As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Thursday 28 August 2014

Seabirds Facing Threats, says National Trust

Written by Betty Laseter on 28 Aug 2014


Seabirds around the UK coastline are being affected by a triple whammy of extreme weather, predators, like foxes, rats and non-native mink, and disturbance by human walkers and their dogs, said the National Trust.

The charity's experts fear that severe winter storms such as the ones witnessed in the Westcountry in the past 12 months and unseasonal heavy rain such as the deluge, which washed out the summer of 2012, will become more regular and strong as the climate is getting warmer.

Considering the future of Britain's marine birdlife, the national trust has published a report, which is echoed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). RSPB is concerned about the various species that are surviving around the South West peninsula.

One of the problems of seabirds includes predators like foxes, rats and non-native mink, according to the survey. The other common danger faced by breeding seabirds was disturbance by humans like walkers and their dogs.

Gwen Potter, a National Trust Ranger in Ceredigion, in west Wales, told the Today programme that population of birds such as terns and Atlantic puffins has been hit by recent storms and dogs.

No comments:

Post a Comment