Chough report: September 2014

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Glyn Young

505

By Liz Corry

Soft-release of the 2014 chough chicks

At the end of August the aviary quarantine restrictions were lifted and the birds there were poised ready for release. On 1st September the release hatches were opened at 17:00 allowing the chicks to have 30 minutes access outside.

Release hatches opened for the chicks. Photo by Liz Corry

The hand-reared chicks were the first to leave. Already having experienced the joys of ‘free-flying’ they headed straight to the cliffs to join the adults. Not wanting to be left behind, the parent-reared chicks followed.

Having never flown outside of an aviary before, their flight was noticeably sluggish compared to the hand-reared chicks. This changed very quickly once they got used to using the air currents.

Grace and Helier seemed a little confused by the situation and didn’t fly out of the aviary straight away. They watched the others flying around and both groups called back and forth. Grace and Helier eventually ventured out once the other chicks returned to the aviary for a respite.

The chicks were obviously very excited about being on the other side of the aviary netting. Hard to say if the adults felt the same? One could infer that feelings were mixed from the fact that three decided to fly off to Sorel Point once the chicks arrived.

The chicks started to follow them flying a couple of hundred feet high in the sky, but decided to turn back and returned on their own accord to the aviary. Eight of the chicks went inside and their keeper locked them in at 17:30. Considering Grace’s reluctance to leaving the aviary she was one of the last to return.

Grace and Jean remained outside. It was not clear whether this was out of choice or because they could not work out how to get back in. The team called them down to the outside target-boards to encourage them in. It worked for Grace, but Jean remained outside preferring to stay on the roof.

Adults and chicks hanging out at the aviary. Photo by Liz Corry

The adults reappeared at the aviary. Possibly responding to hearing the call for food. This seemed to encourage Jean away from the roof down to the release hatches where the adults were. She calmly landed on the shelf and walked inside the aviary looking for food.

The team were then faced with an unusual problem in that the adults were sat either above the hatches, or on them as was the case for Mauve. This hasn’t happened before.

Normally the adults fly off as soon as they see someone make an attempt to reach the hatch wires. They were probably waiting for their last supplementary feed of the day. The hatches had to be closed, which caused the adults to take to the air, but at the same time their keeper called them back for food and they happily returned to feed. That meant that the last chick was locked in for the night at 18:45. Cutting it a bit fine before roost time yet still this was a very successful first day.

Chickay out of the aviary. Photo by Liz Corry

The next few days proved even more successful with all the chicks going out, flying around and exploring the cliffs, feeding in the grazed fields and returning to the aviary to be locked in before roost. Each day the time of release was brought forward by one hour.

There was only one close encounter with a peregrine during this soft-release. The peregrine had swooped down on a mixed flock of pigeons, crows, and gulls feeding in the conservation fields. It had claimed one victim, but dropped it before reaching the aviary. It then spotted the flock of choughs by the cliffs and flew at them. Luckily it missed. When they fled to the aviary it gave up and flew off empty ‘handed’ out to Sorel Point.

The rest of the soft release was fairly uneventful in the drama stakes. There was a visit by a short-eared owl on two occasions. The quarry’s blasting sirens rang loud and clear during one release. The birds showed no reaction; the team did find it a little surreal though.

An interesting turn of events, however, was the adults’ reaction to having access to the aviary again. They loved it. So much so that by the end of the week it was getting quite difficult trying to get the adults out of the aviary at lock-in time. We ended up leaving them in on Day 7. There was no real concern over fighting or stress within the group, yet the team were still relieved to see everyone ok the next morning. We locked them all in again on the 8^th night. On the morning of Day 9 the group was called for food in the aviary first thing then the hatches were opened. They have stayed open ever since.

The trial release programme in 2013 had less than a dozen release days spread over a six-week period and then had to be postponed because of bad weather and an injured bird. When these birds were let out again in April it took twenty-five release days over a six-week period before we could confidently let them out full-time. For the group of ten chicks it took one week! Obviously the chicks had an advantage of having other choughs out at Sorel as role models, yet no one would have predicted the process to happen quite so quickly.

In some respects that is the easy part over with. We now need to monitor these birds closely, ensure that they have enough food over the winter, and have all their needs catered for when next year’s breeding season rolls around.

Please feel free to send in any of your sightings or encounters to the website. We always appreciate extra eyes on the ground (or air!) and we are very keen to hear how the residents of Jersey are taking to their new neighbours.

Dawn til Dusk

Radio-tracking at dawn. Photo by Liz Corry

Once the chicks had 24-hour access outside, our radio-tracking study got underway. We follow one bird per tracking session recording location, behaviour, and proximity to other choughs. We alternate the focal bird so as not to bias observations. Since we are recording proximity we are, in effect, checking up on all 16 birds per session.

There are six tracking sessions per day starting at 07:30. The last session of the day is set at 19:00 to give us an idea about roost site selection. Obviously, as the days get shorter, this late session will become redundant.

Both sunrise and sunset can be quite spectacular at Sorel and shed interesting light on chough behaviour. For the first week or so of living at liberty the choughs would be enjoying breakfast either at the aviary (provided by the team) or on the grazed land probing for wild insects. We then started to notice the birds flying around Mourier Valley and only returning to the aviary when we blew the whistle for food. We decided to stop providing them with breakfast as they were obviously beginning to explore and learn where other sources of food were.

Probing holes in the ground where the choughs have breakfast. Photo by Liz Corry

Next thing we knew, they are shooting out of the aviary at the crack of dawn and feeding over at Devil’s Hole before meandering back to Sorel for lunch and an afternoon hang-out. We have also watched them take several flights over to Crabbé and over Rouge Nez. We have never observed them land, but we are sure it won’t be long before they start investigating the short grass at the gun range.

Sunset checks can be frustrating because the choughs’ behaviour can vary each day. Some nights they want to head to their roost site before sunset. Sometimes they can be probing for food right up until the last slither of light.

The adults returned to roost at the aviary the first night we left the hatches open for the chicks. It is a lot harder to know where the adults roost now they have moulted their transmitters. We have to spend a good thirty to forty minutes before sunset watching them to see where they go.

We are now seeing our external roost-boxes being used more. Not surprising with sixteen birds competing for a roost spot. Fortunately Sorel is quite quiet at roost time with most tourists and dog walkers having headed home meaning that the birds can settle down for the night at the aviary and not be scared away.

Hello and Goodbyes

Max and Adam sadly had to say goodbye to us this month. Max returned to University in Germany to continue his studies. Adam finally bowed out after six months on the project, having initially volunteered for three! Both have been an immense help on the project and have, we are sure, learnt a lot in the process. A special thank you must be given to Adam who stood in when Harriet and I went to Cornwall in July. Not to mention the endless search effort for the missing birds in April and being the one to find Yellow’s signal 9km away from the aviary! Adam’s time on the project is documented on our website, shortly to be followed by Max’s story.

New student Will Campbell joined the project in September. Photo by Harriet Clark.

Will Campbell, our new graduate student from Jersey, shadowed Adam in his last week and was thrown straight into radio-tracking the chicks. The success with the chick release meant that Will missed the entire soft-release, but he has been following them ever since. Will had the added pressure of being the only student during most of September. We are hoping he will rise to the challenge and not do a runner like Yellow and Cerise!

Bean loses it!

Bean’s radio transmitter fell off this month. Photo by Liz Corry

….her transmitter that is. All the choughs were accounted for on the morning of the 27th, yet Bean’s transmitter was silent. The team eventually found the signal emitting from the roof of one of the quarry store-sheds by the offices. The transmitter has not yet been recovered and we are waiting for one of the gulls who sits on the roof to kindly dislodge it for us. Thankfully, Bean is quite a communal chick and hangs out with the others so she has been easy to follow. It does make it a little bit more difficult when they are flying as we cannot see the leg rings. We used to be able distinguish adults from chicks by presence of the tail transmitter.

Not to be upstaged, exactly a week later, Caûvette’s transmitter started playing up. At first it was just the pitch that had altered then very quickly the battery died. We have contacted the manufacturer to try and understand why this would have happened so soon. Normal battery life for this model is nine months. With the transmitter still attached to the bird it is a little difficult to diagnose. Hopefully the other eight will hold out over the next six months and stay attached to the birds.

Ménage a trois

Green preening Blue much to the apparant disapproval of Mauve. Photo by Liz Corry

The intriguing trio of Green, Mauve, and Blue continues. On the whole, Green spends more time with his new interest, Blue, than his old partner Mauve. Yet still they feed together and Green will preen both as they stand together in their sordid triangle. We think Mauve might be starting to take offence (finally) and has been seen alone on occasion several hundreds of metres apart from the rest of the group.

This behaviour started on the morning of the 15th when Mauve didn’t show for breakfast and returned to the group and the aviary four hours later. There was no sight or sound from her in between. Maybe at the start of the breeding season, as hormones start playing their part, Mauve’s stubbornness will shine through and she will win back her ‘man’. That or she will pair-up with a younger chough and we will have two potential breeding pairs to look out for.

Back at the park

All of Durrell’s captive choughs have been moved off-show whilst their aviary awaits major repair work. Gianna loves the attention she is getting from Academy staff watching her from their offices and from the Security staff who walk past every day.

Tristan has been demonstrating unusual behaviour suggestive of breathing issues. However, after inspection in the hand and faecal and blood testing, no conclusive diagnosis could be made. He is on an anti-inflammatory drug and will continue to be monitored carefully by keepers.

Diet analysis

Our study into what the choughs are eating in the wild got into full swing this month. Will is working on an invertebrate key based on previous studies specific to Le Don Paton. Faecal samples are starting to be picked apart in the lab to first separate into animal, plant, mineral, and then to genus level. We will be setting out pitfall traps to help ascertain what is available at this time of year and to help with our identification of faecal finds. We hope to extend the invertebrate survey to study monthly and seasonal variations in prey availability.

The excitement of sheep poo. Photo by Liz Corry

The excitement of sheep faeces. Photo by Liz Corry

Choughs don’t just eat insects in the ground. Our choughs have taken a great interest in sheep faeces. We know that in the UK choughs probe cattle dung for larvae but we were quite surprised at how much can be found in smaller sheep faeces. And we were completely taken aback when we watched our choughs playing with the poo! Caûvette, for example, was seen on her back, legs kicking in the air, tossing a piece of poo around with her bill. And, no, she wasn’t stuck!

Chough drinking from the sheep’s water trough. Photo by Liz Corry.

An unexpected benefit of having the sheep around is that the choughs have learnt to drink from the water bowser left out for the sheep. We provide them with two sources of fresh water at the aviary, cleaned out every day.

Understandably then it is a little bit insulting to the team when the choughs choose the water pans left out, green with algae. We have started scrubbing out the pans to keep the water clean.

Hopefully the choughs are sensible and drink from these because they are shallow. There have been a couple of reports in the past where UK choughs have fallen into horse troughs and drowned because the sides are too steep and slippery to get out of.

The choughs unexpectedly talking refuge in trees. Photo by Liz Corry

The birds have also been in the hawthorns by the aviary picking at the berries and the bark. We have found pellets containing undigested seeds suggesting that they are eating the fruit.

Presumably when they are pecking at the bark they are looking for woodlice and other such invertebrates. At the same time choughs are highly inquisitive and could just be investigating.

Chickay and friends investigate the new camera on their food stand. Photo by Liz Corry

It should be pointed out that choughs are classed as a non-perching bird. You don’t normally find choughs in trees. Choughs do like high vantage points and these trees are the best option within close proximity to the aviary field. Consider it a Jersey adaptation

We would like to use next-generation sequencing to look more closely at the question of prey selection by released choughs. This would feed into answering (no pun intended) how much the choughs are reliant on our provision of food throughout the year. This sort of genetics study requires funding and institutional support potentially incorporated into an MRes or PhD.

Weight watchers

Choughs weighing themselves during lunch. Photo by Liz Corry

With the choughs flying free it is more important than ever to know how well they are adapting to finding food in the wild, how necessary the supplementary feed is, and to monitor their general body condition. We do this by checking their weights each day and their physical appearance at feeding times.

Now we have sixteen birds flying to one weighing scale it is very difficult to get daily weights from every individual. To compound the problem certain individuals, not naming names… Dingle, Chickay, and Caûvette…head straight for the scales and push off anyone else who tries to feed. We will be looking to purchase a second set of specialist scales (approximate cost £200) to allow simultaneous weighing. This might not solve the problem, but will certainly alleviate it.

‘Behavioural problems’

We have tried to continue the behavioural observations to see how group cohesion prior to release, affects behaviour post-release. The obvious obstacle to continuing observations is that the birds are no longer confined to the aviary. Thankfully with the way choughs flock together at this time of year we can focus on feeding sites and simply adapt the methodology.

Skills are put to the test trying to spot and identify all sixteen choughs out at Sorel. Photo by Liz Corry

What we can’t manipulate though is the choughs’ penchant for rabbit holes. The terrain at the feeding sites often means that the birds’ leg rings are hidden. Or, in the case of a rabbit hole, the whole chough can be blocked from view. The birds also tend to spend only a few minutes feeding in one area. With the two issues combined, and our other project commitments, we end up only getting 10 to 15 minutes of observations once or twice a day. We may have to discontinue this study unless we can outsource to a student intern who can focus solely on this research.

Paradise Park visit Jersey

Ali and Ray Hales came over to Jersey to watch their parent-reared chicks take to the skies. They missed the first few days when the chicks were having limited time outside but then very quickly five hours became ten hours and on the day Ali and Ray returned home the chicks were given full access outside. Photos from their time here can be found on their website here.

Joe Thompson, Paradise Park, gets a fly past from the chough chicks. Photo by Liz Corry

Ali was so impressed by the choughs’ progress that she immediately started arranging visits for her keepers. Fortunately parrot keeper Joe Thompson is also a pilot! This meant Paradise Park staff could visit Jersey in a day without disrupting their staffing rota too much. The first trip was made on the 23^rd after two postponed dates through bad weather.

Joe along with Adam Pollard and Olly Frost, who are responsible for Paradise Park’s choughs, had a whirlwind three and a half hour tour of Sorel and the Wildlife Park.

I think it is safe to say they were suitably impressed with seeing their birds flying around the cliffs. Sadly, bad flying weather and reduced daylight hours have now meant any further trips from Cornwall are postponed until next spring.

Butterfly transects

An annual butterfly transect was setup this year at Sorel and carried out by project staff. The survey runs from April to September counting butterflies on a weekly basis. The transect is a new addition to the Jersey Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (JBMS) run by the States of Jersey Department of the Environment. The overall scheme started in 2004 and uses the same methodology as the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. The scheme is financed by the States of Jersey, but is almost entirely based on volunteer recorders.

Four common butterfly species found at Sorel. Photos by Liz Corry

We are hoping the results will not only inform people about what can be found at Sorel, but show how the conservation crops can benefit butterflies. Data collected this year will be submitted to the States and results published later this year.

Air display

Durrell’s Overseas Team came over to Jersey between 8^th and 13^th of September for the annual Conservation Forum. After several days of intensive management planning and workshops they were ‘rewarded’ with a trip to Jersey’s International Air Show. A fleeting visit to the not so secret viewpoint at Noirmont to watch the Red Arrows, followed by a close up view of the Lancaster bomber, and finished off with a sunset tour of Sorel.

Our own aerial display team didn’t disappoint and flew over-head, dramatically dive-bombed the cliffs, then obediently returned to the aviary. The visitors were suitably impressed, especially considering last time they were here involved peering into a rain-soaked quarry looking for a lone chough. Many on the team have experience with re-introductions and restoration projects around the world and have advised with the chough project.

We were hoping for the ultimate photo opportunity of Red Arrows and red-billed choughs in one frame. However, on hearing the approaching engines the choughs understandably headed straight for the aviary.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No its just Durrell’s Overseas team. Photo by Nik Cole

My summer with the choughs

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Glyn Young

By Adam Dallas-Chapman

Since the start of my degree, I have always known that I wanted to become a conservation biologist. In early 2014, I realised I needed to gain field-based experience in this area to complement my knowledge. That’s where Durrell came along. Being Jersey born, I had always hoped to work for Durrell in some form so imagine my surprise when I noticed the red-billed chough re-introduction student placement advertisement! It was a dream come true, an entry level project that would allow me to work with Durrell in the field and gain the necessary skills I would need for my later career. Fast forward five months and I have achieved everything I had hoped for, have made new friends (both chough and human) and have even been allowed to name one of the new choughs which is an honour in itself!

Almost as soon as I had been accepted onto the project, I was thrown into the action. I first met Liz and the eight adult choughs (green, mauve, blue, black, red, cerise, yellow and white) on a sunny but windy Sunday afternoon and only two weeks later I helped with their first release of the season. Standing on the hill now aptly named Mount Dallas by the team in honour of the amount of hours I have spent there tracking choughs from it. I was amazed by the heights the eight birds rose to and the acrobatic displays that they seemed to be able to perform with such ease. Getting them to come back inside the aviary proved to be a problem and by the end of my first full day on the job, one bird had returned home while five were roosting in the nearby quarry and the other two (yellow and cerise) had travelled further afield.

A search of the nearby area for these missing two gave us no clue of their whereabouts so Liz sent myself and Pierre (my fellow student) on countless searches across Jersey armed with our trusty radio receivers and maps taken straight from the phonebook (they are the only ones with all the road names!). Over the next few weeks Pierre and I travelled the length and breadth of the island, both on foot and in my car searching every cliff path and exposed hill we could find, ever hopeful that if we somehow managed to find the missing birds we would be able to return to Durrell as heroes.

Only once did we come close to finding the missing two choughs. It was an uneventful Friday and Liz and I had spent the whole day searching the west of the island with no luck. As dusk approached we decided to end our search at Noirmont Point, only to find that our radio receivers were picking up a signal for one of the birds (cerise). The signal itself was coming from one of the many bays in between Belcroute Bay and Noirmont. Unfortunately, the high tide and the presence of large areas of private land prevented us from searching further. Over the weekend we were able to get slightly closer but then the signal had disappeared never to be heard again. A frustrating end to what was such a hopeful chance.

Soon a month had come and gone and the arrival of four chicks back at the Wildlife Park soon meant that Pierre, Harriet, Liz and I had more work on our hands! I was lucky enough to have been one of the first staff members to see one of the newly hatched chicks having coincidently arrived back from lunch at the perfect time! I was always extremely busy during this time as I would spend my mornings searching for the missing adults, my lunchtime helping staff feed the chicks and my afternoons helping to release the other six adults. As the chicks grew and our searches for the missing choughs grew more and more desperate, my day soon became re-organised. By early June we were spending most of our time back at Sorel “chick-proofing” the aviary by building countless roost boxes and by laying rat proof mesh under the floor.

The chicks moved into to their new home at Sorel in mid-June, by this time the six adults had established themselves in the surrounding area and only relied on us for food. However, they did still spend a great deal of time at the aviary. This meant that a new stage of my placement could start.

One of the main questions the team had at this time was how the adult choughs would react to the new presence of the chicks at the aviary. To test this, I helped Harriet to develop a series of observations that would allow us to watch both the adults and chicks from a nearby field and witness any interactions that may take place. We decided to try and do three one-hour long observations each day: one in the morning, one over lunch (when both the adults and chicks were fed) and one in the afternoon. These observations have continued over summer and the team are still performing them now. One of the great things about being around the birds for such long periods of time is that you begin to recognise and appreciate their individual personalities. I am still amazed by certain birds’ apparent greediness and it still makes me laugh when I see the chicks playing with pieces of wool.

By July, the chicks had matured enough to begin their own series of releases and experience the outside world for the first time. Although these birds were only let out a few times they took to the skies in a manner similar to the adults before them; flying high and testing how far they could test their limits. July also brought me a fresh and exciting challenge as Liz and Harriet had to collect six further chicks from Paradise Park in Cornwall, leaving me and the new student Max alone with the birds for the first time. I had spent the weeks prior to this learning how to feed and train the birds correctly but nevertheless I was still terrified when the dates rolled around. In the end, it was far less stressful then I had anticipated and with the help of everyone in the Bird and Conservation Departments I managed to go three days without harming a single chough!

Looking back so much has changed since I first started this placement. I have learnt so much in my brief time with the choughs and I have really enjoyed every minute of my time with both the choughs and the team from Durrell. If anyone were to ask me if I would do this placement again I would not hesitate to agree and sign up again.

Chough report: August 2014

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By Liz Corry

August was a relatively quiet month. Quarantine embargos at the aviary meant that the ten chicks stayed confined to the aviary and the adults gained respite from the hand-reared chicks daily fly-arounds.

Release aviary update.

The six parent-reared chicks have settled in well and are now mixed with Dingle and the girls. There have not been any cases of aggression to worry about. There does still appear to be a subtle separation of groups even when mixed. The behavioural study being carried out by the students shows us that certain birds prefer to hang out with some more than others. A bit like children in a playground, but with less hair pulling.

Glyn testing his Jedi mind skills during a ringing session. Photo by Harriet Clark.

The practicalities of conducting such a study have been complicated by the extra choughs. Primary colours are limited so we are left with grey vs. pale blue leg rings and other subtle variations. Add to that the fact that chough chicks rarely sit still for one minute and it makes the task of distinguishing between 10 birds in 60 seconds feel almost impossible. Nevertheless, the students have been persevering
and the data sets are mounting by the day.

We added radio transmitters to the new chicks and swapped their Paradise Park rings for Channel Islands bird ringing scheme ones. After careful consideration we also gave each chick a name from E to J. Adam had the honour of naming the first chick and whilst it is not directly Jersey related we still think ‘Egg‘ is fitting for a chough.

Flieur, Jèrriais for flower, and Grace were named by Paradise Park staff and we think that their personalities are quite apt for their names.

For chick H it couldn’t really be anything other than Jersey’s patron saint, Helier. Gender aside of course. When it came to chick J we couldn’t ignore gender. We would have loved to have a chough named John, but the femininity is lost. Instead we took the parish of St. John’s Jèrriais name of Jean.

Egg (red), Flieur (grey), Grace (black), Helier (green) and Jean (white) hoovering up mealworms. Photo by Liz Corry.

Icho. Photo by Liz Corry

We were pretty stumped when it came to chick I. Until Glyn made reference to one of Jersey’s Conway’s towers 2 km out to sea. The line being “Wouldn’t it be funny if one of the choughs decided to roost in Icho tower?” “No!” came the reply from the radio-tracking team.

Having completed their quarantine period this month the chicks will begin leaving the aviary at the start of September.

Life outside of the aviary

The six adults flying around Sorel continue to return to the aviary at will. They still eagerly fly to the aviary when we blow the whistle for food, but spend more and more time probing the grazed headland.

Choughs probing the grazed land for insects. Photo by Liz Corry.

Holes in the ground made by chough looking for insects. Photo by Liz Corry.

Much to our delight (stroke alarm at the sheer number) we are now seeing evidence of chough activity and how important it is for them to have grazed areas free of bracken.

Next time you are walking the cliff path at Sorel look down for probing holes in the ground and think about how much insect life must be living under your feet…if the choughs haven’t eaten it all that is.

Pale green flanked by his two females Blue and Mauve. Photo by Liz Corry

The trio of Pale Green and his two females, Mauve and Blue, still spend a lot of time together. He has been seen preening both which suggests he is being a bit of a cad and waiting to see who will be the better choice come breeding season.

At the moment the odds are on Blue, although the geneticists amongst us would prefer a non-sibling pairing.

Whilst some have been showing off their yoga skills Mauve was limping in August. She sustained a mystery injury to her foot which meant she was holding up that leg a lot. It only seemed to give her grief for a few days and a scab that appeared has now dropped off. Fortunately, because the birds return to the aviary and allow staff to get fairly close, we can monitor health issues such as this very easily and make rapid assessments. No intervention was needed this time.

Chough flexibility (left) and inflexibilty with Mauve's injured foot (right). Photo by Liz Corry

Early morning chough yoga (left). Mauve had to give it a miss with her injured foot (right). Photos by Liz Corry

As we reported last month, the choughs are being more adventurous and living on the edge. The cliff edge! Now there is no stopping them and they have been probing right at the bottom. In heavy downpours they have been seen sheltering under ledges which led us to believe they may no longer be using the quarry buildings to roost in. On arrival for our first roost check we were proven wrong. An hour before sunset five adults flew over the car park to the quarry and didn’t emerge until sunrise.

Roost check at Sorel. Photo by Liz Corry

The sixth, Red, was still feeding in the fields when we approached. When she stopped feeding she realised the other adults had left. She seemed a bit confused and flew to the nearest choughs she could see, those in the aviary. She took a long time to settle, but eventually roosted at the aviary. Oddities aside, the group of six still prefer to sleep in the quarry buildings.

Whilst their roost site selection might not be a new thing, their distance from the aviary is. Or should that be elevation since they are now feeding lower down the cliffs. There are three choughs in the photo below. Trust me.

Choughs foraging near sea level. Photo by Liz Corry

Choughs foraging near sea level (there are three in this photo!). Photo by Liz Corry

Feeding time at Sorel. Photo by Liz Corry

The sheep, normally present on this bit of headland, were confined to the aviary field in August to allow bracken control treatments to go ahead at Devil’s Hole. Sam and Aaron, the shepherds, have been kept very busy making sure the sheep have enough food and water. We have been kept entertained trying to keep the sheep from busting through the gate to get to the fresh green grass in the aviary. You can read more about the bracken control here.

A VIP visitor from Madagascar

Floriot Randrianarimangason visited the UK and Jersey in August for intensive specialist training in aviculture and captive breeding. Floriot is a member of Durrell’s Madagascar team and runs the pochard captive breeding facility out there. The Madagascar pochard is the world’s rarest duck with only 20-25 known to be living wild.

Floriot Randrianarimangason from Madagascar visited Sorel this month. Photo by Harriet Clark.

Floriot has been to Jersey before; he worked on the ploughshare tortoise project before switching to birds in 2009. He hadn’t visited Sorel before and was keen to learn more about the re-introduction techniques. It is fair to say from the grin on his face he was suitably impressed. Tempting as it was for him, Floriot hasn’t taken any choughs back to Madagascar but he certainly has spread the word about Birds On The Edge and the natural beauty of Jersey.

The wanderer returns!

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Glyn Young

Mauve returns to the flock (right). Photo by Liz Corry

Panic over, Mauve is back. We don’t know where she went but we know she is back safe and well.

As the birds become more familiar with their environment they will start to explore further afield. It is a bit unusual at this stage in the game and year which is why we asked for help.

Thanks to all of you who contacted us about Mauve. At the start of next year the males will begin looking for territories and some of the females will prospect for nest sites. This is when the fun and games will really begin for the radio-tracking team. We are always pleased to hear from members of the public about their chough sightings. For next year’s breeding season these sightings will not just be heart-warming but invaluable to the project and success of Jersey’s red-billed chough.

Thanks once again

Liz Corry

Mauve missing! – We need your help

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Glyn Young

Mauve, female red-billed chough, currently missing from the flock on sixteen

We are missing Mauve one of the adults at Sorel. She was last seen yesterday teatime at the aviary with the other fifteen choughs when the keeper called the group back for food. At this morning’s 07:30 check we only had 15 of the 16 choughs at the aviary. They have spent the last week foraging around Sorel and flying high, regularly returning to the aviary. Her absence this morning is therefore unusual.

For those of you living in Jersey please keep an eye (and ear) out for her. She no longer has a radio transmitter attached making the task of finding her trickier for the team. If you think you have spotted her please contact the team on 01534 869059 or email elizabeth.corry@durrell.org.

In the unfortunate event of finding a dead chough please place the body in a clean sealable container or plastic bag and contact the above or Durrell directly as soon as possible. Whilst it would be a blow to the project to lose a bird, we can gain a lot of useful inform from a post mortem.

But lets stay positive for now and assume she has just decided to investigate Jersey’s beautiful coastline.

Thank you for your assistance,

Liz Corry

Paradise Park send over new recruits for the chough project

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Glyn Young

Saffron the golden eagle at Paradise Park

By Liz Corry

Alas, whilst the sight of a golden eagle in Jersey’s skies would be amazing we are in fact referring to Paradise Park’s chough chicks hatched this year. Saffron, the golden eagle pictured here, is a long standing member of the ‘Eagles of Paradise’ free flying bird show. I don’t think staff would give her up that easily.

However, they did agree to send over six other chicks to help with the restoration efforts in Jersey.

Many of you who have followed our work closely know that Paradise Park, in Hayle, Cornwall, have provided Durrell with our three breeding pairs of choughs and several juveniles over the last five years. All of the choughs currently flying free at Sorel were captive bred at Paradise Park.

Whilst Durrell have been successful in rearing chicks this year there are only four. To increase our chances of success we need more candidates fo release. Paradise Park’s parent-reared chicks are perfect for the role. The lessons they learnt from their parents will hopefully be shared with Durrell’s chicks whilst the two groups are living in the release aviary up at Sorel.

At the end of July, Harriet Clark and myself travelled over to Paradise Park. We spent a day behind the scenes learning more about their captive-breeding programme including meeting the new chicks.

Sarah-Jayne demonstrating can recycling with a kea. Photo by Liz Corry

Sarah-Jayne demonstrating can recycling with the help of a kea. Photo by Liz Corry

We also managed to find time to watch the two free-flying bird shows. The skills the staff demonstrated in the shows have been put to use up at Sorel.

I visited the park in 2011 to learn about animal training for welfare and soft-release purposes. David Woolcock, curator of the Park, has been providing invaluable support to our project ever since.

Parrots and birds of prey are not the only birds participating in their shows. Oggie and Piran are two choughs who love to fly back and forth over the audience whilst staff talk to the public about the perils faced by wild choughs and how conservation efforts are managing to support the population. Jersey gets a mention too!

Oggie and Piran. Photo by Liz Corry

When Oggie and Piran aren’t flying around, they hang out in an aviary where they get to interact with the public. They love being preened (tickled to you and I) and actively walk up to the mesh to meet you. They then seem to go into a trance-like state of pure ecstasy.

If they don’t like it they simply walk away.

The breeding facilities are off show to the public as the choughs can be quite sensitive to disturbance during incubation. These aviaries have nest cameras to monitor the parents behaviour and keep a ‘big brother’ eye on the development of the chicks. Each year they broadcast live to their website so the public can also keep a watchful eye. Of course at this time of year the chicks have already fledged and the families moved out of seclusion into flocking aviaries.

Liz, Harriet, and Ray Hales in the flocking aviary. Photo by Alison Hales

Alison Hales, director of Paradise Park, kindly showed us around armed with a bucket and trowel. Why? Well chough chicks love eating ant larvae and eggs. In order to provide enough to feed all the chicks throughout the breeding season staff placed paving slabs around the park in grassy areas. When the temperatures start to rise in spring and summer the slabs heat up becoming attractive to ants. All staff have to do is flip over the slab and dig out what they need with a trowel before dispensing in the aviaries.

Alison Hales shows Harriet how they provide wild insects to the chough chicks. Photo by Liz Corry

Ant eggs are nutritious and deliciou for choughs. Photo by Liz Corry.

Ant eggs are nutritious and delicious for choughs. Photo by Liz Corry.

It was quite a sight to see so many choughs in one aviary. And a little bit overwhelming to think we would see the same at Sorel in two days time!

Paradise Park’s chough chicks with their parents in the flocking aviary. Photo by Liz Corry

We had planned a visit to track down wild choughs and meet up with the RSPB before heading back to Jersey. You will be able to read about that experience in separate posting. For now, let us explain how we moved six birds 160 miles across land and sea without exerting a single flight feather.

Paradise Park staff caught up and crated the choughs in the morning. David Woolcock then drove them to Perranporth Airport north of Hayle. I say aiport….field is probably more appropriate.

Perranporth Airport. Photo by Liz Corry

There we all waited patiently for the arrival of ‘Durrell Air’. Captain Colin Stevenson and trusty co-pilot Lee Durrell waved excitedly from the window of the Navajo as it taxied off the runway and came to a halt at gate…erm 1 (and only)?

Lee and Colin very kindly donated their time. Anyone who has dealt with animal transportation will apprecite the cost involved and how minimising stress for the animal is paramount. Our alternative of half a days drive to reach a tempremental ferry service facing another 3-9 hour journey would not be in the best interest of the choughs.

Colin and Lee at the helm. Photo by Liz Corry

After a quick cuppa and stretch of the legs we loaded the crates into the cargo hold.

All ready to leave for Jersey. Photo by Alison Hales

Harriet and I found our seats in business class (also doubled up as cargo hold). Then we had to rearrange a few things so the pilots could squeeze through to the cockpits.

Harriet with the precious cargo. Photo by Liz Corry

The birds themselves were relatively settled. Their crates had been secured in place and for the more nervous passenger they were covered over to create a darker, more peacefull environment.

Some just wanted to take in all the sites. Thankfully, fog patches aside, it was a very calm sunny day so the views were amazing and the flight smooth.

On landing we were met by Adam and Max who helped unload the crates into two vehicles. We drove them straight up to Sorel and completed the rest of the journey on foot.

Adam and Max transfer the crates for the next leg of the journey. Photo by Liz Corry

On arrival we were met by the vet and vet student. The birds needed to have a general health examination before being released into the aviary. Blood samples were taken as standard import requirements and cloacal swabs taken for baterial checks. The chicks were uncrated one at a time because of this and then released into section 1A once they had the all clear from the vet.

Vet Alberto examines chicks before their release into the aviary. Photo by Liz Corry

The Durrell hand-reared chicks were very excited by the new arrivals and flew up to meet them. But on seeing the vet and a large syringe they headed back to the other end of the aviary. The two groups of chicks need to be kept separate for the first week whilst we establish if there are any diseases risks, but can then be kept as one group in the aviary to socialise.

As soon as the Paradise Park birds entered the aviary, quarantine restrictions had to be put in place. For a little over four weeks keepers donned latex gloves and blue shoe-protectors everytime they entered the aviary. All waste food and materials were treated as clinical waste (which will explain the sight of Durrell staff hauling a large yellow refuge sac over the cliff tops into their car boot, and driving off).

I am pleased to say quarantine restrictions have now been lifted. The ten chicks (now four months old) are living happily together and are being trained by keepers in preparation for their release.

8 out of 10 choughs. Photo by Liz Corry

Thanks to all the staff at Paradise Park and to Lee and Colin for their time and assistance. Also thanks to Amy Hall, Durrell’s Registrar, for directing me through the piles of paperwork required for imports/exports.

We look forward to an exciting new chapter and the promise of sixteen choughs flying free this year.

Dingle, Bean, Chickay and Caûvette take to the skies: the first soft-release of hand-reared chough chicks

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Glyn Young

By Liz Corry In July’s monthly report we revealed that Durrell’s hand-reared chicks had taken to the skies for the first time. A first for the birds and the project as no chough this young has been released into the wild for a re-introduction project before. Summing up what happened over the twelve days of releases into a couple of paragraphs doesn’t really do it justice. So, we thought we should show you in a bit more detail the antics of Dingle and the girls.

Chicks learning to land at target sites for food. Photo by Liz Corry.

In the days leading up to the first release the chicks were put through their paces. Making sure they knew where to go when they heard the whistle for food; flying lengths of the aviary at least three times a day; squat jumps and press ups morning and night…Ok not the last bit. In fact the physical aspect of their training would only really be achieved once they were out and being tested by the elements. Flight in the polytunnel has its limitations. What the chicks really needed to focus on was learning how the adults go about day to day living. Watching them respond to the keeper, their foraging techniques, reactions to predators and other potential threats. All behaviours key to survival. Again this does have its limitations when you are confined to an aviary. But with the adults regularly visiting the aviary they had plenty of opportunity to pick up the basics.

Adults landing at aviary. Notice the missing tail feathers due to their annual moult. Photo by Liz Corry.

The problem we faced was that the chicks became so obsessed with the adults that when the adults were not at the aviary the chicks would just take naps in the roost boxes and not want to train with us. To add to our exasperation we wanted to release the chicks when the adults were not around, i.e. when they were in the quarry. We wanted the chicks to learn how to go in and out of the aviary at their own pace. More importantly, we didn’t want the adults around when it was time to shut the chicks in.

Chicks observing the adults eating mealworms at a training session. Photo by Liz Corry.

They would either create a distraction or end up getting locked in with the chicks. So on the day of the first release we waited for the adults to head to the quarry, opened the hatches, and waited. And waited… The chicks had disappeared into their favourite roost box just inches from the hatches. A change of tactic was clearly needed after twenty minutes of no activity. We called the chicks down for a meagre amount of insects at the other end of the aviary. The idea being they would emerge, become active and then see the hatches open and start exploring. This worked and it didn’t take too long for one of them to go outside. With baited breath we clung to every heartbeat wondering what would happen. How high would they fly? How far would they go? Who would they meet? We didn’t account for Dingle hopping down to the floor and taking a bath in the adult’s water tray! Obviously very content.

The chicks are joined by some of the adults at the aviary. Photo by Liz Corry.

Inevitably the adults returned to the aviary before we were ready to call the chicks back inside. The youngsters showed a lot more excitement than the adults whose single focus was food. That motivation kept everyone close to the aviary. The adults perched on the aviary looking on as the chicks would occasionally launch themselves from the netting and whizz around the aviary. When it came time to close the hatches the adults were inside on the whistle before the chicks. Likewise as we approached to close the hatches the adults were the first out. Knowing full well closure meant no evening playtime in the quarry, they were not willing to stay. The chicks on the other hand continued eating oblivious to what was occurring. The adults stayed nearby so when the whistle was blown to reward the group with their favourite treat they flew in and landed back on the aviary. Their calm obedience was a testament to how well they have adapted to the wild. It was definitely one of the most rewarding days for everyone on the chough team. The next day was pretty much the same. The only exception being the arrival of the peregrine family minutes after the hatches were opened. They had been a common feature of Sorel in the preceding days. The young peregrines saw the adult choughs as target practice. They would swoop down and chase the birds. Unlike the neighbouring crows and magpies, the choughs would always stick together flying in formation. I think this helped as no chough could be picked out as an easy target. The choughs could also play the ace card of returning to the aviary and fading into the background of the black shelves and netting. The chicks first ‘encounter’ in the wild with the peregrines involved them staring up from the external shelves observing the commotion above. After opening the hatches the chicks were still inside when I heard distant chough calls from behind the aviary. On the horizon the image of five dots very quickly formed into five choughs flying with determination towards the aviary. Scanning the skies for the sixth chough revealed two interweaving shapes approaching from inland, one a chough, the second definitely a peregrine. Through grit and determination (and a bit of cockiness when she retaliated) she made it back to the aviary unscathed along with the other five who had landed sometime before. The chicks by this point had already flown back inside into the farthest depths of the aviary. We locked them in half of the tunnel and allowed the adults in the other half for respite until the peregrine left. On another occasion two juvenile peregrines chased the group flying no more than 20ft above my head whilst sat by the open hatches. That event, as you can imagine was a blur at the time. And after! Even the frantic camera clicking pointing in hope at the sky didn’t do it justice.

Peregrine attack at release aviary. Photo by Liz Corry.

One of several peregrine attacks at the release aviary. The choughs took shelter in the aviary. Photo by Liz Corry.

It wasn’t always that easy to get the chicks back inside the aviary. Bean’s behaviour on the fifth night of releasing was a prime example. To be fair to her, the afternoon had been quite challenging. Minutes after the hatches had opened the choughs were being harassed by a peregrine so the chicks were locked back in until it left (I realise at some point there will be losses due to predation, but not at the aviary, not on my watch!). Then when they were allowed out again the wind picked up. For a species that nests in sea caves and lives near the cliffs a bit of wind should not be a problem. However, for a soft release, a cross wind or worse, one that propels them towards a small opening in a wooden frame, can be challenging if they haven’t mastered all the tricks of flight. It wasn’t just Bean having difficulties that day.

Bean sat on the netting trying to figure out how to get back inside. Photo by Liz Corry

Then again my sympathies diminished after one of many failed attempts to coax her back inside. I had walked them down from the sheds to the hatches by talking nicely and waving insects in their faces. Hand-reared chicks are very compliant that way. When they saw the hatches they started to hop inside one by one heading for the food dishes. All except Bean who stumbled at the last hurdle. All she had to do was cross from one shelf to the other a few inches away. Max had even put up a perch that morning to bridge the gap. She stared at me, stared at the gap, then flew back to the other end of the aviary and sat above the other three chicks feeding below.

Staff wait patiently for Bean to make her way back inside the aviary. Photo by Liz Corry.

In this situation the protocol is to shut in the birds you can, lock them into one section, and hope they will act as a lure to encourage the straggler(s) in. There comes a point when the chough left outside no longer cares about food and just worries about where it will roost for the night. That’s when we have to set aside the training methods and just sit guarding them patiently until they find their way back. Bean herself seemed relatively calm. She spent time preening and sitting next to the other chicks (well just above them to be specific). She did explore the roof and fly back and forth trying to find a way in. She even sat in the external roost boxes once or twice. Never once did she go to the hatches. As the sun sank below the cliff tops she was visibly more agitated and starting darting away from the aviary calling to the others. She finally settled, not in the external roost boxes, but out on the netting just next to the roost box the chicks were sleeping in. We left her just before 10pm and I returned at 5.30am before the sun was up, to find her in exactly the same spot.

Bean warming up after a night out alone. Photo by Liz Corry

Much to my relief she was alive although very sleepy. To be fair the other three had not really woken up either. I was worried that the night out and stress of yesterday had taken its toll. Luckily all she needed was a soak in the sun. As it started to rise above the hill she moved to an external roost box and sat preening in the full sun. Soon she had made her own way back inside and by 6.38 am she was reunited with the others. The soft release continued for a further four nights. The chicks spent their time outside foraging with the adults in amongst the sheep, exploring the cliff tops and playing on the air currents. They have certainly explored further than the adults ever did at this stage in the soft release process. It is a really positive sign for things yet to come.

Chicks and adults flying free. Photo by Liz Corry

We had to put the releases on hold whilst we went to collect six new birds from Paradise Park. After which point all the aviary birds would be in quarantine lockdown for thirty days minimum. You can imagine the tension then on the last night before our departure when we let the chicks out at 3pm. Stress levels, already above average, peaked when the adults decided it was time to head back to the quarry and the chicks followed. In flight there was an obvious split between the two groups as the chicks lagged behind. From our view point we think they made it as far as the car park. From their position they would have been able to see the quarry. Whether it was the moving cars, the site of the quarry, or general lethargy the chicks changed their minds turned around and flew straight back to the aviary. I don’t think any of us could have predicted how well this round of soft releases has gone. Let’s hope the next phase with the parent-reared chicks will be just as successful.

Chough report: July 2014

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Glyn Young

July was yet another action packed month in which the goal of re-establishing a sustainable wild chough population in Jersey moved another step closer to being a reality.

Winners announced for Insurance Corporation Conservation Awards Jersey 2014

The Durrell chough chicks entered their first competition this month. Not a beauty pageant, we are still working on their talent skills, but a conservation award to help fund their post-release monitoring.

Insurance Corporation of the Channel Islands holds an annual competition to recognize the efforts of local conservation projects and award prize money to fund continued work.

The chicks faced stiff competition from several amazing projects representing a range of local fauna and flora from bioluminescent marine worms to grass snakes and reed beds. Insurance Corporation Jersey manager and chair of the judging panel, Natasha Lucock, says that the quality of entries this year was higher than ever.

“It’s great to see so many people taking an interest in Jersey’s green spaces and making such huge efforts to preserve the life that can be found there.”

I am pleased to say that the chicks won the Peter Walpole’s People’s Choice Award, as voted for by fans of the Insurance Corporation Facebook page.

Winners of the Insurance Corporation Conservation Awards 2014. Photo (c) Insurance Corporation

“Over 450 people viewed and voted for their favorite videos of the various projects on our Facebook page and we were delighted to present Durrell with £500 as the people’s choice winners named in honour of our chairman and conservation awards founder, Peter Walpole,” added Natasha.

The money will buy radio transmitters for the chicks to monitor their movements post-release.

We should be able to locate any chick that roams out of sight. Combining their daily movements with geographical information databases we can say which habitat and local areas they prefer to forage in and roost and then feed this into future land management plans.

The Inspiration Award of £500 went to Robert Ward for his efforts in studying and conserving the local grass snake and slow-worm population. Robert is on Jersey conducting research for his PhD with DICE (Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology), which will be running until October 2016, seeks to determine the population of both species along with investigating their movements and habitat.

More information about the different projects and Insurance Corporation can be found on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/insurancecorporation.

Durrell chicks make preparations for take off

Caûvette and Dingle. Photo by Liz Corry

Chickay, Bean, Caûvette, and Dingle were measured up and kitted out in preparation for their first flight outside of the aviary. The chicks had leg rings and tail mounted radio-transmitters fitted by the keepers. They were happily feeding and playing afterwards and don’t seem hampered in any way by the extra equipment.

Measurements of wing and tarsus lengths were recorded to add to an existing European database. Whilst not 100% accurate these measurements can be used to determine sex when DNA analysis is not available.

Their behavioural training has progressed well. They respond to the whistle and fly down to target boards to feed. At first Caûvette seemed to be apprehensive about flying through open hatches. The other three would glide through, but Caûvette seems to bail at the last-minute and fly up to the shelf above. For whatever reason, confidence or acquired skill, she has improved. All this made it look promising for the chicks’ first release.

Maiden voyage of Durrell’s hand-reared chicks

It was imperative to get the chicks flying out with the adults as soon as possible this month. At two months of age they are eager to learn and the adults are the perfect teachers. There was an added pressure of knowing that an import of new choughs on the 24^th July would mean all birds inside the aviary would go on a thirty-day quarantine lock-down. If a release was delayed until September the chicks would be older and maybe more complacent.

Durrell chicks stretching their wings for the first time outside of the aviary. Photo by Liz Corry

On the 8^th July the Durrell chicks took their first venture into the wilds of Sorel. The hatches were opened late afternoon and the chicks were given 30 minutes of free time. It proved more successful than anyone could imagine. The chicks ventured outside although not very far. Sticking closely to the roof of the aviary they took several small circular flights. When the adults appeared from the direction of Sorel point the chicks became very animated, but still stayed close to the aviary. Mainly because the adults were doing the same thing.

Flying with the adults above the aviary. Photo by Liz Corry

When it was time to call them back the adults were still at or even in the aviary. Instead of trying to scare them out we decided to use them as lures and the chicks would hopefully learn by example. The adults heard the whistle, spotted the keeper, and flew to the target boards inside the aviary for food. The chicks followed, although not instantly.

Knowing how the adults now react to hatches being closed by keepers, there was a good chance they would fly out or worse some would get shut in the aviary. The chicks being naive to such a thing might stay eating or fly out reacting to the panic of the adults.

What actually happened was that the adults all flew out as soon as the keeper approached from the front. The chicks remained eating whilst watching the adults leave. Hatches were locked and the chicks stayed safely inside for the night. The adults were unfazed by the whole affair as they returned straight away on the whistle for bonus insects.

Max observing the four chicks as they fly around Mourier Valley. Photo by Liz Corry

Ten releases happened in total over two weeks in July. Free time ranged from 30 minutes to 5 hours and there was only one night when one chick stayed out on the roof all night. They avoided several aerial attacks from juvenile peregrines learning their own trade. They have now learnt to fly inside the aviary under shelter when the peregrines are around. The adult choughs were present each time and no doubt the chicks learnt what to do from the adults reactions. The adults have not been injured by the peregrine encounters despite physical contact and always seek the aviary for shelter. Fortunately for them these are young peregrine practicing to hunt. Things could be dramatically different when they no longer need to practice.

Peregrines in training at Sorel. Photo by Liz Corry

If the challenge of predator encounters was not enough the Durrell chicks’ ‘playtime’ outside has led to an increase in syngamus and coccidia levels in their faeces. The symptoms are repetitive sneezing and wheezing. This is not unexpected as these naturally occur in the wild and the physical demands of first time wild flight will weaken birds making them more susceptible. All four chicks were immediately put on a course of baycox and ivomec due for completion the first week in August. Within days the chicks appeared healthier, but they still need to complete the course.

Changing of the guard

Ex-student Pierre Rauscher. Photo by Liz Corry

We sadly bid farewell to one of our students at the start of the month. Pierre’s three month placement on the project had come to an end.

Pierre’s first day was when we first started releasing the adults locked in overwinter. He saw the Durrell pairs lay eggs and was able to experience the highs and lows of chick rearing.

It only seemed fitting then for his last day to be the day we gave the chicks their first taste of life in the wild. Pierre enjoyed his time with the choughs and the Bird department, but has said he will not miss the wind up at Sorel! Having been blown backwards on the cliff path whilst tracking birds in May I can understand why he said that.

Harriet Clark with new student Max Benatar. Photo by Liz Corry

The very next day we welcomed Max Benatar to the team. Max is a student at the University of Zeppelin, Germany. Thrown in at the deep end, Max was given a crash course in radio-tracking before manning his post on the cliffs for the second day of the chick release. Fortunately for him the birds behaved like a dream.

Our other student, Adam, has shown him the ropes when it comes to the behavioral observations and both have received training in basic husbandry skills at the aviary.

Now you see them now you don’t

The sheep at Sorel have been have been updating their summer wardrobe. Aaron and Sam have been busy shearing the flock which is very laborious as it involved herding sheep from both sides of the valley and the cliff faces.

The sheep at Sorel with their summer coats. Photo by Liz Corry

They have been using the aviary field to hold and process who they can. Inevitably the odd one will evade capture so it took several days. When the sheep are in field the gates have to be locked to prevent accidental escapes. This might be confusing to the regular visitor, but hopefully they understand the need for the restriction.

The flock is now back out roaming between Sorel and Devil’s hole. Looking slightly darker than before (their top coat is beige, but underneath its brown). Of course with strong summer sun we are having the sheep are seeking refuge. So don’t be surprised if you hear bracken or a gorse bush bleating at you and not a sheep in sight!

Sorel aviary maintenance

Yet more DIY work was needed at the aviary this month. The joins in the plywood roofing panels which had been filled with all-weather sealant in the spring have once again become exposed. The intense heat beating down on the wood really tested the brand name’s claim and unfortunately it failed. So a new approach was taken and now the roof should now stop the chough’s food from getting wet….if Jersey ever escapes the drought.

The release wires continue to be replaced with tougher galvanized steel wire. We have been waiting on a delivery to the island since we bought out a certain chain store’s stock last month. A few more ‘training perches’ have been added to the outside of the aviary to help the chicks when they exit the aviary. It provides them with a few extra options to sit and catch their breath. Choughs don’t perch in trees and ground level exposes a bird to potential threats from mammal predators or mischievous dogs off leads.

We are now looking at ways to improve the release hatch design and efficiency of opening and locking. Although fitting anything at this stage might be hampered by having ten birds locked in the aviary.

Wildlife park chough update

Gianna finding insects hidden in an enrichment log. Photo by Liz Corry

Funding has been found to replace the old netting on the display aviary and modify the buidling. Hopefully this will make the aviary more appealing for both the choughs and the visitors. In preparation for the work the two females housed in the aviary, Gianna and Issy, have been moved off-show.

Once the work is completed the breeding pairs and the two single females will be flocked together in the display aviary as they would do in the wild.

Sadly there have been no further sightings of Arthur. David Woolcock, the red-billed chough studbook holder, is looking at options for Durrell to acquire a new breeding male and return our holdings to three breeding pairs.

Paradise Park’s chicks boost Jersey’s chough population by 50%

With the exception of our Italian female, all our choughs are from, or descendants of, Paradise Park’s captive population. Genetically these are North Welsh birds not Cornish just to confuse people. This year Paradise Park successfully parent-reared eight choughs and there was even a case of one female becoming a foster mum.

Chough chicks and parents in their flocking aviary at Paradise Park, Cornwall. Photo by Liz Corry

Ali and Ray explaining their flocking aviary setup. Photo by Liz Corry

Paradise Park very generously agreed to send six of the eight chicks to Jersey to take part in the release program. Having been parent-reared the hope is that they will pass on the skills they learned from their parents to the Durrell chicks.

In return the Durrell chicks will guide them through the behavioural training, hopefully tell them the keepers are trustworthy people, and generally ease the transition phase from captive to released birds.

The chicks were caught up and put into crates by Paradise Park staff Olly Frost and David Woolcock. They were then driven to Perranporth airport to meet Lee Durrell and Colin Stevenson. Lee had very kindly offered to fly them back to Jersey on her plane with Colin piloting. A potential eight hour van journey via a ferry was swiftly cut down to 55 minutes with the choughs arriving in Jersey by lunchtime on the 24^th July.

Flying into land at Jersey. Photo by Liz Corry

They were driven in convoy up to the aviary at Sorel by Colin and students Adam and Max. There they were met by Durrell’s vet team to examine them and take blood samples for health screening. The Durrell chicks were very excited to hear the first ‘foreign’ chough call. However the presence of six people, one holding a syringe, quickly dampened their excitement. The free-flying adults outside did not appear bothered by the new arrivals they simply wanted their afternoon feed before returning to the fields.

The new arrivals had to spend a week isolated in section 1A of the aviary whilst awaiting the results of the blood tests. If clear they can be mixed with the other four in section 2. All choughs inside the aviary are under quarantine conditions as soon as the first Paradise Park chick left its crate. As such they must remain locked inside until given the all clear.

This seemed to prove frustrating to the Durrell chicks at first. Having recently been given the opportunity to fly free for several hours they seemed annoyed and confused as to why they were being separated from the adults. The new arrivals also took a keen interest in the adults. For the first few days the new chicks would hide in the shelter boxes but leap out whenever they heard the calls of the adults arriving at the aviary.

View from inside keeper porch. Photo by Liz Corry

Interestingly there was not much interaction between the two groups of chicks. This can only be taken as a good thing as the two groups feed next to each other without any fighting or bullying.

The two groups are due to mix next month. Max and Adam will continue with behavioral observations to assess how well the groups integrate and results will be published in next month’s report.

A wild Cornish chough. Photo by Liz Corry

Liz Corry and Harriet Clark traveled to Cornwall three days before the import. A day was spent behind the scenes at Paradise Park kindly shown around by Alison and Ray Hales.Followed by a 36 hour chough hunt to see wild choughs and learn how the RSPB are working to protect this species and their habitat.

Claire Mucklow, RSPB Cornwall chough project manager, and Nicola Shanks, chough project officer, generously gave up their morning to chauffer Durrell staff across fields and cliff tops. Fourteen choughs were counted at one roost site, accounting for almost half of the Cornish population.

A report on the trip to Cornwall including a guided tour by the RSPB of wild Cornish chough habitat will feature on this website very soon! For more news about the wild choughs in Cornwall click here.

Family of Cornish choughs. Photo by Liz Corry

Chough report: June 2014. Part 2

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Glyn Young

By Liz Corry

Fledging

It wasn’t long before the chicks started to launch themselves at the keeper begging for food when the nest-box door was opened. The first to leave the nest box was Chickay closely followed by Bean. Eagerly following the puppet and blindly knocking over anything in their path to get to the food: in most cases this meant pots of insects carefully weighed out for each chick.

Being the smallest, Caûvette would often get pushed to the bottom of the begging pile, but once out of the nest she would stand her ground. She then developed a habit of eating a few mouthfuls then getting distracted and exploring the nooks and crannies surrounding the nest area. We took this inquisitive nature to be a good sign for her development. Watching her grow up, we might now be inclined to attribute it to her ‘ditsy’ nature instead. It will be interesting to see how this translates when she is released.

Dingle was the last to leave the nest. Photo by Liz Corry

The youngest of the chicks, Dingle, was the last to leave the nest box. This was several days after Caûvette had left. Although it should be noted that after every feed and brief exploratory session the chicks would jump back into the box and have a ‘nap’ until the next feed. So he was never really left alone. When he did leave he quickly turned from being apprehensive to boisterous and more agile at moving around the enclosure than the other three.

Durrell’s Maintenance volunteers built a wooden ‘staircase’ complete with handrail so Harriet and Liz could safely access the nest-box when feeding chicks. The idea behind this design rather than just using a step-ladder was to avoid disturbance setting up a ladder each time, especially when the chicks were mobile. Plus, when they started learning to jump and fly around, the wide wooden steps became great additional perching points. In the last two weeks of June the chicks were so mobile that they were given access to the second shed section of the aviary. This meant the adults had fewer roosting areas to choose from. Soon the chicks had access to the entire aviary, whistle training began, and the adults had to be locked out.

Wooden staircase built so keepers could safely access nest. Photo by Liz Corry

Training

Whilst secure in the aviary, the youngsters have learnt some of the basic flying and landing skills. At the start this meant landing on the closest solid object they could see…the keeper’s head! Whilst endearing, this had to be discouraged as it is not a behaviour we wish them to have around members of the public. This led to a lot of ducking and diving and a new game of keeper dodge-ball was created. The chicks’ behaviour changed within a few days and feeding times became a calmer affair (although it is all relative).

The chicks were gradually weaned off hand-feeds with insects just presented to them in dishes and the mouse diet swapped for the adult egg diet. Once this was established keepers’ started blowing the whistle as the food was presented at various target sites within the aviary. Within 24 hours the chicks had learnt to associate the whistle with food.

The chicks grew up quickly learning how to feed for themselves and weigh-in! Photos by Liz Corry

Once they are reasonably competent they will be given the opportunity to leave the aviary if they wish. The birds need to be trained in the same way as the adults, to respond to a call for food so we have some control over them. Being hand-reared this should be easy. Within a day they learnt that the whistle meant food was around.

Flying back and forth between target sites was a little trickier to pick up. Only because, whenever the adults appeared outside the aviary the chicks wanted to be with them. If the adults went to the ground feeding, the chicks would go to the ground. If the adults rested on the poly-tunnel frame the chicks would perch on the highest shelf possible. Being whistle-trained themselves, the adults reappear whenever they hear the chicks being trained so you can imagine how often the chicks’ training is interrupted. We are now working on training the chicks to a different cue whilst in the aviary and then switching back once they are released.

Socialisation

Before being released it is important to work out how the other choughs react to new arrivals. If they are accepted by the already released choughs then it will be easier for the chicks to learn from the adults. However, some of the older birds may be hostile and territorial and management issues will arise.

For the first few days of the chicks being in the aviary the group was under constant surveillance. A camera was on the nest area for night time monitoring and keepers or students were taking shifts during the day keeping watch. A study was implemented to record behavioural observations looking at adult interactions with chicks. This will continue until the chicks are released providing valuable information for modelling future release management.

As previously mentioned, the adults took a great interest but none of it was aggressive. If there was any it was more likely directed at the keepers in jealousy of the chicks being fed and not them. The adult females would take an interest in the chicks. On one occasion a female was seen carrying insects in her bill towards the chicks. The mesh between them prevented any feeding if that was indeed her intention.

Once the chicks had access beyond the shed sections they would fly to be as close as possible to the adults when they returned to the aviary. In the absence of the adults they tended to go into the roost-box recently built by Adam and Harriet. The chicks knew without anyone showing them that they had to probe for insects. Whether this was between the timber frame looking for woodlice or in the soil, it was obviously innate behaviour. The presence of the adults at feed times has helped them develop this skill. They watched them and copied their behaviours.

One behaviour they knew already was bathing. As soon as a water-tray was added Caûvette jumped (or stumbled, take your pick) into it and started flicking water in the face of the keeper. Not intentionally. It did take several attempts before she mastered the art of balancing and bathing, but don’t we all!

Caûvette taking a bath. Photo by Liz Corry

The free-flying group

There were a lot of firsts for the adults at Sorel as well as for the chicks. The adults adapted very well to the new residents. When they were locked out of the aviary for the first time they took up roosting in the quarry. This has continued and seems to be a good compromise. They spend their days away from the quarry flying between field and aviary finding food. Occasionally if it got too hot they would return to the quarry buildings presumably because the buildings were shaded and cooler. They also preferred that option during this year’s Round-the-Island-Walk when 200 plus sheep had congregated on the same patch of headland. Who can blame them?

Whilst they choose to roost communally and on the whole feed together there are definite divides within the group. The young male, White, and female Black will often ditch the group to make trips back to the aviary. Red who is no longer partnered up can be seen with them or by herself entirely. It appears that the romance between Green and Mauve has faded. Now the breeding season for them is finished he, Green, has been seen with Blue who has been preening him in front of Mauve. These three are often seen perching or standing together during the day.

The adults started to use the cliff face adjacent to the aviary for the first time. Again this might be because it was slightly cooler than sitting exposed on top of an aviary. Following their movements became slightly harder once all the adults had moulted their radio transmitters. Three transmitters were recovered in the aviary; the other three could not be located. We suspect at least one was lost in the quarry. The batteries by this stage had become very weak making it difficult to pick up a signal at distance beyond 50metres. On one occasion, with no visual and only a faint signal, we had to assume the chough was fine and roosting in the quarry buildings from the echo of what sounded like a chough in a tin can!

We will not replace the transmitters on all of these adult birds. They have established themselves reasonably well in the wild and continue to use the aviary on a daily basis so we can monitor their health close up. As the 2015 breeding season approaches we may look into reattaching to the male, Green, to follow his movement as he, hopefully, attempts to set up a breeding territory.

Until then the adults will be kept busy teaching the chicks all they know about life at Sorel. Of course we all know the best lessons are the practical ones, which for our chough chicks means venturing beyond the safety of the aviary.

Health screening and diet analysis

Faecal samples continue to be collected to monitor parasite loads in the chicks and adults pre- and post-release. We are continuing to collect faecal samples for diet analysis although we have not yet braved sifting through them trying to ID insect remains. Both these projects will continue for the lifetime of the project. Any results will be published on the Birds On The Edge website.

Introducing Jersey’s new, home grown, choughs

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Glyn Young

By Liz Corry

Sexing, naming and identification

We announced the hatching of four chough chicks in April and May. DNA results, from blood samples taken in May, came back this month showing that we have one male and three females. We had guessed as much based on body weights when they were a few weeks old. Males tend to be heavier and of a slightly larger build.

In addition to this we built on their individual identities by giving them names. We intend to name any chicks reared for release on an alphabetical basis and with relevant names. They might not seem obvious choices to a non-Jersey resident but we think they are fitting names.

Birds on the edge

Saving coastal birds and habitats from extinction

Category Archives: Choughs

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Saving coastal birds and habitats from extinction

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