A climate-friendly aproach to ornithology
In an article I posted last week I questioned one of the arguments in support of Birdfair highlighted by Stephen Moss in his response to Mark Avery’s article (Birdwatch September 2024). https://lowcarbonbirding.net/2025/02/05/birdfair-a-reputational-risk/ I address here two further arguments made by Stephen Moss regarding the funding generated for conservation projects and the importance of the event …
By JAVIER CALETRIO Mark Avery (Birdwatch, September 2024) argues that, with its overwhelming emphasis on ‘carbon guzzling trips abroad’, Birdfair looks more like a trade fair than a birding festival with a variety of interests. That was certainly my impression on my first visit in 2018. That year, of 396 stands, nearly half (187) were …
A growing number of birdwatchers are considering cycling rather than driving for their regular, local birding trips. While this can work for some birders living in areas with quieter roads or good cycling path networks such as Exminster marshes, cycling in places with heavy traffic can be daunting. Amy Robjohns writes about her mixed feelings …
By James Spencer Early this autumn, I was having a “work” conversation with Mark Lewis and mentioned it was ten years since the first edition of Patchwork Challenge, and before I’d even finished the sentence I knew: despite the lack of visuals, the glint in his eye was obvious. Mark is a born patcher, one …
Continue reading "The origins and revival of Patchwork Challenge"
By Joe Parham, Keir Chauhan and Finley Hutchinson For many young birders, ‘patch birding’—regularly birding an area near home—is a much more accessible and climate-friendly form of birding than regularly driving to far–flung sites to see rarities or enjoy other landscapes. Our decision to focus on local birding is partly related to the fact that …
“Like Halle (author of Spring in Washington), I have spent many days in Washington biking in search of nature. And like him, I have been witness to natural phenomena that have enlivened those days when I saw special features—a beaver, a turtle, a loon, a comet. As Halle knew, a bicycle is far better than …
Continue reading "Birding with a breeze: on birdwatchers and bicycles"
By Javier Caletrío Letter originally published in British Birds December 2019 Vol. 112, pp. 760-761. I am writing to express my concern about the role of the British Birdwatching Fair in normalising high-carbon holidays. Wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists have a moral duty to contribute their fair share to the commitment of the Paris agreement to …
By Javier Caletrío In March 2018 British Birds published my article entitled ‘Are we addicted to high-carbon ornithology?’ I would like to share a few reflections on the origin of the article and how it has been received. Some climate and sustainability scientists had been discussing the need to align their academic practices with climate …
By Javier Caletrío Climate Matters is a group of scientists and data analysts working with journalists to communicate climate change. One of their initiatives has been to build stories about climate change that TV weather forecasters can tell their audiences every time there is an extreme weather event. I read about this successful initiative shortly …
Continue reading "A modest proposal: birds, weather and climate communication"
By Dominic Martin Thursday morning, my phone is vibrating. A quick look on the screen and a notification from the Swiss Bird Alert app is telling me that a Lesser Yellowlegs was spotted at Klingnauer Stausee—the first time this American wader has been observed in Switzerland. Exciting! I haven’t got the time today, but tomorrow …
Low-Carbon Birding 