Surfbirds News

October 25, 2008

Wetar Ground-dove rediscovered in Indonesia

Scientists working for the UK-based conservation charity Columbidae Conservation have
rediscovered the endangered Wetar Ground-dove (Gallicolumba hoedtii), one of the world’s least known birds, on the island after which it is named. There have been no official records of the species on Wetar Island for 100 years.

These initial observations on Wetar are therefore very good news for the species’ future conservation as apart from Wetar, an island located in eastern Indonesia, the species only occurs on one other island, the neighbouring island of Timor (Indonesia / Timor-Leste).

For the full story and images click here

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:06 AM | Comments (0)

October 6, 2008

The ultimate in digiscoping?

The unveiling of a new combined spotting scope and digital camera heralds a new era in digiscoping, according to Zeiss. Their latest technological innovation certainly removes many of the problems faced by digiscopers.

The Zeiss PhotoScope™ 85 T* FL is a logical next step for this top optical company, combining their optical and camera expertise in one new product.

Digiscoping may provide some great opportunities for photographing distant birds and rarities, but the constant postioning of either a hand-held camera or slotting of an adapter onto an eyepiece is far from quick or easy.

With this new product Zeiss has done away with this by combining a spotting scope, complete with a 15-45 zoom lens and an 85mm objective lens, with a digital camera that takes 7 megapixel images. The combination is equivalent to a 600-1800mm camera lens.

Best of all the camera is triggered by a remote control, removing all possibility of camera shake from this action, and there is no shutter or mirror so that birds can be watched and photographed at the same time. Like any camera it requires a battery and SD memory card.

The market launch of the Zeiss Photoscope™ is due for spring/summer 2009. See product details.

See a video demonstration of the Zeiss Photoscope™ below:

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:27 AM | Comments (0)

August 14, 2008

Humpback whale on road to recovery, reveals IUCN Red List

Some large whale species, including the humpback, are now less threatened with extinction, according to the cetacean update of the 2008 IUCN Red List. Most small coastal and freshwater cetaceans, however, are moving closer to extinction.

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) has moved from Vulnerable to Least Concern, meaning it is at low risk of extinction, although two subpopulations are Endangered. The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) has also moved to Least Concern.

Humpback Whale © Marc Guyt / AGAMI, from the surfbirds galleries

“Humpbacks and southern right whales are making a comeback in much of their range mainly because they have been protected from commercial hunting,” says Randall Reeves, Chair of the Cetacean Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, who led the IUCN Red List assessment. “This is a great conservation success and clearly shows what needs to be done to ensure these ocean giants survive.”

Despite the improvement in status of these two species, the assessment revealed deterioration in the status of others. Overall, nearly a quarter of cetacean species are considered threatened, and of those, more than 10% (nine species) are listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered, the highest categories of threat. In addition, two subspecies and 12 subpopulations are listed as Critically Endangered.

The real situation could be much worse as more than half of the cetacean species (44 species) are classed as Data Deficient, meaning future research needs to be a priority. With better information, more species could well prove to be in danger. The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) and sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) all remain listed as Endangered, pending more evidence of recovery.

Whales are under threat in many areas from ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, habitat deterioration, declining prey and noise disturbance.

Small coastal cetaceans, such as the Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), the finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) and the South American franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei), are now all listed as Vulnerable, meaning they are threatened with extinction.

“Too many of these small coastal cetaceans end up as bycatch in fisheries. This remains the main threat to them and it is only going to get worse,” says Reeves.

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus), a porpoise in the Gulf of California, Mexico, will most likely be the next cetacean species to go extinct. Already listed as Critically Endangered, an estimated 15% of its dwindling population is killed in gillnets every year, leaving only about 150 alive in the wild. The Yangtze River dolphin or baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) was classified as Critically Endangered, Possibly Extinct on last year’s IUCN Red List and it is feared that the vaquita will follow the same path.

“River dolphins are one of the most threatened cetacean categories, mainly because they are locked in competition with humans for dwindling freshwater resources,” says Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Head of IUCN’s Species Programme.

With less whale hunting over the last few decades, accidental killing in fishing gear has become the main threat to cetaceans. Besides the vaquita, the Black Sea harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena relicta), which moved from Vulnerable to Endangered, the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and the western gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), already listed as Endangered and Critically Endangered respectively, are among the cetaceans most at risk from this threat.

“Disentanglement programmes to release whales captured in fishing gear, already carried out in the United States, New Zealand and Australia, help some individuals survive,” says Bill Perrin, Chair of the IUCN Cetacean Red List Authority. “However, areas of critical habitat need to be closed to certain types of fishing, at least seasonally, to ensure the survival of some species.”

Military sonar is another threat that particularly affects deep-diving beaked whales and other cetaceans like the melon-headed whale. Mass strandings of these species have occurred more often in the last 30 years.

“Large parts of the oceans are now filled with human-generated noise, not only from military sonar but also from seismic surveys and shipping. This noise undoubtedly affects many cetaceans, in some cases leading to their death,” says Jan Schipper, Conservation International and IUCN Global Mammal Assessment Director. “It may not always kill whales and dolphins, but it affects their ability to communicate and it can drive them away, at least temporarily, from their feeding grounds.”

Climate change is also starting to affect whales. The distribution of many species is changing, with the potential for a cascade of effects such as exposure to new diseases, inter-species competition and changes in prey populations. The Antarctic great whales, for example, depend on krill for food. As water temperatures rise, krill populations may decline, leaving such whales short of food.

Posted by Surfbirds at 1:53 PM | Comments (0)

August 1, 2008

Puffin population plummets

A survey of the numbers of Puffins on one of their main breeding colonies has revealed a dramatic decline over the last five years, says the National Trust.

The largest colony of Puffins in England, on the Farne Islands in Northumberland, was counted this year for the first time since 2003. The results show that numbers have dropped dramatically, from 55,674 breeding pairs in 2003 to just 36,500 this year.

Puffins, Farne Islands, July 2008 © Glynn Sellors, from the surfbirds galleries

Eight islands in the group were surveyed and Puffins had declined on all of them, some had even halved their populations. A similar survey on the Isle of May, in the Firth of Forth, Scotland showed a decline from 69,300 to 41,000 pairs.

The National Trust’s head warden on the Farne Islands, David Steel, said: "The results from this survey have completely surprised us as we were predicting another rise in the numbers of breeding pairs. Stocks of sandeels, the staple food of puffins in the summer, are in good supply around the Islands and there is a lack of ground predators creating a good environment for puffins to breed.

"Extensive monitoring work shows that good numbers of young puffins are successfully fledging each year but it would appear they're just not coming back to the Islands the following years. Presumably fewer birds are surviving overwinter than are needed to maintain current numbers.”

Scientists say they urgently need to know more about what happens to Puffins when they are out at sea during the winter months, especially which factors are vital for their survival. Whether climate change is involved, or over-fishing, is not clear.

Source: Birdwatch magazine

Posted by Surfbirds at 1:10 PM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2008

Hundreds of penguins dead

Biologists are puzzled by the hundreds of young penguins that have been washing up along the Brazilian coastline since late June.

The Magellanic Penguins have been found dead or barely alive, along beaches all over south-eastern Brazil. The mainly young birds will have come from colonies about 2,500 miles south in Argentina. Penguins regularly move north into the waters off southern Brazil in search of food. While occasional birds are found washed up, the number of birds being found recently have rung alarm bells.

"The penguin population is intimately linked to their supplies of food, so this suggests something is happening to the population of fish they eat," said biologist Marcelo Bertellotti. "It appears the penguins are not finding fish where they normally do, and one reason could be that warming waters and climate change have impacted the fish population."

There have also been suggestions that overfishing could be the cause, or that a recent oil spill off the coast of Uruguay might have damaged fish populations. Perhaps melting ice in Antarctica could have strengthened the northbound Malvinas ocean current this year, bringing younger, more vulnerable penguins north.

Some of the young birds have been found covered in oil, and one weighed less than half of its normal body weight. About half of the rescued birds have not survived being taken to a rehabilitation centre.

source: Birdwatch magazine

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:33 AM | Comments (0)

Cattle Egrets breed in Somerset

A new British breeding species has been added to the list, and might herald colonisation, says the Somerset Ornithological Society.

Following the unprecedented influx of Cattle Egrets into Britain in late 2007 and early 2008, a pair established themselves at a site in Somerset and has successfully bred for the first time, raising one young. The event is all the more remarkable as the species is still an official rarity in Britain.

Cattle Egret, Somerset, July 2007 © Jeff Hazell, from the surfbirds galleries

Their arrival into south-west England began when about 15 birds were seen in November 2007, climbing to 50 by Christmas. In January 2008 numbers had grown to about 85 in January and stayed at about 75 until May when only 55 were seen.

Breeding has long been predicted as the species is renowned for its dispersal and colonisation. Originally found in Spain and Portugal in Europe, as well as tropical Africa and Asia, it arrived in South America in 1877, breeding there in the 1930s. North America records began in 1941, with first breeding there in 1953.

Britain’s first accepted record was in 1805, in Devon, with the next not until 1917 in Norfolk. With only five more records in the next 50 years, it started to be seen with greater regularity from the late 1960s. Since 1979 records have been almost annual with at least 20 seen in 1992. By 2000 there had been just less than 100 records in Britain. Between 2002 and 2004 there were only a handful of records, with double figures in 2005 and 2006.

Brian Hill of the Somerset Ornithological Society, said: “We are pleased to report that a pair of Cattle Egrets bred at a site in the county, rearing at least one young. As far as is known, this is the first time this species has been recorded breeding in the United Kingdom and, it is hoped, the event will prove a prelude to colonisation.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:26 AM | Comments (0)

July 17, 2008

Seawatch SW survey starts

This year’s Seawatch SW survey has begun, with observers watching from the Gwennap Head watchpoint (near Porthgwarra, Cornwall) until mid-October.

Once again the survey will be concentrating on sightings of Balearic Shearwater, a Critically Endangered species which seems to be increasing using British waters. As well as monitoring them past the watchpoint, the survey is also collecting all records from around the coast of Britain and Ireland.

Balearic Shearwater © Ben Lascelles, from the surfbirds galleries

If you want to help out at the watchpoint, which is manned from 15 July to 15 October, there are still some opportunities for both seabird and marine wildlife observers - details can be found at www.seawatch-sw.org

Also, if you see a Balearic Shearwater anywhere around our coastline then send in details of the record to www.seawatch-sw.org, using the online form, or send it to Birdguides.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:01 AM | Comments (0)

July 2, 2008

Ten More Days Custody Without Charge for Greenpeace Japan Activists

A court in Aomori, Japan has ruled that two Greenpeace peaceful protestors who exposed a major scandal around the embezzlement of whale meat from the Japanese government-sponsored Southern Ocean whaling programme will spend the maximum time in custody without charge permissible under Japanese law - 23 days.

Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki were arrested on June 20th after exposing the scandal, despite offering to cooperate with any police investigation and having already submitted, under their own initiative, written statements about the undercover investigation, which revealed large-scale theft of meat from the tax-payer funded so-called scientific whaling programme.

"With this additional custody order, Junichi and Toru are to spend twenty three days in detention without charge, despite having given the police all the information they need. This is much longer than the time spent by the Tokyo District Prosecutor investigating the evidence presented by Greenpeace of an embezzlement ring within the so-called scientific whaling fleet," commented Greenpeace International Executive Director, Gerd Leipold. "The authorities in Japan must, as a matter of urgency, refocus their energy on investigating the crimes covered up by the whaling industry and sectors of the Government, not the method of exposing the evidence."

Since their arrest, nearly 190,000 people have sent letters to the Japanese Government calling for the release of Junichi and Toru and further demanding a full investigation into the whale meat embezzlement scandal. Protests have been held outside Japanese embassies in 33 cities across 29 countries.

In a message to supporters, sent via their lawyers, Junichi and Toru welcomed the support they have had from people all over the world, adding: "We still need your help. We have been ordered to remain in custody for ten more days without charge. Please encourage your friends to send an email to the Japanese government, if they have not already. Keep watching for news from Greenpeace of more actions you can take and make sure that the global demand to investigate the whale meat scandal we exposed is heard loud and clear here in Japan."

The "Stolen Japanese Whale Meat Scandal" dossier is available to download at:
http://www.greenpeace.org/whale-meat-scandal

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:07 AM | Comments (0)

June 6, 2008

Malta - one of the top birding destinations in Europe

Hadoram Shirihai is fresh off a boat trip to photograph Mediterranean Storm-petrels here in Malta and he is excited. “We had a pod of common dolphins, twenty-five of them, circling close to us and fishing with the shearwaters. The birds were feeding among the dolphins and picking off the fish they missed. We could have watched them all day, they were so close….. but we had to go on to find the storm-petrels”.

When a man like Hadoram Shirihai is excited about birding in Malta, you know it’s serious. Shirihai is a heavy-weight ornithologist from Israel, widely acknowledged as the foremost middle-eastern authority on birds. His published works include The Birds of Israel which was awarded 'Best Bird Book of the Year' by British Birds and Birdwatch. He also won awards for A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife, while The Macmillan Birder's Guide to European and Middle Eastern Birds is a summary of 30 years of field research. Amongst these achievements, he recently rediscovered Beck’s Petrel which had been believed to be extinct for around 80 years. Last week, he flew to Malta specifically to meet John J. Borg of Heritage Malta and the EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater Project so that John could show him the very special storm-petrels that breed on Filfla.

Storm Petrel © Joe Cockram, from the surfbirds galleries

His enthusiasm for the seabird populations here in the islands was infectious. “What a trip!” he enthused. “We left port at 4.30am and headed straight out beyond Filfla. John has a secret recipe which he puts into the water to tempt the birds in and we spent a lot of time bobbing on the sea with the birds just out of range of the camera. The Cory’s and Yelkouan Shearwaters came close to the boat, but the storm-petrels were more wary.” John confirms, “Every time we swung round to get close, they backed away, ‘running’ on the waves before take off, as if they were teasing us. These birds are a little camera shy which is why getting a good photo of them at sea is such a prize.”

Having seen just a little bit of what Malta has to offer, Shirihai feels that the islands have the potential to be one of the top birding destinations in Europe in terms of migration. “I can see the parallels in Malta with the birding situation in Eilat in Israel in the 1970s,” he says. At that time, birding tourism was just about to start its meteoric rise up the economic agenda. Bird-watching in Malta now seems set to see a similar explosion in popularity in the coming years.

Shirihai is already planning his next trip to Malta, hoping to arrive in June to finally snap those elusive storm-petrels so that they can feature in his current work, a handbook on seabirds which is still a work in progress. And with his eye for a great birding destination, where Shirihai goes, it’s worth other birders following – so pack your binos; we’ll see you in Malta!

The Yelkouan Shearwater Project is a partnership initiative of 4 government authorities (Heritage Malta, Malta Martime Authority, Malta Centre for Fisheries Sciences and the Armed Forces of Malta) and 3 conservation organisations (BirdLife Malta, SPEA – BirdLife Portugal and RSPB – BirdLife UK). It is part funded by the EU and receives financial contributions from HSBC and MEPA. To find out more visit www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:36 AM | Comments (0)

June 3, 2008

UN joins environmental calls for Russia to move Olympic site

Greenpeace warns Olympic Village threatens rare and endangered species.

Greenpeace welcomes the United Nations Environment Programme’s criticism of plans to build 2014 Winter Olympics facilities on a site critical to rare and endangered species.

The site, Grushevy Ridge, is a conservation border area, legally protected from being built on because of its importance to wildlife and nature. Greenpeace Russia is calling on the Sochi-2014 organising committee, state corporation Olympstroy, which is in charge of constructing the venues and related infrastructure, and the International Olympic Committee to build the Games’ Olympic Village and luge-bobsleigh route in an area not under threat.

In its ‘Sochi 2014 – UNEP Mission Report’, released today, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced it “encourage[s] the partners in the Russian Federation and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to look into the suitability of alternative locations. Our view is that the currently planned location may compromise other efforts to ensure the Games are environmentally friendly.”

The Grushevy Ridge is important for a number of rare and endangered species, among which are the West Caucasian chamois and West Caucasian tur, listed as endangered on the 2007 International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The site borders the Western Caucasus UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the Caucasus State Biosphere Nature Reserve.

“It is crucial the Russian authorities and IOC recognise the need to protect Russia’s precious wild habitat and move the Winter Olympics away from the Grushevy Ridge. We are eager to help the Olympic authorities find a site that will not threaten wildlife and promote environmentalism for the Olympic Games in 2014,” Andrey Petrov, Greenpeace Russia World Heritage Program Coordinator says.

Greenpeace Russia, WWF-Russia and Transparent World, a non-commercial partnership, have proposed 16 alternative sites for the Olympic Village and luge-bobsleigh route. All conform to the International Luge and International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federations’ requirements, and would not damage the environment.

Despite sending details of alternative sites to the Sochi-2014 Organising Committee on 22 February, the Committee failed to forward them to the respective sporting federations and IOC. This is despite an agreement to do so following a round table meeting in January. Greenpeace Russia met the IOC in Sochi on 23 April, and submitted the list of alternative sites directly.

During an IOC Coordinating Commission visit to Sochi in April, the Russian authorities declared no venue would be changed. Greenpeace hopes the UN Environmental Programme’s recommendations will change this decision and encourage the International Olympic Committee to consider alternative sites that take environmental impact into account.

See http://www.iucnredlist.org/info/introduction for the International Union for
Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:20 AM | Comments (0)

April 17, 2008

Sea eagle watchpoint opens

A new hide for watching White-tailed Eagles has just been opened in the best location for viewing the birds in their Scottish home, announced the Forestry Commission.

The island of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland, is the only location in Britain where White-tailed Eagles can be viewed from a hide specially designed for viewing them.

White-tailed Eagle © Mike Watson/Birdquest, from the surfbirds galleries

The state-of-the-art bird hide is mobile and can be moved into different positions each year, depending on where the eagles nest. Recently purchased by Forestry Commission Scotland it overlooks Loch Frisa and has a glass front for viewing, canvas interpretation panels and two TV screens featuring live footage of the birds which is beamed into the hide from CCTV cameras placed close to the nest.

The hide is the result of a partnership between Forestry Commission Scotland, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, Mull & Iona Community Trust, Strathclyde Police and volunteers. Its aim is to protect the birds and provide a unique viewing experience while increasing the social and local economic benefits.

Elaine Jamieson, for Forestry Commission Scotland said: "These are magnificent birds all the more impressive for being seen in the beautiful Mull landscape. We are all extremely proud of this partnership and the hope to see lots of visitors enjoying the experience this year."

A pair of sea eagles have been nesting on the shores of Loch Frisa on Forestry Commission Scotland land since 1998. Trips to the hide are taking place until 25 July and booking is essential. Tickets cost £2 for a child, £4 for adults and £10 for a family. To book, contact 01688 302038. For more information visit www.forestry.gov.uk/mullseaeagles

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:37 AM | Comments (0)

March 27, 2008

Handbook of Western Palearctic Birds (HWPB)

The first volume (passerines) of the long-awaited book by Hadoram Shirihai & Lars Svensson, the Photographic Handbook of the Birds of the Western Palearctic, is now being readied for publication. It will be the most up-to-date work regarding identification, plumage variation, racial identification and taxonomy of the region.

Black Bush Robin Cercotrichas podobe, Israel. From the forthcoming Handbook of
Western Palearctic Birds, A&C Black. © Hadoram Shirihai

The Handbook team has established a Western Palearctic Photo Collection of almost all the bird species, races and plumage variations that occur in the region. More than 100 photographers have already contributed to the collection, including many of the most experienced and talented in Europe. However, they are still seeking to improve the collection and to find good images of a few of the missing species, subspecies and plumages. Thus, they are inviting contributions from photographers with high-quality or useful (for identification or ageing/sexing purposes) photographs taken in the field.

Click here for a list of gaps in the collection. Suggested photos for submission should be sent as low-resolution jpegs or a similar format. Please send these direct to the photographic editor of the project René Pop. Note that they are also interested in high-quality images of more common species that do not appear on this list.

For information and guidelines on how to submit photographs please click here.

Krüper's Nuthatch Sitta krueperi, Greece. From the forthcoming Handbook of Western
Palearctic Birds, A&C Black. © René Pop

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:10 AM | Comments (0)

March 20, 2008

Join the Shetland Migration

The Shetland Islands, one of Europe's best wildlife spots, are now within easy reach of Southern England.

The archipelago, described by many as 'a magnet for birders and twitchers alike' is once again to benefit from a direct service from Stansted.

Shetland is also able to boast that it is officially one of the best unspoilt island destinations on the planet, having achieved third place in an in-depth review by National Geographic Traveler magazine. The 522 experts concluding the islands 'have got everything with bells on'!

Atlantic Puffin, Shetland Islands, © Rebecca Nason, from the surfbirds galleries

The Atlantic Airways flights will be twice weekly (Fridays and Mondays) and run from May 23 to August 29.

Shetland is famous for its spectacular birdlife. With more than 100 islands, it boasts an extensive coastline festooned with puffins, guillemots, razorbills, gannets, fulmars and shags. Shetland is also home to more great skuas than anywhere else in the world and these ferocious birds, along with their Arctic cousins, patrol the islands' skies.

Breeding populations and passage migrants are also complemented by numerous rarities. 164 of the 250 species listed on the Online Guide to Rarer British Birds have been spotted on Shetland.

As well as birds there are also many other wildlife attractions amidst the rugged scenery. The islands are frequented by dolphins, porpoises and other whales while orcas are regular visitors, coming to hunt seals off the coast.

Otters are also abundant and Shetland is one of the rare places where these elusive creatures can be spotted with some ease.

The numerous walking routes all across the islands are popular as they provide contact with wildlife and spectacular views to a degree unprecedented in much of Britain.

Until Atlantic Airways started providing the direct service from Stansted, the Shetland Islands were not easily accessible from southern England or the midlands. This is the only scheduled service to Shetland from anywhere in England.

Magni Arge, CEO of Atlantic Airways, said: "Thousands of people travel to Shetland every year to see the spectacular wildlife and experience the friendly welcome of the islanders. With this service we are opening up this magnificent destination for millions more."

Notes:

1) Atlantic Airways was founded in 1987 and began operating scheduled flights in 1988. The 2007 schedule includes Copenhagen, Aalborg, Billund, Stavanger, Oslo, Reykjavik, London Stansted, Aberdeen and Shetland.

2) Services between Shetland (Sumburgh), and London (Stansted) operate twice weekly from May 23 to August 29. www.flyshetland.com

3) Atlantic Airways operates a modern all-jet fleet of BAe RJ/146. The four-engined aircraft seat from 84 to 95 passengers.

4) Atlantic Airways' busiest route is its service from the Faroe Islands to Copenhagen, which operates up to five times daily.

5) Atlantic Airways also operates local helicopter services within the 18 Faroe Islands, as well as holding the contract to provide air-sea and other rescue services.

6) Atlantic Airways also provides direct services between London Stansted and
The Faroe Islands. www.flyfaroe.com

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:28 AM | Comments (0)

November 4, 2007

Fair Isle Bird Report 2006 - now available

Less than ten months after the end of the year, the 2006 Fair Isle Bird Observatory Report landed on my desk this week - one of only a few 2006 bird reports thus far published.

Once again, it is a bumper edition, at 160 pages long. A total of 204 species were recorded on the 'Magic Isle' in 2006 including one addition - North American Black Duck, whilst other highlights included Eurasian Scops Owl and Blyth's Pipit. As ever, the daily log recorded the numbers and dates of all migrants, continuing the island's invaluable 60 year database. The Fair Isle seabirds had a much better year than of late, with a record population of Great Skuas as well as more than 800 pairs of Arctic Terns.

Scop's Owl, Fair Isle, Shetland. 16th May 2006. The second record
for Fair Isle © Rebecca Nason, from the surfbirds galleries

Mark Warren and Deryk Shaw provide a very detailed monthly summary of sightings on pages 37-51 and this is followed by the First and Last Dates for Summer Migrants 2006 and a typically detailed and highly informative Systematic List (pages 53-101). As usual, this is enhanced by the inclusion of some wonderful full colour plates, featuring the impressive works of Rebecca Nason, Paul Baxter and Deryk Shaw. Highlights include the October White-rumped Sandpiper (4th record), May Scops Owl, September Woodchat Shrike, a page-full of rare pipits including Pechora, Olive-backed and Blyth's, September Aquatic Warbler, August Melodious and Greenish Warblers, Lanceolated Warbler, October Scandinavian Arctic Redpoll, May Ortolan Bunting and April Hawfinch.

The Ringing Report by Paul Baxter provides details of the 6,599 birds of 112 species trapped and ringed on the island during 2006 including a 26 year old Fulmar, a 21 year old Shag, 17 year old Storm Petrel, 15 year old Arctic Skua, 29 year old Guillemot, 27 year old Razorbill and a Swedish 'Northern' Bullfinch that had moved 1,283 kms in 26 days.

At the back of the report, there are scientific papers on the Fair Isle Starling and Wren populations, along with the fully detailed Lepidoptera report (pages 133-142), Mammal Report (143-145) and complete checklist.

This latest report can be obtained (priced GBP 7.00 including p & p) from Deryk Shaw at

Fair Isle Bird Observatory
Fair Isle
Shetland ZE2 9JU

See also - _http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/index.htm_
(http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/index.htm)

Lee G R Evans

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:02 PM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2007

Video World Birding Center, Texas

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August 30, 2007

Red kite found shot dead in Wicklow - from the Irish Times website

Efforts to revive Ireland's once extinct red kite population have been dealt a blow after a bird released in the Wicklow mountains was found shot dead, it was revealed today.

The bird, set free six weeks ago with 29 other kites, had been hit with shotgun pellets and was found on farmland north of Arklow yesterday.

Garda are investigating the killing which is believed to have happened between Sunday and yesterday.

Kites are protected under the Wildlife Act and have also been awarded the highest level of protection under European law.

Red Kite © Steve Round

The Golden Eagle Trust (GET), which is managing the project with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Welsh Kite Trust, said the loss was a major blow.

"Obviously, after all the hard work and support for the project in Wicklow, nationally and in Wales, it is very worrying to recover a shot kite so soon after they have been released," GET project manager Damian Clarke said. "But I must stress that the level of support from all the local farmers, landowners and local gun clubs and shooting syndicates has been excellent."

Red kites were driven to extinction in Ireland from shooting, trapping and poisoning even though they pose no threat to either game birds or livestock. Kites have a wingspan of up to 1.8m but with weak beaks and claws they are not powerful predators and feed mostly on carrion in the winter and small mammals, crows, insects and worms.

"We hope that all landowners can advise people shooting on their property that red kites must be left unmolested. These species are fully protected by the law and it is illegal to shoot red kites, by mistake or otherwise," Mr Clarke said. "It is very unfortunate that we should recover a shot kite during National Heritage week - it once again highlights the importance that everyone needs to play a role in protecting Ireland's natural and cultural Heritage."

The red kite programme is one of three schemes to return previously extinct birds of prey to the Irish skies. Pairs of golden eagles have been released in Donegal and one set have bred successfully while in Co Kerry sea eagles have been returned to parkland around Killarney.

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

Greenish Warbler deluge - by Lee Evans

Last week's GREENISH WARBLER deluge involved a minimum 33 individuals, the vast majority of them in Norfolk. All had been displaced by fresh ENE winds and were grounded by heavy rain or overcast skies.

The first appeared on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 20th August, followed shortly by a wonderfully confiding individual at Skaw, Unst (Shetland) on 21st-22nd. That same day, a further juvenile reached the Farne Islands, showing well on Inner Farne (Northumberland) throughout the 21st.

Greenish Warbler, Shetland, Skaw, Unst 22/08/07 © Dougie Preston

The first to make landfall in Norfolk was on Blakeney Point, where before darkness fell on 21st, some FIVE birds had been located (with singles at Far Point, the Plantation and 3 in the vicinity of the Watch House). All five remained in attrocious conditions on 22nd, with none showing for more than a few seconds in the near gale force northerly winds. In fact, there was no real improvement in the weather until the Saturday, so it was not surprising to find that all 5 birds were still being located on 24th, with three congregating and occasionally showing well in the Plantation and an additional bird being seen at The Hood, with two remaining in sueda by the Watch House. In all, an absolute bare minimum of 6 birds occurred on the Point between 21st and 25th.

On 22nd August, one was discovered midway along the Straight Lonnen on Holy Island (Northumberland), whilst in better weather conditions on 23rd, a further three were discovered in Norfolk: at the west end of Holkham Pines, trapped and ringed in Martin Preston's garden at Denmark House, Weybourne and in the vicinity of the middle track at Warham Greens.

Further discoveries were made on 24th August, with singles in Norfolk at Wells Woods Drinking Pool, Holme NWT, Stiffkey Fen, Thornham Point at Titchwell, Sidestrand Hall School and Castle Farm at Sea Palling. Further south, one reached East Kent, visiting a clifftop garden at Cliff House, Kingsdown, whilst another showed intermittently at Warrenhouse Wood, Gunton (Suffolk). Further north, one was identified near Old Fall Hedgerow at Flamborough Head (East Yorkshire).

By far the most obliging individual was that in the bushes at Thornham Point, 800 yards west of Titchwell boardwalk. This bird performed at regular intervals for upwards of 450 visitors in the warm sunshine of 25th and was still present at dusk. Much more elusive were the 16 other birds located along the Norfolk coast that day, including 'new' birds at Stiffkey Campsite Wood, Horsey Bramble Hill, near California Campsite, Happisburgh, Cley Marshes NWT car park, Walsey Hills NOA, Muckleburgh Hill, Caister-on-Sea Second Avenue and Waxham Pipe Dump and remaining birds at Stiffkey Fen, Warham Greens (with an additional bird), Holme NWT and at least 3 on Blakeney Point.


Greenish Warbler, Blakeney Point, Norfolk, August 2007 © Glyn Sellors

With clear, calm and moonlit skies overnight on 25th, just two birds remained in Norfolk on 26th - singles at Walsey Hills NOA and in the hedgerow north of Second Avenue, Caister. Both birds showed occasionally throughout the day.

The final bird of the influx to be found was that at Rockland Broad (Norfolk) on 27th August, showing in scrub beyond the first gate until 0805 hours only. The Walsey Hills bird remained in Sallows at the SW end of the reserve until 27th, interestingly one of four birds during the influx to partake in subsinging.

Of 33 birds, just 7 were discovered outside of Norfolk!

Lee G R Evans
British Birding Association
UK400 Club, Rare Birds Magazine, Ornithological Consultant and Conservationist Discussion Forum/Email Group: _http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UK400Club/_
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UK400Club/)
Email Address: LGREUK400@aol.com
Website Address: _www.uk400clubonline.co.uk_
(http://www.uk400clubonline.co.uk/)

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:37 AM | Comments (0)

August 23, 2007

Royal Mail Endangered Bird Stamps issue and Bletchley Park First Day cover

The tiny post office at Bletchley Park is usually associated with the undercover mail of World War Two code breakers. But for the Royal Mail “Birds” stamp issue on 4th September it is issuing a limited edition first day cover. Only 250 will be released.

The cover design by Clare Pollitt provides a beautiful backdrop to the ten Royal Mail stamps featuring endangered species. The raptor on the cover is also a link to when coded messages where sent by pigeon. Special enemy falconry units were formed to capture them. A new exhibit at Bletchley Park tells that and other stories of “pigeon post”.

The first day cover can be previewed and ordered through the web site at www.bletchleycovers.com
or by contacting:

Bletchley Park Post Office,
The Mansion,
Bletchley Park,
Milton Keynes,
MK3 6EB.

Tel: 01908 631797/272690.

Issue price is £12.50 plus £1.50 post and packing.

Posted by Surfbirds at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)

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)

June 27, 2007

Mediterranean countries fail again to protect bluefin tuna

La Valletta (Malta), June 21st 2007 - The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior
arrived this morning to the port of La Valetta (Malta) after five weeks
documenting and reporting the activities of bluefin tuna fishing fleets in the
central Mediterranean. Greenpeace has found evidence of widespread illegal
activities in contravention of the regulations of the International Commission
for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) (1).

"This is yet another year of a fishery out of control,” said Sebastian Losada,
Greenpeace Spain oceans campaigner. “It is a mockery that the new management
rules agreed by the international community to halt illegal fishing have only
entered into force two weeks before the fishing season comes to an end. But it
is even worse that we have demonstrated that they are not even being
respected.”

In addition to the Rainbow Warrior’s presence in the Mediterranean fishing
ground, Greenpeace has been monitoring several ports and airports in the
region. Greenpeace has documented the activity of Tunisian, Italian and French
fishing vessels operating in the area, as well as a multinational fleet of
vessels such as tug boats and support vessels taking part in operations linked
to the bluefin tuna farming industry.

Last week, Greenpeace showed that the use of spotter planes to find tuna schools
is still common in the area, despite being banned under the new bluefin tuna
recovery plan agreed by ICCAT. The Rainbow Warrior documented the fishing
activities of three Italian purse seine fishing vessels surrounded by spotter
planes during their entire fishing operation (2).

Greenpeace also found several Tunisian purse seiners operating without a
license. These vessels are not included in the ICCAT register of vessels
authorised to fish for tuna species in the region (3).

Transhipment activities (transfer of cargo for shipment) also seem to be common
in the area, despite the fact that they are one of the main ways in which
illegal catches are laundered (4). On June 11 Greenpeace observed the
transhipment at sea of bluefin tuna between the Italian fishing vessel Vergine
del Rosario and the refrigerated cargo vessel Daniela, flagged to Panama. On
June 12 the French vessel Jean Marie VI transferred its cargo to the Panamanian
flagged reefer Astraea 102. These transhipments took place just a few hours
before the new ICCAT management plan entered into force (5).

Yesterday, June 20, Greenpeace found the Panama flagged reefer Daniela in the
middle of the fishing ground, showing that reefers continue to carry out at sea
operations despite the current ban on transhipments.

“The plan agreed by ICCAT countries allocates quotas at twice the level
recommended by their own scientists. It simply does not deserve the name
‘recovery plan’,” said François Provost, Greenpeace France oceans campaigner
onboard the Rainbow Warrior. “Greenpeace is demanding the immediate closure of
the bluefin tuna fishery, a management plan that is in line with scientific
advice, and the creation of a network of fully protected marine reserves to
protect the Mediterranean Sea”.

Greenpeace is campaigning for a global network of fully protected marine
reserves covering 40% of our oceans as an essential way to protect the full
range of marine life and restore the health of fish stocks.

Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organisation that uses non-violent
creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems to drive
solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:11 AM | Comments (0)

June 24, 2007

Another Night Parrot Corpse Gives Hope of Its Existence

THE park ranger Robert "Shorty" Cupitt was repairing a section of track in a remote part of Diamantina National Park, Queensland, when the blade of his grader exposed the headless corpse of a bird he could not immediately identify.

The yellow-bellied bird, which appeared to have flown into a nearby barbed-wire fence and had been decapitated, was eventually passed to experts at Queensland Museum. They identified it as a juvenile night parrot. The ultimate, real-life dead parrot.

Click Here for The Brisbane Times Article

Posted by Surfbirds at 5:12 AM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2007

Join Raptor Camp Malta and participate in Illegal Hunting Surveillance and Raptor Migration Monitoring

What is Raptor Camp Malta about?

BirdLife Malta, since the late 1990s, has organised a camp during the annual autumn raptor migration period. Both local and international volunteers join this camp to curtail illegal hunting activity and collect data on bird migration, in particular raptors. This is no bird watching holiday, but a serious conservation effort!

Eleonora's Falcon, copyright Marc Thibault

What’s in it for you?

This is an excellent chance to make a genuine contribution to wildlife conservation and experience life in another country. You will be given the opportunity to get involved in serious conservation work and, more importantly, play a part in Malta’s fight to stop the illegal hunting of protected species.

What does the camp consist of?

Illegal hunting surveillance and raptor migration monitoring are the two main elements forming the camp. These are carried out every day during the morning and afternoon. As well as monitoring raptor migration, participants will also record migration of a range of other species, including herons, bee-eaters, orioles, thrushes and doves.

When not working on the main Raptor Camp objectives, participants are free to choose from a variety of planned and non-planned activities. These include both birding-related activities and other leisure activities such as cultural visits to historic sites, trips to the other islands, swimming and other social activities. In the evening work shops, discussions and films will be organized for the participants.

Illegal Hunting Surveillance and Raptor Migration Monitoring

Groups of volunteers numbering between 5 and 10 people will be dispatched to areas of Malta which are known for illegal hunting activities and raptor migration. The volunteers will be given tasks relating to either illegal hunting surveillance or raptor migration monitoring.

Illegal hunting surveillance

Volunteers will look out for hunters and watch for illegal hunting activities. Illegal activities will be immediately communicated to base camp and the police will be informed. Volunteers will effectively be working as ‘look-out posts’ to inform police of illegal hunting activities and their whereabouts, as well as trying to gather evidence through cameras and video cameras. At times, in the absence of police, volunteers’ presence is used to curtail illegal hunting activities through a cautionary approach. Past experience shows that the mere presence of birdwatchers who will report infringements to the police is an active deterrent. For the safety of camp participants, security will be provided for each mobile team.

Raptor Migration Monitoring

Volunteers will look out for raptors, identify the species and record basic data. The most common migrants at this time of year are Marsh Harrier, Honey Buzzard, European Hobby and Common Kestrel, while other migrants include Osprey, Montagu’s Harrier, Eleonora’s Falcon and Lesser Kestrel. Other, rarer, species, including Pallid Harrier, Short-toed and Lesser Spotted Eagles are recorded annually. Data recorded includes species, age and sex (where possible), location, time of sighting, and information about illegal hunting activities such as number of shots heard and whether or not the raptors were targeted.

What skills do you need to join Raptor Camp Malta?

All one really needs is enthusiasm and motivation to fight against illegal hunting of protected species. However, a number of volunteers are required to have basic raptor identification skills. For those without raptor identification skills, a crash course in raptor ID will be provided at the beginning of the camp. All volunteers will be required to participate in chores to look after the camp.

What about accommodation, food and transport while in Malta?

BirdLife Malta organizes group accommodation in a small family run hotel. Accommodation, food, transport (to and from airport and during the camp) will also be organized for the group.

How long does the camp last?

The camp starts on the 8th September and lasts for just over 2 weeks ending on the 23rd September. Volunteers may come for any number of days during this period. Most volunteers spend either one or two weeks depending on their availability and the flight schedule.

How much does the cost?

A small contribution is required to cater for food and accommodation. At EURO 20 (£14 Stg) per person per night or Euro 140 (£98 Stg) for seven nights, the camp includes:

Accommodation in a small family run hotel in the form of two or three bedroom apartments booked specifically for the camp (double rooms also available)
Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner (catering also for vegetarians)
Transfers on arrival and departure from the airport to the camp
Lectures/presentations/workshops by local experts ornithologists
All transport during working activities and also leisure activities*
* does not include tickets for boat trips to other islands and entrance tickets during cultural visits. These activities are optional.

For more information and to participate simply send an email to raptorcamp@birdlifemalta.org outlining what information you need.

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:10 PM | Comments (0)

June 1, 2007

Calling America: can you hear

Your attention please. Thank you for choosing earth as your planetary vehicle. We hope you enjoy the many wonderful features of this planet......

The most important video on the planet

Posted by Surfbirds at 2:33 PM | Comments (0)

May 17, 2007

Go eye to eye with a Blue Whale

If you had assumed you would never to get to see a blue whale, think again. Now you can experience the magnitude of the world’s biggest animal just by sitting at your desk, thanks to an interactive banner from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

The charity was donated the banner, which features the giant eye of the computer-generated blue whale, by German advertising agency Jung von Matt. Double-clicking on the advert loads a new window where visitors can navigate around a life-size image of the whale scrolling across their screens.

Nicolas Entrup, a spokesman for WDCS, said: “We want the banner to demonstrate to people how amazing these animals are and how important it is that we do everything in our power to protect them. We hope that this life size blue whale in the Net becomes the ambassador for large whales in the wild.”

For more information about the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society visit www.wdcs.org

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:05 PM | Comments (0)

May 10, 2007

Rare Birds Yearbook 2008

Bird photographers - enter a novel photo competition and win high-quality Minox prizes!

The Rare Birds Yearbook invites you to submit your photos of the world’s 189 Critically endangered birds. Rare Birds Yearbook is a new, annual publication which will appear in October 2007 for the first time. It is published in association with global conservation organisation BirdLife International and £4 of each sold book will be donated straight to conservation.

In association with high-quality optics company Minox and BirdLife International the publishers are offering a range of prizes. Visit www.rarebirdsyearbook.com to find a list of the species, the prizes, the rules, the jury members and more about the book. The competition runs until 15th July 2007.

Rare Birds Yearbook

Published by MagDig Media Ltd in association with BirdLife International. 274 pages in colour. Paperback.

Objectives

To publish an annually recurring book that summarises the status and facts of the world’s c.190 Critically Endangered (CR) birds in an appealing, modern, educational and readable way. It will consist of a directory section of the 190 species, sections on statistics and lists, a directory of regional organisations and commercial bird tour companies arranging travel to see CR species of birds. Each yearbook will have a number of specially written feature articles on issues related to threatened birds such as migration, rare bird sites and taxonomy. The directory section will also be updated each year with the latest information on the plight of the world’s most threatened species. GBP 4 per sold book will be donated to BirdLife International in order to enhance their funds for conservation work.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:25 AM | Comments (0)

May 9, 2007

Greenpeace calls for end to tropical forest destruction

Greenpeace activists today abseiled from the top of the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Port Moresby, Papua Nwe Guinea, where delegates were gathering for the start of the 42nd International Tropical Timber Organization’s (ITTO) committee meeting, and unfurled a banner which read “ITTO Stop Forest Destruction”.

Dutch climber Erik Birkhoff said, “Greenpeace wants the ITTO to do more to stop forest destruction in the world’s tropical forests.”

Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Papua New Guinea © Tamás Zalai

The protection of large expanses of rainforest has become a global issue and was identified by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) last week as one of the most cost-effective ways to mitigate against climate change.

Greenpeace is highlighting the issue of tropical forest destruction as representatives from governments meet at the 42nd ITTO meeting in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, a country with serious illegal and destructive logging issues, to challenge the ITTO's members to protect rather than trade away the planet's last ancient forests.

A diagnostic report on PNG by the ITTO concluded that the PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) is doing nothing on ensuring sustainable forest management and is focussed “almost exclusively on exploitation of the forest resource for the primary financial benefit of the national government.”

“Greenpeace wants the ITTO to do more to stop forest destruction in PNG,” said Sam Moko, Greenpeace PNG forest campaigner and climber. “Our Government has done nothing to protect our forests. They and the forest industry are more interested in short term financial gain rather than thinking about the future for our children.”

The ITTO was formed to find a balance between tropical forest conservation and sustainable management, use and trade of tropical forest resources. However the world’s tropical forests, including the Amazon, Congo and the Paradise Forests of Asia Pacific continue to be logged at alarming rates.

In 1990, the ITTO set a goal, “Objective 2000”, to ensure that the trade in tropical timber comes from sustainably managed forests by 2000. As of June 2006, according to the ITTO’s own assessment, less than 5 per cent of tropical forests were under sustainable management.

“By its own admission the ITTO is failing, in the 20 years it has been operating forest degradation and loss due to logging has accelerated in ITTO member countries rather than being brought under control,” said Greenpeace New Zealand Forest Campaigner Grant Rosoman. “This is a spectacular failure and points to the underlying aim of the ITTO members – the continued exploitation of forests for the trade in tropical timber.”

Tropical forests are some of the most bio-diverse ecosystems on the planet and are home to millions of people who rely on them for their subsistence and survival. They are also an essential carbon reservoir and their continued destruction is contributing to climate change. Up to 25% of greenhouse gas emissions come from tropical forest clearance.

Since the ITTO announced its “Objective 2000” the world’s tropical forests have come under increased pressure from illegal and destructive logging as well as massive clearance for agricultural crops such as soya and oil palm.

Sixty per cent of PNG's large intact ancient forests have already been destroyed and Greenpeace estimates that over 90 per cent of logging in PNG is illegal. Between August 2000 and August 2005 the Amazon lost 12.8 million hectares of forest. Indonesia was last week confirmed as a Guinness World Record holder for destroying its forests at the fastest rate and the Democratic Republic of Congo risks losing up to 40 per cent of its forests by 2050.

“Unless something is done now to stop wholesale forest destruction there may be nothing left to save. Instead of more talk the ITTO’s members need to take action to protect the world’s last ancient forests,” said Mr Rosoman. “We are calling on governments of forest countries to immediately implement moratoria on the expansion of industrial logging and set up a network of protected forest areas. Governments of market countries must implement legislation to ensure that their markets are not trading in illegal and destructive timber products.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:52 AM | Comments (0)

April 27, 2007

Watch the Derby Peregrines on-line

Peregrine Falcons first began nesting on Derby Cathedral in 2006, and raised three chicks there. Four thousand people came to watch them from Cathedral Green. Now they are nesting again.

Two Peregrine Falcon web cameras were recently installed on Derby Cathedral, and you can now watch the nesting birds at any time, day or night. At the moment they are incubating four eggs, laid over the Easter weekend.

Follow these links to the cameras:

http://www.streamdays.com/camera/view/derby-peregrine-falcons1.

http://www.streamdays.com/camera/view/derby-peregrine-falcons2.

You can also find out more about what's happening and see recent video clips of the courting couple by following this separate link to the Peregrine Project Diary, or blog http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/.

The project partners - Derby Cathedral, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Derby City Council’s Museum Service - have worked closely together to bring live pictures of the Peregrine Falcons. Two cameras and a microphone were installed in mid-February, and recording equipment was loaned by the BBC "East Midlands Today" team in early March. The webcam service is hosted by Streamdays.com http://www.streamdays.com .

The birds can now be seen on most days from the rear of the Cathedral at Cathedral Green by Full Street. Whilst the female is usually out of sight on the nest, the male is often on guard on one of the gargoyles above.

Watching Peregrines in Derby

There will be at least two Peregrine Watch weeks on Derby’s Cathedral Green during 2007, organised by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. Telescopes and binoculars will be available for everyone to use, with helpers on hand to talk about why the world's fastest animal lives in Derby. Details will be announced soon.

Birdwatchers can come to Cathedral Green on Full Street at any time to watch the peregrines, from now onwards. Egg laying began in early April, so chicks should hatch around 8th to 13th May, with fledging around 10-17 June 2007. Look for birds on the east face of the tower where the nest platform is located, or high up on gargoyles near the top. The female is considerably larger than the male peregrine, but either may be seen on the platform. During incubation the female will rarely be seen as she will be out of sight on her nest, on the left hand side of the wooden platform.

For your safety: please be aware of fast traffic on Full Street. Do not leave cameras, binoculars or telescopes unattended.

Other nearby birdwatching opportunities include the nearby River Derwent footpath, going either upstream to Darley Park or downstream past the Council House and on to Pride Park. Just 200m from Cathedral Green, a Park-and-Ride bus from Derby Council House takes you to The Sanctuary a new bird reserve next to Pride Park Football Stadium where many unusual birds can be observed, and where the peregrines sometimes hunt.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:47 PM | Comments (0)

April 16, 2007

World Bank challenged to fund the energy revolution and halt forest destruction

Greenpeace International has accused the World Bank of hypocrisy and challenged the Bank at its spring meeting to put their money where its mouth is and stop funding projects that exacerbate climate change. Despite acknowledgment from the World Bank’s President, Paul Wolfowitz, that climate change is a serious issue, the Bank continues to fund fossil fuel projects and fails to prevent forest destruction - the very causes of the problem.

The World Bank’s current spending on fossil fuels continues to dwarf its comparatively miniscule investments in sustainable renewable energy - a mere USD153 million in 2006. In its recently published report, “Energy [R]evolution”, Greenpeace proves that with proper investment – equivalent to current fossil fuel subsidies of around USD 300 billion a year - renewable energy along with energy efficiency would deliver the 50% reduction of global emissions by 2050 needed to avert the potentially apocalyptic scenarios presented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last week.

Greenpeace also launched a new report ‘Carving up the Congo’ on the logging sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) this week. The report calls for the Bank, the largest funder of the DRC Government, to urgently act to stop the expansion of the logging industry in the country, as logging is a key driver of deforestation, which causes climate change.

Wolfowitz recently stated that climate change needs action and pledged that the Bank would “climate-proof “ its own projects. Wolfowitz also warned, that climate change will hit the poorest hardest, stating that “if you are living on the edge, climate change can push you over”.

Daniel Mittler, a Greenpeace International political advisor on the World Bank comments: “The World Bank talks the talk on climate change, but continues to fund fossil fuels that bind developing countries into a climate-damaging future – in effect, the World Bank is pushing poor people over the edge! If the Bank is serious about climate change, it must fund an energy revolution based on the massive expansion of renewable energies. The time for fossil fuel projects is over.”

Greenpeace also stressed the importance of Congo forests in regulating the global climate. Filip Verbelen, Greenpeace International’s Africa forest campaigner said: “Tropical forests are a first line of defence against climate change. Yet in the DRC, millions of hectares of rainforest are being sold off to the logging industry under the illusion that industrial logging will alleviate poverty. If the World Bank is serious about tackling climate change, it must act to contain the logging industry in DRC and to initiate large scale protection of the country’s rainforests”.

Greenpeace asked those Governments supporting the World Bank’s energy portfolio not to provide any further funds until the Bank agrees to support an energy revolution. “Donor governments such as Britain and Germany claim to be leaders on climate change. If that is more than empty rhetoric, they must ensure that the Bank invests their taxpayers’ money wisely – in renewable energies and energy efficiency, in the energy revolution we need to avoid dangerous climate change”, Mittler concluded.

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:24 PM | Comments (0)

April 12, 2007

Greenpeace exposes that logging in the Congo rainforest is out of control

A damning new report launched by Greenpeace today exposes that international logging companies operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are causing social chaos and wreaking environmental havoc. 'Carving up the Congo' uncovers endemic corruption and impunity in the DRC's logging sector at a time when key decisions that will determine the future of these forests are about to be made.

Published as the World Bank board is set to meet in Washington, the report concludes that efforts by the Bank to control the logging industry are failing while the rainforest is being sold off under the illusion that logging alleviates poverty.

The Congo rainforest is the world's second largest tropical forest after the Amazon and one of the planet's essential defences against global climate change. Global emissions from tropical deforestation alone contributes up to 25% of total annual human-induced CO2 emissions to the atmosphere.

The DRC rainforest contains 8% of global carbon stores. It is estimated that forest clearance in the DRC will release up to 34.4 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2050, roughly equivalent to the UK's CO2 emissions over the last sixty years.

"It's crunch time for the DRC's rainforests. The international logging industry operating in the country is out of control. Unless the World Bank helps the DRC to stop the sell off of these rainforests, they'll soon be under the chainsaws," said Greenpeace International Africa Forest Campaign Co-ordinator, Stephan van Praet.

In spite of a national moratorium on logging titles since 2002, 100 logging contracts covering 15 million hectares of rainforest have been issued to the logging industry, an area five times the size of Belgium. Much of the rainforest already allocated for logging is critical for conservation and for the survival of our closest animal relatives, the bonobo and chimpanzee.

40 million people depend on the DRC's rainforest. Few benefit from logging. The World Bank admits that in the last three years, none of the forest area taxes paid by companies have reached forest communities. Greenpeace has obtained contracts between logging companies and communities, some offering gifts such as bags of salt and bottles of beer, worth less than $100 in exchange for logging rights worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

People reported that promises to build schools or hospitals are rarely fulfilled and that intimidation tactics are used when they try to protest against the companies.

"These contracts are a shameful relic of colonial times. Millions of hectares of the Congo rainforest have been traded away by local communities to the logging industry for gifts like salt, machetes and crates of beer while logging companies and their taxes do next to nothing for local development," concluded van Praet.

Greenpeace is calling for the cancellation of all logging titles issued since May 2002 and for the moratorium on new logging titles to be extended and enforced until the logging sector is cleaned up and controlled and a land-use plan that includes the participation of local communities is fully in place.

Posted by Surfbirds at 12:57 PM | Comments (0)

April 5, 2007

Help monitor migrating birds on the Strait of Gibralter

WHAT IS THE MIGRES PROGRAM?

The purpose of the Migres Program is to monitor the evolution of the soaring birds (raptors and storks) populations, both in Spain and in the rest of Western Europe, and to contribute with this to the conservation of the habitat of these species. The special characteristics of the Strait of Gibraltar are used by hundreds of thousands of birds on their travel from Europe to Africa and between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The most important point in this study is the observations made by the volunteers, who develop their work under technician supervision. This makes the Strait a suitable place to study the migration phenomenon.

White Stork, copyright Dr Steve Young

WHO CAN APPLY?

To participate in the Migres Program it is necessary to be older than 18 years old. People from any country are welcomed but it is necessary to speak Spanish or English. We need people who have some knowledge on bird identification, although people without experience can come and acquire it here.

WHERE AND WHEN TO APPLY?

Before May 31st, with priority to those applications received before.

To: voluntariado@fundaciomigres.org Also you can send an ordinary mail to: PROGRAMA MIGRES Huerta Grande, CN-340 Km. 96 Pelayo11390 Algeciras, Cádiz , Spain. As well, the application forms can be registered at: www.juntadeandalucia.es/medioambiente The minimum stay will be a complete turn, but if there would be a vacancy the volunteers can ask for staying more than one turn. Volunteers in the program will be given with:
•Free maintenance
•Free accommodation in shared rooms with other volunteers.
•Medical insurance.
•Program clothes.
•Migres Program participation certificate.
•Migres Program annual report.

Chosen volunteers have to pay 50 euros on deposit. We will give instructions for the payment to the foreign volunteers. This deposit will be returned to the owner at the end of each turn.

Dates:

July 23rd-August 7th
August 6th-21st
August 20th-September 4th
September 3th-18th15 days
September 17th-October 2nd
October 14th-21st
October 21st-28th
October 28th-November 4th
November 4th-11th
November 12th-18th

Posted by Surfbirds at 1:36 PM | Comments (0)

March 26, 2007

6th European Ornithologist's Union Conference

The sixth European Ornithologist's Union Conference will take place from 24 - 29 August 2007 in Vienna, Austria.

The Conference will cover all aspects of Ornithology with participants from all over Europe. Registration and submission of abstracts for Oral Contributions and posters is open.

Snowfinch, alpine speciality, Austria, copyright Margaret Breaks

Plenary speakers include:

1. Prof. Tim Birkhead, University of Sheffield, UK Post-copulatory sexual selection in birds: sperm and eggs .

2. Prof. Hanna Kokko, University of Helsinki, Finland Make love and war: the evolutionary ecology of simultaneous competition for mates and breeding sites.

3. Prof. Alex Roulin, University of Lausanne, Switzerland Communication and the maintenance of genetic variation in colour polymorphic birds.

4. Dr. Irene Tieleman, University of Groningen, The Netherlands Physiological dynamics of birds in desert, tropical and temperate environments.

The following is a provisional list of symposia:

Nightlife of diurnal birds
Health of arctic and antarctic populations
Postcopulatory sexual selection in birds
Avian influenza risk assessment: the contribution of ornithology Heterogeneity in bird populations, causing biased samples, as a challenge for ecological field studies
Ornithology past, present and future
Dispersal behaviour: causes and consequences
Palearctic migrants threatened by environmental change in the Sahel
Should we feed birds?
Extra-pair paternity: male or female driven?
Edge effect on avian nest predation in Europe
Radar ornithology - past experiences and future challenges
Conservation

Details on the EOU website http://www.eou.at

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:23 AM | Comments (0)

January 6, 2007

Paul Coopmans Passes Away

Announcement from Birdquest Regarding Paul Coopmans – 5th January 2007

It is with great sadness and regret that we must inform you of the tragic and untimely death of Paul Coopmans, who died on the night of the 1st of January following a brave battle with cancer. Paul moved to the Galapagos after graduating from Zoology in Antwerp, Belgium, and, having been awe-struck by the biodiversity of Ecuador, set up home in Quito, where in recent years he lived with his wife Syama and son Nicolas. He then very rapidly became an authority on the birds of Ecuador, and soon gained an unsurpassed knowledge of bird vocalizations there. He spread his wings further, travelling extensively in much of the Neotropics, and soon became a respected authority in much of the region. Paul’s almost superhuman ability to hear and recognize bird vocalizations was not only envied amongst his fellow birders, but also led to the discovery of at least two new species to science. Paul put his enormous talents to good use. He was a major contributor to the groundbreaking Birds of Ecuador fieldguide, co-published many CDs of Ecuadorian bird sounds, and led more than 70 tours for Birdquest to many parts of the Neotropics, where he was able to share his knowledge and humour with countless other birders. Paul will be sorely missed by all of us that ever knew him. Our thoughts at this time are with his family.

Pete Morris
(Deputy Manger, Birdquest)

Editors note: We were saddened to hear this news at Surfbirds. In addition to meeting Paul, he was also a regular contributor to Surfbirds.

Posted by Surfbirds at 5:56 AM | Comments (0)

December 8, 2006

Birdwatch 2007 calendar features Digital Photography Award winners

This summer Birdwatch magazine, in association with optical company Kowa, challenged its readers to produce their very best digital bird images in its first Digital Photography Awards. Professional and amateur photographers both submitted images, and while many entries were taken with digital SLRs and telephoto lenses, the judges (leading bird photographers and experts David Hosking, Steve Young, Dominic Mitchell, Stephen Moss and Chris Harbard) were delighted that the new technique of digiscoping was well represented.

The very best of these images have been specially selected for the new full-colour A4 Birdwatch 2007 calendar, which is available FREE with the December 2006 issue of Birdwatch, on sale now.

See some of the photos here

Posted by Surfbirds at 5:06 AM | Comments (0)

October 21, 2006

Have you found 6,000 lost parakeets?

The forthcoming BBC One wildlife series the Nature of Britain sent a crew to Esher Rugby Club last week, only to find that the roost - numbering up to 6,000 birds - had vanished into thin air!

Ring-necked Parakeet © Steve Blain

If you know where the birds have gone, or have any large, accessible roosts near you where we might be able to film the birds, we'd be delighted to hear from you. Please contact Stephen Moss at stephen.moss@bbc.co.uk or call 0117 974 6846."

Posted by Surfbirds at 5:29 AM | Comments (0)

September 30, 2006

Vagrant bird dies and birdwatchers blamed for bird's death

A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling that is normally found in Asia and eastern Europe but recently appeared in gardens in Winterton, Norfolk, UK has sparked widespread media coverage after a neighbour reported on a BBC news programme that birdwatchers were the cause of its death. Carol Barnes had told the BBC that birdwatchers had pursued the starling from garden to garden after it turned up in the coastal town last weekend. The RSPB has said that it does not plan to launch an inquiry but the birding community has reacted strongly calling the allegations misinformed and very damaging.

Lee Evans who runs a popular British birding club said that the bird at the centre of the story was suffering two heavily bloated ticks on its head, one just behind the eye and another below the eye. "As soon as I set eyes on it last Saturday, I realised it was in distress and made every attempt to capture it but failed."

Juvenile Rose-coloured Starling showing one of the bloated ticks that caused its death from the Surfbirds galleries © William Bowell 24th Sept 06

"This was affecting its health in a serious manner. The reason the bird died was because of the two ticks draining its life blood and nothing to do whatsoever with birders scrambling to see it. Such parasites have had similar affects to a wide range of bird species throughout the ages. It was however feeding well and was taking Cranefly after Cranefly from the protected lawn inside the Wireless Station compound in Winterton village. It was ridiculously lethargic and struggling to fly far but fed to within a few feet of observers. Birders surrounded it but certainly did not hound it in any way nor was it 'chased' from pillar to post as suggested in the newspaper articles. Due to a Pallid Harrier in the vicinity, it was obviously visited by perhaps over 500 different observers over the weekend but as far as I know, it was certainly not 'hounded to death'.

Juvenile Rose-coloured Starling, Norfolk from the Surfbirds galleries © Murray S. Smith 23rd Sept 06

Juvenile Rose-coloured Starling, Norfolk from the Surfbirds galleries © James Hanlon 24th Sept 06

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:06 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2006

Evidence Suggesting that Ivory-billed Woodpeckers (Campephilus principalis) Exist in Florida

On 21 May 2005, researchers detected a bird that they identified as an Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the mature swamp forest along the Choctawhatchee River in the panhandle of Florida. During a subsequent year of research, members of their small search team observed birds that were identified as Ivory-billed Woodpeckers on 14 occasions. They heard sounds that matched descriptions of Ivory-billed Woodpecker acoustic signals on 41 occasions and they recorded 99 putative double knocks and 210 putative kent calls. They also located cavities in the size range reported for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers and larger than those of Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) that have been reported in the literature or that we measured in Alabama.

Read the full article here

Posted by Surfbirds at 4:28 AM | Comments (0)

August 31, 2006

Evoke the Spirit of Nature - The Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition

With almost 500 paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings on display, the Society of Wildlife Artists forthcoming Annual Exhibition is the key place to view and buy the very cream of contemporary wildlife art by internationally renowned artists. The exhibition takes place at the Mall Galleries in central London (near Trafalgar Square) from 27th September to 8th October.

Redwings by Esther Tyson

"One of the many distinctive attributes of the SWLA is the number of excellent printmakers within our ranks. This year we are making a special effort to display the varied and diverse styles of original printmaking that evoke the spirit of the natural world'. says Andrew Stock, President of the Society."

Thus, this year's exhibition sees the inclusion of a dedicated print wall, providing a fantastic opportunity for visitors to purchase stunning, original works of art at affordable prices. Guest artist Colin See-Paynton RE will exhibit 6 of his beautifully designed and intricate wood engravings, whilst members have been encouraged to submit linocuts, etchings, mono-prints and screenprints, so it promises to be the most dynamic collection of wildlife prints to date.

Private View and Prize-giving
2 - 8pm. Tuesday 26th September 2006 - official opening by Ben Fogle 3pm The Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1

Open to the Public
Wednesday 27th September - Sunday 8th October 2006
The Mall Galleries, The Mall London SW1 (Near Trafalgar Square)
Open 10am-5pm daily, including weekends

Exhibition Admission Fee
£2.50 (£1.50 concessions)

Public Enquiries
Tel: 020 7930 6844, info@mallgalleries.com, www.mallgalleries.org.uk, www.swla.co.uk

Press and Media Enquiries
For more information or images, please contact the Mall Galleries Press Office on tel: 020 7930 6844 or email press@mallgalleries.com

About the SWLA: Founded in 1962 the SWLA is a registered charity to foster and encourage all forms of wildlife art. For more information, visit www.swla.co.uk

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:23 PM | Comments (0)

August 25, 2006

Ton-up for White-tailed Eagles in Denmark

From the Copenhagen Post - 15 August 2006

Congratulations, it's an eaglet!

The nation's population of eagles is on its way to re-establishing itself after being absent for over a century.

Ornithologists are hopeful that the white-tailed sea eagle's return to Denmark has been cemented after the raptors have their best breeding season since its return to the country.

Eagles and other birds of prey had been absent from Denmark since the beginning of the 20th century, due to over hunting and habitat encroachment.

The first white-tailed sea eagles, northern Europe's largest raptor, returned in 1995, and in 1996, the country could claim its first breeding pair. Since then, some 112 eaglets have been successfully reared in the wild.

Ornithologists report that this summer has been the white-tailed sea eagle's best breeding season since its return, with 11 of the 16 nesting pairs giving birth to 24 eaglets in all.

'It's been a nice surprise to see how fertile Denmark's white-tailed sea eagles are,' said Lennart Pedersen, the head of the Danish Ornithological Society's Project Eagle. 'We think it is realistic to believe that within a few decades, we could see as many as 75 mating pairs. Geographically, there's room for probably as many as 150.'

The society began Project Eagle as a way to protect and gather information about the eagle after it began to return to Denmark from Germany and Sweden.

The group has already learned a number of new things about the eagle's settling patterns.

'It appears that eagles can establish themselves when they are as young as four. That's earlier than we previously believed,' Pedersen said.

Currently, the majority of the eagles nest in south-eastern Denmark. Migration patterns mean that the region will continue to house the largest population of eagles, but Pedersen expects them to become a common sight throughout the country.

Even Copenhagen residents could be welcoming the eagle as their neighbour in the near future.

'One of the 16 pairs of white-tailed sea eagles occupy territory only 30 km from the capital.'

The Copenhagen Post

Posted by Surfbirds at 5:41 AM | Comments (0)

July 17, 2006

Scottish Ospreys head for Spain

Scottish ospreys are set to check in for a flight to Spain, as part of a reintroduction project organised by the Andalucian Government and the Highland Foundation for Wildlife.

Osprey, Highland, Speyside May 2004. © Steve Round

Five chicks are being collected from locations in Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey and Inverness. The last two will be take from a secret Forestry Commission Scotland forest near Fort Augustus on Thursday, July 13, and taken to join the other three, before being flown by BA Connect to Spain on the early Inverness flight on Friday, July 14.

The reintroduction is part of a combined international conservation partnership between Spain, with donations of young ospreys from Scotland (which is sending five young), Finland (which is sending four young), and Germany (which is sending 12 young). This is the fourth year of the project and already a pair of ospreys has been encouraged to breed near the release area in Andalucia (southern Spain) and they are rearing two young this year. This is the first breeding pair in 60 years on mainland Spain.

Claire Martin, Forestry Commission Scotland Press Office, tel: 0131 314 6507 or email claire.martin@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Posted by Surfbirds at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)

June 27, 2006

Delight as Red Kite chicks hatch in north-east England

Published by BBC News - 16th June 2006 - Red Kite chicks have hatched in the north-east of England for the first time in almost 200 years.

The Northern Kites project was started in 2004 to restore a breeding population of the birds to the region.

The project team confirmed there are at least two chicks in a nest in Gateshead's Derwent Valley.

The adult red kites - named Flag and Red Philip - were moved from nests in Stokenchurch in the Chilterns to the Derwent Valley two years ago.

English Nature regional director Martyn Howat said: "Today is a red letter day for the Northern Kites project and an historic event for north-east England.

"It marks the opening of an exciting new chapter in the extraordinary story of these magnificent birds in the region."

Public viewpoint

He added: "We are confident that from this historic first nest a thriving population of kites will soon become established so providing further opportunities for people to enjoy the spectacle of kites flying over the North East."

A public viewpoint has been set up on the Nine Arches Viaduct, near Winlaton Mill.

Red kites were formerly widespread and common in the UK, but human persecution led to their extinction in England and Scotland by the end of the 19th century.

A few survived in Wales, though even they came perilously close to dying out, and at one point it was thought that only a single female of breeding age existed in the whole of the UK.

In 1989 the decision was made to try to re-introduce the birds into England and Scotland and pairs were brought from Spain and Sweden to Oxfordshire, the Chilterns and Inverness.

This was extended when it proved to be successful.

The re-introduction project is now complete, with colonies also existing in the Rockingham Forest area of the Midlands, around Harrogate in North Yorkshire, Central Scotland and Dumfries and Galloway.

Posted by Surfbirds at 3:44 PM | Comments (0)

June 26, 2006

The Eagle Flies Again

Shot out of our skies, the massive sea eagle is making a spectacular comeback - and it could soon be seen in a harbour near you. Peter Marren reports from The Independent web site: Published 22 June 2006

Imagine a great bird the size of a tall bookcase casting shadows as it soars over the marshes. Better still, think of it following your boat, like a gannet, its long, banana-yellow bill casting this way and that as it scans the ocean for fishy titbits. Or perhaps you see it perched on a rock by the harbour with outstretched wings, rather like one of the copper liver birds overlooking Liverpool's waterfront. Could this be the highlight of a wildlife tour of tropical Africa or the Amazon? No, it is a possible glimpse of East Anglia a few years from now. It could even be a scene from the Thames Gateway.

The bird is the sea eagle, the fourth-largest eagle in the world and the biggest bird of prey in northern Europe. Its story has been one of the unlikeliest conservation successes of recent times. Pushed to extinction in Britain by sheep farmers and sporting interests in the early years of the 20th century, the return of the sea eagle became a conservation sensation three generations later.

Young birds taken from their nests in Norway were reared and then released into the wild. There are now some 33 breeding pairs of the great bird, all of them in Scotland. And their number is steadily increasing at 12 per cent a year, a sign that the population is already "self-sustaining". In other words, barring some unforeseen catastrophe, the sea eagle is back and here to stay.

Here to stay but, for most of us, a long distance away. In much of the country, it is quicker and cheaper to fly to Majorca than make the journey to sea eagle country on Scotland's remote north-west coast. But there are plans to reintroduce the eagle to more populous parts of Britain. Last December, English Nature even approved a scheme to release them in East Anglia, where the Suffolk coast has been earmarked as the most eagle-friendly area. There are similar plans to rear and release sea eagles in lowland Scotland and in north Wales. The East Anglian project may begin as early as next year.

Has the conservation world gone eagle-crazy? Can you imagine the world's fourth-largest eagle making a living over the rooftops of Ipswich? Or gliding along the Menai Straits, fixing Brunel's railway bridge with its glassy yellow stare? Well, yes, say the eagle's human promoters; believe it or not, they can.

This is not the shy, aloof golden eagle, forever destined to flee from ever-encroaching human habitation. The sea eagle gets on with people quite well - that is, as long as we are not persecuting them. In other parts of the world, they hang around fishing harbours and nest close to villages.

In behaviour, sea eagles are more like their close relative, the American bald eagle (the world's third-largest eagle). This American icon routinely nests on the outskirts of major cities, like Vancouver, even, on occasion, in big trees in parks and gardens.

Professor Ian Newton, a world authority on birds of prey, points out that sea eagles could once be found all around the British coast. "Many parts of the coast still present suitable habitats for these magnificent birds, and, if undisturbed, they could nest in fairly close proximity to people. We can expect them to build their nests in trees and cliffs and to hunt mainly over the shallower estuaries and inland reservoirs."

Often thought of as the most sterile agricultural plain in Britain, East Anglia in fact holds a plentiful year-round food supply for sea eagles.

The marshes and muddy estuaries of Suffolk and Essex are well-stocked with waterfowl and fish, while rabbits are frequent along the drier parts of the coast.

Moreover, the eagle can take its pick of inland lakes, from the Broads to the big reservoirs of the East Midlands; a hundred-mile round flight is nothing to a sea eagle. In Scotland they regularly visit the headwaters of highland rivers to feast on dead and dying salmon. They also appear from nowhere like vultures after a ghillie has "gralloched" (that is, disembowelled) a deer, before carrying it off the hill.

But how will the good folk of East Anglia take to the idea of an eight-foot, flesh-eating bird swooping over their neighbourhood? If Scotland is any guide, they will love it. The B&B establishments of Mull have never had it so good. Eagle watching has become a thriving business in the isles, generating around £1.5m a year. In England, the reintroduction project is estimated to cost between £120,000 and £150,000 a year. So, in business terms, this project could quickly turn a profit.

Sea eagle enthusiasts also point to the popularity of reintroduced red kites and ospreys. And if you think ospreys are impressive, just wait until you spot a sea eagle out on a fishing trip.

In truth, it's all about spectacle and spin. Sea eagles are among the world's least-threatened large birds of prey. Their numbers have quadrupled in Sweden, and they have recolonised Denmark. They are pleased with Poland and having fun in Finland. Introducing them to Suffolk isn't going to make much difference to sea eagle conservation. It is doing very nicely on its own, thank you very much.

But, as English Nature recognises, there's more to this than meets the eye. Messing around with sea eagles, says English Nature, "represents a major opportunity to lead a high profile 'flagship species' project that will highlight the organisation at the forefront of a major biodiversity delivery initiative." In other words, sea eagles get the column inches denied to smaller fry. They star in Springwatch and attract crowds of admirers. They "deliver benefits to people and nature", say English Nature.

And that is what 21st-century style, ultra-democratic nature conservation has to be about. Government-funded heritage bodies are terrified at being seen to be elitist and remote from popular expectations. There's nothing that links people and nature better than a big fierce bird, especially one that is unlikely to cause much serious concern to farmers and game interests.

And there's nothing like an eagle to sum up what it means to be wild and free. Perhaps people will feel soon be feeling a little wilder and freer themselves as they wander the muddy banks of Essex and a vast bird floats by with a flicker of its barn-door wings. Modern Britain may sometimes feel like a land of suburbs and grain prairies. But if the world's fourth-largest eagle can make itself at home here, then may be our environment can't be all that bad.

Numbers:

The European population is about 6,000 pairs, mostly in Scandinavia and Russia. Norway has the most with about 2,000 pairs. In the remote past, Britain may have had almost as many.

Where to see them now:

Sea-eagle spotting is a major attraction for visitors to the isle of Mull. Mid-morning is a good time to catch a glimpse. A customised hide run by the RSPB (bookings can be made by calling 01688 302 038) and three wildlife tour operators on the island improve your chance of a good view.

Posted by Surfbirds at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)

April 6, 2006

Birdwatchers could be at risk of deadly european virus

Birdwatching enthusiasts visiting central and eastern Europe in 2006 are being warned about a potentially life-threatening disease.

The 'Tick Alert' campaign is warning about Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE), a viral disease contracted via the bite of an infected tick. It can lead to meningitis and in serious cases result in paralysis and death, with about one in 30 cases proving fatal.

The warning identifies 16 European countries where the TBE infected tick population is officially endemic and therefore poses a high risk to visitors who have not been immunised or taken bite prevention precautions.

These include Estonia, which holds records for bird spotting, Poland, and its Biebrza Marshes and Hungary, with some of the finest and yet most undisturbed birdwatching in Europe today.

At-risk groups include all visitors to rural areas of endemic countries, particularly those participating in outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking and camping.

A number of measures can be taken to reduce the risk of infection: these include using an insect repellent, wearing trousers and long-sleeved clothing to cover all areas of exposed skin, regularly inspecting for tick bites and carefully removing any found. The disease can also be transmitted by the ingestion of unpasteurised milk which should be avoided.

Tick diseases are not only found abroad. Families planning camping and activity holidays in rural areas of the UK are being urged to protect themselves against home-grown tick diseases. It is estimated the number of UK cases of Lyme disease could be as high as 2,000 a year.

However, the Foreign Office advises that visitors to TBE endemic regions seek inoculation advice from their local surgery or clinic - well before travelling.

Immunisation against TBE is available from specialist travel health clinics and at GP surgeries and healthcare centres.

Further information on the endemic regions of Europe and latest advice for travellers is available at www.masta.org/tickalert.

Birdwatching in the UK may also expose the risk from ticks carrying Lyme disease. Infected ticks are found throughout the UK, in particular Exmoor, the New Forest, the South Downs, parts of Wiltshire and Berkshire, Thetford Forest, the Lake District, the Yorkshire moors and the Scottish Highlands. It is estimated the number of UK cases of Lyme disease could be as high as 2,000 a year.

Posted by Surfbirds at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2006

Iraq marshes exhibition in Norfolk

Over the past two years BirdLife International has been helping train Iraqi biologists to carry out bird and other wildlife surveys of the internationally important Mesopotamian Marshes.

The Ornithological Society of the Middle East (OSME) contributed £1000 from its Conservation and Research Fund towards this training.

Part of the Canada-Iraq Marshland Initiative (CIMI) - and funded by the Canadian Government - the training has, for reasons of security, been carried out in Syria and Jordan. The Iraqi team are from a new NGO, Nature Iraq, and already one summer and two winter surveys have been undertaken. Whilst only a shadow of their former self, due to drainage during the Saddam Hussein regime, the marshes of southern Iraq are still hugely important for their breeding and wintering bird populations. They hold 18 globally threatened species as well as three endemics (Iraq Babbler, Basra Reed Warbler and Grey Hypocolius (near-endemic)). Now that a re-flooding and rehabilitation programme has started there is great optimism for their future.

During these surveys Iraqi biologists took photos of the marshlands depicting their moods and the way of life of the Marsh Arabs. These are to be featured in an exhibition hosted by BirdLife International and the new BIRDscapes Gallery in Glandford, near Cley in North Norfolk. It will run from 22 April to 2 May 2006 and all are welcome.

Anyone wanting further details should contact Steve or Liz Harris at BIRDscapes (01263 741742)

For further information on the BirdLife International project please contact Richard Porter (email: richardporter@dialstart.net)

OSME Contact details

Dawn Balmer, 39 Station Road, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU.
Tel: 01842 766734.
E-mail: dawn.balmer@bto.org

Posted by Surfbirds at 5:19 PM | Comments (0)

February 10, 2006

Decline of UK House Sparrow Better Understood?

The Independent newspaper highlighted the plight of the British House Sparrow back in 2000 with the offer of a £5,000 prize for the first properly accepted scientific answer.

Many suggestions have been put forth. Magpies, cats, pesticides, peanuts, climate change and home improvements are among the myriad cited for the sparrow's startling disappearance from London and other towns and cities.

The prize has never been claimed.

Kate Vincent, a postgraduate researcher at De Montfort University, Leicester, has for the past five years been closely examining house sparrow breeding success for her PhD thesis.

Her research appears to point to one of the theories for the birds' decline - a similar decline in the numbers of the insects and other invertebrates that sparrow chicks need for the first few days of their lives. In their first week of life, the chicks need animal protein in the shape of small grubs, flies, aphids and spiders.

Over three years, Vincent put up more than 600 nestboxes on houses in Leicester and the city's suburbs and her finding was that, in the summer, considerable numbers of sparrow chicks were starving to death in the nest.

The chicks that were dying were largely in the sparrows' second brood of the year, providing an explanation for the population decline as a whole. As many young sparrows do not survive their first winter, every year the species needs two or three broods (of four chicks each) to keep the population at least level. If the second brood is failing, the population will start to fall.

Vincent found an 80 per cent success rate in the first brood, but only a 65 per cent success rate in the second.

The strong implication is that insects and other invertebrates are becoming much scarcer in Britain in summer - which, although Vincent's research does not specifically prove this, is suspected by wildlife researchers.

Posted by Surfbirds at 4:09 AM | Comments (0)

February 8, 2006

Many New Species Discovered in New Guinea

An international team of scientists, exploring the Foja Mountains in New Guinea have unearthed a new species of honeyeater and rediscovered a bird of paradise amongst many other startling avian, animal and insect discoveries.

The researchers also located of the home of Berlepsch's six-wired bird of paradise. On the second day of the team's expedition, the stunned scientists watched as a male Berlepsch's bird of paradise performed a mating dance for an attending female in the field camp. It was the first time a live male of the species had been observed by Western scientists, and proved that the Foja Mountains was the species' true home. "This bird had been filed away and forgotten; it had been lost. To rediscover it was, for me, in some ways, more exciting than finding the honeyeater. I spent 20 years working on birds of paradise; they're pretty darn sexy beasts," Dr Beehler enthused

The team also recorded a golden-mantled tree kangaroo, which was previously thought to have been hunted to near-extinction.

A summary of the team's main discoveries:

A new species of honeyeater, the first new bird species discovered on the island of New Guinea since 1939

The formerly unknown breeding grounds of a "lost" bird of paradise - the six-wired bird of paradise (Parotia berlepschi

First photographs of the golden-fronted bowerbird displaying at its bower.

A new large mammal for Indonesia, the golden-mantled tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus pulcherrimus.

More than 20 new species of frogs, including a tiny microhylid frog less than 14mm long

A series of previously undescribed plant species, including five new species of palms

A remarkable white-flowered rhododendron with flower about 15cm across

Four new butterfly species.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:05 AM | Comments (0)

Prominent Bird Expert Casts Doubt On Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Writing in the ornithology journal The Auk (January 2006), Florida Gulf Coast University ornithologist Jerome A. Jackson criticized the “evidence” used to support the conclusion that the Woodpecker wasn’t extinct after all. This includes a four-second video of an alleged sighting which garnered widespread media attention; several other anecdotal sightings; and acoustic signals purported to be vocalization and raps from the Woodpecker.

Download The Paper Here

News of the alleged Woodpecker sighting caught on video was first released in late-April 2005 and spread rapidly through the birding community and in to the mainstream media.

“While the world rejoiced, my elation turned to disbelief,” wrote Jackson. “I had seen the ‘confirming’ video in the news releases and recognized its poor quality, but I had believed [anyway],” he continued.

“Then I saw [a still image] and seriously doubted that this evidence was confirmation of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Even a cursory comparison of this figure with [photographs and illustrations of real Ivory-billed Woodpeckers] shows that the white on the wing of the bird… is too extensive to be that of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker,” Jackson wrote.

Jackson is also dismayed at the diversion of federal funds away from threatened species protection towards the Ivory-billed Woodpecker recovery effort.

Birders all over the world are still waiting for undisputable evidence for the Ivory-billed's existence to be put forth.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:56 AM | Comments (0)

Wattled Crane Recovery Programme

With the backing of the Johannesburg Zoo, a Wattled Crane recovery programme is underway and set to expand dramatically over the next 5 years. The South African Wattled Crane may be genetically unique from all other Wattled Cranes in Africa, making the success of a captive breeding program ever more urgent to prevent local extinction of this species. This coupled with the fact that Wattled Cranes have the lowest reproductive success of all the crane species, makes the Wattled Crane Recovery Programme one of South Africa’s most crucial and challenging conservation projects.