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Headlines from week beginning 3 August 2015 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
RSB launches poll to find the UK’s favourite insect
- Royal Society of Biology Insects are vital for human life on earth but they are often
overlooked. The Royal Society of Biology has launched a poll to discover
the UK’s favourite insect.
There are over 20,000 insect species found in the UK. Ecologists came
up with a list of 10 of their favourite UK species and now the Society
wants to know what the rest of the UK thinks. The 10 insects to choose from are: seven-spot ladybird, garden tiger
moth, small tortoiseshell butterfly, black garden ant, buff-tailed
bumblebee, large bee-fly, marmalade hoverfly, green shieldbug, stag
beetle and emperor dragonfly. Find out a bit more about the insects and cast your vote!
Trust calls on tree planting army to replace millions of ash trees
across the countryside Studies by the Woodland Trust suggest the impact of ash dieback on 12
million trees outside of woods could prove disastrous both for wildlife
and our cherished landscapes, with the charity launching a new
initiative encouraging people to plant trees specifically in areas badly
affected by the tree disease.
The Trust is providing 1,000 subsidised ‘Disease recovery packs’ of
trees specifically to be planted in hedgerows, verges, along field
edges and watersides in the wider landscape, as a pilot in five English
counties badly affected by ash dieback; Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, East
Sussex and Northumberland. The new tree packs contain 45 trees from a
mix of five native species and come with tailored advice on planting,
which will differ according to the type and condition of the landscape
being planted into. Austin Brady, Woodland Trust director of conservation, said:
“Hedgerows cover tens of thousands of kilometres of the country,
providing essential wildlife corridors which link our ever more
fragmented habitats.
60th anniversary poll shows clear support for Green Belt
- CPRE CPRE launches campaign calling on Government to turn rhetoric into
action and protect Green Belt. On the 60th anniversary of Green
Belt becoming government policy, a poll commissioned by the Campaign to
Protect Rural England (CPRE) finds that nearly two-thirds of people
surveyed believe that Green Belt land should not be built on. The Ipsos MORI poll, published today, shows that 64% of people agree
the Green Belt should be protected, while just 17% disagree. Such strong
support for Green Belt is demonstrated across a range of different
groups, including people with children aged 5 and under, those renting
from a local authority, and those on low incomes. And more than six out
of ten people (62%) who live in towns and cities support the protection
of the Green Belt – a finding that casts doubt on the claims of critics
that Green Belts do not benefit people who live in urban areas. The anniversary poll comes just weeks after the Government
re-emphasised its support for Green Belt protection at the launch of its
Productivity Plan. But despite this support and existing protections,
local communities have repeatedly found themselves fighting proposals to
build on Green Belt land. CPRE research shows that 226,000 houses are
currently planned for Green Belt land. In response to this threat, CPRE is launching a new campaign, Our
Green Belt, which calls on the Government to:
Long Live the Little Tern! - RSPB
Little tern Thalassa McMurdo Hamilton, Little Tern Project Officer said ; “Steve
Hales, a local bird ringer, carried out the colour ringing with Luke
Phillips of RSPB. Steve has had a long association with metal ringing
little tern chicks at Chesil in the past. As the ringing got underway
we noticed some of the adults were glinting silver on their legs – they
already had a metal ring on – and luckily, we managed to catch a few of
these. We excitedly wrote down the ring number and Steve went home to
check the BTO records to see how old they were. A few hours later Steve
revealed, incredibly, that he had ringed these birds at Chesil Beach in
1999 and 2000 – making these adults 15 and 16 years old!” Steve Hales said “Handling a bird which I had ringed as a week-old
chick on the same beach sixteen years ago was very rewarding. It
emphasised just what an age some of our smaller seabirds can reach. The
next three years of colour ringing the little terns under the EU LIFE
partnership will hopefully produce other exciting discoveries.”
Ecology Dogs lend a helping nose to look for water voles! - Herts
and Middlesex Wildlife Trust A sniffer dog has been helping the Trust to monitor water vole
activity in Thorley Wash Nature Reserve. Following the reintroduction of water voles to the site in June, the
Trust have been working in conjunction with Essex Wildlife Trust and
Ecology Dogs to monitor the water vole activity at Thorley Wash Nature
Reserve.
Springer spaniel Stig, a former police sniffer dog, has been
specially trained to search for signs of water voles. Stig is the only
water vole detection dog in the world and is trained to give a passive
indication of the water vole latrines. By using Stig's nose as well as more traditional monitoring methods,
the Trust is able to get a full spectrum of monitoring results. Stig is
able to reach areas along the river bank that would be very difficult
for humans to get to. Ali Charnick, Stig's trainer at Ecology Dogs, said: “I am immensely
proud of Stig's work today. He has worked hard in really difficult
terrain and found evidence of water voles we would have otherwise not
have found.” Initial results from this and other monitoring suggest that the
reintroduction has been succesful and that the water voles have moved
beyond their release areas.
Breeding waders on the brink in Northern Ireland - RSPB
A new study into how breeding waders are faring here has just been
released and the facts and figures confirm what we already knew - urgent
conservation action is needed if we’re to save these species. The report, led by RSPB NI senior conservation scientist Kendrew
Colhoun, is based on the findings of intensive surveys carried out
across the country in 2013. In short, it shows that breeding populations of eurasian curlew,
northern lapwing and common snipe have declined dramatically since 1987
and the distributions of all species surveyed are becoming increasingly
fragmented and restricted towards the western counties of Tyrone and
Fermanagh.
New insect species found in Scotland – Scottish Natural Heritage An insect species has been found for the first time in the British
Isles. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) staff discovered a fly, Okeniella
caudata, in the Glen Clova area of the Cairngorms in July this year.
This species has been previously associated with the high arctic and
Scandinavian tundra. Okeniella caudata joins a small group of specialised insects that
survive only on Scotland’s highest mountains. They are relics of the
post-glacial past, and although they’ve just been discovered, as with
other mountain species, they are vulnerable to climate change. Iain MacGowan, one of the SNH staff to discover the insect, said: “It
was quite a surprise to find several specimens, both males and females,
at an altitude of over 850 metres. These creatures and their ancestors
have probably been living there since the last ice age, but have
remained undiscovered partly due to the remote location of these areas
and partly due to the short time which they live as adults. They aren’t
of high risk of extinction right now, but if the climate warms these
insects will be among the first to disappear.”
Urgent call for volunteers to survey England’s disappearing coastal
archaeology – Heritage Lottery Fund
Thousands of archaeological sites along England’s coast and tidal
estuaries are being destroyed by extreme weather, rising sea levels and
tidal scour. CITiZAN, the Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network, is
the first national community-led project to tackle the alarming threat
to our heritage. Today, CITiZAN is calling for an army of volunteers to
help survey and monitor these nationally-important but vulnerable
archaeological sites before they disappear. One of the largest community archaeology projects in the country,
taking in 5,600 miles of coastline over 500 miles of tidal foreshore,
CITiZAN runs free community-based training, building a network of
volunteers with the skills and systems needed to survey and monitor
threatened sites. Armed with tape measures, buckets and mobile phones,
volunteers create standardised records of exposed archaeological sites.
Safe haven created for native species on Leeds stream – Environment
Agency Natural techniques have been used to create crayfish habitat.
A safe haven for a protected native species has been created using
natural engineering techniques. The Environment Agency and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have worked in
partnership to stabilise the banks of a stream in Leeds and build
refuges for the native white-clawed crayfish, using willow spiling. The area has an established population of native white-clawed
crayfish, but was identified as in need of possible habitat improvement
because there were many eroded banks with very little vegetation or
suitable areas for the crayfish to burrow into. Eroding riverbanks can cause problems for crayfish habitats because
the eroded sediment can cause siltation and pollution of the stream
blocking potential refuges for the crayfish and altering the quality of
the water. A bank that is eroding is also unstable and unsuitable
habitat for crayfish as it will not give adequate protection against
fast flowing water. Up to 100 metres of willow spiling and bundling has been built along
the stream. The technique used for the willow spiling involves weaving
willow between stakes on the bank to form a strong willow wall. Live
willow was used so that it will root and grow creating a strong hedge
that protects the bank from further erosion and provide habitat for
crayfish.
Free mobile phone app will help monitor UK’s grasshoppers and crickets
– Centre for Ecology & Hydrology ‘iRecord Grasshoppers’ a free mobile phone app to help monitor the
UK’s grasshoppers, crickets, earwigs, stick insects and cockroaches, is
launched today (5 August). The new app will enable people to contribute to the Grasshopper
Recording Scheme whose results have already shown the dramatic
geographical expansion of two bush-cricket species, the Long-winged
Conehead and Roesel’s Bush-cricket. Since its launch in 1968 thousands of people have already contributed
to the Grasshopper Recording Scheme and with assistance from the public
records from the new app will support the study and conservation of
grasshoppers and crickets. Björn Beckmann from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology who helped
create the app said, "Many species of grasshopper and cricket have been
declining, but others have expanded their distributions and some have
even newly arrived. The Grasshopper Recording Scheme maps and analyses
distributions to see how species are responding to changes in land use
and climate. This work would not be possible without the help of people
reporting where they find a species. We hope the launch of the app will
make this easier."
Hen harrier breeding season set to be most successful for 5 years
- Natural England Figures from the 2015 hen harrier breeding season show it is on track
to be the most successful year since 2010. Despite poor weather throughout the breeding season, there are 6
successful harrier nests fledging 18 new chicks. An additional seventh
nest - which was close to fledging young - unfortunately failed late in
the season, due to natural causes. Hen harriers remain the most
endangered breeding birds in England. News of this year’s successful
nests follows the disappearance of 5 male hen harriers, which resulted
in the failure of their nests. Rob Cooke, Natural England’s Director of Terrestrial Biodiversity,
said: "6 nests is a small number, but it is actually more than we have
seen in total over the past 3 years – which is a significant and
positive step forward. Obviously we need to see many more pairs of these
iconic birds nesting successfully and we are actively looking at how we
and our partners can build on this positive outcome in the future." The nests range across the north of England, in Northumberland,
Lancashire, County Durham and two in north western England. Dedicated
staff from Natural England, Forestry Commission, RSPB and the Moorland
Association have worked tirelessly with volunteer raptor workers,
landowners and their staff to help bring about these results.
Fledged chicks are being fitted with satellite tags by the RSPB EU
funded hen harrier LIFE+ project and by Natural England, and their
progress closely monitored. Satellite tag technology is improving
rapidly and these latest tags will provide even more detailed
information on how birds move around the landscape and the factors which
currently limit the population. Whilst in Scotland:
Weather dampens prospects for Hen Harriers at Langholm Moor
- Scottish Land and Estates After a fantastic year for Hen Harrier breeding at Langholm in 2014 with 47 chicks fledged from 12 nests, it is not looking so good this year. The project scientists have recently revealed that in 2015, eight females nested but only six nests got away producing 17 young. The culprit seems to have been cold wet weather and it has been a similar story for many Harrier nesting attempts around Scotland this year, and for many other bird species.
Leading countryside organisations say hen harriers need plan for
recovery - The Moorland Association The British Association for Shooting and Conservation, CLA,
Countryside Alliance, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, The National
Gamekeepers’ Organisation, and the Moorland Association all want to see
more hen harriers nesting in England and are calling for Defra to
implement a plan for their recovery across England. A series of events has been planned across the country to raise
awareness of the low breeding success of hen harriers in England. Amanda Anderson, director of the Moorland Association, speaking for
the group of organisations said: “All of the organisations welcome the
spotlight on harriers and we condemn wildlife crime. Everyone needs to
keep building on this year’s improvement to springboard a wider
recovery. Severely cold and wet weather has been awful for all wildlife
trying to breed on the moors this year leading to a lack of prey. Early
in the season, male harriers did not return to nests causing females to
abandon eggs in search of food. Nesting attempts later in spring did
better, but one nest of chicks was eaten by stoats while another brood
was found dead at the nest just days after satellite tagging. Six
nesting attempts, of which only one was successful, were all in a very
small area of Bowland managed for red grouse. There is a draft
six-point, Defra-led Joint Recovery Plan which we wish to see published
and implemented. This would offer a mechanism to guarantee chick safety
and spread the nests to avoid a colony forming in one location. Not only
would this reduce the impact on ground nesting birds on which they prey,
especially red grouse, but also protect against local dangers, like poor
weather and predation. If implemented, the plan would see the growth of
a sustainable population of hen harriers across their former English
range, without jeopardising driven grouse shooting or the environmental,
social and economic benefits it delivers.”
Great British Bee Count results: Schools top of the class
- Friends of the Earth School grounds and gardens proved to be the most bee-friendly
habitats for spotting bees during the Great British Bee Count 2015 –
highlighting their importance for Britain’s under-threat pollinators -
results published today (6/8/15) reveal. Over six thousand people participated in the Great British Bee Count
2015, which took place during the month of May, recording 104,290
individual bees. Analysis of the bee count recordings reveal that:
Commenting on the results, Friends of the Earth Bee Campaigner Paul
de Zylva said: “We’re delighted that thousands of people took part in
this year’s bee count, which will provide valuable information about how
they are faring across the UK. The results highlight the
importance of school grounds and gardens to Britain’s bees. We can all
play our part by turning local spaces into bee-friendly havens. But
Government and local councils must to do more to protect these crucial
and under-threat insects, that provide such a crucial pollination
service for farmers and gardeners.” Adding a photo of a bee was a new feature of the count this year, and
over 4,800 images were submitted. Paul Hetherington of Buglife said:
“Uploading photos of your bees enables sightings to be verified by
experts adding to the scientific data available on bee distribution and
perhaps even identifying new sites for some of our rarer bees as the
pictures are checked against the key characteristics of the over 250
species known in the UK”.
Florally transmitted diseases (FTDs): a newly discovered threat to bee
communities. - Bumblebee Conservation Trust New research led by award winning scientist Dr Peter Graystock at the
University of Leeds, in collaboration with Professor William Hughes and
Professor Dave Goulson of the University of Sussex, shows that diseased
bees deposit parasites on to the flowers they visit. These parasites can
then infect healthy bees visiting the same flowers, or be transported by
an unsusceptible bee species to other flowers to reach their host
species. In a neatly designed experiment, the researchers allowed bumblebees
from hives infected with three different bumblebee diseases to forage on
a patch of flowers in a flight cage for a period of 3 hours before
removing them from the cage. They then released disease-free honey bees
into the cage and allowed them to forage for a further 3 hours on the
same flowers, as well as a patch of uncontaminated flowers which were
brought in at the same time. Immediately afterwards, the shared flower
patch, the honeybee only flower patch and the honey bees were all
screened for the bumblebee parasites with alarming results. All three of
the parasites were detected on the shared flowers, while two out of
three were detected on the flowers which only the honeybees had access
to, as well as inside the honeybee colonies. The experiment was repeated using honeybees from hives infected with
two honeybee diseases and disease-free bumblebees and yielded similarly
worrying results. Both parasites were found on the shared flowers, as
well as on the flowers which only bumblebees had access to, and one of
the two parasites was detected inside the bumblebee colony. These results suggest that flowers play an important role in the
transmission of diseases between bees. Lucy Rothstein CEO of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust said: “We are
very pleased to be working with Dr Graystock and his collaborators on
this area of work. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is very
concerned about the spread of disease from imported bumblebees, which
are used to pollinate soft fruit grown commercially in greenhouses
across much of the south of England. These new findings show how
easily parasites can spread, and highlights to us the importance of
making sure all imported bumblebees are properly screened to ensure they
are disease and parasite free. At the moment screening imported
bumblebees for diseases and parasites is not properly regulated. This is
something we would like to see changed."
First flight of wild young cranes in West Country for 400 years
- WWT Wildlife conservationists are celebrating this week after young wild
cranes took to the air in the West Country for the first time in four
centuries. And it’s a double celebration, with successful crane families
in both Somerset and Gloucestershire.
The young cranes’ existence has been kept secret since they hatched
in May in order to protect the families from being disturbed, but it can
now be confirmed that one has been raised at WWT Slimbridge Wetland
Centre in Gloucestershire and a pair on farmland on the Somerset Levels. Now the young cranes can fly they are less vulnerable to their
natural predators and are likely to travel away from the nests with
their parents. It’s a significant step for
the Great Crane Project, which has been reintroducing cranes to the
West Country since 2009. This is the first time that cranes from the
project have successfully reared chicks. This year has seen around a dozen pairs of the young reintroduced birds take up territories across the South West with eight of these going on to make breeding attempts – two of which have ended in successfully fledged young. It takes 100 days from freshly laid eggs to free-flying cranes and breeding attempts often end before the 100 days are up as there are many dangers along the way.
Vote now open to find UK’s favourite coastal sound
- Issued on behalf of the National Trust, National Trust for Scotland
and British Library Whether it’s the sound of waves rolling on to golden sands, seagulls
crying from the clifftops or children playing on the beach, the National
Trust, National Trust for Scotland and the British Library are on a
mission to discover the UK’s favourite coastal sound, as part of a three
month crowd sourced sound project, sounds of our shores. At its mid-way point, nearly 400 sounds have already been uploaded by
the public to the
British Library website, receiving an incredible 25,000 listens. From the amazing range of sounds already uploaded, 10 of the most
evocative have been selected for a public vote. The online
poll
opens today (6/8/15) and closes at midnight on Thursday 27 August. Cheryl Tipp, Curator of Wildlife and Environment Sounds at the
British Library, who helped to curate the list of ten sounds, said: “In
just six weeks we’ve had some brilliant recordings which show just how
diverse the sounds of the coast really are. “We want to showcase some of
the best sounds while encouraging more people to get involved,
especially over the summer holiday period. The poll will help us
identify what people find so special about the coast; what sounds can
truly transport them there and are so important to them. At the
end of the project all of the sounds that appear on the map will then be
added to the British Library’s Sound Archive, where they will join more
than 6.5 million sounds dating back to the birth of recorded sound in
the 19th century.” The sounds that the public are being asked to vote for are: 1. Children playing, Brean Sands, Somerset 2. Dredging for oysters, Brightlingsea, Essex 3. Ferries in the fog, River Mersey, Merseyside 4. Ghost train ride, Brighton, West Sussex 5. Kittiwakes, Northumberland 6. Raft race, Mumbles, South Wales 7. Seagulls, Monreith, Scotland 8. Seals calling and snorting, Rathlin Island,
Northern Ireland 9. ‘Singing’ Sands, Eigg, Scottish Hebrides 10. Waves breaking on the beach, Trwyn Llanbedrog, Wales All of these sounds will be added to the British Library Sound
Archive – creating a snapshot of the beautiful and diverse UK coastline
that future generations will be able to hear.
To vote and get involved in the project visit
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/coastal-sounds and share your own favourite
coastal sounds on social media using the hashtag #shoresounds. The results of the poll will be announced on Friday 4 September.
Cooperation helping hen harriers in Scotland
- Scottish Natural Heritage The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime Scotland (PAW
Scotland) ‘Heads Up for Harriers’ project has recorded some notable
successes in its first full season, with a total of twelve young birds
fledging from three successful nests A further three nests failed,
two as a result of bad weather and another due to fox predation.
Members of the public have been providing lots of sightings, and several
estates have been working closely with PAW Scotland. All of this
is adding to the understanding of the distribution of harriers and why
nests fail. Hen harrier nest camera picture 2 Wendy Mattingley, coordinator of the records coming in from the
public, and member of Tayside Raptor Study Group, commented: “It has
been really encouraging to receive a wealth of records from observers
visiting the islands and upland areas of Scotland and from local
residents taking a genuine interest in the plight of the hen harrier. An
important result of the project has been the interest shown by some to
become more involved in monitoring raptors on a regular basis. Another
positive came from contact by one land manager which has led to him
working with the local Raptor Study Group and there are plans to erect
raptor nest boxes for future breeding seasons. A big thank you to
everyone so far for their observations and for the excellent
co-operation with the Raptor Study Groups. Also many thanks to BTO’s
BirdTrack for their continuing support in regularly passing on sightings
of hen harriers from around Scotland.” Hen harriers are now one of Britain’s rarest birds of prey, but still
with a relative stronghold on Scotland’s heaths and bogs. Illegal
persecution, land use changes resulting in loss of nesting habitat and
feeding range, and predation of eggs and young by foxes, crows and other
predators have all contributed to the hen harrier’s current situation. By working with estates to install nest cameras, the Heads Up for
Harriers project is gathering evidence of the impact that these
different factors on the survival of young birds, with a view to
building a better understanding of why nests fail. We can use this
information to direct resources, where appropriate, to improve the
conservation status of hen harriers in Scotland.
Reports of non-native salmon in North East waters
- Environment Agency Anglers are being asked to report any sightings or catches of Pink
Salmon. The Environment Agency is urging anglers to get in touch with
information after reports a non-native salmon species was spotted in the
North East. Officers received information that unusual fish had been caught – one
by an angler on the River Tyne near Wylam and another two by licensed
netsmen the coast of South Shields. After examination, it’s believed the fish are Pink Salmon –
Oncorhynchus gorbuscha – a native of the North Pacific basin and its
surrounding rivers. Environment Agency officers are investigating and are asking anglers
to report any unusual salmon catches or sightings to them. The Environment Agency’s Richard Jenkins said: "This is quite an
unusual find in our waters and we’re keen anglers know we’re aware of
the sightings and we’re investigating. I’d urge them to contact us if
they see any non-native salmon in the waters, with a date, location and
if possible a photograph, which would really help us identify them and
build up a picture of where they are. At this stage we don’t think
there’s likely to be a major impact on wild fish stocks."
Scientific Publications Moreno-Mateos, David, Meli, Paula, Vara-Rodríguez, María Isabel, &
Aronson, James.
Ecosystem response to interventions: lessons from restored and created
wetland ecosystems. Journal of Applied Ecology DOI -
10.1111/1365-2664.12518
Pilakouta, N., Richardson, J. & Smiseth, P. T. (2015)
State-dependent cooperation in burying beetles: parents adjust their
contribution towards care based on both their own and their partner's
size. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12712 Zhaoa, Q. et al (2015)
A review of methodologies and success indicators for coastal wetland
restoration. Ecological Indicators.
doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.07.003
Guo, Tian, Smith, Jordan, Leung, Yu-Fai, Seekamp, Erin & Moore,
Roger.
Determinants of Responsible Hiking Behavior: Results from a Stated
Choice Experiment. Environmental Management DOI:
10.1007/s00267-015-0513-1 Poodat, Fatemeh, Arrowsmith, Colin, Fraser, David & Gordon, Ascelin
Prioritizing Urban Habitats for Connectivity Conservation: Integrating
Centrality and Ecological Metrics. Environmental Management DOI:
10.1007/s00267-015-0520-2
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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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Tree
canopy including diseased ash at Woodland Trust's Pound Farm, Suffolk.
Image credit: WTML/David McHugh
image: Stig at work in Thorley Wash
In
a single generation the populations of lapwing, curlew, snipe and
redshank in Northern Ireland have declined so drastically that they are
now in danger of being lost from our countryside forever.
Pill
box disappearing in to the sea on the Isle of Sheppey Credit: CITiZAN
Willow
spiling protects banks from erosion (Environment Agency)
Wild
young crane in Somerset (c) John Crispin
