I recently came across a copy of J. Lewis Bonhote’s British Birds, published 1907. The Hen Harrier is not illustrated but since the text includes the following … In England, thanks to the game-preserver, this species is now extremely scarce, and very few pairs, if any, are allowed to nest. … I thought these two…
Tag: hen harrier
Guest blog – Pheasant or Pheasant’s-eye? by Miles King
Pheasant or Pheasant’s-eye? Nature Connection and Conservation What’s important about nature? I’m not talking about however many tonnes of Carbon a Sitka spruce tree locks up during its short life, or whether a Beaver stops a town flooding. I mean what is important to you, as a person. Why do you care about nature? A…
BASC has two voices…
Last week, on Friday and Sunday evenings BASC spokesmen were talking about what BASC was doing to rid their membership of wildlife criminals. Both Duncan Thomas and Steve Bloomfield were saying that BASC were doing their bit. I know both of them a little, I’ve met and talked to them, and I’d be more inclined…
Press release – Wimpole Home Farm successes by National Trust
Farming for nature pays off for Wimpole Rare farmland bird numbers double in six years Invertebrate numbers increase by over a third in 13 years Farmland sequesters high levels of carbon while producing food and making a profit Nature and soil health are flourishing at the National Trust’s Wimpole Home Farm near Cambridge according to…
GWCT drowning not waving
Wouldn’t it be terrible if the GWCT went bust? In a recent letter to supporters, who clearly aren’t being supportive enough, Teresa Dent has told them that GWCT has a hole in its finances. Well, who would have thought it? Anyone would have thought that there was a global financial and health crisis… Maybe the…
Reposting
The following was first posted on 3 July 2017 – in a way nothing has changed. It’s good to talk. But talking can also be used as a refuge from taking action. If there’s one thing that is likely to get me animatedly irritated (and friends have seen this happen a few times) is when…
What a mess!
The excellent Raptor Persecution UK revealed yesterday that all five of the brood-meddled Hen Harriers from last year are missing. Maybe one or two will spring back to life but it isn’t looking good. What a mess! Brood meddling is an idea cooked up by the grouse shooting industry and licensed by Natural England, but…
Brood meddling – no news from the courts
I wouldn’t want you to think that I’m holding anything back from you – we have yet to hear about a new date for our appeal of the Hen Harrier brood-meddling decision. Here is the timeline of events: Natural England announce that they have issued a licence for eggs/chicks of Hen Harriers to be removed…
Guest blog – Things I would like to be different by Paul Fisher
Despite being bought up in the wilds of Lewisham, SE London, I seem always to have had a love for the great outdoors. Giving up the London commute at 28, we spent twelve years in the Lake District and then moved to Lincolnshire. Two small businesses later, I’ve now retired to run our mini wildlife…
Countryfile last night
Last night’s Countryfile programme was great on butterflies and better than usual on crimes against birds of prey. You can watch the whole entertaining programme here and the raptor slot started at about 10:20 into the show (the butterflies before were really great!). Tom Heap was the presenter of this item and he’s pretty good,…