Northumberland Wildlife Trust - Roebuck 140

oebuck R

The Wildlife Trust Magazine for Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland

Issue 140 November 2016 - March 2017

Birds of prey

Northumberland raptors under threat

Water voles

Work begins on five year project

Otter survey The results are in plus news from around the UK

Hauxley

On course for spring 2017 opening

Our Wildlife 2016 Connecting people with nature

Cotswold Outdoor Discount for supporters

Contents Honey honey from North Tyneside

4

Squirrels future looks great for reds

5

Our wildlife 2016 at Blagdon Estate

6-7

econorth ltd scoops national award

8

state of nature we must act now

9

will brown

Local News

Funding allay claims ltd supporting Trust

10

restoring ratty bringing back water voles

11

9

Reserves & Volunteers local wildlife sites new online guide

12

hauxley latest update

13

Photography Competition

Corporates albion outdoors Director’s support

14

cotswold outdoor members’ offer

15

Conservation 16-17

Otters survey results are in

18-19

interns supporting the team

20

coastal wildlife is wonderful

21

15

12

Cotswold Outdoor

Siemens lends a hand kevin o’hara

raptors Northumberland’s birds of prey

UK News brexit can wildlife find a way norfolk wildlife trust happy birthday

22-24 25

nature is for everyone

26-27

vine house farm helping nature thrive

28-31

sos save our seabed

32-33

reserves top 10 ex-military sites

34-35

Patrons: Conrad Dickinson, Bill Oddie & Chris Packham President: Chris Mullin Vice Presidents: Charles Baker-Cresswell & Angus Lunn Vice President & Founder: Tony Tynan Chair: Sandra King Vice Chairman: Ian Armstrong & Graham Gill Honorary Secretary: Nigel Porter Honorary Treasurer: Rachel Bell

18-19 Survey results

Chief Executive: Mike Pratt Head of Marketing & Fundraising: Sheila Sharp Head of Conservation: Steve Lowe Head of Land Management: Duncan Hutt Head of Business Management: Jane Speak Development Manager: Nick Mason EcoNorth: Vicki Mordue, Managing Director

32-33

Save our seabeds

Find us on: NorthumberlandWT @NorthWildlife NorthWildlife

Chief Executive’s Comments

The future looks amazing

10

Thanks to our runners

r paul naylor

Northumberland Wildlife Trust Ltd Garden House St Nicholas Park Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3XT Tel: (0191) 284 6884 Fax: (0191) 284 6794 Web: www.nwt.org.uk

What a year it has been for the Trust! Looking back over 2016, we have achieved some amazing things and are continuing to succeed in our mission to improve the state of nature in our part of the world and to reconnect people to the value nature brings to all our lives - even though there is much still to be done.

It is in the nature of our work that every year is different, bringing its own challenges and opportunities as we live and work in a dynamic environment, political, economic, social world, where we cannot even take the climate for granted!

Overall, our adaptability and responsiveness to change is probably our biggest strength and we must never forget why we exist; everybody who contributes to this Trust as a volunteer, member of staff, trustee or member knows we are focused on our mission for nature and aim to make a positive difference. That is what drives us on each year.

Highlights this year? Well, our new visitor centre at Hauxley must be the biggest! It is not every year that your staff and volunteers build a visitor centre using the most eco-friendly materials; and it is not just any centre, but one that is impressive in design and quality, that promises to be a massive attraction when it opens next spring.

Northumberlandia has also grown in importance and the quality of what we are able to offer there with a small, but dedicated team of volunteers. It is now a fabulously attractive site with some great wildlife, visited by 80,000 people.

In addition, this year we have started a five year project to reintroduce water voles into Kielder (you can read a full report on page 11), are working hard to develop nature tourism into the area there, and have submitted a funding bid to initiate our big Kielderhead Wildwood initiative. Work has been continuing via our ‘Save Our Magnificent Meadows’ project which is made possible by National Lottery players and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to protect and extend our local own ‘magnificent meadows’ such as whin sill grasslands.

Our conservation team has done much to promote awareness and increase protection of our Northumbrian ‘Living Seas’ through the creation and management of Marine Conservation Zones to guard the wonders that lie beneath. We have also had promising results from our red squirrel surveys and red squirrel work through the efforts of Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE) and secured

Registered Charity No. 221819 Registered Company No. 717813 Registered in England & Wales VAT No. 556 103264 Roebuck Editor: Fiona Dryden Roebuck Designer: Richard Clark Thank you to all contributors.

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funding to extend squirrel conservation throughout the UK with the creation of the Red Squirrels United (RSU) project (for a full report, turn to page 5).

At the same time we are working tirelessly to keep our reserves maintained, developing new ideas and projects, bidding for funds to cover everything from protecting native crayfish to new land acquisition, fending off inappropriate development (such as opencast mining at Druridge Bay) and running a programme of public events and activities at locations around the county.

Our plans moving forward will include intensifying our impact in key areas: Kielder, Druridge Bay and in the urban areas of Tyneside, Newcastle and Northumberland. Here we aim to commit more energy than ever over the next five years to effect positive change for species, habitats and people.

The marine environment too will be an increased focus if we can draw in resources and we are planning to increase volunteering on the coast and elsewhere in partnership with others.

Whilst the dynamics of current politics and the economy, society’s scrutiny of charities and the ever difficult task of gaining funds for conservation are a strain, the truth is the future is an exciting one, building on all the achievements this year, taking forward new plans, working to make sure nature thrives and people enjoy and appreciate what it provides.

I can predict now that 2017 will be another impressive and amazing year for us, as we open our new Wildlife Discovery Centre at Hauxley and take forward a whole range of new projects and continue to take good care of what we are already committed to.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust and everyone associated with it are at the cutting edge of 21st Century conservation and we are making it happen.

Every supporter of the Trust is part of this effort, so thank you, yet again for your loyalty.

Mike Pratt Chief Executive Northumberland Wildlife Trust

Northumberland Wildlife Trust is a member of the largest voluntary organisiation in the UK concerned with all aspects of wildlife protection - The Wildlife Trusts. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Trust or the Editor. Whilst every effort is taken to check accuracy of the information contained herein, no responsibility can be taken for errors or omissions.

The contents are Copyright.

Front cover photo: Peregrine falcone © Neil Aldridge All other photos © NWT unless otherwise stated

Roebuck is printed on

martin kitching www.newtltd.co.uk

Local News

Honey, honey!

sarah buchanan

Swedish singing sensations ABBA may have sung about “Honey, honey” in 1974, but, much closer to home, the Trust continues to sing the praises of a brand of honey which is being produced and sold at Quorum Business Park in North Tyneside, with all proceeds going to support our conservation work.

‘Quorum Honey’ is produced on the site from seven hives which are managed by local bee keeper, Terry Hastings. Bees were first introduced in 2012 with two hives being based outside the hub; however, all seven are now based on-site in various discreet locations.

The honey, which is sold at local events, is perfect for allergy sufferers as it is produced from local bees, plus it doesn’t contain any sugar substitutes - so it ticks all the boxes. The amount of money raised this year is £93.

Not content with just selling honey in aid of the Trust, as part of its recent Quorum Wildlife Week which highlighted the bird boxes and feeders, hedgehog boxes and a wildlife trail, the Park held a raffle with the main prize being a wonderful wildlife themed cake, baked by wildlife lover Sarah Buchanan.

Anybody interested in buying jars of honey when the bees buzz back into action next spring should contact Laura Barber, Events & Sustainability Manager at Quorum Business Park on: (0191) 259 9874.

Bottlenose dolphin off Whitley Bay, September 2016

‘Joie de vivre’

I’m returning to one of my favourite questions… what is wildlife photography?

In its simplest form it’s photography that features wildlife, in the wild.

So, chaffinches in your garden? Yes, they are wildlife. Next-doorneighbour’s cat? Nope, definitely not. Next-door neighbour’s cat chasing chaffinches? Erm, OK, so there might be some grey areas. Kestrel hovering by the roadside? Yes. Sparrowhawk resting on your garden fence after catching a chaffinch? Yes, although you have to wonder just what chaffinches did in a previous life.

Kestrel, sparrowhawk, owl or eagle, sitting on a dry stone wall or perch because it’s been placed there by its ‘owner’? No, absolutely not, although you’d probably be surprised by the number of images posted in online photography groups of clearly captive birds that photographers try to pass off as ‘genuinely wild’.

Three-quarter length pin-sharp portraits of birds that were apparently so incredibly obliging that the photographer forgot to include the feet in their images are always a bit of a giveaway. Dolphins in a dolphinarium?

No, and neither are captive dolphins in any sort of swim-with-dolphins activity.

Dolphins in the wild, doing what they do because they can, and not because they’ve been trained? Absolutely! and this is why wildlife photography is so totally engaging, so, we head into winter, step outdoors with your camera (doesn’t have to be an expensive one) or phone and take some really wild photos and start a collection - you will be amazed how rewarding it is.

Martin Kitching Senior Guide Northern Experience Wildlife Tours www.newtltd.co.uk

A warm welcome to the Friends of Brierdene

4 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

ds of briardene frien

We are delighted to welcome the Friends of Brierdene Local Wildlife Site as affiliated members of the Trust.

It is a small coastal dene, on the northern edge of Whitley Bay covering an area of over five hectares containing neutral semi-improved grassland and scrub habitat which supports a variety of flowering and non-flowering plants, fungi, birds, mammals and invertebrates and is designated as a Local Wildlife Site.

The banksides of the Dene contain one of the best examples of semi-natural grassland in North Tyneside; surrounded by housing on both the northern and southern sides and by two roads on its eastern and western sides; the natural aspect of this site has been retained, even with the urban development.

There was added cause for celebration recently when the site retained the Green Flag Community Award for 2015/2016 for the fifth year running. Mike Pratt, Trust Chief Executive was delighted to present the Green Flag to a number of the Dene’s dedicated volunteers.

Steve Stone (front row, second left) and Mike Pratt (front row, second right) and the Friends of Brierdene

Reds rise again thanks to a team effort Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE) published the results of its fifth annual red and grey squirrel survey at the end of August, and, much to the delight of the team, the results show that red squirrels can still be found widely across the north of England, with populations in seven counties.

For the first time since the annual survey began in 2012, last year (2015) found grey squirrels present in more sites than reds. RSNE is delighted to report that this has been reversed, with red squirrels detected in more sites than greys in 2016.

Factors such as wet weather and a lack of natural foods favoured by grey squirrels such as beech nuts and acorns in autumn 2015 are likely to have influenced the result, coupled with a huge conservation effort by RSNE staff, private estates and hundreds of community volunteers across the north of England working together to protect red squirrels.

This year’s results have shown that red squirrel range has remained stable from last year, with 44% of sites surveyed containing the rare mammal.

Grey squirrels have fared poorer having been found in only 37% of sites, compared to 47% of sites last year. This result follows two successive years of grey squirrel range expansion and provides some welcome news for the thousands of people involved in red squirrel conservation across the north of England.

In North Northumberland, the survey once again confirms Kyloe’s status as a stronghold for red squirrels thanks to the efforts of the Berwick Red Squirrel Group and RSNE Ranger Ian Hardie.

The woods are constantly and extensively monitored for grey squirrel incursion and trapped by group volunteers when greys are detected.

Anybody wanting to get involved with the group should call John Rae on 07536 076 131 or email him: john.rae@berwickredsquirrelgroup.org.

In South East Northumberland, RSNE staff member Christine Westerback carried out a survey in Choppington Woods and, although she didn’t see a red squirrel, was delighted when the hair samples collected during the two week period turned out to be from a red.

Chris has done the survey for a couple of years now and has only seen grey squirrels, having lost the reds to squirrel pox. Needless to say, she is pleased to know that there are red squirrels back in the woodlands and is looking forward to trying to spot them, with her young grandsons when she retires at the end of this year.

Across in Cumbria, greys were not seen on a number of sites within the Lake District, and their absence was particularly significant in locations where they had been seen in 2015; one such location is Tarn Hows, a National Trust property near Coniston. This goes to prove that, yet again conservation work in the area by RSNE rangers and its volunteers is having some effect, which greatly helps them protect the strong population of reds further north in Grasmere.

In Yorkshire, a red squirrel was spotted for a number of days in a Buckden garden for the first time in many years, and in the Yorkshire Dales National Park red squirrels are doing well in the core woodland areas.

There are many opportunities to view red squirrels in the north of England and the results of this survey show just how important it is that communities continue to cherish and protect this beloved animal. For information on where you can see red squirrels or to report your sightings, visit www.rsne.org.uk. photo © david baird

November 2016 - March 2017 ROEBUCK 140 5

Our Wildlife 2016 The wildest event of the summer

O

n Saturday 20 August, and for the second year running, the Trust hosted its Our Wildlife outdoor festival at Blagdon Estate.

The event was made possible by kind permission of Lord and Lady Ridley who gave us exclusive public access to Blagdon Hall’s gardens which are normally closed to the public, and was the highlight of the Trust’s 2016 events calendar.

Hundreds of people braved the August showers to enjoy a host of wildlife experiences throughout the day where they were given the opportunity to get ‘hands-on’ with the wildlife of Blagdon Estate from wildlife spotting, moth trapping, small mammal and bush crafts to campfire cooking, pond

all Blagdon H

Tyneda le G Weave rs, Spin uild of ners & Dyers

6 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

dipping, animal encounters and more.

Experts were on hand throughout the day offering advice on where to watch wildlife and the chance to create a five star dining experience for birds by making biodegradable bird feeders from cardboard and decorated with peanut butter and seeds.

In addition, visitors were given a demonstration in fleece preparation by The Tynedale Spinners and Weavers (members of the Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers) and offered the opportunity to try their hand at spinning the fleece whilst being serenaded by a team of Northumbrian Pipers.

There was a treat for adrenaline junkies when Trust patron and polar explorer Conrad

Dickinson, who guided Prince Harry during the Walking with the Wounded 2013 South Pole Allied Challenge, delivered the keynote speech on his numerous polar exploits and his encounters with wildlife both on his Arctic travels and much closer to home in Northumberland.

The event was sponsored by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Campfi re Cook ing

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Blagdo n Esta Garden te

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Anima

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Explorer ickinson Conrad D

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Face Pa int

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November 2016 - March 2017 ROEBUCK 140 7

Local News

Ecologists delighted at national award ciria

The winning team. Representatives from: Carillion Plc, Northumberland County Council, Land Securities (award sponsor) and EcoNorth Ltd econorth ltd

EcoNorth Ltd is delighted that a joint project with Carillion plc, for client Northumberland County Council: The Morpeth Northern Bypass - a 3.8km single carriageway with a separate 2.5m wide combined cycleway/footway, four road junctions, two bridge structures, two underpasses with mammal shelves and one mammal tunnel along the route of the bypass - won a national biodiversity award in September.

The BIG Biodiversity Challenge organised by CIRIA (the Construction Industry Research and Information Association) and its biodiversity group is an initiative which aims to celebrate awareness of the need for biodiversity to become a key component within the construction and development industry, ensuring it becomes an integrated part of planning and projects.

Now in its third year, the Challenge has continued to grow from 50 case study entries to over 150 across all eight categories and the Morpeth Education Hub was shortlisted, along with two other projects for the Community Engagement Award.

The Morpeth Northern Bypass Education Hub and Programme which was developed by the site team - senior managers, engineers, apprentices, foremen and EcoNorth Ltd - is both a virtual and physical classroom.

Active for over 12 months now, the Education Hub provides an online space where visitors can learn more about the ecological enhancements of the site.

To date, the Hub has spent over 230 hours of the project team’s time delivering education presentations to over 350 people - from 5 to 70 years of age.

Prior to the establishment of the Education Hub Programme there weren’t any construction sites sharing knowledge and information about biodiversity enhancements, their monitoring and incorporation of ecological considerations into the design and construction process.

Building an otter holt

Working with EcoNorth has been a pleasure as well as educational, and we’ll be continuing that partnership for the remainder of the project as the protection and conservation of local ecology and engagement with the local community are both aspects we see as key to the success of the Morpeth Northern Bypass.

Leanne August, Senior Sustainability Manager, Carillion Plc

Annual General Meeting This year’s AGM was held as part of the Our Wildlife 2016 event at Blagdon Hall on Saturday 20 August.

Three Directors, John Barber, Angus Lunn and Nigel Porter, were re-elected to Council, and a Special Resolution was passed which will allow the Annual Report

8 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

and accounts to be provided to members via the Trust website www.nwt.org.uk from January 2017.

As part of the AGM notice the Trust will inform all members when the accounts have been uploaded and will supply a hard copy to any member upon request.

Will brown

The 2017 North East Wildlife Photography Competition has just launched with the three north east Wildlife Trusts, the Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) and the Great North Museum: Hancock joining forces for the fifth year in succession..

As well as a chance to win a fantastic prize, your entries will also help to highlight the wonderful wildlife that can be found in the North East, large

and small, so it really is worth entering. The 2016 competition attracted over 1500 entries.

As with previous years, there are six competition categories to enter, prizes for each category winner and runners-up, plus an overall winner prize of £250.

For further details on the competition, such as rules and how to enter, visit the website at www.northeastwildlifephoto.co.uk.

Entry is free and open to everyone, but photographs must have been taken in the North East. If you submit your entry early you might spot it on marketing materials or in the magazine.

Closing date, midnight Monday 15 May 2017. Winners announced, Thursday 6 July 2017 at Great North Museum: Hancock.

More than one in ten UK species threatened with extinction It’s not too late to save UK nature but we must act now - that is the conclusion from a coalition of more than 50 leading wildlife and research organisations behind the State of Nature 2016 report.

Following on from the State of Nature report in 2013, leading professionals from 53 wildlife organisations have pooled expertise and knowledge to present the clearest picture to date of the status of our native species across land and sea. The report reveals that over half (56%) of UK species studied have declined since 1970, while more than one in ten (1,199 species) of the nearly 8000 species assessed in the UK are under threat of disappearing from our shores altogether.

In Northumberland, we are particularly

concerned about much of our upland and coastal wildlife. Curlews and lapwings used to breed in abundance in the uplands of Northumberland but they’ve suffered huge declines in the past few decades. Over on the coast, little terns are falling victim to climate change as are other seabirds like kittiwakes.

Wildlife in urban areas such as Newcastle and Gateshead is also under threat with hedgehogs, swifts and great crested newts in serious trouble.

Nature is crucial to our wellbeing, so it really is about choosing ‘life’ and putting it first every time.

The Trust is striving to ensure wildlife has the best possible government protection and in August wrote to the region’s nine MPs asking them to sign the Green Alliance’s Pledge for the Environment.

The natural world is in serious trouble and it needs our help as never before.

Sir David Attenborough, President Emeritus, The Wildlife Trusts

November 2016 - March 2017 ROEBUCK 140 9

Michelle mcguire

Funding Allay donation supports the Trust The Trust would like to thank Allay Claims Ltd for a donation of £1,570.

Each month the Newcastle based company donates £10 on behalf of every member of staff (currently 157) to a charity selected by its employee of the month.

Callum Wood, sales advisor who lives in Dipton, County Durham, chose the Trust as he grew up around animals and feels that humans do so much damage to their habitats that he’d like to give something back, which is great news for us, given our recent work to safeguard the declining habitats of hedgehogs.

Allay Claims Ltd is a team of finance professionals which guides and assists consumers through the process of claiming refunds for mis-sold PPI policies and, to date has helped thousands of clients to win back considerable amounts of money.

Callum Wood, Allay Claims Ltd employee of the month

Running for wildlife Many thanks to the 22 runners who took part in this year’s Great North Run on our behalf - as always, your support is much appreciated.

Anybody wishing to take part in the race next year on our behalf can register their interest with Christine O’Neil at the Trust on, (0191) 284 6884 or email her at christine.o’neil@northwt.org.uk.

Mirian Waite and Katy Cook

Our runners this year: Katy Cook Andrew Cosham Tracy Evans Ian Fielder Nigel Gallivan Michelle Gibson Tania Gibson Neil Harrington Sue Hudson Zoe Jones Ben Lester

James McKenna Keith Merrin Martin Middlemiss Olly Moore Danny Morris Natalie Reid Chris Smart Russell Tait Andrew Thirlwell Miriam Waite Alex Zeller

Keith Merrin

Neil Harrington

Autumn legacies As the year draws to a close, the Trust is delighted to have received seven legacies totalling £34,551 from both members and non-members: Margaret Taylor, Margaret Bright, Mary Robinson, John Ord, David Hindhaugh, John Pyper and Margaret Cameron.

10 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

If you are inspired by the wildlife and landscapes in our region, please consider leaving us a legacy to safeguard them for future generations. www.nwt.org.uk/legacies.

A vole new world The Trust is delighted to announce that ‘Restoring Ratty,’ an ambitious five year partnership project aimed at the reintroduction of water voles to the Kielder area of Northumberland is now underway thanks to National Lottery players and a grant of £421,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The Project will establish a sustainable population of water voles within Kielder Water and Forest Park (KWFP), on the upper catchment tributaries of the Kielder Burn and North Tyne above Kielder Reservoir.

Operating out of Kielder Castle, the Project’s

partners, Forestry Commission England, Tyne Rivers Trust and Northumberland Wildlife Trust, are committed to working together to make this project a success.

To achieve this, a team of volunteers and conservationists led by newly appointed project officers Graham Holyoak and Kelly Hollings will carry out a programme of captive breeding and reintroduction of voles to areas with suitable wetland habitat where there is an absence of its main enemy, American mink.

The water vole, brought to life as ‘Ratty’ in Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows, has been declining in the UK for many years due to predation from the aforementioned American mink, which have contributed to the loss of about 94% of their former range in Great Britain, and habitat losses. It is now largely absent from the region although strong populations remain in the north Pennines.

The project started in earnest at the

beginning of September with volunteers surveying for water voles in the North Pennines and their subsequent removal in a bid to establish a captive breeding population to begin reintroduction.

Engagement with local communities, volunteers, visitors and wider landowners will be key to establishing a long term future for the water voles and there will be many opportunities for people of all ages to get involved in the project.

The forthcoming work builds on three years of detailed planning and habitat created by wildlife experts and Kielder’s foresters and year-round mink surveys with volunteers gathering over 1000 records, over the course of thousands of hours, all of which have indicated that Kielder is now a great place for water voles ensuring ‘Ratty’ can now make a triumphant return to our riverbanks where it rightfully belongs.

PHOTO: Tom marshall

Follow the project online: www.nwt.org.uk/restoringratty RestoringRatty

Reserves & Volunteers duncan hutt

Little Harle Pasture

New guide calls on everybody to protect wildlife We have joined forces with the other 46 UK wildlife trusts to publish a new online guide which highlights the vital importance of Local Wildlife Sites across the country whilst offering advice to landowners, developers and volunteers on how to protect such valuable areas.

Local Wildlife Sites support a huge array of wildlife, but lack the status of national wildlife sites and therefore do not always benefit from the recognition needed to ensure protection and the right kind of care.

The Wildlife Trusts’ report, ‘Secret Spaces: The status of England’s Local Wildlife Sites 2014’, drew on evidence which suggests that more than 10% of the 6,590 Local Wildlife Sites monitored have been lost or damaged in the preceding five years, and with predicted growth in housing, new roads and other infrastructure all set to increase, wildlife is becoming increasingly vulnerable.

Local Wildlife Sites are integral to the work the Trust does; they are designated wildlife sites that are decided upon by the Local Sites Partnership,

which we chair. The Trust holds all records of Local Wildlife Site information, which it charges consultancies to access as part of the planning development process.

A number of our reserves including Big Waters, Weetslade, Priestclose Wood, Evelyn Howick Memorial and Little Harle Pasture, are Local Wildlife Sites and form a vital network of wild habitats.

The online guide can be downloaded from: www.nwt.org.uk/publications.

Balsam pulling at Beltingham Thank you to ten staff from Siemens PLC’s Power Generation Services Division who swapped the indoors for the outdoors at the end of August and headed up to our Beltingham River Gravels reserve, south of Bardon Mill.

The group, which is usually based on the Cobalt Business Park in North Shields, spent the day in glorious sunshine removing Himalayan balsam from the site which is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for the unusual plants it supports including thrift, alpine penny-cress, mountain pansy and dune helleborine.

Himalayan balsam is a problem because of its exploding seed pods with each plant producing around 800 seeds and the exploding pods spreading them up to 7m. When the balsam dies back in winter it leaves large areas of exposed soil with minimal root structure holding it together, which, on river banks such as our Beltingham reserves, can lead to erosion.

Alpine Penny Cress

BELTINGHAM & CLOSE HOUSE: A great effort by volunteers and a group of ten Siemens employees has enabled us to bring the Himalayan Balsam back to low numbers on both reserves.

We have also installed a new interpretation panel at Beltingham with information about the

Calaminarian habitat.

grassland

Newsham Pond: Volunteer wardens have met with local police to discuss solutions to the increase in anti-social behaviour on the reserve in recent months. No fishing signs have been erected in the pond.

12 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

Big Waters: Following comments from Natural England we have reduced the area of blackthorn scrub in the southern meadows. The cut stems have been used to create a dead hedge to protect the boundary of the woodland.

We have also cleared areas of typha from the

dipping pond and in front of the small hide to improve visibility from the disabled access window.

Volunteer wardens have been busy painting and making improvements to the small hide which now looks fantastic.

Holywell Pond & South Close Field: Volunteers and staff took part in training in the art of scything at the two reserves over the summer.

Whilst it was hard work, it was also enjoyable and we hope to use our new found skills in the future (probably on smaller grasslands)!

Juliet’s Wood: The solar kiln installed at the start of the year has worked really well, producing lots of timber that we can use on the reserves. Combined with the chainsaw mill we are able to leave a good deal of deadwood on the reserve whilst reducing our reliance on bought timber.

The last lap Work continues apace on the construction of the new Wildlife Discovery Centre on our Hauxley reserve (part of our Dynamic Druridge project) which has all been made possible by National Lottery players thanks to a grant of £400,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

In total, 105 different volunteers have taken part in the project amassing an amazing 2172 days between them. Work has included plastering, cladding, plug planting on the green roof, putting down the clay floor, decking and the ever important filling of the odd gabion! Around the reserve new seats and screens have been installed and work has continued on the creation of the woodland trail.

A problem with flooding in 2015 prevented us from undertaking the important works to upgrade the footpath down to the Ponteland Hide, however, in Autumn 2015, Northumberland County Council removed the culvert from the Bondi Carr, resolving this problem. This work has also lowered the water levels at the bottom end of the reserve and our dedicated team of volunteers who undertake the

Follow progress of the build via Facebook at: HauxleyNatureReserve weekly bird counts for Hauxley have reported an increase in both species and numbers of birds as a result of the improved habitat.

Species such as bar and black-tailed godwit, common and curlew sandpiper, greenshank, little stint, ringed plover and ruff have all been recorded.

Major earthworks have also taken place on the new land at the far end of the reserve to create a number of wetland scrapes providing even more improved habitat for wildlife.

It’s not just about the birds, as our resident great crested newts have received some new winter homes. Staff and volunteers have created ‘hibernacula’ made out of old bricks and logs covered with turf which offers plenty of nooks and crannies for them to shelter in.

We have been extending our open days to a full weekend and, to date, 2708 people have visited the reserve to enjoy the wildlife and check on the progress of the new Discovery Centre.

A spotted sandpiper, a rare American visitor, very obligingly made an appearance at our open weekend on 13 and 14 August which resulted in

Progress continues on the Wildlife Discovery Centre

visitor numbers reaching a maximum so far of 402.

Hauxley open days continue on the second weekend of every month, so come visit our staff on-site at see the progress first hand.

The Trust, along with all its members and supporters are looking forward to the building being completed and would like to thank our volunteers for their tireless dedication to the build project in all seasons and in all weathers – without them we would still just have a hole in the ground. tim mason

Spotted sandpiper

The new wetland habitat at the south end of the reserve

Mill Burn: The conifer plantation within which the reserve sits is due to be felled soon.

With this in mind we have dismantled the fence which was attached to trees at the top of the reserve. We managed to salvage most of the wire which can be reused on other reserves.

N’umberlandia: We had a very busy summer with nearly 15,000 visitors in August alone!

Tesco Bags of Help funded work is well underway transforming the woodland walk and the front of the visitors centre.

Three local schools have been helping us plant bulbs in our woodland, so

look out for splashes of colour come spring.

West Fleetham: The Water Soldier put in a late appearance this year, however there was only a small number of plants which were easily removed.

Weetslade: The volunteer wardens have done a fantastic job keeping the park looking its best over the busy summer period.

Amenity grassland management has been carried out over the summer and a small patch of Balsam has been removed.

Whitelee: Coir logs installed over the last two winters are beginning to make a difference with a reduction in peat erosion and vegetation starting to colonise bare peat areas.

Natural England funding will hopefully allow us to employ a digger operator over the winter. We hope to

install peat dams to further improve an area that was dammed with plastic piling 15 years ago.

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Corporates albion outdoors

Director’s 30 year support for Trust

albion outdoors

Albion Outdoors is delighted to have been a corporate member of the Trust since 2012 and director John Hartshone has been an individual Trust member for over 30 years.

As an organisation, Albion Outdoors provides residential and single day ecological fieldwork to support Key Stage 4, A-level and university courses. Based in Otterburn, it operates throughout the North East and all its tutors are qualified science teachers with expertise in teaching ecology outdoors.

Each of its courses is specially designed to meet the needs of the teachers and students, be that learning about mire ecology and carbon capture, the use of statistics, biotic indices or the new specified practical assessments. It fundamentally believes in the concept of ‘Learning outside the classroom’ which the Trust highly endorses, and all its courses show the application of ecological studies to environmental management decisions.

Data collected by students is fed into local and national data bases such as ERIC NE (Environmental Records Information Centre for the North East of England) and BRC (Biological Records Centre) which reinforces the relevance of ecological work and its possibilities as a career pathway.

ALBION OUTDOORS inspiring knowledge in nature

Northumberland Wildlife Trust offers three levels of corporate membership which are designed to enhance your Corporate Social Responsibility commitments, provide year-round benefits to your business and support your staff development, PR and marketing strategies. You choose the level that you feel reflects your company’s commitment to the local environment.

To find out more about becoming a corporate member contact our Marketing Office on 0191 284 6884 or via email to sheila.sharp@northwt.org.uk

BRONZE

SILVER

GOLD

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Howick Hall Gardens www.howickhallgardens.org

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Northern Experience Wildlife Tours www.northernexperiencewildlifetours.co.uk

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Northumberland County Council www.northumberland.gov.uk

North East Chamber of Commerce www.ne-cc.com

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Blyth Harbour Commission www.portofblyth.co.uk

Ord House Country Park www.ordhouse.co.uk

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Croft Veterinary Hospital www.croftvets.co.uk

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Hexham Steeplechase Co Ltd www.hexham-racecourse.co.uk

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Berwick Holiday Park www.haven.com/parks/ northumberland/berwick

14 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

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Conservation photo: neil alderidge

The changing fortunes of Northumberland raptors It is always a good day when you see a raptor. It might be a winter merlin hunting waders as the tide comes in on Lindisfarne, or a sparrowhawk dashing through your garden. But how are bird of prey populations doing in Northumberland?

W

e are fortunate in the county that raptor populations have been studied over a long period of time; monitoring by the Northumbria Ringing Group goes back to the early 1970s.

This gives us the opportunity to take stock and see what has changed since those days. Perhaps surprisingly, most populations of raptors have increased!

The buzzard is a species that most people are familiar with since it recolonised the county in 1981. I still enjoy watching a buzzard slowing soaring around giving its evocative ‘mewing’ call. With at least 400 500 pairs in Northumberland, according to The Northumbria Bird Atlas, 2015, this is now a thrill that everyone can enjoy.

Goshawks however, are more elusive and live a very secret life.

They are only really seen well in the early spring when they display over large forested areas. Their population is slowly increasing with now about 40 pairs - exciting times as they could be now be poised, if allowed, to spread across the county.

Another exciting “hooky beak” whose presence is well known to Northumberland Wildlife Trust members, is the osprey. They first nested at Kielder in 2009 and have continued to increase their numbers with four pairs this year. The increasing population of osprey means that you can now get lucky and come across a fishing osprey on just about any lake or stretch of river in Northumberland. Surely it is just a matter of time until a pair is found breeding away from Kielder.

The marsh harrier is another species that colonised in 2009 with a breeding pair on the Trust’s reserve at East Chevington. This territory has been occupied every year since. Their reliance on reed beds for nesting means that the marsh harrier will never be widespread in the county. Hopefully however they will spread and colonise in other reed beds in the future.

Most Roebuck readers will know the wretched saga of the hen harrier and its sad decline as a breeding bird in England. It came as a real surprise, therefore, when they nested again in the county. In 2015

LIVING SEAS: Aurelie Bohan, Trust Living Seas Officer, organised the ‘Big Watch Weekend’ on behalf of ERIC, which consisted of two training sessions run by MarineLife and Orca, which included organising a network of volunteers and a ‘hub’ site for members of the public to drop by and gain more information or assist new

volunteers with the survey.

This was viewed as a success with 53 people trained in cetacean survey and 149 people calling in to the ‘hub’ over two days.

Aurelie also ran Splash Down II, a marine based summer school for children aged 11 - 14, run in conjunction with Newcastle University using their facilities. Sixteen

16 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

children attended the week which included the opportunity to go on board the Newcastle University Research Vessel, the Princess Royal. This was a really successful week with enthusiastic children and very positive feedback from both the children and their parents.

The Berwickshire and Northumberland Marine

a beautiful grey adult male nested with two females who both managed to successfully fledge some young. Happily, two pairs bred successfully this year although, it is very worrying that these Northumberland birds represented two thirds of the entire English breeding population!

In recent years we have become accustomed to the excitement of seeing our most spectacular falcon. Picture the scene when, all around young birds take flight and fill the air and you fix your binoculars on a soaring peregrine before it plunges down only to disappear out of sight! After several decades of an increasing peregrine population in the Northumberland uplands, they are now struggling with many pairs failing to produce any young in recent years.

Our smaller falcons are also having a tough time. Northumbrian merlins, as elsewhere in Britain, are struggling to breed successfully; only one chick fledged from the whole of Border Forest area last year.

Nests are failing for a variety of reasons from predation and poor weather, to a decrease in the small birds that they rely on for prey.

Kestrels appear to be having mixed fortunes in the county. Whilst lowland breeding populations seem to be just about holding their own, they have undergone a massive decline in our uplands. Ironically, the recent increase in population of goshawk and buzzard, may be contributing to the kestrel’s difficulties by predation of adult birds and competition for their favourite vole prey.

So what next for our raptor populations? Although we have had many recent success stories to celebrate, such as our osprey and buzzard, there are still significant challenges for many species. The threats to our Northumberland birds come from both nature and sadly, also from man. Whilst many of us find our lives enhanced by the sight of a hunting raptor, our view is not shared by all. There are a few who don’t want to tolerate a vibrant raptor population.

Martin Davison Chair, Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club

Nature Partnership has been established. This is a collaboration of more than 20 Scottish and English organisations, including the Trust, responsible for managing our local inshore waters. This new larger partnership now plans to coordinate management for the entire network of inshore Marine Protected Areas.

NORTH TYNESIDE VOLUNTEERING: Steve Lowe, Head of Conservation has been in discussions with North Tyneside Council regarding the creation of a new volunteer scheme as part of its Heritage Lottery Fund application at St. Mary’s Island.

DYNAMIC DRURIDGE: Work on the new Wildlife Discovery Centre at Hauxley, funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, is now in its final stages and the Trust foresees it opening spring 2017.

Planning is underway for celebratory events for the wonderful volunteers once the project is complete.

Juvenile peregrine falcon

Martin Davison

Martin Davison

A brood of young goshawk in Kielder Forest

Young merlins at Kielder

Trust staff are also already thinking of ideas for a Dynamic Druridge Phase II project, which promises to be just as exciting.

LOCAL WILDLIFE SITES: The Trust received ÂŁ25,000 from Newcastle City and North Tyneside Councils to undertake a review of the inventory of Local Wildlife

Sites (LWS) for Newcastle and North Tyneside.

The review, led by Conservation Officer Sarah Beeson, identified two new Local Wildlife Sites namely the ponds to the North of Big Waters and Scotswood Community Gardens, and potentially a third - the Station Master’s Cottage in Whitley Bay. Currently, the majority of sites are still

meeting criteria for them to retain their designation.

COASTAL GRASSLANDS PROJECT: Trust conservation officers are currently developing a project focused around wet/coastal grassland creation and management for key waders and wildfowl species such as

golden plover and lapwing.

This work will tie in land acquisition gained through biodiversity offsetting in the planning system and comprises a suite of key sites for arable reversion, habitat creation and habitat management, which just goes to show how important planning can be for wildlife.

ERIC (North East): Steve Lowe is now chairing ERIC (NE).

ERIC has submitted to ALERC (Association of Local Environmental Record Centres) for accreditation; the aims of ALERC Accreditation are to identify a minimum level of standards, to build confidence in ALERC as bodies which hold

biodiversity information in trust for society and manage public resources properly.

November 2016 - March 2017 ROEBUCK 140 17

photo: amy lewis

Conservation

Otter Survey 2016 - the results are in!

I

n June 2015, the Trust received a legacy from Berwick resident Vera Wainwright, who had been a Trust member for 15 years. She left us a substantial legacy, with a specific request that the gift was applied to an otter project in Northumberland.

We were very grateful to receive this support because we have been at the forefront of this species’ conservation at both a county and national level for decades.

The Trust led the way in otter conservation projects across the country and carried out an almost continuous annual countywide survey for otter signs between 1990 and 2003, using large numbers of dedicated volunteers. This provided a virtually complete set of presence and absence data for the county and has been used as the yardstick for otter conservation efforts in the region ever since.

It was, in the end, the success of these conservation efforts, with otter populations doing generally very well in the region, with over 80% of sites showing signs of otter presence, that brought

18 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

the county otter surveys to a close in 2003. Specific conservation measures aimed principally at otters could be more generically applied through other major aquatic conservation projects and policies, such as the implementation of elements of the Water Framework Directive.

So, with the legacy, it was quickly agreed that a survey to re-examine the current presence or absence of the otter within the county would be a pertinent use of funds, plus the funding would allow us to explore additional elements, such as current otter ecology through DNA analysis.

In keeping with the spirit of Vera Wainwright’s legacy wishes, the survey was largely volunteer led, with teams re-visiting the historic county survey sites to ascertain otter presence through the identification of otter spraints, footprints and other signs.

It was great to be involved back in some real otter conservation after so many years and plenty of volunteers were trained to identify the signs of otter and differentiate between other wildlife signs likely to be encountered along our rivers and

streams habitats.

Volunteer surveyors were allocated survey sites along stretches of the county’s rivers and allowed to visit their sites at will, between certain set dates (to allow a settled period of weather for the optimum recovery of otter signs).

Evidence was collected and recorded and where needed, returned to the project team for verification, something our reception staff always welcome! Any gaps in the survey map were completed by the project team to attain full coverage of remote sites. This again gave a great opportunity to get back into the field and sample otter spraint.

The results from the surveys were great - far above what we expected, given the vagaries of the region’s weather. Consistent proof of otter presence was recorded and across the county results indicated a slight increase in presence since the last full county survey in 2003.

Specifically 164 sites (91%) from the 180 sites surveyed showed signs of otter presence, an increase of 3%.

This survey would not have been possible without Vera Wainwright’s financial support.

A legacy to the Trust, no matter how small, enables us to continue our conservation work. If you would like to know more about how you leaving a legacy to us, visit:

kevin o’hara

www.nwt.org.uk/legacies

These results give an indication of the continued good, healthy status of otter in Northumberland and are a reflection of a healthy environment able to sustain such a presence over the extended period (13 years) since the last survey. The River Tyne had only three negative sites from 80 survey sites, making the catchment 97.6% positive for the presence of otter - an exceptional result.

Mink presence was also recorded throughout the survey and resulted in a 24% level of site presence, an increase of 10% on the previous survey results, where only 14% of sites surveyed mink evidence present.

The Team made a conscious effort during this survey to try and determine some population dynamics through sampling DNA from spraints collected on the River Tyne. Unfortunately DNA science is not that definitive in certain collection methods, and especially, in relation to otter spraints - it is still not an exact science and although attempts were made to identify markers, no conclusions could be drawn from the samples collected on this occasion.

The reason for this was the extreme wet weather over the winter of 2015/16 and the fact that spraints have to be collected very, very ‘fresh’ conspired to reduce the effectiveness of the effort.

Who will forget the TV scenes from the Tyne Valley and Cumbria?

However, 91% positive presence throughout the county can be considered a pretty healthy status. On a cautionary note, this does not give any indication of actual numbers, but should be seen as an indicator of good population presence.

Otters can, and do, have quite large overlapping ranges, which are determined by many environmental variables such as habitat quality, prey availability and topography. They live in relatively low densities, again dependent on the aforementioned factors, so actual numbers are never going to be very high.

Continued goodwill to otters was apparent during the survey. Many riparian owners were still surprised that otter were present in their neighbourhood. There was a little discontent in some sectors of the angling fraternity and those

that have ornamental fish ponds; but on the whole the public perception and support of the otter is still very positive.

From these results there can be little doubt as to the long term benefits of otter conservation; as part of the rehabilitation, the region’s watercourses and improving water quality, as it can be seen within the healthy presence of the animal in Northumberland. This survey shows that along with the continued value of the region’s recreational fisheries and aquatic health, otter presence is still a very valuable tool for indicating the health of the region’s rivers and streams. Its absence from the area would surely point to a decline in that quality.

Kevin O’Hara Conservation Officer NorthumberlandWildlife Trust

November 2016 - March 2017 ROEBUCK 140 19

Conservation

Theba pisana

Steve Lowe Head of Conservation Northumberland Wildlife Trust

steve lowe

Theo Nikols (left) and Bugge Vick (righ t)

20 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

anter Samantha Tr

In the summer of 2015, a small snail was noted at Cresswell Bay. Theba pisana is a snail native to the Mediterranean region, but has been introduced and become established in some sand dune systems in northern Cornwall and South Wales. It is very frost-sensitive, so it is surprising to find them surviving the cold Northumberland winter. They may have been in the area for some time, possibly avoiding frost damage by burying into sand.

Upon investigation of this record it became apparent that this breed of snail may have been recorded previously, but the report of that appears to be lost in the mists of time. Additionally, the list of species records in Northumberland was found to be sparse.

As a result, Adrian Norris (National Non-Marine Recorder for the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland) and other members of the Society visited Cresswell in October 2016 to assess the site. The trip also served as an introduction to mollusc recording for local naturalists in order to encourage recording, following the award of a small grant from ERIC NE (Environmental Records Information Centre for the North East of England).

Theba pisana were located within seconds of the visit and proved to be abundant but very localised. Questions have been asked as to how the animals arrive all the way from the Bristol Channel and specimens have been sent for DNA analysis in the hope of identifying the origins of the Northumberland snails but, at present its origins remain purely speculative.

But if anyone has any theories it would be interesting to hear them!

Theo and Bugge strengthen the team The conservation team has been strengthened by the appointment of two students, who have joined the Trust, on placement, for the next year from their respective universities.

Theo Nikols (21), from Dilston near Corbridge is studying for a BSc in Environmental Science at the University of Nottingham. He has a keen interest in climate change, ecology and of course, conservation!

Danish born Bugge Vick (25), who is interested in ecology of nature and forest conservation, is a student at the University of Copenhagen where he is studying forest and landscape engineering.

Over the course of the next year, Theo and Bugge will be working as assistant conservation officers on the Save our Magnificent Meadows Project (the UK’s largest grasslands and meadows project supported thanks to National Lottery players, funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and managed by Plantlife).

Their work will include practical tasks on reserves, botanical, mammal and Local Wildlife Site surveys, education work and the writing of project management plans.

We wish them every success and can guarantee they will not be bored!

steve lowe

Small and perfectly formed!

Theba pisana

Protecting our coastal wildlife We are fortunate that our coast is full of birdlife. This is especially recognised in winter, where the coast is the destination for large numbers of wintering species and, as a result, it is almost entirely designated for its importance for wintering birds. Yet once the tide comes in and birds are forced to move, often inland, there is little provision for roost sites. The Trust has started to develop a new and exciting initiative to address this.

Broadly, the aim is to create or enhance a string of wet grassland areas along the coast -– mainly from Alnmouth to Tynemouth, which will provide areas for wading birds throughout the year. But what is different about this approach is that some of the land being targeted is currently being used for intensive agriculture and the mechanism for change is to mitigate for the impacts of development - a sort of advance compensation.

Where possible, sites are being chosen due to their locations adjacent to key bird areas or Trust reserves, providing habitat for four species of conservation concern (lapwing, redshank, snipe and curlew), as well as improving overall biodiversity.

Another aim is to increase nature tourism in the area and provide sites for visitors that can be managed to reduce disturbance.

Opportunities for local involvement, namely, through volunteering, to increase communities’ sense of pride for these

important habitats and species into the future.

There are lots of reasons for trying this approach. One of the most significant is to reduce disturbance.

Think about the birds using the coast like a garage forecourt or service station.

They come to the coast in winter to top up their tank by exploiting the rich source of food provided, such as marine worms and invertebrates. But every time a bird has to move, say to avoid a dog walker, it uses up part of its energy reserve. Constant disturbance leads to an erosion of this reserve and if this cannot be refilled, the bird does not have the condition to survive poor weather or the return flight to its breeding grounds. This has knock on effects into the wider population.

Building more service stations by providing undisturbed areas where birds can feed or roost, as well as reducing disturbance pressure at pinch points will allow the energy to be better utilised. Putting in feeding scrapes and hollows, as you would find in areas of less intensively managed ground will add to the opportunity and managing access will allow good views without the disturbance.

This will not be as effective for all species as birds such as purple sandpiper would be unlikely to benefit in the same way due to their specific need for the rocky shore but for many others we feel this will be effective.

In order to co-ordinate management for the entire network, the Berwickshire and Northumberland Marine Nature Partnership has just been established. This is a collaboration of more than 20 Scottish and English organisations responsible for managing our local inshore waters.

The partnership replaces the original partnership established 16 years ago to proactively manage the Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the Lindisfarne Special Protection Area (SPA).

The new larger partnership now plans to coordinate management for the entire network of inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) between Fast Castle Head in Scotland, and the River Tyne in England.

The Trust is a member of the partnership and one of the first to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Much of the work we already undertake will deliver directly into the action plan and this will, in return, serve to provide a framework within which to cast some of our coastal and marine activity.

Special Protection Areas St Abbs to Fast Castle Head, Lindisfarne, Farne Islands, Coquet Island and Northumbria Coast (down to the River Tyne)

Other Protections Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast Special Area of Conservation, Tweed Estuary - Special Area of Conservation, Aln

Estuary - Marine Conservation Zone, Coquet to St Mary’s - Marine Conservation Zone and Northumberland Marine - Potential Special Protection Area (proposed).

Steve Lowe Head of Conservation Northumberland Wildlife Trust

UK News

Can the UK find a way?

Following the Leave vote, The Wildlife Trusts are challenging every MP to support nature’s recovery even more effectively than the EU did

It may not be an easy path but the decision to leave the EU is a chance to accelerate progress towards nature’s recovery

T

he Wildlife Trusts are using the UK’s vote to leave the EU as an opportunity to press the Government to be more ambitious about the future of our natural world. We are asking every MP to pledge support for three key asks: ■ Reform society’s investment in land management so that it protects our life support systems.

■ Sustain the effort to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas and bring about sustainable fishing.

■ Recognise the need for wildlife laws and set even higher environmental standards for the future.

“Success in these three areas is vital not just for wildlife, but for our health, wellbeing and economic security, and that of future generations,” said Joan Edwards, Head of Living Seas at The Wildlife Trusts.

“Even before the Leave vote we needed more positive planning for nature’s recovery, rather than just protecting the best of what was left. Our

22 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

We are asking every MP to pledge support

Life support systems

We want a new Integrated Environment and Agriculture Policy which pays farmers and landowners for the things we all need, such as helping to manage flooding, cleaning up our water supplies as well as increasing wildlife and having beautiful landscapes for us all to enjoy. challenge is to build and improve on the benefits “This is not a polarised debate between that EU membership brought wildlife. the need for food and the need for “The seismic change facing the UK must a healthy environment,” said The way be used ambitiously. It must prevent any Steve Trotter, Director of The ahead further losses; recover and reconnect Wildlife Trusts for England. wildlife and wild places; and recognise “The two outcomes are We want to see an integrated environmental the vital role that our natural world plays interconnected, and we and agricultural policy – in our economy, health and wellbeing.” need both of them to work good for wildlife and well. We all have a stake in people ■ Has your MP pledged? Check on achieving the best outcomes for http://tinyurl.com/h642uxw all involved.”

Continues over

Lat newsest UK-w ide wildl and issue ifetru s org/n sts. : ews

We’re on the case

fiona gilsenan

early purple orchids, Byrlip wood: david chapman

I’m a great fan of change. Change can make us more creative and open-minded, break bad habits and encourage us to look afresh at the future. For all these reasons, I initiate frequent desk reorganisations.

Initially this was unpopular but now the team almost looks forward to it!

Well the vote on 23 June was more than a desk move.

It changed the UK’s position in the world immediately. And it will change the basis of our farming, fisheries, and wildlife protection fundamentally. We have had to take a long deep breath as a result, because we have our work cut out to influence what happens next.

But even change you resisted can be liberating and energising and our President, Tony Juniper, talks about some of the opportunities that could arise from leaving the EU. We’re talking every day to other wildlife organisations to align our ideas. We are also working closely with bodies like the Country Land and Business Association. People who own land have a responsibility to future generations; but Government also has a responsibility to ensure that: soils are conserved for future food growing; peatlands restored to reduce carbon emissions; and wildlife is allowed to recover in all its beauty, abundance and diversity. Consequently, the old EU farming subsidies should be replaced by land management payments that bring benefits to the whole community – now and in the future.

With your mandate behind us, we at The Wildlife Trusts are making the case for a “greener” UK. We are meeting civil servants, submitting evidence to Select Committees and talking directly to Ministers, including the Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP. We know from our research that wildlife was far from the minds of people entering the polling booths on 23 June.

We hope you will tell your elected politicians how much you want the Government to seize this opportunity to restore the fortunes of wildlife.

Stephanie Hilborne OBE @stephhilborne Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts Together there are 47 Wildlife Trusts covering the UK, all working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone, on land and at sea. Contact us on enquiry@wildlifetrusts.org or 01636 677 711. To join your Wildlife Trust, visit wildlifetrusts.org/joinus.

Natural World, The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, Notts NG24 1WT Editor Rupert Paul Layout editor Dan Hilliard Head of communications Adam Cormack Communications officer Catherine Boggild Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom meets with The Wildlife Trusts

twitter @wildlifetrusts facebook.com/wildlifetrusts

November 2016 - March 2017 ROEBUCK 140 23

UK News dan burton / naturePL.com

Marine Protected Areas

david chapman

To turn around decades of decline in the health of our seas and enable their recovery, The Wildlife Trusts want to see a strong, ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas.

We believe that the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy provides some strong measures, especially moving towards sustainable levels of fishing; banning the discarding of ‘unwanted’ fish; and The way linking fisheries and marine ahead conservation targets. At the very least, these good parts of Keep the best of the EU the Common Fisheries Policy legislation, and complete must be maintained in any the UK’s network of future agreements and future UK MPAs legislation.

We will pressure the Government to renew its commitment to statutory protection

We will persuade all stakeholders that healthy fish stocks live in healthy seas

Strong wildlife laws The EU has some of the most extensive environmental legislation in the world, protecting vital wildlife and wild places on land and at sea, and improving member states’ approach to natural resource management.

“It is vital that the UK continues to benefit from equally robust laws,” said Steve Trotter. “In fact, this The way is not just a chance to ensure ahead existing laws are better implemented. A visionary If we get this right we will approach can enhance our become world leaders in environmental towns, cities, countryside and protection seas. This is an opportunity to build an overwhelming case for a sustainable future.”

paul hobson

15% of UK species at risk of extinction The UK’s wildlife continues to suffer cause of wildlife loss. widespread decline, with more than one in “The future of nature is under threat,” ten species now facing extinction. Action to said Sir David Attenborough, President save UK wildlife is needed now.

Emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts. “We That is the central finding of the must work together – Governments, At risk: the second State of Nature report, conservationists, businesses and dormouse which gives the clearest picture individuals – to help it.” to date of the status of our ■ More on wildlifetrusts.org/ native species across land and stateofnature16 sea. It also identified intensive agriculture as the single biggest

24 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

The report at a glance

53

wildlife organisations pooled knowledge and expertise to produce it

53

per cent of the 8,000 UK species studied have declined since 2002

1,199

of the 8,000 species studied are at risk of extinction

andi sapey

Norfolk WildlifeTrust is 90 In 1926, one visionary purchase began the county Wildlife Trusts movement In March 1926, a group of local people led by Dr Sydney Long bought 435 acres of marsh at Cley in Norfolk. The marsh was famous for its bird life, and the group agreed to create a trust and give the marshes to it, to be preserved, in Dr Long’s words, “as a bird-breeding sanctuary for all time.” The Norfolk Naturalists Trust came into being on 5 November 1926.Today, it is Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

A birdbreeding sanctuary for all time

Not only were Cley’s habitats and wildlife preserved; the foundation of the trust was the start of the county Wildlife Trusts movement.

Dr Long’s group continued purchasing important sites for wildlife and people.

Today, the Trust owns and cares for more than 50. “This group was not afraid to take big risks to achieve their goals,” says the Trust’s Chief Executive, Brendan Joyce.

“I feel passionately that Norfolk Wildlife Trust should always push on.

“2016 has been a fantastic year for us: celebrating what has been achieved but looking forward to what still must be done in Norfolk and also with our fellow Trusts across the UK.” More on wildat90.org.uk.

The 1926 bill of sale for Cley Marshes, the Trust’s first nature reserve

Cley marshes nature reserve today fiona gilsenan

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust is running a five-year pollinator project with more than 20 farmers. Each farm undertakes a pollinator health check, and shares best practice on improving land for native wild pollinators.

“This is a great opportunity for farmers to get together through study days, site visits and training events to talk about changes they can make, or have made, that complement the different practices of each individual farm,” said the Trust’s Caroline Corsie. “They work together to establish what pollinators are on their farms and how they can help increase their numbers.”

The project is funded from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development through Natural England’s Countryside Stewardship Scheme’s Facilitation Fund.

Proud farmer Jonathan Boaz standing in his three year-old nectar/pollen margin

caroline corsie

Bee friendly farmers

The Secretary of State with farmer, David Banner

Minister backs naturefriendly farm The Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP visited Dovecote Farm in Northants in October where the local Wildlife Trust has helped inspire a farmer to revert arable land to wildflower meadows.

Mrs Leadsom said: “We’re working with farmers and environmental organisations to learn from their expertise and develop an ambitious plan setting out a new approach to managing our environment to bring about even more successes like this.”

November 2016 - March 2017 ROEBUCK 140 25

UK News

Nature is for everyone ...so why do so few people from ethnic minorities visit nature reserves, or take up a career in conservation?

Mya-Rose Craig organised a conference to find out

26 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

None of my huge extended family show any interest in going out into nature

Mya-Rose organised a second birding camp in July 2016. She is second from right

Helena craig

Mya-Rose and friend. “Having an older sister who was crazy about birds really helped.”

Helena craig

Helena craig

B

taking Afro-Caribbean teenagers on oth my parents are passionate nature walks in London as part of their birders. My sister is too. So by Duke of Edinburgh award, helping the time I was three I knew that them make a connection with nature nature was what I was interested in, so they would able to carry on or go and birds were what I felt passionately back to it later in their lives. about.

I decided to try attracting Black, My Dad is white British and has Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) been birding forever. My Mum is teenagers from Bristol to a birding British Bangladeshi. Her parents took Mya-Rose Craig is 14 and an avid camp I had organised, Camp Avalon. her to parks for picnics and rounders birder. She runs the Even though I offered free places when she was growing up, but she BirdgirlUK blog and and allowed parents to come, it was only became interested in nature after can be found on Twitter @BirdGirlUK harder than I thought it would be. But she met Dad. taking advice from those who worked I’ve grown up within a huge, closelyknit extended British Bangladeshi family in Bristol. in these communities, I persuaded five BAME As well as the traditional first generation of older teenagers to attend.

I learned a lot from Camp Avalon. For example, relatives my grandmother’s age, many are second and third generation. Some have been to many BAME parents will only let their teenager university and have professional jobs; many work stay overnight if they know and trust an organiser in Indian restaurants or as taxi drivers, and live in well, and feel sure that their child’s dietary and deprived inner city areas. None show any interest religious needs will be met. in going out into nature – which I thought was Afterwards, I interviewed BAME people who simply because they didn’t want to. After all, we were into nature. They had similar stories of feeling very rarely saw any ethnic minority people whilst like they were the only ones. Having my mum as a birder had helped me because I grew up knowing out birding.

Last year I read about what was being done in the that it was normal for ethnic minority people.

USA to try and get non-white people outside, and However, my biggest inspiration was from having an article by David Lindo, the Urban Birder, about a cool older sister crazy about birds. That’s why I believe that BAME mentors are so important.

In February 2016, a report confirmed that children from lower socio-economic or BAME backgrounds had less access to nature.

It is such an important issue that I organised a conference, Race Equality in Nature, which took place on 3 June at Bristol Zoo and was supported

by The Wildlife Trusts (see box on right). 85 people

attended from nature charities, Exmoor, local communities, mental and physical health teams, the media, universities and schools.

There was a really positive vibe. I hope that together we can make changes in the future, as access to nature is a right for all our citizens.

Laura Bacon of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust ran a three-year project to encourage BAME people to enjoy nature.

Since then, attendance at Attenborough Reserve has improved. “We hope these groups will now see our reserves as a site for them,” she says

The conference last June began by identifying barriers to nature. The main conclusions were:

■ Living in deprived areas ■ Lack of transport ■ Poverty leading to things such as a lack

of appropriate clothing ■ Fathers working antisocial hours ■ Fear of teenagers getting involved with gangs, or being seen as troublemakers by the police ■ Parks, green spaces and reserves poorly known, or seen as unsafe ■ Rural areas seen as white-only places, with a linked fear of racist attacks especially towards Muslims ■ A fear of dogs which stems from aggressive guard dogs and the risk of rabies ‘back home’ ■ A lack of role models, especially on mainstream nature TV

both Notts wildlife trust

how to get ethnic minorities into nature Next, the conference came up with ways these barriers could be overcome:

■ Encouraging mums to take children to green spaces in groups

■ Taking BAME and inner city people on

trips to the countryside, showing them it is safe ■ Starting a mentoring scheme ■ Setting up a forum online ■ Incorporating wild spaces into new housing developments ■ Educating young people and parents in school about conservation careers

“Encouraging mums to take children to green spaces in groups”

A happy moment during a Nottingham school visit to Attenborough Reserve

November 2016 - MArch 2017 ROEBUCK 140 27

UK News

A farm where nature thr

nicholas Watts

You can’t have have a profitable farm and abundant wildlife, some say. But Nicholas Watts has proved you can. Welcome to Vine House Farm in Lincolnshire. barn owl tower

farmland ponds

tree sparrow nest boxes

wild flower meadow

Six species nested here in 2016: mallard, jackdaw, stock dove, tree sparrow and barn owl. A feeding station is next door

There are ponds all along this strip, and Nicholas estimates the total area of water on the farm at 15 acres (6 hectares)

Since these went up in 2009, close to insect-rich habitat, the tree sparrow population has rocketed

This picture is taken after the late summer cut, but in season it is awash with bees and butterflies, and many other insects

Nicholas Watts has experimented for many years with ways to combine commercial farming with high biodiversity. This is one of several wildlife areas on his land

28 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

rives laid hedge

Tree sparrow feeding young. All the pictures in this article were taken

by Nicholas on the farm

With eight native tree species. Next along is another meadow strip, then another, younger hedge. The aim: “Biodiversity”

I

t’s the largest grower of birdseed in the UK – and at first glance a typical Lincolnshire fen farm, all flat land and big sky. But Vine House Farm is anything but typical. Owned by pioneering farmer Nicholas Watts, it is a living challenge to the idea that farming and wildlife can’t co-exist.

It was spotting a brambling in the garden that first sparked Nicholas’ love of birds. By the age of four he was already wandering along hedgerows, searching for nests. So it was natural that after he inherited the farm he should start conducting bird surveys.

His first species counts were in 1982. Ten years later he’d noticed a shocking trend: skylark numbers down by 60%, and corn buntings by 90%.

“I could see wildlife was in trouble,” Nicholas says. “But I was just lucky that I’m interested in birds and I could do something to help.” He

After ten years Nicholas noticed a trend: skylarks down by 60 per cent

Catherine Boggild is Communications Officer for The Wildlife Trusts @catboggild

began using the annual surveys to inform his farm management choices. His first step? To replicate the pockets of habitat where wildlife was still thriving.

What Nicholas had noticed was the result of crop specialisation: a reduction in the variety of plants and insects the land supports, and therefore a reduction in birds. He cites one example: “In late June there is very little available food for birds in a modern wheat crop. But winter barley matures three weeks before wheat. So by planting two ounces of winter barley per tonne of wheat, the birds on the farm have an uninterrupted food source. It tides them through this difficult period, without affecting the commercial value of the wheat crop.”

Another innovation: planting a double line of eight native hedgerow species (Nicholas laughingly calls it, “Instant 500 year-old hedgerow”) between fields, separated by a wildflower meadow strip.

The hedge provides year-round food, and shelter, and in summer the whole area is alive with the flutter of butterflies and the buzz of bees.

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20 years of bucking trends Nicholas is the fourth generation of the Watts family to run Vine House Farm. His tenure started with the rapid intensification of the 1970s and 1980s, but since then his efforts to reduce the impact on wildlife have led him to adopt sustainable farming practices.

In 2006 he was recognised with an MBE.

Whitethroat numbers depend on how they fared on their migration, and which crops you have where.”

. 105 Tree sparrows are doing spectacularly year this ks chic pairs have raised 900

Whitethroat in rapeseed. These warblers feed on the farm’s abundant insects

Results

1997: 3 breeding pairs on the farm 2014: 23 breeding pairs on the farm National trend: 34% increase*

Nicholas Watts on his farm at Deeping St Nicholas, Lincolnshire

The 110 nest boxes between these hedges are perfect for tree sparrows. “This spring, 105 boxes were occupied. Since then over 900 young have fledged. We had about 1000 tree sparrows on site in August.”

On my visit in August I saw a box with five chicks – the fourth brood of the year. “We clean out the boxes in September. By Christmas the birds have already begun filling them with nest material.”

The farm also has a quarry with a large sand martin colony

30 ROEBUCK 140 November 2016 - March 2017

Dig ponds, plant hedges, feed birds.

Ultimately, leave a few places for wildlife.

The biggest difference for wildlife was turning a large section of the farm organic. The inspections are a burden, but the benefits outweigh the costs.

Not only do the organic crops benefit insects and birds, they are also financially viable. Before the move to organic, herbicides drastically reduced the number and diversity of insects. “Now that we know it’s wrong,” muses Nicholas, “we should try to put it right.”

Water is another key factor: 12 acres are kept as water sources, including six large ponds. These offer breeding space for insects, and nest sites for

Tree sparrows need to nest by insect-rich habitat. I started putting boxes up in 2009 and numbers increased.”

Results

2005: 1 breeding pair on the farm 2014: 32 breeding pairs on the farm National trend: 52% increase*

redshanks, lapwings and terns. “Without water there is no life,” says Nicholas.

The fenland landscape is shaped by drainage and irrigation, which led Nicholas to campaign for a seat on the drainage board. He managed to change the way dyke margins are cut, increasing the population of a reed warbler colony from four birds to 70. However, in recent years the birds are again at risk. He relates the decline to the drainage board keeping water levels high in summer and low in winter, the opposite of the natural order: “We’ve been draining the Fens for 200 years, and we’ve taken too much. We’re sucking the wildlife out of the countryside.”

But Nicholas believes farming’s biggest problem is a simple question of motivation. He is sure the steps he has taken on his farm could be replicated elsewhere, but with a proviso: “Where there’s a will there’s a way. But where there isn’t a will, there often isn’t a way.”

Price pressure from supermarkets and globalised competition make it increasingly difficult to make a living through agriculture. Nicholas is still

*Source: BTO population index for England: Common Birds Census combined (from 1994) with Breeding Bird Survey. Survey period set by availability of both VHF and BTO data

Barn owls depend on voles. There were none here in 2015. The kestrels and owls reared in 2014 ate nearly all of them!”

Lapwings at the farm are allowed to fledge young before crops are harvested

Barn owl populations fluctuate with prey numbers. This was a good year

Results

1986: 1 breeding pair on the farm 2016: 14 breeding pairs on the farm National trend: substantial decline*

Lapwings numbers have been increasing since the late 1990s, contrary to the national statistics”

our vision for the future of farming The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy has increased food production at the expense of wildlife. Intensive agriculture in the UK is the largest cause of biodiversity loss, and a major cause of soil loss and water pollution.

The way our land is farmed and managed after leaving the EU is a chance to refocus taxpayers’ money to deliver more for people and nature.

The Wildlife Trusts are calling for a new Integrated Environment and Agriculture Policy, which would invest in producing the the things we all need: clean water, clean air, wildlife everywhere, healthier intact soils, flood reduction and beautiful places to enjoy.

It can only happen if everyone – farmers, landowners, consumers – gets involved.

A reed bunting in a rapeseed crop, giving it what for

Results

1997: 2 breeding pairs on the farm 2014: 27 breeding pairs on the farm National trend: 13% decline*

determined to balance a productive farm business with the evidence provided by of his farm wildlife surveys: “People ask me about my plans for the future. I will go where my surveys take me.”

Nicholas passionately believes in thinking for future generations as well as his own. His butterfly corridors and ponds are still a work in progress.

But Vine House Farm proves that supporting wildlife doesn’t need to come at the expense of a profitable business. As he puts it: “You just have to be interested.”

Once that interest has been sparked Nicholas’ advice for fellow farmers is simple: “Dig ponds, plant diverse hedges, feed birds. Ultimately, just leave a few places for wildlife.”

Who knows what the impact would be if every farm, garden and workplace followed his example?

An arable weed strip.

“We cultivate the ground and let it grow. We don’t sow anything.”

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Save our seabe Seven years after the Marine and Coastal Access Act was passed, England’s network of Marine Conservation Zones is taking shape. But one of the biggest remaining gaps is the Irish Sea

I paul naylor

f I told you the bottom of the Irish Sea consisted of mud, you probably wouldn’t think it needed much protection. In fact, it is one of the world’s most productive and biodiverse marine environments.

This relatively small but busy sea, bounded by six countries, suffers from a poor public perception. People describe it as “dirtier and colder” than the sea

paul naylor

The langoustine is the main target species for bottom-trawlers working the Irish Sea

paul naylor

Trawlers also catch the ocean quahog – a clam known to live for at least five centuries

The masked crab, which buries itself just below the mud surface, is equally vulnerable

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in the South West. But it is actually an extraordinary ecosystem. And its murkiness is what makes it so productive.

There is a lot of mud in the Irish Sea. Two belts of soft, fine, muddy plains stretch up either side of the Isle of Man. But these aren’t featureless deserts. They are crammed with life which depends on dead and decaying matter sinking to the sea floor.

Sea urchins, angular crabs and ghost shrimps turn over the mud as they feed and burrow, helping to bury carbon and

These animals are caught by dragging heavy nets across the sea floor recycle nutrients. There are many beautiful creatures here too: delicate sea pens and hydroids, and dramatic fireworks anemones, alongside brittle stars, and flat, peanut, spoon, and bristle worms.

The world’s longest-lived creature, a clam called the ocean quahog, also hides here. Individuals can live for over 500 years. Above the mud are plaice, sole, cod, whiting and haddock.

Each spring-summer a current system called the ‘Irish Sea Gyre’ is established.

It channels nutrients, causing plankton blooms, which provide food for herring, sprat and sandeels. Manx shearwaters, guillemots, puffins, razorbills and gannets are attracted by the fish. Some fly long distances each summer to forage in the gyre. Basking sharks, whales and dolphins also travel to this hotspot to feed.

The deep muddy habitats which help to drive this system are not disturbed by waves or tides, so human activities have a

big impact. Historically, fishermen went after cod, whiting and sole, but these species have suffered declines of 80-90% since the 80s. Now, as we fish down the food chain, the target is the langoustine, also called the Dublin Bay prawn, or scampi.

Unfortunately, these burrowing animals are caught by trawling – dragging heavy nets across the sea floor. Habitats have been destroyed and 20-50cm of the seabed surface has been removed. Many tonnes of other species are discarded as ‘by-catch’, preventing recovery of fish stocks. Coldwater corals vanished from the Irish Sea decades ago, and delicate sea pens and sea urchins have declined dramatically.

Without action the damage to these vulnerable habitats will only get worse. We believe they should be allowed to recover and thrive – in turn protecting the wider Irish Sea and its ecosystem function.

Please add your voice to our campaign to save the mud habitats of the Irish Sea, and all the diverse wildlife that depends on it.

what’s the problem?

In the Irish Sea, three MCZs have been recommended to protect deep-water mud habitats. However, their designation has been delayed due to lobbying from the fishing industry.

ed

Dr Emily Baxter is Senior Marine Conservation Officer for the Irish Sea, working at Cumbria Wildlife Trust @LivingSeasNW

Sea pens and a fireworks anemone – two of the many species that make up this exceptionally rich ecosystem

we need your help We are campaigning for robust legislation that protects the seabed.

Your support is crucially important.

Find out how you can help at wildlifetrusts. org/mczs

We want a sustainable langoustine fishery

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UK News

10 ex-military reserves

It might sound strange, but the places where our armed forces used to operate are some of our least damaged landscapes A serin – a delightful bird you can see at Gunners Park in Essex

andrew armstrong

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s well as offering the opportunity to see amazing wildlife, many of our reserves have an intriguing past. From Civil War battlefields to WWII airbases, places which have been protected for other reasons can offer a much needed sanctuary for nature.

In Gunners Park in Essex, for example, where migrating swallows nest in the derelict buildings and common lizards sun

themselves on the 19th century walls. Or East Wretham Heath in Norfolk, where five species of bat roost in an abandoned bunker.

These military landscapes are often some of the best preserved for wildlife.

Here is a taste of the variety of our former military nature reserves. Find the full list at http:// wtru.st/places-militaryhistory

See nature reclaiming its old haunts

Bovey Heathfield, Bovey Tracey.

Devon WT Site of an English Civil War battle; used to train US soldiers in WW2. Today it’s a flourishing heathland with reptiles and nightjars.

Where is it? Outskirts of Bovey Tracey, Devon TQ12 6TU.

2

Misson Carr Nottinghamshire WT Former training area purchased from the MoD by the Trust after 50 years of restricted access. Wet woodland, marsh, grazing pasture.

Where is it? Haxey, 9 miles SE of Doncaster, DN10 6ET.

3

Longis Nature Reserve Alderney Wildlife Trust Six Victorian coastal forts and dozens of World War II German Bunkers. At its centre lies the Alderney Bird Observatory.

Where is it? Longis, Alderney, Channel Islands, GY9 3YB.

5

Greenham & Crookham Commons. BBOWT A long military history culminated in their use in the Cold War for nuclear bomb storage. Now good for nightjar, woodlark and lapwing.

Where are they? Burys Bank Rd, Thatcham, Berks RG19 8DB.

6

Gunners Park, Shoebury Essex Wildlife Trust Has many derelict 19th century military buildings. Rare dune plants, invertebrates, butterflies and passage migrants.

Where is it? Shoebury, Thames Estuary, Essex.

7

East Wretham Heath Norfolk Wildlife Tust A NWT reserve since 1938, but taken over as an airfield in WW2.

Wildflowers push through the old runways, and five bat species hibernate in the bunker.

Where is it? On A1075 N of Thetford, IP24 1RU.

8

Blackhall Rocks & Cross Gill Durham Wildlife Trust Magnesium limestone coast hiding old pillboxes, tank traps and trenches. Now a stopoff for migrant birds, with rare plants.

Where is it? 5 miles N of Hartlepool off A1086, TS27 4DG.

9

Spurn NNR Yorkshire Wildlife Trust A gun battery site in the 1800s and WW1/2 military complex. An amazing place for migrant birds, but check the tides at ywt.org.uk.

Where is it? South of Kilnsea, Hull,

East Yorks HU12 0UH.

10

Flodden Quarry Northumberland WT A disused quarry which stands on a hill a mile and a half south of Flodden Battlefield. There is evidence that the troops of King James IV of Scotland camped in the woods around the battlefield in 1513, so the chances are they camped at Flodden Quarry.

Where is it? 4 miles W of Ford, Blinkbonny, Millfield 10 NE71 6HU. 8

4

Blashford Lakes, Ringwood Hants and IoW WT A Spitfire base in WW2, It later became gravel pits; now it’s a haven for wetland birds.

2

Most of these sites are coastal

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9 7

4

1 3

5

6

neil aldridge

1

Where is it? Ellingham Drove, Ringwood, Hants BH24 3PJ.

j day

Details on each of these sites are on your Wildlife Trust’s website.

You can find that via wildlifetrusts.org

The derelict control tower next to Blashford Lakes

shoebury military archives

norfolk wildlife trust

The view from the lighthouse at Spurn National Nature Reserve. Once a military complex, Spurn is now one of the best sites in England for migrating birds

andrew armstrong

The quick firing battery at Gunners Park in its heyday and (below) fronting the housing estate

Viper’s bugloss and wild thyme at East Wretham Heath

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Photo: Richard Clark

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