder, naturalist and aspiring conservationist currently researching Red Kites at the University of Aberdeen (and recent Guest Blogger here). He attended the public protest in Inverness on Saturday afternoon about the recent poisoning incident in Ross-shire. You will already have read here (and here and here) about the…
Saturday was a very enjoyable day. I attended a BTO conference for the Berkshire and Oxfordshire region (at Benson just south of Oxford). It seemed the right place to be as the first talk was given by Ian Newton (whose latest excellent book was reviewed here), another talk was about the birds of the ‘heart…
On Wednesday evening I attended the launch, at the Royal Society, of the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science. In answer to the question ‘Where is this centre?’ the answer is ‘nowhere and everywhere’ – it’s a virtual centre (click here). Have a walk around the virtual centre – I did and it’s a nice place,…
Farmland butterflies had a good year in 2013 – benefiting from the best summer weather for seven years. I bet you noticed more butterflies in your garden – I certainly did – and my (our?) garden observations were reflected in a much better year for butterflies across the fields of farmland Britain. Common Blue, Small…
Four out of five respondents to the readers’ survey said that they would vote Labour rather than Conservative if the general election took place tomorrow. Don’t worry – it isn’t happening tomorrow. [Click here, here and here for other results from this survey] There were over 600 of you who I will describe as ‘Labour’…
It used to be said that Home Secretary was the worst Ministerial job to have because you were so at the mercy of events. If someone breaks into Buck House and has a chat with the Queen one night then it’s your fault. Surely, the mantle has long since passed to the Sec of State…
The following are my five top half-truths of nature conservation. What do you think – have I got these right? Which have I missed out? Think global – act local. This one drives me mad – not because it is completely wrong but because it is rarely completely right but is trotted out as a…