Oscar Dewhurst

Public outrage at netting put on buildings to deter Kittwakes from nesting has given the species the chance to successfully breed in the Tyne and Wear area this year

reveals the problems Kittiwakes face in our cities and highlights one area’s efforts to help them.

Kittiwakes rarely attract much attention. Largely ignored by visitors to the seabird colonies where they most commonly breed in favour of more obviously photogenic species like Puffins and Gannets, they are perhaps the closest thing to a true ‘seagull’ we have in the UK. Our most abundant breeding gull (with 380,000 breeding pairs making up 8% of the global population), they spend half their year at sea, where they wander large distances across the Atlantic Ocean, reaching as far south as 30°N. What people may be surprised to know, however, is that they are undergoing significant population declines. Globally threatened, they are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List, having suffered large-scale declines of around 40% since 1975.

In the UK, they are Red-listed under the Birds of Conservation Concern; their index fell 62% between 1986 and 2014, and some colonies, such as those on Orkney and Shetland, have plummeted by almost 90%.

Young birds stay at sea for several years, with some not breeding until they are as old as six. The vast majority nest on coastal cliffs, with most of our population breeding in the north and west of the UK.

There are some exceptions to this, however, with the most famous being the sizeable colony that has taken up residence in Newcastle and Gateshead on the River Tyne, some 10 miles inland.

The colony on the River Tyne was established in 1949, when Kittiwakes first bred at North Shields, where the river flows into the North Sea. Since then, they have gradually moved upstream. In the 1960s, they reached the Baltic flour mill and Co-op warehouse, and, in the 1990s, first nested on the Tyne Bridge. Today, the colony exceeds 1,000 pairs, with birds nesting on the bridge and surrounding buildings, including the Baltic Contemporary Arts

Centre (previously the flour mill). This makes it the furthest inland breeding colony of these birds in the world. The adults still feed at sea, making trips lasting up to 10 hours as they commute between feeding locations and their nests on buildings, bridges and lamp posts in Newcastle’s Quayside area, journeys sometimes longer than 100 miles.

Since the origin of the colony, the birds have survived demolition of previous nest sites and re-development of others, most notably the Baltic flour mill. Formerly the principal nest site along the river, the birds had to be moved when the building was redeveloped into the Contemporary Arts Centre it is today.

To compensate for the loss of nesting sites, a man-made ‘Kittiwake tower’ was erected on the south bank of the Tyne at Saltmeadows, which last summer held more than 100 active nests. Fortunately, the birds are back nesting on the Baltic, too; last year the ledges held 123 active nests, and there is a dedicated ‘Kittiwake Cam’ that broadcasts their nesting attempts live all around the world, endearing them to the general public. It has even crashed the Durham Wildlife Trust’s website several times, such has been its popularity!

Electric shocks and spikes

In the recent past, the birds have faced other obstacles. In late 2015, a group of Quayside hotels were determined to rid themselves of the birds. They wanted to use an electric shock system as a deterrent, and requested permission from the council to install it on the Tyne Bridge. One night, someone even put spikes up, although the

hotel group denied any responsibility. Things weren’t looking good for the birds, but to the surprise of many, the local residents came out in force. In excess of 1,000 objections flooded in about the plans to drive the birds out. This was sufficient to persuade the hotel group to withdraw their plans, ensuring the safety of the Kittiwakes.

Last year, the controversy surrounding the birds rose to the surface once again, unfortunately, this time with severe consequences for the birds. Over the 2017-18 winter, while the Kittiwakes were skimming across the waves of the Atlantic, additional netting and spikes were installed on many of the listed buildings on which the birds have traditionally nested. Although intended to act as a deterrent, preventing birds from nesting while causing no physical harm, more than 30 birds became trapped or entangled in the nets at some point over the summer, with at least 20 of these tragically dying as a result.

The netting did little to deter the birds, with many simply choosing to construct nests on top of it. Unfortunately, the gaps in the netting were big enough for young chicks to slip through, before growing to such a size that they couldn’t get back out again. Additionally, being a similar colour to the buildings, some birds didn’t seem to see the netting when trying to land on ledges covered by it, becoming trapped as a result. In some cases, netting was poorly installed and maintained, leaving areas where birds could get behind it, from where they struggled to find their way out.

Time consuming process

The lucky few who were freed owe their survival to rescue services such as Blyth Wildlife Rescue and the RSPCA, the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, and a small number of dedicated self-appointed wardens, who took it upon themselves to carry out regular checks of netted buildings and report any trapped individuals to the relevant rescue organisations. This proved a time-consuming process, however, as in some cases it was difficult to make

The netting did little To deter The birds, with many simply choosing To construct nests on Top of it

contact with building owners. It is worth noting that installing deterrents is perfectly legal, as long as it is completed outside the breeding season, but property owners have a responsibility to ensure any deterrents are maintained such that they do not pose a danger to the birds, and must take action to release trapped birds.

Incidental trapping of birds in this way and failure to take appropriate action could breach both the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006, although there are difficulties with both pieces of legislation. The plight of the Tyne Kittiwakes drew outrage from people across the country. An online petition urging Newcastle City Council to reconsider their position with regards to netting was signed by more than 100,000 people, and there was an outpouring of support for the birds on social media.

Help for the birds

At the time of writing, Kittiwakes are returning to the Quayside area for the summer, and there have been some notable updates since last year. Meetings have been ongoing between various stakeholders, including businesses and property owners, Newcastle City Council, conservation organisations, the Tyne Kittiwake Partnership and a new task group set up to help the birds.

There appears to be a genuine desire to resolve the situation from most of the building owners, who are now fully aware of their responsibilities, and have protocols in place to ensure action will be taken to avoid a repeat of last year’s events. Any netting considered unsafe has been removed, which has in many cases been replaced by alternative deterrents such as bird gel, which appears to birds as if on fire and thus discourages landing, and Avishock™, a slight electric shock system that is not harmful to birds. If there are any injurious effects of Avishock™, it can be switched off to prevent further issues. Some netting does remain, although this is largely restricted to the side of buildings, where it did not cause problems last year. The netting became problematic when it was covering building ledges where the birds were attempting to land.

Although it is disappointing that deterrents remain, many of the buildings on which they are installed are listed, which owners have an obligation to protect, leading to concerns over possible detrimental effects of guano, which builds up in significant amounts over the breeding season. However, the birds have suffered from loss of nesting sites several times since colonising the Tyne, and have always managed to find suitable replacements.

There are still several nesting sites without deterrents and this, combined with the knowledge that there are many Kittiwake supporters out there who put in work to support them, suggests the future of the colony should be secure for this year, and the sounds of the Quayside look set to resemble a seabird colony again.