Scottish Birds
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TREND NOTE Number 021, October 2012
SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE TREND NOTE Number 021, October 2012 SEABIRDS IN SCOTLAND Prepared by Simon Foster and Sue Marrs of SNH Knowledge Information Management Unit using results from the Seabird Monitoring Programme and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee Scotland has internationally important populations of several seabirds. Their conservation is assisted through a network of designated sites. Figure 1 shows the distribution of the 50 Special Protection Areas (SPA) which have seabirds listed as a feature of interest. The map shows the widespread nature of the sites and the predominance of important seabird areas on the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland), where some of our largest seabird colonies are present. The most recent estimate of seabird populations was obtained from Birds of Scotland (Forrester et al., 2007). Table 1 shows the population levels for all seabirds regularly breeding in Scotland. Table 1: Population Estimates for Breeding Seabirds in Scotland. Figure 1: Special Protection Areas for Seabirds Breeding in Scotland. Species* Unit** Estimate Key Points Northern fulmar 486,000 AOS Manx shearwater 126,545 AOS Trends are described for 11 of the 24 European storm-petrel 31,570+ AOS species of seabirds breeding in Leach’s storm-petrel 48,057 AOS Scotland Northern gannet 182,511 AOS Great cormorant c. 3,600 AON Nine have shown sustained declines European shag 21,500-30,000 PAIRS over the past 20 years. Two have Arctic skua 2,100 AOT remained stable. Great skua 9,650 AOT The reasons for the declines are Black headed -
Hungary & Transylvania
Although we had many exciting birds, the ‘Bird of the trip’ was Wallcreeper in 2015. (János Oláh) HUNGARY & TRANSYLVANIA 14 – 23 MAY 2015 LEADER: JÁNOS OLÁH Central and Eastern Europe has a great variety of bird species including lots of special ones but at the same time also offers a fantastic variety of different habitats and scenery as well as the long and exciting history of the area. Birdquest has operated tours to Hungary since 1991, being one of the few pioneers to enter the eastern block. The tour itinerary has been changed a few times but nowadays the combination of Hungary and Transylvania seems to be a settled and well established one and offers an amazing list of European birds. This tour is a very good introduction to birders visiting Europe for the first time but also offers some difficult-to-see birds for those who birded the continent before. We had several tour highlights on this recent tour but certainly the displaying Great Bustards, a majestic pair of Eastern Imperial Eagle, the mighty Saker, the handsome Red-footed Falcon, a hunting Peregrine, the shy Capercaillie, the elusive Little Crake and Corncrake, the enigmatic Ural Owl, the declining White-backed Woodpecker, the skulking River and Barred Warblers, a rare Sombre Tit, which was a write-in, the fluty Red-breasted and Collared Flycatchers and the stunning Wallcreeper will be long remembered. We recorded a total of 214 species on this short tour, which is a respectable tally for Europe. Amongst these we had 18 species of raptors, 6 species of owls, 9 species of woodpeckers and 15 species of warblers seen! Our mammal highlight was undoubtedly the superb views of Carpathian Brown Bears of which we saw ten on a single afternoon! 1 BirdQuest Tour Report: Hungary & Transylvania 2015 www.birdquest-tours.com We also had a nice overview of the different habitats of a Carpathian transect from the Great Hungarian Plain through the deciduous woodlands of the Carpathian foothills to the higher conifer-covered mountains. -
Recording the Manx Shearwater
RECORDING THE MANX There Kennedy and Doctor Blair, SHEARWATER Tall Alan and John stout There Min and Joan and Sammy eke Being an account of Dr. Ludwig Koch's And Knocks stood all about. adventures in the Isles of Scilly in the year of our Lord nineteen “ Rest, Ludwig, rest," the doctor said, hundred and fifty one, in the month of But Ludwig he said "NO! " June. This weather fine I dare not waste, To Annet I will go. This very night I'll records make, (If so the birds are there), Of Shearwaters* beneath the sod And also in the air." So straight to Annet's shores they sped And straight their task began As with a will they set ashore Each package and each man Then man—and woman—bent their backs And struggled up the rock To where his apparatus was Set up by Ludwig Koch. And some the heavy gear lugged up And some the line deployed, Until the arduous task was done And microphone employed. Then Ludwig to St. Agnes hied His hostess fair to greet; And others to St. Mary's went To get a bite to eat. Bold Ludwig Koch from London came, That night to Annet back they came, He travelled day and night And none dared utter word Till with his gear on Mary's Quay While Ludwig sought to test his set At last he did alight. Whereon he would record. There met him many an ardent swain Alas! A heavy dew had drenched To lend a helping hand; The cable laid with care, And after lunch they gathered round, But with a will the helpers stout A keen if motley band. -
Assessment of Great Skua Stercorarius Skua Pellet Composition to Inform Estimates of Storm Petrel Consumption from Bioenergetics Models
Storm Petrels in Great Skua pellets Assessment of Great Skua Stercorarius skua pellet composition to inform estimates of storm petrel consumption from bioenergetics models Zoe Deakin1*, Lucy Gilbert2, Gina Prior3 and Mark Bolton4 * Correspondence author. Email: [email protected] 1 School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK; 2 Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK; 3 National Trust for Scotland, Balnain House, 40 Huntly Street, Inverness, IV3 5HR, UK; 4 RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK Abstract Generalist predators may exert levels of predation on particular prey that result in, or contribute to, decline of that prey species. Bioenergetics models have been used to estimate the rates of consumption of Leach’s Storm Petrels Oceanodroma leucorhoa (45 g) and European Storm Petrels Hydrobates pelagicus (25 g) by Great Skuas Stercorarius skua on St Kilda (Western Isles, UK) and Hermaness (Shetland, UK). The models require estimates of the number of indigestible pellets produced from each individual storm petrel consumed, which have previously been determined by captive feeding trials or examination of pellets cast by free-living birds, but which have not discriminated between the two storm petrel species. Here we use information from dissection of 427 Great Skua pellets collected on Hirta (St Kilda, UK) and Mousa (Shetland, UK) to provide empirical estimates of the pellet:prey ratios for Leach’s and European Storm Petrels separately. We found that pellet:prey ratios were similar for collections of the ‘standing crop’ of pellets accumulated over the entire breeding season and samples of pellets cast within the preceding five days. -
Spring Migration of Soaring Birds Over the Bosphorus, Turkey, in 2006
Spring migration of soaring birds over the Bosphorus, Turkey, in 2006 ÖzkAN ÜNER, kEREM ALi BoyLA, ERGÜN BAcAk, ERTuğRuL BiREL, İLhAN ÇELikoBA, CEM DALYAN, EVRIM TABUR & ÜMIT YARDIM The Bosphorus is one of the most important migration bottlenecks in the Middle East. However, most counts have been done during autumn and complete spring counts are very few. In spring 2006, a complete count of migrating soaring birds over the Bosphorus was carried out. We report a total of 100 051 birds, which consisted of 51 958 White Storks Ciconia ciconia, 16 185 Common Buzzards Buteo buteo, 15 232 Lesser Spotted Eagles Aquila pomarina and 9085 Honey Buzzards Pernis apivorus. The study demonstrates the importance of the Bosphorus for the spring migration of soaring birds. INTRODUCTION Turkey has major Western Palearctic migration crossroads, with corridors and bottlenecks for soaring birds in the northwestern (Bosphorus in Istanbul, Figure 1), northeastern (Borçka, Artvin province) and southern (Belen, Hatay province) parts of the country (Grimmett & Jones 1989). The Bosphorus is a well-known migration bottleneck for soaring birds due to its location at the junction between Europe and Asia. The whole population of eastern White Storks Ciconia ciconia, over 340 000 birds, flies over the Bosphorus. Zalles & Bildstein (2000) reported between 29 000 and 75 000 migrant raptors in autumn over the Bosphorus whereas a very recent multi-station but short survey has shown that more than 150 000 raptors use the area in autumn (Milvus Group 2008). Most of the world population of Lesser Spotted Eagles Aquila pomarina and Levant Sparrowhawks Accipiter brevipes, at least in autumn, crosses into Asia via the Bosphorus (Kirwan et al 2008) using the east Mediterranean route (Shirihai et al 2000). -
Cordell Bank Ocean Monitoring Program (CBOMP)
Cordell Bank Ocean Monitoring Program (CBOMP) Peter Pyle1, Michael Carver1, Carol Keiper3, Ben Becker2, Dan Howard1 1Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, 2Point Reyes National Seashore, 3Oikonos INTRODUCTION METHODS – OCEANOGRAPHY Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS) initiated a long-term Monitoring Program in - Thermosalinograph used to record sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface salinity January 2004. Monitoring objectives include: continuously along transect lines. - CTD casts performed at selected locations using a SEABIRD SBE 19; data processed using - Describe the planktonic and vertebrate fauna relative to oceanography SBE software and displayed using Surfer 7.0 . - Assess temporal and spatial variation in occurrence and abundance of fauna and oceanography - Simrad EK60 echosounder with single 120Khz split-beam transducer used to estimate krill - Encourage collaborators to perform integrated ancillary research from the vessel abundance. - ArcView 9.0 Geographical Information System (GIS) used to integrate backscatter, fauna, and oceanography. SSTs were interpolated from TSG data using kriging. Temperature Sigma T Salinity Depth Figure 1. Above Survey zones for whales, birds and small mammals. Figure 2. Left Research Vessel C. magister at dock Spud Point Marina Bodega Bay Figure 3. Right Observ- ers on Transect during a Figures 5-7. CTD casts for October 13, 2004. Each colored bar represents an individual CTD cast of the 7 CTD cast locations shown in Figure CBOMP cruise in CBNMS 4. Depth of each cast is shown on the Y axis. Figure 4. Location of transects and CTD casts (dark circles) within CBNMS. PRELIMINARY RESULTS - 2004 METHODS – FAUNA - Eight surveys were conducted (due to weather and mechanical problems no surveys were - Surveys are conducted once/month using standard strip transect methodology (weather and ocean conducted in Feb, May, June, July). -
Spread-Wing Postures and Their Possible Functions in the Ciconiidae
THE AUK A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY Von. 88 Oc:roBE'a 1971 No. 4 SPREAD-WING POSTURES AND THEIR POSSIBLE FUNCTIONS IN THE CICONIIDAE M. P. KAI-IL IN two recent papers Clark (19'69) and Curry-Lindahl (1970) have reported spread-wingpostures in storks and other birds and discussed someof the functionsthat they may serve. During recent field studies (1959-69) of all 17 speciesof storks, I have had opportunitiesto observespread-wing postures. in a number of speciesand under different environmentalconditions (Table i). The contextsin which thesepostures occur shed somelight on their possible functions. TYPES OF SPREAD-WING POSTURES Varying degreesof wing spreadingare shownby at least 13 species of storksunder different conditions.In somestorks (e.g. Ciconia nigra, Euxenuragaleata, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis, and ]abiru mycteria) I observedno spread-wingpostures and have foundno referenceto them in the literature. In the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) I observedonly a wing-droopingposture--with the wings held a short distanceaway from the sidesand the primaries fanned downward--in migrant birds wetted by a heavy rain at NgorongoroCrater, Tanzania. Other species often openedthe wingsonly part way, in a delta-wingposture (Frontis- piece), in which the forearmsare openedbut the primariesremain folded so that their tips crossin front o.f or below the. tail. In some species (e.g. Ibis leucocephalus)this was the most commonly observedspread- wing posture. All those specieslisted in Table i, with the exception of C. ciconia,at times adopted a full-spreadposture (Figures i, 2, 3), similar to those referred to by Clark (1969) and Curry-Lindahl (1970) in severalgroups of water birds. -
The Outer Hebrides
THE OUTER HEBRIDES “After over 22 years of leading trips to the Outer Hebrides, the sheer beauty of the landscape and incredible wildlife these islands hold is as special to me as the very first time I visited all those years ago. Every new visit just makes me appreciate the unique and fabulous wildlife and birdlife of the islands even more. I can’t wait to get back out there!” Craig Round Dates Fri 6 - Sat 14 May 2022 Corncrakes rasp from fields and Snipe drum overhead, Price £2,295 in a watery landscape that the modern world has passed by, Deposit £450 Single Supp £300 on these timeless low-lying islands at Britain’s Atlantic edge. Leaders Craig Round and Sally Nowell Successful Corncrake watching every time, on over 40 trips! Weather Though usually quite dry, these islands Nesting waders in farmland that’s vanished elsewhere can experience all the seasons during Mile after mile of unspoilt white beaches and azure seas one trip and can be windy (5°-20°C) Wonderful for raptors, rare skuas and Short-eared Owl Walking Coastal walks on uneven terrain of up to 2 miles. Walking boots recommended Summer plumage Great Northern and other divers with trainers suitable on some occasions. White-tailed Eagle, Dotterel, Pomarine Skua and Otter Collapsible/telescopic walking poles could be useful for this trip. With our own two expert guides to the Western Isles Meals All included from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 9 We overnight on Friday in Inverness, by wind-blown shell sand and in the evenings the 1-2 to give us an early start for our journey sunset from the hotel can be truly beautiful, with Insects Biting insects are unlikely to be a problem down through the Great Glen and across the Isle of a backdrop chorus of ‘drumming’ displaying Snipe Accom Double, twin and single rooms Skye to Uig, before catching a ferry to Lochmaddy and calling Redshank overhead. -
Checklist of Suffolk Birds
Suffolk Bird Checklist status up to and including 2001 records (2002 & 2003 where stated) - not including BOURC category E R = records considered by BBRC r = records considered by SORC, requiring full descriptions see end of list for Category D and abundance codes red-throated diver common winter visitor and passage migrant, rare inland black-throated diver uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant, rare inland great northern diver uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant yellow (white)-billed diver R accidental, 3 records; 1852, 1978 and 1994 little grebe locally common resident, passage migrant and winter visitor great crested grebe locally common resident, passage migrant and winter visitor red-necked grebe uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant, mostly coastal slavonian grebe uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant, mostly coastal black-necked grebe uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant northern fulmar fairly common summer visitor and passage migrant Cory's shearwater r very rare (autumn) passage migrant; 28 records of 37 individuals, all post 1973 great shearwater r accidental, 6 records; 3 post 1950 sooty shearwater uncommon autumn migrant Manx shearwater uncommon passage migrant, mainly autumn Balearic shearwater r very rare passage migrant, 9 records, all since 1998 Leach's storm petrel r scarce passage migrant European storm petrel r very rare passage migrant, 28 individuals since 1950 northern gannet common offshore passage migrant great cormorant locally common passage migrant and winter visitor, a few oversummer -
ECOS 37-2-60 Reintroductions and Releases on the Isle Of
ECOS 37(2) 2016 ECOS 37(2) 2016 Reintroductions and releases on the Isle of Man Lessons from recent retreats Recent proposals for the release of white-tailed sea eagles and red squirrels on the Isle of Man received very different treatment, perhaps reflecting public perception of the animals and the public profile of the proponents, but also the political landscape of the island. NICK PINDER The Manx legal context The Isle of Man is a Crown dependency outside the EU but inside a common customs union with the United Kingdom. The Island can request that Westminster’s laws are extended to it but usually the Island passes its own laws which it promulgates at the annual Tynwald ceremony. Since it has a special relationship with the European Union, under Protocol 3, EU legislation covering agricultural and other trade is Point of Ayre: The Ayres is a large area of coastal heath and dune grassland in the north of the Isle of Mann usually translated into Manx law, as is UK law affecting customs controls. The 1980 island and location of the only National Nature Reserve. Endangered Species Act was therefore swiftly adopted in the Isle of Man but the Photo: Nick Pinder Wildlife and Countryside Act of the same year was not. A test for the legislation came in the early 1990s when some fox carcases turned When I arrived on the Isle of Man in 1987, the only wildlife legislation was a up. One was allegedly run over and then someone came forward having shot two dated Protection of Birds Act (1932-1975) but the newly formed Department of adults at a den site and dug up several cubs. -
The Use of Nest-Boxes by Two Species of Sparrows (Passer Domesticus and P
Intern. Stud. Sparrows 2012, 36: 18-29 Andrzej WĘGRZYNOWICZ Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Science Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warsaw e-mail: [email protected] THE USE OF NEST-BOXES BY TWO SPECIES OF SPARROWS (PASSER DOMESTICUS AND P. MONTANUS) WITH OPPOSITE TRENDS OF ABUNDANCE – THE STUDY IN WARSAW ABSTRACT The occupation of nest-boxes by House- and Tree Sparrow in Warsaw was investigated in 2005-2009 and in 2012 . Riparian forests, younger and older parks in downtown, and housing estates were included in the study as 4 types of habitats corresponding to the urbanization gradient of Warsaw . 1035 inspections of nest-boxes suitable for both spe- cies (type A) were carried out during the breeding period and 345 nest-boxes of other types were inspected after the breeding period . In order to determine the importance of nest-boxes for both species on different plots, obtained data were analyzed using Nest-box Importance Coefficient (NIC) . This coefficient describes species-specific rate of occupation of nest-boxes as well as the contribution of the pairs nesting in them . Tree Sparrow occupied a total of 33% of A-type nest-boxes, its densities were positively correlated with the number of nest-boxes, and seasonal differences in occupation rate were low for this species . The NIC and the rate of nest-box occupation for Tree Sparrow decreased along an urbanization gradient . House Sparrow used nest-boxes very rarely, only in older parks and some housing estates . Total rate of nest-box occupation for House Sparrow in studied plots was 4%, and NIC was relatively low . -
Pirates of the Oceans 12 13 13 14 Skuas Are the Pirates of the Bird World
1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 SKUAS 9 10 10 11 11 12 Pirates of the oceans 12 13 13 14 Skuas are the pirates of the bird world. Like gulls with a killer 14 15 15 16 instinct,instinct, skuasskuas shareshare manymany characterscharacters withwith terrestrialterrestrial birdsbirds ofof prey,prey, allow-allow- 16 17 17 18 inging interestinginteresting insightsinsights intointo thethe biologybiology ofof birdbird predators.predators. 18 19 19 20 InIn thisthis feature,feature, thethe FitzPatrickFitzPatrick Institute’sInstitute’s PeterPeter RyanRyan exploresexplores thethe 20 21 21 22 varied and often contradictory world of skuas. 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 A pair of Sub-Antarctic 39 40 Skuas giving the 40 41 characteristic long- 41 42 call display with 42 43 raisedraised wings.wings. 43 44 ONNO HUYSER 44 45 45 46 46 47 47 48 48 49 49 50 50 51 51 52 52 53 53 54 54 55 55 56 56 57 57 58 58 59 59 60 60 61 61 62 62 63 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 ONNO HUYSER WARWICK TARBOTON 18 18 19 Above A pair of Sub-Antarctic Skuas sitting peacefully next to a dozing Chinstrap Penguin Pygoscelis antarctica, but other birds 19 20 have to watch out when skuas are around, or they may find themselves losing a meal, their eggs and chicks, or even their lives.