Chough report: March 2014

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Sunset, Sorel, and sleepy choughs. Photo by Liz CorryBy Liz Corry

March was a busy month with the arrival of the breeding season and the necessary preparations for the next round of releases.

Breeding programme at DurrellSorel sheep provide nesting material for choughs. Photo by Liz Corry

With all three pairs settled into their breeding aviaries, nesting material was added. Keepers provide the choughs with all the materials they would naturally use in the wild. Twigs, heather, moss, sheep’s wool, and horse hair are all added in carefully timed stages so the female chough can build the perfect nest.

This year wool from the Manx Loaghtan sheep at Sorel has been added to the mix. Just one of the bonuses of having the sheep temporarily housed in the aviary field. Strands of wool were collected from the fence posts and mesh where the sheep itch away their woes. The wool is disinfected once back at Durrell and checked for ticks before adding to the aviary.

It is evident from the nest cameras that the inexperienced female has the blueprints in her head to design a nest, but lacks the finesse of the seasoned professionals. Although, saying that, no nest ever appears to be perfect as the females are continuously making amendments. They have yet to start egg laying, but keepers expect to see the first egg any day now.

Nesting choughs. Photos by Liz Corry and Catherine Francescon

Choughs at Durrell are busy constructing their nests. Gwinny lays the foundations of her nest (top left). Issy collects wool and horse hair to line her almost complete nest (top right). Experienced breeder Gwinny (bottom left) has an almost perfect nest, whilst the young female Black scores an ‘A for effort’ (bottom right).

Spring at Sorel

Spring is in the air at Sorel. Photo by Liz CorryThe weather finally gave us all a bit of a breather this month and allowed essential maintenance work to be carried out on the aviary. Trevor Smith and Gavin Raffray from Durrell’s Maintenance team helped with the list of jobs.

The priority was getting the roof covered over the shed sections to provide the birds with extra shelter and stop the food-bowls from being drowned. There were a few fence posts to re-align thanks to the sheep. Hinges were oiled and rusted hatch wires were replaced with plastic coated steel wire.

I am contractually obliged not to talk about what happened when the guys finished working….but there is no clause about use of photographic material.Jersey’s roadside assistance insurance plan paid off. Photo by Liz Corry

A vain attempt to be more environmentally friendly saw a water collection butt added to the aviary. Water usage at the aviary averages 10 litres a day. Current design of the aviary means that only a small section of guttering was added. Whilst this might not be effective it should provide water for cleaning purposes and reduce the quota of fresh water carried up to the aviary. The equipment was donated by members of the public.

The ‘lawn’ needed addressing as the choughs were beginning to get lost in the undergrowth. In the wild, the grassland needs to be kept short (<5cm) to benefit the choughs. It allows the insect communities to thrive and thus become a sustainable food source for insectivorous birds like the chough. Whilst the captive choughs will never go short of food, they need to be able to practice natural skills such as soil probing.

The manual lawn mower couldn’t quite hack it, so the lawn was attacked with a petrol strimmer. Surprisingly no comments were made by the public on a sunny Sunday afternoon when a young lady strode with purpose, and a petrol can, along the cliff path of Sorel. Personal investment in a battery powered strimmer has relieved the public of any future unexpected sightings.

Vet visits and pre-release health screening

Radio transmitters and ID rings were added to those birds that needed them. Photo by Liz CorryRadio transmitters arrived for the four birds who needed them (Mauve, who lost hers last September, and the three new birds). So, at the start of the month there was a catch up to attach the transmitters. The new birds also had Jersey branded leg rings and colour rings attached.

Whilst in the hand, it provided Durrell’s vet team the opportunity to obtain blood samples to screen any potential health issues. All eight birds had blood samples taken and a three day, pooled, faecal sample was also taken for the group.

A hood (old sock) is placed on the bird’s head to calm them down whilst in the hand. Photo by Liz CorryThe screening showed the continued presence of Syngamus (gapeworm) so the birds were given a course of Ivermectin. This involves yet more catching since injection is the only guaranteed way of administering the drug to each bird in equal dose. The bird is given one injection in the pectoral muscle and a second 10-14 days later. Further faecal samples were taken to monitor the effect of the drug on the parasitic load.

Student placements

At the start of the year an advert went out for student placements on the chough project. Durrell regularly take on University students looking to gain accreditation towards their degree. The chough reintroduction project is looking for students to radio-track released birds, assist with research projects, and potentially assist with the captive birds.

The first to take up such a position was Adam Dallas-Chapman from Jersey. A recent graduate of the University of Bath, he will be with the project for three months and has already got stuck into radio-tracking practice.

Pierre Rauscher, from France, will be joining Adam in mid-April. He will also be spending three months in Jersey using his time on the project to contribute to his degree certification.

There are still positions available between June and September. For more information and to apply visit Durrell here.

Newest team member

Durrell has been awarded funding to employ a field assistant on a twelve month contract. They will be assistting with the release and radio-tracking of the choughs whilst continuing to help with the captive breeding programme.Harriet Clark, Chough field assistant 2014

Harriet Clark, currently a bird keeper at Durrell, will be joining the Conservation Department in April. Harriet has experience working on the Mauritian reintroduction projects and is currently training to be a licensed bird-ringer. No doubt she will be a valuable asset to the project and both staff and birds will benefit from her enthusiasm and dedication.

Chronicle of a Jersey seabird wreck

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Puffin. Photo by Harriet WhitfordBy Cris Sellarés

In late March 2014, Jersey hit the mark of a thousand dead seabirds found on its shores; the Island total since reaching 1,022 with numbers in the Channel Islands overall to just under 1,300 birds.

In a regular winter we might expect between 10 and 40 dead seabirds on our shores over a few months, recorded by a few local birdwatchers that check the beaches regularly. But this year was different, and even when we did start to realise that things weren’t quite as usual, we never suspected we’d end up with over one thousand dead birds in Jersey alone. This kind of event with so many dead seabirds is known as a wreck.

Razorbills. Photo by Harriet WhitfordIt was late January when numbers began building up and we started finding dead birds by the dozens in single stretches of our coast. Other birds were found still alive and taken to the JSPCA. At the same time, members of the public started to report dead birds, asking why this was happening and wanting to help and become involved. A record system was set up with Dr Glyn Young from Durrell taking in the records via email, the Jerseybirds website or the Jersey Wildlife Facebook group. A protocol for photographing the carcasses and disposing of them was advised to the general public, so that the identification of the species could be confirmed and so that the same bird wasn’t reported again by another person.

As awareness of the wreck spread, more people started to look for birds to report. Predicting a surge of reports over the weekends, we set up a series of co-ordinated surveys on four consecutive Sundays. These searches involved a team of 25-30 volunteers checking sections of the Jersey coastline, collecting all the birds found and taking them to an arranged collection point, where carcasses were laid out, identified and examined. Much information was gained from these counts, as well as allowing many people see some bird species for the first time: such as razorbills, great northern divers, grebes, kittiwakes, and, of course, puffins, which were instantly recognizable with their tuxedo suits, short yellow feet and colourful beaks. Indeed it was a very sad occasion that many people commented on, that the first puffin they or their children had seen was a dead one on the beach.

Ouaisne dead bird count 16th February 2014. Photo by Tim RansomWith the numbers from surveys and individual reports piling up, a worrying picture started to develop, encompassing rare finds (common scoter, red-necked grebe, little auk) and ringed birds whose origin could be traced to colonies in Skomer Island, the Hebrides, Orkney, France and, for many shags, the Channel Islands.

Some birds that were examined post mortem were found to have drowned, starved, or both; while samples, frozen carcasses and photographic evidence were sent to various UK-based scientists to contribute towards their long-term research.

Many questions have arisen from this environmental disaster, here are some answers gathered from the scientific community.

Jersey seabird wreck 2014. Table of casualtiesWhat species have been affected?

Auks (guillemots, razorbills and puffins) made up the largest portion of the casualties, with significant numbers of shags, great northern divers, kittiwakes and gulls following behind. Here is a breakdown of the birds found in Jersey.

The combined total of all reported birds from the coasts of UK, France and Spain is a horrifying 32,156, which is a conservative minimum as many birds may have sunk in the oceans or been grounded on inaccessible shores. On top of that, news from France suggests this might still go up by 5,000 at least.

Seabird casualties in Jersey 2014What is the cause of these deaths?

The unusual series of strong storms we saw this winter are to blame. Most seabirds spend these months at sea, moulting their flight feathers and feeding. The storms would have weakened them and make diving for fish difficult in high waves and 100mph winds. The effects of the storms did not cease after the bad weather, as the waters remained murky for many weeks, making fishing still difficult. Unfortunately, these storms have been predicted to increase in strength and frequency as part of new meteorological model accounting for climate change.

Seabird deaths. January to April 2014Thankfully, the number of reported birds has started to decrease as you can see on the graph. The columns in green mark survey dates, the ones in pink mark reports in bulk.

What effect will this have on seabird populations?

The effect this wreck has had on the populations of seabirds will only be seen when the survivors return to their breeding colonies in the UK, Scandinavia and other parts. Only then local researchers will be able to quantify the effect the storms have had on the breeding populations.

What are we doing about it?

Adult shag. One of Jersey's breeders? Photo by Amanda ShawActions have been taken across the Channel Islands since news of the seabird wreck started to spread. In February a conference call was held between organizations and governments of the different Islands to discuss the findings and possible impacts on our breeding colonies. A few weeks later a workshop was organized by the Alderney Wildlife Trust that got together bird experts and vets from Guernsey, Jersey and France, to discuss survey methods and carcass examination techniques.

Great northern diver. Photo by Amanda ShawThe Alderney Wildlife Trust has also set up a webpage (here) to report birds found on the beaches and thanks to them the links between the islands and France have become stronger. We have established common protocols to monitor beaches that will allow us to detect future events such as a seabird wreck or a pollution incident, as well as standardizing carcass examination and data collection.

Beyond dealing with the wreck itself, a call has been made to local governments to support an islands-wide survey of our local breeding colonies as well as to step up the current guidelines of protection of our colonies against human-caused disturbance, which is one of the main factors affecting their breeding success.

PS. This report had 1022 words, one for each dead bird found in Jersey.

Collisions with low-rise buildings kill millions of birds each year

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A bird left this trace after colliding with a window. Photo by Alan Hensel, Wikimedia CommonsFrom BirdWatching

For years, it has been assumed in the United States that a staggering number of birds die in collisions with buildings – between 100 million and one billion every year.

The total is often cited as fact, even though it was presented, in 1990, as only a rough estimate.

Now, thanks to a systematic review of published studies and unpublished collision-monitoring datasets, not only is that estimate true, but also that low-rise buildings and residences kill more birds than skyscrapers. What’s more, mortality caused by building collisions may be having an effect on populations of vulnerable species.

Between 365 and 988 million birds are killed annually by building collisions in the U.S., say researchers of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Migratory Birds.

“Results support the conclusion that building collision mortality is one of the top sources of direct anthropogenic mortality of birds in the U.S.,” they conclude. “Among other national estimates that are data-driven and systematically derived, only predation by free-ranging domestic cats is estimated to cause a greater amount of mortality.”

Collisions with buildings 4-11 stories tall account for roughly 56 % of overall mortality (339 million deaths, on average), say the analysts. Residences – detached houses and multi-unit residences 1-3 stories tall – account for 44 % (253 million), while high-rises, buildings at least 12 stories tall, cause less than 1 % (508,000).

Residences kill birds at a lower rate than high-rises – 2.1 vs. 24.3 birds per skyscraper – but residences vastly outnumber high-rises. The findings suggest that reducing mortality substantially will require mitigation measures to be applied across a huge number of structures.

This is not a problem restricted to North America, buildings and other man-made structures kill birds across the world and may reduce further populations of already threatened species. The report can be downloaded free of charge here

The state of the UK’s birds 2013

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Yellow wagtail. Photo by Romano da CostaFrom The Guardian

State of UK birds 2013 coverSome of the UK’s most familiar countryside birds have plummeted in numbers since the 1990s, and some species have disappeared from parts of the country altogether, according to the most recent authoritative annual report.

The turtle dove has declined by 95%, the yellow wagtail, which inhabits farm and wetland, has declined by 45% over the same period.

The State of the UK’s Birds report, from the RSPB, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and several UK government nature bodies, shows that of the UK’s 107 most widespread and common breeding birds, 16 species have declined by more than a third since 1995, including the willow tit, starling, cuckoo, lapwing and wood warbler.

Many of these species do not require highly managed landscapes such as nature reserves or protected areas, but are once common birds that live in the “wider countryside”, in farmland, open country, commons, woodlands or local country parks.

Dr Mark Eaton, RSPB conservation scientist, said many contributors to the report were shocked at how poorly familiar species were faring. “Many of the birds we’re referring to aren’t rare and don’t occur in remote locations. To the contrary, they are ones you used to see while walking the dog or enjoying a family picnic. But over two decades many of these species have ebbed away from huge swaths of our countryside.”

The report has been running since 1999 and brings together the most recently published research, which is used to update population trends. This year’s report draws heavily on the findings of the BTO’s Bird Atlas 2007-11, which was published in 2013, a massive volunteer-led project that mapped changes in the patterns of distribution and abundance of 296 breeding and wintering bird species in Britain and Ireland.Turtle dove. Photo by Romano da Costa

By including the BTO findings, the report has for the first time in 20 years enabled conservationists to look at bird populations in terms of population trends and range. “The shocking thing when you put both sets of figures together is the decline in number and range,” said an RSPB spokesman. The list of familiar countryside birds that are declining includes:

• The turtle dove, a farmland bird with a 95% decline in numbers since 1995 and a 51% decline in range over the past 40 years

• The cuckoo, whose numbers have halved since 1995. The latest bird atlas reveals that although its range has contracted by just 8% over the past 40 years, there are marked declines in abundance in the south and east of Britain

Whinchat. Photo by Mick Dryden• The whinchat, a bird of open countryside whose numbers have fallen by 60% since 1995, and in range by 48% over the past 40 years

• The starling, which lives in urban areas and farmland and whose population has decreased by 53% since 1995. The atlas reveals that its range has contracted by 5% over the past 40 years with a steep decline in abundance in Britain, and an increase in Northern Ireland

• The wood warbler, a summer-visiting woodland bird, which has dropped in number by 69% since 1995, and a range contraction of 34% since the 1970s

• The yellow wagtail, a bird of farmland and wetland that has experienced a 45% decline in numbers since 1995 and a 32% contraction in range

Lapwing. Photo by Mick Dryden• The lapwing, a farm and wetland inhabitant whose numbers have dropped by 41% since 1995. The atlas reveals that the lapwing’s range has contracted by 18% over the past 40 years, with the greatest losses in western Britain and Northern Ireland

• The snipe, a wetland bird whose breeding range has shrunk by 31% over the past 40 years

• The corn bunting, a farmland bird whose population has declined by 34% since 1995. The atlas shows that its distribution has contracted by 56% over the past 40 years; and the species is now extinct in Ireland.

Colette Hall, species monitoring officer with the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, said: “There’s worrying evidence here that the breeding ranges of many of our waders are drastically shrinking. We’re losing much-loved species like snipe or lapwing completely from southern parts of England now.”

A main cause is thought to be the loss of habitat due to wetlands being drained for farming or development, she said. “We need to protect and restore these habitats in order for species like these – and all wetland wildlife – to survive and prosper.”

The report also highlights some species that have seen significant population recoveries. Following its reintroduction into England and Scotland and its continuing recovery in Wales, red kite numbers have increased by 676% since 1995. Songbirds such as the goldfinch and blackcap have also increased their populations since 1995, by 109% and 133% respectively.

Phil Grice, Natural England’s senior ornithology specialist, said: “While we’ve made progress with reversing the declines in many of our rarer bird species, thanks to site management and species recovery work, improving the fortunes of our ‘wider countryside’ birds requires us to think beyond good management of our special sites.”

The report also looks at how birds are faring in the UK’s overseas territories. Although across these territories globally there are 32 species of bird facing extinction, the report shows that concerted conservation action has delivered benefits for species including the Ascension frigatebird and Murphy’s petrel.

David Stroud, of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, said: “The UK’s overseas territories contain more species of bird facing extinction than the whole of mainland Europe. Twenty-one of these species occur nowhere else in the world, so the UK has sole and total responsibility for them.”

Download the report for free here

Common snipe. Photo by Mick Dryden

PuffinCam is back!

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Puffin at Burhou. Photo by Paul MarshallFrom Alderney Wildlife Trust 

AWT logoAfter a succession of bad news stories for Channel Islands wildlife, the Alderney Wildlife Trust is delighted to be able to announce that the LIVE – PuffinCams are now back up and running from the Island of Burhou. These two cameras are the centre piece to the ‘LIVE – teaching through nature’ and have been brought back into action in readiness for the return of the Channel Islands’ largest puffin colony after the winter storms and wrecks.

LIVE is linking over 60+ schools across the UK and Channel Islands in 2014 and its creators at the Alderney Wildlife Trust are hoping to interest more Channel Island schools to take part thanks to the support of Guernsey Education Department and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (one of the project’s Jersey partners).

LIVE utilises over 300 teaching and learning resources and live camera feeds from the seabird colonies and other wildlife sites, including Birds On The Edge. LIVE provides a core 12 week cross-curricular project – using nature to help engage and teach children in Key Stage 1 & 2. LIVE provides resources for literacy, numeracy, ICT, science and art. It covers topics within the school’s curriculum including: life cycles, food chains, habitats, adaptation and more. Further details can be found here.

Burhou aerial. Alderney Wildlife TrustActivities over those weeks include:

  • Daily blogs by the Wildlife Trust and Durrell ecologists about Channel Island Wildlife.
  • Weekly videoconferences in which pupils could ask questions directly to the LIVE education team about what they were seeing in the puffin and other wildlife behaviour.
  • Access to a secure school area of the website which provided resources aimed at providing a new angle on teaching literacy, numeracy, science, IT, geography and art; whilst also covering curriculum topics such as habitats, life cycles and island living.
  • Activity Days where participating schools could take part in activity sessions with support from Wildlife Trust and Durrell staff and teachers
  • ‘The Travelling Puffin’, where an Alderney (cuddly) Puffin took a trip around participating schools so students could meet first hand a life size Puffin. Schools then put up a blog and pictures about their visitor, for other schools to see and discuss.
  • Activity Boxes, these interactive aid boxes will be available for schools to access on a loan basis and will contain materials which support the programme and come directly from the Alderney and he Island of Burhou.

RSPB President and BBC OneShow presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff said of the project – ‘LIVE is a truly remarkable way to inspire and connect children to nature…’

Jersey Great Garden Bird Watch – results in

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Blackbird. Photo by Mick DrydenJersey Great Garden Bird Watch 8th & 9th February 2014

By Mike Stentiford

This year’s garden bird watch (reported here) was held in February and the results have all been counted. Public response this time was slightly lower than in previous years – a little under 200 householders participated this year. Unfortunately the count coincided with some of the highest winds recorded during an already very windy start to the year.

Nevertheless, the results continue to give a reasonable snapshot of the wherewithal of the Island’s garden birds.

With thanks to Action for Wildlife’s co-ordinator Sheila Mallet, the top twenty species of the 13th Jersey Garden Bird Watch were:

Wood pigeon. Photo by Mick Dryden1 – House sparrow  1,109
2 – Chaffinch           503
3 – Starling              435
4 – Blue tit               383
5 – Great tit             342
6 – Magpie              282
7 – Collared dove    273
7 – Blackbird           273
9 – Goldfinch          263
10 – Wood pigeon  224

Greenfinch in winter. Photo by Mick Dryden11 to 20 were robin (213), herring gull (159), long-tailed tit (150), dunnock (149), carrion crow (139),  greenfinch (127), pheasant (77), song thrush (51), wren (49) and blackcap (29).

Analysis of these annual counts shows some important trends that give us a good picture of what is happening to our environment. While, alarmingly, greenfinch continues to show no signs of recovery it is pleasing to report that house sparrow may be doing better than it was only a few years ago. While populations of some of our other garden birds remain fairly stable only wood pigeon is actually showing signs of increasing.

Greenfinch. GBS 2002-2014

House sparrow. GBS 2002-2014Wood pigeon. GBS 2002-2014

May we add a very big ‘thank you’ to everyone who kindly took part – assisting with this annual survey is both important and hugely appreciated.

Chough report: February 2014

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Choughs searching for insects hidden by keeper. Photo by Liz CorryBy Liz Corry

News update from Sorel

There is not a great deal to report from Sorel from the past month. Most of the time both birds and manager have been anchored down trying to make it through the force 10 winds and onslaught of rain or sleet. The choughs have fared better than the manager, taking the opportunity to practice sideways gliding through hatches, airing their flight feathers, and getting stuck into the mud searching for insects. Confinement to the aviary does limit their options for shelter, but all birds have so far seemed pretty happy.


Sorel choughs on a windy day. Video by Liz Corry

The only evidence contrary to this was picked up by the aviary security camera. Two of the choughs had a falling out recently which caused a lot of excitement amongst the other birds. Luckily it ended quickly with no injuries sustained, but maybe a bruised ego.

Black’s bill, evidence of their natural soil probing behaviour. Photo by Liz CorryBehavioural training and weighing of the birds has been difficult because of the weather. On the days when the electronic scales have been able to make an appearance the readout has shown discrepancies. This is probably due to the wind getting under the top pan balance and the movement throwing off the scales. The birds have been sluggish in their response to the whistle training. Without knowing body weights it is difficult to know whether the lack of motivation is due to the weather or full stomachs.

Breeding pairs at Durrell

At the start of February the choughs at Durrell were moved from the flocking aviary to their breeding aviaries. The catch-up process took two days. The flocking aviary has a very large flight space! In order to catch birds they first need to enter a smaller enclosure at the back of the aviary beforehand so nets can be used.

Only two of the three pairs needed to be moved out. To complicate mKeeper spying on choughs anxiously waiting to trap them in the catch up cage. Photo by Liz Corryatters the pair staying in the flocking aviary, Arthur and Issy, treated the back area as their territory. They would not let the other birds feed from the dishes put there to lure the birds in. On the second day Arthur and Issy were caught up and kept in pet carriers in a darkened room. This allowed the other birds to get to the food.

The first in were Gwinny and Mauve. Slightly cautious of seeing what had just happened to the other pair Mauve spent a lot of time standing guard in the doorway, but eventually his hunger took over. Tristan and his partner were less caring and went in within a few minutes after Gwinny and Mauve were caught.

All the choughs were in good condition. The young female had new leg rings fitted as she had lost her old ones. She was moved into Shep’s Field 2 (SF2) along with Tristan. Gwinny and Mauve went next door in SF3. The nest cameras were already rolling and showed both pairs taking a keen interest in their new surroundings.

With the necessary birds removed, work could then begin on setting up the flocking aviary as a temporary breeding aviary. A nest box, donated by Paradise Park, has been fitted with a camera and connected to a monitor in the keeper porcGianna. Photo by Liz Corryh. This will provide a continuous live feed to monitor progress of nest-building and hopefully egg-laying.

Gianna will remain in the aviary with Arthur and Issy unless she proves to be too much of a disturbance. She continues to knock on the inner door when she hears a keeper unlocking the external door. This creates quite a racket which might not be appreciated by a brooding female.

Chough incubation equipment. Photo by Liz CorryArtificial breeding

New incubation and breeding equipment arrived this month. Staff are hoping to artificially incubate eggs and hand-rear chicks to be released alongside parent-reared chicks. Hand-reared individuals will respond well to the behavioural training required for the soft-release process. Parent-reared fledglings observing the hand-reared birds should pick up on the training quicker whilst at the same time share their natural life skills learned from their parents.Tristan inspecting the new nest box…and camera. Photo by Liz Corry

One of Durrell’s education officers, Sarah Nugent, has kindly painted more dummy eggs. Keepers will use these if they need to rescue eggs but not the entire clutch. The real egg is swapped for a dummy egg, so that the female believes her clutch is unharmed and continues to incubate.

Nest building

Gwinny’s ceremonial placement of the first nest twig. Photo by Liz CorryOnce the birds had settled into their new surroundings keepers added nesting material. Chough nests are built in three stages; foundations (twigs), structural support (heather thatch), and interior comforts (wool/horse hair). So far progress has been slow with the odd twig taken up to the nest, then removed when the female decides it is not to her liking. In the wild, choughs normally start nesting in March. The lack of commitment our captive birds are currently showing is not too concerning.

Public Outreach

This year’s Durrell pantomime paid homage to Birds On Durrell Panto PosterThe Edge featuring Sleeping Beauty and the red billed choughs. With a matinee and evening performance at the Jersey Arts Centre, crowds were entertained and educated about why Jersey has lost some of its most charismatic bird species, the need for grazing sheep, and why we all should boo loudly whenever we see an evil egg-snatcher lurking nearby.

The choughs and Birds On The Edge also get a look-in at a very special art exhibition being held at the wildlife park. Lizi Hill, a Durrell Volunteer Brighter Futures and Help a Jersey Child art exhibition at Durrell featuring work. Photo by Liz Corryand art student, helped bring together Durrell, Brighter Futures, and Help a Jersey Child for a wildlife inspired charity art project. Thirty six families visited Durrell to spend time with the animals, learn about conservation, and get their creative juices flowing. Back in the studio children, parents, and staff set to work on their masterpieces using all sorts of medium from pencil sketches to textile collages. Art work is available for sale and can still be viewed in Durrell’s Princess Royal Pavilion.

At the start of the month a short film was released about Birds On The Edge and the trial release of the choughs. This was filmed and produced by Annette Lowe who has kindly volunteered her time to the project over the past two years. With fifty hours of raw footage Annette had her work cut out trying to condense the story into just thirteen minutes. The film can be seen here as well as on Annette’s YouTube channel. Hopefully the public will gain a better understanding of what is involved in this sort of work and increase their support for the project.

How to test a chough. In a laboratory that is

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Lab manager Ann Thomasson scrutinising chough sample. Photo by Liz CorryBy Liz Corry

The chough project monthly reports have often included references to laboratory tests that the Sorel birds have undergone. With so much effort involved behind the scenes it seems appropriate to explain further just what goes on.

Testing for bacteria. Photo by Liz CorryTwice a year at Durrell all the animals undergo basic parasitology screenings. Unlike most wildlife parks and zoos, Durrell is fortunate enough to have its own onsite laboratory managed by Ann Thomasson. Not only does this save on shipping and diagnostic costs, but generally guarantees results within a matter of hours.

What does a basic parasitology screen involve? Poo. Lots and lots of poo! Or to be a bit more scientific, faecal samples collected by the keepers. Ann and her team then get to play detective searching for bacteria and parasites which might be harboured in the animals undetected. If any harmful parasite is discovered, the Veterinary Team can then treat if required.

The lab is also used for diagnostic testing when an animal is ill. Since they can’t sit down in the Vet’s office and confide in them when feeling a bit under the weather, their keepers have to look out for tell-tale signs. Depressed behaviour, maybe fluffed up, abnormal faecal samples….

Choughs at the Sorel aviary. Photo by Liz CorryRecently the choughs in the aviary at Sorel were observed ‘sneezing’. Yes birds do sneeze. Most of the time they are trying to clear their nasal passages. In captivity the likely causes are food, dust or dry sand. Occasionally it can be something worse.

Choughs are susceptible to a blood sucking nematode called Syngamus trachea or more commonly known as gapeworm. The adult nematodes usually are found in the trachea (windpipe) and if present in large number can cause considerable irritation to the lining of the trachea and, in extreme cases, will block the airways.

Gapeword egg. Photo by Liz CorryFemale nematodes produce eggs which hatch into larvae and become a favourable food source of many invertebrates, such as earthworms. The larvae can persist in the invertebrates for months or even years. Birds eating the infected invertebrates in turn become infected and shed the nematode eggs in their faeces.

Faecal samples were collected from the choughs at Sorel over a three-day period. There are two ways to check for parasites: direct preparation and the flotation method. With the direct preparation a small amount of faeces is mixed into a hypertonic sodium chloride (NaCl) solution and a cover-slip placed on top. The slide is then examined under a microscope.  A flotation examination is similar but involves a different chemical and a sieve!

Flotation technique. Photo by Liz CorryWith Ann’s expert eye she was quickly able to identify gapeworm eggs as well as a few other things. A positive ID does not always mean doom and gloom. Like humans, choughs can tolerate a certain level of  parasites. The presence of a low number of parasites may actually help the birds to develop a natural immune response, in the same way that a vaccine helps to develop immunity against certain diseases. Having a natural immunity against different bacteria and parasites will increase their chances of survival once that they are released. We will continue to monitor levels and any clinical signs in the birds such as weight loss. Since taking the faecal samples the choughs have not been seen sneezing.

Only fit and healthy choughs will be released into the wild and treatment may be required if their levels of parasites become problematic for the birds. Thanks to Durrell’s Veterinary Department we can ensure the best health screening and support possible.

 

 

A Seabird Tragedy playing out on Channel Island beaches

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Alderney Wildlife TrustFrom Alderney Wildlife Trust

The Alderney Wildlife Trust (AWT) and its patron Miranda Krestovnikoff are calling for a pan-Channel Island effort to increase monitoring and protection of the Channel Islands’ seabirds, in the aftermath of potentially the largest seabird disaster in recent years.

Dead seabirds collected in Jersey on 16th February 2014. Photo by Tim RansomEurope’s seabirds face a losing battle this winter after back-to-back storms hit over-wintering birds off the western coast of Europe. The resultant massive loss of life is described as a ‘seabird wreck’ and has hit birds as they prepare to return to their breeding grounds. Given the timing of the wreck there is an increasing likelihood that birds from Channel Island colonies, many of which have been experiencing population declines and breeding failures in recent years, will be caught up in this latest disaster.

On Tuesday the French LPO released estimated figures for the Bay of Biscay, Brittany and Normandy of 11,000 birds dead or receiving treatment, of which 8,000 were thought to be puffins. Whilst French beaches were the first to be hit, the Normand-Breton coast and the Channel Islands have also experienced distressing signs of the ‘wreck’ (read more here). Jersey reports well over 400 and Alderney is at 44 dead birds, all recovered from the beaches in the last 10 and 8 days respectively. In Alderney the average reported number of dead seabirds recorded per annum is just 12, yet 15 birds were recorded in one day last week over only 200m of coastline, and not a single bird has as yet been found injured but still alive.

Speculation is rife as to why puffins have been so badly hit. However, as the puffin moulting season, when the birds are unable to fly, may well have coincided with the highpoint in the recent storms, this may well be a factor. Yet one fact is clear, given the time of year and the scale of the wreck birds from the Channel Islands and British breeding populations will be affected by this disaster, either killed directly or so malnourished that they struggle to breed successfully this year.

Monitoring of the impacts continues in all three main islands, with the States of Jersey and Guernsey accepting sightings reports of dead birds and the GSPCA and JSPCA responding to the increased number of exhausted survivors also present on those islands. A call on Wednesday for an island wide survey of Guernsey beaches on Saturday 22nd, organized by the Guernsey Environment Department, with support from La Société Guernesiaise ornithology section, RSPB Guernsey and GSPCA following that undertaken last weekend in Jersey, has led to an immediate and passionate response. The results of this survey will be compiled and will be added to those collated by surveyors from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the National Trust for Jersey and the Alderney Wildlife Trust to give the Channel Islands a much clearer understanding of the impacts of the wreck. This pan-Channel Island response to the wreck is a good example of how government bodies, NGOs and volunteers can come together to respond to wildlife emergencies. Further links are also being established to share information and knowledge with UK and French bodies including the Groupe Ornithologique Normand (GONm).

But the AWT is urging islanders to recognise that this disaster will not be over when the bodies stop washing up on the beach. This is the 3rd major wreck to have occurred which has impacted British seabird populations (two natural causes and one caused by PIB discharge). Seabirds are of great value to the Channel Islands, not only as an integral part of their ecosystems or as creatures of extraordinary grace and beauty, but also because they play an important role in the islands’ natural image. In 2013 the States of Alderney, in conjunction with the Alderney Wildlife Trust and Leeds Metropolitan University, undertook research into the value of environmental tourism to the island’s economy and this identified an estimated annual value of around £2.5 million.

As a result of these concerns, and given the growing number of ‘unusual’ weather events impacting the islands and their wildlife, the Alderney Wildlife Trust is – asking Channel Island governments and conservationists to support a pan-island effort to assess the status of its iconic seabirds.

The AWT is also asking for public support for the conservation and welfare organisations across the islands which are responding to the hugely increased pressures caused by the wreck. Volunteers and staff are daily faced with the task of nursing the increasing number of injured birds from the wreck, whilst dozens more face the grind of recovering the bodies of the dead birds and attempting to ensure information such as the origin, age (were the birds from breeding colonies), sex and health of the birds is recorded. Yet there is very little additional resources to assist in this work.

Going further Roland Gauvain, AWT Manager said:

‘We’re asking members of the public who really appreciate the need for the Channel Islands to respond together to the growing threat, to offer their support directly. You can offer your support by either by making a donation or by offering your time and effort  at  http://www.alderneywildlife.org/node/3662, or telephone 01481 822935’ 

Miranda Krestovnikoff – AWT Patron (President RSPB) said:

‘The incredible dedication of volunteers and staff of NGOs and Government from across the Channel Islands in their response to this natural crisis, is one of the reasons I have developed such an affinity with the islands. You love and value your wildlife and this is vital in the changing world we find ourselves in. Your massive effort clearly demonstrates what can be achieved by working together as islands.

Therefore, it is vitally important that the you do not allow joint effort cease once the bodies of birds finally stop appearing your  beaches; this event is unusual but there is a clear and increasing trend on ‘record’ weather events which is changing the nature of the British Isles. 

The ‘Channel Islands’ can and must pull together to protect your seabird populations, one of the your most vital natural resources, so that future generations of islanders and visitors can take pleasure from their puffins, shags and many other stunning birds.’

Channel Island Contacts

Alderney

Alderney Wildlife Trust  – Roland Gauvain (Trust Manager) manager@alderneywildlife.org /  +44 (0) 1481 822935

Guernsey

States of Guernsey Environment Department – Janice Dockerill (Environment Services Officer; Communications) env@gov.gg / Tel.  +44 (0) 1481 717026

Jersey

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust –  Glyn Young (Conservation Biologist) Glyn.Young@durrell.org /  Tel: +44 (0)1534 860000
Department of the Environment – John Pinel  j.pinel@gov.je Tel. 00 44 (0)1534 441634

Alderney puffin in better days. Photo by Paul Marshall

Chough report: January 2014

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The new choughs have integrated well with the original five at Sorel. Photo by Liz CorryBy Liz Corry

News update from Sorel

The quarantine period enforced when the new birds arrived came to an end in the New Year. The new group had already been mixed with the original five by this point. A potential new pairing seems to be emerging from the mix: the four year old male, Yellow, and Red who lost her partner in the quarry, have been spending a lot of time together.

Behavioural observations have been hampered due to the horrendous weather deterring the researcher from sitting in an exposed field for any periods of time. However, they have been able to glean information about relationships within the group and interesting behaviours. The established pair, Green and Mauve, have been observed caching food from the others. Although, in a confined space like the aviary, housing intelligent birds like the chough, nothing stays hidden for long!

The gale-force winds, hail, and driving rain have also meant that it has been almost impossible to monitor the birds’ body weights each day. The electronic scales do not fare well in these conditions, not to mention the choughs themselves who are blown about. Weights that have been obtained suggest the birds are all healthy and in good condition.

Student Melissa Gaskell analysing chough faecal samples. Photo by Liz CorryThis is reassuring, especially when a few of the choughs have tested positive for gapeworm. The new youngster, WhiteR, was sneezing quite a lot towards the end of the month. He was caught up and locked into section 1B of the shed area. Faecal samples were collected over three days from him with a separate set collected from the group. Over these few days at least two others were sneezing but not as frequently.

Whilst both samples tested positive for parasites the birds did not need to receive treatment. They showed no serious clinical signs such as severe weight loss. WhiteR was mixed back with the group straight away.

Preparing for the breeding season

The flocking aviary at Durrell currently houses seven adult choughs. Three pairings have formed over winter as can clearly be seen here. Photo by Liz CorryThis year Durrell’s breeding programme has an added bonus. Two juveniles, on loan from Paradise Park since 2011, are now of breeding age and have partnered up…but not with each other. Much like an episode from a TV soap the existing pairings have disbanded and three ‘new’ breeding pairs have been formed.

Tristan feeding his new partner as part of their courtship display. Photo by Liz CorryTristan ‘divorced’ Issy and moved in with the young female (‘Black’). Arthur seized his opportunity and ditched Gwinny to return to his first love Issy. Not to be left out Gwinny took the young male (‘Mauve’) under her wing, so to speak.

Whilst this dramatisation might be a little embellished, behavioural observations have shown the pairings to be accurate. Mutual preening is a sign of courtship between choughs and both Arthur warns off others from coming near his partner, Issy. Photo by Liz CorryTristan and Black and Arthur and Issy have demonstrated this within their pairs. Tristan has also been feeding Black. This is really positive news as this behaviour is typical of nesting pairs. Gwinny and Mauve have not been observed preening but they do spend the majority of their time together.

In order to maximise our chances of success this year the breeding aviaries at Durrell were set up earlier than normal. In the wild, nest-building usually starts around March. We want the new pairs to be in their own aviaries by the beginning of February.

Off show breeding aviaries being prepared for the 2014 season. Photo by Liz CorryThe breeding aviaries have been scrubbed clean, given fresh substrate and new ‘furniture’. Logs, rocks, and paving slabs have been added to attract insects, especially ants, and add a bit of structure to the otherwise minimalist aviaries. Each nest-box has been disinfected and new nesting material will be provided once the birds are moved in.

In order to accommodate the extra pair the flocking aviary will be converted to a breeding aviary. A camera will be fitted in the nest box so staff can see live images without disturbing the nest.

Continuation of the soft-release trial

The choughs have been kept locked in the aviary over the winter months whilst the weather is unsuitable for releasing. They have also stayed confined to the aviary as half the group are without radio transmitters and could not be monitored easily once flying free. These four are the new arrivals and Mauve who lost her transmitter during her last outing in the wild. Biotrack are once again supplying the equipment which should take four to five weeks to build.