Arrivals

One of the things I have on my list for the Figgate Friends Group (in my role as resident 'wildlife expert') is to produce some signs looking to educate people on the problems of feeding bread to the ducks (and other birds) and seeking out better alternatives, so that little guys like this, who appeared for the first time today, can grow up healthier, and the environment around them can be the same.

Disappointing, then, to see a wildlife photographer in the park today lobbing in whole bread rolls to the pond, then snapping 'action' shots of the resident gulls. For their park they'd peck a little at the bread, realise it was ruddy big, then leave it to bob (and eventually fester) on the water. It's like people who seemingly care for the birds, taking loaves of bread to feed to them, who then toss the bread wrapper into the water when they're finished (and that happens more frequently than you might imagine, as we find on the regular park clean-ups). 

To all intents and purposes it looks like they care for, or are interested in, the wildlife, but really it's just about the shot, or keeping the kids happy. I understand that some people won't know that bread can be harmful to the wildlife and a park's ecosystem, but that photographer, and the packet-tossers, stretch the bounds of doubt-benefit.