Streamer moth by Gordon Redford taken at Linford Lakes NR 25Apr15
Scientists have discovered that moths may play a much broader role as plant pollinators than previously suspected.
Click here for more information.: The nocturnal pollinators: scientists reveal the secret life of moths
They live in chatty groups, and can hunt in teams—sometimes working in tandem to create waves that dump unlucky prey off floating ice. Savvy orcas, with their splotchy two-tone flesh and rich family lives, have survived mass slaughter, being captured with nets and lassos, and being trucked and airlifted to marine theme parks.
But new research published Thursday in the journal Science suggests more than half of the world’s killer whale populations could face complete collapse in 30 to 50 years, thanks to a suite of toxic chemicals the world has already banned.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Half the World’s Orcas Could Soon Disappear Thanks to PCB Pollution
Otter on bridge ©Martin Kincaid, Linford Lakes NR 29 July 2017
The results of a post mortem conducted on an otter found dead in Irthlingborough a year ago have just been released – and reveal, shockingly, that it was shot several times at close range
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Otter shot in Northamptonshire | Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants
Since September 2003 the author has been making a minimum intervention study of a square metre of land and the immediate surrounding area in his garden in the East Sussex Weald at Sedlescombe near Hastings, UK. By April 2016 over 1000 species of plants and animals (none of which has been deliberately introduced) had been recorded and the area featured on many TV and radio shows including Spring Watch, and The One Show.
Click here for more information: The Square Metre at TQ 78286 18846
Linford Lakes Nature Reserve visitors enjoying an Open Sunday
Open Sunday at Linford Lakes NR 21 October 2018 10:00-16:00hrs.10 – 16:00 hrs
Tea and coffee, home-made cakes available.
Second-hand books on sale as well as crafts and bird seed.
Great views through the new windows and balcony.
It’s the time of year that migrants will be visiting our reserve so come and see which new arrivals have flown in to stock up prior to their long flight. Bring friends and family.
Also, Andy Harding, the County Bird Recorder, will be recording his monthly wildfowl count this morning. He is willing to take a group along to the hides and will help with identifying ducks and other birds. Please meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Centre.
Today we have a second visit this year from local Opticron Rep (Sarah), who will demonstrate some of their products. Bins, scopes and magnifiers will be available to buy. Sarah will also undertake some routine maintenance of Opticron products, so bring your bins along.
Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published its long-awaited special report on 1.5°C of global warming earlier today, at a meeting in South Korea.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Limit rise to 1.5°C: avoid worst climate impacts – Met Office
Research shows that a lethal salamander-eating fungus is widespread in the European private amphibian trade.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Concern for European amphibians as deadly fungus found in private collections | Discover Wildlife
On 22nd July 2018, we attended the Wicken Fen edition of Chris Packham’s 2018 BioBlitz. This was our first BioBlitz experience and also the first time we had worked with volunteers to collect water samples…
After the talk we headed out with a group of six volunteers to collect some samples from the fenland waterways known as ‘lodes’. The volunteers quickly got the hang of using the kits to filter the water and then added the preservative solution to the samples so that the DNA would be stabilised for transport to the lab. It took about 15 minutes to collect each sample.
Back in the lab, we extracted the DNA from the filters and ran our Fish eDNA Metabarcoding analysis to generate a species-by-sample table. This involves making millions of copies of the fish DNA in a process called PCR, and then sequencing it on a high-throughput DNA sequencer machine.
Click here to read the results: Wicken Fen BioBlitz – Nature Metrics
CABI scientists are stepping up the fight against one of the UK’s most invasive non-native aquatic weeds. Approval has been given for the release of a novel biological control agent – the mite, Acu…
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Tiny mite could prove a ‘mighty’ weapon in the fight against one of the UK’s most invasive weeds – The Invasives Blog
The tansy beetle was thought to exist at just two sites in the UK before this discovery was made.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Endangered beetle recorded in a new county | Discover Wildlife
Kevin Rushby joined the crew aboard the Summer Rose fishing boat seeking insight into the state of our seas. He found life hard for fishermen and marine creatures alike – but can conservation measures such as Michael Gove’s ‘blue belt’ help?
Red-tailed bumblebees such as this one feed on different wildflower plants, making them less vulnerable to the loss of individual species Picture: John Redhead
Insect pollinators that have survived the impacts of agricultural intensification may have a greater ability to resist future environmental changes than previously thought, a new study has
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Surviving plants and insects are tougher than we think | Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
The world’s second largest fish can achieve the same vertical speed as a great white shark when it breaches.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Basking shark is as powerful as a great white | Discover Wildlife
Small Copper butterfly at Llanymynech Rocks Nature Reserve, Shropshire by Peter Hassett 06Aug15
Fungi are vital to life on Earth but little studied – new species of mould were found on baby-carrier backpack and an oil painting
Click here to read the rest of the article.: New edible mushrooms among thousands of recently discovered fungi | Environment | The Guardian
Barriers could halt slide of undersea glaciers and hold back sea level rises predicted to result from global warming
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Build walls on seafloor to stop glaciers melting, scientists say | Environment | The Guardian
Poster for Mick Jones talk
Dear Friends of Stony Stratford Library,The next FoSSL talk at the Library will be given at 7 p.m. on Wednesday 24 October by Mick Jones. His subject will be ‘Wildlife West of Milton Keynes: Threats and Opportunities’.Aylesbury Vale has traditionally been thought of as a wildlife desert, and the countryside to the west of Milton Keynes has relatively few areas designated as important for biodiversity. However, there is still a surprising amount of wildlife interest as well as some local specialities. We need to remind ourselves of this as pressure on the area intensifies with the expansion of Milton Keynes, the East-West Rail and Oxford-Cambridge Expressway projects, and the associated proposals for new settlements. Do we know what we want to conserve and are we being active enough to achieve this?Mick Jones MBE has been volunteer warden at the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust nature reserve at Dancers End, Tring for the past 36 years. During that time the reserve has grown from 78 acres to the current 211 acres, making it the oldest and largest of BBOWT’s reserves in Buckinghamshire. Mick’s interests have developed from birds and plants, through fungi and butterflies, to slime moulds, plant galls, moths and beetles. Now living in Mursley, north Bucks, he takes a special interest in the Whaddon Chase Biodiversity Opportunity Area and in conservation issues raised by the re-opening of the east-west rail line and the planned Oxford-Cambridge Expressway.Tickets for the talk will be available at the Library (tel. 01908-562562) from Wednesday 3 October. There is no charge for tickets, but FoSSL is grateful to accept donations to cover costs and to support activities at the Library.As always, wine, fruit juice and home-made cake will be served after the talk.
Melting ice sheets cause the seas to rise, but not in the way you might expect
Source: The strange science of melting ice sheets: three things you didn’t know | Environment | The Guardian
Discovering and conserving the lower plants of the Lake District.
Atlantic woodlands are one of the richest and most treasured habitats found within the British Isles. These forested ecosystems are teaming with biodiversity and showcase some of the most exceptional examples of lichens, bryophytes and ferns the UK has to offer.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Plantlife :: Looking Out for the Small Things
Plenty of sunshine is needed to bring out the intense reds and yellows from the leaves, and this year we’re set for a dazzling display
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Long hot summer means we should enjoy spectacular autumn colour | Environment | The Guardian
Urgent appeal on behalf of dormice in your local area
You may be surprised to know that the number of dormice has declined by more than a third since 2000 across many places in Britain. The damage to or complete loss of woodland and hedgerows and the decline of coppicing are all responsible for the decreasing populations of dormice.
We need to raise £40,000 by 23 November 2018 to cover the costs of all the activities we want to do this year and next, to improve woodland habitats in our three counties, for dormice and other woodland wildlife.
They need us!
We are asking you to give dormice a fighting chance of survival. A donation will help cover the costs of improving woodlands on our reserves to provide a suitable habitat for dormice and other woodland species to feed, breed, hibernate, and so survive.
How will your money help us?
Whatever you can give will help to give more protection to endangered dormice and other woodland species. Here are some examples of what your money could do:
Watch a dormouse in action
Because dormice are so rare, shy and nocturnal you’re unlikely to see one in the wild and because they are a protected species they must only be touched by licensed handlers. Click on the video below to watch a dormouse in action.
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Click here to donate.
Inland Waterways Association MK branch, winter programme meetings from September 2018 to April 2019. All take place at the Bletchley Royal British Legion, Melrose Avenue, MK3 6PU
A map is available at: https://www.waterways.org.uk/miltonkeynes/pdf/britishlegionhall-map
Thursday 20 September, 7.45pm
Vintage waterway videos, with David Tucker.
Thursday 18 October, 7.45pm
The Uttoxeter & Caldon Canals, talk by Steve Wood
Steve will tell us about the Caldon Canal and the plans that are afoot to re-open part of the Uttoxeter Canal near the head of navigation.
Thursday 15 November, 7.45pm
The Chesterfield Canal, talk by John Lower.
John will tell us about the history of the canal and the ongoing plans for full restoration.
Thursday 17 January, 7.45pm
The Shrewsbury & Newport Canals, with Brian Nelson.
Brian will tell us about the history of these canals and the features on them. He will outline the progress being made towards their restoration.
Thursday 21 February, 7.45pm
Branch Annual General Meeting, and
Canal Boatmen, their origins & development, talk by Roger Squires.
Thursday 21 March, 7.45pm
The Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust, with Jane Hamilton (Trust Chairman).
Jane will update us the progress made so far and the plans for the near future. This project is very much in the news, over the refusal of the Local Authorities to incorporate a culvert for the waterway under the about-to-be-dualled A421.
Thursday 25 April, 7.45pm
The Manchester Ship Canal; a talk by Richard Thomas
Richard will examine the history, building, development and rise and fall of the largest man-made waterway in England.
If you would like more information please contact our Social Secretary: David Tucker, email david.tucker@waterways.org.uk
Some of the finalists in this year’s competition, sponsored by the Born Free Foundation and designed to raise awareness of the natural world
Source: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards – in pictures | Art and design | The Guardian
Both are as ecologically useful, say scientists, and the same effort must be made to protect them.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Why do we hate wasps and love bees? – BBC News
The disclosure of the cull, conducted under a legal loophole, comes as Japan seeks to further weaken a global ban on commercial hunts
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Japan killed 50 whales in Antarctic protected area, data shows | Environment | The Guardian
More Neglected Species 2018 conference
The third Bedfordshire Natural History Society Insect Conference will be held on Saturday 17th November 2018. The programme of speakers comprises:
Venue: The Forest Centre, Millenium Country Park, Marston Moretaine, MK43 0PR
Fee: £20 for BNHS & Bird Club members, £25 for non-members.
Entrance by ticket only. To book please complete and return this form:.docx .pdf
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip to:
WILSTONE RESERVOIR, near Tring
Location: Meet in car park under reservoir dam off B489 Marsworth-Aston Clinton, SP
904 135. Space limited, car-share if possible.
(Sorry – No postcode – but the PE Mead Farm Shop just along from the car park has the following postcode : HP23 4NT – just after you pass the Farm Shop on your left you will reach the Wilstone Reservoir car park also on your left)The biggest and best of four canal reservoirs. Good for wildfowl and
passage waders, though anything can turn up! One hide. No toilets but farm
shop/cafe nearby. Sadly not accessible for wheelchairs or those with limited
mobility.Walk leader : Mike Bird
Time: 10 am to 1 pm
Price: Free event
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
Old Lady moth (Mormo maura) ©Julie Lane, Loughton Brook 23 August 2017
A new study suggests moths have an important but overlooked ecological role — dispensing pollen over large distances under the cover of darkness.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: The nocturnal pollinators: Scientists reveal the secret life of moths — ScienceDaily
Every October, ORCA invites schools from all around the UK to take part in Whale Education Month!
Click here for more information.: ORCA – Whale Education Month
60% of the bonnethead shark’s diet is made up of seagrass, which they happily graze upon as well as eating fish, crabs, snails and shrimp
Click here to read the rest of the article.: First known omnivorous shark species identified | Environment | The Guardian
Two trains built by the French train maker Alstom are now operating on a 62 mile stretch of line in northern Germany
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Germany launches world’s first hydrogen-powered train | Environment | The Guardian
Snake Head Fritillaries
The BSBI’s Training & Education Committee organises and supports events and resources for teaching botany. We also run the country’s most recognised qualification for botanical surveyors, the FISC.
On this page you can find out about botany courses and training grants available from the BSBI and other sources of grants for botanists.
Glyphosate – the most used pesticide ever – damages the good bacteria in honeybee guts, making them more prone to deadly infections
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Monsanto’s global weedkiller harms honeybees, research finds | Environment | The Guardian
Painted Lady, Tattenhoe Park (9th August)
The Palearctic–African migratory circuit has been typically associated with birds. Very few insects are known to endure annual trans-Saharan circuits, but the Painted Lady butterfly ( Vanessa cardui ) is an exception. While it was demonstrated that this species massively migrates from Europe to the Afrotropics during the autumn, the existence of a reverse migration from the Afrotropics to Europe in the early spring remains hypothetical. Here, we analysed wing stable hydrogen isotope values (δ2H) of V. cardui migrants collected from February to April across the circum-Mediterranean region. We assessed their region of natal origin by comparing their wing isotope signature predicted δ2H values (isoscape). The results unambiguously demonstrate a sub-Saharan origin for many individuals, especially those collected in February, representing the first tangible evidence for a reverse northwards trans-Saharan migration in spring. This work supports the view that the Afrotropics (mostly exploited from September to February) is key in the V. cardui Palearctic–African population dynamics. This species relies on both temperate and tropical habitats to complete their multigenerational cycle, an unprecedented adaptation for butterflies and for most migratory insects. Such a migratory circuit has strong parallelisms with those of migratory birds.
Click here for more information.: Spring V. cardui trans-Saharan migration | Biology Letters
Images from space and computer wizardry have helped Highways England develop a ground breaking approach to promoting wildlife habitat along trunk roads in Devon and Cornwall. Satellite photos and e…
Click here to read the rest of the article.: High Tech System Promotes Wildlife Around Devon And Cornwall Roads | WireNews ™
Following pressure from bird traders, three species have had their protection rescinded by the Indonesian government.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Indonesia allows bird owners and breeders to trade endangered species | Discover Wildlife
New research points to a genetic reason for the fact that Javan lutung monkeys cannot taste sugar.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Genes responsible for why leaf-eating Asian monkeys do not have a sweet tooth | Discover Wildlife
‘Shocking’ study reveals plastic contaminates our skies as well as the oceans, say scientists
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Microplastics can spread via flying insects, research shows | Environment | The Guardian
Tawny Owl ©Julie Lane, Clun 5 May 2018
This survey involves volunteers visiting random preselected tetrads (2x2km squares). In total there will over 6,000 tetrads available at the start of the survey, of which approximately 2650 were surveyed previously in 1989 and/or 2005. We want to survey as many of these as possible and depending on local interest expand this over the course of the survey. Check the tetrads available in your area and sign up to survey one.
Click on the link for more information: Tawny Owl Point Survey | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology
In a new assessment, experts recommend that eight birds should be added to the list of extinct species.
Click here for more information:
The Guardian
Discover Wildlife
Fungus by Peter Hassett, Bow Brickhill 1 November 2014
Plantlife produce a number of interesting guides to wildflowers.
Join us for our Clean-up of the Grand Union Canal from Fenny Stratford to Leighton Buzzard.
This twice-yearly event is organised by IWA Milton Keynes Branch, sponsored by Wyvern Shipping Co Ltd and supported by Canal & River Trust and The Parks Trust. Everyone is welcome whether by boat or on foot. You can litter-pick from the towpath and hedges, or work aboard a boat to retrieve items from the canal or opposite bank. Hi-vis jackets, gloves and hard hats etc. are provided, but please bring your own safety footwear (steel-capped boots mandatory on workboats). Tea and coffee are provided, but please bring your own lunch. If you are under 18, you must be part of a supervised group. We look forward to seeing you!
Friday 12 October, 09:30: Sign-in and Safety briefing, for 10:00 start at Fenny Stratford Lock, MK1 1BY. Lunch midday-ish. Finish at Globe Inn Linslade, LU7 2TA (Bridge 111).
Saturday 13 October, 09:30: Sign-in and Safety briefing for 10:00 start at the Globe Inn Linslade, LU7 2TA (Bridge 111). Finish at the Grove Lock pub, LU7 0QU (Lock 28) early afternoon.
For further information and to volunteer, please contact Pat Titmas at: pat.titmas@team.waterways.org.uk stating which day(s) you would like to attend, whether you are attending by boat or on foot, and which activity you would prefer.
Click here to download the poster for this event.
If you haven’t heard about the Clean Up before, please see:
https://www.waterways.org.uk/miltonkeynes/cleanups
Little Owls are really suffering in Bucks and across the country. Last winter saw us installing several new Little Owl boxes in the hope that they would encourage the owls to nest this year. Our aim is to further increase the number of boxes this year, so fingers crossed for 2019.
Click here to read the newsletter
We provide an insight into the impact of illegal bird of prey persecution in the UK – a persistent problem which the RSPB urges the Government to tackle.
Click here for more information.: The Birdcrime report | RSPB | Birds of prey | Persecution
Hedgehogs in the UK are in serious trouble. Repeated studies have shown that the nation’s favourite animal is being wiped out. But there is something we can do to save them.
Source: Petition · Help save Britain’s hedgehogs with ‘hedgehog highways’! · Change.org
This data resource provides plot-level plant occurrence data for the first three years (2015-2017) of the National Plant Monitoring Scheme (covering the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man). Data consist of individual observations of plants, and other habitat characteristics, at the metre-scale; observations are accompanied by percentage cover information recorded according to the Domin frequency-abundance scale commonly used in plant community ecology. Other information provided includes the plot type (size, shape, according to the NPMS classification), the volunteer-recorded NPMS habitat, the date of sampling, and information regarding the spatial location of the plot. Information contained within the metadata file should allow users to reconstruct the sampling history (including gaps) of any plot that has been sampled within the NPMS scheme between 2015 and 2017.
Click here for more information.: National Plant Monitoring Scheme survey data (2015-2017) – Environmental Information Data Centre
Fox by Harry Appleyard, Howe Park Wood 11 November 2016
The Forestry Commission licences ‘trail hunts’ (fox, beagle & harrier packs) to use public land with staff convicted under the Hunting Act 2004 & Protection of Badgers Act 1992. These should be scrapped. This shouldn’t apply to licenses agreed with Masters of Bloodhounds & Draghounds Association.
Source: Scrap The Forestry Commission Licence Agreements With Fox & Hare Hunts – Petitions
Today, Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (BCNWT) have initiated a challenge to the process whereby Highways England and the Department for Transport selected ‘Corridor B’ for the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway and associated ‘Growth Corridor’ which could include up to one million new homes.¹
Click here for more information.: BBOWT launches legal challenge against government’s Oxford to Cambridge Expressway proposal | Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust
Researchers in Quebec discovered the narwhal, over 100km outside its typical range, was playing with the whales
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip to:
SUMMER LEYS NATURE RESERVE, Northamptonshire
Location: Meet in car park signed off Wollaston-Gt Doddington road, SP 885 634,
Please note Postcode NN29 7PT is nearest only – using this code in SatNav may not take you exactly to the site.
Postcode: NN29 7PT (Google map)Wednesday 3 October 2018, 10.00 – 13.00 Leader: Pete How
SUMMER LEYS LOCAL NATURE RESERVE, NORTHANTS
Deservedly one of our favourite sites, and always something of interest.
Great white egrets are regular. Five hides. Paths level but some rough, and a
full circuit is two miles.Walk leader : Pete How
Time: 10am to 1pm
Price: Free event
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
Not all animals migrate to the same place. Let’s take a closer look at 10 species and their long-distance migration. Read more
Source: Migratory Birds and Animals | Long Distance Migration – The RSPB
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a talk:
A YEAR ON AN RSPB RESERVE – Ann Scott
Location: Cruck Barn, City Discovery Centre, Alston Drive, Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes
Postcode: MK13 9AP (Google map)Ever wondered what it might be like to live on an RSPB Reserve?
Ann will make a return visit to our Group to tell us of her experience of living and working close to the RSPB Northward Hill Reserve in Kent. Northward Hill is a working farm (with cows and sheep) on a ridge overlooking the Thames Marshes with its resident marsh harriers. The surrounding scrubland is rich in nightingales and whitethroats and there’s also a bluebell wood a large rookery and a cherry orchard
While it was Ann’s husband who was the warden, Ann was very involved with the reserve and all the joys and surprises that brings … including how birds and nature can get into the home!!Time: Doors open 7.15pm for a prompt 7.45pm start, ends at 10pm
Price: Group members £3, Non-group members £4, Children £1
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more informationMKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.
Protesters including Billy Bragg and Chris Packham take to central London to demand pro-wildlife policies
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Thousands march on Whitehall to call for end to ‘war on wildlife’ | Environment | The Guardian
Mark Avery has also written a blog about the next steps.
Numbers of one of the UK’s best known garden butterflies have plummeted this summer despite the record-breaking hot weather, results from the Big Butterfly Count have revealed.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Small Tortoiseshell crashes despite heatwave
Discover, analyze and download data from RSPB Open Data. Download in CSV, KML, Zip, GeoJSON, GeoTIFF or PNG. Find API links for GeoServices, WMS, and WFS. Analyze with charts and thematic maps. Take the next step and create storymaps and webmaps.
Click here for more information.: RSPB Open Data
A source inside the government’s conservation agency told Unearthed: “we just don’t know what the condition of the best habitats in the country is anymore”.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Nearly half of England’s ‘most important wildlife sites’ are not being monitored – Unearthed
Mushroom Magic 2018 poster v2
On Sunday, October 7th we visit Stoke Common, always an interesting site – very different from our normal calcareous woodland walks boasting a range of species we don’t often see.
For further details go to www.bucksfungusgroup.org.uk/events.html
New Nature Magazine September 2018
New Nature is the only natural history magazine written, edited and produced entirely by young people: by young ecologists, conservationists, communicators, nature writers and wildlife photographers each boasting an undying passion for the natural world. It is intended, foremost, as a celebration of nature, but also of the young people giving their time, freely, to protect it.
Do birds migrate from east to west in Europe?
Click here for more information.: The RSPB: Ask an expert: Do birds migrate from east to west in Europe?
In an opinion piece timed to co-incide with the release of the new film ‘Silent Slaughter’, the conservation activist, author and campaigner, Dominic Dyer, calls for a total ban on the shooting of seals off the coast of Scotland, which is happening to protect the farmed fishing industry
Click here for more information.: Time to stop the seal slaughter – Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics UK
Floodplains occupy only 5% of the land area in the UK, yet deliver disproportionately for people in terms of flooding and nutrient retention. The lack of semi natural habitats and poor functionality in floodplains reduces our resilience to floods and drought, reduces the abundance of pollinating insects and natural pest control agents, and reduces the potential for carbon sequestration and water quality improvements.”
Click here for more information.: Natural Capital Synthesis Report Project – Clare Lawson | Valuing Nature Network
The young swan was tangled in angling equipment in South Yorkshire.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Lucky escape after cygnet swallows large fishing hook | Discover Wildlife
Task Day at Linford Lakes NR
FoLLNR logo
10:00- 13:00hrs.
Come and help tidy up and give a bit of a spring clean to the reserve.
Great way to keep fit, work with a friendly group of people.
Refreshments available for helpers.
A visit to Mousells Wood near Frieth on Saturday September 29th and are privileged and delighted that Geoffrey Kibby and Mario Tortelli will be joining us.
For further details go to www.bucksfungusgroup.org.uk/events.html
Fungus by Peter Hassett, Bow Brickhill 1 November 2014
The British Mycological Society’s UK Fungus Day festivities will take place over the weekend of the 6th and 7th of October 2018.
Click here for more information.: UK Fungus Day 6 October 2018
The Buckinghamshire Fungus Group will have a display at Aylesbury Count Museum, more details on their website.
A charity says that Hector’s and Māui dolphins are at risk of extinction if the government doesn’t act.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Increased concern over endangered dolphins in New Zealand following new data | Discover Wildlife
The aviary will protect the flock of ravens at the historic tower, ensuring that the ‘kingdom will never fall’.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Tower of London to build raven breeding aviary – BBC News
Dear member(s),This is your last minute reminder for our visit to Ivinghoe Common (part of Ashridge) this coming weekend on Sunday September 23rd. Please be sure to check online for the correct parking/meet point as this is NOT the place on the road up to the monument where we may have met previously!For further details go to www.bucksfungusgroup.org.uk/events.html
Waterfowl at Calvert Jubilee BBOWT Reserve by Peter Hassett 14 January 2018
Come along and enjoy watching the comings and goings of migrating wildfowl in this quiet corner of Buckinghamshire.
Click here for more information.
I rose in a bit of a rush as my son had arranged a tour of Chelsea’s football Ground, Stamford Bridge, for my 70thbirthday and was due at 0900hrs. I had set my Robinson moth trap in the garden as usual and was on my way to check it when I spied a large grey moth on the side of the garden shed. I hurried to the garage to collect a Johnson’s Cotton Bud container as I reckoned it would be large enough to house the moth and the back to the shed only to find that the moth was not there. Disappointed, I looked down to the ground and there it was. It had dropped off the shed and on the ground where it was showing not only the upper wings but also the under wings and there was the blue.
It was a Clifden Nonpareil. There have been sightings south and west of here recently and this is believed to be the first for the north of the County. The moth was first described in this country by Benjamin Wilkes as the Cleifden Nonpareil in his book “British Butterflies and Moths” (1749). It states that the moth was found on an Ash tree, near Cleifden in Buckinghamshire in the month of July. Sadly, the year is not given. Cleifden or Clifden is the modern Cliveden, an estate on the edge of the Thames near Maidenhead and now owned by the National Trust.
A great start to the day in which blue was certainly the colour as it is Chelsea’s colour too.
Text and photo kindly supplied by Gordon Redford
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Five star September migrants to search for – Natures Home magazine uncovered – Our work – The RSPB Community
The Sri Lankan Government has announced the immediate protection of Colombo’s wetlands from development.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Sri Lankan wetlands safeguarded – BirdGuides
Modern farming methods have exacted a terrible price on insects and birds, says naturalist and author Michael McCarthy
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Britain has lost half its wildlife. Now’s the time to shout about it | Michael McCarthy | Opinion | The Guardian
From banning weedkiller and excluding dogs from nature reserves, there are cheap and practical ways to transform Britain, says naturalist Chris Packham
Click here to read the rest of the article.: My manifesto could save Britain’s dying wildlife | Chris Packham | Opinion | The Guardian
Initiative lays out practical steps we can all take to help halt destruction of species and habitats in Britain
Source: Chris Packham launches People’s Manifesto for Wildlife | Environment | The Guardian
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip to:
SUMMER LEYS NATURE RESERVE, Northamptonshire
Location: Meet in car park signed off Wollaston-Gt Doddington road, SP 885 634,
Please note Postcode NN29 7PT is nearest only – using this code in SatNav may not take you exactly to the site.
Postcode: NN29 7PT (Google map)Wednesday 3 October 2018, 10.00 – 13.00 Leader: Pete How
SUMMER LEYS LOCAL NATURE RESERVE, NORTHANTS
Deservedly one of our favourite sites, and always something of interest.
Great white egrets are regular. Five hides. Paths level but some rough, and a
full circuit is two miles.Walk leader : Pete How
Time: 10am to 1pm
Price: Free event
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
A revolt is brewing over the planned road link between Oxford to Cambridge that will destroy wetlands
Click here to read the rest of the article.: On the ‘Varsity Expressway’ route, fears grow of a tarmac hell | Environment | The Guardian
The first major Agriculture Bill in over 70 years has finally been published. Lush Times writer and ecologist, Miles King, explores what this means for people, food and nature.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: First course of Gove’s green Brexit has been placed on the table – Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics UK
Wall Rue growing in old railway bridge
Because of their microscopic airborne spores, ferns can grow in many unusual places. A wide range of species that naturally occur on rocky habitats can be found in British towns and cities, particularly in damp and sheltered crevices in walls. This guide illustrates the most commonly found wall ferns. By submitting records of ferns that you see (species name, where, when, and a photo) to f.rumsey@nhm.ac.uk, you can help us to monitor changes in the urban flora.
Click here to download the guide.
One of the many ponds ©CC BY-NC-SA by Peter Hassett, Felmersham Gravel Pits 11 August 2018
Twenty environmental NGOs, co-ordinated by Blueprint for Water, and nine water companies are announcing a set of shared principles setting out how they will work together to help leave the environment in a better state.
Click here for more information.: A steady flow of joint work from water companies and eNGOs to boost the environment
Since the 1930s, the vast majority of Britain’s wildflower meadows have been destroyed through ploughing, intensive grazing and development.
Yet these changes to our natural landscape have managed to slip under the radar, to the point where 97% of meadows today have been entirely wiped out.
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Click here for more information.: Should we be concerned about keeping the ‘wild’ in wildflower? | Press and Journal
One of only three species of this family that are found in the British Isles. The adults are incapable of feeding. The caterpillars live inside the trunks of a variety of broadleaved trees feeding on the wood. They …
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Goat Moth
Juvenile Cuckoo by Harry Appleyard
Many migratory bird species are undergoing population declines as a result of potentially multiple, interacting mechanisms. Understanding the environmental associations of spatial variation in population change can help tease out the likely mechanisms involved
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Breeding ground correlates of the distribution and decline of the Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus at two spatial scales – Denerley – – Ibis – Wiley Online Library
150 ‘Ratty’ river creatures to be released in Somerset estate where they had become extinct
Click on the links for more info:
The Guardian
Discover Wildlife
Something ‘fundamentally wrong’ in rural landscape, scientists say, with numbers thought to have fallen 80% since 1950s
Source: Most of countryside now devoid of hedgehogs, study finds | Environment | The Guardian
Known as ‘the meadow maker’ or ‘nature’s lawnmower’, yellow rattle is the single most important plant you need to establish when creating a wildflower meadow.
Without it, vigorous grasses grow unchecked and smother the flowers you want to encourage.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: How to grow Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor)
Orange Peel Fungus by Jason Hollinger
Dear member(s),Herewith your last minute reminder for our coming visit to Hodgemoor Woods on Saturday September 15th. The following weekend we visit Ivinghoe Common (part of Ashridge) on Sunday September 23rd. For full details go to www.bucksfungusgroup.org.uk/events.htmlDue to the extremely dry period over the last few weeks and months in our area it has to be said that fungi-hunting at the moment is somewhat disappointing to say the least! I hope this won’t deter you from joining us but if you’re coming please don’t be surprised if finding beautiful specimens proves a bit of a challenge. We badly need a prolonged spell of rain in the Chilterns to get things moving.We look forward to seeing you soon.Best wishes,Penny
Orange Peel Fungus by Jason Hollinger
Dear member(s),Herewith your last minute reminder for our coming visit to Hodgemoor Woods on Saturday September 15th. The following weekend we visit Ivinghoe Common (part of Ashridge) on Sunday September 23rd. For full details go to www.bucksfungusgroup.org.uk/events.htmlDue to the extremely dry period over the last few weeks and months in our area it has to be said that fungi-hunting at the moment is somewhat disappointing to say the least! I hope this won’t deter you from joining us but if you’re coming please don’t be surprised if finding beautiful specimens proves a bit of a challenge. We badly need a prolonged spell of rain in the Chilterns to get things moving.We look forward to seeing you soon.Best wishes,Penny
2018 has been an interesting one for Diptera in the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Garden in South Kensington. The stand out highlight has to be David Notton’s find in May of a specimen of not just a new species, but a new family for Britain!
Click here to read the rest of the article.: London Natural History Society – Delightful Diptera in the Natural History Museum Wildlife Garden
It’s peak season for migrating Ortolan Buntings in northwest Europe and in addition to several sightings and ringed birds, several have been recorded by the UK’s fledgling ‘nocmig network’. As well as the now regular locations of Portland/Weymouth and Poole Harbour area, birds have also been recorded (so far) over London, Surrey and Cambridge. They’re being recorded in several locations that don’t have any history of visual records of Ortolans, prompting lots of head-scratching about the likelihood of detecting such species and questions about identification criteria. The Sound Approach have produced two very detailed blog posts on the identification criteria (here and here), describing the common call types and their potential confusion species. With reference to the commonly used plik call they say:
Fen Orchid
The Critically Endangered Fen Orchid has flowered for the first time in Suffolk since 1975, while populations in Norfolk and South Wales have gone from strength to strength.
Source: Rare orchid flowers in Suffolk for first time in four decades – BirdGuides
Click on the play button to watch the video
See the winning and shortlisted images from Galápagos Conservation Trust’s annual photography competition.
Source: Galápagos Conservation Trust Photography Competition 2018 | Discover Wildlife
Robin by Peter Hassett, College Lake 29 December 2016
Individuals often differ in competitive ability, which can lead to the formation of a dominance hierarchy that governs differential access to resources. Previous studies of dominance have predominently focussed on within-species interactions, while the drivers of between-species competitive hierarchies are poorly understood. The increasing prevalence of predictable anthropogenic food subsidies, such as that provided by garden bird feeders, is likely to intensify between-species competition. However, the consequences for resource acquisition await detailed study, and in particular, whether competitive interactions are influenced by food quality is not known. Here, we examine competitive interactions amongst ten passerine species of birds utilising supplementary food sources of differing quality. We show that dominance rank is strongly predicted by body mass across species. Socially dominant, heavier species monopolised access to a food that had a relatively short handling time (sunflower hearts), spent longer on supplementary feeders, and pecked at lower rates. In contrast subordinate, lighter species were constrained to feed on a food that had a relatively long handling time (sunflower seeds with the hull intact). Our findings suggest that differences in body mass may result in between-species dominance hierarchies that place the heaviest species in the greatest control of supplementary feeding sites, gaining superior access to higher value foods. This may have important implications for the use of supplementary feeding as a conservation tool.
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Effects of supplementary feeding on interspecific dominance hierarchies in garden birds
Please report any sightings of Water Primrose – Ludwigia grandiflora
An invasive non-native plant from South America which has become a serious pest in other countries, including France, where it smothers water bodies reducing the numbers of native species and potentially increasing the risk of flooding.
It has started to be found in some parts of England and Wales.
If you think you’ve seen it, check with our Identification sheet.
Click here for more information.: Species alerts – GB non-native species secretariat
Few conservation issues generate as emotional a response as whaling. Are we now about to see countries killing whales for profit again?
Click here to read the rest of the article.: Japan says it’s time to allow sustainable whaling – BBC News
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip:
Meet in The Parks Trust car park off Haversham Rd near railway
viaduct: SP 816 42Visit our top wader site at this passage time! An easy circular walk with three
hides.Walk Leader – Pete How
Time: 10 am to 12.30pm
Price: Free
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
See the Wildlife section of our website for more information about the reserve.
Join Chris Packham on 22nd September in central London for the first People’s Walk for Wildlife.
Click here for more information.: The People’s Walk for Wildlife
Look out for the Golden hoverfly on pollen and nectar rich ivy in summer months. Although it has only been seen in four locations in the last ten years it is possible that it lives high in the tree canopy and could be under-recorded.
Click here for more information: Bug of the month | Buglife
