Garden Birdwatch a great success

Since the last issue of our news sheet we have commenced a 'Garden Birdwatch Scheme'. Originally sponsored by the Isle of Man Bank, Mann 2000 and the Manx Heritage Foundation, the scheme is proving to be very popular. In the first recording period over the winter of 1999-2000 over 370 households took part. This number fell for the spring period though over 215 people are still providing valuable records of the birds that they see in their garden. Participants receive regular updates on the scheme and useful information about the birds that they see. Anybody wishing to take part is welcome to contact us at 33 Mines Road, Laxey. Tel 861130 If you took part in the winter scheme but have not contributed since you are still welcome to 're-join'. The information you provide is important in building a picture of the value of gardens, especially for our more common species, so please take part if you can.

Aron departs for pastures new

Aron Sapsford, familiar to many of you as a former Warden on the Calf of Man, is moving off the Island in the near future. Aron was instrumental in the establishment of our charity and has worked for us since we started our research in April 1998. He and his wife Karen have long wished to start their own business and, in December, they leave the Island to pursue their dream, and move closer to relatives to spend more time with the grandparents of their two young children, Lucie and David. I am sure all of you that know Aron will join with the staff and Directors of the charity in wishing him all the best for the future, with many thanks for all his efforts. Aron's last date at work was 31st July. We would be grateful if all correspondence previously addressed to Aron could be sent to Chris Sharpe instead.

Bill Oddie First Day covers

In the spring of 2000 the Isle of Man Post Office issued a set of four stamps depicting song birds of the Island. The issue, arranged in conjunction with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), includes their Panda logo as well as that of our Wren. We have a number of first day covers available for sale, signed by television presenter Bill Oddie. At a cost of only £10 each they make a very attractive present so order one today. Tel. 861130.

Thanks to all who took part in our House Martin survey

During this summer we set out to establish how many House Martin nests there were on the Island. Many of you took part in this survey, with many others responding to our request for help in the local press. A total of 1103 occupied nests were located, with an additional 113 nests where it was not known if they were being used this year. Thanks to your efforts a large number of previously unrecorded sites were counted as well as good counts in some of the known historic sites. A few House Martins still nest in cliff locations, their usual nesting sites before houses were built! 27 nests were found on the cliffs south of Port Soderick, during a coastal survey. Pride of place for nests though must go to a house in the south of the Island that had an incredible 77 nests. It was also noteworthy that a number of new estates are being used, including one or two houses where the Martins have moved in before the builders have moved out. From the success of this survey we hope to develop it further next year. There are likely to be some sites where the count was less than complete due to nests at the back of houses being missed. If you know of any sites it is not too late to let us know, the more information the better. The map below shows the location of nests reported so far.

Location of House Martin nests Summer 2000 (Additional records welcome)

Breeding Bird Survey

The Breeding Bird Survey has now passed the half way mark. In the period April to July we surveyed 138 1km squares, leaving 264 to be surveyed in the final two years of the survey. Thanks to the co-operation of landowners, particularly the farming community, we are able to undertake very detailed surveying across the whole Island, making our survey the most comprehensive and accurate ever undertaken in Europe. During 'Timed Counts' every species seen or heard is mapped to within 100m accuracy. Each observation is also given a breeding status, depending upon its activity. At the end of the process the analysis of our records will enable us to determine the breeding status, the relative abundance and the distribution of each species. During formal fieldwork observations of 'common' birds are as important as 'rarities', however it is always nice to be able to report on the occasional special bird. The season started well with Aron observing a male Goshawk flying over the valley in Laxey, on the first day of formal surveying, Whilst walking in the Pulrose area during mid-April Aron was fortunate to hear a Nightingale singing, only the 14th Manx record. In June, Mr & Mrs Goddard spotted a Great White Egret at Langness, the first ever record for the Island. This bird stayed in the area from the 18th until at least the 24th, having been joined by a Little Egret, first found by Chris Wormwell on the 19th of June. These two birds made a splendid site as they roosted on the rocks in the company of our resident Grey Herons. July, though relatively quiet for rarities, did produce good counts of Manx Shearwater moving past the Ayres beaches. The map below shows the location of squares surveyed during 1998 to 2000

Helping to care for your garden birds

Many of you provide food for your garden visitors. It is estimated that in the UK two-thirds of households now feed the birds in their gardens, providing important food supplements when natural food may be in short supply. A recent report appearing in the New Scientist magazine highlights the need for some basic hygiene steps to be taken if we are to avoid making these gardens visitors ill due to our kindness! It has been established that birds feeding on or under our bird tables and feeders are at risk from salmonella and E.coli as they ingest a mixture of food and droppings that accumulate in the area. Mr Chris Mead of the British Trust for Ornithology advises that we can cut the risk of disease by rotating the location of bird feeders every month or so. This will stop droppings building up underneath a bird table or feeder. We should also clean the feeders regularly with disinfectant and put the food in a variety of places around the area.

Concern over availability of Peanuts

Recently there has been concern expressed over the availability of Peanuts due to unusually high levels of Aflatoxin in most crops this year. Caused by climatic problems, the presence of this poison in the crops from all the major peanut producing areas has caused one of the UK's major suppliers to state that it is no longer able to provide safe peanuts. This does not mean that there are no 'safe' peanuts available in the market, however we would advise people to check with their suppliers to ensure that supplies come from a safe source. There is an industry standard set for the presence of Aflatoxin in nuts, currently 20 parts per billion. You may wish to consider changing from peanuts to a food type which is closer to the natural foods that birds find in the wild. These include black sunflowers, sunflower hearts and High Energy seed mixes. These food types are available at local outlets as well as from UK based outlets.

Winter Atlas on course

During the initial five year research phase is undertaking a comprehensive survey of our winter bird populations. So far we have completed two survey periods dividing the Island into Tetrads (2 x 2 km squares) and recording each bird that we observe. Hopefully, this winter we will complete that process. In the following winter we will be undertaking some very specific survey work in conjunction with the University of St Andrews. This programme of work is intended to provide some measure of actual population levels for a range of common species and will be the first time that such methods have been used for bird populations. Rather than publish the results of the winter atlas separately, as had originally been planned, we have taken the decision to produce one combined publication incorporating the results of both the summer and winter research. This will obviously ease the costs of production and will greatly assist comparison of species presence over the seasons.

John Armitage joins the team

Having taken the decision to continue our existence beyond the initial five-year research phase, we felt that there were benefits to be gained in increasing the skills that the Directors 'team' has at its disposal. We are delighted that Mr John Armitage has agreed to become a Director of the charity. John, until recently, was the North-west Regional co-ordinator for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Part of his remit was to liase with the Island's Government and our local conservation bodies, building up a wealth of experience about the Island and developing a healthy working relationship with those with whom he came into contact. Since retiring from the RSPB John has retained an interest in Manx birds and, although now living on Islay, has visited us several times to offer advice and guidance. John will work with our Project Manager, Chris Sharpe, to help in our forward planning, assist with fund-raising and increasing our profile beyond the Island, where there is already keen interest in the work we are undertaking. Those of us already involved in running the charity are particularly pleased to have secured such a wealth of experience and enthusiasm and look forward to the future opportunities that are already starting to present themselves.

Artwork by Alan Harris

Species Spotlight - The Wren

What better species to focus on than the Wren Troglodytes troglodytes, the subject of our logo which was designed by local artist Jenny Kissack. It is proving to be one of our commonest resident breeding birds and amongst the most widely distributed. During our survey work we are finding evidence of breeding in the uplands, amongst the heather and bracken as well as down by the coast. It was not unusual, during our seabird survey of 1999, to hear singing males along some of our steepest cliff coastline. Garden Birdwatch participants are providing very useful information on the Wren, with many people finding them in their gardens during the winter. Being a small bird they are susceptible to harsh weather and, after particularly cold winters, their numbers can decline markedly. Nest building takes place from early April through to late May, though later records are not unusual. The male bird builds the nest, including several 'cock's nests' from which the female will then choose a suitable one to line and lay her clutch of eggs. Incubation of the eggs is the task of the female. Most Wren will have a second brood in the year, often using one of the unused cock's nests from earlier in the season. This habit of building more than one nest often leads people to be concerned that 'their' Wrens have abandoned the nest. Recently fledged Wrens have a darker 'chocolate brown' plumage than the adults and, after just leaving the nest can demonstrate a distinctive yellow 'gape' around the bill.

Presence of Wren - using all data gathered from 1st April 1998 to 31st July 2000 (Please note there is a heavy bias in favour of data gathered during formal fieldwork, which has not yet been completed.)

- the future

Our charity was first formed to undertake a five-year programme of research to establish the distribution, breeding status and abundance of each bird species on the Island. To achieve that goal we are undertaking two formal surveys, one during the summer months and one in the winter. This work is progressing extremely well and we are on target to publish the results of that research in 2003, as planned. Having started our work in April 1998 we soon came to realise the potential that existed to be more than had first been planned. To a large extent this realisation was borne out of the high level of encouragement, support and commitment that we have received from members of the public and the Island's Government, as well as our many sponsors. Further afield, organisations such as the RSPB have demonstrated an interest in our methods as we are gathering data to a level of detail not previously undertaken elsewhere. In the short space of time since we were formed the charity has established a very credible reputation which is continuing to grow. Already we have started to embrace new commitments, each aimed at furthering knowledge about our Manx bird populations and thereby making effective effort to protect vulnerable species and enhance opportunities for a range of other species. For example we are undertaking regular monitoring at three sites on the Island to gather information on migration through the Island. A thorough understanding of migration is essential in our efforts to help Government fulfil the Island's obligations under a number of international conventions. In view of the support that we are receiving and recognising the potential for further work into the future, the Directors of the charity have recently taken the decision to continue the work of the charity after the results of the current research has been completed. Our ability to do that is very much dependent upon our ability to raise the necessary finance. As we progress with our work we will continue to develop, so that by the time our initial research is completed we will already be undertaking some of the work planned for the future. We hope that each of you who are currently supporting our efforts will feel able to continue that support into the future. Whilst we are sure that new opportunities and challenges will continue to present themselves, we have shown below some of the work that we intend to become involved in during the years to come. With your help and encouragement will continue to promote and encourage a greater level of understanding of Manx bird populations for many years to come.

Species Specific research - current work involves gathering information on all species on the Island. This data will identify species that warrant further detailed study because (eg) of their decline, habitat changes or they are of particular relevance in a Manx context contrasted to the UK. Bird Population monitoring - one element of our current work is to calculate population ranges for a number of our more common songbirds. It is intended that we will undertake annual monitoring of common bird numbers in order to identify any changes in populations. Within our proposed programme is an intention to study farmland bird populations, which are currently, and widely, subject to the most adverse changes, both here and the UK.

Seabird surveying - the Island has a diverse and rich seabird population, mainly located in a small number of colonies around our coast. Seabirds are vulnerable to a number of natural and man-made influences and, as such, their numbers can vary greatly over time. During 1999 we undertook a complete survey of the entire coastline. We intend to undertake further complete surveys and colony monitoring and give future emphasis to the distribution of offshore seabird numbers.

Consultancy and advice - increasingly we are being consulted by both Government and environmental assessment companies to determine what impact there may be on birdlife for a given development. We welcome this increased awareness of the need to consider the welfare of birds as the Island continues to develop and will continue to seek opportunities to have our voice heard.

Land management - our research is re-enforcing the knowledge that certain types of habitat are particularly important for birds and that some types of habitat are in short supply on the Island. A long term aim of the charity is to identify a suitable area of land to develop exclusively for the benefit of birds and which will allow detailed study of populations on site to be made.

Our Corporate Sponsors

It has been some time since we last produced a list of our 'Corporate Sponsors' and the list has grown somewhat in the meantime! We are therefore pleased to show below a full list of our current corporate sponsors. We regret that we do not have the space to show the names of those who have entered into the 300+ 'individual sponsorship' agreements, however the names of all those who support our efforts, in whatever way, will be reflected in the published results of our research.

A J Millichap Ltd
Bank of Bermuda Barclays PLC
Bennett Roy & Co
BNFL Cains Advocates
Canada Life International Ltd
Corlett Bolton & Co
Corlett Building Materials Ltd
Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry
Department of Transport Dickinson
Cruikshank & Co
Ellis Brown partnership
Enterprise PLC
ESRI (UK) ltd
Heron & Brearley Ltd
Hilton Hotel & Casino Ltd
IOM Assurance Group IOM Newspapers
Island Aggregates Ltd
Isle of Man Bank Maitland & Co
Malcolm Teare & Sons
MANN 2000
MANNGIS
Manx Airlines
Manx Chough Project
Manx Heritage Foundation
Manx National Heritage
Marsh (Isle of Man) Ltd
MATCO Food Services Ltd
Novadisc
Ordnance Survey
Pannell Kerr Forster
PDMS
Peregrine Holdings Ltd
Port Erin Gaslight & Aerated Waters Co Ltd
RSK Environment
Sefton Hotel
Simcocks
Strix Ltd
Stuart Smalley & Co
The Pet Stop
Tower Insurance Co Ltd
Trinity International
Tynwald Mills (IOM) Ltd
Wright & Co
Zurich Financial Services