At the weekend, I read Caitlin Moran's brilliant piece in the Times Magazine about how she was missing the birds (if you have a subscription, you can read it here).  It is raw, it hurts but unfortunately it is real - there are 44 million fewer birds today in the UK than when Caitlin was growing up.  And, as demonstrated by the State of Nature report last year, the declines in wild birds have been replicated across many other groups, with 60% of all species (for which we have adequate trend data) having declined in this period.

We've been trying to tap into people's latent concern about wildlife through a different sort of campaign - Vote for Bob.  It is deliberately quirky to try to find new ways to get people to encourage politicians to give a strong showing for nature in their manifestos for next May's General Election.  And I was delighted to accompany Bob yesterday to the House of Commons yesterday to report to representatives from the political parties that over 100,000 people have, in just two months, signed up to Bob's campaign.  The campaign is now supported by Buglife, Butterfly Conservation, Mammal Society and I hope many more join in.  The more people that support Bob and use their voice for nature, the harder it will be for politicians to ignore.

Bob being mobbed by French students


Bob and me (I'm the one holding the placard)

The case for action couldn't be stronger.

Today, the latest of State of UK Birds* is published, this time with a focus on our summer migrants - those birds that grace our skies for just four months of the year during spring and summer months.  Working with our partners, we've created a new index (see below).  Those birds that winter in the humid zone of Africa – stretching across the continent from southern Senegal to Nigeria and beyond - such as whinchat, nightingale, tree pipit and spotted flycatcher show the most dramatic declines.  The indicator for this group of species has dropped by just over 70 per cent since the late 1980s.

It is no wonder that Caitlin feels like "Gatsby, alone and melancholy": turtle dove down 88 per cent since 1995, wood warbler down 66 per cent, cuckoo down 49 per cent. 

Through our Birds without Borders project, we are taking action to...

... improve the birds' breeding success here in the UK (for example by working with Natural England, Pensthorpe and Conservation Grade on Operation Turtle Dove)

...ensure safe passage on migration (for example by working with Birdlife partners to end unsustainable hunting)

...deliver sustainable conservation initiatives on their wintering grounds that provide benefits for both migrant birds and people (for example by supporting the work of  Birdlife partners in the arid Sahel zone in northern Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Mauritania as well as doing research alongside our partner in Ghana. Thankfully, the risk of Ebola in these countries has remained low and so has not yet had a direct impact on this important work).

All of this adds up to being one of the RSPB's most ambitious but important projects. You can read more about this project and find out how you can help here.

I want spring and summers in the years ahead to be more noisy and more colourful. And I don't want Caitlin Moran to feel "alone and melancholy". And this is why you should vote for Bob and why Birds without Borders project must be successful.

*State of UK Birds is produced by a partnership of BTO, WWT, JNCC, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage and Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the RSPB.

  • I'll check but I assume the logic at the time was that the existing EU laws would help to crack down on the unsustainable activity. Indeed if these laws were fully implemented then it would.

  • Hi-

    so why didn't the RSPB object strongly to Malta and Cyprus joining the EU?  I seem to remember a dedicated phone answer person explaining to members why they didn't- but can't remember the reason now.

    S

  • Easy mistake to make, Rob.  Mark and I are so alike!

    I know that we positive messages often elicit a more favourable response - that's behind our Giving Nature a Home campaign.

    As for Bob - 105,000 people and counting seem to like it.   As a member, you will have seen our justification for launching the campaign.  We wanted to find a new way to keep nature on the political agenda.  And you know what?  I think it is having an impact.

  • Mark

    Caitlin Moran's piece was about the impact that cats have on birds. Non paywall here www.scribd.com/.../I-miss-the-birds-Caitlin-Moran-in-The-Times-Magazine

    Note a comment under The Times piece today -

    'I have a lot of respect for the #RSPB, but they really are alarmist......it's best to concentrate on the facts and not cry "wolf" too often'

    I know things are tough but as with overload of alarm for climate change some years ago, punters switch off. Africa wants to join us in the developed world and unless we pay if off (via such schemes as REDD+ www.un-redd.org/.../Default.aspx), they will probably want to cut down some trees in the name of society's development. And even cull some bats that carry ebola.

    The dangers are real but pick your fight (oh, and cull patronising Bob please  - as quite a few members have asked me)

    best

    Rob