Winter 2016 Newsletter of the Aberdeen and District RSPB Local Group Issue 3

At a glance Not just peanuts!

Local Group member, Bill Craigie, handed a cheque for £10,000 to Simon Busuttil, Regional Reserves Manager for Bill Craigie ...... 1 the RSPB, at the start of November. This is the latest tranche Letter from the Chairman...... 2 of money raised by the Friends of Strathbeg (which Bill Red-backed Shrikes ...... 2 leads) primarily from the sale of bird food.

Birding NE Scotland ...... 3 The idea started in 1990, when the then Aberdeen 2017 Calendar ...... 4 YOC group started selling Sparrows ...... 5 peanuts to raise money for Seabird season 2015 ...... 6 conservation projects. Bill was one of the leaders of The RSPB and shooting ...... 7 the YOC group, and when Group Outing to Islay ...... 8 the group ended in the late 90's he carried on selling Islay goose strategy ...... 9 bird food and other bird

Simon Busuttil (left) and Bill Craigie (right) related items. The Friends Come along to our have sold an average of 12 Indoor meetings - tonnes of bird food per year, in addition to £3,000 worth of locally made

second Tuesday each nest boxes and squirrel feeders. month, January to April. Since 1990 £95,370 has been raised in this way - much more than a

peanut sized sum! Of this total £87,405 plus matching grants has been See the separate donated to various Loch of Strathbeg projects. A great example of Programme sheet for details of our outings money raised locally going We hope that there is to local projects. The something for everyone. money handed over in Please come along - it November goes towards doesn't matter whether the current refurbishment you are a novice or an and re-building project at experienced Strathbeg. Those of you birdwatcher, all are welcome. who have visited the site recently will see the

extensive changes Also sign up for our underway. Note parking is work parties on RSPB reserves. We have limited and the Visitor Centre is closed until further notice. You can achieved a lot in the follow the progress of the work by visiting past - so please come http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/seenature/reserves/guid along and help out if you e/l/lochofstrathbeg/ are able. It really makes a difference! Contact The accompanying photo shows where the new window, paid for by the Mark Sullivan for Local Group Chairman's Appeal and a generous donation from Ian information. Duncan in memory of his mother, will be located.

Page | 1 Page | 1 Letter from the Chairman

A Happy New Year to all members of the Local Group, and Local Group website all best wishes for a wildlife filled 2016. More information about I will have completed five years as Group Leader on the 1st April - I the local group and its really don't know where the time has gone. I hope that the various activities can be found changes brought in during the past few years have improved your on the group's website: experiences within the Group. I would like to thank all the committee http://www.rspb.org.uk members, past and present, for their support. They have worked /groups/aberdeen really hard to make sure that the Local Group continues to reflect the wishes of you all and provides a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities that will enhance your birding. Local Group donation This edition of the newsletter contains a range of topics, from Tim £5,500 donated to Marshall "gripping us off" with his NE Scotland list to more serious Strathbeg in 2015, topics regarding Barnacle Goose "control" and shooting game birds. from the Chairman's If you wish to comment on any of the articles or would like to have a Appeal, including subject covered in the next edition, please contact the editor (Mary £1,000 from Ian Middleton - [email protected]). Duncan.

Hopefully the 2nd January Ythan Wander will have got our year lists to a cracking start, so good birding and I look forward to seeing you Welcome to our new out and about throughout the year. members Mark Sullivan Margaret Stewart Red-backed Shrikes and Common Richard Thompson Cranes David White John Imrie by Ian Francis John & Liz Summerwill This year, one pair of Red-backed Shrikes successfully fledged three young in . This is the first confirmed breeding attempt here since 1981, though there was a case of probable breeding, not Look out for...... the same site, in 1998. However, a pair bred in Scotland's Big Nature Moray in 2013. Festival on 21st and There appears to have been only two pairs 22nd May 2016 at successfully breeding in the UK in 2015, the other Levenhall Links, Lothian being on Shetland. The sites chosen by this species in our area are completely typical of the land uses present – there is nothing obviously special about them – so it is worth keeping an eye open in any suitable area of heath, scrub and forest edge. How many The Royal Society for are overlooked in Scotland? (If you do find such rare breeding birds while you are out and about, please contact the local RSPB office the Protection of Birds and speak to Ian, and do not spread the information further). [RSPB] is a registered charity; England and The pair of Common Cranes which breeds in our area also produced Wales number 207076, young, however no young birds fledged, due to predation (by a fox). Scotland number We are grateful to Ian for allowing us to publish this information. SC 037654

Page | 2 Birding NE Scotland - 347 species to date and counting! by Tim Marshall My work brought locate the bird, but on my way back to the car a me up to Yellow-browed Warbler popped up in front of me, Aberdeenshire on nice I thought, but then it gave the strange call 17th October 1982, and it wasn’t till I got home that alarm bells went off and I spread the news (morse code if I which was about remember correctly!!). It stayed for 3 days and the time of a large was twitched by many birders. influx of Pallas’s Warblers: I had never heard of a Pallas’s Warbler and knew My first Pallas’s Warbler was also very satisfying. Having missed the big influx in 84, there was a nothing of east coast ‘falls’. period of strong easterlies and rain in mid-October I was already a keen birder but when I arrived up 88 and I thought I would go and find a Pallas’s here my life list was probably about 120 and (like you do!!), so I went to woods although I could identify common birds, things like and eventually a small stripey warbler with a small waders, pipits, warblers, etc were a lemon rump flew across the path in front of me - nightmare! I was very lucky in that my mentor was Result!! It was blowing a gale and pouring with Steve Palmer who was a very enthusiastic and rain so I went back next morning and got great knowledgeable birder up here at the time. Survey views (I have seen about 20+ since then!). work for the first Atlas of NE Scotland Birds was Another memorable bird was the American Robin starting, and Steve would take me out on his trips that was found at Inverbervie on Boxing Day 88. mapping the birds of the area, and I was able to Not what I expected to be doing on Boxing Day get to know the birding hotspots which, of course, but a drive down on a very pleasant day was included - this was to become my suitably rewarded and there wasn’t much traffic!!! ‘Patch’ over the next 30 years. One bird was quite hard work and that was a I think my first rarity was a pristine Water Pipit in a Citrine Wagtail that turned up in late September wet field at the back of my house outside 98. It would drop onto the putting green at in April 1984. This was a first for NE Girdleness for about 5 mins at about 07.00 in the Scotland (it has since been rejected by the morning and then disappear. I went down there on Rarities Committee! - but I saw it and it WAS a three mornings in succession (leaving home Water Pipit!!). I then saw three absolute 'megas': a before 06.00) and finally connected with it – a Kentish Plover at Rattray in April 84, a Wilson’s lovely bird and the only one I have seen to date. Phalarope at Cotehill Loch in September 84 and a Black-winged Stilt at Meikle Loch in September As this is the RSPB Local Group newsletter I had 84. These really got me hooked on finding rare the honour of finding the first Avocet that was birds, but I did limit my twitching to Scotland. I seen at the Loch of Strathbeg in January 86, Jim now only twitch within the NE Scotland Bird Dunbar (The Warden) was well pleased to get Report area, because I would often drive down to ‘official’ recognition for the reserve!! Fife or Dumfries etc to see a bird and sure enough We are fortunate to live in one of the best birding one would appear in our area sooner or later - I let areas in the UK and the variety of commoner birds them come to me now!! go from Ptarmigan to Puffin with plenty in Highlights over the years have been many, but between. most involve self-found birds like Short-toed Lark, My list of species seen in NE Scotland presently Rustic Bunting, Subalpine Warbler, Dusky stands at 347 (the most recent being Black- Warbler and Little Bunting all at Rattray. I was winged Pratincole, Arctic Warbler and Paddyfield particularly proud to find the first Hume’s Warbler Warbler). For future additions to my list, I expect at Buller’s of in November 94, I had only Nuthatch will arrive in the area soon, a twitchable come across the species in "British Birds" a few Red-throated Pipit would be nice (I have seen one weeks before and was looking for migrants at the at Rattray!). Buller’s when I heard an unfamiliar call. I couldn’t

Page | 3 I have missed a couple of Olive-backed Pipits, while Alpine Swift and Golden Oriole are another couple that are high on the hit list!! The bottom line is to get out there and keep looking. Spring and Autumn are most productive but amazing birds can turn up anytime such as Sandhill Crane, Rock Thrush and Harlequin Duck to name a few!!! Good Birding!

Rock Thrush, Black Stork, Harlequin Duck, Avocet & Snowy Owl - all photos by Tim Marshall

Photographs for a Local Group 2017 Calendar

Get out your cameras, and sort through your old photographs. The Local Group will be producing a 2017 calendar, available for sale from October 2016, with photographs provided by YOU! Any wildlife (not just birds) that can be found in our local area (that covered by the "Birding Guide") is to be included. Rules as follows: Photographs to be A4 landscape format (digital files of the 12 selected to be available) Photographs to be submitted in 4 categories: Winter (December to February) Spring (March to May) Summer (June to August) Autumn (September to November)

Write your name and contact details, plus category on the back of each photograph Maximum of 8 photographs per entry Deadline Tuesday 8th March 2016 (the March Indoor Meeting) - prints can be given to Rob or any committee member at the January - March indoor meetings, or posted to Rob Leslie, 3 Brander Place, AB22 8QP.

Page | 4 The photographs will be exhibited at the April Indoor meeting (12th April 2016) where attendees will select the winning 12 photographs. No prize will be awarded this time, but all the chosen photographs will be acknowledged on the calendar. The Aberdeen and District RSPB Local Group retains the right to use any of the photographs entered in future publications or on the website.

Sparrows

A prose poem by Richard Price (reproduced by kind permission of the author and Carcanet Press)

You don't see many hedges these days, and the hedges you do see they're not that thorny, it's a shame, and when I say a hedge I'm not talking about a row of twigs between two lines of rusty barbed wire, or more likely just a big prairie where there were whole cities of hedges not fifty years ago, a big desert more like, and I mean thick hedges, with trees nearby for a bit of shade and a field, not a road, not too far off so you can nip out for an insect or two when you or the youngsters feel like a snack, a whole hedgerow system as it says in the book, and seven out of ten sparrows say the same, and that's an underestimate, we want a place you can feel safe in again, we're social animals, we want our social life back, and the sooner the better, because in a good hedge you can always talk things over, make decisions, have a laugh if you want to, sing, even with a voice like mine!

Tree Sparrows M. Sullivan

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How are our seabirds faring? by Kath Hamper Every three years a full colony count at the seabird reserves of and Troup Head takes place, and 2015 was one of these years. Every single bird on these two huge colonies is included, and it’s a challenging job – this year over 100,000 birds and nests were counted!

After weeks of counting, checking and recounting some final figures are Fowlsheugh seabirds available, and the news is 70000 encouraging for some species. 60000 There’s good news for both Guillemots and Razorbills this year, 50000 Guillemot (Ind) with numbers up significantly on the 40000 Kittiwake (AON) last count back in 2012. Fowlsheugh 30000 saw Guillemot numbers (recorded as Razorbill (Ind) 20000 individuals rather than nests) increase Fulmar (AOS) from 44,922 in 2012 to 55,507 in 10000 2015. Over the same period, 0 Razorbills went from 5,260 to 7,426. 1992 1999 2006 2009 2012 2015 Kittiwake numbers had a very slight

increase, although not of the same magnitude as the auks, with numbers of AONs (Apparently Occupied Nests) going from 9,439 to 9,655. This may not seem much of an increase, but following a massive national decline and poor productivity (the number of chicks raised each year) it’s still encouraging. Productivity studies this year (following a number of nests through the breeding period and seeing how many chicks each nest fledges) Troup Head seabirds have shown them to have had 50000 a brilliant year! From nine study plots scattered through 40000 the colony, average Guillemot (Ind) productivity was 1.38 chicks 30000 Razorbill (Ind) per nest, which is the best 20000 here since data collection on Kittiwake (AON) productivity started in 1993! 10000 Fulmar (AOS) They aren’t out of the woods yet, but it’s certainly nice to 0 1969 1979 1995 2001 2007 2011 2015 have some good news. Over at Troup Head, it’s been a similar story for auks, with Guillemots increasing from 14,030 in 2011 to 20,539 this year and Razorbills going from 1,256 to 2,147 in 2015. Fulmar numbers are also up a little on the last count. Gannets continue to expand at Troup, but numbers will have to wait until 2016 when their whole colony will be counted. Sadly, it’s not all good news from Troup, with Kittiwake numbers declining again, down to 7,180 AONs from 7,961 in 2011.

Page | 6 To P(rotect) or not to P(rotect)? That is the Question. by Alan Short (Local Group Member)

Dear RSPB local member, the moment but I want to ask if, today, this clause should be retained or removed? Let me drag you away for a moment from the photographs of all those wonderful birds in the Game/sport shooting is increasingly controversial current edition of the RSPB Magazine, "Nature’s and opposition particularly to driven grouse Home". My personal favourite in this issue has to shooting is growing, not only on environmental be Titan the turtle dove who migrated from Mali to and conservation grounds but also for other Suffolk (Why on earth Suffolk I hear you say: reasons including cruelty to animals/birds. Does could he not have come a bit further north?) the statement in section 3 of the Charter unjustifiably restrict the RSPB and its employees But forget the birds, squirrels, badgers, binoculars from engaging in debate on some of the wider and books and let’s get down to the real business issues that this kind of hunting raises? Or does of the RSPB. It is of course, the RSPB Charter. the clause sensibly restrict the RSPB to The Charter sets out the aims and operating rules comments on a narrower range of non- of the RSPB and has done so since 1904 when it controversial, scientific and conservation issues? was granted by King Edward VII (Bertie to you and me). As befits something formulated in My own view is Edwardian times when attitudes to birds were very that the clause different from today, it has been revised a few should be times. The question I want to ask is does some of removed from the it need changing again, in particular a single Charter. If this clause in section 3 which follows a statement on were done, it the Objects of the RSPB? would not mean that the RSPB had The Charter lists the two main aims of the RSPB adopted an official (it calls them “Objects”): policy against Object one “To promote the conservation of game shooting. It biological diversity and the natural environment”. would simply Object two “To advance education of the public in mean that RSPB conservation of the natural environment”. employees could express their These aims are explained in a bit more detail views on a wider range of issues raised by game through the statement that the RSPB should: shooting than they are currently allowed to. This “persuade the public not only that the beauty of would surely help to clarify the issues around birds and nature enriches the lives of many game shooting for RSPB members and might people, but also that nature conservation is inform the Society’s thinking about what the aims fundamental to a healthy environment”. It’s all of the RSPB should actually be. good stuff and I particularly like the statement that birds enrich people’s lives. So the inclusion of the If you’re still not sure what I am getting at, ask next clause is a bit mystifying. It’s the one I am yourself how you would feel if a candidate for a drawing attention to. top job in the RSPB listed their favourite hobby as driven grouse shooting. The Society shall take no part in the question of the killing of game birds and legitimate I don’t intend to raise a petition, or a motion for the sport of that character except when such AGM on this issue, but I would be grateful if practices have an impact on the Objects (my members could have a look at the Charter emphasis). (available on the RSPB website) and get in touch with Mark (sorry Mark!) if they feel strongly, either Exactly when and why this statement was way. Mark and the committee can then decide if included in the RSPB’s Charter is unclear to me at any action on behalf of the members is required.

Page | 7 Islay - Aberdeen and District RSPB Local Group - November 2015

by Mark Sullivan Eleven Group members joined Lesley Silcock on her new home of Islay to explore the wildlife to be found here.

Birding started at the Kennacraig ferry terminal and continued until the return ferry five days later, and a fantastic range of species was recorded. The main aims of the trip were to find the raptors and Choughs which make the island their home and to admire the vast Photo P. Grant numbers of geese which visit during the winter - we were not to be disappointed! By the time we docked at Port Askaig, we had already encountered Great Northern Divers, and had seen both Golden and White-tailed Eagles from the ferry! Huge flocks of Greenland Barnacle Geese were scanned, Greenland White-fronted Goose families were watched, and we were surprised to find so many Pale-bellied Brent Geese feeding on the mud flats near our hotel in Bowmore. Masses of Redwings with other thrushes were migrating through, their very dark appearance suggesting an origin in Iceland. We visited the two main RSPB reserves - , where we had great scope views of Golden Eagle perched on the Barnacle Geese hillside, but were really excited to find a flock of 350 Twite, and at the end of our walk a single Snow Bunting, and . Here we had an amazing view of a ring-tailed Hen Harrier busily feeding in front of one of the hides among Barnacle Geese throngs of duck and waders.

Saving the best until last, Sunday afternoon was dedicated to finding and watching the Choughs in the north- west of the island - finally a flock of over 40 birds performed for us, before we met Eric Bignall, "the Chough man" who provides a small daily ration of mealworms as supplementary feeding to young birds. This has helped to stabilise the rapidly declining population of Choughs on the island. He gave us a short talk in the evening sunshine, and answered our questions. He also made a plea for us all to contact our MSPs and MEPs to protest about the cull of Barnacle Geese on the island (see article below). As a farmer himself, he is now in a position where he cannot access grants to maintain pasture for geese as he is unwilling to allow shooters onto his land! The weather was generally kind to us (for November!), and the 10 "Islay Virgins" amongst us were very impressed by the wildlife and the varied Chough landscapes, and will return! A total of 102 species of bird was recorded, along with 10 mammals (including Choughs Otter, two of which were encountered). Thanks go to Lesley for showing us around, and to Eric for giving us the chance to learn more about the problems facing the Islay Chough population. Lesley is able to provide B+B and information about birding sites on the island. Contact her on [email protected].

Page | 8 The Islay goose strategy and why the RSPB has complained to Europe taken from Stuart Housden's blog, with kind permission from Stuart The Hebridean island of Islay is one of the key sites for wintering geese, holding more than half of the world populations of Greenland Barnacle Geese and a quarter of the world's Greenland White-fronted Geese. The geese have arrived each autumn and, in the past, fed on the merse and boggy grasslands. But over time these have been improved for agriculture, and many geese are now found on farmers' fields, a longstanding issue in Scottish conservation. Farming is an important industry on Islay and it benefits a range of key wildlife, including corncrakes and choughs. RSPB Scotland owns and manages farmland nature reserves on the island, notably at Loch Gruinart.

Wintering Barnacle Goose numbers increased on This ‘deal’ lasted up until the financial crisis, Islay until 2005/6, since when the population has Scottish Government sought to save money and levelled-out, fluctuating at around 40,000 birds. its policy changed. Late last year, the Scottish Greenland White-fronted Geese, in contrast, have Government, and its agency Scottish Natural been in steady decline since 1995 and are a Heritage (SNH), teamed up directly with the NFUS species of serious conservation concern across to produce a new strategy for Islay geese. This their global range. Grazing geese can strategy proposes: undoubtedly impact farm pastures – this fact is not “... that the Islay barnacle goose population is at issue. Nor is the fact lowered, in increments, to a minimum range of that Scotland has a global 28,000 to 31,000 geese and is then maintained at conservation responsibility that level. This represents a maximum reduction for these migratory goose of 25-30% of Barnacle Geese…” populations, and for implementing wildlife In our view, this new strategy: legislation properly.  Is not based on sound evidence - in Following some intense particular regarding the relationship exchanges between between goose numbers and agricultural interests and White-fronted Geese agricultural damage (research we have conservation interests in been calling for repeatedly) the 1980s and 1990s, culminating in court cases brought by RSPB Scotland and the Wildfowl and  Risks non-compliance with international Wetlands Trust (WWT), the Scottish Government wildlife law-in particular on the existence established Local Goose Management Schemes of satisfactory non-lethal alternatives, for in areas of conflict, including Islay. The local example via the type of well-funded groups were advised by the National Goose local scheme that was in place Management Review Group, including RSPB previously Scotland, WWT and the National Farmers’ Union  Threatens the declining Greenland White- of Scotland (NFUS) among others. The local fronted Goose through increased schemes combined management payments to disturbance affected farmers, designation of protected goose feeding areas and programmes of scaring to  May prove unfeasible in practice protect vulnerable fields. Some involved the (shooting such high numbers of shooting of a limited number of Barnacle Geese Barnacle Geese is untested) under licence as agreed under the EU ‘Birds’  Is actually more expensive to the public Directive. A workable deal that met the needs of purse than alternatives, certainly in the farmers and geese seems to have been found. short term

Page | 9  Will be a highly visible campaign killing Scottish Government/NFUS plan and that in this large numbers of protected wild birds way a damaging precedent in the Scottish and is generating concern among Government’s application of international wildlife tourism operators with respect to Islay’s law can be avoided. As for the affected farmers – reputation we believe that they should be given the practical support they need to farm, as well as to support We have made our concerns clear to the national our globally important wildlife populations. We see goose group and to Scottish ministers – but the this as the delivery of a precious public benefit in Scottish Government/NFUS Strategy is now being today’s Scotland, and deserving of sustained implemented. In response the RSPB has, investment. reluctantly, resigned our seat on the National Goose Management Review Group, and has Geese will remain fully protected on RSPB lodged a formal complaint to the European Scotland’s reserves on Islay. If you are concerned Commission. We feel this situation is deeply about this shift in policy by the Scottish regrettable – but at the very least, we hope to Government, you can make your views known by ensure that the EC will thoroughly scrutinise the contacting your MSPs or MEPs.

Postal and E-mail Contacts - Information required

It seems that several of our members have changed their e-mail address, or the e-mail address we hold on file is no longer valid. In order that we can continue to send you information regarding the Group activities, if you have changed e-mail address recently could you please contact Mark on [email protected] so that our records can be updated. If you have moved postal address could you also contact Mark with the new details. RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch is the world's biggest bird survey and regularly attracts nearly half a million participants. Records from people counting birds in their gardens provide a vital snapshot of the UK's birds each winter. The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2016 will take place on the weekend of the 30th and 31st January 2016

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