Big winners and losers in UK wading bird numbers

The number of ringed plovers in the UK has declined by a massive 39 per cent

The spectacle of multitudes of wintering birds on an estuary in the UK is changing, according to a new report from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

The results of analysis of the latest data collected by thousands of Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) volunteers has shown that populations of the UK’s most familiar coastal waders have declined markedly in the last 10 years.

Ringed plover has fared worst with a 39 per cent decline followed by redshank at 26 per cent down, dunlin at 23 per cent, curlew at 17 per cent and oystercatcher at 15 per cent.

These are among the eight most abundant wintering waders on UK estuaries, yet the populations of all of them are declining.

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Shrinking dinosaurs evolved into flying birds

Date:

July 31, 2014

Source:

University of Southampton

Summary:

Scientists have revealed how massive, meat-eating, ground-dwelling dinosaurs evolved into agile flying birds: they just kept shrinking and shrinking, for over 50 million years. 

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Mgarr man attempts to smuggle 411 bird skins through the airport

BY GOZO NEWS · JULY 25, 2014

Officials of the Wild Birds Regulation Unit, Customs and the Police Administrative Law Enforcement Unit, in a joint operation carried out on the 23rd and 24th of July, foiled a significant wildlife smuggling attempt involving over 400 bird skins.

The WBRU also said that in a separate and unrelated incident, two Gozitan residents were found guilty by the Court in Gozo for being in possession of a number of protected bird species.

The attempt to smuggle the bird skins was foiled when on Wednesday, a passenger who had just arrived on a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt caught the attention of Customs at MIA as “he was behaving suspiciously.” The WBRU said that an inspection of the person’s luggage revealed that they contained bird skins. The person had just returned from a hunting trip in Argentina.

Following investigations into the contents of the seized luggage it was established that the bags contained 411 bird skins, the importation of which is restricted.

The consignment was made up of several species including grebes, swans, ducks, eagles, hawks, falcons, storks, flamingos, ibises, crakes, gulls, owls and passerines, the majority of which are protected in their country of origin. In addition, about 120 of the specimens are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

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Vanishing NW seabirds linked to herring decline

BY CRAIG WELCH, THE SEATTLE TIMES : JULY 25, 2014 : Updated: July 25, 2014 1:59pm

ANACORTES, Wash. (AP) — The bird-counters stood in the windy bow chattering into headsets and scanning the Strait of Juan de Fuca with binoculars.

"Scoters," Sherman Anderson said. "Three of them. At 11 o'clock. Look like surfs."

"Marbled murrelets," he added seconds later. "I see two."

Inside the boat's cabin, another Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife worker listened through a headset of his own so he could record the tally on a computer.

Bird surveys like this and others done by plane are tracking a significant ecological shift in our region — a major decline in once-abundant marine birds. From white-winged scoters and surf scoters to long-tailed ducks, murres, loons and some seagulls, the number of everyday marine birds here has plummeted dramatically in recent decades.

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Twitchers in a flap over rare bird sighting at Seeswood Pool

BIRDWATCHERS have been in a flap about sightings of a rare species at a Nuneaton beautyspot.

Twitchers have been flocking to Seeswood Pool in a bid to get a glimpse of a rare Black-Crowned Night Heron.

It was earlier in the week when a fisherman first spotted the bird, and word soon spread about the bird among feathered friend fanatics.

It is understood that there are, on average, ten records of Night Heron in the UK each year.

The sighting at the beautyspot on Astley Lane is the sixth record for Warwickshire.

The News was lucky enough to be given a few photographs taken of the bird at Seeswood Pool earlier in the week.

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Rare bird spotted in our garden

What a treat to see the picture of the “Rosy starling” in your paper.

In fact it was in our garden on June 27th. It was on the nut holder for quite a while, but I had never seen one before so didn’t know what it was.

When my husband came home I explained to him about this orangey pinkish and black bird and I think he thought I had gone “cuckoo”, but evidently not. Thank you for the article.

R. Spencer

Kelbrook Drive, Burnley

http://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/letters/rare-bird-spotted-in-our-garden-1-6743587

Extinct birds arrive at Surrey animal park

The Great Bustard (the heaviest flying animal alive today) was once very much part of the British wildlife but sadly this spectacular bird was hunted to extinction in this country by the 1840's.

When close to hatching, the eggs were checked three times a day, and as soon one started to hatch it was moved to a special unit with high humidity.

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