UKBAP BiodiversityNews-43

Biodiversity News
News - Features - UK BAP Updates - Local & Regional - Publications - Events

biodiversitynews@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Issue 43 www.ukbap.org.uk
Autumn Edition
Editorial
Welcome to Issue 43 of Biodiversity News! Im Timo and I am the new editor for the newsletter. I will start off by saying a
thank you to last years editor Tom OHanlon, who most notably revised the layout to be more colourful and easier to read.
I hope over the coming year that I can provide clear, informative issues that satisfy all of our readers. If anyone has any
suggestions of how the newsletter could be improved or things you would like to see, please feel free to e-mail me at the
address shown below.

As for new functionality, I have added a navigation bar to the bottom of each page, similar to many websites, so that you
will be able to quickly view various sections of the issue. As before you will also be able to go straight to an article by
pressing on its title here on the contents page. There have also been a few visual tweaks, one being a quarterly colour
scheme to represent the current season, but for the most part this issue is the same in structure to the previous one.

In this issue we have reports from both the 2008 LBAP and Biodiversity Partnership conferences as well as features on
Swifts and Coastal vegetated shingle, a UK BAP update from Ant Maddock, local & regional news, the results of a study
done regarding the grey partridge and much more.

Many thanks to the authors for their contributions to this issue. If anyone is interested in having an article published in
Biodiversity News, please contact me on biodiversitynews@defra.gsi.gov.uk

In this issue...
News

2008 LBAP ConferenceCambridge 3
Near extinct species rediscovered 4
Proof that polar warming is caused by humans 5
UK Biodiversity Partnership Conference 2008 6

Features

Swifts - Urban birds facing a bleak future 7
Coastal Vegetated Shingle a scarce habitat 8
Do One Thing for Biodiversity 9
CIWEM Living Wetlands Award 10

UK BAP Updates

The 2008 Reporting Round 11
UK BAP Species and Habitat Review 11
Conclusion 11

2
Local & Regional

Fermanaghs wildlife heroes 12
Nathusius Pipistrelle sighting in Weymouth 13
Shooting and Conservation, a match made in Cheshire 14
LangholmOne year on 16
Big trouble for three species in the north 17

Publications

Launch of Bird Study could allay extinction fears 18

Events

Emergency response and planning for flooding 20
Wild plants for Biodiversity enhancement 20
Marine PolicyThe Other Agenda 20

Please note that the views expressed
in Biodiversity News are the views of
the contributors and do not neces-
sarily reflect the views of the UK
Biodiversity Partnership or the or-
ganisations they represent.
Regards,
Timo King
UK Biodiversity Policy Unit, Defra, Zone 1/07, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN
biodiversitynews@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Cover photograph: A Grey Partridge Peter Thompson
Contents - News - Features - UK BAP Updates - Local & Regional - Publications - Events
Autumn

News
3 Contents - News - Features - UK BAP Updates - Local & Regional - Publications - Events
2008 Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) Conference, Cambridge
The 2008 LBAP Conference, hosted by Defra, Natural England and Plantlife
International, was held 15-17 July 2008 at St Johns College, Cambridge.
This superb venue welcomed nearly 200 people for three days of interesting
discussion and information exchange.
Networking between all the delegates was enjoyed throughout the confer-
ence, both during the more formal aspects of workshops and lectures, as
well as in the social events such as punting and an evening guided walk
through Cambridge.
The Conference opened with an Exchange Fair which gave the opportunity to
delegates to discuss projects and biodiversity work with 30 exhibitors, in-
cluding 8 environmental funders. Presentations from Dr Helen Phillips
(Natural England) and Martin Brasher (Defra) thanked LBAP partnerships for all their hard work and encouraged them to
even greater gains for wildlife. An inspirational presentation from Professor Jules Pretty (University of Essex) helped to
launch the conference.
In total, 33 different speakers (a number of whom were delegates including 7 LBAP Coordinators), gave presentations on
a range of topics including ecosystem services, implications for habitats and species on landscape-scale approaches, re-
introduction of species, and on links between business and biodiversity. Workshops with different HAP Group represen-
tatives explored issues around HAP reporting and progress, and one session looked at the links between the EBS work-
streams and LBAPS. Site visits to Woodwalton Fen NNR (within the Great Fen Project area) and to Wicken Fen NNR (part
of the National Trusts The Wicken Vision) concluded the conference.
Many thanks to all speakers, chairs, exhibitors, workshop leaders, guides,
quiz masters, punters, croquet players and delegates for participating in a
very interesting and enjoyable conference!
Donna Radley
(Conference project officer
Donna.radley@plantlife.org.uk)

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Above: Punting Donna Radley
Above: Networking outside the conference lecture
theatre Donna Radley

News
Near-extinct species rediscovered because weve had a wet couple of months!
We might all be forgiven for being glad to see the back of the wet and miserable weather of late. However, it seems the
recent downpours have provided ideal conditions for the re-emergence of near-extinct Tadpole Shrimps on the Wildfowl
& Wetlands Trusts Caerlaverock reserve in Scotland.
The Tadpole Shrimp (Triops cancriformis) is a living fossil, thought to be the oldest living creature on the planet. Resem-
bling a small Horsehoe Crab, it has been recorded at least 220 million years ago in the Triassic period, even before dino-
saurs roamed the earth. The species was first discovered in south west Scotland in 1907 just west of Caerlaverock on
Preston Merse in Kirkcudbrightshire. However, it was thought to have become extinct when the ponds were lost to the
sea in 1948.
Currently found only in a single pool in the New Forest, Tadpole Shrimps were first discovered at WWT Caerlaverock four
years ago, again, after a particularly wet August. Back then, in late summer 2004, WWT researcher Dr Larry Griffin found
a colony in a small pool on the saltmarsh of the reserve while carrying out a late survey for Natterjack Toads.
So after enduring the relentless downpours of the past few weeks, Dr Griffin set out on a hunch that, with 2008s late
summer weather mirroring that of 2004, he might have another exciting find. Dr Griffin said: We have had up to three
times the average rainfall over August, so the ponds that dried out in early summer killing the fish and other inverte-
brates will have been drenched, flushing away the salt water to make the ponds much fresher.
This will have created ideal conditions for the re-emergence of species such as the Tadpole Shrimp, like it did in 2004,
so when I went down to the same pool here at Caerlaverock as I found them four years ago, I was very excited to see
them there again.
Dr Griffin continued: This latest find shows that theres one good thing to come out of a dire weather. Just as the Swal-
low heralds the start of spring, this creature from the past shows us weve come to the end of a wet and miserable sum-
mer!
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Above: Tadpole Shrimp Richard Taylor-Jones

News
Conclusive proof that polar warming is being caused by humans

New research by the University of East Anglia (UEA) has demonstrated for the first time that human activity is responsi-
ble for significant warming in both polar regions.

The findings by a team of scientists led by UEAs Climatic Research Unit were published online by the Nature Geo-
science in october.

Previous studies have observed rises in both Arctic and Antarctic temperatures over recent decades but have not for-
mally attributed the changes to human influence due to poor observation data and large natural variability. Moreover,
the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had concluded that Antarctica was the only continent where human-
induced temperature changes had yet to be detected.

Now, a newly updated data-set of land surface temperatures and simulations from four new climate models show that
temperature rises in both polar regions are not consistent with natural climate variability alone and are directly attribut-
able to human influence.

The results demonstrate that human activity has already caused significant warming, with impacts on polar biology, in-
digenous communities, ice-sheet mass balance and global sea level.

This is an important work indeed, said Dr Alexey Karpechko of UEAs Climatic Research Unit.

Arctic warming has previously been emphasized in several publications, although not formally attributed to human ac-
tivity. However in Antarctica, such detection was so far precluded by insufficient data available. Moreover circulation
changes caused by stratospheric ozone depletion opposed warming over most of Antarctica and made the detection even
more difficult.

Since the ozone layer is expected to recover in the future we may expect amplifying Antarctic warming in the coming
years.

Attribution of polar warming to human influence by Nathan Gillett (UEA/Environment Canada), Phil Jones (UEA),
Alexey Karpechko (UEA), Daithi Stone (University of Oxford/Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research), Peter Scott
(Met Office Hadley Centre), Toru Nozawa (National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan), Gabriele Hegerl
(University of Edinburgh), and Michael Wehner (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California) was published by Na-
ture Geoscience on Thursday October 30.
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News
The UK Biodiversity Partnership Conference 2008

2008s UK Biodiversity Partnership Conference was held in Aberyst-
wyth, Wales on 10-11
th
September. Held annually since 2003, these
conferences are hosted by each of the four countries of the UK on a
rotational basis with the aim of bringing together the biodiversity com-
munity to build the partnership by celebrating achievements, informing
delegates of developments within the partnership and stimulating in-
terest in a particular area. Plenary sessions, workshops, a field trip
and an exchange fair ensure a varied programme with plenty of oppor-
tunities for networking. Approximately 140 participants attended the
2008 conference.
With the theme of Biodiversity as a keystone for Sustainable Develop-
ment, speakers for the plenary sessions included Jane Davidson
(Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, Welsh Assembly
Government), and Kerry ten Kate (Business & Biodiversity Offsets Pro-
gram). Other topics included an update session on the forward proc-
ess for the UK list of priority species and habitats from representatives
of each of the four countries, the Wildlife Trusts Biodiversity Bench-
mark Scheme and the Biodiversity Duty under the Natural Environment
and Rural Communities Act.
In addition to the various presentations, there was a field trip visit to
Dyfi Estuary National Nature Reserve, a site of European importance
designated under the Birds and Habitats Directives and Wales only
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Being a coastal site, climate change and
sea level rise is a particular issue for the Dyfi NNR and as such the idea
of managed retreat is being explored. This was the main focus for the
brief site visit.
Workshop sessions run by members of the UK Biodiversity Partnership ensured lively debate on a range of topics and key
points from these discussions were captured and will be placed on the UKBAP website, www.ukbap.org.uk

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Above: Jane Davidson gives the opening address at the
UK BAP Conference held at Aberystwyth University
Sean McHugh
Above: Field trip visit to Dyfi Estuary National Nature
reserve Sarah Webster

Features
Swifts - Urban birds facing a bleak future

Swifts are the visitors to the UK that create "The Sound of Summer".
Their spectacular acrobatic flight and calls can enliven the grimmest
urban landscape; their vast appetite for aphids and mosquitoes does
us lots of good.

Swifts nest in roofs, but the Building Regulations, new building de-
signs and materials all eliminate access for them. Most modern and
restored buildings cannot offer Swifts nest places, so their nest-
places are vanishing.

Swifts are protected. It is an offence to kill or harm the birds, their
eggs, and chicks. Nonetheless, Swifts and their nests are often de-
stroyed simply because they are overlooked.

As a result of all these factors the Swift population in the UK fell by
41% from 1994 to 2007, in the South East by 55%. Their fate is sealed,
unless we help them.

How can we help Swifts? When working on sites with existing colonies
don't interfere. Leave them be. Do the relevant building works out-
side the nesting season (end April to beginning August). This may re-
quire effort, but is safe for the birds and avoids conflict with the
law.

Where alterations to the nest areas are unavoidable, nests can be
replaced with cost-effective artificial nest-places, but only when the
birds are away on migration.

Creating nest-places in new buildings is easy and vital if Swifts are to
survive. They need shaded sites at least five metres from the ground.
It is advisable to seek professional advice when installing artificial
nest places, otherwise they may fail to be accepted.

Please help Swifts!

Edward Mayer

www.swift-conservation.org provides advice on helping Swifts.
Enquiries to mail@swift-conservation.org
Two young Swifts in their eaves nest Erich Kaiser
Nesting Swifts killed during warehouse demolition
Summer 2008 Bram Vogels
Left: Schwegler "Swift Brick" artificial nest place Schwegler GmbH
Right : "Swift Bricks" in a new project Edward Mayer R
Common Swifts flying over rooftops Jorge Sanz
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Features
Coastal Vegetated Shingle a scarce habitat

Coastal shingle is a UK BAP priority habitat, and Natural England is the UK
lead partner . There is an estimated 5,800 ha in the UK, most of this is in
England. One English site, Dungeness, is probably the largest example in
Europe, with over 1600ha of exposed shingle, but most sites are smaller.
Two Annex I habitats occur on shingle, and there are 9 UK sites where
these are a primary reason for SAC selection.
The current HAP targets are;
To maintain the total extent of coastal vegetated shingle throughout
the UK. This is a no net loss target to take account of the dynamic
nature of shingle.
Achieve favourable or recovering condition by appropriate manage-
ment by 2010 helping to secure populations of BAP priority species
associated with vegetated shingle.
In key locations initiate the restoration of shingle communities on
arable land over shingle deposits by 2015.

Natural England met with shingle experts, policy makers and managers in
September 2008 to share ideas about the conservation of the habitat and
to help identify issues and priorities.
This covered two key areas:
conservation management of the habitat and associated species
coastal flood risk management and shingle structures.

Discussions on habitat management included the impact of grazing, con-
trol of invasive species and the inter-relationship between shingle fea-
tures and other coastal habitats. Some grazing may help to maintain the
character of more mature shingle communities, but, on the other hand,
the BAP species Stinking hawksbeard (Crepis foetida) only thrived where rabbit grazing was excluded.
Along the east coast of England some shingle barriers are artificially profiled for flood risk management. More sustainable
management solutions that work with barrier beach processes need to be put in place. The Environment Agency and Natu-
ral England are working on these, which will allow barriers to migrate inland in response to coastal processes.
The meeting at Salthouse, North Norfolk, was coordinated by the UK Sand Dune and Shingle Network (http://
www.hope.ac.uk/coast) on behalf of Natural England. A report will be produced and further meetings are planned. For
further information contact dunes@hope.ac.uk
Participants at the Natural England Shingle Workshop at
Cley, North Norfolk, September 2008 John Houston

Yellow-horned poppy on shingle habitat at Cley-
Salthouse, North Norfolk. John Houston
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Features
Do one thing for biodiversity
Although there is no substitute for specific action to help priority species, there are things that we can all do to improve
the general state of biodiversity in the UK.
The BBC Breathing Places campaign has set its sights on improving the general prospects for wildlife where we live, learn
and work by encouraging people to Do One Thing for Nature. With encouragement and practical help from the BBC and its
partners, Breathing Places are springing up all over the UK. These Breathing Places are good for nature and good for peo-
ple.
The latest strand of the BBC campaign focuses on school grounds. Breathing Places Schools is providing six 'Do One Thing'
activities, one per term over two years, which will improve school grounds for nature and the school community. The
broad range of 'Do One Thing' activities, benefit from the generous support of dedicated partner organisations representing
all aspects of environmental education. Since its launch at the end of January 2008, over 6000 schools across the UK have
chosen to take part. A seed sowing activity in the spring term was followed by creation of minibeast corners in the sum-
mer.
Schools like St Giles on the Heath in Cornwall, a small rural primary school, were quick to see the possibilities from
Breathing Places Schools even though they were already very active in this area. Their environmental club has the objec-
tive of attracting more wildlife to their school grounds. They use the wildlife area for a range of lessons and for fun. The
kids say it all - It's good! We learn about plants and birds and how to make homes for wildlife so they can come in our
garden with us!
The Breathing Places Schools autumn/winter term activity, feeding wildlife, has just launched. Each activity can stand
alone, so it is not too late for more schools to get involved, and registration is free. Brian Reid, the RSPB Breathing Places
Project Manager, says What I love about this project is that we can make a difference for biodiversity, through the ef-
forts of children who will have fun while learning. It doesnt get much better than that.

To find out more follow the link to bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/schools
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Features
CIWEM Living Wetlands Award
CIWEM holds an established successful portfolio of Environmental Awards to celebrate the outstanding
achievements of environmental professionals raising awareness of the excellent work environmentalists
do.

The 2009 Award closes on 9
th
January 2009

The CIWEM Living Wetlands Award recognises multi-functional projects that demonstrate the sustainable use of wetland
habitats. The Award was co-founded with RSPB in 2002/3.

Entry Criteria

To be eligible for the Award, projects must:

contribute to the delivery of priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species and habitat targets for wetlands
demonstrate sustainability and delivery of multiple benefits e.g. flood alleviation, wastewater treatment, recreation,
eco-tourism, water resource security
ensure no priority BAP species or habitats are harmed by the project

In addition, it is desirable that projects:

incorporate active community involvement
contribute to increases in numbers of breeding wading birds (e.g. redshank, snipe, lapwing) and/or other threatened
wetland species
contribute to the restoration of floodplain functions
include a programme for education or promotion/dissemination of the work
constitute a new area of work for the entrant, or add value beyond the normal remit of the organisation

The prize consists of the Mance Memorial Trophy, publicity for the winning scheme, a framed certificate and a cheque for
1,500. The Award will be presented at the CIWEM World Wetlands Day Conference in February and announced at the CI-
WEM Annual Dinner in 2009.
For further details please visit http://www.ciwem.org/awards/living_wetlands/index.asp or email Jo Cooper
jcooper@ciwem.org
jcooper@ciwem.org
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UK BAP Updates
The UK BAP: latest action - Ant Maddock JNCC
Much has happened behind the UK BAP scenes since the last issue of Biodiversity News. The countries in particular appear
to have made great progress as we heard at the UK BAP conference that was held in Aberystwyth on 10
th
and 11
th
Septem-
ber 2008. From the JNCC perspective there appears to be much progress in identifying country lead delivery bodies and
integration groups who will ensure the conservation work is done. But probably the most obvious development is the
launch of the 2008 Reporting Round. In addition, there are some housekeeping issues that will be completed soon.
The 2008 Reporting Round
The fourth Reporting Round went live on BARS on Friday 29 August 2008, three days earlier than scheduled. For species
Lead Partners there is an issue that we would like to draw your attention to which is that we are reporting on the old list
of species in order to make the 2008 reporting comparable with those collected in previous years. This means that we
would like Lead Partners for species that were excluded from the new list in 2007 to also report on these species please
(there are fewer questions for these Lead Partners to answer and there is a drop down list on BARS that lists these spe-
cies).
All the LBAPs and Lead Partners have to do to fill in the 2008 report is to log on to BARS (if you have forgotten your pass-
word BARS has a facility for retrieving it), select your LBAP, species or habitat and answer the questions. If you have any
queries regarding BARS please contact either Megan Ellershaw or John Bedford at info@ukbap-reporting.org.uk. For any
other 2008 reporting round queries please contact me at ant.maddock@jncc.gov.uk or (01733 866 827). Good luck!
UK BAP Species and Habitat Review
As outlined in the last issue, there are a number of tasks involved in implementing the conservation actions for the new UK
list. These continue to be a focus for BRIG, which now deals more with the coordination activities and initiation of the
thinking requested by countries, and the country lead delivery bodies which deal with implementation and responsibility
issues. Together, largely at a country level, the countries, NGOs and other voluntary sectors take on the essential tasks of
delivery. The tasks currently underway range from setting up habitat groups and working out the responsibilities of these
groups, dealing with species requiring species-specific management, establishing bodies that are responsible for various
conservation actions, setting a means to record progress for these species and habitats and taking forward the research
actions from the signposting work.
As far as the research component is concerned, funding has been received for a contractor to separate the research ac-
tions and the one-off survey actions, based on the signposting work, into species-specific actions suitable for immediate
implementation, non-specific actions that will need further consultation before they can be implemented, and other ac-
tions that may not clearly fall into either of the former groups. The contract describing this work is ready to be sent off
and should deliver results early in the new year.
A task that is long overdue is the publishing on the UK BAP website of the definitions of the priority habitats, and the in-
formation supporting the selection of the priority species. This work has now been checked and formatted and is due to be
placed on the UK BAP website in early October 2008.
Conclusion
The UK BAP has come a long way since 1994 and has achieved many successes. However, as the old pressures on biodiver-
sity continue, new pressures appear. The UK BAP is adapting to these pressures as outlined in Conserving Biodiversity the
UK Approach . Within the UK's devolved framework there is a shared commitment to conserving biodiversity through set-
ting country priorities and finding our own answers to sustainability, providing an evidence base, taking appropriate con-
servation action, and embedding the needs of biodiversity into all sectors. Good progress is being made to set up the proc-
esses, responsibilities and actions to achieve this and we are hoping that most of this will be in place by next year.
Biodiversity Action Plan

Local & Regional
Biodiversity action is good for people too: Fermanaghs wildlife heroes.
Hare today, gone tomorrow... members of the Fermanagh Conservation Action Team take a breather before heading off
to St. Jamess Palace to receive their BTCV Green Heroes award from HRH Prince Philip. (Photo: Martin Lawson)
Can action to improve biodiversity help to improve the lives of disadvantaged people living in rural areas? The answer
appears to be Yes!, based on the experience of a group of long-term unemployed people in Northern Ireland who won
BTCVs 2008 Green Heroes Project of the Year national award.
Working in the wetlands and mountains of the Lough Erne
Basin, the Fermanagh Conservation Action Team has made a
significant contribution to the District Councils biodiversity
protection and enhancement plans since 1996. The team of
30 regular volunteers has gained enormous respect for help-
ing local wildlife and tackling the impacts of climate
change. At the same time they have shown the enormous
benefits voluntary work can bring to people living in a de-
prived rural setting with serious disadvantages such as vis-
ual impairment, heart, stroke or physical injuries, a back-
ground in care, alcoholism and drug dependency. Over the
last three years over one third of the volunteers have found
work.
Bordered on three sides by the Republic of Ireland, County
Fermanagh is known as The Lake District of Northern Ire-
land due to the size of Lough Erne, whose many islands and
associated waterways are linked by canal to the Shannon,
forming Europes longest navigable waterway. Its a beauti-
ful wild place of considerable importance for both national
and international biodiversity, but in common with other
rural areas, County Fermanagh suffers from high levels of
deprivation. Although the main town of Enniskillen is a prosperous centre for tourism, inward investment across the
county has been low, unemployment is high and the infrastructure is sparse.
The Conservation Action Teams work which is funded through their own efforts and grants from Fermanagh District
Council and the Environment and Heritage Service - includes hillside tree planting to prevent soil erosion silting and con-
taminating the lakes, rivers and underground cave systems; managing grassland areas in ASSIs and Nature Reserves
threatened by an influx of new species due to the warmer climate, such as ragwort and bog myrtle; erecting nesting
boxes for Pine Martins, surveying mountain hares and constructing riverside holts for otters.
They have also been busy raising public awareness. The Pine Martin project was coupled with educational talks and a
wildlife survey which raised the profile of this elusive animal and led to its inclusion in the local biodiversity protection
plan. A project to improve the habitat for nesting Peregrine Falcons culminated in a TV programme and linked schools
project following the life cycle of raptors nesting in Northern Irelands quarries while the teams combined Easter egg
hunt and Mountain Hare survey hill walks have proved very popular with families! They are currently highlighting the
threat of invasive zebra mussels to local fish populations.
The members of the Conservation Action Team have themselves become much more environmentally aware, growing
their own plants, recycling, composting and buying local produce. Group members have learned many new skills along
the way.
The Team go out in groups of 10-12 during the week and at weekends. On Fridays they take part in job search activities.
One young man is registered blind, with 20% vision, and has been unemployed for nearly 15 years. A few years ago he
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Members of the Fermanagh Conservation Action Team Martin Lawson

Local & Regional
won the Whitbread Young Volunteer of the Year award. There are also alcoholics and drug addicts who claim working
with the group has saved their lives, and young people from care homes, often with no educational qualifications.
Project Leader Martin Lawson says, One lad passed through the education system without any qualifications. He didnt
really fit in, but now at the age of 27 he has an NVQ in Horticulture and works part-time in a garden centre. This is a
huge achievement in his terms.
Others who suffer from severe mobility and communication problems find that being outside, working in this sociable
group, has allowed them to improve their speech and mobility at their own pace. Martin says, The range of abilities is
no bar to getting on which the group do very well I really notice the positive changes in people who have been involved
for a while. Self esteem and confidence levels really improve. We give them a structure that their lives lacked, but the
rest is up to them. Ive heard people coming from other schemes say they were told you cant do this, you cant do
that. Well, here we let them do everything, and they do!
According to Martin, A lot of the projects we work on are around major environmental tourism attractions. As industry
in the area closes down, tourism becomes ever more significant. Many of the areas nature reserves are poorly main-
tained, and the group has helped make real improvements. Having proved the groups ability to deliver a high quality
service that successfully involves the local community, it is likely that we will get continuing support from key funders.
The group is well respected and they have pride in delivering high quality projects that contribute to making people feel
good about where they live.
Contact:
Martin Lawson, Project Officer CVNI
m.lawson@btcv.org.uk
http://www.cvni.org/

Nathusius Pipistrelle found at Radipole Lake

Staff at the RSPB's Radipole Lake, in Weymouth,
are very excited over a recent finding of a rare
bat on the reserve. The Nathusius' Pipistrelle,
one of the smallest and rarest bats in the UK,
has been found on the reserve during a survey
undertaken by volunteers from the Dorset Bat Group. The
group, supported by the Bat Conservation Trust, have been
working with the RSPB to look at how bats, a very important
part of the reserve's wildlife, are using the site and, in par-
ticular, a number of newly restored ditches.
As well as the Nathusius', the survey has shown the ditches
are very popular with at least 5 or 6 other species of bat
(there are only 16 species in the whole of the UK), which are
not only using the open water to feed, catching thousands of night flying insects, but there is also a lot of so-
cial activity, suggesting the ditches are playing a role in bat courtship, a kind of 'watery social club'!
Nick Tomlinson, Site Manager for the reserves, said "This is a really exciting find. Our bat walks are very popu-
lar and we usually manage to see quite a few different species, but have never managed to find one of these
little bats. This is a new record for the reserve and only the third sighting in Dorset so is really great news."
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Above: Nathusius Pipistrelle spotted in Weymouth Brian Han-
cock / Bat Conservation Trust

Local & Regional
Nick continued "The ditches this bat is using were restored last winter, the first such work to be undertaken
on the reserve for over 20 years and the first step in a larger plan to improve the reserve for wildlife."
Nick explained "The RSPB is working very hard to improve biodiversity across all its sites, and that means we
are making sure that our nature reserves are rich in all kinds of wildlife, not just birds, but plants and insects
and, of course, bats, as well as other mammals. A good, healthy population of birds is a clear indicator that
things are going well, but that is only part of the story. To have the very best, everything has to thrive, and
that is what we are aiming for."
Further survey work since the original finding has shown that the Nathusius' is, along with several other spe-
cies, using the site regularly. Nick said "The Nathusius' pipistrelle has a strong association with water, so the
fact that it has chosen to use ditches that did not exist until this year might be seen as a seal of approval for
the work, especially as there seems to be bat activity over the ditches almost all night. We are really very
pleased and it will be really interesting to see what else the bat group finds as the survey progresses."

Shooting and Conservation, a match made in Cheshire

As a Biodiversity officer for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) one of the most com-
mon questions I get asked is how can shooting and conservation go hand in hand?

Green Shoots, the beginning

It all started in July 2000 when BASC launched the Green Shoots programme as a Biodiversity Action Plan for
the shooting community. BASC wanted to highlight the work being done by shooters and ensure that through a
co-ordinated approach shooting could contribute enormously to meeting BAP targets across the Counties.

So how does it work?

Cheshire was the first county to get a full time BASC Green Shoots officer in 2003. One of the first jobs to do
was survey members in the county asking them where they shot. It also asked them about species and habitats
they had on the area of land, all of which were found on the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) for Chesh-
ire. The results were astounding. Out of a total of nearly 800 recipients over a third (34%) returned the form,
providing valuable information on 500 parcels of land throughout the county which equated to around 27% of
Cheshire.

The survey enabled the project officer to select specific members for a project, depending on the species or
habitats relevant to the LBAP targets they were working on at the time. It also provided a very valuable re-
source to partner organisations such as the Wildlife Trust in the form of land access onto land that may have
otherwise not been accessible.

Green Shoots 2007 and beyond...

Autumn

Local & Regional
With a list of six priority species and two priority habitats identified in the Cheshire region Biodiversity Action
Plan (CrBAP) we thought the shooting community would be best suited to working with it was time to get out
into the field and make good use of the 27% of the county we could gain access through BASC Green Shoots
members.

Below is just one of the projects Green Shoots Cheshire is involved in at the moment.

Saving Ratty...

Once a common sight on Britains waterways the Water vole (Arvicola terrestris) is now Britains fastest de-
clining mammal. The two main threats to this well loved native British species are habitat loss and a rapid in-
crease in one of its main predators, the American mink (Mustela vison). Working with Richard Gardner the
Northwest Lowland Water vole project officer and Paul Corner from The Mersey Basin Campaign we have been
out surveying for this elusive creature on the River Gowy in Cheshire. With only a handful of Water vole re-
cords on the Gowy it was time to put into place a programme of mink control using the tried and tested mink
raft (originally designed by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust GWCT)..

With help from Chester Zoo to buy materials to build the mink rafts we now have 10 rafts in operation on the
River Gowy. Through this ambitious partnership weve been able to educate BASC members, and other inter-
ested parties, on how to efficiently use the mink rafts to trap mink. Not only this but by educating BASC mem-
bers and other landowners about Water vole ecology and good habitat management we hope we can start to
see the return of Water voles to the River Gowy.

Green shoots Cheshire: The future

Green Shoots Cheshire has already achieved biodiversity targets and will continue to do so as long as the pro-
ject continues to forge partnerships between BASC members and the conservation bodies operating in Chesh-
ire. Biodiversity thrives where it is important to people. Those people involved in countryside sports generally
have empathy with the countryside and its wildlife which can be turned into active assistance. Therefore,
with the help and direction of a Green Shoots officer in the biodiversity process, the shooting community can
make even more headway towards meeting LBAP targets in Cheshire.

For further information on BASCs Green Shoots project in Cheshire contact Ben Gregory Tel: 01244 573 024
email: Ben.Gregory@basc.org.uk
Autumn

Local & Regional
Langholm One Year On
The Langholm Moor Demonstration Project is one year old and has
started making improvements to a moor that has lain virtually dormant
in respect of management for red grouse for 10 years.
Formerly one of Scotlands most successful driven grouse moors, Langholm became synonymous with hen harrier research
during the 1990s when the moor hosted the Joint Raptor Study. The Langholm Moor Demonstration Project is taking for-
ward the management of the moor so that driven grouse shooting can be re-instated whilst at the same time allowing hen
harriers to build-up to internationally important numbers.
With funding from Scottish Natural Heritage, Buccleuch Estates, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Natural England
and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Project is unique in bringing together a partnership committed to
resolving the apparent conflict between birds of prey and grouse. The five organisations will work to find practical solu-
tions so that hen harrier and grouse can co-exist.
Key achievements to date are:
4 Gamekeepers, 1 Head Gamekeeper and a Project Manager have been employed
Scientific team established to monitor changes on the moor
Heather burning re-commenced in March and April 2008
2 pairs of hen harriers successfully reared a total of 9 chicks the best breeding success for 5 years
Both hen harrier breeding pairs were given carrion (dead rats and day-old chicks) in order to reduce their preda-
tion on grouse
Legal control of crows, foxes and stoats is now routine

Regular surveys of grouse and other birds have been established
Speaking of the progress, Chairman of the Board overseeing the Project, Professor Colin Galbraith said, It was a huge
achievement to bring the Project together and with the gamekeepers on the ground, action has certainly started to show
results. Scientific monitoring has shown a marked reduction in numbers of foxes and crows. Intensive watching of hen
harrier nests recorded no grouse chicks being brought into the nests although there were 3 items out of 106 that could
not be identified.
With good sized grouse broods being seen early in the summer, everyone was optimistic about prospects for 2008. De-
spite spring numbers being higher, 87 birds were found on the traditional count areas in July, down from 111 in 2007.
The average number of young per hen was 2.86, which whilst being markedly higher than the 5-year average of 1.96 was
probably reduced significantly by the sustained wet weather during June, July and August.
Head Gamekeeper, Simon Lester said, With such a huge backlog of burning, we have been planning for the start of the
new burning season. We recently held an introductory briefing for around 35 people including local farmers, some of the
retained fire crew from Langholm and a good number of enthusiastic students from the University of Cumbria. With good
kit and plenty of people, all we need now is the weather.
Speaking of the overall progress, Project Manager Graeme Dalby highlighted, The first year of any project is always going
to present challenges. The gamekeepers were in place just in time to make a difference this year. Hopefully, we will get
good weather this winter, with plenty of chances for burning. The moor seems to be a hive of activity and everyone is
eager to hear about progress.
Autumn

Local & Regional
Seabird breeding season reveals big trouble for three species in the North

Analysis of this year's seabird breeding data on RSPB's coastal reserves shows that kittiwakes, Arctic terns and
Arctic skuas have had a terrible season, with virtually no chicks reared to fledging in the far north of the
UK. Changes in food supply, which may be linked to climate change, could threaten the future of these species in the
UK.

With seabirds a good indicator of the health of the overall marine environment, RSPB Scotland is calling on the Scottish
Government to ensure that it puts the environment at the heart of the forthcoming Scottish Marine Bill in the light of
such worrying declines, to ensure that it makes a real difference for our marine wildlife. Scotland is internationally im-
portant for seabirds, hosting over 3 million or 45% of EU breeding populations.

Earlier this year RSPB issued a grave prognosis for the breeding season, with many of the country's internationally impor-
tant colonies left with nests abandoned and empty cliffs which should have been teeming with tens of thousands of sea-
birds at the time.

Now the data and colony counts from RSPB Reserves have been analysed the results confirm that many species in the
north have again suffered major collapses in breeding success. Worryingly, the evidence again suggests that repeated
annual breeding failures are now substantially reducing populations of those species worst affected, with some cliffs that
used to support huge colonies experiencing steep population declines in recent years.

Kittiwake
This year kittiwakes have been hit very hard, particularly on Orkney. At RSPB's Copinsay reserve, a count of the whole
colony found only 1881 pairs, a 57% decline on 1999 figures, and at North Hill they have declined by 89% in the same pe-
riod, with just 14 pairs counted this year. On the Scottish mainland colony at Mull of Galloway, too, the situation for
Kittiwakes is bleak, with a 50% reduction in the population since 2005 to just 65 pairs this year.

Arctic skua
The graceful Arctic skua, a bird on the southern edge of its world range in Scotland, is faring no better. RSPB reserves on
Shetland and Orkney have seen a 30% decline in nesting pairs in just one year to 65 pairs. Crucially though, these pairs
produced a dismal 3 chicks in total to the fledging stage. In ecological terms, this is equivalent to virtually no breeding
success this year.

Arctic Tern
Arctic Terns have also been hit hard, and are now showing evidence of long term serious decline on reserves in the North-
ern Isles. On Orkney and Shetland, with just over 1000 nests across Mousa, North Hill and Copinsay abandoned early in
the season, these colonies failed to produce any young. Reports from areas away from RSPB reserves suggest that virtu-
ally no young Arctic terns were fledged this year from Orkney or Shetland.

Some other seabird species appear to be weathering the storm. Great skuas, gannets and cormorants have experienced
modest increases in their numbers, while herring gulls have remained stable.

Recent reports of significant declines in plankton biomass point to major changes happening to the foundations of ocean
ecosystems in the Atlantic which could well be affecting our seabirds.

Although direct evidence is still lacking, increased winter sea surface temperatures disrupting the food chain are thought
to be driving the declines. Temperatures tend to be higher in the northern North Sea in winter than further South. Such
changes may be reducing the survival of sandeel larvae, ultimately reducing the abundance of this staple prey item for
seabirds in the Northern Isles and chronically undermining their breeding success.

Douglas Gilbert, an ecologist with RSPB Scotland, said:
"RSPB Reserves are acting as an indicator of the wider fortunes of seabirds around our coasts. The outlook for some spe-
cies such as Arctic skua, kittiwake and Arctic tern is dire, and there are problems with other species like guillemots and
puffins in some areas too. Unless conditions change to allow these birds the chance of successful breeding, the long-term
future for them is bleak. The evidence that this is linked to changes in sea surface temperatures is now growing.
Autumn

Publications
Launch of internationally acclaimed bird study could allay extinction fears

The launch of ground-breaking new guidelines by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, which have been applauded by
the Sustainable Use Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), could mean that one of
our most seriously threatened farmland birds is once again a common feature of the British countryside.
Since the advent of modern, intensive farming, particularly the introduction of herbicides and insecticides, which remove
the insects that young chicks depend on when they first hatch, wild grey partridges have fared badly. Suffering a massive
80% decline in the last 40 years, grey partridges, together with many other farmland birds, have become part of a long
list of casualties, and worse, the once familiar grey partridge is now locally extinct in many areas of the country.
But leading wildlife research charity, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust has, over the past 40 years, identified the
reasons behind the decline and devised many effective techniques for reversing this decline.
The final link in this mammoth research effort to save this iconic species was unveiled at the CLA Game Fair at Blenheim
Palace on Friday 25
th
July. Scientists from the Trust hope that their cutting-edge re-establishment recommendations,
based on three-years of scientific research, will help to restore the bird in many areas of the country where it has be-
come locally extinct.
Dr Nick Sotherton, Director of Research with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) explains, These re-
establishment guidelines are the culmination of three-years of intensive research and are the final piece in the puzzle to
manage their recovery. With increasing urgency to deliver the Governments Biodiversity Action Plan target for grey par-
tridges, we can now show how to put them back where they have disappeared. But this is no easy fix. To re-establish a
wild population based on these guidelines depends on a lot of hard work together with a big investment in time.
These new guidelines are in-line with internationally accepted procedures for re-introductions produced by the Interna-
tional Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Prof. Robert Kenward, Chair for Europe of the Sustainable Use Specialist
Group (Europe) of IUCN-SSC said, I was greatly impressed by the GWCT re-establishment guidelines. By combining an
enormous volume of research into straightforward guidelines for the grey partridge, the GWCT has set a precedent in
simplification for others to follow. We badly need such condensations of information to encourage effective restoration
of species that have often been lost unwittingly. Otherwise, we shall not merely lose opportunities to restore species but
also continue to lose biodiversity.
The guidelines are based on the research carried out by the Trust to investigate the best methods of re-establishing grey
partridges through releasing in areas where they have either, almost or entirely disappeared and where a suitable envi-
ronment has been restored.
The main points of this research are:

Research was carried out on 26 sites, which were split between East Anglia and southern England, and followed
the fates and breeding success of 2,023 released grey partridges, of which 131 were radio-tagged (at one site
per region).
Researchers compared five different releasing techniques (bantam-reared and artificially-reared fostered juve-
niles, unfostered juveniles, family groups released in late autumn, and pairs released in spring).
Autumn

Publications
For the first six months after release, the survival of fostered birds was highest (20%) with no differences found
between bantam-reared and artificially-reared juveniles, followed by autumn coveys (10%), spring pairs (9%)
and unfostered juveniles (7%).
For birds that managed to survive the first six months, the re-sighting rate after the next six months was much
higher (36%), giving evidence of their adaptation to the wild.
Of the birds that survived to the breeding season, on average 89% remained within 1.5 kilometres of the re-
lease site, indicating good site fidelity.
The breeding success of released birds that survived until autumn averaged 49% for fostered birds, 31% for au-
tumn coveys, 24% Brood sizes of released birds did not differ from those produced by wild birds in the same
areas in autumn.
Breeding success in southern England was roughly half what it was in East Anglia, probably because of less in-
tensive predator management.

Dr Francis Bruner, who led this important research said, There are now huge tracts of our countryside that no longer
hold grey partridges, but despite being a notoriously difficult bird to re-establish, our guidelines show the art of the pos-
sible. Re-establishing a wild population, where they are no longer present is certainly not for the faint-hearted, but once
the right habitats have been created and feeding and predator control are being maintained, we feel confident that
many farmers and landowners will be able to have wild partridges on their land again. This will be a fantastic achieve-
ment and the Trust will continue to offer advice and support to those undertaking this challenge.

The Trust is grateful to Roxton Field Sports for sponsoring the guidelines, and The Duke of Westminster Research Fellow-
ship and the Payne-Gallwey Charitable Trust as well as owners and keepers who helped during fieldwork.

For copies of the new guidelines for re-establishing grey partridges, please contact Lynda Ferguson, the Game & Wildlife
Conservation Trust on 01425 651013 or email: lferguson@gct.org.uk
Autumn
Above: A Grey Partridge Peter Thompson

Events
A CIWEM and CMS Conference
Emergency Response and Planning for Flooding: Embedding the Lessons
04th December 2008 SOAS, London

The aim of this conference is to explore and test how well the lessons from the summer floods of 2007 are being applied to
emergency response and planning. The conference will look at the change and measures required in both action planning
and National Flood Framework to embed the lessons into routine delivery.

Conference fee: 160 excluding VAT: concessionary rates available
For Contact details contact: Bob Earll, SMS, Candle Cottage, Kempley, Glos. GL18 2BU
Phone / Fax 01531 890415; bob.earll@coastms.co.uk
Or www.coastms.co.ukconference programme

New development and Urban GreenspaceWild plants for biodiversity enhancement

A Flora Locale Technical Seminar by Flora Locale and Penny Anderson Associates
13th NovemberStafford Gatehouse Theatre, Eastgate street, Stafford, ST16 2LT
9.30am Coffee and Registration
10am - 4pm Technical Seminar

Presented by Penny Anderson, introduced by Donald MaciIntyre, Proprietor of Emorsgate Seeds and a Director of
Flora locale

Seminar Fee: 110 including lunch, 85 consessions
To book your place at this seminar go to www.floralocale.org

Marine Policythe Other Agenda

Marine Objectives, The Planning Bill, Impact Assessment, Devolved Issues, European Marine Strategy Framework Directive
Conference November 12th 2008, London
The Aim of this conference will be to explore a wide range of recent policy developments including:

BOOK NOW There are still places. You can book or pay by credit card over the phone, BACSs, cheque etc; we issue invoices
and receipts. Please email or fax the booking form to bob.earll@coastms.co.uk or 01531 890415. You can book and pay
online with a credit card at www.coastms.co.uk

Please send in any dates of courses, meetings, conferences, events for young people or any other dates of relevance
Autumn
Marine Objectives Impact Assessment
The Planning Bill Wider Policy Development on Devolved Issues
The European Marine Strategy Framework European and International Issues

UKBAP BiodiversityNews-43

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