Lesser Whitethroat status in Scotland. (1 Viewer)

[Stonefaction]

I am trying to gather together as much info as possible on Lesser Whitethroat numbers etc in Scotland owing to Dundee council plans to build a park and ride for around 400 cars in Riverside Nature Park adjacent to an area used by these birds which I believe are very scarce in this area.

Looking for number of breeding pairs in each area (Lothian, Fife, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perthshire particularly, but other areas welcome too), but also info such as tolerance to disturbance, proximity of territories to human habitation/roads etc. Any help gratefully received.

 

[nicklittlewood]

In "The Breeding Birds of North East Scotland" (covers fieldwork from 2002-2006) breeding popualtion estimated at between 0 and 5 pers per year. This covers Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray. Only actually a single confirmed breeding record during that period but this is likely to under-represent the situation. Historic breeding records seem not to show any particular site fidelity. Do they actually breed at your site?

Hope this helps,

Nick

 

[JTweedie]

According to Birds of Scotland (most data seems to be up to 2004):

Around 400 breeding pairs in Scotland, half of them Lothian and Borders. Loss of breeding habitat is one of the biggest threats to them.

Core sites: Cousland and Tranent, Aberlady and Gullane (Lothian).

Breeding pairs also at East Neuk, Fife. Breeding further north of the Central Belt rarer, but has occurred at Arbroath, Forfar, Dundee, Broughty Ferry.

Populations seem to fluctuate, with Clyde birds down since 2000, but Ayrshire birds up in 2002, but predicted trends are for increasing numbers in Fife, Perth and Kinross, Angus and Dundee.

Ayrshire, Renfrewshire and Dumfries and Galloway councils have implemented Local Biodiversity Action Plans to help them in their territories - maybe worth checking with them how successful they've been and how to raise awareness in your area.

Here's Renfrewshire's action plan: http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/wps/...&CACHEID=9ef6e289-d0b2-4d22-aebd-b230943658aa

 

[Stonefaction]

Nick, they have apparently done so in the mid-90s, one attempt being brought to an early conclusion when the nest site was bulldozed. It was quite late in the season when I found the bird at the site this summer (though a bit too early for the usual passage migrant records which are more usually found at the coast), and I was unaware of earlier records at that point. There is a possibility that they have bred this year, but given the nature of the habitat it would be extremely difficult to be 100% sure (without seeing young being fed etc). As they are rare birds outwith migration times in Angus/Dundee I'm concerned that a possible (and previously used) nest site may be abandoned owing to a park and ride being built very close to the small wooded area they appear to favour. From Fife Bird reports it seems a breeding site in Fife was abandoned when a Park and Ride was being built near Inverkeithing in 2000.

JTweedie, thanks for the link to the Renfrewshire action plan. I actually dug out the Birds of Scotland after posting here, as well as the Breeding Birds of North East Scotland to begin to pull the info I need together, but I don't really have anything definite for the most recent few years.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

I admire the spirit but I think you'd have to come up with a stronger case than 'I saw a lesser whitethroat' to combat such a development.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Sorry, just realised that reads in both a patronising and flippant way. Not intended. I do genuinely admire the spirit, I don't think enough people make a stand about conservation matters. However, even if you could prove that lesser white throat had bred there, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference. Still, all the best with it.

 

[Stonefaction]

I have a feeling it might not make much difference either, but I'm going to try. The more info I can get together the better the case, which isn't solely based on the Lesser Whitethroat angle, though that is possibly the part of my argument where I potentially have some worthwhile ammunition of sorts, and where I can possibly use some statistics to back up my argument against.

The council has created the nature park, and the area they are proposing to use for the park and ride is actually the part of the park where I've seen the most species (outwith Invergowrie Bay which the park borders). We have had 118 species in less than a year and a half seen in/from the park (of which around 40 have been seen in the area the park and ride occupies or will affect through disturbance). I suspect there are very few other sites of similar size within Dundee that would produce similar numbers of species.

The area with the Lesser Whitethroat in is to a large extent bypassed by the dog walkers who use the park in increasing numbers, owing to flooding at one of the corners and the layout of the paths, which appears to make it more popular with the birds.

If the park and ride goes ahead, the number of species within the park boundaries is likely to drop greatly to the species that hang around in car parks, and that are oblivious to dog/human disturbance (Carrion Crow/PiedWagtail/Chaffinch etc) and it will become just another park and car park when it is something a bit different at the moment. Things are still at an early stage and there is another possible location which unfortunately is more expensive to develop, so all is not quite yet lost.

It does seem to be a bit of an own goal for the council to open the site as a nature park (after a lot of hassle owing to possible methane underground - as the site is all landfill) then to concrete over a chunk of it chasing out the nature in the process with its rarest resident being the main casualty.

 

[markhammonds]

It does seem to be a bit of an own goal for the council to open the site as a nature park (after a lot of hassle owing to possible methane underground - as the site is all landfill) then to concrete over a chunk of it chasing out the nature in the process with its rarest resident being the main casualty.

It's not a place I've visited but I hope you have some joy in helping persuade the relevant people to build the car park elsewhere.

 

[markgrubb]

Info up to 2007 on SOC website http://www.the-soc.org.uk/sbr.php

From bird reports I have
Lothian Bird Report 2010-fledged young at 2 sites and singing males at 7 sites
Lothian Bird Report 2009-No confirmed breeding. Juvs seen at 2 sites. Pairs/Singing males at 16 sites
Borders Bird Report 2009-in 2007/08-singing birds at around 6 sites each year with breeding just confirmed at one site

 

[nicklittlewood]

Hi again,

You may know all about the "Biodiversity Duty" on public organisations so my apologies if so. If you have not come across this it is worth noting that some organisation (including councils) will make use of things like the list of UK Priority Species or the Scottish Biodiversity List in fulfilling their duty. It does not, of course, mean that presence of these species will block a development but it might be worth, in your representation, at last seeing which further species there are which might help your case. In this case, species such as Linnet, Tree Sparrow, Grey Partridge or Lapwing (UK Priority Bird species) might actually hold more sway than Lesser Whitethroat (but of course it seems entirely sensible to mention LW and say why they are locally important).

Good luck with the representation. It would be good if more folks presented objections at the appropriate stage, like this, when planners can actually take them into account rather than simply moaning afterwards.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[Stonefaction]

Thanks, guys.
Nick, I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.