Birding by media 

Last night I watched the most ridiculous episode of Midsomer Murders I have ever seen (not that I watch many). To those who do not know it is a tongue-in-cheek murder mystery that has been popular for many years in the UK. What is worrying about this (repeat) episode is that it perfectly illustrates the attitude of the media towards wildlife in general, and thus helps to promote ignorance in the general population. Interest in wildlife, for various reasons, is at an all-time high, and rightly so, but certain sections of the media seem to be trying to reverse the trend. I realise the whole program is ridiculous, but many people don't, and casting aside the fact that the portrayal of birders in general, with no distinction between obsessive twitchers and others, was it really necessary to invent a species, and even show a "photograph" of it, which I have tried to reproduce. Not only that, but the "blue-crested Hoopoe" which arrived in the UK from Uganda was seemingly accompanied by several american warblers, which caused great amusement to birders, but the Great British Public would have been totally unaware of the joke. It didn't stop there- a singing Sage Sparrow(!) was confused with a Dunnock, and such species as Lucy's Warbler were mentioned.


I know none of this is really important, but it perhaps explains why groups of students appear on University Challenge and, in answer to a question about a coastal wader give "seagull" as their answer. Surely it is time, as a society, to modernise and not give so much importance to subjects like Greek mythology and theoretical mathematical problems dating back to the middle ages. I am a total birder, but I know a little about many subjects, history, chemistry, some art and literature, even Shakespeare if pushed, football, pop music as befits my age, classic films, etc. I'm not bragging, I'm just lucky to have a retentive memory. So why is there such an overall ignorance of the natural world? Even the BBC, who produce many great wildlife films, rarely name species which are filmed as background to the main story, and throw in phrases like "rare", "seldom seen" and "close to extinction" seemingly randomly. I won't forget that "very few birdwatchers have ever seen a Harpy Eagle". I know it's half true, but it implies that it's impossible, whereas, given the constraints of time and money it is relatively easy (I haven't, by the way). At least we've moved on from every background call in the jungles of Africa being a Screaming Piha (native to Amazonia), although Hoopoes still seem to get everywhere, perhaps they're Blue-crested?

On the plus side, there are those who, for various reasons, keep a "birds seen on TV" list. Yes-it's a thing, perhaps they're unable to leave the house or just do it for fun. They have much greater chances to build up a big list, even if they have to identify them themselves! There is also the fact that many more quiz shows, from Mastermind to Pointless, now include wildlife questions. A step in the right direction.

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