Wildlife flocks to dairy farm habitats

2,500 hectares of farmland dedicated to wildlife habitatSeptember 2011. Celebrating a scheme that's seen land totalling the equivalent of 4,000 football pitches being dedicated to wildlife friendly habitats, the Waitrose WildCare scheme marks its fifth anniversary this month.

"We are talking a large area," comments Tim Oliver who heads up the scheme. "Dairy farmers who supply milk and cream to Waitrose are on average dedicating 25% of their overall farmland to wildlife habitats - amounting to 2,500 hectares of land. It's above and beyond what we ever thought could be achieved when the scheme was launched five years ago."

WildCare
First rolled out in 2006, Waitrose WildCare was designed to be a flexible and pragmatic scheme with the primary objective of improving plant and wildlife habitats across the farms, a focus which, as the scheme reaches its fifth year milestone, is still held today. "Our strategy to target habitat rather than species has been rewarded," reflects Tim. "Tailoring our advice to focus on what will deliver the greatest benefit to wildlife on each individual farm has allowed us to take into account the geography and location that are unique to every holding, so that we offer bespoke rather than blanket advice.

"There are some key components to the WildCare approach including, advice on good hedgerow management, implementing wildlife buffer zones and encouraging farmers to leave cereal stubbles over winter; but we have found that many of the 60 dairy farmers within the scheme are going well beyond the minimum criteria: planting wild bird seed mixtures, creating pollen and nectar strips, digging ponds and providing winter food," comments Tim.

Wiltshire
Take Ashton Hawkers dairy farm in Wiltshire, which dedicates a remarkable 30% of land to wildlife habitats, since joining the scheme in 2006 Ashton has re-dug 11 ponds that were previously filled in, in the 1970's. "The farm is located near the River Avon and has excellent water-bird habitats in the ponds and woodlands," comments Ashton. "As well as developing the ponds, I've switched to spring barley cropping allowing us to leave land fallow during winter, providing good food habitat and excellent cover for birds."

Commenting on his experiences since joining WildCare, Ashton believes he has learnt a lot and got so much out of it. "Seeing the increase in wildlife numbers is the best thing, it's living proof that the changes we've been making have worked," he remarks.

150 bird species, 42 butterflies, orchids, hares
Tim reports on the success across all of the WildCare farms. "We now almost have almost 150 bird species recorded, 42 out of a possible 67 butterfly species and 19 farms with orchids present. Sightings of hares have also doubled since the scheme began and every farm now holds breeding populations of the red listed Yellowhammer with sightings trebling." He adds, "We are particularly glad to see threatened farmland species, such as Corn Bunting, increasingly taking up residence on the participating farms. It just goes to show how relatively small changes in habitat management and farming practices can have an enormous impact on wildlife."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/wildcare-011.html

Fragile habitat of French mystery island 'risks being trampled underfoot'

From the Guardian online.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/11/france-mystery-island-protection

For an image of the island:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Wilkes%20County]&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

In the early morning of 23 January 2009, the most powerful hurricane-force storm to hit France in a decade came howling in from the Bay of Biscay.

With wind speeds of up to 125mph, cyclone Klaus struck land at the point of the estuary of the river Gironde, near Bordeaux, then charged south-east to Spain and across the Mediterranean to Italy. It left 26 people dead, flattened forests and power lines and caused massive destruction of buildings and roads.

But it also left behind an extraordinary creation at the very point where its devastation began, causing the townsfolk of Royan, a fishing port situated at the mouth of the Gironde, to rub their eyes in disbelief.

Seven miles out to sea, along the frontier between the Atlantic Ocean and the estuary, an island had risen out of the boiling waters. It had a surface area of 11 acres above the highest sea level, and a base of some 250 acres at low tide. Locals soon called it "l'île mystérieuse" – the mysterious island – after the novel by Jules Verne.

"What is so remarkable about this new island, apart from its sudden apparition, is that it has since remained intact in what is often a very violent, hostile sea environment," said Guy Estève, a retired local geomorphologist. "It could well become a permanent feature."

The nature of its apparition was all the more fantastic given that it emerged close to the location of the lost island of Cordouan, once home to the Tower of the Black Prince, a legacy of English occupation during the 100 Years' war. Inhabited from Roman times until the late Middle Ages, Corduan disappeared below the waves after the erosion of its limestone rock. France's oldest lighthouse, completed in 1611 to replace Edward of Woodstock's tower, now stands at the site.

Situated one mile east of the lighthouse, created amid Klaus's fury from submerged sand and sediment, the new island quickly attracted scientific interest, offering a unique opportunity to study the creation and development of its ecosystem.

In the mouth of a large estuary that still retains a predominantly natural environment, surrounded by exceptionally rich marine life, the island lies along a busy migration route for birds including species of waders and terns. Within months, it was colonised by vegetation, insects and gulls.

"So far, we've recorded the appearance of 12 different plant species, and some 30 invertebrates, of which about a third have a sustainable existence on the island," said Jean-Marc Thirion, an environmental scientist who heads local conservation group OBIOS. "The resident invertebrates feed off the rejections of sea gulls and on tiny flies that themselves are finding food in the clumps of sea rocket," he added.

Thirion has even discovered spiders, which he deduces were windborne, and ants, probably carried on flotsam.

"You would normally only get the chance to record all these developments with a volcanic creation, and I can't think of anywhere else in Europe where an opportunity like this has occurred in recent history."

"It has proved a fantastic testimony to the strength and renewal of life," commented Bernard Giraud, deputy mayor of Royan and head of the town's environmental department.

In February this year the region was hit by yet another and more devastating storm, cyclone Xynthia. In the aftermath, Thirion and his colleagues were delighted – and surprised – that the island largely survived the severe battering from giant waves, hurricane-force winds and exceptionally high tides, which moved it 50m eastwards and ripped some 3.5 acres from its summit.

But now, 18 months after its creation, it faces a greater threat than the weather. Unlisted on any map, and without a name, the island does not officially exist. As a result, what Thirion describes as a "wonderful biological laboratory" cannot be protected from being trampled underfoot by increasing hordes of curious day-trippers, sometimes numbering several hundred, who can reach it in powered dinghies within 20 minutes of Royan.

It has even been used as a target landing strip by a parachute club and as the scene for a rave party.

"The weather in June turned bad and public trips to the island became impossible," said Giraud. "As a result we found that birds had nested. But in July, conditions were fine again, the day-trippers returned and the nests were abandoned."

Despite intensive lobbying of government departments and the Bordeaux port authorities, Giraud and Thirion's efforts to obtain an official status for the island have so far fallen on deaf ears. "No one seems to be taking this seriously," commented Thirion. "They haven't grasped that this is an island, not a sand bank."

As part of a long-planned government project, the Gironde estuary is next year due to become part of a protected maritime zone. "Our only hope now is that its existence will be charted and recognised within the zone," added Thirion.

Surprisingly, neither he nor Giraud have found a name for the island. "I still just call it 'the island', but we're working on it," chuckled Giraud.

Not a happy ending for New Forest hobbies

12:18pm Tuesday 6th July 2010

By Katie Clark

THE goshawks may have flown the nest but the tale hasn't ended quite so happily for the hobby nest which replaced the young birds of prey on our online nestcam.

The hobby nest has had two of the three eggs taken out of it, with the final egg abandoned by its parents.

Cameras switched over to the new nest following the fortunes of the goshawk pair and their chicks taking flight last week.

Hobbies nest later in the season and a nest was chosen to film but when the camera was switched on at the weekend, only one remained.

Peter Dobson from Carnyx Wild said: "We believe that on Friday or Saturday last week, the hobby nest was predated by a crow or some other corvid.

"The female was still visiting the nest and spending short period of time incubating the remaining egg.

"However, she has not been at the nest since Sunday morning.

"The final egg will therefore be cold and will not hatch."

Although the male and female will remain in the area, it is too late in the season for them to attempt another nest.

Therasa Paul (corr), Date with Nature project officer said: "This is such a shame and the first time it has happened in the four years the project has been running.

"Although this is a disappointment, there is still plenty to see and do here at the Reptile Centre."

The Daily Echo had linked up with the RSPB, New Forest National Park Authority, Forestry Commission and Carnyx Wild to bring live pictures of the rare goshawks direct to the website from a secret location.

The project will continue until the end of August at the Reptile Centre in Lyndhurst.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8256586.Not_a_happy_ending_for_New_Forest_hobbies/
(Submitted by Mark North)

Devon Wildlife Trust acquires new culm grassland reserve

Meresfelle Nature Reserve

April 2010. Devon Wildlife Trust has purchased 35 acres of rare Culm grassland on the River Torridge in North Devon. The purchase is set to become the charity's latest nature reserve.

The land, which was part of Marshall Farm near Woolsery, is a prime example of the species rich wet grassland of the area. It borders other high value Culm grassland sites at Bursdon Moor and also sits close to one of the charity's other reserves, Volehouse Moor, to the east. The new site has been given the name Meresfelle Nature Reserve, a title derived from an old name for the area dating back to the 13th Century.

Unusual wildlife

The site is already buzzing with wildlife. Species recorded on the reserve include small pearl bordered fritillary, snipe and adders along with a new record of a rare marsh fritillary butterfly which is threatened throughout Europe.

Matt Boydell, DWT's Land Management Manager said: "This site will be an excellent new addition to our suite of Culm grassland nature reserves in North Devon. The site has not been grazed for nearly a decade so it is in need of some appropriate management such as scrub clearance and swaling (controlled burning) but we are excited to be able to secure this land and get to work restoring it for the future."

The land purchase is part of the charity's wider conservation work in north Devon through the Working Wetlands project which aims to restore, re-create and reconnect wildlife rich sites in the area.

Strategy to create larger conservation areas

Matt added: "Our strategy at the moment for land acquisition is to secure sites near to our other reserves or in priority areas to help enlarge and connect them to make them more robust to tackle a range of threats such as climate change. We have a highly experienced team of staff that are able to manage these Culm sites and through the Working Wetlands project we are able to advise other landowners how best to manage their holdings to benefit wildlife."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/Meresfelle-Nature-Reserve.html#cr
(Submitted by Corinna Downes)

Rare beetles found at Blakeney National Nature Reserve

RIGHT: A rare type of Rove Beetle has
been spotted at Blakeney Point

Two species of beetle that are new to Norfolk have been discovered as part of 187 different beetle varieties found at Blakeney National Nature Reserve.

Nine experts found a Rove and a Fungus Beetle as part of a survey on "small, but important wildlife".

They also found 41 lichen species, 24 types of spider and five types of ant.

"We are indebted to these wonderful volunteers," said Stuart Warrington, National Trust nature conservation advisor.

"Without them we just would not know how important Blakeney Point is for insects and other invertebrates," he added.

The full names for the new Norfolk beetles are the Red Data Book Rove Beetle called Phytosus nigriventris and a nationally scarce Fungus Beetle called Leiodes ciliaris.

The survey, which took place in September 2009, also unveiled a Sap Beetle Nitidula carnaria, which had not been recorded in Norfolk since the 19th Century, and the Clown Beetle Gnathoncus nanus with only its second appearance in recent history.

Nationally rare ant species Myrmica specioides were also discovered.

Successful summer

The survey rounded off a successful summer for wildlife at Blakeney Point, famously known for its seals, as its breeding birds had a good season with the Sandwich Tern colony growing to 3100 pairs, up from 2400 pairs in 2008.

Other highlights were the 86 pairs of Little Terns that nested on the Point's shingle beaches and produced 52 fledglings and 13 pairs of Ringed Plover, which raised 12 chicks.

"The success of the terns depends on a whole range of factors including a supply of small fish, good weather and tides, and not too much disturbance," said David Wood, National Trust head warden at Blakeney.

"Last summer's successes were thanks to good conditions, the hard work of staff and volunteers and the understanding and support of visitors and the local community," he added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8516000/8516903.stm
(Submitted by Lindsay Selby)

Alan & Fleck have an "Arctic Fox" of a time

There are two particular residents of Kent who have been enjoying the cold snowy conditions more than anyone else.

Wildwoods resident Arctic foxes have been feeling right at home as snow blankets their enclosure making them truly feel they are in the arctic.

During the rest of the year Alan and his daughter Fleck find modern Britain a bit on the warm side but in the winter they really perk up.

Arctic foxes are natives of the cold arctic regions of Northern Europe and can cope with temperatures as low as -50 degrees Celsius. Once a British species they became extinct in the UK after the last ice age - mainly killed by man for food and fur.

Arctic Foxes are just one of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood Discovery Park, for more information visit the website at http://www.wildwoodtrust.org/ or telephone 0871 7820087.

Wildwood is an ideal day out for all the family where you can come 'nose to nose' with British Wildlife. Wildwood offers its members and visitors a truly inspirational way to learn about the natural history of Britain by actually seeing the wildlife that once lived here, like the wolf, beaver, red squirrel, wild boar and many more.

Wildwood is situated close to Canterbury, just off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury. For more information visit our website at http://www.wildwoodtrust.org/ or telephone 0871 782008.
Arctic Fox Facts

• Arctic fox a member of the order Carnivora and is one of 14 fox species in the dog family, the Canidae.



• Foxes, unlike wolves, share many traits with cats – highly sensitive whiskers on their muzzles and wrists, lighter, more agile bodies, partially retractable claws, they stalk and pounce and have soft toe pads and hair between their toes (thought to be adaptations for sneaking up on rodents), and pointier cat-like canines for efficient killing.



• One suggestion for these adaptations is that Nature came up with common solutions to common problems; another is that the fox’s cat-like features were inherited from an ancient ancestor that lived before the cat-dog split.



• Intelligent and adaptable, brazen and curious.



• It will defend its food against a marauding wolf, explore the deck of an icebound ship and stick its nose in an explorer’s tent.



• Generally a solitary predator, hunting and feeding alone, unlike its more sociable cousins, the wolf and the dog; largely nocturnal.



• The Sami people of northern Scandanavia call it svale – the bold one.



• Its range is circumpolar, everywhere north of the Arctic Circle – US northern tundra, Canada from the Yukon to Hudson Bay, Labrador and Baffin Island, Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Russia, plus almost all Arctic islands and the polar ice cap (explorers have found Arctic fox tracks within a few miles of the North Pole itself).



• Some foxes stay in the same area throughout their lives; others undertake epic journeys of thousands of miles.



• Population estimates vary between 300,000-1 million worldwide, but the number is considered irrelevant because populations reproduce and die in dramatic waves (boom and bust). The important consideration is that the species survives successfully on such an extreme environment.

Adaptation

• Almost every aspect of Arctic fox physiology is finely tuned to conserve heat energy.



• The Arctic fox breaks some of the key rules of biology: 1) that larger animals have an easier time in cold conditions because a large body has a smaller surface area, relative to its body mass (i.e. heat doesn’t leave a bulky mass as fast as it does a small one) and 2) Allen’s Rule - after zoologist Joel Allen – which states that warm-blooded animals living in cold environments tend to have shorter limbs and more compact bodies.



• The Arctic fox is tiny and combines long legs and a slender body with a flatter face and shorter ears.



• Its circulation is designed to conserve heat loss. The arteries and veins in the animal’s extremities are very close together, transferring heat energy from the outgoing warmed arterial blood to the incoming veins, before it can be lost in the outer extremities. So the blood in the feet and extremities is a lot cooler and the warm blood is kept circulating in the core areas of the head and torso, conserving heat. Rather than heat the whole house, the Arctic fox closes the door on those areas than can withstand a lower blood temperature. Caribou/reindeer do the same.



• It can also shrink the blood vessels leading to its skin to control heat loss.
  
  This means its paws in particular can be maintained at just above the point at which they would succumb to frostbite, well below the animal’s core body temperature.



• Why is this cold tolerance so amazing?
  
  Scientists regard the Arctic fox’s cold tolerance with awe, especially as instead of using shelter as they are usually out in the open, curled in a ball, against the worst Arctic blizzards.
  
  The fox is dealing with the following problems:
  
  
  • a difference in temperature between its blood and the air around it of perhaps 100ºC
  
  
  
  • a barren Arctic environment with little food
  
  
  
  • no behaviour changes to cope with the cold – it doesn’t hibernate, migrate or socialise to huddle together and conserve heat
  
  
  
  • its size is tiny – it’s the smallest tundra animal living out in the open in winter (an adult Arctic fox weighs just 3.5Kg, compared with an Arctic hare which weighs 50% more).
• Scientists say the Arctic fox is pushing animal life as far as it can go.



• Many of the other Arctic species are considered cheaters – they have evolved to avoid the cold rather than endure it. Many bird species migrate south to avoid the worst of the Arctic winter and small mammals like lemmings survive by spending the entire winter in a relatively warm network of tunnels under the snow.

Kumble to co-opt Men in Blue to save forests and animals

Mysore, Jan 3, DH News Service:

Anil Kumble has said he will co-opt his fellow cricketers for advocating conservation of the rich natural resources of Karnataka.

The former India cricket team skipper, who is Vice-Chairman of Karnataka Wildlife Board said on Sunday that many Indian cricketers were interested in protection of wildlife and they would be requested to create awareness among people.

“The time has come to show that both man and animal can co-exist without giving any scope for confrontation,” said Kumble, who was here in connection with the valedictory function of Youth Club of Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens. There was urgent need to protect whatever wild animals left in Karnataka forests, he felt.

After assuming office as vice-chairman of Wildlife Board, he had visited Bandipur National Park and interacted with field staff and also with forest officials working in the national park.He came across several shortfalls in maintaining the national park and discused problems of the staff. He would submit a detailed report to the State government for action.

He said he would also be visiting Nagarhole National park to study problems and issues. Protection of flora and fauna is everybody’s duty and participation of general public in this endeavour is a must.

Patrolling must

Asked about his impressions of his visit to Bandipur National Park, Kumble said every State is facing one or the other problems in regard to protection of flora and fauna. As for Karnataka, there is an critical need to intensify patrolling of roads that pass through national parks in order to check rash and negligent driving. People tended to drive vehicles in neck-break speed without concerns for animals, resulting in death of wild animals.

Kumble said the Wildlife Board intended to help the Department of Forest which is striving for protection of natural resources. He would like to meet villagers and understand their problems in order to put an end to the problem of man-animal confrontation especially in villages bordering forests. The problem of animals straying into villages is because of encroachment of forest by people. NGOs will be involved in the efforts.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/44749/kumble-co-opt-men-blue.html

Puffin warden wanted for Welsh island

A fresh start for the New Year is up for grabs - as a castaway on a remote island with just half a million birds for company.

Published: 10:09AM GMT 04 Jan 2010

The vacancy for the job as warden of Skomer Island is expected to attract hundreds of applications from people wanting to get away from it all.

It is being described as the British equivalent of The Best Job in the World - the competition held last year to find a warden for Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Skomer, two miles off the Pembrokeshire coast, has no blazing sunshine, coral reef or exotic wildlife.

But to those who want the great escape, it is closest Britain has to a desert island paradise.

It has no mains water, no electricity, no roads, shop, or pub, and is separated from the mainland by Jack Sound, one of the most treacherous stretches of water off the British coast.

It is inhabited by puffins, manx shearwaters, kittiwakes, razor bills and guillemots, along with thousands of wild rabbits.

It even has its own unique species - a tiny creature called the Skomer Vole which is not found anywhere else in the world.

The island is carpeted by bluebells throughout the spring and surrounded by a marine reserve, rich in sealife, including dolphins and porpoises.

And the new warden will live in a clifftop bungalow in the heart of the island's main puffin colony.

Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales chief executive Sarah Kessell said: "We are looking for a very special person to take care of our flagship reserve.

"The warden will have to manage people and resources, be familiar with conservation techniques and be confident on board boats."

The vacancy has come up because the current warden Jo Milborrow wants to return to the mainland after six years on Skomer and its sister island Skokholm.

She and her husband Dave, the assistant warden on Skomer, want a fresh challenge.

Jo, 33, said: "After six unforgettable years we have packed up and shipped our belongings off for the last time.

"I feel incredibly lucky to have lived in such an amazing place.

"Gaining an intimate knowledge of one place, its wildlife and seasonal rhythms are things I value greatly.

"This in-depth relationship with our surroundings is hard to establish in modern life."

The job pays between £14,000 and £16,000 for a 48 hours week with accommodation thrown in free.

Part of the work involves greeting the hundreds of birdwatchers and day trippers who arrive by the tiny ferry boat in the spring and summer - weather permitting.

But only the warden and a few overnight visitors get to see the island's greatest spectacle - the nightly arrival of hundreds of thousands of Manx Shearwaters, a rare seabird which lives underground.

A third of the world's breeding population of Manx Shearwaters breed each summer on Skomer before flying off to warmer climes in the winter.

Jo said: "To have shared my home with puffins, peregrine falcons, shearwaters and storm petrels and to be able to help protect these birds and inspire other people about them has been a high point of my life.

"I wish the new warden as many memorable times as we have been lucky enough to share."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/6931016/Puffin-warden-wanted-for-Welsh-island.html