Seabird foraging areas 'key for conservation'

By Mark KinverEnvironment reporter, BBC News

The feeding patterns of seabirds around the UK coastline can be can used to help identify the location of possible marine protection areas, a study says.

Researchers compiled data on 25 species' foraging behaviour, adding that feeding sites played a vital role in the success of breeding colonies.

There is just one Marine Conservation Zone in English waters but a network is expected to be decided by 2013.

The findings appear in the journal Biological Conservation.

"There is an increasing need to protect areas of sea for marine species because the environment is facing pressures - such as oil, shipping, gas and renewable energy," explained co-author Chris Thaxter, research ecologist for the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

"It is important not to let these events impact on the species that are using these areas."

He told BBC News that there was a discrepancy between the level of protection offered to the birds while they were on colonies and when they were searching for food.

"Seabirds are an important part of the marine ecosystems," Dr Thaxter said.

"Seabird colonies are relatively well protected but offshore areas are not - and that has been a big gap in [scientific] knowledge.

"This is the challenge that the government faces: deciding what areas to protect when they do not have the best evidence to hand."

Continued at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16532920

Blame Hitchcock's Crazed Birds on Toxic Algae

Moviemaker Alfred Hitchcock appears to have drawn some inspiration for one of his classic thrillers, "The Birds," with the help of toxin-producing algae.

The algae, whose single cells are encased in glass walls, have been the prime suspects for some time, but now scientists have confirmed they were present at just the right time.

On Aug. 18, 1961, a local newspaper reported that thousands of crazed seabirds were sighted on the shores of North Monterey Bay in California. The birds, called sooty shearwaters, regurgitated anchovies, flew into objects and died on the streets.

Hitchcock lived in the region, and called the newspaper, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, for more information, according to Sibel Bargu, a biological oceanographer at Louisiana State University and one of the study researchers.

Continued:  http://www.livescience.com/17713-hitchcock-birds-movie-algae-toxin.html

Hundreds of seabirds caught in Cornish fishing nets in just one day

Death toll is rising

January 2012: Conservationists are saddened and extremely concerned about the continued deaths of seabirds caught in nets in west Cornwall. On just one day in early January, an estimated 200 birds were found in a net to the north of St Ives and others washed up on local beaches. The Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (CIFCA) has now used a local bylaw to close part of the fishery due to birds being caught in nets nearby. 

Paul St Pierre, RSPB Conservation Officer in Cornwall said: ‘This is of great concern. At this time of the year birds such as guillemots and razorbills are frequently found near the coast feeding on sprats in the same areas used by local fishermen.'

Birds are trapped in nets and then drownHe added: ‘Unfortunately conditions have conspired to bring them into greater proximity than normal with the result that large numbers of birds are being trapped in the nets and drowning.'

Cornwall Wildlife Trust picked up a number of dead birds from Porthmeor Beach over the weekend. These were examined by a local vet and their deaths were found to entirely consistent with drowning while feeding on sprats.

Ruth Williams, marine conservation manager at  Cornwall Wildlife Trust said: ‘The birds that have been examined were healthy, had very recently been feeding, but had definitely died as a result of drowning in these nets.

‘We feel confident fishermen will act responsibly'‘This is a sad event, but we praise the CIFCA officers for their rapid intervention and enforcement of the by-law. Unfortunately, the area covered by this by-law is very small and the issue has continued outside the recently closed area of the bay, so we would hope that as part of their investigation and future discussions, the CIFCA may see fit to extend the area covered by it to give the protection needed to these seabirds.'

Conservationists are now urging local fishermen to work with CIFCA on a solution to the problem outside of the area covered by this bylaw.

Paul St Pierre said: ‘We have been talking with CIFCA and think there are a number of potential solutions to this immediate problem that should be explored such as restricting the setting of nets to the hours of darkness in the short term. Seabirds only feed by day so this could reduce much of this bycatch.

No clear plan to tackle problem in European waters‘We feel confident that we can rely on fishermen to act responsibly for the benefit of the birds with the encouragement of CIFCA. However, all parties do need to act quickly.'

The issue of bird bycatch around St Ives highlights a wider issue at a European level. Although much good work has been done in the southern oceans to prevent this with respect to albatross, there has to date been no clear and coherent plan to tackle bycatch of seabirds in European waters. This is of concern for a large number of seabirds, including the globally endangered Balearic shearwater that regularly feeds off north Cornwall at this time of year.

Paul St Pierre added: ‘The introduction of an action plan to tackle seabird bycatch in Europe is sadly much delayed, but we feel these awful incidents over the past week are a further reminder of the need for urgent action.'

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/seabirds-cornwall2012.html#cr

Migrating birds rescued at Newgale after high winds

Hundreds of seabirds were left stranded on the coast after being blown off course as high winds and heavy rain cause disruption in parts of Wales.

The RSPCA rescued the Manx shearwaters, which were migrating to Argentina from their burrows on Skomer island off Pembrokeshire.

More than 400 ended up on cliffs and in the surf at Newgale in Pembrokeshire.

The charity said it was the biggest bird rescue in the area since the Sea Empress oil spill in 1996.

The birds - which usually fly off after dropping from island cliffs - were struggling to take off and were getting caught in rough sea.

Keith Hogben, an RSPCA inspector, said he found around 200 Manx shearwaters on the beach at Newgale on Tuesday morning.

"At this time of year, Manx shearwater nesting in burrows come out and go out to sea but unfortunately with all this stormy weather, a lot have been blown back into the cliffs and into the surf," said Mr Hogben.

"Some were on the beach, along with some gannets. We've rescued as many as we can.

"They're designed for swimming and flying, not built for taking off from land. They fall off the cliffs and fly away."

He said he hoped 70% would recover enough to migrate.

Of the 491 Manx shearwaters picked up by the RSPCA, 388 have been saved.

Officers sent 237 of the rescued birds to West Hatch animal centre in Taunton, Somerset, with another 151 set to be transported there on Wednesday.

"Unfortunately we had to euthanise 100 Manx shearwaters due to injuries or low weight, one fulmar and two gannets, which we euthanised at the beach," said Mr Hogben.

"That means so far we have around a 70 to 80% survival, which is really good because rescued wildlife often don't make it - they were very waterlogged, but quite alert and active."

Staff at the West Hatch centre are hopeful that most of the birds will survive.

Peter Venn, the centre's manager, said it had a reputation for dealing with large numbers of seabirds, and after the sinking of the MV Napoli in 2007, for example, it took in 1,000 oiled birds.

West Hatch is known for its expertise that goes back as long ago as the Torrey Canyon tanker disaster in 1967.

Mr Venn said he was anticipating about 300 birds, who will be washed, weighed and cared for until they are released in a few days.

Meanwhile, the RSPCA appealed for the public to notify them of any more distressed birds they came across, saying they were at risk from predators, the weather, shock and hypothermia.

"Juveniles may even be found further afield in Carmarthenshire and Fishguard in northern Pembrokeshire," said Mr Hogben.

"If you live in the area and do come across them, the best way to capture them without encountering their sharp beak is to throw something like a towel over them and then carefully put them in a box."

The number to call is the RSPCA's 24-hour helpline on 0300 1234 999.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14790237

UK Seabirds falling through safety net

Seabird feeding grounds not protectedAugust 2011. Despite the UK being globally-renowned for its immense populations of seabirds - including puffins, shearwaters, petrels, kittiwakes, terns and gannets - laws to designate marine protected areas in England and Wales are failing these iconic species because too few seabird sites are being protected, says the RSPB - Europe's largest wildlife conservation charity.
Kate Sugar is an RSPB marine policy officer. Commenting on the relative failure of seabird protection, she said: "The UK Government has an international commitment to designate a comprehensive network of marine protected areas by the end of next year. But for seabirds, at least, we're on course to fail because the number of sites being considered is woefully inadequate and in some cases seabirds are being excluded from the designation process.

Rich in wildlife and other economic benefits
The seas around the UK are rich in wildlife, but they also important for economic interests too. Fisheries, renewable-energy projects, oil and gas exploration, tourism, shipping and aggregate extraction are just some of the industries that are competing with each other and the environment for growth. We believe that wildlife must be safeguarded alongside the marine ‘gold rush' that's currently underway. Protecting the most important sites would take them out of jeopardy and would provide much-needed clarity for marine developers and industry.

Seabirds feeding grounds are vulnerable
"Thankfully, most seabird nesting sites are already protected, but the areas where seabirds feed at sea are not, meaning that these species are only generally afforded protection on land. This is a nonsense: it's like having robust laws preventing burglary, while having no laws preventing mugging. Seabirds need protection at sea too."

Unprotected areas
It is likely that the seabird interests of some important seabird sites will miss out on protection. These sites include: the Mid-Irish Sea; the Celtic Deeps (100km off the north Cornish coast); the waters around Beachy Head; and the Flamborough and Helgoland Front, in the North Sea.

Since 1979, the UK Government has had the power to designate marine sites of European importance for birds under the European Union Birds Directive. But, so far, it has dragged its feet and is currently running 30 years behind schedule, with only a minimum number of sites designated so far.

Seabirds excluded
There is also new legislation in England and Wales enabling the designation of marine sites that are important at a national level. Currently, there are four English projects and one Welsh project - involving a range of stakeholders - selecting a network of nationally-important marine protected areas under the Marine and Coastal Access Act, enacted in 2009. But these projects have been guided to largely exclude seabirds from the designation process around English coasts and restrict the number and size of sites around Wales, meaning that some of the best and most important sites are not even being considered. Furthermore, the UK Government has recently revealed that it does not expect to complete its ecologically-coherent UK network of marine protected areas until at least 2015 - three years after the internationally-agreed deadline of next year.

Kate Sugar added: "It is ironic that despite our global importance for seabirds we're consistently failing to protect them at sea. The UK has the largest European Union population of 15 species of seabird, including puffin, gannet and kittiwake. Therefore, it doesn't seem appropriate that countries with shorter coastlines and smaller sea areas, like Germany and Denmark, are shaming the UK with the extent of their marine protected area networks."

The RSPB is urging that people step up for nature and support the RSPB campaign to ensure seabirds are fully protected. To sign the RSPB pledge and call on UK Government ministers to ensure that seabirds are safeguarded at sea please visit:www.rspb.org.uk/marinepetition

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/uk-seabirds011.html

Sat nav-style technology used to track UK seabirds

24 May 2011

Tiny trackers are being fitted to the backs of seabirds in the UK as part of a Europe-wide effort to better understand their behaviour.

Scientists are tagging birds on the Fair Isle, Orkney and Colonsay in the Hebrides.

The project called Future of the Atlantic Marine Environment (Fame) also includes species on Bardsey Island in Wales and the Isles of Scilly.

The RSPB said Fame used technology similar to car sat nav systems.

Trackers are also being fitted to birds in Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal.

Dr Ellie Owen, a scientist working on a European Union-funded project, said very little was known about the movements of birds as they hunted at sea.

She said: "We know more about the journeys of albatrosses in the Southern Ocean than we do about some of the seabirds around our own shores.

"For example, we know how many kittiwakes there are in the UK, and we know they've declined by 30% between 2000 and 2010.

"But we don't know where these ocean travellers are going to fish for their chicks' suppers. But now, just when these birds need our help, we're on the cusp of filling this information void with vitally-important data."

'Dwindling food'

The tracking devices take a reading every 100 seconds, allowing the scientists to accurately pinpoint birds' movements between nesting colonies and the areas of sea the birds use to find food.

The RSPB said the technology was accurate to within a few metres.

In the UK, the Fame project has been tagging fulmar, shag, kittiwake, guillemot and razorbill.

Elsewhere, scientists are involved with other seabirds such as gannet, European storm petrel, Madeiran storm petrel and Balearic and Cory's shearwaters.

Dr Owen, who has fitted trackers to birds on Colonsay, said: "European seabirds face a variety of threats from dwindling food supplies, climate change, entanglement with fishing gear and pollution.

"By recording these birds' movements we are building a greater understanding of their requirements so we can begin to give these species the protection they need."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13500828
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)

Forest fires in Madeira put future of Europe's rarest seabird under threat

Europe's rarest seabird, the Zino's Petrel, found only in Madeira, has suffered potentially devastating losses from a forest fire which struck the birds' breeding area on the Atlantic island.


The fire on Madeira's central mountain massif killed 25 chicks – 65 per cent of this year's young birds – with only 13 fledglings found alive in their underground burrows. These remaining few will have to contend with the effects of severe soil erosion which the fire has caused. Three adult birds also died.

One of the rarest birds in the world, Pterodroma Madeira was once believed to be extinct and was only rediscovered in 1969. Since then its numbers have been down to a few tens of pairs, but intense conservation action in recent decades has seen its population grow and almost 80 pairs now nest on the island. In recent weeks, forest fires ravaged parts of Madeira, and eventually hit the heart of the central massif, whose mountain ledges support a number of endemic plants and animals (some of the wild flowers surviving because they are inaccessible to goats).

The petrels breed on ledges 5,250ft up where there needs to be enough earth for the birds to burrow and make their nests. They face numerous threats, ranging from predators such as rats and cats to habitat degradation and human disturbance: in 1991 the remains of 10 Zino's Petrels were found on one ledge, all of them apparently killed by cats. Shepherds used to collect juvenile birds for food, and egg-collectors have raided nest burrows in the past.

Late last year another threat appeared in the shape of a Nato radar station being built on the summit of Pico do Areeiro, the mountain in the heart of the breeding area. Authorities insists it is necessary for military purposes, but it is feared the building work and the station will affect the birds.

A conservation effort in the breeding area has hitherto protected the birds. "Losing 65 per cent of this year's potential young is a blow to Zino's Petrel," said Ana Isabel Fagundes, of Portugal's national ornithological society, SPEA.

Conservation teams have reinforced nests with surviving birds, and removed the bodies of the dead ones. "Burnt bushes and trees have been removed to avoid the risk of adult birds colliding with them on their nocturnal visits to feed the chicks," said Paulo Oliveira, director of the Natural Park of Madeira.

By James Corcut

Friday, 3 September 2010

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/forest-fires-in-madeira-put-future-of-europes-rarest-seabird-under-threat-2069241.html

Forest fires in Madeira put future of Europe's rarest seabird under threat

Europe's rarest seabird, the Zino's Petrel, found only in Madeira, has suffered potentially devastating losses from a forest fire which struck the birds' breeding area on the Atlantic island.


The fire on Madeira's central mountain massif killed 25 chicks – 65 per cent of this year's young birds – with only 13 fledglings found alive in their underground burrows. These remaining few will have to contend with the effects of severe soil erosion which the fire has caused. Three adult birds also died.

One of the rarest birds in the world, Pterodroma Madeira was once believed to be extinct and was only rediscovered in 1969. Since then its numbers have been down to a few tens of pairs, but intense conservation action in recent decades has seen its population grow and almost 80 pairs now nest on the island. In recent weeks, forest fires ravaged parts of Madeira, and eventually hit the heart of the central massif, whose mountain ledges support a number of endemic plants and animals (some of the wild flowers surviving because they are inaccessible to goats).

The petrels breed on ledges 5,250ft up where there needs to be enough earth for the birds to burrow and make their nests. They face numerous threats, ranging from predators such as rats and cats to habitat degradation and human disturbance: in 1991 the remains of 10 Zino's Petrels were found on one ledge, all of them apparently killed by cats. Shepherds used to collect juvenile birds for food, and egg-collectors have raided nest burrows in the past.

Late last year another threat appeared in the shape of a Nato radar station being built on the summit of Pico do Areeiro, the mountain in the heart of the breeding area. Authorities insists it is necessary for military purposes, but it is feared the building work and the station will affect the birds.

A conservation effort in the breeding area has hitherto protected the birds. "Losing 65 per cent of this year's potential young is a blow to Zino's Petrel," said Ana Isabel Fagundes, of Portugal's national ornithological society, SPEA.

Conservation teams have reinforced nests with surviving birds, and removed the bodies of the dead ones. "Burnt bushes and trees have been removed to avoid the risk of adult birds colliding with them on their nocturnal visits to feed the chicks," said Paulo Oliveira, director of the Natural Park of Madeira.

By James Corcut

Friday, 3 September 2010

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/forest-fires-in-madeira-put-future-of-europes-rarest-seabird-under-threat-2069241.html