Current Ornithological Research in Ireland 5th Ornithological Research Conference University College Cork November 2008 It is five years since the fourth Conference on Ornithological Research in Ireland was held at University College Cork in November 2003. Since then a number of projects have been completed, others started and some long- term studies are ongoing. It is now appropriate to provide an up-to-date summary of our ornithological research activities. And so the fifth conference is being held at University College Cork on 15 November 2008. As before, all known workers in Irish ornithology, at the universities, institutes of technology, Government departments, conservation organisations, other NGOs and ecological/environment consultants were invited to submit abstracts ahead of this conference detailing their current research activities. This year the keynote address will be delivered by Dr. John Quinn from the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford, England. The title of his presentation is "Predation Risk and Individual Behavioural Variation in Birds”. A total of 135 abstracts were received for this conference compared with 115 in 2003, 159 in 1997, 120 in 1992 and 98 in 1985. There has been a shift in the numbers and types of projects, with a growing trend of inter- university collaborations, and joint studies between universities and conservation organizations. There is also evidence of increased international collaboration with the universities and other groups in Europe. The studies have also changed from those describing occurrence and distribution to more detailed ecological studies of single species, in particular those under threat or of conservation concern, and studies of those species that interact with humans and their structures. A further point of note is the number of studies that link their work in a global context, reflecting the international importance of research in both Irish habitats and their birds. Organising Committee John O’Halloran, UCC Stephen Newton, BirdWatch Ireland Tom Kelly, UCC Sandra Irwin, UCC RESEARCH ABSTRACTS Peril in the uplands – will biodiversity dwindle as undergrazing increases? Anderson, R.M.,1 O’Halloran, J.2 & Emmerson, M.C.1,2 1 Environmental Research Institute, Lee Road, University College Cork, Cork 2 Department of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork Through changes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) a new threat to the uplands has emerged – undergrazing. Here we integrate empirical and theoretical approaches to study biodiversity change in upland ecosystems. We investigate biodiversity change among plants, invertebrates and birds across a range of farmland management regimes. Focusing on the birds, this study asks whether bird diversity, density, species richness and evenness differ between management states. Testing the effectiveness of agri-environment options for Yellowhammer Emberiza citronella in Northern Ireland Barnett, C.,1 McDevitt, A-M.,1 Morris, T.,2 Colhoun, K.,1 & Robinson, J.1 1 RSPB, Belvoir Park Forest, Belfast BT8 7QT 2 RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK The Yellowhammer was one of the most common birds in Britain and Ireland in the 19th century. The NI population is estimated at 5,000 pairs and is declining. In recognition of its unfavourable conservation status, the Yellowhammer is the subject of a Species Action Plan (SAP) in NI, published under the auspices of the NI Biodiversity Strategy, the target of which is to maintain the breeding population at 5000 pairs and by 2015 increase the population size to 11,400 breeding pairs. This project is the only Yellowhammer recovery project in the UK and Ireland. As agri-environment schemes in the wider countryside are seen as the primary mechanism for maintenance of the population, this project aims to investigate the effects of a good uptake of the ‘arable options’ available through the Department of Agricultural and Rural Development (DARD) Countryside Management Scheme (CMS), combined with good management advice, on the breeding Yellowhammer population. Since 2006 Yellowhammers have been monitored at 40 sites in their stronghold in east County Down. The approach compares bird occupancy at experimental (arable/mixed systems have added arable options to their CMS agreements and are being given continual advice by the Yellowhammer Project Officer; n=18) and control sites (arable/mixed farms not in CMS and are not implementing any management prescriptions for Yellowhammer, through the course of the project they will receive no advisory visits from the Project Officer; n=22). A baseline survey was carried out on all 40 farms in spring/summer 2006 a final follow up survey will be carried out in spring /summer 2010. All 18 experimental farms have added ‘summer insect-rich’ arable options to their agreements in 2006 and receive continued advice on the uptake and management of these and other seed-rich arable options available to them through CMS. Results from research carried out by RSPB on rough grass margins (RGMs; CMS arable option) in January 2007 showed that Yellowhammers and other seed-eaters were not using RGMs. It is thought that the margins are too dense for Yellowhammers and other passerines to forage in. We are testing the effectiveness of sward management (cutting/grazing) in opening up the swards in RGMs and increasing accessibility. Fifth Irish Ornithological Research Conference - 1 - Analyses of seabird and marine mammal monitoring for the Arklow Bank Offshore Wind Farm Barton, C.,1 Pollock, C.,1 & Harding, N.2 1 Cork Ecology, Long Strand, Castlefreke, Clonakilty, County Cork 2 Craigton Ecological Services, 48 Craigend Drive West, Milngavie, Glasgow, Scotland In August 2003, Airtricity and GE began the construction of an offshore wind farm on the Arklow Bank off County Wicklow. The Arklow Bank is a shallow undersea sand bank, approximately 26 km in length, between 8 and 13 km offshore. The first seven turbines were installed in 2003, and became operational in June 2004. Seabirds and marine mammal surveys commenced in 2000 using an adaptation of the standard Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Seabirds at Sea survey method. Birds were counted using a 300m transect, and the snapshot method to assess densities for flying birds. The estimated height of flying birds was also recorded. Surveys were conducted along pre-determined transects at various distances from and parallel to the Arklow Bank, with the majority of birds recorded on the two transects on each side of the Bank. Surveys found that species such as Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus, Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, Guillemot Uria aalge, Razorbill Alca torda and Common Gull Larus canus can occur in large numbers, while Red-throated Divers Gavia stellata occurred mainly during winter and spring. Highest bird densities occurred on the two survey legs nearest the Arklow Bank. Statistical analyses were conducted on all seven years of survey data, covering three years pre-construction baseline data, one year construction phase data, and three years of post-construction data, with 7 operational turbines. The analyses aimed to assess the impact of the installation of the turbines on the distribution and abundance of 12 key species. These were Red-throated Diver, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus, Gannet Morus bassanus, Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Little Gull, Kittiwake, Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea, Common Tern Sterna hirundo, Guillemot, Razorbill and Harbour Porpoise Phoca vitulina. All statistical analyses were carried out using non-parametric permutation and bootstrapping techniques within the R statistical package. The main finding was that a strongly statistically significant decline (P=0.005) occurred in the numbers of Red- throated Divers on the outer Bank leg. This decline appeared to be strongly associated with the proximity of turbines. However, on the inner Bank leg, there was no evidence of a decline in Red-throated Divers numbers. The statistical analysis also found a weakly statistically significant decline (P=0.03) in Harbour Porpoise numbers on the inner Bank leg. However, there was no evidence that this decline was related to the proximity of the turbines. All the other key species showed no statistically significant declines following construction of the turbines. Interactions between Northern Gannets Morus bassanus and fisheries in the Celtic Sea: a multi-tool approach combining GIS, vessel monitoring data and stable isotopes Bearhop, S.,1 Votier, S.,2 Witt, M.,1 Inger, R.,1 Thompson, D.3 & Newton, J.4 1 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus. Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK 2 School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK 3 National Institute Water & Atmospheric Research, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Kilbirnie, Wellington, New Zealand 4 NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride G75 0QF, UK The Celtic sea is one of the most productive regions in Europe supporting several important fisheries. The region also supports some very large seabird communities and the large Gannet colony at Grassholm probably the most striking visual evidence of these. In conjunction with Gannet colonies in other parts of the North Atlantic, the numbers of birds at Grassholm have increased by over 70% in the last 40 years and this is at least in part thought