"Let's Change the Subject"

The local RSPB and BTO man of a few years ago occasionally stalked  across Blacka Moor. We exchanged strong words a couple of times. He became quite heated when he talked of the previous years of lack of management on Blacka and congratulated SWT for its commitment to heathland.. But his attitude and this incident were illustrative of the minds of the local conservation people. We met him one morning and he started to complain that no grouse had nested on Blacka last year which he put down to lack of management and dog walking which according to him shouldn’t be allowed on moorland because of ground nesting birds. I pointed out a few things to him including the fact that people like him chose to prioritise treeless moors and that  grouse had once been happy in woodland. I also mentioned I preferred the songbirds in the trees rather than the cackling of superannuated chickens on the ground – and anyway what’s the point of giving protection to birds that will only get shot later in the year when they fly off to the shooting estates? I waited for his expert reply but all that came back was -

“Let’s change the subject. Do you like Wagner?”

Actually we got on better after the conversation that followed and he was much more polite. But I’ve never since doubted that many, if not most, of the local birders are closet shooters. Managing frequently comes down to culling whether for sport or justified on biodiversity grounds. Once in a meeting the BTO man scoffed after somebody interrupted him saying there were lots of birds around. "I'm not talking about blue tits!" he spluttered. Such common things were clearly beneath his contempt. Another typical comment I remember was "Don't get me talking about magpies!", the last word rather spat out. We might have shared some musical tastes but I'm sure he would not have enjoyed the morning flight of jackdaws as I do.