Blogs

Mark Avery's blog

I'm the RSPB's Conservation Director. My aim with this blog will be to comment on matters of conservation importance and give you a few insights into the RSPB's conservation work - there's plenty to write about! More...

Mark Avery's blog > All tags > Northants (RSS)

Browse by tags

Red kites overhead

Last Thursday I travelled back from almost three weeks at political party conferences and was desperate for fresh air and the chance to see some wildlife. But I also wanted to listen to David Cameron's speech so I parked in the countryside near my...

Published 10-16-2009 3:05 AM by mark avery

Tags raptors Northants
Manchester - some random thoughts en route and on arrival

- a member at the AGM yesterday said she was looking forward to reading my blog from Manchester because after Bournemouth she thought I was a LibDem voter, after Brighton a Labour voter and she was looking forward to having another guess! - why does Richard...

Published 10-04-2009 9:23 PM by mark avery

Tags Northants party conferences parakeets
It all depends where you start the graph...

Defra produces a very interesting little booklet entitled 'UK Biodiversity Indicators in Your Pocket' and the 2009 version is out. It's certainly not all bad news - do have a look yourself to see - but it doesn't paint a great picture...

Published 08-26-2009 6:30 PM by mark avery

Tags farmland birds squirrels Defra Northants marine
Focus on birds of prey - 2. red kite

I sometimes need to get a train north from Peterborough station and my drive east takes me past Thrapston, Oundle and Elton. If the sun is shining then I would expect to see a red kite or two along this route (a red kite is much more likely than a lapwing...

Published 06-15-2009 7:00 PM by mark avery

Tags raptors reintroduction Northants
Sneaky, clever mammals

The most interesting wildlife I saw at the weekend was squashed on the road - so wasn't looking its best. My best guess is that it was a polecat but it might just have been a polecat/ferret hybrid. The fact that it had a white nose and black hairs...

Published 06-10-2009 8:32 AM by mark avery

Tags raptors mammals Northants
Up at 05:15 - and still late!

About three weeks late actually! Today I did the first of two scheduled visits to count birds as part of the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey ( BBS ) and I've usually done it at the beginning of May. The BBS provides the information on which much...

Published 05-31-2009 1:00 PM by mark avery

Tags butterflies farmland birds BTO Northants
We're all butterfly watchers now!

You may have noticed - there is the most stupendous influx of painted lady butterflies happening right now. Once you realise - you'll see them everywhere! I saw my first of the year on Sunday (two at Stanwick Lakes in Northamptonshire) and have seen...

Published 05-29-2009 3:58 PM by mark avery

Tags butterflies Northants
I thought I might, today, and I did!

Another walk at Stanwick Lakes today - well if you can't get out lots on a sunny May Bank Holiday weekend when can you? I always think there are 'the basic eight' warblers. These are those that you might reasonably expect to see on a May walk...

Published 05-24-2009 11:25 AM by mark avery

Tags Northants
My local patch

My local birdwatching patch is Stanwick Lakes in Northamptonshire. This series of old gravel pits with small areas of woodland and pasture is set in the Nene Valley. No weekend is complete without a two-hour walk around with binoculars. But the two things...

Published 05-23-2009 10:11 AM by mark avery

Tags butterflies Northants

Blogs

Browse by tags

Archives

Tags