Latest news with #breedingseason
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Kielder Forest's first osprey chicks of the year hatch
The first osprey chicks of the year have hatched at one of their most important sites in chicks hatched at Kielder Forest, in Northumberland, earlier this week despite what were described as "less than ideal" conditions with wind and year saw the ospreys' earliest recorded return to the national park from sub-Saharan Africa with a sighting on 21 March - three days ahead of the previous first led to hopes of an improved breeding season after 12 chicks failed to fledge last year. The park is awaiting possible further hatchings this a Facebook post announcing the new arrivals, it said: "Conditions have been less than ideal here, with wind and rain causing a few wobbles but we're hopeful for a few more hatching over the weekend."There have been some excellent parenting skills on show and, with a steady diet of Kielder's rainbow trout, the chicks will grow quickly."Once found throughout the UK, wild ospreys were persecuted and the species became extinct in England in 1847 and in Scotland in in 2009 ospreys were born for the first time in Northumberland in more than 200 years, with more than 120 successfully fledging since are now approximately 350 breeding pairs in the UK, mostly in Scotland, but numbers in England and Wales have been slowly increasing. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
Billingham residents 'attacked' by crows as they tried to save bird
A community has described how they were "viciously attacked" by two crows while trying save a baby bird that had fallen from its living around Rievaulx Avenue in Billingham, Teesside, first spotted the chick on Tuesday morning and began to put out food, with children also laying jumpers to keep it of those who helped said "anybody walking past the nest" was running the risk of being chased by the adults, as they tried to defend the young bird, which has since RSPB said during breeding season, crows will attack when there is "a threat towards their chicks" and warned people to keep their distance. One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "Any time somebody approached the baby the big ones would viciously attack them."I saw them chase one man the whole way down the street and he wasn't even doing anything."A lot of people have been trying to feed it. Some school kids put out jumpers to keep it warm." Another resident, who tried to look after the young bird, said she was "devastated" to find out it had died."It is just so sad, I didn't see it this morning and I did worry," she said."Hopefully they have other babies and they don't just have one at a time."An RSPB spokesperson warned members of the public to "keep a distance from any nests during breeding season"."Crows only tend to attack humans when they get near to their nests during the breeding season," they said."[They] usually keep to themselves and will only attack when they feel threatened themselves, or a threat towards their chicks." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Thirsk Bird of Prey Centre owner's fears over electricity work
Work to replace electricity supply poles near a bird of prey centre could disrupt nesting birds during breeding season, its owner has Powergrid said it intended to replace two poles close to Thirsk Bird of Prey Centre in North Yorkshire next week, with the work expected to take several Badgery, who owns the centre, said as well as fearing that electricity engineers could disturb the birds at a vital time of year, he was also having to pay to hire a generator so the site could remain open.A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid said: "We have liaised with the customer to reassure that no works will take place directly over the aviary and provided appropriate advice." 'Cause distress' Mr Badgery explained: "The cables actually run over the top of our breeding pens, and bear in mind it's spring and it's the breeding season, so we've got breeding birds down there."One pair are Egyptian vultures, which are critically endangered, and there are only a few pairs within the UK as it is."So, our concern is that the wires would be dropped down onto the cages, as they've been done before, which can cause some distress."The centre also needed a generator to supply power to the tills, the cafe and the computer system, he said, but while he had asked Northern Powergrid to supply one, the company said it was his responsibility to pay for one. Mr Badgery said his concerns over the electricity work came at a time when bird flu restrictions were already affecting the business, meaning only certain birds could be used in the centre's falconry displays. "We've had to restrict ourselves to two displays a day, because the the current legislation is that if we lose sight of a bird for one minute, then we have to put them into two weeks' quarantine, which just isn't feasible. "We're only flying the birds we know we can keep within the boundaries of the arena or that we know are going to be tracked with the GPS so we know exactly where they are."The sight of people working nearby in hi-vis kit could also unsettle the birds, Mr Badgery said, though he added that the centre would still be open to visitors as normal. "We have asked the engineers if this work could be rescheduled after breeding season, however our request has been denied," he said. 'Appropriate advice' In a statement, a Northern Powergrid spokesperson said: "As part of our yearly maintenance and replacement of electricity poles, we have identified a need to carry out pole replacements next to the Thirsk Bird of Prey Centre."To safely perform this work, a power outage is planned between 9am and 2pm on 23 May and we estimate the works will be completed the same day. "We have liaised with the customer to reassure that no works will take place directly over the aviary and provided appropriate advice."The firm had "a statutory right to, on occasion, disconnect supplies to carry out work on our network", they added."Under these circumstances, Northern Powergrid is not obliged to provide business customers with generators."The spokesperson said the firm took its responsibilities "seriously" and worked hard "to deliver excellent service to all our customers"."However, whether planned or unplanned, power cuts do happen, and it is not possible to always guarantee a continuous electricity supply." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
