NFBR Honorary Officers and Council Members following 2007 AGM

Chair: Charles J.T.Copp Martin Hicks (co-opted) 8 The Paddock, Clevedon, North Somerset BS21 Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre 6JU. Tel: 01275 874128 County Hall, Pegs Lane, Hertford Email: [email protected] Hertfordshire, SG13 8DN Tel. 01992 555220 Email: [email protected]

Acting Vice-Chair: Trevor James (co-opted) Damian McFerran (co-opted) Biological Records Centre, CEH Monks Wood, Centre for Environmental Data and Recording, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Belfast 2LS. Tel: 01487 772410 Email: [email protected] BT9 5AB Tel: 028 9038 3154 Email: [email protected]

Secretary: Darwyn Sumner Patrick Milne Home BRISC representative (co- Leicestershire Environmental Resources Centre opted) Holly Hayes, 216 Birstall Road, Birstall, FRICS, Craigow, Milnathort, Kinrossshire KY13 0RP Leicestershire, LE4 4DG Tel. 0116 267 0008 Tel: 01577 863 758 Email: [email protected]

Membership Secretary & Treasurer: Simon Pickles John Newbould North & East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre, Stonecroft, 3 Brookmead Close, Sutton Poyntz, 5 College Street, York YO1 7JF Tel: 01904 557235 Weymouth, DT3 6RS. Email: [email protected] Tel: 01305 837384 Email: [email protected]

Newsletter Editor: Carolyn Steele Adam Rowe (co-opted) Dorset Environmental Records Centre, Library South East Wales Biodiversity Records Centre Headquarters, Colliton Park, Dorchester, Dorset 13 St Andrews Crescent, Cardiff, CF10 3DB DT1 1XJ Tel 01305 225081 Tel: 029 2064 1110 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Mandy Rudd (co-opted) John Badmin (co-opted) Greenspace Information for Greater London Coppice Place, Perry Wood, Selling, near Skyline House, 200 Union Street, London, SE1 0LW Faversham, Kent ME13 9RP Tel: 01227 752291 Tel: 020 7803 4278 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Philippa Burrell (co-opted) Craig Slawson (co-opted) Thames Valley Record Centre Staffordshire Ecological Record The Oxfordshire Museum, Fletchers House The Wolseley Centre, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford, Park Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1SN ST17 0WT. Tel: 01889 880100 Tel 01993 814147 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Bill Butcher Graham Walley NatSCA representative (co-opted) Somerset Environmental Records Centre Community Services Department, Leicestershire Tonedale Mill, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 0AW. County Council, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester Tel: 01823 664450 LE3 8RJ Email: [email protected]

Richard Fox Steve Whitbread Butterfly Conservation London Wildlife Trust Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Dorset BH20 5QP Skyline House, 200 Union Street, London, SE1 0LW Tel: 0870 7706158 Tel: 020 7803 4290 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Margaret Haggerty (co-opted) Simon Wood Lincolnshire Environmental Records Centre Worcestershire Biological Records c/o The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, Banovallum Lower Smite Farm, Smite Hill, Hindlip, Worcester House, Manor House Street, Horncastle, WR3 8SZ Tel: 01905 759759 Lincolnshire, LN9 5HF Tel. 01507 526667 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Paul Harding (co-opted) Please address website enquiries to Charles 60 Boxworth Road, Elsworth, Cambridge CB3 8JQ Copp or Craig Slawson. Tel: 01954 267218 Email: [email protected]

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 1 NATIONAL FEDERATION FOR BIOLOGICAL RECORDING

Newsletter Contents Page no.

Honorary Officers and Council Members 1 Editorial 2

Biological recording in interesting places - a little fieldwork in sunny Dorset 3

The Hedgerow Survey Handbook 4 – a standard procedure for local surveys in the UK

Changes to the Habitats Regulations 6

An Update on the National Moth Recording Scheme 7

Publications Review Atlas of the seed and leaf of Britain and Ireland 9 Fleas (Siphonaptera) 10 Waterbugs and beetles of Surrey 11

Further notes on Health and Safety 12 Bio-security Guidance 13

All-Wales LRC network is launched 13

Association of Local Environmental Record Centres 15

Conference Reports Recording Together – the 7th NBN Conference 16 The 2007 Kent Wildlife Conference 18

Events, Workshops and Conferences National Week – The Buzz is Back 21 NFBR Conference 2008 – some background notes on our 2008 venue 22

NFBR AGM and Conference 23

Editorial

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the newsletter during my short stint as Editor. Articles for future newsletters are very welcome, particularly reports on any projects or schemes and news from recording groups and local records centres. Adam Rowe ( [email protected]) is hoping to take over as Editor at the AGM in June and anything sent to me in the meantime will be passed on. The deadline for articles and pictures is 31st August 2008. Carolyn Steele

Cover photograph: Swallow-tailed Moth by Robert Thompson

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 2 open on weekday evenings was full of Biological recording in squaddies who had clearly taken it over as interesting places their personal relaxation zone. It was only on the first night that I realised that Tim was A little fieldwork in sunny Dorset obsessed with reading 20th century eastern European fiction, in the original languages. This took up most of his free time during the Paul Harding week. In the absence of conversation, some

evenings I just wandered the lanes of Lulworth Terry said “I want four volunteers”. As there being deafened by thousands of Tettigonia and were only three of us in the lab, I knew my Pholidoptera (bush-crickets). options were limited. We were required to

“volunteer” because the survey project was Reporting to the Range Office for the first day known to be potentially dangerous and, for of fieldwork, we signed indemnities, read bureaucratic reasons, staff could not be forced warning notices, were told not to touch to undertake dangerous work. The advice was anything and were allocated a Range Officer – to take out additional life and personal a minder who was there to help and protect us. accident insurance, at least for the period of He turned out to be a taciturn Sergeant who the field work. This was as near as one got to clearly regarded the whole idea of opening up Risk Assessment in the 1970s. a footpath on the Ranges as an act of

treasonable folly. We noted with interest that Where was this potentially life-threatening he always put on a luminous flack jacket when field work – Antarctica? Gobi Desert? he got out of the Land Rover on the Ranges, Rockall? Assynt? No – the Dorset Coast! I was but he never offered us one. to be part of a team carrying out an ecological assessment of the route of a proposed coastal footpath, from Kimmeridge Bay to Lulworth Cove. The Ministry of Defence was being “encouraged” by Government to open the path to the public, initially only occasionally at weekends and on Bank Holidays.

A large area of heaths, inland from Kimmeridge Bay and Lulworth Cove, runs south to the coastal ridge of hills – now part of the famous Jurassic Coast. In 1975, almost nobody other than military personnel had nd visited the area since the 2 World War, when the village of Tyneham and the surrounding Gad Cliff today - photograph by Bryan Edwards farms and heaths had been requisitioned and evacuated for tank and artillery training – the Tim and I occupied ourselves gainfully pitfall Lulworth Ranges. As a consequence, these trapping, grubbing, sweeping and beating coastal hills had been bombarded by heavy wherever the Sergeant would let us loose. armaments for over 30 years. Places with wonderful names – Worbarrow Tout, Arish Mell, Gad Cliff, Brandy Bay, and Thus I found myself driving fellow the ruins of Tyneham village itself. On the entomologist Tim through the lanes of Dorset final day Tim elected to spend time in the in September 1974. We were to spend a week marsh at Arish Mell chasing rare Orthoptera. surveying as much as we could of the The Sergeant smiled at me (almost for the first proposed coast path through the Ranges. We time) and said there was one length of the were based at a guesthouse in Lulworth footpath that we had not yet covered - over the village, at the end of the holiday season, where cliff above Arish Mell cove. Having dropped none of the other residents appeared to be off Tim, we drove on to the hill and the under 70. The guesthouse didn’t even have a Sergeant explained that they had been having bar, and the only pub in the village that was some difficulty with this area. It was the main

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 3 impact zone of the Ranges, and nobody had Tim finished reading The Good Soldier Švejk been up there for years, until last week. But the in the original Czech. He said he really team of Range Officers had been working enjoyed it - I was so pleased for him. The there for several days, clearing a path through coastal footpath opened to the public a couple exploded and unexploded ordnance and sundry of years later. Most of my fieldwork in the shrapnel. They hadn’t really finished, but the following four years was in the relative safety Sergeant thought that I “should get through of medieval and landscape parks, but that is OK if you stick to the path”. “What path?” several other stories. “Oh, just take a straight line between the © Paul Harding marker posts – you’ll see where they’ve been clearing a path, there’re almost no shells or THE HEDGEROW SURVEY HANDBOOK shrapnel. It’s quite narrow.” With that, he – A standard procedure for local gave me a cheery wave and disappeared across surveys in the UK the Ranges. I thought briefly about my two- year old daughter and seven-months pregnant John Newbould wife. Defra launched the second edition of this What proved to be a steep and hot climb – it manual at a Biodiversity Assessment and was very warm for September – brought me Surveying Hedgerows Conference at the onto the top of a ridge, with a steep cliff to the Botanical Gardens, University of left. Tim appeared to be on the beach, 100 Birmingham on 20th March, 2007. By pure metres below. Sunbathing? No, probably good fortune, Simon Pickles of the North looking for Tetrix (groundhoppers). To the and East Yorkshire Ecological Data right was what looked like a 50 hectare scrap Centre and I secured an invitation at the heap. There was so much metal on that hillside 11th hour. that it would have been worth quarrying – the product of over 30 years of shelling. The small Ant Maddock (JNCC) gave an overview of marker posts for the “path” were at least 100 the JNCC position with the BAP and HAP metres apart and any path that was discernable process including commenting on the UK could only really be identified by small heaps surveillance strategy and the need to fill of twisted metal at intervals. Any thought of information gaps in the network of sweeping the vegetation or beating the protected areas, habitats and species. occasional bush near the path was impractical. Just get to the other end and avoid stepping on Of particular relevance to Biological a shell or falling down a crater, and then go Recording and the BAP process, Rob back over the same route to meet up with Tim Wooton of Natural England outlined and the Sergeant again. I recorded the current thinking on the Hedgerow HAP. occasional butterfly and grasshopper, and There is a move to redefine the current made a few notes on the vegetation, as I knew HAP for ancient and species rich that the botanical team had not covered this hedgerows (containing five woody species area during their fieldwork in the summer. in the south of England or four woody species in the north) to HEDGEROWS When we were signing out at the Range Office with at least 80% cover of native trees and for the last time, at the end of the week, a shrubs. (Recommended by JNCC in May Senior Officer dropped by to see how we had 2007). This will include 88% of all hedges. got on. He expressed great surprise that we had It is proposed to change targets to: covered the entire length of the proposed path. • Maintain the present network of “Including the top of the impact zone at hedges Bindon Hill? I thought we couldn’t clear that • Maintain the present number of fully this year.” He looked questioningly at isolated hedgerow trees the Range Officer, who looked away when I • Ensure hedgerows remain in commented, to nobody in particular, that I favourable condition in relation to wish I had known that yesterday. woody species and increase the network to 35% of hedges by In the car, on the way back to Monks Wood 2010 and 50% by 2015.

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 4 • Reduce the proportion of land insignificant, but the boundary is of managers who trim hedges historical importance. There is a need to annually to 60% by 2010 – already liaise on hedges with the County achieved. Archaeologist who is often consulted by • To halt the further decline in the planners about hedges, but has little condition of herbaceous hedgerow relevant data. Simon Pickles drew the flora on the margins attention of Defra to the duplication of • To increase the number of effort where a special Access data base hedgerow trees to 40,000 by 2010 has been written to cover hedges, when and 80,000 in 2015 against 15k in our standard is Recorder 6 funded by 2015. JNCC.

Favourable condition includes a height of 1.0m and a width of 1.5m (giving a cross sectional area of 3 m2 . Gaps should be <5 m and any gap >20 m results in the hedge ending. Defra are wanting us to look at the whole hedge when considering gaps, not just the 30m recorded section. When recording margins, they are recommending doing 2 x 2 mq quadrats at 10 m and 20 m along the sample. (In practice, I have found that the typical NVC Photograph provided by John Newbould habitat for the hedge margin is not always recorded using this practice). We are asked to record the presence and cover of Colin Barr outlined the thinking behind the non-native species in the margins e.g. book appears to have clarified many Japanese Knotweed and look at signs of outstanding issues from version 1, but the nutrient enrichment e.g. NVC OV24 Urtica hedgerow form is more complicated dioica – Galium aparine communities and requiring more precise measurements provide possible explanations for the than the 2002 version. In field trials during presence of the enriched habitat. the 2007 season, I have manufactured recording sheets using cut and paste to Current priorities are to: produce a recording form of eight A5 • Support Agri-environment pages. I have produced my own woody schemes; species lists and verges species list. I • Provide support to LBAPS; have yet to find an electronic form, which • Encourage more local hedgerow can be adapted for use in the field. During surveys; training of volunteers, we have found the • Encourage the planting of more forms too detailed for all but the very hedgerow trees. enthusiastic and in practice, I feel that in future, there will need to be additional In the later working groups we highlighted mentoring of trainees during surveying the absence of advice on dealing with the sessions. The issue of targeting the large coppice stools found in many old reduction of herbaceous flora in boundary hedges. verges is a very difficult issue to monitor.

Fig 1 Coppiced oak stool circa 4.5m The book is available from Natural diameter at Corfe Mullen Recreation England Information Services, Ground, Dorset © John Newbould. Peterborough or can be downloaded from www.defra.gov.uk/farm/environment/lands We also highlighted the importance of cape/hedgerows.htm. many old-field systems, often going back to Neolithic times where the hedges are

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 5 Changes to the Habitats Regulations licence to continue to possess them. • You have until 21st NFBR news has previously referred to November to apply to Natural England changes in the regulations but this article for licences to continue to possess by Jo Hodgkins looks specifically at the specimens. impact for individuals on keeping or • Licences for possession will handling specimens of European Protected be granted for scientific or educational Species. purposes, or for keeping wild or wild plants under strictly supervised Jo Hodgkins, Nature Conservation conditions on a selective basis and Adviser for the National Trust limited numbers e.g. rescue / rehabilitation, and will usually be New Regulations have recently come into granted for 25 years (dead specimens) force which make important changes to the or two years (live specimens). Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) • Sale, exchange or transport Regulations 1994, (often called the for these purposes of any EPS will Habitats Regulations - the Regulations require a licence at all times, under which implement a European Directive both the Habitat Regulations and the known as the Habitats Directive) Wildlife and Countryside Act. This is particularly in respect to the protection of an increased licensing burden which European Protected Species (EPS) e.g. Defra hope to rectify at a later date. bats, dormice, great crested newt, otters, • For any other species listed etc. under Annex IV or Annex II(b) of the Habitats Directive, a licence will be It is now an offence to possess, control, required if it was taken within the EC transport, sell or exchange, or offer for sale after 10th June 1994. or exchange any live or dead or plant (except bryophytes!) listed in the If you do have specimens and no longer relevant annexes of the Habitats Directive, wish to keep them now a licence is or anything derived from these species required, then you may be able to donate (except droppings!), irrespective of it your specimen to your local museum. naturally occurring in Britain. For further details and the full list of Any of these activities now require a species to which the law applies see licence, with some variation depending on http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife- where, when and how the specimen was countryside/ewd/guidptse- taken from the wild. The key points to annex4species.pdf note are that: There is further information and guidance • Possessing a specimen of an EPS, on the changes on both Defra and Natural (or any species listed under Annex IV or England websites. Annex II(b) of the Habitats Directive), taken from the wild within the EC after the 10th June 1994, will now require a licence. • If it was taken before that date or was from outside the EC a licence is not required.

Therefore, if you have dead • bat specimens say, found naturally dead since 10 June 1994, you need a

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 6

Late in the year, the first records were added to the NMRS database, marking

the official start of the scheme. Since then

over 1 million moth records have been An update on the National incorporated into the database! To ensure that the database grows in a sustainable Moth Recording Scheme manner, individual County Moth Recorders are being approached one by Zoe Randle & Richard Fox one and asked for their local datasets. In Butterfly Conservation addition, we have been working with the Biological Records Centre and The Moths Count project has been Rothamsted Research to make moth running now for over a year. Its aim is to records collated under their recording and stimulate and encourage moth recording monitoring schemes available to County throughout the UK, Isle of Man and Moth Recorders and to the NMRS in due Channel Islands, particularly by course. developing a long-term National Moth Recording Scheme (NMRS) and national All important feedback and ongoing database of macro-moth records. The discussion with the moth recording overall ethos of the NMRS is to add extra community was achieved through National ‘value’ to the excellent local recording Moth Recording Conferences held in already taking place, rather than to impose England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of any additional burden upon moth Man during the year. These were very recorders. All County Moth Recorders successful with well over 200 moth have been contacted about the NMRS and recorders ranging from beginners to their responses have been County Moth Recorders, taking part. overwhelmingly positive. In Scotland, 24 These conferences provided an important new County Moth Recorders have been opportunity for moth recorders to meet recruited as a result of the NMRS. The each other and to hear about other moth updated list of County Moth Recorders projects, local and national, which stem can be found on the NMRS page of the from the collection of moth records. A Moths Count website similar meeting for moth recorders in (www.mothscount.org). Northern Ireland is planned during 2008 (date and location to be confirmed), to complete our first set of national Achievements in 2007 conferences.

The Moths Count project had a very busy Twenty-three Moths Count training year in 2007. The headline achievement is workshops were undertaken during 2007, that the National Moth Recording Scheme from Kent to Northern Ireland. Training is officially up and running! This is the first was provided for different levels of time that there has been a national expertise including; identification of moths distribution recording scheme covering all by genitalia dissection, training in the macro-moths since the early 1980s. A lot identification and survey techniques for of hard work underlies the creation of the several rare and endangered species and NMRS. As well as developing the network using computers for moth recording, as of County Moth Recorders, there has been well as training to provide beginners with a the installation and rigorous testing of the general introduction to moths and moth necessary hardware and software for the recording. A total of 322 people attended NMRS database, and the development these free events and feedback was and distribution of a short, clear and excellent; amongst beginners, 89% said workable data policy. Hopefully most of that they now intended to take up moth you will have seen the latter, if not it is recording. available on the Moths Count website.

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 7 Our outreach work also got off to a flying start, with our first Garden Moths Count online survey which is aimed at the gardening public and their families. We also organised 33 public moth events. Almost 700 people attended of whom 33% were children. This is a fantastic result as some of these children may go on to become the moth recorders of the future! All participants took away lots of accessible information about moths and recording and we hope they will go on to attend events organised by local moth groups. Children moth trapping Photograph by Ian Keith Jones

The year ahead – 2008 National Moth Night and day 2008,

organised by Moths Count and Atropos We have a busy year ahead of us and with th will take place on 7th June. It is the 10 continued hard work on the project, we anniversary of National Moth Night so an expect 2008 to bring substantial benefits even better excuse than usual for you and to moth recorders. The NMRS database your mothing friends to do something will continue to grow, both in the total special. There has already been a lot of number of records, but more importantly in interest in the new idea of a target habitat, the geographical coverage, as further orchards, and we hope that the first ever county datasets are incorporated. As the National Moth Night micro-moth target dataset increases, we will start to produce species (Anania funebris) will generate provisional distribution maps, so keep your important records of this UK BAP priority eyes peeled for the first online maps at moth. If we can’t guarantee good mothing www.mothscount.org. We will also be weather for National Moth Night, we working towards the development of an should at least have a chance for Garden online recording system for future Moths Count which will be running for two implementation. Towards the end of weeks from 21June to 6 July. Additionally 2008, we will start putting together a another 30+ public moth events are critical species booklet for publication. On planned to enthuse and engage the top of that we have an expanded general public. See the Moths Count programme of training events aimed at website for further details of our free moth recorders at all levels of expertise training and public events happening near (see website for details). Topics covered you. in the 2008 training programme include caterpillar survey and identification, rare Although you may not have seen much species (for example the Crimson overt progress during 2007, much has Underwings, Rannoch Brindled Beauty been achieved and strong foundations laid and Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth), for the National Moth Recording Scheme. identifying difficult moths, dissection and We are extremely grateful to the dedicated genitalia determination, use of recording volunteers and enthusiastic moth software and media training. All training recorders who are supporting and events are free but places must always be contributing to this exciting project. Moth booked in advance. recording has never been more popular and there is lots of fantastic work being undertaken by moth recorders and local groups across the UK. With your support and participation, the Moths Count project and, in particular, the National Moth

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 8 Recording Scheme, will add great extra some very fine, high quality photographs of at value to this work and provide useful least a few of the , courtesy of Roger information and facilities to moth recorders Key, which prove just how varied and and conservation organisations alike. sometimes colourful these can be.

Much of the feedback and communication In fact, as Michael Cox says himself in the about the Moths Count project and NMRS introduction, this is quite a strongly edited occurs via a project mailing list. This version of the original text! Paul Harding, in includes regular email updates. If you his “retirement” from BRC, helped by carrying would like to join the project mailing list out substantial text editing of Michael’s and receive email and/or hard copy original. It remains a meaty tome and is a very information, please contact Sarah-Ann welcome addition to the rather meagre modern Boon (01929 406009 or literature on British beetles. [email protected]) providing your name, postal address and The book has a 29 page introductory section email address. on general topics, and then is largely made up of page-per-species accounts of each of the Moths Count is a partnership of many species on the UK list of the four families organisations, individuals and businesses, led covered: the Bruchidae, Orsodacnidae, by Butterfly Conservation. Principal funders Megalopodidae and Chrysomelidae; making include the Heritage Lottery Fund, British up the formerly two groups that have been Entomological and Natural History Society, covered by the ‘Bruchids & Chrysomelids City Bridge Trust, Countryside Council for Recording Scheme’ since 1980. The Wales, Environment Agency, Environment and Heritage Service, Natural England, Royal introductory sections cover identification; Entomological Society, RSPB and Scottish species and their habitats; collecting methods; Natural Heritage. Many Butterfly Conservation larval and pupal studies, including rearing; Branches have made generous financial adult biology and behaviour, feeding etc.; contributions. Many other organisations are economic aspects, including control of pests; involved, providing support and helping to host and their value in assessing environmental events. change. There is also a section on the threat status of species and their conservation; a summary of taxonomic issues; and finally a PUBLICATIONS REVIEW comprehensive checklist of species according to up-to-date . After the 282 pages of species accounts, including maps and phenological charts, there is a comprehensive Atlas of the seed and leaf beetles of Britain bibliography and an index, followed by brief and Ireland appendices covering museum sources of Michael L. Cox records and a note on global distribution. As Newbury: Pisces Publications, 2007 for the such, it is a thorough and very useful account. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. 336 pp. Softback. £24.95. Although nothing can detract from its contribution to our current understanding of We are at a bit of a turning point for atlases of the species, there are a few things which are British fauna and flora produced by the slightly disappointing. The most evident to Biological Records Centre, this being one of anyone who has been involved in recording is the first to be published by an independent that the maps are incomplete. Michael Cox publisher, except for a few larger-scale books clearly indicates that this is the case, although like the plant atlas and the “Butterflies for the there does not seem to be any clear statement New Millennium”. It also marks yet another as to the cut-off date to which most maps may move forward towards being a much more have been made (and in fact the BRC was ambitious production than just a dot-map atlas. receiving some records until not long before It is a substantial work, including a great publication). However, there is quite a bit of amount of detail on the biology of the species evidence which suggests that some areas have covered, and is attractively produced, with much more up-to-date coverage than others.

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 9 This has, in part, to do with the fact that not all the tireless, single-handed effort he has put in of we coleopterists were as assiduous in on the recording scheme for 28 years – half a supplying records to the database as we could life-time. have been! However, it is also a function of Trevor James the fact that data were largely compiled manually (a very laborious task!), before ultimately being computerised at the BRC. Fleas (Siphonaptera) This has resulted in a patchy coverage in many Amoret P. Whitaker. 2007. Handbooks for the cases, even with common and easily identified Identification of British Insects. Volume 1 Part species, which might well have been nd considerably improved with a more 16 (2 . Edition). 177pp. Published for the streamlined recording process. Royal Entomological Society by the Field Studies Council, Shrewsbury. Softback. Another slight criticism is probably a result of £19.00. ISBN 978-0-90154-685-2. the need to balance the focus on the species accounts and the necessary editing of the The RES Handbook on fleas by Frans Smit introductory chapters. Some of the latter are published in 1957 has remained the standard so brief as to be almost not worth inclusion. The section on threat status in different identification guide to species of British habitats, for example, is very abbreviated; and Siphonaptera for over half a century. I am not sure we yet have enough good data Distribution data on each flea species was for assessing climate change etc., which is printed as a separate publication as a given summary attention. However, at the supplement to the Handbook (Smit, 1957). same time, a few of these introductory Since this time the main features used for chapters could have been extended somewhat identification of fleas have remained virtually just to fill the available page space, as in chapter 2. unchanged and so the author has retained the general outline of the original keys and In general, the text on species seems to be very concentrated on simplifying the wording with high quality and lacking in obvious errors. the aim of reaching a wider audience. The text There is a glitch in the chapter on species and has been expanded to include six additional habitats, in the last line of the first paragraph, species, making a total of 62 found in the where a reference to eurytopic species refers to British Isles. the following section. In the chapter on threat status, a reference to says that there are no post-1900 records, when the The Introduction includes sections on biology, species text (amended by late arriving data) morphology, distribution, epidemiological indicates that there are. significance, systematics and techniques for the collection and preservation of fleas. The A slightly more annoying problem is that the high conservation status attributed to our species accounts are somewhat inconsistent, in native mammals and birds today means that a that, especially, not all of them have a heading covering “Threat status”. While (presumably) licence is necessary to handle most vertebrate all those that are threatened are so-indicated, hosts. The alternative is to persuade colleagues not all those that are “not threatened” are who trap these species for scientific survey to specified as such. It would have been useful to search for fleas on your behalf. Nowadays make these statuses clear (even if the current many counties have their own mammalian and data on which such judgments will have been avian study groups and can be approached for made must be rather incomplete). assistance. No species of flea is currently

Although it would have been nice to have considered to be endangered, but if a host dotted all these ‘i’s and crossed every ‘t’, this species were to become critically reduced in remains a landmark publication for every numbers, any flea specific to that host would future smaller recording scheme in future to naturally also become endangered. emulate. Thanks must go to Mike Cox for all

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 10 In 1957 two superfamilies were recognised: associated with humans, but no other primates Pulicoidea and Ceratophylloidea. Today the are generally infested with fleas, and it is Order is divided into five superfamilies: probable that man may be a secondary host, Pulicoidea, Ceratophylloidea, the primary ones being mammals which nest Hystrichopsylloidea, Vermipsylloidea and such as the fox, badger and domesticated Malacopsylloidea, as recognised by Smit animals such as dogs and cats. Host records (1982). The Malacopsylloidea are not are split into Homo sapiens, represented in the British fauna. One taxon in secondary hosts, accidental hosts (e.g. otter) the 1957 Handbook, Ctenophthalmus and ‘unspecified host, generally ‘house” - even bisoctodentatus occidentalis Smit has been Surrey and London are listed here, all neatly synonymised with C. bisoctodentatus cross-referenced. heselhausi (Ouedemans). The species added to the British list are Ischnopsyllus variabilis For ornithologists and mammalogists who (Wagner), Ceratophyllus fionnus Usher, wish to minimise the time spent identifying Ceratophyllus chasteli Beaucournu et al., ectoparasites, there is a special comprehensive Ceratophyllus anisus Rothschild, index to host species covering British birds Palaeopsyllus soricis vesperi Smit and and mammals on pages 167-174. Chaetopsylla trichosa Kohaut. The Handbook is a delight to use and the The main section (120pp) is devoted to the author and the Royal Entomological Society keys. Most of the figures are from the original are to be congratulated in publishing a fully publication but more than 30 additional figures comprehensive, extremely well illustrated key have been included in the new Handbook. All to a small, but important Order of British are of an extremely high standard and have an insects. A spur to further work will occur when intrinsic beauty of their own. A glossary of an updated Atlas of British Fleas by Robert terms and seven figures are provided to George is published in the near future. illustrate the general morphology of fleas John Badmin showing the position of the characters used in the keys and descriptions. The author recommends that those unfamiliar with fleas should first identify their specimens to family Water bugs and water beetles of Surrey level using the basic family key which will Jonty Denton. Surrey Wildlife Trust, 2007. then direct them to one of the keys for each of 192 pp. Hbk. £15. ISBN 978-0-9556188-0-2. the seven families. Each couplet of the key is This is volume 10 in the series of wildlife accompanied by two or more figures on the atlases being produced by the Surrey Wildlife same page making the key easy to use. Species Trust. It is interesting that these are being can be further checked with additional produced in a County where the local records descriptions given later in the book, together centre is a pretty small operation, and they with published distributional data. For each need to be congratulated. Each is authored by species the data are broken down to host a local expert. In the case of the water beetles species, with county and distribution reference and water bugs, the author is Dr Jonty Denton, who is also the national recording scheme numbers in brackets, thereby allowing all the organiser for marsh (Scirtid) beetles, and for existing literature on that species to be the rather tricky Stenus in the accessed, a remarkable achievement. Staphylinidae (rove beetles), that inhabit wetlands etc. He is also a very prolific For example, four sets of distributional records contributor to the Water Recording are given for the human flea Pulex irritans L. Scheme, and is county recorder for water This species is widely recognised as being beetles in both Surrey and Hampshire. As such, he knows the subject well, and this

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 11 shows magnificently in this new publication. The coverage in terms of recording is very good. The individual species accounts almost This is not just an atlas of water beetle/bug always have a well-produced map, which distribution in Surrey, it is a gold mine of includes the basic topographical regions of information. The introductory chapters Surrey, and the detail includes localities and include a general introduction to the groups dates where the species is uncommon. themselves: “What is a Water Bug?”, and Appendices include references, a thorough “What is a Water Beetle?”, which are then gazetteer of sites, and indexes of plants answered by succinct, well-written and mentioned as well as the bugs, beetles and informative chapters on biology, including other animals mentioned. The real reason to phenology, diet, locomotion, dispersal, acquire the book, if you are not in or near stridulation, chemical defences, predation, and Surrey, though, is for the illustrations. A camouflage. There is a good section on land central section of some 32 coloured plates, use, geology and their relationship to apart from one concerning density of coverage, distribution, which should be a model for is entirely given over to high quality others doing the same; and finally there is a illustrations of many of the species included, brief piece (as usual) on conservation. The even down to egg clusters and larvae in some introductory chapters also give a summary of cases. For many species, especially the water species in decline or increasing (subjects beetles, there are few, if any, other places themselves which require a lot of ground work where these illustrations are available, and the before we can even have any idea, in many quality is extremely good in most cases. Most cases); and ‘near misses and potential species’ of them were taken by Jonty himself. – always useful to put the local picture in perspective. Finally there is a section on I have not personally come across any major literature relevant to identification. mistakes. The publication quality is excellent (as it has been for all the books in the series), The other thing that needs to be borne in mind and the price is ridiculously cheap, including is that the term “water beetles” in particular postage. Copies are obtainable direct from the covers a multitude of sins. While the book Surrey Wildlife Trust. Go and buy it (and, no, covers 13 families of specifically water bugs, I don’t have any stake in the sales!) there is only one species in one extra family (leaf hoppers) that comes under scrutiny. Trevor James However, for the water beetles, we have detailed information on not only all the strict water beetles themselves (Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, Noteridae, Paelobiidae, Dytiscidae, Further notes on Health and Safety Helophoridae, Hydrochidae, Hydrophilidae, (following the article in Newsletter 35) Hydraenidae, Elmidae, Dryopidae, Heteroceridae), but also on other those beetles John Newbould, Yorkshire Naturalist in groups that have a significant association Union with water. So this includes the Scirtidae; beetles of the genera Donacia, Macroplea, In September 2007 I attended a meeting at Plateumaris, and Galerucella in the the Birmingham Botanic Garden run by Chrysomelidae; one ground beetle (Oodes); the Tree Council on increasing the number Georyssidae (mud-coater beetles), and weevils of hedgerow trees. During the course of of the genera Dieckmanniellus, Grypus, the meeting, it transpired that the Heath Notaris, Tournotaris, Thryogenes, and Safety Executive have outstanding Stenopelmus, Gynnetron, Bagous, Limnobaris, Amalorrhynchus, Datonychus, prosecutions as a result of deaths caused Drupenatus, Poophagus, Tapeinotus, by branches falling off old trees. A number Eubrychius, Pelenomus, Phytobius, Rhinoncus, of organisations, including many local Hypera, Lixus and Tanysphyrus. In other Councils have volunteers collecting data words, pretty well everything we are likely to on old trees. Be aware that any data you associate with wetlands. supply should have the caveat that you are presenting data on the location and

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 12 biodiversity interest of old trees NOT their • Seek permission from the farmer to safety. enter premises or fields. • We also alert you to an increase in Lyme Disease from ticks. The number of cases has doubled in the past two years. Should you have difficulty removing a tick or suffer from a fever after a tick, seek medical assistance and ask for a Lyme disease test.

All-W a le s L R C n e tw o rk is la u n c h e d

Photograph provided by John Newbould R e p o rt b y Ad a m R o w e (Manager, South East W ales B iod iv ersity R ec ord s C entre) and R o b D a v ie s (Manager, W est W ales B iod iv ersity Following the outbreak of foot and mouth Inform ation C entre). disease, bird flu and blue tongue during 2007, The Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union A n im p ortant m ilestone w as m ark ed on W ed nesd ay has issued the following simple guidance 2 8 th N ov em b er 2 0 0 7 at the N ational Museum of to members. An electronic version can be W ales in C ard iff, w hen rep resentativ es from obtained by emailing me. interested p arties ac ross W ales gathered to ([email protected]) c eleb rate the c om p letion of a W ales-w id e netw ork of L oc al R ec ord s C entres (L R C s).

Bio-security Guidance W ales is the first c ountry in the U K w ith full L R C c ov erage œ a great ac hiev em ent, sinc e at the turn of In the past few years, there have been a the m illennium no suc h c entres ex isted in W ales. number of outbreaks of disease amongst farm T he p roc ess b egan w ith the estab lishm ent of the animals. Defra has recently issued some more B iod iv ersity Inform ation Serv ic e for P ow y s and specific guidance for visitors to farming areas B rec on B eac ons N ational P ark (B IS), w hic h w as where livestock are kept. Full details may be d ev elop ed as a p ilot L R C und er the N ational obtained on the Defra website B iod iv ersity N etw ork ‘s L ink ing L R C s p rojec t. B IS www.defra.gov.uk. q uic k ly p rov ed that, ev en in the p art of W ales w ith least d ev elop m ent p ressure, ind ep end ently Field naturalists working in areas where farm m anaged and fund ed L R C s c ould b e v iab le in animals are present should obey the following W ales. A s a d irec t result, p artnership s w ere form ed guidelines: ac ross W ales to b uild on the suc c ess of the P ow y s • If visiting farmland by car, try to avoid p ilot p rojec t and to estab lish three further L R C s. parking in a farmyard where animals T he netw ork w as c om p leted in Sep tem b er 2 0 0 7 are kept. Try to park on hard standing, w hen W est W ales B iod iv ersity Inform ation C entre not in muddy gateways, likely to be c om p leted its estab lishm ent. used by animals. • Avoid touching farm animals or deer. T he rap id estab lishm ent of L R C s in W ales has Always wash your hands if an animal und oub ted ly b een assisted b y the sm all is touched. geograp hic al sc ale of W ales, b ut m ore im p ortantly • Clean mud from boots and/ or your car b y the d ev olution of p ow ers to the W elsh A ssem b ly . after each farm visit. T his has m eant that those inv olv ed in L R C • In areas of potential high risk, wash/ estab lishm ent and m anagem ent hav e had c lose spray your boots with an approved c ontac t w ith senior c iv il serv ants and p olitic ians w ho hav e b een ab le to m ak e d ec isions to sup p ort L R C s. disinfectant (see the Defra website). T he m ost signific ant financ ial sup p ort has b een rec eiv ed from the C ountry sid e C ounc il for W ales

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 13 (C C W ), w hose rem it from the W elsh A ssem b ly the m ajor stak ehold ers in L R C s. G ov ernm ent (W A G ) inc lud ed the need to estab lish the L R C netw ork . ° D r D a v id P a rk e r (D ire c to r o f Sc ie n c e , C C W ) ex p lained how L R C s c an d eliv er m any In ad d ition, strong financ ial sup p ort for the inform ation ob jec tiv es on b ehalf of C C W and its estab lishm ent and utilisation of L R C s has c om e signific anc e for the N ational B iod iv ersity N etw ork . from a range of other b od ies inc lud ing F orestry ° J a n e D a v id s o n AM (M in is te r fo r Su s ta in a b ility C om m ission W ales, W A G ‘s D ep artm ent for a n d H o u s in g , W e ls h As s e m b ly G o v e rn m e n t) Ec onom y and T ransp ort, m any L oc al A uthorities, gav e glow ing p raise for the ac hiev em ent of the the N ational P ark A uthorities and the W ild life L R C netw ork and highlighted its im p ortanc e in T rusts. fulfilling W A G ‘s sustainab ility rem it. ° P a u l Sin n a d u ra i (Se n io r E c o lo g is t a n d P o lic y A nother v itally im p ortant form of sup p ort has c om e O ffic e r, B re c o n B e a c o n s N a tio n a l P a rk from the netw ork of loc al v oluntary rec ord ers, w ho Au th o rity ) gav e a c ase history for the c lose hav e allow ed L R C s to inc orp orate and utilise their w ork ings of a N ational P ark and a L R C (B IS) rec ord s. A s a result of their d ata, alongsid e that ° D a v id C le m e n ts (M a n a g in g D ire c to r o f D a v id p rov id ed b y p artner organisations, the W elsh L R C s C le m e n ts E c o lo g y ) c learly show ed the b enefits alread y hold and m anage in ex c ess of 2 m illion of a p riv ate c onsultant m ak ing full use of L R C b iologic al rec ord s. p rod uc ts and serv ic es. ° B a rry Ste w a rt (C o u n ty M o th R e c o rd e r, W e s t T he first L R C em p loy ee w as ap p ointed in W ales in G la m o rg a n s h ire ) gav e an honest ac c ount from 2 0 0 0 . B y the tim e of the launc h the W elsh L R C s the rec ord ers‘ p ersp ec tiv e, ex p laining the c osts of em p loy ed eighteen staff, the m ajority of w hom are relinq uishing d ata and how these hav e b een show n in the p hoto b elow on the step s of the outw eighed b y the ov erall b enefits of c ontrib uting N ational Museum W ales, along w ith a hand ful of to L R C d ata hold ings. L R C D irec tors. ° D e re k M o o re O B E (W e s t W a le s B io d iv e rs ity In fo rm a tio n C e n tre D ire c to r) gav e an ov erv iew A t the launc h ev ent v arious sp eak ers w ere w hic h look ed at the long and c eleb rated history of introd uc ed b y the c hairm an P a u l L o v e lo c k b iologic al rec ord ing in B ritain, w ith anec d otes on (P re s id e n t o f th e B o a rd o f T ru s te e s o f th e ”w hat m ak es rec ord ers tic k ‘. D erek c alled on N a tio n a l M u s e u m W a le s ) to p resent the v iew s of W A G not to und erestim ate the c ontrib ution of the

Photograph by Dave Cope

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 14 enorm ous arm y of v oluntary rec ord ers and to Association of Local Environmental m aintain their full sup p ort for L R C s in W ales. Records Centres

T he launc h also saw the unv eiling of a new w eb site Philippa Burrell, Chair of the ALERC (w w w .lrc w ales.org.uk ) w hic h ac ts as a gatew ay to Steering Group the w eb sites of the ind iv id ual L R C s. V isitors to the L R C w eb sites w ill b e ab le to learn how to sub m it Is your Local Environmental Records rec ord s, how to req uest a d ata searc h, as w ell as Centre (LRC) the place to go to locate the find ing out ab out the range of p rod uc ts and serv ic es most up to date and comprehensive data that L R C s offer. about your local flora and fauna, wildlife

T he launc h m ark s a new era for the W elsh L R C s œ and geological sites? Does your LRC one in w hic h w e w ill w ork ev er m ore c losely support and encourage a flourishing local together to im p rov e the ac c essib ility of W ales-w id e recording network that feeds into a b iod iv ersity d ata, as w ell as to p ush forw ard national network? Is your LRC secure, well tec hnologic al d ev elop m ents to im p rov e the q uality staffed and well used? If you asked your and d eliv ery of our serv ic es. LRC staff a question would they respond promptly and impress you with their T hose inv olv ed in L R C m anagem ent in W ales hav e service? alw ay s w ork ed c losely together, b ut the oc c asion of the launc h also saw the first form al m eeting of L R C I sincerely hope that if you asked these D irec tors and Managers from all four L R C s. T his questions in the Thames Valley area, the c om m ittee w ill m eet p eriod ic ally to p rov id e a answers would all be positive! We have strategic steer to the future d ev elop m ent of L R C s many examples of thriving LRCs (like the and their serv ic es. Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre) in the UK - but we also have some T he c ontac t d etails for the four L oc al R ec ord s LRCs that are under-resourced and C entres are as follow s: struggling to provide a basic service.

B io d iv e rs ity In fo rm a tio n Se rv ic e fo r P o w y s a n d In 2007 I tried to visit as many LRCs as I B re c o n B e a c o n s N a tio n a l P a rk (B IS), F irst F loor O ffic es, 7 W heat Street, B rec on, P ow y s, L D 3 7 D G . could (I5 at the last count). I have worked Manager: J anet Im lac h. T elep hone: 0 1 8 7 4 6 1 0 8 8 1 . in Local Records Centres since 1981 but Em ail: info@ b -i-s.org still I was surprised at the variety of set ups, activities and local support for LRCs So u th E a s t W a le s B io d iv e rs ity R e c o rd s C e n tre that I found during my visits. I met some (SE W B R e C ), 1 3 St. A nd rew ‘s C resc ent, C ard iff, very hard working people who love their C F 1 0 3 D B . Manager: A d am R ow e. T elep hone: 0 2 9 work, are finding ingenious solutions that 2 0 6 4 1 1 1 0 . Em ail: info@ sew b rec .org.uk they are happy to share œ and I met LRC staff who feel unsupported and are really C o fn o d (N o rth W a le s E n v iro n m e n ta l In fo rm a tio n struggling to make their Records Centres Se rv ic e ), Intec , F ford d y P arc , P arc Menai, B angor, work. G w y ned d , L L 5 7 4 F G . Manager: R oy T ap p ing. T elep hone: 0 1 2 4 8 6 7 2 6 0 3 . Em ail: The reason for my busman‘s holiday was info@ c ofnod .org.uk to canvass the potential membership of the new Association of Local W e s t W a le s B io d iv e rs ity In fo rm a tio n C e n tre Environmental Records Centres (ALERC) œ (W W B IC ), L and sk er B usiness C entre, L lw y ny b rain, to find out what people think the priorities W hitland , C arm arthenshire, SA 3 4 0 N G . Manager: for the Association should be and see for R ob D av ies. T elep hone: 0 1 9 9 4 2 4 1 4 6 8 . Em ail: myself how LRCs are looking nowadays (a enq uiries@ w estw alesb iod iv ersity .org.uk postal questionnaire has also been sent to every LRC). The LRC staff that I met are

keen to see the Association set up (sorry it has taken so long folks!) and identified the

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 15 following roles for the Association: CONFERENCE REPORTS o A voice for LRCs / advocacy o Dissemination of good practice Recording together – The Seventh NBN o Setting national standards for a Conference (16th November 2007 at the range of LRC activities Natural History M useum) o Creation of an accreditation system for LRCs The theme of the conference, which was kindly o Structured training for paid and sponsored by United Utilities, was “Recording volunteer staff in LRCs together – data flows and data partnerships”. The number of delegates broke all previous The ALERC Steering Group met for the records with a staggering 150 people attending first time in 2007 to decide what needed on the day. After a warm welcome from the doing to set up the Association and will NBN Trust’s Chairman, Sir Neil Chalmers, meet in early 2008 to agree a constitution proceedings got under way. and look at our new web-site, agree a The first speaker was Dr Liam Lysaght of specification for our first business plan and Ireland’s National Biodiversity Centre. arrange the adoption of our constitution Established in January this year, the centre has so that people can start joining! We have determined six strategic objectives for sharing found some initial funding to kick start data, with the key message being that they work on setting up ALERC and plan to strongly believe in free access to data, which employ someone to drive forward our first they believe to be a “friend of nature year of business. A simple website will be conservation”. Dr Lysaght’s inspiring up and running by the end of March to presentation also set out the centre’s clear desire help keep everyone informed œ google us to forge a strong relationship with the NBN, then! whilst establishing and maintaining its own identity and priorities. The NBN Trust welcomes this most warmly.

Next onto the rostrum was Steve Cham of the British Dragonfly Society. In terms of data flow, Steve talked about the importance that the BDS places on relationships and partnerships with the motivation of new recorders, and the importance of feedback to existing recorders, being seen as vital. They have established data exchange agreements, which are available on their website (www.dragonflysoc.org.uk), and whilst they do experience some resistance to data exchange this resistance is increasingly isolated and in the minority. The next Dragonfly Atlas will be published in 2013.

Dawn Balmer of the British Trust for During my 2007 visits to colleagues I took Ornithology photographs of each LRC and the Manager. followed with a presentation in Here is Simon Wood, Manager of which she gave a brief history of bird atlases and Worcestershire Biological Records Centre, talked about the plans for a new bird atlas outside his new purpose built LRC œ covering 2007-2011, for publication in 2013. An converted from an old pig house… important part of the information going into the atlas will be “roving records”. The BTO views all records as important, including those which are casual, and has benefited from on-line recording with 2.2 million records being added in 15 days to www.birdatlas.net There were

some concerns about the validation of casual

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 16 records, but with on-line validation by regional gain the views and involvement of all recorders organisers and “flags” to pick up on “unusual” as well as the NBN liaison groups. In making or “suspect” records at data entry, Dawn gave data available at a level which is useful to all, reassurance regarding these concerns. She also Keith stressed the need for trust between all confirmed that the records would be added to organisations and a sense of partnership rather the Gateway after the project finishes. than competition.

“Giving access to information on Scotland’s M argaret Haggerty spoke about the county of wildlife” was the subject of the next Lincolnshire and the setting up of the presentation, by Alan M cKirdy of Scottish Lincolnshire Biodiversity Partnership. The Natural Heritage. SNH view the Gateway as Partnership which began in 1985 launched in an excellent tool, but don’t feel that it has a 2006 following discussions for an environmental particularly user friendly interface. SNH has records centre in 2001. The key point was that therefore utilised web services to give the building partnerships, does, by its very nature, Gateway more public appeal and have given it take a long time and the worthwhile advice from the interface it wants by creating W iMBY, more Margaret was to ensure the involvement of details on which can be found in NBN News different organisations as early as possible in any issue 34. W iMBY is part of SNHi (Scottish collaboration. Natural Heritage Information Service), which was launched on 31st October at Scottish The penultimate speaker was M artin Rand, the Parliament. It allows users to find out more Botanical Society of the British Isles’ (BSBI) about the natural heritage across Scotland with recorder for South Hampshire. In an interesting data and information available on many aspects presentation he spoke about how, despite the of Scotland's environment. complex nature of local relationships, recorders, One of the key things for SNH is to have data at volunteers and organisations in the county work the scale at which it was captured and they have together to provide training and mentoring to given support to various organisations where it help improve recording skills. As in other areas, had been needed to make more data available. many records are not computerised and they face the challenges of putting the data into a Just before the break for lunch, Sir Neil digitised format. A key action in the future is Chalmers paid tribute to our former chairman that data will be captured at 1km, 100m and 8 Sir John Burnett and Jeff Watson, who served as figure resolution. a Trustee, both of whom sadly passed away in the summer. On a lighter note the NBN Trust W ith the day rapidly drawing to a close, last to was happy to bestow honorary membership on a the podium - and he almost didn’t make it (!) - very surprised Trevor James. Those of you who was Tim Corner of the Bristol Environmental know Trevor will know that he usually knows Records Centre (BRERC). Tim has been exactly what is happening in the community, and involved in a project with the NBN Trust and so keeping this secret from him was a real Natural England, which was part-funded by achievement! Trevor accepted the award with Defra, to put data onto the Gateway. In a very his usual dignity and pride. honest and often entertaining presentation, Tim spoke about his original concerns at adding The number of delegates made lunch a BRERC’s data to the Gateway, concerns which particularly good time for networking and we know are shared by many other LRCs. His catching up with old friends and the poster key issue was the possibility of losing income demonstrations and displays were particularly and undermining their business model, again well visited. something we know that other LRCs are worried about. So, they embarked on the Jim Munford, the NBN Trust’s Programme project with the aim of understanding the Director, and the chair for the afternoon’s impact adding their data to the Gateway would sessions, welcomed Keith Porter of Natural have on their organisation and its funding England to the stand. Keith told the delegates streams. The key findings of this project are: about the new NBN data access strategy, aims to that consultants now approached BRERC for a improve data access and data flow. The next paid service after visiting the Gateway to get at step is the development of an action plan and the detail of the records; the number of national on-line consultation will take place in order to experts contacting them has increased as they

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 17 investigate records which appear to be incorrect from a large expanse of low-lying land left thus improving accuracy of data; and local as the ice retreated northwards recorders are now readily providing their data as approximately 13,000BP. At about this it allows them to see their own records appear on a national website soon after they are time the land extended northwards from submitted. Tim feels that the project has Sheppey for about 7 miles, but with a loss created a greater sense of partnership with local of one to several metres of land per year, recorders, national experts and the NBN Trust as occurs today along the northern coast officers all taking a shared responsibility for at exposed places such as Warden Point, accuracy of records. BRERC have produced a 7 miles can disappear surprisingly easily. data transfer tool to help with the task of uploading their data to the Gateway and they With land in the South-East of England hope to make this available to others in the sinking relative to the sea and with sea future. In summing up, Tim spoke of the use of levels rising through climate change, the the NBN not just being about the Gateway, but process of erosion continues today. In of being about standards and, in essence, the times past, much of the washed material whole partnership of people and organisations was deposited on the southern side of the in the NBN. In his words “W e are the NBN”. island. Tim’s talk sparked a number of comments from the audience, one being that BRERC had been He pointed out that there is high ground to the “penguins willing to take the plunge and dive the north, on a mixture of geological beds, in” when they embarked on this project! and a much flatter, low-lying area of Hopefully the extremely positive presentation London clay grazing marsh to the south. and results of the project will encourage others to do likewise There was also assurance from But exactly how high and impregnable is Defra that the successful completion of projects the high ground where most of the such as this has the potential to encourage housing is located? By overlaying a funding of similar ventures, as the mobilisation photograph of the Isle of Sheppey on a of more data has a benefit to all of us picture of central London it appears

Sheppey extends less than half way up Jim Munford brought what had been a hugely informative and enjoyable day to a close with the London Eye and many skyscrapers, thanks to all of the speakers and to Trevor not very high at all. James for having arranged a hugely successful Conference. He concluded his talk with a look into the future and how the island might appear on a map in 2100 taking into account all the The 2007 Kent Wildlife Conference latest UK government figures. I won’t spoil th 13 October 2007 Canterbury Christ his paper by revealing all now, but a good Church University pair of waders will be necessary to move between the various islands that constitute Nearly 130 delegates attended the annual Sheppey today. autumn Kent Wildlife Conference. This year’s theme was ‘The Natural History of Ian Tittley (Natural History Museum) the Isle of Sheppey’. The morning presented a fascinating account of the session was opened by Chris Young of study of the island’s natural history by the University’s Geography and Science focussing on the marine and land Department with a talk entitled ‘The biologists who, over the past 400 years geology and landscape of the Isle of have made visits to the island. Some of Sheppey’. From geological and the early discoveries which he alluded to, palaeontological evidence he showed how made by Gerard, Ray, Dillenius, Hudson the land where Sheppey now is developed and Dr Plot of of Borden are described in

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 18 the KFC Transactions (Volume 17 Part mammals, by presenting some interesting 2:55-85). He also highlighted some of the records of sightings of seals and dolphins zoological discoveries and how recent collected in recent years. It appears that field meetings held by the Society have common seals frequent the sand banks helped to confirm the continued existence east of Sheppey and have been recorded of many marine species in the Thames on several occasions from Shellness and today. along the Swale. He requested more help in conducting sea searches to build up a Gail Austen-Price (Kent & Medway more comprehensive data base of Biological Records Centre) provided an mammals using the waters around our overview of the status of biological records coast. from Sheppey held on its database. The records were vastly skewed towards birds Hazel Ryan, also of the Kent Mammal as one might expect (vis. RSPB Elmley Group, presented some of the latest and Shellness) but there were substantial findings from mammal surveys carried out records of plants and invertebrates. A lot on the island. Records for some of the of historical data has yet to be transferred more ubiquitous species such as fox, to the data base. A confounding factor rabbit, brown hare, mole and hedgehog has been that it is nearly impossible with were quite good but more records of tetrad or 10km record cards to differentiate species such as bats were needed. between records made from the south Badger was recorded once and only an side of the island from those referring to anecdotal record of deer exists. Survey the mainland along the south side of the work on the water vole indicated that it is Swale. She made a plea for more records present at a number of locations and a from the island to build up the database. useful reservoir population for this species Dave Gardner (Kent Lepidopterists Group) in Kent. Unfortunately mink has been presented an overview of the status of the sighted and this might lead to a decline in island’s Lepidoptera based largely on BC’s the species. butterfly database and the moth records collected by Geoff Burton from the Eric Philp and Ron Carr, representing the Rothamsted light-trap operating in his Balfour-Browne Club, provided an garden at Minster-on-sea. Coverage for interesting snap shot of the land and water day flying Lepidoptera was much better beetles found on Sheppey. The baseline than for night flying moths and it was list for the island was prepared by James noted that two tetrad based atlases for the Walker (Trans. Ent.Soc. of Southern island’s butterflies had already been England 7: 2 (1931) ) published on 1st published. He reported that attempts were June 1932 with over 1000 species noted. now being made to fill in some of the Both speakers selected species for (many) blank squares by light-trapping at discussion including one of our largest and various places across the island in support rarest rove beetles Emus hirtus which can of the new Kent Lepidoptera Atlas. only be found with certainty in the UK on Naturally there were far more records of Elmley and the weevil Baris scolopacea larger moths than the micros which are first discovered new to Britain by Walker much harder to identify. and Champion from Rushenden and refound there on the same saltmarsh by Jon Bramley (Kent Mammal Group) Eric Philp in 2007, after a lapse of nearly a bravely attempted to persuade us that century. Sheppey is a real hot spot for marine

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 19 Bob Gomes (RSPB) presented a summary account of the birds of Sheppey incorporating a large amount of the field work undertaken by his co-presenter Peter Oliver. Quantitative abundance data for various waders, ducks and raptors typical of the island were presented to show species declines and increases. Management of the RSPB reserve and the NNR at Shellness had resulted in increases of important species such as godwits, avocet and marsh harrier. Bob stressed the national and regional Tetragonolobus maritimus importance of Sheppey grazing marshes growing on Sheppey cliffs. for breeding waders, especially lapwing Photograph by John and redshank. Badmin

As befits a former President of the Kent Field Club, Eric Philp performed a second stint by presenting a talk on the flora of the island based on his recent county-wide occurred on Sheppey and along the south survey. Athough the area supports a wide side of the Swale and Faverhsam Creek range of taxa including many maritime making this entire region possibly the most species there were no exceptional rarities important site for saltmarsh invertebrates apart from the bright yellow pea, dragon’s along the south side of the Thames tooth Tetragonolobus maritimus which estuary. occurs on the cliffs probably in more quantity here than anywhere else in The conference finished with a talk by Britain. The marshes were home to a large John Stanford (Isle of Sheppey array of glassworts (Salicornia spp.) and Ecocentre) who looked at future he provided a simple key to their challenges to Sheppey’s wildlife. It was identification. evident from some superb aerial photographs that large swathes of north John Badmin (Kent Field Club) reported Sheppey are being built upon and some of on the insects associated with Sheppey’s its more remote areas to the south are saltmarshes. A number of typical salt under threat from tourists as facilities for marsh species were described together visitors are improved and expanded (the with some notable island rarities. These much-needed new bridge giving much included the beautiful Essex emerald moth easier access for many to the island). Thetidia smaragdaria from its last known The conference proceedings will be British site at Windmill Creek, sea published as a separate volume of the wormwood leafhopper Chlorita viridula Kent Field club Transactions in due and saltmarsh froghopper Neophilaenus course. longiceps restricted to the Thames estuary ...... region in Britain. He also presented Further information can be obtained by population data on the ground lackey contacting John Badmin – moth. He concluded that large populations [email protected] of some of our rarest saltmarsh insects

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 20 E VENTS, WORKSHOPS and CONFERENCES Harmonia axyridis. The second, organized by the British Dragonfly Society, will focus on the distribution of the blue-tailed damselfly National Insect Week 2008 Ischnura elegans.

“The Buzz Is Back!” The NIW website Chris Haines, Royal Entomological Society (www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk) will provide suggestions, especially for teachers and youth leaders, on organizing practical activities for young people to learn about insects through classroom projects, garden-based studies (at school or home), supervised pond-dipping,

moth-trapping, etc. The website will also list The third National Insect Week will take place suggestions for further reading, and will during the week of 23rd–29th June 2008 and it provide links to other organizations and will feature two main themes – insects in food websites where the reader can learn more and agriculture, and aquatic insects. In 2006 about insect diversity and behaviour. More the focus was on “Creating a Buzz About light-heartedly, there will be an on-line poll of Insects” ... and now in 2008 “The Buzz Is public votes for the Good, the Bad, the Back!” National Insect Week aims to promote Beautiful and the Ugly of the UK insect fauna wider awareness and understanding of the from a shortlist of nominations in each importance and fascination of insects, not just category. as valuable pollinators and harmful pests or vectors, but also as the dominant and essential component of biodiversity in most of the earth’s terrestrial, aerial and freshwater environments.

NIW is organized by the Royal Entomological Society and managed by Cicada Communications, with promotional and technical support from a wide variety of partners with an interest in insects, either specifically or as a key component of biodiversity. Seventeen organizations (including the National Biodiversity Network, the Biological Records Centre and the Natural History Museum) have already declared their partnership in NIW2008, and are helping to promote the Week and arrange events around the country. Their active involvement will help greatly to boost the extent and impact of NIW2008.

NIW2008 will be launched at the Chelsea Bradford city children explore freshwater rd Physic Garden on 23 June by BBC television habitats at Malham Tarn in NIW2006, with wildlife presenter Kate Humble and Defra Heritage Lottery Fund support (photo Guzelian minister Joan Ruddock MP. At the launch, we Photography) will also announce the start of the NIW2008 Insect Photography Competition, sponsored by the Environment Agency and promoted by These central activities are important in BBC Wildlife Magazine. In addition, the creating a ‘Buzz’ with the national media. Riverfly Partnership is sponsoring a special However, the key part of NIW is the prize for the best photograph of a riverfly programme of local activities around the entered in the main competition. NIW2008 will country, in which those who know about be promoting two insect surveys for public insects share their understanding and participation. The first, led by the UK Ladybird enthusiasm with others. These local events Survey, will focus on the current status of the are the main point of delivery for our long-term 2-spot ladybird Adalia bipunctata in relation to aim to improve public awareness of insects the invasion of the harlequin ladybird and their vital importance. We believe that

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 21 such awareness brings a more informed In researching this article using the Ordnance understanding of environmental issues, going Survey website, Hay Tonge Farm, (SD982738) beyond a simple focus on conserving a few in the Kettlewell with Starbottom parish was flagship species, and we hope that NIW events highlighted. This farm on the 400m contour will stimulate participants to take up an active was the searched on www.old-maps.co.uk. A interest in the study of insects, whether as professionals or amateurs, in the future. copy of the 1:10500 map dated 1856 was available showing a different spelling Hay If you can organize a local event for NIW2008, Tongue. From the map it was possible to see please send the details to the events address field names including Far Open, Near Open, provided on the NIW website or discuss your Hay Tongue Close, High Bracken etc. From ideas with the NIW Coordinator at here there is a link to a modern aerial [email protected]. As the Week photograph, showing white limestone track approaches, we hope you will visit the NIW ways, stonewalls, pasture, woodland and areas website to find out what is going on in your of bracken. area and support us by attending a local event. What of the natural history? Albert Henderson found over 100 lichens in the NFBR CONFERENCE 2008 Churchyard including Leptogium teretiusculum and Acarospara umbilicata on a - some background notes on our 2008 venue wall. Preliminary surveys show much of the by John Newbould grassland being NVC type CG9 with Tormentil and Blue Moor-grass. There are The venue for Conference 2008 is the spa examples of former mineral extraction with town of Harrogate, North Yorkshire. On th resulting Calminarian grasslands. The Sunday June 15 we have been invited to join woodland has not been explored recently. the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union to visit YNU conchologists have a 1km study of National Trust land at Kettlewell in the Wharfedale ongoing. John Blackburn writing Yorkshire Dales. The National Trust are of the mosses on a tufa spring comments that arranging permits to collect invertebrates. the rocky limestone flushes on the slopes of the valley immediately south west of We have done some research into the early Kettlewell had an interesting assemblage of origins of the parish. One method of research bryophytes. There were carpets of Palustriella is to start with the parish name. What does the commutata, and one of our most beautiful place name mean? Ekwall considers Kettlewell mosses, Breutelia chrysocoma, along with the to be a Scandinavianised version of tufa-forming Eucladium verticillatum. Also Chetelwelle “stream in a narrow valley”. present was the red-tinged Orthothecium intricatum on vertical rock faces. Liverworts included Jungermannia atrovirens, Aneura pinguis and Preissia quadrata".

We hope the field meeting will make an interesting addition to the conference.

Adrian Norris examining a snail at Kettlewell. Photograph provided by John Newbould

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 22

National Federation of Biological Recording 2008 AGM and Conference

Recording and Data Networks

To be held Friday 13th June 2008 At the Swallow St. George Hotel, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

On Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June NFBR delegates are invited to join the Yorkshire Naturalist Union on field visits to National Trust land at Kettlewell.

Mark it in your diary now - booking forms with the full programme will be sent out shortly to all NFBR members.

NFBR Newsletter No. 36 April 2008 23