The pilot badger cull was inhumane and ineffective. The NFU says that farmers are ‘bitterly disappointed’ that it won’t be rolled out further.
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More bits
isn’t this result on whaling absolutely fantastic (see also here, here, here)? I heard my first Blackcap this spring at Stanwick Lakes on Monday – a March Blackcap IPCC – we’re doomed, but not if we do something (lots, soon) BGBW results I was distracted a few times in a meeting the other day by…
Botany
I’m not very good on flowers – but I know what I like. I like the spring and I have noticed, at least I think I have noticed, that there are lots of yellow flowers around at this time of year. As well as the daffodils and primroses, there are aconites and celandines, and I…
A new month
Since it is a new month I have decided to turn over a new leaf. From now on I will: take up game shooting vote Conservative enjoy Flat racing more than National Hunt racing give up going to Stanwick Lakes take up botany give up birding stop being vegetarian four days a week give up…
Busy day
Yesterday was a busy day in a busy week. A consequence of giving a talk to the Hampshire Ornithological Society on 29 March is that, if you are me, over 300 people sing Happy Birthday! to you – which was highly embarrassing and very sweet of them. I had stayed with friends and I took…
Winged Wonders
Intro – Animals are a very important part of our ecosystem, and many of them are undevalues due to lack of education and understanding. This can certainly be said for our vast populations of bats, and the folks at Thomson Ecology have come up with a new and intriguing infographic all about these fascinating creatures. It…
Ukraine, Russia, Crimea, Gazprom and Champions League football
The annexation of the Crimea by Russia, or its secession, raises a whole bunch of questions in my mind: the West may have been too friendly to Russia over the last few years – I expect Russia was saying ‘we’re all on the same side really‘ when it might not be true. It’s important to…
Three rare birds on my local patch
On Saturday I saw three rare birds on my local patch of Stanwick Lakes. Well, to be fair, they were all much rarer once. And, to be even fairer, one of them is only rare at Stanwick Lakes – you can see loads of them less than a mile away in Stanwick itself. But then…
Bits and pieces with quite a raptorish, and a quite Scottish, flavour
Bad news: six dead raptors found in Ross-shire (BBC, RaptorPersecutionScotland). big moorland fire near Todmorden – probably hordes of Merlin not putting their fags out properly (see last item) Good news: Ospreys back at Loch Garten – veteran female EJ (such a lovely name) arrived back on Monday for the 12th year. Scottish Minister takes…
Rams rampant now
Derby County FC had a variable March. The month started (1st March) with a disappointing but perhaps not wholly unexpected away loss to Burnley but the home defeat (8th March) by lowly Millwall was definitely a grave disappointment. The home draw with Bolton on the 11th wasn’t such a great result but an away draw…