Upper Clun Community Wildlife Group Report 2020 Upper Clun Community Wildlife Group Report 2020 Contents INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………….... 1 Aims & Objectives .................................................................................................................................. 1 Area & Membership ................................................................................................................................ 1 Management Committee ........................................................................................................................ 1 Publicity ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Website .................................................................................................................................................... 2 Facebook Group ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Co-Operation With Farmers, Landowners & Other Organisations ................................................... 2 Activities & Surveys ............................................................................................................................... 3 Covering Other Types Of Wildlife ......................................................................................................... 3 Funding ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Constitution ............................................................................................................................................ 4 Other Community Wildlife Groups ....................................................................................................... 4 BIRD SURVEYS…………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 5 Participation and Coverage ........................................................................................................ 5 Lapwings ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Fieldwork Results ........................................................................................................................ 5 Local Extinction ........................................................................................................................... 5 Habitat requirements................................................................................................................... 5 Curlew Recovery Project ....................................................................................................................... 5 Fieldwork Results .......................................................................................................................... 6 Colour-ringing .............................................................................................................................. 8 Habitat Requirements and Population Decline ........................................................................ 8 Snipe ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Birds Of The “Wetlands” ..................................................................................................... 9 Survey Findings ........................................................................................................ 10 Red Kite .............................................................................................................................. 10 Kestrel Project ................................................................................................................... 10 Dippers ............................................................................................................................... 11 Nest Boxes For Woodland Birds ...................................................................................... 12 Barn Owls ........................................................................................................................... 12 Overview............................................................................................................................. 13 THE PLANT GROUP (The Wildlife Site And Botany Survey Group)……………………………..14 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 14 Surveys in 2020 .................................................................................................................. 15 Results and Findings ......................................................................................................... 15 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 16 Further Work ...................................................................................................................... 16 THE BUTTERFLY GROUP………………………………………………………………………………16 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 17 Safeguarding Habitat ......................................................................................................... 17 Wood White ........................................................................................................................ 17 A New Moth for Shropshire ............................................................................................... 18 Lepidoptera Records on iRecord ...................................................................................... 18 Future Plans ....................................................................................................................... 18 Volunteers Needed ............................................................................................................ 18 MAMMALS…………………………………………………………………………………………………..18 CO-OPERATION WITH FARMERS………………………………………………………………………18 CONSERVATION ACTION………………………………………………………………………………..18 Local (County) Wildlife Sites ............................................................................................. 19 HLS Agreements ................................................................................................................ 19 Countryside Stewardship .................................................................................................. 19 Clun Forest Farmers Facilitation Fund ............................................................................. 21 Future Agri-Environment Schemes .................................................................................. 22 Habitat Requirements for Target Species ........................................................................ 22 Habitat Management Leaflets ........................................................................................... 22 Surveying Wildlife Sites .................................................................................................... 22 River Catchment Management .......................................................................................... 23 Shropshire Hills Aonb Management Plan ........................................................................ 23 Conservation Action .......................................................................................................... 23 Curlew Action Plan, & The Sos “Save Our Curlews” Campaign .................................... 24 SOS Save our Curlews Campaign ........................................................................................... 25 Decline in the Upper Clun since 1985-90 ................................................................................ 25 Curlews and Pheasant Release ............................................................................................... 25 OTHER COMMUNITY WILDLIFE GROUPS ................................................................................ 26 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & DISTRIBUTION…………………………………………………………..27 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 27 The Report .......................................................................................................................... 29 References ......................................................................................................................... 29 Main recent references ............................................................................................................. 29 Other (less recent) references ................................................................................................. 29 Local Reports ............................................................................................................................. 30 References and fieldguides used by the Plant Group for survey work include:- ............... 30 APPENDICES ………………………………………………………………………………………………32 Appendix 1. Bird Survey Recording Instructions 2020………………………………...…32 i) Curlew and Lapwing………………………………………………………………………………32 ii) Other Target Bird Species, and Wetland Surveys…………………………………………..32