Cambridge Farmland Birds

Cambridge Farmland Birds Breeding and Wintering Bird Survey Report Produced for Cambridgeshire County Council By Applied Ecology Ltd October 2014 Document Control: Version Date Version Details Prepared by Checked by Approved by 1.0 May 2014 Final PTM DP DP Prepared for: Cambridgeshire Counnty Council Title: Cambridge Farmland Birds: Breeding and Wintering Bird Survey Report Project nummber: AEL0704 Document version: 1.0 Document status: Final Document date: 10.10.14 Signed on behalf of Applied Ecology Ltd: Dr Duncan Painter Director APPLIED ECOLOGY LTD St. John's Innovation Centre Cowley Road Cambridge CB4 0WS Tel: 01223 422 116 Fax: 01223 420 844 Mobile: 07725 811 777 Email: [email protected] Applied Ecology Ltd Cambridge Farmland Birds Contents 1 Introduction 1 Background 1 Aims 2 Legislation & Planning Context 4 2 Survey Approach 9 Methods 9 3 Survey Findings 13 Breeding Bird Species, Diversity and Density 13 Wildlife & Countryside Act Schedule 1 Species 14 Breeding Territory Densities 14 Wintering Birds 15 Brown Hare 23 4 Conclusions and Recommendations 25 Conclusions 25 Recommendations 26 Appendix 1 29 Complete breeding bird survey data 29 Tables Table 2.1 Farmland bird species and their conservation designations. 10 Table 3.1 Comparison of territory density figures for key farmland bird species between land South of Cambridge and RSPB Hope Farm, Cambridgeshire 15 Table 3.2 Abundance and peak counts of species recorded during Breeding Bird Surveys of Cambridgeshire County Council farmland, listed in descending order of peak abundance. 17 Table 3.3 Abundance and peak counts of species recorded during winter bird surveys of Cambridgeshire County Council farmland, listed in descending order of peak abundance. 19 Table 3.4 Brown Hare observations 23 Figures Figure 1.1 Site location plan 3 14 October 2014 Applied Ecology Ltd Cambridge Farmland Birds Figure 4.1 Breeding bird territories (a) 20 Figure 4.2 Breeding bird territories (b) 21 Figure 4.3 Breeding bird territories (c) 22 14 October 2014 Applied Ecology Ltd Cambridge Farmland Birds 1 Introduction Background 1.1 Applied Ecology Ltd (AEL) was commissioned by Cambridgeshire County Council to carry out breeding and wintering bird surveys of proposed potential development land on the outskirts of the City of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, centred on the National Grid reference TL479545. The site location plan and fields surveyed are detailed in Figure 1.1. 1.2 At the time of survey the area consisted of arable farmland growing a variety of crops including wheat, oilseed rape and barley, with field boundaries delineated by hedgerows. 1.3 Cambridgeshire County Council is in the process of completing a draft revision of its Local Plan (2014). The plan has included site assessments for additional releases of existing Green Belt land to meet housing requirements. This work has identified two sites to the southeast of the City on the edge of the Chalk slope, either side of Wort’s Causeway. 1.4 This land has been identified as having the potential to support populations of declining farmland bird species, as well as brown hare Lepus europaeus. Thus far these records are incidental observations by the City Nature Conservation Officer, however, a local resident has been conducting breeding bird surveys which appear to confirm that these sites do support potentially important bird populations. 1.5 The objective of the surveys was to establish the presence and/or absence of breeding and wintering farmland birds on the proposed sites and surrounding farmland. The rationale being to identify the feasibility and likely requirement for mitigation and compensation both on and off site. These bird surveys are designed to pre‐empt and inform the ecological surveys and recommendation required, should a developer submit a full or outline planning application in the future. 1.6 Cambridgeshire Green Infrastructure Strategy (2011) identifies this area of chalk hills as potential for ‘landscape scale’ habitat creation. Returning arable farmland to chalk grassland, linking Cherry Hinton Chalks Pits, The Beech Woods, Wandlebury, Gog Magogs and Nine Wells Local Nature Reserve. The realisation of such a vision could include significant habitat for declining farmland birds if approached correctly. 1 14 October 2014 Applied Ecology Ltd Cambridge Farmland Birds Aims 1.7 The aims of this report are to: inform the relevant committee of survey results to date provide recommendations for further survey work define the local / regional significance of the populations identified identify potential mitigation requirements and feasibility 2 14 October 2014 Cambridge Farmland Birds Site Location fields surveyed 3 5 4 1 6 2 Figure 1.1 Map Scale @ A4: 1:50,000 Surveyed by: PTM & DP Survey date: 11/2013 - 06/2014 Drawn by: RAH 0 0.5 1 km Checked by: PTM ´ Status: Draft Reproduced from Ordnance Survey digital map data © Crown copyright 2013. All rights reserved. AELCB0704_001-01_fields_20140923 A4 23/09/2014 Applied Ecology Ltd Cambridge Farmland Birds Legislation & Planning Context Wildlife & Countryside Act 1.8 The Wildlife and Countryside Act (WCA) 1981 (as amended) provides the main legal framework for nature conservation and species protection in the UK. 1.9 Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) it is illegal to: Recklessly or intentionally kill, injure or take any wild animals included in Schedule 5. Recklessly or intentionally damage or destroy, or obstruct access to any structure or place which any wild animal included in Schedule 5 uses for shelter or protection. Recklessly or intentionally disturb any such animal while it is occupying a structure or place which it uses for shelter or protection. Birds 1.10 All UK species of wild bird, their nests and eggs are protected by law (for the whole or part of the year) by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended and strengthened by the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000). The Act makes it an offence (with exception to species listed in Schedule 2) to intentionally: kill, injure, or take any wild bird, take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while that nest is in use or being built (also [take, damage or destroy the nest of a wild bird included in Schedule ZA1] under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006), or take or destroy an egg of any wild bird. Schedule 1 species 1.11 Special penalties are available for offences related to birds listed on Schedule 1, for which there are additional offences of disturbing these birds at their nests, or their dependent young. The Secretary of State may also designate Areas of Special Protection (subject to exceptions) to provide further protection to birds. The Act also prohibits certain methods of killing, injuring, or taking birds, restricts the sale and possession of captive bred birds, and sets standards for keeping birds in captivity. Population status 1.12 The population status of birds regularly found in the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man is reviewed every five years to provide an up‐to‐date assessment of conservation priorities1. A total of 247 species has been assessed and placed onto 1 Gregory, R D; Wilkinson, N I; Noble, D G; Robinson, J A; Brown, A F; Hughes, J; Procter, D A; Gibbons, D W and Galbraith, C A (2002) The Population Status of Birds in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man: an Analysis of Conservation Concern 2002‐2007. British Birds 95: 410‐450 4 14 October 2014 Applied Ecology Ltd Cambridge Farmland Birds one of three lists of Conservation Concern . Red, Amber and Green. Forty species are Red‐listed, 121 are Amber‐listed and 86 are Green‐listed. 1.13 Seven quantitative criteria are used to assess the population status of each species and to place it on the Red, Amber or Green list. These are: global conservation status, recent decline, historical decline, European conservation status, rare breeders, localised species and international importance. Red‐listed species are those that are Globally Threatened according to the IUCN criteria; those whose populations or ranges have declined rapidly in recent years; and those that have declined historically and not shown a substantial recent recovery. Amber‐listed species are those with an unfavourable conservation status in Europe; species whose populations or ranges have declined moderately in recent years; those whose populations have declined historically but made a substantial recent recovery; rare breeders; and those with internationally important or localised populations. Green‐listed species are those that do not fulfil any of the Red‐ or Amber‐list criteria and they are not considered further in this report. UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Species and Habitats 1.14 The UK Biodiversity Action Plan, published in 1994, was the UK Government’s response to signing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. The new UK post‐2010 Biodiversity Framework replaces the previous UK level Biodiversity Action Plan. Habitats of principal importance 1.15 Fifty‐six habitats of principal importance are included on the S41 list. These are all the habitats in England that were identified as requiring action in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) and continue to be regarded as conservation priorities in the subsequent UK Post‐2010 Biodiversity Framework. They include terrestrial habitats such as upland hay meadows to lowland mixed deciduous woodland, and freshwater and marine habitats such as ponds and subtidal sands and gravels. Species of principal importance 1.16 There are 943 species of principal importance included on the S41 list. These are the species found in England which were identified as requiring action under the UK BAP and which continue to be regarded as conservation priorities under the UK Post‐2010 Biodiversity Framework. In addition, the Hen Harrier has also been included on the list because without continued conservation action it is unlikely that the Hen Harrier population will increase from its current very low levels in England.

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