pond dipping

Features from Wildlife magazine Wildlife articles 2008 -- Spring 2008 -- ::Severn Barrage ::The Variety of life ::A year at Willsbridge ::Willsbridge comes of age ::Reaching out - Willsbridge ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2007 -- Autumn 2007 -- ::Thinking BIG ::Watery webs:the pond network ::Wildlife in the landscape ::Variety of life ::How to be a climate friend ::Seasonal stroll - Walborough ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2007 -- ::The Folly Farm appeal ::Weston Big Wood-biodiversity at its best ::The variety of life ::How to capture a butterfly ::How to get to know an orchid ::Seasonal stroll - WestonBigWood ::Reserves update -- Spring 2007 -- ::Folly Farm - a very special place ::Making a difference at Folly Farm ::How find the magic at Folly Farm ::Seasonal stroll at Folly Farm ::Magic spots at Folly Farm ::Batscapes ::Climate challenge ::Variety of Life - the Ponways project ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2006 -- Autumn 2006 -- ::The Severn Estuary ::Bird Watch results ::How to identify garden birds ::Making space for wildlife ::How does your garden grow? ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2006 -- ::Going for green ::Stand up and be counted ::Happy birthday NSLMP ::Holi day - a riot of spring colour ::Avon's species-rich grassland ::How to photograph dragonflies ::The Big Switch ::Round the reserves -- Spring 2006 -- ::How to identify winter water birds ::Make 2006 the year you... ::Invasive invasion ::Sowing the seeds: Willsbridge Mill ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2005 -- Autumn 2005 -- ::Indentify common funghi ::Build a hedgehog hideaway ::Big Bird Watch ::Champions for wildlife ::Round the reserves ::Seeds of the futre: Willsbridge Mill -- Summer 2005 -- ::Restoring Folly Farm ::How to become bee-friendly ::How to identify the butterflies of spring ::Save our seas ::The variety of life: hedgerows ::Round the reserves ::25 Ways to make a difference -- Spring 2005 -- ::The variety of life: water voles ::The Avon Biodiversity Action Plan ::How to take really good wildlife photos ::How to help your garden grow ::Round the reserves ::Seasonal strolls: Browns Folly ::Sowing the seeds: for wildlife for people ::Sowing the seeds: looking back

Champions for wildlife

One of the key areas that the Trust is developing as we look to the future is in trying to make the whole of Avon as wildlife friendly as possible through working with owners and managers of sites with wildlife potential. This is how we make sure we're doing the best for wildlife...

Writing a Management Plan
This is a document that sets out what management has to be carried out to maximise the wildlife interest of a piece of land. Usually it extends over a five year period with a timetable showing what must be done each year. A site survey is the first thing to do, to ensure that any management that's carried out doesn't damage the wildlife interest - for instance, while scrub clearance might be good for extending an area of flower-rich grassland, it could be disastrous for the local dormouse population. For management purposes, it's useful to divide the site into compartments, usually based on habitats i.e. grassland, scrub, woodland. A site description is given for each compartment, followed by management recommendations. The crucial thing is that each recommendation is backed up with a well-argued rationale relevant to the site. It's very likely that there are already several people with views about its management, either because they own it or live locally. Meeting with these people before starting on the Plan is essential; not only is it courteous, it also provides useful additional information.

This year the Trust has written management plans for Goose Green, Ridge Wood and Huckford Quarry in South Gloucestershire.

Surveying the site
It's always worth surveying a piece of semi-natural land no matter how small it is. As well as its own intrinsic value, it may form part of a corridor or patchwork of other habitats within which it performs an essential role - for example it could be a stretch of hedge that is an important feeding area for bats which roost some distance away. To undertake a survey each patch of ground is carefully observed and the vegetation identified. Species are noted - this may come from signs such as characteristic droppings for mammals, or shed skin for slow-worms.

It's not possible to survey for wildlife just at any time. Many animals are only active at a particular time of year or day, bluebells and some other woodland plants disappear altogether during the summer months, while some summer flowering plants such as orchids cannot be traced during the winter. In addition, one visit will usually not be enough; for some species the use of a site may vary between winter and summer so an all-seasons survey would be recommended.

An old outhouse may show little sign of bats during the summer but turn out to be an important winter roost. A pond may look empty of newts in late summer and yet be teeming with them in the spring. Some species have become so rare that they are now protected under national and European law. The survey would look for signs of these species in particular and make recommendations for their future management, as well as for the site as a whole.

This year the Trust has carried out general site surveys for local people in Bedminster and Clifton Wood.

Site enhancement
Any work on an impoverished piece of land can be seen as an opportunity to improve the site for wildlife. Instead of planting exotic trees and shrubs, native species (just as flowery and colourful) can be used and they'll attract more wildlife. We encourage developers to establish wildflower meadows for plants and butterflies rather than the fortnightly mown amenity grassland. We also recommend the planting of native hedgerows for food and shelter for birds and small mammals. A fairly recent innovation is something called Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS for short), which enables water run-off to flow from roofs and hardstanding into specially created wetlands and ponds - much cheaper to install, less likely to cause flooding and better for wildlife, not to mention providing a more interesting landscape for people. Buildings themselves can also act as habitat; all sorts of specially adapted nestboxes can be installed for declining species such as swifts, swallows and martins, even house sparrows. Entrances into the roofspace can be made for barn owls and bats. The roof itself can be turned into grassland, great for plants, insects and birds but also useful for insulation.

This is a new area for the Trust but we're hoping to announce soon an exciting partnership to enhance a major local development.

Protected species
Certain species have become so rare across Europe that they are protected under the Conservation Regulations 1994
(the British version of the European Habitats Directive).

We carry out specialist surveys which look for their signs, such as spraints (droppings) of otters, feeding stations of water voles and chewed hazel nuts for dormice. We have successfully located the eggs of great crested newts and confirmed the presence of bats using detectors that locate their ultrasound calls. White-clawed crayfish can be searched for under river bed stones or by using traps.

Due to their declining national status, further species are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Barn owls and certain birds of prey can be detected either directly or by their pellets. Water shrews leave characteristic droppings in strategically placed bait tubes. Distributing materials such as roofing felt around a site should soon detect the presence of reptiles such as slow-worms, grass snakes, adders and lizards.

Badgers, which have their own legislation, the Badger Act 1992, can be recorded not only by their setts but also by characteristic droppings and other signs. All of these species require specially trained and often licensed surveyors. Once the presence of a protected species is confirmed, advice will be given to ensure that there is no net loss of the species.

The Trust has recently confirmed that great crested newts are breeding at a site in (in the St Catherine's
area in B&NES and another in the Winterbourne area in South Gloucs, and slow worms have been found in a new area of Ridge Wood

How we can help
If you are considering developing a site or extending your home, it's best practice - and often a legal requirement - to check that the work will not harm wildlife. For further information please contact Mary Wood, the Trust's Biodiversity Advisory Officer, on 0117 917 7270 or email marywood@avonwildlifetrust.org.uk