Waxwings - I actually went out looking for them in east Northants yesterday and failed completely despite many recent local records. Did see lots of rowan berries, industrial estates and redwings though! Will I ever see a waxwing this winter?
Farmland birds - a short blog of a week ago has attracted a large number of comments - mostly from a so-called 'Essex peasant' otherwise known as Essex farmer and NFU mouthpiece Guy Smith. The comments are mostly longer than the original blog! Guy has problems with Hope Farm, the Farmland Bird Index, and most things that the RSPB does. Makes for an interesting read if you are interested in that type of thing.
Dancing - now is the time to download Bird is the word to try to get it to be the Christmas Number 1.
Last date to order from the RSPB before Christmas - 15 December.
A love of the natural world demonstrates that a person is a cultured inhabitant of planet Earth.
Hi Gert
I've just checked out the Badger Protection League's website - as I said - no mention of the RSPB as a member - neither is the Woodland Trust mentioned - why I wonder - surely not letting political / financial matters influence their 'beliefs' are they?
So why hasn't the RSPB joined the BPL ?? Perhaps Mark can tell us.
Interesting isn't it?
Dear Mark et al,
Firstly thank you for an engaging blog. I peek at it every now and then and it’s always of interest. This last discussion has promoted me to respond as it’s been a great insight into what I feel is key debate that should be at a national level. As we are essentially an urbanised society farmers can be viewed as ‘custodians’ of our rural and natural heritage that we all enjoy. They have the right to earn a decent living from it (they own large chucks of it) but I also think that they have an obligation to ensure its integrity. Nevertheless, I’d like to bring a 3rd party in to this mix; that is us as consumers. Since the food farmers produce is consumed by us we also have a part to play. In these cash strapped times we may well demand our food at the lowest possible price, but at what cost to our rural environment? Are we prepared to pay higher prices for food produced by farmers who care about the food they grow/rear and the environment? It is our demand that’s an economic driver; which made me recall a study from 2008 stating that 18% of the food we purchase is thrown away. What a lot of food to waste. news.bbc.co.uk/.../7389351.stm
In my view this can also be viewed as ‘wasted production’ that requires farmland. If we wasted less and paid a fair price may be more farmers would be happy to view their business as combining food production and conserving wildlife (they do not need to be mutual exclusive). Isn’t this what the higher level agri-environment scheme is all about? The price we as tax payers are prepared to pay for what we wish to conserve, recognising farmers as stewards of our rural landscapes but requiring certain obligations in return. I’m not a farmer (a rather cashed strapped student) but I do value the food that responsible farmers produce as well as our wonderful natural spaces and wildlife. My point is that we all have part to play. As much as farmers have to act responsibly we have to think of the consequences of our consumption. When I see a t-shirt for £5 I do wonder how on earth can it be made, shipped, stocked and sold for that price. I don’t intend preach, just wish to make my point that this debate is not just about ‘good and bad farmers’ but also about our demands as consumers.
Keep up the good work and like your last commenter I hope more farmers ‘welcome the RSPB with open arms’ and we as consumers also support those who want to provide good food whilst caring for our rural environment.
Doesn't the RSPB say - If govt decides to cull sick badgers to stop the spread of bTB in deer, cattle, alpaca pigs etc - we ain't gonna let them on our land
You can nitpick the words but that's where the RSPB is - unless it's recently re-discovered its responsibilities and well-hidden morality
"Why does the RSPB support / promote Tuberculosis in Wildlife?"
Suggest you read the RSPB web site trimbush - nothing in there about supporting or promoting TB in wildlife that I can see - but am happy to be corrected;
www.rspb.org.uk/.../badgers.aspx
Gert - I found your comments very stimulating and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Thank you.