New study shows iconic golden eagle was once common throughout Wales

JULY 1, 2020

by Cardiff University

A new study has shown that golden and white-tailed eagles were widespread and common throughout historic Wales.

Scientists looked at their historical distribution as part of their bid to bring the species, which became regionally extinct in the early-1800s, back to the Welsh countryside.

During their research they gained fascinating insights by looking at archeological, fossil and observational records—and even Welsh place names.

The study also includes the earliest evidence of golden eagles existing in Wales in the Devensian period—the final glacial period in Britain—about 20,000 years ago.

Sophie-lee Williams, 28, who manages the Eagle Reintroduction Wales Project as part her Ph.D. at Cardiff University, said: "One of the first challenges for our project was to gather evidence of the past distribution of both eagle species to prove they were once historically native to Wales. In other parts of Britain there's a wealth of data—but in Wales there is a real lack of historical record so we had to be creative. Our research has shown, without doubt, that both species were widespread and common across Wales prior to the 18th Century. We hope this opens up new optimism about restoring these magnificent species to Wales in the near future."

The researchers gathered 151 historic records for eagles across every county in Wales—81 for golden eagles and 70 for white-tailed eagles.

Cont ..

Wild Justice raises funds to fight Welsh shooting licences

Conservation group Wild Justice has launched a legal challenge to the general licences issued by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), which sanction the shooting of pest bird species.

To pay for the challenge, which the group says will cost about £42,000, Wild Justice has launched a crowdfunding page.

Within a few hours of doing so, more than £4,000 had been collected towards an initial target of £6,000.

“This is the latest in our challenges of the legality of the general licences which allow the casual killing of millions of birds across the UK,” Wild Justice said in a statement.

“Although NRW identify the purposes of their general licences, for example nature conservation, protecting crops from serious damage and human health, they do not identify the circumstances under which there is no non-lethal alternative to using lethal control.

“This, we argue, is unlawful and amounts to allowing casual killing of otherwise protected birds.”

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Owl clings to ambulance roof for trip to Bridgend A&E

2 December 2019

An owl flew into an ambulance heading to a hospital - then clung on to the blue lights until it arrived.

The bird was on the roof when the ambulance stopped at the A&E at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend at 04:00 GMT on Sunday.

Staff said the bird seemed a little stunned and had damage to its eye, but was otherwise unhurt.

Maes Glas vets agreed to look after the owl, which is now being cared for at the Gower Bird Sanctuary.

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Savi's Warbler nests in Wales for first time

15/08/2019

Savi's Warbler has nested in Wales for the first time ever, according to RSPB Cymru.

Following the discovery of a singing male at the RSPB's Cors Ddyga reserve, Anglesey, on 14 June, a second individual was seen there a month later. Volunteers kept a close eye on the birds and saw behaviour that confirmed they were breeding, including carrying food to an unseen nest.

Savi's Warbler, known for its long, buzzing song that carries across reedbeds, is a rare visitor to Britain, with most appearing in the south and east of England. There are only eight previous records in Wales – including one at Cors Ddyga back in 1999. While common in southern Europe, they are at the very limit of their range here and breeding attempts are sporadic, though perhaps under-recorded given the species' shy and retiring nature. Most records are of singing males that stay just for a few days, which makes confirmed nesting an exciting result for the staff, volunteers and birdwatchers on the reserve.

This follows the successful establishment of other rare species on the reserve – Eurasian Bittern and Western Marsh Harrier have both nested for the fourth consecutive year. Prior to 2016, neither species had nested in Wales for several decades.

Ian Hawkins, RSPB Cors Ddyga Site Manager, said: "We're absolutely thrilled to confirm that the first pair of Savi's Warblers are nesting here on the reserve. It goes to show that all the work we've put in to restore the wetland habitats has paid off and it's safe to say that Cors Ddyga is a nationally important place for nature. Let's hope our work will attract new species as their breeding ranges move northwards and westwards in response to climate change."

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Bird killings quadruple in a year in Wales, says RSPB

17 June 2019

Laws to protect birds are being "routinely flouted", the RSPB has said, after figures showed a massive rise in the number illegally killed.

There were four times as many bird killings in Wales last year compared to in 2017, the conservation charity said.

Investigations officer, Jenny Shelton, said birds were usually killed because they posed a threat to game stocks.

Naturalist Iolo Williams said: "This is a Victorian practice going on in the 21st Century here in Wales."

In Wales in 2017 there were only three confirmed bird killings - of a poisoned peregrine falcon, and a red kite and buzzard, both shot.

But there has been a sharp rise since then:

In 2018, 11 poisoned ravens and a crow were discovered - one of the ravens was found dead in Ruabon Moor, in the Wrexham area. The other 10 were killed with the crow at Beguildy, Powys.

As well as that, a tagged hen harrier was found dead in May, at Tylwch, Powys, with shooting associated injuries.

In February 2018, a buzzard was found shot in Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Powys.

Last August 29 a hen harrier disappeared over Ruabon Mountain, Wrexham.

It came after another had vanished in February.


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Where have all our Swallows gone? Numbers in Wales plunge

Bird Notes columnist Julian Hughes of RSPB Cymru reveals what birds have been spotted in the past week and lists a massive 20 upcoming wildlife events

Andrew Forgrave Rural Affairs Editor

10:07, 28 MAY 2019

I spent Bank Holiday weekend at the Hay Festival, talking to people about nature. Driving home along the borderlands and the North Wales coast, how many Swallows did I see? Four.

Four Swallows in 133 miles at the end of May.

My own experience reflected one of the most common questions from festivalgoers: “Where have all the Swallows/Swifts/House Martins gone?”

But how representative was my journey or the observations of others? BirdTrack, the online database holding lists collected by thousands of birdwatchers, provides some clues.

Compared to the historic average, there were 21% fewer records of Swallows and Swifts in Wales in May, and a whopping 30% fewer House Martins.

House Martins and Swallows are down across Britain and Ireland, though the drop in Wales is far greater.

Swift sightings in Wales are one-third down on last year, but on a par with summer 2017.

It’s difficult to know why, but both weather and food supply play a part. All these birds depend on flying insects, and most surveys of invertebrates point to huge declines across Europe.

Read on

Police investigate as raven found poisoned on Ruabon moor – near where satellite-tagged hen harriers vanished last year

Published: Saturday, Jun 1st, 2019

A dead raven found on Ruabon Moor, near World’s End, has been confirmed as deliberately poisoned – triggering a police investigation.

The bird was found dead on 28 August 2018 by a man who had been out photographing birds.

He said: “I was coming home from Wrexham when I noticed the bird on the ground, away from the road in a little clearing of grass. It was upside down, its eyes sunken, and its feet in the air. It didn’t look like it had been dead for long.”

Thinking it may have been shot, he contacted the RSPB’s Investigations Unit. Following liaison with the North Wales Police, Welsh Government arranged for toxicology tests on the bird. This revealed that the raven had been deliberately poisoned with the highly toxic insecticide bendiocarb which had been most likely been applied to a bait.

Police enquires in the area have failed to identify anyone responsible.

Ravens are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Killing one is a criminal offence and could result in an unlimited fine or up to six months in jail.

Ruabon Moor holds a significant proportion of the Welsh black grouse population and is an area managed for red grouse shooting. In 2018, two rare hen harriers named Heulwen and Aalin went off the radar in this general area, the birds had been fitted with satellite-tracking devices as part of the EU-funded Hen Harrier LIFE project.

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One of the iconic Glaslyn ospreys has laid her 50th egg at their special nesting site.

Rare osprey bird lays her 50th egg at North Wales nesting site

The magnificent bird has returned to Gwynedd from west Africa to breed every year since 2004

By  Eryl Crump

12:42, 17 APR 2019

UPDATED12:49, 17 APR 2019

The egg laid by the female osprey, known to members of the community-led wildlife charity, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife (BGGW) as Mrs G, was the second laid by the magnificent bird this season.

Staff at BGGW were delighted to spot the egg in the nest at Pont Croesor near Porthmadog just before midday on Tuesday.

GGW spokeswoman Rebecca Phase said: "We were delighted to see the female osprey known as Mrs G lay her second egg of the 2019 season on Tuesday morning. This marks the 50th egg Mrs G has laid in her lifetime."

This is Mrs G's 16th year of breeding and is the longest breeding osprey in Wales and has laid more eggs than any other osprey in England and Wales.

She was first discovered breeding at the nest in 2004 and to date has hatched 40 live chicks, 36 of which have successfully fledged the nest.

Six of her offspring are known to have bred in Britain and she is known to have 74 ‘grand chicks’.

"We now know two other chicks have returned this year, but are not yet known to be breeding.

"One of the recently returning chicks was hatched in 2015, the first year Mrs G bred with a new partner called Aran, when the original male failed to return from his winter migration," added Rebecca.

The ospreys spend every winter in West Africa and travel thousands of miles to return to the Glaslyn estuary every year to breed and raise their chicks.

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Decline in curlew birds as farming 'destroys habitat'

19 April 2019

The number of curlews in Wales has dropped by 80% since 1990 with farming practices partly to blame, a charity has said.

RSPB Cymru has called for farmers to be rewarded for creating suitable habitats for the bird when a new payments scheme comes into force after Brexit.

It is estimated only 400 breeding curlew pairs are left in Wales.

The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) said nature should not be prioritised at the expense of the rural economy.

RSPB Cymru has been working on National Trust-owned land in Ysbyty Ifan, Conwy county, to restore curlew habitats.

It claims the bird's decline was due, in part, to farming practices.

"[It is linked to] how hay is harvested as silage earlier on in the year, but there's also been a decline in invertebrates, which is food for the curlew," said Sabine Nouvet, an ecologist with the trust in Snowdonia and Llyn.

The Welsh Government has consulted on proposals for the agricultural payments system - due to replace the Common Agriculture Policy - and will consult further later this year.

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The iconic Welsh bird that need farmers if they are to thrive

Bird Notes columnist Julian Hughes of RSPB Cymru speaks to conservationists and farmer on what needs to be done to boost Chough numbers

Andrew Forgrave Rural Affairs Editor

12:02, 8 MAR 2019

Choughs feed on soil invertebrates, so require short grass and soft soil to find them (Image: Ashley Perkins)

It's a beautiful morning, the sun warm between the clouds scudding into Cardigan Bay.

A group of Jays beat steadily into the breeze, out across Bardsey Sound. However it is their corvid cousins that distract me.

Seventeen Choughs take to the air, wheeling overhead, their “chee-ow” call ringing off the sea cliffs.

Choughs are the red-billed and red-legged crows that ride the air currents, forage for invertebrates on the cliff tops, and nest in crevices and caves along the Llŷn Peninsula .

As I walk towards Aberdaron , their call is a periodic reminder of this area’s importance for Choughs. It’s why the bird is the logo for the Llŷn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The weather is very different to the morning I spent with RSPB conservation scientist Daniel Hayhow a few days earlier.

Wrapped in waterproofs against a squall sweeping up the Nantlle Valley, I find Daniel clutching an iPad, repeating photographs taken here in 1997 and 2004.

Photography is being used to compare how the mosaic of vegetation has changed in Snowdonia, where Chough numbers are falling

Daniel has taken a few weeks away from his usual responsibilities to get to know Choughs even better - but he’ll probably encounter very few of the birds.

He said: “Ornithologists in north and west Wales have been studying Choughs for several decades, so we know a lot about where they live and what they need.”

He’s referring to the thousands of hours spent by Adrienne Stratford, Tony Cross and their helpers who have put coloured leg rings on Chough chicks for more than 25 years.

Thanks to them we know about the birds’ movements, foraging areas and roosts, and the important role of autumn flocks in enabling young Choughs to learn how to feed and survive.

Read on

Returning lost eagle species to Wales

February 18, 2019, Cardiff University

Research taking place in Wales could see the return of lost eagle species to our countryside, bringing both conservation and economic benefits.

As part of pan-European efforts to restore eagles across their historic breeding range, researchers at Cardiff University are investigating whether the modern Welsh landscape has the potential to support their reintroduction.

Once a common sight in our skies, both the Golden and White-tailed eagle were driven to extinction in Wales in the mid-1800s. Today, the total European population of both eagle species is relatively small, and numbers are in further decline in many countries, primarily due to human persecution and habitat loss.

Bringing eagles back to Wales will help to strengthen ongoing efforts to conserve this endangered species. But, while the reintroduction of eagles to Wales is not a new concept, until now there has not been a rigorous assessment of whether it may be possible.

Eagle Reintroduction Wales Project researcher, Sophie-lee Williams from Cardiff University, explained: "Wales is home to large expanses of potentially suitable eagle habitat, but, before we begin reintroducing the species, there are many questions we need to answer about the quality of habitat, and whether it can sustain eagles.

"Working closely with partners such as the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Wildlife Trust Wales, we are currently carrying out a full feasibility study which will enable us to answer some of these questions and determine whether the Welsh countryside is a suitable location for eagle reintroduction."

Reintroducing eagles to the Welsh countryside would be an achievement of international conservation importance and, as seen with similar projects elsewhere in the UK and Ireland, it could also bring significant benefits to local communities and regional economies through wildlife tourism.

The reintroduction programme of White-tailed Eagles on the west coast of Scotland attracts an extra 1.4 million visitors to the region every year, generating up to £5 million of tourist spend on the Isle of Mull, and supporting 110 jobs.

Read more at: 

Third of Wales' birds are in decline

30/12/2018

A major report has found that one in three species of bird is in significant decline in Wales. The State of Birds in Wales study found farmland and woodland species were especially vulnerable, with the researchers identifying loss of habitat and climate change while urging urgent conservation action.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW), who headed up the report, said the data provided "a real health check for scientists, conservationists and decision makers". The findings were achieved with the help of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), the Welsh Ornithological Society (WOS), and RSPB Cymru. Patrick Lindley, Senior Ornithologist at NRW, said: "When we look at conservation urgency, we've probably never seen the like of this before in terms of what we need to do. It’s startling."

Notable declines in the report included the extinction of breeding populations of Common Nightingale, Corn Bunting and Eurasian Dotterel. Common Starling declined by a massive 72 per cent between 1995 and 2016. Many threatened species that rely on farmland and moor habitat have also seen numbers crash: Black Grouse declined by 68 per cent, Red Grouse by 45 per cent, Northern Lapwing 46 per cent and Eurasian Curlew 39 per cent. 

Neil Lambert, Head of Conservation Management for RSPB Cymru said: "With 90 per cent of Wales farmed, agricultural practices have a huge impact on birds and other wildlife. Leaving the European Union provides a unique opportunity to develop new land management policies for Wales that will help farmers restore nature."

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Rare Royal Tern makes an appearance on Anglesey

Bird Notes columnist Julian Hughes of RSPB Cymru reveals what birds have been spotted in the past week and lists 10 upcoming birding events

Andrew ForgraveRural Affairs Editor

23:05, 10 DEC 2018

Anglesey's Royal Tern's metal ring suggests it was originally from North America (Image: Tony White)

A Monday lunchtime visit to Traeth Dulas, north of Moelfre, proved an excellent decision by Angleseybirder Tony White, who found a Royal Tern on the incoming tide.

It flew out to sea but was refound at nearby Traeth Lligwy, enabling local birders to catch up with this mega sighting.

It’s not the first Royal Tern to visit North Wales. One on the Llŷn Peninsula in June 2009 relocated to Llandudno for a few hours and attracted birders from across the UK, though its short visit meant that only locals got to see it.

I remember a frantic dash from West to North Shore to follow the bird as it flew across town.

But not all Royal Terns are the same. It’s the second largest species of tern, with populations on both side of the Atlantic.

Recent studies show that Royal Terns nesting in West Africa are genetically distinct from those that breed from North Carolina south to Argentina, and some authorities consider them to be different species.

The problem is that birds from each population look very similar, and the Llandudno bird couldn’t be assigned to one or the other.

This week’s Anglesey bird sports a metal ring on its right leg, consistent with a ringing scheme in North America, indicating its likely origin.

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A surprise Snowy Owl appears in the mountains of Gwynedd

Bird Notes columnist Julian Hughes of RSPB Cymru reveals what birds have been spotted in the past week and lists eight upcoming birding events

By

Andrew Forgrave Rural Affairs Editor

23:24, 8 OCT 2018

NEWS

Walkers in the Rhinogydd, the mountains above Llyn Trawsfynydd , photographed a Snowy Owl at the weekend – a remarkable sight!

One was reported from Cwmystradllyn in late July, just eight miles to the northwest, and this huge predator could easily have survived here for several months.

Could it be the same female Snowy Owl that was seen near Amlwch in June , and then reported at RSPB South Stack in early July?

I haven’t spotted any Swallows for a couple of weeks, but a reader reports that a pair are still feeding young at the half-way tram station on the Great Orme .

While House Martins sometimes have broods into October, it’s rare for Swallows, and the chicks will need good fortune to make it to Africa.

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Exotic birds loose in county after naughty goat broke door lock

27th August

A NAUGHTY goat ‘butting’ a door lock led to the accidental release of more than 30 exotic Cockatiels and budgies, many of which are still on the loose in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

Udupi, the boisterous billy, bashed an internal door to an aviary owned by Vicky Richards Barton, of Cardigan, last Wednesday, August 22.

The rampaging ruminant’s door destruction saw Vicky’s much-loved flock take to the skies some time between 8pm and 10pm.

While some eight birds have already made their way home, Vicky, of Tenby Road, is appealing for help in recovering the rest of her feathered friends.

There have been sightings of the missing 25-plus birds as far afield as St Dogmaels, Llechryd, Cilgerran, Newcastle Emlyn, Cenarth, Haverfordwest, and even Carmarthen.

Read on  

Oldest recorded Little Tern

On Monday the first chicks fledged at the only Little Tern colony in Wales, from the few nests that survived Storm Hector in mid June.

Prof David Norman, who has ringed the chicks at Gronant beach for decades, as a member of Merseyside Ringing Group, recently caught a bird he first ringed there in July 1993.

At almost 25 years of age, this appears to be the oldest Little Tern ringed anywhere in the world, and it’s still producing chicks!

Volunteers at Gronant have installed live-streaming cameras from a couple of nests. With Denbighshire Council wardens they are also starting a programme of diversionary feeding to provide a local pair of Kestrels with an alternative food source to fledging terns.

The first signs of autumn wader migration came with Spotted Redshanks at RSPB Conwy and at Connah’s Quay , where up to three Great White Egrets have been feeding.

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Bird SLAUGHTER: Majestic kite trapped by torture device as rare harriers vanish mysterious

A MAJESTIC red kite was left enduring a slow and agonising death after being gripped by the cruel teeth of an illegal wildlife trap.

By STUART WINTER

PUBLISHED: 17:40, Tue, May 22, 2018 | UPDATED: 17:40, Tue, May 22, 2018

Harriers have vanished and the kite trapped by device

The medieval looking contraption broke both the protected bird of prey’s legs as it snapped shut with tremendous force.

For the heavily bleeding kite, it would have been a slow death sentence, but a passerby took the bird to a vet who had no option but end its suffering.

The death of the kite comes in a dismal week for Britain’s rarest birds of prey.

Conservationists today announced that three hen harriers fitted with satellite trackers have vanished suspiciously over recent weeks.

As the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds investigate the harriers’ disappearance, colleagues at the RSPCA have launched an appeal for information on how the kite became trapped near Aberystwyth earlier this month.

These gin traps were made illegal to set many years ago and yet shockingly are still being used to catch animals.

Although red kite numbers are buoyant after recent reintroductions, the kites of central Wales are remnants of the surviving British population which almost became extinct last century.

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Rare green heron spotted in Llanmill, Pembrokeshire

30 April 2018

A rare green heron, native to north and central America, has been spotted in Wales for what is believed to be only the second time.

The bird turned up in the garden of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart, in Llanmill, near Narberth, Pembrokeshire.

Posting an image on Twitter, he wrote: "Completely amazed to welcome a green heron to west Wales."

Naturalist Iolo Williams said the sighting was "exceptionally rare".

The birds are about 40cm (16in) tall - much smaller than grey herons more commonly seen in the UK - and are a brown and green colour.

They normally live on the other side of the Atlantic and are widespread across their native countries of the United States and southern Canada.

Wildlife TV presenter Mr Williams said of the sighting: "As far as I'm aware, I think there's only ever been two recorded in Wales.

Read on 

Plans for Welsh nuclear power plant delayed by concerns over seabirds

Next stage of planning process for Anglesey site postponed as effect on tern colonies is assessed

Adam Vaughan

Mon 9 Apr 2018 13.57 BSTLast modified on Mon 9 Apr 2018 22.00 BST

Plans for a nuclear power station on the Welsh island of Anglesey have been delayed by concerns over the plant’s impact on colonies of protected seabirds.

The proposed twin reactors at Wylfa were given the green light by the UK’s nuclear regulator in December, with backers hoping to win financial support from the government.

The Welsh plant would have a capacity of 3GW, similar to the 3.2GW of the nuclear power station being built at Hinkley Point in Somerset.

Horizon Nuclear Power, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Hitachi, told planning authorities it would submit its planning application for the Wylfa plant by the end of March, which it called a “major milestone”.

But the company postponed submitting the development consent order because it needs to thrash out the impact building the power station will have on colonies of sandwich, Arctic and common terns.

The species are protected under the EU birds and habitats directive.

Nearby Cemlyn nature reserve is home to thousands of sandwich terns, which account for about fifth of the birds’ UK population and is the biggest on the country’s west coast.

Wildlife groups are concerned about the effect of noise and light from the power station’s construction, as well as a reduction in food for the birds to forage on. Land clearance for the vast site is also expected to displace potential predators, such as rats and foxes.

Chris Wynne, a senior reserve officer at North Wales Wildlife Trust, said: “We are looking at a range of ecological impacts at one of the most significant tern colonies in the UK.”

Read more 

Golden garden visitor

09/03/2018  

A stranded European Golden Plover has been rescued from a garden in Porthcawl, Glamorgan, by the RSPCA.

The harsh conditions brought in by the ‘Beast for the East’ saw some large bird movements as winter visitors attempted to avoid the snow and ice, as well as gardens hosting some less expected visitors. Among the numbers of Eurasian Woodcock and Common Snipe marooned in unusually domestic circumstances, was also a European Golden Plover in a garden in the Porthcawl area of south Wales.

The bird was found unable to fly away in a back garden and was rescued by the animal welfare charity RSPCA for rehabilitation. Residents spotted the bird, which was walking around a garden for approximately four days; it had made no attempt to fly away or even lift its wings. The RSPCA was alerted to the bird’s situation and collected it, finding it to be severely underweight and only able to run and fly a very short distance. However, officers noticed the bird had a dirty beak, indicating that attempts had been made by it to forage.

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