Section:GDN 1J PaGe:7 Edition Date:190906 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 5/9/2019 18:35 cYanmaGentaYellowblac
Friday 6 September 2019 The Guardian •
7
In February 2017, I expressed
my hope that the cattle egrets
overwintering around Warblington
would be tempted to stay on and
breed. For the past couple of years
the small winter fl ock has dispersed
in spring, the birds presumably
migrating south to breeding colonies
in continental Europe, but this year
they lingered on well past their usual
late-February departure date.
At the beginning of June fi ve birds
appeared at the Langstone Mill Pond
heronry, sporting peach-coloured
plumes on their backs, breasts and
crowns, and two-toned bills, coral-
red at the base and egg-yolk-orange
at the tip. After a few days it was
clear that they had begun to prospect
disused little egret nests, and soon
up to 10 adults had been sighted.
The nest platforms are concealed
by dense foliage, but over the
months I have been able to catch
glimpses of the cattle egrets
displaying, gathering nesting
material and incubating alongside
the established, earlier-nesting,
little egret colony. On 5 July a tiny,
downy chick was spotted – the
fi rst confi rmed breeding record in
Hampshire. The chicks have fl edged
from all but one of the nests now.
Arriving an hour before sunset I
witness two juveniles making a
fl ying sortie, exploring the holm
oak and willows on the far bank. An
adult sits preening on a low branch
overhanging the water, stockily built
and slightly smaller than the elegant
little egrets it is perched beside.
Another adult is in attendance
at the occupied nest, its three
off spring clambering around in the
surrounding canopy. As its mate fl ies
in from the east and drops down to
the nest, it chatters a greeting then
fl ap s over to a neighbouring roosting
tree. The youngsters scramble over
to their parent, raucously begging for
a share of regurgitated invertebrates.
Local birders have observed eight
juveniles accompanying the adults
as they forage among the cattle on
nearby Thorney Island, so it’s likely
the fi nal count will number 11 young.
While colonisation has been slow in
comparison with the expansion of
the little egret population in Britain,
the species also bred successfully
in Essex and Northamptonshire
this year, so with luck these striking
immigrants are here to stay.
Claire Stares- An article said a development in
Leeds would include the “UK’s fi rst
car-free school”. That claim was made
by the developer, but two schools
have since contacted the Guardian to
say they are already car-free ( Traffi c-
free new school planned for city’s
eco district , 31 August, page 22).
Editorial complaints and corrections can be sent to
[email protected] or The readers’ editor,
Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU; alternatively
call 020 3353 4736 from 10am to 1pm Monday to FridayDominic Cummings is an intriguing
individual. His supposed intelligence
( The myth of Cummings’ invincibility
is crumbling , 5 September) seems
to function for destructive purposes
only and utilise well-rehearsed
formulas. What are his aims? He also
seems to hate the Tory party – he said
in 2017 that Conservative MPs largely
do not care about poorer people or the
NHS – and to have the same feelings
about the UK. Could he be using
power-blinded Tories, particularly
Boris Johnson, as tools to destroy
both the Tories and the country?
Margaret Martlew
Sheffi eld- We seem to be in a new Boris in
Rumsfeldland situation. We have the
known unknowns : which Tory MPs
will vote against the government?
But lurking in the background is the
great unknown unknown: what new
monstrosity will leap fully formed
from the head of Dominic Cummings
and slink across Downing Street to
“entertain” the rightwing media?
Jabberwocky, anyone?
David Spilsbury
Birmingham - Your article ( Protesters’ cacophony
takes the mic , 4 September) refers to
the “largely inexplicable presence
of a man with a glockenspiel playing
the Imperial March from Star Wars”.
Surely it is obvious that he is a
supporter of the Rebel Alliance.
Catherine Billam
Havant, Hampshire - Question time is rightly named.
After watching our new prime
minister bluster through his fi rst
session, it’s clearly not answer time.
Cherry Weston
Wolverhampton - Just seen on your website that
Jo Johnson has quit the government.
Can we expect some fraternal
anecdotes from ancient history –
Romulus and Remus, Cain and Abel?
John Bailey
St Albans, Hertfordshire - Et tu, Jo?
William Bullin
Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex
Your article ( 3 September ) on the
likely impacts of a no-deal Brexit on
the Falkland s is another illustration
of the broad and largely undiscussed
eff ects of what the UK government
is threatening. The Falklands and
Gibraltar (a part of the EU) may
be impacted most, but other UK
overseas territories are also fearful.
All gain signifi cant benefi ts from
their association with the EU.
Through EU support the territories
in the Caribbean and Pacifi c have
developed strong links with their
neighbours; these too are at risk. A
recent foreign aff airs select committee
report criticised the government for
not doing enough to safeguard the
territories’ interests. It is a bitter irony
that those Tory Brexiters who claim
to be the strongest defenders of the
territories are precipitating a crisis that
threatens their economic security.
Dr Peter Clegg
University of the West of EnglandEstablished 1906Country diary
Langstone Mill
Pond, Hampshire
UK must stay part of
family reunion route
Who knows what
Cummings is up to?
No-deal threat to
overseas territories
I am alarmed by the suggestion that
the UK would drop out of the system
that allows asylum-seeking children
to reunite with family members in
the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit
( Refugee children ‘at risk’ from no
deal , 2 September). Whil e the impact
this would have on unaccompanied
children is particularly distressing,
it would also aff ect many other
refugees including husbands and
wives, brothers and sisters. Over
1,000 people were reunited with
family members in this country
through the Dublin system last year.
It is vital that the government sets
up contingency measures so that
families do not risk being stranded in
separate countries after 31 October. If
this route will no longer be open, it’s
more urgent than ever that ministers
make our domestic family reunion
rules fairer. Allowing refugees
to reunite with their loved ones
provides a lifeline from dangerous
and degrading conditions, and makes
it easier for refugees to integrate and
lead dignifi ed lives again.
Danny Sriskandarajah
Chief executive, Oxfam GB- The plight of children separated
from their parents is one of the many
terrible aspects of the migration
policy crisis and the Dublin regulation
is one eff ective way of dealing with
this problem. In recent months at
Arhag, a BAME housing association
in London working with migrants
and refugees, we have dealt with four
such cases helping to reunite children
with parents in the UK. Few would
oppose schemes that bring torn-apart
families back together.
The consequence of ending the
route provided by the Dublin system
will mean more perilous crossings
and more tragedies for families who
are trying to be reunited. We and our
partners at The People’s Place join
the UNHCR in urging the government
to keep the arrangements in place.
Qadeer Kiani Chair, Arhag Housing
Association Fizza Qureshi Co-CEO,
Migrants Rights’ Network
[email protected]
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