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News and Comment News and comment Compiled by Adrian Pitches Opinions expressed in this feature are not necessarily those of British Birds Common Cranes nest in the Fens With the appearance of two juven- ing species in about 1600. not on our list of prospects. The ile birds at the RSPB’s Lakenheath Norman Sills is the site conservation focus for the reserve Fen reserve, it appears that manager at Lakenheath Fen, an was to secure a nesting population Common Cranes Grus grus have area of fenland recreated from of Eurasian Bitterns Botaurus stel- nested successfully in the East carrot fields in the 1990s: ‘Seeing laris; a feat we have also achieved.’ Anglian Fens for the first time in young Cranes flying over the A small population of Cranes four centuries. The Fens, which reserve makes me realise that all became established in the Norfolk once stretched from Cambridge to our hard work has been worth- Broads in 1981, but the two pairs Lincoln, were the last stronghold while. These are fantastic birds, but of these elegant birds that nested at of the Common Crane before it when we dreamt of creating this Lakenheath represent the first time became extinct as a British breed- reserve, 14 years ago, Cranes were that more than one pair of Cranes has nested at a single site away from the Broads. So the species appears to be naturally reintroducing itself as suitable breeding habitat becomes available. But, as with the privately funded Great Bustard Otis tarda reintroduction programme, which ) recently yielded its first breeding success (Brit. Birds 102: 415), the RSPB now wants to launch an arti- ficial reintroduction scheme for Cranes, at a cost of £1.5 million. Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Director of rspb-images.com ( Conservation, said: ‘It is clear that Cranes are yearning to become more widely established in the UK, and two pairs nesting at Laken- heath is clearly an important step Chris Gomersall in their UK-wide recovery. However, it isn’t the only step that we need to take to consolidate the future of this British bird. The RSPB is also involved in a reintro- duction programme known as the Great Crane Project, where we hope initially to re-establish this bird in the west of Britain on the ) Somerset Levels and Moors.’ The RSPB has recently launched a £1.5-million appeal to help fund Crane reintroduction in the UK. Chris Madden, the RSPB rspb-images.com appeals organiser, said: ‘The care- ( fully planned Great Crane Project starts with taking eggs from healthy populations overseas, incu- bating the eggs and nurturing the chicks. The project will then release Chris Gomersall 347 & 348. Common Cranes Grus grus at Lakenheath Fen them into a protected environ- RSPB Reserve, summer 2009. ment.’ 518 © British Birds 102 • September 2009 • 518–523 News and comment A better season for Shetland’s seabirds Guillemots breed in There can be few more gladdening experiences than to be out in a small eastern USA for first boat on a warm, calm, summer’s day, surrounded by a feeding frenzy of seven or eight species of seabird, individuals popping to the surface with time since 1800s decent-sized sandeels Ammodytes in their bills. But that was an experience For the first time in more than a to be had around much of Shetland this year, breaking a run of poor or century, a Common Guillemot egg indifferent breeding seasons for many species. Arctic Terns Sterna paradis- has been discovered south of the aea did particularly well compared with recent years, fledging three figures Canadian border on the east coast of young from some colonies; Great Skuas Stercorarius skua had a good of the USA (where, of course, the season; and Arctic Skuas S. parasiticus had an almost ‘normal’ breeding birds are known as murres). ‘We season. However, for other species, such as Common Guillemot Uria aalge are absolutely elated,’ said Dr and Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, the season is better described as reasonable Stephen Kress, Director of rather than a bumper one, halting rather than reversing recent trends. Audubon’s Seabird Restoration There have also been some unexplained anomalies, such as the virtual Program. ‘The return of the desertion of Fair Isle by breeding Shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis and con- Common Murre to its long-lost tinued low numbers and breeding success of Common Guillemots there, nesting grounds shows that conser- and the failure of Red-throated Divers Gavia stellata to rear young in vation works – even against all the certain areas. For those involved in seabird monitoring, August is a time odds.’ for number crunching, adding yet more data points to graphs, and real- The egg was discovered on ising just how drastic some changes have been. At Sumburgh Head RSPB Matinicus Rock, one of 50 islands Reserve at the southern tip of Mainland, counts of Razorbills Alca torda in Maine Coastal Islands National were 16% higher than in 2008, but still remain 70% lower than in 2000. Wildlife Refuge, the first time since At the other end of the islands, a census of the Unst Kittiwake colonies 1883 that the species has nested on (542 nests) found that numbers had more than halved since the 1998/99 the east coast of the USA. Guille- Seabird 2000 census (1,140), and had declined by almost 90% since 1987 mots have been lured to the islands (4,979). The days are past when one can simply headline a ‘good’ or a ‘bad’ by the use of decoy birds, artificial breeding season for a suite of different seabird species in even a restricted eggs and a sound system that emits geographic region such as Shetland, and we keep our fingers crossed for Guillemot calls. ‘We have high 2010. hopes for the successful hatching of this egg, and for greater numbers (Contributed by Martin Heubeck) of murres in years to come,’ added Dr Kress. Although widespread on the Pacific coast from Alaska to Cali- OAP alive and well at 34 fornia, and breeding in Canada’s BTO ringers on the Shiant Islands (a small group of islands between the Maritime Provinces, Guillemots Outer Hebrides and the Scottish mainland) have found the two oldest were eliminated from their Maine Puffins Fratercula arctica in Britain. And one of these OAPs (Old Age breeding sites in the 1800s by Puffins) is, at 34 years of age, also the oldest currently known in Europe. people hunting them for food. The British longevity record for the Puffin was first broken on 5th July Collection of the birds’ eggs was 2009 when EX08155, originally ringed on the islands on 27th June 1977, also a common pursuit at the time was recaptured. The record-breaker was ringed by Ian Buxton in 1977, who and may also have contributed to was also part of this year’s team, so Ian was reunited with the bird 32 years their disappearance. later! Audubon (the RSPB equivalent But then, just five days later, the record was broken again. On 10th July, in North America) has spent 17 Ian recaught EB73152, ringed on 28th June 1975, making it over 34 years years trying to bring Guillemots old (and older than three of the expedition members). This is now the back to the islands. And it’s not the oldest recorded Puffin in Europe, beating an Icelandic 33-year-old. Amaz- first seabird that Audubon has ingly, it not only still had its original metal ring, but also its colour ring, helped to restore to Maine. Pio- allowing it to be identified as a Shiants bird ‘in the field’. neering the use of decoys and bird David Steventon, founder of the Shiants Auk Ringing Group, and a calls, the team began working to member of the original expeditions in the 1970s, commented: ‘These attract Atlantic Puffins to the longevity records were almost inevitable, as ringing data shows that adult Maine coastal islands in 1973; four survival rates are about 92%. Therefore, we would expect that about 25 of breeding pairs nested at Eastern the 441 birds ringed in 1975 might still be alive in 2009. There could even Egg Rock in 1981 after an absence be a handful of birds alive that were ringed back in 1970, so there is the of nearly a century. At least 40 potential to break the record again in the next few years. Compared with seabird species in 12 countries have recent years, Puffins are having a good breeding season in 2009, bringing in benefited from seabird restoration good-sized sandeels for their young.’ techniques developed by Audubon. British Birds 102 • September 2009 • 518–523 519 News and comment Volunteers needed for seabird research on Tristan da Cunha The Tristan da Cunha archipelago Area and an Endemic Bird Area by from such an exercise would allow is one of the world’s last truly BirdLife International (see Peter us to learn more about their remote areas. The inhabitants form Ryan’s recent article, Brit. Birds annual breeding success, dispersal the most isolated community on 101: 586–606). patterns, annual survival rates and earth since the islands can be Isolation and logistical obstacles recruitment into the population. reached only by boat, a six-day have conspired to ensure that the If this becomes an annual expe- voyage from Cape Town. The archi- seabirds are not as well studied as dition, there is potential for several pelago has four endemic seabirds their conservation status suggests other worthy studies to be initi- (Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbe- they should be. In recent years there ated. In addition to ringing nena, Atlantic Yellow-nosed Alba- has been a resurgence of interest in nestling Atlantic Yellow-nosed tross Thalassarche chlororhynchos, the islands and some truly ground- Albatrosses, chicks and/or adults of Spectacled Petrel Procellaria con- breaking research has been done Broad-billed Prion Pachyptila spicillata and Atlantic Petrel Ptero- (such as that on the mice referred vittata, Soft-plumaged Petrel Petro- droma incerta) and Gough Island is to above).
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