DEAD BUT NOT FORGOTTEN - ALL EYES ON THE LONG-EXTINCT DODO

The composite skeleton could fetch as much as £600,000 - maybe more

THE spotlight will fall on a long-extinct bird - the dodo - at a sale in London later this month.

A near-complete  skeleton of the flightless species is expected to fetch between £400,000 and £600,000 when it goes under the hammer at a Science and Natural History auction being staged by Christie’s on May 24.

Described as being in “great condition,” the skeleton (Lot 155 in the sale) is made up of fossilised bones from various dodo remains found in  Mauritian marshland  along with unfossilised bones found by the early 19th century  naturalist, Etienne Thiriou.

A distant relation of the pigeon family, the dodo was native to the island of Mauritius.

Less than 100 years after its existence was first recorded by Dutch sailors in 1598, the bird was extinct.

There are understood to be only 12 close-to-complete dodo skeletons in the world

Three years ago, another  composite specimen sold at auction for £346,300.

Also up for grabs at the forthcoming Christie's sale is a 2018 sculpture on wood and iron of a dodo - the work of 52-year-old Michele Vitaloni.

The sculpture, Lot 156, is expected to sell for between £20,000 and £40,000.

The sculpture by Vitaloni

TEN-MINUTE TWITCH: ALPACA PADDOCK, BRAYBROOK FARM, TETNEY LOCK, NEAR GRIMSBY, EAST LINCOLNSHIRE

Location: Alpaca paddock, Braybrook Farn, Tetney Lock, near Grimsby, East Lincolnshire
 
Date: April 19,  2019
 
Time: 9.05am

Weather: Hazy sunshine, slight south-easterly breeze

Target species: Black redstart

Star species seen: Wheatear, ring ouzel

Other species seen: Chaffinch, yellowhammer, great tit, blue tit, kestrel, robin, tree sparrow, pied wagtail

 

REBIRDING: AUTHOR BEN MACDONALD FAVOURS THE ROUTE ONE MARKETING APPROACH

  

CREDIT to birder Ben Macdonald for his direct approach to marketing his first book, Rebirding, which is published this month. He has pinged an email to county bird recorders throughout the UK. It consists of a press release and pre-publication reviews preceded by a supporting letter. Good luck to Ben with the book - and here's hoping Dalmatian pelicans are soon nesting in Somerset!

Ben Macdonald - keen for a bird  'turnaround'

THE LETTER

Each year, in many cases, fewer and fewer of the birds in your recording areas are reported to you - whether willow tits in Gloucestershire, turtle doves in Hampshire, cuckoos in most of southern England or many moorland species on the ever more intensively managed moors of northern England.  It must, at times, be infuriating to watch wildlife vanish before your eyes.  So I decided to write a book aimed instead at envisaging how this could still yet be turned around.

Rebirding covers almost every part of the UK in terms of what is going wrong for our wildlife, focusing both on issues (invertebrate food loss, the loss of connectivity and the loss of the right animals in the right places to create optimal habitat) and on places (the sheep deserts of upland Wales, our grouse and deer estates, our dairy lowlands and our forestry plantations).  Of all the people interested, I thought that those who assiduously document and record our changing birdlife would particularly like to read it.  

I hope you’ll excuse the unsolicited email but Rebirding has genuine ideas that some of you may like to promote, whether Brownfield Biospheres for willow tits in the post-industrial north east, listed buildings for birds in London, large-scale wetland reserves from Dalmatian Pelicans in Somerset or increasing the planting of willows and birches to create cuckoo food-supplies in Devon.  This is a book that can be read by anyone wanting to increase the sparrow population in their garden or who, like me, finds it embarrassing that Wales does not already have both eagle species flying over its mountains and coasts.  I honestly think you will enjoy reading this book.

Best wishes,

Ben Macdonald 

—

THE PRESS RELEASE

REBIRDING: Rewilding Britain & its Birds

It’s very clear that increasingly, we are all worrying about our vanishing wildlife, from the hedgehogs and honey-bees we no longer see in our gardens, to the vanishing cuckoos or turtle doves that any keen birder now needs to travel farther than ever before to enjoy.   Even half of our humble garden sparrows have vanished since 1970 - at the staggering rate of 50 sparrows every hour.

Rebirding looks at how wildlife decline in Britain could be turned around.  94 per cent of Britain isn’t built upon.  Snowdonia is larger and emptier than the Maasai Mara.  Scotland’s deer estates along cover an area twice the size of Yellowstone.  Britain has all the empty space it needs for an epic wildlife recovery.  So what’s stopping it from happening in our country – and how can we turn things around?

For anyone who feels that reversing world wildlife decline might frankly be a step beyond them, but who, like me, shares a love of British wildlife and would love to see more of it, Rebirding might be a book that interests you, whether you want to get more birds and wildlife back in your garden (and what you can plant) or see Dalmatian pelicans returned to Somerset’s ever-growing marshlands.

Why aren’t you expecting to see Moose on a trip to the Peak District, or take your family on lynx safaris in Wales?  This is an entirely possible future - and it’s time to ask for and expect more from our wildlife.  If you want to know what that future looks like, Rebirding has a few of the answers for solving Britain’s ever worsening wildlife situation: rewilding our empty rural areas and bringing in a new sector of ecotourism to fill the gap in our employment market.  

Rebirding is available now on Amazon.

Ben Macdonald

 

THE PRE-PUBLICATION REVIEWS

“This is a wonderful book, visionary, illuminating and fascinating. It will help accelerate the rewilding revolution now beginning in Britain.”

– George Monbiot



“Rebirding is beautifully written, based on deep, personal experience and a genuine love of the subject. You may not have come across Ben Macdonald before now; but believe me, you will hear a lot more from him in the future.”

 – Stephen Moss



“Having read a number of the recent books about rewilding, I was tempted to think 'Oh blimey, not another one!'. I am now tempted to say 'they left the best till last…”

 – Bill Oddie



“A must read and a good read…the type of book that grabs and keeps my attention. You should read it and I think you may well enjoy it a lot”

– Mark Avery


“A book about a key subject at a key time, passionate and deeply thought-through. Anyone concerned with the future of the natural world in Britain will want to read it.” 

– Mike McCarthy (former Independent wildlife columnist; author of ‘The Moth Snowstorm’)



“Beautifully written, thoughtful and provocative”

– Martin Harper (Conservation Director, RSPB)



“This is a stimulating and important book, beautifully written and well researched… It provides a compelling vision for the future”

– Carl G. Jones (Chief Scientist, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust)

RSPB'S FEEBLE RESPONSE TO NETTING CONTROVERSY

Birds not welcome - a netted tree in Guildford (photo: Melissa Harrison, via RSPB)

Following widespread controversy over the use of netting by developers in order to thwart birds from nesting, the RSPB has spoken up on the issue. Regrettably, the statement issued by the organisation's Gemma Hogg, though well-intended, could scarcely be more feeble. See below.

"We cannot keep trying to squeeze nature into smaller and smaller spaces or demanding it fits in with our plans. 

"People around the country are dismayed to hear about cases where birds returning from long journeys are being deliberately excluded from sites where they might choose to raise their young. 

"Those people want action, and so do we.

"We cannot stand by and let the current practices spread unchallenged.

"We all need nature in our lives - which means giving birds and other wildlife, more, not less room to breed, feed and sing.

"We need to act  - wildlife is already struggling with climate change, habitat loss and development pressure."

Continues Ms Hogg:

"We encourage the Government to review the current law governing this area, and think creatively about what could be done to solve a problem that is upsetting so many people, and pushing nature away from our lives."

The RSPB says has compiled a memorandum of 'best practice' which it says will send to all housebuilders.

It states

• Think about whether it is really necessary to remove the hedges and trees that are vital for supporting our wildlife
• Netting should not be the easy alternative. If the work is absolutely necessary, then the use of netting could be avoided by tree and hedge removal being completed between September and February outside  nesting season
• And, this should be backed up by a commitment to plant new trees and hedges - no one wants to live in a neighbourhood where the sights and sounds of nature have been driven out
• It is essential developers work with a trained ecologist to ensure appropriate netting is used and is not the type that will catch and hold birds and other wildlife;
• It is also essential that a trained ecologist ensures the correct netting is fitted in a way that wildlife cannot get through or behind the netting and then become trapped;
• It is essential that netting is checked at least once a day (but ideally three times) by a trained ecologist to ensure that no wildlife is caught or that the netting has become defective. If any wildlife is seen to be caught within or trapped behind netting they must be freed immediately and the netting fixed or removed;
• If anyone perceives that the user is aware that wildlife is being caught but has not remedied the situation, then the Police Wildlife Crime Officer should be informed.

Ms Hogg ends: "If you have concerns or believe nets are being put up without the right consents, then we recommend you get in touch with your local council, MP and the housebuilder concerned."

The Wryneck says: 

A typically wish-washy, appease-the-developer response from the RSPB which, as ever, is woefully off the pace. Instead of helping to shape public opinion, it limps along behind it. The statement purports  to condemn netting, but later goes on to condone the practice where "appropriate" and if supervised by an ecologist. It is, of course, highly unlikely that its proposed guidance notes will have the slightest influence on developers, even if any bother to read it. Campaigning needs leadership and zeal if it is to be effective. Neither is forthcoming from the Sandy-based organisation which, yet again, pinches hopelessly below its weight on an issue where it should be at the forefront.

ANOTHER NETTING CONTROVERSY: COUNCIL'S ILL-ADVISED EFFORT TO REPEL SAND MARTINS FROM LONG-ESTABLISHED CLIFF NESTING HABITAT

Entrance barred - report in today's edition of The Daily Telegraph

A DECISION by North Norfolk District Council to install netting over burrows where sand martins have long nested has prompted anger among bird lovers.

The council says the initiative has been prompted by a sand replenishment project on the beach below the cliff which is at Bacton-on-Sea.

However, the action has outraged bird lovers and caused distress to the martins which will find it difficult to find alternative nesting sites.

The  RSPB initially offered provisional support for netting but  changed its stance in the wake of widespread protest.

The controversy has featured prominently in today's national media and on social media, including Twitter.

STATEMENT BY THE COUNCIL

A North Norfolk District Council spokesman said: “The Bacton/Walcott Coastal Management Scheme (the Bacton Sandscaping Scheme) is a highly complex project.

“It has been designed to protect hundreds of homes in Bacton and Walcott, and the critical infrastructure of Bacton Gas Terminal, for many years to come, and has been five years in the planning.

“It has been subject to full environmental impact assessment, planning permission and marine licence applications.

“We understand that the RSPB have concerns around the temporary netting element of the project and we are intending to meet with them and contractors on site to fully assess what those concerns are.

“Careful consideration of what time of year to progress was given because of the need for good weather and longer days, with the summer significantly safer for both the scheme’s success and for contractors working on the project.

“Without these works the cliff itself is at long-term risk as well as the adjoining communities and the terminal.”

Background

In the lead up to the use of temporary specialist netting on the cliffs at Bacton, there has been detailed environmental assessment of the project.

The project has followed all of the environmental legislation and the advice of professional environmental agencies.

This summer, 1.8 million cubic metres of sand will be placed on the beaches to provide robust protection to Bacton Gas Terminal, and the villages of Bacton and Walcott for a period of up to 20 years.

This will create an extra depth of sand of up to seven metres against Bacton cliff.

The netting has been strategically placed to cover the minimum area possible to ensure the project can proceed, and will be in place for the minimum period necessary.

Only un-vegetated sections of the cliff have been netted, which are the actively eroding sections. Existing sand martin nests are regularly lost through the erosion process.

The netting will temporarily restrict access for the birds for this one season and will be removed as soon as the project is complete.

There are three-times-a-day checks in place to make sure the netting remains in place and that no birds become entangled in the netting.

There are alternative sand martin nesting sites – exposed sandy cliff faces – on this frontage to the north west of the site towards Paston and Mundesley immediately to the west of the netted area.

The wider Sandscaping project has been five years in the planning (since the major storm surge event in December 2013 when a large number of homes and businesses in Bacton and Walcott were flooded and up to 10 metres of cliff in front of the gas terminal were lost) with extensive consultation across a wide range of interested parties, statutory and other stakeholders, and the local community, by way of a local liaison group.  This community engagement and liaison will continue throughout the project and beyond.

A scheme of works of this scale has to balance a number of competing issues in terms of cost, safety, efficient delivery of the scheme, and it has been concluded that the works have to be undertaken over the summer months when the weather for coastal and marine works is much better allowing safer (storms are much less likely) and faster working operations (day length longer).

SAY FAREWELL TO THE WONDROUS SONG THRUSH - A SPECIES IN LONG-TERM UK DECLINE

Species in retreat - the song thrush (Photo: RSPB)

IS there no end to the steady disappearance of song thrushes from British gardens?

Results from the 2019 Big Garden Birdwatch, conducted by the RSPB, indicate that it has declined by about 77 per cent since the scheme started 40 years ago.

It is a similar story for the starling - although it remains the second most commonly bird seen in UK gardens.

On the plus side, coal tits are up by nearly 245 per cent over the same period since 1979, and goldfinches have increased by around 70 per cent since the early 2000s.

The top ten in order of most seen this year is as follows:

1 House sparrow 

2 Starling

3 Blue tit

4 Blackbird

5 Woodpigeon

6 Goldfinch

7 Great tit

8 Robin  

9 Chaffinch

10 Magpie


A total of 472,558  people took part in the survey.

Read more at:
 https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/results/#utlVPJ00OdUjKOmW.99

The Wryneck says: The RSPB is right to draw attention to the plight of the song thrush. But what is it doing a) to establish the cause and b) to seek to reverse the trend? Answers - sooner rather than later. Or it may become too late!