Partridge plan aims to restore numbers to countryside

The Game Conservancy Trust has launched a five-point plan to help save the Grey Partridge, a once far more widely encountered species throughout Britain than at present.

In what has been the wettest summer since records began in 1914, Grey Partridges are suffering. The species has already undergone an enormous 86 per cent decline in its numbers over the past 30 years and is currently on the brink of disappearing from many areas in Britain.

Dr Nick Sotherton, Head of Research with the trust, commented: "The wet summer has been a total wash-out for young partridge chicks struggling for survival, and urgent conservation action needs to be taken by all those with a responsibility for managing the British countryside."

A number of factors have contributed to the dramatic decline in the Grey Partridge population, including the introduction of pesticides and herbicides into modern-day farming practices (resulting in a loss of important food for young partridges), as well as habitat loss.

The trust also claims that predation is a significant factor in the decline of Grey Partridges, citing the fact that the number of gamekeepers providing ‘safe areas’ has fallen by 50 per cent over the last 30 years. Some of the trust’s studies have shed light on the importance of predator maintainence, and in a six-year experiment on Salisbury Plain the control of predators increased Grey Partridge spring breeding numbers by 35 per cent per annum, resulting in increased numbers in August of 75 per cent each year.

Dr Sotherton stated: “Without the right sort of habitat, partridges and their young have nowhere to hide and are therefore extremely vulnerable to predation. Many predators are opportunistic, and as a result an entire family can be knocked out in one go. However, predator control needs to be selective and only carried out when necessary.”

At one point there were in excess of one million Grey Partridges in the British countryside, but by the beginning of the 1990s this figure had plummeted to 145,000. Today the trust estimates that this figure has halved again, leading to the new five-point plan which identifies the following key actions:

• Create habitat – partridges require cover for nesting and brood rearing, as well as food and shelter. Land managers and farmers can benefit fiscally under the Government’s Entry Level Scheme (ELS) and Higher Level Scheme for habitat creation for Grey Partridge, as well as other farmland bird species.
• Carry out predator control – ground-nesting partridges are vulnerable to a wide range of predators, and large losses can occur when hens are on the nest.
• Provide additional food during lean winter months by installing suitable feeders in strategic areas.
• Keep counting – to encourage participation in trust’s Grey Partridge Count Scheme, the largest monitoring scheme in Europe and already demonstrating a 40 per cent increase in Grey Partridge numbers on sympathetically managed land.
• Be selective with sprays – 30-year research into the impact of insecticides has established there are devastating effects on chicks which are dependent on insect food just after the hatching stage.

But according to Nick Sotherton, it’s not all doom and gloom for Grey Partridges: “We now have more than 1,000 people counting partridges across the country. In addition, they are making an astonishing recovery on our Grey Partridge Recovery Project on farmland near Royston in Hertfordshire. Since the introduction of habitat management, predator control and feeding, there has been an extraordinary six-fold increase in Grey Partridges. But a lot more needs to be done to reverse the national decline. We hope this message today will act as the catalyst that will inspire more people to get involved in saving this delightful gamebird.”

For a copy of The Game Conservancy Trust’s free fact sheets spelling out how to restore wild Grey Partridge numbers, please contact: Louise Shervington at the trust on 01425 651002 or via email: lshervington@gct.org.uk.

Photo: Grey Partridge by Laurie Campbell

Uncertain future for Highlands and their wildlife

Scotland’s uplands are to become the focus of a major new debate between land managers, policy makers and the general public, with the aim of producing a long-term managerial vision of their future, according to RSPB Scotland.

The organisation is pushing to plan a way forward for the management and use of Scotland’s mountains, hills, glens and moorland and their function in the modern world, given the current thinking on climate change, agricultural policies and the requirements of local communities.

The RSPB has just released a report spelling out the challenges faced, along with some possible solutions, in an effort to bolster the debate and help form policy on the future of Scottish uplands. Two recent inquiries into such areas have already been set up – The Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Inquiry into the Future of Scotland’s Hills and Islands, and the Crofting Inquiry, led by Mark Shucksmith.

Stuart Housden, Director of RSPB Scotland, explained: “The time is right to open the debate on the future of our uplands and the landscapes, wildlife and communities that depend on them. Our uplands are a huge national resource; they underpin much of our tourism, sustain local jobs and provide public benefits for those who spend leisure time in them. They also play a crucial role in the natural processes of the land, which we rely on, storing both water and carbon.

“RSPB Scotland has some ideas about the future it would like to see for the uplands, but we recognise that no-one has all the answers. We want a national debate and would urge everyone with an interest in the uplands to take part, so that future public policy supports sustainable land management that maintains jobs and enriches wildlife habitats.”

The document in question, The Uplands – Time to Change?, highlights several areas of concern:

• Large swathes of the uplands are in sub-optimum condition and deteriorating, despite the fact that areas are protected as SSSIs or National Scenic Areas.
• Important habitat such as upland hay meadows and wildlife such as Black Grouse are facing long-term problems in certain areas.
• Much drinking water comes from uplands but can suffer pollution problems, while the lessened ability of upland soil structures to retain water will increase the risk and magnitude of flooding.
  
• Hill farming income is falling while the average age of farmers is increasing. Livestock, primarily cattle, are being removed from our uplands at an accelerating rate, with, potentially, serious environmental, economic and social consequences.

Furthermore, the report goes on to highlight the challenges faced by upland areas in the face of climate change which include the loss of wetlands and the increased likelihood of moorland and forest fires. Species of economic importance, such as Red Grouse, may well have to retreat to higher altitudes due to habitat loss/change due to climatic changes.

Stuart Housden commented: “Our report lists some serious challenges now and in the immediate future, but there are also opportunities … Managed properly, our upland soils can store huge amounts of carbon, soaking up thousands of tonnes a year which would otherwise contribute to global warming.”

He added: “We have to give proper recognition to the services our uplands provide and proper reward to those that manage the land in a way that delivers them. Finding common ground and a shared vision will give the people and wildlife in our uplands a future.”

As well as land owners, farmers and grouse moor managers, the general public can have their say in the debate on the future of Britain’s uplands – comments and suggestions can be emailed direct to uplands@rspb.org.uk.

Photo: European Golden Plover by Steve Young (www.birdsonfilm.com)

Cormorants flush for success

Researchers at the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham have discovered that Cormorants' underwater vision is no better than that of humans. Instead, they have found that the birds flush out prey by disturbing it, rather than pursuing it at speed.

Until now it has been a mystery as to how Cormorants are able to catch fish regardless of whether the water is crystal clear or murky. Professor Graham Martin and his team from the University's Centre for Ornithology have found that Cormorants are the underwater equivalent of herons, taking prey only at short range and by stealth, flushing fish out from hiding places and grabbing them with a rapid lunge of the neck.

Professor Martin explained: “Cormorants are often seen as mysterious birds with a vicious beak. They are disliked by anglers, while in China and Japan they are cherished pets, trained to catch fish for the pot. We thought that Cormorants were the underwater equivalent of eagles or hawks, seeing prey at a distance and hunting it down at high speed, but that would require excellent vision. Now we see them as something quite different – highly manoeuvrable, wily birds with lightning reactions, capable of grabbing something at short range as it tries to escape.”

An extra trick that Cormorants have developed to help them with their efficient feeding is their ability to move their eyes and see between their beaks. Professor Martin continued “Not many birds can see what they are holding in their mouth – most birds see just beyond their beak tip, much as we see just beyond our nose. Cormorants, however, can swing their eyes forward to see what they are holding. This may be an essential part of their success, since they may often grab something barely seen as it tries to escape when flushed out. Cormorants will need to bring it to the surface to check it out before swallowing.

“We are full of admiration for these birds and the way that natural selection has led to their poor underwater vision being complemented by their artful fishing technique.”

Photo: Steve Young (www.birdsonfilm.com)

BOU rejects first Nearctic wader records and sets up 'historical' list category

The BOU Record Committee’s (BOURC) 35th Report has recently been published and includes the following changes to the British List: rejection of first British records of Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri and Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius; addition of Long-billed Murrelet Brachyramphus perdix and Chestnut-eared Bunting Emberiza fucata fucata to Category A; removal of the White-headed Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava leucocephala.

A new category is to be set-up, Category F, which will include species known to have occurred in Britain before 1800 (before the period for Category B species). As this will go well back into pre-history, and include fossil records, a new sub-committee has been set up and this will assess the evidence and publish a history of occurrences. The period covered will be from c700,000BP to 1800AD.

A new table of British bird names can be found on the BOU website, that lists not only the BOU’s accepted English names, but also those of the International Ornithological Congree, together with scientific names. An interesting addition is the English and scientific names that were used in 1923 List of British Birds, published by the BOU. The changes are substantial, not least the removal of a lot of hyphens!!

The full report can viewed online here

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Red Kites released in Ireland

For the first time in 200 years, Red Kites are flying over Co Wicklow in Ireland as a project to reintroduce them to their former range begins.

The Wicklow Red Kite Project is using young kites from the successful Welsh breeding population and 30 of them have been released at a secret location in the Wicklow hills. A total of 120 kites will be set free over the next five years.

Damian Clarke, project manager, said "In future years these beautiful birds will become another tourist attraction in the Garden of Ireland, as they have done in Wales."

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Study highlights ways to save farmland birds

The declines of farmland bird species like Skylarks, Yellow Wagtails and Yellowhammers can be reversed by following six techniques aimed at encouraging wildlife, according to a new report published by SAFFIE – Sustainable Arable Farming For and Improved Environment.

The report, based on a five-year study by the 21 farming, envinronment and research groups that form SAFFIE, goes on to say that the suggested measures can all be implemented without harming farmer’s profits but only if appropriate support is provided by government.

By leaving small patches of bare ground, for Skylarks, and planting strips of grasses and wild flowers at field edges, populations of birds can be dramatically increased more than three fold. Using selective herbicides can remove fast-growing grasses and allow beneficial plants to thrive. A combination of the various techniques would help the widest range of species.

Graham Wynne, RSPB Chief Executive, said: "The recommendations SAFFIE is making could make an enormous contribution to helping farmland species recover their numbers and making rural businesses more sustainable. We very much hope the government and Natural England will take these proposals on board."

A summary of the report can be downloaded here.

Photo: Yellowhammer by Steve Young (www.birdsonfilm.com)

Partridge recovery conference

A major conference aimed at spearheading the recovery of Grey Partridge populations in Britain is taking place in Cambridge later this year.

‘Back from the Brink’ is organised by the Game Conservancy Trust whose Grey Partridge Recovery Project, based on farmland at Royston in Hertfordshire, has succeeded in reversing the national trend of decline. The conference will share the results from the project which has resulted in numbers growing from 20 to 184 pairs in just four years! It will look at the history of the partidge’s decline and focus on issues like habitat management, food and predator control.

The recent history of the Grey Partridge in Britain is one of dramatic decline with a startling 86 per cent fall in population over the last 30 years, with modern agricultural practices playing a large part. Where farmers have adopted the Trust’s management recommendations there have been substantial increases in partridge numbers.

Dr Nick Sotherton, the Trust's director of research, said, “We hope that this national conference, which is the first conservation event of its kind, will act as a catalyst for a wider recovery in grey partridge numbers across the country. Let's put science into action and restore this iconic bird."

'Back from the Brink' is a one-day conference that takes place on Friday 5 October 2007 at the Wellcome Trust in Cambridge. For further details email: partridgeconference@gct.org.uk or go to http://www.gct.org/

Photo: Grey Partridge by Laurie Campbell

Hobby webcam goes live

A new webcam is beaming live images from a Hobby’s nest deep in the New Forest.

Two eggs were laid in the nest and the first chick hatched out on 10 July. Both chicks are now being fed by the parents and should be viewable in the nest for the next four weeks. The webcam is a collaboration between the RSPB, Forestry Commission and the New Forest National Park Authority.

The images are viewable on the RSPB website and also at the Forestry Commission’s New Forest Reptile Centre near Lyndhurst, Hampshire.

Mixed fortunes for Britain’s seabirds

Reports from Scotland and Wales indicate that the seabird breeding season is having mixed success.

In Scotland, the RSPB’s coastal seabird reserves are having another poor breeding season with many colonies nearly deserted. Orkney, as well as parts of Shetland and north-west Scotland have had a disastrous year, while on the east coast, colonies at Fowlsheugh and Troup Head have fared better, with the Mull of Galloway in the south also doing quite well.

The species affected vary, with Common Terns seeming to have done consistently badly around Scotland, with Kittiwakes holding on in the south and east, while Guillemots have once again been hit hard.

Norman Ratcliffe, seabird ecologist with RSPB Scotland, said: “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.”

In Wales a full seabird count has taken place on the RSPB’s Ramsey Island, revealing extremely healthy populations. Fulmars and Shags have all increased in numbers since the last full survey was undertaken in 2002, while populations of Guillemots and Razorbills remain stable. The most significant increase has occurred among the island's small colony of Manx Shearwaters, which have more than doubled in numbers.

Photo: Common Tern by Steve Young (www.birdsonfilm.com)

Bioenergy crops could fuel bird declines

A new report, prepared by leading UK environmental groups, highlights the dangers that uncontrolled planting of crops for bioenergy could bring.

Bioenergy in the UK warns that crops such as willow, oil-seed rape and miscanthus (elephant grass), grown for energy generation, could be sown as monocultures providing little sustenance for wildlife. Without proper management, the cultivation of crops for fuel, electricity and heat could actually cause further declines in farmland wildlife.

The environmental groups, including RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust, National Trust, and CPRE, are calling for:

• A UK-wide assessment of bioenergy’s potential and drawbacks
• Certification of all bioenergy schemes to ensure producers prove cuts to greenhouse gas emissions
• Planning policies that guard against unsuitable bioenergy developments and changes in land use.

Abi Bunker, Agriculture Policy Officer at the RSPB, said: “This report should serve as a wake-up call to government. Instead of jumping on the bioenergy bandwagon and regretting the damage later, the UK should be developing the bioenergy sector with care, avoiding damage to wildlife and making sure that emissions really are reduced.”

Virtual bird observatory goes online

The New Jersey Audubon Society has launched its new virtual website BirdCapeMay.org (www.birdcapemay.org) bringing Cape May Bird Observatory to the world.

The website contains a wealth of articles covering field identification, fieldcraft, book reviews and a photo quiz, as well as a column from renowned US birder, and director of the observatory, Pete Dunne. A birding weather forecast comes from Paul Lehman, covering weather systems and migration patterns across the US with updates using ‘real time’ simulated maps.

The photo gallery contains eight categories covering the four seasons, rarities and scenes from Cape May to provide visual insight into both the place and its birds. Bird news features strongly with daily sightings posted together with information about rarities and vagrants. A calendar lets you see what is possible in the months ahead, full of historical detail, and there is a full diary of programmes and events on offer year round.

The website aims to help every kind of visitor from a birder planning a trip from England who needs some essential tools, to one sipping tea in a café in San Francisco who doesn't even need to be here to enjoy Cape May year-round.

"There are few birding locations that are better known than Cape May, New Jersey, and its fame is not accidental” says Pete Dunne, CMBO Director. “Birders everywhere celebrate its migratory fallouts, species diversity and great migratory concentrations. This website is designed to bring the Cape May birding experience to you, right now, in a way that is as engaging, informative, and as friendly as birding Cape May in person."

Napoli wreck still a threat

Oil from the wreck of the MSC Napoli, off the coast of Devon, is still affecting seabirds. Sixteen oiled birds have been found in the last few days and there have been reports of more.

The vessel is being broken up by the Maritime Coastguard Agency after attempts to refloat the wreck were abandoned. The whole process could take up to a year and there will be a risk of residual oil leaking out.

Both oil and birds have been found washed up on Branscombe Beach, near Sidmouth, in Devon where the wreck has been an offshore feature since the ship beached there in January.

Sian Rees, a maritime conservation officer with the Devon Wildlife Trust, said: "We were aware that if the ship broke up there was a certain amount of oil in the hold and in the pipes which would be released. These birds have been the unfortunate victims of this incident."

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Crane raised by bantam mum

A surprise hatching has delighted conservationists at the Pensthorpe Conservation Centre in Norfolk.

Two Sandhill Crane eggs, laid by an immature female, were brooded by a broody bantam, although the Centre thought they would be infertile. The little foster mother incubated for 28 days and miraculously one of the eggs hatched. The young crane has thrived and is now many times larger than its ‘parent’.

The Pensthorpe Conservation Centre, which opened in May, features a purpose built Cranery, housing the largest collection of Cranes in the UK, including eight of the world’s 15 species. The Great Crane Project was launched last August by the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, the RSPB, the WWT and Jordans Cereals, who are working collaboratively to establish new populations of Common Crane in Britain.

There is public access to some of the facilities that are directly involved in raising birds for release as part of this programme. Pensthorpe is on the A1067, one mile from Fakenham, and is open all year round.

Sandhill Cranes breed in eastern Russia and North America and are one of the world’s more numerous species. There are records of wild birds in the UK, on Fair Isle in 1981 and on Shetland in 1991, while elsewhere in the Western Palearctic there was one in Ireland in 1905 and another was on the Faroe Islands in 1980.

Photo: Young Sandhill Crane and bantam 'mother' by Mike Powles

Beware wild birds spreading avian flu, farmers warned

Britain’s farmers are being warned to be on the look out for signs of avian flu as this autumn’s migration season begins.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) suggests that birds moving from Europe through the Czech Republic, Germany and France, where there have been recent outbreaks of avian flu, will pose the greatest threat.

While it is not known which wild birds, if any, are spreading the virus both Black-headed Gulls returning from the Baltic Sea and Mallards from Germany and the Czech Republic have been highlighted as possible carriers.

Defra recently announced a ban on all international pigeon racing as a precaution against spreading the disease.

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Hornbill discovery prompts protection call

The discovery of the first nest of Wreathed Hornbills Aceros undulatus in Malaysia has fuelled calls to protect the Temengor Forest Reserve, a hotspot for hornbills.

A team from the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) made the discovery when a male was seen feeding berries to its mate, sealed up inside a nest-hole. The Temengor region is not formally protected and logging still takes place there, while in the neighbouring area of Belum an area was set aside earlier this year as a State Park.

The Belum-Temengor complex is the only place where all ten species of of Malaysian hornbills can be found together. “These hornbills are known to migrate long distances in search of fruiting resources and therefore require large contiguous areas of forest to survive,” said Yeap Chin Aik, Head of Conservation at MNS. “This discovery gives hope that the globally threatened Plain-pouched Hornbill, a close relative of the Wreathed Hornbill, may perhaps be nesting in Belum-Temengor too.”

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Japanese Crested Ibis to return

Japan’s rarest bird, the iconic Japanese Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon) or Toki, is set to make a comeback, thanks to a sustained effort by conservationists.

The ibis became extinct in Japan 26 years ago when the last pair vanished on Sado Island. In 1998 the China donated a pair to Japan for a breeding programme, aimed at eventual reintroduction. The Ibis Conservation Centre, on Sado Island, now has 107 birds and the first steps for their release are being taken.

Not only must the birds be prepared for a life in the wild, but sufficient suitable habitat must be made available for them. To help with this, the Japanese Government is offering rice farmers subsidies if they fill their rice paddies with water in winter or turn fields fallow, to provide feeding grounds for the ibises.

Five birds, three males and two females, born last year, are being housed in special acclimatisation cages that will help prepare them for a life of freedom. Techniques used to successfully reintroduce Oriental White Storks to the wild are being used. Ten more chicks, born this year, will also be trained and 10 birds will finally be released next autumn. The Centre aims for 60 ibises to be established in the wild by 2015.

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Dramatic Woodlark spread could be limited

The good news, that Woodlark numbers in the UK have risen dramatically, is tempered by the fear that suitable habitat might not be available in the future.

The latest survey of Woodlarks, the first for 10 years, shows an increase in numbers by 89 per cent, with an estimated 3,083 breeding pairs in England and one pair in Wales. Improved lowland heathland habitat, and better management of forestry plantations have all helped bring about this increase.

While lowland heaths and forestry plantations still form the Woodlark's stronghold, many pairs can now be found breeding on farmland, where they favour set-aside land. However, changes to support for farmers, dictated by Europe, could mean the loss of set-aside and this could limit the spread of Woodlarks unless they have alternatives, according to the RSPB.

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.”

Sue Armstrong-Brown, the RSPB’s head of countryside conservation, said: “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.”

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".

The Woodlark survey was carried out by the BTO, RSPB, Natural England and the Forestry Commission.

Photo: Woodlark by Chris Gomersall (RSPB Images)

Mega seawatch begins

A three-month vigil, off the coast of Cornwall, aims to help Europe’s most endangered seabird, the Balearic Shearwater.

The SeaWatch SW survey begins tomorrow (15 July), starting at 5.30am at Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra, Cornwall. Continuous watches will run daily until 15 October, staffed by a team of experienced observers. Records will be kept of all migratory seabirds and other marine wildlife that pass by.

The coordinator of the project, Russell Wynn will man the watchpoint for the first 16 days and then hand over to Ken Shaw. As well as seabird experts, there will also be shark observers to watch for Basking Sharks, Ocean Sunfish and other marine animals. All visitors are welcome!

Daily highlights of sightings will be passed on to Birdguides and detailed daily logs, with photos and video, will be posted on the project website.

SeaWatch SW would also like to receive records of any sightings of Balearic Shearwater from anywhere in the UK during 2007 - please send these to Birdguides.

The Seawatch SW project is supported by a number of major conservation and scientific organisations, including the National Oceanography Centre - Southampton, the RSPB, and the Marine Conservation Society.

Photo: Balearic Shearwater by Tom Brereton (Marinelife)

Birthday marks wetland bird boom

As it celebrates its tenth birthday, Otmoor RSPB reserve in Oxfordshire is being hailed as a conservation success, according to the RSPB.

In that time, the site has been transformed from 1,000 acres of farmland on the Upper Thames Tributaries into one of the most important wetlands in England where wading bird numbers are booming in defiance of a long-term national decline.

The traditional grazing marsh recreated at Otmoor, near Beckley, is now home to around 90 pairs of breeding waders, including Lapwing, Redshank, Curlew and five pairs of Snipe – more than half the population in central England.

The reserve has now become the core of a wider area of wader habitat, with RSPB staff offering help and advice to surrounding landowners in the Otmoor Basin and financial support from Natural England’s environmental stewardship scheme. Well over 200 pairs of wading birds now breed in the area.

Graham Wynne, RSPB Chief Executive, said: “The achievements at Otmoor are truly inspiring. Through this major restoration project, we have saved the wading bird population in this part of England and proved that we can reverse the habitat losses that centuries of wetland drainage have inflicted on our wildlife.”

The project has been made possible thanks to more than £2.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund; £450,000 from the Landfill Communities Fund through WREN, Viridor Credits, TOE, Thames Water and SITA Trust. There has also been invaluable support from the Environment Agency, Rural Development Services/DEFRA, Cherwell District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, charitable trusts, RSPB members and local volunteers.

Photo: Snipe by Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Sweet success for Welsh honeys

The Wales Raptor Study Group, Forestry Commission Wales, and Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, are celebrating breeding success for a Honey Buzzard pair at an undisclosed site in south Wales.

The ‘Honey-buzzards – Raptors of the Forest’ project has, over the last three years, shed light on many aspects of Honey Buzzard breeding behaviour and allowed many thousands of visitors to Afan Forest Park to learn about the project and the bird itself.

Recorded video footage of the family at the nest-site can be viewed at the Afan Forest Park visitor centre allowing visitors to watch the young being fed at the nest and, with any luck, mature over the coming weeks before eventually taking their first flights. Updated still images and latest news can be seen at www.forestry.gov.uk/wales for those who cannot get to the visitor centre.

Forestry Commission Wales Conservation Manager, Chris Tucker, explained, “This year, for the first time, we have seen the whole nest building, egg laying and now hatching processes, so we’ve learned even more about their habits. We need to be secretive about the location of the nest as Honey Buzzards are a prime target for egg collectors and could be unintentionally disturbed by over-enthusiastic birdwatchers.”

‘Honey-buzzards – Raptors of the Forest’ is open to visitors at Afan Forest Park visitor centre until the end of August and, apart from a small fee to use the car park (payable at the visitor centre), entry is free to all. The Afan Forest Park visitor centre is on the A4107 at Port Talbot, six miles from junction 40 of the M4.

Photo: Honey Buzzard in flight by Dominic Mitchell

Dead parrot no joke to birders

The ultimate in suppression has angered Australian birders as a real-life dead parrot discovery was kept quiet.

Last September an Australian park ranger Diamantina National Park, Queensland discovered the headless corpse of a bird he could not immediately identify. The yellow-bellied bird appeared to have flown into a nearby barbed-wire fence and it was eventually passed to experts at the Queensland Museum to identify.

Imagine their amazement when they realised it was a juvenile Night Parrot, a small, drab, budgerigar-like bird that has fascinated scientists and frustrated birders for more than a century. Once relatively common in central Australia in the 19th century, its numbers mysteriously declined, and it was declared extinct by some experts as long ago as 1915.

In 1979, a team from the South Australian Museum saw a several birds in Southern Australia and in 1990, a dead specimen was discovered by a roadside in south-western Queensland. Seven separate sightings were made in 1992 and 1993, a short distance north of where this bird was found but confirmation of these sightings the following year was not successful.

The finding of this new specimen should have been a cause for international celebration, immediate investigation and a concerted search for live birds but the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, which administers the parks, apparently decided to suppress news of the find.

Now, after months of apparent inactivity and claims that authorities feared an unsupervised influx of excited birders from all over the world, a nationwide coalition of experts and enthusiasts has been set up to look for more birds. The National Night Parrot Network, which includes the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, is a part research sharing group, part rapid response team, ready to climb into a four-wheel-drive or an aircraft and head into the desert on reports of a sighting.

Mike Weston, research and conservation manager at Birds Australia, says the "incredible secrecy" prevented a concerted inquiry that might have yielded clues to the birds' habits. "The way it was handled was most disappointing" he added.

An Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman rejected allegations of secrecy. Staff, she said, had surveyed the area where the bird was found without success.

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'Operation Eagle' recovers rare Middle Eastern raptors

Israel Nature and Parks Authority and paratroopers from the Israel Defense Forces carried out an unusual rescue mission recently in the city of Hebron, south of Jerusalem.

Soldiers from the IDF, together with a ranger from INPA, raided a shop in Hebron and recovered two Golden Eagles, both in good condition. The birds were taken to the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem where it will be decided whether to release them back into the wild or whether they will have to spend the rest of their lives in captivity.

The population of many raptors in the region have been suffering the depredations of wildlife rustlers and traders. The Judean Desert is one of the last big refuges for birds of prey in Israel with populations of large eagles (Golden and Bonelli's) as well as a large concentration of vultures. Most of the birds that are trapped or stolen from nests are taken for sale in the territories or smuggled to the Gulf states, where there is considerable demand for many of these birds.

It is estimated that in the past there were nearly 50 nesting pairs of Golden Eagles in the desert areas of Israel and the territories. During the past two decades their number has decreased by 50 percent, and the species is in grave danger of vanishing altogether.

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Spring bird protection in Southern Italy is successful

Bird protection efforts in Southern Italy have have met with their greatest success this spring, according to the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS).

Some 100 Italian volunteers took part in 3 bird protection camps run by Italian organisations LAC, WWF and LIPU in Lazio and Campania. The operations covered the complete time window of the passage of the late migrant song birds, a period of six weeks from mid-April to the end of May, and were conducted in close cooperation with the forest and regional police.

The results were:

• 183 fall traps, 1 bow trap, 2 nets and 4 electronic decoy devices (not a single one on Ischia!) located and removed
• only 9 poachers caught red-handed
• five shotguns, 360 rounds of ammunition and two wire snares for wild boar confiscated.

Alexander Heyd of CABS, said “Even the most optimistic of us would never have believed that matters could turn out like this. There were no Whinchat traps set in the terraced gardens on Ischia, no shots were fired at migrating Turtle Doves from the cliffs of the Island of Procida and no nets blocked the passage of the Wheatear in the Ponza macchia.”

Detailed information on the operations (at present only in German) can be found at http://www.komitee.de/.

Lifeline for marine wildlife?

The future of the UK’s marine wildlife hangs in the balance as Gordon Brown made a half-hearted commitment to introducing a draft marine bill in his legislative programme, according to the RSPB.

Reacting to Gordon Brown’s statement, Martin Harper, head of the RSPB’s sustainable development department, 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 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.

The RSPB will continue to campaign for a Marine Bill to be introduced in the 2007/2008 parliamentary session that includes: designated marine conservation zones; a new system for planning at sea; improved licensing of activities at sea; and sustainable in-shore fishing management. MPs are being asked to pledge their support for a Marine Bill by signing a new cross-party Early Day Motion (1833).

Photo: Puffin by Chris Harbard

Bird of prey killings hit peak

Goshawks are still a major victim of bird of prey persecution in the Peak District, according to new findings from the RSPB.

Its latest report on bird of prey persecution in Derbyshire – Peak Malpractice Update 2007 - highlights a catalogue of wildlife crime incidents from this region. One incident, which was reported to Derbyshire Constabulary, involved the use of a dead squirrel, placed below an active Goshawk nest within the Upper Derwent Valley, Derbyshire.

Squirrels are a frequent prey item for Goshawks, leaving investigators in little doubt that this magnificent bird of prey was the intended victim. This view is reinforced by the fact that the bait was placed on a pile of teased-out twine, which experts believe would have entangled any victim’s talons.

Ian West, the RSPB’s head of investigations, said: “The nature of the trap and its position clearly indicate this was designed to kill the breeding Goshawks at this location. Any bird unlucky enough to get trapped would have suffered a lingering death, unable to find food or fly.”

Among other horrifying incidents last year: a female Peregrine was found dead after being shot on two separate occasions; laboratory tests showed that a Raven had been poisoned; and Goshawk chicks disappeared from a traditional nest site after the tree was climbed by someone using climbing irons.

The RSPB is calling for the illegal killing of birds of prey to stop and is asking the public to show their support by signing an on-line pledge. Visit: www.rspb.org.uk/birdsofprey for further information.

Photo: Goshawk from www.wildphoto.no

Chernobyl radiations affects brightly coloured birds most

Studies on birds breeding in the forests around the Chernobyl nuclear plant have found that brightly coloured birds are among the species most adversely affected by the high levels of radiation.

Dr Anders Møller of the Université Pierre et Marie Curie and Professor Timothy Mousseau of the University of South Carolina examined 1,570 birds from 57 different species. They found that populations of certain groups of birds, those whose red, yellow and orange plumage is based on carotenoids, those that laid the biggest eggs, and those that migrated or dispersed the furthest, declined more than other species.

Most interestingly these results have been linked to the role of antioxidants, those chemicals that help protect living organisms from the damaging effects of free radicals. Certain activities use up large amounts of antioxidants. These include producing carotenoid-based pigments for feathers, migrating long distances and laying large eggs. Møller and Mousseau hypothesized that birds with fewer antioxidants would be most adversely affected by exposure to radiation.

Among the brightly coloured species most affected were Golden Orioles, Blackbirds and Blue Tits, while drab species like Tree Pipits, Coal Tits and Chaffinches were much less affected. Long distance migrants that were most affected included Quails, Golden Orioles, Hoopoes, Blackbirds and Robins, while non-migrant or short-dispersing species like Great Tits, Coal Tits and Song Thrushes were much less affected.

A P Møller and T A Mousseau (2007). Determinants of interspecific variation in population declines of birds from exposure to radiation at Chernobyl. Journal of Applied Ecology, published online at www.blackwellpublishing.com/jpe.

Photo: Great Tit at Chernobyl by Tim Mousseau

Flamingos’ home threatened by soda plant

The summer home of half a million flamingos in Tanzania is under threat from industrial development.

Lake Natron supports more than 500,000 Lesser Flamingos in summer, which amounts to 75 per cent of the world’s breeding population. The lake has been the birds’ only nesting site in East Africa for the last 45 years. Listed by the international Ramsar Wetland Convention and designated an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International, it is one of only five breeding sites for lesser flamingos in the world.

The lake is threatened by the construction of a huge soda ash plant, which will require the installation of heavy machinery to pump water, as well as a new coal-run power station and housing for more than 1,000 workers. The plant will pump salty water from the lake for the production and export of sodium carbonate or washing soda and the developers may also introduce a hybrid shrimp to the lake to increase its salinity.

Dr Chris Magin, the RSPB’s International Officer for Africa, said: “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 these birds facing extinction in East Africa and should be stopped in its tracks and sunk in water so deep it can never be revived.”

Consultants for Lake Natron Resources Limited, are hosting a workshop to make public only part of its report on the environmental impact of the salt ash proposals. 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.

Climate bill call as floods hit people and birds

The Government’s draft climate change bill must address the way we adapt to our changing weather if we are to protect people and wildlife from future floods, says the RSPB. Climate change means that devastating summer floods like those that hit parts of England in recent weeks are likely to become more common.

The society is calling for a large-scale programme of wetland creation and river restoration to help reduce the impact of floods on people and wildlife. Ruth Davis, the RSPB’s head of climate change policy, said: “People in vulnerable communities, together with wildlife, will be hit worst by climate change. They will bear the brunt of more frequent and violent storms, such as those that have hit the UK this summer.

“The RSPB is asking that the draft climate change bill includes much stronger requirements on the Government to ensure we adapt sensibly to the impacts of climate change, precisely because of events like this.

She added: “We need sensible planning laws that do not allow buildings on floodplains, when there is no guarantee they can ever be insured or protected adequately in the future.

“In addition, we must invest public funds in restoring the natural function of rivers and their catchments so they store more water and slow the development of floods.”

This summer’s floods have had a disastrous effect on England’s wading birds – just a year after they were hit by drought in the South-East. In the last two weeks many nests and young have been washed away by flood waters, which have inundated RSPB reserves from East Anglia north through the Midlands and into Yorkshire.

The worst affected reserves are all low-lying wet meadows, which rely on winter flooding and were once common in the landscape. However decades of intensive drainage and flood defence have seen massive losses of habitat and dramatic declines in breeding wading bird numbers. When floods hit the few remaining suitable sites in spring and summer, breeding birds and their young have nowhere to go.

As many as half of the remaining Common Snipe in England’s lowlands could have lost their nests after the Ouse Washes in Cambridgeshire disappeared under water up to two metres deep. At Sandwell Valley in the West Midlands, all but two of the reserve’s 13 Northern Lapwing chicks have been lost, while at Old Moor in Yorkshire waders were again hit hard as water levels on the site rose three metres in 12 hours.

The rising waters washed out 13 snipe, 10 lapwing and seven Redshank nests. Even Tree Sparrow nests were lost, despite being more than six feet off the ground.

Photo: juvenile Redshank by Steve Young

Endangered Bruijn's Brush-turkey photographed for first time in the wild

Birdwatchers on a Papua Expeditions (PE) exploratory bird tour to Mount Danai on the Indonesian island of Waigeo have taken the first photographs in the wild of the endemic Bruijn's Brush-turkey Aepypodius bruijnii, a unique species of megapode which remained entirely unknown in the living world for more than 120 years between its formal description from trade skins in 1880 and its field discovery by PE resident birder Iwein Mauro on nearby Mount Nok in May 2002.

In early April 2007 Iwein Mauro and fellow PE resident birder Zeth Wonggor, along with British birdwatcher Charles Davies, watched a fine adult male brush-turkey persistently displaying from atop its nest mound just four metres away from their hide in ridge-top cloud-forest on Mount Danai. The group also repeatedly watched a soliciting female visiting the mound while the male was away.

Read more …

African forest wilderness to be cleared for cane plantations

A precious forest that is home to nearly one third of Uganda’s bird life is set to be given away and cleared for one of the country’s most uneconomical crops.

The Ugandan government wants to change the law to allow Mabira Forest Reserve to be carved up and a quarter of it used for sugar cane production by huge firms, notably the Mehta Group, which has close ties to politicians within and outside the country. The forest was supposed to be protected in return for $US 360 million of World Bank money to fund construction of a hydroelectric dam on the River Nile close to Lake Victoria.

Conservationists fear that agreement will be flouted and that Mabira will be all but destroyed by the planned give-away – or ‘de-gazettement’ - after November’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda, when the country will no longer be in the world’s gaze. They believe the move would breach the Ugandan constitution.

Dr Chris Magin, the RSPB’s International Officer for Africa, said: “Slicing up Mabira would be an environmental disaster and makes no economic sense at all. Sugar production in Uganda is hugely inefficient and has to be heavily subsidised to be competitive.

“Sugar yields would be much higher if farming techniques were improved and if the object was to increase sugar production, that is what the government should do.”

The 75,000-acre (30,000-hectare) Mabira forms the eastern part of the Guinea Congo Forest in central Africa. It is classified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International, boasting almost 300 bird species including the globally threatened Nahan's Francolin.

Of those birds, 75 species are found only in the Guinea Congo Forest. Many of the 200 tree species and nine primate species in Mabira are also rare.

“For birdwatchers and other eco-tourists, it is a famous site,” Dr Magin said. “It would be a tragedy if so much of it was lost to this short-sighted venture.”

“Mabira is a biodiversity heaven and conserving it is a much better option than growing sugar cane,” said Achilles Byaruhanga, Executive Director of NatureUganda.

“If a quarter of Mabira is chopped down the effect on the remaining forest will be far-reaching, reducing the range of species, causing encroachment, erosion and siltation, and reducing its capacity to provide services. There will be less water in our rivers, less rain, less carbon stored and fewer tourists.”

The RSPB and BirdLife International are urging people to lobby their governments to ask Uganda to safeguard Mabira. Hazell Shokellu Thompson, Head of BirdLife’s Africa Division, said: “For the Ugandan government and the Mehta Group to continue with a venture that is so very costly in terms of biodiversity loss and economic stability is wholly deplorable.”

“Uganda ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1993 and has a fairly good track record in upholding that treaty. The government has an obligation to continue to adhere to the agreement in the same way that many other African and world nations are doing and we are confident that once all the facts have been reviewed, the Ugandan government will do the right thing for the Ugandan people and stop the give-away.”

If the Mabira give-away goes ahead, conservationists fear it will put other protected forests at risk. Dr Magin said: “Mabira is only one of a number of give-aways proposed. If the government is successful in weakening the law the loss of Mabira could set a very worrying precedent.”

TV fundraising effort to benefit albatrosses and other wildlife

The campaign to save the world's albatrosses from extinction will receive another boost this Friday, 6 July, when BBC TV's Saving Planet Earth series reaches its conclusion with a televised fundraising spectacular. The plight of albatrosses, whose numbers are being badly depleted by longline fishing, was the subject of one of the programmes in the series.

A star-studded event featuring David Attenborough, updates on the animals and music by Avril Lavigne, Manic Street Preachers and Katherine Jenkins will be screened on Friday evening at 7 pm and 8.30 pm on BBC1.

Financial support for the conservation causes featured in the series is being channelled through the BBC Wildlife Fund, a grant-giving charity registered with the Charity Commission. The fund was set up to distribute money raised by donations to help support projects protecting the world’s endangered wildlife and habitats.

Once the total amount raised from appeals is known, the BBC says the fund will work with a wide range of wildlife charities to assess how and where the money can make the most difference.

To watch the BBC programme on albatrosses online click here, and then click on the 'Watch again' link.

Echo Parakeet saved from fate of the Dodo in Mauritius

A species whose numbers once dwindled to just eight known individuals, including only two females, has been removed from the critical list thanks to a conservation effort spearheaded by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

The Echo Parakeet is one of nine native bird species remaining on Mauritius, but its numbers have been severely impacted by deforestation and invasive species. Just a few years ago it was considered the rarest parrot on the planet, but now 320 of these birds fly freely in the Mauritian forests, resulting the species being downgraded from Critically Endangered to Endangered.

Invasive species had been the biggest factor in the bird’s decline. Introduced plants such as the guava have spread rapidly across Mauritius, preventing the growth of native trees on which the birds depend for food. Animals such as the Black Rat have raided nests and competed with the birds for native fruits.

Durrell and its partner organisation the Mauritian Wildlife Fund combated these threats by restoring areas of its natural habitat, removing invasive species, planting native trees and providing feeding stations. They received extensive support from The World Parrot Trust, Chester Zoo and the International Vet Group.

Techniques which the charities used to successfully increase numbers of two other critically endangered birds, Pink Pigeon and Mauritius Kestrel, were adapted. To ensure a high survival rate in the face of natural food shortages, Durrell removed all but one hatchling from the parakeets’ nests for hand-rearing. This reduced the burden on the parent birds and prevented infant mortality.

Dr Carl Jones MBE, a Durrell scientist who has spent 20 years fighting to save the birdlife of Mauritius, said: “There is a high natural wastage in birds so our intervention ensured the survival of a far greater number of hatchlings. This is the first time a species has ever gone from being such a rarity to being down-listed in such a short time. It is a major success for all the charities who have been working together on this project.”

Mauritius is famed for a bird tale with a less happy ending - the extinction of the Dodo. This large, flightless endemic pigeon relative was exterminated in the latter half of the 17th century, within 80 years of the islands being settled. Knowledge of its habits and affinities are somewhat patchy, but the remains of one recently found in a cave beneath bamboo and tea plantations may offer the best chance yet to learn about the extinct flightless bird.

The discovery was made earlier this month in the Mauritian highlands, but the location was kept secret until the recovery of the skeleton, nicknamed ‘Fred’, was completed on Friday. Four men guarded the site overnight.

Julian Hume, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum, told Reuters that the remains were likely to yield excellent DNA and other vital clues, because they were found intact, in isolation, and in a cave.

Read more ...

Photo: Echo Parakeet by Sarah Seymour (Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust)

Taiwan dam project threatens Fairy Pitta stronghold

Fairy Pitta, one of Asia’s most charismatic and eye-catching birds, may be in trouble if the construction of a major dam in Taiwan is given the go-ahead. The project would threaten 422 ha of forest with flooding, affecting a significant proportion of the region’s Fairy Pitta breeding habitat, and in an area that supports some the greatest breeding density currently known.

Taiwan’s Yunlin County has proposed the Hushan Dam in an Important Bird Area (IBA) known as the Huban-Hushan. The area supports Fairy Pitta and a further five species only found in Taiwan, and the dam is the latest in a line of putative threats facing the region’s birds, according to BirdLife International.

The area is of international importance for many threatened bird species including Fairy Pitta, but also Swinhoe’s Pheasant, Taiwan Partridge and Maroon Oriole. Deforestation across much of the pitta’s range in China and Japan has resulted in declines and serious concern for its prospects.

BirdLife Chief Executive Dr Mike Rands commented: “It is a fact that the forests within the Huban-Hushan IBA, where the dam has been planned, support the largest breeding population of Fairy Pitta anywhere in the world ... this makes the protection of this habitat a global issue, about which we express great concern.”

Threats faced by the region in the past have included gravel extraction, a problem successfully campaigned against in 2000 by Birdlife International and other agencies. Currently, the organisation is calling for more appropriate alternatives to the dam proposal.

Dr Peter Schei, chair of BirdLife’s Council, wrote to Taiwanese authorities asking that they “respond positively to this appeal and consider alternatives to the current project in order to avoid the destruction of an area of habitat so critical to a species with such a threatened and fragile future”.

Fairy Pitta is listed as ‘vulnerable’ by BirdLife International and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with regulations applying under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

EU targets Cyprus over failure to protect birds

The European Commission has opened infringement procedures against Cyprus – and almost all other new Member States – for insufficient implementation of EU bird protection law, according to BirdLife Cyprus. It has decided to take a strong stance against Cyprus’s failure to protect key habitats for priority bird species and against last month's controversial decision to allow spring shooting for the first time in 14 years.

The Commission today sent a first warning letter to Cyprus for not complying with the hunting provisions of the Birds Directive. Cyprus breached EU law by allowing spring hunting of Turtle Doves on 6 and 9 May. Like Malta , which has already received a warning on this issue, Cyprus risks being taken to the European Court if it does not now ban spring hunting once and for all.

The official excuse that Turtle Doves were being shot in May for causing “serious damage to cereal crops” is not upheld by analyses of the doves' diet (composed almost entirely of the seeds of cereal field weeds) and is very unlikely to impress the Commission.

Nicosia also received a similar ‘Letter of Formal Notice’ from the Commission (representing step one in the opening of a legal infringement procedure) over the failure to designate sufficient Natura 2000 areas for birds in Cyprus . Only seven of the 16 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) identified by BirdLife Cyprus have so far been designated as Special Protection Areas (SPAs), as required under the Birds Directive.

All SPAs should have been designated upon accession in May 2004 and the inventory of IBAs – representing the best available evidence on priority bird habitats on the island – should have been adopted as the basis for SPA designation. IBAs such as the Oroklini and Paralimni lakes, Akamas and Diarizos have not been turned into SPAs, leaving priority species such as Black-winged Stilts, Spur-winged Plovers, Long-legged Buzzards and Rollers unprotected.

“Cyprus must now ensure the ill-advised decision to allow spring shooting last month was a complete one-off, never to be repeated, otherwise we will face being taken to the European Court by the Commission,” said BirdLife Cyprus Manager Martin Hellicar. “The Interior Ministry must now also move swiftly to designate all of our key bird habitats as SPAs, a long overdue action, especially when one considers the imminent threats to many sites from poorly planned developments,” he added .

Cyprus is not the only EU Member State in hot water over bird protection. The Commission today also decided to take Germany and Poland to the European Court of Justice because of insufficient designation of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) as required by the Birds Directive. It was also decided to send first warning letters on the same issue to eight more countries that joined the EU in 2004.This means that apart from Estonia now all the new member states from the 2004 round are in legal trouble on bird protection.

Konstantin Kreiser, EU Policy Manager at BirdLife International in Brussels, states: “We welcome the legal actions announced today as a significant step forward, but regret that so many governments need to be forced to turn their nice words into action. We hope the affected member states will now speed up their efforts to comply with EU legislation and honour their own commitments to ensure Europe stays on track to reach the 2010 biodiversity target.”

Photo: Turtle Dove by Steve Young

US border security plan "will harm Texan wildlife"

A 10ft-high security wall which could extend for up to 700 miles along the Texan border with Mexico will cut directly through some of the US’s most important wildlife sites with possibly disastrous consequences.

The area around the Rio Grande, which marks the border between the two countries, is the northern limit for many tropical bird species, including Green Kingfisher, Brown Jay, White-collared Seedeater and Altamira Oriole. It is also home to the last population of Ocelots in the US, with fewer than 100 animals remaining. Habitat at world-famous sites like Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary and Bentsen-Rio State Park could be seriously disrupted, with a knock-on effect on nature tourism which is worth up to US $150 million to the area every year.

The wall is the initiative of the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, which believes it will deter illegal immigration. However, residents and local officials in the Rio Grande Valley are united in opposition to the plan, and point out that similar schemes elsewhere have failed – like the 14 miles of California wall, under which 46 tunnels have been found. They also point out that the region’s economy depends on trade and good relations with neighbouring Mexico.

Ironically, another US government department, the Fish and Wildlife Service, has been working with agencies in Mexico to restore corridors of habitat that would allow for movement of wildlife between the two countries. That movement might be stopped by a wall, say its critics, and in the case of Ocelots it could compromise the animals' ability to breed successfully or establish new territories.

“The fence is going to interrupt the environment for a lot of species,” said Ken Kaemmerer, Curator of Mammals for the Dallas Zoo and leader of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for Ocelots.

Speaking on the wider implications of the plan, Steve Ahlenius, McAllen Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, explained: “Virtually to a person, people who actually live along the border and deal with Mexico every day are vehemently opposed to the wall for many reasons. Very few people here believe a wall will work to keep out illegal immigrants … if they build a 10-ft wall, someone will just build an 11-ft ladder. There are better ways.”

Read more in The Dallas Morning News …

Photo: Green Kingfisher at Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary, Texas, by Dominic Mitchell

Greater protection urged for threatened marine wildlife

In a direct appeal to Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, the RSPB is urging the new Prime Minister to ensure that the first Queen’s Speech of his premiership includes protection for the UK’s marine wildlife.

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. In addition, 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.

Currently, the protection of sites and species on land is not mirrored in the marine environment, says the RSPB, leaving species and habitats vulnerable to many threats, including over-harvesting and habitat destruction. The society and other conservation agencies are calling for new legislation to protect the UK’s seas and their wildlife.

RSPB Conservation Director Dr Mark Avery said: “The UK government has a very poor track record on designating marine wildlife sites. Under European law, it has only protected three marine sites of importance to birds; this paltry figure puts us behind many other European countries.

“We trust that Gordon Brown will honour his party’s manifesto commitment to provide a marine bill before the next election. His commitment to marine protection will be an early test of his environmental credentials.”

The vulnerability of marine wildlife is highlighted by the fact that UK waters once would have supported regular populations of even more species. The Great Auk became extinct in the UK in 1840, four years before its global extinction. Dr Avery added: “History reminds us that without proper protection marine species are vulnerable to extinction. How many more species do we need to lose before other threatened marine wildlife receives protection?”

Photo: Razorbills by Steve Young

Endangered Kirtland's Warbler confirmed breeding in Wisconsin for first time

Wisconsin’s first confirmed nesting of the Federally Endangered Kirtland’s Warbler has taken place this year. Singing males have previously been observed in appropriate Jack Pine habitat in the state, but this is the first confirmation of nesting away from the species’ only known breeding areas in neighbouring Michigan.

Due to the sensitive nature of the discovery, on private land, the exact site has not been disclosed. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has been working with the landowner, the Plum Creek Timber Company, about management and monitoring of the warblers in central Wisconsin.

Click here for more on Kirtland's Warbler on the State of Michigan web page, and see this USFWS press release on the Wisconsin nesting record.

Source: Birding Community E-bulletin, July 2007

Authorities investigate raptor poisoning in Yorkshire

The RSPCA is working with the RSPB, Police and DEFRA to investigate the poisoning of a Peregrine Falcon in Kirbymoorside, North Yorkshire, a species that is specially protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The bird was found by a local farmer, panting and unable to stand up, both early symptoms of poisoning. A local volunteer from the charity Raptor Rescue rushed to the scene, but the bird died shortly afterwards.

Jean Thorpe from Raptor Rescue explained: “I managed to get it home but there was no hope for it. It became very tense and stiff before the end. Poisoning causes huge amounts of suffering.” A post-mortem found the bird to be in a good condition, with no injuries, prompting the RSPCA to urge DEFRA to send off samples for testing.

The Government’s Central Science Laboratory has now confirmed that the bird had eaten something doused with carbofuran, an agricultural pesticide banned in the UK since 2001. RSPCA inspector Geoffrey Edmond said: “This is of grave concern. Birds of prey are meat eaters, which means this poison had to have been deliberately placed on a target animal of some kind. This bird should not have died, and to die in this way was excruciating.

“This pesticide was banned for a reason, and to use it is an offence which can result in an unlimited fine. Causing the death of a Schedule 1 protected bird could result in a prison sentence of up to six months and/or a fine of up to £5,000.”

The RSPCA is concerned this may not be the only bird to have been affected. Anyone who knows anything should call 0870 5555 999.

Farmer wins wildlife award for lapwing conservation

Northern Lapwings are swooping and tumbling above fields in Norfolk following a farmer’s decision to put the birds before his profits, making Steve Mumford the RSPB’s Lapwing Champion for 2007. His award will be presented at a reception at the Royal Show this evening.

Steve manages Lower Farm, Narborough, for farmer Chris Knights, who once had more of the rare Stone-curlew on his land than he did lapwings. That startling fact sparked five years of work to revive the latter’s fortunes.

Mr Mumford and his team of 15 started managing the farm’s grasslands to provide nesting and feeding sites for Northern Lapwings and all decisions on cropping are now based on the birds rather than the economics.

Whole fields have been left fallow because they have attracted too many nesting lapwings for farm work not to harm them – one field this year had 27 pairs - and three fields have been taken out of production permanently and are now covered with grass and wetland areas - the conditions needed by the birds.

Longer vegetation around arable fields at 400-acre Lower Farm means there is plenty of food for both adults and young birds; chemicals are used sparingly and nest sites marked and avoided. Steve said: “Birds and other wildlife are top of the agenda for Chris and his enthusiasm for birds has carried everyone else along.”

As a result of all the work, lapwing numbers have jumped from 30 pairs in 2002 to 54 pairs this year.

“We’ve also had two Stone-curlew pairs at Lower Farm for the first time and many of my farm workers are avid birdwatchers now,” Steve added. “We plough around nests of any ground-nesting bird we find. It’s an approach that runs through the business.

“Chris and his son Paul have always wanted to help wildlife. When it was fashionable to rip out hedges, make big fields or make big heaths they wouldn’t do it. We aren’t influenced by fashion or fads, or government incentives, so we are really delighted to have won the RSPB’s award.

Andy Cotton, Agriculture Adviser for the RSPB, said: “Steve has engendered a culture amongst his 15 farm workers where the birds come first. Lapwings are now breeding very successfully on the farm and some of them are moving into new areas as their numbers grow.

“Lower Farm is a first-class example of how an arable farm, with top-grade productive soils and high-value crops, can operate in a commercial environment but also benefit wildlife at the same time.”

Photo: Steve Young

Turtle Dove numbers fall by almost two-thirds in 12 years

A report published today reveals that the number of the Turtle Doves in Britain has plummeted by 61 per cent in just 12 years.

The Breeding Bird Survey – a partnership between the BTO, RSPB and JNCC – has shown that the Turtle Dove has disappeared from many parts of England, including the north and the south-west, and has also become increasingly hard to find in its arable stronghold of East Anglia.

Turtle Dove is one of many long-distance migrants whose numbers returning to Britain each spring are decreasing. It is believed that the decline could be linked to factors on migration – such as illegal hunting around the Mediterranean – or to conditions on African wintering grounds. Equally, changes in agricultural practice, leading to a reduction in the quantity of weed seeds – a principal food source – have been cited for the decline.

However, the population of another farmland bird has improved in the last 12 years, with Reed Bunting increasing by 39 per cent since 1994 – a marked turnaround from the situation 30 years ago, when a steep decline began which saw its numbers more than halve in the decade up to the mid 1980s.

There are hopes that the relatively recent increase in the extent of funding available to farmers for wildlife-friendly agriculture may have benefited Reed Buntings. A principal cause for the species’ decline has been the lack of weed seeds in fields – a principal food source for many farmland birds.

Encouraged by the modest rise in the UK population, the RSPB is hoping that farmers attending today’s Royal Show will be looking at wildlife-friendly farming schemes as a way of ensuring a more secure future for farmland birds and providing an additional source of farm income.

First UK Yellow-nosed Albatross released at Brean Down, Somerset, 30 June 2007

News of a sub-adult Yellow-nosed Albatross that was taken into care at Brean, Somerset, on 29 June and released from Brean Down at 4 pm on 30 June has taken Britain's birders by surprise - none even heard about the extraordinary occurrence until after the bird's rescuers had let it go.

The huge seabird apparently flew into a garden at Brean on Friday 29th and was unable to get airborne again. The householders picked it up and, thinking it was a Fulmar, took it to the local animal rescue centre. It was in care overnight, but on inspection seemed healthy so its release was organised for the afternoon at Brean Down.

During its brief residence in the country this first for Britain was not seen by any birders. It was correctly identified subsequently by local ornithologists who studied the photos. The record follows the sighting of another sub-adult Yellow-nosed Albatross in Norwegian waters on the afternoon of 28 June, the timings meaning that two different birds were surely involved.