An extended visit to Alturlie Point alongside the Moray Firth east of Inverness, (which can be combined very easily with a trip to the Retail Park !! ).
Rather grey and cold with daytime temperatures around 2/3C . Tide was fully up with the accompanying collections of waders and gulls on the shoreline. A good selection of corvids in nearby fields ( Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Rook and Jackdaw ) would have been a good study ground for any beginner.
Out on the Firth there was a good selection of duck on offer ( Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Goldeneye, Scaup, ) with an odd Red-breasted Merganser and a very obliging female Long-tailed Duck. Several small rafts of both Scaup and Goldeneye were farther out too. Grey-lag Geese fed in nearby fields and an overflying Cormorant added to the picture. Waders were represented by Oystercatcher, Redshank and Curlew. Noticeably absent were any small birds as I walked along the road running immediately adjacent to the water.
So, a modest but pleasant array of birds, good views and an easily visited location.
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
A kaleidoscope of colour. 1st January, 2019.
It's a new dawn ,
It's a new day,
It's a new life.
An' I'm feeling good.
Whilst it was never intended to be a designated birding day, in the end it turned out to be really enjoyable. I'm in the Scottish Highlands, west of Inverness, with yesterday being an unseasonable 15C. I've a feeling this will change !!
Up early and all the feeders filled in anticipation of a good showing in the garden. I wasn't disappointed. But first, in that cold light of dawn, Whooper Swans called from the nearby Firth and a few small skeins of Pink-footed Geese flew out to their feeding areas.
The next few hours were a bustle of activity with Great, Blue and Coal Tits, Siskins, Tree and House Sparrows, a small flock of Long-tailed Tit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and an odd Greenfinch, a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a few Yellowhammers. Seen at close quarters the colours were great to see and certainly brightened up the day. A Red Kite drifted over late morning adding a little excitement to the proceedings. I enjoyed it , although compared to the undoubted frantic activities of some, the ultimate day total of , ( whisper it ), 23 was relatively modest. Most surprising was a pair of Oystercatcher seen feeding later on the grass verge near to some traffic lights in the otherwise built up area leading to Charleston School. Unexpected and a real blaze of contrast as I waited my turn at the lights !
I no longer have a garden and realised how much of a luxury and privilege it can be to really study birds up close. If I'm honest I really enjoyed it, despite it being a low key intro to what I hope will be a bumper year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone.
Monday, December 31, 2018
2019 scene setter !!
In a personal sense, the last two or three years have been a mixed bag of happiness, family misfortune and uncertainty. Birding has been hit and miss, although with a few "highs" it must be admitted, , but I'm now persuaded things are as close to " stable" as anyone else might expect and, therefore, I'm really looking forward to 2019 !
With a new, personal recording area chosen ( more later ), surveys selected that, hopefully, I can contribute to , local groups/Societies identified, periods at Spurn already booked and April given over to being in Cyprus cataloguing migration and promoting some of the conservation issues , via this Blog , that affect the island, 2019 could be busy !
I'm currently in the Scottish Highlands until mid Jaunuary and so Blog entries will have a decided northern flavour. I recognize that Blog entries have been few and far between for quite some time and apologise for the absence of entries. Hopefully past injuries can now be permanently set aside !! For me, Blogging is not just a means of sharing the enjoyment of wildlife experiences with other people, but a means of promoting sites to be visited, conservation issues and general news of interest. Achieving just part of that in the forthcoming year will make the effort more than worthwhile.
I'm also enticed by the prospect of taking part in Scott Mason's (BTO ) 100 Birdtrack entries challenge, of finally giving proper coverage for WeBS of all the water bodies in my recording area, going for a 300 + year, trying out a newly selected VisMig site, BTO Owl Surveys , woodland surveys and much more. It's a way of keeping out of mischief if nothing else!
With a new, personal recording area chosen ( more later ), surveys selected that, hopefully, I can contribute to , local groups/Societies identified, periods at Spurn already booked and April given over to being in Cyprus cataloguing migration and promoting some of the conservation issues , via this Blog , that affect the island, 2019 could be busy !
I'm currently in the Scottish Highlands until mid Jaunuary and so Blog entries will have a decided northern flavour. I recognize that Blog entries have been few and far between for quite some time and apologise for the absence of entries. Hopefully past injuries can now be permanently set aside !! For me, Blogging is not just a means of sharing the enjoyment of wildlife experiences with other people, but a means of promoting sites to be visited, conservation issues and general news of interest. Achieving just part of that in the forthcoming year will make the effort more than worthwhile.
I'm also enticed by the prospect of taking part in Scott Mason's (BTO ) 100 Birdtrack entries challenge, of finally giving proper coverage for WeBS of all the water bodies in my recording area, going for a 300 + year, trying out a newly selected VisMig site, BTO Owl Surveys , woodland surveys and much more. It's a way of keeping out of mischief if nothing else!
So here it is, Happy Birding,
Great way of having fun,
Here's to the future now,
It's only just begun.
With deserved apologies to SLADE.
Thursday, November 29, 2018
The Reluctant Billionaire ..........the 6th Duke of Westminster.
As things stand generally I haven't the faintest fascination with the aristocracy !! However, in previous times, I confess I had a number of questions that I could always place at the door of the 6th Duke of Westminster and his bewildering stance towards conservation matters. In many ways the recent book by Tom Quinn goes a long way towards answering these.
Incidentally, whilst the book does cover that period and activities, for those who might expect me to comment on the more lurid aspects of the Duke's behaviour in later life, then I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint !!
During the 1980's and 1990's I managed the RSPB's NW England Region . Within this lay the Forest of Bowland, then the most important stronghold for breeding Hen Harriers in England and within that area was the Abbeystead Estate owned by the Duke of Westminster. During that time, be it from the point of view of monitoring or protection activities. I firmly believed in a strategy of direct contact with the various Estates and shooting tenants, however difficult that proved to be ! As a result we enjoyed access arrangements with the vast majority of Estates , but never with Abbeystead.
In 1981 there was around 40 ( yes, FORTY ) nesting attempts by Hen Harriers in Bowland overall. This figure reduced both rapidly and considerably, with only one successful attempt in the mid 1980's. Persecution was rife, despite the denials, and egg collecting was also another pressure in those times. Eventually, however, within the 1990's we achieved a situation where around twenty or so young was successfully reared each year. The 6th Duke had purchased Abbeystead Estate from the Earl of Sefton's estate in 1983. Moorland management had been neglected and the area supported a healthy population of Hen Harriers. Whilst it still attracted these birds in later years, success was extremely limited as an intensive programme of heather management was embarked upon in order to produce optimum conditions for grouse shooting. With no access permissions being granted monitoring nesting attempts from the "fence lines" of adjacent Estates was less than satisfactory. This led us to request such permission on several occasions, but it was always refused.
Now, you might think it obvious why the RSPB wasn't being granted permission and I can't say that I would counter any such conclusion. But what I would say is that , on certain occasions the Duke himself chose to attend such meetings and was always welcoming, extremely polite and attentive to our views. However, he never seemed to embrace "the wider conservation cause ". This intrigued me no end as media reports often referred to him as wishing to be seen as a countryman and nothing more. As the book more than adequately explains he was clearly unhappy in his early years and sought solace in the Fermanagh countryside where he was brought up. It appears that it was in these early years that he developed his love of , and undoubted skill, in shooting.
His schooling and adult life were riddled with self doubt and unhappiness, but his love of the countryside and shooting remained . A wealthy man, able to maintain absolute privacy around himself and enjoy the pursuit of an obsession, went a long way towards explaining his clear wish not to be involved directly in conservation initiatives. But I was still intrigued as he was willing to be aligned to other causes on the periphery of "countryside", such as Rural Employment and my suspicions remained. The oft proffered conclusion by many was that the Estate sought to restrict access so as to pursue management practices that ran counter to the law and, over time, a number of incidents came to light. I still thought that, however conclusive such arguments might be , there was something else which lurked in the background and was the starting point for such a repeated and entrenched position.
It came as a bit of a shock on reading Tom Quinn's book to learn that the Duke actually hated conservationists, often referring to them privately as "tree huggers" and "pinkos" ( what , a lad from Barnsley I ask, never !! ). His was a visceral objection to people who sought in any way to regulate shooting and , as an extension, to amend the limits of privilege that he enjoyed. Whilst it might have been a product of his upbringing and good manners I, nonetheless, don't understand why he even bothered to participate in meetings or become involved in issues against which he was adamantly opposed. Retiring behind the protection of high walls, Rhododendron bushes and minions is the oft applied defence , which certainly now seems to apply to the position the Abbeystead Estate has adopted. So, we were never going to make headway, ever. He did declare on certain occasions his absolute intolerance of Hen Harriers and clearly, in the background to all this , was an intention to resist anything that interfered with shooting or management for shooting.
So, finally the conundrum was solved !
Incidentally, I found the book utterly absorbing and well worth the read if only to be educated on the bizarre collection of factors that result in certain individuals enjoying a life of privilege and wealth, not all of which appear logical or justified. However, wealth brings neither health not happiness, as the book aptly outlines, despite there being the opportunity to seek solace and privacy, and even excessively indulge ones obsessions. A complex man undoubtedly, whose interests , as a self declared countryman, might have been extended, and achieved so much more ,by being a leader within a peer group to which very few have access.. But there again, there were grouse numbers to consider and those bloody Hen Harriers. Perhaps today's abysmal situation associated with the persecution of raptors in many upland areas illustrates that the private opinions against conservation of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, continue to be silently embraced and even taken further by some within the same cohort .
Incidentally, whilst the book does cover that period and activities, for those who might expect me to comment on the more lurid aspects of the Duke's behaviour in later life, then I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint !!
During the 1980's and 1990's I managed the RSPB's NW England Region . Within this lay the Forest of Bowland, then the most important stronghold for breeding Hen Harriers in England and within that area was the Abbeystead Estate owned by the Duke of Westminster. During that time, be it from the point of view of monitoring or protection activities. I firmly believed in a strategy of direct contact with the various Estates and shooting tenants, however difficult that proved to be ! As a result we enjoyed access arrangements with the vast majority of Estates , but never with Abbeystead.
In 1981 there was around 40 ( yes, FORTY ) nesting attempts by Hen Harriers in Bowland overall. This figure reduced both rapidly and considerably, with only one successful attempt in the mid 1980's. Persecution was rife, despite the denials, and egg collecting was also another pressure in those times. Eventually, however, within the 1990's we achieved a situation where around twenty or so young was successfully reared each year. The 6th Duke had purchased Abbeystead Estate from the Earl of Sefton's estate in 1983. Moorland management had been neglected and the area supported a healthy population of Hen Harriers. Whilst it still attracted these birds in later years, success was extremely limited as an intensive programme of heather management was embarked upon in order to produce optimum conditions for grouse shooting. With no access permissions being granted monitoring nesting attempts from the "fence lines" of adjacent Estates was less than satisfactory. This led us to request such permission on several occasions, but it was always refused.
Now, you might think it obvious why the RSPB wasn't being granted permission and I can't say that I would counter any such conclusion. But what I would say is that , on certain occasions the Duke himself chose to attend such meetings and was always welcoming, extremely polite and attentive to our views. However, he never seemed to embrace "the wider conservation cause ". This intrigued me no end as media reports often referred to him as wishing to be seen as a countryman and nothing more. As the book more than adequately explains he was clearly unhappy in his early years and sought solace in the Fermanagh countryside where he was brought up. It appears that it was in these early years that he developed his love of , and undoubted skill, in shooting.
His schooling and adult life were riddled with self doubt and unhappiness, but his love of the countryside and shooting remained . A wealthy man, able to maintain absolute privacy around himself and enjoy the pursuit of an obsession, went a long way towards explaining his clear wish not to be involved directly in conservation initiatives. But I was still intrigued as he was willing to be aligned to other causes on the periphery of "countryside", such as Rural Employment and my suspicions remained. The oft proffered conclusion by many was that the Estate sought to restrict access so as to pursue management practices that ran counter to the law and, over time, a number of incidents came to light. I still thought that, however conclusive such arguments might be , there was something else which lurked in the background and was the starting point for such a repeated and entrenched position.
It came as a bit of a shock on reading Tom Quinn's book to learn that the Duke actually hated conservationists, often referring to them privately as "tree huggers" and "pinkos" ( what , a lad from Barnsley I ask, never !! ). His was a visceral objection to people who sought in any way to regulate shooting and , as an extension, to amend the limits of privilege that he enjoyed. Whilst it might have been a product of his upbringing and good manners I, nonetheless, don't understand why he even bothered to participate in meetings or become involved in issues against which he was adamantly opposed. Retiring behind the protection of high walls, Rhododendron bushes and minions is the oft applied defence , which certainly now seems to apply to the position the Abbeystead Estate has adopted. So, we were never going to make headway, ever. He did declare on certain occasions his absolute intolerance of Hen Harriers and clearly, in the background to all this , was an intention to resist anything that interfered with shooting or management for shooting.
So, finally the conundrum was solved !
Incidentally, I found the book utterly absorbing and well worth the read if only to be educated on the bizarre collection of factors that result in certain individuals enjoying a life of privilege and wealth, not all of which appear logical or justified. However, wealth brings neither health not happiness, as the book aptly outlines, despite there being the opportunity to seek solace and privacy, and even excessively indulge ones obsessions. A complex man undoubtedly, whose interests , as a self declared countryman, might have been extended, and achieved so much more ,by being a leader within a peer group to which very few have access.. But there again, there were grouse numbers to consider and those bloody Hen Harriers. Perhaps today's abysmal situation associated with the persecution of raptors in many upland areas illustrates that the private opinions against conservation of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, continue to be silently embraced and even taken further by some within the same cohort .
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
A general update !
After an unexplained period of silence I thought I'd better provide some words aimed at clarifying why I've issued no Blogs for the best part of three months. To those who, from time to time, have dipped into the site and found nothing new, I offer an unreserved apology.
Immediately after my last posting in August I went down to Cornwall, ostensibly to spend some time seawatching in the hope of picking up on some of the goodies that occur around that time and into September. I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of the holiday and had some good birds, And then my fortunes changed !! Following an exploration of the woodland lining the access route down to Limorna Cove I decided to park adjacent to the quay and scale the nearby coastal path, which I guess eventually leads around to Porthgwarra.
All went well initially, with Manx and Sooty Shearwaters and even a distant Minke Whale . despite the weather being drizzly and miserable. After almost three hours I decided to return to the car, but slipped on the footpath during the descent, gave myself a bit of a battering and, in particular, injured my left knee ( there goes the football career, but I'm relieved of the burden of learning Spanish or Italian !!! ). The rest is history as they say. I haven't been very mobile in the aftermath, although I've still managed to spend three weeks at Spurn, spending prolonged periods in the car seawatching or perched up on the Humber seawall !!
It all seems to have paid off, as things have gradually improved, but it's been a slow process. I'm determined to see things through as, having tried unsuccessfully to hasten things on a couple of times , I'm now happy to patiently await the final outcome which I'm confident will arrive previous to the New Year. Not being able to pursue things in a chosen fashion is frustrating, but I've now decided to issue several Blogs on what might best be described as " passive issues" and hope that these bridge the gap up to the time when I'm fully active again. Incidentally, the rumour that I fell off a cliff whilst twitching is a bit overstated !!
So, watch this space, and thank you for your patience.
Immediately after my last posting in August I went down to Cornwall, ostensibly to spend some time seawatching in the hope of picking up on some of the goodies that occur around that time and into September. I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of the holiday and had some good birds, And then my fortunes changed !! Following an exploration of the woodland lining the access route down to Limorna Cove I decided to park adjacent to the quay and scale the nearby coastal path, which I guess eventually leads around to Porthgwarra.
All went well initially, with Manx and Sooty Shearwaters and even a distant Minke Whale . despite the weather being drizzly and miserable. After almost three hours I decided to return to the car, but slipped on the footpath during the descent, gave myself a bit of a battering and, in particular, injured my left knee ( there goes the football career, but I'm relieved of the burden of learning Spanish or Italian !!! ). The rest is history as they say. I haven't been very mobile in the aftermath, although I've still managed to spend three weeks at Spurn, spending prolonged periods in the car seawatching or perched up on the Humber seawall !!
It all seems to have paid off, as things have gradually improved, but it's been a slow process. I'm determined to see things through as, having tried unsuccessfully to hasten things on a couple of times , I'm now happy to patiently await the final outcome which I'm confident will arrive previous to the New Year. Not being able to pursue things in a chosen fashion is frustrating, but I've now decided to issue several Blogs on what might best be described as " passive issues" and hope that these bridge the gap up to the time when I'm fully active again. Incidentally, the rumour that I fell off a cliff whilst twitching is a bit overstated !!
So, watch this space, and thank you for your patience.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Surprising survivor !
Way back in May ( the 21st ) I wrote a Blog about a Roe Deer which had become suspended on a barbed wire fence at Spurn. I'm at Spurn again for a period of time and was more than a little surprised to come across the individual concerned again the other morning.
Taking a usual walk down North Fields to the coast and Kilnsea Wetlands I first saw a Roe buck, then a healthy doe and then, out of nowhere, but with a jaunty gait nonetheless, appeared the injured female. Not something I would have ever expected as I had presumed that, sadly, the individual would have died through infection or an inability to look after itself. But here it was ! Brilliant.
The leg is still bereft of muscle or tissue and flaps around loosely, presumably because it was also broken at the joint originally. Despite its awkward gait it kept up with the other two and even negotiated a wire fence, although with some difficulty. I guess this might be the cause of its eventual demise as it obviously can't lift the "loose leg" when jumping, somewhat ironic really.
But let's celebrate the current situation and pass thanks again to Steve Exley whose sterling efforts at releasing the animal has given it at least another summer of freedom.
Taking a usual walk down North Fields to the coast and Kilnsea Wetlands I first saw a Roe buck, then a healthy doe and then, out of nowhere, but with a jaunty gait nonetheless, appeared the injured female. Not something I would have ever expected as I had presumed that, sadly, the individual would have died through infection or an inability to look after itself. But here it was ! Brilliant.
The leg is still bereft of muscle or tissue and flaps around loosely, presumably because it was also broken at the joint originally. Despite its awkward gait it kept up with the other two and even negotiated a wire fence, although with some difficulty. I guess this might be the cause of its eventual demise as it obviously can't lift the "loose leg" when jumping, somewhat ironic really.
But let's celebrate the current situation and pass thanks again to Steve Exley whose sterling efforts at releasing the animal has given it at least another summer of freedom.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Hen Harrier breeding success.......where now lies the future?
I've spent the morning reading the various press releases and responses to the news relating to the outcome of this seasons's Hen Harrier breeding attempts ( 34 young produced ). Whilst I would be the first to shout with joy at any increase in the number of young produced and to acknowledge the hard work put in by those "on the ground" directly associated with these attempts, many of the accompanying comments are largely band wagon, facile utterances.
Setting aside their "positive" comments, the shooting fraternity ( once the untruths have been set aside) will be relieved the number of pairs, and young, is so low. Equally, given their stance on various past aspects, the comments from Natural England ring hollow in my opinion and represent an element of their expressed relief as opposed to celebrating success . The run of the mill response from the RSPB could have been one of two, written in advance, dependent on the eventual outcome. The truth of the matter is that the situation still is shamefully low set against what should be the real number of harriers in our uplands and their corresponding productivity. Having been much involved in protection measures in the past I would defend the volunteers and others involved to the death and in no way seek to demean what I know will have been hard fought for. But we have to avoid this being a Pyrrhic victory and certainly shouldn't allow those outwith conservation to talk up the matter. The fact is key agencies should seize this occasion to wage war on the perpetrators of persecution and commit to this as a consistent, long term strategy. Set aside the unproductive meetings in smoke-filled rooms resulting in little more than the subject being kicked into the long grass . Enough is enough and the issue should be confronted and presented to the grouse moor owners directly regardless of the furor that might ensue.
As the premier bird protection agency in the UK I wonder, other than the absolute sterling work undertaken by its Investigations Section, what the general policies and intentions are of the RSPB in this regard in the future. The seemingly "cautious conservation " policies now pursued by the Management Team and Council, bereft of any campaigning zeal or declared intent, run counter to its past reputation and successes and to the actions many of its members would wish it to take.
The outcome of the current season , and the sheer effort and dedication taken to achieve it all, should be acknowledged as a platform upon which to launch a Herculean effort to bring the current shameful situation to an end. Much rests with the RSPB in this regard in my opinion. The future situation with respect to Natural England appears bleak at best and its operational potential drastically restricted.
May I leave readers with one thought! In 1981 a survey of Hen Harriers in the Forest of Bowland determined there was around 40 active nests. That figure dropped dramatically ( due to persecution ) in the 80's, but was fought for and resulted in over 20 youngsters being reared each season into the early 2000' s. 1981 might be a long time ago, 2005- 2010 isn't. Bowland was a stronghold then and should be so now. A new era of "thinking" must emerge and a strategy developed across a variety of fronts, each pursued with equal vigour. Scotland does seem to have led the way a little in recent times and emulating their success and pursuing the same goals ought to be a part of any approach taken. Natural England needs to bone up too and pursue a far less "wet willy" line with moorland owners. The fact that a series of outside initiatives from groups and individuals has emerged ( good! ) is also an indication that the centralized bodies are not delivering to the extent of our expectations. Worth reflecting on.
Setting aside their "positive" comments, the shooting fraternity ( once the untruths have been set aside) will be relieved the number of pairs, and young, is so low. Equally, given their stance on various past aspects, the comments from Natural England ring hollow in my opinion and represent an element of their expressed relief as opposed to celebrating success . The run of the mill response from the RSPB could have been one of two, written in advance, dependent on the eventual outcome. The truth of the matter is that the situation still is shamefully low set against what should be the real number of harriers in our uplands and their corresponding productivity. Having been much involved in protection measures in the past I would defend the volunteers and others involved to the death and in no way seek to demean what I know will have been hard fought for. But we have to avoid this being a Pyrrhic victory and certainly shouldn't allow those outwith conservation to talk up the matter. The fact is key agencies should seize this occasion to wage war on the perpetrators of persecution and commit to this as a consistent, long term strategy. Set aside the unproductive meetings in smoke-filled rooms resulting in little more than the subject being kicked into the long grass . Enough is enough and the issue should be confronted and presented to the grouse moor owners directly regardless of the furor that might ensue.
As the premier bird protection agency in the UK I wonder, other than the absolute sterling work undertaken by its Investigations Section, what the general policies and intentions are of the RSPB in this regard in the future. The seemingly "cautious conservation " policies now pursued by the Management Team and Council, bereft of any campaigning zeal or declared intent, run counter to its past reputation and successes and to the actions many of its members would wish it to take.
The outcome of the current season , and the sheer effort and dedication taken to achieve it all, should be acknowledged as a platform upon which to launch a Herculean effort to bring the current shameful situation to an end. Much rests with the RSPB in this regard in my opinion. The future situation with respect to Natural England appears bleak at best and its operational potential drastically restricted.
May I leave readers with one thought! In 1981 a survey of Hen Harriers in the Forest of Bowland determined there was around 40 active nests. That figure dropped dramatically ( due to persecution ) in the 80's, but was fought for and resulted in over 20 youngsters being reared each season into the early 2000' s. 1981 might be a long time ago, 2005- 2010 isn't. Bowland was a stronghold then and should be so now. A new era of "thinking" must emerge and a strategy developed across a variety of fronts, each pursued with equal vigour. Scotland does seem to have led the way a little in recent times and emulating their success and pursuing the same goals ought to be a part of any approach taken. Natural England needs to bone up too and pursue a far less "wet willy" line with moorland owners. The fact that a series of outside initiatives from groups and individuals has emerged ( good! ) is also an indication that the centralized bodies are not delivering to the extent of our expectations. Worth reflecting on.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
A policy that did change !
Yesterday saw various sections of barbed wire had been removed around fields on the Spurn Penninsula, a commendable response from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Ltd. From personal experience such is not a nice job, or a quick one for that matter, so the final outcome might take a little while !
Apparently a single strand will remain across the top of the fence line as an experiment ( per a Facebook entry ). Such is common practice where cattle are present and, given the area has seen both Long-horned and Highland cattle present in the past, one can only imagine this is providing for future management approaches. It must also be remembered that appointed graziers can offer opinion as to the provisions around areas where their stock will eventually be present. An additional modification that might be considered at some future point is the installation of "deer gates". Simply a location where the fence line height is lowered slightly and wooden protection is placed across the wire which allows deer to leap across the fence more easily and safely, which they soon become habituated to.
However, overall, the area has the developing potential to be safer for wildlife than previously, which is surely what everyone wanted.
Apparently a single strand will remain across the top of the fence line as an experiment ( per a Facebook entry ). Such is common practice where cattle are present and, given the area has seen both Long-horned and Highland cattle present in the past, one can only imagine this is providing for future management approaches. It must also be remembered that appointed graziers can offer opinion as to the provisions around areas where their stock will eventually be present. An additional modification that might be considered at some future point is the installation of "deer gates". Simply a location where the fence line height is lowered slightly and wooden protection is placed across the wire which allows deer to leap across the fence more easily and safely, which they soon become habituated to.
However, overall, the area has the developing potential to be safer for wildlife than previously, which is surely what everyone wanted.
Monday, May 21, 2018
A policy in need of change.
I've been staying near Spurn NNR for a few days enjoying excellent weather and a steady flow of birds ! Sadly this idyll was interrupted last Friday with an incident involving a Roe Deer which had been caught up on a barbed wire fence, and has caused yet another outcry for change!
I witnessed the whole episode, admittedly not visually , but aurally via the radio network that is operated by the Observatory as I was driving back towards Kilnsea. A report,via the radio system , pinpointed the incident as being north of the new Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Centre along one of the field systems nearby to the Canal Zone. This wouldn't reach the YWT at this point as a different channel /wavelength is used by them. Local birder, Steve Exley, sprang into action, went to the site with the intent of releasing the hapless animal whilst Johnnie Fisk ( Spurn Bird Observatory ) undertook to advise the YWT.
The sight was not for the faint-hearted with the animal firmly secured to the barbed wire fence , having stripped off the skin and muscle from its lower, rear left leg. Steve Exley managed to release it but the animal escaped in the immediate aftermath, doubtless to endure a drawn out period of suffering before an inevitable death. It was some time before I visited the general vicinity when, of course, everything had subsided, although a staff member from the Centre was patrolling the road by bicycle anxiously looking out over the fields, although I doubt the animal would have been mobile. A sad incident which seems likely to be repeated unless action is taken.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. Previous victims have included Mute Swan, Little Egret, Cormorant and, of course, Roe Deer. Whilst the Trust use sheep to "manage" some of its grassland areas the fencing specification doesn't need to match that required by the presence of Charolais cattle !! Some time ago a small number of Long- horned cattle were present in the area but a considerable time has elapsed since then within which the problem has emerged and a sufficient time has passed for the fencing to be modified.
If looked at "from the outside" the simple interpretation arrived at by the public is "why is the Trust utilising an excessive amount of barbed wire in an area pledged to protect wildlife when it is seen to be putting such wildlife at risk". The ambiguity is automatic ! If a policy was arrived at in the past and has since been seen to be wanting , then review it and effect the necessary changes. It's not enough to claim to be a guardian of wildlife, but to do what is necessary to promote that role and in its widest context. Over the past three years I understand that complaints have been submitted and the matter raised generally on numerous occasions. Sadly nothing appears to have changed . As a custodian and owner of a national nature reserve and adjacent designated areas, the management techniques employed for these should be beyond reproach and meet not just the formal requirements,. but the expectations of the public too. Despite the complaints of the past, no explanation has been forthcoming as to the continued need for the barbed wire or why it is retained. Regrettably, the whole issue appears to have been consigned to the back burner and treated with studied indifference !
I witnessed the whole episode, admittedly not visually , but aurally via the radio network that is operated by the Observatory as I was driving back towards Kilnsea. A report,via the radio system , pinpointed the incident as being north of the new Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Centre along one of the field systems nearby to the Canal Zone. This wouldn't reach the YWT at this point as a different channel /wavelength is used by them. Local birder, Steve Exley, sprang into action, went to the site with the intent of releasing the hapless animal whilst Johnnie Fisk ( Spurn Bird Observatory ) undertook to advise the YWT.
The sight was not for the faint-hearted with the animal firmly secured to the barbed wire fence , having stripped off the skin and muscle from its lower, rear left leg. Steve Exley managed to release it but the animal escaped in the immediate aftermath, doubtless to endure a drawn out period of suffering before an inevitable death. It was some time before I visited the general vicinity when, of course, everything had subsided, although a staff member from the Centre was patrolling the road by bicycle anxiously looking out over the fields, although I doubt the animal would have been mobile. A sad incident which seems likely to be repeated unless action is taken.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. Previous victims have included Mute Swan, Little Egret, Cormorant and, of course, Roe Deer. Whilst the Trust use sheep to "manage" some of its grassland areas the fencing specification doesn't need to match that required by the presence of Charolais cattle !! Some time ago a small number of Long- horned cattle were present in the area but a considerable time has elapsed since then within which the problem has emerged and a sufficient time has passed for the fencing to be modified.
If looked at "from the outside" the simple interpretation arrived at by the public is "why is the Trust utilising an excessive amount of barbed wire in an area pledged to protect wildlife when it is seen to be putting such wildlife at risk". The ambiguity is automatic ! If a policy was arrived at in the past and has since been seen to be wanting , then review it and effect the necessary changes. It's not enough to claim to be a guardian of wildlife, but to do what is necessary to promote that role and in its widest context. Over the past three years I understand that complaints have been submitted and the matter raised generally on numerous occasions. Sadly nothing appears to have changed . As a custodian and owner of a national nature reserve and adjacent designated areas, the management techniques employed for these should be beyond reproach and meet not just the formal requirements,. but the expectations of the public too. Despite the complaints of the past, no explanation has been forthcoming as to the continued need for the barbed wire or why it is retained. Regrettably, the whole issue appears to have been consigned to the back burner and treated with studied indifference !
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
One of Yorkshire's finest.
Tomorrow marks the occasion of David ( Dave ) Standring's funeral , which sadly I can't attend. Whilst most people in attendance will remember him from within the last 30/40 years, my earliest recollections are from a time when I was still at school ! He was older than myself, extremely knowledgeable, and. therefore, took on a role of mentor, a state of affairs that I guess many other people have gained benefit from throughout the years.
We both lived off Racecommon Road in Barnsley and Sunday mornings would often see a successive pilgrimage begin to form as David called in to collect myself, David Ashurst and Malcolm Rhymer, who also lived nearby, on the way to Worsborough Reservoir. We'd invariably meet up with Alan Archer, Colin Bower and Mike Clegg before walking up the valley to Rockley Dam. Our return journey around midday would then see us catching buses to either Wintersett Reservoir or Wath Ings. We were also members of the Barnsley Naturalist and Scientific Society , although you could probably cram all the birders in the Barnsley area into a single minibus in those days! I benefited greatly from knowing those individuals, their knowledge of the area and what appeared to be infinite expertise. I was introduced to Wath Ings, Spurn and "the moors". The latter involved a bus journey to the Flouch, beyond Penistone, a walk around Langsett Reservoir, then on to Midhope and Ewden , with a thorough scrutiny of the Broomhead area , before walking down to Deepcar at the end of the day to get transport back to town ! Great days, if not a little exhausting at times. I found an old diary recently from 1957/58 which catalogues the frequent visits made to Worsborough and elsewhere, Patchwork in the making !! As you might imagine David was a regular participant in all such activities.
Within this atmosphere one thing always stood out. David's utter curiosity, focus and, above all else , enthusiasm, characteristics that never went away. Gradually we started to explore more widely. One trip involved Geoff Aynsley ( driver ), Bill Curtis, David and myself and a winter expedition to the Solway in January, 1963. We "lived" in a Ford car for the weekend, got chased off the newly formed Caerlaverock Reserve, but such was the enthusiasm on show ( doubtless from David ) that the warden ( E.L. Roberts ?) gave us a telling off but then took us on a tour of the reserve in his Landrover ! Little did we know that that weekend would see the start of the two month long severe winter in store for the country. The journey back was a bit of a nightmare ( there were no motorways in place then of course ! ).!
In the early sixties my parents moved house to straight opposite what is now Carlton Marsh. How different it was then ! I began to visit Wintersett regularly and lost some contact with the Barnsley birders ( we're talking of an era when walking or cycling were usually the options on offer ! ). Shortly after then I moved to London, was abroad, until returning in the seventies. Contact was infrequent , usually at Spurn or Wintersett , but always picked up from a precise point at which any conversation had ended previously. Such was the case for many years until I moved back to Barnsley around a couple of years ago. Previous to then I'd had a long chat with David,whilst at Spurn, about my moving back to Yorkshire from Islay and he was heavily persuasive in his case that I could do no better than choose "the old area". He was right, of course , and his enthusiasm won through !
Milestones stand out : being introduced to Wath Ings, watching Nightjars at Dovecliff, seawatching at Spurn and much , much more. Whilst recent years have not provided the opportunities for contact that they might have done due to work, living away , family matters and so on, what has carried over from those early halcyon days is the sheer joy and enthusiasm that David simply poured out when birds and other wildlife were the focus of attention and that nobody else could avoid embracing. I suspect many of us were natural converts and have, ourselves, benefited.
Like Yorkshire tea and Tetleys beer surely David must also qualify as one of Yorkshire's Finest
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)