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rECOrd
are slowly building a set of Checklists of Cheshire Organisms with the help
of specialists within the County. A few of these are now available via the rECOrd
web-site so that you can check your finds to see whether the species you have
found is already known from Cheshire or not.
Go to the index page of the site at: http://www.rECOrd-lrc.co.uk
and then to the Site Map, and then down to the speccheck.htm page (Line 115).
Click on this link and you will be taken to theChecklists page.
Holcroft Moss is thought to be the only area of uncut peat remaining in Cheshire. It is a SSSI and a candidate SAC. It is 19 hecates and supports a delicate floral community structure based on Sphagnum mosses. The ecosystem relies on a water table at or close to the peat surface. Drainage through ditches and transpiration from birch trees has caused the water table to drop. CWT have now installed recycled plastic pilings along the boundaries which should hold rainwater and which will in turn restore the moss. Congratulations and thanks to all the volunteers who have removed and cut birch, are monitoring dipwells and managing the reserve. If you are interested in helping out with practical conservation work why not go to the Getting Involved page for some ideas?
Natterjack toads spawned successfully at Red Rocks Nature Reserve in 2002 with tadpoles galore seen on a visit by Jacki Hulse and Gail Butterill at the end of May. The site has been included within the Dee Estuary candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC) by English Nature.
An Allis
Shad was found in the Dee Estuary by Salmon fisherman in May 2002. The fish
was sent to the Environment Agency for confirmation of its identification. Local
sea fisherman, have since reported catching both the Allis Shad and Thwaite
Shad in the Dee Estuary in recent years. Conservationists thought that both
these species no longer occurred in Cheshire waters.
The Allis Shad is a migratory species occurring mainly in shallow coastal waters
and estuaries. During the breeding season (normally May) it enters into rivers
with strong currents and stony or sandy beds in order to spawn. After spawning
has occurred the adult fish return to the sea whilst the juveniles develop in
the rivers and estuary in their first and second year before migrating out to
sea.
The Environment Agency has produced a leaflet on these national Biodiversity
Action Plan Species, which contains a simple catch return form.
April saw the first
meeting of the farmland bird action group. This group will cover a number of
the bird species action plans in the Countdown programme as many of the farmland
birds have common problems and actions required. The plan has been broken down
into various elements including:
Population monitoring - to be led by CAWOS.
Conservation methods - in which the key element is the implementation of the
Arable options in the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
Specific intiatives - local authorities could be approached to fund specific
schemes such as nestboxes and winter feeding.
The group next meets in September when the impact of the new arable options
can be assessed and action for 2003 discussed.
A general farmland birds BAP has been produced and will be published in Countdown
2002.
Thank you to everyone
who turned up on the 26th May 2002, despite the weather, to look for club
tailed dragonflies.
We managed to confirm the upstream limit of known records at Bangor on Dee where
two exuviae and an adult were found. All except one group saw something and
together we recorded 8 adults and 14 exuviae before the storm hit!
Mathew Ellis at CCW has very kindly produced us some maps of the results from
their GIS system.
We are hoping to carry out a similar survey next year so look out for news!
Laura Holmes has decided to leave the post of Countdown Coordinator due to the pressures of juggling her home life and work life. She will become the Countdown Technical Coordinator and will still be responsible for producing this website and the annual CD-ROM. Taking over the other duties of the coordinator is a Countdown LBAP Group Coordinator, Fiona Mahon. She will be working three days a week at the Cheshire Wildlife Trust and can be contacted on 01270 610180 or email Fiona.
Sixteen white-clawed
crayfish were saved from the works on the new A500 bypass and are now being
cared for by Reaseheath College Animal Care Department. The college gained a
special licence to allow them to keep these rare creatures. The Environment
Agency, English Nature and Cheshire Wildlife Trust are all offering their support.
It is hoped the crayfish will breed successfully and may eventually be re-introduced
in Cheshire. Students will study and document the creatures ecology, including
habitat, water quality, diet and behaviour under the watchful eye of tutor Richard
Champion.
To learn more about crayfish and the threat posed to them by the non-native
signal crayfish, go to the White-clawed Crayfish
LBAP.
Hedgerows Surveys
to April 2002
101 surveyors in 86 parishes!
By March 2002, 91km of hedgerow had been surveyed. 27% of these were recorded
as species-rich (they contained 5 or more woody species) and 56% were noted
as being a key component of the area. If you want to help please contact Katie
Lowe at the Cheshire Landscape Trust on 01244 376333. You will be given a surveyors
pack which contains all the information you need on how to survey and how to
identify species.
Katie Lowe of Cheshire Landscape Trust (CLT) and the Hedgerow Action group are continuing their progress with the Ancient and/or Species-rich Hedgerow LBAP. Progress was affected in 2001 by Foot and Mouth disease but activites are now returning to normal.
A map and photo reference
document has been produced at CWT showing areas within Macclesfield Borough
which are thought to be lowland wood-pasture and parkland sites. The information
was drawn from historical references, local knowledge and interpretation from
findings 'on site'. Approximately 45 sites have been located in the borough
and further research will be carried out.
The LBAP group meets regularly and contains a good level of experience and a
wide range of interested parrties. Advice on management and applying for grant
schemes is provided for landowners and managers. Survey work continues with
the help of a grant from English Nature. For more information go to the Lowland
Wood-pasture and Parkland LBAP or contact Al Wright at CWT (phone 01270
610180 or email [email protected])
SMALL
PEARL-BORDERED FRITILLARY LBAP
Scrub clearance will be undertaken during early 2002 at the sole Cheshire site
to encourage the growth and flowering of the Dog's Violet, the larval food-plant,
and Marsh Cinquefoil, the nectar source for the adults.
DINGY
SKIPPER LBAP
Work is to be carried out on the Wirral to provide a new site for Dingy Skipper,
adjacent to the existing cliff-top site at Thurstaston. The work will involve
the scraping away of the top soil and exposing the less nutrient rich sub-soil.
At the Witton Lime-beds Bird's-foot Trefoil is to be planted on the Anderton
Lime Bed. This site has low amounts of Bird's-foot Trefoil, the larval food-plant
for the Dingy Skipper, but does support a small colony.
Countdown 2001 has now been published. You can find a copy in your local library or request a copy by emailing CD-Order or phone Laura Holmes on 01270 610180; giving your name, your organisation (if applicable) and address. There are several new species and habitat action plans for 2001, some from the forthcoming Wirral Biodiversity Action Plan. The Cheshire region Biodiversity Partnership has now expanded and you can find out more about all the partners on the CD-ROM or from the Partners pages which are part of this site.
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New BAPs
for 2001-
Lapwing BAP |
David Bellamy launched Countdown 2001, the Cheshire region Biodiversity Action Plan, on 1st November 2001. The Cheshire Wildlife Trust, with lots of wonderful help from the new corporate members Stapeley Water Gardens, held a magnificent day. During lunchtime an invite was extended to all the CWT corporate members to attend a three course dinner and be entertained by David. The evening was attended by CWT members and non-mebers and had a more relaxed feel. And again, David regaled the hall with his witty and informative speech. David stressed the importance of biodiversity and urged everyone to get involved. He cited examples of big businesses who "went green" and in the evening gave a splendid slide show with tales of biodiversity conservation from across the world. A copy of the Countdown CD was presented to David and a demonstration of the new format given.
The Dormouse
LBAP has gone from success to success in 2001. Despite the Foot and Mouth
outbreak, surveying and monitoring was able to continue, albeit in a reduced
capacity. 20 new nestboxes were sited in Doley Wood, on Welsh side of Wych Brook.
The dormouse nestbox scheme has sited many boxes over the years and breeding
successes are being reported more and more. To get further details on how to
sponsor a dormouse nestbox contact the dormouse project officer, Sue Tatman,
at Cheshire Wildlife Trust (phone 01270 610180 or email [email protected]).
Sue has also been busy giving talks about the dormouse recovery project to a
number of interested groups and has assisted in production of sevreal articles
raising awareness which appeared in the local and national media.
The good news continues over the border... in December 2001 Sue helped to locate
two new dormouse sites in Staffordshire. Great news for the new year in Staffordshire!
The new nursery for propagation of black poplar cuttings is now fenced, cleared of vegetation and rotavated. Stock transfer will be carried out winter 2001/2002. Progress had been delayed due to access restrictions in place during the Foot and Mouth outbreak but it's full steam ahead now.The trees grown in this and the primary nursery are used for planting programmes throughout the Cheshire region. Last year 25 trees were planted with full guards in the Lower Weaver RVI thanks to funding from the Mersey Basin RVI scheme. Similar work has also been carried out along the Gowy in the Stamford Bridge area. For more information go to the Black Poplar LBAP page.
The details of the areas of new native woodland to be planted in Cheshire under the Forestry Commission Jigsaw scheme have been announced. This includes over 20 acres in Mid-Cheshire, including 4.5 acres at Weaver Wood in Winsford and 17 acres at Dutton. The selection was made by a panel containing representatives from the Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Life ECOnet Project and the Forestry Commission, all of whom sit on the Ancient Semi-Natural Broadleaved Woodland BAP Action Group. Keith Jones, Forestry Commission NW said "The standard of bids was exceptionally high. These linking woodlands highlight a key way in which we can make real contributions to our environment and conservation goals." A further £4m will be available nationwide for more Jigsaw grants in the next four years. Closing date for registration is 30th November 2001 and the deadline for bids in 2002 is 28th February.
The Jigsaw Challenge has been introduced by the Forestry Commission in England as a contribution to sustainable forest management to encourage the expansion and linkage of semi-natural woodland. Landowners who have, or suspect they have, ancient semi-natural broadleaved woodland on their land can apply to expand the woodland or link it with other ancient woodland nearby. The scheme lasts for five years and applications are accepted November to January. Applications are judged competitively, on quality, value for money and public benefit. The judges also consider the degree of partnership involvement with other organisations and initiatives and how much public support is evident for the project. You have just missed your chance for 2001 but to be ahead of the game for next year you can find further information here or by contacting staff at the Forestry Commission on 01606 889912, or email the woodland officers Charles Blackwood, Paul Vickers or Gordon Adam.
Anne-Marie Smith (Upper
Weaver Initiative) has arranged a free training course for LBAP volunteers.
It is a one day course leading to a certificate valid for 3 years. It will be
held on Sunday 27th
January 2002 at the St John Ambulance training centre in Crewe (near ASDA, maps
will be distributed in due course).
We apologise for the relatively short notice but St John Ambulance have been
limited on time.
20 places are being offered on a first come first served basis.
If you are a volunteer on an LBAP Action Group and would like to attend please
get in contact with your LBAP coordinator or the Countdown Coordinator (Phone
01270 610180. Fax 01270 610430. Email Countdown_Coordinator).
Helen King from Silver
Creek, WA (USA) has produced a sculpture of a brown hare and is donating some
of the profits to the Brown Hare BAP Action Group.
To view Helen's catalogue point your browser at http://www.geocities.com/bronzestuff/index.html
Marc and Laura Holmes (Countdown co-ordinator) are proud to announce the safe arrival of Georgia Rose Holmes.
Born 09:54 on 17th May 2001, weighing 7lb 8oz.
Good news is that there were 19 breeding pairs of barn owl confirmed for Cheshire during 2000, these are encouraging results, with the number of breeding pairs increasing gradually - there being only 7 pairs in 1998 and 10 pairs in 1999 confirmed for the whole of Cheshire and the Wirral.
The activities of the increasing number of local barn owl group members is the most likely reason for the increased number of confirmed breeding pairs of barn owls in Cheshire and the Wirral during the 2000 season, although it is also indicates the success of nestbox schemes and barn owl habitat encouragement that the Cheshire Barn Owl Project aims to achieve. Around 100 barn owl nest boxes have now been located in Cheshire, with a number of these being used for breeding during 2000. The continued hard work of the local barn owl groups is making sure that even more barn owl boxes are located in areas of suitable habitat, so that young birds from the known breeding sites can spread to other areas.
There are four well established local barn owl groups covering Cheshire and the Wirral, with an increasing number of voluntary members (estimated at over 100 in total), these groups are the Broxton Barn Owl Group (West Cheshire), the Wirral & Ellesmere Port Barn Owl Group, the South Cheshire Barn Owl Group, and the Mid Cheshire Barn Owl Conservation Group. The groups each have monthly meetings in their respective areas and are keen to attract new members - if you would like to get involved, contact the Barn Owl Project Officer at The Cheshire Wildlife Trust who can provide more details.
Most of the groups have been successful in securing grants and have had some good media coverage, as well as being proactive in involving local landowners and community groups within their activities. Local barn owl group activities include nestbox making, habitat surveys, pellet analysis, and landowner liaison. It is the hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm of members of the local barn owl groups that has resulted in a more positive outlook for the barn owl in Cheshire.
The Cheshire Barn Owl Project is
a partnership of county conservation organisations and local people. It is funded
by 3C Waste with additional contributions from Vauxhall Motors, Hays Chemicals,
Massey Bros. and Associated Octel.
A small population of water voles in Basford Brook were under threat from construction of the A500 Shavington bypass. Cheshire Wildlife Trust and the Highways Agency are working together to find safe new homes for the water voles. They are carrying out work to encourage the voles to move further away from the construction site into an area being developed for wildlife. The new living areas should also benefit another BAP species, the great crested newt.
The Cheshire region Biodiversity Partnership (see Partners) and the BASC have teamed up to launch the BASC 'Green Shoots - An Action Plan for the Shooting Community' in Cheshire. Questionnaires will be going out to all BASC members in Cheshire to ask about the habitat and species on their land or the land they shoot on. The information will give an accurate audit of the area and also can help target the work of the action groups by enabling the landowners and managers to be put in contact with LBAP Action Groups so they can work together to conserve biodiversity. The launch of the project is planned for the end of May but this will depend on the current Foot and Mouth outbreak. Watch this space for further details.
The Bluebell LBAP Action Group are asking everyone to keep an eye out for bluebells this spring. Native bluebells are an endangered species and the UK holds 30% of the global population of bluebells. Bluebells are typically found in deciduous woodland, especially coppice, where they may dominate the ground flora. They can also be common in other shady places such as hedgerow banks and under bracken as well as more open habitats, such as coastal grassland in the west of Britain. So as you are out and about then keep your eyes open. If you see any please contact Julia Hancell on 01928 573697.
The Brown Hare LBAP Action Group had been planning to carry out a vantage point survey this spring involving many local farmers and beaglers. Unfortunately, due to the foot and mouth outbreak across the UK it has been decided to postpone it for this year. It is hoped one will be done next year and in the meantime the group will be drawing up plans and maps ready to target key areas.
Lower Moss Wood Wildlife Hospital invited members of the Cheshire Bat Group and Bats LBAP Action Group to see the delights of a new bat fly cage. Designed and built by staff at the wildlife hospital, which is supported through charitable donations, the fly cage is a safe environment for injured bats. It is a self-enclosed environment where the temperature, daylength and even wind speed can be altered for the bats. Each bat has an individual roost and plenty of room to fly around and search for food. The Bat group congratulated Lower Moss Wood on this new project and it is anticipated it will play a big part in the recovery and return to the wild of injured bats.
If you do find an injured bat do not touch it. Contact Jo Kirwin (phone 01606 852757) who can arrange for someone to collect and care for the bat. It is against the law to disturb bat roosts or touch bats without a handlers license from English Nature.
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