Seals and rare flowers

It’s always fantastic to see seals, especially as they are shot in large numbers by fish farmers, within the law (please remember this if thinking of buying farmed salmon).  Seal numbers have declined enormously in the last 10 years, with harbour seal numbers halving in some parts of Scotland.  There are likely to be other contributory factors, such as reduction in food availability, but this is, in my opinion, a significant indicator of how we are mismanaging our seas.

If you haven’t already done so, read up about Hugh’s fish fight, follow the links on the site to the other organisations involved in marine conservation, work out whether you really need to eat (so much) fish (there are plenty of food stuffs that contain the oils thought to be so valuable in fish, e.g. hemp, flax, etc), and make an effort to find out where your marine based products are coming from.  Out of sight, out of mind, is this why we treat our oceans so badly?  Would people react differently if we were to trawl fields to catch lambs, and at the end of the field empty the net of all the birds, mice, voles, insects, etc, into a heap to die.

Anyway, I digress somewhat, apologies.  Today was a busy one.  All of the Cornish chough nests were checked out (not by me, I just met the team briefly as they passed on through), and seem in good order.  However, the latest expected date for fledging is now another two weeks or so, which might, sadly, be after I’ve left.  Further news will be available here:

http://www.cornishchoughs.org/

After an early start, I finished early so I comforted myself by taking some time out to go and view one of the rarest plants in the UK.  I’ll be impressed if anyone can tell me what it is (I do know what it is.  Obviously.)…