Wildlife focus 115 spring by The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

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Photo: Sue Jarvis

ISSUE 115 | SPRING2013

WILDLIFEFOCUS Photo: Morgan Bowers

New Sightings Slow worm recorded at Barr Beacon

Nature Improvement and the Flora of Birmingham & the Black Country

Photo: Roseann Ditchfield

Bee Inspired Wildlife Watch pages for Kids and Families - see pages 8 & 9 International Dawn Chorus Day - see back page

Creating a Living Landscape

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Welcome Dear Members, Welcome to the spring edition of Wildlife Focus! May I give an especially warm welcome to our new members and supporters? At the beginning of February I was pleased to hear that the Government had decided to secure the future of the nation’s Public Forest Estate by setting up a new public body to own and manage these woodlands. It is particularly important that this new body will be charged with protecting wildlife and providing for public recreation. I am sure that 2013 is going to be a great year for wildlife in Birmingham and the Black Country with all the exciting projects that are coming together through

Photo: Chris Taylor

Message from our Chief Executive. the Nature Improvement Area and other partnerships that we’re involved with. I am particularly looking forward to seeing what ideas come out of the partnership event on 6th March, ‘Improving Nature’, which should inspire a lot of new activity. Also, this year we’re involved in some fantastically varied work: from collaboration with Birmingham Rep to the publication of Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country and the completion of restoration works at Barr Beacon. For bird lovers, we’re hoping that International Dawn Chorus Day will be truly inspirational once again and in this magazine you can read about work to benefit all types of wildlife from beetles to butterflies, bats and badgers. n

Neil Wyatt Chief Executive

The People & Wildlife Centre We are proposing to construct a landmark building, the People and Wildlife Centre. Based in Moorcroft Wood in Moxley, using sustainable materials and wildlife-friendly features, the Centre will look out across the woodland itself. At the People and Wildlife Centre we will be able to: •

• • • • •

Manage local wildlife projects

Demonstrate sustainable techniques which benefit wildlife Host the local ecological record centre Provide a visitor centre and gateway for Moorcroft Wood Create local jobs and provide training Link to the education work at Moorcroft Environment Centre

•

Organise seminars and meetings, and offer support and advice

We'd really value any thoughts on the project. You can see more details at www.peopleandwildlifecentre.org.uk, or you can email pwc@bbcwildlife.org.uk with your comments. n

WILDLIFEFOCUS If you have any comments, queries or suggestions regarding WILDLIFE FOCUS please call us or email info@bbcwildlife.org.uk. WILDLIFE FOCUS is published by The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country. The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country is one of 47 local trusts working to make the United Kingdom a better place for people and wildlife. Collectively we have over 800,000 members and manage over 3,000 nature reserves. Locally we work to conserve biodiversity, improve the environment and raise awareness and understanding of wildlife issues.

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country 16 Greenfield Crescent, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3AU. Tel: 0121 454 1199 Email: info@bbcwildlife.org.uk Web: www.bbcwildlife.org.uk www.facebook.com/WTBBC

@WTBBC and other

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The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

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Now is the winter of our continent Yes, it’s been cold. Yes, we’ve had snow. But for many birds Britain is a relatively warm and highly attractive place to spend their winters compared to elsewhere on the continent. Photo: Sue Jarvis

We’re familiar with visitors coming down from arctic regions or heading westwards from Eastern Europe and Western Asia, and only being seen during winter months – many are commonly seen in our gardens, for example Redwing and Fieldfare, and occasional delights such as Waxwing. There are also a few birds that until recently were recognised as summer visitors only, but in the last twenty years or so a number of these species have decided that British winters aren’t so bad after all. The British Trust for Ornithology’s Garden BirdWatch now reports a distinct winter peak in Blackcap numbers, for example. These are birds from the central European breeding population that have adapted their normal migratory strategy to use new wintering areas, choosing us in preference to the long haul across the Sahara, largely because of the food so many of us put out for garden wildlife. Most British breeding Chiffchaffs migrate to the Mediterranean and West Africa for winter, but increasing numbers are overwintering in Britain.

Photo: Richard Burkmar

A Starling fledgling

A flock of Waxwings

Wintering Chiffchaffs are generally from Scandinavia and mainland Europe, but some are ‘resident’ British birds. Many people don’t realise just how many common birds familiar to us throughout the year as residents have their numbers greatly increased by an influx of winter visitors.

the males tended to stay behind over the winter, while the females moved south to places like the UK. Even birds of prey such as Sparrowhawk that are characteristically sedentary - not moving far from their local region – may in some years include a small influx from Scandinavia.

Take Blackbirds, for example, where in winter many additional birds arrive from Norway, Sweden and Finland. Scandinavian Robins will pass through Britain on their way to Iberia or North Africa, but again some spend their winters with us. And Starlings, where 7585 per cent of our wintering birds may come from the continent.

If recent winters in Britain have been among the coldest in the last few decades, then the winters in continental Europe will have been even more extreme. It’s not surprising that numbers of many of our resident birds are supplemented by winter visitors from over the North Sea. n Peter Jarvis, Trustee.

In winter, small numbers of Chaffinch are likely to be residents, but large flocks are probably Scandinavian birds that arrived in late October and decided to stay. Visiting winter Chaffinches are often female – the Latin name Fringilla coelebs translates as ‘unmarried’ or ‘bachelor finch’ and was given to this species because in Sweden Photo: Neil Wyatt

Creating a Living Landscape

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Flora of Birmingham and the Black C Landmark urban natural history publication.

The Flora was produced with the help, support and close cooperation of the Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire vice-county Recorders, Natural England, site wardens, local authorities, The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and Black Country, allotment

records of 1820 vascular (higher) plant taxa, with full accounts of 1449, most of which are mapped at the one kilometer square level. There are also checkliststyle treatments of 1118 fungi, 221 lichens and 170 bryophytes prepared by local and national specialists.

Photo: Mike Poulton

The first Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country is an essential record of the plants and vegetation of Britain’s second-largest conurbation. It covers the metropolitan districts of Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton, and has records from 715 survey squares each measuring 1 km × 1 km. This publication provides a crucial understanding of the key factors controlling biodiversity in this urban area and tells a positive story about the unsung beauty and vitality hidden in the urban landscape.

Southern Marsh-orchid

associations, parks officials, golf course staff, and countless land owners large and small. Records included in the maps and descriptions cover the period 1995-2012 and include reference to over 236,000

The Flora has been written to be enjoyed by all, with ecological description and analysis presented in an accessible manner. It includes a huge range of photographs, line drawings, distribution maps and botanical walks, designed to allow everyone to enjoy and celebrate the botanical richness of our area. Some of the more interesting sites and habitats of the conurbation are introduced in a selection of detailed botanical walks, whole City and Borough itineraries, and comprehensive lists of locally and nationally scheduled ecological and geological sites.

Short Walk along Stubbers Green Canal Walk Compiled by Jane Hardwick and Sue Collingswood Extract from the soon-to-be published Flora of Birmingham and The Black Country. The walk along this short stretch of canal is at its floral best during June and July and involves walking from Hopley’s Bridge to the bridge on Stubbers Green Road and back. Distance and walking time Approximately 3/4 mile. The walk takes about 1 hour at a gentle pace. Starting point Hopley’s Bridge (OS grid reference: SK046009).

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Contains Ordinance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2013

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The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

WILDLIFEFOCUS Photo: Mike Poulton

k Country

The Background chapter covers geology, climate, relief, drainage, soils, hydrology, habitats and vegetation, the garden habitat, and the history of human occupation. The Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country is fully illustrated, 544 pages long, and set to become a landmark in urban natural history. Members offer – Members of The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country will be able to order the book at the special price of £35 (p&p free UK only) - normal price £45.

Parking There is roadside parking in Dumblederry Lane, situated north-west of the crossroads with Westgate.

There is a selection of emergent and moisture-loving species in the margins of the canal and in its column (the built edge of the canal). Look for species preferring drier situations on the other side of the path from the canal - so you could look to one side going out and to the other when returning.

The Walk Approach the bridge (1) and take the grassy path to its right to gain access to the canal-side.

On the canal side look for Southern Marsh-orchid, Branched Bur-reed, Arrowhead, Shining Pondweed, Skullcap, Yellow Water-lily, Marsh Thistle, Water Dock, Yellow Iris, False Fox-sedge, Hemlock Water-dropwort, Meadowsweet, Clustered Dock, Remote Sedge, Narrow-leaved Water-plantain, Water Mint, Reed Sweet-grass, Cyperus Sedge, Hemp-agrimony and Water Forget-me-not among others.

Turn left (east) at the canal-side and walk along the towpath to the next bridge (2) then return.

On the hedge side of the towpath are American and Greater Willowherb, Oxeye Daisy, Fairy Flax, Perennial Sow-thistle,

Access/Conditions The towpath is in good condition, making this an easy walk. Facilities and further information None

Black Country, 16 Greenfield Crescent, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3AU. n

Please send your order with a cheque payable to The Birmingham and Black Country Botanical Society, c/o EcoRecord, The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the

Sara Cavalho, EcoRecord Manager.

Common Centaury, Hedge Bedstraw, Common Ragwort, Red Clover, Goat’sbeard, Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil, and Hedgerow Crane’s-bill among others. n

Photo: Mike Poulton

Photo: Tessa Andrews

Getting there by public transport Bus routes 935A and 35 (Walsall) stop in nearby Wharf Approach.

Professor Ian Trueman on canal towpath Selly Oak

Parnassia palustris

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MACE’s Green Pledge Three sites benefit as part of a nationwide scheme by Mace Group to get their employees out doing work to help with their green pledge. We were lucky enough to get some keen and able volunteers for three days at The Centre of the Earth, Eco Park and Moorcroft Wood. With volunteers also taking part in London, Manchester and Scotland and sharing their experiences through Twitter, the teams here were able to feel part of a big push for nature. Mace’s decision to work with us was influenced by our commitment to biodiversity and capacity to lead large numbers of people in volunteering activity. If your company is interested in similar activities, please contact us to arrange a bespoke package. The work MACE did provided a valuable boost to wildlife across Birmingham and the Black Country in a busy time before the cold winter months, as they cleared out patches with invasive species, or overgrown areas ready for the creation of more biodiverse habitat. n

Volunteers at Mo orcroft

Wood

Joe Peacock, Membership and Communications Officer.

New Nature Reserve Turner’s Wood joins our family. Turner’s Wood in Pelsall was part of the estate of Sarah Turner and her late husband Edward. The Wildlife Trust has now taken on the role of Trustee of the land so that it can be secured as a nature reserve. A spinney dominated by oak trees with some Scots Pine, Holly and Rowan, Turner’s Wood has a beautiful display of Bluebells each year and is also a good site for woodland birds. Lying next to Pelsall South Common with its acid grassland and relict heathland it

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plays a part in a wildlife corridor linking Cannock Chase down to the centre of Walsall. As such it is another important wildlife site in the Birmingham and Black Country Nature Improvement Area. Because the wood is quite small, it will not be open to visitors at all times. We will hold a number of events and activities there each year. Over the next couple of months we will be carrying out essential tree maintenance and

access work, which we plan to complete in time to have a ‘bluebell day’ in May. We want to make the woodland available for local schools to use for nature study. We will also make arrangements for people wishing to visit Turner’s Wood at other times. We are keen for Trust members living in or near Pelsall to get involved in looking after the reserve, so if you are interested, please contact Paul Stephenson at the Trust office. n

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Great Sights on Barr Beacon Exciting developments at landmark site.

Back in August during one of the weekly health walks, someone spotted what they thought was a snake on the footpath. It wasn’t a snake, though, but a Slow Worm. When I told the site manager she checked Ecorecord for reptile reports, and it was the first record for some 30 years!

been used in this country, so groundbreaking stuff.

Photo: Morgan Bowers

Since the project started in earnest in June 2012, the site and community have been very busy, with lots of events and talks as well as the restoration work.

The next few months are going to be very busy, with an archaeological dig and Bands On The Beacon to organise, along with running weekly Forest School sessions. Also we are aiming to hold reptile and amphibian awareness and training sessions (especially after spotting the Slow Worm). So keep checking the website for details. Slow Worm

In October, a very cold Friday evening was the time for the Beacon Bygones Ghost Walk. A great turn-out of over 40 people enjoyed the local scary stories, but not so much the weather. School children are involved in various projects, including Forest Schools, bird watching, behind the scenes

restoration tours, time capsules and a smart-phone app development for the site. The restoration itself is going really well and the new zinc roofing should be in place or being put in place as you read this article. It’s only the third time that this material has

If you would like to know more about the site or would like to get involved give me a shout, tel 07791 070929 email martin.h@bbcwildlife.org.uk, or follow me on Twitter @barrbeacon or check the Facebook page Barr Beacon War Memorial. n Martin Harrison, Barr Beacon Community Liaison Officer.

Ushering in Spring How the work of Land Care Associates, the Trust’s subsidiary, changes when Spring arrives.

From February to April Great Crested Newts will be moving from their land sites to their breeding ponds. We will be surveying in the ponds using torches at night, bottle traps, and looking for eggs at the edge of the ponds. If GCNs are found and they may be affected by a proposed development we will apply for a licence from Natural England. A licence is only granted if Natural England are happy the work will be undertaken in a way that protects the population.

Bats will be coming out of hibernation and starting to visit the summer roosts. If the weather is good we will start to survey potential roost sites in mid April. Like the GCN, if a roost is found which may be affected by a development we will be identifying the mitigation needed and applying for a licence. Dusk/Dawn bat and night-time newt surveys keeps us busy this time of year. They are rewarding because they allow us to get up close to some rare and protected species and contribute to their conservation. You can find out more about LCA’s work at www.landcare.org.uk n

Photo: Joy Russell

Photo: Tessa Andrews

This time of year sees LCA focus on protected-species surveys. In particular we will be surveying for Great Crested Newts in ponds and getting ready for bat emergence surveys towards the end of April.

Great Crested Newt

Tim Moughtin, LCA Consultancy Manager.

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Photo: Mike Poulton

Welcome to your Wildlife Watch page. Here youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find lots of ways for children, young people and families to get involved with the Wildlife Trust.

Help a butterfly - see how to make a restaurant below

Five ways to spot Spring! Leaves start to unfurl and flowers start to bloom, bringing lots of colour back to the world. Insects start to flourish and hundreds of different migrant birds start to come back. To help you spot signs of Spring here are five top tips: Start a nature diary. Some people like to write about what they see while others prefer to draw a picture. You might want to do both. You could even take photographs and make a nature scrap book. Just make sure that you have your diary or your camera

5. How to make a pop-up restaurant for butterflies

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with you when you are outside so you can record what you see. n Take a walk in your local woodland. Visit your local woods to see the carpet of Bluebells and smell the scent of Wild Garlic. Lots of woodlands organise Bluebell or foraging walks at this time of year, so take a look at our events page or one produced by your local council to find out if there is one happening near you. n

Spring officially start length. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very excit

Learn some bird song, then see if you can identify birds with your eyes closed. We need all our senses to spot wildlife and hearing is as important as sight. Spring sees the return of lots of birds like Swallows and House Martins. Listen to the Swift and see if you can tell us why it used to get called the Devil Bird. Learn to recognise bird song by visiting the audio section of your local library or a web site like

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The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

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Lego Butterfly made by Eve Wallace

Pittts Wood Woodhouse Year 1 Autumn 2012

tarts with the Equinox on 21st March. This is when the day and the night are the same xciting to see the sun bringing nature back to life again. this one from the BBC at www.bbc.co.uk/ radio4/science/ birdsong.shtml Look out for big bumblebees. Ever noticed how the first bumblebees of the year are the biggest and they tend to be flying around low down? These are queens coming out of hibernation and searching for a new nest. They have an amazing sense of smell and are actually sniffing out old mouse holes and similar nooks and crannies. There are eight different species we see regularly - see how many you can spot.

How to make a pop-up restaurant for butterflies. Butterflies can be tricky to identify and record when they are fluttering about. One way to get a good look at them is when they are feeding. You can make a butterfly feeder for your garden or school playground to give you a better chance to see what kind of butterfly visits your green spaces. Take a paper plate and put four holes equally distanced apart around the rim. Tie some string through each hole, then tie them all together in the middle. Your plate should now dangle when you hold it by the knotted

string. Find a good spot outside to hang your feeder and put some old mushy fruit on it. Then watch to see which butterflies come to your own butterfly restaurant!

Let us know As always we would love to hear how you have got on with these activities, or any other nature things youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got up to this winter. Write to us or take a photograph and we may even publish it or put it on our web site like Eve Wallaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great photo of her with a lego butterfly! Email us at info@bbcwildlife.org.uk n

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Exploring Moseley Bog Two new exciting ways of getting to know your local reserve. The first is a bespoke website especially for the Reserve at www.moseleybog.org.uk. The website allows you to explore this fascinating place through 3000 years of archaeology, cultural links to Tolkien, the creation of the Reserve and the birth of the Urban Wildlife Movement. There are maps to help you explore the fascinating history and environment of the Reserve, and information on how to get involved. You can upload your photos too, and keep upto-date with events across the Trust. Also on the website is a podcast tour recorded by the acclaimed Birmingham-born poet and author Benjamin Benjamin Zephaniah Zephaniah. The podcasts are available to download and play back on any compatible device. They provide an interesting insight into the history, preservation and development of Moseley Bog and Joy’s Wood, and a chance to meet some of the people involved in its history and development. Light from the Shadows The range of podcasts is set to grow soon with the second of our exciting projects, Light from the Shadows – a brand new audio experience designed to enhance visits to the Reserve for everyone. In an exciting collaboration with Birmingham Repertory Theatre local people are helping contribute to audio walks to bring the site to life. Writing workshops with local residents are currently taking place to help Charlotte Goodwin and Kate Chapman, the creative

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Charlotte Goodwin recording at Moseley Bog

team behind the audio walks in Cannon Hill Park, develop ideas for the walks. The walks will be launched at a free family event on Sunday 16th June, and people can also get involved in the creation of performances for the day, or volunteer to help out in other ways. After then they’ll join the existing podcasts by Benjamin Zephaniah on our website for people to

listen to and download for free. Light from the Shadows is all being co-ordinated by the Rep, so contact Alison Burnley on 0121 245 2159 or email alison.burnley@birmingham-rep.co.uk to find out more. n Gary Roskell, Development Manager.

Getting involved in Light from the Shadows There are a number of ways you can get involved. In the writing workshops These workshops will include writing, story-telling and exploring Moseley Bog. 6.45pm-8.15pm on Tuesdays between 12 February and 16 April at Hall Green Library or Moseley Bog. In the drama workshops Led by The REP, these workshops will develop the performances that will form part of the launch on 16 June. 5.30pm-9pm on Tuesdays between 30 April and 11 June at Hall Green Library

with a final performance on 16 June. As a volunteer There will also be volunteers needed to support the launch day in a variety of ways. Want to find out more? Contact Alison Burnley at The REP on 0121 245 2159 or by emailing Alison.burnley@birmingham-rep.co.uk, or visit Birmingham-rep.co.uk. Places are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. n

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A Year Improving Nature

Sir John Lawton chaired the influential Making Space for Nature Review, which resulted in Nature Improvement Areas being implemented, and he was also on the panel which selected the first 12 to be designated. Professor Trueman, who recently received The Wildlife Trustsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Christopher Cadbury Medal for his services to nature conservation, agreed not only to speak at the event, but also to lead a walk around the canals of Digbeth to illustrate the publication of The Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country.

Please pass on the information about the opportunities to fund local projects to as many people as possible, and check out the website for inspiring case studies, all the information you need to apply for funding, and our growing list of Nature Improvement Area partners. n Simon Atkinson, Nature Improvement Area Manager.

The next year will see even more projects getting off the ground, which means that local people and wildlife will together benefit from a better environment. These are exciting times for all who care about nature improvement in Birmingham and the Black Country. Pipistrelle bat

Photo: Roseann Ditchfield

As a Wildlife Trust itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to see projects being implemented which are benefiting wildlife. The Merrions Wood Avenue restoration project, for example, is going to create an area of species-rich meadow grassland which will benefit bees and other pollinating insects, whilst the extended hedge will provide an additional food source for a range of animals. The work to replant the avenue will not only preserve an important historic feature for future generations, but will also link two wildlife rich areas and provide a foraging corridor for bats.

The wetland creation we reported on at Kings Norton Local Nature Reserve in the last magazine will help attract breeding birds such as Reed and Sedge Warblers, amphibians and reedbed-specialist invertebrates. Walsall Countryside Services are running a Nature Improvement Area Bat Box Scheme which will get more people involved in looking after and recording the number of bats in their area, which will give us some great information to report in future magazines.

Photo: Amy Lewis

This March we celebrate the end of the first year of the Nature Improvement Area and all our partners have been invited to a celebratory event to mark the occasion. With special guest speakers Sir John Lawton and Professor Ian Trueman, this will be an opportunity not only to celebrate achievements so far, but also to learn about what more can be done in the coming years. On the website www.bbcnia.org.uk there are now case studies of some of the great projects that have been funded so far, which we hope will inspire more people to apply for funding or get involved in improving nature in Birmingham and the Black Country.

Photo: Francesca Jarvis-Rouse

This March we celebrate the end of the first year of the Nature Improvement Area and all our partners have been invited to a celebratory event to mark the occasion.

Moth

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Streams need champions! Get your feet wet with FIN. We all want babbling brooks with sunlight dappled through the trees. We want them to be teeming with wildlife where children can happily play without fear of toxic substances. We know that our streams and rivers are showing some signs of improvement but there are still many problems of misconnections, historic seepage of pollutants and other rubbish sullying our streams. But is it possible to have streams with mayflies and trout in an urban area? Absolutely! We think that, not only is it achievable, it is imperative. And the Environment Agency are thinking the same way. A pilot project FIN (which stands for Freshwater Invertebrate Network) has been launched in Birmingham and the Black Country with EcoRecord and the Environment Agency. The aim is to find the best ways to empower local community groups to identify, monitor, cherish and improve their local watercourses. This involves elements of training and mentoring with a specific focus on the small creatures (shrimps, larvae, snails etc.) that live in the streams. These hidden and visually insignificant animals can tell us a great deal about the general health of a stream - not only at one point in time but also for weeks or months previously. They can tell us so much more than a single water sample. But are community groups interested in getting their feet wet catching these animals and learning to read the messages they give us? How can they best help to do this? What sort of ongoing support is needed? So far, the community groups we have worked

Friends of Cotwall End

with have been excited and interested. They have shown an enthusiasm which has often surprised even them. The close involvement of the Environment Agency in this project has been key in showing people that we all want the same improvements and if they identify a particular problem, for example, then the Environment Officer will try to sort this out. So watch this space - we will be launching a website and materials later in 2013 and have already started collecting valuable information about streams that have been neglected for years, for example Bobs Brook in Dudley, which was found to support riffle beetles along one stretch. Riffle beetles require good quality water so that’s good news! n Ellen Pisolkar, FIN Project Co-ordinator.

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Text 2 Donate Support your local wildlife today! Simply text WILDLIFE to 82540 to make a donation of £5.00* to The Wildlife Trust, or text BADGER to 82540, to make a donation of £1.50*.

Thank you *Standard network charges apply. The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country will receive your donation less a small processing fee.

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The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

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Local Nature Partnership Springs into Action. In the last Wildlife Focus, we said that we hoped that the Local Nature Partnership (LNP) would meet before Christmas 2012. Well, progress continued with the first meeting of the Birmingham and Black Country LNP Board which indeed took place just before Christmas. The Board was formally constituted. The Chair, elected at the first meeting, is Dr John Box, highly regarded in the natural environmental field and also President of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM). Vice-chair is Prof. Richard Coles of the Institute of Art and D esign, Birmingham City University. The Secretariat for the LNP is being provided by the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country. One of the first tasks is to prepare an Action Plan. The importance of the natural environment to our health and well-being and quality of life is a key concern for the LNP. From April 1st, local authorities will have

Bluebells on a fallen tree

responsibility for public health and will be required to put in place Health and Wellbeing Strategies. A short project, funded by Natural England, is taking place to examine the current state of play with Health and Well-being Strategies in Birmingham and the Black Country, and to look at how they may contribute not only to

our health and well-being but also the health of the natural environment. We hope that this work will lead to a workshop looking at the links between health and well-being and the natural environment. n Chris Parry, Principal Ecologist.

Tame Plan Coming Together In the last edition of the newsletter, we explained that the Wildlife Trust is leading one of fifteen pilot initiatives supported by DEFRA and the Environment Agency, to produce a Catchment Management Plan for the River Tame and its tributaries.

We are planning to complete a draft Catchment Management Plan in early March and plan to hold a catchment-wide event on Tuesday 26th March. The plan will set out a vision for the catchment and the issues and opportunities, and options

and actions, that contributors think can protect, enhance and celebrate our water environment. A thank you to those of our members who have made their views known by completing the short survey at www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/water_survey The online survey is still available for completion at the above web address. So if you haven’t made your views known yet, get involved – there’s still time to complete the survey! If you would like more information about the River Tame Catchment Management Plan please send an email to info@bbcwildlife.org.uk. n

Photo: Chris Wishart

The aim of the CMP is to ensure that local knowledge is used to plan for and manage the catchment. Using the results of the four workshops that have been held and our ‘water environment attitude’ online survey, the writing of the plan has progressed but not as quickly as we had hoped. We have also been able to input to the national catchment learning process which is evaluating the catchment work on a national basis.

Park Hall flooding

Chris Parry, Principal Ecologist.

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Regional Round Up News from around the region

Photo: Jon Bowen

Get Involved with Local Wildlife If you’d like to find out more about any of the following regular activity days then please contact the appropriate member of the team. Please note that you will need to pre-book to join in:

Chirbury Hedgerows

AM GH K IN AC RY RM BL T BI & OUN C

Shropshire Wildlife Trust News that a local farmer had put in an application to remove 7 miles of hedgerow on the Shropshire/Wales border spurred us into campaign action in the new year. More than 350 objections were lodged, many from our members.

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Photo: Steve Bloomfield

The farmer has since withdrawn his application, though a revised one is expected later this year. We are deeply concerned about the weakness of the Hedgerow Regulations to protect this cherished and highly valuable feature of the landscape and have given our support to this e-petition, which seeks to strengthen the regulations. http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/ petitions/44531. n

Six Spot Burnet

If you fancy the chance of walking through this beautiful landscape to help us raise funds then visit www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/sponsoredwalk for information about our sponsored walk. n

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Worcestershire Fields of Gold Worcestershire Wildlife Trust are currently raising funds to secure the future of 42 acres of grassland, Hollybed Farm, in the historic Malvern Chase Living Landscape. The highlight of the site is Starling Bank, an SSSI filled with golden wildflowers and grasses. Meadow Vetchling, Sweet Vernal Grass, Yellow Rattle and Burnet Saxifrage mix with Cowslips and Wild Onion to support bees, crickets, butterflies and myriad other insects. In turn, these are food for all the birds, bats and other wildlife moving through the patchwork landscape of the commons.

WILDLIFEFOCUS

• Tuesdays (fortnightly) Practical conservation management at Moseley Bog & Joy’s Wood Nature Reserve in south Birmingham. Contact: Francesca Jarvis-Rouse on francesca.j@bbcwildlife.org.uk / 0121 454 1199. • Tuesdays (weekly) Working on a variety of gardening and conservation management projects based at our EcoPark education centre in Birmingham, but also at our other nature reserves and education centres. Contact: Paul Stephenson on paul.s@bbcwildlife.org.uk / 0121 454 1199. • Wednesdays (weekly) Practical conservation management of Park Hall Nature Reserve in east Birmingham. Contact: Chris Wishart on chris.w@bbcwildlife.org.uk / 0121 454 1199. • Sundays (third of the month) Practical conservation management at Moseley Bog & Joy’s Wood Nature Reserve in south Birmingham. Contact: Francesca Jarvis-Rouse on francesca.j@bbcwildlife.org.uk / 0121 454 1199. n

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The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

WILDLIFEFOCUS

Wildlife What’s On?

A round-up of wildlife and conservation events in Birmingham and the Black Country in the coming months. These events are particularly well suited to children and families.

Peregrine Watch The New Art Gallery in Walsall. Saturday 9th March 10am - 3pm. No Booking Required.

Easter Hunt Quiz

Evening Bird Walk Moseley Bog & Joy's Wood Nature Reserve. Thursday 9th May 7pm - 8.30pm. Tony Sames, one of our Trustees, will lead our evening bird walk. This event is absolutely great for families, especially if you can’t manage the Dawn Chorus. Booking required.

Contact: Paula Reilly on 0121 4541199 email: info@bbcwildlife.org.uk

Moseley Bog & Joy's Wood Nature Reserve. Wednesday 10th April 2pm - 3.30pm. Easter holiday activities with lots of family orientated activities. Search out the clues, solve the quiz and win a prize, and afterwards try some spring family games, and enjoy the reserve with your family. Booking required.

Contact: Paula Reilly on 0121 4541199 email: info@bbcwildlife.org.uk

International Dawn Chorus Day

Middle-Earth Weekend Sarehole Mill, Moseley. Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th May. Middle-Earth Weekend is an annual event celebrating the life and work of JRR Tolkien. There will be activities, demonstrations, craft and a market. The Wildlife Trust will be there and there will be tours and drama productions taking place within Moseley Bog Nature Reserve. Please see www.middleearthweekend.org.uk for more details.

Sunday 5th May - check www.idcd.info for events. These include: Moseley Bog & Joy's Wood Nature Reserve. Sunday 5th May 4.15am - 6.30am. Tony Sames will lead our event to hear the dawn chorus. Come and join us for a hot chocolate and a natural morning choir. This event is absolutely great for families, but please wrap up warm and wear waterproof footwear. Booking required.

Moorcroft Woods Nature Reserve. Sunday 5th May 4.15am - 6.30am. Come for a hot chocolate and a natural morning choir. Part of the Friends of Moorcroft Woods Conservation Project funded by the Big Lottery. Great for families, but please wrap up warm and wear waterproof footwear. Booking required.

Light from the Shadows Moseley Bog & Joy's Wood Nature Reserve. Sunday 16th June (time TBC). For people of all ages to listen to as they explore and enjoy the unique worlds of Moseley Bog and Sarehole Mill, making this an audio guide with a difference. See page 10 for more details.

Bands on the Beacon 4 Sunday 30th June (time TBC).

Contact: Paula Reilly on 0121 4541199 email: info@bbcwildlife.org.uk

This annual event returns for its fourth year, bigger and better, with live music and more.

Bluebell Walks

This year we have introduced an e-newsletter for members telling them about events on a regular basis. Our first went out in January - if you didn’t receive it we don’t have a valid email address for you, so please email info@bbcwildlife.org.uk to get all the latest news direct to your inbox. Hopefully, this will avoid any disappointment, as happened with the late delivery of the last magazine. We apologise to anyone who missed the events because of this and hope that you will enjoy our new e-newsletter service.

Holly Wood. Sunday 5th May 10.30am - 12.00pm. Sot’s Hole. Sunday 5th May 2pm - 3.30pm. Free for members of The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country who bring their membership cards, otherwise Full price(s) £3.00, Concessionary price(s) £2.50 & Family Ticket £8.00. Booking required.

Contact: Jo Miskin on 0121 553 0220 (not the Trust office)

Creating a Living Landscape

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The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

WILDLIFEFOCUS Photo: Gillian Day

2013 International Dawn Chorus Day Keeping up the tradition to celebrate nature’s daily miracle member who has everything. The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country is proud to once again be organising International Dawn Chorus Day and help ensure nature lovers share a special experience. To date, over eighty countries have participated in International Dawn Chorus Day and again this year people all over the globe will be rising early to greet the morning sun and come together for this awesome event.

locations, although details are still being finalised.

In Birmingham and the Black Country this year, we are delighted that there will be opportunities to participate in a Dawn Chorus Day event in a number of different

This year, we really want to push Twitter use so that the tweets about #idcd are seen all over the world and we have a great record of all the nature lovers coming

It would be really great to get as many such events as possible, so please do go on the website and register your own – there’s plenty of help available on how to do it. The closer events are to people, the more likely they are to go along and take part, even at a really early time in the morning!

together in different time zones seeing different species. Please get in touch if you have any questions and look on www.idcd.info for more information. n Joe Peacock, Membership and Communications Officer.

Spotted Recently, we’ve had two interesting sightings reported. pink and black ring around its face and neck with a red beak. When flying this large, long-tailed green bird has pointed wings, a long tail and very steady, direct flight. This one was alone, but they are often found in flocks, numbering hundreds and can be very noisy. We also had a report of a Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) on a canal in Wolverhampton. This species is popular with collectors of ornamental water birds, so is likely to have escaped from someone’s collection. This is only the fourth sighting of this species that has been sent to our biological record centre, EcoRecord. n

The Ring-necked Parakeet is the only naturalised parrot found in the UK. It has a

Joe Peacock, Membership and Communications Officer.

Ring-necked Parakeet

Photo: Ian Rose

“This handsome chap was spotted on three consecutive days in a garden which backs onto Leasowes Park in Halesowen, West Midlands. The park consists of woodland, pools and is a grade 2 listed garden which contains plenty of places for a parakeet to hide and shelter if necessary.”

Photo: Rose Akeroyd

Neither of these birds are normally seen in the wild here and are unlikely to be among your dawn chorus performers, so gave a rare treat to the people involved. Firstly, Rose Akeroyd spotted and took a photo of a Ring-necked Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and described the circumstances:

Black Swan

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