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section two Helping bumblebees How to see and care for our section one bumblebees. p. 29 section three Wild maths Wildlife watching section one Make graphs using recent counts How to spot shy wildlife on Special places for wildlife of water birds found at Magor the Gwent Levels. p. 30 What rare and plants live Marsh. pp. 26 – 28 on the Gwent Levels? pp. 26 – 28

section four Outdoor learning Where and when to look for wildlife throughout the year. pp. 31 – 32

PART THREE

Wildlife on the Gwent Levels – the big picture Why is the shrill carder How can we enjoy and protect it? bee no so rare? p. 33 Images from top-right to bottom-left: Norman West; John Crispin; Chris Harris; Ben Andrew; Nigel Pugh; Ed Drewitt SECTION ONE The Gwent Levels and its special wildlife Special places for wildlife The Gwent Levels have changed relatively little over the past few hundred years compared to countryside elsewhere. The wider countryside is suffering from intensive farming, producing food on a large scale while wild flowers, birds, and mammals have fewer places to live and feed. The Gwent Levels still has places where wildlife thrives including rare species such as the shrill carder bee and the water vole, which were once abundant across Britain. Many of the traditional fields here allow the flowers, that bees need, to grow, and the waterways are clean and generally undisturbed.

Cranes in flight Image: John Crispin ACTIVITY

How to The common crane Around 7,500 years ago, a large heron-like bird, served as meals for a senior officer at the see cranes the common crane, was feeding on the Gwent nearby legionary fortress of Isca (). Levels. Its footprints have been preserved in The crane had a significance for some Romans, the mud. Cranes disappeared from Britain probably a religious one for they are often The best place to see cranes is at 400 years ago after they were hunted and depicted on altars, especially in Britain, and Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands eaten as a delicacy at banquets. Their habitat, with very short people (pygmy characters). Trust in Gloucestershire where watery places such as marshes, flooded fields During the summer of 2016 a pair of cranes, more cranes live and can be seen and pools, was also being drained and turned named Lofty and Gibble, nested on the Gwent from bird hides. On the Gwent into farmland. Back in Roman times there was Levels and raised a chick called Garan (the Levels listen out for their bugling another crane called the great crane – it is Welsh word for crane). The adult birds originate call; the sound carries for up to 3 thought the Romans may have caused them from the Great Crane Project reintroduction miles. They look like a very large to go extinct in the UK by eating too many. scheme which released 93 hand-reared cranes heron and have a long, straight However, it is possible that common cranes between 2010 and 2014 on the RSPB West neck rather than a kinked neck. have become generally smaller since Roman Sedgemoor Reserve in Somerset. times. If so, the larger cranes from Roman EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT archaeological contexts might represent larger This is the first pair of cranes to breed on the common cranes than might be expected today. Gwent Levels since their extinction. We know that at least three large cranes were

Page 26 Part 3 | Wildlife on the Living Levels – How can we enjoy and protect it Reedbeds King Diving at Magor Marsh King diving beetle Image: David Sankson Reedbeds along the ditches (reens) at Newport In the clean and relatively unpolluted waterways across Wetlands and Magor Marsh provide habitats the Gwent Levels there is a myriad of underwater for birds such as reed warblers, cuckoos and creatures, from young dragonflies known as larvae or reed buntings. The open water is ideal for nymphs, to tadpoles of frogs and newts. There are diving ducks such as tufted ducks, pochards and mute too. Suited to life underwater, diving beetles have swans. This is where water voles might be extra hairs on their legs to help them swim and store hiding too. In the winter thousands of starlings bubbles of air to breathe. Alongside the common great fly around in mesmerising patterns called diving beetle, the Gwent Levels is home to a rare relative, murmurations before sleeping in the reedbed the large king diving beetle. The larvae are so similar – many come here from eastern Europe and that they can only be identified by looking at them Russia for the winter to escape the freezing closely under the microscope or using DNA barcoding – winters there. checking which genes are shared and which are different. There have been only 12 sightings of the king diving beetle in , the most recent at Magor Marsh in 2015. ACTIVITY Reed Warbler Image: Andy Karran Water voles The water vole, although rat-like, has a short, blunt nose, less obvious ears, How to see a diving beetle a hairy, shorter tail and a rounder, compact body. They love the ditches or reens that are found all the across the Gwent Levels, digging tunnels into While the king diving beetle is Ask permission from the Gwent the banks where they nest and sleep. rare, the great diving beetle is Wildlife Trust or the RSPB before doing this. You don’t want to spread They feed on water plants and you can look for their common. Take part in reen or any water-bourne diseases to these tell-tale nibbles – a 45° diagonal cut with their pond dipping at Magor Marsh special nature reserves. orange front teeth. The clean water, lots of water and and find plants and absence of mink all help them to some for yourselves. Water Vole survive here. The mink is a long, otter-like Image: Andy Karran EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT that eats water animals; it escaped from fur farms.

ACTIVITY ACTIVITY Rootless duckweed How to see a This plant is the smallest flowering plant in the world How to see and is found on the Gwent Levels. Everything about water vole duckweed is small – their leaves and flowers are duckweed minute. Other duckweeds in the UK, such as the greater, common and ivy-leaved duckweed, have tiny roots too. With a maze of connecting reens and They grow across the surface of a pond, turning it bright This particular duckweed is hard places to hide, the water vole is doing green! However, the rootless duckweed, as its name to see. However, a visit to a reen well on the Gwent Levels; one of the best suggests, doesn’t have any roots. The leaves look like or pool on the Gwent Levels will Rootless Duckweed places to the see them is Magor Marsh. very tiny grapes and are only 0.5–2mm long. Ducks and reveal all manner of water plants Image: Andy Karran If you are quiet you might hear the voles other waterbirds help spread duckweeds between ponds including common duckweed, chewing some plants or sploshing into the and ditches; the duckweeds stick to the legs and feet with its tiny round leaves, floating water as they dive away for cover. of the birds as they take off to fly.opalexplorenature. and covering the water’s surface. org/sites/default/files/7/file/water-survey-duckweed- EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT guide-A5-2014.pdf

Page 27 Part 3 | Wildlife on the Living Levels – How can we enjoy and protect it SECTION ONE Wading birds Wading birds or waders are a group of birds that are to hide, islands surrounded by pools of water, and suited to wet places. Some have long beaks for probing electric fences to keep ground predators, such as foxes mud to catch worms while others have shorter beaks and badgers, out. Redshank for picking tiny snails from the surface of the mud. The Out on the mud of the , thousands of Image: Andy Karran Gwent Levels is an important place for nesting waders waders feed on the millions of invertebrates living there, such as lapwings, redshanks, snipe and avocets. They are from shellfish to worms. Many winter on the estuary to common on the estuary mud and wet farmland fields escape the cold in the Arctic and northern Europe where around Newport and Cardiff too. ACTIVITY they nest in the summer. Others use it to pass through As farmland across Britain has been drained, drier fields on migration from parts of Africa and southern Europe with greater densities of grazing cows and sheep has on their way north. Long-billed waders such as curlews, meant waders have fewer places to feed and nest. godwits and redshanks have a special way of catching How to see waders Although parts of the Gwent Levels have been drained their food. When they probe their beak into the mud, for thousands of years, many areas remain damp, often they are unable to see what is there. The tip of their beak all year round, perfect for waders to nest. At Newport is highly sensitive and when they detect something just Look out for waders feeding on the mud from Wetlands, waders are successfully nesting and rearing the very tip of the beak opens and shuts quickly, catching the sea wall at Goldcliff, Newport Wetlands and chicks each year thanks to damp fields with some cover the prey. This is known as rhynchokinesis. Cardiff. You might need binoculars as they are often far away. At Goldcliff there are hides on the east side of Newport Wetlands where lapwings, redshanks and avocets can be seen – contact the RSPB centre at the wetlands for details.

EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT

ACTIVITY ACTIVITY Bird populations: work out a five-year average of each species and describe how the populations are changing. Find out How to see a making graphs more about each species and why these changes may be happening. Use the BTO’s Bird Trends to look shrill carder bee at population graphs of different birds and why they are changing, bto.org/about-birds/birdtrends. Each year the numbers of birds living on the Gwent Levels are counted. This helps organisations such as Note: Up until the mid-1990s, the little egret didn’t live This bee can be seen on flowers the RSPB and Gwent Wildlife Trust know how well in Britain. They started to arrive naturally from France outside the learning centre at Magor they are doing and whether they need more help, for and have spread across the UK, including Wales. Marsh and on flowers across Newport example, by providing better habitat. Wetlands. Three tips: (1) look for their relatives, the common carder bees, Here are some true population counts of mute swans, Species 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 first for familiarity; (2) know your bee little egrets and common gulls from Magor Marsh anatomy, in particular the thorax, over winters between 2012 and 2017. These numbers Little Egret 1 6 9 24 33 and the colour of hairs for each; (3) are from the Wetland Bird Survey run by the British Mute Swan 14 21 17 39 48 look for flowers including knapweed, Trust for Ornithology. Common Gull 0 0 28 210 540 vetches and bird’s-foot trefoil. Use these numbers to produce population graphs, INTERPRETING DATA EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT

Page 28 Part 3 | Wildlife on the Living Levels – How can we enjoy and protect it SECTION TWO Watching and helping bumblebees ACTIVITY

Shrill carder bee The shrill carder bee is one of Britain’s rarest bees. This bee gets its name both from making a high-buzzing sound and by Helping the bees weaving material from plants into its underground nest. Like other bees it is an important pollinator of flowers and loves pea- The Bumblebee Conservation Trust has this webpage for you to like plants such as bird’s-foot trefoil and vetches. With its long use with your classes to identify common bumblebees around tongue it is able to delve deep into flowers where the nectar your school and at home is harder to reach. Its back, the thorax, is yellow-brown with a bumblebeeconservation.org/bumble-kids/spotting- distinctive dark band across it. Unlike common bumblebees, bumblebees such as the buff-tailed, the shrill carder bee doesn’t like to move very far from its nest, a burrow in the ground. This has made And an information sheet on the rare shrill carder bee, found it very rare across Britain as changes in farming have meant across the Gwent Levels. You can look for it at Magor Marsh and there are fewer or no wild flowers growing in fields. Unable Newport Wetlands, to travel far, most shrill carder bees have simply starved and tinyurl.com/ybbo4kn4 died out. However, on the Gwent Levels, fields, hedgerows and Whether your school is in the middle of Cardiff or Newport, or reens have remained largely unchanged over the past 100 years on the Gwent Levels itself, there are simple things you can do despite changes in farming methods; there are still plenty of with your children to help bees and other insects. They need flowers close to where shrill carder bees nest and they can be flowers that have lots of nectar to drink, and places to live that found here in late summer and early autumn. haven’t been sprayed with lots of pesticides. The Gwent Levels is a fabulous place full ªªPlant a range of wild flowers, flower. Cut just once a year of buzzing bees during the summer from bird’s-foot trefoil to in late summer and remove Shrill Carder Bee clover and knapweed. the vegetation so it doesn’t In the wider countryside many bumblebees, along with Image: Hannah Beynon There are a range of wild fertilise the soil. honeybees and other insects, are starving. They need more flower shops online that ªªIf you live on a farm, grow food and shelter. On the Gwent Levels the Bumblebee sell seeds and young plants, strips of wild flowers along Conservation Trust works closely with those looking after the ideal for bumblebees. This fields that connect together. land to provide more food for bees, and you can do the same webpage gives all sorts of ªªAvoid using pesticides – at school and at home. further ideas and photos caterpillars and aphids ACTIVITY of flowers and plants, will provide food for other bumblebeeconservation. insects and birds. org/gardeningadvice. ªªPlant flowering plants that Seeds are available bloom earlier and later in Researching the shrill carder bee from the year providing food Bee Friendly Society, throughout the flying period beefriendlymonmouthshire. of bees and other pollinating Investigate how farmland across Produce an information flyer for org/gardenershelp insects (not just June and the UK once supported the shrill landowners, such as farmers, ªªLeave parts of the school July). For example, sallow carder bee. Find out what has suggesting how they can help shrill grounds or your garden for early blossom and ivy/ changed and how they can be carder bees and other pollinating unmown, allowing plants to brambles for autumn food. helped. insects. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT

Page 29 Part 3 | Wildlife on the Living Levels – How can we enjoy and protect it SECTION THREE

Spotting Shy Wildlife Inspiration for reading and drawing

ACTIVITY

Spotting Shy Wildlife Bee Britta Teckentrup Discuss how you would explore a wild place in a way that increases your (illustrator) and Patricia Hegarty chances of seeing or hearing animals. Little Tiger Press At Newport Wetlands and Magor Marsh the wildlife can be shy and hard to A wonder of nature is about to see; students could come up with a list of how to be good observers of nature. unfold. Turn the pages to follow the miraculous little bee and its Things to consider: journey from flower to flower in this delightful peep-through ªªHow much noise to make; picture book. Brought to life ªªKeeping close together or spread out; by the lyrical text and stunning ªªWhere to look; artwork from the award-winning ªªWhere to walk. Britta Teckentrup, the miracle Ideally, creeping or walking slowly At places such as Hendre Lake Park Location details for of pollination will amaze and like mice, with eyes and ears and Parc Tredelerch, the wildlife that the two parks: entertain. looking and hearing all around, is easiest to see are birds, especially Hendre Lake Park, is best for looking for shy wildlife. those living on the water. These Water Avens Close, Keeping voices low and walking include mute swans, mallard ducks, St Mellons, Cardiff CF4 0RG along regularly used paths means tufted ducks, great crested grebes, Parc Tredelerch, Lamby Way, Rumney, Cardiff CF3 2HP mammals such as water voles are black-headed gulls, moorhens and Bugs likely to carry on as normal. coots. The birdlife here is more used Simon Tyler to people and dogs – if you want Pavilion The reeds at both sites make seeing to feed the ducks and swans then Bugs are fascinating, birds quite difficult. Listen instead use wheat grain (a duck mix) from and in this book we for birds singing in the spring such the pet shop. This is much better for get close to over as cuckoos, reed warblers, sedge them than bread. 50 different and fantastic bugs warblers and blackcaps. You can including the biggest, smallest hear and check their songs by and most amazing bugs in the finding them on the RSPB’s A–Z of world, the most beautiful and the birds, rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/ ones with the strangest habits. wildlife-guides/bird-a-z This book shows all types of Mute swans, moorhens, coots and insects in colourful detail and Little Egret in flight little grebes at both sites are more tells you all about their senses, Image: Chris Harris used to people and more likely to defences, camouflage, how they stay nearby. catch prey, where they live and more. Become a bug expert and EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT see their real beauty with this stunning book.

Page 30 Part 3 | Wildlife on the Living Levels – How can we enjoy and protect it SECTION FOUR January February March What to look for Watch thousands of starlings flocking together The ditches (reens), pools and ponds across Around House listen for singing in mesmerising flocks called murmurations the Gwent Levels are ideal for spawning frogs, robins, blackbirds and wrens as they sing at different times as they come to sleep in the reedbeds at dusk toads and newts. Magor Marsh and Newport during the day to protect their partners and at Newport Wetlands. If you hear a strange Wetlands have children-friendly pond-dipping nests. At Newport Wetlands, Magor Marsh, of the year sound, a little like a squealing piglet, coming sites which are great for peering down to look Parc Tredelerch and , coots, from the reeds, it will be a secretive bird called for small masses of frogspawn. moorhens and mute swans will be making a water rail. nests and laying eggs. Listen for the song of the Take part in the PondNet Spawn Survey To find out more about the birds below and chiffchaff, a tiny green-yellow bird that arrives Take parts in the RSPB’s Big Schools’ Watch and freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/projects/pondnet/ their songs, look up the RSPB A−Z of birds in late March. It says its name, chiff-chaff chiff- count the birds visiting your school or nearby spawnsurvey2018 rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife- chaff, and is common across the Gwent Levels. green space, rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/ guides/bird-a-z Get involved in the Big Pond Dip during the for-teachers/schools-birdwatch/ summer, freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/get- Mute Swan with young And for other animals, visit the Gwent involved-2/big-pond-dip Image: Ed Drewitt Wildlife Trust gwentwildlife.org/wildlife/ species-a-z April For recording your local wildlife sightings use the LERC Wales app, lercwales.org.uk/ The sallow tree or goat willow attracted to grazing cows and app.phpvisit will be flowering; its yellow their poo, and nesting in farmyard flowers across wet, boggy places, barns and horse stables. For finding out what you are most likely to such as Newport Wetlands and see in your area visit, aderyn.lercwales.org.uk At Newport Wetlands, towards Magor Marsh, attract insects and Goldcliff, uncommon wading -eating birds such as willow birds such as lapwings, redshanks LERC = Local Environmental Records Centre warblers, chiffchaffs and blue and avocets will be busy hatching tits, which end up with yellow chicks on damp meadows and ACTIVITY foreheads from the pollen. You islands, protected by predator- might spot the first swallow Avocet looking for food proof fencing. arriving from Africa. They love the Image: Ben Andrew Gwent Levels, feeding on insects Create a calendar

May June Using the information featured each month, create an image for Listen for the song of the cuckoo, cook- Great crested grebes, with their impressive each month of the year to make oo cook-oo, like its name. Cuckoos are headdresses, will be nesting at lakes such as a calendar. The image might be a often heard at Newport Wetlands and Hendre Lake Park and Parc Tredelerch. Look drawing and could be accompanied Magor Marsh, visiting for just six weeks for their stripy black and white chicks. Water by a poem. Students could also use from the tropical forests of central Africa. voles will be busy breeding and feeding at cameras and take a photograph for They lay eggs in the nests of other birds Magor Marsh; they leave distinctive diagonal each month as the year goes by. such as reed warblers. If your school is bite marks at a 45° angle. Apples put out on If started in September why not near these sites you may even hear one floating platforms encourage the voles to produce an academic year calendar from your school playground. come out in the open for you to see them. as an end of year project? Watch out for butterflies such as the The oak avenue at Tredegar House will be in brimstone, orange-tip and holly blue leaf, providing foliage full of invertebrates for feeding on spring flowers. May is a great birds, bats and parasitic insects to feast upon. time to spot baby waterbirds, ducklings, Visit flowering meadows at Rogiet Countryside goslings and cygnets (baby swans) in Park and count how many species you can WORKING CREATIVELY family groups. find; compare with your school field.

Page 31 Part 3 | Wildlife on the Living Levels – How can we enjoy and protect it SECTION FOUR

July Emperor August What to look for Dragonfly Dragonflies love water; their young, known as Insects are in abundance during August across Image: Chris larvae, live in ponds across the Gwent Levels, Harris the Gwent Levels. With plants in full flower, at different times feeding on other animals such as tadpoles. bees, hoverflies, butterflies and beetles can be In the summer adults emerge from the water found feeding on their nectar and getting a of the year and fly around hawking for insects to eat. They face full of pollen which they transfer to other often come back to the same perch, allowing flowers, helping to pollinate them. for a closer view of their red, green, blue, To find out more about the birds below and Keep your eyes peeled for grass snakes – they brown or multicoloured bodies. Hobbies, a their songs, look up the RSPB A−Z of birds usually slither away before you’ve spotted them type of falcon, visits the Gwent Levels during rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife- and can be seen swimming across water. the summer from south-west Africa. They love guides/bird-a-z feeding on dragonflies, catching and eating Visit the sequoia redwood trees at Tredegar And for other animals, visit the Gwent them while flying. House; these impressive tall coniferous trees Wildlife Trust gwentwildlife.org/wildlife/ have spongy bark and provide places to nest species-a-z for treecreepers and nuthatches, and homes for insects. September October One of Britain’s rarest bumblebees, the shrill After heavy dew or frosty mornings look for November carder bee, is out much later than other bees. the delicate webs of money spiders on the Look for it at Newport Wetlands and Magor grass at school or nearby green spaces such Hendre Lake Park is a great place for spotting Marsh, feeding with its long tongue on flowers as Tredegar House, Black Rock or Hendre little egrets, a small white heron. They first such clover, common knapweed and pea-like Lake Park; they spin their hammock-like webs arrived in the UK in the 1990s and are now a plants such as bird’s-foot trefoil and tufted overnight. Butterflies such as the red admiral common -eating bird across the Gwent vetch. Its back or thorax is covered in yellow or can be seen on sunny afternoons, feeding Levels and Severn Estuary. Many sleep in the pale hairs, with a distinctive black or dark stripe on late-flowering plants or ripe fruits. Berry- trees on the lake’s island. Balls of mistletoe through the middle. laden bushes at Black Rock, Parc Tredelerch with white, sticky berries grow on high tree ACTIVITY and Rogiet Park are good places to look for branches at Magor Marsh and attract the mistle newly arrived redwings from Scandinavia, thrush. The damp, muddy ground provides the and blackcaps migrating south to the opportunity to look for footprints – amongst Mediterranean. Roving tit flocks will move your own look for roe deer prints (slots) or the Listening to birdsong and though hedges and woodlands in a hive of rounded, five-toed prints of badger or four- the dawn chorus activity and contain blue tits, great tits, long- toed prints of fox. tailed tits, coal tits, goldcrests and chiffchaffs. Listening to birdsong is good for our once, begins much earlier. However, December health and wellbeing and for reducing birds continue to sing throughout the Red Admiral Butterfly Look out for mallard and tufted ducks on stress. It gets us outdoors and gives us morning. They also have a mini evening Image: Jenny Hendre Lake Park and Parc Tredelerch amongst the chance to focus and listen. chorus. Tweedie the black-headed gulls. If you are quick you Meet at school early one morning in April If you did want to listen to the dawn might spot a kingfisher flash past, or a grey and listen to the birdsong – don’t worry chorus itself: Between late March and heron quietly fishing by itself. Listen for the if you don’t know what the birds are; early May the dawn chorus starts really ‘pinging’ calls of the bearded tits at Newport experiencing the sound is a wonder in early. You would need to be listening Wetlands; these secretive colourful birds are itself. An ideal time to hear early birdsong around 6am at the end of March, 5.30am best found by their calls on calm, bright days. is 7am or 8am, although the true dawn early April, 5am late April and 4.30am On bright, sunny days robins will be singing, chorus, when everything all sings at early May. both males and females, to defend small EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT feeding areas.

Page 32 Part 3 | Wildlife on the Living Levels – How can we enjoy and protect it THE BIG PICTURE Shrill Carder Bee

This is the rare shrill carder bee. It is only found in a few places in the UK; one of those is the Gwent Levels. Compare it to the common carder bee and a buff-tailed bumblebee. What are the differences? What features would you use to spot one? Ed Drewitt Image:

Page 33 Part 3 | Wildlife on the Living Levels – How can we enjoy and protect it