Headline birds - the three species making a splash on front covers of this month's ornithological mags

 

Goldfinch, Sparowhawk and Purple Sandpiper - the three species featured on front covers of  the February 2026 birding titles.  

      

                                

Impressive study of waterbirds taking to the sky likely to attract interest at March auction

                                        

Bids of up to £700 are expected for this watercolour (heightened with white), Evening Flight,  when it goes under the hammer (Lot 46) at the Salisbury saleroom of auction house Woolley and Wallis on March 3. It is the work of Edward Duncan (1883-1882)  who specialised in atmospheric landscapes. The framed painting measures 38 x 72.8cm (15 x 28.75 inches).

Predatory pumas taking their toll on Magellanic Penguins in Patagonia, say Oxford researchers

Vulnerable - Magellanic Penguins on a site in Patagonia (photo: Martin St-Amant via Wikimedia Commons)

A SURVEY has confirmed that Magellanic Penguins are falling prey to pumas in a wildlife refuge in southern Argentina.

According to a research paper in the Journal for Nature Conservation, more than 7,000 adult birds have become victims over a four-year period at Monte León National Park in Patagonia.

This figure represents about 7.6 per cent of the adult population of around 93,000 individuals.

It was about 130 years ago that the penguins began expanding their breeding range from islands off the coast to to the mainland.

This was a successful strategy while farmers were culling pumas and other potential predators to protect their cattle.

But in the wake of a decline in cattle ranching in southern Argentina in the early1990s, the pumas have returned and begun killing the defenceless penguins.

Marine birds are not normally the prey of  larger feline carnivores.  Many of the birds have only partially been eaten or not eaten at all, indicating that the killings were not solely for food. 

Says lead author Melisa Lera, a postgraduate student at Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research: "This is consistent with what ecologists describe as 'surplus killing'. 

"It is comparable to what is seen in domestic cats when prey is  abundant and/or vulnerable - ease of capture can lead to cats hunting more birds even when they do not end up actually eating them."

Study co-author Dr. Jorgelina Marino comments: "This study captures an emerging conservation challenge where recovering carnivores are encountering novel prey.

"Understanding how these dietary shifts affect both predators and prey is essential to inform conservation."

While the losses are dramatic, models show that pumas alone are unlikely to wipe out the colony.

 Greater dangers come from poor breeding and low survival among young penguins.

At Monte Leon National Park, researchers continue to  track both puma and penguin populations as they navigate the complex consequences of ecosystem recovery.

The report recommends that ongoing monitoring is essential to detect early signs of population decline and to guide management decisions before serious ecological damage occurs. 

* Another study, this time in the journal, Communications, Earth & Environment, suggests that droppings from penguins and other seabirds do their bit in addressing climate change by releasing ammonia which rises into the atmosphere and helps form clouds that deflect sunlight and protect sea ice. The research, by a team from the Unversity of Helsinki, was carried out in Antarctica close to a colony of 60,000 Adelie Peguins. 

Calling all tern lovers! Vacancy for a protection assistant exists at key breeding site in Cumbria

Home to breeding wetland birds - RSPB Hodbarrow ( Photo: The Wub via Wikimedia Commons)

A TERN protection assistant is being sought for summer 2026 at a former mine that has been converted to an RSPB reserve.

RSPB Hodbarrow is now a tranquil stretch of coastal lagoon and grassland near Millom in Cumbria and overlooking the Duddon estuary.

The wetlands are home to breeding terns, Ringed Plovers, Redshanks, Great Crested Grebes and Oystercatchers. 

Says the RSPB:  "Out on the lagoon island, we are working to give breeding Little Terns, Common Terns and Sandwich Terns the best chance. 

"This involves limiting plant growth and controlling the numbers of large gulls. 

"We also protect the area during breeding season from both boats and visitors."

The post being advertised is for three months only with a salary equivalent of up to £26,231.

The job description states: "We are recruiting for an Tern Protection Assistant who will help to protect and record one of North West England's most important tern colonies. 

"With a knowledge of breeding shore birds you will share your enthusiasm with visitors and locals. 

"You will work within a small dedicated team to ensure Hodbarrow tern colony continues its breeding successes of previous years. 

"The role will involve working with another  assistant to protect and survey the tern colony. 

"Hodbarrow is home to Sandwich, Common, Arctic and Little Terns and has benefitted from extensive investment over the past six  years through various funding streams which have enabled us to increase the available nesting areas, added new breeding islands and additional predator fencing. "

It continues: "This is an ideal opportunity for those starting out on their conservation career to gain some hands on experience and protect some of the UK's rarest species. 

"The successful candidate will have a knowledge of tern ecology and identification. 

"He or she will be effective and comfortable working alone  for periods of time but also happy to work with others. 

"Good communication skills are essential as you will be speaking to volunteers and the public on a daily basis."

Applications close on March 4, and further information is available from mhairi.maclauchlan@rspb.org.uk .

Typically brooding weather-dominated seascape by Turner - but what species is the bird off Hebridean island?

Anyone care to identify this seabird in the painting of Staffa island that is currently on loan from the Yale Centre of British Art and on display in an exhibition of works by  Turner and Constable at London’s Tate Gallery. The former is understood to have been commissioned to depict Staffa for the purpose of illustrating a collection of poems by Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott. The Hebridean island is summer home to Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Gannets, Arctic Terns and auk species including Puffins. We reckon the species Turner's bird most resembles is Arctic Tern.

                                                   

What would the Peregrines think? Controversy bubbles over proposed new tower block in Barbican

 

There is controversy over this proposed tower block in the Barbican  financial district of  London. Some claim that the demolition of an existing building on the site and construction of a new one (at an estimated cost of £450-million) might disturb a pair of Peregrine Falcons that are regularly seen perched on another tower block less than 20 metres away. However, there is no conclusive evidence that these birds are nesting. And could it be that the proposed new building might even represent a preferable site? The application, to which Natural England has offered no objection, is currently under consideration by City of London planners.   

Her one-woman compost campaign once earned garden centre ban for former RSPB chief executive

                     

Baroness Young - banned

A FORMER chief executive of the RSPB has revealed how she was once banned from garden centres in Bedfordshire where the society has its HQ.

Back in 1990 when she took the reins, Barbara Young - now Baroness Young of Scone - was active in campaigning for a ban on compost obtained from peat bogs.

In a debate on environment improvement in the Lords, she recalled:  "I used to go to the local garden centre and insist that its staff took all the peat-free or reduced-peat products out from the back of their compost displays and put them at the front. 

"I did that for nine months until I was banned from that garden centre. 

"I subsequently went around all the garden centres in Bedfordshire and was systematically banned from one after the other."

Peat products continue to be sold in some garden centres but have largely been phased out over the past 35 years because unharvested peat bogs are recognised to be an important  habitat both as home to specialist species but also in helping to soak up carbon from the atmosphere.

In response to Baroness Young's comments, DEFRA minister Baroness Hayman of Ullock said: "We are committed to ending the sale of horticultural peat and peat-containing products by the end of this Parliament. 

"That is part of our ambition for this Parliament. We are working very closely with the sector to look at how we can make that transition."

Film review: how Goshawk helped give shape and meaning to life of woman numbed by grief at loss of her dad

The film movingly explores the bond between a college lecturer and a Goshawk 

THERE has been quite a bit of buzz in birding circles about the film H is for Hawk - not least because of the dramatic sequences of an individual  Goshawk in rapid pursuit of its quarry.

In one, a rabbit is the prey; in the next, it is a cock Pheasant.

Other birds that feature (mercifully not falling victim to the raptor) include Rook, Blackbird, Robin, Great Tit and (in Stranraer Harbour) Cormorant.

This is not a film about birding, though many of the scenes  will strike a chord with many birders, especially bird-photographers - for instance, in the line: "When you look through the viewfinder, everything else falls away." 

Fleet Street photographer and birder - Brendan Gleeson plays the father

It is more a film about hawking - with its central theme about how acquiring and training  a hawk (which she names, Mabel - from the Latin, amabilis, meaning lovable) becomes the obsession  of Helen Macdonald a lecturer at Jesus College, Cambridge.

In some strange way, it seems to give purpose to her life following the sudden death from heart failure of her much-loved father, Alisdair, a photographer with the Daily Mirror.

The action is based on the true story recounted in a book of the same title by Helen who co-produced the film.

It has to be said that many parts of the book are heavy-going, but, despite the undergoing sadness, the film, by contrast, is tightly-edited and crisp.

The movie is also more successful in exploring both the touchingly tender bond between daughter and her father (it survives just as strongly after his death) and the warm, but less affectionate, relationship with her mother and brother.

There is some fine acting in the supporting roles, notably by Lindsay Duncan, as  the mother, but it is the performance of Claire Foy as Helen Macdonald which really excels - not least  because, to fit the role, she had to learn to engage with a live Goshawk, a large and energetic prey with fierce bill and talons.

There is a rough honesty about how Helen is portrayed. Far from being a paragon of soggytenderness she has plenty of ragged edges - she is self-centred, chain-smokes, swears  and  plays rap music at top volume in her late father’s car where, further to her discredit, she seems careless at the wheel.

With,  a somewhat slovenly approach to life and slightly cruel laugh, this character is not someone you would necessarily want as a reliable friend.

But  it is impossible not to sympathise with and admire a woman trapped in grief and loneliness, yet simultaneously able to find meaning to life through  her affection towards a bird that in no way can reciprocate.

Looking at the credits, the extent of  female involvement in the making of the film is conspicuous, and, perhaps in a nod to diversity, even the GP who diagnoses Helen’s depression is changed from a man in the book to a black woman in the film.

Plaudits to the director, Philippa Lowthorpe, who ensures the narrative is taut and almost entirely free of sentimentality apart from one moment when the Goshawk seems to be casting a tender eye on its owner as she sleeps.

Also creditable is a lecture hall sequence, late in the film,  which explores the ethics of hunting with raptors and whether, as in times gone by, there might today be a role for interaction between humankind and birds as an alternative to watching them with detachment from afar.

On a technical note, which might only be of interest to birders, the camera used by Helen’s father was a Nikon.

But mercifully, there is no obtrusive  'product placement' , for instance, with the spotting scope or with the Zeiss Jenoptem 10x50 binoculars (which seem extraordinarily clunky by modern standards' because the brand names are not shown.

It should be noted that though the theme is underscored throughout by grief, the message is emphatically not one of despair. 

The last word, spoken in a flashback sequence as Helen’s father asks her to pose for a picture is "Smile".

And before the credits roll, we see on screen (and are invited to interpret) the words written in 1373 in  Revelations of Divine Love by the ascetic, Julian of Norwich  (1343-1416): "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well". 

What happened to the Goshawk, for which Helen had paid £800? 

It is not revealed in the film, but according to the book, the bird "flew for many more seasons before a sudden untreatable infection with aspergillosis - airborne fungus - carried her from her aviary to the dark woods where dwell the lost and dead."   

Wild Goshawks in pre-courtship display - opening sequence to the film

                                                  

Important birder's accessory - spotting scope

To kill or not to kill? Scottish MPs pause decision on slaughter of Gannet fledglings on Hebridean island

                                                             

Longstanding breeding site for Gannets - the remote island of Sula Sgeir (photo: John Macfarlane via Wikimedia Commons)

 

THE Scottish Parliament has put on hold a decision on whether to ban the annual 'harvesting' of young Gannets (known as 'guga') on the island of  Sula Sgeir, some 40 miles off Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

MSPs decided to postpone debate at least  until after the elections in May  this year.

Almost  80,000 individuals are said to have put their signatures to a petition calling for an end to the practice which, under special licence from NatureScot,  allows for up to 500 fledglings  per season to be taken for subsequent consumption as a 'delicacy'.

The petition was launched by wildlife photographer Rachel Bigsby and a pressure group called Protect the Wild.

Says Ms Bigby: "Scotland holds some of the most internationally important Gannet colonies on Earth, yet one of them is still excluded from the basic protection that applies everywhere else. 

"After the devastating losses caused by avian influenza, the continued licensed bludgeoning of Gannet chicks on Sula Sgeir cannot be justified by conservation, science or animal welfare standards."

However, there is also another view - expressed by John Macleod in a column in The Daily Telegraph - that the activity should be respected and  preserved as a longstanding Gaelic tradition.

Mr Macleod describes those opposed to the hunt  - who include celebrity naturalist Chris Packham - as "sentimentalists" and "virtue-signallers".

Rachel Bigsby: 'bludgeoning cannot be justified'

                                            

John Macleod's column in The Daily Telegraph

Spot the Goldfinch and Macaw! Painting by Flemish Old Master sells for almost $108,000 at New York auction

                      

The painting is designed in such a way as to guide the viewer's eye through the garden to the trellis at the end of it

BIRDS seldom seem to feature in Old Masters' paintings.

Invariably, their landscapes are totally birdless apart, perhaps, from a few distant specks in the sky.

However, an exception is this 1620 work by the Flemish artist Abraham Govaerts (1589-1626).

It includes some doves, of unknown species, domestic pigeons and what look like they might be a Goldfinch and a Blue and Gold Macaw - though both hopelessly out of scale.

The painting is based on the myth of who Verumnus who disguised himself to gain entry to the home of Pomona, goddess of orchards and gardens, in order to woo her.

Earlier this week, it went under the hammer for $107,950  at an auction  of Old Master held by Christie's at their saleroom in New York.

This figure was at the lower end of the range of the  pre-sale estimate of $100,000  and $150,000.  

Global Birdfair 2026 will shine spotlight on critically endangered Dwarf Ibis and other rare island birds

THE focus will fall on one of the world's rarest birds at this year's Global Birdfair.

There may be fewer than 2,000 remaining Dwarf Ibises which all dwell on São Tomé and Príncipe, the second smallest country in Africa in the Gulf of Guinea.

The conservation project for the 2026 Global Birdfair - to be held between July 10-12 at Lyndon Top, near Oakham in Rutland - is Preventing Island Extinctions.

Although protected by law, the critically endangered Dwarf Ibis and the island's other endemic species are vulnerable  to predation and  habitat loss resulting from agricultural development and timber-felling.

Global Birdfair's organisers, Tim Appleton and Penny Robinson, are upbeat about the project.

Enthuses Tim: "This initiative presents a wonderful opportunity for the population of this  São Tomé and Príncipe as they become increasingly aware of their home’s unique biodiversity.

"Developing a sustainable tourism offer focused on avitourism and the country’s national parks can only be of long-term benefit  both to the people and birds of this precious island."

Tickets for Global Birdfair 2026 are now on sale 

More information at www.globalbirdfair.org 

Raptors with human heads - sale price of Egyptian mummy mask beats expectations at New York sale

      

Were ancient Egyptians among the world's first birders?

AN Egyptian gilt mummy mask sold for  82,550 American dollars at yesterday's auction of antiquities held by Christie's  at their saleroom in New York.

Among the prominent features of the mask, reflecting  the ancient Egyptians' fascination with birds, are two raptors with human heads.

The price achieved  was well above the pre-sale estimate of  up to $70,000 dollars.

At the same event, bidding for a  bronze and wood scuplture of a Sacred Ibis reached $44,500 before the hammer fell.

This was more than double the pre-sale guide price of  $15,000 - $20,000.

The identities of the successful bidders have not been disclosed.  

Sacred! High hammer price for ibis

RSPB spells out its policy on cafe closures on its reserves: 'We cannot run commercial operations at a loss'

Show me the way to the cafe! The reception area within the visitor centre at the RSPB's Frampton Marsh reserve near Boston in Lincolnshire 
 

THE decision by the RSPB to close cafes on certain of its reserves is continuing to cause discontent among some members.

Its rigorous approach to profitability has caused consternation to those who believe cafes are vital to enhancing the visitor experience.

The closure of the cafe at its Rainham Marshes reserve in Essex has  proved particularly contentious

In the wake of some challenging questions at the most recent annual meetings, the society has spelled out is overall policy thus: "We need our cafés to generate a profit to allow us to reinvest this in  conservation. 

"We operate them with the same commercial focus as any other business where optimising net profit is a key priority. 

"This is achieved through benchmarked pricing, competitive supplier agreements and robust control measures to deliver against key performance indicators to ensure maximum profitability and a high-quality visitor experience."

Our shops and cafés are an important part of the visitor experience, providing a welcoming space and enhancing enjoyment at our reserves. 

They also play a vital role in supporting the RSPB mission by generating unrestricted income for RSPB.  

"But we cannot run commercial operations at a loss when their purpose is to provide income for our charity to enable us to deliver our charitable objectives and mission."  

On the option of outsourcing its cafes to external caterers, it states: 

" If we were to contract our cafes out to a third-party provider, a significant proportion of that benefit would be lost as external companies would naturally retain a share of the profit." 

All in the name of research - but will RSPB's North Wales initiative respect welfare of breeding Ring Ouzels?

                                                      

Ring Ouzel numbers in North Wales  are to be surveyed by the RSPB

A CONTROVERSIAL practice is to be adopted by the RSPB to help in monitoring Ring  Ouzel numbers at sites in North Wales.

The procedure involves playing back recordings of singing Ouzels in the hope of sparking inquisitive birds to make themselves conspicuous.

However, this research technique is frowned on by some ornithologists because it risks confusing the birds and interfering with their breeding activity.

Before these migrants start arriving in Britain from their over-wintering habitat in North Africa for the 2026 season, RSPB hopes to have recruited two seasonal officers to carry out the research.

Says the job description: "We are looking for Conservation Monitoring Officers to undertake a survey of breeding Ring Ouzels in North Wales.

"This  will be a mobile role visiting several different sites across Gwynedd recording the presence of Ring Ouzels using playback of song at specific points along survey routes.  

"The aim is to produce a robust population estimate for breeding Ring Ouzels in Gwynedd to determine the current trend for the species and inform future conservation management."

Surveys are scheduled to start in mid-May and salary will be the pro-rata equivalent of £27,123 - £28,956.                                                     

A trio of Ring Ouzels on the hunt for earthworms

Are Shetland residents turning against twitchers in wake of 'boorish' behaviour by a few?

                                                     

The harbour at Lerwick, Shetland's main town  - arrival point for many rarity-seekers

ONE of Britain's top birding commentators has warned that 'sentiment' among Shetland residents may be turning against birders following incidents of less than responsible behaviour.

In his lively weekly column in the Rare Bird Alert online bulletin, Jon Dunn makes reference to the request by a landowner that the location of a recently-sighted Tengmalm's Owl should not be shared with the birding community.

Writes Jon: "Nobody will want to hear this, but there’s a sentiment held now by some Shetland residents that they don’t want any part of the crowds that gather at a rarity. 

"There have been enough small incidents of damage, disruption, and boorish or thoughtless birder behaviour in recent years to colour perception of twitchers and visiting birders generally."

The columnist, who lives on Shetland, further notes that local "word on the street" is that information about the brief presence of a Great Spotted Flycatcher last October may have been suppressed until after it had left for fear of attracting birders who might not behave responsibly. 

He concludes: "That may make for uncomfortable reading, but there it is - we have collectively reaped what some of us have sown. 

"A timely reminder, then, that wherever we are birding, in Shetland or anywhere else for that matter, we need to be on our best behaviour, and challenge any of our tribe letting the side down.

"Failing that, we’re going to miss birds, among them 'firsts' for Britain.

Rare Bird Alert is at: https://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/

Applications now closed for Puffin-counting volunteers on island off Pembrokeshire coast

                                     

Puffin - one of Britain's most popular seabirds

APPLICATIONS have now closed for volunteers to count Puffins on Skomer Island off the Pembrokeshire Coast for a week at a time during the 2026 breeding season.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales says: "Volunteering for Skomer is always very oversubscribed - last year we had three times as many applicants as places."

Applications for 2027 will open on September 1, 2026. 

                                  

Skomer Island - breeding birds also include Manx Shearwaters (photo: vist Wales)

An Ibis - Sacred not Glossy - will be in the spotlight at New York auction in midweek

                                                 

Artwork will be star bird at Christie's sale

THE Glossy Ibis influx into Britain has been a recent highlight of the birding scene, but the focus will this week switch to a sister species - a Sacred Ibis.

At a Christie’s auction of antiquities in New York on February 3, a 43-cm long wood and bronze artwork dating back to 664-30 BC is due to go under the hammer with a pre-sale guide price of between 15,000 and 20,000 US dollars.

It is thought be of ancient Egyptian heritage because such sculptures - sometimes hollowed out to contain the ashes of a slaughtered real bird - were often offered to Throth, a god of wisdom, writing and learning.

For a period, the birds were even farmed in Egypt for the purpose of being sacrificed.

The artwork to be sold was formerly held in a museum in Tel Aviv.

The species has a wide distribution in Africa, with further small populations in Iran, Iraq a Kuwait but,  ironically, it is understood now to have been lost to Egypt as a result of the drainage of swamps and other wetlands.                                                

European relative - Glossy Ibis

RSPB looking for seasonal warden to work alongside Spoonbills, Nightjars, Dartford Warblers and Woodlarks

                                                  

A place where Nightjars, Woodlarks and Dartford Warblers all nest (photo: RSPB) 

AN assistant warden is sought for the summer season at some of the RSPB's best-loved southern reserves.

The area around Arne and Poole Harbour in Dorset is a patchwork of habitats including wetlands, scrub, shoreline and heathland.

It is home to species not widely seen in in other parts of Britain. These include Dartford Warblers, Spoonbills, Avocets, Nightjars and Woodlarks.

But the work will involve much more than just showing birders and other visitors the wildlife.

Says the job description: "You will have knowledge and experience of practical habitat and estate management.

"You will have a proven track record of working or completing work alone and working within a varied team.

"And you must be comfortable managing volunteers from a range of backgrounds."

The successful applicant will have to demonstrate reasonable wildlife knowledge and experience of biological surveys as well as the know-how to operate and maintain machinery, equipment and infrastructure."

The post is for the duration March 2, 2026 to September 1, 2026 with a salary  the equivalent of £27,123.00 - £28,956.00.

More information from stewart.milburn@rspb.org.uk

The closing date for applications is midnight on February 9.

                                      

Spoonbills are among the wetalnd birds regularly to be seen

Taxidermy Sparrowhawks set to go under the hammer at auction in Lincolnshire market town

                                              

Sorrowful - the three Louth Sparrowhawks 

IT is not known  how they met their fate but three taxidermy (ie stuffed) Sparrowhawks  are soon likely to have new ownership.

They are set to be auctioned as a single lot (number 451) at an auction to be conducted by John Taylors of Louth in Lincolnshire  on February 3.

Online bidding has already reached £18, but the estimate is that the hammer will fall at between £30 and £40. 

Meanwhile the last lot (number 796) in the sale is an attractive print of three Cranes in flight.

The pre-sale estimate is that this will fetch between £30 and £50.

                               

On the way up - the three Cranes

                                            

Former chief executive of RSPB Barbara Young appointed new Chair of Forestry Commission

                                                  

Baroness Young - enthusiastic about new challenge

THE former chief executive of the RSPB, Baroness Young of Old Scone, has this week been appointed the new Chair of the Forestry Commission -  the  government department responsible for protecting, expanding and promoting the sustainable management of woodlands.

Barbara Young was at the helm of the bird protection charity between 1991 and 1998 when she resigned to become Chair of English Nature - the predecessor to Natural England.

She takes the reins of the Forestry Commission, in succession to Sir William Worsley, for a four-year term starting on February 10.

Says she: It will be a great privilege to join the Forestry Commission team at a time when the importance of trees, woods and forests for the economy, local communities, resilience and security, climate change, biodiversity, and human health and wellbeing is great and growing."

The Minister of Nature, Mary Creagh MP, comments: "Baroness Young  brings a wealth of experience from her distinguished background in the environmental sector. 

"I am excited to work with Barbara to deliver our strategy of helping to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges with thriving trees, woods and forests." 

Baroness Young, who is 77, was Chair of the Woodland Trust from 2016 to 2024 during which time, she led the organisation through a period of significant growth and impact, expanding woodland creation and the protection and restoration of ancient woodland across the UK.

She holds an MA (Honours) in Classics from the University of Edinburgh, is a Chartered Environmentalist, and has received numerous honorary degrees and fellowships in recognition of her contribution to public life, environmental protection and education.

At the Forestry Commission, she will work alongside Richard Stanford who is its Chief Executive.

Scottish housebuilders will soon be compelled by law to install Swiftbricks in their new developments

                                

Swift in a moonlit sky

MEMBERS of the Scottish Parliament  have voted in favour of making the installation of swiftbricks - at least one per property - in their new developments "where reasonably practical and appropriate".

It is hoped that this might reverse  the decline of the species north of the border.

In last night's debate, there was cross-party support for a proposal by Green member Mark Ruskell. 

Said he: "Swifts join our communities every summer, but they are becoming rarer everywhere.

"I am looking forward to seeing every new building in Scotland host a family of Swifts in the future."

Mr Ruskell said he hoped the  measure would be adopted both in England and Wales where politicians have dilly-dallied.

The MSP decision comes in the wake of  a much-signed petition submitted to the Scottish Government by Cally Smith on behalf of Huntly Swift Group.

This said: "Swift nesting are being lost at an alarming rate due to unsympathetic building upgrades, inadequate nest protection and no requirement to survey Swifts within the planning process.

"To reverse the decline, we must provide nesting opportunities in their thousands and retain existing key swift colonies.

"Swiftbricks are building-compliant, BSI standardised, inexpensive, incorporate into all build types, maintenance-free and will also serve other building-reliant bird species.

"A mandatory approach is the ONLY way to achieve this."

                            

Scottish housebuilders will soon be obliged to install Swiftbricks such as these in their new developments

                                        

Redundant flat-bottomed barges now providing Essex estuary habitat for roosting shorebirds

                                       

New habitat for shorebirds - the three flat-bottomed barges (photo: National Trust)

THREE decommissioned barges have been sunk in the Blackwater Estuary in Essex to help protect Northey Island against rising sea levels.

This multi-partner initiative initiative, led by the National Trust, also aims to slow the loss of saltmarsh and provide a roosting habitat for wetland bird species  such as Redshank, Curlew, Lapwing, Little Tern and Avocet.

Once used to transport building materials, coal and food from the Port of London, the redundant barges have spent more than 30 years moored in Essex. 

Measuring between 20 and 32 metres long, they now sit on the inter-tidal mudflats of the estuary creating a new land mass on the edge of the existing saltmarsh at Northey Island.

Says Katy Gilchrist, Coastal Project Manager for the National Trust: “This is the ultimate act of marine recycling - transforming retired industrial vessels into a sanctuary for wildlife. 

"We’re basically turning history into habitat, and as far as we know, no one has attempted anything quite like this before. 

"Holes were cut into the hulls to sink the vessels and they were then filled with sediment, mostly mud, to weigh them down to secure them. 

"Once the island is fully established, with gravel on top, it will sit safely above the highest tides to offer a safe refuge for some declining bird species" which are in decline.” 

The equivalent of  three Olympic swimming pools' sediment is being used to fill and surround the barges before the final gravel surface is added. 

Nigel Cardy of Landbreach Ltd, the specialist contractors carrying out the engineering work, comments: "I have been working on the river for more than 50 years and been involved in some interesting jobs, but this one is a bit special as it ticks so many boxes.

"It makes good use of the old barges, helps keep the channel clear in the Maldon Harbour area and also creates a new habitat for estuary birds.

"Plus river users benefit from the dredging." 

Northey Island is open to the public from April to September and closed in winter to protect overwintering birds. 

More information can be found at: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/northey-island 

RSPB prefers 'extremely hardy' Polish ponies to native breeds on some Scottish wetland reserves

                                                 

Resilient in  cold and wet conditions  - a Konik pony (photo: Alethe via Wikimedia Commons)

THE RSPB has defended its use of a Polish breed of pony, the Konik, instead of a native Highland breed to graze some of its Scottish reserves - such as the one at Insh Marshes, near Aviemore, in The Cairngorms.

It states: "Restoration of natural landscapes using large herbivores as ecosystem engineers has increased in popularity across Europe. 

"We use native breeds - very successfully - on a number of our sites. 

"From a reserve management perspective, our priority is to find the right animal for each grazing need which will best help us achieve our conservation management objectives. 

"If we can do this using native breeds, then that is the ideal scenario, and this is the case on many of our 224 reserves. 

"For example, at RSPB Abernethy, we have grazing Highland cattle. 

"Initially, at Insh Marshes, we looked to our local community for small grazing herds but found little success with the Highland and Connemara ponies available to us. 

"The Konik (Polish for 'small horse') has proliferated widely across Europe in conservation grazing and has thrived in a diverse range of habitats with favourable characteristics that help it survive harsh winters and wet landscapes, perfect for Insh Marshes. 

"Koniks are extremely hardy and deal with the wetland conditions better than most native British breeds. 

"They are also happy eating very rough grazing that is unappetising to many other breeds. 

"We have a long-standing breeding program of Konics at the RSPB Loch of Strathbeg reserve in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

"After careful consideration, we decided to trial some of their ponies at Insh Marshes reserve in 2019 to help manage our rare and important habitats on the floodplain and we continually monitor their progress. 

"After their arrival, the ponies quickly created new breeding areas For  Lapwing, Redshank, and Curlew. 

"We understand and recognise the importance of native breeds on our landscapes and are committed to using them at other reserves across the UK." 

                                       

Creating habitat for Curlews and Lapwings - the RSPB's Insh Marshes reserve

                                         

RSPB sounds alert on multiple marine issues which are taking deadly toll on Europe's sea ducks

                                                  

Long-tailed Duck - this bird glimpsed inland in non-breeding plumage

AS many as 17,000 Long-tailed Ducks die annually in the Baltic Sea after becoming tangled in fishery gillnets.

So says the RSPB which further suggests that the same fate befalls "thousands" of Eiders and Velvet Scoters.

The latest edition of The RSPB Magazine goes on to warn: "UK sea ducks face a plethora of threats on land and at sea."

These include:

* Coastal development

* Habitat destruction

* Disturbance and predation

* Avian flu

* Oil pollution

* The effects of climate change

* The inappropriate siting of offshore wind turbine arrays.

What can be done? On the problem with accidental gillnet bycatch, trials are being conducted with floating marine scarecrows, off Cornwall as well as in the Baltic, to deter dea ducks from feeeding close to fishing area.

The RSPB employs a bycatch programme manager, Yann Rouxel, who is quoted as saying that these trials have shown "promise", but that other measures are also required to reduce the mortalities.

The Wryneck says: This report is extremely worrying. Because the threats to birdlife at sea are often not as conspicuous as those on land, they tend to get overlooked. It is good that the RSPB has sounded the alarm, but it needs to be much, much more outspoken, urgent and persistent in raising public awareness. It would be tragic if our cherished sea ducks were to be lost to Europe's coastal waters. 

                                

Drake Eider - a handsome-looking bird 

Velvet Scoter - increasingly scarce in British waters 

 

Bygone birding: motor cyclist was knocked unconscious in freak collision with Grey Heron

Grey Heron - definitely not a bird to bump into 

Below: news report in  The Daily Telegraph 100 years ago (January 24, 1926):