Mixed picture on breeding fortunes of Ring Ouzels at RSPB reserves in England and Scotland

                                               

This trio of Ring Ouzels were spotted in a field in Lincolnshire - a stop-off county on their migration from northern Africa to Britain's moorlands

A NOTE of disappointment has been sounded by the RSPB  on the breeding fortunes in England  of  Ring Ouzels.

The society is disappointed that at two of its reserves in the Lake District -  Geltsdale and Haweswater - only 11 birds were recorded  in the 2025 breeding season.

This is lower than in previous years when there have sometimes been 20-plus.

On the plus side, numbers  appear to be holding up at its Dove Stone reserve in the Peak District, not far from Manchester, where eight singing males were recorded last summer.

There is also good  news from its Abernethy reserve in the Scottish Highlands, with 15 singing males recorded last summer. This compares with six in the previous survey in 2021.

Ring Ouzels migrate here from wintering grounds - shared with Dotterels - in  the Atlas mountains in North Africa.

                                                   

Dove Stone is  owned by the United Utilities water company but managed by the RSPB 

                                                .

 

RSPB scientist warns: 'Dotterels are disappearing almost before our very eyes'

                                                             

Although it occurs on migration in  England and Wales, breeding is restricted to high ground in Scotland 

IT is now looking increasingly certain that the Dotterel will soon be lost as a breeding species in Britain.

When a survey of 217 potential site was carried out in spring and summer last year, only 22 contained breeding birds.

It  may be that there were nesting birds elsewhere, but researchers reckon that, at best, the breeding population of Britain is now no more than  just 112 pairs.

This compares with 981 pairs when a similar project was carried out in 1989.

But the decline is believed to date back at least to the 1950s.

The species is migratory and spends winter in the Atlas mountains of North Africa.

It is many years since  breeding Dotterels have been detected in England, Wales or southern Scotland. The surviving  population is now restricted to the eastern and northern Highlands of Scotland. 

A gloomy note is sounded by one of the researchers, Dr Leah Kelly of the  RSPB: "We are seeing Dotterels disappear almost before our very eyes. 

"The fact they need mountain tops to breed has made them particularly susceptible to habitat loss as climate change alters their montane environment.

"Importantly, Dotterels' preferred food, cranefly larvae, also appear to have undergone declines in UK montane sites."

Although prospects look bleak, the RSPB suggests  grazing management to keep habitat in good condition and reducing disturbance by hillwalkers and dogs, may provide some help.

Photos: RSPB

                                       

Mountain range in the Cairngorms - habitat favoured (until climate change) by the Dotterel

Publicity poster for Hitchcock's famous 'ornithological' movie fails to take flight at auction

                                                       

On the scarce occasions when birds are depicted in film poster imagery, they are sometimes cast  in an unfavourable light as in this publicity poster for Alfred Hitchcock's famous horror movie, The Birds, which went under the hammer at an auction conducted earlier today by auction house Ewbank's. The pre-sale guide price was that it would sell for between £200 and £400, but the price achieved (including buyers fees) ended up being a slightly disappointing £195.

Bumper price at Christie's auction for original 1859 copy of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species

                                              

In advance of a sale held earlier this week, auction house Christie's had high hopes for Lot 168 - an original 1859 copy of Charles Darwin's famous Origin of Species. In excellent condition, it is one of a print-run of just 1250 copies, so the pre-sale estimate was that it would fetch between £100,000 and £150,000. This proved to be an under-estimate - the price realised was a remarkable £190,500! The identity of the successful bidder has not been divulged.

Raptors galore! Woodland on edge of Derbyshire Dales on market with price tag of £36,000

      

It is not known which songbirds might nest in  Rowan Edge Wood

A BROADLEAF woodland with views across the Derbyshire Dales has been put on the market.

The price tag for freehold of the 1.55-acre Rowan Edge Wood, near Wirksworth, Derbyshire is  £36,000. 

Say the agents: "The skies above frequently host Red Kites, Buzzards and Hobbies, while, down at ground level, Badger, Fox and Roe Deer are regularly sighted. 

"After dark falls. the calls of the Tawny Owl and the high-pitched squeak of bats fill the summer nights." 

Could there also be Redstarts, Pied Flycatchers and Wood Warblers? Who knows

They continue: "The woodland is moderate to severely sloping with some flatter areas towards the top. 

While this does present some management and access challenges, with a little industry and a few weekends of graft, one could create some very useful plateaux. 

"This would make use of the flat space and take advantage of the incredible views over the dales, including the historic Wirksworth dream cave, a natural limestone cavern where 43,000-year-old Woolly Rhinoceros remains were found in the 1800s."

More details from Wood4Sale at:  info@woods4sale.co.uk                                

View over the Derbyshire Dales

Migrating Whimbrel makes presence felt in new movie set partly on scenic Irish Coast

                                                 

The seven-whistle call of an overhead Whimbrel and a brief glimpse of a Chough in tumbling flight are ornithological highlights of 500 Miles, now being screened in British cinemas.  It is a somewhat disappointing film featuring mostly unappealing fictional characters,  unconvincing acting (even by veteran Bill Nighy) and persistently abrasive and uncouth dialogue. However, it is just about redeemed by the beautiful scenery around Dingle on the Irish coast, a clever late twist in the plot and a moving, sentiment-packed final sequence. 

                                      

Heard but not seen in new movie - Whimbrel

Bygone birding: artist-illustrator Eleazar Albin reflects on that most curious of birds, the Wryneck

                                         

Below is an extract  from a description by Eleazar Albin of the Wryneck in one of the first ornithological books, A Natural History of British Birds, published in 1731:

It strangely and ridiculously turns its head back to its shoulders.

It feeds upon ants which it strikes with its tongue, and then, contracting it, swallows them without ever touching them with its bill, having a glutinous matter sticking on the tongue. 

The hen is paler than the cock, being of a more cinereous colour.

                                          

Hot conservation topic - has time come to re-introduce apex predators to British countryside?

 

Should we learn to live with lynx, wolves and bears again? There has been much debate about whether these long-vanished species should be reintroduced to Britain. In this paperback (Pelagic Publishing £14.99), conservation-author Jonny Hanson explores the issues based on 50 interviews with commentators in seven countries.

Bygone birding: 'Nature's own sadness seems to speak in the 'voice of Stone-curlews'

                                                 

Stone-curlews in nuptial pose

 

Extract from his commentary on Stone-curlews in the book, Bird Watching (1901), by Edmund Selous (1857-1934)

During the day, Stone-curlews are idle and lethargic - sitting about, dozing or sleeping.

But as the air cools and the shadows fall, they rouse into a glad activity, and, coming down and spreading themselves over the wide space of the warrens, they begin to run excitedly about.

They raise and waving their wings, leaping into the air and often making little flights, or rather flittings, over the ground as a part of the disport. 

Over the warrens, their plaintive, wailing notes are heard - notes that seem a part of the deepening gloom and sad sky.

Nature's own sadness seems to speak in the voice of these birds. 

They swell and subside and swell again as they are caught up and repeated in different places from one bird to another and often swell into a full chorus of several together. 

Deeper now fall the shadows and light thickens until there are  only "dreary gleams about the moorland".

Now here, now there, the wings are flung up showing the lighter coloured inner surface  until gradually first one and then another, or by twos or threes or fours, the birds fly off into the night, wailing as they go. 

But this note on the wing is not the same as that uttered while running over the ground. 

The ground-note is much more drawn out, and a sort of long, wailing twitter  - called the "clamour" - often precedes and leads up to the final wail. 

In the air, it comes just as a wail without this preliminary. But it must not be supposed that all the birds perform these antics simultaneously.

If they did, the effect would be more striking, but it is, generally, only a few at a time over a wide space, or, at most, some two or three together.

Curlew proposed as 'mascot' for redevelopment project at abandoned Lincolnshire theme park

                        

On the prowl for something to eat - a Curlew on Cleethorpes beach

A CURLEW could be adopted as the "mascot" if the proposed redevelopment of an abandoned  theme park in northern Lincolnshire goes ahead.

The idea has been put forward for Pleasure Island in Cleethorpes by Lichfelds, the agents acting on behalf of the scheme's applicants, as part of an initiative to keep planners and  conservationists sweet.

Among the latter are Natural England and the RSPB who have expressed concerns that Curlews and other declining shorebirds could face increased disturbance if the Cleethorpes coastline becomes target destination for thousands of boisterous  holidaymakers.

Another proposal is for the redeveloped site to have its own dedicated Coastal Ranger  "for the lifetime of the lodge development".   

Subject to the organisation's  agreement, the appointee would be employed by the Humber Nature Partnership who would receive a financial contribution of approximately  £22,264 per annum - to be increased in line with inflation - to subsidise the role.

The intention is for the Ranger not just to monitor the shorebird bird population, plus incidents where they are disturbed, but also (good luck with this!) to "educate" holidaymakers about the importance of conservation.

The draft job description for the role outlines the main responsibilities thus:

1. To undertake programmes of ornithological and disturbance monitoring in accordance with agreed monitoring and reporting protocols.  

2. Monitoring and reporting any disturbance events or issues to stakeholders to enable continual review of the role and findings. 

3. To provide advice to holiday park and recreational users concerning the value of the coast to wildlife and how they can undertake their activities while avoiding disturbance.  

4. To support with effective public engagement programmes, including guided walks, educational programmes and help deliver compelling social media campaigns. 

5. To support holiday park engagement activities which may include the coordination of partners, local recreational groups, local industry and community groups to share the message about the importance of the Humber Estuary and connect people to the natural environment.   

6. Participate in the delivery of informative, engaging, inclusive and participative engagement programmes that connect people and place through storytelling, participation and learning, inspiring and helping to build capacity. 

7. Support the work of the partners, local community groups, the community and recreational user groups to share understanding of ecological issues and the place.  

8. Support with the delivery of important initiatives to conserve important wintering and breeding bird populations and their habitat.  

9. Undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected at this level.

The site's redevelopment will be recommended for approval at a meeting on Thursday, but it is unclear whether any of the above will be included as a formal planning condition of consent.

Ornithological note: Probably fewer than a dozen pairs of Curlews nest in Lincolnshire, but none anywhere near Cleethorpes. A few non-breeders linger in the Humber Estuary over summer, but most depart our shores in spring to nest in Scandinavia, chiefly at sites in Finland, thereafter to return to our beaches in autumn and winter.

                       

Pleasure Island - the theme park closed 10 years ago

The Wryneck says: Cynics might see the Curlew mascot idea as an attempt at "greenwashing". It reflects what has happened widely across the country where housing estates have been given names which include the words "fields", "forest" or "meadows" and where new streets have been named after displaced  birds, trees or wildflowers. It is uncertain if the applicants have the slightest interest in the welfare of Curlews, but, to give them their due, the idea of one being one used as a logo has its merits. In addition, the appointment of a Coastal Ranger would certainly (assuming the duties are fulfilled) do no harm.  

Would poet - and birdwatcher - William Wordsworth have appreciated living close to a kebab shop?

                                                   

Dove Cottage - home of Wordsworth between 1799 and 1808 (photo: Christine Hasman via Wikimedia Commons

A RUMPUS over whether a kebab shop should be allowed to open in the scenic Lakeland village of Grasmere has put its most famous resident, William Wordsworth, in the spotlight.

Would he have disapproved such a business opening close to Dove Cottage where he lived? Or, by contrast, would he have become a regular and appreciative customer?

These questions are being explored in current media reports.

Of incidental ornithological interest, it could be noted that Wordsworth (1770-1850) was an important chronicler of the birdlife of the Lake District and his huge output of verse includes references, sometimes frequent, to the species he used to encounter on his walks.

All told, there are reckoned to be more than 50 of them including Nightjar (Dor-hawk), Corncrake (Land-rail), Snipe and Stonechat.

His various poetic tributes to the Skylark are less admired than a corresponding work by Shelley, but one is particularly impressive.

It reads:

Ethereal minstrel! pilgrim of the sky!

Dost thou despise the earth where cares abound?

Or, while the wings aspire, are heart and eye

Both with thy nest upon the dewy ground?

Thy nest which thou canst drop into at will,

Those quivering wings composed, that music still!

Leave to the nightingale her shady wood;

A privacy of glorious light is thine;

Whence thou dost pour upon the world a flood

Of harmony, with instinct more divine;

Type of the wise who soar, but never roam;

True to the kindred points of Heaven and Home!

In his Book, Wordsworth's Birds (1985), Stanley Finch describes Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy, as "life-long bird lovers".

He writes: "Birds were their everyday companions - as much a part of surrounding life as mountains and lakes, trees and flowers, and equally loved."

According to the author, the Robin was the poet's favourite just ahead of the Wren.

Kindred spirit - poet always cherished seeing a Robin

                                     

Deep in reflection - William Wordsworth (photo: Benjamin Haydon via Wikimedia Commons)

 

Great Scott! Egg from 'most grotesque bird in all the world' expected to fetch as much as £15,000 at London auction

                                                           

A little bit of Antarctic history

 

AN egg from an Adelie Penguin  would not normally be an object of  desire, but an exception is set to go under the hammer (not literally) at a sale in London on Thursday July 9.

What makes this egg  special is that it was brought back by one of the scientists on Capt Robert Scott's ill-fated 'Terra Nova' 1910-13 expedition to the South Pole. 

Measuring circa 75cm x 55cm, the egg, which has been 'blown' of its contents, is contained in a black cardboard presentation box.

Also in the box, crucially, is a typewritten note signed by Herbert Ponting,  the man who gathered it.

This valuable historical document reads: "This box contains the egg of an Adelie Penguin - the most grotesque bird in all the world -which was brought back by me from the Antarctic regions where I was a member of Captain Scott's expedition on which he and four comrades - Captain Oates, Dr Wilson, Lieut Bowers and Petty Officer Evans - perished on their return journey from the South Pole. 

"The Adelie Penguin breeds farther south than any other known creature. 

"This egg was found by me, in November 1911, seven miles from Captain Scott's Winter Quarters, Lat:77.30 S., 750 miles from the South Pole."

The box and its contents are likely to be one of the star lots at an auction to be conducted by Sotheby's next Thursday July 9.

A report in the catalogue states:  "Herbert Ponting (1870-1935) is famed for his role as the expedition photographer and cinematographer for the British Antarctic Expedition, also known as the Terra Nova Expedition, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott. 

"Ponting took some of the first known colour photographs of Antarctica, and was also among the first men to use a portable movie camera in the region. 

"Having helped set up the winter camp at Cape Evans in 1911, Ponting took many photographs of Scott and his men, as well as over one hundred photographs of Adelie and Emperor Penguins."

It continues: "Whilst the tragic deaths of Scott and his men are central to the legend of the Terra Nova expedition, one of the expedition's major objectives was scientific, as this object reminds us. 

"The Terra Nova returned laden with specimens of plants, animals, and fossils, of which more than four hundred were new to science. 

"Penguin eggs were prized for their alleged importance in revealing evolutionary links between reptiles and birds. 

"The box and accompanying typewritten note signed by Ponting suggest that this item was presented as a gift. 

"Intriguingly, the Scott Polar Research Institute holds another Adelie Penguin egg housed in a box of apparently identical construction, with a near-identical typed note signed, stating that the specimen was found at the same location as the present egg ("Lat:77.30 S., 750 miles from the South Pole"). 

"The two specimens may well have been removed by an expedition member from the same clutch of eggs."

Online bidding has already begun and reached £9,000.

However, Sotheby's have high hopes that the hammer price on Thursday could reach between £10,000 and £15,000.

                                                    

Herbert Ponting's note

                                                    

Blown free of its contents - the hole on another side of the egg

                                          

Warden of Cape Clear John Horton lined up to give talk on bird observatories at Global Birdfair 2026

                                          

Plenty of coastal observatories but none inland

THERE should be a good attendance when John Horton discusses the work of bird observatories in the presentation he is due to give at Global Birdfair on Friday afternoon.

There are 21 observatories dotted around the coasts of Britain and Ireland - for some reason there are none inland - with John being warden at Cape Clear.

According to the Bird Observatories Council, their function is to "conduct long-term monitoring of bird populations and migration".

The BOC says: "Individual observatories are located at prime migration points where a daily census is taken in a defined recording area.

"An integral part of observatory work is bird ringing, undertaken within the national British scheme which is cordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology. 

"This provides data for guiding conservation policies of such bodies as Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage and their counterparts in Ireland.

"The observatories encourage volunteers to participate in scientific studies of birds and the environment.

" The results of these studies and more general information are made freely available to researchers and to the public who are welcome to visit observatories."

Some of the individual observatories - for instance, those at Dungeness, Fair Isle, Gibraltar Point and Spurn - are excellent at providing daily records.

Over the past day or two, for instance, Bee-eaters have been noted at Dungeness and Trumpeter Finch on Fair Isle.

However, disappointingly, some observatories seldom post any records at all until the publication of their annual reports.

John Horton’s talk will be at 5pm on Friday in the Avocet lecture theatre. 

New book explores how interests of birds and other wildlife get shunted to one side by 'powerful people'

                                 

"Nature deserves to be front and centre in the minds of decision-makers."

So says Simon Marsh in a new book chronicling how the interests of birds and other wildlife are so often put to one side when it comes to matters of planning and development.

He writes: "Sadly, powerful people, such as the Mayor of London, are prone not to learn from planning history.

"They will pursue grandiose schemes despite a mass of evidence of environmental harm."

Planning for Nature is this week published in paperback (£29.99) by Pelagic Publishing.

Financial squeeze means it's end of road for BBC-TV's Winterwatch nature show after 14-year run

      

Blaming financial pressures, the BBC has confirmed the scrapping of its live TV show, Winterwatch, which had been running since 2012. It will be replaced by a weekly pre-recorded programme to be called Naturewatch. The corporation has not revealed the extent, if any, to which Winterwatch's presenters, (from left) Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan  and Iolo Williams, will be involved in the new show. 

Natural England's green light for slaughter of Herring Gulls on industrial estate in Suffolk

                                               

Even though the Herring Gull is a Red-listed species, Natural England continues to grant licences for their slaughter if it deems there to be 'special conditions'. In the latest cull, which has sparked  controversy, birds have been shot at an industrial park in Ipswich, Suffolk, on the grounds that their nesting activity threatened to block guttering on warehouse buildings.    

Oh dear! Sale of paintings by Archibald Thorburn flopped at this afternoon's auction in London

                                                       

Tengmalm's Owl and Little Owl - only Thorburn painting that sold 

OUT of six original paintings by Archibald Thorburn, only one sold at a Sotheby's auction in London this afternoon.

This was his study of a Tengmalm's Owl and a Little Owl which sold for £7,680 including the buyer's premium.

The other five all attracted bids but not sufficiently high to reach their reserve prices, so they went unsold

Why the flop?

In recent months, there has been a glut of  Thorburn paintings on the market, and the pre-sale estimates always looked overly optimistic.

It is not known if the paintings will be included in a future sale  or if Sotheby's and the vendors might be open to post-auction offers.

                                                                     

Woodcocks at nest - estimate £10,000-15,000

Hen Harrier pair - estimate £6,000-8,000

Grey Partridges on sandy bank - estimate £12,000-18,000

Woodcock alighting with young - estimate £6,000-8,000

    

Black Grouse - estimate £12,000-18,000

Birders on alert in Australia as first cases of deadly avian influenza confirmed in two migratory pelagic species

Brown Skua: photo Liam Quinn via Wikimedia Commons

                                    

UP until late last month , Australia's birds had been spared the H5N1 strain of avian influenza that has caused so much devastation to wildlife in Britain and elsewhere since 2021.

But on June 22, a case was confirmed in a Brown Skua found on a beach on Western Australia's southern coastline.

Two days later, not far away, the same fate fate befell a Giant Petrel.

Both have since died.

There are fears that other birds - seen in a sickly state of health - may also have contracted the disease.

Scientists and poultry farmers are now on high alert amid worries not just for Australia's bird population but for all that in Antarctica.                                 

Giant Petrel: photo Jerzy Strzelecki via Wikimedia Commons

It's not a Scottish species so how did flock of Egyptian Geese find their way into new movie?

Peter Mullan stars as a melancholy man with a fixation on the past

THE Egyptian Goose is a scarce bird in Scotland, usually only seen singly or in pairs, so it is a surprise when a whole flock of them feature prominently towards The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford  currently on release in British cinemas.

According to the movie, the species was introduced north of the border in the 18th Century by Sir Douglas Weatherford, an eminent explorer, collector of exotic birds, philosopher  and surgeon with a special interest in mental illness.

In ancient Egypt, the strange-looking goose was venerated such that it frequently appears in the art of that period.

And it is, maybe, because of this  almost mythical reputation that the birds achieve a starring role near the end of this absorbing film.

Trouble is Sir Douglas is an entirely fictional character.

Another anomaly in this dark comedy, directed by Sean Dunn, is that the species is referred to not as Egyptian Goose but as "Marshbird".

No matter, it is a most entertaining film with a cast headed by the always excellent  Peter Mullan.

Amid the delightfully scenic Scottish setting, birder-moviegoers will also detect the sound of a Cuckoo and glimpse  a Scarlet Ibis (albeit a stuffed museum piece) and a painting depicting a male Golden Oriole.

Egyptian Goose - species has part to play in new film 

                                                      

                         

Tiny bird of Cairngorms mountain range helps spark bidding frenzy at Sotheby's art auction

                                                         

Landseer's Snow Bunting is a male adult displaying  

IT seems a lot of money to pay for a painting of a Snow Bunting, but it was not until bids had reached £5.946-million that the hammer fell at a Sotheby's auction this evening.

That was spectacularly higher than the pre-sale estimate of between £3-million and £4-million  for the work by  Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-73). 

Admittedly, the bunting was support actor to the Red Deer, but small is beautiful.

The Snow Bunting is mostly an uncommon autumn and winter visitor to Britain's coast, but today, as in Landseer's time, there is a small all-year breeding colony in the Scottish Highlands' Cairngorms range.                                        

 Red Deer, Mountain Hare, Golden Eagle in flight - and diminutive Snow Bunting  perched (left) on a rock

Autumn arrival - this Snow Bunting was detected at Filey in Yorkshire one morning in October last year

All eyes on Landseer's magnificent stag - but note, too, there is a Golden Eagle in flight with its prey

                                                     

The Red Deer, the Mountain Hare, the Golden Eagle - and what's that bird perched (left) on a rock?

AUCTION house Sotheby's have high hopes for this painting by Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-73). 

It reckons Scene in Braemar - Highland Deer will fetch between £3-million and £4-million  when it goes under the hammer in London on Wednesday July 1.

The artist is better known for his sister painting, Monarch of The Glen, which hangs in the Scottish National Museum  in Edinburgh, but this one has comparable power.

The catalogue note states:  "Thick-maned and massive of body, the stag is a  grizzled warrior, his immense brow points declaring his power.

"In the left foreground, a mature hind nestles in the sparse heather at his feet, whilst to the right a mountain hare has emerged from its burrow among the rocks -  a feature which suggested to at least one contemporary reviewer a scene from Aesop’s Fables. 

"Behind, another hind and a young stag, with their backs to the viewer, gaze up at a Golden Eagle carrying prey in its talons. 

"Some unknown presence has disturbed the creatures' restful tranquillity, and the scene is one of momentary tension and alertness."                              

The mystery bird - could it be a male Snow Bunting in breeding plumage?

Former assistant warden at Fair Isle bird observatory and Birdgirl author among those lined up for Islay festival

TWO birders are among the luminaries whose names are on the programme for the 2026 Islay Book Festival.

They are Mya-Rose Craig whose book, Birdgirl, published in 2023, won plenty of plaudits for its thoughtful and often touching exploration of birdwatching, conservation, racism and her mother's struggles with a debilitating illness.

As well as giving a talk, Mya-Rose will also be leading a family nature-watching event at Loch Gruinart.

The other frontline birder is Peter Roberts who has been an enthusiast since childhood in London, but after travelling 110 countries of the world, is now settled on Islay.

His career has included spells as assistant warden at Fair Isle bird observatory and as warden of Bardsey bird observatory, plus a year managing the Aldabra Research Station in the Indian Ocean.

He has an MSc in woodland invertebrate ecology and has published research on various subjects including the feeding ecology of fruit bats, bird migration and the ecology of seabirds and  Choughs.

In recent months. he has been putting the finishing touches to a  book on the birds of Islay and Jura though it is not known if this will be published in time for the book festival.

In November, he will be leading the latest of his many birding  tours to one of his favourite countries, Tanzania.                                                              

Mya-Rose Craig - author of Birdgirl

                                                      

Peter Roberts - Islay is where he has made his home

"The most intense moment of a twitch is when the bird is both there and not there." Discuss

                                                 

Mya-Rose has fascinating story to tell about her challenging childhood

AN unwritten rule among birders is that you should "always try to share your sightings".

So says Mya-Rose Craig in her fascinating book, Birdgirl.

Another of her observations - which requires more reflection from the reader - is that "the most intense moment of a twitch is when the bird is both there and not there."

And she further notes: "The harder you work for the bird, the greater your reward and the sweeter the pleasure."

Mya-Rose is one of  the most interesting of the new generation of birders.

As a child, she was encouraged by her parents - both keen birders.

Even before completing her schooldays in Bristol, she had visited no fewer than 40 countries across seven continents and seen more than 5,000 of the world's species. 

Her book recalls some of her most memorable experiences to date, not least of them watching a  Green-breasted Pitta deep in a Ugandan rain forest.

She writes: "Watching a small bird sing and dance its heart out, my own heart felt like it was exploding.

"Such a display of extraordinary beauty made tears prick my eyes. 

"There wasn't anywhere else on earth I'd rather have been than here in the clearing, watching this little bird call for a mate."

Even if were book dedicated solely to matters ornithological, Birdgirl would be a compelling read. 

But is is given added texture by other elements, for instance her disquiet at  the lack (at least in the UK) of racial diversity within  birding circles.

As the daughter of a White father and a Bangladeshi mother, she laments the casual racism and Islamophobia that she regularly used to encounter at school.

Also threaded into her narrative - with extraordinary frankness - is the challenges she and her father faced  as a result of her  mother's unpredictable bipolar behaviour which  variously sparked night-terrors, depression and mania.

Despite many fabulous moments, life has clearly often been difficult for the author.

As she ruefully concludes: "I have not enjoyed an easy migration into adulthood."

Birdgirl is published in paperback (£10.99) by Vintage/ Penguin.

Soaring ever upwards! Bids for scarce copy of Californian artist's 1865 bird book now exceeding pre-sale guide price

                                                  

                                   

A 'Northern Sea Eagle' and 'Californian Woodpecker' are among the species depicted in the 50 hand-coloured plates that feature in John Cassin's Illustrations of The Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America that was published in 1865. A scarce copy is due to go under the hammer on Wednesday (July 1) at an online  auction being conducted by Bonhams of Knightsbridge. The pre-sale estimate was that it could be  expected to fetch between £400 and £700, but, as of 5pm today (Saturday), bidding had already reached £850.

                                               

                                                 

Swift conservation campaigner Hannah Bourne-Taylor is subject of full-page spread in red-top tabloid

 

It's not necessarily in the way that she would have wished it but Swift nestbrick campaigner Hannah Bourne-Taylor today finds herself splashed on Page 3 of The Sun newspaper following her starring role in Jeremy Clarkson 's Prime TV series about the trials and tribulations of being a newbie farmer. Former motoring journalist Clarkson called on her to offer tips on how to encourage birds such as Skylarks and Corn Buntings in the fields and hedgerows of his farm in the Cotswolds.