A couple of weeks ago Stephen Moss wrote a guest blog here about the National Trust report, Natural Childhood, (which he wrote) which discusses the lack of connection between children and nature. Did you read the full report – it’s well worth it if you didn’t and it is quite short. Now the National Trust…
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Pieces and bits
A titanic beetle? And my earlier words on this subject. Sunnyhillboy was a whisker away from winning. I enjoyed reading this. I am writing occasional blogs for this site – but it has many good bloggers contributing too. And here is something slightly different from me on another site. I saw my first common tern…
Bits and pieces
Wuthering Moors: I’m grateful to Defra for their acknowledgement of my FOI requests – watch this space. NGOs – love ’em or hate ’em?: Over 400 of you have voted in this poll in four days. Thank you and the results so far are fascinating. I’m surprised at some of the organisations that you don’t…
Are you going out looking for nature this weekend?
Last weekend was a bit of a disappointment nature-wise so I am experiencing nature-deficit grumpiness. Most of my nature watching is within 10 miles of where I live but an occasional trip further afield adds variety now and again. Living as far from the coast, almost, as it is possible to be, a trip east…
Clockwork?
The sedge warbler has a stuttering song – it starts – it stops – it starts again – it speeds up – it slows down – it trills – it chatters – it clicks and it churrs. It sounds like a mechanical toy which has been wound up and explodes into song until it runs…
Shifting butterfly baselines
It’s the Easter weekend and it’s cold and a bit wet – not ideal weather for butterflies. So far, in east Northants this year, I’ve seen commas, peacocks, speckled woods, brimstones and orange tips. It’s a start. Through the year I will hope to see white admirals, black hairstreaks, purple emperors, white admirals, purple hairstreaks…
Spring?
It’s a funny spring – but then, they often are. As you know, if you are a regular reader, I’ve seen bee flies and primroses and a swallow three weeks ago at Cheltenham, and I’ve heard plenty of chiffchaffs but it feels like a stuttering spring to me. I heard a willow warbler last weekend…
Tesco favours wildlife
Tesco has had a tough time of it since teaming up with the RSPB earlier this year. But at least they have discovered wildlife including the mice that have ‘infested‘ their Covent Garden store causing it to close. It is expected to reopen as an RSPB nature reserve very soon. London tube stations are just…
Nature of Harming ‘award’ – who’s the April fool?
The result of the Nature of Harming ‘award’ is as follows: 1st The coalition government 626 votes 2nd The NFU 225 votes 3rd Gamekeepers who break the law 193 votes Thank you to everyone who voted and even more thanks to all who commented on the poll. The victor wasn’t really in doubt from Day…
Ramblings
It was my birthday on Thursday and I was in my car for much of the day so it reminded me of the USA trip to which I was looking forward (rightly) this time last year. Driving through southern England is a bit different from driving on the open roads of much of the USA…