WINTER WILDLIFE WALKS near you

In this issue ...

How to help garden birds Wonderful ponds BBOWTs green apprentices

Comment
December, at the tail end of the year, is always a good time for reflection as well as thinking about the challenges and opportunities of the year ahead. This month also marks the end of an era for BBOWT as our chairman, Hugh Mellor CBE, retires after serving for 15 years on the Board and for 10 years as Chairman. As a rookie Chief Executive taking up the role in 2003, I could not have been more fortunate than to have had such an experienced and benevolent chairman and Hugh has certainly guided me through many obstacles and challenges over the last decade. In particular we both shared a determination to improve the reach of our environmental education work and as a result we now have centres at College Lake in Bucks, Sutton Courtenay in Oxon and Woolley Firs in Berks. But Hughs thinking has gone beyond just engaging with schoolchildren and families. He has always placed a priority on those children who are more familiar with the feel of concrete than grass beneath their feet who have not had the advantage of easy access to nature and who stand to gain the most from the experiences we can offer of getting close to nature. That has resulted in our travel bursary scheme piloted in Berkshire this year, which we plan to roll out to other counties over the coming years. Hugh has provided the Trust with vision and ambition and it has been an enormous pleasure and privilege to work with him. Fortunately the Board has found a new chairman, Sir Clive Booth, to take on the mantle. These are difficult economic times, but Clive, who has been a member since 1990, is already working with staff to make sure we can continue to raise the money we need to support our nature reserves and our education programmes, and enable us to tackle new sites that could and should be safeguarded for their wildlife value. It is only through the continued support of our members that we can protect local wildlife. Your monthly membership subscription is vital in these tough times. So many, many thanks and please do continue to support our work in 2013. Wishing you a very happy New Year. Philippa Lyons, Chief Executive

Wildlife News December 2012 Contents

3 Nature reserve and project news 6 Seasonal highlights winter wildlife walks 8 Conservation in action wonderful ponds 13 Quick guide to lichens 14 The futures bright, the futures GREEN 16 Hot topics: ash dieback, badger vaccinations, HS2 latest 18 National news: around The Wildlife Trusts 22 10 great places to see otters 24 Sign up a new member and win wildlife pocket guides
Copy date for next issue: Tuesday 5 February 2013. We welcome your views and news; please send to the editor using our main office address below. Copyright Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust 2012 Editor: Rachel Hudson Contributors: Dan Akam, Adriana Alberts, Peter Creed, Emily Gould, Rachel Hudson, Lynn Hughes, Matt Jackson, Philippa Lyons, Jamie Scott, Giles Strother, Wendy Tobitt, Rachel Thorp, Elene Walton, Colin Williams. Editor of UK content: Rupert Paul Cover photograph: Yellowhammer (Mark Hamblin/ naturepl.com)

Large-print version of Wildlife News (text only) is available on request. Please tel. 01865 775476 or email info@bbowt.org.uk

Hugh Mellor CBE, steps down as BBOWT chairman after many years of service. Hugh has championed both local wildlife and the need to inspire the next generation.

Designed and produced by The NatureBureau, Newbury www.naturebureau.co.uk Printed by Information Press on an FSC certified paper.

Contact us: Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, The Lodge, 1 Armstrong Road, Littlemore, Oxford, OX4 4XT Tel: 01865 775476 Email: info@bbowt.org.uk www.bbowt.org.uk Membership Tel: 01865 788300 Email: membership@bbowt.org.uk President: Steve Backshall Chairman: Hugh Mellor CBE Chief Executive: Philippa Lyons
The Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust is one of 47 Wildlife Trusts across the country which work to protect wildlife in town and countryside. Registered charity number: 204330

Wildlife news

We are protecting m ore wildlife thanks to yo u

NEWS IN BRIEF
Yellow Plaque for Warburg
BBOWT is one of 10 charities in the UK to be awarded a yellow plaque as part of a new national scheme to recognise the contribution made by people who leave gifts to charity in their wills. The plaque recognises the work of lifelong wildlife enthusiast Vera Paul OBE, whose legacy helps us to maintain Warburg Nature Reserve. The plaque was unveiled by Roger Dobbs, Honorary Vice President, who has also made a bequest to BBOWT in his will.
Roger Dobbs at Warburg Reserve.
(Charlotte Snowden)

Business lends a helping hand

Staff at Panasonic UK in Bracknell showed just how much you can do to help local wildlife in a spare hour by building more than 30 bird, bug and bat boxes during their lunch break. Panasonic volunteers with two In Oxfordshire, boxes for robins and a bat box. (Kelly Hayes) the wetland at Chimney Meadows was given a boost thanks to an enthusiastic team from PWC who helped us to clear overgrown scrub. Our thanks also go to the following companies for renewing their corporate membership: Johnson Matthey Plc (Silver member), Sophos Ltd, Grundon Waste Management Ltd, Thames Water Utilities Ltd, Taylor & Francis and Cherwell Boathouse. Were also delighted to welcome to the scheme Oracle UK (as a Gold member) and Anglian Water. Please contact partnerships@bbowt.org.uk for information about becoming a corporate member.

Snowdrops at Bowdown Woods nature reserve.

(Rob Appleby)

Celebrate with BBOWT

Recently, long-term supporter Shirley Townend celebrated her 90th birthday, and rather than receiving gifts she requested friends and family make donations to the Trust to help local wildlife. Donations like these help to fund our conservation work. If you or someone you know would like to mark your special event or important birthday by helping to safeguard precious nature reserves please contact membership on 01865 788300 or email membership@bbowt.org.uk.

Join our recruitment team

One of the ways we encourage people to become new BBOWT members is through recruiters like Adriana Alberts. If you would like flexible working hours and enjoy getting out to talk to people while helping the Trust at the same time, this could be the job for you Ever since I was a child, I have always had a passion for wildlife and grew up avidly watching David Attenboroughs documentaries. For me, being outdoors has always been a pleasure, whether its walking in a woodland carpeted with bluebells in spring, or watching a swirling cloud of starlings in late autumn. As our local charity, committed to protecting and conserving wildlife, BBOWT is a wonderful and worthy cause; for that reason I have been a member for a number of years. I started door-to-door recruiting in 2009 and thoroughly enjoy my role. Its a fun way of recruiting new members while earning some extra money and all for a good cause. People are often very pleasant on the doorstep, the hours are very flexible (ideal for early retired people) and the job entails a friendly no pressure approach. I love meeting new people within my local community and sharing our mutual interest in the outdoors. There are lots of wildlife enthusiasts out there who are often happy to have a chat about Dry Sandford Pit, a Trust nature reserve I visit with my family. Youd be surprised how often they say to me: Thanks for coming round Ive been meaning to join BBOWT. Even if people are unfamiliar with BBOWT or dont join, I like to think I am promoting the Trust for the future. After all, enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm! And the job can be full of nice surprises, like the time I met and recruited a famous author, or when I encountered a university friend I hadnt seen for over 20 years. Adriana Alberts.

Find out more You dont need to be a wildlife expert; full training and support is provided. You can choose hours to suit you, whether it is part-time, weekend or seasonal work. Please contact Liz Child on 01865 775476, email: lizchild@bbowt.org.uk or visit: bbowt.org.uk/jobs.

NFU Prize winner

Were pleased to announce the winners of the NFU Mutual Oxford Agency prize draw: 1st prize: binoculars worth 350 Nigel Bilderbeck 2nd prize: 250 John Lewis voucher Elizabeth Walker 3rd prize: Concept Safari Picnic Backpack Marie Hale For more information about BBOWTs wider partnership with NFU Mutual Oxford Agency, please contact ruthgrice@bbowt.org.uk

December 2012

SCHOOLS OUT!
to give children from urban areas the opportunity to get excited about being outdoors in green spaces. Research shows that children who can get close to nature are happier, healthier and more likely to become future guardians of the natural world.

s children began a new school term BBOWT launched a pilot education project in Aylesbury to get children outside the classroom and into nature. Working with William Harding Combined School we are introducing an entire year group (almost 100 56 year-olds) to the natural world right where they are, starting in their school grounds and then reaching out into the local green spaces in their community. Kitted out with waterproof dungarees and raincoats, the children are using their senses to explore and discover the delights of autumn and trees, minibeasts and spring, under the guidance of BBOWTs education officer, Catherine Back. The project, funded by the Rothschild Foundation, will build up to a visit to College Lake nature reserve where the children will have the opportunity to use the skills and enthusiasm they developed over the two terms. With wildlife-rich woodland, wetland and meadows we hope to raise their own aspirations about seeing and caring for the natural world both where they live and beyond their own neighbourhoods. Claire Garrity, environmental education manager for Bucks says: Its incredibly important

Can we change attitudes?

During the introductory sessions Catherine is finding out how the children feel about being outdoors to play and explore. Initial findings reveal that the majority of children clearly prefer to play with friends indoors because its warm and cosy. Many are not keen to get muddy and dirty or do not want to hurt themselves, and when invited to hold a woodlouse quite a few of the children were afraid to get close. Over the school year BBOWT will evaluate the project to see if we can measure the impact of the programme on childrens confidence in being outdoors, their understanding of how to engage with nature, their sense of wonder, and their knowledge of local wildlife. Watch this space in forthcoming issues of Wildlife News to find out how the pilot progresses

NEWS IN BRIEF
Restoring Bernwood Forest
January marks the beginning of a three-year project to restore and recreate the woodland, meadow and hedgerow habitats at five of our nature reserves that were once part of the ancient landscape of Bernwood Forest. Thanks to a grant from WREN through the Landfill Communities Fund, countless woodland birds, flowers and butterflies, including the magnificent purple emperor, will all benefit from the work we carry out.
Purple emperor.
(Jim Asher)

Every little bit of

In September volunteers on the extension at Dancersend in the Chilterns painstakingly collected seed on the chalk downland slopes, and sprinkled them into three large scrapes created last year. It will take a few years for the chalk grassland plants to become established, so the volunteers will be cultivating and planting horseshoe and kidney vetch to attract butterflies such as the chalkhill blue, allowing species to spill out from the nature reserve.
Volunteers seed collecting. (Robert Lewis)

Sowing wild flowers

Friends of Haymill Valley.

(Jamie Scott)

The Haymill Revival

Haymill Valleys small and dedicated team of volunteers has been building in number and transforming this green oasis in urban Slough. They are clearing overgrown footpaths, installing new entrance signs and ensuring local people can enjoy a walk down the woodland rides and watch birds in the crowded reedbed. Their recent Discovery Day was a big hit, with families turning out to explore, compete in a scavenger hunt and watch the team in action.

Its not just during the summer months that our volunteers, staff and trainees keep a close eye on wildlife. In November we had a team searching for harvest mice nests. Throughout the winter months we are counting populations of wetland birds. In January the brown hairstreak butterfly egg count begins, and when its bitingly cold specially licensed bat workers carefully check bat hibernacula to record numbers and species (they mustnt raise the temperature for the sleeping bats).

Winter health checks

(BBOWT)

Looking for butterfly eggs.

Wildlife winners
Our Volunteer of the Year 2012 Group Award goes to the Arable Weed Project volunteers at College Lake. Since the 1980s they have pioneered the conservation of cornfield flowers on the brink of extinction.

Wildlife news

Your continued supp ort is making a difference

ON YOUR PATCH:
BBOWT volunteer and wildlife gardener Rachel Strachan shares a few tips on how to help birds through the winter.
I love this time of year. As the leaves fall from the trees in my garden the birds are easier to spot and spend longer filling up on the supplies I provide. I may even glimpse an overwintering visitor from further afield a redwing or fieldfare gobbling berries from my pyracantha. As our countryside changes increasing numbers of birds rely on our gardens for their needs: food and water, shelter and roosting cover, singing perches, nest sites, nesting materials, and protection for fledglings. Between December and March natural food supplies are scarce, so supplementary food helps garden birds survive and stay in good condition for breeding. The greater variety of food you provide, in different sorts of feeders, the more types of bird you will attract. Hanging feeders containing peanuts or seeds attract tits and finches, as well as nuthatch, brambling (pictured below) and spotted woodpecker. Mixed winter flocks of tits devour hanging fat blocks, whilst suet pellets on the ground can be eaten by thrushes. Bird tables with kitchen scraps or bird food will bring starlings, dunnocks, blackcap and others. Windfall apples put out through winter feed blackbirds and can tempt in fieldfare. Put limited food out at a time, and clear up droppings and waste to reduce disease. Regularly clean all feeders and water containers. A supply of water for drinking and bathing is a high priority for birds too. A shallow container kept topped-up will do. Its important to remove or melt any ice. Looking ahead, why not put up some nest boxes to increase nest sites in your garden? Consider planting a tree, shrub or hedge in the spring, which can provide birds with a berry bonanza plus cover for nesting or roosting. Choose natives like guelder-rose, spindle or hawthorn, or cultivated varieties like pyracantha or cotoneaster.
(David Kilbey)

From bark rubbing to matching leaves with their trees, children from William Harding School are discovering nature in a playful way, learning without even realising it.
(Rachel Hudson)

help you give BBOWT means more wildlife is saved thank you
Did you know?
You dont need to be a wildlife expert to become a BBOWT volunteer. Recently recruited volunteers Cath Moore and Karen Peters are office workers by day and members of the Friends of Woolley Firs in Berks at the weekend. Cath is now a fully trained brushcutter operator and both Cath and Karen built a footpath to the chalk bank. When they are not building paths or cutting back scrub they also stock watch for us to check that our New Forest ponies and Hebridean sheep are happy and healthy. Without volunteers like Cath and Karen we couldnt achieve half as much as we do so heres to all our local wildlife champions! Thank you for your time and dedication. You can find everything you need to know about getting involved as a Trust volunteer at bbowt.org.uk/how-you-canhelp/volunteer/
Cath and Karen (pictured centre) with the Friends of Woolley Firs next to their recently created homes for stag beetles.

Feed the birds and help raise funds A copy of your Vine House Farm bird seed catalogue is enclosed with this issue of Wildlife News. Last year the Trust received a donation of 10,000 thanks to orders placed by BBOWT members. Find out more For a copy of BBOWTs Feeding Garden Birds factsheet no. 10, email wildinfo@bbowt.org.uk or tel 01865 799307. Rachel recommends The Birdwatchers Garden, by Hazel and Pamela Johnson, (14.99) ISBN 9781861088703 Turn to the back page for the chance to win a copy of the RSWT Concise Garden Bird Guide (4.99) ISBN 9781847739780.

For details of all award winners go to bbowt.org.uk/ how-you-can-help/ volunteer-of-the-year

December 2012

Flowers of yesteryear as far as the eye can see. (Helen Walsh)

Away from the crowds, free to visit and full of winter wonders. Its time to get out to a BBOWT nature reserve near you.

Farmland birds
hy not take a stroll around Wells Farm nature reserve in Oxon in search of mixed flocks of farmland birds? In winter they are making good use of the energy-rich seeds at the field margins. At Wells Farm we aim to strike the right balance between farming activities and providing a thriving wildlife habitat. During particularly cold weather the reserve can support impressive flocks of finches, buntings and larks. The real challenge is to identify the birds as they creep amongst the stubble in search of seeds. Look out for the yellow belly of the yellowhammers, which stand out among the browns and greys of corn bunting and skylark. The corn bunting is the largest of the buntings with quite a plump appearance and the skylark should still show evidence of a crest at this time of year. If they take to the wing and wheel backwards and forwards high overhead like a swarm of midges, it certainly helps to know their calls if you would like to tell them apart. The corn bunting utters a rather liquid quit-it-it flight call in contrast to the skylarks chirrup. Corn buntings also have a habit of dangling their legs in flight. Also look out for finches such as chaffinch and linnet, which could also be feeding in the stubble fields. The field margins will be the areas to check for charms of goldfinches feasting on dead thistle and teasel heads. The hedgerows should have attendant flocks of marauding redwing and fieldfare. These mixed flocks of

winter thrushes, visiting from Scandinavia, can strip a hedgerow of its berry crop in a day or two! Many of our farmland birds have suffered catastrophic declines in recent decades due to the increasing intensification of agriculture. The lack of food during winter months is a significant factor in the decline of yellowhammers and corn buntings. By creating wide field margins, diverse hedgerows and wild bird seed crops, as well as providing overwintering stubble at Wells Farm, we have created a giant bird table packed with the food our farmland birds need to survive the winter. Find out more Please see your reserves handbook for locations of all nature reserves or go to bbowt.org.uk/reserves. Your Nature Notes e-bulletin sent on 30 November has more ideas for winter walks across the three counties. Go to www.bbowt.org.uk/whats-on for our programme of guided wildlife walks.

ITS TIME TO SEE

Treecreeper
This distinctive woodland bird often joins flocks of tits and other small birds during the winter months, so if you come across such a flock in a wood such as Warburg Nature Reserve or Finemere Wood, it is worth listening out for the high trill of a treecreeper among them. Contrary to popular belief the evergreen ivy does not harm its host tree and provides food and shelter for a multitude of wildlife including beetles and hibernating butterflies. The flowers, produced in autumn to early winter, are incredibly rich in nectar and ripen to dark purple fruit in late winter to mid-spring.
(Sherie New/seeing.org.uk) (Andy Fairbairn)

Head to the woods anytime from December to February to find these tiny, yet brightly coloured fungi that decorate fallen, moss-covered, rotten twigs. The best places to look are along the path edges at Bowdown Woods, Sydlings Copse and Dancersend nature reserves.

Wildlife news

(Peter Creed)

Ivy

Scarlet elfcup

Goldfinch. (Tony House/seeing.org.uk)

Corn buntings (Terry Whittaker/naturepl.com)

Winter tracking
Mustering the will to go out walking in the winter snow or mud can reward you with some unique wildlife encounters. You are less likely to see a creature itself, but more likely to discover the footprints of every animal that passes by. Visit Sydlings Copse in Oxfordshire and you may see the dog-like tracks of the fox, distinguishable by the imaginary X you can draw between the unusually small pad and four digits. Drop by Moor Copse in Berkshire and you might find the heartshaped impressions of a roe deers hooves alongside the much smaller muntjacs, with its characteristic one cleave longer than the other. But dont forget to look for other signs of winter animals, such as hazelnuts lodged in the bark of trees by the nuthatch, the web of a long-gone spider or the droppings of a travelling hare. Each builds the story of a winter in the wild.

Fox
35 50 mm

Dog

Badger
35 45 mm

Muntjac
20 3040 mm

Roe deer
30 45 mm

Red deer
70 90 mm

In December and January red foxes become more Harvest mouse. visible and more audible.
Sands/naturepl.com) (Andy Rouse/naturepl.com)

Across the lake

Winter is the best time to watch wetland birds and wildfowl. BBOWT has some lovely nature reserves with lakes and waterside views from snug hides. If you seek tranquillity head to Weston Turville Reservoir in Bucks, screened by woodland and fringed with thick reedbeds that rustle in the breeze. From High Bank you have the best view of the entire lake with great crested grebe, geese and swans. If you train your binoculars on the fishing platforms tucked into the reedbeds you are likely to see a lone heron poised to catch fish. For a more bustling wildlife experience spend a few hours at College Lake with its panoramic views across the lakes and shallows. If youre lucky you may see a large flock of lapwing. From the octagonal hide watch colourful wigeon and teal.

College Lake Nature Reserve.

(Michaela J. Davies)

For more information about wildlife near you visit bbowt.org.uk/wildlife/species-a-z

(Peter Creed)

Robin
This is one of the only birds to be heard singing in the garden on Christmas Day. Both the male and female sing during the winter, though their winter song sounds more wistful than the summer version. When fluffed up to keep warm, these fierce little birds almost double in size.

Brimstone
With its distinctive sulphurcoloured, leaf-shaped wings, the male brimstone butterfly is a welcome sight after a long, dark winter. It is one of the few species that hibernates as an adult and, as such, spends the majority of its life as an adult butterfly.

December 2012

(Sue White)

Teal. (Roger Wilson)