Notices from the RSPB

Some biodiversity surveys you might be interested in:

Frog Mortality Project.

You may be aware that the incidence of the frog disease, ranavirus, appears to have increased. Although it has been present in the UK for just under 20 years, there were 10% more cases reported in 2006. The dry weather has forced the frogs into closer contact as waterbodies have dried up. Most outbreaks were reported from artificial ponds. Symptoms include bleeding and redness of the skin, skin ulcerations across the legs and body. If you suspect you have found a frog infected with ranavirus please contact the Froglife/Institute of Zoology 'Frog Mortality Project' on 01753 558444 or email them here. To find out more visit their website.

Monitoring Widespread Butterflies.

Butterfly Conservation have established a new scheme to monitor butterflies in the wider countryside, using randomly selected sites to detect trends for a range of widespread species. They hope to be able to assess the effects of Government schemes aimed at improving butterfly habitats on ordinary farmland [eg the Entry Level Scheme]. They plan to involve BTO volunteers as well as BC volunteers and to compare trends in butterflies with those seen in birds. If you are already familiar with butterfly transects and would like to help with the studies in 2007 then please contact Dr Katie Cruickshanks, BC's Wider Countryside Field Researcher, on her email address here.

Plant Invaders.

Plantlife is inviting people to look out for 3 of our pernicious invasive species; Indian Balsam, Japanese Knotweed and New Zealand Pygmyweed, Crassula helmsii. Please look out for these plant invaders and let Plantlife know where you see them [in gardens, local parks, along waterways] by filling in the survey form on their website. If you need paper copies of the survey postcard, please either download the PDF [on their website] or call the survey hotline on 01722 342755. If you need assistance with any aspect of the survey, please 01722 342756. Pictures of the offending species are on the Plantlife website.

Press Release - White-tailed Sea-eagles

Click here to download a PDF document.

 

East Coast White-tailed Sea-eagles

The tags used on the birds from the east coast are different from those used on Mull. Black bars are used above and below the letters or numbers. During the winter some of these birds may well visit the island. Here are a couple of pictures to help you in identifying them. Click on the small images for a larger version.

 

Click here to download a Newsletter about the WTSE releases in Eastern Scotland.

 

 

 

 

RSPB report on sickly finches
Click here for the RSPB report [on their website]

Threat to Lesser Flamingo
Read the full story here and lend your support.

Threat to Foveran Links SSSI
Read the full story here

Latest News from the RSPB website
Read all the stories here

Stornaway Gazette Poll
Your chance to vote for or against wind turbines on Lewis.
Click here for the full story.