THIRD TERM AS RSPB PRESIDENT BECKONS FOR BROADCASTER MIRANDA KRESTOVNIKOFF

The president - diving expert and TV star Miranda Krestovnikoff
 (photo:rodw via Wikimedia Commons)

MIRANDA Krestovnikoff is expected to be  re-elected president for a further three-year term at the RSPB’s AGM on Saturday October 26.

Having originally been elected in 2013, it will the third term for the 46-year-old, a TV presenter specialising in wildlife and/ or archaeological programmes, especially those with a diving or underwater content.

A zoology graduate from the University of Bristol, she continues to live in the city along with her husband, Nicholas, their two children and an assortment of pet chickens.

She is a strong champion of opportunities for women.

“I believe they should have a strong voice and a powerful presence,” she says.

The Wryneck says: Miranda K is an engaging broadcaster who comes across extremely well in the media. But should she allow herself to be nominated for a third term as president? Her contribution to bird protection, to the RSPB and to its members has not been notably conspicuous, so perhaps not. Doubtless it enhances her profile to hold such a pretigious honorary position, but the time has come for her to be magnanimous. She should be gracious enough to decline her re-election in order to allow someone else to enjoy the role and whatever perks it brings. Her predecessor, broadcaster Kate Humble (another female TV celebrity) set an example - she stepped down as president after serving just a single term.

BYGONE BIRDING (7): PROTEST OVER 'FOOLISH AND CRUEL' SHOOTING OF A HOOPOE

 'THE GREATEST ENEMY TO BIRDS ARE ORNITHOLOGISTS'

Letter in The Zoologist, 1858

SIR -

In The Times of this morning there is an account of the appearance and destruction of a very rare bird, the hoopoe, which was shot by Mr. P. Matthews, of Ongar, on Wednesday last. 

Permit me a brief space to protest against this foolish and cruel act. 

The hoopoe is an unusual visitor to the British Isles, but has been met with in almost every county in England and in many parts of Wales. 

It is a most amusing bird in its habits, of peculiar and beautiful plumage, and, being entirely insectivorous, is perfectly harmless both in our gardens and orchards. 

They are numerous in many parts of Europe, particularly in the marshes near Bordeaux. 

They have been known to breed in this country and would doubtless increase, but the moment they appear they are wantonly destroyed, as in the instance above recorded. 

Owing to this spirit of persecution, many species of birds which were once numerous in Great Britain have entirely disappeared, and, year by year, many of the Sylviadae are becoming exceedingly scarce. 

Last spring, a black redstart, being the first recorded in Hertfordshire, took up its abode in a friend's garden in this town, but it was destroyed notwithstanding our efforts to preserve it. 

It has been stated, and I fear with some truth, that the greatest enemies to birds are ornithologists who should be their warmest friends.

No sooner is a strange bird discovered than war to the death is waged against it, and happy the pseudo-naturalist who succeeds in depriving the wretched little wanderer of its life. 

Its fame is duly chronicled in the county newspaper, and a skilful taxidermist employed to set up "the specimen" and exhibit it to his admiring friends. 

I am aware that all this is justified as being in the cause of science, but I would ask how is science advanced by the death of Mr. P. Matthew's hoopoe? 

If a specimen were wanted, it could have been procured from France at the price of a few shillings. 

Last year, in a journal devoted to Natural History, there appeared a notice of a nightingale in Devonshire. 

Now, all naturalists are aware that, from some cause which we cannot explain, these sweet songsters seldom visit that or the adjacent county of Cornwall. 

One would have thought that its very unusual appearance there would have been hailed with delight, and so it was, probably, by most of the residents. 

But, in an unlucky hour. it was discovered by a naturalist, and - with indignation I write it - he barbarously and selfishly took its life. 

"I was fortunate," writes this cruel philomelicide, "to shoot it as it was singing on the topmost sprig of a hawthorn bush.'' 

I protest as I write. I can hardly restrain my pen within the due bounds of courtesy, and I shall not trust myself to comment upon it.

But I indignantly deny to those destroyers the honourable name of naturalists. 

To my mind, the great end and aim of the study of Natural History is to induce us to note the wonderful instinct by which each animal and bird procures its food, conceals and rears its young, and the adaptation to the situation and circumstances in which it has been placed by the Great Creator, and so to teach us "to look from nature up to nature's God". 

Nor do I consider that in any case we are justified in depriving these innocent creatures of their life, even though it were necessary in the cause of science.

James S. Walker
New England House
Hitchin
Herts

April 19, 1858

SPOTLIGHT ON LITTLE TERNS AT RSPB MEMBERS' DAY

Little tern and chick. Photo: RSPB 

THE focus will fall on the fight to save the little tern as a British breeding species at this month's annual RSPB Members' Day.

The species' eggs and chicks is highly vulnerable to disturbance from people, predators and curious dogs.

Because they nest on the shore, high tides can also prove devastating.

Between 1914 and 1918, the RSPB embarked on an  EU-funded project  to protect little terns across 20 sites by:

• Erecting warning signs and raising awareness
• Fencing off nests to protect chicks
• Creating safer nesting sites
• Sheltering chicks and relocating nests threatened by flooding

As a result, says the charity, 2,933 young successfully fledged, "helping to slow local population declines".

At the Members' Day to be held at the Queen Elizabeth II conference in London on October 26, guests will hear an update on what has been achieved this year and of proposed initiatives for the future.

BYGONE BIRDING (6): 'GOOD SPORT' CHASING THE DIVERS

Slavonian grebe in winter plumage

From The Zoologist, Vol 16, 1858


Occurrence of rare birds near Barnstaple

Singular to relate, although the commencement of the past winter was  unusually mild, birds which are rare visitants here even when the weather is  severe, have appeared on our river in some numbers. 

I refer especially to members of the family Colymbidee (divers). 

What seemed to be a small flock of Colymbus glacialis (great northern diver) frequented the river throughout the greater part of December.

At high water, on more than one occasion, good sport was had by parties in boats in chasing one of these divers, and they generally had to make a good pull for it, and to expend a considerable quantity of cartridges before a specimen was hauled dead into the boat. 

All the birds which were shot were in an immature state of plumage. 

C. septentrionalis (red-throated diver) has also been shot this winter as well as a beautiful specimen of Podiceps cornutus (Slavonian grebe).

This grebe is obtained on our river with some regularity nearly every winter. 

One day, in the early part of January, I saw a fine specimen of Lanius excubitor (great grey shrike), but did not get very near to it.

I watched it fly some distance down the valley, its grey and white plumage making it visible at a considerable distance.

Its flight is in a straight line, with regular dips, closely resembling that of Turdus viscivorus (mistle thrush). 

I also observed a specimen of Emberiza nivalis (snow bunting) on a marsh close to the town, a far from common winter visitant with us.

The bird in question I saw frequenting the same spot for more than three weeks.

His favourite haunt was a turnip field bordering on the marsh where he associated amicably with a flock of skylarks, always leaving them on the approach of any one, and often settling on the top of a tall tree in the hedgerow.

There, when the sun was shining brightly, he glistened as if a small ball of the purest snow were attached to the topmost branch. 

Rev Murray A. Mathews

Raleigh 

near Barnstaple

Devon

March 15, 1858.

NOISE AND SPEED - THE WATERSPORTS ENTHUSIASTS WHO SPOOK THE HUMBER ESTUARY'S WADERS

SEEN here, the  oystercatchers and black-backed gulls don't seem too disturbed by jetski action off Cleethorpes.

However, knot, bartailed godwit, curlew, grey plovers and some other species were thrown into panic.

There was no indication that the sports enthusiasts were deliberately targeting the birds, but the commotion was not good to see (video below).

The Humber Estuary is a Special Protection Area for waders and wildfowl - notably knot which arrive in thousands during winter from their breeding grounds in Canada, Greenland and elsewhere.

It is an offence to disturb them as they feed and roost on the sand- and mud-flats - prime habitat for certain shore waders and wildfowl.

At high tide in daylight hours, jetski enthusiasts pursue their sport along the estuary all the way from Cleethorpes Pier to the Humberston Fitties.

BYGONE BIRDING (5): EAST COAST SKUAS

From The Zoologist journal, December, 1880

Pomatorhine Skuas on the Durham and Yorkshire coasts

I have to record the occurrence of another large flight of Pomatorhine Skuas at Redcar, a flight similar in some respects to that which visited this place on the 14th October last year, but not in such vast numbers.

Similar in this, that it consisted almost entirely of mature birds of the white-breasted variety, only three or four being dark-plumaged, but whether immature or adult I could not ascertain. 

While the terrific storm of October 28th was at its height, considerable numbers, amounting to several hundreds, of these Skuas passed Redcar, coming from eastward and seaward and going N.W. and W.

They passed along the front of the town flying close to the esplanade and houses, struggling to make headway against the storm, and, although possessed of great strength of wing, many of them were obliged to rest for a time on the water or else were driven inland. 

Unconscious of danger, they flew within a few yards of those persons who had courage to venture out. 

I did not hear of any having been shot or captured in any way.
In fact, it was well nigh impossible to stand out in the face of a blinding storm of hail, rain and sand driven by a N.E. hurricane of fearful severity, and shooting was entirely out of the question. 

Several Storm Petrels were observed, and a birdstuffer at Marske obtained three, two of which I have secured, as also a Fulmar picked up by a Redcar fisherman. 

Two Gannets were captured during the storm in an exhausted condition, and another Fulmar was picked up about the middle of October. 

Attention has been called to the manner in which the Pomatorhine Skua carries its tail, shut up like a fan. 

I may here state that last year, when the great flight of Skuas occurred at Redcar, I was very much struck by the peculiar appearance of the tails of these birds, especially those of the mature examples. 

When flying straight ahead the tail was closed, and had a most strange and unnatural look, giving the bird when seen from underneath almost the appearance of a cross, the wings being nearly motionless and the tail seeming to be much longer than was found to be the case on examining them after having been shot. 

The structure of the Pomatorhine Skua is eminently adapted for rapid flight, and the tail plays an important part in guiding its owner in its evolutions when pursuing the Gulls and Terns. 

In several instances when I had shot a Skua, others came to the dead or wounded bird, and in their twistings and turnings while swooping round, continually opened and shut their tails, much in the same way as Terns do when fishing over a shoal of sprats.

T. H. Nelson
North Bondgate
Bishop Auckland
Co Durham

BYGONE BIRDING (2): A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY?

From The Zoologist, Vol 16, 1858

The snow bunting that wasn't

In the April number of The Zoologist, Mr. Mathews states that a snow bunting was in the habit of perching upon a tall tree in a hedgerow. 

Surely this is a mistake. 

At page 281 of British Ornithology, Mr. Selby, in speaking of the snow bunting, says "they run with ease and celerity, like the lark genus and never perch on trees.

I can confirm Mr. Selby 's statement from my own observations. 

I have seen numbers of these birds on the coast of Essex, but in no instance have I ever seen one attempt to perch on a bush or tree, but they will occasionally upon low, broad railings. 

I may also say that the pure black-and-white plumage is their summer livery in which state they are very rarely seen in Britain. 

In winter, the black feathers of the back are broadly edged with ferruginous, and the head, neck and all the under parts are strongly tinged with the same colour, becoming of a deep chestnut on the crown of the head and back of the neck; in the breeding plumage, these parts are pure white.

Henry Doubleday
Epping.

 April 16, 1858. 

Editor: There is certainly a mistake in Mr. Mathews's statement which it is important to correct. Was the pied flycatcher the bird that he saw?