Wildlife campaigners are celebrating the conservation efforts of a leading landowner which have resulted in rare hen harriers roosting on its moor. Adopting nature-friendly moorland management techniques, NG Bailey’s Denton Park Estate, near Ilkley, has reversed declines in birds of prey associated with wildlife persecution by its former grouse shooting tenant. Hen harriers are one…
Tag: Natural England
RSPB press release – moorland burning is massive problem
New analysis shows that burning of moorlands is the biggest threat to England’s most important places for wildlife New analysis of Government data by the RSPB shows that the burning of moorlands is the biggest identified threat to England’s Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The analysis also shows that no reason has been identified…
BTO Conference tomorrow
Tomorrow is the BTO Conference – and of course it is an online event so no driving up to Swanwick in the rain, no afternoon of easily spotting the difference between members and staff (by the 30-year gap between their average ages) and no slipping away from the conference to find a local bookmakers to…
Guest blog – How nature dies by Alistair Gammell
Alistair Gammell worked for RSPB for 40 years and was closely involved in the drafting of the Birds and Habitats Directives and for growing RSPB’s international work. He was RSPB’s first International Director and retired from RSPB in 2009. He then worked to successfully establish large scale fully protected marine reserves in the seas around…
Jane V. Adams – At least Nature has benefited…
Jane is a naturalist, photographer and nature writer living in Dorset. Her work has appeared in books, anthologies and blogs for charities such as The Wildlife Trusts and the International Bee Research Association. When she’s not exploring Dorset’s lanes and countryside she can be found lying on her stomach watching insects in her garden. Jane…
It’s a hat-trick for the Jay!
Yesterday afternoon Natural Resources Wales answered my questions about Jay culling on NRW land as follows: Our response to your questions is as follows – 1. Does NRW cull Jays under the provisions of the general licences on its land? NRW does not currently cull jay on land it owns or manages. 2. Does NRW…
Natural England blog makes Wild Justice’s point
In a recent blog, Natural England sets out its approach to issuing specific licences for lethal control. You could be completely forgiven for not quite understanding how the licensing system works in England at the moment but I think it is like this: all wild birds are protected by law you can kill any species…
Guest blog – Fighting for the Soul of Swanscombe by Dave Clark
Dave Clark is an ornithologist with an MSc in Ornithology from the University of Birmingham and environmental campaigner with a particular interest in the interactions between birds and humans. Dave is keen to spread the word about the importance of urban areas for wildlife and improving our engagement with nature. Dave’s previous two guest blogs here…
Forestry and Land Scotland – also Jay friendly
Forestry England don’t kill Jays themselves on their 250,000 ha and it’s clear they don’t let many others do it either. When I asked Forestry and Land Scotland about their policy they replied very quickly with; Hi Mark FLS does not cull jays on Scotland’s national forests and land – and our records indicate that…
Forestry England – friendly to Jays
Forestry England manages 1500 forests for us in England covering 250,000 ha of land. that’s a lot of forest, managed for timber, access, recreation and wildlife. So, I wondered how much Jay-killing goes on by Forestry England under the terms of the general licences (particularly as DEFRA has failed to remove Jay from the English…