Last year, Natural England licensed the daft idea of brood meddling of Hen Harriers. I mounted a legal challenge, and so did RSPB, but we lost in court. The judge decided that because this was a trial it was science and because of that it’s OK (that’s my layman’s take on it). Both the RSPB…
Tag: hen harrier
Why I wrote The Blue Hare – by Hugh Webster
After his site was hit with technical problems on the same day my book was reviewed there, Mark kindly offered me the option to post a guest blog on how I came to write the book. The idea to write The Blue Hare came to me in October 2016 while I was working at a…
Bird notes
Following the success of the Wild Justice legal challenge over the General Licensing system that Natural England has operated, there has been an outpouring of abuse towards anybody to do with this case (and some who have had nothing to do with it) in the press and on social media. But some of the same…
Non-news: I know Tony Juniper!
Today’s Daily Telegraph has a bit of a go at Tony Juniper for knowing me… It has emerged that Mr Juniper has close links with the group’s [Wild Justice’s] co-founder, former RSPB conservation director Mark Avery. The pair appear to go back a long way. Two years ago, Mr Juniper collaborated on behind More Binoculars,…
Guest blog – Hunting for the Wild by Ben MacDonald
Ben Macdonald is a conservation writer, field director in wildlife television, and a lifelong naturalist; passionate about restoring Britain’s wildlife, pelicans included, in his lifetime. He has been the conservation columnist for Birdwatching magazine, as well as a contributor to the RSPB Nature’s Home and BBC Wildlife. He has worked on a range of TV series, including for the…
Birds on stamps
The Royal Mail is issuing a set of stamps of birds of prey. Ten species are featured – all four falcons that nest in the UK, both the accipiters that nest in the UK, both the eagles that nest in the UK and the Buzzard and the Red Kite (which both nest in the UK)….
Bird Fair in decline?
I shall be at the 2019 Bird Fair on all three days – at least that is my intention. The Bird Fair has been a part of my life for decades and it is a great, although imperfect, part of the year. I rashly predicted that the Bird Fair would raise less money in 2018…
First witness statement
This was my first witness statement in the brood meddling judicial review. For the Claimant Dr Mark Avery 16 April 2018 IN THE HIGH COURT (ADMINISTRATIVE COURT) CO/ /2018 IN AN APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION TO APPLY FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW BETWEEN DR MARK AVERY Claimant -and- NATURAL ENGLAND Defendant -and- JEMIMA PARRY-JONES First Interested Party -and-…
Michael Gove for the few not the many…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NSoames/status/1111214357386575872 Michael Gove is currently the favourite in the Betfair odds to be next Tory Leader (ahead of BoJo in 2nd place). This is generally regarded as the worst place to be in the betting for Tory Leader this early in the running – front-runners rarely last the course. But he’d better look more…
A good weekend
We gathered at Parkgate on The Wirral for the high tide at midday on Friday. As the tide comes in, particularly the highest tides (and this was an equinoctial high tide with a super moon!) the voles and mice on the saltmarsh swim for their lives and the predators gather for the feast (as do…