On Saturday afternoon, I went for my annual RSPB members' weekend run south of York University campus. As I passed a man-made lake beside a new-ish development, I did a double-take as I saw two great crested grebes perform their spring courtship ritual. Along with the arrival of migrants (first swallow ticked this weekend) it is one of the great sights of spring and so I slowed, enjoyed the show and then moved on.
Just that morning, we had been reminded by Mike Clarke, my boss, that back in the mid nineteenth century, there were just 50 breeding pairs in Britain. They had been heavily persecuted for their feathers for use in hats and also by the clothing industry as 'grebe fur'. Following a long campaign by by the fore-fathers and mothers of the RSPB, this type of exploitation was banned. And today, there are about 12,000 breeding pairs in the UK.
It is perhaps understandable that many take the presence of this bird for granted. They are a common sight for this generation. Yet, the only reason why we have a chance to enjoy these majestic birds is because good men and women decided to take a stand nearly 150 years ago.
So what better ambition can there be than fighting to ensure species that are currently threatened are so common in the future that they are taken for granted? On our watch today, we are trying to save species such as the turtle dove whose population has crashed by 90% in my lifetime. As my colleague, Tara Proud, explained so eloquently to our members yesterday, the good men and women of RSPB, Conservation Grade, Natural England and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust have come together through Operation Turtle Dove try to give this species a lifeline.
Today's challenges seem more complex than those of the past: persecution still sadly persists, but so does habitat destruction from changing landuse and the insidious impacts posed by the introduction of non-native invasive species. This is now compounded by the threat of dangerous climate change. Yet, if we want turtle doves to be a common feature of our grandchildren's summer we have to take a stand today. And, with our members help, that is what we shall continue to do.
Photo credit: Andrew Parkinson (rspb-images.com)
A little harsh, Sooty. At the same Members' Weekend, we also had a session on the uplands of Britain and the breadth of work that we are doing to save these places and our role in the fight to stop illegal persecution of birds of prey. While I accept that I will not be able to convince you that we are doing enough, I shall outline our future plans through these pages soon.