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Countryman
Diary - November 2008
For me, the lapwing — or tewit as it is called in my part
of the Yorkshire Dales — will always be associated with
farmland and I often listen out for it on my country strolls.
It’s a bird that rarely visits gardens but I have heard
their playful ‘too-oo-witting’ while out on the hills.
Amber-listed as a bird of conservation concern, the lapwing
has shown significant declines in recent years, along with other
farmland birds. But results from a recent survey, carried out
by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), show a ray of hope.
As part of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, the Government set
the target of reversing the declines in farmland birds in England
by 2020, and certain agri-environment schemes (AES) have been
put in place.
Testing the effectiveness of fallow plots was one of the options
of these schemes, and the BTO launched the Lapwing in Plots Survey
(LiPS). The results from a total of 212 plots surveyed in the
West Midlands by BTO volunteers, and published in the latest
BTO News, showed that fallow plots are important for breeding
lapwings, but more importantly, the location of those plots within
the farmscape influenced the likelihood of lapwings using them.
A plot with an open aspect, away from woods, hedgerows and trees
is more likely to be used by lapwings, particularly when the
management of those plots promotes plenty of bare ground.
By considering the location of new plots within fields, the number
of lapwings using them could be increased, proving better value
for the AES and for the birds.
Dan Chamberlain, Research Ecologist at the BTO, explains:
“This study has highlighted the importance
of monitoring the success of the AES options. By creating the
right kind of plot in the best possible position within the
field, the lapwing occupancy rate could be increased significantly,
helping to reverse the declining numbers of this iconic farmland
bird.
“Other UK priority species that were
recorded on the plots were the red listed skylark and grey
partridge, and the amber listed yellowhammer and linnet.”
Meanwhile, the robin, Britain’s national bird, could be
about to be replaced if the latest results from the BTO’s
Garden BirdWatch survey are anything to go by. The woodpigeon
has now overtaken the robin in the top ten list of garden birds
for the first time since the survey began in 1995.
In 1995 the woodpigeon was at number eleven, being seen in sixty-six
per cent of all gardens that took part in the survey. The latest
list shows that it is now recorded from eighty-five per cent
of those gardens. It’s not just a case of there being fewer
robins —there are just as many being seen now as there
were in 1995. It is a case of a real increase in the numbers
of woodpigeons that now visit our gardens in search of food.
For some, woodpigeons bring a taste of the countryside into
the garden, while for others, it is a bird that has the capacity
to hoover up bird food in large quantities and is an unwelcome
visitor.
Paul Stancliffe of the BTO Garden BirdWatch team says: “Whether
you love them or hate them, woodpigeons are an increasingly common
sight in our gardens, and it might seem that you have little
choice when it comes to them using your garden.
“This isn’t quite true; woodpigeons come in search
of seed and have a real preference for the type of seed mixes
that are put out. Anything with a high cereal content will prove
to be very attractive to them.”
The BTO has put together a new information leaflet on woodpigeons
full of facts on their feeding habits. For your free copy, telephone
the BTO on 01842 750050 and ask for the Garden BirdWatch Team,
quoting ‘woodpigeon’, or write to GBW, The Nunnery,
Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU.
Volunteers wanted
Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) is appealing for volunteers to help
with a variety of tasks at one of its woodland reserves near
Chichester.
West Dean Woods is a working woodland within a private estate
and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Famous for its large colony of wild daffodils in springtime,
the wood is managed by the trust and access is restricted to
those working the coppice or making scientific research.
This forty-three-acre hazel coppice supports a variety of woodland
creatures including the dormouse, and in spring is covered in
carpets of woodland flowers including primroses, wood anemones,
bluebells and violets. Butterflies such as white admiral and
silver-washed fritillary also glide along the sunlit rides maintained
for access through the wood.
As winter approaches, Richard Ede, volunteer reserve manager
at West Dean Woods, would like to increase his team of volunteers,
to help with hazel coppicing and general woodland management.
During the coming months the hazel is coppiced by volunteers
in the traditional way and the hazel rods are sold to hurdle
makers and hedge layers. Wattle fence panels, bean sticks and
planters are just some of the items produced by the volunteers
in the past, demonstrating how a properly managed woodland can
benefit wildlife.
Volunteers meet on a Monday and Thursday between 9.30am and
3.30pm, and the site is situated about five miles north of Chichester
between West Dean and Chilgrove. Training is provided for new
volunteers, and men and women aged over eighteen are welcome.
Contact Richard Ede on 01243 773412.
Competition winners
Winners of our Countryside Live tickets competition were: Mrs
Langston, Hove; B Simpson, North Duffield; Mrs D Page, Harrogate;
Joan Bray, Waverton; Marion Christy, Melton Mowbray; J B Shooter,
Pateley Bridge; Mrs A D Luff, Queensbury; J Hutchings, Horsham;
Mrs D White, Whitley Bay.
Paul Jackson |
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