News

Tuesday 6 May 2008

Conservation boost at Brackenhurst

Conservationists monitoring Britain’s declining bird population have received a welcome boost from Nottingham Trent University.  Working with the British Trust for Ornithology’s South Nott’s Bird Ringing scheme, staff and students from the university’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences have set up a bird monitoring programme at its Brackenhurst campus.

A baited feeding station is being used to attract the birds during the early hours of the morning and they are captured using special ‘mist’ nets which cause no harm whatsoever.  A uniquely numbered identity ring is placed on the leg of each bird and information such as species, wing length and weight is also recorded.  The birds are then released unharmed.

Work began in January of this year to establish a schedule of regular ringing sessions at the campus, with students invited to take part and learn about the process.  The scheme has proved to be extremely popular leading to several students choosing to begin training as bird ringers themselves.

Christina Taylor, a first year Wildlife Conservation foundation degree student, said: “I think it’s great that we’re given the chance to take part in this work and help towards conserving our country’s bird population.  I’m looking forward to completing my training and I'm aiming to join a scheme when I’ve left university to carry on this work.” 

To date, approximately 400 birds have been caught at the Brackenhurst campus feeding station, including 116 ‘Yellowhammers’ - a species featured on the Royal Society for the Protection of Bird’s (RSPB) Red List of conservation due to its recent decline in population.  The information collected has also helped academics at Brackenhurst to monitor the effectiveness of its Countryside Stewardship conservation work.

Dr Louise Gentle, senior lecturer for the School of Animal Rural and Environmental Sciences, said:  “The data we’re collecting seems to highlight the fact that our Countryside Stewardship scheme is working.  Our aim is to improve habitats for threatened farmland and RSPB Red List birds and we appear to be succeeding in doing that.”

ENDS

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