Trump administration delivers blow to sage grouse habitat

The Trump administration amended Obama-era land-use rules on Friday 15 March, put in place to protect the threatened Greater Sage Grouse and its sagebrush habitat in 11 western states, siding with oil and gas interests that opposed the measures as too restrictive. In light of the decision, conservation groups denounced the move in favour of oil and gas industries.

The new rules, announced by the Department of Interior's (DOI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM), fits within the Trump administration's broader plan to increase energy production on federal lands by loosening environmental regulations. Former President Barack Obama's 2015 plan to protect Greater Sage Grouse imposed restrictions to development across their favoured habitat but fell short of placing the bird on the endangered species list, which would have imposed far more rigid rules.

Greater Sage Grouse is in decline across its range due to habitat loss (Jeannie Stafford/USFWS).

In 2017, the DOI ordered a review of protections for Greater Sage Grouse to "ensure conservation efforts to not impede local economic opportunities." Of the 11 states included in the 2015 plans, seven opted for changes, according to BLM. They include California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. The governors of all of those states except California said in statements that they supported the plan amendments.

Kathleen Sgamma, president of oil and gas industry trade group Western Energy Alliance, said: "We're pleased that the final plans are now out and moving forward into implementation. Industry will continue to do its part to conserve the species."

Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota opted out of amending their Greater Sage Grouse plans, with Washington going through a separate planning process. Ken Rait, programme manager for US public lands at the Pew Charitable Trusts, said: "You end up with a patchwork that ecologically makes no sense. Greater Sage Grouse don't know where the state boundaries are."

Waterbirds to be culled along River Tweed

A study of two fish-eating bird species – Great Cormorant and Goosander – is being undertaken along the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, following a drop in the number of salmon in the waterway. Individuals of both species will be killed so that they can be studied, with researchers hoping to understand exactly what they eat and how they affect fish stocks. The RSPB was not informed of the cull, which the organisation hasn't approved. The study has been licensed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and will be undertaken by the River Tweed Commission.

The Tweed is one of four major rivers undergoing a study of what types of fish Great Cormorants and Goosanders eat at different times of the year. Fishing on the Tweed is estimated to contribute approximately £24 million each year to the local economy, and the two species in question have been targeted by parts of the angling fraternity in recent years, with The Angling Trust last year publicly urging fisheries and fishing clubs to submit more applications for licences to cull Goosander and Great Cormorant across Britain.

Britain's wintering population of Goosander increased between the late 1960s and mid-1990s, but has subsequently declined (Lee Fuller).

The RSPB says the cull has not been approved and that it is worried that other factors affecting fish numbers in the River Tweed have not been considered, and won't be during this process. A spokesperson commented: "We have only just been made aware of this particular licence to kill wild birds on the Tweed, which was issued without any wider consultation.

"We are concerned by any indication that the results of the study are being prejudged or that other factors affecting salmon numbers are not being considered, and have urgently contacted SNH for details of the licence. Once we have had an opportunity to review that information, we will be able to comment further."

UK set to miss most of its 2020 nature targets

A new report, published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), found that insufficient progress is being made on 14 of the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, which were set by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2010.

One of the key 2010 aims was to prevent extinctions and improve the conservation status of a wide variety of threatened species. However, the study suggests that there have been "widespread and significant ongoing declines across many species", such as farmland birds, specialist butterflies and other pollinating insects, between 2011 and 2018. Progress towards meeting the target has been deemed insufficient. However, the report does mention some localised success stories, such as the ongoing expansion of White-tailed Eagle in Scotland and the reintroductions of Short-haired Bumblebee and Chequered Skipper to England.

The new report acknowledged Scotland's increasing White-tailed Eagle population as one of the conservation success stories of recent years (Norman West).

Target 5 aimed to cut the rate of loss and degradation of natural habitats to "close to zero". Although the research acknowledges that this has improved in some areas, with previously fragmented habitats now rejoined through restoration, it nonetheless classifies progress as insufficient, citing that there have been "ongoing losses of natural and semi-natural habitat, for example through neglect or development".

The report shows that targets to cut fertiliser and other pollution to levels that do not harm biodiversity are being missed, finding that there has been little reduction of these in sensitive areas since 2010 and with 65 per cent of inland and coastal waters remaining below target levels.

Overfishing targets are also not being hit, with only half of fish sustainably caught. There has also been a failure to stop alien species entering and spreading through the UK, meaning that native wildlife remains at risk. Invasive animals have become particularly prevalent in fresh and marine waters.

Habitats remain fragmented and the UK's already beleaguered farmland birds, including Corn Bunting, continue to suffer (Morten Scheller Jensen).

Critically, the study found that not enough is being done to engage the British public and make them aware of the value of biodiversity. Target 1 of 20 states: "By 2020, at the latest, people are aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably." However, there has been little evidence of change. JNCC found that "more than half of the UK public report no awareness of the threats to biodiversity … and there has been no significant increase since 2009", while there appear to have been few curriculum-level schemes put into place in schools to ensure that younger generations have an awareness and appreciation of the natural world.

Ultimately, improved education and awareness – as well as all of the other 19 CBD targets – depend on the UK government investing more funds in nature and biodiversity. However, despite the targets explicitly suggesting that funding to support biodiversity should "increase substantially", the JNCC report found a fall in government spending. This is exacerbated by the ongoing financial support for subsidies that harm nature, which continue in the present day, despite the CBD targets recognising that they should be eliminated.

Study suggests widespread illegal killing of Hen Harriers

A new study has confirmed that Hen Harriers in England suffer from abnormally high levels of mortality compared to populations in Orkney and mainland Scotland. According to the research, published in Nature Communications, the most likely cause of this is illegal killing on and around grouse moors.

The paper is the conclusion of a 10-year Natural England study involving 58 satellite-tagged Hen Harriers. The study proved the probability of Hen Harriers dying, or disappearing, was 10 times higher within areas predominantly managed as grouse moors when compared to areas not managed for shooting. As well as this, the study revealed that 72 per cent of tagged harriers were either confirmed or considered very likely to have been illegally killed.

The study found that nearly three-quarters of tagged Hen Harriers were thought to be illegally killed (Bob Garrett).

Stephen Murphy, from Natural England, led the data collection and said: "Natural England welcomes the publication of this study, which demonstrates the value of tagging as a legitimate conservation tool. These analyses are a significant step in understanding the fate of tagged Hen Harriers, and confirm what has long been suspected – that illegal persecution is having a major impact on the conservation status of this bird."

The long-term study has enabled patterns of disappearances to be assessed across a large number of birds. This provides overwhelming evidence that illegal killing is occurring on some grouse moors, where some gamekeepers view Hen Harriers as a threat to their grouse stocks. Dr Megan Murgatroyd, from the University of Cape Town, who is the lead author of the study, commented: "Natural England’s long-term commitment to this tracking study has yielded an important dataset involving over 20,000 individual fixes. This is a remarkable achievement for a species whose population in England has averaged only a handful of pairs for the last few years. 

"While dead harriers can be disposed of, the pattern of Hen Harrier disappearances revealed by this data could not be hidden. The multiple levels of analyses of the data have all led to the same robust conclusion that Hen Harriers in Britain suffer elevated levels of mortality on grouse moors, and this is most likely the result of illegal killing."

Rob Cooke, from Natural England, added: "Natural England will continue its satellite tracking work to further improve our understanding of Hen Harrier movements and behaviour, and will continue work to improve the conservation status of the species. Natural England welcomes the support of many landowners in this, and will continue to work with all landowners and other interested parties to find ways of enabling Hen Harrier populations to increase from their current critically endangered levels in England."

Great Northern and White-billed Diver photo ID guide

Great Northern Divers are impressive birds and any encounter with this species, either distantly on the sea or a more intimate view on an inland waterbody, is always a memorable experience. Its close relative White-billed Diver is, however, far rarer in Britain – finding one would make for a truly great day.

Great Northern Diver (British Columbia, Canada, 31 May 2011). A Great Northern Diver in full summer plumage is a splendid sight indeed. Sadly we don't see breeding Great Northerns in this country, but it is possible to see birds in summer plumage. These, however, tend to be on the sea rather, than as here, on the calm waters of a Canadian lake (Glenn Bartley / www.agami.nl).

Great Northern Diver

Though a regular wintering bird in Britain, Great Northern Diver is mainly a Nearctic species, where it is known as Common Loon. It breeds in Svalbard and Iceland, but its main range stretches from Greenland to Alaska. Here it is mainly a Low Arctic bird, breeding on lakes in the taiga zone. Nevertheless it is a relatively common winterer in north-west Europe, mostly at sea, but it also turns up frequently inland on lakes and reservoirs.

This is a very large and powerful bird with great presence. It has a heavy, dagger-shaped bill normally held level. Its head shape varies according to posture: it appears sleek and smooth when alert, but more angular with a pronounced forehead 'bump' when relaxed. The neck is thick and the body long. It is supremely adapted for life underwater and dives frequently and for long periods, often surfacing a great distance away from its diving point.

Summer-plumaged adults are striking, although such birds are infrequent in Britain. In this plumage the white 'blocking' on the upperparts and the white neck patch are obvious, while the bill looks wholly dark, not contrasting with the dark head and neck. Adult winter birds are darker above and no longer 'scaled'.

In juvenile plumage the species is dark brown above and white below, with broad pale feather fringes in the upperparts producing a neat, regular 'scaled' pattern. The lower neck shows a distinct dark 'half collar'. The neck sides are dark apart from a slight white 'indent' just above the collar and the face is extensively dark, although there is typically some paler feathering around the eye. The grey bill can appear surprisingly pale, especially when wet or when catching the light, but note that the culmen is dark thoughout its entire length.
 
In flight this is an impressively large, powerful diver. It flies with the head and bill stretched out in line with the body and, at the rear, it shows huge trailing feet. It is a strong flyer, almost goose-like, with slow, powerful, rather flexible wingbeats.

Though not generally heard in Britain, the call of Great Northern Diver provides a haunting backdrop to its breeding grounds. It is also the soundtrack to a host of Hollywood movies.

White-billed Diver

White-billed Diver is a High Arctic counterpart of Great Northern. It breeds on tundra lakes from Novaya Zemlya eastward through Siberia and then across to Alaska and High Arctic Canada.

It is rare throughout Europe, although a northward and then eastward spring passage around Norwegian coasts reveals the presence of a small wintering population somewhere in the North Sea or eastern Atlantic.

This species is genuinely uncommon in Britain. Treated as a rarity by the Rarities Committee until relatively recently, it has now been dropped from the national list, largely due to the discovery of regularly staging birds in spring, most notably off Lewis, Outer Hebrides, and in even greater numbers off Portsoy, Aberdeenshire. Elsewhere, however, this is an infrequent species, most regular in the Northern Isles, but decidedly rare in England. Here, North Sea coasts are favoured, with records falling generally in autumn and winter.

This is a very large diver indeed, fractionally bigger even than Great Northern. It is structurally similar, the main distinguishing feature being the different-shaped bill. This has an upward angle in the lower mandible, giving the impression of an upturn in the bill as a whole. This effect is heightened considerably by the fact that the bill is typically held raised at an angle, enhancing its upturned appearance and giving rise to the popular 'banana' comparison. The whole effect is similar to an enormous Red-throated Diver.

The bill is a pale ivory or buttery colour. It can be dark along the basal two-thirds of the culmen but, importantly, the outer part of the culmen is always pale. Against a dark background, the bill looks strikingly pale, but against the sky or a light background it hardly stands out and, as a result, the bird can give the rather strange impression of having no bill at all!

Adult summer plumage closely resembles that of Great Northern but, as with that species, this is rarely seen in Britain. Adult winters are darker above and no longer 'scaled'.

Again like its sister species, juvenile plumage is heavily 'scaled' above, but the head and neck are strikingly pale, the most eye-catching features being a weak lower neck 'half collar', some smudging on the rear ear coverts and a strongly isolated eye. The main pitfall lies with bleached or worn first-summer Great Northerns in late winter and spring which can look disconcertingly pale, especially around the head, and can give the illusion of having a wholly pale bill.

In flight, the species resembles Great Northern although (on non-adult summer birds) the pale head and neck and of course that pale bill should be obvious. Unlike Great Northern Diver, this species sometimes raises its head in flight, a further reminder of Red-throated Diver.

Great Northern Diver (Iceland, 28 May 2010). When seen close up like this, a summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver is revealed to be highly intricately patterned, with delicate white spotting above, lines of square white 'blocking' on the scapulars, fine black 'zebra stripes' on the neck and strange black-barred white neck bands. The eye is a deep red. Note that the bill, although dark, can give different impressions – appearing as dark as the head and neck in the opening image, but paler here as it catches the light (Sindri Skúlason).
 

White-billed Diver (Chukotka, Russia, 5 July 2012). A summer-plumaged White-billed Diver is an impressive beast indeed, slightly larger and more powerful even than Great Northern. The plumage is similar (though the scapular 'blocking' here is particularly prominent) but the eye is drawn straight to the bill – a buttery colour with a kinked lower mandible and showing a dramatic contrast with the head and neck. Note also the typical posture with the bill held above the horizontal (Baz Scampion).
 

Great Northern Diver (King George VI Reservoir, London, 10 April 2010). Winter-plumaged Great Northern Divers are very different from those in summer, essentially brown above and white below. More specifically, note the prominent 'half collar' at the base of the neck, an 'indent' in the dark and white dividing line just above and a diffusely dark face with a discrete pale area around the eye. The bill appears disconcertingly pale (and is held up at an angle here) but its pale grey colour is normal, as is the wholly dark culmen all the way to the tip (Andrew Moon).
 

White-billed Diver (Hayle Estuary, Cornwall, 3 March 2007). This large diver is superficially similar to the previous bird, but note the rather pale neck with little contrast between the hindneck and foreneck and the rather pale featureless face with the ear coverts almost completely pale. The species has a dark 'half collar', but it is partially hidden here. These features indicate a White-billed Diver, a diagnosis confirmed by the bird's butter-hued bill, kinked lower mandible and culmen which is dark only at the base, the outer two-thirds being pale (Steve Young / www.birdsonfilm.com).
 

Great Northern Diver (Fleetwood, Lancashire, 26 November 2010). This classic Great Northern Diver portrait shows nicely its muscular yet elegant proportions, the dark 'half collar', neck 'indent' and dark face. The bill (here held more typically level or pointing slightly downwards) is characteristically grey, with an obviously dark culmen along its whole length. The pale feather fringes in the upperparts, forming neat rows, identify this bird as a juvenile (Steve Young / www.birdsonfilm.com).
 

White-billed Diver (Lac du Der, France, 13 December 2013). The 'scaly' look caused by the pale feather fringes identify this diver as a juvenile. Most striking, however, is the bird's overall paleness: a very pale neck lacking in contrast, a weak 'half collar', an extremely light face with an isolated dark eye and, most obvious of all, a large butter-yellow bill with a kinked lower mandible and a pale outer culmen. This is a classic White-billed Diver and, typically, the bill is held above the horizontal, echoing the characteristic posture of its smaller cousin, Red-throated Diver (David Monticelli /www.agami.nl).
 

Great Northern Diver (Staines Reservoirs, London, 16 April 2015). Flying Great Northern Divers look big and impressive, almost goose-like, in flight, an impression heightened by a relatively slow, shallow and powerful wing action. The strong plumage contrasts of this summer bird are obvious, but look also at the heavy head, long, thick neck and, in particular, very large protruding feet resembling large paddles (Andrew Moon).
 

White-billed Diver (Gamvik, Norway, 12 May 2014). If a flying Great Northern Diver is impressive, then a flying White-billed is even more so! Note here the truly enormous size of the trailing feet and the fact that the bill is held upwards at an angle in a way reminiscent of a Red-throated Diver (flying White-billed Divers can also 'head-lift' in flight like their much smaller cousin). The bill here is typically butter coloured and the outer part of the culmen is pale (Markus Varesvuo / www.birdphoto.fi).
 

Great Northern Diver (Morro Bay, California, 13 December 2011). This flying winter-plumaged bird shows the same structure (note the big feet), but the plumage is very different. Note the very dark-looking neck, with the dark hindneck extending well forward around the neck-sides, the 'half collar' and 'indent' and the diffusely dark face. The bill might gleam pale, but it is grey and the culmen is wholly dark (Marlin Harms).
 

White-billed Diver (Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, 9 May 2015). This bird has been caught on take off so its flight appearance is not entirely typical but it is still easily identifiable as a White-billed Diver thanks to its pale butter-hued bill and pale, plain face with pale ear coverts and an 'isolated' eye, all contrasting well with a dark 'half collar' on the lower neck (Tim Marshall).

New bulbul species described from Borneo

A cryptic new species of bulbul, previously considered to be a variation of a polymorphic species, has been described from Borneo.

Cream-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus simplex was thought to vary in its appearance, more specifically showing either red or white (creamy-yellow) irises. However, mitochondrial DNA sequence comparisons have revealed a startling surprise: the two forms aren’t closely related at all and a new species has been hiding in plain sight.

The white-eyed birds are sister to Ashy-fronted Bulbul, which is endemic to Palawan Island in the south-west Philippines, while red-eyed birds are sister to the white-eyed Cream-vented Bulbuls found on the Thai-Malay Peninsula. DNA sequencing found that red-eyed Bornean birds differ by a mean of 14 per cent from white-eyed birds. By comparison, red-eyed Bornean birds differed by just 4 per cent from white-eyed birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula.

Comparison of (A) 'Cream-eyed Bulbul' 'Pycnonotus pseudosimplex', which has been found to represent a new species, and (B) the red-eyed Bornean form of Cream-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus simplex.

The newly identified taxon, which has been dubbed Cream-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus pseudosimplex, has been described from several type specimens across a large area of northern Borneo. As well as differing in iris colour from Cream-vented Bulbul, its plumage is also yellower on the throat and vent, creating greater contrast with the darker breast and flanks.

The two taxa appear to be sympatric, sharing the same mature forest interior and edge habitat. Although previous authors have stated that white-eyed and red-eyed individuals co-occur throughout Borneo, the study suggests that the white-eyed P pseudosimplex is considerably rarer and perhaps more habitat restricted than its red-eyed counterpart.

Man kills gull for attempting to steal chips

A Cardiff man brutally killed a Lesser Black-backed Gull because the bird knocked chips out of his hand.

John Llewellyn Jones slaughtered the gull during a day trip to Weston-super-Mare on 17 July 2018. The gull flew around the defendant trying to reach his chips, and subsequently knocked the snack from his hand.

Jones' reaction "shocked by-standers, including children" as witnesses observed him catch the gull by the leg and smash it into a wall, which killed it.

The corpse of the Lesser Black-backed Gull following Mr Jones' brutal actions (RSPCA).

Gulls are protected under Section 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and the man was found guilty an offence at North Somerset Magistrates' Court in Weston-super-Mare on 12 March. Jones had pleaded not guilty but magistrates listened to two witnesses, citing their accounts as "credible and compelling", before finding the man guilty of the offence.

He was sentenced to a 12-week curfew, applicable between the hours of 8 pm and 8 am, which began immediately. The man was also ordered to pay £750 in costs, and a £85 victim surcharge.

RSPCA Cymru say the man showed "blatant disregard for animal welfare" and "cared more for his chips than what his actions did to the poor gull."

Simon Evans, RSPCA inspector, commented: "This was an unthinkable and despicable way to treat an animal - with this gull smashed against a wall by the man, solely because it knocked chips from his hand.

"This was deliberate cruelty, borne from the fact that this man cared more for his chips than what his actions did to the poor gull. Simply, the man showed blatant disregard for an animal because he was annoyed about his chips.

"Witnesses saw the attack - and shocked bystanders, including children, had to look on as the man killed it."

Balloons are the deadliest plastic to seabirds

A new study has found that balloons are the highest-risk plastic debris item for seabirds, being 32 times more likely to kill them than ingesting hard plastics.

Researchers from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC) looked at the cause of death of 1,733 seabirds from 51 species and found that one in three of the birds had ingested marine debris. The data showed that a seabird ingesting a single piece of plastic had a 20 per cent chance of mortality, rising to 50 per cent for nine items and 100 per cent for 93 items.

Grey-headed Albatross with plastic debris found during an autopsy (Lauren Roman).

Led by former IMAS-CSIRO PhD student Dr Lauren Roman and published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study found that although hard plastic accounts for the vast majority of debris ingested, it is far less likely to kill than soft plastics such as balloons.

Dr Roman commented: "Marine debris ingestion is now a globally recognised threat. However, the relationship between the amount or type of debris that a seabird ingests and mortality remains poorly understood. Among the birds we studied the leading cause of death was blockage of the gastrointestinal tract, followed by infections or other complications caused by gastrointestinal obstructions.

"Although soft plastics accounted for just 5 per cent of the items ingested, they were responsible for more than 40 per cent of the mortalities. Balloons or balloon fragments were the marine debris most likely to cause mortality, and they killed almost one in five of the seabirds that ingested them.

"As similar research into plastic ingestion by sea turtles has found, it appears that while hard plastic fragments may pass quickly through the gut, soft plastics are more likely to become compacted and cause fatal obstructions."

Black-browed Albatross dead at sea with balloon string clearly visible (Todd Burrows).

The approach taken in the study was first developed for sea turtles before being applied to seabirds. This is the first time that there has been a robust estimate of the impact of plastic ingestion on free-living marine species, with the research representing a critical step in triggering action to address plastic pollution.

While the study showed that soft items like balloons are more dangerous, all plastics pose a mortal threat to seabirds. Dr Roman added: "If seabirds eat plastic their risk of mortality increases, and even a single piece can be fatal. While hard plastics are less likely to kill than soft plastics, they were still responsible for more than half of the seabird deaths identified in our study.

"The evidence is clear that if we want to stop seabirds from dying from plastic ingestion we need to reduce or remove marine debris from their environment, particularly balloons."

BOU accepts Richardson's Cackling Goose

The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC) has added 'Richardson's Cackling Goose', the hutchinsii subspecies of Cackling Goose, to its British list.

The addition is based on the well-documented occurrence of a bird with Pink-footed Geese at Holkham Freshmarsh, Norfolk, from 6-23 February 1999.

After many years of debate some clarity about the taxonomic relationships, identification and distribution of the North American 'white-cheeked' geese of the genus Branta has been achieved (North American Birds 62, 344-360, British Birds 109: 677-684). This allowed for the acceptance of Cackling Goose to the BOU's British list in March 2016. However, at that time, it was felt that the first British record, from Lancashire in November 1976, could not be conclusively identified to subspecies.

Richardson's Cackling Goose, Holkham Freshmarsh, February 1999 (Iain Leach).

Following this decision, a number of candidates were considered by BOURC for subspecies-level acceptance, resulting in a unanimous decision that the Holkham Freshmarsh individual from February 1999 showed features consistent with the subspecies B h hutchinsii. Furthermore, there was no evidence of a captive origin, with the bird seen in a flock of Pink-footed Geese, a plausible carrier species for a vagrant crossing the Atlantic. Thus the record and subspecies was accepted to Category A.

Richardson's Cackling Goose breeds in north and central Canada and Greenland, migrating to winter in Texas, USA and Mexico.

Hailstorm kills and injures thousands of falcons

A violent hailstorm in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal has killed and injured almost 2,000 falcons.

The vast majority of the birds involved were Amur Falcons, although smaller numbers of Red-footed Falcons and Lesser Kestrels, which roost among the flocks of Amurs, were also injured. The birds roost communally in large numbers, meaning freak weather incidents such as that on Saturday 9 March can potentially be devastating to wintering populations.

The event unfolded in the town of Mooi River, situated inland some 140 km north-west of Durban, late evening on Saturday, where large numbers of falcons roost during the winter months. Fortunately, volunteers and members of the public were on hand to transfer hundreds of the injured birds to the FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation KZN branch in nearby Howick throughout the early hours of Sunday morning, where urgent treatment began.

The vast majority of birds arrived in appalling condition following the hailstorm, with hundreds having already perished (FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation KZN).

In total, 1,090 falcons were treated during 18 hours of constant effort by the team throughout Sunday, with this thought to be the largest single-species rescue ever made in South Africa. Following assessment and treatment, the first 400 falcons were ringed and released back into the wild on Monday, with this figure climbing 970 by the end of Wednesday.

Hundreds of falcons recuperate in the external flight aviary following treatment (FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation KZN).

However, it was not all good news. Unfortunately, around 70 of the falcons admitted to the clinic died, while no fewer than 713 corpses were recovered from beneath the roosting tree in Mooi River on Sunday. The deceased birds have been donated to the Durban Natural History Museum, University of KwaZulu Natal and South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) for DNA, isotope analysis, gene pool analysis, further research and taxidermy.

Corpses continued to be retrieved throughout Sunday, with the number of casualities eventually exceeding 700 (FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation KZN).

The storms came at an awkward time for the falcons, with them due to commence their northward migration within the next couple of weeks. The team of rehabilitators has worked around the clock to ensure that the birds are fit and healthy enough to face the tribulations of such long-distance flights on time. However, several tens of birds suffered broken bones during the incident and will be retained in care throughout the southern winter in order to give them time to heal, thus meaning these individuals won't be migrating to breed in 2019.

Mass bird killings due to hailstorms are few and far between in their occurrence, but do happen occasionally. Earlier in March, over 1,100 birds – including almost 600 egrets – were killed by hail near Pench Tiger Reserve, India.

You can find out more about the fantastic work that FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation does at www.freemekzn.co.za or at www.facebook.com/KZNFreeMe.

A sodden male Amur Falcon awaits treatment (FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation KZN).

By Wednesday 13th a total of 970 Amur Falcons had been rehabilitated, ringed and released (FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation KZN).

Legal challenge to Hen Harrier 'brood management' plan fails

A judicial review into Natural England's controversial 'brood management' plan, which involves issuing licences for Hen Harriers to be taken from their broods, raised in captivity and then released back into the wild at specific locations, has failed.

The review, which was brought about by leading conservationist and Birdwatch columnist Dr Mark Avery, along with the RSPB, took place on 15 March, with Mrs Justice Laing ruling Natural England's plans to be lawful on the grounds that the licenses were being issues for research purposes, and not yet for conservation purposes, thus they could go ahead.

The judge ruled that Hen Harrier brood management has the legal backing to proceed (Per Schans Christensen).

Brood management involves removing Hen Harrier broods from driven grouse moors once breeding numbers have reached a certain level, due to concerns that they have a significant impact on the number of Red Grouse available for shooting. However, the RSPB believes the first step in Hen Harrier recovery should be the cessation of illegal persecution, which is widely acknowledged as the main reason driving the decline of the iconic bird of prey.

Dr Avery commented on his blog: "It's disappointing to lose but I'd like to thank all my supporters and my legal team for mounting this challenge and the RSPB for taking their challenge alongside mine. It needed to be done, it certainly wasn't frivolous (otherwise we would not have been given permission to proceed with the judicial review) and it may not be over yet."

Martin Harper of the RSPB added: "This is obviously a huge blow but we will continue to fight for the future of Hen Harriers. The plight of this threatened species is a stark reminder of so much that is wrong with the way we manage our uplands. It is only through standing up for what is right that we can help recover the wildlife that we all cherish."

Wild Justice launches first campaign

Wild Justice, the non-profit company set up by Chris Packham CBE, Dr Ruth TIngay and Dr Mark Avery to fight for wildlife and the environment, has announced its first legal campaign. The enterprise will challenge Natural England's practice of issue General Licences allowing the killing of certain bird species.

By definition, these licences do not have to be applied for; users simply have to abide by the terms of the licence in order to kill unlimited numbers of so-called 'pest birds', despite there being no legal definition of pest. Species that can be killed under the licence include Carrion Crow, Jay, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Ring-necked Parakeet and Rook, among others. The system has been in place for decades and has allowed the casual killing of millions of birds.

Jay, undisclosed site, Staffordshire (Michael Erwin).

Wild Justice believes that this is unlawful and that Natural England has a legal responsibility to show that killing the birds is an appropriate last resort. The company is seeking a judicial review of Natural England's decision to issue General Licences GL04, GL05 and GL06 on 1 January 2019. Similar licences apply to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and the case will have implications in those countries too.

The organisation stated: "We are not asking for the 2019 General Licences to be withdrawn, but rather that Natural England does not issue further General Licences and instead develops a legal system for regulating and monitoring the killing of birds to establish whether lethal control is absolutely necessary."

In order to challenge Natural England, Wild Justice need to raise £36,000 and have set up a crowdfunding campaign. At time of writing, less than 24 hours after the campaign was set up, £11,669 had been donated.

Surgical Victor Hugo Clinic Paris