NATURE RESERVES CAN BE VERY INTIMIDATING PLACES FOR LONE FEMALE BIRDERS

 

Lucy - her confidence was shaken by a horrible experience

MALE birders seldom think twice  about personal safety when going out on their own.

But for their female counterparts, it can be a very different story - they may run the risk of the most obectionable of encounters.

Take Lancashire naturalist and conservationist Lucy Lapwing, for instance.

Watching through her binoculars a little egret in flight, she was shocked by what she suddenly saw on the opposite riverbank.

A man was not only exposing himself but he was using his mobile phone to film her reaction.

A woman and child were nearby, so Lucy shouted to alert them, prompting the offender to run off.

In retrospect, she wonders if she should have responded by filming her stalker so that she had evidence of the crime.

But in the trauma of the moment, the opportunuity was missed.

In a programme, Clipped Wings, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 earlier this week, Lucy recalled the deeply upsetting experience which sorely undermined her confidence in being in Nature on her own. 

Now, every time she passes a single man in the great outdoors, she grips tightly to the canister of defence spray in her pocket, braces herself and holds her breath.

In the broadcast, Lucy shared her experience with other women, for instance a runner, a hiker and another birder.

The "horrible scenarios"  are not especially rare  on nature reserves - RSPB Attenborough near Nottingham was named - where there is no CCTV, few wardens and limited lighting.

Patronising and sexist comments are commonplace and sometimes they lead to lewdness, suggestiveness and double entendres.

In the worst instances, a female birder will endure the horror of a man who makes a grab at her body, then runs. 

Observation hides are sometimes seen as dangerous places for a female birder. There is only one door, so what means of escape if a "weirdo" steps in?

A man on his own was  seen as the greatest potential threat - especially if he was standing (though less so if he was carrying binoculars).

There was a reference to the generally "nice culture of birding", but it was often  counterbalanced by the intimidating elitism and arrogance that is rife, especially in bird clubs.

"This is not welcoming to beginners," said one contributor.

The broadcast ended on a very sad note, when the presenter broke down.

"Sorry . . ."she said.