Wildlife News for January 2014

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RachelMC
Posts: 460
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 1:04 pm
Location: Chester

Wildlife News for January 2014

Post by RachelMC »

Happy New Year everyone!

Bitterns are back in Marbury

Cheshire Wildlife Trust said reports confirm that at least two Bitterns (Botaurus stellaris) have been seen at the reedbed by Budworth Mere, in Marbury Country Park.

Only a small number of Bitterns, described as highly camouflaged herons, nest in the UK but winter sees birds from the continent join resident Bitterns to avoid harsher conditions in mainland Europe. Their habitat is almost exclusively the type of reedbed found at Budworth Mere.

The Bitterns can appear at any time and are best seen from the public bird hide, although around dusk they often climb high into the reeds or low tree branches giving the best chance to get a great view.


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RachelMC
Posts: 460
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 1:04 pm
Location: Chester

Rare Otter family caught on camera for first time

Post by RachelMC »

Rare Otter family caught on camera for first time

An infra-red camera set up on the River Gowy near Chester to monitor European Otters (Lutra lutra) revealed not one, but a family of three of the rare mammals caught on film.

Definitive sightings of Otters have been extremely rare away from their traditional strongholds and especially on fast-flowing rivers.

The Cheshire Wildlife Trust has been using motion-detection camera technology to determine whether hard-to-see species like Otters and Water Voles are returning to their ‘Living Landscape’ project area where conservation work has been focused on local rivers and wetlands.

The footage was discovered by the Trust’s project assistant Chris Meredith, who recovered the camera just hours before the area was submerged with floodwater.

View the video on the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-25594054

The Cheshire Wildlife Trust has focused recent conservation efforts on working with local landowners to ensure riverside habitats are optimal for Otters and the smaller Water Vole, including piloting natural riverbank reinforcement schemes and the reinstatement of historical river courses and channels along the route of the River Gowy. Small sections of the river have also been fenced on one riverbank to limit the impact of livestock and allow beneficial habitats to thrive.

The Trust says it will be continuing the monitoring programme, which also helps to indicate the presence of non-native species like the American Mink, which have recently had a devastating effect on Water Vole populations. Fortunately, where otters are present, it’s thought the impact of Mink is much more reduced.

RachelMC
Posts: 460
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 1:04 pm
Location: Chester

BBC Winterwatch 2014

Post by RachelMC »

Winterwatch is back on this month, airing during the week starting Monday 20th January. It will be broadcast from the National Trust's Mar Lodge Estate, Aberdeenshire, in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park.

Here's the dates and times of the episodes:

Episode 1 - Monday 20th January at 20:30 on BBC2
1/4 The team look at the ingenious ways British wildlife overcomes the hardships of winter.

Episode 2 - Tuesday 21st January at 20:00 on BBC2
2/4 The team explores the Caledonian Forest, home to squirrels and pine martens.

Episode 3 - Wednesday 22nd January on BBC2
3/4 The team catches up with the eagles, red deer and pine martens in the Cairngorm Mountains.

Episode 4 - Thursday 23rd January on BBC2
4/4 The team heads up into the wild uplands, home to golden eagles and mountain hares

More on the BBC Winterwatch website here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p012msk2

Also look out for Winterwatch Extra: Garden Birds Special which will be on Red Button and Online from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th January 2014. It will be broadcast from various locations around the UK.

RachelMC
Posts: 460
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 1:04 pm
Location: Chester

Buff-bellied Pipit at Burton

Post by RachelMC »

Buff-bellied Pipit at Burton:

A Buff-bellied Pipit (Anthus rubescens), the first ever recorded for North-west England, was found by local birder Eddie Williams on 20th December 2013. Eddie was looking through the birds feeding on the tidewrack on Burton Marsh, left by a storm, searching in particular for a Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) seen the previous day. He did see an unusual looking pipit but views were poor and intermittent. It took him three hours to eventually identify it as a Buff-bellied Pipit - a MEGA rarity - by which time it was getting near dusk. He had managed to get a few record shots and that evening he circulated these photographs around some local birders and they were all on site at the bottom of Denhall Lane the following morning to confirm it was a Buff-bellied Pipit - what a fantastic find and congratulations to Eddie for his great identification skills!

It was still there the next day (22nd December) until around 9.30am when it was flushed by a Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), it was not seen again until St Helens birder Colin Davies found it on Christmas Day morning and it was then well seen by a large number of twitchers over the holiday period and was still present at the end of the month.

(From Dee Estuary Birding):

On 11th January, Allan Conlin from Lighthouse and Wirral birding recorded:
"The Buff Bellied Pipit continued it's stay at the bottom of Denhall Lane allowing some additional and exceptional photo opportunities as it fed amongst the tide wrack"

http://lighthousebirding.blogspot.co.uk ... -2014.html

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Buff-bellied Pipit (Anthus rubescens)
Buff-bellied Pipit (Anthus rubescens)
RachelMC
Posts: 460
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 1:04 pm
Location: Chester

New plan for green spaces in Merseyside and North Cheshire

Post by RachelMC »

Warrington North MP Helen Jones launched a new plan for green spaces in Merseyside and North Cheshire in Warrington last week.

The recently revamped Mersey Forest Plan is the long term strategic vision of The Mersey Forest, a leading environmental regeneration initiative.

It sets out a vision for a greener Warrington – a well-wooded, attractive borough which is a great place to live, work and invest.

The plan, written over many months with the help of a range of local organisations and individuals, includes aspirations for trees and woodlands in Warrington, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton and St.Helens. It sets out tree planting targets across the region, and pinpoints areas where habitat and woodland management is needed.

Helen Jones said: "The Mersey Forest Plan sets out a vision in which Warrington and the surrounding areas are one of the best places in the country to live.

"Well-wooded, green areas encourage investment, boost health and wellbeing, and improve wildlife and biodiversity. This Plan provides a blueprint for safeguarding our vital green spaces for future generations.

"My personal involvement with The Mersey Forest team's work goes back years, and I'm delighted to be able to launch their compelling vision for the future today."

The launch took place at Risley Moss Local Nature Reserve, Birchwood, where The Mersey Forest team are based.

To read about the aspirations for your area and tell The Mersey Forest where you would like to see more trees, visit www.merseyforest.org.uk/plan.

GIFT-T! (Green Infrastructure for Tomorrow – Together!) has contributed to the funding of The Mersey Forest Plan. The Mersey Forest is working with partners in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands to share approaches and develop best practice between 2011 and 2015 as part of this EU Interreg funded project.

Re-posted from http://www.merseyforest.org.uk/news/
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