Stories from the Birdwatch Newsdesk are now being posted direct to http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/, the relaunched website of the magazine - please bookmark it in your browser and be sure to visit it regularly for news and reviews, features and much, much more. This blog will remain online for the time being as an archive of news stories published since June 2007.
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Stories from the Birdwatch Newsdesk are now being posted direct to http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/, the relaunched website of the magazine - please bookmark it in your browser and be sure to visit it regularly for news and reviews, features and much, much more. This blog will remain online for the time being as an archive of news stories published since June 2007.
A recent study has concluded that a healthy selection of seed-bearing arable flowers on farmland is the key ingredient necessary to support insects, birds and small mammals.
A five-year study by entomologists from The Game Conservancy Trust has just concluded that arable crops contain a third less insects than needed to sustain declining farmland birds such as Grey Partridges, Yellowhammers and Whitethroats.
Mix together a healthy selection of seed bearing arable flowers such as fat hen, field pansy, black bind weed, knotgrass and chickweed, with a typical selection of ground dwelling insects such as grasshoppers, caterpillars and leaf beetles and you have a perfect winter and summer banquet that will boost our declining farmland birds and their offspring.
The study was carried out in conjunction with ADAS and the Central Science Laboratory. As part of the Sustainable Arable Farming for an Improved Environment (SAFFIE) project, the Trust's entomologists studied the impact that weed killers were having on arable flowers, which are an important food source for a range of invertebrates. The aim was to discover whether using lower amounts of herbicide would boost these important arable plants while not affecting the quality of the crop.
Dr John Holland, head of The Game Conservancy Trust's entomology department, said, "Within the crop, arable flowers and seeds are key foods for farmland birds, insects and small mammals all year. But getting the balance right to benefit wildlife is difficult because any approach at reducing chemical controls should not unduly affect the practicalities of farming.
"Our research showed that many fields have higher levels of beneficial arable flowers than pernicious weeds and it is therefore possible to reduce herbicide inputs substantially, particularly where pernicious weeds are not posing a threat.”
Photo: Whitethroat by Steve Young (www.birdsonfilm.com)
New regulations to protect Britain’s seabirds come into force today but the special areas they are meant to protect have not been designated.
The Offshore Marine Conservation Regulations are designed to translate the EU’s Birds and Habitats Directives into UK law and they extend the legal protection for sea birds from inshore waters out to the limit of the UK’s marine jurisdiction, 200 nautical miles offshore and the continental shelf.
The regulations give legal protection to our most important marine wildlife sites – Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for birds and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for other species and habitats. However, 28 years after the introduction of the Birds Directive, the Government has not identified any sites for offshore SPAs. As a result, the new regulations will do nothing to protect seabirds for years to come.
Andrew Dodd, Head of Site Conservation Policy at the RSPB said, “Among other things, this means the Government must now identify, must designate, a complete network of protected areas for seabirds.
“Government’s estimated timetable for completing this work for birds varies from 2011 to 2017, dependent on resources. Even if this timescale were met, it would mean completion of the UK marine SPA network might take another 10 years - some 36 years after the Birds Directive came into force in the UK.”
A rare free-flying California Condor unexpectedly died this week at the Los Angeles Zoo following treatment for dangerously high levels of lead.
Condor #245 was trapped at the Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge on 29 July 2007 and transported to the LA Zoo for treatment. The first blood test at the zoo indicated that the condor had a 546 ug/l blood lead level more than 10 times the amount to warrant treatment in condors.
To reach blood lead levels of this magnitude the condor must have ingested lead fragments directly. One of the most common sources of lead in condors is the ingestion of lead fragments from the tainted remains of big game shot with lead ammunition.
On 27th August 2007 in Sacramento, the California Fish and Game Commission will convene a special session to consider a ban on lead ammunition for big game hunting in condor habitat areas. The ban would be effective beginning January 2008 and would not threaten hunters’ ability to hunt as non-lead alternative ammunition is widely available.
“It’s clear that lead bullets are poisoning these extremely endangered birds,” said Dr Gary Langham, director of bird conservation, Audubon California. “The sooner the Fish and Game Commission acts, the sooner we can remove this toxic and deadly substance from the condors’ environment. The death of Condor #245 underscores the need for rapid action and the clear and present danger that environmental lead presents.”
Glenn Olson, Executive Director, Audubon California, said: “Lead poisoning is a tremendous threat to these remarkable birds. With only 300 condors in the world, to lose even one bird is a setback for this important conservation program and a severe threat to the entire species. Death by lead poisoning is particularly tragic because it is preventable.”
The California Condor population dwindled to 22 in the mid-1980s but thanks to an aggressive breeding and tracking program the population has grown to nearly 300, with 145 of these flying free. Another bird, Condor #242, is currently undergoing chelation treatment, at the Los Angeles Zoo but is expected to make a full recovery and be released into the Big Sur Wilderness soon.
The routine inspection of an Eagle Owl nest site in Lancashire has revealed the remains of three Hen Harriers.
The pair of Eagle Owls that famously nested at Dunslop Bridge in the Trough of Bowland, Lancashire, this year are being blamed for the deaths of local Hen Harriers. The nest site has been closely monitored by local wildlife police and others, including a search of the area around the nest for prey items. The remains of single male, female and juvenile Hen Harriers were retrieved and these indicate that they were predated naturally.
Stuart Burgess, from Natural England which runs a harrier recovery programme said: "Natural England is concerned about the perilously low population of hen harriers in England. Our Hen Harrier Recovery Project is working to have a sustainable population of hen harriers that would not be threatened by predation. Eagle Owls can breed well in captivity and we would ask that people do not release them and make sure they do not escape and this may actually be illegal."
The RSPB states on its website: “Eagle Owls will prey on a wide range of bird and mammals, but little is known about what is eaten by Eagle Owls in this country. This means that their potential impact on the conservation status of native wildlife is unknown. If Eagle Owls were to spread rapidly and affect the conservation status of native wildlife, including species such as Black Grouse and Hen Harrier, that would be of concern.
“We believe that, as part of its non-native species strategy, the government should assess the likely impacts of an increasing population of Eagle Owls and consult interested groups on its recommendations.”
Source: Lancashire Telegraph
The egg-laying habits and seemingly altruistic behaviour of fairy-wrens from Australia have finally been explained.Studies have shown that Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) mothers that have helpers to raise their young lay smaller, less nourishing eggs and they gain from this by living longer and raising more young.
In many animal species, parents caring for their offspring are assisted by so-called ‘helpers'. In this type of cooperative breeding, some adults help others raise young instead of breeding themselves. Females that are assisted by helpers were found to lay smaller eggs with disproportionately smaller yolks, thereby saving energy during egg laying. As a result, they live longer and breed more often than females with no helpers.
The research team, led by the University of Cambridge and biologists from other universities in the UK, South Africa and Australia, published their findings in the magazine Science. Although parents decrease the amount of food they provide to offspring when helpers are present, the additional supply provided by the helpers more than compensates for this reduction. As a result, chicks fed by parents and helpers tend to receive more than those raised without helpers although the offspring who receive additional food do not appear to gain any advantage as a result. Until now scientists had always wondered who gained from this behaviour.
“Helper birds offer mothers a form of child-care”, says Dr Rebecca Kilner from the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, one of the leaders of the research team that made this discovery. “In this species, mothers effectively steal the child-care from their current brood and spend this energy on producing more young in the future.”
Superb Fairy-wrens sometimes breed as pairs, and sometimes as pairs assisted by between one and four helpers. Helpers are always male and often sons from previous breeding. Females are drab brown in colour, but males moult into a striking blue plumage to breed, hence the species' superlative name. The scientists predict that this phenomenon occurs in other cooperative breeding bird species.
Source: Science magazine
Photo: Male Superb Fairy-wren by Dr Rebecca Kilner
A new report from UK conservation bodies suggests that many UK wintering bird population declines may be due to climate change.
The State of the UK’s Birds 2006 examines bird population trends, highlights some long-term declines in the populations of many regular winter visitors, including the Greenland and European populations of White-fronted Goose (-63%), Shelduck (-20%), Mallard (-32%), Pochard (-23%), Ringed Plover (-14%), Dunlin (-15%) and Turnstone (-13%).
The precise reasons for the decline of each species vary, but a common theme appears to be climate change. As winters become milder both in the UK and elsewhere, it appears that some birds are not flying as far as the UK to find suitable conditions: this trend has been particularly noted in Northern Ireland with declines of Pochard and Bewick's Swan (-62%).
Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB's conservation director, said: “The UK has had both the perfect climate and perfect habitats for these birds, but the evidence is growing that climate change impacts are starting to bite. Sea level rise and warmer winters are reducing their numbers, undermining our importance for birds.”
The report also highlights a doubling of the overall numbers of 39 species of waterfowl spending the winter in the UK in the last three decades. The populations of some species, notably wading birds including the black-tailed godwit and the avocet, have increased markedly since the late 1970s but this is largely as a result of conservation action.
Some rare breeding birds have done well with 357 pairs of Little Egrets and 241 pairs of Mediterranean Gulls in 2004. Since their peak in the 1980s, Golden Oriole numbers have fallen but appear to be stable at about 8-11 pairs since 2001. Repeat surveys of the breeding birds of the South Pennines, Isles of Scilly (seabirds) and Lewis Peatlands also show some fascinating changes.
As well as looking at bird within the UK, the report also focuses on the birds of some UK Overseas Territories. A survey of the breeding birds of the Indian Ocean Territories (Chagos Archipelago) shows huge declines in some seabirds between 1996 and 2006: Audubon’s Shearwater -69%, White-tailed Tropicbird -46%, Masked Booby -67%, Roseate Tern -80%, Bridled Tern -60%, Brown Noddy -78%, Lesser Noddy -91%. These may be simply a shift in breeding distribution as there were massive increase in Brown Booby (+2262%), Lesser (+181%) and Greater (+1267%) Frigatebirds.
The State of the UK’s birds 2006 is produced by a partnership of three NGOs – the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) – and the UK Government’s four statutory nature conservation agencies – the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), Environment & Heritage Service (Northern Ireland) (EHS), Natural England (NE) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
* A free copy of The State of the UK’s birds 2006 is available with the September issue of Birdwatch – available from newsagents now *
Photo: Ringed Plover by Steve Young (http://www.birdsonfilm.com/)
The BirdLife Species Champion initiative will be launched officially at this year's British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water (August 19-21). Aimed at saving the world’s 189 Critically Endangered birds species, it is the largest bird conservation programme of its kind and is expected to cost £19 million over five years.
The Bengal Florican, one of the world’s most threatened birds, will be first to benefit from this new conservation approach. With less than 1,000 individual birds remaining, the Bengal Florican has been given just five years before disappearing forever from its stronghold, the floodplain of the Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia. Since being re-discovered in Cambodia in 1999, Bengal Florican numbers have plummeted due to unregulated land conversion for intensive agriculture.
Species like the florican will benefit from the groundbreaking new ‘Species Champion’ approach. ‘Champions’ are being sought for Critically Endangered bird species, to fund identified conservation programmes that will aim to pull each species back from the brink of extinction. The ‘Species Champion’ for Bengal Florican is the British Birdwatching Fair 2007 itself, which will contribute toward conservation works being undertaken by ‘Species Guardians’ working in Cambodia. Three other Critically Endangered birds will also benefit: Belding’s Yellowthroat (Mexico), Djibouti Francolin (Djibouti), Restinga Antwren (Brazil).
“It is a fantastic privilege that Birdfair can act as Species Champion for the Bengal Florican,” said Martin Davies, co-organiser of the British Birdwatching Fair. "Visitors to the fair can take heart in knowing that their contributions will directly help the survival prospects of birds that otherwise would certainly disappear from the planet forever.”
“Critically Endangered birds can be saved from extinction through this innovative approach,” said Dr Mike Rands, Chief Executive of BirdLife International. “We know the priority conservation actions needed for each species – what we need now is the support of companies, organisations or even individuals –Species Champions.”
Photo: Bengal Florican by Allan Michaud
A new report reveals a drastic population decline in the Red Knot subspecies Calidris canutus rufa with surveys showing that numbers at its wintering grounds in southern South America have fallen drastically in recent years.
The 2007 Red Knot Assessment Report, prepared by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, reveals that the rufa subspecies could become extinct within ten years, if adult survival remains low. The numbers in its wintering area have gone from 51,300 in 2000 to approximately 30,000 in 2004, and now still further to just 17,200 in 2006.
Although the causes of the population crash are not yet fully understood, the dramatic decline is mainly attributed to the low availability of horseshoe crab eggs in Delaware Bay, USA, a key stopover site for Red Knot Calidris canutus rufa. Exploitation by the conch and eel fishing industries is a likely cause of the lack of eggs thanks to an elevated harvest of adult crabs for bait. Even if this exploitation ceases immediately, scientists predict it would take years before the horseshoe crab population recovers to its former level.
Of the six Calidris canutus subspecies, rufa travels the longest distance, between breeding areas in the Canadian Artic and wintering areas in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
Recent unexplained Red Knot die-offs have highlighted further the need for research into the variety of threats afflicting the already declining rufa population. In April, more than 1300 dead Red Knot were discovered at two sites in northern Uruguay. Aves Uruguay, in connection with other national and international organisations, is already working in the area to establish the possible causes of the casualties and the role of Uruguay as stopover for the species.
“The death of more than 1,300 Red Knots in Uruguay is of particular concern given the low overall population size,” said Rob Clay, Conservation Manager of BirdLife’s Americas Secretariat. “This number represents over 6% of the [rufa] population, all of which winter in southern South America. The discovery underlines the need to better understand factors which may be affecting the species during migration and on its wintering grounds.”
See Red Knot report here.
Source: BirdLife International
A routine clean-up of Derby Cathedral’s roof, has revealed the remains of Swedish-ringed Arctic Tern. The amazing discovery was made among other prey items left by the pair of peregrine falcons that nested on the tower directly above the roof.
Nick Brown, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s Education Manager, said: “Finding a wild bird with a ring on its leg is an extremely rare event but to find that the ring was a Swedish one was even more exciting! The inscription read 4392757 Riksmuseum Stockholm.”
Nick thinks that the tern was probably caught about the end of April or early May when a large group of Arctic Terns passed through the Trent Valley.
Nick said: “I contacted the Swedish bird ringing office who told me that this ring was put on the leg of an arctic tern chick on an island off South West Sweden in June 2002. That makes the bird almost five years old. During this time, it will have migrated back and forth to and from the Antarctic five time, a journey of almost 100,000 miles! According to the British Trust for Ornithology, this is only the ninth record of a ringed arctic tern from Sweden in the UK since 1909.”
Head Verger, Tony Grantham, said: “Cleaning the drains and gullies on the roof has suddenly become a much more interesting job for us at the cathedral. The emerging story of the wide range of prey that the peregrines have been catching is fascinating.”
So far the remains of 41 species of bird have been found at the cathedral since recording started in Spring 2005. The list includes five species of duck, eleven of waders, quail, water rail, little grebe, swift and waxwing as well as more common species such as starling, blackbird and magpie.
Read more on this story here
Photo: The actual Arctic Tern's leg, with ring (Derbyshire Wildlife Trust)
A Golden Eagle from the only breeding pair in the Scottish Borders has been found poisoned. A joint investigation by Lothian and Borders Police, RSPB Scotland, the Scottish SPCA and the Scottish Executive searched land and property, and discovered some poisoned bait on a grouse moor in the Borders.
The shocking discovery of this illegally poisoned bird was made on 12 August and the death is especially sickening as the pair raised a chick this year. Although the chick has fledged, and is now semi-independent, it was still being fed by both parents and so there are now significant concerns for its safety.
RSPB Scotland is now offering a reward of £1000 for information with regards to the case, and people should call PC Mark Rafferty on 07785 248 455. Bob Elliot, head of investigations at RSPB Scotland said: "Despite being excellent Golden Eagle country, the Borders has been a real black hole in terms of Golden Eagle breeding in Scotland. Sadly, illegal persecution of birds of prey continues to be a shameful fact of life in parts of Scotland in the 21st century, and unfortunately the evidence shows that there is a correlation between the location of grouse moors and the incidence of raptor poisoning.
“Now, after 9 or 10 years together, the Borders has lost its only breeding pair of golden eagles, and we hope that by offering a reward, a member of the public will help the police to catch the perpetrator and bring them to justice."
PC Mark Rafferty, wildlife crime officer with Lothian and Borders police said:
"Despite the efforts of myself and other Wildlife Crime Officers and our partners, the illegal and indiscriminate use of poisons is still alive and well in the Borders area. I'd ask for the public and particularly the gamekeeping community to come forward with information on this or any illegal wildlife crime"
Photo: PC Mark Rafferty with the poisoned eagle (RSPB)
Several changes to the membership of British Ornithologist’s Union Records Committee are taking place this summer.
Secretary, Tim Melling, has retired after eight years in post and will remain on the Committee for two more years as an ordinary member. Long-standing Committee member Andrew Harrop now takes over as Secretary. Andrew has been an active birdwatcher for more than 35 years and has particular interests in identification and distribution. He has written many papers and is co-author of the forthcoming new avifauna of Leicestershire and Rutland.
Ian Lewington retires from the Committee after his ten-year term and is being replaced by Andy Brown, Principal Ornithologist at the newly-formed Natural England. Andy has published a number of scientific papers and is co-author of Birds in England.
Steve Dudley, BOU spokesman, commented “Those being appointed to BOURC understand the demanding nature of the position. It requires highly skilled and motivated individuals who dedicate much of their spare time to assessing records of national importance in the Committee’s maintenance of The British List.
“The BOU is very grateful to Tim Melling for his eight-year stint as Committee Secretary and is pleased to retain him for two further years, and to Ian Lewington whose critical artist’s eye, energy and enthusiasm will be missed.”
Latest research has highlighted mercury poisoning as a possible cause for Ivory Gull declines. Surveys in the Canadian Arctic during the early 1980s counted about 2,400 birds, while a survey done from 2002 to 2006 by the Canadian Wildlife Service only found several hundred birds - a drop of 80 per cent. Evidence is building to link mercury levels with these huge declines. Birgit Braune, a research scientist with Environment Canada who studies toxic chemicals in Arctic wildlife, has examined Ivory Gull eggs from Seymour Island, a tiny island just north of Bathurst Island, in 1976, 1987, and 2004. She ran tests for persistent pollutants, such as PCBs and DDT, and also for mercury.
She found that some gull eggs contained high levels of mercury, enough to prevent some other bird species from reproducing normally. Just how these high mercury levels may affect Ivory Gulls is unknown, as are the origins of mercury in the high Arctic. But as Ivory Gulls are scavengers, and are high on the food chain, chemicals such as mercury, regardless of the source, will tend to accumulate in their tissues.
Ivory Gulls are also threatened by the retreat of ocean pack ice. They depend entirely on edges of sea ice to find food and the ice also acts as a natural barrier, keeping the Ivory Gulls safe at their inland breeding sites. Their safely isolated outcrops of barren rock, if no longer surrounded by ice and snow, are unable to keep predators such as Arctic foxes away.
In 2006, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) designated the Ivory Gull as near threatened, and Canada listed the bird as a species of special concern under its Species at Risk Act (SARA).
Photo: Ivory Gull by Steve Young (www.birdsonfilm.com)
Latest statistics about the popularity of birding in the US show that it has grown significantly in the last 10 years.
Figures from the Forest Service's National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE) have been released and once again they show an upward trend in the numbers of people watching birds in the US. The latest NSRE results for 2004-2006 estimates that bird watching involves 81.4 million participants. This includes anyone who looks at birds while outdoors, rather than people who actively go out birding. The survey also assessed the actual number of days spent birding during a year which stands at an incredible 8.2 billion! In 1994-95 the figures were 54.4 million participants and 4.8 billion annual birding days.
More information about NSRE can be found here
Many of Europe’s most threatened bird species have been helped by the EU Birds Directive, according to a BirdLife International analysis published in the renowned journal Science. The groundbreaking paper shows that the Birds Directive has clearly helped those species considered to be most at risk, partly through the designation of Special Protection Areas (SPAs).
Eurasian Spoonbill, White-tailed Eagle and Spanish Imperial Eagle are prominent examples of this success: without the Birds Directive and the efforts of governments and conservationists to implement it on the ground, these birds would now face a much bleaker future.
Many of Britain's rarest birds have increased by between 50% and 75% thanks to Europe-wide conservation measures, including Bittern, Dartford Warbler and Red Kite.
The research also shows that the populations of threatened birds not only fared better, on average, than other bird species in the European Union, but also that the same species perform better within the EU than in European countries outside it.
Dr Paul Donald, the paper’s senior author from the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) said: “For over 25 years, the Birds Directive has helped provide proper protection for those bird species facing the greatest threats. Today we can reveal that this protection has apparently worked.”
The Birds Directive was adopted in 1979 and is now binding law for all EU countries, it requires special conservation measures for a number of listed species. BirdLife hopes this evidence will now boost efforts of governments to comply with the Birds Directive, especially in the new Member States of the EU.
BirdLife warns that insufficient designation and protection of sites, lack of funding for site management and unsustainable agriculture all could reverse the successes of the Birds Directive, perpetuating dramatic declines in Europe’s wildlife. In June, the European Commission started legal action against many Member States after failing to designate enough protected areas for birds. In recent months, Poland has also faced Europe-wide criticism for the construction of an expressway through the pristine Rospuda Valley, a very important site protected under the Birds Directive.
See abstract here
Source: BirdLife InternationalPhoto: Bittern, one of the species helped in Britain, by Steve Young (www.birdsonfilm.com)
Young Marsh Harriers, just fledged at an RSPB reserve in Kent, are under threat from a proposed local airport expansion.The three young birds are about six weeks old, and are the first to have nested on the Society’s Dungeness reserve in south-east Kent, where staff are hoping a second nest will also be successful.
Tiny Lydd Airport, next to the reserve, has applied for a longer runway and new terminal, hoping to attract two million passengers a year by 2015. The RSPB is concerned that if this expansion is allowed, it could block improvements designed to increase bird numbers and help other wildlife in the area.
Bob Gomes, Reserve Manager, said: “More flights and larger aircraft would cause huge disturbance to birds already on the reserve, especially to flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover in winter. Airport expansion could not come at a worse time for Dungeness. It has long been an invaluable site for wintering, breeding and migrating birds and it would be a bitter blow if expansion hampered management on the reserve and action to combat climate change.”
The news comes just days after Heathrow Airport was forced to restrict its High Court injunction against a climate change camp near the London site next week. The RSPB believes airport expansion at places like Lydd should be curbed to cut the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change.
Transport Officer Melanie Edmunds said: “The government should rethink its approach to airport expansion because its predict and provide policy is undermining attempts to tackle climate change. Ministers must accept that huge emissions cuts are essential and include an 80 per cent emissions reduction target in its forthcoming climate change bill.”
Photo: Male Marsh Harrier by David Tipling (RSPB Images)
The declaration has been applauded by BirdLife International, one of a number of organisations involved in the site designation process. “This is an incredibly forward-thinking decision, made all the more spectacular by the fact that this is such a young nation,” said Dr Mike Rands, BirdLife’s Chief Executive. “We wholeheartedly congratulate the Timor-Leste government on this declaration, and their commitment to conservation in line with sustaining the livelihoods and heritage of local people.”
Timor-Leste became independent in 2002 and despite rich deposits of oil and gas it remains one of the world’s poorest nations.
The newly designated
The National Park will also include over 55,600 hectares of the ‘Coral Triangle’, a marine area with the greatest biodiversity of coral and reef fish in the world.
The National Park includes 25 bird species restricted to
BirdLife has worked with the Timor-Leste government (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, MAFF) since shortly after the country’s formal independence. Site designation work began with a programme of biological surveys, resulting in the identification of the country’s Important Bird Areasc(soon to be published in book form).
In doing this BirdLife joined forces with the New South Wales (Australia) Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), whose participation allowed the programme to be widened towards establishment of a new national protected areas network. Additional support to the programme was provided by Australian Volunteers International.
“This approach will ensure equity of benefits to local communities, protection and management of unique biodiversity, conservation of watersheds and recognition of traditional ownership, use and continued residence for local communities,” said a statement from the Timor Leste government on the Park’s declaration.
The National Park is named in honour of Nino Konis Santana, national hero and former Commander of FALANTIL (Forças Armadas da Libertação Nacional de Timor-Leste), the armed wing of the resistance movement in the struggle for independence who was born in the
Photo: Yellow-crested Cockatoo by Rosemary Low (courtesy of BirdLife International)
Rare birds have been discovered in all kinds of strange circumstances, but few can match the bizarre story of the latest addition to the North American list.
On the nights of 1 and 2 August, workers repairing railway lines at
No one could possibly have predicted that the bird would go on to cause such a stir. But Phil Unitt, the Collection Manager at the museum’s Department of Birds and Mammals, made an historic discovery when he realised it was a Newell’s Shearwater – a bird not only new to
Newell’s Shearwater, which breeds in
The
For the full story and photos, click here.
Source: Seabird-News
ISSN 0967-1870
Features
Vinicombe, K E. Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) [Identification of this gull in a challenging plumage, with particular reference to Lesser Black-backed Gull (L fuscus) and Herring Gull (L argentatus)]
Vinicombe, K E. Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla and C mauri) [How to separate these two ‘peeps’ from each other in autumn, as well as from Little Stint (Calidris minuta)]
Vinicombe, K E. Another
Cole, S. The south-eastern frontier [Birding in
Harbard, C. Birding the continental crossroads [Profile of the Ornithological Society of the Middle East, Caucasus and
Jameson, C. Musings: Mixed blessings [Thoughts about
Young, S. Doing a digital makeover [Bird photography: how to get a good shot of a distant subject]
Better BirdingHow to … bird in the wind
Places to go – head north to Scotland
British Bidwatching Fair
Must see – Red-necked Grebe
Other wildlife – National Moth Night
Tip from the Top –
What’s on – August events
Optical events – August guide
Birding courses and workshops
High tide tables for August for
Where to watch birds
Barthorpe, I. Minsmere,
Saunders, D. Skomer, Pembrokeshire
O’Clery, M. Dingle Peninsula, Co Kerry
Gibson, Stuart. Isle of
Reader Holidays
Competition
Win Pentax binoculars and cameras worth over £2,000
News and related items
News digest – Floods hit bird reserves; Woodlark increase; Harrier success; Lesser Flamingos threatened; Peak raptors persecuted
Fraser, M. ListCheck – updating the world view of birds. [National Lists: Additions to
Tools of the trade
Product reviews: Steiner 8x44 and 10x44 binoculars
Volunteer for bird surveys in
Give-away binoculars from JJ Vickers and Sons
Internet birding: Fact-finding online; Bumbling online; Website of the month
Book reviews:
Atlas of Bird Migration edited by Jonathan Elphick (Natural History Museum,
Wildlife of
Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World by Eugene M McCarthy (
Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the
Accounts of recent rarities in
Phizacklea, T. Crowds converge on Walney’s whimbrel [Hudsonian Whimbrel (Numenius (phaeopus) hudsonicus),
McKenzie, D. From the Southern Ocean to
Monthly highlights summary: June 2007
Recent reports
Monthly round-ups from eight regions in Britain, and from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, June 2007, including photos of Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis), Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris), Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus), Booted Warbler (Hippolais caligata), White-winged Black Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus), Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio), Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida), White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans), Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina), River Warbler (Locustella fluviatilis), Blyth’s Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum), Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus), White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus) and Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola).
Highlights summary for the Western Palearctic in June 2007, including photos of the region's fifth-ever Black-capped Petrel (Pterodraoma hasitata) near the Azores, Yellow-nosed Albtaross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos) in Norway, the first Radde’s Accentor (Prunella ocularis) for Kuwait, Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) in Belgium, and Green Heron (Butorides virescens) in The Netherlands.PLUS: 52-page Official Programme for Birdfair 2007, distributed exclusively with Birdwatch August 2007
Continued loss of urban green space could be very bad news for One of the key revelations was that when traditional suburban housing starts being replaced with continuous development (that is, new buildings without gardens), House Sparrow density falls rapidly. For example, when an area of flats exceeds that of houses with gardens, the House Sparrow density drops to a very low level and sparrows will probably disappear from the locale.
Even a relatively small loss of private gardens has large effects on sparrow abundance, and continued loss of private gardens within urban landscapes could have serious consequences for the House Sparrow population. Gardens are likely to be important foraging habitats and also provide the habitat structure, in particular low bushes, favoured by sparrows.
Allotments were also key habitats, holding some of the highest sparrow densities. The evidence suggested that this habitat is more important for feeding than for breeding. Allotments may provide good foraging opportunities due to the diversity of the habitat, not just in the sense of what is cultivated but also more generally, with abandoned allotments likely to provide rich sources of both invertebrates and weed seeds.
Allotments and residential areas with gardens are likely to be under pressure due to increased demand for housing, specifically from infilling of green space within urban areas – for example, gardens of large private houses and Victorian terraces sold off for building flats, and local authorities selling allotments and other amenity green space for property development.
The BTO’s Dr Dan Chamberlain commented: “These results suggest that how we plan our urban housing could be crucial for the fortunes of species such as the House Sparrow. Given that it is planned that three million homes should be built in
More than 1,000 volunteers walked the streets of British towns and villages to count chirping House Sparrows as part of the BTO's special survey of the species. They were asked to walk along pavements within built up areas and to visit parks and allotments. They counted and mapped all of the sparrows that they saw and heard, with particular attention being paid to chirping male sparrows, declaring ownership of territories.
Photo: male House Sparrow by Steve Young (www.birdsonfilm.com)
The threat of legal action has forced the Polish government to halt work on a controversial highway that would irreparably damage one of Construction workers were due to resume work this month on the Via Baltica highway through the ancient
The Commission asked the European Court of Justice to issue a temporary injunction preventing work in the valley, forcing the Polish government to back down before the court hears the case.
The Rospuda Valley, close to the Lithuanian border in north-east Poland, hosts a treasure trove of wildlife, including Lynx, Otter, Wolf and more than 20 rare or threatened bird species – all within 750 metres of the route the Polish government wants the road to take.
Dr Helen Byron, International Officer at the RSPB, said: “It is impossible to stress just how precious the
“There is an alternative to the Rospuda Valley route which should now be considered because it would cause far less environmental damage but still by-pass the towns currently blighted by heavy traffic.
“If the valley is eventually bulldozed, a devastating precedent will be set. Other irreplaceable sites threatened by the Via Baltica will be in the firing line while other countries that increasingly see protected sites as obstacles to development will be encouraged to test
Land has already been cleared either side of the
Elk and Beavers are common in the valley, where 20 orchid species are found. Dr Byron said: “It would be difficult to find a better site for wildlife in Europe, yet
The 277-mile Via Baltica will run from
An environmental assessment for the Polish section of the road is still underway but the government had pushed ahead with the Rospuda Valley route because it took traffic away from the town of Augustow, which is south of the valley. The shorter alternative would do that too and could be funded by the EU, unlike the Valley proposal.
The terrain of the valley means a 500-metre viaduct would be built on stilts planted in concrete sunk deep into rare and unspoilt peat bogs in the
The
Izabela Flor, Director of the Polish Bird Protection Society, OTOP, said: “This case has developed into a real test case for the enforcement of European legislation in
Photo: Poland's ancient forests are home to Pygmy Owl and many other species (Steve Young/www.birdsonfilm.com)
Bjørn Einrem photographed an Osprey not far from his home in western
The bird, Green 5S, is just one of 10 Ospreys to have fledged from the same Lake District nest site, but rather then return to
Green 5S was believed to have been a female at the time of ringing and this view has been strengthened by the fact she ended up well outside her natal range; males are thought to be more prone to site fidelity than females. Pete Davies commented: “This is very exciting news and we are delighted to know that one of the young Ospreys reared in the Lake District has made it to adulthood and returned to northern
It was back in 2001 that a single pair of Ospreys recolonised the
The Lake District Osprey Project Partnership provides viewing facilities close to Keswick, where the general public can enjoy excellent views of breeding Ospreys. The project itself is a partnership between The Forestry Commission, the RSPB and The Lake District National Park Authority.
Photo: Osprey by Steve Young (www.birdsonfilm.com)
Uncropped farmland has proved a major boon for many birds, including numerous declining species, but it could soon be cultivated for food and fuel instead. The EU is about to abandon its 1992 ‘set-aside’ requirement, where a portion of a farm’s land had to be left fallow to reduce grain mountains. Farmers will retain their set-aside fee and the RSPB is proposing that the wildlife benefits of set-aside be reproduced by creating smaller, managed areas of fallow land. Discussions will now determine whether farmland birds in
Gareth Morgan, Head of Agriculture Policy at the RSPB, said: “This is a crucial time for farmland birds, especially species in decline. Many of them have benefited from set-aside because of the plants and insects it has come to harbour.
“Set-aside is now an anomaly but it should not be abandoned without replacement measures put in place first. Annual set-aside payments to English farmers exceed £100 million and this could be put to better use.
“Most effective would be better funding for the green farming schemes the government is already running. But that can’t happen before next year at the earliest and we need some way of bridging the gap now to stop bird numbers plummeting back down again.”
The RSPB is proposing that strips of land next to hedges or watercourses be left uncropped, or that farmers leave whole fields uncultivated as part of their crop rotation. These areas would be much smaller than current set-aside requirements but be managed specifically for wildlife.
Gareth Morgan said: “In the long term, more money is essential if more farmers are to join green farming schemes. That is the only way the government will achieve its 2020 target for raising farmland bird numbers.
“This hasty plan to abolish set-aside is a salutary reminder that the environment should be at the heart of next year’s review of the Common Agricultural Policy, not an afterthought.”
