Upper Clun Community Wildlife Group Report 2016…. 2014 Upper Clun Community Wildlife Group Report 2016 Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 1 Aims & Objectives ..................................................................................................................1 Area & Membership ................................................................................................................1 Management Committee ........................................................................................................1 Publicity ..................................................................................................................................1 Website....................................................................................................................................2 Co-Operation With Farmers, Landowners & Other Organisations ......................................2 Activities & Surveys ...............................................................................................................2 Covering Other Types Of Wildlife ..........................................................................................3 Funding ...................................................................................................................................3 Constitution ............................................................................................................................3 Other Community Wildlife Groups ........................................................................................3 BIRD SURVEYS .............................................................................................................................4 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 4 Participation and Coverage ...................................................................................................... 4 Lapwings .................................................................................................................................4 Fieldwork Results ................................................................................................................... 4 Local Extinction? .................................................................................................................... 5 Curlews ...................................................................................................................................5 Fieldwork Results ................................................................................................................... 6 Habitat Requirements and Population Decline .................................................................. 8 Other Target Species ..............................................................................................................9 Birds Of The “Wetlands” ........................................................................................................9 Snipe ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Red Kite ................................................................................................................................. 11 Other Species ....................................................................................................................... 11 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 11 Nest Boxes For Woodland Birds ......................................................................................... 12 Dippers .................................................................................................................................. 13 Barn Owls .............................................................................................................................. 14 THE PLANT GROUP ................................................................................................................... 15 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 15 Survey Methodology ............................................................................................................ 15 Results And Findings ........................................................................................................... 16 Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 16 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 17 Further Work ......................................................................................................................... 17 THE BUTTERFLY GROUP .......................................................................................................... 18 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 18 Safeguarding Habitat ............................................................................................................ 18 Future Plans .......................................................................................................................... 18 MAMMALS .................................................................................................................................. 19 CO-OPERATION WITH FARMERS ............................................................................................. 19 CONSERVATION ACTION .......................................................................................................... 19 Local (County) Wildlife Sites ............................................................................................... 19 New Hls Agreements ............................................................................................................ 19 Countryside Stewardship .................................................................................................... 21 Future Agri-Environment Schemes .................................................................................... 21 Habitat Requirements For Target Species .......................................................................... 21 Habitat Management Leaflets .............................................................................................. 22 Surveying Wildlife Sites ....................................................................................................... 22 River Catchment Management ............................................................................................ 22 Shropshire Hills Aonb Management Plan ........................................................................... 23 Conservation Action ............................................................................................................ 23 Curlew Action Plan ............................................................................................................... 23 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & DISTRIBUTION .............................................................................. 24 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. 25 References ............................................................................................................................ 26 Distribution ........................................................................................................................... 27 The Report ............................................................................................................................ 28 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 289 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................. 30 Appendix 1. Bird Survey Recording Instructions 2016 .......................................... 31 Appendix 2: Bird Survey Results ............................................................................. 31 i) Curlew and Lapwing .......................................................................................... 31 ii) Other Target Bird Species, and Wetland Surveys .......................................... 31 iii) Curlew, & Other Target Species: Explanatory Note to the Maps ................. 31 Appendix 3 Plant Group – Sites Surveyed 2016 ..................................................... 34 Appendix 4: Target Plant Indicator Species (The "Axiophytes") .......................... 35 Appendix 5: Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary Butterfly Surveys 2010 - 2016 ......... 36 Annexe 1. The Management Committee ........................................................................ 37 INDEX OF MAPS, TABLES AND FIGURES Maps Map 1. Approximate location of Curlew Territories 2016.......................................................... 7 Map A2.1 Approximate Location of Curlew and Other Target Bird Species 2016................. 32 Tables Table A2. 1. Results of Curlew Survey .....................................................................................