Spaceport would threaten rare wildlife, RSPB warns

Mike Merritt

Wednesday April 01 2020, 12.00am, The Times

A major blow has been dealt to Britain’s first vertical launch spaceport, which is planned for Sutherland.

RSPB Scotland has officially objected to the scheme, saying it would threaten breeding dunlin, greenshank, golden plover and red-throated diver bird populations.

The organisation also said there had been a lack of detailed information over the £17.3 million scheme, including insufficiently robust surveys and uncertain mitigation measures to protect wildlife. It also had concerns over peatlands in the area.

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New wind turbines could be harming thousands of endangered bird populations, says RSPB

BY DENIS BEDOYA ON JANUARY 21, 2020SCIENCE

Wind farms installed offshore to tackle climate change are actually threatening thousands of endangered seabirds around the UK, according to the RSPB.

The bird charity says new wind farms could be the ‘final nail in the coffin’ for more than 1,000 birds across four of the most threatened species.

Many of these birds feed on fish at sandbanks, where developers prefer to build offshore wind turbines.

There are more than 15 proposed UK offshore wind farms, which tend to be more efficient than those on land, as stronger winds cause the turbines to spin faster, meaning they generate more energy. 

Wind power is a sustainable source of energy and has a smaller impact on the environment than burning fossil fuels.

However, in a report published in Biological Conservation, the charity has identified areas where the building of wind farm infrastructure should be banned, such as sandbanks, where birds tend to feed on small fish.

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RSPB reveals new seabird hot-spot map

19/01/2020

The RSPB has produced new maps identifying the location of marine hot-spots for some of the UK's most threatened seabirds, based on tracking data, for the first time.

A five-year RSPB project previously tracked the movements of Kittiwakes, Guillemots, Razorbills and European Shags from colonies around the UK during the breeding season. Now, hotspot mapping techniques have been applied to this data to identify the most important areas used during this crucial time.

All four species are either Amber- or Red-listed. The new research demonstrates the large areas required by UK seabirds and comes at a time when there is a vital need to understand more about our seabirds as decisions are being made relating to fishing, offshore windfarms and how we can best protect our seas.

Four different hot-spot mapping techniques were trialled during the project and provide a range of potential areas that could be considered for formal protection. The researchers recommend that the choice of hot-spot identification method should be informed by considering species ecology alongside conservation goals to ensure hot-spots are of sufficient size to protect target populations.

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New Five women who founded the RSPB

Anna S

26 Jul 2018

In our Autumn issue of Nature's Home magazine (out now!) we tell the story of Etta Lemon, 19th-century co-founder of the RSPB, as told by author Tessa Boase. 

Back in the late 19th Century, the threat to wild birds came not from climate change but from milliners, who fuelled a demand for feathers that saw birds killed in their hundreds of thousands – purely to decorate the hats and accessories of fashionable ladies. Both plumes and whole, taxidermied birds from across the world were de rigeur. 

But not all of Britain’s ladies were prepared to turn a blind eye. Appalled by the slaughter and alarmed by plummeting numbers, these women galvanised a movement to save the birds. When their individual campaigns finally came together, the RSPB was born.

Below, Tessa Boase introduces five women who built the RSPB. 

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Don't feed Red Kites, warns RSPB

14/04/2019

The RSPB has warned the public not to feed Red Kites after two toddlers were alleged to have been left with cuts following a close encounter with the species in Buckinghamshire.

The incident was said to have taken place at Higginson Park, Marlow, when two children – aged three and five – had their sandwiches stolen by a quick-thinking kite. Their mother, Emily Viarnaud, claimed one of her daughters was left with a small scratch on her head and said she's now worried about letting her children outside. Consequently, the RSPB issued a statement asking people not to feed Red Kites.

Ms Viarnaud said: "We were just sitting in the park on a bench and got sandwiches out. A few seconds later and it [the Red Kite] swooped down and went for my daughter's sandwich. It didn’t get that and it then went for my son's. My daughter was quite scared and was more upset about it. We went inside and they didn't want to go back outside again. I have literally never heard of this happening before.

"I wouldn't want to leave them outside, even in our garden at home, with food. We often have swarms of Red Kites outside in the afternoon. I wasn't really worried about it before but I am now. I just want more people to be aware that this can happen."

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Cover star-lings! Iconic albums by hit-makers such as Queen, the Beatles and David Bowie are reimagined with birds by RSPB as charity raises awareness over dwindling numbers

Reimagined covers of iconic albums showing birds are released by RSPB

Charity aims to raise awareness that 40million birds have disappeared from UK

Track of endangered and common bird calls released called 'Let nature sing'

It is already ahead of Taylor Swift on Amazon and second on iTunes 

By LUKE ANDREWS FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 01:10, 28 April 2019 | UPDATED: 17:14, 28 April 2019

Queen, Beatles and David Bowie album covers, among others, have been reimagined with birds by the RSPB as the charity claims 40million have disappeared from the UK's skies in half a century.

They show bird-headed people posing in similar positions to the iconic celebrities with four snapped crossing a road, one standing with a lightning stripe across its face and four others posing in formation.

The mock-up's publication coincides with the release of song 'Let nature sing' composed using birdsong from endangered and common UK species.

It was put together with sounds from more than 100 birds by the Globe theatre's musical director, a folk singer and an RSPB project manager. 

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The RSPB's new single is at No. 11...

Birdsong Hits The UK Charts

ROBIN MURRAY 

The RSPB's new single has hit the charts - and it's made entirely of bird song.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds released a single titled 'Let Nature Sing' last week, hoping to raise awareness for endangered birds.

In all, the single features 25 different types of bird song, ranging from blackbirds to robins, woodpeckers to warblers.

Stormzy and Taylor Swift are currently fighting it out for number one spot, with 'Let Nature Sing' hitting No. 11 on the midweeks.

Martin Harper, the RSPB’s director of conservation, said in a statement:

Over the last few days, thousands of people have bought and streamed our track to hear nature’s finest singers and show that they love bird song. This has started a national conversation as millions will have heard, seen and read the facts showing that, shockingly, nature is in crisis in the UK.

The response to 'Let Nature Sing' sends a powerful message that yes, nature is amazing but it is also in trouble. The good news is that it is not too late, we know what needs to be done and together we can take action to restore it for us and for future generations.

Listen and read more here

How you can help save Lancashire's rarest bird

MIKE HILL

Published: 11:27Monday 01 April 2019

The RSPB is calling on people who spend time in the remote hills and moorlands of Lancashire to look out for England’s most threatened bird of prey.

The nature conservation charity has relaunched a hotline with the aim of finding out where hen harriers might be nesting in the county.

In spring, the male hen harrier performs his courtship display known as skydancing, involving a spectacular series of swoops and somersaults. If he attracts a female, he attempts to further impress her by passing food offerings in mid-air.

Experts estimate there is enough suitable habitat in England for around 300 pairs of breeding hen harriers. But last year there were only nine successful nests in the whole country, three of which were in Lancashire.

Hen harriers are teetering on the verge of extinction in England because of ongoing illegal killing. As they sometimes eat red grouse, they are often unwelcome on moors managed for driven grouse shooting.

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Tell us: have you spotted any netting to stop birds nesting? - RSPB

We would like your help exploring the practice of netting trees so they can be removed for construction

Guardian readers

Thu 28 Mar 2019 14.35 GMTLast modified on Fri 29 Mar 2019 12.50 GMT

The RSPB is urging the public to sign a petition to help change the law on the practice of bird netting in the UK.

 Are nets to stop swallows nesting any way to treat the natural world?

Across the UK there are reports of builders and developers using nets on trees to stop birds nesting so that they can be removed in order for building work to take place.

Developers have said it is “standard practice” in order to prevent birds from nesting in a habitat that might be damaged by building work. But the charity says it hopes the petition, which has so far gathered over 170,000 signatures, will result in netting being made illegal: “We cannot keep trying to squeeze nature into smaller and smaller spaces or demanding it fits in with our plans,” it says. “People around the country are dismayed to hear about cases where birds returning from long journeys are being deliberately excluded from sites where they might choose to raise their young.”

We would like to hear from you if you have seen bird netting where you live or work or taken pictures of it and acted. We will collate some of your contributions and feature some of them as part of our reporting.

How to share your story

To get in touch fill out the form below. There is also an option to upload photographs – please tell us where and when they were taken but do not take any legal or personal risks when doing so.

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Feathers fly after RSPB shoots down Kestrel sponsorship

Dominic Walsh

March 12 2019, 12:01am, The Times

In the wild, a kestrel might normally be expected to get the better of a grouse, but at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds it is the game bird that appears to have the upper hand.

The 130-year-old charity has just called time on a £20,000-a-year corporate sponsorship agreement with Kestrel lager citing “reputational risk”, yet it continues to list The Famous Grouse Scotch whisky as one of its main “corporate supporters”.

Nigel McNally, director of Brookfield Drinks, the owner of the lager, said that he had been in advanced discussions with the RSPB about extending their five-year association when he received an email in December saying that it had changed its mind about working with Kestrel after a review of its licensing…

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RSPB releases a single that is ‘pure birdsong’

The nightingale bird is one of those included in the song.

Published: 16:25 Friday 22 February 2019

THE RSPB has announced that a track of ‘pure birdsong’ will be released later this year, to raise awareness of a nature crisis in the UK.

The charity says that after more than 40m wild birds were lost from the UK in the past 50 years, it wants to highlight the species that we’re on the verge of losing forever. The track, called Let Nature Sing, could be the first birdsong to get into the UK charts, the charity says – with musical contributions from the cuckoo, curlew, nightingale, crane and turtle dove.

Martin Harper, RSPB’s director of conservation said: ‘Nature is falling silent; over the last 50 years we’ve lost a quarter of the birds that used to sing and soar in our skies. ‘We’re losing our connection with nature and so we’re using music to put it back on the agenda by releasing a track of pure uninterrupted birdsong.

‘Children today are growing up with much less birdsong in the soundtrack to their lives. ‘We’re asking people to show their support and concern for nature by downloading the single and enjoying the benefits that birdsong brings into our lives, but also helping to get nature noticed.’ Sam Lee, who helped edit the single, said: ‘Birdsong has been one of the biggest influences of English song, poetry and literature. ‘The loss of it should concern us all, because it is a signal that all is not well in the world.

‘We should see birdsong as a barometer for the health of this planet, and hence of ourselves.’ The single will be released for International Dawn Chorus Day on May 5.

Source:

RSPB launches its #LittleTernAppeal for the Chesil Beach colony

15th February

By Martin Lea 

AN URGENT fundraising appeal has been launched to protect chicks on Chesil Beach.

The famous shingle bank is home to a rare colony of little terns – one of the most threatened seabirds in the UK.

The appeal to support the Little Tern Recovery Project has been triggered due to a shortfall in grant funding.

The project, which has been running for ten years, is a partnership between RSPB, the Crown Estate, Chesil Beach & the Fleet Nature Reserve, Portland Court Leet, Natural England, and Dorset Wildlife Trust. The Chesil Beach colony is the only one in the south west.

Each year from April-August the project protects Chesil Beach’s little tern colony from predators and disturbance, to give the chicks the best chance of survival.

The project costs £17,500 to run every year which is normally funded by grants – but this year only £4,000 has been secured. This is due to increasing demand for grants.

Funding helps the installation of a 'predator fence' around the colony as well as 24-hour warden patrols protect the birds from disturbance, a project officer and equipment for volunteers.

Kevin Rylands, RSPB Conservation Officer, said: “Every April these tiny birds beat tremendous odds by travelling thousands of miles from West Africa to a small strip of Chesil Beach to raise their family. With any luck, each adult pair will hatch two of the fluffiest and cutest chicks you’re likely to see."

He added: "They have disappeared from our coastline at an alarming rate and need our help. Rising sea levels, food shortages, predators, extreme weather conditions, and disturbance to their ground nesting from people, are all factors in their decline. It’s vital that we continue to protect them and give this summer’s chicks the best chance of survival."

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RSPB says tourist tax could help rare birds post-Brexit

by Tom Peterkin

December 28, 2018, 6:03 am

A wildlife chartiy has suggested the introduction of a tourist tax would help make up for the loss of EU funding used to conserve Hebridean seabirds and other rare animals.

RSPB Scotland has identified loss of EU cash as a “key concern” after Brexit at a time when resources for conservation in Scotland are “inadequate”.

And in a document submitted to Holyrood, the charity suggests a tourist tax could help make up the shortfall.

The organisation is particularly concerned about losing out on the EU’s Life programme, which has has pumped £25million into environmental projects in Scotland, including many in the north and north-east.

Since the Life Nature fund’s inception, Scotland has received 21% of the UK total available cash, which has been used for more than 25 projects.

These have worked to protect Atlantic salmon, the freshwater pearl mussel, the corncrake, the Flow Country peatlands, Caledonian pinewoods, upland invertebrates, the red squirrel, machair grasslands, seabirds on

Canna and the Shiants, the Celtic rainforest, the harbour porpoise and the hen harrier.

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RSPB ‘exceedingly worried’ by 2019 air show plans

PUBLISHED: 15:20 03 October 2018

Liz Coates

The prospect of next year’s Great Yarmouth Air show being a series of one-off events could be just as disastrous for little terns, it is claimed.

The RSPB says the worst offenders were the Red Arrows which caused the greatest disturbance to nesting birds.

The two day air show was held on June 16 and 17 and was organised by the Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area, (GYTABIA).

However the festival reportedly made a loss of £582,000 prompting a re-think over what form it could take in 2019.

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RSPB vows to crackdown on wild bird shooting after gamekeeper found guilty of killing owls

The RSPB have vowed to crackdown on illegal wild bird shooting after a gamekeeper is found guilty of killing two owls.

Timothy Cowin was caught by RSPB officers shooting two short-eared owls on Whernside Moor in Cumbria last April.

Cowin attempted to hide the body of the wild birds, but they were found by RSPB officers on the moors.

Police officers were called to the scene where they pursued Cowin on foot. He was later arrested.

Officers believed Cowin, 44, was using a device to attract the birds to the area in order to shoot them.

Cowin pleaded guilty to three charges concerning the killing of the owls. He also pleaded guilty to one charge relating to the possession of items capable of being used to commit offences against wild birds.

On Tuesday, Cowin appeared at Yorkshire Magistrates' Court. He was fined £400 for each of the two birds and £200 for possession of the device. As well as this, he was ordered to pay £170 costs and £40 victim surcharge - a total of £1,210.

Last updated Wed 29 Aug 2018

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RSPB members protest over controversial crow cull

Telegraph Reporters

8 AUGUST 2018 • 5:55PM

RSPB members have quit the organisation and accused it of behaving like bloodsport enthusiasts over a controversial crow culling programme intended to protect threatened birds.

Members have complained they signed up to the charity without being told it was actively killing certain species.

Tensions have spilled over in recent days resulting in one RSPB warden apologising for telling critics they were “knuckleheads and nimbies”.

The disquiet focuses principally on a cull of crows which has been undertaken to protect the Eurasian curlew, whose breeding population in the UK has halved since the mid-1990s.

The RSPB said it goes to great lengths to avoid “predator control” but that it saw “no other viable conservation alternatives”.

The five-year recovery programme is being undertaken across two areas in Northern England, two in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.

How can an organisation enact long term change through lobbying and speaking up for nature when those supposedly wanting a change turn their backs and withdraw their support? Unless you're going to do it on your own, get over yourselves and see the bigger picture #ImNaturesVoice https://t.co/hRT0CnwEK7

The measures have included shooting and the use of larsen traps, a device which traps birds alive

The organisation said it killed 528 hooded crows in 2016-17, up from 475 the year before, as well as 414 foxes, an increase of 390 in the previous year.

However, a row has broken out among members, with some expressing distress that that the RSPB has hired gamekeepers from shooting estates to help with the cull.

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Sadness as ‘tragic error’ by RSPB kills baby osprey in Aberdeenshire

by Ben Hendry

 July 23, 2018, 6:09 am

A “tragic error” resulted in a baby bird of prey dying while a wildlife charity attempted to tag it.

RSPB staff were trying to attach a tag to an osprey chick near Huntly, to track its movements throughout its life, when the bird fell from the top of its tree and died.

The organisation has now released a statement explaining the accident and pledging to learn from the mistake.

The message, posted on the RSPB’s website, stated: “We are extremely sad to report an unfortunate accident that occurred recently when two members of staff were ringing an osprey chick in the Huntly area of Aberdeenshire.

“A tragic error at the top of the tree led to a chick falling to the ground from the nest, resulting in the death of the bird.”

The RSPB statement added that the incident was only the second of its kind to take place in more than 50 years of ringing osprey chicks across Scotland.

The message also stressed that the three staff members involved were all “highly experienced” and were following strict protocol as ordered by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

It added: “This heartbreaking accident has left everyone involved distraught and upset by the loss of this chick.

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Every dead bird analysed by RSPB contained a ‘lunchbox full of plastic’

by Calum Ross

 June 11, 2018, 6:42 am

The study has caused some concern.

Two tonnes of plastic have been found in the stomachs of fulmar birds around the North Sea.

Helen Moncrieff, Shetland manager at RSPB Scotland, said every single dead bird they analysed as part of a study contained a “lunchbox full of plastic”.

She was speaking ahead of a summit in Oban next week on tackling marine litter, which will be hosted by Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham.

Scotland is home to a third of the European Union’s breeding seabirds, with the islands having traditionally hosted huge colonies.

However, concerns about the impact of plastic pollution are growing, and climate change has been blamed for a catastrophic collapse in seabird numbers.

Speaking at a fringe event at the SNP conference in Aberdeen, Ms Momcrieff said: “The mallies (fulmars), there is a long-term study going on in the north Atlantic and the North Sea particularly, with a whole lot of countries involved.

“Every month we go out and we check, do a beach bird survey, and any fulmar or mallie we find intact we take it, stick it in the freezer and then the stomach contents are analysed later on.

“What we find is there’s plastic in every single mallie’s belly.

“It’s like having a lunchbox full of plastic in your stomach. We calculated that there’s around two tonnes of plastic in fulmar bellies alone.”

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RSPB appeal after three hen harriers disappear in Scotland and Cumbria

22nd May

Police and the RSPB are appealing for information following the disappearance of three protected, satellite-tagged hen harriers in Scotland and Cumbria.

After monitoring her progress since she fledged last June, a hen harrier named Saorsa suddenly ceased sending transmissions in February 2018 whilst located in the Angus Glens, Scotland. She has not been seen or heard of since.

A male bird, named Blue, then raised concerns in March this year when his tag, which had also been functioning perfectly, suddenly and inexplicably cut out near Longsleddale, South Lanarkshire.

In the same month, a tagged bird named Finn – after young conservationist Findlay Wilde – vanished near Moffat, Scotland. Finn was tagged as a chick in 2016 from a nest in Northumberland, one of only three hen harrier nests to fledge young in the whole of England that year.

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RSPB blames partners for 'failed' bird-of-prey project

27 January 2018

Bird conservation charity the RSPB has quit a "failed" project to protect birds of prey in a national park.

Peak District Bird of Prey Initiative began in 2011 to boost the numbers of birds - known as raptors - in the area.

But the charity said some species numbers had actually fallen and that illegal killing of such birds had not been tackled effectively.

The Moorland Association and the Peak District National Park Authority said they were disappointed at the move.

The initiative, which also includes the National Trust and Natural England, set five-year targets for healthy populations of three species - merlin, peregrine and short-eared owl - and later included hen harrier and goshawk.

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