PORTS of Jersey firefighters have been helping to survey one of the few birds which are welcome on the airfield at Jersey Airport.
Although larger bird activity around the runway is discouraged, smaller bird species that do not cause any danger to aviation, such as the skylark, are welcome.
The skylark survey, which is carried out on behalf of the Ornithological section of the Société Jersiaise and the Jersey Biodiversity Centre, has taken place every June since 2006, when just 36 of the birds were logged. This year the team identified 110.
Skylarks are classed as a red-list species due to habitat loss, disturbance and changes in farming practices, and are in dramatic decline nationally.
Firefighter Neil Harvey said: “The airfield grassland has become a favoured site for nesting and roosting skylarks in recent years, and is now Jersey’s primary habitat for the birds. We are pleased to be involved with the ongoing surveying and conservation of the skylark in Jersey.”
