Independent win battle in wallchart war
As the Guardian prepares to launch its second offensive next week, with another round of wallcharts, the Independent gets in an early broadside with a week of RSPB-linked bird posters. This is how it’s done! Illustrated by Mike Langman and annotated by the RSPB, these are actually based on wildlife found around these shores and not in Scandinavia in the 70s. They’re in a different league to the Guardian‘s. They actually recognise the existence of the nuthatch as a British garden bird! As I’ve said before, I admire any newspaper that goes under the radar of free DVDs and CDs in cardboard sleeves, and thinks laterally, but a ropey wallchart bought in from a Scandinavian company is just that, and these are the real deal. I like the fact that the Indy are calling them “glossy posters” to differentiate them from wallcharts, and that the Guardian are flagging theirs as the “original wallcharts”. The first casualty of war is restraint.
Never Knowingly Underwhelmed 
You are quite right Andrew. Talking of which, what has happened to all the information we used to get about your feeders and the various wildlife that visits your garden? More of that please Andrew!!
You are quite right Andrew. Talking of which, what has happened to all the information we used to get about your feeders and the various wildlife that visits your garden? More of that please Andrew!!
It’s only the posher birds that seem to land in the gardens of the Independent readers. I’ve only seen a long-tailed tit in my garden once.Mind you, we don’t even get magpies in our part of the country.
It’s only the posher birds that seem to land in the gardens of the Independent readers. I’ve only seen a long-tailed tit in my garden once.Mind you, we don’t even get magpies in our part of the country.
The Guardian poster appeared on the wall behind Charlie Brooker as he sat on the sofa in his Screen Wipe program. It was there just for the first half of the first program after which the wall was bare. The significance of this completely evades me.
The Guardian poster appeared on the wall behind Charlie Brooker as he sat on the sofa in his Screen Wipe program. It was there just for the first half of the first program after which the wall was bare. The significance of this completely evades me.
There’s nothing wrong with giving away the occasional DVD, The Guardian gave away Cinema Paradiso which I doubt I would have seen otherwise and I thought it was brilliant. Even The Daily Mail gave away Saturday Night, Sunday Morning which is a classic film.
There’s nothing wrong with giving away the occasional DVD, The Guardian gave away Cinema Paradiso which I doubt I would have seen otherwise and I thought it was brilliant. Even The Daily Mail gave away Saturday Night, Sunday Morning which is a classic film.
I noticed Mr Radcliffe craftily crow-barred a bird poster link into his post-Mercury Award interview with Guillemots’ Fyfe Dangerfield. Nice one.
I noticed Mr Radcliffe craftily crow-barred a bird poster link into his post-Mercury Award interview with Guillemots’ Fyfe Dangerfield. Nice one.
“crow-barred”Groan.There’s only magpies and seagulls round here. Although I would like to know what those ones that circle very high are.
“crow-barred”Groan.There’s only magpies and seagulls round here. Although I would like to know what those ones that circle very high are.
No pun intended, honest
No pun intended, honest
Tim, the bird feeders are still going strong, and still going down at a rate of about 7kg of sunflower seed a week. I’m not exaggerating. (Each of my 10kg tubs lasts about a week and a half, thanks to the squirrels and the parrots.) Rarely do I gaze out of the kitchen window and see an unoccupied feeder.
Tim, the bird feeders are still going strong, and still going down at a rate of about 7kg of sunflower seed a week. I’m not exaggerating. (Each of my 10kg tubs lasts about a week and a half, thanks to the squirrels and the parrots.) Rarely do I gaze out of the kitchen window and see an unoccupied feeder.
Even pigeons avoid the small patch of concrete that is at the back of our house.
Even pigeons avoid the small patch of concrete that is at the back of our house.
Merseymal, I think my dad would love to live where you live then as he hates the pigeons cooing outside at 6 in the morning and shitting on his patio!! We have bird feeders which is mainly used by squirrels but birds do come sometimes.
Merseymal, I think my dad would love to live where you live then as he hates the pigeons cooing outside at 6 in the morning and shitting on his patio!! We have bird feeders which is mainly used by squirrels but birds do come sometimes.
Is there something wrong with your clock or did Al McGregor really leave a comment at 4.10am?!
Is there something wrong with your clock or did Al McGregor really leave a comment at 4.10am?!
Clock’s OK Aidan – that was 11.10am here in Western Australia
Clock’s OK Aidan – that was 11.10am here in Western Australia
Ha ha! Now I understand!
Ha ha! Now I understand!
AndrewI wrote to the Guardian back in May about the first wallchart, as follows:”I’m afraid I can’t really see the purpose of your ‘Garden birds’ wallchart – if it is intended as an introductory guide, it is fairly misleading . Five of the top 20 species that were seen during this year’s RSPB ‘Big Garden Birdwatch’ are missing – Collared dove, Long-tailed tit, Feral pigeon, Carrion crow and Jackdaw. Thrush-nightingale may be quite common in Scandinavian gardens, but only 153 were recorded in the UK between 1958 and 2004. Its inclusion will confuse readers, as will that of Crested tit (local breeder in Scotland only). The chances of seeing Yellowhammer, Linnet or Tree sparrow in your garden are pretty slim as all have suffered serious declines in recent years. The illustrations look to be at least 50 years old and the relative sizes of several individual species are incorrect”.A succinct and fairly devastating critique (or so I thought). However the Guardian, probably because it received many similar comments, appeared unmoved – publishing a rather half-hearted and generalised correction later in the week. Having said all this, the new charts (starting with Garden insects) look a bit better, and may well be originals. The relative size problem remains – with gnats as big as dragonflies! And you should see the size of the Speckled Bush-cricket. If I didn’t know better, I’d be scared to leave the house.Looking forward to some more bird related postings in the future, By the way, is there a Radio 2/6 Music presenters’ bird group? I think there should be.
AndrewI wrote to the Guardian back in May about the first wallchart, as follows:”I’m afraid I can’t really see the purpose of your ‘Garden birds’ wallchart – if it is intended as an introductory guide, it is fairly misleading . Five of the top 20 species that were seen during this year’s RSPB ‘Big Garden Birdwatch’ are missing – Collared dove, Long-tailed tit, Feral pigeon, Carrion crow and Jackdaw. Thrush-nightingale may be quite common in Scandinavian gardens, but only 153 were recorded in the UK between 1958 and 2004. Its inclusion will confuse readers, as will that of Crested tit (local breeder in Scotland only). The chances of seeing Yellowhammer, Linnet or Tree sparrow in your garden are pretty slim as all have suffered serious declines in recent years. The illustrations look to be at least 50 years old and the relative sizes of several individual species are incorrect”.A succinct and fairly devastating critique (or so I thought). However the Guardian, probably because it received many similar comments, appeared unmoved – publishing a rather half-hearted and generalised correction later in the week. Having said all this, the new charts (starting with Garden insects) look a bit better, and may well be originals. The relative size problem remains – with gnats as big as dragonflies! And you should see the size of the Speckled Bush-cricket. If I didn’t know better, I’d be scared to leave the house.Looking forward to some more bird related postings in the future, By the way, is there a Radio 2/6 Music presenters’ bird group? I think there should be.
The wallcharts are fab. But does anyone know how you can get hold of any ‘missed’ ones?Alison
The wallcharts are fab. But does anyone know how you can get hold of any ‘missed’ ones?Alison
I’m not anonymous, but never done this before.Alison
I’m not anonymous, but never done this before.Alison