Surfbirds News: July 2007 Archives

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July 31, 2007

Fact or Fiction? Birds abandon their young at the slightest human touch

By Robynne Boyd (for Scientific American.com)

It's a familiar summer scenario: a nest rests in the low crook of a crab apple tree. Inside, a baby oriole stretches its wings, attempting to trill. A little girl's face looms overhead. She reaches out her colossal finger to stroke the still-wet feathers. Just before contact, her father's voice booms: "Don't touch that bird!"

According to folklore, birds will reject their eggs and young if humans have so much as laid a finger on them. This prevalent belief, however, is for the birds: it denies animal parents' innate drive to nurture their broods and ignores a bird's basic biology.

No matter how flighty birds appear, they do not readily abandon their young, especially not in response to human touch, says Frank B. Gill, former president of the American Ornithologists' Union. "If a bird's nest is disturbed by a potential predator during the nesting or egg-laying stage," he says, "there's a possibility that [it] will desert and re-nest. However, once the young are hatched and feeding, [their parents are] by and large pretty tenacious."

The myth derives from the belief that birds can detect human scent. Actually, birds have relatively small and simple olfactory nerves, which limit their sense of smell. There are very few birds with extraordinary olfaction and these represent specialized adaptations. For example, turkey vultures are attracted to methyl mercaptan, a gas produced by decaying organic matter (and added to natural gas to make it smell bad), while starlings can detect insecticidal compounds in vegetation, which they utilize to keep their nests bug-free. Yet no bird's sense of smell is cued to human scent.

Still, there's good reason not to go fiddling around in an occupied nest. "The fact is, birds don't abandon their young in response to touch, [but] they will abandon [their offspring and their nest] in response to disturbance," explains biologist Thomas E. Martin of the University of Montana and the U.S. Geological Survey, who has handled birds from Venezuela to Tasmania without instigating abandonment. "They are likely responding to disturbance in relation to risk of harm to young."

In other words, birds, like economists, make cost-benefit decisions. If a bird has invested a lot of time and energy in hatching and rearing its young, that bird is more likely to, if possible, relocate its offspring to a new nesting site, rather than abandon them altogether when a potential predator has discovered the babies. Birds that live longer, like hawks, are more averse to risk (and more sensitive to disturbance) than short-lived birds, like robins and other songbirds. The former might abandon its young, while the latter is much less likely to do so.

The same logic applies to most animals. "In general, wild animals bond with their young and do not quickly abandon them," explains Laura Simon, field director for the Urban Wildlife Program at the Humane Society of the United States.

In fact, most creatures find extraordinary ways to ensure the survival of their young. Killdeer and ducks will feign a broken wing to lure a predator away from their babies, and raccoons and tree squirrels will speedily relocate their progeny to more protected pastures when a potential threat is skulking about.

Wild rabbits are the exception to this rule. "These animals seem to be the most sensitive to human and other smells. They're a flighty, high-stress species," Simon says. "Wild rabbits will sometimes abandon their nest when it's been very disturbed as when a lawnmower [runs it over or a] cat gets into it."

If you suspect that a rabbit's nest has been abandoned, the Humane Society recommends making an "X" out of yarn or string over the nest and checking approximately 10 hours later to see if it has been moved. If the X has been pushed aside but the nest is still covered, that's a good indication that the mother has returned, nursed her young, and then re-covered them. If the X stays in place for 12 hours after the traumatic event, it's likely that the young rabbits have been deserted.

Of course, wild animals should be left undisturbed as much as possible. The general rule for finding a baby bird or any animal infant on the ground is simply to leave them alone. Most often, the parents are watching from a distance. But if a baby bird is found on the ground without its fledgling feathers and the nest is easily within reach, it can be returned without harm. The parents will welcome it back with open wings.

Posted by Surfbirds at 10:22 AM | Comments (0)

Great bustards breed in UK for first time in 175 years

The RSPB has welcomed news of the first breeding great bustards in Great Britain for 175 years.

The Great Bustard Group (GBG) has been releasing birds on Salisbury Plain each year since around 2004, but did not expect nesting to take place until 2008, as males have to reach four or five years old before they can breed. Chicks are raised in Russia from eggs rescued from nests destroyed by cultivation, but then released in the Wiltshire countryside.

Great Bustard, copyright János Oláh Jr

RSPB chalk grassland manager Tracé Williams said: 'This is really exciting news. The Great Bustard Group are to be congratulated on their achievements so far and we hope that this will be the first of many bustards breeding here in the future.'

GBG made the announcement today (Monday 23 July) some time after the birds' nest was discovered, in order to minimise the risk of eggs being stolen or disturbance. Sadly, the great bustards' breeding attempt was not successful. The eggs were incubated by a female bird, but subsequently abandoned. After examination, the eggs were found to be infertile.

The RSPB is working closely with farmers and landowners in the area to advise on habitat creation and management to support the species, along with other farmland birds.

Great Bustard, copyright Ian Tew

Great bustards need a mixture of chalk grassland, with lots of insects in summer, and farmland providing cereal food in the winter. They particularly favour the areas being managed for stone-curlews, a secretive migrant from southern Europe and Asia, which breeds in the area every year.

Ms Williams added: 'Three female bustards have been regularly using restored chalk grassland at one of our nature reserves in the area – which just goes to show the value of habitat management work.'

There is still a long way to go to secure a sustainable population of great bustards in the UK, but the historic breeding attempt proves that suitable conditions exist to tempt the birds to try to breed and conservationists are hopeful that the birds will try again next year.

The RSPB hopes to continue to work closely with GBG to re-establish the spectacular birds in the UK.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:20 AM | Comments (0)

European Commission takes last minute action to stop illegal expressway construction in Poland

Environmental NGOs, including BirdLife International, the CEE Bankwatch Network, OTOP, the Polish partner of BirdLife International, Greenpeace, WWF Poland and Wetland Conservation Centre support the European Commission’s decision to ask the European Court of Justice to halt imminent construction of the ‘Via Baltica’ expressway through the pristine Rospuda Wetlands in north-east Poland. The wildlife-rich Rospuda Valley is protected under EU environment law.

In today’s announcement the Commission asked the European Court to make an urgent order (‘interim measures’) requiring Poland to suspend works immediately, until a full Court judgement is delivered. Breaching EU environmental law and ignoring its own commitment to wait for a decision of the court, Poland had announced the start of construction of the Via Baltica expressway for August 1st. The European Commission originally took Poland to the Court on this matter in March 2007.

Black Grouse, threatened by road developments in Poland,
copyright Graham Catley

The Rospuda valley is a designated Natura 2000 site for its status as an area of outstanding biodiversity value. It is home to the protected Lesser-spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina and White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla, Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, and others. Wetlands located in the valley (including such EU habitats as alkaline fens and bog forests) belong to the most pristine ones of that type within Europe. The Via Baltica road development plan runs straight through the Augustow Forest and other protected areas.

Magda Stoczkiewicz, Bankwatch’s Policy Coordinator, said: “The arrogance of the Polish government towards European law and legal institutions – namely the European Court of Justice – is appalling. Still, we believe that due to the European Commission’s reaction, devastation of the unique Rospuda Valley will be halted.”

Since the proposals for the Via Baltica Expressway were first outlined, environmental NGOs and conservationists in Poland and across Europe, as well as many Members of the European Parliament, have expressed strong opposition to the project, arguing that economically viable and less-devastating alternative routes exist to satisfy Poland’s need for better infrastructure.

“Unfortunately, along the investment planning process numerous national and EU law requirements had been ignored. To let the Polish government go ahead with the planned work on Via Baltica may result in irreversible harm to wildlife and also withholding EU funds for the infrastructure investments”, said Marta Majka Wisniewska of WWF Poland.

Izabela Flor, Director of OTOP, the Polish Partner of BirdLife International said “This case has developed into a real test case for the enforcement of European legislation in Poland. Poland receives significant funding from the EU, and should also fulfil its duties as a Member State and live up to its responsibility to protect a unique European natural heritage.”

Maciej Muskat of Greenpeace Poland added: “If, as the government plans, road building through the Rospuda Valley recommences on 1 August, a great many people will come to the valley, to defend its natural wealth and to prevent the violation of Polish and European law."

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:14 AM | Comments (0)

July 28, 2007

Spring Alive earlier in 2007

The Springtime migration of four bird indicator species across Europe took place earlier this year than the previous year, according to BirdLife’s Spring Alive project, an online resource involving children, teachers and birdwatchers from across the continent.

Throughout last Spring, participants across Europe watched out for and recorded the arrival of four migratory birds: White Stork Ciconia ciconia, Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica, Common Swift Apus apus and the Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus. Results showed that all four species were spotted earlier this year on average, compared to the Spring Alive 2006 results.

White Stork from Surfbirds Galleries © Dr. Steve M.R.Young

Over 16,000 records were added to the Spring Alive website this year (http://www.springalive.net) and the project involved a large number of European BirdLife Partners. Website visitors were able to watch the progress of Spring across Europe, as birds were spotted further and further northwards.

This year’s arrivals were found to be slightly earlier than the European phonological norm (White Stork in early April; Barn Swallow, mid-April; Common Cuckoo, early May; Common Swift, mid-May), a reflection of the relatively mild Spring -much warmer and longer than 2006- in comparison with previous years.

“Throughout Spring, the project was great fun for all those involved, helping people learn about birds, migration pressures and the environment, yet the results also have value: adding to scientists’ knowledge of changes occurring in the global environment, many of which relate to climate change,” said Joanna Kalinowska, European Spring Alive project coordinator.

“Such early sightings of migratory birds might not have been possible twenty years ago,” she finished.

Find out more: www.springalive.net

Posted by Surfbirds at 10:39 PM | Comments (0)

July 26, 2007

Four gorillas killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Three female mountain gorillas and one male silverback gorilla have been killed in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The bodies were discovered in the southern sector of the park by rangers from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN), the DRC’s wildlife and protected areas authority. All four mountain gorillas were shot, but it is unclear who killed them and why.

Gorilla
Gorilla, copyright Andrew Moon

Just over 700 mountain gorillas survive in the wild today, and none exist in captivity. For such a small population the unnecessary and indiscriminate killing of four mountain gorillas is a huge loss. The gorillas belonged to the Rugendo group that lived in the area visited often by tourists - providing valuable economic benefits for local communities.

The male silverback was an alpha male. Alpha males fulfil a leadership role within a group, and in their absence, the integrity of the group is often compromised. Before the killings the Rugendo group comprised 12 individuals. Six are confirmed as safe, but two gorillas, a female and an infant, are missing.

ICCN patrols have been increased within the southern sector of the park with support from the DRC army. Guard posts are being constructed to provide 24-hour surveillance of the park. “Just two months ago, we celebrated the increase of the gorilla population in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda," says Dr. Kwame Koranteng, Regional Representative of WWF's Eastern Africa Regional Programme Office. "Seven gorillas killed in 7 months is a horrifying statistic and a trend that cannot continue," he added.

Chief Executive of Fauna & Flora International, Mark Rose, said: "We are deeply concerned about this incident which follows more than 20 years of successful collaboration for mountain gorilla conservation. Whatever the motive underlying this tragedy, the gorillas are helpless pawns in a feud between individuals."

Earlier this year two silverback male gorillas were shot dead in the same area of the park. The perpetrators were believed to be supporters of Laurent Nkunda. The skin of one of the dead gorillas was recovered from a latrine in a nearby rebel camp. In May, a female gorilla was shot dead in the same park. Her infant is now being hand reared by the ICCN in Goma.

Post mortem examinations on the four gorillas are being carried out. The bodies will be buried near Bukima, an outpost within the park.

Posted by Surfbirds at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)

July 23, 2007

British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee: 35th Report

This report covers the period October 2006 to April 2007. The 34th Report appeared in Ibis 149: 194–197.

Changes to the British List

The following changes have been made.

Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri (Cabanis)

One, adult, Tresco, Isles of Scilly, 19 August 1969; sight record, photographed (British Birds 63: 277, 71: 500, 78: 546) becomes the first British record, following rejection of the occurrence of one at Fair Isle, Shetland, 28 May to 3 June 1956 (trapped) as identification was no longer considered safe (British Birds 98: 356–364).

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius (Linnaeus)

The rejection of the record from North Yorkshire, Whitby, 29 March 1849 as a ‘Tadcaster rarity’ led to a reassessment of subsequent records to establish the first acceptable British record. The first record is now Cornwall, Loe Bar, near Helston, 14 June 1924 (British Birds 18: 167). Records rejected through insufficient documentation are Fiddler's Ferry, Cheshire (1863), Sheerness, Kent (1863), two, Eastbourne, East Sussex (1866), Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire (c. 1899) and Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex (1908).

Long-billed Murrelet Brachyramphus perdix (Pallas)

Add to Category A. Juvenile, Dawlish, Devon, 7–14 November 2006 (sight record, photographed). Birding World 19: 457–464.

Monotypic. Breeds eastern Asia from Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin Island, southern Kurile Islands to Hokkaido and east coast of Kamchatka. Winters mainly in southern part of breeding range and around coasts of Japan.

Long-billed Murrelet, Devon, copyright Paul Bowyer

Chestnut-eared Bunting Emberiza fucata fucata Pallas

Add to Category A. First-winter, probable male, Fair Isle, Shetland, 15–20 October 2004 (sight record, photographed, trapped) (Birding World 17: 415–419).

Polytypic. Breeds from Japan through Korean Peninsula, China, Himalayas, Nepal, Kashmir and Pakistan. Winters from southern Japan, through China to Thailand.

Chestnut-eared Bunting, Fair Isle, copyright Adrian Webb

British List totals

With the addition of Long-billed Murrelet and Chestnut-eared Bunting to Category A, the British List now stands at 574 species. Species in Category D and E form no part of the British List.

Category Total
A 554
B 10
C 10
Total 574

The following have also been considered.

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava

As part of a review of Yellow Wagtail taxa, the Kent 1908 record of putative White-headed Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava leucocephala was re-examined. This breeding record from Wittersham, Kent, June 1908 was reviewed by the BOU List Committee in 1949 as M. f. beema together with five other specimen records of beema. All six were considered to be M. f. flava (Ibis 1950: 140, BOU Checklist 4th edn, 1952), though leucocephala remained in the 5th Checklist (1971), 6th Checklist (1992) and 7th Checklist (2006) on the basis of the Kent record.

It was confirmed that this record was unacceptable and leucocephala is therefore removed from the British List.

Category F Sub-committee

The inaugural meeting of the Category F Sub-committee (CFSC) was held at The Natural History Museum, Tring, on 18 January 2007 and attended by R.Y. McGowan (BOURC Chairman) and S.P. Dudley (BOU Senior Administrator), Dr J. Cooper (Natural History Museum), Dr J. Stewart (University College London) and Dr D. Yalden (University of Manchester); Professor T. O’Connor (University of York) is also a member of the Sub-committee.

The role of the CFSC and the establishment of Category F will complement the existing categories of the British List by providing a historical record of the occurrence of bird species in Britain from 1800 ad back to 700 000 bp. Category F definitions were discussed and subcategory time periods agreed as follows:

F1 – Records of bird species recorded between c. 18 000 bp (before present) to 1800

F1.1 1500–1800 Post Medieval

F1.2 1100–1500 Medieval

F1.3 400–1100 Anglo-Norman

F1.4 0–400 Roman

F1.5 c. 3500 bp – 0 Iron Age

F1.6 c. 4500 – c. 3500 bp Bronze Age

F1.7 c. 6000 – c. 4500 bp Neolithic

F1.8 c. 11 000 – c. 6000 bp Mesolithic

F1.9 c. 18 000 – c. 11 000 bp Late Glacial

F2 – Records of bird species recorded earlier than 16 000 bp, back to c. 700 000 bp

F3 – Specimens or records of uncertain species or date

Each of the above can be further subdivided to denote (a) fossil or bone specimen and (b) documentary only records, e.g.

F1.1a = A fossil or bone specimen record from between 16 000 bp and 1800 ad

F1.1b = A documentary-only record from between 16 000 bp and 1800 ad

It was agreed that fossil and bone specimen records should be differentiated, as should references in the literature not supported by a fossil or bone specimens (i.e. documentary only).

The Sub-committee has a huge task with an already known expanse of records and data to consider for many species. The Sub-committee will summarize its recommendations for Category F in their own reports published in Ibis. The Records Committee will then consider these for formal acceptance for the British List.

Correction to British Sea Limits

Following legislative changes (Law of the Sea Convention) that were recently drawn to the Committee's attention, the British Sea Limits have been redefined, necessitating an alteration to the figure shown in the British List (Ibis 148: 527). The correct limit west of Rockall is a line 200 miles west of St Kilda. The sea area boundaries of Sole, Fitzroy (formerly Finisterre), Plymouth and Biscay have also been redrawn following changes made to these.

English names of British birds

The BOU has for many years followed the preliminary recommendations of the International Ornithological Congress (IOC) in its use of standardized (international use) English names of species on the British List. It was accepted that, once the IOC had published its definitive list, the BOU would review its use of English bird names.

With the publication last year of the IOC's recommendations in Birds of the World: Recommended English Names (Gill & Wright, 2006, A&C Black) BOU Committees and Council initiated a review of the use of standardized English names across all BOU activities (The British List, Ibis, publications, etc.). The review concluded that the BOU would adopt the Gill & Wright English names, as recommended by BOURC, with the following provisions:

(1) In respect of The British List and publications relating to the List, the BOU will always use both the vernacular English name familiar to British birdwatchers alongside the Gill & Wright standard (international-use) English name. This is a policy we have used for the last two editions of the List (see BOU 2006 The British List: A Checklist of Birds of Britain (7th edition). Ibis 148: 526–563, http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2006.00603.x)

(2) Following existing BOU policy, for all BOU publications, the BOU will differ from Gill & Wright in not using a capitalized letter for a name following a hyphen, e.g. the BOU will use Hawk-owl and not Hawk-Owl.

In respect of The British List this takes immediate effect (see http://www.bou.org.uk). Implementation by Ibis and other BOU publications will take place in due course.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:09 AM | Comments (0)

July 21, 2007

Lear’s Macaw Making a Remarkable Comeback in Protected Reserve

New Survey Finds Species on Brink of Extinction Growing in Numbers – Now Up to 750 birds

(Washington, D.C. – July 18, 2007) The Lear’s Macaw, one of the most spectacular of the world’s parrots, now numbers more than 750 birds thanks to the protection of the species’ primary breeding area in Brazil. The Lear’s Macaw had only 70 surviving individuals left in the wild in late 1980’s.

“This is a remarkable success story – a species on the brink of extinction is now rebounding because its nesting grounds were protected,” said Michael J. Parr, Vice President of American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and co-author of A Guide to the Parrots of the World.

The count of the Lear’s Macaw population was undertaken by Fundação Biodiversitas staff in June 2007 at the Canudos Biological Station in Brazil, a reserve supported by ABC. A total of 751 individuals were counted as they flew out of the canyons where they roost and nest to their licuri palm feeding areas. The global population in 1987 was just 70 birds, the 2003 census was 455, and until last month’s count, the current population was estimated at 600.

The Lear’s Macaw is found only in the state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil, where it nests on spectacular sandstone cliffs and feeds primarily on licuri palm nuts. The species is currently threatened by hunting and the illegal pet trade.

With the support of ABC, Biodiversitas has acquired properties to expand the Canudos Biological Station to a 3,600 acre nature reserve, a ten-fold increase from its original size. Currently, this represents the sole protected area for this Critically Endangered species.

“The protection of such a vital site for the Lear’s Macaw, through the expansion of the Canudos Biological Station, is a huge step towards the preservation of the species,” said Eduardo Figueiredo, Coordinator of the Biodiversitas Lear’s Macaw Conservation Program. “The growing population confirms how essential it is to protect an endangered species’ habitat.”

For 18 years, Biodiversitas has protected the Lear’s Macaw colony in the state of Bahia. Now the conservation group is implementing protective measures for the reserve, and aims to secure additional dry forest areas that are vital for the species feeding. In addition, the project involves extensive environmental education, through both ecotourism and improving pride and understanding of the natural ecosystem among local people.

The Lear’s Macaw and the protection of its habitat are priorities for the Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE), a global initiative that seeks to protect threatened species that depend on single sites for their survival. The goal of the Alliance is to create a front line of defense against extinction by eliminating threats and restoring habitat to allow species populations to rebound.

“This spectacular blue macaw is on the road to recovery but still faces several severe threats to its existence in the wild before it can be removed from the AZE list,” said Michael Parr. “To consolidate protection efforts, expand the reserve and secure a bright future for the species, an additional $140,000 is needed to complete the Lear’s Macaw conservation project.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 10:12 PM | Comments (0)

July 19, 2007

Seabirds struggling again

Mid-season reports from coastal RSPB reserves in Scotland suggest that the UK's seabirds are having yet another poor breeding season.

Cliffs in some parts of the north and west are near-empty, where there should be thousands of birds nesting. Climate change seems to be disrupting food availability. The RSPB is keen to ensure that areas seabirds use for feeding should receive greater protection, and the Society is calling for a Marine Bill.

Last week Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a half-hearted commitment to introducing a draft marine bill in his legislative programme, put out for consultation last week.

Guillemot, copyright Jeremy McClements

Martin Harper is the head of the RSPB's sustainable development department. Reacting to Gordon Brown's statement, he said: 'Increasing protection for marine wildlife has been an outstanding commitment for this government over the last decade. We are disappointed, therefore, that the Prime Minister remains to be fully convinced of this need.

'The protection of sites and species on land has not been mirrored in the marine environment, leaving species and habitats vulnerable to many threats. Any omission from this year's legislative programme remains a great concern to the RSPB and jeopardises the government's manifesto commitment.'

'We owe it to everyone who believes in greater protection for the marine environment to continue our fight.'

Norman Ratcliffe, seabird ecologist with RSPB Scotland, said: 'Yet again, Scotland's seabirds seem to have had another worrying season. Our reserves on Orkney and the west coast definitely seem to have suffered from lack of food to feed chicks.

'Some cliffs - which should be packed with birds - are just about bare, as adult birds abandon the nest once their breeding attempt has failed.

'This is all linked to food availability, which can be disrupted for a number of reasons. We're fairly certain that on the east coast, rising sea temperatures are leading to plankton regime shifts, which in turn affects fish like sandeels - a major food source for seabirds.

Puffin
Puffin, Northumberland, copyright Sean Gray

'Sandeels might be abundant for a time, but when this critical food source enters the next phase of its life cycle, they swim down to the bottom of the sea and bury themselves in the sand, meaning they become unavailable as food.

'This often happens sometime in July, but if it occurs early, you can get mass mortality of near-fledged chicks as has been seen for terns nesting on Coquet Island, in Northumberland, this year.

'Parent birds may then switch to pipefish, but chicks find these hard to swallow, they are less nutritious, and the parents spend much longer away from the nest, leaving chicks vulnerable to predation and attack from neighbouring nests.'

The UK's coastline is home to 18 exclusively marine species of seabird, including puffin, gannet, kittiwake and guillemot. The great skua, Manx shearwater, gannet and shag have their most important populations in the world in the UK.

Although the full picture won't be known until later in the summer, it's already clear that some areas of the country have had a disastrous year, with Orkney, parts of Shetland and north-west Scotland suffering badly - definitely worse than last year, and probably the worst since the dreadful 2004 season.

The relationship between temperature and food requires more research. It is not as simple as saying 'warmer waters are bad for seabirds', because if warmer waters bring more food, then seabirds will do well. Puffins in Norway do well in warmer years because herring there are more productive in higher sea temperatures.

A full analysis of the season will only be possible at the end of the summer, but the RSPB believes it is indeed very worrying that this is another in a recurrent run of bad seabird breeding years in Scotland, and an indication of how wildlife is having difficulty adjusting to our changing climate.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:51 AM | Comments (0)

Boom in woodlark numbers prompts return to farmland

Woodlarks are returning to breed on England's farmland in greater numbers than at any time in the last 40 years.

A new national survey has found woodlark numbers in the UK have risen by 89 per cent in the last 10 years. The rise has been driven by work to provide suitable habitat – improvements to the size and condition of lowland heaths and good management of forestry plantations.

Woodlark, copyright David Morris

Increasing numbers of the birds now appear to be moving on to farms to breed, with many nesting on set-aside land. There are fears, however, that the imminent loss of set-aside - because of changes in the way Europe pays its farmers - could limit the woodlark's spread unless suitable alternatives are provided.

The results of the survey, carried out by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), RSPB, Natural England and the Forestry Commission (England), show an estimated 3,084 breeding pairs of woodlark, compared with 1,633 pairs in 1997 and the low point of just 241 pairs in 1986.

Traditionally a bird of heathland, farmland and more recently forest plantations, the woodlark was red-listed as a species of conservation concern in the 1980s because of a drastic decline in its range over the preceding 20 years.

Much of the decline coincided with the loss of traditional, mixed farmland in the South West and Wales, along with the loss of heathland habitat throughout the UK.

While today, the bird's strongholds remain England's lowland heaths and forestry plantations, where they thrive in clear felled areas, farmland is becoming increasingly important once again.

This latest survey shows how set-aside has tempted a proportion of the UK's burgeoning woodlark population to return to farmland.

Simon Wotton, research biologist at the RSPB, said: 'About 21 per cent of the birds we surveyed were on farmland and other grassland habitats, of which about 7 per cent was set-aside.

'It seems woodlarks are moving on to this land from nearby heaths and from forest plantations.'

Greg Conway, Research Ecologist at the BTO, who organised the survey, said: 'It is marvellous to see that the breeding population has almost doubled since 1997 and the range has increased considerably, with large leaps to the west and north. This survey would not have been possible without the support of hundreds of birdwatchers, to whom we are all extremely grateful'.

Set-aside was introduced in 1992 with the aim of taking land out of production to reduce the EU's infamous grain mountains.

The move proved an accidental boon to wildlife, including many birds, by providing a source of food in the winter and somewhere to nest free from disturbance.

Recent changes to the way subsidies are paid to Europe's farmers now seem to have made set aside redundant and it is likely to be abolished by the European Commission next year.

Sue Armstrong-Brown, the RSPB's head of countryside conservation, said: 'The return of the woodlark to our fields, heaths and forests is brilliant news – and shows how important set aside has become as a refuge for wildlife on our farmland.

'The crucial thing now is to keep the environmental benefits when the policy is updated. Birds like the woodlark are trying hard to adapt to the new ways of managing the countryside and we must not sabotage their recovery.

'We must increase our efforts to restore and manage lowland heaths to create suitable conditions for the woodlark and also ensure that the management of forestry plantations provides suitable breeding habitat.'

Set-aside was introduced in 1992 with the aim of taking land out of production to reduce the EU's infamous grain mountains.

The move proved an accidental boon to wildlife, including many birds, by providing a source of food in the winter and somewhere to nest free from disturbance.

Recent changes to the way subsidies are paid to Europe's farmers now seem to have made set aside redundant and it is likely to be abolished by the European Commission next year.

Woodlark, copyright Darren Ward

Natural England's senior ornithologist, Allan Drewitt, added: 'It is encouraging to see such a dramatic increase in the numbers and breeding range of woodlarks. This is largely the result of improvements to their lowland heathland habitats by conservation bodies including Natural England, the RSPB and local wildlife trusts, and the efforts of the Forestry Commission in providing and maintaining suitable nesting areas in their plantations.

'The £25m Heritage Lottery funding of Tomorrow's Heathland Heritage has done a lot to help heathland species like the woodlark. We must now increase our efforts to restore and manage lowland heaths for the woodlark and other wildlife, and also ensure that the management of forestry plantations continues to provide breeding habitats.'

Forestry Commission ecologist, Jonathan Spencer, said: 'It is good news that the forest habitats and heathland creation we have developed in key areas have supported the woodlark population, enabling them to increase and return to more traditional habitats.

'We are committed to working closely with partners such as the RSPB to support priority species, and for survey results like this to help guide us in our woodland and habitat management.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:39 AM | Comments (0)

More than half of our Turtle Doves are missing

Latest results from the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) reveal even bleaker news for Turtle Doves. Even though a record total of 2,600 birdwatchers took part in the Breeding Bird Survey last year, few could find Turtle Doves on their survey sites.

Volunteer birdwatchers involved with the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey in the summer of 2006, counted more than one million birds on 3,295 1-km squares throughout the UK, recording 223 bird species. This year, there is good news for Reed Bunting, but bad news for our only migratory dove, the Turtle Dove. Some of our small-bodied resident birds were adversely affected by colder-than-normal weather during winter 2005/06. More details about these species are given below.

Turtle Dove, copyright Bill Jackson

THE GENERAL PICTURE

• A record total of 2,647 birdwatchers surveyed 3,295 survey sites across the UK, from the Scilly Isles in the south to Shetland in the north. This record coverage enabled the scheme to monitor the changing numbers of 103 bird species, nearly half of those that regularly breed in the UK.

• The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is administered by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) from its headquarters in Thetford, Norfolk. Across the UK, voluntary Regional Organisers play a vital role in coordinating the efforts of local birdwatchers. Volunteer birdwatchers are assigned 1-km squares that they visit three times in the season. Having got up very early in the morning, each volunteer spends about two hours counting all the birds they see and hear along their chosen 2-km route.

• The BBS started in 1994. This carefully designed, yet simple survey has attracted many participants. The good level of coverage throughout the UK means that we are able to report separately on changes in bird populations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and in the nine English Government Office Regions, as well as for the UK overall.

• Of sixteen widespread species that are red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC), based on long-term population trends, eleven declined significantly on BBS squares between 1994 and 2006 (see Notes to Editors). Four red-listed species (Song Thrush, Grasshopper Warbler, Tree Sparrow and Reed Bunting) have increased significantly in the same time period.

SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS FOLLOW

Images to use alongside this story can be obtained from BTO by e-mailing images@bto.org
(this service is available outside office hours)

Reed Bunting – a sign of hope

Numbers of the red-listed Reed Bunting increased by 9% between 2005 and 2006 and are now up by 39% since 1994. This is a far cry from the situation thirty years ago when this species began a period of steep decline during which numbers more than halved between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s. In common with its close relative, the Yellowhammer, these declines were largely driven by reductions in winter seed food availability caused by agricultural intensification. Recent changes in land management encouraged by Government funded agri-environment schemes may now be benefiting this species, which gives us hope for other farmland species that have undergone similar declines in recent years.

Migratory dove in trouble.

Wood Pigeon and Collared Dove may be everywhere today, but Turtle Dove numbers have dropped by 61% in just 12 years. Not only has the Turtle Dove disappeared from many parts of the country, such as southwest and northern England, it has become increasingly hard to find in its arable stronghold of East Anglia. In common with many long-distance migrants, numbers returning to our shores each spring are heavily influenced by conditions on the wintering grounds in Sub-Saharan Africa and migratory routes. Hunting during this migration period and changes in agricultural practice at home may all be contributing to the decline. Reductions in the quantity of weed seeds during the breeding season have led to a much shorter period of time in which young doves can be raised.

A brief return to colder winter temperatures causes a decline in small songbird numbers

Colder-than-average temperatures during the winter of 2005/06 (at least by our modern standards) led to a fall in the numbers of several small-bodied, resident bird species, such as Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Wren, Goldcrest, Stonechat and Grey Wagtail, between 2005 and 2006. Thankfully, these declines were modest in comparison with those experienced during the arctic winters of 1962/63 and the late-1970s and numbers will presumably recover quickly, given a successful breeding season and the warmer conditions in the winter of 2006/07.

Ring-necked Parakeet added to the list of common birds

Ring-necked Parakeets, a species that was only added to the British List in 1983, have increased to such an extent, that for the first time, we are able to monitor their changing numbers using the Breeding Bird Survey, a scheme which is designed to keep track of the population changes of our common and widespread breeding bird species. From its heartland in Surrey and Kent, the Ring-necked Parakeet has gradually spread westwards along the Thames Valley, and was recorded on 87 survey sites in 2006, compared to only four at the start of the survey in 1994. Numbers on these survey sites have increased more than four-fold over this period. The current UK population of Ring-necked Parakeets originates from birds that escaped from captivity. This gregarious and aggressive species competes with other hole-nesting birds that are native to the UK.

Red-listed species

It is particularly important to monitor the fortunes of red-listed species of conservation concern. For eleven species, BBS results reveal declines between 1994 and 2006.

Willow Tit -69%
Starling -27%
Turtle Dove -61%
Linnet -24%
Corn Bunting -39%
Yellowhammer -16%
Grey Partridge -37%
Skylark -15%
Spotted Flycatcher -29%
House Sparrow -6%
Bullfinch -28%

Four red-listed species increased over the period: 1994-2006.

Tree Sparrow 97%
Reed Bunting 39%
Grasshopper Warbler 49%
Song Thrush 17%

Tree Sparrow, good news from the BBS, copyright Sean Cole

The full report can be viewed at www.bto.org/bbs/results/BBSreport06.pdf

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:28 AM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2007

TATA to pristine flamingo lake

The world’s most important breeding site for the endangered lesser flamingo could soon be destroyed by industrial pollution.

Developers want to build a huge soda ash plant on the internationally protected Lake Natron in Tanzania pumping salty water from the lake for the production and export of sodium carbonate or washing soda. They also plan to house more than 1,000 construction staff on site.

Lake Natron hosts more than 500,000 lesser flamingos in summer – 75 per cent of the world’s breeding population - and has been the bird’s only nesting site in East Africa for 45 years.

Lesser Flamingo, copyright Tamás Zalai

It is listed by the international Ramsar Wetland Convention and designated an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. Dr Chris Magin, the RSPB’s International Officer for Africa, said: 'Putting Lake Natron at risk is bonkers. It is a pristine site like no other in the world.

'The chances of lesser flamingos continuing to breed at Lake Natron in the face of such mayhem are next to zero. This development will leave lesser flamingos in East Africa facing extinction and should be stopped in its tracks and sunk in water so deep it can never be revived.'

Consultants for Lake Natron Resources Limited, which is part of the Indian company TATA Chemicals, will today (July 12) host a workshop to make public only part of its report on the environmental impact of the salt ash proposals.

Lake Natron Resources wants to install heavy machinery to pump water from the lake and build a coal-run power station and housing for workers on site. They may also be planning to introduce a hybrid Artemia brine shrimp to the lake to increase the efficiency of the process.

Conservationists in Africa and the UK are determined to influence the environmental report before it goes to the Tanzanian government but many have been barred from the workshop including the Lake Natron Consultative Group, which represents a number of environmental organisations.

Lota Melamari, Chief Executive of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania, is attending the workshop. He said: 'Whatever the decision, the survival of the lesser flamingo must not be jeopardised. The opportunity to see so many of these colourful birds together on one site is one of Africa’s most popular tourist attractions.'

Lesser Flamingo, copyright John Dempsey

Lake Natron is in the Great Rift Valley in northern Tanzania, close to the Kenyan border. It is known as a soda lake because of its high concentration of sodium carbonate.

It is one of only five breeding sites for lesser flamingos in the world but if it is damaged, there is no evidence that the birds will breed successfully elsewhere.

Dr Magin said: 'This could be the beginning of the end for the lesser flamingo. Millions of people have enjoyed the spectacle of flocks of flamingos in Tanzania and Kenya and all of that is now in jeopardy.

'Bringing an alien species to the lake could cause damage that no-one can foresee and the world is already reeling from the consequences of both deliberate and accidental introductions of alien species including mink in the UK, rabbits in Australia and Nile perch in Lake Victoria in Africa.

'Today’s report could considerably underestimate the harm the soda ash development will do. If it does, it must be changed to reflect the serious and irreversible harm soda extraction will cause.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:58 AM | Comments (0)

Bird of prey killers develop sickening new technique

Late one Friday evening in early March, I received a most peculiar message. A local birdwatcher had been wandering along a forest ride in the Derwent Valley in the Peak District National Park when he had come across the body of a squirrel, lying on its back, on top of a wall.

On closer examination, he saw the animal was lying on a mat of strands of baler twine and that a translucent substance had been applied in obvious broad lines across the body. When he touched this with his gloved hand, he realised it was a very powerful adhesive.

Goshawk
Goshawk, copyright Bill Baston

He was worried that a bird of prey trying to feed on the corpse might get tangled in this sticky mass, so sensibly he decide to hide the carcass nearby and contact the RSPB.

Unfortunately, in common with much of upland Britain, there have been problems of bird of prey persecution in this area. In 2006, the RSPB produced a hard-hitting report, titled 'Peak Malpractice,' about these issues, and in particular the problems faced by goshawks and peregrines.

I knew the forest in question was a regular breeding place for the rare and elusive goshawk, and we had evidence of goshawks being illegally killed here in the recent past. In view of this, I dashed across the following day to meet the finder.

As we made our way through the forest the significance of what had been found became clear. The squirrel was on a forest ride within 100 yards of two large goshawk nests built during previous breeding seasons.

Whilst I was appropriately licensed to visit the nest sites of rare breeding birds, I was conscious that the breeding season would soon be underway and one of the nests was probably about to be refurbished in preparation for egg laying.

Sure enough, the squirrel - and the wall where it had lain - had traces of a very sticky, non-setting adhesive. I didn't want to cause any undue disturbance, so quickly took photos and took the squirrel away in an evidence bag.

The goshawk is an impressive and powerful bird, and squirrels are a popular prey item. I had no doubt this was a deliberate attempt to interfere with the birds. A goshawk fancying an easy meal could have become hopelessly entangled and stuck to the baler twine and this could easily have lead to the death of the bird.

We quickly left the area, hoping the goshawks would be left in peace. However, this was not to be. In April, a further ball of baler twine and glue was found close to the nest site – had another 'sticky squirrel' trap been laid out? Things then seemed to be improving when the birds started to raise four chicks, but during a 24 hour period in June, the four chicks promptly disappeared.

There seems little doubt this was human interference and this seems to be another sad chapter in the recent troubled history of goshawks in this area.

The RSPB has just published a report about bird of prey persecution in the Dark Peak area.

Guy Shorrock

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:50 AM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2007

Conservationists call for Ugandan government to halt forest ‘give-aways’

Kampala, Uganda: The fate of Mabira Forest Reserve - home to 30% of bird species found in Uganda - continues to hang in the balance as President Museveni and some elements of the Ugandan government attempt to hand over a quarter of its area for sugarcane cultivation.

BirdLife International and NatureUganda (BirdLife in Uganda) continue to argue that the economic benefits of retaining Mabira in its present form, will easily exceed the ‘short-sighted’ gains quoted by the government in the proposed forest ‘give-away’.

Mabira Forest Reserve (at over 30,000 hectares) is listed by BirdLife as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and contains over 300 bird species, including the Endangered Nahan's Francolin Francolinus nahani. The forest is also home to nine species found exclusively in the region including Grey-cheeked Mangabey Lophocebus albigena johnstoni, a recently identified endemic primate subspecies.

Black Bee-eater, a Ugandan forest speciality, copyright Steve Arlow

In order to convey the enormous value of retaining Mabira Forest Reserve, NatureUganda has undertaken an economic study of the site, which they are now putting to the Ugandan government. Among the economic benefits of retaining Mabira that NatureUganda have outlined are:

1. Environmental services provided by Mabira Forest Reserve. Most notably the forest protects the water catchment area for Lake Victoria, Lake Kyoga and the River Nile. The forest also acts as a carbon sink worth $212 million USD at current carbon market prices.

2. Local livelihoods are supported via commodities that come from the forest, particularly from the sustainable harvesting of wood, food and medicines. The National Forestry Authority, the lead forestry agency in Uganda, last year estimated the value of the wood alone at $568 million USD.

3. Tourism at Mabira is another high-earner for Uganda: Mabira contributes 62% of the total revenue collected from visitors to Uganda’s Forest Reserves. Ecotourism is now Uganda’s second largest foreign exchange earner.

“The economic studies that we have undertaken clearly indicate that keeping Mabira Forest Reserve for reasons of conservation, constitutes a better land-use option than sugarcane growing when total economic value is considered,” said Achilles Byaruhanga, Executive Director of NatureUganda.

“If a quarter of Mabira is chopped down the effect on the remaining forest will be far-reaching, reducing the range of species, causing encroachment, erosion and siltation, and reducing its capacity to provide services, so there would be less water in rivers, less rain, less carbon intake, fewer tourists,” he added.

NatureUganda’s arguments for stopping the ‘give-away’ of Mabira Forest Reserve are supported by BirdLife International, a global alliance of over one hundred conservation organisations.

“For the Ugandan government and Mehta Group [sugar company] to continue with a venture that is so very costly in terms of biodiversity loss and in terms of economic stability, is wholly deplorable.” said Hazell Shokellu Thompson, Head of BirdLife’s Africa Division. "However, we are confident that once all the facts have been reviewed, the Ugandan government will do the right thing for the Ugandan people and stop the ‘give-away’".

"Uganda ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1993 and has a fairly good track record in upholding the treaty so far. The government has an obligation to continue to adhere to the agreement in the same way that many African and world nations do," he commented.

“The sugar company itself also argues that it has a strict policy of environmental compliance which this venture quite obviously contradicts.”

Mabira is only one of a number of ‘give-aways’ proposed by the Ugandan government, believed to be planning a bill to amend the National Forest and Tree Planting Act that would give the National Forestry Authority power to de-gazette protected forests without first going through parliament.

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:47 PM | Comments (0)

European Court condemns Spain over nature law

The European Court of Justice has found Spain guilty of breaching European nature conservation law. According to the Court, Spain failed to designate sufficient Special Protection Areas (SPAs) as required by the EU Birds Directive in seven of its regions, namely Andalusia, the Balearics, Canaries, Castilla-La-Mancha, Catalonia, Galicia and Valencia.

Spain, like other EU countries, has shown commitment to implementing the EU’s nature legislation and to work towards the EU-wide target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010. But as the Court ruling shows, more needs to be done. Several bird species, like the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni (60% of the European population resides in Spain) or the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata which only exists on the Canary Islands in the EU, are under severe threat from human activities and are reliant on protection under European law in order to ensure their survival.

Lesser Kestrel, copyright Nic Hallam

The EU Birds Directive declares that each Member State has to designate the most appropriate areas for the protection of birds based on biological criteria. BirdLife International’s inventory of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) provides a reference list for this, as confirmed once more by the European Court today. In the case of Spain, IBAs cover 31.5% of the country’s territory, while so far only 18% has been designated as SPA under the Birds Directive. Therefore the European Court has ruled today that Spain has to close this gap and designate the remaining sites.

Alejandro Sánchez, Director of SEO/BirdLife (BirdLife in Spain), warns that: “Many unique sites still need to be designated and enlarged. Only then can we ensure the protection of rare and threatened species such as Spanish Imperial Eagle and steppe birds like Dupont’s Lark.”

Clairie Papazoglou, Head of the European Division at BirdLife International in Brussels, welcomes the decision of the Court and states that: “We are pleased that our list of Important Bird Areas for Spain has been validated once again by the European Court. BirdLife International recognises that Spain has already taken important steps to protect its unique natural heritage, but more needs to be done, as this Court ruling clearly shows.”

Yesterday the Commission stepped up its actions against infringements of bird protection laws by taking Germany, Austria and Poland to the European Court and by sending first warning letters to eight countries of the new EU Member States. Cyprus also received a first warning letter by the Commission for breaching the hunting provisions in the Birds Directive as it allowed spring hunting on the Turtle Dove last May.

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:34 PM | Comments (0)