UPDATE: Cambridge takes down anti-bird netting from trees after Chris Packham condemns practice

University says sorry for upset caused and adds that it has begun 'immediate' work to remove huge nets

ByHelena Horton2 March 2020 • 1:23pm

Cambridge University has removed anti-bird netting from trees and said sorry for issued an apology, with the move coming after the netting was condemned by broadcaster Chris Packham.

The netting was placed over around 20 trees on the Cambridge West Site, prompting anger from naturalists.

Organisations frequently net trees during nesting season in order not to break the law by disturbing wild birds during construction work.

However, nature campaigners argue that discouraging birds from nesting and effectively removing their habitat is wrong at a time when many native species are in decline. Netting is also prone to developing rips in which birds can get trapped, starving to death.

Continued

Three bird species removed from UK's Red List

By Herts & Essex Observer  |  Posted: December 05, 2015

Three species removed from UK’s red list of bird

Three species have been removed from the Red List of birds of highest conservation concern following the latest assessment of the status of the UK's 244 bird species.

The report – Birds of Conservation Concern 4 – contains good news for some of the East of England's most recognisable wildlife and demonstrates that targeted conservation action can make a real difference.

Bittern, nightjar and dunlin have been downgraded from the Red List to the Amber List. Both bittern and nightjar owe their improved status to targeted actions that have triggered a boost in numbers.

Eastern England is home to more than half of the UK's bitterns – a type of heron extinct in the UK at the turn of the 20th century and famous for its booming call. In 1997, they were heading towards a second extinction, with only 11 booming males recorded in England.

Bitterns are one of the species that have benefitted from protection and resources made available under the EU Nature Directives in the form of special protection areas and EU funding for conservation, which have been central to some of the UK's biggest wildlife success stories. This year, 150 booming males were counted in England and Wales, more than at any time since the early 1800s.

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