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August 18, 2009
4th Eilat Birds festival - March 2010
The festival is a weeklong event that includes day and night birding tours to all the best sites in southern Israel, many bird related activities, presentations, talks and more. The 4th Eilat festival is scheduled for the 18th - 25th March 2010.
The Eilat Spring migration festival is organized by the Israeli Ornithological Center of the SPNI and the International Birding and Research Center Eilat. Click here to visit the Eilat Birds Festival website.
As in previous years, the festival is hosted at the comfortable Agamim Hotel in Eilat, where the opening banquet and evening activities will take place and new this year, we will enjoy a special Birders Pub to quench our thirst from the long days in the field.
Black Bush Robin, Israel, Eilat ringing station 29 March 2008
© James Kennerley, from the surfbirds galleries
Festival packages include accommodation at the hotel, a choice of several free fully guided tours daily and evening activities. There are several ways to take part in the event, please consult the Packages page for more details.
Besides the free daily tours, several "specialty tours" will be on offer. These longer tours target specific species or regions of southern Israel. The specialty tours are extras but are world class tours that offer incredible value for money.
In the past 3 festivals, hundreds of birdwatchers from over 15 nationalities enjoyed a host of real rarities, including extreme vagrants and memorable migration days. The festival proves to be an excellent melting pot, bringing together birders from all over the globe to humble at the spectacle of spring migration at its best.
Our ground agents in Europe are the UK based company Wildwings. Their representatives can assist with booking a package, as well as all your travel needs. Go to - www.wildwings.co.uk .
Posted by Surfbirds at 2:53 PM | Comments (0)
Birdfair - Rutland Water - 21st - 23rd August 2009
The Birdfair are global sponsors of the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme and
contribute their entire profit to protecting Critically Endangered birds. Last year the Birdfair raised £265,000!
Entry is £10. Watch this short video to find out more...
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:34 AM | Comments (0)
August 17, 2009
West Midlands is latest region to launch scheme to help woodland birds
The West Midlands is the latest region where the Forestry Commission has launched a new type of grant to encourage landowners to help reverse the decline of the region’s woodland birds.
Financial support is on offer to local landowners and managers, to improve the habitat for 10 vulnerable species, including Redstart, Tree Pipit, Spotted Flycatcher and Marsh Tit. The RSPB is supporting the groundbreaking project.
Redstart © Mike Weedon, from the surfbirds galleries
The grants available are part of the Forestry Commission’s English Woodland Grant Scheme, which is supported by European Union and Defra funding.
Wild birds are a good indicator of the general health of the countryside and they have been chosen as one of the Government's 15 headline indicators of progress towards sustainable development.
However, the UK’s woodland bird population as a whole has fallen by 20 per cent in the last 25 years and numbers of some species, such as the Lesser Redpoll and Willow Tit, have dropped by more than 90 per cent since 1970.
Much of the decline is due to changes in the structure of our woodlands, such as the age and diversity of tree species, and long-term under-management.
Measures which could be funded under the new scheme will include preserving dead trees to provide natural nest sites, coppicing, thinning, controlling grazing levels and creating glades and scrubby areas favoured by many species. Monitoring of the target species will take place to see what difference woodland management makes.
Bob Evans from the Forestry Commission in the West Midlands, explained:
“The West Midlands region is nationally important for woodland birds. If we can improve the habitat in these areas, together with other key locations in the area, it will significantly boost their fortunes.
“Species like Wood Warbler and Pied Flycatcher are important wildlife and it’s vital we do all we can to protect them. What we need now is for land managers to step forward and work with us to secure the future of these wonderful birds.”
Underpinning the new initiative is the Bird Conservation Targeting Project, an ambitious mapping project involving the Forestry Commission, RSPB, British Trust for Ornithology and Natural England which has identified breeding “hotspots” for certain species. These locations will be used to determine grant eligibility and to target help where it is most likely to produce results.
Nigel Symes, from the RSPB, said:
“There is strong evidence that under-management of our woodland is driving the severe declines we are seeing in several woodland birds. This grant, because it is well targeted and is designed to deliver the woodland condition these birds need, is a very significant step in bringing about a recovery in their numbers.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 9:44 AM | Comments (0)
BTO Summer Bird Count 2009
To support the BTO's 'Out of Africa' appeal, the BTO has moved the annual bird count into the much warmer, summer months, which I am sure those of you who have previousy braved their New Year counts will be glad to hear.
Following on from the worrying news that the Cuckoo and other African migrants including the Yellow Wagtail and the Wood Warbler, have been added to the Birds for Conservation Concern red list, we are even more determined to raise funds to investigate what could be responsible for these declines.
Wood Warbler © Sean R Cole, from the surfbirds galleries
If you would like to support the Summer Bird Count or want to encourage your friends and family to join in, read on. It would really help our appeal and you may even catch a last glimpse of some of our migrant species before they head back to Africa for the winter.
The Summer Bird Count 2009 is a fantastic way to combine something you enjoy with raising valuable funds. By taking part you can help species like the Cuckoo, so get ready to start counting. Choose a day between 28th August and 14th September 2009, a location to birdwatch (this could be your garden, on your holiday or a day trip), and then approach your generous friends and family for sponsorship.
Use your BTO Bird Count form to note down any sponsorship you are promised and also to keep a record of what you see on the day. If you and/ or a friend would like to join us for the Bird Count 2009 then you can download your forms by clicking here.
However you choose to take part, be it a day out walking or by making it into a family outing, the more bird species you see, the more money you raise to help us research and aid the conservation of our much loved migrants!
If you don't feel able to ask for sponsorship and would rather make a donation instead then please feel free to do so.
Remember, all your sightings are useful to us. Why not add them into BirdTrack and make your birdwatching count.
Don't forget to return your form and sponsorship money by Friday 9 October to be entered into the Grand Prize Draw for a superb pair of Swarovski 8 x 32 EL’s.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:46 AM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2009
Hundreds of new species discovered in fragile Eastern Himalayas
Over 350 new species including the world’s smallest deer, a “flying frog” and a 100 million-year old gecko have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas, a biological treasure trove now threatened by climate change.
A decade of research carried out by scientists in remote mountain areas endangered by rising global temperatures brought exciting discoveries such as a bright green frog (Rhacophorus suffry) which uses its red and long webbed feet to glide in the air.
One of the most significant findings was not exactly “new” in the classic sense. A 100-million year-old gecko, the oldest fossil gecko species known to science, was discovered in an amber mine in the Hukawng Valley in Himalayan regions of far northern Myanmar.
Red Panda © Arnold Meijer, from the surfbirds galleries
The WWF report The Eastern Himalayas – Where Worlds Collide details discoveries made by scientists from various organizations between 1998 and 2008 in a region reaching across Bhutan and north-east India to the far north of Myanmar as well as Nepal and southern parts of Tibet Autonomus Region (China).
“This enormous cultural and biological diversity underscores the fragile nature of an environment which risks being lost forever unless the impacts of climate change are reversed,” said Tariq Aziz, the leader of WWF's Living Himalayas Initiative.
“People and wildlife form a rich mosaic of life across this rugged and remarkable landscape, making it among the biologically richest areas on Earth. But the Himalayas are also among the most vulnerable to global climate change.”
In December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to reach an agreement on a new climate deal, which will replace the existing Kyoto Protocol.
“Only an ambitious and fair deal based on an agreement between rich and poor countries can save the planet and its treasures such as the Himalayas from devastating climate change,” said Kim Carstensen, the Leader of the WWF’s Global Climate Initiative.
The Eastern Himalayas report also mentions the miniature muntjac, also called the “leaf deer” (Muntiacus putaoensis) which is the world’s oldest and smallest deer species.
Scientists initially believed the small creature found in the world’s largest mountain range was a juvenile of another species but DNA tests confirmed the light brown animal with innocent dark eyes was a distinct and new species.
The Eastern Himalayas re now known to harbour a staggering 10,000 plant species, 300 mammal species, 977 bird species, 176 reptiles, 105 amphibians and 269 types of freshwater fish. The region also has the highest density of the Bengaltiger and is the last bastion of the charismatic greater one-horned rhino.
WWF aims to conserve the habitat of endangered species such as the majestic snow leopard, Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, red pandas, takins, golden langurs, rare Gangetic dolphins and one-horned rhinos as well as thousands of plant and animal species left to discover in the Eastern Himalayas region.
Eastern Himalayas- Where Worlds Collide describes more than 350 new species discovered - including 244 plants, 16 amphibians, 16 reptiles, 14 fish, 2 birds, 2 mammals and at least 60 new invertebrates.
Historically, the rugged and largely inaccessible landscape of the Eastern Himalayas has made biological surveys in the region extremely difficult. As a result, wildlife has remained poorly surveyed and there are large areas that are still biologically unexplored.
Today further species continue to be unearthed and many more species of amphibians, reptiles and fish are currently in the process of being officially named by scientists. The Eastern Himalayas is certainly one of the last biological frontiers of Asiawith many new discoveries waiting to be made.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:35 AM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2009
Urgent action needed to protect the world's most diverse marine ecosystem from climate change
The most diverse marine ecosystem in the world is at risk because of climate change and needs urgent action to protect it, scientists announced this week.
A meeting of scientists organized by Conservation International to assess the impacts of climate change on the Verde Island Passage (VIP) – a narrow corridor of coral-filled tropical waters in the Philippines – called for immediate action from the global community to protect this hugely important site.
Whale Shark © Brian Egan, from the surfbirds galleries
The VIP has arguably the highest concentration of marine species of any region in the world’s oceans, including whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) and giant clams (Tridacna gigas). But the panel of scientists announced that the impacts of climate change in combination with over-exploitation of resources are threatening the marine habitats.
Climate change will not only affect marine habitats and species but also fisheries and the tourism industry of this extremely popular destination with consequences for the well-being of nearly 2 million people who rely on them for food and income.
The scientists found that:
Increasing ocean temperatures are causing coral bleaching – meaning that corals can no longer support the array of plants and animals that rely on them.
Sea level rise is causing coral drowning as the water gets deeper and coral growth is inhibited. Sea level rise is also damaging mangroves - a key costal habitat that protects the coastline and coastal communities from storms, reduces the impacts of floods and provides important habitats for juvenile fishes.
Increased storm frequency and intensity is affecting the marine habitats as well as coastal settlements and the tourist trade in the area.
Whale Shark © Brian Egan, from the surfbirds galleries
The scientists were joined by government officials and local people who discussed the changes in the environment, how the local community is being affected and what needs to be done to adapt. The islands are facing the collapse of fish stocks, damage from aquaculture activities like shrimp farming, and falling tourist revenues.
A series of measures to protect the area were recommended by the scientists, including ensuring that seagrass beds, mangroves and other habitats that provide important ecological services are included in protected areas, the promotion of alternative livelihoods such as seaweed farming, and construction of ports on stilts to allow sediments to move freely, hence reducing sediment loads that impact corals and other coastal marine ecosystems.
"The marine habitats and species of the Verde Island Passage are already threatened by human impacts, like overfishing, pollution and coastal infrastructure development. Climate change is intensifying these impacts, with severe consequences for the well-being of the people of the area, since they depend on fishing and tourism industry," said Dr. Giuseppe Di Carlo, CI's Marine Climate Change Manager. "This workshop tried to offer concrete solutions to adapting to the effects of climate change, so that the unique biodiversity of this place can survive for future generations."
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:55 PM | Comments (0)
New Study to Help Save the World’s Most Spectacular Hummingbird
A new report on one of the world’s bird biodiversity hotspots in Peru finds that most of the species at greatest risk there currently have little or no protected habitat. Conservation groups now plan to use the report to guide land protection efforts in the region.
“American Bird Conservancy and ECOAN are committed to conserving threatened species and their habitats in Peru, including the Marvelous Spatuletail, an amazing hummingbird found only in Peru, and the rare Long-whiskered Owlet,” said study co-author Hugo Arnal, American Bird Conservancy’s Director of International Sustainable Conservation. “This latest study will help guide future conservation work in the Marañon region to ensure the best results can be achieved with critical conservation dollars.”
Marvelous Spatuletail © Roger Ahlman, from the surfbirds galleries
The study was produced by a coalition of conservationists working with the Peruvian conservation group Asociación Ecosystemas Andinos (ECOAN) and American Bird Conservancy, as well as independent biologists.
“This work highlights the critical need to protect the Marañon–Alto Mayo Conservation Corridor,” said ECOAN’s Tino Aucca, one of the study authors. “Even though the region is considered a high conservation priority, barely 0.1% of it is actually protected.”
The Marañon–Alto Mayo Conservation Corridor constitutes a rugged and varied landscape covering over six million acres in Northern Peru, and includes high conservation priority areas such as the Sechura Dessert, Tumbes-Piura dry forests, Marañon dry forests, and Peruvian Yungas.
Marvelous Spatuletail © Roger Ahlman, from the surfbirds galleries
This new study identified 64 bird species of conservation importance in the Marañon, with a subset of 28 bird species of the highest conservation priority. Twenty-six of these are endemic to Peru, and four have been identified by the Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) as restricted to single small areas, the protection of which is essential if the species are to survive.
Using information on the known locations and the most recent vegetation maps, the researchers projected the potential range for these highest priority species. Based on these ranges, from one to seven potential conservation areas for each species were identified. These individual areas were then overlain to select the ten highest priority areas which are being proposed for a wide array of conservation strategies, from strict protected area status to sustainable conservation programs, and community owned nature reserves.
“The study not only sheds light on the problem of lack of protection for the key bird species and their habitats in the Marañon, it also provides a way forward by scientifically identifying ten priority areas for conservation,” said Arnal.“This will provide the greatest conservation return for our investment in the area.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:48 PM | Comments (0)
British Bird Atlas: the halfway stage!
The biggest ever stocktake of Britain’s birds reaches the halfway mark on Friday 31 July. Over three million observations for the Bird Atlas have been collected so far.
As the fieldwork for the second summer season of the Bird Atlas ends, 16,000 volunteers will be celebrating the halfway stage in this massive project. With the completion of the first two years of this four-year project, this is an ideal opportunity to assess how the survey has gone so far, and to plan the next two years of work, to ensure complete coverage of Britain and Ireland by 31 July 2011.
Corn Bunting, sadly experiencing range contraction © Adrian Webb, from the surfbirds galleries
Volunteers have trekked along the coastline, trudged over moorlands, scaled mountains, walked through villages, towns and cities, visited forests and viewed our lakes all in a quest to map the distribution of birds in Britain and Ireland for both the winter and the breeding season. The statistics are impressive too with 1.6 million Roving Records submitted and another 1.6 million records have come in from the BTO/RSPB/BWI BirdTrack project; and on top of this, timed counts have been carried out in over 97,000 2km x 2km squares by dedicated volunteers.
Dawn Balmer, Atlas Organiser at the British Trust for Ornithology said, “We are on target to achieve our coverage aims, with 68% of our timed counts completed for winter and 65% completed for the breeding season. Although this sounds very positive, there are still many areas that need a considerable amount of effort over the next two years. These tend to be areas where fewer people live, remote areas or difficult terrain to cover. Places in Britain such as Islay & Jura, Shetland, Wigtownshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Isle of Man, North Cornwall, and Montgomeryshire all need help from birdwatchers. We urge more birdwatchers in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to get involved in the project to build on what has already been achieved here.”
Now that the halfway stage has been reached, the BTO want to encourage all birdwatchers to send in any outstanding records for the Atlas, so that the current coverage can be assessed. This will help to inform plans for the remaining two years of fieldwork. Already many changes in species distribution are emerging, such as the spread east of the Raven and the range expansions of Cetti’s Warbler and Marsh Harrier, but some worrying pictures are also coming to light, like the range contractions of Corn Bunting and Turtle Dove.
For more information on how you can help and to see just where help is most needed, visit www.birdatlas.net
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:39 PM | Comments (0)
Rare crossbill irruption in Northern Ireland
Although crossbills breed in Northern Ireland, in some years these visitors arrive in large numbers from Scandinavia and Russia following the breeding season. According to Dr James Robinson of the RSPB, these birds have come this far west in search of their favourite food – the seeds in pinecones.
Crossbill © Mike Weedon, from the surfbirds galleries
“This is not a migration, but rather an irruption,” he explains. “These birds breed early in the year and occasionally they will exhaust their food supplies where they breed, especially in years when pine seeds are in short supply. When this happens, they often fly thousands of kilometres in search of food. Some years they come as far as Ireland and the UK – which is what we think has happened this year – and some may stay here to breed next year.”
Crossbills are most often encountered in noisy family groups or larger flocks, usually flying close to treetop height. They feed acrobatically, fluttering from cone to cone. Adult males are a distinctive brick-red and females greenish-brown. Their bills are ideal for prising the scales of pinecones open and extracting the seed.
“They are beautiful to watch and have a distinctive ‘chip chip’ call,” said Dr Robinson. “They have been sighted in large numbers in forests across Britain and Ireland, including Northern Ireland. At the RSPB Northern Ireland headquarters in Belvoir Park Forest there is a flock of more than 20 birds which regularly uses the trees above our offices to feed.”
Dr Robinson also went on to say, “This demonstrates the importance of Northern Ireland’s forests for crossbills as well as other amazing wildlife, such as red squirrels, pine martens and treecreepers.
“As the new Forestry Bill passes through the Assembly in the coming months, we are urging politicians and decision-makers to place a strong emphasis on the role that forests play in protecting our wonderful woodland wildlife.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:34 PM | Comments (0)
Breeding success raises hopes for Asian vultures
The slender-billed vulture - one of the world’s most threatened birds - has been successfully bred in captivity for the first time.
This great news raises hopes that captive breeding has the potential to save this and other Critically Endangered Asian vultures from global extinction.
Two slender-billed vultures - which are rarer and more threatened in India than the tiger - have been reared at dedicated breeding centres in India, along with three Oriental white-backed vultures (another Critically Endangered species). It is estimated that only 1,000 slender-billed vultures remain in the wild and their population is decreasing dramatically every year.
Slender-billed Vulture © Alan Lewis, from the surfbirds galleries
Last year saw the first successful captive breeding of Oriental white-backed vultures and there are encouraging signs that a third Critically Endangered species, the long-billed vulture, may breed in the centres next year.
The RSPB’s Chris Bowden is in charge of the Society’s Asian vulture programme. He said: “This news is a huge boost to those of us fighting to save Asian vultures, which face extinction in the wild within the next decade unless we can prevent the veterinary use of Diclofenac, which causes acute kidney failure in vultures consuming the carcasses of treated livestock.”
A recent study found the Indian population of Oriental white-backed vultures is dropping by more than 40 per cent every year in India. This is one of the fastest recorded rates of decline for any species. For every 1000 oriental white-backed vultures recorded in India in1992, only one remains today.
Numbers of long-billed and slender-billed vultures together, have fallen by almost 97 per cent since 1992.
Scientists believe numbers of Oriental white-backed vultures in India could now be down to fewer than 11,000 individuals from tens of millions in the 1980s. Populations of long-billed and slender-billed vultures have dropped to around 45,000 and 1,000 birds respectively.
Catastrophic
The vultures’ catastrophic decline has been driven by the veterinary drug Diclofenac. The birds die of kidney failure after eating the carcasses of livestock that have died within a few days of treatment with the drug.
Manufacture of the veterinary form of Diclofenac, used as an anti-inflammatory treatment for livestock, was outlawed in India in 2006, and although these veterinary formulations are disappearing, equally dangerous human formulations are instead being used to treat livestock.
Captive-breeding programmes are a vital part of the effort to save the vultures. One of the slender-billed vultures fledged this year was bred at the Pinjore centre, in Haryana, and the second at Rajabhat Khawa, in West Bengal. This year’s three Oriental white-backed vultures were also fledged at Pinjore, in Haryana.
Refining expertise
Chris Bowden, the RSPB’s Vulture Programme Manager, said: “This news is hugely exciting. It is clear we are refining our expertise, but with extinction in the wild likely in the next 10 years, we do not have a moment to waste. The more vultures that we can bring into captivity means a better chance of survival for these rapidly-declining species.
“Birds can only be saved from extinction through banning the retail sale of Diclofenac, promotion of the safe alternative, Meloxicam, and the capture of more birds for the breeding programme.
Dr Vibhu Prakash, Head of the Bombay Natural History Society’s (BNHS) Vulture Breeding Programme, said: “As many more of the young birds reach maturity over the next two years, we confidently anticipate that breeding will really take off”.
Andrew Routh, Chief Veterinary Officer at ZSL, said: “This fantastic achievement can be attributed to the dedication and hard work of the breeding centre staff. Through sharing our expertise on the veterinary care of these magnificent birds, we look forward to our continued involvement on this collaborative project.”
There is growing support for the programme, especially from the Indian Government’s Ministry of Environment and Forests, who have recently allocated funds to expand the centres. The Haryana state government carried out important flood prevention measures at Pinjore earlier this year, and the Assam Government has funded the main office and visiting facility at the newest of the three BNHS run centres, at Rani Forest, in Assam.
This is particularly welcome, as running costs are increasing, and the RSPB is currently paying for most of this, with some support from the Rufford Foundation.
Meanwhile in Nepal, an additional initiative led by the National Trust for Nature Conservation, Bird Conservation Nepal and the Department of National Parks & Wildlife Conservation, with support from the Zoological Society of London and RSPB, has successfully collected 44 young Oriental white-backed vultures ready to breed in future.
The main aviary is nearing completion and these birds are an important addition to those in India.
Anand Chaudhary, Vulture Officer with Bird Conservation Nepal, said: “This captive population will be vital for safeguarding the future of vultures in Nepal, alongside local and national efforts to remove the last remaining stocks of veterinary diclofenac to protect wild populations.”
Government efforts both in India and Nepal to ban veterinary formulations are taking effect, but further measures are needed to stop illegal use of human formulations in treating livestock. The safe alternative, meloxicam, is becoming more widely available and is now manufactured by over 20 companies in South Asia.
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:27 PM | Comments (0)
August 7, 2009
One-third of all landfall migrants inaccessible?
Natural England has revealed that almost 1000 miles of England’s coastline is either inaccessible or lacks secure access.
The findings come as the result of an extensive audit – conducted by Natural England, in partnership with 53 local access authorities - into existing access to England’s coast. The results have been published in the form of a series of maps, identifying the huge differences between regions in their provision of public access to the coast.
The audit shows that there is no satisfactory or legally secure access to 34% of the English coast. In the North West, this figure rises to over half the coast (56%). Access is best in the South West where full public access extends to 76% of the coast.
Yellow-browed Warbler, Lincolnshire © Graham Catley, from the surfbirds galleries
Dr Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England, said: “The news that the public lack full access to nearly 1000 miles of coastline is a sobering reminder of how much is at stake in the Marine & Coastal Access Bill. There are significant challenges ahead, but for millions of people, the Bill presents a unique opportunity to transform their enjoyment of England’s countryside”.
With no-one living more than 70 miles from the coast, England’s coastline remains enormously popular as a place to visit and to sample some of Europe’s finest scenery and wildlife. Estimates point to 246 million trips being made to the coast in a single year. In the case of the South West Coast Path, annual tourism-related expenditure is estimated at around £300 million.*
Poul Christensen, Acting Chair of Natural England, said: “With increasing numbers of people taking their breaks in Britain, it is encouraging that there will be more coastal destinations opening up for visitors in the future when the Marine and Coastal Access Bill is passed.
“Our audit looked at the different types of access that exist on the ground and the results show a stop-start effect. On average you cannot walk further than two miles without reaching an area of unsecure access or having to turn back. Plugging some of the gaps and improving access along almost 1000 miles of coastline could add significant value to the way the coast is used”.
Natural England’s audit has also highlighted the importance of the Marine & Coastal Access Bill in enabling footpath networks to adapt to the increasing problem of coastal erosion. Natural England’s audit estimates that 13 per cent of the existing coastal rights of way could be lost to erosion in the next 20 years. Provisions in the forthcoming Bill allow for the new route to be made erosion proof, with the path rolling inland when landslips occur.
Helen Phillips concluded: “Our audit maps are the start of what we expect to be a ten year journey to improve access around England’s coastline. They form the first look at where efforts will need to be focussed in delivering on the provisions of the Marine & Coastal Access Bill. It is clear that with nearly 1000 miles of access gaps there are real opportunities to open up a new future for the ‘forgotten areas’ of England’s coastline.”
Summary of Audit findings
The English coastline is 2748 miles long. A satisfactory legally secure path runs along 66 per cent of its length. Natural England’s audit reveals that there is no satisfactory, legally secure access along 34 per cent, or 934, miles of coast
Natural England’s audit maps show all existing paths that are not legally-secure as a gap. This will include existing permissive paths and those used on a de-facto (‘by tradition’) basis. Neither of these types of use, even if existing, constitute a legal right and could be removed at relatively short notice. They cover a multitude of circumstances, from very informal locally exercised arrangements to funded contractual agreements. Gaps also include sections of coast with no path at all.
Regional breakdowns
Region - Total length of coast - Existing secure access
North West - 421 miles - 44%
North East - 183 miles - 67%
Yorkshire and Humber - 174 miles - 70%
East Midlands - 98 miles - 61%
East of England - 534 miles - 68%
South East - 569 miles - 63%
South West - 768 miles - 76%
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:33 AM | Comments (0)
August 6, 2009
Ganges River Dolphin in dire straits
Dolphin hotspots must be protected if the Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) is to survive in the Brahmaputra river system, according to a recent study.
Estimates have put the total population of the Ganges River Dolphins at around 2,000. Out of these, between 240 to 300 inhabit the Brahmaputra River system in India, according to a recent survey by an IUCN Sir Peter Scott Fund project.
“Our research shows accidental killing through fisheries by-catch, followed by poaching for oil, are the major threats to the dolphins of the Brahmaputra river system,” says Project Leader Abdul Wakid. “Their habitat is also being degraded by human activities. Dam building and a proposed seismsic survey in the Brahmaputra river are potential threats.”
Dolphin survey team in Brahmaputra, copyright Dr. Wakid Abdul, courtesy IUCN
The project, funded by Fondation Ensemble, was prompted by the need for some robust dolphin population data after Oil India Ltd. proposed to start prospecting for oil along the bed of the Brahmaputra River using air guns and explosives.
The research identified eight river sections as potential protected areas and community-based dolphin conservation as the best strategy to save the dolphins.
“The Brahmaputra River is very important habitat for these endangered dolphins,” says Gill Braulik, of IUCN’s Cetacean Specialist Group. “To protect them it is vital that we involve local river communities. In some places, like in the Kukurmara area of Kulsi River, for example, the dolphins are a tourist attraction due to protection by local communities. But in other areas, dolphins are accidentally killed in fishing nets or are sometimes deliberately caught and killed for their oil.”
The project carried out 32 awareness campaigns along the Brahmaputra valley, focusing on fishing communities in areas surrounding dolphin hotspots.
The Ganges River Dolphin is found mainly in the Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems in India and Bangladesh. This survey concentrated on the 1,044km stretch of dolphin-inhabited Brahmaputra River system, primarily in Assam of North East India. In a 2005 survey in the same river stretch by the same investigating group a best estimate of 250 dolphins was recorded.
Full report: http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/brahmaputra_river_dolphins___psf_final_report.pdf
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:03 PM | Comments (0)
August 4, 2009
Golden eagle poisoned
The RSPB has been shocked and saddened to hear that another golden eagle has been found poisoned, this time at Angus in Scotland. It is the second similar case this summer, after another eagle was poisoned just a few weeks ago.
Golden Eagle © Mark Priest, from the surfbirds galleries
These magnificent birds still suffer as a result of the callous of actions of a minority who seem determined to deny others the chance to experience one of the UK's most breath-taking species. This particular bird, named Alma, was fitted with a tracking device and suspicions were raised when the bird appeared to stop moving at the beginning of July. Her carcass has now been found and the worst possible fears have been confirmed. Police are investigating.
Alma was a young female eagle, just past her second birthday. She had just started to moult into her adult feathers and would have been looking to set up territory and breed in the coming years. Tragically she will now never get that chance.
Jeff Knott, RSPB Species Policy Officer, said "This is a horrific example of the callous disregard a minority have for some of our most spectacular birds of prey. It is beyond my comprehension that some people still put baits laced with lethal toxins out in our countryside with the aim of killing beautiful birds like this golden eagle. Nor is this an isolated case.
In 2007, the RSPB received 165 reports of poisoning incidents such as this, which resulted in the death of at least 104 birds or animals. Its absolutely vital that we all condemn the illegal killing of birds of prey like Alma and send the strongest possible message to those responsible that their activities are completely unacceptable in today's society".
Posted by Surfbirds at 5:05 PM | Comments (0)
Preachers and teachers help conserve Turkish wetland
Lake Burdur is internationally important for wintering and passage waterbirds, and has been threatened in recent years by pollution, urban development and unsustainable agricultural practices. In response, Doğa Derneği - the BirdLife Partner Designate for Turkey - recently drafted a sermon to educate the local community of Burdur on the importance of conserving their lake.
White-headed Duck © Rony Livne, from the surfbirds galleries
“…Water is one of the countless blessings and a source of life for us, as well as for all of Earth’s creatures”, said Burdur’s Provincial Mufti. “ It is estimated that through the sermon Doğa Derneği reached approximately 52,000 people across over 1,000 mosques in all the villages, towns, districts and provincial centre of Burdur. The first of its kind in Burdur, the sermon highlighted the responsibility of humans in protecting the environment and wildlife.
Lake Burdur is an Important Bird Area (IBA) and one of nine Ramsar wetlands of international importance in Turkey. It is very important for wintering waterbirds, and is the single most important wintering site for Endangered White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala - over two-thirds of the world’s wintering population occur at Burder Lake.
The Lake is facing degradation pressure due to the unrestricted use of water resources which feeds the basin which is leading to its rapid retreat and a marked decrease in crop productivity and soil quality. Poor management of water resources continue to threaten the ecosystem’s balance, its ecological integrity and the species which depend on it.
Posted by Surfbirds at 4:55 PM | Comments (0)