‘Joe Magee’ cot is launched to save endangered curlew

Posted: 3:34 pm November 30, 2019

By Roisin Henderson

A NEW boat has been launched to help save the some of Fermanagh’s most endangered birds. 

A  new traditional cot, which will be used to transport livestock and machinery from the islands of Lower Lough Erne, has been launched by the RSPB. The boat will be named after the Joe Magee, a pioneering Fermanagh bird conservationist, and will be used to manage the habitats of endangered local wildlife including curlews and other breeding wading birds such as snipe, redshanks and lapwings.

Joe was RSPB warden between 1971 and 1998 and was one of the first people to notice the alarming decline of breeding wading birds in the county. He originally designed a cot for transporting grazing livestock that help the RSPB maintain their islands on the lough, but it now needs replaced. 

“We originally used a wooden cot, which a farmer let us use. Then we built our own, although at first it had no engine on it and we had to tow it using another boat. So eventually we got an engine and that made life easier,” said Joe. 

“I knew that across the island of Ireland curlew numbers were dropping, so it’s important that work is still being done to look after them.”

Current RSPB NI area manager Brad Robson, who succeeded Joe in Fermanagh in 1998, said: “The cot is used throughout the year. We move about 150 cattle and 60 sheep back and forth to our managed islands, as well as livestock to other privately-owned islands. In its first voyages, the new vessel will be used to bring livestock off for the winter.”

Mr Robson thanked the Co-operation Across Borders Bioderversity project, which provided the cot and is funded by the EU’s Interreg Programme. 

Fermanagh is home to 10 percent of the curlew population on the island of Ireland, with 39 pairs on the RSPB NI Fermanagh reserve in 2019. But curlews are in a perilous state, as numbers in Northern Ireland have declined by 89 percent since 1987. 

Source

Scientists map migration paths of Arctic breeding birds

Results help identify rapidly disappearing staging and wintering grounds

Date: August 22, 2016

Source: Wildlife Conservation Society

Conservation of intertidal habitat -- 65 percent of which has been lost over the last 50 years -- is critical to the survival of countless birds during migration on the East Asian Australasian Flyway.

In an effort to understand the threats and inform conservation of these areas, scientists from The Institute of Biological Problems of the North (Russian Academy of Sciences) and WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) have collaborated to identify vital stopover areas for the dunlin, a shorebird known to migrate up to 7500 km (4700 miles) to reach its destination.

Arctic shorebirds breeding in Chukotka and Alaska depend upon key coastal intertidal sites along their migratory route to find food to supply energy on their flights. Such intertidal habitats are rapidly being lost to human development, resulting in marked declines of all species that have been studied on this flyway. Some, like the spoon-billed sandpiper, are now at critical risk of extinction, while 23 other species are now threatened, endangered, or vulnerable to extinction. Many others are in rapid decline, losing up to 10 percent of their numbers each year. A key driver of these losses is thought to be associated with development projects along the Yellow Sea coastline that convert intertidal mudflats to dry ground.

To better understand the nuanced threats to shorebird species that breed in Chukotka and nearby Alaska, Russian and American scientists have collaborated on a number of studies, including an assessment of nesting densities and factors influencing nest survival on breeding grounds in Russia. Most recently they have charted the migratory movements, timing, and wintering ground locations of a sub-species of dunlin, a relatively common shorebird that breeds in Chukotka.

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Proposed Scottish wind farm could put special breeding birds at risk

Red-throated Divers could be one of the species affected if the this Flow Country wind farm goes ahead, says RSPB Scotland

The future of special breeding birds could be in jeopardy if the planned wind farm for the heart of the Flow Country in Caithness and Sutherland gets the green light, the RSPB Scotland has warned.

A public local inquiry has been held to scrutinise an application by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), which wants to build a 39 turbine wind farm at Strathy South.

RSPB Scotland's Conservation Planner for North Scotland, Peter Gordon, has highlighted the possible fate of a range of birds, including Greenshanks and Red-throated Divers which breed at Strathy South.

He says: "These two species are characteristic of the wildest parts of the Highlands and Islands and don't breed anywhere else in Britain. This wind farm would be built in an area that is very important for both species.

"One of the most wonderful wildlife experiences you can have in the Flow Country is to witness the aerial breeding display of Greenshanks as they circle and call above their territories.

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Great year for breeding birds at Glenwherry thanks to RSPB

The population of threatened breeding waders in the Glenwherry area has increased again, thanks to the efforts of local farmers.

Since 2011, farmers have been working to make homes for lapwing, curlew and snipe on their land as part of the RSPB’s Halting Environmental Loss Project (HELP). Breeding waders have declined in Northern Ireland by 83 per cent over the last 25 years, but HELP has caused a reversal in fortune for these birds. This year the population reached 174 pairs – an increase of 10 pairs on last year’s total.

Nearly £1.5 million has been given to HELP from the European Regional Development Fund through the INTERREG IVA Programme, which is delivered locally by the Special EU Programmes Body. The project will run until the end of December 2014.

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Couple forced off farm so it can be flooded for breeding birds, under EU rules

A couple have been told they must leave the 60-acre estate they have farmed for 30 years so it can be flooded to boost rare bird populations, under EU regulations.

A couple have been forced off the land they have farmed for 30 years and planned to pass on to their sons so it can be flooded for breeding birds under EU laws.

Former Army officer Kenneth Hicks said he and his wife Deidre have been told they must leave the 60-acre estate by Eurocrats who put the “rights of birds above humans”.

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Breeding Birds Vulnerable to Climate Change in Arctic Alaska: A Story of Winners and Losers

Apr. 2, 2013 — A new report from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) looked at the vulnerability of 54 breeding bird species to climate change impacts occurring by the year 2050 in Arctic Alaska. The assessment found that two species, the gyrfalcon and common eider are likely to be "highly" vulnerable, while seven other species would be "moderately" vulnerable to anticipated impacts. Five species are likely to increase in number and benefit from a warming climate.

Arctic Alaska harbors some of the most important breeding and staging grounds for millions of birds -- many from around the world -- representing more than 90 species. A rise in mean annual temperatures of at least 3.1 degrees Celsius in northern Alaska is expected by 2050, and will likely impact species in myriad ways.

The report, Assessing Climate Change Vulnerability of Breeding Birds in Arctic Alaska, co-authored by WCS Scientists Joe Liebezeit, Erika Rowland, Molly Cross and Steve Zack, details in-depth vulnerability assessments conducted on 54 species to help guide climate-informed wildlife management in the region. The project was aided by the participation of more than 80 scientists who are experts on the assessed species.

Results showed that along with the highly vulnerable gyrfalcon and common eider, seven other species were moderately vulnerable, including: brandt, Steller's eider, pomerine jaeger, yellow-billed loon, buff-breasted sandpiper, red phalarope and ruddy turnstone. Five species, including the savannah sparrow, Lapland longspur, white-crowned sparrow, American tree-sparrow and common redpoll are likely to increase in number, according to the assessments.

The authors note that the assessments calculated vulnerabilities looking exclusively at the impacts of climate change experienced by breeding birds in Arctic Alaska, and not in other parts of their range.

"The primary value of this assessment is to tease out the underlying factors that make species more or less vulnerable to climate change," said WCS Conservation Scientist and report co-author Joe Liebezeit. "Through this effort we can begin to prioritize subsequent management actions and identify data gaps. The results represent a starting point to help prioritize management actions and conservation planning efforts."

Continued:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130403092537.htm

Winners And Losers: Study Looks At Alaskan Birds’ Vulnerability To Climate Change

April 3, 2013 

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online 

As the forces of climate change continue to shape the planet, conservationist groups are focusing on how these trends may affect the viability of different animal species. 

According to a new report from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), many of the breeding bird species in Alaska will experience a marked change to their populations by 2050. 

Based on their assessment, the WCS estimates that two species will become “highly” vulnerable and seven other species would be “moderately” vulnerable thanks to the effects of climate change. The WCS also projects that the populations of five bird species will actually expand as a result of rising global temperatures and their effects. 

“The primary value of this assessment is to tease out the underlying factors that make species more or less vulnerable to climate change,” said report co-author Joe Liebezeit. “Through this effort we can begin to prioritize subsequent management actions and identify data gaps. The results represent a starting point to help prioritize management actions and conservation planning efforts.” 

The report is focused on 54 bird species from Arctic Alaska, which serves as a breeding ground for millions of birds from around the world. According to the WCS, the region is expected to see a 5.5-degree Fahrenheit temperature increase by 2050. 

The WCS conducted their assessment with four goals in mind: rank the vulnerability of different bird species, evaluate each species’ sensitivity to climate change factors, compare the assessment to other approaches, and determine the effectiveness of the NatureServe Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) tool. 

The CCVI tool is a spreadsheet-based algorithm that uses a variety of factors to rank species vulnerability to climate change in particular regions. 

“This assessment tool melds computer modeling with expert opinion in a way not often realized,” said co-author Greg Balogh, the Coordinator of the Arctic Landscape Conservation Cooperative for the WCS. 

Continued: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112815618/alaskan-birds-affected-by-climate-change-040313/