Species Focus Willow Warbler: increasingly abundant summer migrant - also ... Curlew: breeders facing extinction Cape Clear Observatory re-opens ...

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Species Focus Willow Warbler: increasingly abundant summer migrant - also ... Curlew: breeders facing extinction Cape Clear Observatory re-opens ...
Number 82 Autumn 2016     • ISSN 1393-3434

                      Species Focus           also ...
                    Willow Warbler:           Curlew: breeders facing extinction
             increasingly abundant            Cape Clear Observatory re-opens
WINGS   SPRING 2016
                    summer migrant                                            1
                                              Richard Mills: photos from the edge
Species Focus Willow Warbler: increasingly abundant summer migrant - also ... Curlew: breeders facing extinction Cape Clear Observatory re-opens ...
National Parks and Wildlife Service
The mission of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is:

n To secure the conservation of a representative range of ecosystems and maintain and enhance
    populations of flora and fauna in Ireland
n   To implement the EU Birds and Habitats Directives and the Wildlife Acts
n   To designate and ensure the protection of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs),
    Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs), having regard to the need to
    consult with interested parties
n   To manage and develop the State’s six National Parks and 78 Nature Reserves
n   To implement international Conventions and Agreements to which Ireland is party,
    relating to the natural heritage

NPWS provides BirdWatch Ireland with financial support to undertake:

n The Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS)
n The Countryside Bird Survey (CBS)
n Seabird monitoring and wardening at Kilcoole
    and other important seabird colonies

NPWS also contracts specific work packages to
BirdWatch Ireland, including the development
of agri-environment schemes for breeding waders
on the Shannon Callows.

The NPWS is also funder and partner in the
programmes to restore the Grey Partridge
and reintroduce the Golden Eagle,
White-tailed Sea Eagle and Red Kite.

    7 Ely Place, Dublin 2
    Tel: +353-1-888 3242
                                                                              Roseate Tern (Photo: Ita Martin)
    LoCall: 1890 383 000
    Fax: +353-1-888 3272
    Website: www.npws.ie
    E-mail: natureconservation@environ.ie
Species Focus Willow Warbler: increasingly abundant summer migrant - also ... Curlew: breeders facing extinction Cape Clear Observatory re-opens ...
From the Interim CEO

Why not visit Cape Clear Island this autumn?

A

                                                                                 DICK COOMBES
              an especially big welcome to new members across the
              country who joined us at the many events this summer
              hosted by our local branches and staff. Every issue of this
              quarterly magazine includes plenty of events run by our
branches (see the What’s On Guide, pages 32-34 for more details), so
please do use these as opportunities to get to know birds, biodiversity
and people in your area.
   Highlights of this issue include a focus on our Cape Clear Bird
Observatory, which is now back up and running with visitors making
the most of ‘the Obs’ and the range of activities the island has to offer
to birders and non-birders alike. Why not take the trip to beautiful
West Cork and visit it for yourself? The island reaches out into the
Atlantic at the southernmost tip of Ireland.
   You will see in these pages that we are continuing our vital work for
the Curlew, a bird that is facing extinction here in Ireland as a breeding
species, with fewer than 150 pairs remaining. Without immediate
focused efforts and proper commitment from the Government we are
almost certain to lose this as an Irish breeding species. We also report
about the plight of breeding waders more generally, putting an even
greater emphasis on the need for action both on the ground and in
how we implement agricultural policy in Ireland.
   Our seabirds seem to have taken a hit this year – it’s been a tough                          Birdwatchers approaching Lough Errul on Cape Clear Island, Co Cork.
                                                                                                Cape is a great place for short breaks, particularly for walking, wildlife
season at most of the east coast colonies monitored by BirdWatch                                watching and outdoor pursuits. Visitors can stay at our Cape Clear Bird
Ireland. While the nesting totals were broadly on a par with previous                           Observatory, which is open for business again (see pages 20-21).
years, the proportions of chicks surviving has been incredibly low; it
seems that poor food supply may have been the main reason.
                                                                                                affecting funding opportunities, conservation collaboration and
   Our work on keeping up to date with the governance needs of
                                                                                                policy implementation. We will be working closely in these
charities is ongoing, and you’ll see in this issue that we will have an
                                                                                                partnerships and with the Brussels office of BirdLife International
EGM in September to formally update our Memorandum and Articles
                                                                                                to address any anticipated challenges.
of Association to bring them into line with the Charities Act and best
                                                                                                   Thank you for your support, whether you are new to us or a
practice in this area. Details of these proposed changes were
                                                                                                long-standing member. We would welcome your feedback on any
presented at our recent AGM and are provided on page 35.
                                                                                                part of our work and in particular on this magazine, Wings.
   Finally, on ‘Brexit,’ the UK referendum on membership of the EU,
                                                                                                   We hope you will get a chance to go out and about to enjoy
we have formed strong collaborations over many years and work
                                                                                                the birds and other wildlife of the autumn months.
extremely closely with our partners in the UK, and in Northern Ireland
in particular, on many levels. While this should not change, we expect                          Declan O’Sullivan,
there may be an impact on the environment across these islands,                                 Interim CEO, BirdWatch Ireland

                                                   Any item or product advertised in Wings is not                      Editorial Team:
                                                   necessarily approved or recommended by                              Cóilín MacLochlainn, Oran O’Sullivan, Niall Hatch
                                                   BirdWatch Ireland unless specifically stated. For any               Published by: BirdWatch Ireland, Unit 20, Block D,
                                                   advertising enquiries and best rates, please contact                Bullford Business Campus, Kilcoole, Greystones,
                                                   oosullivan@birdwatchireland.ie.                                     Co Wicklow, A63 RW83
                                                                                                                       Telephone: (01) 281 9878
                                                   Copy deadline for the Winter 2016 issue                             Email: info@birdwatchireland.ie
                                                   of Wings is Monday, 26th September 2016                             Web: http://www.birdwatchireland.ie
                                                   BirdWatch Ireland Board Members:                                    Charity number: Registered Charity No CHY5703
                                                   Gerry Lyons (Chair)          John Lynch
                                                   Brian Lavery                 Tony Culley                                               COVER PHOTOGRAPH:
Wings is the quarterly membership magazine
                                                   David Fay                    Stephen Wilson                                            Curlew in wet heath
of BirdWatch Ireland (Cairde Éanlaith Éireann).    Jim Dowdall                                                                            by Richard T Mills
Contributions of photographs, drawings, letters,
                                                                                                                                          (see Special Report, page 24)
news items and articles are welcomed and should
                                                                                                                                          Inset: Willow Warbler
be addressed to the Editor. The opinions
                                                                                                                                          by John N Murphy
expressed by contributors are not necessarily
                                                                                                                                          (see Species Focus, page 14)
those of the Editor or of BirdWatch Ireland.
                                                                             BirdWatch Ireland is the BirdLife International
                                                                             partner in the Republic of Ireland
WINGS AUTUMN 2016                                                                                                                                                         3
Species Focus Willow Warbler: increasingly abundant summer migrant - also ... Curlew: breeders facing extinction Cape Clear Observatory re-opens ...
Our greatest asset is our members
I am deeply honoured to be taking on the four-year term as                                                                        future growth and development of the organisation. In addition, to
Chairperson of BirdWatch Ireland. My earliest introduction to the                                                                 ensure that we continue to maintain the highest standards, the Board
organisation was when I became interested in birds in primary school,                                                             will work towards fully implementing the Governance Code: a Code of
and I clearly remember the infectious enthusiasm of great characters                                                              Practice for Good Governance of Community, Voluntary and
such as Major Robin Ruttledge on my first branch outings.                                                                         Charitable Organisations in Ireland. I was delighted that members
   I would like to thank those who supported my nomination, and I                                                                 voted unanimously at our recent AGM to take the first steps towards
would also like to express sincere thanks to outgoing Chairperson,                                                                this goal by proceeding with the update of our Memorandum and
Kieran O’Byrne, who led the organisation through what was                                                                         Articles of Association in line with current best practice, and I look
undoubtedly the most difficult and challenging period in its history.                                                             forward to members adopting the revised document at the upcoming
Thanks are due also to outgoing Board member Seamus Bridgeman,                                                                    EGM at BirdWatch Ireland headquarters in Kilcoole, Co Wicklow, on
who I am sure will continue his work as a dedicated volunteer.                                                                    Wednesday, September 20th.
   At our recent AGM we welcomed Tony Culley, John Lynch and                                                                         Over the years, I have seen that our greatest asset is our members:
Stephen Wilson to the Board; together they bring a strong mix of                                                                  you bring such enthusiasm and vitality to our many local branches
management, insurance, accounting and environmental skills. They join                                                             around the country.Your ongoing support as volunteers and through
existing Board members Jim Dowdall, David Fay and Brian Lavery,                                                                   your membership is vital in helping BirdWatch Ireland to support a
whose environmental, auditing and technology expertise has proven                                                                 huge range of terrific projects.
invaluable. Together, we have an excellent mix of skills to oversee the                                                              I very much look forward to meeting you and to visiting as many
running of the organisation. The 2015 Annual Accounts, together with                                                              branches as possible over the course of my tenure.
a full detailed breakdown of Governance Costs, are now available on                                                                  Good birding!
our website.
   Our priority as a Board is to work with our Interim CEO, Declan                                                                Gerry Lyons
O’Sullivan, to continue to build and maintain solid foundations for the                                                           Chairperson, BirdWatch Ireland

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4                                                                                                                                                                                                                             W INGS AUTUMN 2016
Species Focus Willow Warbler: increasingly abundant summer migrant - also ... Curlew: breeders facing extinction Cape Clear Observatory re-opens ...
Email: nhatch@birdwatchireland.ie

                    Letters
                                                                                  Post: BirdWatch Ireland, Unit 20, Block D, Bullford Business Campus, Kilcoole, Co Wicklow
                                                                                  Note: Please provide your name and postal address at end of letter. Letters may be edited or cut.
                                                                                  Publication does not imply endorsement; the views expressed in any letters published on this page
                                                                                  are not necessarily those of BirdWatch Ireland.
SUZANNE BEHAN

                                                                                                                                                                                                     GAVIN CULLEN
                                                                                         In this particular case, the brown plumage on
                                                                                      the upperparts and wings appears “diluted,”
                                                                                      which suggests that this Robin’s body is creating
                                                                                      an abnormally low level of melanin pigments. The
                                                                                      red colouration on the breast appears normal,
                                                                                      however, which is what one would expect: while
                                                                                      birds’ bodies create brown and black pigments,
                                                                                      they can’t create red pigments, which instead
                                                                                      come directly from their diets. – Niall Hatch
                                                                       TOM DONOGHUE

                                                                                                                                                 Little Egrets on Booterstown Marsh
                 Meadow Pipit

                                                                                                                                                My photo isn’t the clearest (phones aren’t
                Meadow Pipit                                                                                                                    great for long-distance shots), but is it possible
                Sir, – Can you identify this bird for me [see                                                                                   that they are Little Egrets?
                photo, above]?                                                                                                                    GAVIN CULLEN
                   SUZANNE BEHAN                                                                                                                  (via Facebook)
                   (via Facebook)
                                                                                       A leucistic Blackbird
                                                                                                                                                Dear Gavin, –You are correct: those are indeed
                Dear Suzanne, – Great photo! The bird is a                                                                                      Little Egrets. In Dublin, Booterstown Marsh has
                Meadow Pipit, a close relative of the wagtails. It’s                                                                            become quite a reliable spot for them in recent
                                                                                      We’ve been sent another photo of a leucistic
                one of Ireland’s most common bird species and is                                                                                years, as has Bull Island, and the species now
                                                                                      bird, this time by Tom Donoghue in Ferbane,
                found throughout the country; it favours bogs and                                                                               breeds in the city, in St Anne’s Park between
                                                                                      Co Offaly. It’s of a female Blackbird [see photo,
                unimproved grasslands. – Niall Hatch                                                                                            Clontarf and Raheny. They have also become an
                                                                                      above] which this year successfully reared a
                                                                                                                                                increasingly common sight at many other
JOAN MOORE

                                                                                      brood of chicks in Tom’s garden, having paired
                                                                                                                                                wetland locations around the country, especially
                                                                                      with a normally-coloured male. – Niall Hatch
                                                                                                                                                along the south coast. – Niall Hatch

                                                                                      Troublesome squirrels                                     About ‘Rare Bird News’
                                                                                      Sir, – I’ve been having trouble with squirrels at
                                                                                                                                                Sir, – I would like to congratulate BirdWatch
                                                                                      my bird-feeding station. Any suggestions?
                                                                                                                                                Ireland on Wings, which always has many
                                                                                         ROBERT MAUK
                                                                                                                                                interesting articles, but there is one aspect
                                                                                         Sandymount, Dublin 4
                                                                                                                                                which I think could be improved: the Rare Bird
                                                                                                                                                News section. The most recent issue [No 81,
                                                                                      Dear Bob, – I have a very handy suggestion when
                                                                                                                                                Spring 2016] left out some rarities seen in
                                                                                      it comes to deterring squirrels. If you get hold of
                                                                                                                                                County Waterford, where I do most of my
                 Two views of the leucistic Robin                                     some hot chilli powder (make sure it is just pure
                                                                                                                                                birdwatching. For example, there was no
                                                                                      chilli powder, with no salt or other ingredients
                                                                                                                                                mention of a flock of five Spoonbills present in
                                                                                      added) and dust peanuts, seed, etc, with it before
                Leucistic Robin                                                       putting them in the feeders, it can be very
                                                                                                                                                Dungarvan last winter, or of two Water Pipits
                Sir, – I’m sending you photos of a bird that has                                                                                seen in the county, including one long-staying
                                                                                      effective. The chemical in chilli which causes the
                been visiting my garden [see photos, above].                                                                                    bird which was coming into breeding plumage.
                                                                                      burning sensation in the mouth only works on
                To us he seems like a partial albino Robin.                                                                                        The report also stated that “up to 20
                                                                                      mammals, including squirrels, rats and mice (and,
                He appeared last summer and then was gone                                                                                       Glossy Ibises were noted visiting several sites
                                                                                      of course, humans). Birds are unable to taste it,
                until recently. We had hoped he wasn’t killed                                                                                   in Co Cork. Smaller numbers were recorded
                                                                                      and it has no effect on them whatsoever.
                by a cat. When he disappeared the usual                                                                                         in Co Waterford.” In fact, 14 was the biggest
                                                                                          If a squirrel tries to eat the food, it gets a very
                garden Robins came around, but they have                                                                                        flock seen in Cork and that was probably part
                                                                                      unpleasant surprise, though no harm is caused to
                finished nesting and moved off and this little                                                                                  of the flock of 19-20 previously seen in
                                                                                      it – the pain caused by chilli is due to pain
                guy is back. He seems a loner or may have a                                                                                     Tramore, Co Waterford.
                                                                                      receptors being tricked, not actual physical
                mate hidden.                                                                                                                       I hope this interesting column can be more
                                                                                      damage. They pretty quickly learn to avoid the
                   JOAN MOORE                                                                                                                   accurate in future.
                                                                                      offending feeders, while the birds are none the
                   Grange, Co. Cork                                                                                                                ÉAMONN MacLOCHLAINN
                                                                                      wiser. – Niall Hatch
                                                                                                                                                   Carrick-on-Suir, Co Waterford
                Dear Joan, – It’s a Robin alright, and there is
                indeed something unusual about its plumage. It                        Egrets in urban area                                      Dear Éamonn, – Many thanks for your kind
                cannot be a partial albino: a creature is either                      Sir, – I was on my way to work in Dublin on               words and your feedback regarding Rare Bird
                albino (lacking all pigment) or it’s not. It is,                      the DART recently and photographed three                  News. We regret the omissions. An official (and
                however, what is referred to as a leucistic                           blindingly white birds at the water’s edge,               more comprehensive) list of rare bird sightings is
                individual, which means that it is missing some,                      standing on one of the small islands in                   published annually in the Irish Bird Report. –
                but not all, pigment.                                                 Booterstown Marsh [see photo, top right].                 Niall Hatch

                WINGS AUTUMN 2016                                                                                                                                                               5
Species Focus Willow Warbler: increasingly abundant summer migrant - also ... Curlew: breeders facing extinction Cape Clear Observatory re-opens ...
By Dick Coombes

                                                                                                                    Woodpigeon: portly,
                                                                                                                    clumsy and familiar.
                                                                                                                    Photo: Darragh Owens
 Modern-day intensive farming
 has not benefited many
 species, but one exception is
 the Woodpigeon.
 Photo: Dick Coombes

In August, look for...

Woodpigeon
Endearing bird with soothing song
It is hard to believe that, up to two centuries ago, the Woodpigeon
was a relatively scarce bird in Ireland and almost entirely confined to
broadleaved woodlands. Today, we know it as a common and                    But much of that menu is very seasonal and mortality can be high
widespread inhabitant of parks, gardens, woods and especially               when food is scarce. The bountiful supply of extra food that
farmland.                                                                   modern arable farmland presents for Woodpigeons – particularly
    The Countryside Bird Survey, carried out annually by BirdWatch          cereals, oilseed rape and winter crops – substantially improves
Ireland with around 200 essential volunteers, has found                     survival rates…and so the increase in numbers. Unfortunately,
Woodpigeons present in almost 90% of sample sites surveyed,                 while such intensive monoculture farming does benefit a few
making it the fifth most widespread breeding bird                           species such as Woodpigeon, it is not at all good for many others
in the country. Such a dramatic                                             or overall biodiversity…but that’s a whole other story!
change in its status is clearly                                                The Woodpigeon’s lifestyle is a sedentary one, at least in these
 linked to the increased                                                    islands. Ringed birds in Britain have rarely been recovered more
availability of food                                                        than five kilometres from the ringing location.
that decades of                                                                In Europe, too, west of a line from Denmark to Italy, it is also
ever-improving farming                                                      resident, but it has an additional massive summer range twice that
practices has                                                               size, stretching to the north and east into Scandinavia and Russia.
provided.                                                                   These birds have to go somewhere in winter and vast numbers do
                                                Woodpigeons survive on      so, to the cork oak woods of the Iberian peninsula. Crossing the
                                                a rich and varied diet of   Pyrenees to get there in the autumn has its hazards, though, as
                                               naturally occurring          waiting shooters take a heavy toll on their numbers.
                                               vegetable matter – clover,      Its taste for cereal grains and cabbage leaves makes the
                                              seeds, buds, beech mast,      Woodpigeon unpopular with farmers and gardeners and it remains
                                              haw and ivy berries – and     on the quarry list for hunters in Ireland.
                                             to a lesser extent invert-        However, for many of us, there is something endearing about this
                                             ebrates such as ants, insect   portly, clumsy (have you ever heard one exit an ivy-covered tree
                                            larvae, small snails and        quietly?) bird with soft pink and blue-grey plumage.
                                            worms.                             The song, if a little melancholy, is soothing and can be heard late
                                                                            in the season (they can still be on eggs as late as August) and, along
                                                   Woodpigeon. Note         with the Yellowhammer’s “little bit of bread and no cheese” song, it
                                                   the curious shape of     is one of the iconic late-summer farmland sounds.
                                                   its eye pupil – more        An old local name, Wood Quest, still used in parts of Ireland
                                                   keyhole than circular.   today, is thought to derive from the Latin questus, meaning “to
                                                   Photo: Michael Finn      lament.”
6                                                                                                                      W INGS AUTUMN 2016
Species Focus Willow Warbler: increasingly abundant summer migrant - also ... Curlew: breeders facing extinction Cape Clear Observatory re-opens ...
Red Kite: Officially ‘Blue White A7,’ it
                                                                                         was released in north Co Dublin but is
                                                                                         now breeding in Co Wicklow. Photo:
                                                                                         Marc Ruddock (Golden Eagle Trust)

White-winged Black
Tern (juvenile).
Photo: Dick Coombes

  In September, look for...                                                       In October, look for...

  White-winged Black Tern                                                         Red Kite
  Zigzagging across lake or lagoon                                                Soaring on the Wicklow skyline
  September is a time of huge change in this part of the world. The               Once upon a time, Red Kites were widespread and quite common
  mass southward exodus of migrant birds is at its peak and, while                throughout Britain and perhaps similarly so in Ireland too. Sixteenth-century
  most of them keep on course and hit their targets, a few, especially            accounts note large flocks scavenging offal in the streets of London (and
  first-timer juveniles, end up in places they don’t mean to be. In               other cities), where they were protected by royal statute because of their
  many cases, those are the ones of particular interest to birders. So,           value as refuse collectors. This benign relationship with humans was not to
  at this time of year, the sight of a lone tern zigzagging lazily across a       last, however. Improved sanitation meant less food and the last pair bred in
  lake or coastal lagoon, dipping to the water surface every                              the capital city in 1777. Gamekeepers across these islands regarded
  now and then (but not diving into it), should                                                 the Red Kite as vermin, and brutal persecution in the 1800s led
  immediately start alarm bells ringing. There is every                                             to its extinction in Ireland and most of Britain too.
  likelihood it is a marsh tern.                                                                          By 1903, with just five pairs clinging on in Wales, the
     There are three species of marsh tern –                                                              British Red Kite was all but extinct. But rescue came
  Whiskered, Black and White-winged Black.                                                                  just in time and stringent protection slowly brought
  They differ from the more familiar sea terns                                                                the Welsh population back from the brink. Irish bird-
  in being more compact, shorter-tailed and                                                                    watchers will recall that if you wanted to see Red
  broader-winged. And because they feed                                                                         Kites in the 1970s and ‘80s, a trip to the scenic
  largely on insects, both in the air and off                                                                   valleys of central Wales was your best bet. How
  the water, their swooping, leisurely feeding                                                                  times have changed!
  action makes them quite distinctive.                                                                             Protection was working, but recovery was slow.
     All three can turn up in autumn, Black                                                                     So to help the process, re-introduction
  Tern being the most regularly occurring, and                                                                 programmes commenced in England and Scotland
  Whiskered the rarest. White-winged Black                                                                    using young birds from Spain and Sweden.
  Tern is rare, but in some years two or three                                                              Meanwhile, in Ireland, the Red Kite had long been just
  grace our shores, well off-track from their                                                             a rare, occasional visitor. Until, that is, the Golden Eagle
  breeding grounds in Hungary, Bulgaria and                          White-winged Black Tern            Trust and National Parks and Wildlife Service brought in
                                                                            Photo:
  beyond.                                                                Dick Coombes                160  chicks from Welsh nests and released them in Co
     In autumn, most will be juveniles, and Black and                                             Wicklow      and Co Dublin between 2007 and 2011.
  White-winged Black Terns look pretty similar, both showing                                 It was a success story, though not without setbacks – many were
  dusky grey upperparts and a neat black skullcap. But White-winged               shot and poisoned. But the Red Kite is now firmly established as part of our
  has a darker saddle (back), white rump, a whiter forehead and lacks             breeding avifauna. Purists may have difficulty accepting them as “wild,” but
  a dark patch on the neck side.                                                  time will no doubt mellow this view. Driving through Wicklow today,
     There have been some ninety Irish records to date, more than                 enjoying the sight of these elegant raptors soaring on the skyline, you would
  half of them in the last thirty years, so sightings are increasing. Some        be forgiven for thinking they had never left us. One excellent spot is
  have been long-stayers, so when news is out, a journey to see this              Woodenbridge, in the Vale of Avoca, where pre-roost gatherings can reach
  dainty little gem will be well rewarded.                                        double figures from mid-afternoon.

  WINGS AUTUMN 2016                                                                                                                                              7
Species Focus Willow Warbler: increasingly abundant summer migrant - also ... Curlew: breeders facing extinction Cape Clear Observatory re-opens ...
News
national

           Broad support for EU laws protecting birds and habitats
           The Birds and Habitats Directives are fit for purpose…but better implementation is critical
           The Birds and Habitats Directives have been subjected
           to a Fitness Check evaluation by the European
           Commission. On July 5th 2016 the European
           Commission finally released the consultants’ report
           after the World Wildlife Fund for Nature filed an ‘official
           access to document request.’ The consultants have
           found the Directives to be fit for purpose and state that
           ‘the balance of evidence suggests that updates at this
           stage would generate uncertainty and be counter-
           productive in both nature conservation and economic
           terms.’
              They also state that better implementation is needed
           and measures should mirror the numerous examples of
           cost-effective implementation, developed over many
           years of experience, which demonstrate that, when
           implemented well, the Directives provide an efficient
           framework.
              However, despite this news, rumours abound that
           there is high-level lobbying going on to weaken the
           Directives even at this stage. BirdWatch Ireland calls on
           the Commission to finalise the Fitness Check, to listen
                                                                          A group of hikers about to undertake mountain skills training in the Wicklow Mountains
           to the support it has received for the Directives and
                                                                          SPA and SAC and calling for better implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives.
           focus on better implementation as soon as possible.

           Broad support for better implementation of the
           Birds and Habitats Directives includes:
                                                                                         •   312 European SMEs sign the Declaration of Support for these
                                                                                         laws (2016)

           •  520,235 people (including 8,000 Irish people) have said in the
           public consultation – ‘Save our Nature Laws (And Make Sure They
                                                                                         • 9 Environment Ministers who wrote to Vice-President
                                                                                         Timmermans and Commissioner Vella calling for the Birds and
           Work Properly’ (2015)                                                         Habitats Directives to be protected (2015)

           •  11,700 people sent a message to the EU decision makers that
           The Nature Laws are Fit for Purpose (2016)
                                                                              • The Environment Committee in the European Parliament
                                                                              (December 2015) when it voted against changes to the EU Nature

           •  592, an overwhelming majority of all 751 MEPs, voted for better Directives and for better implementation
           implementation of these laws under the EU Biodiversity Strategy
           (2016)
                                                                              • The European Council (December 2015) when it agreed on the
                                                                              need to implement nature laws instead of revising them.

           NGOs updated on key planning matter
       Can “Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest” (IROPI) be used to damage protected areas?

           BirdWatch Ireland recently hosted a training         Implementation Group (ELIG) and was
                                                                                                                                                                    CÓILÍN MacLOCHLAINN

           session for Irish conservation charities on the      delivered by Andrew Dodd, Head of
           implementation of Article 6(4) of the Habitats       Casework at the RSPB.
           Directive. This section of the law allows for           The training was well attended and well
           the possibility for project developers to            received and comes at an important time as
           destroy internationally important and EU             Article 6(4) may be implemented for the
           protected habitats if they fall under Imperative     first time in Ireland this year. Ireland has not
           Reasons of Overriding Public Interest (IROPI).       had a development proposal which
           Developers must, under the same article,             warranted this type of compensation before.
           compensate for this habitat loss and ensure             An important consideration in Article
           coherence of the Natura 2000 network.                6(4) is what is considered in the public
              The training was commissioned by The              interest and can it override the destruction
           Environmental Pillar’s Environmental Law             of habitat which could be lost forever.                     Oak woodland, Co Wexford

           8                                                                                                                            W INGS AUTUMN 2016
Species Focus Willow Warbler: increasingly abundant summer migrant - also ... Curlew: breeders facing extinction Cape Clear Observatory re-opens ...
News
national

           Irish business shows support for EU nature laws
           Twenty-five Irish small and medium-sized               Jim Kennedy (on left), of Atlantic Sea Kayaking, supports EU nature laws because, he says, “healthy
           enterprises (SMEs) were among 312                      ecosystems and abundant nature help our business.”
           European SMEs that recently signed up to a
           Declaration of Support for the Birds and
           Habitats Directives. The SMEs want better
           investment in nature conservation in order
           to maintain their natural capital. They call on
           the Commission to protect their livelihoods
           by implementing better our nature laws and
           not undermining them. In order to ensure
           certainty for business including Irish SMEs,
           the move to better implementation of the
           Directives could not come quickly enough.
              The Directives are the cornerstone of
           European nature protection laws and are
           critically important to these businesses who
           depend on a thriving environment for their
           livelihoods.
              The Irish businesses which declared their
           support for the Directives include service
           providers in the areas of tourism, health and wellbeing, agriculture,            its longest yet with 37 species of regularly occurring birds listed and
           ecological consultancy and education. These businesses are mainly                another 91 on the Amber list. Ireland’s wild bee are especially
           located in rural areas from the different corners of Ireland and rely on         threatened.
           a thriving, attractive environment with abundant nature for their                   In order to protect the habitats, species, livelihoods and jobs which
           businesses. They state in the Declaration that, “Our good business               depend on them, we must get serious about the framework for
           relies on good nature protection, including nature protected by EU               nature protection which includes enforcement and better
           law. Stable, effective and predictable legislation is important for us.”         implementation of our EU and national nature laws.

                                                                                             PLEASE JOIN THE LIST If your business would like to join
              The Irish countryside is marketed through various government
           programmes as ‘green’, ‘untouched’ and ‘sustainable.’ However, the
           indicators of a healthy environment do not match this rhetoric. Over             the list of supporters of the EU nature laws, please contact Oonagh
           90% of our internationally important habitats have ‘bad’ or ‘inadequate’         Duggan, Policy Officer: oduggan@birdwatchireland.ie. (The full list
           status. The Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland is at           of businesses is on our website.)

           Online map will show all Swift sightings
           Help Ireland’s Swifts by mapping your summer sightings on our new online mapping tool
           With the help of funding from the Heritage            We are also delighted to report that further          Ricky Whelan, who is part of the Swift
           Council, BirdWatch Ireland has launched             surveys at a selection of heritage sites are         project team, said, “We are assessing four new
           an online mapping tool to record Swift              being undertaken this year on behalf of the          sites for Swift nesting activity, namely Athenry
           nest-site locations and sightings around the        Office of Public Works.                              Castle in Co Galway; Emo Court in Co Laois;
           country.                                                                                                 Ennis Friary in Co Clare; and Trim Castle in
              The mapping tool allows users to log their                                                            Co Meath.”
           Swift nest locations and sightings directly onto                                                            Last year, surveys were carried out at five
           an interactive map and to view other mapped                                                              sites, namely: Kilmainham Jail in Dublin;
           records.Your records will allow BirdWatch                                                                Kilkenny Castle in Kilkenny; Portumna Castle
           Ireland to make more informed decisions on                                                               and Gardens, Co Galway; Clonmacnoise, Co
           Swift management planning and policy                                                                     Offaly; and Roscrea Castle, Co Tipperary.
           nationally.                                                                                                 With the new mapping tool all Swift records
              “Only by knowing where Swifts are nesting                                                             from observers nationwide will appear on a
           can we play a role in protecting their nesting                                                           single map, including those records gathered
           sites,” said BirdWatch Ireland Project Officer                                                           since 2013 by the Dublin City Urban Birds
           Brian Caffrey. “Better integration of this                                                               Project, supported by Dublin City Council.

                                                                                                                     Please take a look at the mapping tool
           information in national heritage and planning
           databases, for example, will inform relevant
           planning authorities and will help the long-                                                             and please continue to send us your Swift
                                                                Swift. Photograph: Stefan Berndtsson
           term survival of the species in Ireland.”                                                                sightings at http://arcg.is/29uOeJC.
           WINGS AUTUMN 2016                                                                                                                                       9
Species Focus Willow Warbler: increasingly abundant summer migrant - also ... Curlew: breeders facing extinction Cape Clear Observatory re-opens ...
News
national

           Important seabird numbers found in Mayo bay
           Counts record exceptionally high numbers of Common Scoters, Great Northern Divers and Slavonian Grebes

       Blacksod Bay, at the south end of the Mullet peninsula in Co Mayo, is
       a very important wintering area for divers, scoters and grebes. This
       was revealed by a detailed study commissioned by the National Parks
       and Wildlife Service (NPWS) last winter.
          A large and sheltered bay, Blacksod was already recognised as
       internationally important based on the waterbirds it supports,
       particularly in winter. But counts of birds occurring in the deeper
       areas furthest from the land-based vantage points had been very
       limited as they relied on calm seas.
          The NPWS achieved reliable counts of these open-water areas by
       surveying on days when sea conditions were especially calm. The
       counts were organised by BirdWatch Ireland’s Reserves Manager,
       Dave Suddaby, who censuses this bay regularly for I-WeBS, our annual
       winter wetlands bird survey.
          “Selecting calm days at an exposed west-coast site like this is
       challenging given the prevailing weather conditions,” said Dave. “But
       we managed to find some calm days and to complete the counts.”
          The exceptional string of storms that hit the west coast last winter
       made coordination of the survey difficult, but it may have increased
       the number of birds seeking shelter in the bay. Some key species and
       their estimated populations were: Great Northern Diver (230),
                                                                                 Greenshanks coming in to land. Photo: Richard T Mills
       Slavonian Grebe (32) and Common Scoter (3,500).
          “I was pleasantly surprised to find the bay supporting such large
       numbers, all significant in a national context. Thirty-two Slavonian
       Grebes? A local record,” said Dave.
          The counts also indicated that the bay was an important staging        I-WeBS count dates
       area, particularly for northward-bound divers in spring.
                                                                                                        The recommended dates for the 2016/17
                                                                                                        I-WeBS count season are presented below
                                                                                                        and were chosen based on tidal conditions.
                                                                                                        If the suggested weekend is not workable,
                                                                                                        please select the next most appropriate date
                                                                                                        and try to coordinate with any nearby sites,
                                                                                                        where relevant. If you have any queries,
                                                                                 please contact us at iwebs@birdwatchireland.ie.
                                                                                   I-WeBS counters will soon receive their newsletter and any
                                                                                 additional information about the season ahead.

                                                                                           East Coast &                            South & West
                                                                                         Inland Counties                          Coast Counties
                                                                                          Weekend        High                     Weekend          High
                                                                                                         Tide                                      Tide
                                                                                                       (Sunday)                                  (Sunday)
                                                                                                        Dublin*                                   Cork**
                                                                                   Sep    17th-18th     13:23                     24th-25th      13:29
                                                                                   Oct    15th-16th     12:15                     22nd-23rd      11:48
                                                                                   Nov    5th-6th       15:35                     12th-13th      16:10
                                                                                   Dec    3rd-4th       14:23                     10th-11th      14:55
                                                                                   Jan    14th-15th     13:32                     21st-22nd      13:10
                                                                                   Feb    11th-12th     12:31                     18th-19th      11:02
                                                                                   Mar    11th-12th     11:32                     18th-19th      09:27

                                                                                 *Based on the high-tide time predicted for the North Wall, Dublin.
                                                                                 **Based on the high-tide time predicted for Cobh, Cork Harbour.

            Great Northern Divers fishing in the surf. Photo: Richard T Mills

           10                                                                                                                          W INGS AUTUMN 2016
News
national

           Ireland to host international bird conference
           BirdWatch Ireland is organising the International Wader Study Group Conference in Cork this September

           The annual International Wader Study Group Conference
           comes to Ireland this year. It will be held at Trabolgan Holiday
           Village on the edge of Cork Harbour between the 9th and 12th
           of September 2016.
              This international conference brings together wader
           scientists, policy-makers and anyone interested in waders and
           their conservation, to discuss and disseminate information and
           ideas. The conference is being organised by BirdWatch Ireland
           and is kindly sponsored by the EPA, with support from Fáilte
           Ireland.
              The weekend programme promises a suite of interesting
           talks, poster sessions and an afternoon excursion. Two
           excursions are being organised with support from our local
           branches in Cork. One will be led by Cork Branch members
           and will visit areas around Cork Harbour, while the West Cork
           Branch will lead an excursion to Courtmacsherry Bay.
              A workshop on Monday morning will focus on identifying
           potential impacts of rising sea levels on wader populations and
           their habitats, and on finding some solutions.                                       Bar-tailed Godwit

            The confernce is open to all. Further details can be found
                                                                                                (amongst Black-tailed
                                                                                                Godwits). Photo:
                                                                                                Richard T Mills
           at www.waderstudygroup.org/conferences.

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           WINGS AUTUMN 2016                                                                                                                                               11
News
  national

             Roseate Terns at Rockabill have another good year
             Another record year for the Roseate Tern colony at Rockabill but Little Terns fare poorly along the east coast

             The 2016 breeding season saw BirdWatch
             Ireland conduct its most extensive tern
             survey, tern wardening and tern colony
             management efforts to date.
                The programme of work by BirdWatch
             Ireland at Ireland’s east coast tern colonies
             received help and support from the Louth
             Nature Trust and the National Parks and
             Wildlife Service. Efforts at Dalkey and
             Rockabill were increased thanks to additional
             support from the Roseate Tern LIFE Project.
                In addition, BirdWatch Ireland is leading on
             an NPWS-funded census of marine islands,
             which will help us to update our tern totals
             nationwide – the last full census took place in
             1995.
                           * * * * * * *

             Rockabill (Co Dublin) Record-breaking
                                                                Some of the Roseate Terns and Common Terns on Rockabill earlier this year. Photo: Brian Burke
             numbers of terns nested here once again,
             with an incredible 1,556 pairs of Roseate
             Terns, 2,029 pairs of Common Terns and            many downy young died over a short period          pontoons were deployed nearby and in the
             about 60 pairs of Arctic Terns. The               of time. For updates from this colony see the      Tolka estuary to provide alternative nesting
             changeable wet weather in the last two            Rockabill terns project blog at                    habitat.
             weeks of June took its toll, and                  rockabillterns.blogspot.ie.                           Unfortunately, nests laid on the Tolka
                                                                                                                  pontoon were heavily preyed upon by large
                                                                                                                  gulls. But many chicks hatched safely on the
                                                                                   Kilcoole (Co Wicklow)          Liffey pontoon and, as of July 4th, were
                                                                              110 Little Tern nests were          developing well. Further details at
                                                                            located this year. Foxes were         dublinbaybirds.blogspot.ie.
                                                                                 present and unfortunately
                                                                                      they took many tern         Dalkey Island (Co Dublin) By the
                                                                                           eggs and chicks        middle of June, 105 nests (of mostly Arctic
                                                                                          outside the electric-   Terns) had been located, the majority of
                                                               fenced area. However, as of July 4th, we           them on Lamb Island, adjoining the main
                                                               already had 25-30 fledglings. Further details at   island. In mid-July a pair of Roseate Terns
                                                               littleternconservation.blogspot.ie.                laid an egg in one of the boxes on Maiden
Common Tern
on Rockabill                                                                                                      Rock. This is still being incubated at time of
this year.                                                     Baltray (Co Louth) In most years this is a         going to press.
Photo:                                                         thriving Little Tern colony situated on the                      * * * * * * *
Brian Burke                                                    north side of the Boyne estuary. This year, the
                                                               peak count of adult Little Terns was only 19       “It’s been a mixed season for our terns this
                                                               individuals, and despite having two large          year,” said Stephen Newton, who leads on
                                                               fenced areas on the beach prepared for             BirdWatch Ireland’s seabird work. “We are
                                                               them, none chose to nest.                          concerned that despite the record nesting
                                                                                                                  attempts at many of the colonies, the
                                                                Dublin Port As of July 4th, at least 526          overall breeding success will be poor.”
                                                                 pairs of mainly Common Terns (with 5-10             He is particularly concerned about the
                                                                  pairs of Arctic Terns) had laid eggs.           east coast Little Terns. “We cannot tell for
                                                                   Traditionally, the Dublin Port terns have      certain, but with none nesting at Baltray
                                                                    nested on two                                 this year, and apparently low numbers –
                                                                     ship-mooring structures on the south         around 50 pairs – in Wexford Harbour, the
                                                                      side of the River Liffey. The condition     east coast population looks as though it has
                                                                       of the principal structure had             redistributed or that many pairs have taken
                                                                        deteriorated dramatically in the last     a ‘year out.’ Perhaps this indicates a scarcity
                                                                         couple of winters and new floating       of food.”
             12                                                                                                                         W INGS AUTUMN 2016
News
national

           Cleared scrub vegetation
           at field edge.

           Our hedgerow and upland birds need your help
           Proposed changes to Section 40 of the Wildlife Act pose serious threat to birds in the countryside

           BirdWatch Ireland continues to work against      August.                                          advance of the General Election.
           proposed changes to laws governing                  The current open season for cutting and          To date, no scientific rationale has been
           hedgecutting, scrub removal and upland           burning provides six months of the year for      presented as the basis for the changes.
           burning.                                         these activities. The proposed changes will      BirdWatch Ireland has urged the Minister to
              The Minister with responsibility for nature   negatively impact on wildlife including          commission research on Irish egg laying
           protection, Heather Humphreys TD, intends        breeding birds, pollinators, butterflies and     dates before any changes are made but the
           to progress the Heritage Bill 2016 which         mammals which use hedgerows for feeding          Minister has decided to make the changes
           includes regressive changes to the dates for     and shelter.                                     first on a pilot basis, no details of which have
           hedgecutting and burning in the uplands by          This Bill was initiated in the Seanad early   been made public. We will keep you
           providing an additional month for burning        in 2016 but did not make it through the          informed of the status of this Bill over the
           activities in March and hedgecutting in          Oireachtas as the Dáil was dissolved in          coming months.

                                                             You can help
                                                             •launched
                                                                  Please sign the online petition
                                                                        in January 2016 which has
                                                                                                              Key points to mention
                                                             received over 18,400 signatures and
                                                             growing. The link can be found on our
                                                                                                              •   We do not want to see any
                                                                                                              extension to the dates for hedgecutting
                                                             website or at http://bit.ly/1PsLNYQ.             and burning. In fact, the closed season
                                                                                                              for hedgecutting should be extended to
                                                             •   Please write to Minister Humphreys
                                                             AND to your local TDs using some of the
                                                                                                              September 15th in key areas to protect
                                                                                                              nesting Yellowhammers.
                                                             key points opposite and your own feelings
                                                             on this subject.                                 •   Derogations to allow for
                                                                                                              hedgecutting by County Councils for
                                                             Contact details for Minister                     road safety are already provided for
                                                             Humphreys:                                       within the Wildlife Act – no additional
                                                             Minister Heather Humphreys, T.D.,                measures are necessary.
                                                             Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional,
                                                             Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs,
                                                             23 Kildare Street
                                                                                                              •   The voices of many rural dwellers
                                                                                                              who care about nature are not being
                                                             Dublin 2                                         heard. As the Minister charged with the
                                                             D02 TD30                                         protection of nature, please ensure that
                                                             Email Addresses:                                 birds and other wildlife and their
                                                             ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie                      habitats are protected.
                                                             and heather.humphreys@oir.ie
           Red Grouse. Photograph: John Fox

           WINGS AUTUMN 2016                                                                                                                             13
SPECIES FOCUS

Willow Warbler                                                                                                          Willow Warbler
                                                                                                                        Photo: Michael Finn

Dick Coombes and Olivia Crowe report on a westward shift in Willow Warbler abundance.

C
            etti’s Warbler, Nuthatch, Short-      one spring day, a staggering 2,000 were
            toed Treecreeper, Serin, Zitting      recorded on this small island.
            Cisticola…these are just some of
            the species that the pioneering
                                                     This little olive-green bird with its plain
                                                  plumage and unobtrusive habits would be
                                                                                                    Factfile
            Climatic Atlas of European Breeding   overlooked easily but for its charismatic         Names
Birds, published in 2007, predicted will have     song. Few countryside sounds evoke a sense        Common name: Willow Warbler
become regular breeding species in Ireland        of summer more eloquently than the song           Scientific name: Phylloscopus trochilus
by the end of the 21st century, if not sooner.    of the Willow Warbler – a whispered series        Irish name: Ceolaire Sailí
Indeed, Cetti’s Warbler is already turning up     of notes tumbling down the scale, described       Local name: Sally Picker
in suitable habitat, e.g. in our East Coast       once as a “silvery cadence,” eventually
Nature Reserve in Newcastle, Co Wicklow,          petering out as if out of breath. The perfect     Occurrence
where we hope it will eventually breed.           warbler!                                          Summer migrant wintering in Africa
   But we do not have to wait for these              The colloquial Irish name, Sally Picker,       south of the Sahara. It breeds widely
species to colonise to see changes here.          nicely depicts the bird’s dainty feeding action   across Europe, Russia and Siberia.
Already, apparently climate change-driven         as it plucks insects from the underside of
shifts in range are being exhibited by several    leaves; it also makes the association between     Confusion species
of our most common and regularly                  the bird and willow trees, sally being a          Very similar-looking to, and a close
occurring summer migrants. One species            common name for willow in Ireland.                relative of, the Chiffchaff. Chiffchaffs do
demonstrating these shifts well is Willow            Of course, Willow Warblers are not just        not winter as far south and thus have a
Warbler.                                          found in their namesake tree species – they       shorter distance to migrate, typically
   The Willow Warbler is arguably as good a       are at home wherever pioneer-growth trees         arriving two weeks earlier in spring.
symbol of summer as the Swallow. Willow           and bushes flourish. Birch and alder groves          Separating the two can be tricky. The
Warblers winter throughout Africa south of        are much favoured, especially when                Willow’s paler legs and longer wings are
the Sahara. Spring migration takes them           associated with water or with damp and            a help, but singing males present no
north to fill a vast summer range stretching      heavily vegetated ground. Even young              problem as their songs are completely
across the northern regions of Europe and         conifer plantations provide suitable nesting      different, the Chiffchaff ’s being instantly
Asia – from the Aran Islands to eastern           habitat for about fifteen years, until they       recognisable: “chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff-chiff.”
Siberia.                                          grow too tall and dense.
   They begin arriving in Ireland at the start       Our second-most widespread and                 Population size and status
of April and, within days of the first            numerous summer migrant (after Swallow),          Every summer, an estimated 1.7 million
stragglers being seen, Willow Warblers pour       this small warbler is even more common            territories are established by singing
into the country in a massive surge, many         and widely distributed than Great Tit: it         male Willow Warblers in Ireland, and
making first landfall along the south and east    occurs in almost every 10-km square of the        the population is increasing. Across
coasts.                                           national grids across Britain and Ireland.        Europe, there are 56-100 million
   At migration hotspots such as Great               The Irish population has around 1.7            territories, but the overall population is
Saltee Island in Co Wexford, as many as 200       million territories – that is the estimated       declining.
typically make a temporary stopover for just      number of singing males. They are literally
one day before pushing on northwards. On          everywhere during the summer months.
14                                                                                                                      W INGS AUTUMN 2016
High

          Low

Willow Warbler relative breeding abundance, 2008-11. Note the
higher densities in Ireland and north-west Britain relative to the    Willow Warbler. Photo: Carl Morrow
south-east. Source: Bird Atlas 2007-11, courtesy of BTO.

   The maps from Bird Atlas 2007-2011                were following a gradient from sharp            change are responsible.
show that the Willow Warbler’s distribution          declines in the south and east of England to       The global populations of most of our
at 10-km level has changed very little in            shallow declines or slight increases in parts   sub-Saharan migrants, including Willow
Ireland since the previous two Atlases, 20           of the north and west of England, Scotland      Warbler, are declining. It is probable that
and 40 years ago respectively, but their             and Ireland.                                    unfavourable conditions on the wintering
numbers have increased.                                                                              grounds are driving this overall downward
   Our annual Countryside Bird Survey has                                                            trend.
shown they are doing very well and there             Marked shift in abundance                          The research on Willow Warbler suggests
has been a significant increase since 2003.          Later on, the 2007-2011 Bird Atlas maps         that the breeding conditions in Scotland
   A very different picture is beginning to          would illustrate these findings quite well,     (and perhaps also Ireland) are now perhaps
emerge in England, especially in the south           showing the declines in relative abundance      better than in England, and are masking the
and east, where a serious decline is apparent        in the southeast (England) contrasting with     impacts of the overall population decline
from both the UK’s annual Breeding Bird              increases in the northwest (Ireland and         across Europe.
Survey results (from select sites) and the           Scotland) – in other words, a shift in             The picture is further complicated by
all-encompassing 2007-2011 Bird Atlas.               abundance from the southeast to the             evidence that Willow Warblers breeding in
   That the patterns of change in Willow             northwest.                                      northern Britain come from different
Warbler distribution are not consistent                 This pattern of change, which is also        non-breeding or wintering locations to
across Britain and Ireland first came to light       evident for many other sub-Saharan              those breeding in southeastern Britain.
back in 2010, when a study by Caitriona              migrants, has us all a little perplexed.        There may well be some variation in the
Morrison from the University of East Anglia          Morrison and her colleagues have suggested      resource availability in their wintering areas
demonstrated that the population trends              that changing climatic conditions and habitat   which is causing the differences in trends.

         2.5

         2.0

         1.5
 Index

         1.0

         0.5

          0
               1998   2001         2004         2007         2010        2013
                                                                                              Willow Warbler
                                                                                              Photo: PJ Wall
Willow Warbler has shown a significant increase in abundance over the course of our
Countryside Bird Survey (years 1998 to 2014 shown here).

WINGS AUTUMN 2016                                                                                                                               15
international

                                           News
                                      Cull threat to Norway’s Golden Eagles
                                                                                            The Norwegian Parliament has approved a             follow. NOF believes the proposal is unlikely
     LARS LOFALDI (BIRDLIFE NORWAY)

                                                                                            pilot project and requested a change in             to result in a reduction in livestock losses.
                                                                                            legislation that will make it easier to cull           “Shooting Golden Eagles is unheard of in
                                                                                            Golden Eagles in two separate areas in              Europe,” said Kjetil Solbakken, CEO of NOF.
                                                                                            Norway. This could result in more than 200          “The removal of Golden Eagles that haven’t
                                                                                            Golden Eagles being killed.                         caused any damage will almost certainly place
                                                                                               BirdLife Norway says this is a result of         Norway in the international Hall of Shame.”
                                                                                            pressure from sheep and reindeer farmers,              Norway’s own Environment Agency does
                                                                                            who believe a reduction in the number of            not support the weakening of the protections
                                                                                            eagles will lead to a drop in the birds killing     for Golden Eagles.
                                                                                            their livestock. Norwegian law has protected           NOF believes that the move to loosen the
                                                                                            the eagles and other birds of prey since 1968.      law protecting Golden Eagles is based on
                                                                                               Norsk Ornitologisk Forening (NOF,                flawed and misinterpreted science and will be
                                                                                            BirdLife in Norway) considers the idea that         seen as a dangerous wedge in species
                                                                                            reindeer are killed by Golden Eagles to be          protection, and a door to an open season on a
                                                                                            unfounded and it risks setting a precedent that     protected species that sets a terrible
                                      Golden Eagle                                          other Nordic and European countries might           precedent. – Christopher Sands

                                      Report shows alarming state of North American bird populations
                                      Since the 1970s, millions of North       impacts from energy extraction,

                                                                                                                                                                                                   MAY HAGA
                                      American birds have disappeared          predation by invasive species on
                                      and a third of bird species are now      islands and climate change.
                                      of high regional conservation                The situation is not much better
                                      concern, a new report has                for tropical birds. Many of Canada’s
                                      revealed.                                migratory songbirds winter in
                                         Until now, the vulnerability score    Mexico’s tropical forests and make
                                      of over a thousand native North          a stopover in the US, which is why
                                      American bird species was                the impact of deforestation in
                                      incomplete. The new report, The          Mexico has such a huge impact
                                      State of North America’s Birds, is the   throughout the continent.
                                      first assessment of its kind. It             Grassland birds such as Lesser
                                      reveals that of the 1,154 native         Prairie-Chicken are facing some of
                                      bird species that occur in North         the steepest regional declines of
                                      America, one-third require urgent        any group. In recent years, the vast
                                      conservation action. The species in      prairies of North America have           Greater Sage Grouse: a species of high conservation concern in the US
                                      need of most urgent action are           mostly been turned into
                                      those that depend on oceans and          agricultural land or developed.         collected by volunteers and             Three BirdLife Partners, Bird
                                      tropical forests.                        Only a few islands of original land     citizen scientists across the         Studies Canada, Nature Canada
                                         The most regionally endangered        remain, making it very difficult for    continent. Despite its alarming       and the Audubon Society, were
                                      group are seabirds – more than           wildlife to survive.                    findings, the report demonstrates     among the North American Bird
                                      half of them are of high                     The report was put together by      how the power of many can help        Conservation Initiative partners
                                      conservation concern and affected        the North American Conservation         us understand conservation            who collaborated on the new
                                      by a mix of pollution, overfishing,      Initiative and was built using data     needs and drive positive change.      report. – Irene Lorenzo

                                      Malta’s first marine Special Protection Areas announced
                                      Good news for endangered                    The eight SPAs now form part of     global importance as Malta is home    and Malta’s Ministry for Sustainable
                                      Maltese seabirds! The national           the EU-wide Natura 2000                to 10% of the world’s Yelkouan        Development, Environment and
                                      government of Malta has given the        network, which is essential for the    Shearwaters, 3% of Scopoli’s          Climate Change through the LIFE+
                                      Mediterranean island state its first     protection and long-term survival      Shearwaters and 50% of European       Malta Seabird Project, which came
                                      eight marine Special Protection          of Europe’s natural heritage on land   Storm-petrels of the Mediterranean    to a successful end in June. Over
                                      Areas (SPAs) specifically for birds.     and at sea. They will improve the      subspecies.                           the project’s lifespan (2011-2016)
                                      Now that these sites have been           conservation of all three protected       The inventory of these sites was   BirdLife Malta identified the most
                                      designated, Malta will also be           and declining seabird species in       created by BirdLife Malta in          important sites for seabirds at sea
                                      fulfilling its obligation of             Malta: the Yelkouan Shearwater,        collaboration with the RSPB, the      and proposed that they be legally
                                      implementing the EU Birds                Scopoli’s Shearwater and               Portuguese Society for the Study of   protected and managed as SPAs. –
                                      Directive.                               European Storm-petrel. This is of      Birds (SPEA, BirdLife in Portugal)    Sanya Khetani-Shah

                                      16                                                                                                                             W INGS AUTUMN 2016
international

                    News
                Spix’s Macaw reappears in Brazil
                A Spix’s Macaw has been seen in             Natureza (Spix’s Macaw in the
                Curaçá, a small town in the                 Wild Project), which aims to bring
                Caatinga area of Bahia, Brazil. The         the bird back from extinction. They
                Spix’s Macaw is critically                  confirmed it was indeed a Spix’s
                endangered, primarily as a result of        Macaw and Pedro Develey, CEO of
                trapping for trade combined with            SAVE Brasil, organised an
                habitat loss, and it had not been           emergency trip to Curaçá to try to
                seen in the wild since 2000.                locate the bird. This individual’s
                However, 130 Spix’s Macaws                  origin is uncertain, however, as it
                survive as part of a captive                may have been released from
                breeding programme.                         captivity. That said, Spix’s Macaws
                   The bird was first sighted on            can live for 20-30 years in the wild
                June 18th by local farmer Nauto             and the area is very large, with
                Sergio de Oliveira. The next day, his       some parts difficult to access.
                neighbour Lourdes Oliveira and                 There is no more news of it as
                her 16-year-old daughter Damilys            yet, but the project’s biologists and
                got up before dawn to look for the          local residents of Curaçá are now         Spix’s Macaw. Photo: Wabra Wildlife Preservation
                macaw in Barra Grande creek’s               mobilised and an official project
                riparian forest. They found it and          expedition is commencing. The fact       Caatinga and riparian forests.         town, and they are aware of its
                Damilys managed to film it with her         that a Spix’s Macaw appeared in            Spix’s Macaw is being bred in        importance, thanks in part to
                mobile phone.                               the Curaçá area reinforces the           captivity for future reintroduction    two years of community work
                   Lourdes contacted the Society            necessity of protecting this site.       to the wild; this year there were      from SAVE Brasil.“There’s hope
                for the Conservation of Birds in            Since 2014, the Ararinha na              19 chicks hatched by this project.     again,” said SAVE Brasil CEO,
                Brazil (SAVE Brasil, BirdLife               Natureza project has been working          The people of Curaçá are             Pedro Develey. “The people here
                Partner), one of the organisations          to create a 44,000 hectares
                that make up Projeto Ararinha na
                                                                                                     extremely proud of the Spix’s          are really committed to the
                                                            protected area to protect the            Macaw. It is a symbol of their         reintroduction.” – Shaun Hurrell

                Rat boom expected in New Zealand
                The Department of Conservation              populations of endangered species
                in New Zealand has been allocated           at risk from the invasive predators.
                an extra $21 million to help fight an       Previous mast years have led to
                expected pest population boom               massive decreases in populations of
                caused by a heavy forest seeding, or        previously widespread bird species.
                mast.                                          This year, the Department will
                   Every autumn, around a million           ramp up pest control to cover
                tonnes of beech seed drops to the           more than 800,000 hectares of
                forest floor, providing a bonanza for       land. Research from the
                non-native rats. As rats increase, so       Department’s previous pest
                do the number of stoats, another            control work in 2014-2015               Rock Wren (female). Photo: Department of Conservation, New Zealand
                invasive alien species, which feed on       showed that breeding success
                rats. Once the seeds germinate, the         rates in controlled areas were far      untreated areas, and when the          to the Department of
                rats and stoats turn on native              greater than in areas with no           birds bred again a year later they     Conservation, which looks after
                wildlife, bringing disaster if nothing is   controls. For example, in the first     raised five times more chicks.         almost a third of the land area of
                done. This is the second mast year          year, Rock Wrens raised three              Unfortunately, in the budget        New Zealand, was cut by around
                in a row and it places whole                times more chicks than they did in      announced recently, the allocation     9%. – Mike Britton

                African governments commit to preventing poisoning of wildlife
                Moved by the plight of their continent’s                action to prevent the poisoning of vultures.            BirdLife has been working hard to highlight
                endangered vultures and what this could mean                Africa has also raised the stakes in dealing     the plight of vultures and what this could mean
                for people, African governments gave their              with wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trade. A    for Africa – but international policy has yet to
                support to BirdLife’s vulture campaign at the           hugely symbolic ivory burning took place in          fully recognise that one poisoned elephant
                United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)              Kenya earlier this year, and mounting pressure       carcass can kill hundreds of critically endangered
                in Nairobi, Kenya, in May.                              has led to a recent commitment by African            vultures too. In one incident in Namibia in 2013,
                   This was further cemented by the approval of         governments to step up the fight against             five hundred vultures were found dead after
                a new resolution on wildlife crime and trade            elephant and rhinoceros poaching in Africa and       feeding on the poisoned carcass of a poached
                that means African governments can now take             illegal wildlife trade internationally.              elephant. – Shaun Hurrell
                WINGS AUTUMN 2016                                                                                                                                          17
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