A duo of male Peregrines terrorising the wader roost on Oakenholt Marsh was the highlight of a few hours spent at Connah’s Quay NR early this afternoon.
Both falcons were fairly distant, but in all probability were the adult and juvenile from the power station. Hunting lessons look to be progressing well with the young bird looking the part, but not quite succeeding in making a kill.
‘Kal ho naa ho’ as they in India…there will always be tomorrow…
Other birds on the marsh included masses of Canada Geese and good numbers of Lapwing too, whilst Spotted Redshanks and Greenshank continue to haunt the bunded pools.
Meanwhile, somebody has been busy on the stream that runs in front of the West Hide – a guerrilla raid has resulted in four sticks being placed over the water as prospective Kingfisher perches. The local avian fisherman has not been slow in taking advantage with the furthest vantage point already occupied!
Woe betides the perpetrator of this heinous, provocative and seditious act on RSPB land. Expect stooges to be dispatched lickety-split to remove the offending articles – the perches clearly benefit wildlife and facilitate people in seeing the birds.
Also on the radar today: a male Sparrowhawk…
Until later.
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"Woe betides the perpetrator of this heinous, provocative and seditious act on RSPB land. Expect stooges to be dispatched lickety-split to remove the offending articles – the perches clearly benefit wildlife and facilitate people in seeing the birds."
ReplyDeletea) Go to Old Moor and see the Kingfisher perches in place there by the RSPB
b) If you are referring to RSPB Volunteers as "stooges" the you best be careful as there are 14000 of them
c) RSPB volunteers do a great deal of good work - do not undermine them as you were once one.
d) Black Grouse - why do you have to take your pseudonym so seriously?
e) The perches facilitate people seeing the birds - yep your right thats one of the main points of RSPB reserves - go back through your blog and look for the time when you rather derogatorily said "What does ‘work hard to bring nature closer’ mean " well I think you have the answer and have gone and contradicted yourself?
PS going back to your cork and ham post you said "And this got me thinking. In Britain we tend to subscribe the conservation charities. This is all well and good, but this takes administration and considerable organisation. You could do just as much by buying wine with corks in and the occasional Iberico Ham – although be warned: you will have to take a mortgage out to afford the latter!!" - however I would suggest that you have a little read of this http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/green/do/cork/index.aspx
and consider that giving to conservation charities is thoroughly a good thing.
Your friend,
Anonymous
My anonymous friend: A few points to consider there!
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I am quite happy to see the Kingfisher perches in place and welcome the initiative shown by the individual who put them there (I do not know who did it btw).
As far as I know it wasn't a 'stooge', but if it was somebody from the RSPB them it is a welcome move - RSPB wallahs are a rare sighting over in Flintshire at the moment!
Secondly, I don't think I have done anything to undermine RSPB volunteers and the work they do. As you mention I have done lots of work for the RSPB in the past, but I think the organisation has become too obsessed with money, a little arrogant, too centralised and has lost its original foucs and purpose.
That is why I no longer support the charity, but I do continue donate to others who I think do a better job and are more worthy recipients.
As for 'bringing the birds closer', one of the reasons I lost my patience with the RSPB locally was the management of the reserve at Inner Marsh Farm.
Last winter a sacrificial crop was planted on the reserve where nobody could see it unless they dared to trespass on the new reserve.
Also, last spring the water level on the hide pool was so high that most interesting birds were confined to the back of number one pool - okay for those of us fortunate enough to own a telescope, but hopeless for everybody else.
And, dare I say it - the lack of a hide at the Point of Ayr...
As for my psuedonym 'The Black Grouse' - it is true that I do like a good moan!
One of the reasons I started this blog was that I felt birding wesbsites lacked almost exclusively were too dry and lacked two ingredients: humour and objective critiscism.
Whether I have succeeded in any of these is for people who read the posts to decide, but one thing I do not subscribe to - as most birding media seems to do - is that conservation bodies universally do a good job and because they are part of the 'Third Sector' should be immune from crtiscism.
Fianlly, thank-you for providing a link to the cork article. Ultimately, I think the key to a healthy environment lies in more sympathetic use of our farmland - hardly revolutionary I know, but true all the same...
Paul.
"As far as I know it wasn't a 'stooge', but if it was somebody from the RSPB them it is a welcome move - RSPB wallahs are a rare sighting over in Flintshire at the moment!" - The problem is that you implied that RSPB stooges would be along to remove the perches. BTW Is the name calling really necessary?
ReplyDelete"Secondly, I don't think I have done anything to undermine RSPB volunteers and the work they do." - See above comment.
"As you mention I have done lots of work for the RSPB in the past, but I think the organisation has become too obsessed with money, a little arrogant, too centralised and has lost its original foucs and purpose." Who hasn't become obsessed with money these days? Where you see arrogance I see confidence and pride in what it has achieved and what it is striving to achieve. Too centralised? In northern England alone their are new reserves at Saltholme and Dovestone and Eastern Moors (all ground breaking in different ways), plus the annoucement of a National Seabird Centre at Bempton Cliff add to this the extension of the Dee Reserve and I think this proves otherwise. The original focus of the RSPB was to prevent the use of bird feathers in the fashion industry which it suceeded at since then the aims have broadened and moved with the times (http://www.rspb.org.uk/about/whatwedo/what_does_the_rspb_do.aspx) thus it doesn't need its oringal focus as you put it!
"That is why I no longer support the charity, but I do continue donate to others who I think do a better job and are more worthy recipients." You are free to support whichever charity you want but I support the RSPB for many reasons. And I will consider any you can suggest to me :)
"As for 'bringing the birds closer', one of the reasons I lost my patience with the RSPB locally was the management of the reserve at Inner Marsh Farm." So one reserve upsets you and you abandon the whole thing? Would you support one off appeals by the RSPB then such as the plant a rainforest tree scheme recieved with the latest magazine? If not why not? If so visit http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/sumatra/milliontrees.aspx and get it done!
"Last winter a sacrificial crop was planted on the reserve where nobody could see it unless they dared to trespass on the new reserve." An identical one was planted adjacent to the visitor path?!?
"Also, last spring the water level on the hide pool was so high that most interesting birds were confined to the back of number one pool - okay for those of us fortunate enough to own a telescope, but hopeless for everybody else." - How would you suggest getting rid of the excess water?
"And, dare I say it - the lack of a hide at the Point of Ayr..." I know you know that there are more issues here than you make out and its not as easy as putting up a garden shed ...
"is that conservation bodies universally do a good job and because they are part of the 'Third Sector' should be immune from crtiscism." - They do do a good job as you have admitted in some of your other posts and who said they are immune from criticism? But have you actually directed any of you constructive criticism/advice toward the people in charge or have you just vented via this blog? Everybody makes mistakes what is more important though is that we learn from them in order not to repeat them ...
"Ultimately, I think the key to a healthy environment lies in more sympathetic use of our farmland - hardly revolutionary I know, but true all the same..." If you like this then look up Hope Farm on the RSPB website :)
Paul.
Sorry forgot to include my name and acidentally included your name!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous ;)
A robust and detailed reposte!
ReplyDeleteFair enough, I shouldn't use the word 'stooge' - I will revert to wallah instead. It is a little insulting, granted.
However, I cannot agree with many of your responses and I find the line "Who isn't obsessed with money these days" frankly a little depressing - albeit I do of course recognise nature reserves don't run on goodwill.
My critiscism about the RSPB being too centralised isn't necessarily concerned with the physical location of the reserves, more the fact that there appears to be a corporate blueprint for how all its new reserves will look - ignoring local sensibilities.
As for the RSPB being too arrogant, well I have never seen any contrition at all regarding the farce at the Point of Ayr or the delayed development of Inner Marsh Farm. Surely you are culpable for some of the the hold-ups? Not one?
In terms of losing focus, again, I think this is a fair critiscism. Whilst bodies such as the WWT have clearly defined role and purpose, I think the RSPB now struggles to understand exactly what its major purpose is. I once heard a spokesperson from the RSPB on Radio 4 saying something along the lines of "..well the RSPB isn't really about birds.."
Finally, it isn't just one reserve that has shaped my opinions, but others I have visited such as Rainham Marshes and of course....RSPB Starbukcs!! Not that there is anything wrong with Coffee Shops, just not where there should be a bloody hide!! (See Martin Mere for birding and chai-supping harmony).
Regards, Paul.
Paul, Your arguements seem to becoming a little circular and there is no way we either of us get the answers we're looking for unless you go to the source and have an open discussion in person - have you ever been on one of their behind the scenes walks at the new workings?
ReplyDeleteAs regards the developments at Inner Marsh Farm and Point of Ayr you are happy that they are happening but as with all major projects there have been some delays no doubt but why must we attribute blame?
As for coffee shops with good views of birds what exactly is wrong with that? You have clearly stated in the past about your displeasure at being uncomfortable in hide - what could be more comfortable than a comfy chair and a coffee/tea!?! Plus Conwy last time I checked had proper hides and a walk along the estuary linking into other walks, you can bypass the coffee shop can't you?
Out of interest what would be your ideal set-up?
Anon RSPB-wallah:
ReplyDeleteJust to sum up:
My ideal set-up would be something similar to Martin Mere - this is practically perfect in my opinion, as in may ways the reserve at Rutland Water.
Both have all the accoutrements of a modern site: cafes, shops, family areas etc, but these do not impinge on 'nature watching' being a little removed from the prime 'birding' sites.
The trouble with the cafe at Conwy is that it sits on the prime location for a hide. I'm not all about hides - as it may sometimes come across - but to me a main central hide should occupy the top spot with everything else built around.
In terms of Inner Marsh Farm - no I have not been on the new workings.
As I have mentioned, last spring I became gradually more disenchanted with how the reserve was being managed.
A little paragraph or two in the hide letting the punters know what was going-on in terms of the reserve's development and a portaloo would have taken very little effort and gone a long way.
Also, the way the locking-up in the evening was handled was not very good. Why didn't one of the staff work late on a rota basis? All it would have taken is for one person to come in late in the morning and go home a little later. Was it really necessary for all staff to work 9-5(ish)?
Far be it for me to speak for other people but these issues - and the high water levels on number two pool (surely deliberate, not due to excess water, it was the driest winter for decades?) - where the major topics gossiping and carping regulars like myself regularly griped about!
Cheers, Paul.