Category: Help a species: Bird

1. World Wetlands Day is 2 February

   Posted on 8:00pm Wednesday 1st Feb 2023

   Back in 1971 on 2 February, the Convention on Wetlands was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar which sits on the shores of the Caspian Sea Today, the 2nd February is a really important day for people and wildlife, because it’s a chance to highlight how important wetlands are to us all. They are where land meets sea.  The 2nd February is World Wetlands Day.   Join  #GenerationRestoration #ForWetlands Where are wetlands? Wetlands cover areas such as shores, estuaries, mudflats, floodplains, coastal marshes, local ponds, the bog and pond in your garden, mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, and rivers.  They cover a very small of the earth’s surface – and yet they are one of the most important habitats on our planet.  "If rainforests are the lungs of the planet, then wetlands are the lifeblood.  As much as we need air to breathe, we need water to live.   The conservation of our wetlands is essential to all life on earth.”  WWT Why wetlands matter to people: They provide us with drinking water They store a third of the world’s carbon emissions They buffer us from floods and droughts They are important for our health and wellbeing #WetlandsCan Please sign the pledge   ...and help the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust push for the creation of 100,000 hectares of healthy wetlands in the UK to help fight the wellbeing, climate and nature crises. Why do wetlands matter to wildlife? 40% of all plant and animal species live or breed here. They are vital breeding and feeding grounds for migratory birds – stopover points, if you like. Banc d’Arguin National Park (Mauritania) is one of the most important zones in the world for nesting birds and Palearctic migratory waders, Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I) (China).  These birds use wetlands such as our coastlines to stop, moult, rest, winter or nest.   Pantanal Conservation Area (Brazil) is one of the world's largest freshwater wetland ecosystems. Sundarbans National Park (India) is formed of tidal rivers, creeks and canals and supports species such as the single largest population of tiger, and aquatic mammals such as the Irrawaddy and Ganges River dolphins, all under threat. Mud, mud, glorious mud The power of mud....Preventing climate change Watch this video from WWT on You Tube  to find out what mud can do to combat climate change So what’s happening to wetlands in our changing world?  A recent global IPBES assessment identified wetlands as the most threatened ecosystem. This impacts 40% of the world’s plant and animal species that live or breed in wetlands. The official website of World Wetlands Day says "we need to revive and restore degraded wetlands".  35% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared in the last 50 years Our wetlands are threatened by: Pollution Climate change Dams Over-exploitation  So what can we all do to help wetland conservation?  WWT can create new wetlands in a few months and years – so your support can really make a difference quickly.  But there’s something we can all do to help and you’ll find more links and further resources further down.  Find out why they matter to people and wildlife. See what you can do at home to help wildlife.  Create a (mini) pond in your garden, local area or school - WWT or the RSPB can show you how Visit a wetland close to you if there is one, and spend time there.   Use your senses while you visit.  Listen to the sounds you can hear; look at the sights, smell the scents.  Connect with them. Find out which of your local conservation charities are working to protect and restore wetlands.  How can you get involved and support them?  Many of them will be working on projects which you may be able to get involved with. This could be by volunteering, donating, buying something from their online shop, becoming a member, spreading the word about them - there are lots of ways to help.  #WetlandBiodiversityMatters to see what’s happening Support an appeal for wetlands somewhere in the world - Sussex Wildlife Trust and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust both have appeals at the moment.  Further Resources World Wetland Network – a collection of NGOs and Civil Society Groups all working for wetland conservation Wetland Link International – a support network for wetland education centres which deliver engagement activities on site.  The WWT in the UK lead it; it has 350 members over 6 continents! RAMSAR –  The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.  World Wetlands Day – held every year on 2 February to raise awareness of the importance of wetlands and how we can all help WWT – the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in the UK.   Visit one of their 10 sites around the UK and/or visit their website to see how you can get involved. The Global Wetland Outlook – take a look, it’s fascinating reading

    

2. Calling all bird lovers! It's World Migratory Bird Day on 9 May 2020

   Posted on 9:00pm Wednesday 6th May 2020

   On the 9th May 2020 (and 10 October 2020), it’s World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD for short).  It’s a global campaign  and it’s dedicated to raising awareness of migratory birds and the need for countries around the world to co-operate in their efforts to save them. This year, the theme is “Birds Connect Our World”. It was picked to highlight how important it is to conserve and restore the ecological connectivity and integrity of ecosystems which support the natural cycles that are essential for migratory birds to survive and thrive. The day gives us all an opportunity to discover more about migratory birds and be in awe at their amazing feats. Migratory birds need networks with stops Migratory birds travel far.  They need to be able to stop to rest and feed and breed. If you like, you could liken it as a journey along a motorway system and every so often, they need to stop for a break to fill their tummies and have a break. Birds need networks of sites They need a network of sites along these routes to breed, to feed, to rest and spend the winter.  They need different sites and habitats, irrelevant of which country they are in. They can cross incredible distances and over impossible terrains such as deserts and open seas.  They cross national borders and soar above any national agenda.  What they do need is for countries to co-operate to ensure their routes are kept open and safe for them.    Examples of migratory birds’ routes The East Asian – Australasian Flyway goes from the Russian Far East and Alaska through East Asia and South-East Asia, down to Australia and New Zealand – 22 countries in all.  The Flyway is home to over 50 million migratory waterbirds from over 250 different populations.   They need a system of wetlands to rest, feed and build up the energy they need for the next part of their journey.  Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust has an example of swan’s migrating from Slimbridge up to their tundra breeding grounds in the Russian Arctic.  RSPB has information about the Arctic tern who travels a rather amazing 22,000 miles a year – the longest migration of all – as they move continually between the Arctic summer and the Antarctic summer.   Swifts breed throughout Europe as far north as Lapland and the Arctic Circle, reaching east across Asia to China. So you can see how important it is that countries work together to give these birds the flight paths they need, with all the facilities along the way. What can be done at a national/international level: Increase action globally via environment treaties such as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the Africa-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA).  These are vital to protect migratory birds on their international flight paths. Creating habitat corridors which are protected and which go across boundaries would really help animals who migrate and fly over national boundaries.  Networks of crucial sites which are imperative to migration needs must be safeguarded and managed properly.  Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas as described by BirdLife International give migratory birds all they need during their long flights - necessary feeding, breeding, nesting and sheltering grounds. What individuals like you & me can do: Have a bird-friendly garden with safe shelters and a bird bath.  Give them bird food. Put feeders out of reach of cats.    Spread the word about how important it is to protect migratory birds.  Download and use birding apps – it’s a great way to connect to like-minded bird lovers. Find out more about migratory birds.  There are resources on the WMBD website so fly off and nest and rest there a while and peck at all the information you can.  This day is held twice a year , on 9 May and 10 October so you could prepare an event or attend an October event. Visit BirdLife International and the WMBD’s site here

    

3. Please see this video from Gravitas - how nature is reclaiming its spaces due to the Coronavirus

   Posted on 2:00pm Friday 10th Apr 2020

   Sometimes you see something on the internet or on television that really hits you hard and makes a point extremely well. I saw this video, this afternoon, and I wanted to share it with you.  Please share it with everyone you can. The ultimate message is that we SHARE this planet.  It demonstrates how dominant the human race has become - and how selfish.   I am not going to tell you anymore about it - please just watch it for yourself.   Here it is: Thank you, Gravitas. Please vow to make a difference today.  Find out how to reduce your impact on the earth's resources here.

4. Please help puffins in Iceland - they need your voice

   Posted on 8:00pm Sunday 11th Aug 2019

   Here we go again.  More trophy hunters after the thrill of the kill. This time, it’s gorgeous, adorable puffins.  Companies in Iceland (the country, not the supermarket) are offering guided puffin hunts.  A hunter can pay $3,650 each for a chance to bag up to 100 puffins at a time.  How on earth can you want to do that? The IUCN’s Red List lists puffins as “vulnerable”.  And that means that if things don’t change for the better, they could go extinct. Over the last 10 years, Iceland’s Atlantic puffin population has fallen by 1.5 million.  And Iceland allows hunters to kill thousands of puffins every year.  Many end up on plates in local restaurants, served to curious tourists.  And by the way, companies in Iceland also give people the chance to hunt reindeer, goose, and Ptarmigan. Millions of people want to get a closer look at puffins every year, from the island of Alderney to Norway, the Faroe Islands, the USA and Canada.  Many of these places have puffin viewing tours, which give people the chance to see puffins alive and close up. So why can’t Iceland stop the hunt to kill puffin tours and put more emphasis on having hunt to see, enjoy and love tours instead? Please sign this petition.  Tell Iceland's president Jóhannesson to protect their puffins, not kill them. And by the way, Theresa Villiers, Britain’s new environment secretary, is being urged to ban puffins which have been killed in trophy hunts. And also to push CITES to list seabirds for global protection.  RSPB Spotlight Puffins £9.99 from the RSPB Online Shop

5. There’s good news in Northumberland, thanks to nature lovers.

   Posted on 5:00pm Monday 15th Jul 2019

   There’s good news in Northumberland, thanks to nature lovers. Nature lovers there have got together to help buy and protect a tract of land there.  It’s a 600 acre site called Benshaw Moor in Redesdale, with heather habitat, peatland and limestone waterfall and springs. Birdlife at Benshaw include curlew, snipe, skylark, meadow pipit and short-eared owls. It’s now Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s 63rd nature reserve. ©Duncan Hutt Thanks to a united effort, 600 acres at Benshaw Moor in Northumberland is safe. The Trust was concerned that the land be used for business such as a commercial conifer forestry, or windfarm.  Shooting will not be allowed there any longer. £570,000 was raised from charitable trusts, businesses and a significant bequest.   The public donated £75,000.  The bequest came from the late George Swan, who wrote the Flora of Northumberland which was a record of the county’s plant species.  Mr Swan specified that the bequest be used to buy a site of botanical importance. Nature lovers will still be involved:   the wildlife charity’s team and volunteers will do surveys to better understand the site to help guide its future management.  Possible options include areas of native woodland, and conservation grazing, with Exmoor ponies or cattle. It just shows what can happen if we all get involved and unite for wildlife.   Find out how you can get involved in and help the Northumberland Wildlife Trust – even if you don’t live in this beautiful area! Get involved  - volunteer, visit nature reserves, go to events etc Support the Northumberland Wildlife Trust – donate, become a member, leave a legacy. There are 46 Wildlife Trusts around the UK and in Alderney and the Isle of Man – find your local here