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Rare bird nests in UK for only the second time
Source: Agencies |
July 27, 2010, Tuesday
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ONE of Britain's rarest birds is nesting, the RSPB said today, only the second confirmed breeding of the bird in the UK.
The little bittern, a small member of the heron family, has made its home at the RSPB's Ham Wall nature reserve in Somerset.
The first time it nested in Britain was in Yorkshire in 1984.
Little Bitterns nest in wetlands and have found the reedbed at the RSPB's reserve near Glastonbury, an ideal location.
Ray Summers, RSPB warden for Ham Wall, said: "We are all absolutely delighted. Since we took on the land at Ham Wall back in the mid 1990s we've been working hard to recreate a pristine wetland.
"To have a nesting little bittern is a fantastic seal of approval for the work we've done. It really demonstrates the quality of the site for wildlife."
Like many birds that nest in dense reedbeds, little bitterns are shy and elusive creatures.
Summers added: "We first saw the male little bittern back in May. Although he kept very much under cover, we could hear him calling and occasionally flying back and forth over the reeds.
"To our surprise, we then started to see a female. We kept our fingers crossed and kept watching the site.
"Then, two weeks ago we started to see the female flying regularly to the same spot in the reeds, a sure sign the bird was taking food to youngsters in the nest -- we couldn't believe it! And finally, just days ago, we had the news we'd been waiting for with the first sightings of a juvenile."
The little bittern breeds across Europe, Africa and southern Asia to Australia.
In Europe over the past 40 years their populations have been in decline. Although the reasons are not entirely clear it is thought that this is linked to loss of habitat, both in the areas they nest, and in Africa where they spend their winter.
The little bittern, a small member of the heron family, has made its home at the RSPB's Ham Wall nature reserve in Somerset.
The first time it nested in Britain was in Yorkshire in 1984.
Little Bitterns nest in wetlands and have found the reedbed at the RSPB's reserve near Glastonbury, an ideal location.
Ray Summers, RSPB warden for Ham Wall, said: "We are all absolutely delighted. Since we took on the land at Ham Wall back in the mid 1990s we've been working hard to recreate a pristine wetland.
"To have a nesting little bittern is a fantastic seal of approval for the work we've done. It really demonstrates the quality of the site for wildlife."
Like many birds that nest in dense reedbeds, little bitterns are shy and elusive creatures.
Summers added: "We first saw the male little bittern back in May. Although he kept very much under cover, we could hear him calling and occasionally flying back and forth over the reeds.
"To our surprise, we then started to see a female. We kept our fingers crossed and kept watching the site.
"Then, two weeks ago we started to see the female flying regularly to the same spot in the reeds, a sure sign the bird was taking food to youngsters in the nest -- we couldn't believe it! And finally, just days ago, we had the news we'd been waiting for with the first sightings of a juvenile."
The little bittern breeds across Europe, Africa and southern Asia to Australia.
In Europe over the past 40 years their populations have been in decline. Although the reasons are not entirely clear it is thought that this is linked to loss of habitat, both in the areas they nest, and in Africa where they spend their winter.
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