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Headlines from week beginning 8 June 2015 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
It's really not a good year for harriers
Fourth unexplained male hen harrier disappearance in Bowland
- RSPB A fourth breeding male hen harrier has disappeared from Bowland,
Lancashire, leading to the failure of yet another nest. Lancashire Police and the RSPB are appealing for any information
about what happened to the upland bird of prey, which had an active nest
on the United Utilities Bowland Estate. The last confirmed sighting of the male was on Friday 29 May when it
was observed passing food to the female. RSPB staff continued to see the
female in the vicinity of the nest but were concerned by the absence of
the male bringing food. They visited the nest on Monday 1 June, and
discovered that it had been abandoned and that the eggs were cold.
This is the latest in a series of unexplained disappearances in the
Bowland area, with three breeding males failing to return to their nests
earlier in the season. In another recent incident, Cumbria
Constabulary are calling for information about a breeding male hen
harrier that vanished from the RSPB’s Geltsdale reserve in Cumbria on
Saturday 23 May, resulting in failure of the nest. The RSPB has been working on the Untied Utilities estate for over 35
years, developing a strong partnership with the water company, together
with the support of its farming and shooting tenants. Graham Jones, the RSPB’s conservation manager for the RSPB in North
West England, said: “All of the RSPB and United Utilities staff and
volunteers who have been monitoring the hen harrier nests in Bowland are
devastated by this latest disappearance, as are the estate’s shooting
tenants. However, we are now more committed than ever to rescuing this
beautiful bird from the brink of extinction in England.” Lorraine Ellwood, Lancashire Police Rural Policing and Wildlife
Co-ordinator, said: “We remain open minded as to the circumstances
surrounding the disappearance of the male harriers, and are exploring
all possibilities of both natural and criminal intent. “ Also blog from Martin Harper:
More bad news from Bowland However in Scotland:
Protecting our raptors, Scotland's nature, SNH's blog Many raptors in Scotland are at risk – but many of us are also
working hard to protect them. Here Vicki Mowat, a member of our Media
Relations team, looks at two ways we’re trying to make sure we
keep seeing birds of prey soaring across our skies for years to come.
Plastics Down The Plughole? - Marine
Conservation Society Why conservation concerns are encouraging retailers to wash their
hands of microplastics Retailers who stock and sell personal care products that contain tiny
particles of plastic may have finally realised that washes, scrubs, gels
and pastes made from natural products are just as effective and won’t
damage our seas, says the UK’s leading marine charity. The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) says many leading high street
retailers have promised to stop selling products that contain
microplastics. These tiny bits of plastic, which are too small to be
trapped in sewage works, are ending up in the sea where they can be
ingested by zooplankton and other animals, which in turn are eaten by
creatures further up the food chain - and ultimately, us. Dr Laura Foster, Pollution Programme Manager at MCS, says the fact
that over the last twelve months most retailers have been happy to have
the conversation about the problems with microplastics is very
encouraging: “A year ago, on World Oceans Day, we formed the Marine
Litter Action Network which brought together other NGOs, industry and
retailers to look at the issues of litter in our seas and oceans and
come up with workable solutions. One of the critical discussions was
about microplastics.” Dr Foster says the ‘Scrub it Out!’ campaign, a joint initiative with
Fauna & Flora International (FFI), was a direct result of the Network:
“Thousands of members of the public have pledged to ditch products which
contain microplastics, whilst we decided to focus on UK retailers to
give a date when all their own-brand products would be plastic free.” On World Oceans Day 2015, MCS and Fauna & Flora International are now
asking the public to look for the following ingredients in high end
products and upload mobile phone images of labels to its website so it
can highlight to companies that luxury on your face could be a liability
for the oceans. And if you'd like to know more then read MSC's
lead article in CJS Focus on Marine &
Coastal Environments here.
Bittern Young at Attenborough! - Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, the county’s largest locally based
conservation charity, has today spoken of its delight that bitterns, a
bird species of conservation concern across Europe, have bred at its
Attenborough Nature Reserve, with two healthy chicks being regularly
spotted at the popular site.
The Wildlife Trust understands this to be the first recorded breeding
success for the species in the county and is excited that conservation
effort stretching back over 15 years has finally come to fruition. Speaking about the breeding success Sandy Aitken, who has been a
volunteer at the reserve for over 30 years said: “The news that bitterns
have bred at Attenborough is fantastic. Fifteen years ago I worked
alongside Wildlife Trust staff to design and plant the reedbeds where
the birds have nested. The project was very ambitious and involved
bulldozing hundreds of tons of material into a deep lake and creating
areas where young reed seedlings could become established. The bittern,
which has not bred in Nottinghamshire in modern times, is of
international conservation concern and has been an important “Flagship
species” for this restoration of reed swamp vegetation all over Europe,
so to see two little fledgling bitterns poking their heads skywards
through the reeds, (waiting for mum to arrive with food) last weekend
here on our doorstep at Attenborough, has been especially gratifying for
the many local people who have volunteered here, especially those
involved in efforts to maintain the reedbeds!”
National Trust reveals potential with badger vaccination
programme conclusion – National Trust The National Trust revealed today (Tuesday 9 June) that it had
slashed the costs of vaccinating badgers during a four year project at
its Killerton estate in Devon, set in the heart of one of the country’s
bovine TB hotspots. The aim of the project, funded by the conservation charity, was to
demonstrate that the vaccination of badgers at an estate-wide scale can
be made practical and cost-effective. This has meant that the National
Trust can play an important part in reducing the exposure of cattle to
bovine TB in wildlife, which has had a devastating impact across the
farming community. Vaccinating badgers in order to reduce their level of bovine TB
infection will reduce the risk of cattle being exposed to the disease. 18 National Trust tenant farmers were involved in the programme which
was carried out across an area of 20 square kilometres on the south west
estate. When it launched in 2011, the Trust estimated that the project would
cost £80,000 a year to administer. During the four years, however, the
process of capturing and vaccinating the badgers became more efficient,
reducing the annual costs to £45,000 while the number of badgers
vaccinated increased significantly from the first year. Patrick Begg, Rural Enterprises Director for the National Trust,
said: “As a major landowner with many farming tenants, we understand how
devastating an outbreak of bovine TB can be. That’s why it’s important
for us to play our part in tackling this disease by finding a practical
solution to prevent its spread. As well as calling for better
biosecurity, we started the project at Killerton to show how badger
vaccination can be deployed over a large area, which we’ve done. Now we
want to share this knowledge and the lessons we’ve learnt with the
opening of Killerton as a national training school for the vaccination
of badgers.”
GWT release nearly 50 water voles to help bolster population of the UK’s
rarest mammals – Gwent Wildlife Trust
The addition of new water voles at Barecroft Common adds genetic
diversity that will help strengthen the newly reintroduced population
found at the neighbouring Magor Marsh nature reserve and surrounding
area. For almost ten years, GWT have been working to protect the fragile
water vole population from American mink and create the best conditions
suitable for a water vole release.
Water voles were once common in the area, but numbers dwindled
following the invasion of the non-native American mink in the 1970s
onwards, a sad trend reflected across the UK. Following the continuing
work of GWT volunteers and staff, mink numbers were reduced enough to
allow the establishment of a reintroduced population of water voles. For
the last four years GWT has slowly reintroduced water voles back to
Magor Marsh, and the excellent habitat available together with the
controlled mink population has meant the population is now thriving. The voles that have just been released at GWT’s Barecroft Common
reserve were kept in large ‘soft release cages’; these are special cages
placed onsite that contain sibling family groups. The cages allow water
voles time to acclimatise to their new surroundings and then after three
days the cages are open for the water voles to come and go as they
please. The cages were then left on site for a further two days before
being removed.
Give British cities a competitive economic
advantage through walking and cycling, reveals new report
- Sustrans Experts are gathering at a summit today (Tuesday 9 June) to make the
case that cities that encourage physical activity have a clear economic
advantage. Taking place in Bristol, speakers from KPMG, The University of
California, and the CBI, alongside Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson,
will call on city leaders to make physical activity a priority and
recognise the positive economic and social benefits that it can bring. The summit hosted by Sustrans, Bristol 2015 European Green Capital
and Nike coincides with new research from Active Living Research,
University of California, revealing that cities with physically active
populations are not only more economically competitive – they also
benefit from increased productivity, improved school performance, higher
property values, and improved health and wellbeing.
Second generation of small pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies are
flying – Durham Wildlife Trust It was with great delight that the first small pearl-bordered
fritillary butterfly was spotted on Saturday the 6th of June at a site
where 170
The first small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly from a caterpillar released in 2014. The second generation from this adult are now flying (image: Durham WT) Heart of Durham Project Officer Anne Porter said “This is great news
and is confirmation that our hard work has paid off. This is the first
site where we reintroduced the caterpillar of this butterfly, and thanks
are due to the Heart of Durham volunteers who have done massive amounts
of habitat restoration by controlling scrub, planting 1,000′s of marsh
violets and nectar plants in order to make it favourable for the small
pearl-bordered fritillary. Just two weeks ago we released 100
caterpillars to a new reintroduction site and so we are waiting in
anticipation that there will be butterflies flying here too”.
Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project gets green light on planning - DECC Planning consent was given today for construction of the world’s
first tidal lagoon, in a boost to moving towards a low carbon, home
grown energy mix. If built, turbines in the proposed six-mile horseshoe shaped sea wall
around Swansea Bay in Wales could generate around 500GWh per year of low
carbon electricity. Energy and Climate Change and Wales Office Minister Lord Bourne said: “We need more clean and home-grown sources of energy, which will help
to reduce our reliance on foreign fossil fuels. Low carbon energy
projects like the tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay could bring investment,
support local jobs and help contribute to the Welsh economy and Swansea
area.” Separately from the planning consent, the project is still subject to
Contract for Difference (CfD) negotiations to establish whether a tidal
lagoon at Swansea Bay is affordable and value for money for consumers.
Any decision to offer a CFD for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project
would be subject to strict value for money considerations and
affordability, and to State aid approval. Reactions
The return of British Sea Power: Consent for world's first Tidal Lagoon
Power Plant opens new door in global effort to address climate change
- Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay Plc
Swansea lagoon power plant gets green light – Friends of the Earth
World's First Tidal Lagoon Receives Planning Consent – The Wildlife
Trusts
Harnessing the power of the Severn could provide renewable energy boost
– RSPB Download all the planning information and history about the project here.
Lincshore campaign to reduce flood risk draws to successful close for
2015 – Environment Agency A major annual scheme to replenish Lincolnshire beaches has once
again drawn to a successful close, reducing flood risk to thousands of
homes and businesses along the coast. The Environment Agency’s flagship
Lincshore scheme sees sand dredged from the sea bed and pumped onto the
beach, replacing levels lost to the sea during the winter. This year, over 500,000 cubic metres of sand were replaced during the
11-week-long campaign. Work started at Mablethorpe on 20 April and
proceeded down the coast to finish at Huttoft in June. The dredgers used
were the Ham 316 supported by the Dravo Costa Dorada. Kevin Abbott, Flood and Coastal Risk Advisor with the Environment
Agency, said: 'This multi-million pound project enables us to improve
flood protection for tens of thousands of homes, as well as commercial
and industrial properties and important environmental sites. It also
benefits tourism on the coast, as otherwise there would be very little
sand on our beaches.'
Water voles reintroduced at Thorley Wash - Herts & Middlesex
Wildlife Trust Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve at Thorley Wash is
now home to over 160 endangered water voles as part of an ambitious
project to reintroduce water voles into the river Stort. In a joint
project between the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and Essex
Wildlife Trust, the voles were transferred from a reserve in Essex. The
voles were soon to find themselves ‘homeless’ in Essex following plans
to flood their territory in Fingringhoe Wick nature reserve, near
Colchester, as part of a separate inter-tidal
habitat
creation project. Herts and Middlesex’s Thorley Wash Nature Reserve was specially
chosen for the project on account of its abundant and well-established
water vole habitat. Once established at Thorley Wash, it is hoped that
the water voles will be able to spread along the corridor of wet
flushes, ponds, channels and the main Stort Navigation.
The Trust’s Water Vole Conservation Officer, Martin Ketcher, tells us
why the project is so important. This steep decline owes partly to the loss of river bank habitat but
is chiefly due to mass predation by invasive American mink. Without urgent action it is possible that water voles could soon
become extinct within Hertfordshire, as they have already been lost
entirely from several Hertfordshire rivers including the Stort. Once
this has occurred problems with habitat loss become much more
significant. Populations become isolated and the need for conservation
management on the whole of the river becomes important if the species is
to re-colonise.
New study highlights methods to safeguard UK food security - SNH Farming practices which balance the needs of the land with those of
people have a huge part to play in safeguarding food security, a major
new study has found. They also studied the use of legumes (peas, beans, etc.) for
enhancing soil fertility, cover crops, minimum tillage, the use of
beneficial insects to control pests and agroforestry. The new study was commissioned by the inter-agency Land Use Policy
Group (LUPG) and funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and Natural
Resources Wales. It was undertaken by the Organic Research Centre with
the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. It found that:
Ruth Jenkins, chair of LUPG, said: “Agroecology can form an integral
part of sustainable intensification, although there are a number of
barriers hindering the wider adoption of this kind of approach, in
particular those relating to knowledge exchange. Clearly, further work
is required to improve our understanding of the opportunities for
agroecological systems and practices to contribute to sustainable
intensification - and for these to be more widely adopted on farms.” Download the report (pdf).
Progress for MPA network - Scottish
Government Rural Affairs Secretary announces ambitious marine protection plan in
Scottish waters. The Scottish Government is putting in place ambitious management
measures for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scottish waters, Cabinet
Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment Richard Lochhead
announced today (11/6/15). Following extensive consultation and engagement with a wide range of
marine stakeholders, it is proposed that new statutory measures giving
protection to many vulnerable habitats will take effect from 1 October
2015. The package will not only further conservation objectives of
these protected areas, but will also make a contribution towards
enhancing the health of Scotland’s seas. Mr Lochhead said: “Scotland’s seas hold a huge range of species and
habitats which are important in UK, European, and global terms. They
also provide a significant fish and shellfish resource, which are
important to the rural economy of Scotland. All of these commercial and
non-commercial species are dependent on a healthy, clean and diverse
environment. Taking action to maintain or improve the marine ecosystem
will deliver long-term benefits to society, including the fishing
industry. We have already designated those marine features we
need to protect such as maerl beds and fan mussel aggregations and now
we are proposing management regimes, including limits on certain fishing
activities, within each MPA. The impact in the vast majority of cases
will mean modest changes to fishing patterns with very limited economic
impact given the ability of vessels to fish elsewhere. I am confident
this package delivers a balanced response to all of the views we
received. The measures are simpler, ambitious, yet still remain
proportionate and will not only further the conservation objectives of
the MPAs in question, but also contribute to enhancing the health of our
seas. Of course, there is still an opportunity for Parliament and others
with an interest to scrutinise the proposed measures and make
representations to us prior to the measures coming into effect on 1
October 2015 – as such, I’d encourage those with an interest to do so. ”
Access a report of this consultation here. Reactions:
Trust welcomes ambitious plans for seabed recovery
- Scottish Wildlife Trust The Scottish Wildlife Trust has welcomed ambitious proposals to
protect fragile areas of seabed from damaging fishing practices. Draft
legislation announced by the Scottish Government today (11/6/15) for
four Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) includes plans to exclude scallop
dredging from the entire Wester Ross MPA, which covers the areas of Loch
Broom, Loch Ewe and the Summer Isles. The announcement comes in the wake of strong public support for more
ambitious management of protected areas in Scottish seas. In Wester
Ross, this was aided by a Trust-supported survey of the coral-like
seaweed maerl, which provides nursery areas for young cod, scallops and
crabs. The Trust, Fauna and Flora International and Scottish Natural
Heritage jointly organised a survey in the Wester Ross MPA in November
2014, which used an underwater camera system to capture video evidence
of the locally known but unrecorded maerl beds. Several new maerl beds were recorded thanks to the help of a
Coigach-based fishing boat and crew who were able to draw on years of
experience to point out where the slow-growing and fragile habitat was
likely to be found. The discoveries were made off the coast of Ben Mor
Coigach, the largest of the Trust’s 120 wildlife reserves, and around
the Summer Isles archipelago. The Scottish Wildlife Trust Living Seas Manager, Alex Kinninmonth,
said: “The Trust is pleased to see that the Scottish Government has
considered the clear evidence and listened to public opinion. As our
survey showed, even within protected areas the true extent and condition
of important seabed habitats is still coming to light. Site wide closure
to bottom-dredging is a proportionate response to that uncertainty, is
simple to comply with, will allow habitats to recover from historic
pressures, and most importantly has public backing.” Reactions:Stronger
seabed protection measures unveiled in response to widespread support
for Scottish MPAs Calum Duncan, Convenor of Scottish Environment LINK’s marine
taskforce and Scotland Programme Manager, Marine Conservation Society
said: “Our ‘Don’t Take The P out of MPAs’ campaign has struck a chord.
Thousands of people wrote to the Scottish Government urging them to
avoid creating paper parks – and Ministers are now clearly starting to
listen, by proposing that larger areas of the seabed be protected from
damaging fishing activities. We will now be looking closely at the
newly-drafted measures to make sure they fulfil the clear and widespread
public expectation that MPAs should be managed to recover the ecological
health of our seas. We are making a strong social, economic and
environmental case for meaningful management that protects our precious
seabed and boosts future opportunities for sustainable fishing.” Reactions:Stronger
seabed protection measures unveiled in response to widespread support
for Scottish MPAs
How fast
does spring travel? About 2mph according to new research
- Nature's Calendar (Woodland Trust) The passage of spring across the UK appears to be speeding up
according to analysis of over 20,000 public records in a collaboration
between the Woodland Trust, British Science Association and BBC
Springwatch. Records of seven spring events submitted to the Trust’s Nature’s
Calendar survey over the last four months have been analysed by
Professor Tim Sparks from Coventry University to track the rate of
progress up the country. Thursday’s Springwatch revealed the average speed of the passage of
spring this year is 1.9mph, taking nearly three weeks to cover the
length of the country from south to north. An average of 1.2mph was
recorded using data between 1891 and 1947 and 1.8mph using data recorded
between 1998 and 2014. The research also found that the passage of spring is not directly
south to north but is aligned southwest to northeast, as are early
spring temperatures. Professor Sparks said: “Some of these events appear to be more
reliable than others in determining the speed of the progress of spring.
Comparison with previous years does suggest that spring may be moving
faster now than it did in the past.” Nature’s Calendar is the longest written biological record of its kind, with information dating back to 1736 and is a powerful tool in assessing the impact of climate change.
Deforestation a distinct possibility in parts of the UK
- Woodland Trust New statistics from the Forestry Commission released today (11/6/15)
show tree planting rates in sharp decline and, the Woodland Trust
believes, belie a greater danger given that there is still no systematic
annual recording of woodland losses. In England, just 2,400 hectares of new woodland was planted in the
2014-15 planting season – a decrease of 900ha on the 2013-14 figure of
3,300ha and even further from the desired 5,000ha. In Scotland, 7,600ha was planted, 700ha less than last year and
again, far short of the 10,000ha target. In Wales just 100ha was planted
– 800ha less than last year’s figure and short of the 5,000ha target.
And in Northern Ireland where the aspiration is to double woodland
cover, planting reached just 200ha. Taking potential losses into account would show even lower net
figures for any increase in woodland cover and in some countries may
even show a decline. Large areas of larch woods, some of which are plantations on ancient
woodland sites (PAWS) and critically important for wildlife, have been
felled under Statutory Plant Health Notices (SPHN) as a result of a
disease known as Phytophthora ramorum. Unlike the majority of areas
felled, which are granted permission on condition that the area is
restocked, there is no legal requirement for woodland to be restocked
after felling under a SPHN. For instance, around 3,300 hectares of woodland was issued with a
SPHN in Wales in 2013-14 (1), where the new planting figures for this
year are just 100 hectares. While many woodland owners will replant or
encourage natural regeneration, there is no compulsion to do so. Trees outside woods are not accounted for in the statistics, but in
many landscapes make up 30 per cent or more of the tree canopy. Ash
trees, currently threaten by ash dieback, are a large component of that. Full statistics available here (PDF from Forestry Commission)
Report on beavers in Scotland goes to Minister Options for the future of beavers in Scotland have been outlined in a
final report sent to the Scottish Government today (12 June) by Scottish
Natural Heritage (SNH). The “Beavers in Scotland” report, published today, is one of the most
thorough assessments ever done for a species reintroduction proposal. It
provides a comprehensive summary of existing knowledge about the likely
impact of beavers living in the wild in Scotland and options for their
management, and sets out four scenarios for Scottish Ministers to
consider. These range from full removal of all beavers to the widespread
reintroduction of beavers across Scotland. Ministers asked for the report to help them decide whether to
permanently reintroduce beavers to Scotland. The report draws on 20 years of work on beavers, including
information from the Scottish Beaver Trial, a five-year trial
reintroduction in Argyll which finished last May; the study of more than
150 beavers living in the wild in Tayside and work on the impact of
beavers on salmon and trout and on areas of productive farmland. It also
refers to the experiences that many other European and North American
countries have had of living with beavers, presents findings on
biodiversity and beavers and looks at where they might recolonise if
allowed to stay. Ian Ross, Chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage said: “The issues
surrounding the potential for beaver reintroduction in Scotland have
been the subject of intense investigation and discussion over the last
20 years. Over this time we’ve pulled together a significant amount of
information, drawing on international as well as Scottish experience.
The scenarios have been developed with a wide range of interested
parties from across the land management, conservation and environmental
sectors. The report sets out the links between the evidence gathered and
the risks and benefits of the various options. It also considers
management approaches to help mitigate the risks and maximise the
benefits, should beavers be permanently reintroduced to Scotland. This
comprehensive report will therefore help inform the decision on the
future of beavers in Scotland.” A number of independent scientific studies, reports and reviews on
beavers have also been published. The findings are included in the
Beavers in Scotland report. The Beavers in Scotland report can be accessed online here. The other nine reports can be accessed via the recently published list here.
Scientific publications Velli, Edoardo, Bologna, Marco, Silvia, Castelli, Ragni,
Bernardino, Randi, Ettore,
Non-invasive monitoring of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris
silvestris Schreber, 1777): comparative analysis of three different
monitoring techniques and evaluation of their integration. European
Journal of Wildlife Research DOI: 10.1007/s10344-015-0936-2 Maanavilja, Liisa, Kangas, Laura, Mehtätalo, Lauri, Tuittila,
Eeva-Stiina
Rewetting of drained boreal spruce swamp forests results in rapid
recovery of Sphagnum production. Journal of Applied Ecology.
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12474
Richard K. Broughton , Grzegorz Hebda , Marta Maziarz , Ken W. Smith
, Linda Smith , Shelley A. Hinsley
Nest-site competition between bumblebees (Bombidae), social wasps
(Vespidae) and cavity-nesting birds in Britain and the Western
Palearctic. Bird Study DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2015.1046811
Maanavilja, L., Kangas, L., Mehtätalo, L. & Tuittila, E.S. (2015)
Rewetting of drained boreal spruce swamp forests results in rapid
recovery of Sphagnum production. Journal of Applied Ecology.
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12474 Dolman, P. M., Collar, N. J., Scotland, K. M. & Burnsid, R. J. (2015)
Ark or park: the need to predict relative effectiveness of ex situ and
in situ conservation before attempting captive breeding. Journal of
Applied Ecology
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Image:
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Gwent
Wildlife Trust (GWT) is thrilled to announce the release of almost 50
water voles at carefully selected sites around the Barecroft Common
reserve near Magor in Gwent. 
caterpillars
were released in May 2014. A further five were then spotted on Sunday
the 7th. This is fantastic as these are the second generation of adult
butterflies on this site in County Durham.
Water Vole (image Paul Thrush
