Fears for survival of seabird colony
THE first colony of kittiwakes to nest on the River Tyne more than 70 years ago could be lost this year, fear experts.
County Durham-based ornithologist and author Alan Coulson began studying the nesting birds around the North Shields ferry landing in 1949.
Nationally and internationally, kittiwakes are a ‘red-listed’ threatened species, having suffered a population drop of around 40% in the last 50 years which makes the Tyne colony up to Newcastle and Gateshead an important nesting base for the species.
An average of 13 pairs of kittiwakes have nested on the Ferry Mews building at North Shields for the last 20 years and last year raised 16 young.
But now deterrent netting has been installed on the building and with the birds due back at the site at the end of February or early March, there are fears that the long-established colony will be no more.
Ornithologist Dan Turner, who has studied the Tyne kittiwakes for the last 27 years, has started a petition on Change.org to save the North Shields nesters, and it has quickly clocked up almost 3,000 signatures.
He has also contacted North
Tyneside Council leader Norma Redfearn and Tynemouth MP Alan Campbell.
“This site has been smothered in bird-deterrent netting. They will be at
a loss on returning from sea to find their nest site blocked off,” said Mr Turner, the author of four books on ornithology and social history.
“It will be a very sad day and such a shame if this site is lost after the birds have nested there for so long. The netting needs to be removed immediately and discussions held with North Tyneside Council.”
From its North Shields beginnings, the Tyne colony has grown to 1,639 nests last year with the bulk around the Newcastle and Gateshead quaysides.
This makes it the furthest inland nesting colony in the world and one of the few – if any – which is not declining.
The Tyne Kittiwake Partnership was formed to ensure that the population along the Tyne is safeguarded. The partnership includes the Natural History Society of Northumbria, RSPB, Northumberland and Durham Wildlife Trusts, Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside Councils, Newcastle University and individual researchers and ornithologists. The partnership said: “2018 saw these birds receive unprecedented media attention following a series of incidents where individual kittiwakes became accidentally caught, and in some instances perished, as a result of unfit bird deterrent netting. “Members of the Tyne Kittiwake Partnership worked alongside the RSPCA to support rescue operations and efforts have continued in an attempt to prevent this from happening again.” A North Tyneside Council spokesperson said: “As the council, it’s not within our powers to take action here as the use of netting as a deterrent is not illegal as long as it is installed before any nest-building. This is a private building and it is the responsibility of the property owners to ensure that any netting does not result in any harm to local wildlife.”