Waterbird migration and climate change

This video from Canada says about itself:

Common Goldeneye – Bucephala clangula

These Common Goldeneye ducks are wintering in Lake Ontario. Around late March to early April they will begin returning to their northern breeding grounds across Canada and Alaska. Common Goldeneyes can also be found in northern Europe and Asia.

From Wildlife Extra:

Climate changes shift wintering ranges of waterbirds

Waterbirds moving north – More in Finland and Sweden

May 2013. Migratory waterbirds have shifted their wintering areas north-eastwards due to climate change in Europe, according to a group of scientists including Richard Hearn of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). Their new study found a strong link between changes in the numbers of goldeneyes, tufted ducks and goosanders wintering across northern Europe and changes in temperature in early winter.

Large rise in Finland and Sweden

In Finland and Sweden, the mid-winter numbers of these three species are more than 130,000 individuals higher than three decades ago. Correspondingly, on the southern edge of the distribution in France, Ireland and Switzerland, numbers have dropped by nearly 120,000 individuals. In several southern countries wintering numbers have halved.

Richard Hearn, WWT’s Head of Species Monitoring and a contributor to the study, said: “Our world is changing rapidly and conservation tools need to be flexible so they can respond to that challenge. This means more monitoring, to keep track of bird populations that are, in some cases, changing exponentially. It also means maintaining a coherent network of protected areas throughout Europe, and altering their management in response to the changing mix of wildlife that uses them.”

“Studies like this are critical to making governments aware of their shifting responsibilities and helping them plan for the future.”

Tufted ducks and goldeneyes in Finland

Aleksi Lehikoinen, Curator at the Finnish Museum of Natural History and lead author of the study, said: “In Finland, the change has been strongest in tufted ducks and goldeneyes, whose numbers have increased ten-fold. Waterbird numbers are connected with the early winter temperature, which in south Finland increased by about 3.8 degrees between 1980 and 2010.”

Hunting

This may have implications for their conservation, because birds are making less use of the protected areas that were designated to protect them. The shifts in the birds’ ranges may also affect the impact of hunting, as possibilities increase in the north and decrease them in the south, altering potential bag sizes.

The research is based on counts from the International Waterbird Census and the results have been published in Global Change Biology.

Related articles

• Breaking News: Migratory birds move wintering area (crosbyherald.co.uk)
• Climate shifts birds’ winter homes (bbc.co.uk)
• Managing freshwater wisely (sciencealert.com.au)
• Loss and Degradation of Natural Habitats Threaten Migratory Birds, Pushing Species towards Extinction – World Migratory Bird Day 2013 Highlights Importance of Ecological Networks for Migratory Birds – Need for a Greater International Response (appablog.wordpress.com)
• ‘Red List’ introduced to protect at risk ecosystems (abc.net.au)
• Picture of the Day: First Flight (twistedsifter.com)

Dutch fish ladder for sticklebacks

This video from Finland says about itself:

Three-spined stickleback and fry (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

July 19, 2010

The male stickleback guards something. I think there was a nest somewhere. Though he may protect his fry. Video was written at the Gulf of Finland in July.

Translated from Dutch wildlife ranger Erik van der Spek; his blog post on fish ladders. In the original, there is not just this photo, but a slide show:

Fish ladders for sticklebacks

Posted on February 12, 2013

For salmon and trout they existed already, fish ladders to pass dams. Threespine sticklebacks need ladders with much smaller steps. Almost 20 years ago, Forestry Texel thought about this. Through these fishways threespine sticklebacks can swim from the Wadden Sea into the Moksloot to lay their eggs in the fresh water of the Dunes of Texel. A marine threespine stickleback is twice as long and five times as heavy as a stickleback which has always lived in fresh water. Large fish lay more eggs, and are also better food for birds like spoonbills.

See also here.

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Common gulls, black-headed gulls, wood pigeons

After the birds on the balcony earlier today, now and then snow again.

On the roof opposite the balcony, jackdaws.

Sometimes, great tits.

A chaffinch in the tree.

One wood-pigeon on the balcony, the other one in the tree.

On the other side of the house quite some gulls on rooftops. Mainly black-headed gulls, but some common gulls as well.

This is a common gull video from Finland.

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• Grey-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus) (parrotletsuk.typepad.com)
• Nature Watch (goerie.com)
• Esther Woolfson’s urban nature diary (guardian.co.uk)
• Dismay as endangered gull chicks slaughtered (stuff.co.nz)
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Good Dutch woodpecker news

This video says about itself:

Nov 26, 2010

Dendrocopos medius, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Tammitikka, First record in Finland, Asikkala.

Translated from the Dutch SOVON ornithologists:

Middle spotted woodpecker increasing

Friday, December 21, 2012

The middle spotted woodpecker is still making serious headway in our country. In the east of the Netherlands this species has by now benefited for more than fifteen years from the expansion and aging of deciduous forests. In 2012 in Twente and Limburg together 303 territories were reported by counters of Sovon Vogelonderzoek Netherlands.

More woodpeckers

The middle spotted woodpecker has for a long time been on a steady rise. This started about fifteen years ago from the forests of South Limburg. The woodpeckers benefit from the aging of deciduous forests, particularly older oak trees are favourites. Changes in forest management, such as tolerance of dead or dying wood, are in favour of the woodpecker. In early spring in more and more places people can hear the plaintive cry of this species. The main strongholds are still Limburg and Twente, which in 2011 already had record numbers: 130 and 125 territories. Compared to last year, with 20 new territories Limburg grew to 150, while in Twente 28 new territories were noted. These numbers are promising for the rest of the Netherlands, of which not all data are known yet. In 2011, almost 360 territories were counted in the whole country.

Expansion

Also in neighbouring countries middle spotted woodpeckers are doing well. Undoubtedly, we have our expansion due to the expanding populations across our borders. Thus in Wallonia there already are over 4200 breeding pairs and just across the German border nesting goes well too. It seems only a matter of time before the appropriate forest areas in the center and north of the Netherlands will be conquered by the middle spotted woodpeckers.

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Capercaillies in Scotland, new research

This is a capercaillie video from Finland.

From Wildlife Extra:

Capercaillie thriving on two Scottish estates – Why just there?

Local capercaillie success encourages ‘Friends’ to find out more

November 2012. A group of capercaillie experts and enthusiasts have been visiting two Highland estates to find out why numbers of the rare species are increasing in the face of serious declines in other parts of Scotland.

The Friends of Capercaillie were invited to visit the Forestry Commission Scotland owned Inshriach Forest and the privately owned Glenfeshie Estate. Across Scotland – the only place in Britain where capercaillies are found – there are thought to be fewer than 1,300 of these magnificent turkey sized birds remaining. Nationally they appear to be declining still further in their former strongholds like Deeside, but the Speyside population is holding up well and even increasing on some sites, in spite of ‘challenging’ summer weather which affects productivity.

Lekkers

From only 9 lekking cocks counted in 2006, lek counts this year reported 33 cocks across Inshriach and at Glenmore, the Commission’s other forest in the area.

Graeme Prest, who manages Forestry Commission Scotland’s Inverness, Ross & Skye District, said: “Numbers in Inshriach have increased – and the increase is impressive considering the big declines over much of the rest of the range. Something appears to being working well here for Capercaillie – and we were keen to show the ‘Friends’ what we have been doing and the impact it appears to be having. Much of that success seems to come down to the fact that we are learning how to manage our multi-purpose forests Scots pine forests in ways that allow us to strike a balance between the needs of capercaillie and the demands of timber production and recreation.

New way of working

“It’s a fairly new way of working that demonstrates that with careful planning, capercaillie populations can thrive in forests that produce timber. It appears to have achieved some very positive results. There is still have work to do but we hope the Friends will get some ideas of what measures might be taken in other areas to try to help reverse the decline of caper populations.”

As well as learning more about the work of Forestry Commission Scotland in the area, the group were also given a unique insight into how privately run estates are making efforts to conserve the capercaillie.

Thomas MacDonell, Director of Conservation for WildLand Limited and Mr Anders Holch Povlsen, who manages and owns the Glenfeshie Estate, said: “It’s been a real pleasure to welcome the Friends of Capercaillie, and to share our capercaillie success story. We now have approximately 800ha of forest regeneration in Glenfeshie following extensive deer reduction a few years ago, and the response of the capercaillie and other species such as black grouse to this new mosaic of rich habitats is exciting.”

The Friends of Capercaillie – made up of conservationists, landowners and anyone with an interest in capercaillie – works with private landowners, Scottish Government and financial supporters, to reverse the decline of capercaillie, undertaking both conservation and advisory work. It is led by the Earl of Lindsay and it seeks to highlight the plight of the capercaillie and to focus attention on its survival requirements.

Inshriach is managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, which works closely with RSPB and Rothiemurcus Estates to manage land in ways that will improve the habitat for capercaillie.

If you are interested in helping this work and joining the ‘Friends of Capercaillie’ contact alison.connelly@rspb.org.uk for a joining form.

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• Attack of the drones to fight tree rot in Scotland (scotsman.com)
• UK forests ‘under unprecedented threat from disease’ (guardian.co.uk)
• Scottish seabird decline (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Tree disease at 11 Scottish sites (bbc.co.uk)
• Scottish News: Ash disease in seven Scotland sites (acadvertiser.co.uk)
• Letters: Learning lessons from the ashes (guardian.co.uk)
• Wales News: Wales’ first case of ash dieback disease confirmed in woodland (walesonline.co.uk)

Glow-worms in England

This video is called Glow worm(s) (Lampyris noctiluca) part 3. Southern Finland.

From Wildlife Extra:

Where to see Glow worms in the UK

Female glow-worms produce a soft light in their tails during early summer nights to attract males.

But the romance is a rushed one – adult beetles survive for just a few weeks and in that time they need to mate and lay eggs to ensure the survival of the next generation.

Once far more widespread than they are today, glow-worms have cast a spell over humans for centuries. Shakespeare mentions them in Hamlet and their soft glow on mid-summer nights must have seemed like a scene from a magical world.

Where & when to see glow worms in the UK

Glow worms are nature’s nightlights and are at their best in July. Some of the UK’s best spots to see them are:

Ilam Park in Derbyshire
Cotswold Water Park
Chambers Farm Wood Nature Reserve in Lincolnshire
Arnside Knott in Cumbria

Fireflies in the USA: here.

14 fun facts about fireflies: here.

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. (June 25, 2012) – The twinkling of fireflies heralds summer romance for these magical insects. While courting on-the-wing, male fireflies attract females’ attention with bioluminescent flashes: here.

Finnish Breeding Bird Atlas on the Internet

This video is about birds in Finland.

18 October 2011.

From the Finnish Breeding Bird Atlas site:

The Third Finnish Breeding Bird Atlas survey was conducted in 2006–2010. The first two atlases were carried out in 1974–79 and 1986–1989. The aim of the third atlas was to examine present distributions of birds and compare them with those published in the previous atlases. The atlas data can be utilized together with other long-term bird monitoring and other environmental data to investigate changes in biodiversity. Distribution data was collected from 10 x 10 km grids (KKJ Uniform Coordinate System).

The third atlas was conducted in close co-operation with researchers and research organizations, BirdLife Finland and its member associations and, most importantly, with thousands of volunteer bird-watchers.

Correct citation

This is the official English version of The Third Finnish Breeding Bird Atlas . The results have not been published in any printed format. This web page should be referred to as:

Valkama, Jari, Vepsäläinen, Ville & Lehikoinen, Aleksi 2011: The Third Finnish Breeding Bird Atlas. – Finnish Museum of Natural History and Ministry of Environment. (cited [DATE]) ISBN 978-952-10-7145-4

Stop killing Finnish eider ducks

This video is called Eider Ducks Diving Under The Arctic Sea Ice.

The population of common eider Somateria mollissima in the Baltic Sea has dramatically declined over the last decades. Nevertheless, the local government of Åland, an autonomous group of islands belonging to Finland, has re-opened spring hunting of common eiders. The BirdLife partners in Denmark, Sweden and Finland call for the EU to take action to protect this vulnerable population: here.

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Finnish waxwing in the Netherlands

This video from Finland is called Tilhi – Bombycilla garrulus – Bohemian Waxwing.

Yesterday, in the Dutch city of Zwolle, a dead waxwing was found.

The bird had been banded in Finland.

December 2010 proved to be a very sad month in Finland in terms of bird protection. The new Red List, indicating which species are threatened, showed that the number of threatened bird species in Finland had increased by almost 70%: here.

Vlieland waxwings in October 2012: here.

Waxwings in Japan; photos here.

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Great tits eating bats

From New Scientist:

Killer birds bite off bats’ heads

* 00:00 09 September 2009 by Sanjida O’Connell

It sounds like the avian equivalent of an Ozzy Osbourne legend. Great tits have been discovered killing and eating bats by pecking their heads open.

Although bats have been reported preying on songbirds before, this is the first time great tits have been observed to prey on bats.

Péter Estók of the Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, Germany, first saw a bat being captured by a tit in a Hungarian cave in 1996.

Ten years later, he and fellow bat ecologist Björn Siemers recorded 18 examples of pipistrelle bat predation by great tits, over the course of two winters in the same cave in the Bükk Mountains.

Bat hunting

The birds seek out bats as they wake from hibernation and usually eat them in the cave, though sometimes they carry them to a nearby tree.

“The birds don’t kill the bats before they start eating them,” says Siemers, “but the bats eventually die when the birds peck open their brain case.”

As the bats are still very cold, only a degree above ambient temperature, they are extremely slow and easy for the birds to subdue. Nevertheless, it is a considerable feat for the tits given that a pipistrelle weighs approximately 5 grams and a great tit only four times as much.

Sly birds

The scientists ran an experiment to supply the tits with food, and discovered that this reduced consumption.

“This shows that the birds are predating the bats for food in times of scarcity. It shows how inventive this species can be,” says Siemers.

Estók and Siemers also ran a playback experiment where they recorded and played the calls that the bats made as they woke from hibernation. The great tits were attracted to the calls.

“For a bat, these calls are very low frequency, a maximum of 15 kiloHertz, but at a high frequency for the tits, above scientifically established hearing levels for this species, yet they react to them,” says Siemers.

Who started it?

Gareth Jones, an expert on bat behaviour at the University of Bristol, says the finding is unexpected and novel. “I don’t know of any other studies of predation of hibernating bats by small birds. It’s a big jump for the tits, given that their normal prey are caterpillars.”

As the birds have been anecdotally observed to eat bats in this cave for a decade, Siemers speculates that this is an example of cultural transmission. There are also four anecdotal reports of bats being eaten by tits in Sweden and Poland.

Jones says, “Presumably this is learned behaviour, but it is much too strong an inference to suggest that it could be culturally transmitted from Poland to Hungary.”

See also here. And here.

Thanks to Ville Sinkkonen, I’ve just learnt of this Finnish news article: it reports wildlife photographer Lassi Kujala’s discovery of more than ten Common redpolls Carduelis flammea killed by Great tits Parus major. A Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella was killed as well: here.

Scientists find successful way to reduce bat deaths at wind turbines: here.

Biologists for the first time have documented a second breeding season during the annual cycle of five songbird species that spend summers in temperate North America and winters in tropical Central and South America: here.

March 2010. In the biggest ever analysis of songbirds and their predators, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, scientists look at the role of predators in the decline of species such as Bullfinch and Yellowhammer. Whilst a small number of associations may suggest significant negative effects between predator and prey species, for the majority of the songbird species examined there is no evidence that increases in common avian predators or Grey squirrels are associated with large-scale population declines: here.

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