The RSPB is warning that some of Scotland’s globally important seabird colonies could become extinct if the Scottish government does not act quickly.

Species like Common Guillemot, Razorbill and Puffin are struggling to cope with increasing challenges including lack of food and the effects of climate change, leaving Scotland’s once bustling 'seabird cities' in danger of failing entirely. The RSPB's warning comes after end-of-season counts at its coastal reserves revealed that these species are continuing to experience severe long-term declines. Recent reports that numbers had stabilised now appear to have been premature.

Recent counts carried out at Noup Cliffs RSPB, Orkney, reveal a 41 per cent fall in numbers of Common Guillemot since the last census in 2000. Dunnet Head RSPB on the Caithness coast saw a decline of around 45 per cent, from 8,980 to just 4,880 birds, since 2000, while Common Guillemots on Ailsa Craig RSPB in the Firth of Clyde have suffered a decline of over 27 per cent.

The charity is calling on the Scottish government to urgently designate Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for the country’s seabird populations. To date, only Black Guillemot is listed in government proposals, leaving species like Common Guillemot, Kittiwake, Arctic Skua and Razorbill unprotected at sea. In contrast with its close cousin, Black Guillemot appears to be doing well, with colony counts in the northern isles in particular showing good productivity. Extensions of protected areas around the colonies feeding grounds in 2009 would seem to have been nowhere near enough.

Allan Whyte, Marine Policy Officer at RSPB Scotland, said: “Scotland is home to 24 species of breeding seabird and it is baffling that the Scottish government chooses to ignore all but one when designating MPAs. Puffin, Kittiwake, Common Guillemot and the rest are struggling to survive in these tough times. The Scottish government must throw these birds a lifeline and designate MPAs to protect this amazing group of species. It is time we take action to give all of our seabirds a fighting chance.”

During the last few decades, the population of British House Sparrows has declined by roughly half, causing great alarm among both scientists and the general public. However, the latest data from the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) Garden BirdWatch, suggests that the decline is levelling off in our gardens.

The decline of the House Sparrow has been dramatic, falling from around 12 million British pairs in the 1970s to between six and seven million pairs currently, with a greater reduction in population size in urban and rural areas, than in suburban ones. Given that gardens are thought to be a particularly valuable habitat for our House Sparrows, it is encouraging that the latest BTO Garden BirdWatch data indicate that numbers are stabilizing, which is also reflected in data from the wider countryside.

The reasons behind the decline very much depend on population location, as House Sparrows are fairly sedentary birds. Populations across Britain were affected by loss of nesting sites and food sources, especially the lack of invertebrates to feed their young. However, in rural areas, changes in farming practices are thought to have had a large effect but in urban and suburban populations causes were more complex and may have included increased competition with other birds and increased pesticide use in gardens.

Clare Simm, from the BTO Garden Ecology Team, said: "This complexity is also reflected in the factors that are driving the change in this delightful bird's fortunes. We are a nation of wildlife lovers and more people are now managing their gardens for wildlife, which will be benefitting our House Sparrows. There is also a greater awareness of clean feeding stations and in reducing garden pesticide use. The combination of these factors could be helping the House Sparrow to maintain its population."

This news does not necessarily mean that House Sparrows are out of danger, as the turning point has only occurred in the last few years. Clare Simm has recommended five simple things that anyone can do in their gardens to encourage House Sparrows:

• Let an area of your garden go wild to encourage insects
• Plant species such as hawthorn and Ivy which provide thick vegetation for House Sparrows to hide in
• Provide your birds with a home, using either a House Sparrow terrace or a group of nest boxes (with 32mm entrance holes) near the eaves of your house
• If you feed your birds, provide them with a suitable seed mix that includes large grains
• Regularly clean your feeding stations to prevent disease

You can find out more about the Garden BirdWatch on the BTO website.

Last winter was a trial for us all, and our garden birds did not have an easy
time of it either. The British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) Garden Bird Feeding
Survey saw unprecedented numbers of birds driven into Britain's gardens in
search of food. As winter looms once again, an army of 'citizen scientists' is preparing to chart the changing fortunes of our winter visitors.

The combination of poor fruit and seed yields in the wider countryside last
autumn, and the long, cold winter that followed, brought unprecedented numbers
of birds to our gardens. Perhaps the most striking arrival was the number of Siskins visiting gardens in search of food — numbers last winter were more than double the previous five-year average — a response to very poor crops of Sitka Spruce and birch seed, which Siskins usually take in winter.

 While the stories emerging from individual winters are fascinating, it is the
quantity of information collected by the BTO's armchair birdwatchers since 1970
that has proved so important. These long-term changes hint at what the future
might hold for our gardens and their visiting bird communities. Garden
birdwatchers may be seeing less of 'common' species, such as Collared Dove, Song Thrush and Starling, which are disappearing from our gardens
quite rapidly. However, fortunes for other birds are improving with Bullfinch, Goldfinch and Great Spotted Woodpecker becoming regulars.

 As the nation hopes that this winter is not as long or cold as the last one,
a certain group of birdwatchers are probably in two minds. For those who
participate in the BTO's Garden Bird Feeding Survey (GBFS), it is time to dust
off their notebooks and start recording from the warmth of their living
rooms.

Clare Simm of the BTO Garden Ecology team shares her thoughts as to what may
happen this winter: "With an unusually late start to the breeding season this
year, and a slow move towards the warm weather, it is difficult to predict
exactly how our birds will be faring as they enter the winter months. If this
winter is anywhere near as cold as last, then we might expect a sudden influx
into gardens once the autumn seed and berry stocks are depleted. One thing is
for sure, our 'citizen scientists' will be the first to notice and tell us."

 For a free guide on what to feed your birds this winter, information on how
to become a citizen scientist with the BTO and the opportunity to contribute to
valuable work like this, email [email protected],
telephone 01842 750050 or write to GBFS, BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk,
IP24 2PU.

Conservationists in Somerset are celebrating the news that the Avalon Marshes
  has had its best year ever for rare breeding herons.

Following the first  British nesting Great Egrets last year in the marshes, this summer has seen two  pairs successzfully raise young; one pair again at Natural England’s (NE)  Shapwick NNR (producing two fledglings) and a second pair within the boundary of  the RSPB’s Ham Wall nature reserve (producing three). The Avalon Marshes is a  huge wetland recreation site to the west of Glastonbury, managed jointly by NE, Somerset Wildlife Trust (SWT), Hawk and Owl Trust (HOT) and RSPB.

Ham  Wall RSPB has also been hosting a nesting pair of Little Bitterns. This is the
  only known British breeding location for these remarkably shy and diminutive
  herons, and this year two chicks fledged. In addition to this, Bittern itself
  has had yet another amazing year across the marshes, with as many as 33 booming  males being heard. The area is now one of Britian’s hotspots for this rare and remarkable bird.
Alongside the bitterns and egrets, the area has also
  provided a home for four pairs of Marsh Harrier, which produced 13
  young.

Ray Summers, RSPB warden for Ham Wall said: “We are all
absolutely  delighted. Since we took on the land at Ham Wall back in the mid
1990s, we’ve  been working hard to recreate a pristine wetland. To have all
these nesting  herons and harriers is a fantastic seal of approval for the work
we’ve done, and  really demonstrates the quality of the site for
wildlife."

Mark Blake,  Reserve Manager for SWT, said: ”It has been an
exciting year on the Avalon  Marshes and we are delighted to see Marsh Harrier
breeding at Westhay Moor for  the second year. The habitat creation and
management being carried out by the  partners is going from strength to strength
and we look forward to further  breeding success in future.”

Chris Sperring MBE Conservation Officer for  HOT said: “The Avalon Marshes just get better every year. The success is down to  a wonderfully balanced and organised
partnership, particularly heartening when  we see so many new species
establishing, and some old friends like the Marsh  Harrier on the rise as
well.  The careful management also creates a very human  experience, as I
found out recently while on a footpath with a Kingfisher  hovering less than 3
metres from me.”

Tadcaster police and the RSPB are appealing for information after a Red Kite was poisoned in the area. The bird was found at Toulston Polo Ground, Tadcaster in October 2012, by a member of the public who contacted Yorkshire Red Kites, who in turn reported the suspected poisoning to North Yorkshire Police.

Following a post-mortem examination and forensic testing it was found to have
died from the illegal poison Carbofuran, which was banned in 2001. The RSPB have offered a £1,000 reward for anyone who can provide information that leads to the arrest and charging of those responsible for the bird's death.

Between 2002 and 2011, there were 292 confirmed cases of birds of prey being
killed by Carbofuran poisoning in England. PC Sarah Ward of Tadcaster Safer
Neighbourhood Team said: "This crime is appalling. The use of Carbofuran is both
unlawful and highly dangerous. It is highly toxic and a few granules could kill.
Someone has put Carbofuran into the countryside unlawfully, risking the lives of
people, domesticated animals and wildlife. I urge anyone with information to
contact the police or RSPB immediately."

The Red Kite that died was hatched in Wales in 2009 and is believed to be one
of a breeding pair that first bred at Tadcaster Grammar School in 2012. They are
the first-known Welsh-born Red Kites to have bred in Yorkshire.

 Bob Elliot, RSPB Head of Investigations, said: "Since their successful
release back into the Yorkshire countryside in 1999, Red Kites have suffered at
the hands of illegal poisoning in North Yorkshire with this incident being the
twentieth poisoned Kite since 2000." Mr Elliot added: "Birds of prey are still
being targeted by those intent on killing our most protected species and it is
simply not acceptable to still be finding poisoned, trapped and shot raptors in
our countryside."

 Doug Simpson, Yorkshire Red Kites Coordinator, said: "The loss of any bird
through illegal poisoning is a big disappointment. It is particularly
disappointing in this case, with this kite being of Welsh origin and the first
from that source known to have bred in Yorkshire."

 Anyone who can help to identify those responsible for this poisoning should
contact Tadcaster police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Sarah Ward. You can
also contact the RSPB on 0845 4663636 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800
555111.

A question that the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) Garden Ecology Team hears a lot at this time of year is "Where have all my birds gone?"

One of the most conspicuous disappearances from British gardens at the end of the summer is that of the Blackbird. For a bird that features in the majority of British gardens, the sudden loss of 'your' local Blackbird must come as quite a shock. But all is well. As results from the BTO's weekly Garden BirdWatch (GBW) survey show, it happens every year — there is always a pronounced 'trough' between September and October when Blackbirds are more absent from people's gardens.

So, where are they going? The answer is twofold. Your Blackbirds may have been looking a bit tatty towards the end of the summer because they have been frantically feeding their chicks, squeezing in and out of hedges. At the end of a busy breeding season they moult into new feathers. Individuals tend to hide away while they do this in order to avoid predators as they expend a lot of energy during the moulting process and are less manoeuvrable on the wing.

The second reason for their absence is that Blackbirds head out of gardens to take advantage of the natural food bounty in the wider countryside. During the autumn, Blackbirds feed up for the winter and the abundance of natural fruits, like blackberries, provides what they need. This use of natural fruits during the autumn has also been reflected in the GBW results from 2012. There were many more Blackbirds seen in gardens in autumn 2012, echoing the poor berry crop of last year.

You may miss your Blackbirds but they will start to head back into your gardens later on in the year. However, they may not return alone. Clare Simm, of the BTO Garden Ecology team, explains why: "When our British Blackbirds return to our gardens in the winter, they are often joined by immigrants. Large numbers of Blackbirds migrate from Sandinavia and continental Europe to spend the winter here in Britain and Ireland. A few of our Blackbirds migrate too, but generally only moving within Britain, often moving south and west during the autumn, pursuing the milder weather."

For first time since Middle Ages, Common Cranes have raised young in Scotland, on a farm whose precise location has been withheld.

The striking wading birds have successfully raised two chicks within the last two years in North-East Scotland, said the RSPB, indicating conditions could be right for the species to recolonise Scotland.

Small but increasing numbers of the migratory birds, which spend summer in northern Europe and winter in southern France and Spain, have passed through Britain in recent years and a small breeding population became established in Norfolk in 1979, with further breeding in Suffolk. However, these are the first confirmed successful nests north of the border for hundreds of years.

Common Crane once bred regularly in Scotland but died out about 400 years ago, primarily due to being hunted for mediaeval  tables. Habitat loss and a slow reproductive cycle may have also contributed to the species' disappearance.

The species, which favours large wetland areas such as lowland peat bogs with an abundance of pools, appears to be benefitting from farming methods in the area which provide plentiful invertebrates, grain and other foods, as well as the right conditions to breed and successfully raise chicks.

Stuart Housden, Director of RSPB Scotland said: “We are stunned and delighted to see that Common Cranes have bred successfully in Scotland. These charming, elegant birds have a strong place in our myths and history and are a delight to see, particularly during the breeding season with their 'dancing' displays. They undertake regular migrations and small numbers have turned up on the east coast of Scotland in recent years, raising hopes of a recolonisation. Last year a pair reared one chick, followed by a second chick in 2013.

“Thanks to the co-operation of farmers in the area, the conditions appear to be right for cranes to take up residence and it is possible that more will choose to re-establish themselves in the country in future.

“We have been working with local farmers, landowners and the community to monitor these fantastic birds. Despite their size and flamboyant breeding displays, cranes are secretive birds and are very sensitive to disturbance and  we ask that they be given space and peace so they may establish a breeding population in Scotland.”

To minimise risk of disturbance, the exact location of the nest site has not be revealed. The British breeding population stood at 17 pairs in 2011. In addition to natural re-colonisation, a re-introduction project began in 2010 on the Somerset Levels, the result of a partnership between RSPB, WWT, Pensthorpe Conservation Trust and Viridor Credits.

RSPB’s Loch of Strathbeg nature reserve, a major coastal wetland near Fraserburgh, is visited by cranes on spring migration and offers the best opportunity to see them doing their ‘dancing’ displays. 

Quarries throughout the UK are great places for birds of prey, a recent study has shown. Teaming up with the building materials company CEMEX in its national partnership, the RSPB asked quarry managers to complete a survey of the birds of prey they see at their sites.

Although the two most commonly reported species have not changed since the previous survey, Buzzards have overtaken Kestrels to take top spot; both were reported at more than half the sites. Red Kite and Hobby sightings remained fairly constant, being seen hunting at 15% of the quarries, while the occurrence of Sparrowhawks has increased to 46%. There was also good news regarding Barn Owls and Peregrines, populations of which have been under pressure in recent years, with both species recorded at over a third of sites.

All the species observed are fully protected in the UK and experts are excited to have them using these reclaimed habitats. Sam Tarrant, RSPB quarry restoration advisor, said: "Due to their scale, quarry sites offer usually large open spaces with a good range of habitats suitable to these magnificent birds: from rocky ledges, ideal nesting sites for peregrine falcons, to rough tussocky grass, just the sort of habitat for the small mammals hunted by Kestrels and Barn Owls. The sites can also provide a great range of other habitats including woodland, reedbeds, grassland, heathland and ponds. Historically, restored sites have provided many amazing places for wildlife in the UK. The CEMEX/RSPB partnership is a great example of industry and conservation working together to benefit wildlife."

Being one of the largest building materials companies in the UK, and owner of the sites, CEMEX is proud they are giving nature a home on their sites. As part of CEMEX UK's commitment to increasing biodiversity awareness within the company, a poster has been provided to all our quarry sites to highlight the importance of quarries to birds of prey.

Andy Barber, a CEMEX quarry manager, says: "I have been working for [the company] for the past 20 years. I love to see the different species that visit the quarry. Over the years we have thought about our method of working and restored areas to accommodate some species, particularly Sand Martins and Little Ringed Plovers. I have seen a large and welcome increase in the Buzzard and summer visitors include Hobby which often hunt the Sand Martins. We also had a visit from two Red Kites this year which was exciting."

To find out more about wildlife on quarry sites and the RSPB's partnership with CEMEX UK visit the RSPB/CEMEX web pages.

The safety tens of thousands of swans and geese in the UK could be improved by new research into collisions with power lines, which started this week with the installation of more than 150 special bird diverters in Lancashire.

Flying collisions are the most commonly recorded cause of death for swans, whose size means they have poor manoeuvrability in flight. Bird diverters are special attachments to the lines that help make them stand out to birds in flight. For the first time, a partnership between Electricity North West, Lancaster University and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is studying the efficiency of different types of diverter, alongside agricultural, weather and landscape factors that affect birds' flights. The study area around WWT Martin Mere in Lancashire is the winter home of 30,000 Pink-footed Geese and 2,500 Whooper Swans and has been identified as a sensitive area for collisions.
Dr Eileen Rees, Head of UK Waterbird Conservation for WWT, said: "Tens of thousands of migratory geese and swans make the UK's wetlands their winter homes. Collisions with power lines are a major cause of death for them, so WWT is delighted to be working with Electricity North West to make Lancashire, and the UK as a whole, a safer place for them. Through this innovative partnership we aim to gather evidence for solutions that work in our modern landscape. As well as reducing the risk to swans and geese, the results of the study should help electricity suppliers throughout the UK provide their service with fewer unnecessary interruptions."

Steve Cox, future network manager for Electricity North West, added: "We hope that the diverters and our subsequent research will go on to help birds and electricity customers across the UK. By working closely with WWT Martin Mere we discovered this was a sensitive section of the network as it was located in a known flight path and we are delighted to be able to help protect these wonderful birds. By limiting the chances of any collisions, the special diverters will also reduce any possible impact on customer power supplies."

Dr Ian Hartley, a Senior Lecturer at the Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University and a behavioural ecology expert, commented: "This is a great opportunity and we are very pleased to be working with new partners on a project of such high calibre which is going to have a large impact on the area around where the geese and swans winter. One of our Master's students will work on the project for a year and our input will be to add knowledge on the analysis and geographic information systems aspects."

Throughout this winter, the study will closely observe the flight behaviour of geese and swans in and around WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre. It will determine the importance of features such as tree lines, the choice of crops and the wind direction on the birds' choice of flight line and height.

For more information about Electricity North West please visit www.enwl.co.uk, and for further information about WWT see www.wwt.org.uk.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is appealing
  for information after a Red Kite was found with severe injuries in South
  Lanarkshire, having been shot, while the RSPB in Northern Ireland is calling
for  witnesses after a dead bird was discovered in the Castlewellan area on 14
  August.
Scotland's animal welfare charity was alerted on 8 August when a
  member of the public discovered the bird in the village of Leadhills.
  Unfortunately, the juvenile female Red Kite was suffering to such an extent
that  the kindest and only humane option was to put it to sleep. Post-mortem
results  confirmed that the bird was shot.
Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said:  “This bird was caused a great deal of pain and suffering as a result of being  shot. Sadly, she was so badly injured that she would not have been able to make  a recovery.
"As well as being cruel, injuring a wild
bird is a criminal  offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and we
are very keen to  speak to anyone who has information about this
incident.”
Anyone with  information is being urged to contact the
Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000  999 999. Calls are treated in the
strictest confidence and information can be  left anonymously.
The bird in Co Down is the fourth killed there this  year, representing 30 per cent of the total breeding population in the province.  The bird's body has been
submitted to the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute  for a post-mortem. 
It is strongly suspected that it, and the other birds, fell  victim to
poison.
Of the four deceased birds, two were breeding males,  one was a
breeding female and one was a juvenile. Sadly, the female was found  dead in the
nest where she was incubating two eggs, meaning the chicks inside  also
perished.
Adam McClure, Red Kite Officer for the RSPB, said: All  birds
of prey are protected under the law, but unfortunately this doesn’t always  mean
that they are safe from poison.
“We do not know what caused the  deaths
of these four birds as yet and are eagerly awaiting the post-mortem  results
dating back as far as January. However we suspect that they did not die  of
natural causes.”
Anyone who has information about the deaths of the
  birds is asked to contact the Police Service of Northern Ireland on 0845 600
  8000 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Red Kites were  once ubiquitous across Britain, but were hunted almost to their total loss as a  breeding species, with just a handful of pairs left in South Wales by the 20th  century. Successful reintroduction programmes have seen numbers increase across  England and Scotland, but the species still suffers from persecution and remains  vulnerable in Northern Ireland.