Lucy Nixon, BTO wrote...

Climate change is causing a number of widespread British birds to lay their
eggs much earlier than 40 years ago, that's just one of the trends revealed
in the latest State of the UK's Birds report - an annual publication
produced by a coalition of conservation organisations looking at the
fortunes of the UK's bird populations.

Information from the British Trust for Ornithology's Nest Record Scheme
(incorporated in the State of the UK's Birds report for the first time)
shows that birds like the chaffinch are, on average, laying their eggs about
a week earlier than they did in the mid 1960s. Information obtained for
other species, such as blue and great tits, robins and swallows, shows a
similar pattern.

The changes in laying dates recorded since the mid 1960s are believed to be
in response to increasing temperatures triggered by climate change. In 1966,
the average date for chaffinches laying their first egg was May 11, but by
2006 this date had moved forward to May 2. For robin, the average dates have
moved from April 28 to April 22, in 2006.

Dr David Leech, organiser of the BTO's Nest Record Scheme, said: "Every year
a network of 500 BTO volunteers monitor 30,000 nests, providing an enormous
wealth of information about the changes in nesting activities of many of our
birds. Over time, this body of information reveals a fascinating insight
into how wildlife is affected by environmental changes."

The report, which is produced by a partnership of organisations, also shows
that birds are impacted by climate change in other ways too.

Information from the British Trust for Ornithology shows that song thrushes
rear fewer young during dry summers [note]. Song thrushes feed their chicks
largely on earthworms which are much harder to find in drier ground. A graph
combining rainfall in England and Wales with song thrush nesting success
showed that the birds reared more young than any year since 2004 - another
wet summer. Drier summers are an anticipated feature of climate change in
the UK and the data indicates that this bird of conservation concern will
struggle in future.

Each winter the UK's food-rich estuaries are vital to the survival of
internationally-important numbers of wading birds that arrive from northerly
and easterly breeding grounds. Although the overall number of these birds
increased by about 50 per cent up to the late 1990s, numbers have since
started to decline. The declines have been particularly acute for several
key species, including purple sandpipers, ringed plovers and dunlins. These
waders have decreased by 59, 13 and 21 per cent respectively between 1979/90
and 2004/05 and this decline is largely thought to be fuelled by birds
wintering elsewhere in Europe where conditions are becoming more suitable.
The report confirms that the dunlin, which used to be the UK's most numerous
wading bird in winter, is now at its lowest level since records began.
Volunteers for the Wetland Bird Survey now count more knot than dunlin.
However, in colder than average winters, the UK's estuaries will remain
crucial for birds escaping harsher conditions in continental Europe.

This year's report also looks at the plight of the Balearic shearwater - the
only Critically Endangered bird to regularly visit the UK. A study reveals
that one in 10 of the world population of this dove-sized relative of the
albatross visits UK inshore waters. Breeding around Majorca and the other
Balearic islands, this bird migrates out of the Mediterranean to the
Atlantic during the autumn. Research has shown that the birds are having to
travel increasingly further north in search of food because of shifts in the
distribution of fish driven by climate change.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB's Conservation Director, said: "This year's report
shows that climate change is with us already and from our gardens to our
seas, birds are having to respond rapidly to climate change simply to
survive. As often before - birds are acting like the canaries in a mine
shaft and giving us early warning of dangerous change."

Dr Tom Tew, Chief Scientist for Natural England, said: "The consistent
declines in specialist bird species highlighted by this year's report
indicate that the variety and richness of our countryside is being lost.
This reflects the findings of Natural England's own State of the Natural
Environment report. This loss is affecting many plants and animals. We
urgently need to act to reverse the loss and fragmentation of important
habitats if our wildlife is to stand any chance of adapting to climate
change."

Richard Hearn, Waterbird Monitoring Programme Manager at the Wildfowl &
Wetlands Trust, said: "The rate of redistribution of some waterbirds has
been dramatic in recent years, but for some species we still know little
about the extent to which decreases in numbers in the UK are due to
redistribution to other parts of their range or real decreases in overall
numbers. It is vital that we learn more about the extent and consequences of
redistribution in order to ensure that these species are effectively
conserved".

Andy Douse, senior ornithologist with Scottish Natural Heritage, said: "This
report highlights continuing problems for Scottish seabirds, such as
guillemots, puffins and kittiwakes. There have been further declines in
breeding success in 2007, as shown by the new Scottish seabird indicator.

"We know that this is almost certainly due to lower food availability,
principally sandeels. We are also aware that changes in sandeel abundance
are probably linked to climate change in the seas around the Scottish
coastline. Sadly these changes in productivity are likely to mean fewer
breeding birds and therefore continued decline in some key species that are
so emblematic of Scotland's marine environment."

Matt Murphy, Ornithologist for the Countryside Council for Wales, said:
"This decrease of certain waders such as dunlin and ringed plover is also
reflected in the Welsh wintering populations. Both have declined in our
major estuaries such as the Severn and the Dee. Another effect of climate
change is thought to be the spread of little egrets north along the Welsh
coast over the last ten years.

"Climate change also seems to be affecting the pied flycatcher - an
archetypal bird of Welsh oak woodlands. They appear to be breeding earlier
across a number of sites and the worry is they may eventually breed so
early, they are out of sync with their major food source of caterpillars."

Professor Howard Platt, Chief Scientist with Northern Ireland Environment
Agency said: "We are concerned about the dramatic reduction in overall duck
numbers wintering on Lough Neagh - the UK's largest lake. We are funding
some research to see if certain species are 'short stopping' in Europe
because there are ice-free water bodies that would have been ice-bound
before climate change."

Posted by: Lucy Nixon, BTO  | August 16, 2008 12:08 AM

Andy Bate wrote...

3/4 Marsh Harriers Altcar Withins @7am on Sat, odd mipit, loads of Red Legged Partridge - gun fodder! 3 Hares and a farmer saying 'get orf my land!'

Posted by: Andy Bate  | August 16, 2008 10:19 AM

John Doig wrote...

Tawny Owl nested in chimney in Allerton!

Posted by: John Doig  | August 18, 2008 9:53 AM