A few bird species are faring amazingly well in Britain
That seems to be making them unpopular
Phil hyde was walking in Norfolk in 1979, feeling rather disconsolate after missing a rare rose-coloured starling, when a little egret suddenly appeared, to excited shouts from other birders. The white, heron-like bird was then highly unusual: the British Birds Rarities Committee tallied just 14 in the whole year. But that soon changed. In 1991 the committee stopped recording little egrets because they had become too common. These days, in parts of England, you can see 14 little egrets without moving your feet. (And you can see two of them in the picture above.)
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Lords of the skies”
Britain August 27th 2022
- Who should pay for the BBC?
- Britain’s government wants to reform power markets
- Reducing the power of the Treasury is a good idea
- In looser insurance rules, British politicians spy a Brexit dividend
- A few bird species are faring amazingly well in Britain
- British parents need more help than ever to afford school uniforms
- Boris Johnson is likely to create many new peers
From the August 27th 2022 edition
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