The previous record set by a bird of this species was 603 miles, traveling from Marloes, Pembrokeshire to Irun in Spain. The last ringed kingfisher found to have traveled from Europe to the UK, traveled 509 miles from Aken, Germany, in October 2008. While it still needs to be confirmed where exactly the kingfisher was ringed in order to establish the correct distance, Poland is further east than any of the other destinations recorded, making it a record-breaking flight irrespective of where in Poland the bird originated. While kingfishers routinely breed in Poland, a small number are known to migrate to the United Kingdom in autumn, presumably to escape areas that face long periods of freezing conditions.

While acknowledging that bird ringing is not a perfect science, the National Trust warden for Orford Ness, Duncan Kent, pointed out that over a period of time huge amounts of information are collected, providing insight into how long birds live, how far they travel and other valuable data for research purposes. Orford Ness site manager for the National Trust, Grant Lohoar, noted that the capture of the ringed kingfisher highlights the importance of this practice as a tool for conservation, as it allows researchers to identify individual birds.

Research carried out at Orford Ness is considered to be of utmost importance as, with its reed beds, marshes and lagoons, the area serves as a critical stopover site for migrating birds. Landguard Bird Observatory volunteer, Mike Marsh noted that if the kingfisher is indeed confirmed to be from Poland it will be one of the longest migrations for this species recorded in the database for bird ringing. The British Trust for Ornithology will follow up with Polish authorities to determine the point of origin of the record-breaking kingfisher.

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Once all the data was received, it showed that there was an increase in the breeding of robins, and that there was a ten percent increase in song thrushes in gardens across the United Kingdom. The organizer of the RSPB Make Your Nature Count, Richard Bashford, commented that it was very exciting to see the increase of song thrushes, blackbirds and robins, as it means that weather conditions were ideal during the breeding season. Since 2010, blackbirds had increased by fifteen percent. Bashford said that even though the numbers of the song thrushes had increased, it is important to remember that they did go through a period of decline and are slowly beginning to recover and have a far way to go before their numbers are satisfying, even though there are not any guarantees that the same favorable outcome will appear next year. House sparrows also seemed to increase by approximately twenty percent, but are still to be watched carefully. Thirty percent increases were recorded for chaffinches and blue tits.

The survey was performed in rural areas, urban and suburban areas and it was also the first time the public participants were asked to be on the lookout for grass snakes and bats. Almost one in fifty of the participating members reported grass snakes and they are more likely to be found in rural areas. Thirty-three percent of the participants also reported bats. As an added request they were also asked to take note of toads and frogs, as there had been a decline in their numbers over the last two years. The wildlife in any garden impacts the environment, and through the voluntary services of the public the RSPB is able to conduct their surveys and compile their reports to keep constant records on the various species.

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During a very severe winter experienced in the United Kingdom in 2009, a significant decrease in small bird sightings was noticed. The new information received proved that the numbers were on the rise again. During the campaign, more than ten million birds were counted and recorded by the public, and it showed that the number of small birds in the United Kingdom had doubled, with sightings of goldcrests, blue tits, greenfinches, wrens, pheasants, jays, kestrels, lapwings, robins and even waxwings, which migrate to the United Kingdom from Scandinavia. It was the most successful count of waxwings in over thirty years. The research also showed that house sparrows were the most highly sighted birds in the gardens of the United Kingdom.

Sarah Kelly, the co-ordinator of the Big Garden Birdwarch, commented: “We were really interested to see how the small birds fared after such a disastrous last year.” She went on to say, “It appears that many may have had a decent breeding season and have been able to bounce back a little.”

The real excitement, however, was with the wonderful sightings of the waxwings. Even Mark Eaton, scientist for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, commented on them saying, “We knew this was going to be a bumper year for waxwings as we’d had so many reports from all over the UK. But the Big Garden Birdwatch is the first indicator of exactly how many were seen in gardens, and we’re pleased that so many people got to enjoy sightings of these beautiful birds.”

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The British Bird Fair will be held from 20 – 22 August 2010, and those interested in attending, can visit the fair website at http://www.birdfair.org.uk/ for more information.

Date: 20 – 22 August 2010
Venue: Eagleton Nature Reserve
City: Rutland
Country: United Kingdom

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For more information on your nearest venue location and the Feed the Birds Day 2009 initiative, kindly visit the Royal Society of the Protections of Birds website at http://www.rspb.org.uk/feedthebirds/index.asp or contact them on 01767 680 551 (office hours).

Date: 24 – 25 October 2009
Venue: Various
City: Various
Country: United Kingdom

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So for birding fun, seeing rare birds, supporting conservation and buying great accessories such as sculptures, bird toys, binoculars and booking your next eco-holiday, get down to the British Birdwatching Fair. For more information, visit the bird fair website at www.birdfair.org.uk .

Date: 21 – 23 August 2009
Venue: Egleton Nature Reserve
City: Oakham, Rutland
Country: United Kingdom

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In the winter months the Manx Shearwater migrates to the coastal areas of South America, and during the breeding season they are found in the United Kingdom, specifically on the island of Lundy. Most of the world’s Manx population migrates to Lundy to breed, and the conservation of these birds is top priority. The conservation has reached a point of urgency, as the 1000 breeding pairs that were recorded in 2001 have declined to 166. This dramatic fall in numbers is a major concern, and the island is currently working on managing the rat population, as they are responsible for many of the eggs being destroyed. The birds start arriving at night during the months of February and March. Burrows and rock crevices on top of the slopes are used for nests. The female Manx Shearwater lays only one egg that is black and orange in color. Both the male and female are responsible for the incubation of the eggs that lasts approximately 52 to 54 days. The chicks are ready to fledge the nest in September, but remain very near to the breeding colony until October.

The Calf of Man, a small island just off Isle of Man, has seen an increase in the number of breeding pairs after the removal of many of the rats that were accidentally introduced to the island by a shipwreck. The oldest Manx Shearwater that has been recorded was aged 55. After being tagged at the age of five in 1953, the bird was trapped again in 2003, alive and well. An ongoing Manx Shearwater conservation project on the Isle of Rum ensures that baby birds get a fighting chance to make it to adulthood.

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It seems to be a glaringly obvious concern – will the installation of additional wind farms in lowland agricultural areas in the UK cause birds to abandon the area? They are, after all, very noisy, large and full of movement. New research suggests that the answer to this all-important question is no.

A new scheme to put up additional wind turbines in agricultural areas to meet renewable energy targets seems to be safe. The Journal of Applied Ecology set about studying the impact that existing turbines had on wind farms in the Fens and discovered that approximately 3 000 birds from as many as 33 different species were living quite comfortably within 750 meters of the turbines at both of the farms under observation. Despite concerns that the 100-meter high turbines might disturb birds due to noise and the possibility of collision, it seems that the birds have adjusted to these turbines without so much as batting an eye-lid. They certainly seemed to have no impact on the distribution of a variety of birds, including skylarks, game birds, crows and seed-eaters. Pretty much the only birds that seemed to have been disturbed by the environmentally-friendly power source were common pheasants, which are not very manoeuvrable. In addition to this discovery, it was found that five red-listed species were living comfortably around the turbines, namely the tree sparrow, the corn bunting, the yellowhammer, the skylark and the common reed bunting.

According to Dr Mark Whittingham of Newcastle University, previous studies of this sort had focused mainly on geese, waders and birds of prey – species which are mainly found in coastal and upland areas. The new research shows that the wind tunnels are unlikely to have a very detrimental effect on farmland birds. This is good news for researchers since it likely means that the UK can not only meet renewable energy targets, but that schemes to boost the wildlife on farmlands in the area will not be at risk. While the research did not consider all the variables, it does seem that for the most part, the turbines just don’t really affect small farmland birds. In fact, they pose much more of a threat to bats, which often haemorrhage when they are exposed to the drop in pressure near the blades. This hopefully wont pose too much of a problem if wind farms are positioned in areas that are not too near to places with high concentrations of bats.

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Considered to be on the brink of extinction in Britain just over a decade ago, the bittern has made a remarkable come-back, with the species enjoying its best recorded nesting season in the past 130 years. The loud “booming” mating call of the bittern assisted conservationists in tracking the birds, resulting in a count of 75 males, an astonishing 47 percent increase on last year’s numbers and nearly seven times as many as the 11 which were counted in 1997.

This is, of course, excellent news for conservationists and bird lovers who are making efforts to counteract the negative impact of climate changes, habitat loss and other factors threatening bird-life on our planet. The figures that were released by the RSPB and Natural England are evidence of the success of conservation work that has focused on restoring the bittern’s freshwater reedbed habitat. Much of the bittern’s traditional nesting spots have been concentrated in the coastal areas of East Anglia, however these are being threatened by the slow, but steady, rise in sea levels prompting conservationists to establish inland wetland sites as an alternative habitat for these shy wading birds. The bitterns have responded to the efforts being made on their behalf by widening out their range to incorporate ten English counties, including a newly-created site in Somerset, compared to last year’s eight nesting locations and only four in 1997.

Bitterns feed on insects, fish, reptiles and amphibians that are found in the marshy areas they favor as breeding grounds. It is believed that the habitat conservation efforts, coupled with the wet weather which created excellent feeding conditions, have resulted in the females being in good breeding condition.

In the late 19th century bitterns had disappeared from the U.K. as a result of the wetlands being drained, but they re-colonized in 1911 and were found breeding in the Norfolk Broads. Currently, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge-shire are home to around three-quarters of the bittern population in the U.K. RSPB conservation director, Dr. Mark Avery acknowledges that the bittern has had a rather “ill-fated history” in the U.K. with the 19th century extinction, as well as the near extinction in the late 1990s. The efforts being made by the RSPB and associated conservationists in a bid to ensure that this bird never faces extinction again, has benefited a wide range of other wildlife too.

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Terms such as global warming, carbon footprint and climate change are becoming part of every day vocabulary as people become more aware of the far reaching consequences of mankind’s abuse of the planet. Researchers at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Durham University and Cambridge University have been monitoring the effect of climate change on bird populations in the United Kingdom and have reached some disturbing conclusions.

Researchers have found that birds which favor warmer climates, such as the Cirl Bunting, Cetti’s Warbler and Dartford Warbler, are becoming more common across quite a varied range of habitats in Britain as temperatures rise. Although birding enthusiasts in these areas may welcome their new visitors, it is an indication that climate change is affecting birdlife, and not necessarily for the good. In the case of some northern species, this climate change is having a decidedly negative effect which can be seen in the falling numbers of species such as Fieldfare and Redwing, as well as the Slavonian Grebe, a bird whose range traditionally extended its southern margins as far as Scotland.

Researchers examined population trends of 42 bird species in relation to climate changes over a period of twenty-five years and their findings confirmed what they had suspected – the changes in climate over the past twenty years has had a profound effect on birdlife. Professor Brian Huntley from Durham University’s Institute of Ecosystem Science says that, taking into account that the U.K. is in the middle latitudes of Europe, researchers involved in this project expected that the ongoing climatic warming would favor bird species from the south of Europe, while adversely affecting northern bird species and the results of the research confirmed this. Professor Huntley has used the results of the research to assist him in compiling “A Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds”, which points to potential changes in distribution of Europe’s regularly occurring nesting birds and confirms that urgent action needs to be taken to minimize climatic change in order to avoid catastrophic impacts on birds.

With a lot of attention being focused on governments to resolve these environment-altering issues, hopefully something will be done before it is too late for many of the little feathered creatures that share our planet.

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