Chester Zoo Nature Reserve News by Andy Jennings-Giles 6 - 10
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Issue 1 Winter 2016 The Local Environmental Records centre serving Cheshire, Halton, Warrington and Wirral Issue 2 Spring 2017 1 Hoverfly (Eristalis sp.) Contents RECORD Round up 3 Wildlife on your doorstep by Lisa Reeves 4 - 5 Chester Zoo Nature Reserve News by Andy Jennings-Giles 6 - 10 Snap That Fly! by Phil Brighton 11 - 13 Cheshire’s Meres by Katie Piercy 13 - 14 Count Me in Graduates 15 - 16 Species Spotlight - Swifts by Susie Phillips 17 - 18 What to look out for in the coming months 18 - 20 Upcoming events in Cheshire 21 - 28 A note from the editor… Welcome to the Spring 2017 issue of RECORD’s newsletter. Thank you again to everyone who has contributed. We have lots of interesting articles from our volunteers, partners and recorders that are sure to inspire everyone to get out recording this spring. We also have an insightful up- date about the development of Chester Zoo’s own nature reserve. At the end of the newsletter you will also find details of the upcoming RECORD Conference, be sure to sign up and reserve your place to join us on the 7th May. Please get in touch if you would like to contribute to our Summer 2017 newsletter. Leanna Dixon (Data Services Officer, [email protected]) 2 RECORD Round Up Despite the cold weather over the winter months there has still been lots going on at RECORD. Our volunteers have been very busy inputting wildlife rec- ords onto our system with over 23,000 new records add- ed this winter and a total of 52,375 over the last year! Over 52,000 records In the last month we have also run two wildlife recording have been input by our workshops. The first was held in early March as part of Chester Zoo’s Wildlife Connectionsproject, the master- office volunteers over class successfully gave over 20 people an introduction to the last year! wildlife recording: this included a tutorial on how to record in the field, different surveying techniques and how to use RODIS. The second workshop was run in collaboration with Saltscape and followed a similar format. Keep an eye on our website and social media for details of upcoming wildlife recording days that we will be running later this year. ©Fiona Megarrell Common toad (Bufo bufo) on Saltscape’s Jelly ear fungus (Auricularia auricula-judae) & Common garden snails (Cornu asper- Beginners Wildlife Recording day sum) spotted during the Wildlife Connections Recording Masterclass “An interesting refresher talk on recording wildlife, followed by a successful days record- ing in which I learnt to identify new plant and fungi species.” Pete Lennon on the Saltscape’s Beginners Wildlife Recording Day. ©Fiona Megarrell 3 ©Lisa Reeves Wildlife on your doorstep by Lisa Reeves Winter always seems to take a long time to pass, until one day small signs start to appear in the garden. Dawn heralds the start of new beginnings when new life sprouts up from the cold barren ground indi- cating the end of what seems like a cold dreary winter. In early spring the sun still sits low in the sky trying its best to shine through the bare branches of tall trees. Thankfully with each passing day the sun rises higher and the bird song gets louder, heralding that spring is now truly upon us, lifting our spirits. On a warm day in early spring the garden is filled with the delicate honey scent of Snowdrops. Vibrant Crocuses, Daffodils and Primroses poke their heads up from the cold damp earth, and bring a much need- ed zing of colour to the garden. Catkins delicately sway upon the hazel tree drifting pollen on the wind, and fresh new leaves appear on the honeysuckle that weaves throughout the hawthorn hedge. The musky scent of foxes also hits my nostrils as I walk around parts of the garden, where they have come in to feed off the last of the windfall apples and marked their territory. It is also wonderful to see frogs emerging from their winter hiding places and pregnant frogs making their way to water to produce frogspawn. As I walk amongst the spring flowers I see signs of squirrel activity, where they have been digging up the bulbs. Bare earth under hedges also reveals evidence of old mice burrows and discarded nut shells. The Wood mice have been making new bur- rows in the compost heap but I always leave the old burrow holes open for bumblebees Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)©Lisa Reeves 4 to use if needed. I always think the first sign of a bumblebee in spring is a magical one just like the first sign of swallows returning in summer. As I look up I see Buzzards circling low above the garden and a flock of Long tailed tits flitting through the fruit trees. Birds are getting busy in the garden as they can sense that spring is in the air, and the dawn chorus gets louder and earlier with each passing day. The Blackbirds are busily scratting under hedges. Magpies, Jays and Rooks squabble amongst themselves in the trees, and Robins and Wrens sing merrily from within the hedges. Common frog (Rana temporaria ) ©Lisa Reeves It will soon be time for the nesting season and even though there are plenty of nesting spots in the garden I have also put up a few nest boxes too. I’ve also filled a suet bird feeder with nesting mate- rial and hung that from one of the trees. These small cages are great for putting in things like brushed dog hair, small twigs, moss, dead leaves and sheeps’ wool found on wire fences. And don’t for- get that if you have a hairdressers’ near you, human hair makes good nesting material too. I look forward to the lighter nights and warmer days when newts return to the pond to mate and lay their eggs on the long grass that cascades over the pond sides. I can't wait for the hedgehogs to fi- Bumblebee visiting snowdrops ©Lisa Reeves nally wake up from their winter slumber and fox cubs to bound around the garden inquisitively. There is so much to look forward to this spring, so get out there and see what nature has to offer you on your doorstep. Learn more about garden wildlife by visiting Lisa’s Blog Ljay Nature Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) Magpie (Pica pica) Hazel catkins ©Lisa Reeves 5 Serge Wich© Chester Zoo Nature Reserve News March 2017: Mud Fest! by Andy Jennings-Giles Welcome to the first Chester Zoo Nature Reserve News update. This regular feature tells readers about the developments, activities and wildlife encounters at the nature reserve, which is near to the RECORD office at Chester Zoo. Next time you visit RECORD do please visit the reserve too. The first phase of the zoo nature reserve opened to the public in 2013 and we’re really pleased with how it has developed into a valuable resource for both wildlife and visitors. With the aim of integrating this area into the wider landscape, we are now embarking on an exciting expansion project. Phase 2 will provide a new species-rich wildflower meadow, enhance the freshwater landscape by creating new ponds, scrapes and ditch lines, and restore the species rich hedgerows and scrub areas. It will also pro- vide new access routes for the public, increase opportunities for education and recording activities, and significantly increase the value of the site for local biodiversity – we hope! The site is strategically located to provide a vital connection between the Phase 1 area and other im- portant habitats along the Shropshire Union Canal Local Wildlife Site (LWS). This connectivity, highlight- ed by the influential report ‘Making Space for Nature’, is increasingly important as we head into an un- certain future for UK wildlife, providing more dispersal options for species. The reserve is set to expand from approximately one hectare to well over five hectares in total (14 acres). It is well known that larg- er sites can support larger populations of more sedentary species and help buffer against any negative pollution on surrounding land. Phase 2 will be split into two broad areas with the planned wildflower meadow (previously improved grassland) forming one distinct area, and the unimproved damp-grassland and reed bed to the north of the hedgerow, forming the second. The meadow will have improved access with meandering grass paths and platforms over ditches, whilst the more sensitive wet meadow and reed bed will only be ac- cessible for surveyors or during special events. To allow people to view the wet meadow and a large new pond, we plan to build a platform and viewing screen where you can hide with your binoculars at the ready. This should provide opportunities to glimpse Reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus, Snipe Gal- linago gallinago, Heron Ardea cinerea, waterfowl and various shy warblers without disturbing them. 6 We envisage abundant marginal vegetation with Purple-loosestrife Lythrum salicaria, Cuckooflower Car- damine pratensis, Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and Reed sweet grass Glyceria maxima where nu- merous dragonflies and damselflies can sun themselves. All of the platforms and boardwalks will be made from English oak that has been sourced sustainably from thinning work in Delamere Forest. The main meadow will undergo something of a transformation and we are currently stripping away the first 15cm of soil to reduce the fertility following years of agricultural ‘improvement’. We’re not wasting any of the removed soil as this will be used to create south-facing slopes and undulating mounds on the otherwise north-facing site.