Grouse shooting is still with us but its supporters must be counting the years. The ratchet of progress is irresistible and driven grouse shooting is doomed. 2018 brought its demise a bit closer and so will 2019. I’m looking forward to 2019. 2018 was the year when: there were very few Red Grouse available for…
Tag: Natural England
Guest blog series, A Break from Humanity (3) by Ian Carter.
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Continued from yesterday… The decision to move down to the south-west offered the prospect of living in a less heavily-developed part of the country with a more varied countryside – a prospect enhanced by the free time I would have following redundancy. We rented Blagrove Farm, a house on a dairy farm in sparsely-populated mid-Devon,…
Guest blog series, A Break from Humanity (1) by Ian Carter.
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Mark writes: Ian Carter is a frequent contributor to this blog as a writer of book reviews, a series of Guest Blogs on Wild Food (but some others on other subjects) and as a commenter. I’m pleased to share this series of Guest Blogs from one of Ian’s writing projects with you. The first five…
Killing birds – the NRW case
There has been quite a lot of recent media interest in the data that have come to light through Freedom of Information Act requests to statutory nature consevation agencies in England, Scotland and Wales and published on the blog of Jason Endfield. He and others have done a good job in throwing some light on…
Back to that excellent RSPB raptor report
The report on raptor persecution in Scotland published by the RSPB last week deserves a wide readership. I’ve been looking at it again over the weekend. There is a good, and new, piece of interpretation on satellite-tagged Hen Harriers (p12). Of the 18 Hen Harriers that died, or which disappeared under mysterious circumstances (ie their…
Forestry Commission press release – a writing opportunity
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FORESTRY COMMISSION LAUNCHES NEW PROJECT TO DIVERSIFY NATURE WRITING As part of celebrations to mark its centenary in 2019, the Forestry Commission has launched a new writing competition to diversify nature writing. From Wordsworth to J.K Rowling, England’s forests have inspired characters and chronicles that have shaped the nation’s literary history for…
Lodge Hill – news
Homes England press release: Homes England has proposed a new approach to the Lodge Hill development on the Hoo Peninsula in Medway, which will avoid direct Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) impacts on the Lodge Hill site. Following further careful consideration of the environmental sensitivities in and around the site, the new plans are for up…
RSPB press release – Cranes
Common Cranes. Photo: Nick Upton/RSPB images Survey reveals record number of UK’s tallest bird Figures released reveal 2018 has been the most successful year for Britain’s tallest bird – the common crane – since the 17th Century. A record 54 pairs produced 25 chicks, bringing the national total population to around 180 birds. Common cranes now…
Your National Parks and AONBs need you!
If you are going to respond to the consultation on National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England, and I do hope you will, then you have until 18 December (that’s Tuesday) to do so. Maybe a task for this weekend? Here is the link. It doesn’t take very long to respond to…
Natural England PhD – Hen Harrier reintroduction
Natural England, that cash-strapped former conservation agency, is funding a PhD into raptor translocations. But it will use the case study of the reintroduction of Hen Harriers in England. Short thesis!