An impressive 2,000 Saker chicks have hatched in 2013 as a result of an artificial nesting programme in Mongolia. The project, which is run in partnership by the Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Mongolia's Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism, was launched in 2010 with the aim of increasing the wild Saker population.

In 2010, EAD — on behalf of the United Arab Emirates government — signed an agreement with the government of Mongolia to build 5,000 artificial nests in the Mongolian steppes to encourage breeding among the species and increase the world's population of Sakers. EAD reported that 3,700 chicks have been born since the project was first launched.

Several of the artificial nests have been fitted with cameras that record continuously, allowing officials to record the falcons' eating habits and predator threats. This year, the project has also been extended to address the problem of Sakers being electrocuted by power lines — a major cause of falcon mortality in Mongolia and China, which kills one falcon each week. Officials took a number of steps to address this issue, including adding insulation covers to the power lines.

This project has been instigated partly in response to the last 20 years when the United Arab Emirates has been the main destination for thousands of falcons caught and sold illegally for hefty sums on the black market. Kazakhstan is estimated to lose up to 1,000 Sakers per year to Middle Eastern falconers.

H.E Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of EAD, commented on the project's progress: "This initiative was introduced to promote sustainable breeding practices and to provide birds with safe and secure breeding environments in a bid to boost global population numbers. I am happy to report that, in addition to the success we have seen with the breeding, we have also built up the capabilities of local biologists and have incorporated an educational programme in schools in Mongolia as well as two schools in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council."

More information can be found on the Middle East Falcon Research Group website.

The Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña (SOPI, BirdLife in Puerto Rico) has signed an agreement with Cafiesencia, a local NGO, to collaborate in promoting economic sustainability and biodiversity conservation through the production of "Ecological Shade-grown Coffee" in the Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) of Maricao and Susua in Puerto Rico.

Maricao and Susua IBA is home to the globally threatened Puerto Rican Nightjar (Caprimulgus noctitherus) and Elfin-woods Warbler (Setophaga angelae). It also supports populations of many Neotropical migratory birds, and 18 restricted-range species including the Puerto Rican Tody (Todus mexicanus), which is the charismatic species featured on the branding of coffee being produced by participating farmers. The IBA is also recognized as a Key Biodiversity Area in recognition of its importance for plants, bats, reptiles and amphibians.

The Shade-grown Coffee Round Table is made up of representatives from national and federal government, NGOs and farmers, and is developing the criteria for certification of the ecological shade-grown coffee. They have identified a niche for an organization with expertise in bird conservation and agri-tourism to develop workshops for farmers, establish bird monitoring plots and train farmers in birdwatching. With this niche in mind, Cafiesencia, the leading NGO of the Round Table, has invited SOPI to participate in this initiative and start by establishing of bird monitoring plots. By signing this agreement, both organizations will work with coffee-farming communities to implement best practices that benefit birds, the forests and people. "It is important to maintain agriculture and conservation in harmony as they will both benefit each other in the long term," said Lisette Fas, Executive Director of Cafiescencia.

SOPI is supporting the production and marketing of this shade-grown coffee as it represents an important means of conserving birds (through the maintenance of the shade-providing canopy trees) and securing a premium price, thereby improving the livelihoods of the farmers. Ela M. Cruz, SOPI's Executive Director, said: "If the recommended best practices are adopted by the farmers, these farms will provide excellent buffer zones and wildlife corridors to the adjacent protected areas, and protect an important watershed. In return, the biodiversity — including the birds — will provide pest control and pollination services, and the coffee that is produced will command a premium price." In parallel to working on best practices, SOPI will also promote birding in these farms as an additional income-generating activity which will reinforce this production system as a win-win for both the farmers and biodiversity.

For more information about SOPI's conservation work, please visit their website atwww.avesdepuertorico.org.

A rare sighting of a marked Spoon-billed Sandpiper on migration was reported last weekend from Rudong mudflats north of Shanghai. The critically endangered bird was identified by a lime green plastic flag on its leg marked '01' that was
attached by scientists from Birds Russia on its breeding grounds this
summer.

Conservationists know that this bird 'Lime 01' fathered six fledglings this
summer — three that were hand-reared by conservationists and three that he
raised himself — which is 10 times the average for the species.

 In all, this summer sixteen hand-reared Spoon-billed Sandpiper fledglings and
eight adults were marked with uniquely inscribed plastic leg flags. Birdwatchers
are being asked to report all sightings of Spoon-billed Sandpipers.

Coordinator of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force, Christoph Zöckler,
said: "The Rudong mudflats are an extremely important stop-over site for the
Spoon-billed Sandpiper to rest and feed and it is very exciting news that our
Russian breeding birds have been sighted there. Unfortunately these mudflats,
like much coastal wetland along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, are
threatened by the development. Alongside illegal trapping and hunting, it has
pushed these birds to the edge."

 WWT Head of Species Conservation Department, Baz Hughes, said: "This is why
we're taking extreme measures to prevent its extinction: hand-rearing chicks to
boost numbers, but Spoon-billed Sandpipers rely on the help of so many people.
Reports like this are only possible thanks to the support of birdwatchers
throughout Asia and are an invaluable part of its conservation."

Rudong mudflats are the most significant known staging post in China for
Spoon-billed Sandpipers, where 106 individuals were counted last year in
October. Demand for land is high in the region, which is only 150km from
Shanghai, and land has already been reclaimed from the marshes at Dongling to
the southern end.

Pavel Tomkovich of Birds Russia, who caught and marked the bird with Nikolai
Yakushev, said: "When I marked 'Lime 01' I wondered if anybody would ever see it
on its travels, almost a quarter of the way round the world, as looking for
Spoon-billed Sandpipers can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Looking
for marked birds is even more difficult as we were only able to mark eight adult
birds with these unique flags. Thanks to the reports of local birdwatchers,
we're learning their stopover points."

 'Lime 01' was seen leaving the breeding grounds on 4th August and was seen
5,000km away at Rudong on 31st August. Spoon-billed Sandpipers can cover as much
as 1,000km per day, leaving around three weeks during which it may have been
staging elsewhere

BTO Head of Projects, Nigel Clark, said: "We've known for a few years that
they stop at Rudong mudflats and we hope to be able to protect it. But our
calculations indicate that 'Lime 01' probably stopped somewhere else for up to
three weeks before reaching Rudong. We want to find out where that is in case it
is under threat."

 Zhang Lin of the "Spoon-billed Sandpiper in China" Team said: "The first
Spoon-billed Sandpiper arrived at Rudong about two weeks ago since when I have
been regularly scanning the increasing numbers of waders at the high-tide roost
at Rudong. When I glimpsed a bird on 31st August that looked like it had a lime
green leg flag I knew something exciting was in front of me. On closer
inspection it turned out to be 'Lime 01'. I was over the moon as this is the
first time that one of the birds marked in 2013 has been seen in China. It is
amazing to see how these little but critically endangered birds are connecting
our key sites along the flyway between Russia and China. They are very important
as they allow us to track whether efforts to save the species are working."

 Guidance on reporting Spoon-billed Sandpiper sightings is available from the
East-Asian Australasian Flyway Partnership Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force www.eaaflyway.net/spoon-billed-sandpiper.php. To
follow the progress of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper conservation breeding
programme visit www.saving-spoon-billed-sandpiper.com.

Critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper fledglings have increased
in number by a quarter in 2013, after conservationists intervened to hand-rear
chicks. As few as 100 breeding pairs remain in the wild, rearing just 60 young
between them each year on average. The 16 additional hand-reared young from this
year are a significant boost for the species, which is on the verge of
extinction.

WWT Conservation Breeding Officer Roland Digby commented: "The breeding
season in Russia is short and brutal for Spoon-billed Sandpipers. Each pair is
lucky to get even a single chick as far as fledging. Normally, that's life, but
right now the Spoon-billed Sandpiper needs a lifeline to keep them from going
under."

 Experts from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust worked with Russian scientists
to source eggs from breeding pairs soon after being laid. Taking the eggs
prompted each breeding pair to lay a further clutch, which they were left to
rear themselves. One pair produced a total of six fledglings this year — no less
than ten times the average.

The tiny fledglings now face their first 8,000-kilometre migration to Myanmar
and Bangladesh. Along the way they will struggle to find undeveloped coastal
mudflats to rest and feed, and on arrival they risk being trapped in nets.
Birdwatchers in Asia are being asked to report any sightings of Spoon-billed
Sandpipers. All hand-reared birds have a tiny coloured flag attached to one
leg.

 Intervening to increase breeding productivity in wildlife like this is known
as headstarting. It is a short-term strategy and Tim Stowe, RSPB Director of
International Operations, said: "Having been part of an expedition to look for
additional Spoon-billed Sandpiper breeding sites, I can appreciate that giving
these amazing birds a helping hand through headstarting will help deliver
short-term conservation benefits."

Conservationists are tackling the problems of illegal trapping and habitat
loss along the species' flyway. It is calculated that headstarting Spoon-billed
Sandpipers will increase the number returning to breed as problems are
addressed, allowing the population to stabilise and recover more quickly.

For a fuller account of the expedition to Chukotka and for details of how to
support Spoon-billed Sandpiper conservation, visit www.saving-spoon-billed-sandpiper.com.

Recent surveys on its coastal Patagonian wintering grounds indicate that the
Endangered Hooded Grebe Podiceps gallardoi has declined by 40% in
the last seven years and this, along with alarming new threats detected on its
breeding grounds during 2011, indicate action is now urgently required to
prevent the rapidly increasing threat of its extinction.

 In response to these worrying findings, Aves Argentinas (BirdLife in
Argentina) has mounted a wide-ranging offensive to protect this
highly-threatened migratory species from further decline. In support, we are
launching an international online appeal through the BirdLife Preventing
Extinctions Programme to help fund the urgently required conservation
action that they have already begun.

 Please click here to visit BirdLife International's 
appeal page and see a video of breeding Hooded Grebes filmed by our
conservation team last week.

  Discovered only as recently as 1974, Hooded Grebe has declined by as much as
80% in the last 30 years and as a result of surveys conducted in 2006 and 2009,
the species was uplisted by BirdLife to Endangered on the IUCN Red List in
May 2009. Recent counts on the wintering grounds last year, suggest the decline
is steepening further.

 “Our teams started to become really worried when we realised that
there was more than one cause to tackle if we were to conserve the Hooded
Grebe”, said Gustavo Costa, President of Aves Argentinas.

In many of the lakes in the grebe’s core distribution, exotic trout have been
introduced for industrial fish production. “Trout rearing has reached the most
isolated places, and this industry is threatening not only the future of the
grebe but also the rest of the wildlife present in those environments”,
Gustavo Costa added. Also evident are the increasing numbers of Kelp Gull
Larus dominicanus, a known predator of the grebe that has benefited
from both the fish industry and poor waste management at human settlements.

As if these problems were not already enough to push this struggling species
over the edge, a breeding colony which Aves Argentinas was studying at Laguna El
Cervecero, Santa Cruz Province in March 2011, was devastated by a sinister
and ferocious invasive pest that is now advancing in western Patagonia: the
American mink, Neovison vison. More than 30 breeding adult Hooded
Grebes were found killed by mink at this one site, and a further 40-plus eggs
were abandoned.

 “This was one of the saddest days in my life as a naturalist, but at least it
meant that we had discovered another reason for the Hooded Grebe’s decline – and a very frightening one at that – that could allow us to implement suitable
management actions in the field”, said Kini Roesler, a field biologist who is
doing his PhD on the species.

 As part of the immediate conservation action Aves Argentinas is coordinating,
a team of scientists and conservationists including staff from Aves Argentinas,
Ambiente Sur and CONICET are currently in the field attempting to prevent
predation at several known colonies this breeding season. Measures to
control mink and reduce predation by gulls are being prioritised and wherever
breeding populations are located, they plan to set up ’round the clock’ watches
to protect the nesting birds.

Climate change is also a major threat to this species and its habitat: anecdotal reports suggest that recent winter snowfall has been much reduced, without a corresponding increase in precipitation at other times. Many of the lakes surveyed last year were found to be dry or becoming clogged with silt as a result of the general desertification of the region, leading to changes in the composition of the water.  Water levels at known breeding sites were 2-3 m lower than in previous years.

 Recent investigations indicate that wind gusts have also significantly
increased in recent decades. Unseasonably strong winds have caused around
50% of all breeding attempts to fail in the last three years. At other
times this threat would be marginal; with adult mortality naturally very low,
the species may be adapted to survive a succession of poor breeding seasons.
But, with numbers now so reduced and still falling so rapidly, the loss of
entire breeding colonies to wind damage could have a much greater impact.

 A stark shadow was cast over Aves Argentinas’s findings when, in May 2010,
the Alaotra Grebe Tachybaptus rufolavatus of Madagascar was declared extinct. This was the third known grebe extinction since the last quarter of the 20th Century, after the Colombian Grebe Podiceps andinus and Atitlan Grebe
Podilymbus gigas, and followed news that the Critically Endangered Junín Grebe Podiceps taczanowskii, which already had a population of fewer than 250 individuals, had suffered a further population decline.

 “This is why we are developing an action plan for the Hooded Grebe, that
involves research, pest control and advocacy at every level”, said Dr. Andrés
Bosso, Director of Aves Argentinas’ International Co-operation Programme.
 An initial meeting to develop a species action plan took place at Aves
Argentinas’s headquarters, in July 2009, and brought together specialists from
Ambiente Sur, Aves Argentinas, and Fundacion Vida Silvestre Argentina who are
now working closely together.

 “We need to strengthen the protected areas system in the region”, Andrés
Bosso added. “Eight Important Bird Areas (IBAs) contain the species, but only
one is fully protected.” Laguna Los Escarchados, the site where Hooded Grebe was
discovered in 1974, was declared a reserve in 1979, but is now known to
only hold a marginal population. Key breeding lakes in the core of the
grebe’s range lack any kind of legal protection, though the population
stronghold on Meseta de Strobel is still afforded some protection by its
remoteness and inaccessibility.

Aves Argentinas has been appointed official BirdLife Species Guardian for Hooded Grebe and is seeking funding for a range of urgent actions that are already in progress to  ensure the survival of the species. These include implementation of summer and  winter surveys and predator control in 2012, 2013 and 2014, embracing the  entirety of the Buenos Aires, Asador, Las Vizcachas, Viedma, Cardiel and Strobel  plateaus, the Coyle and Gallegos estuaries, and any of the plateaus reachable in  winter. Surveys are also now being carried out on previously unsearched plateaus.

 A number of local conservation agents are also being assigned to the
species’ breeding and wintering grounds to execute a monitoring plan and
implement the needed conservation measures.

 The programme to eradicate mink, control Kelp Gull numbers on the breeding
grounds, and help protect breeding sites from strong winds has already begun in
earnest. Farm-workers will be encouraged to become local “Hooded
Grebe Guardians”, monitoring the presence or absence of the birds, and give
Aves Argentinas early warnings of potential new threats to the species.
Conservationists are also seeking agreements with landowners on the plateaus to
purchase and/or protect their properties as private reserves.

 Ringing/banding and satellite tracking will be used to improve knowledge of
the birds’ movements, and determine where juvenile Hooded Grebes spend the
winter.

 A national campaign to raise awareness of the Hooded Grebe and its
predicament among the Argentinian public is also planned, with an additional
goal of having the bird declared an official National Monument. A team from
Aves Argentinas is currently in the field overseeing the filming of a Hooded
Grebe documentary which will be used in this campaign. This production is
being supported by the Argentine Ministry of Tourism.

 There is clearly much to be done if the fortunes of the remarkable Hooded
Grebe are to be turned around. A robust plan is in place and work has already
begun but significant funding is now urgently required to deliver this ambitious
project and achieve long-term success.

 Every little helps and every one can join in. If you would like to help save
the magnificent Hooded Grebe from slipping away, within just four decades of its
original discovery, please click here to make a donation online
today.

Today i went to londons wetland centre and saw sooooooooo many birds!!!!! lots were very exotic - i hadnt heard of any of the ones in that section but i did see some normal birds but google the ones you dont know cuz they r awesome!!!!!! take a look:

bufflehead
hooded merganser 
smew
moorhen
coot
coscoroba duck (soz if thats spelt wrong!)
muscovy duck
black bellied whistling duck
fulvous whistling duck
south american comb duck
cape teal
brent goose
eider
pintail
tuffted duck 
black swan
radjah shelduck
plumed whistling duck
heron
swallow
dunnock
cormorant 
mute swan
bewick swan
barnical goose
white fronted goose
red breasted goose



quite a few huh?
oh and otters<3


as if Mondays birdwatching wasnt enough, i went back to the wetland centre again to see more. the following are either birds i didnt see on Monday but did today, OR, they are birds i did see on Monday but forgot to write down:

coot
jackdaw
tufted duck+chicks
woodpigion
goldeneye
red crested pochard
little greebe
white headed ducks
ferruginous duck
grey heron
common tern
lapwing
common pochard
black headed gull
great crested greebe 
ringed teal
coscoroba swan
collard dove
layslan duck
hawaiian goose
reed warbler!
sedge warbler!
mallard 
swallow
(we werent sure but:) green sandpiper?
magpie 


as you can see, the wetland centre never fails to please and i hope to be going again soon.

P.S: There was another bird we saw that we couldnt identify. It was duck sized - infact it was a duck - and it was entirely brown apart from a white chest. i couldnt see its beak but does anyone have any ideas as to what it might be? 

thanks.
spoonbill

Following a near miss at its international airport, Marseille authorities gave the go-ahead to destroy a flock of Little Bustards.

On 25 June, the prefect of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region, authorized the shooting of up to 50 Little Bustards at Marseille Provence Airport because of the risk to aviation safety. This decision followed the narrow avoidance of what was considered a potentially serious accident on May 31 involving an Airbus A320. A large flock of the bustards was then present on the site.

Little Bustard is listed as Near Threatened by BirdLife International due to a decline in its global population, resulting from the loss of natural dry grassland and traditional low-intensity cultivation in favour of intensive arable farming. The large, open grassy spaces of airports are consequently potentially attractive to bustards, and Marseilles Provence Airport is already known as a productive site for them.

In response to this decision, the LPO (BirdLife partner in France) sent a letter to the state representative to find a quick solution to the potential bird-strike problem, without destroying any more individuals of a declining bird that is the subject of a conservation National Action Plan in France. The LPO consider the destruction of the birds to have been illegal, as the species is protected under French and EU law.

The LPO also organised a meeting on 27 June to discuss the framework of the Little Bustard National Action Plan, bringing together governmental bodies and regional coordinators for PACA and the adjacent Languedoc-Roussillon region. At this meeting, LPO proposed a short- and medium-term action plan to prevent radical solutions like the shooting of the birds from happening again.

Allain Bougrain Dubourg, President of LPO, met the Secretary General of the Prefecture of the Bouches-du-Rhône, who ensured the immediate suspension of the shooting. Thirty-eight bustards were, however, already killed in those few days, even though they were in the process of breeding. Following another meeting on Tuesday, 2 July 2013, the Secretary General confirmed the repeal of the decree.

LPO has stated that it applauds this decision, but will remain vigilant on the status of Little Bustards at southern French airports. In the meantime, it will lead a working group under the NAP, in conjunction with all parties concerned to prevention risk to aviation safety.

Twenty critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper chicks have hatched under expert care in the Russian Far East. Conservationists took the eggs from the wild, in order to protect them from extreme weather and predators. The first hatched early last Wednesday morning and they continued until the last hatched on Sunday evening.

Numbers of Spoon-billed Sandpipers have plummeted in recent years because of the destruction of wetland habitats and the effects of illegal trapping along their migration route. While tackling these problems, conservationists are boosting the productivity of the remaining breeding pairs by taking eggs from the wild, hatching and rearing them in captivity and releasing them once they have fledged. WWT Head of Species Conservation Dr Baz Hughes said: "This is conservation at the edge; it's risky work, in difficult conditions, but my colleagues have proved yet again how incredibly experienced they are at rearing endangered birds. Breeding season is brief and brutal for Spoon-billed Sandpipers in the wild, but by intervening like this we can help rear five times as many young and help the population stabilise. But it's expensive to work in the remote Russian Far East and it's only possible due to the financial support we've raised for this charismatic bird."

RSPB's Head of International Species Recovery Team Dr Rob Sheldon added: "This delightful and engaging bird has been brought to the edge of extinction by rampant habitat loss and severe hunting pressure, which are now being recognised and tackled. The conservation breeding programme is but one part of an international effort to save Spoon-billed Sandpipers. Head-starting is an innovative additional technique that gives the population a helping hand at this critical stage in our attempts to prevent their extinction."

Chief Executive of Birds Russia Dr Evgeny Syroechkovskiy commented: "We have come so close to losing the Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Each of these twenty chicks represents a bit more hope for the future of the species. I am very proud of the hard work by our team of fieldworkers, aviculturists and researchers."

Jean-Christophe Vié, Director SOS — Save Our Species, said: "At SOS we are delighted to support this project and its innovative conservation methods. The head-starting programme had already delivered meaningful results in 2012 and the news of this additional batch of hatchlings in Chukotka fortifies hope for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper's future. It is rewarding news not just for the experienced team out there but for all the unsung heroes who strive — often in remote corners of the world — to save our threatened species."

Foxes, skuas and feral dogs take eggs and chicks from the ground-nesting birds, and sudden changes in the weather can be fatal. Studies show that on average each pair lays four eggs per year but raises less than one chick. Artificial incubation and captive rearing increases that to more than three and, by taking eggs within days of them being laid, the birds naturally start again with a second clutch that they incubate and raise themselves. The approach, known as head-starting, is a short-term tactic. It increases the number of birds approaching breeding age as conservationists tackle the problems of illegal trapping and habitat loss, hopefully enabling the species to stabilise and recover more quickly.

The team is blogging about their progress at www.saving-spoon-billed-sandpiper.com.

Last week's extraordinary tale regarding the Hebridean White-throated Needletail (recounted here) drew plenty of positive response from readers, particularly those who had been lucky enough to connect with one of the few previous occurrences of this exhilarating central Asian species. Of those, the 1984 Shetland (Hillwell, 25th May — 6th June) and 1988 Orkney (Hoy, 28th May — 8th June) were the most 'available' to twitchers. Here, Nigel Wheatley and Mike Cartwright share their own experiences surrounding each bird. Firstly, Nigel takes up the story on 2nd June 1988:

"The epic news was relayed by Alun Hatfield, early Thursday morning. He then spent the whole day on the phone making sure the team had places on the ferry to Hoy. Well behind schedule, Al, Tony Clarke and Robin Chittenden (all from London) picked me up at 10:30pm near Reading and we headed north, picking up Ian Ricketts on the M6. Worried about the lack of time, we stopped only for fuel and zapped along at a steady ton. At Inverness, we landed on a roundabout and some way north very nearly met our doom when the car refused to round a corner — we only stopped two feet short of a barrier that overlooked a nasty cliff.So, it was with some relief that we finally got out the car at John O'Groats to news of a Pallas's Rosefinch on North Ronaldsay. Absolute pandemonium set in. Eventually it was agreed to try for the swift first, so we boarded the ferry and crossed to Hoy — Tysties, Arctic Terns, Arctic andGreat Skuas, Puffins and a European Storm-petrel were seen en route. Once on Hoy, we were taken to Melsetter House in a fleet of rusty cars and minibuses. Alas, an hour of no joy and the time came for us to make a decision about catching the ferry to North Ronaldsay. Never had I seen so much uncertainty on a twitch, as people ummed and ahed about whether to head for North Ron or not. I could barely afford the cost of getting to Hoy, let alone an extra ferry trip on top, so I remained on Hoy as the other 25 or so rushed off north once more.Back at the mansion, all were asleep in the garden on my return. I went scanning from a nearby lane and, at 5:30pm, suddenly clapped eyes on a tiny black-and-white rocket bombing across the fields — "there it is!". I hurried back to the house to relay the news to everyone only to find the bird already there, swooping in, low, and back out again!

We moved out on to the lane and there it was, the White-throated Needletail — working the flies and bees along the edge of the sycamore stand with unbelievable speed and agility. One slight movement of the wings acted like a turbo switch as it shot high in to the sky. It would occasionally swoop low over the field, giving supreme views of its coppery-edged silver mantle in the sunlight, but spent most of the time working up and down the garden edge — the chocolate belly, white 'arrow' and forehead all observed well as it turned just a few feet away, frequently sweeping past our heads with a 'whoosh'! With many of the 'tickers' heading off, just five of us were left to enjoy the bird until 9pm when, after three unsuccessful attempts to land on the building, it disappeared. We retired to the local hostelry for some much-needed food before returning to the mansion, where the very friendly owners let us sleep in their summer house.The Liverpool crew departed early on the Saturday, leaving me alone with the swift on this beautiful island. I enjoyed it for much of the morning until, just as I was about to tuck in to some surprise sandwiches and coffee brought out to me by the mansion owners, the Rosefinch twitchers reappeared. I said, "follow me", and we all ran down the lane — they soon gave a great roar of approval as the bird made its first pass over their heads at the garden edge.
Nigel's excellent sketches of the Hoy Needletail (Artwork: Nigel Wheatley).

The Needletail went straight to the top of many people's list of British favourites (mine included) for it was an aerial delight — a "flying Killer Whale" according to one observer. We happily returned to John O'Groats and drove merrily home to a welcome bed, bath and larder. It was, in short, an epic encounter."The Pallas's Rosefinch Nigel mentions was never accepted on to Category A of the British list. Nigel added that, shortly after the swift, he (among others) headed down to Clevedon to see a Black-winged Pratincole on 12th June before, on 3rd July, they were on Anglesey for a Bridled Tern at Cemlyn. Coincidentally, both species have been recorded in Britain in the week following the Harris bird..!

Four years before the famous Hoy Needletail, what could potentially have been the same bird spent almost two weeks in the Hillwell and Quendale area of Shetland. This was a time long before any sort of bird news information service existed, and as such Mike Cartwright had no idea of the presence of the bird as he began the long trip north to spend a week on Fair Isle. Mike takes up the narrative:

"My story starts on 28th May 1984. Having travelled to Aberdeen by train and boarded the St. Claire for Shetland, I was full excitement for what might unfold in the coming week that I had booked to be on Fair Isle. Nobody on my limited 'grapevine' had of any news from Shetland, and of course there were no news services back then, either. As we left Aberdeen I stood at the back of the boat with two other birders watching a glorious evening unfold, though there was little in the way of seabirds.We immediately got chatting. They were having a birding holiday on Shetland, hoping to see theBlack-browed Albatross at Hermaness and the four female Snowy Owls on Fetlar among other things. Although I had seen these before I felt envious of them; what if I went all the way to Fair Isle and saw nothing?! They were envious of me, though, and suggested I might see something amazing like a Cretzschmar's Bunting!Having started to talk about rarities, they then told me about a conversation they had with Bobby Tulloch the previous day: a couple of days previously, Needle-tailed Swift had been seen and photographed by Dennis Coutts while he was supposed to be photographing a wedding at Loch of Hillwell, but they had had no further news since. We all stood in awe, contemplating the bird and then had a laugh at what the wedding photographs must have been like — assuming there were any!We reasoned that this highly mobile species would have long since departed — as swifts tend to do — but hoped there might be something else found up there. Never having heard of Loch of Hillwell and assuming it to be north of Lerwick, I was surprised to hear it was at the south end of Mainland. I needed to get to Grutness — at the southern tip — to catch the Good Shepherd to Fair Isle. A plan was hatched: they would very kindly give me lift and we would have a look at the loch, even if it was simply to pay our respects to this amazing bird rather than hope to actually see it. After all, that was too much to hope for given that there had been no news for a couple of days.After docking the following morning, we journeyed south in a small, blue hatchback. I was in the back, completely submerged by luggage and rucksacks and surrounded by condensation-covered windows. Eventually we were driving along the north side of the loch, and I wiped a small hole in the condensation to reveal the outside world: there were some hirundines but then, as we bumped along further, I caught a glimpse of a huge pale-backed swift that was moving very fast. Disbelief...no, it really is! Panic!"It's here! It's here!"The car jolted to a stop. I tried to get out — there were only three doors; I couldn't."Where?"I couldn't see for mist, lack of space and sheer excitement."I need to get out...get out!"At which point it zoomed back past me."It's there!"From outside it must have looked hilarious as the three of us and various bags exploded from the poor little car. But no mistaking it, there was the Needletail, putting on the most exhilarating of displays and to just the three of us! Its stunning speed and beautiful markings — the wonderful greenish sheen to its upperparts, the huge white undertail and chin offset by dark brown — were just incredible. I don't know how long we watched it for — I sort of slipped into another dimension; I think it was for a good few minutes, but equally it could have been seconds or weeks. We were all captivated, in awe and totally numb. It gradually started to make each pass a little higher and when it eventually departed to the northwest I knew that this was an experience that would never be repeated.

At the time, of course, we had no idea that it had been faithful to this spot. We looked at each other, the abandoned luggage and car. The incredible realisation of what we had seen cut through the peace of the loch; we were stunned. It was some minutes later, as we re-engaged with an Earthly time zone and the beautiful loch now calm but somehow incomplete without its spectacular guest, that we realised that a Corncrake was calling on the other side and probably had been doing so the whole time!Even to this day this is still the rarity that I have had the most luck with. It would have been so easy not to have seen it in the short time I had available. In fact, I could easily have never known about it. This finally dawned on me when the Good Shepherd docked on Fair Isle and I was met by Nick Riddiford, who wasn't able to leave the island and had the most agonised look on his face. "Do you know about the Swift?"That afternoon was spent on top of the cliffs looking down into one of the geos and watching aSubalpine Warbler among the Thrift and Sea Campion in exquisite light, ending a truly memorable day. Nearly thirty years on, the Needletail remains one of my most treasured memories — though the memory had dimmed over time, the events of last week totally reignited my own recollections. It could have been yesterday!"

Nigel Wheatley & Mike Cartwright
Friday 5th July 2013

It's that time of year again: the Summer Solstice has just passed and the days are at their longest at high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. The short Arctic summer is characterized by unbroken daylight for several weeks, with many species, both resident and migrant, making the most of this time to breed. As with humans, many other species of plant and animal have 'internal clocks', and experience 24-hour cycles — called the circadian rhythm — telling them when it's time to rest and when it's time to get up that are often tied to light cues. So what happens when the sun never sets, as during the Arctic midsummer?

For four species of migrating birds that breed in the Arctic, new research shows that, according to behavioural ecologist and co-author of the study Bart Kempenaers, "anything goes". Kempenaers has already proven that resident species such as Ptarmigan and Reindeer do not have a 24-hour cycle, but was keen to explore the reactions of migrant species.

The scientists studied the activity patterns of Lapland Buntings, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers and Grey Phalaropes that migrated to the same area near Barrow, Alaska, to reproduce during the Arctic's five-week breeding season. They attached tiny 1 g radio transmitters to 142 individuals, allowing researchers to monitor individual activity levels continuously, which the team verified with behavioural observations in the field.

Kempenaers and colleagues found that Semipalmated Sandpipers — a species weighing just 30 g where both parents incubate eggs — exhibited a "free-running" cycle. Mated pairs still showed activity patterns, but they ranged from a 21- to 29-hour cycle. In 6 of the 11 pairs researchers studied, the birds shifted their cycles from shorter to longer hours over the course of the incubation period. Pairs differed with respect to how long their cycles lasted, but birds within a pair were always on the same cycle. This incredible finding illustrates that pairs undertake a rapid social synchronization of their respective activity cycles. Kempenaers isn't sure why it's happening: "We see this [synchronization] very, very early in incubation. At first, each parent will sit on the eggs for about two-hour stints. But, as the eggs get closer to hatching, the parents sit for longer periods, up to 13 or 14 hours at a time. So the birds need to coordinate their incubation duties, but it's a mystery as to how they would do that."

In contrast, the Lapland Bunting — a species of similar size where both parents incubate the eggs — kept to a 24-hour activity cycle, with both males and females resting between midnight and four in the morning.

In both Pectoral Sandpipers and Grey Phalaropes — where just one parent incubates the egg — only the caregiver stayed on a 24-hour cycle. The promiscuous members of these two species — males in 'Pecs' and females in the phalaropes — proved to be active around the clock. Kempenaers explained, "There is a lot of pressure on male Pectoral Sandpipers to mate with as many females as they can". This was covered in a study he published with colleagues last year in the journal Science, which found that the more active male Pectoral Sandpipers sired more offspring. Since female phalaropes are the ones competing for mates, he explained, "you see this constant activity, or arrhythmic pattern, in the females [instead]."

This one-sided, round-the-clock activity seems to be related to sexual selection, Kempenaers said, rather than to feeding — which is speculated as the cause for round-the-clock activity in Arctic residents such as Reindeer or Ptarmigan. Kempenaers and his laboratory are now trying to better understand the incredibly flexible cycles shown by the Semipalmated Sandpipers: there appears to be a lot of variation in cycles between pairs, with some that don't shift at all. He is also looking at other sandpiper species to see what kinds of activity cycles they exhibit. Kempenaers hopes that this will help him understand what determines the variation seen between species. He added, "I think this study clearly demonstrates that there is a diversity [in] approaches to how animals deal with the extreme conditions of the Arctic environment. Species are highly flexible with regard to circadian clocks, turning them on or off as they need."