Rare red-necked phalaropes 'best Scottish season in years'

3 November 2015

A bird described as an "extremely rare" visitor to the UK has had one its best breeding seasons in years in Scotland.

Red-necked phalaropes migrate to the Western Isles and to Orkney and Shetland during the summer.

Thirty-six breeding males were counted on RSPB Scotland's reserve in Fetlar, Shetland, equalling the highest number that has ever been recorded there.

A pair also bred at an RSPB reserve at Balranald in North Uist for the first time in 31 years.

Argyll, the most southerly the birds breed in the UK, had its best year on record with six males present, RSPB Scotland said.

Readon…

RSPB is gravely concerned at decline in islands’ corn bunting population

Familiar birds of the machair have vanished from Barra and almost extinct in Benbecula
August 2013. RSPB Scotland has announced that it is gravely concerned over the future of the corn bunting in the Western Isles. RSPB manager Jamie Boyle said, "The results of this year's survey make very sobering reading. For the first time ever spring-time in the machair of Barra and Vatersay has been marked without the distinctive rattling song of the corn bunting. Since time immemorial this wee brown bird has been a familiar sight and sound to crofters going about their business. We are gravely concerned that this may not be the case in the future. 60% decline in 1 year
"In just one year, the number of calling males has gone down from eighty birds to fifty birds. As well as the loss of birds in Barra we are down to just one territorial male in Benbecula. The northern part of South Uist is likewise almost devoid of birds. This leaves parts of North Uist and the southern part of South Uist as the last remaining strongholds in the Western Isles. However it is a very vulnerable population."

Crofting is vital
Corn buntings occur on the islands due to crofting, particularly cultivation of cereals which provide them with food over the winter. The change from traditional cultivation techniques to big bale silage has deprived them of the once plentiful winter food source.

Mr Boyle confirmed that the RSPB has been concerned about the corn bunting for some time. "This decline has occurred despite intensive conservation efforts over several years to reverse the trend. This has included the arable stacks scheme and provision of seed as winter food for the birds. We now propose to take emergency action to stabilise the population with a concentration of effort to be made in the remaining population "hot spots".

"The loss of such a characteristic bird would not be just a loss of wildlife. It would also be a cultural loss. People in the Uists have always valued the distinctive wildlife which shares a home with them. We would all be the poorer without them."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/bunting-corn.html

Horrified birdwatchers see rare white-throated needletail fly into wind turbine

Hundreds of twitchers travelled the length of the country to see the “bird of the century” – only for it to fly into a wind turbine and die.

Bird-spotters were ecstatic about the first UK sighting of the rare white-throated needletail since 1991.

But their excitement soon turned to horror when it hit the 120ft structure’s rotating blades.

James Hanlon and three pals drove 17 hours through the night to see the black and white swift on the Isle of Harris, one of Scotland’s Western Isles.

He said: “I was watching it through my binoculars from about 200 metres away.

“One minute it was flying in spectacular fashion. I followed it and then watched as it flew into one of the blades of the wind turbine and vanished.

“My heart jumped into my mouth. We dashed over to see if it had been killed and sadly found its body on the ground. It was heartbreaking.”

Continued: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/horrified-birdwatchers-see-rare-white-throated-2003724#ixzz2XW8biZC2

Dialect clue to decline in Western Isles corn buntings

Variations in the songs of different groups of corn buntings in the Western Isles have helped scientists to chart the decline in numbers of the birds.

By studying the pattern of male birds' songs, researchers can identify different groups of buntings.

Photo: Nigel Blake

In the past males could find enough mates within their own groups.

But Aberystwyth University scientists have found the dialect groups are beginning to mix together suggesting males are flying further to find mates.

RSPB Scotland said a survey of corn buntings suggested there could be as few as 76 territorial males in the Western Isles.

Since last year, the charity has been providing crofters with a mix of whole and crushed barley to improve the birds' survival in winter.

Jamie Boyle, of RSPB Scotland, said: "Corn buntings are great wee birds - known to generations of crofters as gealag-bhuachair.

Continued:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-19675286

More information on the corn bunting (Emberiza calandra):

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/cornbunting/index.aspx

http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob18820.htm