This collection of natural history books (most of them published in the early 20th Century) sold for £400 at a sale conducted earlier this month by auction house Dominic Winter of Cirencester.
Thursday 17 October 2024
Onwards and upwards - RSPB targets five more towns and cities where it believes it can boost membership
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| Carlisle - photo by Graham Robson via Wikimedia Commons |
AS of last Saturday when it held its AGM, the RSPB's membership stood at an impressive 1.2-million - 9,000 more than at this time last year.
But the charity is not resting on its laurels.
Since summer, it has been targeting a series of towns and cities in a determined recruitment drive.
The latest are:
* Carlisle
* Oxford
* Driffield
* Salisbury
* Stamford Bridge
In each of these towns, the society is seeking to appoint an 'income and conservation officer' to mount membership stands at shops, businesses, market and other locations where it believes there are those who might be coaxed into becoming RSPB members.
The salary for the posts is £24,890 - £26,720 per annum.
The job description states: "Each day you will use your company van to travel to different venues around your local area, set up an attractive fundraising stand and spend the day actively engaging with members of the public, spreading awareness about our conservation efforts and generating new RSPB memberships via direct debits.
"Don't worry if you're not a wildlife expert yet - we provide comprehensive training to equip you with all the knowledge you need.
"What is more, you will enjoy the added perk of a company van, with fuel and parking costs paid for.
"What's even better, you will have the flexibility to choose a contract between three to five days per week and enjoy the stability of a set salary rather than working on commission.
"With 34 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) and opportunities for sabbaticals, we value your work-life balance and well-being."
More details from: stephen.louw@rspb.org.uk
Wednesday 16 October 2024
Please respect all graves and headstones! Spurn Bird Observatory's reminder to over-zealous twitchers
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| Dating from about 1864, St Helen's Church in Kilnsea is now redundant - but worshipper have been replaced by birders because the surrounding trees and shrubs are often a magnet for unusual birds (photo: KJP1 via Wikimedia) |
SPURN Bird Observatory officials this afternoon issued a reminder to birders to respect the graves and headstones in Kilnsea Churchyard and Easington Cemetery.
This follows suggestions that a few may have trampled over graves in their zeal to get close-up shots of rare birds.
This week the star attraction in the churchyard has been a Pallas's Leaf Warbler.
However, at this time of year, it is famed for attracting other scarce species such as Red-flanked Bluetail, Arctic Warbler, Icterine Warbler and Wood Warbler.
There are also past records of Golden Oriole and Black-throated Thrush.
Easington Cemetery is not such a rarity hotspot as the churchyard, though it can be a stopping-off point for Bramblings and Waxwings.
Bird observatory officials have urged birders always to keep to the paths in the two destinations.
Pallas's Leaf Warbler - this bird was photographed by Elena Fedotova in Russia (photo Wikimedia Commons)
Monday 14 October 2024
Thirty-minute twitch: Harbour and Promenade, City of Douglas, Isle of Man
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| Douglas on a crisp morning in early autumn |
Date: October 13, 2024
Time: 8.30am - 9.00am
Weather: Bright and dry
Target species: Purple Sandpiper
Star species: Mediterranean Gull
Other species seen:
Eider
Shag
Heron
Little Egret
Sparrowhawk
Curlew
Turnstone
Oystercatcher
Black Guillemot
Gannet
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Carrion Crow
Hooded Crow
House Sparrow
Pied Wagtail
Rock Pipit
Robin
Woodpigeon
Feral Pigeon
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| Drake Eider |
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| Shag |
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| Gannet glimpsed from afar |
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| Street art in Douglas |
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| Offshore castle - or submarine? |
Art imitating life - majestic and motionless, this Heron stands watch over Isle of Man harbour town
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| The 8-3-metre sculpture towers over the harbour in Castletown |
A STRUCTURAL engineer had to be called in to ensure the stability of a magnificent 26ft-tall sculpture of a Heron that was installed earlier this month in Castletown on the Isle of Man.
Weighing 10 tonnes, it is the work of Stephanie Quayle and Darren Jackson, and was a year in the making.
Even before the duo started, it took some five years to conceive the project, to secure planning permission and to raise funds, predominantly through the Manx Lottery and the year of Our Island Fund.
It was also necessary to pay a seven-year licence fee for occupying space on harbour land.
Herons (and Little Egrets) are common on the Isle of Man where some older residents refer to them as 'Cranes'.
Indeed this bird has been named 'Coar Ny Hastan' which means 'Crane of the eels'.
Spurn Observatory volunteeer Richard Boon celebrates the Little Tern with study of this much-loved seabird
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| The new book casts the spotlight on the colony near Spurn |
ADMIRERS of the Little Tern (who isn't?) will welcome Clinging To the Edge - to be released this week by Pelagic Publishing.
It is described as an exploration of the ecology of the species and the history of its conservation.
The main focus is a single colony - the one at Beacon Ponds between Kilnsea and Easington, near Spurn on the Yorkshire Coast.
The author is Richard Boon, a retired academic and volunteer at the Spurn Observatory Trust.
Publication day is tomorrow October 15.
More at https://pelagicpublishing.com
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| Richard Boon - diligent student of a delightful species |
Tuesday 8 October 2024
Signed copy of Wild Geese and Eskimos by Peter Scott sells for £30 at auction in Lincolnshire today
A SOMEWHAT battered-looking copy of Peter Scott's Wild Geese and Eskimos sold for £30 at a sale held by John Taylors of Louth in Lincolnshire earlier today.
This was in line with the pre-sale estimate of £20 to £40.
Its value was doubtless increased by the fact that it had been signed by the author, Peter Scott.
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