Pressure group Wild Justice's directors miffed at advertisement snub by Private Eye magazine

The current edition of Private Eye magazine

A SPAT has blown up between three high-profile naturalists and the satirical magazine, Private Eye.

Ruth Tingay, Chris Packham and Mark Avery are directors of the pressure group, Wild  Justice, which campaigns relentlessly against game shooting, not least because some landowners  seem to turn a blind eye to the killing on their estates of raptors such as Hen Harriers.

Earlier in the year, Wild Justice took out a full-page colour advert condemning, in cartoon form, the import of captive-bred gamebird chicks into the countryside.

Private Eye published this advert but, reportedly without giving a reason, refused to publish two follow-ups.

Earlier today, the Wild Justice three all took to social media to protest about the snub.

Wrote Dr Avery: "We were surprised when Private Eye said that it would not run our second and third adverts, especially as they gave no reason at all for this. 

"They abruptly changed their minds. 

"How odd! It's as though they were got at. 

"It's as though they gave in to pressure from the shooting industry or some other vested interest. 

"It seems that Wild Justice is too edgy for Private Eye. That's a great disappointment, but also somewhat amusing." 

So far, there has been no response to the protests from the magazine  but this may come in its next edition.

However, its website does clearly detail the reasons why, in certain circumstances, it  chooses not to accept advertising.

Meanwhile, Wild Justice says it will now seek to place the adverts in another publication.

The Wryneck says: Without sight of the 'offending' adverts, it is impossible to judge what all the fuss is about. The likelihood is that Private Eye chooses not to compromise its independence by taking advertisement monies from any political parties, pressure groups or special interest lobbies. That is, surely, to be commended.  But the tiff does prompt another question. Is spending money on doubtless very expensive advertising campaigns, really the most prudent way for Wild Justice to spend the money it receives from its donors?

Review: The Birdman of Auschwitz - The life of Gunther Niethammer, the Ornithologist Seduced by The Nazis

                                                         

IT sounds like it must have been some kind of paradise, especially for birders. . .

"The ponds were surrounded by extensive reedbeds which teemed with great Great Reed Warblers and Aquatic Warblers.

"Bitterns boomed from deep inside the reeds, and, on the open water, Black-necked Grebes nested.

"Nearby, Kingfishers, terns and plover bred.

"Along the margins were dense willow beds, home to Marsh Warblers and the enigmatic Nightingale."

Yet this birding hotspot in Poland was to become a hell on earth, for it was here, during the 1939-45 war,  that the Nazis chose to build the prison and extermination centre known as Auschwitz.

In his extraordinarily-researched new book, The Birdman  of Auschwitz, Nicholas Milton explores both  the birdlife in and around this place of a million atrocities and the part it played in the life of Günther Niethammer, one of the most diligent and enthusiastic birders of his generation who also happened to be a prison guard.  

It seems incredible that, amid every day human suffering, Niethammer should have used some his spare time to go birding or to put up nestboxes within the grounds for Starlings, Black Redstarts and other species, notably corvids, that bred on or around the site.

He was scrupulous in his avian record-keeping and wrote a paper entitled Observations on The Birdlife of Auschwitz, Eastern Upper Silesia.

He noted, for instance, that Sand Martins nested in the banks created by construction of the prison, and Swallows nested in the roof of the guards' barracks.

Noted avian  absentees included Corn Bunting, Red-breasted Merganser, Wren, Pied Flycatcher, Dipper, Long-tailed Tit, Buzzard and Chaffinch.

Meanwhile, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Crested Lark and Grey Wagtail were scarce.

Writes Nicholas Milton: "Niethammer was not just surveying birds, he was using them to turn a blind eye to the horrors going on in the camp."

However, to his credit, Milton does not turn a same 'blind eye' - nor does he skimp on the details of some of the atrocities that occurred .

To have done so would have been insensitive in the extreme not just to the memory of those  who died but also to their descendants.

Writing with restraint, Milton has little sympathy for his subject but does not condemn him outright.  He acknowledges that, though aware of what was going on, Niethammer was not an instigator of the suffering.

Indeed, he engaged one of the Polish inmates to help him in some of his ornithological activities.

Furthermore, he would have been under intense pressure to obey the orders of his Nazi superiors - or to face the consequences.

And, importantly,  he also had family to support.

In a foreword to the book, broadcaster Chris Packham takes a different tack - he is unforgiving of Niethammer.

"For my part, I found no compassion for him," he writes. "I came to despise not just him but also those who shielded and protected  him from his past.

"This enormously challenging story will undoubtedly trouble me for the rest of my life."

The Birdman  of Auschwitz is published by Pen & Sword Books at £25 in hardback

www.pen-and-sword.co.uk  

Colourfully-plumaged birds could be introduced to shopping centre to enhance customer experience

 

The shopping arcade in Grimsby offers plenty of natural light and the roof is high

FREE-flying exotic birds such as parrots, macaws, tanagers and hummingbirds  could  be introduced to a shopping arcade as a visitor attraction.

It is believed the initiative proposed for Freshney Place in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, could encourage more footfall - to the potential trading benefit of those shops which have a presence within the premises.

The proposal would ‘dovetail with the local council's aspiration to extend the arcade's  traditional role as  a retail centre to one offering leisure, entertainment and even a medical facility.

However, it is not the council which  has come up with the brainchild but  the Institute of Applied Ornithology which has links not just with international avian organisations but also with zoos all over the world.

Says chief executive Robin Finch: “In effect, the aracde would become a giant indoor aviary.

"Because, it is so blessed with natural daylight and a high atrium, we think it is ideal for such a venture.

"If successful, we think it could be adopted at Meadowhall in Sheffield, the Trafford Centre in Manchester and Brent Cross in London and other UK shopping centres.

"As yet, we have not identified our preferred species, but we would obviously favour those with bright plumage - the whole purpose is to provide shoppers with  a sense of magic and wonder with splashes of fast-moving colour.

"As well as creating a vibrant shopping experience, we think this concept will encourage greater interest in birds and the natural environment."

From where might our feathered friends be sourced? 

There is no question of using British species in this venture because it is against the law  to capture wild birds.

Though there is an extensive global black market in trapped wildlife, the institute deems it unethical as well illegal to import wild caught birds, and insists it would shun any offers from unscrupulous rogue traders.

Instead, it would take advantage of its long-established links with zoos all over the world to buy or borrow  birds that derive from long-established aviary-bred bloodlines.

Assuming the project proceeds, Some adjustments would need to be made to the entrance and exit points of the arcade to prevent the birds from escaping.

In order to provide perching, roosting and foraging habitat, natural foliage, including some tall trees and shrubs, will also be required.

These would be located along the whole length of the centre of the walkway.

Up to four jobs would be created. 

The main responsibilities of those engaged would be to ensure the welfare of the birds and the plants and to ensure the centre is kept clean (because some birds, such as mynahs,  can be messy).

However, ‘educational engagement’ with the public is also likely to be part of the job description.

As far as is known, shopkeepers welcome the proposal, though management at clothing retailers have cautioned about birds flying into their premises and potentially soiling stock.

It is understood one birdfood supplier with strong links to the area has been approached to sponsor the venture. 

It would not set a Grimsby  precedent if birds were free-flying within Freshney Place aracade. In October, 2022, there was a Sparrowhawk (above) in the main Asda store in Grimsby. However, it proved such a distraction to shoppers (below) and staff that it was released after just a few days.