november-2010
november-2010
november-2010
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clearer as dawn brightens into day. The men spread out to<br />
watch points on all sides of the roof, eyes skyward, scanning<br />
for avian life. Telescopes are set up on tripods and binoculars<br />
fi xed to faces. None of the usual city noise reaches them from<br />
below, but all the time there’s the roar of fans and the rumble<br />
of air-conditioning units. The roof is a cluttered space, an outlet<br />
for the machines that keep the building functioning, and the<br />
birders have to be careful where they tread. It’s certainly not<br />
the familiar terrain of a hilltop or secluded hide.<br />
The view takes your breath away. London has never<br />
looked so glorious. For a good while I can’t help but just stand<br />
and stare, trying to fi nd all the landmarks that I recognise<br />
as making up my city. I’m also awestruck at the dedication<br />
of those who climb the 600 feet up here every week, at this<br />
unearthly hour, to birdwatch. Such intrepid urban adventuring<br />
before the working day even begins is impressive.<br />
David Lindo is the brains behind what has been<br />
christened the Tower 42 Bird Study Group. But how on earth<br />
did he manage to persuade the building’s management to let<br />
him on to the roof? “It came about by luck really,” he admits.<br />
“I’d been looking for a vantage point for two or three years<br />
and I caught them on a good day. Perhaps surprisingly,<br />
they’ve been brilliant hosts. I guess it gives their building<br />
a unique edge – we’ve turned the roof into kind of a nature<br />
« Avant leur journée de travail,<br />
ces intrépides aventuriers urbains<br />
gravissent 183 mètres pour assouvir<br />
leur passion des oiseaux »<br />
102 METROPOLITAN<br />
Thrush<br />
Grive<br />
reserve. It’s an amazing thing being up here,<br />
looking out over London.”<br />
The birders started coming up here in spring.<br />
Because it was an unprecedented project, they<br />
had no idea what to expect. Lindo says the<br />
season was a good one, despite the weather being<br />
rather unkind. They recorded an array of species<br />
including rarities like the honey buzzard and red<br />
kite. They saw peregrine falcons every session,<br />
with six pairs regularly passing the tower.<br />
During four hours on the roof, we see one of<br />
these handsome birds of prey sitting on Tower<br />
Bridge and another on Tate Modern. Once<br />
threatened with extinction, the peregrine is<br />
now thriving in the built-up London landscape,<br />
which is similar in shape and scale to its natural<br />
one of cliffs and mountains.<br />
In autumn the hope is to see<br />
species migrating: small birds<br />
such as starling, redwing and<br />
brambling that will be heading<br />
to the UK for winter, or the likes<br />
of redstart, swallow and house<br />
martin that will be journeying