Pressure group Wild Justice's directors miffed at advertisement snub by Private Eye magazine

The current edition of Private Eye magazine

A SPAT has blown up between three high-profile naturalists and the satirical magazine, Private Eye.

Ruth Tingay, Chris Packham and Mark Avery are directors of the pressure group, Wild  Justice, which campaigns relentlessly against game shooting, not least because some landowners  seem to turn a blind eye to the killing on their estates of raptors such as Hen Harriers.

Earlier in the year, Wild Justice took out a full-page colour advert condemning, in cartoon form, the import of captive-bred gamebird chicks into the countryside.

Private Eye published this advert but, reportedly without giving a reason, refused to publish two follow-ups.

Earlier today, the Wild Justice three all took to social media to protest about the snub.

Wrote Dr Avery: "We were surprised when Private Eye said that it would not run our second and third adverts, especially as they gave no reason at all for this. 

"They abruptly changed their minds. 

"How odd! It's as though they were got at. 

"It's as though they gave in to pressure from the shooting industry or some other vested interest. 

"It seems that Wild Justice is too edgy for Private Eye. That's a great disappointment, but also somewhat amusing." 

So far, there has been no response to the protests from the magazine  but this may come in its next edition.

However, its website does clearly detail the reasons why, in certain circumstances, it  chooses not to accept advertising.

Meanwhile, Wild Justice says it will now seek to place the adverts in another publication.

The Wryneck says: Without sight of the 'offending' adverts, it is impossible to judge what all the fuss is about. The likelihood is that Private Eye chooses not to compromise its independence by taking advertisement monies from any political parties, pressure groups or special interest lobbies. That is, surely, to be commended.  But the tiff does prompt another question. Is spending money on doubtless very expensive advertising campaigns, really the most prudent way for Wild Justice to spend the money it receives from its donors?

Nightjars and Dartford Warblers at risk as random fires sweep through southern counties heathland

                                                   

Precious feeding and nesting  habitat for Dartford Warblers, Nightjars, Stonechats and other heathland-specialising birds has this week been put at risk by random fires. As a result of recent dry weather, there have already been several blazes in Dorset and Hampshire. One of these occurred last night at Upton Heath (pictured) , near Poole, which is all home to all six native reptiles along with other specialist butterflies, beetles and flowers. Photo: Andy Fale, Dorset Wildlife Trust.

Review: The Birdman of Auschwitz - The life of Gunther Niethammer, the Ornithologist Seduced by The Nazis

                                                         

IT sounds like it must have been some kind of paradise, especially for birders. . .

"The ponds were surrounded by extensive reedbeds which teemed with great Great Reed Warblers and Aquatic Warblers.

"Bitterns boomed from deep inside the reeds, and, on the open water, Black-necked Grebes nested.

"Nearby, Kingfishers, terns and plover bred.

"Along the margins were dense willow beds, home to Marsh Warblers and the enigmatic Nightingale."

Yet this birding hotspot in Poland was to become a hell on earth, for it was here, during the 1939-45 war,  that the Nazis chose to build the prison and extermination centre known as Auschwitz.

In his extraordinarily-researched new book, The Birdman  of Auschwitz, Nicholas Milton explores both  the birdlife in and around this place of a million atrocities and the part it played in the life of Günther Niethammer, one of the most diligent and enthusiastic birders of his generation who also happened to be a prison guard.  

It seems incredible that, amid every day human suffering, Niethammer should have used some his spare time to go birding or to put up nestboxes within the grounds for Starlings, Black Redstarts and other species, notably corvids, that bred on or around the site.

He was scrupulous in his avian record-keeping and wrote a paper entitled Observations on The Birdlife of Auschwitz, Eastern Upper Silesia.

He noted, for instance, that Sand Martins nested in the banks created by construction of the prison, and Swallows nested in the roof of the guards' barracks.

Noted avian  absentees included Corn Bunting, Red-breasted Merganser, Wren, Pied Flycatcher, Dipper, Long-tailed Tit, Buzzard and Chaffinch.

Meanwhile, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Crested Lark and Grey Wagtail were scarce.

Writes Nicholas Milton: "Niethammer was not just surveying birds, he was using them to turn a blind eye to the horrors going on in the camp."

However, to his credit, Milton does not turn a same 'blind eye' - nor does he skimp on the details of some of the atrocities that occurred .

To have done so would have been insensitive in the extreme not just to the memory of those  who died but also to their descendants.

Writing with restraint, Milton has little sympathy for his subject but does not condemn him outright.  He acknowledges that, though aware of what was going on, Niethammer was not an instigator of the suffering.

Indeed, he engaged one of the Polish inmates to help him in some of his ornithological activities.

Furthermore, he would have been under intense pressure to obey the orders of his Nazi superiors - or to face the consequences.

And, importantly,  he also had family to support.

In a foreword to the book, broadcaster Chris Packham takes a different tack - he is unforgiving of Niethammer.

"For my part, I found no compassion for him," he writes. "I came to despise not just him but also those who shielded and protected  him from his past.

"This enormously challenging story will undoubtedly trouble me for the rest of my life."

The Birdman  of Auschwitz is published by Pen & Sword Books at £25 in hardback

www.pen-and-sword.co.uk  

Colourfully-plumaged birds could be introduced to shopping centre to enhance customer experience

 

The shopping arcade in Grimsby offers plenty of natural light and the roof is high

FREE-flying exotic birds such as parrots, macaws, tanagers and hummingbirds  could  be introduced to a shopping arcade as a visitor attraction.

It is believed the initiative proposed for Freshney Place in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, could encourage more footfall - to the potential trading benefit of those shops which have a presence within the premises.

The proposal would ‘dovetail with the local council's aspiration to extend the arcade's  traditional role as  a retail centre to one offering leisure, entertainment and even a medical facility.

However, it is not the council which  has come up with the brainchild but  the Institute of Applied Ornithology which has links not just with international avian organisations but also with zoos all over the world.

Says chief executive Robin Finch: “In effect, the aracde would become a giant indoor aviary.

"Because, it is so blessed with natural daylight and a high atrium, we think it is ideal for such a venture.

"If successful, we think it could be adopted at Meadowhall in Sheffield, the Trafford Centre in Manchester and Brent Cross in London and other UK shopping centres.

"As yet, we have not identified our preferred species, but we would obviously favour those with bright plumage - the whole purpose is to provide shoppers with  a sense of magic and wonder with splashes of fast-moving colour.

"As well as creating a vibrant shopping experience, we think this concept will encourage greater interest in birds and the natural environment."

From where might our feathered friends be sourced? 

There is no question of using British species in this venture because it is against the law  to capture wild birds.

Though there is an extensive global black market in trapped wildlife, the institute deems it unethical as well illegal to import wild caught birds, and insists it would shun any offers from unscrupulous rogue traders.

Instead, it would take advantage of its long-established links with zoos all over the world to buy or borrow  birds that derive from long-established aviary-bred bloodlines.

Assuming the project proceeds, Some adjustments would need to be made to the entrance and exit points of the arcade to prevent the birds from escaping.

In order to provide perching, roosting and foraging habitat, natural foliage, including some tall trees and shrubs, will also be required.

These would be located along the whole length of the centre of the walkway.

Up to four jobs would be created. 

The main responsibilities of those engaged would be to ensure the welfare of the birds and the plants and to ensure the centre is kept clean (because some birds, such as mynahs,  can be messy).

However, ‘educational engagement’ with the public is also likely to be part of the job description.

As far as is known, shopkeepers welcome the proposal, though management at clothing retailers have cautioned about birds flying into their premises and potentially soiling stock.

It is understood one birdfood supplier with strong links to the area has been approached to sponsor the venture. 

It would not set a Grimsby  precedent if birds were free-flying within Freshney Place aracade. In October, 2022, there was a Sparrowhawk (above) in the main Asda store in Grimsby. However, it proved such a distraction to shoppers (below) and staff that it was released after just a few days.

                                 

Rare opportunity to bid for Slender-billed Curlew - a bird now deemed to have gone way of Dodo and Great Auk

Sadness in the eye? The bird that will go under the hammer at Yorkshire auction on April 16

                                                               

THE Slender-billed Curlew is not alive and well and is reckoned by 'experts' almost certainly to be extinct.

Which is why a stuffed specimen is likely to be of special interest to birders when it goes under the hammer at a taxidermy auction in Yorkshire later this week.

According to Leyburn-based auction house Tennants, the bird, which is mounted on a mahogany base,  is of early 20th Century origin. Its overall height is 33.5cm.

How it came to be on the market in Britain is something of a mystery given that it was once in a museum in Belgium - as denoted by a label purporting the identification on the underside of the base.

The last officially verified  record of the species was in Morocco in 1995.

Reports in subsequent years - including at Druridge Pools  in Northumberland (1998) and Minsmere in Suffolk (2014) as well as in the Danube Estuary  - were temporarily given credence, only to be dismissed (not necessarily without acrimony)  on closer scrutiny of the evidence.

In 1998, multinational chemical company Bayer co-sponsored an expedition to Kazakhstan in a quest for breeding grounds of the bird, but it had no success.

Compared to the  Eurasian Curlew  which, though declining  is still widespread, its Slender-billed cousin is - or was -  whiter on the breast and tail with a shorter, more slender bill,  slightly straighter at the base. 

But similarity to its juvenile Eurasian counterpart has always made identification a challenge.

Historically its breeding grounds were in bogs in Russia and Kazakhstan with winters spent on coastal mudflats in the Mediterranean  and Arabia.

As has so often been  the case, its demise is generally attributed to hunting and loss of habitat.

It was declared globally extinct in November last year.

But back to the stuffed bird now residing in a salesroom in North Yorkshire.

According to Tennants, the pre-sale estimate is that the hammer will come down at between £300 and £500  at the auction which is scheduled for April 16.

* Photographs: Tennants of Leyburn www.tennants.co.uk

Whiter plumage than the Eurasian Curlew

Identification label on base of mahogany mount 

To be or not to be? Scientist Tim Birkhead's new book sounds cautionary note on "de-extincting" Great Auk

Sheffield University academic Tim Birkhead poses many important questions in his intriguing new book

                                           

IF scientific advances allow it, should we encourage "de-extinction" projects for long-gone creature such as the Dodo and the Mammoth?

The question is explored by scientist Tim Birkhead in a new book about a species close to his heart - the Great Auk.

It is an alluring prospect," he writes. "Initially, I was enthusiastic about the possibility.

"The possibility that, through molecular wizardry, we could recreate the Great Auk and once again enjoy the sight, sound and smell of it I find almost irresistible.

"But then, as I thought about it, my enthusiasm was supplanted by some, cold hard facts."

After enumerating the myriad threats to today's seabird species - for instance, pollution, over-fishing, hunting and climate change - Prof Birkhead reaches a sad conclusion.

"Even if we could create the Great Auk, would it be fair to spend all that time and effort doing so for a bird for which there is probably no safe home?" he asks.

"Would it not be wiser to spend those funds saving one or more endangered species not yet extinct and whose habitat could be made safe?"

The Great Auk - Its Extraordinary Life , Hideous Death and Mysterious Afterlife is published by Bloomsbury at £20 in hardback.

 * A review of the book will appear in a later edition of this blog.

Whatever you do, don't mention the word 'liar'! Oh dear, veteran RSPB staffer Alasdair McKee just did

Magical place - Foulshaw Moss (photo: Ian Alexander-Waite, Cumbria Wildlife Trust)

THERE is a word for birders who claim they can distinguish by plumage between Meadow Pipits and Tree Pipits . . .

And, according to long-time RSPB staffer Alasdair McKee, that word is: "Liar!"

Considering the hot water the society got into two years ago when one of its executives used this abrasive term in social media to describe three frontline UK politicians, it came as a surprise to hear it used again.

But Alasdair, who was giving an illustrated talk to the March meeting of the RSPB's Grimsby group, is nothing if not an edgy presenter.

Over two hours, he  took his audience on a fast-paced  whistlestop tour of the extensive range of species to be found on Foulshaw Moss, a truly vibrant Cumbria Wildlife Trust reserve.

He started by exploring features of some of the bog plants, notably Sphagnum moss, and went on to cover the mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, moths and birds (including Stonechat, Tree Sparrow,  Reed Bunting, Redpoll and, yes, Tree Pipit).

                                                        

Which is it - Meadow Pipit or Tree Pipit?

                                                                   (Answer below)

Among the stars of the reserve are the raptors, sometimes as many a seven different species (including both Hen and Marsh Harrier) on a single day.

A particular attraction in spring and summer are the nesting Ospreys, especially the one known as "Blue 35" on account of its leg ring.

Since its arrival in 2013, this female has laid no fewer than 35 eggs from which 29 chicks have hatched and fledged.

Alasdair described a hare fleeing at 45 mph as "the sports car of the mammal world" and, more prosaically, likened a flying Hobby feeding on a dragonfly  to a workman " munching on a sandwich". 

He obviously has a soft spot for the Emperor dragonfly which he likened  to a hero of Hollywood westerns.

"When one of these turns up at a pond, everything goes quiet," quipped Alasdair. "Just like when Clint Eastwood steps into the bar!"

Staying in light-hearted mode, the speaker insisted that birders are part of the 'circle of life'.

"It is well known that Nightjars attract birders," he declared. "And birders, especially those with bald heads, attract mosquitoes - which, in turn, attract Nightjars."

Lively but not always politically correct - the irrepressible Alasdair McKee

                                                                   (photo via Facebook)

Alasdair, who had come with his wife from his home in Lancaster to give the talk, regularly carries out guiding duties at Foulshaw Moss, giving him the opportunity to share his enthusiasm and knowledge with many groups from the north-west of England.

From time to time, he finds himself fielding some singularly offbeat questions such as: "do you get other birds here as well as birds of prey?" and "as a volunteer, do you get paid?"

Shaking his head, Alasdair told his amused audience: "I think those questions came from a party from the Stockport Home for Bewildered Birders".

A bit naughty, that! But quite nice, too (unless you're a birder from Stockport).

Following his talk, the speaker was thanked by Grimsby Local Group leader Martin Francis and applauded by his audience which totalled about 50.

* Answer: it's a Meadow Pipit