These delightful studies of two Colombian species - a Crescent-faced Antpitta (left) and an Equatorial Antpitta - appear in a magnificent first book, Portfolio 1, by Barcelona-based photographer and birding tour guide Rafael Armada whose work often appears in British birding magazines. It is published in hardback at £ 34.99 by Lynx Nature Books. 
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| Almost ready to take flight - the Hobby as depicted by George Lodge |
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| Like everyone else, birders in the UK will have been dismayed and horrified by the flooding that has devastated parts of Spain - mostly in and around Valencia. Hundreds have lost their lives. The region is known to many birdwatchers, and it took stand space at last year's Global Birdfair where its representative (pictured) proved to be a most engaging ambassador. We can only hope and pray that she, her family, her friends and her colleagues have come to no harm. |
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| Coquet Island where a staff bust-up has caused aggro |
THE RSPB's chief operating officer has today hit out at 'vile racist commentary' which he says has appeared in social media.
Dr James Robinson, who is the charity's chief operating officer, has waded into a row over a controversial shake-out of staff and volunteers at the Coquet Island seabirds reserve off the Northumberland Coast.
Editions of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail are among mainstream media outlets that have reported on the ructions that resulted from the replacement of longstanding manager Dr Paul Morrison with Dr Ibrahim Alfarwi who is understood to be a refugee from Syria.
Says Dr Robinson: "I won’t comment on previous members of staff, but I feel strongly that I want to put something on the record in support of Dr Alfarwi.
" We are disturbed and angry at the divisive nature of some of this media coverage.
"This goes against everything we stand for as an organisation. We do not tolerate the abuse of our staff and are supporting them at this difficult time.
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| Dr Robinson - 'culture wars' |
"I should like to stress that we have thorough, fair and legal processes and procedures that we follow when dealing with staff issues.
"We take pride in being an organisation which is committed to ensuring all employees and volunteers are treated fairly and reasonably.
"We absolutely stand by our colleague in the face of, frankly, some of the most, vile racist online commentary that I have had the misfortune to read in my career.
"This member of staff has been cleared of any wrongdoing following a full and thorough investigation."
Dr Robinson, who is a tern ecology expert with first-hand experience of Coquet Island, continues:
"I can categorically say that we have absolute confidence in the new team on the island.
"Standing up for our staff really matters.
"It is personally deeply upsetting that a place I know, and love so very much has also become a target in the culture wars."
He adds: "We are currently exploring what legal options are open to us all and will be standing by our colleague."
The Wryneck says: Talk about fanning the flames . . . the Coquet Island staffing controversy would probably have petered out, but now RSPB's management has whipped up the flames anew. It is right for the organisation to express public support for its existing staff but not in such a way as to risk disregarding the contributions of previous staff. Notable from the executive's ill-judged statement has been any word of thanks to the previous manager and volunteers for their dedicated and longstanding work in safeguarding the rare roseate tern and other of Coquet's precious marine-dwelling species. And of the ensuing debate, his characterisation of it is as 'vile' and 'racist' serves only to slur those commentators who are making perfectly legitimate comments untainted by even the slightest hint of racism. As for the prospect of pursuing legal action, please RSPB, don't even think about it. That would really be jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
* Photo of Coquet Island: Nick Rodd ( (rspb-images.com)
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| Its beak can hold almost as much as its belly can - puffin with bill full of nutritious sandeel provender (photo: RSPB) |
THE RSPB has reacted angrily to the EU's decision to challenge the British Government's imposition of a ban on sandeel fishing in all Scottish waters plus those off the Yorkshire and Northumberland coasts.
It fears that, if the ban is lifted, there will be a continued decline in numbers, with knock-of effects for many seabirds.
Says the charity's director of conservation, Katie-jo Luxton: "The EU's move flies in the face of its commitment to protect and restore marine ecosystems.
"It is a scandalous attempt to reverse a hard-won victory for under-pressure seabirds such as Puffins and Kittiwakes as well as the many other marine species whose diets depend on sandeels."
When the British fisheries were closed in March this year, there was widespread jubilation among conservation organisations.
But there was dismay for those Danish fishermen who depend on sandeel catches for their livelihood - hence the decision by the EU to trigger what is termed an "arbitration process" .
It maintains that the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea allows for harvesting sandeel stocks at levels that permit them to "maintain a healthy population".
Since April, there have been consultations between the two sides but evidently without reaching mutual agreement.
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| The Jay - by distributing acorns, the species encouraged the creation of oak forests which provided precious timber for Britain's seafaring heroes of yesteryear (photo: Ian Parsons) |
"IF ever Britain ever requires a national bird, there can surely only be one contender . . ."
So writes naturalist-author Ian Parsons in his excellent new book published earlier this month.
And the bird?
Parsons' nomination, somewhat unexpectedly, is the Jay - "a truly beautiful bird, a lovely mix of pinkish grey, splashed with black and white, with a fantastic flash of electric blue on the wings".
But it is not the species' exotic plumage which has prompted the selection so much as its significant role in British history, most notably the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
"Nelson's ship, HMS Victory, was made using the timber of around 6,000 trees, 90 per cent of them oak,"he writes. "This is roughly the equivalent of 100 acres of mature woodland.
"And let's not forget that Victory was just one 27 ships in action at the Battle of Trafalgar. That's an enormous number of oaks."
What has this got to do with the Jay?
Parsons explains that Britain's mighty oak forests of yesteryear derived from acorns - the bird's favourite food - many of which, if uneaten, are stored, larder-style, underground at locations far apart.
According to a study published in Germany, "on average, each Jay caches around 275 acorns every single day" while "another piece of research has concluded that, in Britain, Jays cache around one and a half billion acorns each year".
No wonder the writer is impressed!
Alas for him, his suggestion that the Jay should become Britain's national bird is likely to go unheeded.
As he notes, it was the Robin that came out as favourite species after more than 200,000 people voted in a poll launched in 2015 by urban birder David Lindo. Sadly, the Jay did not even register.
Formerly a forest ranger, Parsons' observations come in his fascinating and wittily-written new book, which explores the many-faceted relationships between birds and trees.
His 'cast of characters' includes 67 birds among them the long-extinct Dodo) and 57 trees or hedges. There are not many angles left uncovered (though there could perhaps have been a chapter about the so-called 'leaf warbler' family that includes Willow Warbler and the sycamore-partial Yellow-browed Warbler.
Parsons definitely has a soft spot for thrush species such as Blackbirds and Fieldfares, but, because of its historical significance and beauty, it is the acorn-spreading 'oak bird' , the Jay, which is his avian hero.
As he reminds his reader: "It was the timber of our oaks that fuelled our shipbuilding and the resulting expansion of our nation's horizons and ambitions.
Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, Captain Cook - they all sailed in ships hewn from the native oaks of our woodlands.
Of the Trees and the Birds will delight both expert ornithologists and those whose interest in birds is more casual.
Handsomely illustrated, it costs £18.99 in paperback and can be obtained from Caithness-based publishers Whittles Publishing at www.whittlespublishing.com (01593 731 333).
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| The new book - full of fascinating insights about the relationship between birds and trees |
