Today I had a lovely message from a lady called Paula Bolton. "I follow your blog and campaigns on behalf of bird life - thanks for all your efforts! I've been inspired to write a song I call 'Bird List'...." The words of Paula's song encompass a love and appreciation of our native birds - while the sorrow at losing them is reflected in the rolling plaintive melody, lamenting the destruction of the habitat and environment that support all of our treasured species. Ultimately the result of all this has been the tragic decline in the numbers of birds that we see around us, from Bullfinches through to Ravens and Swans and many others in between; Paula names many of these threatened species in her 'Bird List'. Paula explained that her song, "was inspired by your great efforts in exposing Natural England's horrendous licensing decisions and by Isabella Tree's book 'Wilding'. It's a message that needs to be heard, though I wish it wasn't necessary..." Although the loss of our birds is a result of many factors, there is no doubt in my mind that Natural England's contentious licensing system, in officially sanctioning lethal control of many species, contributes to their steep and rapid decline. It's a sad state of affairs when loss of biodiversity is partly as a result of government led policy. And that is why our campaign continues. Below you will find Paula's song performed by her husband Tarquin, who set her words to music. I think it's great, and it captures the ethos of our campaign. Take a look and give it some YouTube 'thumbs up'. Tarquin is himself a rare breed, a maker of violins, who also made the very guitar he is playing in the song! Sincere thanks to both Paula and Tarquin for this really touching reflection on the plight of our native birds and for supporting our campaign in this way. p.s. Just an additional note: following my recent revelations about the annual Starling cull on a Somerset farm, I have now put some more questions to Natural England, including enquiries relating to the killing of Jackdaws, and the oiling of Common Tern eggs and Tufted Duck eggs, all of course sanctioned by Natural England. So watch this space for an update in due course....
45 Comments
Sarah
27/7/2020 08:08:11 pm
Excellent song, very sad but very true,. I have all but lost faith in humanity, the birds and mammals have little chance with thoughtless, selfish humans, good job there are still some caring people around !
Reply
Melanue-Jayne Peaty
28/7/2020 03:02:38 am
How right you are!I despair of humanity too.All the beauty we have around us and it is being destroyed I Have'nt see any Jays this year in the woods next to me.
Reply
Edward Barratt
28/7/2020 07:54:36 am
The song, as Jason says, captures the problem very well. Greedy, cruel, selfish, needy and unthinking humans are doing enormous harm to nature that must be permanently challenged.
Reply
A Rama Sarma
28/7/2020 10:07:08 am
Yes, it has tumbled, it has worsened and it has gone for the worst. Proud and grateful for the work done by Jason. It always gives a nice feeling to be around people who have an infinite love for nature as man forgets that he is the product of nature and his selfish acts have become intolerable.
Reply
KIMBERLEY DUDLEY-PYETT
29/7/2020 12:13:14 am
HI I HAVE A BUFFET OF FOOD FOR THE BIRDS IN MY GARDEN EVERY DAY AND HAD LOTS OF BLACKBIRDS AND OTHER BIRDS INCLUDING PIGEONS TOO THE LAST 10 DAYS NO BIRDS AT ALL AND HAVE NOT HEARD THEM EITHER I THINK THIS IS SO SAD NOONE HAS THE RIGHT TO KILL BIRDS AS THEY ONLY BELONG TO GOD.I SPOKE TO A FRIEND IN THE SOUTH AND SHE AGREES ITS THE SAME DOWN THERE I LOVE HEARING THE BIRDS IN THE MORNINGS BUT NOT NOW.THE WORLD WE LIVE IN IS SAD ENOUGH WITHIUT ALL THIS..CAN WE DO ANYTHING ABOUT ALL THIS. REGARDS KIMBERLEY DUDLEY-PYETT LINCOLN .
Reply
Christine Webb
30/7/2020 09:29:43 am
The damage that Natural England has done to the UK's bird population is appalling and disgusting. Natural England should either be scrapped or replaced with a group of people who are more sympathetic towards bird population growth and protection, instead of mindless killing.
Reply
Pam Davies
27/7/2020 08:09:10 pm
I'm appalled by the constant additions by Natural England to their list of birds which land-owners are now licenced to remove from their land. Many thanks to you, Jason, and to your active supporters, and especially the creativity and commitment of Isabella and Tarquin in their support for your cause.
Reply
Chris Timms
27/7/2020 08:12:05 pm
I am appalled by the legal destruction of these birds. I thought Europeans were bad enough, killing little songbirds for fun and to eat, but l hadn’t realized how bad it was in the U.K. I presume as I’ve received this that I’ve previously signed the petition and hopefully shared it on social media. Thank you for all you are doing to try to stop this horrendous practice!
Reply
27/7/2020 08:14:17 pm
Carry on your good work, it is heartbreaking what we as humans do to the natural world
Reply
28/7/2020 11:11:31 am
I completely agree. Humans are unbelievably callous,self centered an uncaring.
Reply
Mrs Patricia DIXON
27/7/2020 08:21:57 pm
Loved the song. Have you made a CD of your beautiful singing/songs yet if not please seriously consider doing this and sell it to the public via music shops, Amazon or eBay to raise funds for the wildlife charities,
Reply
Julie Mc pake
27/7/2020 11:11:21 pm
A great idea by patricia dixon. Please consider this. It would be a great help to the bird charities. It makes me ashamed to be human what i read and see what we do to the natural world and all animals
Reply
Paula Bolton
28/7/2020 01:08:09 pm
Thank you, Patricia! As yet, we haven't produced a CD and have shared our songs on Facebook, with links to Tarquin's YouTube channel. We'll think about making it public or maybe putting it on Bandcamp to enable downloads. We'd be happy for any profits to go to this campaign.
Reply
Pamela Allen
29/7/2020 01:30:23 pm
The poignant song brought a tear....how very true...how very sad...
Reply
Paula Bolton
3/8/2020 07:38:23 pm
Thanks very much to Patricia and Julie for suggesting that they'd like to see our Bird List song available on CD. That's not feasible just now but we have put the track on to Bandcamp, where it can be freely streamed or downloaded for a fee. Any money made will be donated to a wildlife charity. This is the link:
Reply
Bob Evans
27/7/2020 08:23:03 pm
Lovely and all too poignant. Reminds me of the wonderful elegiac song by Flanders & Swann about lost railway stations: The Slow Train. Perhaps I should say Flanders and Swan ...
Reply
I'm on your side , we need to protect all animals we share this world with its their world too & high time humans other than all us need to fespect animals & creatures, I'm intrested in whats happening with our wild birds & other creatures & animsls, keep up the good work,,
Reply
helen brock
27/7/2020 08:40:00 pm
Beautiful song. It should be spread and spread and go onto the pop charts.
Reply
Julie Mc pake
28/7/2020 01:29:41 pm
What another great idea about the charts . It should be played often on the radio channels.
Reply
Gareth Huw Lewis
27/7/2020 08:45:44 pm
A powerful song whose lyrics really do tell the sad story of the decline our our avifauna-this musical piece would do well commercially and would help to get the message out that our birds and much of our other wildlife is in desperate trouble-yes, almost entirely due to human activity-intensive farming, climate change, destruction of habitat often for monstrous vanity projects like HS2 ( the ultimate example of environmental vandalism), using ghastly chemicals on our food crops that are toxic to a number of pollinators and pollute our rivers and seas and the illegal killing of protected species such as Hen Harrier so that a tiny bunch of disconnected weird, selfish and nasty filthy rich people who enjoy killing wildlife can have a bit of fun-to make it all the worse, we have a Government agency that grants licenses to more people with very dubious moral standards who also like killing our lovely wildlife-its disgusting and wrong
Reply
Mr William L HAMBROOK
27/7/2020 08:52:24 pm
Brilliant and the use of birds I have not seen or heard for many years makes me CRY.. WHAT have we done to our birds and indirectly to our chidren who may never have the pleasure of hearing birdsong?
Reply
Duncan Hayes
27/7/2020 09:05:57 pm
Lovely song, but very sadly, & mostly unavoidable, the truth
Reply
Geraldine Read
27/7/2020 09:07:05 pm
I do so appreciate, via the truth in this song, the awareness of the reality concerning the lives of some of our most amazing beautiful birds who are indeed in danger. I pray that the many hard hearted and cruel poeple who believe they the right to decide the fate of Gods feathered friends will be bought to justice.
Reply
Sylvia Browning
27/7/2020 09:25:11 pm
A poignant song, and so tragic. I find the persecution of pigeons particularly distressing to see, nowadays. These gentle birds are our forgotten heroes of war, who saved thousands of human lives during both World Wars as messengers, and won the PDSA Dickin Medal for their outstanding wartime service and bravery. Once loved and feted, pigeons have been falsely maligned and are now tragically abused and hated. The persecution of pigeons is Speciesism, or animal racism. It is cruel and heartbreaking to see, particularly when they are violently kicked, chased, shouted at and bullied, by children in parks, gardens and streets, city centres and riversides. This is exacerbated when parents encourage the cruelty, but anyone trying to intervene to stop the abuse risks verbal, or even physical abuse, in return. Let’s teach children to respect all wildlife including pigeons, instead of persecuting them.
Reply
Louise Hitchen
27/7/2020 10:45:23 pm
I completely agree, and found your comment very moving. I have solar panels, and have several pigeons nesting under them. I love to hear their cooing, but I do have to get my guttering cleaned regularly as it gets full of pigeon poo, and I also have to brush poo from the path in front of my house. I've managed to find someone who cleans the gutters for a reasonable price, but he sent me a message to let me know he now does netting under solar panels. I'd already told him there was no way I'd consider putting netting there as pigeons lay eggs all year round, so you could be killing babies or trapping pigeons in with the netting. People don't understand though and think your being weak. Why can't people appreciate and nurture wildlife, instead of trying to come up with ways of getting rid?
Reply
Melanie-Jayne Peaty
28/7/2020 03:08:15 am
I agree with you.I love pigeons.We have them in the woods next to me and I love watching them and yes they were brave birds in the wars.Bless pigeons.
Reply
Roger Stevens
27/7/2020 09:38:05 pm
I am becoming very sceptical about many of our so-called animal welfare orgs. Such as WWF, Some Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, some RSPCA branches. Are they becoming institionalised and losing their mission?? Who can we trust? Any feedback welcome.
Reply
Charmian Goldwyn
28/7/2020 07:18:00 am
'Natural England'..what a misnomer ! And why don't the WWF and the RSPB make more attempt to stop this senseless 'culling'..murder really of our lovely birds.
Reply
Julia Dance
27/7/2020 09:43:48 pm
Could anyone play this through a loud speaker van outside some Natural England offices? Perhaps you might usually take part in a local carnival and have the necessary gear.
Reply
Julie Mc pake
27/7/2020 11:13:36 pm
Another great idea by julia dance. I wish i had the van!! Is anyone able to help?
Reply
ian j. nugent
27/7/2020 09:45:38 pm
Verly sad to think that I am part of a race that is bringing an end to so much of the world around us. However there are tiny pieces of the natural world that make me smile. I live in a large city but the last time I went into 'town' I saw one of the Peregines that have set up home in the city. Good to know that there are some hopes for the future.
Reply
Moira
27/7/2020 09:52:06 pm
The lyrics are powerful, touching and on point, sadly that's how things are going. The music suits the lyrics very well, the outro is just perfect. Paula and Tarquin wrote a fantastic song. Thank you for sharing.
Reply
Lisa Collins
27/7/2020 10:41:57 pm
Leave our birds and all wildlife alone, they do no harm, powerful song.
Reply
Jim Danby
27/7/2020 10:45:59 pm
A timely song, and very well performed. I wonder, if this song were sung to people in a hundred years time, how many of those bird names would even be recognised any more, other then as short descriptive paragraphs in an ancient history book of extinct wildlife. Creatures fear humans for a reason.
Reply
Helen Harrison
27/7/2020 11:26:10 pm
A beautiful & touching song, highlighting what a terrible crime against nature is happening right under our noses.
Reply
Colleen Meier
28/7/2020 01:26:42 am
I have kept as pets, many types of birds including Pigeons! A friend who had too many, gave me my first small flock. They lived outdoors on my balcony with a doghouse for shelter. They spent their days flying around but would always return for food and shelter. I loved having them!
Reply
Julie West
28/7/2020 02:41:06 am
Beautiful song and sensitively performed. It brought tears to my eyes hearing the names of the birds that one saw years ago. Every word in the song is true. I would pay good money for a digital copy which I could easily share around to friends. Perhaps the owners of the song could empower Jason to send it to radio stations, TV broadcasters, anyone who makes wildlife programs.
Reply
Paula Bolton
3/8/2020 07:50:22 pm
It's lovely to know that you and others have felt touched by our song. Thank you for the kind comments. The track is now available on Bandcamp, either for live streaming or as a download. We'll donate any money raised to a wildlife charity. I don't have any radio or TV contacts so I'm not sure about that angle but it's a good suggestion.
Reply
mary
28/7/2020 09:24:47 am
Echoing Julie West’s comment: beautiful song sensitively and beautifully performed. And, as others have suggested, it could be a great campaigning song.
Reply
Charlotte
28/7/2020 10:37:54 am
A beautiful song sung wonderfully, but oh so heartbreaking to hear. I grew up knowing the names of all these birds. What is this terrible destructive path that humanity has created? I don't want to have any part in it - tragic.
Reply
Colin West
28/7/2020 12:49:49 pm
Get BOTHAM! He'll shake them up!
Reply
Lynn Roberta Mason
28/7/2020 01:20:49 pm
SO VERY SAD MADE ME WANT TO CRY!
Reply
Averyl Setterfield
28/7/2020 01:29:05 pm
Wonderful song, and so sad that it is true. We should be protecting our wildlife, not wantonly destroying it!
Reply
Paula Bolton
28/7/2020 01:35:35 pm
Many, many thanks for the kind comments on our song. I hope the concerns Bird List addresses may be spread far and wide (even from a loudspeaker in a van, as Julia suggests!) We're delighted if the song helps in any way to support Jason and others in this campaign.
Reply
Carole Rogers
2/8/2020 11:53:51 am
Beautiful moving song, it certainly sends a message out.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
If you appreciate what I write about, please consider showing your support by buying me a virtual coffee!
Click the button below! Thanks :) Archives
July 2023
|