Two kittiwakes rescued from netting at a hotel on Newcastle Quayside have died. The incident on Tuesday evening was attended by Blyth Wildlife Rescue and the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.
Rescue operation at Vermont Aparthotel
John Anderson from Blyth Wildlife Rescue arrived at the Vermont Aparthotel on Sandhill after three birds were reported stuck in netting. One had already freed itself, but two remained trapped. Anderson called the fire service at 5pm after his team assessed the situation.
He said: "When we got to the hotel opposite the Guildhall, we knew what was happening as a surveyor had called us initially, and we sent a first responder to scope it out. When we arrived and saw how high up the birds were, we knew that the fire service were needed so called them."
The first fire appliance with a normal ladder was not big enough to reach the birds on the third storey. A second fire engine arrived with a huge ladder, and the road was closed to traffic while a crowd gathered. The two birds were recovered, but one died on the way back to the centre, and the second passed away on Wednesday morning.
Previous incident and prevention efforts
This is not the first kittiwake casualty associated with the area this season. In August 2023, another bird died after getting trapped in netting on the same building. Anderson said his organisation is partnering with the Tyne Kittiwake Partnership to look into prevention.
He added: "This isn't the first call out that we have had this year which has sadly resulted in the death of a bird., and we are partnering with the Tyne Kittiwake Partnership to look into what we can do about this. At a scene like this, people are engaging with us which is encouraging to see, and something we need more of."
"We think it is important that all buildings are checked for any issues which could result in a bird becoming trapped, and that netting is properly maintained. We are coming to the end of the kittiwake season now, so the time will soon come for us to get together and see what we can do."
Fire service response
A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "We can confirm that on the evening of Tuesday 11 August two fire appliances attended an animal rescue in Newcastle."
"The emergency call was received by our Fire Control Team at 4.56pm and two crews from Newcastle Central and Gosforth Community Fire Stations were dispatched to a commercial building on Newcastle Quayside. One of the appliances was an Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP), which enabled firefighters to safely rescue two kittiwakes that had become caught in netting."
"Once freed, the birds were handed over to colleagues from Blyth Wildlife Rescue. Our crews left the scene at 6.03pm." The Vermont Aparthotel has been contacted for comment.
