The End of the Beginning, Now Let’s Reach for the Sky
A statement on the RSPB website, supported by messages in their magazine:
“We want to make bird feeding as safe as possible, so we’re reviewing the advice we give you and products we sell based on the latest science.
As a precautionary measure, whilst we await the findings of the review, we have suspended all our bird tables and related products, Table mix and Table mix extra, window feeders and feeder guardians with trays, from sale. This is because there is evidence to suggest that some birds, particularly finches, can be more exposed to disease when fed on flat surfaces like these.”
Well Done to the RSPB!
Those who’ve followed Finches Friend for the last few years will be aware of our concerns with their product range, and endorsement of certain types of feeder.
Well if you’re not aware, they have recently withdrawn a significant number of products from the shelves, pending a review of their safety and suitability. It is clear that something dramatic happened within the Charity which created such dramatic action at this time of year.
I think I can guess the series of events that took place, I will not speculate here, it is best that I stick to what I know.
One of the main things I have called for is that Garden Wildlife Health (Funded by RSPB, BTO and ZSL) are freed to release meaningful information without interference from their sponsors.
GWH are a veterinary organisation based at ZSL, for anyone unaware, they are highly qualified vets and carry out post mortems on garden animals that have perished, principally birds.
In my view, the knowledge of disease, and the way to combat it has been sanitised and become meaningless. An independent GWH is key to the future.
What Next?
The goal Andrew and I have is to reverse wild bird disease. Our principal objectives are Trichomonosis and Salmonellosis. In doing so, we can also combat Avian Influenza and many other Avian diseases.
We must now reach for the sky! We have lobbied some other organisations already, and will now invite organisations like the National Trust, SOC in. Scotland and the RHS to work with RSPB and raise standards.
We need safe products and a really clear set of standards. An approval and scoring process. We need good information to be shared, “clean your feeders” just isn’t enough, we must do better.
I have mentioned previously the documents we were preparing for the next round of our RSPB battle, it’s in the bin! We can move on to more positive things. There are some very bruised ego’s, mine included, but this is about our wild birds. My message to RSPB is thank you, for the first time I am proud to be a member.
A Plea to the RSPB
Please engage, we are the only people in the world who have applied the science to save our finches. We do not want to sell you feeders, we will licence our IP if you want it.
When I walk around a garden centre and look at the products sold to well meaning people, it brings tears to my eyes (it’s an old man thing). The Garden Centres don’t care about wild bird health, nor do the manufacturers of the junk on their shelves, it is just about money.
Please RSPB let’s bury the hatchet, let’s get the best possible products and information out to the public, stop people buying from garden centres, that will drive the provision of better products, we want to see the graph change, and our Greenfinches recover!
That is reaching for the sky!
Thanks to Our Supporters
We’ve been writing to the RSPB, widlife campaigners, the media, and large scale organisations in the UK for years, trying to bring about change.
As time went by with no change we reluctantly had to publicise our efforts, and the support that you have shown, from encouraging messages to contacting the RSPB directly, has been a great help, we’re truly grateful.
We’ll keep going, hopefully building a coalition to make lasting change in the whole market.
