Sporting and leisure activities are common at the Northern Irish sea loughs. Human-related disturbances to foraging or resting waterbirds can come from a range of sources, from people on foot or using machines or vehicles, and from industrial or recreational activities. Such disturbances may cause birds to fly away to alternate areas or cause non-fleeing responses like increased vigilance. This pilot project builds on the findings of an analysis of within-site wintering waterbird trends, and provides a more targeted field-based study that directly assesses the potential responses of waterbirds to disturbance. A particular focus of the work is disturbance associated with intertidal aquaculture activities at sites across Northern Ireland, and the report seeks to set these in the context of disturbance events caused by other activities.

This study examines the foraging ranges of Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls during the breeding season to help identify and resolve potential human–wildlife conflicts.

The Wild Bird Indicators are part of the government’s suite of biodiversity indicators, alongside indicators related to measures of habitat condition, air pollution, river water quality, extent of protected areas, spread of non-native species as well as the state of butterflies and other wildlife. The indicators are produced annually for Defra and NatureScot by BTO, together with RSPB and JNCC. The Wild Bird Indicator is an accredited Government Official Statistic, and further information on its construction and how it is developed can be found on the government website. The Wild Bird Indicators are based on population trends of bird species that are native to, and breed or spend the winter in, the UK. These population trends are calculated largely using data that is collected by volunteers, as part of national bird monitoring schemes like the BTO/RSPB/JNCC Wetland Bird Survey and the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey. The indicators therefore link the efforts of our dedicated volunteers directly to a policy-relevant assessment of the state of nature. The indicators group breeding birds by habitat: farmland, woodland, uplands, waterways and wetlands, and marine and coastal areas, and most are based on datasets that stretch as far back as 1970. This means that indicators are a useful tool for examining how birds associated with different landscapes have fared over many decades. The indicators also report on the state of our internationally important wintering (i.e. non-breeding) wetland and coastal birds.

How can emerging technologies be optimally harnessed in seabird monitoring?

This report presents results from the first year of passive acoustic monitoring as part of the pilot of the Rewilding Monitoring Framework, working with Radnorshire Wildlife Trust. These data will contribute to baselining and monitoring rewilding progress and its impact on biodiversity.

This report presents the main findings from survey work delivered using passive acoustic monitoring devices deployed across Connecting Constable and Gainsborough Country Landscape Recovery Project area.