LEGAL JUSTICE CONTINUES ITS CHALLENGE AGAINST THE THOUGHTLESS ISSUE OF GENERAL LICENCES

 Newsletter 83 from Wild Justice challenging the issue of General Licenses in Northern Ireland. Read on.

Today we have launched a legal challenge against the general licences issued by the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. This follows legal action we have taken over the last two and a half years against such licences in England and Wales.  Those challenges have led to significant reforms and improvements (though there is more to do).

 

A recap on general licences: all wild birds are protected by law, that is the sensible starting point. Only for specific purposes (eg public health, protecting livestock, nature conservation) can authorities issue licences for killing species. Such licences, general licences because they are not person-specific, are published each year in each of the four UK nations.  They specify which species can be killed for which purposes and what non-lethal means should be tried before lethal control is lawful.  The conditions of the licences are rarely enforced and Wild Justice regards these licences as casual licences that permit casual killing of otherwise protected species on an unlimited scale. We'll soon be letting you know how you can respond to the consultation by Natural Resources Wales on their general licences - we believe they are moving, too slowly, in the right direction.

 

DAERA's general licences: DAERA's general licences are, in our opinion, the worst in place anywhere in the UK. We have corresponded with DAERA since spring 2019, but most particularly several times and in detail this year, about the scientific and legal flaws in their licences. We were encouraged when DAERA issued a consultation on new general licences in July (see Wild Justice newsletter 68) but that consultation was mysteriously removed for reasons that have never been made clear. It looked to us as though DAERA was planning to make sensible changes to their licences and then abruptly changed their minds. We wonder whether they were put under pressure by vested interests.

 

What we have done: we have given DAERA every warning that they would face a legal challenge if they persisted with flawed licences. This week we have sent them a pre-action protocol letter in advance of seeking permission for judicial review of the legality of the licences. DAERA has two weeks to respond and in the absence of a satisfactory response we will move swiftly to lodge papers with the courts.  We feel we have a strong case and this is an area of science and law in which we have been active for some time - we will pursue this case very robustly.

 

We need your help, please: the legal costs of pursuing this challenge all the way through the courts from here (we've already spent money in getting this far) amount to £50,000. We have launched a crowdfunder to raise £45,000 so that we can pursue the case with confidence.  We are asking for your support to reach that funding target please.  Any donations you can make, however small (and however large!) directly to the crowdfunder (click here - you'll need a credit card) or directly to us (click here for details) will help us make this challenge.

 

Why the image of a Rook?: the bird at the top of this email is a Rook. In Northern Ireland it is listed on a general licence which allows one to kill unlimited numbers of Rooks for conservation purposes. Northern Ireland is the only UK nation that regards the Rook as a conservation issue. But Northern Ireland is also the only UK nation to allow killing of Wood Pigeons for nature conservation purposes! These licences need to be revoked and DAERA should start again. Please help us raise the money to take this challenge all the way. 

 

Thank you!

 

Wild Justice (Directors: Mark Avery, Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay).

 

LAGUNAS DE LO MONTE PILAR DE LA HORADADA

 The sun shone and another trip to Lagunas de lo Monte Pilar de la Horadada this morning. Crested Larks - Gogujada Común in the fields opposite which has now been recently re-planted. A female Black Redstart - Colirrojo Tizón was on a wire. I concentrated on the vegetation nearby but on the mud at the base was a Bluethroat - Pechiazul. Could have been a female first winter but it was always partly obscured. My last bird was Goldfinch - Jilguero feeding on Flea Bane. 

On the water nothing unusual just the normal culprits but always good to see. I hope winter brings more in.

The air was full of insects including Darters etc, and that’s another challenge but it says much for these lagoons in that the small stuff is in abundance.

100 WORD STORY

I've always thought it was a class war out there and the advocates of killing for fun are real life examples, Fox Hunting being one of them.  Hence I found the need to write this short story and submit it to ´Magic of Stories´

HOMEWARD

The roots of the spinney’s trees gave safety to her cubs’ den. Traveling for home until the shrill horn call came. The hounds yowled on finding her scent. She took the open field and away. Closer now and headed for cover. Men had been there before - this holt entrance was dug closed. Turning, she faced the pack, and ran into the thicket. The manor’s bleak stone wall stood tall and silent. She leapt as the lead hound bit hard and her scream cut the air. They gathered, saw the frenzy, as life oozed away. Cubs safe for now with archaic tradition maintained.

CLOT DE GALVANY, ALICANTE, SPAIN

Out to Clot de Galvany this morning but this was no hardship with easy walking and many hides. And In good company too, with Michelle, Mark and Bryan, several Spanish birders and the illustrious Malcolm Palmer.

Our target birds for this morning was Wryneck - Torcecuelo as we had been told they were there. We had to work for it. They flew and dropped out of sight and some were found perched. In poor light the photographers were busy. For Michelle it was a first and with record shots to prove it. No nonsense on this blog we say what we see and prove when we can.

I already had viewed my first winter Black Redstart - Colirrojo Tizón and they were around. Malcolm at the ‘dry’ hide had seen a female Common Redstart - Colirrojo Real but no sighting for us.
We were treated to a display of 4 male Blackcaps - Curruca Capirotada in and around a tree and we think there were more. Sardinians - Curruca Cabicinegra were frequent and Cetti’s - Ruiseñor Bastardo were heard constantly. I have not listed all the species.

On the water the results were disappointing. The usual culprits were there but with some good species absent. We will keep watching and with colder weather in the north it should get better.

No Clanga Clanga, no other eagle at all, even without spots and so we had to make do with several Marsh Harriers - Aguilucho Luganero.

As with all venues that we watch, the more visits, the greater our knowledge will be and the more species located. It is relevantly quiet at the moment but it could be a good winter. Our next trips will be inland and into a sierra or two. 

THE HERON’S CALL BY ANN CLEEVE

 Book Review

Title             The Heron’s Cry

Author         Ann Cleeves

Publisher.    Pan Macmillan

I enjoyed this from the beginning to its conclusion. It is sensitively written and included within these pages are topics that are the concern of communities everywhere. I am not saying what they are because that is for you to read and to find out. 

The story is set in the rurality of North Devon where the locations are used skillfully and where they have significance and act as an important character too. Every death has to be investigated and here her three main detectives are so radically different and that causes a mixture of enjoyment, frustration and even irritation. Again she creates characters that are important not just to the plot but in making us like and even love them. Apart from the investigators there are other brilliant characters. Not all likable, of course.

There are themes to follow and the endings are complex and in addition to all that she wraps up those lose bits in the relations with her characters. And that is very well done.

I heard her in an interview where she stated that many of the relationships included in her work are ‘fractious’ - my words not hers - and where there this much conflict within. With Matthew Venn her lead investigator he is in a happy and supportive relationship and that is a change from the ‘usual cop at home in disharmony’ syndrome.

Tonight you can see the characters on the screen as ITV have taken them for their own interpretation of them and the plot. I shall watch but what is better than a book in the hand?

I try to read books that are different and even provide a challenge and I know what I can get from this superb writer. The Guardian proclaims ‘A traditional mystery of the best sort’ and it was an excellent change after reading Greg Buchanan’s ‘Sixteen Horses’ because that was a challenge.

THE LATEST POST FROM WILD JUSTICE

 Good morning!

 

This newsletter has good news on Beavers, news on our ongoing legal challenge of DEFRA's inadequate burning regulations, a lack-of-progress report on Natural England's Hen Harrier reintroduction plans, a brief update on a meeting with our legal team, changes to our website, something on lead ammunition and a few more words on Beavers.

 

1. Congratulations to Trees for Life:Trees for Life have won a significant legal victory in Scotland for Beavers. They took a challenge that resulted in the current licences for Beaver-killing being declared unlawful. NatureScot will have to think hard, and think again on this subject. We're pleased that we gave some financial and moral support to this challenge. For more information see our blog - click here.

 

2. Burning bogs - we are appealing: last week we told you that we had just been refused permission for judicial review of DEFRA's burning regulations.  This week, after a meeting with our lawyers, we can tell you that we have appealed that decision (we are seeking renewal of our claim). It's not over yet and we will give it our best shot. We are also challenging the allocation of costs to the Interested Parties, namely BASC, Countryside Alliance, the National Gamekeepers' Organisation and the Moorland Association. For more information see our blog - click here.

 

3. Hen Harrier southern reintroduction: Natural England is still spending time and effort on a struggling vanity project on Hen Harrier reintroduction to southern England. We reminded them of the terrible job that they have done so far and how they have other, more important, things to do. For more information see our blog - click here. 

 

4. Strategy meeting with our legal team: we were in London on Thursday seeing a bunch of lawyers face to face, rather than on a computer screen, for the first time in ages. It was a rather similar meeting three years ago, with many of the same people, that brought Wild Justice into existence.  We've come a long way since that first meeting. This time we reviewed cases, made plans for future work and, yes, we drank some wine too. We're happy to be working with such a dedicated and talented group of barristers, lawyers and paralegals.

 

5. Website refresh: we'll be reviewing changes to our website over the weekend and they will roll out over the next couple of weeks, we reckon. Thank you for all your comments - we hope you'll like the modest changes we're going to make. Many of the changes are below the surface so you won't see much difference but the website will be even easier for us to use.

 

6. Lead ammunition: we have responded to a consultation on lead ammunition by submitting the data we collected on high levels of lead in game meat sold in Sainsbury's and Waitrose supermarkets. We've made our data available to the decision makers - let's see whether they act. And we'll be collecting more data very soon - perhaps from a supermarket near you.

 

6. More on Beavers:we have responded to a consultation on Beaver reintroductions by pointing out to the Secretary of State for DEFRA that he is failing to list the Beaver as a European Protected Species whereas Scotland does, and that he lists Beavers as an 'animal not normally present' in England even though wild populations have existed for years. George Eustice should get out more. For more information see our blog - click here.

 

That's not all we've done this week, but it gives you a flavour of what we've been up to.

 

 

Thank you to everyone who donated to our work after last week's newsletter - you're very generous, and donations are our only source of income. But we completely understand that not everyone can donate and that different people help us in different ways. Forwarding this newsletter to your friends is an easy way to help spread the word and they can subscribe, free, to this newsletter through this link - click here.  We produce about 30-35 newsletters each year, and after a quiet spell during the summer there may be several over the next few weeks.  We'll soon be telling you how you can respond to Natural Resources Wales's consultation on general licences.

 

That's it for now - have a good week.  We'll be back again quite soon.

 

Wild Justice (Directors: Mark Avery, Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay).

GREG BUCHANAN’S BRILLIANT READ - SIXTEEN HORSES

 Book Review

Title.                 Sixteen Horses

Author.              Greg Buchanan

Published by.    Mantle

Greg Buchanan was one of four panelists of Val McDermid’s young bloods at Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Awards in Harrogate last July. What a title I thought! One that could create tension and even persuade a faint hearted reader not even to touch the book. We did and a signed copy is on my desk as I write. 

My first thoughts after reading this story was strange, brilliant, disturbing and so good. That is not to say that everyone agrees. It was talked of on BBC Two’s programme, ‘Between the Covers’ and that show did not do the book or Greg any favours! The fact that Val McDermid thought more than enough of it to put it and the author on the stage in Harrogate was a decider for me. I like different.

There is a hint on the front cover when added to the title that suggests something unpleasant is within its covers and so I quote ‘This was a crime like no other’. Val McDermid’s comment may also give a potential reader some troublesome thoughts when she says ‘Unlike anything else you’ll read this year…..a deeply disconcerting ride. Irresistible’ and I cannot disagree. 

I never give much credence to what’s on the inside of the fly but I will quote from it as it sums up what I would say. 

‘Sixteen Horses is the debut of a stunning new talent - a haunting novel of enduring guilt, trauma and punishment, set in a small seaside community the rest of the world has left behind…..’

Well, what the hell is it about? Horses? Yes and people who have their problems. The coastal setting was depressing enough for me and add the extra ingredient of a community in the throes of death, that in my mind, sums it up. But it is beautifully done and location being a significant player just adds to the angst! 

I enjoyed it in a strange way because it is ‘haunting’. The book is set out with two opening chapters which can be said to be a prologue and then Part One follows. There are breaks within chapters and some chapters are short. I liked the way it was laid out.

If you question why you won’t consider reading it then examine the author’s profile and maybe think his talent and writing is worth the risk. Having reflected during this review and because this is a complex book I will read it again because it is good enough for me to do that. Go on give it a go. it’s different, alright.

PHOTOS FROM OUR TRIP TO EL HONDO

 In or near the flooded fields we hoped to find Waders.  This Greenshank was the only one we found.

In the same field this solitary Water Pipit was difficult to photograph but eventually came close enough.

The scrapes and lagoons around the information centre at San Felipe Neri were disappointing as described on previous blog.

The bright yellow of the Woody Fleabane attracted the Plain Tigers and they were beautiful.

In a small pond we were entertained by a dozen small Spanish Water Frogs.

IN SUPPORT OF CHRIS PACKHAM - BROADCASTER AND ENVIRONMENTALIST

 CHRIS Packham, whom I interviewed only the other day, is having to put up with some of the most disgusting behaviour. Opponents of the wildlife campaigner seem to think it is their right to threaten his home and his life, to tell him they are they going to kill him, to tell him his family is not safe.

This is the most revolting thing I have ever heard, I’m also furious with Facebook for not doing anything about some of the trolling that certain people get. I’m not talking about myself – I don’t care, I ignore them as they’re cretinous – but let’s think about it.

The people who are undertaking this mission to try to destroy Chris Packham are those who think he is trying to destroy what they call their fun, their hobby and maybe even their “tradition”. These are the people who think it is perfectly acceptable to go out and kill animals for the fun of it.

There are many such examples, from shooting birds to culling badgers for really no reason to Britain’s best known tradition – foxhunting. In my childhood and early life there was nothing more exciting than seeing the hunt gathering outside their local pub for a stirrup cup and then riding magnificently off into a sunny misty morning with the hounds baying.

But on reflection, when out in the field with the so-called terrier men digging the foxes from their lairs, the hounds running them to ground and literally ripping them limb from limb, it was pretty disgusting.

In past ages we used to enjoy dog fighting, cockfighting, bear baiting and various other forms of entertainment now considered disgusting.

When fox and stag hunting were legally banned, drag hunting, just using a lure for the dogs and hunters to follow, was introduced, but bloodsports fans want the laws repealed and find ways round them.

Tradition doesn’t last forever: we can talk about it, we can look back on it and I don’t want to see any pictures or statues of hunts destroyed. It is all part of our history. But those people who are prepared to carry on the pursuit of killing for fun have to be stopped. And so must their pastimes – if you can call them that.

ENDS

ELFONDO/EL HONDO ALICANTE SPAIN

 EL FONDO AND SURROUNDS

The weather seems to have settled with strong suns and with little wind. We had heard that a field had been flooded in the area of The Parque Natural and decided we needed a trip out and to see for ourselves. 

We found fields where the grass had been cut, was drying out and with some already bailed and being collected. Some still shows signs of having been wet with others under water or in the process of being flooded. We had hoped for a very good morning but had to be pleased with what we saw. It was good to be out.

Some areas were packed with Cattle Egrets - Garcilla Bueyera and with Glossy Ibis - Morito. They were is such numbers that they could only be estimated. Upwards of 200 with both species dependent upon which field you scanned. There were a good number of Black Headed Gulls - Gaviota Reidora. 

We hoped for waders and we worked hard to find one solitary Greenshank - Archibebe Claro that was photographed even with its rapid movements and the poor light. We looked hard and found a Water Pipit - Bisbita Alpino. There were a few White Wagtails - Lavendera Blanca around too. Small birds were in very short supply and we were disappointed in not seeing many other waders. Perhaps next time.

We re-traced our route and went to the Information Centre and what we found was this. The scrapes and lagoons adjacent to the car park had been drained and machines had been in to cut down the vegetation. We wanted to see Blue Throat - Pechiazul and Snipe - Agachadiza Común but not here now. It was not a good time to be there. 

Close by the picnic area a small pond contained photographable frogs the Iberian Water Frog - Rana Común and nearby feeding on Woody Fleabane was Plain Tigers - Mariposa Tigray. They are beautiful. The Woody Fleabane has numerous bright yellow flowers and dark green leaves on a dark brown woody stem. Easy to see and worth inspecting for the small stuff. Another name is False Yellow Head and according to a Catalan Proverb the following is said; ‘My dear one, don’t fall in love with any one who has only good looks. She is like a false yellow headed flower beautiful, but full of stench. So be warned.

Alongside these flowers was a new board showing the local butterflies.

 LATEST FROM RAPTOR PERSECUTION UK.

They say 57 Hen Harriers illegally killed or confirmed missing on or close to a UK Grouse Moor.

The whole list is on their latest post.

WILLIAM McILVANNY AND IAN RANKIN COMBINE IN ANOTHER GLASGOW COP DRAMA

 Book Review

Title.                      The Dark Remains

Authors.                 William McIlvanney

                                    Ian Rankin

Published by.         Canongate

I lifted The Dark Remains off the shelf feeling that I needed to give myself a lift as I had not read a novel for weeks. It was the best choice I could have made. I knew the history of this book in that William McIlvanney - a Scottish crime writer of repute - died in 2005 before it could be completed. So, what better a choice could be, when Ian Rankin finished the job. Seamlessly, I feel, although I could make a guess at one or two places when Rankin did took over.

I think that when a reader is introduced to any crime story set in Scotland then it should include a warning about what to expect. These two authors, including Val McDermid, know how to bring violent characters into play. Yes, there is violence and make no mistake it’s ‘not nice’. However the criminals are portrayed as people who have had traumatic pasts and that evil has stayed with them. Power, money and control of others is top of their list.

But, of course, they are only one half of the story as on the other side are ‘the polis’. You need tough intelligent beings to thwart the dark side of Glasgow and one man especially drives this novel at a furious pace. That is DC Jack Laidlaw who does his own thing! I loved the way McIlvanney portrays him as a loner that’s sharper than the rest. He has a partner too and the two are like two dissimilar book ends! Add into that a ‘knob’ of a detective inspector and the conflict is added to between detectives as well as between villains. It makes the story bound along rapidly to a conclusion.

Interestingly, there is acrimony with Jack Laidlaw’s home life and this is well dealt with by our story tellers. I could say that Jack and Ena, his wife, are different sides of two coins. I won’t spoil by giving away any more detail, but I felt sadness with what was in print. I loved the honesty in here when McIlvanney states that Jack is not a Mason. Hurray, I say and there is no hint of any corruption here either. 

If you are looking for a well run murder investigation then forget it. But you should love the unorthodox Jack Laidlaw as he got the answers right. 

It is about a killing, several domestic situations and competing gangs in Glasgow. I enjoyed every line in this fast moving story. It’s not banter as such but sharp dialogue and I liked that. A great choice and the right time for me.

 

WILD JUSTICE AND BURNING ISSUES

 WILD JUSTICE 81 BURNING ISSUES; A SETBACK

We had some bad news yesterday - our application for permission for judicial review of the Westminster government's inadequate regulations on limiting burning of vegetation on peatlands has been refused by the Hon Justice Dove. (You can read his decision in full by going to the Wild Justice site)

 

This is a disappointment as the regulations have been widely criticised by environmental campaigners, parliamentarians and the Committee on Climate Change. But, so far, in this case the legal system has not offered much help to the environment. We shall be consulting with our lawyers in the coming days and we shall consider an appeal.

 

Whether or not an appeal is taken, Wild Justice considers the regulations brought in by DEFRA to be inadequate on both nature conservation and climate change grounds.  As the UK hosts the COP26 international climate change meeting in Glasgow, the English authorities have brought in feeble measures as part of their response to the climate change crisis. This may or may not be unlawful but it is still utterly shameful.

 

Thank you to all who have sent over 35,000 emails to UK parliamentarians, calling for uplands that work for people, for the climate and for wildlife  through our e-action. Please have a look and support it if you feel able 

COMMENT FROM ME.

I view this decision as a mere setback in a war that will continue. The ‘legal speak’ is detailed and within the law as it stands is probably correct. That tells me the law and process needs to change. 

The question everyone should be asking is “why is the moorland and valuable peat being set on fire?”

The answer is to encourage the heather to provide green shoots so that the grouse can eat them. No other reason except for a rich man’s fun. 

A court verdict on the sham of trail hunting exposes the myth

 My take on this that at last a conviction that deletes the lie of the false-pretense of ‘trail hunting.

JE 15th October

Comment from the court

In my judgement he was clearly encouraging the mirage of trail laying to act as a cover for old fashioned hunting."

Today the most significant court verdict since the passing of the Hunting Act 2004 has occurred. 

Mark Hankinson was today found guilty of intentionally encouraging or assisting others to commit an offence under the Hunting Act by telling them how to use the excuse of so called ‘trail’ hunting to get away with hunting real animals.

Judge Tan Ikram, deputy chief magistrate of England and Wales, read out key parts of the webinar transcripts in his remarks, before saying: “In my judgement he was clearly encouraging the mirage of trail laying to act as a cover for old fashioned hunting."

The significance of this cannot be over stated. A senior hunt official been found guilty of assisting hunts to break the law.

But this landmark trial has always been about far more than just man, and has helped blow away the smokescreen of ‘trail’ hunting.

The situation has never been more clear. Years of evidence. Years of campaigning. Trail hunting is a lie. 

In the words of deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram "Perhaps most incriminating was the advice that trail laying had to be as ‘plausible’ as possible. There would be no need to suggest that [a trail layer] was needed unless it was a sham or a smokescreen.”

So what now? Now it’s up to you. 

Thanks to the pressure that you have already applied, major landowners such as Forestry England, National Trust, United Utilities, Lake District National Park and Natural Resources Wales have been waiting on this verdict to decide whether to ban hunting activity on their land. 

Please contact them one last time and tell them there can be no doubt about the truth of trail hunting, that now is the time to end their suspensions and ban trail hunting on their land for good.  

Let’s put an end to the smokescreen that is trail hunting once and for all. 

FURTHER COMMENT ON THE ARSON ATTACK AT CHRIS PACKHAM’S FRONT GATE

 Further to the terrifying arson attack at Chris Packham’s home last week, believed by many to be an act of intimidation / domestic terrorism in response to Chris’s environmental and animal welfare campaign work (see here), two journalists have written articles that attempt to put the escalating violence into a wider context.

 Here are some comments from two journalistS

Writing for Byline Times yesterday, Andrew Taylor-Dawson argues thoughtfully that the attacks on Chris are part of a wider global assault on environmental activists. He says:

‘What is clear – from the forests of South America to the grouse moors of Britain – is that some of those with a vested interest to oppose the defence of wildlife and habitats are prepared to go to extreme lengths to intimidate, silence or even get rid of their opponents‘. 

You can read Andrew’s full article here.

Also published yesterday was an eloquent piece from George Monbiot in The Guardian, who wrote about the escalating violence shown by some within the bloodsports community against objectors, aided by poor police enforcement and major legal deficiencies. He writes about the loopholes in the Hunting Act which allow so-called trail hunters to ‘accidentally’ kill foxes, and says this about the difficulties of prosecuting gamekeepers for the illegal killing of birds of prey:

‘Other bloodsports also enjoy remarkable legal exemptions. An attempt to introduce a provision for vicarious liability in England, ensuring that estate owners could be prosecuted when their gamekeepers illegally kill birds of prey, was struck down by an environment minister who happened to own a grouse moor and a pheasant shoot. The amazing legal contortions needed to allow pheasant shooting to continue create the impression that there is one law for the rich and quite another for the poor‘.

You can read George’s full article here.

REWILDING AND THE RIGHT TO ROAM

 I listened to the PM’s speech and guess what came up? He mentioned the freedom that we don't have and then he said those ‘magic words’ - REWILDING. 

I am a supported of everything that involves our natural environments and of both Guy Shrubsole (Who Owns Britain) and Nick Hayes (The Book of Trespass). They are to be applauded for their activities. 

And below is their post.

Big news: suddenly, the Treasury cares about public access to nature!

 

We’ve discovered that the Treasury has commissioned a Minister, Lord Agnew, to lead a new review into access to nature. This ‘Agnew Review’ is looking for “radical, joined up thinking” to achieve a “quantum shift in how our society supports people to access and engage with the outdoors”.

 

The review was previously secret, taking place behind closed doors – but we want to bring it into the open.

 

And now we need lots of you to call on the Treasury for a greater Right to Roam – by emailing Lord Agnew using our template letter below.

 

We have a Right to Roam over just 8% of England. So this is a golden opportunity to push for more public access to the countryside.

 

The Treasury’s new-found interest in nature is clearly motivated by the spiralling costs of sedentary lifestyles to the health service, and the way lockdown demonstrated how desperately we need regular access to nature for our physical and mental health.

 

We know that some Whitehall departments like DEFRA (the Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) are opposed to extending Right to Roam, because they’re in bed with landowning interests.

 

But the Treasury holds far more power and could ultimately overrule them.

 

Please send an email to Lord Agnew asking him to extend our Right to Roam. You can copy and paste our template letter below, and send it to Lord Agnew’s official Ministerial email address, pslordagnew@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

 

It’s even better if you can personalise your letter – perhaps by talking about rivers, woods or other green spaces in your area where you’d love to have the Right to Roam, but can’t access currently.

 

We’d be really keen to see any replies you receive, so please send them to us via the contact form at https://www.righttoroam.org.uk/.  

 

Thanks a lot for your help. We’re not a big NGO and rely on the enthusiasm and energy of the thousands of you who’ve signed up to our mailing list since we first launched just over a year ago. But together we’re having an outsize impact and building momentum. This is the latest sign that things are starting to shift in our favour.

 

All the best,

Guy and Nick x

BAN TRAIL HUNTING ON NATIONAL TRUST LAND

 It really is a misnomer to call it national and what trust is there. Isn’t it another example of those in power dictating. Those large mansions maybe beautiful and the views over the land is wonderful too but what about the practices that are allowed to be tolerated. So ban the farce, the pretense that trail hunting does not kill foxes and damage other wildlife and habitats. It’s an archaic practice for a few and not for the many.

Two weeks to vote for a ban

Dear John,

There are fewer than two weeks left to vote to end hunting on National Trust land. 

Are you a member of the National Trust? If so, you have the power to end hunting on National Trust land.

Voting is open for the National Trust AGM, meaning members can vote for banning ‘trail’ hunting and other hunting related activities on Trust land.

Whether you are a Trust member or not, don’t forget to join us for our peaceful demonstration outside the National Trust AGM in Harrogate on October 30. We will provide you with all the materials you need to make the biggest impact, including t-shirts, placards, flags and leaflets.

ARSON AT THE HOME OF CHRIS PACKHAM

 IT’S CRIMINAL. IT’S A SIMPLE FACT. HUMAN BEHAVIOUR THAT’S ODIOUS.

I cannot let the latest incident outside of Chris Packham’s home to go without comment. What’s gone on before with dead animals being ‘deposited’ in and around his property is terrible enough particularly when that animal was seemingly killed for that purpose. A wild animal that should have a right to roam freely without death being meted out by those who can. 

And now two people wearing hoods drive up, park a vehicle close to his front gates having loaded it up with incendiary comments and set it on fire. All within view of cameras and drive away. 

It is pointless me asking what sort of people they? Many decent people will quickly form their own view. What really irks me is the consistent thought I have that these two individuals, with others, can act in a brazen fashion. Do they care about being caught? Probably not and my main point is this that protection should be ensured and that sufficient resources are made to stop this increasingly upward spiral of hatred and contempt. We live in a decade of ‘we can do it, because we can.’ It has to stop. 

I say, let’s do what every one can do, to speak up and stand up to a small minority who continue to ruin aspects of our lives.

Chris Packham keep on doing what you do. I support you. 

Please view the post on Raptor Persecution UK. The detail of ‘why’ this happened at this time.

CLOT DE GALVANY, ALICANTE, SPAIN

 What a very good day for 1st October to go birding again. Clot de Galvany was our target for a couple of hours. Work is still carrying on and so there is some disturbance with hardly anything showing on the top pool. However where the new hide and lagoons are we had an excellent clear view of a Squacco Heron - Garcilla Cangrejera. Another one was in the reeds further away.

It’s always the company that makes it for an enjoyable and so we had a fun morning. The large hide was where we went sat and observed. Bryan searched continuously for the Ferruginous -  Porrón  Pardo but it could have been in the other water further away. There was a large number of White-headed Ducks - Malvasia Cabeciblanca  with some Shovelers - Cuchara Común, Common Pochard - Porrón Europea and we counted a line of six Gadwell - Ánade Friso Little Grebes - Zampullin Común were accompanied by many more Black-necked Grebe - Cuellinegro. 

We had fun again with identification and our third Osprey - Águila Pescador of the week turned out to a pale morph Booted Eagle - Águililla Calzado. And that explains why it did not fly over the lagoon! It was distant so we will claim an excuse!

Bryan’s old camera proved the point. We only declare what we know. No bullshit just facts. Marsh Harriers Aguilucho Luganero hunted over the reeds. 

Perched high up in a waterside tree was one very obvious Heron. We concluded that it was a juvenile Purple Heron - Garza Imperiel biding its time before flying south. So that was definitely our bird of the day.

There were many stars out there as many hirundines were feeding over the water. Barn Swallows - Golondrina Común, even a House Martin - Avion Común or two and some Sand Martins - Avion Zapador as well. So wonderful to see them and enjoyable as we might not have a fly past next week.