Hurricane in a teacup? Twitcher on back foot after critics pan 'offensive' content in his controversial first book

                                                                    

KEEN birder Gary Bagnell has pledged to rewrite sections of his first book after it came under fire on social media.

Just before Christmas, Garry Bagnell published Twitching by numbers: Twenty-four years of chasing rare birds around Britain and Ireland.

But sections of soon came under the notice of feminist Lucy McRobert who, like him, is both a birder and a writer - but on a different wavelength and at the primmer end of the literary spectrum.

She was evidently so appalled by the content and tone of some of the text that she put out a tweet (since deleted) highlighting extracts which included words such as 'knockers' and 'boobies'.

So deeply offensive did she find these terms that she claimed they made her skin "creep".

                                        

Lucy McRobert - distressed

Time was when this sort of bawdy content was commonplace in media - in classic novels stretching back to Henry Fielding's Tom Jones and probably before, then, more recently, in  so-called lads' magazines such as Loaded that sold  fabulously well at the end of the 1990s.

Innuendo and/or explicit images were also a mainstay of the Carry On and Confessions of movies that were popular in the 1980s and before. 

And don't forget the output of TV comedians Benny Hill and Frankie Howerd, not to mention the photographs that have long appeared on Page 3 and elsewhere in many a red-top tabloid newspaper?

And can anyone remember Club18-30 holidays? 

But that was then - things are different in 2022 (as they will be in 2023). 

What was once deemed saucy playfulness is now regarded as 'leering' and even 'predatory'.  

Any author who deviates from what is considered decorous and appropriate enjoys no licence - he (or she) risks being singled out and pilloried with  opprobrium.

Following Ms McRobert's influential intervention, many others have entered the fray - most to support her viewpoint but others to counter-attack on behalf of Mr Bagnell who has mounted his own spirited self-defence.                                                   

Garry Bagnell - focus of female flak

In the wake of the uproar,  Mr Bagnell (55), an accountant, of Southwater in West Sussex, has both  apologised for any upset he has caused and indicated that he now intends to rewrite his book, self-censoring the sections that have caused such offence. 

Perhaps he ought to publish two editions  - the revised sanitised version and the original, the latter to contain a  warning on the cover that some of its content may cause offence to certain readers.

One can only speculate which version would sell more copies?

The Wryneck says: Mr Bagnell is unlikely to win any awards for chivalry, but, in fairness, he did not set out to be a role model for other birders. He just sought to put down in words and pictures some of the highlights of almost quarter of a century of twitching, these accompanied by reflections on other aspects of his career and outlook on life. Some of his comments might might  strike a discordant note with certain readers, but credit to him for his endeavour - putting together an illustrated book takes a fair bit of sweat and toil. Every day, we all encounter a myriad of  things that cause personal irritation, inconvenience or even offence, but we shrug them off, look on the bright side and  just get on with life - we don't all rush to Twitter to condemn.  

Five-minute twitch: Riverhead, Grimsby Top Town

                                     

Location: Riverhead, Grimsby Top Town

Date: December 24, 2022

Weather Sunny intervals, mild

Target species: Waxwing

Star species: Cormorant

Other species recorded: Mute swan, mallard, herring gull, moorhen, collared dove, feral pigeon, blackbird, blue tit                                     

                                                                     

Summer birds survey reveals 33 species on urban site earmarked for £75-million salmon farm

                                          

Summer surveys revealed 33 bird species on site earmarked for salmon farm  

A SERIES of five bird surveys on a site in Grimsby earmarked for construction of an indoor salmon 'farm'  recorded no fewer than 33 species. 

The research was conducted by eco-consultancy Aecom on five dates between April and July this year.

The report says: "The surveys identified a breeding bird assemblage within the site consisting of relatively widespread and common passerine species, including both ground-nesting and scrub / tree nesting species. 

"A total of 33 species were recorded, of which at least ten were not breeding (i.e. flying over the site, or visiting the site to feed only).

"Of these, two species (herring gull and lesser black-backed gull) were  breeding colonially on the rooves of the adjacent cold storage and Grimsby Seafood Village buildings, as were carrion crows.

"The breeding assemblage for the site is likely to be of no more than local value as it is relatively limited and includes no more than nine Priority Species." 

The location of the proposed £75-million project, which would use boreholes to provide both fresh and salt water, is redundant railways sidings close to the sea wall.

The site is designated of being of Wildlife Interest in the North East Lincolnshire Council Local Plan.

A planning application is expected to be submitted to NELC Council in the New Year by the firm behind the scheme, London-based Aquacultured Seafoods Ltd. 

The Wryneck says: When the application is submitted, here's hoping precise details are revealed of the bird species for which this site is a breeding, feeding or resting habitat. The consultant classifies them as "relatively widespread and common" but that may be the other side of saying they are in steady decline.  The further description of them as "of no more than local value" is patronising. If they are of value anywhere, they are of value - and worthy, therefore of being cherished and safeguarded.

Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

                                                                                     

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL                        OUR READERS AND ADVERTISERS!

Say farewell to the wildlife! It looks like curtains for creatures that have made former theme park their home

Behind the prison-style walls -  a sunlit glimpse into a green and leafy world of Pleasure Island

THE Lidl-led consortium seeking to redevelop a former Lincolnshire theme park with a supermarket and holiday lodges has cleared a major hurdle.

It has learned that it will not be required to provide an Environmental Impact Assessment of the effect its project will have on the wildlife that lives on Pleasure Island in Cleethorpes.

That means that songbirds (including cuckoos), bats, water voles and a family of badgers are now in real peril of being displaced, while scores of mature trees and shrubs face the chop.

The consortium's agents, Lichfields, have acknowledged that the site is home to a badger sett, "several" bat roosts and birds such as reed warbler, little grebe, mute swan, kingfisher, little egret and Cetti’s warbler on or around the lake. 

But the firm says "mitigation" can be provided in the form, for  instance, of "nesting opportunities" for birds and flight "corridors" for bats.

North East Lincolnshire Council's planning case officer, Cheryl Jarvis, has accepted Lichfield's assurances and states in her report that redevelopment would bring "no significant effects".   

It is understood that NELC's ecology officer, Rachel Graham, and Natural England both expressed opinions on whether an environmental impact assessment would be advisable, but their reports have not been released.

Long-term, the consortium  has also indicated its futher intention to build two hotels on the site, but this would hinge on sufficient income being generated by the supermarket and  holiday lodges.

The Wryneck says: This is a casebook example of the old adage that everyone likes Nature - until it gets in the way. The council is so desperate to see redevelopment of the former theme park that the conservation of wildlife is being disregarded almost totally. The agent's pledge of appropriate mitigation is so vague and lacking in detail as to be useless. How, for example, do you provide a "nesting opportunity" for a cuckoo? The planning case officer should have been much more rigorous in her analysis of the Lichfields statement.  What is more, any opinions expressed by the ecology officer and Natural England should have been published for all to see.  Why have they been withheld?

Ticking species off a list is "birding equivalent of eating fast food" says American author

                                    

THE latest author to have a pop at twitching is American animal behaviour expert Joan E. Strassman whose latest book has the natty title, Slow Birding.

She writes: "All too often, birding is something done racing around in automobiles, stopping for moments to pick up a species here and there, then driving on. 

"I  call it 'motor birding', the birding equivalent of eating fast food."

She continues: "What if, instead, we stayed close to home and watched the birds that intersect our lives? 

"What if we learned more about our birds, building our knowledge more slowly through daily observation? 

"It may take some pratice to get  more out of local birds. It may be hard at first to learn to watch birds instead of ticking them off a list. 

"This book will help." 

Ms Strassman doubtless has a point - but what a pity she makes it so self-righteously.

It is surely not a question of either/or. Most, if not all, twitchers are also dedicated students of the birdlife on their own patch. But they also like to enrich their birding experience by travelling beyond their patch to see new species. What is wrong with that?

Subtitled The Art and Science of Enjoying The Birds in Your Own Backyard, the author's focus naturally falls on American species including:  

* Blue jay

* American robin (dubbed the 'earthworm whisperer')

* House wren

* Dark-eyed juneo

* Northern flicker

* Cooper's hawk

* Cedar waxwing

* Northern cardinal

* Northern mockingbird

* Yellow-rumped warbler

* White-throated sparrow

* American coot

* Snow goose

However, there are also chapters on two birds more familiar to birders on this side of the Atlantic - European starling and house sparrow.

Slow Birding, published by TarcherPerigee books,  is available in hardback, at £24, via Amazon UK.

Award for Grimsby's new mitigation site which is already proving a magnet for wetland birds

 

Not a place of beauty but newly created habitat is pulling in the birds

      
GRIMSBY'S new Novartis Ings wetland birds mitigation site has only been established for a few months, but already it has won an award.

It comes from the Humber Nature Partnership which has published this photograph on its website.

Says  the HNP: "the mitigation site  represents the culmination of many years of work by a range of organisations.

"It demonstrates that, with close partnership working between conservation bodies, local businesses and local authorities, economic development and wildlife can flourish together.

"The award recognises the commitment of all involved, in particular North East Lincolnshire Council which has developed the site. 

"The award also serves as a thank-you to phamaceutical company Novartis which donated the land and has always demonstrated a commendable approach to environmental issues on the Humber."

The tally of bird species is steadily increasing and, over the past two or three months, is reported to have included the likes of kittiwake, goosander, yellow-legged gull, golden plover, Mediterranean gull, spotted redshank and Iceland gull.

                                                

Iceland gull  (photo: Andrew Dove)

A statement from NELC says: "The main aim of the 20-acre site is to provide a haven for wildlife ahead of future potential industrial development in the area.

"Companies looking to expand or invest in the area would have previously been required to obtain land for wildlife to offset their developments as a planning requirement - an expensive process likely to delay development for months and can be hugely expensive. 

"Thanks to this mitigation project, the compensation land is ready and waiting for them."

                                           

Ian Johnson (centre left),of Novartis, and council leader Philip Jackson with the award. Also pictured are representatives of supporting organisation plus site designer Roger Wardle (centre). Photo: HNP 

Goldcrest habitat?

Seen sailing down the Humber Estuary between Spurn and Cleethorpes (with conifer on high).

Council confident that newly-installed river basin fountain will give boost to Grimsby's urban wildlife

The new fountain has been approved by the Environment Agency

IT is hoped a newly-installed fountain will help improve water quality - and encourage wildlife - within the River Freshney basin in Grimsby.

Earlier this year, the river was dredged in the same section, with the removal of more than 2230 tonnes of silt and waste over a four week project, allowing the river to flow much more freely.

The new fountain will build on this, increasing aeration of the water, reducing algae growth and helping to protect this piece of water for wildlife and/ or other water activities.

Says North East Lincolnshire Council leader Cllr Philip Jackson: "With warmer summers, we have to change our approach to water management. 

"We know that the water quality of the River Freshney has vastly improved over the last 10 years, and we need to make sure that this continues in the future.

"We now have otters back in the centre of Grimsby and we need to make sure all hard work put in to dredge the river and remove unnecessary silt is maintained and the water can be enjoyed equally by people and wildlife.

"Additionally, this will provide a very attractive feature in our town centre, complementing the work done on the Garth Lane waterfront site last year and the work due to start on the Riverhead in the new year."

The fountain has been approved by the Environment Agency.

It complies with the Eel Regulations, ensuring the safety of eels and other water-dwelling creatures.

All electricity for the fountain comes from renewable sources as part of the council’s commitment to the green agenda.

Watching humpback whales from boat was "profoundly moving experience" says Environment Secretary

 

Therese Coffey - pledge to fund creation of new wildlife habitats 

Below is a speech delivered by the Environment Secretary, Therese Coffey, to coincide with last week's international conference on nature recovery held in Montreal. 

Thank you for joining us bright and early - and thank you to the staff of the Natural History Museum for hosting us here before they open their doors to the public this morning as they have done for generations.

We are fortunate to have this cathedral of nature consecrated to 4.5 billion years of natural history, to the pursuit of science and to the study and appreciation of the world’s flora and fauna right here in our capital city.

So it’s hard to think of a more inspiring place for us to meet as I call on all of you to help us come together to secure the future of life on earth and a better future for every generation to come.

When I visited the museum recently, some of the scientists here reminded me that just five years ago, in Hintze Hall a diplodocus would have greeted us.

But it is right that we are now dwarfed by the awesome, twenty-five-metre skeleton of a blue whale the largest animal that has ever existed, bigger even than the biggest dinosaur.

Forty years ago, following a coordinated campaign from schoolchildren and conservation experts alike, sea-going nations around the world came together at the Metropole Hotel in Brighton and agreed a moratorium on commercial whaling.

In a global move to bring species back from the brink of extinction and find more peaceful ways of appreciating these wonderful creatures.

As Environment Minister, a few years ago I had the privilege of watching humpback whales from a boat off Nova Scotia. Itit was a profoundly moving experience.

And while this work is ongoing, we should take heart from what we have achieved and our commitment to seeing it through. Because it seemed impossible until it was done.

I am delighted to announce that, this spring we will launch a multi-million pound fund to create and restore wildlife-rich habitats - from scrub to wetlands and grasslands.

Each investment will secure multiple benefits for nature, climate, and people and encourage opportunities for private funding by backing underfunded projects that give us the biggest bang for our buck.

And we know that demonstrating our collective willingness and ability to close the finance gap for nature is key to unlocking the ambition we need in Montreal.

We all know that there is a long road between where we stand today, and where we need to be.

In national parks in South Africa I have seen how the illegal wildlife trade pits people and wildlife against one another with devastating consequences for all.

But I genuinely believe that if we work together to make the road ahead a road to recovery, we stand not just to avoid the worst impacts but to save precious species by securing the diversity, abundance and connectivity of life on Earth that will also help to bolster the peace and prosperity we all want to see.

The UK is committed to playing our part and to continuing to work with all of you and our friends around the world to see this through.

Crown Estate signals support for East Atlantic Flyway designation as a Natural World Heritage Site

                                    

High hopes for UNESCO heritage status

THE Crown Estate is backing plans for a long stretch of England's East Coast  to be a designated a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.

As main landowner, the Estate's support is essential to the application which is being spearhead by the RSPB.

One of its aims is both to showcase and safeguard millions of shorebirds that spend spring, autumn and winter feeding here before migrating to the Arctic tundra to breed .

Most coastal authorities are also on board with the project, and North East Lincolnshire Council is expected to be supportive at a meeting tomorrow (Thursday).

If rubber-stamped by UNESCO, the name of the heritage site would be: East Atlantic Flyway - England East Coast Wetlands.

Says Olivia Thomas, head of marine planning at the Crown Estate: "The nomination of the English East Coast as a Natural World Heritage Site presents a fantastic opportunity to recognise the value of this coastline, for its variety of coastal environments, diverse habitats creatures and and dynamic seascapes. 

"We recognise that it is important to understand how the world’s coastlines can adapt in response to the threats posed by sea level rise and climate change. 

"We also recognise the need to support net zero targets and help to counter the threats through careful and sensitive development of green energy. 

She continues: "We would welcome the opportunity to work with the RSPB and other proposal partners to assess any developing nomination in detail, considering how best to balance the international importance of the area alongside other policy drivers such as the transition to net zero. 

"We are, therefore, pleased to offer our support for this proposal, as part of the partnership of a variety of key coastal stakeholders and explore further the shape and refinement of the proposition over the coming years." 

The Crown Estate manages the seabed and around half of the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, we work alongside industry and stakeholders to unlock its potential. 

Signficantly, it awards seabed rights for offshore windfarms, not just the turbines but also the cabling and other infrastructure.

The organisation is obviously aware of the tensions between offshore energy and safeguarding birds and other marine life.

However, it says it is committed to develop a leading role in stewarding the UK’s marine environment, wherever necessary convening relevant organisations to "broaden our understanding of what is required to ensure a resilient marine environment that supports sustainable development".

The stretch of coast identified is said to be comparable in size to the Getbol South Korean Tidal Flats (South Korea) and a coastal strip in China which haave alslo been designated for similar status.

It is not yet known when the East Atlantic Flyway application will be determined.

                                               

Godwits and knot feeding on the shoreline in Cleethorpes

Lukewarm Whitehall response to Hannah's petition for swift bricks to be made compulsory in new housing

Swift campaigner Hannah Bourne-Taylor

AN attempt to compel housebuilders to incorporate swift bricks into their developments has met with a courteous response from Whitehall - but not much else.

Hannah Bourne-Taylor enjoyed immense mainstream media publicity when, scantily clothed, she launched her petition in London last month.

The official response reads as follows: "We welcome actions by developers to provide swift bricks, but Government considers this a matter for local authorities depending upon the specific circumstances of each site.

"The Government welcomes any action by individual developers who wish to provide swift bricks, and the benefits are set out in our Planning Practice Guidance on the Natural Environment (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/natural-environment )

"However, we will not be legislating to compel local authorities or developers to include particular forms of green infrastructure in every development. 

"In some high density schemes, the provision of swift bricks might be inappropriate.

"In other places, it could not achieve the desired connectivity for wildlife."

The statement continues: "For the natural environment to thrive, we need both local authorities and developers to understand the natural characteristics of each site and to take proportionate and reasonable action relevant to that location.

"Planning conditions or obligations can, in appropriate circumstances, be used to require that a planning permission provides for works that will measurably increase biodiversity. 

"Local authorities can prioritise specific species such as swifts, and we have seen this from  Brighton and Hove Council. 

"We are also introducing new Local Nature Recovery Strategies which are tools designed to help local authorities plan proactively for nature."

"As with all our policies, this area continues to evolve and develop, balancing the very laudable different priorities of supporting people into home ownership with protecting and enhancing our natural environment - both of which we want to achieve. 

"The Government will continue to review and bring forward proposals in this policy area, and there will be opportunities in future for residents to contribute through consultation."

The petition has attracted more than 30,000 signatures in double-quick time, but it will need 1000,000 to ensure a debate in Parliament.

BBC defence expert thrilled to the endemic species of Taiwan but it is still a British favourite he loves most

                                            

Frank Gardner - BBC man is a keen birder

BBC defence correspondent and BTO president Frank Gardner has revealed his favourite bird.

In a short presentation to today's annual meeting of the latter, he said he never tired watching the robin in the parks of London - with the goldfinch not far behind.  

                                      

Somehow you can't beat a robin

In October, Mr Gardner was  on a work assignment to Taiwan to research the mood in that country over a perceived threat from its much larger neighbour, China.

He found the capital, Taipei, "drizzly" but enjoyed time off in the mountains and above the cloud layer where his "excellent" guide found him numerous endemics including Mikado pheasant - unofficial national bird of Taiwan.

"They are very keen on their birds in Taiwan," he declared

A huge downside for him (and others) this year has been the devastating impact of  bird flu.

When he visited St Mawes in Cornwall in summer, he looked for ward to watching gannets, but saw none.

He compared this unfavourably with a trip, in summer 2021, to  when the cliffs were "teeming" with gannets, razorbills, guillemots and more.

 It was "puffintastic,"he enthused.  

 

Pre-Christmas publication date for eagerly-awaited new edition of Collins Bird Guide

                                                          

What more graceful bird to grace the cover than the swallow

EXCITEMENT is building in advance of next week's proposed launch date of  the third edition of the Collins Bird Guide.

According to advance publicity, this eagerly-awaited title has  32 more pages than its predecessor.

This has allowed for more space - both illustrations and text - to be given to various groups, including grouse, divers, raptors, terns, owls, swifts, woodpeckers, swallows, redstarts and flycatchers.

The entire text and all maps have also been revised.

Accompanying every species entry is a distribution map and illustrations showing the species in all the major plumages (male, female, immature, in flight, at rest, feeding -  whatever is important!)

Says Collins: "In addition, each group of birds includes an introduction which covers the major problems involved in identifying or observing them."

There are also sections on:

* How to organise a sea watching trip

* How to separate birds of prey in flight

* Identification of duck hybrids.

Roll on next Thursday December 8 when the book is due to be published.