In Bed with Mr Hudson

For some while my bedtime reading has included W.H. Hudson's Birds Of London, published in 1898. Though not one of his best works, it makes fascinating reading, and is in many ways surprising. In fact, though it goes against the grain of a reactionary laudator temporis acti like me to admit it, there's no denying that, overall, the bird life of London is more various, probably more abundant, and far better catered for, than it was at the turn of the 20th century. Though we've lost some species that were marginal even then (and, of the commoner birds, sparrow and songthrush are dramatically down), the gains have been spectacular. Hudson would be amazed to see the collared dove (now common), the abundant jays and magpies, herons, cormorants and gulls (he liked gulls) and numerous raptors, including even the peregrine. The various species of tits are vastly more numerous now, ditto greenfinch, goldfinch,wagtails and wren - and the wood pigeons, which were then only just getting established. Chaffinches and other songbirds no longer have to contend with cockneys trapping them in lime to train them up for singing competitions. Worse, back in the 1890s, bird's nesting was a popular hobby and big business, and chaps with guns roamed freely on London's open spaces, taking pot shots at anything that flew. Most importantly, parks, open spaces - and, very often, gardens - are now likely to be consciously managed to attract rather than repel birds. Hudson rages against the felling of tall, old, untidy trees that was the fashion in the London parks in his day. This had driven the crows, jackdaws and rooks out of most of London. Well, the crows, love them or hate them, are back now, as is so much else. Taking the broad view, it's true, if hard to believe - in terms of birdlife, London is now a much better place than it was in Hudson's day.