Had some great times with Esther, Eleanor and the animals. Still kicking a ball and still doing what I can, where I can for our young people. Tried to read a proper novel a week and managed it until late September. Some fantastic books – Jon McGregor, William Golding, Kazuo Ishiguro, Don DeLillo, Kurt Vonnegut and Cormac McCarthy in particular. Eleanor’s artistic talents continue to amaze me and we’re both playing a lot of guitar these days. Anyway, a few brief thoughts:
Gaza.
Indescribable. Unforgivable. Inexcusable. Not much more to say on it. Heartbreaking to watch it unfold. Those who allowed themselves to be fooled in the first few weeks have either doubled down or gone quiet. The IDF have always lied and Israel is in large parts a sociopathic society. The US and UK gave them the green light and they have run amok ever since. When the dust has settled, many people will have carefully and quietly forged new positions and tried to forgot or erase their initial assent to Israel’s actions. But it is already way too late. So it goes.
Climate
Thoroughly depressing but no shocks other than the accelerating warming and the rapidly worsening extreme weather. Many just don’t want to know. Some take a nihilistic delight in advertising their lack of concern, and continue to excuse their high emissions with astounding cognitive dissonance, and those with the reach and influence mostly refuse to set an example, preferring to safeguard their profits and point fingers at easy targets. The lack of leadership and inspiration from those figures, and from conservation organisations and the birding media is pathetic and pitiful. I understand the difficulties but the time to step up was years ago.
There was a brief dalliance with low-carbon birding from some of those with a degree of power and influence but once the benefits-by-association dwindled, they cooled their "support" accordingly, while several refused to engage or even looked for ways to damage the reach and influence of low-carbon birding. The facts are that our emissions need to reduce regardless of anything that govt does. If you’re arguing with that, you are denying maths and physics and doing so in order to continue doing what you want. Soon, everyone will wish things had been otherwise but it will be too late. Maybe it already is, looking at accelerating warming and James Hansen et al’s recent paper.
Anyway, like a few others, I have a daughter who is concerned about the climate and I have to face here so I’ll obviously still be doing my low-carbon birding and climate activism, but won’t be posting about it on that rancid hellsite and my birding will have a lower profile. Thanks to all those inspiring people who have been doing their best on climate through their actions over the last decade. At least you have tried.
Birds
Change continues apace. Once-common birds continue to decline, some fail to appear at all. Birders similarly appear to be declining with very few seen all year. Looking for what birds there are, is a dying pastime. There was one new bird for the square this year – the Black-winged Kite, and that was also the only addition to my patch list, now standing at 325. First day of the kite was superb with people conducting themselves very well at Stubb Mill. Subsequent behaviour was, at times, horrendous. We don’t see much of those selfish types here so no need to dwell on them.
Pic by M Edgecombe
My finds list fared better with a few additions: Red-flanked Bluetail was a moment of initial amazement followed by near delirium; I could even just see my house! The other additions were an immature Caspian Tern one evening at Hickling, a pair of Black-winged Stilts out in No-Man’s Land, and a Ferruginous Duck with Phil (doubtless an escape but BBRC are dealing with them again and people seem to count them) took my total to 301 (no islands & the vast majority from TG42).
Other satisfying finds were Cory’s Shearwater, Black-throated Diver, Long-eared Owl, four Temminck’s Stints, Waxwing, and an off-patch flock of Waxwing at Esther’s.
Although the dearth of commoner migrants is glaringly obvious, it's good to remember that there are still plenty of good bits: Patch highlights other than the above were Little Auks, White-winged Black Tern, Grey Partridge, Water Pipits, Puffin, Hoopoe, Nightingale trapped, Red-backed Shrike, Pallid Harrier, Pallid Swift, Glossy Ibis, Ruddy Shelduck, Long-tailed Duck, Alpine Swift, Ravens, White-tailed Eagle, Purple and Night Herons etc and doubtless a couple of things I can't remember. Particular thanks to Andy, Tim H, Mick S, Tim N, Phil, and Pat and Sean at Winterton.
Hopefully there will be peace in Gaza and some accountability for the wanton destruction, murder and ethnic cleansing. Also hoping for some good climate news but, well, you know...
Enjoy yourselves. And don't forget, "hardcore will never die, but you will".
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