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Headlines from week beginning 9 May 2016 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Red squirrel study launched to assess scale of disease
- National Trust Wildlife experts have launched a project to better understand how
British red squirrels are affected by a form of leprosy. The study
will investigate how the disease is passed between squirrels and how
conservationists can help control its spread.
Leprosy was first identified in red squirrels in Scotland in 2014,
caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium lepromatosis, although the disease
is believed to have been present in the squirrel population for
centuries. Post-mortems have since revealed that the disease is
also affecting squirrels on the Isle of Wight and Brownsea Island, off
the south coast of England. The risk to people from the disease is very
low. The new research study will take place on Brownsea Island, in Poole
Harbour, Dorset, which is home to around 200 red squirrels. The island
location allows researchers to study the impact of leprosy in a
contained environment. The disease is believed to have been
present on Brownsea for many years but researchers have only recently
diagnosed it as leprosy. Little is known about how the bacteria is
spreading among red squirrels. The disease causes swelling and hair loss
to the ears, muzzle and feet. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh are working with the
National Trust and Dorset Wildlife Trust on the project. Lead
researcher Professor Anna Meredith, of the University’s Royal (Dick)
School of Veterinary Studies, said: “The aim of our study is to find out
how and why red squirrels catch leprosy, and how it affects both
individuals and populations. This disease appears to have been in
squirrel populations in Scotland and England’s south coast for some
time. With this research, we aim to help conservationists better
understand and manage the disease in this iconic species.”
Launch of National Parks Partnerships -
National Parks British public support corporate involvement in National Parks to
secure future sustainability sustainability Nearly half of people surveyed on the future of the UK’s National
Parks are concerned they will deteriorate if funding levels reduced in
coming years, while 85% say that their perception of a large company
would improve if it provided them with support, according to a survey by
the National Parks Partnerships. Launched today (9/5/16), the
National Parks Partnerships has been created to enable businesses to
readily engage with all 15 UK National Parks to enhance the quality and
utility of the Parks now and for future generations. The Partnership is
led by a
Board of Directors of senior executives volunteering from the
private sector and key commercial leaders from UK Parks. Steve Curl,
Chair of the Board and spokesperson for the National Parks Partnership,
said: “Government and the general public provide important support to
the National Parks but we need additional commitments to make sure that
they are not only sustained but enhanced for future generations.
Partnership with responsible businesses - without commercialisation -
can deliver the support needed to secure benefits from Parks for the
massive number of visitors from the UK and overseas, local communities
and the environment.” In the survey of 2000 people across the UK, 67% strongly agreed that
children need to get active in the great outdoors and nature and become
real kids again and 68% strongly agreed that everyone should have the
basic right to access nature in green spaces, fresh air and places like
the National Parks. Current plans for major partnerships include an 'Active Parks
Partner' to jointly promote health and wellbeing activities within the
National Parks; a 'Parks Discovery Partner' to help provide for children
who wouldn't normally get the chance to have educational experiences in
'outdoor classrooms' in Parks; an official outdoor clothing supplier to
the UK’s 255 National Park Rangers; a national funder for the 'Miles
without Stiles' programme that creates and maintains accessible paths
throughout the Parks; and opportunities to collaborate on environmental
initiatives including sustainable transport, water and carbon
management.
National Parks Partnerships is a company set up by the UK's 15
National Parks in order to create successful corporate partnerships that
generate vital income for the Parks. Our vision is to make a very
significant, sustainable and discernible contribution to the improved
quality of UK National Parks and the benefits they offer for generations
to come. Free to access, and with 110 million visitors each year, the
National Parks are a vital natural resource for everyone in this
country. Getting more money into the National Parks? - Campaign for National Parks response The National Parks Partnership, a new initiative that will enable
businesses to engage with all 15 of the UK National Parks, has been
launched today (9/5/16) The Partnership will enable the Parks to work together to seek
funding from businesses that will “enhance the quality and utility of
the Parks now and for future generations”. We recognise the need to bring new funding into the Parks and
welcome attempts by the National Parks to be innovative about accessing
new sources of income. But it is essential that any new funding does not
lead to the commercialisation of them. Fiona Howie, our chief executive said, “Already, too many people are
unable to access and enjoy our National Parks. Past funding cuts have
meant that novel approaches to public transport have been stopped and
local businesses have been closed, as well as less money being invested
in conservation work. We know there is a need to get more funding for
the Parks to benefit rural businesses, visitors and wildlife.” Some good news from the RSPB First from RSPB
Scotland:
Hoy's sea eagles pass halfway mark All’s going well for Orkney’s nesting sea eagles, according to the
RSPB Scotland team watching over the birds on Hoy. After a late start – the pair only appeared to settle on the nest
around mid April – the young birds are now a little over halfway into
the expected incubation period of five to six weeks. Success would mean
Orkney’s first sea eagle chicks in nearly 150 years. Since
starting to incubate, the pair on Hoy have been seen almost daily,
usually swapping over on the nest two or three times during the day.
Visitors have also been delighted by regular views of the off-duty adult
flying in with prey, preening on the crags and chasing off ravens. And then from
RSPB Northern Ireland:
Corncrake calls on Rathlin Island The distinctive crex-crex call of the corncrake has been heard on
Rathlin Island for just the second time in 17 years. The male’s distinctive call at dusk and through the night during
breeding season (May to August) is often the only indication that these
secretive birds, relatives of the moorhen and coot, are hiding in the
dense summer vegetation. Sadly, within a generation, this species has been virtually wiped out
in Northern Ireland, largely due to changes in agricultural practices,
and the last reported breeding pair in Northern Ireland was in the late
1990s. However, the species can still be found in large numbers on
the west coast of Scotland and in Donegal within 30 miles of Rathlin
Island. Through its Giving Corncrake a Home project, RSPB NI has been working
for a number of years to entice the species back to Rathlin. A
male was heard calling in the Church Bay area in May 2014 but, sadly, it
was disturbed and did not attract a mate. At the time, the RSPB
said its work for the species would continue and the latest development
proves their perseverance is paying off.
Prisoners build over 10,000 nest boxes for rare hazel dormice -
People’s Trust for Endangered Species UK conservation charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES)
has been working in partnership with HMP Doncaster and HMP
The partnership between PTES and HMP Doncaster and HMP Humber is now
in its sixth year, and the 10,963 newly built nest boxes have been
distributed to nearly 150 of the 400 NDMP sites to provide new homes for
dormice to help replace natural habitats that have been lost.
Hazel dormice were once widespread across England and Wales, but due
to continuing loss of their ancient woodland and hedgerow habitat,
numbers have declined dramatically over the last century. As a result,
hazel dormice are now listed as rare and vulnerable to extinction. To
combat falling populations, PTES and Natural England co-fund the
National Dormouse Monitoring Programme, which relies on volunteers to
collect dormouse data from nest boxes at NDMP sites across the country.
By installing special nest boxes, which are similar to bird boxes, PTES
can observe any changes to dormouse populations in a given area, as well
as providing a much needed alternative habitat.
Together against the illegal killing, taking and trade of migratory
birds - Ramsar
This year’s World Migratory Bird Day is celebrating the natural
miracle of bird migration and is calling for action to end the illegal
killing and trade of birds. Illegal hunting leads not only to drastic
declines of bird populations but it also harms society in general, our
very existence and our natural resources. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands has, since its inception in 1971,
paid particular attention to migratory birds. Of the current 2,240
Ramsar Sites (covering over 215 million hectares of wetlands worldwide)
1,103 (49% of all Sites) have been specifically designated as key sites
for migratory waterbirds.
Boat operators reminded of rules on protected marine mammals –
Marine Management Organisation
MMO recommends WiSe scheme to boat owners and operators as it issues
reminder that dolphins, porpoise and whales are protected species. Disturbance of dolphins is an offence under the Wildlife and
Countryside act 1981 (MMO) The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is reminding boat owners and
operators of registered passenger and charter vessels about the rules
and best practice relating to marine wildlife. As the warmer weather reaches English shores it brings with it
increasing opportunities to observe dolphins, porpoises and whales.
Whilst this is a fantastic opportunity for wildlife watchers and marine
tourism, it is essential that the health and well-being of the animals
is considered at all times. Endangered species dolphins, porpoises and whales are protected by
wildlife legislation including the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Under the Act it is an offence to intentionally and/or recklessly
disturb these animals, with offences of disturbance carrying a maximum
penalty of six months imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Disturbance by boats often causes stress and harm to dolphins,
porpoises and whales, affecting their ability to feed, breed or nurture
their young. To ensure the safety and appropriate protection of these
animals the MMO recommend that boat and vessel owners follow the Wildlife
Safe (WiSe) scheme.
Peak District pollination hotspot bid wins Heritage Lottery Fund support
– Bumblebee Conservation Trust An initiative by Bumblebee Conservation Trust to transform the Peak
District into a pollination hotspot is set to launch after receiving
earmarked support of £850,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Citizen science will address a severe lack of bumblebee records in
the Peak. Volunteers will be trained in bee identification methods, with
high-quality data from surveys used to inform local and national land
management action plans, and to help provide early warning of declines.
A particular focus will be the monitoring of the Bilberry bumblebee, an
iconic Peak District species.
From sweet potatoes to orchids – Kew Gardens Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the
planet. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew today released the first annual report
on the State of the World’s Plants, ahead of the international science
and policy symposium on the topic. The first annual State of the World’s Plants report, which involved
more than 80 scientists and took a year to produce, is a baseline
assessment of current knowledge on the diversity of plants on earth, the
global threats these plants currently face, as well as the policies in
place and their effectiveness in dealing with threats. “This is the first ever global assessment on the state of the world’s
plants. We already have a ‘State of the World’s …birds, sea-turtles,
forests, cities, mothers, fathers, children even antibiotics’ but not
plants. I find this remarkable given the importance of plants to all of
our lives– from food, medicines, clothing, building materials and
biofuels, to climate regulation. This report therefore provides the
first step in filling this critical knowledge gap.” said Professor Kathy
Willis, Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew at the
report launch on Monday (9 May). You can download the report here
Mass of marine litter collected during one of Gwent’s largest beach
cleans - Gwent Wildlife Trust Volunteers and staff from local organisations came together to take
part in one of the largest coordinated beach clean at Peterstone
foreshore in Gwent. While the stars of the day were undoubtedly the
volunteers who covered more than a mile of shoreline, there was an
abundance of far less glamorous visitors including car tyres, cool
boxes, knives, bicycle wheels and, most frequently found of all,
plastic. The sheer amount of plastic bottles, caps and cotton buds found
highlights the continuing problems that plastics and other man-made
litter cause to Welsh beaches, coastlines, seas and most of all
wildlife.
60% of Wales’s population live and work on Welsh coastline, marine
litter and other man-made pollution is not only unattractive to any
coastline but, more importantly, it is dangerous to wildlife. This
danger is why fifty volunteers and staff from Gwent Wildlife Trust,
RSPB, Wentloog Wildfowlers, Keep Wales Tidy and Newport City Council
took on the challenge of clearing huge amounts of litter and debris from
a mile-long section of Gwent coastline, whilst monitoring the variety
and density of man-made materials found. In the past ten years on the
Peterstone foreshore, beach cleans have made a significant difference
thanks to volunteers and coordinated effort of local organisations.
Unfortunately the huge amount of man-made material still being found
during the beach clean is a reminder of the responsibility and combined
effort needed by all of us to prevent every day rubbish becoming marine
litter.
Providing evidence to improve practice -
National Biodiversity Network Conservation Evidence, a new website, is a free, authoritative
information resource designed to support decisions about how to maintain
and restore global biodiversity. Here you will find summarised evidence from scientific literature
about the effects of conservation interventions such as methods of
habitat or species management. Expert panels are then asked to assess
the effectiveness (or not) of interventions, based on the summarised
evidence. The idea is to give conservationists easy access to the latest and
most relevant knowledge to support their conservation policy or
management decisions. Simply search for your species, habitat or issue
of interest. The site will present you with a list of possible actions
you could take, along with a plain English summary of the available
evidence for whether each one is effective (or not). It will also
provide expert assessment of the effectiveness, based on the summarised
evidence Have a look at the website here:
www.conservationevidence.com
Hesketh Out Marsh goes wild again - RSPB After more than 35 years stuck behind a private sea wall, more than
154 hectares of land (380 acres) is being returned to the Ribble
Estuary, providing a valuable home for wildlife in Lancashire, as well
as bolstering flood defences in the face of rising sea levels. RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh reserve, Lancashire (Image: Andy Hay, RSPB) Thanks largely to Landfill Communities Fund monies from FCC
Environment through WREN, the RSPB has purchased Hesketh Out Marsh East
(HOME), a former part of the estuary that was converted into intensively
managed farmland in the early 1980s. The RSPB acquired parts of the site
in 2010 and in early 2014, and recently secured the last 54ha (133
acres) block of land, necessary to complete the ambitious project. The RSPB is working in partnership with the Environment Agency and
Natural England to return Hesketh Out Marsh East to saltmarsh, by
reconnecting it to the Ribble Estuary. This process, known as managed realignment, involves strengthening
the inner flood defences and then breaching the outer private sea wall
to allow the water to flow in naturally. This process will eventually
return the land to saltmarsh, which will act as a buffer, absorbing the
energy of the tides before they reach the improved flood bank. The
saltmarsh will also benefit a range of breeding wading birds such as
redshanks, together with wintering wildfowl including pink-footed geese
and wigeon. The breaching of the outer private sea wall is scheduled for summer
2017. In the meantime, the RSPB and the Environment Agency are
landscaping a series of lagoons and creeks at the site to create great
habitat for wildlife.
Using portable nanopore DNA sequencers to combat wildlife crime
- University of Leicester University of Leicester researchers aim to develop a test using DNA
to identify species at crime scenes in as little as an hour
A team from the University of Leicester has been awarded a prize for
their proposal to crack down on wildlife crime using a portable DNA
sequencing device, the MinION - developed by Oxford Nanopore
Technologies - to read the ‘barcode genes’ of animals affected by
illegal trafficking.
The Leicester team will collaborate with organisations working in the
field such as the Kenya Wildlife Service and Panthera. The method, proposed by Dr Jon Wetton from the University of
Leicester’s Department of Genetics, uses DNA barcode genes to identify
animal species in real time. This could be used to test blood stains on the machete of a poacher,
identify bushmeat from endangered animals such as chimpanzees at local
markets - and even detect the frequent illegal substitution of products
derived from protected species in the caviar trade.
Views sought by SNH on future management of Highland reserve
- Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage is holding a six-week consultation on a
10-year management plan for an internationally important site. Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve (NNR) is a haven for many
species of rare plants and lichens, as well as specialised upland
species. The consultation runs from 2 May to 13 June 2016. As part of this
process two local drop-in sessions have been held at Laggan Village Hall
and at the reserve itself. Chris Donald, SNH’s South Highland operations manager, said: “We are
keen to hear peoples’ views on the future management of the Creag
Meagaidh reserve, which is a special place. We are committed to
ensuring that the special qualities of the reserve continue to thrive,
and that the Reserve continues to be a source of inspiration as a place
for people and nature. We renew reserve management plans every 10
years in a process which allows us to review previous actions; and
considering what has worked and what needs to be reviewed. In developing
the new plan, the views of our visitors, the people of Scotland, and
other interests are important to us, hence this consultation.”
Can the Ash Tree Survive Ash Die Back? A Living Ash Trial Created in The
National Forest - The National Forest A trial to look for potential tolerance to ash dieback in different
varieties of ash has been created by Forest Research, the research
agency of the Forestry Commission, on land owned by the National Forest
Company (NFC) in The National Forest near Ashby de la Zouch,
Leicestershire.
The common ash is a very genetically diverse species, and experience
from the continent shows us that between 1 – 5 % of all trees are
tolerant to ash dieback, which means that it is possible to breed ash
for tolerance to the disease. The Living Ash Project aims to identify
these tolerant trees and bring them together to form a new breeding
population. Simon West, NFC Head of Forestry said: "Ash is a magnificent,
valuable and irreplaceable tree in our landscape with between 1 and 2
million in The National Forest and lots more across England. This
partnership with Forest Research and the Earth Trust is vital in
ensuring that ash will continue to make a contribution to our
landscape." Dr Steve Lee, Forest Research Programme Leader for Genetic
Improvement, said: "This trial is one of three we are planting this
spring across eastern England. We are very excited that as the trees
grow, some will die, some will struggle on badly with the infection and
a rare few are expected to tolerate the disease. Those are the ones we
are after. The unique design of this experiment will enable us to
work out how heritable any Chalara tolerance is and for the first time
give a clear indication of the likelihood of being able to breed our way
out of this problem. Many thanks to the National Forest Company in
allowing Forest Research access and use of this site over the coming
five years."
Wintering Waterbird Official Statistics published
- JNCC The latest results of the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) have just been
published. The summary report “Waterbirds in the UK 2014/15 – The annual
report of the Wetland Bird Survey” and the online reporting tool are
available from BTO. WeBS is the principal scheme for monitoring
the populations of the UK’s wintering waterbirds, indicating the status
of waterbird populations and the health of wetlands. The results make up
the annually produced wintering waterbirds official statistic. Summary: This latest WeBS assessment covering the period up to mid
2015 presents population trends of non-breeding waterbirds in the UK.
UK WeBS trends for many estuarine species such as Shelduck, Curlew,
Redshank, Dunlin and Oystercatcher have shown steady declines, whereas
the UK indices for some fish-eating species such as Little Egret have
increased rapidly in the past 25 years. The winter weather
of 2014/15 was fairly typical for the UK and the recent series of
typical maritime mild winters appears to have allowed recovery in
species such as Little Grebe. Some of the scarcer waders in winter such
as Whimbrel, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and Ruff have also seen UK
mid-winter numbers increase. Teresa M. Frost, Graham E. Austin, Neil A. Calbrade, Chas A. Holt,
Heidi J. Mellan, Richard D. Hearn, David A. Stroud, Simon R. Wotton and
Dawn E. Balmer. 2016.Waterbirds in the UK 2014/15: The Wetland Bird
Survey. BTO, RSPB and JNCC, in association with WWT. British Trust for
Ornithology, Thetford. Download the report
Waterbirds in the UK 2014/15 (PDF from BTO)
Exploring future trends in pest damage to forests in a changing climate
- Forest Research A new Forestry Commission Research Note explores future trends in
insect pests’ effects on Britain’s forests as the climate changes. The research note was written by Forest Research entomologists Dr
Daegan Inward and Dr Dave Wainhouse. It outlines the main changes projected for the British climate over
the coming decades and how forest insects, grouped according to
similarities in their ecology and life history, are likely to be
affected by climate change. The research note is intended to help
woodland managers, foresters and researchers with long-term forest
management planning decisions. Dr Inward said, “The key messages from the review we’ve conducted for this research
note are that:
Dr Inward added that the effects on pests are likely to be complex,
influencing not only their rate of development, number of generations
per year and the seasonal timing of life-cycle stages. Download the
Research Note: The influence of climate change on forest insect pests in
Britain here (PDF)
Buglife welcomes sensible decision on pesticides Buglife welcomes news that The NFU’s and the Agriculture and
Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)
applications for a second neonicotinoid emergency derogation to use
the insecticides on oilseed rape (OSR) has been refused. Buglife
believes this is a sensible decision, but one that should also have been
taken last year. As a result of
last year’s NFU derogation many fields in eastern counties were
split, with half being sown with neonic treated OSR seeds and the other
half being untreated. Provisional results presented by ADAS (the
UK's largest independent provider of environmental consultancy, rural
development services and policy advice) indicate that at the 3-5 leaf
stage there was no different between the treated and untreated sides of
the split fields. The neonics were making no difference to the
effective establishment of the crop, but were putting our wild
pollinators at risk. Matt Shardlow, Chief Executive of Buglife commented. “Oilseed rape
yields went up by 7% last year, this is not an ‘emergency’, the loss of
bees and pollinating insects is the emergency. The decision to
refuse to allow the continued use of neonicotinoid insecticides on
oilseed rape in the UK is great news for the bees and for the hundreds
of thousands of British people who have asked the Government to do more
to protect our disappearing pollinators
An Official Statistics Publication for Scotland The Proportion of
Scotland's Protected Sites in Favourable Condition 2015
- Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage has today (13/5/16) released the latest
figures tracking the proportion of Scottish protected natural features
in favourable condition. The main findings show that of the more-than 5,000 Scottish natural
features on protected nature sites, 80.4% are either in favourable
condition, or unfavourable but recovering towards a favourable
condition. This figure represents a 1.1 percentage points rise in the proportion
of natural features in favourable or recovering condition between 2015
and 2016. There has been a nine percentage points increase since
assessment reporting began in 2005. There are three broad types of protected features: earth science,
which covers geological outcrops and landforms, fossil beds and caves
(98.1% in favourable condition); species (76.3% in favourable condition)
and habitats (79.4% in favourable condition). All saw an increase in the
proportion of features in favourable condition since last year (species
0.1 percentage points; earth science 0.5 percentage points; and habitats
2.1 percentage points).
Of the individual feature types which are monitored, some feature
types showed an increase in the proportion of features in favourable
condition, some remained stable, whilst others decreased. Of particular
note were wetland features where the proportion of natural features in
favourable condition rose from 81.2% in 2014/15 to 85.3% in 2015/16 The full statistical publication can be accessed online.
WWT welcomes Government’s new homes flooding announcement Rules to stop new homes in England from causing flooding might not be
working, so the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is welcoming a
Government announcement to review them.
New homes can cause flooding because they replace open land, which
soaks in rainwater slowly, with surfaces that rainwater runs off quickly
like roofs, patios and driveways. This increased speed and volume of
rainwater off thousands of new homes can overwhelm our drainage systems. The Government announced it will review law and policy on new homes
connecting to mains drainage in response to an amendment to the Housing
& Planning Bill, a Bill which aims to help build a million homes by
2020. The amendments, tabled by Baroness Parminter, Lord Krebs and
Baroness Young, had proposed that all new homes should absorb rainwater
onsite by using features like soak-away chambers, ponds or green roofs
rather than connecting to drains which often have limited capacity to
take more water. WWT Head of Government Affairs, Dr Richard Benwell said: “We welcome this step forward on flood mitigation in England. The case for strengthening the legal requirements for sustainable drainage in new homes is compelling and has been supported by a wide group of experts from across the industry and across the political spectrum. This review must run rapid and deep, finding out what’s happening on the ground in time to make sure that the new homes we need are delivered in a way that is safe and environmentally sound – especially in our increasingly erratic climate. We look forward to clear evidence and appropriate action from Government next year” Scientific Publications Klaus, Joyce Marie & Noss, Reed F.
Specialist and generalist amphibians respond to wetland restoration
treatments. The Journal of Wildlife Management. ISSN:
1937-2817 DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21091 Leonardo Paolini, Ezequiel Aráoz, Antonela Gioia, Priscila Ana Powell, Vegetation productivity trends in response to urban dynamics, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, ISSN 1618-8667, DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2016.04.005.
Anouschka R. Hof & Paul W. Bright. Quantifying the long-term decline of the West European hedgehog in England by subsampling citizen-science datasets. European Journal of Wildlife Research DOI: 10.1007/s10344-016-1013-1
Substantial heritable variation for susceptibility to Dothistroma
septosporum within populations of native British Scots pine (Pinus
sylvestris). A Perry, W Wachowiak, A B Brown, R A Ennos, J E
Cottrell and S Cavers. Plant Pathology. 2016. doi: 10.1111/ppa.12528 Read the CEH blog about this paper: Cause for optimism in the fight against tree disease. Annika Perry and Stephen Cavers on their new research indicating that Scots pine could evolve to cope with Dosthistroma needle blight
Navinder J. Singh, Edward Moss, Tim Hipkiss, Frauke Ecke, Holger
Dettki, Per Sandström, Peter Bloom, Jeff Kidd, Scott Thomas & Birger
Hörnfeldt.
Habitat selection by adult Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos during the
breeding season and implications for wind farm establishment.
Bird Study DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2016.1183110 Naomi Huig , Roland-Jan Buijs , Erik Kleyheeg. Summer in the city: behaviour of large gulls visiting an urban area during the breeding season. Bird Study DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2016.1159179
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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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Red squirrel (image Monique Vanstone via National Trust)
Humber
in order help wider conservation efforts to save the rare hazel
dormouse, whose population numbers have fallen dramatically over the
last century. Since 2010, men at both prison sites have built 10,963
dormouse nest boxes as part of PTES & Natural England’s National
Dormouse Monitoring Programme (NDMP).
Each
year an estimated 50 billion migratory birds travel thousands of
kilometres. On their migratory routes the birds have to overcome
enormous obstacles. Today one of them is illegal killing. Many wild
birds are illegally taken or killed due to hunting for subsistence,
recreational activities and traditional practice.
restore
at least 300 hectares of flower-rich habitat for native wild bee species
and pollinators, and also aims to involve hundreds of gardens.
Litter
included Gas bottles, tyres, cool boxes, wheels, chairs and a large
amount of plastics including bottles, foam, bottle tops and cotton bud
stems (image: Ben Boylett)
Close-up
of the MinION handheld DNA sequencer (image: University of Leicester and
Oxford Nanopore)
An
young ash tree (image: National Forest)
Rain
runs off the roofs and parking spaces - into a wildlife-rich wetland
(image: WWT)
