Farewell to enterprising British birder who watched more than 9,000 species on his global travels

                                                           

Tom Gullick - a lifetime of birding memories 

A MAN who pioneered overseas birding holidays has died aged 92 having reckoned to have seen more than 9,000 species during a lifetime of travelling.

As managing director of Clarksons Tours, Tom Gullick  was at the forefront of value-for-money package holidays in the 1960s, but, in later life, he went solo, partly running partridge shoots across 35,000 leased acres in the Spanish region of Ciudad Real and partly taking birding groups to Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Described as 'a big lister' rather than a 'twitcher', he also ventured to Africa,  South America and other parts of the globe.

He was part of groups that rediscovered two species thought to have become extinct - the yellow-throated serin in Ethiopia and the Sao Tome grosbeak on an island off the African coast.

A landmark sighting was that of a Wallace's fruit dove on the island of Yamdena in 2012. This took his tally to 9,000 species.

By now he was well past the American, Phoebe Snetsinger, who had ticked 8,398 species before her death in 1999.

In an interview with the Financial Times, he said: "I don’t think there’s much aesthetic pleasure about it. 

"The pleasure is in the challenge and the achievement, the thrill when you see the bird. 

"I don’t have a favourite bird, I don’t think of it in those terms. One likes them all.

"I used to spend the best part of two months every year birding. 

"I soon learnt that you can’t grasshopper too much around the world - you’ve got to concentrate on certain areas. 

"I went on trips to Asia, Africa and South America, and realised I couldn’t personally take in sufficiently well all the different species all over the world, enough to find and identify them." 

Gullick's birding career began not in his family home in Margate, Kent, but, soon after the outbreak of the 1939-45 war, when his prep school was evacuated to North Wales.

Early highlights are said to have included climbing an apple tree to discover the nest of a hawfinch and swinging on a rope to view an  egg in the nest of a raven.

The latter particularly fascinated him because the markings seemed to be in the shape of a G - the initial of his surname.

Though never without a pair of binoculars, he slowed down in his 80s because he was getting gip from one of his knees, making it hard for him to climb hills.

The current record-holder is believed to be Claes-Gorran Cederlund with sightings  of 9,761 of the world's 10,700 or so species.  

                                                 

Letter in The Daily Telegraph

Let's bring back The Bustard Inn on Salisbury Plain urges conservation 'cult hero' Prof Sir John Lawton

                                                    

Great bustard - reintroduced on Salisbury Plain

A CALL has come for a commercial building in Wiltshire to be re-opened as it was in a former life - The Bustard Inn.

According to author John Lawton, the property in Shrewton, near Salisbury Plain, is now "either a therapy centre or a tea room" but was formerly a pub dating from the 17th Century, but later (by 1863) became the HQ of the Old Hawking Club.

The last great bustard had been extirpated in Britain in the 1830s, but has since been reintroduced on the Plain, the species' last domestic stronghold, by a charity, the Great Bustard Group, which, since 1998, had reached the "magic target" of 100 free-flying birds by using stock from Russia and Spain.

In his new book, Inn Search of Birds, Prof Sir John reflects on the species chequered status in Britain and says it would be "very appropriate" to re-open The Bustard Inn as a pub in "celebration" of the 100-target having been achieved.

The York-based author, a vice-president of the RSPB,  is best known as an academic - almost a 'cult hero' in conservation circles on account of his report Making Space for Nature which calls both for more wildlife sites and for them to be "bigger, better and joined up".

But his new book, subtitled Pubs, Peoples and Places, is altogether lighter - an engagingly chatty exploration of bird-related pub names, both of existing hostelries and those that have long gone.

Between 2010 and 2021, he trawled the information on no fewer than 700 pubs, coming up with 117 identifiable species - seven non-specific kinds of birds and four mythical species.

The tone is set in the preface where he writes with touching modesty: "There are many areas in the story of pub birds that I do not understand, so I see Inn Search of Birds as work in progress, to be picked up and re-worked by others to correct my mistakes and add to the sum of human knowledge.

He says his book is "not to be taken too seriously but is meant to be fun and entertaining as well as accurate and informative", adding that it is "also quirky - at least I hope it is".

Inn Search of Birds is published (£18.99) in  paperback by Caithness-based Whittles Publishing (www.whittlespublishing.com).

Witty and informative - Prof Sir John's new book

                                         

60-minute twitch: Scalloway, Shetland

Date: July 17, 2023

Time: 12 noon to 1pm

Weather: Mild, mostly cloudy

Target species: White-tailed eagle

Star species seen: Red-throated diver

Other species seen: 

Starling

Blackbird

House sparrow

Raven

Carrion crow

Hooded crow

Oystercatcher

Meadow pipit

Wheatear (juvenile)

Wren

Arctic/common tern

Black guillemot

Herring gull

Black-headed gull

Great black-backed gull

Razorbill

Shag

Cormorant

More peril for seabirds - including puffins - as Government approves further 180 wind turbines off Yorkshire Coast

Seabird species likely to be at risk from expanded windfarm

 

THERE are likely to be "significant adverse effects" for some seabird species when a further 180 turbines are installed in the southern North Sea.

So says an advisory panel consisting of  Jo Dowling, Stephen Bradley, Gavin Jones, Rod MacArthur, and Andrew Mahon which examined evidence from organisations such as the RSPB and Natural England.

However, Energy Security secretary Grant Shapps has ruled that Hornsea Project Four, as it is known, should go ahead in order to contribute to the UK's climate change commitments. 

The decision is good news for  Danish wind farm giant Ørsted and for the economy in Grimsby where there is a large turbine-maintenance workforce.

On its own, the new turbines may not have had too much of an impact on marine life, but there will be a cumulative effect because there are already hundreds of other wind turbines in this part of the North Sea.

The extent of the impact is likely to be monitored at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, near Bridlington in Yorkshire, where there is an important seabird breeding colony.

Species identified as being particularly at risk include kittiwake, guillemot and great black-backed gull, but puffins will also be highly vulnerable.                                             

Puffins - a species vulnerable to wind turbines which take over their feeding waters and obstruct their flightpath

Setback for swiftbricks campaign as Government minister claims scheme would cause 'unnecessary complexity'

                                            

Looking for a place to call home - rooftop swift

HOPES that the Government might be persuaded to mandate swift bricks into new housebuilding schemes have received a setback.

At the end of a Commons  debate on the subject,  Communities Minister Dehenna Davison (Con, Bishop Auckland) told parliamentary colleagues: "It is not something that is being considered by Government at the moment. 

"We would not want to add unnecessary additional complexity to a planning system that already faces a great deal of it.

                                         

Dehenna Davison- 'complexity' 

"There are opportunities to feed into  the National Planning Policy Framework, and I would encourage all Members  and all interested campaigners to feed into that consultation."

A similarly downbeat note was sounded by Ms Davison's counterpart on the Opposition Front Bench, Matthew Pennycook (Lab, Greenwich & Woolwich).

Said he: "We do not rule out mandation as a step in the future. 

                                                 

Matthew Pennycook - 'local discretion'

 "My reluctance stems from the fact that our instinct, when it comes to achieving biodiversity net gain, is to allow for local discretion, and we do not think that should be overridden lightly."

The comments dismayed other MPs who had spoken strongly in favour of immediately updating building regulations to incorporate swiftbricks in the same way that there are already stipulations about, for instance, window sizes , doorsteps and ceiling heights in new houses.

Particularly vociferous in her disappointment was Caroline Lucas (Green, Brighton Pavilion)  for whom the swift is her favourite bird.

"I cannot believe what I am hearing," she fumed. "This brick costs about 25 quid - that is a tiny amount for new developments. 

                                             

Caroline Lucas - 'action needed'

"There is no worst case scenario. If one is put up but does not get used, there would be no problem, and other birds would probably use it. 

"Warm words do not get us anywhere? I am hearing too many warm words and not enough action." 

Continued Ms Lucas: "Nature is under assault from every angle - from our intensive agricultural system, which douses our fields in poison, to ancient woodlands being destroyed to make way for roads and railways, and water companies incessantly pumping sewage into our waterways. 

"If we are to have any chance of changing that terrifying picture, we must start by quite literally making a home for nature - by living once again with a species that has long been our closest neighbour."

There were lively contributions from other swift-supporting MPs, among them Samantha  Dixon (Lab, City of Chester) who revealed that she loves the sound of screaming swifts so much that she uses it as the ringtone on her phone - "though it  has been known to confuse birders!"

                                                 

Samantha Dixon - 'ringtone'

Kerry McCarthy (Lab, Bristol East) said she had "lucked out" when the RSPB asked her to be  'swift champion' in Parliament.

She continued: "I pay particular tribute to Save Wolverton’s Swifts and Martins, which has a special place in my heart because it is run by my sister, who is in the Public Gallery. 

"That shows the difference between us: I am always here talking about things, and she is actually out there doing things. 

"That group has provided 170 new homes for swifts since 2020, and this year swifts have finally taken up home in her house."

                                           

Kerry McCarthy - 'lucked out'

Continued Ms McCarthy: "Last year, because the heatwave made the bricks too hot, there was a real problem with fledglings trying to leave before they were ready to fly. 

"All around the country, local groups rescued swifts; my sister cared for 17. 

"I remember going down to Sidcup to pick up her daughter from university, and, as the three of us sat outdoors at a Sri Lankan restaurant, there was a swift on the other chair being fed crickets - it had to be fed every hour to keep it alive. 

"My sister did that while juggling three kids and working a full-time job."

Several contributors to the debate noted that, even if the special bricks were not occupied by swifts, they might be used by other red-listed species such as house sparrows, starlings and housemartins.

This prompted an intervention from Kit Malthouse (Con, North West Hampshire) who expressed regret that the  six swift boxes on his house had been "overtaken" by ring-necked parakeets.

"They are able to widen the opening because it is wooden, rather than brick. 

"Using bricks protects swifts from being evicted by more aggressive species."

                                           

Kit Malthouse - parakeets

Mr Malthouse went on to make a wider point.

"In many developments, the box is ticked by putting up some wooden boxes here and there that will deteriorate over three or four years and then be gone. 

"The point about the swift brick is that it is permanent. It cannot go. It does not weather or deteriorate. 

"After seven or eight years, my wooden boxes are already looking a bit ropey after the predations of the parakeets and will need to be replaced. A brick would not. That is why we are all so keen to see them mandated."

A valuable suggestion came from Caroline Nokes (Con, Romsey and Southampton North)who urged for installation of  swift bricks to be a planning requirement for extensions.

"In a cost of living crisis, many people might not be able to afford to move, and they might need to enlarge their homes," she argued.

"So if a new brick is going in, there is no difficulty in making it a swift one."

Earlier, the debate was opened by Matt Vickers (Con, Stockton South) who expressed regret that so few local planning  authorities - thought to be just eight - had adopted a mandatory approach to swift bricks in new developments.

"I am currently harassing my local authority about this," he declared. "I hope we will all go back to our constituencies and local authorities and drive for change.

"But  we are also  calling for Central Government to drive that change."

                                              

Matt Vickers - 'planning change needed'

Despite the lukewarm response of the Minister, hope continues to flicker that the Government might yet be persuaded to take action.

Ms Davison agreed to a further meeting with MPs following pressure from Robert Courts (Con, Whitney) who described the swift as "breathtakingly charismatic" species.

"This issue is a way for her to make a real mark on nature," he insisted. "It could be something that she could forever say she had done that had helped the future. 

                                      

Robert Courts - 'niche subject'

"This is quite a niche subject, and perhaps one that Defra does not understand in the way it ought to in terms of how it could help."

The debate has been triggered by wildlife writer and campaigner Hannah Bourne-Taylor whose petition on the subject attracted more than 100,000 signatures.

Others who took part in the debate included: 

* Duncan Baker (Con, North Norfolk) 

* Richard Burgon (Lab,  Leeds East) 

* Siobhan Baillie (Con, Stroud) 

* Helen Morgan (Lib-Dem, North Shropshire) 

* Richard Foord (Lib-Dem, Tiverton & Honiton) 

Time ran out before some, such as Matt Warman (Con, Boston & Skegness), could chip in.

Chairman of the meeting was Sir Edward Leigh  (Con, Gainsborough).

The Wryneck says: Everything was going so well until the Minister and the Shadow Minister sucked the oxygen out of the debate with their wan and depressing responses which basically spelt out the 'we-can't-really-be-bothered message'. The only hope is that a change of heart will be coaxed from Ms Davison and Mr Pennycook. Otherwise, without the political will to support it, the campaign is probably doomed.

* Photos: Parliament TV

Book review: The Sounds of Life - how digital technology is bringing us closer to the worlds of animals and plants

Prof Bakker - 'sonic summons'

FIRST creature to be mentioned by Prof Bakker in her latest book, which is absorbing from start to finish, is the peacock.

In her introduction, she writes: "In one of the animal kingdom's most famous mating rituals, male peacocks transmit powerful infrasound with their raised tails.

"What humans perceive to be a visual display is, in fact, a sonic summons.

"Thereafter, it has to be said that ornithology takes a back seat in her narrative  to other forms of life such as bats, bees, whales, fish and even larvae.

That is because the author's focus is on the sounds which lie beyond the range of human hearing -  typically between 20Hz and 20 kHz.

She explores how research involving digital technology and artificial intelligence  is revealing how, in effect, the planet is a constant symphony. 

To some extent, much of this has  already been known about the mammals that live in the oceans.

Whales, for example, are finely tuned to the sonic environment of the ocean. Their consciousness is based on sound, not sight

Extraordinarily, sperm whales can vocalise at over 200 decibels, "louder than a rocket launch or a jet engine at take-off".

But the fact that tiny creatures scuttling about in the soil - and even plants - are in constant conversation  takes the author into fresher territory.

"Soundscapes can reveal much about the functional condition of eco-systems," she writes.

"One that is degraded sounds very different from a healthy one.

"Like a stethoscope that detects a heart murmur, eco-acoustics  can detect the presence or absence of healthy sounds."

Prof Bakker finds immense encouragement in this incredibly fast moving branch of zoological research.

She notes  "Our own physiologies - and perhaps our psyches - limit our capacity to listen to our non-human kin.

"But humanity is beginning to expand its hearing ability.

"Digital technologies, so often associated with our alienation from nature, are offering us an opportunity to listen to non-human in powerful ways, reviving our connection to the natural world."

Could it be that birds use the sounds from our resonant  planet's eternal 'symphony' to help guide their migration? Who knows?

The Sounds of Life is published in hardback at £28 by Princeton University Press.

Bygone birding: how mother 'willow-wren' and chicks were saved from cruel death

                                              

Eliza Brightwen - rescue mission

Extract from Inmates of My House and Garden (1895) by Eliza Brightwen:

ONE afternoon towards the end of May, I was strolling along a garden walk which skirts the open common when I overheard some boys saying: "Here's the nest, she can't fly." 

Fearing some cruelty was going on, I quickly went out to the lads and asked what they were doing.

They pointed to a tiny willow-wren sitting on the ground unable to move because her wings were glued together with birdlime.

It was the work of some bird-catcher.

He had placed the sticky birdlime on bracken stems around the poor bird's nest, which was in a tuft of grass and heather, and as she alighted with food for her young ones she was caught and held fast. 

It was a piteous sight! 

The five hungry little nestlings were cheeping for food, and the bright eyes of the mother-bird looked up at me as if appealing for help. 

The boys were as grieved as I was, but what were we to do ?

I could not let the poor victims die of starvation, so I resolved to take the willow-wren and her family home and see if I could feed the little ones and release the glued wings so as to give the mother-bird power to fly once more. 

With great pains I did succeed so far that the bird could plume her feathers, and, after a few days, she could again use her wings.

I fed the young birds, and, in this duty, the tender little mother aided me, and would even take food from my hand and put it into the gaping beaks that were always ready for small morsels of raw meat or mealworms.

On this diet, the young wrens grew and flourished until I was able one fine day to release the mother and children and rejoice in the thought that their innocent lives had been saved from a cruel death.

I can but hope that no reader of this book would ever dream of catching our songsters with birdlime. 

The willow-wren, one of the most useful of our insect-eating birds, abounds in my old garden and keeps the rose-trees free from aphids and other pests. 

It chooses very unsafe places for its nest, the smallest tuft of grass being deemed a sufficient shelter. 

One such nest, I remember, was located two years ago close to the field road where my hay carts were continually passing. 

The brave little mother seemed to have no fear, but, as a heedless footstep might unwittingly have destroyed the nest, some branches were placed round the spot for her protection, and I hope she succeeded in rearing her family.

It is a charming sight to see a party of willow-wrens methodically clearing the insects from a rose-tree. 

Like a band of tiny acrobats they flit about sideways, upside down, in and out, until every twig has been examined and all the prey secured, then, with happy chirpings, away they flit to the next tree to resume their useful operations.

The sweet, warbling song of this migrant seems a truly summer sound, for the bird seldom arrives until the middle of April, and leaves us again about the end of September.

Its note therefore suggests sunshine and flowers and the hum of insect-life.

Are you looking to become part of the RSPB flock? Sandy-based charity posts its latest list of vacancies

                                                                    

THE RSPB has posted its latest list of vacancies - but hurry, the deadline for applications is later this month. 

Conservation Scientist – Breeding Wader Scenarios

We have a fantastic opportunity for a scientist to join the England & Wales team within the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science. We are looking for someone with a strong background in ecology, applied statistics, remote sensing and GIS to model contrasting conservation strategies for Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe in three landscapes in lowland England.

Flexible in UK

Closes 24/07/2023

Estate Worker

This is a wonderful opportunity to join a great team saving nature and inspiring people in one of the most wildlife-rich counties in the UK.

RSPB Scotland - Orkney

Closes 23/07/2023

Dundee Community Engagement Officer x2

RSPB Scotland is collaborating with the people who live and work in Dundee to explore how saving nature can meet every challenge. We want two creative, passionate individuals to bring these projects to life, bringing energy, fresh ideas and problem-solving skills. If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you!

Dundee

Closes 23/07/2023

Part-Time Project Officer - Climate FORTH Communications (Fixed-Term, Hybrid)

We are looking for an enthusiastic and organised individual with a passion for partnership working to help deliver 'Climate FORTH: Furthering Our Resilience Through Heritage' as Project Officer Communications. This is a part-time, fixed-term contract until 31st October 2026 for 30 hours per week.

Flexible in Central Scotland

Closes 23/07/2023

Part-Time Retail Assistant

We are looking for an enthusiastic team player to join us as a Part-Time Retail Assistant at our Conwy reserve, and help us deliver fantastic customer service on a permanent contract for 22.5 hours per week.

Conwy

Closes 18/07/2023

Project Officer - Climate FORTH Community & Youth Development (Fixed-Term)

We are looking for an enthusiastic and organised individual with a passion for partnership working to help deliver 'Climate FORTH: Furthering Our Resilience Through Heritage' as Project Officer Community & Youth Development. This is a full-time, fixed-term contract until 31st July 2026.

Skinflats and Black Devon Reserve

Closes 23/07/2023

Head of Buying and Merchandising

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Head of Buying and Merchandising to lead our Buying and Merchandising team. You will be responsible for driving the strategy to ensure the growth in both sales & profitability while maintaining a strategic business focus to ensure continued development in the buying and merchandising department.

Flexible in UK

Closes 21/07/2023

Part-Time Food & Beverage Assistant

Our busy cafe at RSPB Conwy Reserve is looking for permanent part-time Food and Beverage assistants to join the team part-time for 22.5 hours per week. We are looking for an individual who is able to deliver the highest standards of customer care and assist with the day-to-day running of the cafe operation, in line with set RSPB procedures and routines.

Conwy

Closes 19/07/2023

Conservation Officer

Are you passionate about nature and experienced in conservation delivery for priority species and habitats? We are looking for a skilled and enthusiastic Conservation Officer to join our North East and Cumbria Area Team, to develop and deliver a range of work in The Lake District and other parts of Cumbria.

Cumbria

Closes 20/07/2023

Part Time Estate Worker - RSPB Ecology and Land Management

This is a zero hours, permanent contract role working as part of the RSPB Ecology and Land management Team ELM. ELM is the RSPB contracting team. We work on both RSPB reserves and with other external clients delivering a high quality service whether it be ecological surveys/monitoring work or habitat management work.

Flexible in UK

Closes 11/07/2023

Direct Marketing Manager

Are you a confident and experienced direct marketer who wants to inspire more and more diverse people to support the nature-saving work of the RSPB? Then we need your expertise and energy to help us plan and deliver the product, channel, and promotional strategy for our individual giving activity.

Flexible in UK

Closes 12/07/2023

Land Use Policy Officer

This is a versatile position with chances to conduct policy research, formulate fresh policy concepts, and push for reforms through effective communication and campaign initiatives.

RSPB Scotland - HQ

Closes 21/07/2023

Ecommerce Executive (Maternity Cover)

Our team is currently seeking an E-commerce Executive to join us. As the E-commerce Executive, your expertise and abilities will be utilised to enhance and expand our business, resulting in increased revenue for conservation efforts.

Flexible in UK

Closes 16/07/2023

Wildlife Fundraiser - Bedfordshire

We have an amazing opportunity for someone to join the team as a Wildlife Fundraiser. Each day you will travel to different venues, set up an attractive fundraising stand and spend the day actively engaging with members of the public. The aim is to inspire people to become lifelong members, in this interesting and rewarding role.

Bedfordshire

Closes 09/07/2023

Site Manager - Berney Marshes and Breydon Water

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and organised conservation land manager with a passion for nature to lead the RSPB Berney Marshes and Breydon Water Nature Reserves.

Berney Marshes and Breydon Water

Closes 16/07/2023

Ecologist - Biodiversity Net Gain

We are in search of an experienced, energetic, and enthusiastic ecologist to assist in the execution of our biodiversity net gain initiatives throughout England. Your responsibilities will include conducting habitat condition evaluations utilising the Defra Biodiversity Net Gain Metric, enrolling locations, and collaborating on action plans to enhance their ecological state.

Flexible in England

Closes 16/07/2023

Facilities Manager/Administrator - Broadland Reserves

We are looking for an adaptable and organised person with office management skills to join the friendly RSPB team at Strumpshaw Fen to run our office facilities, lead the administrative work programme and provide a variety of support services to our visitor operations and land management teams.

Strumpshaw Fen

Closes 10/07/2023

Science Finance Officer (Fixed Term)

We're seeking a person with demonstrable experience and skills in supporting research funding applications and administering the concomitant income. Collaborating closely with staff based in RSPB's Conservation Science and Project Development and Support teams, the post-holder will also assist with contract management (including key financial administration, monitoring and reporting tasks) to support the conservation of threatened species and habitats throughout the UK and overseas.

Flexible in UK

Closes 09/07/2023

Part-time Food and Beverage Assistant Manager

We're looking for a part-time Food and Beverage Assistant Manager at RSPB Saltholme cafe. As the UK's largest nature conservation charity, we think big and act boldly, hoping that one day we can see a world where wildlife, wild places and all people thrive. Our Food and Beverage teams raise vital funds which enable us to carry out globally important conservation work in the race to save nature. This is a permanent, part-time contract for 27.5 hours per week.

Saltholme

Closes 19/07/2023

Campaigns Developer

Our team is currently seeking a skilled Campaigns Developer to oversee the implementation of various RSPB marketing communications through diverse online and offline channels. The ideal candidate will provide technical guidance to activity owners, create data selections, and offer advice on effective data segmentation to achieve desired outcomes. Proficiency in Apteco Faststats is a must for this position.

Flexible in UK

Closes 07/07/2023

Wildlife Fundraiser - Cambridgeshire

We have an amazing opportunity for someone to join the team as a Wildlife Fundraiser. Each day you will travel to different venues, set up an attractive fundraising stand and spend the day actively engaging with members of the public. The aim is to inspire people to become lifelong members, in this interesting and rewarding role.

Cambridgeshire

Closes 09/07/2023

Rural Surveyor - South-West England (Fixed-Term)

We have a wonderful opportunity for a self-motivated Rural Surveyor to join the RSPB England's Land Team to be based in Southern England, an operational area extending from Cornwall and Devon to Kent and Essex. This is a full-time, fixed-term contract for 23 months.

Flexible in South-West England

Closes 16/07/2023

Wildlife Fundraiser - Bridgnorth

We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for individuals seeking to become a Wildlife Fundraiser in Bridgnorth. As a part of the team, you will have the chance to travel to various venues, set up an appealing fundraising stand, and spend your day actively connecting with the public. The goal is to encourage people to become lifelong members, making it a fascinating and fulfilling position.

Bridgnorth

Closes 06/07/2023

Wildlife Fundraiser - Kent

We have an amazing opportunity for someone to join the team as a Wildlife Fundraiser. Each day you will travel to different venues, set up an attractive fundraising stand and spend the day actively engaging with members of the public. The aim is to inspire people to become lifelong members, in this interesting and rewarding role.

Kent

Closes 09/07/2023

Part Time Administrator - RSPB Eastern Solent Reserves (Fixed Term)

Our RSPB Pagham Harbour visitor centre at Sidlesham (West Sussex) is looking for an enthusiastic weekend Administrator / Centre Assistant to help us provide a fabulous experience to our visitors.

Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve

Closes 09/07/2023

Senior Development Officer - Scotland

We are seeking a motivated and passionate person with experience in developing relationships with businesses to join our Scotland Funding Development team. Joining RSPB Scotland offers a fantastic opportunity to grow your career as a fundraiser and bring in vital resources for nature.

Flexible in Central Scotland

Closes 16/07/2023

Part-time Cleaner

We are looking for a friendly enthusiastic cleaner to join our team and help keep our facilities at our two reserves, RSPB Fairburn Ings, and RSPB St Aidan's, clean and welcoming to all. You will be part of a wonderful team in the Aire Valley and your role will help ensure our visitors have an exceptional visitor experience. This is a part-time contract for between 12.5 and 15 hours per week.

Fairburn Ings

Closes 21/07/2023

Community Engagement Officer - Shetland (Maternity Cover)

Since piloting the Nature Prescription concept in Shetland and Edinburgh and Leith, and during the pandemic, we have developed a greater understanding of the benefits of (and barriers from) connecting with nature in a meaningful way. This role will help build upon the work which has been done, create resources and work with relevant partners to build upon the previous pilots. This is a part-time maternity cover contract for 22.5 hours per week.

Shetland Office

Closes 09/07/2023

Part-Time Learning Officer (Maternity cover)

This is a fantastic opportunity to inspire a generation of children at RSPB Fairburn Ings. Connecting children to nature through environmental education is a core part of the RSPB's work and we are looking for a passionate and inspirational educator with good general knowledge of ecology and natural history to join our friendly and supportive team. This is a part-time maternity cover contract for 22.5 hours per week.

Fairburn Ings

Closes 14/07/2023

Part-time Food and Beverage Assistants

We're looking for two part-time Food and Beverage Assistants at RSPB Saltholme Cafe. As the UK's largest nature conservation charity, we think big and act boldly, hoping that one day we can see a world where wildlife, wild places and all people thrive. Our Food and Beverage teams raise vital funds which enable us to carry out globally important conservation work in the race to save nature.

* More details at:

Job Vacancies - The RSPB

MP thrilled to bits by breeding success of black-winged stilts within his Lincolnshire constituency

                                            

Matt Warman MP  - Feather in Frampton's cap

PLAUDITS to Lincolnshire MP Matt Warman who is still speaking up for birds six years after having been named as one of Parliament's 17 species 'champions' by the RSPB.

When it emerged that black-winged stilts were nesting this summer  in his Boston & Skegness constituency, Mr Warman wasted no time in expressing his delight.

Said he: "I was very pleased to learn of the breeding success for black-winged stilts - a first for Lincolnshire - at the RSPB reserve at Frampton Marsh which is within my patch.

"This further consolidates the reserve's status as one of the best habitats in the UK for both resident and migrating birds."

Since the revelation, the birds - more frequently to be found in Mediterranean climes - have become an unexpected tourist attraction, drawing visitors from far and wide.

The mother of Mr Warman's wife, Rachel, used to work for the RSPB at another reserve, Freiston Shore, which not far from Frampton, and the MP says: "The welfare of birds and wildlife is certainly something we, as a family, care deeply about."

His own particular interest is in long-legged wetland beasties, and, in 2017, he agreed to become species 'champion for another bird to be found nesting in watery parts of Frampton and elsewhere in Lincolnshire - the redshank. 

                                           

Redshank - chosen bird of the Lincolnshire MP 

The other species 'champions' are (or were): 

* Jake Berry: Curlew

* James Cartlidge: Turtle dove

* Therese Coffey: Bittern

* Mark Garnier: Lesser spotted woodpecker

* Nick Herbert (now in the House of Lords): Lapwing

* Kevin Hollinrake: Puffin

* Kerry McCarthy: Swift

* Jess Phillips: Dunnock

* Rebecca Pow: Snipe

* Angela Smith (no longer an MP): Hen harrier

* Dame Caroline Spelman (no longer an MP): Willow tit 

* Derek Thomas: Manx shearwater

* Kelly Tolhurst: Nightingale

* Anna Turley (no longer an MP): Little tern

* Gavin Williamson: Barn owl

* Sarah Wollaston (no longer an MP): Cirl bunting

The Wryneck says: The species 'champion' initiative was a good one, so it is a shame that the RSPB has let it fall into disrepair. There are 650 British MPs and currently just 12 are species champions. How feeble is that! Considering that most, if not all, UK parliamentary constituencies have several hundred electors who are RSPB or wildlife trust members, it is surprising that (even if only for cynical vote-winning reasons) their representatives so rarely mention birds in their press releases or election material.  Well done to Matt Warman,  at least, for continuing to fly the flag!     

Birthday greetings to Ken Clarke - foremost politician of yesteryear and super-enthusiastic birder

Ken Clarke - the Japanese regard birding as 'deeply eccentric'

                      

IT'S many happy returns of July 2 for former Conservative minister Ken Clarke who is also a keen birder.

In his book, Kind of Blue, Lord Clarke of Nottingham, as he now is, described how birdwatching has provided him with a valuable  diversion from politics since he took up the hobby in  the early 1980s.

He includes it with jazz, cricket and football (he supports both Nottingham Forest and Notts County), plus  Formula One motor racing, as a private enthusiasm about which he is 'obsessive'.

Over the years, sometimes  on official overseas trips, he has been able to watch hundreds of different species  on  expeditions to mountains, jungles rainforests, plains and coasts on every continent. 

His life list now numbers more than 3,000 species.

In his book, he reveals how he had formerly scorned birdwatching as "a very anorak activity that only spoiled a country walk".

He changed his mind on a holiday in southern France where he found himself entranced first by the number of attractive butterflies, then by the "varied and interesting" birdlife.

The former MP for Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire  writes: "I therefore bought a handbook of birds and also invested in a pair of binoculars which I proposed to use principally when making my frequent visits to watch First Class cricket at Trent Bridge

"To say that I was a novice when I started would be an understatement.

"I recall staying with friends in Cornwall and peering at a small bird in a hedge and slowly turning the pages of my book one by one to try to identify it.

"I think I had got past the hawks and gulls, but I was making painfully slow progress until my wife, Gillian, walked up behind me and said: "It's a blue tit - we have lots of them in the garden."

                                  

Mystery bird turned out to be a blue tit

Sadly, Gillian is no longer with us, and, since 2015, he has to depend on his own skills and experience to get the ID right. 

The politician has an amusing anecdote about a problem he encountered when he sought an opportunity to watch  cranes and other exotic species in Japan.

"In Japan, birdwatching is an almost unknown interest regarded as deeply eccentric," he says.

"On one trip, Gillian and I were driven by our government escort an enormous distance through very attractive looking birdwatching territory to a large natural  history museum where we were  shown in to a collection of stuffed birds in cases.

"I tried to explain that my interest was in searching for birds with binoculars in the wild." 

The Japanese  were totally nonplussed.

"They explained that there were many more birds in the museum than could be found in the open air and that they would be much easier to study at close quarters."

Kind of Blue was published in 2016 by Macmillan. 

As well as charting his political and business career, he takes the opportunity to make two other revelations - first that he had never used a computer and second that, contrary to frequent media jibes, he does not wear Hush Puppies but hand-made suede shoes from the  long-established Northampton firm, Crockett & Jones.

Lord Clarke was born in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, in 1940.