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Business Mayor
22-05-2025
- General
- Business Mayor
How a dawn chorus break in Gloucestershire opened my ears to the birds
S ilhouettes dart across a lake and the pale morning sky. Avocets screech high-pitched cries, defending their eggs from a squawking crow that circles above, while a barnacle goose with a barking call flies overhead. There are 12 of us watching and listening on a dawn chorus workshop at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) Slimbridge centre in Gloucestershire. Being partially sighted, birding has felt out of reach for me. But this morning is about identifying birdsong, and I'm curious as to whether this will help me feel a deeper connection with nature. Slimbridge map Our guide, Martin, points out the birds he can see and hear. It helps me understand the scene: those silhouettes I see aren't just miscellaneous birds flying around, but the drama of the avocets swooping together to scare off the crow, the stories taking place in nature. Immediately, I feel a clearer understanding. We wander the wetlands centre, past ponds and down tree-lined paths, regularly pausing to listen. Martin draws our attention to each bird, helping us attune to the unique notes: how a goldfinch's song tinkles, how a reed warbler sings continuously in a way that sounds almost mechanical. The chiffchaff's onomatopoeic call sticks out. When Martin highlights the soft hoot of a woodpigeon, its sound reminds me of warm summer nights, hearing the comforting coo from my garden. Caroline Butterwick at the Slimbridge wetlands centre Later, WWT volunteer Dot shows me around the reserve, and she too seems attuned to birdsong. Spurred on by the morning's session, I ask how to improve my bird listening skills, admitting that I've always struggled with identifying wildlife. As we gaze at the Severn estuary from the accessible observation tower, she assures me it takes time, and to practise picking out the ones I now know. As we wander, there is the regular honking of geese, brash and beautiful. Greylags with ungainly goslings trailing behind regularly cross the paths, now busy with families enjoying a warm spring day. Slimbridge was the first of WWT's 10 UK sites, and was founded by Peter Scott, son of Antarctic explorer Robert, in 1946. I'm staying in Warblers' Meadow for the weekend, the site's recently opened accommodation comprising five shepherd's huts stationed in a pasture. Our hut, Reed Warbler, has soothing earthy tones, with a comfy double bed, shower room, kitchenette and sofa area, and a wooden deck where I sit in the evenings, listening to the birds. As I listen to birds the rest of the weekend, I realise I've started to unpick threads of a tapestry of song The centre also offers canoe safaris (£10 for an hour), and it feels like exploring a secret space as my husband and I traverse the waterways enclosed by trees, paddling past the occasional bemused duck. We aren't naturals: we bump into reed banks, and navigate without much grace around other canoes, my husband giving instructions on which way to paddle. It's relaxing hearing the breeze in the reeds, smelling the damp earth and trees, and feeling the rhythmic tug of water against the paddle. Canoe safaris feel like exploring a secret space. Photograph: Ben Langdon Photography/WWT Slimbridge is a good base for exploring the Cotswolds and surrounding countryside, and one evening, we drive to the nearby town of Dursley and enjoy a delicious curry at the Everest Nepalese and Indian restaurant. The next day, we head to Uley, where we tuck into a Sunday lunch of mushroom wellington at the 17th-century Old Crown Inn. Read More Taking a vacation from work may soon become mandatory I ask the barman the best way to reach Uley Bury, an iron age hillfort, and he points us in the direction of the church opposite, where we follow a narrow path and then upwards through fields and woodland, the verdant swell of countryside around us. We pause on the hillside, and listen. 'Those are blackbirds,' my husband says. 'And I just heard a woodpigeon,' I add, smiling. This trip reminds me of the sensory joys of the outdoors – of the syrupy scent of wildflowers, the sun on my skin, and hearing a bird and now recognising its song The ascent isn't too difficult, my husband pointing out tree roots and loose rocks. Descending is harder for me with a lack of depth perception. At one point, we realise there's a drop to one side, the path steep and uneven. 'I'm going to have to shimmy this bit,' I say as I carefully lower myself and ungracefully, with my hands and feet on the ground, manoeuvre myself down the path until it evens out. It reminds me how my interactions with the outdoors are so influenced by my sight – that I have learned to do things differently. Still, I enjoy our walk with its gentle breeze, the green all around, and, of course, the birdsong. Gentle is the word I find myself using throughout the weekend. Although we do lots, I feel soothed, my anxious mind calmed by being immersed in nature. The goldfinch's song has a 'tinkling' quality. Photograph: Phillip Cull/Alamy I never felt out of place in the dawn chorus workshop. Sound was our shared experience. There were moments when someone pointed to a distant bird I couldn't see, but I didn't feel I was missing out. As I listen to birds the rest of the weekend, I realise I've started to unpick threads of a tapestry of song – to notice the distinct notes, the cadence and tone of each bird. I still have a lot to learn, but it seems more achievable. As my husband and I sit outside our shepherd's hut, sipping coffee, we listen. 'Is that a chiffchaff?' he says. 'I think it is.' 'Who'd have thought there would be so much joy in hearing a chiffchaff and knowing that's what it is.' I can feel cut off from nature as a disabled person. But we all have our own route into nature, our own way of connection. This trip reminds me of the sensory joys of the outdoors – of the syrupy scent of wildflowers, the sun on my skin, and hearing a bird and now recognising its song.
12-04-2025
- General
Celebrating curlews across Stroud this World Curlew Day
COLUMN by Stroud MP Simon Opher World Curlew Day Curlews are very special birds, yet I suspect that most people may never have come across them, let alone actually seen or heard one. They are very distinctive to look at, and I think, very beautiful: about the size of a pheasant, with a speckled or mottled brown and grey back, long legs, and a long, down-curved bill. Their call is very haunting and plaintive - a sort of long, rising whistle. They like wet grasslands but tend to breed in slightly drier farmland areas, such as river meadows, heaths, and uplands. Curlews used to be commonplace across the Stroud district, especially towards the River Severn. However, they are currently a species of high conservation concern and were added to the Red List on the UK Conservation Status report in 2021. This means that they are in the highest conservation category possible. Sadly, they have been in decline for years, and despite a number of initiatives locally, the birds are now extremely rare across the district. That's why I welcome World Curlew Day (April 21), and Curlew Action's plans to focus on Stroud. To celebrate, Lansdown Hall is hosting a series of talks with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Gloucestershire Naturalists' Society, and Curlew Action's own Mary Colwell. They will be talking about the importance of the birds to our local biodiversity, and some of the exciting projects that they are working on to protect the birds and encourage them back to the district. Very excitingly, mural artist Mark Anthony (known as ATM) is also painting a large curlew mural on one of the walls facing the clock tower in the centre of Stroud, which will be unveiled on the day. There is, of course, a cost to this, but we can all help by contributing to the fundraiser (link below). I am especially happy that Mary is coming to Stroud. She was the driving force behind the new Natural History GCSE, which the government confirmed a couple of weeks ago. I was one of a number of MPs who helped to finally get this over the line – but the credit must go to Mary and those who worked so hard over the years to get us to this point. The new GCSE is an inspiring example of what people can achieve when we work together, despite any amount of hard work and setbacks – a big thank you to everyone involved.
05-04-2025
- Climate
Scientists sound the alarm after discovering worrisome change in migratory species behavior: 'It's terribly sad to see'
The impact of the changing climate is felt in many ways, including the migration patterns of birds. For the Bewick's swan, a species known for its long migratory journey, warmer temperatures have resulted in fewer swans returning to the U.K. each winter. A recent report from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Gloucestershire highlights a concerning decline of this once-thriving population. The swans' absence is not just a natural shift, it's a reflection of broader environmental changes that impact both wildlife and human communities. Over the past 50 years, the population of Bewick's swans in the U.K. has dropped by a staggering 86%, with only 87 swans returning to the WWT reserve this winter, compared to the peak of 610 in the winter of 1978-79. "We love welcoming them back each winter so it's terribly sad to see so few of them this year and without any cygnets," WWT reserve manager Martin McGill said. Traditionally, thousands of these swans migrate each year from their breeding grounds in northern Russia to escape the harsh Arctic winters and find ice-free wetlands in the UK. However, warmer temperatures across Europe altered their migratory route. This winter, over 7,000 swans "short-stopped" their journey, settling for the more temperate regions of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. As a result, the swans no longer need to travel as far, and the Slimbridge reserve is seeing fewer and fewer birds, including no cygnets, which are usually a part of the family group during migration. The absence of the Bewick's swans signals how the overheating planet is impacting ecosystems that both humans and wildlife rely on. Swans are often seen as indicators of wetland health, which plays a critical role in providing clean water, supporting biodiversity, and mitigating flooding. The loss of swans, along with other migratory species, signals that these ecosystems are under pressure. The decline in Bewick's swan numbers also highlights dangers like toxic lead poisoning and illegal hunting, making their survival even more precarious. Shifting migratory patterns could disrupt local economies tied to ecotourism and wildlife preservation, especially in regions like Gloucestershire. In response, the WWT is leading a coalition of charities urging the U.K. government to ban lead ammunition. Lead poisoning remains a significant threat to Bewick's swans, and eliminating this source of harm could help to protect their populations. WWT is advocating for more wetlands conservation to help mitigate the impacts of the changing climate. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Community support for policies that protect vulnerable habitats is essential. By supporting these initiatives, we can work toward a cleaner, safer future for wildlife and human communities alike. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
