This beautiful psychedelic Hen Harrier was drawn by Sue Brewer who writes: ‘I’m a writer, most of my books are on collectables or are novels, but I’m intending shortly to bring out a natural history themed book. I am very interested in the natural world – as a toddler I used to collect caterpillars, hunt…
Tag: hen harrier
Birdwatch magazine
In the October issue of Birdwatch magazine (available in all good newsagents, by subscription and in digital format) readers will find a cut-out letter to send to their MPs asking them to ask Defra what measures the government intends to put forward in the Westminster Hall debate on banning driven grouse to deal with the…
Did you write to your Labour MP? Firm Briefing 18
Around 120 of you have told me that you have written to your Labour MPs on the subject of the debate on driven grouse shooting that will happen on a Monday afternoon after the 18 October (date tbc). So far, some of you have had responses from c22 Labour MPs but another 68 or so…
Sunday book review – the Ethical Carnivore by Louise Gray
Louise Gray is a former Daily Telegraph environmental journalist. She writes well and this is a book that all should read – but it isn’t simply a duty, it is a gritty pleasure. Louise set off on a year’s journey only to eat meat that she had killed herself – despite being close to being…
A bit of a round up
Some things that caught my eye or ear: the IUCN congress last week approved a resolution requesting countries to phase out use of lead ammunition in hunting which is a reminder that the UK as part of the EU delegation agreed a resolution to phase out lead ammunition by 2017 – another broken environmental promise…
Driven grouse shooting campaign – a timeline and how you can help
We have entered the last three days of our e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting. Overnight we passed another mini-milestone: at 122,399. Can you work it out? Answer at foot of page. I must mention that the Ribble Valley constituency reached 500 signatures yesterday – a tremendous achievement of community engagement. Thank you all! The…
And, David, if you have a spare £10.5m…
And so we say farewell to David Cameron the former Prime Minister and now former MP for Witney – I wonder whether the constituents who wrote to him about grouse shooting will ever get a reply? Mr Cameron will be remembered for accidentally getting us out of the EU when he himself wanted to stay…
Quick thoughts from the Sheffield conference
I spent Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday morning with a disparate bunch of supporters and opponents to banning driven grouse shooting at the Sheffield conference on raptors, peatlands and the uplands. It was valuable in all sorts of ways, not least in meeting some blog readers and supporters whom I rarely see (for some of…
Defra did something good
It was an easy win – a future partial ban on microbeads – but nonetheless it is very welcome. And understandably Defra has made quite a lot of it – wouldn’t anyone? Have you noticed that the @DefraGovUK Twitter stream has had a definite upgrade – at least in terms of presentation. Defra’s Twitter stream…
The grouse moor conception of national leadership
I can remember when Harold Wilson was Prime Minister – I remember my father couldn’t stand him because of something called Selective Employment Tax (funny what you remember isn’t it?) – but I certainly didn’t remember him referring to grouse moors. So I am grateful to a former RSPB colleague and reader of this blog…