Thousands of threatened seabirds suspected to have died from Avian Influenza are once again washing up on UK beaches. Members of the public are urged to report all dead birds to BirdTrack and to Defra (or DAERA in Northern Ireland) This unprecedented outbreak of Avian Influenza began in 2021 and has had a devastating impact on birds in the UK and beyond.
My May notes ended with “Surely June can’t be as dry as this, can it?” Well it was, for the first nine days, leaving our wonderful sand-dunes burnt brown. Thereafter, live-giving rain fell on ten days but only in small amounts. Met. Office maps showed we had about 75% of normal rainfall during the month. Nationally, it was the hottest June since records began and the sunniest since 1957.
Spring is arriving earlier each year but Cuckoos are unable to shift the timings of their annual migration in response.
The recent spread of Avian Influenza among threatened gulls and terns is gathering pace, say experts from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).