Surfbirds News

November 22, 2009

UK Minister stands up for seabirds

We must act now to prevent the world's seabirds from sliding towards extinction, that's the message that Huw Irranca-Davies, the UK's Fisheries Minister, will deliver to his European counterparts at the November 2009 Fisheries Council meeting.

The minister will remind colleagues at the Brussels meeting that European fisheries, both in EU waters and on the high seas beyond the EU’s shores, take a massive toll of seabirds through falling foul of a variety of fishing gears. Every year in European waters alone, an estimated 200,000 seabirds are snared, entangled and drowned on longline hooks and in trawls and gill-nets.

Balearic Shearwater © Kris Gillam, from the surfbirds galleries.

The Minister will be urging the Commission to propose early in 2010 an ambitious and robust Community Plan of Action to reduce the incidental catch of seabirds in fisheries wherever EU vessels fish at home and overseas. The Minister will also call for emergency measures for the most threatened species like the Balearic shearwater, listed as Critically Endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and a victim of longline fishing in the Mediterranean.

Halt this loss

UK fisheries Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies said: “It is a tragedy that so many seabirds are lost each year in fishing operations. This is putting a considerable strain on some seabird populations and we must all strive to halt this loss. Good work is taking place in the Southern Oceans but action in Europe is long overdue. I wholeheartedly support the need for an EU Seabird Plan of Action. It must be robust with a clear timetable and commitment to action and prioritise work on those species most threatened.

“The UK is committed to taking action and at November Council I will be urging the Commission to introduce a Plan of Action as a matter of urgency”.

The RSPB and BirdLife International believe the European Commission has sat on its hands on the seabird bycatch issue for the past ten years, consistently failing to meet its own deadlines for action until now. Meanwhile, huge strides have been made by many other countries around the world in introducing simple technical fixes which prevent seabirds coming into contact with and being killed by fishing gears, with minimal disruption to the fishing activity of vessels.

Dr Euan Dunn is the head of the RSPB’s marine policy team. He said: “For far too long there has been paralysis at the heart of Europe over acting to prevent the fatal attraction of seabirds to fishing gears. As we fast approach 2010, the year in which Europe’s leaders committed to halt the loss of biodiversity on land and at sea, we applaud the UK Minister for championing concerted action to safeguard Europe’s seabirds”.

Under siege from fisheries

The EU seabird action plan will follow new international guidelines in addressing all fishing gears that take an incidental catch of seabirds – longlines, trawls and gill-nets. BirdLife has identified hotspots in Europe where vulnerable seabird populations are under siege from fisheries, notably the Mediterranean for longline fisheries and the Baltic for gill-net fisheries. A single longline fishery on the Gran Sol grounds off the west coast of Ireland takes an alarming toll of 50,000 seabirds every year. The EU plan will also address the impact of the EC’s distant water fleets, especially those of Spain, which target high-value species like tuna swordfish and toothfish in the south Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The UK has an enormous responsibility for seabirds. About seven million seabirds of 25 species breed in the UK, representing over half of the European total. Globally, the UK’s Overseas Territories host a third of all of the world’s breeding albatrosses, the most threatened group of birds in the world, with fisheries inflicting by far the heaviest losses. Although not a breeding bird in the UK, the Balearic shearwater is increasingly ranging into UK waters, where it is a regular visitor to the English Channel, driven northwards by food shortages furthers south.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:26 AM | Comments (0)

Europe's red kites in peril

Poisoning has led to huge declines in Europe’s red kite population.

Numbers on the bird’s main wintering grounds have halved since 1994 and there have been big falls in the number of breeding pairs in its heartlands of Spain, France and Germany.

So alarming is the drop in numbers that the EU has now adopted a Red Kite Action Plan, produced by the RSPB on behalf of Birdlife International and with the support of red kite experts across Europe.

Red Kite © Ray Wilson, from the surfbirds galleries.

Intensification of agriculture in Eastern Europe is one cause, but the main problem is the widespread use of poison.

The greatest threat comes from birds feeding on carcasses that have been illegally laced with agricultural pesticides to control foxes and wolves. In some places, birds of prey are also deliberately targeted to protect game birds.

Red kites are excellent scavengers and are particularly vulnerable to poisoned baits.

In some countries, vole plagues are legally controlled by farmers using large quantities of rodenticides spread out in the open across fields. Red kites then scavenge the dead rodents and become poisoned in turn.

The steep decline in breeding pairs – 40 per cent in Spain and 30 per cent in France and Germany - contrasts sharply with their success in most parts of the UK.

Here, recovery of the native Welsh population combined with a hugely successful reintroduction programme, has seen the red kite return from the brink of extinction.

There are now estimated to be more than 1,600 breeding pairs in the UK thanks to a successful partnership between conservationists and landowners.

Together with the declines on the continent, this means the UK is now home to seven per cent of the world’s red kites – up from five per cent only a year ago.

Poisoning, both accidental and deliberate, continues to take its toll of UK kites however and remains particular problem in the north of Scotland where illegal poisoning may be preventing population growth and stopping the birds’ spread.

Such deaths are one reason the RSPB has been running a campaign to stamp out the killing of birds of prey.

The RSPB’s Peter Newbery, who wrote the Action Plan, said: “This wonderful bird, a familiar sight across much of Europe, is suddenly in real trouble.

“Governments must act quickly to reduce the amount of poisons being used in the countryside and to better regulate their use. Our experience in the UK shows the tremendous ability of these birds to recover if given the chance.

“If the threat of poisoning can be reduced and the red kite’s habitat protected, there is no reason why they should not bounce back. But the work has to start now.”

The Red Kite Action Plan outlines steps countries can take to:

*Stop the use of poison baits.

*Reduce the risk of red kites eating poisoned rats and voles.

*Maintain and improve the places where red kites’ feed and breed.

The first, truly international census of red kites will be carried out in 2013 and again five years later to see if these steps are working.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:22 AM | Comments (0)

November 14, 2009

Early hedge cutting could starve birds of berries

Cutting back hedges and bushes too early this year could starve birds of late autumn berries.

The mild weather has meant birds are feasting on insects later this year. They have not had to turn to autumn fruits yet, so many hedgerows are still bursting with berries.

These sources of food are what birds rely on to set them up for winter.

Traditionally, people start trimming their bushes at this time of year once the breeding season is over and before birds start scoping out roost sites.

We always suggest waiting until later in the winter, but this year it’s even more important than recent years.

Fieldfare © Major Gilbert, from the surfbirds galleries.

Cutting hedges back now would deprive birds of a vital natural food source, especially as berries become more edible and a more important food source after the first frosts when they become softer.

The RSPB is appealing to gardeners, farmers and councils not to cut hedges until later in the winter or very early spring when all the berries and fruit have been eaten.

They are also suggesting cutting hedges on rotation as cutting some hedgerow species every year will prevent the plants from producing large amounts of berries.

Many bird species will benefit from this including residents like bullfinches and song thrushes and winter migrants such as redwings and fieldfares.

Richard James, RSPB Wildlife Adviser, says: 'The autumn berry and fruit crop is an important food source for many birds. If cutting can be put off until later in the year it can help provide our birds with an additional food supply.

'Usually, once any late nesters have flown the nest we would say it was a good time to start tidying hedgerows and trimming bushes and shrubs. They can get straggly and when they are stripped bare of berries they are of less use to birds.

'But this year, the weather only started to get really chilly in the last few days, and there are still plenty of berries on many hedges, in gardens and across the countryside.

'We’d urge anyone thinking of a tidy up to wait just a few more weeks until the natural food has been eaten.'

Gardener June Butlin says: 'It's devastating when you see hedgerows full of berries being chopped down as that could provide hundreds of meals for hungry birds.

'I’m all for making my garden and surrounding area look tidy but just waiting a few more weeks is no big deal and would be so helpful to wildlife.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:44 AM | Comments (0)

RSPB calls for protection of marine sites

The passing of a Marine and Coastal Access Act this week should safeguard wildlife above and below the waves in England and Wales.

While welcoming the Act, the RSPB is reminding Government this long overdue legislation now needs to be used to create a network of marine conservation zones offering protection for important and vulnerable marine species.

Dr Sharon Thompson is a senior marine policy officer with the RSPB. She said: 'The creation of a Marine and Coastal Access Act is a watershed for marine conservation.

Black Guillemot © Paul Jones, from the surfbirds galleries.

'But, for the Act to be meaningful and help safeguard vulnerable marine species, from corals to whales, the Government must use these new powers to designate sites, otherwise the legislation will be as toothless as a sea squirt!'

To help kickstart the network of protected sites, the RSPB has identified 21 sites of national importance for seabirds in English waters, creating a series of potential ‘early wins’ for the UK Government.

The sites, ranging from Northumberland to Cornwall, would provide protection for nationally-important populations of 12 species of seabird. Two of the species to benefit include the eider and the black guillemot, both of which have small populations in England.

Although the populations of some seabirds are increasing, other species are faring less well. In particular, the UK populations of the shag (-25 per cent), kittiwake (-36 per cent) and lesser black-backed gull (-41 per cent) have all dropped by a quarter or more since the start of the Millennium, sparking concern about their long-term survival.

The 21 sites identified by the RSPB, include six sites of national importance for kittiwake and two sites for the shag.

Some of the sites identified by the RSPB are nationally important for several species. For example, St Bees Head, in Cumbria, is nationally-important for fulmar, guillemot, kittiwake, puffin, razorbill, shag and black guillemot; for the latter, this is its only English nesting site.

The Marine and Coastal Access Act will be the culmination of a decade of campaigning by the RSPB and other members of Wildlife and Countryside Link, especially WWF, the Wildlife Trusts and the Marine Conservation Society.

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

November 10, 2009

Fighting to get Atlantic albatrosses off the hook

As scientists gather in Recife, Brazil, to agree on quotas for the Atlantic and Mediterranean stocks of tuna and swordfish in the latest round of fisheries talks, the RSPB and BirdLife International are reminding delegates that at least 37 species of seabird are at risk from these fisheries.

Indeed, 16 of these species, including albatrosses, are under threat of extinction. Getting caught in fishing gear is the greatest single threat that some of these seabirds face.

The RSPB and BirdLife International hope that talks - organised by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) - will agree measures to prevent the deaths of these seabirds in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. In tuna and swordfish fisheries, albatrosses and other seabirds die on the end of longline hooks in unsustainable numbers and, for many species, this is their greatest extinction threat.

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

Dr Cleo Small - an albatross expert working with the RSPB and BirdLife International - is attending the Recife meeting to try to secure a better future for Atlantic seabirds, especially albatrosses.

Dr Cleo Small said: “The populations of albatrosses are declining faster in the South Atlantic than any other ocean. For example, the wandering albatross – possessing the largest wingspan of any bird – is rapidly declining on South Georgia, and links have been made between these declining populations and longline fishing within the ICCAT fishery. This situation is needless, because the technology exists to prevent these deaths.

“We will be urging delegates to approve rules that make it mandatory for all vessels fishing for tuna and swordfish in the Atlantic to abide by simple measures which lower the risk of albatrosses and other seabirds dying in these fisheries.”

Dr Small added: “The main problem is that albatrosses try to steal fish and squid bait from longline fishing hooks. The birds get caught on the hook and quickly drown when the lines are set. The bodies of these birds, recovered hours later, are a grim reminder of the sheer toll of seabirds that these fisheries can take.”

Monitoring of wandering albatrosses by the British Antarctic Survey on South Georgia has revealed a halving in the number in 2009 compared with the early 1960s.

Some of the most at risk species include the Tristan albatross of the South Atlantic and the Balearic shearwater of European waters. Both species, which are listed as Critically Endangered by BirdLife on behalf of the IUCN, are important to the UK. The Balearic shearwater, which nests on the Balearic Islands of the Mediterranean, is a regular non-breeding visitor to the waters off southern Britain, while the Tristan albatross is endemic to Gough Island, part of the UK Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha, and is found nowhere else in the world.

Eight of the top ten seabird species considered to be most at risk from Atlantic longline fisheries nest on the three UK Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands; Tristan da Cunha and South Georgia. The top six most at risk seabird species in the Atlantic are albatrosses.

The RSPB is a Partner in BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme which works around the globe to conserve seabirds, and is striving to ensure that relevant international agreements are implemented that will benefit both the birds and the legal fishing industry.

The Programme also work hard to promote simple and inexpensive mitigation measures, which are highly successful in reducing seabird bycatch. The Programme achieves this through the Albatross Task Force (ATF) - the world’s first team of dedicated instructors to demonstrate the correct use of mitigation measures to fishermen, and to develop and test new measures. The ATF has instructors in seven countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina in the Atlantic. Chile and Ecuador also have ATF programmes.

“Dying at a rate of around one every five minutes, the albatross family is becoming threatened faster than any other family of birds”, added Dr Small. The Albatross Task Force began in 2006 and it’s already having huge success around the globe, but we need more help”

A variety of mitigation measures are available to prevent the deaths of albatrosses and other seabirds. One of the most popular is the tori, or streamer, line. Using this technique, fishing crews pay out lines of streamers from the stern of a vessel. Effectively, these streamers create a curtain, deterring albatrosses from coming too close to the danger zone, just off the stern of the vessel.

Mitigation measures have been used to great effect in some of the world’s other fisheries. In sub-Antarctic waters – operating in the CCAMLR fisheries region – mitigation measures have reduced albatross bycatch from thousands of birds a year to effectively zero. Additionally, fantastic reductions in seabird bycatch have been secured within the foreign tuna longline fleet, operating in South African waters. Since 2006, this fishery has cut seabird bycatch by 85 per cent.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:42 PM | Comments (0)

November 5, 2009

Perilously close to being lost

A harsh winter and a possible shortage of prey in spring meant some pairs failed to breed, while those that did had fewer chicks.

Hen Harrier © Stephen Daly, from the surfbirds galleries.

While there is no evidence of illegal killing or nest destruction associated with this year’s breeding failures, it is illegal persecution that has led to today’s critically low breeding numbers and patchy distribution.

As a result, hen harriers are even more vulnerable to chance natural events.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Director of Conservation, said: “We always feared that with hen harrier numbers kept so low, the English population was extremely vulnerable to a bad year like this.

"There can be no place in England's future for the illegal killing of birds of prey. Land owners and other shooting groups need to show real commitment and start working with Natural England, RSPB and BASC to implement legal solutions such as diversionary feeding.”

In contrast to the dismal breeding success in the uplands of northern England, one ray of hope for the hen harrier came with the news that for the first time ever a pair was found nesting in a cereal field in southern England.

The hen harrier was once found throughout the English lowlands and is not, as its current range might suggest, a bird solely of mountains and remote moorland.

Although there have been two other nesting attempts in southern England in recent years, this was the first time a crop-nesting pair has been recorded. With help from the farmer, a committed group of volunteers from local bird clubs ensured the birds’ behaviour was carefully monitored and they were able to successfully rear a chick.

Dr Tom Tew, Chief Scientist for Natural England, said: “This isolated nesting site in southern England is a massive leap from the hen harrier’s recent restricted distribution. Single birds occasionally loiter around suitable habitat in the early spring but rarely attract a mate, as hen harriers have a strong natural tendency to return to the upland areas where they were reared.

“Although this was just one pair, which may or may not return next year, their success hints at the potential for the hen harrier to be re-established in southern England, however this would not mean giving up on hen harriers in the uplands."

John Swift, Chief Executive of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, said: “A bad winter has left the hen harrier population even more vulnerable than before – this means that everybody must concentrate on doing what they can to ensure that the moorland habitat continues to be well managed and that persecution is confined to history.

“It is imperative that we find a solution to the conflict between grouse shooting and birds of prey and those who manage grouse moors must continue to be vigilant against persecution of harriers.

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:11 PM | Comments (0)

November 1, 2009

Farmland bird figures confirm urgent need for action, say RSPB

Government figures released today (0ct 29, 2009) give a mixed picture of the fortunes of farmland birds in England with a continued downward trend in populations, but some tentative signs of recovery.

Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) today unveiled its annual population figures on the 19 officially recognised farmland bird species - the Farmland Bird Index (FBI).

The official Government FBI indicator for England – which is calculated by taking current and previous years’ survey results into account – declined for the sixth year running in 2008. This means the current FBI indicator is at its lowest ever and farmland birds populations last year were 52% lower than when records began in 1970.

Skylark © Sean Gray, from the surfbirds galleries.

“These precious birds have been an important part of the English countryside for generations but in recent decades they have suffered huge declines," said Mark Avery, RSPB director of conservation.

“The RSPB is backing a major new initiative from the farming industry, the Campaign for the Farmed Environment, which is being launched next month in a concerted effort to bring wildlife back to our rural landscape.

“These new figures show how vitally important it is that this campaign succeeds – if these birds disappear then we will have lost a unique and defining feature of the English countryside.”

The FBI figure dropped by 2.26 per cent between 2007 and 2008, almost as steep as the drop between 2006 and 2007 of 2.37 per cent. Twelve of the 19 species on the FBI list declined between 2007 and 2008 and of those 10 have been in continual decline for the past four years.

As is often the case with statistical analysis of large amounts of data the story behind the figures is complex. Although the official FBI indicator figure signals a continued decline in farmland birds, the raw year on year data does show a small increase in bird numbers.

Dr Avery explains: “Statistics on bird populations rarely create graphs with perfectly straight lines as all kinds of unpredictable influences can cause fluctuations. So while this small one year increase is unlikely to indicate anything more than a blip in the figures, it does give us a glimmer of hope for the future of our farmland birds and should provide encouragement for farmers’ future efforts to help wildlife.”

Today also sees the release of similar survey figures for woodland and wetland birds, both of which are faring better than farmland birds. The English woodland bird index of 35 species has declined by 20% since 1970, while the wetland bird index of 26 species has increased by 12 % since 1975.

The RSPB’s own Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire, meanwhile, has seen a record year for birds. The latest survey results show that the FBI species at Hope Farm - which features the latest wildlife friendly farming measures - have risen 177% since the charity bought the land in 2000.

The figures show there were 234 breeding pairs of FBI list birds on the farm this year compared with 165 last year – an increase of 41%. And once again the farm’s wheat and oilseed rape yields are above the national average.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:12 AM | Comments (0)

October 28, 2009

A decade of change in the UK's birds

Over the last decade, rare birds in the UK have been faring far better than their more common counterparts, according to the latest assessment produced by the UK’s leading conservation organisations.

The research shows that almost 60 per cent of the 63 rare birds that breed in the UK have increased over the last ten years compared with only just over one third of common species. Contrastingly, only 28 per cent of the UK’s rare birds have decreased over the same period, compared four out of every ten common birds.

Common Scoter © Josh Jones, from the surfbirds galleries.
The UK’s most endangered duck – still needs significant conservation action if we’re going to pull them back from the brink

Rare birds, with fewer than 1000 pairs, with increasing populations include the osprey, corncrake, avocet, cirl bunting and stone-curlew – all birds subject to conservation action. The declining common birds include the linnet, nightingale, swift, guillemot, starling, house sparrow and red grouse – all widespread species that are suffering declines for a variety of reasons.

The overview of 210 native breeding birds has been produced by a coalition of conservation organisations, to celebrate the publication of the State of the UK’s Birds report which this year enjoys its tenth anniversary.

The report is published by the RSPB for a coalition of conservation organisations, including: RSPB, British Trust for Ornithology; The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust; The Countryside Council for Wales; Natural England; Northern Ireland Environment Agency; Scottish Natural Heritage and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Conservation Director, said: “Over the last decade we’ve enjoyed some cracking conservation successes, including removing some threatened species from the red list and increasing the populations of red kite, bittern, avocet, osprey, stone-curlew and cirl bunting. However, these triumphs are countered by continued declines of some widespread species, like the skylark, kestrel, willow warbler and grey partridge.”

Dr David Noble of the British Trust for Ornithology, added: “ That some of our rarer birds have responded to targeted conservation action is great news. It shows just what can be achieved. What we need to do now is to continue the good work and use some of the lessons we have learned to help our more common birds.”

Dr Baz Hughes of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, said: “It is really encouraging to look back at how concerted effort has improved the status of many wetland birds, not least avocet, bittern and black-tailed godwit. But sadly exceptions like the common scoter – the UK’s most endangered duck – still need significant conservation action if we’re going to pull them back from the brink.”

Tom Tew, Chief Scientist for Natural England, said: “It is clear that targeted conservation work has made a real difference in reversing the decline of many rare species and that positive land management, often delivered through green farming schemes such as Environmental Stewardship, has had an important part to play. By working closely with farmers and other land managers we need to ensure that these benefits are spread into the wider countryside where more common birds continue to suffer from declines.”

JNCC’s David Stroud said: “These results remind us that the causes of the declines for many migratory species can often be in other countries. For example, Greenland white-fronted geese are declining owing to factors that are restricting its breeding in the Arctic. This strongly emphasises the need for UK conservation organisations to collaborate internationally with those in other countries to tackle such issues.”

Some of the key bird conservation stories coming from 10 years of the report include:

· A continued decline of farmland birds

· The dramatic rise of bitterns from 19 to 82 males

· An increase in the numbers of Dartford warblers, nightjars and woodlarks in line with the
positive management of heathland

· An increase in the number of corncrake, stone-curlew and cirl bunting, thanks to positive
habitat management

· A dramatic recovery in the fortunes of the white-tailed eagle and red kite, thanks to reintroduction programmes

· An increase in the number of little egrets which only bred for the first time in the UK in 1996

· A decrease in the numbers of kittiwake and guillemot, two species of seabird having their most important EU populations in the UK

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:46 AM | Comments (0)

October 23, 2009

Poland's Government spares threatened wildlife from road development

A decision by the Polish government to proceed with an alternative route for the Via Baltica expressway– an international road corridor in north-east Poland – has given a reprieve to some of Europe’s best wildlife sites, says a coalition of conservation groups.

The road - part of a route linking Helsinki to Warsaw – is part of the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).

Campaigners from CEE Bankwatch Network, BirdLife International, the RSPB and OTOP (the RSPB’s partner in Poland) have said the decision by the Polish Council of Ministers is a major victory that represents a significant step towards the proper implementation of Polish and European environmental laws.

However, the groups say that the new decree does not mark the end of their campaign to save Polish sites of European importance from suffering damage from other road construction plans in the region.

Greater Spotted Eagle, Poland © Tomasz Kulakowski, from the surfbirds galleries.

The sites spared by the decision include locations important for a range of threatened species, including lynx, wolf, beaver and threatened bird species including aquatic warbler and greater spotted eagle which have their most important concentrations in the EU in north-east Poland. The sites known as Natura 2000 sites, are all protected under European environmental laws including the EC’s Birds and Habitats directives.

According to the decree, the Polish part of the Via Baltica expressway will be constructed in line with the recommendations of experts and the findings of a Strategic Environmental Assessment, demanded by the European Parliament, the Bern Convention and environmental groups. This has taken several years to complete.

This environmentally-sound routing of the road via Lomza, confirmed now by the government, is also valid on economic, traffic and social grounds. The decision means that the expected stream of intra-Continental lorries will go via Lomza, thus avoiding negative impacts on three Natura 2000 sites: the Biebrza Marshes, and the Knyszyn and Augustow Primeval Forests. However, it does not bring an automatic halt to current road construction work inside the Knyszyn Forest or other environmentally harmful road-development plans in north-east Poland.

Dr Helen Byron, a senior RSPB international site casework officer, said: “This is great news! After seven years of campaigning, the Polish ministers approved a new route for the Via Baltica corridor that will avoid the threatened sites of international importance.

“Sadly, this doesn't mean our work is over entirely - we still need to protect sites along the 'old' Via Baltica route and ensure that construction on the new route goes ahead so that this isn't just a paper victory. But this is an absolutely fantastic step forward ensuring a brighter future for the wildlife of this naturally diverse region.”

Marta Majka Wisniewska, Polish national coordinator for Bankwatch, said: “The decision from the Council of Ministers does not close the case of egregious road development in north-east Poland. There is a further need to change other strategic documents, in particular the current list of investments under the Operational Programme 'Infrastructure & Environment' and the Polish proposal on TEN-T revision. And, of course, the devil will be in the final implementation of today's positive outcome.”

Malgorzata Gorska, IBA Casework Officer of OTOP (the RSPB’s Polish partner), said: ”As these road developments have been proceeding at high speed, Natura 2000 sites like the Knyszyn Forest and the Biebrza Marshes are still under threat. Our task is to ensure that all environmentally-harmful road projects along the old routing of the Via Baltica, as queried by the European Commission, are halted or modified. With the new route for the Via Baltica corridor settled there is no need to continue with these large scale projects on the old route which will needlessly damage Natura 2000 sites ”

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

September 26, 2009

Call for action after new report reveals worrying state of rivers

Just five of the 6,000 rivers in England and Wales remain in pristine condition, according to new figures published today.

The Environment Agency assessment reveals that just five rivers remain ‘High’ status waterways – all in remote areas of Northumberland and Wales. The report lists 26 per cent of rivers as ‘Good’ status, the required European standard.

This means 74% of rivers are failing – including 117 rivers (2%) which are classified as ‘Bad’ making them among the worst in Europe. Amongst these are the Stour estuary and a stretch of the river Trent.

Goosander © Kit Day, from the surfbirds galleries

The Our Rivers campaign – backed by a coalition of the RSPB, WWF UK, the Association of Rivers Trusts and the Angling Trust – has reacted to the report by calling for tougher action to protect waterways and ensure they remain clean and healthy for the benefit of wildlife.

'There is no doubt that the millions of pounds invested by the water industry over the past two decades has brought real improvements to our rivers and coasts,' said RSPB director of conservation Mark Avery.

'But these alarming figures really show just how far we have to go to tackle the problems faced by our rivers. There are just five rivers in pristine condition left and they are all in some of the least densely populated corners of the country.

'Elsewhere we are having a devastating impact on our waterways. Pollution from agriculture, over abstraction and poor town planning are all factors threatening what is an extremely important habitat for wildlife. Otters, water voles, kingfishers and more than 30 species of fish all rely on our rivers and we have a responsibility to keep them healthy and clean.

'This report should serve as a wake up call for the Government to do more to protect rivers. We will be examining the Environment Agency’s proposals for action being released today and challenging Government to ensure the final plans have a far reaching effect on the problems affecting our rivers, lakes and coasts.'

Tom Le Quesne, WWF freshwater policy advisor, said: 'Unless we take action now to stop the decline in the health of our rivers then we are storing up a raft of problems for the future. We are heavily reliant on this precious resource and our legislation and actions must deliver a positive improvement to its state.'

The release of these figures coincides with the Environment Agency setting out its plan for how it will care for rivers in England and Wales over the next decade – and achieve the new European Water Framework Directive which requires the UK to bring all of its rivers up to ‘Good’ status, or above, by 2015.

While the plans list hundreds of actions, many of which reflect long-standing commitments to improve the environment, disappointingly only 5% more rivers will be at ‘Good’ status by 2015. Environment minister Hilary Benn now has three months to decide whether this is really ambitious enough.

The report on the environmental status of rivers is the result of a huge amount of work by Environment Agency staff. It is the first time factors such as fish and plant life have been taken into account giving the fullest ever indication of the ecological state of our waterways.

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

Volunteers reveal scale of Maltese bird massacre

A grisly discovery of the carcasses of 137 protected birds, such as marsh harriers and herons, has been made during a joint operation involving 40 birdwatchers from BirdLife Malta – the RSPB's partner in the islands – and the German-based Campaign Against Bird Slaughter.

Over the weekend, the remains of the birds were found concealed among stones and rubbish in Mizieb, an area frequented by scores of hunters, in the north of the main island.

The haul, so far, includes: 34 marsh harriers; 17 honey buzzards; 19 falcons, including kestrel and hobby; 29 herons; and 33 skeletons of birds of prey, the identity of which are still being determined.

Honey Buzzard © BirdLife Malta. These images may not be reproduced or exploited in any fashion without permission from BirdLife Malta.

Some of the birds discovered were newly killed, while others were the remains of birds killed weeks or months earlier.

We are joining the call for a Maltese government enquiry and condemnation into this 'shocking discovery' - one of the largest single hauls of dead protected birds yet recovered in Malta.

BirdLife Malta is highly concerned at the relative lack of government and police action on this outrageous discovery.

Joseph Mangion is the President of BirdLife Malta. Speaking about the incident he said:'We demand from the government that they stop claiming that illegal hunting is under control and instead start treating this international conservation problem as a political priority.'

Tim Stowe, RSPB International Director, said: 'The discovery of these corpses is further proof of the scale of illegal hunting in Malta, which is an international scandal.

'The Maltese government must recognise that these acts bring shame on Malta as well as posing a direct threat to many of Europe’s protected bird species. The illegal hunting of protected birds can have no place in a modern Europe.'

The recovery of these dead birds was a joint operation between BirdLife Malta and the Campaign Against Bird Slaughter: both organisations have been organising separate bird protection and migration observation camps in Malta, over this autumn.

Autumn is a key bird-migration period in Malta as many birds fly over the islands from Europe en route to their African wintering grounds. Volunteers from both organisations have reported protected birds being targeted in several areas in the island, including the Mizieb woodland.

'What we have been witnessing over the last two days, together with the shocking finding in Mizieb, is a sad reflection of the true scale of illegal hunting in Malta. What we have uncovered is only the tip of the iceberg, as the scope and range of our teams is limited and we can therefore only cover a small geographical area of the Maltese islands,' said Axel Hirschfeld, Campaign Against Bird Slaughter press officer.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:02 AM | Comments (0)

Suffolk coast could be home to eagles

Natural England, and the RSPB, assisted by the Forestry Commission, have been looking at the feasibility of re-introducing the white-tailed eagle - also known as the sea eagle - to East Anglia, and the Suffolk coast is being considered as a possible future home for white-tailed eagles

A three-year study of eastern England between the Humber and the Thames has identified the Suffolk coast as offering the best opportunities for enabling the white tailed eagle to re-establish itself in England.

White-tailed Eagle © Steve Round, from the surfbirds galleries

The Suffolk coast is favoured because of its location at the centre of a string of wetland habitats stretching from The Wash to the Thames Estuary, which could provide a suitable home for white-tailed eagles. Elsewhere in Europe, white-tailed eagles thrive in similar lowland wetland habitats.

Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Director of Conservation, said: “These birds belong to lowland England as surely as they belong to the sea cliffs of Scotland. Man is the reason they are missing and it is for us to put that right.

“It is also why we must do this properly and with regard to people and wildlife nearby. The RSPB want eagles back, but without a return to the conflicts and misunderstandings that led to their extinction.”

Natural England’s Chief Scientist, Tom Tew, said: “Our analysis of the Suffolk coast has produced encouraging results in terms of identifying potential sites that could form the base for a future re-introduction. The task now is to ensure an open and informed debate about whether, and how, to move forward.”

The white-tailed eagle’s huge wingspan, shock of white tail feathers and bright-eyed glare were once much more common sights. Once widespread in lowland England, the species was persecuted to extinction by the early 19th century. By the early 20th century, they were also extinct in Scotland.

The bird has now been successfully re-established on the west coast of Scotland after two earlier releases, and a third series of releases is underway in eastern Scotland.

Birds could take decades if not centuries to spread from Scotland without assistance and a Suffolk release program presents the best prospects of enabling the bird to re-colonise parts of England. Re-introduction could also be expected to deliver significant economic benefits for tourism and related businesses as has been the case in Scotland.

Tom Tew added: “Previous surveys have shown that the vast majority of the public strongly support the idea of the re-introduction of white tailed sea eagles to East Anglia, but we recognise that there are some people who are opposed and others who wish to understand more about how a re-introduction program would affect them. It is important we continue to gauge views and address concerns – a project of this type has to be right for the area as well as for the ecological needs of the birds themselves.”

In addition to conducting feasibility studies about suitable sites, the re-introduction project is looking to canvas the views of local landowners, livestock farmers, conservation organisations, experts and the general public. Over the next few weeks, a series of local opinion surveys will be conducted in Suffolk to gauge initial local reactions in advance of more extended dialogues with landowners and other stakeholders that will continue throughout the rest of 2009.

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

September 10, 2009

Farmers urged to help reverse skylark declines this Autumn

Farmers preparing to sow their overwinter crops this month are being urged to implement measures which would reverse the UK-wide decline in skylark numbers.

Skylarks are one of our countryside’s most iconic species and every farmer will recognise their unique bubbling trill as they hover high above fields. However populations have halved in the past 40 years and continue to fall.

Skylark © Sean Gray, from the surfbirds galleries

Skylark plots have been developed by conservationists at the RSPB’s Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire and have been proven to increase breeding productivity by nearly 50 per cent. Skylarks breeding at Hope Farm have more than trebled over the last 10 years.

The rectangular uncropped patches in cereal fields allow skylarks to forage when crops become too dense for them. And as well as helping wildlife the measure also makes economic sense as part of agri-environment schemes.

Chris Bailey, RSPB’s farm manager, said: “Skylark plots are very simple to create during Autumn sowing. You can either switch the drill off as you move or you can go back after you’ve sown a whole field and spray these very small patches out.

“Some farmers maybe be concerned about leaving land uncropped, however a field only needs two plots per hectare which means the total area of land taken out of production is minute - less than one third of one per cent.

“Under Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) farmers can receive five points per plot making this the best paying option in agri-environment schemes. It’s easy to fit into the farming system and it makes sound economic sense.

“This is a simple solution that farmers can put in place with the flick of a switch.”

The RSPB has produced a video, filmed at Hope Farm, which explains how farmers can create skylark plots. It went online this week and can be found at www.rspb.org.uk/skylarkplots

While farmers will often see skylarks on their farm in Spring, between late May and harvest-time the autumn sown cereal crops are too dense for the birds to nest. RSPB research shows that if 10 to 20 per cent of winter wheat crops feature skylark plots then the population decline will be reversed and the number of skylarks in our countryside will start to increase.

Farmers who want information on skylark plots can find contact details for their local agricultural advisor at www.rspb.org.uk/farming

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:04 PM | Comments (0)

September 5, 2009

Good Summer for Northern Gannets in Wales

An aerial survey of northern gannets (Morus bassanus) on Grassholm Island this summer has revealed a welcome increase in the number of birds breeding on the gannetry in Wales.

Up to 32,094 northern gannets on Apparently Occupied Sites (AOS) were counted during the last survey in 2004, and this has now increased to 39,292 AOS. The survey is aimed to be carried out every six years.

This is the fastest rate of growth ever recorded on this gannetry, and is partially due to improved photographic quality allowing for better counting. A digital (DSLR) camera was used for this survey and gave greater flexibility and ease of handling than film cameras, there was also no requirement to load film and continuous shooting could be done.

Northern Gannet © Jon Lowes, from the surfbirds galleries

The Grassholm gannetry has grown steadily at an annual rate of 2.18% up to 2009, and the 2009 survey indicates that Grassholm remains the third largest gannetry in the UK and Ireland with only St Kilda and the Bass Rock being larger in size. It is the only gannetry in Wales.

Greg Morgan, RSPB Warden on Grassholm Island said: “The survey assessed the current numbers of gannets in the colony and confirmed that this was achieving the Special Protection Area conservation status for the island.”

Stuart Murray an Environmental Consultant said: “Given the importance of the Grassholm gannetry in a Welsh, UK and international context we hope to be able to continue this type of survey every six years to deliver high quality monitoring of the colony.”

Gannets can be seen offshore almost anywhere across Wales, they arrive at their colonies from late January onwards and begin to migrate south during September. Gannets might be seen at any time during these months around the coast.

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

Ray of hope for Scotland's internationally important seabirds.

Seabirds breeding in Scotland have had their most productive year for almost a decade, according to counts carried out at RSPB coastal reserves.

Sandeels and other small fish appear to have been in plentiful supply in our coastal waters, resulting in success for many species and colonies that have struggled to raise chicks in recent years, reports RSPB Scotland.

Arctic terns on RSPB Scotland’s North Hill reserve in Orkney managed to successfully fledge more than 220 chicks. Last year not one chick fledged from this important colony. In the late 80s Arctic terns at this site regularly fledged around 1,000 chicks, and no one knows whether such abundant breeding seasons will ever return.

Arctic Tern © Glyn Sellors, from the surfbirds galleries

Whilst the news is a welcome ray of hope for our internationally important populations of seabirds, it comes amidst a decade of repeated breeding failures for some species. Worryingly, this has substantially reduced populations of some seabirds, with massive population declines at cliffs that used to support huge colonies.

Kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills have also managed to rear young in greater numbers than recently on the Northern Islands. Last year, reserve wardens reported nests abandoned and empty cliffs that should have been teeming with thousands of nesting birds.

Further south on the Aberdeenshire coast, counts at RSPB’s Fowlsheugh reserve showed that fulmars, herring gulls and kittiwakes had done well this year. However, this is set in the context of massive historical declines. In 1992 there were more than 34,000 kittiwake nests at Fowlsheugh, and this has gone down to just 9,400 this season – a 73 per cent decline.

On the west coast, it has been a similar picture. On RSPB Scotland’s Ailsa Craig reserve 30,000 pairs of gannets had a successful nesting season, helped by the rat eradication programme which was recently completely. This has also enabled puffins to return to the island, with more than 50 pairs nesting in burrows. At RSPB’s Mull of Galloway reserve more than 1000 kittiwakes fledged, with two nests astonishing reserve staff by producing three chicks each.

Doug Gilbert, ecologist with RSPB Scotland, said: “Whilst it is fantastic news that our internationally famous seabird colonies appear to have had a much improved breeding season this year, the long term picture is one of serious concern.”

“The reasons for the change in fortunes this year are not fully understood but it could be that colder weather led to reduced sea temperatures in late winter and through the spring that were good for sandeels, which were then available to seabirds through the breeding season.”

He added: “Unfortunately, the likelihood is that this year’s success is just a blip, and the trend of decline will continue in coming years with further reductions to our magnificent seabird population.”

Lloyd Austin, head of conservation policy at RSPB Scotland, said: “Scotland must take precautions to ensure that human impacts from pollution, development and industry give seabirds the best chance of recovery. The wisest precaution of all is a strong Scottish Marine Bill to ensure our marine resources are managed sustainably and to give all our marine wildlife the protection it desperately needs.”

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

Booming marvellous: welcome increase for bittern

Research by Natural England and the RSPB reveals that the bittern – one of the UK’s most threatened birds – has enjoyed its best ever year for at least 120 years, continuing this formerly extinct British bird’s dramatic recovery.

The 2009 survey found that the number of calling male bitterns had increased from 75 last year - also a record year - to a record minimum of 82 this year. The number of wetland sites with booming males across the UK has also increased from 41 to 43 this year.

Bittern © Steve Round, from the surfbirds galleries

The bittern is confined in Britain to tracts of extensive reedbed, especially sections of East Anglia, pockets of northern England and, more recently, the Somerset Levels and Moors.

Dr Tom Tew, Chief Scientist for Natural England, said: “Extinct by 1886, the bittern only returned in the early twentieth century – coming near to extinction again in the mid 1990s. Since then, concerted efforts by the conservation community to restore dry reedbeds and create new areas of wet reedbed have paid dividends, with the population now as large as it has ever been during the twentieth century.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Conservation Director, said: “When we feared the bittern would hit the buffers again, the conservation community rallied to its cause by managing or recreating extensive tracts of habitat. We didn’t believe at the time, that we’d see the bittern population bounce back to record levels in just 12 years.”

Since 1990, bittern researchers have estimated the UK bittern population by listening for the male bittern’s booming song, which the birds use to establish territories and attract females. The boom can be heard up to three kilometers or more away.

Researchers recorded a minimum of 82 booming males in the UK. The following regions held the greatest numbers of booming males: Suffolk coast (28); Norfolk Broads (19); and The Fens (12).

Because male bitterns can mate with more than one female, researchers also count the number of bittern nests. This year 39 nests were found with 14 on the Suffolk coast and seven each in South West England and the Norfolk Broads. Male bitterns do not establish a pair bond with the females and they have no role in the rearing of the young.

Tom Tew, of Natural England, added: “This year’s nesting figures have revealed a continuing and very encouraging increase in the number of nests in areas away from East Anglia. Somerset held seven nests, an increase of five on the previous year. This is exciting news as it shows a spread of the bittern away from coastal East Anglian strongholds - where the bird is vulnerable to sea-level rise - to new areas which are now more secure.”

The bittern – a protected species in Europe – has been subject to two EU Life projects, funded by the European Commission, since 1997. The funding allowed bittern habitat to be created at a number of sites across England and Wales. Bitterns are now nesting at several of these sites, including the RSPB’s Ham Wall reserve in Somerset, and the Society’s Lakenheath Fen nature reserve in the East Anglian Fens. And at two coastal National Nature Reserves managed by Natural England, bitterns have recently nested again for the first time since coastal floods two years ago affected their nesting areas.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:59 AM | Comments (0)

September 2, 2009

UK's birds continue to suffer at hands of criminals

Crimes against wild birds remained at near record highs last year.

The RSPB received 1,206 reports of shooting, poisoning, trapping and disturbance of birds and of the theft of birds and their eggs.

While the figure is slightly down from the all-time high of 1,228 reports in 2007, it remains the second highest we've ever recorded. Many more are believed to have gone undetected and unreported.

As a result, the RSPB is using its annual Birdcrime report to repeat its call for a fundamental shake-up of the way such crimes are policed.

Hen Harrier © Pete Hadfield, from the surfbirds galleries

The figures include 210 reports of shooting and destruction of birds of prey.

Data from the report showed the two worst counties in England for all reported incidents against birds of prey were North Yorkshire with 24 and Derbyshire with 14 reported incidents.

In Scotland, problems were worst in Perth and Kinross where there were 18 reported incidents and in the Borders where there were 15. Aberdeenshire, Angus and the Highlands each had 14 reports.

In Wales, Bridgend and Denbighshire saw the most reports of crimes against raptors, with five each. Northern Ireland’s hotspot was County Down, which accounted for five of the province’s 11 reported incidents against birds of prey.

The persecution of birds of prey is something the RSPB is campaigning to stop and which Government has declared one of its ‘wildlife crime priorities’.

However, the RSPB maintains that without a thorough review of the way these hard to detect crimes are investigated there is little chance of reducing the number of offences.

The RSPB would like:

A ‘Thematic Review’ of Wildlife Crime policing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure minimum standards of investigation across the UK. This would compliment a similar review carried out in Scotland in 2008.

Secure long term funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which offers specialist support to police forces.

The NWCU to be given the resources for someone to tackle bird of prey persecution full time.
More full-time, specialist Wildlife Crime Officers.

The Government to look at up-dating the way game shoots are regulated, with those found guilty of persecuting birds of prey banned from shooting for a fixed period.

Crimes against birds of prey to be classed as ‘recorded crime’ by the Home Office and included in national crime statistics.

Ian West, Head of Investigations at the RSPB, said: “How many more of our wild birds have to be lost before the authorities start taking these crimes seriously?

“It is absurd that the Government lists the killing of birds of prey as a wildlife crime priority and yet these crime are not recorded by the Home Office. This provides little incentive for police to tackle crimes seen as less important. If I stole a packet of sweets, it would be recorded in the Home Office figures. If I shot a golden eagle, it would not. That cannot be right.

“The law is being flouted and our natural heritage ransacked for want of modest resources and a shared determination to tackle the problem.”

He added: “The RSPB will do all it can, despite the difficulties, and will continue to support the many dedicated wildlife crime officers up and down the country.

“The recent outrage over two golden eagles found poisoned in Scotland shows the strength of public concern. The public’s help will be vital in helping us put a stop to these crimes and hold those responsible to account.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:46 AM | Comments (0)

August 10, 2009

Rare crossbill irruption in Northern Ireland

Although crossbills breed in Northern Ireland, in some years these visitors arrive in large numbers from Scandinavia and Russia following the breeding season. According to Dr James Robinson of the RSPB, these birds have come this far west in search of their favourite food – the seeds in pinecones.

Crossbill © Mike Weedon, from the surfbirds galleries

“This is not a migration, but rather an irruption,” he explains. “These birds breed early in the year and occasionally they will exhaust their food supplies where they breed, especially in years when pine seeds are in short supply. When this happens, they often fly thousands of kilometres in search of food. Some years they come as far as Ireland and the UK – which is what we think has happened this year – and some may stay here to breed next year.”

Crossbills are most often encountered in noisy family groups or larger flocks, usually flying close to treetop height. They feed acrobatically, fluttering from cone to cone. Adult males are a distinctive brick-red and females greenish-brown. Their bills are ideal for prising the scales of pinecones open and extracting the seed.

“They are beautiful to watch and have a distinctive ‘chip chip’ call,” said Dr Robinson. “They have been sighted in large numbers in forests across Britain and Ireland, including Northern Ireland. At the RSPB Northern Ireland headquarters in Belvoir Park Forest there is a flock of more than 20 birds which regularly uses the trees above our offices to feed.”

Dr Robinson also went on to say, “This demonstrates the importance of Northern Ireland’s forests for crossbills as well as other amazing wildlife, such as red squirrels, pine martens and treecreepers.

“As the new Forestry Bill passes through the Assembly in the coming months, we are urging politicians and decision-makers to place a strong emphasis on the role that forests play in protecting our wonderful woodland wildlife.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:34 PM | Comments (0)

Breeding success raises hopes for Asian vultures

The slender-billed vulture - one of the world’s most threatened birds - has been successfully bred in captivity for the first time.

This great news raises hopes that captive breeding has the potential to save this and other Critically Endangered Asian vultures from global extinction.

Two slender-billed vultures - which are rarer and more threatened in India than the tiger - have been reared at dedicated breeding centres in India, along with three Oriental white-backed vultures (another Critically Endangered species). It is estimated that only 1,000 slender-billed vultures remain in the wild and their population is decreasing dramatically every year.

Slender-billed Vulture © Alan Lewis, from the surfbirds galleries

Last year saw the first successful captive breeding of Oriental white-backed vultures and there are encouraging signs that a third Critically Endangered species, the long-billed vulture, may breed in the centres next year.

The RSPB’s Chris Bowden is in charge of the Society’s Asian vulture programme. He said: “This news is a huge boost to those of us fighting to save Asian vultures, which face extinction in the wild within the next decade unless we can prevent the veterinary use of Diclofenac, which causes acute kidney failure in vultures consuming the carcasses of treated livestock.”

A recent study found the Indian population of Oriental white-backed vultures is dropping by more than 40 per cent every year in India. This is one of the fastest recorded rates of decline for any species. For every 1000 oriental white-backed vultures recorded in India in1992, only one remains today.

Numbers of long-billed and slender-billed vultures together, have fallen by almost 97 per cent since 1992.

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

Catastrophic

The vultures’ catastrophic decline has been driven by the veterinary drug Diclofenac. The birds die of kidney failure after eating the carcasses of livestock that have died within a few days of treatment with the drug.

Manufacture of the veterinary form of Diclofenac, used as an anti-inflammatory treatment for livestock, was outlawed in India in 2006, and although these veterinary formulations are disappearing, equally dangerous human formulations are instead being used to treat livestock.

Captive-breeding programmes are a vital part of the effort to save the vultures. One of the slender-billed vultures fledged this year was bred at the Pinjore centre, in Haryana, and the second at Rajabhat Khawa, in West Bengal. This year’s three Oriental white-backed vultures were also fledged at Pinjore, in Haryana.

Refining expertise

Chris Bowden, the RSPB’s Vulture Programme Manager, said: “This news is hugely exciting. It is clear we are refining our expertise, but with extinction in the wild likely in the next 10 years, we do not have a moment to waste. The more vultures that we can bring into captivity means a better chance of survival for these rapidly-declining species.

“Birds can only be saved from extinction through banning the retail sale of Diclofenac, promotion of the safe alternative, Meloxicam, and the capture of more birds for the breeding programme.

Dr Vibhu Prakash, Head of the Bombay Natural History Society’s (BNHS) Vulture Breeding Programme, said: “As many more of the young birds reach maturity over the next two years, we confidently anticipate that breeding will really take off”.

Andrew Routh, Chief Veterinary Officer at ZSL, said: “This fantastic achievement can be attributed to the dedication and hard work of the breeding centre staff. Through sharing our expertise on the veterinary care of these magnificent birds, we look forward to our continued involvement on this collaborative project.”

There is growing support for the programme, especially from the Indian Government’s Ministry of Environment and Forests, who have recently allocated funds to expand the centres. The Haryana state government carried out important flood prevention measures at Pinjore earlier this year, and the Assam Government has funded the main office and visiting facility at the newest of the three BNHS run centres, at Rani Forest, in Assam.

This is particularly welcome, as running costs are increasing, and the RSPB is currently paying for most of this, with some support from the Rufford Foundation.

Meanwhile in Nepal, an additional initiative led by the National Trust for Nature Conservation, Bird Conservation Nepal and the Department of National Parks & Wildlife Conservation, with support from the Zoological Society of London and RSPB, has successfully collected 44 young Oriental white-backed vultures ready to breed in future.

The main aviary is nearing completion and these birds are an important addition to those in India.

Anand Chaudhary, Vulture Officer with Bird Conservation Nepal, said: “This captive population will be vital for safeguarding the future of vultures in Nepal, alongside local and national efforts to remove the last remaining stocks of veterinary diclofenac to protect wild populations.”

Government efforts both in India and Nepal to ban veterinary formulations are taking effect, but further measures are needed to stop illegal use of human formulations in treating livestock. The safe alternative, meloxicam, is becoming more widely available and is now manufactured by over 20 companies in South Asia.

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:27 PM | Comments (0)

August 4, 2009

Golden eagle poisoned

The RSPB has been shocked and saddened to hear that another golden eagle has been found poisoned, this time at Angus in Scotland. It is the second similar case this summer, after another eagle was poisoned just a few weeks ago.

Golden Eagle © Mark Priest, from the surfbirds galleries

These magnificent birds still suffer as a result of the callous of actions of a minority who seem determined to deny others the chance to experience one of the UK's most breath-taking species. This particular bird, named Alma, was fitted with a tracking device and suspicions were raised when the bird appeared to stop moving at the beginning of July. Her carcass has now been found and the worst possible fears have been confirmed. Police are investigating.

Alma was a young female eagle, just past her second birthday. She had just started to moult into her adult feathers and would have been looking to set up territory and breed in the coming years. Tragically she will now never get that chance.

Jeff Knott, RSPB Species Policy Officer, said "This is a horrific example of the callous disregard a minority have for some of our most spectacular birds of prey. It is beyond my comprehension that some people still put baits laced with lethal toxins out in our countryside with the aim of killing beautiful birds like this golden eagle. Nor is this an isolated case.

In 2007, the RSPB received 165 reports of poisoning incidents such as this, which resulted in the death of at least 104 birds or animals. Its absolutely vital that we all condemn the illegal killing of birds of prey like Alma and send the strongest possible message to those responsible that their activities are completely unacceptable in today's society".

Posted by Surfbirds at 5:05 PM | Comments (0)

July 28, 2009

Impact of Shetland wind farm 'unacceptable'

RSPB Scotland has this week lodged a formal objection to the Viking wind farm proposal on Shetland.

After scrutinising in detail the developer's application, assessments have revealed there would be significant and unacceptable adverse impacts on many bird species should the development proceed as currently proposed.

Significant numbers of nationally important populations of whimbrels, red throated divers, golden plovers and merlins are likely to be displaced or killed by some of the turbines. Several of these species are given EU protected status.

Whimbrel © Josh Jones, from the surfbirds galleries

The environmental statement submitted by the developers also suggests that the effects on peatland habitats would be very damaging. It indicates that the predicted payback period for carbon dioxide emissions is uncertain, and RSPB Scotland finds the potential worst case scenario of up to 48.5 years entirely unacceptable.

Lloyd Austin, RSPB Scotland's Head of Conservation Policy, said: 'We very much appreciate the consultation that the developers sought with us at the early stages of the design and the effort they have taken to avoid SSSIs and other protected areas.

'However, now that we have analysed the full detail of the application, it is clear that a wide range of bird species will be impacted. Furthermore, the lack of certainty that there would be any significant net CO2 benefits, undermines the case for development; there is no point in building renewables that potentially emit more carbon due to peatland impacts than they save.'

He added: 'However, we would be prepared to review our position if these issues could be satisfactorily resolved. This is likely to require not only removal or relocation of turbines, but also a substantial increase in enhancement measures for biodiversity. Our formal response will have more detail on these matters.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:31 AM | Comments (0)

Cranes return to East Anglian fens

In the last week, two juvenile cranes have been seen at the RSPB Lakenheath Fen nature reserve, creating a wave of interest from visitors.

Cranes have nested successfully in the East Anglian fens for, we believe, the first time in four centuries. The fens, which once stretched from Cambridge to Lincoln, were the last stronghold of this charismatic, metre-high wetland bird before it became extinct as a nesting species in the UK in around 1600.

Although a small population of cranes became established in the Norfolk Broads in 1981, the nesting of two pairs of cranes in the fens, at Lakenheath Fen, is believed to be the first time that more than one pair of cranes has nested at a single site away from the Broads.

Common Crane © David Hutton, from the surfbirds galleries

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB's Director of Conservation, said: 'It is clear that cranes are yearning to become more widely established in the UK, and two pairs nesting at Lakenheath is clearly an important step in their UK-wide recovery.

'However it isn't the only step that we need to take to consolidate the future of this British bird. We are also involved in a reintroduction programme known as the Great Crane Project, where we hope initially to re-establish this bird in the west of Britain on the Somerset Levels and Moors.'

Cranes used to be widely present in wetlands across Britain and Ireland, and many place names, such as Cranfield and Cranmere, are linked to the former presence of cranes.

For the past 13 years, Norman Sills has been the site manager at Lakenheath Fen nature reserve - an area of fenland recreated from carrot fields in the 1990s. He said: 'Seeing young cranes flying over the reserve makes me realise that all our hard work has been worthwhile.

'These are fantastic birds, but when we dreamt of creating this reserve 14 years ago, cranes were not on our list of prospects. The conservation focus for the reserve was to secure a nesting population of bitterns; a feat we have also achieved.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:22 AM | Comments (0)

July 18, 2009

Long term study shows massive corn bunting declines in Scotland

Corn buntings have declined by a staggering 83% over the past twenty years, according to a new study of thirty sites in Aberdeenshire and Angus published in Bird Study, the journal of the British Trust for Ornithology. This once common farmland bird, known as the ‘fat bird of the barley’, has suffered as farming methods have intensified – but government incentives for farmers to make simple changes could turn around the birds’ fortunes very quickly.

In Scotland, as few as 800 corn bunting territories remain, mostly in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Fife and the Uists. They were once abundant across the British Isles but since the 1970s have declined drastically because of changed cropping and intensive production methods. It is now a red-listed species in the UK, is extinct in Ireland, and is classified as “unfavourable conservation status” due to declines across Europe.

Corn Bunting © Nigel Blake, from the surfbirds galleries

The new study, Decline of Corn Buntings on east Scottish study areas in 1989-2007, involved counts on 30 areas of farmland farms in Aberdeenshire and Angus annually between 1989 and 2007. Unfortunately this has revealed the depressing fortunes of the bird in what is still regarded as its Scottish ‘heartland’ – an overall decline of 83%, and the disappearance from all but four of the thirty areas by 2007.

Dr Adam Watson, who led the study together with RSPB Scotland scientists said: "When I began this study in 1989, I knew that corn buntings were already scarcer than when I saw them as an Aberdeenshire schoolboy in the 1940s, but thought they might hold their own in the strongholds that remained. Although it has been interesting to follow their numbers on the 30 areas, the huge decline has saddened and worried me. Many areas that held singing birds in the early years are now silent, as one local population after another went extinct. However, all is not yet lost and the government must urgently extend the targeted initiatives which have reversed declines on some farms, including one of my study areas."

In 2002, the Scottish Government, Scottish Natural Heritage and the RSPB began funding targeted management to encourage farmers to halt corn bunting declines through later mowing of grass meadows, reducing pesticide use, and providing winter seed food. Results showed that between 2002 and 2004, these measures were capable of halting declines in the areas where they were implemented, and deliver benefits for a range of farmland wildlife in addition to Corn Buntings.

However, since 2006 there has been a lack of money from the Scottish government for these ‘agri-environment’ schemes as the system was overhauled, while increases in grain prices and the end of an EU wide scheme to ‘set-aside’ a proportion of all farmland can only spell further trouble for the bird.

Professor Des Thompson, Policy and Advice Manager at Scottish Natural Heritage, said: “The decline of such a fascinating and popular bird is shocking; we now seem to have more corncrakes than corn buntings in Scotland. We know what is happening, and why, as a result of this superb work. We urgently need to find a way of offering real encouragement for the provision of habitats for these birds."

Hywel Maggs, Regional Farmland birds officer with RSPB Scotland said: “Farming in 21st century Scotland can be run at a profit whilst producing food and delivering conservation for birds like the corn bunting. The Scottish winner of the 2009 Nature of Farming award, John Moir, has seen corn bunting territories leap from 5 to 14 in just two years, by receiving a payment from the Scottish Government , RSPB and SNH for the kind of measures that we know work. The success of the corncrake recovery shows that well targeted measures can save a species for minimal cost, and we have been warning for some time that the same needs to be done for the corn bunting.”

“In the short term, a special project aimed at the farms where corn buntings still breed is essential, but we need an urgent replacement for the set-aside scheme, delivering equivalent benefits in well targeted areas. Ultimately, in addition to targeted agri-environment schemes, additional compulsory measures in cross compliance will be necessary to ensure a full range of public benefits are delivered by the public subsidies paid to farmers."

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

Red kites restored across Scotland

The last missing jigsaw piece of Scotland's 20 year red kite reintroduction effort is about to be put in place, with 36 birds due to be released on the outskirts of Aberdeen in phases this month. This year is the third and final year of the Aberdeen red kite project, following other projects to bring the sociable bird of prey back to the Black Isle, Dumfries and Galloway and Central Scotland.

Local MSP and Convener of Holyrood's Rural affairs and environment committee Maureen Watt will release the first seven of these birds at 1030 on Thursday 16 July 2009.

The graceful red kite, with its distinctive forked tail, was once a common sight in towns and cities across the UK, and was considered useful in medieval times for its role as a scavenger, helping to keep streets clean. However, it later came to be considered as a pest and was hunted to near extinction in Victorian times, and by 1989 just a few pairs remained in North Wales.

Red Kite © Steve Round, from the surfbirds galleries

The first Scottish reintroduction began on the Black Isle North of Inverness, alongside another in the Chilterns, South of England. Further Scottish phases in Dumfries and Galloway and Central Scotland, near Doune, saw the species build to around 90 pairs by 2006, but it was decided that the large gap in Aberdeenshire would need to be filled to give the species enough stong holds around the country to be self sustaining.

SNP North East MSP Maureen Watt said: "I am delighted to have been asked to take part in the RSPB's fantastic efforts to bring Red Kites back to the North East by releasing a new group of these magnificent birds of prey into the wild."

"Red Kites were once a common and welcome sight in this part of Scotland until human persecution caused them to disappear in the 19th century. It is wonderful that they are being restored to this part of Scotland and the hatching of several chicks earlier in the year is a sign for optimism for the future of the Red Kites."

Jenny Lennon, Aberdeen red kite project officer with RSPB Scotland said:

"We have 36 birds to release this year, which means that over three years of the project, 101 red kites will have taken to the skies of Aberdeenshire. These amazing birds are a pleasure to work with, and I still get a buzz every time I see them soaring overhead. Five pairs of birds that we released two years ago have already nested this year, so it looks like we're well on the way to a healthy population. Who knows, maybe soon red kites will once again be seen directly over Aberdeen itself."

The birds not only play an important part in the countryside (they are excellent scavengers, cleaning up road kill etc) but have made a positive contribution to tourism in Scotland too, with feeding stations and viewing opportunities at Argaty red kites in Doune, and the Galloway red kite trail.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:22 AM | Comments (0)

More than 90 per cent of UK's threatened habitats in poor shape

The first assessment of more than 1,000 threatened species and hundreds of threatened habitats across 25 members of the European Union shows much of the continent's most important wildlife remains in a perilous state.

Of particular concern is the state of wildlife in north-west Europe – known as the Atlantic biogeographical region - including the UK.

Stretching from northern Portugal to western Denmark, an average of just over 10 per cent of threatened habitats in the Atlantic region are in 'favourable condition'. For the UK, only six per cent of threatened habitats and only 23 per cent of threatened species were reportedly in 'favourable condition'.

As only three per cent of threatened habitats in the UK were not assessed, a staggering 91 per cent of threatened habitats in the UK are in unfavourable condition and therefore not supporting the range of wildlife they should.

The report, published by the European Union – which focuses on threatened habitats and species protected under the EU Habitats Directive - highlights that the vast majority of the continent's most important species remains in serious danger. The information was provided by the governments of member states.

Despite some improvements thanks to special nature conservation efforts, the report points at what many have expected before: the EU is very likely to miss its 2010 target of halting the loss of biodiversity. Especially farmland, wetland and coastal habitats are in trouble, and less than one fifth (17 per cent) of the EU's most important species and habitats are in good shape.

"'The statistic that more than nine out of ten of threatened habitats in the UK are not in favourable condition is shocking and is a reminder that the government has to abide by its duty under European law to improve the fortunes for our special and threatened wildlife." stated Dr Avery.

Dartford Warbler © Andy Bright, from the surfbirds galleries

The Article 17 report indicates that only one of the UK's 14 grassland and heathland habitats on the directive are in favourable condition.

Three-quarters of our heathland gone

The UK has lost approximately three quarters of its former lowland heathland to forestry, agriculture, urban development and abandonment. In the UK, lowland heathland now only covers an area a third the size of Dorset, a shadow of its former extent. Even after these losses, the UK still has around one fifth of the world's lowland heathland.

Dr Mark Avery added: 'What lowland heathland is left is often in small patches, which are at risk from threats like scrub encroachment, agriculture, fires and disturbance to the wildlife. Managing these remnants sympathetically alongside the recreation of bigger sites reduces these threats and makes it easier to stop the rot.'

The report said that the habitats associated with farming are in particularly poor condition compared to others (seven per cent compared to 21 per cent being in favourable status respectively), with grasslands suffering most from intensification or abandonment.

Commenting on the overall findings of the report, the RSPB and BirdLife see it as 'scandalous' that 17 years after adoption of the EU Habitats Directive a number of Member States still claim not to know the status of their most important animal and plant species. On this, the Commission report especially blames Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Portugal who indicated 'unknown' for more than half of their species. BirdLife urges the Commission to take firm action so that these and other governments invest more in monitoring of nature and wildlife.

Of the nine countries with territory within the Atlantic biogeographical region, Germany with 29 per cent has the largest extent of threatened habitats in favourable condition. Germany is followed by Portugal (21 per cent); Denmark (19 per cent); Netherlands (eight per cent); Ireland (six per cent); UK (six per cent); Belgium (four per cent) and France (three per cent). No comparative data exists for Spain, which didn't report all of its statistics.

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

July 12, 2009

Golden osprey chicks get sat-tagged

Two of the three chicks at the famous Loch Garten osprey nest have been fitted with satellite tags, which will enable people to follow their 3000 mile migration to West Africa later in the summer online. The Osprey Centre celebrated its 50th year of showing people ospreys earlier in the summer, and all three chicks look strong and healthy in this golden anniversary year. This is the second year that such tags have been fitted.

The tags will transmit data which can be followed on the website, allowing the huge online audience to follow the fortunes of these young ospreys as they travel to Africa and their movements over the next few years, ahead of their eventual hopeful return to Scotland.

Richard Thaxton, RSPB Scotland Loch Garten Osprey Centre manager said:

"It's been a fantastic season with our new male Odin proving to be a brilliant father, supplying a regular stream of fish to our regular female EJ and the three chicks. We've had the usual ups and downs, but all three of them are doing very well and will be heading off to Africa towards the end of August. It's always sad to see them go, but of course we're just lucky to see the amazing osprey life cycle in action right here in front of us. By fitting these tags we can continue to keep up with how the birds are doing and learn much more about their migration routes, where they go and where they make stopovers on their way to West Africa."

Osprey © Gerald Segelbacher, from the surfbirds galleries

"We tagged two young ospreys last year, but unfortunately both perished. One seemed to get lost out in the Atlantic, whilst the other did make it but is now presumed dead as the satellite data revealed that it had stopped moving back in April this year. Sad though this was, we learned something from this, that a lot of migrant ospreys and other birds, die in their first year. We all hope that this year’s chicks - in our 50th anniversary year - will make it safely, and maybe even return to us one day!"

The Osprey Centre is open until the end of August, but people should hurry if they want to see the chicks before they leave. Alternatively, watch the nestcam at www.rspb.org.uk/lochgartenlive, or follow the migration later in the summer on the RSPB website.

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:03 AM | Comments (0)

July 6, 2009

'Wonderful addition' to our natural heritage

A major boost for Northern Ireland's wildlife has taken place on Rathlin Island.

Fifty-two hectares of land has been purchased to safeguard some of Northern Ireland's most important habitat for some of our most threatened wildlife.

'We hope that this will mark a new chapter in the recovery of key species and they will go on to a stronger, brighter future.'

Chough © Audevard Aurélien, from the surfbirds galleries

Choughs, lapwings, corncrakes, snipe and Irish hares will benefit from the land purchase and targeted management by the RSPB. Over the past 40 years, the fortunes of these species in Northern Ireland have fared badly as changes to farming practices resulted in drastic declines.

Lapwing numbers declined by more than 60 per cent. Corncrakes have all but disappeared and only one pair of choughs remain. In fact, choughs were extinct in Northern Ireland for nearly 10 years and bred again on Rathlin Island in 2008 after a 19-year gap.

An essential part of the acquisition was making the land accessible to everyone. To this end, a walking trail through the reserve has been established. It was opened recently and promises to be an inspiring encounter with nature.

Through appropriate management of the site, the RSPB is confident that the targeted species will respond and re-establish. Choughs are already using the land and the presence of the wildlife conservation charity means that the needs of choughs will be addressed in future management. The RSPB has already fenced off the land to ensure appropriate grazing levels by sheep and cows for the benefit of chough and to provide access for visitors.

Rathlin Island is already a haven for wildlife like the Irish hare, thousands of seabirds, rare plants and insects. The addition of the Roonivoolin land being managed for wildlife strengthens its reputation as one of the most important natural jewels in Northern Ireland's crown.

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

Early indicators suggest crash for threatened heathland bird

The heavy snow in February may have had a devastating affect on the Dartford warbler in some of its UK’s strongholds.

Initial reports suggest Dartford warbler numbers on important heathland sites in Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire are down by around 80 to 90 per cent from 2008 due to this year’s snow.

The areas, known as the Thames Basin Heaths and Wealden Heaths, are the third and fourth largest breeding grounds for Dartford warblers in the UK. Both areas are also becoming increasingly important internationally as numbers plummet in Europe.

Dartford Warbler © Stephen Daly, from the surfbirds galleries

The full extent of the drop will not be known until the results of breeding bird surveys are released in autumn, but early counts found very low numbers on major sites including Ash to Brookwood Heaths in Surrey, Broadmoor to Bagshott Woods and Heaths on the Surrey and Berkshire border, and Bourley and Long Valley on the Hampshire and Surrey border.

Dartford warblers are classified globally as Near Threatened – one step below species facing world extinction. Changes and deteriation of the bird's habitat in Europe has seen populations decline by an estimated 40 per cent in just ten years.

The restoration of southern English heaths, plus increasingly milder winters, has seen the UK’s Dartford warbler population fare better. Despite crashing to 11 pairs in the harsh winter of 1963, the UK population is now estimated at around 3,200 pairs.

Initial findings suggest this year’s UK crash is localised to the Thames Basin and Wealden Heaths. But conservationists say the drop at these key sites, already under pressure from surrounding development, shows how important it is to protect them, giving the Dartford warbler populations in these areas the best chance of survival possible.

Sam Dawes, conservation manager in the RSPB's South East region, said: “The impact of this winter’s snow shows what a fine balance there is for these birds between success and failure.

“Dartford warblers have generally been doing well on the Thames Basin and Wealden Heaths in recent years due to milder winters and better protection of the sites.

"The Thames Basin and Wealden Heaths, and the special birds they support, have never been so important but it’s a rare habitat that desperately needs protecting.

“Climate change could also see Dartford warblers ousted from their traditional grounds in Europe and north-west Africa, and if the birds can’t find refuge here, on our heaths, the future for them could be very bleak indeed.”

The Dartford warbler surveys are carried out by a team of experienced volunteers based in Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey, co-ordinated by local ornithologists John Clark and John Eyre.

The RSPB has been campaigning for better protection of the Thames Basin Heaths from the effects of increasing housing development in the area.

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

Peregrines in 2009 - shot, poisoned and trapped

This year looks like being one of the worst on record for crimes against peregrines.

The RSPB has been flooded with reports of birds being poisoned, trapped and shot and of their chicks being taken from the nest.

Reported incidents already number more than 50 for the year, with more waiting to be processed. There were 79 incidents reported for the whole of 2007.

Peregrine © Neil Triggs, from the surfbirds galleries

As a result, the RSPB is urging the Government to add peregrines to its list of priority species for wildlife crime enforcement.

Among the incidents reported to the RSPB this year are:

Shooting: A dead peregrine was found peppered with shot in the Forest of Dean. An x-ray revealed the bird, a seven-year-old female, had been blasted at close range with a shotgun.

Poisoning: A female peregrine and her chick were found dead on their nest near Sunderland next to the body of a pigeon, which police suspect was poisoned bait used to kill the peregrine family. Samples have been sent for testing.

In Walsall, a racing pigeon was found with a pill capsule taped to its leg. A tip-off that some pigeon fanciers in the area were targeting peregrines led to the capsule being sent for tests. Results showed it had been filled with the banned pesticide Aldicarb.

Since April, three pigeons have been found tethered to the ground near a peregrine site in Cumbria. It is suspected the birds had been laced with poison in an attempt to kill the peregrines. Samples have been sent for testing.

Trapping: A peregrine crash landed in a back garden near Litchfield in Staffordshire with its leg caught in a spring trap. It later died of its injuries. A search of nearby quarries by RSPB officers found three more traps on a ledge used by peregrines.

Nest robberies: All five chicks were stolen from a peregrine nest site near Mansfield within a week of them hatching. It is the fourth year in a row the nest has failed.

Mark Thomas, RSPB Investigations Officer, said: “It has been a terrible year. One of the worst I can remember. In the last few weeks, barely a day has gone by without a call about peregrine persecution.

“We have had multiple reports of attempts to target peregrines with poisoned baits and lethal traps and even shot. These crimes are cruel, needless and selfish. Peregrines have taken 30 years to recover from the devastating effects of pesticide poisoning and still we find them targeted by people who hold a grudge against them. The Government recently made the persecution of birds of prey one of the UK’s wildlife crime priorities, with emphasis on five key species. We believe peregrines should now be added to that list. We urgently need the Government to place peregrines on the list of priority species for wildlife crime enforcement and make sure captive birds are properly registered."

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:18 AM | Comments (0)

June 20, 2009

A twist in the tail?

Hopes that a pair of hen harriers would breed at the RSPB’s Geltsdale reserve appear to be fading for another year.

A pair of harriers had set up territory on a remote part of the reserve, but following a period where the female could not be seen, staff eventually had to check the gully to try and find out what had happened. The news was not good.

“We found only a single, long-abandoned egg lying in the heather. There was no real nest, with just a couple of bits of loose heather looking like they had been dropped in as an afterthought. The female had obviously now deserted the site, leaving her one unhatched egg behind” said Pete Howard, the Hen Harrier Warden at Geltsdale.

Hen Harrier © Pete Hadfield, from the surfbirds galleries

Despite this “bitter blow”, hopes were raised again when a new female arrived and was seen sky-dancing (the hen harrier’s spectacular aerial courtship display) with the Geltsdale male. But with no sign of nest-building, the chances of success are slipping every day.

Hen harriers are badly affected by illegal killing and nest destruction. In 2008 there were only 10 successful nests in England, when there could be over 200. There’s no evidence to suggest illegal activity was involved in this case, but the very small numbers of pairs in England means every nest is vitally important and every failure all the more troubling.

Nests of all species do fail for natural reasons, but when illegal activity means there are so few chances for hen harriers to breed, even these natural failures can suddenly have an unnaturally large effect on the population as a whole.

But Pete is not giving up hope yet; “Who knows, there could still be yet another twist in this convoluted tale. And so we continue our long vigil in hope...".

To read Pete’s full blog and to see how the other English hen harrier nests are doing, go to www.rspb.org.uk/skydancer

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

Summer visitor making a swift exit

You know summer has arrived when you see swifts speeding through the air, screaming their heads off and swooping into crevices in buildings.

But fewer and fewer of us are enjoying this spectacle as the RSPB has discovered that the swift is in serious trouble.

Swift numbers have declined by 47% in the last ten years. And for the first time, the summer migrant has been added to the amber list meaning it is of serious conservation concern. (See note 1).

Swift © Mike Lawrence, from the surfbirds galleries

A major cause of this decline is believed to be the loss of nest sites through building improvement or demolition. They nest almost exclusively on buildings, so they really need our help.

The RSPB is launching a nationwide search to identify where swifts are still seen and could be nesting.

Swifts pair for life and return to the same nest site each spring. Their nests are located high up in the roof spaces under the eaves of old buildings in particular, and renovation, repair or demolition work is leaving many of them homeless.

The wildlife charity is appealing to us all to look out for low-level screaming groups of swifts, a good sign they are breeding nearby, or where we have seen swifts nesting – perhaps entering a roof or hole in the building. They would like any sightings reported to them via a form on their website (www.rspb.org.uk/helpswifts). The best time to look is around dusk on a warm, still evening.

Once the charity has discovered more about where swifts are found it will focus its conservation efforts in areas where they are commonly seen and work with the building industry to help birds in buildings.

The RSPB is also suggesting a number of simple measures that could help the fast dwindling swift population.

1. It is crucial to leave any existing nest sites undisturbed where possible. Swifts will use the same nest sites again and again.

2. If you do need to carry out repair work on your roof or faschias and soffits for example, make new nest access holes to match the old ones at exactly the same spot.

3. If you are building a new house, you could create some internal nest spaces at the design stage.

4. If you are unable to do any of these, the other alternative is to fit a custom-made swift box.

Sarah Niemann, RSPB Species Recovery Officer says: “Sharing your house with swifts is a great privilege. They are not obtrusive at all, in fact they make perfect, quiet neighbours. They build their nests right next to the entrance hole so they don’t get into your roof space and they cause no damage.

“The fact they are declining so rapidly is of huge concern to the RSPB, which is why we’re asking people to help us find out where they are so we can focus our efforts in the right place.

“If you see or hear swifts screaming at rooftop level or slipping into holes please tell us!”

Swifts are dark brown but often look black against the sky. Their wings are long and narrow and their tail slightly forked, but not as much as a swallow’s. They have a piercing, screaming call and nest in colonies which makes it appear even louder.

Swifts spend their life almost entirely on the wing and even feed, sleep and mate in flight. They feed exclusively on insects and only come to land when nesting.

They hunt for insects over a wide area and range of habitats from meadows, open water and over woods to the skies above towns and cities. An abundant supply of insects is critical for their survival. Parent swifts collect lots of insects to take back to their chicks – up to 1,000 at once which make a big bulge in their throat. When they have chicks to feed, swifts can gather as many as 100,000 insects a day.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:38 AM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2009

Nightjar causes a stir at The Lodge

Birders flocked to the rare sight of a nightjar sunning itself in the summer heat at the RSPB’s headquarters in Bedfordshire.

Despite its natural camouflage, the bird was spotted napping on a tree trunk close to a path at The Lodge reserve near Sandy. Large numbers of visitors enjoyed spectacular views of the bird at incredibly close range (see photographs) during Thursday 4 June. The visit was welcome news as we have been working hard to restore the nightjar’s favourite heathland habitat at the reserve.

Nightjar, The Lodge, Sandy © Richard Bayldon, from the surfbirds galleries

The nightjar once again appeared on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern which was released last month.

“It’s absolutely amazing to see one of these so close up,” said Peter Bradley, site manager at The Lodge.

“They are typically very difficult to spot except at night when they start flying and churring. During the day they usually head up into the branches or into the bracken but they are incredibly well camouflaged so see one like this is very unusual indeed.

Nightjar, The Lodge, Sandy © Richard Bayldon, from the surfbirds galleries

“They are very much a bird of the heathland – they need low scrubby vegetation and nearby woodland. They haven’t bred here at The Lodge for more than 30 years and we have been doing a huge amount of work to restore the heathland here so this is a wonderful bonus for us.”

Heathland once covered many parts of the UK but there are now only fragments of this valuable wildlife habitat left. As well as nightjars it is also vital for other species such as Dartford warblers, small copper butterflies and natterjack toads.

In 2005, we began a heathland restoration project at The Lodge and bought 105 acres of land doubling the size of the reserve in an attempt to provide an important geographical bridge between the heaths of Hampshire and Surrey and the heathland of East Anglia.

Numbers of nightjars in the UK have declined steadily since the 1930s due to loss of habitat but their population has seen a small recovery recently. There are currently 3,400 males in Britain in the summer and a further 30 in Ireland.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:22 AM | Comments (0)

Seabird cities could become ghost towns

A report published on 11 June, 2009 by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee has revealed major declines in many UK seabirds since the late 1960s.

The report by JNCC – using information from the UK’s Seabird Monitoring Programme - reveals that the UK populations of at least nine of the UK’s 25 species seabird have decreased dramatically. Some species have suffered dramatic reductions. Since 2000: the UK kittiwake population has dropped by 40 per cent; the shag population has dropped by 25 per cent; the Arctic skua population has dropped by 57 per cent; and the herring gull population has dropped by one third.

Shag © Jeremy McClements, from the surfbirds galleries

Over one third of the world population of shag nests in the UK, but our population
has dropped by 25 per cent in less than 10 years.

Overall the report shows the UK’s seabird population has reduced by nine per cent since 2000, but in Scotland, where the majority of the UK’s seabirds occur, numbers have crashed by nearly one fifth (19 per cent).

Douglas Gilbert, is reserve ecologist with RSPB Scotland. He said: “We are now beginning to see the effects of many years of poor breeding success for some seabirds. There just aren't the numbers of young birds being produced to maintain stable breeding populations into the future. The situation on Fair Isle, reported by JNCC, reflects what is happening on our reserves as well - particularly on Orkney where kittiwakes and terns have virtually failed to produce any young for several years now.”

Population counts last year of Copinsay, an isolated island off the east coast of Orkney mainland, showed a 70 per cent decline in razorbills, 57 per cent decline in kittiwakes and a 25 per cent decline in guillemots since 2000.

Doug continued: “If the declines continue at this alarming rate, then many of Scotland’s famous seabird cities could be virtually deserted within a decade. In the past decade, the hopes of a good breeding season have been crushed, as eggs are deserted or young chicks starve in their nests because the adult birds cannot find enough fish.

“We now know that plankton populations underpinning the whole ecosystem of the North Sea are changing fast because of warming waters. That’s fine if you just want to take a dip to cool off in the summertime, but if you are a seabird whose life depends on finding fat sandeels at the right time and in the right places, this is a big problem.”

The UK has more than one third of the global population of several species of seabird, including great skua, shag, gannet, and Manx shearwater. The UK also has the largest European Union population of several seabirds, including the Arctic skua, great black-backed gull and kittiwake.

Dr Sharon Thompson is a marine policy officer with the RSPB. She said: “We believe the new figures emphasise a deeply worrying trend, not just for seabirds but for those whose livelihoods and wellbeing depend on the marine environment. We have an international duty to do all we can to conserve our seabirds.”

The RSPB hopes forthcoming marine protection legislation currently going through Westminster and the Scottish Executive will help to ease some of the issues seabirds face.

The RSPB’s Dr Sharon Thompson added: “New legislation will not be a silver bullet that makes all the problems facing seabirds disappear. However, it will signal a shift from simply exploiting resources to safeguarding the future of our marine heritage, including our world-famous seabird colonies.

“Some measures to help halt the decline in our seabird populations could be delivered through new legislation currently before the UK and Scottish Parliament. The UK’s Marine and Coastal Access Bill and the Marine (Scotland) Bill must increase our seabirds’ resilience to the impacts of climate change by addressing unsustainable fisheries, pollution and development and protecting areas of the marine environment that are important for seabirds such as feeding areas.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:13 AM | Comments (0)

June 5, 2009

RSPB evidence convicts Maltese bird killer

The evidence from an RSPB Scotland officer has today helped to convict a Maltese hunter, and an accomplice, for the shooting of a protected lesser spotted eagle on Malta on 28 September last year.

Bob Elliot, the RSPB’s head of investigations in Scotland, was helping the Society’s partner - BirdLife Malta – when he witnessed the incident in the Buskett Forest, a protected area close to the Presidential Palace. Bob Elliot was participating in Raptor Camp – a network of observers organised by BirdLife Malta. He saw the hunters stalk a roosting lesser spotted eagle, which was then shot.

Lesser Spotted Eagle © Daniele Occhiato, from the surfbirds galleries

One of the hunters was then filmed by the Raptor Camp observers hiding the dead body under his shirt, before stashing it by the side of the road. Police, who arrived on the scene shortly after being alerted to the incident, apprehended the hunters.

Speaking outside the court in Valletta, Bob Elliot said: “The illegal killing of birds of prey is happening across Europe. In the UK, we are familiar with the illegal killing of birds of prey, such as the hen harrier, red kite and even golden eagle, but even I have been staggered at the sheer scale of the slaughter in Malta, which must have the highest number of incidents of anywhere in Europe.”

It is believed that fewer than a handful of lesser spotted eagles pass through Malta on migration each year, making this north and eastern European bird of prey a highly-prized quarry for hunters to add to their collections.

Tolga Temuge, the head of BirdLife Malta, said: “Today’s conviction is fantastic news. Hunters have to realise they cannot continue to kill protected species. The islands’ authorities are increasingly becoming frustrated with bird killers, which bring shame on Malta. This frustration has been reflected in the thorough investigation and sentencing of these criminals from the islands’ enforcement authorities and judiciary.”

It is illegal under Maltese and European law to kill protected species, such as birds of prey. But the practice is widespread in spring and autumn, when large numbers of birds pass across the islands on migration to and from Africa.

The hunter, Philip Tanti, was fined €2,500 and had his shooting licence withdrawn for one year. His shotgun was also confiscated. His accomplice Joseph Camilleri was fined €1,800 and also had his shooting licence withdrawn for one year.

A search revealed that Tanti was also in possession of specimens of birds protected under Annex 1 of the EU Birds Directive. He was in possession of specimens of 15 species in total.

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

Chick success for Great Bustard project

For the first time since 1832, the Great Bustard – one of Europe’s most threatened birds – has this week, nested in the UK with two females successfully hatching chicks. This milestone has been greeted with euphoria by the team striving for several years to bring back the world’s heaviest flying bird to the UK.

For security reasons the nest sites, on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, are being kept secret.

David Waters, founder and Director of the Great Bustard Group, said: “This is a tremendous step forward for the Great Bustard Reintroduction Project, the wildlife of the UK, Great Bustards and for me. It has been a hard struggle to get this far. I am exhausted and nearly broke, but to see Great Bustards breeding after an absence of 177 years is brilliant”.

Great Bustard, Somerset, UK © James Packer, from the surfbirds galleries

During May a female Great Bustard was observed incubating a clutch of eggs. A few days ago they hatched and two chicks were seen following their mother and being fed. A day later another female was seen feeding a chick.

Prof. Tamas Székely, of the University of Bath – a partner of the Great Bustard Consortium – said: “The Great Bustard is a difficult species to reintroduce as it is a long lived, slow maturing bird, but this is a very encouraging sign that the reintroduction trial will be successful”.

The RSPB has recently joined the project group. Dr Mark Avery is the RSPB’s Conservation Director. He said: “This fantastic news marks another chapter in the struggle to bring back England’s lost wildlife”.

“The Great Bustard is the only bird nesting in the UK that is facing global extinction. Establishing a new population here should ensure a brighter future for this Globally Threatened bird, which continues to decline across parts of Europe”.

The successful hatching of these eggs marks a huge milestone for the project to reintroduce the Great Bustard to Britain. The last wild Great Bustard chick to hatch in the UK was in 1832, when a female Great Bustard was seen with a single chick in Suffolk.

The Great Bustard Group was formed in 1998 and is a UK Registered Charity. The reintroduction began in 2004 with annual releases of between six and 32 birds each autumn. The birds are released under a licence issued by DEFRA to the Great Bustard Consortium (the Great Bustard Group and the University of Bath).

The reintroduction trial, led by the Great Bustard Group, began in 2004 using Great Bustards reared from eggs rescued from cultivation in Saratov Oblast, southern Russia. The chicks are reared in the Russian Federation in a partnership with the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Evolution and Ecology – a branch of the Russian National Academy of Science. When the chicks are about six weeks old they are imported into the UK and after a period of quarantine they are released on to Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.

The first known nest from this project was in 2007, and there was at least one further nest in 2008. However, the eggs from these clutches were found to be infertile, most likely due to the young age of the males. It is widely considered that male Great Bustards become fertile at an age of four or five years, so 2009 is the earliest that eggs were expected to hatch.

David Waters added: “The Great Bustard is a slow bird to mature, so it has been a long wait to get this far, but this could not be speeded up. A small UK population of about 18 birds has been built up, but it is only when this population begins to produce its own young and becomes self-sustaining that the project can be judged as successful. The indications are extremely positive”.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:45 AM | Comments (0)

May 31, 2009

Cuckoo joins list of threatened birds

The latest assessment of the status of all of the UK’s 246 regularly occurring birds – Birds of Conservation Concern 3 – shows 52 are now of the highest conservation concern and have been placed on the 'red list'.

The revised red list now includes even more familiar countryside birds, including the cuckoo, lapwing and yellow wagtail, joining other widespread species such as the turtle dove, grey partridge, house sparrow and starling.

Alarmingly, red listed species now account for more than one-in-five (21 per cent) of all the UK’s bird species. This is a far higher proportion than compared to the last assessment in 2002, when 40 species (16 per cent) were red listed. Most species on the red list have suffered a recent halving of range or population in the UK, or have undergone a historical decline since 1800.

Amongst the species new to the red list is a suite of birds visiting the UK in summer, notably the cuckoo, wood warbler, and tree pipit. These birds, are widespread, but rapidly-declining, summer visitors to the UK.

Cuckoo © Nigel Blake, from the surfbirds galleries

Their addition to the red list is highlighting the concern that many long-distance migratory birds nesting in Europe and wintering in Africa are increasingly in trouble. Currently 21 of the birds on the red list are summer visitors to the UK, with the majority of these spending the winter in sub-Saharan Africa.

The continued decline of widespread farmland and woodland birds is a theme which has developed since the compilation of the last list in 2002. Lapwing, a formerly much-more widespread wading bird, and the hawfinch, a woodland bird largely confined to England, have both joined the red list in the latest assessment.

Three species of seabird join the red list for the first time. The Balearic shearwater - a smaller relative of the albatross - visits the UK from its Mediterranean breeding grounds regularly each autumn. This seabird, which is thought to face a higher risk of global extinction even than the giant panda - is the rarest bird to regularly occur in the UK.

Highlighting concerns about the fortunes of seabirds around the northern coasts of the British Isles, the Arctic skua has joined the red list straight from the 2002 green list: the only species to do so. The familiar herring gull also joins the red list as its population has more than halved in recent times.

For the first time two winter-visiting birds have joined the red list. The dunlin, a starling-sized wading bird, and the scaup - a duck - have been placed on the red list because of declines in wintering populations. The ongoing decline of the dunlin population has seen this wader slump to its lowest levels since recording began.

While a link to climate change has not been demonstrated, the addition of five species on the southern edge of their nesting range in Britain (Temminck’s stint, ruff, whimbrel, redwing and fieldfare) to the red list may provide some the evidence of range shifts. These species have only had a toehold in the UK in recent decades and now that appears to be slipping. (However, redwing and fieldfare are still plentiful visitors to the UK in winter).

However, the 2009 assessment does contain some good news. Six species (stone-curlew, woodlark, quail, Scottish crossbill, bullfinch and reed bunting) have been removed from the 2002 red list, largely because of a recovery in their numbers or range, or a better understanding of their populations. These species are now placed on the amber list.

The stone-curlew is a bird of farmland and open countryside. Virtually confined to Wessex and central East Anglia, the stone-curlew population has increased because of the fantastic efforts by landowners to improve the fortunes of this striking wading bird.

'Conservation works, but with a growing to-do list we have to strive even harder to retain the rich variety of wildlife that our islands possess.'

Improvements in land management, especially of heathland, have also led to a dramatic increase in the UK population of the woodlark, a heathland bird. The bullfinch and the reed bunting have also been placed on the amber list following modest recoveries in their populations.

The Scottish crossbill – the only bird species with its total world range confined to the UK – has also been removed from the red list. A survey (funded by RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage) found approximately 13,000 individuals of this colourful endemic finch, and its population is currently thought to be stable.

Five species assessed in 2002 (bluethroat, scarlet rosefinch, icterine warbler, hoopoe and snow goose) were not considered in the 2009 revision, because they failed to meet the qualifying criteria for inclusion.

Four species not assessed in 2002 (Balearic shearwater; shorelark; yellow-legged gull; and hooded crow) were considered in the 2009 revision for the first time.

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:26 AM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2009

Counting on corncrake revival

The Corncrake has experienced a dramatic recovery in its fortunes thanks to dedicated conservation work and is to be the subject of a UK survey to see if it is now spreading from its core areas in the west of Scotland.

Corncrakes have begun to return to the UK – after spending the winter in Africa - and the public will be able to call in on special hotline numbers to submit their records of the species to the National Corncrake Survey.

Once common and widely distributed across the whole of the UK, the species underwent extremely steep declines in the 19th and 20th centuries due to changes in traditional farming practices and agricultural intensification.

Corncrake © Steve Round, from the surfbirds galleries

The corncrake – a relative of the more widespread coot and moorhen – is a long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and returning to the UK in summer to breed. When nesting, the birds favour areas of tall grasses and herbs, particularly hay and silage meadows.

However, in the late 19th century when mechanised mowing allowed hay making to be completed more rapidly, the corncrake population plummeted and became restricted to the Hebridean islands on the west coast of Scotland. Good concentrations exist on Lewis, North and South Uist, Tiree and Coll.

More recently, through the combined efforts of farmers, crofters and conservationists, the UK corncrake population has seen an encouraging overall population increase in its Scottish strongholds, especially since the launch in 1993 of the RSPB's corncrake recovery programme.

In 1993, the British population was estimated at just 480 calling males. But by the last survey in 2003 this figure had almost doubled to 832 calling males. Annual counts have shown the population continued to increase until 2007, when the population in the Scottish strongholds hit a recent high of more than 1,270 calling males. However, in 2008 this number had declined by eight per cent to 1,140 in the Scottish core areas, highlighting there should be no complacency surrounding the recovery of this bird.

In 2002 a reintroduction scheme sought to return the corncrake to England, on the Nene Washes near Peterborough. Last year, the project had its greatest success when it recorded 14 calling male corncrakes. The partnership project includes Natural England, the RSPB, the Zoological Society of London, and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust. Already six males have returned to the area this year, leading project partners to believe the project may be heading for another record.

The National Corncrake Survey hopes to establish whether the recovery of corncrake in Britain continues into 2009, and to establish whether the slight decline of 2008 was a temporary 'blip', or if it was part of a more sustained pattern. It also presents a good opportunity to examine whether the species has managed to extend its range beyond the main core areas of the inner and outer Hebridean islands, into other regions of the UK in the last few years.

Steve Ewing, of RSPB Scotland, said: “This is the first full survey since 2003 and numbers have undoubtedly increased since then, but we are really interested in seeing if last year’s slight slump in numbers was just an anomaly in what has been an otherwise fabulous success story for this species.”

However, corncrakes are a very difficult species to survey, because they are shy, skulk in long vegetation and are very difficult to see. The best method to identify corncrakes is by listening for the distinctive 'crek... crek' call given by singing males, which sounds like a credit card being drawn across a plastic comb.

The birds are particularly vocal throughout June, especially during the night. Because of the difficulty of surveying corncrakes, the RSPB is asking anyone who hears the distinctive call of the birds to report it so that it can be verified and recorded as part of the survey.

The Corncrake Survey is a combined initiative between Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the RSPB.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:36 AM | Comments (0)

April 17, 2009

Mull eagles settle in

The famous sea eagle viewing hide at Loch Frisa, run by Mull Eagle Watch, is opening its doors to an historic 11th year this week, and hopes are high that it will be another successful season for resident eagles, Frisa and Skye.

The pair's chicks from last year, Mara and Brèagha, were satellite tagged as part of a tracking programme, and have been successfully followed throughout the winter. Mara is still on Mull while Brèagha is on Canna. They were the latest in a line of 16 chicks to have hatched out from the Loch Frisa nesting site, all of which have brought many hours of viewing pleasure to the visiting public.

White-tailed Eagle © Steve Round, from the surfbirds galleries

Dave Sexton, RSPB Scotland Mull Officer, said: 'It’s always exciting to open the hide for another season at Loch Frisa, and we’re hoping it’s going to be another bumper season.

'I feel very close to Skye and Frisa after 11 years of this project, and they’ve given a tremendous amount of joy to the tens of thousands of people who’ve visited the hide over the years. The fact that they’ve been so successful, is also a testament to the dedication of the Mull Eagle Watch Partnership, and the tireless efforts of volunteers around the island who keep our sea eagles safe so that they can be enjoyed by everyone who comes here.'

Stuart Maidment of Forestry Commission Scotland on Mull said: 'We have a fabulous new hide at Loch Frisa which will give people unrivalled views of the sea eagles. We're all proud of this unique project which gives so much back to the local community, and visitors leave us having had the wildlife experience of a lifetime'

The Eagle Viewing Hide at Loch Frisa is now open. For more information and to book a trip, contact 01688 302 038. You can follow the progress of Mara and Brèagha on their award-winning website: http://www.rspb.org.uk/mulleagletracking

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:02 AM | Comments (0)

Climate change makes migrations longer

Bird migrations are likely to get longer according to the first ever study of the potential impacts of climate change on the breeding and winter ranges of migrant birds.

A team of scientists, led by Durham University and with funding from the RSPB and Natural Environment Research Council, have published findings that show the marathon flights undertaken by birds to spring breeding grounds in Europe, will become even longer.

The length of some migrations could increase by as much as 250 miles.

The research team looked at the current migration patterns of European Sylvia warblers, a group of birds that are common residents and visitors to Europe, like the whitethroat and blackcap.

Blackcap © Will Forrest, from the surfbirds galleries

Using simulation models, they found evidence of potential breeding ranges shifting northwards in the future, leaving the birds with further to fly from their wintering ranges, which remain stationary for many species

Some 500 million birds are estimated to migrate to Europe and Asia from Africa. Birds weighing as little as nine grams undertake the annual migration of thousands of miles between the two continents to find food and suitable climate.

Birds have to put on a large amount of weight as fat before migrating, with some species having to double their weight to have enough energy for their huge journeys. Many even shrink the size of some internal organs to become more fuel efficient.

Some birds cross the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara in one go, whilst others pause to refuel in North Africa before crossing the desert. Night flying when the temperature is cooler is a technique that is also used by some of the long distance fliers.

The first of these migrants are now starting to reappear once again in the UK countryside.

Team leader, Dr Stephen Willis of Durham University, said birds face an increasing fight to survive: “Most warblers come here in spring and summer time to take advantage of the surplus of insects, and leave for warmer climes in the autumn. From 2071 to 2100, nine out of the 17 species we looked at are projected to face longer migrations, particularly birds that cross the Sahara desert.

“Our findings show that marathon migrations for some birds are set to become even longer journeys. This is bad news for birds like the Whitethroat, a common farmland bird. The added distance is a considerable threat.”

Co-author of the research paper, Professor Rhys Green of Cambridge University and RSPB said: "These tiny birds make amazing journeys, pushing themselves to the limits of endurance. Anything that makes those journeys longer or more dependent on rare and vulnerable pit-stop habitats used for refuelling on migration could mean the difference between life and death.”

The predicted effects of climate change on birds show a need to look at the designation of protected areas in Europe for migrant species, including key areas used for stopovers on long-distance migrations.

The protection of bird species within the European Union is covered by legal directives that require member states to designate and protect Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for habitats and Special Protection Areas (SPAs), the latter specifically designated to protect birds.

Northern parts of the species’ ranges are expected to become of increasing importance and in some cases, species of northern populations are already thought to be exhibiting increases. Some birds might also be able to find new short distance routes. One common migrant, the Blackcap has already started spending winters in the UK.

Professor Rhys Green said: "These findings come as many people in the UK are enjoying the sights and sounds of their favourite birds returning after a winter in Africa. The challenges are large if we are to continue to see and hear some of these harbingers of the spring in anything like the numbers we are used to witnessing.

"We have already seen evidence that birds' ranges are moving north to track suitable climate conditions in the way predicted by past modelling. This latest research suggests they will face an increase in the length of an already arduous journey.”

Nathalie Doswald, a student on the Durham team, said: “The projected distances for migrations would require long and short distance fliers to increase their fuel loads by nine per cent and their lean body mass by five per cent. The predicted future temperature changes and the associated changes in habitat could have serious consequences for many species.”

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

April 1, 2009

Hunting danger to one of world's most-threatened birds

Hunting in the Middle East has been recognised as a major threat to one of the world’s most endangered birds. A joint survey mission by RSPB and the Syrian Society for Conservation of Wildlife SSCW has uncovered the new dangers in Syria to the sociable lapwing.

Alarming news suggests that critically endangered sociable lapwings have been shot by hunters in north-east Syria, one of the bird's most important migration sites.

Sociable Lapwing © Rony Livne, from the surfbirds galleries

Conservationists from Europe, Africa and Asia are attending a sociable lapwing summit in Kazakhstan and the newly identified threat will be top of the delegates' agendas.

The RSPB's Rob Sheldon leads a research team studying the sociable lapwing, funded by the UK Government's Darwin Initiative. Speaking from the summit he said: “Thankfully, Syrian Government rangers moved rapidly to the area and were able to negotiate with the hunters and avert a worse disaster, which could have affected the hundreds of sociable lapwings passing through Syria on migration.”

The birds migrate through the region between their north-east African wintering areas and the bird's only nesting site - the Central Asian steppe grasslands, principally Kazakhstan. The bird's wintering grounds have only been confirmed recently when an RSPB satellite-tracking project tracked the movements of birds from Kazakhstan to Sudan.

The sociable lapwing - an attractive type of wading bird is one of the 190 of the world's critically endangered birds and thus faces an extremely high risk of extinction. The species is thought to have declined by 90 per cent since the 1990s; the world population of this bird is now thought to number no more than 11,200 individuals.

Rob Sheldon added: "We have been striving to protect and understand more about this rapidly-declining species. These birds are so precious we can ill afford to lose a single individual. The sociable lapwing faces many threats and clearly hunting is emerging as a key danger. We are however heartened by the quick response of the Syrian authorities and by the evidence that hunters are willing to spare them, if they are made aware of the bird's plight."

Osama Al Nouri, general secretary of SSCW said: "We will be striving to protect these birds now that we have more understanding of the threats they face. This understanding will allow us to draw up protection plans for the next year."

A team of RSPB bird surveyors have been in Syria looking for sociable lapwings on migration. Working with members of the Syrian Society for Conservation of Wildlife SSCW, the team joined forces with the government (the General Commission for Al Badia Management and Development) who reacted immediately to the problem and dispatched rangers to monitor the sociable lapwings in the area and stop hunting.

The RSPB's Martin Scott is a member of the Society's survey team which has been based in Syria. He said: "It seems clear that hunting could be a major threat to the species. During our visit we've met with government officials, police chiefs and religious leaders and everyone we've spoken recognises the plight of this bird and is keen to take action to prevent further deaths."

The sociable lapwing is the second most threatened bird to occur in Syria, after the critically endangered Bald Ibis.

ACBK is the RSPB's BirdLife International partner in Kazakhstan; the group is hosting the Sociable Lapwing workshop. Vitaliy Gromov, ACBK's director, said: "The Sociable Lapwing is the most threatened bird to occur in Kazakhstan, but its conservation relies on international co-operation. We are delighted to welcome delegates from Europe, Africa and Asia who all have a key stake in protecting this delightful bird."

The UK Government's Darwin Initiative has part-funded two sociable lapwing projects. The first a three-year project ending next month, funded research establishing reasons for the bird's decline, while the second which starts next month will start to seek to understand more about the bird's migration and wintering sites.

The RSPB and Swarovski Optik are the species champions for the sociable lapwing, under BirdLife International's Preventing Extinctions Programme.

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:06 PM | Comments (0)

March 27, 2009

Surprise in the top ten - Britain's Big Garden Birdwatch results

For the first time in the survey's 30-year history, the long-tailed tit has flown into the Big Garden Birdwatch top ten.

This highly sociable species increased by an astonishing 88% from last years count. We believe this pleasant increase is because this insect-eating bird has adapted to feeding on seeds and peanuts at birdtables and from hanging feeders. This result highlights perfectly the positive impact that our feeding and bird care can have on some birds.

Long-tailed Tit © Steve Round, from the surfbirds galleries

Not content with putting a new bird in the top ten, 2009 has also seen a record-breaking number of you counting the birds in your garden. Well over half a million people celebrated the 30th year of the Birdwatch with us, making this the biggest bird survey in the world. A huge increase from humble beginnings in 1979 when just 30,000 children took part. Thanks to everyone that took part.

The results show that the average numbers of all but one of the top ten birds have increased slightly since last year. Only starling numbers dropped, although they retained the number two slot. After putting in a strong performance last year, and appearing in the top ten for the first time, goldfinches dropped out of the top ten rankings last year. However, this isn't as bad as it sounds - along with greenfinches, who also slipped a place this year, both species have actually been steadily increasing in numbers in recent years. Others have fared even better, and our 30-year data shows an increase of 825% for the wood pigeon and 414% for the collared dove.

Unfortunately, the longer term picture of some of the UK's most loved species is not so rosy. Many have suffered huge declines in the last three decades. The house sparrow, despite retaining its top spot for the 6th year running, has declined by 63% since the survey began in 1979, and the starling has dropped by 79%. And the yellow siskin, which made it into the top 20 for the first time in the survey's history last year, and who was a striking addition to many people's gardens, dropped back to number 26.

Gardens are an excellent habitat for birds. As more and more people realise the importance of feeding and gardening for wildlife, we are seeing a stunning array of birds on our tables and feeders. Many of the birds that we're seeing will visit any habitat that provides food. Gardens will actually become even more important for wildlife if some areas of the countryside become poorer sources of food.

This year's survey took place on a chilly weekend and garden birds are heavily reliant on our supplementary feeding in the cold. It seems we were suitably paid back for our efforts.

The 2009 garden top ten looks like this:

1 house sparrow
2 starling
3 blackbird
4 blue tit
5 chaffinch
6 woodpigeon
7 collared dove
8 great tit
9 robin
10 long-tailed tit

Posted by Surfbirds at 3:40 PM | Comments (0)

March 26, 2009

Joy at Maltese hunting ban

BirdLife International, BirdLife Malta and the RSPB have welcomed the Maltese Prime Minister’s announcement last week that the spring hunting of quail and turtle dove will be banned on the islands in 2009.

Replying to questions on Maltese TV last night, Dr. Lawrence Gonzi said that no spring hunting could take place while the court case was pending, so as not to prejudice the case at the European Court of Justice.

“The Prime Minister’s decision gives us hope that Malta is starting to take serious action for the protection of the European Union’s common natural heritage,” said Joseph Mangion, BirdLife Malta President. “We ask all political parties to join together on this issue and stop seeing spring hunting as a conflict between two sides, but as a serious conservation issue.”

Quail © Graham Catley, from the surfbirds galleries.

Each spring many species of birds pass through Malta as they migrate from Africa to nesting grounds in Europe. The species include birds of prey, herons, quail, turtle dove and many species of small bird, including warblers, thrushes and flycatchers.

Alistair Gammell is the director of the RSPB’s International division. Hearing the news, he said: “The government’s hunting ban this spring will save the lives of many birds, but perhaps, more importantly, we’re taking this as a positive step forward in the long-running campaign to encourage Malta to honour international bird protection laws.

“Prime Minister Gonzi has taken a bold stance and he has our full support. No-one ever believed that tackling illegal hunting on the islands would be easy, but we do believe that this ban is a significant step forward towards the ultimate goal of giving protected migratory birds an easier journey across the islands.”

The RSPB has been working with partners, especially BirdLife Malta, to bring illegal hunting in Malta to an end. In January 2007, the RSPB delivered a 115,000-strong petition requesting an immediate halt to illegal spring hunting and for Malta to comply with the European Union’s Birds Directive, which outlaws spring hunting across the European Union.

Alistair Gammell added: “BirdLife International’s European partnership hopes Maltese hunters, like their fellow hunters in the EU, will respect the Birds Directive protecting wild birds during their breeding and spring migration periods. This will benefit the conservation of wild birds across Europe and thus there will be more birds in the autumn, when hunters can hunt legally.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:13 AM | Comments (0)

Building a road to agreement

The RSPB, BirdLife International and its partner OTOP (BirdLife in Poland) applaud this week's decision of the Polish government to save the famous Rospuda valley in north-eastern Poland from destruction by road development.

The road development forms part of the controversial Via Baltica expressway which, as planned, would have run through several valuable nature areas. This particular section of the Via Baltica had been routed through the Natura 2000 site “Augustow Forest” in North-Eastern Poland, which includes the unique mires of the Rospuda valley. BirdLife and other conservation groups all around Europe, including the RSPB, have been campaigning successfully to halt the road works.

Capercaillie © Jeff Higgott, from the surfbirds galleries.

The European Commission referred the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in March 2007 for infringing the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive and asked for an urgent order to halt imminent construction work. As a consequence, the Polish government stopped the work, but the threat for the valley remained until the government officially changed its position.

Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk announced the construction of an alternative route for an expressway relieving the town of Augustow of heavy transit traffic without harming Rospuda.

Konstantin Kreiser, EU Policy Manager of BirdLife International stated: “Today’s announcement is a great victory for Europe’s natural heritage and for all who care for it. Once more it has been shown that infrastructure development and Natura 2000 can go together, provided there is political will and respect for EU legislation. A lot of time and money could have been saved if such a decision had been taken earlier.”

Alistair Gammell is the director of the RSPB's international division. Hearing the news he said: "This is great news and it represents a commonsense decision for both conservation and development. One of Europe's precious and beautiful wild places remains unspoilt and a local community receives relief from traffic congestion."

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

Rising temperatures puts the heat on golden plovers

Warm summers are dramatically reducing populations of daddy long legs, which is in turn is having a severe impact on the bird populations which rely on them for food, RSPB Scotland scientists have shown.

This key finding spells out for the first time how climate change may affect upland species like golden plover, a colourful thrush-sized wading bird. There are fears that this bird may be pushed towards local extinction by the end of the century. But the paper also points a way forward to how we can attempt to strengthen habitats to help wildlife adapt to our changing climate and prevent such consequences.

Golden Plover © Neil Loverock , from the surfbirds galleries.

Previous research has shown how changes in the timing of golden plover breeding because of increasing spring temperatures might affect their ability to match the spring emergence of their cranefly (daddy long legs) prey. The new research shows that much more severe are the effects of increasing late summer temperatures which kill cranefly larvae in peatland soils as the surface dries out, resulting in a drop of up to 95 per cent in numbers of adult craneflies emerging the following spring. With these craneflies providing a crucial food source for a wide range of upland birds like golden plover, this means starvation and death for many chicks.

As a result of average temperature increasing by 1.9ºC in late summer in the Peak District study area over the last 35 years, this has become the most important climatic factor affecting the local golden plover population. If these trends continue, as predicted by current climate models, we would expect many plover populations, particularly in the south of their range where temperatures will be highest, to be increasingly likely to decline, or even face extinction.

Lead Author Dr James Pearce Higgins of RSPB Scotland said: "Many studies predict dire effects of climate change upon wildlife but this study provides a rare example of where such predictions are based on a detailed understanding of a species’ requirements, linking the effects of climate on food resources to changes in breeding success and population size.

This is the most worrying development that I have found in my scientific career to date. However, by understanding these processes, we now have the chance to respond. If we can maintain good quality habitats for craneflies then we can help the birds too. For example, by blocking drainage ditches on our Forsinard reserve in the North of Scotland we hope to raise water levels and reduce the likelihood of the cranefly larvae drying out in hot summers. The fight against climate change will increasingly mean strengthening habitats to protect vulnerable species, as well as trying to reduce emissions.”

The new paper, Impacts of climate on prey abundance account for fluctuations in a population of a northern wader at the southern edge of its range, is published in the scientific journal Global Change Biology and is available here: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121684866/abstract

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:02 AM | Comments (0)

March 10, 2009

Climate changing wildlife now

Climate change is already having a detectable impact on birds across Europe, say a group of scientists publishing their findings to create the world’s first indicator of the climate change impacts on wildlife at a continental scale.

Published in the journal PloS ONE, scientists have shown a strong link between observed population change of individual species and the projected range change, associated with climate change, among a number of widespread and common European birds, including the goldfinch and the lesser spotted woodpecker.

Snipe, one of the species already being heavily impacted by climate change
© Martin Goodey, from the surfbirds galleries

By pulling all the data together, the team has compiled an indicator showing how climate change is affecting wildlife across Europe. The European Union has adopted the indicator as an official measure of the impacts of climate change on the continent’s wildlife; the first indicator of its kind.

The paper and the indicator were produced by a team of scientists from the RSPB, Durham University, Cambridge University, the European Bird Census Council, the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, the Czech Society for Ornithology, and Statistics Netherlands.

The RSPB’s Dr Richard Gregory was the paper’s lead author. Commenting on the findings he said: “We hear a lot about climate change, but our paper shows that its effects are being felt right now. The results show the number of species being badly affected outnumbers the species that might benefit by three to one. Although we have only had a very small actual rise in global average temperature, it is staggering to realise how much change we are noticing in wildlife populations. If we don’t take our foot off the gas now, our indicator shows there will be many much worse effects to come. We must keep global temperature rise below the two degree ceiling; anything above this will create global havoc.”

Dr Stephen Willis, of Durham University, said: “Our indicator is the biodiversity equivalent of the FTSE index, only instead of summarising the changing fortunes of businesses, it summarises how biodiversity is changing due to climate change. Unlike the FTSE, which is currently at a six year low, the climate change index has been increasing each year since the mid-80s, indicating that climate is having an increasing impact on biodiversity.'

“Those birds we predict should fare well under climate change have been increasing since the mid-80s, and those we predict should do badly have declined over the same period. The worry is that the declining group actually consist of 75 per cent of the species we studied.”

The Climate Change Indicator combines two independent strands of work; bioclimate envelope-modelling and observed populations trends in European birds, derived from the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme.

When a bird’s population changes in line with the projection, the indicator goes up. Species whose observed trend doesn’t fit the projection cause the indicator to decline.

The research shows that a number of species are projected to increase the populations across Europe. Of the 122 species that were surveyed, the top ten increasing species (in order) are: Sardinian warbler (P); subalpine warbler (P); bee-eater (P); cirl bunting (B); Cetti’s warbler (B); hoopoe (P); golden oriole (B); goldfinch (B); great reed warbler (P); and collared dove (B). Species in this list marked with a (B) already breed regularly in the UK. Species marked with a (P) are potential colonists to the UK if they continue to respond to climatic warming in the way the models predict, and in the absence of other barriers (such as the ability to disperse and the availability of suitable habitat).

Of those species surveyed the worst performers across Europe (in order) are: snipe (B); meadow pipit (B); brambling (occasional B); willow tit (B); lapwing (B); thrush nightingale; wood warbler (B); nutcracker; northern wheatear (B); and lesser spotted woodpecker (B).

Of the 122 species included (out of 526 species which nest in Europe), 30 are projected to increase their range; while the remaining 92 species are anticipated to decrease their range.

Dr Gregory added "This new work emphasises again the role played by skilled amateur birdwatchers right across Europe in advancing our understanding of the environment and the growing threat posed by climate change.”

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

Call for UK to create world-class marine park

The Chagos Conservation Trust has published a booklet, The Chagos Archipelago: Its nature and the future, to start a discussion on a programme ‘to create one of the world’s greatest conservation areas’ in the little-known British Indian Ocean Territory.

The archipelago – a UK Overseas Territory in the central Indian Ocean - is described by scientists as comparable with the Galapagos Islands or the Great Barrier Reef in environmental and scientific importance.

The Chagos Conservation Trust sets out the ‘preliminary proposals for discussion’ in the booklet and an accompanying paper, ‘Science in Chagos’, with a launch at the Royal Society.

The environmental and scientific objectives are supported by the Chagos Environment Network, whose other members include the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), The Linnean Society of London, The Royal Society, Pew Environment Group, and the Zoological Society of London.

Red-footed Booby, one of the seabirds to occur on the Chagos in
internationally-important numbers © Steve Bird, from the surfbirds galleries

The publication highlights the Chagos as ‘the United Kingdom’s greatest area of marine biodiversity by far, and probably the most pristine tropical marine environment on Earth’. The archipelago has the world’s largest coral atoll, its healthiest reefs and its cleanest seas.

The area is a crucial refuge, staging post and breeding ground for marine life. The Chagos also provides a scientific benchmark for an environment without degradation; this is important for helping to deal with problems such as pollution, climate change and loss of biodiversity.

Professor Charles Sheppard, of the University of Warwick, is a researcher who has worked extensively in these British Indian Ocean Territories. He said: “Every ocean needs at least one set of reefs where no run-off, no dredging, no building, no fishing, no nutrient enrichment and no pollutant and pesticide release whatsoever takes place.

“For the Indian Ocean, the reefs of Chagos are the prime candidate, and perhaps are the only sensible possibility. In the late 20th Century, there are now very few others which fit the bill.”

The Chagos Conservation Trust calls for people to support discussion of these planet-saving ideas and encourage the British Government, with the engagement of other organisations, to make the conservation area a reality.

Drawing on best practice from other sites, the aims would be: to protect nature, including fish stocks (benefiting countries in the region); to benefit science, and support action against damaging climate change; to be compatible with security and be financially sustainable, and to provide some employment opportunities for Chagossians and others. The Trust points out that the British Government has for many years already committed itself to managing The Territory ‘as if’ it were a natural World Heritage site and has taken significant measures to put this into effect; this provides a good basis for further progress.

Professor Callum Roberts, of University of York, said: “The Chagos Archipelago represents a magnificent conservation opportunity that could be of lasting benefit to humanity. There can be few places on this planet that represent better value for leveraging spectacular returns.

“What is needed is vision and a leadership initiative by Britain to create the Chagos as an iconic, pristine area held in trust for the future of the world community.”

Pollution, overfishing and climate change are affecting marine wildlife worldwide, but the network believes the creation of a protected area around the Chagos Islands will help preserve their near-pristine marine environment and provide a wildlife oasis at the heart of an extremely important region.

Graham Wynne, chief executive of the RSPB, said: “The Chagos are outstandingly important in global biodiversity terms. As the largest remaining group of unexploited coral atolls in the world, and the most seabird species rich in the Indian Ocean, the RSPB welcomes the work of CCT and is enthusiastic to work with all stakeholders to conserve this unique and fragile ecosystem for the benefit of all.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 5:03 PM | Comments (0)

March 3, 2009

Extinct bird set to return to West Country

A spectacular bird that has not bred in the West Country for over four centuries is a step closer to returning.

Funds have been secured for the next phase of The Great Crane Project – a partnership between the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, the RSPB and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust – which aims to secure the future of the crane as a British breeding bird.

Crane © Dave Hutton, from the surfbirds galleries

This metre-high wetland bird was extinct in the UK for four centuries. Since 1981 cranes have nested or attempted to nest in East Anglia, but the population only has a tenuous foothold in the UK. The reintroduction project will give this wonderful wetland bird a much brighter future in Britain.

Secured by WWT, the funding from Taunton-based Viridor Credits Environmental Company – through the Landfill Communities Fund, means work will begin on building a rearing facility for crane chicks at WWT Slimbridge. The grant will also fund preparatory work, including the appointment of a project manager.

Patrick Capper, Chief Executive of Viridor Credits, said: “We are always looking for projects that will enhance the biodiversity of our marvellous habitats. This iconic project to reintroduce these splendid birds back to an area where they once roamed freely will hopefully act as a beacon for conservation activity across the UK.”

The cranes will be brought from a flourishing wild population in Germany as eggs and incubated, hatched and hand reared at Slimbridge.

The rearing facility at Slimbridge will build upon the fantastic knowledge and expertise gained through WWT’s hugely popular crane school exhibit at the centre over the past two years. Here, crane chicks have been raised by keepers wearing specially created crane suits and fed using customised crane head litter pickers to finely tune the techniques for raising ‘wild’ crane chicks prior to release. The new rearing facility at Slimbridge will be a ‘behind the scenes’ scaled up version of the crane school model. Work is expected to start this summer and be complete by spring 2010.

Young cranes will be transferred to a large holding pen at the release site when they are two months old. When they have become acclimatised they will be fitted with satellite transmitters and release into the wild.

Dr Debbie Pain, WWT’s Director of Conservation, said: “Cranes are magnificent birds that were driven from their wetland habitats and hunted to extinction long ago. Now with Viridor Credit’s support we are determined to give them another chance at survival. Thanks to lessons learnt in crane school we now have the feathery-fingered skills to raise crane chicks. Roll on 2010 – we cannot wait to begin teaching these amazing birds how to live in British wetlands once again.”

The Somerset Levels have been identified as the best location in the UK to release the cranes, due to the availability of existing habitat suitable for cranes to nest and feed in, and the potential for much more to be created. Although cranes have not nested there for 400 years, this area would historically have been a stronghold for them. The grant will now fund work to establish the best site for releasing the birds, and it is hoped that the first Slimbridge-raised chicks will be released to the wild in autumn 2010.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Director of Conservation, said: “The crane is one of our most spectacular birds, and its widespread disappearance from our countryside creates a large vacuum. We hope that, in time, the bugling call of the crane will once again echo across large swathes of the UK countryside.”

“The crane reintroduction project closely follows major successes at restoring the red kite and white-tailed eagle to our islands.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:27 PM | Comments (0)

February 2, 2009

Welsh bird numbers continue to fall

The fifth partnership report The State of Birds in Wales that charts the fortunes of Welsh bird life was published on Wednesday 21 January 2009.

The report shows declines in populations of some widespread breeding birds of farmed habitats, such as curlews, starlings and yellowhammers, are continuing unabated. New surveys of curlew and golden plover show more than 80 per cent declines for both species since they were last fully surveyed.

Golden Plover © Neil Loverock, from the surfbirds galleries

Concern is also raised for waterbirds on four of Wales's key estuaries as high alerts are triggered.

There is also good news, with 72 pairs of the globally near-threatened Dartford warbler found in Wales - great news for a species which first bred in Wales in 1998. House sparrows have also increased in Wales against a backdrop of significant declines in England, and Welsh seabirds (such as kittiwake, fulmars and guillemots) are stable or increasing and are faring much better than in some other parts of the UK, where shortages of food have caused breeding failure.

The State of Birds in Wales is compiled annually to provide a snapshot of bird populations in Wales. A tremendous effort by volunteers, county bird recorders and representatives from a range of organisations helps to shape the report.

Katie-jo Luxton, Head of Conservation Policy at RSPB Cymru said: 'The Welsh Assembly Government has increased the list of priority birds in Wales from 23 to 51. A curlew survey revealed an 81 per cent decline since 1993, but some of Wales's important bird species are now so scarce they cannot be monitored by annual schemes.'

'A similar decline is indicated for golden plover, where the survey found only 36 pairs left in Wales. This dramatically shows we that don't have much time left to act if we are to save these special birds in Wales,' she added 'We desperately need significantly more resources for wildlife recovery, expanding and reinvigorating the Welsh agri-environment schemes to allow all farmers who want to take action for priority species to join, would be a major step forward.'

David Noble, Head of the British Trust for Ornithology’s Census Unit, said: 'This report demonstrates how the efforts of birdwatchers are used to determine the status of Welsh birds, and to help explain the causes of population declines in vulnerable species such as the cuckoo and yellowhammer, whether due to changes in land use, climate change, food supply or relationships with other species.'

'Results from the Breeding Bird Survey, an annual survey carried out by volunteers, are used to produce the Wild Bird Indicator for Wales, which gives an overview of how our more widespread terrestrial birds are faring.'

Dr Siân Whitehead, Senior Ornithologist for the Countryside Council for Wales, said: 'Climate change is already impacting our bird life in Wales - causing changes in habitats and loss of food supplies for some species, while others, such as the Dartford warbler, are already benefiting.'

She adds: 'We are also encouraged that Welsh seabirds populations are holding up and new legislative protection of the marine environment can only help to secure this situation; the stewardship of coastal habitats and offshore feeding grounds is vitally important.'

Richard Hearn, Head of Species Monitoring for the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust said: 'We are concerned over the declining status of some of our waterbirds on key estuaries in Wales, such as the Severn and Dee. Although some species are wintering further east because of recent milder winters, these places remain internationally important.'

'However, their wildlife faces threats from development, especially from some of the more ecologically damaging Severn estuary power generation schemes currently being explored. On the other hand, the work done to understand the impacts of offshore wind farms on common scoter in Liverpool Bay goes to show how ecological surveying can help to inform renewal energy development.'

Derek Moore OBE, Chairman of the Welsh Ornithological Society said: 'The Welsh Ornithological Society is striving to encourage the enjoyment and recording of birds through co-ordinating the many bird clubs, groups and societies throughout Wales.'

'It should be of great concern to everybody that once common breeding species such as curlew and lapwing are almost as rare as the enigmatic red kite. I hope decision makers will use this report to take action to redress the alarming declines of species so essential to the spirit of Wales.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 10:46 AM | Comments (0)

January 31, 2009

Mixed year for black grouse

Black grouse experienced mixed fortunes on RSPB nature reserves in 2008 - with declines in Scotland but increases on southern reserves. Scotland is still the stronghold of the black grouse population in the UK.

It's thought that the wet weather in many parts of the country in June 2007, when chicks hatch, led to declines in 2008, following an encouraging spell of population growth. Counts of male birds at lekking sites - where they engage in an extraordinary morning courtship display to attract females - were down at most sites that were monitored in 2008.

Black Grouse © Craig Shaw, from the surfbirds galleries

Once a common sight throughout Britain's upland birch, pinewood and moorland areas, black grouse have declined at an alarming rate; in the 1970s there were estimated to be 25,000 lekking males and this had decreased to just 5,000 by 2005. The birds are now on the UK's Red List of bird species of conservation concern, and the subject of a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).

At the RSPB's Corrimony reserve in the Highlands, the number of lekking males dropped slightly from 57 to 53. Abernethy nature reserve in the Cairngorms - the largest remaining expanse of ancient Caledonian pine forest in the country - saw numbers fall more sharply, from a peak of 90 in 2007 back down to 73 lekking males, just one more than in 2006.

A smaller lek at the RSPB's Inversnaid reserve on the north east shore of Loch Lomond remained relatively stable, increasing from three to four displaying cocks. This corresponds with population increases on neighbouring ground following habitat management work on land owned by Forestry Commission Scotland.

On RSPB reserves south of the border, the birds experienced better fortunes. At Geltsdale nature reserve in the north Pennines, the number of lekking cocks increased from 17 to 22, against a wider trend of declines across much of the rest of the north Pennines. At the RSPB's Lake Vyrnwy reserve in Wales, the number rose from 18 to 20 cocks.

It is believed that these short-term Scottish population declines are largely due to the extremely wet early summer months of 2007. As a result less chicks survived, resulting in a smaller population in the Spring of 2008. Black grouse chicks in the Scottish Highlands hatch in the second half of June and are known to be extremely vulnerable to the effects of wet, cold weather in the first two weeks after hatching.

Together with recent declines in both the quality and quantity of the birds' preferred habitat, this means that targeted conservation work to help improve its chances of survival is urgently required. Changes in habitat and land use have been the main cause of long term declines of black grouse. In recent decades the maturation and canopy closure of commercial forestry plantations, which have provided suitable habitat in the early years following planting, is likely to have driven these declines in many areas.

Duncan Orr- Ewing, head of species and land management at RSPB Scotland, said: 'Black grouse conservation work involves tremendous co-operation between the RSPB, SNH and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, and Forestry Commission Scotland, as well as private landowners. However, positive management on the ground is still required to help conserve this species. The support of The Famous Grouse provides critical funding to help achieve this goal.'

Halting and reversing the ebb in black grouse numbers presents a major conservation challenge, requiring sustainable solutions including native tree planting and large-scale creation of open woodland habitats, and the restoration of boggy areas in order to create forest-edge habitat of a diverse structure.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:32 PM | Comments (0)

January 12, 2009

Freeze threatens wetland birds

For the first time in over a decade, nature conservation bodies are calling on birdwatchers, walkers, anglers and water sports enthusiasts across Britain to minimise disturbance to groups of ducks, geese, swans and wading birds. On lakes, rivers, wetlands, and coastal areas the birds will be struggling to survive after enduring seven consecutive days of freezing temperatures.

Smew and Goldeneye, Warwickshire © Dave Hutton, from the surfbirds galleries

The group making today’s call include the RSPB, the British Trust for Ornithology, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and Natural England.

Following a run of mild winters, this is the first time in a decade that this call has been made in England and Wales. An appeal in Scotland was issued in 2003.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s conservation director, said: 'During freezing conditions disturbance forces the birds to squander their precious energy reserves by taking flight when they need to spend as much time as possible feeding.

'Although we haven’t made this appeal since 1997, we hope everyone who uses the countryside will heed our advice, allowing the millions of birds which visit the UK’s coasts and wetlands during the winter to stand a better chance of survival.'

If the severe weather continues for 14 days in succession, the shooting of some species of duck, geese, and wading bird can be suspended for a fortnight to help the birds recover. The last time such a ban was imposed was in 1997.

The birds affected include ducks – including wigeon and pintail – and wading birds, such as godwits, dunlin and knot. These birds either nest in the Arctic, or further north or east in Europe. During the winter the birds visit the UK to escape harsher conditions further north.

Dr Andre Farrar, the RSPB’s protected area campaigner, said: 'Even at a time when our climate is warming, we can still expect freezing conditions, but less frequently. Wildfowl and wading birds respond to these icy blasts by moving further south and west. Mild winters have allowed some of these international travellers to cut short their journeys, with more remaining within the eastern half of Britain.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:06 PM | Comments (0)

January 5, 2009

Crex appear in corncrake recovery

The number of corncrakes in their core Scottish strongholds declined in 2008 after years of sustained increase, with the unmistakeable 'crex' call of the male bird being heard less than last year.

The Scottish corncrake remains a conservation success story, but this year's decline highlights the importance of well funded schemes to help farmers provide the valuable habitat that this shy little bird needs. The total core population of calling males dropped by just under 8% - from 1236 in 2007 to 1140 in 2008.

Corncrake, Western Isles © Nick Sampford, from the surfbirds galleries

Corncrakes migrate to Scotland in late spring from sub-Saharan Africa, and spend the Scottish summer breeding in the tall grass and herbs that they use for cover. Since this type of habitat has largely disappeared from the mainland due to changes in agricultural practice, the charismatic little long necked bird has found strongholds in the Hebridean and Argyll islands. Coll, Tiree, Iona, Colonsay, Oronsay and Islay, along with the Outer Hebrides, make up the vast majority of the UK population due to continuing traditional mixed grazing techniques by crofters and farmers.

Since 1993, when RSPB Scotland began a corncrake recovery programme - working with farmers and crofters to produce corncrake-friendly hay meadows and field margins - the population of calling males rose from just 446 in the UK core areas, up to a high of 1236 in 2007. However the decline seen this year - though small - shows that there is no room for complacency.

Paul Walton, RSPB Scotland Species Policy Officer said: 'The corncrake management scheme has been a real Scottish conservation success story for the past 15 years. It was great that we were able to report increases year on year, as scientific lessons from studying the birds' decline were put into practice by farmers and crofters on the ground. However, the decline we've seen this year is worrying, and should serve as a warning to the Scottish Government that if we want to preserve these great wee birds then we need to ensure that there are sufficient funds available for targeted agri-environment options such as those that benefit corncrake. The new Rural Priority scheme includes all the right ingredients. We must now work on ensuring good applications are being put forward and accepted.'

Crofters and farmers can apply to the Scottish Government's Rural Development Contracts, which provide excellent land management incentives for corncrake. Additionally, SNH runs a corncrake management scheme which farmers can apply for in areas protected under EU law, and an additional RSPB , SNH and Scottish Crofting Foundation scheme makes payments available for those who cannot access the main schemes, but who have corncrakes on their land . These schemes help farmers manage their hay or silage fields sensitively for corncrakes, including waiting to cut the fields until after the main breeding season.

However, there is a real danger that species like corncrake will suffer if funding for these environmentally beneficial forms of farming is not maintained or ideally, increased. Agri-environment funds need to be sufficiently large as well as accessible to farmers and crofters in the key corncrake areas to allow the continuation of appropriate management.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:00 AM | Comments (0)

December 29, 2008

Enough is enough

The RSPB has today welcomed a new report from Natural England, which highlights the threat to the country’s hen harriers from illegal killing.

The strongly worded report, ‘A Future for the Hen Harrier in England?’ outlines the results of hen harrier monitoring since 2002, which provides compelling evidence of illegal killing of hen harriers in England’s uplands.

Hen Harrier © Pete Hadfield, from the surfbirds galleries

Mark Avery, RSPB Director of Conservation said: “The findings of this report reinforce what the RSPB has been saying for years; the hen harrier is being driven to extinction in England by illegal killing.

'It is unacceptable in a modern society like ours that such crimes continue to be committed at all, let alone on such a scale. Hen harriers belong to the skies and to all of us; they are not pests to be killed out of hand by a selfish minority.

'The majority of those involved in shooting are decent, law abiding people. This report puts the onus on them to root out those bad apples prepared to break the law and drag the good name of shooting through the mud.”

He added: 'We would urge people to show their disgust at these crimes by pledging their support for our campaign to stop the illegal killing of birds of prey.'

The RSPB has recently launched a hotline for people wanting to report crimes against birds of prey. Anyone with information can call in strict confidence on 0845 466 3636, or visit the website at www.rspb.org.uk/goodmen

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:29 AM | Comments (0)

December 15, 2008

Killer mice bring albatross closer to extinction

The Tristan albatross, one of the world’s most threatened birds, has suffered its worst nesting season ever, according to RSPB research.

The number of chicks making it through to fledging has decreased rapidly and it is now five times lower than it should be because introduced predatory mice are eating the chicks alive on Gough island - the bird’s only home and a South Atlantic territory of the United Kingdom.

The mice are also affecting the Gough bunting – one of the world’s largest finches – another species endemic to Gough Island. A recent survey of the bunting’s population reveals that the population has halved within the last two decades. Now there are only an estimated 400-500 pairs left.

Despite the grave situation for both species on Gough Island, government funding to plan for and take forward the eradication of mice is still lacking. This is despite recognition from two prominent House of Common's Committees that the "biodiversity found in the UK Overseas Territories is equally valuable and at a greater risk of loss" (than the UK) and that current levels of funding are "grossly inadequate". Eradicating mice is the single action that would solve the primary conservation threat facing both species.

Intoduced mice are responsible for declines in Tristan Albatross and Gough Bunting
© Matthieu Vaslin, from the surfbirds galleries

Because of the impact from introduced house mice, both the Tristan albatross and the Gough bunting were listed earlier this year as Critically Endangered, by BirdLife International. This is the highest level of threat before extinction.

Richard Cuthbert is an RSPB scientist who has been researching the mice problem on Gough Island since 2000. Commenting on the latest results he said: “We’ve known for a long time that the mice were killing albatross chicks in huge numbers. However, we now know that the albatrosses have suffered their worst year on record.

“The mice do not affect the adult albatrosses, but we know from our work that these are being killed by longline fishing vessels at sea. So, unsustainable numbers of this bird are being killed on land and at sea. Without conservation efforts, the Tristan albatross is doomed.

“We also know that the mice are predators on the eggs and chicks of the Gough bunting and mice predation is the main factor behind their recent decline. We also suspect that the mice may compete with the buntings for food, especially during cold winters."

Collaborator Peter Ryan from the University of Cape Town's Percy FitzPatrick Institute has been studying buntings at the island since the 1980s. He said "The decline in bunting numbers is alarming. Without urgent conservation action to remove the mice, both the albatross and the bunting are living on borrowed time.”

A complete survey of the Tristan albatross on Gough Island in January showed there were 1764 adult albatrosses incubating eggs. A later survey revealed that only 246 chicks had survived to fledging.

Richard Cuthbert added: “While some breeding failures would have occurred naturally, the majority of these would have been killed by mice. Far higher numbers of winter-breeding burrowing petrels are also predated by mice. For example, we estimate that half a million Atlantic petrel chicks will have been eaten last winter.”

The RSPB has been involved in a feasibility study to test whether it’s possible to remove the mice. So far, the trials look promising, giving both birds a more optimistic future. Funding on this year's work on Gough has come from the Overseas Territory Environment Programme (OTEP).

Removing rats from seabird islands has been conducted in several parts of the world with great success, and the RSPB is working with New Zealand conservationists to tackle removal of the smaller mice. The procedure will involve dropping poisoned bait from helicopters.

Alistair Gammell is the RSPB’s International Director. He said: “We are grateful to the Government for funding to allow us to assess the feasibility of removing mice.

“It is essential that the Government commits adequate funding for the protection of the many threatened species found on the UK’s Overseas Territories.

“We are challenging the Government to prove its commitment to conservation by properly funding conservation initiatives in these territories, and most urgently to commit to funding the removal of mice from Gough.”

The RSPB is not alone in calling for greater funding. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee on Halting Biodiversity Loss, published in November stated: "One of the most important contributions that the Government could make to halting biodiversity loss would be to provide more support for the UK Overseas Territories, where it is the eleventh hour for many species. Although England has a number of internationally important species and habitats, the biodiversity found in the UK Overseas Territories is equally valuable and at a greater risk of loss. The Government must act now to protect these areas."

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee for the UK Overseas Territories stated in June: "The environmental funding currently being provided by the UK to the Overseas Territories appears grossly inadequate and we recommend that it should be increased."

House mice were introduced accidentally to Gough island by sealers during the 18th or 19th century.

Posted by Surfbirds at 5:58 PM | Comments (0)

December 5, 2008

Good news for Europe's threatened birds of prey

In Europe, six birds of prey are threatened with extinction. A major new project in Bulgaria, one of the continent’s most important countries for wildlife, should secure the future of two species: the imperial eagle and the saker falcon.

The European Commission has funded an exciting new project to secure the future of both saker falcons and imperial eagles in key locations across Bulgaria. The populations of both species are threatened in Europe.

Saker Falcon © James Gilroy, from the surfbirds galleries

Both species face a number of threats, including direct persecution, the loss of nesting sites, accidental electrocution from power lines, and a reduction of suitable habitat. The project aims to reduce these threats as well as building a stronger public awareness of these charismatic species.

Three-quarters of the two-million Euro project has been funded through the European Commission’s Life+ programme.

The project - known as the ‘Conservation of Imperial Eagle and Saker Falcon in key Natura 2000 sites in Bulgaria’ – will begin in January 2009.

Key aims of the project include:
· preventing the extinction of the Bulgarian population of saker falcon;
· increasing the Bulgarian population of imperial eagle by one fifth;
· removing the most dangerous power lines within a 5km radio of all imperial eagle nests;
· building and siting 30 artificial nests for imperial eagle and 80 artificial nests for saker falcon within designated Natura 2000 sites;
· increasing awareness of the Natura 2000 network in Bulgaria amongst key local communities.

The project also involves: The RSPB (in the UK); MME (the BirdLife International partner in Hungary); the Central Balkan National Park; and the Bulgarian Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna.

The largest beneficiary of the project, The Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, is the BirdLife International partner for the country. Nada Tosheva, the Executive Director of the BSPB, said: “Being on the eastern fringe of the European Union, Bulgaria supports higher numbers of many species than other parts of the EU.

“Our wonderful country is one of the most wildlife-rich and varied countries in Europe. From mountains to extensive grasslands, Bulgaria’s landscapes support a rich diversity of species, including several which are facing global extinction.

“Joining the European Union in 2004 gave Bulgaria fantastic opportunities to protect its threatened species and protect sites for nature However, European Union membership presented Bulgaria with many challenges, including rapid development and intensification of agriculture. This funding will help us to provide a secure future for some of Europe’s most threatened species.”

The BSPB, which has worked in Bulgaria for 20 years, receives help from the RSPB, the UK partner of BirdLife International. The RSPB’s Mark Day, said: “For over a century, the RSPB has worked tirelessly to protect birds of prey in the UK, including aiding the recovery of red kites and trying to prevent the persecution of golden eagles, peregrines and hen harriers in vulnerable locations.

“We are delighted to share our extensive bird of prey experience with our partners, especially in Bulgaria, where the populations of these magnificent birds are of global importance.”

The imperial eagle and the saker falcon are both listed on the IUCN’s Red List as facing global extinction. The imperial eagle is listed as ‘Vulnerable’, meaning it has a high chance of becoming globally extinct, while the saker falcon is listed as ‘Endangered’, meaning it has a very high chance of global extinction.

According to Birds in Europe 2 – the most recent assessment of the status of Europe’s birds – shows that the imperial eagle nests in seven European Union countries, with Bulgaria possessing the EU’s second-most important population, after Hungary.

Having a small population in Bulgaria, the saker falcon is vulnerable to extinction in Bulgaria. The bird occurs from Austria to the steppes of Central Asia. Overall, the population is declining.

There are 23 species of bird facing global extinction for which the European Union is important. Ten of these species occur in Bulgaria: Lesser white-fronted goose; red-breasted goose; white-headed duck; Dalmatian pelican; lesser kestrel; saker falcon; imperial eagle; great bustard; and the slender-billed curlew.
The two geese and white-headed duck occur in winter, while the Critically Endangered slender-billed curlew has occurred on migration.

Posted by Surfbirds at 1:39 PM | Comments (0)

Quest launched to find Europe's rarest bird

Along with other BirdLife International partners, later today we will launch a final quest to search for the last individuals of one of the world’s rarest birds – the slender-billed curlew.

Formerly this crow-sized wading bird used to be seen regularly across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Although the last confirmed sighting was in 1999, hope remains that a few individuals may be still clinging to existence. With no confirmed sighting this millennium, the slender-billed curlew is the rarest bird in Europe, North Africa or the Middle East.

The conservation organisations will issue their call to search for and find any remaining populations of slender-billed curlews at the Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP 9), in Rome.

'Although the situation for slender-billed curlew does look gloomy, the fact that other species have risen from the 'dead' recently does fuel our optimism. We are encouraging people not to give up on this bird', said Nicola Crockford of the RSPB and chair of the slender-billed curlew working group.

She added: 'Additionally, this bird was known to inhabit remote areas – so it is just possible that small numbers of the bird may still be wintering in an isolated part of North Africa or the Middle East, or that some unknown nesting site may be discovered in the depths of Central Asia. But our quest is definitely a race against time.'

Regarded as very common in the 19th century, for example, in some areas of the Mediterranean, it declined dramatically during the 20th. It migrated from its presumed breeding grounds in Central Asia, across central and eastern Europe to wintering grounds in North Africa and the Middle East.

The slender-billed curlew is easily overlooked, challenging to identify and may use countries, such as Iraq and Iran, that have been relatively inaccessible to experienced birdwatchers in recent years.
Flocks of over 100 birds were recorded from Morocco as late as the 1960s and 1970s. However, between 1980 and 1990, there were only 103 records, and from 1990-1999, this dropped to 74, with most recent verified records being of one to three birds.

In 1994, the population was estimated at only 50-270 individuals, but the paucity of recent confirmed records suggests it may now be lower than 50 birds. However, the slender-billed curlew is easily overlooked, challenging to identify and may use countries, such as Iraq and Iran, that have been relatively inaccessible to experienced birdwatchers in recent years.

We hope that technological advances will assist with this quest. Satellite tags are now small enough for use on slender-billed curlews. If any can be found and caught then the sites used during the bird's migration could be determined.

Additionally, scientific analysis of feather samples, from museum skins, may soon enable researchers to narrow down the search area for the breeding grounds and moult sites. The only nesting records date from 1909-1924 in the Tara area of the Omsk-Novosibirsk region, south-west Siberia.

'This is the last chance to find slender-billed curlew. If we lose this species, it will be the first extinction of a European bird since Canary Islands oystercatcher in 1981', said Richard Grimmett, BirdLife’s Head of Conservation.

'We've launched The BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme to save the world's most threatened birds. For many species - such as slender-billed curlew - the first step is to confirm if they still survive, and then identify and protect the sites that they use.'

The working group has developed a tool kit to help people identify and report slender-billed curlews in the field. This identification leaflet, a downloadable MP3 file of the call and a map of all recent sightings by season and other material to help birders know what to look for, and when and where to look for it can be found on www.slenderbilledcurlew.net

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

November 27, 2008

Sea eagles in Norfolk?

The magnificent sea eagle, missing from England for more than 200 years, could be soaring along the Norfolk coast next summer if a proposed reintroduction scheme gets the go ahead.

Natural England, the RSPB and Anglian Water, have been investigating the feasibility of reintroducing the sea eagle, also known as the white-tailed eagle, to East Anglia.

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

North Norfolk is the preferred location and public consultation is underway to let local people know about the project and to identify any concerns they may have. The consultation will involve landowners and farmers and must address any possible impacts between eagles and livestock.

In a recent opinion poll, held in north Norfolk, 91% of the 500 members of the public who were asked indicated that they would like to see a bird like this in Norfolk.

In 1700, there were more than 200 pairs of white-tailed eagles spread across the UK, but by 1916, they had been driven to extinction.

White-tailed eagles were reintroduced to Scotland in 1975 and last year there were 42 breeding territories. Birds could take decades, if not hundreds of years, to spread from Scotland without assistance.

Natural England's Chief Scientist, Tom Tew, said: 'Before attempting to return a species that has been lost for so long, it is important to understand its potential effect on both wildlife and people. We are consulting widely in order to make a fully informed judgement as to whether, through this ambitious project, there is an opportunity to return one of the UK’s rarest and most spectacular birds to England.'

Rob Lucking, RSPB Area Manager for The Wash and North Norfolk, said: 'The sight of birds of prey like the white-tailed eagle is a sure sign of a strong and healthy environment. Without them our ecosystem is disfigured, our natural and cultural heritage diminished and we are all the poorer.

'England has been without these magnificent birds for too long. Such a reintroduction must be done properly and with due regard to the people and wildlife nearby but, if it can be done, then the sight of eagles soaring over Norfolk would give a huge lift to people’s spirits and to the local economy.'

It is hoped that a firm decision will be made in spring 2009 on whether the project should proceed. If approved, the first releases could take place in summer 2009.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:56 PM | Comments (0)

Recovery of rare bird hangs in the balance

The latest UK breeding figures for the stone-curlew – one of our most threatened birds - show that it has reached a conservation milestone, seven years ahead of target. However, the RSPB and Natural England are warning that the recovery may be reversed if measures to create suitable habitat for this bird are not implemented quickly.

This summer’s population count revealed that 351 pairs nested, which means that the stone-curlew has met its 2015 Biodiversity Action Plan target of 350 pairs, well ahead of time. It is one of the few species of bird achieving this level of success. This crow-sized wading bird has its strongholds in the Brecklands of East Anglia, and Wessex, centred on Salisbury Plain.

Stone Curlew © Rudi Debruyne, from the surfbirds galleries

But the survey also revealed a dramatic drop in the number of young birds being fledged. This year, on average every 100 pairs between them only fledged 49 chicks, making this the lowest level of success since at least 1988. The UK’s stone-curlew population this year only fledged 172 young, compared to 238 in 2007 - an average year.

The stone-curlew likes open ground, and it is believed that the combination of a wet spring and summer, prompting grass growth and making it hard for the birds to find insects on bare ground, and the scrapping of set-aside, where farmland is left un-cropped, had a significant impact on this year’s breeding success.

The RSPB’s Robin Wynde has been monitoring the fortunes UK’s stone-curlew population for over a decade. Commenting on this year’s figures, he said: “Whilst it is great to see the population going up again we are concerned at how few stone-curlew chicks were produced this year.

“We fear that numbers could drop over the next couple of years because there were too few young produced to replace natural mortality. Stone-curlews used to nest on fallow land or on bare patches within crops. This year there was very little open ground, particularly in the latter part of the summer, and it was a short breeding season as a result.”

Pete Brotherton, head of biodiversity for Natural England, said: “The recovery of the stone-curlew is fantastic news and shows the difference farmers can make when they manage their land with wildlife in mind. Together we are bringing this bird back from the brink of extinction and we will continue working with farmers and the RSPB to ensure it thrives in the future.

“As our countryside faces increasing pressure for food and energy production, we must ensure that our wildlife doesn’t lose out – A healthy natural environment is good for us all.”

Since 1990, the UK’s stone-curlew population has risen, due to wildlife-friendly farming schemes - like Environmental Stewardship - and set-aside. However, this success could be partially undermined by the scrapping of set-aside earlier this year as it provided the ideal conditions for these birds to nest and feed.

Gareth Morgan is the RSPB’s head of agricultural policy. He said: “When the European Commission axed set-aside, Hilary Benn did a fantastic job in securing compensatory measures. The challenge now is to seize these opportunities for the benefit of the stone-curlew and other threatened farmland species.”

The rise of the stone-curlew population is one of the major successes of the Natural England/RSPB Action for Birds in England project which has worked so positively with farmers.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:52 PM | Comments (0)

November 18, 2008

Crimes against birds of prey in Scotland far too high

Following the news earlier this week that a white-tailed eagle was found dead in May 2008 near Glenogil estate in Angus, RSPB Scotland's latest annual report on the illegal killing of raptors shows that the case is far from a one-off event. Bird of Prey Persecution 2007 shows that crimes against raptors are still worryingly high and are causing serious damage to the health of a number of raptor populations in Scotland.

However, it is noted that the Scottish Government is now taking positive and welcome steps to address this problem, together with responsible landowners. It is important that adequate public resources to investigate and prosecute incidents are put in place in line with recommendations of recent official public reports.

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

The report shows that 69 allegations or reports of illegal poisoning activity were received during 2007. Of these, 37 were confirmed (by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency following testing) as pesticide abuse killing or threatening raptors, with one further case involving pesticides suspected of being held for an illegal purpose. This was also the worst year on record for red kite poisoning in Scotland, with 12 birds being confirmed as victims of poison abuse.

The most common substance used in illegal poisoning incidents is carbofuran, an agricultural pesticide, which has been banned since December 2001. 30 out of the 37 confirmed cases involved positive tests by SASA for carbofuran.

Other illegal activity recorded includes the discovery of traps intended for criminal use to catch birds of prey. Direct persecution can also include nest destruction or intentional/reckless disturbance of breeding raptors, and deliberate shooting incidents. A further 78 reports of these cases were received by RSPB Scotland in 2007, with all but three made by identifiable individuals. Of these, 17 were confirmed incidents, and 30 were classed as probable cases of persecution. In the remaining 31 cases there was either insufficient evidence to prove, or disprove the claim one way or another.

Given that raptors are long lived, breed slowly and produce few young, the effects of illegal killing can have a damaging effect on their population levels. This was recognised in an important piece of work "A Conservation Framework for Golden Eagles", published this year by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). This thorough report, which pulls together a very significant pool of scientific evidence in relation to this iconic Scottish species, states that:

"Current evidence indicates that illegal persecution and low food availability in parts of Western Scotland are the two main constraints on the Scottish golden eagle population".

Based on this and other evidence of the scale of wildlife crime in Scotland, and its implications for our national reputation, the Scottish Government took steps in 2007 to stress the importance that society places on the thorough investigation and prosecution of wildlife crime by police forces and the Procurator Fiscal Service around Scotland.

The Thematic Review of Wildlife Crime, published in April this year by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution recommended; that each police force in Scotland should have a full time Wildlife and Environmental Crime Co-ordinator; that a minimum standard of investigation should be applied to all cases of wildlife crime, overseen by a senior officer; and that, specialist wildlife prosecutors will be developed within the Procurator Fiscal Service.

RSPB Scotland welcomed the findings of the Thematic Review, including the emphasis on improving standards of investigation and prosecution as a deterrent to those who are engaged with crimes against our natural heritage, including the illegal killing of birds of prey.

Stuart Housden, Director of RSPB Scotland, said: "These figures are deeply troubling , especially when we know that wildlife crime takes place in remote areas, where it is relatively easy to conceal evidence of wrong-doing. These confirmed cases must represent a tip of an iceberg. Whilst we know that many land managers behave responsibly, it is important that they stand up and provide information to the police on criminal activity against wildlife that comes to their attention. Sweeping these issues under the carpet is not acceptable. Only in this way will this problem be stamped out once and for all".

"We welcome the action taken by the Scottish Government to secure improvements in the way cases of wildlife crime are investigated and prosecuted. This recognises the seriousness of the issue and the damage that is being done to our international reputation, as well as important Scottish industries, such as wildlife tourism. It is important however that Ministers continue to lead from the front on this issue".

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:45 AM | Comments (0)

Ups and downs for UK's waterbirds

The concentrations of millions of ducks, geese, swans and wading birds, which spend the winter in the UK, are among our greatest wildlife spectacles. But a report giving the most recent assessment, and charting their numbers and status, reveals that some dramatic changes are taking place with our birdlife in winter. Some species are increasing, while others are decreasing alarmingly.

The report – Waterbirds in the UK 2006/2007 – reveals that 143 sites across the UK are of international importance for 43 species of waterbird, either during the winter or during migration periods.

The key findings from this year’s report of the Wetland Bird Survey include:

The numbers of Bewick’s swans were just half that recorded last year, to the lowest for 30 years
The numbers of European and Greenland white-fronted geese continued to suffer further long-term declines
The number of dunlins, one of the UK’s most abundant waders, was the lowest since 1970
The numbers of wigeons, teals and shovelers - types of duck - all fell, with wigeon suffering a decline of one fifth
The number of redshanks – a type of wader – declined for the third year running, reaching its lowest level for 20 years
The UK’s two species of godwits – types of wading bird – showed differing trends. The graph for black-tailed godwit – a bird of global conservation concern – reached its highest level, although the closely-related bar-tailed godwit, reached its lowest level to date, after a five-year decline
Avocets have continued to increase, reaching record numbers.

Bewick's Swan © Steve Round, from the surfbirds galleries

The report identifies climate change – specifically milder winters – as underlying many of the observed changes, as birds shorten their migratory flyways and spend the winter in other countries closer to their breeding grounds. This is almost certainly the reason for declines of Bewick swans and European white-fronted geese.

Dr Debbie Pain, director of conservation at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, said: 'WWT reserves offer safe roosts and a plentiful food source to some 200,000 waterbirds every winter. At this time of the year, the UK’s estuaries, marshes and wetlands throng with the arrival of ducks, geese, swans and wading birds, making the UK one of the most important countries in the world for some of these birds.

'However, we are becoming increasingly concerned about the declining numbers of some populations. While some are simply taking advantage of milder winters by staying on the continent, others like the Greenland white-fronted goose, are in real and rapid decline. Conservation action is needed urgently to reverse these declines.'

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s conservation director, said: 'This report shows that our estuaries and wetlands are wonderful places for wildlife and they deserve to remain so. But, many of theses sites are threatened by major development projects, such as a Thames estuary airport.

'Interestingly, it was another airport proposal – at Maplin Sands, in the 1960s - which spawned regular counting of the birds on important sites. These sites, almost like airports, are vital staging posts for international travelers. Although climate change and development threaten these wonderful sites, the RSPB will continue to do everything in its power to protect them.'

'We are blessed with years of information, chronicling the ups and downs of these international travelers. This information must present a wake-up call to protect these sites, rather than provide a record of how important they once were.'

Dr Andy Musgrove, head of the Wetland Bird Survey at the British Trust for Ornithology, BTO said: 'An army of thousands of volunteer birdwatchers has collected counts of wetland birds for over 60 years from around the country. These counts have proved invaluable time after time, whether investigating the potential impacts of industrial developments, assessing the likely effects of climate change or looking into the influence of introduced species on our native wildlife.'

'Here in the UK we are extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated team of skilled volunteers who are willing to give up their time to provide this vital information. It is thanks to them, and the high quality data they provide, that decisions affecting our internationally important populations of waterbirds can be based on sound scientific evidence.'

David Stroud, JNCC’s Senior Ornithologist, said: 'Maintaining the Wetland Bird Survey is essential to obtain good data on the trends of UK’s waterbirds. Information on the status of these birds informs us about pressures not only at local sites here in the UK, but also about changing conditions on distant breeding grounds in the arctic – currently threatened by climate change.'

Research is needed to determine whether declines are due to birds short-stopping (that is, birds wintering closer to their breeding grounds, and hence occurring in the UK in smaller numbers) or whether they are ‘real’ global population declines.

This year’s report reveals that five sites in the UK are internationally-important for 12 species of bird, or more, these are: the Ribble (16 species); The Wash (16 species); the Humber (12 species); Morecambe Bay (12 species) and the Thames (12 species).

In particular, The Wash is the most important site in the UK for six species: dark-bellied brent goose; grey plover; lapwing; knot; black-tailed godwit; and bar-tailed godwit. The Thames estuary complex is the most important site in the UK for ringed plover, and Morecambe Bay is the most important UK site for curlew, oystercatcher and lesser black-backed gull.

The report is published by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO); Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT); Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB); and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:38 AM | Comments (0)

Continued Government failure will result in extinctions

The Government is not doing enough to protect threatened wildlife in England and the UK Overseas Territories, warns the Environmental Audit Committee. This warning is echoed by the RSPB – Europe's largest wildlife conservation charity.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB's Conservation Director, said: 'Today's report is clear: the Government is not doing enough to protect threatened wildlife. The RSPB believes the Government must step up to the challenge of reversing biodiversity loss before it is too late.

'Wildlife doesn't have a voice of its own and we are pleased that the EAC has added its voice to that of over a million RSPB members in speaking up for nature.

Cirl Bunting © Peter J Dunn, from the surfbirds galleries

'Our wildlife is a national asset that is being lost at an unacceptable rate. Birds, plants and insects need more wild places where they can flourish and much more attention needs to be given to wildlife's needs in how we farm our fields, manage our forests and fish our seas.

'Biodiversity loss is as big an issue as climate change - both are symptoms of the unsustainable way that we inhabit this planet.

'The economic downturn is no reason for inaction. Wildlife needs help from government now and it must not become collateral damage in pursuit of economic recovery. Preventing the extinction of 32 bird species from the UK's overseas territories for £16m per year is one example of how saving the planet may not be as difficult or as costly as sometimes assumed. Restoring the wildlife richness of our countryside would enrich the lives of millions of people. What we need is political will to make these things happen.'

Alistair Gammell, the RSPB's International Director, added: 'Across Europe and the world, the United Nations fears that one species is becoming extinct every 20 minutes.

'The UK Government, along with other governments, must invest in wildlife conservation if we are to avoid impoverishing our unique and rich planet.

'Today's report urges the Government to adopt a new target of not only halting biodiversity loss by 2020, but also to reverse the decline by this date. This is a wake-up call to protect wildlife, we hope the Government will commit to this new target. Failure will mean the inevitable extinction of many more species.'

The list of species and habitats in urgent need of conservation action has doubled over the last 10 years. There are now 941 species and 56 habitats on the priority list for conservation in England alone. The conservation of biodiversity is now so important it should be given far greater consideration in all Government policies, from planning to energy production.

The RSPB believes that Government conservation action must be accompanied by specific, measurable and achievable targets for species and habitats.

The RSPB recognises good progress has been made on the recovery of some species where targeted conservation action has been taken. Examples of bird conservation successes include: bittern; stone-curlew and the cirl bunting.

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:32 AM | Comments (0)

November 4, 2008

Ups and downs on Suffolk coast

Highlights included a record number of species recorded breeding at RSPB Minsmere, record numbers of stone-curlews at Minsmere, increases in sand martins, little terns and booming bitterns at Minsmere and lapwings at RSPB Boyton Marshes, and the first ever nesting Arctic terns at Minsmere.

Low points included the failure of several bittern nests due to flooding, decreases in sand martins at RSPB North Warren and on the Butley river, limited breeding success for avocets, a relatively poor year for Dartford warblers, and the continued decline in redstarts and spotted flycatchers.

An incredible 102 species were recorded nesting at Minsmere in 2008. Terns had a particularly successful year. One pair of arctic terns attempted to nest at Minsmere for the first time, and a pair of Sandwich terns was the first for several years. Both species nested among the common tern colony on the Scrape, which increased to 86 pairs.

Arctic Terns, Minsmere, June 2008 © Sean Nixon from the surfbirds galleries

On the nearby beach, 41 pairs of little terns reared at least 33 young. This was the most successful season for several years for the UK's second rarest breeding seabird. There were also 43 pairs of common terns at RSPB Havergate Island.

The Minsmere Scrape also attracted a record 758 pairs of black-headed gulls, although the recently arrived Mediterranean gulls declined to two pairs. At Havergate Island, 19 pairs of common gulls bred, and three pairs of great black-backed gulls constituted the largest Suffolk colony! Lesser black-backed and herring gulls at Havergate increased substantially, to 1,185 and 501 pairs respectively.

There was a slight increase in nesting avocets at Minsmere, to 130 pairs, but only four young fledged successfully following heavy spring rainfall. Only 28 pairs nested at Havergate Island, where numbers of oystercatchers fell to 41 pairs. A single black-tailed godwit held territory at Minsmere but failed to attract a mate.

The heavy spring rainfall had a detrimental effect on several reedbed species. Despite an increase to 11 booming male bitterns at Minsmere, there were only seven nesting attempts. Elsewhere, there were three males and two nests at North Warren and three nests at RSPB Dingle Marshes.

Marsh harriers fledged fewer young than in recent years, although there were 15 nests at Minsmere and three at North Warren. At Minsmere, there was a large fall in numbers of sedge warblers, but big increases in both Cetti's and reed warblers, and an increase in calling water rails.

On the grazing marshes, lapwings declined slightly at North Warren but increased at Minsmere, while redshanks remained stable at both sites. Lapwings increased by 60% to 18 pairs at Boyton Marshes, and both lapwing and redshank bred at Grove Marshes, Hollesley for the first time since the RSPB acquired the marshes. A singing quail and two singing spotted crakes were heard for a few nights in June at Minsmere, but nesting is unlikely to have occurred.

One of the most significant successes was an increase to three pairs of stone-curlews at Minsmere – the highest total since these rare nocturnal birds re-colonised the reserve in 2003. They fledged six young. Nightjar and woodlark populations at Minsmere and North Warren remained stable, but there was a small decline in the number of Dartford warblers nesting on the heaths. Yellowhammer numbers declined at Minsmere, following recent national trends.

One species bucking recent trends was the willow warbler, which increased significantly at Minsmere. Unusually, there were seven singing firecrests – one of the UK's smallest birds - at Minsmere and four at North Warren, though it is unknown whether they bred successfully.

Nightingale numbers remained stable, and redstarts are just about maintaining a toehold as a breeding species at Minsmere, but no spotted flycatchers nested this year at either Minsmere or North Warren, mirroring national population declines. There were large falls in turtle dove populations at all sites.

One of the most popular nesting species at Minsmere is the sand martin. After failing to breed for two years, an excellent 182 active burrows were counted outside the tearoom. However, the colony at North Warren declined following the partial collapse of their nesting cliff at Thorpeness, and there was a big decline on the Butley River.

Commenting on the record-breaking season, RSPB spokesman Ian Barthorpe said, 'As many visitors to Minsmere know, the wide variety of habitats always attracts a good selection of birds, and other wildlife. It is a perfect reward for the wardens' hard work that Minsmere attracted so many different nesting species this year. We are especially pleased with the success of Minsmere's little terns and stone-curlews. With better weather next spring, maybe we could break further records in 2009.

'The wet spring weather caused problems for some species, but despite that this was one of the best breeding seasons on record. Many scarce species have clearly benefited from the RSPB's management work. At the same time, many once familiar species are struggling to cope with changes in the wider countryside and the effects of climate change. The plight of turtle doves and spotted flycatchers is of particular concern!'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:45 AM | Comments (0)

Latest survey spells trouble for three seabirds

Analysis of this year's seabird breeding data on RSPB's coastal reserves shows that kittiwakes, Arctic terns and Arctic skuas have had a terrible season, with virtually no chicks reared to fledging in the far north of the UK. Changes in food supply, which may be linked to climate change, could threaten the future of these species in the UK.

The RSPB is calling on all UK administrations to ensure that they put the environment central to the delivery of forthcoming Marine legislation in Westminster, Cardiff Bay, Holyrood and Stormont to ensure it makes a difference for marine wildlife. The UK is internationally important for seabirds; Scotland alone hosts over three million or 45 per cent of the populations nesting in the European Union.

Earlier this year, the RSPB issued a grave prognosis for the breeding season, with many internationally-important colonies left with nests abandoned and empty cliffs which should have been teeming with tens of thousands of seabirds.

Kittiwake © Marcus Ward from the surfbirds galleries

Now the data and colony counts from RSPB reserves have been analysed, the results confirm that many species in the north have again suffered major collapses in breeding success. Worryingly, the evidence again suggests that repeated annual breeding failures are now substantially reducing populations of those species worst affected, with some cliffs that used to support huge colonies experiencing steep population declines in recent years.

Kittiwake:

This year kittiwakes have been hit very hard, particularly on Orkney. At RSPB's Copinsay reserve, a count of the whole colony found only 1881 pairs, a 57% decline on 1999 figures, and at North Hill they have declined by 89% in the same period, with just 14 pairs counted this year. On the Scottish mainland colony at Mull of Galloway, too, the situation for Kittiwakes is bleak, with a 50% reduction in the population since 2005 to just 65 pairs this year.

Arctic skua

The graceful Arctic skua, a bird on the southern edge of its world range in Scotland, is faring no better. RSPB reserves on Shetland and Orkney have seen a 30% decline in nesting pairs in just one year to 65 pairs. Crucially though, these pairs only produced a dismal three chicks to the fledging stage. In ecological terms, this is equivalent to virtually no breeding success this year.

Arctic tern

Arctic terns have also been hit hard, and are now showing evidence of long-term serious decline on reserves in the Northern Isles. On Orkney and Shetland, with just over 1000 nests across Mousa, North Hill and Copinsay abandoned early in the season, these colonies failed to produce any young. Reports from areas away from RSPB reserves suggest that virtually no young Arctic terns were fledged this year from Orkney or Shetland.

Some other seabird species appear to be weathering the storm on RSPB reserves. Great skuas, gannets and cormorants have experienced modest increases in their numbers, while herring gulls have remained stable.

Recent reports of significant declines in plankton biomass indicate major changes in the depths of Atlantic Ocean ecosystems, which could be affecting our seabirds.

Although direct evidence is still lacking, increased winter sea surface temperatures disrupting the food chain are thought to be driving the declines. Temperatures tend to be higher in the northern North Sea in winter than further south. Such changes may be reducing the survival of sandeel larvae, ultimately reducing the abundance of this staple prey item for seabirds in the Northern Isles and chronically undermining their breeding success.

Douglas Gilbert, an ecologist with RSPB Scotland, said: "RSPB Reserves are acting as an indicator of the wider fortunes of seabirds around our coasts. The outlook for some species such as Arctic skua, kittiwake and Arctic tern is dire, and there are problems with other species like guillemots and puffins in some areas too. Unless conditions change to allow these birds the chance of successful breeding, the long-term future for them is bleak. The evidence that this is linked to changes in sea surface temperatures is now growing.”

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

Poison blamed for Ibis' deaths

Rare birds have been found poisoned in a remote Jordanian desert hundreds of miles from their breeding grounds in Turkey.

The three birds, all critically endangered northern bald ibis, were being tracked by satellite after leaving Birecik, south-eastern Turkey, where one of only four colonies of the species remains.

The birds were found close to electricity pylons, 20 miles from the Jordanian capital Amman. Autopsies ruled out electrocution and shooting. Scientists are investigating the source of the poison and think it may have been laid by chicken farmers to kill rodents.

Northern Bald Ibis © Stephen Daly from the surfbirds galleries

Jose Tavares, the RSPB’s Country Programme’s Officer for Turkey, said: “These deaths are heartbreaking but the birds may not have died in vain. They came from a semi-captive population and the fact that they left the colony proves they haven’t lost their migratory instincts.

“The birds flew via Palmyra in Syria, where a tiny colony hangs on, which means birds we release from Turkey next year could join the group in Syria. And, most importantly, we may at last have discovered why young birds rarely if ever return to their breeding grounds. It is a tragedy now but the project could still end in triumph.”

The northern bald ibis is one of the rarest birds in the world numbering just six in Syria and fewer than 500 birds combined in Turkey and Morocco.

Its migratory habits have baffled conservationists for years but in 2006, BirdLife International and the Syrian Government, tracked the 3,800-mile round trip of adult birds from Syria, finding new wintering grounds in Ethiopia.

But young birds were never seen on migration and scientists fear they face mystery threats on an entirely different over-wintering route.

To solve the riddle, Czech expert Lubomir Peske will tag more Turkish birds next year. These birds will be followed to see if they join and boost the numbers of the tiny colony in Palmyra. “That would be a fantastic outcome,” Jose Tavares said.

The tracking project has boosted hopes for northern bald ibis in the Middle East because the continued failure of the Palmyran group to increase its numbers would eventually cause its extinction. Conservationists are now more optimistic they can save them and re-establish a completely wild population in Turkey.

Taner Hatipoglu, the Turkish Government vet overseeing the tagging operation, said: “The deaths of the birds is very serious but we are still hopeful because they all proved they could migrate without any parental guidance.”

Sharif Al Ibour of BirdLife Middle East, who found the dead birds, said: “We know where the adults go but it’s crucial we follow the young birds’ migration route so that we can protect them in winter and help them return to Turkey and Syria to breed.”

Dr Ozge Balkiz of Turkish conservation group Doga Dernegi, said: “The people of Birecik have been hugely supportive. Everyone in Turkey knows that Birecik is the town of the northern bald ibis. The bird is cherished and celebrated by all those who live there and is the gleaming symbol of the town council. Hopefully we will now be able to return these birds to the wild there.”

Jose Tavares said: “This has been an extraordinary detective story. We’re putting the clues together but there are still many more we need to find. Poisoning could turn out to be the underlying reason for the birds’ decline but the fact that they migrated means there is still a future for the northern bald ibis in the Middle East.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:34 AM | Comments (0)

October 24, 2008

Call for action for Irish birds

A new report published by RSPB Northern Ireland and Birdwatch Ireland has identified alarming declines in a number of bird populations across the island of Ireland. Of 199 species assessed, 25 have been allocated to the ‘-'Red List', which names bird populations that require urgent action to secure their future on the island.

The wildlife organisations have published the Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland: 2008-2013 in the scientific journal Irish Birds, their second review of the state of native bird populations across the island of Ireland (the first was published in 1999). The 'traffic light' system makes it easy to identify those birds most in need of conservation action.

Corn Bunting, now considered extinct in Ireland © Stephen Duffield from the surfbirds galleries

Using information collected by professionals and amateur birdwatchers, scientists from the two organisations have allocated bird species to Red, Amber or Green Lists. The 'Red List' includes bird populations that have declined by over 50 per cent and those that are threatened across the world.

The report shows that 11 species have been added to the Red List since the review in 1999:

The sooty and Balearic shearwaters have been added because these birds are of global conservation concern, and the Balearic shearwater is considered to be Critically Endangered – the highest level of extinction threat.

The populations of Bewick's swan, pintail, shoveler, and knot wintering across Ireland have declined by more than half during the last 25 years. The reduction in the number of these species wintering in Ireland has been linked to climate change.

Golden eagle has been added to the Red List because it is now re-established as a breeding bird following its historical decline and extinction in Ireland.

The nesting populations of golden plover, redshank, black-headed gull and herring gull have all declined by more than half over the last 25 years.

Four species have been removed from the Red List, proving the value of conservation work:

The populations of both hen harrier and roseate tern have increased following past declines. Both of these species appear on the UK Red List.

The all-island population of chough is stable or increasing.

Sadly, the corn bunting has been removed from the list because the species is now extinct across Ireland. It has not nested in Ireland since 1992.

Dr James Robinson from the RSPB, a co-author of the report, said: 'This report confirms that we must redouble our efforts to secure the future for many of our most threatened birds. Most of the birds that appear on the 'Red List' have suffered from long-term changes to or loss of the habitats they need to survive.

'However, for some migratory birds, we believe milder winters on the continent are reducing the numbers that visit the island of Ireland in the colder months of the year. This is the first time that changes in climate have been identified as a factor leading to appearance on the ‘Red List’.

Dr. Stephen Newton, co-author of the report from BirdWatch Ireland, added: 'Since our last report in 1999, the situation has worsened for many of Ireland’s birds. Twenty-five species are now allocated to the Red List, with seven added in the time since 1999. We will lose many of these birds from our shores if concerted and immediate action is not taken. It is only a few short years since the corn bunting went extinct as a breeding species here. Many others are now in danger of following suit.

'Of particular concern are our seabirds, migratory waterfowl, and farmland birds. Iconic species such as the barn owl, corncrake, curlew and yellowhammer all face an uncertain future. However, action to help many of these birds is being put in place by BirdWatch Ireland, the RSPB and government agencies. We believe that by working together across this island, the problems faced by our most threatened birds can be overcome to allow recovery.'

The news is not all bad. Both the roseate tern and hen harrier have moved from the 'Red List' to the 'Amber List', demonstrating that nature conservation can work. Both species have benefited from the work of RSPB Northern Ireland, BirdWatch Ireland and the government bodies that are charged with protecting our environment. Others, such as the corncrake and yellowhammer, should follow suit as work continues to improve their fortunes.

Dr. Michael Meharg, from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, said: 'The publication of the new lists will help the NIEA to identify those species that need our help the most. It is essential that conservation organisations within and outside of the government in Northern Ireland now refocus their efforts to help shortening the Red List, improving the future for our wild birds.”

Dr. David Tierney from the National Parks and Wildlife Service added: 'NPWS welcomes the news that both hen harrier and roseate tern have moved from Red to Amber indicating just how effective targeted conservation measures can improve the conservation status of some of Ireland's most threatened birds.

'This list brings into sharp focus those birds that require further research and conservation measures in order to ensure that they remain part of the Irish countryside.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:40 AM | Comments (0)

Rare bird colony showcased in London

House sparrows have been disappearing from our Capital's parks and gardens and RSPB spokesman Tim Webb said: “Central London’s like a desert for house sparrows. It used to be full of them chirping and cheeping away. There’s a small colony on the South Bank that we’ll be showcasing to draw attention to their loss. These small garden birds have all but vanished from the heart of London, but not from the hearts of Londoners.”

RSPB staff and volunteers will be setting up their kit at Bernie Spain Gardens near the Oxo Tower. The sparrows live around the site and regularly visit feeders in the Coin Street Community gardens.

House Sparrow © William Bowell from the surfbirds galleries

London’s house sparrow population dropped 68% between 1994 and 2007, compared with a national drop of 10%. The species, traditionally our most common garden bird, is red-listed; meaning it is of grave conservation concern. The RSPB has invested thousands of pounds in studies to discover the cause of this decline. Initial findings suggest the decrease in insect numbers and a lack of grass seed have contributed to the problem.

Tim added: “We’re working with London council’s to recreate habitat lost to development. People ask why this is so important. Put simply, the loss of insects and sparrows are indicators that the London we live, work and play in was in a terrible condition. Restoring a natural balance provides all Londoners with a healthy environment. Individuals can help by gardening for wildlife on their balconies and in their gardens.”

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

Malta designates protected areas for birds

Malta's decision to designate 11 sites in the Maltese Islands as Special Protection Areas (SPA) for birds and the important Ta' Cenc habitat as Special Area for Conservation will help to safeguard Malta's wildlife and will benefit Maltese residents and the tourism industry.

Along with BirdLife Malta, we have welcomed the move to increasing the number of protected sites in the Maltese islands under the European Natura 2000 network.

To date, BirdLife Malta has identified 11 important bird areas (IBAs), the majority of which are internationally important for three species of seabird: Yelkouan shearwater; storm petrel; and Cory's shearwater.

Cory's Shearwater © Ben Lascelles from the surfbirds galleries

Initially, only four sites were given full protection as Special Protection Areas. Of the remaining important bird areas, six were given partial protection and one, an important seabird site, had been completely excluded from the Special Protection Area network. These areas have now been given the international protection they deserve.

Tolga Temuge, BirdLife Malta's Executive Director, said: 'Designating ecologically important habitats and sites in Malta as protection areas is a critical step to providing Malta's seabirds and other wildlife with appropriate levels of legal protection.

'The next step is to prepare management plans for all these sites so that the Maltese people and tourists can enjoy and benefit more from Malta's unique nature.'

This autumn, BirdLife Malta has reported an increase in the activities of illegal hunting of migratory birds of prey and other species. Buskett Forest, an area important for migratory birds of prey in southern Malta, was already designated as a Special Protection Area.

The RSPB's Grahame Madge, who visited Malta and Buskett Forest this autumn, said: 'Buskett Forest is a refuge for migratory birds of prey passing between Europe and Africa. Worryingly, there were reports of several birds of prey being shot by hunters in the forest.

'The protection of Buskett and other wildlife sites on the islands is extremely welcome, but this protection must be complemented by effective enforcement and greater penalties for those convicted of shooting protected species.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:30 AM | Comments (0)

October 19, 2008

President Bush throws threatened albatrosses a lifeline

In the twilight of his presidency, George W. Bush has recognised the international importance the United States has for protecting globally-threatened seabirds, including albatrosses.

The President has brought The Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) to the US Senate for approval. “I believe the Agreement to be fully in the U.S. interest”, wrote President Bush.

ACAP is an international treaty protecting seabirds. “Its provisions advance the U.S. goals of protecting albatrosses and petrels. I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Agreement and give its advice and consent to accession”, stated President Bush.

“Albatrosses and petrels are facing growing threats, but if we move quickly on the provisions contained in this treaty, they stand a chance for survival,” said Betsy Loyless, Audubon's (BirdLife in America) Senior Vice President for Policy.

Laysan Albatross, vitually confined to the US' Hawaiian islands © Glen Tepke, from the surfbirds galleries

“Seabirds tell us much about the health of the world's oceans and ACAP offers a united approach to seabird conservation. President Bush's recommendation for the United States to approve ACAP is welcome support for this urgent legislation”, commented Dr Stephen Kress, Audubon's Vice President for Bird Conservation.

The USA will join twelve countries currently parties of the treaty: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, France, Ecuador, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Republic of South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom.

“Seabirds are among the most magnificent and threatened birds on earth, yet are often overlooked,” said George Fenwick, president of American Bird Conservancy. “We applaud the President for extending his support of migratory birds to this vulnerable group.”

It is hoped the U.S. Senate will now ratify the treaty and produce laws implementing the agreement. “We strongly urge the Senate to approve the treaty as quickly as possible”, commented John Croxall, Chair of BirdLife’s Global Seabird Programme. “U.S. participation in ACAP offers an important opportunity to engage other countries in the protection of seabirds when they range outside of U.S. waters”.

Laysan Albatross, vitually confined to the US' Hawaiian islands © Steve Bird, from the surfbirds galleries

The United States has been an active participant in the work of the Agreement, attending both preparatory meetings and subsequent meetings of ACAP’s Advisory Committee and Meeting of the Parties. “It has been, and continues to be, very influential in international efforts to conserve these magnificent global wanderers,” said Warren Papworth, ACAP Executive Secretary. “By joining the Agreement, the United States will send a clear message to the international community of its resolve to prevent the extinction of albatrosses and petrels.”

Eighteen of the world’s 22 species of albatross are facing extinction, and ten of these are considered to Endangered or Critically Endangered – the highest levels of threat under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Birds.

The most important threats to these species are accidental deaths in longline and trawl fisheries, and loss of eggs and chicks to introduced predators on breeding islands. Solving these problems requires coordinated efforts by governments, scientists, fishermen, and conservation organisations.

“Migratory species such as seabirds cannot be protected by the actions of one country alone”, added Ben Sullivan BirdLife’s Global Seabird Programme Coordinator. “International coordination, such as that offered by ACAP, is the only way to ensure that our future generations will also be able to enjoy these birds.”

The Albatross Task Force (ATF), which is funded by the RSPB, is a major grass-roots contribution by BirdLife International to meeting ACAP’s goals. The ATF is the world’s first international team of mitigation instructors working with fishermen on land and on deck, along with government agencies, to reduce seabird bycatch. ATF instructors routinely show that the adoption of conservation measures are both operationally and economically effective.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:21 AM | Comments (0)

October 6, 2008

It's time to get tough with illegal Maltese bird hunters

The illegal shooting of birds of prey and other protected species in the Maltese islands has peaked this autumn, prompting renewed calls from BirdLife Malta and the RSPB for tougher action to be taken by the Maltese authorities against the illegal hunters.

Over the past two weeks, birdwatchers from all over Europe have visited the island to assess the population of migrating birds and to witness and record the slaughter for themselves. The two-week programme, known as the Raptor Camp, was organised by BirdLife Malta – the RSPB’s partner in the Maltese islands.

Honey Buzzard © Stephen Daly, from the surfbirds galleries

Dr Andre Raine, BirdLife Malta’s conservation manager, said: 'Many observers have commented this is the worst season in recent years.'

The RSPB’s Grahame Madge, who attended the Raptor Camp, said: 'To anyone who hasn’t seen it for themselves, the scale of the slaughter beggars belief.

'A rogue element of the island’s 12,000 hunters will blast at anything that flies, and casualties from the two weeks included a black stork, herons, bee-eaters and many birds of prey.

'Lying on a major migration route across the Mediterranean, birds pass over the islands in extremely large numbers. On good days for migration, when several hundred birds of prey pass through, and the hunters are stirred into a frenzy – desperate to shoot as many as possible, even within protected areas.

'On one day, I witnessed a large movement of honey buzzards and other birds of prey. The hunters could clearly be seen identifying the best vantage points in a bid to shoot them. Sadly, I also watched the death throes of a mortally wounded honey buzzard that had to be put down by a vet.

'Visiting Malta this month has been the only occasion in my three decades of watching birds when I’ve not wanted to see great views of birds of prey; when I saw a marsh harrier or a honey buzzard flying low, I was just praying that it climbed higher to soar beyond the reach of the hunters’ guns.'

Seventeen birds of prey with verified gunshot injuries have been received by BirdLife Malta during the Raptor Camp. On two separate days, four were received each day.

Dr Andre Raine, added: 'If BirdLife Malta can receive 17 birds of prey with confirmed gunshot injuries in eight days, then the actual number of protected birds that are being shot throughout the country must be very high. The chances of a shot bird being brought to the BirdLife Malta offices are low since the birds we receive have to escape the hunter who shot them and then be found by someone willing to hand them over to us. Therefore, this really is only the tip of the iceberg.'

Two of the birds, a marsh harrier and a honey buzzard, were found by Raptor Camp participants within a protected area known as Buskett Forest, highlighting a worrying trend that hunters are now returning to areas where they had been successfully removed in the past.

'It seems that hunters feel they can simply do as they please,' continued Dr Raine. 'The government must crack down on illegal hunters, otherwise the slaughter will continue over the coming weeks.'

BirdLife Malta states that the scale of illegal hunting suggests that the culprits are more than the 'the very few untouchables' as suggested by FKNK, a body representing hunters on the islands.

Bird of prey migration will continue over Malta until mid-October. It can be expected that there will be several more days in the coming weeks when large numbers of these birds will gather over the islands.

Geoffrey Saliba, BirdLife Malta’s campaign co-ordinator, said: 'If our government does not stop seeing the hunting issue as an argument between two sides, the slaughter will continue. Illegal hunting across Malta is a national and international problem and a criminal act that defies national and international law and it must be stopped now.'

'The only way to put a stop to the killing is to make sure that those who are found guilty of these crimes are punished to the fullest extent of the law. The fines for those caught hunting illegally must be increased and the hunting licenses of repeat offenders must be cancelled. If the government is serious about curbing illegal hunting, the police should be given the resources needed to counter the unacceptable level of hunting.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:59 AM | Comments (0)

Bempton Cliffs bucks seabird trend - but puffin numbers fall

Spectacular changes in the populations of seabirds breeding at RSPB Bempton Cliffs have highlighted the international importance of the Yorkshire coast for marine wildlife.

At a time when seabird populations have collapsed elsewhere, dramatic increases in gannets and guillemots identified during this year’s census of the birds nesting at RSPB Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head have put the area into the top seabird sites in the UK.

But among the good news about the health of some of the famous seabirds is the bad news that numbers of puffins are declining - a stark reminder of the ever-increasing need to better safeguard our seabirds.

Gannet, Bempton Cliffs © Steve Valentine, from the surfbirds galleries

A full census of the cliffs during this year’s breeding season has revealed that more than 200,000 birds were at Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head.

The RSPB’s Keith Clarkson, who has led the colony count, said: 'RSPB Bempton Cliffs is home to England’s only mainland gannet colony and the growth in numbers of this awesome bird over the last 40 years has been phenomenal. There were only 20 pairs here in 1988. Now, just 20 years later, there are a staggering 6,000 pairs – with a further 2,500 youngsters trying to establish nesting sites.'

Keith went on: 'This success story is mirrored by the guillemots on the reserve. They have increased by 25% since the last full colony count in 2000. This year, nearly 60,000 birds were counted on the cliffs, making RSPB Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head the third largest colony in the UK.

'The success of the guillemots is even more important when taken against the background of the equally spectacular declines in numbers reported from their traditional strongholds in northern Scotland. This demonstrates the increasing importance of Bempton Cliffs in particular, and the North Sea in general, for these birds. It also illustrates how important it is for us to ensure the highest level of protection for these birds when they leave the protection of Bempton and head off out to sea,' said Keith.

However, it’s not all good news.

'Perhaps the most worrying statistic to come out of this survey is what’s happening to our puffins,' said Keith. 'Everyone loves puffins, whether it’s birdwatchers or the thousands of tourists who flock to Bempton every year in the hope catching a glimpse of these brilliant little birds.

Puffin, Bempton Cliffs © Steve Valentine, from the surfbirds galleries

Sadly, they appear to have declined by around two thirds across the whole colony. Puffins are notoriously difficult to count because they nest in burrows, cracks and crevices, so this figure can only be a rough guide to what’s happening. But it does mirror similar declines on the Isle of May and the Farne Islands, in Northumberland, raising serious concerns about the future of these iconic little birds.'

RSPB Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head still supports the largest kittiwake colony in the UK, with nearly 38,000 pairs nesting on the cliffs this year. However, the 13% recorded decline since 2000 comes at a time when breeding populations of this species are under threat across the UK, providing a worrying reminder of the work that still needs to be done to safeguard the future of these birds.

'These changes, with winners and losers, highlight the complexity of issues affecting our seabirds,' Keith went on.

'Now, more than ever before, we need to ensure that the Government’s forthcoming Marine Bill has the teeth to safeguard our seabirds and the marine environment that they depend upon. It is only with this kind of strong legislation that sites like RSPB Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head can continue to support flourishing seabird populations into the future,' he added.

Robbie Fisher, Natural England's marine advisor, said: "This survey confirms the status of Flamborough Head as a wildlife site of international importance. The highs and lows of this seabird count illustrate that we cannot take this special area for granted. As the Government's advisor on nature conservation, Natural England will continue to work with the RSPB and others to ensure that this spectacular colony is protected for everyone to enjoy, now and in the future.

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

October 4, 2008

Sad end for tagged Loch Garten osprey

One of the two ospreys from the famous Loch Garten nest, which were fitted with satellite tags for the first time this year, sadly seems to have died while on migration. The transmitter fitted to Deshar, the male bird, shows him to be at zero speed and negative altitude in mid-Atlantic suggesting that the young osprey has ditched into the ocean.

Deshar and his sister Nethy set out from Strathspey in mid August, but spent most of September in the South of England, building up their strength before the arduous 3000 mile onward journey to West Africa. Deshar unfortunately headed West a bit too soon, out into the open Atlantic, and seems to have run out of options and energy.


Osprey © Rebecca Nason, from the surfbirds galleries

People have been following the birds migration for the first time ever at www.rspb.org.uk/ospreytracking following on from the huge popularity of the blog, and the nestcam. Over the summer, more than 200 000 unique visitors logged on to see the birds growing up in the nest at Loch Garten, with many leaving comments on the blog.

RSPB Scotland Site Manager at Loch Garten Richard Thaxton said "We're very sad to have lost Deshar, we are gutted, but it just goes to show what mirgrant birds face when they make these epic journeys. As newly fledged birds, they venture out into the unknown, they have to contend with harsh weather and disorientation and this shows how easily things can go wrong for them. Deshar appears to have flown nigh-on 2000 miles non-stop as he desperately tried to find landfall. The satellite data showed, unknown to him of course, that he was heading for the Azores, but he missed the islands and continued on out into mid-Atlantic and he eventually just ran out of fuel, poor fellow"

The tracking has not been in vain as it has told us so many things not known before, about the routes of migrant ospreys, the speed and altitude at which they migrate, where they have stopped along the way and for how long. It is just a shame that unfortunately Deshar heas been unsuccessful.

Meanwhile though his sister Nethy is currently doing fine, making gradual steps south towards West Africa, presently in France.

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:37 AM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2008

UK's smallest breeding seabird weathers the storm

Seabird monitoring on RSPB Ramsey Island this summer has revealed that storm petrels, the UK's smallest breeding seabird, are showing signs of breeding on the island for the first time on record.

Greg Morgan, RSPB Ramsey Island warden, discovered five sites with resident storm petrels on the west coast of the island during monitoring sessions in July.

Storm Petrel © Toby Collett, from the surfbirds galleries

Greg said: 'Storm petrels nest underground in burrows and inside rock crevices so we use a recently developed method of checking whether a potential nest site is occupied. We play a tape-recording of the male bird's call at the entrance to likely habitat and listen for a response.

'Repeat visits are needed to capture all the responses for an area as not all birds respond all the time. This is quite time consuming so a full survey will be carried out in 2009. However, given that we had responses from five sites on several different visits this year during the breeding season, we are confident that the birds were breeding here.'

The discovery of the nest sites is extremely encouraging and is testament to the success of the rat eradication project, carried out on the island in 1999. Manx shearwaters, another ground nesting seabird, have also increased in numbers over recent years.

Greg continued:
'Rats found their way onto the island around 200 years ago, probably from shipwrecks. Nine years ago we made a concerted effort to eradicate the rat population to make the island a more suitable nesting site for certain bird species. The arrival of storm petrels here is a sign that our conservation efforts are working and we hope to see their numbers increase here over the years to come.'

Storm petrels have a later breeding season than many other seabirds, so if the birds have produced young this year, they could be expected to fledge during the next month. The birds will then leave the island to spend winter off the coast of South Africa but it is hoped that they will return again in May for another breeding season.

Other breeding seabirds monitored on Ramsey Island this year had a productive season, including kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots.

Though the cliff-nesting seabirds have left the breeding colonies to spend winter at sea, September and October are great months to visit Ramsey Island and see hundreds of Atlantic grey seal pups on its beaches. To find out more about how to get there, visit www.rspb.org.uk/reserves. or to book your trip, contact Thousand Island Expeditions (01437) 721 721.

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:39 AM | Comments (0)

Red kites soar in 2008

The Scottish red kite population is now at its highest level for 200 years following one of the best ever breeding seasons this year, and an ongoing reintroduction project around Aberdeen. The Scottish population now stands at 122 breeding pairs, with the UK population as a whole growing to an estimated 1200 breeding pairs.

Red kites were once common all over the British Isles, before widespread killing of the birds in Victorian times led to only a few pairs surviving in mid-Wales. In 1989, the UK reintroduction project began in the South of England and the North of Scotland, and the fruits of this project are now paying off.

The healthy growth of the UK red kite population since reintroduction began in the late 1980's is increasing the UK's importance for the species globally, with 1200 pairs representing around 5% of the world population.

Red Kite © Sue Tranter, from the surfbirds galleries

Red kites are almost entirely confined to Europe, and the species is faring badly in many other countries, with population declines recorded in the main breeding areas of Germany, France and Spain. Land use changes, illegal poisoning, and rodenticide poisoning have been affecting populations, with the species now classified as “near threatened” by the World Conservation Union due to their population declines in Europe.

In Scotland, highlights of the 2008 season have been:

In north Scotland there were 46 breeding pairs of red kites, which fledged 82 young. This is the first real population increase since 2001 and is a heartening development.

In central Scotland, 45 breeding pairs fledged 75 young. This is a substantial increase of 11 breeding pairs on last year’s total, with particular population increases in west Perthshire.

In Dumfries and Galloway, 30 breeding pairs fledged 53 young, and this was an increase from 21 pairs with 38 young in 2007. A kite from the 'indigenous' Welsh red kite population was involved in one of these pairs - the first confirmed occurence of a Welsh red kite breeding in Scotland, and a sign that the UK population is mixing and recovering strongly.

The first breeding attempt by a pair of red kites on the edge of Aberdeen City. These birds were only a year old, having been released in the area last year in the first of a three year reintroduction project. Red kites usually don't breed until they are 2-3 years old, and unfortunately the eggs didn't survive due to the immaturity and inexperience of the birds. However, this represents the first time red kites have bred in this area for 150 years or more. In 2008, the second year of the Aberdeen reintroduction, a further 35 birds were released.

Interestingly, a bird initially released in Galloway in 1991, and which bred for 2-3 years in Central Scotland, has now returned to breed successfully in Galloway in 2008. This is the first time that such a return movement of an established breeding bird to breed in its release area has been recorded.

Duncan Orr-Ewing, Head of Species and Land Management at RSPB Scotland said:
“The red kite reintroduction is a real Scottish success story and a credit to the very many landowners, foresters and farmers who work with us and enjoy having the red kite around as part of their daily lives. Looking ahead, we hope that the red kite will recover most of its former range and become a familiar sight once again in towns and villages as well as the countryside all over Scotland.”

Andy Douse, Senior Ornithologist with Scottish Natural Heritage said:
"It's terrific that this has been such a good year for red kites, especially given the concerns over how slowly it has been growing in previous years. The increases in the North of Scotland are particularly welcome given that this was one of the first locations for red kite releases. SNH is grateful for all the help and support from land managers and the public keen to see this fantastic bird a common site across Scotland once again."

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:31 AM | Comments (0)

Return of saltmarsh aids flood defence and wildlife

A huge area of the Ribble estuary is to be returned to saltmarsh in the biggest scheme of its kind in the UK.

In a joint project between the Environment Agency and the RSPB, the sea wall around part of Hesketh Out Marsh on the estuary was breached on Tuesday (16 September), allowing the area behind it to flood.

The whole area was a natural saltmarsh until the 1980s, when local landowners built flood defences and reclaimed it as farmland.

Golden Plover © Barry Stewart, from the surfbirds galleries

It is hoped that returning part of the site to its natural state will reduce the risk of flooding to the surrounding area and create a large area - 168 hectares - of important wildlife habitat.

The scheme, which also has the backing of Lancaster City Council and Natural England, will create a highly effective natural flood defence, with the saltmarsh absorbing the energy of the tide as it moves up the estuary.

In addition, the Environment Agency is repairing the original sea defences further inland and will protect farmland on the eastern side of Hesketh Out Marsh with a new sea wall.

John Collins, Environment Agency Area Manager said: 'This project is a fantastic example of how we are working more closely with the natural environment to manage flood risk. By assessing the land and its historical patterns and taking into account how flooding is likely to impact over the coming years, we are able to create effective, sustainable solutions to managing flood risk.'

By allowing the tide to naturally flow through the area, creating muddy creeks and saline lagoons, the project creates habitat for breeding waders, wildfowl, invertebrates and fish.

When the flood improvement work is complete, the RSPB will take over the management of the land.

Laurence Rose, the RSPB’s Regional Director, said: 'The Ribble is one of the most important estuaries in the UK for birds. This inspirational project promises to further enhance that importance by providing a fantastic area of new saltmarsh.

'This will offer a place to breed for wading birds such as lapwing, redshank, avocet and oystercatcher, while acting as a vital wintering ground for species like pink-footed geese, whooper swans, wigeons, teals and golden plovers.

'We are very grateful for the work carried out by the Environment Agency to help us create what will be a wonderful, wet and wild landscape.'

The project is grateful for the financial support of Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan, Lancaster City Council and Biffaward.

The Ribble Coast and Wetlands area is one of Europe's most special places for wildlife. The area supports internationally significant populations of birds. An average of 340,000 avian visitors per year make it one of the most important wetland places in Britain for migratory and breeding birds.

The area's environmental significance together with its location between Merseyside and the Lake District resulted in its being recognised as a potential regional park for the north west. A wide-ranging partnership of local organisations is backing the proposals for a Ribble Coast & Wetlands Regional Park.

Posted by Surfbirds at 9:25 AM | Comments (0)

September 14, 2008

Where are all the harriers?

Numbers of hen harriers – England’s most threatened bird of prey - are flat lining with no sign of a recovery.

Latest figures from the RSPB and Natural England show the English population bumping along the bottom, with just 10 successful nests from 19 attempts in 2008.

Hen Harrier © Bill Baston, from the surfbirds galleries

Last year saw 14 successful nests from 23 attempts and since 1994, the number of successful nests in England has never exceeded 15. This is despite estimates that the country’s uplands could support at least 200 breeding pairs.

The RSPB’s Director of Conservation, Dr Mark Avery, said: 'There is no natural reason why hen harrier numbers are so low. If there is no illegal killing, as some grouse-shooting interests would have us believe, then where are the missing birds?

'This year’s numbers are a huge disappointment given the good track record of lowland land managers in helping to conserve iconic birds of prey like the red kite.'

The Forest of Bowland in Lancashire remains the hen harriers’ stronghold with 14 of this year’s 19 nesting attempts. Much of the land is managed by United Utilities and their estate saw 10 attempts, seven of which were successful. Surrounding driven grouse moors saw four attempts, one of which was successful.

Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England, said: 'Results for 2008 show that Bowland continues to be the stronghold for hen harriers in England – a situation achieved through working in partnership with shooting interests, landowners and managers. This pocket of birds is now a snap shot of what should be a national situation.'

However, Sir Martin warned: 'Small populations of species can be highly vulnerable to chance events and we cannot literally have all our eggs in one basket. If we lose the hen harrier in Bowland, we could lose it in England. We must have a much larger and widespread population of this fantastic upland bird.'

Away from Bowland, there were five breeding attempts in Northern England, two of which were successful. In one, five chicks successfully fledged from a nest in Northumberland, proving a huge draw to people keen to see these fantastic birds.

A breeding attempt in the Peak District failed when, after a period of display, nest building and mating, the female bird was not seen again. A second female then paired with the male bird but sightings of this female also ended abruptly.

This means that, once again, no harriers bred on large areas of ideal habitat managed as grouse moors in the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors.

The RSPB has challenged upland landowners to help increase hen harrier numbers to 40 breeding pairs by 2010, with half of those on grouse moors. This year’s results show much remains to be done to achieve even this modest target.

Dr Avery said: 'We want to work with shooting interests to increase hen harrier numbers but moorland owners and managers have to stop pretending illegal killing isn’t happening so we can all work together to stop it.'

Sir Martin said: 'Natural England will continue to work with landowners countrywide to increase the hen harrier’s range. Our monitoring work to tag and track the birds from Bowland will help us understand more about their behaviour as they travel around the country throughout the year.'

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

September 7, 2008

Britain's booming bird busts previous records

The bittern - a shy heron that was formerly extinct in Britain – has enjoyed its best nesting season for at least 130 years, according to an RSPB and Natural England survey.

Surveyors, listening for the male bittern’s distinctive ‘booming’ song, recorded 75 male bitterns in English reedbeds, an increase of 47 per cent on 2007’s figures and a staggering 581 per cent increase in the numbers recorded in 1997, when the UK population plummeted to a recent low of just 11 booming males, all in England. The number of English counties hosting booming bitterns has also increased to 10, rising from eight in 2007 and four in 1997.

Bittern © Darren AP Ward, from the surfbirds galleries

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s conservation director, said: “The bittern has suffered an ill-fated history in the UK, having endured extinction once and having been on the verge of extinction again in the late 1990s.”

Although currently confined to England, the bittern was formerly widespread across the UK, where it has endured a boom-and-bust history. In 1886, the bittern stopped nesting in the UK, after drainage of wetlands, and persecution pushed the bird to extinction. Bitterns recolonised the UK in 1911, when birds were found breeding again in the Norfolk Broads.

Dr Mark Avery added: “We weren’t prepared to accept a second extinction of the bittern, so we launched a rescue bid to keep the bittern as a British bird. This bid has been so successful that a wide range of other wildlife has benefited too. There are too many threatened species in the world and the turning around of the UK’s bittern population shows what can be achieved with a combination of practical determination, proper research and appropriate funding.”

Researchers believe this year’s bumper population is directly linked to the very wet winter, which provided ideal feeding conditions for female bitterns, allowing them to get into breeding condition. Overall, the bittern population is increasing because of large-scale recreation and management of reedbeds.

Dr Pete Brotherton, Head of Biodiversity for Natural England, said: “This year’s figures are a fantastic achievement and show that we can bring species back from the brink of extinction. You would probably have to go back at least 130 years to find a better year for this booming bird.”

Part of this bittern rescue package focused on identifying the reasons behind the bird’s decline. Research showed that the bittern’s future in the UK is entirely dependent on continued efforts to manage and recreate reedbeds – the bird’s principle watery habitat.

“Despite our success, there’s still much more to do. We are working to halt the loss and fragmentation of the country’s wetlands and to create new ones,” continued Dr Brotherton. “We know bitterns can thrive on coastal and inland freshwater wetlands, and we are confident that we can extend its range still further so that more people can enjoy its distinctive booming call.”

Joan Ruddock, Minister for Wildlife, said: “It is vitally important that we conserve our rich variety of wildlife such as the bittern and that is why the Government works with conservation groups like the RSPB on these projects. This year's wet weather has helped the bittern population which shows the real impact of small changes in our climate. Understanding the impact of these changes is key to conserving our wildlife, and taking forward effective management of habitats.”

One of the key concerns with the UK’s bittern population in the 1990s was that reedbeds were drying out, preventing the bird from finding enough food. Two massive projects involving funding from the European Union’s Life Fund has helped to restore or recreate reedbed sites making them more suitable for bitterns.

East Anglia is still the stronghold of the UK bittern population. But, here a high proportion of the bitterns using freshwater reedbeds along the coast are threatened by rising sea levels. Conservationists hope that the spread of the bittern, including to other parts of the UK, will help to give the bittern a more secure future, away from more vulnerable sites.

The strongholds of the UK bittern population are Suffolk and Norfolk, with the counties hosting more than two thirds of the overall numbers of booming males. With 10 booming males, Cambridgeshire also hosts a sizeable part of the UK bittern population. Lincolnshire hosts six booming males, while East Yorkshire, Somerset and Kent held two booming males each, while Lancashire, Hertfordshire and Cumbria each held a single booming male.

The Bittern Monitoring Programme is jointly funded through Action for Birds in England, a conservation partnership between Natural England and the RSPB.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:56 AM | Comments (0)

Hard choices at Titchwell

The RSPB has been forced to take radical action to save one of its best-loved reserves from the sea.

Titchwell Marsh on the north Norfolk coast faces inundation by the North Sea, which is slowly but surely eroding the 30-year-old sea walls that protect it.

To stave off catastrophe the RSPB has decided it must allow the sea to reclaim part of the reserve in order to save the rest.

Pectoral Sandpiper © Steve Morgan, a near annual rarity at Titchwell,
from the surfbirds galleries

If the waters were to break through then the entire reserve, a mix of brackish and fresh water marshes and scarce reedbed, will be lost along with rare breeding birds like the bittern and marsh harrier.

The loss of the reserve would also hit the local economy, with Titchwell Marsh employing local people and attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the area every year.

Under the scheme, the sea wall will be moved back behind the present brackish marsh, which will be allowed to return to tidal saltmarsh.

This will allow new and improved sea defences to protect the fresh water marsh and the reedbeds with their precious breeding bitterns from the rising tides. At the same time visitor facilities will be enhanced and it is hoped the newly created saltmarsh will become an attraction in its own right.

While Titchwell’s iconic avocets nest on islands in the brackish marsh, some have already moved to the adjacent fresh water marsh. In addition, the RSPB plans to create new sites nesting sites at its Freiston Shore and Frampton Marsh reserves, some 19 miles away as the avocet flies, on the Lincolnshire side of The Wash.

The work carried out at Titchwell Marsh should secure the much-loved site’s future for at least 50 years, by which time the danger of further erosion may have passed.

Rob Coleman, the reserve’s manager, said: “I know this is a huge change for Titchwell and for the very many people who share our deep love for the reserve, but the need to go ahead with this scheme was clear.

“We faced a stark choice between sacrificing the brackish marsh or losing the whole site to the sea.

“In drawing up these changes we have listened hard to local people and to visitors. As a result, the new-look site will keep and improve on all the things that make Titchwell special for them.”

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:49 AM | Comments (0)

Spoonbill scoop for Scotland

A pair of spoonbills have successfully bred for the first time in Scotland and for only the second time in the UK in the last four centuries.

A pair of these elegant birds - named for their bizarre spatula-like bills - have raised and fledged three chicks on Kirkcudbright Bay in Dumfries and Galloway.

It is only the second time the species has bred in the UK after a pair nested successfully in 1998. This was the first successful UK breeding attempt for 330 years.

Spoonbills © Steve Valentine, from the surfbirds galleries

The birds were discovered by Keith Kirk, a countryside ranger for Dumfries and Galloway Council, after a tip-off from local contact Gary McKie, who runs wildlife watching boat trips into the bay and up the River Dee.

With pure white plumage, lanky dark legs and their long, bizarre-shaped bills, the birds make a rare and arresting sight on the mudflats and marshes of British wetlands and lagoons. They use the bill to feed - sweeping it back and forth with the bill slightly open, it filters out small invertebrates, crustaceans, amphibians and small fish disturbed from the sediment by vigorous paddling of their feet.

There are normally about 75 records of the species in the UK a year, but these are usually non-breeding birds and confined to coastal sites in north west and south west England, and East Anglia. They can nest on the ground or in trees, and tend to stay close to related species including herons and egrets.

Keith Kirk said: 'There was one adult bird in early June, then another joined it in the couple of weeks following that. Now they have been seen with three juveniles. We have taken a boat out and watched them, and two of youngsters were coming in behind the adults, clattering their bills and begging to be fed, and one of the adults appeared to turn round and give it a feed. We haven't seen the nest, as it's a very secluded and inaccessible area, but with the way they were behaving I'm sure this is a successful breeding attempt, which is brilliant news for us.'

He added: 'In the past Dumfries and Galloway has probably not been everyone's first thought for wildlife watching in Scotland, but this just goes to show what an amazing spectacle is on offer here. We haven't got capercaillie, ptarmigan or crested tit, but pretty much everything else Scotland has to offer in terms of great wildlife is all here'.

Chris Rollie, RSPB Scotland's area manager for Dumfries and Galloway, said: 'A pair of spoonbills attempted to nest at our Mersehead reserve about 20 miles east down the Solway coast in 2000, but they didn't produce any eggs, so it's absolutely fantastic that they've now managed to succeed and have produced three healthy chicks that have fledged.

'It is quite likely that this pair's breeding success has been helped by the fact that spoonbills are listed on Annex 1 of the Birds Directive, giving them and their wetland habitats extra protection. This has probably been a factor in allowing the nearest large colony in Holland to expand in both its size and range, and we are now seeing the first benefits of this in Scotland. It's just superb news.'

It is likely that, after moving round Dumfries and Galloway, the birds will then migrate south, perhaps back to Holland or southern Europe and north Africa, where they will spend the winter before hopefully returning back to Kirkcudbright to breed again next year.

Before their extinction in the UK, nearly 350 years ago, spoonbills were reasonably widespread in southern England and Wales.

Posted by Surfbirds at 7:41 AM | Comments (0)

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.

Posted by Surfbirds at 1:44 PM | Comments (0)

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.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 1:32 PM | Comments (0)

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 spotted woodpecker; wheatear; willow tit; nightingale and turtle dove. The wryneck also used to be a regular nesting bird in the UK, but it longer nests regularly and is now effectively extinct as a breeding bird in the UK. The crested lark and serin do not occur as regularly nesting species, although the serin has nested in England on several occasions.

The ten species that have shown the greatest declines in Europe between 1980 and 2005 are:

Crested lark (95 per cent decline)
Lesser spotted woodpecker (81 per cent decline)
Grey partridge (79 per cent decline)
Wryneck (74 per cent decline)
Wheatear (70 per cent decline)
Nightingale (63 per cent decline)
Turtle dove (62 per cent decline)
Willow tit (58 per cent decline)
Lapwing (51 per cent decline)
Serin (41 per cent decline)

Although 56 species have declined in Europe, in contrast, 29 species have increased, while the populations of a further 27 species have been found to be stable. Because of a lack of data it has not been possible to assess the long-term population trends of 12 species.

Across Europe, the species that have shown the greatest increases in Europe between 1980 and 2005 are:

Hawfinch (658 per cent increase)
Collared flycatcher (182 per cent increase)
Raven (118 per cent increase)
Blackcap (82 per cent increase)
Common buzzard (80 per cent increase)
Black woodpecker (77 per cent increase)
Woodpigeon (71 per cent increase)
Collared dove (59 per cent increase)
Chiffchaff (56 per cent increase)
Green woodpecker (43 per cent increase)

As the Chairman of the European Bird Census Council and Head of Monitoring and Indicators at the RSPB, Dr Richard Gregory led the study. He said: 'Unsurprisingly, some of the ten species, such as the collared dove, that have shown the greatest increases in Europe are birds that don’t rely on specialist habitats and have taken advantage of new opportunities.'

'The increases in buzzard and raven are encouraging as the European populations of both birds appear to be bouncing back after decades of unwarranted persecution.'

Dr Gregory added 'We know that birds can be excellent indicators of change and although the overall picture is bleak, there are signs of recovery and we have the knowledge to help many of these birds.

'For the first time ever, we are able to look at European birds in near real time and we are making important discoveries. This is all thanks to the fantastic cooperation of thousands of expert ornithologists right across Europe. It is vital that such essential work continues into the future'.

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

December 17, 2007

New European protected sites for rare birds

RSPB Scotland today applauded the Scottish Government after it announced the designation of two new Special Protection Areas that will be protected under European law.

Oronsay & South Colonsay and Renfrewshire Heights have been afforded the highest level of protection that can be given to the rare birds that live there.

Hen Harrier © Pete Hadfield, from the surfbirds galleries

Stuart Housden, director of RSPB Scotland, said: 'This is a very welcome addition to the network of internationally protected sites recognised for their rare habitats and the birds and wildlife that they support. It will provide significant extra protection for choughs, corncrakes and Hen Harriers - all of which have suffered long-term population declines and loss of range, not only in the UK but in many parts of western Europe.

'The challenge now is to make sure that land managers get the necessary support to guarantee that the sites are preserved, and this must include assistance for extensive cattle and sheep systems, which work together to provide both food and habitat for these birds.

He added: 'RSPB already manages Oronsay as a nature reserve, where the public can see these species amongst many other thrilling wildlife spectacles.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:42 PM | Comments (0)

November 30, 2007

Iconic birds soar higher

Scotland's breeding population of white-tailed eagles has risen dramatically to its highest number since the reintroduction programme began more than 30 years ago.

There are now 42 territorial breeding pairs of the UK's biggest raptor, an increase of 6 pairs since 2006. It has also been the most successful year in terms of chicks produced, with 24 successful broods fledging a total of 34 young birds.

White-tailed Sea Eagle, Highland, August 2007 © Steve Round, from the surfbirds galleries

The ongoing monitoring of white tailed eagles is conducted by the Sea Eagle Project team, which includes Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland and the RSPB.

Skye, Mull and the Western Isles remain the core population area since the white-tailed eagle was brought back from extinction by reintroduction programmes, but they are now beginning to significantly expand this range.

There are probably now around 200 sea eagles in Scotland, giving tourists and wildlife watching enthusiasts their best ever chance of witnessing these spectacular and inspiring birds often referred to as ‘flying barn doors’ due to their sheer size.

This latest increase in the white-tailed eagle population coincides with plans to establish a population across Scotland by introducing chicks taken from nests in Norway to the east coast.

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:17 PM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2007

Action needed to help wildlife weather the storm

The breeding grounds for some of the UK's rarest birds have narrowly escaped the storm surge that swept down the coast of East Anglia this week.

In the wake of the surge, the RSPB has called for urgent Government action to create large areas of important habitat like reedbeds further inland to prepare for the day when the sea claims large areas of the English coast.

Freshwater reedbeds along the coasts and Broads of Norfolk and Suffolk are home to more than 70 per cent of the UK's breeding male bitterns. There were just 51 breeding males recorded this year, with 37 in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Bittern © Steve Round, breeding habitat suffers, from the surfbirds galleries

Several areas have flooded however, including reedbeds at the RSPB's reserve at Dingle Marshes in Suffolk and the neighbouring NNR at Walberswick, both considered prime bittern habitat.

For the first time, the sea has also managed to overtop the wall protecting the large Westwood Marshes reedbed on the site.

Saltwater is still pouring into the reedbeds at the Society's Strumpshaw Fen reserve, killing large numbers of fish in the second major flood in as many years. No bitterns are likely to breed there next spring, while other birds and otters are likely to be short of food.

It is estimated more than 1,000 hectares of freshwater reedbeds and grazing marsh will be lost to flooding and erosion along the coasts of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex in the near future.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB's director of conservation, said: 'This has been a close run thing, but sea levels are rising and storms are only going to become more frequent as our climate warms.

'This whole coast is of huge value for wildlife, covered in sites of international importance and it is imperative the Government acts now to create the habitat plants and animals are going to need if they are to survive in a changing world.

'Starting from scratch, it can take 15 years to get somewhere up and running as a breeding site for bittern. It can be done but Government needs to get on and do it. They have been talking about this for years while the threat has grown. Every winter now, there is some flooding.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:30 AM | Comments (0)

Tough old bird weathers the storm

A rare bird species in Hampshire is going strong – despite atrocious conditions this summer.

The RSPB recorded 121 pairs of Stone-curlew across Hampshire and neighbouring counties this year, four times higher than when work with the bird began in the 1980s.

RSPB Stone-curlew project manager Phil Sheldrake said: 'While we witnessed other species having a hard time this summer, the Stone-curlews proved their toughness. They made the most of the softer soil, feasting on normally hard-to-reach food which had down-pours had brought to the surface.'

Stone Curlew © William Bowell, from the surfbirds galleries

He added: 'It's a heartening sight watching stone-curlew chicks making short work of earthworms which were often longer than the birds themselves! Some of the chicks gained weight as much as 25% faster than normal – all thanks to the poor summer we had.'

Despite the good news, conditions are becoming increasingly grim for Stone-curlews and fellow migrants such as whitethroats and reed warblers.

A shift in EU policy means land designated as 'set aside' – on which crops cannot be grown – will be scrapped next year. Ten per cent of the region's Stone-curlews currently nest on such areas and, with no plans to find an alternative, these already threatened birds could face a bleak future.

Bruce Fowkes, the RSPB's South East England's farm conservation advisor, said: 'In previous years, farmers had to create a certain amount of set-aside on their farms. From 2008, this will no longer be the case, and could have adverse affects on all the fantastic efforts of Hampshire Downs farmers to provide safe nesting plots for this amazing bird.

'This is potentially a huge blow to the great progress made to date, and the RSPB is working closely with these farmers to find alternative ways of creating suitable stone-curlew habitat.'

Projects, such as that run with the MoD on Salisbury Plain and Porton Down are helping to counteract the threat to birds over set-aside, with the SITA Trust granting some £110,239 – through the Government's Landfill Communities Fund – towards stone-curlew nest and chick protection.

Mr Fowkes added: 'The majority of the RSPB's work is funded by membership subscriptions, but a boost like this one from SITA Trust is most welcome. Especially as, despite their productive summer, the shadow of the loss of set-aside is hanging over the birds.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:24 AM | Comments (0)

October 23, 2007

Farmland birds reach their lowest point in England

The latest figures published 18th October 2007 by the UK government on wild bird populations in the UK has shown that the index of birds counted breeding on England's farmland has tumbled to its lowest point, since recording began in the 1960s.

Reacting to the news, Dr Sue Armstrong-Brown, the RSPB's head of countryside policy, said: 'Farmland birds are the barometer by which the Government measures the health of the countryside. We wish there was a better story to tell – but the farmland bird index reaching its lowest point is extremely depressing news.'

Yellowhammer, from the surfbirds galleries © Steven Round

The English farmland bird index includes species like grey partridge, turtle dove, skylark, yellowhammer, linnet and yellow wagtail, all birds that are reliant on farmland and whose populations have declined by more than half since the 1970s.

The RSPB is concerned that today's announcement follows other recent terrible news for farmland birds. The RSPB has predicted that the recent decision to cut the amount of set-aside land – areas of land where the growing of food crops is restricted - to zero could have a devastating effect on birds already struggling.

Dr Sue Armstrong-Brown continued: 'The decision to reduce set-aside to zero this year throws a spotlight on the importance of individual farmer decisions in caring for the birds on their land – whether the index goes up or down next year is in their hands.

'We want to work with the farming community to make sure that the trend from here is upwards – and we have the tools and knowledge to ensure that it does.'

Gareth Morgan, head of the RSPB's agricultural policy team, said: 'The UK has developed some of the best agri-environment schemes in the world. More resources for these schemes are urgently required if we stand a chance of halting and eventually reversing the decline of some of our best-loved birds.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:40 PM | Comments (0)

European Commission fires final warning shot at Malta

The European Commission has announced today that it will fire a final warning shot at Malta over continued illegal spring shooting and hunting of quails and turtle doves, in contravention of the European Union's Birds Directive.

The commission decided today to send a final written warning ('reasoned opinion') to the island's government.

Malta is located on an important bird migration route in the Mediterranean. The European Union's Birds Directive specifically protects birds during their perilous spring migration from Africa to their breeding grounds further north in Europe, including the UK.

Quail, from the surfbirds galleries © Graham Catley

Turtle dove and quail are both suffering from declines across Europe, and in the UK both species appear on the red list of Birds of Conservation Concern.

With its partners across Europe, the RSPB has been campaigning for action against Malta's illegal spring bird hunting and shooting. Alistair Gammell, the RSPB's international director, said: 'Every spring since Malta joined the European Union in 2004, the island's government has allowed its hunters to break European law by shooting and hunting turtle doves and quails – these practices must stop.

'We are delighted that the European Commission has taken the next step in legal proceedings against Malta. We now call on the island's government to heed this warning and eradicate these illegal practices that bring shame on both Malta and Europe.

'We believe the European Commission's warning to Malta marks a turning point for bird conservation. If the island finally eradicates spring hunting this will be a victory for all those who have long campaigned for its abolition, including those 115,000 RSPB supporters who signed a petition delivered to the Maltese Prime Minister earlier this year.'

The RSPB and BirdLife Malta – the RSPB's partner on the island – are urging the Maltese government to respond to the Commission's warning by officially declaring the end of spring hunting for 2008 and beyond. If it fails to do so, the groups will urge the European Commission to apply to the European Court of Justice for an immediate order blocking spring hunting for 2008 and beyond.

Tolga Temuge, CEO of BirdLife Malta, added: 'Another spring hunting season in 2008 would mean that once again tens of thousands of turtle dove and quail would be put at risk while crossing Malta. In addition, every open spring hunting season is used as an excuse by some hunters to shoot many other species, protected in Malta and Europe, including birds of prey and herons. Some of these species, such as lesser kestrel, saker falcon and pallid harrier, are threatened with global extinction.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 8:35 PM | Comments (0)

Sociable lapwing finds some friends

Hopes are rising for one of the world's rarest birds after the discovery of the largest flock seen for more than 100 years.

More than 3,000 critically endangered sociable lapwings have been found in the Ceylanpinar district of south-eastern Turkey after a satellite tag was fitted to one of the birds migrating from breeding grounds in Kazakhstan.

Sociable Plover from the surfbirds galleries © Leander Khil

The tracked lapwing had flown more than 2,000 miles from its nesting site, where numbers of the species have plunged following the collapse of Soviet farming. The bird flew north of the Caspian Sea, then down through the Caucasus and south into Turkey.

Other birds including geese, albatrosses and bald ibis have been fitted with satellite tags before but the sociable lapwing is the smallest bird yet to carry such a tracking device.

The RSPB's Dr Rob Sheldon, who tagged the bird in Kazakhstan, said: 'This discovery is something we didn't dare dream of. The sociable lapwing is one of the rarest birds on earth and suddenly it's been found in these large numbers.

'It shows just how important both Kazakhstan and Turkey have become for the survival of this species. The next step is to protect the bird, both on its breeding grounds and at all the key sites on its migration route.'

Only 200 pairs of sociable lapwing were thought to remain in 2003 when the bird was classified as critically endangered, the highest level of threat there is.

Nests at breeding sites were being trampled where land was still farmed and elsewhere, vegetation was too dense for young chicks to survive. Breeding has improved more recently, however, and conservationists feared that hunting and habitat change on migration routes were reducing the bird's numbers.

Then, last Friday, researchers from the Turkish conservation group Doga Dernegi found 1,800 sociable lapwing in Ceylanpinar and the next day, a total of 3,200 of the birds. They were following the co-ordinates provided by satellites for the bird that had flown from Kazakhstan.

Özge Balkiz, a scientist at Doga Dernegi, said: 'This is a major breakthrough in efforts to help these birds and will be enormously significant in planning their protection. They could still move on to Iraq or East Africa but if they stay in Turkey, it will be much easier to make them safe. We can keep an eye on them here, raise awareness amongst local people and work with the Turkish government to protect the areas they are using.'

The tagging project is partly paid for by the UK government's Darwin Initiative and conservationists from Britain and Kazakhstan hope to win new funds to tag more birds next summer.

The long-term hope is that other migrating flocks will be found and that researchers can relax their efforts to help the bird.

Maxim Koshkin of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan, said: 'Understanding the migration from breeding sites in Kazakhstan is essential for the future protection of this species, so the news of such a large flock is a great cause for celebration.'

Guven Eken, Executive Director of Doga Dernegi, said: 'By tracking a single bird from its Kazakh breeding grounds, we have found the location of most of the world population of these birds in Turkey. Sociable lapwings are finally living up to their name.'

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

October 3, 2007

Seven tests for the Severn barrage

Europe’s most dynamic estuary will be destroyed by the construction of a barrage across the Severn while other less striking measures would cost less and could do more to cut carbon emissions.

The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) on Monday (October 1) publishes its assessment of a Severn barrage and other proposals to harness tidal energy. A barrage would damage areas protected by international, European and UK law because of their value to birds and other wildlife.

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

The RSPB has set seven tests it believes the SDC must address in writing its report:

· It must acknowledge the Severn estuary’s importance to wildlife and its extensive legal protection;

· Accept the legal requirement to establish that there no alternative to a barrage and that there is over-riding public interest in building it;

· Then recognise the legal requirement that thousands of acres of compensatory habitat would need to be created – a scale never undertaken in the UK before;

· Consider other options for harnessing the Severn’s tidal power such as tidal stream;

· Accept that barrage construction will generate huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions for many years before it generates energy;

· Assess whether the money spent on a barrage would be better spent on other clean technologies and other measures such as cleaner cars to cut emissions;

· Confirm that any development on the Severn would not be dependent on public subsidy.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Conservation Director, said: “Tackling climate change is hugely important but this can be done without destroying irreplaceable national treasures like the Severn estuary.

“We should be harnessing the power of the Severn but there are better ways of doing this than by hauling ten miles of concrete into the estuary.

“The government should be aiming to help, not destroy, wildlife and that applies to proposals for green energy schemes just as much as new supermarkets or housing estates.”

The RSPB has called on the Commission to ensure its advice on Monday is impartial and that its members are not swayed by political pressure to favour one energy scheme over another.

Dr Avery said: “The SDC report must recognise the international importance of the estuary and fully consider the legal implications of barrage construction. Huge amounts of new habitat will have to be created if the wildlife havens fashioned by the Severn’s tidal range are lost.

“It took eleven years to replace 110 hectares of mudflats destroyed at Lappel Bank on the Medway, when the government last broke European law. Damage on the Severn would be ten, twenty or thirty times as great. Other land is being lost to sea level rise so replicating Severn habitats would be enormously difficult.”

Notes

The Severn Estuary is a Ramsar wetland site under international law and a Special Protection Area under European law. The government recently agreed to designate the region a Special Area of Conservation 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 Severn’s 45-foot tidal range is the second largest in the world behind the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. Mudflats, saltmarsh and rocky islands created by outgoing tides provide food for 65,000 birds in winter including internationally important numbers of Bewick’s swan, pintail duck, shelduck, curlew, dunlin and redshank.

A barrage would cut the Severn’s tidal range by half reducing the amount of land and food for wildlife. Some birds would starve and others would be too malnourished to breed.

Wild salmon swim from the North Sea into the Severn and up the River Wye to spawn. The barrage turbines would kill these fish. Young eels are born in the Atlantic and follow their parents back to the Severn Estuary and upriver to feed.

In 1995, the European Court of Justice ruled that the government should have included Lappel Bank, on the Medway in Kent, in a new Special Protection Area safeguarded by EU law. By that time, however, the site had been turned into a car park. The government was ordered to create compensatory habitat which it did on the Essex coast last year, 11 years after the SPA was created.

Posted by Surfbirds at 5:40 PM | Comments (0)

RSPB condemns outrageous Catalan bird-hunting plan

An outrageous proposal by the Catalan government could see British nesting birds being illegally hunted as they pass through north-east Spain during their spring and autumn migrations.

The RSPB, working with SEO - its Spanish BirdLife International partner - is fighting the regional government proposal that would permit Catalonian hunters to use the so-called traditional practice of luring songbirds, by playing their songs, to branches covered in glue.

Fieldfare, at risk in the Ebro area on migration © Aurélien Audevard

Once caught, the birds are then 'plucked' like fruit from the trees. Many birds suffer horrific injuries, such as losing legs, before being killed.

Graham Wynne, the RSPB's chief executive, said: 'Millions of our best-loved songbirds - such as thrushes, warblers and flycatchers – pass through Spain each spring and autumn.

'For many years the RSPB has been campaigning against illegal bird killing in southern Europe, especially in both Malta and Cyprus.

The Catalan challenge on European bird protection laws is a serious one, and the RSPB will unite with its partners across the European Union to campaign to ensure that birds are not put under further threat in Catalonia, or elsewhere.'

Hundreds of thousands of song thrushes, and fieldfares, migrating from northern Europe are thought to be at risk and will be killed in the Ebro area (south of Barcelona) beginning next month.

This non-selective type of hunting, which is banned by European law, is worrying conservationists. The RSPB is particularly concerned about how this indiscriminate practice may affect birds that are already declining in Europe, such as the redstart. These relatives of the robin nest in the UK and it is believed the vast majority of UK birds pass through Iberia en route to their African wintering grounds. They have declined across Europe, where most of their world range is concentrated.

At the same time as trying to reintroduce bird trapping using glue, the Catalan government is also trying to legalise a form of net-trap hunting calling 'filat', a technique which traps thirsty birds attracted to small pools of water. The technique is forbidden in Spain.

The use of limesticks is also prevalent in Cyprus, though at substantially reduced rates since the RSPB began working there five years ago.

Posted by Surfbirds at 5:31 PM | Comments (0)

September 18, 2007

UK divers buck Europe’s tumbling trend

The latest survey of black-throated and red-throated divers by the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has found the two species have increased in the UK by 16 and 34 per cent respectively in the last 12 years.

Both have declined in Europe overall and the black-throated diver was last week made a conservation priority by the UK government because of the declines elsewhere.

Black-throated Diver, Highland, June 2006 © Stuart Elsom

Man-made rafts, anchored in remote Scottish lochs, are thought to be helping the rarer black-throated diver breed more successfully but the good fortunes of the red-throated diver – the bird whose winter numbers altered the huge London Array wind farm – are a mystery, conservationists say.

Stuart Benn, Senior Conservation Officer for the RSPB, said: “To be increasing the numbers of these birds while they decline elsewhere is fantastic.

'Both species are highlights of the uplands - they look stunning and make some of the most fascinating sounds in nature. Divers are celebrated in American culture and should be similarly lauded and applauded here. They are brilliant birds.”

Black-throated divers rose from 187 pairs in 1994 to 217 pairs in 2006 but have declined by more than 50 per cent across Europe since 1970. In the Highlands - their stronghold – they were declining because fluctuating loch waters were flooding some nests while eggs on others were being lost to collectors and predators.

The new study shows the greatest increase in the Outer Hebrides but in the Highlands, numbers of this yodelling bird have also risen. A total of 58 rafts have been installed in remote lochs in the region.

Planted with turf and heather, the rafts look like natural islands within two years. “We installed them because of the flooding of lochs with a lot of incoming water or with hydroelectric dams,” Stuart Benn said. “The rafts also protect the birds from land predators and birds now using the rafts are producing twice as many chicks as those nesting on land.

“We can’t say hand on heart that the overall increase is due to the rafts because we haven’t ringed the chicks but there is no doubt that the rafts have turned out to be very, very good at what they do.”

Red-throated Diver © Frank Dhermain

Red-throated diver numbers have jumped from 935 to 1,255 breeding pairs in 12 years. However, the Shetland population is still much lower than the 700 pairs found in 1983. That study surveyed Shetland only and the new results showed only 407 pairs nesting on the Isles.

The red-throated diver is steeped in mythology and is known as the rain goose in its strongholds of Orkney and Shetland. In the 19th century, it was regarded as a foreteller of storms in many parts of the world.

Dr Mark Eaton, an RSPB scientist, said: “We feared the numbers of red-throated divers might drop because the warming of the North Sea seems to be reducing stocks of the fish they feed on. The black-throated diver could also be at risk in the future, despite the recent increases. If climate change causes loch temperatures to rise, the small fish the birds feed on could grow too large to eat.

“Divers are up there with eagles and other iconic birds and are one of the things people go to Scotland to see. They are birds of mountains and lochs so if you are watching them in Britain, there’s a good chance you’re in picture postcard countryside as well. We should be doing all we can to tackle climate change and limit the damage to these birds’ habitats.”

Dr Sue Haysom, an ornithologist with SNH, said: “SNH is greatly encouraged by the signals coming from this research. These are key species of Scotland's wild loch habitats and any increase in their numbers is a welcome contribution to the health of Scotland's natural heritage.”

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

September 13, 2007

Another good season for Great Yarmouth's little terns

The number of young birds flying at Britain's largest colony of little terns at Great Yarmouth has surprised and pleased the RSPB.

The final tally of 156 young little terns produced at the little tern colony at North Denes beach meant many nesting birds overcame the hazards of poor summer weather.

Little Tern, Suffolk, © Robert Wincup

One of Britain's scarcest seabirds, the little terns had their usual helping hand from the RSPB, Natural England and Great Yarmouth Borough Council, whose joint project protected the little terns from disturbance and predation.

There was a peak nest count of 276 nests, so an average of a little over half a chick per pair fledged successfully. Some nests were lost to high tides and foxes, related in part to the untypical weather. Predation from kestrels was at a low level, like last year.

The cold and wet summer also meant fewer people came to see the birds than usual, though those that did come – including six school groups and Great Yarmouth MP Tony Wright – enjoyed good views of the terns set against the contrasting back-drop of Yarmouth's Golden Mile.

During late May and June, there were also up to 83 pairs of little terns at Winterton Dunes National Nature Reserve, but these were unsuccessful and many birds appeared to move to Great Yarmouth North Denes.

This year's fair results follow last year's count of 673 fledglings – young birds that successfully flew – from 369 nests. That was the highest number in 22 years of the protection scheme, one of the biggest colonies of little terns in Europe.

Mark Smart, site manager of the RSPB's Berney Marshes nature reserve and little tern project manager said, 'We are really pleased that the little terns had a successful breeding season here, especially following last year's bumper season. We have our ups and downs, but over two decades the Great Yarmouth colony is a long-running success story – thanks to a dedicated team of RSPB staff and volunteers.

Mark Smart continued: 'However really little terns should be nesting in small numbers all along our sandy coasts. So although we're pleased with how they are doing at Great Yarmouth, it's also a pity that the national population is so reliant on this one big site.'

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:44 AM | Comments (0)

Lake Chad might seem a long way off

Lake Chad in Africa is shrinking and its contraction is amongst changes highlighted in the updated Times Atlas of the World.

Lake Chad has retreated by 95 per cent since 1963 because of water extraction, increased population, overgrazing and less rainfall. This is bad news for Britain’s migrating birds.

Millions of birds including cuckoos, spotted flycatchers, wheatears and turtle doves fly thousands of miles annually, between wintering sites in southern Africa and nesting areas in Britain and other parts of Europe.

Turtle Dove, Jersey, © Romano da Costa

These birds have all declined, in some cases by more than 50 per cent. Problems finding enough food before they return to Britain are amongst the difficulties they are facing.

The Sahel region, where Lake Chad lies, is a major refuelling site for migrating birds. They stop here to feed on insects and berries. A shrunken Lake Chad means much of the vegetation harbouring this food has gone. Less food means underfed birds means fewer will make it to the UK.

We have already noticed, both through survey and anecdote, substantial declines of spotted flycatchers, turtle doves and cuckoos.

There are other crises these birds are facing – turtle doves are shot in southern Europe and the best nesting holes may be taken by the time spotted flycatchers arrive - but the drying of Lake Chad, the Sahel and the neighbouring Sahara desert, is still a major problem.

There are things we can do to help. We can continue to press the UK government to work with other governments to reduce global greenhouse emissions and check the symptoms of climate change including reduced rainfall.

We can press the Cypriot and Maltese governments to ban the hunting of turtle doves, most urgently in the spring before they have had chance to breed.

And we can urge farmers here to take up opportunities to retain and plant hedgerows and trees to provide more food and nesting sites for migrant birds when they arrive.

Lake Chad might seem a long way off but as the migrating bird flies it is not, assuming these birds have enough energy to get here and assuming they have a decent chance of return.

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

August 30, 2007

List of birds needing UK conservation action grows

The 28th August 2007 sees the publication of the updated list of priority species and habitats that will guide future conservation action across the UK.

Teams of experts from a range of organisations, including the RSPB, have compiled the list, which comprises 1,149 species and 65 habitats. The list will be the basis for conservation action under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

The updated list now includes 59 birds, up from 26 when the first Biodiversity Action Plan list was published in 1995.

Making it to the new list are familiar garden birds, including the house sparrow and starling, whose populations have declined by more than half over the last 25 years. Other additions include rapidly-declining woodland birds, like the lesser spotted woodpecker, and declining long-distance migratory birds, including the cuckoo and yellow wagtail.

Yellow Wagtail, the UK population has dropped by more than 50% in the past 25 years.
Cambridgeshire, April 2007 © Peter Beesley

Welcoming the publication of the new list, the RSPB's conservation director, Dr Mark Avery, said: 'Over the last 12 years, the BAP system has helped everyone focus attention on priority species. To its credit, we have seen dramatic increases in key species, like bittern, stone-curlew, corncrake, nightjar, cirl bunting and woodlark.

'However, the fact that the bird list now includes more than a fifth of all of the UK's regularly occurring birds is a cause of alarm, especially as the list now includes a number of woodland birds and summer visiting birds like the cuckoo.

'The purpose of the list is to provide a framework for recovery and joint action from governments and conservation organisations alike. Before we can celebrate the widespread removal of species from the list, we will have to tackle some general environmental problems, including further reforms of agriculture, a faster rate of habitat creation and the need to tackle climate change.

'We will have to act fast if we are to meet obligations of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010.'

Action needed

Out of the 59 birds included on the new BAP list, 32 have qualified because of declines of more than 50 per cent in the UK over the last 25 years; this compares with 24 birds from the 1995 list. Of the two dozen, from 1995, the populations of 13 are still declining and therefore still qualify for inclusion on the new list.

The new birds on the BAP list which have declined by more than 50 per cent in the last 25 years are: European white-fronted goose (winter visitor only), lapwing, Arctic skua, herring gull, cuckoo, lesser spotted woodpecker, tree pipit, yellow wagtail, ring ouzel, grasshopper warbler, Savi's warbler, wood warbler, willow tit, starling, house sparrow, lesser redpoll, hawfinch, yellowhammer.

The birds which have remained on the BAP list because of declines of more than 50 per cent are: Common scoter, black grouse, capercaillie, grey partridge, roseate tern, turtle dove, wryneck, skylark, marsh warbler, spotted flycatcher, red-backed shrike, tree sparrow, corn bunting.

The number of UK records of aquatic warbler has also declined by more than 50 per cent. This bird, which only occurs in the UK as a migrant, and remains on the BAP list because of the fall in the number of UK records and because it is also considered to be facing the threat of global extinction. The Balearic shearwater (a type of seabird which visits the UK regularly during the autumn) has been included on the new list because it is facing an extreme threat of global extinction.

A number of birds have qualified because of their extinction threat within Europe. These are: Bewick's swan (winter visitor only), Greenland white-fronted goose (winter visitor only), dark-bellied brent goose (winter visitor only), scaup (winter visitor only), black-throated diver, black-tailed godwit (one race only), wren (Fair Isle and St Kilda races only, which are confined to these two locations), and song thrush (Hebridean race only).

Four birds have been included on the BAP list because their UK populations (which must also amount to more than a quarter of the European population) have declined by more than a quarter in the UK during the past 25 years. The dunnock, marsh tit and red grouse have unique British races not found in Europe, while the curlew has an important nesting population in the UK.

Eleven birds which were listed in 1995 due to their rapidly-declining populations no longer qualify against this criteria because their populations have stabilized or improved through targeted conservation action. However, these species are retained on the new BAP list because they have yet to recover safe, sustainable populations. These birds are: bittern, corncrake, stone-curlew, red-necked phalarope, nightjar, woodlark, song thrush, linnet, bullfinch, cirl bunting and reed bunting.

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

July 31, 2007

Great bustards breed in UK for first time in 175 years

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

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

Great Bustard, copyright János Oláh Jr

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

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

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

Great Bustard, copyright Ian Tew

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

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

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

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

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

July 19, 2007

Seabirds struggling again

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

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

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

Guillemot, copyright Jeremy McClements

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

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

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

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

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

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

Puffin, Northumberland, copyright Sean Gray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boom in woodlark numbers prompts return to farmland

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

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

Woodlark, copyright David Morris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Woodlark, copyright Darren Ward

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

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

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

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

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

July 14, 2007

TATA to pristine flamingo lake

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

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

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

Lesser Flamingo, copyright Tamás Zalai

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lesser Flamingo, copyright John Dempsey

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bird of prey killers develop sickening new technique

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

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

Goshawk, copyright Bill Baston

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guy Shorrock

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June 17, 2007

Success as rarest bird in Northern Ireland hatches three chicks

RSPB NI are excited to announce that the rarest bird in Northern Ireland – the chough - has successfully boosted its numbers by three, after three chicks hatched on Rathlin island.

Liam McFaul, RSPB Warden at Rathlin said, 'We are obviously delighted that the only breeding pair of chough in Northern Ireland have now become a fully fledged family.

'After a shaky start, the 'choughlets' seem healthy and happy to be free from their cramped cliff ledge, begging and feeding from their parents along the Rathlin cliffs and flying off to explore as a family party of five.

Chough, copyright Pete Hadfield

'There is much excitement on Rathlin as these are the first 'choughlets' born on the island since 1989, when a solitary chick was born. In the intervening period, we were seriously concerned for the survival of the species, and whilst this is great news the next few months will be critical. Threats from predators and poor habitat management could place the birds in danger.

'We have been working over this past number of years, at times when we wondered if we would ever see choughs breed again on Rathlin, to ensure that the land was fit for the breeding pair. Choughs require a short sward grass on the cliff and adjacent fields to feed on small insects and hopefully our persistence has paid off.

'The chough is a highly intelligent bird and a member of the crow family and we feel honoured that the chough pair have saw fit to make the island their home and to raise their three young here on Rathlin'.

Dr Gareth Bareham, recently employed as the RSPB’s Chough Project Officer concluded, 'This is wonderful news; yet we still have a long way to go before we can talk about the successful recovery of the chough in Northern Ireland. Continued co-operation between conservationists, land managers, island farmers and government agencies is essential if we are to protect and retain this wonderfully charismatic species.

'It has been fantastic to watch several chough families to develop on the Scottish island of Isla, on the recent BBC Springwatch programme, but is even more exciting to have our very own family here in Northern Ireland.'

Adding his voice Hugh McCann from Environment and Heritage Service said, 'EHS and RSPB have been working towards providing the appropriate conditions to allow chough to re-colonize on Rathlin. I am delighted that chough have responded to the habitat management and bred successfully on our reserve.'

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Volunteers rally to help safeguard rare birds

A task force of volunteers has rallied round to help with a 24-hour security operation to watch over a pair of rare birds of prey that are nesting at a secret location in Northumberland.

The pair of hen harriers – one of the least familiar and most spectacular birds in the UK - has settled in north Northumberland, and the RSPB, Forestry Commission, National Wildlife Crime Unit and Northumbria Police are working together to safeguard the nest, with funding support from SITA Trust. There are only 15 active harrier nests known in the whole of England this year. All but three are in one area of Lancashire, where most of the land is owned by United Utilities, and the nests are monitored by the RSPB and others.

Hen Harrier, copyright Steven Round

More than 25 volunteers are helping to watch over the Northumberland birds and they are working day and night alongside RSPB officers, Forestry Commission rangers, members of the Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club and the Police. The harrier ‘task force’ is equipped with high-powered optics, cameras, specialist night vision equipment and other security measures are in place in the area where the birds are nesting.

The importance of protecting the harrier nest has been highlighted by an incident last year, when a female harrier nesting in Northumberland disappeared in mysterious circumstances. The bird is believed to have been shot while away from her nest, which contained two eggs. Another nest 2 km away failed when the eggs vanished.

This year there have already been several reports of hen harriers disappearing from suitable nesting areas in England, and incidents in North Yorkshire and Northumberland are already under investigation by the police.

Amanda Miller, RSPB Conservation Manager for North East England said: 'The English hen harrier population is perilously low, so every nest is precious and it’s wonderful news that these magnificent birds are nesting in Northumberland. The dedication and commitment of local volunteers has been tremendous and we are very grateful to them for giving of their time to help guard these special birds.

Hen Harrier, copyright Pete Hadfield

'However, it’s a sad state of affairs that in the 21st Century, the RSPB still has to spend so much time and money safeguarding hen harriers and other birds of prey even though they are fully protected under UK law.'

Tom Dearnley, Forestry Commission Ecologist, said: 'These are incredibly charismatic birds. But they can also be very unpredictable in their nesting habits, making this site even more important. This area of Northumberland is exceptional for its bird of prey populations thanks to sensitive habitat management. We look forwards to working with partners to secure a future for this exceptional and rare species.'

Studies have shown that the hen harrier should occur across most of the uplands of northern England and estimates suggest there should be at least 230 hen harrier nests in England. In recent years, however, only a handful of hen harriers have nested in England. The only regular breeding area in England is the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire. Sadly, hen harriers are often the victims of illegal persecution; including egg theft, the killing of adults, deliberate disturbance of nesting birds and destruction of nests.

Steve Downing of the National Wildlife Crime Unit is the national co-ordinator of Operation Artemis, the police campaign set up in 2004 to combat the illegal killing of hen harriers. He said: 'Illegal persecution is the single most important factor limiting the spread of hen harriers in England. The absence of harriers from large swathes of uplands across England indicates the scale of illegal killing and interference this bird faces. There is absolutely no excuse or justification for persecuting these birds and if anyone is caught persecuting a hen harrier, the courts have made it clear that a prison sentence is a likely outcome.'

Hen harriers are one of the least familiar but most spectacular of the UK’s birds of prey. The male bird performs a magnificent aerobatic display or ‘sky dance’ in spring and provides food to his mate in spectacular food passes.

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Bank holiday washout for breeding bitterns

Bank holiday downpours have dealt a blow to one of the UK's rarest birds. Bitterns breeding at the RSPB's nature reserves on the Suffolk coast have had their nests washed away after last month's torrential rain led to flash flooding at many sites.

Bank holiday downpours have dealt a blow to one of the UK's rarest birds. Bitterns breeding at the RSPB's nature reserves on the Suffolk coast have had their nests washed away after last month's torrential rain led to flash flooding at many sites.

Bittern, copyright Graham Catley

The year had promised to be a good one for the bittern, whose population had fallen to 44 booming males from a 50-year high of 55 in 2004.

Before the wet weekend, there had been 20 booming male bitterns along the coast, including 10 at the RSPB's Minsmere reserve and three at the neighbouring North Warren reserve.

A survey in May found nine nests, including five at Minsmere and one at North Warren. However, the heavy rain and flooding now appears to have washed out all but two of the nests, with any chicks likely to have been killed.

One of the surviving nests is at Minsmere, where the reserve's famous ‘V' female is still feeding young. V – so named for a distinctive kink in her neck – has been breeding continuously since 1996 and is mother to a large proportion of the UK's bitterns.

Adam Rowlands, site manager for Minsmere and North Warren, said: 'This is a serious set back for the bittern. Suffolk has been the engine room of the species recent recovery in the UK with the RSPB's reserves playing a key role.

'Anything that affects breeding success here is likely to have a knock on effect across the country.'

He added: 'The one glimmer of hope is that the birds did get off to an early start this breeding season and there may still be time for some of them to try again, but it is getting late in the year.'

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB's Director of Conservation, said: 'Despite our success in recent years, bittern numbers remain perilously low. That one spell of bad weather can have such potential serious consequences is proof of that.

'Bitterns need large areas of wet reedbed if they are to breed and find enough food. Far too many of the UK's reedbeds have been lost and this is another reminder that we must continue to create new ones – as the RSPB is doing – if the bittern and many other species are to have a future in our islands.'

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June 12, 2007

Forest fire no barrier to the birds

Conservationists at RSPB's Corrimony reserve in the Central Highlands were appalled when a major fire wreaked havoc at the newly acquired site in June 1997, wiping out huge swathes of woodland and scorching the earth on over a tenth of the land.

Black Grouse, copyright Tom Marshall

But 10 years on, the reserve has just had its best ever black grouse survey - 57 lekking males - testament to the terrific habitat management that's been carried out since.

The 1,530 hectare reserve had just been purchased in April 1997 as a threatened upland habitat in need of sensitive management to aid recovery of black grouse, as well as iconic Scottish species including golden eagle and Scottish Crossbill. But disaster struck just weeks later when as forest fire spread from neighbouring land into trees on Corrimony.

Pete Mayhew, Senior Conservation Manager with RSPB Scotland said: 'I remember the fire starting on a Thursday evening, and the fire brigade came out and spent a whole the evening and next day battling the blaze. When they left we thought it was out, but it was very dry and the fire must have got into the peat, because by Saturday morning it had flared up again.

'It was dreadful, as we'd just acquired the reserve and thought we were going to lose 40-50 year old pines plus important habitat for black grouse, which would have been nesting at the time.

'We had to spend £30,000 hiring a helicopter to dump water round the clock, and it could have been a scene from Vietnam, with all the smoke, and the chopper going overhead. Eventually the combined efforts of the helicopter, the fire brigade, Forestry Commission staff and many volunteers managed to dampen it sufficiently, but it burned for a week in the end - all told the 'great fire of Corrimony' wiped out 170 hectares of woodland from the 1530 hectare reserve.'

It was feared that this would have a terrible impact on the fragile state of black grouse on the reserve, as at that time there were just 16 recorded lekking males on the site. The timing of the fire is likely to have destroyed several nests, not only of black grouse but also short eared owl.

Thankfully, 10 years on, it appears as if the fire may actually have aided regeneration of the site. Most of the affected area was commercially-planted coniferous woodland, which is not an ideal habitat for the black grouse or other native species. This has allowed sensitive, native planting to take its place, and the grouse this year reached an all time high of 57 lekking males.

Dan Tomes, the current Site Manager, said: 'While distressing, fires are actually important, natural occurrences in forests from time to time, and can play a role in allowing vigorous new vegetation growth to come through.

'While the black grouse probably took a hit that year, the numbers now are evidence of the work we've done since then in replanting native trees and in sensitively managing the whole ecosystem, including removing fences (which can kill grouse) and carefully grazing moorland habitats. We've replanted 130 ha of woodland in that decade and another 60 ha has developed naturally, and this year alone expect to plant 28,000 thousand more trees with the funding we received through the Scottish Forestry Alliance.

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Cornwall choughs celebrate five years of chicks

A bumper crop of chough chicks has fledged in Cornwall this week, five years after the pioneering pair of choughs that returned to the county in 2001 first bred.

The original choughs and the two birds that paired up last year have produced nine young between them this spring - six males and three females.

The now world famous pair of wild choughs came back to the county six years ago after the species had been absent from Cornwall, and extinct as a breeding species in England, for nearly 30 years.

Chough © Nigel Blake

One of the reasons behind their natural recolonisation of the area was sensitive land management by local farmers, the National Trust and Natural England, who have since joined forces with the RSPB to form the Cornwall Chough Project which both monitors the birds and makes sure they have what they need to stay in the county.

RSPB conservation officer Claire Mucklow said: 'In 2002 there was one pair of wild choughs in Cornwall rearing three young which was exciting enough, but two pairs raising nine young is an amazing feat!

'Burgeoning numbers mean the choughs are doing a great job of naturally repopulating the county, giving much pleasure to all who are privileged to see them on their coastal walks.'

Both nest sites, the second of which remains a closely guarded secret, have been protected round the clock by a team of volunteers to ensure the choughs were not disturbed or their eggs stolen.

Claire added: 'Without the help of our volunteers, many of whom have been with us since 2002, we could not be sure that the choughs would nest safely.'

Chough © Nigel Blake

As well as the ongoing success of the Cornwall choughs, there have been confirmed sightings of the species on the north coasts of Devon and Somerset. Conservationists are excited by the reports as the birds have come across from the Gower peninsula in Wales, suggesting a new population of choughs in South West England is not far away.

Back in Cornwall, work supported by Natural England's environmental stewardship schemes continues to restore suitable coastal habitats for the increasing numbers of choughs in the county.

'What better sight to see than a flock of choughs flying overhead then coming to land and feed on grassland that a few years ago was covered in bracken. It's good to know that all the encouragement and good partnership working is now bearing fruit - or choughs in this case!' said Peter Bowden, Cornwall Land Management Team Leader for Natural England.

The new young choughs are likely to be seen roaming along the coast anywhere between the Lizard and Cape Cornwall, and perhaps beyond, in the near future.

The birds have been colour-ringed and the Cornwall Chough Project continues to collect people's sightings of them, preferably stating when and where they were seen and precise details of the colour rings, if possible. These can be sent to: cornishchoughs@rspb.org.uk

Posted by Surfbirds at 6:43 AM | Comments (0)

Warblers advance on all fronts

Britain's most colourful warbler is spreading its territorial wings because warmer winters and better heathland management have increased its chances of survival.

The latest UK survey of Dartford warblers, by the RSPB, BTO, Natural England and Forestry Commission England, shows that numbers have soared by 70 per cent since the last count in 1994. The bird has returned to Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia and now there are more than 3,000 pairs – the highest tally for more than 40 years.

Dartford Warbler © Kit Day

But while the Dartford warbler is flying north, west and east from its strongholds in southern England, conservationists say that more is needed to protect and restore heathlands to help the bird further its advance.

Simon Wotton, Research Biologist at the RSPB, said: 'This survey is fantastic news for a very vulnerable bird, particularly because it has moved to higher ground not used by Dartford warblers for many years.

'Warmer winters mean the birds are likely to push even further north but they can only do that if there are heathland sites available, which are protected from development. If the government is to help wildlife adapt to climate change it should be assigning more land for the creation of habitats to help birds like these.

'The Dartford warbler is a wonderful species but its vulnerability to the cold and wet, which could still be a problem as our climate alters, means all safeguards possible must be put in place.'

Two harsh winters left just 11 pairs of this attracti