THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE SPOONBILL
I'm really pleased that we have what seems to be a comfortably settled SPOONBILL currently here at RSPB Old Moor. I've written at length about these strange white birds and their ilk before on these blogs and I'm delighted that at least one of them has decided to hang around. The Spoonbill is one of the most striking and exotic birds that visit our shores and for many people this is their first ever chance to see one but, hand on heart, I can't say that it's the prettiest bird in nature's aviary. In fact, with its massive spatulate beak, it could even be described as ugly. Not as ugly as a Shoebill or a Stone Curlew or even a humble Coot chick, granted, but it's still not a pretty bird. I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder but these are creatures that only a mother could love. In fact I'm willing to bet that even their parents don't really love them; they just look after them due to a sense of parental duty.
However they might look, it's still great news that Spoonbills are now being seen with some regularity around the Dearne Valley. There are some great birds around here at the time of writing, such as RUFF, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, GREAT WHITE EGRET and WOOD SANDPIPER. Add to these our young BITTERNS, MARSH HARRIERS and BEARDED TITS that can be seen around Old Moor's reedbeds and it's a great time for local birdwatching.
But while things are looking good locally, the same thing cannot be said on a national scale. Scientists call it Highly Pathogenic Alien Influenza or HPAI but to the likes of you and me it's simply the Avian Flu. And it doesn't matter what you call it, it's a nasty disease, responsible for the death of many thousands of seabirds all along the east and south of England.
From the Great Skua strongholds on the Scottish Islands, through the Tern colonies along England's East Coast (including the Roseate Terns on Coquet Island), down to the Solway's Barnacle Geese population, birds are being wiped out at an unprecedented rate. In some cases a third of these birds have gone, leaving questions over their long-term sustainability.
Each part of the United Kingdom is affected by this largest ever bird flu pandemic. Thankfully it hasn't reached these parts yet but the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust's Attenborough reserve has reported several cases of bird deaths that are “highly likely” to be due to HPAI. That's too close to home to be comfortable.
So what can we do? Well the RSPB is “calling for UK governments to develop coordinated surveillance and testing of wild and domestic birds, carcasses to be safely disposed of and vulnerable bird populations protected. We also want measures put in place to stop the unnecessary disturbance of wild birds affected by the virus. In the longer term, we want much higher importance being given to prioritising and funding seabird conservation. This would help make our seabird populations more resilient to these diseases and the other challenges they face".
At an individual level we can all keep our bird feeders and water stations meticulously clean, scrubbing and disinfecting them at least once a week if possible. We can keep our dogs away from infected birds and areas where they might be wherever possible. And of course we can help the RSPB and other nature charities to hold the Government to account on this issue. I don't want to get involved in party politics here but those in power must do the right thing for the country in which their population lives. That surely includes keeping it infection-free.
It's important to note that the chances of this disease passing from birds to humans is very, very low but there's no point in any of us taking unnecessary risks. If you find a dead or dying bird please leave it alone. Please. Do not touch it and, if necessary, contact Defra in accordance with the Government's guidance. See this link for more details.
You'll notice that I've copied chunks of the above directly from the RSPB's official responses. That's not because I'm too idle to write for myself, it's just that I don't want to misquote them. To that end I'm also including a link to the RSPB's Avian Influenza Updates page. This and the Government page above both make interesting if depressing reading.
So please, keep yourself safe, keep the birds safe and enjoy them while we all can. Even that 'ugly' spoonbill that seems to be living a happy life tucked away in a Willow tree at Old Moor.