James Chubb

Sniffing out a story with the Newshounds

Last week I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Exeter Road Primary School’s after school journalist club – the Newshounds. Ten students from the school visited the Exmouth Local Nature Reserve and gave me a grilling about everything under the sun, especially birds! I was so impressed with their inquisition I offered them space in this column if they could get their article to me three days later. I was to be impressed again, when two days later I received a phone call from the Newshounds cheerfully telling me that the article was ready, a day early and spot on the word count – if only I could be that disciplined with the weekly copy!

Here’s their story, I hope you enjoy it; I certainly did.

Ten curious Newshounds from Exeter Road Primary School went to the Exe Estuary on Monday, 2^nd June to find out about the birds that live and feed there.  While eating lunch, the Newshounds talked about what they already knew about birds.  We wondered whether birds hibernate.  James Chubb is an expert on birds.  He answered our questions carefully.  Mammals hibernate but only one group of birds do (they freeze themselves to save energy) the hummingbirds, but they don’t appear on the Exe. 

James told us that there are 27,000 birds on the estuary in the winter, arriving from late September to October.  We find the winter really cold but birds find it warm – warmer than Siberia where it’s freezing cold.  Birds travel to their favourite places to eat and breed.  This is called migration.

Have you ever seen a flock of geese in a v-shape?  Some of us have.  The Brent Geese travel in a v-shape and take it in turns to be the leader.  This saves energy.  They fly to Siberia in April, about the same time as the swallows arrive here.  The young birds get back to Exmouth before the adults in September.  They follow their instinct instead of a map and a compass.

James took us across the sandbank.  He dug a hole and there was lots of black sand.  The sand was anoxic, which means free of oxygen.  Then he showed us two types of worm: the ragworm and the lugworm (which he accidentally cut the head off!)  The lugworm was dark red and wrinkly.  The ragworm was smaller, skinnier and paler.

Next, James took us to the water opposite the mussel bed.  It was literally covered with blue mussels that seagulls pick up, fly six metres into the air with and drop onto something really hard, like a rock.  Only the cleverest herring gulls do this because otherwise they will wear their beak out scratching at the blue mussel shell continuously.

James then picked up in his net about a dozen shrimps, a crab, shells, pebbles, sand, mud and a tiny flatfish called a plaice, but no chips!  He told us that birds eat flatfish, shrimps, crabs, blue mussels, lugworms and ragworms.  And here’s a brilliant fact: some birds eat other birds.  The Brent Geese eat eel grass which is their favourite food.  It grows under water and there are two types.  Exmouth is special because both types grow here. 

One of the Newshounds found lots of pottery on the shore.  There were also lots of bricks and litter like glass and beer cans.  The birds mistake the litter for food and it can get stuck in their throats or they can get their legs caught up.  If the tide comes in they will drown.  James said that it is laziness that some people do not put their rubbish in the bin. 

He loves his job as a ranger.  He said ‘it’s the most brilliant job anyone could ever have’

I must admit to blushing a little while reading, but it’s nice to be appreciated!

As much as I enjoy leading adult groups on nature walks, there is something particularly satisfying in working with children; something which I think is illustrated by this article.

Children are inherently interested in the world in which they find themselves, they love to explore, and soak up information like sponges. It is my privilege that the District Council employs me to help them do this – I’m the lucky one, not them!