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…
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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…
Your choice
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There is a new category in the Bird Photographer of the Year Awards this year – and you get to choose the winner. 30 excellent photographs that didn’t make the shortlist can be viewed here and the one with the most ‘likes’ by 21 March will win £250 and will be published in the book…
Toad all success?
The Solway Firth is the only area of Scotland with Natterjack Toads and one of the area’s important sites is the Mersehead RSPB nature reserve where storms damaged the dunes where the toads hibernate in 2013. New shallow ponds were created across the site for the toads to breed in. In spring 2014 there were…
Sunny day
Yesterday was a largely sunny day in east Northants. I met a friend for lunch and made several phone calls on my way home – usually from highpoints in the countryside with expansive views. Everywhere one looked there were pairs of displaying Buzzards. The most I saw at once was 13 birds in the air…
Labouring
Can you name the current Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs? Let’s have a recap: Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood) October 2013 – September 2015 Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) September 2015 – June 2016 Rachael Maskell (York Inner) June 2016 – February 2017 and now… Sue Hayman (Workington) from February…
Opportunity for 12-16 year olds
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Last summer I was an old green person on a panel of young green people at the WOMAD festival. I was supposed to be mentoring the smiling young man called Josh pictured above but he didn’t need much mentoring. Josh had come to WOMAD from an Action for Conservation Summer Camp and if…