By large, birders are a nice bunch and bad behaviour and poor etiquette among devotees is, thankfully, rather scarce - though this does not mean it does not occur. Many of those boasting a penchant for the hobby will have witnessed such behaviour, the practice of tape luring birds during the breeding season for example, … Continue reading Birders Behaving Badly
Putting nature back into the Peak District
Wading birds gathered in record numbers at Dove Stone in the Peak District this breeding season, all thanks to an ambitious ongoing bog restoration programme implemented by United Utilities and the RSPB. Over the summer, RSPB staff and volunteer surveyors recorded 49 pairs of dunlins at the Saddleworth site, up a quarter from the 39 … Continue reading Putting nature back into the Peak District
A sneak peek at an outstanding new book
If, like me, you are an avid consumer of natural history based literature, you will surely love the below extract from Peter Reason's new book, In Search of Grace - An ecological pilgrimage. The book is the story of an ecological pilgrimage undertaken by the author in his small yacht, Coral, from the south of England and … Continue reading A sneak peek at an outstanding new book
Tree of the Year 2017: Cast Your Vote
A sapling pulled from the mud of Passchendaele, a tree which has inspired the scouting movement, and a yew which bleeds are some of the 28 nominations shortlisted for the Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year contest 2017. Now in its fourth year, tens of thousands of people have already taken part in the conservation charity’s competition … Continue reading Tree of the Year 2017: Cast Your Vote
Half-Penny: aliens and interlopers
There are many words used to describe species which, through human intervention, have found themselves existing far outside of their historic, natural range. Terms such as invasives, aliens, invasive aliens and nonindigenous species are quite familiar; while a glance at social media often reveals myriad more unflattering phrases: pest, nuisance, menace, vermin - I particularly loathe … Continue reading Half-Penny: aliens and interlopers
Count the wildlife that’s counting on you
Half a million people are expected to watch and count their garden birds for the 2018 RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch in January. The world’s largest garden wildlife survey, now in its 39th year, is set to take place on 27, 28 and 29th of January 2018. With the public asked to spend just one hour watching and recording … Continue reading Count the wildlife that’s counting on you
