Controversy surrounds the hummingbird-and palm tree logo chosen by Meghan Markle for her new lifestyle brand, As Ever. Although the birds are of different species, the design shows a remarkable similarity to that of the town of Porreres in Majorca. While the mayor of that town ponders whether to take legal action against the California-based former Royal for plagiarism, can anyone determine whether the black and white birds are swifts or martins?
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| The bay at Filey where Mark has witnessed many memorable birds (photo: Events Yorkshire via Wikimedia Commons) |
THE show must go on . . .
Despite a road prang which left his 'scope and laptop computer "crushed to a pulp", ace Yorkshire birder Mark Pearson determined to press ahead with a talk to the February meeting of Grimsby RSPB.
His intended presentation was entitled Champions of The Flyway, but with much of its content lost on his computer's smashed hard drive, his replacement topic was: Filey International - Arrivals and Departures on the North Yorkshire Coast.
This proved to be truly captivating and inspirational, demonstrating that you don't have to travel to the frozen Antarctic or the Amazon jungle to see awe-inspiring birds.
Especially at times of migration, rich rewards can be reaped just a mile or so from home, in his case at the north end of Filey, the small seaside town which has mostly been unsung since the closure in the 1980s of Billy Butlin's popular holiday camp.
Mark, a professional bird guide and contributor to publications such as Birdwatch and Birdwatching, is also a superb photographer.
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| Mark - informative and amusing speaker |
The audience of 50 or so was treated to a mesmerising array of such gem species as Waxwing, Goldcrest, Redstart, Nightjar Red-backed Shrike, Iceland Gull, Temminck's Stint, Surf Scoter, Grey Phalarope, Purple Sandpiper and a Knot crouching to make itself invisible to an overhead Peregrine.
Mark used the meeting to offer a belated and amusing apology to the Filey Prom's many strollers whom he scattered, back on December 3, 2013, as he sprinted to catch a photograph of a Brunnich's Guillemot (the first recorded Yorkshire sighting) before it swam far out to sea.
Often the pictures were in close-up because, though much of Filey is what he described as "sub-optimal habitat" for many migrants, they sometimes touch down within yards, or even feet, of observers such as him because it may be "the only port in a storm" for an exhausted bird seeking a brief breather and a peck or two to eat.
But the Yorkshireman also peppered his presentation with shots in which birds were just barely identifiable specks which is, of course, just how we often see them when out in field and forest, mountain and wetland.
Indeed, one of his star pictures - and a talking point during the interval of the meeting - was of a Pallas Leaf Warbler (famously once described as a "seven-striped sprite" by the late D.I.M.Wallace) which was almost invisible so well was it camouflaged amidst autumn foliage.
The speaker's focus was on the migration that occurs during 'autumn', a season which, for any dedicated birder, starts at the end of June when the first shorebirds, such as Dunlin and Sanderling (often in stunning summer plumage), arrive from their breeding grounds in the north of Europe and beyond.
Later in the season, the weather may cool down, but the birding heats up, culminating in December when unusual diver, duck and and gull species put in an appearance, sometimes staying for several weeks (or months) and sometimes only for a day or two (or less).
Like all devotees, Mark is on the look-out for birds every minute of every waking hour (and also, quite possibly, while he is asleep).
But he revealed that he is always on particularly high alert in the last week of October and the first fortnight of November when he never ceases to be thrilled by the sight and sound of parties of overhead Whooper Swans and individual Short-eared Owls and Woodcocks, sometimes dodging high waves as they fly in over the North Sea from the continent.
From time to time, migrants that have been ringed turn up at Filey - most notably a Redpoll that had been trapped on island off the Norwegian Coast at about noon on one day, then re-caught at 8am the following day.
Recalled Mark: "There had been a strong north-easterly wind that night, and the bird obviously decided it was game-on and to go for it."
Another curiosity was a Snow Bunting which was, at first, understandably assumed to have flown in with a 40-strong flock of fellow-buntings from northern climes, but in fact had been ringed in western France.
The likelihood was that, far from migrating south, it was returning north having over-wintered on the other side of The Channel.
Helpfully, the speaker provided identification pointers - for instance shape of head and width of bill - in how to differentiate two superficially similar species, Cormorant and Shag.
He also had an amusing anecdote about his childhood when often the family home also served as a rehabilitation centre for stricken birds with injured gannets accommodated in the bedrooms and puffins in the bathroom.
"I remember the days well," he chuckled. "It was like being in Paradise.”
Mark also had a word for 'Albie', the super-rare Black-browed Albatross that spent much of the summers of 2020, 2021 and 2022 at nearby Bempton and Flamborough but occasionally wandered to the waters off Filey.
"This magnificent bird was commonly said to have been either 'lost' or 'in the wrong place'," said Mark. "But is that necessarily so?
"Might it have been a case where an outlier species was exploring a new migration path?
"Nature sometimes has a way of throwing mud at the wall and seeing what sticks."
As further examples of such a phenomenon, he cited Blackcaps that have now started over-wintering in Britain and Yellow-browed Warblers, once rare visitors from Russia that are now seen and heard in ever increasing numbers within our shores during October.
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| Male blackcap - this bird has been over-wintering in a garden not far from where Mark was giving his talk |
Mark acknowledged that its location on the coast gave Filey something of an advantage in attracting passing migrants, but he noted that 'birding patches' everywhere in Britain have their own individual capacity to do likewise.
Most of his talk's audience live close to the coast, and he remarked that Lincolnshire was "an under-watched county".
What better incentive to his listeners to rise early next morning, grab their binoculars and head out and about!
* Mark has his own website: Mark James Pearson and is tour guide for the company, Yorkshire Coast Nature Yorkshire Coast Nature - Nature Tours, Workshops & Gallery
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| Sarah Sankey: "We can't stop now." |
THE RSPB has this week launched its latest initiative to wipe out Orkney's population of non-native stoats.
Not only is it asking members to dig in their pocket to raise £57,000 for the ongoing campaign but it is also seeking to recruit an extra officer on up to £28,319 to join the team.
Says project manager Sarah Sankey : The unexpected arrival of Stoats on Orkney in 2010 spelt disaster for native wildlife.
"They prey on the chicks and eggs of ground-nesting birds such as Curlews and Oystercatchers.
"They also prey on the unique Orkney Vole, a subspecies found only on Orkney - and nowhere else in the world."
The Orkney Native Wildlife Project has made progress in culling stoats, and the balance of wildlife on the islands is starting to recover.
Between 2019 and 2023, the Orkney Vole population increased by 189 per cent, the Hen Harrier nest success by 100 per cent and Curlew nest success by 289 per cent.
Continues Ms Sankey: "We can’t stop now! We’re so close to securing the future for Orkney’s native wildlife.
"We have already raised over £143,000 of our £200,000 target to help complete this ambitious project."
Meanwhile, the society is offering a salary of between £26,379 and £28,319.00 per annum for a community engagement officer with a brief to persuade landowners of the merits of the project and to coax them into securing new land access agreements and maintaining historic ones.
The position is a 12-month contract.
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| Accommodation will be in the island's lighthouse (photo: Mick Knapton/ Wikimedia Commons) |
THE RSPB is looking to recruit an assistant seasonal warden for its Coquet Island reserve off the Northumberland Coast.
In summer, the island is home to more than 40,000 breeding seabirds including Puffins, Eiders, Arctic, Common, Sandwich and Roseate Terns.
For the Roseates, Coquet is the last British colony and of global importance.
The post runs from mid-April to mid-August this year, and the pay is the equivalent of £26,379 and £28,319 per annum.
The role will include laying rodenticides and using a laser device to scare off gulls which predate seabird eggs and chicks.
Accommodation will be in the island's lighthouse.
For further information, contact stephen.westerberg@rspb.org.uk
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| The sort of laser gun used to scare off gulls - it is commonly used at British airports to reduce the chance of bird strikes |
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| Oystercatchers over the Humber Estuary |
THE RSPB is looking for a field officer to safeguard the interests of shorebirds on the North Bank of the Humber.
The salary is the equivalent of £23,401- £25,122 per annum.
The job description states: "We are looking for an enthusiastic, practical person with ecological experience and good communication skills to join our Humber conservation team.
"The successful candidate will support monitoring and protection of beach nesting bird populations (Little Tern, Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher) on the North Bank of the Humber.
"Beach nesting birds are a high conservation priority for the RSPB, and this role will help towards securing a future for them.
"This is a partnership project, and you will work closely with colleagues across organisations such as the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England, and Spurn Bird Observatory.
"This position is a fixed-term contract from April to August 2025."
It continues: "As the seasonal field assistant, you will support all aspects of on-the-ground survey and monitoring delivery throughout the busy breeding season (April-August) in line with project objectives.
"You will be based at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Spurn National Nature Reserve."
Activities will include:
* Monitoring breeding success of beach nesting Ringed Plovers, Little Terns and Oystercatcher.
* Maintenance of seasonal site fencing (including electric fencing), signage, and other infrastructure as required.
* Carrying out predator monitoring duties including deploying and maintaining trail cameras on site.
* Day-to-day engagement with beach users to inform, educate and raise awareness of beach nesting birds and their threats to empower positive behavioural change.
* Supporting a growing team of dedicated volunteers including assisting with inductions and on-site support as needed.
* Maintaining and building relationships with existing partners and stakeholders.
Essential skills, knowledge and experience:
* Higher level qualification in a relevant subject or ability to show equivalent work experience eg agriculture practices.
* Knowledge of bird and wildlife ecology, habitat requirements and identification to enable credibility in the role.
* Knowledge of a range of delivery mechanisms for conservation work relevant to the operational area of this role e.g. agri-environment schemes.
* Organisational skills e.g. maintenance and analysis of datasets, and managing conflicting priorities.
* Ability to work effectively as a team player both internally and externally.
* Effective communication skills (verbal, written and presentational) - including an ability to speak confidently and cogently in public to a variety of audiences.
* Experience of managing volunteers and setting clear work priorities.
The closing date for applications is March 2, 2025.
For further information, contact mike.pilsworth@rspb.org.uk
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| Spurn where the field officer will be based |
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| Inquiries continuing following incident at songbird-rich Kent woodland (photo: Kent Wildlife Trust) |
THREE men are being questioned as part of as part of a probe into industrial-scale, illegal tipping of waste at a Kent woodland long noted for its summer population of breeding nightingales.
Hoad's Wood, near Ashford, is a site of Special Scientific Interest with no approved public access.
But that did not prevent 30,000 tonnes of household and construction waste, piled 15 feet high in places, being dumped there on a date in 2023.
Since then Environment Agency enforcement officers, Kent Police and the Joint Unit for Waste Crime have been investigating jointly.
Two of the men – aged 44 and 62 – are from the Isle of Sheppey, while the third, aged 41, resides near Sittingbourne.
All three have been interviewed, and their evidence will support any further stages of the investigation.
At this relatively early stage, it is understood that none of the trio has been formally charged with any offence.
