Reading RSPB Group

ON April 9 we welcomed Mike Coker, a conservationist and project manager who set up and led the RSPB’s project management practice and supported some of the charity’s largest projects.

Looking at the RSPB’s efforts to conserve a range of declining species, Mike demonstrated how the principles of project management make it possible to test theories in the field and set aside assumptions in order to establish what actually works in practice and why.

Starting with the example of the bittern, which has gone from a handful of birds in 1997 to 230 pairs in 2023, Mike described how it took 25 years of careful research to find out the exact conditions needed for the birds to flourish, not just the reedbeds they inhabit but the right depth of water and the right conditions for the prey they eat.

In the case of the curlew, which is now red-listed in the UK, there were various theories put forward to explain the decline so a project was set up to try six different interventions in six different locations which demonstrated that protecting nest sites had the biggest impact.

It was also found that the further the nest site was from woodland the more successful the breeding attempts were because predation from woodland dwelling foxes and crows was reduced.

Reasons for the decline in the much-loved puffin are proving tricky to track down as the breeding populations on the west coast of the UK are doing much better than those on the east coast.

the causes being studied are changes to currents and ocean temperature in the North Sea affecting the sand eels on which the puffins feed and, in some cases, the effect of introduced predators such as stoats.

Studies on swifts and turtle doves have demonstrated that it is important to question our assumptions as to what the problem might be.

Strenuous efforts are being made to provide nest boxes for swifts to compensate for changes in building practices which have eliminated their previous sites. However, although there is an overall decline in breeding success, adult birds are living as long as ever but fewer chicks are fledging and young birds have a higher death rate in their first two years.

Increasingly, variable weather makes nestlings vulnerable to cold and wet so providing more protection at nest sites would help.

Adult birds are able to feed at higher altitudes on insects and spiders swept up on air currents and these are not declining at such a rapid rate as the insects at lower levels on which the young birds depend. This means that measures to increase insect numbers may be crucial.

One other surprising finding came from Operation Turtle Dove. Throughout the UK turtle doves are in steep decline despite attempts to help them by supplemental feeding with what was thought to be their favoured seed mix.

However, the year-on-year increase in turtle doves on the “rewilded” Knepp Estate revealed that what they really prefer to eat is the seeds of weed species which have been comprehensively wiped out in the rest of the country.

What had been assumed to be their preferred food was simply what they were reduced to eating when nothing else was available.

The talk ended on a very positive note as two new organisations have been set up: Wildteam, which trains project managers around the world to work in conservation, and Conservation Evidence, which pulls evidence from around the world to find what really works.

On Tuesday, April 16 we met at a very windy Greenham Common to walk round the nearby Bowdown Woods, which offered shelter from the wind.

Wind does tend to keep birds in cover so it was more of a walk listening to birds rather than watching them.

Before we left the open common we heard a woodlark singing but we could not locate it, so we just enjoyed its beautiful song.

In the woods many chiffchaffs and blackcaps were singing and we eventually got good views of the former and a glimpse of the later.

Two sparrowhawks chasing each other provided a flurry of excitement.

A total of 27 species was recorded.

On Sunday, April 21 we had a minibus trip to the Pagham Harbour RSPB reserve just south of Chichester. It was a lovely sunny day, albeit with a cold west wind.

The area had been badly flooded in the recent storm surge, so some paths were still closed, but it did not affect us.

The Ferry Pool held a dozen avocets which were a lovely sight as they swept their bills back and forth in the water catching prey.

Good numbers of shelduck were also present with a few remaining teal and shoveler.

A walk round the information centre scrub area turned up some whitethroats and blackcaps, one of which was trying to mimic the song of a nightingale.

While we were having lunch a large bird appeared over the fields which turned out to be a white-tailed eagle, probably one of the Isle of Wight birds.

We then moved to Church Norton where we found two whimbrel, a curlew, two ringed plovers and a single greenshank. A few swallows also flew over us during the day. In all 49 species were recorded.

Our annual meeting will be held on May 14 followed by a talk from Martin Randall, RSPB operations director for central and eastern England.

The indoor season ends on June 11 with a talk by Dr Peter Gasson on Australian wildlife.

In May outdoor trips will include a walk on Hook Common on May 21 looking for heathland birds.

In June there will be two evening walks to look for nightjars and woodcock, one on June 14 to Padworth Common and the other on June 25 to Bramshill.

All indoor meetings are held in Pangbourne village hall, starting at 8pm. Visitors are very welcome. There is an entrance fee of £5 for non-members, juniors half price. New members are always welcome with annual membership set at a modest £15 (£10 for juniors).

For more information, visit group.rspb.org.uk/reading

Judith Clark