A burning question for the National Trust

This blog has been a bit critical of the National Trust in the past, suggesting that it isn’t taking its nature conservation work sufficiently seriously, and so  it gives me great pleasure to highlight an excellent piece of work, nearing fruition, by NT.  It’s such good news it is worth being the second blog of…

Sunshine

On Monday the sun was shining and I suddenly thought – why not go and enjoy it? So I did. Summer sun means butterflies and I headed to Fermyn Woods to see if it might be third time lucky in looking for purple emperors. The long line of cars parked by the road on a…

Let’s hear it for the buzzard – and the osprey

I fled Scotland a day early and am now back home – the weather drove me away.  I did consider turning up at the Scottish Game Fair on Friday, but standing around in the rain, in a soggy field full of people moaning about buzzards didn’t really appeal to me.  I see they will get…

Bonfires and beacons

Despite the soggy weather, beacons have been lit across the UK to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee.  Spare a thought for the inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha and their Jubilee beacon. When the most remote Jubilee beacon in the world was  lit, its flames were fuelled by the bodies of invasive species of plants.   Work to…

Harriers

Following my blog on Thursday I did phone the NE helpline to ask where I could find the information promised by their Minister, Richard Benyon, in his Parliamentary reply (see Thursday’s blog to catch up on this subject  – and read the comments there too).  The people I spoke to were very helpful and mentioned…