Bird of the month: the cirl bunting that sprang a mid-March surprise when it turned up way north of its range

                                              

Lover of elm trees

Our bird of the week is the cirl bunting - specifically, the one  that was detected and photographed by Cameron Sharp at Barnard Castle in Co Durham. It was only the second record for the county and in such an unlikely location as to make its appearance probably even more of a surprise than all those American wood warblers that turned up in Pembrokeshire back in autumn. Had the mysterious bunting wandered northeast from its stronghold county of Devon? Had it drifted to Britain from southern Europe. Or was it an aviary escapee? We might never know. Below are what three commentators of yesteryear have written about the species whose unusual name, incidentally, is said to derive from the Italian verb ‘zerlare’ - to chirp. Both the illustrations are by John Gould.

From Field Studies of Some Rarer British Birds (1914) by John Walpole-Bond

It is unnecessary to specify every place in Sussex where the species occurs, but I may just add that I have encountered the bird in a number of spots, amongst which the following centres may be notified : Hastings, Eastbourne, Lewes, Brighton, Steyning, Worthing and Chichester. 

It is certainly commoner from Lewes and Brighton on west than it is in the east of the county.

In the right district the cirl bunting is a frequenter of country roads and lanes as well as, though in a very minor degree, of certain lower slopes of the Downs which luxuriate in a good mixed growth of gorse, brambles, and thorns and which are bounded by a rough road or well-used track; or, again, those portions near the valleys which are under cultivation and which boast 'shaws' or irregularly planted trees. 

Trees, indeed, are practically indispensable to the species. 

It loves civilisation far more than its cousin, the familiar yellowhammer; really wild country it sedulously shuns. 

So fond, apparently, is the bird of man's vicinity, that, in any 'Cirl region', there is almost always a certainty of a pair being found nesting close to each scattered farm or homestead. 

Even country seats can sometimes boast a pair of cirls in their pleasure-grounds during summer; more, I have found the nest in Worthing itself, and have heard of others in the gardens of similar big towns, Chichester for one, Eastbourne for another.

The cirl evinces a marked liking for elms: in nearly all its haunts, elm trees form a distinct feature of the scenery. 

One cannot help thinking that this special love of the elm must take origin from some species of insect or caterpillar haunting that tree, and on which the nestlings are chiefly nourished. 

Yet I can think of scores of places rich in elms where cirl buntings are never seen!

There is practically but one method of finding a cirl's nest: that is by beating out and searching all the likely cover in and around any spot where the male sings regularly. 

If there are two people in the game, so much the better, since you then have an operator on each side of the hedge, quite a necessary precaution when it is recollected that any bird, especially one flushed from eggs is prone to pop out of a hedgerow on the opposite side to that on which you are working solo. 

This means that, though you will certainly hear the rustle, you seldom get a fair view of your quarry, if indeed you get one at all. 

In one way, however, all the buntings are straightforward in their tactics.

I mean they, one and all, when flushed from their nest, crash right off into the open. 

They never slip off secretively and creep through the adjacent undergrowth, as many of the warblers and the hedge sparrow are so fond of doing.

The cirl generally first attracts you by its song: as you saunter (an ornithologist should nearly always saunter, unless he feels obliged to race time) some summer morn along the highway or byways, there suddenly assails the ear from somewhere high up in a leafy tree a monotonous, if somewhat musical trill which resembles to no small extent the letter 'T', or else the word 'tut' or 'tehr' (just as fancy dictates) repeated loudly and clearly.

Even now the birds are reluctant about being approached too nearly: if you attempt it, they are prone to recompense you by flying off altogether, perhaps clean out of sight or else they may seek immediate seclusion in any adjacent tree. 

Exceptionally, however, you shall obtain, and linger delightfully over, a good view of one perched, all unconscious of your presence, on a hedge-top, fence or log of fallen timber. 

If disturbed now, the shy creature makes off with dipping flight straight along the hedgerow for some distance, and generally, too, on the far side of it, especially should you have claimed the road, before seeking cover. 

From An Illustrated Manual of British Birds (1899) by Howard Saunders

The cirl bunting is a resident in the south of England, and was added to the British list by Montagu who found it breeding in Devonshire.

Subsequent observations have considerably extended our acquaintance with its range. 

The bird is known to be fairly common - though very local -from Cornwall to Kent and upon the slopes of the valleys of the Thames and its tributaries as far as Gloucestershire; also on the chalk-hills of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, especially in the neighbourhood of Tring.

It has also been found breeding in Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire.

In Wales it has decidedly spread of late, and it is known to have nested in Brecon, Glamorgan, Cardigan and Denbighshire, while it has occurred in other parts of the Principality. 

In East Anglia, it is rare, only five examples having been recorded for Norfolk.

In Northamptonshire and the Midland counties it is of accidental occurrence, and to Yorkshire it is a rare visitor , while in Durham, Northumberland and Cumberland it is unknown, though it has strayed to Lancashire. 

In Scotland, at long intervals, three stragglers have been taken: one near Edinburgh, one in Aberdeenshire and one in Roxburghshire.

In Ireland, no authenticated example has been obtained.

The cirl bunting has only twice been obtained (in spring) on Heligoland, and is of rare occurrence in Holland and Belgium. 

In summer, it is found from France on the west to Bohemia on the east, while southward it is resident from the Spanish Peninsula to Greece, southern Russia, Turkey, Asia Minor and the islands of the Mediterranean. 

The late Lord Lilford found it breeding up to 4,000 ft. in the mountains of Algeria, and in winter it is partially migratory from the north as far as the south of its range.

From Our Favourite Songbirds - Their Habits, Music and Characteristics (1897) by Charles Dixon

In spring, the cirl bunting becomes more of a tree bird, rather more shy and skulking, and is certainly quieter, less demonstrative and consequently more apt to be overlooked. 

It has also a habit of flying out of that side of a hedge or tree furthest away from the observer. 

As long as it thinks itself unseen, it will remain chirping monotonously at regular intervals, but it seldom lingers long after it becomes aware that it is being watched. 

In spring and summer, when flushed, it usually flies from one tree to another, and is careful to hide itself away amongst the foliage.

Showy bird as it is, it does not readily reveal itself, and often all our prying amongst the leaves is in vain, to discover the hidden and monotonous chirper.

From The Birds of Europe (1837) by John Gould  

For the discovery of this beautiful species of bunting in our island, we are indebted to the industry and research of the late Colonel Montagu. 

It is now much more numerous than it formerly was, but, unlike its ally, the well-known  yellowhammer,  which is distributed through the whole of our island, the cirl bunting is extremely local in its habitat, being seldom seen in our midland and northern counties. 

It is common in Devonshire and all along our southern coast. 

In Sussex, we have ourselves seen it in abundance, particularly in the neighbourhood of Chichester where it annually breeds. 

It is much more shy and retiring than the yellowhammer. Its song is also different, more resembling that of the Chaffinch.

It frequents nearly the whole of the southern provinces of Europe, and is especially abundant along the shores of the Mediterranean as well as in Italy and the southern parts of France.

                                                       

Apt to be overlooked

Housebuilder 'proud' of its pledge to safeguard welfare of stone-curlews and other scarce wildlife

 

Unlikely bedfellows - Persimmon Homes and stone-curlews

BRITAIN'S largest housebuilder, Persimmon Homes, has pledged to safeguard the welfare of rare stone-curlews which live near the site of a proposed 139-property development.

The Wryneck is not naming the location to save alerting unscrupulous egg collectors, but planning consent was granted in November last year.

Before proceeding, the company says it will create a 2.33-hectare off-site habitat chiefly for the stone-curlews but potentially also for other scarce birds, such as woodlarks and nightjars, plus seldom-seen reptiles.

Says a Persimmon spokesperson: "We are proud of this project and its likely ecological benefits.

"The site will be managed in perpetuity for the stone curlews and other wildlife." 

Natural England initially objected to the project, but its concerns seem to have been allayed by the proposed mitigation.

The off-site habitat will be on land adjacent to an existing Site of Special Scientific Interest.

* Photo, via Wikimedia Commons, taken in Italy by Francesco Venonesi

Auction opportunity beckons to buy set of volumes illustrated by acclaimed bird artist Archibald Thorburn

 

This superb set of volumes by acclaimed wildlife artist Archibald Thorburn is set to go under the hammer on the morning of April 10  at a specialist sale of books, maps and manuscripts to be held by auctioneers Tennants at their premises in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. The pre-sale estimate is that the Lot will fetch between £200 and £400 which seems modest. However, it has to be said that the market for antiquarian ornithology-related books has not not been notably strong in recent months.

The Isle of Wight's White-tailed eagles love to go a-wandering - but not (for some reason) to Wales or Ireland

                                               

Tim Mackrill - expert on fish-eating raptors 

WHEN White-tailed Eagles returned to England almost five years ago, no one expected Lapwings to be a beneficiary species.

But early evidence is indicating that their presence can displace Buzzards which prey on Lapwing chicks.

By contrast, though White-tailed Eagles do feed on birds, their targets tend not to be Lapwings but Coot or unfit specimens of larger species such as Grey Lage and Canada Geese.

This information and much more featured in  a fascinating weekend talk by Dr Tim Mackrill. It was entitled The Return of The White-tailed Eagle to England.

In his illustrated presentation on Saturday to the annual meeting of the Lincolnshire  Bird Club, he noted that this majestic raptor, the fourth largest eagle in the world, used to be widespread in England until it was persecuted to extinction.

Why the persecution? Tim did not go into detail but noted  a religious link. Fish-eating is associated with Good Friday which is why, through centuries, substantial bounties were placed on the killing of both this fish-eating species and another, the Osprey.

What initiated the return to England? It dates back to June 2019 when the  highly-respected Roy Dennis Foundation introduced birds from  Scottish nests to the Isle of Wight where the bird had been extinct since 1780.

As Tim described it, this was born of the Foundation's conviction that the time had come to start "undoing a past wrong". 

The initiative has not been without controversy, especially among a minority of farmers.  

                                             

High in the sky! Such a magnificent raptor!

The species, especially young birds, feed extensively on carrion but, contrary to scare stories, there is no reliable evidence that they attack lambs or any other livestock.

Those animal carcasses on which they are seen feeding have invariably already died beforehand of other causes.

In his talk, attended by an audience of about 40, at the education centre at Whisby Nature Park, near Lincoln, Tim described how, in order to forestall any risk of imprinting, young birds were gradually introduced to their new Isle of Wight environment in such a way that the human involvement was imperceptible to the birds.

Although some of the 29 releasees since 2019 have died - for instance from avian influenza, ingesting poisoned rats, pylon cable collision or even, in one instance,  impact from a train while feeding on a dead deer on a  railway line.

Early indications are that survival rates seem to be greater among females, The reasons for this are not clear, and, according to Tim, it may just be happenstance.

One remarkable bird has managed to thrive despite somehow losing its right foot - thought to be the result of electrocution, entanglement with a fishing line or having been caught in a spring-trap.

Thanks to the attachment to the released birds of satellite tags (costing about £1,000 apiece). a huge amount is known about the nomadic behaviour of the species.

Tim and his raptor-studying colleagues are now able not just to track tagged birds but also to predict their movements up down the whole length of Britain, thence sometimes across the English Channel though western Europe to Scandinavia and back to the Isle of Wight.

It seems that the birds have favourite perching sites trees - such as willow, Scots pine and birch -  where, almost hidden from human view, they may spend as much of 90 per cent of their time doing absolutely nothing.

"They seem to favour the sit-and-wait method of foraging," said Tim who noted that, as birds grow older, they became increasingly adept at stealing food from other birds, even snatching prey from Herons, Peregrines, Buzzards and Marsh Harriers.

Basing his talk mostly on scientific data, peppered with the occasional anecdote, Tim also touched on  plumage moult, breeding behaviour, historical context, Scottish introductions and how the diets (including cuttlefish and grey mullet) of individual birds change during the four or five ears or so while they grow from juveniles to adults. 

He also noted the significance of White-tailed eagles in generating tourism - thought conservatively to  be in excess of £5-millon per annum on Mull and more than £2.4-million the Isle of Skye. 

Contrary to widespread belief that White-tailed Eagles are solely birds of wild coasts, they breed extensively at inland sites in Germany and Poland, and they regularly nests on the outskirts of cities as large as Rotterdam, Helsinki and Hamburg.

Yet, despite the accumulation of knowledge about the species, it still  retains sufficient secrets to be classified as a bird of mystery.

Why, for instance, given the abundance of estuary and other suitable feeding habitat, do the nomadic flights of released birds exclude almost the whole of Wales and Northern Ireland? 

"Maybe it has something to do with prevailing winds, but we don't really know," said Tim.

Also unknown is the extent of its eyesight, though, according to the speaker, its detection ability could, incredibly, be as far as 10 miles! 

Tim has recently published a highly acclaimed book, The Osprey. He is pictured below with  some of those who attended his talk near Lincoln - from left, Mike Harrison, Chris Grimshaw, John Watt, Jon Cooper, Phil Espin and David Cohen.

A strange-looking bird - alas now extinct - looks even stranger in Staffordshire taxidermists' unique recreation

Slimline - Barry Williams' version of the great auk

IS  this what a great auk really looked like?

The long-extinct species has been reimagined and recreated by Staffordshire-based taxidermist Barry Williams as being much slimmer than in most other depictions.

It also has a somewhat strangely located left eye.

Enclosed within a five-glass display case, measuring  58cm by 36cm by 88.5cm, it is due to go under the hammer at a sale due to be held on April 17 by auction house Tennants of Leyburn in North Yorkshire.

The pre-sale estimate is that it will fetch between £1,200 and £1,800.

                                             

Here's looking at you - the eye has it!

 

 

                                          

Council's touching plea on behalf of Cleethorpes shorebirds: 'Beach is their home - we are the visitors'

  

Shorebirds, such as knot and oystercatcher, seen here on central beach just after high tide 

NORTH East Lincolnshire Council has today put out an unexpected - but welcome - plea on behalf of the birds and other wildlife that live within its jurisdiction:

"The Easter holidays are almost upon us and everyone is gearing up for the start of the season in Cleethorpes.

"From enjoying a wander along the prom to sighting some of nature’s most beautiful birds along the saltmarsh.

"With its sand dunes, saltmarsh and tidal mud flats, Cleethorpes is a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest  and provides vital habitat for hundreds of thousands of wading birds, rare plants and sea life. 

"Always keep a safe distance away and do not disturb. 

"Remember this is their habitat, their home and we are the visitors." 

The appeal concludes: "If you have concerns for an animal or bird’s health or safety, you can report it to the resort management team on 01472 323356."

Former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine (91 today) always put in a good word for the birds

 Lord Heseltine - lifelong bird enthusiast

 

IT'S many happy returns of the day to birdwatcher, former Deputy Prime Minister and Tory grandeee Lord  Heseltine of Thenford. 

He is 91.

His interest in all things ornithological started as a boy in Swansea where the family lived in a house with a spacious well-planted garden that was full of birds all through the year. 

"From an early age I enjoyed both watching them and listening to their  calls and songs," he recalls.

"I have no doubt I also took inspiration from the  rugged beauty and sandy bays of the nearby Gower peninsula where I spent many happy times.

"When I was at school at Shrewsbury, I  also was allowed to keep birds in an old farm  shed in the grounds. 

"Among them was a  jackdaw which I coaxed into becoming finger-tame."

Very occasionally, Lord Heseltine's interest in birds and wildlife overlapped with his political career. 

He was a key figure  in framing and promoting the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act.

He recalls: "The RSPB was one of the main consultees. 

"I remember telling the society how much it was to their benefit  to have a Secretary of State for the Environment who had a keen interest in birds. It was as if all their Christmases had come at once!"

Any downsides of the legislation?

"It has unleashed a population explosion of magpies which, I fear, have almost cleaned out many migrant songbirds that were once much more widespread than they are today.

As a minister, Lord Heseltine always sought to squeeze in a spot of birding during his overseas travels. 

He says one of his most unforgettable memories is of a visit to one of the Falklands Islands. 

"It was carpeted with rockhopper penguins and black-browed albatross. 

"One of the joys of birdwatching is that it is a hobby than can be enjoyed anywhere in the world. 

"I have met  many like-minded bird enthusiasts at foreign embassies and the foreign commands of our armed services."

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Workers down tools on ambitious Fair Isle Bird Observatory project as employers run out of cash

Artist's impression of the observatory project

HOPES that the new Fair Island Bird Observatory would open later this year have been dashed.

It emerged this week that cashflow problems have hit Lighthouse, the Sheffield-based modular firm that was building the £7.4-million observatory and its ancillary guest accommodation .

The likelihood is that it will go into administration resulting in a long delay while financial, legal and other issues are addressed.

Workers have now downed tools on the  project which was a replacement for another modular-built observatory that was destroyed by a mystery fire five years ago this month.

Says Douglas Barr, chairman of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust: "Regrettably, we have been advised that our builders have lodged a notice to appoint an administrator.

"This is particularly frustrating given we now have a windproof and watertight building.

"We were in the process of completing the internals which were scheduled to be finished this autumn."

So near, yet so far. Lighthouse released these photographs last year to illustrate  how the project was progressing  

Any good for birding? Old-style drawtube telescope sells for £45 at Lincolnshire auction

CAN anyone remember using a drawtube telescope?

Were such scopes any good for birding? 

This one sold for £45 at an auction in Louth, Lincolnshire, earlier this month.

Lively interest in superlative ornithological art at auction in North Yorkshire

Alas for one of these five bramblings, escape looks unlikely

TWO superb bird paintings sold for higher sums than expected at an auction staged this morning by Tennants of Leyburn in North Yorkshire.

The study of a male sparrowhawk in pursuit of bramblings is by George Edward Lodge (1860-1954).

The pre-sale guide price was £1,000-£1,500 but bidding reached £2,000 before the deal was done.

Earlier, there was strong interest in a fieldfare which had been wrongly identified in the catalogue as a cuckoo.

Beautifully depicted by under-appreciated Leeds artist Raymond Booth (1929-2015), it was expected to fetch between £100-£150.

In the event, bidding reached £380 before the hammer fell.

A proud-looking bird - Raymond Booth's impressive fieldfare

The trouble with herons - they seem to be targeting kingfishers' nests for an easy meal

                                       

Phil Espin - lively presentation by county club chairman 

IF you have housemartins nesting under the eaves of your home, treasure them!

That was the message from Lincolnshire Bird Club chairman Phil Espin in an illustrated presentation to a meeting, held in Grimsby Town Hall, of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.

Like its fellow hirundine species, the swallow, the house martin is in decline.

This is partly because of loss of nesting habitat but also, it is believed, because climate change is changing the emergence times of the insects on which it feeds.

Phil's entertaining and informative talk  was on the birds of Lincolnshire with special reference to species to be found along the Louth Navigation Canal which flows 11 miles from Louth Riverhead to Tetney Lock and along which he has occasionally walked there and back.

Sightings (and hearings) of some farmland species, such as yellowhammers, that regularly used to be commonplace on either side of the canal, are now few and far between.

While acknowledging that changes to farming practices and loss of biodiversity have take their toll on birdlife, Phil, who lives in Louth, was far from despondent because, given a chance, species can bounce back very quickly.

What is more, there has been a substantial increase in numbers for some waterbirds such as little egret, great white egret, gadwall and goosander, while the Cetti's warbler seems to be extending beyond is traditional wetland habitat.

Although not common, grey wagtails and kingfishers seem to be holding their own along the canal.

The latter might be more plentiful if it were not for the fact that predatory herons have learned to find their eggs and chicks by poking their long bills into their riverbank nest holes which, as a rule, are not very high above water level.

Herons themselves do not seem to be much disadvantaged by the population growth of egrets but there is some anecdotal items that, they are spooked by the presence of buzzards which have increased dramatically in the county since the turn of the century.

Phil dedicated the talk to his friend and fellow-birder, John Clarkson, who died last year and whose photographs he featured in his talk.

American birder's candid admission: 'I sometimes dropped pumpkins from footbridge on to trains passing below'

 

With no previous experience of cycling, the author completed almost 18,000 miles in 12 month and saw more than 600 species 

THERE is  no getting away from it - Dorian Anderson was more than a bit of a tearaway in his younger days.

A birder since the age of seven, he sometimes sought alternative distractions near his family's home in the leafy Chestnut Hill suburb of Philadelphia.

For light relief, he would while away a moment or so by hurling rocks at trains rattling past on the railroad.

And come Halloween, there were  occasions when he would climb to the platform of the footbridge of the same railroad and drop pumpkins on the rooves of trains as they passed underneath.

This  doubtless scared the wits out of the on-board passengers, but, at least to this particular youngster, it was, "unadulterated joy".

As he grew older, the author's  addictive hunger for thrills took him to darker territory - dangerously excessive consumption not just of alcohol but also of cocaine and Ecstasy.

Despite all these misdemeanours, there was sufficient about his constitutional resilience, his intellect and his temperament to allow him to pursue a brilliant career as one of the United States' leading neuroscience research scientists, with many scientific breakthroughs to his name.

If he had continued in academia, he would surely have become a professor in his field, possibly while still in his thirties.

But no. To the horror of his American mother, a teacher, and his English father, a lawyer, with both of whom his relationship was already a little fragile, he jacked in university life  to go on a journey of self-discovery.

With no previous cycling experience, he set off on board a Surly Disc Trucker touring cycle on a January-to-December trek which took him through 28 states across no fewer than 17,800 miles

Along the way, Anderson  made it a mission to see at least 600 different bird species, a target which he achieved with a further 18 as a bonus.

As the narrative zips along, he treats us to his breathtaking encounters with the likes of snowy owl, snail kite, king eider, Wilson's snipe, brown-capped rosy-finch, red-legged honeycreeper, whooping crane, greater sage-grouse  and a spectacular bust-up between two hummingbird species - blue-throated and magnificent.

Any particular highlight? It was his sighting of a rufous-backed robin. 

"It was the year's best feeling," he enthuses. "A natural high no amount of alcohol or drugs could replicate." 

One early delight for Dorian, while in Massachusetts, was when, out of the blue, he received a tip-off from a teenage enthusiast, Miles Brengle, that a thick-billed murre, typically a species of the faraway ocean wave, was within viewing distance from a wharf in Gloucester harbour.

Having rushed to the scene to view the bird, the grateful author tells his informant: "Too bad I'm an alcoholic and you're only 14 - otherwise we'd crack open a beer to celebrate!"

Yes! As he acknowledges, the author had become, alas, an alcoholic. 

Sometimes in the book, there are detours as he reflects briefly, but informatively, on the nature of songbird migration, on eco-interventions by man, on the pros and cons (in the U.S.) of carrying a small firearm (!) and on the similarities of birding and fishing - "while you're waiting, you dream a bit".

Evidently, with his lungs subjected to all-too-regular drenchings from exhaust fumes, it was seldom less than an arduous and death-defying adventure.

Sometimes  he was so cold that he could hear his own teeth chattering like an "old-fashioned typewriter". At other times, the heat was so oppressive that the sweat pouring from his eyebrows stung his eyes and light-headedness rendered his movement clumsy

En route, notably on  Highway 17 in South Carolina, there were frequent near-misses, often involving passing trucks, whose drivers were often liberal with their abuse, and even one occasion when he was knocked from his machine by a hit-and-run female motorist.

"Each year, nearly 1,000 cyclists are killed by motorists," notes the author. "Over 100,000 more are severely hurt or permanently injured.

"Worse, some drivers enjoy harassing cyclists - no amount of caution can protect a rider from these deranged imbeciles."

                                                              

Dorian channelled his addictive tendencies from drink and drugs to birding

On multiple occasions, the dedicated cyclist was chased by dogs - most frighteningly outside Tucson in Arizona when a pair of German Shepherds exploded out of the brush with "unparalleled fury".

What happens next is one of the most riveting episodes in this superb 261-page book.

Then there were the punctures which sparked in our hero the sort of indignation familiar to anyone who has seen John Cleese's comic creation Basil Fawlty in TV's Fawlty Towers.

"Each time I thought I was close to securing the tyre, it popped off the rim somewhere else, my frustration festering with each failed attempt.

"Raising the rubber loop above my head, I thrashed the ground with it a dozen times, my meltdown ending only when my shoulder felt it might dislocate."

One of the motels where he stayed overnight is described as "somewhere between a homemade porno film and a heroin overdose".

Oh yes, and there was also the time when he came off his bike and toppled into a a ditch "filled with a suspicious sludge that looked like a chocolate slushy and smelled like dog sh**"

A journey through Hell? Sometimes, yes, but there were compensations aplenty - not just the birds.

"The folks I met along the way were a treasure trove of personality, quirks, stories and support,"he writes.

"For every dumbass who harassed me on the road, five curious folks offered to buy me lunch, and a dozen generous souls opened their homes to me.

"Their unyielding assistance meant the world to me."

Most important of all, the cycling and the birding - plus the support of Sonia, the woman in his life - transformed Anderson's perspective on life. 

He acknowledges that his addictive tendencies remain, but he has also learned that they are transferrable from alcohol and drugs

He reflects: "If I put the energy I once put into drinking and drugging into other channels and projects, then there was no limit to what I could achieve."

Birding Under The Influence - Cycling Across America in Search of Birds and Recovery is published in paperback and e-book by Chelsea Green (www.chelseagreen.com) and available wherever books are sold.

Independent inspector dismisses planning appeal for 225 homes in order to save over-wintering habitat of curlew

                                        

Curlews - this declining species overwinters in grassland and on mudflats

A PLANNING  inspector has dismissed an appeal for 225 homes to be built on the outskirts of a Grimsby-area village because it is a winter home for up to 30 curlew. 

Housebuilder Cyden Homes appealed to the independent Planning inspectorate after North East Lincolnshire Council last year refused to grant consent for the development on a 10-hectare paddock-quality grassland site at Humberston.

Curlew have historically migrated to the site to escape the harsh winter weather in Finland where they breed. 

By way of mitigation, Cyden pledged to contribute £78,917.00 towards improvements to the nearby Cleethorpes Country Park.

But after a hearing at Grimsby Town Hall, the inspector, Louise Crosby deemed the mitigation offer insufficient and dismissed the appeal.

Her report concludes: "Whilst the proposal would  provide much needed market and affordable housing, the benefits of the scheme do not outweigh the harm to biodiversity -  in particular to the likely significant effects on the Humber Special Protection Area SPA and Site of Special Scientific Interest."

Natural England and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust both objected to the scheme.

In a written statement to the appeal hearing, the former  said: "There has been pressure for development around the estuary for decades.

"This has intensified in recent years. 

"As a result of these development pressures, Natural 

England has become increasingly concerned about loss of habitat.

"This may result in an increase in local bird densities and have consequences for individual bird fitness in terms of increased energy expenditure for flight, competition with other birds for food, and lack of knowledge of foraging resources in other areas which 

might make it more difficult to find food.

"It is important to avoid impacts on curlew, given their conservation status."

 

Nearby villagers had also objected that the proposed development would create enormous pressure on infrastructure, particularly the roads leading to the site.

The curlew field - other birds sometimes to be seen include  barn owls which hunt for voles and other small mammals

Planning thumbs-up for warden's bungalow to be built on Norfolk site of intriguing ruff-breeding project

Ruff - conservation-minded  farmer is keen to establish a breeding presence in Norfolk and beyond 

THERE has been a boost for Norfolk-based Highland cattle farmer and wader enthusiast Andrew Crean.

He has this week been given the planning go-ahead to build a warden's bungalow and new bird-breeding aviaries on marshland near Brancaster in Norfolk in order to further his attempts to reintroduce breeding ruffs to this part of England.

West Norfolk council's planning officer for the case recommended refusal of the development because of the countryside location. She felt temporary accommodation, such as a caravan, would be more suitable.

But councillors on the planning committee gave the green light because of the conservation value of Mr Crean's project which he is funding out of his own pocket.

Also involved is the Max Planck Institute in Bavaria which is understood already to have supplied, via Heathrow Airport, almost 100 captive-bred ruffs for breeding purposes. These were quarantined for three months.

In a report, Mr Crean's planning agent,  Ian Cable, states: "A variety of release techniques will be developed and monitored with the University of East Anglia and will result in a series of ongoing PhD research and other studies.

"Further conservation habitat creation will also occur based on favoured breeding ‘lek’ dimensions and locations from core breeding sites in Finland. 

"Satellite tracking of a portion of  the birds released will provide valuable data on ruff migration.

"It is hoped that this tracking information will be available for wider educational purposes and local interest. 

"All released ruff will be individually identifiable (numbered leg rings) and a portion of these  birds will also be fitted with satellite trackers so that their movements can be followed on migration. 

"The Zoological Society of East Anglia  will also develop an exhibit connected to the project at Banham Zoo. 

"It is hoped that ultimately the project will also develop a suite of habitat management prescriptions that can be incorporated into breeding wader options in agri-environment schemes to provide suitable conditions for ruff. "

Mr Cable continues: "Andrew Crean has been privately funding nature conservation work for breeding waders and other habitat and species conservation works both at this site, Deepdale Marsh,  and beyond for more than  15 years and his commitment (along with that of  the Max Planck Institute) is ongoing.

"The concept of creating a Trust is being developed  to ensure that this  valuable conservation work is maintained and enhanced well beyond the applicant's  own lifetime." 

Raptors set to steal limelight as superlative bird paintings go under hammer at auction in Yorkshire

 

The raid in the snow by George Lodge - pre-sale estimate £1,000-£1,500 

A SELECTION of impressive bird studies will catch the eye at an auction in Yorkshire later this month.

The sale includes paintings  of bramblings being pursued by a sparrowhawk, gyr falcon, sparrowhawk and fieldfare.

The respective artists are George Edward Lodge (1860-1954), John Cyril Harrison (1898-1985), George Morrison Reid Henry (1891-1983) and Raymond Booth (1929-2015).

The sale of British, European and Sporting Art is being held by Tennants at their saleroom in Leyburn from 9am on Saturday March 16. 

Studies of a sparrowhawk by George Henry - pre-sale estimate £250-£400

Gyr falcon by John Harrison - pre-sale estimate £1,000-£1,500 

The catalogue describes this by Leeds artist Raymond Booth 
as "a study of a cuckoo" but it is surely more likely to be a fieldfare. The pre-sale-estimate is £100-£150.

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A question of authenticity. Who is the author? Is it Chris Packham or is it Rob Hume?

                                                     

"Join Chris Packham as he shares his knack of spotting, identifying, watching and enjoying birdlife. 

"His insight and curiosity will enrich your time in nature and open your eyes and ears to the captivating world of birds . . . "

That is what it says on the back cover of the latest book from publishing house DK - formerly known as Dorling Kindersley.

The celebrity naturalist gives his name to the title, and his photograph is on the front cover. 

But did he actually write the book?

Apart from the introduction and a few quotes sprinkled about the narrative, possibly not.

Step forward, Rob Hume whose long list of books includes  Birdwatching - A Complete Guide to Observing British and European Birdlife and the very similar Birdwatching for Beginners - Everything You Need to Know.

Is he the real author?

In fact, this latest 'Chris Packham' title reads suspiciously like a rehash and update of the two self-same books, first published, also by DK, back in 2003.

                                     

In fairness, whoever the author might be, this latest offering - due out tomorrow, March 7- has much to commend it.

The illustrations (by Phil Gamble, Ali Scriven and others) are vibrant and the content, though sometimes patronising in tone, is informative

There are sections on on the extensive range of bird habitats - from  garden to urban, from lakes and reservoirs to heath and scrubland - as well as on nestboxes, bird-gardening and what to wear.

The book also points a way to choosing the most suitable optical equipment such as binoculars, scopes and cameras.

There are even a few lines on 'etiquette' in bird hides.

Suggests the author (whoever he might be): "If you see something interesting through your lens, offer to share your equipment, so others can see it too.

"Make sure that everyone gets at least a quick book in case the bird flies away."

But back to the introduction, definitely  written by Chris Packham.

Says he: "You don't need posh binoculars and you don't need to live on a nature reserve.

"You don't have to be an expert. No ticket required, no queue and no qualifications needed.

"A life in the presence of birds offers a whole world of simple joy."

Chris Packham's Birdwatching Guide is published in hardback at £12.99. 

The Wryneck says: Though none of it is startlingly original, there is plenty of common sense content in this book. But what is slightly disquieting is the representation that Chris Packham is the author when this might not be the case. Anyone buying the book in the expectation that it will contain fresh insights from the popular TV naturalist could have good reason to feel duped. Some clarification, perhaps from the broadcaster, might not come amiss.