NATURALIST
The growing deer population The combined population of deer in Britain today is estimated to be over two million. Of the six species present, only two are native to Britain, red deer and roe deer. Fallow deer were introduced by the Normans, and sika, muntjac and Chinese water deer were all introduced or escaped in the last century. There is also a small herd of reindeer which were brought to the Cairngorms in the 1950s and can still be seen there. Following a survey in 2016, the British Deer Society published online distribution maps of deer in Britain; five of the six species occur in Devon, only the Chinese water deer being absent. Seven sika deer were introduced on Lundy in 1927 and are still present on the island. Recently, whilst driving along a tree-lined section of a road across the moor, at the end of the day while still light, I saw two roe deer cross ahead of me. After spending the day in woodland, deer regularly move to more open areas to feed at dusk. Recent research indicates that over 74,000 deer may be involved in vehicle collisions each year in Britain. Increases in deer numbers and their distribution, particularly in urban areas, combined with more traffic, are resulting in many road traffic accidents each year. It is estimated that between 10 and 20 people are killed and over 700 injured every year as a result of accidents involving deer, either through direct collisions or swerving to avoid them. The cost of damage to vehicles alone is estimated to be at least £17 million. There is a peak in accidents during May, when young roe bucks are dispersing, and also from October to January associated with the increased movement of fallow, red and sika deer around the rut. You can reduce the risk of deer collisions by noting deer warning signs, and being more careful in wooded areas, especially around dawn and dusk. Highest-risk times are from sunset to midnight, and shortly before and after sunrise. Always report any deer-vehicle collisions to the police and try to remember to record the incident at www.deeraware.com/report-incident. You can also email the British Deer Society at info@bds.org. uk and include the following information: location, date, time, species and number of deer, plus any other comments. What is being done about it? The Deer Initiative, a broad partnership of statutory and voluntary organisations (including the RSPCA), founded the UK National Deer-Vehicle Collisions Project in
2003. If you wish to find out more about deer in Britain, the British Deer Society website at bds.org.uk has a lot of useful information. Unfortunately, deer can cause substantial damage to trees and woodlands by browsing trees. Their feeding can cause a range of problems, which can include stripping shoots, flower buds and foliage from plants, damaging woody stems, and eating the bark from younger trees. This mainly happens in winter when other food sources are scarce. In addition to the damage associated with their browsing/eating activities, male deer damage the trunks of younger trees by rubbing their heads and antlers against them. Deer also graze the understory vegetation, removing the feeding and breeding habitats for insects, birds and mammals.
Birds & butterflies If you love your garden birds, a new book all about the robin is due in September, by Helen Wilson (Reaktion Books). One of the best-known studies of robins, described so well in The life of the Robin (first published in 1943), was carried out by David Lack while he was a schoolteacher in South Devon at Dartington in the 1930s. A revised edition of the book is still in print, and is an excellent read. Finally, if you enjoy butterflies, there is still just time to take part in the Big Butterfly Count which runs until Sunday 7 August. All you have to do is choose a spot, count any butterflies you see for 15 minutes, and then enter your results on the website; just search for ‘Big Butterfly Count’ – there is even an online butterfly identification chart to help you.
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Anthony John
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