Newsletter 12 December 2019#

VWT's Bat team finds out more about Kolombatović's bat A bat with a recent history p24

1 Our staff Head Office (Ledbury, Herefordshire) Welcome Dr Lucy Rogers Chief Executive [email protected]

Angela Powell-Stevens from Vincent Wildlife Trust's CEO, Lucy Rogers Head of Finance [email protected] mink can be made. European mink Tim Bennett (a close relative of the European Acting Finance Manager polecat) are critically endangered [email protected] with only a handful of populations Lizzie Croose now surviving in Europe. Senior Science and Research Officer Our Pine Marten Recovery Project [email protected] • is supported by a small team of Julia Bracewell dedicated volunteers who have been Communications Manager [email protected] trained to monitor pine marten presence and distribution using Gemma Fisher camera traps. This year, we also Volunteering and Community Engagement Officer worked with volunteers to carry out [email protected] a large-scale scat survey to try to Helen Henderson determine whether the pine martens Operations Manager have expanded their range. [email protected] • The team in Ireland conducted a Welcome to the 12th issue of Tom Kitching field study to survey for Irish stoats Bat Conservation Officer our newsletter, which looks using Mostelas and cameras. [email protected] back over another busy year • Our new Bat team got to grips Marina Bollo Palacios full of conservation highlights with several exciting projects, Bat Conservation Officer and opportunities to share [email protected] including looking at the impact of our work and practices. greater horseshoe bat presence on Gloucestershire lesser horseshoe bat roosts. Dr Steve Carter Carnivore Programme Manager I have loved spending more time with • We were delighted to form a new [email protected] staff in the field during 2019, getting partnership with Durrell Wildlife Worcestershire up close to the species we are Conservation Trust, working together Dr Anita Glover working to conserve and have been to look at the feasibility of Bat Programme Manager [email protected] truly inspired by the skill and reintroducing the wildcat to dedication shown by our staff and southern Britain. N England Kevin O'Hara volunteers in bringing our plans to • We co-hosted the 33rd Mustelid Pine Marten Project OfficerBack from the Brink fruition. As part of this, I was lucky Colloquium in Lisbon this October, [email protected] enough to spend a few days in the which was a great success, with 90 Wales field with our Bat team in Croatia delegates and a fascinating series of Dr Henry Schofield learning about the roosting and presentations on the conservation of Head of Conservation [email protected] foraging ecology of Mediterranean European mustelids, including the long–eared bats. This was followed European mink. Dr Jenny MacPherson later in the year with a trip to Science and Research Manager • We have had a high profile in the [email protected] Scotland to join the team trapping media this year with a full-page pine martens for translocation to the spread in the Observer on the David Bavin Pine Marten Project Officer Forest of Dean for Gloucestershire recovery of carnivores in the UK, [email protected] Wildlife Trust. based on Katie Sainsbury's PhD Ireland research, an article in BBC Wildlife Dr Kate McAney These are just two examples of our Magazine by Hilary Macmillan, and Head of Conservation Development – Ireland varied work, but there are many filming for a BBC 4 programme to be [email protected] other achievements, including the aired in the new year, featuring our Ruth Hanniffy following highlights. own reserve at Bryanston. Species Conservation Officer– Ireland • We are delighted to welcome a [email protected] • Our Carnivore team has been new staff member, Tim Bennett, working in Spain, trialling novel who started as a new member of our Consultant Head of Communications monitoring methods to develop a Finance team in July. We also Hilary Macmillan robust methodology so that accurate welcomed two new PhD students: [email protected] population assessment of European Kieran O’Malley, who started a PhD

2 at Sussex University on woodland • Congratulations to Patrick Wright, Also featured management and barbastelles, and a previous VWT PhD student, for being Tom Dando, who started a PhD at awarded the Vincent Weir Scientific A warm welcome to new Exeter University on the feasibility of Award. Patrick’s PhD focused on the VWT staff, students and re-introducing European wildcats into conservation of Bechstein’s bats and Trustees p4 England and Wales. the development of a new method • We also welcomed two new for estimating the age of bats. The Ten-Year Strategy p6 Trustees: Georgina Holmes-Skelton, • Back from the Brink, of which VWT Head of Government Affairs at the is part, picked up the Best Heritage Mustelids and Montado National Trust, and Clementine Project Award in the 25th Birthday in sunny Lisbon p7 Dymond, Equity Analyst at Rowan National Lottery Awards. Our project Dartington. We sadly said goodbye to is paving the way for the recovery of Sharing pine marten Rob Lucas, who has been a dedicated the pine marten in northern England expertise p10 Trustee with us for ten years. as the population naturally spreads • Two of our recent PhD students, south from Scotland. Mostelas in Mayo p12 Katy Sainsbury and Cat McNicol, both celebrated the successful completion pinemarten.ie – of their PhDs. one year on p14

My time as a Trustee p15

In this issue Sound bathing with horseshoes p16

Improving the landscape for lesser horseshoes p17

Pine Marten Recovery Project updates p18

VWT in BBC Wildlife magazine p19

Red in tooth and claw p20 Wildcats: problems, prospects A new vision for the critically A busy year and and partnerships endangered European mink VWT's new partnership with Durrell Trialling monitoring methods for the exciting times ahead p26 Conservation Wildlife Trust p8 European mink in Spain p22 Updates on VWT's PhD research projects p30

Contact us

Vincent Wildlife Trust, 3-4 Bronsil Courtyard, Eastnor, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 1EP It is not a holiday! Volunteers contribute to Four weeks in Croatia on the trail of conservation 01531 636441 Kolombatović's bat p24 This last year has been one of [email protected] www.vwt.org.uk outstanding volunteer efforts p28

3 A warm welcome to new VWT staff, students and Trustees

Tim Bennett Tom Dando European wildcats (Felis silvestris) Acting Finance Manager PhD student into England and Wales, and I hope that it will be an integral part of the work of these two respected conservation organisations.

Kieran O'Malley PhD student

I joined Vincent Wildlife Trust's I discovered a passion for the Finance team in 2019 with a natural world initially as a place background in the charity sector, of peace and mental well-being, having previously worked for Mind before being captivated by the Aberystwyth as its Business and complexity of the ecosystems Finance Officer, and in the private that exist around us and the need sector more recently with Balfour to reverse their declines. From Beatty. Through both roles, I have this passion, I completed a BSc in I've always loved the outdoors and had a number of years of people Ecology and Wildlife Conservation nature, which led me to complete a management experience. at Bournemouth University, with BSc in Zoology at Cardiff University. my major project focusing on the After attending numerous lectures I have a degree in Zoology and behaviour and conflict surrounding and spending multiple years so it is good to be working for re-introduced African wild dogs in caving in the UK and abroad, I an organisation that focuses on fenced game reserves. Following developed a great appreciation threatened mammals and to a year working on Red List for caves and their associated be able to contribute to their assessments at the IUCN Small fauna, in particular the many conservation. I have also qualified Mammal Specialist Group (SMSG), I bats that inhabited these spaces. with an advanced diploma in completed an MRes in Conservation I went on to study for an MRes in accounting through the Association Biology at University of Sussex. Biodiversity and Conservation at of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and Based at the Knepp estate, my the University of Leeds, through am just about to embark on the research looked at the herbivore- which I investigated the urban next level qualification to gain a driven landscape development in roost selection of Mauritian tomb Professional diploma in Accounting. the context of rewilding. After bats in Malawi. This research gave I'm looking forward to this next a year leading on key species me a better understanding of the stage, though it will mean evenings fundraising for the IUCN Small high selectivity of bats to roost of study and homework once again. Mammal Specialist Group, in 2019 sites and their vulnerability in the I was fortunate to be offered a face of an increasingly urbanised PhD at the University of Exeter, landscape. I feel very fortunate to co-funded by Vincent Wildlife Trust now have the chance to do a PhD and Durrell Wildlife Conservation on barbastelles at the University Trust. The PhD seeks to understand of Sussex, which is co-funded by the social and ecological feasibility Vincent Wildlife Trust. The PhD and practicalities of re-introducing aims to identify local woodland

4 A warm welcome to new VWT staff, students and Trustees

features that are important for the Croose were very generous with persistence of barbastelles, with the their time and patience given the This is my first Trustee role and goal of developing landscape-scale volume of my questions. I attended it’s definitely a learning curve. approaches to their conservation. the Pine Marten Strategy Day in I’m getting to know the organisation I look forward to being able to Malvern, where it was excellent to and its priorities and potential contribute to the work of VWT see the collaboration between so challenges. I’m also developing through my research. many passionate organisations and my own capability as a new Trustee individuals coming together under and, as with any new role, I’m a common goal. learning how to perform it well Clementine Dymond and contribute most effectively Trustee Lastly, I had an informative two days to discussions and decisions. with the Bat team at our quarterly board meeting, where I found the At the Trustee meeting in September, level of expertise impressive and the we heard about the work being solutions coming through inspiring. carried out by the Bat team, and I look forward to using my background had the opportunity to go out and in finance to support the exceptional see some sites and meet some of the work of Vincent Wildlife Trust. people involved. This was a brilliant way to get to grips with what people are doing on the ground and will Georgie Holmes-Skelton help me offer the right advice and Trustee support in my role as Trustee to Lucy Rogers and the team. I’m looking forward to getting more hands-on experience with the Bat team by helping with some fieldwork this winter — and hope at some point Life at Vincent Wildlife Trust is a soon that I’ll be able to do similar breath of fresh air. Having spent with the Carnivore team too (I don’t far too long in the cyclical world of think anyone could resist the lure of finance, it's of great comfort to find the pine marten!). an organisation that brings faith that we can overcome the damage to the One thing that has struck me so far is world, in a fashion inclusive of all. how knowledgeable and committed I joined as a Trustee in May, everyone is — and how welcoming having had a long career in the everyone has been. In my experience, City, predominately as an equity having the right people is the most analyst. In the short space of time I was absolutely delighted to be important starting point for any that I have been part of VWT, I can asked to become a Trustee, and organisation, and I’ve been really clearly see the immense wealth of formally started in May this year. impressed with everyone I’ve met. expertise, passion and dedication In my day job, my background within the team. in public policy, Parliament and Overall, I’m looking forward to politics is put to use in my work as continuing to grow my knowledge Reflecting back on my first six Head of Government Affairs for the and contribution to VWT's work. I months as a Trustee, I have learnt National Trust. I’m passionate about hope to learn from and build on the so much from an area that I the environment and the need to work of the existing Trustees, but also knew very little about. I have enhance and restore biodiversity, that I can bring some unique insight spent time on a pine marten field so the opportunity to contribute that helps VWT maximise its impact survey, learning the nuances of to the work of VWT and the for threatened mammals in Britain, pine martens and, to my surprise, conservation of threatened mammal Ireland and continental Europe. their scats. Lucy Rogers and Lizzie species is really exciting.

5 The Ten-Year Strategy Lucy Rogers, CEO Photo: ©Robert Cruickshanks

By 2030, VWT will have: Almost 45 years ago, a visionary young man decided to use his • developed, tested and resources to fund wildlife implemented a number of conservation in Britain and Ireland. cutting-edge techniques As part of his mission, Vincent Weir and effective conservation established VWT to safeguard interventions that integrate threatened mammals. The Trust social science and ecology for continues to work tirelessly to VWT priority mammal populations maintain the vision of its founder. • improved methods of bat conservation at a landscape scale, Over the next ten years, the Trust including techniques for enhancing will build on its success, driving As well as looking back landscape permeability, roosting forward a diverse programme of over 2019, we have been opportunities and habitat for VWT conservation initiatives to deliver the most effective strategies for looking forward to the next priority bats mammal conservation. ten years and planning the • strengthened the resilience of future direction and work VWT priority bat populations at These are challenging times for of Vincent Wildlife Trust. the local, regional and national wildlife and it is vital that we level with a comprehensive focus our resources wisely. In this This forward thinking has resulted in network of bat reserves strategy, we believe that we have a our new Ten-Year Strategy document strong foundation for continuing to managed the recovery of VWT and sets out our ambitions for the • make a difference to the fortunes Priority Species so that they are next decade, starting in 2020. of native mammals in Britain, self-sustaining, with minimal Ireland and continental Europe. conflict, where habitat and other Our Vision is that VWT is a catalyst conditions are suitable for mammal conservation. • addressed evidence gaps and Our Mission is to conserve data deficiency for VWT Priority threatened mammals by leading Species so that conservation effort the way with scientifically-sound is better informed conservation work.

6 Mustelids and Montado in sunny Lisbon Lizzie Croose, Senior Science and Research Officer

martens in Britain and Ireland, otters in Switzerland, Poland and Britain, Irish and French badgers, and even mustelids in Mongolia and Brazil! There was also a focal session on In October, 90 mustelid European mink, which is now one enthusiasts from 19 countries of the most threatened mammal congregated in Lisbon for the species in Europe. 33rd European Mustelid Colloquium. A particular highlight was welcoming Professor Carolyn This year's Colloquium was the King, who had travelled from New culmination of a year of planning Zealand as a keynote speaker. and collaboration between VWT Carolyn is a global expert on small and the Faculty of Sciences at the mustelids and gave a fascinating University of Lisbon. It is the second talk on stoats, weasels and ferrets time that VWT has been an organiser in New Zealand where, having been of the Mustelid Colloquium, having introduced from Britain to control begun our involvement as part of rabbits, they are now invasive and the secretariat at the previous a major threat to New Zealand’s Colloquium in Lyon in 2017. native bird populations. treated to a delicious five-course During the Colloquium, we had two Another highlight was the field trip buffet lunch with copious amounts full days of scientific presentations to a research station in a montado of local wine and liqueurs! covering a range of topics within (cork oak forest), which is home to It was a wonderful chance to foster mustelid research and conservation. otters, badgers, stone martens and new collaborations and friendships, It was great to see such a diversity genets, as well as a variety of birds. as well as to catch up with existing of both presentations and additional We enjoyed a whistle-stop tour to colleagues and friends. For the posters from across the mustelid see how the land is managed for next European Mustelid Colloquium family, including polecats in Spain cork production and agriculture, and in 2021, we’re hoping to head east and Sweden, weasels and stoats in heard about the carnivore research to Georgia. Watch out for details the Netherlands and Denmark, pine conducted there. To finish, we were nearer the time.

7 Wildcats: problems, prospects and partnerships Jenny MacPherson, Science and Research Manager Photo: ©Pat Morris

out practical, community-focused experts, we have just completed conservation, based on sound a preliminary scientific feasibility scientific research, and we are study looking at the potential to looking forward to collaborating on re-establish the native wildcat to European wildcat as a first focus. suitable parts of its former range in Wales and England. This is part of a The wildcat (Felis silvestris), known UK-wide strategy for the species and as the wood cat in England, cath will complement the work already gwyllt (wild cat) or cath y coed being carried out in Scotland by (wood cat) in Welsh and cat-fiadhaich Scottish Wildcat Action. The next (wild cat) in Scottish Gaelic, is one crucial stage is to conduct in-depth While the future of the of our most elusive carnivores and the ecological and social feasibility wildcat in the UK is perilous, only native member of the cat family studies to find out which areas are there are good news stories still present in Britain. Wildcats used most appropriate. Some of this elsewhere in Europe. VWT to be widespread here but, as with detailed work will be carried out in many of our native carnivores such collaboration with the University of hopes to add to these with as the pine marten, the population Exeter and PhD student, Tom Dando. a new partnership to underwent a dramatic decline due to investigate the feasibility of loss of woodland habitat and As part of a consideration of restoring the wildcat. historical predator control. Today, the wider context for wildcat the last few remaining wildcats in conservation in the UK, I attended Earlier this year, we were delighted Britain are found only in Scotland, a European wildcat conference in to announce a new partnership where the main threat is genetic Neuwied, Germany, where it was between VWT and Durrell Wildlife extinction due to hybridisation with heartening to hear some positive Conservation Trust to work together feral domestic cats. news about the species. Wildcat on UK species of conservation populations are recovering in many concern. Both organisations carry With support from the relevant countries in a variety of habitats, statutory agencies and other some of which are sometimes

8 unexpected. Large, dense forests hectares (29%) of forests, compared Czech Republic, but recently there with standing dead wood is with just over 3 million hectares has been evidence of wildcat perceived as classic habitat for (13%) in the UK. But the spruce presence in some parts of Austria wildcats but other habitats are also forests have been badly affected in and the Czech Republic. They used across their range. As with recent years by droughts and by are also now reported frequently other predators, wildcats choose pests such as spruce bark beetle. crossing from Germany into the habitat based on the availability of There are also concerns about Netherlands. This recolonisation is prey, particularly rabbits and small increased logging and clearing of possible on mainland Europe but mammals, which can be abundant formerly closed forests, although unfortunately not so in Britain, in agricultural landscapes. However, some clearing can be beneficial for which is one of the disadvantages structurally diverse forests remain wildcats. This was highlighted in a of being an island and a reason key habitats. radio tracking study in Thüringen for the necessity of potential when, following a huge storm, the reintroductions in the future. It is, Despite having very different forest majority of wildcat locations were in therefore, particularly important systems, the pressures on forestry forest areas where a lot of that we continue to strengthen our elsewhere in Europe are similar to windthrow had occurred. collaborative working with partners those in the UK. Development, such both here and elsewhere in Europe. as wind turbines in forests, can cause Hybridisation is another major One such initiative is Euro Wildcat, fragmentation as well as disturbance threat, but varies widely across a newly established network for while, at the same time, resources Europe from about 3% in Germany data sharing and collaborative and numbers of forestry staff are to 100% in Scotland. One suggestion working with conservation research undergoing reductions. These all add is that other predators, such as partners across the continent. to the challenges and problems of lynx and eagle owls where they implementing practical conservation are present, may deter domestic We are looking forward to working and mitigation measures. cats from venturing into forests with Durrell Wildlife Conservation and so help maintain reproductive Trust and others to further the The situation in Germany, where isolation of wildcats in these areas. conservation of this elusive and wildcat numbers are increasing, is enigmatic carnivore. particularly interesting. Germany is Wildcats also disappeared from shaped by more than 11 million Austria, Netherlands and the Photo: ©Mark Williams

9 Sharing pine marten expertise Jenny MacPherson, Science and Research Manager Photo: ©Cristian Esculier Now you see it...

involved in translocating the releases in autumn. VWT was asked animals. Having gained extensive to provide the expertise to survey and varied experience through and select source sites and to carry our Pine Marten Recovery Project out trapping and radio collaring, where we translocated 51 pine using the same methods that we martens to Wales over three years, had used for the Welsh releases Vincent Wildlife Trust was in a good in previous years. position to share that knowledge when a similar project began in So, in late summer, having carried the Forest of Dean. out initial scat surveys and with help from both Scottish Natural In summer 2016, Gloucestershire Heritage (which granted permits Wildlife Trust and Forestry England, and licences) and Forestry and with the help of VWT, started Land Scotland, a team of us set The knowledge and practical to investigate the feasibility of up base in north Aberdeenshire experience that we gained reintroducing pine martens to the and began trapping. In addition through the Pine Marten Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. to the animals’ welfare, a high Recovery Project has been This area was one of several priority was to minimise any invaluable in advising and that were identified as being impact on the Scottish population helping with Gloucestershire potentially suitable for martens of martens. This meant using in VWT’s original feasibility study forests where we hadn’t trapped Wildlife Trust's translocation for England and Wales. There before and only taking a small project this autumn. were, however, some caveats, number of animals from each site. particularly around roads and For any reintroduction project traffic in the region, as well as Based on our experience of the to be truly successful, there other protected species present. releases in Wales, we also wanted needs to be years of detailed These were looked at in more to get the number of martens background work, including detail, with recommendations for in the Forest of Dean to the feasibility studies and community appropriate mitigation and then, maximum as quickly as possible. engagement, along with all earlier this year, the decision We had observed from radio- the planning and practicalities was taken to proceed with pilot tracking martens after previous

10 releases, that early on in the first translocations, when numbers were very low, martens were more likely to make exploratory movements over a relatively long distance before returning.

In mid-Wales, this was more of a problem for those of us radio- tracking the martens than it was for the animals themselves! However, in an area with more roads and traffic like the Forest of ... now you don't. Dean, roaming widely would put the martens at a higher risk of road mortality. So we decided that we would trap and translocate in a much shorter space of time. This was hard work but it meant that, within three weeks of trapping, we were able to get 18 pine martens Photo: ©Cristian Esculier radio-collared, transported down to Gloucestershire and released in Choosing the site, setting and preparing their new home. They are now radio-tracking on our pine marten project in Wales. We wish them each trap takes time, patience and a creative being radio-tracked by the GWT way with twigs and moss. project team, which includes Josie (and the martens) the very best of Bridges and Catherine McNicol, luck and look forward to hearing both formerly of VWT and both more about how they get on in the with a wealth of experience of coming months. Another Year in the Wild charity calendar

Many of the fantastic photos of pine martens that accompany our articles and that are used in our display materials are by Robert Cruickshanks. Jenny MacPherson visited Robert recently and was lucky enough to see one of the wild martens that he photographs.

Robert has joined with four other local wildlife photographers to create Another Year in the Wild, a charity calendar of stunning wildlife photographs. The money raised from the sales of the calendar will help to support local groups raise suicide awareness and prevention, mental health and well being, and challenge the stigma of mental health.

Visit ootmahoosewindae.com for further details.

11 Photo: ©Dermot Breen Mostelas in Mayo Kate McAney, Head of Conservation Development — Ireland

One dark night – it was a very dark night, and blowing hard too… a company of skirmishing stoats, who stuck at nothing, occupied the conservatory and the billiard room, and held the French windows opening on to the lawn. Kenneth Graham The Wind in the Willows

device, Lizzie detected stoats at Galway. Brian was seeking a just one site during her research, 12-week placement with a wildlife yet weasels were detected at all organisation as part of the Master’s three sites1. in Ecological Management and Conservation Biology he was Weasels do not occur in Ireland but undertaking at Queen’s University we do have stoats. Although the Irish Belfast. By the end of the phone stoat is a distinct subspecies, conversation, we had Brian on Mustela erminea hibernica, confined board for our stoat study. to Ireland and the Isle of Man, it In April, Lizzie sailed to Ireland presents the same challenges as its with twelve Mostelas and all the I suspect many of us who British counterpart when it comes to associated materials needed for try to record the distribution monitoring its presence. A chance to the study. Prior to her arrival, of stoats wish they were repeat Lizzie’s study in Ireland in Brian and Ruth Hanniffy (Species as forthcoming in making 2019 came about in March when I Conservation Officer — Ireland) received a phone call from Brian had checked the National their presence known as Hughes, who has volunteered with Biodiversity Data Centre (www. ‘described’ by Graham. In the Trust in the past on our bat and biodiversityireland.ie) for stoat reality, these elusive stoats pine marten work in Mayo and records and studied maps and are difficult to monitor and little is known about them.

VWT's Senior Science and Research Officer, Lizzie Croose, undertook a study in 2018 to detect stoats and weasels in the UK. She used a Mostela that was developed by the Dutch Small Mustelid Foundation and is a wooden box with a plastic tube running through it and a trail camera inside to record footage of any animal that enters. Using this

12 Making the Mostela invisible with moss. satellite imagery to select areas and there it was, our first stoat. that this method could also be used with suitable habitat. John Higgins, We were thrilled to get our first to Conservation Ranger with National stoat footage because now we non-invasively monitor Ireland’s Parks and Wildlife Service, then knew for sure that the Irish stoat small mammals, in particular the came on board to direct us to would use the Mostela. The stoat native pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus) landowners in these areas who came back to this site most weeks and the non-native greater white- would be willing to allow access and gave us great entertainment toothed shrew (Crocidura russula). for the duration of the study. over the summer. It seemed that it only visited the Mostela for a roll We are very grateful to all the By May, all the Mostelas were in around and a scratch. Footage of landowners who allowed us to place place. In addition to the twelve this stoat’s antics is still available the Mostelas on their land, to John internal cameras, we positioned to view on our Facebook page and Higgins for his assistance and, above twelve cameras outside to record is well worth watching. all, to Brian, whose enthusiasm, footage of any stoats that good humour and excellent choice approached but didn’t enter a A total of 40 unique stoat clips of cafés for lunch made the study Mostela. Twenty-four cameras were recorded during the study, of all the more enjoyable. running night and day for 12 weeks which 23 were from the external gave us a lot of footage (9,615 clips), cameras and 17 inside the units. so I am full of admiration for Brian’s Stoats were detected at four of 1Croose, E. and Carter, S. P. (2019) perseverance in looking through the twelve sites and entered the A pilot study of a novel method to monitor weasels (Mustela nivalis) them all. Mostelas at two sites. It’s not and stoats (M. erminea) in Britain. possible, with just a twelve-week Mammal Communications. 5. 6-12. In his own words: Going through study, to explain why stoats chose the footage was quite time to enter the Mostelas at some consuming and a lot of patience locations but not others, was required while looking at clip but it’s possible that the after clip of leaves and grass, but habitat in the immediate the sight of a pine marten, badger vicinity of the units may or some other mammal every so influence their behaviour often kept me going. and so this warrants further research. On the third week, Ruth and I were checking one of the Mostelas at the Overall, 13 different second to last site of the day. After mammal species were downloading the internal footage, recorded during this I decided to check a random clip study, which indicates

13 Photo: ©Robert Cruickshanks pinemarten.ie — one year on Kate McAney, Head of Conservation Development — Ireland

developed as a joint initiative with information was sought about martens NPWS. We chose to present facts and in the months when they were most information under the following four active raising and feeding their kits, headings: Householders, Gun Clubs often within attics of houses and thus and Poultry Keepers, Journalists, and coming to the attention of the public. Foresters and Farmers, because these groups best reflected the sources of By providing information under the One year after the launch of queries that we and NPWS had dealt four categories, we have been able to the website, pinemarten.ie with over the years. We decided to detect that the most visited section last November, it is time to add interest by including material was that for Householders, which look at the statistics to find associated with pine martens across accounted for a third of all visits. out how it is being used. a range of topics, including myth and This comes as no surprise because folklore, literature, ecotourism, etc. female martens are using attics in November may not be a popular which to rear their kits, due to the month in the calendar year for those Having been 'live' for a year, we historical lack of mature deciduous of us living on the western edge of decided to review its use and woodland in Ireland and therefore a Europe with diminishing day length, determine whether it has fulfilled lack of natural denning sites. Over the average daytime temperatures of its tagline of ‘A national resource years, we had noticed that telephone just 9-12°C and rain forecast for at about pine martens in Ireland’. calls about martens entering attics or least 23 out of 30 days. If, however, Andy, website designer from appearing in gardens at bird feeders you celebrate your birthday in Madeintrebania, supplied us with began around April and continued into November, you hopefully have happier answers to a number of questions we the autumn. We still receive emails associations with this month. In a posed. We wanted to see when the and phone calls from householders, strange way, this is how I feel about website was being used, which pages but invariably the conversation now www.pinemarten.ie, the website we were visited most and how regularly. begins with, ‘I’ve just been on the launched in November 2018 and that pine marten website, so I know I can’t is now one year old! The results show there was indeed have the animals removed, but I’d like variation over the year, with the first to know when they might be leaving Following a workshop on the pine peak in November, clearly linked to and what I can do when they go to marten, organised by National Parks the publicity surrounding the launch. prevent them returning.' and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in A second peak occurred in January October 2017, the lack of reliable that corresponds to an interview The accompanying pie chart shows and accessible information about the I gave about the website to Sean the percentage of page views for the species was one of the key points Moncrieff on Newstalk radio. The remaining areas of the website. We raised. Vincent Wildlife Trust was site was then accessed consistently were a little surprised to see that the identified as a suitable partner to but visits increased substantially second most popular topic viewed provide this and so the website was from May onwards, reflecting that was ‘How to tell a pine marten from a

14 mink and feral ferret’. This probably lived up to its tagline but we are Householders 33% How to tell a pine marten from a mink 21% reflects the fact that several human aware that much still needs to be Gun Clubs and Poultry Keepers 9% generations have lived and died since done to ensure that the pine marten Report a sighting 8% About the pine marten 8% the pine marten was considered continues its natural recovery in FAQs 8% a common species in Ireland, so Ireland. We will be working with our Foresters and Farmers 7% Journalists 6% there is some confusion about what NPWS partners and others in 2020 to it looks like, how big it is, etc. We test solutions to the problems posed Page views per user are relieved to see that, so far, only by martens denning in occupied two of the topics on offer have not houses. We will update the website 6% been considered worth viewing by with results as this work progresses. 7% the approximately 20,000 visitors in 2019. The two topics are the history I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to wish 8% of the trade in pine marten fur from a website 'Happy Birthday' but here 33% Ireland and literary references to goes. ‘Happy Birthday pinemarten.ie, the animal. As author of these short we hope pine martens (and humans) 9% sections, I can be accused of being will benefit from your existence for a little biased but I do think both many more years!’ 8% 21% topics are worth at least a quick look. 8% We believe that the website has

My time as a Trustee for Vincent Wildlife Trust

Rob Lucas reflects on his time as a Trustee with VWT.

I met Vincent Weir briefly around 1980 when he came down to Slapton Ley Field Centre in Devon where I worked. He had come to see Johnny Birks, who was doing his PhD on American mink, but I’m not sure I appreciated the importance of the type of work Vincent was funding at the time. My path crossed with Vincent Wildlife Trust’s again in 2005 when I began helping out with bat counts at the Hendre reserve near where I was living at the time. I have never been entirely clear how I was invited to become a Trustee, but I remember well my first meeting with Vincent and the two other Trustees (Tom Tew and Malcolm Newdick) at the Farmers’ Club overlooking the London Eye. There have been many highlights during my time with VWT... Working alongside passionate and knowledgeable staff; visiting VWT reserves in Ireland, England and Wales; seeing some of the first pine martens being checked over in Scotland before being translocated to Wales… the list is long and varied. The real highlight, though, has been helping VWT move from an almost secret charity doing great evidence-led conservation work, to one playing a much more public role in the conservation of threatened mammals across the UK, Ireland and, increasingly, continental Europe. Given the generosity of Vincent Weir in establishing the endowment for VWT, it perhaps seems odd to say ‘sorting out the finances’ has been a big challenge. The financial crash, which happened soon after I started as a Trustee, had a big impact on our investments. It became clear, as he stepped back from the management of the charity, that Vincent had been regularly putting in additional monies from his own funds. This was a luxury we no longer had. Staff were largely unaware of where the money came from, so changing the culture, attracting more external funding and finding aT rustee who knew more – a lot more – about the world of investments, were all part of the solution that we had to put in place. We face unprecedented change in the coming months and years with political uncertainty and hardening borders being completely at odds with threatened mammal species attempting to adapt to climate change. VWT has grown beyond all recognition in the last decade through being creative, light on its feet and true to its vision. The original endowment has allowed us to take greater risks than many others in the sector, but we must use it wisely as we can only spend it once! Keep up the great work – it is an inspiring charity to be involved with.

15 Photo: ©Frank Greenaway

Sound bathing with horseshoe bats – any volunteers? Marina Palacios, Bat Conservation Officer

but also to alert of any population centre on just one thing: don’t miss declines in our reserves so that we a bat! I had to focus quite hard to see know where to focus our attention. the bat silhouettes coming out, but The monitoring takes place between I focused even more not to double the end of May and July when the count the bats that were trying to fool horseshoe bats are back in their me by flying around and going back summer roost, ready to give birth. inside the roost. It was a great night It seemed to be a simple process: followed by a long drive back, made all that is required is to be able to more exciting by the views of other count bats that emerge from the nocturnal wildlife, including foxes, roost… or so I thought. hedgehogs, tawny owls and badgers.

Counting bats can be a Last June, I joined colleagues and This was just the first of many more magical experience, but with went to Wales do my first official lesser horseshoe counts. For the 36 roosts and many miles bat count, armed with a pair of tally NBMP, each horseshoe roost needs to between them, VWT needs counters, chairs and, of course, bat be counted twice in a space of five willing volunteers to help. detectors. I set up my watching post days. Although counts happen in with a night vision camera to be different months for lesser horseshoes Last summer, I experienced a able to see the bats more clearly, (June) and greater horseshoes (July), sound bathing session for the first and to record the bat emergence as counting the bats from all our lesser time. No, it didn’t involve gongs, a back-up in case I failed miserably horseshoe roosts (11 in Wales, 6 in singing bowls or didgeridoos, but at counting. Then I sat and waited England and 12 in Ireland) twice in horseshoes, although not exactly the for the sun to go down and for the 14 nights is no easy job for a small clip-clop of a walking horse either. magic to happen. Bat team. Things get logistically The sound was created by the trickier in miserable weather when echolocation calls of horseshoe bats. A faint bubbly sound started to play bats don’t emerge, and even more Each year, in summer, VWT monitors on the bat detector: the first lesser difficult considering we have roosts the lesser and greater horseshoe bat horseshoe bats were getting ready 230 miles apart. For these reasons, populations at several bat roosts. to emerge. And so they did. The first we need committed, local people When I say several, I mean 36 roosts ones came out, flew around, and who are willing to give up their time dispersed across the south-west of went back in after realising it was to help with these annual counts. We England, Wales and Ireland that we still too light. Then, as it got darker, already have invaluable volunteers manage for these species. more started to emerge and I started that monitor some of VWT bat to click along at a constant pace 1… reserves and contribute to the The surveys are part of the National 2… 3… 4… then frantically 5,6,7,8,9... knowledge of national horseshoe bat Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) in up to 500! I was immersed in a cloud trends, but we still have a good Britain, led by Bat Conservation of bubbly sound produced by all the number of roosts that need volunteer Trust, and a similar scheme in lesser horseshoe bats echolocating surveyors. We will be recruiting for Ireland, managed by Bat around me. It was magical. There additional volunteers in summer Conservation Ireland. They collect wasn’t much time for relaxing or 2020. Perhaps, next year, it’ll be you information on bat numbers to meditating in this sound bath, but telling us about your first horseshoe produce national population trends, it clearly turned all my thoughts to bathing experience!

16 Improving landscapes for lesser horseshoe bats Tom Kitching, Bat Conservation Officer Photo: ©Julia Bracewell

conditions needed. There are movement can be identified on the several other reasons why these output maps. Through employing bats make good research subjects: these spatial techniques, we can they are easily distinguishable by ensure any habitat enhancement passive acoustic recorders, they are planning is well-informed and the quite habitual in their roosting sites ground work is targeted to have the and, crucially, are sensitive to most impact. VWT's Bat team has been environmental changes. Behavioural developing landscape changes in lesser horseshoes have Less than a mile from one of our suitability models to help been used to demonstrate the lesser horseshoe bat reserves in the inform and direct habitat impact of artificial lighting, climate Usk Valley, is a small hillside farm change and habitat fragmentation holding. The spatial modelling work restoration work. on general wildlife communities. shows us that, despite this site being in a highly suitable region for In the Brecon Beacons National In 2018, VWT used spatial modelling lesser horseshoe bats, the fine-scale Park, the River Usk carves out a techniques to contextualise features habitat features within the farm’s particularly important stretch of of the landscape in the national boundaries are poor and clearly land for lesser horseshoe bats. park by their importance to lesser sub-optimal for lesser horseshoe The upper valley has a good mix horseshoe bats. Habitat suitability navigation. There is woodland at of broadleaf woodland patches models were used to analyse the the boundaries, but little in the way connected by wooded riparian landscape characteristics at of hedgerows or vegetation across corridors and a network of breeding locations where bats are known to the farmland. The new owner of sites and underground hibernacula occur. This then produces an output this farm has agreed to work in that have been protected for many that can be displayed on a map to partnership with VWT to improve years by dedicated conservationists. reveal the suitability, or otherwise, the site for these bats through a Together, they make the perfect of the habitat across a wider area. combination of natural woodland habitat for this species. This type of analysis can be expansion and native tree planting. operated at different levels to show In order to be able to monitor the VWT manages five reserves for the importance of fine-scale impact of the developing vegetation lesser horseshoe bats in one of the features, such as individual structure, we used static bat most densely populated areas of hedgerows, in the context of the detectors over the summer months lesser horseshoes in Britain. broader suitability of an entire area to gather baseline data on current Consequently, this is a focal area for for a chosen species. bat activity. Although lesser much of our research on these horseshoes are the focus, we will animals, particularly around Additionally, there are landscape monitor all the species we record landscape connectivity. As a highly permeability models. These and, by continually monitoring the mobile species that uses vegetation demonstrate how easily animals can ground work, we can develop an structure for navigation and one navigate their surroundings away evidence base to demonstrate the that has temporal shifts in roosting from a central point, such as a bat effectiveness as a framework for requirements, lesser horseshoes can roost, and therefore display appropriate habitat restoration in tell us a lot about the condition of pathways that bats are likely to use. other areas. the surrounding landscape and its Features that promote or obstruct ability to provide the year-round

17 Photo: ©Paul Harry

Pine Marten Recovery Project updates Lizzie Croose, Senior Science and Research Officer

Our Camera Trap Loan Scheme has for droppings, which martens continued this year, with many helpfully leave as a form of social people monitoring camera traps over communication. All the scats a wide area of Wales. This has proved collected are destined for DNA invaluable in recording pine martens analysis to verify their species origin, as they expand into new areas, giving us an up-to-date picture of It’s been two years since we keeping track of known individuals pine marten distribution in Wales. completed the pine marten identifiable by their ‘bib’ patterns and translocations from Scotland identifying unknown individuals, likely Although it’s challenging to keep to mid-Wales, releasing a to be offspring of the original 51. track of breeding, we were able to total of 51 martens between confirm that three martens have This summer, one of our volunteers bred this year, though this figure 2015-2017. What has been recorded footage of a marten in will almost certainly be much higher. happening since then? Gwydir Forest: further evidence of their range expansion north We are continuing to facilitate Since the end of the translocation into Snowdonia. Two pine martens coexistence between pine martens phase, a core population of pine have also been regularly visiting and other human and conservation martens has become well established a B&B near Corris Uchaf, in the interests by working with shooting within the original release area south of Snowdonia National estates and groups with expertise around Devil’s Bridge, but there is Park, providing entertainment for in bird conservation. This will help also evidence that the population has guests! We also continue to have us develop pre-emptive mitigation expanded its range north and south a pine marten visiting our bespoke measures to prevent martens taking throughout the Cambrian mountains. hide in Carmarthenshire, built in wild and game birds. We are also collaboration with Chester Zoo. trialling a variety of deterrents. Over the last year, the focus of the project has shifted from the original As the marten population spreads, it’s In August, we sadly said farewell post-release monitoring of the difficult to monitor the distribution to Josie Bridges, who started with translocated animals to engaging and range expansion of the animals. the project in 2015. She has joined the wider community across a larger To address this, we initiated a citizen- Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s pine area of Wales. This latter phase has science 'Expansion Zone Survey' this marten reintroduction project, of been supported by funding from the summer, which focused on areas which VWT is a partner, and is using Landfill Disposals Tax Communities outside the core range of martens in her wealth of experience to keep Scheme, People's Postcode Trust, Wales. This has involved a huge effort, track of the new marten population and Chester Zoo and has enabled with lots of people volunteering for in the Forest of Dean. As we come us to offer training on using camera the glamorous job of looking for pine to the latter stages of the project, traps, hair tubes and scat surveys, marten scats (poo!). Scat surveys are the future for pine martens in Wales as well as building, installing and a well-established method for wide- looks bright, and we’re confident checking den boxes for martens. scale marten surveys and involve that the population will continue to walking tracks in woodlands to look recover and thrive.

18 VWT in BBC Wildlife Magazine Julia Bracewell, Communications Manager

We were delighted to see the article on greater horseshoe bats written by VWT's Consultant Head of Communications, Hilary Macmillan, finally printed in November’s edition of BBC Wildlife magazine. It is nearly a year since Hilary approached Ben Hoare, former commissioning editor, at the New Networks for Nature conference and persuaded him to commission an article about VWT and the greater horseshoe bat. The article also highlighted 'Inside the Bat Cave', a programme due to be shown on BBC4 in the new year, which features one of our bat reserves and our Bat Programme Manager, Anita Glover.

This edition of BBC Wildlife also included an article about the Forest of Dean Pine Marten translocation project, and VWT's Pine Marten Recovery Project and images of VWT staff featured heavily throughout the article.

19 Red in tooth and claw Steve Carter, Carnivore Programme Manager Photo: ©Frank Greenaway

native mammalian carnivores in engagement events in Wales with Great Britain' by VWT's former PhD support from other staff, which will student, Katie Sainsbury. It's also leave a legacy of trained and good to know that some of this committed volunteers. Many of these recovery has been directly aided by will be relied on for future VWT supporters and volunteers, as monitoring and conservation of the with the return of pine martens to newly established marten population. Wales through VWT’s Pine Marten The extent of this community Recovery Project. engagement was made possible by funding from the Landfill Disposals The title refers to a line from This year has been a particularly Tax Communities Scheme, People's Tennyson’s 1850 poem 'In exciting and eventful year for our Postcode Trust and Chester Zoo. Memoriam' and sums up Carnivore Programme, with a new the widespread attitude held pine marten translocation taking Our Pine Marten Project Officer in towards carnivores at that place in the Forest of Dean, a new the North of England, Kevin O’Hara, time in history. citizen science pine marten survey in has also been industrious, working Wales, the first trial of an innovative with volunteers and stakeholders Britain had lost all its larger method to monitor Irish stoats, a new across Northumberland and carnivores centuries before Tennyson collaboration with the University of Cumbria to help facilitate the penned his famous line and a long Lisbon resulting in a hugely successful natural recovery of pine martens history of persecution, coupled European Mustelid Colloquium across the border from Scotland with habitat loss, meant many of and the consolidation of other to England. This work forms part its smaller carnivores were facing a partnerships heralding the beginning of Natural England’s multi-species similar fate. The good news is that of collaborative conservation efforts Back from the Brink Project, some of them, such as otter, pine on two new additions to VWT’s which was presented with the Best marten and polecat, are bouncing Priority Species list: European wildcat Heritage Project Award at the 25th back following significant social and European mink. Anniversary of the National Lottery changes, including legal protection Awards. Confirmed pine marten and bans on certain traps and In the midst of all this, our ongoing records for the area (mainly from toxicants, as well as a generally conservation work carries on. Our camera traps) are now well into more enlightened attitude. This good former Community Engagement double figures as a result of the news story was highlighted in the Officer, Josie Bridges (now with recently established volunteer paper, 'Recent history, current status, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust) network and close working with conservation and management of stepped up training and community other conservation organisations.

20 Earlier this month, Back from the dialogue with the farming and steppe and marbled polecat, Brink organised a family-friendly shooting community prior to the which may also benefit from a creative workshop in Northumberland. first pine marten translocation in concerted conservation effort. We This was attended by 64 people who Wales. This dialogue has continued won't be neglecting our own native made 21 brightly coloured pine throughout the project, which carnivores and will continue to work marten feeder boxes that will be means that we are able to ensure in partnership with Gloucestershire put up alongside camera traps to landowners are well informed and, Wildlife Trust on the second marten try and record the presence of pine where there is any risk of conflict, translocation to the Forest of martens as they colonise new areas. we can suggest practical mitigation Dean due next summer. We will Events such as these are extremely to avoid such conflict and promote also be working with shooting and effective at bringing the coexistence with pine martens and game interests as we develop an conservation message to a wider other returning native carnivores. exemplar shooting enterprise in audience and reaching out to the Wales, along the lines of pioneering next potential conservationists. I am especially excited by the work that our Ireland team have progress that has been made since supported at Kilcormac Sporting and Our Pine Marten Project Officer in my piece on European mink in the Conservation Club. Wales, David Bavin, has also been 2018 newsletter 'Mink on the Brink'. busy reaching out to a slightly The recent field study in Spain is, As a result of our pioneering work on different audience, strengthening hopefully, just the first step of our the translocation of pine martens to existing relations with local involvement in a multi-partner Wales, we will be sharing knowledge and national representatives of conservation effort to try and tip the and experience through a Pine Marten shooting, gamekeeping and farming balance in the favour of European Conservation Handbook, which will interests. Although many of us mink. Adding wildcat to our portfolio be produced in 2020. As the Pine rejoice at the prospect of returning is equally exciting and, earlier this Marten Recovery Project in Wales native carnivores, such as pine year, our Science and Conservation and the Back from the Brink Project martens and, perhaps one day, Manager, Jenny MacPherson, in the North of England come to a wildcats, carnivore reintroductions produced a preliminary feasibility scheduled end, we will be facilitating are not going to be popular with study. We also have a follow-up PhD long-term, volunteer-led monitoring everyone. For this reason, we had study supported by ourselves and of pine martens in both places. In extensive open and constructive Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, due course, we will also be carefully through which Tom Dando from the considering further translocations of University of Exeter will attempt to pine martens to suitable areas that reconcile the challenges and are unlikely to be colonised naturally, opportunities of restoring Britain’s provided there is sufficient suitable rarest carnivore. habitat, that any perceived conflict can be managed, and we are Other future plans and aspirations confident it would not negatively include closer working with European impact the source population. colleagues to determine the current population status of European mink Although the next national polecat

Photo: ©Lizzie Croose and other small carnivores such as distribution survey is not due to take place until 2024, we will be working VWT's Back from the Brink Pine Marten Project with the Dutch Small Mustelid has been working closely with volunteers and engaging families through practical activities such Foundation and other European as making pine marten feeder boxes. partners to develop a robust method for detecting population change in polecat numbers. We will also be building on initial success using cameras and Mostelas to detect stoats and weasels, so that we may one day have a reliable method for monitoring the conservation status of our smallest and, when it comes to studying them, trickiest members of this fascinating, if at times misunderstood, family.

21 A new vision for the critically endangered European mink Ruth Hanniffy, Species Conservation Officer — Ireland

European mink are solitary and photograph, the second part of territorial animals with a home our fieldwork entails collecting range of 3 to 15km. They are water from each of our 25 sites. normally active from dusk to dawn, So, while I position and secure the and inhabit densely shaded rivers, cameras, Harry fills 500ml bottles streams and wetlands where they with river water. We then use a feed on fish, crustaceans, sterile syringe to filter the sample amphibians, small mammals, ready for eDNA metabarcoding at insects and birds. VWT teamed up the University of Salford, where with Lauren Harrington (WildCRU, Allan McDevitt is interested in VWT has been working University of Oxford), her partner comparing this innovative, non- with partners in Spain to Andrew Harrington, Madis Põdra invasive eDNA technique with more trial innovative methods of and Asun Gómez (technicians with conventional survey methods to detecting the presence of Tragsatec, who coordinated the detect and monitor both invasive recently finished LIFE Lutreola and endangered mammalian European mink, a critically Spain project), their field team, species. As a conservation biologist endangered mammal. and Allan McDevitt from the with a love of travel, this is an University of Salford. We are exciting project! It becomes “I’m learning to think like a comparing methods for detecting much more personal than that, European mink!” I call out to Harry, and monitoring the European mink however. The European mink is in who is close by on the river bank. over a ten-day period in La Rioja a precarious position, and getting We are on the banks of the Rio and Basque Country in northern the chance to work with a team so Ebro in northern Spain with the Spain, using two types of camera dedicated to reversing the fate of 1 MITECO-Tragsatec team, looking traps and environmental DNA one of Europe’s most endangered for the perfect vantage point to (eDNA) metabarcoding, a technique mammals is inspiring. position two trail cameras. The to detect species present in cameras will be trained on a tasty samples taken from the spread of oily sardines in the hope environment. In this case, we of attracting a European mink are taking water samples. (Mustela lutreola) as it travels along Madis, Asun and the field team the river corridor. We are hoping to are testing baited hair tubes to confirm the presence of this rare collect samples for DNA semi-aquatic and nocturnal mammal analysis and live trapping. using camera traps. A fleeting image The live-trapped animals won’t make the grade however. We are then microchipped for need to photograph the white mark future monitoring. on the upper and lower lip, which will distinguish the European mink Aside from setting and from the introduced American mink checking 50 cameras, and then (Neovison vison), which only has a analysing thousands of images white mark on the lower lip. for that all elusive mink facial

22 thrived in the wild. Bigger, more mammals appearing on the screen: aggressive and more adaptable, otters, genets, wild boar, stone they have driven out the already marten and a wildcat. Our efforts depleted and fragmented European were not in vain, and the first mink populations. Even low glimpse of our rare target species numbers can outcompete the native was motivating. By the end of the species and so, to prevent the survey period, we had captured extinction of a highly fragmented European mink on trail cameras at and declining species, an EU- the majority of our survey squares. wide Species Action Plan for the Many of these were photographed European mink is recommended. during daylight hours, which is LIFE Lutreola (2014-2019) came to an interesting development for the end of its four years in Spain, this crepuscular species. As we but the success of the project was patiently await the results of the remarkable against its ambitious eDNA analysis, we can only hope objectives, which were to: our samples contribute to the development of this technique in 1) eradicate American mink from detecting rare mammals like the within the range of European mink European mink, and contribute and targeted risk zones; to the future conservation of the 2) increase the viability of the wild species across its limited range. population of European mink through releasing captive-born individuals; These few weeks of fieldwork in 3) create a new monitoring network the beautiful mountains and river to assess the status of both species valleys of northern Spain, working after the project has ended. with Harry, Madis, Asun, and colleagues, and witnessing the above Madis sets baited hair- Intensive control of the American dedication and commitment of tubes in the hope of collecting mink has been on-going in Spain the LIFE Lutreola team has been hair samples for DNA analysis. since 2003, and the American mink a privilege. Their efforts are having left A set of water samples bagged and ready to send population has been eradicated a real effect on the fate of this off for eDNA metabarcoding. from a core area for the European critically endangered mammal in bottom left Ruth sets a camera mink on the Ebro river basin. Spain and the European mink is trap on the river banks. Without this successful eradication, taking back its native waterways the native population is likely against all the odds, largely thanks to have vanished already... but to the results obtained in the LIFE it requires continuous effort to Lutreola project. With the same European mink were widespread prevent reinvasion. The overall team now continuing the work on throughout most of the European population is still declining behalf of MITECO-Tragsatec, the continent, but their range has however, and reinforcement of Rio Ebro and its tributaries may declined by more than 90%. Today, the native population through once again become a safe haven they are found only in western captive breeding has been the for the European mink. France, northern Spain, the Danube second crucial part of the project. Delta in Romania and Ukraine, and Following the eradication of 1MITECO: Ministry for the Ecological Transition a few isolated sites in Germany American mink, 26 captive-born Tragsatec: state-owned holding company and Estonia where they have been European mink were released into reintroduced. Estimates suggest the an area during the last two years overall population size is around of the project. Habitat restoration below We were delighted to capture a 2,000 individuals. in the area was also part of number of European mink on our the project and the released camera traps. The drastic decline has been caused individuals have adapted well by historical over-exploitation for the to their new habitats along the fur trade, loss and degradation of rivers and streams. wetland habitats through pollution, With the enormity of the wetland drainage and agriculture, situation in our minds, we and by the introduction of checked the memory cards American mink. First imported to at the end of each day with Europe by fur farmers in the 1920s, anticipation, becoming strangely American mink escapees have since used to the array of wild

23 Photo: ©Boris Krstinić It is not a holiday! Henry Schofield, Head of Conservation

roosting sites of the Mediterranean That first night, we trapped and long-eared bats had eluded them. tagged six bats and gathered They could be caught in mist nets foraging data. The following day, inside the monastery and over local we tried to locate the roost but water bodies, so I thought we could none of the bats went anywhere radio-tag a few animals, track them near the monastery! In fact, four back to the monastery and locate of them seemed to have disappeared. the roosting site... but with bats, The other two were in the fort and things are rarely so simple. in a tree in dense woodland. It was only when we chartered a boat that I travelled to Croatia with VWT's Bat we discovered the missing bats in Programme Manager, Anita Glover, cracks in the cliffs and sea caves. Researching the enigmatic during the summer of 2016. As the Armed with one final tag, we Mediterranean long-eared taxi approached Dubrovnik, we had trapped inside the monastery and bat, Plecotus kolombatovici, our first sight of Lokrum, an island managed to find one bat to tag. may seem like a good excuse little more than 1.5km long and 400m wide. Nestling amongst As I delved more deeply into for a holiday in Croatia... heavily wooded slopes is a stunning this species, it became apparent medieval Benedictine monastery, a that it would fit well with VWT's Back in 2016, my friend and bat tower built by the Habsburg conservation and research remit, colleague Daniela Hamidović called Emperor Maximillian in the 1860s particularly in light of the new from Croatia wanting to discuss a and at the highest point on the Ten-Year Strategy that has ambitions derelict monastery on the island of island, a Napoleonic fort. Time, to work more on the continent. Lokrum that was home to both earthquakes and war have left them The Balkan penninsula with its high lesser horseshoe bats and all semi-derelict, but the cultural bat biodiversity is a focal area for Mediterranean long-eared bats. significance of the buildings on us, as is this long-eared species There was a proposal to renovate Lokrum make it a UNESCO World that has such a recent history. the monastery and the resident bat Heritage Site and the island’s populations were in danger of being woodland and coastal habitat have In 1980, two Croatian bat scientists, disturbed and made homeless. Natura 2000 (SAC) designation. In Professor Beatrica Ðulić and her Daniela and her colleagues in the contrast, our accommodation on research assistant, Nikola Tvrtković, Croatian Bio-Speleological Society Lokrum was a conference room had noticed variations in some (CBSS) had located the lesser equipped with air mattresses... not of the long-eared bats in the horseshoe roost and were many creature comforts! country. Their research led them to monitoring it, but the precise propose that Croatia was home to

24 a small sub-species of grey long- methods for monitoring population architects and historians with the eared bat (Plecotus austriacus) trends. Clearly there is a role for Institute for the Restoration of and they named it in honour of a genetic analysis and so we went to Dubrovnik and Vida Zrnčić (CBSS), 19th Century Croatian naturalist, Dr Emrah Çoraman from the Berlin we have negotiated a comprehensive Juraj Kolombatović. There have Natural History Museum for advice. plan for the conservation of the bats. been huge developments in the Many of the early records we found The restoration of the monastery is use of genetics in the intervening were from captures over small a few years off, which gives us time 40 years, resulting in a series of water bodies such as the one on to trial the proposed conservation revisions to the taxonomy of long- Lokrum, but our Croatian colleagues interventions and to assess and eared bats across the continent. In were finding that many of these had refine them before the work begins. the last of these revisions in 2010, dried up with the changing climate. the Mediterranean long-eared bat Along with the renovation of old was recognised as a full species. buildings, these are conservation Also known as the Kolombatović’s challenges that we need to address. or Balkan long-eared bat (Plecotus kolombatovici) it has a very This summer, the VWT Bat team restricted distribution. It is found with colleagues from CBSS, expertly along the east Adriatic and east guided by our fixer Damjan Kristinić, Mediterranean coasts as far south spent two weeks island hopping and as Turkey, as well on the Dalmatian tissue sampling the various bat and Greek islands and in Cyprus. populations for genetic analysis. We But beyond sporadic records of its also finished the work on Lokrum distribution, very little is known of started in 2016, accompanied by the ecology of this species or its Chris Damant and Iain Hysom with population and conservation status. their infra-red video equipment and And so, together with our Croatian a wealth of experience of surveying

colleagues, we have been quietly historic buildings. This time, we Photo: ©Henry Schofield gathering data on the species since found the Mediterranean long-eared 2016 and meeting occasionally to bats throughout the monastery, in develop a research programme to the cellars, ground floor rooms and address its conservation needs. in roof voids, roosting singly or in Beyond understanding its basic small groups in cracks in masonry. foraging and roosting ecology, there This presented us with the challenge Each bat is weighed before taking tissue are questions around the potential to produce and present a mitigation samples for genetic analysis. for inbreeding and gene flow within and compensation plan for the small island populations, whether restoration of the buildings. Working We visited Lokrum again in migration happens and the best with Public Institute Lokrum Reserve, November to train the island’s enthusiastic staff in the use of temperature and bat loggers so they can continue to gather the base-line information we need for the conservation plan over the winter. We also attended a brilliant conference on the biodiversity of Lokrum, which celebrated 70 years as a protected area.

It has been a pleasure to work so closely with Lokrum island’s Conservation Manager, Marija Crnčević, and our friends in CBSS, and it feels like we have made huge progress in our understanding of this little long-eared bat, despite challenging fieldwork in Photo: ©Henry Schofield temperatures approaching 40°C. Nearly as challenging as convincing our colleagues back in the UK that Kolombatović’s bat is roosting in a derelict monastery on Lokrum we weren’t on holiday!

25 A busy year and exciting times ahead Anita Glover, Bat Programme Manager Photo: ©Tom Kitching

to and gets us out of the office. as part of their eastern defences Many of my formative ‘bat years’ against the Russians. In the winter were spent searching vast cave months, it is home to 35,000-40,000 systems to find the odd bat tucked bats, with ten species regularly away in a crevice. It’s mind blowing, recorded. This was an opportunity therefore, to walk into one of VWT’s for Tom and Marina to acquire new bat reserves and count several field skills and gain experience hundred horseshoe bats, deep in with a wider range of species. torpor, just above our heads! We were tasked with surveying It's been a busy year for the Try counting a cluster of 300 greater the coldest, but also the most Bat Programme, and there is horseshoe bats — it’s impossible. At species-rich, section of the bunker least it is without disturbing them, system. This is where, in previous much more on the horizon to since they are very sensitive to our years, we would have found large look forward to. body heat and the light from our clusters of barbastelles, which are torches. Speed is therefore of the a cold-tolerant species. However, a As I write this, it’s coming up to essence, and so we photograph the series of mild winters has seen the a year since our Bat Conservation mass of furry bodies and move on disappearance of the large clusters Officers, Tom and Marina, joined quickly, leaving the bats to their and an overall decline in the number Vincent Wildlife Trust. To say it’s winter slumber. Later, we will use of barbastelles overwintering here. been a busy twelve months is an computer software to count the Presumably, in the absence of cold understatement, but it's been a faces in the photograph, which will continental winters driving them good year nevertheless. give us an accurate count of the underground, they are able to cluster with minimal disturbance. survive the winter in tree roosts. Many people find the first few months of the year a bit depressing But it’s not just the horseshoe bats While there may not have been as the excitement of the holiday in our own reserves that we count. many barbastelles, hidden away in season has passed, the days are In March, we were fortunate to a deep fissure in the concrete was a still short and the weather is participate in monitoring bats at one large, dark bat that Marina’s eagle often miserable. Yet, in the bat of the most impressive hibernation eyes spotted and correctly identified calendar, this is when the annual sites in Europe. Nietoperek, in as a serotine. It was the only one we hibernation counts take place, western Poland, is a World War II found that day. which is something to look forward bunker system built by the Germans

26 In February, we visited our Britain. However, we colleagues in Ireland and assisted must not rest on our with their winter counts of lesser laurels. Both species face horseshoe bat reserves in Kerry. This ongoing threats in the was also a valuable opportunity to wider landscape from work together on a number of future development pressure, project proposals centred around an expanding road improving landscape permeability network and increasing and habitat connectivity for light pollution, along horseshoe bats. For lesser horseshoe with the complex and bats in Ireland, the challenge is a unpredictable impacts fragmented population with areas of of climate change. unsuitable habitat forming barriers With this in mind, the to the movement of bats between Bat team has spent the sub-populations. We have been autumn reviewing the working on a range of potential future resilience of its agri-environment prescriptions that reserves and identifying could improve landscape connectivity practical measures to for horseshoe bats, and we’re now ensure that bats have exploring a modelling approach to the best chance of coping inform where those measures would with changes that arise in have the most impact. their environment. Next year, we plan to implement The visit to Ireland was not the only some of these measures, opportunity to work collectively including predator proofing on future project plans. In May, roost access points and the whole Conservation team spent ensuring that the spaces a couple of days working on our within roosts offer a range new Ten-year Conservation Plan. of microclimates so that The backdrop for our residential the bats can cope with

workshop was the Knepp Project unpredictable or extreme Photo: ©Tom Kitching in Sussex, a pioneering rewilding weather events. project on a 3,500-hectare estate that was once intensively farmed. With new initiatives underway, We camped, and each morning were lots of volunteering opportunities The annual emergence counts are so much woken by the most incredible dawn opening up and a new Ten-year easier with the help of commited volunteers chorus. At night, we were serenaded Conservation Plan kicking in, next and infra-red cameras. by nightingales, which was a magical year is shaping up to be really experience, even if we didn’t get exciting for the Bat Programme. much sleep.

Tom and Marina worked like Trojans during the summer and somehow completed the summer monitoring of our reserves around the fieldwork in Croatia. Although we have a fantastic group of volunteers who carry out the counts at a number of our reserves, this is an area where we would value the help of more volunteers with this important aspect of our bat monitoring work.

VWT is proud of its work to restore and enhance historic buildings for the benefit of greater and lesser horseshoe bats, and the contribution

this has made to the ongoing Photo: ©Tom Kitching recovery of these two species in

27 Gemma Fisher

Volunteers contribute to conservation Gemma Fisher, Volunteering and Community Engagement Officer

a continual eye-opening experience, as well as helping with VWT’s work particularly in recognising the alongside Gloucestershire Wildlife invaluable and integral contribution Trust for the Forest of Dean Pine that community engagement and Marten Reintroduction Project. dedicated volunteer input can make toward current conservation issues. As if all that that wasn’t reason enough to be thankful, the volunteer Last year was an impressive effort, input this year has taken on new but 2019 will most definitely be heights and significantly increased a memorable one for me when it the conservation impact much more comes to VWT volunteers. They have than VWT staff could have managed Volunteers are vital to the monitored tens of camera traps alone. In Ireland, volunteers who and have installed feeder boxes in took part in our Fiddaun Detector work of VWT and 2019 has Northumberland in search of pine Study in July surveyed transects been an exceptional year of martens; they have carried out with hand-held detectors and have volunteer efforts. emergence surveys at our lesser and helped to significantly increase greater horseshoe bat reserves in our understanding of how lesser In the last 40 years, the Trust has led England, Wales and Ireland; have horseshoe bats use the landscape the way in the research, conservation joined staff for pine marten den-box surrounding roost sites in that area. and recovery of threatened and checks in Wales, taken part in bat- under-studied native mammals, box checks in England and Ireland, Ireland also hosted the first trial of including in more recent years, have trialled the use of the Mostela the Mostela to monitor the local Irish pine martens, horseshoe bats, at Knepp Wildlife Estate and have stoat population. Masters student and stoats and weasels. managed the Pine Marten Den at volunteer, Brian Hughes, worked with Devil’s Bridge Railway Station. VWT staff in gathering hours of Though my own journey so far with Volunteers joined VWT staff as camera trap footage, which was VWT has only been two years and part of the ongoing bat research analysed and will feed into wider counting, those two years have been field-work in Croatia this summer, research into the effectiveness of this

28 non-invasive method for monitoring Sometimes, volunteering British and Irish mammals. means being the first to trial a method, as with the Last, but by no means least, 2019 Mostelas in Ireland (left). has seen one of VWT’s largest citizen science surveys that has taken place since the start of the Pine Marten Recovery Project (PMRP). As the population increases in number and range, there is a need for up-to- date information on pine marten Developing a nose for pine marten distribution in Wales, and so the scats is just one skill that can be Expansion Zone Survey was launched. developed as a volunteer on the Pine Between them, staff and volunteers Marten Expansion Zone Survey (right). have so far surveyed an incredible 196 survey sites, which span the length and breadth of Wales, in search of pine marten scats. Through the incredible effort that has been demonstrated by volunteers, we will be able to verify scats by DNA analysis, and to update our species distribution maps and develop our understanding of how pine martens are recovering in Wales.

On behalf of all of us here at VWT, thank you to all volunteers who have chosen to share their time, skills and enthusiasm for mammal conservation this year. All who have been involved have made a valuable contribution to the ongoing research and conservation efforts by VWT, and I look forward to sharing this year’s volunteering insights with you in our second Volunteer Newsletter.

Volunteers are vital for the annual counts of bats during the summer evenings (above) as well as for regular daytime checks on bat boxes (left).

Putting up pine marten den boxes is much quicker with the help of volunteers (below).

Volunteers helped us to survey most of Wales to add to the previously known distribution of pine martens (red dots).

29 Updates on VWT's PhD research projects

cause fragmentation at a landscape and to help with this, we are scale and understanding how these developing a predictive tool to influence species could be key to investigate functional connectivity joining up populations rather than within the landscape for greater isolating them. horseshoe bats. We hope this tool will enable authorities, such Over the last two years, and in as county councils, to visualise collaboration with Devon Wildlife where the bats might be flying,

Trust, I have focused my PhD which routes they are taking at Photo: ©Frank Greenaway research on testing how features a landscape scale and how best of the urban environment can to plan future developments to potentially impact on bat activity reduce the detrimental impact and feeding behaviour, particularly of anthropogenic pressures on Domhnall Finch, PhD student the greater horseshoe bat nocturnal species. We hope, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum VWT/University of Sussex ( ). To ultimately, that this will increase free test the impact of traffic noise on movement at a landscape scale and bat activity we created a phantom enable higher connectivity between How species move in the road by playing traffic noise habitats and meta-populations landscape and which features act through speakers along linear in the environment. as a barrier to their movement features that had not been exposed is fast becoming a critical aspect to such noise before. Our results for species conservation. This is suggest that traffic noise alone particularly true with the continual can negatively affect both activity urbanisation and intensification of and feeding levels of the entire bat agricultural land across large parts community. This highlights that of the country. These pressures can it is a universal impact across the entire community rather than isolated to individual species.

There is also overwhelming evidence that bat communities are strongly affected by light pollution, particularly from street lighting, and so we have been testing new ‘eco-friendly’ Kieran O'Malley, PhD student streetlights to try to find the VWT/University of Sussex Light pollution affects bat least impactful design and communities and so alternatives therefore alleviate some of In early May 2019 I moved to are being trialled to reduce the the existing anthropogenic Brighton to start my four year- impact on species such as the greater horseshoe bat. pressures associated with long PhD at Sussex University lighting. This would enable us researching one of Britain’s rarest to design effective mitigation mammals, the barbastelle. On measures to reduce the the surface, the premise of my overall impact of light PhD is rather simple. By better pollution on nocturnal species. understanding the causes for the current distribution of barbastelle The more we learn about the maternity roosts, we can begin impacts of anthropogenic to discern the actions that are

Photos: ©Domnhall FInch pressures, such as lights or needed to improve the landscape traffic noise, the more we can for them. Unfortunately, this is strategically plan to limit their somewhat impeded due to a lack of impact on our landscape, information concerning the current

30 and Wales. The first step was a preliminary feasibility assessment of suitable habitat led by Jenny MacPherson, which identified potential candidate landscapes for wildcat re-introductions to take place... which is where I start. Monitoring woodlands and their place in the wider landscape may provide clues to the preferred I’m seeking to take that information habitat of one of Britain's rarest and investigate those candidate mammals, the barbastelle. landscapes at a finer scale, in order to understand key parameters that are fundamental for any wildcat Tom Dando, PhD student re-introduction to be successful, VWT/University of Exeter such as threat assessments and prey abundance, as well as modelling The task of restoring one of future population dynamics under population size of barbastelles, the Britain’s rarest and most elusive varying scenarios. This work will then location of their roosts, or how best species is one that should by no inform where social engagement can to effectively survey for them. means be taken on lightly. As a begin. Social science will form a large ghost in our landscape, the decline part of the next three years of the To address these data deficiencies, and extinction of the European PhD, but especially so at this initial I have spent the past summer wildcat (Felis silvestris) from most of phase. Understanding public testing a variety of acoustic survey Britain is not fully appreciated by attitudes, potential conflict points methods within ancient woodlands, many, and this, coupled with the and fostering an understanding of which is the preferred habitat of terminology of the ‘Scottish’ wildcat, wildcats will be vital for the long-term the barbastelle. Using mostly static has created a lack of association success of any re-introduction. detectors in a number of woodlands between wildcats and the rest of in the south of England, over a Britain with a resulting shift in period of 40 nights, I collected cultural apathy for the species more than 5,500 barbastelle outside of the Highlands. recordings. By comparing activity levels across the woodlands, I am However, the European beginning to better understand the wildcat was, until the mid- role that acoustic data can have in 1800s, present throughout determining woodland occupancy England, Wales and Scotland by barbastelle colonies. I am also and belongs in the forests starting to quantify the survey effort of southern England just as required to detect the expected much as those of northern levels of activity in a woodland Scotland. The rapid decline of containing a maternity colony. the species has been caused by Photo: ©Mark Williams habitat loss and fragmentation, Now that the foundations of an persecution and, crucially in effective framework to survey Scotland, hybridisation and disease The PhD is only in its first few barbastelles have been set, I plan transfer with feral and domestic months and, while there are to liaise with local bat groups and cats, resulting in the remaining numerous ideas about where this volunteers during the next year to relict population in Scotland being research needs to go, exact plans collect data across a much larger declared functionally extinct by the and research topics are still being network of woodlands. Following IUCN Cat Specialist Group earlier scoped out, but they will cover this, my goal is to determine why this year. key social, ecological and ex situ two apparently suitable woodlands elements to inform the overall may differ in their occupancy by In September, I began my PhD at project direction. Discussions barbastelles. For this, I aim to place the University of Exeter, co-funded between all partners on this project these woodlands in the context of by Vincent Wildlife Trust and are planned over the coming the landscape around them, and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, months, which should give greater subsequently identify important and through it I am seeking to clarity to timelines and future features in both the woodlands understand the social and ecological plans. For now, it’s exciting just to and landscape that are vital for feasibility and practicalities of get stuck in and build momentum maternity colony persistence. re-introducing wildcats into England behind the project and the PhD.

31 Contact us

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Cover photograph: Kolombatović's bat ©Henry Schofield

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