Friday 12 August 2016

The Inglorious 12th


Today is the start of the grouse shooting season when shotgun wielding ‘hunters’ who probably can’t tell the difference a Common Buzzard and a Golden Eagle, (unsurprising really as they’re not likely see either species on a grouse moor) aim to shoot as many Red Grouse as they can for pleasure.

You may ask what this has to do with Northants Bird Club, after all the nearest moor is almost a hundred miles away. Well, for a start, we regularly run trips to the parts of the UK to appreciate the birds and habitat we’re not graced with here.

Secondly, it’s the county’s own Mark Avery who’s behind the campaign to ban driven grouse shooting.


I’ve been out delivering leaflets in Northampton and seen a small increase in votes over the last few days but we’re still under 100 votes in each of the constituencies I’ve delivered to. The petition currently has around 87,000 signatures, at 100,000 signatures this petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.

An excerpt from Chris Packham’s press release:

Foxes, stoats, weasels and crows are legally shot or killed in traps or snares. Birds of prey are illegally shot, poisoned, trapped or trampled in their nests. This is big business. A day’s shooting can cost a fortune and a single shooter can blast hundreds of grouse from the sky. But ask the people downstream about grouse moors being drained – their houses were full of water off the hills last winter.

Yesterday the BBC reported on the 8th tagged Golden Eagle to go missing in a notorious area of Scotland: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-37033067


Please sign and help to ban this out-dated and wildlife-destroying practice once and for all.





Thursday 4 August 2016

Happy Birthday Ken Scales

Many happy returns Ken, on your 80th birthday! 🎂

Wishing you all the very best on your birthday and we hope you have a speedy recovery from your recent knee operation. 






Ken is a very active member of the Bird Club and regularly attends meetings and trips at home and abroad keeping us all entertained with his good humoured tales. The shot above is from our March trip to South Africa.




Tuesday 2 August 2016

Indoor Meeting Wednesday 3rd August

Hello

A reminder to members and an invitation to non-members that our next indoor meeting will be tomorrow evening (Wednesday 3rd August) when our very own intrepid traveller and expert naturalist Jeff Blincow will provide a presentation on the Wildlife of Chile.

Chile is a challenging country to locate and study wildlife, but Jeff and the team managed some exceptional sightings as well evidenced by the images on show tomorrow evening.

The meeting starts at 7.30pm, the venue being the Anglian Water Fishing Lodge at Pitsford Reservoir which is situated off the road causeway between Holcot and Brixworth villages (post code NN6 9SJ).

Parking is available next to the lodge with additional facilities next to the fishing boats below the lodge. Hot drinks and biscuits will be available during the evening.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Regards

Neil M