Wednesday 16 December 2015

Join winter wader walks with the RSPB at Fairhaven


Ribble discovery centre


This winter, join the team at the RSPB’s Ribble Discovery Centre for a Wader Walk to discover the marvels of the vast Ribble Estuary.

Starting at the visitor centre, the walks are a perfect chance to watch large numbers of wading birds as they fly in to feed on the food-rich shoreline at Granny’s Bay.

And if you join the January walk, it’s also the perfect chance to brush up on your bird identification skills ahead of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch – which is taking place on January 30-31 – as you walk towards Lowther Gardens.

Each of the Wader Walks will take approximately 1.5-2 hours and will finish at the Ribble Discovery Centre with hot drinks.

This event is open to all – no previous experience is necessary – and there is no need to book. It is also free of charge, although donations are welcome.

Please remember to dress for the winter weather and bring binoculars if you can, although staff at the visitor centre will have a few spare pairs for people to borrow.
For more information: Please ring 01253 796292 or visit rspb.org.uk/ribblediscoverycentre
 


Dates:            Sunday 9 January, 12 noon
Sunday 21 February, 12 noon
Sunday 20 March, 11.30
 am 

Red throated  diver , fairhaven lake 22/02/15

Thursday 3 December 2015

New report reveals more than one-quarter of UK birds in need of urgent help

Curlew, nightingale and puffin join growing list of threatened birds, whilst bittern and nightjar out of danger





The latest assessment of the status of all the UK’s 244 bird species – Birds of Conservation Concern 4 – shows that 67 species are now of ‘highest conservation concern’ and have been placed on the assessment’s Red List. The revised Red List now includes even more well-known birds, including the curlew, puffin and nightingale, joining other familiar species such as the turtle dove, cuckoo and starling.
 
Alarmingly, the Red List now accounts for more than one-quarter (27%) of the UK species. This is far higher than the last assessment in 2009, when 52 species (21%) were on the Red List. Most of the 67 species were placed on the Red List because of their severe declines, having halved in numbers or range in the UK in recent decades. Others remain well below historical levels, or are considered under threat of global extinction.
 
Birds of Conservation Concern 4 is a report compiled by a coalition of the UK’s leading bird conservation and monitoring organisations reviewing the status of all regularly occurring birds in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Each species was assessed against a set of objective criteria and placed on the Green, Amber or Red List – indicating an increasing level of conservation concern.
 
Amongst the species new to the Red List are five upland species, most notably the curlew - Europe’s largest wading bird instantly recognisable by its long down curved bill, brown upper parts, long legs and evocative call. It was recently highlighted as possibly the UK’s bird of highest conservation priority [3] because of UK and international declines, and the global importance of its UK population. It is joined by dotterel, whinchat, grey wagtail and merlin whose addition to the Red List highlights that many of the UK’s upland species are in increasing trouble, with the total number of upland birds red listed now standing at 12.
 
The decline of widespread woodland birds is a theme which has continued to develop since the compilation of the last list in 2009. Nightingale, a species known for its expressive song, pied flycatcher, a bird mainly found in the west of the UK, and woodcock are the most recent woodland birds to join the Birds of Conservation Concern Red List.
 
Three species of seabird also join the Red List for the first time. The puffin – unmistakable with its brightly coloured bill – has joined the growing list of seabirds added to the Red List after a worldwide population decline, which means that it is considered at risk of global extinction. Further declines of the UK’s internationally important seabird populations are highlighted by the addition of shag and kittiwake.
 
The wryneck is the first once-widespread species to have been lost as a breeding bird in the UK in nearly 200 years. It was once a common bird being recorded breeding in 54 counties between 1875 and 1900. After a long decline from the 19th Century, it was last known to breed in the UK in 2002 and is now considered a former breeder. The wryneck is still a regular autumn migrant in small numbers to sites on the eastern and southern coasts.
 
However, the 2015 assessment does contain some good news and demonstrates that targeted conservation action can make a real difference. Three species (bittern, nightjar and dunlin) have been removed from the Red List and added to Amber. Both bittern and nightjar have moved to a more favourable conservation status because of targeted actions, which has triggered a boost in numbers. 
 
The bittern – a type of heron extinct in the UK at the turn of the 20th Century and famous for its booming call – is bouncing back to full recovery. In 1997, bitterns were heading towards a second extinction with only 11 booming males recorded in England. Thanks to efforts to improve its preferred habitat – wet reedbed – and significant funding from two projects under the European Union Life Program, the bittern was saved. This year, 150 booming males were counted in England and Wales, more than at any time since the early 19th Century.
 
Similarly, the nightjar – a nocturnal hawk-like bird of heathland, moorlands and woodland - has also benefited from a program of concentrated and targeted conservation work.
 
In addition to these successes, an additional 22 species have moved from the Amber to the Green list; meaning they are now of the lowest conservation concern. Most notably these species include red kite and woodlark. Red kites were once restricted to Wales but thanks to the efforts of conservationist and landowners in Wales and a long-term reintroduction programme in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland they can now be found in most parts of the UK. Woodlarks have benefited from improved land management, especially of heathland. Both birds were once on the Red List and so demonstrate how recovery is possible.  


The changing lists
2009
2015
Red
52 species
67* species
Amber
126 species
96 species
Green
68 species
81 species
Total species
246
244
 
*The red list has grown by 15 since the last assessment in 2009. Twenty species have been added, but three have moved to the amber list and two are now no longer assessed as they have ceased breeding in the UK.
 
Quotes:

Martin Harper, RSPB Conservation Director, said“This update highlights the continued erosion of the UK’s wildlife.  It is sobering that much loved species such as curlew, puffin and nightingale are now of highest conservation concern in the UK.  They are sounding the alarm that things are going wrong in our uplands, our seas, and for our migratory species.  Addressing these declines must now become a priority.   
 
“But, we must remain optimistic. This latest assessment shows that when have diagnosed the problem, identified solutions, and when conservation action is targeted and adequately funded, we can bring species back from the brink.”
 
David Stroud, JNCC’s Senior Ornithologist, said: “The improved status of bittern and nightjar following two decades of targeted conservation delivery shows that with adequately resourced implementation, we can restore even highly threatened species - as these were in the 1990s.  We need urgently to similarly address the factors causing the poor status of very many other species on the Red List.”
 
David Noble, Principal Ecologist - Monitoring at BTO, said: “The new list demonstrates the crucial importance of long-term monitoring and the huge volunteer effort associated with them. Six species (nightingale, curlew, whinchat, pied flycatcher, grey wagtail and mistle thrush) have moved from amber to red entirely due to evidence from the Breeding Bird Survey of continued and more severe declines in their breeding populations. Three species (white-fronted goose, ringed plover and red-necked grebe) moved to red due to increasingly severe declines in wintering populations revealed by the Wetland Bird Survey.”
 
Richard Hearn, WWT Head of Monitoring, said: “There’s good news and bad in this report. Though it’s easy to get disheartened by the worsening status of our bird populations, the key message is that if we have the knowledge and the support, we can turn fortunes around. Birds of Conservation Concern brings together all the latest knowledge and helps us build the case for supporting conservation of the species most in need.”

Sunday 29 November 2015

Stronger action needed to protect native birds of prey as Birdcrime report reveals illegal killing in Lancashire continues

Better application of EU Nature Directives needed to protect UK raptors, says RSPB report

The RSPB is calling for better application of the laws that protect UK raptors, as the Birdcrime 2014 report highlights that illegal persecution continues to prevent some of our native birds of prey from recovering to their natural levels.

In 2014, the RSPB received 15 reports of bird of prey incidents in Lancashire.

Nationally, the nature conservation organisation received 179 reports of shooting and destruction of birds of prey, including the confirmed shooting of 34 buzzards, nine peregrines, three red kites and a hen harrier. The report also documents 72 reported incidents of wildlife poisoning and pesticide-related offences. Confirmed victims of poisoning include 23 red kites, nine buzzards and four peregrine falcons. These figures are believed to represent only a fraction of the illegal persecution in the UK, with many incidents thought to be going undetected and unreported.

Birds of prey continue to suffer unacceptable levels of illegal persecution, which disrupt efforts to restore natural populations of some species throughout the UK. Notable incidents in 2014 included the discovery of 16 red kites and six buzzards found dead near Inverness, of which 12 kites and four buzzards were proved to have been poisoned.

Furthermore England’s worst ever raptor poisoning concluded in 2014, when Norfolk gamekeeper Allan Lambert received a suspended prison sentence for a range of offences including the poisoning of ten buzzards and a sparrowhawk.  

Martin Harper, RSPB Conservation Director, said: “The problem of illegal persecution has tarnished the UK for decades and continues to do so. Strong action is needed now to deliver the effective protection that our birds of prey so urgently need.”

Encouragingly, progress is being made in Scotland in the fight against wildlife crime. For the first time a person was handed a prison sentence for raptor persecution when Aberdeenshire gamekeeper George Mutch was jailed for four months after trapping goshawks and a buzzard. Also in Scotland, 2014 saw the first ever ‘vicarious liability’ wildlife case when Galloway landowner Ninian Johnson Stewart was found vicariously liable for actions committed by his gamekeeper, including the poisoning of a buzzard.

The RSPB’s annual Birdcrime report is the only centralised source of incident data for wild bird crime in the UK. It illustrates the nature of the raptor persecution problem identified by a number of scientific studies, Government reports and police intelligence. For example, a 2008 study on hen harriers by Natural England concluded that ‘the critically low breeding numbers and patchy distribution of the hen harrier in England is a result of persecution... especially on areas managed for red grouse or with game rearing interests’ The police National Wildlife Crime Unit’s 2013 Strategic Assessment states that ‘intelligence continues to indicate a strong association between raptor persecution and grouse moor management .

Martin Harper added: “To protect our magnificent birds of prey we must defend for the laws that protect them, including EU Nature Directives. When applied properly, these laws can help protect our most valuable wildlife and sites. All evidence points to the need for a consistent approach and effort across all four UK countries in protecting our most threatened birds of prey, such as the hen harrier and golden eagle, from illegal persecution. In this context, there is a strong case for fully implementing the EU Nature Directives consistently across the UK to protect wildlife from illegal killing.”

The Nature Directives  have driven the recovery of many species, such as the white-tailed eagle and red kite. This year, white-tailed eagles reached the important milestone of 100 breeding pairs; forty years after they were reintroduced in Scotland . Populations of red kites, once restricted to Wales after illegal persecution eradicated them from England and Scotland, continue to go from strength to strength in many parts of the UK after a number of successful reintroduction projects . Although there are concerns that populations are held back in some areas because of illegal persecution.

Martin Harper concluded: “There is no place in any society for the unjustified and illegal activity that robs many people of the chance to see these beautiful birds flourish. We applaud the efforts of law enforcement officers across the UK who work with statutory agencies, NGOs and the public to prevent, investigate and prosecute wildlife crimes. However to support this effort, more effective sanctions and penalties are needed that represent a meaningful deterrent to ensure that no one can profit from wildlife crimes.”

The RSPB supports the licensing of driven grouse moors and the introduction of vicarious liability as these measures could address improve enforcement through providing more effective deterrents, which would ensure that no one can profit from wildlife crime.
Follow @RSPBNews for the latest news

Friday 20 November 2015

Mice to make homes in tennis balls at RSPB Dee Estuary thanks to local club



Harvest mouse in vegetation.   Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)ption




One of Europe’s smallest mammals has been given a helping hand by staff at the RSPB’s Dee Estuary nature reserve – thanks to a kind donation from a local tennis club.

Since the discovery of an empty harvest mouse nest, found during recent grass cutting, alerted reserve wardens to the fact these tiny creatures are living on the Cheshire site, the team have been getting creative with an unlikely source - old tennis balls - to help give nature a home.

Harvest mice are not common this far north, so the team were interested to discover how many are living on the reserve and in which areas. Being tiny and secretive creatures, it can be difficult to survey their distribution, but thanks to an idea to use tennis balls as homes for the mice, the reserve staff will next year be able to gain a better idea.

Alasdair Grubb, warden at the RSPB’s Dee Estuary nature reserve, said: “Sadly harvest mice numbers are falling in the UK due to changing farming practices and other pressures on our countryside, so we were delighted to discover they had made a home at Burton Mere Wetlands and were eager to find out how many and whereabouts they were living.

“Tennis balls might seem like an odd solution, but it’s actually a trick that’s been used with balls from Wimbledon for years. So, I contacted the tennis section at Neston Cricket Club and enquired if they would consider donating any of their used balls.

“The club coach, Dan Stickland, was more than happy to help and provided 35 old tennis balls for me to drill a hole in and put around the reserve in suitable locations; which means next summer I’ll be able to revisit each tennis ball and see whether it has been used as a nest.

“As well as allowing us a means of surveying the numbers, the tennis balls also protect the mice from predation and bad weather, and provide extra homes by giving them chance to nest in areas where there might be ample food, but not quite the right conditions.”

Despite this helping hand, unfortunately visitors to the reserve are still unlikely to see these cute little creatures due to their shy behavior, but there are still plenty of reasons to visit Burton Mere Wetlands at this time of year, most notably for the vast flocks of ducks, geese and swans settling in for the winter.
For further information on the reserve and its activities, please call the reserve on 0151 353 8478 or check out the website www.rspb.org.uk/deeestuary.


One of the tennis ball homes created for the harvest mice, made by the team at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands, and donated by Neston Cricket Club. Alasdair Grubb.


Nature Summit: EU officials to consider future of Lancashire special places

UK sites affected could include Forest of Bowland and Leighton Moss
Campaigners from across Europe, including the UK, are arriving in Brussels to tell the European Commission to drop the attack on vital nature laws and focus on their enforcement instead.
Today’s discussions have particular relevance for Lancashire as the future of special sites, such as the Forest of Bowland and Leighton Moss and key species including hen harriers and bitterns are protected under the Nature Directives.
Conservationists, including the RSPB’s Chief Executive, politicians and representatives of the EU institutions are today [Friday 20th November] attending the “Conference on the Fitness Check on EU Nature Legislation” organised by the European Commission in Brussels as part of the review of the Birds and Habitats Directives: collectively known as the Nature Directives.
EU Environment Commissioner, Karmenu Vella, will outline the Commission’s first findings from the process so far. The Commission consultants will outline their findings from the biggest ever detailed evaluation of nature conservation legislation in Europe. The results, which included over half a million responses from citizens across the European Union concerned about threats to the Nature Directives, will be discussed by panels composed of officials from Member States, industry and farmers’ representatives, conservation organisations and MEPs.
It’s feared the Fitness Check, which is part of the Commission ‘REFIT’ agenda, of the laws could be used as an excuse to re-open and potentially weaken these laws under the guise of ‘better regulation’. But since the review began, the people of Europe have demonstrated an unprecedented show of support to protect nature.
A record number of people took part in a public consultation on this issue in the summer, with the overwhelming majority of the more than a half a million who responded backing the directives and asking for stronger implementation.
Last month, environment ministers from nine EU countries, including Germany, France and Spain – but not the UK - signed a letter to the Commission calling for the laws to be better implemented, not weakened. In the same week, an equally supportive letter followed from MEPs representing the seven biggest political groupings in the European Parliament.
A European Parliament draft report on the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy, presented earlier this month, also highlighted the importance of protecting the Nature Directives.
Mike Clarke is the RSPB’s Chief Executive. He said: “At a time when nature is facing an extreme crisis, the Fitness Check evidence has shown, unequivocally, that the Nature Directives not only work but they are the strongest tool Europe has to prevent further erosion of nature. The evidence proves it makes no sense to undermine the Nature Directives. It is also clear that problems, such as poor and uneven enforcement, lack of funding and the impact of measures like the Common Agricultural Policy are responsible for driving down populations of threatened wildlife.”
Campaigners from the conservation organisations behind the Nature Alert campaign to protect the directives (BirdLife Europe, EEB, Friends of the Earth and WWF) will be raising awareness outside the event and will also be represented amongst the speakers.
The European Commission’s decisions on the future of Nature Directives is expected by June 2016.

Nature Summit: EU officials to consider future of Merseyside’s special places

UK sites affected could include the Mersey Estuary
Campaigners from across Europe, including the UK, are arriving in Brussels to tell the European Commission to drop the attack on vital nature laws and focus on their enforcement instead.
Today’s discussions have particular relevance for Merseyside as the future of special sites, such as Mersey Estuary and key species including shelducks are protected under the Nature Directives.
Conservationists, including the RSPB’s Chief Executive, politicians and representatives of the EU institutions are today [Friday 20th November] attending the “Conference on the Fitness Check on EU Nature Legislation” organised by the European Commission in Brussels as part of the review of the Birds and Habitats Directives: collectively known as the Nature Directives.
EU Environment Commissioner, Karmenu Vella, will outline the Commission’s first findings from the process so far. The Commission consultants will outline their findings from the biggest ever detailed evaluation of nature conservation legislation in Europe. The results, which included over half a million responses from citizens across the European Union concerned about threats to the Nature Directives, will be discussed by panels composed of officials from Member States, industry and farmers’ representatives, conservation organisations and MEPs.
It’s feared the Fitness Check, which is part of the Commission ‘REFIT’ agenda, of the laws could be used as an excuse to re-open and potentially weaken these laws under the guise of ‘better regulation’. But since the review began, the people of Europe have demonstrated an unprecedented show of support to protect nature.
A record number of people took part in a public consultation on this issue in the summer, with the overwhelming majority of the more than a half a million who responded backing the directives and asking for stronger implementation.
Last month, environment ministers from nine EU countries, including Germany, France and Spain – but not the UK - signed a letter to the Commission calling for the laws to be better implemented, not weakened. In the same week, an equally supportive letter followed from MEPs representing the seven biggest political groupings in the European Parliament.
A European Parliament draft report on the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy, presented earlier this month, also highlighted the importance of protecting the Nature Directives.
Mike Clarke is the RSPB’s Chief Executive. He said: “At a time when nature is facing an extreme crisis, the Fitness Check evidence has shown, unequivocally, that the Nature Directives not only work but they are the strongest tool Europe has to prevent further erosion of nature. The evidence proves it makes no sense to undermine the Nature Directives. It is also clear that problems, such as poor and uneven enforcement, lack of funding and the impact of measures like the Common Agricultural Policy are responsible for driving down populations of threatened wildlife.”
Campaigners from the conservation organisations behind the Nature Alert campaign to protect the directives (BirdLife Europe, EEB, Friends of the Earth and WWF) will be raising awareness outside the event and will also be represented amongst the speakers.
The European Commission’s decisions on the future of Nature Directives is expected by June 2016.

Friday 23 October 2015

Wader Conservation World Watch.


http://www.waderquest.org/p/the-wader-quest-team.html



WADER CONSERVATION WORLD WATCH

Wader Conservation World Watch. 

Part of Wader Conservation November

A celebration of wader conservation and conservationists.

7th & 8th November 2015

Its as simple as A,B,C.

A.     Go out and see waders/shorebirds wherever you are in the world.
B.     Send us an email telling us what you have seen and where.
C.     We'll create a list the species seen between us worldwide.
D.     Look for you name on the roll of honour on this website.

It is that easy; no registering required just good old-fashioned bird watching... oh! And an email.

This is your opportunity to show your solidarity with, and appreciation of, wader conservationists around the world be they professionals or volunteers.

Go and see waders: because you can!



WIRRAL WADER FESTIVAL

This year the UK will have its first dedicated wader festival.

Join us for the 
Wirral Wader Festival
14th - 15th November 2015





http://www.waderquest.org/p/wirral-wader-festival.html





Discover the dark side at RSPB Ribble Discovery Centre this Halloween





There are spooky goings-on at the RSPB Ribble Discovery Centre, with lots of Halloween fun for families to enjoy.

Stroll around Fairhaven Lake, collecting nature's own tricks and treats, before using them to create your own screaming apple head to scare the spooky things away!

There’s no need to book – just turn up between 10:30 am and 3 pm.

Children must be accompanied by an adult, please wear suitable outdoor clothing and footwear.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/seenature/reserves/guide/r/ribblediscoverycentre/index.aspx



Price:  £1 donation per child.

Venue:            RSPB Ribble Discovery Centre, Inner Promenade, Fairhaven Lake, Lytham St Anne’s, Lancashire, FY8 1BD.

Contact:         RSPB Ribble Discovery Centre on 01253 796292.





Ribble Discovery centre