Surfbirds News

September 4, 2008

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August 14, 2008

New study shows hen harriers and waders can live together.

Rising numbers of birds of prey need not spell disaster for threatened species of ground nesting birds, contrary to repeated claims that the two go hand in hand. In fact, numbers of curlew and lapwing actually increased at the same time as hen harriers flourished in the absence of illegal persecution during a study on a grouse moor in the south of Scotland during the 1990’s.

New research - The impact of raptors on the abundance of upland passerines and waders - will be published in the August edition of the international ecological journal Oikos by scientists at RSPB Scotland, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Macaulay Institute and ACES (Aberdeen Centre for Ecological Sustainability). The paper examines the populations of hen harriers on Langholm Moor in southwest Scotland between 1992 and 1999, alongside five potential prey species including curlew, lapwing, golden plover, meadow pipit and skylark. During that time there was no illegal killing of hen harriers and other birds of prey at Langholm under the auspices of the Joint Raptor Study, in order to investigate the impact that raptors had on the number of red grouse.

Hen Harrier © Pete Hadfield, from the surfbirds galleries

Hen Harriers increased from two breeding females in 1992 to a maximum of 20 in 1997 (and 13 in 1999). Peregrine falcons also increased from three to six breeding pairs during the same period. By 1999, autumn red grouse stocks fell to a level where grouse shooting was considered economically unviable and ceased. Since then, several commentators have speculated or claimed relationships between numbers of raptors and other bird species.

This newly published research provides some definitive evidence of what happened at Langholm in the 1990s.

~ Curlew and lapwing numbers actually increased during this period, rising by 106% and 66%, respectively.

~ . Between 1994-1999, golden plovers declined by 47% at Langholm, but there was an 89% decline at nearby sites where raptors had not increased.

~ None of these population changes are believed to have been caused by harriers, Indeed they strongly suggest that harriers are not a problem for these upland waders.

~ numbers of meadow pipits and skylarks declined at Langholm, by 61% and 51%, respectively, during the study. These declines were greater than on nearby moorland areas where raptor numbers had not increased. This evidence, together with observed predation rates, suggests that harriers limited the abundance of meadow pipits, their principal prey.

Hen Harrier © Steve Round, from the surfbirds galleries

Dr Arjun Amar, Research Biologist with RSPB Scotland and lead author of the study said: “These analyses lay to rest the idea that letting hen harrier numbers increase at Langholm meant that other species like curlew, lapwing and golden plover were wiped out. On the contrary, populations of some of these species actually rose.”

Dr Stephen Tapper, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Game & Wildlife Conservation trust, commented: “This is a fascinating analysis of predators and prey which illustrates how hen harrier numbers may limit the abundance of their principal prey, the meadow pipit. The authors rightly note too that, while raptors did not appear to reduce numbers of breeding waders, any loss of grouse management in the uplands could.”

Professor Des Thompson, Policy and Advice Manager with Scottish Natural Heritage, commented: “This robust science, building on the other important scientific work on Langholm in the 1990s, provides solid evidence that harriers were not implicated in changes in number of waders at Langholm then. It is important that this sort of monitoring continues within the new Langholm Moor Demonstration Project, where the evidence base founded on observation and detailed analysis is so important.”

The publication of this research is timely, with the second phase of work at Langholm now underway. The Langholm Moor Demonstration Project has now begun, with the backing of Scottish Natural Heritage, RSPB, GWCT, Natural England and Buccleuch Estates. The hope is that by using techniques such as diversionary feeding, a way can be found to allow birds of prey to flourish on the moor, whilst at the same time running an economically viable grouse shoot.

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Donors champion lapwing's cause

Donors are stepping in to help the rare sociable lapwing recover its numbers.

Swarovski Optik and the RSPB will this Friday become joint sponsors of work to protect and track the bird on its breeding grounds in Kazakhstan and during its annual migration.

The Austrian company, which makes binoculars, telescopes and other optical equipment, will announce its backing at the opening of the three-day international Birdfair at Rutland Water, an event likely to attract about 20,000 people.

The dual sponsorship is part of BirdLife International's Preventing Extinctions Programme, which aims to raise funds and provide support for all 190 of the world's critically endangered birds.

Sociable Plover © Leander Khil, from the surfbirds galleries

Swarovski's Johannes Davoras said: 'We consider it our duty to contribute to the preservation of endangered species. We are looking forward to working closely with the RSPB and Birdlife International and hope that with our commitment it will soon be possible to downlist the sociable lapwing from its critically endangered status. Our products, such as binoculars and telescopes, are used for the most part in nature and are held in particularly high regard by birdwatchers.'

The sociable lapwing is closely related to the northern lapwing seen in the UK, and breeds on the vast, open steppes of central Kazakhstan.

It was listed as critically endangered by BirdLife International in 2003, on behalf of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), after numbers plunged by 95 per cent.

Scientists put the losses down to the trampling of nests by cattle and the decline of the saiga antelope, which grazed breeding areas and kept vegetation in check.

Since then, sociable lapwings have been seen in Turkey, Syria and Sudan, including a flock of 3,200 birds in south-east Turkey last October. That sighting was the largest number of the bird seen together for more than 100 years.

The species became one of the smallest birds to carry a satellite-tracking device earlier this year, when it was recorded flying 5,000 miles to Sudan and back on migration.

Swarovski and the RSPB will become 'species champions' for the sociable lapwing under the BirdLife programme. Their backing will help pay for research and tracking work and complement earlier funding from the UK government's Darwin Initiative. Scientists hope to find more nesting sites in Kazakhstan, safeguard those areas and find ways of protecting the birds on migration.

Dr Rob Sheldon, the RSPB's Sociable Lapwing Project Leader, said: 'Our research so far has told us an enormous amount about the bird and uncovered populations we had no idea existed.

'The bird's problems seem to be linked more to its migration and wintering grounds than its breeding sites, and this new funding means we can step up our monitoring work to find out more about where these birds go and the problems they face on their migration routes.'

Jim Lawrence, who is managing BirdLife's Preventing Extinctions Programme, said: 'This agreement is a huge boost for the project. We are confident more international businesses and conservation organisations will follow the lead of Swarovski and the RSPB and provide the vital funding needed to save other species on the brink of extinction.'

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August 10, 2008

Trawling: a major threat to albatrosses

A study of trawl fishing in South Africa suggests that around 18,000 seabirds may be killed annually in this fishery, highlighting trawl fisheries as a major threat to seabirds, especially several species of albatross already facing a risk of extinction.

Published in the journal Animal Conservation, the study was based on scientists monitoring catches on 14 different vessels, operating in the Benguela Current, off South Africa; one of the main hotspots for seabirds in the Southern Hemisphere. The vessels were trawling for hake, and the majority of bird deaths were a result of collisions with wires – known as warp lines – leading from the stern of the vessels.

'We believe the seabird deaths the scientists recorded might be just the tip of the iceberg', said John Croxall, Chair of BirdLife’s Global Seabird Programme. 'It suggests that around 18,000 seabirds may be killed annually in this fishery alone,' he added.

Black-browed Albatross © James Lowen, from the surfbirds galleries

'Most mortality relates to the dumping of fishing waste behind the boat. This attracts seabirds which can either hit the warp lines or become entangled in the nets,' commented Dr Croxall.

Fisheries, including long-lining and trawling, are believed to kill 100,000 albatrosses annually. Eighteen of the world’s 22 species of albatross are facing extinction, and bycatch in fisheries is the most significant threat to the family worldwide.

The species killed during the study include South African breeding species such as Cape gannet, and species like the white-chinned petrel, sooty shearwater, and black-browed and shy albatrosses, which visit the Benguela Current region from nesting islands dotted around the Southern Ocean.

'The impact of this one local fishery has very widespread geographical repercussions', warned Dr Croxall. 'Potential mortality at this scale for the albatrosses is unsustainable'.

Barry Watkins, the lead author of the paper, said: 'Watching birds drown accidentally on the trawl warps is a very sad sight as these magnificent birds are just trying to feed themselves with no harm to any of us.'

Data of this nature are very difficult to obtain, as fatal collisions are relatively rare events. However, collecting this information is an obligation - under the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement and the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing - on the managers and practitioners of a fishery. 'One would hope that further data like these will now become available through appropriate collaborations involving fishery managers', noted Dr Croxall.

Potential solutions to reduce seabird mortality, such as improving waste management and using devices protecting warp cables from bird strikes, already exist. BirdLife International believes addressing the problems requires a combination of:

implementing best-practice mitigation measures immediately, and making such measures a requirement for appropriate fisheries;

and conducting research to improve mitigation measures.

BirdLife’s Albatross Task Force (ATF) is addressing these issues. The ATF, which is funded by the RSPB, has developed the world’s first international team of mitigation instructors working with fishermen and government agencies in global bycatch ‘hotspots’, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Namibia, South Africa and Uruguay. ATF instructors routinely show that the adoption of mitigation measures are both operationally and economically effective.

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:08 AM | Comments (0)

August 1, 2008

Bird crime figures continue to soar

Reported crimes against birds of prey reached an all-time high in 2007, increasing by a massive 40 per cent on the previous year.

As a result, the RSPB is urging the Government to make tackling the illegal persecution of birds of prey and other wildlife a higher priority for the UK’s police forces.

In its annual ‘Birdcrime’ report, the RSPB revealed it received 262 reports of incidents of illegal shooting, trapping and nest destruction of birds of prey during the course of last year.

This compared with 185 reports in 2006, a figure which prompted the Society to launch a campaign calling for an end to the illegal killing of birds of prey.

Red Kite, this bird a tragic roadkill © Martin Scott, from the surfbirds galleries

There were also 49 reports of birds of prey being poisoned, including 17 red kites - the highest number recorded in a single year - and one half of the only breeding pair of golden eagles in the Scottish Borders.

Data from the report identifies four counties that were the worst in England for reported persecution of birds of prey. They were North Yorkshire, with 78 reports, Northumberland with 22 and Shropshire and Cumbria with 16 reports each.

Reports of crimes against all wild birds were at record levels for a second year in a row, with 1,208 separate incidents reported to the RSPB’s investigations department in 2007.

In 2006, the number of reports passed the 1,000 mark for the first time, with 1,109 potential offences logged. Part of the reason for the dramatic rise in reported crimes may be due to improved sharing of data between the RSPB, the police, RSPCA and the newly-formed National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Despite this, the RSPB believes the true figure is much higher still, with many crimes taking place in remote areas where they remain undetected and unreported.

Ian West, Head of Investigations at the RSPB, said: 'The number of reports coming in to us are the highest we have ever had, but we are still only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

'It is hard to say whether the problem is increasing or whether we are just getting to hear about more of the offences that are taking place.

'What is clear is that very large numbers of birds are being illegally killed every year and that is totally unacceptable in a civilised society. There has to be a greater effort to enforce the law.'

He urged the Home Office to make it clear to police forces that wildlife crime needed to be given a higher priority.

He said: 'The RSPB can highlight the extent of the problem, but unless it is given more weight and measures to tackle it are written into individual force’s policing plans then future Birdcrime reports will continue to paint a depressing picture of crime against the UK’s wild birds.

'We will continue to do all we can to put a stop to these offences, despite the difficulty we often face in getting evidence. The public’s help will continue to be vital if we are to identify where the problems are and try to do something about it.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 11:40 AM | Comments (0)

New wetland could see continental birds arriving in Kent

Restoration of a large area of Kent countryside to wildlife-rich wetland could see the garden of England become a landing pad for bird species moving north from Europe as the climate warms.

The RSPB believes species like the once scarce little egret – already making a home along the south coast – and the little bittern, could soon be mixing with more familiar birds like lapwing, reed bunting and water rail in a rejuvenated Lydden Valley.

Little Bittern (female) © Gary Thoburn, from the surfbirds galleries

Now the Society has launched an appeal in an effort to raise the £1.4 million it needs to buy and manage 600 acres of the valley.

Just 50-years-ago, the Lydden Valley south of Sandwich was teeming with life, but land drainage has seen it dry out and its wildlife is now much reduced.

The RSPB would return much of it to grazing marsh and reedbed, raising water levels by disabling the drains that bleed moisture out of the fields. They will also restore the land’s ancient network of ‘grips’ – shallow meandering watercourses that provide vital feeding areas for wader chicks.

Doing so would create a home for native birds and other wildlife like water voles and brown hares, while its position near the Channel would offer a convenient refuge for species being pushed north by climate change.

Alan Parker, RSPB Kent Reserves Manager, said: 'I’ve spent most of my working life with the RSPB in Kent and this is the most exciting opportunity I have ever seen.

'Several linked pieces of farmland in the Lydden Valley have become available to buy at the same time but we have to act fast, I can’t imagine an opportunity like this coming up again in my lifetime.

'I’ve been talking to some of the people who grew up in the villages and farms in this area, and the wildlife they describe here when they were young sounds like another world. Species that have declined could be seen regularly.'

Little Bittern (male) © Gary Thoburn, from the surfbirds galleries

The RSPB has conducted similar projects across the UK including Pulborough Brooks, in Sussex, a once-drained piece of land that now attracts tens of thousands of wild wetland birds to the South East.

Mr Parker added: 'Water is the key to life, and when we buy this land, water will be the key to restoring it. What makes it such a marvellous opportunity is that the water’s still here, still being channelled away – it’s one of the few places in the South East where we can easily reverse the drainage process. This is people’s chance to make a real difference.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

A taste of the Mediterranean comes to the UK

Researchers monitoring some of the rarest birds in the UK have discovered that climate change has had a noticeable impact on population levels over the last quarter of a century.

Using nesting information from 42 of the UK’s rarest nesting birds between 1980 and 2004, researchers from the RSPB and Durham and Cambridge Universities have discovered that some species with a southerly distribution are doing better in the UK, while species whose distributions are centered further north are faring less well.

Little Egret © Steve Arlow, from the surfbirds galleries

The best examples include the little egret and the Cetti’s warbler, two birds that colonised the south of Britain in 1996 and 1972 respectively. The latest population information for both species shows they are doing phenomenally well, with maximum populations of 433 of little egret and 1331 pairs of Cetti’s warbler nesting in the UK. Other winners include the cirl bunting and the Dartford warbler, both more numerous in Spain than in the UK.

Conversely, the redwing – a type of Scandinavian thrush – is faring badly. The redwing is a widespread visitor to the UK in winter, but as a nesting bird it only colonised the UK in 1925, reaching a peak of up to 80 pairs in the 1980s. Subsequently, the paper shows that the population of this ‘northern’ thrush has declined sharply to a just few pairs.

Dr Richard Gregory, of the RSPB, is one of the paper’s authors. He said: “Our paper clearly shows that wildlife has been affected by climate change over the last 25 years – some nature reserves in southern Britain now have an almost ‘Mediterranean’ feel to them.

“Many scientists have used models to predict the future changes in distribution of species responding to climate change, but our paper shows that wildlife has been responding to a changing climate for a quarter of a century at least. This discovery has profound consequences for some of our most threatened and declining wildlife and shows that climate change is likely to continue to have an overwhelming impact on the threatened species.”

Professor Brian Huntley from The Institute of Ecosystem Science at Durham University added: “The results are what we expected to find given the changes in climate over the last 20 years.

“Because the UK is in the middle Latitudes of Europe, we expected that recent climatic warming would favour species with ranges located in the south of Europe and adversely affect northern species.”

The authors, using the same climate models, published a Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds earlier this year. This work showed that, on average, suitable climates for European birds are likely to shift northwards by 550km – a distance equivalent from Plymouth to Newcastle.

The paper is published today in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

Posted by Surfbirds at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

Groundbreaking satellite tagging project for Mull sea eagles

Mull Eagle Watch and RSPB Scotland are delighted to unveil a pioneering satellite tagging project to follow young white tailed sea eagles once they leave the nest. For the first time, people all over the world will be able to get interactive updates on this years chicks from the Loch Frisa nest online, and see where the birds are.

The birds fledged in mid-July and are just beginning to explore their surroundings, and visitors to www.rspb.org.uk/mulleagletracking can be with them every step of the way.

White-tailed Eagle © Stephen David Keightley, from the surfbirds galleries

Young sea eagle chicks roam far and wide, with one bird released on the East Coast last summer taking in much of Grampian and Speyside before winging its way over to Loch Frisa itself over the winter, and recently returning to its home patch.

The famous Loch Frisa sea eagle project on Mull is a partnership between Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage who provide funding, RSPB Scotland, Mull & Iona Community Trust and Strathclyde Police to allow public viewing of a white tailed sea eagle nest - the only live and direct viewing of a nest for the public anywhere in the world. Additional funding for the satellite tagging project will come from Highland Ecology Foundation and Natural Research.

The nest produced two chicks this year: a male called Mara (meaning 'sea' in Gaelic) and a female Breagha (‘Bree-ha’, meaning 'beautiful' in Gaelic). They fledged in mid-July and are now flying strongly, but visitors to the Loch Frisa hide can still see the birds until the end of August. Now, for the first time, visitors to www.rspb.org.uk/mulleagletracking can follow Mara and Breagha via specially fitted satellite tags, as they spread their wings and explore Scotland.

RSPB Mull Officer Dave Sexton, who will be writing an on-line blog for the project said: 'As technology moves on we're able to learn a lot more about stunning birds like the white tailed eagle, and make them more accessible to people at the same time. Although they're our biggest bird of prey and truly massive, it's amazing how elusive they can become as they wander over Scotland - so this research project for the Sea Eagle Project Team will really help us get an idea of how the species recovery is faring.

'One of the birds released in Fife last year as part of the East Coast reintroduction travelled right up the East Coast to Findhorn, before heading West via Grantown on Spey and turning up right here at Loch Frisa earlier this year before heading back to Perth, which gives an idea of how far they roam.'

The tags were obtained by Roy Dennis, whose Highland Foundation for Wildlife already have expertise in satellite tracking of raptors in Scotland.

'This is the first time we’ve fitted these tags to sea eagles in the UK,' he said. 'It’s exciting to help the Mull project to follow their young sea eagles because we've learnt so much following Alma - a young golden eagle in the Cairngorms. The incredible detail of her daily life has fascinated people and given us new insights. Hopefully similar information from Mara and Breagha will show their journeys in great detail using Google Maps.

'Will they stay on Mull, will they stay together, where will they wander and where might they seek out places to breed? The more we know, the more likely we are to be able to restore the sea eagle to the UK.'

The project will also be followed by the BBC's Natural History Unit and will feature in this year's 'Autumnwatch' series with Bill Oddie, Kate Humble, Simon King and Gordon Buchanan.

Posted by Surfbirds at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2008

Red Kite returns to Northern Ireland

A bird of prey extinct in Northern Ireland for at least two centuries is making a spectacular recovery as the first phase of a red kite reintroduction project began in southern County Down earlier today.

Northern Ireland Red Kites is the first species reintroduction in Northern Ireland and part of an All-Ireland project to bring back these exciting birds of prey to Northern Ireland. Project partners are the Welsh Kite Trust, the Golden Eagle Trust and the RSPB.

Red Kite © John Miller, from the surfbirds galleries

The project, which will release 27 kites this year, hopes to see these birds of global conservation concern become permanent residents in the rolling countryside of south Co Down.

Also today, more red kites took to the skies around Aberdeen, when Aberdeen’s Lord and Lady Provost released six birds of 35 gathered from nests around the UK. Today’s release in Scotland – part of the Aberdeen Red Kites Project - is the second year of a three-year reintroduction programme.

The Northern Ireland Red Kites project is the final piece in the jigsaw of red kite reintroductions across the UK and Ireland, where the return of this iconic species has proved to be one of the greatest conservation success stories of recent decades.

The RSPB worked with the Welsh Kite Trust to bring chicks from Wales – where conservation efforts and careful protection have succeeded in increasing the small population survive historical persecution. In a further boost to the population expansion in Ireland, the Golden Eagle Trust have also released Welsh chicks into the Co Wicklow countryside, south of Dublin, to supplement the 2007 reintroduction. This project is collaboration between conservation organisations in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Speaking after this morning’s launch in Co Down, Robert Straughan, RSPB Red Kite Officer said: 'This morning’s launch has been the culmination of a huge amount of work over this past number of years in order to make this project a reality.

'I have been looking after the birds prior to their release with important help from Forest Service and they are healthy and doing well. As they take their first flight in a new country the red kites should soon feel at home in the mixed woodland, farmland and rough grassland of south Co Down, as it offers ideal habitat for the birds.

'People will be able to easily identify red kites with their rusty-red colouring, forked tail, white patches under each wing and inky black wing tips, not to mention their five-and-a-half-feet wingspan.'

Kites, which will be the largest bird of prey to nest in Northern Ireland, are opportunistic scavengers; to conserve energy they feed mostly on worms and small dead animals, which they can see from a great height. They are a large bird, but are not designed to feed on mobile prey, so are not a threat to livestock, gamebirds or songbirds.

Robert Straughan added: 'Red kites have been absent from the skies of Northern Ireland for more than 200 years because of historical persecution and the RSPB is very proud to assist the global recovery of this beautiful bird - a species of global conservation concern.

'Not only is this an exciting and important conservation project, but it could also provide a tremendous tourist boost to the local economy in the Mournes area. The red kite has become a conservation success story from the north of Scotland to the south of England, and the UK population now stands at over 1,000 breeding pairs.

'It is our belief that the Northern Ireland Red Kite Reintroduction Project will provide a similar outcome for conservation and for the benefit of local people.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:49 AM | Comments (0)

India's riches left unprotected

A new and monumental book details more than 100 Indian wetlands that campaigners believe desperately need protection from pollution, development and other forms of misuse.

The 560-page tome describes 160 coastal and freshwater sites only 25 of which have been classified under the international Ramsar wetland treaty.

The areas range from the Deepor Beel bird sanctuary in Assam to the Tisgul Tso marshes of Lakakh in the Himalayas and Suchindram and Theroor wetlands at the southern most tip of India.

Common Crane © Katarina Paunovic, from the surfbirds galleries

The authors, Zafar ul Islam and Dr Asad Rahmani of the Bombay Natural History Society call these wetlands India’s "liquid treasures." They add in the book’s preface: "The 25 Ramsar sites in India do not represent even a fraction of the diversity of wetland habitats existing in the country.

"In a country like India, where nearly 80 per cent of the population depends on agriculture, rainwater, wetlands, rivers, wells and canals are important to sustain agricultural activities.

"Wetlands are also important for biodiversity conservation because some of the most endangered species survive on wetlands."

The BNHS will present the book, Potential and Existing Ramsar sites in India, to India’s Vice President, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, at a special event in New Delhi today (July 25).

The organisation, the oldest conservation group in India, together with the RSPB, is urging the Indian government to give many more of its wetlands Ramsar status at the next Ramsar convention in South Korea in October.

Many of the 135 sites not listed by Ramsar but included in the book do have some protection under Indian law and only last week, the Chhari-Dhand wetland in Gujarat was made a Conservation Reserve by the state government, after 20 years of lobbying.

These 1,500-square mile grasslands host 270 bird species including 32 different birds of prey and 40,000 common cranes in winter. Desert cats, desert foxes and wolves are found at the site too.

Dr Rahmani, the BNHS Director, said: "Wetlands play a major role in the ecological security of our country. With the looming threat of climate change and food scarcity, we must protect our existing wetlands and revive degraded ones so they can play their ecological role."

Ian Barber, an Asia specialist at the RSPB, said: "The new sites described in the book all meet the criteria necessary for Ramsar status. The book deliberately covers every Indian state because each one boasts some hugely important sites.

"The book is a major step forward in detailing India’s environmental riches. India is one of the world’s top ten countries for diversity of wildlife and we hope the Indian government will do all it can to recognise this and protect the ecological that wealth few other nations have."

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:45 AM | Comments (0)

July 13, 2008

Seabird failure continues for another year

Early reports of seabird breeding performance on RSPB Scotland's coastal reserves indicate continuing problems for the country's internationally important populations of guillemots, kittiwakes and other seabirds, with nests abandoned and empty cliffs which should now be teeming with thousands of nesting birds at this time of year.

Worryingly, evidence suggests these repeated annual breeding failures are now substantially reducing populations of certain species, with some experiencing massive population declines in recent years at cliffs that used to support huge colonies.

With the launch of the Marine Bill Consultation on Monday 14 July, RSPB Scotland calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that it puts the environment at the heart of new legislation to ensure it makes a real difference for our marine wildlife.

Kittiwake © Jon Lowes, from the surfbirds galleries

Different seabird species have experienced contrasting fortunes according to their location and feeding preferences, but colonies on the northern isles of Orkney and Shetland - together Scotland's most important 'seabird cities' - have been hit particularly hard.

Early in the season many guillemots and razorbills appeared to have given up any attempt to breed at RSPB's Sumburgh head reserve on Shetland, with eggs left abandoned on the cliffs as parent birds spent more time at sea in a desperate search for food.

Kittiwakes also had serious problems, and although many adults began nest building, significant numbers appeared to give up; others that did lay failed to incubate the eggs to hatching.

Further south on the Aberdeenshire coast at Fowlsheugh the picture was slightly more encouraging, with razorbills, guillemots and kittiwakes appearing to be nesting successfully, although counts are still well down on historic numbers.

On the west coast, the breeding season has been more mixed, with both razorbills and kittiwakes experiencing a poor year, but some Arctic tern colonies fared well and were bringing in plentiful food supplies.

Doug Gilbert, an ecologist with RSPB Scotland, said: 'Regrettably the poor breeding performance of our internationally important seabird colonies is now an annual theme. When you look at the evidence over the last 15 years it is quite startling and cause for serious concern.

'At our Copinsay reserve on Orkney the kittiwake population has plummeted drastically since the mid 1980s, when there were at least 10,000 birds on the cliffs, but today there are just under 2,000, a pattern repeated in many areas of Scotland and the UK. This decline is a major conservation problem, as Scotland supports 45% of the nesting seabirds in the EU, and the colonies attract many visitors to marvel at the sight of the massed colonies.'

He continued: 'The declines are primarily being driven by changes in the availability of the fish that these birds depend on. Sandeels, sprats and other small fish are obviously just not available to kittiwakes and other birds in the way they used to be. The adult birds are having to spend more time away from their eggs and chicks to find food and many are just giving up their breeding attempts this year.

'These changes are almost certainly being driven by changes in the sea environment that we still know little about. Sea birds are indicators of the health of the marine environment and, like the canary in the coalmine, the decline in their fortunes should be a wake-up call to us all that we must pay attention to.'

RSPB Scotland is calling for the Scottish Government to put the environment at the heart of the Marine Bill to help improve the fortunes of our seabirds.

Kara Brydson, marine policy officer with RSPB Scotland, said: 'The Scottish Marine Bill will not be a silver bullet that will suddenly mean that the problems facing seabirds seabirds will be solved overnight. But it should represent a policy shift that means putting environment at the heart of decision-making and having proper sustainable management of the seas rather than treating them as something that is available to be exploited and used with impunity.

'The Marine Bill must include effective protection for our wildlife including a robust network of designated marine protected areas for marine life important to Scotland, and a comprehensive marine planning system founded on sustainable development principles to conserve and restore the marine environment.

'We also need a Scottish Marine Management Organisation to help deliver the tough targets required for the long term sustainable management and recovery of our seas, and this has to be integrated with action at a UK and European level.'

A full analysis of the season will only be possible at the end of the summer.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:04 AM | Comments (0)

Twin threat heightens flamingo's plight

A second major threat is facing endangered lesser flamingos in Africa after the announcement of development plans close to a man-made breeding site, built less than two years ago to help reverse the birds' decline.

Kamfers Dam near Kimberley, South Africa, is the only nesting site for lesser flamingos in the country and one of only six breeding areas for the birds in the world.

The wetland has hosted more than 50,000 lesser flamingos – about 50 per cent of the southern African population – and an incredible 9,000 chicks hatched on the dam's deliberately S-shaped artificial flamingo island this year.

Lesser Flamingo © John Dempsey, from the surfbirds galleries

But conservationists believe new homes planned for a buffer zone protecting the island could cause the birds to desert the site, where pollution from a sewage plant is thought to be causing deformities in lesser flamingo chicks.

Lesser flamingos are notoriously vulnerable to disturbance and human encroachment and the new development, and the pollution, could break South African Government commitments to international treaties safeguarding wildlife.

Duncan Pritchard, Acting Executive Director of BirdLife South Africa, said: 'Creating the breeding island at Kamfers Dam was a huge investment and its future should not be jeopardised by development or pollution.

'If tests prove the birds' deformities are being caused by poor water quality, many other species and possibly the entire aquatic system of the dam could be at risk.

'Without urgent action, the dam will become a polluted cesspool devoid of birdlife and a hazard to the people of Kimberley. If nothing is done and the housing development is allowed, our political leaders will have failed us.'

Kamfers Dam is being used to dump raw sewage from a malfunctioning treatment works close to the birds' breeding island. Yet the Sol Plaatje Municipality, which runs the sewage plant and includes a lesser flamingo in its emblem, is backing plans to build 6,500 upmarket homes on part of a buffer zone surrounding the island.

Lesser Flamingo with Greater Flamingos © Rami Mizrachi, from the surfbirds galleries

The South African Government has designated Kamfers Dam a Natural Heritage Site and Dr Brooks Childress, a world expert on flamingos, described the dam as 'arguably the single most important flamingo conservation project to have taken place anywhere in the world in recent years.'

He added: 'If left undisturbed, this new breeding island should have a significant beneficial effect in stabilising the southern African population of this species.'

Development and pollution pose the most serious threats to lesser flamingos in Africa. Between 1.5 and 2.5 million of the birds – 75 per cent of the world's population - have nested on Lake Natron in Tanzania but the Tanzanian government is backing the plans of Indian multinational TATA to develop the site.

TATA wants to take saltwater and freshwater from the area for the export of soda ash. Lake Natron forms an isolated and magical panorama, which for years has been the species' most important breeding site in the world.

Paul Buckley, an Africa specialist with the RSPB, said: 'Lesser flamingos are facing enormous threats most of which are being caused by man. Southern and eastern Africa are incredibly important areas for these birds and the loss of lesser flamingos from Kamfers Dam and Lake Natron would together be a very serious blow to an already gravely threatened species.

'Lesser flamingos have declined throughout Africa and Kamfers Dam should be allowed to become an important sanctuary for these birds.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:53 AM | Comments (0)

July 7, 2008

Flourishing wetland sacrificed for biofuels

The Kenyan government has approved a controversial plan to grow biofuel crops on an internationally important coastal wetland.

More than 80 square miles of the Tana River Delta will be destroyed and replaced with sugarcane for biofuel, some of which could be sold in the UK where oil firms are being forced to sell more biofuel.

Conservationists and villagers living in the Delta, which provides refuge for 350 species of bird, lions, elephants, rare sharks and reptiles including the Tana writhing skink, believe the decision is illegal and are determined to block the development. The groups are considering what action they might take.

Paul Matiku, Executive Director of Nature Kenya said: 'This decision is a national disaster and will devastate the Delta. The Tana's ecology will be destroyed yet the economic gains will be pitiful. It will seriously damage our priceless national assets and will put the livelihoods of the people living in the Delta in jeopardy.

Carmine Bee-eater © Chris Mills, from the surfbirds galleries.

'The environmental assessment for the scheme was poor yet the government has defied even those very modest recommendations. We refuse to accept that this decision is final. The development must be stopped at all costs.'

The proposal was approved by the Kenyan government's National Environment Management Authority, which put 14 conditions on the sugarcane plan. The conditions are weak and ignore the environmental assessment, which showed that irrigation of crops would cause severe drainage of the Delta.

The decision also overlooks an ongoing dispute over compensation for farmers and fishermen who would lose their land and fishing rights.

Paul Matiku said: 'This is the only dry-season grazing area for hundreds of miles and its loss will leave many hundreds of farmers with no-where to take their cattle.'

A report commissioned in May by Nature Kenya and the RSPB found that the developer's plans overestimated profits, ignored fees for water use and pollution from the sugarcane plant, and disregarded the loss of income from wildlife tourists.

The study said the Delta's ecological benefits 'defied valuation' and that the proposal would cause the 'irreversible loss of ecosystem services' – benefits such as flood prevention, the storage of greenhouse gases and the provision of medicines and food.

The Mumias Sugar Company says the income from sugarcane cultivation will be £1.25 million over 20 years but the report showed the revenue from fishing, farming, tourism and other lost livelihoods would be £30 million over the same period.

Paul Buckley, an Africa specialist with the RSPB, said: 'This decision is a very serious blow to Kenyan wildlife and to wildlife worldwide since many migrating species use the Tana Delta in internationally important numbers. Until now, Kenya's support for global agreements to protect wildlife has been excellent but this development could severely damage Kenya’s reputation for caring for its environment.'

The news comes just days before the UK government's review of the impacts of increased demand for biofuels. At least 2.5 per cent of petrol and diesel sold in Britain must already be biofuel and the EU wants to push that figure up to 10 per cent across Europe.

We are urging British and European politicians to scrap that target because some biofuels are increasing not cutting greenhouse gas emissions and are driving the destruction of rainforest, savannah and wetlands like the Tana Delta.

Dr Mark Avery, Conservation Director at the RSPB, said: 'The Tana Delta is one of many precious wildlife sites being put at risk by our reckless determination to use fuels that could hasten not combat climate change.

'The UK government has a last chance to persuade Europe to re-think its biofuels' plans. If it does not, wildlife will be lost because of policies that will line the pockets of producers but do nothing to cut our greenhouse gas emissions.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 1:45 PM | Comments (0)

Hundreds of Yorkshire seabirds drowning in fishing nets

The RSPB believes hundreds of seabirds have died so far this summer after becoming entangled in fishing nets set for salmon and sea trout in Filey Bay, North Yorkshire.

Because of the high numbers of bird casualties reported by the RSPB, the Environment Agency – the licensing authority - closed the fishery for two weeks in a voluntary agreement with the fishermen.

However, the RSPB is extremely concerned that many more birds will die with the reopening of the fishery today [Thursday 3 July, 2008]. The timing could not be worse, with the fishery due to reopen at a particularly sensitive time when there are likely to be large numbers of the birds using Filey Bay. Critically, the Environment Agency will be powerless to close the fishery again if high levels of bycatch are again observed, as it has not asked the fishermen to agree to such a measure.

Razorbill, Bempton, Yorkshire © Steve Valentine, from the surfbirds galleries.

Kate Tanner is a marine policy officer with the RSPB. She said: “RSPB observers have witnessed horrific scenes of scores of seabirds floundering and drowning in nets set by fishermen just offshore.

“We welcomed the temporary voluntary closure of the fishery, but we now have to work with all those involved to find a long-term solution to this terrible situation.”

The RSPB has been working with the Environment Agency – which licenses the fishery – and Natural England, the government’s statutory nature conservation agency, to solve this problem.

The RSPB wants to support a sustainable fishery in Filey Bay, but is concerned that the future of any such fishery would be compromised if the large-scale death of seabirds cannot be prevented. So far the majority of the seabirds caught have been razorbills, but it is possible that other locally-nesting seabirds, such as guillemots and puffins, may be caught up in the nets too.

The RSPB would like to see:

Opening of the fishery delayed by a further two weeks, to reduce the likelihood of reopening the fishery at the most sensitive period;

Reopening of the fishery subject to stricter management conditions including attendance of the nets while they are in the water, removal of nets overnight, timely release of any live birds caught in the nets, sensitive handling of trapped live birds, and full reporting of all bycatch;

Vastly improved monitoring of the fishery to ensure that fishermen are compliant with conditions, and details of all bycatch are recorded;

Recourse to further closures if the levels of bycatch on reopening the fishery are again found to be unacceptably high.

It is almost certain that the seabirds being caught by this fishery have come from the colonies in the nearby Flamborough Head protected sites, including the RSPB's Bempton Cliffs nature reserve. Bempton Cliffs is a major tourist attraction on the northern side of Flamborough Head, where the sight of thousands of seabirds nesting on the cliffs is a magnificent spectacle.

Posted by Surfbirds at 1:37 PM | Comments (0)

Golden Eagle killing thwarts bird's recovery

The Golden Eagle Framework, published July 2nd 2008 by Scottish Natural Heritage, proves relentless persecution is halting this magnificent bird of prey’s recovery in Scotland and is thwarting the bird’s return to northern England.

Currently there are 440 breeding pairs of golden eagle in the UK, all in Scotland. Golden eagles haven’t nested successfully in England since 1996. Currently, there is one male golden eagle in the Lake District, and until persecution - particularly on grouse moors - halts in Scotland, there is little chance of the bird’s re-establishment in England.

Golden Eagle © Mike Nelson, from the surfbirds galleries.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Conservation Director, said: “The distribution map of ‘missing’ golden eagles is remarkably similar to a map of driven grouse moors in Scotland.

“The Golden Eagle Framework is a compelling report and provides strong evidence that illegal persecution of golden eagles has been the major factor in limiting both their recovery and spread across what should be prime available habitat in some parts of Scotland. Its publication is very welcome, not least because it sets out a comprehensive "roadmap" for the future conservation of this iconic species.

“Whilst there are 440 breeding pairs of golden eagles in Scotland, the report highlights that the health of this population is fragile. Combating human killing of golden eagles, particularly on driven grouse moors in the south and east of Scotland, as well as improving food availability through better habitat management in the west of the country, are identified as the key constraints.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 1:31 PM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2008

Another wash-out for Ouse Washes breeding birds

Floods over the meadows of the Ouse Washes have wiped out the nesting season for wading birds for a second successive year.

Several hundred pairs of ground-nesting waders – lapwings, redshanks and snipe – have lost eggs or recently hatched chicks. The majority were on the RSPB’s nature reserve in Cambridgeshire, but also on land owned by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Norfolk, the Wildlife Trusts and other landowners.

In addition, roughly 900 pairs of ducks of seven species have lost their nests and eggs.

The Ouse Washes are now flooded bank to bank. Recent rain and rising river levels mean prospects seem hopeless for this year’s breeding season at this 19 mile long, internationally important wetland.

Lapwings © Pete Hadfield, from the surfbirds galleries.

These floods show the urgent need to create new wet meadows in the Fens, says the RSPB.

A further problem is that continual flooding makes management of the Ouse Washes impossible, jeopardising both its wildlife value and its ability to work as a flood defence.

Jon Reeves, RSPB Ouse Washes Site Manager said: 'The current state of the Ouse Washes is so frustrating for me and my team. As well as losing so many birds’ nests yet again, with the most of the washes under water since last May we cannot get out there to manage the reserve. No ditches have been dug out and the grass is in poor condition, urgently needing cattle to graze it.

'We have just 350 cattle here of the 2,000 we expected. These have been confined to the barrier banks and few higher marshes and we’ve had to evacuate several hundred. Grazed wet meadows are vital for wildlife, but they also make the washes work as a flood storage area. Right now, both are under threat. It’s urgent to get the water off the Ouse Washes and give us a chance to get the place up and running again.'

In March 2005, Elliot Morley, then a Defra Minister, announced the Government’s commitment to fix the deterioration of the Ouse Washes Special Protection Area. To fulfil obligations under EU Directives, the Government agreed to fund the purchase of land for habitat creation outside the Ouse Washes to provide alternative homes for these birds.

The Environment Agency is now leading this habitat creation project, to enable the Ouse Washes to continue to operate as a washland, protecting people and property. The RSPB is providing help and support to establish new wetlands without undue delay.

New meadows at Manea have attracted 69 pairs of waders this year, namely 26 pairs of lapwings, 25 pairs of redshanks and 18 pairs of snipe. This 76-hectare ‘pilot’ area demonstrates the feasibility of creating much larger areas of new wetland close to the Ouse Fens.

John Orr, Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said: 'Having cleared all of the water from the Washes by the start of the breeding season, it is very disappointing that unseasonable heavy rain has brought flood waters back. The flooding of the Ouse Washes in spring is never good for the many birds that nest there and we are doing all we can to remove the water from the area as quickly as we can, so nesting birds may lay a second brood.

'Since the flooding last year, we have worked hard to try and reduce the impact of the flooding in the Ouse Washes, including engineering improvements to Little Eye Sluices at Denver. We continue to work with the RSPB and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust to search for new land to create a safe habitat for ground nesting birds, away from flooding.'

Floods in the nesting season have been the main cause for the collapse in the Ouse Washes breeding population of black-tailed godwits, one of the UK’s rarest breeding waders. In 1972, there were 65 pairs of this elegant wader breeding on the Ouse Washes, this year there were just three pairs at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust nature reserve, all of which have lost eggs or chicks.

The Ouse Washes were built to take flood water in the Fens and beyond, especially in winter, allowing drainage of large areas of arable land and, in the process, creating a haven for wildlife within the Washes.

Since the mid-1970s, a combination of factors has led to more regular summer floods and longer, deeper winter flooding. This has led to frequent poor years for ground-nesting birds. There hasn’t been a completely flood free breeding season since 2003: recent complete wash-outs were in 2004 and 2007.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:38 AM | Comments (0)

British island adds two birds to critical list

Eight species have joined the ranks of the world’s 190 most critically endangered birds, and two of those are from just one tiny island belonging to the UK, following a revision of the Red List in May 2008.

The Gough bunting and Tristan albatross are both restricted to Gough Island in the South Atlantic and now face a very high chance of extinction in the wild following predation by introduced house mice and, in the case of the albatross, long-line fishing too. The island also supports another five bird species facing a high or very high risk of global extinction.

Gough Island, which is smaller than Guernsey and a UK World Heritage Site, is part of the Tristan da Cunha group, a UK Overseas Territory. The house mice, which were accidentally released on the island in the nineteenth century, are predators on both the buntings and the albatross’s chicks and literally eat them alive. The rodents also compete with the buntings for food.

Dr Geoff Hilton is an RSPB scientist who has been researching conservation problems on the UK Overseas Territories for some time. He said: “In the presence of house mice, the albatross and the bunting have no chance of survival. Things are getting worse and the only hope for these threatened birds is complete eradication of the mice.”

The Overseas Territories Environment Programme – a joint programme of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development – has paid for a provisional study which suggests that the mice could be eradicated by dropping poison bait from helicopters. Other governments are already funding full rodent eradication programmes on much larger islands.

Dr Geoff Hilton added: “The feasibility study shows there is a glimmer of light showing that we might be able to fix this problem. The UK government has supported us in discovering the problem, in conducting the feasibility study, and now in finalizing our plan for the mouse eradication.

“The big question is whether they will take their international commitments seriously and do what the governments of New Zealand and Australia have done, and provide the big money needed to actually do the mouse eradication. If they don’t, we won’t be able to give two critically threatened species the lifeline they need.

“The world’s greatest seabird island is being eaten alive, as the mice are likely to be affecting the fortunes of many seabirds on the island. Without help Gough Island will be likely to lose the majority of seabirds, not just those that are confined to the island.”

Gough Island, which has been described as the most important seabird colony in the world, supports millions of pairs of seabird of several species. Apart from the Tristan albatross, the island also supports the entire world population of the rapidly declining Atlantic petrel and a good proportion of the newly-described northern rockhopper penguin, both of these species are listed as Endangered in this year’s Red List revision.

The Gough bunting and the Tristan albatross are among 32 species of globally-threatened bird found on the 14 UK’s Overseas Territories.

Dartford Warbler, Cornwall, UK © Kit Day, from the surfbirds galleries.
Now considered to be near-threatened

Today’s revision of the Red List sees the Tristan albatross move up one category from Endangered and the Gough Bunting move up two categories from Vulnerable.

The announcement follows the revision of the Red List which shows that there are now 1,226 species of bird facing global extinction, and 32 of those occur on Overseas Territories belonging to the UK with more than half of these species occurring nowhere else in the world.
Critically Endangered represents the highest category of threat on the Red List and species at this level are deemed to have a very high chance of extinction in the wild. Today’s revision of the Red List shows there are now 1,226 species of bird facing global extinction and 190 of those are Critically Endangered.

The remaining six species that have become Critically Endangered include: the Spoon-billed sandpiper, of Russia; the Tachira antpitta, of Venezuela; the Reunion cuckooshrike, of Reunion, an overseas department of France; the Mariana crow, of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands, an overseas territories of the United States; the Floreana mockingbird, of the Galapagos Island, Ecuador; and the Akekee, of Hawaii, United States.

Six species have been downgraded from the Critically Endangered list:
Gorgeted wood quail, now Endangered
Marquesan Imperial pigeon, now Endangered
Purple-backed sunbeam, now Endangered
Gurney’s pitta, now Endangered
Rondonia bushbird, now Vulnerable
Somali thrush, now Vulnerable
One species, the Guadelupe junco is no longer recognised as a separate species.

Two more of the UK’s regularly nesting birds are heading towards extinction, following today’s global revision of the Red List.

In the latest revision of the ‘Red List’ by BirdLife International, the curlew and the Dartford warbler have been listed as Near Threatened, only one step below those species facing global extinction. Today’s additions swell the numbers of nesting Near Threatened birds in the UK to five; joining the red kite, corncrake and black-tailed godwit on the list of birds facing potential peril.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:29 AM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2008

Spectacular stilts step out

For the first time in over 20 years and only the fifth time in British history, black-winged stilt chicks have successfully hatched in the UK.

Stilts are one of Britain’s rarest breeding birds and the last time we witnessed such an event was in 1987 when two chicks were successfully raised in Norfolk.

Black-winged Stilt, Cheshire, 2008 © Robert Brown, from the surfbirds galleries

Tim Melling from the RSPB in Northern England, says: 'Black-winged stilts have extraordinarily long, spindly pink legs and even at one-day old they are abnormally long. The chicks are a buff colour with fluffy feathers and speckles on their back and head. They have really long, fine beaks like a needle.'

An adult pair was first spotted on their nest near Marbury Country Park, Cheshire, a month ago. RSPB staff and volunteers have been monitoring their progress and waiting with bated breath to see if they laid any eggs.

Black-winged Stilts, Cheshire, 2008 © Robert Brown, from the surfbirds galleries

Mild temperatures meant experts were quietly hopeful that the birds would be successful this time, and celebrations began last night when an RSPB surveillance team spotted three hatched eggs and at least one chick.

The RSPB has been showing thousands of wildlife lovers the uncommon spectacle of the nesting adults through its Aren’t birds brilliant! (ABB) scheme. There is a viewing point to ensure best possible sightings and it is hoped that the chicks will encourage even more people to come and marvel at these fascinating, quirky birds.

Richard Bashford, the RSPB's Aren’t birds brilliant! Project Manager, says: 'It has been a nerve-wracking few days waiting for the eggs to hatch. It's been such a long time since they were successful and we’ve all been hopeful with the mild weather, but when we heard there were three chicks we were overjoyed.

'Now we are looking forward to showing as many people as possible the chicks – their unfeasibly long legs make them really interesting birds and children and adults alike love to learn that what appear to their knees are actually their ankles!

'Watching the chicks learn how to use them will no doubt be very entertaining, its amazing how they manage it.'

The stilts are just one of many ABB schemes happening across the UK this year. The 2008 season promises to be the biggest yet, with more than 60 projects showing people birds like peregrine falcons, white-tailed eagles, puffins, choughs, great crested grebes and roosting starlings.

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

May 13, 2008

Lake Natron flamingos still in danger

The spectacular lesser flamingos of Tanzania’s Lake Natron remain in grave danger despite plans to relocate development away from their most important breeding site in the world.

Developers have scrapped plans to build a soda ash factory next to the lake, deep in the Great Rift Valley, but instead want to locate the plant, housing for workers and their families, and other associated buildings, just 22 miles away.

Their plan to extract 500,000 tonnes of soda ash a year from Lake Natron and install pipes and roads across the lake, has not changed, however. That means the hundreds of thousands of lesser flamingos breeding on Lake Natron are still likely to leave if the development goes ahead.

Lesser Flamingo © John Dempsey, from the surfbirds galleries

Lota Melamari, Chief Executive of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania, said: “Lake Natron’s flamingos are one of the world’s greatest wildlife attractions. They are a resource that must not be destroyed.”

At a meeting in Dar es Salaam last week, hosted by the World Bank, developer Tata Chemicals Limited withdrew its discredited environmental assessment for the project. A new one will be produced, based on development further from the lake.

The proposal is backed by the Tanzanian government, which has formed a management company with Tata, but is fiercely opposed by more than 30 NGOs in Tanzania, the Tanzanian Tourist Board and conservationists across the world including Sir David Attenborough and the RSPB.

Wildlife experts say the development should be abandoned completely because the birds cannot be safeguarded from the disturbance and predation the scheme would cause.

Campaigners are hopeful that the Tanzanian government is now wavering in its support for development at Lake Natron.

Its new Environment Minister, Dr Batilda Burian recently warned investors that their plans would be thrown out if they failed to quell environmental and social fears.

The spectacle created by Lake Natron’s lesser flamingos lures thousands of tourists each year to Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia. Lake Natron has been East Africa’s only nesting site for the birds for 40 years and the vast majority of the region’s 1.5 to 2.5 million lesser flamingos – three-quarters of the world’s population – are though to have hatched on the lake’s salt flats.

Dr Chris Magin, an International Officer at the RSPB, said: “There is no way a project of this magnitude can operate without permanently scarring the Rift Valley landscape, seriously damaging the livelihoods of many local people and harming wildlife, especially the highly sensitive lesser flamingo.”

Sereno Shao, of the Tanzania Tourist Board, said: “The soda ash proposal must be critically analysed given that Tanzania earns more than US$1 billion from tourism. Our dream of attracting one million tourists by 2010 may not be achieved if we damage key attractions like Lake Natron.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 12:08 PM | Comments (0)

May 2, 2008

Seabird onslaught leaves Greenland's cliffs silent

An international campaign is being launched today to halt the slaughter of Greenland's seabirds just as they begin to breed.

Thousands of birds have been killed this spring after Greenland's government caved in to hunters and allowed an extra month of shooting.

Along with Audubon in the US - another organisation with more than one million backers - and two Canadian conservation groups we have appealed to Greenland to restore the ban on hunting in March – imposed by law in 2001 - to give birds like kittiwakes, eider ducks and Brünnich's guillemots chance to recover their numbers.

Kittiwake © Jon Lowes, from the surfbirds galleries

Greenland's 100,000-strong seabird colonies of 40 years ago now total just a few thousand because of intensive hunting and egg collecting. In Iceland, the Brünnich’s guillemot is endangered, its decline blamed on Greenland's hunters.

The first meeting of a special taskforce involving politicians, conservationists and hunters takes place today to try to resolve the conflict.

Amongst those calling for hunting restrictions to be restored is Graham Wynne, Chief Executive of the RSPB. In a letter to Greenland's Cabinet, he said: 'Indigenous peoples worldwide pride themselves on their ability to live sustainably with nature and I see your Government's aim is sustainability.

'But I am afraid the record of seabird protection in Greenland shows a very different story. It is a story of the destruction of nature through an unwillingness to manage hunting, resulting in seriously damaged populations of many seabird species.'

Hunting between February 15 and the autumn was banned under Greenland's 2001 Bird Protection Act, the country's first legislation promoting the sustainable use of wildlife. Eider ducks have declined by 80 per cent in 40 years and the 150,000 Brünnich's guillemots, seen at a breeding colony in Uummannaq, northern Greenland 60 years ago, have completely gone.

But in each of the seven years since restrictions were imposed hunters have lobbied for restrictions to be relaxed. Politicians relented in 2004 and did so again this year, rushing through their decision on February 29 and allowing the hunting of kittiwakes and eiders throughout March. Greenland's government claimed the birds' numbers had risen sufficiently to withstand the extended onslaught.

About 2,000 of Greenland's 10,000 hunters, out of a population of 56,000, depend on sales of seabird meat at town and city markets. The rest hunt for pleasure alone, using powerful speedboats and semi-automatic guns to make their hobby easy.

Hasse Hedemand, of the Greenland conservation group Timmiaq, said: 'Seabird numbers are no-where near the level you could call sustainable and the decision this year to allow more birds to be killed is a tragedy.

'Greenland is a unique and special place but our international reputation is being tarnished by this unsustainable hunting. Most of the shooting is recreational involving people who do not depend on it for their livelihoods.

'There is a long tradition for hunting in Greenland, but with increasing numbers of people, fast boats and firearms, it is the politicians’ responsibility to ensure that the hunting is sustainable.

'Thousands of tourists come to Greenland for our landscapes, our icebergs and our wildlife but many are returning home disappointed and disillusioned. Our wildlife is in a sorry state compared to 50 years ago. This shouldn't have been allowed to happen.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:32 AM | Comments (0)

Extinct in ten years

Asian vultures face extinction in the wild within a decade without urgent action to eliminate the livestock drug that has caused their catastrophic decline, scientists are warning. Their decline has been quicker than that of any other wild bird, including the dodo.

A new study shows that the population of oriental white-backed vultures is dropping by more than 40 per cent every year in India where it has plunged by 99.9 per cent since 1992. Numbers of long-billed and slender-billed vultures together, have fallen by almost 97 per cent in the same period.

Conservationists say that banning the retail sale of the veterinary drug diclofenac and constructing more captive breeding centres is the only way to save the birds.

Manufacture of the veterinary form of the drug, as an anti-inflammatory treatment for livestock, was outlawed in India in 2006, but it remains widely available. Furthermore, diclofenac formulated for humans is being used to treat livestock.

Scientists counted vultures in northern and central India between March and June last year. They surveyed the birds from vehicles along more than 160 sections of road totalling 18,900 kilometres in length. Their study followed four previous counts, the last in 2003.

In a paper, published on April 30th in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, they say 'the oriental white-backed vulture is now in dire straits with only one thousandth of the 1992 population remaining'.

'All three species could be down to a few hundred birds or less across the whole country and thus functionally extinct in less than a decade…It is imperative that [diclofenac] is removed completely from use in livestock without any further delay to avoid the extinction of the three vulture species,' they add.

The scientists believe that numbers of oriental white-backed vultures in India could now be down to 11,000 from tens of millions in the 1980s. Populations of long-billed and slender-billed vultures have dropped to around 45,000 and 1,000 birds respectively.

Vulture numbers may be even lower than the authors’ estimate because many of the sites used for their study were in or near protected areas, where the threat from diclofenac may be lower.

The lead author, Dr Vibhu Prakash, of the Bombay Natural History Society, said 'Efforts must be redoubled to remove diclofenac from the vultures’ food supply and to protect and breed a viable population in captivity.'

Co-author, Dr Richard Cuthbert, of the RSPB, said 'Time has almost run out to prevent the extinction of vultures in the wild in India. The ban on diclofenac manufacture was a good start but a ban on the sale of diclofenac and other drugs known to cause kidney failures in vultures is vital.'

Co-author, Dr Andrew Cunningham of the Zoological Society of London, added, “These survey results show that imminent extinction looms for at least three species of vulture in India. Captive breeding is their last hope, so we are delighted that one of these species, the Oriental white-backed vulture, has successfully been bred this year in one of the captive breeding centres.”

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

April 28, 2008

Welcome refusal for Lewis wind farm

RSPB Scotland welcomes the news that the Scottish Government has turned down the Lewis Wind Power proposal.

Stuart Housden, Director of RSPB Scotland said:

“This is an extremely commendable decision by the Scottish Government that is absolutely right for Scotland. It sends a very strong message that in meeting our ambitious, and welcome, renewable targets we do not have to sacrifice our most important environmental resources. The Government has made it clear, in repeated statements on this issue, that renewables must be delivered, but not at any price. There is clear evidence that we can meet our targets many times over without destroying our designated sites and most of the renewable energy industry operates on this principle. We hope that Lewis Wind Power now recognise that this is an inappropriate site for a wind farm and we seek reassurances from them that they will not simply seek to continue pushing modified versions of the same proposal in the same location. We are, however, very willing to work with them to identify new areas in Scotland that would be suitable for renewable energy development.”

Golden Plover © Nigel Blake, from the surfbirds galleries
The Lewis Peatlands SPA is important for species like Golden Plover.

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

No spring hunting on Malta this year

After a history of illegal bird killing, the Maltese government finally has been ordered by the European Court of Justice not to allow the spring hunting of birds – a practice which is in direct contravention of European bird protection laws.

The ruling yesterday (Thursday 25 April 2008), has delighted the RSPB and its partner organisation, BirdLife Malta. This Order implies that the Court sees urgent need to prevent irreversible damage to these migratory bird species, while a final ruling on this case is pending and not expected before 2009.

Turtle Dove © Steve Arlow, from the surfbirds galleries

The two organisations, along with BirdLife International, have been campaigning to end the practice of hunting turtle dove and quail, which migrate over the island in spring between Africa and Europe.

Alistair Gammell is the RSPB’s international director. He said: 'Having blatantly contravened European bird protection laws since 2004, the Maltese government must now recognise that Europe expects Malta to abide by the law.

'This is a momentous victory for bird conservation and we are delighted that after such a long battle. This decision has been taken that should mean that birds will enjoy a safer passage across the island.

'However, the fight isn’t completely won because the government will have to catch and prosecute those who insist on breaking the law.'

In January 2008, based on a complaint by BirdLife, the European Commission took the Maltese government to court for having allowed, every spring since the country’s accession to the EU in 2004, hunting and trapping of turtle dove and quail, in direct contravention of the EU Birds Directive.

Malta is located on an important bird migration route in the Mediterranean. Hunting during the sensitive breeding and spring migration period is prohibited under EU law, in all member states.

Joseph Mangion of BirdLife Malta commented: 'We Maltese have a special responsibility for Europe’s birds, as so many pass over our islands every spring and autumn. We should all work together now to conserve them.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:53 AM | Comments (0)

March 28, 2008

Finches flock to Britain's gardens

With an average of 3.60 seen per garden, the house sparrow retained its top spot with starlings coming in second and blackbirds completing the top three.

Overall, the average number of birds seen in each garden has declined by a fifth since 2004, and house sparrows have decreased by almost two thirds since 1979, and starlings by three quarters over the same period.

Despite this, however, four species of finch, which spend the winter in the UK, were seen in increased numbers.

Siskin © Stephen David Keightley, from the surfbirds galleries

Good winter for finches

Numbers of colourful finches visiting UK gardens over winter are at their highest levels for five years.

For the first time in the survey's 29-year history, the striking siskin made it into the top 20, and the scarcer brambling moved from 57 to 36 in the rankings.

This increase in bramblings and siskins (up by two thirds in the last five years), suggest that tree seed supplies have been poor this year and they've been forced into gardens to find food.

Along with siskin and brambling increases, redpoll numbers skyrocketed, being seen in twice as many gardens this year as last. Again this is probably due to poor supply of food.

Goldfinches on the up

With a third more birds recorded than in 2004, the colourful goldfinch made it in to the top 10 for the first time.

Goldfinch numbers swell because our milder winters encourage them to stay here instead of going to southern Europe.

Our gardens can be very welcoming to finches, especially those with nyjer seed provided and thistles and teasels left to grow which also provide food.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:40 AM | Comments (0)

Europe's most threatened bird thrown a lifeline

The Azores bullfinch, the most threatened songbird nesting in Europe, has been given a more secure future after Birdwatch magazine become a 'Champion' for the species through BirdLife's 'Preventing Extinctions' Programme.

The priolo – a local name for this species, which only occurs on the island of São Miguel in the Azores archipelago - is one of 189 Critically Endangered birds across the world, and one of three in Europe facing the threat of imminent extinction.

Azores Bullfinch, © Leo Boon, from the surfbirds galleries

Common until the 19th century, the Azores bullfinch became very rare last century. In the 1990s only around 120 pairs were thought to remain – a decline driven by the widespread loss of native forest (which provides the buds and berries that constitute its food), and the rampant invasion of São Miguel by non-native plants, such as yellow-ginger lily and lily-of-the-valley, that further degrade the natural habitat.

Since 2003, SPEA (BirdLife in Portugal), the RSPB, and some other partners, including the Azores regional government, have been implementing a €2.8 million EU Life project to increase the area and quality of the bullfinch's habitat, largely through the clearance of invasive exotic plants and the planting of native trees grown in a nursery. So far, 110 ha of native forest has been restored in the core area of the bullfinch's world distribution. The whole range has also been legally protected as a Special protected Area under the Birds Directive, and a management plan for the site is being implemented. Recently, SPEA has opened an environmental education centre in the area, focusing on the plight of the 'priolo' and its habitat.

Surveys carried out since 2002 have suggested a rise in the Azores bullfinch population to around 340 individuals, a sign that habitat restoration, and all the other protective measures taken, are starting to have an effect.

Jose Tavares, the RSPB's country programme officer for Portugal, said: 'With the help of the EU LIFE fund, a proper and comprehensive conservation programme to save this species from extinction is being implemented. With so much already achieved, Birdwatch's decision to add to this effort has provided a timely intervention to help this critically endangered bird.'

Jim Lawrence, BirdLife International's 'Preventing Extinctions' Programme Development Manager, said: 'It is fantastic news that Birdwatch has joined the 'Preventing Extinctions' Programme and has become one of a growing number of Species Champions.'

Dominic Mitchell, publisher and editor of Birdwatch, said: 'We are proud to support BirdLife on this important mission and look forward to encouraging our large number of readers to get behind this vital initiative.'

Already described as the biggest and most wide-ranging bird conservation programme the world has ever seen, BirdLife's Preventing Extinctions Programme aims to save all 189 Critically Endangered birds, by finding 'Species Champions' who will fund the work of identified 'Species Guardians' for each bird. SPEA is the Species Guardian for the Azores bullfinch.

The Azores bullfinch is closely related to the mainland Europe common bullfinch, but they are bigger, and the male 'priolo' doesn't have the bright plumage of their continental cousins. Instead, both male and female 'priolos' look very much like the female of the European bullfinch.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:34 AM | Comments (0)

March 3, 2008

Rare birds reach Sudan after 50 year absence

Two sociable lapwings, satellite tagged in Kazakhstan last summer, have flown more than 5,000 miles to central Sudan where they are spending the winter before their return flight to breeding grounds in the central Asian republic.

The species is one of the smallest birds ever to carry a tracking device and its journey has revealed far more about its migration than scientists expected.

Sociable Lapwing © Rony Livne, from the surfbirds galleries

Only now are conservationists realising how important African countries are to sociable lapwings. There are few recent records of the birds in Africa but new surveys could find more. The last sighting of sociable lapwings so far south in Africa was by the RSPB’s Dr Mark Avery, who saw a small flock in Kenya 20 years ago.

The tagging project began last year when scientists from the RSPB and Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan fitted satellite-tracking devices to three birds on their breeding grounds on the barren steppe expanses of central Kazakhstan.

Their journey will be featured on BBC Radio 4’s World on the Move series, being broadcast on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings.

Dr Rob Sheldon, an RSPB ecologist, said: 'The fact that these birds have reached Sudan is remarkable because we had no idea that they would fly that far.

Sociable Lapwing © Rony Livne, from the surfbirds galleries

'A Sudanese team is going out to find them this week and if they see more birds, our efforts to help them will become more complicated but also more gratifying. Their appearance in Sudan is fantastic news and has turned the whole tracking project into a hugely exciting conundrum.”

The sociable lapwing, closely related to the northern lapwing seen in the UK, was given the highest threat status by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in 2003, after numbers fell 95 per cent to just 200 pairs.

A flock of more than 3,000 in Turkey last October was the largest seen for more than 100 years and a huge boost to efforts to reverse the bird’s fortunes.

Conservationists from the Sudanese Wildlife Society, part funded by the UK government’s Darwin Initiative, will try to locate the Sudanese birds, count them and find out more about the sites they are using.

Dr Sheldon said: 'The more we know, the easier it will be to improve their protection and help them increase their numbers.'

Dr Avery saw eight sociable lapwings near the Kenyan coast in 1988. He said: 'I had stopped by a water hole in the middle of no-where and the birds were just standing there. It was fantastic to see them but it’s only now that I’m appreciating how lucky I was.'

Ibrahim Hashim, a Research Professor at the Sudanese Wildlife Society, said: 'Finding these birds will not be easy because they are in a remote region where few people go. But that will benefit them because it means they should suffer little disturbance.

'We feel privileged to have these birds in Sudan and are very happy that we can play a part in increasing their numbers. These birds are now being protected on their breeding grounds in Kazakhstan and we hope very much to give them equal protection in Sudan.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:51 PM | Comments (0)

Derisory fines for Cypriot bird killers

Two poachers involved in the shocking shooting of 52 red-footed falcons on the British Sovereign Base Area at Akrotiri, Cyprus, on 5 October last year were this week fined a 'derisory' €1,250 each.

BirdLife Cyprus, the RSPB's partner on the island, has protested.

Under the relevant bird protection law, the British Sovereign Base Area (SBA) court could have imposed a fine of up to €17,000 or up to three years imprisonment, or both. The massacre was one of the most severe, from a conservation perspective, ever reported in Europe.

Red-footed Falcon © Nic Hallam, from the surfbirds galleries

BirdLife Cyprus added that the poaching situation in general – and the situation regarding illegal bird trapping in particular - sharply deteriorated on the Island during 2007, following several years of improvement, and called for urgent intervention from the EU.

After plea-bargaining before their court appearance, the two Limassol men accused of gunning down the threatened birds of prey admitted to shooting only four of the falcons, which they said they had mistaken for turtle doves. The shooting took place in a 'no hunting' area at Phasouri, within the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area.

Despite admitting to shooting the falcons in their testimony to SBA police shortly after their arrest in mid-October, the two had initially pleaded not guilty before the court to charges of shooting protected species in a prohibited area. But, after plea-bargaining, the prosecution amended the number of shot falcons on the charge sheet to just four.

'This is disastrous case of failure of a judicial system coming close on the heels of failure of an enforcement system,' said BirdLife Cyprus Executive Manager Martin Hellicar.

He added: 'The shooting of these highly endangered falcons should never have been allowed to happen and the derisory penalties imposed today will not even begin to act as a deterrent for other would-be poachers in what is a well-known poaching black-spot.

'Unfortunately, ineffective penalties such as the ones imposed today are the norm when it comes to poaching offences in Cyprus, whether this be with guns, nets or limesticks. It is high time for Brussels to take serious note of the degenerating poaching situation in Cyprus - particularly as regards illegal bird trapping, which doubled last autumn - and demand effective enforcement action from both the UK and Cyprus governments.'

On-going monitoring of illegal bird trapping by BirdLife Cyprus showed trappers killed an estimated 500,000 birds in autumn last year, to be sold as expensive ambelopoulia delicacies in local restaurants. The banned delicacies were found to be freely available in local restaurants.

The cold-blooded shooting of the Red-footed falcon flock had caused widespread outrage in Cyprus and across Europe. The handsome falcons – a species of global conservation concern – appeared to have been shot down for 'target practice' as they rested on the Akrotiri peninsula, a key stop-over point for migrant birds heading for Africa. Farm workers found forty-six of the migrating falcon flock dead at the scene. Six injured birds were taken to the Cyprus Game Fund bird hospital, where they later died of their injuries.

This is not the first time illegal shooting has resulted in the killing of birds of prey and other migratory birds, such as bee-eaters, at Phasouri on the Akrotiri peninsula, Limassol. BirdLife Cyprus has for years been calling for effective anti-poaching action on the peninsula, which is the most important autumn migration stop-over area on the Island for thousands of birds, and birds of prey in particular.

After the October massacre, the Sovereign Base Area police and Cyprus Game Fund said they were stepping up joint anti-poaching patrols in the Akrotiri area. The main problem on the peninsula in recent years has been the absence of such joint action. Taking advantage of this enforcement gap, illegal hunters have profited along the ‘border’ between the base area and the republic, simply stepping across the dividing line to avoid either SBA Police or Game Fund patrols.

'BirdLife Cyprus will be keeping a very close watch on the poaching situation in the Akrotiri area,' Hellicar vowed.

Nicola Crockford, of the RSPB added: 'As the spring migration begins in earnest, Cypriot authorities and the British Sovereign Base Areas, in partnership, can show their commitment to bird protection by clamping down decisively on those individuals who illegally kill birds.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:44 PM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2008

Biofuel blight threatens spectacular Kenyan wetland

A flourishing wetland on Kenya’s northern coast is under serious threat from plans to grow vast amounts of sugarcane, partly for biofuel production.

Developers want to transform nearly 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) of the spectacular Tana River Delta into sugarcane plantations with other parts of the Delta earmarked for rice.

The area, about 120 miles north of Mombasa and largely untouched by development, teems with wildlife luring more than 345 species of birds including the threatened Basra reed warbler and Tana River cisticola. The golden-breasted starling and long-tailed fiscal are seen there too together with 22 waterbird species in internationally important numbers.

Long-tailed Fiscal © Nik Borrow, from the surfbirds galleries

The Delta is also home to more than 800 hippos, elephants, lions and crocodiles. It supports numerous small communities and pasture for their livestock, especially during the dry season.

'This development would be a national disaster, wreaking havoc with the area’s ecosystem and spelling the end for wildlife across much of the Delta,” said Paul Matiku, Executive Director of Nature Kenya.

'Large areas would become ecological deserts. The Delta is a wildlife refuge with cattle herders depending on it for centuries as well. There is no commitment to mitigation for the damage that will be done and no evidence that local incomes will be in any way improved. The sugarcane scheme cannot be allowed to go ahead.'

The Delta, covering 130,000 hectares in total, is one of Kenya’s largest and most important freshwater wetlands. It is a vast patchwork of habitats including savannah, forests, beaches, lakes, mangrove swamps and the Tana River itself. Local people live by the seasons, adapting to the regular floods that keep the area fertile through the year.

Farmers, mostly from the Pokomo ethnic group, grow crops on floodplains and lake edges, others bring livestock from as far as Somali and Ethiopian borders affected by drought. Thick vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide and the waters teem with fish.

The sugarcane scheme, submitted by Mumias Sugar Company and Tana and Athi River Development Authority, proposes nearly 50,000 acres of irrigated sugarcane, together with sugar and ethanol plants.

The Kenyan government is considering the plan and political tensions in Kenya are not expected to delay its decision.

An environmental assessment for the proposal has been completed but it considered only a three-month period of the Delta’s life and ignores the huge income increased tourism would generate.

It underestimates the project’s impact on wildlife and communities, and flouts international wildlife treaties including the international Ramsar wetland convention.

The two major impacts of development – the destruction of habitats and changes to water flow – are given cursory mention in the report with no promise of action to offset damage or create replacement sites.

Paul Buckley, an Africa specialist with the RSPB, which has objected to the proposal, said: 'These impacts would be extremely severe with at least one third of the Tana’s waters being diverted. There would be soil erosion, sedimentation and pollution, leaving people and wildlife competing for the clean water and productive land that remained.

'Good practice anywhere is to assess wildlife in different seasons especially in a habitat so dominated by seasonal change. The environmental assessors have seen the Delta in only one state. They have neglected their duties and produced a report so full of flaws it should be scrapped.'

Nature Kenya, with the backing of the RSPB and BirdLife International, has urged Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority, to reject the sugarcane plan.

The groups want the most critical parts of the Tana River Delta and floodplain – a tract of land designated an Important Bird Area – made a national protected area so that future development proposals take account of its value to wildlife.

They have also proposed that the government draw up a master plan for the Delta to include an economic assessment of its local, national and global environmental worth.

Paul Matiku said: 'This is a brilliant opportunity to create a truly green development by supporting the protection and proper management of large parts of the Delta as conservation areas. Development schemes must be limited to those that will benefit local people and retain the integrity of one of Kenya’s most important natural assets.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:54 AM | Comments (0)

Greater marine protection needed

The RSPB believes that a major study highlighting the environmental damage done to the world’s oceans provides further scientific evidence of the increasing pressures that man is putting on the marine environment.

The study, published in Science, shows that 40 per cent of the world’s oceans have been heavily affected, with the seas around north-west Europe suffering some of the worst impacts of man-induced damage, such as overfishing, pollution and coastal development.

Dr Sharon Thompson, an RSPB senior marine policy officer, said: 'Some of the most heavily used seas on the globe are around the UK. However, we still have some wonderful and beautiful marine species, such as seahorses, and habitats such as cold-water coral reefs, while the waters around our shores support millions of breeding seabirds every year.

Black Guillemot, Isle of Man © Pete Hadfield, from the surfbirds galleries

'So, now is the time to act to protect this wildlife from the pressures we put on the marine environment. The RSPB is urging UK Governments to deliver strong legislation to protect marine wildlife and habitats in the forthcoming Marine Bills. If this legislation is not strong enough then Government will have missed the opportunity to protect our natural marine heritage.'

A recent analysis has shown that UK seas regularly support 18 species of fish, mammal, bird or reptile that are considered at risk of global extinction. This compares with only three such endangered species on land or freshwater: two species of bat and a non-breeding migrant warbler.

The UK’s coastline is home to 18 exclusively coastal species of seabird, including puffin, gannet, kittiwake and guillemot.

The great skua, Manx shearwater, gannet and shag have their most important populations in the world in the UK. Within the European Union, nine species of exclusively coastal seabird also have their most important breeding populations around our shores: fulmar; Leach’s storm-petrel; Arctic skua; great black-backed gull; kittiwake; puffin; razorbill; guillemot and black guillemot.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:32 AM | Comments (0)

Vultures on the brink

The Indian government has a big job on its hands. It is accused today of ‘overseeing’ the decline of tigers. Another iconic creature, the vulture, is also on the brink of extinction and the government is now under pressure to do more to help.

Three species of vulture have crashed in number by 99 per cent in the last 15 years. Yes, 99 per cent – they are close to oblivion. A paper being published soon will detail even greater declines more recently. India is a hair’s breadth away from a national catastrophe. These birds are crucial to the health and wellbeing of millions of its people.

Griffon Vulture, at risk from Declofenac poisening © Slawomir Dabrowski

Vultures clean carcasses quicker and better than anything else. That used to mean that farmers could leave the bodies of dead livestock on carcass dumps knowing they would be cleared within hours, assured that there was no risk of disease from the remnants of putrid flesh, confident that the bone collectors and leather tanners dependent on those carcasses for their livelihoods were safe.

It doesn’t mean that any more. Too few vultures mean carcass cleaning is being left to dogs and rats, both of which have soared in number. The risk of rabies and other disease has vastly increased. Those who used to rely on clean bones and sparkling hides can do so no more.

The Parsi community, which uses sky burials to dispose of its dead, is in trouble too. Vultures would consume bodies placed for that purpose on top of Towers of Silence. Those bodies fester now because the vultures don’t come. Other means of disposal are out of the question because the Parsis believe those methods pollute sacred land and water.

Manufacture of the livestock drug diclofenac, which is responsible for the vultures’ demise, is now banned in India, Pakistan and Nepal. But there are still thousands, perhaps millions, of rural area where diclofenac is still on sale.

A replacement, meloxicam, is just as good a treatment and causes no harm to vultures.

The challenge for the Indian government is to ensure meloxicam is available just as readily as diclofenac, at the same price to farmers and in the same quantities. Without this, and without this quickly, India will lose its vultures for good.

The problem of diclofenac

Vultures are being found sick and dead across India and in neighbouring Pakistan and Nepal.

Most cattle in India are left to die naturally, with their carcasses left in the open, and vultures have played an important role in cleaning them up.

Vultures that eat meat from carcasses containing diclofenac quickly die from kidney failure and gout. It has been shown that, even if less than 1% of animal carcasses contain lethal levels of the drug, it is enough to have caused the almost total collapse of vulture numbers.

Vultures can reduce the carcass of a cow to a pile of bones in an hour, but if it contains sufficient diclofenac, the vultures will die soon afterwards.

We have been working with our BirdLife Partner in India, the Bombay Natural History Society, and the Zoological Society of London, to confirm that the drug is the major cause of declines in India and Nepal.

The effects of diclofenac on birds of prey remind us of the devastating impact of DDT on birds worldwide. It took years for governments to remove DDT and associated chemicals from use.

Diclofenac is so devastating that we do not have years if the vultures of India are to be saved. And we must ensure that the vultures of Europe, Africa and other parts of the world don’t face the same threats.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:23 AM | Comments (0)

January 27, 2008

Government urged to look before £15 billion Severn Barrage leap

Ministers should think very carefully before subsidising a Severn Barrage costing in excess of £15 billion, the RSPB has said.

The charity has today reiterated its serious concerns over the possible impact of a Barrage as a two-year study begins into whether the Government should support the scheme.

The study, announced by John Hutton, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, will seek to answer the question: 'Can the Government support a tidal range power project and if so on what terms?'

Dunlin, internationally important numbers depend on the Severn © Peter Beesley

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Director of Conservation, said: 'Ministers are right to be cautious about a Severn Barrage. Government is just waking up to the potential problems associated with its bio-fuels policy and so it is only right that it thinks long and hard before committing itself to a barrage.

'Supporting this scheme to the tune of £15 billion would not leave much spare change for alternative projects should it fail to deliver, so the Government has to be sure it is the right place to risk so much taxpayers’ money.'

The RSPB hopes to participate fully in the review, but on the evidence available, remains deeply concerned by the potential environmental impact of a barrage, as it will fundamentally change the nature of the Severn estuary.

Dr Avery said: 'It’s clear that there is a long way to go before a the Government can give a green light to build a Severn Barrage.

'Even before a project can be developed, it will have to investigate whether there are alternative energy solutions which might cause less harm to the natural environment and deliver better value for money.

'It will have to consider how to it would compensate for the damage to the Severn if a barrage was built and it will have to decide whether this is the right project to receive Government support.

'If during the study, it becomes clear that there are no satisfactory answers to these challenging questions, then it should pull the plug quickly and look again at other energy solutions such as the efficient use of heat from conventional fuels, enhanced on-shore wind capacity and upgrading the grid to enable decentralised energy.'

The RSPB believes that this study is an opportunity for the Government to develop a more transparent appraisal framework to make decisions about our future energy needs.

This might involve:

Using analysis derived from current market conditions to identify the technologies capable of meeting climate change, energy security and fuel poverty objectives

Making a transparent comparison of the costs of these technologies, both in terms of direct costs to the customer, and the wider environmental costs and benefits

Evaluation of alternative government interventions to promote those options that are the most sustainable and cost effective across this spectrum.

Notes

A recent study by the Sustainable Development Commission, Turning the Tide, concluded that there was a strong case for construction of a sustainable Severn Barrage but only if part of a radical package to tackle climate change and only if publicly funded.

It is estimated that a barrage could contribute 4.4% of the UK’s electricity needs. The Severn estuary is unique in Europe because of its 45-foot tidal range – the second largest in the world after the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. Outgoing tides leave large areas of mudflats, saltmarshes and rocky islands, and food for an average of 65,000 birds in winter. The area hosts internationally important numbers of several species.

A barrage would cut the Severn’s tidal range by half reducing the amount of land and food for wildlife. Many birds could starve and the condition of birds attempting to breed would be too poor for them to be successful.

The Severn Estuary is a Ramsar wetland site under international law and a Special Protection Area under European law. It has just been proposed as a EU-protected Special Area of Conservation by Defra because of its importance to lamprey fish. There are a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in and on the banks of the estuary, all protected by UK law.
The Estuary attracts internationally important bird populations. Species include Bewick’s swan, pintail, shelduck, curlew, dunlin and redshank.

It is also important for many fish including lampreys, salmon and eels. Wild salmon swim from the North Sea into the Severn and up the River Wye to spawn. A barrage would block the path these fish take and studies suggest a worst-case mortality of 100 per cent. Young eels are born in the Atlantic and follow their parents back to the Severn Estuary and on to rivers to feed. The estuary should soon be a Special Area of Conservation because of its importance to lampreys.

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 18, 2008

Drastic decline in one of UK's rarest ducks

The UK's most threatened breeding duck has suffered further drastic declines over the last decade with their population nearly halved, according to alarming new survey results.

Common scoters - plump, jet black diving ducks with long tails and bright yellow beaks on the male - have also experienced marked reductions in their UK range in the same period, with the remaining breeding population now restricted to isolated and remote freshwater lochs of northern Scotland.

Common Scoters, West Yorkshire © Sean Gray, from the Surfbirds galleries

The species has been surveyed nationally only once before in 1995, and the 2007 count was conducted to assess changes in common scoter numbers in the intervening years. Just 52 pairs were recorded in 2007, compared with 95 pairs in 1995 - a 45% drop in their numbers. The survey was a partnership between the RSPB, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. Fieldwork was conducted by four dedicated RSPB scoter surveyors working alongside RSPB regional and reserves staff, a team of WWT surveyors, and other volunteers.

Whilst thousands of Arctic and Scandinavian common scoters spend the winter off the British coast feeding in shallow waters, in summer the vast majority return to breeding grounds in northern Europe and Arctic Russia. The breeding population in Britain is the most westerly outpost for this species.

Although factors driving the reduction in the breeding population are still unclear and more research is needed to determine the precise causes, there are several possibilities.

The highest declines have been in the south and west of their British range; they have been lost completely from Loch Lomond and in Northern Ireland, so it is possible that changes to the climate could be pushing the birds further north.

Plantations and inappropriately sited forestry in the Flow Country of North Scotland have also led to changes in the water chemistry of some freshwater loch systems, causing invertebrate populations to shift. This could be restricting food availability and making it more difficult for them to thrive in their historical territories.

Common Scoter (female) © Josh Jones, from the Surfbirds galleries

Elsewhere predatory species such as pike have been introduced in some of the lochs where scoters used to breed and this could be responsible for higher chick mortality restricting their breeding success. However, some scientists believe that pike might actually help common scoters, predating smaller fish which compete with the ducks and their offspring for the invertebrates in the water systems.

Mark Eaton, research biologist with RSPB who led the survey, said: 'A decline of this nature highlights precisely the gravity of the situation facing common scoters in the UK right now. For this to have occurred in such a short time period is rare and of great concern. However, the news isn't all bad. We have a great track record of turning round the fortunes of species that have experienced such precipitous declines, such as the corncrake and the red kite. We really need to get out and conduct more research over the coming years to firmly establish the causal factors that have driven this reduction in the breeding population so we can stop it. We can then put together conservation measures and management schemes that will hopefully ensure that the common scoter can flourish in UK once more.'

Stuart Benn, senior conservation officer for RSPB in the Highland region, said: 'The remaining population is largely split between small freshwater peaty lochans in the Flow Country - many on RSPB's Forsinard reserve - and some of the larger hydro lochs in west Inverness, with the biggest historical declines on more nutrient and lime rich lochs in the South. The reasons for these differences are still unclear, so we need to establish why they choose to breed on such different water habitats, and why they aren't on all the apparently similar lochs. Once those questions are answered we can then work with the land managers such as the hydro companies who have already approached us for information on how they can ensure that these interesting diving ducks can continue to breed and flourish on our waters.'

Peter Cranswick, programme manager for threatened water birds at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, said: 'The continuing decline in our rarest breeding duck is especially worrying. Common scoters became extinct as a breeding species in Northern Ireland in recent decades. These new results clearly demonstrate that urgent action is needed to avoid the same fate befalling the remaining birds in Britain.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 1:45 PM | Comments (0)

New finds deepen mystery of rare bird's migration

Efforts to save the Middle East’s rarest bird have been boosted by two chance sightings of the species 1,500 miles apart.

Northern bald ibises were seen last month in the Jordan Valley for the first time in 13 years, and in Djibouti, east Africa, for the first time ever, raising hopes that the species’ numbers are not as low as scientists fear.

Northern Bald Ibis © Stephen Daly, from the Surfbirds galleries

The bird was thought extinct in the Middle East in the 1990s before a colony of just six birds was found in Palmyra, Syria in 2002. Since then, adult and young birds have been fitted with satellite tags by the RSPB and BirdLife Middle East, to try to discover and protect their migration routes and wintering sites. The tagged adult birds are currently in Ethiopia for the winter.

Dr Jeremy Lindsell, a Research Biologist at the RSPB, said: 'These sightings are great news. They were entirely unexpected and in some ways deepen the mystery of where they go on migration. The fact that the birds are in three different sites away from their breeding grounds reflects the little we know of their numbers and where they go. It also shows how essential it is that we keep tracking the birds so that we can protect them throughout their range.'

Two adult bald ibis were spotted on the Yardena cliffs on the Israel/Jordan border early last month. They were seen by a researcher surveying black storks and had disappeared when he returned the following day.

Two weeks later, a young bald ibis was found on the beach at Tadjoura, eastern Djibouti, by a group of Swedish birdwatchers. The bird was searching for food and its appearance astonished the visitors.

Dr Henrik Lind was amongst the visiting group from the Swedish bird organisation Club300. He said: 'We knew about the Syrian birds and our first thought was that this bird was from Palmyra. When a young boy from the village saw the bird, he told us there were others nearby. We didn’t find the others but it was fantastic to see one bald ibis so far from where they breed.'

Tracking adult birds was successful in 2006 when three birds flew a total of 3,700 miles to the Ethiopian highlands and back last spring. But readings from the satellite tag fitted to a young bird last summer failed in August and the fate of that bird is unknown.

The Djibouti find is more significant for scientists because the bird was a juvenile and very few of the 25 birds fledged in Syria since 2002 have returned.

Conservationists fear the missing birds are being shot on migration but until they know the young birds’ migration route, they cannot alert hunters to their rarity.

Scientists hope to tag more young birds in Syria this summer in a second bid to track their migration. RSPB scientists also hope to agree steps to protect the species from hunters, with colleagues from Ethiopia, Yemen and other countries on the adult birds’ migration route.

The only other known population of bald ibis is in south-west Morocco but it is thought that the birds in the Jordan Valley and Djibouti flew from Syria.

Sharif Al Jbour of BirdLife Middle East said: 'Unless there is another colony we know nothing of, it seems young bald ibises are strong enough to fly as far as Djibouti which is nearly 1,700 miles from Palmyra.

'We are gradually piecing the jigsaw together but it is a long process fraught with problems. How we alert hunters in remote areas to just how rare this bird is, is something we must urgently resolve.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 1:40 PM | Comments (0)

January 6, 2008

Partridge in a pear tree, but for how much longer?

An analysis of 124 of Europe’s common birds has revealed that over a 26-year period 56 species (45 per cent) have declined across 20 European countries.

This alarming rate of decline has fuelled fears for the future of many of the continent’s birds, including Christmas favourites like our own ‘partridge in a pear tree and turtle dove’.

Five of the ten common European species showing the greatest declines are birds of farmland habitats. And worryingly, a comparison of new and old EU Member states shows that the declines of farmland birds of the newest member states appears to be mimicking those of longer-established EU states, where the increasing intensification of farming has been the main cause of the declines.

Partridge, Cleveland, © Stephen David Keightley, from the Surfbirds galleries

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Conservation Director, said: 'Seeing a countryside increasingly bereft of familiar birds, like the grey partridge and lapwing, is deeply worrying. These declines are so severe that in Europe they are considered to be heading towards continental extinction – it is only the sizeable populations of both birds in Asia, which prevents them from being considered at risk of global extinction.

'A recent study by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust has revealed that the grey partridge faces additional pressure in the UK from those who shoot grey partridges in the mistaken belief that they are shooting the more common and introduced red-legged partridge.

Of the 124 species, 33 species were classified as common farmland birds and 28 as common forest birds, with 63 other species regarded as either habitat specialists or specialists of other habitat types. The data analysis confirmed that farmland birds are in decline throughout Europe, with the cumulative populations of all 33 species of farmland bird suffering a decline of 44 per cent between 1980 and 2005.

The report The State of Europe’s Common Birds 2007 illustrates that of the ten species which have shown the greatest declines in Europe between 1980 and 2005, seven occur as regular nesting birds in the UK, including grey partridge; lapwing; lesser spotte