Here’s a quiz – and it’s just for fun. The answers will be posted at 7pm this evening. If you have the February issue of British Birds (with a dipper on the cover) you can look up most of the answers in the excellent article on population estimates of birds in the UK. 1. Which…
Category: Uncategorized
Real men (and women) recycle
“I haven’t seen anything like this before” said a scientist, but then maybe he doesn’t get out much… “They do have very very complicated biology” said a scientist. A sea slug that is able to detach, re-grow and then re-use its penis has surprised scientists.
Map of poisoned birds of prey
Go to the Defra website and you will find a map of poisoning incidents in England and Wales over the last five years. Environment Minister Richard Benyon said: “I am appalled that these crimes continue to be committed and I am determined to stamp them out. “Those responsible have no consideration for what they are killing…
Happy Valentine’s day
Apparently, the first bird a woman sees on Valentine’s Day tells her the type of husband she will get. Magpies seem good news – good job they are commoner than ever! Birds of prey seem ones to look out for but maybe crows should be avoided. The first reference to St Valentine’s Day being…
Miscellany
More birding bits and pieces: After my blog of last week I can now add peregrine to my M1 list (hunting over a field near Luton) and another ‘up-and-about-early’ red kite from the M1 somewhere in Hertfordshire (I think!). Birkbeck: I enjoyed giving a public lecture at Birkbeck on Friday evening – lots of good…
All gummed up – chew on that IMO!
All those auks killed off the south coast of England over the last week or so have been killed by polyisobutene (or PIB) according to analyses done by scientists at the University of Plymouth and confirmed by the Environment Agency, says the RSPB. PIB is currently given one of the lowest hazard classifications under MARPOL…
Do this please – very quick, very easy
Please support this RSPB campaign – that’s it. Please? Thank you.
Felled trees call for help
I was interested to read this story that trees in the Amazon rainforest were being fitted with mobile phones . If the tree is illegally felled, and reaches somewhere with mobile phone reception it starts making calls to the authorities; ‘Come and get me! I’m on the truck of an illegal logger!’. It’s an interesting…
Just a last word on EDM 603
It’s often like this – it’s difficult to know what made the difference. But it’s great that the Home Office really did come up with their share of the money for the National Wildlife Crime Unit for next year. So – take 10 months off and then we’ll no doubt be doing the same thing…
Wood and trees
The next three days should see the Government response to the report of the Independent Panel on Forestry – a nation holds its breath. Government has hardly rushed into print having had nearly seven months to read a 72-page report. I am still of the opinion that there is a real need for government to…