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Headlines from week beginning 12 October 2015 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Scotland’s woodlands as species rich as tropical rainforest
- Plantlife New ‘Secrets of the Celtic Rainforest’ project aims to safeguard
their future. What do Octopus Suckers, Black-eyed Susan and Smokey Joe have in
common? They are all rare lichens that thrive in the mild temperate
climate of Scotland's Celtic Rainforest - a habitat is rarer around the
globe than tropical rainforest. Beyond Britain and Ireland, it is found mainly in the redwood forests
of North America, the beech forests of southern Chile, in south-east
Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Taiwan. Internationally important, it
is now the focus of a new project, supported by the Heritage Lottery
Fund (HLF) and Scottish Natural Heritage, to promote the forest's rare
plant "gems" and safeguard their future. The aptly named "Octopus Suckers"
(Collema-fasciculare), one of the wierd and wonderful lichens found in
the Celtic Rainforest. Image © Andy Acton. But what makes Scotland's rainforest so important? The many plants
and fungi that grow here... a typical ravine in Argyll, for example, has
as many as 200 species of mosses and liverworts. These species have
been growing for millennia in some of the rainforests’ remotest spots.
One woodland in Knapdale, Argyll, supports 25% of Britain's entire
mosses and liverworts including species such as Prickly Featherwort, and
rare "filmy" ferns - so called because of their translucent looking
fronds. “Lichens, mosses and liverworts are often overlooked” explains
Plantlife's Polly Phillpot: "Because these plants are so small and
diverse and not, on first glance, as obvious as other species they can
get forgotten. But if you look more closely, you realise just how
intricate and beautiful these plants are - a rainforest in miniature." Sadly, the Celtic Rainforest and its internationally important plants
are under threat from invasive rhododendron, which is shading out the
habitat. Plantlife is working with land managers and communities across
the west coast, including families, schools and children, to put these
secret gems back on the map and save this important aspect of Scotland's
natural heritage.
Record breaking year for iconic bird that fronts the RSPB logo
- RSPB It has been revealed that the avocet, a bird once close to extinction
in the UK and the emblem of the RSPB, has enjoyed a record breaking year
across RSPB reserves. Avocets were missing from the UK between 1842 and 1938 Image: Andy Hay via RSPB Avocets returned to RSPB Minsmere in 1947, after an absence of more
than 100 years, and numbers have continued to grow across the UK. As the
avocet population increases, RSPB reserves have consistently remained
popular with the wading bird, with 50% of the UK’s entire population
choosing them as their home thanks to innovative habitat management
techniques, such as the creation of islands and nursery pools. Mike Clarke, RSPB’s Chief Executive, said: “Where avocets lead,
nature follows. The arrival of avocets on the Suffolk coast in 1947
heralded our continuing relationship with this special place. Minsmere
is now a flagship RSPB reserve, beloved by the many visitors that are
drawn to the wildlife spectacle. Since avocets colonised Minsmere,
they’ve been crucial for the survival of many species, including
bitterns and marsh harriers, and under our care is home to a wealth of
wildlife. This year, Minsmere celebrated what was the best breeding season for
avocets in almost 30 years, with 58 chicks being successfully reared. With autumn now upon us, the number of wintering avocets will soon
reach approximately 7,500 across the country. Poole Harbour in Dorset
attracts a huge wintering colony of avocets, with numbers having risen
from 25 to almost 2000 in just 30 years, now accounting for an
astonishing 40% of the UK wintering population, making it the most
important British wintering site.
Police dog to help protect water vole colony An ex police sniffer dog is being used to monitor for new colonies of
water voles, as part of a reintroduction project in Hertfordshire Stig, an English Springer Spaniel, is probably the world’s first
water vole search dog. Trained as a police sniffer dog, he can cover
large areas quickly and methodically, and gives his handler clear
indications when water vole signs are present. Stig will track for signs of water vole life enabling
conservationists to monitor the progress of this new colony at Thorley
Wash in Hertfordshire. The water voles were relocated from Fingringhoe
Wick on the Essex coast by the Environment Agency, the Wildlife Trusts
and project partners.
It is hoped that the release of these water voles along with a number
of captive bred water voles will see them thrive again in an area where
they were once relatively common. Water vole numbers have declined to
worrying levels in England due to habitat loss and the introduction of
American Mink - a species not native to the UK and a voracious water
vole predator. While rivers in England are the healthiest for over 20 years,
creating good quality, well-connected mink-free habitat is key to the
water voles’ survival in this country. By relocating these voles it is
hoped that they will soon begin to regain some of their old territory. Alastair Driver, national conservation manager at the Environment
Agency and chair of the UK’s water vole steering group, said: It is essential that we have up-to-date information on water vole
distribution because they breed prolifically, but also their populations
can plummet quickly in response to floods, droughts, mink predation and
habitat loss. So having the likes of Stig, who can survey inaccessible
sections of riverbank, is a really important breakthrough for water vole
conservation. The latest report from the Environment Agency and The Wildlife
Trusts’ Water Vole Database and Mapping Project shows that water voles
continue to decline overall in England but information suggests they
have recovered in some areas, such as parts of Essex, in response to
long-term strategic conservation work. Up-to-date information about
where water voles live is a critical part of this work and members of
the public are therefore encouraged to report any water vole sightings
to The Wildlife Trusts. Once verified, sightings will be added to the
national water vole database. Find out more about the national water vole database and mapping
project here
Record-breaking swan arrival adds to cold winter rumours
The first Bewick’s swan of autumn arrived at WWT Slimbridge Wetland
Centre in Gloucestershire yesterday – the earliest for over 50 years –
adding to speculation that we are in for a long and bitter winter. WWT studies have shown that the weather is a major influence on when
Bewick’s swans migrate from Russia, with the wind direction being a
particularly crucial factor. Unusually cold weather is currently
sweeping parts of western Russia and Eastern Europe. Temperatures are
5-10 degrees centigrade below average. The low temperatures, snowfall and north easterly winds have
encouraged Bewick’s swans to press on with their westwards migration
through Europe. They are also currently gathering in the Netherlands,
where there are 45 on Lake Gooimeer and 80 on Lake Lauwersmeer. El Niño is underway in the tropical Pacific, prompting speculation
that Europe is in for a long, cold winter. The early migration of
Bewick’s swans reflects that winter certainly has kicked off earlier
than usual in many countries. WWT’s Julia Newth said: “Apparently there’s a Russian saying ‘the
swan brings snow on its bill’, because they tend to move just ahead of
the cold weather. Of course, we can’t infer much from the arrival of a
single swan but it’s certainly exciting this bird has arrived so early.
It’s only a year old and, because it’s made it all the way here on its
own, we assume that it must have come to Slimbridge last year as a
cygnet with its parents. We record all the Bewick’s swans that come to
Slimbridge each winter by their unique bill pattern as part of our study
and give them a name. This one needed a name, so we’ve called him Record
Breaker.”
Pesticides have a greater impact on invertebrates than climate change,
new study reports - Game and Wildlife
Conservation Trust
A new study by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), with
support from Natural England, has identified that the use of pesticides
on cereal fields could be having a greater impact than previously
thought and that this impact may increase in the face of climate change.
The study, using
over 40 years of data collected on farmland on the Sussex Downs,
considers the effect on arable insects and spiders of factors including
changes in extreme weather events and pesticide use. This is one of the first studies to investigate the impact such
factors have on farmland invertebrates in the UK and it is hoped that
the findings will encourage the creation of new measures to mitigate the
loss of these organisms. The study utilises the data collected across
100 cereal fields every year from 1970 to 2011. The full suite of data
collected in Sussex includes crop management, invertebrates, plants and
bird numbers, allowing a comprehensive study of the changes across more
than 40 years. Of the 26 most commonly identified invertebrate groups, 11 were found
to be sensitive to extreme weather events such as hot-dry summers or
cold-wet winters, although only two (gall midges Cecidomyiidae and
fungus gnats Mycetophilidae) took longer than a year to recover.
Longer-term trends in invertebrate abundance correlated with temperature
and rainfall data obtained from the UK Met Office, consistent with an
impact of climate change. Results suggest that increasing pesticide use has had more of a
direct effect on abundance of some invertebrates than temperature
change, with the main driver of change in an agricultural environment
being human behaviour. Climate change will, in the long term, cause changes in certain
groups of organisms, some of which are cereal pests whose abundance may
increase. Any subsequent increase in the use of insecticides will
negatively affect the abundance of all invertebrate groups, many of
which are beneficial. This could be mitigated through a shift in emphasis from pesticides
as a means of controlling invertebrate pests to the use of conservation
headlands alongside beetle banks, which also protect farmland birds, as
part of an agri-environment scheme that enhances Integrated Pest
Management (IPM).
Nature conservation organisations call on Government to deliver
ambitious vision for nature and people – Yorkshire Wildlife Trust An ambitious and inspirational long-term plan is urgently needed to
save nature and improve our well-being – that is the clear message from
the Response for Nature report published today by a coalition of leading
conservation organisations. Response for Nature asks that young people’s connection to nature
is restored. (Yorkshire WT) The Response for Nature report for England, a follow up to the 2013
State of Nature report, will be launched by naturalist, writer and TV
presenter, Steve Backshall, and 26 conservation organisations at Church
House in London this evening (Tuesday, 13 October), while simultaneous
events will be held in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, to launch reports
for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each report makes key recommendations that governments must make to
help restore nature in the UK. We are losing nature at an alarming rate,
so we must act now to halt and reverse this decline before it’s too late
– not only for nature itself, but people too. In 2013, scientists from 25 nature organisations worked side-by-side
to compile a stock take of our native species – the first of its kind
for the UK. The resulting State of Nature report revealed that 60% of
the species studied had declined over recent decades. More than one in
ten of all the species assessed were under threat of disappearing from
our shores altogether. In his speech at tonight’s London launch Steve Backshall will say:
“The State of Nature report revealed where we are. Now we need a plan
for where we should go. The Response for Nature document starts us on
that long road. Let us be in no doubt that the public is behind us. An
independent survey showed that 90 per cent of the UK population feel
that our well-being and quality is based on nature. Action can’t be
simply hived off to a single, hard-pressed department in Whitehall. It
must run as a matter of course through every department, from Defra to
the Treasury. Every department needs to understand that restoring nature
will be a key solution to some of our most pressing social,
environmental and economic problems. Every individual, from top to
bottom, needs to embrace it, and act on it. To the Government, I say –
please read this report, take note and act on its recommendations. Come
back with the details of your 25-year plan. People and nature need you
to make it a great one.” The Response for Nature reports outlines specific asks for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to help save UK nature.
The British Deer Society publishes report on controversial lynx
reintroduction – The British Deer Society The British Deer Society (BDS) has published a comprehensive 33-page
report on aspects of the possible reintroduction of the Eurasian lynx in
Great Britain. The report will inform any responses the BDS may
make during the consultation phase of any future applications to release
lynx into the wild. It is also hoped that the report will be submitted
for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal by the authors Jos
Milner and Justin Irvine. The report was commissioned by the BDS in August after it was
proposed that a reintroduction of lynx could help control Britain’s
burgeoning deer population. The report gathers current evidence about
the lynx into one place, so an informed opinion can be formulated. John
Bruce, chairman of the BDS Research Committee, explains: “There have
been many differing reports on lynx in the press. This report addresses
some of the main issues around the proposals and collates the evidence
found in similar release programmes. Readers will come to their own
conclusions about the potential for conflict and the probity of
releasing Lynx.”
Multi-cultural Leadership Project Takes Off – Loch Lomond & the
Trossachs National Park Authority A three-year training programme for 15 multi-cultural people from
across Scotland – giving them the skills and qualifications to develop
and deliver local environmental projects – has been launched in the
Cairngorms National Park. The initiative will result in the participants gaining formal
qualifications as well as hands on experience in working with a range of
marginalised or hard to reach communities, encouraging them to visit and
benefit from the outdoors – and particularly Scotland’s National Parks –
for recreation, health and enjoyment and to give them useful skills to
take part in and help others volunteer for environmental projects. The Community Leadership Project is being run by social enterprise
company Backbone with support from a range of partners including the
Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), Loch Lomond and the Trossachs
National Park Authority (LLTNPA), the Rank Foundation, Scottish Natural
Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland and the Esmee Fairbairn
Foundation. Backbone’s Pammy Johal explained: “It’s important to build on the
success of the community leadership projects that we have run over the
past five years and most of the 15 participants selected to take part in
this three year programme have come through that initiative. It is time
now to take things to the next level, break down the barriers and effect
positive change, not just for these 15 people, but also for the various
communities they represent and ultimately help to remove inequalities in
society.”
Rare seabird colony survives tremendous odds to breed on east Norfolk
coast - RSPB Little terns were forced to abandon their nests at their Winterton
colony this summer, but went on to successfully fledge 90 chicks further
up the coast, thanks to the dedication of local volunteers and team
work. This delightful chattering seabird, with its distinctive yellow beak
is suffering the effects of climate change and human disturbance,
resulting in it becoming one of the UK’s rarest breeding seabirds. The
east coast is one of the last remaining strongholds – with 30 per cent
of the national population returning to the area from West Africa each
year to breed. RSPB wardens and volunteers at Winterton beach recorded a good number
of little terns arriving in April and May this year, with 60 nests
established, but watched in dismay as a shortage of suitable food, bad
weather and predators all played a part in causing the colony to
eventually abandon the beach. However, as the birds left Winterton, just up the coast at Eccles,
the warden reported a surge in the numbers of little terns arriving at
the site. Thanks to recent funding from EU LIFE+, the RSPB and partners have
been able to step up their efforts to protect coastal colonies in the
east by investing in local volunteers, new staff and resources. This
extra support meant the team was able to react quickly to events as they
unfolded. The Winterton volunteer team moved their 24-hour monitoring operation
to Eccles to ensure the birds had the best chance of survival. Fences
were put up to protect new nesting sites as they emerged, night watches
ensured predators were kept away, and beach users were made aware of the
presence of the nests. Little tern warden, Danny Hercock said: “A rapid response was vital
in order to at least have one successful colony. We knew that these
arriving birds were the colony from Winterton and wanted to give them
the best chance of survival – some were attempting to nest for the third
time. “
eBird learning:
new study quantifies eBirder variability and individual improvement
- eBird
The 272 million records in eBird come from more than 200,000
different individual birders. Each of us has a different birding style,
different eBirding habits, different bird identification strengths by
sight and sound, and a different focus when in the field (some of us are
always looking up for raptors, while others watch for sparrows
underfoot.) Some sources of variation in detection—from variation in
effort, habitat, date, and time of day—are already accounted for in our
analyses. However, until now our analyses have not accounted for the one
of the greatest sources of variation: the birder. We recently devised a
metric for quantifying differences among birders, and a newly-published
paper describes the use of the method, as well as showing that with more
time spent birding, as measured by the number of eBird checklists a
birder enters, the more proficient they become.
New evidence-based report on sustainability of Scottish moorlands
- Moorland Association Scottish Land & Estates and GWCT have welcomed a new report by
Scottish Natural Heritage that reviews sustainable moorland management. The report, which has received input from a wide range of industry
stakeholders, provides an authoritative examination of four key issues:
Tim Baynes, Director of the Scottish Moorland Group, which is part of
Scottish Land & Estates, said: “This report adds to the growing body of
analysis that highlights the importance of moorland management. The
report recognises the outstanding work of land managers and gamekeepers,
and the defining role of management in shaping the exceptional
environmental importance of these moorland areas. Ten recommendations
are provided within the review and we will work with Scottish Natural
Heritage, the Scottish Government and other stakeholders to deliver
consensus on these issues. It is clear that Scottish Natural Heritage
are determined to keep striving for best practice and through the
Wildlife Estates Scotland scheme – which is recognised in the report –
it is clear that much can be achieved by estates working towards
accreditation.” Amanda Anderson, Director of the Moorland Association said: “Defining
‘sustainability’ is one of the hardest jobs we face in the conservation
world. While we strive to deliver the ‘best’ environment we can for the
benefit of all through for example clean water, recreation and rich
biodiversity, there are inevitably trade-offs with the equally important
socio-economics of land use. We live on a tiny and crowded island where
every square inch is under conflicting pressure. The trick is to find
that middle ground of what ‘good’ looks like and deliver the best we can
for everything. Clearly, that will sometimes involve reaching a
compromise.” Find out more and download the report:
A very rich variety - SNH Scotland's mountains, moors, hills and heaths cover more than 50% of
the land area. They extend from near sea level in the north and west to
our highest tops. We've produced a report
on sustainable moorland management, including a
response from our Chairman The report was requested by the SNH Board
and produced by a sub-group of our Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC)
in October 2015. The report was requested in response to concerns of
Board members about intensified moorland management practices in some
areas, including the spread of hill tracks, increase in muirburn, heavy
culling of mountain hares, and using chemicals to dose red grouse
to increase numbers of grouse for shooting.
Lake District - Yorkshire Dales National Parks Extensions: Two year wait
for an announcement and the delay continues
- Campaign for National Parks Campaigners battling to secure extensions to the Lake District and
Yorkshire Dales National Parks have now been waiting for two years for
the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to
make a decision on the Planning Inspector’s report.
Demonstration farms setting the path for farmland bird recovery
- RSPB
Some bird species reliant on agricultural landscapes, including
iconic songbirds, such as skylark, and yellowhammer, have been declining
sharply since the 1970s – coinciding with a period of rapid and intense
agricultural change. With many species of farmland bird losing more than half of their UK
breeding pairs over this time, extreme concerns have been raised about
these birds’ futures. Both the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT)
and the RSPB have conducted a wealth of peer-reviewed research into the
causes of the declines and their management solutions. A new study by the GWCT and the RSPB has revealed that implementing
such management solutions has brought about the rapid recovery of a
broad range of songbirds at each charity’s demonstration farm (in
Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire, respectively). Providing safe nesting sites and access to food has allowed farmland
bird numbers to double or even treble over just five to 10 years.
The recovery in bird abundance at these sites has been in stark contrast
to the continuing declines seen in the surrounding countryside. This
suggests that a wider roll out of wildlife-friendly farming measures
should lead to a recovery in farmland birds in the wider countryside. At the Leicestershire site, where predators occurred at a high
density, the recovery of species such as thrushes and finches – which
make open ‘cup-like’ nests - required predator management as well as
habitat improvement in order to boost numbers. In comparison, at the
Cambridgeshire site, where the density of predators was low, farmland
bird recovery was achieved solely by habitat management. Predator
density is probably a function of landscape type, being wooded with
mixed farmland in Leicestershire, but open, flat and mainly arable in
Cambridgeshire. Previous studies have found no evidence that crows and magpies limit
songbird numbers across the UK as whole, but that they may do so
locally. So further research is needed to understand how typical the
Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire situations are compared to the rest of
the country. The study was completed at two farms, 42 miles apart in eastern
England: GWCT’s 292-hectare Loddington Farm, in Leicestershire; and the
RSPB’s 181-hectare Hope Farm, in Cambridgeshire. Access the paper: Aebischer, N. J., Bailey, C. M., Gibbonds, D. W., Morris, A. J.,
Peach, W. J. & Stoate, C. (2015)
Twenty years of local farmland bird conservation: the effects of
management on avian abundance at two UK demonstration sites. Bird
Study DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2015.1090391
Buff-tailed Bumblebee Voted Favourite UK Insect
- Royal Society of Biology The buff-tailed bumblebee has been crowned the Favourite UK Insect
after winning a public
poll of almost 7,500 votes run by the Royal Society of Biology
(RSB).
Announced as part of
Biology Week, the buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, is most
certainly ‘queen bee’, securing victory with over 40% of the votes, a
convincing majority of 3,033. Dr Rebecca Nesbit MRSB, entomologist and member of the Royal Society
of Biology said: “Seeing bumblebees buzzing around flowers in our
gardens is a highlight of the British summer. I find it fascinating to
watch them hard at work collecting pollen and nectar to keep their
colony alive and thriving, and it’s great to know that so many people
agree! We’re also acutely aware of the services which insects, and bees
in particular, provide for us. Many crops and wild flowers alike depend
on bumblebees for pollination. They contribute to our economy, our
countryside and the food we eat.” The buff-tailed bumblebee beat nine other contenders to claim the
title: There are over 20,000 insect species in the UK but numbers are
declining. The RSB poll was launched to encourage people to give UK
insects the appreciation they deserve. Ecologists developed a shortlist
of 10 of their favourite UK species and the poll was open to the public
online in August and September 2015.
Hen harriers tagged in landmark project -
RSPB By satellite-tagging hen harriers we will have a more detailed
understanding of the movements of these birds and where they are most at
risk
Hen harriers, one of our rarest and most threatened birds of prey,
are being tracked via satellite tags as part of the RSPB’s Hen Harrier
LIFE+ Project, to protect them and gain better understanding of the
threats they face, as well as identify the places they are most at risk. The satellite tags transmit the locations of the harriers on a
regular basis, and members of the public will be able to follow the
movements of two individuals on a new website launched today. For
security reasons the information available online will be displayed with
a two week delay. “Holly”, the first female harrier, had her satellite tag fitted in
June this year by members of the Scottish Raptor Study Group, assisted
by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Police, and was one of three chicks
from a nest located on high security MOD land at Coulport. She was named
after a member of the production crew from BBC Scotland’s Landward
programme, after appearing in a special feature about hen harriers and
the threats these birds face from illegal killing. Holly fledged in
August and has since left her nest area, and is currently in the uplands
of central Scotland. “Chance” is the second female hen harrier, named by RSPB Scotland,
who was tagged in June last year by members of the Scottish Raptor Study
Group. Chance has provided a wonderful example of how young birds spend
their first year. She travelled south from her nest in south west
Scotland to the RSPB Wallasea reserve in Essex at the end of October
(2014), before crossing the Channel to spend the winter months in the
Pays de la Loire region of western France. Chance came back to the UK in
spring this year and is currently back in France. Bea Ayling, manager of the Hen Harrier LIFE+ Project, said: “Hen
harriers declined by almost 20% in the UK and Isle of Man between 2004
and 2010 so urgent action is needed to help conserve this species. By
fitting satellite tags to harriers we can track them accurately to see
where they go and find out which areas they’re getting into trouble. We
can also gain valuable information on breeding sites, nest locations
and, should the worst happen, be able to locate and recover the bodies
of dead harriers far more easily. The timely recovery of dead birds may
also assist the police and prosecutors in bringing the perpetrators of
crimes to justice.” Scientific publications Heward, C. J., Hoodless, A. N., Conway. G. J., Aebischer, N. J.,
Gillings, C. & Fuller, R. J. (2015)
Current status and recent trend of the Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax
rusticola as a breeding bird in Britain
Cina, A., Hinde, C. A. & Sheldon, B. C. (2015)
Carry-over effects of the social environment on future divorce
probability in a wild bird population. Proceedings of the Royal
Society B. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0920 Nedelc, S. L., Simpson, S. D., Morley, E. L., Nedelec, B. & Radford,
A. N. (2015)
Impacts of regular and random noise on the behaviour, growth and
development of larval Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua).
Proceedings of the Royal Society B. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1943
Proceedings of the Royal Society B Wotton ,S. R., Eaton, M., Ewing, S. R. & Green, R. E. (2015)
The increase in the Corncrake Crex crex population of the
United Kingdom has slowed. Bird Study. DOI:
10.1080/00063657.2015.1089837
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CJS is not responsible for content of external sites. Details believed correct but given without prejudice. Disclaimer: the views expressed in these news pages do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CJS. |
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Stig
the sniffer dog (Credit: Josh Kubale/Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust
via Environment Agency)
Record
breaker (c) Martin McGill WWT
Sussex
Study area
Ovenbird—a
difficult species to detect when it isn't singing (credit: eBird)
Research
highlights the role that wildlife-friendly farming can play in reversing
declines of threatened species like the yellowhammer
Buff-tailed
Bumblebee image:Jonas Myrenas
Image:
Graham Catley
