Stop bird of prey slaughter now!

Dear Supporter

I've had to take dead birds to the vets many times before, but this time I had a real sinking feeling. Minutes after handing over the limp corpse I was staring at an X-ray, which confirmed my worst fears.

I could see 11 pieces of gunshot in what had been a magnificent, female peregrine. She had been slaughtered – most probably on her nest. The inscribed metal ring on her leg gave a tiny insight into her life. She hatched seven years ago in Shropshire and, at the time of her death, was in her prime. Quite probably, she had chicks that depended on her and will now starve.

I felt sick and disgusted. How can people stoop so low?

2009 has been a terrible year for cowardly crimes against birds of prey, including eagles and peregrines.

With your help, we can stop this illegal killing.

Sign a pledge now to save our birds of prey.

I work in the RSPB's Investigations team and this has been one of the worst years I can remember.

In the last few weeks, barely a day has gone by without us getting a call about peregrine persecution and other crimes against birds of prey. It's shocking that in the 21st century, these fabulous birds are still routinely shot, trapped and poisoned.

Only a few days ago, one of my colleagues in Scotland went to investigate a dead golden eagle found in Argyll. The police suspect that it was illegally poisoned, using a bait with a very toxic chemical.

I'm desperate for the peregrine and golden eagle deaths not to be mere grisly statistics.

With your support, we can demonstrate to government that we will not tolerate these crimes and put an end to them.

Please sign the RSPB's birds of prey pledge now and help us stop the killing.

Thank you so much.

Mark Thomas
Investigations Unit

PS For more about peregrine persecution, including a photo of the dead female, see here.

Are you passionate about wildlife and the natural world? Yes! then click here

Can you switch people onto nature?

The RSPB South Essex People and Wildlife programme is an exciting new project placing wildlife, a healthy environment and active communities at the heart of sustainable living and regeneration in the Thames Gateway.

We have 4 roles available - Community Programme Manager, Education Manager, Education Officer, Visitor & Publicity Officer. All post holders will be required to develop opportunities for and work closely with local volunteers. All posts are full time, three year contracts.

The RSPB South Essex People and Wildlife programme is supported by Natural England through Access to Nature as part of the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces Programme. For further details, please see our website.


South Essex People and Wildlife Programme
Organisation: RSPB

Location: South Essex
Position Type: Paid/Fixed Term Contract
Part Time/Full Time: Full Time
Closing Date: 10 Jul 09
Website:
www.rspb.org.uk/vacancies

Partnership creates new nature reserve

A unique partnership between the RSPB and Veolia Environmental Services is delivering a new 270 hectare wetland nature reserve on the south Essex marshes. The two organisations have signed a 150-year peppercorn lease on land adjoining Veolia’s Pitsea landfill site. The RSPB will manage the land to develop a sustainable wetland system with a range of habitats including extensive wet grassland, a tidal lagoon, scrapes and saltmarsh. An existing reedbed will also be extended.

The new habitats will attract birds including bittern, redshank and lapwing as well as large numbers of waterfowl and spectacular wading birds like the black tailed godwit. Water vole, great crested newt and a wide variety of invertebrates will also make their homes on the new marshes where new public access will create opportunities for quiet recreation and exploration of the natural world.

Paul Levett, Deputy Chief Executive of Veolia Environmental Services says,

“We have worked closely with the RSPB in south-east Essex for nearly a decade. Within Basildon and Castle Point, the Veolia ES Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust has contributed over £½ million towards the purchase of nearly 258 hectares of land at West Canvey Marshes, public access and other infrastructure improvements at Vange Marshes and the employment of a full time RSPB Wildlife and People’s Project Officer.

“The land covered by this new lease will form part of the 15 square kilometre ‘green lung’ of the South Essex Marshes. We welcome the active involvement of the RSPB in building on the 20 years of restoration already completed at our Pitsea landfill”.

Chris Corrigan, Regional Director, South East Regional Office, RSPB adds:

“We are extremely excited by our partnership with Veolia and this significant and very welcome opportunity to extend our existing interests in the area at West Canvey and Vange Marshes. 550 hectares of additional land for nature conservation and public access will mean we can make a real difference to the living landscape of south Essex – for wildlife and for people. This is a marvellous contribution to the South Essex Greengrid and Thames Gateway Parklands.

“This is a long-term commitment by Veolia and the RSPB and shows how waste management and nature conservation organisations can work together for the good of our environment, our wildlife and our communities.”

John Baron, Billericay & District MP, Chris Corrigan, RSPB Regional Director, South East Regional Office, Paul Levett, Deputy Chief Executive Veolia Environmental Services

John Baron, MP for Billericay and District also endorses the project:

“Too often we see the over-development of our green spaces, so congratulations to Veolia and the RSPB for conserving the natural environment and encouraging local wildlife. The new project will be a fun resource for the whole family and help to raise awareness of conservation issues. This ambitious scheme will really help to put the Essex Marshes back on the map.”
Veolia is currently working on a restoration master plan for its Pitsea site, with a range of stakeholders including RSPB. The site will be restored for a variety of nature conservation uses including grassland and flower rich meadows, to support diverse invertebrate and reptile communities as well as species such as nationally rare species brown hare and skylark. The restored site will be developed and managed for public access by the RSPB and will provide magnificent views over the entire marshland area.

The elusive bittern - Andy Hay rspbimages.com

Top marks for RSPB Rainham Marshes

RSPB reserve judged to be one of England’s best for outside learning

Pupils visiting Rainham Marshes to learn about the environment are receiving an outstanding education, according to a Government-sponsored scheme.

The programme, known as the Quality Badge, is the first to provide a national benchmark of teaching standards for out of classroom learning. It ranked the Purfleet reserve’s teaching-scheme as ‘Outstanding’ – the highest grade available.

4000 school children of all ages visit Rainham Marshes each year from across Essex and London, including Thurrock, Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Newham.

The report described Rainham Marshes as “a true oasis and unique wild space”, which has become “a leading centre for environmental education in London”.

It praised the passion and enthusiasm of the reserve’s education team, which visiting teachers said led to better coursework and improved motivation in some pupils.

Rainham Marshes’ innovative Environment and Education Centre was also described as a unique tool in illustrating ways to minimise our impact on the environment. The award-winning centre runs on solar and wind power, and is fitted with other energy saving devices such as self-regulating temperature controls and wool insulation.

Brona Doyle, RSPB Rainham Marshes education officer, said: “Getting top marks in this national scheme shows just how passionately we believe in giving young people an experience with nature they won’t forget.

“Out of classroom learning is one of the most effective forms of education. It broadens children’s outlook, keeps them fit and healthy, and gives them a sense of awe for the world around them.
“I hope our ranking as one of the country’s leading environmental education centres will encourage more schools and families to pay a visit to Rainham Marshes, and discover for themselves what wild wonders live on their doorstep.”

Every year nationwide, the RSPB introduces 60,000 school children to nature through its Living Classrooms field-teaching scheme. This is an exciting programme of school visits, designed to bring learning to life through curriculum-linked, hands-on activities.

Much of it is financed by donations from funding schemes, with the programme at Rainham Marshes generously supported by the City of London’s City Bridge Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund

For primary schools, activities include re-enacting climate change, pond exploration, building the River Thames, growing like a plant and becoming meteorologists.
For secondary schools, subjects range from water quality studies and land-use mapping, to team skills and confidence building.

Stewart Goshawk, of the City Bridge Trust, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the education programme at Rainham Marshes and congratulate the RSPB on achieving this level of recognition. We are keen to ensure that quality opportunities exist for young Londoners to experience and understand our wildlife heritage and its biodiversity. Rainham is a key part of helping us achieve this aim.”

Robyn Llewellyn, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund East of England, said: “Rainham Marshes offers visitors a wonderful opportunity to learn about and enjoy their natural heritage. With our support, the RSPB created an education programme that really captures the imagination of young people, ensuring that this landscape will be treasured for generations to come. This recognition is well deserved.”

For more information on RSPB Rainham Marshes call 01708 899840 or visit rspb.org.uk/reserves

Image - Andy Hay rspb-images.com

Mass Migration of Pained Lady Butterflies

We are currently experiencing the largest invasion of Painted Lady butterflies this century. This large, powerfully flying insect is orange-brown in colour, with black-and-white patterning at the wingtips. They are arriving in unprecedented numbers all along the South coast, having originated from their core breeding area around the desert margins of North Africa. They have travelled across Europe and the English Channel and are now heading northwards through Britain.

Painted lady Vanessa Carduip, feeding on buddleia - Grahame Madge (rspb-images.com)

Neil Hulme, Chairman and West Sussex Conservation Officer for the Sussex Branch of the charity Butterfly Conservation, said "this is one of the great spectacles of the natural world and everyone will be able to spot these butterflies whether they live in the middle of a town or in the countryside. I have been watching butterflies for over forty years, but have never seen anything quite on this scale. The species turns up here most years, but numbers have been very low for some while now. A migration on this scale may result in the Painted Ladies reaching as far as the Arctic Circle, a journey of two thousand miles — they have already reached Scotland. The butterflies will be travelling by day and night, often through poor weather conditions, snatching brief periods of rest as they glide."

He added, "on Sunday afternoon East Sussex Conservation Officer Michael Blencowe phoned me in a state of excitement, as he could not believe what he was seeing. I joined him at the end of a woodland ride near Lewes, where he was counting Painted Ladies coming over a five-bar gate. He told me it was like counting sheep and that he had already recorded 133 in an hour. A further hour walking around the wood gave us a total of 250 and literally thousands would have passed through this single wood during the day. We were fascinated by their behaviour, which is typical of a mass butterfly migration. They just wouldn't stop for a rest, only landing here and there for a second or two, just to take on a snack of nectar 'fuel'. All were heading purposefully north — they are on a mission. On Monday evening at 8.45pm Painted Ladies were still coming in off the sea in central Worthing, flying northwards up Chapel Road."

"Many people have already asked me what causes this phenomenon. It seems likely that when the population increases sufficiently in Africa, this triggers a change in their behaviour. They start to swarm and then head off in huge numbers. Painted Ladies will already be here in their millions. They will breed here this summer, so we will have them around until the autumn, but they won't survive the winter in the UK as a temperature below about 5°C is fatal to the species.

Get out and enjoy them while you can."

Those seeing Painted Lady butterflies are urged to send their records to the Butterfly Conservation National Painted Lady Survey page at www.butterfly-conservation.org/migrantwatch where an interactive map is being used to plot the migration.

Neil Hulme, Butterfly ConservationTuesday 26th May 2009

North Norfolk - Saturday 23 May

A gloriously warm sunny day with little to no wind, although it did cloud over for a while at Titchwell the weather could not have been better.

We left Pitsea at 06.30 arriving at our first site in north Norfolk around 09.30, looking out across a field of rape we were treated to 3 Marsh Harriers and a couple of what were probably Buzzards soaring distantly on a thermal. After thirty minutes one of the birds we were hoping to see appeared along the top of the field, following the hedgerow, a male Montagu's Harrier showed extremely well as it followed the hedgerow down the opposite side of the field, a stunning start to the day!

On to RSPB Titchwell Marsh which as always didn't disappoint, warblers were in full song, Blackcap, Willow, Chiffchaff, Sedge, Reed and Cetti's. Three Marsh Harriers showed well over the reedbeds and a pair of Cuckoos gave us a flypast. A single Turtle Dove showed well in a dead tree and Bearded Tits 'pinged' away in the reedbed occasionally giving brief flight views. On the freshmarsh a few pairs of Avocets now had chicks while many more were still sitting. Around fifty Black-tailed Godwits were still present some of which were now in their breeding plumage as were five Grey Plover.

Five Spoonbills flying over heading east were an unexpected bonus for some, unfortunately I missed them! On the beach summer-plumaged Sanderlings were seen alongside Turnstones and more Grey Plovers while on the sea two drake Eiders were a nice find as were 15 Common Scoter flying past.

We finished the day at Cley Marsh, A lapwing with three very young chicks showed extremely well. Marsh Harriers were constantly mobbed by Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits as they quartered the marsh. Dunlin, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers were seen well. From the beach and north hide, Common, Little and Sandwich Terns along with another Spoonbill were seen.

We finished the day at 06.30 pm with another Marsh Harrier quartering the field beside the Visitor Centre car park. A great day enjoyed by all.

If you would like information on future trips email: alan.shearman1@btinternet.com

Southern Marsh Orchid - Alan Shearman

The Drinker moth caterpillar - Cley Marsh - Alan Shearman

Goldfinch - Cley Marsh - David Lee

Wren - Cley - Clive Woodward

Lapwing - Cley Marsh - David Lee

Lapwing - Cley Marsh - David Lee

Marsh Harrier and Avocets - Cley Marsh - David Lee

SPECIES SEEN 23/05/09

Blackcap, Wood Pigeon, Carrion Crow
Magpie, Wren, Rook,
Jackdaw, Collared Dove, Goldfinch,
Grey Partridge, Swift, Starling,
Chaffinch, Whitethroat, Mallard,
Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Kestrel,
Pheasant, Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard,
Skylark, Montague Harrier (male), Blackbird ,
Blue Tit, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler,
Coot, Sedge Warbler, Ruddy Duck,
Cetti’s Warbler (H), Canada Goose, Avocet,
Shoveler, Gadwall, Shelduck,
Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Moorhen,
Swallow, Cuckoo, Turtle Dove,
Willow Warbler, Mute Swan, Red-crested Pochard (9 young),
Bearded Tit, Black-tailed Godwit, Brent Goose,
Oystercatcher, Redshank, Ringed Plover,
Herring Gull, Spoonbill (5), Sandwich Tern,
Sanderling, Robin, Greylag Goose,
Linnet, Little ringed Plover, Common Tern,
Sand Martin, Tufted Duck, Pochard,
Grey Plover, Common Scoter (c18), Eider Duck (2 male),
Cormorant, Reed Bunting, Pied Wagtail ,
Dunlin, Grey Heron, Meadow Pipit,
Little Tern.
Total of 73 species

New RSPB Visitor Centre at Wat Tyler Country Park to Open This Summer

An exciting new visitor centre is getting set to open at the heart of Wat Tyler Country Park in Pitsea this summer.

This new RSPB Centre will be the second of it's kind in the park and will include state-of-the-art CCTV putting the secrets of the outside world right in front of your eyes. There will also be informative displays enabling you to discover more about the South Essex marshes and a range of RSPB bird-care products to buy.

The centre will be powered by 100% sustainable energy provided by the same wood-burning boiler that powers the council's new Wat Tyler Centre.

Existing buildings within the park are being refurbished as part of the Parklands Project and are part-financed by Essex County Council, under the Thames Gateway programme of the Department for Communities and Local Government. These new facilities will complement the new Wat Tyler Centre, which is also due to open this summer.

David Hedges, the RSPB's South Essex Area Manager, said, "The new visitor centre will be a great new home for the RSPB in Wat Tyler Country Park allowing us to host bigger and better events and show people what a great place the marshes of south Essex are".

Alongside the new centre, another building will also be refurbished, as a children's Discovery Centre offering a variety of wildlife themed events and activities, and an extensive wildlife garden will be enhanced as an excellent environmental education area.