NORTHUMBERLAND’S OSPREYS RETURN:
Last year’s pair of Ospreys, who reared three juveniles at a site near Kielder Water, have safely navigated their return to the same breeding platform. This is the third breeding site for England, and first for Northumberland for 200 years. A remote camera is recording their activities to Kielder Castle Visitor Centre, which you can visit.

The news that the Cuckoo has been added to the red list of Birds of Conservation Concern was widely broadcast, but the British Trust for Ornithology are concerned about declines in many of our other African migrants. The Wood Warbler and Pied Flycatchers have undergone declines of 60% since 1994, Nightingales, Spotted Flycatchers and Garden Warblers also seem to be in trouble and even the Willow Warbler is close to being red-listed. This is an international problem clearly noticeable at a national level, and with worrying changes in distribution appearing in the 2007 -2011 Atlas maps, something is clearly causing a problem for our migrants.

To investigate the possible causes, the BTO has launched their ‘Out of Africa’ Appeal, to raise funds for projects to gather basic information, much of which is still unknown, such as when birds arrive in Africa, the habitats they use and how they move around within this vast continent. Even the key wintering grounds for several of our declining species remains a bit of a mystery and despite over 300,000 birds having been ringed, we still have no mid-winter recovery of a British or Irish bird.

Some of this information will be gathered through transect work in Africa, as part of a joint BTO/ RSPB collaboration, but the BTO will also be working with other European NGOs and with African BirdLife partners and local conservation groups. A number of smaller more species-specific projects will also be undertaken and closer to home, the data gathered via the BTO Nest Records and Ringing Schemes in the UK will be analysed.

Some of the questions we will be trying to answer are:

Is the decline in Spotted Flycatchers warning us of major changes in insect numbers?
Are female Cuckoos out of synch with their key host species?
Is it harder for Swifts to find suitable nesting sites?
Is agricultural intensification in countries south of the Sahara having an effect on Turtle Doves?
Where do Wood Warblers, our archetypal birds of oak woodland, spend the winter?

One of the species-specific projects will involve following Garden Warblers to Ghana, where a hot spot has been identified through a cluster of records of ringed birds, to look at their winter habitat use. Will this help us to explain why their numbers have dropped by nearly 20%?

Projects like these will help revolutionise our understanding of migration and, as part of a wider project with Birdlife partners in Europe and Africa, help to target effective, informed conservation action. If you would like more information on the Appeal, or would like to support it, please visit www.bto.org/appeals/appeals.htm or call Rachel on 01842 750050.

RED KITES

Two representatives of the North Northumberland Bird Club attended a celebratory event at Baltic Square, Gateshead Quays, last summer, where they helped to create the Giant Mosaic Kite which became a TV celebrity! This marked 5 years since release of Red Kites in the North East.

These magical birds were re-introduced to the North East in 2004. The release programme of 5 years came to an end this summer when it was reckoned they had established and were steadily spreading out from the core area around the release sites in the lower Derwent Valley. It is likely that they might occur anywhere between the Tweed and the Tees. Please keep an eye open and record and report any of the above to the Friends of Red Kites (FORK) {Contact details below}. Document: the location of the kites seen (with 6-figure grid reference); the behaviour of the kites; and, any additional comments, which you feel are relevant.

Please don't forget, that Red Kites are listed on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act, as amended and can only be disturbed under licence — please do not enter woodland over which kites are present.

Friends of Red Kites: 12, Sunnidale, Fellside Park, Whickham, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE16 5TT

email info@friendsofredkites.org.uk

Web site: http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk

Barn Owl box:

Best location is an ‘open’ agricultural type building.

Second best is to locate in a tree with a good open view out; not inside a wood as you would for tawny owls.

Don’t put boxes on poles in the middle of fields; they have lots of problems associated with them.

A height of not much more than 3m is best. A box can sit in a fork of a tree with one or two bearer beams of wood each side to make it level. Best wood for this is the stuff that has been dipped in preservative. The box itself should be painted on the outside with wildlife friendly water based preservative – but put nothing on the inside. Use exterior quality type plywood or similar if at all possible.

N.B. Don’t obscure the owls access hole. vegetation etc.

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Needs cleaning out in the late autumn and fresh wood shavings (pet bedding) added.

If there are not any natural roost sites close then a second box might be needed to encourage breeding – as the male often roosts separately (but close) to a breeding female.

Barn Owls like boxes a lot and they can adopt a box any time of year to roost; they actually nest April-May-June-July.

Barn Owls have special protection in law and you need someone with a Schedule one license to inspect (disturbance) in the breeding season.

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Tawny Owl box.

Place inside a wood, 2 or 3 metres up. Don’t look directly in a box if you think there might be an owl in it (they can fly at your eyes). Nesting April/May/early June).

Little Owl box.

Need an open site (like a Barn Owl tree but can be on the side of a building). Only 2m up. Nest May/June.

PHH 01665 574358

OWL BOX PLANS

BIRD ATLAS 2007-2011

Work is well underway on this B.T.O. monumental nationwide task, which involves volunteers covering visits to every part of the country/county to their chosen tetrad(s) (2kms square). Your local B.T.O. Northumberland Regional Network organisers, Tom and Muriel Cadwallander say “ Everyone can help, even if you are pushed for time or not able to carry out timed tetrad visits, by submitting ‘Roving Records’ of all the birds you see during the Atlas seasons. It’s very easy and it ensures that you make your birdwatching count.” You can contact then directly (01665-830884) or via www.birdatlas.net

The North Northumberland Bird Club have sponsored the Ring Ouzel in the BTO Atlas.

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