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Headlines from week beginning 21 March 2016. |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
New report shows promise for puffins in Scotland – Scottish Natural
Heritage After two decades of declining numbers, there are early signs of hope
for some seabirds, including common guillemots and puffins. If the trend
continues, this could lead to declines slowing and maybe even reversing
in some areas. This is according to the latest seabird indicator for Scotland
published by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), using information
collected from the Seabird Monitoring Programme. Looking at the number of chicks produced can give an indication of
how seabirds have fared in 2014 and 2015. Overall, the number of puffin
chicks produced in 2014-15 was slightly higher than the long-term
average. Similar results were recorded for some other seabirds, such as
herring gull and little tern, although populations are now lower than
when results were first collected in 1986. Although the long-term declines are serious, the 2014-15 results are
encouraging. On the Isle of May, the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
(CEH) has been researching the seabirds since 1972. They've found that
2015 was above average for all study species with kittiwakes and shags
having a particularly productive breeding season. This was the second
consecutive year of high breeding success for kittiwakes after a number
of poor years. For the full seabird indicator report click here
The first day of
spring? Six weeks early for some species... – Woodland Trust Early bluebells at the Woodland Trust's Heartwood Forest in
Hertfordshire. WTML-Judith Parry Following the third warmest winter since 1910 the charity has
received some of the earliest records this century of flowering
bluebells and blackthorn, with hawthorn trees also coming into leaf far
earlier. This time last year the Trust had received just 22 bluebell
sightings across the UK, but over 60 locations have already been
recorded this year, from Dorchester to Doncaster.
The Trust has seen less of a response from wildlife with nesting bird
data and ladybird sightings seeing no change compared to previous years,
suggesting other factors determine their spring activity.
Annual bird of prey crime maps – Scottish Government Details published for 2015. 20 bird of prey crimes were recorded in 2015 including six poisoning
incidents, according to the latest bird of prey crime maps published
today. The maps by the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW)
Scotland show a slight increase from 2014 which saw 18 bird of prey
crimes recorded. The birds involved in these incidents include buzzards, red kites,
peregrine falcons, goshawks, osprey and a hen harrier. Poisoning was the
most frequently recorded bird of prey crime, but there were also five
shootings, five cases of disturbance, three trapping or attempted
trapping offences and one chick theft. A new map showing the locations of other poison baits has also been
published. This map includes 6 poisoning abuse incidents over a five
year period from 2011-2015 where no bird of prey was confirmed poisoned,
but where the type and location of the bait, and the type of poison used
could pose a serious threat to these birds. Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Dr Aileen
McLeod said: “Whilst these figures only show a small increase in the
number of crimes against birds of prey over the last year, it is very
disappointing not to see a decrease in the number of incidents. I want
to be clear that wildlife crime is not acceptable in a modern Scotland
and this is why we are doing all we can to end the illegal killing of
birds of prey and working in partnership with stakeholders to achieve
that. Scotland already has the strongest wildlife legislation in the UK
and last month I accepted proposals from the wildlife crime penalties
review group to introduce tough new maximum penalties for those who
commit crimes against wildlife. This sends out a clear message to those
who commit crimes against birds of prey – that this will not be
tolerated.” The hotspot maps can be viewed here
Small Copper slumps as butterflies struggle in cold summer –
Butterfly Conservation One of the UK’s most widespread butterflies, the Small Copper, has
suffered its worst year on record and is now in a state of significant
decline, a study has revealed. The summer of 2015 was cooler than average with the majority of
widespread and habitat specialist butterflies struggling as a result.
Small Copper butterfly by Peter Eeles Found across the UK, the Small Copper, an occasional garden visitor,
has seen its numbers tumble. Previous research suggests the butterfly has suffered substantial
declines over the last century due to habitat loss, but relatively poor
weather in recent years may also be aggravating this decline. 2015’s dry spring was followed by the coldest and wettest summer for
three year. Some 34 of the 57 butterfly species monitored by the scheme
experienced declines, with the lack of summer warmth a factor in this.
Poor weather hits garden birds – British Trust for Ornithology With the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) Garden BirdWatch
results now published for 2015, we can see the full impact last year’s
wet spring had on our garden birds.Some of the birds that had a
particularly poor year were those that are most familiar to us, such as
Blackbird and Blue Tit. Will this year see common garden bird numbers
recover from 2015's poor breeding season? Your help is needed to find
out. The annual results of the BTO Garden BirdWatch show an interesting
story for some of our more common garden birds, with Blue Tit, Great Tit
and Blackbird numbers all well below average during the second half of
2015. Blackbird numbers were 13% lower than usual between June and
December, whilst both Blue Tit and Great Tit were at their lowest
numbers on record for June, down 19% and 14% respectively.
Blackbird by www.grayimages.co.uk It is thought that these results were due to a poor breeding season,
which was caused by cold, wet weather in the spring, resulting in fewer
juvenile birds. “Data collected by BTO Nest Record Scheme volunteers
show that the number of chicks fledged per Blackbird nest in 2015 was
the lowest since records began in the mid-1960s,” explained Dave Leech,
Head of the Nest Record Scheme. “Small clutches meant that numbers of
young reared by both Blue and Great Tits were also significantly lower
than average.”
Lethal genetic blindness found in a rare Scottish bird - University
of Aberdeen The last remaining Scottish populations of the rare red-billed chough
are being affected by a genetic mutation causing lethal blindness, a new
study from the University of Aberdeen and the Scottish Chough Study
Group and funded by NERC and Scottish Natural Heritage has shown.
Blind chicks can survive in the nest while being fed by their
parents, but once they leave the nest they die very quickly. Image: University of Aberdeen A similar condition occurs in humans and is caused by a genetic
mutation and now this new research, which is published today (21 Mar) in
the Journal of Animal Ecology suggests that the blindness in the
Scottish chough population is also caused by a genetic mutation. Furthermore, the research shows that non-blind individuals that carry
the mutant gene are likely to be widely-distributed within the Scottish
chough population and therefore eradicating the mutation is likely to be
difficult.
SNH: plan now to preserve ancient rainforest species Globally important lichens in western Scotland are the subject of a
new report produced for Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) by the Royal
Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). Western Scotland is home to temperate rainforests inhabited by rich
and diverse lichen communities. Most of them are ‘epiphytes’ which means
they grow on another plant without harming it. Lichens will, like the rest of Scotland’s biodiversity, be affected
by climate change. Since they depend on the trees they grow on, they
could also be threatened by anything that harms the trees – including
diseases such as ash dieback. The new report ‘Woodland composition, climate change and the
long-term resilience of lichen epiphytes at Glasdrum NNR’ presents a
method that can help land managers to consider how decisions taken now
could affect the future survival of species. Link to the report here
New Plan for National Parks gives every schoolchild a chance to visit
- Defra The government's new Plan for National Parks kickstarts a programme
of activity to safeguard the future of these iconic landscapes. Every schoolchild in England will have the chance to visit our
inspiring National Parks at each stage of their education under plans
announced today by Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss - as new
figures reveal only 10% of schoolchildren currently have access to
outdoor learning. The new Plan for National Parks kickstarts a programme of activity to
safeguard the future of these iconic landscapes, including by engaging
young people throughout their education from primary school, bringing more than 80,000 young people to visit
National Parks and putting National Parks in the curriculum at secondary school, doubling the number of youth volunteers in
National Parks as part of the National Citizen Service in their first steps to employment, developing a new apprenticeship
standard and doubling apprenticeships in National Parks by 2020 With over half of the population in England living within an hour of
a National Park, the plan aims to increase the diversity of visitors
from the UK - as well as promoting these world-class cultural
attractions to a global audience through the GREAT campaign to drive
international tourism. The Environment Secretary aims to build annual
visitor numbers to 100 million, bringing around £440 million more to
local businesses, adding to the £4 billion already generated by National
Parks. The government
protected National Parks’ budgets in the last spending review,
committing over £350 million for English National Parks, Areas of
Outstanding Natural Beauty and forests. The new plan will further secure
the future of these iconic protected landscapes, ensuring effective
environmental management and growing a strong rural economy. Along with work already underway to give schools in England
one million native British trees to plant in their communities,
National Parks will be a key part of a new government campaign later
this year to connect children with nature and the environment. The plan also aims to harness the power of the natural environment to
improve national wellbeing, after
research published last month by Natural England showed taking part
in nature-based activities can contribute to a reduction in anxiety,
stress, and depression. It recommended greater use of ‘green care’ to
help people suffering from mental ill health, including taking part in
environmental conservation - for example, through innovative schemes in
National Parks.
National parks: 8-point plan for England (2016 to 2020) This plan sets out how we intend to protect, promote and enhance
National Parks in England from now until 2020. This 8-point plan sets out our priorities for improving National
Parks in England over the period from 2016 until 2020. It includes plans to connect more young people to the environment
through National Parks, and to increase visitor numbers. The plan also
includes plans to develop apprenticeships through National Park
Authorities, and to protect and enhance the natural environment. Access the plan:
National parks: 8-point plan for England (2016 to 2020)
Government issues 8 point plan for National Parks in England
highlighting the importance of these beautiful places
- Campaign for National Parks We welcome the 8-Point Plan for England’s National Parks the
Government published today which places an emphasis on ensuring National
Parks are protected and promoted for future generations to enjoy. For the last three years our Mosaic Youth project in partnership with
National Park Authorities has been working to ensure that disadvantaged
16-25 year olds are able to access and enjoy National Parks. So we are
delighted to see that the Government’s National Parks plan offers more
opportunities for young people to enjoy these places. Our chief executive, Fiona Howie said: “It is fantastic that this
Plan sets out the Government’s ambition to put National Parks at the
heart of how we think about and manage the environment for future
generations. The Campaign for National Parks has always believed that
the National Parks are inspirational and special and we share the
ambition that even more people, whether they are visiting or live or
work in the Parks, should be able to benefit from these unique places.” We look forward to working with the Government and the National Park
Authorities to make these ambitions a reality.
Many of the
individual National Parks welcomed the plan, read their responses
Great British Beach Clean Results 2015 -
Marine Conservation Society
Thanks to each and every one of you - your support is a massive part
of the fight to reduce beach litter on UK shores. Here’s a taste of this years stories Another record was broken too, but we rather wish it hadn’t been. In
2014 we found 2,457 pieces of litter on every kilometre of beach we
cleaned - the highest amount since we began our annual September cleans.
But in 2015 it got worse, with 3,298 items picked up per kilometre
surveyed.
Bottles are the story of this year’s Great British Beach Clean, with
almost 100 being found on every kilometre we cleaned. We’ve more on
bottles on pages 10 and 12. Changing policy It’s a damning indictment that current legislation to stop litter
reaching the sea isn’t working. From public litter to industrial waste,
fishing litter to fly tipping - this problem belongs to us all, so it
can be fixed.
Download the full report to find out more (PDF)
Ashes to ashes - Keele Unviersity The future for ash – the tree that gave us food, fuel and the Sweet
Track, one of the oldest roads in the world – looks bleak, according to
a new survey of its biology and ecology. The review by tree expert Dr
Peter Thomas is the largest-ever survey of this much-loved tree and is
published today in the Journal of Ecology. Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is native throughout most of the British
Isles. It is an important urban tree in our towns and cities, is the
second most abundant tree (after oak) in woodland, and outside woods
there are 2.2 million ash trees in Britain. Ash is our most common
hedgerow species and the length of woody linear features (hedgerows and
tree lines) composed of ash in Great Britain is almost 100,000 km. Ash had been thriving in Europe until recently thanks, paradoxically,
to air pollution. Nitrogen pollution has acted as a fertiliser and
climate change has also aided ash because of ash is drought tolerant,
able to cope with lower rainfall, and sensitive to spring frosts and so
benefits from warmer springs. But, the survey warns, ash faces several serious problems, including
the immediate threat of ash dieback and the 'potentially devastating'
emerald ash borer, which is spreading west across Europe. According to Dr Thomas of Keele University: “Between the fungal
disease ash dieback and a bright green beetle called the emerald ash
borer, it is likely that almost all ash trees in Europe will be wiped
out – just as the elm was largely eliminated by Dutch elm disease.” Access the publication: Thomas, P. A.
(2016),
Biological Flora of the British Isles: Fraxinus excelsior. J Ecol.
doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12566 Spring is in the air as the ospreys begin to return
Female osprey returns to Loch of the Lowes -
Scottish Wildlife Trust Staff and volunteers at the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scotland's
leading nature conservation charity, are delighted that a female osprey
has returned to Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve, near Dunkeld, almost
two weeks earlier than anticipated. Wildlife enthusiasts from around the world had been waiting to see if
the female osprey, known at the Trust as LF15, would return to the
reserve for a second year running. The osprey successfully fledged three
chicks at the reserve last summer and had last been seen on 7 August
2015. Having spent the winter in a warmer climate, she has now returned
Scotland’s most famous osprey nest, where it is hoped that she will
breed once more. Perthshire Ranger for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Charlotte Fleming,
said: “It’s great to see the osprey back again. Her behaviour is very
relaxed and she seems very at ease in the middle of the nest. From
initial observations she looks in great condition for breeding and we
are sure to see her enjoying a well-needed fish soon. “We are hoping that she won’t be on her own for long and are keeping
our eyes glued to the webcam to see when the male will arrive. I am
delighted that our osprey season has started so well already, and have
everything crossed for another successful breeding season.”
RSPB Scotland celebrates return of EJ the osprey to Loch Garten
Female osprey in flight (Image: Chris Gomersall,
RSPB) EJ, a female osprey, has been a regular resident at the site since
2003 and has raised a total 23 chicks there to date, mainly with her
usual partner Odin. Julie Quirie manages the Osprey Centre shop, and was the first member
of RSPB Scotland staff to spot EJ. She said: “I had just arrived at work
for my first day of the new season, threw open the flaps at the Osprey
Centre, and there, sitting on a branch, eating a fish was EJ! “She had just arrived, having completed her epic flight from the far
south. It may seem strange, but even after eight years working at Loch
Garten, the return of the ospreys still brings a lump to my throat.”
The results are in from the third Big Farmland Bird Count
- Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust
This February saw a flock of farmers, gamekeepers and land managers
join together to count their farmland birds. With nearly 1,000 farmers
spotting 130 species, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s (GWCT)
2016 Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC) has been an incredible success. Taking half an hour out of their busy schedules to count, the
farmers, gamekeepers and land managers dusted off their binoculars to
see just how much their conservation work is helping their resident
birds. In total, 130 different species were spotted, which is the
highest number of species counted since the BFBC was launched in 2014.
In addition, this year a total of 25 Red List species were recorded,
again beating the numbers spotted during previous counts. It was
particularly exciting to see six of these in the 25 most commonly seen
species list: fieldfares, house sparrows, starlings, yellowhammers, song
thrushes and skylarks. Many people took part across Northern Ireland, counting 50 different
species. Starlings were seen by 80% of those taking part from the area
and mistle thrushes were seen by 70%, joining 7 other species spotted
from the Red List for Birds of Conservation Concern. With the BFBC now in its third year, the GWCT is starting to see some
patterns developing. For example, this year’s five most abundant birds
seen were woodpigeons, starlings, rooks, fieldfares and lapwings. These
are almost the same as in 2014 and 2015, except lapwings have pushed
chaffinches down to sixth place. The GWCT’s Head of Development and Training and BFBC organiser, Jim Egan, said: “It is really exciting to see so many people taking part in the count this year. Despite the horrible weather at the start of the count week, we’ve nearly doubled the total number of participants since the first year, and many of those who took part in the first year have continued to submit their results every time. It really does show that farmers have a long-term commitment to conservation management.”
Agricultural management and climatic change major drivers of UK
biodiversity change - CEH The State of Nature report, published in 2013 by a partnership of 25
conservation organisations, showed the scale of declines in UK wildlife.
Data and analysis from scientists within the Biological Records Centre,
part of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), played a major role in
tracking the trends identified in the report. This week, a paper exploring the pressures that led to those declines
has been published in the journal PLOS ONE. The study was led by the
RSPB and was carried out by scientists from ten organisations -
charities, Universities and research institutes – including staff from
CEH. The study looked at a comprehensive range of pressures, both positive
and negative, on a sample of 400 species of plants and animals and found
that intensive management of agricultural land and climatic change have
had the greatest impact on wildlife since 1970. Professor Helen Roy, Dr Gary Powney and Bjorn Beckmann from CEH were
involved in the study working on assisting with data use from Biological
Records Centre-hosted recording schemes and identifying the drivers of
change for several species including grasshoppers and ladybirds. Farming practices have changed dramatically since 1970, such as a
change from spring- to autumn-sown crops, losses of hedgerows and farm
ponds, and use of novel pesticides and herbicides. These changes
have had negative impacts across many groups of animals and plants –
including butterflies, beetles, bees, grasshoppers, amphibians,
reptiles, mammals, birds and plants. A second iteration of the 2013 State of Nature report will be
published this September, bringing the analysis up to date for 2016.
Monitoring and analytical developments since 2013 mean that this second
report will be even more in-depth and comprehensive. Read the publication: Fiona Burns
et al
Agricultural Management and Climatic Change Are the Major Drivers of
Biodiversity Change in the UK. Plos One. DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0151595
Scottish Wildlife Trust calls for investment in nature In the run up to the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, leading
environmental charity the Scottish Wildlife Trust is asking its members
and supporters to challenge candidates about their plans for nature. The Scottish Wildlife Trust wants all parties to commit to actions
which will ensure that everyone in Scotland can access and enjoy the
benefits of nature wherever they live. Dr Maggie Keegan, Head of Policy at the Scottish Wildlife Trust said:
“More and more people are realising that everyone relies on a healthy
natural environment. Nature isn’t just about the wildlife we all love –
and for which Scotland is famous – nature is also the backbone of our
economy and is crucial to our well-being. This is why we would like to
see all parties commit to taking nature into account in all major
decisions. As people look ahead to the election in May, we’re
particularly highlighting the role of green spaces in our towns and
cities. On so many levels, green spaces are vital. High quality and
accessible green spaces means healthier child development, a fitter
community, lower levels of depression, cleaner air, lower levels of
asthma – and those are just the health benefits. Investing in green
spaces can also help tackle inequalities, create more resilient
communities and make neighbourhoods better places to live and work. And
all of this is on top of the benefits for wildlife, from protecting
butterflies and bees to looking after garden birds and helping our
endangered hedgehogs.”
Trees for Life rewilding project wins global conservation competition
Scotland’s only entry in a leading global conservation competition
has won funding of more than £20,000 to address biodiversity loss and
deforestation in the Highlands, including through the planting of 50,000
native trees and the creation of habitats that will offer a lifeline to
endangered and rare wildlife. Trees for Life’s Rewilding the Highlands initiative has won the
Alpine category of the 2016 European Outdoor Conservation Association
(EOCA) Conservation Vote, securing more than 7,000 votes and widespread
social media support in a tightly contested international online vote
that was held between 8-22 March. The success will allow Trees for Life to establish one of the UK’s
most inspiring examples of rewilding. This will involve ambitious
habitat creation to support wildlife including pine marten, red
squirrel, golden eagle and Scottish wildcat, the planting of 50,000
native trees, and also the annual growing of 10,000 rare montane tree
species, at Trees for Life’s Dundreggan Conservation Estate in
Glenmoriston to the west of Loch Ness. “This is fantastic news for Scotland’s Caledonian Forest and its
endangered and rare wildlife, as well as for the many people who will
benefit from our Rewilding the Highlands project, which is about people
as well as places. Our sincere thanks go to everyone who supported us,”
said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Founder.
NBN Action Plan published - National
Biodiversity Network The NBN Action Plan has now been published and is available to
download. The NBN Secretariat really values the time that all consultees put
into responding to the Action Plan and we have taken on board your
comments and suggested changes. These changes have all been outlined in
the Action
Plan Table of Changes – March 2016 for your reference. Most significantly, the total number of actions has reduced from 104
to 95 following a merger of various duplicate actions flagged up during
the consultation process. The Action Plan also highlights the role of the Working Groups in
implementing the Action Plan this year. Download the NBN Action Plan 2016 – 2020 (PDF)
Lough Neagh’s heritage receives £2.49m grant
- Heritage Lottery Fund The Heritage Lottery Fund has today (25/3/16) confirmed a
£2.49million grant to manage and conserve the cultural, natural and
built heritage of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland. The five-year Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership will deliver 27
integrated projects around the lough shore area. Activities will
include restoring and protecting the Lough’s wetlands, peatlands and
boglands, providing skills and training opportunities for the local
community, and using the Lough’s rich heritage to regenerate areas and
make them better places to live. The project will provide training
for 240 people, full-time jobs for five people and 200 volunteering
places. Today’s announcement brings HLF’s investment in land and biodiversity
projects in Northern Ireland to £37.6m, helping to conserve key habitats
and species, restore historic built heritage features and reconnect
people to their local landscapes. Scientific Publications Trask, A. E., Bignal, E. M., McCracken, D. I., Monaghan, P.,
Piertney, S. B. & Reid, J. M. (2016)
Evidence of the phenotypic expression of a lethal recessive allele under
inbreeding in a wild population of conservation. Journal of Animal
Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12503
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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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The
Small Copper saw numbers fall by almost a quarter last year compared to
2014, the annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) led by Butterfly
Conservation and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) revealed.
This
is the time of year when the numbers of these species seen in gardens
normally rises sharply, as juveniles leave the nest and join their
parents at garden feeding stations.
Blindness
was first observed in a chough chick in 1998 and small numbers of blind
chicks have occurred in most years subsequently.
Our
2015 Great British Beach Clean event has been yet another record
breaker! When 5,349 volunteers took part in 2014 we were thrilled - but
that record was smashed in September 2015 when 6,035 of you headed to
the beach - the most in our 22 year history of running clean-ups.
RSPB
Scotland is celebrating the return of EJ the osprey to its Loch Garten
nature reserve in Speyside, a full 12 days earlier than she appeared
last year.
Ring
Ouzel (image: Guy Smith NFU)
Scots
pines in snow with blue sky at Coille Ruigh na Cuileigemed (image: Trees
for Life)
