RSPB’s latest overseas posting sounds exotic but it's probably not a job for the faint-hearted

                                    

Plenty of birding habitat in and around Liberia's capital city, Monrovia. What could possibly go wrong?

WANTED! A data administrator (with a thirst for adventure) to work for the RSPB in an exotic destination in Africa.

Applications for this latest posting in sunny climes overseas - namely Liberia - close this Friday  October 4.

It is a two-year position which involves managing a database to support the charity and other groups with their finances, land use planning and habitat restoration activities.

It is all part of a project which seeks to safeguard for nature  460,000 hectares of Upper Guinea forest and agricultural land.

What the job description does not state is that Liberia is a troubled country where the crime rate is high. 

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office notes: "Liberians are the main victims of crime, but foreign nationals can be targeted. 

"Most crime is opportunistic theft, but there are organised criminal gangs. 

"Thieves are often armed with knives or machetes, and they occasionally carry firearms.

"Foreign nationals have been mugged in the Mamba Point and Sinkor areas of Monrovia, where most international visitors stay. 

"Criminals also operate in nightclubs and on beaches during the day, and foreigners have reported assault and robbery happening in taxis. 

"Credit and debit cards are not generally accepted in Liberia, except for a few of the major hotels and some larger supermarkets. 

"They may be unable to process card payments when internet connections are poor. 

"Not many places accept travellers cheques.

"Foreign exchange and banking facilities are limited. Western Union and MoneyGram can transfer money from the UK, although there are very few offices outside Monrovia.

"Liberia’s banks are currently experiencing cash shortages of both US dollars and Liberian dollars. Banks and foreign exchange facilities may not be able to pay out transferred funds or fulfil ATM withdrawals. 

"Bring sufficient funds, in US dollars, to cover all expenses."

The advice continues: "The roads from Monrovia to the port town of Buchanan and to the border with Sierra Leone at Bo Waterside, and to the border with Guinea at Ganta, are mainly paved and in reasonable condition.

"Most other roads outside Monrovia are unpaved. Roads outside Monrovia can be treacherous and most are unlit.

"The road from Monrovia to Roberts International Airport is currently undergoing roadworks and can be hazardous. 

"Driving and road conditions deteriorate significantly during the rainy season from May to November, and many roads become impassable. 

"The standard of driving is generally poor, and many vehicles do not have lights. Drivers often swerve to avoid potholes and taxis can slow or stop unpredictably to pick up or drop off passengers. Motorcycle taxis (‘pein-peins’) are particularly dangerous.

"If you’re involved in a traffic accident, be aware that local crowds can become hostile and may attempt to attack you.

"Drug trafficking and diamond smuggling are illegal. If convicted you will  get a long prison sentence. Local prison conditions are harsh. 

"Liberia has a high rate of rape and sexual assault. There have been cases of rapes and attempted rapes of foreign women although these are rare. 

"Beaches in Liberia can have rip tides and other dangerous currents. Get local advice before going in the water.

"Avoid canoes and fishing boats offering passenger services. They are regularly overwhelmed by strong waves and currents. 

"Most foreign nationals travelling by road outside Monrovia will hire a car with a driver, and travel in convoy of at least two vehicles in case of breakdowns or possible attacks. "

What about the risk of terrorism?

"Although there is no recent history of terrorism in Liberia, attacks cannot be ruled out. 

"Terrorist groups in West Africa continue to mount attacks in the region. 

"Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreign nationals, such as beach resorts, hotels, cafés and restaurants."

The salary on offer for the RSPB vacancy is  £26,379.00 - £28,328.00 per annum.

Still interested? More details from  Helen.Tellis@rspb.org.uk 

* Photo of the skyline of Liberia's capital city, Monrovia, by Panoramio via Wikimedia Commons

A most remarkable discovery - mega-rare Pale-legged Leaf Warbler attracts twitchers a-plenty to Yorkshire Coast

 

Pale-legged Leaf Warbler - this bird photographed in Vietnam nine months ago (pic: Wikimedia Commons)

WHEN The Birds of the Japanese Empire was published in 1890, it is doubtful if author Henry Seebohm ever expected that a wild, living example of the Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, one of his entries, would turn up on the Yorkshire Coast.

But so it was on Wednesday, when such a bird was spotted in shrubs adjacent to the car park at the RSPB Bempton Cliffs seabird reserve.

And there - at least, as of this afternoon - it has stayed ever since, occasionally calling and providing glimpses (most of them brief) to well over 2,000 birders who have travelled, sometimes from long distances, to  view what for all will have been an exhilarating British 'tick'.

One such was Garry Bagnell, author of  Twitching By Numbers, who yesterday drove all the way in a hire car from his home in Sussex to add the bird to his already extensive British bird species 'list'.

Mission accomplished, he tweeted: "Nice to see the warbler well - but only after a stressful five-hour wait. 

"Probably 600 visitors today.

"It felt good  to see so many smiling faces."

Another observer, Tom Hines, tweeted: "Early start to see this 'eastern mega' which should have been somewhere between China and Thailand

"It took a few hours, but then I got a decent view of this incredibly elusive bird ."

Back last Wednesday when the bird was first detected by Andy Hood, it was initially thought have been an Arctic Warbler, then provisionally re-identified as an an Eastern Crowned Warbler.

But, after much scrutiny of the bird in the field, analysis of the call and detailed perusal of  textual descriptions and illustrations, it was confirmed as a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus tenellipes)  - subject to ratification by the British Birds' Rarities Committee.

                                               

Henry Seebohm - ornithological expert of yesteryear

In note form in his Japanese Empire catalogue, Henry Seebohm (1832-1895) described the bird thus: "This species has very delicate light pink-coloured legs and feet. 

"Crown of the head, and a streak between the bill and eye produced over the ear-coverts, blackish olive-brown. 

"Eye-streak yellowish. Upper parts buff-olive. Under parts pure white, except the flanks and under tail-coverts, which are buff, and the under wing-coverts of a primrose-yellow. 

"Culmen of bill dark brown, the rest pale pinkish yellow."

Another 19th Century ornithologist familiar with the species was Robert Swinhoe (1836 - 1877) who worked in the British consulate in Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa, and spent his spare time observing and recording the birds both of the island and neighbouring  mainland China.

                                   

Robert Swinhoe - worked as consul in Formosa

Referring to it as the  Pale-legged Willow Warbler, he wrote in an 1860 edition of the journal, Ibis: "It has very pale legs and feet. 

"It has two pale bars across the wing, and the second  primary is equal to or slightly longer than the seventh 

"Like most of its allies it is olive- brown above, but it differs from them in having the rump and upper tail-coverts russet-brown. 

"There is an undoubted example of this species in the British Museum, which was formerly in the Tweeddale collection. 

"It is sexed a female, and was procured by Mr. Henry Whitely at Hakdadi on May, 5 1865; and there is a second example in the Paris Museum which was procured  in the same locality." 

This month's headline-grabbing Yorkshire bird  is the second record for Britain, following one found dead after hitting a window at the lighthouse on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, on  October 21, 2016, with a further record of either Pale-legged or Sakhalin Leaf Warbler from Portland, Dorset in 2012.

                                                 

Roll up, roll up for the rare bird! The reception area at RSPB Bempton Cliffs

* Top photo:  Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, snapped in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, on December 15, 2023, by J.J. Harrison.

Bygone birding: Skylarks from England never seem to have taken to living on American fields and prairies

 

They don't design covers like that any more! The monthly journal was colloquially known as the 'O and O'.

  

Although the Skylark is believed to have a small breeding presence in the state of Washington, its population, unlike its song flight,  has never really soared since its introduction from England just over 150 years ago. It has certainly not become as widespread in North America as two other introduced species - the House Sparrow and the Starling. Below is a short report by, Frank Webster,  the publisher and editor of an American monthly journal of yesteryear, Ornithologist and Oologist.  It appeared in the edition of January 1884.

"Skylarks were first brought to America in 1873 by me, then secretary of the Cincinnati Acclimatisation Society, and set free in spring the following year in Burnet Woods Park, near Cincinnati. 

"They have since returned - or at least some of them have - and every spring have chosen for their abode abode a summit in the vicinity of the same park.

"Contrary to their usual habits in Europe, these Skylarks have selected hilly ground as their favourite habitat whereas, in the old country, the Skylark generally inhabits meadows or level  terrain.

"The Skylark is a migratory bird.

"Only in rare instances do small numbers remain over winter in northern climates.

"Perhaps our correspondents in New Jersey and/or Ohio might report whether they have seen the English Skylark, and under what circumstances?"

Webster's appeal brought just one response which was published in the following month's edition of the O and O

W. J. Sherratt, of Philadelphia, wrote that Skylarks had been seen the previous  summer in a wood near  Winslow in  New Jersey.

He wrote: "The woods consist mostly of a growth of scrub oak, with lilac and dogberry bushes, and a variety of the kinds of wildflowers that grow in such localities. 

"The ground is flat and somewhat marshy.

"The birds were seen around there for some time by several persons who reside in the neighbourhood."

Frank Webster (1850-1922) - author and publisher. The O and O folded in 1893.  

                                          

Skylark - this bird on saltmarsh in Lincolnshire

Championing the Golden Eagle - project aims to restore 'King of the Skies' to areas where it has long been extinct

                                                                      

                                                                  

Ambitious to stretch its wings further - the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project is aiming to raise £400,000 

THE  South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project has launched an  appeal in a bid to secure its long-term future.

With its funding due to end in December,  the Moffatt-based project needs £400,000 to save it from being run down after six years' worth of achievement.

If it achieves its goal, it will relaunch as a standalone charity named RUN (Restoring Upland Nature) with a view to restoring Golden Eagles to other areas of Britain where they have become extinct.

Launching the appeal, the project's chairman Michael Clarke, said: "Thanks to our reintroduction initiatives, Golden Eagles are  again flying in the skies of southern Scotland.

"Six years ago, there were fewer than 10 eagles in the area. Today, there are nearly 50 -  that’s the highest number the region has seen for over 300 years.

"Communities across the region are  benefitting environmentally, socially and culturally. 

"We should love to keep this momentum going, and  the public appeal  is absolutely crucial to making this a reality."

BBC-TV  Springwatch  presenter Iolo Williams, who is a supporter of the project and a previous keynote speaker at the annual Moffat Eagle Festival, said: "When I think of all the birds I’d love to see in Wales once more, I have to say top of my list would be the Golden Eagle. 

"It became extinct in Wales around 400 years ago, and, within the last 30 years, they became extinct in England as well."

More details about the project and the appeal are at South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project (goldeneaglessouthofscotland.co.uk)

Swindon and Kendal among 25 English and Welsh towns and cities targeted by RSPB in drive to woo new members

                                       

The minster in Beverley overlooks the attractive Yorkshire market town

THE RSPB has identified a further  25 English and Welsh towns and cities where it believes it can recruit new members.

They are:

* Beverley

* Hull

* North Cave

* Bradford

* Huddersfield

* Rochdale

* Kendal

* Guildford

* Ashford

* Tonbridge

* Bristol

* Oxford

* Chepstow

* St Albans

* Watford

* High Wycombe

* Cirencester

* Swindon

* Bridgend

* Swansea

* Warwick

* Wolverhampton

* Birmingham

* Warrington

* Liverpool

These will be added to the following 16 identified earlier in autumn after the society crunched its membership data to see where members were relatively thin on the ground. 

* Lincoln

* Canterbury

* Coventry

* Waterlooville

* North London

* Warwick

* Sheffield

* Carlisle

* Nottingham

* Mansfield

* Newark

* Bristol

* Alton (Berkshire)

* High Wycombe

* Didcot

* Stevenage

Each location  will have its own dedicated membership/fundraising officer.

With each being paid between £24,890 - £26,720 (plus expenses)   per annum, the membership-recruitment campaign will take a significant chunk out of the charity's income.

But it will be money well spent if new members renew their  subscriptions for many years, even more so if they also spend money on RSPB merchandise and leave the society legacies after they have died.

What is required of the membership officers?

The job description reads:

"Are you looking for an exciting opportunity that allows you to integrate your passion for nature with your exceptional communication skills? 

"Join us at Europe's largest nature conservation charity and make a real difference as a Wildlife Fundraiser!

"Each day you will use your company van to travel to different venues around your local area, set up an attractive fundraising stand and spend the day actively engaging with members of the public, spreading awareness about our conservation efforts and generating new RSPB memberships via direct debits. 

"Don't worry if you're not a wildlife expert yet - we provide comprehensive training to equip you with all the knowledge you need. 

"Plus, you'll enjoy the added perk of a company van, with fuel and parking costs paid for. 

"You will also have the flexibility to choose a contract between three to five days per week, and enjoy the stability of a set salary, rather than working on commission. 

"With 34 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) and opportunities for sabbaticals, we value your work-life balance and well-being. 

"But it is not just about the benefits - it is about the impact you will make. 

"Join a team that is dedicated to preserving nature and inspiring others to do the same!

"Your role will be pivotal in driving positive change, and you will have the support of a diverse and inclusive community every step of the way. 

"Whether you are from a hospitality, customer service, sales, or volunteering background, we are more interested in your negotiating/storytelling skills and enthusiasm than your previous experience. 

"We are looking for starters to join our team across the next few months."

The deadline for applications is October 13.

More details from the RSPB's resourcing advisor: Stephen.louw@rspb.org.uk

* Photo of Beverley Minster: Paul Lakin via Wikimedia Commons

She probably works very hard, but should RSPB really be paying its chief executive more than Prime Minister gets?

 

Beccy Speight: "I believe I am in the best place to make a difference" 

THERE has been another pay rise for the RSPB's chief executive, Beccy Speight.

The charity's annual report reveals that her annual remuneration  package (including benefits) has risen to £200,069.

This compares with £195,445 last year and £189,473 the previous year.

She is paid significantly more than the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer (£166,786) and even his chief of staff, Sue Gray (£170,000).

Except for attending board meetings, Ms Speight seldom attends the society's HQ in Bedfordshire. She prefers to work from her home in Nottinghamshire.

However, the society's remuneration committee continues to be  impressed by her energy and commitment since she took the reins in August 2019.

Ms Speight says of her job: "My role is to lead the organisation, build relationships with key partners, represent our views externally and work with the council and executive board to develop our forward direction and ensure we deliver that plan. 

"I believe I am in the best possible place to make a real difference for birds, the natural world and people. 

"I feel fortunate to work with a great team of staff, volunteers, members and supporters to do just that."

Between them, Ms Speight and her other seven directors were last year  paid £848,970 compared with  £788,373 the previous year when there was one fewer director.

The total travelling, accommodation and subsistence expenses reimbursed to them was £28,372 compared with £24,918 the previous year).

A total of  48 RSPB staff now receive salaries of £60,000 per annum or more. This compares with 38 last year.

How can a charity afford to be so generous with its remuneration of senior staff?

The annual financial review reveals that money is cascading into its coffers - a record £169.9-million last year.

Bygone birding: John Gould reflects on a 'little ornithological stranger' - the Red-breasted Flycatcher

John Gould: it is 'a Robin among the flycatchers' 

                                                          

IT has been an excellent month for British sightings of Red-breasted Flycatcher, with the East Coast, notably the Spurn peninsula, being particularly blessed.  Happily, today's birders are happy solely to detect, watch and admire, but it was not always thus. As Victorian ornithologist John Gould (1804-1881) recounts in The Birds of Great Britain (1873), the first three examples recorded in Britain all came to an untimely end.

It would be very interesting could we ascertain whether the various little ornithological strangers that have of late been detected in England have either crossed from the Continent or if they are the offspring of others which  have arrived at an early period of the year, bred, then departed unnoticed.

Certain it is that most, if not all, of these  rara aves that have been captured or shot in Britain have been birds bred in the current year.

If immature and consequently feeble-winged examples of the Red-breasted Flycatcher do successfully cross the ocean, the circumstance must necessarily excite surprise.

It would, however,  be by no means remarkable for mature birds with strengthened pinions to make such a transit, if blown out of their course during their spring migration, and remain here, and breed. 

During the autumnal movement of birds from one country to another, the young would naturally seek the most southern and western parts of England such as Sussex, Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall until stopped by the wide ocean which they would of course be disinclined to cross while sufficient insect-life remained for their support.

Hence, it doubtless arises that many rare birds are found in those counties during the autumn and winter months.

Of the Muscicapa parva, three specimens only have been captured in Britain, namely one near Falmouth and two on the Scilly Islands. 

In the eastern and southern parts of Europe, it is very numerous, and we know that its range extends thence to Asia Minor and Western India. 

In a note to The Zoologist journal for 1863 (page 8444), I wrote: "Strange to say, on the very day I visited Falmouth, one of the rarest of European birds was shot for the first time in Great Britain.

"Having been killed in Cornwall, I thought you would like to know something about it. 

"The bird in question is the Muscicapa parva,  and you will find it figured in the second volume, plate 62, of my Birds of Europe of which there is a copy in the Penzance Museum. 

"The plate will at once give you an idea of this pretty species - a Robin among the flycatchers. 

"The proper home of the species is Western India and the eastern parts of Europe, and I certainly never expected this singular bird to have been added to our avifauna. 

"The specimen, which was in good condition, was sent in the flesh to Dr. Gray, of the British Museum, and, in this state, I had it in my hands, so that there is no mistake about it. 

"It was shot on the 24th of January, 1863, by Mr. Copeland, of Carwythenack House, in the parish of Constantine, near Falmouth, and is a female. 

"Unfortunately, the specimen had been placed in some insecure place, and the head had been eaten by mice or rats, so that the body alone was sent to the Museum. 

 "I wrote to Mr. Copeland for an accurate account of the capture of this little wanderer.

"In reply, I received from him the following interesting remarks:  'The little flycatcher alluded to we had seen some days before it was shot. 

"'We first observed it on a dead holly tree, which, with the ground around the house, was its favourite resort. 

"'It was particularly active, skimming the grass to within about a foot, then, perching itself, darted occasionally with a toss, resting either on a shrub or the wire fencing. 

"'There is another in the neighbourhood for which a vigilant watch will be kept. 

"'I saw it, a few days ago, in a plantation 400 yards from my house. 

"'Should I be so fortunate as to capture it, you shall have due notice. 

"'I believe that with attention many other interesting visitors may be found.'"

A young bird, killed at Scilly in October, 1863, is mentioned in Edward Rodd’s  List of British Birds,  and the occurrence of a third was communicated to me by the same gentleman nearly two years later.

In a letter dated November 7, 1865, he writes "You will he pleased to hear that another specimen of the Muscicapa parva was obtained at Scilly a day or two since.

"It was observed by my nephew and Mr. A. Pechell, who were its captors, busily engaged in capturing flies.

"Its actions, while so doing, much resembled those of the common Spotted Flycatcher in darting off, and returning to, the same branch. 

"From the secondary quills and the greater coverts being edged with rufous instead of being of a uniform cinereous, I think it is a current year bred male.

"Its note was louder than the suppressed one of the Spotted Flycatcher  and was a well-expressed chat." 

A notice of this specimen from the same pen will be found in The  Zoologist for 1863 (page 8841).

I have to thank Mr. Rodd’s nephew, the Rev. J. H. Jenkinson, of St. Margaret’s Vicarage, Reading, for the following additional particulars respecting it.

"The bird was first noticed by Mr. Pechell, in a small covert of low trees, close by the house, Tresco Abbey, the residence of Augustus Smith, Esq. 

"After watching it for a few moments, we came to a conclusion as to what it was.

"I fetched a small walking-stick gun and shot it. 

"While we were looking at it, it was continually on the move, flitting among the branches after insects, flirting up its tail as it settled on a branch, and uttering now and then a rather harsh 'Stonechatty' kind of note, repeated once or twice. 

"Its actions were like those of a Willow Warbler or Chiffchaff for which we at first mistook it, with a strong dash of those of the Spotted Flycatcher. 

"The elongated white patch on each side of the tail was very visible as it flew about. 

"On taking up the bird, the eye struck us as being very large and full, and it had a pale huffy rim all round it. 

"The tawny colour of the throat and breast was not very strong, but was deepest on the sides of the breast. 

"The sex could not be determined, owing to its being too much damaged about the lower part of the body."

Having given, in the above passages, all that is known respecting the two British-killed examples, I conclude my history of the bird with Dr. Bree’s account of it as observed in other countries, in his History of The Birds of Europe Not Observed in The British Isles (vol 1, Page 179)

"This pretty and interesting species inhabits the vast forests of Hungary and the neighbourhood of Vienna in summer, but only during the short time necessary to rear its young.

"It is an annual migratory bird in the Crimea, and accidental in France, Switzerland, and Italy. 

"M. Nordmann says that the young bird may be seen in flocks in the Botanic Gardens of Odessa from the last days of July till the end of October and that the birds in full plumage, which pass in the spring, only stop a short time in those gardens.

"Nordmann adds that the vivacity of its movements, as well as the white of its tail, reminds one of the smallest species of Stonechat. 

"It constantly utters a feeble chirp, lowers its tail slowly and repeatedly, and spreads it out or raises it suddenly above its wings.

" The Red-breasted Flycatcher, like the rest of its family, lives upon flies and other insects. 

"It builds its nest in the forks of the branches of trees."

"Mr. Jerdon, speaking of the bird as observed by him in India, writes in Birds of India (vol. i. p. 481): 'In spring, by the end of March or the beginning of April, the male, by a partial moult, assumes a bright orange-rufous chin and throat, and the lores, cheeks, and sides of the neck become tolerably pure ashy. 

"'This livery is again cast at the autumnal moult."

"'This interesting little bird is found throughout the whole of India, from the base of the Himalayas to the extreme south, and in Ceylon; also in Burmah, and from China to Afghanistan. 

"'It is more common towards northern and central India than in the south, and may be seen in every grove. 

"'Often a party of five or six may be observed sporting about the trunk of some mango or tamarind tree, now clinging to the trunk, then darting after an insect in the air or alighting on the ground to pick one up. 

"'It is, however, frequently seen singly, and its actions much remind one of those of the British Robin.'"

Why did Natural England allow film crew access to sensitive habitat just as scarce birds were breeding?

Promotional image for The Witcher - could that bird in flight be a Nightjar?

                                            

GOVERNMENT body Natural England has today been urged to come clean on a controversial incident that took place in summer.

It allowed filming for what is reported to have been an episode for the next series of the Netflix drama, The Witcher, to take place on its Thursley Common nature reserve between June 6 and 11.

The Surrey-located heathland is home to many scarce breeding birds including Nightjars, Dartford Warblers and Woodlarks, some of which will almost certainly have been disturbed by an influx of up to 100 crew and staff using smoke, noise and other special effects.

Other birds that may have been affected by the incursion include Crossbills, Tree Pipits and Woodcock.

Now the wildlife group, Wild Justice - whose directors include TV broadcaster Chris Packham and former RSPB executive Mark Avery - are demanding an explanation from Natural England.

It wants to know who authorised what happened and what monies - if any - were paid for the consent. 

Wild Justice is also seeking clarification on what steps, if any, were taken to safeguard nests and whether the post-filming impact has been assessed.

So far, Natural England is staying tight-lipped, though it has released a map showing the possible locations of  nightjar nests  and the areas where filming took place.

In response, Dr Avery says: "Having seen the map of Nightjar territories for the site we find it inconceivable that filming in mid-late June would be disturbance-free. 

"But evidently NE persuaded themselves that it was.

 "We have been pressing NE for information  since we first wrote to them on July 4. 

"There are over 150 emails in our files on this important issue.

 "NE has been slow to respond to us and has not been as forthcoming with information as we feel they should have been." 

The board of Natural England is expected to discuss the Wild Justice challenge - and whether to respond - at a behind-closed-doors meeting tomorrow. 

The Wryneck says: Considering it is almost entirely funded by the taxpayer, we think Natural England has a duty to be up-front and transparent. The questions put by Wild Justice are entirely reasonable. It may be possible (just about) that there was no disturbance. It may be that, if any fee was paid by the film company, it has been earmarked for enhancing Thursley Common's fragile habitat. If so, why the secrecy? Natural England's chairman, Tony Juniper, or chief executive Marian Spain should share the information. If not, a local controversy risks becoming a national scandal.

How could this activity not have disturbed wildlife? (photo: Facebook)

'Minimal' ecological impact? But why permit any impact at all? (photo: Facebook)

The sketchmap obtained by Wild Justice with the blue circles indicating potential breeding sites of scarce birds

What does she make of the controversy? Another publicity pic for the popular drama

Loadsamoney! RSPB reports record annual income growth of £169.9-million - up almost four per cent on last year

 

'We remain financially resilient' says the RSPB

A YEAR of record income growth has been reported by the RSPB.

The charity's annual statement reveals report income of  £169.9-million - up by 3.9 per cent on the previous year.

Subscriptions from its 1.1-million membership obviously proved lucrative, but so did legacies left in wills and grants from organisations such as Natural England. 

Dividends from companies listed on the Stock Exchange brought in £1.56-million, while interest from cash holdings reached £150,000.

Despite describing three Cabinet ministers as 'liars' in a controversial social media message, the society also received almost £9-million courtesy of the last Conservative Government

Much of the income was spent on further fundraising, on remunerating the 2,517 staff  and on maintaining some 220 reserves.

But, even so,  there was enough left in the kitty for the organisation to realise a surplus for the year of £4.7-million.

Overall, the RSPB now has a total of £42-million free financial reserves.

It says: "We remain financially resilient and in a good position to navigate the current economic outlook." 

Birds of conservation concern - the clouds are dark but Red Kite and Bittern numbers are booming

                                                                                 

Laurence Rose  - former RSPB director who was born in London, grew up in Kent and now lives in West Yorkshire

WAS it a luncheon event at a swanky restaurant in London back in 1903 that triggered the reprieve from extinction of the Red Kite?

It was at the Restaurant Frascati on Oxford Street that members of the British Ornithologists' Club learned that persecution, followed by rampant egg-collecting, had reduced the Red Kite's population in Britain to no more than between three and 10 pairs, all nesting in remote oak-wooded hills in mid-Wales.

After they had finished their sumptuous meal (the Frascati specialised in French, not Italian, cuisine), the diners had an impromptu whip-round.

This raised a start-up fund of £47 to be spent partly on publicising the dire threat to the survival of the Red Kite and partly on funding a handful of 'wardens' who were tasked to protect nests from egg-collectors.  

This fascinating account was told at the September meeting of the Grimsby RSPB group where guest speaker Laurence Rose, formerly  the RSPB's Director of Northen England, gave an absorbing illustrated talk on birds that had come back from the brink - plus those that are, alas, already on the brink or very close to it.

It is actually the Kestrel which is Laurence's (current) favourite bird  but the Red Kite evidently has a special place in his affection.

This dates back to his childhood  days in Kent in the 1960s when, though the species was recovering, its fate still hung in the balance.   

For the family's annual summer holidays, he persuaded his parents to spend the week in mid-Wales where, to his relief and delight, he saw his first Kite - but not until the very last day.

Thanks to a range of conservation measures, the Red Kite is now widespread not just in Wales but in many other parts of Britain.                                               

Before becoming outlawed, egg-collecting (oology) used to be a respected branch of ornithology, and this journal (featuring a Red Kite on the cover) was established by its practitioners 

There is now even thought to be at least one breeding pair within 10 miles of  the church hall in Cleethorpes where Laurence was giving his talk.

In retirement, he still works for the RSPB an in-house volunteer writer, specialising in birds of conservation concern, past and present.

Another raptor success story which has long captured his imagination is that of the White-tailed Eagle which, thanks to successful captive breeding projects,  is now nesting in Sussex and possibly the Isle of Wight as well as in Scotland.

There is a tendency to use the term 'recovery' to describe what has been achieved with these two species, but he prefers the term 'restoration', noting that, historically, both would have been widespread and, in some places, common.

He said that certain villages and towns including Old English 'ern' or 'arn' in their names would, most likely, once have had a presence of eagles.

The speaker went on to predict that the White-tailed Eagle would be breeding somewhere on the Humber or Wash estuaries - possibly both - within the next 20 years. "I would put money on it," he declared.                                                                      

Another 'bounce-back' species, the Bittern, which is now flourishing in many a British reedbed, also came into focus during the talk.

Not that the initials efforts to revive its once-tiny British population was an immediate success. 

In fact, some early habitat-engineering measures  turned out to be counter-productive because they obstructed channels favoured by eels and fish such as rudd which are among the species' favourite items of diet.

Laurence noted that the more recent growth in  numbers of another wetland species, the Crane, was in some ways parallel to that of the Bittern - again thanks to increasingly judicious management of wetland habitat.

Sadly, many other birds have not enjoyed similar success. The number of those on the Red list - in other words, threatened with short- or medium-term extinction - has grown from 36 in 1996, when the list was first compiled,  to 75 this year.

The most recent additions are believed to be six seabirds - Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Great Black-backed Gull, Arctic Tern, Leach's Storm-petrel seabirds and even the Common Gull, a species which, given its population decrease, now seems more inappropriately named than ever.

Also feared to be in decline in Britain, paralleling  a similar trend on the Continent, are Kestrel and Sparrowhawk, possibly after having fed on mice or small birds that have been part-poisoned after inadvertently feeding on rodenticides.

The struggles of the Skylarks in the  face of intensive agriculture have  been known about by the RSPB for scores of years. 

It would probably stimulate population recovery if more arable farmers were willing to incorporate nesting plots within their fields.

But according to Laurence, perhaps for "cultural reasons", many farmers have been reluctant to do.

"They don't mind providing wildlife habitat at the edges of their fields, but not the centre," he said.

Towards the end of his talk, Laurence emphasised how much he was enjoying his current work, especially as it was affording him access not just to the latest research but also the opportunity to explore archives of ornithological literature - "rabbit holes" as he described them - which were often yielding fascinating insights from yesteryear.

He hopes the material he is gathering will form the basis of a new book to follow those he has already written -  Moon Rising, Framing Nature and The Long Spring.

His website is: https://laurencerose.co.uk

RSPB provides update on its ongoing initiatives to encourage increased installation of swiftbricks in Britain

                                                             

On the move - Swifts at dusk in late summer 

THE RSPB has no current plans to fund the installation of swiftbricks in new housing developments.

Instead, it says it is "developing resources and tools" for individuals, volunteer conservation groups, the construction industry, local councils and planning authorities to install new nesting sites for the species.

"This approach allows the design and quantity of boxes to be tailored to local needs by the people best placed to decide this," says the society.

The RSPB says it works with several partners in the construction industry - most notably  Barratt Developments.

"This company has already fitted more than 4,500 swiftbricks into its new developments, and it has  plans to ramp up installations to exceed 7,000 by 2025."

The RSPB points out that it is also encouraging volunteer-based conservation groups focusing on Swift conservation in areas such as  Northern Ireland, the West Midlands and Manchester.

"These are intended to act as model examples that could be repeated elsewhere,"it says. "We also provide a free-to-use online conservation targeting tool - SwiftMapper - to help anyone interested in Swift conservation locate the most beneficial areas for action."

The charity has also launched a  swiftbrick video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8NuL5mEpjo

Sadly, the RSPB's attempt to encourage swifts to nest at its HQ - The Lodge in Sandy, Bedfordshire - have so far failed to reap dividends.

It says: "Swift boxes have been installed at The Lodge for several years, and we have used caller systems to attempt to attract them.

"We have succeeded in attracting small numbers of Swifts to investigate these boxes, but so far no nesting  has taken place.

"This may be due to a small local breeding population of Swifts and/or availability of other nesting opportunities for them in nearby towns and villages. 

"This demonstrates the value of our conservation targeting tool, SwiftMapper, which allows  conservationists to target the placement of new nesting sites as close as possible to known existing colonies and sites."

                                          

There are three swiftbricks fitted in this house on a Barratts estate near Grimsby in Lincolnshire 

                                            

Beautifully-detailed painting of two scarlet macaws provided colourful highlight at auction in Yorkshire

                                                                  

This magnificent study of two scarlet macaws has this month sold at auction for £480 - more than four time higher than the pre-sale estimate of £80 to £120. The work, by Darwen-based artist  Adrian Rigby (born 1962), went under the hammer at an auction conducted by Tennants of Leyburn in Yorkshire.

RSPB says its habitat restoration funding took a knock after the UK left the European Union

                                                            

The HQ of the RSPB in Sandy, Bedfordshire. The Charity's funding for habitat restoration dried up when Britain left the European Union  

ONE of the downsides of the UK's  departure from the European Union is that it has cut off a precious source of funds to the RSPB.

According to the society, the EU had been a "major funding stream" for various habitat restoration projects.

It says: "Over the years, the RSPB  had a history of successful applications.

"Sadly, no equivalent fund has been created by the UK Government to replace this fund.

"We remain eligible to access some EU funding opportunities for our work in Northern Ireland through the Peaceplus funding programme.

"Now that the UK is re-joining the Horizon (science) scheme, future collaborations could access this fund."

The charity adds: "Our income team continues to seek new funding opportunities.

"We are also striving to build long-lasting relationships with a range of grant funders, trusts and corporate organisations."

Setback for theme park revamp project as Government body sounds alert on shorebirds disturbance

 

The beaches and saltmarsh are home to globally-threatened birds such as the curlew (above) and redshank

NATURAL England has warned that it may object to proposals to redevelop the site of a former  theme park in Lincolnshire because of potential disturbance to globally-important  shorebirds that feed on nearby beaches and saltmarsh.

The project at Cleethorpes, near Grimsby, envisages installation of a supermarket, amusement buildings, shops and no fewer than 272 holiday lodges, each capable of accommodating up to 10 visitors.

NE believes the influx of so many people  could spook the curlew, redshank, godwits, grey plover and other declining species which make the estuary their home.

In a letter, NE's James McGiveron states: "As submitted, the application could have  significant effects on the Humber Estuary Special Area of Conservation.

"We require further information in order to determine the significance of these impacts and the scope for mitigation." 

The following information is required:

• A full year of bird survey data;

• Further information on visual/noise disturbance to specially protected birds during construction and operation

• Further assessment on potential air quality impacts  from dust during construction and road traffic during operation

Mr McGiveron adds: "Without this information, Natural England may need to object to the proposal. 

"Please note we are not seeking further information on other aspects of the natural environment, although we may make comments on other issues in our final response. 

"Please re-consult Natural England once this information has been obtained. 

"On receipt of the information requested, we will aim to provide a full response within 21 days of receipt."

Natural England's comments will be a blow to the consortium seeking to redevelop the former Pleasure Island.

It could set back  the project for at least another year, with no certainty that, even with mitigation proposals, it will be approved. And, all the while, the costs keep climbing.

However, the consortium - which is fronted by German discount supermarket chain Lidl - could take a risk by asking for North East Lincolnshire Council to determine the application without receiving prior Natural England endorsement.

The bird that every innocent goat fears - and with very good reason (if you believe the legend)

                         

Included in The Bird Book is this depiction - in Der Naturen Bloeme  (1350) by artist Jacob van Maerlant - of a bird, thought to be a Nightjar, causing obvious distress to a goat

 

THE mystery of why Nightjars are sometimes known as 'Goatsuckers' receives a fresh airing in The Bird Book - a most absorbing new volume that has just been published.

The notion dates back to 350 years BC when  the Greek philosopher and writer, Aristotle, wrote: "Flying upon the goat, it sucks them whence it has its name."

The Romans followed suit, with Pliny, a 1st Century naturalist, maintaining that the activities of the Nightjar even led to blindness for any goat luckless enough to have its udder targeted.

But although the reputation has prevailed in many nations, including both Britain and North America, it is supported by not one jot of evidence.

The species' diet consists not of goats' milk but  of airborne moths caught in its wide gape by means of twisting and acrobatic flight.

No one seems to have a good word for the Nightjar. Another legend is that it is an unbaptised child doomed to wander in the form of a bird.

All this fascinating anecdotal material  about dozens of the world's individuals and bird groups is peppered liberally throughout The Bird Book, the subtitle of which is The Stories, Science and History of Birds.

Elsewhere, for example, Flamingos also come under the spotlight, notably with a quotation from William Dampier (A New Voyage Around The World, 1697) that a dish of this species' tongue is "fit for a prince's table".

And how many knew that the  legend of a phoenix arising from flames derives (according to one theory) from the spectacle, in the shimmering African heat, of a flamingo on its mud nest as if it were rising from warm ashes?

In one way or another, many birds have  figured  as religious icons - the white dove, representing the Holy Spirit, being the most obvious example.

As the book illustrates, birds have influenced much else in the development of human civilisation - for instance, painting, music, pottery, embroidery, literature, postage stamp design and cuisine.

Elsewhere, by means of often stunning illustrations and precise, jargon-free text, The Bird Book also explores the science of birds - from feeding behaviour to migration and from anatomy to courtship and breeding.

Written, illustrated and edited by a team of experts, it really is a most entertaining, informative and entertaining addition to the bookshelf.

The Bird Book is published in hardback at £30 by DK.

https://www.dk.com/uk/book/9780241634899-the-bird-book/

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust hopes to attract cuckoos and marsh harriers to proposed new wetland reserve

                                                            

Plenty of watery places proposed for what is currently agricultural land

A NEW kind of nature reserve is on the cards for  Lincolnshire.

The venture envisaged by the county's wildlife trust is also described as a "wetland ecosystem pilot project".

If it goes ahead, it will occupy some 50-plus hectares of agricultural land on the outskirts of Bourne in the south of the county.

Partners in the proposed Bourne North Fen Nature Reserve include consultant Mark Tarttelin, of Wild Planet Associates, the Black Sluice Internal Drainage Board, the Fens East Peat Partnership and the Environment Agency.

The stated aims are to: 

* Provide a series of biodiversity rich, shallow multi-purpose lagoons and reedbeds

* Restore carbon-capture peatland soils

* Improve  water quality for wildlife, farming and public  supplies

* Improve flood risk management

* Increase the resilience of local wildlife, communities and business to climate change

* Explore opportunities for paludiculture - wetland farming. 

The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust states: "At present, this is an agricultural site with agri-environment stock grazing and arable land use in approximately equal amount. 

"The proposal is to use this site to work with drainage authorities and farmers in exploring working wetland landscapes and novel crops such as reeds, water farming and specialist grazing."

In a note on the birdlife, the LWT says the following species breed around the site's existing clay pits: Reed Bunting, Reed and Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Mute Swan, Grey Lag Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Kestrel and Jackdaw.

"There  have been breeding lapwing and oystercatcher in past wet years.

"Other possible and potential breeders include Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Cuckoo, Heron and Cormorant."

                                              

Wildlife Trust hopes to welcome cuckoos to proposed new reserve

"Of other fauna, bats may use the  boxes provided on lager waterside trees around the pits and come from nearby houses. 

"There are two main badger sets and several outlying set areas in a raised spoil area on the edge of a clay pit and in an old house foundation. 

"Rabbits, hares and roe deer are frequently seen on both the arable and grassland areas, while water voles frequent at least one of the dykes."

Assuming the proposal is granted planning consent from South Kesteven District Council and proceeds, there is unlikely - at least in the early years - for there to be access for birders or other interested members of the public.

Says the LWT: "The site is not open to the public, although small numbers of visitors, accompanied by a warden or LWT employee/volunteer, will regularly visit to study the reserve, observe development progress, check stock and conduct routine site management."                                                

The farmland earmarked for the new wetland reserve