Magnox Electric Ltd

Great Bustard Hits The Headlines!

30 April 2008

Oldbury dominated the news headlines in March after one of the country’s rarest birds landed at its lagoon.

The female Great Bustard was first spotted by the Dursley birdwatching group, who visit the site’s nature trail and bird hide on a regular basis.

They managed to snap the female as she grazed around lagoon three, and she has since been seen by members of staff at various locations around the site.

The twitchers’ sighting created a storm of media interest, as Great Bustards are the largest flying bird in the world but have been extinct in Great Britain since 1840.

Media coverage spread far and wide, from news reports in the Thornbury Gazette, Western Daily Press and Chepstow Free Press to BBC Online.

BBC Radio Bristol ran the story during their Drivetime show, and did a live interview with Oldbury’s Environmental Engineer Kate Baxter. This was followed up by coverage on GWR FM and BBC Points West, the regional TV station for the area. The following day the story appeared in The Sun and The Guardian and ITV West requested a visit to site.

Their reporter had been sent to ‘Hunt the Bustard’ and as well as popping out from behind trees and bushes, also interviewed Kate.

In total the story generated ten different pieces of positive media coverage and whilst the topic may seem frivolous it provided the site with an opportunity to talk about the wealth of environmental work undertaken at Oldbury.

Both interviews gave the site an opportunity to discuss key messages such as the development of a Biodiversity Action Plan, the variety and prevalence of wildlife and habitats around the site and the work the station has been doing to have a positive impact on the local environment.

The Great Bustard Group, who recently reintroduced the birds to Salisbury Plain from Russia after they became extinct in Great Britain in 1840, are now in touch with the site to see if they can identify the specific bird that visited Oldbury.

The silt lagoons and meadows created around the station have developed much-needed habitats and feeding grounds for the birds, and the rich grasslands are perfect for Great Bustards.