After a lengthy 11 hrs on the witness stand Dr Allen, the bird strike witness, passes the hot seat over to Dr John Day, the RSPB’s bird expert at this Inquiry in Folkestone.

 

Dr Day is a highly qualified individual. He has a BSc in Biology, a PhD research degree and he is a member of many distinguished institutes such as the Institute of Biology, the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management and is Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.  He is a Chartered Environmentalist and a retired Chartered Biologist. I could go on!

 

He has an illustrious career working for the RSPB for over 35 years in a variety of roles from hands-on nature reserve management and ecology, right through to head land agent responsible for RSPB nature reserves nationally.  This has led to extensive experience in managing different habitats such as grasslands, heathlands, uplands, woodlands, intertidal areas, coastal lagoons, reedbeds, wetlands with all their associated species including birds, mammals, insects and plants.

 

Dr Day has an excellent track record of representing the RSPB at other public inquiries giving evidence on the negative impacts of proposed development projects on or near sites that are important for wildlife.

 

Here at the Lydd Public Inquiry Dr Day’s evidence will focus on the importance of Dungeness to birds and how the airport expansion could affect them.