Ornithology Review - Spring 2008

Over the course of the last 130 years, the Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis has been steadily colonising the World. Originally a native of Africa and Asia, birds were first recorded in South America as long ago as 1877, having crossed the Atlantic Ocean westwards. Since that time they have reached virtually all parts of North and South America, as far as Alaska. Likewise, both Australia and New Zealand now have populations and, with the exception of Antarctica, they are now to be found on all the Continents of the World.

Cattle Egret in St Peter by Mick Dryden

They seem to have saved us till last, having moved through Europe in the last 30 years and have been breeding in Northern France and Belgium since the 1990's.

We did not record our first example of the species until 2002 but, since that time, they have started to appear on a more regular basis, with up to six birds wintering on the Island in 2006. In the winter which we are now, mercifully, leaving behind us two or possibly three birds have been attending cows in St Peter, St Lawrence and St Martin and it seems to be only a matter of time before they stay year round and breed on the Island. As we have so few herds of cows in Jersey these days, it is worth a look on passing one, to see if any small white egrets are standing amongst them, or on them, ensuring of course that the white bird is not a Little Egret Egretta garzetta, which can also sometimes be seen in cowfields.

Great White Egrets Ardea alba are also expanding their range in our direction, with our first six records of the species occurring in the autumn of 2007. The size of a Grey Heron, these stately birds are far more likely to be seen on the shore, or near water, than in a cowfield and, as with the Cattle Egret, are liable to become a more regular visitor to our shores in the coming years.

Many will remember that, in 2007 our breeding colony of Common Terns Sterna hirundo on Les Écréhous deserted the reef, shortly after their arrival in May, probably due to increased levels of disturbance, both human and avian. We now anxiously await the coming breeding season in the hope that "normal service will be resumed" and they will return to the reef and breed successfully. To this end it is pleasing to note that the Planning and Environment Department of the States of Jersey have been working towards improving the environment there, by running a WISe ( Wildlife Safe Operator) course in order that those who visit during the breeding season are better acquainted with the way to operate and can achieve accreditation to this end. P & E are also introducing a voluntary Code of Conduct. This does seem to have had a positive reaction from the parties likely to be visiting the reef and we now wait in the expectation that this may improve the situation, although the educational process for avian predators is yet to be designed!

More details of WISe can be found online at www.wisescheme.org

Mick Dryden-Chairman