Download Seabird Recovery Project 20/4/17

20/4/17 Lydia Titterton and Holly Paget-Brown, RSPB Seabird Recovery Project on the IOS
Lydia began by saying that the Isles of Scilly are internationally important for sea birds. There are
around 17000 pairs breeding on the islands and 13 different species. Overall, the breeding population in
Scilly has declined by nearly a quarter in the last 25 years, largely due to rat predation. The project,
which aimed to eradicate rats from St. Agnes and Gugh, was highly successful and the two islands are
finally rat-free. The residents of St. Agnes and Gugh played a significant role as Lydia explained later.
Richard McCarthy, St. Agnes, was instrumental in helping to set up a study in 2010 to look into the
possibility of eradicating the rats. The project, which got underway in 2013, was carried out by the RSPB
and managed by Jaclyn Pearson, in partnership with the IOS Wildlife Trust, IOS AONB, Natural England
and the Duchy of Cornwall. Lydia was Project Officer and Holly, Project Asst., both roles still on-going.
Two of the most important species in need of protection are the Manx Shearwater and the Storm
Petrel. The MS is very graceful in flight, gliding over the surface of the sea, occasionally banking or
‘shearing’. On land it is very slow and clumsy. They spend most of their life at sea, returning to their
burrows at night. Unfortunately it is vulnerable to predation from brown rats brought over on
shipwrecks in the 1700’s. On St. Agnes and Gugh there were around 3500 rats and every year they were
eating the eggs and chicks of the Manx Shearwaters and Storm Petrels. The MS only lay one egg each
year and none of the chicks were surviving. The parents were not at the nest to see the chick fledge and
the rats moved in. If they do survive, the young birds follow the adults to South America and spend four
years on the wing before returning to their original nest to breed.
The Storm Petrels nest in burrows, the majority on Annet which is one of only two places they breed.
They are the size of a sparrow, very shy and secretive and very vulnerable to predation.
Lydia then explained the three main objectives of the Seabird Recovery Project (SRP):
1. To reverse the recent decline in population numbers of Storm Petrels and Manx Shearwaters.
2. To train and educate the community of St. Agnes and Gugh to keep the islands rat-free.
3. To enable people living on and visiting the IOS to learn about and play an active role in celebrating
and conserving their seabird and wider natural heritage.
A specialist team of rat-removal contractors from New Zealand came to the islands in the summer of
2013, an assessment was carried out and the SRP started in the winter of 2013/14 when rat bait was put
down. It took just 3 weeks to eradicate 3500 rats. In September 2014, the first Manx Shearwater chicks
recorded in living memory was a major achievement. In March 2015, the islands were declared rat-free.
During the same year, an all-island seabird survey was carried out. The RSPB team managed to get to all
the islands and in September the first Storm-Petrels in living memory were found on St. Agnes.
The involvement of the communities on St. Agnes and Gugh
Before the commencement of the SRP, residents of St. Agnes and Gugh were consulted and everyone
was in favour of the project. Quite a number were actively engaged as volunteers. Firstly, a number of
measures had to be undertaken including the distribution of wheelie bins to contain domestic waste, a
beach clean and bonfires. Baiting stations were set up every 100 sq.m., ensuring that no birds or other
animals could enter. Each home had its own lockable station. A baiting awareness workshop was held
for the schoolchildren so that they would know not to touch one ever again.
The SRP team all wore orange hats so that residents would know who was rummaging in their gardens!
Every day the team would check the baiting stations and see if the blocks of wax mixed with cocoa had
been taken. Lydia said that the bait had been designed to attract rats but not the Scilly Shrew which is a
protected species and part of the conservation project.
At the end of November 2014 when there were no visible signs of rats, the team began a monitoring
programme. Another method of checking for rats was to put down a black tunnel baited with peanut
butter and card dabbed with ink. By looking at the footprints left behind, the team were able to identify
whether rats or shrews had been inside. Lydia showed a photograph of many shrew prints!
Lydia explained why Gugh had so many rats, mainly around the coast and farms. Gugh is a small island
with a large colony of Black-backed gulls so their nests provided a rich source of food for the rats. Annet
is the main seabird island with Great Black-backed gulls, Lesser Black-backed gulls, Shearwaters, Puffins
and the majority of Storm Petrels breed there. It had been rat-free for 11 years but there was an
incursion in 2006 which probably came from St. Agnes and Gugh.
Following up on the success of the SRP, Lydia said that the community on St. Agnes and Gugh remain
vigilant for signs of incursion by rats – if this should happen it is unlikely to be from rats swimming from
another inhabited island due to the limited distance that a rat can swim. The greatest risk is that a rat
will stowaway on a boat and for this reason the Boatmen’s Assn. launches have a bait box on board. The
Lyonesse Lady also checks the boat arriving at St. Agnes. Twenty volunteers on St. Agnes check the 30
monitoring stations every month and the team have put up ‘Rat on a Rat’ signs which give a phone
number to ring.
Since the last record was taken in 2006, numbers of seabirds are increasing and Manx Shearwaters are
up 206%. Apart from St. Agnes and Gugh they now nest on Tresco, Bryher and St. Mary’s though they
are, of course, susceptible to predation from rats on these islands. Farmers on St. Agnes and Gugh have
also benefitted from the project as they were losing crops due to rat damage. The Scilly Shrew is doing
well.
The RSPB and volunteers continue their public awareness at fetes, on guided walks, beach cleans and
rambles. Involving school groups is a very important aspect of their work.
Lydia then spoke about the work carried out this winter on St. Helens, Tresco and St. Mary’s. DNA
studies are being undertaken to see if the rats are becoming resistant to poison as it is possible. Lydia
said that to eradicate rats on all the other islands would be difficult as Samson to the Eastern Isles
would have to be baited at the same time and they do not think they would get the support of all the
communities. At the present time, St. Mary’s would not be possible due to the old sewer system.
However, Lydia felt that eradicating rats from the other islands would be worthwhile and European
funding is being investigated.
A huge thank you to Lydia and Holly for giving us such a fascinating insight into the vital work of the
RSPB and all the other organisations and volunteers involved in protecting our seabirds and ensuring
their survival in much greater numbers well into the future.