Bristol Docks Estate Wildlife Survey and Assessment Final Report 20 December 2009 Phil Quinn MPEcology Wildlife Survey and Assessment of the Bristol Docks Estate Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction ............................................................................................ 2 2. Methodology .......................................................................................... 3 3. Site description ...................................................................................... 5 4. Results and Assessment .................................................................... 13 5. Conclusions ......................................................................................... 33 6. Recommendations ............................................................................... 35 Appendix 1-8: Detailed Survey Results 61-94 Figure 1-6. Survey Areas. 7 Figure 7-12. Summary of Findings. 17 Figure 13-15. Species Maps (Appendix 8). 95 Cover photograph: View east along the New Cut This report has been produced for Bristol City Council by: Phil Quinn (Ecology and Land use), 15 Osborne Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2HB. E-mail: [email protected] MP Ecology, 30 Tilnor Crescent, Norman Hill, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 5RZ.E-mail: [email protected] Bristol City Council Acknowledgement : The provision of information by Bristol City Council does not imply a right to reproduce or commercially exploit such information without the Council's express prior written permission. Reproduction or commercial exploitation of information provided by the Council without its express permission may be an infringement of copyright. The council is unable to grant permission to reproduce or re-use any material that is the property of third parties. Permission to reproduce or re-use such material must be obtained from the copyright holders. Statement of the publication purpose: “The Ordnance Survey mapping included within this publication is provided by Bristol City Council under license from the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfill its public function to make available Council held information regarding the Bristol City Docks – Habitat Survey and Management Plan. Persons viewing this mapping should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they wish to license Ordnance Survey mapping/map data for their own use.” Phil Quinn Ecology and Landuse MPEcology i Wildlife Survey and Assessment of the Bristol Docks Estate Executive Summary Over the summer of 2009 a wildlife survey of the Bristol City Council (BCC) Docks Estate was undertaken. Particular highlights of this survey have been the discovery that otters Lutra lutra are active within the city centre, and that there is the potential for this species to breed here as long as quality otter habitat is retained and, just as importantly, more is created for them. The rich diversity and high biomass of fish, both freshwater and estuarine species, is a notable feature of the Floating Harbour and may come as a surprise to many people who live, work and relax in the city. Over 400 species of vascular plant were recorded from the survey area, the majority native, but also many alien species. Some have a long history in the docks reflecting past mercantile activity, whilst others are recent colonists from the gardens of the houseboats which have partly replaced the commercial shipping. Many of the newest introductions are grass species, often introduced with bird seed. Plants more commonly associated with the open countryside such as pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis), salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor) and quaking grass (Briza media) were recorded in highly urbanised locations along with other notable native species long associated with central Bristol such as ivy broomrape (Orobanche hederae). The city centre, even those special wild areas that still exist there, is a hard place for many bird species to survive and correspondingly the number of breeding bird species recorded during the survey was relatively low. However, one of only two known breeding colonies of sand martin (Riparia riparia) in the former administrative district of Avon occurs within the docks estate. Cormorant (Phalacorax carbo) can be approached within a distance unimaginable on the coast, such that the piercing blue of their eyes can be seen even without binoculars. In addition, attractive grey wagtails (Motacilla cinerea) breed here along with mute swans, mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and moorhens (Galinulla chlorops). It is hoped such findings will help to identify wildlife enhancement opportunities within the docks estate as well as to steer management regimes. In addition, the opportunity exists to relay information to the public with the intention of galvanising interest and positive community feedback. Phil Quinn Ecology and Land use MPEcology 1 Wildlife Survey and Assessment of the Bristol Docks Estate 1. Introduction Phil Quinn (Ecology and Land use) and Matt Pickard (MPEcology) were commissioned by Bristol City Council (BCC) to undertake field survey of the Docks Estate during the summer of 2009. The aim of the surveys was to assist the Council in its duties under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (NERC) 2006, namely, regard for the conservation of biodiversity interest on land and buildings within its ownership. Primarily the survey was intended to inform the Council of the existing nature conservation value of the estate and in particular to identify: • areas of high biodiversity value; • locations of rare or uncommon species; • areas where protected species may reasonably be presumed present; • opportunities for habitat enhancement and improved public enjoyment. It is intended that the survey findings will lead to enhanced management of the estate by providing a comprehensive snapshot of the nature conservation value of every part of the Docks Estate, thereby informing its future planning and management decisions. In particular the survey aims to identify areas where practical measures can be enacted to improve the nature conservation value of this integral part of the city centre. It is hoped that public involvement can build upon this report by renewing the focus on wildlife and encouraging the public to report sightings of all wildlife regardless of rarity value and thereby helping create an evolving record of the flow of nature through the heart of the city. In addition to the reporting of survey findings via this document, data has been made available in an electronic format (including Geographical Information System (GIS)). This information includes a collection of over 900 digital photographs of habitats and species taken during the course of field survey visits. These images have been “hot-linked” into GIS so that their locations are recorded. Phil Quinn Ecology and Land use MPEcology 2 Wildlife Survey and Assessment of the Bristol Docks Estate 2. Methodology 2.1. General Bristol City Council provided a map identifying the extent of the Docks Estate and this formed the basis of all survey activities. Two highly practised field ecologists, with a combined total of forty years site and species survey experience, undertook the survey work in three phases: 1. An initial detailed walkover of the Docks Estate carried out over eight days between 3 rd and 11 th June 2009; 2. A boat-borne survey of dock walls and otherwise inaccessible areas on 15 th June 2009; 3. A follow-up walkover survey of the Docks Estate on 27 th July to identify any late-flowering species not identified earlier in the year. Bristol Harbour staff made a craft available for the team to undertake the Floating Harbour and Feeder Canal boat-borne survey. The boat operative, Mr Miles Parker, was knowledgeable on many aspects of the history and management of the Floating Harbour and his knowledge contributed significantly to this report. This survey methodology enabled the identification of numerous plants, and other features including an otter sprainting site and a sand martin colony which could not be observed from the land. An initial proposal to survey habitats associated with the New Cut by canoe was amended because land-based access and vantage points appeared to offer sufficient coverage. Instead, arrangements were made to allow a canoe-based survey under the City following the castle moat and lower levels of the River Frome (all underground). The aim of the proposed visit was to investigate use of this feature by protected species such as bats and otters. However, the logistics of arranging a suitable guide and access keys were too difficult and this phase of the survey was also abandoned. 2.2. Detailed Survey Methodology The Docks Estate was split into five units, largely based on existing BCC management areas (City Docks Mooring Policy, BCC 2008). Figure 1 presents the compartments (which are described fully in Chapter 4, Site Description) and otherwise defined as: • Cumberland Basin (CB) • Water Activity Harbour (WAH) • Harbour Arena (HA) • Upper Reaches (UR) • New Cut (NC) During each field visit, distinct sections of dock or riverside habitat were defined into plots and given unique reference codes. This enabled species lists and other descriptions to be assigned to each defined plot. Phil Quinn Ecology and Land use MPEcology 3 Wildlife Survey and Assessment of the Bristol Docks Estate All evidence of plants, birds, mammals, invertebrates and fish were recorded, with notes made on the status