Mark Bannister
@mark-banni.bsky.social
Low carbon birding, sound recording: Barton claypits & other places; Green Party and Land access rights activist; printmaker; Ex-aerodynamicist.
“Hope is risky; you can lose, and you often do, but the records show that if you try, sometimes you win.”
“Hope is risky; you can lose, and you often do, but the records show that if you try, sometimes you win.”
From what I can see, Germany’s Energiewende still foresees the need for a national grid to allow solar in south and wind in north to be distributed? Some places are just windier and others sunnier….
eg
www.cleanenergywire.org/news/preview...
eg
www.cleanenergywire.org/news/preview...
July 11, 2025 at 10:39 PM
From what I can see, Germany’s Energiewende still foresees the need for a national grid to allow solar in south and wind in north to be distributed? Some places are just windier and others sunnier….
eg
www.cleanenergywire.org/news/preview...
eg
www.cleanenergywire.org/news/preview...
Would recommend WSRS membership for anyone interested in sound recording. I particularly like reading and listening to sound recordings and projects from the other side of the world without the carbon cost of flying there. It really feels like you are there.
May 25, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Would recommend WSRS membership for anyone interested in sound recording. I particularly like reading and listening to sound recordings and projects from the other side of the world without the carbon cost of flying there. It really feels like you are there.
Probably the most important revelation from my studies is that local pochard productivity is falling victim to saline intrusion. Via rising sea levels.
May 25, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Probably the most important revelation from my studies is that local pochard productivity is falling victim to saline intrusion. Via rising sea levels.
Wrote an article for the latest WSRS magazine on identification of individual bittern in local clay pits using sound recording and the vulnerability of this population to climate change. Some snippets:
#lowcarbonbirding
#lowcarbonsoundrecording
#lowcarbonbirding
#lowcarbonsoundrecording
![A call for action
The effects of climate change are not an abstract theory that can still be conveniently ignored. Our current trajectory is for +2deg over pre-industrial temperatures by as early as 2045 [23], even if we achieve the government’s utterly inadequate ‘net zero 2050’ target, which incredibly does not align with any temperature target. Yet it all still remains a choice. We already have the technology necessary to make the necessary changes and along with behavioural changes mainly by the rich only, we can still limit temperatures to below +2deg.
We cannot ignore our own personal impact on the climate crisis. This is my second ‘low carbon’ study undertaken by bicycle in an effort to reduce my own carbon emissions. For the avoidance of doubt, these efforts are simply to not add to my already far-too-large historic carbon emissions. There are many who have always birdwatched locally, such as those following the Patchwork Challenge and I raise my hat to them. I very much fall into the better-late-than-never camp, but on the other hand, that’s many of us, right?
To end on a brighter note, rather than the sacrifice I expected, I have found pursuing more local projects to be just as fulfilling, perhaps more so, than flying to the other side of the world for my birdwatching and taking up sound recording has magnified that even more. There are, in fact, several-lifetimes-worth of projects and interest in my garden and local area alone.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5emdagmb5spls2rox7vormgj/bafkreibzrn5u5aclwe75546u4uuyri765c236aq3vp3hayghkjusjnbmcu@jpeg)
May 25, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Wrote an article for the latest WSRS magazine on identification of individual bittern in local clay pits using sound recording and the vulnerability of this population to climate change. Some snippets:
#lowcarbonbirding
#lowcarbonsoundrecording
#lowcarbonbirding
#lowcarbonsoundrecording
Willow tit, Threave, Dumfries&Galloway. Notable that their territory fell within young or coppiced willow and without singing blue and great tit which were instead within high woodland close by. Collecting moss for nest. Now a distant memory for NLincs.
May 7, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Willow tit, Threave, Dumfries&Galloway. Notable that their territory fell within young or coppiced willow and without singing blue and great tit which were instead within high woodland close by. Collecting moss for nest. Now a distant memory for NLincs.
Gold dust. After failing to find one last year at Carstramon, very pleased to find WO singing late morning. Still clinging on. iPhone recording here - gear packed for early morning session tomorrow. Sitting in a wood full of common birds with no background noise is the most precious of things.
April 29, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Gold dust. After failing to find one last year at Carstramon, very pleased to find WO singing late morning. Still clinging on. iPhone recording here - gear packed for early morning session tomorrow. Sitting in a wood full of common birds with no background noise is the most precious of things.
What is claimed to be the female water rail song. Not something I hear very often.
April 3, 2025 at 5:05 PM
What is claimed to be the female water rail song. Not something I hear very often.
Woodlark warming the heart on a cold BTO heathland birds survey
March 14, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Woodlark warming the heart on a cold BTO heathland birds survey
I count myself lucky indeed to have a garden. Glad you are enjoying yours when you can.
I’m having a try of Melissa Harrison’s free Encounter nature journal app to record what I experience in my garden this year. May be of interest to you if you are up to it.
BW
Mark
I’m having a try of Melissa Harrison’s free Encounter nature journal app to record what I experience in my garden this year. May be of interest to you if you are up to it.
BW
Mark
February 24, 2025 at 3:47 PM
I count myself lucky indeed to have a garden. Glad you are enjoying yours when you can.
I’m having a try of Melissa Harrison’s free Encounter nature journal app to record what I experience in my garden this year. May be of interest to you if you are up to it.
BW
Mark
I’m having a try of Melissa Harrison’s free Encounter nature journal app to record what I experience in my garden this year. May be of interest to you if you are up to it.
BW
Mark
Garden woodcock habitat creation appears a success
January 11, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Garden woodcock habitat creation appears a success
No home makeover as cottage boasting ‘stunning views of the Humber’ according to Rightmove is no more. Will miss it as a landmark.
9 snow bunting just west of Goxhill haven on my late Humber WEBS count along with a few gangs of fieldfare, redwing and starling heading east.
9 snow bunting just west of Goxhill haven on my late Humber WEBS count along with a few gangs of fieldfare, redwing and starling heading east.
November 18, 2024 at 12:52 PM
No home makeover as cottage boasting ‘stunning views of the Humber’ according to Rightmove is no more. Will miss it as a landmark.
9 snow bunting just west of Goxhill haven on my late Humber WEBS count along with a few gangs of fieldfare, redwing and starling heading east.
9 snow bunting just west of Goxhill haven on my late Humber WEBS count along with a few gangs of fieldfare, redwing and starling heading east.
Aligns well with this study on people’s limits of compassion (moral circle). I’m a ‘14’ although I do like rocks too. Don’t think they have a score low enough for DT.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 16, 2024 at 9:14 AM
Aligns well with this study on people’s limits of compassion (moral circle). I’m a ‘14’ although I do like rocks too. Don’t think they have a score low enough for DT.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...