3 sandwich tern, 143 arctic tern, 5 common scoter, swift, 60 black-tailed godwit, 4 ruff, 1 dunlin North Duffield Carrs + YL Gull on Derwent Cottage Farm with Tim Jones chris gomersall York Birding

We are delighted to announce that we have now secured planning permission for the new #LDV ‘volunteer, community & nature recovery science hub’, thanks to the huge support we received from everyone in the local community - looking forward to seeing it develop from the autumn 🤩

We are also planning to enlarge Cheesecake Hide with any supporting comments on the planning portal (link below) most welcome, and which will really help our case to develop Bank Island into a real visitor hub - planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applica…

At North Duffield Carrs this morning per Tim Jones & Oliver Metcalf 52 Arctic Tern with 3 Sandwich Tern south. Also 5 Common Scoter

At Bank Island per LDV NNR & Oliver Metcalf 4 Grey Plover South, a Garden Warbler & a Whimbrel

NorthYorksBirdNews

A great evening so far at Wheldrake Ings with a Bar-tailed Godwit in with the Black-tailed Godwit flock & 2 Arctic Tern on the refuge.
At Bank Island, a Little Ringed Plover & a Green Sandpiper
All new for #PWC2024 York Birding LDV NNR NorthYorksBirdNews
Slavonian Grebe still present

Sightings from the #LDV today inc. a pair of Garganey, a Little Ringed Plover and four fly-through Grey Plover (all Bank Island this morning), and 140+ Arctic Terns and the first returning Swift (North Duffield Carrs) York Birding

9 Whimbrel into roost at Wheldrake Ings this evening, distantly from Tower Hide
LDV NNR York Birding NorthYorksBirdNews

Osprey as it flew over Menthorpe this afternoon heading north over NDC. York Birding LDV NNR BTO York

'Chilling' Sunderland stalker fitted tracker to woman's car because she worked to prevent illegal fox hunting
sunderlandecho.com/news/crime/chi…

🦡 Badgers: fox hunting’s other victim 🦡

The badger is a forgotten casualty of fox hunting. Between June and March, they endure a relentless assault on their homes and lives.

💔 THE HARD TRUTH: Development, illegal persecution, and road fatalities claim around 50,000 badgers

NEWS: Wild Justice and Badger Trust force extension of Badger cull consultation period wildjustice.org.uk/badgers/badger…

So Defra has now extended their flawed consultation on 'badger control' from Monday to 13 May. They need to see sense and stop culling badgers when the disease is mainly spread (94%) cattle to cattle. 230,000 badgers have already been killed - it needs to end #endthecull

'I learnt a huge amount about the importance of moorland management, and ignored the bit where driven grouse moors - according to my government's own data - have been illegally killing birds of prey for decades.'

Great news! You might remember that I rebuilt a fox den and set up cameras earlier this year in the hope that a fox family would move in. Well they have and here are the first moments captured by my cameras this morning.

Little badger cub in the safe hands of jean thorpe 🌱

Wheldrake Ings.
2 different cc Marsh Harriers seen with Peregrine. Wonderful to see both species hunting in tandem.
c. 550 Black-t-Godwits
Slavonian Grebe seen from Tower by fellow birders mid-morning
Access down to Swantail available with care in wellies.
York Birding LDV NNR

My first Patchwork Challenge Little Owl since 2019 at Wheldrake Ings this evening #patchgold also a Whimbrel into roost #PWC2024
The Slavonian Grebe gave the best views so far in front of Tower Hide.
Continuing the grebefest, a Black-necked Grebe at Bank Island
LDV NNR York Birding

Today Badger Trust and Wild Justice have written to Defra - it’s about their ‘future Badger control policy’ consultation. We think it’s shockingly poor.

You can read our joint letter and statement on our blog here: wildjustice.org.uk/badgers/badger…

Good morning . Wild Justice has won an important case against Defra UK . Under Thérèse Coffey 27 unlawful game bird release licenses were signed off against Natural England advice , many by Richard Benyon under the influence of The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust . More here

One candidate has had his property attacked and received death threats for speaking out against raptor persecution, the other has publicly said that “Clearly, any illegal [hen harrier] persecution is not happening”.
I know who’s getting my vote. 👍