I was out on 1 January last year doing a winter farmland bird survey where I was rewarded by first hearing and then seeing a Wood Lark in east Northants. That was a good way to start the year. A post on 2 January predicted that it was going to be a bad year for…
Tag: hen harrier
Dreaming of a white Christmas
This blog will return with new content on Friday 27 December. I wish all readers of this blog, whatever their views, a safe and enjoyable Christmas.
Guest blog – Grouse Shooting, a Track and the Law by Bob Berzins
Bob is a campaigner and activist. His novel Snared will be available in the new year. Grouse Shooting, a Track and The Law I arrived at a workshop to be greeted by a land agent as if I was a long lost friend, then spent the morning in a group with one of his gamekeepers…
Species in need of a champion
The wildlife NGOs prevailed upon a few dozen MPs to act as champions for threatened species in the Westminster parliament (a similar system exists in Holyrood, and quite honestly, seems rather more active there). A list of the Westminster Species Champions can be found here. Several species champions stood down at the general election: Richard…
Guest blog – Langholm Moor Community Buyout by Kevin Cumming
My name is Kevin Cumming, I work for the Langholm Initiative charity, based in the town of Langholm in Dumfries and Galloway. I hold a BA (hons) in Business Administration and an MSc in Conservation and Management of Protected Areas. Currently I manage the LI’s Wild Eskdale project which aims to promote eco-tourism in the…
Sunday book review – Sky Dance by John D. Burns
This novel is set on the fictional Scottish island of Morvan and set amongst the hill walkers and shooting estate folk who enjoy this landscape. It’s a good yarn and I enjoyed reading it. When I tell you that the land owner is called Lord Purdey and he has a couple of unsympathetic criminal gamekeepers,…
Press release – from the Labour Party
Labour sets out £4.5m funding boost to fight hare coursing, fox hunting and other wildlife crimes in support of ambitious animal welfare manifesto Tomorrow (Tuesday), Labour will announce additional police resources to support plans laid out in the most radical animal welfare plan anywhere in the world. The plans will double the number of police officers tasked to prosecute wildlife crimes…
Racecourse diet
I went to Cheltenham racecourse on Saturday. There are several reasons for going to Cheltenham to the races. One, it’s a day out. Two, at this time of year, if lucky, then the drive that I take across the Cotswolds can be a spectacular scene of autumn colours. Third, I usually meet up with friends…
Craig Bennett for Wildlife Trusts
It was announced today that Craig Bennett from FoE will take over from Steph Hilborne at the Wildlife Trust’s Head Office in Newark. Congratulations to him! But it’s a challenging role. It’s not as though you are in any way ‘in charge’ of all the individual county and country Wildlife Trusts (47 of them, is…
Press release – Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Creed welcomes Hen Harrier breeding successPayments to farmers for 2019 Scheme commencing this weekThe Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D., welcomed the Hen Harrier Monitoring report for 2019 which is showing a 35% increase on the 2017 figure in the number of young hen harriers fledged. The 81 chicks fledged this…