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Headlines from week beginning 18 September 2017 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Bird-eating raptors reap rewards of city life
– Nottingham Trent University Bird-eating raptors are adapting just as well – and in some cases
better – to life in towns and cities than their natural habitats,
research by Nottingham Trent University suggests.
A plentiful supply of food means specialist bird predators such as
peregrine falcons, Cooper’s hawks and northern goshawks are thriving in
their new urban environments. Access the paper: Kettel, E. F.,
Gentle, L. K., Quinn, J. L. & Yarnell, R. W. (2017)
The breeding performance of raptors in urban landscapes: a review and
meta-analysis. Journal of Ornithology
Climate change is expected to create conditions for marine non-native
species to survive further north around northwest Europe in the future,
with a range of economic and ecological consequences according to
predictions developed through new modelling approaches developed by
scientists. New research by a cross-disciplinary team from the Centre for
Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), the Met Office,
The University of Exeter and the University of East Anglia increases the
chance that marine non-native species, that have caused damage in other
The marine non-native species identified in the paper include the slipper limpet which can reduce biological diversity and can affect growth of commercial shellfish, and the Pacific oyster, which could offer potential commercial opportunities. Pacific oyster (Paul Brazier) This new study, published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, modelled how marine climate change could affect future establishment of the potentially most impactful species in northwest Europe, to enable scientists to understand the potential impacts to anticipate and plan for such establishing populations. Marine species can be accidentally transported via a range of activities but can only become established if environmental conditions are suitable.
Aberdeen bypass to provide safe wildlife travel
– Transport Scotland
Image: Transport Scotland Two dedicated wildlife bridges are being constructed over the new
road at Kingcausie and Kirkhill, where there are large surrounding areas
of woodland habitat. Mammal-proof fencing will guide animals towards the
bridges providing them with safe crossing points which will join up
habitats and connect colonies. Small trees and shrubs will also be
planted on and around the bridges to provide cover for wildlife. The decking areas of these two bridges will be covered with topsoil
in varying depths, with planting to replicate the natural habitats of
deer, badgers and red squirrels and encourage wildlife to use the
routes.
Why aren’t house sparrows as big as geese? –
Norwegian University of Science & Technology A group of researchers spent twelve seasons making some house
sparrows bigger and others smaller. Their experiment yielded some
important answers. Why are house sparrows (Passer domesticus) the exact size
they are? Why aren’t they hummingbird size or as large as geese?
It sounds like a strange question to ask, but it’s actually an
overarching question of evolution. It may be able to tell us something
about how we adapt to changes in the environment. Our planet is changing
and we need to change with it. Why have we evolved as we have? Evolution theory says that we’ve
adapted to our conditions. So sparrows are probably as big as they
should be, according to their living conditions. But can we prove that? Researchers have run experiments in
laboratories, but never in nature. Could it be done? Fiddled with evolution A group of researchers at NTNU wanted to attempt that exact
experiment. First they would tamper with evolution to see if they could
change the size of the sparrows. They would do that by capturing wild
birds on islands and rejecting individuals with undesirable
characteristics. After releasing the selected birds back into the wild, the
researchers wanted to see if their size would revert back to normal
through evolution’s natural selection process. “It’s the first time in the world that anyone has conducted artificial selection on birds from a wild population,” says Thomas Kvalnes, a postdoctoral fellow at NTNU’s Department of Biology. Government pledges £500,000 for new action group to grow future of public parks – Department for Communities and Local Government New Parks Action Group launched to help England’s public parks and
green spaces meet the needs of communities now and in the future. Parks and Green Spaces Minister Marcus Jones today (19 September
2017) launched a new Parks Action Group to help England’s public parks
and green spaces meet the needs of communities now and in the future.
Image: Gov.uk The action group will propose what steps can be taken in line with
the government response to the recent House of Common’s Communities and
Local Government Select Committee report into the future of parks and
green spaces. Parks and Green Spaces Minister Marcus Jones said:
The reds are back! – Forestry Commission
Scotland Recent feeder box monitoring and camera trapping carried out in
Countesswells and Foggieton Woods, near Aberdeen, indicates a rosy
future for red squirrels.
Image: Forestry Commission Scotland Philippa Murphy, Environment Manager for the FES team in the area,
said As well as following best practice to manage the woodlands for red
squirrels, other measures taken include minimising the amount of large
clearfell sites and maximising the tree species favoured by red
squirrels.
Report suggests love of the seas could be the key for plastic pollution
solution – Plymouth University The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, builds on research
demonstrating marine litter can undermine the benefits of coastal
environments Tapping into the public’s passion for the ocean environment could be
the key to reducing the threats posed to it by plastic pollution, a new
report suggests. Millions of tons of plastic particles accumulate in our seas each
year as a result of human behaviour, and once there they have a
potentially detrimental effect on marine life. But reversing this trend, and finding ways to maintain both the
health of our oceans and the human benefits associated with it, is a
complicated task. Writing in Nature Human Behaviour, academics from the University of
Plymouth and the University of Surrey identify recent examples where
public pressure has led to policy change, including levies on single-use
plastic bags and bans on the use of microbeads in cosmetics. But while these are steps in the right direction, they are not
addressing either the root causes or lasting effects of the problem,
with the report saying there needs to be a more joined-up and
interdisciplinary approach going forward. Dr Sabine Pahl, Associate Professor (Reader) in Psychology and lead
author on the report, said:
Partnership Project Releases Britain’s Rarest Lizard Back into the Wild
in Surrey – Amphibian & Reptile Conservation As part of efforts to restore Britain’s biodiversity, the sand
lizard conservation partnership led by Marwell Wildlife and
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, has released 80 juvenile sand
lizards onto Eelmoor Marsh Site of Special Scientific Interest, near
Farnborough.
Credit: Paul N Drane Working alongside the University of Southampton and the Surrey
Amphibian and Reptile Group, the sand lizard population will be closely
monitored after their release by Marwell Wildlife and University of
Southampton PhD student, Rachel Gardner, who is working hard to
continually assess the existing reptile community on site and the
habitat suitability. Rachel hopes the exercise will not only offer
the opportunity to return the species to its indigenous range but also
help answer some key questions surrounding its dispersal, use of
microhabitats and survivorship: “As part of the close monitoring of the
lizards after the release we hope to radio tag a portion of the
population next year, in order to follow individuals more closely. In
total we intend for 240 individuals to be released during this
reintroduction programme to establish a self-sustaining population at
the site indefinitely.” Despite occurring widely across Europe and Asia, the sand lizard (Lacerta
agilis) is threatened in the north western part of its range and
had disappeared from much of its former habitat in England and Wales
prior to concerted conservation efforts.
New report shows worrying increase in dolphin deaths in Cornwall
– Cornwall Wildlife Trust A worrying increase in dolphin deaths has been observed in Cornwall
in the last year, highlighted by Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s 2016 Marine
The report, summarising the work of the vital marine conservation
project in Cornwall and available to download off the Trust website, has
highlighted an astounding 50% increase in cetacean (dolphins, porpoises
and whales) deaths in 2016 compared with 2015. Common dolphin stranded on Maenporth beach (Emma Theobold) A total of 205 animals stranded in Cornwall in 2016, compared with
only 10 in 2015. Amongst the 205 recorded, 113 were short-beaked common
dolphins and 61 were harbour porpoises. Of particular stranding interest
in 2016 were both a female sperm whale which stranded and was post
mortem on Perran Sands, north Cornwall, in July 2016, and a bottlenose
dolphin which stranded on the Isles of Scilly and was recorded on the
30th November 2016. A minke whale also stranded further north at Compass
Point near Bude on the 13th July 2016. Abby Crosby, Marine Conservation Officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust,
says “The Trust has been collecting data on marine mammal strandings for
over 25 years, so we can clearly identify peak levels of strandings.
Seeing this recent increase is extremely worrying and highlights the
importance of ensuring this work continues into the future whilst we
discover what is happening out at sea.”
Future sea-level rise will increase potential flood risks in Firth of
Clyde area - Scottish Natural Heritage Sea levels will rise by up to 0.47m by 2080, a new report published
by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has highlighted. Sea-level rise will present a challenge in terms of managing
potential effects on certain low-lying coastal areas of the Clyde. The
report identifies more than 100 developed areas, designated sites, and
roads and railways where action should be taken to avoid potential
impacts. And planning is already underway in many areas to identify ways in
which the risk can be managed. This includes making use of the natural
coastline where possible. These include parts of the Faslane naval base, home to the Trident
nuclear weapons system, and pressure on Prestwick International Airport
railway station, and potentially, the airport car park. There are potential impacts at protected areas important for nature
including the Inner Clyde Special Protection Area (SPA). Birds use the
mudflats and saltmarsh in this area for feeding and nesting and the risk
of losing these important habitats is higher because of climate change. The report also considers opportunities for managed realignment at
four sites in the Firth of Clyde. Three of these were considered to have
potential for phased realignment: Erskine South, Newshot Island, and
Holy Loch.
Appeal to save ice age heritage of Scotland’s national tree
- Trees for Life Trees for Life has launched an initiative to save ancient Scots pines
across the Highlands of Scotland from becoming the last generation in a
lineage of trees dating back to the last ice age.
Image: Gleann na Ciche & Loch Affric © Alan Watson Featherstone;
Trees for Life
Thanks to support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Trees for Life
has already raised £150,000 for the ambitious project. It now needs to
raise at least £20,000 from the public to be able to start the work. “The Scots pine is Scotland’s national tree and symbolizes the
Caledonian Forest – but the last fragments of these ancient pinewoods
are dying. Without action, the chance to bring back the wild forest
could slip away forever, with only the skeletons of these special trees
revealing where a rich woodland once grew,” said Steve Micklewright,
Trees for Life’s Chief Executive.
Flood risk reduced and wildlife brimming over on the Ribble
- Natural England Combining 2 nature reserves at Hesketh in Lancashire marks great step
forward for conservation and flood resilience.
Redshank (image: © Nick Goodrum Flickr) The RSPB’s Hesketh Out Marsh Reserve and Natural England’s Ribble
Estuary National Nature Reserve (NNR) are a real world demonstration of
the newly-launched joint strategy for NNRs. The Environment Agency has
breached the banks at Hesketh Out Marsh East. This important work has
been made possible by:
Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said: Natural England’s Chairman, Andrew Sells, said: On completion, the full RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh Reserve will include
340 hectares of saltmarsh, making it the largest site of its kind in the
north of England. Natural England will designate the reserve as part of
the existing Ribble Estuary NNR later in 2017. The RSPB and Natural
England will then jointly manage both sites as effectively one large
reserve. Ribble Estuary NNR is already England’s third largest National
Nature Reserve.
Awards: Search to find the UK's Best Park, as voted by YOU! 2017
launched – Fields in Trust Do you think that your local park, playground or playing field is the
best in the country? Here's your chance to prove it. National charity
Fields in Trust have launched this year's campaign to find the UK's Best
Park, as voted by YOU! This unique award is open to all public green
spaces across the UK through a simple online nomination. It might be
that your local park is great for a Sunday afternoon stroll, your
neighbourhood playground is a hive of activity for children, or a nature
reserve provides a stress-free space to relax. This is your chance to
help your favourite space gain the recognition it deserves. In advance of hosting the Awards Ceremony, sports presenter and
journalist Jacqui Oatley launched the campaign saying: "I am delighted
to be hosting this year's Fields in Trust Awards and can't wait to hear
stories of the fantastic work being done on green spaces across the UK." Nominations for the UK's Best Park open as new research from Fields
in Trust is published which demonstrates a direct and statistically
significant link between publicly accessible parks and green spaces and
health and wellbeing. Based on new analysis of existing data from Defra
and Natural England and a new primary data (sample size 4,033) Fields in
Trust have established, for the first time at the national level, a link
between an individual's use of parks and greenspaces and an improvement
in health and wellbeing (covering General Health and the four ONS
wellbeing questions - life satisfaction, sense of worth, happiness and
anxiety). UK's Best Park is a unique award open to all local green spaces
across the UK. A simple online nomination form allows anyone to suggest
their favourite local green space. This will be followed by a public
vote with the winner announced at the Fields in Trust Awards ceremony on
Wednesday 29th November.
Releasing butterflies at weddings – Butterfly
Conservation Butterfly Conservation has several major concerns about the growing
interest in releasing butterflies at weddings and other functions:
(image: Butterfly Conservation) This has the potential to divert limited conservation resources as it
makes accurate mapping and h conservation work for that species
difficult, as we don’t then know where it occurs naturally. This concern has been largely addressed by ‘confetti’ releases by the
use of widespread and migratory species, however any research on the
fascinating phenomenon of migration is now far more difficult. Genetic concerns Spread of disease - Sending the wrong message -
Study to expand knowledge of ectomycorrhizal fungi in Scotland
– The James Hutton Institute Researchers at the James Hutton Institute and the University of
Aberdeen are exploring the relationship between ectomycorrhizal (ECM)
fungi and native tree species in Scotland. The study will also determine
which climatic and environmental factors influence their distribution. ECM fungi form beneficial associations with the roots of many plant
species, in particular trees: the fungi take up nutrients from the soil
and pass on some of these to the host plants in return for sugars. The
fungi are therefore essential components of many terrestrial ecosystems. The data recorded from the study will contribute to the limited
information currently available on the subject in Scotland. Existing
records show that there are approximately 900 ECM species recorded in
Scotland. This is only about one-half of the species recorded in
Scandinavia. A combination of traditional morphological approaches as well as
modern molecular analyses will be used to identify the fungi. The
project will provide valuable information for forest management and
woodland expansion policies.
Project celebrates churring storm petrels on the Shiants
– RSPB Calling storm petrels have been recorded for the very first time on
the Shiants this summer, an important milestone for the Shiant
Isles Recovery Project, which is working to attract these small
seabirds to nest on the islands. The characteristic “churring” call of
storm petrels was heard from burrows, their breeding habitat, an
encouraging sign that the project’s conservation work is paying off. The EU LIFE+ funded partnership project between RSPB Scotland,
Scottish Natural Heritage, and the Nicolson family, the custodians of
the islands, began in 2014 to provide safe breeding grounds for
Scotland’s globally threatened seabirds on this cluster of islands in
the Minch, five miles off the coast of Harris. A population of invasive
non-native black rats on the islands were thought to be limiting the
breeding success of the colonies of puffins, razorbills and guillemots,
whilst storm petrels and Manx shearwaters were not found there at all. Following a rat eradication programme in the winter of 2015/16 the
project has been focused on monitoring how the wildlife has responded,
ensuring the biosecurity of the islands, and attempting to attract storm
petrels and Manx shearwaters to breed, as there is ideal nesting habitat
for them. It will be March 2018 before the islands can be officially
declared free of rats, provided none are found between then and now.
Squirrel Nutkin thrives again: Conservation project revives squirrel
population from 99% grey to 100% red –
National Trust Threatened red squirrel numbers are thriving against the odds on one
of Britain’s largest estates after painstaking work by a National Trust
ranger.
The population of reds at Wallington, Northumberland, almost
disappeared entirely in 2011 after grey squirrels moved into the area,
bringing with them the deadly squirrel pox virus. However, the estate is now home to over 170 red squirrels and is one
of the most popular places to visit by tourists eager to spot the animal
made famous by Beatrix Potter’s Tale of Squirrel Nutkin. Across Britain, the plight of red squirrels is rife and, with only
15, 000 left in the England, conservation projects are the only way to
safeguard their future. Threatened by disease and a loss of habitat, red squirrel numbers
have fallen in the UK from approximately 3.5 million and those that
remain are constantly under threat from non-native greys. 23rd September
marks the beginning of Red Squirrel Awareness Week, designed to
highlight the decline. The National Trust’s largest agricultural estate was overrun by grey
squirrels until a conservation initiative transformed it to contain only
reds. Wallington Hall is one of the last remaining strongholds for red
squirrels in England. In Glen Graham, the Trust recruited its first red squirrel ranger to head a new conservation project to revive the native reds. Former neighbourhood investigation officer Glen began monitoring the numbers of both species and co-ordinated grey squirrel control. The work had dramatic effects, the red squirrel population gradually began to resurface, and greys were eventually eradicated entirely.
Plenty to be chirpy about, Slimbridge survey reveals
– WWT Small birds have had a fantastic year, according to our latest year’s
ringing at our Constant Effort Site (CES) in the decoy at Slimbridge. WWT volunteers and staff catch and ring passerines (perching birds)
throughout spring and summer as part of a national scheme organised by
the British
Trust for Ornithology which contributes to the overall monitoring of
populations and breeding success. The latest results have put huge smiles on the faces of our
conservationists. WWT long-term volunteer Maurice Durham has organised the Slimbridge
effort since the early 1990s. He said: “Slimbridge is famous for its
geese and swans, but it’s also home to a wealth of other wildlife as
these results show. We are very pleased to have recorded one of our best
years since the study started in 1990. It is important that we record
bird populations so that we can ensure our conservation work is well
targeted.” The key factors logged are the number of juvenile birds, the number
of adult birds and year to year survivals. These figures are then used
to calculate the changes which are happening and to look for the stage
of life cycles most affected by environmental change. Our experts handled a record number of ‘new for year’ birds, ringing 556 birds – 208 adults and 348 juveniles – and beating our previous best of 529 birds in 1992. This was closely followed by 525 in 2004. The standout species was the chiffchaff. 90 juvenile chiffchaffs were
caught, exceeding the previous best of 76 (in 1990 and 2011) by some
margin.
Ferrer, M., Morandini, V., Baguena, G. & Newton, I. (2017)
Reintroducing endangered raptors: a case study of supplementary feeding
and removal of nestlings from wild populations.
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13014. Journal of Applied Ecology Thompson, M. S. A. et al (2017)
Large woody debris ‘rewilding’ rapidly restores biodiversity in riverine
food webs. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13013
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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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Peregrine
falcons are thriving in towns and cities (Nottingham Trent University)
regions,
can be identified earlier as they are able to become established in
areas which were previously unsuitable.
Special wildlife bridges, the first of their kind on a Scottish trunk
road, are being constructed by Aberdeen Roads Limited on the Aberdeen
Western
Peripheral Route/Balmedie-Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project to ensure animals
can safely access areas on either side of the road once it opens to
traffic. 
Biologist
Henrik Jensen releases a house sparrow in Namsos, in an area where house
sparrows are confirmed to exist. Photo: Thomas Kvalnes, NTNU
The
new Parks Action Group will include experts from the world of
horticulture, leisure, heritage and tourism, and will be tasked with
bringing forward proposals to address some of the issues faced by public
parks and other green spaces across England. To support them, government
is providing £500,000 funding to kick start their work.
The
work by Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) and Saving Scotland’s Red
Squirrels (SSRS) builds on many years of conservation work and
monitoring and indicates that red squirrel numbers in the area are
increasing - and that the woods are free from non-native grey squirrels!
This
is the first stage in a three-year release plan, which will see these
rare animals restored to their natural habitat and historic range, as
part of the sand lizard reintroduction strategy. 
Strandings
Network (MSN) report which has been released today (Tuesday 19
September).
Through
its Caledonian Pinewood Recovery Project, the conservation charity wants
to help restore 50 areas of remnant and neglected pinewoods – mainly
made up of lone, ancient ‘Granny’ pines which are over 200 years old but
dying as they stand, with no young trees to succeed them.
A
new scheme that will improve flood protection, boost wildlife habitats
and create 160 hectares of new saltmarsh, was opened today (Thursday
21st September).
Interference
with recording
