Illegal bird trapping - the dark side of Cyprus

"A Robin Redbreast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage"

William Blake 1757-1827

Its Saturday and I am about to start my third and final week in Cyprus where I have volunteered to work with the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), a German charity dedicated to the eradication of illegal hunting and trapping of birds throughout Europe.  Cyprus, which lies in the eastern end of the Mediterranean basin, is one of the key migratory routes that birds use during their journey between Europe and Africa.  It is assessed that over 100 million birds visit the island every spring and autumn.  According to BirdLife Cyprus, over 2.5 million birds are killed by illegal bird trapping on the island every year.  The number is improbably large, but sadly this is a conservative estimate.

Cyprus

Illegal hunting, mainly with shot guns, is endemic, even in conservation areas

Care of the environment seems to be of little importance - sadly a common sight.  'Fly-tipping' is rife

Bird trapping has been a traditional rural activity in Cyprus using mainly the sticky sap of Syrian plums applied to short sticks deployed in trees and attracted sometimes by tethered decoy birds.  Most people indulged, seeking a little morsel of precious protein to improve their diet.  The overall impact on bird populations was probably insignificant.  In the modern era trappers have taken advantage of the use of mist nets, upgraded the lime sap to include industrial strength glue and have deployed MP3 players and car batteries to mimic and attract passing birds.  The result has been a wholescale scale expansion in slaughter which was only reduced following Cyprus' accession to the European Union in 2004.  However, and again according to Bird Life Cyprus, trapping has again increased significantly since 2005, triggering the intervention of a number of non-government organisations, like CABS, and brave individuals prepared to run the gauntlet of organised crime. 



Blackcaps - or 'ambelopouli' - considered a local delicacy

Female Blackcap or 'ambelopouri' about to be released by a CABS volunteer

CABS runs camps in Cyprus each spring and autumn.  Every night and often early in the morning too, small patrols venture forth into the countryside and suburban areas listening for the unnatural and unmistakable siren sound of bird song.  The most commonly heard is that of the Blackcap, a beautiful warbler familiar to most of us in Europe.  'Ambvelopouli', as they are known here, are the main target.  Each bird is worth approximately €40 driving an industry estimated to be worth €15M a year.  Sadly it's not only Blackcaps that get trapped.  30 other species of bird can be eaten including thrushes and other warblers.  The rest of the 120 or so species that have been reported as caught are simply left to die.  There is a local saying that it is bad luck to release a bird, as each is a gift from God. 

Lime sticks seized by the police



An olive tree prepared for lime sticks - the planks enable access to higher branches

A hard day's night

Patrolling can be dangerous; approaching pick-up trucks and strange voices in the night force volunteers to take cover and hide.  Activists have been beaten up in the past and in my time our hire car was immobilised and key-scratched.  This in no holiday.  Between 4:00 and 5:00 am, the CABS patrols rendezvous with the Animal Protection Service (APS) to brief them on trapping sites they have found during the night and to organise an ambush and hopefully make an arrest.  However, the current scale of trapping and the small capacity of the APS are such that their effect is limited.  A recent excursion of mine into the British Sovereign Base (SBA) area of Dhekalia identified so many active decoys that we could only conclude that the situation is now, in this British controlled area at least, out of control. Despite Prince Charles writing to Commander British Forces Cyprus in March 2014 demanding action, very little seems to have been achieved and trapping continues unabated.  Mention should also be made of the gauntlet Quails run here in Cyprus.  Trappers deploy quail decoys by the dozen across the dry dusty farmland so that the night is filled with the weirdly unnatural sound of their calls.  Whilst hunting Quails in season is legal, attracting them with batteries of eclectically powered decoys is not.



A mist net trapping site 

A night's black harvest - all these birds - mainly Blackcaps - were successfully released, save one which had to be destroyed

Fortunately it's not all bad news.  Trapping is abating in some areas and many young Cypriots are determined to turn things around.  From my perspective, the dedication and determination, combined with an academic rigor in documenting the issue, of the CABS personal has been humbling.  Many have genuinely dedicated their lives to saving birds across Europe in this way and their approach in tackling this distressing issue is impressive.  For me, working as a volunteer, the highlights must include the release of birds following the seizure of mist nets.  Above you can see how they come.  Trapped in mesh and unceremoniously dumped in a bucket. However, careful hands are on standby to cut them free and to release them.



A Garden Warbler cut free

Ian - a CABS volunteer with a small friend

The past 2 weeks have been amazing and eye opening.  As I conclude this post a day after starting it, I reflect on the 7 blackcaps and single Lesser Whitethroat we rescued in the early hours of this morning and released at dawn in a car layby somewhere in the middle of Cyprus.  One's happiness is tempered by the knowledge that many hundreds will not have been so lucky.  Finally, if you wish to join a CABS camp, look at their website and apply.  Please also spread the word so that together we can accelerate the end of this barbarous trade.



A Wryneck shortly before release

In the back of a car in a layby- cutting free a Blackcap

Clockwise from bottom right: a dead Ortolan Bunting, Red-backed Shrike, Wood Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat and Great Reed Warbler



Herbst - Drömling

A short post following a visit to the Drömling this morning.  The weather was initially overcast with sunny periods developing steadily as the morning went on.  The temperature was about 18C.  I have written about the Drömling before - its a huge area not suited for the concentration of migrants and is at its best in Spring when its fit to bursting with newly arrived birds, and late Autumn when the Cranes and Geese are passing through.  Small migrants will pass through on a broad front and are therefore not easy to see. 


Map extract - Drömling

Not surprisingly Swallows were much in evidence skimming across the meadows catching insects.  A few House Martins were also present.  A First Summer Redstart showed nicely on the edge of a bush line.  Amazingly I had not yet seen this species in Germany and so it was new both for the location and the country - for me at least.  Soon afterwards I was surprised by an adult White-tailed Eagle which, as is becoming a habit with this species, approached me from behind.  This is the third time I have seen this species here.  A Lesser Spotted and Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over - the former is scarce and is therefore a good sighting

Swallows - Drömling

First Summer Redstart - Drömling



Adult White-tailed Eagle -  Drömling


Roe deer were much in evidence - they are very common in Germany and roam freely all over the Drömling.  I saw 15 today - they obviously knew that no hunters were about.  Whinchats were quite common and make a nice change from their Stonechat cousins.  A Garden Warbler briefly showed its face before disappearing deep into the bushes again. And, last but not least, a couple of Ravens cavorted overhead against the now blue sky.  Some Common Buzzards and Red Kites added a bit of variety on the raptor front.

Roe Deer  -  Drömling



Whinchat  - Drömling

Raven - Drömling

All in all a pretty uneventful visit and proof that you need to time your visits to get the best from wherever you're going.



Herbst - Frose

Time to get back to the birds.  Autumn is here and things ought to be beginning to move.  A visit to Frose was in order to see what was coming through.  I had also read some reports of late summer congregations of Bee-eaters hawking over the water and was keen to see if I could see some.  I've been to Frose several times attracted by its diversity and the abundance of species - I've seen, after this morning's visit, 68 species here.  The weather was calm and warm - 20C.  A beautiful early autumnal day.
 

Map extract - Frose and the Concordia See



Frose village from over the reed beds

First impressions weren't too optimistic.  I'd timed my arrival so as to arrive mid-morning when the air would be warmer and therefore more conducive to insect activity.  Certainly compared to my visits in the early spring when the place was a cacophony of bird song, it was eerily quiet.  Halfway along the track bisecting the reserve are two expanses of water one of which contains a drowned wood.  The left hand area is more open and shallow and contained the wonderful sight of nearly 200 Lapwings. Often overlooked, these birds are really beautiful, particularly so when the entire flock, spooked by a local Marsh Harrier erupted into the air, their black and white wings contrasting spectacularly against the sun.  Accompanying the Lapwings were several Ruffs in winter plumage and right at the back, beyond camera range, a handful of Dunlins.  So, something was coming through and both waders were new to me at Frose.

Lapwings at Frose

Juvenile Marsh Harrier - Frose

Ruffs at Frose

On I walked pondering all the species I'd seen here in the Spring - nearly all of the warblers were gone save only for a softly plumaged gentle-faced Marsh Warbler and a couple of their Reed brethrens chuntering from deep within the reed beds.  I played cat and mouse with a juvenile Cuckoo hoping for a shot but he or she proved too elusive - always moving on in that long-winged elastic way of theirs.  There really didn't seem to be that much about, especially on the passerine front.  The other lake was graced with 12 Great-White Egrets and some Grey Herons whilst the sky was filled with hirundines fattening up before the long haul south.  Suddenly the air was filled with a quipping sound indicating the arrival of a 10 strong flock of Bee-eaters flying on stiffly held wings over the water.  This species is most obliging in the sense that they're easy to photograph posing obligingly on dead trees in the middle of the lake.  I spotted at least one juvenile bird and assume this raiding party came from the Osmarsleben colony I had visited in June.



Bee-eater - Frose



Bee-eater - Frose

White Storks flying over Frose

Turning back towards the car I picked up 3 White Stocks heading south which, when added to the handful of migrating Cranes I had seen the other day from the car, indicate that the big bird passage has started too.  Frose seems to attract large numbers of Starlings maybe because there is so much suitable roosting habitat.  Large numbers wheeling across the reed beds is a spectacular sight and certainly worth observing not least as a fascinating behavioural characteristic.

A flock of Starlings over Frose

One of ten Great White Egrets - Frose

Finally, I was really please to find a couple of juvenile Penduline Tits - another new species for me at Frose - which despite being widely distributed, aren't that easy to come by.  This couple were certainly easier to photograph than their bearded cousins which never stay still long enough for me to get a snap.  Lastly, just as I approached the car, some Sand Martins flew over head.  Here's the morning's list then: Great White Egret (12), Grey Heron (11), White Stork (4), Marsh Harrier (several), Buzzard (5), Lapwing (circa 200), Dunlin (4), Ruff (8), Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon (2), Cuckoo, Bee-eater (10), Sand Martin (5), Swallow (circa 30), House Martin (22), Pied Wagtail (2), Wren, Dunnock (2), Robin, Song Thrush, Marsh Warbler (1), Reed Warbler (2), Whitethroat (3), Willow Warbler (2), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Penduline Tit (2 juv), Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Starling (100), Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch (15).

Juv Penduline Tit - Frose

Juv Penduline Tit - Frose

Finally, now that the summer is officially over I should return to my original subject - that of Montagu's Harriers.  Despite trying, driving and walking miles, I have seen none - save the early passage female bird in the spring.  I have looked in old haunts and promising acres of crops but must admit that I've drawn a blank.  As they say, information is power, and with so little useful intelligence and help, it was always going to be difficult - but I thought I would find some somewhere!  On the plus side I've got to know the landscape and villages north east of the Harz and have grown to love them in their inimical German way.  And I've seen a lot of great birds in the process and all under my own steam.  Next week the Drömling, but today Frose did not disappoint.

Where angels fear to tread

My wife and I are blessed in having two beautiful boys: Oscar aged 14 and Max who is 12.  Max, who we adopted in 2008, has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHS).  Throughout the past 2 or 3 years, this condition has come to significantly affect Max and all those around him.  Life for us all has become so difficult that we have decided to send Max to a boarding school catering for ADHS and other behavioural conditions.  We will take Max to his new school in Paderborn in Germany on the 11 Aug, and this post is written in tribute to him.

I think this is my first photograph of Max taken in the New Forest in Jan 08.  On his right is his mother Christine and on his left is a close family friend Caroline

Max with his auntie Dolly in Dorset in August 2015

For those of you not familiar with ADHS (why should you unless you need to be), it usually manifests its self either as a hyperactive or impulsive behaviour or as inattentiveness or indeed as a combined condition.  Max has the latter.  Every parent writing about their child with ADHS, stresses the beauty inherent in their child and Max is no exception.  He is beautiful, compassionate, clever and witty but, and on the other hand Max has a deep well of anger within him probably relating to his past and when moved to anger he can be exceptionally rude - especially towards his parents.  His understanding of the concept of truth is profoundly underdeveloped and he lies frequently.  He is also extremely destructive and nearly always with other people's possessions and especially our iPads!  Despite being 12 years old, we still cannot leave Max unsupervised - whenever we have done so, significant nonsense occurs.  So, as you can see our Mouse is more than a handful!

Max - with Mummy in Salisbury summer 2008

When Max came to us aged 4 he behaved like any other boisterous boy.  The first time I saw him I was so amazed by how fast he moved, that I called him the 'Magic Mouse' - a nickname which, much to Max's occasional chagrin, has stood the test of time.  A close friend of mine - a mother of 2 boys and a girl herself - describes Max as a 'veritable force of nature' - he certainly is that!  If my memory serves me correctly, there was little evidence of the challenges that were to come - the occasional tantrums and bouts of naughty behaviour seemed quite normal and we took them in our stride.  He also got on really well with his new brother Oscar which obviously gave us much joy.  As an indication of his maturity, he decided to stay down a year at school in Salisbury by moving classes himself in order to help him manage the transition to his new school and family.  Amazingly, when we moved to Germany 3 years ago and Max attended his new school, he learnt German, which is a complex grammatical language, in about 3 months.


Max in a relaxed mood in France in summer 2010 aged 9



We have received a great deal of social welfare support for Max and were lucky to find a wonderful school in our area which provided exactly the type of pastoral care and discipline Max needed.  His teachers understood Max's condition and supported him patiently and consistently.  When we attended his leaving ceremony there in July, my wife and I wept with gratitude.  Max has also benefited from weekly therapeutic sessions and we all as a family have been able to discuss the highs and lows of life together.  We were always advised to ensure that every naughty deed has a consequence, but when one's armoury of sanctions has been exhausted or become meaningless, what can you do?  However, at the end of day and when all the helpers have gone, we've had no alternative other than to just get on with life as best as possible.  On the whole I think that we've done really well, but we are far from perfect and Max is getting bigger and stronger and, however patient and de-escalatory we try to be, the danger of physical contest is increasing.


Max and Puckle aged 2 in Dorset in May 2015

Christine and I are confident that Max will be happy and will thrive at his new school - he is amazingly sociable and confident.  But we also know that we will miss him enormously and will count the days until he comes home - roughly one weekend in three and obviously for the holidays.  I have just spent the past week with Max in Dorset where we were joined by my sister Helen.  We had a wonderful time together exploring, walking, watching films and visiting friends - always with skateboard in hand!  Max is at his best when he is relaxed and he has been really happy here.  As a parent you always want to do what is best for your children and I hope we have made the right decision for our Mouse.  He is gorgeous beyond measure and incredibly precious.  I am confident that he will thrive and be able to develop constructively in his new school.

Postscript: this piece has been written with Max's kind permission and he is happy with its content - just in case you're wondering.

Die Müritz

Last week we spent a week 'en famille' with Christine's mother and disabled brother by the Müritz in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.  This was always going to be a 'compromise holiday' and the opportunity to get out and see birds was likely to be restricted to very early morning forays.  The end of July is also never a good time to find birds most of whom have gone quiet turning their thoughts to migrating south.  The Müritz, which charmingly means "little sea" in Slavic, is the second largest lake in Germany and the largest lake entirely within Germany.  Its area is 117 km², its maximum depth is 31 metres and it is fed and drained by the river Elde - not to be confused with the rather larger Elbe.  On its eastern shores lies the Müritz National Park covering vast areas of lake, wetland and ancient forest.  The weather during our stay was cool and breezy.


Die Müritz - the national park is on the eastern bank

Die Müritz - a view overlooking the lake from the east bank

My guide was, as usual, Vogel Beobachten in Ostdeutschland whose chapter on the Müritz concentrates almost exclusively on the Ostufer - or the east bank, and my activity consequently focussed on the north eastern arc of forest, lakes and fish ponds you can see on the map.  Iconic species here include Ospreys, White-tailed Eagles and Cranes which can be seen here in their thousands during the autumn.  My first early morning expedition entailed a long walk thorough a forest - I had unwisely left a bike at home - to the Specker See.  On the way I saw several Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatches and tits, including a Willow.  The lake, however, was somewhat disappointing with nothing showing except for some long distant unidentifiable ducks and Mute Swans.  Fortunately my return was enlivened by an obliging Grasshopper Warbler singing its heart out and shivering its tail so fast it seemed to be vibrating - something I've not seem before.  Being able to observe this immaculate little bird so closely saved the morning really!

Specker See - Müritz national park



Grasshopper Warbler - Müritz national park




Nuthatch  - Müritz national park

The next morning I visited the Teufelsbruch and Warnker See slightly further to the north.  This time I took a bike which enabled me to cover the 18 km rather more quickly.  The landscape here is really beautiful and much loved by the Germans who holiday here in their thousands - most of them on bikes!  I should also say that the provision of viewing platforms and hides by the national park authorities is outstanding and most of them were full of families looking out for Ospreys and White-tailed Eagles.  The staring cast at the Warnker See, however, were Cormorants in their hundreds resting on the water and breeding in the trees.  A species often overlooked on account of their commonality and strange reptilian appearance, their congregation here was really fantastic to see.



Public information - wanted dead or alive!

Cormorant   - Müritz national park

Also in attendance were a pair of White-tailed Eagles cavorting over the forest throwing themselves around in the breeze as if they were much smaller birds, and up by the Teufelsbruch an Osprey cruising nonchalantly.  Finally, a Marsh Harrier drifted in and out of view.  All species seem to be common here and can be seen more or less anywhere throughout the park.

White-tailed Eagles - Müritz national park

Osprey - Müritz national park

Male Marsh Harrier - Müritz national park

There were of course many other birds, including large numbers of Greylag Geese flying to and from the water and looking wonderful with the sun glinting on their plumage. One evening I saw a murmuration of Starlings looking for somewhere to roost, wheeling spectacularly across the sky.  So here's the list - 67 species in the dog-end of the breeding season when birds are hard to come by.  Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pheasant, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, White Stork, Black Kite, Red Kite, White-tailed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Osprey, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Crane, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Swift, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Black Redstart, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Grasshopper Warbler, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Red-backed Shrike, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch,, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting.

Flock of Greylag Geese - Müritz national park

Murmuration of Starlings - Müritz national park

Finally, some thoughts on Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (VP) - a north eastern state I had never visited before.  Though by no means the smallest German Lander, VP is the least densely populated.  It is a beautiful gently undulating land of forests, lakes and arable land with very little industry.  It has, I believe, a greater preponderance of Sclösser than anywhere else in Germany.  Many if not most fell into disrepair during the DDR era and the best now have a new life as a kind of German National Trust welcoming tourists and exhibiting the region's history.  I was certainly interested to visit the home of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744–1818) in Mirow, who in 1766 became the wife of King George III.  On a more worrying note VP is one of Germany's poorest regions and  many communities suffered significantly after reunification and the withdrawal in the early 1990s of Soviet forces that were stationed there throughout the Cold War.  On our final afternoon - when the sun had at last come out - we visited a old and now unused air base that had been home to Russian MiGs.  All that is now left now is some rusting military hardware acting now a tourist attraction (I suppose that's better than them being used in anger) and some fading memories of relationships made and maintained and now forever gone.

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

A different kind of bird - a MiG 21 near Rechlin