Bad news for England's deer but Whitehall initiative should reduce threat to Nightingales and other wild birds

                                                             

With no apex predator, England's population of deer has soared

CULLING of wild deer is to be encouraged in England in an initiative that is expected to benefit Nightingales and other songbirds.

One-third of the country's woodlands are estimated to have been damaged by deer, and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs insists "urgent action" is needed to protect trees and wildlife from their grazing activities.

In a statement issued today, Defra says: "Landowners, foresters and farmers across England will benefit from this new 10-year plan.

"Deer are an iconic feature of the English countryside but their excessive browsing and trampling  prevents young trees from establishing, degrades habitats, and damages crops. 

"Without  action, this damage risks undermining woodland creation, nature recovery and domestic timber production."

It continues: "Overgrazing reduces the diversity of ground flora and scrub, including flowering plants essential for pollinating insects and fruiting shrubs that support birds and mammals such as dormice.

"Reducing deer pressure has been identified as a key management activity to support the recovery of England's  Nightingale population which has declined by more than 90per cent since the 1960s.

"Deer damage also affects wetlands, with recent surveys of the Norfolk Broads showing more than 10 per cent of rare fen habitat has been impacted.

"Three of the six deer species present in England are non-native

"Current management approaches have not kept pace with the rising impact. 

"There is a need to reduce reliance on fencing and tree shelters and to increase effective, active deer management at landscape scale."

Nature Minister Mary Creagh comments: "Our trees and native wildlife are under huge strain from deer damage.

"This new measure will also help restore nature, boost our home grown timber industry and protect the millions of trees we are planting across the country."

A package of proposed measures includes:

* Dedicated deer officers to provide clearer, more accessible advice and coordination

* Grant funding to support effective deer management activity

* Streamlined licensing processes to cut red tape and enable faster action

The Government will also support the domestic market for wild venison which is siad to be a healthy, high‑protein food, rich in essential amino acids and lower in cholesterol and saturated fats than many other red meats.

Forestry Commission chief executive Richard Stanford comments: "Action has been long overdue.

"We can all help in this endeavour by eating wild venison, the most climate-friendly red meat there is."

Today's statement follows Defra’s Grey Squirrel Policy Statement, published on 29 January, which set out measures to tackle damage to trees and woodlands caused by invasive grey squirrels.

It is hoped that managing the impact of wild deer and grey squirrels will support the Government’s plans to  plant millions of new trees - including three new national forests - thereby increasing woodland cover to at least 16.5 per centf total land area in England by 2050.

Support for the Government initative has come from celebrity naturalist Chris Packham who says:

"To ensure we establish the richest mosaic of habitats, we unfortunately have to make some hard choices - and managing a burgeoning population of deer is one of them. 

"This is not sports shooting or hunting - it is about management by culling.  

"If we want to re-forest, if we want woodland birds and butterflies, we currently have no other option." 

                               

The Muntjac deer is a non-native species

All you need to know about the birds of Dumfries and Galloway - Linda's lively presentation to RSPB group

                                                      

Never happier than when she is birding on the Solway Estuary - Linda Jenkinson

WHEN birders choose Scotland for their holidays, the favoured destinations tend to be the Highlands or the islands.

By contrast, lower-profile and perhaps less spectacular places such as Dumfries and Galloway, in the south-west,  tend to keep their delights to themselves.

At the February indoor meeting of Grimsby and Cleethorpes RSPB, it emerged from a show of hands that very few attendees had visited this region even though it is not much more than 100 miles north of the border.

However, things  might change following an inspirational presentation by Leeds-based teacher, tour guide and Galloway enthusiast  Linda Jenkinson who, in words and pictures, showcased the subtle beauty of this part of Scotland's  scenery and its wealth of birdlife, especially  in winter.

In just over an hour, she took her audience on a whistlestop winter tour of RSPB Mereshead, WWT Caerlaverock, Balcary Bay and various other wildfowl-rich locations on or near the wetland fringes of the Solway Estuary.

Many species of geese and duck, often in large numbers, are invariably conspicuous, not least the 33,000 Barnacle Geese that migrate here from their breeding grounds on the Norwegian archipelago, Svalbard (and Old Norse word meaning 'cold edge').

Among other birds often to be seen in winter are  Guillemots, Black Guillemots and Razorbills plus diver species, Whooper Swans, Slavonian Grebes and many kinds of wader, both short-billed (Ringed Plovers) and long-billed (Whimbrel).

Among Linda's favourites are Pintailed Ducks, especially the "elegant" females, Green-winged Teal and "playful" Purple Sandpipers as they splash among waves breaking on rocks.

Evidently, she also has soft spot for "industrious" Turnstones which, with their hunched gait, seem to be "carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders".

But perhaps the accidental star bird of her talk was a Kookaburra, an Australian native species and one of two that are thought to have flown from an animals and birds collection in Kircudbright. 

Linda runs her own company, Start Birding, which runs courses and field excursions tailored for beginners.

It was refreshing to have a female speaker (they are a relatively uncommon breed) at the February meeting.

Following a vote of thanks from Joy Croot, Linda was warmly applauded for her excellent talk.

A Shropshire lad - pioneering field guide author and illustrator who is now all but forgotten

Wilfrid Hodges - author and illustrator who loved birds

ALTHOUGH contemporary birders will never have heard of him, author and illustrator Wilfrid Hodges made a real contribution to the development of identification guides with his slim volume, Common British Birds - how to identify them.

Its limitations are obvious  - only 90 species are described, none of them seabirds, and including only two waders Curlew and Common Sandpiper.

Most of his drawings are black and white only and, at least by today's standards, not notably impressive .

But in style and layout, the book paved the way for the phenomenally successful Observer's Book of British Birds which was first published two decades later in 1937.

The book went into three editions between 1913 and 1919, and notable inclusions include species that, 113 years later, are far from 'common', among them Red-backed Shrike, Corncrake (Land Rail), Nightjar, Brambling, Marsh Tit and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

Also described is the Hawfinch of which Hodges writes: "Appears to be increasing in numbers in England."

Hodges, whose home was in Ellesmere, Shropshire, concludes his short introduction thus: "I should recommend all bird-lovers to obtain, if possible, a pair of field-glasses as these, even if only moderate in power, will prove of the greatest service."

One of only two colour illustrations - Water Rail (left) and Common Sandpiper

The other colour illustration - from left, Bullfinch, Brambling and Goldfinch

A sample of the text - similar in format to that adopted later by The Observer's Book of British Birds

First published in March 1913, there were subsequent editions in March 1916 and February 1919

Try collar-bells, thorny bushes and jet sprays! RSPB's update on how to reduce feline cat predation in gardens

                                                            

Mischief in mind? Cat stalking its prey in the long grass 

THE RSPB has insisted that it takes public concern about cat predation of wildlife "seriously" and  promotes measures to reduce the vulnerability of garden birds. 

In its latest utterance on the subject, it states: "Although it is very difficult to change cat behaviour, we try to make it widely known to their owners that fitting bells to collars and keeping them indoors overnight are simple ways to reduce the number of garden birds and other wildlife they catch. 

"As a science-led organisation, we continue to review new literature and other research to evaluate the direct and indirect impacts of cats on urban, rural and island populations of birds.

"We recommend using an ultrasonic deterrent device such as CatWatch. 

"These devices have proven to reduce both the number of cat visits and the amount of time cats spend in such protected gardens. 

"There are also other deterrents that can be used in combination such as jet sprays and some even have motion detectors." 

The society continues: "Strategically placing thorny bushes in borders or constructing simple climb-deterrent fences around feeding areas can also create cat-free areas. 

"Products such as Citronella  can also be effective for protecting small areas." 

The charity concludes: "We try to share these suggestions as widely as possible." 

RSPB reveals that 2,300 members registered for its 2025 annual meeting held online

                                             

Chance to meet staff - flashback to previous RSPB annual meeting held in central London

IT looks unlikely that the RSPB will revert to holding its AGMs in person.

In response to a member who expressed disappointment at no longer having "the opportunity to meet and converse with key people", the society responded:  "Following our move to an online AGM, we have had incredibly positive feedback, with people joining not just from around the UK but globally, too.

"For the 2025 event, we had more than 2,300 registrations - far higher than we could achieve with an in-person event. 

"In a survey we conducted after the AGM in 2024, which asked about the format of future events, only one person said that they would like to return to an in-person AGM." 

The society adds: "We continue to review the format of our AGM each year, taking into consideration feedback from members and ensuring value for money."  

Nature campaigner Chris Packham insists: 'I'm the most modest person you'll ever meet.'

The newspaper interview

HAVE conservation organisations lost their "campaigning edge"?

Yes, according to high-profile  naturalist and activist Chris Packham (64) who is subject of a full-page interview in last Saturday's edition of The Daily Telegraph.

In his assessment of environmental organisations (he does not specifically name the RSPB, of which he is a vice-president), he is quoted as saying: "There is a lot of fear and timidity."

The broadcaster goes on to express frustration that those "with the capacity to communicate with large numbers of people don't exercise it", regarding it as a "dereliction of duty".

He acknowledges that his style is sometimes confrontational and that, because he is straight-talking, he can come across as "aggressive" but he rejects allegations of "arrogance". 

He tells interviewer Ed Cumming: "I'm the most modest person you'll ever meet.

"I don't like myself. How can I be arrogant?"   

Delightful watercolour by His Majesty - but why did he not include a Golden Eagle or an Osprey?

                                                                     

There is certain to be interest when this 2002 painting by Prince Charles - now King Charles III - goes under the hammer at a sale of  contemporary art to be held on February 28 at the saleroom of Tennants auctioneers in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. Alas, its interest to birders is likely to be limited because of the absence of a raptor, such as a Golden Eagle or Osprey, or indeed any birdlife. The study of Ben Avon, near Braemar, is not an original but one of 20 limited edition prints. It is expected to realise between £500 and £700.