Let's get this on the record, I think the Angling Trust does a great job and I’m happy we work so closely with them on so many watery issues through the Blueprint for Water. But like most friends they do seem to have peculiar peccadilloes, and in the Angling Trust’s case its their single minded pursuit of the cormorant where we might fall out.

Of course, this bird eats fish.  In fact, like some other species of bird – kingfishers and ospreys, to name but two – this bird likes eating fish so much, it eats them pretty much to the exclusion of all else.  It won’t surprise you, then, to learn (if you didn’t know already) that, like the kingfisher and osprey, this bird is extremely good at fishing.  

Unfortunately, unlike that of the kingfisher and osprey, the fishing prowess of this particular bird – the cormorant – is not universally admired.  To a cormorant, an angling lake stocked full of fish is much like a bird table to a blue tit – a feast to be harvested.  Understandably this can make the cormorant an unwelcome visitor to such fisheries, where income is reliant on the availability of catchable fish. 

1,779 cormorants were particularly unwelcome in England in 2010.   That’s how many were shot under licence that year to prevent serious damage to fisheries and inland waters.  Does that number surprise you?  Did you know that cormorants can be shot, legally, to protect the interests of fisheries?

They can.  Acknowledging that these otherwise protected birds can, in some circumstances, cause serious damage to some fisheries, both European and domestic law permit the killing of cormorants provided certain conditions are met.  To my mind, these conditions are perfectly reasonable – there must be a genuine problem to resolve, there must be no other satisfactory solution (to killing) available, killing must present an effective solution, and killing must not have an adverse effect on the conservation status of the species in question.  In short, killing is an action of last resort, the justification of which can only be determined on a case-by-case basis.     

In England, when it comes to cormorants, these principles of wildlife licensing are not applied as rigorously as we would like.  In 2004, the evidence requirements were relaxed to such an extent that fishery managers need only demonstrate the presence of cormorants at a fishery to qualify as (potentially) suffering serious damage due to cormorants.  This is a markedly different – i.e. decidedly more lenient – licensing approach to that adopted for other bird species in England (and the rest of the UK).

Isn’t it extraordinary, then, that there are calls to make it even easier to kill cormorants?  This species has always been present inland in Britain – the increase in the inland population has in fact occurred over many years, reflecting a recovery from the effects of historical persecution (and, quite probably, the increase in attractive feeding sites stocked with fish!)  As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog, a review is underway in England of the licensing regime for fish-eating birds, including cormorants.  We hope that in deciding the future of this native species, Defra takes heed of its own research, which found no case for large-scale control of this bird.  Furthermore, it found that non-lethal approaches to reducing predation by cormorants, such as fish refuges, exist and are effective.  When such sustainable, non-contentious measures are available, why should anyone reach for the gun?

While we will continue to defend the right and proper protection offered to the cormorant I hope we can continue to work with the Angling Trust on the things that really matter to rivers and fisheries like unsustainable abstraction drought and pollution.

What do you think?

It would be great to hear your views.

I only have myself to blame.  Six weeks ago I was complaining that we hadn't had a proper winter.  I think that you need to earn spring.  Well, having spent another day shivering between offices yesterday, I was pleased to hear it will be short-sleeved weather this weekend.  From -9 to +17 degrees Centigrade in a fortnight - classic British weather.

But while the weather fluctuates, patterns emerge and some of these can pose dramatic consequences for wildlife.

The environment secretary, Caroline Spelman, held a crisis meeting yesterday with companies, wildlife groups and other river users after the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology (CEH) stated that the average rainfall so far this winter has been the lowest since 1972.

We asked some of our reserve managers what this has meant for wildlife.  Here's what Charlie Kitchin, RSPB Site Manager for the Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire said:

“The breeding season of  2011 was not good at all for this nature reserve. Winter flooding is essential to attract the large numbers of wild swans and other wildfowl that the washes are renowned for and this winter has been the quietest for many years, for example our wigeon numbers are down from 20,000 to 3,000.   A winter flood is good because it leaves pools and a high ground water table for the spring, so we are very concerned that 2012 could be another disastrous nesting season.  This area is known for large numbers of birds that congregate here, creating fantastic wildlife spectacles. If we see another dry Spring, then it will almost certainly have damaging consequences for the populations of birds here.”

And Rob Coleman, the site manager at RSPB Titchwell on the Norfolk coast noted:

“Our natural springs at Titchwell have really slowed down, almost totally dried up and this is a worrying time for us.  At the moment, the water levels are good, we are adapting to the conditions and have a record number of wintering bitterns on the site. However, if these conditions continue, we will have to manage the habitat in a very different way to make up for the lack of water. This will put our iconic wildlife in a very vulnerable position.”

We’re obviously pleased to see the Government taking the drought situation so seriously. But, the system we have for allocating water, ensuring it’s not wasted and protecting the environment is nearly 50 years old and creaking at the seams.   The Government’s recent Water White Paper has some excellent proposals for reform but their timescale suggests they won’t be in place until mid 2020’s when the pressure is being felt now.

Our view is that the Government should take the opportunity to signal a move towards universal domestic metering, the only approach to charging that lets customers understand and take responsibility for their water use and save money by reducing waste.

How dry is it where you are? And have you noticed any local impacts on wildlife? What else do you think that the Government should be doing to deal with drought?

It would be great to hear your views.

I have a reputation, undeserved I would say, for leading my in-laws on unproductive wildlife forays.  One such occasion involved my failure to find the promised red squirrels in monsoon conditions in Northumberland.  The fruitless search became famiy legend in a song, the chorus of which begins 'Where do squirrels go in the pouring rain?'

This weekend, to top off a great half-term break, we celebrated my father-in-law's seventieth birthday.  We were staying in Shap Wells Hotel in the Lake District to revive memories of philosophy weekends that he led during the 1970s and 1980s to which he took all his family. 

The birthday weekend was a success.  Whilst my my wife's family were able to reminisce, the kids and I explored the neighbouring woods, stream and moor.  And on our doorstep we were 'guaranteed' red squirrels.

The weather on the first two days was mixed so we were forced into hasty retreat by rain, wind or sleet.  No red squirrels to be seen.

But yesterday morning, the sun shone and sure enough, they came out to play.  Nine of them. The boy even managed to take a photo of one scrambling up a tree.  This was not exactly the most taxing of safaris, but the reward was great. 

While I have yet to find out where squirrels go in the pouring rain, I did decide to remind myself of the conservation challenges faced by one our most loved mammals. 

This, rather gloomy assessment comes from last year's state of Britain's mammals report from the People's Trust for Endangered Species...

"Red squirrels were historically widespread throughout Britain, but have suffered a dramatic decline of more than 50% over the last 50 years while expanding throughout Scotland. They were designated a UK BAP Priority Species in 1997. The main threat is the invasive grey squirrel, introduced to the UK in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Grey squirrels are able to digest acorns more successfully than red squirrels and out-compete reds for forage in woods where oak trees constitute more than 14% of the canopy.  Additionally, greys are carriers of the squirrel poxvirus (SQPV), transmitted through direct contact  and environmental  contamination, which is lethal to reds.

Developing best practice survey and monitoring continues to be an important conservation action and a recent study showed that baited counts, compared with standard visual counts, increased detectability of squirrels. Extended durations of baiting could attract non-residents, so baited surveys should not be too long and also should be diffuse to avoid promoting disease transmission between squirrels.

Unlike SQPV, adenovirus is a naturally occurring enteric disease in red squirrels, albeit so far occurring at low levels, but localised outbreaks could be detrimental to fragile populations. The disease has so far been recorded in Merseyside, Anglesey, Cumbria, Northumberland and Scotland.

Nowadays, Scotland contains more than 75% of the UK red squirrel population, although greys are absent from only parts of the red’s Scottish range – primarily in the Highlands  (a grey squirrel was caught in Inverness in 2007 and, in 2010, one was killed on Skye). Probably reds will survive only in conifer patches in Scotland and a few other areas free of greys. A priority woodlands analysis in 2005, co-funded by PTES and others, aimed ato identify the major Scottish woodlands that may support red squirrel populations. Next came the Scottish Red Squirrel Action Plan  and then the development of red squirrel strongholds by the Forestry Commision and SNH. In 2009 a total of 18 stronghold sites, plus the Isle of Arran, were identified as foci of red squirrel conservation. Elsewhere in the UK hope rests with islands (the Angelsey Red Squirrel Project and the Wight Squirrel Project). The first case of SQPV in Scotland was discovered in 2005 – so, in the continued absence of a vaccine, the omens for the red squirrel in the UK are bleak."

We're doing our bit for red squirrel conservation, particulalry as many of our Scottish reserves (for example at Abernethy) hold good populations of red squirrels.  But, the PTES report is a timely reminder that, as with so many other threatened species in the UK, we all need to step up and do more if we want to reverse the declines.

If you have been away for the half-term, I hope you had a good break and bumped into some great wildlife.  And if you've been working, well I hope the guest blogs from my international research colleagues brought you some escapism.

I am away this week, so I am taking the opportunity to invite colleagues to tell you about some of our International Research.  In today's guest blog, Steffen Oppel goes cat tracking to solve the mystery of disappearing shearwater chicks.

I just returned from a tiny speck of land in the North Atlantic - the island of Corvo, which belongs to the Azores archipelago.  It is roughly half-way between Europe and North America, a single volcanic cone rising to 750m above sea level.  The island used to be a seabird haven - millions of shearwaters and storm petrels nested on the 600m cliffs, enjoying safety from land mammals and the rich food sources of the cold temperate waters surrounding the island.  Then, about 500 years ago, Portuguese sailors discovered the island, and today it's a shadow of its former self.

Corvo (Steffen Oppel)

Like many other islands around the world, most of the original vegetation on Corvo has been replaced by invasive species.  Mammals were introduced, and wreaked havoc.  Goats and sheep stripped the island of native vegetation, and rats and cats ate seabirds and their young.  Some seabird species may have completely disappeared, but others still breed in reasonable numbers, so there is hope that the island can become a seabird haven again if threats can be identified and eliminated.

 The local BirdLife partner SPEA has been working with the 400 inhabitants on Corvo to restore the island to former glory.  The first task was to find out what challenges the seabirds that are still breeding on Corvo face.  Together with a PhD student, Sandra Hervias, we analysed 3 years of nest monitoring data of Cory's shearwater - the largest species of seabird nesting on Corvo.  The results were very clear - as soon as the chicks hatch in early July, the shearwater colonies are raided by cats. Only about 40% of chicks survive, the vast majority killed by cats and, to a lesser extent, rats.  Removing cats and rats from the island would be the best thing to do - but of course people love their pet cats, and removing all cats from the island would be deeply unpopular.

Is this the culprit? (Steffen Oppel)

We then used small GPS loggers to find out where the cats from the village go at night - there is only one village on Corvo!  These nifty little tools can be attached to a cat collar because they weigh only 20g and won't bother the cat.  The position is then recorded every 10 minutes for over a week, so we know exactly where the little tigers prowl around.  Surprisingly, most of the cats were lazy couch potatoes, rarely venturing more than a few hundred metres from home.  But there was one cat that set out on a mission one night, walked almost 15km in just 5 hours, and visited several of our shearwater colonies in a row!  Clearly that cat had developed a taste for shearwater chicks, and knew exactly where to find them.  We have only tracked 25 cats so far, so a bit more work is required, but it seems that a small number of specialised individuals may be responsible for the damage done to seabirds on Corvo.  The question then is, can we 'arrest' known culprit cats and prevent them from roaming the island and terrorising birds?

Cat tracks on Corvo (Steffen Oppel)

We will track more cats over the course of 2012 to get a better understanding of their movements - and to unmask the killers.

I am be back next week.  If you would like to follow these international projects and many more, why not sign up to the Saving Species, Rainforests and Saving Special Places blogs?  We're Stepping Up For Nature in amazing places around the world.

I am away this week, so I am taking the opportunity to invite colleagues to tell you about some of our International Research.  In today's guest blog, Rob Sheldon shares his experiences from the mudflats of Myanmar.

"SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER!" shouted Christoph Zockler.

The 15 hour flight, 3 hour car drive and lack of sleep on board a local fishing boat suddenly became worthwhile.  Just one hour into survey work and scanning the first flock of small waders Christoph picked out a single spoon-billed sandpiper, one of the worlds most endangered birds.  My first sighting – amazing!

We are working with a multi-national team to survey one of the most important wintering sites, the Gulf of Martaban in Myanmar (aka Burma).  The effort to save these birds is truly international, this particular survey team representing the UK, Germany, Bangladesh, China and Myanmar.  Our group is made up of 8 boats, 15 surveyors, and 16 local villagers who are navigating and preparing a continuous supply of rice and noodles!

The survey team, ankle-deep in the life-giving mud of the Gulf (Rob Sheldon)

We’ve spent 5 days on these boats, living the life of waders - our daily routine determined by the rhythm of the tide. When the tide is on its way in, we return to the boats, eat and move on to the next area, and when the tide goes out and the mudflats become exposed we leave the boats to get on with survey work. The skill of the boatmen is truly amazing - they navigate purely by the way the water flows and through local landmarks, yet they are more accurate than our satellite images and GPS units!

Our home for the week (Rob Sheldon)

Not only is this vast 180 square kilometre estuary important for spoon-billed sandpiper, but also more than 150,000 waders are thought to use the area.  It has an amazing tidal bore, more impressive than the Severn, and is one of the most dynamic estuaries in the world. The saltmarsh erodes and reforms incredibly quickly, so that from one year to the next the estuary is never the same.  We can see saltmarsh being eroded in front of our very eyes. The place is a true wilderness and one of the most incredible places I’ve ever visited.

Over the 5 days, we had more than 100 sightings of spoon-billed sandpiper which highlights the importance of this fantastic area. We counted more than 15,000 waders, yet we only covered about 5% of the estuary.

Hard at work while the tide allows (Rob Sheldon)

As we returned to the mainland I reflected on the previous days, and I can’t help but reflect that the long-term future of the spoon-billed sandpiper and the Gulf of Martaban are intimately linked – saving this habitat is critical to saving this amazing bird.  Maybe if I am lucky enough to return one day, watching a spoon-billed sandpiper will be a thrill because we succeeded in securing its future, not because of it’s a rare sight.

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