Fifty years ago, ornithologist Stephen Kress had a bold vision for Eastern Egg Rock, an island off the coast of Maine. He wanted to restore the island’s former colony of Atlantic puffins that hunters had wiped out in the 1880s. This kind of seabird restoration had never been done before, but Kress was determined to […]
Tag: seabirds
Would YOU like your own private island? Stunning Scottish isle inhabited only by birds goes on sale for £150,000
A stunning uninhabited island off the coast of Scotland has gone on the market for £150,000. Barlocco, one of the Islands of Fleet in Wigtown Bay, Dumfries and Galloway is now for sale. The island has been described as a ‘romantic’ dream due to its privacy and the wildlife that can be found on it. […]
Puffin nesting sites in western Europe could be lost by end of century
The majority of puffin nesting sites in western Europe are likely to be lost by the end of the century due to climate breakdown, a report has warned. Other seabirds will also be affected unless urgent action to limit global heating is taken, with razorbills and arctic terns forecast to lose 80% and 87% of […]
‘Apocalyptic’: dead crabs litter beaches in north-east England
An investigation is under way into why thousands of dead crabs and lobsters are washing up on the Tees estuary and neighbouring north-east beaches in recent weeks. Countless crustaceans have been found, with Marske and Saltburn said to be experiencing particularly high numbers, and the first sightings reported in early October in Seaton Carew, Redcar […]
After a Climate Disaster Last Year, Maine’s Seabirds Get a Reprieve
This year, twice as many seabird chicks survived the summer and fledged from their nests along the coast of Maine compared to last year. This exciting success rate is much closer to what’s considered normal for Maine’s seabird colonies, following a steep decline last year as climate change dealt a blow to nesting birds like […]
45-year-old seabird discovered alive and well on an uninhabited island in Orkney
A seabird found on an uninhabited island in Orkney is the oldest of its kind, experts reveal. The fulmar – a type of tube-nosed seabird – was born in July 1975 and spotted almost half a century later on the island of Eynhallow, says the British Trust for Ornithology. Researchers were able to work out […]
Half of world’s bird species in decline as destruction of avian life intensifies
Nearly half of the planet’s bird species are in decline, according to a definitive report that paints the grimmest picture yet of the destruction of avian life. The State of the World’s Birds report, which is released every four years by BirdLife International, shows that the expansion and intensification of agriculture is putting pressure on […]
Acid test: Are the world’s oceans becoming too ‘acidic’ to support life?
Hours after being born, oysters are already working to form their protective, chalk-layered shells. Drawing calcium and carbonate from seawater, they combine the two to form hardened shells. But as humans have pumped voluminous sums of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, this ancient process has come under threat. It’s estimated that the global ocean absorbs […]