Alderney Bird Observatory – a Channel Islands initiative

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Glyn Young

Please note that since this post was written, the Alderney Bird Observatory has launched its own dedicated website which can be visited here

Summary

An exciting project is being developed by the Alderney Wildlife Trust, to establish an Alderney Bird Observatory. The volunteer warden John Horton has already been appointed and will commence recording across the island and ringing at fixed sites within the Island’s largest Nature Reserve, Longis, which covers much of the eastern end of Alderney and other productive sites like Mannez Quarry.

John is taking a sabbatical from his London Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crimes Officer role in order to support this two year project to achieve accredited Bird Observatory status from the Bird Observatories Council, the minimum time allowed for such recognition. John is an experienced ringer (having ringed more than 60,000 birds over the past 10 years), and has full trainer status. He has a very inclusive approach to ringing, evidenced through his ringing activities in the North Kent Marshes. John has experience of the Channel Islands as he spent a couple of years working at Durrell’s Wildlife Park in Jersey before joining the Metropolitan Police.

The Observatory aims to be an educational resource highlighting the value of wildlife to the next generation. John would very much welcome any visiting ringers who wish to support the work through whatever time they can make available. Please note that all ringing activity in Alderney including seabirds should be coordinated through the Alderney Bird Observatory Warden in the first instance. Data collected from the Alderney Bird Observatory will be collated by the Channel Island Bird Ringing Scheme.

What is a Bird Observatory?

A Bird Observatory is a place which conducts long-term monitoring of bird populations and migration. Individual observatories are located at prime migration points around the British Isles and activity is conducted within a defined recording area. The first observatory was established on the Welsh island of Skokholm in 1933 and since then the British network has become renowned worldwide for its observatories, the quality of their observations and the wildlife viewing opportunities they present.

An integral part of an observatory’s work is bird ringing, the capturing of birds by a licensed ‘ringer’, who acts as the observatory’s Warden, thus enabling the study of population dynamics across an international species (British Trust for Ornithology for information on ringing here). In Alderney’s case the Bird Observatory would work within the Channel Island Ringing Scheme, in parallel to the BTO.

Observatories encourage volunteers to participate in scientific studies of birds and the environment, including ringing and more casual observations whilst out enjoying the areas they reside within. The results of these studies are made freely available to researchers and to the public who are welcome to then visit the observatories.

What benefits would a Bird Observatory bring to Alderney?

This is a project, born out of the Living Islands initiative, which has already attracted regional media interest and expects to focus the national media on the Island. It will also bring visiting scientists and it is believed a significant number of birdwatching enthusiasts form the UK and Continental Europe, as its reputation develops. It will be the only official Bird Observatory in the Channel Islands and the most southerly Observatory in the British Isles. The Trust also envisions the facility will bring an economic boost to the fragile Alderney economy by sustainably exploiting a resource which to a large degree Alderney owns and controls, attracting visitors who would like to participate in the work of the Observatory or who simply want to visit an island which has this resource and reputation.

Such visitors will stay in the Island’s existing accommodation (mostly in the shoulder months when migration occurs) and over time there may also be the potential to establish a new ‘hostel’ class of accommodation. This would provide cheaper dormitory or shared room style accommodation for visiting groups, including universities and clubs.

From a wildlife perspective, the Alderney Bird Observatory will provide a mechanism to ensure a high level of continuity and scientific rigor in research, both through observational sightings and through ringing. The potential for reporting sightings of rare species of birds will be vastly increased through the coordination of the Alderney Bird Observatory’s full time Warden.

The Trust sees the Alderney Bird Observatory as very much a Channel Islands initiative. Environmental organisations and individuals from Jersey, Guernsey and Sark, as well as the host island of Alderney, will all be participating in developing the Observatory.

Alderney Wildlife Trust is looking for help funding the start of this project and you can contribute here

More information is available from Alderney Wildlife Trust here

Seabirds prosper where local people and conservationists come together

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Glyn Young

From the Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project

We reported here on the project to rid two of the Isles of Scilly of invasive rats in order to protect threatened colonies of seabirds and other wildlife. The Scilly Seabird Recovery Project can now report that St Agnes and Gugh are officially rat-free after the last rat was spotted in November 2013.

On Saturday 13^th February St Agnes and Gugh in the Isles of Scilly were declared officially rat-free after passing a thorough month-long inspection two years after the last signs of rat activity were spotted.

This is the world’s largest community-led rat removal project. Local volunteers worked with conservationists from the Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project and island restoration specialists Wildlife Management International Ltd (WMIL) to rid their islands of the rats that were killing seabirds. The project has been a huge success and benefitted from essential support from EU LIFE and the Heritage Lottery Fund as well as local organisations.

Brown rats arrived on the islands in the 18th century following several shipwrecks. The population of rats grew and became harmful to the burrow-nesting seabirds that lived on the islands, including European storm petrels and Manx shearwaters. With numbers of these species declining since the 1980s the removal of the rats was essential to the protection of the seabirds.

Work began in 2013 with an intensive six-month operation to monitor rat activity on the islands. WMIL worked with over 30 local volunteers to find rat nests and signs of activity. This information was used to create a strategy for eradicating the rat population, with an intensive programme of baiting and poisoning for a month in the winter.

Baiting started on 8^th November 2013 and continued every day, as the days passed the amount of bait taken was monitored. And by the end of the month the last evidence of rats was observed. Treatment and community projects continued, but no further rat activity was detected.

The specialists returned at the beginning of the year to check for any signs that rats might still be present on the islands. Having completed this follow-up survey St Agnes and Gugh now meet the international criteria to be declared rat-free.

Since the removal of the rat population, the project team has observed both Manx shearwaters and European storm petrels successfully breeding on the islands for the first time in living memory, with over 40 chicks being recorded on the islands in the last two years.

Jaclyn Pearson from the RSPB, who manages the project said: “Getting to this stage is a fantastic achievement and everyone involved is delighted that the islands are now officially rat free. This, and the recovery of the seabirds so early on, is testament to the hard work of the team and the 100% support from the local community. We look forward to continuing to work with the community for the next two years of the project and beyond.”

Elizabeth Bell, Senior Ecologist, Wildlife Management International Ltd says: “The eradication of non-native brown rats from St Agnes and Gugh demonstrates that the techniques of ground‐based bait station operations can be successfully utilised on inhabited islands throughout the UK and the world.”

Sarah Mason, CEO of Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, which looks after most of the land on which the seabirds breed says: “This is fantastic news for the seabirds of Scilly. The Trust’s land management work is now more important than ever; we must ensure that habitats across the islands are suitable for our iconic seabirds so that they can be enjoyed by future generations.”

Local representative Richard McCarthy says: “St Agnes and Gugh are very special places. When I first learned that our community was being selected for this project, I was only too pleased to encourage fellow islanders to back rat removal. The speed with which this was achieved and seabird recovery began has surprised us all. Young and old, we must now do our level best to ensure that as far as possible we minimise the likelihood of rats returning.”

Project Supervisor Paul St Pierre, RSPB says: “This has been an amazing journey working with inspiring people to conserve some amazing birds. The work on St Agnes and Gugh is just the latest of an increasing number of successful island restoration projects that have taken place around the UK in recent years, helping many of the UK’s much loved but vulnerable seabird species. St Agnes and Gugh have provided an excellent training ground for a generation of conservationists who can now use their skills on similar projects in the UK and elsewhere around the world.”

This project is a partnership project between RSPB, Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Natural England and Duchy of Cornwall.

Birds On The Edge is grateful to Gareth Brede for help with this article.

Chough report: January 2016

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Glyn Young

The choughs (and a couple of crows) searching for food in the National Trust conservation field near the aviary. Photo by Liz Corry.

By Liz Corry

It was a very cold, wet and windy start to the new year bringing with it several challenges for the choughs at Sorel. Their primary concern, as always, was to find food to keep them fueled throughout the bitter and blustery days. With the grazed land saturated by rain water, insects were hard to come by. This might explain why they started making regular visits to the conservation fields. An untapped source of insects?

The cliff face around Devil’s Hole, where the water runs off rather than collects, also proved popular exemplified by their muddy bills and heads.

Finding the choughs in the rain. Photo by Liz Corry.

Erm Q you have a little something, just on, its hanging off, oh dear. I’m sure no one has noticed. Photo by Liz Corry

Fortunately there was only one day of ground frost which disappeared fairly quickly. Chough bills are efficient digging tools, but they are not tough enough to break hard ground. An unseasonal or prolonged period of ground frost can lead to starvation and is often detrimental to wild chough populations.

Ground frost at the start of January. Photo by Liz Corry.

Jersey experiences another kind of ‘ground frost’ for birds at this time of year. Jersey Royals are planted in January and the farmers cover their crops with protective plastic sheeting. The sheeting is largely to protect from ground frost and encourage growth, but also stops birds stealing or damaging potatoes. Of course the choughs are not interested in vegetables they want the insects in the soil. When the young choughs flew over to Crabbé this month after a short spell away you can only imagine what was going through their minds the first time they flew over the fields.

Potato fields in Jersey are now covered to protect the freshly planted Jersey Royals. Photo by Liz Corry.

Jersey’s chough population became a bit more reliant on the supplemental feeds at the aviary. This is where there next challenge awaited. How to fly through release hatches into the aviary with 40+ mph tailwinds or cross winds without smacking into the frame-work? Those that did risk actual life and limb demonstrated just how aeronautically skilled this species is.

For the likes of Ormer and other less confident individuals, the team started placing food bowls on the ground outside of the aviary. For those inside who then found themselves struggling to stay grounded on the tables, the bowls were placed in more sheltered positions.

Helier was blown backwards off the aviary shelf. Fortunately no damage except to her dignity. Photo by Liz Corry.

The choughs demonstrating their association with the target board and food. Photo by Liz Corry.

There have been a few times this month when the weather has been so bad, the group fail to turn up for the aviary feed. Opting instead to stay sheltered on the cliffs by Devil’s Hole or in the dry, warm quarry buildings. Who can blame them?

There is growing concern for the aviary itself after three winters out on the cliffs (four if you include whilst it was being built). One of the shelter stands became dislodged from the framework after overnight gales. The integrity of the plywood roof is beginning to give, reducing the amount of dry shelter spots for the birds when they roost and keeping food bowls dry. Ideally a new bitumen-panel roof needs to be fitted with guttering to collect rainwater (5-10 litres of water is carried to the site each day). This cannot be done without finding funding first. We estimate costs to be around £500 or less if we can find reclaimed materials. Then, all we need is a day when the winds won’t blow the builder off the roof!

A bonus function of the present aviary roof? – fresh drinking water. Photo by Liz Corry.

That being said, January did experience a few sun-blessed days much to the excitement of the choughs who took full advantage of the calmer weather. Visitors to Sorel will have seen amazing aerial displays from the group. Some of the younger males have started displaying around the breeding females involving lots of tail flicking and running around like a scene from a Benny Hill sketch.

January is the month when the choughs start planning for the upcoming breeding season. Nest prospecting (weather permitting) and looking for potential partners. We switched their supplemental food to the breeding diet which means more protein and calcium. The captive pairs at the Wildlife Park will switch to their breeding diet when they move from the flocking aviary into their separate breeding aviaries.

Twenty-two choughs waiting for staff to put out their supplemental feed. Photo by Liz Corry.

We have tried to see if the choughs would take a pelleted diet. The expected cost of supplemental feeding for 2016 is approximately £3,000. An all-in-one pelleted diet could reduce this as long as it is not at the expense of the birds’ nutritional needs. So far we haven’t found one which the birds will not either ignore, flick out of the dish, or jump from in fear. Yes that actually happened!

Just for fun here are two of the youngsters searching for insects in a slightly unusual way…..

January was looking set to be a relatively mundane month to report back on. That was until the morning of the 31st when Durrell student, Nicci, was out on radio-tracking duties. The choughs were spread out as per foraging around Sorel and Mourier Valley. There are seven birds whose daily movements are being tracked with proximities of the other fifteen birds in relation to those focal birds also logged. Not all twenty-two need to be accounted for at each session, but they usually are as the group stick together out of the breeding season. ‘Brunch’ at the aviary is when we expect to see all of the birds at this time of year. On this occasion there were only twenty-one. Nicci’s concern started to grow over the course of the afternoon as there was still one bird unaccounted for. At the afternoon feed she could still only count twenty-one. Mentally ticking off leg rings from the list time and time again Nicci reported back to the team that Dusty’s mum, Blue, was missing.

Blue, pictured here with her partner at the aviary in January. Photo by Liz Corry.

She was last seen the day before, an hour before roost. Her and her partner now roost in the aviary, as opposed to the quarry, where the only threat at night would be from a feral ferret or cat. In which case you would expect signs of intrusion at the aviary and the group to be behaving differently the following morning. Nothing. Was she off exploring for nest sites without her partner? Had a peregrine snatched her? Would she reappear the next morning? Only time, and February’s report, will tell.

Guernsey Inter-Island Environment Meeting – 2016

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Glyn Young

The Inter-Island Environment Meeting (IIEM) 2016 Organising Team cordially invite you to the 2016 Inter-Island Environment Meeting.

This year’s IIEM is being held at Castle Cornet, Guernsey on 22nd – 23rd September. The Meeting is being organised by La Société Guernesiaise in partnership with the States of Guernsey, with sponsorship from Insurance Corporation. This year we plan to incorporate a field trip within the programme itself, over to Herm, to look at the newly designated Ramsar site.

The theme of the this year’s Inter-Island will focus on Designations which recognise the importance of a particular area, species, habitat, or policy and how we can make them work in the most effective way in the context of island jurisdictions.

Further details about Guernsey IIEM 2016, including the programme and booking arrangements, will be circulated in due course and available through Birds On The Edge. In the meantime we wanted to, firstly, flag the meeting as early as possible for your diaries and secondly, to gauge the level of interest at this stage and garner people’s views about what they’d like to see and hear at this year’s meeting. We are also looking for contributors and if you would like to present a paper or provide a poster for the event we would love to hear from you as soon as possible.

Attendees of previous meetings will have received notification from the organising committee. If the Inter-Island is new to you or you missed recent meetings please email BOTE at birdsote@gmail.com to join in.

You can see details of previous meetings here 2015, 2014 and 2013.

Sheep and lichens at Sorel

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Glyn Young

By Anne Haden

How do lichens and sheep get on together? Lichens are a great indicator of the quality of the air around us. Lichens like to grow where the air is pollution free, hence the profusion of lichens around the Jersey coast. They are formed from a fungus living in mutual association with an algae and are able to live on different surfaces like soil, wood or rock.

The short turf at Sorel has been opened up by the sheep and the habitat allows a range of lichens to grow between the grasses. Common lichens to be seen on the soil up here include Cladonia furcata and Cladonia fimbriata. Cladonias sometimes have friuting bodies that are cupshaped and easily identifiable in the field.

Open heaths provide an excellent habitat for some of the more unusual Cladonias, the heathers are being encouraged to return to Sorel to create more heathland. The National Trust has fenced off some heathers to encourage them to self seed.

Lichens growing on rock can be seen near the cliffs at Sorel, including the very common sea ivory Ramalina siliquosa. There are several varieties of Ramalina on the rocks, careful study reveals some strands are flatter and some bear fruiting bodies. Also on the rocks are flat patches of crustose lichens that are firmly embedded on the rock and are very slow growing.

There are not many trees at Sorel; however, the blackthorn and hawthorn bushes provide branches and twigs that are covered in lichens. Especially the very common Xanthoria parietina that gives rise to the expression ‘yellow trees’. Close examination of Xanthoria parietina shows lots of round fruiting bodies often called ‘jam tarts’ by lichenologists. This lichen grows well in nitrogen rich air, hence the increase in Jersey due to the rise in nitrogen in the air from farming activities. So, yes, lichens, like choughs, do appreciate those sheep making it a better place for them at Sorel.

World Wetland Day – Herm, Jethou & The Humps become a Ramsar site

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Glyn Young

From States of Guernsey

Guernsey’s Environment Department is pleased to announce that Herm, Jethou and The Humps have been formally designated as a Ramsar site under The Convention on Wetlands. The announcement coincides with the run up to World Wetlands Day (2^nd February) which is marked each year to promote the importance of wetlands not only for wildlife but for local economies as well.

Minister for the Environment Department, Deputy Yvonne Burford said “Herm has always been a favourite place for residents and visitors alike and I am delighted that the island’s treasure trove of wildlife and flora has been recognised at an international level”.

The management of Herm Island said “We are really pleased that Ramsar designation has been achieved for such a beautiful area and would like to thank everyone who has contributed to making it possible”

Jessi Jennings from the Marine Section of La Société Guernesiaise said: “What a great opportunity for community involvement! This project has also highlighted the necessity of better understanding the environment around us, and the importance of data collection and contribution. I look forward to seeing how the management of this Ramsar site progresses.”

Anthony Ford Parker, owner of Outdoor Guernsey said: “It is great to see this wonderful place recognised. One of the best ways to help preserve a special place is to understand more about it and show others how important it is. We are looking forward to having a role to play in educating visitors to the area and helping promote Herm as special place in the world.

A set of stamps to mark the designation has been commissioned by Guernsey Post using artwork being prepared by artist Wendy Bramall and which reflects the wildlife, history and use of the site. The stamps are due for issue later this year on 27^th July and the issue will complete the set of Ramsar stamps which have already been done for Guernsey, Alderney and Sark.

It is hoped to hold a reception in Herm in July to officially celebrate designation. The help and support of Defra, Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the RSPB (in particular their Project Manager, Paul Fisher), in achieving designation is gratefully acknowledged.

What is Ramsar Designation?

Designating a site as a “Ramsar site” gives international recognition of the special environmental, cultural and heritage characteristics of a particular area. In particular designation lays the foundation to develop a management plan, in full consultation with those who manage, live and use the area, to ensure the conservation of key species & habitats.

Ramsar designation has as its core principles the wise and sustainable use of the resources of a given site through the development and implementation of the management plan.

Why Designate Herm?

The recognition and management of ecologically important areas such as Herm is consistent with the aims and aspirations of Guernsey’s Biodiversity Strategy which was recently adopted by the States of Guernsey at its December meeting.

The various marine and land habitats on and around Herm support a rich diversity of flora and fauna including important breeding areas for sea bird species such as lesser black-backed gull, puffin and shag. In addition, Herm Common has an excellent cultural heritage, with numerous archaeological remains.

Whilst Ramsar status does not confer any legislative protection, recognition of an area contributes to the long-term conservation and wise use of an area. This recognition can provide a positive focal point for new education, tourism and environmental initiatives. Evidence of this is provided by Alderney which has promoted their Ramsar site heavily using ideas such as “Puffincam” and “Gannetcam” (see cameras site here) and has led to the development of the Living Islands initiative.

See details of Guernsey’s first Ramsar site (Lihou Island and L’Erée Headland) here and Alderney’s Ramsar site (Alderney west coast and the Burhou Islands) here

Celebrate World Wetlands Day at the Wetland Centre. Sunday 7th February 1pm – 4pm

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Glyn Young

World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2^nd February. This day marks the date that the Convention on Wetlands was adopted on 2^nd February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Since 1997, the Ramsar Secretariat has provided outreach materials to help raise public awareness about the importance and value of wetlands. The Ramsar network today includes 2,225 sites in 169 countries covering 214,569,564 ha of fantastic wetlands including the Danube Delta, Pantanal, Okavango and St Ouen’s Pond (see all the sites here).

As World Wetlands Day is on a Tuesday this year, the National Trust for Jersey, custodians of St Ouen’s Pond, will be holding an open day at the Wetlands Centre on Sunday 7^th of February in celebration.

Events on the day will include:

A unique opportunity to hone your bird-watching skills with help and guidance from local bird-watching experts Mike Stentiford MBE, Bob Tompkins and Cristina Sellares who will be on-hand throughout the afternoon
Fun crafts and games for children run by the Trust’s Education Officer in the bunker classroom
Guided walks setting off from the centre (weather permitting) giving an insight into the natural history of St Ouen’s Pond and surrounding meadows
Taking time to marvel at our resident population of marsh harriers and trying to spot the rare and secretive bittern.

Entry and activities are all free of charge but donations will be welcomed. For more information check here

Coastal grazing project – coastal slope between Grosnez and Plémont

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Glyn Young

By Tim Liddiard

The rugged north coast of Jersey is one of the Island’s most stunning and dramatic locations. It provides a strong sense of place, supports a unique and internationally significant assemblage of plants and animals and is a honeypot for recreation for locals and visitors alike.

These unique qualities have led to the area being designated as a National Park within the Island Plan – the first such designation in the Channel Islands – and being perceived by the majority of stakeholders, as one of the most ‘special’ parts of the Island.

The north coast forms an almost continuous belt of natural wild landscape from St Catherine’s in the east to Les Landes in the west and contains an intricate network of protected areas supporting a wide variety of wildlife.

Despite its beauty and importance, a wide range of indicators, including those within the Government’s own ‘State of Jersey Report’ show that the north coast is an area suffering ecological decline, particularly in relation to populations of key bird species. It is clear that further management is required to return these areas to favourable condition as required by the Island’s domestic and international commitments.

International and domestic obligations

The coastal slope between Grosnez and Plémont is an Atlantic Dry (Maritime) Heathland described as in an ecologically unfavourable condition and the majority is designated as a Site of Special Ecological Interest under the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002.

Maritime heathland has a very limited global distribution being restricted to the north Atlantic coasts of Europe, where it once occurred widely, but has now been reduced in area to such an extent that it has become a rare habitat in Europe.

The habitat is listed for special attention under Annex 1 of the EC Habitats Directive. This Directive was adopted in 1992 as an EU response to the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, to which the States of Jersey are signatory. This allows Jersey to demonstrate that the Island is a responsible jurisdiction in terms of environmental protection and the maintenance and enhancement of the Island’s globally significant and unique assemblages of plants and animals. These types of habitats require careful management for them to retain the features that make them ecologically valuable.

The purpose and objectives of reintroducing grazing

Up until the beginning of the 20th Century the coastal headlands and north facing escarpments were an important part of the rural economy in Jersey. Cattle, ponies and sheep would have grazed upon these areas and gorse and bracken would have been collected for fuel and bedding respectively. Today such practices no longer take place and bracken and scrub has encroached, leading to a decline in biodiversity and resulting in many coastal and heathland species becoming extinct locally, with others in dramatic decline such as the skylark, yellowhammer and stonechat (see details of declines here).

Consequently, in Jersey such areas need to be actively/physically managed to prevent the sites generally and the heather specifically from moving into what is described as the degenerative stage and to prevent encroachment of bracken, which swamps other plants as is very difficult to remove once established.

Sites in Jersey are managed through a long-term partnership between Department of the Environment, the National Trust for Jersey as part of their Coastline Campaign and Durrell. The partnership also supports Birds On The Edge Project promoting the active management of Jersey’s coastland to maintain and restore populations of birds.

One of the BOTE’s critical objectives is to re-establish grazing flocks to achieve sustainable and cost effective land management which will enhance the heathland landscape and habitats on Jersey’s cliff tops.

Key objectives are not restricted to ecological outcomes and include:

The re-establishment of traditional grazing practices to Jersey’s coastland
The restoration of biodiversity in coastland areas by recreating a mosaic of vegetation types
The generation of economic activity through enhancing tourism and inward investment offering the provision of an educational resource
Promotion and incubation of new rural businesses in the Island
Use of the natural environment as a social resource that allows rehabilitation and development of those seeking employment

In 2008, the National Trust for Jersey introduced 20 Manx loaghtan sheep into an area of 180 vergees between Sorel Point and Devil’s Hole to undertake conservation grazing in the Island. The sheep flock is being built to a sustainable size over the next few years by extending the areas that are grazed to prevent over-grazing, whilst allowing the flock to grow into an economically viable business. This is an exciting long term project which is at the forefront of the Island’s countryside conservation work.

Proposed extension to grazing area

The area between Grosnez and Plémont has been the subject of a planning application to erect livestock fencing which has generated both supportive and unsupportive comments from locals.

Issues raised included the cost of the project and that fishermen and others will not be able to access the site; however, gates would be positioned to allow easy access and egress for all users to and from the grazed area at most times of the year. The provision of a north coast route extension will cater for those not wanting to place dogs on leashes.

The question has also been raised about the stocking density and timing of grazing. There is great scope for flexibility here – there will be options to mob graze (large numbers of animals for very short periods) or more gradual grazing with a low stocking density, although this is to some extent dependant on the grazier’s requirements. The effects of grazing will be monitored to ensure that no damage is caused to the rich archaeology which exists here and to habitats by overgrazing.

NE-MPC-Post Arch DBA Grosnez to Plemont fenceline 12.11.2015

Management costs

The total area selected for grazing measures is 124 vergees of which 50% is bracken scrub. The costs of management fall into two categories a) the relatively flat areas managed by tractor and by hand (50 vergees) and b) the coastal slopes, inaccessible by machine and managed by hand (74 vergees).

Mechanical and chemical control and management by hand will cost approximately £24,705 per annum.

Control by grazing animals will cost approximately £8,550 per annum with a one-off capital cost of £17,000 for fencing including materials and labour.

Conclusions

The Island has domestic and international obligations to protect its non-renewable natural resources
Strong evidence suggests that protected areas on the north coast of the Island are in ecological decline and that management is required to reverse these declines and avoid future extinctions and habitat degradation
Any management regime should be cost effective, particularly at a time of austerity, sustainable in the long-term and where possible provide multiple benefits to the Island
The use of grazing animals is a third of the price of mechanical intervention and provides a range of added societal benefits and consequently appears to be the most cost effective and appropriate option for ongoing heathland site-restoration on the north coast
If the lands were left to overgrow there would be significant knock-ons to public access to the countryside in addition to substantial costs to re establish pathways and routes should this be deemed necessary.

Jersey Biodiversity Partnership – Jersey’s National Amphibian and Reptile Recording (NARRS) – Seeking survey recorders

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Glyn Young

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By Nina Cornish

In 2007, the States of Jersey Department of the Environment (DoE) launched the National Amphibian and Reptile Recording Scheme (NARRS) in the Island. The scheme forms part of the Department’s integrated ecological monitoring programme for Jersey in order to carry out ‘State of the Environment Monitoring’. NARRS is coordinated by the UK organisation Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) and Jersey’s scheme is run in partnership with the DoE and the Jersey Amphibian and Reptile Group (JARG).

There is growing concern that our widespread amphibian and reptile species are in national decline. NARRS aims to tell us more about the status of the widespread species across the British Isles, using standardised methods in a systematic way. Ecological data on these species are collected over a six-year cycle in order to (a) generate sufficient records on which to base an assessment of conservation status and (b) investigate changes in species’ occupancy over a realistic timescale. The use of established survey protocols is intended to provide a robust basis for conservation decision-making.

Jersey NARRS uses trained volunteers to carry out surveys within an allocated 1 km survey square. The scheme is currently looking for 2016 volunteer survey recorders.

There are two types of surveys available:

Amphibian Survey

Ponds nearest the south-west corner of an allocated survey square are identified and, where necessary, permission to survey from the landowner and/or tenant is obtained. Letters of introduction are provided if required. Up to four (sometimes more) visits are carried out using (i) visual searching, (ii) netting, (iii) night torching and (iv) – where appropriate and if the surveyor is confident – bottle-trapping in order to detect the amphibian species present. Volunteers will be recording survey conditions (weather etc.), species present, habitat characteristics and any changes in the pond between surveys.

Reptile Survey

Reptile surveyors use maps or aerial photographs to identify potential reptile habitat in their survey square and obtain permission to visit promising areas as necessary. Up to four (sometimes more) visits are carried out using (i) visual searching, (ii) checking existing refugia and (iii) checking artificial refugia (where it has been possible to lay these) in order to detect all reptile species present. The use of refugia is particularly important in finding slow-worms and grass snakes and they are also used by green lizards. Survey conditions, species present and habitat characteristics are recorded. It is particularly important for reptile surveys to be conducted during appropriate conditions (e.g. in good weather) to maximise detection probability.

If you have not done anything like this before, don’t worry as full training will be given in April (details to follow), but if you want to be involved in 2016 surveys please get in touch with Nina now at n.cornish@gov.je or by phone at 441624

Why would anyone want to count ducks?

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Glyn Young

From BBC Earth

Establishing the ratio of male to female common pochard ducks could be the key to understanding why the two European populations of this species are declining. Measuring the ratio of male to female common pochard ducks in a flock is a relatively simple affair for an enthusiastic bird watcher or dedicated bird counter.

And it shouldn’t be too hard for the rest of us either, because the distinctive males have a spectacular reddish brown head with a black breast and tail; females on the other hand are not so colourful. The difference between the sexes is really quite obvious at this time of year.

But why would anyone want to count ducks?

Birds are dying for some reason or fewer young are being produced

The reason, explains Kane Brides, monitoring officer for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), is that there are two populations of common pochard Aythya ferina in Europe: one in central Europe and the Black Sea area and another in Europe’s northwest and northeast.

“Both populations have been decreasing at a steady rate and that’s why there is quite a lot of interest in the pochard at the moment to try and find out why that happened.”

There is so much concern over the decline that their conservation status has recently been upgraded to Vulnerable in the IUCN red list of threatened species, as well as being moved from the UK’s amber list to the red list of conservation status. In Jersey, although small numbers winter each year, common pochard is Red listed to protect the tiny breeding population (1-2 pairs breed most years). This means pochards are now a priority species requiring urgent action to find out what is happening to the populations.

“Birds are dying for some reason or fewer young are being produced, either survival or productivity is the reason and we’re going to work on that to find out,” Mr Brides told BBC Earth.

Because little is known about their population structure and any differences in survival rates between the sexes, so counting the number of males and females could be instrumental in understanding the decline.

What is well known, explains Mr Brides, is that in wintering duck flocks in the north there are more males in the flock, and further south there are more females. And, with males being dominant over females they are able to occupy more favourable wintering areas, and migrate shorter distances. So the smaller females’ have a longer migration and also stay on breeding grounds for longer, leading to an increased risk of predation.

“The combination of all of that probably has an effect on the females’ chances of survival,” he says.

But the last sex ratio survey in pochards was done nearly 50 years ago. So, across Europe, the new pochard sex ratio survey is open to anyone, whether they are an enthusiastic bird watcher and dedicated counter, or just happen to come across a flock of pochards on a lake or estuary.

“What it will do is give us useful information on the population structure and also give us a very crude estimate of changes to survival rates between the two sexes over those years,” Brides told BBC Earth.

It is happening throughout January with a co-ordinated snapshot of what’s going on at one time planned for the 16 and 17 January during the International Waterbird Census. To take part simply record the number of males, females and the size of the flock and submit your data on the Duck Specialist Group (DSG) website.

In Jersey, we only regularly see common pochard at a couple of well-visited sites. Most birds are at St Ouen’s Pond and the Mont a la Brune Sandpits but there may be others on the Island’s reservoirs. If you see any please send your observations to Tony Paintin cavokjersey@hotmail.com so that they can be forwarded to the DSG.

The only requirement “is to recognise a pochard and how to identify the male and female,” says Mr Brides.

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Why would anyone want to count ducks?

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Saving coastal birds and habitats from extinction

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