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Morning and evening at Coombe Hill

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Not surpisingly, if you go to the Coombe Hill GWT reserve at different times of day, you see different things.  Water levels have dropped a little since the weekend; the Long Pool hide is now accessible, and some migrant waders are beginning to show.

First, Les Brown’s observations from this morning:

4 Mute Swans.  2 Canada Geese.  11 Shelducks.  c90 Teal.  c40 Mallard.  2 Pintails.  10 Tufted Ducks.  1 Grey Heron.  2 Little Egrets.  12 Coots.  61 Lapwings in a flock with 3 Golden Plovers and  c20 Lapwings in meadows to south of canal,some displaying. 7 Curlews.  2 Snipe.  2 Dunlins.  1 Redshank. 1 Little Ringed Plover.   2 G.S.Woodpeckers.  3 Reed Buntings.

When I looked this evening, staying until after sunset, my main interest being Curlews, I saw waders were mainly on the damp bits of the Southern Meadows – now 3 Little Ringed Plovers (a migrant species which winters mainly south of the Sahara), a Ruff (another miogrant wader) and one Dunlin, but no sign of Golden Plover or Redshank.  The biggest difference was in Curlew numbers; by 19h50 (sunset at 19h35) 35 individuals had come in to roost, some of them apparently in pairs; were these local breeders, or passing migrants?  If local breeders, wherever did they all come from?  Also at least 265 Teal.  And a flock of 60 Fieldfares (migrants which breed in Scandinavia) on the ground.  And a Little Grebe whinnying.  And 4 Little Egrets.

Sadly, no Snipe, drumming or otherwise.

Still no Chiffchaffs singing; these summer visitors would normally have been in full throat since mid-March

Wild Boar in the Forest of Dean

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Following my article in GNS News, December 2012, it is noticeable that Wild Boar damage to the greensward, roadside verges and other open grasslands in the Forest of Dean is more severe than ever before during this winter period. A drive through the forest yesterday revealed a significant level of damage in many places, and in areas where I had not seen such extensive damage before.

A brief item in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday 30th March was headed “Raising Wild Boar cull limit could curb damage”. I quote:

“The Forestry Commission has called for a bigger Wild Boar cull in the Forest of Dean as damage reaches “deplorable” levels. Kevin Stannard, deputy surveyor in the Dean, said the population is approaching 600. In the most recent cull, 78 Boar were shot and 24 were killed in traffic accidents, surpassing the target of 100 by two. The number (to be killed) needs to rise to keep things in check, said Mr Stannard.”

Considering how the population of the Dean used to voice their concerns at the damage to refuse bags and the deposition of faeces by Sheep wandering around the byways and urban areas, it is hardy surprising that the tide of sympathy for Boar appears to be on the turn.

Polecat Confirmation

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Regarding the probable Polecat – see photos etc below, posted by Andy Jayne on February 24th, the same animal was seen by Andrew Bluett and again photographed. A report with the photographs was sent to John Field, mammal recorder at GWT, his response follows:

“Thank you very much for the record, particularly the photographs. Your photos clearly show that your specimen was a true polecat and not a polecat-ferret hybrid. You are probably already aware that true polecats can/do interbreed with escaped domestic ferrets and as a result it can be hard to distinguish a polecat from a hybrid animal.

However, there are five pelage signs to look out for to be able to determine a true polecat from specimens with ‘ferrety’ characteristics:

Nose – In true Polecats the brown fur on the nose extends all the way down to the nose, this is very obviously the case with yours.

Face – True Polecats have pale cheek patches contrasting with the dark facial mask. Yours had the classic Polecat mask.

Throat – True polecats don’t have extensive throat patches or a white mink-like bib on the chin. No throat patch on yours, although it does have a pale (but not white) chin

Guard Hairs – True polecats don’t have white guard hairs. No white guard hairs visible with yours – there are a couple of white hairs visible however they’re just from scar tissue and not “guard hairs”

Paws – All four paws of a true polecat will have dark (almost black) fur. Polecat-ferrets often have a bit of white on one or more paws. Four dark paws clearly visible on your specimen

No ferrety characteristics at all, so I’m happy for yours to be recorded as a true polecat”

References: The Distribution & Status of the Polecat… http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-2795 – OR just put Polecat into your search engine…

All dark paws
All dark paws
Polecat Mask
Polecat Mask
Polecat - full view
Polecat – full view

Severn Hams today

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Flooding on the meadows is still extensive, and has hardly decreased at all in the last few days.  Cold easterly weather (still snow remaining on the Cotswolds and Malverns), little sign of migrant birds – still no Chiffchaffs singing.

Coombe Hill, where much of the floodwater was iced over early on: 10 Shelducks (lekking on the ice), still good numbers of Teal  (505 counted, but no Garganey found despite careful search), 2 Gadwall, 30 Mallard, 7 Tufted Ducks, 1 Great Crested Grebe (new arrival), 1 Grey Heron, 19 Coot, 60 Lapwings (mainly in flocks, though with some display), 1 Little Ringed Plover (an obvious migrant, flew in from south, calling), 2 Snipe, 6 Curlews (appeared to be three pairs), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (drumming), 1 Treecreeper (singing), 2 Yellowhammers (new arrivals), 4 Reed Buntings (singing).

Cobney Meadows, water considerably lower: 2 Shelducks, 230 Teal (no Garganey either), 1 Little Egret, 2 Oystercatchers (pair), 2 Curlews (pair)

Ashleworth Ham, where water levels had hardly declined at all: 78 Wigeon (only ones seen all day; most seem to have departed), 270 Teal, 45 Mallard, 13 Pintail, 21 Shoveler, 2 Tufted Ducks, 1 Great Crested Grebe (also a new arrival).

2012 – disaster year for butterflies

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At the Annual General Meeting of the Gloucestershire Naturalists’ Society, a team from Butterfly Conservation reported on monitoring of Lepidoptera at the newly-purchased reserve at Rough Bank (see separate report on the AGM below).    The link below gives details of a press release on butterfly recording in 2012 by Butterfly Conservation, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme:

http://butterfly-conservation.org/48-3680/2012-a-disaster-year-for-uk-butterflies.html

 

The full text of the press release is as follows:

 

2012: A Disaster Year For UK Butterflies

Washout 2012 was the worst year for UK butterflies on record with 52 out of the 56 species monitored suffering declines, a scientific study today revealed.

Some of our rarest species such as the fritillaries bore the brunt of the second wettest year on record and now face the real threat of extinction in some parts of the UK.

Last year’s relentless rain and cold created disastrous conditions for summer-species in particular as they struggled to find food, shelter and mating opportunities; butterfly abundance plummeted to a record low as a result and 13 species suffered their worst year on record.

The critically endangered High Brown Fritillary fell by 46%, the vulnerable Marsh Fritillary was down 71% and the endangered Heath Fritillary saw its population plummet by 50% in comparison to 2011.

Many of our most threatened butterflies were already in a state of long-term decline prior to the 2012 deluge. There are now real fears that these already struggling species could become extinct in some parts of the UK as a result of last year’s wet weather.

Hairstreaks did particularly badly last year – the Black Hairstreak, one of the UK’s rarest species, saw its population fall by 98%. The Green Hairstreak was down 68%, the White-letter Hairstreak fell by 72% and the Brown Hairstreak, slipped by 34%.

Many common species struggled. The Common Blue plummeted by 60%, the Brown Argus collapsed by 73% and the Large Skipper fell by 55%.

The widespread ‘Whites’  including Green-Veined White and the two ‘Cabbage Whites’, Large White and Small White saw their populations tumble by more than 50%. The Orange-tip fell by 34%.

The alarming slide of garden favourite the Small Tortoiseshell continued with its population slipping 37% from 2011 figures.

Data was gathered by the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) jointly led by Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH).

Only four species saw their populations increase. The grass-feeding Meadow Brown was up 21% and the Scotch Argus, which thrives in damp conditions, rose by 55%.

Dr Tom Brereton, Head of Monitoring at Butterfly Conservation, said: “2012 was a catastrophic year for almost all of our butterflies, halting progress made through our conservation efforts in recent years.  Butterflies have proved before that given favourable conditions and the availability of suitable habitat they can recover, but with numbers in almost three-quarters of UK species at a historically low ebb any tangible recovery will be more difficult than ever.”

UKBMS has run since 1976 and involves thousands of volunteers collecting data every week throughout the summer from more than 1,000 sites across the UK.

CEH butterfly ecologist Dr Marc Botham said: “Despite the horrific weather in 2012 over 1,500 dedicated volunteers still managed to collect data from over a thousand sites across the UK. Their amazing efforts enable us to assess the impacts of wet summers on butterfly diversity.”

The UKBMS is operated by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and Butterfly Conservation and funded by a multi-agency consortium including the Countryside Council for Wales, Defra, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Forestry Commission, Natural England, the Natural Environment Research Council and Scottish Natural Heritage. The UKBMS is indebted to all volunteers who contribute data to the scheme.

Butterfly Conservation is the largest charity of its type in the world. Our aim is the conservation of butterflies, moths and their habitats. We run conservation programmes for more than 100 threatened species and manage over 30 nature reserves. www.butterfly-conservation.org

The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) is the UK’s Centre of excellence for integrated research in the land and freshwater ecosystems and their interaction with the atmosphere. CEH is part of the Natural Environment Research council, employs more than 450 people at four major sites in England, Scotland and Wales, hosts over 150Phd students and has an overall budget of about £35m. CEH tackles complex environmental challenges to deliver practicable solutions so that future generations can benefit from a rich and healthy environment. www.ceh.ac.uk You can follow the latest developments in CEH research via http://www.ceh.ac.uk/rss.xml

 

 

Severn Hams on Tuesday 26 March

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The level of the Severn has dropped a little over the last couple of days, but it is still relatively high, so that it is difficult for tributaries to discharge their waters into the main river.  Little outflow from the River Chelt at Wainlodes, none from the Deerhurst Parish Drain, which drains Coombe Hill and Cobney Meadows.  So water on the meadows is everywhere higher, rather a disappointment when it appeared at last to be dropping.

The bitter east wind made conditions unpleasant; no sign of summer visitors such as Chiffchaff or Sand Martin.

Coombe Hill: water levels have risen since Sunday, and the level is above the top of the stage boards in the north and south scrapes (so above 1.00).  Rather few birds present; presumably most of the remaining ducks were sheltering from the wind, unseen, in the Long Pool.   No sign of the male Garganey found on Sunday.  Only 10+ Teal (undoubtedly an underestimate), 2 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler, 10 Coot, 100 Lapwings (all that remain of the flocks of many hundreds in the area over the last few weeks); 2 + Curlew – what appeared to be a resident pair on the southern meadows, bubbling actively; 1 or 2 Skylarks singing, 3 or 4 Reed Buntings singing.

Cobney Meadows: flooding has risen again and is quite extensive: 30 Mallard, 50 Teal, no sign of Lapwings.

Ashleworth Ham: Water also very high, Hasfield Ham side inaccessible: 60 Wigeon, 205 Teal, 4 Gadwall, 9 Pintail, 9 Shoveler, good numbers of Snipe on some flooded (60 Snipe and  2 Jack Snipe), 60 Fieldfares (the last few migrants), no Lapwings.

March GNS News out

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The March 2013 issue of GNS News is now available, with articles including a consideration of the ecological consequences of the proposed Cinderford Northern Quarter developmentcovermarch13, the Red-Data fungus Stephanospora caroticolor, discovery of the harvestman Opilio canestrinii in Gloucestershire, a study of Hobbies, and (cover story) Willow Tits in the Forest of Dean.

GNS Annual General Meeting; and latest on Rough Bank

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The 2013 GNS Annual General Meeting was hosted by the GNS Cirencester branch on Friday 22 March, with the Society’s President, Anna Jones, in the chair, and about 30 members present.  The Society’s Chairman, Mike Smart, presented an overview of the year’s activities; he recalled the Society’s role through which voluntary naturalists record natural history, emphasizing the special character of the previous year with its very wet weather that had severely affected flora and fauna; he noted the personnel changes at Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, and indicated that contacts were under way to strengthen links between the two bodies.  He pointed out however that the Society had had limited success in its efforts to recruit and train young naturalists.  In conclusion he recalled the importance of the Society’s Recorders, who were among the best experts in their field in the county, who provided enormous support to the Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records, and were highly regarded by professionals and voluntary naturalists alike.

The Hon Treasurer, Andy Oliver, then reported that the Society was in a very favourable financial position, with considerable reserves which enabled it to make grants to a number of individual naturalists and to local and national bodies; among the latter were Butterfly Conservation as a contribution to the purchase of Rough Bank, support for the production of a Red Data Book on bryophytes in the county, support for the publication of the new “Birds of Gloucestershire” to be launched in November 2013, and a series of recording workshops on Cleeve Common.  The Treasurer however noted that such grants represented a considerable drain on the Society’s capital reserves, which did not cover annual running costs (notably publication of GNS NEWS, The Gloucestershire Naturalist, and the county Bird Report.  Given that the subscription of £8 per annum had not been raised for something like twenty years, the Executive Committee was proposing an increase of the annual subscription to £15 per household per annum, to ensure that the Society’s finances remained on a sustainable basis in the long term.  This proposal, already announced at last year’s AGM, was then put to the membership in a Special General Meeting, as provided in the Society’s Rules and Regulations, and was unanimously approved.

The Chairman of the Society’s Scientific and Publications Committee, David Scott-Langley, reported on the Committee’s activities in the previous year, paying tribute to Colin Twissell, the Recorder for Amphibians and Reptiles, and to Roger Gaunt, the Moths Recorder, both of whom were standing down after very many years in post.  He noted that the quarterly GNS NEWS, edited by Kate Kibble, had continued to maintain its high level of quality, while the 2012 edition of The Gloucestershire Naturalist had been larger than ever and contained reports on many taxa.  As Chairman of the Cirencester branch, he noted that a successful programme of indoor meetings had continued and that the branch would celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2014.

The Membership Secretary, Andrew Bluett, noted that the Society’s membership had held steady at around 560 members, and appealed to members, when they renewed their subscription, to sign Gift Aid forms.

After a tribute to Mrs Margaret Woodward, who was standing down from the Executive Committee after many years of active participation, the present Committee was re-appointed.  In her concluding remarks, the President expressed appreciation of the Society’s contribution to knowledge and conservation in the county, particularly in a context when governmental funding for such activities, notably as regards land-use planning, were diminishing.

In the second part of the meeting, a trio of speakers from the county branch of Butterfly Conservation gave a presentation on the newly-acquired reserve at Rough Bank.  This limestone grassland site on the Cotswold Scarp, at the head of the Slad Valley above Painswick, was known to be of special interest for moths and butterflies, notably Duke of Burgundy and (in the past) Large Blue butterflies.  Regular and planned monitoring of moths had been carried out by Guy Meredith in the previous year and had increased the number of moths recorded from 38 to over 260, including a number of national rarities.  Meanwhile Chris Wiltshire had carried out weekly monitoring sessions and, despite the miserable weather for butterflies, had recorded a wide variety of butterfly species.  GNS members greatly appreciated these presentations, which illustrated the value of regular and constant monitoring in the Society’s tradition.  Sue Smith noted that, whilst the reserve was open to the public, visiting by car was being discouraged until road access safety improvements had been made.  It was reassuring to hear that, with this acquisition, the major sites of importance for Lepidoptera on the Cotswold scarp are now under conservation management.

Field Meeting at Coombe Hill Canal, 24 March 2013

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Poisonously cold for Palm Sunday with a biting northeast wind, a speckle of snow flakes in the air and snow on the Cotswolds. And we had been hoping for summer migrants!

Two members accompanied Mike Smart, the leader, along the muddy towpath from which there were good views across the flooded meadows, which looked pretty desolate.  small20130324_113551_1070874

Little bird song – the odd Dunnock, Wren, Greenfinch. Only four Lapwings, one or two Curlew with a little bubbling, one Little Egret, one Grey Heron, one Cormorant in flight, a Sparrowhawk hunting along the towpath, and a Tree Creeper in the withy bed

However, some shots from the Apperley side (presumably for clay pigeons) put up the ducks from the Long Pool, and it transpired that there were still good numbers of Teal, about 370, with 7 Wigeon, 6 Shoveler, and the odd few paired Mallard.  A more careful look revealed a male Garganey skulking in the withy bed, and keeping rather separate from the Teal, so we did have one migrant.

Coombe Hill field meeting on 24 March to go ahead

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The field meeting at the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust reserve at Coombe Hill Meadows on Sunday 24 March will go ahead.  Meet at the car park by The Wharf at 10.00 a.m.  Following recent rain, water levels are rising in the River Severn, so water levels on the meadows are likely to be rising too.  Wellingtons or waterproof shoes are therefore absolutley essential.  Times of rising water level are often of special interest, not only for wildlife, but from a hydrological point of view: which ditches fill first, which fields flood first, how does the water affect wilfdlife – both flora and fauna.

See you there

Mike Smart

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