Duck attacked with dart survives     (BBC 22/04/08)             
A duck hit in the head by a dart is the eighth bird to have been attacked in East Sussex in the last three weeks.
The East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (Wras) said the dart was able to be removed and the duck was fit to be taken back to Hampden Park.
A £1,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for the attack and recent gull shootings.
Spokesman Trevor Weeks said the "cruel incidents" had led to costly vet bills.
He added that the charity had also received reports of people trying to strangle swans at Princes Park, in Eastbourne, last weekend.
"We are asking people to be vigilant about this and to keep an eye open for anyone else who tries to injure or cause unnecessary suffering to our local wildlife," the Wras founder said.
The £1,000 reward is being jointly offered by Wras and International Animal Rescue.
Anyone with information about any attacks on birds is urged to contact Sussex Police.
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Crossbow Attacks
The RSPCA is appealing for witnesses after a goose became the second victim of a crossbow attacker.
The goose was rescued by RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Steve Smith from a lake at Watermead Country Park in Thurmaston, Leicester, on Thursday, 26 April.
A crossbow bolt had gone through its wing and chest and left it very lethargic. ACO Smith was easily able to catch the goose, but sadly it died shortly afterwards. The crossbow bolt was approximately 16cms and was the type fired from single-handed crossbow.
In the same area, RSPCA inspectors have made repeated efforts to catch a swan with a crossbow bolt through its beak. Despite several attempts at rescue using boats, the swan remains at large, as it is still mobile and able to fly away.
Visit the RSPCA website for the full story.

Kittiwake shot by crossbow bolt
An endangered kittiwake has had to be put down by vets after it was found on an East Sussex beach with a crossbow bolt through its body and wings.
An East Sussex Wildlife Rescue team found the shocked and injured seabird still alive on the beach at Newhaven.  A spokesman said the offender had left the bird to suffer.
The death of the bird comes as numbers of the species continue to grow at the nearby breeding colony in Seaford, which has about 800 active nests.
From the BBC News website
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Lifeline for ailing woodland birds
Mysterious declines of woodland birds are prompting conservationists to issue urgent advice on how to improve management of English woods and forests.

Numbers of more than 20 bird species associated with woodlands have plummeted in the last 10 years and scientists suspect that changes in woodland management may be amongst the causes.

The willow tit, down 67 per cent, the wood warbler, 52 per cent drop, the lesser spotted woodpecker down 75 per cent, and the 44 per cent fall in spotted flycatcher numbers are amongst the worst declines, despite an increase in the amount of native woodland since 1990.

The declines also show that birds with differing needs and lifestyles have been affected, highlighting the difficulty of identifying the causes.

'Numbers of more than 20 bird species associated with woodlands have plummeted in the last 10 years'A reduction in insect food, altered nesting dates due to climate change, and changes to migration and over-wintering sites in Africa are amongst suggested reasons for the declines requiring long-term action. The management of the woodlands themselves may also be an issue and in the short term, improving their management and condition will help.

Woodland Management for Birds
To improve management practices, the RSPB and Forestry Commission are today publishing the Woodland Management for Birds guide.

It is aimed at more than 300 woodland managers and advisors throughout England covering 617,000 acres (250,000 hectares) of land - an area almost the size of Derbyshire. It details the habitat requirements of woodland birds most in decline and gives practical advice on how to help them.

This publication is available to order using the contact details below. Woodland Management for Birds is priced at £14.95.

Nigel Symes, Land Management Advisor at the RSPB said: "We think one of the reasons the birds are suffering is because of the loss of good quality woodland and the waning of traditional woodland skills such as coppicing.

'Coppicing allows a variety of forest species to thrive and used to be central to many rural economies. Now it is an art practiced only in small pockets to produce a variety of products ranging from garden furniture to horse jumps, and charcoal for BBQs to Morris sticks.

'Where coppicing has been abandoned, tall, fast-growing trees dominate at the expense of smaller, more varied plantlife. These trees turn open, sunny glades into dark and gloomy thickets, blocking light from smaller plants and leaving the woodland floor too bare for birds and too cold for the insects on which birds feed. In addition, dead wood is often cleared too readily, leaving little cover for insects or holes for birds to nest in.'

The publication of the guide coincides with the introduction of the Forestry Commission's English Woodland Grant Scheme, which supports woodland management where it guarantees public and wildlife benefits.

Tudeley Woods
At Tudeley Woods, an RSPB reserve in Kent, traditional management skills are restoring habitats for declining woodland birds and other wildlife.

Almost 50 per cent of the 770-acre (308-hectare) site is coppiced ancient forest. Dead wood is left where it falls and glades and pathways have been created. As a result, the reserve now boasts almost 1,000 fungus species, 430 different plants, about 1,300 types of insect and 138 bird species, many of which are red listed in Britain because of the extent of their declines.

Martin Allison, Site Manager at Tudeley said: 'With the Hadlow Estate which owns Tudeley we have transformed the management of woodland and, immeasurably improved the fortunes of wildlife as a result. If other woodlands were managed in the same way, woodland wildlife could make a very significant come back.'

Source: RSPB Public Affairs
28 September 2005

The Group will be visiting Tudeley Woods on Saturday 13 May 2006
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Natural Habitat Management
Seven Konik ponies have been used at Minsmere since 2001 to keep the reedbeds and fen in top condition.  Koniks are direct descendants of the now extinct European horse the Tarpan, and are virtually self-sufficient, feeding on reeds, grass and weeds.  A further six horses were purchased in 2004, and these have now increased to seven with the unexpected birth of a foal.

Manx Loghtans, an ancient breed of sheep unchanged since the Iron Age and possessing 24 or more horns, have also been used at Minsmere, and are now being used at Sandy to nibble scrub and young trees and create the mix of heathland and grassland needed by nightjars and other scarce wildlife such as woodcock and natterjack toads.
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Longevity in Birds
It has been found by the British Trust for Ornithology that some birds live amazingly long lives, the oldest recorded bird being a Manx shearwater, which was first ringed in 1953, when it was at least five years old, and was still believed to be alive in 2003, aged 55 years.

An oystercatcher which hatched in 1966 and was ringed in 1967, was found dead in 2003, aged 37 years.  An arctic skua ringed in the nest at Fair Isle in 1977 was found breeding in Orkney in 2003, at the ripe old age of 26.  Other species recorded as living at least 25 years include whooper swan, grey plover and barnacle goose.

15 of the 20 record-breaking species are migratory, and this may be a factor, as they can move long distances to avoid problems in one area.  Size for size birds tend to live far longer than similar sized mammals.
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Recycling
The RSPB have entered into an agreement with Redeem (formerly Eurosource) which means that for every mobile phone or inkjet cartridge recycled the RSPB will receive a cash donation which will go towards vital conservation work. Amazingly there are an estimated 65 million redundant mobile phones in cupboards and drawers across the UK and many of these will end up in landfill sites where both they and inkjet cartridges leak toxic substance into the soil thus polluting the environment. To recycle yours (or your childrens’ or grandchildrens’) ring 08712 50 50 50 or log on to www.recyclingappeal.com/rspb and your freepost envelopes will be sent to you.
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RSPB Energy
RSPB Energy is a unique 'green' price plan from Scottish and Southern Energy and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.  It won't cost you any extra, in fact you could save money, and you'll help raise funds to protect the environment too.  Switching to RSPB Energy supports the growth of renewable energy - and, unlike other 'green' electricity schemes you won't pay a premium for helping the environment.

The following contributions are made to the RSPB when you switch to RSPB Energy:

• £10 when you switch your electricity supply
• £10 when you switch your gas supply
• an additional £5 per fuel for every year you remain on the scheme
• the electricity you use will be matched with generation from renewable sources, so you can make a real contribution to the environment

RSPB ENERGY now has 20,963 electricity and gas accounts equivalent to 14,418 households and since the scheme began in 1999 it has already spent £139,000 on nature reserves such as Rainham Marshes and Cliffe pools and a further £53,900 is already committed (April 2003).

RSPB Energy doesn't cost you more money - in fact, you will pay no more than you do with your local electricity supplier and you could save money on your gas bill.

To see if you could save money on your bills visit the savings calculator. Then all you need to do is apply online, or you can read more in the RSPB Energy brochure.
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Nesting habits of UK birds revealed
The blackbird is the species most commonly found nesting in gardens, according to the results of the RSPB's Nestwatch survey.

Nearly 6,000 people took part in the survey between 21 and 30 May, reporting whether they saw 18 species of bird commonly seen in gardens. This included birds such as the house sparrow, starling and song thrush.

Nestwatch participants sent in details of 15,364 nests. The species with the most frequently recorded nest was the blackbird in 66% of gardens, followed by blue tits and house sparrows in 44% and 43% of gardens, respectively.

The most popular nesting location were nestboxes, with 19.5% of all the nests. This was helped by the strong preference of blue and great tits for nesting in nestboxes (with 75% and 66% of all their nests in nestboxes, respectively). Hedges were also popular with a number of species, such as the song thrush and dunnock.

Richard Bashford, Nestwatch co-ordinator, said, 'The data collected by this survey will allow us to look at the factors influencing whether birds nest in gardens, and where they choose to nest. Birds require food, cover and nesting sites to survive and the more varied you can make your garden, the better it will be for birds.'

The results also show the preferences of different species, which often vary markedly between even closely related species. The four members of the thrush family included in the survey showed that the mistle thrush displayed a strong liking for deciduous trees, whereas both blackbirds and song thrushes were more frequently found nesting in hedges. The robin was the only one of the four to use nestboxes frequently, and to nest in outbuildings.

Participants were also invited to take part in Fledgling Count during June, by telling us how many adults and fledglings they saw of five species, blackbird, house sparrow, robin, song thrush and starling.

By asking participants to count adults and fledglings, we can work out the ratio between them - the number of fledglings per adult - which gives a measure of their breeding success.

Of the five Fledgling Count species, blackbird fledglings were the most frequently recorded, in 79% of gardens.

Interestingly, the results also show that both starlings and house sparrows had more fledglings per adults in the northern regions of the UK, suggesting that productivity may have been higher further north.

Richard added, 'Further analyses are needed to determine whether these initial results do indeed suggest better breeding success or whether other factors can explain this apparent difference.'
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