UKBAP BiodiversityNews-49

Biodiversity News
Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - UK BAP Updates - Publications - Events
If you would like to receive Biodiversity News via email,
or know of somebody who would, please contact us at
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Photos: Keith Hiscock
Spring Edition
Issue 49

In this issue...
2
Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - UK BAP Updates - Publications - Events
Spring
Please note that the views expressed in Biodiversity
News are the views of the contributors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the UK Biodiversity
Partnership or the organisations they represent.
South Downs National Park becomes official 4
Saltmarsh extent in England and Wales 5
CEMEX dedicated RSPB advisor appointed to
drive improvements
6
Spindle ErmineSmall Eggar Moth 7
Traditional Orchard Project Data Online 8
Shooters play a lead role in Conservation? 9
Your Seas Your Voice (YSYV) News in Brief 12
Radipole Lake Restoration Project 13
Most wanted 15
Saving our Magnificent Meadows 16
The UK Sand Dune and Shingle Network 19
Anystis baccarum: the importance of a generalist
predator
20
Rescuing our riverflies 22
Were loving our Limestone Flora! 23
Ancient Tree Hunt in Shanes Castle 24
The Drift Toad Tunnel The Movie 25
New project to create series of ponds for West
Sussex wildlife completed
27
Hampshire House Sparrow Survey
28
Highland Biodiversity Action Plan. 20010-13. 29
Environment Agency project to aid eel passage
over agency structures
31
Forever Meadows 32
Dunbartonshire Honey bee campaign 33
The diverse nature of Amgueddfa Cymru Na-
tional Museum Wales
34
Bringing Back the Small Blue Butterfly to War-
wickshire
35
Teamwork to get rare Cornish butterfly back on
track
37
Herefordshire Woodpecker Conservation Pro-
ject
38
News from BRIG 40
CIWEM Briefing Report on Multi-functional Ur-
ban Green Infrastructure
41
Biodiversity projects also benefit the local econ-
omy and the community.
41
Flora locale with the Grazing Advice Partnership 42
Bat Training Courses 42
Bristol Bioblitz at Blaise castle estate 42
The Festival of Nature 44
9
th
International Junior Ranger Camp 44
Future Landscape Ecology 45
Hill End Field Study Centre
Invertebrate Identification Workshops 2010
46
Join the 24 hour dash to record National Park wildlife 43
Pictures 47
Editorial 3
News
Features
Local & Regional
UKBAP update
Publications
Events

Editorial
3 Contents - News - Features - Local & Regional - UK BAP Updates - Publications - Events
Spring
Welcome to Issue 49 of Biodiversity News!
I received a large amount of articles for this edition from all over the UK and I have done my best to include
them all. You will find many exciting News items and intriguing Features. Both the Local & Regional and
Events sections are bursting at the seams.
For the last two editions I have asked subscribers to send me pictures for the front cover of the newsletter. I
was very surprised by the volume of responses I received this time almost 150 pictures! The quality and
spread was very impressive and did not make the final choice easy. I settled for an unusual picture which is
very topical at the moment and something many of us will never get to photograph.
Photographer Keith Hiscock added, "Spring is the time for fresh growth of much marine life. Tubulariid hy-
droids (sea firs) have grown rapidly and are busy reproducing because after a few days or weeks they will be
'found' and consumed by Flabellina brownii (sea slugs)." The main picture is of the sea firs and the inset is the
sea slug.
Because of the large amount of pictures sent to me I decided to do a runners up page at the back of the news-
letter to share with you a few more of the beautiful pictures and give the contributors a better chance to have
their picture published.

I hope you enjoy reading the Newsletter!

If anyone is interested in having an article published in Biodiversity News or would like to be added to our
mailing list, please contact me on biodiversitynews@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Please do not hesitate to send me any comments or suggestions on the structure and content of Biodiversity
News. I would greatly appreciate your feedback.

Regards,

Evaleen Brinton
UK Biodiversity Policy Unit, Defra, Zone 1/07, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN
biodiversitynews@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Click on the boxes to see previous issues this past year
46 - summer 47 - autumn 48 - winter

News
Spring
South Downs National Park becomes official 31 March 2010

On 31 March 2010 the South Downs became Britain's newest National Park
and the tenth to be designated in England.

Covering an area over 1600 square kilometres, South Downs National Park is
the tenth National Park to be designated in England, offering an area of pro-
tected countryside that everyone can visit and enjoy. The famous South
Downs Way, loved by walkers, cyclists and horse riders, will form part of the
Park, stretching over 160 kilometres from Winchester in Hampshire down to
the white chalk cliffs of Beachy Head, near Eastbourne.

The South Downs has been nationally recognised for its natural beauty and
the space it offers for people to enjoy the countryside. This is why it has been
made into a National Park, said Richard Shaw, Interim Chief Executive of
South Downs National Park Authority. South Downs National Park con-
tains a diverse landscape and environment. As a National Park Authority,
we have an important duty to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wild-
life and cultural heritage of the area, both now and for future generations.

Did you know?

The iconic landscape of the South Downs is best
known for its ancient chalk downland. Once
widespread, chalk downland covers only 3% of
its original area on the South Downs.

This man-made environment comes about by
constant livestock grazing the chalk hills over
thousands of years. The grazing checks the hardy
scrub plants and this, combined with the poor
soil, gives fragile native plants a chance to thrive.

As the flora is so diverse, a vast array of creatures
can live in this habitat, including rare butterflies
and grasshoppers.

Woodland covers about one fifth (20%) of the
land on the South Downs. About half of this
woodland is at least 400 years old.

To the north of the chalk hills, heathland forms a warm, open habitat which is home to rare birds, snakes and
lizards. Unlike other wild National Park landscapes, around 85% of the South Downs is farmland, with a high
proportion of arable cropping.

Jennie Saul,
South Downs National Park Authority
Defra
Defra

News
Spring
Saltmarsh Extent in England and Wales

Using aerial photography that we acquired from 2007-2009, the Environment Agency is currently developing
one quality-assured and consistent map of saltmarsh extent in England and Wales.
Saltmarsh is crucial in providing important ecosystem services, including demonstrable flood risk manage-
ment benefits through reducing wave energy in front of tidal defences. It is also of immense value to wildlife
and supports habitats and species of national and international significance. In many cases it is of interna-
tional significance. Within the Environment Agency we have legal duties, through the Habitats and Birds
Directives, to conserve and enhance these sites and we are also the lead authority for the Saltmarsh Biodiver-
sity Action Plan (BAP). In addition we are the competent authority for the Water Framework Directive so we
have a duty to achieve good ecological status in water bodies by 2015.
The last complete survey of saltmarsh extent in the UK was completed in the late 1980s. Since then, surveys
have been ad hoc, fragmentary and uncoordinated which makes it extremely difficult to understand if
saltmarsh is being gained or lost. Not knowing the extent of saltmarsh loss (or gain) is a significant risk for
the Environment Agency. Effectively, we dont know the state of one of our most important coastal flood risk
management assets. Furthermore, without an accurate assessment of saltmarsh extent, it is not possible to
assess how we are progressing towards meeting our legal obligations and policy targets.
Therefore over the past 3 years the Environment Agency has been working to gather aerial data and under-
take interpretation on saltmarsh extent in England and Wales. With co-operation from regional colleagues
and the national marine monitoring team we have now completed aerial photography and interpretation for
the whole of England and Wales. However, this has been gathered and interpreted using a variety of meth-
ods so we now need to standardise this data and bring them together in a consistent way. This will allow us
to determine a new baseline figure for the extent of saltmarsh in England and Wales.
For more information please contact: Amy Parrott (01733 464661)
Dawn FitzGerald, Environment Agency

News
Spring
CEMEX dedicated RSPB advisor appointed to drive improvements

As part of building solutions company CEMEXs corporate partnership with the Royal Society for the Protec-
tion of Birds (RSPB), Sam Tarrant has been appointed as an advisor. Sam will support CEMEX in its develop-
ment of a national biodiversity strategy, and provide specialist advice and assistance with restoration plans for
some of the companys many quarries.
Sam was appointed after completing his PhD at the The University of Northamptons School of Applied Sci-
ences, where he studied the conservation of flower-visiting insects on restored landfill sites. He also has a BSc
Hons in Marine Environmental Science, and is enthusiastic about his new role:
CEMEX is one of the leading cement and aggre-
gate providers, and as a large landowner, creat-
ing an innovative biodiversity strategy has the
potential to influence the creation of a significant
contribution towards biodiversity enhancement.
A number of CEMEX sites have great potential to
benefit our ecological landscape, providing vital
habitats for plants, native insects and birds.
Within an increasing number of agricultural and
urban landscapes these sites are the last havens of
wildlife and as such they need developing in the
best way.
The appointment marks a strengthening of CE-
MEXs involvement with the RSPB, which has a
track record spanning several decades at former
quarry sites, such as Denge Quarry in Kent.
In 2007, CEMEX signed a global Memorandum of
Understanding with Birdlife International. This
involves a 10-year partnership for BirdLife's
counsel, advice and expertise that will be inte-
grated into the management of over 400 quarry sites operated by CEMEX around the world. The Birdlife Inter-
national partner in the UK is Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB); and so this complementary rela-
tionship is intended to help drive CEMEXs improvement of its biodiversity management at a more local level.
CEMEX UKs director of sustainability, Andrew Spencer, explained: "We are very excited about Sams ap-
pointment. His PhD is very interesting and relevant, and so he is well qualified for the job. We look forward to
working together to finding constructive business solutions, while seeking to enhance the environment.
More information:
Contact Director of Communications & Public Affairs, Marit Meyer-Bell on email marit.meyerbell@cemex.com
CEMEX:
CEMEX is a global building materials solutions company and leading sup-
plier of cement, ready-mixed concrete and aggregates. In the UK, CEMEX
also produces asphalt, and has a significant share of the roof tile, rail sleep-
Marit Meyer-Bell
The picture shows Sam Tarrant (middle) with CEMEX Sus-
tainability Director Andrew Spencer (right) and National
Reserves Development Manager Stephen Redwood (left).

News
Spring
ers, concrete-block paving, and concrete-block segments. CEMEX has a national supply network in the UK to
ensure that quality building materials are available to customers locally. For more information, see
www.CEMEX.co.uk or www.CEMEX.com
RSPB:
The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. Nature is
amazing - help us keep it that way. Click here to join today www.rspb.org.uk/join
'The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076,
Scotland no. SC037654

Spindle ErmineSmall Eggar Moth
My photos under the heading of Spindle Ermine Moth shown in last months Biodiversity News were actu-
ally the Rare BAP/RDB Small Eggar Moth, Eriogaster lanestris identi-
fied by Dr. Mark Young from Aberdeen University. The markings
and long hairs on the big caterpillars are particularly distinguishing
features. The larval webs were found on spindle bushes leading to
my misidentification. The spindle bushes formed a 10 foot separate
row in front of a mixed haw-
thorn and blackthorn hedge.
The caterpillars were not
found on the hawthorn /
blackthorn hedge. The record
has been sent to Les Hill,
Data Manger at the National
Moth Recording Scheme who has passed it on to the Gloucestershire
County Moth Recorder. Les has given me the following information
about this rare species.'' The Small Eggar is nationally scarce and gen-
erally decreasing. It is mainly found in the central south of England
(Dorset and Somerset), decreasing rapidly further north. For-
merly resident in Ireland, there are no recent records. It is not re-
corded in Scotland. Numbers fluctuate year by year thought
mainly due to the weather. Small Eggar overwinters as a pupa,
sometimes remaining as a pupa for up to three years. Larvae are
gregarious and found in webs on blackthorn or hawthorn from
April to July. The adult stage is rarely seen and only occasionally
is it attracted to light.'' This is a very exciting find and I shall look
out for it again this year.
Hazel Willmott
Hazel Willmott
Hazel Willmott
Hazel Willmott

News
Spring
Traditional Orchard Project Data Online

The Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is producing
the traditional orchard inventory on behalf of Natural England
to support the traditional orchard Habitat Action Plan. The
inventory will complement other habitat inventories available
through the Natural England website. It is being produced to
national inventory standards agreed with Natural England and
is now available to download for free via the Natural England
p u b l i c a t i o n s d o w n l o a d p a g e h t t p : / /
www.gis.naturalengland.org.uk/pubs/gis/GIS_register.asp
and via the MAGIC website http://www.magic.gov.uk/

This digital inventory is based on combining existing survey
data with aerial photograph interpretation mapping together
with ground-truthing survey work by local volunteers. As well
as the GIS data set and an excel spreadsheet, the background
documents outlining how the data is gathered and displayed are also available to download.
Whilst aerial photograph interpretation has been shown to be one of the most useful sources of information
for identifying traditional orchards, inaccuracies and omissions will still occur. Consequently local knowledge
and ground-truthing are vital components in making this inventory an accurate and robust data set. So far
over 200 dedicated volunteers have been involved in the project and their support and hard work is much ap-
preciated.
The ground truthing work is ongoing. Volunteer surveyors not only confirm the presence of a traditional or-
chard but collect additional survey data that is entered into the database and used to produce a condition cate-
gory for each orchard. The survey methodology is being used across the country to ensure consistency so if
you are if you are currently running or planning an orchard project in your area or know of a volunteer group
who would be interested in participating in the ground-truthing work, then please let me know as I would be
happy to discuss how we can work together to maximise efficiency and reduce duplication of effort.
I must stress that the inventory is still in progress and is yet to be completed for all counties of England. If
you have any local knowledge that you could share with us to improve the accuracy of the inventory in
your local area, we would be very grateful to receive it.
The data set will continue to be updated regularly as new information comes to us from volunteers, orchard
owners, orchard groups, record centres etc. The project will continue until March 2011.
Please visit the orchard pages on our website www.ptes.org/orchards and for further information please do
not hesitate to contact Anita Burrough anita@ptes.org.
Anita Burrough

News
Spring
Shooters play a lead role in Conservation?
A case study in the control of an alien species and resulting benefit to native fauna

The water vole (Arvicola terestris) was once common and widespread across the whole of Great Britain. It was
viewed as a harmless, popular and enigmatic waterside mammal and often featured in childrens literature,
the most famous of which was the character of Ratty, a water vole in the book Wind in the Willows by Ken-
neth Graham in 1908. Unlike the same species on the European mainland, the water vole in Britain is very
much more dependent on riparian habitats and changes in both water quality and bank morphology will have
significant effects on their occupation of any site.
Population surveys of the species have shown that there was a steady decline in both numbers and distribu-
tion of the water vole throughout the 20
th
Century, and this may be attributed to watercourse pollution and
loss of habitat. The use of hard engineering on riverbanks deprived the animal of burrowing for nest sites,
and both bank clearance and channel dredging removed the vegetation cover and food supply.
Since the 1950s the rate of decline increased markedly
and it was feared that the water vole might become
extinct in these islands in the first decade of the 21
st

century.
In addition to habitat loss and pollution, the dramatic
post World War II collapse of the population is now
directly attributed to the spread (through accidental
and deliberate release) of the American mink (Mustela
vison) throughout Great Britain.
While the water vole has evolved many survival strate-
gies in order to evade or escape its native predators,
these strategies were ineffective when faced with the
non-native mink.
The fact that a female mink is small enough to invade
the water voles burrows and the predator could out-
swim an escaping vole meant that the water vole was
defenceless against this alien species. As an example, a study by Oxford University demonstrated that single
female mink was capable of exterminating an entire water vole colony on the River Kennet during the course
of a single winter. Thus by the year 2000, water voles held a precarious existence in isolated pockets distrib-
uted across Britain. One of these isolated populations remained on the Somerset Levels.
The Somerset Levels is the largest area of lowland wet grassland and freshwater marsh in southern England.
Extending in area to around 100,000ha, the majority of the grassland fields are bounded, not by hedgerows,
but by deep drainage channels and ditches (locally known as rhynes or wet hedges) Thus the total length of
watercourses in the Levels area is in excess of 10,000km.
With the water vole identified as the most endangered mammal within Britain, the UK Government agency
responsible for water vole conservation developed a strategy for the protection of water voles wherever they
existed. The Environment Agency (EA) developed a two-target approach habitat management and improve-
ment, and the eradication or control of mink.
Water vole sites 2000 Water vole sites 2008

News
Spring
For south-west England the EA plan was to develop a trapping line from the Bristol Channel in the north to
the Dorset coast in the south a firewall of mink control to protect the Somerset water voles and to prevent
further incursions of mink into the South-west penin-
sula. The EA devised this strategy (known as the South-
west Cordon Sanitaire) in the year 2000, but lack of fund-
ing for materials and dedicated project staff meant that
no action was taken to launch the project.
In 2003 the largest shooting association in the UK, the
British Association for Shooting and Conservation
(BASC) appointed a Conservation Officer for the Som-
erset Levels area. The main task for this post, which
was also co-funded by English Nature and later by the
Environment Agency, was to develop and implement
the Green Shoots Biodiversity Action Plan among the
BASC members and the larger country sports commu-
nity within the Somerset Levels area.
Learning that no moves had been made to develop the
Environment Agencys Cordon Sanitaire plan, the
BASC Conservation Officer decided to take a lead in an attempt to launch the mink control project. This deci-
sion was taken in the light of a number of factors:
There were nearly 1000 BASC members within the Somerset
Levels area;
The shooting community already has a vested interest in the
control of predators and the management of the habitats on
their shooting grounds;
Shooters are prepared to spend a great deal of voluntary time
in habitat improvement and conservation measures for the
sustainability of their sport;
The American mink was seen by all the conservation organisa-
tions as a common problem;
A programme of mink control and water vole conservation
had the potential of uniting the shooters and other conserva-
tionists to work together for a common cause.
Between 2003 and 2005 a number of events were held within the Levels
area in order to inform the other conservation organisations of the
planned campaign, and to recruit a large volunteer team of mink trappers
and water vole monitors who would operate across the area. Materials were provided through grants from
the Environment Agency and the Wildlife Habitat Trust, and the team was issued with live-catch cage traps,
and with the newly developed mink rafts in subsequent years.
By 2005 the trapping team numbered almost 100 people, 80% of which were volunteers drawn from local
shoot syndicates, wildfowling clubs, and individual BASC members. In addition to these, conservation staff
and volunteers from local and national Nature Reserves, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) ,
and both Somerset and Avon Wildlife Trusts were included in the team.
Robin Marshall-Ball
Rob Strachan

News
Spring
From the outset it was stressed that this was a long-term control and
monitoring project, and that after any initial success in removing mink,
the team would need to continue monitoring their allocated operating
area to detect and deal with any re-colonisation by mink, and also to
record any spread of the water vole population.
One of the great achievements of this project has been the development
of understanding, co-operation and collaboration between the local con-
servation organisations and the shooting community.
As just one example, there had been deep mistrust and animosity be-
tween a Wildfowling Club and the local Wildlife Trust which had
lasted for over a decade. Brought together for the first time at a BASC
mink and water vole event, they decided on a co-ordinated approach
the control of mink, and the success of this initial collaboration has led
to joint surveys for Great Crested Newts, pond management, litter clear-
ance, and other activities.
On the Somerset Levels, the shooting community is seen as an integral
and essential part of the conservation movement. This has aroused the
interest of government and local conservation organisations throughout the rest of south-west England and
the BASC Conservation Officer has helped to develop the mink and water vole project into both Dorset and
Devon with the collaboration of BASC members and the larger hunting community, the local civil authorities,
and the local conservation organisations. By April 2006, the Environment Agencys Cordon Sanitaire from
coast to coast had become a reality.
Has the project been a success? Within the Somerset Levels area nearly 500 mink have been trapped since the
launch of the project, the water vole population has returned from the brink of extinction and each spring
brings more reports of the species re-colonising waterways on the Somerset Levels where they had been ab-
sent for many decades. The most recent survey by the Somerset Environment Record Centre in 2009 has con-
firmed the anecdotal evidence of the widespread water vole re-colonisation of the Somerset Levels
The Environment Agency attribute this outstanding conservation success story to the efforts of the shooting
community in leading a largely volunteer force of trappers and monitors.

Robin Marshall-Ball
BASC Somerset Levels Conservation Officer
Robin Marshall-Ball

News
Spring
Your Seas Your Voice (YSYV) News in Brief

A web site that logs the votes and views of the general public
on where they would like to see marine protected reserves, has
begun to receive thousands of votes and nominations.
Your Seas Your Voice (www.yourseasyourvoice) is a vital
process to ensure that the current governmentled plans to set
up marine conservation zones (MCZs) in the UK, will take
into account the views of people who love our seas and coastal
waters
Surfers, sailors, small-boat users, recreational anglers, walkers,
tourists and beachcombers - all sectors of the UK public who
use the sea, can now have a voice in how its future is pro-
tected.
The Marine Conservation Society website allows people to rec-
ommend areas they want to see protected, and what they want
the area protected from. Visitors to the site can also explore
and vote for or against one of more than 73 sites recommended
by the MCS to become Marine Conservation Zones. So far there
have been over 7,000 votes on the MCS suggestions and well
over a thousand nominations for other sites.
Currently less than 1% of our seas are protected, but by 2012 a
network of marine protected areas will exist. Properly protected and enforced Marine Conservation Zones will
allow the seas to recover from years of damage from overfishing, extraction and construction, so that habitats
and biodiversity can be rebuilt. Hundreds of MPAs in other countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the
USA have already recovered marine wildlife and fisheries.
MCS will send the data from their website to the four regional MCZ projects in England, who may present the
information to stakeholders. The projects will make recommendations on proposed sites with Defra Ministers
taking final decisions in 2012.
MCS says every vote will make a difference to the longterm future of our seas. Visit the site at
www.yourseasyourvoice.com to make your vote count.

Jean-Luc Solandt
YSYV co-ordinator

The website was launched in November by
Miranda Krestovnikoff
Co-operative group / MCS

Features
Spring
Radipole Lake Restoration Project

Radipole Lake has long been famous for its wildlife, especially reedbed specialists, such as bearded tit, reed
warblers and bittern, as well as a wide range of wildfowl and other water birds. The last few decades, how-
ever, have seen a significant deterioration of the quality of the habitats at Radipole, primarily through a com-
bination of rhizome and litter accumulation within the reedbeds, but exacerbated, within the wet grassland, by
silt deposition from winter flood waters.
The result of this combination of factors has been a severe de-
cline in the structure of the reedbed, to such a degree that an
extensive network of ditches and open water has now been lost
and circa 50-60% of available reedbed has water depths be-
tween 0-10 cm in summer, too low to promote a rich and suc-
cessful reedbed community. The decline in habitat quality has
contributed to significant declines in many of the species for
which the site is designated, in some cases by as much as 80%.
Because of these declines, the part of the SSSI concerned
(shown on the map to the right) was designated as being in un-
favourable declining condition and, for the past 3 years, the
RSPB has been working closely with local partners including
Natural England, Weymouth & Portsmouth Borough Council
and the Environment Agency to develop a funded programme
of works that will achieve favourable condition status.
In 2008 this programme of works was agreed (and is shown
highlighted on the map to the right) and work began on a
staged restoration programme that will, over two years, see the
restoration and enhancement of the historic ditch and open wa-
ter network across the reserve, through a programme of clear-
ance and re-profiling, and the creation of additional ditches
and water bodies to link the various parts of the mosaic to-
gether, improving water flow and hence fish movement around
the site.
Once completed the project, which is fully funded by Natural England, as part of the reserves HLS agree-
ment, through a capital works programme, will see around 7 km of ditches and over a hectare of open water
either created or restored, the largest works programme the reserve has seen in living memory.
By creating a rich mosaic of pools, ditches and larger bodies of open water, as well introducing an age struc-
ture into the vegetation (from open water through early to late successional vegetation types) which currently
does not exist, the works provide a wide range of habitats. This is not only expected to benefit a wide range of
avian species, but also other taxa, including insects, invertebrates and mammals, including bats, water voles
and otters
The first phase trials, which took place two years ago, to help inform the eventual design of the restoration,
have already paid dividends, with the rare Nathusius Pipistrelle being found on the new ditches (the first re-
cord for the site, and only the third for Dorset) and otter returning to breed on the site, after an absence of over
quarter of a century.

Features
Spring
The results of the first phase can be seen in the two pictures to the
left. The top picture shows the reedbed before the works began, the
lower picture shows the results of seven weeks worth of work, a
fantastic mosaic of deep and shallow ditches, open water and wet
reedbed.
The transformation is even more acute when you look at it from the
ground, as you can see below, with a before (top) and after (bottom)
picture taken from the same location.

The restoration has been designed with sustainability in
mind and aims to reduce the long-term impacts of silt ac-
cretion and problems associated with carp. Key features
include minimising the impact on the newly restored areas
from the silt carried within the main river system (largely
through a mixture of hydrological isolation and the use of
barriers to silt transportation) and the exclusion of large
carp from the restored areas through the introduction of
bird friendly fish fences supplemented with periodic elec-
tro-fishing.

In addition a pro-
gramme of main-
tenance manage-
ment, again funded under Natural Englands HLS agreement will
further enhance the diversity of the site, through a mixture of reed-
cutting, on a combination of single/double wale and longer 5-7 year
rotation cycles, to promote both the quality of the reedbed and en-
hance the structure within it and a programme of ditch maintenance
to ensure ditches remain open and free from encroachment and silt
accumulation

Alongside the ecological works, Natural England have
also funded an extensive capital programme of visitor
works, including path upgrades (to enable those with
mobility difficulties to better get around the reserve)
an artificial sand martin wall (the first of it kind in Dor-
set), a raised platform (to give people elevated views
over the lake), a pond dipping platform (to enable chil-
dren and families to engage in this activity in a safe
and secure environment) and, finally, a range of re-
mote cameras to capture the more private life of the
reserves wildlife and bring it to a TV screen near you.

Nick Tomlinson, RSPB
Both RSPB
Both RSPB

Features
Spring
Most wanted

ARKive is on the hunt for the planets most wanted. We have compiled a hit list of 17,000 plants and animals
that are clinging precariously to their own particular branch in the tree of life. These species may be concealed
in the canopy of a dwindling rainforest, marooned on a tiny tropical island, hidden in a coral reef or confined
to a remote mountain peak, but they all have two things in common. Firstly, they are desperately in need of
protection. Secondly, they are camera shy.

We know their names, we know
where they live, but in most cases we
dont have a decent photo of them let
alone a film clip. The intriguingly
named Miss Waldrons red colobus,
for example, is a vanishingly rare
monkey last seen 25 years ago. Our
only visual records to date are artists
impressions, and thats a real prob-
lem.

We will only succeed in rescuing spe-
cies from the brink of extinction if we
raise public awareness of their plight.
But without pictures and recordings
we face an uphill struggle. We cant
expect everyone out there to know
their aasvogel from their bonobo.
Wildlife documentaries and photo-
graphs are a vital weapon in our bat-
tle to conserve the rich panoply of plants and animals with which we share this planet.

Biodiversity challenge Your starter for 2010

In 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, we have set ourselves the ambitious task of tracking down im-
ages of 17,000 of the worlds most endangered species, from the Addax to the Zebra.

Throughout the past decade, with the help of some of the worlds best photographers, cinematographers and
scientists, ARKive has been bringing together the definitive image-based guide to endangered wildlife.

Weve already catalogued 6,000 species online, including many of our most charismatic and familiar animals:
gorillas and lions, tigers and elephants. Now were delving deeper into the weird and wonderful world of ro-
dents, reptiles, bats and bugs to unmask the mysterious life forms that hide behind names like the major black
millipede, jeweled toad and Marleys golden mole.

By revealing what they actually look like, we hope to shine the spotlight on thousands of relatively obscure
and largely neglected species, thereby raising their public profile and, ultimately, helping to ensure their con-
servation.

Visit www.arkive.org to find out more.
Male Bullfinch Mark Hamblin

Features
Spring
Saving our Magnificent Meadows
Putting the Colour Back into Our Countryside
Saving our Magnificent Meadows is an exciting new project that aims to secure increased financial support to
conserve and enhance our remaining cherished wildflower meadows. The project is in response to the decline
in condition and extent of priority grassland habitats across the UK, and is delivering Biodiversity Action Plan
targets.
The project is funded by Natural England,
Countryside Council for Wales, Scottish Natural
Heritage and Northern Ireland Environment
Agency, and is hosted by Plantlife. It has strong
support from other organisations including
Grasslands Trust, Grazing Advice Partnership,
Northmoor Trust, Wildlife Trusts, Flora Locale,
RSPB, National Trust, English Heritage, Butter-
fly Conservation and Bee Conservation.
Why urgent action is needed
Wildflower-rich grasslands are Britains most
threatened habitat. Despite their high nature
conservation value (they support a rich diver-
sity of wild plants and animals, typically 15 or
more flowering plant species per square me-
tre), development pressure and changes in ag-
ricultural practices has led to a massive loss of
these habitats across the UK. Between 1930s and 1980s, 97% of species-rich grasslands in England and Wales
were lost. Despite conservation legislation, EU Habitats Directive (which lists six BAP priority grassland types
in Annex 1), planning legislation and two decades of agri-environment schemes, wildflower-rich grasslands
are still disappearing. During the 1980s and 1990s, losses were recorded at 2 10% per annum in some areas.
These declines mean that the UK is unlikely to meet its commitment to halt the loss of grassland habitat and
species biodiversity by 2010. Once lost, semi-natural grasslands cannot easily be restored.
Increased funding to support grassland conservation projects across the UK is urgently needed and that is
what Saving our Magnificent Meadows aims to achieve.
Benefits of wildflower meadows
Wildlife rich grasslands are precious and important habitats, contributing positive ecosystem services. They:
Store about 34% of the global stock of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems, compared with 17% for agro eco-
systems. Improving grasslands for agriculture is a significant source of carbon emissions.
Ameliorate the impact of flooding and provide greater water infiltration
Lower stocking densities and few or no fertiliser inputs result in lower greenhouse gas emissions
Allow for a more efficient cycle of nutrients, improving soil health
Biodiversity
UK BAP priority grassland habitats have 73 BAP priority vertebrate and invertebrate species associated with
Wildflower Meadow CCW

Features
Spring
them These habitats are of considerable importance for breeding and over-wintering birds, and as foraging ar-
eas for bats. They support a wide variety of moths, including UK BAP priority species. The 19 specialist grass-
land butterfly species have suffered a 28% decline in the period 1990-2006. Grassland plants account for ap-
proximately 28% of all plant species that have been lost from the UK in the past 100 years.
Pollination services
Specialist bumblebees have undergone massive declines due to the loss of wildflower-rich grasslands. At least
half of the UKs true bumblebee species have declined considerably in recent decades, with two species now
nationally extinct. Bumblebees are vital crop pollinators,
fundamental to food production. A network of flower-
rich grasslands, providing nectar and pollen year round,
is thought to be crucial to bees survival.
Mental and physical well-being
Grassland habitats provide recreation opportunities and
form a major component of our rural and urban land-
scapes. There are physical and mental health benefits
from enjoying the natural environment, and even just
visual access has been shown to aid the recovery of hos-
pital patients. Grassland landscapes have been the
source of great inspiration to poets, authors, artists and
musicians throughout history. They are spiritually up-
lifting, and a key aspect of our cultural heritage.
Healthy food and healthy livestock
Grazing animals provide us with meat, milk, cheese
and wool. The nutritional qualities of grasslands provide grazing animals with a richer, more varied diet. This
produces tastier meat with higher levels of antioxidants, healthy fatty acids and anti-carcinogenic compounds.
Flower-rich meadows may also be beneficial to sick animals. Traditional farmers used them for grazing as a
kind of herbal remedy.
Stimulus to rural economies
It is increasingly clear that consumers will pay more for products that involve positive benefits for the land-
scape, for the sustainability of rural communities and for human health. A growing number of farms are using
wildflower grasslands to graze their animals, as this maintains the meadows and yields premium products.
Meadows even help protect historic sites (English Heritage states that Scheduled Monuments within pasture
are likely to be at lower risk).
Effective grassland conservation
Saving our Magnificent Meadows has identified the key issues that impact on grassland conservation:
Lack of graziers and appropriate grazing animals when required.
Not enough money for capital works, such as fencing.
The need to train land managers about optimal grassland management.
Lack of knowledge and understanding of the value of grassland to society.
In simple terms, these could be addressed by:
Restoration of correct land management by supporting graziers and appropriate grazing animals and en-
couraging new grazing enterprises.
Wildflower meadow at Montesford Abbey Plantlife

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Surveying grasslands and associated species, and sharing data to allow informed protection.
An awareness-raising campaign to increase knowledge of the value of grasslands and how best to manage
them.
Despite all of the arguments for their conservation, wildlife-rich grasslands continue to decline in extent and
quality. Without action, we will lose these magnificent habitats along with their rare species, with once-
common species becoming rarer.
Putting the colour back into our countryside
A great deal of funding has already been secured by projects in England and Wales (including under Agri-
Environmental Schemes), but it is estimated that at least 18 million is still required to meet biodiversity tar-
gets. Funding is also required for projects in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Saving our Magnificent Meadows is seeking to develop funding streams dedicated to deliver priority grass-
land targets, and address the main issues that impact on grassland conservation, including regional and coun-
try delivery of targets. We have prepared an inventory of grassland projects indicating the level of funding se-
cured, the major funding bodies, and an estimate of the need for future funding. We have focussed on part-
nership projects that share good practice, target species-rich grassland, are evidence-based, include practical
management elements, demonstrate public benefit and seek long-term solutions.
To find out more about the next Phase of Saving our Magnificent Meadows or to enquire about funding op-
tions, please contact:
Susan Kerry Bedell, Grassland Funding Manager, Saving our Magnificent Meadows,
susan.kerrybedell@plantlife.org.uk; mobile 07970 772719; office tel 01722 342730; www.plantlife.org.uk

Features
Spring
The UK Sand Dune and Shingle Network

The UK Sand Dune and Shingle Network was launched in December 2006
at the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) seminar in Liverpool. It is
based in the Geography Department at Liverpool Hope University and con-
sists of Director, Paul Rooney, Network Officer John Houston and Network
Assistant Charlotte Durkin. Since its establishment, membership of the net-
work has grown with over 150 full members and a newsletter circulated to
more than 300 people worldwide.
Coastal sand dune and vegetated coastal shingle are priority habitats in the
UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) requiring action to prevent further
losses of habitat or associated species. The purpose of the network is to sup-
port the sustainable management of these two habitats by encouraging an
exchange of information and experience and to develop links between peo-
ple involved with dune or shingle habitat.
The network supports the work of statutory nature conservation bodies in
meeting the targets set out in Habitat Action Plans (HAPs). Through an
agreement with Natural England, the network has coordinated several
events to bring together students, researchers and professionals. For exam-
ple, last year saw a workshop on management of sea buckthorn in the UK as
well as a study tour to the Netherlands. The UK Sand Dune and Shingle Network is represented on Defras
coastal Biodiversity Integration Group (BIG) and through this
association will be supporting the work of Regional Biodiver-
sity Co-ordinators.
In the future, the network hopes to develop a wider network
in Europe, based on the loose network which has existed since
1987. We have developed good links with the Foundation for
Integrated Dune Management at the University of Amster-
dam, as well as with many other international practitioners
involved with conservation of dune and shingle habitat. The
network publishes a newsletter which includes case studies,
reports on events and literature reviews. There is usually a
topical theme reflecting the issues our members face in work-
ing with these habitats for instance the latest newsletter fea-
tures articles on golf and alien species.
Joining the network allows members to specify their interests
and the focus of their work so that we can pass on relevant information. It is free, does not involve excessive
communication and puts you in touch with a world of information and professionals that could improve your
knowledge or practise. We hope to organise our members database by subject groups (e.g. hydrology) each
with a thematic leader, so that people working on or studying similar issues can network with each other.
To find out more
www.hope.ac.uk/coast and dunes@hope.ac.uk
John Houston & charlotte Durkin, Coastal Network Project
Shingle ridge at Cemlyn Bay, Angle-
sea John Houston
Yellow dunes, Sefton coast John Houston

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Anystis baccarum: the importance of a generalist predator

Fruit crops, especially apple, have a relatively high economic value and therefore cosmetic damage and insect
contamination must be kept to a minimum. Highest prices are only paid for quality undamaged fruit. Insect
damaged apple fruit is often only accepted for pulp (i.e. fruit juice or apple pie filler). As a result control of eco-
nomically important invertebrate pest species must be undertaken. The most widespread form of pest control
is the use of chemical insecticides. However, growing public concern over the use of chemicals on the environ-
ment, potential residues on fruit and their impact on non-target species is driving the need for alternative
means of pest control to be derived.
Apple orchards cover c. 27,000 ha in the United
Kingdom, of which 14,000 ha are dessert varieties,
9,000 ha culinary varieties, and 4,000 ha are for ci-
der making. The major concentration of dessert
apples and culinary apple orchards is in the south-
eastern county of Kent in England. Mostly culinary
apples are grown in Northern Ireland. Within ap-
ple orchards a wide range of predators have been
exploited, or have the potential to be exploited, as
biological control agents against pests of fruit.
These include members of the families Miridae
(mirid bugs) (Hemiptera), Anthocoridae (flower
bugs) (Hemiptera), Forficulidae (earwigs)
(Dermaptera) and several mite families.

The current author (Andrew Cuthbertson) under-
took research into invertebrate pest control within
the Bramleys Seedling apple orchards in Northern
Ireland. The main finding from the research was
the re-discovery of the predatory mite Anystis bac-
carum (Linnaeus) (Prostigmata: Anystidae) (Fig.1)
(Biodiversity News, 2005, 30: 29), sometimes re-
ferred to as the 'whirligig' mite due to its spiral-like running fashion. Monitoring of beneficial insects using
various trapping devices within the orchards found that the whirligig mite was the most commonly occurring
beneficial insect in the orchards. However, on consultation with both Northern Irish apple growers and horti-
cultural advisors, it was discovered that they were unaware of its presence and some fruit growers had even
sprayed actively against the mite because they confused it with the economic pest fruit tree red spider mite,
Panonychus ulmi (Koch) (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) (Fig.2). The result of this action was unnecessary pesti-
cide applications within the orchards.

Anystis baccarum is a cosmopolitan species capable of surviving a range of climatic conditions and occurs in
numerous places including Australia, U.S.A, Europe, Juan Fernandez Islands (close to the coast of Chile), St.
Helena, Faeroe Islands, Mexico, Japan and northern and southern Africa. Mites belonging to the genus Anystis
have been reported before to occur in Northern Ireland but no individual species had ever been identified until
recently. At least three other species occur in the British Isles: Anystis salicinus (Linnaeus), Anystis cornigerum
(Hermann), and Anystis cursorium (Gervais). Anystis agilis Banks has also been recorded in the British Isles.
The whirligig mite, Anystis baccarum Andrew Cuthbertson

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Anystis baccarum has been cited as feeding on a range of invertebrate prey. The mite will readily feed upon any
prey item it can over-power. Anystis baccarum is not only a potentially valuable predator in orchards but sev-
eral other ecosystems, including, blackcurrant bushes in Russia and cereal fields in England. Anystis baccarum
has also been cited as a valuable predator of tortrix moth larvae in orchard ecosystems. In these situations it
has offered various levels of invertebrate pest control. Research has proved that A. baccarum actively feeds
upon economically important invertebrate pests within UK orchards and in some instances has offered various
degrees of control. The potential of incorporating
whirligig mites into integrated pest management pro-
grammes is further enhanced by their compatibility
with various chemical fungicides routinely used
within apple orchards for fungal disease control.
Therefore, in the bid to gain a more environmentally
sustainable Bramley's Seedling apple production sys-
tem not only within Northern Ireland, but the UK as a
whole, generalist predatory mites such as A. baccarum,
must be fully researched to determine their impact
upon pest species. Apple growers must also be made
aware of the presence of A. baccarum, and indeed all
predatory fauna, within their orchards. They should
ensure correct identification of A. baccarum from P.
ulmi so preventing unnecessary pesticide applications
and take efforts to conserve its populations within
their orchards. To aid apple growers in identifying A.
baccarum in their orchards, identification cards were
produced (by the current authors) and circulated
around the apple growers during last years cropping
season. These were gratefully received and feedback obtained indicates a positive outcome.

For further information concerning invertebrate biodiversity within Bramleys Seedling apple orchards or to obtain A.
baccarum identification cards contact: Dr Andrew G S Cuthbertson, The Food and Environment Research Agency, York
YO41 1LZ (e-mail: andrew.cuthbertson@fera.gsi.gov.uk) or Dr Archie K Murchie, The Agri-Food and Biosciences Insti-
tute, Belfast BT9 5PX (e-mail: archie.murchie@afbini.gov.uk).

The fruit tree red spider mite, Andrew Cuthbertson

Features
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Rescuing our riverflies

The UK Riverfly Partnership formed in 2004, brings together
anglers, conservationists, entomologists, scientists, watercourse
managers and relevant government agencies to protect the wa-
ter quality of our rivers and increase our understanding of Brit-
ish riverflies and actively conserve their habitats. The term
riverflies refers to three groups of insects: mayflies, caddisflies
and stoneflies. There are 278 species of riverfly in the UK and
they have aquatic larvae and winged adults. Riverflies are
common in healthy rivers where their larvae can be seen dart-
ing between aquatic plants or carrying their intricate cases over
the river bed. In rivers they provide an important food chain
link by feeding on organic material and providing a food
source for many predators e.g. trout and salmon.
A key element of the Riverfly Partnership is the Angling Moni-
toring Initiative (AMI) which enables trained angling groups to
apply a simple technique to monitor the biological quality of
their rivers by recording riverfly larvae on a monthly basis.
Riverflies, being sensitive to pollution, are the rivers canary.
Therefore this regular monitoring helps to identify changes in
water quality and alerts Government agencies to any problems.
There are numerous threats to riverfly populations as a result
of habitat loss and degradation, for example, due to modifica-
tion of river channels, diffuse pollution, soil erosion, abstrac-
tion and light pollution. Maintenance of good quality water-
courses and bank-side vegetation is essential to maintain healthy riverfly populations. As a result the Riverfly
Partnership established a Species and habitat group to take forward conservation work on riverfly species
and river habitats. An area focused on by the group is the conservation of rare and threatened riverfly species
in the UK. Eight riverfly species are designated with Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) status including charis-
matic insects such as the Window winged sedge (Hagenella clathrata) and the Yellow mayfly (Potamanthus lu-
teus). The Species and habitat group secured funding from the Natural England Countdown 2010 Fund, to
raise awareness, carry out research and deliver conservation action for these species. This three year project
brings together members of the Riverfly Partnership including the Riverfly Recording Schemes, Buglife The
Invertebrate Conservation Trust, The Salmon and Trout Association, statutory agencies amongst others. The
project has enabled the gathering of key information, completion of survey work and the development of new
resources. Identification postcards for key species will enable members of the AMI, who are already monitor-
ing riverfly groups, and moth trappers to look out for and identify these species and contribute valuable re-
cords. A new educational leaflet on riverflies and their habitats, for schools and the wider public is also being
produced; both of these publications will be available in April. In collaboration with universities research pro-
jects on the ecology of these species are being set up, and together with The Wild Trout Trust and Association
of River Trusts practical information on river management for riverflies will be disseminated. For more infor-
mation on the project visit the Riverfly Partnership website www.riverflies.org and the Buglife The Inverte-
brates Conservation Trust website www.buglife.org.uk
Vicki Kindemba, Buglife
Male Potamanthus Luteus Mike Hammett

Local & Regional
Spring
Were loving our Limestone Flora!
Torbays limestone grasslands are classed as one of the British bo-
tanical meccas and with only 22 hectares (53 acres) surviving, these
grasslands can be considered one of the UKs rarest and most threat-
ened vegetation types, and 35 nationally threatened, rare & scarce
species can be found growing on Torbays coastal slopes. Many of
these rare species were first discovered in the UK in Torbay in the
early 1800s, including the tiny small hares ear and the nationally
rare small restharrow.
Unfortunately the 22 hectares are highly fragmented and are under
pressure from many different sources. The entirely natural process
of scrub growth is probably the most pressing and has accelerated
since the first half of the last century. Be-
fore then most of Torbays coastal slopes
were grazed with livestock mainly sheep, goats and cattle that were very effi-
cient at eating scrubby growth and mowing the grasslands tightly. As agriculture
modernized and intensified this extensive grazing became uneconomic and it
ceased, with the result that woodland now cloaks the majority of Torbays coast.
The coastal slopes north of Torquay are an example of how scrub and introduced
Mediterranean species such as Holm Oak can completely smother grassland spe-
cies, now unfortunately only small remnant populations survive.
Other pressures include erosion from the countless feet of walkers and the wheels
of cars; dog-fouling; and built development.
Local conservation charity, Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust has been working to
protect these areas for years, initially through the Small Blue Butterfly Campaign.
They are also a priority habitat in The Nature of Torbay, the Torbay Local Biodi-
versity Action Plan.
The Project has received a 130,000 funding from SITA Trust, through the Land-
fill Tax Credit Scheme and thanks to this grant, the future of these fragile grass-
lands just got better. Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust have used this funding
to launch the Loving our Limestone project, a three-year programme of scrub
and tree-clearance at the most vulnerable sites. Following botanical surveys, pri-
ority calcareous grassland sites have been identified for scrub clearance. A team
of rangers and contractors trained in Rope Access work are working on the steep
coastal slopes. Last year scrub clearance took place at three sites near Brixham
Sharkham Point, Durl Head and Fishcombe Point. This year work will begin at
Walls Hill and Daddyhole SSSIs to protect rare species. Herbicides will be used
to carefully treat the cut stumps of the scrub, so that it doesnt grow back. The
Trust hope to secure funding for a project to introduce grazing onto some of
these sites to control invasive species.
Partners in the project are the national charity Plantlife and Regional Manager,
Andy Byfield, who has monitored Torbays limestone grasslands for decades, explained that Torbays Devo-
nian limestone grasslands are unquestionably Torbays botanical jewel in the crown and Plantlife has identi-
fied them as one of 150 internationally important sites for plant conservation in the UK. The Loving our
Limestone project will play a crucial role in restoring the botanical importance of the Torbay Limestones.
Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust
Torbay Coast and Coun-
tryside Trust
Torbay Coast and Coun-
tryside Trust

Local & Regional
Spring
Ancient Tree Hunt in Shanes Castle
On Saturday 27
th
February, an Ancient Tree Hunt (ATH) Recording Day was held in Shanes Castle, a stun-
ning private estate along the shore of Lough Neagh. The event was run in association with the Woodland
Trusts ATH team and Ruth Wilson, the Local Biodiversity Officer for Antrim Borough Council. The event at-
tracted local volunteers and staff from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the Department of Ag-
riculture and Rural Development.
The ATH is a UK wide initiative, which aims to find and map our ancient trees. It will create a comprehensive
database of ancient trees and is the
first step towards cherishing and
protecting them. The ATH began
in 2004, and to date 62,000 trees
have been recorded across the UK.
A total of 3,350 trees have been
recorded in Northern Ireland,
which includes 57 ancient trees,
1,435 veterans and 571 notables.
Recording involves surveying tree
girth, tree form, status and condi-
tion (such as hollowing and dead
wood). The habitats that trees pro-
vide are also recorded, for exam-
ple evidence of birds, bats, fungi
and lichen is noted. The event on
Saturday 27
th
February contributed to the recording of over 20 trees within Shanes Castle Estate as shown on
the map below:
This information is readily available to view on the
ATH website through an interactive map http://
www. anci ent - t ree- hunt . org. uk/di scoveri es/
interactivemap
or tree search: http://www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk/
discoveries/TreeSearch.htm

With a girth of 6.41metres, this is an impressive an-
cient tree. Rogue peasants were allegedly hung here
and left for several days to deter others! For more in-
formation on the tree visit: http://www.ancient-tree-
hunt.org.uk/recording/tree.htm?tree=ddef5bde-2041-
4327-9738-c30ed90c1ec6.

Similar work is being carried out in the south of Ire-
land by the Tree Register of Ireland project: http://
www.treecouncil.ie/tree_register_of_ireland.htm
Melina McMullen, Doeni
Ancient Tree Hunters at Hangmans Oak, Shanes Castle Estate Alison Evershed

Local & Regional
Spring
The Drift Toad Tunnel The Movie

The Drift is a busy minor road in East Horsley, Surrey that is bordered on
one side by The Drift Golf Course and on the other by The Forest Local
Nature Reserve, which is ancient woodland managed by Surrey Wildlife
Trust. Common toads, common frogs, great crested newts and smooth
newts all hibernate in The Forest. These species then have to cross The
Drift every spring to get to their breeding ponds in the golf course.
Nearly 1000 toads were found crossing The Drift
during the 1990s. In order to limit the number of
road casualties, Surrey Amphibian and Reptile
Group (SARG) set up a registered toad crossing
(one of a number across Surrey). SARG was established in 1987 as a voluntary conser-
vation group whose aim is to conserve and promote the conservation of Surreys am-
phibians and reptiles and their habitats. A dedicated team of volunteers (John Tomp-
kins, Jane Took and Brian Austin) carry toads and other amphibians across the road
every spring. However, due to physical conflict between drivers and the toad war-
dens, in 2002 Surrey County Council installed a toad tunnel. The tunnel has perma-
nent ACO fencing, which is a rigid curved concrete polymer material that prevents
amphibians climbing over the top, along half of the crossing on The Forest side. Tem-
porary fencing with pitfall traps along 1000m of the road verge and tunnel entrance at
golf club side is maintained and monitored each spring during toad migration. Am-
phibians moving along this fence drop into the pitfall traps, which are buckets buried
in the ground.
Do toads and other amphibians use the tunnel? This is a question that often gets asked when installing mitiga-
tion like this. The solution was to film the tunnel during both the day and especially at night when amphibians
would be more active.
SARG approached Louise Taylor and Neil Jarvis of the Surrey Dormouse Group (SDG) who had successfully
filmed wild dormice using dormouse nest boxes with a night vision camera. Funding was provided by Natural
England, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and Rick Anstis (SARG), and both training, equipment loan and
set-up was given by Louise and Neil. The Drift Golf Club kindly allowed batteries to be charged for filming at
the club house.
Other aims of this filming were:
Which amphibian species used the tunnel
Time of usage over 24hr period for different amphibian species
Identify interesting behaviour exhibited by amphibians
Compare toad warden counts from pitfall traps with tunnel usage
Compare weather datasets for each amphibian species
Identify other species using the tunnel
Educational / promotional film for SARG website, exhibitions and presentations
Assess equipment capability and determine areas of improvement
Toads crossing road Steve Langham
Toad tunnel with tem-
porary fencing SARG
ACO fencing SARG

Local & Regional
Spring
On 1
st
February 2009 (with snow on the ground!), the camera was fixed to the tunnel entrance on the golf
course side of the road with the rest of the equipment, including a car battery in an ammunition box, being
secured to a tree. SARG volunteers (Gareth Matthes, Julia and Ralph Wycherley, Jamel Guenioui, Kevin
Morgan and Danial Winchester) carried out the battery charging, changing data cards and analysing the sub-
sequent film clips on a rota (every 2-3 days). All results were entered onto a spreadsheet and the filming was
undertaken until late March.
Toad wardens undertook their annual amphibian collections from the pit-
fall traps and submitted their data to SARG as a comparison with those
amphibians filmed using the tunnel. Other animal species were filmed
using the tunnel including shrews, voles, rats and mice. But the real sur-
prise was that the camera had captured a thrush foraging and either a
stoat or a weasel running through the tunnel!
What about the amphibians?
Only 22 toads, 1 frog and 1 smooth newt were filmed using the tunnel.
This compared with 252 toads, 132 frogs, 280 smooth newts and 59 great
crested newts recorded from the pitfall traps and fence line. Results from
pitfall trap at tunnel entrance (golf club side) and fence-line pitfall traps in
2004 showed that 24 toads, 11 frogs, 19 great crested newts and 5 smooth
newts had used the tunnel, whilst 161 toads, 69 frogs, 45 great crested
newts and 85 smooth newts had been collected from the fence-line pitfall
traps.
Other conclusions found were:
Most amphibian activity in the tunnel was recorded in the morning and the afternoon, less often in the
evening
Behaviour toads appear to be using the tunnel not just for migration, but also to seek mates and possi-
bly rest and shelter. (Unfortunately, there was no time to compare weather datasets.)
Difficult to assess how well the tunnel functions when toad wardens pitfall trap the fence
Equipment was assessed and SARG has now obtained its own equipment for future use
Overall this project was fascinating and would be worth repeating. I would like to thank all the dedicated
volunteers who were involved in this project, plus Jim Foster (Natural England), John Baker (Amphibian and
Reptile Conservation) and Rick Anstis (SARG) for funding, Steve Langham (SARG), Louise Taylor and Neil
Jarvis (SDG) for technical support/equipment and The Drift Golf Club for allowing us to charge our batteries
in their club house.
For more information on this project, toad crossings or amphibian/reptile surveys please contact;
Danial Winchester (SARG Amphibian Officer) danial@surrey-arg.org.uk
Surrey Amphibian and Reptile Group website www.surrey-arg.org.uk
Surrey Dormouse Group website www.surreydormousegroup.co.uk
Camera in toad tunnel SARG

Local & Regional
Spring
New project to create series of ponds for West Sussex wildlife completed

An ambitious 7,000 project has been completed this week that has cre-
ated a network of ponds in West Sussex to provide habitat for wildlife in
the county.
The pond conservation scheme by the Environment Agencys West Sus-
sex Fisheries, Recreation and Biodiversity team will significantly improve
local habitats for wildlife including birds, invertebrates, amphibians and
plant life. Work on the project began early this year and involved the
creation of six ponds - three in Pagham Harbour near Chichester and
three in Bersted Brooks near Bognor Regis.
A critical element of the project is that these new ponds will have clean
water. This is important because most countryside ponds are now badly damaged by pollution, and evidence
shows that pond wildlife is declining across the UK. Making clean new ponds is one of the simplest and most
effective ways to protect freshwater wildlife.
Other key features of the project include the creation of reed bed habitat and the ponds will also be used in the
future by local schools to further an educational understanding of the outdoor environment.
The scheme was completed in partnership with West Sussex County
Council and Arun District Council, and is part of the Million Ponds Pro-
ject that aims to create a network of new ponds across the UK. Ulti-
mately the aim is to reverse a century of pond loss, ensuring that once
again the UK has over one million countryside ponds.
Phase 1 of the Million Ponds Project runs from 2008 to 2012 and aims to
create the first 5,000 clean water ponds in England and Wales. Around a
quarter of the ponds will be targeted to support some of the 80 or so
pond species that are national priority for conservation action under the
UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).
Gareth Williams, Fisheries, Recreation and Biodiversity Technical Offi-
cer, said: Creating clean new ponds is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect freshwater wild-
life and attract new species.
These new ponds can quickly establish themselves to become excep-
tionally rich habitats in supporting important species of birds, plants,
insects and animals across West Sussex.
The United Nations has declared 2010 as the International Year of Bio-
diversity. Throughout this year countless initiatives will be organized
to disseminate information, promote the protection of biodiversity and
encourage organizations, institutions, companies and individuals to
take direct action to reduce the constant loss of biological diversity
worldwide. Other Environment Agencys projects that will contribute
to the international year of biodiversity and provide new and enhanced
habitat for wildlife in the county include:
Gareth Williams
Gareth Williams
Environment Agency
Fish passage improvements and restoration of 300m of the Woodsmill stream near Henfield. The
project is due to begin this summer and will be delivered in partnership with Sussex Wildlife Trust and
Natural England.
In August, work on Knepp Estate river restoration will begin to revitalise 2.2km of the River Adur
and improve passage for fish.
Throughout the year several fish passage improvement projects on Environment Agency structures
will open up tens of kilometres of habitat in West Sussex waterways for fish and eels.
Gareth Williams, Environment Agency
Hampshire House Sparrow Survey
On Monday 15 March the Hampshire House Sparrow Sur-
vey was launched. This countywide campaign led by
Hampshire County Council aims to encourage Hampshire
residents to look out for signs of a once common garden
bird now in serious decline.
House Sparrow numbers have fallen dramatically to less
than half of those recorded only 25 years ago. Reasons in-
clude changing farming practices and modern house
building methods, which have resulted in fewer nesting
and feeding sites. Running till the end of June, the cam-
paign asks Hampshire residents to record when and
where they see House Sparrows, including any signs of
breeding and nest locations. The data received is then man-
aged by the Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre and its partners.
Because House Sparrows are very versatile and are found in urban, suburban and rural areas alike, everyone
is able to take part in the survey. Wildlife expert and television presenter Chris Packham, who is also Presi-
dent of the Hampshire Ornithological Society, said: The House Sparrow is a great British bird, it would be terrible
if we did nothing to stop its disappearance. RSPB South East add: For many people House Sparrows are the most fa-
miliar of birds, bringing nature into city centres and other man-made places. For years we took them for granted and it is
only now that the population is in such serious decline that we realise what a shame it would be to lose them.
Hampshire sparrow watchers enter their sightings online where there is also plenty of advice and tips on tak-
ing part, as well as how to encourage sparrows and other birds to visit your outdoor space. Hampshire
County Council libraries, country parks and information points also supply and collect survey forms for resi-
dents without access to the internet. Everyone who submits a record stands the chance to receive a House
Sparrow Hotel a specially designed bird box that supports several sparrow families, as they prefer to nest
colonially.
The Hampshire House Sparrow Survey is part of Hampshire Bird Festival and the worldwide celebrations for
International Year of Biodiversity. For further information visit: www.hants.gov.uk/housesparrow
Helen Boulden, Ecology Group
Dave Friel

Local & Regional
Spring

Local & Regional
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Highland Biodiversity Action Plan. 20010-13.

A new plan to help wildlife was launched on Saturday 13 March at the 5
th
Highland Biodiversity Forum (HBF)
in Inverness. The Highland Biodiversity Action Plan (HBAP) was drawn up by Highland Council on behalf of
the Highland Biodiversity Partnership, which is made up of over 30 organisations that have a keen interest in
the Highlands biodiversity.
The Partnerships chairperson Cllr Audrey Sinclair said The Plan lists the key issues that have been brought to
our attention since the Partnership started in 2005, states what we have done to address them, and proposes a
range of future actions or projects that wed like to undertake in the next three years.
The Highland Biodiversity Action Plan The first one; a little bit different
In 2006 consultants were employed to draft a Highland
Biodiversity Action Plan that looked at the key strategic
issues affecting biodiversity in Highland. The reason this
approach was adopted is because Highland is big, as in a
third of Scotland and nearly half the coastline, and it has
lots of UKBAP species and habitats, about 300 and over 50
respectively, with many of them having their biggest
populations or largest extent here.
Ten key issues were identified, the first three being the
main blockages to local action.
1. Biological Recording System
2. Capacity of Local Groups
3. Invasive Non-Native Species
4. Lack of Awareness
5. Roads; Selection and development of sites.
6. Soil Biodiversity
7. Marine Issues
8. Local Incentive Schemes
9. Sources of Native Plants, especially Wildflowers
10. Wild Harvesting
Reviewing these issues in 2009 all but one had been addressed. Three were progressing well, six were moving
forward slowly. This was heartening news as they were big issues and perhaps the HBP had bitten off more
than it could chew and would struggle to deliver action on any on them let alone 9 of the 10.
Of the three most important issues Invasive Non-native species and the Capacity of Local Groups starting to be
addressed and there are projects underway. Biological Recording Systems has had lots of local work under-
taken but they could not progress due to the fundamental issues around this being national and their need to be
addressed at this level. Hopefully these will be addressed this year through the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy

Local & Regional
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Science Group report on this issue. We await that with interest.
The other issue that is a green lighter is action on lack of awareness. This is constantly ongoing, through both
small and large projects, national and local there is lots of capacity to deliver such action. But having said
this, the message is still inconsistent and is it creating a critical mass of understanding leading to action?
The remaining five amber lighters are; roads and development, soil biodiversity, marine issues, local incen-
tive schemes and wildflowers. It is hoped that projects to address two of these issues will begin by the end of
2010. Along with biological recording we are hopeful that a network of wildlflower nurseries will be devel-
oped in Highland with a new nursery being started in Inverness along the lines of BTCVs Jupiter Nursery
based in Grangemouth, Central Scotland; and yes before you think it is out of this world! The remaining four
issues are dependant on national or international progress, something we have very little influence on.
Conclusion.
Progress has been made where there was opportunity, rather than deal with the really difficult issues where
progress would be slow/ non-existent. This is the pragmatic approach but is it the right one? Even the green
light actions are only starting to address issues but they havent resolved them, should be we disheartened by
this? Also large-scale/ habitat-scale actions are beyond the HBPs influence (and budget) but are not being
delivered on (yet?) nationally, what can we do to facilitate this?
The HBAP 2010-13.
This new Plan proposes 24 new projects, each with simple, measurable targets and an identifiable lead part-
ner. We hope to report on similar positive progress at the end of this plan and maybe some more answers
than questions.
The Plan can be viewed by visiting www.highlandbiodiversity.com and clicking on the Highland Biodiver-
sity Partnership tab. Paper copies are available from Biodiversity Officers Jonathan Willet and Janet Brom-
ham, tel 01463 702274 e-mail janet.bromham@highland.gov.uk or jonathan.willet@highland.gov.uk

Jonathan Willet.
Highland Biodiversity officer (job-share)

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Environment Agency project to aid eel passage over agency structures

The European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) was once the most common fish in freshwaters throughout its range, in
the warm and temperate zones around the world which extend from North Africa to the far reaches of
Northern Europe. Eels are unusual in that they start life in the ocean then grow in freshwater, before migrat-
ing back to the sea to spawn. Over the past 30 years, the number of eels coming up into our rivers has de-
clined, by up to 99% in some areas.
From the spawning grounds, eel larvae drift on ocean currents for up to
two and a half years before reaching our estuaries, at which time they
are known as elvers (see picture below). Many elvers then migrate up-
river and grow to adulthood in freshwater, and on reaching maturity
head downriver, aiming for the spawning ground thought to be in the
Sargasso Sea
The decline in numbers of eels has been attributed to many factors, in-
cluding overfishing, disease, climate change and pollution, as well as
freshwater habitat loss and barriers to migration caused by structures
that man has put into rivers. These structures (e.g. mills, weirs and
sluices) both prevent elvers and small eels migrating upstream and
spreading throughout catchments to grow, and may cause a build up of
eels below the barrier, increasing predation and slowing growth. When
undertaking the downstream spawning migration they can be severely
damaged by hydro-electrical turbines, as much as 13% of fish being dam-
aged at each dam! We can help to reduce these problems for eels by in-
stalling screens at intakes for turbines, and by installing eel friendly
passes at upstream barriers.
The Fisheries, Recreation and Biodiversity (FRB) team in Solent and South
Downs have been working closely with our Operations Delivery team to
fit eel passes on our biggest barriers to eel migration. So far nine passes
have been fitted in Sussex and many more are planned next year in time
for the annual migration between March and September.
The pass at Hardham weir on the
Rother is the first to have a monitoring station in West Sussex and
uses a unique design. Dave Gilbert and John Scutt from operations
delivery and Gareth Williams from FRB developed a drain pipe de-
sign that would not interfere with gauging at Hardham weir but one
which allows monitoring from a trap at the top. 340 elvers and a few
large eels have been recorded using our pass last year and it is hoped
that this will increase in 2010. The information gathered at this station
will contribute to the eel management plan for the south east, and di-
rect further work on this catchment. We are currently working with
landowners to find sites with eel racks so we can start to monitoring
silver eel escapement. Silver eels is the name given to large eels that
have grown large enough to travel to the Sargasso sea to spawn,
when they are ready their colour turns silver and they start making their way down the catchment to the sea,
the aim is to monitor how many silver eels make it to the sea to start their journey to the spawning areas.
Glass eel on elver pass Sally Chadwick
Eel at Agency Weir attempting to
travel upstream, with no luck!!
Gareth Williams
Taking the pass at Hardham to pieces.
Mark Bennet

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Forever Meadows
Forever Meadows is a partnership project, led by Lancashire Wildlife Trust and the Merseyside Environ-
mental Advisory Service. The project focus is to gain long-term management agreements with landowners of
grassland Local Wildlife Sites (BHS/SBI) in South Lancashire and North Merseyside, thereby securing posi-
tive management of these sites beyond the lifetime of the project (2009-2011). A major element of the project
is to coordinate a capital works programme, which implements key management requirements identified
during initial site surveys. Agreed outcomes for the project are to gain 30
management agreements and to survey 52 Local Wildlife grassland sites.
The project is funded by SITA Trust (175,000).
Manor Farm BHS
1. Existing fence of Manor Farm BHS; the fence does not meet specifica-
tions of a stock-proof fence, capable of containing horses and ponies. For-
ever Meadows capital works programme has been able to secure the fu-
ture positive management of this site through funding stock-proof fenc-
ing and a gate (which increases flexibility of the grazing regime). A key
criterion of the management agreement for this BHS is the upkeep of
capital works items.
Yarrow Valley BHS
2. Red Poll cattle graze haylage from a restored species -rich meadow
on Charnocks Farm (location of Yarrow Valley BHS).These tradi-
tional breed Red Poll cattle graze species-rich pasture in Yarrow Val-
ley BHS on the banks of the River Yarrow. The introduction of Red
Poll cattle by the current occupiers of the site has been effective in
controlling Himalayan Balsam. The Forever Meadows capital works
programme is able to secure the long-term positive management of
Yarrow Valley BHS through purchase of cattle-handling equipment.
This small investment enables the occupiers to sustain a small breed-
ing herd of Red Poll cattle; without this investment the herd is not
viable and would have to be disbanded. Dorset Poll sheep on Char-
nocks Farm do not effectively graze this damp BHS pasture.
The project area spans urban fringe
and rural landscapes, the species rich grasslands included within the project
therefore experience diverse pressures. Within rural West Lancashire and
Chorley (South Lancashire) loss of species-rich grassland has occurred pre-
dominately due to changes in agricultural practice; invasion of non-native spe-
cies (Himalayan Balsam in particular) is also an increasing problem. Within the
urban fringe areas of St Helens and Knowsley (North Merseyside) species-rich
grassland has been lost to development, conversion to woodland (through
natural succession and inappropriate woodland planting), and invasion of non-
native species (Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed). A number of the
Local Wildlife Site grasslands included within the project are local authority
owned and accessed by the public. Public access places additional pressure on
semi-natural grassland sites such as increased nutrient inputs, and constraints
on management options. The Forever Meadows project supports the Wildlife
Trusts vision for a Living Landscape in which semi-natural habitats are sup-
ported within a sustainable rural economy and an adaptive urban environ-
ment.

Gemma Worswick, Forever Meadows Project Officer
Burnet Moths Stephen Jolly
Red Poll cattle Gemma Worswick
New fence Gemma Worswick

Local & Regional
Spring
Dunbartonshire Honey bee campaign

As the winter slips into early spring, beekeepers in the Clyde area are now beginning to count the cost of this
particularly cold hard winter. Many colonies despite the continuous cold in December, January and Febru-
ary survived - but in a weakened state, some with dangerously low population levels. Night after night of
hard frost in March has been taking its toll on many of these weakened survivors and at present colony losses
are running at between at around 40-50%. A few beekeepers have already lost all of their colonies.
The good news is that the loss is not as catastrophic as
predicted. As a result of a Honey bee sugar donation
campaign led by Eric McArthur, local beekeeper and con-
sultant with the Clyde Area Beekeepers Association and
Gillian Telfer, Biodiversity Officer with East and West
Dunbartonshire Councils, bee breeders in Dunbarton-
shire are beginning to feed the bees with donated sugar.
Around 400 kilograms have been donated so far, with
more donations expected before the present Dunbarton-
shire Sugar Project ends in late April. These surviving
colonies will be fed using the gifted sugar combined with
the beekeepers normal sugar feeding input during the
spring and early summer to boost hive population levels
to encourage the bees to develop to swarming strength.
The stimulated swarms will be used to supply bees to
beekeepers who have lost bees in the past winter.
Despite the considerable winter losses beekeepers are optimistic that with a reasonable summer, the steady
sugar feeding will result in more bees being encouraged to gather pollen and this will stimulate an increase
in egg laying by the queen bee. This will allow the beekeepers to rear new young queen bees and make more
colonies. The best case scenario could result in the present surviving colony numbers being trebled.

The hope is that despite the present campaign ending in April, local residents will again rally to the aid of
the bees if necessary if another crisis occurs in future years, says Eric. Given two reasonable summers back
to back the Bee Breeders Group is confident that by late summer 2011 the honey bee population in the East
and West Dunbartonshire could be well on the way to recovery, especially if the wild Varroa tolerant colo-
nies have survived the severe winter just past. The mood is optimistic and the Breeding Group is raring to go
to make the best use of the coming summer to the benefit of our critically important West of Scotland honey
bee population, whatever the weather.
According to Eric, The need for the support of the community to help sustain and increase the honey bee
population of Scotland is because Government has no funding for beekeepers in the way of financial support
to arrest the present honey bee colony decline. The East and West Dunbartonshire Councils in supporting
this present action to Save the Honey Bee have performed a remarkable act, which could stimulate other
councils in Scotland to follow suit and hopefully stimulate a Scotland wide honey bee revival movement.
Overall, this project has been a great success says Gillian, Biodiversity Officer. We have added the Honey
bee to our new Dunbartonshire Biodiversity Action Plan which will be launched this Spring, and are hopeful
that the overwhelming support from the local community will be sustained.
Gillian Telfer, Biodiversity Officer, Greenspace
Gillian Telfer

Local & Regional
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The diverse nature of Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales

From a declining aquatic plant to a rare grass, Amgueddfa Cymru National
Museum Wales recent botanical biodiversity surveys across its eight sites un-
covered a total of 456 different vascular plant species including 92 alien varie-
ties.
In response to the legislation introduced in October 2006 that requires all public
authorities in England and Wales to consider its biodiversity while carrying out
its daily functions, scientists from Amgueddfa Cymru conducted biodiversity
audits at each of its sites. The locations examined were National Museum Car-
diff; St Fagans: National History Museum; National Roman Legion Museum,
Caerleon; Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon; National Wool Museum,
Dre-fach Felindre; National Slate Museum, Llanberis; the National Waterfront
Museum, Swansea; and the Collections Centre Nantgarw.
Research demonstrated the ornamental ponds at St Fagans: National History
Museum are one of the very few remaining Welsh sites for opposite-leaved
pondweed (Groenlandia densa) a declining aquatic plant - where it is actually
abundant. An uncommon plant northern yellowcress (Rorippa islandica) which
has been spreading rapidly in South Wales during the last decade was found in small quantity on damp
waste ground at Nantgarw and a rare form of Fern grass (Catapodium rigidum var. majus), which has been
persistent despite herbicide treatment was discovered on the cobbles outside National Museum Cardiff.
The purpose of our Biodiversity Duty Surveys was to collect information on
which species are present at each of our sites, so that our biodiversity can be
maintained and enhanced, said Dr Tim Rich, Head of Vascular Plants, Am-
gueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales who led on this initiative.
The overall variety of plants was quite surprising. Our richest sites are St
Fagans where there are extensive gardens and woodland, and Big Pit, which
has coal tips and moorland as well as buildings and grassland.
A number of alien plants varied at each site, the highest proportion being at
St Fagans, where many of the species had naturalised from gardens.
These interesting plant species will be monitored and cared for. Surveys of
other groups are also being carried out. If you would like copies of the re-
ports please contact Tim Rich (tim.rich@museumwales.ac.uk).
Amgueddfa Cymru is part of the world-wide celebrations of 2010 as the In-
ternational Year of Biodiversity. The diversity of life on earth is crucial for
human well-being and now is the time to act to preserve it. For information
on events, initiatives and exhibitions across the UK visit
www.biodiversityislife.net
Entry to each of Amgueddfa Cymrus sites is free, thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.
For further information please contact Catrin Mears, Communications Officer, Amgueddfa Cymru National
Museum Wales on 029 2057 3185 or email catrin.mears@museumwales.ac.uk.
T. Rich/National Museum
Wales
T. Rich/National Museum Wales

Local & Regional
Spring
Bringing Back the Small Blue Butterfly to Warwickshire

The Small Blue Butterfly is one of the rarest butterflies in the West Midlands Re-
gion, only three colonies survive. It is extinct in Shropshire, Staffordshire, Here-
fordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands County. In Warwickshire where
it only just survives it has declined by 87%.
Only 3 colonies remain all found in the
Southam area (Butterfly Conservation West
Midlands Regional Action Plan, J. Joy & M.
Williams 2008). The Warwickshire Branch of
Butterfly Conservation has surveyed all known, extinct and potential
sites both for the Small Blue butterfly and its larval foodplant Kidney
Vetch during the last 5 years. This information has been used to for-
mulate a recovery plan (Butterfly and Moth Action Plan M Slater
2006). This plan is annually updated (Butterfly Conservation War-
wickshire Branch Conservation updates for Priority Butterflies 2009
(in prep.)
In 2008 CEMEX funded scrub clearance work in a former Small
Blue site at Stockton Cutting/Works. Following this, a much
larger scale project Bringing Back the Small Blue involving
habitat restoration work on 18 sites has been funded by SITA
Trust. In June 2009, this project was officially launched at
Southam quarry one of the key remaining Small Blue colony
sites. During the launch visitors to this active quarry site were
treated to splendid views of not only the Small Blue and its
sole caterpillar foodplant Kidney Vetch. The visitors were
shown how Kidney Vetch prospers in the frequently disturbed
area such as the safety banks which are constructed all around
the site.
A Small Blue Action Group involving site owners, local com-
munity volunteers and conservation groups and organizations
has been established. The Action Group will coordinate active
management research and monitoring at over 20 former and
potential Small Blue sites.
At 9 sites there will be extensive clearance of scrub that has
invaded and smothered the rare lime rich grasslands. At a
minimum of 7 sites specially designed butterfly banks and
scrapes will be constructed. Importantly for the long term
survival of the Small Blue, many of these butterfly banks
and scrapes will be trial in their design. These trials are to
determine what is the most effective and cost efficient way
to establish Kidney Vetch plants at sites and the eventual
colonization of the Small Blue ( Kidney Vetch is a perennial
plant that appears to need disturbed soils to establish new
plants and a range of conditions to persist. It is a plant that
can disappear rapidly in times of stress, drought, over graz-
ing or under completion from more vigorous plants).

Keith Warmington
Martin Warren (left) Butterfly Conservations
Chief Executive officially launches Bringing Back
the Small Blue Keith Warmington
Butterfly Bank Keith Warmington
Keith Warmington

Local & Regional
Spring

The Small Blue is Britains smallest butterfly which
will usually fly and live less than 100m from where
they first emerged as adults. However, on rare oc-
casions individual butterflies have been known to
travel 1km from breeding sites. Part of this project
will examine how close reinstated sites have to be
to existing colonies to allow natural colonization to
take place. To help local biodiversity and maintain
local genetic purity, Kidney Vetch seed has been
collected locally either to scatter on exposed soils or
to grow on for later planting. Eventually over 8,500
kidney Vetch plants will be planted in a minimum
of 12 sites. The Warwickshire Branch of Butterfly
Conservation will continue to monitor all of these
sites post project and will continue the work to es-
tablish Kidney Vetch plants at further sites within
the core area around Southam.

Mike Slater is Butterfly Conservations Bringing Back the Small Blue Project Officer. Mikes main roles are to
co-ordinate the habitat restoration work, and then establishing Kidney Vetch and the Small Blue at these re-
stored sites. Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire has set ambitious targets for the recovery of the Small Blue
in the county (but these targets are not strictly for the funded project). By 2012 it is hoped the number of
Small Blue colonies will have been increased from 3 to 7. To build on this success, the aim is also to have at
least 15 sites where there are a minimum of 50 flowering Kidney Vetch plants. The presence of the Small
Blues foodplants on a larger number of sites in the core area will then encourage further colonizations to oc-
cur. For the longer term benefits, the Project Officer and Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire will be work-
ing with site owners and Natural England to build Small Blue land management into stewardship agree-
ments. This work will also benefit a range of other rare butterflies and moths.

Acknowledgements:
To SITA Trust for funding Bringing Back the Small Blue and to Cemex for taking such a key role in this pro-
ject. Additional funding for this project has been provided by Network Rail, Stockton Parish Council and
Stratford Local Strategic Partnership. Keith Warmington of the Warwickshire Branch of Butterfly Conserva-
tion provided the photographs for this article.
Scrape in an area cleared of scrub Keith Warmington

Local & Regional
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Teamwork to get rare Cornish butterfly back on track

The Grizzled Skipper is not an old salty sea captain, but a UKBAP Priority Species of butterfly (Pyrgus mal-
vae) with only two known colonies in Cornwall. Numbers have dropped drastically in recent years, with an
estimated national decline of 64% over 25 years. To help reverse this trend in Cornwall, a partnership be-
tween BTCV, Network Rail, Butterfly Conservation and Natural England is creating new habitat along a dis-
used railway line.
The two Cornish colonies are
quite widely separated: a North-
ern coastal strip between Pen-
hale Dunes and Perran Sands,
and St Dennis Junction, a dis-
used railway junction in the
heart of Mid Cornwall next to
the Newquay to Par branch line
and Goss Moor National Nature
Reserve.
The colony at St Dennis Junction
was first discovered in the mid
1990s. Nobody knows how
long it has been there or why it
is so far inland from the other
colony, but it has been specu-
lated that the species hitched a
ride on a train from the coast in
the days when the steam railway
line was operational.
Here, local extinction of the butterfly is threatened by encroaching scrub which can shade out Wild Straw-
berry (Fragaria vesca) one of the butterfly larvas favourite food plants. So beginning in February, volunteers
from BTCV, the Cornwall branch of Butterfly Conservation, and Natural England picked up tools to clear
scrub so that wild strawberries can thrive along the old railway line - the main breeding area for the Grizzled
Skipper.
The work was organised by Paul Browning, Treasurer of the Cornwall Branch of Butterfly Conservation with
permission from Network Rail and in conjunction with BTCV and Natural England. According to Tom
David of BTCV: It is great for our volunteers to get involved with habitat management for nationally im-
portant species and it links well with other rare butterfly management work that we undertake in Cornwall.
Locally, it is good to be building new partnerships with national companies like Network Rail.
St Dennis Junction is very close to another disused railway line crossing the National Nature Reserve which
is now part of a multi-use trail for local communities. The habitat along the trail is very similar and it is
hoped that in time, the butterfly will expand its range throughout the railway junction and along the trail.

Contact: Tom David, BTCV, T.david@btcv.org.uk

Jim Asher

Local & Regional
Spring
Herefordshire Woodpecker Conservation Project
Background
Orchards have recently become a priority Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) habitat which means that they have
been noted for their invaluable biodiversity interest and that they are subject to decline if not managed sensi-
tively. Herefordshire as a county holds the most orchards / highest density in the UK. As a result, we have also
listed orchards as a local priority habitat and it has been afforded a habitat action plan within the Herefordshire
Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP).
Lesser spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos minor
The Lesser spotted woodpecker has suffered an alarming popula-
tion decline in the UK over recent years and this has been reflected
in the Herefordshire population. It is listed as a UK biodiversity pri-
ority species and also an RSPB Red list species (Red is the highest
conservation priority, with species needing urgent action).
The Lesser spotted woodpecker is the smallest of the three British
species of woodpecker and is barely larger than the house sparrow.
It is a resident breeder and can be located during the breeding sea-
son in the higher part of the tree canopy through its call and drum-
ming, rather than with the eye. It creeps along branches and flutters
between trees with an undulating flight. They can live up to 6 years
old.
Great spotted woodpeckers Dendrocopos major
Great spotted woodpeckers are the most numerous of the wood-
pecker species within Herefordshire and are proving in recent
years to be adapting well to utilising garden bird feeders, therefore
making them in optimum condition for the spring breeding season.
There have been studies which show that the Great spotted woodpecker is a very opportunistic feeder and will
resort to predation of other birds such as tits, house martins, and other young woodpeckers to ensure their own
families are well fed. The Great spotted woodpecker is found in many habitats across the county including in-
ner city parks, conifer plantations, all sorts of woodland types (Preference for oak and hornbeam), orchards,
and on bird tables in urban and rural gardens. The Great spotted woodpecker is a thrush sized bird and has
very striking black and white markings and the adult males have a distinctive red patch at the back of the head
whilst juveniles have a red crown. It has a very loud call and has a very unique drumming display in the
spring. They live to a recorded maximum age of 10 years old.
Green woodpecker Picus viridis
This species is the largest of the three woodpeckers (pigeon sized). It is a chunky bird with pale grey under-
parts and bright green upper-parts. It also has a red crown and large bill which is weaker than that of the Lesser
and Great spotted woodpeckers. The Green woodpecker is often seen feeding around anthills on grasslands
where it uses its extraordinarily long tongue (it is so long it has to be curled around the skull and is armed with
barbs at the end which is used for extracting ants). This woodpecker is associated with woodlands (they have a
particularly strong association with oaks), parks, orchards and farmland and it is not unusual to see them on
higher altitude heathland. The Green woodpecker has a very distinctive undulating flight and their call sounds
like a laughing yaffle. Unlike its cousins, the Green woodpecker rarely drums. The maximum recorded age is
15 years old.
Lesser spotted woodpecker Jon Robinson

Local & Regional
Spring
The Green woodpecker is amber listed (see Lesser spotted wood-
pecker) as it is a Species of Conservation Concern in a European con-
text and is not a UK BAP priority species although records suggest that
populations are fairly stable across the country (British Trust for Orni-
thology (BTO)).
Project Description
We are in a fortunate position in Herefordshire whereby we have the
most orchards, and so have the potential to assist in the conservation
of the Lesser spotted woodpecker on a national scale and assist in the
slowing down of the decline of this species which is closely associated
with our orchards and historical culture.
We aim to recruit volunteers from across the county and train them in
nest locating, recording nest monitoring (as per BTO guidelines) and
habitat surveying. Volunteers will be married to sites depending on
their home location and associated to known breeding territories. On
top of this data collated by volunteers, the project aims to collect extra
data such as breeding and feeding habitats, landscape features, or-
chard tree varieties utilised as well as other incidental sightings, such
as presence of other associated bird species e.g. spotted flycatcher, tree
sparrow and willow tit. We aim that the data collected will be ana-
lysed and from these results, we should be able to determine optimum habitats utilised by Lesser and Green
woodpeckers for both feeding and breeding. In response to that, appropriate habitat management guidance
can be produced for orchard, parkland and woodland owners and managers and anyone else who feels that
they may contribute to the conservation of these two species.
By feeding data into Herefordshire Biological Records Centre (HBRC), this will help the conservation commu-
nity gain a further understanding of where the three species occur in the county and in what abundance. As
well as feeding into the local records centre database, the data will contribute to the national nest box scheme
run by BTO that currently provides a national overview on the health and status of bird populations within
the UK.
Another strand to the project is to create a greater awareness of woodpeckers including the ecological and be-
havioural needs of the three species within the county, the plight of Lesser spotted and Green woodpeckers to
the public as well as to orchard owners and other appropriate land managers and to encourage sightings re-
cords to be submitted to the project which will eventually feed into HBRC.
The final strand to the project is to study the interactions between the three woodpecker species and to deter-
mine whether predation is occurring by the Great spotted woodpecker on Green and Lesser spotted wood-
peckers and on what scale as well as examining their complex ecological niches, breeding behaviour and
breeding success of woodpeckers at known breeding sites within the county.
Co-operation on this project has been phenomenal with Westons Cider and Bulmers (Heineken) in full sup-
port, Herefordshire Council, Herefordshire Nature Trust, Natural England, Forestry Commission, National
Trust, Herefordshire Ornithological Club, HBRC and the BTO.
If you would like to know more about the project or to get involved, please contact Nicky Davies
(Herefordshire Biodiversity Partnership Co-ordinator) on (01432) 383026 or via email at woodpeck-
ers@herefordshire.gov.uk
Green woodpecker Simon Stirrup

UKBAP Update
Spring
News from BRIG
The thermals are boxed, the electric blankets off and the scarves at least are loosened Spring has finally ar-
rived and brought with it change on all fronts, with the UKBAP included. The first of these for BAP has come
with the updating of its own, and closely-associated, electronic resources. The website is back up to date and
displaying new features, which if not as dramatic as the recent rollout of the rebranded JNCC site will hope-
fully make the site more user-friendly. Comments and suggestions are welcome!
Included in these updates are two new ways to access BAP resources. Habitat Management on the Web is a search
engine powered by Google, designed for people who want to find out how best to manage habitats in the UK
for biodiversity and conservation. It uses the familiar Google interface, but only searches web pages which have
been pre-selected to reach to the most useful management sources available online. It is not exhaustive, but it
should make the process of finding reliable management advice easier.
Similarly, the priority species account pages provide quick access to a collation of information from various
sources for each of the 1150 BAP-priority species. All the information has already been published online, al-
though in different places, and these pages bring these data together into a single report for each species. These
should allow faster and easier access and use of the available evidence in decision-making, by collecting it in
one place.
The Biodiversity Reporting and Information Group (BRIG) met in February, focusing on plans for UKBAP in
2010 and after, as well as reporting and integration with other UK-level efforts, such as the National Ecosystem
Assessment. The role and responsibilities of the new UK Habitat Groups were further clarified, and the next
stages of improving and building on the current web-based systems brought forward. The definitions of some
of the newer UKBAP habitats have been updated or are close to doing so, ready for reviewing and the new
round of BAP targets being developed by the country agencies. Finally, the next meeting of the UK Biodiver-
sity Partnership Standing Committee is coming up in May.
Also, a date for your diarythe 2010 UK Biodiversity Partnership Conference will take place in Stirling on 23-
24 November, focussed on responding to the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity due to take place in Nagoya, Japan, in October.
Linda Birkin, JNCC
In Conserving Biodiversity the UK approach, the Biodiversity Partnership set out our approach to conserving bio-
diversity within the UKs devolved framework. The implementation of conservation action for the UKs prior-
ity species and habitats is now led at country level in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland through
the country biodiversity groups and statutory agencies in those countries.
Each country is now prioritising conservation action for priority species and habitats and will be identifying
lead partners to help work up targets and plan for delivery. Where a species occurs in 2, 3 or all countries of
the UK, the relevant countries will liaise to decide whether they want a joint lead partner and, if so, who the
lead partner should be. It is the intention to involve lead partners fully in this process and countries are due to
be in touch with lead partners over the coming months regarding future arrangements.
Habitat-based groups are now up and running in all four countries, and will be sending representatives to UK
groups to share best practice in habitat management for species, and agree how best to aggregate targets at UK
level. We are very grateful for the support that many of you are already providing to the country-based groups.
This arrangement offers an excellent structure for securing the wildlife gains we all seek in the future. The se-
cretariat would like to thank all lead partners for their hard work over the years delivering the UKBAP.

Publications
Spring
CIWEM Briefing Report on Multi-functional Urban Green Infrastructure

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management
(CIWEM) is a registered charity and the leading professional body for
environmental professionals. CIWEM believes that green infrastructure
can help to provide sustainable regenerative solutions for the urban chal-
lenges we face now and into the future and has produced a briefing re-
port to aid policy makers and practitioners on the subject. The report
discusses the drivers and barriers to increasing green infrastructure pro-
vision in our towns and cities with a full review of current UK policy and
practice.
The briefing report is freely available to download from http://
www.ciwem.org/resources

Biodiversity projects also benefit the local economy and the community.

The partnership between the SITA Trust and Natural Economy Northwest focussed on developing and pro-
moting the local economic and community benefits of biodiversity projects. These case studies show that
biodiversity projects make business sense in contributing to sustainable development through very tangible
benefits. This work will be of interest to those applying for future SITA Trust funding as it provides a process
for identifying wider socio-economic benefits which, in turn, can help create dialogue for matched funding
with other organisations.

The Contribution of Biodiversity Projects to the economy, the environment and the community see http://
www.naturaleconomynorthwest.co.uk/resources+reports.php

Events
Spring
Flora locale with the Grazing Advice Partnership
Training Programme 2010
The Flora locale training programme is created for people involved in the design, management
and restoration of landscapes for biodiversity, whether on a farm, smallholding, nature reserve,
village green or city park. Each event is led by an individual with practical experience and pro-
vides an informal opportunity for participants to learn from an expert and each other. For further
details of individual events see www.floralocale.org.
Bat Training Courses
18th to 21st May 2010, Bat Ecology, Surveying Techniques & Survey Guidelines
7th to 9th Sept 2010, Bat Echolocation, Detectors & Sound Analysis Software
NTS Threave Estate
Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland
2010 Course Application Pack

These events will offer a range of key learning opportunities for delegates wishing to gain a greater under-
standing of bats and related studies. Our presenters are all very experienced in delivering bat related training
and these events are sure to be both educational and enjoyable.

Please contact Nikki Murray for more information
Tel: 0870 234 0002 Email: nikki.murray@echoesecology.co.uk Website : www.echoesecology. co.uk

Bristol Bioblitz at Blaise castle estate

A FREE and FUN biodiversity event for the whole family!
Announcing the 2nd Annual Bristol BioBlitz! Bristols BioBlitz, a 30-hour race against the clock to find as
many species of wildlife as possible, is back in Bristol again this year on Friday, May 21
st
and Saturday, May
22
nd
at Blaise Castle Estate. The BNHC will be running the survey for 30 hours, (9am Friday until 3pm Satur-
day) but the event will be open to the public from 3pm 9pm on the Friday and 9am 3pm on the Satur-
day. The event is free and open to adults and children of all ages. Come out and do a bat walk or some moth
trapping, just a few of the many activities to be enjoyed, and help us beat last year's tally of 637 unique spe-
cies found in Ashton Court Estate!
For more information please visit: http://www.bristolbioblitz.org/ or contact Lauren Moore at 01179 304926
or by email at lauren@bhnc.org.uk

Events
Spring
Join the 24-hour dash to record National Park wildlife

Worm charming, seashore safaris, a bat hunt and dawn chorus discovery are all part of the New Forest Na-
tional Park bioblitz to record as many kind of wildlife as possible in 24 hours.
The free events on Friday 21 May to Saturday 22 May celebrate the start of the International Year of Biodi-
versity and aim to get as many people as possible involved.
Experts from the Natural History Museum, Hampshire County Council, Forestry Commission, the Hamp-
shire Wildlife Trust and the National Park Authoritys own tree officer, ecologist and bird expert will be
among the specialists helping people of all ages to discover the Parks wide variety of plants, fungi and ani-
mals.
The data will then be used to inform the National Park Authoritys work on how best to look after the New
Forest wildlife.
The marathon wildlife bonanza kicks off at school-only event at Burley Primary School at 3pm on Friday 21
May with mini beast hunts and tree surveying.
This is followed by a host of public events - a night-time bat/moth walk, a dawn chorus discovery the follow-
ing morning, a bug hunt at Bolderwood and a wealth of activities at Lepe Country Park, culminating in a
grand finale at 4pm when the total number of wildlife species recorded is announced.
Booking is essential for the bat hunt and dawn chorus walk but everyone is welcome to turn up to the
Bolderwood and Lepe events.
Event details are on the Bioblitz blog, which will be updated live during the 24-hour event at: http://
bioblitzthepark.blogspot.com.
Ian Barker, the New Forest National Park Authoritys Ecologist, said: The New Forest National Park has a
higher concentration of sites of national or international importance for nature conservation than any other
English national park. We have 61 square miles of heathland a habitat which is rarer globally than rainfor-
est - and around 700 species of wildflowers are said to grow in here
nearly a third of the total found in Britain.
These are just a few of the reasons why were Bioblitzing the Park
there is such an abundance of wildlife here and there are still large
gaps in our knowledge. Wed like everyone to join us to discover
more.
People unable to attend the events themselves can follow the discover-
ies live from the bioblitz blog: http://bioblitzthepark.blogspot.com.

For more information Contact:
Hilary Makin,
Tel: 01590 646608 Email: hilary.makin@newforestnpa.gov.uk

Events
Spring
The Festival of Nature returns to Bristols harbourside this year,
on the weekend of the 12th and 13th June.
The Festival of Nature is the UKs largest celebration of the natural world, and this years event will give everyone a
chance to experience, enjoy and connect to the natural world and all completely free-of-charge. The festival will host
dozens of exciting hands-on activities, arts and performance, screenings, talks from well known conservationists, and a
few surprises that will be announced in the weeks before the festival. Following the success of last years inaugural
schools day, it is hoped that over 1,000 school children will attend on the Friday event this year.
Further highlights will include:
Workshops and stands from over 150 South West and national organisations involved in nature and conservation
Boat tours to highlight the harboursides diverse wildlife
A Green market selling a large selection of locally-produced food, drink and eco friendly goods
This years Festival of Nature is set to be bigger and better than ever so why not go along and discover all that that it has
to offer!
More information is available from the Festival of Nature website
9
th
International Junior Ranger Camp Mendip Hills 24
th
-31
st
July 2010

The EUROPARC Federation is the umbrella organisation for
protected areas across Europe and promotes Junior Ranger pro-
gramme. As part of the International Year of Biodiversity EU-
ROPARCs theme for this years Junior Ranger camp is Biodi-
versity.
The Mendip Hills AONB, situated approx 12 miles south of
Bristol, has a diverse range of habitats with local, national and
international importance for wildlife.
40 Junior Rangers will gather from protected areas across
Europe on the Mendip Hills to participate in an exciting pro-
gramme of activities that will let them experience what the area
has to offer and to understanding what makes the area so
unique.
Linked to the key purpose of AONB designation - to conserve and enhance the AONB the camp is about in-
spiring and connecting Europes future countryside custodians. The camp provides the opportunity for Jun-
ior Rangers to share their views with others across Europe: views of the landscapes they are connected with
and also views of the future of these precious landscapes.
The camp will provide a range of experiences including sustainable living, outdoor activities, cultural visits
and evening social events. The camp is located on a working farm on the plateau for the first part of the week
then moves to Goblin Combe Environment Centre in a woodland near the AONB.
For further information: www.europarc.org or email mendiphills@somerset.gov.uk
Andy Mallender

Events
Spring
Future Landscape EcologyialeUK 2010 conference

13-16 September 2010 at Brighton & Hove
Website: www.iale.org.uk

The International Association for Landscape Ecology warmly invites you to our 17th Annual UK Meeting.
We aim to bring together scientists from the many fields in landscape ecology (marine, freshwater and terres-
trial) with policy makers, planners and practitioners interested in developing future landscapes that function
for both biodiversity and people.

The thematic sessions have now been finalised:
1. Species responses to landscapes.
2. Assessing vulnerability and resilience.
3. Future scenarios.
4. Landscape-scale adaptation.
5. Landscape management in action.

There will also be an open topic session.

Three workshops will be run, on GIS Innovations, on Challenges to Sussex Landscapes and on Integrating
National Policy. In addition there will be two field trips to view and discuss landscape-scale restoration pro-
jects: The Knepp Estate (river restoration) and Friston Forest & Cuckmere Haven (naturalistic grazing and
coastal realignment). The venue is Brighton University, at the foot of the South Downs where a new National
Park is being established as part of the wider south-east ecological network.

General Enquiries: conference2010@iale.org.uk

Events
Spring
Hill End Field Study Centre
Invertebrate Identification Workshops 2010

The workshops are aimed at enthusiastic, adult beginners and will provide a basic introduction to the identifi-
cation of the different invertebrate groups. Microscopes will be used where appropriate, but experience in mi-
croscope use is NOT ESSENTIAL. Equipment will be supplied but, if possible, please bring a hand lens.
Each day will run from 9:30am 3:30 pm (apart from the Flies Workshop see above) and will be a combina-
tion of classroom/lab work and fieldwork at Hill End.
Please bring your own packed lunch - coffee and tea are provided.

Sunday June 13th Introduction to Beetles 9:30am 3:30pm
Cost 25.00 Tutor: Darren Mann (Oxford University Museum of Natural History)

Sunday July 11th Moths 9:30am 3:30pm.
Cost 25.00 Tutor: Martin Harvey (Berkshire County Moth Recorder)

Sunday Sept. 26th Snails & Slugs 9:30am 3:30pm.
Cost 25.00 Tutor: Steve Gregory (Northmoor Trust)

Please note this workshop will occur over 2 consecutive Sundays. Bookings can only be taken for both of the
dates. It is not possible for participants to attend on just one of the dates. Also earlier start and later finish. The
fee covers both dates. Maximum of 12 participants.
For further information or to make a booking please contact Lawrence Bee at:
Hill End Field Study Centre, Eynsham Road, Farmoor, Oxford OX2 9NJ
Tel: 01865 863510 Email: lawrence.bee@oxfordshire.gov.uk

J im Haywood

Runners Up Photos
Spring
Helen Roy
Linda Moore
Dave Genney
Steven Falk
Peter Roworth
Philip Roxby
Dan Wrench
Allan Beechey
Richard Becker
Pete Holmes
Lorne Gill/SNH
Chris Smart
Sue Tatman
Jane Adams
Here are a selection of the pictures sent from the Front Cover candidates.
I will let you guess the species!

UKBAP BiodiversityNews-49

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