Grumpy Old Birder
Bird Watching|January 2018

Local authority attitudes towards trees in our towns and cities need to change, says Bo Beolens

Bo Beolens
Grumpy Old Birder

Who could resist running one’s hand along the skin-smooth bark of a Beech tree or hugging a Hornbeam? Can anyone doubt the primal pleasure of hearing the wind ruffling the leaves of a poplar or knowing of the reassuring longevity of a craggy old oak?

Well, the answer turns out to be the municipal muggers who are more concerned by possible litigation than certain deforestation. In a week where I received an invitation from the London Borough of Waltham Forest to the opening of their new nature reserve, I also read about the utter foolishness of another London borough.

It seems Wandsworth council have plans to remove an avenue of 150-year-old chestnut trees on Tooting Common. Is the heartwood rotten or have our increasingly frequent storms damaged them? The answer is a resounding no!

So, why are 51 magnificently mature trees being replaced by 64 saplings? It’s not that they are dangerous, but that they might become so.

Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Bird Watching.

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Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Bird Watching.

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FLERE HISTORIER FRA BIRD WATCHINGSe alt
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October 2017
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Bo reveals the pleasure he gets watching birds and wildlife enjoy an ‘all-you-can-eat buffet’ in his garden…

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October 2017
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#My 200 Bird Year 2018

If you’ve enjoyed trying to complete our #My200BirdYear challenge in 2017, or if you’ve been watching with interest but biding your time, or if you’re a complete newcomer to  Bird Watching magazine, then now’s the time to sign up for #My200BirdYear 2018 at birdwatching.co.uk/my200 

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November 2017
HOLME
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HOLME

Varied habitats and one of the UK’s top observatories

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March 2018
Backbury Hill
Bird Watching

Backbury Hill

A walk to a multi-vallate hillfort with birds on the way

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March 2018
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Bird Watching

Castlemartin Corse

A relic of a once-great wetland 

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March 2018
Lend A Helping Hand
Bird Watching

Lend A Helping Hand

Wildlife centres can often be the only venues for many to see birds close up. Here, one volunteer explains the important work they carry out.

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March 2017
Bringing Back The Tree Sparrow
Bird Watching

Bringing Back The Tree Sparrow

The story of how one man helped establish a Tree Sparrow colony around his Suffolk home.

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March 2017
The Urban Birder Visits Ushuaia, Argentina
Bird Watching

The Urban Birder Visits Ushuaia, Argentina

A wide variety of interesting birds can be seen in the world’s most southernmost city.

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March 2017