Our 40th Annual General Meeting starts at 7:00pm in the Victoria Hall, Tisbury. All are welcome to attend.
The talk starts at 7:30pm. If you haven't already signed up to the talk and want to come, please let us know via the Contact form. We can also send out Zoom links for those who prefer to stay at home. Guests welcome for £2 per ticket. Our speaker, Mark Elliott heads the project being carried on by Devon Wildlife Trust on the River Otter that has led beaver conservation in the UK for more than ten years. He will be able to describe their work, what we have learned as a result about this amazing animal, how they can benefit us and the landscape around us, and how we can manage potential conflicts with land owners and residents. Photo credit: Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber). Per Harald Olsen, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Jemma Batten, Black Sheep Countryside Management -Managing for wildlife on the Salisbury Plain21/10/2021
Jemma Batten gave the talk which had been postponed from September. She explained how she was invited to work as a consultant by the Defence Estates Licensees and Tenants Association (DELTA). These tenant farmers of the MoD-owned Salisbury Plain have set up Plain Conservation https://plainconservation.co.uk/ to work together “to enhance habitats, and protect wildlife, historic and landscape features, water and soils.” Jemma advises on how to deliver the key conservation objectives from the detailed plans drawn up by all the stakeholders. We saw examples on-screen of all the various mapping layers of Salisbury Plain. Areas are graded from low to high priority for land management reasons or the encouragement of native flora and wildlife. We were fascinated to see that there were also Super Plans which drilled down to field level detail where named plants such as horseshoe vetch and bastard toadflax on chalk downland and pheasant’s eye on arable fields were protected by sensitive management and where the wildflower field margins would stretch to 30 metres in places. Fertilisers are no longer used and wilding practices of leaving mown areas for seed dropping have helped contribute to the increased appearance of Britain’s rarest butterflies like the marsh fritillary, adonis blue and brown hairstreak and the shrill carder bee, Britain’s rarest bumblebee. Birds such as the bittern, hen harrier and stone curlew are also being seen more widely as the marsh and grasslands improve in quality.
We learnt that staying on top of the fast-growing scrub needs to be actioned every two months, either by tractor or by mob grazing cattle. Grazing areas are marked out by erecting temporary electric fences that need moving every 2-3 days. A time-consuming task, so some farmers set up virtual fences and use radio activated collars on the cattle which bleep when they are within feet of a virtual fence and then administer a mild electric shock if they cross over the “line”. The cows soon learn! Being a military zone, not only are there pockets of dangerous or simply inaccessible places on Salisbury Plain, but farmers also have to respond immediately to commands to move their herds, often with zero notice. We expressed awe in the face of what is obviously a complicated and heavily monitored way of farming on Salisbury Plain. There is no doubt that these chalk grasslands have benefited from the strict measures put in place over the last 20 years to bring a healthier bio-diversity to an area that, though never having had artificial fertilisers or pesticides, has in the past been neglected. The passion for conservation runs deep with these farmers, so take a look at their DELTA website to learn more about their work https://plainconservation.co.uk/ Please refer to the Gov.UK website for guidance about the public access of Salisbury Plain and always ring 01980 674763 before a visit. An answer phone recording gives up to date information on areas open for public access. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/public-access-to-military-areas#salisbury-plain We know from the survey undertaken last year further up the Nadder near Weaveland Farm, that this area is phenomenally popular with bats. Then, 5297 passes were recorded from a total of 10 identified species, over a month. This year, Peter G Thompson (who gave us our first Zoom talk last Autumn) placed a static bat monitor on one of the bridges over the Nadder in Dick Budden's patch for five nights in early July. It recorded 10,000 hits, i.e. 2,000 each night on average, with 13 different bat species = 75% of all the species resident in UK! The species were: Barbastelle bat (Barbastella barbastellus) Brandt’s bat (Myotis brandtii) Brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) Daubenton’s bat (Myotis daubentonii) Greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) Leisler’s bat (Nyctalus leisleri) Lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) Natterer’s bat (Myotis nattereri) Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) Serotine (Eptesicus serotinus) Soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) Whiskered bat (Myotis mystacinus) The survey on this stretch of the Nadder is part of a programme Peter is working on to map the bat population along the Nadder from Tisbury all the way to Barford St Martin by the end of this summer. Hopefully we’ll get him to share with us the results in due course. Meanwhile, these tiny creatures do sometimes live the most extraordinary lives. The Guardian reported that a Nathusius's Pipistrelle (we have only the Common kind) weighting just 8g (I don't think my scales would even weigh that little), flew 1,200 miles - and ended up being killed by a cat. Life isn't fair, for bats any more than it is for humans. Organiser: Debbie Carter
Following Tom Morath's talk in April about the Hawk Conservancy Trust's history, we visited the trust near Andover. The Trust does exciting work with species worldwide but also has a number of research and conservation projects focused on kestrels and tawny owls - whose populations are now 'of concern' - and barn owls and the impact of declining prey populations such as rabbits, almost wiped out by mixomatosis. More encouragingly, banning organochlorine pesticides seems to be helping recovery. Many are the joys of cat ownership - the comforting furry purry warmth, the welcoming miaow. The changing of the litter tray. The lugging home the crates of food. But there can be the downside of predation. The presentation of voles, woodmice, shrews- or even larger mammals such as rabbits and squirrels - and birds of different sizes and volume of plumage. Most cat owners feel pretty bad about this, but up to now there seemed to be little that could be done to prevent it. The verdict was, 'it's their natural instinct.' But at last, help may be at hand. The Guardian has publicised research which has identified things owners of predatory cats (not all are) can do to minimise this habit. The most effective were found to be: Play with the cat for 5-10 minutes a day using something like the DaBird fishing rod toy from Pets at Home
Put a brightly-coloured, flashy 'ruff' collar on the cat with a noisy bell (but a bell alone isn't any good)
Over a couple of months, in at least one case this has achieved a substantial and welcome reduction in predation. And cat owners may also like to know that the plastic food pouches can now be recycled - in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance - via this website. Some 20 adult members and non-members, plus half a dozen young people, took part in the evening bat walk at Old Wardour Castle. It was heavily over-subscribed, so our apologies to those who were disappointed - maybe we can organise a re-run.
PCSO Neil Turnbull & PC Richard Salter, Wiltshire Police - Rural, wildlife and heritage crime18/3/2021
Tisbury's local PCSO Neil Turnbull, who is based at the Nadder Centre, and his colleague PC Richard Salter described how the Police are working against wildlife crime as part of a national policy that includes all kinds of rural and heritage crime. The slides used for the presentation, including links to videos on Stopping badger crime, rural Theft and Hare coursing are here. Wildlife crime includes badger, bat and raptor persecution, deer, fish and freshwater mussel poaching and hare coursing. The statistics are of course pretty alarming in terms of the cost to businesses and homeowners in rural areas, and one of the problems is that it's under-reported. However, there is a nationwide policy agreed by the National Police Chiefs Council which is addressing the problem head on. For example, Richard described the current Operation Artemis focusing on the A303 in the Hindon area. The A303 is popular as an access and potentially quick getaway route with criminals who come from all parts of the country. Because of this, the Police flood a one particular area with vehicles and officers and if they spot a car that fits a certain profile - eg a remote registration address or no insurance - they can take appropriate action to prevent the coursing or other crime. As well as the local Police, they can also call on the MOD Police for assistance, who have the same powers of arrest etc. And we can help with reporting: I was once walking near Fovant, and saw a number of cars entering a field with dogs running about. I suspected it might be hare coursing but didn't know what to do. Now I do: I should have rung 999, which you do to report a suspected crime actually taking place. Richard told the tale of a farmer in the Wylye Valley who had spotted hare coursing and did just that. A helicopter was called in that followed the cars up onto Salisbury Plain. There, the drivers swopped vehicles and set off down the A36 - into the arms of Salisbury Police who had been mobilised to catch them. They also explained how on mainland Europe rivers and their stock are not generally in private ownership, so anyone can fish. Here, I guess most people know this isn't the case, and there are often signs saying such and such a location is only for members of a fly fishing club. The Police are working with the Angling Trust and Water Bailiffs to counter this. The key concept that I took away from Neil's talk was that he has moved beyond 'sustainability' to 'regeneration'. We tended to look at the land and think that was how it always was and sustainability would keep it that way, but that's not enough. This 'regenerative' approach was inspired by The Serengeti Rules, the book by Sean B Carrol subsequently made into a film, that explored the discovery that environmentalists today may be able to “upgrade” damaged ecosystems by understanding the rules that govern them. Nature was already doing everything that we needed and for a while we thought we knew better, but now it's becoming evident that's not the case. And regenerative agriculture isn't just an attractive alternative to present methods. If we're to reduce or do without the chemicals which have been so damaging, we have to find substitutes and this may provide them. The basic principle is that using metal to cultivate the soil is damaging (we already know of 'no dig' for our gardens and allotments). One alternative is 'Mob grazing' cattle on a small area at a time, with roughly a third of the pasture eaten and the same proportions trampled and left untouched. Neil pointed out that cattle have 'a mower at the front and a muck spreader at the back,' which puts intense pressure on the pasture for a short time but it then dies back and returns carbon to the soil, significantly reducing greenhouse gases from agriculture. The lush green pasture we're used to seeing becomes instead a flower-rich meadow, with butterflies everywhere in summer and noisy with the buzzing of bees. This is known as permaculture, an approach to land management that adopts arrangements observed in flourishing natural ecosystems. The pasture is sown to provide more diversity – the first herbal ley includes chicory with roots that penetrate 8-10 feet down and so help restructure the soil and improve drainage, so is particularly useful for marginal, poorly-draining land. As many as 12-14 different grasses are included, along with clover, sainfoin, horse-shoe vetch and other herbs. Click on the photos to enlarge and see the captions. It is in contrast to monoculture farming, which we've been used to until recently, growing only one type of crop at a time on a specific field. The other advantage of mob grazing is that better drainage means that cattle can often be out all year round instead of having to be brought in and fed on corn produced with a high level of carbon input. They are also much healthier so need fewer antibiotics, worming only for lungworm (and there are even alternatives for that) because the pasture includes the natural wormer plantain, and sainfoin which is an effective anti-asthmatic. Although the pasture is slightly less productive, because no artificial fertiliser or medications are needed costs are reduced so on balance it is financially beneficial. And that mass of insects we used to see on cow pats but which disappeared with increasing use particularly of wormers, will now be back – and re-joining the food chain! Under the old system, calves would have been brought into the sheds at 7-10 months and fed artificially, becoming prone to disease so requiring antibiotics and vaccinations (although some are still legally required). And what is the logic of growing wheat using fertilisers and other chemicals to feed cattle shut up in sheds, when all they actually need is good quality pasture out of doors? The herds build up naturally - calves stay with their mothers until they are weaned a couple of months before the next birth, and females stay in the herd which now includes probably around five generations including aunts and uncles. After their second winter the steers will come to Tisbury for 'finishing' before slaughter. Some of the meat is sold through the website pastureforlife.org and it is also available at a London butcher. It obtains a premium price because this almost 'wild' beef is produced organically on a single farm (ie 'home bred') and is nearly as rich in eg Omega 3 as fish. This regenerative approach can probably be used not just for beef cattle so some farmers are trying it out for dairy as well, milking just once a day and often selling through farm vending machines. It may also work for poultry and is becoming quite widespread in the US, as it makes good economical use of the land. One of the leaders there is Joel Salatin (polyfacefarms.com). (We have previously been referred to the films Kiss the ground and Living Soil, similarly encouraging as to what can be and is being done 'across the Pond'.) Finally, asked how the new Environmental Land Management System (ELMS) of financial support for agriculture would work, Neil confirmed that regenerative farming complied with its requirements but it would just take time to build up. Even in the depths of December it’s amazing that some birds sing, brightening short winter days and bringing the promise of spring still months away. Robins, wrens and song thrushes are the easiest to hear but by the end of the day they will be joined by dunnocks and blackbirds.
The NASA is working out how humans could possibly be put into hibernation on the long voyage to Mars, but Andrew Graham has discovered how other mammals spend the winter: ‘Winter approaches and nature makes its preparations. While birds can migrate to warmer climes, other animals cannot, so need to hibernate. In the UK bats, hedgehogs and dormice hibernate. This allows them to get through the cold winter weather, when it would be impossible for them to find enough food to supply their energy needs. During the late summer months they need to feed up to increase their fat reserves and find or create a sheltered spot in which to hibernate. Then, as daylength shortens and the temperature drops, their metabolism slows. In a state of torpor or full hibernation, the metabolism may be only 5% of the normal rate, the body temperature much reduced and breathing almost stopped. This will slow the rate at which the fat reserves are expended. Hedgehogs look for suitable places to create their nests – or hibernacula – under hedges, in piles of brushwood or under sheds. A hibernaculum is made of old dry leaves and grass and is densely constructed to wrap the animal in a protective layer to keep out the cold and hide it from predators. In caves, the low temperature will never plunge to the depths outside on frosty nights. They can provide a place free from predation and so are a safe place for bats to hibernate. The caves in the old quarries at Chilmark provide a winter roost for at least six bat species and are so important that they have been protected as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Hazel dormice make a nest in a ball of tightly woven dead leaves on the woodland floor, often under old, coppiced trees or hazel stools. These locations provide the dampness they need to ensure they do not dehydrate during hibernation. Badgers do not hibernate but will be much less active in winter, spending much more time underground. Other mammals keep busy throughout the year and in so doing provide food for the animals and birds that prey upon them. At this time of year evidence of mole activity – molehills – can be particularly noticeable. This is because the wet weather drives the worms and grubs on which they feed closer to the surface. The mole’s permanent burrows are deeper down with excavated soil compacted into the tunnel walls. But when they follow their food upwards by creating new temporary tunnels closer to the surface, they push the spoil above ground to create the molehills. Amphibians also hibernate. Frogs and newts will spend the winter months at the bottom of ponds, which makes them vulnerable if they are small and freeze up. Toads like to find somewhere sheltered and damp such as tree stumps, piles of brushwood and logs. It is therefore important not to disturb these piles during winter.’ We often see bats at dusk, flying above our gardens and streets, but most of their lives are hidden away. (This photo of an unidentified bat was taken in Taiwan, but I think it's rather sweet, as bats go - Ed.) Recently ‘bat detectors’ have revolutionised what we know about the distribution of different species, where they feed and what they get up to. Bat detectors pick up the echo-location signals from bats and from the particular frequency can tell most of the species apart. Gareth Harris (who is Wiltshire’s Mammal Recorder) positioned a detector on a tree near the river at Wallmead Farm for a month. The results were astounding! There was so much data that Gareth could only analyse a small sample but 10 species were identified with another three broken down to genus only. The list below refers to the number of passes recorded by each species so indicated activity and not necessarily abundance. It shows that there are many species of bats locally some of which are rare (highlighted in red) and there must therefore also be plenty of a whole range of insects for them to eat, especially down by the river, as different species of bats most likely specialise on different insects. Greater horseshoe 2 Lesser horseshoe - 4 Whiskered/Brandt's bat - 1 Daubenton's bat - 119 Natterer's bat - 7 Myotis sp. -2145 Noctule bat - 15 Leisler's bat - 9 Nyctalus sp. - 2 Serotine bat - 7 Common pipistrelle - 1572 Soprano pipistrelle - 1324 Plecotus sp. - 190 Grand Total - 5297 (NB these are passes, not individual bats) Gareth now plans to coordinate a farmer cluster group meeting on bats here soon and draw on these results. |
Photo: Avocets (Izzy Fry)
The headers display photos taken by our members. Do get in touch via the Contact Form if you'd like to submit a photo for selection.
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