Cumbrian Wildlife 95 by Lucy Graahm

January 2013 No. 95 www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk

Urban adapters: Cumbria's wildlife heads to town

Wildlife on the edge of town:Thacka Beck Nature Reserve Why we should all be concerned for Cumbriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s juniper

From the Chairman

Contents

Anne Powell

Cumbrian Wildlife

The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Board of Trustees.

n Why not play our Win for Wildlife lottery? n Give as you Live n Members’ conference: book your place now! n AGM update n Help out our feathered friends this winter n Morecambe Bay secures Nature Improvement Area status and funding n Local Nature Partnership granted n Eycott Hill’s future hangs in the balance: Can you help? n Thank you for celebrating with us! n Rebounding reds: Cumbria’s red squirrels have a helping hand

Editor: Lucy Graham Tel: 01539 816300 Email: lucyg@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk Magazine design: Fluid Design Studio Tel: 08456 12 80 12 Email: info@fluiddesignstudio.com Unless otherwise credited, all photographs are copyright Cumbria Wildlife Trust

Cover photo:The common blue butterfly was taken at Barrow Island dockland by Scott Heddles and won the Barrow’s Wildside photo competition in 2012. Photo: Scott Heddles.

p Thacka Beck Nature Reserve, on the edge of Penrith, is both a haven for wildlife and a flood storage reservoir

Get in touch

Striking the right balance between human needs and those of wildlife can be difficult, particularly in towns and cities. Our urban environment, which on the surface may seem inhospitable to wildlife, harbours suitable habitats for some species, including peregrine falcons and otters.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust

Peregrines are nesting on a Nottingham Trent University building, presumably finding the ledges there similar to naturally occurring craggy outcrops. These vantage points provide views of their prey, which includes pigeons (numerous in Nottingham as in many cities, and easier to catch than the more wily prey of the countryside). Our friends at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust have extended our understanding of these raptors by installing webcams that follow the nesting birds’ every move. They’ve reported over half a million hits on their website this year from people in 99 different countries; these tough urban falcons are helping to promote wildlife and educate a new audience!

Trust Officers

As I wrote earlier this year, we have a similar urban success story with otters. They were near extinction in Cumbria but are now present in many of our rivers, even prospering near and within towns. Regular urban sightings right across the county from Carlisle to Kendal indicate that we are all now more likely to see this elegant mammal.

In Cumbria we are doing some of this already: Thacka Beck Nature Reserve, near Penrith, is managed by the Trust Water in the wrong place has been and is both a habitat for wildlife that much in the news in recent months. can be experienced by visitors and a Flash flooding after heavy rain can occur flood storage reservoir, slowing the when areas of vegetation have been flow of water through replaced by concrete, tarmac and other the town to prevent impermeable materials. A consultation flooding in Penrith. closed in March seeking views on If the flood storage Defra’s proposals to implement various reservoir wasn’t there, measures called collectively ‘SuDs’ the wildlife wouldn’t (sustainable urban drainage systems, be either. Anne Powell or, because not all are strictly urban, ‘sustainable drainage systems’) in all new and redeveloped sites in England under the Flood and Water management Act of 2010. SuDs aim to slow down runoff through collection, storage and cleaning

President Lord Inglewood Vice Presidents Margaret Albon Kathleen Atkinson Pippa Bonner Mary Burkett Helga Frankland Geoffrey Halliday David Hill Duncan Jeffray Susan Johnson

January 2013

of water before it’s released into the environment. Adoption of SuDs will mean more ponds, reedbeds and other wetland habitats as well as green roofs and permeable pavements – and more wildlife!

Board of Trustees Chairman Anne Powell Treasurer John Farmer Company Secretary Robert Sykes

Chairman of Conservation Group Martin Holdgate Chairman of Development Group Judith Wallen

Individual Members Jane Carson Robin Cornah John Handley Mike Langley Barbara O’Connor David Sharrod

News

10 In memoriam

Head Office: Plumgarths, Crook Road, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 8LX T 01539 816300 F 01539 816301

10 Your views

Gosling Sike Farm: Houghton Road, Houghton, Carlisle CA3 0LD T 01228 829570 F 01228 598799

n Urban adaptors: Cumbria’s wildlife heads to town n Wildlife on the edge…of town: Thacka Beck Nature Reserve n Green fingers for wildlife n Otters in the city n Head out and spot Carlisle’s wildlife

E mail@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk W www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk Registered in England as Cumbria Wildlife Trust Limited, a Company Limited by Guarantee No. 724133. Registered Charity No. 218711.

Let us know your email address We are always looking for better ways to contact you and if you would like us to get in touch by email, please do send us your email address. You can either email it to us at mail@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk or call and we’ll note it down. You will still receive your regular magazine mailing through the post.

11 Urban adaptors

19 Living Landscapes n News from our nature reserves n We can tackle peat erosion n Juniper surveys reveal all is not well: latest news from the Uplands for Juniper project

23 Living Seas n The time is now. Make your voice heard… and help secure Marine Conservation Zones n Great expectations!

25 Wildlife Watch 26 Corporate membership 27 Natural World

www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk

News

Why not play our Win for Wildlife lottery? Enter and be in with a chance to win £500 AND all proceeds go directly to helping Cumbria’s wildlife. At £2 per entry, it’s great value. In eight years our lottery has raised £91,023 towards our work. With your help now we could do even more. It’s easy to start playing - simply complete the enclosed form or head to ‘Support Us’ on our website.

News

Morecambe Bay secures Nature Improvement Area status and funding

…is an easy way to raise money for Cumbria Wildlife Trust that does not involve parting with extra cash. Whilst we’d always encourage you to support local shops, if you need to shop online, Give as you Live means you can raise money for Cumbria Wildlife Trust at the same time. Please sign up via www.giveasyoulive. com/join/cumbriawildlifetrust to make sure that all your searches, online shopping and eBay activity raise money for wildlife.

p Help your birds this winter by giving them some tasty bites. Photo: Amy Lewis

Members’ conference: book your place now! Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s annual members’ conference will be held at Newton Rigg, near Penrith, on Saturday 23 March 2013. The day promises a mixture of informal learning and sharing opportunities, along with lively annual updates on the Trust’s new projects, nature reserves and plans for the future. A wide variety of topics provide something for everyone to enjoy, from novices to lifelong lovers of wildlife. A local farm buffet will be served for lunch and the day will be rounded off with an enjoyable tea party. Further details are available on the enclosed form or by calling the Trust offices on 01539 816300. 4

January 2013

p Ian Quayle helps John Farmer open the first account of the Furness Cumbria Wildlife Trust Charity Account

AGM update John Handley was elected and Robin Cornah re-elected to the Board of Trustees at this year’s Annual General Meeting. The meeting took place during the Living Seas North West Conference at the Netherwood Hotel, Grange-over-Sands, on Friday 19 October. John Farmer, treasurer of the Trust, also helped to launch Furness Building Society’s Cumbria Wildlife Trust Charity Account. You can open yours now at www.furnessbs.co.uk/ wildlifetrust or by calling into your local branch.

Help out our feathered friends this winter If you want to help out the birds that visit your garden, now is the time of year when they particularly need a helping hand with full seed-feeders. The catalogue enclosed with this magazine has a range of wildlife food, and Vine House Farm also kindly donate 5% of their takings to the Wildlife Trusts. In the last five years, Vine House Farm has donated £5,948.71 to Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Alternatively you could order online at www.vinehousefarm.co.uk where you can also read, amongst other things, about the wildlife on the farm, farming organically and how they grow seed.

The Morecambe Bay Nature Improvement Area (NIA), of which the Trust is a key partner, is one of only 12 areas that has successfully received funding towards a shared vision for wildlife. The Trust is a major partner in this brand new nature conservation initiative launched by the government. The Trust worked hard with a collection of partners, including p The limestone grassland at Sizergh Fell Arnside and Silverdale AONB, the RSPB is just one area and habitat that will and Butterfly Conservation, to see off be helped by Morecambe Bay area’s intensive competition from over 70 rival NIA bids throughout England. status as an NIA

The funding is allowing the Trust to employ Helen Rawlinson as a grassland advisor over the next three years. Helen will be working closely with project partners and land managers, giving advice on managing and restoring the nationally rare limestone grasslands that exist around the Bay, helping to create a truly living landscape.

Local Nature Partnership granted

natural environment and from good management of the land. The Trust is currently working closely with partners to formalise this partnership.

After much hard work, Cumbria was granted Local Nature Partnership (LNP) status last summer. Cumbria’s LNP will work at a strategic scale to improve the range of benefits and services we get from a healthy

Breaking news

Eycott Hill’s future hangs in the balance: Can you help? Our attempts to purchase Wan Fell, near Penrith, came to an unsuccessful end in September, but just weeks later, a fantastic opportunity to purchase Eycott Hill (near Mungrisdale) was offered to the Trust. Eycott Hill is an exceptionally rich area of wildlife habitat set in a spectacular location within the stunning scenery of the Lake District National Park. It is just a short relatively flat walk from the road to the summit of Eycott Hill and a majestic view of the eastern flanks of Blencathra, which dominates the western horizon. The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), unusually, for both its ecology and its geology, being the location of the Eycott Hill Volcanics, one of the oldest areas of volcanic activity in the Lake District. The ecological interest mainly relates to an extensive and unusual mire system which supports a number of rare plant

species. Despite being an SSSI, the area Our fundraising efforts therefore begin has suffered from excessive over-grazing here. If you can help us secure Eycott for many years. Hill please donate via our website or simply send us a cheque with a note When setting out our land acquisition to say it’s for Eycott Hill. More details priorities several years ago, Eycott Hill about our plans for the site and how was identified because it would our fundraising is going will follow in the present a very rare opportunity next magazine. to acquire our first upland nature reserve in the National Park. Better management will ensure a rich mosaic of upland habitats, where moorland, meadow, bog and beck support a varied upland wildlife assemblage. The land was for sale at just under £1,000,000 and the owner was keen to sell to the Trust to ensure the site is preserved. It was impossible to raise this amount of money in such a short time but luckily a charitable finance fund agreed to purchase the land on our behalf. Now we have two years to raise the money to buy it from them and save the site from going back on the p The views from the summit of Eycott open market. Hill across to Blencathra are stunning www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk

News

Thank you for celebrating with us! As our 50th anniversary celebrations come to a close, Helen Duxbury on behalf of the Trust, says a huge thank you to you all for helping us celebrate, for continuing to support us and for all your kind messages and best wishes for the next 50 years. Following our successful 50th anniversary garden party back in May, a Church service was held in September to remember the setting up of the Trust 50 years ago by our founder, Canon Aiden Hervey. The service was held in Great Salkeld Church where Canon Hervey is buried and where the first meetings of our founder members were held half a century ago. The service was led by Reverend Paul Sweeting and attended by approximately 50 members, trustees and staff. We were particularly grateful to Lord Inglewood and Sir Martin Holdgate for their readings during the service. Following the service, a tea party reception was held at the village hall by the Penrith Local Support Group, who supplied us with lots of delicious cakes and tea. Thank you.

Thank you also to everyone who joined in with our tea party theme this year, holding events at home, work or in your community. At the time of writing, over £4,600 has been raised for the Trust through your efforts. A special mention has to go to all our local support groups who held tea parties of their own, whether at a nature reserve or other special venues in their communities: hundreds of people have enjoyed attending your tea parties and learnt more about Cumbria Wildlife Trust as a result. Thank you. It’s not too late to hold a tea party of your own: simply register at www.bigbuzz.org.uk So whether you organised or attended an event, sent us a donation or your good wishes for our anniversary, thank you celebrating with us.

As we now look forward to another 50 years of protecting Cumbria’s wildlife, we are reminded of the huge contribution made by all of you: our wonderful members and volunteers. Please keep supporting us during the years to come; we are so much more with your commitment and support. We’re grateful to every single person who contributes to the success of the Trust.You are all Helen Duxbury important to us. p We were joined by friends and supporters at Great Salkeld Church in September to celebrate the founding of the Trust 50 years ago

Wildlife memories

“Cumbria is one of the loveliest of British counties and lots of us from all over Britain treasure the time we spend with you. Thank you for caring for your natural wonders for the past 50 years and all strength to your elbow for the next half century.”

“It all started by reading Arthur Ransome’s books set in the Lake District as they were published back in the ‘30s. As soon as I could save up the fare from London, off I went. With a cotton tent and hobnailed boots, I climbed all the peaks and swam in all the lakes and learned to guddle trout and dine on nettles and hedgehogs cooked in clay. Then it was back to school to get down to A-levels, which then included botany and zoology. I was hooked: not medicine for me but natural history.

Sir David Attenborourgh

Since those wonderful days, I have visited the wonders of Cumbria many times and at every season. My favourite is winter when the tracks of the animals tell you more about life among the lakes. Well done! Keep it up.” Dr David Bellamy OBE

1962

1972

1989

1990

1995

2007

Lake District Naturalists’ Trust is formed by Rector of Great Salkeld, Canon Hervey, pictured above, with the aim of preventing the destruction of wildlife by acquiring reserves, campaigning, educating and advising.

The Trust fights and wins a Public Inquiry into a proposal to extract limestone pavement on Hampsfell near Grange-over-Sands (pictured above).

The Trust starts its very first project to conserve the red squirrel in Cumbria a few years after the first grey squirrel crosses into Cumbria from Lancashire. 23 years later the Trust is still running red squirrel projects and red squirrels still survive in Cumbria.

The Trust starts its first Otters and Rivers Project helping the otter, which was virtually extinct in the county, to re-colonise naturally from Scotland.This project runs for 10 years and ends as the establishment of the otter in the county is secure.

The Trust launches and leads a national campaign to conserve limestone pavements. Over the eight years the campaign is run, the illegal extraction of pavement is halted and the final legal extraction site in Cumbria on Orton Scar (shown above) is closed down.

The Grounds for Wildlife project ends having enabled 46 schools throughout the county, including Arnside School (pictured above), to improve their school grounds for wildlife over four years.

January 2013

www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk

News

Rebounding reds: Cumbria’s red squirrels have a helping hand Cumbria Wildlife Trust has been championing red squirrel conservation for over two decades, leading the Red Alert programme since its inception in the early 1990s. Here, Nick Mason, Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE) project manager and Simon O’Hare, the project’s Cumbria officer, share with us how the Trust is continuing to help the red squirrel and what you can do. If you head to the Trust’s Smardale Gill Nature Reserve, you may well be lucky enough to spot a red squirrel. This was not always the case: even as recently as 2010 red squirrels were a rare sight here, where they had begun to be displaced by greys. There begins a red squirrel conservation success story. In 2010 the Trust agreed that without immediate action reds would be lost at Smardale Gill. An access agreement was drawn up between the Trust and Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group to enable squirrel monitoring and grey control to take place throughout the site. Gary Murphy, red squirrel ranger with the group, recalls that on an initial site visit numerous greys were seen running along the main pathway.

p Red squirrels are being helped by local community involvement and partnership working in many parts of Cumbria. Photo: David Baird

Over 150 grey squirrels have been removed since then and this has had a direct effect on red squirrels. Reds are now once more thriving throughout the nature reserve in the absence of greys. The continued management of greys is an integral part of the story, with 26 removed in 2012. The message is clear: without this intervention, reds would not be present for visitors to enjoy. The anecdotes are numerous: the nature reserve’s neighbours have once more enjoyed seeing red squirrel kittens regularly visiting feeding boxes in their gardens; a local farmer has never seen so many reds running along the wall between his land and the nature reserve; and one couple from Leeds, visiting for a weekend, were amazed to see red squirrels for the first time, and three hours later were still sitting watching and filming them. t Gary Murphy is the red squirrel ranger with the Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group and has been working at the Trust’s Smardale Gill Nature Reserve

January 2013

p Smardale Gill Nature Reserve is now a haven for red squirrels The Trust’s current commitment comes in several forms: it is currently a partner in the new Heritage Lottery Fund-funded Grizedale Red Squirrel Project, led by the Westmorland Red Squirrel Society. The Trust has also established long-term funding programmes with the Furness Building Society (through its red squirrel affinity account) and the Friends of the Red Squirrel supporter group. Both these initiatives continue to raise vital funds that support the RSNE programme, which employed six rangers to undertake grey squirrel control in Cumbria in 2012.

hectares of privately owned woodland. Mike works in close partnership with the National Trust, the Lake District National Park, local volunteer groups in Grasmere and Westmorland and with the Grizedale Red Squirrel project team, ensuring that their collective work is complementary. The project is in its first year but already anecdotal evidence suggests that reds are once more returning to gardens and woodlands where they have not been seen in recent years. Rigorous monitoring will, we hope, clearly demonstrate these conservation gains. If you’re interested in finding out about this work, come along to our open meeting in Ambleside on 30 January 2013. q Mike Green

The story of red squirrels at Smardale Gill Nature Reserve proves once more that conservation success relies on two crucial elements: local community involvement, and partnership working. This is an approach that RSNE is keen to develop right across northern England, wherever red squirrels are threatened by encroaching greys. Another fantastic example is in the Grasmere, Rydal and Ambleside area where RSNE employs a full-time ranger, Mike Green, to control greys across 300

RSNE has been charged with the task of proving once and for all that grey squirrel control directly aids red squirrel range recovery. By working in close partnership with local communities to ensure that practical conservation efforts are effective, and by recording and analysing the data from this work, success stories such as Smardale Gill Nature Reserve will be echoed across the north of England in the coming years. Many of you are already contributing to these efforts as members of one of the 30 fantastic local red squirrel groups in the county, all collaborating as part of the Northern Red Squirrels network (www.nothernredsquirrels.org.uk). If you are not already involved, please do consider pitching in by joining your local red squirrel voluntary group, taking out a Furness Building Society red squirrel account or joining our regional supporters’ group Friends of the Red Squirrel. Find out more about all these opportunities at www.rsne.org.uk www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk

Focus: In memoriam Our Living Seas We regretfully say goodbye to friends, members and volunteers who have given so much to support the Trust. Charles Aitchison of Kendal. Charles was an expert botanist and dedicated recorder for the Flora of Cumbria. He was a long-standing stalwart of the Kendal Local Support Group and also used his background as a doctor to help the Trust by being medical adviser on our Health and Safety Committee for 10 years. He will be missed by many people in the Trust and Kendal.

Urban adaptors

Remembering recently departed friends

Cumbria’s wildlife heads to town

Janet Blyth of Askam-in-Furness. Janet was the co-leader of the Low Furness Watch Group for many years in the 1980s and 90s. Her co-leader Val Holden recalls, ‘Jan was the reason that any of my ideas for Watch activities actually happened: a businesswoman, she had endless patience and practical ability. Planting trees, taking plaster casts of otter prints, doing Watch surveys of bees, hedgerows and rivers, trekking across sandhills in the dark in pursuit of natterjacks, television: we did the lot, with 70 members in tow.’ The Trust offers sincere condolences to the friends and family of these members, as well as heartfelt thanks for all they contributed during their lifetime.

p Urban areas, like Barrow-in-Furness, can be havens for wildlife

Cumbria’s towns, city and villages support an immense array of wildlife. This issue, we focus on the wildlife on our urban doorstep. Wildlife expert and Barrow’s Wildside project officer Sue Thurley sets the tone.

u A greater butterfly orchid at Latterbarrow Nature Reserve

Your views u A brimstone like this was seen at Latterbarrow Nature Reserve. Why don’t you visit and see what you can spot. Photo: Amy Lewis

Urban adaptors

Dear Editor I thought you would be interested to know the heartening sight in Latterbarrow Nature Reserve at 3.30pm today [8 September 2012] in lovely sunshine, of the following: Brimstone –two female, two male Speckled wood – four Peacock – three Hummingbird hawkmoth – one A lovely sight amongst the grasses and scabiosa.

Gardens, cemeteries, parks, rivers, railway embankments, local nature reserves and brownfield sites all form a patchwork of habitats for wildlife to thrive in. Many of these urban areas mimic natural habitats found in the wider countryside and provide vital links through which wildlife can forage and move. Towns often have forgotten pockets of flower-rich grasslands including our own gardens, which provide an ideal spot for pollinating insects. Areas of scrub and hedges provide shelter and food sources for numerous resident and migrating birds, and the buildings that make up our towns often contain roost sites for birds and bats, as do derelict buildings.

Previous industrial or brownfield sites often have nutrient-poor soils that enable invertebrate-supporting wild flowers to flourish. They haven’t been exposed to pesticides, and former quarrying brings substrate to the surface, again changing the soil type to benefit wild flowers. Cliff faces are a legacy from quarrying and provide ideal niches for nesting birds, ferns, lichens and liverworts to thrive. Areas of rubble left behind can create ideal basking territory for the hundreds of reptiles, as is the case in areas like Barrow-in-Furness. As part of Barrow’s Wildside project, we’ve taken to the streets in search of our wilder neighbours, exploring parks, semi-natural ancient woodlands, ponds and beaches. Whilst walking the streets

of Barrow Island we’ve discovered bats, hedgehogs, slow worms and lizards; daytime forays into Abbots Wood have led us to woodland glades hosting fungi and wild flowers; and early evening walks have rewarded us with the frantic calls of tawny owls marking their territories. Volunteers discovered 52 flower species, 21 grasses, 10 tree species and numerous invertebrates while surveying just one hectare (about the size of a football pitch) piece of waste ground in Ormsgill. Supermarket car parks and roundabouts have uncovered some more surprising finds, such as bee orchids and broomrape and, with reports of peregrines nesting on shipyard building roofs, little more proof is needed to convince me that the urban environment is truly a haven for wildlife. Sue Thurley

Yours sincerely, Avril Chadwick Member 10 January 2013

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Urban adaptors

q Urban areas and nature reserves can complement each other immensely and Thacka Beck Nature Reserve is no different, providing breeding areas for much of the area’s wildlife which also heads to town for an easy bite to eat

regular presence of cats and humans means that although they might be great places for wildlife to feed, they are not necessarily all that attractive for breeding. Thacka Beck, though not large compared with many of our nature reserves, provides an ideal breeding area for a wide range of species, many of which will spend much of their time in Penrith. We’re a nation of bird-lovers, and feeding birds in our gardens is practiced by huge numbers of us. Bird feeding through the winter, in particular, can help many birds to survive through to the next breeding season in good condition. The house sparrow, a bird perhaps more

Wildlife on the edge…of town: Thacka Beck Nature Reserve Thacka Beck is the closest thing that Cumbria Wildlife Trust has to an urban nature reserve. Situated very close to Penrith, it’s bordered on two sides by an industrial estate and by a railway on a third – perhaps not the typical description of a place where wildlife thrives. But thrive it does: Lee Schofield, northern reserves officer, gives us the lowdown on why this is, in part, precisely because of its proximity to town. What does the town do for the nature reserve?

and many opportunities for wildlife to shelter and feed.

Towns and cities are better for wildlife than many people think, and when there is a nature reserve nearby or within, the two can complement each other enormously. Urban areas typically offer a slightly warmer local climate

In an increasingly intensively managed countryside, wildlife-friendly gardens can be vital to the maintenance of healthy populations of many species. Towns and gardens can only support so much wildlife, however, and the

12 January 2013

associated with man than any other, has declined by over 70% over the last 30 years. Feeding these friendly birds in the garden is a small but important way that we can help to slow this decline. Urban planting schemes of fruitbearing trees and bushes such as rowan and Cotoneaster help feed many of our winter-visiting birds, and it is typically in towns (often in supermarket car parks) that waxwings are spotted when they come to our shores. The overgrown hedge that runs alongside the railway line at Thacka Beck produces lots of fruit, and is very popular with redwings and fieldfares during the winter, offering a wildlife corridor between the town and the nature reserve.

What does the nature reserve do for the town? Thacka Beck Nature Reserve was created by the Environment Agency to reduce the risk of flooding in Penrith. The re-routed beck and the wet grassland and marsh either side of it result in water passing through the area much more slowly, reducing flood risk downstream. This has the knockon benefit of having created fantastic conditions for a whole range of wet-loving plants and animals. Thacka Beck provides valuable recreational opportunities to local people, including those with wheelchairs and pushchairs, thanks to the new access-for-all paths. The nature reserve has delivered some fantastic wildlife spectacles over the past year: an otter was resident in one of the ponds for a couple of months, feasting on frogs and toads that may well have overwintered in local gardens; a short-eared owl was evident over the summer for more than a week, and was seen busily hunting for small mammals. The inter-relationship between the town, the nature reserve and the surrounding farmland is what helps to make Thacka Beck such a rich and interesting nature reserve, and is a good demonstration of what a living landscape is all about. Through our sensitive management of the nature reserve, we hope that bigger populations of more and more species will make use of it. We want to see these species moving beyond the reserve boundaries, passing through wildlife-permeable urban areas and becoming increasingly common in towns, gardens and the countryside beyond.

Lee Schofield

A short-eared owl made its home here for a period over the summer, enabling many of Penrith’s residents to experience this beautiful bird. Photo: Jamie Hall

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Urban adaptors

Green fingers for wildlife p Trees provide nesting spots, food, hidey holes and shade amongst other things for a whole range of birds and insects

Do you think about having a wildlife-friendly garden but are not sure where to start? The Trust’s gardener, Debbie Greenwood, shares with us some of her wildlife gardening secrets.

grown yellow flag iris and water mint successfully this way and many pond invertebrates have made their homes here. You’ll be surprised how quickly wildlife will make it their home.

When it comes to gardening for wildlife, it’s up to you: you can do a little, or you can do a lot. But you can create your own wildlife reserves in your outside spaces and gardens. These are so important as they provide vital corridors linking our urban, suburban and country landscapes, allowing wildlife to move safely from one environment to another. Your garden or patio is a nature reserve in waiting and you can be the reserve warden! So, where to start?

A small area of water provides a home for pond skaters, water beetles, water snails, passing dragonflies, and birds will love to have a drink from it. A larger pond needs a shallow area so that hedgehogs, mice, voles and other land animals can safely get to the water to drink.

The big four I like to think of the following as the four important habitats to provide for wildlife.

Trees Trees are the high-rise hotels of the wildlife world, providing nesting places, hidy-holes, food sources, nesting materials, shelter and shade for hundreds of species of insects, mammals, birds and reptiles. If you

14 January 2013

only have limited space, try trees in containers; go for native yew, holly or box which can be pruned and kept small. Try a small berrying variety of rowan or hawthorn (the birds will love the berries), or dwarf apple and plum trees which bees love in spring. Cotoneaster x wateri flowers will attract bees, and its abundant berries feed the birds. Ivy is also great for wildlife: as ground cover, it protects foraging birds and mammals; growing up trees or walls it provides hiding, roosting, nesting and shelter places for animals, birds, butterflies and moths; its flowers are an unrivalled late source of pollen for insects and the holly blue butterfly lays late summer eggs on ivy leaves.

Ponds Any size of pond will attract wildlife, even a ‘pond in a bucket’! If you have limited space, a half-barrel lined with polythene, or even a bucket, makes a great home for wet-loving plants. I’ve

q The pond at Plumgarths supports a huge amount of wildlife

p Gardens provide a vital source of pollen for our pollinating insects

Untidy areas

Flowers

Compost heaps, piles of logs, heaps of grass and leaves, and mounds of branches and twigs are great places for hedgehogs, slow worms, grass snakes and mice to shelter and hibernate. Wrens, robins and many other birds will love to hide or hop about on these piles looking for insects.

British gardens cover approximately 270,00 hectares (according to the Royal Horticultural Society), providing important feeding and hibernating areas for bees and butterflies, which are so important for pollinating our crops and flowering plants.

Dead, dying and decaying wood provides a marvellous ecological resource, with beetles, flies, solitary bees, wasps, insectivorous birds and mammals, fungi, lichens and mosses depending on this habitat directly or indirectly.

Herb flowers are perfect for bees, bumble bees, solitary bees and hover flies. Try fennel in a patio pot; it’s a fantastic nectar resource for late summer insects. Marjoram, any species of mint, chives, thyme, rosemary, lovage, borage and, of course, lavender constantly attract buzzing bumble bees. Try all these outside your front door for a fresh supply of herbs for cooking. Flowers are more beneficial to insects if they’re native and have a simple flower structure. Double flowers like pom pom dahlias, highly bred bedding plants, and many exotics often have no nectar or pollen, or the pollen grains may even be too big for our bees to carry!

as well as wild flowers like thistle, teasel, black knapweed, red clover, ox-eye daisy or meadow cranesbill. Why not resolve to do one thing for wildlife in your garden or yard today – even putting up a bird’s nest box or a peanut feeder is a great start. You will enjoy the resulting sightings of your local wildlfe. Debbie Greenwood

The two-acre wildlife garden at Plumgarths, surrounding the offices of Cumbria Wildlfe Trust, is always happy to have volunteers helping for a few hours a week. If you feel this is something you would like to do, please contact me, Debbie Greenwood, on 01539 816300.

My favourite bee flowers are Sedum spectabile autumn joy, Solidago or golden rod, Lamium sp, Rosa sp, crocus and bluebell, Buddleia, Poygonatum, Aubretia,

www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk 15

Urban adaptors

Otters in the city Why, in a county as rural as Cumbria, are we now finding otters in our towns and city? Conservation Manager David Harpley gives us a clue… Every once in a while it’s useful to have a think about things you got wrong. Otters are a case in point. The Trust ran an Otters and Rivers project for 10 years in the 1990s. Back then, when they were first starting to re-colonise the county, we all thought they would head for the wildest and most remote parts, and that there they would stay, mostly invisible, nocturnal and shy of humans.

This isn’t how things have turned out at all. Carlisle was the first place people started seeing urban otters, living on the Eden in the middle of the city, walking about in broad daylight, completely ignoring the people and traffic going by just a few yards away. As otters have spread through the county, reports of urban animals have become more widespread: I’ve seen them myself on Siddick Pond in Workington and under the steamer pier at Ambleside. They play along the Ulverston Canal in broad daylight. They’ve been stopping traffic as people crowd along the bridges in Kendal to watch them playing in the water. They’ve also been seen walking through the streets of Carlisle and Penrith at night.

q People are getting closer views of otters in urban areas than ever before. Photo: Sue Crookes

But it isn’t all sweetness and light: otters are efficient predators of fish, and if people confine fish at high densities in relatively small ponds then otters will take advantage of the situation. The Trust gets a reasonable number of calls along the lines of: ‘Something has eaten all my fish and just left the heads and skeletons lined up at the side of the pond’. One Keswick resident who rang to ask what might have consumed thousands of pounds worth of koi carp, and whether it would come back if he re-stocked, seemed remarkably sanguine about the answer. A resident of Carlisle set up cameras to capture images of the night-time raider and made the local news with pictures of an otter captured on film.

q Urban river environments, like the River Kent in Kendal, are proving to be a surprise hit with otters

So why were we so wrong? The massive decline in otter populations during the 1960s and 70s was driven by water pollution, primarily by organo-chloride pesticides like Dieldrin, but this was on top of a distribution already altered by centuries of persecution by man and the gross pollution of many lowland rivers.

It was therefore logical, looking at the distribution of the otter in the 1980s and early 90s, to assume that re-colonisation of Cumbria would involve something similar, with otters re-colonising the headwaters of our river catchments and only occupying those areas with high-quality habitat.

This lead to the otter having a population distribution heavily skewed towards areas that are remote and sparsely populated by human beings, with a high-quality habitat but relatively low abundance of prey.

What we didn’t recognise was that what an otter likes best of all is fish and plenty of it! With rivers in the lowlands no longer grossly polluted, pesticide pollution levels declining and persecution a thing of the past, there were large amounts of fish-rich lowland habitat for otters to move into and this included our towns and cities. Perhaps the key to the re-colonisation of our towns and cities is the absence of persecution. Animals that are no longer hunted do gradually lose their fear of people and are then able to make their lives alongside us, sometimes annoying us, but mostly enriching our lives enormously. Just ask someone who has looked down into a river and seen an otter looking back at them!

With the banning of many organochloride pesticides in 1979, the fortunes of the otter began to change for the better, with a slow expansion out from areas such as the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, which had largely escaped the catastrophic declines that had occurred elsewhere.

David Harpley

p This otter was spotted in Ambleside. Photo: Michelle Waller 16 January 2013

www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk 17

Urban adaptors

Living Landscapes

Head out and spot Carlisle’s wildlife Carlisle is full of green spaces, and these green spaces are full of wildlife. Some of them are formal, while over 110 hectares are managed as dedicated nature reserves where you can almost be guaranteed to see something new and different, as James Hallam, Green Spaces Officer with Carlisle City Council, tells us. Kingmoor reserves The four individual sites that make up the Kingmoor complex (Kingmoor North, South, Sidings and the Wildlife Pond) contain a range of habitats, from mature broadleaf woodlands to herb-rich grasslands and freshwater ponds. Listen out for the drumming of a great spotted woodpecker high in the trees; sharp eyes may even spot a sparrowhawk darting after its prey; and if you’re lucky you might glimpse a roe deer grazing the meadows, especially in the mornings and late evenings. With thanks to Carlisle City Council, which manages these nature reserves, and to James Hallam, Green Spaces Officer with the council. If you want to help out on these reserves with the council’s countryside volunteer team, visit www.carlisle.gov.uk/ leisure_and_culture/parks_ and_open_spaces to find out more. Ki

Rickerby Park Carlisle’s This swathe of floodplain within the centre of the city Parks & is managed as an informal park with wildlife in mind. Houghton Livestock grazing helps to maintain aGreen rough grassland Spaces sward ideal for invertebrates and small flowering plants Nature G Kingmoor which could not survive regular mowing. Reserves

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The riverbank is the ideal place to view bird life. Wading birds like the common sandpiper can be spotted on the river shoreline; huge, prehistoric-looking cormorants sometimes gather in large groups in the riverside trees; and grey herons are frequently seen on the riverbank or slowly flying low over the water. ad a Br

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nR Cummersdale OHolmes rto Cummersdale is another large tract of floodplain, which now acts as a water retention zone as part of Carlisle’s new flood defence regime. In the summer, a walk along the path that lines the bank of the River Caldew may yield a sighting of sand martins skimming along the water or diving into their nesting holes along the sandy banks. The clear waters of the Caldew support a strong fish population, making sighting a kingfisher a strong possibility.

Sandsfield Road

Shady Grove Road

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Raising the game at Drumburgh Moss Hand in hand with the fantastic bog restoration work that’s been proving so effective at our wonderful Drumburgh Moss National Nature Reserve, we’ve also been striving to ensure that we provide the best visitor experience for you. New information panels, a sightings board and a new way-marked trail with information posts are already in place, giving access to the main mire expanse, and a new leaflet is available. By the time this goes to press we will have erected a new raised platform allowing spectacular views across the bog, giving a true feel for the scale of these fascinating habitats and maximising the chance of spotting wildlife. It’s well worth a visit! u New posts and information panels at Drumburgh Moss

Ash dieback in Cumbria A fond farewell

A Rickerby Park

Bitts Park E

N ew to w

News from our nature reserves

As we put together this issue of Cumbrian Wildlife the press is full of stories about ash dieback. The Trust has many important ash woodlands such as at Smardale Gill and Howe Ridding Wood Nature Reserves. Our limestone pavement reserves have many magnificent ash trees so we are very concerned about this. This is a wind born disease and it is not yet clear what science-based initiatives can help this serious problem. At present we do not anticipate closing any of our nature reserves but we do ask members to avoid moving ash leaves around the countryside by checking and, if necessary, cleaning your footwear when you leave any ash woodland. Young ash are more vulnerable than mature ash so for this winter at least we will not be coppicing any ash trees on our nature reserves in case the re-growth is more susceptible to ash dieback. Our understanding of this complex issue is evolving rapidly so please check our website for any updates.

One of our most longstanding and hard-working volunteer honorary reserve managers retired recently. Mike Critchley has diligently looked after Bowness-on-Solway Nature Reserve for 18 years, running weekly work parties to keep the nature reserve in tip-top condition, and meticulously recording the wildlife comings-andgoings on the site. Volunteers of Mike’s calibre do not come along very often and we give him our warm-hearted thanks for all the great work he’s put in over the years.

Future access at Meathop and Foulshaw Mosses Nature Reserves: update We are now well into a significant and exciting programme of peatland restoration work on both Foulshaw and Meathop Mosses Nature Reserves which are scheduled to continue for several months. Unfortunately this work will mean disruption to access at both nature reserves until work is completed and water levels stabilise. Heavy rainfall is already making access at Foulshaw Moss difficult in places and the success of our works at Meathop Moss has resulted in the main access route being currently impassable.

The future will bring significant opportunities and improvements to the access at both these mosses during 2013. However, if you are thinking of p Bowness-on-Solway Nature Reserve visiting either nature reserve before May 2013 please check our website or was diligently looked after by ring the office for an update. Mike Critchley www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk 19

Living Landscapes

Living Landscapes t We would like all our blanket bogs to look like this with cottongrass and heather flourishing

qSimon Thomas surveys peat erosion in the Lakes

We can tackle peat erosion If you’re a hill walker, you’ll be very familiar with the widespread erosion problems in the UK’s moorland peat soils. Erosion of peat is often visible along footpaths, as Simon Thomas, project officer for the Upland Wetlands project, describes. q Peat hag being eroded by rainwater

It’s exhausting trudging knee-deep through sticky black mud and taking endless detours to avoid the deep, wet erosion gullies. Older gullies eventually join up to leave a series of isolated, flattopped islands of deep peat (known as hags). This surface dissection forces us to avoid peat soils wherever possible. A recent report on UK peatlands estimates that only 20% of them are still near-natural. What exactly is peat? In waterlogged acidic conditions, plant remains decay very slowly due to lack of oxygen, building up year on year, forming an organic soil. Sphagnum mosses thrive here, holding 20 times their own volume in water. They keep the soil surface wet so peat rises above the original water table. Sphagna are also the main peat-forming plants. So this living surface layer of moss is key to healthy peat.

20 January 2013

What causes this erosion? Where footpaths, bridleways or vehicle tracks leave a deep scar, the causes are obvious, but our feet and tyres aren’t the only problem. Historically, peat-cutting (for fuel) and agricultural drainage have left bare surfaces that erode rapidly after heavy rainfall (peat lacks the strength of mineral soils). More subtly, these diggings lower the water table, allowing peat to dry. Tiny cracks eventually erode into larger gullies or ‘peat pipes’ through which water seeps, eroding underground before collapsing, forming more gullies. Over-grazing is another significant factor. Trampling by livestock and deer hooves creates peat hags and erodes soft ground around pools and channels, and in many places this has weakened or killed Sphagnum across the whole bog. This dries the surface, encouraging cracking. Similarly, wildfire kills mosses and initiates erosion. In the past, large-scale uncontrolled moorland burning was used to encourage grass growth. On Pennine grouse moors, small areas are still burnt to encourage heather.

Without careful control this can also damage peat-forming mosses. With repeated freezing and thawing in winter, ice crystals move and sift the soft, crumbly soil, killing any seedlings. This often prevents natural recovery. We can fix this Steep eroding faces of gullies and hags must be flattened to less than 33o to stabilise them and help bring the water table nearer the surface. Specialist contractors use low ground-pressure diggers with wide tracks that minimise soil disturbance. Cutting heather with a tractor and thinly spreading the brash on bare peat helps bind the surface during the winter, allowing heather seedlings to survive (the tiny dust-like seeds fall from the brash). On large areas, a helicopter may be needed to transport materials onto remote sites. Where wind erosion is a serious problem, jute netting has been used to stop the brash blowing away. An alternative technique is to fertilise the bare peat and plant a grass ‘nurse crop’ before planting heather. The grass later dies off through lack of fertiliser.

If water is actively eroding the peat, regular sediment traps can be built using peat turves, local rough stone or timber if necessary. These slow the stormflows, helping soil to deposit and stabilise. Moss and cottongrass spread, and slowly peat can build back, burying the evidence of our intervention. Plants grow slowly in the fells. Full recovery takes decades or even centuries, but it is possible to quickly reverse the trend towards active peat erosion. What is being done? On Skiddaw, the Lake District National Park Authority successfully blocked and re-vegetated erosion gullies with peat plugs. Further into the Lakes, the Fix the Fells project has used local stone to reverse peat erosion around paths. We are keen to learn from and adapt these techniques to protect bogs for wildlife. Upland peat restoration is still a new idea in the Lake District and farmers are, understandably, cautious about what it will mean. We’ve started work at two sites and hope that other farmers will be inspired to do their bit to protect the fells. The Yorkshire Peat Partnership has already repaired many eroded areas

on the eastern edge of Cumbria, but the large blanket bogs in the Pennines also extend well into Cumbria, so we are keen to see work here too.

Simon Thomas

Your local knowledge can help We’re starting to collect data on where erosion is occurring, but this is a huge task in itself. If you come across an eroded peat area in the fells, could you send us a photo? We can’t promise you that we’ll be able to visit or repair them all, but we can assure you that your evidence will help the Trust lobby for investment in future peat soil conservation. With clear benefits for wildlife, farming, climate, water and tourism, we believe it is time to act. Send your images to the Trust with the six-figure grid reference of the location noted on the back.

www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk 21

Living Seas

Living Landscapes

Juniper surveys reveal all is not well: latest news from the Uplands for Juniper project p The grazing of Cumbria’s juniper by sheep produces these now familiar fell side shapes as well as preventing the growth of new stands of the tree

Juniper is under pressure. Now that over half of Cumbria’s 230 juniper stands have been surveyed by the Uplands for Juniper team of staff and volunteers, Mike Douglas, the Uplands for Juniper project officer, reveals the preliminary results. The startling indication is that it is possible that a large proportion of this unique upland habitat is unlikely to see out the 21st century if its current management continues. Survey data allowed us to allocate stands to different health categories, determined by age classes of juniper q Numbers of stands in each category

present, grazing impact on junipers and neighbouring flora, and other impacts such as shading by tall trees. The most worrying finding is that 30% of stands are suffering fast decline and a further 17% are experiencing slow decline. Sheep grazing and browsing is by far the biggest cause of decline, affecting 50% of these stands.

more surprising as juniper is the least preferred food for sheep on the fell. Heather, hawthorn and trees like ash are eaten in preference to juniper so these stark findings don’t bode well for other habitats, like upland heath.

This slow-growing, long-lived species may be lulling us into a feeling of false security in Cumbria, as we look up to the hillsides and see the ever-present The ultimate effect of heavy sheep juniper, persisting as it always has. A grazing (usually during the winter) is the closer look reveals that all is not well, prevention of regeneration, as seedlings and some stands may be building up are pulled up and established trees are an extinction debt, damaged. The worst affected stands as past and current have not regenerated in more than impacts cause its 60 years. With each passing year, old disappearance from trees produce fewer viable seeds, so some slopes in the chance of recovery at these stands the future. enters a downward spiral. This is all the Mike Douglas

Thank you… …to The Wainwright Society for supporting the Uplands for Juniper project through the sales of their 2013 calendar. ...to you. Individually, from as far afield as Australia, Greece and Malaysia (as well as Cumbria) have sponsored 350 juniper trees helping to raise £2,803.50 for the project. Both are still available through our website under ‘shop for wildlife’. Whether it was for Christmas, Father’s Day, in memory of a loved one, as a gift for a birth or a wedding, a love token, or just because you wanted to help, thank you to everyone who has sponsored a juniper tree.

22 January 2013

p The UK’s waters, including the Irish Sea, need protection and the MCZs offer us a way of achieving this, but we need you to respond to the public consultation. Photo: Paul Naylor

The time is now. Make your voice heard… and help secure Marine Conservation Zones Following the 18-month period of marine conservation zones (MCZs) being decided upon by stakeholders; following the 11-month period during which government advisors considered the recommendations and formulated their opinion; following the further fivemonth period of waiting… the government has finally opened up the recommended network of 127 MCZs for public consultation. This is the chance we all have to drive the MCZs forward, taking our first tentative steps towards true marine protection in the UK.

Professor Callum Roberts of York University said that, “government has made it clear that it is not keen on establishing all of the MCZs that have been recommended. But if we want a world class network of marine protected areas we need to, and so it is very important that people stick their necks out and support each and every one of those MCZs”. A public consultation does what it says on the tin: the government will consult and register the responses of the public. The Wildlife Trusts will absolutely submit our response, but it will count as a single one. This time we can’t speak for our members and supporters – each and every

person must speak for themselves for their voice to be heard and their views registered; only individual responses will make a difference. So it is very important, if you want your opinion to matter, that you respond to the consultation. And while we cannot (and don’t wish to) speak for you, we will help you as much as we can: visit www.wildlifetrusts.org/living-seas to find out what you need to do, and email the team at: livingseasnw@cumbriawildlifetrusts.org.uk if you need further help. Without you, we are only one voice on this. Together we can make a difference.

Do you fancy cooking up something new? The Wild Oceans sustainable seafood recipe book is here to help you try something different, buy line-caught and support your local fishmonger. It includes over 20 simple recipes that use the wide variety of local species landed in Cumbria from the Irish Sea, as well as tips and ideas. So, if you fancy having a go yourself, or know others who would love this as a present, visit www. cumbriawildlifetrust.org or call the Trust to order yours now!

Professor Calum Roberts from University of York highlighted the importance of the p potential Irish Sea Marine Conservation Zones to a wide range of expertise

Marine conference: building support for our oceans The Living Seas North West Conference was held in October with the aim of informing and engaging a varied audience on the Irish Sea and its future. Keynote speakers Callum Roberts and

Paul Rose educated, enthused and inspired delegates, of which 45% were students. It was great to really feel that we are not alone in the quest to save our seas. www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk 23

Living Seas

Watch is the UK’s leading environmental action club for children who care about nature and enjoy discovering local wildlife. New members receive all sorts

of goodies: posters, magazines, stickers, a badge, a membership card and more! Joining is easy: simply visit www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk

Can you help us run a Watch group? p Graduates Emily Miles, Joseph Moulton, Beckie Wilcox, Rebecca Hunter are currently learning a great deal through participating in the marine graduate scheme. Emily Baxter (far right) is helping the four make the most of their opportunity

Great expectations! Last summer, after a busy first couple of months on the job, the Trust’s latest marine graduate placements, Emily Miles, Rebecca Hunter, Rebecca Wilcox and Joe Moulton, took a trip to the Isle of Man to meet the Manx Wildlife Trust, to discover some of the wonders of their marine wildlife and to explore the differences between their shores and ours. We started by visiting the Manx Wildlife Trust’s head office in Peel where we gave a presentation to Eleanor Stone, the marine officer, and the aptly named Dolphineers (a small group of volunteers completing a summer marine internship). After updating them on the progress of the Living Seas North West project, we told them about the highlights of our programme so far: our early morning surveys with the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority; upcoming Shoresearch events; seal surveys on Walney Island; and our work on different community outreach projects.

day (not favourable basking conditions) and despite visiting the usual hotspots we didn’t see a single nose, fin or tail break the water! We did see some great birdlife in the form of Manx shearwaters, gannets and guillemots.

Other activities included rock-pooling at Scarlett Point where we found cushion stars, beadlet anemones, sponges and brittle stars, and a meeting with Jackie Hall from the Manx Basking Shark Watch to learn more about the amazing work she does for their conservation. Here we finally saw our first shark... in video footage!

Our graduate training programme aims to deliver high-quality in-house and external training in marine conservation, and community Undeterred, we also spent some time engagement for recent graduates, sea watching from Niarbyl, one of the helping them to gain paid employment best places on the island to spot whales, in the sector. If you are interested in dolphins and sharks (needless to say we applying for a placement for 2013/14, didn’t see anything!). However, watching please contact the Trust. the seals at the Sound provided us with some entertainment and with a fantastic view of the Calf of Man. q A diving seal spotted by the marine graduates

We’re looking for adult volunteers to help run Watch clubs around the county, in particular in the Dalston and Morecambe Bay areas. If you’re interested in volunteering as a Watch leader in your area, we’ll provide you with all the support you’ll need to create a wonderful children’s club. Just call the Trust for more details.

Join our new award scheme tion on all three award schemes,

e for children. For more informa site at: We have a great new award schem please see our Wildlife Watch web og award, information-page rdsawa You can work towards the Hedgeh www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/ award. 39 816300. 015 on m tea Kestrel award or our Nature Ranger or contact our Education

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Winter wildlife

Winter is still a great time for wildlife activities whatever the weather. If you wrap up warm, you can:

The Dolphineers then shared their internship experiences of participating in the Peel Queenie festival, and their research into seal diets and basking shark ID, which we found particularly interesting!

Robins like this one will leave tiny tracks in snow so keep your eyes peeled! u

Our efforts to discover the Manx wildlife then began with a boat trip to search for basking sharks. Unfortunately, despite the abundance of basking sharks the week before, we just didn’t have the same luck. It was a grey and windy

def

24 January 2013

• look for tracks, trails and signs of mammals – snowfall provides a wonderful opportunity to study animal tracks. Even without snow, there are fewer plants to obscure tracks and plenty of soft ground for you to practice your tracking skills on. Look for the double slot tracks of deer or the prints of a fox, badger or even an otter.

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• look after our feathered friends – winter is the ideal time to put nest boxes up. Try and prepare yours in time for February’s National Nest Box Week as blue tits and great tits will be looking for nest sites. You may like to build your own box – there’s great advice online at www.bto.org/nnbw/make.htm

Photo: Stewart McDonald

www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk 25

New Year’s resolutions are often hard to keep. On the back of this magazine we’ve given a few suggestions you might like to make (and keep!) for wildlife.

(Red) squirrel away your savings

Ropax Ltd is a new company, based in Barrow-in-Furness, which thinks that a key part of living in Cumbria is being able to enjoy our local wildlife and wildplaces. So it made sense to Director, Craig Matheson, to consider their p Ropax will be helping to run one of our corporate social responsibility (CSR) Watch groups, which will be based in when they set up the company. Barrow-in-Furness Not only have Ropax Ltd joined us as bronze corporate members, but they are also helping us to set up a young persons’ Wildlife Watch group in Barrow. Christina Bravery, Ropax’s CSR representative, is going to be a regular volunteer helping to set up and run the group. Great news all round and a big thank you!

Platinum Members Vacant, please apply Gold Members Booths Haven Holidays Lyon Equipment United Utilities Silver Members H&H Reeds Printers Ltd Studsvik UK Ltd

Whilst the name of the red squirrel project may have changed over the years (it’s now Red Squirrels Northern England; Nick tells you more on page 8) the donation has always gone to our work in protecting the red squirrel. Opening a charity account is an easy way in which you can help to save the red squirrel at no cost to you. And with the Furness recently launching Internet banking, you can now open an account online.

p You can help Cumbria’s reds by squirreling your money away with one of Furness Building Society’s charity accounts. Photo: Chris Nelson

In good company

The red squirrel charity account has been running for over 10 years now. In this time, the Furness Building Society has donated a total of £100,301.91 (from the society’s own funds – not the interest on your money).

For details, go to www.furnessbs.co.uk and click Charity and Affinity Accounts. Or you can phone 0800 834 312 to speak to someone.

We would like to thank all of our current corporate members for their continued support:

Bronze Members Center Parcs The Cumbria Grand Hotel Eco-Tech Systems Hesketh Ecology Ropax Ltd Tarmac Veritas Financial Planning Standard Members Aggregate Industries Alan Air Media Services The Castle Green Hotel English Lakes Ice Cream Highgate Veterinary Clinic Holker Hall

Kingfisher Grounds Services Lakeland Limited Langdale Hotel and Spa Pure Leisure Group South Lakeland Parks Wildroof Landscapes

Wildlife needs your help – now!

Complimentary Members Cumbria Waste Management Furness Building Society

Or if you work for a company and you love wildlife, why not arrange a quiz, cake bake or sports day to raise money for us?

James Cropper Lakeland Radio Park Cliffe Holiday Park Vine House Farm

If you would like to find out more about becoming a corporate member of Cumbria Wildlife Trust, please contact Michelle Waller on 01539 816300 or at michellew@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk

If you are a business, please will you make a commitment to Cumbria’s wildlife through corporate membership and a financial donation towards our work?

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Winter 2012

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Ropax Ltd… welcome to the Wildside!

If you’re a local company, please resolve to help your local wildlife this year by becoming a corporate member of Cumbria Wildlife Trust. It doesn’t have to take a lot of your time and it makes a valuable difference to our work. If you’d like to chat through just give me, Michelle, a call on 01539 816300 or email michellew@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk

26 January 2013

News from The Wildlife Trusts across the UK

100 YEARS

Michelle Waller

Natural World 191 -201 2

Corporate membership

“Shhhh!”

The best places to see otters (but keep them a secret)

Webcam superstars

Meet the peregrines and ospreys followed by thousands

Top wildlife gardens

Six winners from this year’s UK-wide competition

What’s down there? The race to record our marine wildlife

UK-wLatest an ide new wildld issues: s if org/netrusts. ews

UK NEWS

GARY DEAN

Marine reserves: we’re getting closer

With each of the UK’s four countries at a different stage, setting up a marine reserves network is taking longer than we’d hoped. Here’s a progress update

t’s been three years since the ground-breaking Marine Act became law in England and Wales (two years in Scotland). But the central idea – a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) around the UK – still only exists on paper. The process to designate specific parts of the sea as MPAs is proving complicated. Gathering scientific data to support their creation can be expensive. Objections by some interested parties slow progress. Nevertheless, The Wildlife Trusts are working towards the day when we can halt the destruction of our seas and allow them to recover to benefit people and wildlife. Here is a round-the-UK update on progress so far.

Protection for Minke whales remains uncertain

Scotland

It’s unlikely that a network of Scottish MPAs will be set up before late 2013. Ministers will see a list of recommended sites this year, with a public consultation in spring/summer 2013. It’s not yet clear how mobile species such as whales will be protected through the network. The Government wants more evidence before accepting sites for Minke whale, Risso’s dolphin, white-beaked dolphin, basking shark and black guillemot, all priority species in Scotland. The Scottish Wildlife Trust will encourage public support for the network.

England

Northern Ireland

Four regional groups have recommended a total of 127 Marine Conservation Zones. The Government has asked for more evidence on some of them, but says these MCZs and existing MPAs are ecologically coherent, and balance conservation and economics. Defra is considering this advice and will open up the network to consultation in December. The slow pace means relatively few sites are likely to be designated in 2013.

Behind the rest of the UK but, thanks to lobbying led by Ulster WT, a Marine Bill has been introduced this year and could become Northern Ireland’s Marine Act by early 2013. It permits the creation of Marine Conservation Zones, but there are legal loopholes and an emphasis on the economy not ecology. UWT still hopes to make the legislation more effective. More on nimtf. org ULSTER WT

PAUL NAYLOR

Cuttleﬁsh are one of tho usands of species whose habitat is still being degraded

Ancient horse mussel reefs in Strangford Lough remain at risk

DAVID CHAPMAN

up eed thinyogurs vo ice to Help sptim e to add

Wales

There’s still twork calling for a ne 150,000 others d Areas around the ecte of Marine Prot do is sign our ed ne u yo ll A . UK org/ wildlifetrusts. also on n Petition Fish England you ca petitionﬁsh. In t for a particular or show your supp commended MCZs) re 7 MCZ (or all 12 org/MCZfriends s. at wildlifetrust

Currently 36% of Welsh territorial waters have some level of protection, but these sites are still not adequately managed for wildlife. Now that the Welsh Government can create Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) up to 12 miles off the coast, it has decided that these new sites will be highly protected. After the ﬁrst initial consultation, three or four such sites will be designated as MCZs in 2014. Wildlife Trusts Wales say new MCZs must be supported by local people and accompanied by the improved management of existing MPAs. Latest developments on wildlifetrusts.org/WalesMCZs

Welsh coastal waters are slowly gaining protection

AROUND THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS BBOWT

SCOTTISH WT

DERBYS WT

DEVON WT

ESSEX WT

MANX WT

NORFOLK WT

NOTTS WT

NORTH WALES

S&W WALES

A successful appeal means that a vital piece of farmland will be restored as a wildﬂower meadow. The 11ha extension to Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve will create new wetland habitats for birds and mammals.

The ﬁve year beaver re-introduction trial at Knapdale, Argyll (Natural World, Winter 2009) has had its best breeding success yet. Three kits were born this year. See a video on scottishbeavers.org. uk

The Lea Wood Trust has gifted a 30ha (74 acre) ancient woodland to the Trust. It’s home to pied and spotted ﬂycatcher, lesser spotted woodpecker, spectacular wood ants, bluebells, heather and bilberry.

The Trust’s Working Wetlands project, which helps farmers and landowners restore wildlife-rich culm grassland, has now helped local farmers access more than £5m of grants for local grassland conservation.

Thurrock Thameside Nature Park and visitor centre is now open to the public. The Trust’s biggestever project, which turned a former landﬁll site into a Living Landscape, overlooks the Thames Estuary.

Around 100 early marsh orchids have appeared at Close Sartﬁeld reserve following almost 400 hours of restoration work at the peat bog by volunteers. This is the fourth new plant species to appear since 2009.

Cley Marshes, one of The Wildlife Trusts’ oldest reserves, will be a third bigger if a new appeal succeeds. The Trust needs £1m to buy 58ha and create a ﬁve-mile coastal reserve. See norfolkwildlifetrust. org.uk

The Trust is working with mental health patients to offer conservation and wildlife gardening activities. The project has been boosted by new funding from the charity Mind on behalf of the Big Lottery Fund.

The Trust has started working with local communities to create ﬂagship examples of churchyard conservation. Many older churchyards contain remnant ancient wildﬂower meadows.

A group of local young people have made a spectacular new arched wooden entrance to Poor Man’s Wood nature reserve. It’s part of Tir Coed’s Branching Out project. Next: bridges!

28 Winter 2012

It’s time to save the sea The history of marine conservation has rarely been told. Yet in some ways the tale is not so different to that on land. On land, in the nineteenth century, people became concerned about animal cruelty and that taking feathers for our hats might wipe out whole bird species. Similarly, at sea, we related to the suffering of the great whales from harpoons, and feared that we might drive these beautiful fellow mammals to extinction. In the mid 20th century on land a period of activism was spurred on by Rachel Carson alerting us to the mass deaths of songbirds from our poisons. At sea, we were appalled by the spectre of oil spills that despoiled both seabirds and the beaches we loved. But what parallel is there at sea for the concept of saving places for nature that Charles Rothschild pioneered a century ago? Protecting sites at sea is just as vital. Yet whilst the first list of wildlife sites on land was produced by Rothschild in 1915 we’ve had to wait until now for the equivalent ‘Rothschild Reserves’ at sea. Some legal protection for terrestrial sites eventually came in 1949, but we now need the same level of protection for marine wildlife sites around the UK. To help build the case for these sites to be protected people are taking to the sea to survey habitats just as we have done in the countryside for a hundred years. In this issue we have first-hand accounts of divers taking part in surveys this summer. If you can dive, or are prepared to learn, you can help make a new chapter in the history of nature conservation. Such commitment is vital if we are to rise to our responsibility to the earth.

Stephanie Hilborne OBE Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts There are 47 Wildlife Trusts. With more than 800,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving all the UK’s habitats and species. Contact us on enquiry@wildlifetrusts.org or 01636 677711. To join your local Wildlife Trust, visit wildlifetrusts.org/joinus Natural World, The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, Notts NG24 1WT. Editor Rupert Paul Communications manager Adam Cormack. Layout editor Phil Long Cover: Seasearch diver Mark Buddles with jewel anemones at Eddystone Reef, off Plymouth. Pic: Paul Naylor

Natural World 29

STO For t P PRESS the bhe latest o wild adger cull n : o lifetr

UK NEWS

rg/b usts. adge rs

New refuges offer hope for red squirrels

A plan to save the reds

Wildlife in Trust out in paperback

YS RE RE G E H

O Most accurate picture yet shows coast-to-coast range in the Borders O Wildlife Trusts launch landscape-scale strategy to save the species

YS E R RE G E H New work undertaken by a coalition of Wildlife Trusts shows red squirrel populations (red dots) around the borders are still under threat. But large forest refuges (green) offer hope across the region

ildlife Trusts in Northern England and Scotland have been involved in major efforts this year to assess red squirrel populations across Northern England and Southern Scotland. South of the border more than 1200 hours of work by volunteers and Wildlife Trust staff has built an up-to-date picture of the red squirrels’ current geographical range across northern England. The Red Squirrels Northern England conservation

partnership includes Cumbria, Northumberland, Lancashire, Durham and Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts. Now the project has identiﬁed 17 large forests across northern England as red squirrel strongholds: a landscape-scale approach to conserving the species in this region. Over the border in Scotland, the 12 year Red Squirrels in South Scotland project has now merged with the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels to run as one strategic

national project. Under its new name it will continue to concentrate on protecting Scotland’s red squirrels in concert with an established network of foresters, local enthusiasts, agencies, communities and farmers intent on saving the species. The new population data is being used to set strategies to conserve the species, which is threatened mainly by the presence of the non-native grey squirrel. Large blocks of pine forest habitat either

side of the border will now be managed for red squirrels, with buffer areas, control of grey squirrels, ongoing monitoring, helping landowners to improve habitat for reds, involving local schools and communities, and using forest planning to maximise the value of forests for red squirrels. Over the past century numbers of reds in the UK have fallen from around 3.5 million to a current estimated population of around 120,000.

Forestry report calls for woodland expansion Eighteen months after the furore over the future of the Public Forest Estate, the Independent Forestry Panel (IFP) has published its report. It calls on Government to start valuing woodland ecosystems, and to reward their management, improvement and expansion to beneﬁt people, wildlife and the economy. It also considers the future of the Forestry Commission. The recommendations – and the Government’s reaction – will shape the future of forestry and woodland policy in England. The Government will respond in January 2013. The Wildlife Trusts broadly support the IFP’s recommendations, but we want ﬁrm commitments to protect, restore and reconnect woodlands as part of a national ecological network: wtru.st/UqjwA5

Welsh Government creates new environmental agency

DAVID SLATER

The red squirrel is in the last chance saloon, but strategic management of its stronghold forests may save it

People value woodlands. It’s time our planning system reﬂected that

WORCS WT

After several years in the making Wildlife in Trust – a history of The Wildlife Trusts written by Tim Sands – is now available in paperback. The 790-page book features over 500 photographs including many from our archives. It is divided into three sections: a history of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts; individual chapters on the history of each of the 47 Wildlife Trusts in their own words; and a comprehensive A-Z reference section. The price is £25, but Wildlife Trust members can order a copy at £21.25 (inc p&p). Offer ends Dec 15. More about the book at wildlifetrusts.org/books To order, please contact Macmillan and quote code 7VD. Tel: 01256 302692, 302699 or 302688. Email: direct@macmillan.co.uk.

The Welsh Government is merging the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales, and the Forestry Commission Wales into one agency. The new organisation will come into being in April next year, and will have a remit to ensure sustainable development. Rachel Sharp, Chief Executive of Wildlife Trusts Wales, said: “This is part of the Welsh Government’s Living Wales framework for managing the natural environment. It also includes new legislation in Wales on sustainable development, environment and planning”.

AROUND THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS ULSTER WT

CHESHIRE WT

SUFFOLK WT

SURREY WT

DORSET WT

SHROPSHIRE

SOMERSET WT

BRECKNOCK

WILTSHIRE WT

SHEFFIELD

WARKS WT

YORKSHIRE

The Trust has welcomed the creation of two new marine Special Areas of Conservation. The Maidens SAC and the Skerries and Causeway SAC will protect wildlife and habitats off Northern Ireland’s coast.

Cheshire and Shropshire WTs are starting a ﬁve-year badger vaccination programme on their nature reserves. They are working with a local vet and landowners as part of a strategy to control the disease.

The ﬁrst evidence of breeding success for the endangered fen raft spider has been recorded at Castle Marshes nature reserve. In 2010 hundreds of spiderlings were translocated to the reserve.

The Trust has taken on the management of Blindley Heath Common, on behalf of Godstone Parish Council which owns the land. The Trust will be helping to restore and reconnect grassland habitats on the Common.

In July the Trust unveiled the new Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre and cafe, overlooking the famous shingle beach, on behalf of a local partnership. Find out more about the centre at wtru.st/ Chesil

Shropshire Wildlife Trust celebrated its 50th anniversary with a 70-mile trip down the River Severn in a prehistoric boat. Staff and volunteers paddled the Currach, highlighting the river’s wildlife and the threats it faces.

The Somerset Community Barn Owl project aims to get a nest box in each of the county’s 335 parishes. The project is visiting landowners to advise on habitat creation, erecting boxes and undertaking surveys.

It’s been a successful year for the Trust’s annual dormouse surveys, with high counts and young recorded. Seven individuals were even found together in the same nest box – it’s unusual to ﬁnd more than two.

New funding will enable the Trust to undertake further restoration work along the River Avon. The Trust is working with local angling clubs and landowners to restore parts of the river to a more natural state.

A new project will help reconnect people with the natural heritage of their local woodlands. New funding from the HLF will focus on Greno Woods and help local people develop new skills.

A scheme to restore the Tame Valley and ﬂoodplain has received new HLF support. The Tame Valley Wetlands Landscape Partnership will improve access to the river and to local heritage sites.

Thanks to habitat creation and restoration carried out on Noddle Hill local nature reserve by the Trust, great crested newts have been recorded breeding there for the ﬁrst time in recent years.

30 Winter 2012

Natural World 31

PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE

A tale of two webcams Life, death, relationship trouble and, above it all, triumph through adversity. You can’t beat a soap

opera – especially when it’s broadcast live to tens of thousands around the world

Peregrine Cam Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

The Dyﬁ Osprey Project Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust

After many years monitoring and protecting a peregrine falcon nest in Nottingham city centre, in 2011 we teamed up with Nottingham Trent University to launch a live nestbox web cam. It proved hugely popular. More than a quarter of a million people logged on to watch the peregrines rear another successful brood. For 2012 we upgraded the camera to high deﬁnition, and added a second which could zoom and move. Volunteer teams monitored the cameras and responded to blog posts and social media feeds. Then came a storm over the May bank holiday – followed by a run of cold, wet weather which stretched the peregrines’ endurance to the limit. Thousands across the globe tuned in to watch the family’s plight as, one by one, the chicks began to perish… Erin McDaid

Jan 25: the adult peregrines are visiting the nest site regularly. The new high-def and tracking cameras bode well for great footage

The project has run since 2009, with around 80 volunteers donating 8,000 hours each season. In the ﬁrst four years more than 130,000 people have visited the nest site, Cors Dyﬁ. This wetland peat bog reserve has become one of the UK’s premier osprey projects. 2012 saw new HD cameras streaming live on a brand new website. Facebook and Twitter have given the project a worldwide following of more than 10,000 people. The HD cameras – both video and still – have enabled them to observe osprey behaviour and ecology never seen before, in remarkable clarity. The 2012 season has been the best and, as you’ll see, the worst so far. The male is named Monty and the female (born in 2008 at Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust’s Rutland Osprey Project) is Nora. Here’s their 2012 story. Emyr Evans

March 24: Nora arrives from Africa ﬁrst; it’s usually male ﬁrst with ospreys. She uses the time to begin some ‘nestoration’

February: with the birds an almost permanent ﬁxture, visitor numbers are already up on in 2011. Regional TV helps

March 14: two weeks after the webcam goes live, the ﬁrst egg is laid. Three more follow, and visitor numbers soar

April 1: as the chicks grow, our new blog answers questions and provides detailed comment on the family’s progress

April 2: it’s not a good idea to keep a lady waiting, but Monty is nine days late. By now she only wants two things from him. Fish is one

April 10: Monty has no leg rings but his piercing orange eyes are easily recognisable. Adult ospreys’ eyes are usually bright yellow

April 18: Nora lays the ﬁrst of three eggs. It’s a joyous day, but the start of six weeks of 24 hour protection. Yes, collectors still take them

April 28: as the cold and rain begins, the male vanishes. The female must choose between staying with the chicks and ﬁnding food

April 30: with no let up in the weather, the female has to leave. Thousands watch in horror as, slowly, the chicks begin to perish

May 2: with one chick left, camera trafﬁc dips as people cannot watch. Instead 25,000 read the blog explaining why we don’t step in

May 29: two hatched, one to go. Amazing, considering the appalling weather during the incubation. Surely now it would improve?

June 7: a brief respite in the weather and Monty brings in a sea bass. Main prey ﬁsh in 2012: mullet 55%, trout 29%, ﬂounder 13%

June 8: mid Wales suffers its worst recorded storm. After 36 hours one chick remains after we intervene and feed him for 30 minutes

May 7: with both parents back, Storm (named in an online poll) begins to thrive. Watchers from 100 countries see him being ringed

32 Winter 2012

June: people watch anxiously each time Storm approaches the ledge. Finally he ﬂies – much to the delight of his worldwide fans

What’s next? Nottingham Trent University’s IT expertise and our wildlife knowledge helped make this one of the most popular webcams in the UK. In ﬁve months it had more than 800,000 views. Clearly, this is a way people want to engage with wildlife, and preparations are underway for 2013. NWT and the University plan to bring more live wildlife camera feeds online in the years ahead. ntu.ac.uk/falcons

July 6: named after the local river that burst its banks, Ceulan is more than ﬁve weeks old before his ﬁrst whole day without rain

August 6: the ﬁnal family portrait. The next day Nora (right) starts her migration. Monty (left) and Ceulan wait until September

What’s next? In Jan 2013 an appeal starts to raise funds for an extra camera, stereo nest audio and higher resolution live streaming. We want to bring people even closer to these remarkable birds that were extinct in Wales for several centuries. They should be back from Africa at the end of March. Follow their every move, and sound, via Facebook, Twitter and, of course, dyﬁospreyproject.com.

Natural World 33

LIVING LANDSCAPES Thierry didn’t fancy mowing the lawn every weekend. Now he cuts his wildﬂower meadow twice a year

One day, all gardens could be like this This summer The Wildlife Trusts and the RHS announced the six winners of their Big Wildlife Garden competition. Each one is an inspiration. Interviews by Sally Pepper

have been enjoying garden wildlife all my life, and it is clear from the many entries to the competition that I’m not the only one. A garden pond is a safe place to spot newts and pond-skaters. Bird feeders and nesting boxes provide a really intimate insight into bird life. Hedgehogs and bats at dusk, butterflies and bumblebees in the summer sun, the springtime soundtrack of the dawn chorus, – they all add enormously to the pleasure of a garden. What our winners have demonstrated so brilliantly is that with care and imagination any garden can become a happy habitat for people and wildlife alike. This is not lazy gardening. A more relaxed approach to leaf sweeping and grass cutting does yield dividends for some wildlife, but the best wildlife gardeners are those that combine horticultural skill with a love of nature and a desire to make a difference. There are many millions of gardens in towns and villages across the UK, and each one has potential. There are hundreds of thousands of garden ponds providing a real life-line for frogs and dragonflies. Sunflower seeds and fat bars are now the diet of choice for millions of garden birds, whilst flower borders have become the most reliable source of pollen and Chris Baines is nectar for a whole host of insects. vice President of The Wildlife Each individual garden is important, but collectively, a whole Trusts and author nation gardening for wildlife can make a world class of the best-selling contribution to conservation. Our competition winners have How to Make a shown what can be done. Now we need to turn every Wildlife Garden neighbourhood into a living landscape.

New residential A new-build with a boggy garden that had 42 species of edible plant in less than a year I always say to people that I buy a garden with a house, not the other way around. We’ve been here for two years and it’s the first garden I’ve put together properly with my partner Vibhuti Mion. My advice for a garden with a newly-built house would be to negotiate with the builders for added topsoil. Our builders lifted the fence and put on about 12 inches more soil, and put more drainage in. It was still waterlogged, so we decided to put in raised beds. We had access to a lot of the stuff builders tend to dump – salvaged things like scaffolding boards – but we worked very hard on a tight budget. We concentrated on planting fruit, veg and herbs, and had 42 varieties growing in the first year. We loved the south-facing nature of the garden. It’s quite a formal arrangement, but with lots of wild flowers. There are some large ponds just over our fence, so we get dragonflies, frogs and newts. We have similar trees to native ones, chosen for their colour and bark. I’d definitely do that again; white-barked forms of the birch, Betula jacquemontii, and Prunus serrula with coppercoloured bark that peels. My daughter Phoebe is seven. It’s all so new to her. She made a nest box and a week later blue tits were nesting in it. We bred some ladybirds in a jam jar and saw the whole process. Young ladybirds are incredible – they’re black and yellow and look quite ferocious. We had a dozen or so juvenile ladybirds, so now when I see a ladybird I wonder if it’s one of ours. Kathryn Entwistle, Lancashire

34 Winter 2012

Thanks to ponds next door and extra topsoil, Kathryn and daughter Phoebe get to enjoy newts and dragonﬂies as well as good things to eat

Small Residential Wildflower turf helped turn one couple’s tiny London garden into a mini meadow My wife Sarah and I moved in four years ago after living in a flat in Hackney that had no garden. The garden here is about four metres wide. To begin with I just wanted to get rid of its palm trees: we’re in England, not in the tropics! I’m not an expert but I’m not afraid of getting on with it; as a teenager I used to help my mum in our garden in Annecy near Geneva. Gardening is something I’ve always wanted to do. I drew it all on paper. I saw that my neighbours were mowing their lawns every weekend and I didn’t want to do that. I wanted somewhere near the kitchen where I could eat out and have a glass of wine. I dug out all the grass and spent weeks researching pre-seeded meadow turf. One thing to look out for is that some turf comes with a plastic mesh which isn’t biodegradable. You don’t usually see it, but you come across it if you want to move things around. And if I were doing it again I would go for a selection of grasses and flowers that are shorter, not one metre tall, because in the summer it gets long and starts to fall over. We get lots of bees. I was surprised how much they love the raspberries. We’ve got foxgloves, lavender, oregano and marjoram and the butterflies love it. The wildlife focus is a very good thing. I love coming home and being in the garden, and I don’t think about work. Thierry Suzanne, Forest Gate, London

Natural World 35

Find wildli a wealth fe of kn garden wilda owhow o ing n bout g org.u ardens. k

LIVING LANDSCAPES Large Residential A big, not-too-tidy garden established for 13 years and surrounded by native trees We moved in 13 years ago and the previous owner had done nothing but plant leylandii, which we removed. We had someone do the hard landscaping, then we took care of the planting. I’m the gardener and Terry is the wildlife expert: he volunteers at Sussex Wildlife Trust. We decided to have a native species wildlife hedge, with hawthorn, blackthorn and wild roses. We wish we’d never put blackthorn in it now because it suckers everywhere. The birds love it though. We’ve had all three species of woodpecker in the garden – green woodpecker especially, but also great spotted and lesser spotted. I think it’s really useful to see other gardens. Sticky Wickets at Buckland Newton in Dorset was very useful to us when we were planning the meadow. We just let things like foxgloves seed themselves. We don’t really do weeding. Some people like everything in its place. Our garden isn’t like that. Terry and Christine Oliver, Sussex Terry and Christine sorted out the hard landscaping, did a bit of planting – and then just invited nature to amble in

Q Watch an interview with Terry and Christine, and see a ﬁlm of their garden, on sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk

Community Once a neglected corner in a large allotment field; now a focus for the community There are 240 allotments here, like a big oasis surrounded by houses. I applied for mine four years ago and cleared it okay. Then I noticed an area in the far corner where allotments had gone wild and it looked like a dump. I thought it would make a great wildlife garden, so I went to the committee and they said, ‘We’ll fund it; you do what you want to do.’ I got a working party of allotment holders together. To start with it was all brambles and tins and bits of wood. We gathered all that up and took it to the dump and got a machine in to remove the brambles. We planted hazels, willows, cherry blossom, and a wildlife meadow with flowers and grass. We fenced the pond off for safety, and planted bulrushes and yellow irises and it looked really beautiful. It attracts pipistrelle bats, frogs and newts, the odd heron and loads of dragonflies. People sit there and watch the wildlife. It’s the first time I’ve ever taken on anything like that. I always liked wildlife and could see something could be done; to me it was just a waste. Today it’s lovely and beautiful. People say how nice it is. It’s made a hell of a difference. We take the children around and dig up potatoes and show them the ducks and chickens and the eggs. They draw pictures. There’s more discussion about wildlife. It seems to have brought everyone together. Dennis Wilkinson, chairman, Framfield Allotments, East London

36 Winter 2012

Pupils from Farsley Springbank primary school are free to enjoy the garden at break time

Educational A West Yorkshire primary school has a place where children can learn about wildlife, grow vegetables, and pick plants to eat. And they love it I started work here as a volunteer when my children were at the school and I was studying garden design. Then I was applying for jobs and the head teacher said: ‘No, come and work for us!’ So now it’s a part-time job. More work goes into it than it looks. When you’re making a wildﬂower meadow people think you just scatter the seeds, but you have to impoverish the soil. Either strip the grass off, or mow it and take the clippings off and keep doing that so no goodness goes back in. It’s a long process. I remember one child saying, ‘I think you’re the best gardener in the world, Mrs Fletcher.’ The children want to eat everything – they’re always asking ‘Can I eat the chives?’ The best event, I think, is the ﬁrst warm day each spring when it seems like every frog around comes to our pond. Helen Fletcher, gardener, Farsley Springbank Junior School, Yorkshire

Business A patch of industrial land, now transformed

Dennis (right) had help from Tom (centre), Patrick (left) and many other allotment holders to transform the overgrown plots and a huge pond

Allen Mitchell and wife Elizabeth reclaimed a quiet corner for everyone

I retired at 60. At first Elizabeth and I did voluntary work at a country park. Then someone asked if we’d tackle some rough ground belonging to the cement works two minutes from our house. The land was very overgrown, but after a while we found a bit of path and that was a turning point. We chopped down some trees and laid them down to form a natural edge – invertebrates live under the old trunks. We’ve been working on it for about a year, two days a week, eight to 10 hours a day. We’d come home needing a good bath. At the beginning I’d set myself targets, but then it would be too big a job. Just enter into it. Just roll with it and enjoy what you are doing. A kestrel nests in the cement works and he comes looking for food. We get greenfinches and goldfinches. And we’re right on the water so we get small mammals. This isn’t our village really. We’ve only been here three years, but people come in here now. We’ve made something better. Allen Mitchell, volunteer gardener for CEMEX, South Ferriby, Lincolnshire

Natural World 37

LIVING SEAS

What’s down there?

NORTHERN IRELAND

100 years ago people surveyed nature reserves with plus fours and butterﬂy nets. Today you need a SCUBA tank and an underwater camera. Three Wildlife Trust divers reveal what it’s like to record the plants and animals in a recommended Marine Conservation Zone

Octopus

DONATA DUBBER

Crystal seaslug

Purple sunstar and maerl

Sally Stewart-Moore Living Seas Volunteer, Ulster Wildlife Trust My diving buddy and I descend into the cool water armed with writing slates, quadrats and compasses. We’re surveying Antrim’s Red Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Twenty metres down I find a maerl bed. It’s a calcareous seaweed, and looks like an intricate pink interlocking jigsaw. Starfish and sea urchins are everywhere, including the beautiful purple sunstar and the starfish Luidia sarsi. Neither is common here, so they’re important records. Other cool critters include beautiful anemones and bryozoans, several crab species, and a lesser spotted dogfish. Our second dive reveals a patchy seagrass bed full of juvenile flatfish (it’s an important nursery ground), along with species such as greater pipefish and burrowing anemones. At the end of the day we get together to discuss our observations and submit our data, which will contribute to the management of this special site.

YORKSHIRE Dave Wood

Kat Sanders

GEORGE STOYLE

Common lobster Grey gurnard

Sunstar

KAT SANDERS

CARRIE PILLOW

Living Seas Ofﬁcer Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Murky water from cliff erosion means the Holderness coast is not known for its diving, but it’s been a ‘no-trawl’ site since 2000. At 15 metres, the water clears and reveals a myriad of life: multicoloured anemones, bright yellow sponges, white tunicates, wispy hydroids and rough mats of bryozoans. These creatures live most of their lives in one spot, waiting for food to come on the passing current. For our photographers it’s macro heaven. The seabed is a mixture of cobbles, pebbles and large shell pieces, with scattered large boulders and ridges of clay. The cobbles and boulders are covered in animal turf, while the clay is absolutely riddled with holes made by ‘boring’ animals such as piddocks. These records and photographs have helped secure Holderness a place in the recommended MCZ network. We hope further dives will gather more evidence of the life here. We’ll be supporting it all the way to designation!

Painted goby

GEORGE STOYLE

Actinothoe anemones

RACHEL COPPOCK

SIMON BROWN

Bib

Tompot blenny

DAVE WOOD

Dahlia anemone

RACHEL COPPOCK

Volunteer diver Kent Wildlife Trust Today’s dive is a wreck 15 nautical miles from Dover. We settle on the seabed at 27 metres and take in our surroundings: mainly chalk cobbles and shingle. The wreck is completely covered in bryozoans and hydroids (tiny marine animals). I’ve learned to recognise the species on courses organised by Seasearch, taught by experts from all over the UK and Ireland. When I started volunteering I noted species down on a slate, but now I use a camera. The wreck is home to a large shoal of bib, as many of the wrecks around Dover are. We also spot tompot blennies and edible crabs. After 20 minutes it’s time to head back. We’ve been so absorbed in our surroundings we’ve only covered eight metres. Back home I fill out the forms and check through the photos to find a bonus: a sponge covered in juvenile brittlestars that I didn’t notice at the time. It’s satisfying that my findings are contributing to the Trust’s Marine Conservation Zones work.

38 Winter 2012

GAVIN MAGUIRE

KENT

Lesser spotted dogﬁsh in seagrass

ROB SPRAY

Could you volunteer for your local Wildlife Trust as a Seasearch diver? Scientiﬁc training in identifying and surveying species is provided, and even if you’re an experienced diver it’ll transform your appreciation of the sea. Find a group near you on seasearch.org.uk. Info on all England’s recommended Marine Conservation Zones at wildlifetrusts.org/MCZfriends

SEASEARCH

More divers wanted!

Natural World 39

GREAT DAYS OUT

Ten great places to see

To spot a wild otter like this you either need to be lucky or patient. Either way you’ll have to get up early

Otters

Finding an otter is never easy, but these Wildlife Trust reserves offer you a good chance – and a great day out

Essex Nightwatch Essex Wildlife Trust

For the best chance of seeing an otter in Essex – and it’s a sighting with a difference – join a Trust-led Nightwatch, led by otter expert Darren Tansley. Infrared video cameras are used to observe wildlife at night, when rivers come to life. There’ve been some great sightings this way, including cubs. See essexwt. org.uk for details of events.

Smallbrook Meadows Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

Here water weaves through wet woodland, wildﬂower meadows, marsh, ditches and ponds. Otters are seen ﬂeetingly, especially early in the morning. Water voles are here too. Where is it? Southern edge of Warminster. Walk through boating park from Weymouth St, or from car park in Smallbrook Rd. Regular buses to town centre. BA12 9LH, OS ST880443.

Aughton Woods Lancashire Wildlife Trust

Remote ancient woodland on the River Lune and a hotspot for otters. It’s full of coppiced trees, often small-leaved lime. Also common sandpipers and oystercatchers from February. Where is it? 5 miles NE of Lancaster between Aughton and Caton. Car park at Crook ’o Lune; public footpath along the river. OS SD543663.

Gilfach Farm Radnorshire Wildlife Trust

Visitors often report seeing otters here. Last summer a family from Liverpool saw a female and two cubs walking along the nature trail in mid afternoon! The best time to visit is October to December, when otters come to the waterfalls to chase the leaping salmon. It’s the closest we get to British Columbia! Where is it? Off A470 between Rhayader and Llangurig to St. Harmon and Pantydwr. Turning marked by brown reserve signs. OS SN965717.

5 3 6

Portrack Marsh

Before you go

Staveley Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Great for otters – in 2012 it was home to a mother and two cubs who are often seen. Also good for many plants and birds, including locally rare short-eared owl and jack snipe. Where is it? 2.5 miles SW of Broughbridge. YWT car park just outside of Staveley village on the Minskip Road, with surfaced paths leading to the nature reserve. OS SE365634.

Take an early morning walk along the River Tees towards the reserve. Check the river, the canals and the riverbank; otters are regularly seen in the city. At the barrage, check the river for common seal and kingﬁsher too. Where is it? Centre of Stockton on Tees. From A66 follow signs for Tees Barrage, over the roundabout, right into Whitewater Way. Follow the road to the Talpore. OS NZ465194.

Tees Valley Wildlife Trust

Falls of Clyde Scottish Wildlife Trust

The reserve stretches along both sides of the Clyde Gorge and offers spectacular views of waterfalls. Look out for peregrine, badger, bats and otter, and learn more in the visitor centre. Where is it? 1 mile S of Lanark, signposted from all major routes. There’s a large visitor car park at New Lanark. OS NS881423.

The winding Glenarm River ﬂanks this beautiful semi-natural woodland and is the perfect spot to see otter hunting for salmon and trout in the sparkling waters below. Look out too for dipper, kingﬁsher and grey wagtail – and in the woods winter thrushes, common crossbill, siskin and red squirrel. Where is it? In the Glenarm Estate, Co. Antrim, off the B97 Ballymena Road. OS D304111.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Staveley reserve, a worked-out gravel pit

Nature Reserve 10 Glenarm Ulster Wildlife Trust

FIND MORE SITES LIKE THESE AT WILDLIFETRUSTS.ORG/OTTERS 40 Winter 2012

A stone’s throw from busy Winchester, otters pass daily through this wetland haven. Look for signs of these animals from the reserve’s many paths, boardwalks and bridges over the renowned River Itchen. Where is it? 3/4 mile walk from the train station, 1 /2 mile from Winchester bus station, or use park and ride. OS SO238DX, OS SU490306.

PAUL HOBSON

Hants and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

TIM BAILEY

Winnall Moors

Roman River Valley in Essex – one of the sites you can visit on a Nightwatch walk

Salmon Leap at Glenarm, Ulster

Winnall Moors, an otter hotspot just a stone’s throw from Winchester

WILTSHIRE WT

An urban site with easy access. Regular otter sightings, often during the day, plus kingﬁsher, little egret, dipper. Open weekdays except bank hols. There’s also an interpretation area with footage of otters visiting the Mill. Where is it? Exeter city centre. 15 mins on foot from the bus station, 20 from the train station. Matford Park and Ride: bus PR5. OS SX919922.

ULSTER WT

Devon Wildlife Trust

MARTIN DE RETUERTO

Cricklepit Mill

ESSEX WT

Otters are highly sensitive – avoid disturbing them or their habitat. The best time to see them is at dawn. Be still and patient, or walk quietly, and keep upwind. Disabled access and local public transport: check with the local Wildlife Trust via wildlifetrusts.org. Wider public transport: Google maps and transport direct.info. National cycle routes: sustrans.org.uk.

Smallbrook Meadows, a Wiltshire Wildlife Trust reserve

For our extended pdf guide to reserves with otters, visit wildlifetrusts.org/ otters

Natural World 41

LOCAL NATURE CHAMPION

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“I’m charmed when I find a frog hiding under a leaf” Cathryn Downing joined a special scheme to contribute even more to her local Wildlife Trust. For her, it’s a way of giving something back to nature, and making a difference

JASON CRITCHELL

ike many people, I’m concerned about the damaging impact humans are having on the natural world and I want to do something to counteract it, to make a difference. Through my local Wildlife Trust I can. It is a relief to know that the Trust manage large tracts of land for the benefit of wild plants and animals, that they constantly look for threats to existing habitats or opportunities to add to the vital wildlife corridors they maintain. Because they are a local organisation, I can see them in action. I can walk through a bluebell wood in Waresley or go dragonfly spotting in the Great Fen. I can also see and hear about the Trust in action outside their reserves. The Trust also educates people about the natural world, both on a practical level in their training workshops and at events like their Cambridge seminar on wildlife conservation. And they are doing a great deal to educate me. I need education because I am a gardener, and, for me, wildlife is what brings a garden to life. I am besotted when I see a bee or butterfly visiting a flower, and charmed when I find a frog hiding under a leaf as I weed a border. I love it that the birds in my garden know me, and I love being able to provide food and living space for as much wildlife as I can. So as a way of thanking me for my donation the Trust have sent a specialist to conduct a garden wildlife survey and give me personal, practical advice about managing my garden for wildlife. I’ve been a member of the Trust for many years and, when I learned that they were looking for a group of ‘Wildlife Guardian’ supporters who would contribute more to their core functions, I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to keep the Trust fit and ready to meet challenges, and able to take advantage of opportunities at a moment’s notice. Being a Wildlife Guardian has given me the enormous satisfaction of knowing that along with others I can make a difference, now – and not just in my own garden. COULD YOU HELP YOUR LOCAL TRUST ACHIEVE EVEN MORE FOR WILDLIFE? Contact your local Trust or go to wildlifetrusts.org/yourlocaltrust

42 Winter 2012

Good for business, great for wildlife Give Cumbria’s wildlife a 50th birthday gift by becoming a corporate member It’s a declaration that your business is committed to protecting and conserving our fragile natural heritage For details turn to page 26 or go to the website www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/corporate-membership

Protecting Wildlife for the Future

Croft Farm organic meat for sale

Enjoyed this magazine?

This is your chance to purchase some of the highest quality meat in Cumbria. Organic Longhorn cattle have been used for conservation grazing on the Trust's nature reserves in the north of the county.

If you have borrowed someone else’s copy of this magazine and enjoyed reading it, then why not make a donation to help protect Cumbria’s wildlife? Suggested donation is £3, please text WILD20 £3 to 70070.

To find out more and to order your meat, contact Susan Aglionby on 01228 549628 or email susan.aglionby@btinternet.com

However if you would like to give an alternative amount, simply amend the figure to £2, £5,or £10. Or if you would like to receive a regular copy, contact the Trust today to find out how to support us by becoming a member. www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk 43

We wish you a

Happy New Year! This year, why don’t you make one resolution to help your local wildlife?

Photo: Harry Hogg

Make 2013 the year you… grow and plant beautiful nectar-rich flowers for butterflies, bees and other insects sponsor a juniper and help Cumbria’s iconic tree make a comeback get to know your local nature reserve, head out on a work party leave a pile of logs on your plot for beetles, frogs and toads stretch your legs on a walk in Great Langdale on the High Fell audio trail and find out more about Cumbria’s historic landscape text a donation of £3 to help our work by texting ‘WILD20 £3’ to 70070).

Most of all, your continued support of Cumbria Wildlife Trust makes a big dif difference.

Thank you. @cumbriawildlife