There's no greater Guillemot enthusiast than Tim Birkhead - but Bullfinches aren't so far behind

Tim Birkhead and friends

GUEST speaker at this week's annual meeting of the Lincolnshire Bird Club will be Prof Tim Birkhead who has long taught  animal behaviour and the history of science at the University of Sheffield.

His particular interest in birds has taken him all over the world in his quest better to understand what motivates every aspect of their behaviour from feeding to breeding.

Tim (75) is also an author whose authoritative and entertaining  books  include The Red Canary,  The Wisdom of Birds: An Illustrated History of Ornithology,  Sperm Competition in Birds, The Magpies and Bird Sense: What It Is Like To Be A Bird.

However, his most recent work is The Great Auk: Its  Extraordinary Life, Hideous Death and Mysterious Afterlife. 

Published by Bloomsbury last year, it is a highly readable study of a bird that has captured the imagination of birders since it became extinct in the mid-19th Century.

Tim was born and brought up in Leeds where he went to school before attending the University of Newcastle where Zoology was his degree subject.

After graduating, he continued in the academic world, completing  a doctorate  on the ecology and behaviour of Guillemots on Skomer Island, off the Welsh Coast. This is probably his favourite species, along with, at home,  the Eurasian Bullfinch and, overseas, the Long-tailed Sylph - one of the South American hummingbirds.   

Aged 26, he was offered a position at Sheffield University where he has been ever since.

The father-of-three  attributes his interest in birds largely to his father who was a birdwatcher and who built him an aviary in the garden of the family home in Leeds

Among its occupants were Zebra Finches which, many years later, were kept in an aviary at Sheffield University to serve as main study species for a project to establish how birds' eggs are fertilised and how embryos develop. 

Had Tim's work as a scientist and author not kept him busy and fulfilled, he reckons he might like to have pursued a career as an artist, possibly specialising in the depiction of birds.

He includes painting among his recreational interests along with walking in the Peak District and playing the guitar, sometimes with colleagues.

Among professional guitarists he admires are  Eric Clapton, J. J. Cale, Rye Cooder and Paul Kossoff (of the band, Free).

Tim will be speaking at the education centre at Whisby Nature Reserve, near Lincoln, at 2pm on Saturday.

Admission  is free.

                            

Sadly, the Great Auk is long gone - but the legend lives on 

Sad demise in intensive care for what was probably one of the most twitched birds in history

                                                                       

This Spectacled Eider, one of the most twitched birds in history, has died. Back in December, it was caught, because of its weak condition, and taken into care at  Vogelopvang De Wulp Centre at Den Haag in The Netherlands. At first, it seemed to be recovering, based on the appearance of its plumage and its demeanour. But then it relapsed, ceased eating and sadly died. Far away from its Alaskan home, the bird had been a huge tourist attract off the shores of the Wadden Sea, attracting birders from all over Europe and beyond. It is not known what might happen to the corpse of the much-admired visitor.                                                   

Let's celebrate the Lapwing! Broadcaster Chris Packham calls for meadowland bird to be featured on banknote

 Celebrity naturalist Chris Packham has called for the Lapwing to be included among the various images  when the Bank of  England introduces its forthcoming  series of wildlife-themed banknotes. He would prefer a declining bird such  as this one to be preferred to other 'cute and cuddly' species such as Robin, Barn Owl and Puffin  which are more likely to be the popular choice when a poll is held later this year.

Headline birds - the three species making a splash on front covers of this month's ornithological mags

                                                                             

Cirl Bunting, Great Crested Grebe and Great Spotted Woodpecker - the three species featured on covers of  the February 2026 editions of three frontline birding titles.  

                                                   

Life among the penguins! Opportunity beckons to work (and observe wildlife) in Antarctica

                                                     

Port Lockroy - Antarctic HQ of the heritage trust

APPLICANTS have until midnight tomorrow Sunday March 15 to apply for a post that involves living for five months among peguins and the other wildlife in Antarctica.

The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust describes the work thus: "It will include welcoming up to 10,000 cruise ship visitors to the island, running the charity gift shop, a British Antarctic Territory Post Office, fundraising, creating media content, annual maintenance and upkeep of the historic buildings and artefacts, wildlife observations and many other varied and challenging tasks. 

"We are looking for committed individuals to make up a team that will spend up to five months (from November this year to March next year) living and working at Port Lockroy in Antarctica."

Candidates must be aged over 18 and fit.

More details from: UK Antarctic Heritage Trust | UKAHT

Firm selling price at auction for charming ornithological seascapes by Gloucestershire artist Oliver Heywood

                                            

 

The hammer price at auction this week of two bird paintings by Stroud artist Oliver Heywood (1920-1992) was £520 -  comfortably above the pre-sale estimate of £300-£400. The sale was conducted on Wednesday by Dominic Winter at their saleroom in Cirencester in Gloucestershire. 

Will Skylarks, Yellow Wagtails and Spotted Flycatchers be casualties of Duchy of Cornwall's Kent housing ambition?

Yellow Wagtail - vulnerable

IT remains to be seen how the birdlife on farmland owned by Prince William will be affected by a forthcoming housing development south of  Faversham in Kent.

At a meeting this week, Swale Borough Council planners approved the first phase of a scheme that will ultimately lead to some 2,500 homes being built on a 323-acre site.

The land is part of the Duchy of Cornwall whose management has pledged to enhance biodiversity - for instance, by creating ponds and planting trees and wildflower meadows.

However, it acknowledge that the project may create  pressure for nesting Skylarks, Yellow Wagtails, Spotted Flycatchers and Yellowhammers - birds that may well vacate the site either during construction or soon thereafter.

Therefore, the Duchy states that "mitigating" habitat will be created at another site, though no details have been provided.

The most recent breeding bird survey, conducted in 2023, revealed the presence of no fewer than 42 species including the following nine that are of Red-listed status: 

*Herring Gull

* Skylark

* Starling

* Mistle Thrush

* Spotted Flycatcher

* House Sparrow

* Yellow Wagtail

* Linnet

* Yellowhammer) 

and 11 species that are of Amber-listed status:

* Stock Dove

* Woodpigeon

* Snipe 

* Black-headed Gull

* Lesser Black-backed Gull

* Kestrel

* Whitethroat

* Wren

* Song Thrush

* Dunnock 

* Meadow Pipit 

Nearby, two other notable species - Cuckoo and Little Owl - were also recorded.

Meanwhile, in winter, four daytime surveys - conducted between November 25, 2022 and February 5, 2023 - recorded the continued presence of some of the summer residents, such as Skylarks and Mistle Thrushes, plus  Fieldfares, Redwings, Tawny Owl and Great Spotted Woodpecker

And two winter night-time surveys identified  flocks of Lapwings and Golden Plovers.

In commentary accompanying the survey data, the Duchy of Cornwall notes: "Recreational disturbance arising from new residents, such as dogs off leads, and increased predation rates from domestic cats is  likely to extend beyond the application site boundary.  

"In the latter case, there is evidence cats have a home range of approximately 300 to 400 metres."

It is understood that the Duchy has agreed to locate "between 100 and 200 bat boxes" on the development, but whether there will also be Swiftbricks is uncertain. 

It is not known when work will start on the project.

Farmland earmarked for the housing estate

Above and below: Green and leafy - artist's impressions of how the completed site might look