A Happy Christmas to all our readers

Defra’s year: failure to designate marine protected areas badger cull on and off like dodgy lights on a Christmas tree buzzardgate minimal and inadequate adjustments to agri-environment schemes Walshaw Moor affair leads to RSPB complaint to EU hen harriers almost extinct on their watch new Ministerial team no progress on forestry      

Something for a rainy day

The weather forecast isn’t great for the next few days so you might find that you are stuck indoors when you would like to be out looking at waxwings or fieldfares (I must do some winter thrush recording) or geese or holly or ivy. Here are some new maps from the BTO to get your…

Pheasants in the balance

State of the UK’s Birds 2012 is full of interesting information. I was struck by the analysis of the number and weight of birds in the UK as a whole. In the early 1970s there were about 105 million pairs of birds in the UK – now there are around 83 million.  More than a…

Some bits and pieces

Give as you live. This is a good idea: if you sign up to this scheme, and do a bit of easy ‘mouse clicking’ when you spend money on the internet then your chosen charity (mine is…. wait for it…..the RSPB) gets some money from the people to whom you are giving your money.  So…