Birdwatcher and conservationist, walker, beer lover and Burnley fan
Skipton, Yorkshire
Joined October 2012
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Tim Quantrill retweeted
Wouldn't it be hypocritical if one of the biggest gobs blaming badgers for the decline in ground nesting birds spent this week cutting hay and silage. The fledgling skylark I photographed June 18th last year would have been mince. 1000s of fields being cut, but lets blame Badgers
Gas guns back in operation on Threshfield Moor today @RaptorPersUK to scare birds of prey. Nothing like getting away from the noise of town to the peace and quiet of the countryside!
Great news, well done all. Let's hope they spread. Last breeding sea eagle in England before reintroductions was killed at a cliff in Devon I think
Flock of 100+ golden plover flying in formation over Fountains Fell this afternoon @nybirdnews plus my first swallow of the year heading north
This is Loup scar on the river Wharfe near Burnsall, a well known local beauty spot. I can imagine a wolf being cornered on the cliffs here (or am I being too fanciful!) and put to death. Again I can't find anything about the origin of the name 😢
Glad you find it interesting Derek - yes lots of Normans were given land in this part of Yorkshire, Skipton and surrounding Dales. This particular carving I feel is in the style of Victorians/Edwardians who did a lot of similar nearby. But maybe memory of what rock was called?
Interesting rock above Addingham in West Yorkshire @gow_derek - LOUP carved into one face but I can't find any records of the rock being named, like a lot on Rombalds (Ilkley) Moor are. Loup Scar at Burnsall is a few miles away as are other wolf rocks/crags in North Yorkshire
And how about encouraging farmers to revert to previous grazing and grassland regimes so that waders can nest again on their upland (and lowland) farms Tony? We have to reverse the decimation of habitat as much as protecting them from predators/people/dogs etc
Think I know this one Lesley, it has loads of primroses along it in the spring. I discovered it when looking for a circular walk between Hellifield and Long Preston to take in the Maypole Dancing. Will try and do it again this year!
That's the point. By the time we get rich enough in your book (we're one of the richest countries in the world by the way but its not divided equally, if it were we'd be a happier better country) then there won't be nature left - we've already lost much getting as rich as we are
In theory, if they are ever built and we could afford to deal with all the radioactive waste, they would be good but these new rules will be used for lots more projects for all sorts of infrastructure which will be bad
No it won't. It might not be built on but Wales, England and the rest of the UK has lost a lot of its wildlife already. Many of those fields are deserts for native species and ditching more environmental protection laws will make things worse
But they are planning to build these all over the place. And what's to stop them using the same proposals to build new warehouses, datacentres, supermarkets, houses etc all on land that should be protected for nature
Yes it's mostly agricultural land with few species on it these days - hopefully Elms will turn it around if there's enough money to get lots of farms involved
We're not going to have any nature left soon. What's the point of building all this infrastructure in a place that won't be worth living in because of all the infrastructure?
Heard first chiffchaff of the year today downstream of Bolton Abbey @nybirdnews plus flocks of dozens curlew and oystercatcher and a couple of pairs of goosander
@nybirdnews large skein of pink feets flying over Malham Moor at 1ish this afternoon, heading north west. Also a couple of dozen golden plover calling and singing skylarks on Fountains Fell
Glad someone has finally been convicted of trying to kill one of our hen harriers. So many disappear in suspicious circumstances so hopefully others will be discouraged - but the level of fine and lack of sanction for the shooting estate leads me to think nothing much will change
BREAKING NEWS....Gamekeeper Racster Dingwall pleads guilty to conspiracy to kill a Hen Harrier on a grouse moor in Yorkshire Dales National Park ⚖️
New blog ⬇️
raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026…
Good news if he's pleaded guilty - I just hope prosecutors haven't done a deal for a lesser offence for which he gets a slap on the wrist
Trial due to start today for gamekeeper Racster Dingwall, accused of conspiracy to kill a Hen Harrier on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
NB: Comments turned off as legal proceedings are live ⚖️
raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026…
