Republicans in the western United States have been trying to whittle away the Endangered Species Act (ESA) since Donald Trump took office. Under new proposals, wildlife managers would limit protections for species designated as “threatened” (a level below endangered), consider the economic costs prior to defending a species, and de-emphasize long-term threats such as climate […]
Scarborough Kittiwakes
We visited Scarborough on the Yorkshire coast where the Kittiwakes appear to have take over the town, nesting on any available ledge on any structure that substitutes for a cliff face, with the town bridge and the (not so) Grand Hotel being particular favourites. Their cries are the constant soundtrack as you walk around. (Joyce […]
POLL: Should more States suspend this cruel and deadly wildlife program?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program uses millions of taxpayer dollars — often to slaughter hundreds of thousands of wild animals every year. Earlier this spring, numbers released from the agency showed it killed a shocking 1.3 million native animals last year alone. Not only is the death toll staggering, its use of […]
Arabian Partridge – Abha area
Whilst birding recently in the Abha area I came across a pair of Arabian PartridgeAlectoris melanocephala.Thisis a common resident of the south-west highlands, especially steep wooded hillsides of the western escarpment of Jebal Souda, the Raydah Protected Area, Tanoumah and the Al Baha area. They prefer juniper dominated habitats where rocky knolls & clearings occur. […]
Become a “Wildlife Champion” and actively defend the “Biodiversity of Planet Earth”
Earth is most likely experiencing its sixth mass extinction. The planet has been through at least five such catastrophes before, but this is the first one in human history — and the first one with human fingerprints. 58 percent of Earth’s vertebrate animals have been lost since 1970. Habitat loss and wildlife crime are the […]
POLL: Should Trump’s border wall be scrapped to protect wildlife populations?
The infamous proposed border wall between the U.S. and Mexico has been, to put it lightly, controversial. The apple of the Trump administration’s eye, a total barrier between the two countries remains entrenched in the wish list of the U.S. president. But while Donald Trump maintains that it would effectively reduce illegal immigration, critics say […]
Bempton Cliffs
Spectacular chalk cliffs on the East Yorkshire coast, the hundreds of thousands of breeding seabirds are an onslaught on your senses, with the sheer sight, sound and smell of the nesting Gannets (largest mainland colony in Britain), Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes and a few Puffins. Run by the RSPB, there are viewpoints where superb views can […]
POLL: Should Trump’s Administration be allowed to weaken the US Endangered Species Act?
The Trump Administration has unveiled a plan to revise regulations that implement portions of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), which conservationists say would cripple the law adopted in 1973 to protect imperiled species and critical habitat. A proposal announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s […]