The Lincolnshire Bird Club

A stunning White-rumped Sandpiper, four Little Stints, four Curlew Sandpipers and a drake Garganey. All still there last thing.

Also Turnstone and Barn Owl.

Unbelievably had White-rumped Sandpiper, Little Stint and Curlew Sandpipers all in the same scope view at one point, fairly close in.

Superb trip with Col Scott.

Regards,

Ben.

I'll drink to that, it was a bit good eh...!

Have woken up this morning quite bewildered as to why some people have obviously felt it necessary to add one of those peculiar wood and steel type garden objects slap bang in the middle of a Reserve for Wild Birds... We just can't seem to leave anywhere alone to look natural anymore can we. Standing up on the bank gazing out over the marsh and Boom! ET has flown in. The inbuilt radar system is screaming "foreign object, foreign object"..

Thankfully the sun wasn't shinning on it whilst scanning around at 30x mag, that would have been the end of my so far short lived venture into the delights of bird observing. I'm sure I would have been able to sue somebody for an immense sum of money for my injury to aid my future but it would hardly be a fair deal.. Maybe Health and Safety could help out and erect a sign at the entrance saying "Please do not use binoculars or scopes on this site. Risk of Blindness".

I guess it's been put there to encourage people to go along and fair enough, but why not chuck it next to the car park. Of course not, it's "art" it needs to have high impact like "The Angel of the North" so ET of the east ends up slap bang in the middle of the marsh. It'd look quite sweet I guess just in front of the visitors centre, that would also help the people that go along to see it as it would add perspective. Maybe there is a plan to lay a communal seating area on the other side of the path along with a gift shop and a Costa to help achieve this. Personally I don't mind a little bit of that kind a thing with a sensible placement, instead it ends up looking like an abandonment, an eyesore and what a potentially bad eye sore it could be.. The damned thing is almost parabolic..!!!

On first sight, I thought its shape resembled that of a Blobfish out of water:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24040130

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I have yet to see this object first hand but did see the report on Look North. My first impression was that
once again someone had been seriously conned into believing that a bit of bent metal was a work of
art. It is my belief that the vast majority of people visit a nature reserve to enjoy the natural scenery and the wildlife.
Whatever this thing is it does not belong here - if it is a work of art then it belongs in an art gallery but if
it isn't I suggest it should be carted off to a local scrapyard. (I bet if I were to sneak in at night and place a similar
object somewhere on the reserve the I would be accused of fly-tipping!!).

I saw the art instalment at Frampton RSPB for the first time on Thursday.

I 'think' I like it....but I'm not totally sure! Therefore, I guess the success of any 'art' installation is the amount of debate it generates.....

I had just been watching the two black-winged stilts, then I had an interesting encounter with a family of four avocet chicks on the footpath behind the 360-hide. In total I was on the reserve about two hours and my bird track list was 44 species (all seen where once potatoes were grown). The reserve was 'buzzing' and by the time I left the site at 09:00hrs the carpark was filling up and a 'small' crowd were all watching/enjoying the stilts. I missed (well rather didn't take the time to look for) the quail, temminck's stint, spoonbill and garganey which had all been reported that morning.

The part of the reserve were the sculpture is located is not a SSSI, its an access path used by visitors. I understand that the sculpture cost the RSPB £0. It engaged local school children by incorporating their images within the metal surface. And, I thought the hidden bittern was a clever addition.... To be honest, if it makes more people visit the site and appreciate the local wildlife and what the RSPB has to offer, then it has to be a positive thing...

For those that haven't seen it, here is an image....

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Andrew Chick
Website: http://www.forktail.co.uk/

I guess any thoughts regarding art works on nature will always be subjective.
At least it was £0.

My local nature reserve in Nottinghamshire is littered with pointless artwork. Including brass rubbings, stainless steel art work and an expensive Willow (birdwatcher) figure looking through binoculars at a deer, also made out of willow. It cost a 4 figure sum!

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Regards.
Del.

To err is human. To really louse things up takes a computer

If the cost to the RSPB was £0 then where did the money come from to pay for it?

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http://birdmanbirds.blogspot.com/

Just found this:

http://www.transportedart.com/about/our-vision/

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http://birdmanbirds.blogspot.com/

[quote="Russell Hayes"]If the cost to the RSPB was £0 then where did the money come from to pay for it? [Quote]

The Taxpayer & Lottery Funding?

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Regards.
Del.

To err is human. To really louse things up takes a computer

After 40 years I recently cancelled my RSPB Membership because I was beleaguered by telephone sales asking me to do "more for birds." When I enquired how I could do "more for birds" I was told it would be by upping my subscription!! I have been assured by the Frampton Marsh Reserve Manager that this monstrosity at Frampton has cost the RSPB absolutely nothing but I do feel that the organisation is steadily losing the plot. Protection of birds is paramount but by pestering long term members for more money and installing hideous so called art at flagship reserves to encourage a wider audience defies logic. My money will continue to go to the BTO (unless they start installing artworks at Thetford).