View From The Shed by Shaun Finnie - WHITE, FEATHERY AND OVERLOOKED

WHITE, FEATHERY AND OVERLOOKED

If you've ever seen me at RSPB Old Moor's Welcome Shed then you'll know that I'm rarely seen there without a big, wide-brimmed Tilley on my head. In fact I've only accidentally left it at home once. I felt naked without it, and that's not good for anybody. I do like a good hat. Some might say it's a bad hat or even a ridiculous one. It's certainly an expensive one. But one thing that I could never tolerate is a feathered hat and, thankfully, neither could Emily Williamson which is why in 1889 she and some like-minded ladies formed what would eventually become the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Their objection to the slaughter of birds just for their feathers to adorn fashionable headwear (what they termed 'murderous millinery') lead to Parliament passing the 1921 Plumage (Prohibition) Act, the first of many victories for the Society.

One of the birds that benefited the most from their actions was the Little Egret, having been one of those most heavily sought by the hat makers for their beautiful long white feathers. Beautiful on the Egret, that is; less so on the headwear of the best-dressed ladies about town. Thankfully, like so many fashions, it petered out, mostly because of the change in the law but also due to the horror felt by these ladies when they learned of the decimation of the Egrets, just so they could have a plume on their heads instead of on the birds'. It's easy to say, “they must have known” but sometimes we're blind to the ecological damage that we do. They just didn't see (or want to see) how their purchases affected the natural world. It's the same today with the likes of fossil fuels and micro-plastics. Only a few decades ago people merrily consumed these products without a first, let alone a second thought. Now... well at least there are considerations and discussions. Nobody can claim innocence through ignorance. Education is a great tool in the conservationist's collection. Just look at the successful work of David Attenborough. He doesn't rant and scream, he just calmly tells us the facts and lets us see the impact of our actions. That's how you bring about real change. And that's how Little Egrets were brought back from a perilously dire situation.

These birds have been recorded in Britain since the early 1400s when they were just known as Egret – the name derived from the French for 'little Heron'. Those medieval folks were well acquainted with the Grey Heron too but also knew a bird which was at the time referred to as the White Heron. I like that much better than our modern day name of Great Egret. You can read much more about this entire family of birds in my earlier piece, WASHED IN PERSIL.

We've become somewhat accustomed to the Great Whites dropping in to these reserves occasionally and we're more than a little excited about the chances of Spoonbills staying in the Dearne Valley for the entire Summer again – maybe even breeding here. Spoonbills are back with us right now so the possibilities of us hearing the ugly squawk of little spoonlings are increasing. Fingers crossed. Perhaps I'll even get to see a Cattle Egret at Old Moor one day.

These are all beautiful birds but nobody ever mentions the bird that has become so common that it's almost insignificant on every wetland reserve the RSPB looks after. It's totally disregarded, yet without the plight of the Little Egret there would probably not even be any RSPB. Thankfully they're a relatively common bird in our wetlands these days and there is little concern about their population numbers. And because of that they're often overlooked. I've even said it myself on occasion. “Ooh, what's that white bird over there? Oh, it's only a Little Egret.” Shame on me. Granted, they don't have the impressive size or rarity (around here at least) of their other herony cousins but they're magnificent, stately and dazzling waders. They do indeed look like they've been washed in a certain well-known washing powder famed for its whitening properties but that's not all that they have to offer the discerning birdwatcher. How about the way they hunch themselves against the wind. Or the cautious step as they move through the shallows. I dare you not to smile at their sudden burst of speed as they chase down some small prey. You don't need to be a fashionista to appreciate the elegant curves of their crest plumes. And just look at their ridiculously bright yellow clown-shoe feet! There's so much to enjoy about a Little Egret and, thankfully, you can usually see them at Old Moor and the other RSPB sites in the Dearne Valley all year round.

And the weather's changeable at the moment. You might want to bring a hat. Just leave the feathers on the birds please.