Mark Avery
@markavery.bsky.social
Conservationist, campaigner, author, columnist, blogger, grandpa
Pinned
Thnx @birdguides.bsky.social for review of Wings Across the Atlantic.
'a charming book that acknowledges & contemplates a wealth of current affairs'
'having access to the thoughts & opinions of two highly experienced knowledgeable individuals...gives the reader great insight'
Buy bit.ly/4sSRbJY
'a charming book that acknowledges & contemplates a wealth of current affairs'
'having access to the thoughts & opinions of two highly experienced knowledgeable individuals...gives the reader great insight'
Buy bit.ly/4sSRbJY
Rond 3 and the windfarm appears to be on the ropes.
@robgmacfarlane.bsky.social @markavery.bsky.social @naturalengland.bsky.social @nicholasbeuret.bsky.social @vegplotter.com @philbrickellmp.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @littletollerbooks.bsky.social @iucn-uk-peat.bsky.social @cvclt1.bsky.social @protectthewild.bsky.social
Ding Ding Round 3 - Shrinking windfarm fails to address environmental concerns #NoWindfarmsonProtectedPeat #SaveAndRestoreWalshawMoor saverestorewalshawmoor.wordpress.com/2026/02/03/d...
February 6, 2026 at 9:43 AM
Rond 3 and the windfarm appears to be on the ropes.
It sounds as though Swan Support removed dead/sick swans - what did they do with them?
The official monitoring isn't very good but doesn't aim to count all cases of bird flu in all species - that'd be impossible.
See markavery.info/2026/01/14/b...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The official monitoring isn't very good but doesn't aim to count all cases of bird flu in all species - that'd be impossible.
See markavery.info/2026/01/14/b...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Race to contain suspected bird flu outbreak among Thames Valley swans
Volunteer workers say increasing case numbers and dozens of dead birds raise fears spread is wider than recorded
www.theguardian.com
February 3, 2026 at 6:22 PM
It sounds as though Swan Support removed dead/sick swans - what did they do with them?
The official monitoring isn't very good but doesn't aim to count all cases of bird flu in all species - that'd be impossible.
See markavery.info/2026/01/14/b...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The official monitoring isn't very good but doesn't aim to count all cases of bird flu in all species - that'd be impossible.
See markavery.info/2026/01/14/b...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
You might consider a formal complaint. Just asking the police for the complaints procedure would be a good idea IMHO.
3/3 him to look at the evidence I recorded - it lasted 4hrs! Within that time he twice got the location wrong of where I was reporting the incident from.
His sole intention in calling me was to close the case down.
No professional curiosity whatsoever.
@markavery.bsky.social @ruthtingay.bsky.social
His sole intention in calling me was to close the case down.
No professional curiosity whatsoever.
@markavery.bsky.social @ruthtingay.bsky.social
February 3, 2026 at 5:35 PM
You might consider a formal complaint. Just asking the police for the complaints procedure would be a good idea IMHO.
Did you get the name of the officer to whom you spoke?
2/3 'No, I saw a hare being chased but I didn't pick the camera up in time'
'Then I'm going to record the incident as closed.
'Do you want to see the clips? - it clearly identifies those involved & I have car reg nos'
'No'
The call lasted 9mins 8secs & most of that time I was trying to persuade
'Then I'm going to record the incident as closed.
'Do you want to see the clips? - it clearly identifies those involved & I have car reg nos'
'No'
The call lasted 9mins 8secs & most of that time I was trying to persuade
February 3, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Did you get the name of the officer to whom you spoke?
Reposted by Mark Avery
1/3 This was hare hunting by my cottage a wk last Saturday - I phoned 999 & they didn't respond.
I eventually got a call on Saturday, a wk later - at 8am in the morning.
'Is it a convenient time to talk?'
'Not really'
'Then I'll make it brief, you have no footage of a hare actually being killed?"
I eventually got a call on Saturday, a wk later - at 8am in the morning.
'Is it a convenient time to talk?'
'Not really'
'Then I'll make it brief, you have no footage of a hare actually being killed?"
February 3, 2026 at 5:10 PM
1/3 This was hare hunting by my cottage a wk last Saturday - I phoned 999 & they didn't respond.
I eventually got a call on Saturday, a wk later - at 8am in the morning.
'Is it a convenient time to talk?'
'Not really'
'Then I'll make it brief, you have no footage of a hare actually being killed?"
I eventually got a call on Saturday, a wk later - at 8am in the morning.
'Is it a convenient time to talk?'
'Not really'
'Then I'll make it brief, you have no footage of a hare actually being killed?"
No fishing? What about a little fishing? Or a lot of fishing?
You’d need some pretty clever marine biologists to draw the line and wherever it was drawn couldn’t delight both fishers & the environment.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
You’d need some pretty clever marine biologists to draw the line and wherever it was drawn couldn’t delight both fishers & the environment.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
Plan to allow fishing around Chagos Islands alarms conservationists
Chagossian people would be allowed to fish in area that has teemed with life since ban was introduced in 2010
www.theguardian.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:16 PM
No fishing? What about a little fishing? Or a lot of fishing?
You’d need some pretty clever marine biologists to draw the line and wherever it was drawn couldn’t delight both fishers & the environment.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
You’d need some pretty clever marine biologists to draw the line and wherever it was drawn couldn’t delight both fishers & the environment.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
Dunlin nesting in North Pennines - very cute aren't they? Wait for the second chick to appear.
More detail: blog markavery.info/2026/02/03/r...
#cumbria #peat #moorland #restoration
More detail: blog markavery.info/2026/02/03/r...
#cumbria #peat #moorland #restoration
February 3, 2026 at 8:02 AM
Dunlin nesting in North Pennines - very cute aren't they? Wait for the second chick to appear.
More detail: blog markavery.info/2026/02/03/r...
#cumbria #peat #moorland #restoration
More detail: blog markavery.info/2026/02/03/r...
#cumbria #peat #moorland #restoration
Tim @mothyblackburn.bsky.social I very much enjoyed the talk you’ve just given to the UK Moth Recorders conference. #moths
January 31, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Tim @mothyblackburn.bsky.social I very much enjoyed the talk you’ve just given to the UK Moth Recorders conference. #moths
Pretty good week in wildlife. I love Mark Koster’s image of Bald Eagle and Red-winged Blackbird www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Week in wildlife: a rescued owl, a brave blackbird and Fukushima boar babies
This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Pretty good week in wildlife. I love Mark Koster’s image of Bald Eagle and Red-winged Blackbird www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Good news www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Rare butterflies bounce back after landowners in Wales cut back on flailing hedges
More than 300 brown hairstreak butterfly eggs were recorded in hedgerows near Llandeilo this winter after decade of decline
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Good news www.theguardian.com/environment/...
This will be a challenge for all involved. Ben is a true friend of nature and Reform had laughable environmental credentials in general election. I will watch with interest. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reform UK enlists Boris Johnson ally to write party nature policies
Exclusive: Ben Goldsmith will work on issues including fishing and green belt preservation to attract green Tories
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:04 AM
This will be a challenge for all involved. Ben is a true friend of nature and Reform had laughable environmental credentials in general election. I will watch with interest. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Good news! RSPB press release. markavery.info/2026/01/29/r...
This shows how difficult it is to get successful, meaningful legal wins. Well done RSPB for this result. It moves things forward.
@yorkshiredales.org.uk
When will Defra act? Ban driven grouse shooting!
This shows how difficult it is to get successful, meaningful legal wins. Well done RSPB for this result. It moves things forward.
@yorkshiredales.org.uk
When will Defra act? Ban driven grouse shooting!
RSPB – Gamekeeper pleads guilty in Hen Harrier persecution case – Mark Avery
markavery.info
January 29, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Good news! RSPB press release. markavery.info/2026/01/29/r...
This shows how difficult it is to get successful, meaningful legal wins. Well done RSPB for this result. It moves things forward.
@yorkshiredales.org.uk
When will Defra act? Ban driven grouse shooting!
This shows how difficult it is to get successful, meaningful legal wins. Well done RSPB for this result. It moves things forward.
@yorkshiredales.org.uk
When will Defra act? Ban driven grouse shooting!
Guest blog #naturewriting by @jamesgilbertmr.bsky.social
Gullwing Hour markavery.info/2026/01/29/g...
Gullwing Hour markavery.info/2026/01/29/g...
January 29, 2026 at 10:09 AM
Guest blog #naturewriting by @jamesgilbertmr.bsky.social
Gullwing Hour markavery.info/2026/01/29/g...
Gullwing Hour markavery.info/2026/01/29/g...
Reposted by Mark Avery
Good news!
High Court throws out Moorland Association's legal challenge against new burning regulations in England ⚖️🌍
New blog ⬇️
raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/28/h...
High Court throws out Moorland Association's legal challenge against new burning regulations in England ⚖️🌍
New blog ⬇️
raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/28/h...
High Court throws out Moorland Association’s legal challenge against new burning regulations
Some good news! This morning, the Moorland Association’s legal challenge against Defra’s new burning regulations (which restrict burning on deep peat) has been thrown out by the High Co…
raptorpersecutionuk.org
January 28, 2026 at 1:08 PM
Good news!
High Court throws out Moorland Association's legal challenge against new burning regulations in England ⚖️🌍
New blog ⬇️
raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/28/h...
High Court throws out Moorland Association's legal challenge against new burning regulations in England ⚖️🌍
New blog ⬇️
raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/28/h...
Thnx @birdguides.bsky.social for review of Wings Across the Atlantic.
'a charming book that acknowledges & contemplates a wealth of current affairs'
'having access to the thoughts & opinions of two highly experienced knowledgeable individuals...gives the reader great insight'
Buy bit.ly/4sSRbJY
'a charming book that acknowledges & contemplates a wealth of current affairs'
'having access to the thoughts & opinions of two highly experienced knowledgeable individuals...gives the reader great insight'
Buy bit.ly/4sSRbJY
January 27, 2026 at 10:21 AM
Thnx @birdguides.bsky.social for review of Wings Across the Atlantic.
'a charming book that acknowledges & contemplates a wealth of current affairs'
'having access to the thoughts & opinions of two highly experienced knowledgeable individuals...gives the reader great insight'
Buy bit.ly/4sSRbJY
'a charming book that acknowledges & contemplates a wealth of current affairs'
'having access to the thoughts & opinions of two highly experienced knowledgeable individuals...gives the reader great insight'
Buy bit.ly/4sSRbJY
If you did #BigGardenBirdwatch #bgbw at the weekend plz remember to send in your results.
As with other science, citizen science doesn't count for much, except personal entertainment, unless the data are shared and published. Sermon over.
As with other science, citizen science doesn't count for much, except personal entertainment, unless the data are shared and published. Sermon over.
January 27, 2026 at 10:08 AM
If you did #BigGardenBirdwatch #bgbw at the weekend plz remember to send in your results.
As with other science, citizen science doesn't count for much, except personal entertainment, unless the data are shared and published. Sermon over.
As with other science, citizen science doesn't count for much, except personal entertainment, unless the data are shared and published. Sermon over.
Reposted by Mark Avery
Rhinoceros Auklets flying past the boat in the Broughton Archipelago - these are the moments I wait for 🌊
#birdphotography #birds #birding #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #britishcolumbia
#birdphotography #birds #birding #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #britishcolumbia
January 26, 2026 at 8:50 PM
Rhinoceros Auklets flying past the boat in the Broughton Archipelago - these are the moments I wait for 🌊
#birdphotography #birds #birding #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #britishcolumbia
#birdphotography #birds #birding #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #britishcolumbia
Reposted by Mark Avery
the "medieval people didn't know how to draw animals" crowd has been real quiet ever since john siferwas dropped the Perfect Woodcock
January 26, 2026 at 3:53 PM
the "medieval people didn't know how to draw animals" crowd has been real quiet ever since john siferwas dropped the Perfect Woodcock
Reposted by Mark Avery
I love that such a rare bird was secondary to the plant!
Found a good population of Common Cudweed Filago germanica today, along a footpath leading to a Kildeer. Ripley, Hampshire.
January 27, 2026 at 5:16 AM
I love that such a rare bird was secondary to the plant!
Reposted by Mark Avery
MAJOR NEWS! We just launched an awesome new tool! The illustrated Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer lets users trace any bird’s lineage, compare species relationships, and explore major evolutionary milestones with a click of a button. SHARE and EXPLORE! birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/phy...
January 27, 2026 at 1:26 AM
MAJOR NEWS! We just launched an awesome new tool! The illustrated Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer lets users trace any bird’s lineage, compare species relationships, and explore major evolutionary milestones with a click of a button. SHARE and EXPLORE! birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/phy...
Reposted by Mark Avery
Bee-hunting beetles are the first animals known to fake the smell of flowers | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Bee-hunting beetles are the first animals known to fake the smell of flowers
Study of parasitic blister beetles reveals a new form of chemical deception
www.science.org
January 26, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Bee-hunting beetles are the first animals known to fake the smell of flowers | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Mark Avery
Myiarchus flycatchers ordered by size and intensity of yellow underparts. When it comes to flycatchers, differences between species tend to be very subtle. Impressions of size and color in the field can be quite subjective, but the differences are real.
January 27, 2026 at 3:37 AM
Myiarchus flycatchers ordered by size and intensity of yellow underparts. When it comes to flycatchers, differences between species tend to be very subtle. Impressions of size and color in the field can be quite subjective, but the differences are real.
Reposted by Mark Avery
Corn Bunting’s status in Shropshire is “Uncommon resident (declining)”, with just 144 records submitted in 2023.
Records of winter flocks or singing males during the breeding season are very helpful, please share by adding them to BirdTrack, eBird or iRecord.
#ShropshireBirds
Records of winter flocks or singing males during the breeding season are very helpful, please share by adding them to BirdTrack, eBird or iRecord.
#ShropshireBirds
(1/) Corn Bunting, with its song that sounds to some like a set of keys being jangled, declined by 83% across the UK between 1967 and 2023. However, in more recent years, this species has increased, especially in certain areas. @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social
January 26, 2026 at 8:52 PM
Corn Bunting’s status in Shropshire is “Uncommon resident (declining)”, with just 144 records submitted in 2023.
Records of winter flocks or singing males during the breeding season are very helpful, please share by adding them to BirdTrack, eBird or iRecord.
#ShropshireBirds
Records of winter flocks or singing males during the breeding season are very helpful, please share by adding them to BirdTrack, eBird or iRecord.
#ShropshireBirds
Reposted by Mark Avery
"Although the security agenda is dominated by [] Trump’s territorial ambitions, the breakdown of nature is not a side issue that can be buried behind headlines. It’s a national security threat and should be treated with the same seriousness as any military risk."
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The government must act now on biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse | Letters
Letters: There is no justification to delay political action on biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, say Dr Mike Barrett and Dr Steven R Smith, while Olivia Blake MP says the breakdown of nature ...
www.theguardian.com
January 26, 2026 at 8:39 PM
"Although the security agenda is dominated by [] Trump’s territorial ambitions, the breakdown of nature is not a side issue that can be buried behind headlines. It’s a national security threat and should be treated with the same seriousness as any military risk."
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...