Hi RSPB - this sounds appalling and I’d like to take some action. From what I see this govt are anything but nature positive. But acting on a rumour is weak. What’s the evidence and what would you like your life supporters, like me, to do in the light of it?

Thank you. Will be focusing on local birding once back from here (2 weeks).

Yes! Laptop handed back at 5pm on Friday, so celebrating with some birding!

Fantastic- seeing your messages, I did break away from my laptop for a few mins at 10.10 to go outside. There was a steady trickle east over the house, which was great to see but your counts really sound spectacular.

Thank you. Will keep digging!

Looks great` Any tips for battling the weeds? I’m 1 year plus into a new garden - winter spent trying to dig out the bindweed etc. Large potato crop has helped but losing battle after holiday in late spring. Still runner beans + onions seem to have pushed through so may just be an aesthetic issue.

That’s superb. Well done and so well deserved.

What an excellent, disturbing and important piece. Along with the macabre aspect, it conveys so succinctly the extra pressure pheasant releases create on our environment. I read it in the paper (on paper) and wanted to find you on social media to say how good it was. Thank you.

Very exciting. We moved house last year. I thought nothing of the cherry tree, but earlier this week noticed the fruit. I will be checking it out.

And are you hoping to tick anything there tomorrow? Am guessing you saw the Somerset one…

Fantastic counts and observations. I keep checking the Banstead churchyard hoping one will pop up with other finches. But I think not enough yew and presumably anyway they gravitate to the hotspots a few km away.

It reads as a very civil service standard lines response, and that those standard lines haven’t been updated recently. Which is why getting the petition to 100,000 signatures is important so a debate can force public scrutiny of what is currently a cut and paste view of the matter.

Yes, here's one from Hilfield Reservoir in Hertfordshire from 2008. According to the ID Handbook of European Birds (the new bible for feather detail): "multiple white feather bases in all plumages, but sometimes mainly hidden". It's a really interesting feature to note. #ukbirding