These are some words from Inglorious (written in 2014), they are the imagined words of an ex-gamekeeper writing of the demise of driven grouse shotoing p253-54): ‘In the end, with all that satellite-tag stuff, you could hardly point your shotgun at a bird of prey without fearing it might be a tagged bird that…
Tag: Natural England
Hen Harriers still in the news
Today’s Farming Today is worth a listen (8 minutes in). There is a conversation between the Moorland Association’s Amanda ‘If we let the Hen Harrier in, we will soon have nothing else‘ Anderson and the much more rational and consistent RSPB spokesperson, Cathleen Thomas. Amanda sticks to the nonsense about it being ‘the grouse shooters…
A good year for Hen Harriers in England – let’s hear it for the voles!
Hen Harriers in England have had a good breeding season this year – there were 14 nesting attempts, of which 9 produced a total of 34 fledged young. These 9 nests were, I think: 3 nests on United Utilities land (where grouse shooting occurs) in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, which were guarded by RSPB…
Bowland Gull Cull 14 – some information
At 14:59 this afternoon I received some answers to my FOI request of 10 July 2017 about the Bowland gull cull (see here for summary). I’m very grateful to NE for their response. It will take me a few days to read the large documents that I have been sent and to figure out what…
Guest blog – Wildfire and Moorland Management by Bob Berzins
Wildfire and Moorland Management The moorland above Carrbrook Greater Manchester has been devastated by one of the largest moorland fires in recent years. The fire started on 24th June and burnt for around three weeks covering an area of 18 sq km. The cloud of smoke was visible from space and residents had to abandon…
Sunday book review – Wilding by Isabella Tree
This book, out of 40+ I reviewed in 2018, was the title I chose as my wildlife book of the year – I recommend it highly. You can buy this book from Bookshop.org and I have set up a booklist to make that easy through this link https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/MarkAvery Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org…
Press release from Suffolk Wildlife Trust (and Plantlife)
Critically endangered fen orchid flowers for first time in 40 years Beautiful fenland species returns from localised extinction following pioneering work by Plantlife and Suffolk Wildlife Trust The critically endangered fen orchid has flowered for the first time in Suffolk since 1975. The return of the rare orchid, which was locally extinct and whose location cannot…
Bowland Gull Cull 12 – I keep asking
Dear Natural England, In November 2017 you told me that the investigation of the gull cull in Bowland was entering its final stages and that you would answer my questions (of mid July 2017 and subsequently) ‘once the investigation is concluded’. On 11 June you told me that ‘the investigation is in its final stages’….
Start the rewilding now Mr Gove – the people have spoken.
On a hot summer’s night the people spoke – the vote at the end of last night’s rewilding debate in London was 52% in favour of rewilding the uplands and a mere 39% against. If 52% (actually a smidgeon under) v 48% (actually a smidgeon over, and without counting the don’t knows and did not…
Guest blog – Whither Now for State Nature Conservation? by Dominic Woodfield
Dominic Woodfield is the Managing Director of Bioscan, a long established and well respected consultancy specialising in applied ecology. He is a life-long birder, a specialist in botany, habitat restoration and creation and in protected fauna including bats, herpetofauna and other species. He is also a highly experienced practitioner in Environmental Impact Assessment and Habitats…