Mixed fortunes for breeding birds

There’s mixed news for terrestrial breeding birds in Scotland, according to Scottish National Heritage’s latest figures. The figures have been arrived at by using a smoothed index system to take account of short term fluctuations caused by bad weather and similar factors, making it easier to see long term trends. Over the period 1994-2015, the index has shown an increase in numbers until 2007 over the 66 species surveyed, with a slight decrease after that. Woodland birds seem to have done especially well, with a 68% increase over the 1994 baseline figure, with farmland birds showing a 22% increase despite fluctuations. Upland birds, however, such as Black Grouse and Curlew, have seen a downward trend of about 14% over the long term. To view all the statistics and find out more, go to http://bit.ly/2fuotys Coquet Island, home to the largest colony of Roseate Terns in the UK, is normally off limits to visitors. This isolation is the main reason that Roseate Tern numbers are increasing there, and why the island holds more Puffins than any other RSPB reserve. However, thanks to National Lottery players and Virtual Reality Technology, visitors to Bempton Cliffs RSPB in Yorkshire can now experience what it is like to be on Coquet without causing any disturbance to the wildlife. Virtual reality headsets transport the visitor to the heart of the island with a 360 degree view of the rare seabirds that call Coquet home. The exhibition runs until February, and includes live feeds from Coquet onto the big screens at Bempton. Admission is free. For more information go to rspb.org.uk/bemptoncliffs