Copied and pasted from a wildlife expert on another page.
Hello everyone, I was on a zoom with a local wildlife expert yesterday and found what she said so alarming that I asked her to put some words together so I could post them. Here they are, please share widely;
‘The thing that’s happening this year is unlike other years. Everything is in deep trouble. The cold wet, April, May and dry but cold June has meant that birds that would normally be done with both and first and second broods have had to start all over again as their babies in some cases starved as insects didn’t hatch or caterpillars (vital food for most baby birds) got washed off the vegetation.
Normally it is okay to cut hedges in mid/late July and to cut meadows in higher level stewardship agreements at a similar time.
Last week I watched a spotted flycatcher feeding new fledged babies. Today I saw a yellowhammer that was clearly feeding nestlings. I keep seeing many species of birds defending nests and carrying food for young (some fledged, some not). As for bats, everyone I speak to who is aware of bats is not seeing them. It is a catastrophe. Insect numbers have fallen off a cliff this year. We need to respond by protecting as much cover and quiet space as possible. All birds need to sit quiet and have plenty of cover through August when they are moulting – which is why this is the silent month. They need as little disturbance as possible’.
Posted in around the UK, gratitude, Health, lifestyle, other peoples blog | Tagged buttercups, chemicals to kill insects, chemicals to kill weeds, clover, dandelions, destruction of natural world, destruction of nature, in the garden, insecticide, insects, pristine lawns, save our bees, save our birds, wildlife | 1 Comment »
Talk of humanitarianism was there to obscure a deeper, more savage truth: might still makes right. And no one is stronger than the US and those it favours.
Via @Jonathan_K_Cook on X
Sir Keir Starmer’s own political trajectory suggests an uncomfortable truth about international power politics. The closer western leaders move to power, the more pressure they feel to do Washington’s bidding – and that invariably means casting aside principle.
Devotion to Israel – and a willingness to abandon the Palestinians to the death camp Gaza has become – has been one of the major conditions of entry into the West’s power club.
During the election campaign, Starmer passed that test with flying colours. Which is why he – unlike his predecessor – received an easy ride from the British establishment, including its public relations arm, the corporate media.
Ultra-rich donors, including those with close ties to Israel, have been lining up to throw money at Starmer’s Labour party, at the same time as membership numbers have plummeted.
The reality is that we live in a world where the powerful pay lip service to human rights and international law, a world where they profess to aid the weak even as they assist in their slaughter.
Oppression flourishes, obscured by their empty promises and endless dithering.
For three decades, the West has advertised its benevolence and humanitarianism. It has launched invasions and waged wars supposedly to protect the weak and vulnerable – from Kosovo to Ukraine, from Afghanistan and Iraq to Libya. Democracy and women’s rights have supposedly been the West’s watchwords.
But in truth, as Gaza demonstrates only too clearly, those claims were a tissue of lies. It was always about treating the world as a giant chessboard, and one where Washington’s right to achieve “full-spectrum dominance” was the driving principle, not protection of the weak.
Talk of humanitarianism was there to obscure a deeper, more savage truth: might still makes right. And no one is stronger than the US and those it favours.
The Palestinians, unlike Israel, have no weight in the international system. They are denied an army, and have no warplanes. They are denied control over their borders and their airspace. They have no real economy or currency – they are entirely reliant on the goodwill of Israeli financial institutions. They have no freedom to move from their slivers of territory, their ghettoes, unless Israel first agrees.
They cannot even stop Israel from bulldozing their homes, or arresting their children in the middle of the night.
No one on the international stage, least of all governments in Washington and London, really needs to take account of Palestinian interests.
Abusing Palestinians comes at minimal political cost. Protecting them would offer few tangible political gains. Which is precisely why their abuse continues day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade.
We live in a world of deceit, hypocrisy and bad faith. Britain’s new prime minister has shown he is already an arch-exponent of those dark political arts. Listen not to what he says, but watch closely what he actually does.
More from my latest article Starmer learnt the price of power was support for genocide here: middleeasteye.net/opinion/uk-ele…
Posted in around the UK, news from around the world, other peoples blog | Tagged ethnic cleansing, free Palestine, genocide, Hannibal Directive, Israeli bulldozers, the war on Gaza, Zionists | Leave a Comment »
Try to travel, otherwise
you may become racist,
and you may end up believing
that your skin is the only one
to be right,
that your language
is the most romantic
and that you were the first
to be the first.
Travel,
because if you don’t travel then
your thoughts won’t be strengthened,
won’t get filled with ideas.
Your dreams will be born with fragile legs and then you end up believing in tv-shows, and in those who invent enemies
that fit perfectly with your nightmares
to make you live in terror.
Travel,
because travel teaches
to say good morning to everyone
regardless of which sun we come from.
Travel,
because travel teaches
to say goodnight to everyone
regardless of the darkness
that we carry inside
Travel,
because traveling teaches to resist,
not to depend,
to accept others, not just for who they are
but also for what they can never be.
To know what we are capable of,
to feel part of a family
beyond borders,
beyond traditions and culture.
Traveling teaches us to be beyond.
Travel,
otherwise you end up believing
that you are made only for a panorama
and instead inside you
there are wonderful landscapes
still to visit.
- Gio Evan, poet and songwriter.
Translated from Italian.
Posted in European travels, Inspiration, It's my life, news from around the world, project 101, Travel, UNESCO Heritage Sites, walks around the UK | Tagged bucket list travel, different cultures, Inspiration, learning, traditions, Travel | 1 Comment »
14 years and what do we have to show for it? Another year older and deeper in debt.
A wealthier ex-Chancellor. An ex-PM that covered the walls of Number 10 in ‘gold’ wallpaper. A crop of tory pals who dished out millions to their pals for faulty or nonexistent #PPE A lettuce and Chancellor who trashed the economy in 40days.
Meanwhile there are 4.3million children living in poverty and 1.2million pensioners living in poverty. Schools are crumbling. Roads are reminiscent of a 3rd world country, Councils are either bankrupt or perilously close to. And then there’s Gove; millions given to a shipping company that didn’t exist, and the ubiquitous Freeports sold for £1. And #lestweforget HS2 – wholesale destruction of ancient forests, villages laid waste and suicide of people who lost everything, only for the project to be trashed short of completion. AND WHO BOUGHT THE LAND?? And THEN of course 💩 in our streams, rivers and seas. 14 years of tory criminality. #NeverTrustATory
Posted in around the UK, Historical, idiot category | Tagged boris johnson, criminal behaviour, general election United Kingdom 2024, lettuce, michael gove, PPE, rishi sunak, UK general election, UK tory government | Leave a Comment »
Who are we??
Who are we as human beings?
Who are we as a country?
Who are we as a civilization ?
Who are we that so many people are still unbelievably SILENT after nearly 8 months of this horrific, heinous slaughter?
36,000+ people killed in 245 days; half of them BABIES AND CHILDREN!! And that’s not counting the hundreds of humans buried beneath the rubble, their bodies rotting and being eaten by scavenging starving animals. Never mind the thousands who have suffered debilitating injuries; children without limbs, terrible burns, emotional scars that will never heal.
And yet the number protesting this horror is minimal in comparison to the population of our countries.
I understand why politicians are silent, although it’s totally immoral, but that ordinary people are either silent or supportive of the atrocities being committed by Israel against the Palestinians is beyond me. Totally, completely and utterly beyond me.
Are people so completely desensitised?
Has the gaslighting been that successful? Have the lies worked so well?
This is a GENOCIDE in our lifetime!
This is a HOLOCAUST in our lifetime!
As someone has said to me a number of times; an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. She’s absolutely right. And it would seem that our tongues have been cut out too.
Posted in news from around the world, Travel | Tagged action for children, babies, children, children suicide rates, children who lose parents to violence, genocide in Gaza, Palestine, Rafah, Zionists | Leave a Comment »
It’s quite weird after 22 years in the industry to find myself working in another field, sort of still in the industry, but under a different capacity.
A few weeks ago my daughter sent me an advert looking for a manager of a residential home.
Initially I was like “oh no, not managerial ” but I applied as the position sounded quite interesting.
After 2 interviews with various managers of the complex, I start in my new position today 🤪
The downside of this job is the getting up early morning, and an hours bus ride.
But I have a book I’m reading, so I’ll make the most of the time.
Wish me luck 🤞🤞🤞
Posted in career | Tagged New job | 4 Comments »
This is my all-time favourite scene and song from a movie…EVER!!! Mary Poppins is my absolute favourite film, without a doubt its what inspired and delighted me in my first hours in England; the chimney pots, and prompted me to exclaim “I could live here” – I’d been in England for approximately 2 hours when I said that, and I’ve never looked back or changed my mind…except for occasionally threatening to move to Italy or Portugal on shitty weather days – like today 🤔 😅
I’ve sat on the steps of St Paul’s cathedral, in as close to this position as possible and had my hot chips, on one of my many forays into the city.
I can never get through listening to or singing this song without crying.
Even as I think about it, it brings tears to my eyes. And I’m not even sure why…coz I don’t like pigeons😳 😂😂😂
Posted in Fun Stuff, Inspiration, memories of days gone by, Uncategorized | Tagged famous films, feed the birds, Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins, my favourite films, my favourite songs | 2 Comments »
I 100% agree with Chris Packham, we are not using the right language. It is astonishing that we do live on this planet!! Breakdown. Destroyed. Extermination. He won’t be thanked for this. He will be derided. He will be criticised. He will be accused of doom and destruction. Governments don’t have the courage or determination to change the narrative. They have no will or stomach for it. And capitalism won’t allow it. There are too many countries that are hell-bent on destroying their neighbours, and there are too many destructive dictatorial Governments for us to turn this around. There are a lot of individuals and some organisations that do care, but its like the bat in the programme I was watching on BBC3 a couple of nights ago…’They’ are in the minority and will be overwhelmed. The only way this planet will recover and new species to develop is for humans to become extinct. And so far some individuals and Governments are making good progress on that front.
If you care to watch the brief reel. It’s on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/reel/3279537672344085?sfnsn=scwspmo
Posted in news from around the world | Tagged Chris Packham, climate breakdown, mass extinction, planet earth | Leave a Comment »
Sometimes (a lot of the time) being white British and European (as in white skin) really makes me feel ashamed. Europeans (as in people with white skin) really are just shit. Now I know that doesn’t apply to everyone, and I know a lot has changed in the last few decades, but Seriously…the way dark skinned people (of all races and cultures) have been and are treated is just utterly disgusting…Reading memoirs of world travellers is unsettling and paints a harsh picture of colonialism, racism and white ‘superiority’.
Posted in European travels, Travel | Tagged colonialism, memoirs, racism, Travel | Leave a Comment »
I met a man yesterday afternoon. A man who studied to be a solicitor. He worked for the UN. He worked to help refugees. He was articulate and intelligent, with way more qualifications than I. We chatted on our 30 minute journey to the station, and bemoaned the terrible reasons why people had to flee their homelands, reluctantly, with fear, and in the knowledge that they might never see their homes, homelands or families left behind, ever again. He has no family here.
He is a taxi driver. He has light brown skin. He is from Iraq. He has experienced horrible racism from British people, both white and coloured. He longs to be working in law again, but is unable to afford the fees required to study and pass the relevant exams etc.
So he drives people around, some of whom openly say “why do all these refugees keep coming here?”
I have no idea how to express my anger at people who live in what is currently a safe country, a wealthy country, a country that, along with many other European countries, which through colonialism, greed; acquisition of minerals, gold, oil and much more, have caused many of the problems in foreign lands from whence these refugees now flee – and still do.
The majority of refugees would rather have stayed in their country of birth, with their families, in their own homes and cultures.
If you can’t be kind, or understanding, then just shut up and don’t show your ignorance, lack of understanding or compassion.
Yes we have problems here, the cost of living is high, more children are living in poverty than is acceptable in a wealthy country, the government is hell-bent on destroying our NHS, we’re taxed into the ground, and have a party in control who are more interested in fleecing their citizens than ensuring their well-being BUT we’re not being persecuted for our religion, or restricted because we are women, hunted down for our sexual choices and killed for not being ‘straight’, or bombed out of our homes. Yet.
If you meet a refugee, try to remember how privileged you are, and be kind, because you have not walked in their shoes.
Posted in gratitude | Tagged refugees | 2 Comments »
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