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Blog post: A borrowed thought for the day

MartinHarper — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:38:00 GMT

Triggered by the news that Natural England had issued the first ever licence for the destruction of a buzzard nest at the request of a pheasant shooting estate, a colleague pointed me in the direction of a blog from Matthew Taylor (Chief Executive of the RSA) about how to restore trust in public institutions. In it, Matthew says...

"Modern institutions – especially those which people believe should be expected to act in the public interest – must seek to make decisions as if they are operating in a glass box. (NB: This is not the same as arguing for total transparency. Indeed greater openness is more likely to be the consequence than the cause of more ethical organisational behaviour).

If an organisation which claims to be ethical is making decisions on a basis which the public would not understand or condone then it is ever more likely, sooner or later, that these decisions and the dodgy thinking behind them will be exposed, further eroding trust in institutions."

Makes you think, doesn't it?

Blog post: State of Nature and climate change

olly watts — Fri, 24 May 2013 08:30:00 GMT

State of Nature, a scientific collaboration of 25 UK conservation organisations, saying that our species are in already trouble, my thoughts turned to consider how climate change might be part of that. Especially when this UK report follows a recent global study, suggesting that more than half of common plants and one third of animals could see a dramatic decline this century due to climate change.

State of Nature is a stock take of our native species – the first of its kind in the UK. It reveals that 60% of the species studied have declined over recent decades. More than one in ten of all the species assessed are under threat of disappearing from our shores altogether. We are losing wildlife at an alarming rate, a continuing historical pattern of loss in the UK going back much further than the 50 years for which we have good information for many species. Sweeping habitat loss, changes to the ways we manage our countryside, and the more recent impact of climate change, have had a major impact on our wildlife, and they are not going away.

Leafing through the report, it’s clear that climate change is already affecting UK wildlife in a number of ways, particularly in marine and upland environments. So it echoes the recent UK Report Card on wildlife and climate change, although of State of Nature presents a much more rounded picture of UK biodiversity, and of the problems it faces. Changing climate is expected to become an ever more dominant driver of change in the future. Although some species will benefit, the overall impact is likely to be negative. Just how negative depends on how successful we are at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. And also upon how well we are able to help nature by adapting to changing conditions.

First, some good news from the report. Recent changes to the climate may be benefiting some farmland butterflies such as the ringlet and speckled wood, and southern species in some other taxonomic groups (such as flies) show similar range increases. Some heathland species, such as Dartford warblers, have been able to move north, despite some of the impacts of habitat loss, fragmentation and deterioration. In woodlands too, species such as speckled wood and silver-washed fritillary butterflies are responding positively to increases in average temperatures. And among our wetlands, dragonflies are expanding northwards and colonising from the continent.

This suggests that those species which find the northern limits of their range within the UK may be able to expand their populations and distributions with a generally warmer climate that we may expect in the future. Of course, being able to benefit in these ways depends on several other factors - having the right habitat, suitable food and breeding places, and being able to move to expand range. These essentials may not necessarily be in place, so we’ll often need pro-active nature conservation to be able to reap many of the potential wildlife gains from climate change.

Snippets from the report suggest, however, that the down side appears to be rather larger. Already, Arctic char is contracting range in the UK as a result of increasing water temperatures. Many freshwater habitats are beset by a barrage of threats, and it’s reasonable to expect that these may be exacerbated by water shortages from drier summers.

At the coast, sea level rise squeezes habitat into smaller areas in front of fixed coastal defences, and wintering and foraging habitat is often destroyed by static developments. One in six coastal plant species are declining strongly, including sea barley and slender hare’s-ear; plant communities also deteriorated or been lost completely, particularly those found on coastal dunes and shingle, upper saltmarsh and soft rock cliffs. Innovative coastal habitat creation and enhancement schemes can use ‘soft’ defences of intertidal habitat to replace uneconomic hard sea walls. These are important, yet small steps in the big picture of our changing coastline.

Of nearly 900 upland species assessed, 65% are declining, with 35% declining strongly. Birds, butterflies and other invertebrates, and upland plants are all affected. In the uplands, climate change is nibbling away at both southern and low altitude edges of some species’ ranges. It’s hard not to conclude that continued warming is likely to corral upland wildlife into ever smaller areas, of often greatly deteriorated habitat.

Yet it is perhaps in our seas that we’ve seen the greatest impacts of climate change. Increasing evidence points to climate change affecting the success of UK breeding seabirds, particularly in Scotland. Changes in the temperature, circulation and salinity of oceans have a marked impact on the function and structure of marine ecosystems, and the habitats and species within them. Sea-surface temperatures around the UK have increased in the last 25 years, bringing marked changes to the distribution, abundance and seasonal timing of plankton and fish stocks. These in turn have brought serious knock-on effects to seabirds, to the extent that some, like the Arctic skua, are on track to be lost as UK breeding species within the next 25 years.

Our urban wildlife cannot escape climate change, either. Cities and larger towns typically act as urban heat islands, and most UK cities are 1or 2°C warmer than the surrounding countryside.

A groundbreaking report on the worrying status of much British wildlife, State of Nature also contains a timely reminder of what climate change is already starting to bring to the natural world across the UK. This may not be the main threat today, but with the ongoing escalation of greenhouse gas pollution, it’ll be interesting to see how this affects the findings of future State of Nature reports. You might like to comment with a gaze into the crystal ball!

Blog post: Harriers and hailstones 2

Jude Lane — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:45:00 GMT

I saw lots of hailstones on the fell yesterday but not many harriers. No harriers in fact. In fact I’ve not seen a harrier all year.

Now I should point out that I am not on the hill every day like Mick (Bowland Assistant Warden) but even Mick hasn't seen many. If this were a typical year (prior to 2012) I would be seeing harriers (plural) every time I go on the fell.

Sadly, as the weeks tick by we are having to face the ever increasing possibility that for a second successive year there will be no hen harriers breeding in the Forest of Bowland.

That said we are still receiving reports of single birds being seen so there is still chance of a pair settling somewhere and so we will continue to look.

Even so, I’m pretty unhappy about the situation. So are the rest of my team, my RSPB colleagues, my United Utilities colleagues and their shooting tenants. Regardless of whether we get a pair or two breeding in Bowland this year there is no escaping the fact that the Bowland population has essentially dropped off a cliff these last couple of years.

Can we blame the prolonged winter this year? Possibly. However the weather can only be suppressing breeding to this extent because ultimately the English population is so low – a result of illegal persecution (nationally).

Encouragingly it appears we are not the only ones unhappy with this situation. Someone living in (presumably) the AONB is also angry about this situation and has taken it upon themselves to publicise the demise of the Bowland hen harrier population to others living in and visiting the AONB.

Sadly this sign doesn’t depict the true situation, it needs updating (if the mystery sign painter is reading?) but it’s getting across the correct picture and it’s heartening to see that others feel as passionately as I and the organisation do about the plight of this rare and special creature.

Blog post: Buzzards - an update

MartinHarper — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:22:00 GMT

This morning I reported that Natural England (NE) had issued licences to destroy buzzard nests and kill or capture adult birds.

Setting aside the serious impact of the licences for a moment, the way in which NE and DEFRA have acted is central to our concerns.

I want to offer a comment on the initial responses from DEFRA and NE.

A tweet from DEFRA said ‘NE is charged with determining applications for licences. Ministers did not make any decisions regarding this licence’.

That seems clear. But let’s check this against the information we have received.

In the Environmental Information Request (EIR) documents it clearly states ‘Insofar as a moratorium was in place (following the decision of the department to review its proposed programme of research on buzzard predation in June 2012), there is now no impediment to Natural England assessing applications for bird of prey licences (conversation between [named Defra Deputy Director] and [named NE Director], 26 October 2012). This position has been confirmed in subsequent Ministerial correspondence (e.g. to National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, 21/11/2012).’

That’s clear too – the department (DEFRA) made an active decision to allow NE to continue with the licensing process.

The National Gamekeepers' Organisation was involved in correspondence. This is probably fair enough as they have been an active stakeholder in discussions with DEFRA. Yet, as another active stakeholder in the research programme we were not (and we have met with DEFRA as recently as last week) – and neither was the public. This is, to say the least, an inconsistent way of dealing with stakeholders.

DEFRA has diverted attention to Natural England who have now issued a myth-buster. In it, NE say that non-lethal deterrents didn’t work ‘despite their consistent application’, yet in one of the EIR documents, they say ‘Overall, there is a pattern of methods being employed inconsistently or not quite as recommended by Natural England’. Why the inconsistency and which is correct?

This is a mess.

Buck-passing between DEFRA and Natural England is not serving any of us well. I do not want this to drag on and for details to emerge piecemeal.

It is time for the Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, to be clear and to stop this once and for all and issue a clear statement that the Government will not issue licenses to kill a native bird of prey to protect commercial gamebirds. This is a simple step which could easily be taken, but it needs to be done to reassure stakeholders and the public that his department is acting in the public interest and standing up for wildlife.

Blog post: State of Nature in Scotland

Stuart Housden — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:50:00 GMT

State of Nature in Scotland

Yesterday I participated in a ground breaking event. I hosted the launch of the Scottish end of the State of Nature report. This is a collaboration of expert bodies pooling data about wildlife species and diagnosing the problems they face. 25 organisations all deeply concerned at the loss of wildlife – the species we share our islands with, came together to draw a line in the sand.

Scottish wildcat by Roger Wilmshurst.

The logistics of connecting London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff together so we could all see Sir David Attenborough’s emphatic call to arms – tested our technology. But it was a triumph!

In Edinburgh some 100 guests and partner organisations assembled at the Museum on Chambers street. After Sir David spoke, I ran through what the report contained and the key messages for Scotland. Usefully the partnership have produced a specific insert for each Country of the UK, and Scotland’s can be read here.

Fresh water pearl mussels via bbc.co.uk

The package is a triumph for the authors, including my colleagues Dr Mark Eaton, Dr David Gibbons and many others from across the partner organisations. But it is even more a celebration of all those unsung volunteers who year in year out contribute to the bird, butterfly, plant or other species surveys that take place across all corners of the UK. This knowledgeable band means we now know what is happening to 3,148 species across the UK, which although impressive is just 5% of the 67,500 we care for- our wildlife.

What I told the reception can be read here. But in essence nature must have a home in our country and so we must invest in its future so we can be certain that can happen.

With Deborah Long and Paul Wheelhouse at the launch.

I was pleased that Scottish Government Minister Paul Wheelhouse MSP joined the platform and set out some of the initiatives the Government is planning to deliver on the commitment to halt the loss of Biodiversity by 2020 (a target agreed by all EU countries) under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. The Minister also set great store by the forthcoming Biodiversity Strategy, which has cleared the Scottish Cabinet and will be launched soon.

I think halting the loss of Biodiversity (ie the decline of wildlife) should be a minimum aspiration for Scotland. I want to see a recovery of some of the special species that Scotland is responsible for – the wildcat, pine hoverfly, Dark bordered beauty moth, Irish ladies tresses, freshwater pearl mussel and many more.

Pine hoverfly by Ross Watson

Last up was my colleague Deborah Long who runs Plantlife Scotland, but is also convener of Scottish Environment Link. She reminded everyone that we need to invest in Nature – think long term and support the efforts of small specialist organisations which encouraged volunteering, ecological expertise and lifeline projects for a myriad of species across the Country.

It was a great event, but it is the start of a process not the end in itself. We look to the Scottish Government to deliver a powerful Biodiversity Strategy that sets the right framework for real action. Which encourages the partnership and harnesses the enthusiasm of the NGO sector. And which gives the courage decision makers need to say no to developments which would damage and erode our wildlife heritage. And yes, delivers some joined up thinking across the land use policy sectors to ensure farmers, foresters, businesses and individuals maximise the wins for ‘eco-system’ services that underpin much of Scotland’s industries, but in ways that enhance wildlife and the experience of people.

Blog post: Join the #naturesintrouble tweet-a-thon on 29 May

Naomi Rose — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Yesterday was a big day for nature.

For the first time ever, all of the UK's leading wildlife organisations joined forces to undertake a health check on nature & together we launched the State of Nature report with the help of Sir David Attenborough.

To celebrate this unique partnership, we are hosting a tweet-a-thon on Wednesday 29 May from 9am-6pm. Using the hashtag #naturesintrouble, eight wildlife organisations will be taking part in this marathon event, each with one hour to answer your questions.

Organisations taking part are Amphilbian and Reptile Conservation, BugLife, Kew, Butterfly Conservation, People's Trust for Endangered Species, Bumblebee Conservation, Wildlife Trusts and RSPB.

More details and a full schedule of the day will be posted on this blog shortly. In the meantime, follow #naturesintrouble on Twitter for the latest updates.

Blog post: From state to pressure on... buzzards

MartinHarper — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:15:00 GMT

I enjoyed the launch of our joint State of Nature report yesterday. My day started on the BBC Breakfast sofa alongside a common toad ably handled by Jim Foster (from Amphibian and Reptile Conservation). It ended with an excellent event at the Natural History Museum at which Sir David Attenborough gave the keynote address. It was an important moment to highlight the crisis facing our wildlife.

And with nature in crisis, unfortunately today I have to report some bad news regarding one of the species that has been bucking that trend and doing well – the buzzard.

Last Thursday, I became aware that Natural England has issued the first ever licence for the destruction of a buzzard nest at the request of a pheasant shooting estate, allowing up to four nests and their contents to be destroyed between 23 April and 8 May this year. We found out through a request under the Environmental Information Regulations – the Environmental equivalent of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request - about whether any licences to destroy or remove buzzards or their nests had been issued. Since then we’ve been trying to piece the story together and I’m afraid it doesn’t make for pretty reading.

Buzzard populations are recovering from historical declines caused by decades of persecution . Some in the shooting community claim that buzzards are to blame for reduced number of pheasants available to be shot. Yet evidence shows that raptors only play a minor role in pheasant losses (1-2% in most cases), that there are other non-lethal ways to reduce conflict between buzzards and pheasants and that overall predation pressure is unlikely to decrease if buzzards were removed. We therefore believe that lethal control of buzzards and destruction of their nests is unjustified, ineffective and unacceptable.

Following a public outcry last year, supported by 13 organisations and thousands of individuals, Defra abandoned its £375,000 research proposal which would have involved the nest destruction of buzzards. In response, Biodiversity Minister, Richard Benyon, had committed to finding a collaborative way forward, saying “I will collaborate with all the organisations that have an interest in this issue and will bring forward new proposals”. We had been participating in discussions about future research options while continuing to urge Defra to make it clear that it is inappropriate to issue licenses for the killing of a native bird of prey to protect a shootable surplus of a non-native gamebird.

Most of us celebrate the fact that buzzards are now regularly seen soaring in our skies. They are a conservation success story but we cannot take their return for granted. From the information we have received, many questions remain about the process and the evidence upon which decisions were made. We will be seeking further information and considering our options.

Our FOI [EIR] request also revealed that licences for the control of buzzards at a free range poultry farm have been issued. These licences would have allowed the birds to be killed, although subsequently they have been taken into captivity.

We do not believe that this is an appropriate way to address the public’s concerns and available information suggests that non-lethal alternatives had not been properly explored.

In short, I think that it is wrong for Natural England to issue buzzard control licences to protect commercial interests. It is wrong that there has been no public scrutiny of these decisions and it is wrong that we only heard of these decisions after the nests may have been destroyed.

And that's why I'm angered by what has happened..

In the interests of transparency, I’ve attached to this blog all the files we received from our FOI [EIR] request exactly as we received them. Feel free to have a look through all of them, formal Opinion relating to licence A (see below) would be a good place to start. You’ll note that quite a bit of detail has been redacted, in contrast, in Scotland the Scottish Information Commissioner has concluded that assessment of licences related to seal killing should be discussed in the public domain. Clearly that is not the case here!

What do you think?

From the information in the attachments, should these licences have been granted?

Is it ever right to kill a protected bird of prey (or destroy its nests) to protect a shootable surplus of a non-native gamebird?

Is it in the public interest to take these kind of decision in the open, rather than behind closed doors?

What kind of precedent does this set for how we deal with other protected species?

(Please visit the site to view this file)

Licence A:
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Licence B:
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Blog post: Wildlife friendly farming – Nature needs you!

jenhegarty — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:43:00 GMT

Today sees the launch of one of the most comprehensive assessments of the health of the UK’s natural environment. Sadly, much of the ‘State of Nature’ report, written by new partnership of 25 research and conservation organisations, including the RSPB, doesn't make for happy reading – but there is hope so keep on reading!

But before we get there, I’m afraid we have to face the facts: much of the UK’s flora and fauna is not doing well and that’s across all habitat types, from farmland and woodland through to coastal and marine areas. And this is just the latest snapshot of a historical pattern of decline in the UK.

In a nutshell, and looking at only farmland, 60% of species are declining, 34% of them severely and many of these changes are linked to shifts in farmland management.

But - as the report also highlights, we can turn things around for at least some of these species:

“Agri-environment schemes have helped to increase the population of rare species and local populations of more widespread species, and there is evidence that even simple measures, such as those available in the English Entry Level Scheme, benefit birds”.

Every year the RSPB celebrates the work of farmers who take steps for wildlife, often through agri-environment schemes which are entirely taxpayer funded. These ‘Nature of Farming Award’ winners demonstrate just how space for nature can be reintegrated into conventional and often highly productive farming systems. Take a look at some of our recent NOFA winners here – they’re an inspirational bunch.

But the report does go on to say:

“However, we have not seen the much-hoped for recoveries of farmland wildlife – probably because not enough farmers have taken up the most effective agri-environment options, and available funding is limited.”

So there is still a lot for us to do. We need to squeeze more value out of agri-environment schemes so nature stands a chance of recovery and at the same time, decision makers need to ensure these schemes get the funding they need – including by transferring as much money as possible from the CAP’s ‘direct payment’ pot into rural development funding – which pays for agri-environment schemes.

We, and you know, that farmers are able to deliver fantastic things for the environment, often through some relatively minor adjustments to their farm management. But as today’s State of Nature report shows, we still need to do much more.

The good news is that there is scope to do more – for many species in decline, the challenge is not finding out what they need to recover, it’s securing the political will to ensure the options they need are in place at the necessary scale. So let’s work together to make that happen!

Blog post: Why the state of nature matters

MartinHarper — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:59:00 GMT

Today is a big day.

For the first time, all the UK wildlife organisations have joined forces to compile a health check of nature in the UK and its overseas territories. This evening Sir David Attenborough will help us launch a new State of Nature report. We expect it will serve as a wake-up call to all of us to do more to help us live in harmony with nature.

The report comes in my favourite month of May. A time to reflect on the wonder of those birds that have migrated from Africa to breed here– species such as swift and swallows – a time to take pleasure in seeing our woodlands carpeted with bluebells and to enjoy seeing butterflies again after the long, dark days of winter. But there are real fears that the things we take for granted may not be part of our children's lives when they grow up.

In my lifetime, once common species like the turtle dove has declined by more than 90%. Cuckoos down by 73% and nightingales down by nearly 50%. And my former employers,Plantlife, has shown that we are losing, on average, one plant every year from counties in England.

In preparing State of Nature, we have used new and innovative analyses include trend assessments for over 3000 species, and red-list assessments of over 6000 species; mostly derived from data collected by the UK's army of dedicated and skilled volunteer naturalists. Our analyses conclude that 60% of the species for which data are available have declined over recent decades; 31% strongly so. Nature is in flux. Over one in ten of the species assessed are threatened with extinction in the UK.

Understanding the state of the natural world is the foundation for nature conservation. We need to know what's in trouble and what progress we have made. This report reinforces the conclusions reached in 2010: that nature is continuing to decline, the pressures on the natural world are growing, and our response to the biodiversity crisis is slowing.

We know that we all need to do more to inspire moral, political and practical support for nature conservation.

And this is why, following the publication of the report we shall challenge all sectors of society to do more for nature.

Politicians that have repeatedly committed to recovering threatened wildlife populations need to think about the natural world when they make big decisions about where to cut and where to invest.
Developers need to respect and protect the special places that people love.
Landowners should manage their land with wildlife in mind.
Businesses must find ways to make a profit without trashing the environment.
And all of us can do our bit by taking action for wildlife in our gardens and in our communities.

We are not claiming to have all the answers but we're determined to do much more. We hope that the report, produced in this time of austerity, stimulates a public debate about what else we need to do to live in harmony with nature.

If you have thoughts on this or any aspect of the report, I'd be delighted to hear from you.

Blog post: Posing peacocks at The Lodge

Mark Ward — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:47:00 GMT

Couldn't resist a quick snap with these colourful visitors that have been wandering around The Lodge in recent weeks. They've taken a real liking to hanging around outside the staff canteen and chilling out underneath the picnic tables.

Funny to watch the young males, with their scruffy, stubby tails, lacking the "eyes" of the adult males, posturing away to the distinctly unimpressed females. Reminds me of when I was a teenager...

Blog post: East Anglia’s ‘Noah’s Ark’

Heather G — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:00:00 GMT

Guest blog by David Hirst, Natural England

A farming duo is giving wildlife in Essex a vital helping hand by creating their own version of ‘Noah’s Ark’ on their farm. Thanks to their conservation work, lapwings, lizards, snakes, bumblebees, corn buntings and turtle doves are now to be found alongside the more traditional farm animals on Moverons Farm near Brightlingsea.

Lesley Orrock and Payne Gunfield signed up to join Natural England’s Environmental Stewardship scheme - which pays farmers to use environmentally friendly farming methods on their land - and the couple are now reaping the benefits with a rich harvest of wildlife.

Since helping Lesley and Payne enter the stewardship scheme, Natural England wildlife adviser Sarah Brockless has noticed a big difference in the amount of wildlife around the farm. Lapwing now successfully nest on uncropped areas in fields; wild flower corridors have been established along the edges of fields to provide pollen and nectar for rare Carder bumblebees and other crop pollinators; and the network of farm hedgerows has been re-established through new planting and coppicing. A family of adders has moved into the farm’s specially-designed ‘reptile refuge’, known as a hibernacula, which has been constructed from recycled concrete rubble.

Last winter, Lesley and Payne were rewarded with the sight of a flock of more than 160 corn buntings and yellowhammers feeding on the farm. A specially formulated seed mixture crop is provided every winter to help the birds survive the ‘hungry gap’ between January and spring, when natural seeds can be scarce in the countryside. In addition, Lesley and Payne put out a mixture of oil seed rape, wheat, millet and canary seed across the farm throughout the winter months.

Lesley says: "We are privileged to live and work in such a fantastic place. We love the wonderful variety of wildlife we have on the farm but we wanted to do more to help secure the future of the wildlife we have and to increase the biodiversity whilst still maintaining a commercially viable business. With the combined help of David Sunnucks who farms the land and Sarah Brockless at Natural England, who helped us set up the Environmental Stewardship agreement, we feel we are well on the way towards achieving our aim."

Nationally declining farmland bird species that nest on the farm, such as turtle doves and yellow wagtails, will also benefit from the creation of new wildlife habitats providing sites for feeding and breeding. Turtle doves, which are now rare summer visitors to the UK, nest within the area known as ‘Noah’s Ark’, a large scrub area on the farm. The doves feed on the abundance of flower seeds that grow wild on the farm and also in crops, such as clover, that have been specially sown on the land.

The kind of wildlife habitat creation work underway at Morevons Farm is essential for securing a future for turtle doves in England. A steep decline in the birds’ population has led to the setting up of Operation Turtle Dove (www.operationturtledove.org), a three-year collaborative project between the RSPB, Conservation Grade and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, supported by Natural England.

Natural England’s Sarah Brockless added: “The knowledge, enthusiasm and hard work of Lesley and Payne have lead to outstanding progress during the establishment of the scheme. There is a true balance between a viable farm business, good practical farming and great nature conservation on Moverons Farm. It is through the hard work of farmers like Lesley and Payne and their participating in environmental stewardship schemes that we can make a real difference to our land, conserve wildlife and protect natural resources.”

By re-planting and coppicing the farm’s old elm hedgerows, a series of wildlife corridors will be created across the farm and rotational cutting will provide a source of berries for the birds and field mice to feed on during the autumn and winter months. A patch of Hogs Fennel has also recently been created on the farm to attract the Fisher’s Estuarine moth, one of Britain’s rarest and most highly threatened species of insect.

The next chapter in the farm’s success story will see the gradual re-introduction of traditional sheep grazing which will greatly enhance the importance of the farm’s sea wall for wildlife. Unlike cutting, which creates a uniform habitat, extensive grazing will create a variety of habitats for wildlife.

As well as rare bumblebee species, the farm’s sea wall supports populations of grasshoppers and crickets, such as the short-winged conehead and great green bush-cricket, which are now almost entirely restricted to the Essex coast sea walls and scrub areas such as Noah’s Ark. Sharp-eyed walkers may also notice common lizards and slow worms on warm days. Interesting plants to look out for are shrubby seablite, golden samphire and the nationally scarce dittander.

The farmland is visible from the well-walked sea wall footpath coming out of Brightlingsea.

Blog post: Yes, wind turbines really do save carbon emissions!

olly watts — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:02:00 GMT

Helen Blenkharn, Climate Change Policy Officer

I regularly get asked ‘do wind turbines save carbon emissions?’

A recent report by the Committee on Climate Change looks at the UK’s carbon footprint and the lifecycle emissions from different types of electricity supply and so answers the question once and for all. Taking a lifecycle emissions approach is important – it means that the emissions not just from combustion but also from materials, production, construction, operation and decommissioning all get counted. This gives a more accurate overall picture for the different fuels and technologies than just looking at their ‘in use’ emissions.

It’s clear that low carbon technologies ‘do what they say on the tin’ - they truly result in far lower carbon pollution than fossil fuels. The Committee on Climate Change says the average carbon intensity of UK electricity supply needs to be 50gCO2/KWh by 2030. It’s currently about 500gCO2/KWh - that’s a massive challenge in just 17 years. The table shows that the amount of electricity we can afford to produce from conventional gas fired power stations is going to be very limited, and even coal with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is going to push up the average emissions significantly.

What we need is a balance of renewable energy technologies – not just those listed above but wave and tidal too, alongside gas with CCS. However, CCS is still unproven at a commercial scale which is why we’re calling on Government to invest in cracking this technology as a priority. The report also says we need to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint by 70% by 2050 if we are going to meet our climate objectives. This is a staggering amount, and it proves that climate change isn’t going to be solved by leaving it to the energy sector – it needs a huge push from all of us to make it happen.

If this blog post leaves you with one message, it’s that we can’t afford to hang around. Decisions need to be taken, and put into action, quickly to change the way we power the UK. And we all need to look at our use of energy too, as individuals. Otherwise we’re going to be looking back in 2030 and thinking why on Earth didn’t we start sooner?

Blog post: It will be guaranteed, 100% beef

Gethin Davies — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:51:00 GMT

This week we’re returning to a showpiece event for beef farmers. We have attended this event a few times in the past to get across the important role that cattle farming plays in shaping our countryside and the opportunities available to wildlife. See here and here.

At this year’s event, we will be focussing on Higher Nature Value farming systems. Cattle are often integral to such systems, and we’ll be asking the farmers visiting our stand to tell us how important the wider outputs of farming are to their farms. Things like providing habitats for wildlife, clean water, carbon storage and valued landscapes.

Despite the horsemeat scandal and the abysmal weather of the last year, I expect to find the beef industry in a reasonably good spirits. Cattle prices are very healthy (up more than 10% on the year), hardly taking a dent from the horsemeat scandal – indeed, it may well have helped UK producers as consumers seek greater assurance on the provenance of their meat, and also shone a light on the issue of unclear labelling. Spring also seems to have arrived at last with grass growing, hedges well in leaf and swallows returned to their favourite barns on farms around the UK.

It is always interesting being at these industry events. They are very much for the farmer, unlike the agricultural shows which also attract large numbers of the general public. We will probably be the only stand focussed on wildlife, nestled amongst stands selling machinery, feed and every other conceivable thing that a beef farmer might need to run their business. Some understand exactly why a wildlife charity would want to attend such an event – they will recount stories about wildlife on their farms and discuss the work they are doing to help wildlife. Others will be less sure that we are relevant to them, but hopefully just being present helps establish the idea that wildlife and other environmental outputs from farmland are just as much a part of a livestock farming business.

Blog post: Nature's larder: making the most of spring greens

Leianna — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:12:00 GMT

An introduction to foraging from James Reynolds, Head of Media & Communications for RSPB Scotland.

Nature's larder: making the most of spring greens

For the forager, the winter months offer extremely lean pickings. It is a time to hunker down and savour the goods that one invested time and energy in seeking out and then preserving for the leaner times: sloe gin, elderflower wine or port, dried mushrooms or some wild nuts and preserved berries. But it is a simple fact that there will be a distinct paucity of greens on the shelves. Apart from wintercress and wood sorrel, both not at their best but nevertheless still available in winter, there is little chlorophyll-rich herbage to supplement the diet from nature’s larder.

So it is that the arrival of Spring is always an eagerly anticipated event for the wild foody. And when it arrives, and the green shoots begin to emerge, it makes that simple, primal delight of hunting for one’s dinner all the more rewarding. Any humble walk or outdoor pursuit is suddenly enhanced as one looks out for something to munch on the move or pick and take home to transform into a delicious meal.

Amongst the first of such plants to announce themselves – more often to the nostril before the eye - is wild garlic, or ramsons, as they are often known (Allium ursinum). For anyone new to foraging, it is a good first plant to learn to positively identify. Belonging to the same family of plants the onion, it is quite unmistakeable if its smell together with its habitat of damp or shady hedgerows and woodlands, and its appearance, are all taken into account. It has long, lanceolate leaves that taper at both ends, and umbels of small, white, star-shaped flowers that emerge in April.

The leaves are the best part to collect, and are at their very best just before these pretty flowers bloom. Their taste is a little milder than the bulbs of their commercial counterpart, and are fantastic in salads, made into a wild pesto, or combined with spinach to make a delicious quiche.

There are some fascinating facts and folklore surrounding this plant. Though bears have been absent from the British countryside for a very long time, interestingly the second part of wild garlic’s Latin name gives reference to the fact that it is favoured by them as a food plant. However, apart from ourselves, bears are fairly unique in the animal world for finding this plant both palatable and non-toxic. Most animals avoid it, with the occasional exception of grazers, and if they do ingest it can be poisoned by the volatile oils that give it such a potent pong! As John Wright points out in his book Hedgerow: “most dog and cat owners know not to give their animals onions in any form – a compound n-propyl disulphide causes serious anaemia and deaths have occurred.”

Surprisingly, wild garlic wasn’t always thought worthy of picking for the pot, and it seems that even the gathering of wild foods is subject to the vagaries of fashion too. Maude Grieve, in her seminal book A Modern Herbal, first published in 1931, described it thus: “(It) has a very acrid taste and smell, but it also has very small bulbs, which would hardly render it of practical use. But for its evil smell, (it) would rank amongst the most beautiful of our British plants”. She continues: “Many woods are places to be avoided when it is in flower, being so closely carpeted with the plants that every step taken brings out the offensive odour.”

I rather disagree with Maude. The smell is a welcome indicator that the foraging season is upon us again, and a signal that it is time to grab your basket, get outside and see what’s on offer.

Blog post: A new career in a new town

Leianna — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:59:00 GMT

Brand new blog from RSPB Scotland Trainee Ecologist, David Freeman. Find out more about the fascinating Bryophytes found on our reserves!

A New Career in a New Town

Back in March, I was delighted to be offered the position of Trainee Ecologist based at RSPB Scotland's Edinburgh HQ. The role is a fantastic opportunity to build on and develop a range of Ecological skills as well as a chance to undertake some real conservation work and make a real difference.

Conocephalum conicum by Li Zhang via bryophytes.plant.siu.edu

In particular, I am focusing on Bryophytes a group of tiny plants commonly known as mosses, liverworts and hornworts. These often-overlooked plants are some of nature’s most beautiful creations and display a range of deep colours and fascinating growth forms. They are also of incredible ecological importance. Their reliance on ambient humidity for water means they are often vulnerable to atmospheric pollution and the production of peat from the sphagnum mosses is one of the most important ecological processes in the world.

My calendar for the next few months is already filling up with fieldwork planned in Abernethy, Glenborrodale, Forsinard, Strathbeg, Orkney and Corrimony. Additionally I am being sent on numerous training courses both internal and external in places Like Geltsdale, Loch Leven and Raasay. These represent a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills as well as increase the amount of work I am able to undertake in my current role.

Thuidium delicatulum via bryophyteportal.org

So far, I have been out briefly to Loch Leven and Loch Lomond each time gathering a range of samples. At both of these reserves I have only scratched the surface of what must be present, but when you consider how overlooked bryophytes are, any addition to the records is a step forward! Highlights so far have to be seeing Conocephalum conicum a common but distinctive plant, Thuidium delicatulum that provided me with a fantastic opportunity to practice some microscope ID skills and the Bonsai tree-like Thamnobryum alopecurum. Spotting an osprey fishing on Loch Lomond was a nice moment too.

Thamnobryum alopecurum

Over the next few months, I intend to contribute a blog entry regularly to the website. I hope that this will paint a picture of some of the amazing work undertaken by the RSPB and draw attention to the fascinating world of Bryophytes.

Blog post: The Wet, Wild and Wonderful North-West

MartinHarper — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:39:00 GMT

I have just returned from an excellent, if wet, weekend away in the north-west of England with our council of trustees, management board and regional staff. It was a chance to see for ourselves the work we are doing with others in some big landscapes in a fabulous part of England. It was great fun, with lots of wildlife (including otter, orchids, osprey and another 94 bird species) and lots of good conservation conversation.

We explored two of our Futurescapes: the Lake High Fells and Morecambe Bay (the latter also a Nature Improvement Area).

At Haweswater, we are working in partnership with United Utilities as part of our Sustainable Catchment Management Programme to restore water catchment habitat at a landscape scale. This should be good for biodiversity and should provide a cost effective way for UU to improve water quality for the two million people who depend on Haweswater for their drinking water. We also hope to be able to demonstrate that sheep farming in the uplands can be compatible with the wider range of public goods. You'll note that the weather failed to dampen our enthusiasm for the project.

At Bassenthwaite Lake, we have demonstrated the economic value of majestic species such as the osprey. Working with the Forestry Commission, Lake District National Park Authority and one hundred volunteers we have helped to protect ospreys, to highlight the conservation challenges in the region, to attract over one million visitors in a decade which, in turn, has generated £2 million annually to the local economy.

In the Lyth Valley floodplain, we are working with the National Trust, Cumbria Wildlife Trust the Environment Agency and many farmers to deliver major habitat recreation to help recover threatened species such as bittern, lapwings and redshank. We saw the fabulous work that Cumbria Wildlife Trust has done restoring Foulshaw Bog and debated how best to realise our shared vision for a sustainable future for farming in the Lyth valley whilst restoring floodplain meadows and reedbeds.

Finally, at one of our iconic reserves, Leighton Moss, we saw the progress that we have made to create two new satellite reedbed sites to help bittern conservation, to make the site more welcoming to the 100,000 visitors we get each year and to improve our understanding of the eel population. Our long-serving warden, David Mower, has been monitoring daily the number of elver (baby eels) entering the site for the past sixteen years. It is a remarkable endeavour and the data have underpinned the Environment Agency’s eel recovery plan in the north of England.

As ever, I came away incredibly impressed of the work our teams are doing, with many questions about how best to rise to some of the challenges we face, but equally reassured by the maturity of the many partnerships we have forged in the region. This is bound to result in better environmental outcomes. I look forward to our next Council weekend in Scotland next May...

Blog post: Island living: searching for twite in the Hebrides

Leianna — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:26:00 GMT

RSPB Scotland Research Assistant, Davide Scridel, is out searching for an elusive bird in the Outer Hebrides. Find out more about his experiences and check out his fantastic photos below!

Island living: searching for twite in the Hebrides

The subject of the 2013 Statutory Conservation Agency/RSPB Annual Breeding Bird Scheme is the twite! The first survey, in 1999, produced a population estimate of 10,000 pairs with the majority of the breeding birds located in Scotland, then England and only a few pairs remaining in Wales. Due to the severe decline that this species experienced since the 1800s, twite are of the highest conservation concern in the UK. It is therefore vital we to reassess its population trends fourteen years after the previous national survey.

Twite perched on rock by Davide Scridel

Twite breed on unenclosed moorlands, hills coast and islands especially near farmland, with nests occurring on heather moor, sea cliffs, in gorse and, more rarely, in conifer plantation. They primarily feed on seeds found in grassland and cultivated habitats such as pasture, meadows and young fallows.

In Scotland twite breed most commonly in the Western and Northern Isles, in the Inner Hebrides and along the coast of West & North Scotland where these habitats are particularly widespread.

I feel very privileged because I have been assigned to survey this understudied species within a series of randomly selected 1x1 km² in the Outer Hebrides (Uist, Harris & Lewis), some of of my all-time favourite places. These islands are extremely beautiful and are the stronghold for breeding twite in the UK. Such preferences can be partially explained by the fact that the islands offer coastal and moorland habitats as well as the unique, small-scale farming practice called crofting.

Here fields are low-intensively managed to produce cereals or foraging grasses for livestock and the interaction of these human activities and the natural occurrence of a unique calcareous landmark Machair, formed by windblown shell sand, provide enough fertility to support cereal-based livestock production.

This is particularly true in the island of Uist, where I am based. Here cereals are grown using limited pesticides and low fertilizers with fields left fallow traditionally on a biannual basis, allowing very rare plants but also ruderal plants, such as dandelion and common sorrel, to emerge. These are the twite’s absolute favourites and part of our task here is to record the presence of this species also in relation to the amount of flowers we can see in the surroundings.

Golden plover on freshly ploughed machair by Davide Scridel

Small scale-low intensive agriculture practises are very rare nowadays and only persist in isolated areas but they are truly a heaven for orchids, invertebrates and for rare and declining farmland birds such as corncrake and corn buntings. Twite are much more than just “brown” birds. They are true indicators for changes in the way we live and how our needs affect our landscape. It is therefore very important to assess how the twite population is responding to human and non-human changes fourteen years after the previous survey.

08/05/2013

It is now a week since I took the ferry from Uig (Skye) to reach North Uist. The journey was remarkable: surreal landscapes and plenty of wildlife, with highlights such as golden and white-tailed eagle and hundreds of razorbills floating around a motionless sea. It was so unbelievably still that even the boat crew were capturing it with their cameras while approaching the Outer Hebrides - such rare moment for this part of the world.

Lochmaddy at dusk by Davide Scridel

I spent the following two days meeting local RSPB colleagues working on the site as well as partners SNH and MACHAIR LIFE+. The latter organisation is of particular interest to me as they are truly dedicated people, with the focus of increasing awareness and protection for this rare habitat full of biodiversity and very important not only for twite but also for rare invertebrates such as the Great yellow bumblebee, confined to a few spots in the whole of Britain.

The first day of the survey involved visiting a 1x1 km² located in South Uist. We didn’t see any twite but spotted stonechats, ravens, kestrel, whimbrel, wheatear and plenty of meadow pipits amongst others. An excellent introduction to the Western Island wildlife! But things got even more exciting towards the last transect when I noticed in the far distance a female hen harrier emerging from a spot in thick heather while whistling piih-eh to an approaching food delivering male. That made my day...and it was only the first one I’ve seen in the field. After seeing the female returning to the same spot I was then sure I had found a nest and decided to walk off immediately to avoid potential disturbance to the breeding pair.

Stonechat by Davide Scridel

Despite such excitement, I was quite disappointed to have not seen any twite. The weather forecast for the following day was typically Hebridean- rain and winds up to 40 mph which suggested a boring day indoors. Suddenly, those strong winds that brought rain in the morning also cleared away the cloudy sky and a splendid, but still windy afternoon, allowed a visit to a second square.

Similar to the first one, this square incorporated a combination of moorland/coastal habitat and after a few transects and point counts I detected the unmistakable “twit” and a later rambling song or “chortle”. Five TWITE amongst two pied wagtail and a few meadow pipits were confidently feeding on a white sandy beach energetically seeking for seeds amongst the washed up seaweed.

Twite searching for seed by Davide Scridel

No rings on legs but 4 out of the5 birds showed clear signs of pairing. The “chortle” is in fact a reliable indicator of breeding activity and my excitement did not stop when two birds decided to leave the feeding spot and fly towards the grass/moor mosaic cliff less than 100m away from the beach.

One of the birds remained perched on a stone, guarding the mate disappearing into a small crevice. I decided to wait and visit that crevice when both birds went back to feed on the shore. There was a nest there, carefully lined with grass and some sheep’s wool at the bottom of the cup. It was my first ever twite nest containing three light blue eggs with tiny black marks. I left the site quietly and checked for the safe return of the incubating female. It was a confirmed breeding site for twite and a very exciting day for me!

Male twite by Davide Scridel

Blog post: Our latest views on CAP reform

Heather G — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:47:00 GMT

Read the latest about our views on CAP reform on Martin's blog here

Blog post: Want to see turtle doves?

Heather G — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Many farmers across the East and South East are working hard to give turtle doves a home as they return from their wintering grounds in Africa. But still, as numbers are ever dwindling and their breeding range consistently retracting, many will never have been lucky enough to ever see a turtle dove.

If you are in North Norfolk this Saturday, why not drop into the 'Wild About The Wensum' event at Pensthorpe, where you can see turtle doves in the wader enclosure, and learn more about the plight of these highly threatened birds? Pensthorpe Conservation Trust are one of our lovely partners in Operation Turtle Dove. This year the Wild About The Wensum event is raising money for Operation Turtle Dove - so by visiting you can have fun, learn about wildlife, and support vital work that will help future generations see turtle doves where they belong - in our fields and gardens across a much bigger range than they currently occupy.

Full details below:

Blog post: Greening our pleasant land

MartinHarper — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:59:00 GMT

I have, at last, found the time to watch Roger Harrabin's Newsnight special on the Common Agricultural Policy.

The overall message came through loud and clear: the policy is a huge taxpayer investment (some £400 p/year per family) but there are serious questions over what this money is actually buying.

The CAP has a dark past: grotesque over-production driven by production related payments and profound negative impacts on the environment and developing countries.

But the CAP has changed a lot in the last 20 years. A series of reforms has established a clear (if somewhat slow moving) trajectory towards reducing negative impacts (environmental and social). The policy now also uses a small proportion of its vast budget to reward land managers who produce environmental public goods, things like wildlife, healthy soils and water.

But as Newsnight revealed, attempts to further ‘green’ the CAP look set to be scuppered. And who’s responsible? Perhaps those pesky (and deep pocketed) vested interests who’d like the policy to stay largely as it is – lots of [public] money doled out with virtually no strings attached?

One key issue that Newsnight didn’t cover is that of modulation. This mechanism allows Member States to move money from Pillar I, which funds direct payments, into Pillar II, which funds things like agri-environment schemes and wider rural development measures. It has been part of the CAP for over 10 years.

The good news is that this flexibility will remain a part of the next CAP. Member States will be allowed to move up to 15% of their Pillar I budget into Pillar II and each of the UK’s agriculture Ministers will decide how much they want to move later this year.

But modulation is a hot political topic now and one which has raised the ire of a number of farming unions, here and across the EU (see here and here) who claim that it would put UK farmers at a competiveness disadvantage. Their latest contribution is to argue that modulation should be subject to mandatory co-financing by national treasuries – put simply governments would have to put their own money in too.

Now I’m all for extra money in Pillar II but co-financing is just not an option for most countries, including our own – we just don’t have the money. Perhaps the NFU and others have not noticed the economic downturn? So in straitened financial times, I’d much rather have modulation without co-financing than no modulation at all. As would many farmers.

The fact of the matter is that without modulation Defra, and the devolved administrations, will not be able to invest properly in Pillar II schemes – schemes which not only reward farmers for producing environmental public goods but also help farmers to modernise, diversify, in other words become more competitive and market orientated – something Pillar I payments just don’t help them to do. And without a well funded agri-environment programme, it is widely accepted that Defra will fall woefully short of meeting its ambitions in the Natural Environment White Paper and its own biodiversity strategy for England.

To a logical mind the modulation issues should be a no-brainer. It’s therefore extremely reassuring that Owen Paterson, Defra’s Secretary of State, is continuing to maintain such a firm position on the importance of moving money into Pillar II.

But rather than espouse the RSPB position, I think it would be more apt to quote one of the many farmers we work with – evidence that the big farming unions’ position on modulation is out of touch with what many farmers think.

“As an arable farmer in Suffolk and receiving high prices for wheat and other commodities I can afford to rely less upon direct payments from the CAP, of course I have always taken the view as a farm business I should not rely upon my single farm payment. I have many poor yielding areas of the farm that I have placed into arable stewardship options, making the best of this land for wildlife means I not only provide benefits for wildlife but also demonstrate I am good value for the public investment I receive. Therefore, I can only view a transfer of funds from pillar one at 15% to agri-environment budget as a good and sensible way forward. Taking out these less productive areas has little impact on yield, little impact on my ability to feed people but big impact on my farm sustainability. My agri-environment options produce a range of benefits but without or with reduced agri-environment funding I as well as other arable farmers have no market for this, which is quite different to how my single farm payment works.”

James Bucher, Hall Farm, Suffolk Arable Farmer