Hello DBAP Upland Bird Group and others

A quick email to request that, if you come across or hear about reports of any twite in the North Pennines this summer, could you let me know?

The RSPB is hoping to run a twite recovery project down in the South Pennines this year, and all going well we'd like to extend it northwards in the future.

However we'll need to demonstrate that a breeding population remains in the North Pennines first!  As you may know, the recent survey of the North Pennine Moors Special Protection Area didn't find any breeding pairs.  There seems no doubt that birds are present in spring and autumn, but they can be frustratingly difficult to find when breeding.

A couple of staff from the Newcastle office will be doing some surveys in some key areas this summer, but it will be a fairly limited exercise.  However we will go and check out areas where birds have been recently seen, if we hear of any.

Would appreciate any info you can pass on.  Please also circulate this email to any colleagues or contacts who know their twite and will be out in the hills over the next few months - thanks.

The following link has a sound file to remind you of the call if, like me, you haven't heard twite for a while...  http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/t/twite/index.asp

Best, Martin

Martin Kerby
Conservation Officer for the North East
RSPB Northern England Region
E-mail: Martin.Kerby@rspb.org.uk