victoria Harvey

It is mid-May. The hedge looks like it has got completely out of hand. The hedge trimmer is in the shed, ready, and the urge to sort it out is entirely understandable. 🌿 It is also the worst possible time of year to do it. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is a criminal offence to intentionally damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while that nest is in use or being built. Every species of garden bird is covered without exception. This is not guidance — it is law. And May is not a neutral point in the nesting calendar. It is the peak. Active nests in a typical garden hedge right now: Blackbird (Turdus merula) — the first brood may have only just fledged, and the pair will have begun their second clutch in the same hedge, often in the same fork. Up to three broods are possible before late July. Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) — its domed moss nest sits at the base of the hedge in dense cover. First-brood chicks may still be in the nest or have only just left. A second nest may already be under construction in the same section. Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) — arrived from migration in April and will have laid immediately. In May its eggs are incubating or its first chicks are in the nest at one to two metres height — exactly where a trimmer blade runs first. Robin (Erithacus rubecula) — nests within 50 cm of the ground in the densest cover. A second brood is often underway in May. The nest is found almost exclusively by destroying it. Dunnock (Prunella modularis) — two broods between April and July, moss nest in low scrub. Its turquoise-blue eggs are among the most beautiful and least visible in a garden hedge. May is the moment when the hedge looks most in need of cutting — and the moment when active nest density is highest across the entire year. The only remaining clear window is August. The hedge held through winter; it will hold through summer. 🐦 #WildlifeGardening #HedgerowHabitat #NestingBirds #GardenWildlifeIt is mid-May. The hedge looks like it has got completely out of hand. The hedge trimmer is in the shed, ready, and the urge to sort it out is entirely understandable. 🌿 It is also the worst possible time of year to do it. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is a criminal offence to intentionally damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while that nest is in use or being built. Every species of garden bird is covered without exception. This is not guidance — it is law. And May is not a neutral point in the nesting calendar. It is the peak. Active nests in a typical garden hedge right now: Blackbird (Turdus merula) — the first brood may have only just fledged, and the pair will have begun their second clutch in the same hedge, often in the same fork. Up to three broods are possible before late July. Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) — its domed moss nest sits at the base of the hedge in dense cover. First-brood chicks may still be in the nest or have only just left. A second nest may already be under construction in the same section. Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) — arrived from migration in April and will have laid immediately. In May its eggs are incubating or its first chicks are in the nest at one to two metres height — exactly where a trimmer blade runs first. Robin (Erithacus rubecula) — nests within 50 cm of the ground in the densest cover. A second brood is often underway in May. The nest is found almost exclusively by destroying it. Dunnock (Prunella modularis) — two broods between April and July, moss nest in low scrub. Its turquoise-blue eggs are among the most beautiful and least visible in a garden hedge. May is the moment when the hedge looks most in need of cutting — and the moment when active nest density is highest across the entire year. The only remaining clear window is August. The hedge held through winter; it will hold through summer. 🐦 #WildlifeGardening #HedgerowHabitat #NestingBirds #GardenWildlife

Huge Jewish Bloc for Palestine at #Nakbah London

It is right to say these TWO things 1. I oppose antisemitism and I want Jews in the UK to live their lives without fear 2. I oppose Israel's war crimes, including GENOCIDE, and I oppose UK government's support for and enabling of those war crimes and GENOCIDE

Absolutely disgusted by how we were treated at @TravelodgeUK London City Airport. Staff repeatedly refused to allow my registered @HearingDogs into the restaurant and insisted assistance dogs were “not allowed” even after we explained the law.

The ancient Romans, Greek, and Chinese ate these plants for centuries. Modern Americans call them "weeds" and spray them with chemicals. After looking around I found 8 common garden weeds that contain more nutrients than kale, spinach, and broccoli: 1. Dandelion Greens

Posting this again as it is nesting time. Dogs on leads near breeding areas - PLEASE 🙏🙏

@StevenFalk1 very interesting on cuts, but do you need to collect the cuttings. Most councils cannot afford to collect the cuttings

2. So if you have a small area with nesting mining bees or furrow bees, don't feel guilty mowing these a couple of times in May. This may also boost flowers like White Clover, Daisy, Lesser Trefoil & speedwells that are easily swamped out.

1. It's No Mow May. I'm broadly in support of it. But like most concepts of this sort, it's an over-simplification of a complex matter & can backfire. It you are a ground nesting bee for instance (or an associated insect), you don't want long grass swamping your nesting area.

Thanks to @RailwayMagazine for flagging the campaign to get East West Rail passenger service running.Though we have had no update for 7 months the line won’t open this year due to the union row & Government failure to find a solution.Sign the petition: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/7627…

BBC News finally cover Nigel Farage's £5 million gift from a crypto billionaire NF says its within the rules and shouts down at the reporter Then Chris Mason refuses to explain the rules Here's what the rules say @ChrisMasonBBC - shame on you for not explaining this: UK House of Commons rules (Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members) require new MPs to register benefits received in the 12 months before election if they relate to parliamentary, political activities, or membership of the House. This includes gifts/benefits over certain thresholds (often £300+ There is an exemption for "purely personal gifts" unrelated to political/parliamentary activities (e.g., family gifts). However, the rules explicitly state: "Both the possible motive of the giver and the use to which the gift is to be put should be considered. If there is any doubt, the benefit should be registered." Why Farage's Claim Doesn't Hold Up Clearly -Timing and context: The gift came shortly before Farage reversed his decision not to stand and was elected MP for Clacton. Harborne is Reform UK's biggest donor (millions to the party) -Purpose: Farage described it as for lifelong security amid threats (e.g., referencing a later firebombing and past incidents). Security tied to his high-profile political role blurs the "purely personal" line—opponents argue it supported his ability to campaign/hold office. -Non-declaration: It wasn't registered with parliamentary authorities or (per critics) the Electoral Commission as a regulated donee/donation. New MPs must declare relevant pre-election benefits While Farage invokes the personal-use exemption, the rules' "if in doubt, register" clause and the facts (donor motive, political context, use for security linked to public life) make his position contested at best.

Holocaust Survivor Message to Palestine Protesters: This survivor of the Holocaust is against Genocide in Gaza & conflating Jewishness with Zionism, which does nothing but increase antisemitism. Your protests are so persistent, large and global that eventually the Western leadership, which are trying to deny what’s going on, will be forced to face up to it. There is a historic responsibility towards injustice, genocide and fascism. Thank you for being brave and on the right side of history. Stephen Kapos:

We spoke to Jews on the Palestine march in London Not all Jews support Genocide, to say otherwise is textbook antisemitism:

🚨🇺🇸 Jewish protesters burn an Israeli flag in New York. This is rarely shown in mainstream coverage.

Jews, Muslims, and Christians demonstrated together to support Palestine. Our struggle will continue until Palestine is free and the occupation ends. All occupied territories must be returned to the Palestinians.

Jewish MP Gerald Kaufmann in Parliament in 2009. "My Grandmother was ill in bed when the Nazis came to her town, a German soldier shot her dead." "My Grandmother did not die to provide cover for Israel to murder Palestinian Grandmothers in Gaza."

The Great Dictator was Chaplin’s first true speaking role — a film he directed, wrote, and financed himself — and its message still resonates today. It’s one of those speeches worth returning to again and again. Charlie Chaplin 16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977

MP and NGOs will join together at a parliamentary event on 15th April to urge Government to reset environmental policy to address the nature loss crisis. do ask your MP to come. @CHinchliffMP @Natures_Voice @WildlifeTrusts @friends_earth @WoodlandTrust wildlifetrusts.org/news/its-time-…

This image from a grassland perhaps in Oxfordshire was taken by my late Uncle in the 1960s. A field of cowslips being picked and enjoyed by many! No agri-environment schemes then! @Love_plants

As a young child I remember going into a field in our village to pick a handful of these for my Mum. Now I only collect the seed from those in our garden & share them with friends & family.

❗ Defra concluded there is “a realistic possibility” that by 2030 the UK’s food system — alongside water and natural ecosystems — could be “at strategic risk of catastrophic failure” READ MORE: farminguk.com/news/uk-food-s…

@EmpirePodUK @tweeter_anita Here is the link! Sykes-Picot: Carving up the Middle-East 3 characters. 2 nations. 1 disastrous deal. The Sykes-Picot agreement is often blamed as the cause for much of the unrest in the Middle-East today, but what was it exactly? podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/emp…