The war on biodiversity loss, cuts and bank voles

Last week the biodiversity (and many other things) Minister, Richard Benyon, was quoted on the matter of the recovering bittern population. The Minister said “To see a species that was once extinct in the UK rise to a population of over one hundred is a real achievement.  This is largely down to the work of the…

Bird Fair – Day 2

Another busy day and, with the exception of a shower, another dry one at the Bird Fair. I haven’t yet got as far as Marquees 1 & 2, but I intend to tomorrow. The nice ladies from Plantlife gave me a refreshing elderflower drink as I arrived – you see plants are worth having –…

Bird Fair – Day 1

It’s actually quite hard work enjoying yourself at the Bird Fair – I don’t mean that you can’t enjoy yourself, just that it is a bit knackering.  It doesn’t quite have the buzz of the Cheltenham Festival for me but today the period between 0930 and 1730 just whizzed by. I have this strategy of…

Something for the weekend sir?

I love farmers.  Well, admittedly not all of them, but then I don’t love all birdwatchers, all RSPB members or all of anything – maybe all hen harriers? But I do love the fact that some farmers are doing a fantastic job with the help of my taxpayer’s money on their farms. We have come…

Game Fair

I was at the CLA Game Fair on Friday and Saturday.  In a previous existence I used to spend three days there but I’ve given myself Sunday off for good behaviour. A couple of days at the Game Fair could provide the inspiration for a year’s blogs, and much of this coming week’s blogging will…