Latest news
International Year of Forests
The United Nations has proclaimed 2011 as the International Year of Forests. It has invited governments, organisations and individuals to come together to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. Together with the Wiltshire and Swindon Biological Records Centre (WSBRC) we will be running a series of surveys to record the wildlife found in Wiltshire's woodlands, as the more we know about them, the better we can protect them.
We will be displaying information about woodland walks and activities being held throughout the year here, so please get in touch if you'd like us to help publicise your event. In the meantime - get recording! Tell us about the wildlife that you've seen in the woodlands near you, by going to the WSBRC's website and reporting your sightings. We've also created some new woodland wildlife ID guides especially for the International Year of Forests, which you can download from the WSBRC website, and use to help you discover the wealth of wildlife that can be found in Wiltshire's woodlands.
Lydiard Park BioBlitz event
Our first BioBlitz event was held at Lydiard Park on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th June. A BioBlitz is a recording event involving experts and public, generally over 24 hours. The aim is to rapidly survey the wildlife on a site and engage the public in observing the natural world around them. Records collected at Lydiard Park were collated by the WSBRC and will be used to inform the park’s future management plans.
Despite the incoming weather, Lydiard Park escaped the worst and over 60 people joined Saturday evening’s bat walk and moth trapping events. Four bat species were recorded on the walk - Common and Soprano Pipistrelles, Daubenton’s and a Noctule speeding along the lakeside – along with a toad and some sticklebacks!
On Sunday we were less fortunate with the weather. However, several County Recorders put their expertise into practice identifying moth specimens caught the night before, checking mammal traps and recording sawflies and other lesser known invertebrates. Light traps yielded a total of 336 moths representing 104 species and including stunning specimens such as the White Ermine, Eyed Hawk Moth and Buff Tip. The mammal traps yielded Wood Mice and both Bank and Short-tailed Voles down by the woodland.
The afternoon saw the rain drive families and wildlife to shelter, but those who did brave the wet enjoyed activities such as pond dipping, ‘bug’ collecting and a mammal walk as well as learning about the wildlife at Lydiard Park from our experts. Children’s activities included mask and hat making.
The grand total for the event came to 417 records of 134 different species, which considering the deluge on Sunday wasn’t a bad number!
If you have any records from the BioBlitz that you have not yet submitted, please return them to us as soon as possible.
Come and cut down some trees, get fit and enjoy the outdoors
What a bad thing to do, you might think. But some trees grow better and last longer if they are regularly cut - and you can have fun doing it.
The Peatmoor Community Woodland Group meets every month to manage Peatmoor Copse which is situated by the lagoon. The wood is a remnant of the ancient Braydon Forest which was once a royal hunting ground. To many nowadays, it’s a secret green oasis within West Swindon. Well over 20 years ago, as houses were built and occupied around it, volunteers with support from Swindon Borough Council, started to take community ownership of the area and bring the woodland back to life by coppicing the hazel, ash, alder, hornbeam and willow. We use handsaws and loppers most of the time to cut down the trees in defined compartments on a seven year rotation.
This old management technique of cutting back and regeneration has encouraged a wide variety of bird, mammal and insect life to return and it increases the lifespan of the trees. Getting outside and doing practical things has been shown to improve mental and physical well being; we like to think of Peatmoor Copse as a green gym. The group meets on the first Sunday of the month, 10am to 1pm, and newcomers who want to do something for the environment, try something practical outdoors and learn about woodland management are needed. Children are welcome to come along and learn woodcraft skills but they must be accompanied by an adult.
The site is not easy for people in wheelchairs and there are no toilets on site. Climate change has meant the coppicing season has got shorter as mild autumn weather and earlier springs keeps the trees growing for longer, so we need all the help we can get to complete each year’s work. To join in, call Roger Ogle on 608840 or mail:roger_ogle@mac.com
For more information please contact- Roger Ogle Publisher/Editor, SwindonLink magazine 71 Basepoint, Swindon SN5 7EX Tel: 01793 608840 www.swindonlink.com
Shaw Forest Park, Bird Survey
Stuart Searl, SBC Ranger Team
In early 2009, I was involved in setting up a number of surveys around Swindon Borough. One of the areas I was keen to focus on was Shaw Forest Park, a relatively new site in the sense that it had only just been handed over to the Ranger Team as well as the fact it had only been reclaimed from landfill in 1993. There had been a few spot surveys conducted by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust for a report in 1999.
These, surveys by the author's own admission, couldn’t be considered a complete survey and recommended that more survey work be done at a ‘more appropriate time of year’. This ‘Wildlife Evaluation’ report was my primary source of information on the species diversity present and formed the basis of my response to information gathering at Shaw Forest. Of particular interest the evaluation had identified twelve bird species, five of which were listed on the RSPB’s Red and Amber lists (skylark, song thrush, kestrel, woodcock, bullfinch).
This bore further investigation and since the bird survey started in February 2009, a further five red list species (fieldfare, redwing, redpoll, house sparrow and linnet) have been seen regularly as well as ten additional amber list species (little egret, Jack snipe, mallard whitethroat, willow warbler, barn owl, green woodpecker, swallow, dunnock and grey wagtail). Some additional highlights of the Bird Survey to date: Pair of sparrowhawk seen in the trees regularly this year; skylark seen doing their famous parachuting song; barn owl hunting; two raven seen in April 2010; and evidence that Whitethroats are raising young on site.
For more information please contact Stuart Searl on ssearl@swindon.gov.uk
Aliens amongst the corn
Recording rates for arable plants has always been patchy. Being annuals they have sporadic flowering and sites can be difficult to survey due to restricted access. With this in mind the Wiltshire Botanical Society attempted to redress the balance slightly by undertaking surveys of arable plants within Swindon. The kind provision of a small grant from the North Wessex Downs AONB sustainability fund helped with travel expenses for members. Three farms were chosen; Eastbrook, Prebendel and Weir farm. Recording took place in July and August and all results were sent off to Plantlife as a contribution to their Arable Plants project. Kate Still from Plantlife provided record cards and identification guides.
From a list certain plants could be scored for rarity, 9 being the highest score and 1 the lowest. Field margins and corners were traipsed along in the hope of finding something interesting amongst the scentless mayweed and corn sow thistles. On one excursion and much to our surprise we came across night-flowering catchfly (Silene noctiflora), a very uncommon plant in these parts. Its sticky hairs were indeed encased in flies and sure enough its petals were inrolled during the day. On a separate trip we also stumbled across cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) which we believe is the only naturally occurring population in Wiltshire. Another farm was more intensively farmed but even here one plant of rye brome (Bromus secalinus) was found. Thanks are due to the landowners involved for allowing access onto their sites.
For more details contact the Wiltshire Botanical Society on 01249 656284
Bat Workers do it ……after dark next to a lake usually
The Swindon Bat Project was set up in April 2010 with the aim of surveying the parks and open spaces for its bat species. Previous data for bats was paltry and we had little knowledge of what species would be found, where roosts were or prime feeding habitats. Having sampled the enthusiasm of people from previous bat walks it was thought that recruiting volunteers would not be too big a problem. Luckily this has proved to be the case with 35 people on the email distribution list so far Currently we have surveyed Stanton Park, Coate Water, Shaw Forest, Lydiard Park, Mouldon Hill, The Lawn and Seven Fields. Bat detector surveys have their inherent disadvantages but we have managed to make some inroads on our knowledge of the bats found in Swindon. One night at Coate was particlually memorable with dozens of Daubenton’s bats (Myosotis daubentonii) scooping up the throng of insect life on the lake surface. Lydiard Park turned up Serotine bats (Eptesicus serotinus), Brown Long-eared (Plecotus auritus) as well as the ubiquitous Pipistrelles.
Dani Linton kindly offered to run a mist netting session at Stanton Park. Having known of several roosts for Noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) it was perhaps no surprise that a few turned up to be investigated by the group. Unusually however we caught 10 individuals which was only just beaten by the 11 Soprano Pipistrelles (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) we caught.
The project aims to continue into 2011 by focusing on engagement and training for its members. The Wiltshire Bat Group supports the group and it is hoped that the provision of equipment plus the ability to use it will give us a further peek into the lives of bats in Swindon. Joining the Wiltshire Bat Group will help bat work all over Wiltshire.
For more information please contact Tim Kaye on 01793 829704 or email timdankaye@hotmail.com
Opening up a new world
Some have described the weird clicks that a bat makes through a bat detector as opening up a whole new universe. It might not be that revolutionary but for the pupils of Lethbridge school it was certainly a unique experience. The Ranger Team was contacted by Helen Sowden, Assistant Head who was keen for her charges to understand a little about the natural world and the locality near them.
Two sessions of classroom activities were arranged for the Year 2 pupils and this galvanised interest in seeing some bats out in the wild. Children were played sounds of bats on a cd but then had the chance to go for a bat walk at Coate Water later in the summer. Such was the demand for a bat walk that two sessions had to be arranged. Just to be out of doors in the dark was an interesting change from the TV as the group headed out into the realms of Coate. As the sun fell, Pipistrelles emerged from the trees to feed on tiny insects.
Skirting by the waters edge a lucky few saw Daubentons scooping prey from the waters surface. To make matters even better the group were treated to cake provided by the kind dinner ladies of the school. Helen Sowden commented that ‘The children loved it and the feedback during the evening was great. It is always lovely to hear people say that they 'really must get out and do more things like this' and 'we should come down to Coate water more it is on our doorstep' etc.
The children get so much out of new experiences being our future little environmentalists it so great to have such enthusiasm.’ The Ranger team provide a education service for all schools and interest groups within the the Borough and this is just one example of the sterling work they do in bringing the natural world alive.
For more information please contact Tim Kaye on 01793 829704 or access http://www.swindon.gov.uk/schoolsonlilne-swindonrangers-environmentaleducation.htm
The presence of the Canadian goose (Branta canadensis) in Swindon’s Parks and Green Spaces
Over recent years concerns have been expressed concerning the numbers of Canadian geese in the boroughs parks and green spaces; many of these areas have lakes and ponds within their boundaries that naturally attract water birds. Concerns raised have included fouling, overgrazing of adjacent habitat vegetation, damage to crops, potential competition with other species, aggressive behavior, noise and bird strikes.
While we were aware of the presence of the birds and notably their breeding behaviors over the last two decades we had limited knowledge of their population dynamics, their distribution through the year, and if present were the reports “real” conflicts of interest or more perceived ones. As a realization of this shortfall the Swindon Ranger Team set up a monitoring program at the beginning of 2008, and is now nearing its third year of data collection.
Over the forthcoming winter we aim to overview the data in order to ascertain whether there are any patterns or trends illustrated over this relatively short period and if required make recommendations. What ever ones personal thoughts are concerning the presence of this non native species the Canada goose is none the less protected under the auspices of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981).
An additional factor to bear in mind is that to many of our park visitors the Canada goose represents one of the first and memorable wildlife interactions they may get during their visit to our Parks and Green Spaces!
For more information please contact Bob Sharman on 01793 490150
