Ian Carter took early retirement after twenty-five years as an ornithologist with Natural England. He was closely involved with the Red Kite reintroduction programme and wider work on the conservation of birds of prey, bird reintroductions and wildlife management. The cultural and philosophical aspects of nature conservation have always fascinated him, especially their influence on our attitudes towards the natural world. He has written articles for wildlife magazines including British Birds, British Wildlife and Birdwatch, and has co-authored papers in scientific journals. He wrote The Red Kite (Arlequin Press 2007) and, with Dan Powell, The Red Kite's Year (Pelagic Publishing 2019), and has been on the Editorial Board of the journal British Birds for over twenty years. He keeps a wildlife diary and has written something in it (however dull) every day for over thirty-five years.
Description
Acknowledgements Introduction CLOSE TO HOME The island effect The late-summer lull Man's best friend? A rat's life Local patch wildlife Familiar species All-time favourite HUMAN NATURE Number conundrum Mario or mud pies? Splitting headaches The naming game Missing from the list A love of birds? Unwelcome wildlife The sound of silence Health-enhancing House Martins Adopt a species Wanted: dead or alive The state of nature Urban wildlife CONFLICTS Recent arrivals Rescuing wildlife The culture of killing A tale of two raptors Meddling with wildlife Moving things around WILD PLACES The pursuit of wildness Seabirds at sea Western Isles refuge A change of scene Western Isles revisited Index