#h-is-for-hawk

#h-is-for-hawk

The choices we make now will set Britain on a path either towards accelerating biodiversity loss or towards nature recovery.

The flock of 50 or so pigeons lifts from the barn roof as one. The loud clapping of wings makes the horses jump, even though this happens several times a day. I scan the sky for a peregrine but can't see signs of danger. They swirl once, then settle back on to the corrugated metal roof. These farmyard pigeons are a mix of feral and wood pigeons that hang out happily together.

On the face of it, the RSPB picking Ned Stark as the host of the new series of their podcast seems odd. But it turns out he's been a birder since childhood, who crams in birdwatching between acting gigs. He's warm and honest in his first podcast, chatting to fellow ornithology lover Elbow's Guy Garvey about spotting different species while working abroad, recognising bird song and the meditative joy of watching the feathered creatures. Alexi Duggins Widely available, episodes fortnightly

I grew up with cats when I was a little kid but my love of black cats began when I moved from New York to LA in 1996 and found four feral black cats in my back yard. Almost immediately, two female cats got knocked up and had two litters at the same time. Suddenly, we had 13 black cats, the most I'd ever cared for at once.

The ghost of a previous lover is always a challenge, particularly if you (mistakenly) believe that she's actually dead. This is the unenviable situation for Lily, the protagonist of O'Farrell's second novel, who is swept off her feet by dashing architect Marcus and in short order moves in with him. Lily takes his assurances that her predecessor Sinead is no longer with us to mark a more permanent absence;