Swift conservation campaigner Hannah Bourne-Taylor is today subject of full-page spread in red-top tabloid

 

It's not necessarily in the way that she would have wished it but Swift nestbrick campaigner Hannah Bourne-Taylor today finds herself splashed on Page 3 of The Sun newspaper following her starring role in Jeremy Clarkson 's Prime TV series about the trials and tribulations of being a newbie farmer. Former motoring journalist Clarkson called on her to offer tips on how to encourage birds such as Skylarks and Corn Buntings in the fields and hedgerows of his farm in the Cotswolds.

County wildlife trust slams 'shocking disregard' for nesting sites of uncommon coastal birds

Some of the vulnerable shingle-and-sand sites on the Essex Coast

ANGER has been expressed by a county conservation organisation  over "a series of shocking incidents"- especially at its coastal reserves.

Says Essex Wildlife Trust: "These have caused significant damage and, in some cases, a devastating impact on wildlife."

In a statement, it says: "On one coastal nature reserve, a group of individuals smashed through the fences with motorbikes, riding around the reserve right next to protected nesting sites for birds. 

"These birds are highly sensitive Schedule 1 listed nesting birds, meaning it is a criminal offence to disturb them. 

"This disturbance can cause adult birds to abandon their nests, leaving eggs and newly hatched chicks doomed."

The trust's marine & coastal engagement officer is Alex Smith who says: "We cannot reverse the damage these individuals have caused. 

"When birds abandon their chicks or nests due to disturbance, that nest is lost. 

"With breeding season well underway, it may be too late for those birds to try again

"These species are red or amber-listed birds with significant population decreases in recent years.

"Last year we were able to increase nesting bird success dramatically thanks to our hard-working staff and volunteers, so for a small number of people to be this reckless with a complete disregard for nature is shocking." 

Elsewhere, an off-lead dog killed a young gosling, despite clear signs saying dogs must be on a lead and kept under close control at all times.

The Essex trust says that, on some nature reserves, a police report is being filed as frequently as every week due to repeated acts such as:. 

* The destruction of gates, fences, signs and bird hides which in some instances have been set alight.

* Fly-tipping of waste and rubbish, including hazardous materials.

* Graffiti artists tagging trees.

* Dog fouling left or bags left in trees.

* Motocross and quad bikes accessing Sites of Special Scientific Interest 

* Unofficial cycling trails created over sensitive areas such as badger setts.

* Use of disposable BBQs posing a huge risk of fires.

* Theft of equipment including life-saving buoys.

Essex Wildlife Trust manages almost 100 nature reserves in Essex. 

The  incidents are having a direct impact not just on  wildlife but also on the morale of staff plus, of course, on the trust's finances.

The trust is urging anyone who witnesses vandalism, fly tipping, illegal off-road vehicle use or suspicious behaviour on nature reserves to report it immediately to  Essex police on 101.

Motorbike tracks next to a nest that, fortunately  was protected by a cage.

                                                          

All eyes will be on stunning Grey Heron and Golden Orioles at sale next month in Yorkshire

                                           

Heron with fishy prey

A LIFE-SIZE stick stand depicting a Grey Heron, plus prey, is expected to attract plenty of  interest at a sale next month.

Auctioneers Tennants of Leyburn, in North Yorkshire, are expecting Lot 139 - the 1885 Minton Majolica work by French sculptor  Paul Comolera (1818 - 1895) - to attract bids upwards of £1,000.

The stand is 104cm high.

Earlier in the sale, Lot 120 consists of  a late 19th Century pair  of Meissen porcelain male Golden Orioles for which the guide price is £500 to £700.

The sale is being held at the Leyburn Auction Centre at 11am on July 11.

Orioles - one silent, the other vocal (or yawning)

                                                          

Dates and prices announced for autumn 2026 tour of celebrity wildlife presenter and campaigner Chris Packham

Ticket prices will cost between £34.99 and £61 for the 22-date Chris Packham  autumn tour, starting at Andover in his native Hampshire on October 23 and finishing at London's Barbican Centre on December 1. The show will last for two hours (including a 20-minute interval). 

How to keep cool while birding on hot cloudless days - a useful tip from Victorian naturalist W.H. Hudson

                                                                    

Hudson - he kept a sponge in his hat on hot days

INhis book Nature in Downland (published in 1900), naturalist-author W H Hudson offers a tip on how to keep cool on hot days.

He writes: "My custom on going out on the hills is to carry a wetted pocket handkerchief or piece of sponge in my hat.

"By renewing the moisture three or four times, or as often as water is found, I am able to keep my head perfectly cool during a ramble of ten or twelve hours on a cloudless day."

He adds: "So long as the head is comfortable there is nothing to fear, the rest of the system being safeguarded by nature. Exercise keeps the body cool."

Hudson's childhood was spent in Argentina where he says the less effective practice was to use a cabbage leaf or thick fleshy leaf of some other plant as a "brain protector".

Bygone birding: migrants in gardens of South Kensington included Wheatears, Siskins and Turtle Doves

    

Below is an extract from R.Bowdler Sharpe’s preface to his book, A Chapter on Birds - Rare British Visitors which was published in 1895 by The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Featured on the front cover is a Red-breasted Flycatcher.

WHEN first I was appointed to the charge of the ornithological  collection in the British Museum, the home of that collection was in Bloomsbury where the opportunities of observing birds in a state of nature are, as everyone will admit, not many. 

Domestic pigeons are numerous, an occasional Starling can be seen, and, in the neighbouring garden in Russell Square, I have seen Blue Tits in winter. 

House Sparrows, of course, abound, and doubtless other birds could occasionally be observed.

One of the most interesting specimens in the British collection is - of all birds - a Kingfisher which was picked up dead in the courtyard of

the old British Museum.

At South Kensington, however, to which the Natural History collections have been removed, quite a respectable assortment of birds visit the gardens attached to the museum  in the Cromwell Road. 

During the migration-time, Pipits, Wheatears, Siskins, Goldfinches and other small birds stop to rest. 

Turtle Doves have been delayed in their southern journey by the gales of autumn, and Kestrels have stayed with us, and, let us hope, have taken toll from the ever-increasing House Sparrows. 

In severe weather, Redwings, Fieldfares and Mistle Thrushes have been plentiful, while Woodpigeons, tits and Blackbirds  may be considered permanent residents, so that, even in the west of London, many species come under our daily observation.

* Note: The Natural History Museum's ornithological collection is now housed in buildings at Tring in Hertfordshire. 

Only a tiny songbird but it helped secure big prices during artwork auction at Yorkshire saleroom

                                                               

Quirky carvings, each  featuring a Wren, sold for above the pre-sale estimate at an auction conducted by Tennants at their saleroom in Leyburn , North Yorkshire. The one of a boot sold for £380, compared with a guide price of £200-£300, while the magazine rack also achieved a hammer price of £380, well above the estimate of £100-£150. The carvings are the work of cabinet maker Bob Hunter of Thirlby in Yorkshire.