WATCHER OF THE SKIES: black redstarts, osprey, sparrowhawk, starling, little egret, twite

As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... about out-of-place birds, rare vagrants, and basically all things feathery and Fortean.

Because we live in strange times, there are more and more bird stories that come her way, so she has now moved onto the main CFZ bloggo with a new column with the same name as her aforementioned ones...

Britain's rarest bird is found nesting at airshow despite deafening noise from jet engines and tens of thousands of visitors

With the deafening sound of jet engines and the commotion caused by hundreds of thousands of visitors, it seems an unlikely place to bring up your brood.

But Farnborough International Airshow is home to a breeding pair of black redstarts (Phoenicurus ochruros), who have made a nest to care for four chicks in the roof of a hospitality chalet.

 Photo: RSPB

The birds, so rare that they are protected by law, stunned wildlife experts when they were found nesting at the festival in Farnborough, Hampshire.

Organisers were due to take down the chalet when the show finished last week, having attracted 227,000 visitors and seen the sale of aircraft worth £46billion.

But they decided to leave it up for an extra two weeks to avoid disturbing the chicks, which are only two weeks old. Experts believe there are only about 40 black redstarts in the country.

Keith Betton, of Hampshire Ornithological Society, said the birds were brown with a red tail and a little bigger than a robin.

'Black redstarts are one of the ten rarest birds in Britain and a delight to watch,' he added.

'They have a tendency to nest in unusual places such as power stations and building sites but their new home is equally bizarre.

'This breeding pair have found a little hole in the side of a chalet and set up home for their chicks despite the bustling crowds and noisy aircraft.

'Once you are aware the birds are nesting it is a criminal offence to disturb them so the airshow have to leave them in peace.'

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2177522/Rare-black-redstarts-nesting-Farnborough-International-Airshow.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Half of Kielder's osprey chicks didn't survive the weather

Rare English ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) may have defied the dismal summer weather, but cold conditions and record rainfall have still taken their toll.  Two osprey chicks which hatched just before the Jubilee weekend - and dubbed Jubilee Jack and Queenie - have been ringed by Forestry Commission experts in 62,000 hectare (155,000 acre) Kielder Water & Forest Park. The sole surviving chick on the second nest in the Northumbrian wilderness - given the name of Olympia - has also been ringed.

A record breaking six chicks hatched in Kielder this year, however, three succumbed to the elements, which also blighted the breeding season for other rare birds, including goshawks.

But Rangers remain upbeat. Forestry Commission Wildlife Ranger Philip Spottiswood explained: "We have maintained our record of producing three osprey chicks each year since 2009 when the bird began to breed again in Northumberland for the first time in at least 200 years. Despite the conditions, the chicks ringed this year are very healthy and we expect them all to fledge in the next few weeks. Given the dreadful weather that is a tremendous result."

Expanding Scottish population
Duncan Hutt, from Northumberland Wildlife Trust, added: "The species was extinct in England until recently, but Kielder together with the Lake District has been naturally re-colonised. A big factor has been the expanding Scottish population and also the erection of special nesting platforms near Northumbrian Water's Kielder Water, which offers perfect hunting grounds for trout."

Kielder Osprey Watch 2012 is organised by the Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the RSPB. The partners are working hard to ensure that the ospreys are here to stay by maintaining a high quality habitat in Kielder Water & Forest Park and safeguarding and monitoring the nest site.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/osprey-chick-kielder.html

Little egrets breeding at Cotswold Water Park for the first time

August 2012. Little egrets (Egretta garzetta)  have successfully bred at the Cotswold Water Park Trust's Cleveland Lakes Reserve, near Ashton Keynes, marking the first breeding of this species in the Cotswold Water Park.

Photo: Wikipedia

During May, when the weather was so wet and windy, the little egrets produced 2 nests and young were seen the day after some particularly stormy weather. Their survival is all the more remarkable when you see their nests; they are small, sparse and spindly on the outer branches of trees; they don't look very wind-proof!

Young from these nests fledged, following which 2 more nests were found with young in. The nests of these bright white birds are surprisingly hard to locate in dense tree cover! Young from the later two nests also survived the wet and windy conditions. Young little egrets can be seen feeding with adults around Cleveland Lakes Reserve at present. At least 5 juveniles have fledged.

The Cotswold Water Park Trust thanks volunteer Kim Milsom for his herculean efforts made in 2012 in monitoring the breeding grey heron (Ardea cinerea) and little egret and other breeding waterbirds of Cleveland Lakes.

Kim Milsom, volunteer for the Cotswold Water Park Trust has been monitoring the waterbirds of Cleveland Lakes Reserve since 2009; "Supporting the Cotswold Water Park Trust in recent years by monitoring the great success of the habitat creation at Cleveland Lakes has had a number of highlights, but the successful breeding of the little egrets, the first in the CWP, is perhaps the greatest! On every following visit, I feared that the summer's gales and driving rain may have destroyed the nests, but the chicks seemed very resilient and the parents did a great job and successfully reared at least 5 young".

Gareth Harris, Biodiversity Manager, Cotswold Water Park Trust says, "Although little egrets breed elsewhere in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, this is the first confirmed breeding for the Cotswold Water Park, albeit somewhat overdue! They have been demonstrating breeding behaviour at Cleveland Lakes Reserve for the last 2-3 years, so a breeding attempt has been expected. To see 4 pairs successfully breeding on their first attempt, AND in a year of such poor weather, is fantastic"

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cotswold-egrets.html

Starlings in decline

With its cheeky nature and its chirpy, chattering song, the starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is one of our most recognisable birds, but figures show that 40 million starlings have disappeared from the European Union, including the UK, since 1980. This crash is triggering concern about the bird's future status as a widespread and familiar bird. In the UK, the RSPB has launched a research project to see why this bird's population is in freefall here too. In 2002 the Starling was added to the UK 'red list' of the Birds of Conservation Concern, because its population had halved during the previous three decades.

 Picture: RSPB

Each winter, the UK's starling numbers are boosted by birds arriving from continental Europe. There is evidence of a decline in the number of starlings visiting Britain in winter, and this could be linked to the decline elsewhere in Europe. The RSPB's Dr Richard Gregory heads up the Society's bird monitoring section. Commenting on the starling's decline, he said: "The starling is still a plentiful bird, but its numbers are falling alarmingly." For example, the numbers recorded in winter by the RSPB's annual Big Garden Birdwatch have fallen by 80% since 1979, and by nearly a third in just ten years. Dr Gregory added: "Our records show that we have lost more Starlings across Europe than any other farmland bird. Forty million Starlings lost represents over 150 for every hour since the 1980s. This loss should be a wake-up call, because we ignore the decline of nature at our own peril."

Dr Will Peach, who is leading the research into the Starling decline in the UK, said: "It is figures like these which have convinced us of the need for action, which is why we are launching a research programme to unravel the mystery of this bird's disappearance." There have been several theories put forward to explain the Starling's decline. In parts of Europe, suggestions include the loss of grassland through conversion to forestry land and the growing of crops. But these changes haven't affected the UK in the same way, so the reasons for the rapid contraction in the UK are not understood. Working in Somerset and Gloucestershire, RSPB researchers will be working with farmers to examine whether there are sufficient food and nesting sites for Starlings in livestock areas. Starlings feed by probing lawns and pastures with their longish bills, looking for soil invertebrates, including leatherjackets. These leatherjackets — cranefly larvae — are widely regarded as pests, so Starlings provide a good service for farmers and gardeners. Part of the study will examine the food supply of these pastures to assess whether Starlings can find sufficient food.

Martin Harper is the RSPB's Conservation Director. He added: "We don't know the reasons for the Starling's decline, but we hope that our research will yield the answers to ensure this bird has a secure future. Understanding exactly what is causing these declines will allow us to develop practical and cost-effective solutions for land managers and farmers. These could then be delivered through wildlife-friendly farming schemes and other policy interventions. But only if Europe and our Government grow this vital source of funding as they reform the CAP and agree the European budget over the next few months."

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3360

Rare Burnley birds on song for Lotto grant
A PROJECT to save a rare Burnley songbird has won through to the finals of a national environmental competition, it has been announced.

One key aim of the initiative is to restore the habitat of the twite (Carduelis flavirostris), otherwise known as the Pennine finch, which is on the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ (RSPB) at-risk list. Currently there are only around 100 breeding pairs of twites — it used to be native to several counties but now the moors around Worsthorne and Hurstwood are one of the few places ornithologists can spot the tiny creatures.

The winners of the competition will be showcased on BBC TV’s The One Show and also receive a £2,000 grant to aid future work.

Pam Warhurst, Pennine Prospects chairman, said: “Volunteers are at the core of this project, guiding, inspiring and carrying out landscape restoration so winning an award would recognise their toil and passion for the uplands at the highest level.”

Landowners across the moors have become involved in the fight to save the twite, with the RSPB working with nearly 40, across 75 hectares.

The introduction of more traditional hay meadows, with dandelions and wild seeds, is vital to the twite making a comeback.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/blackburndarwenhyndburnribble/9842549.Rare_Burnley_birds_on_song_for_Lotto_grant/

Photographer captures rare bird on camera

WHILE Bolton may have plenty of pigeons, an amateur photographer has captured images of a much rarer bird that has been spotted in the town.

Peter Hunter, aged 48, spotted a sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) building a nest in Breightmet three months ago.

He returned to the same spot — which has not been identified to protect the birds’ safety — to watch as the eggs hatch and the chicks grow.

Mr Hunter was lucky enough to see the sparrowhawk feeding its chicks in Breightmet six weeks ago.

Mr Hunter, of Slaidburn Avenue, Breightmet, said: “I love wildlife and taking photographs.

“I have never seen a sparrowhawk nest in Bolton though, so I was really excited when I saw it. The chicks looked like little balls of fluff.”

He watched the birds as they grew and on Sunday morning, he caught the last few chicks on camera as they prepared to fly the nest.

Mr Hunter said: “I wanted to watch the birds to make sure they were okay. I tried hard not to disturb them and it was great to watch them turn into impressive sparrowhawks.

Chris Collett, of the RSPB, said: “Wildlife photography is a very popular activity and with a little patience, it is possible to get some amazing images.

“But it is important to remember that birds and other wildlife can be easily disturbed, particularly during the breeding season. So you always need put the welfare of your subject first and ensure that your presence does not have a detrimental effect on them.”

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/9851867.Photographer_captures_rare_bird_on_camera/