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| Song thrush - a species in peril |
THE worrying dip in the fortunes of Britain's songbirds came under the spotlight in a debate in the House of Lords on June 18. Below, courtesy of Hansard, are the proceedings in full.
To
ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to counter the decline
in songbird numbers and the threat that invasive non-native species pose to
such birds.
My
Lords, I declare my interests as listed in the register. As I cannot do it
later, I thank all noble lords who will be speaking. The fact there are so many
is testimony to the importance of this matter.
I
wish to highlight the plight of the UK’s often
forgotten passerines, more commonly known as songbirds, or little brown
jobs—LBJs—to the bird-watching community. We do not hear much about the
problems faced by many of our LBJs, as they are not spoken of in the same
hushed, reverent tones used to describe our “iconic” birds of prey, charismatic
seabirds or enigmatic waders, wonderful though they are. LBJs are those that
delight many of us on our back-garden feeders and nesting boxes and on farms or
other landholdings. They range from the cheeky house sparrow—once a common
sight wherever we chose to live in our cities, towns and countryside—and the
glorious skylark with its uplifting song of pure liquid gold, immortalised by
Shelley and Vaughan Williams, through to the suite of summer migrants, such as
the nightingale and other warblers that fill many a wood, glade, marsh and reed
bed with the glorious dawn chorus, the avian sound of spring and summer.
The
numbers of many of our most cherished and emblematic songbirds have crashed or
declined alarmingly in upland, farm and woodland landscapes since systematic
records of their numbers began to be compiled in the late 1960s and early
1970s. As examples, house sparrows, song thrushes, skylarks, spotted
flycatchers and corn buntings are all down between 50% and 90%, depending on
the species. Worst of all, the turtle dove is almost certainly doomed to
extinction, with 98% gone in less than two generations. Overall, our farmland
bird populations have declined by 56% and our woodland birds by almost a
quarter over this period.
Since
the rapid decline in the 1980s, efforts have been made to arrest the trend.
Over 70% of England’s farmland is
under countryside stewardship schemes, 7.2 million hectares of UK land is
managed to benefit wildlife, and the size of broadleaf woodlands is increasing.
Hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent on environmental stewardship
agri-environment schemes, or AES, and woodland grants. This has been backed by
millions of pounds of donations spent by NGOs and some tremendous work by
farmers given freely. Given that, this debate should be celebrating a rise in
the songbird population, but it is not. My noble friend will doubtless
highlight some of the successes but he will be the first to agree that the
songbird decline continues remorselessly, year on year. We must ask why this
help has not delivered as expected.
Many
of our farm and woodland ecosystems are currently unbalanced. In stark
contrast, the results achieved by the Allerton Project—scientific research by
the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust over 25 years on a farm in
Leicestershire—show a different and better way forward. Improving the habitat
combined with good management, including sufficient all-year food supplies and
targeted predator control, have not only allowed both the arable land and
woodlands to be improved in condition, while remaining profitable, but
benefited a whole range of wildlife, not just songbirds. The problem for
farmers in England, in stark
contrast to the more enlightened regime in Scotland, is that the
current AES cover only habitat. The project has demonstrated conclusively that
good management is needed as well.
In
the absence of the apex predators, which mankind eliminated, it is our duty to
intervene to maintain balanced ecosystems and accept responsibility for
managing wildlife, just as we did successfully until the latter part of the
20th century. Such a policy still works well in other countries, and the
Government and NGOs have recently employed it to good effect in South Georgia. The results
of the project are a winning blueprint for farming, wildlife and the
environment, and thus for us. Will my noble friend use this template when
bringing forward proposals for the new farming regime that is needed soon?
In
urban areas, our gardens are habitat havens for all-year resident LBJs, as well
as for migratory and seasonal visitors. With the huge pressure for new homes,
will the Government ensure that detrimental proposals such as the Mayor of
London’s “grab a garden” for development planning guidelines, which have so
little thought for wildlife, are blocked? While on planning, has my noble
friend pressed MHCLG to impose a
buffer zone of 400 yards against any new development around sites where species
of conservation concern nest, to protect them from irresponsible humans, their
dogs and especially cats? I have spoken twice recently about cats. I merely add
that, of the 29 predators of songbirds, cats are the worst, killing about 55
million songbirds annually, but should be the easiest to control. I merely say
that I thought my noble friend’s recent letter to me on this was peely-wally.
There is scientific evidence that predation by cats is having a real impact on
bird populations. The very least the Government should do is proactively
support the efforts of charities such as SongBird Survival, which is working to
mitigate it.
I
welcome and have encouraged the planting of more broadleaf woodlands. However,
as Robbie Burns wrote,
“The
best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang
aft agley”.
Due
to poor management, they have become safe havens for our already too numerous
predators and inevitably have provided more trees for grey squirrels—a
non-native invasive species—to gnaw. As broadleaf woodlands can support some
eight to 18 squirrels per hectare, we have helped them considerably. In addition,
they are very bad news not only for our native red squirrels but also for our
nesting songbirds. Ring-necked parakeets outcompete native songbirds and other
hole-nesting birds for nesting spaces and at garden feeding stations. It is a
sad indictment that the most commonly encountered mammal in our royal parks,
just a few hundred yards from here, is that destructive grey squirrel, and that
the dominant birdsong and call heard there is that of the domineering
ring-necked parakeet. They are both overabundant, oversexed and over here.
Returning
to habitats for birds, rhododendron ponticum growing wild is a particular issue
for ancient and native woodland. It results not only in the loss of native
plants and a decrease in bird diversity but also in reduced populations of
woodland species. Muntjac and fallow deer destroy the understorey and
vegetative layer that the threatened native nightingale, wood warbler and other
nesting birds rely on.
In
2010, the estimated annual cost of alien species to the British economy was
£1.7 billion per annum. For comparison’s sake, that is about the same as the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s budget for that year. On page 63 of their
report, A
Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment, when
referring to non-native invasive species, the Government state:
“Where
it is not feasible to eradicate these species because they are too widely
established, we will seek to neutralise their threat by managing them
effectively”.
What
policies does my noble friend have in mind for these species and, just as
importantly, what are his policies to mitigate the arrival and establishment of
other species? Page 57 of the same document states that HMG will,
“support
nature’s recovery and restore losses suffered over the past 50 years”.
That
must apply particularly to songbirds.
We
are an urban-oriented population, much of whose knowledge comes from books, the
internet and television rather than from hands-on experience. If the Government are serious about protecting our environment,
which includes the songbirds, they must heed more the advice of farmers and
landowners, and the AES should be based on the Scottish model. Furthermore,
would my noble friend agree that a substantial programme of education is
needed, including active support for those NGOs already working in this field,
as too many wildlife programmes are tainted by the syrupy anthropomorphism of
celebrity presenters who deny the reality of rural life?
My
Lords, I draw attention to my entry in the register of interests, particularly
with regard to the land that I manage and run in Caithness. I thank the
noble Earl for raising this very important subject, for two reasons. First, the
decline in songbirds in particular but many other species, such as waders,
seabirds and others, is a direct indication of the state of the environment,
and an indicator of biodiversity and the environment generally. The decline is
therefore worrying in itself, but it is also a red pointer on the environmental
dial. The second reason why I thank him is for having caused me to read the
excellent Library brief that was produced. I thought that I knew a little about
this subject but, having read that brief, I realise that I have a great deal
more to learn.
I
would like to use my time to stray a little from what the noble Earl describes
as the little brown jobs and talk a bit about some of the excellent work being
done in Caithness to help to preserve and protect some
other different species of birds. The noble Earl is absolutely right to call
attention to the need for sound environmental management as part of putting
together the package that is going to help our species. The problem that I have
always found is that we humans are extremely keen on an instant and usually
simple answer. Across the 40 years when I have been responsible for management
in the Flow Country, I have observed a great number of well-intentioned schemes
from a variety of different areas, all of which have been found over time to
have negative consequences. At one time, we planted conifer trees everywhere.
We are now taking them out and restoring the blanket bog through ditching. At
one time, we declared that we should take all the sheep off. We are now putting
them back, because we need properly grazed land in order for the waders to
survive. In all those areas, observing nature and walking quietly over the land
is probably the best way to manage.
Some
20 years ago, I sold a piece of ground to the RSPB to add to its reserve at
Blar nam Faoileag, of which I shall give the Hansard writers the proper
spelling afterwards. It means “the bog of the seagull”. In selling it, I came
to an arrangement with the RSPB whereby I had a sporting lease on that ground
and continued to do low-intensity grouse shooting, and it has a management
agreement over the whole of my estate. We work together very happily, and have
done for 20 years. I am delighted that, as a steward of that area, I have pairs
of golden eagles, hen harriers, buzzards and many other iconic raptors. I have
a film of a sea eagle taking a salmon out of a pool, which is quite something
to observe. I delight in them, and delight that the way in which I manage with
the RSPB allows the game
management that I want to do to work alongside that. We have all come together
with the Caithness Wetlands and Wildlife Initiative, the Scottish Agricultural
College, the RSPB, a couple of other NGOs and landowners like myself. Since
2010, we have been working to preserve the wildlife and enhance the habitat—and
I am delighted to say that it is a very good partnership. Notwithstanding that,
many of our iconic species continue to decline, so we are working as far as we
can together to try to work out what other land management steps we can take to
get back to where we used to be.
In
my view, and my experience of some 20 years of working with SNH government
bodies and NGOs such as the RSPB, it is entirely possible to work
constructively to arrive at a point where all parties involved can get what
they want out of that management co-operation. In conclusion, and in thanking
the noble Earl for raising this subject, I say that how we manage is vital, but
taking time to work out what is right is equally vital. It is often better to
wait and do nothing until we are surer of what we are going to do. Sphagnum
moss is the greatest eater of carbon that there is, and replacing it with trees
was wrong. I hope that we will go forward and use sound management, which will
help the songbirds as well as my waders.
Lord Hope of Craighead (CB)
My
Lords, I too am grateful to the noble Earl for securing this debate on a
troublesome subject. I have to declare one interest as the holder of a licence:
a ringing permit from the British Trust for Ornithology. For over 50 years, I
have been handling LBJs in migration stations in the Firth of Forth.
That
there is a serious decline in the numbers of our songbirds is undeniable. Some
species are more affected than others but I cannot think of a single songbird
species that is more abundant than it was over 20 years ago. When I think about
the reasons for this, threats from non-native species are not high on my list.
On my list are the various challenges, almost all manmade, which affect birds
that migrate and affect the places where they wish to breed when they get here.
Almost
all our songbirds migrate to some extent but the worst affected are the
insect-eating birds that migrate south to Africa. They face
increasing obstacles that affect their ability to survive the journey. Climate
change dries out areas where previously they could rest and feed; there are
changes in land use; stop-over sites which were previously available leave them
starving for food which they need as fuel for their journeys. Then there is the
appalling slaughter of birds in some parts of southern Europe where the
traditional pursuits of capturing and killing songbirds still live on, despite
the EU directives. It has been estimated that more than 11 million birds are
killed or captured in the Mediterranean region every year. Can the Minister
assure us that we will continue to press the Governments of the countries
involved to stamp out this practice as vigorously as possible? The environment
that the birds breed in once they get here is vital too. We need to conserve
the hedgerows and meadows where our birds breed and replace those that have
been lost. Are we doing enough in that area?
Predation
by our own native species plays a significant part. I think of magpies,
sparrow-hawks, stoats and hedgehogs. We have to accept these as part of the way
that our natural environment works. On the whole, birds learn to cope with
these hazards. I worry about magpies, however, a huge increase in the numbers
of which seems to have coincided—at least in my area—with the decline in
songbirds. I wish that something could be done to control their numbers but the
Minister may agree that to try to interfere with the course of nature among our
native species, so as to prefer one over another, would set an unfortunate
precedent.
What
about invasive non-native species such as the ring-necked parakeet, to which
the noble Earl referred? It is non-native and, in some places, invasive. I
would be interested to know, however, how much they affect the survival of
songbirds. They compete with other hole-nesting birds but not all our songbirds
nest in holes. They compete with those that rely on bird feeders and bird
tables but not all our songbirds look to bird tables for their feeding; they
feed on insects instead. Parakeets are by nature vegetarians. In India, where they
come from, they take only seeds, flowers, fruits and nectar. For these reasons,
I am not sure that there really is a case for controlling parakeets because
they are a threat to songbirds. Of course the grey squirrel is the main
non-native species that one might be really concerned about and there is a case
for controlling their numbers. In my area of Scotland, we are
fortunate because the squirrels are red but the threat of grey squirrels is
very present not far away. I look forward to hearing from the Minister what
progress has been made in controlling the numbers of grey squirrels.
This
is a serious problem. I have two other interests that I should declare at this
time: I am a member of the Scottish Ornithologists Club and of the Scottish
Wildlife Trust, both of which do great work in trying to promote the interests
of songbirds.
The Earl of Shrewsbury (Con)
My
Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Caithness on securing his debate
today. He is a great supporter of all rural and agricultural matters. I
listened to him carefully; his contribution was excellent and most
knowledgeable. Forgive me if my glasses fall off—they have stretched. My noble
friend discussed a wide variety of issues from habitat and land management,
through winter feeding to predator control. Personally, as a countryman I was
fascinated and impressed. I agree with everything that he said. I refer noble
Lords to my interests as a member of the NFU and the Countryside Alliance, and
to my involvement past and current with various shooting associations.
Before
I go slightly off piste, I must concur with my noble friend about the enormous
contribution that the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust makes. I have
known it for many years and was a local chairman. The late Dr Dick Potts was a
world-class act and a titan in his area of knowledge. He was the guiding light
behind Loddington Farm and the GWCT’s working farm in Leicestershire, from
whence so much expert advice has come over the years. I should declare my
interest as a member of the GWCT.
I
am a shooting man. I know that shoots, by their nature, whether you love them
or loathe them, are conservationists. They have to be. They have to provide a
good habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. In the process of establishing and
enhancing hedgerows, conserving and promoting woodland, promoting insect
production, vermin control, coppicing and a raft of other practices, they do
all the things that assist in the promotion of songbirds.
Plenty
of predators prey on songbirds. Where I live, on the borders of the Peak District National
Park, we have numerous magpies. I watch
them at nesting time sneaking down the hedgerows, robbing eggs and fledglings.
The magpie is a thoroughly vicious bird. We cull them as much we can. Buzzards,
too, although protected, cause many problems. I am told that the buzzard is
purely a carrion gatherer. That is not so. I have watched him take young chicks
and pheasant poults. He will circle over a release pen and all the poults will
cower in a corner and smother to death. The buzzard population is out of
control. Indeed, just the other day, I counted 11 over the 15-acre wood behind
my house.
Among
the various songbird predators, and there are many—my noble friend mentioned
cats, but where I live, the cat is a minor problem; I think it is more of an
urban issue—we have the fox, which has no natural predator. The only method by
which we can protect other species which he preys on is by human intervention
and control. The grey squirrel, which has already been mentioned, is also a predator
on songbirds. They have little fear of predation, save for in the north-east of
the country, where they are scared stiff of the noble Lord, Lord Redesdale. He
is a highly successful predator of the grey squirrel and a great supporter of
the red of the species; perhaps that is a little illiberal of him. I practised
that line so many times.
The
noble Duke, the Duke of Norfolk, realised a number of years ago that the wild
English partridge was becoming close to extinction, so he produced a programme
on his land to engender a revival of the species. He is truly an expert and
fascinating to listen to on the subject. He commissioned new hedgerows, planted
on a ridge so that ground-nesting birds would not have their nests flooded and
chicks would survive in heavy rain conditions. He established beetle banks and
wildflower strips around headlands, ensuring that there would be an abundance
of natural insect life for feeding birds. He also used sensible and
proportionate predator control. Because of that initiative, the songbirds found
a friend. I could go on, because I am passionate about this, but I am very much
time limited.
In
attempting to reach a conclusion, I suggest to my noble friend the Minister,
who has always been a great supporter of rural issues, that Brexit provides an
ideal and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a view on rural financial
support. Surely future subsidy—I think it should be called support—should be
targeted away from the large farmers who benefit from economies of scale and pointed
to the small to medium-sized farms, uplands and less favoured areas, perhaps
focusing on wildlife and habitat schemes designed by the GWCT, which is a world
leader. Perhaps that body could be paid fees through an environment support
fund, where landowners and farmers would be
rewarded for the quality of their stewardship or penalised for their lack of
it.
The Earl of Kinnoull (CB)
My
Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Earl, Lord Shrewsbury, with his
noted wisdom in this subject area and good turn of phrase. I, too, add my
congratulations to the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, on securing the debate in
this important area which we discuss all too rarely, having had other things to
discuss recently. I declare my interest as chairman of the United Kingdom
Squirrel Accord and of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust.
The
UK Squirrel Accord is a collaborative organisation with 35 signatories, which
comprise the four national Governments, their nature entities and the large
voluntary and private sector bodies. It has the twin aim of dealing with the
threats to broadleaf trees in the UK and to red
squirrels, both of which are posed by grey squirrels. I note that, according to
the Mammal Society, there are now 2.7 million grey squirrels in the UK, and the
number is growing. In 1875, there were none.
The
SongBird Survival trust on its website has a section entitled, “impact of
non-native species”. The first bullet point says:
“Grey
squirrels eat songbird nestlings and eggs, compete for food, destroy
broad-leaved trees, and are out-competing our native red squirrels”.
In
summary, the two main problems are the eating of nestlings and eggs and the
destruction of songbird habitat.
Turning
briefly to the first, I was horrified to see last night when I typed: “Do
squirrels eat birds?” into Google Images, the results were a terrible array of
grey squirrels eating. The anecdotal evidence is so strong yet, frustratingly,
the hard scientific fact as to how much a contributor grey squirrel eating
habits are to the dreadful songbird number reductions remains elusive. Where
songbird habitat destruction is concerned, scientific facts are banned.
Estimates
for the timber value destroyed by grey squirrels over the last 10 years in the UK are between
£100 and £200 million. The Royal Forestry Society is trying to update these
currently, and I understand that the early signs point to a very significantly
upward revision. Grey squirrels ring bark broadleaved trees aged between
approximately 10 and 40 years to get at their sap, which destroys the trees. In
southern England, effectively,
there is no commercial planting of these species happening today, so native
songbird habitat is not being replaced. I know this well, as this is why the UK
Squirrel Accord was formed three years or so ago. The work of the accord is
thus directly related to songbird habitat. The accord has many strands of
co-operative work going on, aimed at controlling grey squirrel numbers.
As
a UK-wide body, we are involved in commissioning scientific research of various
types to assist. The most exciting and innovative in the world stage concerns
fertility control. On our behalf, 18 months ago, the Animal and Plant Health
Agency started a five-year project aimed at grey-squirrel-targeted fertility
control. The work involves an existing fertility control drug in use in the
USA, injecting this inside pollen, which is a new UK
technology, mixing the pollen into a paste—and feeding the paste to grey
squirrels in a specially designed species-specific hopper. The research is
going well and it is hard to praise enough the team of exceptional scientists
involved. In addition, this is a public-private project, with the squirrel
accord committing to raise £1 million or so. Many generous individuals and
trusts have helped fund this vital research. I believe this will be a key part
of a strategy to help with the songbird habitat problem over what I regret will
be a long haul.
In
closing, I ask the Minister to comment on the research paper, which he had a
very important part in commissioning himself.
My
Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Earl, Lord Caithness for introducing this
issue. It is, as the noble Viscount, Lord Thurso, pointed out, an indicator of
other, much deeper problems for our environment here in Britain.
We
know that 16 species of our favourite songbirds have declined by more than one-third
since 1995, including such iconic birds as the cuckoo and the wood warbler. To
address this decline, and all the other linked environmental issues, we need
massive changes to land use in our country. Part of that relates to the issue
of land ownership. Too much land has been concentrated in too few hands. The
vast majority of our land is still held by a small number of hereditary
families, possibly including some of your Lordships. Many work very hard. I
know of one Peer who has a 50-acre wildflower meadow, which is extremely
difficult to create and maintain. Many large landowners improve their land for
now and for future generations. But there is an inequality that has to be
tackled. Margaret Thatcher used to speak of the home-owning democracy; perhaps
the time has come for a land-owning democracy. I am using a Conservative link,
so that it feeds into the Government’s ears.
Perhaps
the biggest impact a freeholder could make is to lease parcels of land—the
rocky, sloping marginal bits that you cannot work out what to do with, or that
do not have any obvious use. If you lease a parcel of this marginal land to
someone with ideas and enthusiasm, they can manage it in an ecologically
friendly way. That is what happened in Old Sleningford Farm in north Yorkshire, where a
17-acre smallholding is leased and managed in a revolutionary way. In exchange
for a peppercorn rent, this patch of rocky dirt has been transformed into what
is called a “food forest”, with over 250 species of fruit and nut trees being
grown organically. The freeholder himself loves it, and gets chickens and bacon
and an endless supply of fruit; the leaseholders have crafted a successful
local business; and local people visit to get involved in tending the land, as
a sort of social exercise.
We
are still stuck in the 20th-century mind set brought about by the world wars
when maximising production was the sole purpose of agricultural policy. We have
to move on from that and think in a more modern way. We know how to fix the
problem of climate change, but we are not doing it fast enough. The longer we
stall, the worse things will get and the more it will cost to remedy. Some
people think that it is crass to talk about nature in monetary terms, because it is worth much so more than money can ever reflect, but it
is a simple fact that our environment and ecology have an immense economic
value in terms of the products and services that nature provides to us for
free. It represents billions of pounds worth of natural capital. In the end,
our natural capital is the only infrastructure that really matters—more than
all the roads, rail, electricity and internet. We can lose all those things,
and all the money in the world but, if we lose our environment and ecosystems,
everything else becomes worthless.
We
have big opportunities over this Parliament, with numerous Bills dedicated to
farming and the environment. We will literally shape the future of our country
with the words in those Bills. We showed in the withdrawal Bill that we will
improve legislation in the face of stiff government opposition, and I hope that
we will continue in that spirit as we address the challenges of our environment
and ecosystems.
I
went to a farmers’ market yesterday and was lobbied very heavily by a
beekeeper. He outlined the problem that in Britain we import far
too many bees and do not encourage our own natural bee population. No
bumblebees are currently commercially produced in the UK, and the
substitution of home-grown produce has commercial, biodiversity and biosecurity
advantages for the whole country. Apparently, subspecies of honey bees are also
being imported, with a resulting loss of quality over succeeding generations:
bad temper, swarminess and lack of local adaptation. This goes way beyond
songbirds; it is about every single part of nature, and we have to protect it.
My
Lords, at first glance I thought this Question was rather daunting, and that
the reference to invasive, non-native species was sort of new bird-Brexit talk.
Having heard the excellent speeches which preceded mine, I now understand
exactly what people are talking about. From the perspective of someone with a 95-foot
garden, I am not equipped to talk about a lot of the things which large
landowners will mention in this debate. I have noticed extraordinary changes in
my garden over the nearly 30 years that I have lived there. I have not found a
particular problem with the invasive ringed green parakeet on the bird table,
although there is an awful lot of noise and pushing around. The only
confrontation I have seen was with a greater spotted woodpecker, who stood and
maintained his ground. There are very few songbird—and I agree that there is
probably an overall decrease in them. Of course, they eat insects more than
they go to bird tables.
My
interest in birds began at a very early age. My father took me to the coast,
close to where we lived Devon, to try and
take the oil off the feathers of puffins, whose wings had become immobilised. I
was only three years old, so I was hardly fit to judge whether he was very
effective at that, but I enormously admired his efforts. From that point, birds
have been an important part of my life. I luckily ran pretty well free and
without discipline through my childhood during the Second World War, as both my
parents were involved in the war effort in one way or another. Birds were one
of my interests when I was in both the south of England and Scotland. I had all
the necessary books to identify them and to pontificate to my friends on the
subject, and that was maintained throughout my life until I went to an
organised boarding school. What shocked me there was that I saw very little of
birds outside but I saw a lot of stuffed birds, stuffed fish and stuffed
everything—stuffed teachers, if you will. So that was a bleak period, except
that I qualified for a bicycle by joining the natural history society. I used
to say that I was using the bicycle to watch the mallards at the Binfield
brickworks, but that was an excuse for going to the cinema in Bracknell, which at
that time was a one-horse town.
One
notable time for me during my bird-watching life was when I went to Africa on business,
and I went to Lake Nakuru and saw the
flamingos. Back then, in the early 1970s, there were between 2 million and 3
million flamingos. It was a fantastic sight and they made a fantastic sound.
Their food source was the algae in the alkaline lake. Unfortunately, the lake
has been subject to pollution in east Africa, and now
there are just a few flamingos around the perimeter of the lake. So the
reduction in bird numbers is a worldwide problem.
I
end by saying that the public need much more information about birds. I highly
praise the BBC for its “Springwatch” and “Autumnwatch” programmes. The other
day I spoke to the chairman of the BBC and said, “That really is a star
programme. Do keep up the good work”. I think that he was quite grateful for my
words.
That
is all I have to say. I continue with my bird interest in the mornings. I sit
there with my porridge and coffee and have my field glasses to hand. I look at
my garden and the bird table. I agree with the noble Earl, who in his excellent
speech made a point about cats. That is where education is needed. People who
have cats need to realise that they need to be controlled and kept away from
the birdlife.
My
Lords, I thank the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, for tabling this debate today
and for his excellent contribution. I also thank all noble Lords for their
considerable expertise. As ever, I have learned a great deal from listening to
this debate. It follows the excellent one that we had last week on the survival
of bees and other pollinators. Many of the issues are the same. Disease,
habitat loss, climate change and pesticides have all had an impact, and of
course, where insects decline, there is an inevitable consequence for the food
source of birds.
As
noble Lords have said, the populations of farmland and woodland bird species
have fallen dramatically over the last 50 years. Undoubtedly, intensive farming
and the tearing out of hedgerows, which were encouraged in the past, have taken
their toll, and the widespread use of pesticides has exacerbated that decline.
Thankfully,
if rather belatedly, more recent Governments have started the process of
reversing that damage with the support of farmers. Hedgerows are now being
recreated, field borders are being left to grow wild, farmers are being
rewarded for creating wild flower
meadows, and the Government have listened to the science and banned the use of
neonicotinoids for pest control.
All
this is a start but clearly, as we have heard in this debate, there is a great
deal more that we can do. For example, does the Minister agree that there is a
growing need for a review of the use of all pesticides to take account of the
negative effects, as well as the advantages, that they can bring? Does he also
agree that, when we invest in science, we need to make sure that we harness the
less damaging ways of tackling persistent weeds and pests by building on
nature’s own natural biodiversity?
The
Government’s plan to grow more trees, creating in particular more broad-leaved
woodland areas, will also have a positive effect where they are appropriately
managed. I take the point made by several noble Lords about that important
caveat. As the Minister might acknowledge, currently the Government are some
way off target on meeting their ambition to plant 11 million more trees. At the
same time we need to make a concerted effort to make urban areas more
attractive to wildlife. I absolutely take the point about communicating with
home owners and the importance of programmes like “Springwatch”. Home owners
need to be encouraged to abandon decking and concrete and to find new pleasure
in birds and insects that will make their gardens come alive again. The
planting of dense vegetation encourages songbirds to nest.
Finally,
the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, reminded us all of the particular threat to
songbirds of invasive non-native species. While many non-native species are
harmless, occasionally there are those which creep up on us and pose a threat
to our native biodiversity. One detrimental impact which has already been
mentioned is that of non-native grey squirrels, although again cats and rats
also play their part in raiding nests, eating eggs and killing young birds. A
number of references have been made to magpies and raptors. I have to say to
noble Lords that the research I have seen is rather less decisive on this
point, although I am sure that it is a debate for another occasion. Noble Lords
have referred to parakeets and we know the effect they can have by chasing
native birds away from food sites and excluding endemic birds and bats from
nesting cavities. It has been suggested that there could be a cull of
parakeets, but I hope that we can take other measures which are not quite as
drastic as that. I am sure that the Minister will be able to tell us what more
the Government are proposing to do about this issue.
I
look forward to hearing from the Minister about the actions the Government are
taking to tackle the threat of non-native invasive species and I hope that he
will acknowledge some of the ideas which have been presented in this debate.
They give us more hope of looking forward to the return of native songbirds as
a welcome part of our lives.
My
Lords, I congratulate my noble friend on giving us a lead to share our delight
in songbirds and I acknowledge their importance. I have to say that I had always thought that “All the way with LBJ”
referred to an American President, but I am now better informed.
Songbirds
are a much-loved part of our wildlife and are to be found in a diverse range of
habitats: farms, wetlands, woodlands, gardens and urban parks. The crescendo of
the dawn chorus and birds feeding in our gardens, the robin and the blackbird
waiting alongside the garden fork appeal to our senses. Indeed, the noble
Viscount, Lord Falkland, gave us a fascinating account of his early years with
birds.
Songbirds
are a diverse group of around 300 species of small to medium-sized birds,
making up just under half of the UK’s bird species. We should be concerned
about the decline in many species of songbirds since the 1970s. The trend since
the mid-1990s is more mixed with a low or no overall change in abundance,
although while many populations are now stable or increasing, some individual
species have continued to decline. For instance, I see more goldfinches and
long-tailed tits but fewer greenfinches. I am delighted this year to have two
nests of spotted flycatchers on the front of the house. Declines in songbirds
are due to a combination of factors, including changes in land management
practice, land drainage, loss of biodiversity, overgrazing by deer in woodlands
and invasive non-native species. All have had an impact.
The
noble and learned Lord, Lord Hope of Craighead, raised the important factor of
the effect of climate change on migratory bird species, and only today a report
has been produced on our efforts in our military bases in Cyprus and the steps
being taken. The UK’s network of 273 special protection areas protects the most
vulnerable and threatened wild bird species and their habitats, while our
network of sites of special scientific interest provide valuable habitats for a
range of bird species. Indeed, overall 3.3 million hectares of land in England
are protected, providing important habitat for species.
In
the wider landscape, agri-environment schemes are the principal mechanisms by
which we support the conservation of songbirds by providing food and nesting
resources. Since 2015, over 2,000—or nearly half—of new countryside stewardship
agreements included the wild pollinator and farm wildlife package. The Forestry
Commission and Natural England have produced countryside stewardship woodland
bird guidance for applicants, to create the optimum conditions for songbirds,
such as tree pipits and the wood warbler.
The
noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Whitchurch, spoke of some of the clear evidence
of successful recovery of some farmland birds due to land management funded by
the agri-environment schemes. My experience is now with advances in agri-tech
and precision farming, basing our decisions on pesticides on independent and
the best available scientific advice. That is the basis on which we will take
these matters forward.
An
independent study in 2012 found that provision of winter food resources with
over-winter stubble and wild bird seed crops resulted in a positive effect in
local populations, as I saw on a visit to the Cotswolds, when seeing a
profusion of linnets and yellowhammers. Indeed, I am reminded of the work at
Loddington, to which my noble friends Lord Caithness and Lord Shrewsbury referred. I am very much looking forward to a
forthcoming visit to Arundel to see what our noble friend the Duke of Norfolk
is undertaking on his estates.
Another
interesting point of success—we are always very worried about the declines, and
rightly so—is the ninefold increase in the numbers of cirl buntings. Indeed, a
new reintroduction in Cornwall of now over 1,000 birds is considered the first
successful songbird reintroduction in Europe. My noble friend Lord Caithness
has highlighted concerns about the impact of predator control and its
effectiveness, and has suggested that we should consider our options in this
matter. I share the view that targeted management of predators, using a mix of
land management methods, can benefit the conservation of bird species,
especially ground-nesting species.
I
am also conscious of ecosystems and the natural world, in the words of the
noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Moulsecoomb, and I very much hope that she will
be involved in “Bees’ Needs” week. She will forgive me if I do not go down her
line of country in terms of land ownership, because I would definitely be on a
different page. However, we are united in wanting the best for the natural
world.
Leaving
the EU, whatever our view, undoubtedly presents an opportunity to devise new
environmental land management schemes as a cornerstone of future agricultural
policy. I was, of course, particularly taken with what the noble Viscount, Lord
Thurso, said of his experiences in the Flow Country, and how success can be
secured with what I call sensible collaboration with all interested parties.
That point was also made by my noble friend Lord Shrewsbury.
In
the 25-year environment plan, we are committed to developing a strategy for
nature covering our land and freshwater habitats and to take forward our
international commitments to halt the loss of biodiversity. As with Biodiversity
2020, the new strategy will seek to enhance our natural habitats, and ensure
conservation and recovery.
My
noble friend Lord Caithness referred to planning and the potential use of
buffer strips. Indeed, the noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Whitchurch, made the
point in terms of the urban situation as well. The Government are looking at
how embedding a net-gain principle in planning could contribute to nature
recovery alongside facilitating housing development. This approach could help
to address the impact of development on songbird habitats by improving
incentives to retain habitats within development sites or by increasing the
amount of habitat enhanced or created.
My
noble friend Lord Caithness also mentioned cats, and the joint project between
SongBird Survival and Exeter University to look at this issue in more depth.
Last week, when I attended the all-party group that deals with cat welfare, I
was brave enough to raise this matter and explain that there would be a debate
in your Lordships’ House on songbirds. My officials and I are very interested
to see what the Exeter study concludes.
Invasive
non-native species such as grey squirrels and muntjac deer have had a profound
impact on songbirds and can undermine conservation. The pipits and pintails are back in such numbers in South Georgia—where
I would love to go one day—for one reason: we tackled the invader. It is
extraordinary how nature has recovered so dramatically in but a few years. I
have seen at first hand the impact muntjac have had in the overgrazing of the
under canopy, which means that nesting sites for birds such as the nightingale
are disappearing.
My
noble friend Lord Caithness has raised the matter of the loss of songbirds. Our
country has long been the most active country in Europe in addressing invasive
non-native species. The EU invasive alien species regulation, which our country
was instrumental in developing, sets out strict restrictions on the keeping and
sale of species listed under the regulation, as well as prohibiting their
release to the environment. To me, biosecurity means that a key priority must
be to reduce the risk of new species entering the country and to control the
spread of a number of established species.
Under
the joint grey squirrel action plan for England, Defra and the Forestry
Commission are committed to working with landowners and other organisations to
implement a package of measures to support targeted grey squirrel control. We
should thank my noble friend Lord Kinnoull and all those involved in the
Squirrel Accord for what they are doing. He referred to research into the
development of an immuno-contraceptive. The research continues to progress
well, and I acknowledge the exceptional scientists who are so engaged in this
vital work. APHA is working with the UK Squirrel Accord and its donors. The
formulation for the vaccine has now been identified and tests are under way
with captive grey squirrels to ascertain the longevity of the vaccine and
identify any potential side-effects.
I
am informed that there are more deer in this country than at any time since the
Norman conquest. We believe that the management of deer is clearly best carried
out by local deer management groups, so that the natural flora and fauna are
kept in balance. My observation is that traditional country people—who care
about the land and about wildlife—appreciate that it is all about balance. If
something in nature becomes out of balance, problems start to occur, as we are
seeing in some areas with corvids and magpies in particular. Deer species such
as the muntjac are causing damage because of their prolific breeding. It is
important to look at these matters through the Deer Initiative, which brings
together local groups to ensure that deer management is sustainable and effective.
We
humans have the capacity to do much good. We also have the capacity to do
extraordinary harm to the natural world. It is surely the responsibility of all
of us to act as good custodians of the natural world and to foster it for
future generations. My noble friend Lord Caithness mentioned education. This is
an issue about which the next generation feels very strongly. The balance and
management of nature and the wise use of land is so important. It requires a
collaborative approach at home and abroad between the different UK
Administrations and landowners, farmers, non-governmental organisations and
members of the public. Songbirds are surely a true glory of our natural
heritage. Everyone should be able to enjoy ready access to a better environment with an increasingly healthy songbird
population. That is our task and our responsibility. I am so grateful to my
noble friend Lord Caithness for ensuring we could debate this.
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| Skylark - numbers in decline |
