BRITAIN'S FIRST BIRDWATCHER PRIME MINISTER: NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN

Common sandpiper - watched  by the Prime Minister in St James' Park, a short walk from 10 Downing Street

EVERYONE knows about Neville Chamberlain. 

He is the slightly-built man standing at an aerodrome, simultaneously waving a piece of paper in his hand and proclaiming something about peace in our time.

That is the image most people have of Chamberlain - surely one of the most ill-regarded prime ministers of the past 100 years.

Ever since 1939, his apparent readiness to 'appease' the territorial aggression of Hitler has been roundly condemned as spineless and shameful.

The extent to which that unkind perspective is justified is entirely another matter. 

 

In any case, a single episode in his political career should not be allowed to obliterate all other considerations of Chamberlain - a decent, shy and misunderstood man who, in his 71 years, made an enormous contribution across a wide spectrum of human activity.

Before entering politics, he was a sisal farmer in The Bahamas, then a successful businessman at an engineering works in his native Birmingham.

Less well known is that he was also a skilful angler, entomologist . . . and birdwatcher. 

                                        

 Chamberlain kept records of his sightings, including hawfinch 

He kept diligent records of the birds (including red-backed shrike and hawfinch) he saw in and around Birmingham, during his time as a pupil at Rugby School and on holidays, both home and overseas.

Up to February 6, 1917, these were the 55 species he had managed to record in the grounds of Highbury Hall where he grew up:

Kestrel
Barn owl
Red-backed shrike
Spotted flycatcher
Pied flycatcher
Mistle thrush
Fieldfare
Song thrush
Redwing
Blackbird
Hedge sparrow
Robin
Redstart
Stonechat
Sedge warbler
Grasshopper warbler
Whitethroat
Chiffchaff
Goldcrest
Willow warbler
Wheatear
Whinchat

Blackcap
Great tit
Blue tit
Coal tit
Long-tailed tit
Pied wagtail
Yellow wagtail
Meadow pipit
Skylark
Yellowhammer
Bullfinch
House sparrow

Greenfinch
Linnet
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Starling
Carrion crow
Rook
Jackdaw
Magpie
Jay
Green woodpecker

Lesser spotted woodpecker
Treecreeper
Wren
Nuthatch
Cuckoo
Kingfisher
Swallow
House martin
Swift
Sand martin

Of these, the most notable is probably red-backed shrike, a bird now lost Britain as a breeding species but one he had also once spotted in the fields of nearby Kings Norton. 

In the Bahamas, he is credited with  having found a new species, the Bahama oriole.

Even as Prime Minister, he found time to ‘escape’ from 10 Downing Street in order to track the species (including scaup and common sandpiper) in nearby St James’ Park.

                               

Scaup - unusual visitor to London park

He learnt the craft of taxidermy, and some of the birds he stuffed while in The Bahamas are held at the Natural History Museum's collection at Tring in Hertfordshire.

This study explores the life and enthusiasms - especially for ornithology - of a most intriguing man.

It is available, price £1, as an Kindle e-book from:

https://amzn.to/2ZB4UKx

* Photo of Hawfinch: Mikils/ Wikimedia Commons

BANNED POISONS ARE IN USE ALL OVER BRITAIN CLAIMS BIRDER AND BROADCASTER IOLO WILLIAMS

                                                     

Iolo - fierce enemy of wildlife crime

ILLEGAL use of poisons is widespread all over the UK.

That was the disturbing claim of popular BBC TV broadcaster and former RSPB investigation officer Iolo Williams in a hard-hitting (and often amusing) presentation at Birdfair.

"A host of banned poisons are still used  to this day,” he claimed

Many of the chemicals are retained, it is believed, for the purpose of killing birds of prey and certain mammals on grouse moors and game estates.

Continued Iolo: "Although not as bad as in Yorkshire or the Angus glens, the situation exists all over the UK.

"It’s dreadful."

Later in his talk, Iolo's focus switched to unlawful persecution of peregrines - for instance, in the valleys of South Wales, hotbed of pigeon racers whose birds are vulnerable to attack.

He recounted an instance where a pal of his fired an airgun at two fellows who were trying to raid an eyrie.

"He shot one in the buttocks and the other in one of his ears," said Iolo.

Neither was seriously injured but it certainly gave them a shock.

Another associate was so incensed when he caught an egg thief clambering down a to a cliff-edge eyrie that he grabbed the rope and held the terrified would-be thief some 300ft above a precipitous drop, all the while threatening to cut the rope.

The man, a notorious egg collector from the Midlands, was so gripped with terror that, when hauled up after the police arrived, that he dashed to the squad car and, still quaking, hid in the boot!

Iolo went on to emphasise his total disdain for egg collectors.

"What these selfish idiots do for their own personal greed is a disgrace,"he fumed. "This is an offence for which they should bring back the gallows!"

Iolo had many more entertaining tales about the people with whom he has worked - for instance, a former RSPB communications officer who once  fell asleep after drinking too much beer, in defiance of instructions, while the pair were protecting an area surrounding the nest of a red kite, at that time a very rare bird.

It may just be that the lapse worked to the kites' favour.

Sure enough an egg thief turned up, only to be frightened away - apparently by the thunderous snoring of Iolo's colleague!

The most distressing experience in Iolo's career? 

Probably the toll of birdlife when an oil tanker, the Sea Empress, became grounded on rocks and spilled 72,000 tonnes of crude off the Pembrokeshire coast on February 15, 1996.

Thousands of contaminated birds, dead or stricken, were picked up on the beaches.

Efforts to clean up the birds - mostly cormorants, shags gulls, waders, auk species, seaducks such as scoters - proved mostly to be in vain.

"Only one per cent survived a year,"said Iolo. "It would have been kinder to have euthanised them."

There was also a devastating impact on other marine life.

Subsequently, legislation was introduced to ensure such vessels were double-hulled to reduce the chances of a similar disaster recurring.

However, Iolo said he was far from certain that such an incident would never occur again.

* Quote of  the Birdfair weekend:
Skomer Island is better than the Serengeti. It's in Wales. They play rugby there. (Iolo Williams)

WHY CAMPAIGNING BIRDER GEORGINA LOCOCK SOMETIMES WANTS TO "HIDE BEHIND THE SOFA"

Seeking a word with the Prime Minister - Georgina in Downing Street

CAMPAIGNING  birder Georgina Locock is often asked what is her biggest  fear for the future.

Speaking as a panellist at one of this year's Birdfair presentations, she said she had an abiding concern that time might run out before we can save much of the world's fast-declining wildlife.

"Things are vere scary," declared the Hull University student who is from the West Midlands. "The future prospects for our planet and the creatures look increasingly precarious.

"If I think about it too hard, I sometimes want to hide behind the sofa."

Earlier, Georgina (whose favourite bird, incidentally, is the swift)  was introduced by much-travelled biologist and extrovert broadcaster Mike Dilger who used to be a researcher for celebrity-birder Bill Oddie before he scaled the media ladder to start making programmes of his own.

Mike Dilger - soft spot for the bullfinch

Mike revealed that he had attended no fewer than 20 of the 31 annual Birdfairs to date.

Much of his research has been carried in such tropical countries as Tanazania, Ecuador and Vietnam, and his tally of bird species has reached 3,000 or thereabouts.

However, his favourite remains a native bird - the bullfinch.

Also on the panel, which was discussing how birders could help birds,  was the chief executive of Birdlife International, Ecuadorean Patricia Zurita.

Patricia Zurita - birds are eco-messengers

"Birds are messengers for natures" she said. "Their population changes are telling us what’s happening to the planet and the species on it.

"When birds  pull back, they are sending us a signal.

"They are an early warning system - the canary in the coal mine."

According to Patricia (whose favourite bird is the sword-billed hummingbird), we are currently losing birds faster than at any time.

"We have to act now." she insisted.

The other panelllist was Arjan Dwarshuis who holds the world record for the total number of bird species (an astonishing 6,841 in 40 countries) within  a single calendar year. That's about 65 per cent of the world’s known species! 

He maintained  that he was not merely "trophy hunting".

During his travels he has contributed extensively to education and conservation projects in developing countries such as Ghana, and he has alway sought to offset the carbon footprint that accrues from his extensive globe-trotting.

Arjan - world record holder!

Arjan spoke with particular pride and pleasure about an initiative in Peru which has resulted not just in a growing interest birding in that country but also in the setting up of some 13 holiday eco-lodges.

All this has  stemmed from a community foundation established following the discovery high up in the Andes of a extremely rare bird, the Jocotoco Antpitta.

"Investing in local communities has to be a priority for responsible birders," insisted Arjan (whose favourite bird is the white-necked picarthartes).

A video about his birding travels is due out next year.

* Scroll back for more reports from this year's Birdfair

OSPREYS' UNGRATEFUL 'SNUB' FOR RSPB 60 YEARS AFTER THEIR BREEDING RETURN TO LOCH GARTEN

                                   

What could be more tranquil a setting?(photo: RSPB)

THIS summer has marked the 60th anniversary since the return of breeding ospreys to beautiful Loch Garten, serenely  set in ancient Caledonian forest.

The success owes a lot to the RSPB - in particular, its man-on-the-spot, George Waterston, who did everything possible to make the birds welcome and persecutors unwelcome.

So how have these magnificent fish-eating raptors responded in what should have been a year of celebration?

By boycotting Loch Garten - at least in a breeding capacity!

This emerged in a talk by Jess Tomes, of RSPB Abernethy, who fulfilled a 20-year-old ambition by landing the post of visitor operations manager four years ago.

                                        

Jess Tomes - her job at RSPB Abernethy is a dream come true

Although single birds have this summer made exploratory visits, disappointingly no pairs have stayed to breed.

Jess was full of praise for Waterston whose "ingenious, determined and affable" personality was instrumental in making the osprey project such a success.

In those early days, hides were makeshift cramped affairs made of hessian sack.

It was actually in 1958, not 1959, that the Loch Garten birds first built a nest and sought to breed.

But on that occasion, an egg collector scaled the tree and replaced two osprey eggs with a couple of hens' eggs marked with boot polish.

In the process of his dastardly deed, he was disturbed and  dropped the raptors' eggs but managed to flee the scene.

The eggs, both broken, revealed that the  chicks may only have been a few days away from hatching.

Thereafter, the base of three was shrouded with barbed wire, a gambit that, for the most, saw off any ne'er-do-wells.

Since then, a succession of pairs have successfully reared more than 100 chicks, while there are now thought to be up to 300 osprey pairs nesting across the UK.

                                 

A sight to behold - ospreys at nest (Photo: VisitScotland.com)

One of the most remarkable of Waterston's many initiatives was to persuade bosses that, far from keeping the Loch Garten nest top secret, it should be celebrated and publicised.

It was revolutionary thinking, and RSPB chiefs at first thought he was crazy. 

But they relented, and seven weeks after opening, no fewer than 14,000 visitors had made the trek to see this iconic species.

Not only did this boost income for the RSPB, but it set a precedent for scores of similar initiatives with other species in the years to come. Eco-tourism was well and truly launched.

Jess paid tribute to others involved in the Loch Garten project, for instance the volunteer wardens for whom long hours of unbroken vigilance could become incredibly tedious.

She also had a special for resident Bella MacDonald whose many acts of kindness made her a kind of fairy godmother to the project.

What of the tree where the ospreys first nested? It has since died and all that remains is a stump.

"But its significance is far from forgotten," ended Jess. "It remains forever a symbol of hope."

* Scroll back for more reports from Birdfair 2019

WHAT A WONDERFUL BIRD IS THE RAVEN - JOE SHUTE'S FASCINATING TALK AT BIRDFAIR

                                               

Daily Telegraph feature writer Joe Shute

A RETURNEE to this year's Birdfair was former newspaper crime correspondent Joe Shute who is now a roving senior staff feature writer with The Daily Telegraph.

He was back at Rutland Water  to promote his highly successful books about ravens - A Shadow Above -  which has now been reprinted as a paperback.

The significance of ravens is reflected in numerous place names, such as Ravenscar, as well as in everyday words such as ravenous.

It used to be thought that the intelligence of a bird species depended on the size of its brain, but Joe said that latest research indicated that it is the number of neurons within a brain that counts.

A raven's brain is packed with no fewer than two billion neurons which explains why it such a clever species.

Joe's book - now available in paperback

The author regaled the audience with anecdotes about the bird's remarkable talents and affectionate nature.

He cited the case of a former keeper of ravens at the Tower of London, who six yeas after he had left the position, decide to pay a return to his former workplace.

Such was the remarkable memory and affection of one the ravens that, from a distance of 200 metres, it recognised its former keeper amid a sea of faces, flapped over to him, sat on  his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek.

* Scroll back for more reports from Birdfair 2019

MARK COCKER ON THE RISKS OF REWILDING: 'MAN IS NOT ENTIRELY A BAD SPECIES'

The Vikos Gorge in Greece (photo: Skamnelis/Wikimedia Commons)

WHEN it comes to damage to the environment, man is entirely to blame. . .

That is today's conventional thinking, but is it true?

Not always according to Mark Cocker, a Friday speaker at this year's Birdfair - or 'Mudfair' as he jokingly described it given the conditions underfoot.

In his illustrated talk, he described the practices of small farmers in and around the Vikos Gorge and Zagori in Greece.

The shepherding of their sheep and goats has, through generations, sustained an entirely healthy balance of nature.

                                          

Mark Cocker - author and tour leader

It is one where wild flowers (as many as in  the whole of the UK), birds, butterflies and other creatures have flourished.

Alas, it is a world that is gradually vanishing, with the result that a new order is becoming established on vast tracts of depopulated land that was formerly agricultural.

Where land is no longer grazed, fields have closed over and scrubland species have started to crowd out wild flowers to the detriment of both them, insects and birds.

The population of boars has surged resulting in conflict between hunters and the few remaining shepherds.

Wolves, too, have been more common, so poison is being laid - a practice that has decimated carrion-feeding raptors.

The concept of wilding or rewilding is now being held up as trendy best practice, but, for all its plus points, Mark is far from being an out-and-out advocate.

“We shouldn’t assume that humans are always to blame,” he observed. “We’re not an entirely a bad species.

“Things are more nuanced than that. There are intimate interconnections of longstanding."

Away from writing books and giving talks, Mark also leads visits to two of his favourite places in continental Europe, Greece and in Spain.

In his presentation, he illustrated how man had shaped the landscape - to the good - in both places.

He was particularly warm about Spain's  Extremadura - “a wonderful place full of the sound of the tinkling of bells on farm animals wherever you go.”

Not only that but the way that the land has been managed over centuries has made it a habitat for a huge range of bird species including great and little bustards.

Mark is currently at work on a new book, but he is keeping the nature of its contents - and its title - under wraps.

All he will reveal is that its subtitle is Science and Imagination.

* More reports from Birdfair to follow

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WHEN - IF EVER - WILL THE MAGNIFICENT BLACK WOODPECKER COME TO BRITAIN?

Gerard's book on a species that is keeping UK birders waiting

RIGHT across the globe, the black woodpecker is widespread and, in some places, common.

But why has it never been recorded - at least officially - in Britain?

That was the mystery that attracted an audience to an intriguing talk by Gerard Gorman, an expert on the species and author of  The Black Woodpecker - A Monograph on Dryocopus Martius.

During his presentation, Gerard discussed its status on the continent and telltale signs  of its presence such as long-slot foraging holes on the trunks of trees.

A spectacular creature, it  is the largest woodpecker in Europe - twice the size of its commonest UK counterpart, the great spotted woodpecker.

"A strong flier, its range extends across Belgium, Holland, France, Norway, the Pyrenees and across much of Asia to the Far East," said Gerard.

Outside Bruges in Belgium, there are breeding pairs. Others nest within easy flying distance of the English Channel. 

Owls, even one as small as the Tengmalm's, fly across the North Sea to Britain, so why not the black woodie?

Is it just that the bird dislikes flying across the sea that has prevented its appearance in Britain?

This cannot be the case because it established  itself in Bornholm, a Danish island south of Sweden in the Baltic Sea.

Is it something to do with our weather? Surely not - it adapts well to climates whether mild or cold.

In theory, one could turn up in Kent, Sussex, East Anglia, Lincolnshire, the Shetlands or the Orkneys. 

Or Yorkshire.

"But why would one want to fly to Yorkshire?" quipped, Gerard, a Merseysider and thus a  Lancastrian.

Its preferred habitat is tall trees, but, as a vagrant, pretty well any tree would provide a temporary perching point and feeding  place.

Gerard, who is a wildlife tour guide as well as an author, concluded with the best he was prepared to offer in the way of a prediction.

"See you one day!"

RUEFUL REFLECTIONS OF A KITCHEN-WINDOW BIRDER

Amy-Jane - purest stuff of life

THERE was a pleasing musical backtrack to Amy’s fascinating talk at  Birdfair  - the dawn chorus as recorded by her from 3.45am one day in July this year.

"It was the purest stuff of life," she enthused. "Just the sort of thing I enjoy - a potent mix of thrill and peace."

At the time, Amy-Jane, a biologist,  was monitoring turtle doves, and her night-time accommodation was . . a hedge.

She  went on to reflect on the importance of nature, quoting, as testament to its benefits, the validating thoughts of other female commentators such as her friend, Nicola Chester, who was in the audience.

For women, being outdoors in relatively remote locations poses challenges not much experienced (or understood) by men who, though often well-meaning, can sometimes be irksomely patronising in their attitudes.

Should a woman  really be in this sort of environment on her own? That regularly tends to be the stock response.

Aren'y you being a bit reckless? This looks like an accident waiting to happen . . .

And so on, and so on.

It is, of course, true that, as in many aspects of life, the world of birding and wildlife is still dominated by men.

As Amy-Jane wryly observed, year on year most of the speakers at Birdfair are invariably "somewhat male".

When one year she was invited to be on a panel of experts for a question-and-answer session, she was the only female out of six.

Another time, when she was invited to co-judge a wildlife photography competition, she was the only female out of  15.

At Birdfair at least, things are gradually becoming more gender-balanced, but Amy-Jane does wonder if she would have had the opportunity or inclination to have done more if she had been born a boy.

Although her presentation was primarily upbeat, she could not disguise a trace  of resentment. 

Her birding outings are few and far between because she feels guilty about neglecting family.

"I’m a kitchen-window birder,"she said. "A school-run naturalist."

WHY ARE MANY OF OUR TOWNS AND CITIES SO DOWNRIGHT UGLY AND DEPRESSING?

Edward Mayer - plea for imagination and quality

LONDON'S Oxford Street should be covered over with glass and filled with humming birds, parrots and macaws.

This wacky but tongue-in cheek proposal was sounded by Edward Mayer in a typically robust and bubbly presentation to an audience at Birdfair.

His array of slides of townscapes in various parts of  the UK illustrated  the unimaginative mindset of contemporary architects, developers and planners.

Many of our towns are so drab or even brutalised that is it any wonder that its residents and visitors become depressed, demoralised and, in some cases, almost dehumanised?

"So often we have got it wrong," he declared. "Many of our towns lack trees or shrubs. They are ugly and depressing.

"It's a tragedy and provides a backdrop for crime, poor health and social dislocation."

Edward went on to compare the situation  here with places on the continent - for instance Basle, Vienna and Cologne - where building-dominated settings have been refreshingly beautified and made bird-friendly, thanks to thoughtful planting of shrubs, trees and grasses.

However, he did identify one bright spot - Harleston in the Waveney Valley on the Norfolk-Sufolk border  - where a coming-together of the community has created a 'swift town'.

To celebrate the summer presence of the birds, special flags are flown from the buildings, and residents get together with creative woodwork, silk-screening and paper projects.

In the primary school, the migration route of the species is studied - a valuable aide to Geography lessons.

Meanwhile, visitors come from far and wide to see what's happening when this delightful market town stages its annual Swift Week.

"The birds are at the heart of a town revival scheme," enthused Edward. "They are an economic driver."

The concluded by urging other cities, town and villages to launch similar initiatives and to demand biodiversity features.

"But it's got to be quality," he insisted.

*More reports from Birdfair to follow

WILD JUSTICE TRIO WERE 'RILED AND FRUSTRATED' AT LACK OF PROSECUTIONS ON RAPTOR CRIME

Ruth Tingay - entertaining

THE campaigning organisation Wild Justice might instead have been called 'The Entity' if one of its directors had got her way.

“I thought it had a nice, sinister ring to it,” Ruth Tingay told a 150-plus audience in the Harrier lecture theatre at Birdfair.

However, she was overruled by her two unimpressed co-directors, Dr Mark Avery, a former  RSPB director and pipistrelle bat expert, and Chris Packham, the bloke off the telly.

"The name Wild Justice was suggested by Mark’s wife, Rosemary," recalled Ruth in her entertaining Powerpoint-free presentation.

"It's nice to see a full house," she continued.

 "The last time I spoke at Birdfair was on the subject of the Madagascar fish eagle - the audience was just seven,  and three of them were my mates!"

The directors  decided to set up the organisation out of frustration that cases of raptor crime were routinely  being deemed unworthy of prosecution by the Crown Office in Scotland even in instances where substantial video and other evidence was forthcoming.

“That really riled us," said Ruth. "Despite our inquiries, no reasons were given for the refusal to prosecute - it was deemed as not being in the public interest."

In despair, the three sought to take our private prosecutions, but the incidents were time-barred so this avenue proved to be a cul-de-sac.

Mark Avery - bat expert

After meeting with various sets of lawyers, Ruth and her colleagues decided to set up Wild Justice in October last year prior to going live in February this year.

They considered registering the organisation as a charity, but decided against this because it would have restricted their capacity to campaign.

Instead it is registered  as a company at Companies House.

The activities of Wild Justice are well documented on its own website plus the individual sites run by Mark and Ruth (who is also at the helm of Raptor Persecution UK).

Chris Packham - TV celebrity

From time to time, its activities are also described - though with less authority - on the websites of fieldsports organisations.

Funding for Wild Justice is from donations, with the directors receiving no salaries and claiming only expenses.

* Photos: Wild Justice website

* More reports from Birdfair to follow 

MYSTERY CONTINUES ON CAUSE OF SPRINGTIME BLAZE THAT GUTTED FAIR ISLE BIRD OBSERVATORY

The dreadful night in spring when the observatory and everything within it was  was burned to ashes

SIX months after a blaze devastated the bird observatory and guesthouse on Fair Isle, the cause remains unexplained.

It may now never be known what sparked the disastrous events of March 10 this year.

But the island's single fire tender was inadequate to extinguish the blaze.

Totally destroyed in the inferno were the building proper, the personal effects of the warden and his family plus original Richard Richardson artwork and a 2,000-volume library.

Happily, years of research data had been backed up and is safe. It is hoped that most if not all of the books can be replaced, many of them by donation.

The observatory was the successor to two predecessors which had been deemed outmoded.

Costing £4-million, and constructed largely of wood from prefabricated pods, it opened in 2012.

In a presentation at Birdfair on Friday, trustee Ian Cowgill provided an update on behalf of colleague Douglas Barr who was sadly prevented from attending as a result of a close family bereavement.

It is unlikely insurance will cover the full cost of constructing a new building, but fundraising is continuing apace, and this should help to make up much of any shortfall.

Lessons have been learned - for instance that a sprinkler system should have been fitted.

But it is regrettable, from a future planning perspective, that it is not known what flaws or weaknesses led to the disaster.

"The site has now been cleared thanks to the work of island residents," said Ian. "It’s tidying up nicely."

Architects have been invited to submit quotes for the proposed replacement building, and, once the contract has been awarded, a quantity surveyor and engineer will be appointed.

Any sort of construction project is problematic at a location as remote as Fair Isle, but preliminary interest has already been expressed by a couple of contractors.

The aim - an ambitious one - is to have a new observatory completed and ready for opening in summer, 2021.

Despite the setback, observatory staff, currently temporarily accommodated in crofts on the island, are continuing, in conjunction with Aberdeen University, with their important surveys of seabirds.

It seems that the decline in puffins - down by 50 per cent since 1985 - is continuing but numbers of Arctic skuas have tripled.

There may be some correlating link, but so far it is far from proven.

For auk species, insufficient food seems to be the main issue - razorbills tracked with RSPB geolocators are sometimes flying 300-plus km to offshore Dundee  to find the right fish for their young.

However Ian is hopeful that the situation might reverse  following a recent Government decision to accord  protected marine area status to the waters off Fair Isle.

Ian could hardly complete his talk without  highlighting the mouth-watering  rarities that regularly and famously make Fair Isle such a magnet for birders.

These include the likes of Siberian rubythroat,  yellow-breasted bunting, great snipe, Marmora's pipit, lanceolated warbler, Pallas' grasshopper warbler, song sparrow, crag martin  and many, many more.

The hope is that the proposed installation of a Motus system will track the movements of some of these migrants for at least part of their journeys.

The observatory had its own well-visited stand at Birdfair from which fundraising raffle tickets were being sold.

In addition, over the three days, some 30 artists contributed to the painting of a mural of Fair Isle which, it is hoped, will one day grace a wall at the proposed observatory.

Birdfair artists at work on what should be a fantastic mural for the proposed new observatory

LUCY McROBERT: WHY I DON'T LIKE BIRD HIDES

Observation hide at RSPB Frampton in Lincolnshire - barrier to nature?

FAR from enhancing the birding experience, bird hides act as a "barrier" to wildlife.

That was the claim, made at Birdfair, by Lucy McRobert who told her audience: "I don't like hides - it's like watching wildlife on TV."

Lucy McRobert - unnerving experience with a toad

Encouraged by the county wildlife trusts (of which she has been communications manager since 2014), Lucy has recently published a book, 365 Days Wild , emphasising the tactile benefits of being involved with nature - for instance, picking blackberries, dipping feet into an icy stream or pausing to listen to a breeze blowing through trees.

As a young girl growing up in a leafy part of Market Bosworth in Leicestershire , she used to love playing in the woods and collecting snails which she kept in the garage at home.

But aged 16, she suffered the trauma of losing her mum to breast cancer - a damaging emotional experience which resulted in her losing her appetite for certain aspects of living, including walking with wildlife.

Furthermore, among her friends, it was not seen as "cool" to have a passion - least of all for nature - so she allowed her interest in the outdoor life to wane. 

She spent too much of her student days playing on her Gameboy computer, watching TV and eating sugary foods.

Evidently, her education did not suffer because she won a place at Nottingham University to read History. 

The life and times of the Tudors failed to inspire her, but everything changed when her academic focus switched to Environmental History.

This both reignited her love of the outdoor world and, as she told her fascinated audience, seemed to trigger the grieving process, previously dormant, for her mother.

Her spirits since then have been transformed and only for the good.
Since graduation she has married and she gave birth, in September last year, to her own daughter, Georgina - her book was written while she was heavily pregnant.

Lucy wrote her book while expecting 

The text has a nature-as-therapy narrative, describing how time spent with nature can transform lives -  physically, mentally and emotionally.

When she started serious birding, she says she was determined "not to wear khaki", instead favouring a trendy jumper, pink ear-muffs, designer suede boots or, in wet conditions, trendy Joules wellingtons adorned with images of flowers.

Perhaps encouraged by her birder-husband, her dress sense  is now influenced more by practicality than fashion.

Of her tot, she said it had been fascinating to observe her delight at playing on the grass or under the feeders.

It indicated that children are born with an innate intimacy with nature which is somehow gradually reared out of them as they get older.

Lucy emphasised the importance of having a "local patch" for observing nature because it creates a sense of "ownership".

An aficianado of churchyards, she described them as "magical places" and "havens of tranquillity".

She was also lavish in her praise for nature reserves, owned by wildlife trusts and others.

To laughter, she commented: "There are more of them in the UK than McDonalds restaurants - that's got to be cause for hope!"

Any downsides to her love of nature? Apparently just  one.

Late one evening on a coastal reserve was she was caught so she headed, in the darkness, for the nearest sand dune.

At the critical moment, she saw the shadow of a warty creature - one that seemed to get ever bigger - slowly edging towards her.

In panic, she threw her phone into the air and shrieked - terrifying her husband-to-be who thought she had been kidnapped.
Then all was revealed.

"The creature turned out to be no more than a natterjack toad attracted by the sound of running water,"she confided. "But I'll never forget the experience.

"I'm not sure if I'll get over my aversion to toads!"

The subtitle of Lucy's book is A Random Act of Wildness Every Day of The Year.

* More reports from Birdfair to follow