Biological Recording in Halton

The RECORD database holds over 116 000 biological records for Halton Borough, comprised of over 4,000 different species. As you might expect, the records are not spread evenly between species, with some having no records and some having hundreds of records. The single most recorded organism in Halton is the bramble (perhaps unsurprising), but the second most is the Speckled Wood butterfly. Below is a chart with the top ten most recorded organisms in Halton.

Plants – Bramble
Butterflies – Speckled Wood, Large White, Peacock,
Small Tortoiseshell
Birds – Grey Heron, Curlew, Redshank, Lapwing, Blackbird

There is only one plant in the top ten and the stinging nettle is the eleventh most recorded species in Halton. This is a surprise as many plant species are common and very noticeable, think of trees for example. The Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur) is only the twenty first most recorded species in Halton, yet it is generally more common and far more easily observed than the Curlew, a medium sized brown bird, usually only seen in Halton during the winter.

 

Why should these less common species be so heavily recorded? There are two main reasons for this, the first being that people tend to take note of something more unusual. For example, someone walking through a nature reserve may spot the brightly coloured Peacock butterfly and record its presence, but ignore the oak tree it is resting upon. There may be several oaks in the area, yet the only record taken is of one butterfly. The second reason why some of the less common species are more heavily recorded is because of surveys for specific species. These tend to be carried out on organisms that are important for nature conservation and are thus rarer. Typically, a survey may concentrate on one particular bird species that is associated with a specific area of habitat within Halton. The Curlew, Redshank and Lapwing are species that are often recorded in surveys and this may explain their relatively high numbers of records. In conclusion, it is not that some species are over recorded, it is that common species are often under recorded because recorders tend to focus on the more unusual aspects of natural history.

Where Are the Records in Halton?

Not only do people record species that are of particular interest, they tend to be drawn to areas that are more attractive from a natural history point of view, such as Halton’s local nature reserves (LNRs).

The above map (click to enlarge) shows areas of high recording density (dark red) and low recording density (pale red). We can see that there are hot spots for recording around Halton, many of which are centred around Halton’s ten LNRs. It is also worth noting that for some reason the north of Murdishaw valley seems be relatively poorly recorded, perhaps because it is one of the newer LNRs.
Although there are hot spots all over the Borough, there seem to be fewer in large residential areas to the south of Runcorn and to the north of Widnes. There also seems to be a low recording density around the south east of Halton, which is mainly agricultural land surrounding Preston Brook.

We Need Your Help

The large volume of records for LNRs and other Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) can tell us a lot about the biodiversity of these areas (and especially how successful conservation efforts and measures have been), however, a stronger focus on non-SINC areas is useful in building up a better picture of the Borough as a whole. Whilst it is important to realise that all records are good ones, if we are to find out new things about the distribution of wildlife in Halton it is important to gain records from as wide a range of places and habitats as possible. Records from any areas you visit, or even your own home and garden, are always appreciated. Don’t forget to include your name, the location name and grid reference, the species name and date you made your observation. You can email your records to