Wild About Gwent April 2012.pdf - Gwent Wildlife Trust

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NEWS IN BRIEF Danger of chinese lanterns (Laura Crotch-Harvey) Dangers Expose the Dark Side of Chinese Lanterns There is a scene in the Disney animated film, Tangled, when tens of thousands of Chinese lanterns illuminate the night sky all at once. Although it seems tranquil and lovely, it’s just as well it’s a cartoon. Chinese lanterns are causing such a destructive environmental impact on UK coasts and countryside that the National Farmers’ Union and the Marine Conservation Society are calling for them to be banned outright. The paper lanterns are commonly made with thin wires that cause widespread littering, and often harm wildlife and farm animals. According to one NFU policy manager: “Across the UK, there have been numerous reports of harm to livestock, and in some instances death, when lanterns have landed in farmers’ fields, and cattle have ingested the metal wires. There is a further risk to cattle when grass is cut for winter feed: the wire is chopped up and subsequently found in hay or silage”. Falling lanterns still alight have burned fields and buildings. Spain is the most recent nation to ban them. The lanterns have previously been banned in Vietnam after causing numerous forest fires, and in three German states, after a lantern was blamed for the death of a boy in a house fire. A petition has been set up calling for a ban on the sale of Chinese lanterns in the UK. For more information, go to http:// epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/13051. As stories about the effects of global warming pervade the news, GWT’s Conservation Officer, Sorrel Jones takes a glance at how last year’s unbalanced weather took its toll on Gwent’s countryside and what it means for 2012. 2011 - A very confusing year for wildlife Looking back at 2011, did you feel that spring just merged into a long autumn, and summer didn’t really happen at all? Rather than our usual distinct seasons, our weather got rather muddled, throwing our wildlife into a state of confusion in the process. Following that severe winter of 2010-2011, our birds, insects, and mammals were probably pretty grateful for the warm (if rather dry) spring. Most animal and plants are triggered into their spring activities of growing, feeding, and breeding by a combination of day length, water availability, and temperature. The thresholds vary between species and are often influenced by ecological factors – woodland flowers tend to bloom early, before they are shaded out by the trees above them. The delicate relationship between plants and pollinators can be affected if the weather causes them to lose their synchronicity – if our nectarloving insects emerge too early, there may be very little for them to feed on. Sadly, the good fortune was not to last, as the summer was a cold one. Birds like blue tits and dippers that had confidently started second broods suffered and many failed entirely. The lack of sunshine meant that we didn’t see as many bees and butterflies as usual either. The dry spring and summer may also have affected habitats – as Hibernating dormouse (Danny Green) The State of Our Wildlife Water vole (Tom Marshall) some of the wetlands around the county are suffering from low water levels. This impacts on the plants and invertebrates that are adapted to wet habitats such as marshes and bogs. The weather became kind again with the second warmest autumn in a hundred years. A bountiful autumn is beneficial for most wildlife, especially those staying with us over the winter, as they build up fat supplies to see them through the leaner months. We even saw butterflies flying into November and December. Indeed, a few of our birders were disappointed that we saw less of our winter visitors, such as redwing and waxwing, because the weather wasn’t cold enough in Europe to drive them here. GWENT WILDLIFE TRUST x WILD ABOUT GWENT
NEWS IN BRIEF Waxwing (Margaret Holland) – A Year in Review As the long autumn wore on, we began to worry about our hibernating wildlife. Our bats, dormice, hedgehogs, reptiles, and amphibians need cold weather to start hibernating, but also for it to stay cold so that they don’t wake up too soon. A very mild winter can result in disturbed hibernation, which means those animals use up their valuable reserves, looking for food that isn’t yet there. We will have to wait and see how the recent frosts have impacted on these early risers. The good news Despite the jumbled weather, 2011 wasn’t completely without successes. GWT’s conservation efforts – surveying, management, and advice – are bringing about results. Dormice were recorded for the first time in Strawberry Cottage Wood and Cuhere Wood. Water voles are returning to the north of the Gwent. Meadow thistle has returned to Cleddon Bog SSSI following restoration management. And the second site for the rare Silurian moth in Wales was also found. Gwent Ecology Comprehensive, professional and pragmatic ecological services for planning, development and conservation The state of things to come So what’s in store for 2012? GWT will continue to work hard to protect and encourage wildlife in Gwent during the Wildlife Trusts movement’s centenary year. It’s also a big year for policy, with expected consultations on plans and policies covering everything from delivery of nature conservation and management across Wales and Marine Protected Areas, down to local development plans at the county level. Climate change predictions state that if we are not able to limit the global temperature rise to two degrees, we will experience much more extreme, less predictable weather patterns. The weather patterns we’ve seen in 2011 show how even small changes from the norm can have serious impacts on our wildlife. Although conservationists can help wildlife by creating and managing high quality, connected habitats, we can’t stop climate change by ourselves. It’s up to everyone to try. Thanks to Martin Anthoney, Jan Kinchington, Steph Tyler, and Steve Williams. Gwent Ecology • Seddon House • Monmouth • NP25 4DY T 01600 740600 • F 01600 740299 • info@gwentecology.co.uk www.gwentecology.co.uk Leucistic dunnock (John Harding BTO) What Turns a Blackbird White? A recent article from The Telegraph says ornithologists are searching for clues to a mystery condition that causes birds to have unusually coloured plumage. The discolouration, called leucism, can turn house sparrows pink, red woodpeckers yellow, and crows white. Some ornithologists believe the condition may be caused by changes in diet. Populations of house sparrows living by a Scottish salmon farm became pink after feeding on prawn shells used to give salmon more colour. Scientists believe the yellow on blue tit breasts comes from the volume of caterpillars they eat. If there are fewer caterpillars, the colour fades. And unlike albinos, whose eyes are pink, leucistic birds retain normal coloured eyes. A survey by the British Trust for Ornithology will examine the reasons for the colour variations and see how they might influence behaviour. For instance, robins with white breasts seem to more shy then those with red breasts. If you see a wild bird with some form of plumage abnormality, then please report it to the BTO Abnormal Plumage Survey – www.surveymonkey.com/s/ plumagesurvey. To learn more about the Abnormal Plumage Survey, visit the British Trust for Ornithology website at www.bto.org/gbw. April 2012
Page 1 and 2: Gwent Wildlife Trust Ymddiriedolaet
Page 3 and 4: NEWS IN BRIEF Wasp spider (Steve Da
Page 5 and 6: Lauri tackles one of her team (Anne
Page 7: Summer Fun Day at Magor Marsh Hosts
Page 11 and 12: Coppicing at Magor Marsh NEWS IN BR

Wild About Gwent April 2012.pdf - Gwent Wildlife Trust

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