The government has just realised that teaching anything, including grandmothers to suck eggs, is counter-productive. All attempts to up-skill the English workforce are doomed as people never are inspired by what they are taught in school. No-one has ever been inspired to read or write by English classes and no scientist has ever got the…
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Dolphins and seabirds
It used to be the case that a ferry trip was relaxing because there was not much to do except eat, drink, sleep and read a book. These days, we know that there is wildlife out there to be seen and missed which changes the game completely. The first person I came across as I…
Something in the air at North Glenbuchat?
A tagged Golden Eagle has ‘disappeared’ near Strathdon and its status has attracted comment from Scottish Land and Estate and from the estate itself (the North Glenbuchat Estate). Whilst the estate acknowledges a previous incident six years ago when a poisoned eagle was found on its land the RSPB press release lists four other cases…
Test
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If you see this post then it strongly suggests I have fixed the failure of the automatic scheduling on this blog. And that will make my life a lot easier.
Champions of the Flyway
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Today is the Champions of the Flyway bird race based in Eilat, Israel. Last year I was a member of the Birdwatch-Birdguides Roadrunners team which was a real privilege for me (see blogs Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7). This year the team comprises Mike Alibone, Mark…
Another Red Kite down in the Dales
POLICE are appealing for information after a Red Kite was found dead with gunshot wounds near Greenhow, Nidderdale on the afternoon of Saturday, March 11. That’s just along the road from where Henry had a picnic last year. PC David Mackay, a Wildlife Crime Officer of North Yorkshire Police Rural Taskforce, said: ‘It has taken…
A curious strategy indeed
In a week’s time there will be a Westminster Hall debate on badger culling – it’s not the first debate and it probably won’t be the last. I would hope that MPs participating in the debate might read this essay by Anna Dale which I found very clear, very thorough and really quite shocking. It…
Last few hours to contribute
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The BAWC crowdfunder closes today – and has done really well. Thank you very much to all who have contributed and helped it reach two big targets (£10k initially and now over £19k). It’s impressive how BAWC has reached out to birders and conservationists and got this important study going. Over 700 of us…
Is driving grouse legal?
There’s probably nothing in this thought, but it keeps coming back to me. Is driving a moorland legal? We know that shooting a Red Grouse is legal, within the open season, but is it legal to get a line of people to walk across a moorland waving flags and blowing whistles and disturbing every living…
My first singing Chiffchaff of 2017
I visited my local patch yesterday morning thinking that it was about time I heard a Chiffchaff singing – and I did. It was a slightly pathetic song; less a ‘chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff’ than a hesitant ‘Chiff-ummm- chaff-chaff-chiff-chaff’ but it was a Chiffchaff, not for example a Great Tit (some of whom can do a proper Chiff-chaff…