Wildlife News for February

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

Wildlife News for February

Post by RachelMC »

Trust Unveils Water Voles Info Plaque in Nantwich:

The Cheshire Wildlife Trust has unveiled a new information point on the Shropshire Union Canal, celebrating one of Nantwich’s rarest wildlife residents.

The specially-commissioned oak display, developed in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and the funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), gives visitors an insight into the Water Vole (Arvicola amphibius).

It follows the Trust’s discovery that the mammals have a healthy colony on the canal just north of Nantwich Marina.

The Water Vole – made famous as the mis-named ‘Ratty’ in Wind in the Willows, has seen a dramatic decline in numbers in recent years, but clings on in a few areas across Cheshire including parts of the Shropshire Union Canal and the River Weaver in Nantwich.

It is thought parts of Britain’s canal network have become a stronghold for the voles due to the consistent water levels and relatively undisturbed nature of the waterways following the end of the industrial revolution.

Elsewhere, Water Voles have struggled with the loss of soft vegetation along riversides and from predation by the much larger American Mink (Neovison vison), coupled with increasingly regular extreme weather events causing sudden rises in river levels which can flood out their intricate tunnel networks.

Dr Vicky Nall, Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s Water Vole officer said: “Once we were sure we had a good population of Water Voles, we were keen to share it with those who visit the canal and make a home here.

“Many people who live alongside the water voles have also shared their own stories and experiences of ‘Ratty’ with us when they have seen us surveying on the towpath.

“The Wildlife Trust and waterways managers the Canal & River Trust are working toward a more positive future for Water Voles, and we hope everyone will want to learn a little more about these amazing creatures when they visit the area, and perhaps even see one for themselves.”

Stuart Moodie from the Canal & River Trust added: “Catching a glimpse of a Water Vole doggy-paddling across the canal is one of the real delights of enjoying our waterways, either from the deck of a boat or from the towpath, and we’re delighted to be working with the Wildlife Trust to understand more about them here in Nantwich.”

The new information point can be found on the canal towpath at the Nantwich Marina picnic area.

(re-posted from Crewe and Nantwich Guardian)

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

New Home for Natterjacks

Post by RachelMC »

New Home for Natterjacks:

The Cheshire Wildlife Trust is set to embark on an ambitious project to help safeguard the future of one of our rarest amphibians - the Natterjack Toad (Epidalea calamita) - at the Red Rocks nature reserve on the Wirral.

The Red Rocks, adjacent to the Royal Liverpool Golf Course, include almost 20 acres of sand dunes, wetlands and reedbeds, and provide a home for the Natterjack – found nowhere else across Cheshire and Wirral.

From February 2014, the designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), will see major works to improve and enhance areas of the nature reserve crucial to the natterjack’s survival.

The news comes as the Trust recently secured a new management agreement that will see more of the charity's only coastal reserve under direct protection than at any point in its history.

The loudest amphibian in the UK - thanks to its gurgling calls in the mating season, the Natterjack Toad is restricted to mainly coastal areas in the North West, East Anglia and heathlands in parts of the West Midlands and down across the Home Counties.

At the heart of the programme will be the creation of over 40 square metres of new pools and improvements to existing wetland areas or ‘slacks’ within the reserve that the toads favour.

Along with Natterjack Toads, the reserve is also a key migration stopover point for birds arriving in the UK in spring and autumn, and boasts an impressive list of rarities, along with breeding species like Skylarks (Alauda arvensis) and Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus).

Another key aspect to the changes will be limiting the impact of scrub and small trees which are encroaching into the reserve and have to potential to interfere with the natural processes that see dunes forming naturally.

One of the biggest problems facing the Wildlife Trust is the loss of the typical open sandy areas that demonstrate the dune habitat is in the most optimum condition for the species that usually thrive there.

To help maintain this, some areas of soil and vegetation will be removed to expose the sand below, with typical dune plants like Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria) being reinstated to help reduce wind speed and trap sand within the dunes as would naturally occur. Invasive non-native species such as willowherb and an aggressive form of ground rose will also be controlled to limit their impact on more delicate native dune flora.

The plans have been approved by the UK’s conservation agency, Natural England, who have also funded the work at the reserve which will continue year-on-year.

Matt Allmark, Reserves Officer with the Cheshire & Wirral Wildlife Trust who will be overseeing the works said: “We understand when people see diggers and machinery heading onto a much-loved wildlife area that alarm bells might ring, however on this occasion it’s all for a good cause. The nature of the changes we’re making in conjunction with Natural England may look quite stark to begin with, however our aim is to achieve the right balance for these delicate dunes which has been lost in recent years. Along with the Natterjack Toads, Red Rocks is home to a number of regionally rare plants and wildlife, and with the impact of non-native species it’s sometimes necessary for us to lend a hand in redressing the right balance of habitats. Our hope is that these works will help to secure a nature reserve that will continue to be home to Natterjack Toads and more for years to come.”

The works are expected to begin in February 2014 and during this time some areas of the reserve will have restricted access when machinery is operating.

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

CAWOS Annual Bird Report

Post by RachelMC »

CAWOS Annual Bird Report:

The annual Bird Report for 2012 is now available from the Cheshire and Wirral Ornithological Society (CAWOS).

This year's eye-catching colour front cover is of a Water Rail, usually a secretive species which most people hear rather than see, but here it has been captured in the open and in beautiful light.

Image

The 176 pages of text include 74 maps, graphs and tables, and 12 beautiful illustrations from two different artists. As usual, the colour map of the county forms the centre spread of the Bird Report. A total of 19 colour photographs, which best capture some of the highlights of the year, are spread over seven full pages.

For a full synopsis, click here: http://www.cawos.org/birdreport.htm

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

National Nestbox Week

Post by RachelMC »

National Nestbox Week:

Cheshire Wildlife Trust are offering advice on how build homes for more unusual feathered neighbours during the week, from February 14 to 21 2014.

Along with the traditional boxes that millions of homes have for birds like blue tits and robins, the Trust says urban birds like Swifts and House Sparrows also need a lift up the housing ladder.

House Sparrows in particular, are keen on the northern appeal of the Coronation Street terrace, with couples happy to nest alongside their neighbours in rows of three or more nestboxes, vital for a bird that whose population has plummeted by almost three-quarters since the 1970s.

Swifts require a high-rise residence near the roofline – leading to construction companies developing dedicated ‘bricks’ that are the pre-fabs of the modern age, including a self-contained nest hidden inside.

Tom Marshall, from the Trust, said: “Nestboxes are now a common fixture in millions of backyards across the country – and collectively our gardens are probably the biggest nature reserve we have in Britain.

“While it’s great to give a helping hand to those garden neighbours we know and love, taking the time to think about less well-known birds like the swift could really make a huge difference to their survival, especially in urban areas.

“Here in Cheshire, nestboxes are proving crucial for some of our rarest wildlife like the dormouse too, so despite being around for almost two centuries, nestboxes are as crucial today as they’ve always been.”

The Trust has provided a ‘property guide’ and top ten of nextboxes you can buy or build at home at their website http://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/nestbox-week

More also on the BTO site: http://www.bto.org/about-birds/nnbw

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