Grebe The
Winter 2013-2014
Cheshire
Cheshire
The magazine of Cheshire Wildlife Trust
TOP GUNS Don’t miss our best aerial hunters this winter
also... How to reconnect our children with nature Badgers, the cull and vaccination – one year on What lies beneath – getting our nature reserves right
Your Trust, Your views Supporter survey
hire
WELCOME “There is still a long way to go before the Irish Sea is afforded the protection it deserves.” Charlotte Harris
Chief Executive
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.
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.
Protection for our marine environment has always been at the forefront of the Wildlife Trusts’ vision for nature’s recovery. In November, the Government made its long-awaited announcement on marine protected areas, announcing that 27 Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) would be designated; the first time our seas could be protected as we safeguard nature reserves on land. A little over a year ago, 127 MCZs were identified as part of a two-year stakeholder process in which the Wildlife Trusts played a lead role. This announcement is a significant step in the right direction, with a commitment to designate further sites over the next two years. However, there is still a long way to go before the Irish Sea is afforded the protection it deserves. Over half of the recently designated MCZs are in southern waters, with just two in the Irish Sea making the list. The proposal to include Hilbre Island in the Dee estuary was dropped in the November announcement (see page 7). We hope that the North West will not be overlooked in future rounds of MCZ designation.
We’d love to hear from you Inside this edition of The Grebe, you’ll find a quick five-minute survey to complete. Here at the Trust we’d like to hear your views on the future direction of our work protecting local wildlife and how we should inspire the next generation to do the same (see more
Grebe The
The magazine of Cheshire
planning permission in early November and we have now raised most of the funds we need to complete the work– thanks to the generosity of you, our supporters, and our grant funders (see page 4). We hope to have the centre complete and open by Summer 2014. In tandem with our new facility at the farm, we hope our Natural Futures programme will increase the number and diversity of people meeting the Trust as well as provide better support to our existing and hugely valued volunteers. After a year of hard work, our bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to support a fouryear project has been submitted, and we hope to find out the result very soon. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the volunteers and members who have helped shape the project and we look forward to it bearing fruit for everyone involved with the Trust.
Charlotte Harris, Chief Executive
Cheshire
Wildlife Trust
TOP GUNS
TheWildlifeTrusts
Don’t miss our best aerial hunters this winter
wildlifetrusts also... How to reconnect our children with nature Badgers, the cull and on vaccination - one year What lies beneath - getting our nature reserves right
THE GREBE WINTER 2013
Back on dry land, I’m delighted to announce that the creation of our new education centre at Bickley Hall Farm will very soon be underway. We received
Winter 2013-2014
Cheshire
@wildlifetrusts
on page 12). This is your chance to shape your local Wildlife Trust, and if you return the survey in the FREEPOST envelope provided or complete it online, we’ll put you into a draw to win two free tickets to see Iolo Williams near Chester this March – good luck!
Your Trust, Your views
Supporter survey
On the cover This edition’s cover features the piercing stare of a kestrel, taken by Jon Hawkins (surreyhillsphotography.co.uk). Once the bird of prey everyone recognised, the kestrel could be slowly disappearing from our roadside verges. Find out how to spot kestrels and more on page 14.
In this issue Welcome With our Chief Executive Charlotte Harris
2 UK News The big wildlife issues from around the UK
4 Local News What’s happening on your doorstep
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“we have a lost generation disconnected from nature”
8 Badgers and bTB An update on our vaccination scheme
12 Project Wild Thing An inspirational new film to get our young people connected with nature
14 Your guide to… winter birds of prey Get out and track down our top aerial hunters
“you could forgive the harvest mouse for feeling a little jealous”
16 What’s in your garden? Our new springtime survey for your garden
18 Surveying on reserves How do we know we’re getting it right for wildlife?
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20 A day in the life… We join the Trust’s Matt Allmark
22 On the lookout… harvest mice Are harvest mice making a home near you?
24 A wild word… Felicity Goodey CBE
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We catch up with Trust president Felicity
Your Magazine The next edition of The Grebe magazine will be published in April 2014. We welcome letters, comments, photographs and contributions to The Grebe. Please write to the editor at the address below or email: tmarshall@cheshirewt.org.uk All contributions including events to be featured in the Events Diary should reach the editor no later than 17 February 2013. Events listings in the Autumn edition will run from May 2014 to October 2014. The views expressed in The Grebe are not necessarily those of Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
Contents © Cheshire Wildlife Trust 2014. 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
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 1
UK NEWS
One in five water voles lost since 2008 Cheshire could offer hope for fastest declining mammal as numbers drop in just five years New maps produced by the National UK Water Vole Database and Mapping Project last autumn have shown that this charismatic mammal’s range may have shrunk by up to 22% between 2007–2011 compared to the previous survey period ending in 2008. Here in Cheshire, funded water vole monitoring projects have been running since the last UK survey five years ago, with their combined surveying efforts identifying a number of ‘hotspots’ in the region. Initially, the North West Lowlands Water Vole Project – run in partnership with Lancashire Wildlife Trust and funded by the SITA Trust found good water vole populations in parts of Halton and Warrington and across to Frodsham marshes, extending down along the River Gowy. Following this, the Cheshire Water Vole Project was initiated to fill in the knowledge gaps of vole locations between these northerly populations and a known water vole stronghold over the border in Whitchurch, Shropshire. The project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Chester Zoo, The Environment Agency and the Canal and River Trust, went on to discover further water vole strongholds as well as a few isolated populations in need of reconnection.
In one example, the River Gowy population has now spread out along numerous tributaries and down towards Bunbury, creating a water vole stronghold in the west of the county. Additional favourable areas were identified around Crewe and Nantwich, with populations on brooks and ditches as well as the Shropshire Union and Llangollan canals and the River Weaver. A few small populations also hold on in areas like Northwich and Wilmslow. “It seems that Cheshire does provide a good home for Ratty,” says the Trust’s Water Vole Officer Dr Vicky Nall, “but habitats are in drastic need of restoration and extension in parts.” To allow these stable water vole populations to expand and reconnect in the future, the Trust hopes to secure funding for a project aimed at restoring, enhancing and creating new water vole habitat in areas where it is most needed, including working alongside local landowners to control American mink. “The apparent loss of one in five of our water voles across the UK is a worrying sign,” adds Dr Nall. “However, here in Cheshire we’ve been fortunate to maintain a level of funding support that is missing elsewhere in the UK, and we hope that this will continue here in the North West, so we can build on the positive work of the last few years.”
It’s thought that a drop in funding for water vole research in other parts of the country may also have affected the latest UK figures due to reduced survey efforts. The water vole’s long-term decline has been linked to habitat loss, extreme weather – including the 2012 drought – and predation from non-native American mink. The Wildlife Trusts and the Environment Agency are now calling for a national water vole monitoring programme to be established, with annual recording in all key areas to track the fortunes of water voles more accurately.
Critical areas for water voles South East Despite records across the South East of England, there are no viable long-term populations. Kent Wildlife Trust aims to find isolated populations and reconnect them, allowing populations to expand. River Ock and Ginge Brook BBOWT’s Water Vole Recovery Project has focused on survey and mink trapping for many years, allowing water vole populations to expand in some areas. Devon and Cornwall Water voles are now extinct in the South West due to predation by American mink. Habitat restoration on the River Tale in east Devon should allow a future reintroduction.
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AROUND THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS AVON
BCN
BBOWT
B’HAM & BC
CUMBRIA
DERBYSHIRE
Endangered white clawed-crayfish have been moved to a new safe haven in Dorset. It’s part of the South West Crayfish Project, led by Avon Wildlife Trust, with Buglife and the Environment Agency. wtru.st/AvonCrayfish
The Trust has launched an appeal to secure another huge piece of the Great Fen Project by unlocking a £1.9m HLF grant. This would increase the area of traditional fen habitat by almost a fifth. wtru.st/FenJigsaw
Thousands of people raised £270,000 to save Meadow Farm, 28ha of irreplaceable wildflower meadows on the River Ray, where true fox sedge survives in the medieval ridge and furrow fields. wtru.st/ MeadowFarm
New audio walks, developed in collaboration with Birmingham Rep, will help visitors to discover the history and wildlife value of Moseley Bog nature reserve. wtru.st/AudioWalks
A 15-year project to restore 300ha of peat bog at Foulshaw Moss is complete. Conifers have been removed and miles of drains blocked to bring water levels back to their natural state. wtru.st/ FoulshawRestored
The Trust’s Woodside Farm meat box scheme is raising funds for wildlife. The meat comes from the Highland cattle and rare breed Jacob sheep that graze the nature reserve. wtru.st/ DerbysMeatBox
2 THE GREBE WINTER 2013
Accentuate the positive The Wildlife Trusts are promoting a positive vision for the future of these beautiful islands – Living Landscapes and Living Seas. In many places local people are getting involved with the work their Trust is doing, and this vision has also inspired decision-makers to embrace the idea of restoring wildlife across the UK. Far from being harbingers of doom, Trusts are routinely upbeat. We know we can help wildlife to return in greater abundance and diversity for us, our children and grandchildren to enjoy. Our progress is thanks to members who provide Trusts with the confidence and funds to make a difference. Reversing wildlife decline goes hand in hand with improving our mental and physical health. Both are possible as long as we don’t lose any more of what we have left – our remaining flower-rich meadows, purple heaths, romantic woods and wetlands and beautiful seas.
Habitat showing signs of water voles is disappearing at a frightening rate. This is the 2007–11 map of water vole presence
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Unfortunately, we rarely value what we have until people threaten to take it away. There were bleak messages in The State of Nature report launched in May (and featured in the last issue), but it reminded people how much our wildlife needs us, and how much we need nature. RSPB led this initiative and The Wildlife Trusts were grateful to play our part, feeding in our extensive knowledge and experience and using our spokespeople to promote it.
Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh
4 A complex system of drainage ditches make this farming landscape surprisingly good habitat for water voles. Continuous survey effort and support by land managers mean the population is also well documented. Lancashire and Cheshire Farm ditch systems in Lancashire and canals in Cheshire remain important North West strongholds, but sensitive management in needed to maintain these populations. Uplands Headstreams in the Peak District and Pennines, Snowdonia and the Cairngorms are important strongholds, although mink remain a threat even at high altitudes.
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DORSET
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Record numbers of rare silver-studded blue butterflies have appeared at Upton Heath reserve. The species only lives on heathland, limestone grassland and dunes. Dark green fritillaries also did very well. wtru.st/RareSilvers
A survey of otters on the county’s streams and rivers has found a population in good health. Of the more than 500 sites surveyed in April, 42% were found to show signs of otter activity. wtru.st/ DurhamOtters
The Trust opposes plans for the Circuit of Wales which would see a 350ha MotoGP circuit built in Blaenau Gwent. The development threatens heathland, marshy grassland and peat bog. wtru. st/GwentMotoGP
A moth previously unrecorded in Kent has been discovered at the Trust’s Holborough Marshes reserve. Harpella forficella has only been found in the UK four times before. wtru.st/ HolbroMoth
ELLOITT NEEP
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I am delighted that in recent years cooperation between the main wildlife charities has deepened, and that social charities such as Mind are recognising the value of nature to their missions. Together we can create real momentum for change.
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.
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 3
LOCAL NEWS
Members’ Day celebrates dedication The Trust held its 51st Members’ Day & AGM in October at the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port, where a packed room heard about our amazing anniversary year, our latest projects and our recent badger vaccination scheme success. Hands-on displays gave members a chance to learn more about water voles, white-faced darter dragonflies and our Forest School scheme amongst other aspects of our work across the Cheshire region, and there was also a free boat trip! Peter Young (left), Felicity Goodey and Stu Burnett
The event also gave us the opportunity to express our thanks to some of Cheshire’s leading naturalists and supporters of the Trust, including Peter Young, who recently stepped down after steering our finance committee for more than a decade, and Stephen Ross, a fellow trustee from our Wirral Local Group. Peter joined Dr Mike Tynen, Mathilde Baker-Schommer and Stu Burnett in receiving a coveted Eric Thurstaston Award – a limited edition Roger Stephens print of peregrine falcons above Beeston Castle – in recognition of their work. Dr Mike has been the Trust’s aquatic invertebrate expert for a number of years, including helping to train dozens of trainees and interns in survey techniques, whilst Mathilde and Stu have been at the heart of wildlife recording across their respective stomping grounds. Congratulations to all of the award winners!
Stephen Ross and Felicity Goodey
50/50 appeal project on track
First ever ‘Merefest’ gets a big thumbs-up
As we went to print (December 2013), we had received more than £100,000 towards our £120,000 target to convert an old cattle shed at Bickley Hall Farm into a fantastic outdoor education and community facility. With more than 1,000 children visiting the farm each year, but no permanent washroom facilities or warm, wet-weather teaching rooms, the new centre will allow our People & Wildlife Team to inspire young people whatever Mother Nature throws at us! To ensure the centre can look after itself in the long run, we’ll also be using eco-friendly ways to heat and service the building, and wildlife that currently uses the barn, like swallows and bats, will be well looked after in an adapted roof space.
The Cholmondeley Estate was the venue for the first ever ‘Merefest’ in September, a celebration of the Meres & Mosses landscape across Cheshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire, including one of the UK’s first Nature Improvement Areas (NIA). More than 1,300 people headed through the gates to sample local food, go ‘dry bog snorkelling’, kayaking and come face-to-face with local wildlife, amongst other activities.
We’d like to express our sincere thanks to the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Jean Jackson Foundation and the Heritage Lottery Fund (through the Meres & Mosses Landscape Partnership) who have given generously to support the project, along with a number of private donors. We would also like to thank the many dozens of you, our members, who have donated more than
The Meres & Mosses Landscape Partnership, who organised the festival, are working to help restore and raise the profile of these unique wetland landscapes which were formed during the last Ice Age. Projects include enhancements to Prees Heath near Whitchurch, with its rare silver-studded blue butterfly population, supporting local schools in their John Muir outdoors awards in Cheshire, and access projects including at Bickley Hall Farm, where visitors now have an uninterrupted view of Bare Mere as part of a new
£23,000 towards our ambitious target.
self-guided trail around the farm.
GET INVOLVED: You can help us make the last few steps to our total by donating today at www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/5050appeal or by calling us on 01948 820728.
GET INVOLVED: See what the Meres & Mosses Project can do for you at www.themeresandmosses.co.uk
4 THE GREBE WINTER 2013
Dry bog snorkelling at Merefest
Hebridean hotspot offer with the Wildlife Trusts This summer, members of the Wildlife Trusts can enjoy an exclusive 5% discount off the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust’s (HWDT) hugely popular cetacean research trips to study dolphins, whales and basking sharks of Scotland’s stunning west coast. This is one of the richest marine areas in the UK for minke whales, occasional fin whales, common and bottlenose dolphins and one of our largest fish – the basking shark – and HWDT are the most experienced operators and research groups in the area. You can spend between 7 & 12 days living and working aboard the ketch Silurian, as her professional sailing and scientific crew survey off Scotland’s west coast, searching for and studying wildlife by day and passing the nights in some idyllic anchorages amid the Western Isles. To learn more about the work of HWDT and life aboard Silurian visit www.whaledolphintrust.co.uk and quote CWT and your membership number when booking. A 5% donation on each booking will be made to the Trust by HWDT.
A year at the Trust on the small screen With footage gathered throughout our 50th anniversary year, and dozens of your favourite Cheshire species caught on camera, our new five-minute film gives a snapshot of what we do every day for wildlife and communities as your local Wildlife Trust. From checking the health of the region’s only population of dormice and monitoring voles in our farm hedgerows, to pond-dipping with youngsters and restoring habitats, you can see all the action – and the creatures that benefit. Visit our YouTube channel – CheshireWT or the website to take a look.
Welsh favourite Bluebells back Iolo returns at Poors Wood to Chester
Hundreds of bluebell bulbs have been planted at our Poors Wood nature reserve After his inspirational sell-out visit to Chester as part of a project to improve the reserve for people in the local community in November 2012, the Trust is thrilled to with support from INEOS ChlorVinyls. be bringing Wales’ best wildlife export, Iolo The Trust has been working with the Williams, to Eaton Hall near Chester on 6th Cheshire Bluebell Recovery Project since March at 7pm for another of our popular the 1990s, and in the years since, tens of ‘evening with’ events. Rarely off our screens thousands of bluebells have been planted and radios as a regular guest host and live presenter on Springwatch and Autumnwatch, in new and established woodlands Iolo will once again be bringing his relentless across the region, helping to reinstate the range of this quintessential native and infectious passion for nature to what is flower that has suffered from habitat sure to be a packed venue. loss, picking and cross-breeding with the Tickets are priced at £15 (plus booking fee) non-native Spanish bluebell. The work at and can be ordered by calling Poors Wood also includes new trails and 01948 820728 or visiting: sections of boardwalk. cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/iolowilliams
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 5
LOCAL NEWS
The Wildlife Trusts have joined other conservation groups in welcoming swift action to ban the discharge of polyisobutylene (PIB) from shipping, just months after thousands of seabirds fell victim to a release of the chemical along the south coast of England. The International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) move bans ships across the world from discharging all forms of high-viscosity PIB into the sea during tank cleaning operations. The seabird tragedy – which occurred just before the 2013 breeding season – was the largest marine pollution incident of its kind in the southern region since Torrey Canyon, and affected guillemots, razorbills and gannets amongst other species.
TOM MARSHALL
Seabird tragedy chemical ban welcomed
Gannet
The IMO’s working group on the Evaluation of Safety and Pollution Hazards of Chemicals (ESPH) decided to change the classification of high-viscosity PIBs to require full tank prewash and disposal of all residues at port and prohibit any discharge at sea from this year. This will also apply to new ‘highly-reactive’ forms of PIB, which are currently being transported unassessed.
Joan Edwards, Head of Living Seas for The Wildlife Trusts, said: “The thousands of dead and dying seabirds witnessed last year were the most visible victims of mismanagement. Impacts on other parts of marine life support systems may have been just as widespread, and more serious. Not to mention the impacts on tourism of dead seabirds on the beach - particularly pressing in south-west counties which rely so heavily on summer visitors.”
LNNR NEWTON
The recommendation had been made by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) on behalf of the UK Government, following vigorous campaigning by wildlife charities and the public.
Guillemot
A whoolly Water voles good idea celebrated in Runcorn
GET INVOLVED: Why not Facebook or Tweet your ‘Wild Wool’ masterpieces to us and we’ll share them in a future edition of The Grebe.
6 THE GREBE WINTER 2013
The Trust unveiled a brand new information board at Manor Park in Runcorn in November, celebrating work on the ‘Routes for Ratty’ project that had been undertaken in partnership with Halton Borough Council, with the generous support of chemicals manufacturer INEOS ChlorVinyls. The project saw the rejuvenation of wetland areas for water voles last developed more than ten years ago, and at the day of the launch the team even saw a kingfisher! The board can be found along Blackheath Lane overlooking one of the recently improved ditches. SEE MORE: Read more on how the region’s water voles are faring on page 2 Janet Ward of INEOS (left) and Dr Vicky Nall
TOM MARSHALL
If you love knitting to while away the dark winter nights then look no further than our new range of exclusive Hebridean DK wool, from right here in Cheshire! Our 250-strong flock of black ‘Hebbies’ help to keep unwanted plants like purple moor grass at bay on our heathland and peat bog reserves, allowing more fragile and rarer plants to thrive. This year for the first time we’ve been able to produce a limited edition run of 250 bundles of pure DK wool from the flock, which has a rich dark brown, almost black colour and a rustic feel – great for hats, or maybe even a knitted sheep! Each 50 gram ball is just £4.50, with around 50% of the cost going directly back to supporting our industry-leading conservation grazing project. Grab yours today at www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/wildwool
Wirral – Hilbre Island ‘dropped’ from national marine reserve list Back in November, the Trust called the designation of 27 Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) by the Government a ‘step in the right direction’ for the protection of our seas, but expressed disappointment that an expected confirmation of Hilbre Islands as an MCZ was dropped. The Hilbre group of islands were initially targeted by the Government as a proposed Marine Conservation Zone in December 2012 after a lengthy multi-million pound consultation with marine users.
Coronation Meadow for the Dane Valley Following the launch of the Coronation Meadows project last year in celebration of the Queen’s jubilee, Cheshire now has its first two Coronation Meadows in the Dane Valley at Shaw Pasture and Chadkirk Meadows near Stockport. A partnership between Plantlife, the Wildlife Trusts and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, the project aims to showcase the finest examples of traditional hay meadows in each county – crucial as around nine out of ten of our species-rich hay meadows have now been lost. It’s hoped that Shaw Pasture will be put forward as a Local Wildlife Site (LWS) this year after being surveyed by Cheshire Wildlife Trust volunteers, further safeguarding its future. We are also investigating the option of using seeds from the pasture to help ‘re-seed’ our own nature reserve at Swettenham Meadows – a fitting tribute and legacy from our first Coronation Meadow! SEE MORE: www.coronationmeadows.org.uk
However, the islands were one of four sites to be dropped by the Government in its first round of 31 designations in November. The Wildlife Trusts have campaigned for 127 MCZs around the UK, saying that a ‘scattered’ approach will not achieve the benefits of a coherent and larger range of sites. “Whilst we welcome this first tranche of MCZs, it represents just one in five of the overall list of 127 sites that we would like to see recognised, not least including Hilbre Island here in the North West,” said Cheshire Wildlife Trust chief executive, Charlotte Harris.
Park now fit for a king thanks to Prince’s Trust
“With more than half of the designated MCZs along England’s south coast, it does appear that North West waters have been overlooked this time around. We may not have seahorses or coral reefs; however, our seas have no boundaries and the Irish Sea remains as important as any part of our oceans. “Basking sharks, leatherback turtles, thousands of seabirds and seals all make a home in the Irish Sea – many of the same species that can be found in the holiday waters of Devon and Cornwall.” The Trust also points to the fact that just 2 of a possible 19 MCZs have been recognised in this first tranche of designations in the Irish Sea area. The Government has said that financial reasons and existing protection designations were behind its decision to cut Hilbre Island from the MCZ list. More than 350,000 people signed a petition earlier this year calling for more effective protection for the UK’s offshore areas, of which just 2% are currently afforded protection similar to those nature reserves found inland.
New Ferry Butterfly Park benefitted from a Prince’s Trust-backed scheme in the Autumn which saw young people help to give the park a makeover. The teams set about tasks that included clearing nonnative two-flowered honeysuckle which had overwhelmed a stretch of the railway cutting, and removing birch saplings and turf that had begun to smother former ballast areas that are home to bird’s-foot trefoil – a key plant for common blue butterflies and burnet moths. Other jobs polished off included trimming willow to improve access and removing the reedmace from the brick pit so that people have a better view of the pond. Paul Loughnane from the Trust’s Local Group ‘Wirral Wildlife’, who look after the park, said: “These jobs have been on our ‘to do list’ for some time so the extra pairs of hands were a really big help.” We would like to thank The Prince’s Trust Team 124 and Jodie and Susie for keeping everyone going despite the weather! To mark the end of all the hard work, primroses were ceremoniously planted, before the families of those who had helped were given a guided tour.
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 7
BADGER VACCINATION
Badgers, vaccination and tackling bTB – one year on A year ago in The Grebe, we reported as the Trust embarked on the first badger vaccination programme against the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in the North West. After a year that included the Government’s controversial cull trials and passionate campaigning across the country, we look at what we’ve learned about the biggest issue currently affecting our countryside. When Wildlife Trusts’ president Simon King OBE launched our badger vaccination appeal near Manchester almost a year and a half ago, we couldn’t have foreseen that the issue of tackling bTB in badgers would become one of the Trust’s biggest ever campaigns and find us on the front line of the UK’s most topical rural debate.
PIC CREDIT
Fast-forward 12 months and we have seen one of our most successful ever appeals – now more than £20,000 - and the Trust’s profile on the issue of tackling bTB reaching the seats of Westminster. With the debate sometimes seeing almost daily developments, the Trust has kept pace with this ever-evolving issue through social media and the press, helping our supporters and others to understand all the facts in what is a complex and constantly evolving situation.
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By the end of November 2013, the Trust had vaccinated badgers against bTB across more than 1,000 hectares of Cheshire countryside, with 77 individual badgers trapped, treated and released. Not only did this include our own 85ha farm near Malpas, but also five additional private dairy and beef farms. This represented a small but significant step in our goal to help build a ‘firewall’ against the spread of bTB through Cheshire into new areas in northern England.
As we concluded our season of vaccination deployments in November, the Government’s cull trails were still continuing. Far from the success Environment Minister Owen Paterson had hoped for, both the Somerset and Gloucestershire trials were besieged by setbacks, including disturbance and security breaches, but most worryingly the fact that targets set by Defra and Natural England were missed significantly, in some cases by almost half on initial population estimates. After the initial six-week window of the Gloucester trial passed in October, monitors had to concede that just 40% of a required 70% minimum of badgers had been culled. Although cull teams had fared slightly better in Somerset in the weeks before, both schemes required significant extensions which the Wildlife Trusts later described as ‘unjustified’, labelling the trails as a ‘total failure’. Responding to the poor results, Minister Paterson suggested that a lower than expected badger population was the reason for the reduced figures, despite those figures having been estimated just months earlier.
A ‘wicket’ is used to restrict the badger whilst the vaccine is administered
The failures of the South West trials were also borne out in a document sourced by the Badger Trust in November, which showed that in the minutes of a Natural England meeting on the decision to extend the Gloucestershire cull, almost half of the board of experts had expressed concern and even suggested that the cull programme would offer ‘no worthwhile benefit to farmers’.
PICS BY TOM MARSHALL
At the time of writing, infra-red cameras and cage trapping had also been deployed – despite the trial being instigated to test freeshoot culling – and ministers had also begun consulting on gassing as an option for meeting final targets.
The ‘live’ BCG vaccine is prepared in the field
TIMELINE September 2012
October 2012
December 2012
- Wildlife Trusts’ president Simon King OBE launches a £20,000 badger vaccination appeal for Cheshire, led by the Trust.
- The Trust begins a five-year badger vaccination programme at Bickley Hall Farm, in partnership with Shropshire Wildlife Trust - 12 badgers are successfully vaccinated on the farm in the first two-day deployment.
- A study confirms that vaccination can reduce the severity and progression of experimentallyinduced TB in captive badgers. There was an even greater reduction in risk to cubs - 79 per cent - when more than a third of their social group had been vaccinated.
- The Government announces that a proposed cull trial set for the autumn will be postponed until summer 2013. - The Government is defeated by 147 votes to 28 in a non-binding Commons vote on stopping the cull trials in favour of vaccination. The Trust is mentioned extensively during the debate by a number of MPs. The debate is triggered by a Brian May-led ‘e-petition’ that receives more than 160,000 signatures.
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 9
BADGER VACCINATION
Going forward in 2014
We are under no illusion about the scale of the task, however, and by working closely with the Wirral and Cheshire Badger Group – who have an army of dedicated volunteers – we believe we can make huge steps to achieving a firewall. Colleagues at the Government veterinary service and the NFU will be crucial in steering where the priority areas are, to help us target promoting vaccination as a safe and effective option in tackling bTB. Early indications (as of December 2013) are that we will be working together on large areas in north Cheshire. Local councils will also be key to the decision-making around any future roll-out of either badger cull or vaccination programmes. A number of online petitions have been set up to express your views on the badger cull in your area, so visit our website to see what your local council is doing and have your say. Our work in Cheshire has been recognised nationally as an exemplary scheme which allows us to have a strong voice at the top tables. This year and beyond we will continue to represent your voice, challenging officials to abandon plans for badger culls and instead promote vaccination, but perhaps more importantly, to stick to their deadlines in trialling and licensing a cattle vaccine alongside the continued development of an oral bait vaccine for badgers.
STOP PRESS Despite the poor results of the South West cull trails, the farming press (Farmers Guardian, December 2013) reported that Environment Minister Owen Paterson is looking to roll out a further 10 cull areas across the UK in 2014. It was also reported that the National Farmers Union (NFU) have asked the Minister to consider the use of gassing and snaring as additional or alternative methods of culling to the free-shoot strategy employed in Gloucestershire and Somerset.
Our work in Cheshire has been recognised as an exemplary scheme
ELLIOT NEEP
Last year was our demonstration year, which saw us taking our vaccination service and delivering it on private farms. This year, taking a lead from the Natural Environment White Paper, is all about ‘more, bigger, better and joined’. So in 2014, we hope to be working over large areas on neighbouring farms to create a ‘firewall’ preventing the relentless northern creep of bTB.
Other charities will be joining the Trust in vaccinating from 2014
TIMELINE February 2013
June 2013
July 2013
August 2013
- Despite strong public opposition, the Government confirms a trial badger cull will take place in Somerset and Gloucestershire during the summer.
- A formal Commons vote sees a ‘no cull’ motion defeated, in a widely expected result following a Government three-line whip.
- The Trust joins a new regional bTB action group consisting of the NFU, farmers, vets, auctioneers, industry bodies and local authorities to look at a multi-stakeholder approach.
- After weeks of speculation, it is confirmed that badger culling has begun in Somerset, amid tight security.
10 THE GREBE WINTER 2013
- The ‘Team Badger’ Brian May-led e-petition reaches 250,000 signatures – the biggest response to an official online petition since the process was launched.
- The Trust secures a pledge of up to £25,000 from Defra to expand vaccination across a potential 4,000 acres in south Cheshire allowing farmers to subsidise their vaccination by up to 50%.
Views…
Vaccination in Cheshire in numbers
1,000
75%
5
ha of land
average vaccination success rate on each site
77
badgers vaccinated
“Hopefully, these vaccinated animals will help protect their sets from the spread of TB and also the cattle that graze alongside them… the farmers and the charity both want to see this project succeed.” Steve Leonard, Cheshire vet with Leonard Brothers in Nantwich
private farms with vaccinated badgers
“Successfully tackling bovine TB in the badger population is a key element in our strategy to rid England of this disease within 25 years. It is this broad strategy, of which badger control is one component” Owen Paterson, Secretary of State for the Environment
South West cull trial in numbers
JON HAWKINS
39%
6
of estimated badger population culled in Gloucestershire
weeks – the original licenced trial length
11
£1m
weeks of culling in Gloucestershire
“It is crucial that Government should have the benefit of constructive challenge from non-departmental bodies that are sufficiently well-resourced and independent to give the highest calibre of advice.”
estimated policing cost for first six weeks of cull trial
Prof David MacDonald, Natural England advisor
September 2013
October 2013
November 2013
- Following on from the Somerset launch, badger culling begins in Gloucestershire.
- The Trust speaks at a Cheshire West & Chester council debate on a proposal to ban future culling on CWaC land, which is then sent to scrutiny committee for further analysis.
- A further 19 badgers are vaccinated at our Bickley Hall Farm HQ as we conclude the 2013 season.
- A silent protest is held at Environment Minister Owen Paterson’s surgery in Whitchurch, Shropshire, with the Minister refusing to speak to the whole group over ‘security fears’.
- Hazel Grove MP Andrew Stunell visits a Cheshire farm with the Trust to see vaccination in action. - The first cull trial in Somerset achieves just 40% of the Government-set target, leading Minister Owen Paterson to suggest that extensions to the six-week trials may be needed.
- Despite extensions, both South West cull trials miss their original 70% targets – and indeed those revised lower targets set after the initial six week culling period. In the Somerset cull, just 850 badgers are removed, representing just over 58% of the revised estimated population of 1,450. After the initial cull period in Gloucestershire, just 30% of the target had been reached. - On the 30 November, Natural England revokes an eight week extension to the Gloucestershire cull licence three weeks before its completion date, stating there is ‘no realistic chance’ that the cull targets will be met.
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 11
PROJECT WILD THING
Selling nature to a new generation Today, just one in five children regularly experience the outdoors. A generation ago, three quarters of us were making mud pies and climbing trees day in, day out. Martin Varley from the Trust took his young family to see a new film that’s helping us to discover what’s happened in the years in between. My four children and I had just come back from a Sunday afternoon walk across the muddy fields of the Cheshire countryside when I sat them down to watch David Bond’s film Project Wild Thing.
TOM MARSHALL
‘This film is about how children are losing their connection with nature and spending too much time in front of the TV,’ I told them. ‘I want you to sit down and watch it and tell me whether you think what he says is true.’
Project Wild Thing explores the impact of an emerging issue in kids coined ‘nature deficit disorder’. By strapping a camera to his daughter’s head to monitor what she does during the day, the film’s maker David Bond discovers that his children spend more time in the car than they do outside. Like city kids everywhere, they spend too much time indoors. According to Bond, the generational shift into the house has been strongly linked to a decline in children’s health, leaving his own children’s generation as the first in human history to have a lower life expectancy than their parents.
Martin’s children (l to r) Luke, Rowan and Iona buck the trend for most youngsters in 2014, few of which get outdoors regularly
12 THE GREBE WINTER 2013
So he sets off on a quest to do something about it.
An image of a girl licking a frog is splashed across London billboards. It’s not to everyone’s taste
You have more freedom outside…there are fewer rules
Along the journey Bond discovers much about human nature and how it shapes our relationship with the great outdoors. ‘Do you need risk of death for something to be considered fun?’ he asks a group of boys at a London primary school. ‘Yes’, comes the unanimous reply. ‘Skills development and risk are challenges children need to grow.’ says the founder of Monkey-Do, a non-profit social enterprise specialising in free wild play activities for children in parks and woodlands. ‘Adults put barriers between children and the outdoors because they are afraid of risk, they are worried about cars and crimes, but keeping kids at home brings its own set of problems’. Bond builds his nature brand by bringing in a team of experts. His campaign includes an image of his daughter licking a frog splashed across London billboards. It is not to everyone’s taste. ‘There’s no way you’re gonna get me to touch a frog,’ a inner city teenage girl says in disgust during a focus group session before the poster’s launch. Other creative types come up with a list of ten products promoting nature which Bond uses to promote his brand: a wild thing app for mobile phones, out and about packs for new mums saying why their kids need nature, and a pledge scheme for people to commit to spending time outdoors. The film has moments of comedy as we see Bond dealing with a bout of stage fright during the campaign launch at a music festival and touring London with a loud hailer petitioning customers at the Apple Store to stop buying iPods and spend more time outside.
‘What did you make of that then, would you rather be outside than indoors on the computer?’ I asked my kids as the credits rolled. ‘I would probably go outside longer than playing on the computer if there was something to do,’ says Jacob, my eldest son. ‘What do you like to do outside?’ I ask. ‘Have adventures, camping, walking, talking to friends. When it’s dangerous it’s more fun.’ ‘You have more freedom outside, you can do what you want, get wet and muddy. There are fewer rules outside. You can’t get muddy inside,’ adds my thirteen-year-old daughter. So it seems as if the outdoors is about anarchy and danger; no wonder parents don’t want their children to go there. Bond’s film may not create a mass exodus to the wild, but neither is it end of Project Wild Thing. The film is backed up by a Wild Network of 300 charities and a collaboration of organisations committed to tackling the issues raised in the film, including the Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Individuals can join the network too. The film is showing at selected venues across the country, or, like we did, you can download it and watch it at home.
nature is never going to be able to compete with multi-million pound brands Ultimately Bond’s star rises and falls very quickly. Soon his posters are replaced and his frog-licking daughter disappears behind an advert for a BMW. Nature is never going to be able to compete with brands that have multi-million pound marketing departments behind them. How we as parents show children nature will have a bigger impact on how our children connect with nature than a poster in a shopping centre. The film finishes with Bond himself concluding that he would be better off just getting outside with his kids. Project Wild Thing is a pioneering film highlighting the increasing gulf between children and nature. It delivers what could have been a dry and soporific documentary in a light-hearted and thoughtprovoking, story-led way. But like all films the measure of its success is in its impact on the audience.
Filmmaker David Bo nd realised his kids were getting too time instead of wild much screen time
SEE FOR YOURSELF You can see more about Project Wild Thing at www.projectwildthing.com or keep an eye on our Events Guide for a special Trust screening of the film during 2014.
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 13
TOM MARSHALL
Bond is convinced that nature is losing out to other activities because they have more powerful brands and that if he could only sell it better he could get more children outside. Compelled by this argument he gives himself two months to create a marketing campaign for the great outdoors. The film follows him as he seeks to develop a brand for nature and persuade people to buy into it.
SPECIES FOCUS
Let us prey Often elusive in their sharped-eyed hunting tactics during the summer months, winter finds our falcons, harriers and owls make their way to the coast, where our own eagle-eyes have a better chance of glimpsing these impressive birds of prey. Tom Marshall picks just a few to look out for.
Peregrine No longer the rarity that was on the brink during the 1960s, peregrines are now almost guaranteed to make an appearance above our autumn and winter wader flocks. Scan the skies as soon as knot, dunlin and sanderling appear nervous, looking out for the stocky, sickle-shaped wings. Once in a stooping dive, it may be just seconds from 200ft to picking a likely target on the tideline. Peregrines have even been bold enough to dive for purple sandpipers on the jetty at New Brighton’s marine lake. Watching a peregrine parting a thousand-strong starling murmuration remains an unforgettable sight.
Where? Almost anywhere where large numbers of birds gather along our coastline, particularly Hoylake, New Brighton and Parkgate. Starling murmurations gather at Marbury Country Park and Runcorn Bridge amongst other locations.
Peregrine
Merlin Small, fast-paced and agile, the male merlin is little bigger than a mistle thrush. No wonder, perhaps, that this pocket-rocket lent its name to the Spitfire’s Rolls Royce engine. Choosing to approach with speed and surprise at ground level (unlike the larger peregrine from above) merlins often have pipits, twite and other small finches at the top of the menu, bursting with surprise into flocks on coastal saltmarshes. Scanning fenceposts and boulders may also bring rewards if you blink and miss our smallest falcon in flight.
Where?
14 THE GREBE WINTER 2013
Merlin
STEFAN JOHANSSON
CHUCK JENSON
Saltmarshes like Frodsham, Parkgate, Inner Marsh Farm and Wigg Island, along with coastal wading bird roosts at Hoylake.
JON HAWKINS
Kestrel
Once considered almost ubiquitous, the kestrel has tumbled down the list of our birds of prey, and is now thought to be experiencing a decline in numbers. Although traditionally known as the ‘motorway falcon’, the rich pickings of winter saltmarshes see kestrels arrive in numbers. The kestrel’s unmistakable still-air hover sets it apart from most other species, but be careful not to confuse them with peregrines or a merlin in level flight. A longer tail usually gives the kestrel away.
Where? Still likely to be seen in most habitats including coastal saltmarshes and grazing meadows like Gowy Meadows.
PAUL BUNYARD
Kestrel
Short-eared owl
Short-eared owl Perhaps the easiest of our owls to encounter, ‘shorties’ call the region’s saltmarshes home from October, after a summer hunting in the heather of our uplands. Preying on small mammals well beyond our own eyesight in the grasses, their almost nonchalant flight and pale wings are unmistakeable. Routinely perching on fenceposts, the owls will show off their piercing yellow stare if you’re lucky to be close enough.
Where?
Hen harrier Perhaps the most sought-after of winter birds of prey, the ghostlike male hen harrier and the darker ‘ringtail’ female can make regular appearances along the Wirral coastline in winter. Easily confused with a gull at first glance, the male harrier hugs the reed tops as it ‘quarters’ for a range of prey, before suddenly dropping into the long grass. Early evening may see a number of harriers gather together, as they prepare to roost close to the marsh. Similar in colour to a buzzard, the female harrier has a much longer tail and distinctive white band, hence the name ‘ringtail’.
Where? The saltmarshes of Parkgate, Denhall Quay and Inner Marsh Farm are top places to try for hen harriers during the winter months.
And you never know… The success of reintroduction schemes and our proximity to Wales mean that red kites are increasingly being spotted in the region’s skies. Second only to Scotland’s eagles, the kites’, with their classic fork-shaped tail, 5ft wingspan and deep, flapping flight are one to look out for. Add to this marsh harriers and perhaps even an inquisitive white-tailed eagle, and anything may be possible!
HAVE A GO A high-tide bonanza for birds The most exceptional high tides (those close to 10 metres) coupled with a strong northwesterly wind can produce a remarkable phenomenon at Parkgate Marsh, when the Dee’s rushing waters force small mammals and birds like skylarks and water rails to run for cover. This bounty of sudden easy pickings does not go unnoticed by local birds of prey, who fly in from across the coast to reap the benefits of an easy meal.
Not sure what you’ve seen? Check out: www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife/species-a-z
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 15
MAIN PIC PAUL BUNYARD
Hen harrier
FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS
Any saltmarsh or large, undisturbed rough grassland may attract short-eared owls, but particular hotspots are Parkgate, Inner Marsh Farm and Wigg Island. Larger grazing marshes like Gowy Meadows or Frodsham may also prove productive.
SPRING SURVEY
Signs of spring
Although it sometimes feels as though it will never come, spring is just around the corner. Popular TV shows like Springwatch have helped bring people closer to wildlife. Here at Cheshire Wildlife Trust we want to get more people interested in watching the awakening of seasons. That’s why in 2014 we are inviting you to take part in your own ‘Springwatch’ and then share with us what you discover. We’ve chosen 14 common indicators of spring. It might be the first leaf on a tree, the first sight of a flower or the sound of the first bird song. This is what we’d like you to record for our signs of spring in Cheshire. Take a picture or make a note of when and where you saw it, then send it in to us at Cheshire Wildlife Trust. You can Tweet it, put up a post on our Facebook page, enter your findings on our website or sent us a letter. Whatever method you chose, just let us know about your encounters with spring. As well as celebrating wildlife by sharing your experiences we will use your sightings to map spring’s arrival in Cheshire and then share this with you in The Grebe magazine later on in the year. We hope to make this survey an annual event, and collect information which we hope will help to shape our work and inform our understanding of how climate change is impacting the county’s wildlife.
TOM MARSHALL
The last few years have a seen a boom in so-called ‘citizen science’ – those of us who like to track the changing seasons and how it’s affecting the wildlife in our backyard – with a chance to make a real difference to environmental research. Our Director of Conservation, Martin Varley explains how you can help us this spring with our own study right here in Cheshire.
HOW TO TAKE PART Taking part in our survey is easy. We simply want you to look out for signs of the arrival of spring and then let us know what you have seen and where you are. 1. Have a look at the wildlife indicators for spring listed right or online: www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/signsofspring 2. Look out for first flower, first leaf, or first sight or sound of the plants and animals. 3. Let us know when you noticed the signs of spring and where you were, either with a grid reference, or the name of the place where you saw it. You can join our survey in four ways 1. Put a posting up on our Facebook page (include a photograph if you like) 2. Send a tweet using the hashtag #signsofspring and @CheshireWT 3. Email us at spring@cheshirewt.org.uk 4. Fill in your form online (see website above) or download a form from the website and return to us at: Bickley Hall Farm, Bickley Lane, Malpas, Cheshire SY14 8EF
If you want to know more about studying the arrival of spring, or TOM MARSHALL
phenology as scientists call it, then visit the Nature’s Calendar website (www.naturescalendar.org.uk). The nature’s calendar project has been recording spring’s arrival for more than a decade and is full of great resources to help you study spring.
16 THE GREBE WINTER 2013
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR We have chosen some of the early arriving plants and animals of our gardens and local countryside to act as indicators of the arrival of spring. These are shown on the right, along with which month you might expect to see them. You can find more information about what each one looks like on the dedicated web page at www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/signsofspring
Blackthorn
Blackth orn Elder Hazel Snowdrop Bluebell Lawn Lesser Celandin e Song Thrush Swallow Swift 7-spot ladybird Brimsto ne butterfly Comma butterfly Frogspawn
Elder
January February
Song Thrush
March
F irst flower F irst leaf F irst flower F irst flower F irst flower F irst cut F irst flower F irst heard/se en F irst heard/se en F irst heard/se en F irst seen F irst seen F irst seen F irst seen
April
Lesser Celandine
May
Lawn cutting
Snowdrops
7-spot ladybird
Frogspawn
Comma butterfly
Bluebell
Swallow
Brimstone butterfly
Hazel
Swift
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 17
MATTHEW ROBERTS
SURVEYING
Beneath the boots Looking after wildlife on our nature reserves has been at the heart of what the Trust does since the very beginning, but to help rare or threatened species we first need to make sure the habitats we look after are just right. Sue Tatman updates us on this often unsung part of our work.
18 THE GREBE WINTER 2013
It might be less glamorous than looking at butterflies or birds, but the backbone of the vital survey work we undertake every year isn’t gazing into the skies above, but beneath our boots. Looking closely at the vegetation on our reserves and the habitats it forms is vitally important; if the habitat is doing well, the animals that live there will usually thrive too.
We also look out for potential problems, like if too much woody scrub is growing on a nature reserve. Birch trees spread their seed prolifically, and a crop of seemingly harmless birch seedlings can rapidly take over a heathland – which should in fact have plenty of bare areas and heather – if our reserves management team don’t take action to control it. Nipping these issues in the bud early on can save a huge amount of time and resources; after all, a small seeding is easily pulled-up by hand, whereas a decade-old established tree is a completely different matter.
11
nature reserves surveyed for birds
14
‘Amber List’ species of birds found
6
‘Red List’ species of birds found
68
species recorded
Vegetation monitoring is a huge task, so the job of keeping an eye on our largest heathland at Cleaver Heath near Heswall has found a dedicated band of volunteers from the Trust’s local group ‘Wirral Wildlife’ taking the reins. Every autumn they walk transects – a defined point-to-point route that remains consistent on each visit – across the heath, stopping at regular intervals to record details of the vegetation. This information is then analysed to give us an overall assessment of the state of the heath. In general, Cleaver Heath is doing well. Part of the site was burnt in a large fire in 2010 and the monitoring shows that the heather has recovered very well from this, with new plants germinating in the ashes the year after and now forming a carpet of healthy young plants. Unfortunately, a small part of the heath is dominated by bracken which can smother the smaller heather, so we plan to remove this and monitoring will show how the heathland vegetation regenerates. Heathlands in particular are home to reptiles, and the team are able to track their numbers by using metal sheets which retain the warmth of the sun – and in turn the cold-blooded reptiles like the common lizard. Butterflies and birds are also recorded during the transects.
Checking metal sheeting at Cleaver Heath for basking reptiles
Strictly for the birds… thanks to you Earlier this year we appealed to our supporters for volunteers to carry out bird surveys on a number of our reserves. We had an amazing response and have since been able to undertake bird surveys at a number of our woodland reserves. In all, 11 nature reserves were surveyed and an impressive total of 68 species of birds were recorded. Among these, 14 are on the Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC) ‘Amber’ list and 6 on the ‘Red’ list – those under most threat. These species – some of which may come as a surprise – include the cuckoo, grasshopper warbler, starling and song thrush – the last found in all but one of our woodlands. These particular surveys take place in spring, during the nesting season, with the aim of finding out which birds are breeding on our reserves. This is not always easy, as most birds understandably conceal their nests and chicks to avoid predators. However, to the trained eye their behaviour gives us the clues. Singing is the most obvious – the male bird will sing to claim a territory and attract a female – so this generally shows an intention to breed. Nest building, sitting on a nest or taking food to the nest are other good indications for the teams to look out for. Most birds of course sing their best at dawn, so our surveyors had to be out very early in the morning!
plants can tell us a lot about the health of a site
TOM MARSHALL
To successfully monitor a habitat we must first look for the most important plants associated with that habitat, and check they are growing in the numbers and variety we expect. Some plants have very specialised requirements, so they can tell us a lot about the health of a site. For example, sphagnum mosses only grow in very nutrient-poor, wet places. If we find sphagnum thriving on our lowland bog nature reserves such as Danes Moss near Macclesfield and Holcroft Moss near Warrington, then we know things are going well there and we’re getting things right.
GET INVOLVED If you’d like to know more about how to help us with monitoring our nature reserves, contact Sue Tatman on 01948 820728 or e-mail statman@cheshirewt.org.uk
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 19
DAY IN THE LIFE
A day in the life... Matt Matt joined the Trust after completing our Biodiversity Trainee scheme in 2012 and now looks after our network of 46 nature reserves along with Sam Bright and Jacki Hulse. We join Matt for a day on one of his recent projects.
rm a get into the fa es team, I tend rv se re e th cially of s’! This is espe Like quite a few e based ‘indoor ar ho w le op pe u really have to bit earlier than are short so yo ys da e th n he w rtant job of the useful in winter , the most impo se ur co Of it. fill the t of everyone and make the mos , catch up with ew br a e ak e m us to the big farmho day though is s great to have It’ t. ou t ad no he office; there’s flask before we l centre of the cia so e th e as tim ley s also the best kitchen at Bick y that about. It’ sa n ca u yo e es les and arrang many workplac tools and vehic op problems with y an t ou rt Stan, my non-st so ! to e the chainsaw lik f uf st in ing t cit ea usiasm is gr who gets the ex as well. His enth go to g rin ra lly out of bed. spaniel, is usua when you get it’s pitch dark n he w y ar nu Ja
8.30am
or tivity; the tract lly busy with ac ua us is rd ya ng rm of us sorti By now the fa rns and the rest t to the Longho et depending fle t taking feed ou us hicles in the Tr ve r he ot e th serve in out 4x4s and working at a re do. Today, I’m to ed ne we ardwalk on what jobs take along: bo of materials to ts lo e’s er On the th Northwich so d fence posts. power tools an d an ws sa ial kind s, ec d to use a sp spans and step ts, we’ve starte ec oj pr ss slip ce nac latest reserve has a natural no boardwalks; it e th r fo tic re as tu rs of recycled pl d the manufac fire resistant an lly ta to t eans os surface, is alm though that m to 50 years. Al up r fo t las not it’s uld , suggest it co any time soon replace things to ve ha n’t I hopefully wo exactly light…
9.30am
e our e at the reserv rk and as I arriv wo ht lig e m ak m fro Many hands Today they’re turning up too. e ar rs ide ee w nt a lu group of vo lp people from ’d Up’, which he ain ‘Tr to am ills te practical sk community nds learn new and backgrou g sure they feel range of ages in ak a. It’s about m om pl di l ted, na tio earn a voca ised and respec make is recogn ey th n io ut of rib er e shelt like the cont e too. Under th a fun experienc ady for that re on but it should be e ttl ke e camp-stove th t ge I s, g DIY job! or the van do eds before a bi at everyone ne th a pp cu nt plan, make all-importa ugh the day’s ers’, I run thro ld ui ‘b of explain p cu Over a hot s they’re using, y with the tool pp ha els tion. fe ac ne sure everyo it’s straight into day’s task, then to nd hi be s the reason
20 THE GREBE WINTER 2013
Matt with Stan (left) and
Poppy
TOM MARSHALL
8.00am
today tial areas, and close to residen e ar es rv zen se do re hy there’s a Many of our across to ask w es m co r ite ne ur w a local homeo f into their favo ols heading of to r we po at th ith young men w able to explain After a chat, I’m d. lan -to od ce wo dog-walking yone – these fa access for ever e ov pr on im g to in u’re work we’re hoping rtant when yo are always impo face meetings eps. people’s doorst
10.00am
d, so h the woodlan ardwalk throug bo a g in ct will be le tru We’re cons ing when peop the end satisfy in t bu rk lchy ue wo it’s muddy g, once our sq uebells in sprin bl h ug ro t th ha ll w able to stro understand . I always try to ne go ng lo t; e us g the Tr footprints ar t out of helpin eers want to ge ials around, er at different volunt m g uck in shiftin m to y pp ha st some are ju ring and layingwork of measu il ta de e th er others pref enjoys the good and everyone ls, ne pa alk dw up the boar e weather. It’s n – whatever th tio sa er nv w co d humour an back after a fe e day and look th r fo s cu fo e a ‘w to say nice to set t and be able ll-earned biscui mber of nu a hours with a we h ug working thro ly nt rre cu e e’r d did that’. W in this way, an proving access im es rv er se re our nature w pathways ov of metres of ne ds re nd hu ed have install of years. the last couple
Allmark, reserves officer
During these sh ort winter days and when you’r a woodland w e working in ith saws and po we r tools you certa continue when inly can’t the light begins to fade. It’s grea back on what’s t to look been achieved in just a few ho the weary trek ur s; ho wever, back up the hi ll with the gene wheelbarrows ra to rs , and unused st ruts makes ev that bit heavier erything seem . Even Stan’s bo undless enthus wain by this tim iasm starts to e, although at least he gets th have a snooze e chance to on the way ba ck to the offic e!
TOM MARSHALL
3:00pm
3:30pm
I’m now back at my desk and w ith a wet Stan good foot-rest making a , it’s down to th e e-mails and ph Most afternoo one calls. ns I’ll need to ar range the upco tasks with volun m ing days’ teers or comm unity groups, pe with contractor rhaps speak s for some of th e larger jobs or maps to see w go through hat’s coming up . This is also a make sure all th good time to e tools are in go od shape – ther worse than ge e’s nothing tting down the valley to find so doesn’t work an mething ymore! We’re als o constantly pl projects, so I m anning future ight be working on a new bid to partners like W work with REN or the He ritage Lottery Fund. As it gets close to teatime and with Stan’s tum we’re off hom my rumbling e, ready to do it all again tom orrow.
The te am fro m Tra in at P in’d U oors W p get ood in stuck North wich
With thanks Matt began hi s work at the Tr ust on the Biod Trainee schem iversity e, run in partn er ship with Ches Zoo, the Ches te r hire Region Bi ological Record Centre (RECO s RD) and supp orted by the Heritage Lotte ry Fund.
NEAR YOU
rsh le to enjoy the ma You’ll soon be ab t feet we g ttin ge ut ho marigolds wit
ZSUZSANNA BIR D
As part of a ye ar-long projec t at Poors Woo d near Kingsmead, No rthwich, suppor ted by INEOS we’ve been in ChlorVinyls, stalling dozens of metres of bo and trails to all ardwalks, step ow people to s access this be autiful native woodland next to the River W eaver much m ore easily. Onc complete, you’ e ll be able to wa lk amongst a re wildflower mea juvenated dow, willow ca rr, marsh marig and of course olds, bluebells the stunning oa k and beech ca golden autum nopy with its n carpet.
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 21
DISCOVER
On the lookout… In a new feature for The Grebe magazine, we’ll be telling the story of some of Cheshire’s more secretive species – and how you can help to track them down where you live. This time, we delve into the life of the harvest mouse. You could forgive the harvest mouse for feeling a little jealous. It has the furry attire, the whiskers and even the big black eyes, but thanks to the sleepy habits of the dormouse – including being watched snoring away in perfect slumber by five million people on YouTube – the harvest mouse hasn’t quite reached the same celebrity status. As its scientific name Micromys minutus suggests, the harvest mouse is our smallest rodent, and although like many of our small mammals it is seldom seen, it is even less conspicuous at just 5–6 centimetres in length, with perhaps another 5 centimetres of tail. It is also highly agile with a prehensile tail that acts like a fifth limb – something more often seen in primates – and is the only British species to have this feature. This flexibility allows the harvest mouse to move effortlessly through grass stalks and crops in search of seed heads, reducing the amount of time spent at ground level – a dangerous place for any creature when there are predators around.
Along with many small mammals, the population change during the seasons can be dramatic, with nine out of ten harvest mice lost over the winter period. To compensate for this, they will have several broods of young each year, sometimes well into December if the weather remains mild. In the UK, harvest mice are found from around Yorkshire southwards, and although they have been found further north, these may be captive-bred harvest mice that have been introduced into the wild. It’s also thought that the preference for dry stone walls over hedgerows in Scotland probably limits harvest mouse presence north of the border. As their traditional habitats have been lost, surprising new areas have become important for harvest mice, including roadside verges which offer the tall grassy habitats they prefer. In one survey alone in southern England, almost threequarters of harvest mice nests were discovered in roadside habitats.
22 THE GREBE WINTER 2013
AMY LEWIS
Harvest mice weigh in at as little as 4–6 grams – perhaps a quarter of the weight of the more familiar dormouse – even before the latter enjoys a pre-hibernation feast when it might double its weight. One of our most adaptable species, the harvest mouse exploits habitats as varied as hedgerows, reedbeds, crops and ditches. Seeds, berries and insects are most often on the harvest mouse menu, although moss, roots and fungi may also be taken. When taking grain from cereal heads, they leave characteristic sickle-shaped leftovers.
Harvest mice are a good indicator of the general health of our countryside
Why do we want to know how harvest mice are getting on? Harvest mice are highly vulnerable to some of the changes in our agricultural systems and their presence is a good overall indicator of the general health of the countryside. Alterations to their habitat, like the loss of hedgerows, differing crop sowing regimes and increased tidiness and mechanisation across our farmland, mean the harvest mouse is having to adapt to change. In Cheshire, a captive breeding and release programme has been based at Chester Zoo since the 1980s, however we can do more to help harvest mice if we know where they are in the wild. The harvest mouse is listed on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) and the local Cheshire Region BAP. Over the last year we’ve found harvest mice nests at Bar Mere at Bickley Hall Farm, and our Bagmere nature reserve near Congleton, but where else are these diminutive self-builders living?
Your turn…
harvest mice
You’d be very lucky to catch a glimpse of a harvest mouse. However, you can get a peek into their lifestyle by tracking down harvest mice nests. Harvest mice are very fussy homeowners, choosing to build not only breeding nests but also ‘shelter’ nests, both of which are quite different.
Breeding nests These high-rise des res are generally built quite high above ground, intricately woven from grasses into a distinctive ball shape with an entrance hole. They can be anything from a foot above ground to more than a metre in dense reedbeds. A breeding nest can be up to 10cm (4in in diameter).
Shelter nests Generally smaller (perhaps just 5cm (2in) in diameter), these are likely to be closer to the ground and not quite up to the same building standards as they are more likely to be temporary.
WHERE TO LOOK You could find a harvest mouse nest almost anywhere, including grasslands, field, reedbeds, brambles and open fields. Their small size is usually the best indicator, with the nests of warblers in reeds only to be found in summer, and similar ball-shaped nests of long-tailed tits likely to be larger and covered with moss and lichen. Please look for harvest mice nests during the winter when birds are not likely to be nesting in the same areas and harvest mice are no longer breeding. Always leave the area as you find it. If you think you’ve seen a harvest mouse nest, the best possible thing you can do is take a photograph and make a detailed note of the location. You can contact Sue Tatman at the Trust with your reports on 01948 820728 or statman@cheshirewt.org.uk
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 23
INTERVIEW
A wild word with…
Felicity Goodey CBE TOM MARSHALL
Former BBC journalist and North West regeneration leader Felicity Goodey CBE has been the Trust’s President since January 2011. We caught up with Felicity after a busy two years in the Trust’s history. It’s almost two years now since you took on the role of president of the Trust – how would you reflect on what you’ve seen over that time? I have been astounded by the range and quality of the projects undertaken by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. I have always known that the Trust played an important role in caring for the environment but until I became President I had no idea just how critical the Trust and its members are to ensuring that Cheshire continues to nurture one of the most diverse and beautiful habitats in England. It is thanks, of course, not only to the highly skilled people we employ but also to the enormous membership who make that possible. We are blessed with members in every corner of the region who not only support the Trust’s professional work financially, but also contribute huge amounts of energy and expertise through volunteering. I have also had the huge privilege of getting to know our magnificent rare breed herds of gentle Longhorns and those naughty Dexters, not to mention the orphan lamb from our flock of Hebridean sheep who now thinks it is one of the staff! Many of our readers will know you from your North West Tonight days behind the desk, others for your work in regeneration, the health sector and Salford’s Media City, but has nature also played a role in your life? I was lucky enough to grow up on the edge of Dartmoor. I had a wonderful childhood, roamed free with all my friends, most of whom were farmers’ children, and was very much aware of the glories of landscape and how lucky I was to be able to grow up enjoying the riches of nature. At my little village school we spent almost as much time out of the classroom as inside; nature walks were a daily part of life. No one had television in those days but there was a ‘famous’ local naturalist, H.G. Hurrell, and he would bring all his latest films to show us on a very simple cine machine. So I grew up with a love of wild landscapes, an appreciation of the diversity and interdependencies of the natural world and a continuing sense of wonder as the seasons change. I look forward to each one, even winter.
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Many, many years ago I was co-opted to a national body which was probably way ahead of its time, called ‘Going for Green.’ We were trying to persuade people that reducing man’s increasingly adverse impact on the environment was probably one of the most important things that any citizen of this or any country can and should do. Despite having people far more distinguished than me on the panel, like Sir David Attenborough, few people wanted to listen or join forces with us at the time. But one of my guiding principles is ‘never take no for an answer’! If you believe passionately that something is right, you should fight for it whenever the opportunity arises.
one of my guiding principles is ‘never take no for an answer’! I was delighted when as part of the project to build The Lowry, The International Arts & Theatre Complex Centre on Salford Quays and a major regeneration initiative, I had an opportunity to broker a deal to help clean up the head waters of the Manchester Ship Canal. When I first saw it back in the early 1970s this was the most polluted waterway in Europe. Thanks to a number of determined people, not least the Mersey Basin Campaign, Peel Holdings, United Utilities and Salford City Council, plus some brilliant science from APEM at Manchester University, we now have a healthy waterway and inner dock basins full of fish. This is a great example of how public, private and voluntary bodies working together can really make a difference. We’ve probably seen the toughest period financially for the charity sector for many years. Do you think people should still dig deep when pressures remain in our daily lives? It’s very hard for voluntary organisations, hard to keep getting the money in and it requires an enormous amount of hard work and determination by a lot of people. But I also think it’s really important that if you care about something in your area then it is local people that should take responsibility for it. We can’t all be
I don’t want to leave an ugly, exhausted wasteland to my grandchildren Man, like every other living organism, relies on the environment to live, for food, for heating and other energy, for shelter and for medicine. But ‘modern’ man has got greedy. We want more than just basic life support. We can have more but we have to recognise that it comes at a cost. If we care about those who will come after us, we have to recognise that climate change aside, man is having an increasingly adverse impact on the environment in many ways from which it is finding it harder and harder to recover. I don’t want to leave an ugly, exhausted wasteland to my grandchildren. We can’t solve global warming on our own but we can safeguard and enhance our local environment and that is what the Cheshire Wildlife Trust does. By bringing together the thousands of people who are now members and asking them to give a little money or time, often both, together we are making a big difference. We’re helping the water vole back from the verge of extinction on our rivers and canals; the dormouse is beginning to repopulate its natural woodland habitat; and so much more. Cheshire people are reversing years of man’s ill treatment and once more nurturing the environment in which we all live. At our Annual General Meeting recently the huge variety and impact of the many Trust projects across the county was clear. At a time when most membership organisations are struggling for members, we continue to grow, which shows just how much Cheshire people really care. We’ve seen with the recent release of David Bond’s film Project Wild Thing (see page 12) that just one in five youngsters now have access to nature and the outdoors. As someone with the health agenda close to your heart does this worry you? It’s a national disaster. As parents we have been taught to be terrified of letting our children out on their own but we are mostly too busy to go out with them. So they sit in front of a screen living in an artificial world and often eating junk. We don’t mean to be unkind, often we are just trying to be protective, but the physical and mental health impacts of this kind of lifestyle are appalling. Childhood obesity is leading to major adult health problems and I would hazard a guess that the big rise in mental health problems among youngsters, young men in particular, has a lot to do with the fact that they can’t let off steam in the countryside, let their imaginations rip and feel the joy of wind in their hair and grass under their feet. Tees Valley Wildlife Trust are piloting a terrific project. Retired people, students and people with mental health problems are all taking part in a project to build a wildlife reserve on Teeside. The mental and physical health benefits are being closely monitored and the results are fantastic. Volunteering
outdoors is seriously good for you which is why Cheshire Wildlife Trust has been helping to pilot a ‘natural health service’ in Cheshire, working with Mersey Forest and others. The popularity of programmes like Springwatch and Autumnwatch can have hardened conservationists’ eyes rolling with accusations of ‘dumbing down’ nature, but as a former journalist do you think keeping things simple is the way into people’s living rooms or do we need the ‘tough facts’ too? Popular programmes like this are great for raising general awareness and, hopefully, giving more people an appetite to get out into the countryside to experience it for themselves. But in programme making, we need tough facts, too. In my experience if you give people the pros and cons of a situation in good plain English with examples and evidence, then in ninetynine cases out of a hundred people will come to a sane conclusion. There is no room in nature for sentimentality and misplaced emotion. Nice little furry foxes do not rescue poor little rabbits from the big bad badger, as featured in Farthing Wood – they eat them. If misplaced emotion had not released the non-native mink into the wild, we would not have nearly lost our native water vole. Of course we have to plant and then cut down trees. But do we need to exhaust and virtually sterilise vast swathes of the land by planting acres of quick-growing fir or even cereals to provide biomass fuel or electricity? You’ve mentioned your early years in Dartmoor, but with your feet firmly under the table in Cheshire now, where and how would be the perfect way to experience Cheshire’s countryside on a crisp winter’s weekend?
There’s no room in nature for sentimentality and misplaced emotion Every weekend when we are at home my husband and I get out for a long walk somewhere. I love the little rolling valleys and all my favourite walks feature a babbling brook. We walk all over the county and I have too many favourites to mention, though I do have a particular soft spot for the Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s herd of Longhorn cattle overwintering on our headquarters in Bickley Hall Farm. One of the great glories of this country is the freedom with which we can explore our countryside. It is a privilege, and it’s good to see how carefully most people these days close gates and respect the farmers’ crops and animals. And to warm up afterwards, there are so many wonderful Cheshire pubs!
TOM MARSHALL
activists, we haven’t all got the time. Those who do volunteer are fantastic and do an amazing job, but those who can’t afford the time, then perhaps they can afford a few pounds every month. There are all sorts of good causes out there, and many of us support a range of good causes, but our local environment is irreplaceable. We are only the present day guardians. I believe we have a duty to leave it as healthy, if not healthier, than when we found it.
Felicity tree planting with youngsters near Macclesfield
Need I say more?!
WINTER 2013 THE GREBE 25
n i t s e r e t n i n e e k a e v a h Do y ou
, g n i k l Wa re &
natulov e o f the a
? s r o o d t ou
We are looking for walk organisers to lead guided tours on a selection of our European parcs. The position would suit individuals, couples or why not make it a family affair. You will work on a voluntary basis for at least two weeks or even longer if you’re available. Full training is provided along with parc accommodation and travel expenses.
If you would like to apply for this position or would like further information please contact
jane.tully@eurocamp.co.uk or call 01606 787522