Campaigners claim that rare grassland on a former firing range in Essex was mowed, killing birds and their babies that nest on the ground.
The voice of the skylark has captivated the hearts of poets for generations, from Shelley’s “blithe spirit” to Wordsworth’s “ethereal minstrel”. However, there is little poetic about a bird-related dispute that has erupted in Colchester.
Campaigners aiming to save Middlewick Ranges, a former Ministry of Defense firing range in Essex, are concerned that mowing some of the 76 hectares of rare grassland last month may have killed skylarks and their babies that nest on the ground.
Last month, Martin Pugh, an ecologist with Essex Wildlife Trust and member of the Save the Wick campaign group, challenged a tractor driver mowing the grassland. A security guard pursued him and beat him, according to video evidence.
The MoD proposes to sell Middlewick Ranges and build 1,000 new dwellings, but there has been a protracted fight to safeguard the site, often known as the Wick. Last week, charities such as Buglife, Butterfly Conservation, Essex Wildlife Trust, and Colchester Natural History Society wrote to Natural England requesting that it be designated as a site of exceptional scientific significance.
The site features unique acid grassland, which the charities claim is home to 20 species of birds of conservation concern on the red and amber lists, including nightingales, as well as protected barbastelle bats and around 1,500 invertebrates, including 167 species of concern.
The Ministry of Defense has previously said that 63% of the area will be protected for green open spaces. Meanwhile, a spokeswoman stated that the grassland needed to be maintained because it posed a wildfire risk during the dry summer months, endangering nearby homes.
The RSPB reports that skylarks breed from April to August and build their nests on the ground. Males do not perch in trees, so they sing to attract a partner while flying, occasionally hovering and darting through the air, which inspired Shelley and Wordsworth.
On July 1, Pugh attempted to stop the mowing of the grassland. Pugh’s video shows him speaking with a man who described himself as the head of security in the region for Landmarc, a MoD contractor.
Pugh informs the man, who is sitting in a red Toyota pickup vehicle, that the men would be committing a wildlife felony if the tractor operator continued mowing. As the tractor starts driving, Pugh can be heard stating, “If he keeps going, there’s a problem. I’m calling the police right now.”
The tape then shows him fleeing as the security guard chases him, shouting, “You’re getting on my nerves now; get away from here,” and lunging at Pugh, saying, “You’re like, Stop Oil.”. The camera is then lowered when the man approaches Pugh again on the edge of the field, and he can be heard telling Pugh, “You’re trespassing,” while Pugh repeats, “You’re assaulting me.”.
Pugh stated: “Within three minutes of speaking with him in a very measured, civil manner, he had assaulted me and physically tossed me off the site. “Wrestled me off the site.”
Essex police officers arrived, and Pugh reported that they urged the guys to cease mowing. On July 11, the mowers returned. This time, authorities warned Pugh that he may be arrested if he attempted to stop the tractor.
After some time had passed, he and other activists were informed that the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 would not be considered a violation of the law because the authorities did not believe that birds were being purposefully killed or maimed for the purpose of mowing. The officers stated that the workers had walked across the fields in order to inspect the areas where they were mowing and that they had adjusted the blades of the mower to a height of four inches above the ground in order to prevent nests from being damaged.
Additionally, additional camera evidence reveals the mowers stating that the grassland had been trimmed annually for the past twenty years, and they had never witnessed any skylarks.
According to Pugh, “during the time that they were cutting the site, there was a skylark that was hovering over the tractors.”
On the 21st of July, the ecologist’s colleagues captured video of a skylark on grassland that had been mowed on the same day. “With insects in her bill, looking for a nest, looking distressed,” he added. “This is the kind of thing that has caused people to become extremely, extremely angry.”
An official representative for the Essex Police Department stated, “On July 1st, we were called to Middlewick Ranges in Abbots Road to investigate reports of an assault.” As a result of the incident, a man suffered an injury to his arm. Our inquiry is still being carried out.
Using the phrase “based on current evidence,” the force stated that the Ministry of Defense had not committed a wildlife offense. “We have informed the Ministry of Defense, as we do with any landowner, in the event that a complaint of this nature has been made.
We have suggested to this group of concerned residents that they have a direct conversation with the Ministry of Defense about their worries regarding birds that nest on the ground.
A spokeswoman for Landmarc made the following statement: “We are aware of a video that is circulating on social media showing an altercation between one of our employees and a campaigner on tenanted land at Middlewick Ranges.” This is a matter that we are taking very seriously, and we are conducting an in-depth inquiry within our organization. In light of this, we are unable to provide any further commentary while this inquiry is still ongoing.
Middlewick Ranges are excess land that the Ministry of Defense owns, according to the Ministry. After conducting surveys over a period of three years, the Ministry of Defense is seeking to sell the site in order to provide the highest possible value to the taxpayers.