In a quiet world, research on noise and nesting bluebirds

MAY 20, 2020

by Adrienne Berard, The College of William & Mary

Operation Decoy Dan begins at dawn.

Heather Kenny loads up her Honda CRV with three metal rods, two large nets, a rubber mallet and a Tupperware box containing the remaining tools she'll need to weigh, measure and band nesting bluebirds.

Kenny, a biology master's student at William & Mary, has spent the past two years studying the parenting behavior of bluebirds. Specifically, she is working to understand how human-made noise influences nesting and productivity.

She does this by maintaining experimental speakers, which play traffic noise on loop next to bluebird nest boxes. The goal is to see if birds are less likely to nest near the noisy boxes—and to see what behavioral traits are common in the birds who do decide to nest there.

"A previous study in our lab found a correlation that birds nesting in noisier areas raise fewer babies than the ones in the quiet areas," she said. "My study is following up on that and doing an experimental manipulation of noise to see if it's actually noise that is causing this difference in reproduction and if so, why?"

Kenny collected data on 28 nesting bluebird pairs last year. This spring, she monitored 30 nest boxes, located in Newport News Park, New Quarter Park and York River State Park on the Virginia Peninsula.

"We found from last year's data that they were not really responding to noise directly," Kenny said. "So, this year, I set up the speakers before they started building their nests to see if it influences where they decide to nest. I'm also examining the timing of their nesting and egg laying, as well as keeping track of how many eggs they lay and how many chicks fledge."

Read on

Florida birds nest on rooftops instead of beaches now because of people, dogs, predators

Tyler Treadway Treasure Coast Newspapers

Published 6:00 AM EST Mar 4, 2020

Seabirds and shorebirds should start nesting on Florida beaches soon, but these days, they're more likely to be settling on rooftops.

Even those unnatural habitats are getting harder for the birds to find.

"There's just been too much loss of beach habitat and interruption from people, their dogs and predators for the birds to keep nesting on beaches," said David Simpson of Fellsmere, owner of Birding with David Simpson, a company offering guided birding tours and classes.

Birds that nest in colonies — least terns, black skimmers and American oystercatchers — and those that nest alone, such as Wilson's plovers, used to nest on beaches throughout the Treasure Coast. Now, beachgoers are unlikely to see nesting birds, except in a few sites.

Turns out, the beachgoers and their pets are a big part of the reason.

Most beach-nesting birds lay their eggs in shallow depressions in the sand, "not much more than dimples on the beach," said Ricardo Zambrano, a biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The nests don't provide much protection, and the birds seem to know it. Often, a single encounter with a perceived predator is enough for the birds to abandon a nest or colony of nests, leaving eggs and chicks behind.

"Least terns are very sensitive to intruders," Simpson said. "They'll just up and leave."

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Rare Roseate tern spotted nesting near Jersey

20 September 2019 at 1:04pm

Britain's rarest breeding seabird has been spotted on rocks off the coast of Jersey.

As many as 3 Roseate terns were sighted nesting among Common terns at Les Ecrehous off the north east coast of the island over the summer.

The bird is red listed and only four colonies remain in Europe, nesting in sites in England, Southern Ireland, Brittany.

The Roseates were the last birds to complete the 3,500 mile trip from West Africa and are believed to have stayed on Les Ecrehous between June and August.

The area has been a common nesting site for common terns. However, the nesting seabirds have faced pressure from an increase in tourism in the area, with hundreds of visitors from France and Jersey visiting the site every day during the summer.

Around 80 nests were recorded in 2019 but some of the birds did not breed as successfully, which was most likely due to human disturbance.

Last updated Fri 20 Sep 2019

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A pair of penguins had to be removed by police after making a home under a sushi shop

July 16th

Police in New Zealand detained two penguins who were nesting underneath a sushi restaurant Wellington Railway Station, according to a Facebook post.

They had called attention to themselves by making a "cooing, humming sound" Wini Morris, a restaurant employee, told Radio NZ.

Police captured the animals, and after conferring with a zoo and the Department of Conservation, the birds were released into Wellington Harbour.

But Morris told Radio NZ that the penguins soon returned. Again, they were released into the harbour.

Sushi Bi probably hasn't seen the last of them.

Police in New Zealand were called to a local sushi shop near Wellington Railway Station to help remove a pair of unwanted visitors. In a Facebook post, the Wellington District Police said they temporarily detained two penguins who had taken refuge underneath a local spot called Sushi Bi.

They had called attention to themselves by making a "cooing, humming sound," Wini Morris, a Sushi Bi employee, told Radio NZ.

Police responded to the call on Saturday night. 

After conferring with the Wellington Zoo and the Department of Conservation, the groups decided the best course of action would be to release the animals into the wild. 

With the help of two members of the public, Constable John Zhu released the birds, which have been described as "little and blue," into Wellington Harbour. 

But by Monday, birds were again found crossing the street, headed again to the sushi restaurant. The shop owners again called DOC for assistance, according to Radio NZ.

Mike Rumble, who volunteers with the DOC and helped relocate the penguins the second time, speculated that the restaurant employees and patrons probably haven't seen the last of them.

"It's a natural characteristic of the penguins — they will always return to where they possibly were nesting ... I wouldn't be surprised if the owner of the sushi bar says 'they're back,'" he said

Source

Rare birds spotted nesting at Tarmac’s Herefordshire Quarry

 Save to read listPublished by Lucy Stewardson, Editorial Assistant
World Cement, Monday, 15 July 2019 10:22

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A pair of oystercatchers have spent more than a month nesting at a Herefordshire sand and gravel quarry. The wading birds – which are a protected species in the UK – were first seen at Wellington Quarry, near Hereford, in early June and have remained at the Tarmac-owned quarry ever since.

Since the birds were first spotted by quarry workers, a 30 m exclusion zone was put in place to prevent the birds from being disturbed from the field they are nesting on. The soils excavated from the site (to gain access to the sand and gravel) are being used to create the margins of a lake, as well as a gravel island that will provide additional bird nesting opportunities.

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White Storks nesting in West Sussex

30/05/2019

Conservationists have announced that a pair of White Storks is incubating three eggs at the Knepp Estate in West Sussex.

A pioneering partnership of private landowners and nature conservation organisations is working together to help the species return to south-east England for the first time in several hundred years as part of the White Stork Project, and has been releasing birds at three sites. As well as Knepp, free-flying White Storks have been reintroduced at Wadhurst Park, East Sussex, and Wintershall Estate, Surrey.

The project team was thrilled to find that a pair of storks is attempting to nest in an ancient oak tree at the Knepp Estate this spring. If the chicks successfully fledge, the nest at Knepp will be the first successful one in southern England since at least the end of the English Civil War in 1651.

The large birds, symbolic of rebirth, are native to the British Isles and evidence suggests that they were once widely distributed. While it is unclear why this spectacular and sociable bird failed to survive in Britain, it is likely that a combination of habitat loss, over-hunting and targeted persecution all contributed to their decline. Another factor may be that it was persecuted in the Civil War for being associated with rebellion.

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Critically Endangered Hawaiian Crows Build First Nest in Decades

Alicia Graef

May 19, 2019

Birds are building nests everywhere this spring, but for a pair of critically endangered crows in Hawaii it’s an especially big deal – it’s the first time they’ve made one in the wild in 20 years.

The ‘Alalā was once widespread throughout Hawaii, but a combination of threats ranging from habitat loss, disease and non-native predators to conflict with farmers drove their population down at an alarming rate. By the late 1970s, there were only estimated to be 50 to 150 left. The last two known individuals vanished from the wild in 2002.

Although they were declared extinct in the wild, a captive breeding program had begun years earlier and many have been hatched and raised at the Keauhou and Maui Bird Conservation Centers as part of a partnership between the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, San Diego Zoo Global, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Peregrine falcon nests in Staffordshire targeted by criminals

Two men with air rifles were seen near a nesting site in Cannock Chase on Monday (May 6). Now police say CCTV has been installed at nesting sites used by the birds.

A Staffordshire Police spokesman said:  "Peregrine falcon nests have been targeted by criminal gangs on Cannock Chase. On Monday 6th May, two males were seen with air rifles near to a peregrine nest site. CCTV has now been installed on nest sites. "

Any information contact darren.wilkes@staffordshire.pnn.police.uk."

There are estimated to be around 1,500 breeding pairs of peregrine falcons in the UK, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). On their website, the RSPB state:  "Peregrines were at a low point in the 1960s due to human persecution and the impact of pesticides in the food chain. Improved legislation and protection has helped the birds to recover and they have now expanded into many urban areas. "However, they are still persecuted - birds are illegally killed to prevent predation on game birds and racing pigeons. They also have eggs and chicks taken for collections and falconry."

Source

White stork pair could become first to breed in wild in UK for centuries

Birds brooding three eggs due to hatch in June are part of a rewilding project

Patrick Barkham

Wed 22 May 2019 16.20 BSTLast modified on Thu 23 May 2019 11.59 BST

White storks nesting on top of an ancient oak tree could become the first wild pair to successfully breed in Britain for hundreds of years.

The enormous birds are brooding three eggs on the rewilded Knepp estate, in Sussex, as part of a project to reintroduce the species to south-east England.

“It’s absolutely thrilling,” said Isabella Tree, the author and estate’s owner with her husband Charlie Burrell. “She is sitting on three eggs and we feel like parents – after torrential rain we rush out to see if their nest is still there.”

The Knepp estate is close to the West Sussex village of Storrington, referred to as Estorchestone or “homestead of the white storks” in the Domesday Book. Although the occasional wild stork flies across Britain, the birds are believed not to have successfully bred here since 1416, though some believe wild storks fledged chicks as late as the English civil war.

The storks have been brought back in a collaboration between three landowners in south-east England, the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Warsaw Zoo, the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, an expert in restoring endangered bird species.

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How you can help keep Tyneside's beloved kittiwakes safe

Newcastle Gateshead Quayside's colony is of vital importance to the future of the kittiwakes, but netting on buildings can cause problems

By

Tony Henderson

11:00, 2 MAY 2019

Visitors to the Newcastle Gateshead Quayside are being asked to monitor the well being of nesting kittiwakes, after birds became trapped in netting on buildings last year.

As hundreds of pairs of kittiwake return to the area to breed in what is the most inland colony in the world, the RSPB and the RSPCA are calling on the public to watch for entangled birds.

The importance of the colony has been underlined by the fact that globally kittiwakes are thought to have declined by around 40% since the 1970s.

 “In the UK kittiwake numbers have plummeted therefore protecting this unique river nesting colony is an important part of the wider conservation effort for the this species,” said the RSPB’s Helen Quayle, who is chairperson of the Tyne Kittiwake Partnership.

“Last year saw these birds receive unprecedented media attention following a series of incidents where kittiwakes became accidentally caught, and in some instances perished as a result of unfit bird deterrent netting.”

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Probe into whether Llandudno Premier Inn could be delayed by nesting seagulls

Concerns raised about seagulls apparently nesting on steel beams on former Tudno castle site

By

Jaymelouise Hudspith Reporter

05:00, 10 MAY 2019

Developers of a £10m hotel in Llandudno are looking into whether nesting seagulls may delay the project.

Local residents photographed what they believe to be birds nesting on the steel structure of the building, which is set to be a Premier Inn.

Under UK law it is a criminal offence to damage, destroy or remove nests while they are being used or built.

Opus Land, which is leading the redevelopment of the Tudno Castle site, said it was investigating whether seagulls are nesting on the structure.

A spokesman said: "We fully appreciate our legal obligations not to disturb nesting birds and we will follow expert advice and relevant procedures should the photographic evidence show that birds are indeed nesting on site."

Construction companies, developers and demolition companies must follow legislation or risk significant fines, long and costly delays, or even a prison sentence.

The RSPB said a government licence can be granted to allow the killing of nesting birds in cases where a significant risk to public health or safety has been identified, but only as a last resort.

Continued

Police at Eastern Michigan University have issued a warning: “Beware of goose!”

04 April, 2019 15:36

The department says potentially aggressive geese have been spotted on campus and issued the warning with a video on Instagram showing one goose attacking and chasing a person in a school car park.

Police say the attack happened on the north end of the school’s campus in Ypsilanti. Two geese are nesting in the area, and the birds are protective.

University spokesman Geoff Larcom says it’s not unusual for geese to nest on campus at this time of year. He says several students have reported goose attacks, but no injuries have been reported.

Mr Larcom told MLive.com: “A few students have tried to take selfies of the geese when they are hissing, but we advise against that.”

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Bird builds nest on Norfolk primary school wellie rack

1 June 2018

An expectant mother went to great lengths to get her children into her chosen school - by giving birth in the playground.

The blackbird chose to make her nest above a rack of Wellington boots near the door of Holly Meadows Primary School near King's Lynn, Norfolk.

The area was cordoned off and four chicks have now hatched.

Teacher Emma Baker said they were "surprised the blackbird had chosen such a noisy, busy location".

"She really doesn't seem bothered by the noise or the children's presence," she said.

"We were all very excited... when four eggs appeared in the nest and then later on, four little baby birds."

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Blue tit family make nest in Copford pub cigarette bin

1 June 2018

A family of blue tits have been wetting their beak at an Essex pub after they made its cigarette box their home.

The two adults and four chicks have taken up residence at The Alma pub in Copford for the past month.

The pub put up a sign asking customers not to disturb the makeshift nest, and the birds remain there for feeding.

Derek Miller, from the pub, said regulars "find it quite funny that we've got some extra guests", and are respecting the birds.

An RSPB spokesman said: "It may look like an odd place to set up a home, but there's probably a quite a bit of room in there to build a nice warm nest."

Mr Miller said the nest was discovered when customers spotted one of the birds nipping in and out of the bin prompting someone to look inside, where they found the four young chicks.

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Single pair of blackbirds builds ten nests along ladder in Cumbria

25th May

Up and down the country birds have been racing to find a mate and get on the property ladder ahead of the breeding season. And as a couple of RSPB members found in their back garden, one busy pair of blackbirds have taken it a step further with a real life game of ‘birds and ladders’.

As Bill and Jo Maddams were giving their garden in Penrith, Cumbria, a spring clean they noticed something unusual between the rungs of a ladder hanging on the wall. They say practice makes perfect but one pair of hard-working blackbirds took it to a new level by building 10 nests side by side giving themselves plenty of options.

Bill Maddams, who first spotted the nests, said: “By leaving out a supply of food and water in our garden we’re always joined by a variety of different birds such a robins, blue tits and goldfinches. However, as I looked out my window one morning it was a busy pair of blackbird that caught my eye. Over a number of days they were furiously building something and it wasn’t until we started our garden spring clean that the true extent of their efforts was revealed.”

Read on  and see photos

Prairie-chicken nests appear unaffected by wind energy facility

Date: August 9, 2017

Source: American Ornithological Society Publications Office

Summary:

Wind energy development in the Great Plains is increasing, spurring concern about its potential effects on grassland birds, the most rapidly declining avian group in North America. However, a new study suggests that for one grassland bird species of concern -- the greater prairie-chicken -- wind energy infrastructure has little to no effect on nesting. Instead, roads and livestock grazing remain the most significant threats to its successful reproduction.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170809073339.htm

Delight as extinction-threatened hen harriers nest in North Pennines

05:30, 2 JUL 2016

BY TONY HENDERSON

Wildlife guardians are keeping a round-the-clock watch on the nest of a bird of prey on the edge of extinction in England.

The pair of hen harriers is nesting at the RSPB Geltsdale reserve in the North Pennines.

Wardens visited the nest under licence and were delighted to discover that the female is currently incubating five eggs on what is believed to be one of only three hen harrier nests in England this year.

If the eggs hatch, it will be the first time there have been hen harrier chicks at RSPB Geltsdale for a decade.

Hen harriers nest in the uplands but they are on the verge of extinction as a breeding bird in England owing to ongoing illegal persecution. In 2015, there were only six successful nests in the whole country.

Last year, a pair bred at Geltsdale but the nest failed during the incubation period after the male suddenly and inexplicably vanished while hunting. Faced with the prospect of starvation, the female had little choice but to abandon her eggs.

With the Government and landowners now officially committed to the recovery of the species through the DEFRA Hen Harrier Action Plan, published earlier this year, the RSPB hopes this season’s nests will fare better.

Steve Westerberg, site manager at RSPB Geltsdale, said: “We’re delighted that we have hen harriers breeding on the reserve once again. It’s an incredibly nerve-wracking time but we’re crossing our fingers that we’ll see fledged young in a few months’ time.

“Staff and volunteers are watching the nest around the clock to prevent unnecessary disturbance, and we have spoken to our neighbouring estates about the birds so they can play their part in helping to ensure that the birds are safe when they leave our reserve to hunt.”

Last year hen harriers bred in the North East for the first time in seven years.

The Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership reported that there were two successful nests on Forestry Commission land in the county. Another hen harrier nest in County Durham produced three chicks.

In 2013, there were no successful nests in England and in 2014 just three pairs bred.

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Jackdaws strip straw from £100,000 re-thatched roof of historic National Trust barn

National Trust conservationists try 'umpteen solutions' that have all failed to problem of birds picking apart roof of Grade I-listed Wiltshire barn

Sponsored by BT

By Agency

8:47AM GMT 03 Mar 2016

The National Trust is fighting to save the £100,000 thatched roof of a historic barn at a World Heritage site from jackdaws that tear out the fresh straw to make their nests.

The roof of the Grade I-listed Tithe Barn at Avebury, Wiltshire, was re-thatched just three years ago. But, since then, jackdaws have been picking it apart - but only taking the newly-added straw, which is cleaner and drier for their nests.

Experts have tried several ways of stopping the birds, but they have all failed so far. Conservationists at the National Trust, which owns the 17th-century barn, are trying to find a long-term solution.

"We've tried umpteen solutions to the problem... eventually they've all failed. I'm beginning to tear my hair out. It's so frustrating"

National Trust building surveyor Karl Papierz

Ed Coney, who re-thatched the roof in 2013, called the damage "soul destroying".

He said: "We did the job and were very proud of it and everything was fine, and then slowly it's been pulled to pieces."

The barn was originally a threshing barn and stands in the centre of the famous Avebury stone circle. It is now home to a museum filled with archaeological finds and interactive displays.

National Trust building surveyor Karl Papierz, said: "We've tried umpteen solutions to the problem... eventually they've all failed. I'm beginning to tear my hair out. It's so frustrating.

"We don't know why they are doing this, they only take a few bits for nesting, most is simply pulled and discarded.

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Rare seabirds make a welcome return to Flintshire nature reserve

Published date: 12 September 2015 | 

Published by: Staff reporter

ONE of Britain’s most threatened seabirds has successfully nested at an RSPB nature reserve in Flintshire.

The little tern is nesting at the nature reserve at Point of Ayr on the Dee Estuary for the first time since the 1960s.

Staff and volunteers were delighted to discover one pair successfully nested on the reserve, while 136 pairs also nested this year at a nearby large colony at Gronant.

A five year pot of funding from the EU was awarded in 2013 in an attempt to reverse the fortunes of the declining colonies of the birds in England and Wales.

Geoff Robinson, assistant warden for the RSPB Dee Estuary nature reserve, said: “We were doing our routine checks on the reserve one day in mid-May and noticed a lot of little tern activity above and around the shingle ridge at Point of Ayr.

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Hawks protect hummingbirds against predators

Hummingbirds have been found to nest near hawk territories as a method of defence against birds of prey

By Hana Carter, Nature notes

3:09PM BST 08 Sep 2015

Hummingbirds build their nests near hawk territory in an attempt to protect their eggs against predators, a new study has shown.

Scientists observed the black-chinned hummingbirds in their natural habitat and discovered that 80 per cent of the hummingbird nests in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona are close to northern goshhawk and Cooper's hawk nests. Hawks are still a danger to hummingbirds and their nests, but typically, the raptors prefer to eat large birds and rodents.

WIth nests measuring an average of 1.5 inches which contain eggs the size of coffee beans, hummingbirds nesting near hawks have a daily survival rate of 31 per cent, compared with 6 per cent for the birds nesting outside of hawk territory.

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