Laurence Rose

...2/2 well rendered, ie recognisable through key features, postures or movement; humans more stylised or simply sloppy (humans know what humans look like, after all). Most of the less successful animal images appear to have been abandoned unfinished.

When I first mooted this as most likely the extinct great auk in 2016, it was partly based on the same assessment now published by Birkhead and Montgomerie in @bou.org.uk Ibis. But the artistic context of the whole #Alta site is also a factor. Generally, the hundreds of animal images are ... 1/2

My photo published in @britishwildlife.bsky.social earlier this year has prompted this carefully considered paper. I wrote about my encounter with this ghost of an extinct species in my book The Long Spring #naturewriting

Glad to see my photo and description in The Long Spring has prompted further investigation and, no doubt, debate.

INTERVIEW: Rowan McCabe Fran Harvey chats to the poet and performer about his book which chronicles his year of taking spoken word to the doorsteps of the UK

The Door-to-Door Poet, out today, is ‘a funny, self-aware chronicle of the year Rowan McCabe spent in pursuit of a madly brilliant project’, says NARC. magazine. Read more about that project in their interview with Rowan here
narcmagazine.com/interview-ro...

Looking forward to returning to Leeds RSPB as part of this programme.

So very proud to have grown up with the RSPB, to have grown my children up with the RSPB & written for it for 21 yrs now. Exciting to see it respond, adapt, embrace, move & change. Birds & nature increasingly bring us together, to shape & connect the world around us. And that needs all of us.

Flint by Joanne Bourne | Eye Books Fusing science, poetry, history and a deep love of landscape, Joanne Bourne pays tribute to flint, the magical and deeply practical stone made from sea creatures which has been part of human developme...

www.eye-books.com/books/flint-pb

Tomorrow we publish the paperback edition of Flint, Joanne Bourne’s deeply personal love letter to the magical stone that has fuelled three million years of human development. Order it direct from us for the next week and save 30%. Link ⤵️

A Golden Plover stands alert among the reddish-brown heather and grasses of upland peatland. Its mottled gold and black plumage blends with the landscape, a reminder that these precious habitats are home to rare and remarkable wildlife.

GOOD NEWS: the peat burning ban is being extended in the English uplands. 👏

Peatlands lock up carbon, protect water & support rare wildlife.

We hope today's announcement signals a move to end this damaging practice for good, and thank our supporters for helping make it happen.

Nature Writing Walk with Laurence Rose - River Holme Connections

Lovely recce visit to Bottoms Mill for Saturday's Nature Writing Walk with River Holme Connections. Dippers on the river and a forest in the sky await. www.riverholmeconnections.org/event/nature...

So that's Windhover finished and sent off, and ahead of deadline. Stay tuned for publication date, publisher info. etc. #naturewriting

Three vultures stand in a row on the ground as if waiting for something. The two to the left have black bodies with prominent white collars (White-rumped Vulture – Gyps bengalensis) and the one the right is coloured light brown (Indian Vulture - Gyps indicus). The vultures are labelled to highlight some adaptations for their lifestyle: Huge wingspans for low effort flight, scouting large areas for carrion. Excellent eyesight for spotting carrion. Bald heads so food doesn’t get stuck when they’re eating. Long, hooked beaks for tearing at meat. Strong stomachs for eating rotting meat.

Happy #InternationalVultureAwarenessDay

Vultures are natures all-important clean-up crew, but in South Asia have hugely declined

Find out how Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) partners are working to fix this 🌏 🪶

RSPB Species Spotlight: tinyurl.com/6mxxucf7

Couldn't make it this year but looking forward to next year's!

The eight members of @gritstonebooks.bsky.social, so far Britain's only author-led publisher, pose here at #Beverley Bookshop, a fine indy #bookshop, before heading off for our Awayday #coop meeting. @cumbriapr.bsky.social @windhovering.bsky.social @chrisgoddardmap.bsky.social

Laurence editing his new book in the garden

Final editing of the 8th and final draft of the new book before it goes off to the publisher.
#naturewriting #YorkshireOffice

Nice to see my new book The Borders- The Lands We Share on the shelves in @samreadbookseller.bsky.social in Grasmere. Support #indybookshops! @gritstonebooks.bsky.social @cumbriapr.bsky.social

Congratulations to my former @rspbengland.bsky.social colleague Matt Howard. I thoroughly recommend Broadlands.

Arresting the poets are we? Not a good look.

Congratulations to @bsbicountries.bsky.social James Harding-Morris on publication day. Got it, read it already! (Well I was writing a cover endorsement for it, tbh). Really important that we recognise the 700+(!) UK endemic species as a special responsibility. #naturewriting

Uncommon Ground - British Wildlife Uncommon Ground Patrick Galbraith Uncommon Ground by Patrick Galbraith is a punchy and well-written ‘establishment’ take on the enduring discourse surrounding the public’s right to access the countrys...

An excellent review. The first I’ve seen to appreciate that this book has a clear agenda from the outset. Most readers have fallen for the ‘fair and balanced’ line in the blurb. Not Sam Hackney:
www.britishwildlife.com/uncommon-gro...

It's an important subject that as far as I know hasn't been covered before, and very entertainingly written. As I say on the back cover!

This feels like the perfect post to reply to and announce this - but my book, Endemic: Exploring the wildlife unique to Britain, which includes a chapter on the No Parking Whitebeam, comes out a week today.

share.google/Rgyzzyr777Hi...

In September we publish The Door-to-Door Poet, RowanMcCabe’s joyful and thoughtful portrayal of his unusual mission to write verse for strangers. Pre-order it online from Waterstones using the code SUMMER25 and you get 25% off shorturl.at/yHchl

I knew his brother Humphrey when he was on the RSPB's governing Council. He told me that as children they were both into birdwatching and music. I think Humphrey played the cello if I remember correctly.

and another birdwatching conductor.

Giving 16- and 17-year-olds the vote is a long-overdue win for democracy — On this one I am happy to say well done, Labour.

But let’s not stop here. It’s time to:
* Abolish the unelected House of Lords
* Introduce PR so every vote counts

Young people deserve real representation.

16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in next general election - live updates Lowering the voting age across the UK means around 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote at the next general election.

Excellent if long overdue news.

BBC News - www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...
16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in next general election - live updates - BBC News

Press release from Defra: Toxic lead ammunition banned to protect Britain’s countryside Press release from Defra (10 July 2025): TOXIC LEAD AMMUNITION BANNED TO PROTECT BRITAIN’S COUNTRYSIDE New ban on use of lead in ammunition to protect iconic wildlife and clean up the nation’…

Finally! This is an historic win for all those who have spent decades trying to get the govt to act.

Non-compliance is expected to be high so effective monitoring & robust enforcement must follow.

Defra press release + commentary from me ⬇️

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/07/10/p...

Jules’ book Arctic Insanity – ‘a captivating and hugely exciting memoir of his achievement; full of old-school derring-do, it’s a true Boy’s Own adventure for the modern age’ – is out tomorrow eye-books.com/books/arctic...