Migrants are trickling north in ones and two without any signs of a major arrival to enliven a morning’s birding. Ringing is on hold while cold north westerlies predominate and this week I’ve been busy with half-term duties.
I’m hoping to go birding Friday and/or Saturday, but in the meantime this week came timely reminders on the reporting of rare breeding birds from Mark Holling of the UK’s Rare Breeding Birds Panel and Mark Thomas of RSPB Investigations, here.
They suggest a long list of species where news blackouts should apply in circumstances suggestive of breeding or potential breeding unless public viewing has been arranged:
Capercaillie
Black-throated Diver
Little Bittern
Cattle Egret
Great White Egret
Purple Heron
Eurasian Spoonbill
Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Honey Buzzard
White-tailed Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Montagu's Harrier
Osprey
Baillon's Crake
Common Crane
Black-winged Stilt
Ruff
Temminck's Stint
Purple Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Red-necked Phalarope
Snowy Owl
Long-eared Owl
European Bee-eater
Wryneck
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Golden Oriole
Red-backed Shrike
Penduline Tit
Savi's Warbler
Marsh Warbler
Bluethroat
Peregrine Falcon
Long-eared Owl
Lesser-spotted Woodpecker - Crossley ID Guide Britain & Ireland
"By nature of their rarity, rare breeding birds are vulnerable to disturbance, but to do so deliberately is against the law. Although some species, particularly raptors, are still persecuted by game managers in some areas, there has been an increasing incidence of disturbance by birdwatchers and especially by bird photographers. Although such disturbance may be accidental, inconsiderate or careless behaviour can lead to birds deserting their nests or losing their eggs or young to predators.”
The list includes species that are now beginning to make their mark in the UK as new colonisers but also one or two like Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Long-eared Owl, Peregrine and even the once common Ruff, all subject to relentless chasing around pressure in this area should they appear either in or out of the breeding season.
If only all bird watchers, including local ones, had taken note of the sensible advice and guidance above, we may have avoided the recent deliberate shooting dead of a Peregrine Falcon at St Anne’s-on-Sea, 15 miles from here and where the birds were subjected to almost daily visits and reportage on Internet social media.
Linking today to Eileen's Saturday Blog.
Linking today to Eileen's Saturday Blog.
