Cheshire
Cheshire
Summer/Autumn 2013
Rock and roll by the pool Your family’s guide to the UK’s best rockpooling
Location, location, location Creating homes for nature in your backyard
What a year! The State of Nature Our 2012/13 anniversary year Annual Review
In what shape is the UK and Cheshire’s wildlife?
hire
WELCOME
Welcome As our, for once, glorious summer turns into autumn, it’s a pleasure to put pen to paper for my first foreword for The Grebe as Chief Executive of Cheshire Wildlife Trust. I took up the reigns in April following Janel’s departure and I would like to thank her once again for her hard work and dedication over the last four years in getting the Trust to where it is today.
Charlotte Harris Chief Executive, Cheshire Wildlife Trust
Cheshire People taking action for wildlife Cheshire Wildlife Trust is the region’s leading independent conservation charity and has been working for wildlife across Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Warrington and Wirral for over 50 years. Cheshire Wildlife Trust receives no direct Government funding and would not exist without the support of you, our members. To add your voice to over 12,000 others and show how much you value Cheshire’s wildlife, give us a call today or visit our website.
Cheshire Ecological Services CES is a member of the Association of Wildlife Trust Consultancies (AWTC) and is the ecological consultancy arm of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, with 20 years of industry experience. All profit revenues generated by CES go directly to supporting the work of Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
I’ve been with the Trust for eight years now, starting back in 2005 as Biodiversity Manager before moving into the position of Director of Conservation in 2008. Previously I was a Countryside Ranger, giving me the on-the-ground experience of delivering conservation projects, securing funding and engaging with communities that is at the heart of a charity like the Trust. Nature conservation remains my passion and over the last few years at the Trust I have enjoyed driving forward Living Landscapes as our core strategy for creating more space for nature. As we progress, creating a Living Landscape for Cheshire through a suite of landscape-scale projects, will remain central to our conservation delivery. However, in order to grow our work in the future we need to engage with more people and grow our membership - and this is where I will be focusing my energy having handed over to our new Director of Conservation, Martin Varley (see page 9). Nature needs your support, now more than ever. The recent State of Nature report - a landmark document bringing together a coalition of 25 nature
Cheshire
Summer/Autumn 2013
pool Rock and roll by the tion loca , tion loca n, atio Loc What a year! The State of Nature ling to the UK’s best rockpoo Your family’s guide
d nature in your backyar Creating homes for
sary year Annual Review Our 2012/13 anniver
wildlife in? UK and Cheshire’s What shape is the
THE GREBE SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013
Nature needs your support, now more than ever We believe that working with our members, landowners and partner organisations at a landscape scale is the way to reverse this decline, both on land and at sea. So we’re delighted to announce that we have secured substantial funding for a new project, ‘Delamere’s lost mosses’ (see page 16); a project to restore peatland habitats within Delamere forest on a grand scale. A huge thank you to all who have supported our recent £100,000 ‘50/50’ appeal. With £60,000 so far, we still have a little way to go but I’m confident that with your help, we can meet our goal of having an inspirational education centre at Bickley Hall Farm open by next summer. If you haven’t already supported the appeal and would like to, you can give through our website at: cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/5050appeal I look forward to meeting some of you at our AGM on Saturday October 19, please see the enclosed invitation.
Charlotte Harris, Chief Executive
On the cover Cheshire
Who are the Wildlife Trusts? There are 47 Wildlife Trusts across the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney. With over 800,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK’s habitats and species.
conservation organisations - sadly reported that despite our efforts to date, the UK’s wildlife is still in trouble. The report found that 60% of the species studied are in decline and that we risk more than one in ten being lost all together.
This edition’s cover shot is from Bertie Gregory (naturepl.com) and features youngsters enjoying delving into a rockpool. You can track down the best places to get stuck into rockpooling throughout the UK and here in the North West at Hilbre Island, by checking out the Wildlife Trusts’ guide on page 18. Hilbre Island is just one of a handful of coastal and offshore sites that are set to become Marine Protection Areas (MPAs), see the UK News for more.
In this issue 2 UK News & Comment
10 Life’s a beach
A round-up of the big UK wildlife and environment stories including the very latest on badger vaccination, the pollution threat to our seabirds and the dropping of nature from the National Curriculum. Plus the Wildlife Trusts’ CEO Stephanie Hilborne OBE on reviving a former rubbish dump to become a wildlife haven in Essex and news in brief from more than 20 other Wildlife Trusts across the UK.
We head to Red Rocks on the Wirral to discover the Trust’s only coastal reserve, a hotspot for migratory birds every spring and autumn and one of the last remaining places where natterjack toads survive in the region.
You can make a real difference by creating a home for wildlife – we take a look at just a few of the small projects you could try; from the grandeur of a ‘bug hotel’, a high-rise apartment for visiting swifts, fly-through restaurants for bees,
5 Local news on your doorstep All the local news from across Cheshire, Wirral and South Manchester including an amazing new film on water voles, makeovers for some of our community reserves, success for barn owls and the white-faced darter dragonfly, plus a look back at the work of one of the Trust’s longest-standing volunteers on the Wirral.
As a recent ground-breaking study says that 60% of the UK’s wildlife is struggling, we take a look at the findings of the ‘State of Nature’ report, both across the UK and here in the Cheshire region, after the recent publication of our book ’50 years of Cheshire’s wildlife’.
ISBN 978-0-9572850-1-9
9 780957 285019
Cheshire
Fifty Years of Cheshire’s Wildlife edited by David Norman
Fifty Years of Cheshire’s Wildlife reviews the general state of our wildlife in a series of texts written by local experts, accompanied by many stunning photographs. There are chapters on agriculture – which occupies the majority of the county – and the wildlife of urban areas, the next largest land-use. The marine chapter covers the often-forgotten flora and fauna of the underwater world, followed by chapters on freshwater habitats of the meres and mosses, rivers and ponds. The final four chapters assess the status of Cheshire’s lichens, dragonflies and damselflies, mammals and birds. This book emphasises the last fifty years, during which some habitats have changed greatly, and species have increased in numbers or range while others have decreased, even to local extinction. The reasons are often complex, including changes in land-use and management, drainage and water abstraction, climate, pesticides, pollution, introduction of alien species, development and other human pressures.
18 Net result There’s still time to pack your bucket and net and enjoy Britain’s rock pools before the summer is out. Our guide shows you where the very best are across the UK, including right here in the Dee estuary on Hilbre Island.
20 Great outdoors, great for you A new study from the North East shows that working with nature as a volunteer can have proven benefits to health and mental wellbeing, with some remarkable results according to Tees Valley Wildlife Trust.
edited by David Norman
Cheshire Wildlife Trust is the Cheshire region’s foremost nature conservation charity, founded in 1962 to manage nature reserves and protect wildlife. The Trust’s focus has gradually shifted to encompass advocacy and best-practice on land-use across the county, especially through Living Landscapes by working with landowners, partners and communities. The Trust has developed particular expertise in extensive land management by conservation grazing, using traditional breeds of cattle and sheep. As well as large-scale conservation schemes, Cheshire Wildlife Trust now has 45 reserves, several projects on scarce species, and education programmes for young members and schoolchildren. The Trust is supported by more than 12,000 individual members and 50 corporate members. Local boundaries and administration have changed over the years and Cheshire Wildlife Trust now covers Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East, Wirral, Halton, Warrington, Trafford, Stockport and Tameside.
Cheshire’s meres and mosses are one of the most threatened habitats in the region, and now a £250,000 boost is set to revive some of the most important across the Delamere area. We look at what’s involved in this ambitious plan, and the very special wildlife that could benefit.
14 Nature’s turning point
Fifty Years of Cheshire’s Wildlife
David Norman is an honorary Vice-President of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, having been Chairman 2004–12, and has been active in many local environmental charities including the Mersey Estuary Conservation Group, rECOrd (the biodiversity records centre for Cheshire), Groundwork Mersey Valley, the Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust, Cheshire and Wirral Ornithological Society and Merseyside Ringing Group. Nationally, David was appointed a Council member of English Nature (1996–2002), and elected to the Council of RSPB (Royal Society for Protection of Birds) (2004–09). He co-authored the first breeding bird atlas of the county and led the project and wrote the book from the second atlas Birds in Cheshire and Wirral: a breeding and wintering atlas. David recently edited another Cheshire Wildlife Trust book, Cheshire’s Favourite Wildlife.
16 Raising the ‘bog’ standard
or being a backyard builders’ merchant for house martins.
9 New faces As the Trust continues to grow, thanks to the support of you, our members, we take a moment to meet some of the new faces at Bickley Hall Farm including a new Director of Conservation, Martin Varley, Fundraising Manager, Anna O’Sullivan and Finance Manager, Frankie Bradley.
Creating homes for wildlife like this toad on page 12
12 Backyard building projects
Cheshire
Cheshire
Cover art by Kim Atkinson www.oriel.org.uk/en/a/kim-atkinson
Your Magazine The next edition of The Grebe magazine will be published in January 2014. We welcome letters, comments, photographs and contributions to The Grebe. Please write to the editor at the address below or e-mail: tmarshall@cheshirewt.org.uk All contributions including events to be featured in the Events Diary should reach the editor no later than 04 November 2013. Events listings in the Autumn edition will run from January 2014 to April 2014. The views expressed in The Grebe are not necessarily those of Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
Contents © Cheshire Wildlife Trust 2013. No part of this publication shall be reproduced without prior written consent. Advertising in The Grebe We invite enquiries for advertising in The Grebe magazine, with various packages available. Please contact the editor for our current rate card or an informal discussion. Allowing advertising in The Grebe lets us cover some of the costs of producing our members magazine, meaning we can spend more on conservation projects.
The Grebe Editor Tom Marshall, Communications Officer
Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Bickley Hall Farm, Malpas, Cheshire SY14 8EF
Patron The Duke of Westminster KG DL
Tel: 01948 820728
President Felicity Goodey CBE DL
email: info@cheshirewt.org.uk
Chairman Chris Koral
web: www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk Registered Charity No: 214927 A company Limited by Guarantee in England No: 736693
Chief Executive Charlotte Harris
@cheshirewt
Designed and Produced by Orchard Corporate Ltd
Cheshire Wildlife Trust CheshireWT Cheshirewildlifetrust
SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013 THE GREBE 1
UK NEWS
Trust urges support for 4,500 acre boost to badger bTB vaccination As we went to print in late August, the Trust had secured a grant of up to £25,000 from Defra in partnership with Shropshire Wildlife Trust to vaccinate badgers across up to 4,500 acres of farmland in south Cheshire, a significant boost to our initial bTB vaccination programmes on two Wildlife Trust sites in 2012 and a number of private farms this summer. The news came following a disappointing defeat for an opposition-led motion in Westminster in June in favour of stopping the Government’s badger cull programme, which it’s believed began in recent weeks across Somerset and Gloucestershire. In addition, a Dr Brian May-led Government ‘e-petition’ on the issue has become the most signed campaign ever online, securing more than a quarter of a million signatures including high-profile supporters such as Dame Judi Dench, Joanna Lumley, Sir Roger Moore and the Wildlife Trusts’ UK president, Simon King OBE. We also continue to lead the way in working with the farming community in the region by joining an NFU-led group of farmers, landowners, vets and other stakeholders looking at bovine TB and aiming to assess the issue in Cheshire, and discuss all the options for tackling bTB which last year cost the UK over £90m.
TOM MARSHALL
GET INVOLVED You can donate to our badger appeal at cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/badgerappeal
The Trust is now looking for the public to continue to back our ongoing Badger Appeal, which will allow us to secure the full funds needed to maximise support of the latest expansion to badger vaccination in Cheshire, where it’s thought the disease is close to its northern boundary in the UK.
AROUND THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS ALDERNEY
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A new webcam project, Living Islands: Live, is enabling primary school children across Alderney and SE England to watch life inside a breeding puffin colony. wtru.st/ livingislandslive
Thanks to the Trout and About project, children have been watching trout eggs develop in the classroom. After caring for the young fish the children released them into Chew Valley Lake. wtru.st/troutnabout
A Trust member has discovered a species of lichen new to Bedfordshire. Returning lichens can indicate improving air quality, as many are highly sensitive to sulphur dioxide pollution. wtru.st/bedslichen
The Trust has begun a five-year project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund which will help community groups and residents in West Berkshire to protect their local wild areas. wtru.st/ berkslandscape
The Trust is challenging proposals by the City Council to develop green belt land in Birmingham. The Council says 80,000 new homes will be needed in the city by 2031. wtru.st/ birmplanning
The Trust and South West Water are collaborating to work with farmers to deliver cleaner drinking water. The Wild Penwith project provides advice on good soil and water management. wtru.st/WildPenwith
2 THE GREBE SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013
The value of nature
CHRIS WOOD
Just like a good doctor, an intelligent society should try to identify root causes rather than simply treat symptoms. And the root cause of numerous societal and economic problems is the decline in wildlife and in people’s access to it.
350,000 put Government in
shallows on Living Seas Over 350,000 signatures in support of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) were presented to Downing Street in June. Four leading nature conservation charities including the Wildlife Trusts, presented pledges to No. 10 calling for an ecologically coherent network of MPAs. The Wildlife Trusts have said this public support provides Government with the mandate for swift and effective action. In addition, the Science and Technology Select Committee’s recent report on Marine Science concluded that the creation of new Marine Conservation Zones is vital to protect and restore the marine environment.
All four charities are calling on the Government to commit to a specified timetable designating an entire network of Marine Conservation Zones. The Marine Conservation Society, the RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts and WWF agreed that the most important action Government can take nationally to address the shocking state of nature at sea is to urgently designate an ecologically coherent network of MPAs. They have also called Government to avoid further delays and publish their timetable for completing the ecologically coherent network as soon as possible. See more on the ‘State of Nature’ report on page 14.
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The county’s largest seafood wholesaler now has a labelling scheme to support the Trust’s Great Dorset Seafood campaign, showing provenance and traceability. wtru.st/ DorsetSamways
Stroud Wildlife Watch Group has been named 2012’s ‘Watch Group of the Year’. The children’s activities included wassailing, fossil hunting and fundraising for their local wildlife hospital. wtru.st/StroudWatch
The Trust welcomed a Welsh Government announcement that the planned M4 extension across the Gwent Levels needs more consultation. The Trust is campaigning against the development. wtru.st/GwentRoad
The Trust, Bristol Zoo and the Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation are captive-rearing white-clawed crayfish. Offspring will be released in June 2014. wtru.st/ HantsCrayfish
To reverse this trend, The Wildlife Trusts are showing that we can both revive our natural environment and re-connect people to it. Thurrock Thameside, a new nature park created by Essex Wildlife Trust is a case in point. Tees Valley Wildlife Trust (p20) is measuring the benefits of such engagement for people’s lives. Many species were only able to recolonise the Essex site because the places around it had enjoyed European protection. This makes it clear that any further erosion of our depleted natural capital must be avoided at all costs. And this will only happen if decision-makers and people everywhere put a higher value on nature. That includes those deciding on what should be taught in schools. The next generation will need an excellent understanding of nature’s worth and complexity if it is to lead nature’s recovery, and create a brighter future for society and its economy. Opening Thurrock Thameside Nature Park Sir David Attenborough brought tears to the eyes of local people as he heralded the “miracle” of the site’s transformation from vast landfill site to 800 acre wildlife haven and education centre. He said it could be “a turning point”. We are certainly gathering momentum for such change – but only because you value nature, and because you are expressing this by supporting your Trust.
Stephanie Hilborne OBE Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts There are 47 Wildlife Trusts. With more than 800,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving all the UK’s habitats and species.
SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013 THE GREBE 3
UK NEWS
Seabird deaths caused by chemicals at sea The Wildlife Trusts, RSPB and RSPCA have asked the International Maritime Organisation to review the classification of a hazardous chemical after two pollution incidents resulted in more than 4000 dead and dying seabirds being washed up along the coast of southwest England. The birds, including razorbills, puffins, gannets and guillemots, were coated in a sticky substance which interferes with plumage, preventing diving and feeding. The substance was identified as polyisobutene (PIB), a chemical used in the manufacture of lubricants, chewing gum and other products. Under certain circumstances it is legal for ships to discharge PIB into the sea when washing out their tanks. “Dead and dying seabirds may be the most visible victims of our mismanagement. But impacts on other parts of marine life support systems may be just as widespread, and more serious,” said Joan Edwards, Head of Living Seas for The Wildlife Trusts. “Firm controls must be implemented to minimise the risk of future disasters.”
This guillemot survived. But rescuers are concerned that the visible deaths are only the tip of the iceberg
Coronation Meadows In a project championed by Prince Charles to celebrate 60 years since the Queen’s Coronation, 60 flower-rich donor meadows across the UK will provide seed to restore other nearby meadows. See coronationmeadows.org.uk
Bees and pesticides An EU ban on the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides will start on 1 December after the European Food Safety Authority identified a ‘high acute risk’ to honeybees. Paul Wilkinson, Head of Living Landscapes for The Wildlife Trusts said: “We need more action to reverse the decline in bees and other vital pollinators.”
Care for nature dropped from school curriculum The Wildlife Trusts have asked the Government to reverse proposed changes to the English national curriculum which could see children not being taught about protecting the natural environment. The current draft quietly drops any reference to English school children being taught ‘to care for the environment’ or ‘ways in which living things and the environment need protection’. The Wildlife Trusts believe this would hinder young people learning about their dependence on nature. It could also affect society’s future ability to function in harmony with the natural environment, on which it ultimately depends.
MARC SMITH/DORSET WT
President of The Wildlife Trusts, Simon King OBE, called for education secretary, Michael Gove, to increase environmental education in schools. “A younger generation equipped to understand and tackle the massive environmental problems we have left them is our only hope for the future,” he said. The Wildlife Trusts are part of Wild Network which aims to reconnect children with nature. More at projectwildthing.com
AROUND THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS HEREFORD NT
LONDON WT
NORFOLK WT
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SCOTTISH WT
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In partnership with Herefordshire Mind, the Trust’s Orchard Origins project is offering training to private orchard owners. The aim is to halt the decline of this valuable habitat. wtru.st/ OrchardOrigins
The University of Roehampton has entered into a partnership with the Trust, becoming the first to join its campus (54 acres including lakes, parkland and woodland) to a Living Landscape in London. wtru.st/BevBrook
A £100,000 donation from Geoffrey Watling Charity has helped the Trust’s Cley Marshes appeal to the half way point of £500,000. A new education centre at the reserve is also planned. wtru.st/CleyHalfway
The Trust has begun a 25 year partnership project to secure the future for internationally important seabird populations. Funders include HLF and the the EU LIFE programme. wtru.st/IoSSeabirds
Calling all business and sustainability leaders: the Trust is organising the first World Forum on Natural Capital in Edinburgh in November, with a host of international partners. wtru.st/NatCapital
George and Mildred, Yorkshire’s first urban pair of breeding peregrines, are raising chicks for the second year running. A new webcam, installed last winter, has been capturing their continued success. wtru.st/ShefFalcons
4 THE GREBE SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013
DAVID CHAPMAN
Trusts call for tighter control on marine pollution
LOCAL NEWS
Film puts spotlight on Nantwich water voles Simon Goodall approached the Trust for advice and filmed and produced the package in just two weeks along the Shropshire Union Canal. The result captures the heart of the water vole’s life, from neighbouring wildlife to dealing with narrowboats trundling past their burrows every day. Simon, who also narrates the film, explains how the voles have come to see the canal as a safe haven, and the threats that now find them with the unenviable title of our fastest declining British mammal.
Filmmaker Simon said: “The Wildlife Trusts do a fantastic job, so I really wanted to support them with this project. “The canal in Nantwich isn’t optimal for these wonderful little mammals so it is fascinating how they are able to turn it in to such a great habitat. I hope the film helps encourage people to head out to enjoy the pleasure of watching wildlife and encountering animal behaviour.”
ELLIOTT NEEP (NEEPIMAGES.COM)
A short documentary by a budding young filmmaker from Salford University has set the spotlight on one of the region’s water vole populations.
The Trust have been working with the support of the Environment Agency, Chester Zoo, the Canal & River Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund to map water voles across the region. Last year, this saw surveys carried out across more than 50km of local waterways.
WATCH IT The eight-minute film can be played through the Trust’s website at cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk or via our YouTube channel ‘CheshireWT’. Tell us what you think on Facebook and Twitter @cheshirewt
New look for Northwich community reserve We’ve been working with local residents to transform a south Northwich woodland thanks to a £20,000 boost from INEOS Chlor. The Poors Wood reserve is a 4.5 ha (11 acre) semi-natural woodland between Kingsmead and the Weaver Navigation, home to wildflower grasslands and bluebells.
Plans include a 150 metre ‘boardwalk’, improved steps on the steeper parts of the reserve, meadows to be rejuvenated with special wildflower mixes encouraging bees and butterflies, and enhanced planting of native English bluebells as part of the Cheshire Bluebell Recovery Project. The Trust has been holding regular hands-on volunteer days on the third Sunday of each month throughout the summer for those wanting to help out in the scheme.
JANET PACKHAM
The new project aims to develop the site into an outdoor classroom and community reserve for local residents and nearby Kingsmead ‘eco-school’ just 500 metres from the site.
GET INVOLVED To help out at Poors Wood, give Matt Allmark, Reserves Officer, a call on 01948 820728 or e-mail mallmark@cheshirewt.org.uk
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The Trust has started an e-petition calling on the Government to strengthen hedgerow protection. A farmer had just withdrawn an application to remove seven miles of hedge near Chirbury. wtru.st/ HedgePetition
Earlier this year, the Trust launched an appeal to open up more access to Catcott nature reserve. The 30 acres of former peatdiggings have been restored to wetland habitat. wtru.st/Catcott
The Trust has begun a new project to identify the best way to monitor harvest mouse populations at Parc Slip reserve. Live trapping, nest searching and motion camera techniques will be compared. wtru.st/ParcSlipMice
Work is underway to tackle non-native floating pennywort at Bangor’s Balloo Woodland reserve. The soon-to-bebanned aquatic plant quickly forms dense mats and chokes waterways. wtru.st/BallooWeeds
SITA has awarded more than £118,000 to the Trust’s Restore Worcestershire’s Grasslands project, which aims to reverse the decline of 115ha of formerly wildlife-rich grassland at 21 Local Wildlife Sites. wtru.st/WorcsGrass
Opened its new Living Seas Centre at Flamborough Head, with displays on marine life, art activities and a ‘Bubble booth’ to get visitors thinking about marine conservation. wtru.st/YorksLSC
SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013 THE GREBE 5
LOCAL NEWS
Ruth retires after 30 years of dedication Ruth Dann of the Trust’s Wirral Local Group (Wirral Wildlife) has retired from her roles after more than three decades committed to inspiring others and fundraising for local wildlife. Joining the group in 1980, Ruth went on to organise members’ events, fundraising and became a committee member, only stopping due to ill health last year. Early days at Eastham Country Park saw Ruth fundraising with a myriad toys and other merchandise, and her Caldy garden went on to host many an annual plant sale – despite the grey squirrels – and even a croquet match in aid of the Trust’s work. With her husband Bernhard (regular chauffer and porter) Ruth raised almost £19,000 in the decade up to 2010, and received the Trust’s coveted Eric Thurston Award in acknowledgement of her unwavering support for local conservation in 2005.
Barbara Greenwood and Hilary Ash of the group said of Ruth, “We will miss her forthright common sense at our meetings, her sense of humour, and her small figure bustling around the sales table, but know she will still be giving us her support.” Charlotte Harris, Trust chief executive added: “Such a stalwart and long-term commitment to a local charity like the Trust and our Local Group is rare, and few are likely to surpass Ruth’s individual fundraising achievements. We all wish Ruth well as she finally hangs up her collection box after supporting us for more than half the Trust’s 50 year history.”
put ak butterflies purple hairstre in July ts at Pl Usually elusive ll hu en show at Hock on a welcome
News in brief
At least two pairs of spotted flycatchers successfully raised broods at our Hockenhull Platts reserve this summer, a positive result for a bird struggling elsewhere across the UK and on the RSPB’s ‘Red List’ of declining species. Good numbers of purple hairstreak butterflies also delighted many wildlife watchers during the warm evenings of July. Nearby on our Gowy Meadows nature reserve, a pair of barn owls raised a brood of four chicks in a purpose-built nest box, bucking the trend elsewhere in Cheshire as Broxton Barn Owl Group reported the poorest year on record for the species, down from 225 pairs in the region last year.
RICHARD BOWLER
TIM MELLING
Spotted flycatchers and barn owl success in Chester
Macclesfield - Danes Moss access
Congleton - Bagmere extension and cranefly find
Local volunteers have been helping to complete a new circular woodland track several hundred metres long. Trees have also been cleared to make way for the new picnic area by the canal, and three inviting oak benches have been installed. The WRENfunded project has also had support from skills initiative Train’d Up and staff from Barclays, who have helped to install around 80 metres of boardwalk.
We’re pleased to confirm an extension to our Bagmere reserve near Brereton Heath, almost doubling its size. The reserve is thought to be the last remaining site for small pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies in Cheshire, although their current status remains difficult to assess after a poor year in 2012, like many British butterfly species. The Trust continues to manage habitats at Bagmere with the help of our Dexter cattle, to maintain the right conditions to encourage the butterflies.
The reserve is part of a new Cheshire East Volunteer Task group with opportunities at Danes Moss, Swettenham Meadows and The Quinta near Holmes Chapel, and Bagmere near Sandbach. Contact Andy Sheridan on asheridan@cheshirewt.org.uk or 07792 339488 to find out how to get involved.
6 THE GREBE SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013
Elsewhere on the reserve however, volunteer Phil Brighton discovered a rare cranefly, listed on the UK’s National Biodiversity Network (NBN) on just a few occasions. The black and red Tanyptera atrata joined Phil on an old birth log as he ate his sandwiches, and is very much restricted to the region’s Meres and Mosses habitats.
Positive start for dragons’ return to Delamere den This summer saw the Trust embark on an ambitious project to return the white-faced darter dragonfly to the pools of Delamere Forest.
Open Farm Sunday a success We flung open the gates at Bickley Hall Farm on 9 June for national Open Farm Sunday, with around 300 people including dozens of youngsters heading to the Trust’s 206 acre headquarters on the Cholmondeley Estate. Our Hebridean lambs, Shropshire sheep and Longhorn cattle were all on hand for an up-close and personal encounter, whilst pond-dipping, nestbox making and craft activities made for a full day of fun. Our conservation-grazed beef burger BBQ had a busy queue all day, and with staff making homemade cakes too, we raised almost £1,000 in donations. The national scheme is organised by Linking Environment, Food and Farming (LEAF) and has seen thousands of working farms open to the public each year since 2006.
One hundred larvae were collected from ‘donor’ sites at National Nature Reserves (NNR) managed by Natural England at Chartley and Fenn’s & Whixall Mosses, then translocated to Doolittle Pool in Delamere Forest. Surveys have since observed emerging and mature adults in flight, along with egg laying, demonstrating that mating has taken place. It’s hoped the combined approach of creating suitable areas for the dragonflies to survive in the forest, coupled with annual translocations and careful monitoring will see a self-sustaining population of white-faced darters back in the region within ten years. The scheme has been supported by the British Dragonfly Society and also the Meres and Mosses Landscape Partnership who have backed training days to assist the ongoing monitoring programme.
GET INVOLVED The Trust is inviting people to help out with the project as volunteers during next year’s monitoring season. If you would like to take part contact Dr. Vicky Nall on vnall@cheshirewt.org.uk or on 01948 820728.
VICK Y NALL
TOM MARSHALL
This was the first project of its kind ever attempted in the Cheshire region, and only the second nationally, thanks to a carefully planned reintroduction scheme in partnership with the Forestry Commission. One of the rarest and smallest of these aerial insect hunters found in the UK, the species was last seen in the wild in Cheshire over a decade ago.
Adult white-faced dar ters, like this female were seen at Delamere this summer following the translocation of larv ae from donor sites
South Cheshire - 50/50 Appeal
Imago project success at New Ferry
Huge thanks to everyone who has so far donated to our 50/50 Appeal to refurbish one of our cow sheds at Bickley Hall Farm into a state-of-the-art outdoor learning centre for young people from across Cheshire. We have an ambitious target of £100,000 to kick-off the work this winter and have already received over £12,500 in public donations, along with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund which means every pound you donate is worth £2 to the project.
A Wirral Council-sponsored project to increase visitor connections with the wildlife at New Ferry Butterfly Park has come to fruition. The ‘Your Wirral Fund Grant’ Imago project - named after the final stages of a butterfly’s metamorphosis from a caterpillar - has seen volunteers attend events encouraging the public to plant wildlifefriendly flowers through the use of recycled newspaper plant pots and soft-fruit packaging.
The new centre, which we hope to complete by May 2014, will mean the Trust will be able to offer an all-weather teaching facility for the 1,000 children who visit the farm each year and expand its use as a local community resource.
Staff from Inteb of Bromborough also volunteered their time for a day’s work revamping the park’s demonstration garden. By June, the Butterfly Park had welcomed 1,408 visitors – almost twice that of last year. Three lecterns have also been installed to enable seasonal interpretation of the different areas of the park covering; creatures living in the pond; shield bugs; ladybirds and bumblebees.
Find out more and donate at cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/5050appeal or call us on 01948 820728.
SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013 THE GREBE 7
LOCAL NEWS
Dunes to the Deep – National Marine Week 2013 It was a sunny start to the day (if not the end!) as we celebrated National Marine Week at Leasowe Lighthouse in early August. The flags were flying below the iconic 100ft high local landmark, as it cast imposing shadows on our marine-themed bunting tent, along with face-painting and a chance to see seashore life in close-up. Ian Wallace from Liverpool University led a guided walk along the Irish Sea coastline and several sand sculptures adorned the beach by the end of the day, including a mermaid, a seal, an octopus and the ubiquitous SpongeBob Squarepants. Ian and North West Wildlife Trusts’ Marine Officer Emily Baxter judged the competition in pouring rain, with the winners receiving a family ticket to Chester Zoo and a bumper Cheshire Wildlife Trust hamper full of goodies. The day was organised in partnership with Wirral Rangers, Friends of Leasowe Lighthouse and the Friends of North Wirral Coastal Park, and led by our team of Biodiversity Trainees supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Burning ambition
A number of sand sculpt ures were created down on the bea ch
Ian Wallace from Liverpool University gets ready to lead a coastal walk along the Wirral shoreline at Leasowe
Bill’s brush strokes boost charity auction We were thrilled to be invited to the National Exhibition of Wildlife Art (NEWA) exhibition at Gordale Garden Centre in July, and in particular to represent the Wildlife Trusts at a charity auction which raised over £10,000 for the Trust, TUSK and Chester Zoo.
The Trust have celebrated the first lighting of a new charcoal burner based in Mickle Trafford, which it hopes will soon be providing ‘eco-friendly’ charcoal for barbeques across Chester. Based at The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) Cheshire office at Trafford Mill, and with funding support from the First Trans Pennine Express Green Grants scheme, the first bags of handselected charcoal were packed in late July. The wood – which takes up to 12 hours to slowly convert to charcoal – has been sourced from projects undertaken by TCV and Cheshire Wildlife Trust in the local area. We now hope to stockpile suitable logs from woodland and hedgerow management projects like coppicing, in readiness for next year’s barbeque season. The purpose-built burners, which can hold up to a tonne of wood prior to lighting, are bedded into the ground and sealed for a day and after cooling, the charcoal is removed and then sorted by hand before being bagged ready for selling to the public. The Gowy Connect project is funded by WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental) and the Environment Agency.
8 THE GREBE SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013
We would like to thank NEWA for their ongoing support of the Trust in the region.
A firecrest painting by Wildlife Trusts’ vice president Bill Oddie raised almost £400 at this summer’s NEWA auction
ALL ELECTRIC PRODUCTIONS
TOM MARSHALL
With over 40 pieces donated by renowned wildlife artists including John Threlfall, a packed room of bidders saw successful bids in excess of £1,000 for subjects as varied as puffins, lions, butterflies and black guillemots. The final lot of the evening saw a firecrest painting by Wildlife Trusts’ vice president Bill Oddie snapped up for almost £400, before guests went on to look at the remaining exhibition.
NEW FACES
New faces
The Trust is a growing organisation, and recently we have welcomed a number of new faces, including those who will help drive our ambitions as we enter a new and exciting phase after our first 50 years as the region’s leading wildlife and conservation charity.
Martin Varley, Director of Conservation It’s not often that people swap the Indian Ocean for rural south Cheshire, but Martin has done just that, after two years working with Nature Seychelles. With an extensive background in global nature conservation and plenty of time spent in the North West including time with the Environment Agency and Natural England, Martin has a proven track record of bringing in funding and developing strategic thinking. Martin has also been a freelance environmental writer, communications manager and has delivered a number of community and interpretation projects so is keen to help us spread the word about our conservation work. Martin also lives close to Bickley Hall Farm with his wife and four children.
WANT TO WORK FOR THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS’? If you want to work for the Wildlife Trust movement in the UK, visit www.wildlifetrusts.org/jobs for the very latest vacancies. Roles in Cheshire can be found at www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/jobs or visit our volunteering and events pages to get the hands-on experience you need to work in conservation.
Frankie Bradley Finance Manager
Anna O’Sullivan Fundraising Manager
After five years steering the Trust through some of our most challenging financial periods, Finance Manager Lorna Harrison is handing over the reigns to Frankie Bradley. Frankie has a strong background in charity finance and is a wiz on the complex databases systems at the heart of modern charities like the Trust. This new full-time role will get to grips with both a constantly expanding Trust and our growing ecological consultancy arm, CES.
Anna joined the Trust earlier this year to head-up our fundraising and membership support teams, after several years in the cancer charity sector operating out of London but covering the North West, along with helping to set up an award winning environmental charity in Mancheste. Originally from the Wirral, Anna has always loved the great outdoors and has a close connection to the rural community in Cheshire through her other half who is a local vet and also studying at Reaseheath Agricultural College for a number of years.
Who else is new? Also joining the Trust recently, Lindsay Overstall (pictured) is now the friendly face (and voice!) you meet when you arrive at Bickey Hall Farm as our Executive and Communications assistant, whilst in our Estates & Land Management Team, Matt Allmark has returned to the Trust as a Reserves Officer, after taking part in the HLFfunded Biodiversity Trainee programme in 2011. In our People & Wildlife Team, Robyn Moseley is working on our Living Landscape through our Go With The Flow project, whilst Sasha Hollingworth is supporting our Wild Kids and Forest Schools activities across the region. Volunteers play a vital role in the day-to-day running of the Trust, and we continue to be hugely indebted to the support of so many people who help out at Bickley Hall Farm including our ever-reliable Thursday reception team of Joan and Cheryl, along with Steph, Margot, Janine, Trish and Jacki during the rest of the week.
SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013 THE GREBE 9
RESERVE FOCUS – RED ROCKS
Shifting sands Sand dunes may look like a barren environment for wildlife, constantly changing and shifting with the winds. Our Red Rocks nature reserve on the Wirral though, has plenty of secrets to share. It’s easy to see the attraction of some nature reserves; woodlands echoing with bird song, meadows alive with butterflies or babbling streams home to otters. Sand dunes never quite seem to fall into the same category. Battered by relentless coastal winds, marram grass clinging on for all it’s worth and no trees of offer protection – surely a tough place for wildlife to thrive? On the west coast of Wirral lies Red Rocks, just north of West Kirby and looking out onto the popular tourist hotspot and recently announced proposed Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) at Hilbre Island. The reserve is flanked by the Dee estuary to the west and by the Royal Liverpool golf course to the east, creating a thin strip of unassuming habitat that belies the vital place it holds in the heart of local wildlife watchers.
10 THE GREBE SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013
Perhaps the most famous residents of the ‘rocks are natterjack toads, now a rare amphibian in the UK, but one whose croaking cacophony can be heard each spring in the small shallow pools amongst the reeds – the only place you’ll find natterjacks on the Wirral. The flora at Red Rocks is also very special, with more than 50 species recorded, including Mackay’s horsetail found nowhere else in England. Orchids also delight visitors including early marsh and northern marsh orchids in the drier parts, whilst classic dune plants like bird’s foot trefoil sit side by side with the fascinatingly-named sticky stork’s bill, Portland spurge, fairy flax and others.
What to see…
Sedge and reed warblers will stay around to breed, and may be joined by skylarks and stonechats elsewhere on the dunes. Skylarks prefer to lift high above the sands, whilst a trained ear is needed to pick apart the rhythmic (or not too rhythmic!) scratching calls of the warblers. Deep in the reeds, the screaming call of the water rail can pierce through even the strongest winds. In late summer, sandwich terns and maybe even little terns can linger offshore. The autumn migration can see hundreds of fieldfare, redwing and other thrushes descend on the dunes as they reach landfall from Scandinavia, and snow buntings fresh from a summer in the Scottish highlands also call the dunes home for the winter, and may even be joined by a rarer Lapland bunting.
You’ll get two chances to seek out wheatear here - in Spring and Autumn as they pass through on migration. Spring males arriving in their silver and black attire are most impressive, and the distinctive white rump is a key feature throughout the year. Size: 15cm (6in) When: Late-March-April, September-October
RICHARD BOWLER
The location of the rocks on a natural ‘drop in’ point on the peninsula, coupled with the shelter offered by the reedbeds makes the site an ideal migration ‘hotspot’. The excitement builds in spring, with wheatears, ring ouzels and redstarts joined by more familiar warblers. The location of Red Rocks ensures it has had its fair share of rarities over the years including bee eaters, aquatic warbler, serin, red backed shrikes and Richard’s pipits amongst many others.
Wheater
Snow bunting Easily overlooked, snow buntings are a real treat on a wind-swept winter’s walk, and with patience can be approached very closely. They’ll take shelter in the lee of the strongest winds, and you’re more likely to stumble across them – perhaps literally! Size: 15cm (6in) When: November- February
AMY LEWIS
However, it’s the birds at Red Rocks that are the real showstoppers. An astonishing 200-plus species have been seen here, including some of the North West’s most impressive rarity records.
Bird’s foot trefoil
When: Flowers from May – September
PHILIP PRECEY
Also known by the less appealing ‘granny’s toenails’ or the culinarythemed ‘butter and eggs’, this is a classic plant of sandy dunes and an important pollen source for bees and butterflies. A member of the pea family, its yellow flowers look like little slippers with the seed pods the reason for ‘bird’s foot’.
Northern marsh orchid With a deep, velvety magenta colour, northern marsh orchids are a distinctive feature of the reserve’s drier areas or ‘slacks’ in June. As well as sand dunes, they’ve also been known to appear on old industrial sites including brickworks and ironworks. When: June
HOW TO FIND RED ROCKS MARSH Head along the coast adjacent to the Royal Liverpool Golf Course from Stanley Road in Hoylake or West Kirby (from the Marine Centre). www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/our-reserves
SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013 THE GREBE 11
CREATING HOMES FOR WILDLIFE
Home from home We’ve been enjoying nature in our gardens for decades with nestboxes and feeders for birds, planting for butterflies and much more, but what about creating homes for wildlife for some of our less well known visitors? High-rise living Imagine how frustrating it would be to fly non-stop for months on end only to get back to your nesting area to find it’s been blocked up? That’s been happening a lot lately to Britain’s swifts, who are now in decline after a huge loss of natural urban nesting sites in crevices amongst inner city properties.
The grand design: Special swift ‘bricks’ can be incorporated into your new build
ANDREW DENLEY
(especially on second and third floors). You’ll never know they’re there but they’ll be eternally grateful, especially a bird that can do a million air miles in its lifetime! You can also help swallows and house martins by providing ‘woodcrete’ nests in small colonies. These African visitors have also struggled with changes in rural properties and the use of plastics on our home exteriors.
Swifts will squeeze thr ough the narrowest of gaps to reach a suitab le next site
Logging on
The grand design: Use a mixture of small and large logs, ideally of native deciduous species like birch, ash, oak etc. Don’t forget to keep the log pile going as it breaks down. Leaving small openings will encourage mammals to make a home there too.
RICHARD BOWLER
As with most wildlife gardening, the simplest ideas are the best. A log pile, or to give it a more technical name, ‘hibernacula’ is the des res for a host of species; from frogs, newts and toads, to grass snakes and invertebrates. Anything and everything could find a home here, and if you allow the logs to break down into dead wood and keep replenishing the top you’ll create a perfect habitat for woodpeckers and other insect-eating birds.
A log pile or ‘hibernacu la’ could be home to grass snakes, a non-ve nomous garden visitor
Hedgehog Hilton It’s well known that hedgehogs love making a home in unsuitable places like bonfires in the autumn, but why not stop them from getting hot under the collar by creating a bespoke home in your backyard? These nocturnal wanderers have also been decreasing in numbers and giving them a place to stay will help your local population of hedgehogs.
The grand design: There are some great hedgehog houses to buy, but
urage A shady corner is perfect to enco a bonfire pile of s peril hedgehogs away from the
12 THE GREBE SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013
you can make your own by creating a cavity around 1.5ft square and 6’ high on the ground in a dark, shady corner, from wood or stone, making sure the top is well covered and insulated with soil or turf. A postcard-sized entrance is all they’ll need and a soil or newspaper carpet can welcome the guests.
Bee a good neighbour
WILDLIFE TRUST
The drop in bee numbers has been well documented recently, and whilst careful planting of pollinating plants is crucial, so too is giving bees a place to hideaway in the colder weather. A nestbox-sized cavity of bamboo canes and other hollow twigs will give bees a safe place to crawl into when the weather turns.
The grand design: When it comes to ‘bug houses’, you can really think big. An old tea chest or even a stack of industrial pallets makes a great foundation to pack with wood, canes, leaves, old doormats, stones or anything that creates a narrow dry cavity. Why not plant-up the top to create both a home and a place for bees to feed?
The Trust’s ‘bug hotels’ have been a popular feature of past RHS Tatton Park shows
Running wild A neat and trimmed lawn will offer some potential for feeding thrushes and woodpeckers, but a rough patch of un-mown grasses and wildflowers will offer so much more; beetles, moths, butterflies and small mammals will love you for it, especially as around nine out of ten species-rich meadows in our countryside have disappeared.
The grand design: Leave a small patch of grass to grow up untouched each summer, cutting in the autumn when it’s seeded. If you have an area of impoverished, poorer soil then a wildflower mix will really thrive and add extra colour and pollinating plants. If you can stretch to a larger meadow, you could still cut a small path through.
y to sow, and could Wildflower mixes are eas to move around pot even be created in a
Water remains the lifeblood of any wildlife garden, whether a simple birdbath, a state-of-the-art solar-heated dish or a richly diverse garden pond. It’s important to provide water all year round, not just when you might expect in the summer. Winter sees seed-eating birds grateful of the fluids, whilst a wet patch of mud in summer means building material for swallows, house martins and nuthatches. Leave shallow areas for bathing and access by small mammals, and vegetation for dragonflies, damselflies and amphibians to make a home in.
A place to rest your head… If you want to make a difference away from your backyard then why not sponsor a dormouse nest box? The Trust is part of the North West Dormouse Partnership, and reintroduced these charismatic rare mammals back into Cheshire during the 1990s after an absence of almost 80 years. The mice and researchers rely on a network of hundreds of nestboxes where dormice can hibernate (sometimes for up to six months) and raise a family in spring. They’re also a vital tool in tracking the health and progress of the mice. Your support can help build and install new boxes and replace old ones every year.
TOM MARSHALL
The stuff of life
material of Mud, glorious mud, is the building in mart e hous this choice for birds like
The Trust has advice sheets and an online video you can watch about creating a wildlife garden, where you can also discover how to get a coveted ‘Wildlife Friendly Garden Award’. If you prefer to go for an instant impact then visit our partners at Vine House Farm vinehousefarm.co.uk where every purchase helps to support the Wildlife Trusts with more than £500,000 donated so far.
Call us on 01948 820728 to find out more.
SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013 THE GREBE 13
STATE OF NATURE REPORT
The state of nature – the Cheshire region In May this year, 25 of the UK’s leading conservation groups – including the Wildlife Trusts published a ground-breaking ‘stock take’ of the UK’s wildlife, with a stark warning that one in ten species are at risk from being lost from the UK altogether. We take a look at the report, and what it means here in the Cheshire region. ‘Little of the English landscape can be considered truly wild’ was the opening statement of the State of Nature report, but ‘despite of, and in some cases because of this, we have much to treasure’. The stock-take recognises the challenges and opportunities; species at their northern limit in Europe, estuaries rich in internationally important numbers of birds, and species and habitats found rarely elsewhere. We also have a countryside shaped heavily by man, so when we make changes – however small – the knock on effect will be felt by our wildlife. The Government’s official ‘biodiversity indicators’ show a mixed bag of results since 1970, and most recently since 2000; farmland birds continuing to decline, butterfly numbers down year-on-year and our woodland birds either decreasing or flat-lining. A once improving picture for wetland birds over-wintering in the UK has also seen a dip since 2000, whilst breeding wetland and water bird populations, along with our seabirds remain unchanged. The loss of neutral grassland diversity has been one of our starkest changes, however agri-environment schemes have seen farmland plant variety on the increase. Widespread bat species have also seen an upward trend. Although the loss of habitats is well documented, there are also reasons for celebration; reedbeds are making a comeback, from Somerset to East Anglia and the Midlands, all to the benefit of species like the bittern and marsh harrier. Indeed, the arrival of the marsh harrier as a breeding species in Cheshire for the first time in 2011 bodes well for the future. The status of the small pearl-bordered fritillary in Cheshire is extremely fragile but the Trust is working to create suitable habitat at Bagmere
The Cheshire picture The plain A shift away from subsidised production into environmental stewardship has seen around two-thirds of Cheshire’s farmland now in management to deliver some environmental benefits, and around 10% of that land subject to the most stringent regimes. This management has primarily focused on the margins of our most typical pastoral landscapes, benefiting small mammals and invertebrates. This, coupled with dedicated work by organisations like the Broxton Barn Owl Group has seen species like the barn owl increase in numbers from a handful 20 years ago to over 100 pairs in some recent years, although 2013 had sadly been a poor season. Tree sparrows have also benefited from these changes, however this approach remains of limited advantage to species like the yellow wagtail and lapwing which continue to struggle. The region’s network of ponds still remains one of the largest and diverse in the UK, and great crested newts continue to find Cheshire a stronghold, whilst dragonflies thrive in these scattered wetlands, with new and returning species finding a place on the Cheshire list year-on-year.
Woodland The Cheshire region remains the least wooded county in the UK at just 6.4% (Woodland Trust), compared to a national average of around 10% woodland cover, around the same area covered in the UK by urban development. The local trend remains in worrying contrast to the rest of England where woodland cover is at its highest than at any point in living memory. Changes in woodland management has however, left three-quarters of specialist woodland plants in decline. Oak, ash and beech remain important ‘boundary trees’ as mature specimens in the region, however it’s unclear what impact the recently-arrived ash dieback may have on this in the future.
VICKY NALL
Although re-introduced to south Cheshire in the 1990s, the hazel dormouse – a classic woodland and hedgerow specialist – has yet to recover to the range enjoyed at the end of the 19th century.
14 THE GREBE SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013
60%
Peregrine falcons have adapted to living in our cities after a troubled history in their traditional rural haunts
of our flowering plants are decreasing
The UK picture… 30 out of 54
50% City slickers
of birds are increasing, however farmland species remain in decline
As our urban environment has expanded, so too the numbers of those most adaptable of species. Many of our major towns and cities now boast a pair of peregrine falcons, a remarkable turnaround from the near catastrophic DDT-related collapses of the 1960s, whilst the traditional pair at Beeston Castle continue to nest, albeit at the annual mercy of illegal egg-collectors. Despite a UK-wide decline of up to 90%, our urban waterways, especially those canals that were the arteries of the industrial revolution, have now become a refuge for water voles in their more sedate modern guise as recreational routes. Living amongst cracks in walls and by chewing through fabric mesh, the voles benefit from the consistently stable water levels, unlike their counterparts on local rivers who have struggled with the unpredictable weather of recent years. Additional work on waterways with partners including the Environment Agency is seeing benefits not only to flood management, but also to water voles and otters – now frequently recorded on the region’s rivers.
This ground-breaking report is a stark warning – but it is also a sign of hope… we should all be proud of the beauty we find on our own doorstep…we have in this country a network of passionate conservation groups supported by millions of people who love wildlife.
MARGARET HOLLAND
butterfly species have decreased in numbers
Winners and losers Many of the region’s mammals have seen a chequered history recently, and new arrivals may not always be welcome. The recovery of the water vole will remain in jeopardy whilst non-native American mink continue to expand their range, grey squirrels and yellow-necked mice are also likely to hamper any recovery for the hazel dormouse. Butterflies like the small pearl-bordered fritillary are now clinging on at what’s thought to be a single location, with the Trust managing habitats to try and encourage a species which remains at the mercy of climatic and seasonal weather changes that are affecting all butterfly species. The last 30 years has also seen the return after historic absences of the common clubtail dragonfly (at the most northerly edge of its range) and hairy dragonfly, with the latter being recorded during the 1980s at our Hatch Mere reserve after disappearing for a quarter of a century, and now observed at Bagmere and Bar Mere. Other arrivals include the emperor dragonfly and black-tailed skimmer. With careful management, the region may continue to be a stronghold for these aerial predators. In the air, there is also better news with lesser horseshoe, serotine, Leisler’s and whiskered bats now a feature on Cheshire’s mammal records.
Sir David Attenborough
The Meres & Mosses
Landscape-scale conservation
Historically enveloped by the region’s larger plantation woodlands, these internationally important carbon stores and ecologically diverse habitats could be in better shape in years to come. Work by Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England and the Forestry Commission has seen many meres and mosses opened up and cleared of scrub for the first time in decades, benefitting specialist flora like round-leaved sundews and dragonflies like the whitefaced darter. The latter species, lost from the region in 2003, is now the subject of a reintroduction scheme - largely made possible by the efforts to improve its preferred acidic pool habitats.
Species reintroductions and nature reserve management will only go part of the way to reversing some of the trends we have seen in Cheshire. To meet the recommendations of a ‘bigger, better, more joined up’ landscape for wildlife cited in the Government’s White Paper for Nature, a landscape-scale approach is needed.
In the south of the region, the meres and mosses are the subject of one of the UK’s first Nature Improvement Areas (NIA), and will benefit from an enhanced profile and a £2m community boost over the next five years.
Fortunately, the Trust has been pioneering this tactic in recent years, starting with the Gowy & Mersey Washlands Living Landscape, and now with ambitious plans for the Dane Valley and Delamere Forest. With a strong nature reserve network of ‘stepping stones’ in a landscape of river and hedgerow corridors with management for wildlife at the forefront, the next stock take of our wildlife has the potential to show the future is bright.
SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013 THE GREBE 15
ON YOUR DOORSTEP – MID CHESHIRE
Back from the brink
– Delamere’s lost mosses Since their formation during the last Ice Age, we’ve slowly lost many of Delamere’s mosslands and the unique wildlife that makes a home there. Now that trend is set to change, thanks to a £245,000 restoration project. Sarah Bennett explains how. With its modern use as a bustling hub for adrenaline-seeking cyclists and high-wire climbers, it’s hard to imagine the millenniaold landscape of Delamere that once lay where cycle tracks roll through today.
Additional funding has also been secured from the Forestry Commission, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Natural England.
Intertwined with trees and easily overlooked to the untrained eye, it’s only really from above that the Delamere landscape show’s
The focus of the project will be a cluster of ‘transition mire and quaking bog’ sites in and around Delamere Forest. The cluster of peat basins within the Delamere landscape is part of the Meres and Mosses Natural Area and has been identified as one of the most
itself – peppered with peat-filled dark hollows of locally and internationally important mossland habitats.
important areas in the UK for the conservation of internationally important transition mire and quaking bog habitat.
These are habitats like no other, at the extreme end of what nature can cope with – low nutrients, high acidity and all sitting on top of a thick glacial sandsheet. The wildlife found here has had to adapt over thousands of years, taking advantage of a niche that few other species could cope with.
The importance of the area is already partly recognised in the designation of several sites including the Trust’s reserve at Abbots Moss as part of the West Midlands Mosses Special Area for Conservation (SAC), however, the full importance of the area has until recently not been fully appreciated, with tens if not hundreds of other basin wetland features present within this unique landscape.
MAIN PIC A WALSLEY
The Delamere’s Lost Mosses project has been awarded £245,147 from WREN’s Biodiversity Action Fund in the first phase of a longer term ambition to achieve a ‘Delamere Living Landscape’, an ‘ecologically coherent’ landscape scale wetland complex. WREN is a not-for-profit business that awards grants generated by landfill tax through sites owned by FCC Environment, to community, environmental and heritage projects countrywide.
16 THE GREBE SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013
The Meres and Mosses are as important to Britain as the Norfolk Broads and the Lake District With their glacial origins, these habitats are naturally fragmented. This can often present a hurdle to wildlife, with getting from one core area to another challenged by less favourable habitats like woodland. It is this challenge that will be the focus of the Delamere’s Lost Mosses project.
WANT TO KNOW MORE Keep an eye on the Trust’s website for more details on the project, or contact Sarah Bennett, Biodiversity Manager on sbennett@cheshirewt.org.uk
The project is expected to benefit a number of characteristic species including the downy emerald dragonfly, variable damselfly and green hairstreak butterfly, along with wintering woodcock and snipe, and mossland specific plants such as cranberry, bilberry, bog rosemary, common sundew and royal fern. The project is also expected to be an additional bonus for the recently begun re-introduction of the white-faced darter dragonfly, not seen in the wild in Delamere since 2003 (see page 7 for more).
HORST BUETLER
To help establish a Living Landscape, future projects include restoring and achieving favourable condition of the other mossland habitats as well as taking forward opportunities for lowland heathland and acid grassland creation between the sites (such as those in and around the quarries). Historically, as part of the former Royal Hunting Forest, the Delamere landscape is thought to have featured significant mosaic areas of heath, scrub and acid grassland interspersed with wet basin mires.
Green hairstreak
Hairy dragonfly
Woodcock
VICKY NALL
As well as funding a Project Officer to coordinate the extensive capital work and volunteer support needed, the project will also offer volunteer traineeships to help people gain experience working in the conservation sector.
TIM MELLING
Over its four-year lifespan, the project will work with landowners to deliver 120 ha of transition mire and quaking bog habitat management across 10 sites. A major part of restoring and achieving favourable condition of mossland habitat is the clearance of encroaching scrub and trees and ‘re-wetting’ - to restore bog conditions by raising water levels and ditch blocking.
Special wildlife of the lost mosses
MARGARET HOLLAND
Any ecologically coherent network of habitats – on land or sea – must begin with high-quality core areas and natural stepping stones. The project will focus on managing these, whilst influencing land management to improve so-called ‘buffer’ areas and limit the impacts on the edges of core sites, which can easily lead to shrinking of high quality habitats.
Round-leaved sundew
Despite being the most widespread of the hairstreak butterflies, the green hairstreak is easily overlooked with it’s perfect leaf-like camouflage. Also blending in perfectly is the woodcock, although its ‘roding’ calling flight at dusk in spring is more conspicuous above the tree line. The flora of our meres and mosses is often diminutive and delicate, but this belies the carnivorous nature of the round-leaved sundew, although the iridescent downy emerald dragonfly is probably a meal too far.
THE NATURAL KNOW-HOW Transition mire and quaking bog – a habitat with a very acidic base, with highly adapted flora and species that often only live in this type of area. Wet below and on a fragile substrate of accumulated peat, they are highly unstable underfoot leading to a ‘quaking’ effect. Re-wetting – Blocking of drains and ditches to allow the water level to rise and maintain the damp conditions needed by meres and mosses, a common technique in bog and mossland management. Living Landscape – managing and creating wildlife corridors (like rivers or hedgerows) that link the key habitat stepping stones in our landscape, letting wildlife thrive, disperse and re-colonise.
SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013 THE GREBE 17
GREAT DAYS OUT
Ten great places for
Exploring rockpools
No summer is complete without getting to know a seaside rockpool. And the UK has tens of thousands to choose from Alderney WT
Longis Bay never seems to get crowded and offers safe bathing and a great variety of environments to explore. Trust-run events throughout the summer include kayaking and rockpool snorkelling (equipment provided). More on alderneywildlife.org Where is it? On the SE coast of the island. Accessed by main road E from St Annes.
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Polzeath Cornwall WT
A wealth of invertebrate life clings to the rocks and hides amongst the crevices. The beach is part of a Voluntary Marine Conservation Area, and there are regular rockpool wildlife surveys and easy access rockpool rambles. More at cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk Where is it? On the N coast, 6 miles N of Wadebridge. Grid: SW 937 788.
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Kimmeridge Bay Dorset WT
The Trust’s Fine Foundation Marine Centre is open through the summer for interactive displays, aquaria and rockpool rambles. You can also hire Seashore Explorer backpacks. More on dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk Where is it? A351 Wareham to Corfe Castle. R to Creech, R to Kimmeridge. Grid: SY 909789.
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West Runton Beach Norfolk WT
The Trust runs rockpool rummaging events on the beach throughout the summer. Shore crabs, beadlet anemones and squat lobsters are commonly encountered species. More at norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk Where is it? Off the A148 5 miles W of Cromer. X5 bus from Norwich. Grid: TG 183 432.
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Hilbre Island Cheshire Wildlife Trust
The Trust runs family guided walks to these islands in the Dee estuary every summer, with grey seals, hundreds of rock pools and seabirds all on offer. The islands lie around a mile off West Kirby. More on cheshirewildlifetrust.org. uk/whats-on Where is it? Off West Kirby, Wirral. You can visit any time but be aware of the tide times in the area.
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Cresswell Foreshore Northumberland WT
A Trust nature reserve with a large, wave-cut platform. There are five species of crab, plus butterfish and shanny. The Trust holds rockpooling events here every Marine Week in August. More at nwt.org.uk Where is it? 1 mile N of Cresswell village. Grid: NZ 283 944.
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Roome Bay Scottish WT
A south facing sandy cove in the beautiful fishing village of Crail with great rockpools to explore. The Trust’s nearby Fife Ness Muir and Kilminning Coast reserves are both great for coastal wildlife and migrant birds. More at scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk Where is it? In East Neuk of Fife, 10min walk from Crail centre. Post code: KY10 3TT.
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South Landing, Flamborough Headland
Yorkshire WT
Stroll from the Trust’s Living Seas Centre to the beach. The white chalk boulders create a rock pooling paradise, with a kelp forest at low tide. There are Seashore Safaris for all ages and Shoresearch if you want to develop your ID skills. More at ywt.org.uk/living-seas-centre Where is it? From Bridlington, B1255 to Flamborough. Post code: YO15 1AE.
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St Bees Beach Cumbria WT
The northern end has rockpools beneath cliffs with England’s only breeding colony of black guillemots. The southern point has large honeycomb worm reefs. More on cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk Where is it? 5 miles SW of Whitehaven. Grid: NX 960 118 (north), NX 969 107 (south).
Sisters 10 Seven Sussex WT Next to the ‘Beachy Head West’ recommended Marine Conservation Zone. The Trust runs rockpooling days, and marine wildlife surveys. Details at sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk Where is it? A mile’s walk from the car park near Seaford. Grid: TV 518 977.
FIND MORE SITES LIKE THESE AT WILDLIFETRUSTS.ORG/ROCKPOOLS 18 THE GREBE SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013
ALEX MUSTARD/2020VISION
Longis Bay
DAVID CHAPMAN
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The other-worldly tentacles of a snakelocks anemone
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Stranded jellyfish: lovely, but don’t touch!
DAVID CHAPMAN
DAVID CHAPMAN
You can often tempt common blennies out with a morsel of food
An exciting find: a broad-clawed porcelain crab
Eggs of a Cornish sucker fish
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DAVID CHAPMAN
DAVID CHAPMAN
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Before you go
Take a guide, such as the Field Studies Council’s Rocky Shore Name Trail (£3). A bucket and net are handy, plus non-slip footwear. And remember to put your charges back afterwards. Check with your Wildlife Trust for special events, especially in school holidays. You may need to pre-book and/or pay a small fee
SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013 THE GREBE 19
NATURAL HEALTH SERVICE
Proof at last: this is In fact, volunteering on a nature reserve turns out to be amazingly good for you, according to new
TIM KEETON
The sound of cheerful banter blows across Coatham Marsh on Teesside as a group of volunteers digs out turf and piles it against a structure they’ve spent three weeks completing. Soon they’ll be finished and, with luck, sand martins and bats will move in. These are no ordinary volunteers. They’re the central players in a study by Tees Valley Wildlife Trust that proves the mental health benefits of volunteering outdoors. It could have a big impact on funding across The Wildlife Trusts.
Watching the group – a mix of retired gents, students and those with mental health issues – working up a sweat in the bright spring sunshine, it’s easy to see how this would make anyone feel better. Besides the outdoor physical activity, there’s the satisfaction of completing a project and the feeling of well-being that comes from giving your time to something worthwhile. The tricky part, according to Tees Valley Wildlife Trust Chief Executive Jeremy Garside, has been quantifying just how much better people feel. “Initially the programme was developed with support
from the Big Lottery Fund. But when we applied to other charitable trusts to extend the work they asked questions we couldn’t answer. Is it better to get more people through for shorter periods? Or to work with the same people for five years? We didn’t know.” Jeremy got Jenny Hagan involved. She’s on her way to a PhD in volunteer management, and an expert in research.And so, using three scales to assess mental well-being, and structured interviews with participants, carers and health professionals, Jenny
What’s next? The research has made the link between volunteering in nature and improving mental health. The next stage is to measure before-and-after impact. Jenny Hagan explains: “We’re developing partnerships with local GPs to access more people in need through social prescription referrals. This could tackle the over-reliance on prescribing medication for depression, and allow further research. We’re also looking at measuring blood pressure and muscle stress, which are directly connected to mental health.” The research was funded by a Dame Mary Smieton Research Grant. Other funders are the Northern Rock Foundation, Department of Health and Big Lottery. n Read the research at teeswildlife.org/new/volunteering
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Volunteers build a sand martin nest bank at Coatham Marsh. The research suggests such activity is a better way to improve mental health than traditional interventions
good for you research by Tees Valley Wildlife Trust. John Westlake reports set about measuring the benefits of volunteering for the Wildlife Trust – both for those with and without mental health issues. The results were remarkable. Participants’ scores for their feelings of usefulness, relaxation and independence of thought were remarkably high and, in cases where participants were referred, their increase in confidence was clearly noted by carers. The participants themselves revealed other benefits: the feeling of comradeship with their fellow volunteers, and a level of selfdetermination not possible on a ward.
Back on Coatham Marsh these findings are backed up by the turf diggers. Kelvin Scase, who volunteers three days a week, says: “I’ve been doing it four or five years. I love it. My favourite job is petrol strimming, I’m good at that. But we do all sorts – planting trees, cutting wood. And I like animals – there are two swans nesting just over there.” Steven Etwell is the longest serving member: “I’ve been volunteering one day a week since 2000. I like the fresh air and the achievement. It feels I’m in a team.”
This is confirmed by one of the self-referred volunteers: “I love it, absolutely love it. When we build things, Dan (van den Toorn, the Reserves Officer in charge on site who has coordinated volunteers on the project for five years) does the design but he doesn’t tell me to knock a nail in there or saw there; he just tells me the sort of thing he wants. It’s bloody great. There’s such a sense of achievement from building something like this. I go home at night absolutely pooped, thinking I’ve done a great job.”
A ‘Natural Health Service’ in Cheshire Here in Cheshire, the Trust is a partner in a Mersey Forest-led ‘Natural Health Service’ pilot scheme begining in Halton offering health commissioners a single point of access to a range of natural environment focussed products - including volunteering for wildlife - to help tackle a range of health and wellbeing issues. The pilot scheme aims to ‘test’ effectiveness, evaluation and improvement in clients, and health walks at Wigg Island where the Trust manages the community visitor centre will be the first stage of our involvement.
SUMMER/AUTUMN 2013 THE GREBE 21
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