a million voices for nature

RSPB RESERVES 2008

The RSPB

UK Headquarters The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL Tel: 01767 680551

Northern Ireland Headquarters Belvoir Park Forest, Belfast BT8 7QT Tel: 028 9049 1547

Scotland Headquarters Dunedin House, 25 Ravelston Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 3TP Tel: 0131 311 6500

Wales Headquarters Sutherland House, Castlebridge, Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff CF11 9AB Tel: 029 2035 3000 www.rspb.org.uk

The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. Nature is amazing – help us keep it that way.

We belong to BirdLife International, the global BirdLife partnership of bird conservation organisations. INTERNATIONAL

As a charity, the RSPB is dependent on the goodwill and financial support of people like you. Please visit www.rspb.org.uk/supporting or call 01767 680551 to find out more.

Front cover: bearded tit by Danny Green (rspb-images.com) The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England & Wales no. 207076, no. SC037654 120-1396-07-08 Black Park Ramna Stacks & Gruney Lumbister

Mousa Loch of Spiggie

Noup Cliffs North Hill Birsay Moors The Loons and Loch of Banks Onziebust Marwick Head Brodgar Cottasgarth & Rendall Moss Hobbister Eilean Hoan

Loch na Muilne Blar Nam Faoileag Forsinard Flows

Priest Island Troup Head Edderton Sands Nigg and Udale Bays Balranald Culbin Sands Fairy Glen Drimore Farm Eileanan Dubha Ballinglaggan Abernethy

Fowlsheugh The Reef Loch of Kinnordy Isle of T iree Skinflats Balnahard and Garrison Farm Vane Farm Oronsay Inner Clyde Fannyside Smaull Farm Inchmickery /Ardnave Baron’s Haugh Horse Island Aird’s Moss Rathlin Coquet Island Lough Foyle Ken-Dee Marshes Kirkconnell Merse Wood of Cree Campfield Marsh Larne Lough Islands Mersehead Geltsdale Belfast Lough Lower Lough Erne Islands Portmore Lough & Scar Rocks Salthome Haweswater St Bees Head Aghatirourke Strangford Bay & Sandy Island Hodbarrow Leighton Moss & Morecambe Bay Bempton Cliffs Carlingford Lough Islands

Hesketh Out Marsh Fairburn Ings Marshside Read’s Island Blacktoft Sands The Skerries Tetney Marshes Valley Wetlands Dearne Valley – Old Moor and Bolton Ings South Stack Cliffs Conwy Dee Estuary EA/RSPB Beckingham Project Malltraeth Marsh Morfa Dinlle Coombes & Churnet Valleys Migneint Freiston Shore Titchwell Marsh Lake Vyrnwy Frampton Marsh Snettisham Sutton Fen Mawddach Woodlands Middleton Lakes Mid Yare Valley How Hill Fen Nene Washes Berney Marshes & Breydon Water Ynys-hir Sandwell Valley Ouse Washes Lakenheath Fen Ouse Fen (Hanson-RSPB project) Dingle Marshes Carngafallt Minsmere Fen Drayton Lakes Snape North Warren Gwenffrwd/Dinas The Lodge Fowlmere Havergate Island & Boyton Marshes Wolves & Ramsey Woods Stour Estuary Ramsey Island HighnamWoods Old Hall Marshes Otmoor Grassholm Cwm Clydach Nagshead Wallasea Island Rye Meads Vange Marshes Church Wood Cliffe Pools Newport Wetlands West Canvey Marshes Winterbourne Downs Rainham Marshes Northward Hill Nor Marsh & Motney Hill Normanton Down Shorne Marshes Elmley Marshes HamWall Farnham Heath Blean Woods Chapel Wood Barfold Copse Tudeley Woods Greylake Isley Marsh West Sedgemoor Broadwater Warren Garston Wood Dungeness Fore Wood Aylesbeare Common Avon Heath Adur Estuary Lewes Brooks Exe Estuary Arne Pulborough Brooks and Amberley Wildbrooks Bracklesham Bay Radipole Lake Wareham Pilsey Island HMS Cambridge Lodmoor Meadows Langstone Harbour Hayle Estuary Brading Marshes Grange Heath Marazion Marsh Stoborough Heath

Locations of RSPB reserves Featured reserves 1

RSPB Reserves 2008 A review of our work COMPILED BY JO GILBERT

Contents

Introduction: The changing role of reserves 5 Challenges in reserve management in 2007 6

Reserves and wildlife – a review of 2007 8 Condition of RSPB-managed SSSIs/ASSIs 10 Progress towards species targets 11 Other wildlife 16 Habitat creation and restoration 16 Land acquisition 17

Protecting threatened birds 18 Rejuvenating Leighton Moss for bitterns 20 Choughs on the Argyll Islands 24 Woodland edge restoration for black grouse 26 Trials and tribulations of seabird colonies 30 Restoring Ramsey Island’s wildlife riches 34

Restoring lost habitats 36 Acid grassland creation and stone-curlews at Minsmere 38 The Otmoor story 42 Wetland restoration at Loch of Strathbeg 46 Geltsdale reserve – an upland jewel 50 Wetland creation at Portmore Lough 54

Beyond birds – improving conditions for biodiversity 58 Restoring the heathlands of Dorset and Devon 60 The little-known treasures of Dungeness 64 A helping hand for rare moths 68

Reserves and people – a review of 2007 70 Great days out 72 Innovative events 73 Living classrooms in South East England 74 Volunteer to start a career 78 The new wilderness of Lakenheath Fen 80 Conwy Waterside Coffee Shop 82

Working for the environment 84 Coast in crisis in Eastern England 86 Renewable energy on reserves 90

Thank you to our supporters 92 2 RSPB RESERVES 2008 3 Steve Round (rspb-images.com)Steve Round

Our vision

Our vision is to help achieve a wildlife-rich future by doubling the area of land managed as RSPB nature reserves by 2030, protecting our most special places for birds and all wildlife, and redressing past losses through habitat restoration and creation. Our reserves will be rich in wildlife and, through working with adjoining landowners, act as catalysts to enhance the quality of the surrounding countryside. They will be wonderful places where everyone can enjoy, learn about and be inspired by wildlife.

Increasingly, we will focus on restoring land of low ecological interest to that of high quality. Although our ambition may appear large, we believe it is the minimum that an organisation of the RSPB’s scale and character should seek to contribute, given the size of the task facing us.

Hen harrier hunting over Loch Gruinart, where six nests fledged eight chicks in 2007 4 RSPB RESERVES 2008 5

Introduction rspb-images.com The changing role of reserves

The emphasis of the Society’s land that helped maintain the habitat, such using techniques that result in other acquisition programme has altered as reed and furze cutting, and low undesirable environmental outcomes. significantly since the 1970s. At intensity grazing, have much reduced. that time, given weak statutory site Looking forward to the next few protection legislation, we mostly But our objectives in managing our years, it seems likely that times will bought land already notified as reserves remain the same. First, get tougher for nature conservation. Sites or Areas of Special Scientific where a site is designated, we do all Increasing grain prices are making Interest. Today, by deliberate policy, we can to ensure that statutory the intensive farming of marginal land the position has reversed, so that requirements for the site to be more profitable, development about three-quarters of such assessed as being in favourable pressures continue and the economic expenditure is on land of low condition are met. Second, we strive outlook is uncertain. Nature reserves current ecological value and our to deliver RSPB species and habitat will play an even more important role aim is to transform it to high objectives for a site, over and above in providing crucial refuges for ecological value. statutory requirements. Third, we aim wildlife, as well as enabling people to deliver public benefits such as to enjoy the natural environment at Acquiring land for habitat restoration enjoyment of the countryside, flood first hand. can play an important part in helping defence, carbon sequestration and wildlife adapt to climate change. At clean water supply that arise from a Lakenheath Fen, we have turned high-quality natural environment. carrot fields into reedbeds in just a decade. These reedbeds are now In general, these objectives are bursting with life and provide new mutually supporting and good habitat for bitterns whose current management planning and execution coastal reedbed strongholds, can help integrate their delivery. including our Minsmere nature However, there are circumstances reserve, are under threat from sea where the need to deliver objectives level rise and storm surges caused by for the wider environment influence climate change. As our understanding the way in which we achieve those for of the impact of climate change birds. A good example is in the Gwyn Williams grows, greater investment in habitat uplands, where achieving favourable Head of Reserves and Protected Areas restoration will be required to enable condition for blanket bogs can limit the species and habitats to adapt. use of burning to manage heather, that if used would raise populations of Nature reserve management is also some breeding moorland birds such as providing an important role in golden plovers. Ultimately, we believe securing the future of conservation- it is more important to achieve dependent habitats such as reedbeds sustainable bird populations, than to Dr Mark Avery and heathlands, where the land-uses elevate breeding bird densities by Director of Conservation

Berney Marshes, where over 100 ha of wet grassland habitat have been created from former arable land 6 RSPB RESERVES 2008 7

The unprecedented and widespread Environmental Stewardship HLS Control zones were established in high rainfall last year affected many Scheme, and although Defra localised areas around any outbreak. reserves, causing delays to planned accepted the flooding as “force This all caused considerable management and disrupting work majeure” and so honoured the annual problems for reserves because of programmes. Reserves reported a grant payments, the scheduled livestock movement restrictions direct impact on bird breeding capital works will have to be rolled between the zones, with the success, for example, on capercaillie over to next year, squeezing two potential for livestock to be stranded Mark Hamblin (rspb-images.com) and black grouse at Abernethy and years’ worth of work into one. at a reserve at the end of the grazing the bittern nest at Mid Yare reserve, season. The Nene Washes in which was physically washed away. The continuing poor weather Cambridgeshire experienced Flash floods caused landslides at throughout the summer affected considerable problems when, in Abernethy, and at Pulborough Brooks invertebrate numbers; most notably October, a suspected local there was a surplus of water for wet butterfly and bumblebee counts were bluetongue case resulted in a grassland management for the first down. The productivity of birds known temporary control zone boundary time in four years. Severe flooding at to depend on good June weather, being drawn across the Washes. Fairburn Ings and Dearne Valley such as black grouse, was also lower It was the end of the grazing season, reserves in June caused considerable than usual. On the positive side, most with 350 head of cattle on a reserve damage to footpaths and viewing wetlands did not dry out (except in that was rapidly flooding and a total screens, and came close to West Scotland), giving good ban on livestock movements. inundating the visitor centre at prospects for the breeding season Slaughter of the cattle involved was Fairburn. Newly established reedbeds in 2008. only averted thanks to the on the flashes were destroyed and intervention of the local MP securing most nests of ground-nesting birds Thankfully, the foot-and-mouth a last minute movement licence. and passerines were wiped out. outbreak in August, centred on the Although very disruptive, these were Pirbright research establishment, did Storm and pestilence did seem to be mostly short-lived events; however, at not spread further than Surrey. the theme for the year. One notable the Ouse Washes in Cambridgeshire, Difficulties were caused by the initial success against this theme was the washland was under water for most ban on livestock movements, reduction in rat numbers on Valley, The Ouse Washes flood every winter. Ground-nesting birds face problems when flooding occurs in the summer of the season. particularly to reserves where roads North Uist. This has resulted in separated the grazing units. Our deer corncrakes recolonising areas and an The Ouse Washes were flooded from management programme also had to increase in the number of calling 6 June for the rest of the grazing be held back on a handful of birds on the island. Challenges in reserve management season, restricting habitat reserves. Our nearest reserve at management on 80% of the reserve. Farnham Heath, although outside the Conservation management is tightly in 2007 Cattle numbers were reduced to 650 control zone, closed for a short linked with the management of head from the normal 2,000 head, period in deference to the wishes grazing animals and significantly with grazing restricted to the higher of neighbours. affected by weather events. We hope Reserve management is extremely challenging, and 2007 proved washes and the flood defence banks, that 2008 will bring a steadier year to exceptionally so. It started with a very dry spring, and many and some livestock farmed out to Of additional concern was the arrival livestock and reserve managers alike. wetland reserves unsure of whether they would hold onto water other reserves. Grazing income was of bluetongue virus in September, levels. However, they need not have worried, as by July there was reduced by 55%. The conservation which, unlike foot-and-mouth, could widespread flooding, with many reserves affected. Then, in August impact will be felt next season as the not be controlled by culling affected there was a foot-and-mouth outbreak in Surrey, and fears that we lack of grazing management has left livestock. After government vets would see a recurrence of the devastation caused in 2001. Finally, thick, matted vegetation unsuitable confirmed bluetongue disease was for returning breeding wading birds. circulating in the UK, a widespread just as things seemed to be returning to normal, there was an Much of this will have to be topped. protection zone was established, outbreak of bluetongue virus in livestock in Suffolk in September. It also curtailed the work programme, covering most of eastern England postponing essential fencing and and Dorset, with much of the rest of AUTHORS: STEPHEN HARE, SENIOR LAND AGENT; AND JO GILBERT, HEAD OF ECOLOGICAL ditching. The reserve is in the England in a surveillance zone. ADVICE AND SUPPORT, RESERVES ECOLOGY 8 RSPB RESERVES 2008 9 Mike Lane (rspb-images.com)

Reserves and wildlife a review of 2007

The strategic aims of the work on our reserves are: • to ensure that all Sites and Areas of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI and ASSI) site management units/designated features for which the RSPB is responsible for delivery of favourable condition are classified as in favourable or unfavourable recovering condition by 2012 in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 2010 in England • to ensure that populations of 11 key species of birds are at least maintained at 2005 levels on the existing reserve network • to ensure that populations of 15 priority species of birds are enhanced by 2012 on the existing reserve network • to achieve new functioning priority habitats on land acquired prior to 2006 • to ensure biodiversity thrives on reserves • to acquire further land to support delivery of our conservation objectives. Progress was made towards these aims in 2007. Poor weather conditions during the summer of 2007 hindered reserve management in some areas.

Four cirl buntings were present over winter at the Exe estuary, where wild bird cover has been planted for them 10 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 11

Progress towards Numbers of lekking male black grouse on RSPB reserves species targets

We aim to maintain the populations 200 of 11 key bird species at or above 180 their 2005 levels. Ambitious targets 160 have been set to increase Steve Austin (rspb-images.com) 140

populations of a further 15 key bird les a 120 species breeding on our reserves by 100 ng m 2012 (see table). i 80 Lekk 60 Figures for 2007 show mixed progress, with 17 species set to 40 achieve or exceed their 2012 targets, 20 and seven set to remain below their 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2012 targets if current population Year

Blanket bog is being restored at Forsinard Flows, where 442 ha of conifer plantation have been felled since 2005 Populations of priority bird species on RSPB reserves

Species 2005 2006 2007 2012 target Slavonian grebe 2 2 3 2 Condition of RSPB-managed SSSIs and ASSIs Black-necked grebe 0 1 0 5 Bittern (booming males) 18 19 20 34 Almost three-quarters of the land the individual features assessed remedial management is being Common scoter 11 14 10 11 managed by the RSPB is designated across the whole SSSI. By March undertaken to restore favourable Hen harrier (nests) 49 51 41 55 as SSSI/ASSI, reflecting the high 2008, 1,047 (out of a total of 1,156) condition to the 95 features (9% Black grouse (lekking males) 104 151 189 170 wildlife value of the RSPB had been assessed as being in of those assessed) within the Capercaillie (lekking males) 48 39 47 60 reserve network. favourable or unfavourable recovering RSPB’s control. Spotted crake 10 13 14 10 condition. The 221 features assessed Corncrake (calling males) 242 266 294 330 In England, 24,201 ha (84.6%) of the as being unfavourable declining or Data are not yet available from the Crane 0 0 1-2 3 26,399 ha of SSSI managed by RSPB unfavourable no change include 126 statutory conservation organisations Stone-curlew 6 7 6 20 are currently assessed as being in which are not within the RSPB’s for sites in Wales and Northern Ireland. Lapwing (on lowland wet grassland) 1,311 1,366 1,392 1,650 favourable or unfavourable recovering control. An extensive programme of Snipe (on lowland wet grassland) 542 579 495 700 condition by Natural England, Condition of SSSI area (England) and features (Scotland) on RSPB Black-tailed godwit L l limosa 46 50 43 46 compared to 21,272 ha (80.6%) in reserves in 2008 Whimbrel 10 n/a >8 10 2006. This increase has been due to Redshank (on lowland wet grassland) 1,070 1,128 1,180 1,300 re-assessment of condition and England Scotland Red-necked phalarope (males) 18 12 8 18 remedies by Natural England. Only (Based on May 2008 data) (Based on March 2008 data) Little tern 191 127 137 191 557.4 ha (2.1%) are in unfavourable Nightjar 90 >85 87 90 condition due to factors within, or Woodlark 83 80 83 83 partly within, the RSPB’s control. This Dartford warbler 164 122 c 145 200 compares to 1,049 ha (4%) in 2006. Crested tit c 200 n/a n/a c 200 Plans for remedial action have been Golden oriole 2 2 3 4 agreed with Natural England for Chough 31 34 37 40 556.4 ha. Scottish crossbill n/a n/a n/a ?*

Favourable Unfavourable No Change Cirl bunting 0 0 0 1 In Scotland, monitoring of SSSI Unfavourable Recovering Unfavourable Declining condition is based on the condition of Note: Figures are pairs except where stated otherwise. Scottish crossbills and crested tits are not monitored annually on RSPB reserves. * Target not yet set. 12 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 13

trends continue. Numbers of the corncrakes returned to the Nene majority of reedbeds were in and creation of surface flooding remaining two priority species were Washes as a whole in 2007. The good condition for breeding on wet grassland. Unfortunately, not monitored on reserves in 2007. first captive-bred birds returned bitterns, giving cause for most of the nests of the and called at the Nene Washes optimism for 2008. Between estimated 258 pairs of breeding in 2005. 2006 and 2007 there were redshanks at the Ouse Washes Species making good increases of one booming bittern were washed out by floods in progress towards achieving • There was an overall increase of each at Minsmere, Blacktoft late spring. their 2012 targets three pairs of breeding choughs at Sands and North Warren, but a

Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com) RSPB reserves in 2007. This was decrease from three to one Five species, the black grouse, due to increases from nine to 13 boomers at Dingle Marshes (see Species making corncrake, redshank (on wet pairs at South Stack and from four Coast in crisis in Eastern England, satisfactory progress grassland), chough and bittern are to six pairs at Ardnave, partially p 86). There was a single booming towards achieving their currently on track to exceed their offset by slight decreases at bittern at Lakenheath Fen for the 2012 targets 2012 targets if recent population several other sites. second year running, but no trends continue. evidence of nesting. Twelve species are currently making • Total numbers of booming satisfactory progress towards • Total numbers of lekking male bitterns are increasing on RSPB • There was another increase in achieving their 2012 targets. These black grouse already exceed their reserves, although currently not total numbers of breeding are Slavonian grebe, common scoter, 2012 target. Numbers at at a rate fast enough to achieve redshanks on the RSPB’s principal hen harrier, spotted crake, crane, Corrimony are probably increasing their 2012 target. However, a lowland wet grassland sites. lapwing (on lowland wet grassland), due to the expansion of young, reedbed audit undertaken in Redshanks usually increase black-tailed godwit, whimbrel, open woodland (see Woodland 2006/07 suggested that the following raising of water levels nightjar, woodlark, golden oriole, edge restoration for black grouse on page 26). Numbers at Abernethy increased, following a reduction in grazing pressure in the early 1990s, reaching a peak of 165 in 1997 then declining until 2005. Following two years with high productivity, numbers again increased to 90 in 2007. Increases in numbers of black grouse at Geltsdale and Lake Vyrnwy Steve Knell (rspb-images.com) are likely to be directly due to the management undertaken for them.

• Total numbers of singing corncrakes increased again on RSPB reserves. The vast majority of these birds are in Scotland. At the Nene Washes in England, where corncrakes are being introduced, there were three corncrake territories in 2007 compared to four in 2006. It is thought that a total of five different individual calling male

Cranes bred for the first time on an RSPB reserve, at Lakenheath Fen Redshanks increased on wet grassland reserves, reaching a total of 1,300 pairs in 2007 14 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 15

and cirl bunting. Significant changes in southern England in spring productivity are unknown. Black- in populations of these species are 2007, due both to an increase tailed godwits had a reasonably described below. in the Broads population and productive breeding season at the an influx of migrants from Nene Washes in 2007, fledging 20 • Although numbers of nesting hen the Continent. young. No black-tailed godwits harriers were lower than in 2006, bred on the RSPB-managed Ben Hall (rspb-images.com) the pairs that nested had a good • Numbers of the limosa race of section of the Ouse Washes for breeding season and fledged a black-tailed godwits declined from the third year running. minimum of 53 young, compared 48 to 41 pairs at the Nene to 45 young fledged in 2006. Washes (their main UK breeding • Cirl buntings are yet to breed on Changes in numbers on reserves site), although they are still set to an RSPB reserve. However, four were within the annual variation achieve their 2012 target. cirl buntings were present over expected for this species. Numbers of breeding black-tailed winter at the Exe Estuary, where godwits at the Nene Washes had wild bird cover has been planted • Cranes nested for the first time previously increased every year for them, and a pair held territory on an RSPB reserve in 2007. At between 1999 and 2006. The there in March. The birds were least one pair, possibly two, decline is possibly the result of not recorded after this and are nested at Lakenheath Fen. The poor productivity in 2006 (four assumed not to have bred. This origin of the Lakenheath cranes young fledged from 48 pairs) and was the first time any cirl is not known. There were larger 2005 (c15 young fledged from 45 buntings have been recorded on than average numbers of cranes pairs). Reasons for this poor the reserve.

Sutton Fen, in the Norfolk Broads, was acquired in 2007

Species making though, with an average of just snipe at the Ouse and Nene unsatisfactory progress 0.1 chicks per hen at both sites. Washes. Most of the snipe that towards achieving their were recorded drumming at the 2012 targets • Breeding stone-curlews increased Ouse Washes were washed out by Seven species are currently not on from one to two pairs for the first floods in late spring, together with track to achieve their 2012 targets, if time at Minsmere (see Acid most other breeding birds there. current population trends continue. grassland creation and stone- The Nene Washes experienced a These are black-necked grebe, curlews at Minsmere, page 38). bank-to-bank flood in March, and capercaillie, stone-curlew, snipe (on This increase was offset by a then very dry conditions during Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com) lowland wet grassland), red-necked decline from two pairs to none at April. This combination of phalarope, little tern and Dartford Winterbourne Downs. The land at conditions is thought to have warbler. Significant changes in Winterbourne, though, is currently reduced numbers breeding there. populations of these species are beginning its phased reversion to described below. chalk grassland. During the initial • Numbers of male red-necked stages of reversion there will be a phalaropes declined worryingly, • There was a recovery in numbers lack of suitable stone-curlew from 12 to eight pairs on RSPB of lekking capercaillie at their feeding habitat. landholdings in the Western Isles main RSPB sites, Abernethy and and Shetland. Work will be Craigmore, following relatively • There was a large decline in total undertaken in 2008 to investigate high productivity in 2006 (0.5 numbers of drumming snipe on whether this decline is likely to be chicks per hen at Abernethy, and reserves. This was mainly because due to changes in vegetation at 1.7 chicks per hen at Craigmore). of lower numbers of drumming some of their key breeding sites. Productivity in 2007 was low, 137 pairs of little terns bred on RSPB reserves during 2007 16 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 17

Cottasgarth and Rendall Moss • Although numbers of breeding • The construction of water extensions totalling 2,142 ha at 14 Community, land was purchased at little terns were slightly higher storage reservoirs at Frampton reserves. On 1 April 2007, RSPB Migneint. The Tubney Trust awarded than in 2006, they are still below Forsinard Flows Marsh (75 ha of grassland for managed 137,445 ha at 202 reserves. grants of £515,300 towards the the high numbers attained in the Environment Agency), purchases at Forsinard Flows and 2005 (although not far below their Freiston Shore (80 ha of The new reserves were: Sutton Fen. The Jordan Charitable Loch of Strathbeg previous five-year mean of 149). grassland) and Vange Marshes • Broadwater Warren, Kent (mainly Foundation also awarded £25,000 (100 ha of grassland) to store conifer plantation for heathland towards the purchase of Forsinard Coll winter rainfall, which can be recreation) Flows. Grants of £50,000 from the Scottish crossbills and crested tits used to maintain high water • Fen Drayton Lakes, European LEADER+ Fund (delivered were not monitored on RSPB levels on the grassland during Cambridgeshire (partially restored by the WARR partnership) and Balnahard Inner Clyde reserves in 2007. Scottish crossbills spring and early summer. At gravel pits for creation of open £272,000 from Waste Recycling will be monitored on reserves in Freiston Shore, 70 ha of water, reedbed and wet Group Ltd (WRG) through 2008 as part of the first national Rathlin grassland were also re-seeded, grassland) Grantscape’s Biodiversity Challenge survey of breeding crossbill species. Geltsdale and wet features were created at • Hesketh Out Marsh, Lancashire Fund were received towards the Lough Foyle Vange Marshes. (arable for intertidal habitat purchase of Broadwater Warren. We creation) are grateful to all of our supporters, a Other wildlife • Improvements made to water • Middleton Lakes, Staffordshire list of whom are published in The control structures at Ouse Washes, (partially restored gravel pits for RSPB Annual Review 2006-2007. In addition to ongoing surveys of Hesketh Out Marsh where 44 ha were converted into creation of open water, reedbed wildlife on reserves, a major project Dee Estuary grassland in 2004, and to the ability and wet grassland) was undertaken during 2007 to update Morfa Dinlle Frampton Marsh to control water levels on parts of • Morfa Dinlle, Gwynedd (wet records of rare and scarce species on Migneint the Nene Washes. grassland restoration) Middleton Lakes reserves onto a centralised computer Sutton Fen • Snape, Suffolk (heathland, plus dry Fen Drayton Lakes database. Seventy thousand records of • The creation of 200 small grassland for reedbed creation) The Lodge species were added to this database, Snape “scrapes” at Otmoor (see The • Sutton Fen, Norfolk (fen). which now contains over 200,000 Otmoor story, page 42). Winterbourne Downs records of 7,000 non-avian taxa Our supporters recorded on reserves. In total, almost New reserves Broadwater Warren • Habitat improvement works on In 2006-07, we received £5.29 million 600 UK Red Listed species, 400 UK Extensions 17 ha of restored wet grassland at in grants for land acquisition – the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority Cattawade Marshes, carried out most successful year ever. Grants of species and over 2,000 Nationally Rare by the Environment Agency. £1,696,486 were received from the

and Scarce species have now been Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for Morfa Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) recorded on our reserve network Earthworks have been undertaken at Dinlle, Middleton Lakes and (categories not mutually exclusive). New and extended RSPB reserves during 2006–07 Hesketh Out Marsh prior to creating Broadwater Warren. The Countryside Examples of the importance of RSPB 156 ha of intertidal habitat through Agency, through Defra’s Aggregates reserves for wildlife other than birds managed realignment. At Forsinard Levy Sustainability Fund, granted are described in the Beyond Birds Flows, an additional 172 ha of conifer £150,000 towards the purchase at section, page 58. since 2005. At The Lodge, 19 ha of 22,000 reed plugs planted at plantation on former blanket bog was Middleton Lakes. The Department of humus was scraped off to provide Leighton Moss, 1,500 reed plugs felled, making a total of 442 ha felled Communities and Local Government suitable conditions for heathland planted at Dearne Valley and since 2005. (DCLG) and East of England Habitat creation and establishment, and 20 ha of previously maintenance of suitable conditions Development Agency (EEDA) restoration felled plantation was seeded with for reed expansion at other sites. 28 provided funding at Fen Drayton heather. At Minsmere, heather litter ha of scrub were removed from fen Land acquisition (£1,600,000), and £35,000 came During 2006-07, 35 ha of conifer was spread over 26 ha of previously habitat and 23 ha of reedbed created from Natural England at Campfield plantation was felled on reserves to acidified ex-arable land. at Strathbeg. During 2006-07, the RSPB acquired Marsh. The Environment Agency restore heathland at Farnham Heath its 200th nature reserve. During this contributed £268,500 for Abbey (16 ha), The Lodge (15 ha) and Reedbed creation and management Habitat enhancement work on the time, 3,420 ha were added to RSPB Farm, Snape. With the assistance of 15 ha of conifers and 19 ha of humus Pulborough Brooks (4 ha), making a continued at nine sites, with 22,330 RSPB’s lowland wet grassland landholdings, comprising seven new a £187,500 contribution from the LIFE were removed from The Lodge total of 89 ha felled on RSPB reserves reed seedlings planted at Ham Wall, reserves included: reserves totalling 1,278 ha, and 16 financial instrument of the European during 2006/07 to restore heathland 18 RSPB RESERVES 2008 19 aer (rspb-images.com) j David K

Protecting threatened birds

RSPB reserves are very effective at conserving bird species with small UK populations breeding in localised habitats. Over the last half-century, RSPB reserves have played an important part in preventing the extinction of several UK breeding birds (such as marsh harriers and Dartford warblers) and in greatly aiding the impressive recovery of others (such as bitterns, avocets and corncrakes). Our reserves support more than 1% of the UK breeding populations of 63 bird species. Most of the bird species that breed on RSPB reserves in UK important numbers have either increased or remained stable on reserves since 1990.

The number of corncrakes breeding on RSPB reserves increased again in 2007, to 294 calling males 20 RSPB RESERVES 2008 21

At Leighton Moss, there has been a Fish density at Leighton Moss steady decline in breeding bittern numbers during the 1990s, from five 900

booming males down to just one. 800 eel Combined with the loss of otters in

) 700 perch 1995, this pointed to a possible a rudd problem for top fish predators, and 600

Gerald Downey (rspb-images.com) focused the minds of those in the 500 RSPB. Detailed bittern research ty (number/h i highlighted several factors: 400 isolation from the main core bittern 300 sh dens i

population in East Anglia, F lack of suitable wintering sites close 200

to Leighton for young birds to 100 disperse to, resulting in poor overwinter survival of young birds, 0 Dec Jan Jan Jan Nov- Mar deterioration in the wetland 02 04 05 06 06 08 ecosystem, resulting in adverse Date conditions for fish populations and a Note: Sediment was removed during the period 2004–6 possible reduction in food availability.

Isolation is being tackled by a Rejuvenating a complex wetland blooms and a decrease in the aquatic UK-wide programme of reedbed ecosystem is far from straightforward, plants, with the added knock-on creation and rejuvenation being but the abundance of the thick, effects for fish populations of less undertaken by a large number of nutrient-rich sediment was seen as the food and less oxygen. organisations. The idea is to establish most important starting point. This soft, a series of stepping stones radiating muddy sediment – or “gloop” as it The decision was taken to remove as out from East Anglia towards other became known – was up to two much of the sediment as possible There were 20 male bitterns booming on RSPB reserves in 2007 areas of the UK, including sites metres deep in some of the ditches, from the ditch system and the key around Leighton Moss in the north- and up to one metre deep in most of pools. This amounted to around west, to help encourage dispersal the pools. In summer, as the water 40,000 m3 of “gloop”, with an (see RSPB Reserves 2007, p 18). levels naturally dropped, there were associated high cost. The Bittern II Rejuvenating Leighton Moss for bitterns often fewer than 30 centimetres of EC LIFE-Nature Project contributed The deterioration of the wetland water above the sediment in the substantially to the cost of this, Leighton Moss is the north-west outlier for the bittern ecosystem has largely centred around ditches, and fewer than 50 centimetres enabling us to re-open a number of population in the UK, and in fact, the last remnant of a reduction in the water quality, as in the main pools. These conditions are ditches to improve the connectivity of what was once a much bigger north-west population up witnessed by an increase in the hostile to fish, especially when the the pools and increase the amount of occurrence of algal blooms and a shallow water heats up in the summer reed water for feeding bitterns. until the 1970s. As other reedbeds in the north-west reduction in the biomass and diversity and the oxygen levels drop. Also, the Several areas of drying-out reedbed succumbed to the natural drying-out process, due to lack of aquatic water plants. This, combined lack of a sufficient depth of water above were also cleared of accumulated of direct management, they were gradually invaded by with a build-up of nutrient-rich the sediment surface as a buffer made reed litter to provide some shallow scrub and lost their breeding bitterns. This left Leighton sediments, was perceived to be the upper layers of sediment more pools with sparse reed, again as the only site to hang on to breeding bitterns, due to causing a reduction in the fish biomass susceptible to nutrient release, due to to improve the foraging areas the continuous management effort put into the site by the available to both bitterns and otters. disturbance from wave action and birds, for bitterns. RSPB since 1964. The natural ageing and drying-out and due to the surface heating up. process of the reedbed was also Specialist contractors were chosen to reducing the feeding opportunities Nutrient release from the sediments do the work and much of the AUTHORS: ROBIN HORNER, AREA MANAGER, WEST COAST ESTUARIES; for bitterns. into the pools in summer was fuelling machinery was built specially for the AND GRAEME LYONS, RESERVES ECOLOGIST an increase in the occurrence of algal job and to cope with the difficult 22 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 23

Abundant bladderwort in one of the macrophytes increased by 25 times Thanks to: ditches, two years after it was cleared of sediment between 2004 and 2007. European Commission – LIFE-Nature, Heritage Lottery Fund, SITA Trust, The reserve has since been Lancashire Environmental Trust and re-colonised by otters, which the Co-operative Bank plc.

Robin Horner (RSPB) Robin successfully bred in 2007, indicating that conditions have improved for those top fish predators. We now await the final piece of the jigsaw with a recovery in bittern numbers.

This project has proved to be a fantastic fix to the build-up of nutrients in the water-bodies of Leighton Moss. We are now working with neighbours and regulators to reduce the level of nutrients that Graeme Lyons continue to wash into the reserve.

Specialised low pressure machinery was needed to work in the soft reedbed conditions Mark Hamblin (rspb-images.com)

on-site conditions. The excavator was the reserve, thus leaving very little aquatic vegetation in most of the imported from the USA, where they evidence of where they had been. water bodies from which sediment have much experience of working in was removed. Aquatic vegetation has very wet and soft conditions in areas also increased in species-richness such as the Florida Everglades. What we have achieved and abundance in one of the two The pressure exerted on the ground uncleared pools. by this 20-tonne machine was only An intensive monitoring programme the equivalent of someone walking was instigated to determine the The cover of submerged across it – and amazingly it success of the work. This involved macrophytes along the ditches could float! measuring sediment depth, species increased from a mean of 21% in composition and abundance of 2004 to 66% in 2007. This was mainly It took three autumn/winters to submerged macrophytes from a boat due to large increases in the complete the works. The contractors before and after sediment removal. abundance of bladderwort (see managed to pump all the excavated photograph) and small/lesser sediment and ditch arisings away to The results of this monitoring have pondweed. In the two pools that adjacent farmland or the periphery of shown an impressive recovery of were cleared, the volume of Otters have returned to Leighton Moss since the restoration works were completed 24 RSPB RESERVES 2008 25

The chough breeding populations on a wide variety of invertebrate are most active, choughs utilise the Islay, Colonsay and Oronsay have had sources, mostly accessed when high numbers found in cattle dung. mixed fortunes over the last 20 years. sward height is low. During the autumn, birds can A big decline on Islay during this time occasionally be seen foraging on spilt aer (rspb-images.com)

j has halted in the last five years at The two management agreement grain in arable fields and searching around 50 pairs. However, on areas at Ardnave (Islay) and Balnahard out the larvae of mining bees.

David K Colonsay and Oronsay, the breeding (Colonsay) are very important Therefore, managing for a wide range population has grown to almost 20 breeding and wintering sites for of invertebrates is as important as pairs. The precise reason for the choughs on both islands. The dune maintaining extensive livestock different population trends on the systems and in-bye fields at Ardnave systems when considering the needs two islands is complex, with first-year support a large proportion of Islay’s of choughs. survival of fledglings and changes in sub-adult flock. land management being only part of the answer. What next?

Nesting opportunities A great deal of research on chough Work on reserves on Islay population ecology has been undertaken within the Argyll Islands RSPB reserves on the Argyll islands Nest site provision on reserves over the last five years. An ongoing hold a total of 10 breeding pairs of receives high priority. Fifty per cent project undertaken by Glasgow choughs, and we have been of Islay’s chough population nests in University and the Scottish Chough undertaking grazing management to artificial sites, mostly old buildings. Study Group, funded by the UK provide optimum conditions for On The Oa reserve, we have Natural Environment Research foraging birds. At Loch Gruinart targeted areas with good adjacent Council (NERC) and supported by reserve on Islay, much of the reserve feeding habitats and either re-roofed RSPB and SNH, aims to increase our management is geared towards old buildings, provided nest ledges knowledge of chough ecology on managing wet grassland for breeding or, in one case, erected a field Islay and develop a wider wading birds and wintering geese, shelter typically used for horses as conservation strategy for choughs in The number of choughs breeding on RSPB reserves increased to 37 pairs in 2007 but the reserve’s grazing pastures are potential chough nest sites. So far, Scotland. The RSPB’s network of managed for choughs, and the we have been able to attract two reserves will undoubtedly play a reserve boasts one of the longest, “new” pairs of choughs into major part in refining habitat continually occupied chough nest previously unavailable buildings. management techniques and using Choughs on the Argyll Islands sites on the island. that knowledge to give sound, practical advice to landowners and The southern Hebridean islands of Islay, Colonsay and Oronsay reserve holds one resident Managing for farmers. Choughs have always been Oronsay are home to 99% of the Scottish chough pair of choughs and regularly hosts invertebrates a part of the make-up of Islay, population; over the last 25 years, the RSPB has been large flocks of adults and sub-adult Colonsay and Oronsay, and will birds, which come to feed on kelp fly The majority of the chough’s diet continue to be for years to come. actively managing land on the Argyll Islands to benefit larvae, found amongst the large comes from the wide variety of foraging choughs. During this time, we have acquired four aggregations of seaweed deposited invertebrates found in soil. In the Thanks to: nature reserves and set up two management agreement onto beaches after storms. spring, leatherjackets form an The Heritage Lottery Fund, through areas, covering over 6,500 ha in total. Recently, a significant important part of their diet. the Nàdair Trust and by Scottish portion of The Oa reserve on Islay and the islands of Similarly, at Smaull Farm and The Oa Leatherjackets become less abundant Natural Heritage (SNH). Colonsay and Oronsay have been designated as SSSIs and/or reserves on Islay, the extensive as they complete their life cycle, so Special Protection Areas (SPA) for choughs, due to their grazing of coastal habitats and other invertebrate sources become management of in-bye through the more important, especially when particular importance to the breeding population. rearing of cattle and sheep enables young choughs fledge in June. During us to maintain a mosaic of habitats, the warmer months of the year, AUTHOR: GUS KEYS, SITE MANAGER, THE OA which provide foraging choughs with when dung-associated invertebrates 26 RSPB RESERVES 2008 27

Corrimony Numbers of lekking black grouse in Corrimony

In the dramatic, mountainous landscape of the central Highlands, 60 2.5 Corrimony links the Caledonian

woodland of Glen Affric, the 50 commercial plantations and native 2 David Tipling (rspb-images.com) woodlands in and Glen les

a 40 Cannich, and the surrounding open 1.5 ng m

deer forests. i cks per hen cks

30 i Lekk Ch Here, we are restoring the natural 1 20 transition from Caledonian woodland Males to open ground for the benefit of key 0.5 birds, in particular black grouse. 10 Productivityty Habitat management seeks to create and maintain a balance between 0 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 closed canopy woodland and the Year mosaic of open woodland and open ground, with about 500 ha of each.

Management that appears to have Distribution of trees on the open ground at Corrimony benefited black grouse at Corrimony includes reductions in numbers of in 1998 and 2007 red deer, targeted cattle grazing, felling of non-native conifers and 1998 2007 thinning of Scots pine plantations. Deer fences have also been removed Black grouse and trees planted to create patches of new woodland. All these management interventions have helped to create open areas and low Woodland edge restoration for black grouse density woodland, particularly adjacent to open moorland. Black grouse in Britain have undergone a 22% population 1km 1km decline and substantial range contraction since the early Numbers of lekking black grouse at Birches Juniper Rowan Scots Pine Willows 1900s. Wide-scale habitat and land-use changes have been Corrimony have been increasing over the last 10 years, from 16 males in the main cause, directly affecting both the woodland and 1997 to 57 in 2007. This has been open ground habitats on which black grouse depend. In matched by good productivity. The been planted on the open moorland A proportion of the open ground Scotland, black grouse are primarily associated with sharp fall in productivity in the last at Corrimony since 2000, in areas habitats are being managed by cattle woodland edge habitats. At Corrimony and Inversnaid, we couple of years was possibly caused that were far from existing seed grazing, cutting or burning in patches. are making particular efforts to manage the complex by poor weather, notably the cold, sources. These plantings and ongoing This keeps the vegetation more open mosaic of open ground and woodland habitats for the wet spells in June when chicks are natural regeneration led to an and gives it a diverse structure, benefit of black grouse. most susceptible. increase in the proportion of open creating a plentiful and accessible moorland with trees and scrub from food supply for the birds. It also As part of the planned forest 35 to 52% over the period maintains the flower-rich pastures AUTHORS: NICK CHAMBERS, SITE MANAGER, CENTRAL SCOTLAND RESERVES; restoration, around 220,000 native 1998–2007 (see figure above). and flushes for gentians and orchids DAN TOMES, SITE MANAGER, CORRIMONY; AND NEIL COWIE, RESERVES ECOLOGIST Scots pines and broadleaf trees have and benefits other wildlife, such as 28 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 29 Neil Cowie RSPB Peter Cairns (rspb-images.com) Peter Danny Green (rspb-images.com)Danny

The small pearl-bordered fritillary benefits from Tree planting at Corrimony Inversnaid and Garrison Farm the vegetation management for black grouse

fritillary butterflies and the numerous 1986 and extended in 2003 with the 1,000 sheep and careful a stalker to cull red and roe deer. This ground was scarified to assess the huge number of sheep removed, rare lower plant species. acquisition of Garrison Farm. The management of deer. has required careful management level of natural regeneration. Heather, with management being transferred original reserve has extensive oak and consultations with neighbouring blaeberry and many other plants from Scottish Water to Forestry As part of the trial management, we and alder woodland and supports a estates, the local Deer Management have regenerated well. Commission Scotland. In the wider are investigating the impacts of cutting number of birds of conservation Managing grazing Group and the Deer Commission, to surrounds of Garrison, we have seen and burning field layer vegetation, to concern. These include good ensure our conservation objectives a dramatic increase in lekking black see what effect this has on vegetation numbers of redstarts, wood warblers The lower ground is managed are met without significantly Black grouse respond grouse. In 2006, about nine males in regrowth, the abundance of and tree pipits. Biodiversity interest is through lets to local graziers, farming compromising the commercial this wider area attended three leks. invertebrates and use by black grouse. also very high, with small pearl- both cattle and sheep. This interests of deer stalking on our The process of establishing woodland In 2007, this rose to 29 male black The trials are still in progress, but bordered fritillaries, Wilson’s and provides a varied sward height and neighbours’ estates. Fencing of the can be very slow, and at present we grouse attending five lek sites. The initial findings show declines in some Tunbridge filmy ferns, and an keeps the main and subsidiary lek new woodland was not possible, as are concerned with maintaining the increase at Inversnaid reserve mirrors invertebrate prey following cutting (eg extremely good selection of higher sites clear of tall vegetation, black grouse mortality from deer current small black grouse population, this wider increase and for much the caterpillars) but increases in others (eg woodland plants and mammals. particularly bracken. The vegetation fences can be unacceptably high, which has increased from just two same reasons. It is important during flies). Garrison Farm holds the main black has responded well to the change in even on those marked in the most males in 2002 to four males in 2006, this time of flux that careful grouse lek and is being managed and grazing regime, with cotton grass visible manner. presumably as a result of the monitoring of all leks in the area is developed to provide the suite of growing extensively on the wet reduction in grazing pressure. In undertaken, to follow the fortunes of Inversnaid habitats black grouse require flushes and a good variety of time, as scrub and woodland individual leks and how they throughout the year. flowering plants providing feeding Establishing trees develops, we expect to see a further contribute to the area-wide At Inversnaid reserve, on the banks opportunities for black grouse. increase in numbers. At present, the population. of Loch Lomond, we are working A series of extensive consultations A total of eight blocks, each around grouse are showing signs of with others to establish a landscape- has led to a planned strategy for The higher ground, where the one hectare, have been planted with recovery, and the highlight of 2007 Thanks to: scale area of woodland habitats and managing grazing on 120 ha, and woodland establishment is being a mixture of broad-leaved trees and was the recording of two separate, Forestry Commission Scotland, the open ground. Many species will establishing a mosaic of woodland undertaken, can suffer high levels of Scots pine. These will act as a seed well-grown broods of young. Woodland Trust Scotland, BP through benefit, including black grouse. cover and open ground habitats over wild herbivore attention. As a source for woodland expansion the Scottish Forest Alliance, another 250 ha. Grazing pressure has consequence, and to protect the within suitable open ground habitats On a wider landscape level, Biodiversity Action Grant Scheme, Inversnaid reserve was established in been reduced by the removal of over newly established trees, we contract up the hill. As a trial, one hectare of neighbouring land has also seen a and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). 30 RSPB RESERVES 2008 31

Seabird reserves Number of gannet nests at RSPB Noup Cliffs reserve

Each year, upwards of 120,000 seabirds of 26 species are counted 200

on RSPB reserves and productivity is 150 nests

measured for a proportion. This f 100 Steve Knell (rspb-images.com) represents a substantial sample of

the whole UK populations of some 50

species. We contribute our data to Number o the annual Seabird Monitoring 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Programme, managed by the Joint Year Nature Conservation Committee. Kittiwake population and breeding success at RSPB Review of 2007 Sumburgh Head reserve

By the very low standards of recent years, 2007 was a slightly better breeding season for some seabirds in Incuba ting adults some places. Chicks per occupied nest

450 1.4 On our Tiree reserve in the Scottish 400 Hebrides, 36 pairs of little terns 1.2 produced 44 fledged young – a

dults 350 bumper year for this vulnerable a 1 ng

i 300 t ty species here. Roseate terns at a i v

.08 i Coquet Island in Northumberland and 250 ncub i

at Larne Lough in Northern Ireland f Kittiwakes 200 0.6 also did well, with many pairs there Product 150 using artificial nest boxes. These help 0.4 chicks to avoid the worst of the Number o 100 0.2 weather and reduce predation risks. 50

Trials and tribulations of seabird colonies 0 0 Gannets continued to be one of the 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 The sight, sound and smell of a seabird colony in June is few seabirds in the UK experiencing Year an unforgettable wildlife experience. Some of the most long-term success (a 13% increase awesome colonies in Europe are at RSPB reserves. At since the mid-90s) with the UK’s However, in Shetland, our Sumburgh Sumburgh. Huge numbers of snake newest colony on RSPB’s Noup Cliffs Head reserve suffered a slump in pipefish, a relative of the seahorse, Sumburgh Head in Shetland, Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire reserve, Orkney, increasing and birds kittiwake numbers and breeding have again appeared in the diets of and South Stack on Anglesey, thousands of guillemots, at established sites continuing to success, although it did at least kittiwakes and auks in the North Sea razorbills, puffins, fulmars and others jostle for nesting expand their numbers. Gannets are produce some chicks. in 2007. The explosion in their space in the early summer. Our reserves not only provide well known as plunge-diving birds, numbers since 2004 remains wildlife spectacles, but also act as important indicators of much less reliant on small, shallow- The decline in the numbers of unexplained, but their effects are all environmental health in the seas around us. water fish than terns and kittiwakes. incubating kittiwake adults and their too plain. Pipefish, as the name Their success suggests a plentiful failure to produce any chicks between suggests, are thin, stiffly-scaled fish stock of small-to-medium sized 2001 and 2004 are thought to be a with very poor nutritional value pelagic fish such as saithe, pollack direct result of shortage in available compared to other fish, such as AUTHOR: DOUG GILBERT, RESERVES ECOLOGIST and mackerel in inshore waters. sandeels in the water around sandeels or young herring. As 32 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 33

pipefish increase and sprats and Full colony counts for RSPB Troup Head reserve Better protection sandeels become less abundant, for our seas kittiwakes and auks foraging around our coasts are increasingly bringing Protection of the marine pipefish back to feed chicks that 50000 environment has long been either starve through poor nutritional 40000 neglected by governments. intake or occasionally even choke on Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) llemots

i Without better control over their long, tough bodies. Speculation 30000

Gu levels of fishing exploitation, that climate change and sea surface f 20000 marine pollution and other temperature shifts may have driven developments in our seas, the this change is strong. 10000

Number o degradation of seabird habitats 0 and food supplies will continue. At Troup Head in Aberdeenshire, 2007 1995 2001 2007 The effects of climate change saw the latest full colony count Year are already beginning to bite in carried out in partnership with the the seas that surround us. The Seabird Monitoring Programme. The Marine Climate Change Impacts numbers of adult guillemots present Partnership, of which the RSPB on the cliffs during the breeding The problems that have affected What can we do? is a member, paints a stark season has reached an all-time low. terns are also having a serious knock- Throughout the UK, one threat facing picture of major changes in Since 2001, there has been a 70% on effect on Arctic skuas. Worryingly, ground-nesting seabirds such as terns winter sea temperatures and the decline in adult guillemots on the of over 90 Arctic skua pairs nesting and fulmars, as well as burrow-nesters effects this may have on seabird same stretch of cliff here. Work on on RSPB reserves in 2007, only six such as puffins, is the continued breeding success in its 2007-08 the reserve to monitor changes in the chicks reached the fledging stage. presence of introduced mammalian Report Card. This should be a spur diet of these birds continues, in an This echoes the wider picture for this predators, especially rats and mink. to action to prevent wholesale effort to pick up evidence for potential species in the north of Scotland. The RSPB has carried out an analysis decline of our great seabird cities. reasons behind this dramatic decline. Small stolen fish, in particular from of where introduced mammalian terns, form the staple diet of these predators might suppress the The RSPB looks forward to Many seabirds on Orkney suffered a graceful birds. Kittiwakes on Orkney breeding success of key bird species, marine legislation that can offer collapse in productivity, with both fared no better than terns and skuas, or where we need to keep island greater protection for our seas Arctic and common terns failing to with another year of extremely poor reserves as rat-free as possible. We progressing at both Westminster fledge a single chick on any of the breeding success. will use this to inform our and the Scottish Parliament sites that are monitored. management of seabird islands. during 2008-09. We will be lobbying strongly to ensure new Thanks to: designations that protect some We would like to thank Martin of our iconic, nationally important Heubeck, Shetland Oil Terminal species not protected under Environment Advisory Group European designation, such as (SOTEAG) and the JNCC Seabirds the black guillemot, are put in Monitoring Programme for providing place. We will continue to urge data and Scottish Natural Heritage the government and devolved (SNH) for supporting our administrations to meet their management at these reserves. international obligations under the Birds Directive, and bring forward

Ray Kennedy (rspb-images.com) Kennedy Ray new proposals to extend SPAs to the waters surrounding colonies, seabird foraging areas and those areas important for non-breeding ducks and divers. Gannet colony Puffin with sandeels 34 RSPB RESERVES 2008 35

We maintain a flock of Welsh Another species that suffered due to notably fire and high grazing mountain ewes on the island to help rats is the storm petrel. We have not pressures – and these populations graze the sward to an optimum lost them from the reserve are now thought to be incapable of height for choughs (ideally between completely, as a small population of independent recovery without an two and four centimetres). The flock around 50 to 100 pairs nest on the equivalent intervention. size varies considerably depending on Bishops and Clerks, a small string of Ben Hall (rspb-images.com) the size of the island’s rabbit islands two miles off the north-west To conserve the population of this population. Getting sheep on and off coast of Ramsey. It is our plan to fragile sub-species on Ramsey, in the island is no easy task. It requires install nest boxes amongst their conjunction with the Countryside a spell of calm weather, a suitably favoured breeding habitat of boulder Council for Wales, we collected high tide and the availability of a lorry. scree along the west coast of cuttings from the existing Ramsey Derek Rees, our contracted Ramsey, and monitor these for signs plants, propagated them at a nursery, shepherd, has a purpose-built, open of activity at the end of the breeding then returned them to Ramsey. They decked aluminium work boat to season. The petrels, like the are now ready to be transplanted transport the sheep. Once loaded on shearwaters, only return to the island back to their natural environment. the mainland, the sheep then have to under the cover of darkness, so this cross the notorious Ramsey Sound year we plan to use a tape playback Ramsey hosts three Nationally with a current running at up to 10 of the male song, to try and attract Scarce aquatic plants: three lobed knots on the highest spring tides. passing non-breeders from the water crowfoot, floating water Thanks to Derek’s expert local nearby Bishops and Clerks colony to plantain and pilwort. All are classic knowledge and experience, sheep investigate Ramsey, and hopefully examples of heathland pool flora and movements are well planned and encourage them to breed. require open, shallow conditions in organised affairs, resulting in minimal which to thrive. The livestock are stress to animals (but not necessarily Ramsey also plays host to a number beneficial in this respect too. Their the workers!). of nationally important plants. One of trampling and grazing help maintain these, a sub-species of juniper, open conditions and seeds can be Ramsey is also an important site for Juniperus communis subsp. transferred between pools and seabirds. Around 3,000 guillemots hemisphaerica, is found at only four ditches on their hooves. In addition to Ramsey Island and 1,500 razorbills breed on the vast sites in Wales. The low numbers and maintaining suitable conditions in the cliffs on the west coast. In addition, skewed sex-ratio of these plants existing pools, several new ponds the island supports a thriving preclude any regeneration from seed. have been created in recent years, population of Manx shearwaters. This The causes of unfavourable condition to encourage the spread of Restoring Ramsey Island’s wildlife riches burrow-nesting seabird was severely in coastal juniper are almost certainly these plants. curtailed during 200 years of brown related to past management – The RSPB purchased the stunning island of Ramsey, rat occupation. The rats came ashore Pembrokeshire, in 1992, following an appeal to its from shipwrecks in the 1800s but members. The principal importance of the site is its were successfully eradicated during a four-month-long project in the winter population of choughs. The island supports between seven of 1999-2000. At that time, the Manx and nine breeding pairs, representing around 3% of the shearwater population was around Mellor Ron Welsh breeding population. Visitors are welcomed onto the 900 pairs. Eight years later, the island during the summer months. Typically receiving population has increased to around about 5,000 visitors per year, the island makes a 2,300 pairs. Burrow-nesting birds will significant contribution to the local economy. always struggle where rats are present: this is the reason we no longer have puffins on Ramsey. It is AUTHOR: GREG MORGAN, WARDEN, RAMSEY ISLAND hoped that, now the rats have gone, one day puffins will re-colonise.

Bringing sheep onto Ramsey Island 36 RSPB RESERVES 2008 37 Niall Benvie (rspb-images.com)Niall Benvie

Restoring lost habitats

The main factor causing the loss of biodiversity in the last century has been destruction of habitat. RSPB nature reserves conserve more than 5% of the UK resource of native Caledonian pine, reedbed, deep peat blanket bog, wet grassland and brackish lagoons, and also significant areas of lowland heath and intertidal habitats. Nature reserves allow the re-creation of lost habitats in the areas from which they have disappeared or their creation in new areas. The RSPB has been particularly active in creating and restoring reedbeds, wet grasslands and heathlands where the importance of the habitat for birds is high, and in so doing has contributed significantly to UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) targets for these habitats.

Flow Country dubh lochans near Altnahara 38 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 39

At Minsmere, we have used a range treatments were the addition of of innovative management sulphur and the addition of a techniques to create lowland acid combination of sulphur and bracken grassland and heathland on arable litter (Owen et al. 2001). Dave Bevan / Alamy Dave Bevan / land acquired in stages from 1989 to 2004. The project comprised the following stages: Field-scale application

This began in 1996 and involved Initial site assessment application of the following four treatments, aimed at creating acid Surveys were undertaken over the grassland: course of 1990-91 to compare soil conditions on the arable fields with • Addition of 2.6 tonnes of Rabbits have been encouraged those on the surrounding heathland, elemental sulphur per hectare to spread into the interior of and to investigate the composition of and re-seeding with an acid fields by depositing piles of the seedbank. The results of these grassland mix. brash for them to shelter in

suggested that the key constraints and establish warrens beneath. Malcolm Ausden (RSPB) for successful development of acid- • Addition of 3.3 tonnes of loving vegetation on the arable fields elemental sulphur per hectare were high soil pH, high levels of plus 2.5 cm depth of bracken litter. Rabbit grazing is particularly important plant-available phosphorus and a lack Small quantities of heathland in providing the short (less than two of seeds of acid grassland and clippings and litter were also centimetres) sward required by stone- heathland plants. added to provide heather seed. curlews and the soil disturbance required by annual plants and warmth- • Seeding with an acid loving invertebrates. Rabbits have

A colony of silver-studded blue Arable cropping grassland mix. been encouraged to spread into the butterflies has established on the interior of fields by depositing brash newly created heathland at Minsmere Cropping was undertaken, mainly • Natural regeneration. piles (see photograph). using cereals, with the aim of reducing soil fertility. This followed Sulphur and heathland clippings and Plots have also been created for earlier success with the same litter have also been applied to the stone-curlews to nest on. These Acid grassland creation and technique in Breckland. This period of margins of some fields to create a comprise 1.3-ha blocks, created by cropping at Minsmere had no fringe of heathland surrounding the ploughing half of each block in stone-curlews at Minsmere measurable effect on levels of plant- acid grassland. alternate years to maintain the sparse Last year we celebrated the 60th anniversary of Minsmere available phosphorus or other key soil vegetation and bare ground required reserve on the Suffolk Coast. One of our management nutrients (Marrs et al. 1998). by them. Nesting stone-curlews have Ongoing management been protected from predation by red successes has been to create two large areas of lowland and monitoring foxes using electric fencing. acid grassland and heathland on ex-arable land, providing Research into methods of habitat for breeding stone-curlews, silver-studded blue soil acidification The ex-arable fields have A detailed programme of monitoring butterflies and a variety of rare beetles and plants. The 140 subsequently been managed by: has been carried out to determine ha of acid grassland created provides a significant Experiments were carried out by the grazing with sheep; encouraging the success of the different field contribution to the UK government’s BAP target for University of Liverpool and ourselves heavy grazing by rabbits; and by treatments used. This has involved recreating 500 ha of lowland dry acid grassland by 2010. to investigate methods of reducing controlling noxious weeds by topping monitoring of soil chemistry, soil pH, to negate the effects of and herbicide application. The vegetation, ground beetles, habitat applications of lime while the fields reserve is also grazed by 250 or conditions for stone-curlews and AUTHORS: MALCOLM AUSDEN, SENIOR RESERVES ECOLOGIST; AND MEL KEMP, had been arable. The most promising so wild red deer. breeding birds. HEATHLAND WARDEN, MINSMERE 40 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 41

What we have achieved 2007, Minsmere held one-third of the coastal Suffolk coast population. At All treatments involving re-seeding, present, there are no viewing with or without soil acidification, have facilities for the public to see developed grassland with a high breeding stone-curlews at Minsmere, cover of acid-tolerant grasses. although we are hoping to provide Addition of sulphur, bracken litter and these in the future.

Chris Knights (rspb-images.com) heathland clippings and litter, has Malcolm Ausden (RSPB) resulted in a sward with a high Thanks to: species-richness of acid grassland The project was funded by Natural plants. Seeds of these must have England's Higher Level Stewardship, been introduced amongst the litter Heritage Lottery Fund, SITA Trust and and cuttings. Fields left to regenerate Viridor Credits via Suffolk naturally had vegetation very Environmental Trust. The sheep flock dissimilar to that of nearby, existing grazing the reversion fields have been acid grassland, and in some areas – supported by a Natural England particularly on the sandiest and most Wildlife Enhancement Scheme drought-prone soils – they support agreement. annual plants and ground beetles of high conservation value. The References: vegetation contains a number of Ausden, M, Kemp, M, Lyons, G and scarce annuals, with smooth cat’s-ear Telfer, M G (submitted) Creation of abundant, and clustered clover and acid grassland on arable land: spring vetch widespread throughout vegetation development and The ex-arable land at Minsmere supported two pairs of the sward. The ground-beetle fauna colonisation by ground beetles breeding stone-curlews in 2007 of the ex-arable fields includes a (Coleoptera, Carabidae) range of scarce species characteristic of warm, dry, sandy soils. Further Marrs, R H, Snow, C S R, Owen, K M details are given in Ausden et al. & Evans, C E 1998 Heathland and Soil pH of acidified and unacidified ex-arable fields (submitted). A colony of acid grassland creation on arable soils at Minsmere compared to that of nearby existing silver-studded blue butterflies has at Minsmere: identification of acid grassland established on the newly created potential problems and a test of heathland, just four years after the cropping to impoverish soils. first spreading of heathland clippings Biological Conservation 85: 69-82 7 and litter. Owen, K M & Marrs, R H 2001 The 6 Stone-curlews started nesting on the use of mixtures of sulphur and ex-arable fields in 2003, having last bracken litter to reduce pH of former l PH

i 5 bred in the Minsmere area in 1969. In arable soils and control ruderal

So 2007, the population increased to two species. Restoration Ecology 9:

4 pairs. Each pair had two broods, 397-409. fledging a total of six young. Breeding stone-curlews are 3 Existing acid Acidified Acidified Unacidified Unacidified extremely sensitive to disturbance grassland with 2.6t with 3.3t (1) (2) and vulnerable to egg collectors. The sulphur per sulphur per ha ha plus priority has been to minimise bracken litter disturbance and allow this significant A view across one of the blocks of ex-arable land at Minsmere, showing a population to become established. In mixture of heavily grazed heather and acid grassland. This area was a cereal field in 1995 The graphs show soil pH nine years after soil acidification. Values are means ± one standard error 42 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 43

In the past, Otmoor was a still held many of the former sowing of seed mixes. As our magnificent wetland. Flooding could wetland species, including birds experience has grown, the seed persist throughout the winter and such as lapwings, redshanks, snipe mixes have been refined and we now some areas would remain wet and and curlews. use seed collected from nearby marshy during the summer. A mosaic grassland sites when possible. For of pools, ditches, water courses and the first year at least, the grassland Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) wet grazing marshes developed, and Wetland restoration sward is mown regularly to help with it was described as “a languorous establishment. Seasonal grazing is East Anglian fen transplanted into the The RSPB has purchased nearly 400 then introduced during the dry heart of Oxfordshire”. ha of grassland and arable land since summer months for another two 1997 and is restoring wet grassland years. During the first few years, In the 19th century, bitterns and black and reedbeds for a range of wildlife, water levels are also kept lower, to terns nested, and there is reference including breeding wading birds speed up the rate of establishment to the vast flocks of wintering and bitterns. of a strong, grass root structure. waterfowl, with wildfowl being collected on “an industrial scale” for Restoration has involved: The restoration of the grazing marsh the markets in the city of Oxford and • establishment of grassland on includes the creation or enhancement beyond. In the 1930s, the ex-arable land of over 60 km of water-filled ditches, Oxfordshire Ornithological Society to provide shallow water and muddy estimated 40 to 50 pairs of snipe • excavation of ditches and pools to margins for wading birds to feed in. were breeding within 11-13 km radius provide shallow water and muddy The aim is to create at least 200 m of of Oxford. margins, for feeding wading birds water’s edge per hectare of grassland. and other wetland wildlife So far, about 450 small, shallow pools The moor has changed dramatically in have also been created. The majority the last 200 years. The local river, the • construction of a 22-ha reed-filled of the ditches are no more than 50 cm Ray, has been engineered, water storage reservoir. Reedbed deep. This creates a high proportion of straightened and its floods tamed. is also being established shallow water, keeps costs down and Enclosure in the 1830s saw the elsewhere on the reserve. reduces the amount of excavated Cattle grazing alongside ditch at Otmoor division of the open marsh into material that has to be “lost” hedged fields. The most radical The grassland is being established by elsewhere on the site. A proportion of changes took place between 1969 a mixture of natural regeneration and the ditches are up to two metres and 1980. Nearly a third of Otmoor The Otmoor story was drained and arable farming was introduced. This involved building clay banks to keep out river water and the Otmoor was a diverse and extensive wetland in the installation of pumps to remove nineteenth century. Drainage and river engineering have excess rainwater. A further arterial subsequently reduced the wetland to a few fragments. drainage scheme for the River Ray, Since 1997, in partnership with the Environment Agency, which would have affected the we have been recreating the riches of the former wetland. drainage of Otmoor, was only abandoned in the mid 1980s as

Our reserve now supports a significant proportion of the Hamblin (rspb-images.com) Tony Government belatedly recast its Upper Thames river valley’s remaining breeding wading priorities for flood defence. birds, together with large numbers of wintering wildfowl and other wetland wildlife. Remnants of the old Otmoor landscape remained, particularly on the 211-ha SSSI encompassing a AUTHOR: NEIL LAMBERT, SITE MANAGER, OTMOOR military rifle range. These remnants

Common darter, one of eighteen species of dragonfly and damselfly recorded at Otmoor. 44 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 45

a significant proportion of the remaining waders in the Upper Thames river valleys. The reserve also supports large numbers of wintering waterfowl. During winter 2006-07, Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) maximum counts on the reserve Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) included 2,800 wigeons, 2,400 teals, 342 pintails, 3,500 lapwings and 2,300 golden plovers. Bitterns winter almost annually. Other wetland wildlife includes 18 species of dragonflies and damselflies, 30 species of butterfly, the red-listed beetle Badister meridionalis and tassel stonewort.

Rotary ditching machine in action at Otmoor The future

The dilemma for the future of deep. These act as wet fencing for reed seedlings. Seed was collected Otmoor is how far we can restore livestock, as an arterial system to from small stands of reed that were the natural-functioning of the move water around the site, and still present on the reserve and floodplain. Reconnecting the wetland provide conditions for a different range grown in seed trays within a with the river may bring benefits, but of aquatic species such as dragonflies, greenhouse on the site. When the may also bring nutrient-rich water, aquatic plants and fish. reed seedlings are around 30 cm tall, invasive non-native species and flash they are transplanted into the floods. We are also working with A unique machine, the “Big Wheel” reedbed. At this stage they are at risk Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and rotary ditcher, was imported from from grazing geese, swans and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) to Ohio in the USA to create over 20 km coots. Fencing is installed for the first explore where land in the wider area of shallow ditch features. The ditcher year until the reeds become well can be brought into conservation has two bulldozer blades, which established – this is the most time- management to restore the carve out the ditch. The soil is then consuming and expensive part of the landscape-scale wetland of the past. broken up, thrown up to 20 m away process, taking ten times as long as from the ditch by a second part of the planting itself! The reedbed Thanks to: the ditcher. This is a 2.5 m spinning provides the essential habitat for Biffaward, Cherwell District Council, wheel with eight steel blades bolted aquatic plants and a healthy fish Defra through Natural England, onto it. The ditcher has now worked population – critical for bitterns. Environment Agency, Doris Field on a number of other sites across the Charitable Trust, Heritage Lottery UK, where it has created a total of Fund, Miss W E Lawrence 1973 450 km of shallow ditches. What we have achieved Charitable Trust, SITA Trust, South Oxfordshire District Council, Trust for Construction of the reedbed reservoir In 2007, Otmoor RSPB reserve Oxfordshire’s Environment with funds involved the excavation of nearly supported 45 pairs of breeding from Viridor Credit’s Oxfordshire Fund three kilometres of new ditches and lapwings, 18 pairs of breeding and Waste Recycling Groups Ltd six large lagoons. Staff and redshanks and five drumming snipe. (WRG) through Waste Recycling volunteers have planted over 150,000 Otmoor RSPB reserve now supports Environmental Ltd (WREN).

There were five drumming snipe on Otmoor RSPB reserve in 2007. 46 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 47

The bird life using the loch and its wetlands is rich. Over 29 years, the RSPB’s management has established a significant waterfowl refuge, and numbers of most wintering species have risen. Up to 20% of the world’s pink-footed geese arrive at the site in Danny Green (rspb-images.com)Danny autumn. Internationally important Steve Austin (rspb-images.com) numbers of whooper swans, greylag and barnacle geese and teals also use the reserve.

Descriptions of the loch from the 1970s speak of being able to see the bed of the loch through clear water and of brown trout hiding among beds of aquatic plants. However, with a predominantly intensive agricultural catchment covering 5,700 ha, it is not surprising that Loch of Strathbeg has suffered from increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorous over the past 30 years. Increased levels of Up to 20% of the world’s population autumn ploughing have led to soil of pink-footed geese use the refuge at Loch of Strathbeg erosion and the loch’s sandy bed being covered in a layer of silt. The consequences of these man-induced changes have been a shift in the Water voles are spreading across the newly created wetland areas at Loch of Strathbeg character of the vegetation in the loch from one of macrophytes to one dominated by epiphytic algae and the resulting pea-soup appearance of the Wetland restoration at Loch of Strathbeg water. The increased numbers of geese roosting on the loch in the

autumn may also have contributed to of Strathbeg RSPB reserve Loch Loch of Strathbeg, on the north-east coast of this change. The trout have declined Aberdeenshire, is the largest sand dune loch in Britain. The significantly and so too have several RSPB has had a reserve here since 1979, and it now covers bird species dependent on either fish 915 ha, encompassing 70% of the 206-ha loch, plus or aquatic invertebrates and adjacent SSSI wetland and some undesignated improved vegetation, such as goosanders, goldeneyes, tufted ducks and grassland. The shallow loch is separated from the North pochards. Sea by sand dunes. There is some saline intrusion, but the loch is generally fresh water. Restoring the burn AUTHOR: SIMON BUSUTTIL, RESERVES MANAGER, EAST SCOTLAND The Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 and the implementation of the European Union’s Water Creation of the new channel for the burn 48 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 49

challenges, especially in terms of a cutting and grazing regime to this high water quality standards that it minimising damage to the area, allowing short fen vegetation to could, standards in the catchment vegetation, and, more importantly, to replace much of the thick, rank must actually be higher. the peat substrate. The solution was impenetrable vegetation. Breeding to use a huge cutting disc attached wading birds such as redshanks and The future looks bright for the Loch of Gwyn Williams (RSPB) to the hydraulic arm of a 360° digger. lapwings will then be able to return Strathbeg. SEPA (Scottish Known as the “birds-eye”, this to this part of the site. Environmental Protection Agency) are mowed mature willows at ground targeting pollution reduction level, rowed them up and then measures at the Savoch catchment, burned them at 700°C in a Restoring the loch and options for further remedial work compressed air burner towed behind on the loch are being examined. Over it. This minimised impact on These two large-scale habitat a quarter of a century we have not vegetation and peat and was far less projects are the start of a continued only secured a significant waterfowl damaging than the manual cutting programme of work to fully restore refuge, but begun to create the and dragging off site of the cut trees the Loch of Strathbeg. We are now conditions the full-scale restoration would have been. carrying out a full Site Condition and sustainable management of a Assessment of the loch. This will spectacular wetland. Now, on Mosstown Fen for the first identify the on-site and Water in the burn now takes up to 22 hours longer to reach the Loch time in half a century, significant catchment-wide factors affecting Thanks to: management of the fen is taking water quality and enable us to The Heritage Lottery Fund, European place. In partnership with a private propose a range of options for Regional Development Fund (ERDF) contractor, specialist wetland bringing the site into favourable through the Eastern Scotland Framework Directive in Scotland hours. The result is that the silt in thousands of brook lampreys were harvesting machinery has been condition. Given that the European Partnership, Scottish through Water Services (Scotland) suspension is deposited in a seen moving along the re-engineered purchased and is being used to cut internationally important numbers of Natural Heritage (SNH), The Gillman Act 2005 provided the catalyst for a specifically designed silt trap before it burn. Careful measures were put in and remove vegetation, again with birds themselves are contributing to Trusts, Friends of Strathbeg and programme of work to begin reaches the loch. Built with future place during work to avoid the known minimal impact on the peat the levels of nitrogen in the loch, our Scottish Environmental Protection restoring the Loch of Strathbeg. A access in mind, these will be areas frequented by water voles. substrate. We intend to re-introduce view is that, in order to achieve the Agency (SEPA). review of historic data, supplemented periodically dug out and the silt Repeat surveys after the engineering by further data collation, identified returned to the farmland. The water work are showing that they have the Savoch Burn as the major source in the burn now passes through a benefited and are spreading across of pollution to the loch. The burn had newly created 23-ha reedbed “cell”, the newly created wetland areas. been straightened and embanked in which adds significantly to the range the 19th century to drain the of habitats on the reserve and further floodplain at the western end of the slows the flow of the burn, aiding Restoring the fen loch. Having identified its deposition. Having passed through pre-canalised course, the RSPB the reedbed, the burn is used to feed Agricultural change has also had a Duncan Goulder employed contractors, Alaska water to a 36-ha cell of wet negative impact on the fen and Environmental, to re-engineer the grassland. This area had previously swamp areas around Strathbeg. burn, removing its containing banks, suffered from being extremely These areas, once grazed and cut for restoring an inundation regime on the difficult to manage, either being too bedding and fodder, have been flood plain and digging a new channel dry or too wet. Completely abandoned and are now dominated for it. Freed from its constraints, the re-engineered, involving the by rank vegetation, with significant burn can now find its own course movement of 30,000 m3 of soil, we areas of willow scrub. over time. Already, riffles and banks are now able to control water levels are beginning to appear in what was in both cells through single water As part of this habitat restoration a uniformly flowing watercourse. control structures. programme, Alaska Environmental Initial monitoring suggests that water also cleared 28 ha of scrub from now takes up to 24 hours to reach Within hours of the work being Mosstown Fen. Working on the loch, where previously it took two carried out, brown trout and SSSI-quality wet fen posed significant Mosstown Fen after 28 ha of scrub were removed 50 RSPB RESERVES 2008 51

A brief history Our interest at Geltsdale comprises a mixture of different tenures. We have held the sporting rights over the entire reserve since 1999. Following Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) a number of acquisitions, we now

have direct management control Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com) over about 45% of the reserve and the sporting rights over the remainder. Geltsdale is managed by our site team and, since 2003, by a new tenant farmer. The tenancy is one of the largest organic enterprises in England. Geltsdale has a rich industrial history, with coal mining taking place through the early industrial period up until the 1930s. The land was formerly managed for grouse and as a hill farm.

Geltsdale supports 18 to 20 pairs of ring ouzels, a nationally A special place declining species

Geltsdale reserve comprises part of Geltsdale and Glendue Fells SSSI and Managing for a range of farming. It is envisaged that, in the is an integral part of the North benefits in partnership future, both cattle and ponies will be Pennine Moors Special Area of with others used to create and maintain the mix The award-winning information centre at Stagsike Cottages, Geltsdale Conservation and Special Protection of vegetation structure and Area. The reserve is designated both The reserve is managed for the full composition that many of our key for its internationally important range of priority habitats and birds require. habitats (blanket bog, dwarf shrub species. Geltsdale is open access Geltsdale reserve – an upland jewel heath) and associated birds (golden and we are working to help people We aim to create a more natural and plovers, hen harriers, merlins, experience its beauty and tranquillity. diverse moorland community rich in Geltsdale reserve, located in the north-west corner of the North peregrines). The reserve comprises a In 2007, we completed the bryophytes (mosses), berry-bearing Pennines, comprises a mosaic of upland habitats and birds suite of upland habitats, dominated development of a small-scale shrubs and flowering plants. We aim associated with the English uplands. Our interest dates back to 1975, by the core of blanket bog, grading information centre at Stagsike. to trial a range of innovative into a mosaic of heather moor and approaches that inform our when we entered into a wardening agreement with the Nicholson grassland habitats. These habitats are Our management includes extensive understanding of how wildlife and a family (estate owner). Because of the Nicholsons’ positive attitude to fringed by farmland and woodland livestock grazing (increasing the use range of ecosystem services (eg nature conservation, our relationship flourished, allowing us to habitats. Over 100 different species of cattle), heather cutting, bracken carbon storage, clean surface water) increase our influence over the reserve. Today, the reserve extends to of bird have bred on the reserve management, grip blocking, respond to our land management, over 5,200 ha, almost half of which is under our direct control. We since 2003. A recent survey of land re-instating wet features in and to further our understanding of have ambitious plans for Geltsdale, where we are working to develop under our direct control found all of meadows, and the establishment and the management required to allow what we consider to be a more sustainable approach to land the blanket bog in good or recovering restoration of woodland and wood habitats and species to respond to a condition, representing a marked pasture. Agri-environment payments changing climate. management than is generally found across our uplands. improvement since the start of provide critical support, providing a our tenure. financial framework for conservation AUTHORS: DAVE O’HARA, GELTSDALE MANAGER; PAT THOMPSON, UPLANDS CONSERVATION OFFICER 52 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 53

Current priority breeding bird populations • currently cut 20 ha of heather Breeding farmland waders at Tarnhouse, Clowesgill Understanding the effects and Halton Lea of management change Species Popn. size Status Comment each year to create heterogeneity Hen harrier 0-1 SPA Last bred successfully in 2006 and to help restore areas of We conduct research on the reserve heather-dominated blanket bog to help us understand how birds and Peregrine 1 SPA Occasional second pair 50 that were formerly burnt habitats respond to different Merlin 6 SPA Stable 45 Lapwing Barn owl 5 Increasing 40 Snipe management regimes. Between

rs Curlew Short-eared owl 8 SSSI Fluctuates with vole population • we no longer use fire to manage ai 35 Redshank 1999 and 2006, we assessed the p f Black grouse 22 Increasing active and recovering blanket bog. 30 effects of reducing sheep numbers 25 Corncrake <1 Confirmed breeding 2006 on moorland bird abundance and 20 Golden plover 39 SPA Stable vegetation condition. Stock Number o 15 Dunlin 1-2 SPA Stable but vulnerable Restoring pasture reductions led to declines in golden 10 woodland plovers and curlews, with the Curlew 123 SPA Stable 5 resultant increase in vegetation Lapwing 46 SSSI Increasing 0 Redshank 14 SSSI Increasing We have established 200 ha of new 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 height and density being the probable Snipe 19 SSSI Increasing woodland on bracken-dominated acid Year cause. These findings illustrate how Ring ouzel 20 SSSI Stable grassland slopes and aim to alternative management will have to introduce extensive cattle grazing into be deployed (eg cutting and cattle the wood when the trees are grazing) to maintain the necessary Restoring blanket bog Recent management includes: established. This is part of a Birds of prey the woodland planting has created open vegetation under a regime of • between 2002–2007, blocked 80 commitment to re-establish scattered Geltsdale currently supports six pairs new habitat for the species. The low sheep stocking densities. Geltsdale includes 2,600 ha of km of grips (artificial drains) with woodland and scrub around the of merlins and a single pair of number of lekking males has blanket bog, a habitat made up of a peat dams moorland edge. peregrines. Despite attracting increased from seven males in 2005 Ground nesting birds such as waders variety of peat-forming plants, which displaying and prospecting birds, hen to 22 males in 2008. and black grouse are often vulnerable over thousands of years have • sheep stocking reduced from two Restoring wet meadows and the harriers have not bred since 2006 to the effects of predation, which can resulted in the formation of a layer of ewes/ha to 0.6 ewes/ha and upland in-bye farmland when a pair fledged two young. In act to cause declines or limit deep peat which stores vast switched to extensive organic Through close work with our tenant good vole years, Geltsdale has Breeding waders recovery. For this reason, we quantities of carbon. farming system farmer, the farmland has seen supported up to 10 pairs of short- currently undertake carefully targeted dramatic change. There has been a eared owls. We are concerned that The enclosed grassland consists of a control of crows and foxes at major reduction in sheep numbers the absence or low numbers of some mix of rushy pasture and meadows. Geltsdale. This is particularly and an increase in cattle grazing. The species of birds of prey at Geltsdale This is an important breeding wader important for black grouse because meadows are late-cut, with inputs reflects the persecution that we habitat across the North Pennines. At of the need to maximise the chances restricted to use of organic manure. believe is taking place across the Geltsdale, the introduction of cattle of the population both increasing and Restoration work includes drain North Pennines (and beyond). The grazing, wetland creation and expanding range. blocking, scrape creation and absence of hen harriers is not related enhancement has been associated naturalising of canalised water to prey availability. with substantial increases in breeding Thanks to: courses. waders, particularly lapwings, Our work at Geltsdale is supported Steve Garnett (RSPB) Steve Garnett curlews, snipe and redshanks. by Cumbria Waste Management Black grouse Environment Trust, European Regional Monitoring Golden plover numbers have Development Fund, The Famous The black grouse population in the remained stable since 1999, with 39 Grouse, Forestry Commission, In addition to priority birds, we also North Pennines is relatively isolated, pairs in 2007. Whilst curlew numbers Natural England through Defra’s monitor other key moorland fauna, with few birds elsewhere in England. have remained stable overall, Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, including meadow pipits, voles and At Geltsdale, numbers have numbers on the moorland have North Pennines AONB Partnership’s red grouse. increased following targeted habitat recently declined (see figure above). Sustainable Development Fund and management including reduced SITA Trust. grazing pressure by sheep and the introduction of cattle grazing, whilst Sphagnum mosses are recovering where cutting has replaced burning on the blanket bog. 54 RSPB RESERVES 2008 55

The water level in Lough Neagh has been lowered twice to create additional farmland. The last lowering John Scovell (RSPB) Scovell John was completed in 1959 and as (RSPB) Scovell John Portmore is connected to Lough Neagh it was also affected, causing the fringe of reed surrounding the Lough to dry and willow, and alder scrub to take hold.

A survey of the scrub fringe adjacent to RSPB-owned meadows at Portmore Lough showed that the scrub consisted of 86% willow and 14% alder, none of which was estimated to be older than 40 years.

Restoring the fen

Following a consultation and approval Low pressure machinery was used to avoid breaking the ground surface process with the Forest Service, Environment and Heritage Service and local residents, we started the scrub clearance project in 2005. The Managing the fen meadows were dominated by soft first stage was to bore and inject rush and although the meadows had every individual stem with 10 ml of To keep the scrub from regenerating, been mown and arisings removed for Nine ha of fen have been restored by scrub removal, so reconnecting it to the Lough herbicide in late summer. This killed we have acquired a small herd of nine years, it had a marginal impact almost 95% of all the trees injected. Konik ponies. They will roam the fen on the rush cover, which only This method was chosen as it at a density of 0.75 LU/ha. These reduced to 80%. Following prevented re-growth from stumps ponies are the closest relative of the consultation with Environment and Wetland creation at Portmore Lough and brash; allowed the standing extinct tarpan horse and are utilised Heritage Service and Department of deadwood to dry which when on many nature reserves due to being Agriculture and Rural Development, The RSPB’s Portmore Lough reserve lies to the south-west corner chipped made it commercially viable hardy, self-sufficient and requiring we were given consent to weed of Lough Neagh (the biggest inland lake in the UK) in Northern to burn in wood chip burners; and little husbandry. They are tolerant of wipe the meadows with a digitally Ireland. It is linked to Lough Neagh by two canalised waterways. reduced its mass, lessening the wet conditions and graze the interface controlled anti-drip hydrostatic weed negative impact on sensitive ground between the meadow and fen, wiper. The rush cover was mown as Portmore Lough is designated ASSI, SPA and Ramsar for conditions when being removed. The creating an invertebrate-rich area. short as possible and all arisings breeding waders, wintering wildfowl and terrestrial fringe area where the scrub was collected, the new growth was then invertebrates. It is becoming increasingly important as a key area removed from has a layer of weed wiped with 1:1 water herbicide for lapwing recovery in Northern Ireland. We have restored nine approximately six inches of Managing the wet mix and cut again 60 days after the hectares of fen and 20 ha of wet grassland to connect Portmore vegetation and thatch and then meadows herbicide application. This project will Lough to the wet meadows, and provide suitable habitat for several metres of silt. Therefore, low- take three years to clear the breeding lapwings and snipe. pressure machines had to be used to The meadows adjacent to the area meadows of soft rush, but in the first avoid breaking the surface and cleared of scrub also underwent year we succeeded in reducing the disappearing. major restoration to create suitable cover to approximately 30%. AUTHOR: JOHN SCOVELL, SITE MANAGER, PORTMORE LOUGH habitat for breeding lapwings. These 56 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 57

What we have achieved Four pairs of breeding lapwings, and its margins. Portmore Lough is the two pairs of snipe were recorded in closest available suitable habitat. Between September 2005 and 2007, and 12 species of odonata January 2008, we have removed were also recorded. Thanks to:

1,000 tonnes of wood chip, restoring Craigavon Borough Council through (RSPB) Scovell John nine hectares of fen. Ulster Wildlife Trust’s Landfill Looking to the future Communities Fund, Department of Water levels were raised by installing Agriculture and Rural Development, sluices and bunds, creating damp Portmore Lough is now being Environment and Heritage Service conditions and splashes on the managed as one of five key recovery and the Lough Neagh Partnership. meadows. To create shallow muddy areas for lapwings in Northern margins, 0.5 km of ditches were Ireland. It is the last substantial area re-profiled. Two kilometres of foot of wet grassland in the south-west drains (one metre wide and 30 cm Lough Neagh area and it is within six deep) and 4,000 m2 of scrapes miles of Maghaberry prison, which were excavated. has a core breeding population of 20 pairs of lapwings inside the perimeter Raising the water levels and creating fence. The range expansion of this muddy fringes has benefited population is very limited, due to breeding lapwings and snipe. restricted habitat in the prison and on Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Lapwing numbers are recovering at Portmore Lough, where four pairs bred in 2007 A small herd of Konik ponies now graze the fen to prevent scrub from regenerating 58 RSPB RESERVES 2008 59 Ernie Janes (rspb-images.com)Ernie Janes Beyond birds improving conditions for biodiversity

RSPB nature reserves make a major contribution to the conservation of all wildlife, not just birds. At least 95% of the UK’s species of dragonfly, 76% of spiders, 60% of moths, and 65% of ground beetles are found on RSPB reserves. Data for other groups are less complete, but it is clear that RSPB reserves must support a high proportion of the 88,000 species of terrestrial, freshwater and marine organism found in the UK.

To ensure that management for birds does not damage any key species in other taxa, and to improve management for biodiversity generally on its reserves, the RSPB funds an ongoing, targeted programme of surveys by taxonomic specialists at potentially important reserves. These surveys have confirmed that the reserve network plays an important role in the conservation of UK BAP Priority Species. Around 400 non-avian UK BAP species are present on RSPB reserves.

RSPB nature reserves support 76% of UK spider species 60 RSPB RESERVES 2008 61

The RSPB’s involvement with Farewell to Avon Heath Although the RSPB will now be heathland in the south-west goes reducing its presence at Avon Heath, back to the 1960s, when cold winters In 1998, the RSPB entered into a 10- we will continue to have a strong proved too much for our delicate year partnership with DCC to manage working relationship with DCC and heathland birds and Dartford warbler the heathland SSSI at Avon Heath the rangers on site. DCC are now Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) numbers crashed. Lack of Country Park. Supported by responsible for delivering their management and understanding of Countryside Stewardship and later by favourable condition requirements heathland needed to be addressed. a grant from the Heritage Lottery and the RSPB Dorset Heathland Fund through Tomorrow’s Heathland Project will continue to provide Now, we have heathland reserves at Heritage, RSPB began the restoration management work for them on a Aylesbeare in Devon and Arne, work needed to move the habitat into contract basis. Stoborough Heath and Grange Heath, favourable condition. forming the Arne reserves in Dorset. The RSPB would like to thank the We have also been working in By the last year of the agreement, ranger team at Avon Heath for all their partnership with Dorset County the RSPB had achieved most of the help and support during the past 10 Council (DCC) to manage one of their ambitious restoration targets for the years. This agreement has proved to flagship Country Parks, Avon Heath, park: 156 ha of tree removal on be a very interesting and rewarding on the Hampshire border. wooded heath and scattered tree partnership, full of learning reduction; 10 ha of improvements to experience, and we are pleased that it wet heath; an annual 15 ha of has strengthened our friendship with Arne reserves bracken control and five hectares of DCC. We look forward to continued bare ground creation. close working in the future. Located on a peninsula to the west of Poole Harbour, the 750 ha of the Arne reserves form one of the finest examples in the UK of lowland heath RSPB Dorset Heathland Project (DHP) to RSPB and valley mires with a maritime Habitat Management Services The heathland at Arne is home to all five of the UK’s native reptiles influence. The reserves hold nationally important breeding Since 1989, DHP has restored over 1,300 ha of heathland in Dorset for populations of Dartford warblers and many different clients. We have monitored the success of our work by nightjars. There are many species of regularly surveying the birds, insects and plants, which have benefited as Restoring the heathlands of Dorset and Devon plants, vertebrates and invertebrates a result. This work was largely funded by EC LIFE-Nature and Heritage of Red Data Book or national Lottery Fund grants, sponsorship from BP and contracts with landowners. With its mild, maritime climate, south-west England importance. provides ideal conditions for lowland heathland. The region DHP now has a new role – acting as a contractor with conservation in mind boasts a quarter of the UK’s heathlands, around 14,500 ha Since 2004, we have removed 7.1 ha – and thereby continuing to aid the restoration and maintenance of habitats in total, and is extremely important for heathland birds, of trees from 865 ha of heath, and species. The wealth of experience and knowledge built up on heathland holding 48% of the national populations of Dartford opening up the habitat for heathland is also applicable to other habitats and we now cover wetlands, woodland birds. In 2007, 4–5 pairs of woodlarks and grasslands. We offer a wide range of services from scrub and tree warblers, 31% of nightjars and 8-10% of woodlarks. bred; in 2006, 80 pairs of Dartford clearance, tree work, tackling invasive species on land and in ponds, AUTHOR: JENNY GOY, DORSET ADMINISTRATOR warblers bred; and in 2004, 27–28 surveys of birds, mammals and invertebrates, tractor work and forage pairs of nightjars bred on the harvesting, as well as GIS mapping, strategy development and FEPs. We Arne reserves work across the south-west and south-east, with clients in Hampshire, Kent, Somerset and Devon, as well as Dorset. We are always happy to discuss how best to achieve your conservation objectives, so please contact Sarah Alsbury, [email protected], tel. 01929 555987. 62 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 63

Peak counts of adult southern damselflies at Aylesbeare since grazing introduced Southern damselfly A colony of southern damselflies has Summer grazing with Galloway cattle been recorded at Aylesbeare has continued and been extended One non-avian species to have Common in Devon since 1956, where over the whole site. During winter benefited from our heathland they occupy a two-hectare area of 2007, the animals were retained on 400 conservation work is the southern shallow runnels and pools, fed by a the southern damselfly area to damselfly, Coenagrion mercuriale. neutral, base-rich spring. The water enhance conditions. Occasional scrub 350

This internationally endangered filters through a network of natural control has been needed, as has 300 species, listed as rare in the British and hand-dug runnels in a mire annual management of runnels and 250 Red Data Book, is a UK Biodiversity dominated by black bog-rush. cutting of vegetation; small pools and Action Plan priority species. The waterfalls have also been created. 200 dults per count a

south-west holds a few small Early work at Aylesbeare included the This continued management seems f 150 colonies concentrated in Devon and creation of shallow depressions and a to be having a very positive effect, 100 Dorset. They breed in heathland small pond, plus hand-clearance of with 145 individuals counted in 2007.

streams and runnels, and, more runnels, but numbers of southern Number o 50

rarely, rhos pasture, chalk streams damselflies remained low. In 1990, The Southern Damselfly Action Plan 0 and calcareous mires. Its decline grazing was introduced to open up seeks to increase the species’ range, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 follows loss of suitable habitat due to the rank vegetation and create mainly through natural 8 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 999 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 lack of appropriate heathland trampled areas, resulting in a marked re-colonisation. However, it is unlikely 2000 management, including reduced population increase, with maximum that southern damselflies can Year grazing, over-deepening of shallow counts of over 100 individuals in disperse more than two kilometres breeding streams, drainage and most years between 1999 and 2007. from an existing site. We are dredging of breeding sites. assisting in this re-colonisation by restoring a potential new site for southern damselflies on our Stoborough Heath reserve, part of the Arne reserves, less than one kilometre from an existing colony at Creech Heath. Scrub has been removed from a valley mire and stream edges, and water control is being improved. The site has been fenced and was grazed with ponies Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) during summer 2007. Two sightings of the damselfly have already been

Jackie Cooper (rspb-images.com) Jackie made during early morning visits, so we are hopeful for positive results when the formal surveying starts at Stoborough in summer 2008.

Thanks to: The Environment Agency for financial support of the southern damselfly work, and the British Dragonfly Society.

The southern damselfly has suffered a 30% decline in its UK distribution since 1960 Black bog-rush, which occurs in the flushes used by the southern damselfly at Aylesbeare 64 RSPB RESERVES 2008 65

RSPB Dungeness, currently the oldest RSPB nature reserve, was set up originally to protect nesting seabirds and other rare species such as Kentish plovers and stone-curlews that nested on the shingle beaches. Ben Hall (rspb-images.com) In recent years, as we have become Sue Kennedy (rspb-images.com)Sue Kennedy more aware of the importance of the site for a range of nationally scarce and rare non-avian species, we have devoted a lot of our management effort to sustaining and enhancing the populations of species such as Jersey cudweed, great crested newt, medicinal leech, bumblebees and a rich assemblage of ground beetles.

Stinking hawksbeard

We are working closely with Natural England to help re-establish the Red clover is an important source of nectar for long-tongued endangered stinking hawksbeard. bumblebees. Its abundance at Dungeness has been increased by Whilst the presence of a seed bank various measures, including spreading seed here cannot be discounted, there have been no records of truly wild plants since 1980, when the last native specimen was observed at UK since the 1980s. Research into that forage resources are not Bare ground around the pools at Dungeness is important to a number of rare plants and invertebrates Dungeness. Experimental plots have the habitat requirements of these grazed off at their peak flowering been set up, and the survival and bees showed that a long flowering time seed production of introduced season of plants in the pea family stinking hawksbeard plants inside and (legumes) is important for the • holding back the topping dates in The little-known treasures of Dungeness outside of the enclosures is being survival of populations of these long- fields until August or later, to monitored by the University of tongued bumblebees. Pollen from allow clovers and vetches to set The unique landscape of Dungeness, with its vast area of Greenwich. clovers, especially red and white seed and replenish the seed bank exposed shingle, shaped into a series of ridges by storm clovers and vetches, predominated in waves over the centuries, has long been known as a the pollen baskets of foraging bees • spreading red clover seed, premier birdwatching site. Less well known is its botanical Management for returning to their nests. Thus, we collected locally, on site, to diversity, and the fact that Dungeness is one of the richest bumblebees have adapted the management of our increase the abundance of clover enclosed grasslands by: in the sward sites for invertebrates in the whole of the UK, supporting a Dungeness nature reserve is home number of rare and localised species that do not occur to 11 of the 16 species of true • rotating the grazing in the • establishing clover along track elsewhere in Britain. bumblebees that occur in Britain, enclosed grasslands to provide a edges by the spreading of including the BAP priority species succession of flowering plants clover- rich hay, gathered AUTHOR: BOB GOMES, SITE MANAGER, DUNGENESS; GRAEME LYONS, RESERVES brown-banded carder-bee, large during the bees’ flight season elsewhere on the reserve. ECOLOGIST; AND MALCOLM AUSDEN, SENIOR RESERVES ECOLOGIST carder-bee and red-shanked carder- bee. Dungeness was the last known • shutting off the most botanically The effect of this work has been location in the UK for the short-haired rich fields to exclude grazing in monitored by the collection of bumblebee, a species not seen in the the late spring and summer, so quadrat data to measure the 66 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 67

administered by Natural England, and Results of trial management to create bare ground the Heritage Lottery Fund. Habitat habitat for two rare ground beetles at Dungeness management work was also supported by the latter two Bob Gomes (RSPB) organisations, and by the European (a) Bare ground

LEADER+ fund (delivered by the 80

WARR Partnership). 70

60 References: 50 Allcorn R.I. Akers P. & Lyons G. re ground 40 (2006). Introducing red clover a 30 Trifolium pratense to former arable % b 20 fields to provide a foraging resource 10 for bumblebees Bombus spp. At 0 Dungeness RSPB reserve, Kent, Area A Area A Area B Area B England. Conservation Evidence 3, (soil not (soil disturbed) (soil not (soil disturbed) 88-91. disturbed) disturbed) Area and treatment

(b) Pitfall trap catch rates of Omophron limbatum y a 3.5

Omophron limbatum, sometimes called spangled button beetle, is a distinctive ground beetle, restricted to p d damp, silty areas around gravel pits at Dungeness and just a handful of other sites in the UK a 3.0

2.5 Lydd Airport 2.0 ught per tr a There are proposals to expand 1.5 frequency of legumes in the of ground beetles including have been varied (see graph). For Lydd Airport, next to Dungeness 1.0 beetles c f grassland, and by timed walks to Omophron limbatum, and Acupalpus example, pitfall trap catch rates nature reserve, from under 5,000 0.5 passengers a year to 500,000. If count bumblebees. The results show maculatus. The silt margins are also of Omophron limbatum were 0.0 that the abundance of clovers has the habitat of the critically significantly higher on the managed approved, these plans will be Area A Area A Area B Area B Number o disastrous for the area. They will (soil not (soil disturbed) (soil not (soil disturbed) increased in many of our fields. endangered Jersey cudweed and the half of only one of the plots. Pitfall disturbed) disturbed) rare mosses sea bryum, Bryum trap catch rates of the rare ground damage or destroy the area’s Area and treatment warneum and Bryum dyffrynensis. beetle Acupalpus maculatus, a recent internationally protected wildlife. Silt margins and beetles colonist in Britain, were significantly This includes internationally (c) Pitfall trap catch rates of Acupalpus maculatus Colonisation of this early lower on both managed halves of important populations of birds y and a unique range of other a Dungeness reserve contains a successional habitat by plants has led plots. Jersey cudweed has also 0.5 p d number of water-filled gravel pits, to the habitat becoming less suitable seeded into these areas and is plants and wildlife. a where gravel has been extracted to for these specialists, which live in the colonising the bare margins. 0.4 provide aggregate for the bare silt. To try and maintain the Re-profiling of islands within the The sensitive vegetation that

ught per tr 0.3 construction industry. During the populations of these rare ground gravel pits, to provide habitat for clings to the shingle ridges is a particularly threatened. Air restoration of these pits, silt from the beetles and the cudweed, we have breeding seabirds, has also provided 0.2 washed gravel was pumped around carried out experimental new bare sand and shingle which pollution around Dungeness is beetles c the margins of the larger pits to management of small plots, using a should benefit the above species. already high and pollution from f 0.1 soften the edges and provide a 360° excavator to turn over the silt. an expanded airport could be the shallow gradient into the deeper This arrests plant succession and Thanks to: final straw. The RSPB is objecting 0.0 Number o Area A Area A Area B Area B to the development in view of water. The damp silt habitat created creates new areas of bare ground. The research into bumblebee habitat (soil not (soil disturbed) (soil not (soil disturbed) by this work, where there is summer The management has been requirements was supported by the bird strike risk and damage disturbed) disturbed) Area and treatment draw down in water levels, has been successful at exposing bare ground, Natural England, Defra through the to the area’s unique wildlife. Note: Monitoring was undertaken in July/August 2006, following soil disturbance in March 2006. found to support a rich assemblage but the initial effects on rare beetles Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund Values are means ± one standard error. 68 RSPB RESERVES 2008 69

The effort to create breeding habitat among the seed-heads of meadow- for bitterns over the last two decades rue, have revealed a flourishing Jeff Higgott Jeff Lee Gregory Lee has benefited a range of reed- population of this moth. When they dwelling moths. These include Fenn’s, are flowering, stands of the plant are flame and white-mantled wainscots, now carefully marked to facilitate the nationally rare specialities of our annual survey of larvae in late July, coastal reserves in East Anglia, and and small areas of reed surrounding the scarce reed dagger, which has the meadow-rue are cut to enhance been recorded at 14 reserves in east the growth and spread of the marsh and south-east England. While the carpet’s larval foodplant. The population of marsh wet reed swamp favoured by bitterns carpet larvae is flourishing provides suitable habitat for the twin- Hazel coppicing for dormice at at Lakenheath Fen spotted wainscot, the other species Garston Wood in Dorset has need drier reedbeds, and the reed encouraged wood spurge. This is the leopard requires a long period larval food-plant of the drab looper, between reed cutting because its and we expected that this BAP discovered that the larvae prefer larva spends at least two years priority moth would be found there. branches at breast height, and that feeding within reed stems. So we were pleased when it was high forest is favoured over coppice. Management of our reedbed discovered in 2004. The woods are now managed to reserves tries to provide a range of provide these conditions. successional stages from open water One of the few British sites for the through to wet reed and dry reed, to olive crescent is an RSPB reserve. The Kentish glory is a charismatic cater for this range of interests. Butterfly Conservation and RSPB moth of birch woods of the Highlands staff have investigated the of Scotland and it occurs at Abernethy The very local marsh carpet was requirements of the larvae of this and Insh Marshes reserves. The discovered in 2002 at Lakenheath moth, which at this site feed on Kentish glory needs open, sunny, Fen in a wetland we have created on withered leaves of sweet chestnut in sheltered areas with young birches. White-mantled wainscot has benefited from reedbed former carrot fields. Searches for the the autumn. By cutting leafy chestnut The habitat is therefore managed to management at our East Anglian reserves beautifully camouflaged green and branches and hanging them at make sure there are always trees of brown caterpillars, which feed different heights in the trees, we the right age and in the right sites for the larvae.

A helping hand for rare moths Sea level rise and the increasing Kentish glory is found in the young birches incidence of storm surges threaten a With their broad range of habitats, it is not surprising that RSPB at Abernethy and Insh Marshes suite of scarce moths of saltmarshes reserves support a rich variety of moths; over 60% of the 2,400 and coastal reedbeds at Titchwell, species on the British list have been recorded at our reserves. More Dingle Marshes, Minsmere and than 140 species of scarce or threatened macro-moths probably breed Havergate Island. These reserves Joan Childs (RSPB) Joan on our land, and we have a responsibility for monitoring these support nationally important populations of ground lackey, scarce species, finding out how habitat management for birds might affect pug, starwort and white-mantled them, and managing habitat for the moths themselves. wainscot. New reedbeds created for bitterns, marsh harriers and bearded AUTHORS: GRAEME LYONS, FIELD ECOLOGIST; AND JAMES CADBURY, FIELD ECOLOGIST tits, and new saltmarsh for redshanks will provide suitable habitat for these moths. We hope they will colonise these new areas by themselves, but we might have to consider translocation in some cases. 70 RSPB RESERVES 2008 71

Reserves and people Steve Knell (RSPB-images.com) a review of 2007

Involving people in our conservation work and enthusing them about wildlife is important to us. By opening up the majority of our land to visitors, we enable people to connect with nature, get some healthy exercise and enable them to find some quiet and peace in our increasingly hectic world.

Our network of nature reserves provides a unique opportunity to connect people with nature. In 2007:

• more than 1.7 million people visited RSPB reserves across the UK. Around half of these were members • almost 70,000 people attended activities and events on site, giving them an opportunity to experience wildlife close up while building an understanding of the conservation importance of habitats • vice-president Kate Humble helped start building work at our new reserve at Saltholme, on Teesside, which will be our largest visitor, education and community centre when it opens in 2008 • our reserves on the beautiful Scottish island of Islay – Loch Gruinart and The Oa – played host to Simon King and BBC Springwatch for three weeks, showcasing a range of special species and raising awareness of our work to conserve them • Lakenheath Fen, in Suffolk, opened to the public just 12 years after being transformed from a carrot field into a wetland area full of wildlife • around 60,000 children attended field teaching schemes on our sites during 2007, undertaking a range of activities as part of the National Curriculum • volunteers gave us more than 342,000 hours of time to support our conservation work on nature reserves. This included many people working directly with the public.

Pond dipping is a popular activity for children and is held on many reserves 72 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 20082007 73

• Rainham created a Christmas

istock.com grotto with a real woodland feel in Niall Benvie the classroom. Kids (accompanied by their parents) registered at reception, where they were sent on a trail to meet Santa, looking for clues to answer the questions of a quiz along the way. Once at the grotto, they were welcomed by Santa’s elves, who took them to meet the man himself and receive their gift. They then returned to the centre, armed with the answers to the quiz, where they entered a lucky dip to get their prize. Comments about this event included: “Much better than Harrods”, “I’m not going to bother going to Lakeside next year, this was far better!”, and “Mummy, that’s the real Santa, The Trick or Tweet event at Pulborough included apple isn’t it?”. Our reserves help people to enjoy and connect with nature bobbing, as well as a visit to the Intrepid Forest • After Valentine’s Day at Conwy, we ran a singles stroll for people who didn’t receive a Valentine’s Great days out card. This proved very popular, Innovative events with around 30 people attending. In 2006-07, around 1.7 million visits light meals, and the option of effective at connecting people We ran a “People Bingo” game were made to our reserves, a new supporting conservation by buying with nature. Almost 70,000 people attended • At Old Moor, we ran an event at for everyone to get to know each record. Our most popular sites things in our on-site shops. We have our special events and activities Christmas which involved lantern other, and some people made played host to 1.2 million visits in concentrated most of our resources We developed new facilities for in 2007. making, using natural willow and new friends; we are getting many 2006-07. At these reserves, we are for visitor facilities into these enabling access to the countryside at tissue paper, for a candlelight enquiries about another one! often able to offer tea, coffee and reserves, where we can be most Rainham in London, and at Our birdwatching members and procession. The event attracted Lakenheath in the fens of Suffolk. On visitors have long been well catered 180 visitors to the classroom • At Halloween, Pulborough hosted Visits to all RSPB reserves Rathlin Island, off the coast of for, with special events and walks. alone, and over half of them were a Trick or Tweet event, which Co. Antrim, we built a new toilet However, we are constantly looking for completely new to the reserve. could have been filled three times 2,000,000 1,800,000 block and developed a new sheltered ways to connect more people with over. It included apple bobbing, 1,600,000 information area for visitors to the nature, people for whom birdwatching • Instead of having the usual family crafts, hot chocolate, tors i 1,400,000 West Light viewpoint. per se is not that compelling. fun day at Rye Meads, we had marshmallows, carved pumpkins s i

v 1,200,000 f Christmas with a twist! So many and a visit to the Intrepid Forest. 1,000,000 We had the best year yet for Many of our reserves have tackled decorations are made of plastic – 800,000 recruiting new members at reserves this challenge with gusto and not great for the environment – so 600,000 Number o and generating support for our imagination. One technique has we showed people how to make 400,000 200,000 conservation work through retail in been to build something different beautiful natural decorations using 0 our shops and cafes. The on-site onto some of the special dates in pine cones, leaves and willow

/00 shops and cafes contributed almost the calendar: twigs; all natural and recycled! 999 1 2001/02 2000/01 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 £600,000 to our conservation work, Year and 9,841 new members joined us. (The major foot-and-mouth outbreak affected 2001 to 2002) 74 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 75

has developed an exciting team- building course for secondary pupils, using natural elements and a series of challenges. Combined with the more traditional pond dipping and sweep netting, the children have fun Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

David Levenson (rspb-images.com)David Levenson and learn about sustainability and the natural environment. Very good feedback has been received from schools, and many are now booking up for the more traditional courses in ecology and geography fieldwork.

Rye Meads

At Rye Meads, dedicated areas for education have been designed so that field teachers can safely We have been running field teaching schemes on our reserves for 40 years introduce children to the wide variety of wildlife and birds that live there. Along with the other reserves, Rye Meads has developed an innovative climate change game to introduce Living classrooms in south-east England children to the challenges that both AUTHOR: CAROLYN MAXWELL, REGIONAL EDUCATION OFFICER, SOUTH EAST ENGLAND they and wildlife may face in the future. Children leave having had fun learning, and also with the feeling Inspiring the next generation and remaining three are successful Rainham Marshes that they can do something positive improving environmental partnership arrangements working for wildlife by making small changes knowledge is at the heart of all with the Royal Parks, the City of Rainham Marshes has undergone a in their day-to-day lives at home. that the RSPB does. London and West Berkshire Council. transformation over the last two Over 11,000 children passed through years, and can now offer three School group on a bug hunt Without education, long-term the south-east schemes last year, different “Discovery Zones”: Dungeness conservation work is unsustainable. and our aim is to increase this to Reedbed, Marshland and Woodland, Across the country, RSPB field nearly 18,000 over the next five together with the classroom in our Dungeness offers a unique teaching schemes deliver hands-on years. The plan to bring more innovative new Environment and environment for adults and children outdoor education activities to over children closer to nature comes Education centre. Rainham Marshes alike. Pond dipping at Dungeness groups is highly rewarding for all Pulborough Brooks 60,000 schoolchildren a year, at over aswe proudly celebrate 40 years of prides itself in offering something for does not involve dipping platforms concerned. Field teachers at 40 reserves. providing out-of-classroom learning everyone. This is certainly true of the and safety rails; instead, children can Dungeness believe in “catching them Pulborough Brooks has always been on our nature reserves. activities we offer schoolchildren, stand on the gently sloping shingle young” – nursery and pre-school a popular destination for schools to Eight such schemes are run in some of whom come from the more bank and dip for the medicinal leech, children have taken part in Meet the visit and is booked almost to capacity south-east England, and five of RSPB reserves tend to be very socially deprived London boroughs among other aquatic invertebrates Birdwatcher sessions, where every year. Here, the education team these are on RSPB reserves at different in habitat and wildlife, so and do not have much opportunity that live there. Pupils with special youngsters are encouraged to make offers something different to schools Rainham Marshes, Rye Meads, offer a variety of experiences for for contact with wildlife or the needs also get a huge amount from bird feeders and learn how to on Saturdays, as part of an Able Pulborough Brooks, Dungeness and schoolchildren under an overall outdoors. With this audience in the hands-on experiences on the use binoculars. Pupils scheme. Children come along the North Kent Marshes. The banner of Living Classrooms. mind, the team at Rainham Marshes reserve, and welcoming these 76 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 77

to take part in activities such as Birds encourage local schoolchildren to take and understand how it works, the as Indicators and Wetlands under part in national initiatives such as Big better we are able to protect it as an Threat, all designed to challenge the Schools’ Birdwatch. To back this up, essential element of our quality of more able pupils and provide a wider we run a popular outreach life. RSPB field teaching, in the south- curriculum. A Home Educating group programme, as part of which field east and elsewhere in the country, also regularly visits the reserve for teachers visit schools to run activities. offers a high quality start to the different activities, such as learning process that will hopefully investigating soils, rocks, woodland It is not just schoolchildren who benefit lead on to a lifetime’s enjoyment of

David McHugh (rspb-images.com) trees and birds. from the enthusiasm, dedication and and support for wildlife and the experience of RSPB field teachers. natural world. Agricultural colleges, U3A groups, North Kent Marshes Brownies, Scouts and Cubs also visit Our Living Classrooms and education our reserve-based schemes. work is supported by a large number Northward Hill is among the group of of organisations, and we are grateful reserves that make up the North We all have an impact on the natural for their ongoing support to make Kent Marshes, and it is here that one environment and the more we know this work possible. of our newest field teaching teams is reaching out into the local community by taking activity-based roadshows into schools. Hundreds of schoolchildren have learnt about the birds and wildlife on the Marshes in this way, encouraging teachers to book up a visit to the reserve.

Beyond reserves David Norton (rspb-images.com) David Norton Away from RSPB reserves, our education staff at Hampstead Heath and in Regent’s Park use these important open spaces in London to enthuse local schoolchildren about the wildlife and birds in their own locality, many schools being able to walk or use public transport to get there.

Recent research has shown that the ability of UK pupils to name common bird species, even those they are likely to see daily, is quite poor, so the opportunities to learn more about animals and the environment offered by field teaching can only improve their knowledge and identification skills. All field teaching reserves

Local schoolchildren are encouraged to take part in Big Schools’ Birdwatch

We also offer field teaching off-site, in places such as Regent’s Park 78 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 79

stages of their careers, to furnish The investment paid off, and in 2005 them with the key competencies. a vacancy arose at Leighton Moss, which Emma successfully secured. Many people use volunteering as a Over the next year and a half, Emma 342,335 hours of work way of garnering the initial skills demonstrated a hunger to learn were carried out by required to gain employment on about the workings of Leighton reserves. The Residential Moss, from reedbed management to 4,694 volunteers – the David Braithwaite, RSPB David Braithwaite, Volunteering scheme run by the the tea room, from formal education equivalent of 176 extra Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) RSPB on 36 reserves gives people to producing the annual report. the opportunity to get in-depth This hunger was supported and full-time staff working experience of the reserves and encouraged by the Warden and on the reserves. This is allows site staff to invest time in Site Manager, and backed up with developing people with an interest formal training. worth over £2.14 million, in a career within conservation. at £6.25 per hour. Emma has now taken on the role of Emma Birnie is an excellent example Warden at Saltholme, the fledgling of a member of wardening staff for reserve on Teesside. This role is whom this development path is complex, and will involve the working. Emma graduated from management of a team of staff and Newcastle University in 2004, volunteers, as well as playing an having studied zoology. This course integral part of what will become one has provided the foundation for of the RSPB’s busiest sites. various kinds of work undertaken on RSPB reserves, such as the Ever one for a challenge, Emma is interpretation of monitoring data. considering the RSPB’s intensive Emma had an ambition to work on site managers’ development Emma Birnie, a volunteer, now Saltholme Warden nature reserves since volunteering programme. This two year pilot at Leighton Moss during her time at scheme has been designed to equip university. “I was inspired by my successful participants with the first day working in the reedbed and skills they need to become A volunteer building a ramp Volunteering to start a career seeing my first bittern as I left that managers of complex sites. evening,” says Emma. AUTHOR: HARRY BOWELL, RESERVES MANAGER, NORTHERN ENGLAND As well as residential volunteers, over ‘I felt lucky to have the opportunity to “On graduating, I immediately 4,000 people volunteer on reserves, be part of the fantastic new project at started volunteering full time for the carrying out a range of tasks from Saltholme, and really excited by the RSPB at Leighton Moss and scrub clearance to conducting guided prospect of my role in delivering it.’ The management of RSPB attributes – from practical Cumbria Wildlife Trust (CWT). walks. We would like to thank each reserves is undertaken by a large conservation management to At Leighton Moss, I undertook a and every one for their gift of time. EMMA BIRNIE team of staff and volunteers with leadership, from organising events to wide variety of practical tasks, WARDEN, SALTHOLME an exceptionally wide range of advocating policy to politicians. most of which involved getting wet skills, from the monitoring of Attracting people with the passion and muddy.” remote seabird colonies to the and potential to undertake these management of major tourism roles is increasingly competitive. Recognising her professional attractions with large trading approach and potential, the Site operations. The management of As an Investor in People, the RSPB Manager invested in some practical large, complex sites such as has a belief that, in many cases, the skills training, such as brushcutting Minsmere, Abernethy and Old Moor best way to fill these challenging and use of the Countryside requires a particular set of skills and roles is to develop people in the early Management System software. 80 RSPB RESERVES 2008 81

We bought over a square mile of Near the visitor centre, a grass path carrot fields in the Fens in 1995 and winds around several shallow pools called it Lakenheath Fen reserve. that were recently cut into the black Now it’s a reedbed, supporting reed peat; you can walk near to the plants

Gwyn Williams (RSPB) warblers, sedge warblers, reed if you wish or go for a squelch to get buntings and bearded tits. We close to brooklime, brookweed, wanted to tell people, and show water milfoil and other low-growing

people, how we’ve made this new types. Not far from the pools is a David Tipling (rspb-images.com) reserve and we want people to patch of meadow rue that is experience the colours and sounds – important for a rare moth. If, in and solitude – of a large expanse of July/August, you hold a flower-head wildness. So, last year we opened a and look closely at the developing visitor centre. seeds, you may find the tiny, highly camouflaged green and brown Knapped, black flints of some of the caterpillars of the marsh carpet moth. buildings’ walls recall ancient industry We hold a programme of guided based on Breckland flints. Other walls walks, where you can get down – recall the yellow-clay brick of Fenland sometimes literally, on hands and cottages, homes that often would knees – to see, hold, identify and have been lapped by flood-waters understand dragonflies, grasses, fen before man finally drained and tamed plants, bats, moths and bird song. the Fens. Roofs are made of Many of our 20,000 visitors take part stonecrop and fake-lead and solar- in these “theme” days, while others collectors: modern protecting prefer more general events; perhaps traditional. ones that add a sunset through reeds or a mist over still water. It was reeds and water that we put Lakenheath Fen visitor centre was opened in 2007 into the arable fields; the sedge One early spring morning in 2006 we appeared on its own. Once the were pleased to hear a male bittern diggers had re-shaped the flatness booming in the reedbed (and into deep hollows and wide, winding reassured when it returned in 2007). trenches, water emanated from the To our surprise, two pairs of common The new wilderness of Lakenheath Fen underlying sand; hollows became cranes arrived in 2007. Although meres and trenches became channels. common, perhaps, in the Fens of the Over 60 pairs of bearded tit were heard pinging in the reedbed in 2007 The Fens was once a vast wetland wilderness. Over three Next came teams of volunteers, who, 16th century, they hadn’t nested at Lakenheath Fen hundred years of drainage has reduced this magnificent between 1996 and 2003 planted over there since about 1600. But now, in landscape to a few remnant areas. A number of 300,000 reeds by hand! The reeds winter and if you’re lucky, you can took a few years to establish and peer through the reeds and see them organisations are working to restore lost Fenland during that time the embryonic rooting about in a new paddock. Did Thanks to: biodiversity, through initiatives such as The Great Fen reedbed remained open, sunlit and they come from the tiny population Heritage Lottery Fund, EU Project and the Wicken Fen Vision. At Lakenheath Fen, we wet. These conditions suited well the of cranes in the Broads? Will they INTERREG North Sea Programme – have re-created over 200 ha of vibrant reedbed and seeds of fenland plants that were stay to trumpet the revival of a Fens- Transnational Ecological Network wetland habitat in just 13 years. The reserve now resounds lying dormant in the moist, peaty soil. wide population? Whether they do so (TEN) III (Norfolk County Council), to the calls of reedbed birds. Last year, we opened a So the seeds felt the warmth of day, or not, they were certainly a Suffolk County Council, Suffolk visitor centre to give visitors the freedom to experience germinated and grew tall: purple remarkable addition to the colourful Development Agency and Waste loosestrife, marsh woundwort, great display of plants, birds and insects Recycling Group Ltd (WRG) through the wetland close up, with staff on-hand to help reedmace, yellow iris, water violet, that arose from the re-wetting of Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd understand this amazing new wilderness. meadow rue and over 90 others! monotonously flat fields. (WREN).

AUTHOR: NORMAN SILLS, SITE MANAGER, LAKENHEATH FEN 82 RSPB RESERVES 2008 83

The popularity of the reserve has More than 2,000 school students and kingfishers on the edge of one of grown substantially since a new have used Conwy as an outdoor the lagoons. It is close to a visitor centre was opened in October classroom during the last year, with viewpoint, providing an opportunity 2006 and the old centre was structured educational programmes for people to get an insight into the transformed into the Waterside for groups from nursery class to family life of popular birds. Coffee Shop. Visitor numbers have secondary schools. The new visitor Ben Hall (rspb-images.com) almost doubled in two years, with centre incorporates a classroom that While Conwy attracts many regular nearly 100,000 people coming to can be used as a base for visiting visitors from the locality, we want Conwy last year, and feedback has groups, which is also used by other visitors here on holiday to discover been very positive. The Marine members of the community – the natural environment through the Stewardship Award recognises the wildlife-themed children’s birthday RSPB. With the coast and Snowdonia new centre as a prime example of a parties are a popular request! a firm favourite with tourists, a visit successful, innovative and to a nature reserve can be an extra sustainable business that Around 60 local people volunteer dimension to a family holiday. Conwy demonstrates environmental care. regularly at the nature reserve, and is one of the RSPB’s reserves where fundraising for the new visitor centre we can experiment with new ways to It is a far cry from the origins of the involved a large number of them. The bring people closer to nature. Judging reserve, which grew from the silt and most frequent comment I hear made by the response from visitors, getting spoil excavated from the UK’s first about Conwy is the warmth of the close to nature is a popular cause. immersed tube road tunnel in the welcome and the friendly, informative early 1990s, and landscaped to create people. That’s down to volunteers, The RSPB expresses its thanks to two freshwater lagoons. The nature whether they are helping visitors to the Cemlyn-Jones Trust, The Crown reserve’s industrial creation and its identify birds in the hides, advising on Estate, Environment Wales, the Miss location, adjacent to the main A55 binoculars or books, chatting to them Trevor Fund, Waste Recycling Group trunk road and the London-Holyhead in the coffee shop or helping to Ltd (WRG) through Waste Recycling railway line, enabled the RSPB to maintain the paths and buildings. Environmental Ltd (WREN) and the design a nature reserve with During last winter, a community team Welsh Assembly Government. Nearly 100,000 people visited Conwy in 2007 opportunities to see wildlife as a built a nesting bank for sand martins priority. The lagoons provide a valuable high-tide resting area for waterbirds from the nearby estuary, while lapwings – now a scarce Conwy Waterside Coffee Shop breeding bird in Wales – nest on its grasslands each spring. -images.com) The RSPB’s Conwy nature reserve in North Wales has q received a Marine Stewardship award from The Crown Conwy is very much about people, Estate, enabling it to enhance the experience enjoyed by with strong community involvement and a thriving programme of thousands of visitors every year. educational activities for schools. One AUTHOR: JULIAN HUGHES, SITE MANAGER, CONWY example of the former is our monthly Webster Keith (www. Farmers’ Market, which attracts hundreds of people and enables local farmers and food producers to sell food directly to visitors. It fits well with encouraging people to reduce their carbon use, without being dull or patronising about it.

Good views of the reserve can be enjoyed over a coffee and cake 84 RSPB RESERVES 2008 85 David Broadbent (rspb-images.com)

Working for the environment

Nature reserves contribute to the environment beyond their boundaries. They provide environmental benefits such as absorbing high energy waves to protect property inland. Some reserves are washlands and receive floodwater at times of high rainfall, releasing the water more slowly after the storm has passed. Other reserves are natural water-harvesting areas for water companies.

As far as possible, our nature reserves are managed to minimise their carbon footprint and maximise their value in demonstrating good environmental practice.

Getting the most out of RSPB nature reserves is made possible with the help of a great many partnerships. These include statutory bodies, private companies, farming tenants and other nature conservation NGOs, to name but a few.

The RSPB has a nature reserve agreement with Severn Trent Water over the land surrounding Lake Vyrnwy. Environmentally sensitive habitat management helps safeguard water supplies to customers 86 RSPB RESERVES 2008 87

Intertidal habitats are threatened by ‘coastal squeeze’. This is the process whereby intertidal habitat is lost at its seaward side due to rising sea levels, but replacement habitat does not form to its landward side due to the presence of ‘hard’ coastal defences. Sue Kennedy (rspb-images.com)Sue Kennedy The only option for maintaining the Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) overall extent of intertidal habitats is to allow the formation of new areas of intertidal habitat by setting back existing sea defences. The flow of intertidal water into and out of these areas can be either unregulated (managed re-alignment) or regulated through a water control structure (regulated tidal exchange). Freshwater and brackish habitats in coastal areas will also eventually be lost through sea-level rise. There are two approaches to maintaining the extent of these valuable habitats. The first is to protect these areas from increased incursion by seawater by strengthening the coastal defences to their seaward side. The second is allow an increase in the frequency of Freshwater and brackish habitats at Titchwell are threatened by saline incursions, but create catastrophic floods as coastal erosion has accelerated Tidal surges are likely to cause more damage to coastal sea defences as sea level rise progresses replacement freshwater and brackish habitat further inland. Below, we describe the approaches we are taking on reserves in Eastern Coast in crisis in Eastern England England aimed at maintaining the majority of the Minsmere frontage is Dingle Marshes are protected by a overall extent of these valuable sustainable in the medium term, but shingle beach barrier, which used to The wildlife-rich, low-lying coastline of East Anglia is coastal habitats. there is an area, fronting the be maintained in an unnatural profile facing a greater relative rate of sea level rise than almost sensitive North Marsh reedbeds, that by the Environment Agency. anywhere else in the UK. The RSPB has ten reserves on is likely to be lost to saline incursion. Following the cessation of Saline incursion The Environment Agency and Natural maintenance operations in 2006, the this coastline, supporting a mixture of important England have agreed that this surge tides of November 2006 and freshwater and intertidal habitats, all threatened by In Suffolk, the frontages at Minsmere reedbed needs to be protected for 2007 have moved this ridge around climate-induced sea level rise. and Dingle are particularly vulnerable the next 20 years, to allow time for 50 m inland. The ridge now has a to sea level rise and increased storm compensatory reedbed habitat to be much broader profile, with gently AUTHOR: KIRSTY TURNER, CONSERVATION OFFICER, EASTERN ENGLAND activity. Minsmere has a shingle and created elsewhere. Meanwhile, we sloping sides. The freshwater grazing sand beach, with two lines of sea have developed contingency plans marshes of Dingle, managed by the walls, the outer of which was pushed involving works within the reedbed Suffolk Wildlife Trust, have been back over an approximate 500 m and drainage systems to minimise affected by saline incursion, although length to join with the inner one in and contain any salt water, should the impacts on breeding birds are not the surge tide of November 2007. The there be another, larger, surge event. yet known. The vulnerable freshwater 88 RSPB RESERVES 2008 RSPB RESERVES 2008 89

Intertidal habitat creation

In order to compensate for continuing losses of intertidal habitat through Robin Harvey (RSPB) Robin sea level rise, the RSPB has so far

created 66 ha of mudflat and David Tubby saltmarsh at Freiston Shore, Lincolnshire, in partnership with the Environment Agency (lead partner), Natural England and Her Majesty’s Prison Service, and eight hectares of mudflat and saltmarsh at Havergate Island, Suffolk.

We are now also managing the Defra habitat creation project at Wallasea Island in Essex, which has created 115 ha of mudflat and saltmarsh to compensate for damaging port developments in the 1990s. We are currently working to develop a landscape-scale coastal habitat restoration on a further 720 ha of Flooded visitor trail at Strumpshaw Fen following a tidal surge from the The tidal surge in November 2007 pushed the outer sea wall at Minsmere back to join the inner sea wall Wallasea Island through the Wallasea River Yare. The reserve is approximately 15 km upstream from the sea Island Wild Coast project.

This project will develop innovative reedbed of Point Marsh at Dingle is RSPB reserve at Strumpshaw Fen, ways of creating and managing fronted by a low secondary defence. have also suffered from saline coastal habitats, possibly using a Freiston Shore Natural England and the Environment incursion increasingly in recent years, mixture of managed realignment and Titchwell Marsh Agency have agreed to maintain this and further consideration will need to regulated tidal exchange, a series of

Strumpshaw Fen line of defence at an acceptable level be given as to how to manage culverts or weirs allowing limited and for site management for the next this risk. very shallow amounts of tidal water Dingle Marshes

20 years to allow compensatory onto and off the site, but leaving the Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) Minsmere habitat to be created elsewhere, At Titchwell, the sea walls enclosing existing sea walls in place. This new Havergate Island before allowing the site to start to the brackish and freshwater habitats Wild Coast will support nationally and evolve more “naturally” and the have deteriorated, due to coastal internationally important bird

Wallasea Island freshwater habitats to become erosion, to the extent that there is a populations, and, we hope, increasingly saline. risk of a catastrophic flood, which re-establish lost breeding populations would severely damage these of birds such as spoonbills and For both Minsmere and Dingle habitats. Currently, the RSPB is Kentish plovers in England. Marshes, the works required to give investigating a number of options 20 years protection have not yet that would secure the long-term been approved, nor has finance been future of the site. Various surveys and secured, so the freshwater habitats assessments are ongoing, and we are still vulnerable to saline incursion. hope to be able to make a decision Wetlands in the Broads, including the as to the best course of action in the near future.

66 ha of mudflat and saltmarsh have been created at Freiston Shore 90 RSPB RESERVES 2008 91

offices and residential Geothermal heating supply in the is now accommodation, all run from a 230V with a tolerance of +10% to 100 kW biomass boiler. Our new award-winning –6%, therefore anywhere between Environmental Education Centre at 216V and 253V. Most electrical Rainham Marshes in Essex has a Biomass fuel supplied for commercial equipment manufactured in Europe closed loop “geothermal” energy use can come from a variety of and the UK is rated at 220V and will Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) system installed to provide heating sources, typically forest residues, effectively operate at voltages down and hot water in the building. Below sawmill co-products or managed to 200V. the frost line, the temperature of the woodland sources. Currently, a vast earth stays fairly constant at around untapped resource is wood By optimising the voltage to the site, 12°C. The ground source heat pump recovered from waste streams in the we can reduce our demand from the system consists of a heat exchanger UK, estimated at around 7.5 million grid, effectively saving on energy with six ‘U’ loop pipes set in steel tonnes a year, of which 80% is used, cost and carbon emissions. pipes buried 80 m below ground. currently disposed of at landfill sites. The VPO was developed in Japan for Fluid flowing through the heat sites that have three-phase electricity exchanger in the building returns Although very early days, we have and is now installed on many sites some two degrees warmer, and been investigating the feasibility of across the UK for Local Authorities, when this passes through the heat converting waste generated from our HM Prisons, Defra and supermarket exchanger using a thermodynamic own extensive reedbed chains, to name but a few. compression process, the water management, for use as a temperature is increased up to 35°C. commercial biomass product. After monitoring energy used on site for a period of time, a feasibility study An additional benefit from this type has been produced that shows savings of heating is the ability of the system Solar power of approximately £10,000 a year, with a to work in reverse, with excess heat payback period of a mere two years, generated during the warmer In addition to these emerging saving some 13% of electrical energy summer months discharged into the technologies, we continue to use the consumed; this is in addition to the

ground, effectively using the ground more established renewable products 374,000 kg of CO2 saved over a five- Installation of solar panels at Sandwell Valley as a heat sink and thereby cooling such as photovoltaics and solar year period. We are now undertaking the building. Although the heat pump collectors (solar panels). Over the last feasibility studies on other sites that uses electricity, for each unit of five or six years, we have installed are suitable for this technology. electricity used it produces the some 60 kWp of electricity- Renewable energy on reserves equivalent of four units of heat. generating photovoltaic solar panels, equating in size to over three Changing habits badminton courts or over 40 standard Biomass fuel car parking spaces. Technology and the general acceptance of the need to accommodate alternative renewable In addition to the geothermal Voltage optimisation energy systems is growing, but it is technology, we are also using essential, if we are to combat climate biomass as a source of heating, At The Lodge, the RSPB’s UK change, that we all commit to reducing notably at our Old Moor reserve near headquarters, our energy usage is our carbon emissions. Barnsley and at the new centre at greater than the combined total of all Saltholme in Stockton-on-Tees. These our reserves and regional offices, Thanks to: systems can use either wood chip or split equally between gas and Our work to install renewable energy compressed wood pellets. At Old electricity. In order to reduce our technology is funded by a large Moor we have a complex of carbon emissions, we intend to number of organisations, and we are buildings, which include a visitor install a Voltage Power Optimiser on grateful for their ongoing support to centre and tea room, classrooms, the site. The declared electricity make this possible. 92 Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Thank you to our supporters

Our conservation work on reserves has been made possible by a large number of people and organisations. We would like to thank our members, volunteers, individual and legacy donors, charitable trusts, business supporters, public bodies, non-governmental organisations, the statutory sector and government agencies for the support we have received. A comprehensive list of our funders and supporters for the financial year 2006–7 and 2007–8 can be found in the relevant RSPB Annual Review.

Join us If you would like to support the RSPB in working for a healthy environment for birds and wildlife to create a better world for us all, then please contact us at one of the addresses on the back cover.