First of all the birding news - no sign of the Firecrest or Black-necked Grebe at Pennington Flash today. I told Stuart Murray (in a senior position at the WLCT, at the meeting below) about the attack and asked for a gate there. Birders will be pleased to know that John is out and about agin at Pennington Flash today despite a broken jaw, though rather battered and bruised.

Ruddy Ducks: With David Shallcross and David Wilson (Chairman and former Sec of Leigh OS) I went as a witness to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Wigan MBC tonight.  They had called-in the decision by the Cabinet to agree to the Ruddy Duck cull.  We were concerned at the complete lack of consultation (the application by DEFRA was made in June and the first we heard of it was in mid November in the press), and the dubious scientific reasons for the cull, given the rapid increase in global warming which means that hardly any Ruddies are going to Spain as they can all stay here on ice-free waters (assuming they are UK birds going there anyway), and the fact that there are now 3000 White-headed Ducks in Spain, due to a ban on hunting and the introduction of "new blood" from Pakistani WHD eggs brought into Spain when only 22 inbred birds were left.  Our information is backed by Tom Gullick who has lived in the area of Spain where WHDs are, for over 30 years; he brought in the eggs. Such incoming Ruddy Ducks as there are don't have any success with healthy WHDs these days and Tom hasn't seen a hybrid for 10 years.

The Committee, having heard what we had to say, referred the matter back to the Cabinet for further information. There was a lot of procedural wrangling and I think that's what happened!! I think it's fair to say that we won the battle, but we won't win the war, because eventually it will be a decision along party political lines.