environmental commentator
I could hardly believe what I was seeing. From a public highway, three young hen harriers were riding the breeze over the ridge of bracken bordering onto heather. The story behind them is perhaps even harder to believe. I’ll get to why but first, let’s wind back in time for some context. A Naturalist’s Sketch … Continue reading Raptor’s return
(first published in The Times, 16th August 2014 as a Nature Notebook) Always look slowly over the edge of a bridge. I’ve done it all my life — perhaps all anglers do. As I peer at the water a big fat brown trout is still under the bridge. Neither sunlight nor I are his friends … Continue reading When nature feeds you must know when to look
Conservation comes in many forms – from parkland to farmland to moorland and, marshland forestland – a COP15 update. “To present a balanced picture of my philosophy as a naturalist, I must attempt to turn you into a fanatical wildfowler” Peter Scott (from his autobiography ‘The Eye of the Wind’) Cop15 targets The environment is … Continue reading COP in COP out conservation
Being eyeballed by dragonflies patrolling tree-lined rivers and watching hen harriers hunting over heather moorland, were just a couple of joyous moments on my recent ‘field intel‘ trip north. North by north west My reason for heading north from the hills of Wales was an invitation to fish a river in Sutherland. But what a … Continue reading Walking with dragonflies
The flash of sparrowhawk wings alerted me to the raptor’s presence in my woodland. I then notice feathers, the headless corpse of a song thrush. I hesitate. Will the hawk return its kill? In the hushed post-raptor air of tension, I pick up the body, still warm to the touch. Shall I leave it to … Continue reading Why I ate a songbird
Chopping wood this week made me think about parallels on writing my blog to reflect the past year while looking forward to the next year (2022). Celebrate what’s been learned. Acknowledge the knotty stuff. Not take for granted any sweet spots. Reading the grain to cleave out workable pragmatic solutions. All of which, not surprisingly, … Continue reading Green axe challenge
My trip north to northern fields, moors, forests, and the streets of Glasgow for COP26’s Green Zone, is mainly in pictorial form. There’s much to glean from between the lines, beyond the pic, and if you click the links. (refreshed May 2026) Updale An old friend puts me up for the night in Swaledale. We … Continue reading Updale, COP, field, and moor
Time to get off the mountain. Close the gap between years’ of telephone conversations and direct messages. A road trip around East Anglia listening, face to face, to what people think rather than what they say. A brief history to ‘field intel’ trips. My first one was along The Marches via train and bike. The … Continue reading Field intel east
The first time I set my nature camera trap was under an apple tree. Eyeballing wildlife secretly at lens-length is full of surprises. Love island in a hedge When I found a pair of long-tailed tits building their nest in a thorny hedge, they performed for series after series of #hedgegoggle. Viewers could not get … Continue reading Nature cam raw
“Conservation conflict has always been a part of the conversation surrounding wildlife, but Rob Yorke is determined to advocate peace, not war. With brave leadership and a willingness to leave partisan values behind, can a solution be reached?“ (first published in The Field magazine 2016, uploaded and updated with links, pics etc) This blog is … Continue reading Nuclear swans and harried grouse