Author Archives: admin

Save the Bees

WHY THE BEES NEED OUR HELP

Did you know bees are critical to the food we eat? They give life to produce like peas, tomatoes and strawberries.

In fact, our supermarket shelves would look very different indeed in a world without bees. That’s why we need to take urgent action to help them!


Click here for more information.: Save the Bees – Backyard Nature

5 bird species once presumed extinct

The dramatic rediscovery of the Antioquia Brush-finch – a species unseen for almost half a century – hit the headlines this past April. However, such incredible returns, although rare, are not unheard of. We explore some of the most miraculous examples of recent times, and what they teach us about the danger of presuming a species is extinct.

Click here for more information.: Meet the Lazarus Birds: 5 species once presumed extinct | BirdLife

Biological control of Himalayan balsam

Himalayan balsam has rapidly become one of the UK’s most invasive weed species. A lack of natural enemies allows it to successfully compete with native plants for space, light, nutrients and pollinators, reducing biodiversity and contributing to erosion. Traditional control methods are inadequate. This project involves identifying an insect or plant pathogen that exclusively attacks Himalayan balsam, which can be released into the UK to control the plant while leaving indigenous species intact.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Biological control of Himalayan balsam

General licences – Scotland

Everyone is looking at general licences following our successful legal challenge of the system, and in the knowledge that further legal challenges are possible from Wild Justice and from other interest groups. This unprecedented scrutiny is getting statutory agencies and governments to sharpen up their acts.

In Scotland, SNH has commissioned a report from the BTO which is now published

Click here to read the rest of the article.: General licences – Scotland – Wild Justice

Attracting invertebrates to your garden

Volucella zonaria Hoverfly ©Julie Lane. Johnson's Field, Olney. 25 July 2017

Volucella zonaria Hoverfly ©Julie Lane. Johnson’s Field, Olney. 25 July 2017

One of the keys to maintaining a garden that is attractive to a wide range of insects and other invertebrates is the provision of pollen and nectar across as much of the year as possible. Fortunately, plants do not all flower at the same time; this means that the annual sequence of flowering times can be used as the basis for selecting particular plants for your garden. Do not equate flower size with value, since a big showy flower does not necessarily offer more rewards to a visiting insect than one that is much smaller and less showy. The small flowers of Holly on show in late spring are extremely well used by insects. Blossom is important for insects and other invertebrates, providing both nectar and pollen. Nectar is a sugar-based solution which provides a ready source of the carbohydrates needed to fuel insect flight. Pollen, which is rich in protein, is thought to be important for the production of insect eggs.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Attracting invertebrates | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

(Ivy) Bee Aware

Here is a short visual essay on a wonderful addition to our parish. It is ivy time again and the lane down from the house has a hedge smothered in it. I always love to stop and examine the plethora of insects, which are intoxicated by its pollen and nectar. Last autumn I found a gorgeous addition to the village community called ivy bee Colletes hedera.

Click here for more information.: (Ivy) Bee Aware | Blackwater Blog

White-tailed Eagle returns to Isle of Wight 

Culver is a male White-tailed Eagle, originally from a nest on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. He was translocated to the Isle of Wight and released on 22nd August 2019. His ring number is G3 22.

After an extraordinary eight day, 680 km flight around southern England, Culver made it back to the Isle of Wight today. What’s more, he made landfall over Culver Cliff – the site of the last known breeding White-tailed Eagles in southern England in 1780; the place he’s named after.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Managing road verges for pollinators

Verge planted with non-native flowers

Verge planted with non-native flowers

Road verges are a common sight across the UK landscape, with 238,000 ha of road verges along our almost 400,000 kilometres of roads. These habitats can support a wide range of wildlife, in particular providing sources of food and shelter for insect species. This report reviews the scientific literature on the benefits road verges can provide to pollinators, as well as the costs caused by their proximity to roads and road traffic. Finally the report reviews the literature around road verge management in order to make recommendations that aim to provide the best habitats for pollinators. The management recommendations provide road verge managers with a hierarchy of management choices, with each step benefiting pollinators and from which action can be taken depending on their resource and commitment levels.

Click here for more information.: Managing road verges for pollinators | Buglife

Minister’s claim that badger cull cuts cattle TB is attacked by experts

Government claims that the controversial badger cull is reducing tuberculosis rates in cattle have been undermined by a group of leading vets and animal welfare experts who have shared data that, they say, confirms it has made no difference.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Minister’s claim that badger cull cuts cattle TB is attacked by experts | Environment | The Guardian

Declining abundance of beetles, moths and caddisflies in the Netherlands

Caddisfly by Paul Lund

Abstract

  1. Recently, reports of insect declines prompted concerns with respect to the state of insects at a global level. Here, we present the results of longer‐term insect monitoring from two locations in the Netherlands: nature development area De Kaaistoep and nature reserves near Wijster.
  2. Based on data from insects attracted to light in De Kaaistoep, macro‐moths (macro‐Lepidoptera), beetles (Coleoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera) have declined in the mean number of individuals counted per evening over the period of 1997–2017, with annual rates of decline of 3.8, 5.0 and 9.2%, respectively. Other orders appeared stable [true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera and Auchenorrhyncha) and mayflies (Ephemeroptera)] or had uncertainty in their trend estimate [lacewings (Neuroptera)].
  3. Based on 48 pitfall traps near Wijster, ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) showed a mean annual decline of 4.3% in total numbers over the period of 1985–2016. Nonetheless, declines appeared stronger after 1995.
  4. For macro‐moths, the mean of the trends of individual species was comparable to the annual trend in total numbers. Trends of individual ground beetle species, however, suggest that abundant species performed worse than rare ones.
  5. When translated into biomass estimates, our calculations suggest a reduction in total biomass of approximately 61% for macro‐moths as a group and at least 42% for ground beetles, by extrapolation over a period of 27 years. Heavier ground beetles and macro‐moths did not decline more strongly than lighter species, suggesting that heavy species did not contribute disproportionately to biomass decline.
  6. Our results broadly echo recent reported trends in insect biomass in Germany and elsewhere.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Declining abundance of beetles, moths and caddisflies in the Netherlands – Hallmann – – Insect Conservation and Diversity – Wiley Online Library

Petition to extend native status & legal protection to reintroduced native species in the UK

UK Government logo

UK Government logo

No overarching legislation currently exists to formally confer native species status or appropriate protection upon reintroduced wildlife driven to extinction by man and now reintroduced (by whatever means).

Click here for more information.: Extend native status & legal protection to reintroduced native species in the UK – Petitions

Know your Bank Vole!

Bank Vole by Peter Hassett, Linford Lakes NR 18 February 2017

Bank Vole by Peter Hassett, Linford Lakes NR 18 February 2017

Bank Voles are easily confused with Field Voles. They are larger than Field Voles, measuring about 13 to 17 cm long. They have small eyes, small ears and a blunt snout. Adult Bank Voles have a rich chestnut-brown back compared to the grey-brown fur of the Field Vole. They also have a much longer tail than the Field Vole.

Click here for more information.: Bank Vole | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

Turtle Dove population in a tailspin

Turtle Dove in member's garden January 2014

Turtle Dove, Julie’s garden, Julie Lane, January 2014

Turtle Doves spend the winter in West Africa, arriving back to the UK in April to breed. Once in the UK, they prefer areas of bare ground with open water and mature scrub areas in which to nest, with a plentiful supply of seed to feed their young.  Before the BBS began in 1994, changes in land management had already impacted the population greatly and the species has continued to decline to this day. The highest remaining breeding densities occur in eastern and southern England, and they have now disappeared from large areas of the country.

Click here for more information.: Turtle Dove population in a tailspin | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

The Great British Hedgerow Survey

The two main aims of the Great British Hedgerow Survey are:

  1. The survey provides a health-check to assess the condition of each hedgerow surveyed. The results offer instant feedback and tailored management advice for each hedge to ensure the hedge thrives for the benefit of our wildlife in the future.
  2. To collect this data to get a national view of the condition of our hedgerows. Understanding the condition of our hedges gives us the best chances of helping restore them.

Click here for more information.: The Great British Hedgerow Survey

‘Eagles need to eat too’: grouse moors take new approach to shooting

It was over in seconds. High over the grouse moor two hen harriers wheeled slowly around each other before, suddenly, the female darted underneath her mate to catch a freshly caught meal dropped from his talons and took it back to their chicks.

“That was a food pass,” said David Frew, the property manager of Mar Lodge, a vast Highland estate near Braemar in the southern Cairngorms. “You’re really lucky to have seen that.”

On many grouse moors in Scotland, hen harriers struggle to survive. The ground-nesting bird of prey is often shot, trapped or even poisoned to protect valuable grouse stocks from predation. On these shooting estates, the sight of a harrier, eagle or buzzard wheeling overhead would be a sign of failure.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: ‘Eagles need to eat too’: grouse moors take new approach to shooting | UK news | The Guardian

Government rejects Derbyshire badger cull

A proposed badger cull in Derbyshire this winter has been rejected by the government.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it would not grant farmers licences.

It said it would give further consideration to how to combine vaccination programs against bovine TB with other methods.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Government rejects Derbyshire badger cull – BBC News

US government announces changes to the Endangered Species Act

The changes will reduce the amount of regulations, allowing economic factors to be considered when assessing which protections will be given to vulnerable species. New rules will allow the administration to reduce the amount of habitat set aside for wildlife and remove tools that officials use to predict future harm to species as a result of climate change.

Click here for more information.: US government announces changes to the Endangered Species Act – Discover Wildlife

Hedgerow wildlife

Hedgerows are so teeming with life that one study counted 2070 species in one 85 metre stretch. Even this was thought to be an underestimate, as many taxonomic groups were not thoroughly sampled.

Whole books have been written about the wildlife that live, feed and travel in the hedgerows of this country and still they barely scratch the surface. The importance of our hedgerow network cannot be overstated, especially at this time where we are seeing worrying declines in our native wildlife across the board.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Hedgerow wildlife – People’s Trust for Endangered Species

Bird responses to housing development in intensively managed agricultural landscapes

New BTO research has used citizen science data to assess the effects of housing developments on Britain’s bird populations, predicting that almost half of the bird species currently found on sites earmarked to become the government’s flapship ‘garden villages’ could decline once development starts.

Click here for more information.: Bird responses to housing development in intensively managed agricultural landscapes | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

BeeWalk

BeeWalk is a standardised bumblebee-monitoring scheme which involves volunteer ‘BeeWalkers’ walking the same fixed route (transect) once a month between March and October, counting the bumblebees seen and identifying them to species and caste (queen, worker, male) where possible.

Established in 2008, and opened to the public in 2010, the twin aims of the scheme are collecting abundance and distribution data on Britain’s bumblebees, and using this data as widely as possible to analyse population trends and carry out other research as appropriate.

Click here for more information.: BeeWalk – Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Seal pups counted in the Thames

Scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) undertook the first ever comprehensive count of pups in the Thames, taking hundreds of photos during the pupping season in 2018.

After analysing the images, they have now tallied up a total of 138 common seal pups, which they say is clear evidence that the species is breeding in the river.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Seal pups counted in the Thames – Discover Wildlife

Global heating brings Mediterranean butterfly to the UK

Record-breaking numbers of long-tailed blue butterflies have been seen in the last few weeks.

Long-tailed blues and eggs seen in large numbers but are unlikely to survive the winter.

A fast-flying migratory butterfly from the Mediterranean is appearing in large numbers across southern England this summer as a result of global heating, experts say.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Global heating brings Mediterranean butterfly to the UK | Environment | The Guardian

Water, water everywhere – but is it enough?

One of the many ponds ©CC BY-NC-SA by Peter Hassett, Felmersham Gravel Pits 11 August 2018

One of the many ponds ©CC BY-NC-SA by Peter Hassett, Felmersham Gravel Pits 11 August 2018

“All this rain is miserable, but it’s great for the garden and the rivers will be fine now!”. I’ve heard that quite a few times this week. The most important thing needed for a healthy river is water – a constant supply of it. Our most important river habitats are our chalk streams, which rely on a constant supply of water from a chalk aquifer. This is the same aquifer which supplies the taps in and around Cambridge, and it’s not in a good way right now. The River Cam this May had the lowest flows for that month since records began in 1949.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Imagining the invisible | Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants

RSPB Scotland calls for immediate halt to mountain hare culls 

New data published by the EU revealing the condition of Scottish protected species and habitats has revealed the country’s mountain hare populations have experienced a major decline.

As a result the status of the mountain hare has been downgraded to unfavourable, meaning that special conservation action needs to be undertaken to arrest further declines and aid their recovery.

The main cause of this reclassification has been identified as hunting and game management. Lesser pressures include the impacts of agriculture and habitat loss.

Click here for more information:

RSPB Scotland

Local community wants to transform Langholm grouse moor in to nature reserve

A group of locals are now planning to facilitate a community land buy-out proposal to transform the knackered old grouse moor in to a species-rich nature reserve to benefit local people, nature conservation and tourism.

Calling themselves the Langholm Moor Working Group, these local community members are currently crowd-funding to raise £5,000 to help cover the costs of putting together a feasibility study, needed to agree on a fair price and to establish a sustainable case for community ownership. The group has secured match funding for anything it manages to raise via the crowd fund.

Click here for more information.: Local community wants to transform Langholm grouse moor in to nature reserve | Raptor Persecution UK

Long-tailed blue butterfly invasion

Record-breaking numbers of long-tailed blue butterflies have been seen in the last few weeks.

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation reports that more than 50 long-tailed blue butterflies and hundreds of this species’ eggs have been seen across southern England, and experts believe that climate change could be the cause.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Climate change causes invasion of Mediterranean butterfly in the UK – Discover Wildlife

It’s raining plastic

The Guardian logo

The Guardian logo

Plastic was the furthest thing from Gregory Wetherbee’s mind when he began analyzing rainwater samples collected from the Rocky Mountains. “I guess I expected to see mostly soil and mineral particles,” said the US Geological Survey researcher. Instead, he found multicolored microscopic plastic fibers.

The discovery, published in a recent study (pdf) titled “It is raining plastic”, raises new questions about the amount of plastic waste permeating the air, water, and soil virtually everywhere on Earth.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: It’s raining plastic: microscopic fibers fall from the sky in Rocky Mountains | US news | The Guardian

Take part in the Mammals on Roads survey

The annual Mammals on Roads survey has been run by People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) since 2001. Over half a million kilometres of Britain’s roads have been surveyed so far, enabling us to target conservation action where it is most needed. One example of this is the fall in hedgehog counts that were the basis for projects such as Hedgehog Street and further research to uncover the reasons for the decline.

Click here for more information.: All about the Mammals on Roads survey – People’s Trust for Endangered Species

The return of the dazzling purple emperor

Purple Emperor ©️Martin Kincaid, Shenley Wood 5 July 2019

Purple Emperor ©️Martin Kincaid, Shenley Wood 5 July 2019

Every July in the 1980s, my dad and I visited Foxley Wood, an ancient woodland close to my home. We were searching for the purple emperor, an iridescent purple, treetop-dwelling insect that inspires more obsession than any other butterfly.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Butterflywatch: the return of the dazzling purple emperor | Environment | The Guardian

White-tailed eagles reintroduced on the Isle of Wight

The first white-tailed eagles to be reintroduced to England have been released on the Isle of Wight. The six young birds, the first to be returned to southern England for 240 years, are part of a five-year programme to restore this lost species led by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation.

Click here for more information:
BBC
The Guardian
Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation

Human-size ‘monster’ penguin species discovered in New Zealand

The remains of a human-size “monster” penguin have been discovered in New Zealand, scientists announced Wednesday.

The newly found species, Crossvallia waiparensis, is from the Paleocene Epoch — between 56 and 66 million years ago, making it one of the world’s oldest known penguin species, according to a statement from the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Human-size ‘monster’ penguin species discovered in New Zealand

Large heath butterflies to be reintroduced to Manchester and Cheshire

Two peat bogs in Manchester and Cheshire will become home to large heath butterflies for the first time in a century.

More than 150 large heath butterfly caterpillars hatched in mid-August at Chester Zoo under the care of the butterfly team.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Rare butterfly to be reintroduced to Manchester and Cheshire – Discover Wildlife

Sixty years of Wash waders

The Wash Wader Ringing Group (WWRG) started with a bang on 18 August 1959, when the team made a catch of 1,132 birds in a Wildfowl Trust rocket-net at Terrington, in Norfolk. Over the years, cannon have replaced rockets, catches have become generally smaller and the scientific priorities have been refined, but the Group continues to focus upon discovering more about the waders that use the Wash. This blog attempts to summarises what has been learnt about the waders that rely upon the Wash, the vast muddy estuary that lies between Lincolnshire and Norfolk, on the east coast of England.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Sixty years of Wash waders | wadertales

Scottish gamekeeper who killed protected birds of prey avoids jail

The Guardian logo

The Guardian logo

A sheriff has criticised Scotland’s weak wildlife crime laws after a gamekeeper convicted of killing protected birds of prey and mammals avoided a prison term.

Alan Wilson, 60, pleaded guilty in July to shooting and trapping badgers, an otter, goshawks and buzzards and installing 23 illegal snares in a small wood on a grouse- and pheasant-shooting estate at Longformacus near Duns.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Scottish gamekeeper who killed protected birds of prey avoids jail | UK news | The Guardian

Why we need a review of driven grouse moor management in England

You may have seen the blog summarising hen harrier breeding success in England explaining how the Hen Harrier LIFE project team have been involved in protecting and monitoring nine successful hen harrier nests in England this year, with the successful fledging of 33 chicks.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Why we need a review of driven grouse moor management in England – Martin Harper’s blog – Our work – The RSPB Community

The rise of ‘ungardening’

Meadow flowers by Peter Hassett, Sharpenhoe Clappers 4 August 2019

Meadow flowers by Peter Hassett, Sharpenhoe Clappers 4 August 2019

Manicured privets and immaculate lawns are a thing of the past. Nowadays, it’s all about “ungardening”: eschewing toxic pesticides or sterile patio decking to create gardens that will encourage native wildlife to live and flourish. Rewilding, as it’s more commonly known, has been growing in popularity across Europe and the US, as green-fingered activists use their skills to reverse ecological decline and encourage the growth of native species. But how best to turn the average British garden into an idyll for birds, mammals and, yes, even bugs? Wildlife gardening expert Jenny Steel weighs in.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: The rise of ‘ungardening’: how to turn a backyard into a wildlife haven | News | The Guardian

Petition to Ban Driven Grouse Shooting to save Hen Harriers

UK Government logo

UK Government logo

Chris Packham, Ruth Tingay and Mark Avery (Wild Justice) believe that intensive grouse shooting is bad for people, the environment and wildlife. People; grouse shooting is economically insignificant when contrasted with other real and potential uses of the UK’s uplands.

Click here for more information.: Ban Driven Grouse Shooting Wilful blindness is no longer an option – Petitions

Chris Packham interview on grouse shooting

‘Ruthless cull’: Hundreds of thousands of animals being killed on private estates to protect grouse shooting, Chris Packham

Foxes, stoats, weasels and mountain hares ‘ruthlessly’ targeted alongside illegal killings of protected species, says TV presenter

Click here to read the rest of the article.: ‘Ruthless cull’: Hundreds of thousands of animals being killed on private estates to protect grouse shooting, Chris Packham says | The Independent

The Glorious 11th! Hen Harrier Day 2019 

Blog from the RSPB’s Guy Shorrock on Hen Harrier Day 2019

Yesterday I joined the crowds for the sixth Hen Harrier day event at Carsington Water in Derbyshire, organised by Wild Justice with help from Severn Trent Water. It’s thought that around 1500 people were there at any one time – the largest number for a Hen Harrier Day event ever. It was a brilliant day, the weather held and the crowd enjoyed a terrific selection of great speakers.

Click here for more information:
The RSPB blog
Wild Justice’s photos of the day

Invasive Japanese knotweed hybrid on the rise in the UK sparking concerns

Reports of a Japanese knotweed hybrid which has the potential to out-compete native vegetation are on the rise, it has been warned.The invasive “bohemian knotweed” is produced by cross fertilisation between Japanese knotweed and giant knotweed and can be more vigorous than its parent plants, according to experts.

Source: Invasive Japanese knotweed hybrid on the rise in the UK sparking concerns