Fauna and Flora before RW 7/10/07 13:14 Page 1 Chapter 23 Fauna and Flora before Rutland Water Mike Griffin Introduction The Rutland Natural History Society (RNHS) was formed by a small group of enthusiasts in February 1965 with William (Dusty) Miller as its first Chairman and Roy Hunter as Secretary. Thus, when the construction of Rutland Water was approved by Parliament in 1970, the RNHS realised the importance of undertaking a detailed survey of fauna and flora in that area of the Gwash Valley to be flooded, before it was lost for ever. The original proposal for a survey was made by Dr Erica Hutton who was a founder member of the RNHS and its Chairperson from 1974-77. It was recognised that the major influences on fauna and flora would be the earth-moving activities, especially in the vicinity of the dam and the main basin, the clearance of trees and hedges, the demolition of houses and other buildings and, finally, the rising water levels as the reservoir filled. The RNHS’s aim was to complete at least one full survey in advance of any of these activities. Over much of the reservoir area, this aim was achieved for birds, insects and plants. Further surveys continued where possible during the construction period. Vegetation clearance commenced in early autumn 1971 in the dam area close to Empingham, before any surveys began. However, this affected only a relatively small part of the total area covered by the reservoir project. The last areas to be cleared, in early 1974, were the east part of Barnsdale Wood and that part of Burley Wood along the diverted A606. Looking downstream from Normanton Bridge at Normanton Fishpond before clearance. Note Alder trees in the foreground on both sides (RNHS, 1981) – 499 – Fauna and Flora before RW 7/10/07 13:15 Page 2 Vegetation Clearance Programme Date Area Extent Autumn 1971 Dam area by Empingham Whole December 1971 to Mow Mires Spinney Whole January 1972 Cocked Hat Spinney Whole November 1972 to Hambleton Wood Part March 1973 March 1973 to Gibbet Lane area Whole August 1973 Armley Wood Part Normanton Fishpond Whole Brake Spinney Whole October 1973 Barnsdale Wood (Main) Part November 1973 Armley Wood Part Rushpit Wood Part along A606 diversion February 1974 Barnsdale Wood (East) Part Burley Wood Part along A606 diversion Looking downstream at Normanton Fishpond after clearance (RNHS, 1981) The reservoir took nearly five years to fill. The area flooded rose from ten acres in 1974 to 3,113 acres (1,260 hectares) in April 1979, when it was full for the first time. – 500 – Fauna and Flora before RW 7/10/07 13:16 Page 3 Vegetation clearance near Armley Wood (RNHS, 1981) View downstream of Bull Bridge in 1974 showing an early stage of flooding (RNHS, 1981) Eastern end of Barnsdale Wood prior to felling, with white stakes showing the future high water line (RNHS, 1981) – 501 – Fauna and Flora before RW 7/10/07 13:16 Page 4 Filling the Reservoir This table shows the approximate water level, the depth and the area covered at various dates from the start of construction until the reservoir was full. Water levels are given as heights above mean sea level, or more correctly, heights above Ordnance Datum (OD). Date Water level OD (metres) Water depth (metres) Area flooded (acres) 1971 (reservoir empty) 0 0 1974 53 1 10 1975 63 11 330 1976 68 16 720 1977 82 30 2,700 1979 84 (reservoir full) 32 3,113 The dam was closed on 6th February 1975 and the first time that water flooded over the spillway was in April 1979. The exact level at which water starts to flood over the spillway is 83.82m OD. (RNHS 1981, Map 2 & information provided by David Moore, Recreation & Access Manager, Anglian Water). The RNHS Survey started in autumn 1971 and continued until autumn 1976, focussing on mammals, birds, insects and plants. However, before the survey started, maps and record cards had to be prepared and permission had to be obtained from farmers for access to their land. Surveys were conducted over nine main areas of land based on parish boundaries. These The Gwash Valley extended from Normanton and Empingham parishes in the east to the survey area Gunthorpe and Burley parishes in the west. Individual fields were identified showing parish and numbered, for example N22 (Normanton) and G9 (Gunthorpe). As boundaries and work on the clearance of vegetation progressed, inevitably, individual field other key features boundaries became obscured. (RO) – 502 – Fauna and Flora before RW 7/10/07 13:17 Page 5 Record card from the bird survey for two fields just upstream of Bull Bridge (Philip Rudkin) The urgency to start the survey, the limited number of recorders and the enormity of the task meant that survey areas had to be prioritised. The main focus was on the rivers and river banks and ten yards into the fields border- ing the rivers, on fishponds and any marshy areas, on woods and spinneys, and on any undisturbed grassy banks. The Carnegie UK Trust gave a grant of £175 towards the cost of the RNHS Survey. Although not part of the RNHS Survey, a detailed record was made of the resident fish species when they were removed from fishponds, rivers and streams during 1974 (Moore 1982, 179-89). Thus, fish species will be cov- ered in this chapter, along with mammals, birds, insects and plants. Other species not included in the RNHS Survey were reptiles, amphibians, spiders, soil invertebrates, fungi, lichens, mosses and liverworts. The nomenclature used for some animal and plant species in the RNHS Survey Report (RNHS, 1981) has been superseded. Up-to-date nomencla- ture is used throughout this chapter. RNHS survey party standing on a footbridge over the River Gwash south- west of Brake Spinney, looking upstream. From left to right, Betty Eaton, Joan Levisohn and Dr Erica Hutton (Jim Levisohn ARPS) – 503 – Fauna and Flora before RW 7/10/07 13:17 Page 6 Mammals Mammals were recorded at fortnightly intervals from September 1972 to August 1976 along the River Gwash and in the fields bordering the river. However, a year earlier in September 1971, the RNHS was contacted by the Water Board and asked to help with Badger setts in Normanton Park due to be destroyed by earth-moving machinery. Using various Badger-friendly methods, the Badgers were persuaded to vacate their setts before the machinery was moved in. In 1971, RNHS members persuaded Badgers in Normanton Park to vacate their setts before they were destroyed by heavy machinery (Jim Eaton) During the five years of the survey led by George Sellars, 22 different species of mammal were recorded (RNHS 1981, 63-66). Rabbits, Brown Hares, Fallow Deer and Foxes were regularly recorded but not so frequent- ly as the Water Vole, sighted on 269 occasions. There were no striking increases or decreases in sightings over the survey period, with the exception of the Water Vole. Sightings dropped from 161 in 1972, to 28 in 1974, and to a mere 12 in 1976. The majority of the 269 sightings were along the main course of the River Gwash; only 16% were along the north arm of the river. The abundance of Water Voles along the River Gwash in 1972 is of partic- ular interest given the dramatic decline of this species since the 1970s. National surveys have shown that Water Voles have been lost from some 90% of the sites they inhabited 60 years ago. The decline has accelerated in the past 20 years and predation by the American Mink is thought to have eradicated many small populations of Water Vole, which is now listed in the UK Action Plan on Biodiversity. They have also been legally protected since 1998 when they were included on Schedule 5, Section 9 (4) a & b of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). Clearly, before the site was flooded, the River Gwash between Empingham and Gunthorpe provided an excellent habitat for Water Voles. Tim Appleton, manager of Rutland Water Nature Reserve, has confirmed that the current population of Water Voles in the Rutland Water Nature Reserve is at a very low level with only one or two sightings per year. Also, Linda Biddle, the RNHS mammal recorder, has confirmed occasional recent sightings along the North Brook which runs into the River Gwash at Empingham, about half a mile downstream from the Rutland Water dam. – 504 – Fauna and Flora before RW 7/10/07 13:18 Page 7 Mammals recorded during the Survey Species Total number of sightings Hedgehog 2 Mole 72 Common Shrew 4 Pygmy Shrew 4 Water Shrew 1 The Water Vole Noctule Bat 7 was the most Pipistrelle Bat 13 commonly 2 Long-eared Bat sighted Fox 115 mammal in the Stoat 19 RNHS Survey Weasel 26 (Wikipedia) Badger 72 Fallow Deer 128 Brown Hare 179 Rabbit 189 Grey Squirrel 79 Harvest Mouse 1 Wood Mouse 55 Common Rat 12 Bank Vole 21 Water Vole 269 Field Vole 31 Muntjac were not sighted during the five-year survey from September 1972 to August 1976. This species has now become relatively common (Biddle 1990, 33-36) and is regularly spotted around Rutland Water. Similarly, there was no record of Otters from the Survey but this species has remained absent or very scarce. However, in February 2007, a large male Otter was unfortunately killed crossing the A6003 where the River Gwash flows into Rutland Water by Sounding Bridge near Manton. This was only the second Otter seen around Rutland Water in 31 years.