November 6, 2024 • 33 mins
This week's Wildlife Matters podcast examines one of the most iconic woodland bird species in Britain: the stunning woodpecker.
Host Nigel Palmer joined Chris Packham and over 150 organisations in London last Sunday for the Clean Water March, which was organised by River Action.
Wildlife Matters spoke to leading celebrity activists, including Chris Packham, Feargal Sharkey, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Olympic Rower Imogen Grant, before speaking to Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage and Charles Watson, founder of River Action, who organised the event.
The heart of this episode is the iconic woodland bird species - the Woodpeckers. We discuss the ecology and traits of the three native species and the now-migrant - European Wryneck
We also take a science-based look at how woodpeckers can hammer wood without damaging their brains and bodies.
In this week's Mindful Moments, we celebrate one of the key weather elements of the British Isles: the wind.
Takeaways:
- The Wildlife Matters podcast explores the rising concerns of wildlife crime and animal cruelty in the UK, highlighting recent incidents that demand immediate action.
- A Clean Water march in London, organised by River Action and supported by Chris Packham, amongst others, took place on 3rd November 2024.
- Nature News reveals another foxhunter was found guilty, and the Devon vet was struck off for Cattle Bovine TB test errors.
- Mindful Moments celebrates one of the ket weather elements in the UK - The wind.
Links referenced in this episode:
Takeaways:
- The Clean Water March in London saw 15,000 campaigners demanding immediate government action against water pollution.
- Woodpeckers in the UK include three native species, each with unique traits and habitats.
- The lesser spotted woodpecker's population has declined by 73% since the turn of the century, raising conservation concerns.
- A Devon vet was struck off for dishonestly certifying cattle tests, jeopardizing public health and trust in veterinary practices.
- Nature broadcaster Chris Packham emphasized the urgency for action to protect Britain's rivers and lakes from pollution.
- The podcast featured a mindful moment focusing on the sounds of the wind in nature, reflecting on its beauty.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:26):
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters podcast.
I'm your host, Nigel Palmer.
We return to London for theClean Water March in this week's
Wildlife Matters podcast.
And in our main feature, we'lldiscuss the iconic woodland bird
species, the woodpeckers.
(00:46):
One of the main elements ofthe weather is the feature in this
week's A Wildlife MattersMindful Moment where we will be listening
to the wind.
And in this week's Nature News.
As I said, we're back toLondon for the Clean Water March
and we have a story of yetanother fox hunter being found guilty
(01:09):
of assault and a Devon vetwho's been struck off due to falsifying
bovine TB cattle tests.
All that is coming up next inthis week's Wildlife Matters Nature.
(01:42):
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters Nature News,
where we start with the marchfor clean water that took place in
London last weekend.
Thousands of campaignersprotested in London on Sunday against
the for quality of water inthe uk.
The March for Clean Water,organised by River Action and led
(02:07):
by Chris Packham, attracted anestimated 15,000 people.
Protesters demanded immediateaction from Prime Minister Sir Keir
Starmer to address pollutionin our rivers, lakes and seas.
Nature broadcaster ChrisPackham, who attended the march,
(02:27):
stated that Britain's riversare among the worst in Europe.
He added, but I'm hopefulbecause we know what needs to be
done and we have thetechnologies to fix it.
We need to convince our newgovernment to act more rapidly.
And Clean Water campaignerFergal Sharkey told Wildlife Matters,
(02:50):
we call on the government toend the environmental devastation
inflicted upon our rivers,lakes and seas.
It stops here.
It stops today.
It stops now.
End pollution.
End polluting for profit.
The government must order anurgent, comprehensive review of the
(03:13):
failed oversight andregulation of the water industry.
It is time to hold accountablethose industries that have been allowed
to knowingly and willfullypollute our waters.
Driven by profit and greed, wecall on everyone in the country concerned
(03:35):
or angry about the state ofour waters to join us and march.
Hugh Fernley Whittingstallinvited the public to join him and
others in London on Sunday todemand that the government clean
up rivers and beaches that arefundamental to the quality of our
lives.
The rally featured variousenvironmental groups, including.
(03:58):
Greenpeace and the Wildlife Trust.
Demonstrators waved blue flagsand carried signs with messages like
Stop the plop and Cut the Crap.
Olympic rower Imogen Grantexpressed her concerns about the
declining condition of riversover the years.
(04:19):
Highlighting her personalexperiences with pollution during
her training, Imogen toldWildlife Matters.
I spend hours on the watertraining every day in rowing boats
and seeing nappies floating byplastic bags and scum along the pontoons
we train on is just not goodenough and something needs to change,
(04:43):
she said.
Giles Bristow, the chiefexecutive of the campaign group Surfers
Against Sewage, led the marchfrom Albert Embankment in Boxall
to Parliament Square withbanners reading Stop poisoning Britain's
waterways and Cut the crap,Save Our Rivers.
(05:05):
Behind him, thousands ofprotesters clad mainly in blue, many
carrying the multicolour flagsof the climate activist movement.
Extinction rebellion followed,dancing to samba bands and waving
homemade placards, Bristowtold Wildlife Matters.
We have been campaigning forover 30 years now, in fact nearly
(05:30):
35, to end pollution in ourwaters because we're fed up with
trying to enjoy our naturalblue spaces while they're being polluted
right in front of our eyes.
So we're joining in becauseit's a march for clean water and
we're saying it's time to cutthe crap.
(05:50):
We've got to sort out this situation.
And Charles Watson, thefounder and director of the charity
River Action and the event'slead organizer, told Wildlife Matters,
one of the key demands of thismarch is that the idea that it can
be profitable to pollute must stop.
(06:12):
Laws need to be enforced andto enforce those laws, the bodies
tasked with thatresponsibility must be reformed.
They must be dismantled,restructured and most importantly,
properly funded.
The campaign called for athorough review of water regulators
(06:33):
and stricter enforcement ofenvironmental laws to protect Britain's
waterways.
Our second story on thisweek's Wildlife Matters Nature News
is of a huntsman convicted ofassault for striking an animal rights
activist with his riding crop.
(06:54):
Mark Marshall Ferguson was onhorseback when he approached the
female victim from behindduring a confrontation between hunt
members and anti huntprotesters in Market Harborough.
The 49 year old defendant,Skeffington, east of Leicester, was
part of a hunting.
Party in a field off Clipston Road.
(07:16):
When the incident happened inOctober 2019.
Northamptonshire Police saidtempers had flared between the two
groups, which eventually ledto violence.
Ferguson rode towards a femalemember of the anti hunk group and
pulled her up by the back ofher collar before striking her on
(07:36):
the head with his riding crop.
The woman suffered alaceration to her head and bruising
to her neck and the force ofthe attack knocked her to the ground.
The defendant had denied thecharge but was convicted of assault
and one count of criminal damage.
Following a trial held atNorthampton Magistrates Court earlier
(08:00):
this month, an investigationinto the incident incident was launched
and Ferguson was charged withabh, actual bodily harm and criminal
damage.
Ferguson pleaded not guilty toboth offenses.
When he appeared beforemagistrates following this conviction,
he was ordered to pay a totalof £2,125 in fines and costs.
(08:29):
PC Chloe Gillis, Rural crimeofficer for the Northamptonshire
force, welcomed the Corpsdecisions and that such behavior
was unacceptable and that hisvictim was lucky to have not been
more seriously injured.
I am pleased that MarkFerguson was found guilty of these
offences at court as thisbehavior is unacceptable, she said.
(08:52):
Ferguson's actions here couldhave had far more serious consequences
for the victim's sake.
And I'm pleased they didn't,Added PC Gillis.
There is never an excuse to assault.
Someone and Northamptonshirepolice will always, always pursue
a criminal action against anyoffender and our third story is that
(09:15):
of a Devon Vet Struck off forDishonest Certification of cattle
tests the RCBS disciplinarycommittee has struck off Brian Cullen
Bowles for jeopardizing publichealth by dishonestly certifying
cattle test results.
He faced a total of fourcharges but did not respond to the
(09:40):
hearing notification, leadingthe committee to proceed in his absence.
The first charge involvedBowles conducting interdermal comparative
tuberculin or ICT tests oncattle in 2020 without adequately
measuring skin thickness.
(10:01):
He admitted to not followingstandard procedures, but the charge
was proven.
The second charge concernedhis certification of these inaccurate
test results, which thecommittee also found proven.
The third charge concerned hisdishonest and misleading conduct
which undermined governmenttesting procedures, and the final
(10:25):
charge noted that he hadpreviously been warned and retrained
for non compliance.
The committee deemed chargesone to three professional severe
misconduct while charged four,although serious, did not independently
constitute it.
The committee then decided onhis removal from the Register, citing
(10:48):
his disregard for testingprocedures and RCBS certified certification
requirement.
They highlighted multipleaggravating factors including human
and animal health risks andVol's lack of integrity.
Although he had not gainedfinancially and had a long career,
his repeated non complianceand dishonesty warranted his striking
(11:12):
off as the committee expressedconcern about the likelihood of his
future conduct.
Now this is a very difficult case.
Anyone losing theirprofessional career is of course
a very challenging situation,but this.
Guy had repeatedly committedthe same falsification.
(11:34):
Of the tests and this is vital.
Because these cattle are theneither sent to slaughter because
they have bovine TB.
Or they are cleared and leftin a herd which if they do have the
will just keep reinfecting theherd and encourage more people to
want to see more badgersculled, which we know is not the
(11:56):
answer.
And people like this vet whoyou would have thought would have
been trusted are actuallyletting down not only the.
Farmers, the cattle, thebadgers, the system.
But also all of us, thegeneral public.
So I think it is the rightthing that this guy was removed for
(12:18):
the register for everybody'sbest interests.
And that has been this week'sWildlife Matters Nature News.
(12:45):
I'm pleased that moreprosecutions are being pursued against
hunters, particularly thoseexhibiting a violent tendencies,
because such behavior shouldbe a massive red flag regarding their
future conduct.
Also, we were planning toreturn to the Grand Union Canal in
(13:07):
West London, where swans andother water birds have died from
an unknown cause.
The Animal and Plant healthagency, or APhA, is investigating
the situation, but there havebeen no updates in the past two weeks
since we first discussed theissue on the Wildlife Matters podcast.
(13:28):
But do rest assured that wewill be back there as soon as there
is some more information totell you about.
(13:54):
Now, let's take some time tospend some mindful moments in nature
this week.
Instead of focusing on a bird,a mammal or an amphibian, we're exploring
one of the fundamentalelements of our weather.
Weather often dominatesconversations here in the uk, and
(14:16):
this year has been no exception.
We had another mild, wet andwindy spring followed by a rainy
summer, but today ourattention is on the wind.
This audio clip I recorded ona June day.
(14:37):
I wasn't on one of theScottish islands, an exposed Welsh
hill, or even an Irish coastline.
I was in the south of Englandat a well known RSPB nature reserve.
The experience reminded me ofa beautiful.
Poem by Anne Bronte that I'dlike to share with you now.
(15:04):
My soul is awakened and myspirit is soaring and carried aloft
on the wings of the breeze.
For above and around me thewild wind is roaring, arousing to
rapture the earth and the seas.
The long withered grass in thesunshine is glancing.
(15:25):
The bare trees are tossingtheir branches on high, the dead
leaves beneath them aremerrily dancing.
The white clouds are scuddingacross the blue sky.
I wish I could see how theocean is lashing the foam of its
billows to whirlwinds of spray.
I wish I could see how itsproud waves are dashing and hear
(15:50):
the wild roar of the thunder.
Today.
(19:09):
I hope you enjoyed listeningto the wind roaring through the woodland
on the edge of a Sussex valleywith those lakes at the bottom.
I remember how good it felt toreturn to the cafe that day and enjoy
some homemade soup and a bread roll.
It's like an autumn dayWrapped up in the middle of summer.
(19:33):
Now it's time for this week'sWildlife Matters a main feature.
And we are looking at theiconic native woodland bird species
that are the woodpeckers.
(19:58):
And hello and welcome back to this.
Week'S Wildlife Matters main feature.
And today we are talking woodpeckers.
Yeah.
In Britain, we actually havethree species of true woodpecker
and one distant cousin whosenumbers have decreased as our climate
changes.
Woodpeckers are fascinatingand beautiful birds that many of
(20:23):
us might have heard drummingaway in the woodlands or seen feeding
on nuts from our bird feedersin the garden.
Now let's take a look at thethree woodpecker species from the
Piccinae sub family that arefound in Britain.
They are the great spottedwoodpecker, the lesser spotted woodpecker
(20:44):
and the green woodpecker.
Firstly, and generally, themost seen species is the great spotted
woodpecker, which isDendrocopus A.
Major.
The great spotted woodpeckerhas recently been attracted more
to our gardens with bird feeders.
Great spotted woodpeckers havea black cap, white cheeks with black
(21:09):
lines underneath and a redpatch on their underbelly.
Mature male birds have a redpatch on the back of their heads,
which the females and juvenilebirds do not.
Great spotted woodpeckers havethick and powerful beaks and their
wings are black with white spots.
(21:30):
As a guide, they are slightlysmaller than a blackbird.
Great spotted woodpeckers feedon insects, using their powerful
beaks to hammer holes in treebark to extract beetle larvae, along
with their their long andflexible tongues.
In spring, they will eatcaterpillars, adult beetles, spiders
(21:53):
and smaller birds.
Chicks and eggs, nuts andseeds are an essential food source,
particularly in the autumn andearly winter.
The beak of the great spottedwoodpecker plays a crucial role in
its breeding behavior.
Male woodpeckers use it todrum against dead trees, making a
(22:16):
loud sound which is to claimtheir territory and warn off any
other potential rivals.
Both male and femalewoodpeckers use their beaks to dig
a nesting cavity deep inside a tree.
And once the cavity is ready,they will lay four to six eggs.
(22:36):
Eggs, usually during March and April.
After around two weeks ofincubation, the eggs will hatch and
the chicks will spend justover three weeks inside the nest
before they fledge.
The great spotted woodpeckercan be found throughout England,
Scotland and Wales.
(22:57):
It is primarily found inbroadleaf woodlands where birch trees
are a particular favorite.
However, it can also be foundin coniferous forests with mature
trees.
The lesser spotted woodpeckeris significantly smaller than its
cousin and it's around thesame size as a house sparrow.
(23:19):
They have a short but powerfulbeak and black and white head, black
wings with white bars on theback and a white breast again.
The males have red caps on thebacks of their heads, which are absent
in both females and juvenile birds.
Lesser swatted woodpeckersfeed primarily on insects and invertebrates.
(23:44):
Their strong beaks allow themto peck into dead and rotting wood
and eat the beetle larvae thatlive within.
They will also take aphids andother insects from branches and tree
trunks.
During nesting time, lesserspotted woodpeckers drum on trees
to declare their territory andto warn off rivals.
(24:06):
Similar to their largercousins, they raise their chicks
in holes within old trees,although other animals or birds may
have created the holes.
And typically they will layaround four to six eggs, which will
hatch after approximately two weeks.
Again, the chicks will remainin the nest for roughly three weeks
(24:29):
before they are ready to fledge.
Tragically, the lesser spottedwoodpecker is one of the fastest
declining woodland birdspecies in the uk.
It's a concerning trend thatwe should all be aware of, as they
have declined by 73% onaverage since the turn of the century.
(24:50):
Unlike the other woodpeckersin Britain, the Picus viridis, commonly
known as the green woodpecker,is not black or white, but is green.
The green woodpecker alsodiffers from its cousins as both
males and females have the redcap on the back of their heads, but
the males have a red streakbelow their cheeks, which is the
(25:13):
best way to identify them.
The green woodpecker is pretty unmistakable.
Its wings are dark green witha paler breast and a yellow rump
that is evident in flight.
The green woodpeckers uniquefeeding habits are.
A sight to behold.
It primarily feeds on ants,probing into the ground with its
(25:35):
powerful beak and sucking themup with its long and sticky tongue.
And they will take otherinvertebrates, particularly beetles
and worms that they find inthe grass and soil.
Like the other woodpeckers inthe uk, green woodpeckers nest in
holes in trees that both themale and females excavate together,
(25:58):
using their powerful beaks tochip into the wood, often over a
few weeks.
They will then lay four to sixegg, which hatch after around three
weeks, and the chicks willfledge after a similar period.
Green woodpeckers have adistinctive dipping flight pattern
and their call, which soundslike laughing, is known as a yaffle.
(26:24):
Woodpeckers are native toBritain and all species, including
the green woodpecker, Drum.
Contrary to earlier beliefthat woodpeckers have shock absorbing
tissues between their beaksand skulls, scientists have now discovered
that the woodpecker head andbeak remains solid.
When a woodpecker drills itsbeak into a tree, it resembles a
(26:48):
nail hammered into the surface.
Woodpeckers have a concussionrate that is nine times higher than
human beings.
Despite their high impact rateand because of their brain's position
and size, they do not sufferbrain damage from their drumming.
(27:08):
Both male and femalewoodpeckers will drum, but males
do so mainly between Januaryand June and it's to establish territories
and warn off other males.
And woodpeckers are caring parents.
They both take turnsincubating their eggs and keeping
their young warm.
Once they have hatched, theycontinue to feed their fledglings
(27:32):
for the first one or two weeksafter they have left their nest.
The lesser spotted woodpeckerpopulation has been sharply declining
for many years as they havenot adapted well to garden feeders
or their larger cousins.
However, the high death rateof young great spotted woodpeckers,
(27:53):
mainly due to them flying intoglass patios and sliding doors, is
of concern.
The great spotted woodpeckerpopulation has increased by more
than 300% since the 1970s andthis is probably due to the increased
standing devices wood causedby things such as Dutch elm disease
(28:13):
and the increased availabilityof food in gardens.
The great spotted woodpeckeris also responsible for the decline
of the lesser spottedwoodpecker as they prey on their
smaller cousins.
Great spotted woodpeckers willalso prey on marsh and willow tits
and their young in spring andare cited as a reason for the decline
(28:37):
in both of these species as well.
I mentioned earlier that therewas a fourth woodpecker species that
some people considered in theuk, that is the Eurasian Orionek
which was once a breedingspecies mainly in the south and east
of England.
But today Ryneks are mainlymigrant birds seen in the spring
(29:00):
and autumn across their formerranges in the east and south of England
and interestingly in the northof Scotland.
Rhineks are around the size ofa lesser spotted woodpecker and have
a mottled brown and grey coloring.
They are perhaps best knownfor their distinctive behavior of
(29:20):
twisting and turning theirnecks which mimic a snake when they
feel threatened and that hasbeen Wildlife Matters.
Look into the woodpeckerspecies that you can find here in
the UK and has been thisweek's Wildlife Matters main feature.
(29:52):
Who knew that woodpeckerscould be so fascinating?
While these birds share manysimilarities, each species has its
own unique trait niches and habitats.
My interest in writing aboutwoodpeckers was sparked after I led
a walk in the Sussex woodlandwith a group of young people from
(30:15):
Inner London.
During our walk, we heard a woodpecker.
Drumming in a nearby tree and we.
Were fortunate enough to beable to.
See a greater spottedwoodpecker, which seemed.
Unbothered by our presence.
Along with the rest of thegroup, we took several pictures and
(30:40):
I even recorded some audio and video.
At the end of the walk, Iasked the group to share their favorite
memories from the day and thewoodpecker appeared in most of them.
It was a couple of weeks laterwe received some pictures from some
of.
The young people who hadjoined us.
That day, whilst others hadwritten poems.
(31:03):
And stories about the woods.
But two students had sent usan audio file.
When we listened, it containedan incredible drum and bass track,
perfectly mimicking thewoodpeckers drumming on the tree,
and they've made the wholetrack on their home computers based
(31:24):
on their memories of thewoodpecker that day.
How incredible.
Nature really does have thepower to inspire creativity.
I cherish that track and allthe stories, poems and pictures we
receive after our woodlandwalks that are all inspired by nature.
(32:06):
I do hope you've enjoyedtoday's Wildlife Matters podcast.
If you did, please follow usto ensure that you never miss an
episode and leave us a review.
Wherever you listen to yourpodcasts, your review helps the algorithm
direct more people to discoverour humble little podcast.
(32:29):
Many more people are joiningus on the YouTube channel, and if
you haven't found us overthere yet, please do subscrib subscribe
the next time you visit, as wewill soon launch our new series of
vlogs.
And as always, thank you fortaking the time to listen to us today.
We appreciate each and everyone of you.
(32:54):
Wildlife Matters will returnin two weeks, but until then, stay
safe, wild ones.
I've been your host, NigelPalmer, and this is Wildlife Matters
signing off.
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters podcast.
I'm your host, Nigel Palmer.
We return to London for theClean Water March in this week's
Wildlife Matters podcast.
And in our main feature, we'lldiscuss the iconic woodland bird
species, the woodpeckers.
(00:46):
One of the main elements ofthe weather is the feature in this
week's A Wildlife MattersMindful Moment where we will be listening
to the wind.
And in this week's Nature News.
As I said, we're back toLondon for the Clean Water March
and we have a story of yetanother fox hunter being found guilty
(01:09):
of assault and a Devon vetwho's been struck off due to falsifying
bovine TB cattle tests.
All that is coming up next inthis week's Wildlife Matters Nature.
(01:42):
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters Nature News,
where we start with the marchfor clean water that took place in
London last weekend.
Thousands of campaignersprotested in London on Sunday against
the for quality of water inthe uk.
The March for Clean Water,organised by River Action and led
(02:07):
by Chris Packham, attracted anestimated 15,000 people.
Protesters demanded immediateaction from Prime Minister Sir Keir
Starmer to address pollutionin our rivers, lakes and seas.
Nature broadcaster ChrisPackham, who attended the march,
(02:27):
stated that Britain's riversare among the worst in Europe.
He added, but I'm hopefulbecause we know what needs to be
done and we have thetechnologies to fix it.
We need to convince our newgovernment to act more rapidly.
And Clean Water campaignerFergal Sharkey told Wildlife Matters,
(02:50):
we call on the government toend the environmental devastation
inflicted upon our rivers,lakes and seas.
It stops here.
It stops today.
It stops now.
End pollution.
End polluting for profit.
The government must order anurgent, comprehensive review of the
(03:13):
failed oversight andregulation of the water industry.
It is time to hold accountablethose industries that have been allowed
to knowingly and willfullypollute our waters.
Driven by profit and greed, wecall on everyone in the country concerned
(03:35):
or angry about the state ofour waters to join us and march.
Hugh Fernley Whittingstallinvited the public to join him and
others in London on Sunday todemand that the government clean
up rivers and beaches that arefundamental to the quality of our
lives.
The rally featured variousenvironmental groups, including.
(03:58):
Greenpeace and the Wildlife Trust.
Demonstrators waved blue flagsand carried signs with messages like
Stop the plop and Cut the Crap.
Olympic rower Imogen Grantexpressed her concerns about the
declining condition of riversover the years.
(04:19):
Highlighting her personalexperiences with pollution during
her training, Imogen toldWildlife Matters.
I spend hours on the watertraining every day in rowing boats
and seeing nappies floating byplastic bags and scum along the pontoons
we train on is just not goodenough and something needs to change,
(04:43):
she said.
Giles Bristow, the chiefexecutive of the campaign group Surfers
Against Sewage, led the marchfrom Albert Embankment in Boxall
to Parliament Square withbanners reading Stop poisoning Britain's
waterways and Cut the crap,Save Our Rivers.
(05:05):
Behind him, thousands ofprotesters clad mainly in blue, many
carrying the multicolour flagsof the climate activist movement.
Extinction rebellion followed,dancing to samba bands and waving
homemade placards, Bristowtold Wildlife Matters.
We have been campaigning forover 30 years now, in fact nearly
(05:30):
35, to end pollution in ourwaters because we're fed up with
trying to enjoy our naturalblue spaces while they're being polluted
right in front of our eyes.
So we're joining in becauseit's a march for clean water and
we're saying it's time to cutthe crap.
(05:50):
We've got to sort out this situation.
And Charles Watson, thefounder and director of the charity
River Action and the event'slead organizer, told Wildlife Matters,
one of the key demands of thismarch is that the idea that it can
be profitable to pollute must stop.
(06:12):
Laws need to be enforced andto enforce those laws, the bodies
tasked with thatresponsibility must be reformed.
They must be dismantled,restructured and most importantly,
properly funded.
The campaign called for athorough review of water regulators
(06:33):
and stricter enforcement ofenvironmental laws to protect Britain's
waterways.
Our second story on thisweek's Wildlife Matters Nature News
is of a huntsman convicted ofassault for striking an animal rights
activist with his riding crop.
(06:54):
Mark Marshall Ferguson was onhorseback when he approached the
female victim from behindduring a confrontation between hunt
members and anti huntprotesters in Market Harborough.
The 49 year old defendant,Skeffington, east of Leicester, was
part of a hunting.
Party in a field off Clipston Road.
(07:16):
When the incident happened inOctober 2019.
Northamptonshire Police saidtempers had flared between the two
groups, which eventually ledto violence.
Ferguson rode towards a femalemember of the anti hunk group and
pulled her up by the back ofher collar before striking her on
(07:36):
the head with his riding crop.
The woman suffered alaceration to her head and bruising
to her neck and the force ofthe attack knocked her to the ground.
The defendant had denied thecharge but was convicted of assault
and one count of criminal damage.
Following a trial held atNorthampton Magistrates Court earlier
(08:00):
this month, an investigationinto the incident incident was launched
and Ferguson was charged withabh, actual bodily harm and criminal
damage.
Ferguson pleaded not guilty toboth offenses.
When he appeared beforemagistrates following this conviction,
he was ordered to pay a totalof £2,125 in fines and costs.
(08:29):
PC Chloe Gillis, Rural crimeofficer for the Northamptonshire
force, welcomed the Corpsdecisions and that such behavior
was unacceptable and that hisvictim was lucky to have not been
more seriously injured.
I am pleased that MarkFerguson was found guilty of these
offences at court as thisbehavior is unacceptable, she said.
(08:52):
Ferguson's actions here couldhave had far more serious consequences
for the victim's sake.
And I'm pleased they didn't,Added PC Gillis.
There is never an excuse to assault.
Someone and Northamptonshirepolice will always, always pursue
a criminal action against anyoffender and our third story is that
(09:15):
of a Devon Vet Struck off forDishonest Certification of cattle
tests the RCBS disciplinarycommittee has struck off Brian Cullen
Bowles for jeopardizing publichealth by dishonestly certifying
cattle test results.
He faced a total of fourcharges but did not respond to the
(09:40):
hearing notification, leadingthe committee to proceed in his absence.
The first charge involvedBowles conducting interdermal comparative
tuberculin or ICT tests oncattle in 2020 without adequately
measuring skin thickness.
(10:01):
He admitted to not followingstandard procedures, but the charge
was proven.
The second charge concernedhis certification of these inaccurate
test results, which thecommittee also found proven.
The third charge concerned hisdishonest and misleading conduct
which undermined governmenttesting procedures, and the final
(10:25):
charge noted that he hadpreviously been warned and retrained
for non compliance.
The committee deemed chargesone to three professional severe
misconduct while charged four,although serious, did not independently
constitute it.
The committee then decided onhis removal from the Register, citing
(10:48):
his disregard for testingprocedures and RCBS certified certification
requirement.
They highlighted multipleaggravating factors including human
and animal health risks andVol's lack of integrity.
Although he had not gainedfinancially and had a long career,
his repeated non complianceand dishonesty warranted his striking
(11:12):
off as the committee expressedconcern about the likelihood of his
future conduct.
Now this is a very difficult case.
Anyone losing theirprofessional career is of course
a very challenging situation,but this.
Guy had repeatedly committedthe same falsification.
(11:34):
Of the tests and this is vital.
Because these cattle are theneither sent to slaughter because
they have bovine TB.
Or they are cleared and leftin a herd which if they do have the
will just keep reinfecting theherd and encourage more people to
want to see more badgersculled, which we know is not the
(11:56):
answer.
And people like this vet whoyou would have thought would have
been trusted are actuallyletting down not only the.
Farmers, the cattle, thebadgers, the system.
But also all of us, thegeneral public.
So I think it is the rightthing that this guy was removed for
(12:18):
the register for everybody'sbest interests.
And that has been this week'sWildlife Matters Nature News.
(12:45):
I'm pleased that moreprosecutions are being pursued against
hunters, particularly thoseexhibiting a violent tendencies,
because such behavior shouldbe a massive red flag regarding their
future conduct.
Also, we were planning toreturn to the Grand Union Canal in
(13:07):
West London, where swans andother water birds have died from
an unknown cause.
The Animal and Plant healthagency, or APhA, is investigating
the situation, but there havebeen no updates in the past two weeks
since we first discussed theissue on the Wildlife Matters podcast.
(13:28):
But do rest assured that wewill be back there as soon as there
is some more information totell you about.
(13:54):
Now, let's take some time tospend some mindful moments in nature
this week.
Instead of focusing on a bird,a mammal or an amphibian, we're exploring
one of the fundamentalelements of our weather.
Weather often dominatesconversations here in the uk, and
(14:16):
this year has been no exception.
We had another mild, wet andwindy spring followed by a rainy
summer, but today ourattention is on the wind.
This audio clip I recorded ona June day.
(14:37):
I wasn't on one of theScottish islands, an exposed Welsh
hill, or even an Irish coastline.
I was in the south of Englandat a well known RSPB nature reserve.
The experience reminded me ofa beautiful.
Poem by Anne Bronte that I'dlike to share with you now.
(15:04):
My soul is awakened and myspirit is soaring and carried aloft
on the wings of the breeze.
For above and around me thewild wind is roaring, arousing to
rapture the earth and the seas.
The long withered grass in thesunshine is glancing.
(15:25):
The bare trees are tossingtheir branches on high, the dead
leaves beneath them aremerrily dancing.
The white clouds are scuddingacross the blue sky.
I wish I could see how theocean is lashing the foam of its
billows to whirlwinds of spray.
I wish I could see how itsproud waves are dashing and hear
(15:50):
the wild roar of the thunder.
Today.
(19:09):
I hope you enjoyed listeningto the wind roaring through the woodland
on the edge of a Sussex valleywith those lakes at the bottom.
I remember how good it felt toreturn to the cafe that day and enjoy
some homemade soup and a bread roll.
It's like an autumn dayWrapped up in the middle of summer.
(19:33):
Now it's time for this week'sWildlife Matters a main feature.
And we are looking at theiconic native woodland bird species
that are the woodpeckers.
(19:58):
And hello and welcome back to this.
Week'S Wildlife Matters main feature.
And today we are talking woodpeckers.
Yeah.
In Britain, we actually havethree species of true woodpecker
and one distant cousin whosenumbers have decreased as our climate
changes.
Woodpeckers are fascinatingand beautiful birds that many of
(20:23):
us might have heard drummingaway in the woodlands or seen feeding
on nuts from our bird feedersin the garden.
Now let's take a look at thethree woodpecker species from the
Piccinae sub family that arefound in Britain.
They are the great spottedwoodpecker, the lesser spotted woodpecker
(20:44):
and the green woodpecker.
Firstly, and generally, themost seen species is the great spotted
woodpecker, which isDendrocopus A.
Major.
The great spotted woodpeckerhas recently been attracted more
to our gardens with bird feeders.
Great spotted woodpeckers havea black cap, white cheeks with black
(21:09):
lines underneath and a redpatch on their underbelly.
Mature male birds have a redpatch on the back of their heads,
which the females and juvenilebirds do not.
Great spotted woodpeckers havethick and powerful beaks and their
wings are black with white spots.
(21:30):
As a guide, they are slightlysmaller than a blackbird.
Great spotted woodpeckers feedon insects, using their powerful
beaks to hammer holes in treebark to extract beetle larvae, along
with their their long andflexible tongues.
In spring, they will eatcaterpillars, adult beetles, spiders
(21:53):
and smaller birds.
Chicks and eggs, nuts andseeds are an essential food source,
particularly in the autumn andearly winter.
The beak of the great spottedwoodpecker plays a crucial role in
its breeding behavior.
Male woodpeckers use it todrum against dead trees, making a
(22:16):
loud sound which is to claimtheir territory and warn off any
other potential rivals.
Both male and femalewoodpeckers use their beaks to dig
a nesting cavity deep inside a tree.
And once the cavity is ready,they will lay four to six eggs.
(22:36):
Eggs, usually during March and April.
After around two weeks ofincubation, the eggs will hatch and
the chicks will spend justover three weeks inside the nest
before they fledge.
The great spotted woodpeckercan be found throughout England,
Scotland and Wales.
(22:57):
It is primarily found inbroadleaf woodlands where birch trees
are a particular favorite.
However, it can also be foundin coniferous forests with mature
trees.
The lesser spotted woodpeckeris significantly smaller than its
cousin and it's around thesame size as a house sparrow.
(23:19):
They have a short but powerfulbeak and black and white head, black
wings with white bars on theback and a white breast again.
The males have red caps on thebacks of their heads, which are absent
in both females and juvenile birds.
Lesser swatted woodpeckersfeed primarily on insects and invertebrates.
(23:44):
Their strong beaks allow themto peck into dead and rotting wood
and eat the beetle larvae thatlive within.
They will also take aphids andother insects from branches and tree
trunks.
During nesting time, lesserspotted woodpeckers drum on trees
to declare their territory andto warn off rivals.
(24:06):
Similar to their largercousins, they raise their chicks
in holes within old trees,although other animals or birds may
have created the holes.
And typically they will layaround four to six eggs, which will
hatch after approximately two weeks.
Again, the chicks will remainin the nest for roughly three weeks
(24:29):
before they are ready to fledge.
Tragically, the lesser spottedwoodpecker is one of the fastest
declining woodland birdspecies in the uk.
It's a concerning trend thatwe should all be aware of, as they
have declined by 73% onaverage since the turn of the century.
(24:50):
Unlike the other woodpeckersin Britain, the Picus viridis, commonly
known as the green woodpecker,is not black or white, but is green.
The green woodpecker alsodiffers from its cousins as both
males and females have the redcap on the back of their heads, but
the males have a red streakbelow their cheeks, which is the
(25:13):
best way to identify them.
The green woodpecker is pretty unmistakable.
Its wings are dark green witha paler breast and a yellow rump
that is evident in flight.
The green woodpeckers uniquefeeding habits are.
A sight to behold.
It primarily feeds on ants,probing into the ground with its
(25:35):
powerful beak and sucking themup with its long and sticky tongue.
And they will take otherinvertebrates, particularly beetles
and worms that they find inthe grass and soil.
Like the other woodpeckers inthe uk, green woodpeckers nest in
holes in trees that both themale and females excavate together,
(25:58):
using their powerful beaks tochip into the wood, often over a
few weeks.
They will then lay four to sixegg, which hatch after around three
weeks, and the chicks willfledge after a similar period.
Green woodpeckers have adistinctive dipping flight pattern
and their call, which soundslike laughing, is known as a yaffle.
(26:24):
Woodpeckers are native toBritain and all species, including
the green woodpecker, Drum.
Contrary to earlier beliefthat woodpeckers have shock absorbing
tissues between their beaksand skulls, scientists have now discovered
that the woodpecker head andbeak remains solid.
When a woodpecker drills itsbeak into a tree, it resembles a
(26:48):
nail hammered into the surface.
Woodpeckers have a concussionrate that is nine times higher than
human beings.
Despite their high impact rateand because of their brain's position
and size, they do not sufferbrain damage from their drumming.
(27:08):
Both male and femalewoodpeckers will drum, but males
do so mainly between Januaryand June and it's to establish territories
and warn off other males.
And woodpeckers are caring parents.
They both take turnsincubating their eggs and keeping
their young warm.
Once they have hatched, theycontinue to feed their fledglings
(27:32):
for the first one or two weeksafter they have left their nest.
The lesser spotted woodpeckerpopulation has been sharply declining
for many years as they havenot adapted well to garden feeders
or their larger cousins.
However, the high death rateof young great spotted woodpeckers,
(27:53):
mainly due to them flying intoglass patios and sliding doors, is
of concern.
The great spotted woodpeckerpopulation has increased by more
than 300% since the 1970s andthis is probably due to the increased
standing devices wood causedby things such as Dutch elm disease
(28:13):
and the increased availabilityof food in gardens.
The great spotted woodpeckeris also responsible for the decline
of the lesser spottedwoodpecker as they prey on their
smaller cousins.
Great spotted woodpeckers willalso prey on marsh and willow tits
and their young in spring andare cited as a reason for the decline
(28:37):
in both of these species as well.
I mentioned earlier that therewas a fourth woodpecker species that
some people considered in theuk, that is the Eurasian Orionek
which was once a breedingspecies mainly in the south and east
of England.
But today Ryneks are mainlymigrant birds seen in the spring
(29:00):
and autumn across their formerranges in the east and south of England
and interestingly in the northof Scotland.
Rhineks are around the size ofa lesser spotted woodpecker and have
a mottled brown and grey coloring.
They are perhaps best knownfor their distinctive behavior of
(29:20):
twisting and turning theirnecks which mimic a snake when they
feel threatened and that hasbeen Wildlife Matters.
Look into the woodpeckerspecies that you can find here in
the UK and has been thisweek's Wildlife Matters main feature.
(29:52):
Who knew that woodpeckerscould be so fascinating?
While these birds share manysimilarities, each species has its
own unique trait niches and habitats.
My interest in writing aboutwoodpeckers was sparked after I led
a walk in the Sussex woodlandwith a group of young people from
(30:15):
Inner London.
During our walk, we heard a woodpecker.
Drumming in a nearby tree and we.
Were fortunate enough to beable to.
See a greater spottedwoodpecker, which seemed.
Unbothered by our presence.
Along with the rest of thegroup, we took several pictures and
(30:40):
I even recorded some audio and video.
At the end of the walk, Iasked the group to share their favorite
memories from the day and thewoodpecker appeared in most of them.
It was a couple of weeks laterwe received some pictures from some
of.
The young people who hadjoined us.
That day, whilst others hadwritten poems.
(31:03):
And stories about the woods.
But two students had sent usan audio file.
When we listened, it containedan incredible drum and bass track,
perfectly mimicking thewoodpeckers drumming on the tree,
and they've made the wholetrack on their home computers based
(31:24):
on their memories of thewoodpecker that day.
How incredible.
Nature really does have thepower to inspire creativity.
I cherish that track and allthe stories, poems and pictures we
receive after our woodlandwalks that are all inspired by nature.
(32:06):
I do hope you've enjoyedtoday's Wildlife Matters podcast.
If you did, please follow usto ensure that you never miss an
episode and leave us a review.
Wherever you listen to yourpodcasts, your review helps the algorithm
direct more people to discoverour humble little podcast.
(32:29):
Many more people are joiningus on the YouTube channel, and if
you haven't found us overthere yet, please do subscrib subscribe
the next time you visit, as wewill soon launch our new series of
vlogs.
And as always, thank you fortaking the time to listen to us today.
We appreciate each and everyone of you.
(32:54):
Wildlife Matters will returnin two weeks, but until then, stay
safe, wild ones.
I've been your host, NigelPalmer, and this is Wildlife Matters
signing off.
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