Chough Report: November 2012

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Report from Liz Corry

Captive choughs at Durrell

On the 7th Gianna was taken from quarantine to the vets to be x-rayed under anaesthetic and then moved to the shut-off cage in the Display Aviary to join the two breeding pairs. She weighed 294g on leaving quarantine which is an average weight for our adult females.

Gianna prior to mixing with adults in Display Aviary. Photo by Liz CorryWhen she first went into the new aviary, Gianna was greeted by Tristan and Issy who sat on top of the cage and took a great interest in her. However, this interest was short lived and they did not really bother with her after that. Gianna was let out of the cage after a week so she could acclimatise to the new surroundings and the birds got to know each other. For the first fifteen minutes she quietly walked up and down the shelving at the back weighing up her options. The pairs were perched high preening each other and paid no attention. However, as soon as she vocalised, Tristan and Issy flew straight down and Tristan started fighting with Gianna. The contact only lasted a few seconds until Gianna flew up and circled the aviary a couple of times. Whenever she flew near Arthur and Gwinny they would display to her and sometimes chase her but it was only half-hearted. Once the hierarchy was explained, Gianna was left alone. She spends a lot of the time on the ground or on the rocks at the back left corner of the aviary.

With Gianna now in the display aviary and getting attention from the keepers, the other choughs perch lower and come down to the ground when the keepers are present, making the exhibit a lot more interesting for the public.

After a few days of being mixed, Gianna was seen to be holding up her left leg quite a bit. Often birds do this to thermo-regulate but they usually swap between legs. The fact that she was using the same leg became a concern and the problem became more pronounced so on the 27th she was caught up to be seen by the vet. She can grip with her left foot but doesn’t want to put any weight on it. The left leg felt slightly warmer than the right which could suggest an infection. She was put on a five day course of antibiotic but showed no improvement. The course has been extended to see if that makes any difference before opting for more invasive measures. Gianna remains in the Display Aviary but is temporarily separated from the other birds.

It is interesting to note that Gianna has a higher pitch call than the other choughs. This could be a consequence of something she picked up whilst being isolated in captivity when young. Maybe it’s the Italian in her!

Trial of new ID rings for released choughs

When the choughs are finally released into Jersey and free to roam, we need to be able to follow them around and differentiate between individuals. There is always the possibility too that they may fly off the Island and head elsewhere. If they do, then people away from Jersey need to be able to identify that they are ‘Jersey’ choughs. For this reason we have been investigating the best possible ID ringing programme that will not conflict with UK or France ringing schemes.

We plan to attach a standard issue metal ring to one leg of the bird which will have the Jersey Museum address stamped on it. The address will only be visible if the bird is in the hand, e.g. caught in a mist-net, found injured/dead, or the observer is extremely lucky with their binoculars. A colour plastic ring will be also be used to identify individuals. All birds within the Durrell collection are fitted with plastic and metal rings so they are quite used to wearing them.

Incoloy darvic ring fitted on red-billed chough. Photo by Liz CorryAfter discussions with Tony Cross, who is responsible for ringing Cornish and Welsh choughs, we have decided to try a new type of ring with the choughs. Darvic style incoloy (nickel-chromium alloy) rings are hard wearing rings used for coastal birds. They can be made the same diameter as standard chough rings, but are much longer allowing for a number to be engraved along the length. Paul Veron in Guernsey kindly supplied us with some perfect rings originally made for black-headed gulls.

Incoloy darvic ring fitted on red-billed chough. Photo by Liz CorryOn the 8th we caught up one of the juveniles not being released (B6977) and attached the new ring. She is now identified by “2A01” on her left leg and white on her right. After twenty days she was caught up again to check the fitting and make sure there was no rubbing or injury to the leg. The ring is free to rotate and so far no rubbing can be seen and she doesn’t show any particular interest in the tag which is also a good sign. She has put on 25g in weight since the tag was attached. This could simply be due to eating more as the temperature has dropped.

Radio-transmitter trials

B6976 chough with dummy tag after one month. Photo by Liz CorryThis month, video cameras were placed in the two aviaries housing the juveniles during feeding time. One aviary houses the birds with dummy radio transmitters and the other aviary has the candidates for release, i.e. with no dummy transmitters. The aim of this was to see if there were any behavioural differences between the two groups. The weather restricted the number of days this could be done since the cameras are outside and not waterproof. B6975 chough with dummy tag after one month. Photo by Liz CorryHowever, we were able to get footage of the birds which is still being reviewed. At present there seems to be no significant difference between the groups. All birds forage and fly with no restrictions.

B6975 and B6976 were caught up on the 28th to check on the condition of the dummy radio transmitters and the birds themselves. The birds appear fine with minimal disturbance Chough with radio tag on. Photo by Liz Corryto the tail feathers. There was no further damage to the glued areas although it does look like one of the threads is looser than when first attached. An order has now been placed for the real transmitters to be built with delivery expected in January.

An interesting note is that the three birds under various trials in one aviary (SF2) are spending less time hiding in the nest-box when keepers are present. The other group (in SF3), chosen for release because they were more confident, still hide every time.

Progress of the release aviary

Trevor building release aviary. Photo by Liz CorryPlanning permission for building a release aviary at Sorel was granted on the 13th. After preliminary meetings with the National Trust for Jersey and Aaron Le Couteur, the shepherd, groundwork began on the aviary.

The field where the aviary is being built will also be used to graze sheep in the spring. For this reason there needs to be a sheep-proof fence erected not just around the field but Trench for release aviary. Photo by Liz Corryalso the aviary itself. Hopefully, this will also act as a deterrent for the public getting too close to the birds. During the time we have been present at the site there have been dog walkers every day either next to or in the same field and often with their dogs off the leads. Whilst we do not want to discourage dog walkers in the area we do need to ensure that the birds in the aviary do not suffer any stress related to this. There will be publicity including messaging boards around the site to inform people of the project and ask for their support.

Signage at site. National Trust for JerseyTrevor Smith from Durrell’s Maintenance Department is leading the build onsite with assistance from staff and volunteers. The first post went in in the ground on Friday 23rd and so far, despite battling the elements, Trevor has made great progress. Aaron Le Couteur has kindly loaned the team the use of his lockable trailer for equipment and water tank for the duration of the build. The weather will be the deciding factor on when the building can be completed, but we hope to finish by Christmas.

Study follows marsh harrier migration

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Wing tagged marsh harrier. Photo by Andy ThompsonNews update from the Hawk and Owl Trust

Five young marsh harriers hatched on Sculthorpe Moor Reserve in Norfolk, UK have had wing tags fitted as part of a long-term study to see where the species travels to once the young birds leave the area where they were hatched.

This year’s birds join a total of 27 young marsh harriers hatched from other Norfolk sites in the same season and 14 from the 2011 generation, making a total to date of 46 birds carrying distinctive lime green wing tags.

Hawk and Owl Trust marsh harrier tag. www.hawkandowl.orgTags are visible to the naked eye from a distance, and the individual codes can be read with binoculars or telescopes.

Older birds can be distinguished from this year’s because the 2011 harriers’ tags carried white letters and numbers, while the 2012 birds have black codes.

The fitting of the wing tags is done by bird ringers, who have a wealth of experience and knowledge in handling birds of all species. It is a painless experience for the birds. Data is being analysed by students at Leicester University, but little is known about the birds’ movements once they leave the nest, where they go in winter and where they return to nest in the spring. Marsh harriers are migratory and are expected to fly south. However, in recent years many marsh harriers have been stayed within the UK and Channel Islands.

This study will allow the scientists to understand the following questions:

1. Where do these birds go once they are independent of their parents? Are they a long distant migrant, travelling into Europe and beyond, or do they stay in the local area for the winter?
2. Once mature, do they return to the area where they were hatched, or do they breed at completely different sites?
3. Once they start to breed, do they breed in their traditional reed bed habitat or in other crops?”

None of Jersey’s marsh harriers have been given wing tags but several have been given numbered metal leg rings in common with other bird species ringed locally and elsewhere.

Please report any sightings of wing-tagged harriers if they come to Jersey or pass through the Island. Sightings should be reported to the Hawk and Owl Trust here but please also let the Société Jersiaise Ornithology Section know too. All records are valuable even if details of the wing codes are not clear to the observer. Look out too for any birds with coloured plastic leg rings that might be obvious – these might be birds from other study programmes.

 

Wild bird populations in UK, 1970-2011

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Press release from UK’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Bird populations have long been considered by scientists to provide a good indication of the broad state of wildlife because birds occupy a wide range of habitats, they tend to be near or at the top of food chains and there are considerable long-term data on changes in bird populations from a range of national surveys and monitoring schemes coordinated by expert organisations. Birds also have huge cultural importance and are viewed as a highly valued part of the UK’s natural environment by the general public.

Defra 2012. www.defra.gov.ukThe latest annual statistics present trends up to 2011 in wild bird populations in the UK and highlight that:

  • When viewed together, the status of common native breeding bird species in UK appear to have changed      little compared with 40 years ago. However, there has been considerable variation between individual bird species and groups of species that share the same broad habitats, and there have been some large losses in once abundant species, particularly house sparrow and starling. The all-species index showed a small but significant decline of 2% from 2005 to 2010;
  • Common starling. Photo by Mick DrydenAlthough the largest decreases in farmland bird populations occurred between the late seventies and the early nineties, there has been a pronounced recent decline of 13% since 2003. Historically, the decrease has been driven mainly by species that are restricted to, or highly dependent, on farmland habitats (the ‘specialists’). However, there has also been a decline in species that are associated with a wider range of habitats (the ‘generalists’) following a peak in 2003;
  • There has been little recent change in UK woodland bird populations, with the greatest decline occurring from the late eighties until the mid nineties. In the late    nineties, populations of generalist species started to increase but the populations of specialist species continued to decline;
  • In 2011 breeding water and wetland bird populations in the UK were at around the same level as they were in 1975, although there has been a decline of 14%since 2000;
  • Seabird populations in the UK have fallen by 12% since a peak in 1999; however, they remain 27% higher than when data collection began in 1970;
  • In the winter of 2010-11 populations of wintering waterbirds in the UK were 93% higher than in the winter of 1975-6, although there has been a 7% decline in numbers since their peak in 1996-7.

The bird population indices have been compiled in conjunction with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).

Dowload full report here

 

 

Impacts of the wet year on Britain’s birds

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2012 preliminary UK Nest Record Scheme (NRS) results from BTO

Full news report and tables from BTO here

Reed warbler. Photo by Mick DrydenThe BTO publishes preliminary results each Autumn to provide an initial assessment on the UK’s bird breeding season prior to the publication of the annual BirdTrends Report the following year. Producing results so soon after the breeding season is only possible thanks to NRS participants’ speedy submission of data.

Record-breaking rainfall

To say it was a wet spring and summer this year is an understatement. UK Met Office rainfall totals for England & Wales in two months were the highest on record, with four times the average falling in April and twice the average falling in June. If the adverse weather affected nesting birds, it also made life difficult for volunteers, resulting in many cancelled field sessions and missed nest visits. However, thanks to the dedication of the nest recorders, over 25,000 records were submitted in time for the preliminary report and 2012 breeding performance figures have been produced for 25 species.

Early breeders advance, late breeders delay

Conditions in February and March were actually warmer and drier than average, and many of the early resident breeders, including tawny owl, song thrush and long-tailed tit, commenced nesting significantly earlier than the five-year average. In contrast, long-distance migrants travelling northwards from their African wintering quarters the following month had to contend with a succession of severe weather systems across Europe and were greeted by cold, wet weather when they finally returned to their breeding grounds. As a result, laying dates of all six species for which preliminary results are produced were significantly delayed relative to the average for the preceding five years. Laying dates of short-distance migrants, blackcap and chiffchaff, which winter in the Mediterranean and therefore return to breed earlier, were no later than average.

Caterpillar-dependent residents struggle

Chaffinch. Photo by Mick DrydenFeedback from lepidopterists suggest that 2012 was a very poor year for moths and species that rely heavily on caterpillars as a source of food for their nestlings experienced a sharp drop in productivity. The average number of fledglings produced per breeding attempt for both blue and great tit was significantly below average, the latter experiencing the second worst season on record. This poor performance was influenced by small clutches and high failure rates during incubation, as well as by a reduction in brood sizes, suggesting that adults were in poor condition when breeding commenced. The number of chaffinch fledglings per nest was at its lowest level since records began in 1966, by some margin. Losses during incubation were high and heavy rainfall may have had a direct impact, wetting the eggs when the female left the nest to feed.

A poor vole year

Common kestrel. Photo by Mick DrydenMany of the lowland owls and raptors feed primarily on volves, which anecdotal evidence suggests were in short supply during 2012, although the extent to which this paucity was influenced by the adverse weather conditions is not yet clear. However, heavy rainfall almost certainly affects the accessibility of these prey items, making it difficult for birds to hunt. Fledgling numbers of all three species for which preliminary trends are produced (kestrel, tawny owl and barn owl) were below average, although this difference was significant only for kestrel.

Flooding and water-logging

Exceptionally high levels of rainfall directly impacted on those species whose nests are vulnerable to flooding. Reed warbler is the most obvious example, demonstrating a significant reduction in every aspect of its breeding success as a result of rising water levels in ponds and lakes, leading to a fall in fledgling production of almost 36%. Increased river flow may also have contributed to the increase in failure rates of dipper nests during incubation.

Poor prospects for fledglings?

Long-tailed tit. Photo by Mick DrydenThe results of the preliminary NRS analyses are broadly consistent with those of the BTO’s Constant Effort Scheme (CES), which calculates breeding success by comparing the numbers of adult and juvenile birds ringed each year at 120 sites across Britain & Ireland. However, there are some species (long-tailed tit, willow warbler) for which CES records a much more marked reduction in productivity during 2012. This difference suggests that young birds may have continued to struggle after leaving the nest, their lack of experience and relatively poor quality plumage making it much harder for them to cope with extreme weather conditions, leading to a drop in survival rates post-fledging.

Long-term impacts

Many of the species for which preliminary trends have been calculated are capable of producing large numbers of offspring each year, and so have the potential to bounce back rapidly following a poor breeding season provided conditions improve. However, the extreme conditions in 2012 resulted from a shift in the jet stream and it is difficult to predict how its position may be influenced by future climatic warming and the melting of the Arctic icecaps. If wet summers become more frequent, then we may witness long-term changes in the numbers of some bird species.

Now avian pox threatens our songbirds

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Just when you thought things could not get worse, a new strain of avian pox is taking its toll on garden birds in Britain.

Great tit. Photo by Mick DrydenReport from Birdguides

A new report published this week online in PLOS ONE reports on the impact that avian pox is having on great tit populations. Avian pox has been recorded in British bird species such as house sparrows, blackbirds, dunnocks and wood pigeons for a number of years. However, the emergence of a new strain of this viral disease in great tits is causing concern amongst vets and ornithologists.

Wildlife vet Dr Becki Lawson from ZSL says: “Infection leads to warty, tumour-like growths on different parts of a bird’s body, particularly on the head around the eyes and beak. Although the disease can be relatively mild in some species, great tits suffer severe growths that can prevent them from feeding and increase their susceptibility to predation. Whilst a range of tit species are susceptible to this novel form of the disease, detailed monitoring of birds in Wytham Woods by scientists at the University of Oxford show that great tits are by far the most susceptible.”

“Although recovery from infection can occur, our results show that this new strain of avian poxvirus significantly reduces the survival of wild great tits and has particularly large effects on the survival of juvenile birds. Based on the numbers of affected great tits that we have observed at Wytham Woods, our models do not predict that this new disease will cause an overall population decline of the species. However, pox-affected populations have lower yearly growth rates. Hence, they are likely to have greater difficulty in recovering from other environmental factors that might reduce their numbers,” says Dr Shelly Lachish of the Edward Grey Institute at Oxford University.

With help from the public, scientists at the RSPB and ZSL have tracked the disease, which has spread rapidly in five years from southeast England to central England and into Wales. The annual seasonal peak of observed cases occurs in the early autumn months and incidents continue to be reported at this time of year. Genetic studies on the virus show that it appears to be the same strain seen previously in Scandinavia and more recently in central Europe, and is unlikely to have originated within Great Britain. BTO data on bird movements confirms that great tits rarely migrate outside the country. The spread of the virus to Britain is, therefore, thought to have occurred through the arrival of an infected vector, such as a mosquito.

Great tits are a particularly obvious bird at this time of year as many of them visit bird feeders. Numbers of great tits and blue tits do migrate into the Channel Islands in winter, especially during very cold weather on the continent. Please look out for any with obvious raw looking lesions and abscess-like growths often on the legs and face. There may be obvious lumps too under the feathers. If you see any birds that are affected please let the Société Jersiaise Ornithology Section know and information will be sent on to the authorities. It is unlikely that anything can be done for individual birds but it will be useful to monitor the disease’s progress in Jersey.

Two separate reports are available as downloads from PLOS ONE

Emergence of a novel avian pox disease in British tit species  download here

Epidemiology of the emergent disease Paridae pox in an intensively studied wild bird population download here

 

 

44 million birds lost in the UK since 1966

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– including an average of 50 house sparrows every hour…

Report from British Birds

Since 1966, the UK has lost breeding birds from the countryside at an average rate of a nesting pair every minute, say conservationists in The State of the UK’s Birds 2012, published on Monday 19th November.

House sparrow. Photo by Mick DrydenThe report estimates that there are 166 million nesting birds in the UK, compared with 210 million nesting birds in 1966. The house sparrow has seen one of the greatest losses of any bird in the UK. Although since 2000 house sparrow numbers have started to increase, the UK still has 20 million fewer sparrows than it did in 1966. The current population is estimated at around 10 million.

One of the report’s authors, Dr Mark Eaton of the RSPB said: “It is shocking to think that we’ve lost one in five of the individual birds that we had in the 1960s, especially when you think that the 44 million birds we have lost since 1966 is equivalent to the current adult human population of England and Wales.”

There have been many changes in the UK which have affected birds, most notably changes in the land use and the management of the countryside and seas – these can change the amount or quality of key resources needed by birds, such as suitable places to nest or a shortage of food in summer or winter. However, for some species, including the house sparrow, the precise reasons behind these declines aren’t fully understood.

Turtle dove in St Ouen's Bay. Photo by Miranda CollettThe changing fortunes of two, related species further highlight the changes to the UK’s birds: the turtle dove and the collared dove. In 1966, the turtle dove was still a widespread bird with about 140,000 breeding pairs, whilst numbers of the collared dove were very low, as the species only began nesting in the UK in 1955. Today there are only thought be around 14,000 pairs of turtle dove nesting in the UK, whereas the collared dove had exploded to around one million pairs.

Collared dove. Photo by Mick DrydenCold weather is thought to have had a startling effect on bird numbers too. The wren, for example – still the UK’s most numerous bird – has lost an average of 835 individuals a day since 2000. But another garden bird, the chaffinch, has increased at a rate of 150 individuals per day.

Dr Andy Musgrove of the BTO, who worked on compiling these figures, said “We have learnt a great deal about bird numbers in the UK and, particularly, how they have changed through time. Amongst individual species, whilst there have been some winners, the number of losers is greater and the long-term picture is sobering. There is still more to learn though, and we need the continuing support of ever greater numbers of volunteer birdwatchers, on whose efforts all of these numbers are based”.

The State of the UK’s Birds report is a great example of ‘citizen science’ in action. Most of the information upon which the report is based is derived from the efforts of a network of skilled, volunteer ornithologists who contribute to national monitoring schemes like the UK’s Breeding Bird Survey and Wetland Bird Survey. Such schemes provide a high quality evidence base underpinning the work of government, conservation organisations and land managers in their joint efforts to conserve the natural environment and its wildlife. Here in Jersey we too rely on volunteer observers sending in their sightings to the Bird Recorder at the Société Jersiaise Ornithology Section. We in turn compile an annual Bird Report each year (copies are available from The Museum in St Helier and from the Durrell Visitor Centre). The Ornithology Section also takes part in most of the UK’s bird monitoring schemes such as the Breeding Bird Survey and BIRDS ON THE EDGE includes a bird monitoring project. Channel Islands bird numbers are not included in The State of the UK’s Birds 2012 but the current status of Jersey’s bird populations can be seen in our own report Conservation Status of Jersey’s Birds: Jersey’s bird populations in the 21st Century.

The State of the UK’s Birds 2012 is produced by RSPB, British Trust for Ornithology and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust – and the UK Government’s statutory nature conservation. The report also includes the latest information on the number of ducks, geese, swans and wading birds spending the winter in the UK and an update on the internationally-important birds, including albatrosses and penguins, on the UK’s overseas territories.

The State of the UK’s Birds 2012 can be downloaded from the British Trust for Ornithology.

Chough report: October 2012

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Report from Liz Corry

Captive choughs at Durrell

The two breeding pairs now in the display aviary appear to have settled in well. Arthur and Gwinny still come down for insects before the other two birds when keepers are present, but Tristan and Issy are by no means going without. There are four food bowls distributed around the aviary so everyone gets a chance to eat and enrichment food is also spread out.

During the heavy rains at the start of the month it was noted that Arthur and Gwinny were roosting out in the open. There is a large area of shelter at the back of the aviary, but the concern was that Tristan and Issy might have been defending the entire shelter. With that in mind keepers built two small shelters that were positioned either side at the front of the aviary. Food bowls were placed inside to encourage the birds to use the new areas. Occasionally keepers observe chasing between the pairs but this is to be expected.

Benvenuto Gianna

Gianna in quarantine. Photo by Liz CorryThe start of the month was an exciting time for Durrell staff as a new addition to the chough cohort arrived all the way from Italy. Staff at the University of Turin’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine contacted Durrell during the summer regarding a juvenile chough they had hospitalised and wanted to re-home. They believed, through her very tame nature, that she had been taken from the wild as a young chick and kept in captivity and for this reason they could not release her back into the wild. They had, however, heard about Durrell’s captive breeding programme for choughs and wondered if she could be of use to the re-introduction project whilst also gaining a better quality of life.

Gianna, named by the staff in Turin, arrived on the 1st of October and stayed in the Les Noyers quarantine facilities until she had cleared her quarantine period. She weighed 260g upon arrival, slightly low for a female but expected after an overnight journey all the way from Italy. She was eating and drinking immediately and showed no signs of stress.

The Durrell Veterinary Department took blood samples and conducted a general health check during the first week in quarantine followed by weekly faecal screening. Once Gianna has cleared quarantine she will be moved to the display aviary to join the other choughs

NOTE it is presumed that Gianna is a different subspecies (P. p. erythrorhamphus) to the other birds (P. p. pyrrhocorax) and will not be allowed to breed with them. She will, however, be an invaluable asset to the flock.

Radio-transmitter trials

Attaching dummy radio tag. Photo by Harriet WhitfordAll of the choughs being released on the north coast this year will have radio-transmitters attached so their movements can be closely monitored. Standard tail-mounted tags supplied by Biotrack will be fitted to each bird once they move up to the release aviary. Tail feather attachment means that the tags will fall off naturally when the birds moult, thus reducing stress. In order to assess if the tags have any impact on the birds’ health and/or Attaching dummy radio tag. Photo by Harriet Whitfordbehaviour once attached we are trialling dummy tags on two choughs in the Wildlife Park. This trial also allows us to test the durability of the tags, especially important considering the inquisitive nature of the choughs!

B6975 (♀) and B6976 (♂) were taken to the vets to have the tags attached and then released straight back into their aviary. Upon release, B6975 was observed preening and Attaching dummy radio tag. Photo by Harriet Whitfordtaking an interest in the antennae of the tag, but soon lost interest. She was caught up four days later to check her health and the condition of the tag. The tag was still intact although there had been extensive pecking at the glue used to attach the tag to the feathers. Her health and that of the other bird seem at present to be unaffected by the tag.

 

 

Chough in the Isles of Scilly

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Scilly chough 31 Oct 2012. Photo by Martin Goodey www.mpgoodeyphotography.comA chough on St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly yesterday (30th October) was only the third seen in the islands since 1950. The arrival was quickly reported by Rare Bird Alert and it’s movements can be followed here and on the website of The Isles of Scilly Bird Group. St Martin’s is the northernmost of the larger Scilly Isles and approximately 45km south of Cornwall. Not ringed, this chough is unlikely to have come from the Cornwall population and the strong north-westerly winds on Tuesday may suggest an Irish origin.

The chough was seen again later on Tuesday at Peninnis Head on St Mary’s where it has been feeding in the fields. The visitor seemed more settled today despite the attentions of the local carrion crows and a threatening peregrine. Interestingly, Cornish Choughs report several other exciting sightings this week including birds at Porth Island, Newquay, over the weekend and on Lundy Island yesterday. Both Cornwall and Jersey are hoping the Scilly bird will make a move to our respective areas!

Meeting to discuss the future for the cirl bunting in Jersey

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Report by Marc Woodhall and Glyn Young

Cirl bunting. Photo by Mick DrydenOn 11th October all parties involved in trying to help secure the cirl bunting’s tenuous grip in Jersey and encourage it to spread met at Howard Davis Farm to discuss a strategy for the coming winter and next breeding season. Representatives of the Société Jersiaise Ornithology Section, National Trust for Jersey, Durrell, Grouville Tenants, Royal Jersey Golf Club in Grouville and Department of the Environment were present. Cirl bunting expert, Cath Jeffs from the RSPB, supplied advice via e-mail in advance of the meeting.

Summary of issues discussed

A brief summary of the history of the cirl bunting in Jersey was given including surveys from as far back as 1992 undertaken by the RSPB and Mick Dryden on behalf of the Société Jersiaise. In 1992, 21 singing males had been recorded primarily in three areas: Grouville Golf Course (GGC); La Moye Golf Course; St Brelade area (including St Brelade Bay and Pont Marquet). A steady decline continued from the 1992 survey until 2000 when no birds were seen. There were occasional sightings and reports until 2011 when cirl buntings were found on GGC on the bird monitoring transect that runs across it. Speculation as to why there has been a reduction in cirl bunting numbers has focussed on a combination of factors: they have never exhibited a strong breeding success in Jersey; there have been continued changes in agricultural practices resulting in a loss of winter habitat and feed availability; predation from sparrowhawks, cats and rats.

Discussions at the meeting were essentially focussed on four main areas:

  1. The existing breeding habitat of the cirl buntings on GGC;
  2. The monitoring and supplementary feeding of the birds on the GGC;
  3. The winter feeding habitat of the birds;
  4. The possibilities for cirl bunting conservation across other localities in Jersey.

1.   The existing breeding habitat of the cirl buntings on GGC

Cirl bunting. Photo by Mick DrydenCurrent and proposed management of the non playing areas at GGC was outlined including the holm oak removal and gorse coppicing regime. Currently the Royal Jersey are working to a six year rotational plan to cover the whole course and are employing a combination of cutting smaller pockets and larger areas as well as replanting gorse where appropriate. There has also been a general reduction in the cutting regime of the rough across the course which was even more strictly applied around the current bird feeder sites. Grassland management regimes that are in place are designed to reduce the nitrogen load and promote finer fescue grasses. A consequence, however, of not managing the rough as intensively and also the rotational gorse coppicing and holm oak clearance has been an increase in the bracken stand which needs to be addressed.

In discussing the management currently being undertaken a number of initiatives being implemented to further enhance the marginal areas of the course and, hopefully, opportunities for cirl bunting and other birds were outlined. These ranged from keeping golf buggies out of the rough across the course and managing access for public and dog walkers in areas. It was also decided to relocate one of the existing bird feeders and to install a number of additional feeders in an area where forthcoming habitat management work is programmed.

2.   The monitoring and supplementary feeding of the birds on the GGC

The discussion about existing feeders focused on:

  • Whether supplementary feeding should continue;
  • Should there be a change in feed according to season, breeding and conditions;
  • Should existing feeders be retained in place or moved.

Cirl bunting. Photo by Mick DrydenSignificant thanks were extended to Richard Perchard who has been monitoring the use of feeding stations, sterilising trays and topping up the food through 2011-2012. Birds have been fed the same seed mix throughout. The poor early season (in 2012) weather conditions meant that there was limited availability of grasshoppers (particularly) and there was discussion over the use of mealworms. It was decided that mealworms would be used at the start of the next (2013) breeding season if weather conditions were poor. It was further noted that the availability of grasshoppers would play an important role in the success of rearing young and it may be more beneficial not to leave grass uncut throughout the whole growing season as grasshoppers tended to become less abundant as vegetation became too long or rough. It was decided that supplementary feeding would continue year round for the time being and also to include a couple of extra feeders to be put out on the course.

Discussion about changing the location of feeding stations was prompted by the current use patterns, the threat posed by disturbance and the possibility of predation of the birds. The risk from predation is ever present and sparrowhawks undoubtedly pose a threat and feeders may need to be placed in suitably protective habitat like hedgerows to provide maximum cover when the birds are at their most vulnerable. Cats are also present at the GGC site and may be a serious threat as they undoubtedly are to green lizards and slow worms at the site. Rats and their control were also discussed.

3.   The over wintering feeding habitat of the birds

The discussion at the meeting echoed the comments by Cath Jeffs on the importance in providing suitable winter feeding habitat if the programme to increase cirl bunting numbers was to be successful (there would obviously be additional benefit for other farmland bird species). Evidence suggests that cirl buntings favour good hedgerow habitat and associated stubble fields resulting particularly from growing cereals. Suggestions for increasing opportunities of this kind of habitat included looking at Grouville Marsh and surrounding land as well as a more in-depth study to identify marginal / low intensity arable farmland within a 2km radius of the cirl bunting nesting site (2km thought to be the average foraging extent for cirl buntings).

It was confirmed that the golf course cirls cross the road to the hay meadow and beyond on Grouville Marsh. This meadow is cut annually Oct/Nov and that this will remain the case thus providing an undoubted seed source. There is also an amount of spring barley currently down in arable land (subsequently used for potatoes) within 2km of the GGC and it will be useful to identify these landowners/tenant farmers to understand their rotational plan and how it could be of benefit as potential food sources for farmland birds.

It may be possible for these landowners/tenants to receive financial support, in the form of grant aid through the Countryside Enhancement Scheme (CES), to cultivate cereal crops and provide overwintering feed sources. In addition the targeted improvement of hedgerows could also be supported through financial support from the CES.

4.  The possibilities for cirl bunting conservation across other localities in Jersey.

The historic locations of cirl bunting sightings suggest that a more targeted assessment for creating potential winter habitat, that includes feed availability, is undoubtedly worthwhile. At the very least it will provide benefit to a number of farmland birds and raise the profile of this area of conservation.

This could include influencing management at Pont Marquet, continuing ongoing discussions with La Moye Golf Course and identifying opportunities on land owned by the States of Jersey.