interesting news from Slimbridge Wetland Centre

It was first published in the 1970’s by probably the most well known warden of any RSPB reserve called Bert Axcell who receives the OBE for what he achieves in conservation. It’s now Long out of print, but can often be bought as a second hand copy. I will try find a link(s) of which there may be available to buy.

www.google.co.uk/search

Above a link to the book Minsmere Portrait of a bird reserve. Of which you can buy online as second hand copies.

www.theguardian.com/.../guardianobituaries.highereducation
This article from The Guardian with a tribute to Bert Axel who died in 2001!

I remember Bert Axel, he run that reserve like a Seargent Major in the army. This was when a reserve warden was almost an unknown job title to most people

Yes that was day when you needed permits for lots of reserves. If a rare bird suddenly turned up any RSPB reserves, you just couldn’t turn up even at those at those reserves where no permits where needed. But even l those RSPB reserves where no permits where where needed, were still only open a few days a week. Not all! I heard one story, when a family  applying for a permit in advance for a family to visit Minsmere and had applied well in advance to the RSPB headquarters The Lodge reserve. The staff that sent permits out where very lenient as that permit for that family took the total number of permits for that day one over the limit. And the story was that Bert Axel was absolutely furious about that. Also Bert Axel did not like twitchers. But on the other hand Bert Axel was very goos in helping beginners. An interesting part of Minsmere Portrait of a Bird Reserve was when Bert Axel mentioned that certain birdwatchers in 1960’s and earlier had very large binoculars who tended to show off as very big binoculars where at that time the best and most expensive to buy and they did show off to other birdwatchers who had smaller sized binoculars which where not aa good, unlike now as binoculars are much smaller and of course just as good.

Back then we had very few reserves in our bit of N Yorkshire I Fairburn Ings would be our first RSPB reserve and a handful of small local trust reserves locally but we still found birds to watch

In Northumberland, County Durham and Tyne and Wear, I’m still waiting for the first RSPB reserve that I can visit and I’m still waiting for that to happen as I have done since the 1950’s. Except of course for Coquet Island in Northumberland, of which no visiting is allowed. Also as well Cleveland didn’t get it’s first RSPB reserve until 2009 with Saltholme. Maybe and hopefully but I doubt it will become a reality for me now 70 since the 13th May of this year. Strangely back in the 1960’s and the 1970’s the only regional office covering Northern England and the only regional office then covering Northern England was based in Newcastle Upon Tyne and unlike now with 3 regional offices covering the whole of Northern England. The strange thing during that period no RSPB reserves until Coquet Island while other area’s of Northern England had quite a number of RSPB reserves where there was no regional offices. Which seems very strange having the regional office at that time in Newcastle Upon Tyne with no RSPB reserves in North East England. I can also remember the regional officer at that time was Ian Armstrong.

I use Duck Duck go search engine rather than google search to Search
But I copied and pasted it into the Duck Duck go search engine. Iv found 

it on Amazon And I have had a look at it. Thanks for the link


www.amazon.co.uk/.../0091288401