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Jilly Cooper was talking about the vote for the national bird on the Today programme (at about 2hr 23 min into the programme) this morning and admitted to not knowing what a Hen Harrier was. This is despite her 1976 book being called ‘Harrier’ despite the misprint of its title on the cover (for which I blame the publisher).
Cooper said that ‘I’m not sure I’d recognise one in the street…‘ and that is so true – because they are too rare for the likes of Mrs Cooper to get to know them. The Hen Harrier is the most persecuted bird in Britain because it eats the Red Grouse that a bunch of Rutshire characters out of Mrs Cooper’s novels want to shoot. And that’s why the Rutshire set send their gamekeepers out to bump off one of Britain’s most gorgeous birds.
So why not give Jilly Cooper some help and vote for the Hen Harrier so that she can get to know it. If we made the Hen Harrier our national bird then even the Rutshire set wouldn’t dare bump it orrff.
Vote for the national bird – vote Hen Harrier.
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Yes. I thought Jilly Cooper was absolutely the first choice of guest to discuss this topic on the ‘Today’ programme, didn’t you?
I thought much the same when I heard her comment. Everyone knows the robin – many of which aren’t ‘our’ robins but winter visitors from the continent. Although it’s our ‘favourite’ bird – it doesn’t necessarily need to be our ‘national’ bird. Struggling on through adversity – gets my vote!
Well done Mark. Watch out for those cannabilistic Red Kites too!
If Jilly Cooper can look like that at 78 I don’t think she needs help
Yes – I was intrigued by the choice of speakers – David Lindo, Urban Birder, naturalist, excellent speaker on birds & all round good guy v ….. Well, umm Jilly Cooper! I’m sure she knows lots of things on lots of topics but birds doesn’t seem to be one of those topics. Was everyone else out when Today programme rang? She just dug herself a hole and kept on digging …l and when she started talking about red kites being cannibals I nearly shouted at the radio …..! Thought definition of “cannibalism” was eating flesh of your own species
No doubt some researcher reckoned that as a) She is a celebrity (cf the “unknown” David Lindo and b) She lives in the country (cf the URBAN birder) she is bound to know something about birds. There was probably a typical journalist’s hope that there may be a bit of controversy with Jilly no doubt defending the shooting set if it got to that point. Actually I found the whole piece a wasted opportunity with Justin Webb easily duped into trivializing what could have been a real opportunity to raise the profile of several species that are finding it tough out there (eg Puffin, Barn Owl as well as the HH’s)
I haven’t decided yet – probably as I don’t find it a matter of national importance I probably will go with the Harrier in an attempt to raise its plight.
No surprise that Simon Barnes was not picked, nor indeed Messrs Packham or Avery.
Interesting that at the end of the programme several additional birds were suggested (rather missing the point of the final top ten idea) and that red grouse was a suggestion. Presumably for ‘balance’ or put forward by the shooting lobby.
However, good to see the publicity generated even spread to BBC TV evening news.
Do I vote for hen harrier as a political / general conservation statement or blackbird which lifts my spirit and lowers my blood pressure every morning and evening?
Bound to happen
http://newsthump.com/2015/03/17/one-legged-seagull-with-diseased-eye-named-uks-national-bird/
Sorry Mark – the golden eagle is Scotland’s national bird and some folk certainly aren’t scared to bump them off……