Discretion has been removed from ATC at many airports because the airport operator/owner of the runway has decreed it such.
I fear you are correct. This also shows their complete and utter lack of foresight. I believe that it is correct for ATC to pass on relevant information at the appropriate time but to insist on a go-around following a possible birdstrike is reckless bordering criminal. Let us decide. Because if one these go-arounds goes wrong, where will the lawyers look? At us obviously, but also at the controller and the pathetic policy they were asked to follow - all beautifully recorded.
Fireflybob - It think it fairer if we look at the crew as a team of two rather than two individuals. As a team they failed to perform and part of the solution is to train as teams. In my own company I can think of many F/O's who might find this scenario challenging but can think of many more (the greater majority) who would normally be able to sort a situation like this out.