Aside from the impasse at Inner Marsh Farm, the hide at the Point of Ayr is still to be replaced. It is about time this situation was resolved, so I have sent an email to the RSPB Head Office with the faint hope of illiciting a response.As one person, there is very little I can do apart from withdraw my financial support. At around forty folding each year, this is a drop in the ocean, but over the years it adds up.
Here is a copy of the email:
To whom it may concern,
It is now approaching two years since the hide at the Point of Ayr in Flintshire, North Wales was sadly vandalised beyond repair.
Nearly twenty four months hence, there is still no sign of a replacement hide, nor any strong evidence of any positive intention to do so.
This hide was used regularly by a number of local birders and not only was it a physical structure, it was also a place where I met many new people and struck up friendships that still exist to this day.
I understand that any new hide would be prone to vandalism, but surely this problem is not insurmountable – for example a refurbished old steel container would be both robust and provide the necessary shelter from the elements.
It is hard to imagine that had this hide been at Minsmere – or indeed any other major reserve – that it would not have been replaced very quickly. Sadly, this inertia does not surprise me.
I would be grateful, therefore, if you could provide me with some definitive plans as to what is to de done in terms of replacing this hide and when those plans will be enacted.
If these are not satisfactory, then I’m afraid I shall be terminating my membership with the RSPB for good and urging others in the area to do the same. Furthermore, I shall not be supporting the volunteer warden scheme at the Point of Ayr until the hide is replaced.
I also run a blog http://theblackgrouse.blogspot.com where I shall continue to push this issue and also the frustration with the painfully slow development of Inner Marsh Farm.
Yours etc,
Paul Shenton.
It is now approaching two years since the hide at the Point of Ayr in Flintshire, North Wales was sadly vandalised beyond repair.
Nearly twenty four months hence, there is still no sign of a replacement hide, nor any strong evidence of any positive intention to do so.
This hide was used regularly by a number of local birders and not only was it a physical structure, it was also a place where I met many new people and struck up friendships that still exist to this day.
I understand that any new hide would be prone to vandalism, but surely this problem is not insurmountable – for example a refurbished old steel container would be both robust and provide the necessary shelter from the elements.
It is hard to imagine that had this hide been at Minsmere – or indeed any other major reserve – that it would not have been replaced very quickly. Sadly, this inertia does not surprise me.
I would be grateful, therefore, if you could provide me with some definitive plans as to what is to de done in terms of replacing this hide and when those plans will be enacted.
If these are not satisfactory, then I’m afraid I shall be terminating my membership with the RSPB for good and urging others in the area to do the same. Furthermore, I shall not be supporting the volunteer warden scheme at the Point of Ayr until the hide is replaced.
I also run a blog http://theblackgrouse.blogspot.com where I shall continue to push this issue and also the frustration with the painfully slow development of Inner Marsh Farm.
Yours etc,
Paul Shenton.
Until later.
Hear, hear.
ReplyDeleteVery well put, Paul. I too shall join you in terminating my lifelong membership to the RSBP if the situation is not resolved, and I will also email the RSPB myself regarding this matter and urge any others reading this blog to do the same.
Mark M.
Hi Paul,
ReplyDeleteDont believe we have ever met; I follow your blog regularily and have recently created my own- South Liverpool Birder. I hope you don't mind but I have included a link to your site on it, could you please consider including my own site on your links? my link is http://southliverpoolbirder.blogspot.com/
Kind regards
Danny Foy
Hi Danny, I have had a quick browse of your blog - would be more than happy to add a link...consider it done.
ReplyDeleteI'd never actually heard of the site you visited near Speke and Garston; sounds great and it never amazes me that there are so many local places I wasn't aware of.
Cheers, Paul.
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for that. I have only recently started the blog and one of the aims is to highlight the amount of good relatively unknown sites there actualy are out there (in my case mainly S Liverpool).
Good birding
Danny Foy
http://southliverpoolbirder.blogspot.com/