Standing up for Nature
The author and readers of this blog are pretty pro-RSPB people as supported by the graph above where most of us voted strongly in favour of believing the RSPB over the Countryside Alliance – this isn’t surprising, and is very wise of us, but it is a very strong preference. Not surprisingly, we also oppose…
In a cleverly titled blog (New hope for goshawks or just a shot in the dark?), Mark Thomas of the RSPB Investigations team sets out the history and current state of play with Goshawks in the Peak District. It’s well worth a read and the map is very striking too. What this blog does, and…
Express journalist, author and birder Stuart Winter has been recognised by the RSPCA for his work in highlighting animal cruelty. Stuart is a good bloke and knows his birds. His books Tales of a Tabloid Twitcher and The Birdman Abroad are accurate about birding and will make you laugh.
Here’s a short survey – 14 questions (and the last two are about your age and gender) about how you feel about some currently controversial issues. I aim to reveal the results some time in the middle of next week, so please don’t delay if you fancy answering some questions. All responses are anonymous –…
I have it on good authority (though not absolutely cast-iron I would admit) that Defra minister(s) have asked, through the Defra Press Office, that the Natural England Press Office don’t bother to include any links to this blog in media summaries they send to Defra, as ministers won’t read them. That’s not remarkable – but…
I’ll be watching ‘the’ football match this afternoon and wondering whether the result might affect the EU referendum. And if it does – how? If Wales beats England today, and I certainly wouldn’t rule it out, how will that affect English voters in the EU referendum? And Welsh ones, and Scots and those in…
The GWCT (Gunning wildlife, conserving tadpoles) thrash around in a complete dither these days. They don’t know whether they are coming or going – quite literally. Having said that they would be pleased to field someone for the Bird Fair debate on whether driven grouse shooting should be banned they have now come back to…
A lot is made by the Brexiteers of taking back our sovereignty. Piffle! And much was made of President Obama’s pronouncements on whether the UK should stay in the EU, and the suggestion was that the USA would never give up its sovereignty in a similar way. Eh? The clue is in the name –…
The RSPB is getting into a bit of a pickle, and that’s a shame. It has had a really bad week with its natural allies and that week comes after a slow slide in confidence throughout 2016 in the organisation’s ability to make a difference on raptor persecution at a policy and advocacy level. The…
The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) has released its position on the UK’s membership of the EU (see here). CIEEM asked its members for their views on matters relating to the UK’s membership of the EU and the potential impacts of leaving on the natural environment and the sector. The results of…