Page 9 - Wildlife News August 2019
P. 9
Eyes have it:
keeled skimmer dragonfly
(CHRIS LAWRENCE)
E very three years BBOWT undertakes a comprehensive
‘health check’ of all the wildlife it is responsible for. Our
nature reserves should be safe havens for numerous
different species, but we need to collect the evidence to be sure.
An army of dedicated and experienced volunteers helps the
ecology team carry out a multitude of surveys, from counting
butterflies to recording adders. The survey data is then collated
and together with the results from habitat condition surveys, a In focus: Dragons at Cothill Fen
condition assessment is made for each habitat on each reserve.
This ecological information is crucial in helping shape the Parsonage Moor is home to an important group of dragonflies
strategies used to manage our nature reserves. This way we can and damselflies that use the open pools and stream which
ensure the most effective activities are carried out to benefit the runs through the site. Specialist species include the southern
special wildlife found within them. damselfly, keeled skimmer and small red damselfly. Southern
Three years come round very quickly and in 2018 it was once damselflies are very rare and a priority species for conservation
action. Targeted management work has opened up the stream
again time to check in and assess the conservation status of the and created new pools, allowing marginal vegetation to flourish
Trust’s entire landholding. The results were very encouraging. and populations of keeled skimmer and southern damselfly to
Over the last 10 years the proportion of land which is in good greatly increase in recent years.
condition for wildlife has roughly doubled from around 30% in All these achievements would not be of our nature
2009 to just over 60% last year. possible without the support of volunteers reserves
The past decade has also seen a considerable increase in
the area of our nature reserves. Today we look after some 2,600 86%and members like you. Together we can feel or are moving
hectares across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. So towards key
not only is there a relative improvement in wildlife value, there justifiably proud that BBOWT is making a
is also an absolute increase in the area managed specifically to significant, positive difference for wildlife.
protect, enhance and restore nature.
If we drill down into the 2018 data we get a current snap-shot have met Our work is far from done though. We
of nature reserve condition, which shows that 86% of our reserves
have met or are moving towards key conservation targets. know that wildlife is seriously under threat.
The dormouse population in England and
conservationWales has declined by a third since the end
targetsof the 20th century; yellowhammers declined
But all these numbers can feel rather dry and detached from across the south-east by 23% between 2006 and 2016 and wood white
the natural world. What do they mean in terms of everyday butterflies numbers have plummeted by more than 80% since 1976.
wildlife? Highlights include the restoration of the island in There are many challenges we face, from climate change to ash
Hosehill Lake through scrub removal, resulting in Since 2015 the dieback to disturbance. But we also know it is possible
wading birds such as lapwing and redshank nesting total area of our to make a difference because the evidence from our
after an absence of 15 years. At Chimney Meadows nature reserves has nature reserves shows us. Now, more than ever, is the
there has been a remarkable recovery in wildflower time to take action to save nature so that our children’s
expandedabundance following the dramatic and destructive children can delight in a world as rich in wildlife as the
one we have been privileged to be part of.
summer flooding of 2007. And then there’s the
21.5% to n To read the Conservation Report in full please visit
2,644Warburg Nature Reserve thanks to coppicing which bbowt.org.uk/conservationreport18
increase in silver-washed fritillary butterflies at
improved conditions for dog-violets, its foodplant. hectares
In focus: Chalk grassland returns
In 2012 nine hectares of agricultural grassland adjacent to the
existing Dancersend with Pavis Woods nature reserve started
on the journey to restoration. Following ground preparation
wildflower seed was spread out while some areas were scraped
back to provide bare chalk for
basking butterflies. Ongoing Brown argus.
care included grazing and (PETER CREED)
control of weeds like thistle
and dock. Today cover of
wildflowers such as marjoram
has significantly increased
and with it the range and
abundance of butterflies.
New butterfly species have
been recorded, including
the green hairstreak and
brown argus.
Wildlife news / August 2019 9
