Panel of wise birders deems that 'ship-assisted' corvid should not be added to the 636-strong British List

                                                     

Taking flight - but not landing a place on the British List

THE records committee of the British Ornithologists' Union has decided not to add the Pied Crow to the British List.

Members reached their verdict unanimously after considering a bird that spent the period between  June 13, 2018, and May 21, 2019, in various parts of England and Wales.

The committee's report states: "The Pied Crow is an abundant  species of sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Aldabra and Comoros.

"It is largely sedentary though, in some areas, seasonal movements may be dictated by rainfall. 

"Instances of vagrancy to temperate Europe by birds of Afrotropical origin are exceptional but ship-assisted passage is a potential means of arrival.

"However, there are only a small number of documented records of Pied Crow actually aboard ships: at sea off Western Sahara and around the Canary Islands, and there is also possibility that these records concerned individuals known to have escaped on the Canary Islands." 

In chronological order, the British sightings over a period of 12 months included:

* Easington, Kilnsea and Spurn, Yorkshire

* Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire

* Great Yarmouth, Winterton-on-Sea, Caister-on-Sea, Cromer,  East Runton, Norfolk

* Clevedon, Avon

* Pencarnan, Pembrokeshire

* Thornwick Camp and Flamborough, Yorkshire 

* Spurn, Yorkshire

* Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire

* Holland Haven, Essex

* Winchelsea, Seaford, and Litlington, Sussex, 

* Cot Valley, Land’s End, St Just and Nanjizal, Cornwall

* Clovelly, Lundy, Morte Point, and Woolacombe, Devon

* Dover, North Foreland, St Margaret’s at Cliffe, Foreness Point, Swalecliffe, Broadstairs and North Foreland, Kent 

Crucially, the committee noted that "on June, 8, 2018, a Pied Crow  briefly visited a ship travelling from Russia to Britain in the south-eastern North Sea".

In all likelihood, this was the bird that went on to spend time flying hither and thither on the mainland. 

The report continues: "The committee's policy towards ship-assisted vagrants is not to admit port-to-port or coast-to-coast transportees on to the British List.

"Suspected ship-assisted birds should only by admitted to the List if the species is considered capable of making an unassisted crossing under favourable circumstances.

"The committee did not consider the 2018-2019 Pied Crow to be a vagrant and voted unanimously to not add the species to the British List which thus remains at 636."

The committee consists of:

Chair: Alexander Lees (Manchester Metropolitan University)

Secretary: Chris Batty (Lancashire)

Members:

Ross Ahmed (Tyne and Wear)

Pierre-André Crochet (Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, France)

Mark Golley (Norfolk)

Andrew Holden (ex officio, BBRC)

Mark Thomas (RSPB)

Jane Turner (Cheshire)

Leila Walker (BOU Chief Operations Officer)

BOURC Category F Sub-committee:

Prof Umberto Albarella

Jo Cooper (British Museum)

Dr Dale Serjeantson

Dr John Stewart

BOURC consultants:

Steve Dudley (Category C consultant; former BOU Chief Operations Officer)

Martin Stervander (National Museums of Scotland, museums consultant)

Keith Naylor (historical records consultant)

The Wryneck says: Few will object to the record committee's verdict, but it needs to clarify its policy on ship assisted birds. What, for instance, is its definition  of a port? Solely the point at which the vessel is anchored  - or the wider environ which may extend to 100 metres or more?  As for the line about whether a bird is "considered capable of making an unassisted crossing under favourable circumstances". That is a whole debate in itself.

It has long been extinct, but it is certain that this remarkable marine bird will never be forgotten

Just like that! Prof Tim Birkhead produces the egg

IF his career had taken a different path, perhaps renowned birder, author and Sheffield University academic Tim Birkhead might have been been a stage magician.

Early in his talk to Lincolnshire Bird Club's annual meeting, the good professor startled his audience by nonchalantly conjuring from his trouser pocket the egg of a long-extinct bird. . . a Great Auk.

It was a replica of course, but for the rest of his informative and amusing hour-long presentation, he went on to fascinate his listeners with results from more than two decades’ worth of research into this huge and extraordinary marine bird. 

Almost two years after the demise of the last birds off Iceland, this is a species that - perhaps even more than the Dodo - continues to capture the imagination of birders in the UK , Northern Europe, Canada, the United States and beyond.

One of the species' greatest devotees, according to Tim, was  retired aviator Ivan Hewitt - nephew of a Grimsby brewing magnate - who obsessively devoted much of his inherited wealth  to the acquisition of almost every Great Auk skin and egg that came up for auction.

It was last year that saw the publication of Tim’s book, The Great Auk  - Its Extraordinary Life, Hideous Death and Mysterious Afterlife.

His own journey of discovery took him from a contact in Barnsley (!)  to Funk Island, off Newfoundland, once a breeding stronghold where today patches of grass grow from the carcases of dead Great Auks, butchered by mariners over many centuries for their meat and feathers. 

What partly fired  the author's motivation and determination to complete his  book was  he vehemence and sometimes downright rudeness with which he was obstructed by some from whom he sought assistance in his research. 

When he requested permission to examine brood patches in the skin of an example of a Great Auk held in a collection in a museum in France, the curator refused him point blank.

On another occasion, when he inquired of a fellow biologist advice on the whereabouts of 13 missing Great Auk eggs, back came the abrasive reply: "Keep your nose out!"

Declared Tim: "Everything is secret and furtive about the Great Auk.

"And if you look for information about the bird on AI, much of it is nonsense. That's because there is so much incorrect information on the website."

At least in theory, scientific advances mean that it is possible to "de-extinct" species such as the Great Auk.

In the United States, at least two companies - Colossal Biosciences and Revive & Restore - are aiming to do that.

But Tim reckons that such enterprises are driven by commercial, as opposed to conservation, considerations.

He saw little sense in such initiatives given that the current state of the environment offers little prospect that re-created species would thrive.

"Far better for the money to spend the money on conserving what we still have," he maintained.

During his presentation, the speaker was generous in his praise for Fergus the Silent, Michael McCarthy's excellent, but little-known novel, about the Great Auk. "It would make a great film," he insisted.

Tim himself contributed some of his seabird knowledge as background to McCarthy's book but discreetly declined to say whether one of the characters might actually have been based on him.

Following his presentation, then  a question-and-answer session, Tim was thanked by LBC chairman Phil Espin, who, coincidentally, is planning a forthcoming trip to St Kildare -one of just eight known  locations where the Great Auk is believed  to have bred.

The Great Auk  - Its Extraordinary Life, Hideous Death and Mysterious Afterlife Is published by Bloomsbury.

Tim (fourth left) with LBC committee members - from left, Mike Harrison, Pete Locking, Prof Ian Newton (club president), Phil Espin, Phil Hyde, Chris Grimshaw, Sally Prescott and Jon Cooper

Illustrated two-volume Victorian study of Hummingbirds expected to fetch £400-plus at Gloucestershire auction

This study of a Ruby-crested Hummingbird is one of the coloured plates in William Jardine's two-volume The Natural History of Hummingbirds (1840) which is due to go under the hammer at a sale to be conducted by Dominic Winter at their premises in Cirencester,  Gloucestershire, on April 8. The Lot is expected to fetch between £400 and £600.

High hopes that grounds of Beckhams' family home in Oxfordshire could become magnet for songbirds

                                                         

All that's missing is the binoculars - the Beckhams have a taste for country life (photo: Instagram) 

PLAUDITS to Sir David Beckham and wife Victoria for their efforts to create plenty of songbird habitat on what was once arable land in the grounds of their home near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire.

Their ongoing planting project features many hundreds of native trees, shrubs and hedging plus an adjacent wildflower meadow with more than 20 varieties of wildflower and grass.

Importantly, a small lake has been created with an island in the centre.

The celebrity couple plant to install a bridge to this island plus festoon lighting though this proposal has sparked an objection from a neighbouring landowner and is subject to planning consent being granted by the local council.

It is not known what bird species are accommodated on site, but if either Sir David or Lady Beckham - or any family members - decide to take up birding, we could find out.

                                             

The grounds' landscape design by Portus and Whitton shows  the pond which  is likely to be attractive to birds - not just waterfowl but possibly also Kingfishers, Green Sandpipers and Grey Wagtails

      

  

RSPB has "exciting" post in Scotland for someone to keep tabs on breeding sites of uncommon species of duck

                                              

                                                     

Common Scoter - declining breeding population in Britain

A BIRDING job with a difference is being offered by the RSPB.

The charity has a 12-month vacancy in Scotland for a . . . Common Scoter Manager.

Since the 1970s, the UK breeding population of Common Scoter has plummeted in both numbers and range.

It is classified as Critically Endangered  and listed on the Scottish Biodiversity List as one of the country's  rarest breeding species an d at risk of extinction.

Says the job description: "This exciting role within our North Highland and Hebrides area team will lead on operational management and day-to-day coordination of external contractors and staff to undertake a suite of investigative studies and prepare a delivery project aimed at halting the decline and restoring breeding populations.  

"The successful applicant will be working across six Common Scoter breeding locations in Scotland in the Highlands, Perth & Kinross and Argyll & Bute areas."

It continues: "We are looking for a highly competent individual to oversee the development phase of our ambitious Saving Scotland's Scoters work programme. 

"The project includes but is not limited to: 

* Designing and testing management measures such as feeding area buffers

* Pike removal trials

* Aquatic invertebrate and thermal drone surveys

* Predator and competitor assessments

* Investigating, planning, costing and seeking approvals for site specific management solutions for individual lochs.

The salary is in the range £33,027 - £35,259 per annum, and the deadline for applications is midnight next Thursday April 2.

For more information, contact:  Alison.MacLennan@rspb.org.uk

'What we have lost in our well-plumbed world is a reverence for water,' says birder-author Stephen Rutt

                                                 

Enchantment - and anger! Stephen Rutt's new book 

AWARD-winning author and birder Stephen Rutt certainly has a vivid imagination and a poet's evocative way with words.

Of  a murky  morning on a RSPB reserve at Forsinain Hill in Scotland's Flow Country, he writes: "The mist makes birds invisible but sharpens their calls. 

"I can hear the shrill eruptions of a singing Dunlin, the Hammer Horror hauntings of Curlew, the vocal cords of Golden Plover like an aeolian harp, whispering the wind through taut strings.

"Unerringly, there is a sense that they know I am here."

This vividness of description characterises much of the narrative in Stephen's latest book, The Waterlands, which reads beautifully- for the most part meandering along gracefully like a slow-moving river or chalk stream.  

But in many of the places he visits, he finds the serenity of watery places has long been  despoiled by what humankind has  done to them, be they ponds, lakes, bogs, estuaries or oceans.

When he reflects on scenes of pollution, for instance on the River Clyde not far from his home in Scotland, the author's mostly sunny mood  turns to dismay, even of anger.

"What we have lost in our  well-plumbed world is a reverence for water," he writes. "Our rivers die through a thousand cuts.

"It is a thing deserving of rights and a voice to be heard, but, too often, a river pays the bill for our actions with its life."

The author chronicles some of the industrial and other practices which do the damage, but, for the most part, he does so in a way that is matter-of-fact rather than particularly strident or judgemental.

But he makes an exception when it comes to the privatisation of the water industry which he describes as "a disaster in slow motion".

He adds: "The money in the system is skimmed off as profit and goestowards paying corporate debt instead of fixing leaks."

Subtitled Follow a raindrop from source to sea, The Waterlands is published today (March 26) at £16.99 in hardback by Elliott & Thompson.

                                

Stephen Rutt  - a poet's way with words

Nature minister: "It is our job to protect declining waterbirds for future generations to cherish"

 

Drake Pintail - sometimes a target for wildfowlers

BETTER protection could beckon for Pintail in England if a Government proposal passes into law.

In future, wildfowlers may face a ban on shooting this species -  along with Pochard, Goldeneye and White-fronted Goose.

This is because of the apparent decline of these birds in recent years.

For the same reason, there could also be restrictions - by means of an extended close season - on the  hunting of Woodcock and Snipe.

Says Nature Minister Mary Creagh: "The Woodcock, Pochard, Goldeneye and Pintail are all iconic national birds.

"Their decline is  concerning, and it is our job to ensure they are properly protected for future generations to cherish.

"This government is committed to protecting wildlife."

Different arrangements prevail for Scotland, Wales and Northern Island where decisions  have been devolved to their own respective parliaments.

However, the Golden Plover has been deemed sufficiently common for it not to require additional safeguards within the UK.

The proposals are currently out for consultation with conservation bodies, shooting organisations and anyone who wishes to express a view.

                                                       

Golden Plover - no additional safeguards proposed

Snipe - the close season for hunting may be extended

Will eradication of ferret population on Raithlin Island lead to increase in breeding Corncrakes?

                                                        

All eyes - and ears - will be on 2026 fortunes of the elusive Corncrake

THERE are hopes that Corncrakes will be among the beneficiaries of the purge of predatory mammals on Raithlin Island in Northern Ireland.

Based on RSPB publicity earlier this week, the population of non-native ferrets has now been eradicated entirely.

Rats could face the same fate if a project involving some 7,000 bait stations pays off.

Since both these mammals prey on the eggs and young - and sometimes adults - of ground-nesting birds, Corncrakes could see a brighter breeding future along with Choughs, plus  Puffins, Kittiwakes and other seabirds.

The baseline for Corncrakes is that  six male birds were recorded during last year's breeding season. Will it increase in 2026?

The RSPB and partners are also hopeful of the breeding return of Manx Shearwater and re-colonisation by the Storm Petrel, a species suspected but not known to have bred on the island in the  past.

Auction surprise as Sir Peter Scott's oil-on-canvas of Cuckoo in flight over sand dunes fails to find buyer

                                                                 

THERE was a surprise at an auction in Knightsbridge last week when a striking painting by Sir Peter Scott was withdrawn from the sale after bidding failed to reach the reserve price.

Sir Peter (1909-1989) is well known for his studies of wild swans, geese and ducks, often in flight.

At the same sale, conducted by Bonhams, Sir Peter's painting of Geese in Flight (below) fetched £6,400  - well above the pre-sale estimate of £3,000 to £5,000.

There was an expectation that his oil-on-canvas (above) of a Cuckoo  over Sand Dunes might sell for an even higher price given that this is a species not often depicted by this artist.

But even the cautious pre-sale guide price of between £2,500 and £3,500 proved to be over-ambitious.

The minimum acceptable bid has not been revealed, but, whatever, it was, the figure was not reached.

It is understood that the would-be vendor is now willing to consider post-auction bids.

More information from Catherine.King@bonhams.com or  tel 020 7393 3884. 

                                                                   

There's no greater Guillemot enthusiast than Tim Birkhead - but Bullfinches aren't so far behind

                                              

Tim Birkhead - man of many talents

GUEST speaker at this week's annual meeting of the Lincolnshire Bird Club will be Prof Tim Birkhead who has long taught  animal behaviour and the history of science at the University of Sheffield.

His particular interest in birds has taken him all over the world in his quest better to understand what motivates every aspect of their behaviour from feeding to breeding.

Tim (75) is also an author whose authoritative and entertaining  books  include The Red Canary,  The Wisdom of Birds: An Illustrated History of Ornithology,  Sperm Competition in Birds, The Magpies and Bird Sense: What It Is Like To Be A Bird.

However, his most recent work is The Great Auk: Its  Extraordinary Life, Hideous Death and Mysterious Afterlife. 

Published by Bloomsbury last year, it is a highly readable study of a bird that has captured the imagination of birders since it became extinct in the mid-19th Century.

Tim was born and brought up in Leeds where he went to school before attending the University of Newcastle where Zoology was his degree subject.

After graduating, he continued in the academic world, completing  a doctorate  on the ecology and behaviour of Guillemots on Skomer Island, off the Welsh Coast. This is probably his favourite species, along with, at home,  the Eurasian Bullfinch and, overseas, the Long-tailed Sylph - one of the South American hummingbirds.   

Aged 26, he was offered a position at Sheffield University where he has been ever since.

The father-of-three  attributes his interest in birds largely to his father who was a birdwatcher and who built him an aviary in the garden of the family home in Leeds

Among its occupants were Zebra Finches which, many years later, were kept in an aviary at Sheffield University to serve as main study species for a project to establish how birds' eggs are fertilised and how embryos develop. 

Had Tim's work as a scientist and author not kept him busy and fulfilled, he reckons he might like to have pursued a career as an artist, possibly specialising in the depiction of birds.

He includes painting among his recreational interests along with walking in the Peak District and playing the guitar, sometimes with colleagues.

Among professional guitarists he admires are  Eric Clapton, J. J. Cale, Rye Cooder and Paul Kossoff (of the band, Free).

Tim will be speaking at the education centre at Whisby Nature Reserve, near Lincoln, at 2pm on Saturday March 21.

Admission  is free.

                            

Sadly, the Great Auk is long gone - but the legend lives on 

Sad demise in intensive care for what was probably one of the most twitched birds in history

                                                                       

This Spectacled Eider, one of the most twitched birds in history, has died. Back in December, it was caught, because of its weak condition, and taken into care at  Vogelopvang De Wulp Centre at Den Haag in The Netherlands. At first, it seemed to be recovering, based on the appearance of its plumage and its demeanour. But then it relapsed, ceased eating and sadly died. Far away from its Alaskan home, the bird had been a huge tourist attract off the shores of the Wadden Sea, attracting birders from all over Europe and beyond. It is not known what might happen to the corpse of the much-admired visitor.                                                   

Bird have starring role in powerful film - but for their music, not for their plumage or behaviour

                                                  

Anyone interested in American bird calls and song will enjoy detecting  the species - from Whimbrel to Cuckoo - that form much of the soundtrack of Train Dreams which is screening on Netflix and, this month, in some British cinemas. Curiously enough, none of the birds - except two domestic hens - are shown close enough for them to be identifiable. But this omission in no way reduces the impact of this acclaimed tear-jerker of a movie, starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones. Set in remote rural North America, it explores the themes of happiness, then sadness, grief and the extraordinary power of dreams. 

Let's celebrate the Lapwing! Broadcaster Chris Packham calls for meadowland bird to be featured on banknote

 Celebrity naturalist Chris Packham has called for the Lapwing to be included among the various images  when the Bank of  England introduces its forthcoming  series of wildlife-themed banknotes. He would prefer a declining bird such  as this one to be preferred to other 'cute and cuddly' species such as Robin, Barn Owl and Puffin  which are more likely to be the popular choice when a poll is held later this year.

Headline birds - the three species making a splash on front covers of this month's ornithological mags

                                                                             

Cirl Bunting, Great Crested Grebe and Great Spotted Woodpecker - the three species featured on covers of  the February 2026 editions of three frontline birding titles.  

                                                   

Life among the penguins! Opportunity beckons to work (and observe wildlife) in Antarctica

                                                     

Port Lockroy - Antarctic HQ of the heritage trust

APPLICANTS have until midnight tomorrow Sunday March 15 to apply for a post that involves living for five months among peguins and the other wildlife in Antarctica.

The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust describes the work thus: "It will include welcoming up to 10,000 cruise ship visitors to the island, running the charity gift shop, a British Antarctic Territory Post Office, fundraising, creating media content, annual maintenance and upkeep of the historic buildings and artefacts, wildlife observations and many other varied and challenging tasks. 

"We are looking for committed individuals to make up a team that will spend up to five months (from November this year to March next year) living and working at Port Lockroy in Antarctica."

Candidates must be aged over 18 and fit.

More details from: UK Antarctic Heritage Trust | UKAHT

Firm selling price at auction for charming ornithological seascapes by Gloucestershire artist Oliver Heywood

                                            

 

The hammer price at auction this week of two bird paintings by Stroud artist Oliver Heywood (1920-1992) was £520 -  comfortably above the pre-sale estimate of £300-£400. The sale was conducted on Wednesday by Dominic Winter at their saleroom in Cirencester in Gloucestershire. 

Will Skylarks, Yellow Wagtails and Spotted Flycatchers be casualties of Duchy of Cornwall's Kent housing ambition?

Yellow Wagtail - vulnerable

IT remains to be seen how the birdlife on farmland owned by Prince William will be affected by a forthcoming housing development south of  Faversham in Kent.

At a meeting this week, Swale Borough Council planners approved the first phase of a scheme that will ultimately lead to some 2,500 homes being built on a 323-acre site.

The land is part of the Duchy of Cornwall whose management has pledged to enhance biodiversity - for instance, by creating ponds and planting trees and wildflower meadows.

However, it acknowledge that the project may create  pressure for nesting Skylarks, Yellow Wagtails, Spotted Flycatchers and Yellowhammers - birds that may well vacate the site either during construction or soon thereafter.

Therefore, the Duchy states that "mitigating" habitat will be created at another site, though no details have been provided.

The most recent breeding bird survey, conducted in 2023, revealed the presence of no fewer than 42 species including the following nine that are of Red-listed status: 

*Herring Gull

* Skylark

* Starling

* Mistle Thrush

* Spotted Flycatcher

* House Sparrow

* Yellow Wagtail

* Linnet

* Yellowhammer) 

and 11 species that are of Amber-listed status:

* Stock Dove

* Woodpigeon

* Snipe 

* Black-headed Gull

* Lesser Black-backed Gull

* Kestrel

* Whitethroat

* Wren

* Song Thrush

* Dunnock 

* Meadow Pipit 

Nearby, two other notable species - Cuckoo and Little Owl - were also recorded.

Meanwhile, in winter, four daytime surveys - conducted between November 25, 2022 and February 5, 2023 - recorded the continued presence of some of the summer residents, such as Skylarks and Mistle Thrushes, plus  Fieldfares, Redwings, Tawny Owl and Great Spotted Woodpecker

And two winter night-time surveys identified  flocks of Lapwings and Golden Plovers.

In commentary accompanying the survey data, the Duchy of Cornwall notes: "Recreational disturbance arising from new residents, such as dogs off leads, and increased predation rates from domestic cats is  likely to extend beyond the application site boundary.  

"In the latter case, there is evidence cats have a home range of approximately 300 to 400 metres."

It is understood that the Duchy has agreed to locate "between 100 and 200 bat boxes" on the development, but whether there will also be Swiftbricks is uncertain. 

It is not known when work will start on the project.

Farmland earmarked for the housing estate

Above and below: Green and leafy - artist's impressions of how the completed site might look 

 

                                                                       

 

Former RSPB president will help draw up shortlist of creatures for possible depiction on next British banknotes

Miranda Krestovnikoff enjoyed three terms (nine years) - as RSPB president

FORMER RSPB president and broadcaster Miranda Krestovnikoff will have a say in what wild creatures are to be featured on the next series of British banknotes.

She has agreed to join a panel of nature enthusiasts who will draw up a shortlist of species that will then be put out to a Bank of England consultaton with the public.

Among birds, Robin and Puffin are likely to be favourites for inclusion.

The other panellists are:

* Katy Bell: Senior conservation officer at Ulster Wildlife, managing species conservation projects across Northern Ireland. Katy holds a BSc Hons in Zoology from the University of Edinburgh and a Masters in Ecology and Conservation Biology from Queen's University Belfast. Katy has worked in various research, ecology and conservation roles for universities and environmental NGOs.

* Gordon Buchanan MBE: Wildlife filmmaker and author who has worked on numerous BBC documentaries.

* Steve Ormerod: Professor in the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University, specialising in freshwater ecology. Steve holds a PhD in river ecology and is also deputy chairman of Natural Resources Wales and a member of the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 

* Nadeem Perera: TV  presenter, author and cultural strategist working at the intersection of nature and identity. He is the founder of Hero Hyena, a culture-led creative studio exploring wildlife through contemporary storytelling. He is co-founder of Flock Together, a birdwatching collective encouraging greater participation in nature among underrepresented communities.

* Dawn Scott: Executive Dean of the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences at Nottingham Trent University. Dawn is a Professor of Mammal Ecology and Conservation. She holds a PhD from the University of Durham and has  as a council member for The Mammal Society.

It is not known when the public consulation might take place, nor when the new wildlife banknotes will come into circulatin

The current series of banknotes features portraits of Winston Churchill (£5), Jane Austen (£10), JMW Turner (£20) and Alan Turing (£50).

Actors Adrian Edmonson and Samuel West signed up to star in light-hearted TV show about birding

Actors Adrian Edmonson (left) and Samuel West are the hosts of a pilot three-episode series to be known as Sam and Ade Go Birding which will be screened on the TV channel, 5,  at dates to be confirmed. Viewers will see the pair travel to West Cornwall in search of Cornish Choughs, waders and transatlantic visitors blown hundreds of miles off course; to North Norfolk, to watch Brent and Pink-footed Geese; and  to the Somerset Levels, where they stake out Kingfishers, Egrets and  Bitterns. The producers hope the light-hearted format of the show will replicate the success of a similar series called Gone Fishing, starring Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse, that has been screened over several seasons on BBC TV.

The scarecrow effect? Breeding Curlews are unnerved by the proximity of windfarms, says journal report

Curlews, seen here on a flooded Lincolnshire golf course, are relatively widespread and common in winter but their breeding numbers in Britain and other parts of Europe have seen many decades of decline 

TO what extent - if any - are Curlews at risk from windfarms, both onshore and offshore?

This is one of the questions explored by an authority on the species, Mary Colwell, in a report published in this month's edition of British Birds journal.

"For breeding Curlews, the principal impact of upland windfarms is displacement rather than collision,"she writes. "Birds avoid onshore turbines, access tracks and associated disturbance, reducing the area of otherwise suitable nesting and foraging habitat."

There seems to be a 500-metre rule, with data suggesting that, within this range, breeding density is between 15 and 53 per cent lower than on non-windfarm habitat.

The author continues: "For inland-breeding Curlews, collision risk with turbines is generally considered low compared with the effects of displacement from nesting or feeding areas."

But many of the Curlews that are seen on fields and estuary mudflats in autumn and winter are migrants from Scandinavia, particularly Finland, so how are they disadvantaged by the hundreds of turbines dotted about the North Sea?

                                                               

Mary Colwell is director of Curlew Action and chairperson of  Curlew Recovery Partnership England

"Offshore tracking and migration studies indicate that Curlews may alter flight paths and thus experience limited collision risk during migration," writes Ms Colwell.

What other threats undermine the future, as a breeding species, of Curlews which have been in decline since as far back as the 1950s?

The expansion of silage production, facilitated by fertilisers and technological improvements to cutting machinery,  is described as "particularly damaging" because multiple cuts during a season overlap with the nesting and chick-rearing period not just of Curlews but also other ground-nesting species such as Lapwings and Skylarks.

Forestry and woodland expansion are also an issue because trees are now often being grown on land which formerly accommodated ground-nesting birds such as Curlews.

Despite the challenges, the author is cautiously optimistic about the future because of ongoing initiatives such as 'headstarting' which aims to relocate eggs and chicks  from unsafe habitats to those where they might flourish.

Ends the author: "Ultimately, the future of the Curlew reflects wider choices about land use and biodiversity."  

The current edition of British Birds

* Mary Colwell's books include Curlew Moon and Beak, Tooth and Claw

How strange! Report from Spain of Great Crested Grebes catching and devouring Chiffchaffs

Great Crested Grebe on the prowl - though not, in this case, for Chiffchaffs

IT is difficult to think of any circumstances in which a waterbird, such as a Great Crested Grebe, might kill and eat a Chiffchaff or, indeed, any passerine. 

But Ornithomedia, the authoritative French language website for birders, has reported  a couple of such incidents - both last month on  the Las Cañas lagoon in Navarra, Spain.

It states: "While these passerines (known on the Continent as Swift Warblers) were hunting small insects on the surface of the water, the grebes approached discreetly, caught them with their beaks, drowned them and then swallowed them with difficulty. Two other capture attempts ended in failure."

The normal diet of Great Crested Grebes consists of small fish, larvae, crustaceans, molluscs, amphibians and water vegetation, so these occurrences are remarkable though it should be noted that there is understood to be one British record of a grebe taking and devouring a Sand Martin.