Jon Dunn is a birder, author and more, as his letter to Nicola Sturgeon about the poisoning of a young White-tailed Eagle in Strathdon demonstrates. Dear First Minister, I don’t expect you to have heard of me – though I have to say as a Shetland resident, I have admired the SNP’s governance of Scotland…
Tag: hen harrier
Dear First Minister
Dear First Minister and Cabinet Secretary I am writing to you about the poisoned White-tailed Eagle that was found on a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park. I’m sure you’re getting lots of emails on this subject and I know you will read very few of them. No matter, somebody will read this and…
RSPB acts – good!
The Times reports that RSPB has intervened to brief its BirdLife International partners in France and Spain to warn them of the unpopularity and indeed perhaps the folly of reintroducing Hen Harriers to southern England. The Times is reporting old news, the emails are over a year old and were obtained by the Countryside Alliance…
Guest blog – Why councils should think about weeds in a different way by Amanda Tuke
Amanda is a nature and environment writer and blogger based in the wilds of suburban south London. She writes mainly about suburban wildflowers, insects and birds on her blog. Her nature writing has appeared in anthologies, on the London Wildlife Trust blog and in Devon Life Magazine. She also blogs on www.freelancenaturewriter.com about her…
After…things I would like to be different (7)
A modern Royal Family When you look across the Pond at Trumpland then there is quite a lot to be said for having a hereditary Head of State compared with where they have ended up. And I have quite a lot of time for 90-something year-old women as my own mother and mother-in-law both have…
I’ve been away
I’ve been away for a few days for a family wedding in Edinburgh. It was a slightly strange but very happy event with few guests (six of us) and where the wedding breakfast was held in the open air, by the Scottish Parliament looking up at Arthur’s Seat, drinking champagne and eating take-away pizza. But…
Sad news: Colin Wilkinson RIP
I learned today of the passing on Saturday of Colin Wilkinson, a former colleague at the RSPB. Colin worked first in the RSPB Central England Region (the cinderella of RSPB regions – lots of people, not so many birds) which morphed into the Midlands Region. He was based in the Banbury office and more recently…
RSPB and gamebird shooting
The RSPB is taking its time over this consultation on gamebird shooting but it is going to be worth it. The infographic that the RSPB has released is clearly not the whole picture, and is an interesting selection of information. There is quite a lot of food for thought here alone. RSPB members are 62%…
Tim Melling – That Lammergeier
Tim writes: I gave up chasing rare birds some years ago but when a juvenile Lammergeier (aka Bearded Vulture) appeared in the Peak District, I decided it was too good to ignore. It was just a 20 minute drive from my house, plus an hour’s walk to reach its favourite roosting crag. Apparently this is…
Press release – Morecambe Bay Extinction Rebellion group
For Peat’s Sake: What Next? MBXR Press Release A series of XR Webinars and Assemblies addressing peatland management, biodiversity, burning and flooding in Bowland, Pendle, Calderdale and similar uplands. Weds July 8th. 7-8.30pm. Peat:Si Thomas, Peatland Restoration Officer, Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Thurs July 9th 7-8.30pm. FloodingDr Rod Everett. Backsbottom Farm, Roeburndale Sat July 11th. 1.30-4.30pm….