HOW DID MAGNIFICENT VARIED THRUSH FIND ITS WAY FROM NORTH AMERICA'S WEST COAST TO ORKNEY?

Varied Thrush - photo by Walter Siegmund via Wikipedia 

RECENT excitement over the appearance of a Varied Thrush in Orkney would doubtless have been shared by Lincolnshire's pioneer-naturalist Sir Joseph Banks.

Back in the 18th Century, Banks - who, when not travelling, divided his time between Revesby Abbey, near Spilsby, and London -  was probably the first European to identify this beautiful bird as a unique species.

His encounter came when, as scientist on board one of Captain James Cook's epic voyages of exploration, he was captivated by the beauty of the bird, examples of which he saw during a stop-off at  Nootka Island off the west coast of Canada in April, 1778.

In 1841, American ornithologist and artist John James Audubon acknowledged the importance of Banks and Cook in the discovery of the species when he depicted it in one of his celebrated paintings.

The Orkney bird is only the second for the UK - the other bird was an aberrant-plumaged male that spent November 14-23, 1982, at  Nanquidno, near St Just in West Cornwall.

Since the Varied Thrush  was first reported by David Roche last Wednesday, hundreds of twitchers have made the trip to see it - typically paying £216 for a ferry return from the Scottish mainland to Orkney's main port, Kirkwall, then paying £170 each way for a charter boat (carrying up to 11) to the island of Papa Westray (population  just 90).

The bird, which is slightly larger than a Song Thrush, has mostly been very obliging, providing excellent views  as it  pecks for insects on a grass field. It is extremely lively and evidently in good health.

A bird of the west coast of Canada and North America where it favours moist coniferous forests, the Varied Thrush seems an unlikely vagrant to Europe. The route of this particular bird to Orkney can only be a matter of conjecture. 

Inevitably, some will suspect it might have been ship-assisted. Or, to put a real damper on things, might it be an escapee from a private aviary?

There is also one other Palearctic record for the Varied Thrush - a specimen that spent a few days in early May, 2004, feeding in the company of hundreds of redwings, on farmland in East Iceland.  

Orkney's current star attraction

Audubon's study of the species 

Sir Joseph Banks - pioneer birder

BYGONE BIRDING: WHAT HAPPENED TO RUSSIAN ORNITHOLOGISTS AFTER 1917 REVOLUTION?

Extract (January 2021) from The Ibis, journal of the British Ornithologists' Union  

In the list of members of the BOU will be found the names of six Russian ornithologists, and we have recently made several attempts to find out what has become of them since the revolution in Russia.

From various sources we learn the following, though the evidence is not altogether satisfactory in any single case. Michael Menzbier is believed to have been murdered in the streets of Moscow early in the revolution. 

Sergius Buturlin is also reported to have died. 

Valentine Bianchi is alive and still at the Museum of the Academy of Sciences at Petrograd. 

Peter Suskin was  recently at Simferopol in the Crimea where he was acting as a professor in the so-called 'White University'.

What has happened to him since the invasion and occupation of the Crimea by the Bolshevist forces we have not heard. 

We have no news of Gregory Poliakov or Sergius Alpheraki. 

Baron Loudon, another ornithologist, though not on our list of members, was robbed and plundered of his possessions and driven out of Livonia by the Bolshevists and is now living in Berlin. 

The editor or secretary of the BOU would be very glad of my further information in regard to the fate of our unfortunate fellow-ibises in Russia.

CONCRETE MORE POPULAR THAN NATURE IN MANY URBAN GARDENS SAYS ESSEX CORRESPONDENT

 

Report (September 13) and letter (September 14) in The Daily Telegraph. The correspondent makes a valid point. Not everyone, alas, is a fan of greening initiatives. In fact, more people are either indifferent or hostile to nature than friendly to it. 

A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY: BARN OWL THOUGHT BLACK KITTEN WAS A RAT

                                                    

Barn owl - Suffolk bird made the wrong decision!

Extract from The Ibis  journal, April 1941

My brother tells me of the following incident which occurred at his estate at Theberton in Suffolk last May.

One evening, just after dark, the cries of a kitten were heard coming from the park, and these were traced to the twiggy growth of a lime tree some 18 feet from the ground. 

A ladder was brought, and, on reaching the scene of the plaintive cries a white owl flew out, and a small black kitten, but two days old, was found in an empty nest. 

The kitten was recognised as one of a litter from the farm some 200 yards distant. 

There was no visible injury on the kitten, but it suffered thereafter from inability to retract its claws, and died before it was two months old. 

Doubtless the kitten had been mistaken for a rat, seized, and carried off by the owl.

On reaching its 'dining room', it would have discovered that some mistake had been made.

No doubt the kitten's cries coming from an imagined rat made the owl pause with his meal - a respite which saved the little animal's life. 

I understand that cats are not a favoured article of diet among flesh-eating animals, and, though there are exceptions, no doubt an owl will not willingly take kittens. 

Colonel R. Meinertzhagen

SPURN OBSERVATORY'S PLEA TO SNAPPERS: STOP FLUSHING SHORT-EARED OWLS!

                                            

Do not disturb! Welfare of bird is paramount

SPURN Bird Observatory has this week urged photographers to desist from flushing short-eared owls. 

In a statement posted on social media, it says: "It has come to our attention that short-eared owls are being repeatedly flushed in our area. 

"Needless to say, the observatory does not condone this behaviour. 

"Your flight photographs do not come before the welfare of these birds."

20 PER CENT OF EUROPEAN BIRD SPECIES NOW THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION SAYS NEW REPORT

ONE in three bird species in Europe has declined over the past decade and one in five is threatened with extinction.

That is the alarming finding of the European Red List of Birds published this month by BirdLife International.

It states: "Seabirds, wildfowl, waders and raptors are the most threatened and fasted group declining group, but the majority of larks, buntings and shrikes are also declining.

"Marine habitats, farmland, wetland and grassland are the habitats with most declining species"

Says  Anna Staneva, interim head of conservation  at BirdLife Europe: "Birds have been on this planet for longer than we have, but, at the speed humans are exploiting and destroying, we are seeing some species plummeting towards extinction."

The full report is at:

https://www.birdlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BirdLife-European-Red-List-of-Birds-2021.pdf 

TEN-SECOND TWITCH: CASTLE HILL HOSPITAL, COTTINGHAM, NEAR HULL

 Location: Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, near Hull

Date: October 15, 2021

Weather Sunny spells and showers.

Target species: Yellow-browed warbler

Star species: Robin (singing)

Other species recorded: Dunnock, woodpigeon

                                   

DEEP SADNESS AT LOSS OF PARLIAMENTARIAN WHO CHAMPIONED THE CAUSE OF BIRDS AND WILDLIFE

Sir David - he campaigned against songbird slaughter

BIRDS and all creatures have lost a friend following today's tragic death of Southend West MP  Sir David Amess.

He was a passionate opponent of fox-hunting, hare-coursing and other field 'sports' that involved the killing of wildlife.

He opposed badger-culling and spoke out against the international trade in wild animals, even winning the support of former French screen idol Brigitte Bardot.

He was also vehement in his outrage at the widespread slaughter of songbirds in Malta, Cyprus and elsewhere.

But he was frustrated at the lack of action, once telling fellow-MPs: "There is no point in having debates where we feel good at the end but nothing happens."

Although a wildlife enthusiast, Sir David (69) saw no contradiction in keeping pets, so long as they were looked after well.

Over the years, his own family kept animals and birds of varying species, drawing the line at giraffes because "none of our ceilings are high enough".

One occasion, he and a parliamentary colleague sought to bring back two rescue tortoises - named Fama and Gusta - from Cyprus but were prevented by red tape.  

Below is the extract of one of many Common speeches - this one in December, 2015 - he made on issues connected with animal welfare.

"Over the years, I have kept many birds

"Many people keep birds - budgerigars, canaries and a number of common parrots - in captivity as companion animals, and I am very comfortable with that. 

"However, the majority of birds imported through Heathrow Airport come from places such as South Africa, South America, Singapore and the Czech Republic. 

"It is absolutely ridiculous to bring back humming birds, given the cruelty involved in netting them. 

"A large range of species, including macaws, lovebirds, toucans and birds of prey, are kept. The number of species is estimated to approach 1,000. 

"Many of those species are now kept in the UK, and that is very cruel - these birds are taken out of their natural habitat, and they are not well looked after in captivity."

He continued: "The RSPCA does a splendid job -I might be slightly critical of its ever-changing management, but its ordinary members do a splendid job. 

"However, it certainly supports my concerns about the keeping of exotic birds.

" It recently reported that 80 dead exotic birds were found at the bottom of a cage they shared with a boa constrictor - a boa constrictor for goodness’ sake! 

"Many of the other birds in the cage were on the verge of death. 

"Of the 80 dead birds, two were zebra finches - I know they are fairly common - and one was a bronze-winged mannikin which had died as a result of head trauma after attempting to escape from the snake. 

"The snake was curled up in the water bowl, so the birds were traumatised because they could not get anything to drink. 

"During the inspection, budgerigars were also found to be suffering from skin complaints and a mite infestation."

"I welcome the debate, but it should not just be a talking shop.

"We should change the legislation and ensure that is actually enforced. 

"It is Christmas, with the Nativity and all of that, and this should be a happy season -  not just for human beings but for animals as well."

* The chief executive of the RSPB, Beccy Speight, was among those in the conservation world who have paid tribute to Sir David. She wrote on Twitter: "Very shocked and deeply sad to hear the news about David Amess. He was at our recent parliamentary reception and was always supportive on wildlife issues and animal welfare. Our thoughts go out to his family."

 

DID BIRD-STRIKE CAUSE 'COPTER'S EMERGENCY LANDING ON CLEETHORPES BEACH?

 

The stricken helicopter awaits recovery

A HELICOPTER today made an emergency landing just yards from the high tide shorebird roost  on the beach in Cleethorpes, North-east Lincolnshire?.

The machine came down with a thud shortly before 3pm.

Luckily, no one is thought to have been injured in the incident which was triggered when the engine conked out.

Said one onlooker: "It was helluva impact - it snapped the tail boom of the 'copter."

Later, the machine was towed away on a trailer pulled by a Range Rover.

The noise startled the shorebirds - mostly oystercatchers - which flew off in panic.

An investigation has begun into what caused the engine to fail and whether collision with a bird might have been a factor. 

Sudden impact with the beach caused the tail to snap 

A team from Cleethorpes Coastguard was quickly on the scene

                                                 

Oystercatchers take to the sky 

 

RSPB SAYS IT IS 'LISTENING AND LEARNING' TO BECOME MORE 'DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE'

                                            

Nadeem and Ollie - founders of Flock Together

THE RSPB has pledged to make itself more "diverse and inclusive".

Following concerns that its membership and staff are almost exclusively white, the charity engaged a consultancy to explore how to tackle the imbalance.

The subsequent report came up with a series of high-level recommendations to which the society says it is responding.

A note in its 2020-21 annual report states: "We are making some progress on our journey to become more diverse and inclusive. 

"For example, we  have a network of over 80 dedicated Equality, Diversity and Inclusion champions. 

"They are active across the RSPB raising awareness of EDI issues and helping to identify and overcome barriers.

 "We are also listening to and learning from some wonderful organisations whose purpose it is to bring nature to everyone. 

"Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 lockdown, Nadeem Perera and Ollie Olanipekun set up Flock Together, a birdwatching group specifically for Black and Minority Ethnic communities. 

"Nadeem and Ollie had both been fascinated by nature from an early age, but found people of colour were not represented in groups or activities connecting people to nature. 

"They now have more than 11,000 followers and host monthly walks, with ambitions to launch the movement worldwide."

* Flock Together: instagram.com/flocktogether.world.

The Wryneck says: This is a welcome development. Compared with counterpart conservation organisations in other parts of the world, the RSPB is perhaps lagging. However, in the interests of transparency, it should reveal the recommendations in the consultancy report and state precisely how it is responding to them.

JOSEPHINE'S ENCHANTING PAINTING FOR RSPB CAPTURES THE MAGIC OF NATURE IN SUMMER

 

This is the enchanting painting that graces the front cover of the RSPB's recently published 2020-21  annual report. Entitled Taking A Moment With Nature, it is the work of Josephine 'Hixxy' Hicks and, says the RSPB, reflects the breadth of its work, both within the UK and internationally, through a range of habitats and species including spoonbill, roseate tern, puffin, blue tit and red-necked phalarope. 

MOMENT OF BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT FOR CHOCOLATE-LOVING CARRION CROW

 

The chocolate-loving Cleethorpes crow

This carrion crow seen in Cleethorpes, the Lincolnshire seaside resort, seems to have pleased staff at Lindt, the international chocolate company.

Says the company's UK customer services spokesperson Eileen Lidgett: "All Lindt products are crafted with passion by our master chocolatiers.

"We are delighted to be able to enchant the world with delicious chocolate for everyone to enjoy - including the Cleethorpes crow."

Actually, Eileen was mistaken. To the frustration of the bird, the Lindor bar had already been scoffed, with the wrapper thoughtlessly thrown to the ground.

After toying with it for a few minutes, the crow realised it was wasting its time and flew to a nearby litter bin where, to its credit,  it did the right thing.

Wot, nothing inside!

                                    

TREASURER UPBEAT AS RSPB REPORTS 'RESILIENT' 2020-21 TRADING PERFORMANCE

The autumn-winter edition of Nature's Home

THE RSPB made a surplus of £24.3-million during 2020-21, according to the latest edition of its quarterly magazine, Nature's Home.

Its income from the likes of membership subscriptions, legacies, grants and trading activities  came in at £113.9-million.

Meanwhile, its expenditure on managing nature reserves, staffing, research and generally flying the flag  for bird conservation  amounted to £89.6-million.

Says the charity's treasurer, Robert Cubbage: "The operating restrictions introduced to combat covid-19 and the resulting closure of a wide range of our income-generating activities could have had a significant financial impact.

"However, we were able to mitigate much of this loss to end the year in a financially resilient position."

Mr Cubbage acknowledges that the Government's Job Retention Scheme - furlough - was a boon.

The RSPB's membership stands at just over 1.1-million.

TV PRESENTER'S DISMAY AS NIGHT-STALKING ARSONISTS TARGET HIS HAMPSHIRE HOME

 

Chris Packham describes what happens in a video posted on Twitter

TV naturalist Chris Packham has pledged not to be intimidated by an arson attack on his Hampshire home shortly after midnight last Thursday. 

Two masked men dumped and set fire to a car. The flames immediately spread to the wooden gates and other parts of his property. 

In a video posted on Twitter, the presenter speculates that field sports enthusiasts may have been responsible, but he has vowed to continue speaking out against fox-hunting and related activities. 

He adds that he is regularly the subject of hate-crime - for instance, being trolled over social media and having dead animals or birds thrown into his garden. 

Last week's incident was recorded on CCTV, so, despite their masks, the culprits might yet be apprehended and prosecuted.   

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES IS ALL PART OF THE FUN OF BIRDING FOR WHEELCHAIR-USER VIRGINIA ROSE

 

Birding differently -Virginia Rose (photo: Mike Fernandez/Audubon)

THE challenges of birding from a wheelchair were described by Virginia Rose in an entertaining Zoom presentation last night to a mostly American audience.

Following a riding accident as a 14-year-old, Virginia has has had no feeling or muscle capacity from the waist down, but she gets out in the field so often that she scarcely considers herself disabled - and, indeed, dislikes the term.

It is seldom that conditions are ever perfect, but the ideal terrain is flat, dry, clean and straight. However, if she encounters ruts or tree roots, she has become adept at surmounting them by means of wheelies. Meeting new challenges is what she relishes.

Having suffered more than her share of flat tyres from thorns, the retired English teacher now rides on tubeless tyres.

For a wheelchair-user, space is a "very valuable commodity", says Virginia, not just immediately around  but also when it comes to using binoculars. For this reason, she has had the arms rests removed.

It always used to disappoint her not to be able to take her place in the 'scope line' but now her wheelchair has been adapted to allow a tripod and scope to be attached.

Over the years, she has many time been asked tactless, intrusive questions about her disability and how she has adapted to it, but she invariably handles them with humour and good nature.

Along the way, plenty of amusing incidents have occurred (and still occur) - for instance, when she brakes suddenly to identify a bird, and the able-bodied walkers behind her are forced to "stack up" suddenly.

There are advantages, too, to birding from a wheelchair - for instance, the lower perspective can be a boon when it comes to detecting and watching low-feeding warblers or other birds.

"Birding in a wheelchair is just birding differently,"she says.

* Virginia is the founder of  Birdability -  https://www.birdability.org

TEN-MINUTE TWITCH: DOUBLETREE BY HILTON FOREST PINES HOTEL, BROUGHTON, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE

 

Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Forest Pines Spa & Golf Resort, Broughton, North Lincolnshire

Date: October 5, 2021

Weather Sunny spells and showers; cool

Target species: Nutcracker

Star species: Swallow (two overhead)

Other species recorded: Robin, wren, chaffinch, woodpigeon,  blackbird, feral pigeon, carrion crow, nuthatch, blue tit, coal tit, great tit, moorhen, Goldcrest 

WITH A BIT OF HABITAT-MANAGEMENT HELP, CIRL BUNTING IS ON ROAD TO RECOVERY

                                              

Bouncebackability! The cirl bunting (photo: Paco Gómez, via Wikimedia Commons) 

A BRITISH songbird which looked doomed to extinction at the turn of the century is continuing its remarkable comeback.

The cirl bunting went into steep decline when changes in farming practices reduced its habitat and food sources.

But according to the National Trust, this farmland  species' population has increased from just over 100 pairs in the 1980s to about 1,078 pairs today.

How come?

The NT worked with the RSPB and farmers in South Devon to make conditions favourable, for instance by reverting to spring-grown barley instead of autumn-grown cereal crops.

In addition, diligent management provided a mosaic of differing age and structure of gorse and scrub for nesting in plus large areas of open grassland for feeding on insects and seeds.

Thanks to the progress of the project, cirl buntings have been re-introduced to other parts of Devon and neighbouring Cornwall from where they had been lost.

The hope is that long-term that they could spread to other counties, for instance Sussex where they were once a familiar sight at Beachy Head, near Eastbourne. 

The word 'cirl' is said to derived from an Italian word, meaning 'chirp'.

COULD THERE BE RELIC POPULATION OF 'EXTINCT' WOODPECKER IN AMERICAN SWAMPLANDS?

 

It's always good to look on the bright side - this upbeat letter appeared in today's edition of UK-published national newspaper The Daily Telegraph.

IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER DEEMED TO HAVE GONE THE WAY OF THE DODO AND GREAT AUK

 

How sad! Report from yesterday's edition of The Daily Telegraph.

Below is an extract from the US Fish and Wildlife Services' report:

Ivory-billed woodpecker –  Once America’s largest woodpecker, it was listed in 1967 as endangered under the precursor to the ESA, the Endangered Species Preservation Act (ESPA). The last commonly agreed upon sighting of the ivory-billed woodpecker was in April 1944 on the Singer Tract in the Tensas River region of northeast Louisiana. Despite decades of extensive survey efforts throughout the southeastern U.S. and Cuba, it has not been relocated. Primary threats leading to its extinction were the loss of mature forest habitat and collection.

Bachman’s warbler – As early as 1953, Bachman’s warbler was one of the rarest songbirds in North America. When first listed in 1967 as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Preservation Act, the bird had not been seen in the U.S. since 1962. Last documented in Cuba in 1981, there have been no verifiable sightings in that country since then. The loss of mature forest habitat and widespread collection are the primary reasons for its extinction.