HIGH BATTS 2013 Front cover photograph: Male Kestrel by Brian Darbyshire 2012 HIGH BATTS Annual Report 2013 Published by High Batts Nature Reserve 2014 1 © copyright High Batts Nature Reserve 2014, c/o Chair of the Trustees: Colin E Slator, Broadacres, Kirby Hill, Boroughbridge YO51 9DH This publication is copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the Publisher. The editorial team thanks the following for providing illustrations: • Maps of Reserve and Recording Area on inside covers by Peter Hills • Title page drawing by Robert Adams of a Reed Warbler recorded at High Batts in 2013 • Photographs by Brian Darbyshire or as attributed Published by High Batts Nature Reserve Charity number 1151676 Compiled and edited by Alwin Knowles, Colin Slator, Patricia Rumbold and Peter Hills. Printed by North Yorkshire Document Management Centre Northallerton 2 Contents Page Foreword 4 Trustees, officers and recorders 6 Chairman’s Report 8 Pictures from 2013 11 Reserve Management Report 15 Reports for: Kingdom FUNGI and PLANTAE Fungi (Adrian Bennett) 17 Ferns and Flowering Plants (Robert Adams) 23 Mosses and Liverworts (no report) Kingdom ANIMALIA Butterflies (Will Rich) 24 Other Insects and Invertebrates (Jim Jobe) 30 Checklist of the beetles of HB and its 34 environs- Part 2 Moths (Jill Warwick) 39 Damselflies and Dragonflies (Stephen Worwood) 42 Lampreys, Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles (Barry 44 Slaymaker) Birds (Ann Macintosh) 45 Bird Ringing Report (Jill Warwick) 58 Mammals (Ray O’Donnell) 62 General Information about the Reserve 66 Maps of Reserve and Recording Area Inside covers 3 Foreword We are delighted to be able to bring you the latest annual report from High Batts Nature Reserve, recording another year of significant achievement in the “on the ground” management of the Reserve and the administrative organisation which supports it. High Batts has been managed as a nature reserve since 1973, and over the past 40 years, enormous numbers of hours have been expended by many individuals in order to protect and conserve this natural environment and its wildlife. During that time, the Reserve has seen many changes, and the published Annual Reports, and the species reports which they contain, are crucial in documenting those changes. It is by this monitoring process that we can see whether the conservation work that is being done is effective and that we can measure the impacts of external factors on the Reserve. The more data of this nature that is available the more effective is the monitoring process and the more informed we are about what we need to do. We would like to urge all members who visit the Reserve to let us have feedback about what they see and experience; this might be in the form of a completed species list, a note of a significant sighting or event, or a photograph. Please do not think that you need to be an expert to contribute or that we are only interested in hearing about rarities. Anything you have seen which interests you is worth recording and passing on to us. What we need to know is what you have seen, and where and when it was. This report provides contact details for various officers or you can email to [email protected]. As always this report is a result of and testament to, the efforts of the many individuals who serve in various capacities or who offer us support and assistance. High Batts is operated by volunteers and we are extremely fortunate in having so many people who provide their 4 extensive range of skills and experience so generously. We are hugely appreciative of their hard work, commitment and goodwill. Without their contribution High Batts as we know it would not exist. We particularly wish to thank our landlords, the Norton Conyers Estate and we are especially indebted to Sir James Graham for his generosity and support. In addition we would like to thank our neighbours, Bob Orange and Georgina Watkins of Hanson Aggregates, John Stockil of North Parks Farm, Brian and Sue Morland of Bellflask and Robert Staveley of Lightwater. Finally, we acknowledge the generosity of Hanson HEIDELBERG Cement Group in sponsoring the printing of this report. Colin Slator Alwin Knowles Peter Hills Patricia Rumbold - Annual Report Editorial Team 5 Trustees, Officers and Recorders (as at December 2013) Trustees Robert Adams David Beeken Chairman Kath Beeken Treasurer Brian Darbyshire Anne Durkan Chris Jeffery Alwin Knowles Secretary Colin Slator Roy Waite Stephen Worwood Ex-officio Officers: Pat Rumbold (Minutes Secretary/Fund-raising Secretary/ Lectures Organiser), Robert Adams (Warden and Newsletter Editor), Brian Darbyshire (Assistant Warden), Peter Hills (Membership Secretary), Launa Woodruff (Record Collection & Distribution). Honorary Life Members: Richy Graham, Colin Slator. Recorders: Robert Adams (Ferns and Flowering Plants), Ann Macintosh (Birds), Will Rich (Butterflies), Jim Jobe (Insects other than Lepidoptera and Odonata; Plant Galls), Ray O'Donnell (Mammals), Barry Slaymaker (Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles), Jill Warwick (Moths), Stephen Worwood (Odonata), Adrian Bennett (Fungi). 6 Chairman’s Report for 2013 by David Beeken For the third year in a row, my report starts with the application for the reserve to be approved as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The 2013 AGM was brought forward to 11th April in order to expedite the final stages of the process, and after a gratifying response from members who attended in numbers, the meeting agreed the necessary changes to the Reserve’s stated objects. Thus the Charities Commission was able to advise us on 19th April that our application had been successful. Recognition as a CIO marks a truly significant event in the history of High Batts, and our thanks go again to our Secretary Alwin Knowles to whose skill and diligence we owe the achievement. The Trustees required to accord with the new constitution were confirmed as Robert Adams, David Beeken, Kathryn Beeken, Brian Darbyshire, Ann Durkan, Christopher Jeffery, Alwin Knowles, Patricia Rumbold, Colin Slator, Roy Waite and Stephen Worwood. Prior to the CIO matters, the AGM dealt with the formal matters of approval of the 2012 AGM, the Chairman’s Report and Treasurer’s Report. Proceedings closed with a sincere vote of thanks to Dr Arthur Kinnear, who had stood down as a Reserve Trustee, and who had devoted many years of invaluable service to High Batts. He had acted as Secretary, Editor of Annual Reports, newsletter editor and an unfailing source of wise counsel. Also recalled was member Bill Smith who had recently passed away, and who had collected and distributed species records from the hide until he was in his 90s. Those present then enjoyed refreshments and some images taken by Pat and Ray Rumbold on a visit to Reykjavik. Harrogate Borough Council eventually identified funding for a part-time Ranger post for the sites including High Batts in the Ripon area; the necessary personnel processes of filling the vacancy took several months. Eventually Sam Walker was appointed, and he commenced his duties in mid-October by immediately bringing the much missed mowing equipment necessary to deal with managing the sides of the main ride and associated areas. A further year passed with no sign of the resolution of the internal matters of the Norton Conyers Estate which have caused the delay in drawing up a new lease for the Reserve. I can say, though, that at the end of the calendar year there were some promising “straws in wind”, promoting the hope that the drawing up of a new lease will be achieved in 2014. The Management Committee met twice prior to the change in legal status, and then the new CIO Trustees met on a further three occasions in 2013 in addition to the Annual General Meeting mentioned above. 8 After the complete washout in 2012, 7th July this year was as good a summer day as could be wished for, and around 80 visitors abandoned the tennis on TV in favour of High Batts. As usual, there was great interest in the pond-dipping, results of small mammal trapping and the glass-sided beehive. The Ripon Moth -ers had set up light traps in the Reserve late on the evening of 6th July, and a dedicated young volunteer, Jonny Fisk, rose before crack of dawn to switch off the lights and begin the sorting and identification process. The most interesting moth species were placed on display at “The Hotel”, where the East Dales Ringing Group were present, allowing visitors to see the birds in the hand as their vital statistics were determined and recorded prior to release. Bright sunlight is not an ideal weather condition for mist-netting, but what the birds lacked in number was made up by the variety, and birds of 13 species were processed. (4 Blackcaps, 6 Whitethroats - 5 of which were juveniles, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Blackbird, a Blue Tit, 3 Great Tits, a Marsh Tit, a Dunnock, a Wren, a juvenile Treecreeper, 2 Bullfinches and a Great-Spotted Woodpecker). At a good time for flowers, dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies, Open Day 2013 was a real pleasure. We trust that the RSPB Harrogate Group and the Nidderdale Birdwatchers who had representatives present gained new recruits. In mentioning the application by Hanson to extract gravel from Pennycroft, my 2012 report anticipated that the results of additional work being undertaken by Hanson arising from the comments made by Reserve representatives at a meeting with the company would be discussed with us in 2013. In the event, apart from a stated intention to hold further discussions with us in the autumn which did not take place, absolutely nothing happened as far as High Batts was concerned.