I spent a few minutes looking at a fairly commonplace bird the other day – except no bird is commonplace, particularly if you watch them rather than just see them. This bird was on a beach, as they often are, and it was turning over pebbles as its name, turnstone, would suggest it does. Have…
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Rare breeders
The issue of British Birds to which I probably look forward the most is the annual report of the Rare Breeding Birds Panel. In the July BB the Panel reports on 2010. It was a year of southern herons and southern warblers. If you read my article on climate change in the August Birdwatch you…
Going on holiday?
Do you want something amusing and entertaining to take on holiday – then take me? Or at least take Fighting for Birds. That Chris Packham knows a bit about wildlife and this is what he says about Fighting for Birds (click here). I am actually wandering around the north of Britain and so if this…
A chat with Charlie
Last week I had a chat with Charlie Moores about grouse shooting, hen harrier shooting, farmland birds, climate change, the honours system, the RSPB, whether I am happy, whether Charlie is any good at spotting birds, bluethroats, politicians, politics etc You can listen to our chat on Charlie’s podcast Talking Naturally (where you will also…
What has stayed the same?
In the June issue of British Birds – which has a lovely, vicious sparrowhawk on its cover, I was struck by the juxtaposition of two papers. One was about lesser-spotted woodpeckers and the other about Dartford warblers in the Thames Basin heathlands of Surrey. Each was an interesting and valuable record of what we know,…
Having a website
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you probably never give much thought to what it takes to keep a website like this one up and running. This blog tells you a bit about the details of running a website. Hosting: you need a web address (this one is www.markavery.info) and that’s something…
It must be August because it’s July
Comments Off on It must be August because it’s July
I hope you think it is reasonable that when Birdwatch arrives at my home I immediately turn to my column ‘the political birder’. It’s not that I need to see my name in print, but I do need to remind myself what I wrote about as there will be another column already in the pipeline…
Joining up the verges
I’ve been paying more attention to the road verges since Sarah Pettegree wrote her excellent Guest Blog here and since Plantlife launched its verges campaign. And so I was more susceptible to making the link between this press release from CPRE about lowering the speed limit in rural areas and the state of our verges. …
The rather diminished Big Butterfly Count?
It’s time for the Big Butterfly Count– good luck! Have you ever thought how beautiful are butterflies? Me too! Then imagine this butterfly without its wings – not so pretty then is it? And I just wonder – will the Bird Fair survive the weather given that the Game Fair has not? And…
40 days of…?
Today is St Swithin’s (or Swithun’s day) and by tradition the weather today will stick with us for the next 40 days. At the moment the sun is shining here in east Northants – I wonder! Whatever the weather, in 40 days the swifts will be largely departed and wader passage will be well underway. …