The RSPB

UK Headquarters

The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL

Tel: 01767 680551

Northern Ireland Headquarters

Belvoir Park Forest, Belfast BT8 7QT

Tel: 028 9049 1547

Scotland Headquarters

2 Lochside View, Edinburgh Park, Edinburgh EH12 9DH

Tel 0131 317 4104

Wales Headquarters

Sutherland House, Castlebridge, Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff CF11 9AB

Tel: 029 2035 3000

www.rspb.org.uk

The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the

problems that threaten our environment. Nature is amazing

– help us keep it that way.

As a charity, the RSPB is dependent on the goodwill and financial support

of people like you. Please visit www.rspb.org.uk/supporting or call

01767 680551 to find out more.

Front cover: Red-necked phalarope by Steve Knell (rspb-images.com)The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England & Walesno. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654 120-1639-11-12

I N T E R N A T I O N A LBirdLife

We belong to BirdLife International, the global

partnership of bird conservation organisations. RSPB RESERVES 2012

Abernethy

Vane Farm

Lochwinnoch

Rathlin

Belfast Lough Mersehead

Haweswater

Leighton Moss & Morecambe Bay Bempton Cliffs

Fairburn IngsBlacktoft Sands

VDearne alley – Old Moor and Bolton IngsSouth Stack Cliffs

Conwy

Freiston ShoreLake Vyrnwy

Ynys-hir Sandwell Valley

Minsmere

The Lodge

Rye Meads

Ramsey Island

Rainham Marshes

Dungeness

Radipole Lake

Arne

Titchwell Marsh

Mid Yare Valley

Lyth Valley

The Crannach

Dove Stone

Eastern Moors

Fetlar

Mousa

Sumburgh Head

North Hill

Mill Dam

Hobbister

Forsinard Flows

Culbin Sands

Loch Ruthven

Insh Marshes

Fowlsheugh

Loch of KinnordyGlenborrodale

Inversnaid

Loch Gruinart/Ardnave

The Oa

Lough Foyle

Portmore LoughLower Lough Erne Islands

Baron’s Haugh

Coquet IslandAilsa Craig

Hodbarrow

Marshside

Exe Estuary

Hayle Estuary

Mawddach Woodlands

Valley Wetlands

Marazion Marsh

Frampton Marsh

Ken-Dee Marshes

St Bees Head

Campfield Marsh

Mull of Galloway & Scar Rocks

Dee Estuary

Coombes & Churnet Valleys

Carngafallt

Gwenffrwd/Dinas

Cwm Clydach Nagshead Otmoor

FowlmereNorth Warren

Stour Estuary

ElmleyMarshes

Harty Marshes

Blean Woods

Cliffe Pools

Shorne Marshes

TudeleyWoods

Northward HillNor Marsh & Motney Hill

Havergate Island & Boyton Marshes

Wolves & Ramsey Woods

Farnham Heath

Fore WoodAdur Estuary

Langstone HarbourPilsey Island

Garston Wood

Lodmoor

Ham Wall

West Sedgemoor

Aylesbeare Common

HighnamWoods

Snettisham

Lakenheath FenOuse Washes

Berney Marshes & Breydon Water

Wood of Cree

Coll

Ardmore

Balranald

Loch of Strathbeg

Corrimony

Nigg and Udale Bays

HoyCottasgarth & Rendall Moss

Marwick Head

The Loons and Loch of BanksBirsay Moors Trumland

Onziebust

Troup Head

Grange Heath

Bracklesham Bay

Lewes Brooks

Broadwater Warren

South Essex Marshes

Fen Drayton Lakes

Saltholme

Wallasea Island

Newport Wetlands

Tay

Meikle Loch

Seasalter Levels

Lydden Valley

Labrador Bay

Langford Lowfields

Vallay

Great Bells Farm

Crook of Baldoon

Yell

Ramna Stacks & Gruney

Loch of Spiggie

Noup Cliffs

BrodgarCopinsay

Priest Island

Eileanan Dubha Ballinlaggan

The Reef

Oronsay

Smaull Farm

Horse Island

Aird’s Moss

Kirkconnell Merse

GeltsdaleLarne Lough Islands

Read’s Island

Tetney Marshes

Dingle Marshes

Nene Washes

Ouse Fen (Hanson-RSPB project)

Church Wood

Grassholm

Chapel Wood Greylake

WarehamMeadows

Brading Marshes

Pulborough Brooks and Amberley Wildbrooks

StoboroughHeath

Normanton Down

Barfold CopseIsley Marsh

Old Hall Marshes

The Skerries

Aghatirourke

Carlingford Lough Islands

Strangford Bay & Sandy Island

Inner ClydeFannyside

Skinflats

Inchmickery

Fidra

Edderton Sands

Fairy Glen

Eilean HoanLoch na Muilne

Colonsay

Hesketh Out Marsh

Malltraeth MarshMorfa Dinlle

Middleton Lakes

Beckingham Marshes

Sutton Fen

Winterbourne Downs

Snape

Dunnet Head

Broubster Leans

Bogside Flats

Durness

Locations of RSPB reservesFeatured reserves

1

RSPB Reserves 2012A review of our work

COMPILED BY MALCOLM AUSDEN AND JO GILBERT

ContentsOur vision 3

Introduction 5

Reserves and wildlife – a review of 2011 7Progress towards bird species targets 8Wildlife discoveries 12Land acquisition 14Condition of RSPB-managed SSSIs/ASSIs 15

Saving nature 17Re-introducing lost species to RSPB nature reserves 18Farming with nature 22Management of reedbeds for bitterns and other wildlife 24Lusty More island – restoration management for curlews in Fermanagh 28Our amazing Orkney reserves 32Meet some of our special species 36Increasing the breeding success of lowland wet grassland waders using predator exclusion fences 40Re-wetting Wolves Wood 44Managing coastal erosion – the Titchwell Coastal Change Project 46What future for our wintering geese? 50

Working in Partnership 55Reversing habitat loss at Dove Stone – from bare peat to a green recovery 56The Strathspey Wader Futurescape 60

Reserves and people – a review of 2011 65People on reserves in 2011 66Access to Nature – the South Essex People and Wildlife Programme 70Springwatch at Ynys-hir 74Nature Counts 78The economic benefits of nature reserves 82

Supporting partners around the world 87The Gola Rainforest: Sierra Leone’s first Rainforest National Park 88

Thank you to our supporters 92

2

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

Stone-curlews continue to increase on habitat created for themat Winterbourne Downs and Minsmere.

3RSPB RESERVES 2 012

Our visionOur vision is to help achieve a wildlife-rich future

by doubling the area of land managed as RSPB nature

reserves by 2030; protecting our most special places for

birds and all wildlife; and redressing past losses through

habitat restoration and creation.

Our reserves will be wonderful places, rich in wildlife,

where everyone can enjoy, learn about and be inspired

by the wealth of nature. Working with neighbouring

landowners, we will help enhance the quality of the

surrounding countryside through our Futurescapes

programme.

Increasingly, we will focus on restoring land of low

ecological interest to that of high quality. We set

challenging targets, but more is needed given the

size of the task facing all of us.

4 RSPB RESERVES 2 012

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

Our new nature reserve at Middleton Lakes – a place for people to connect with nature.

5I NTRODUCT ION

Over the centuries, humans have

altered our natural environment

beyond all recognition: woodlands

have been felled, heathlands

ploughed or afforested and

wetlands drained. And with these

changes, our collective memory of

what our natural environment was

like fades too. Each succeeding

generation tends to accept “their”

time as a baseline against which

further change is benchmarked.

As a conservation body, the RSPB’s

role can be captured quite simply as

trying to create a world richer in

wildlife, and wanting our children to

inherit the environment in a better state

than we found it. So we will protect the

best of our natural environment, but we

also want to restore what we have lost.

We conserve wildlife for its own sake,

and for our benefit, by providing

ecosystem services that we all

accept from the natural environment,

knowingly or not. These include clean

water, carbon storage, food, flood

defence and natural space to enjoy, to

name but a few.

During 2011, we were pleased to open

our new reserve at Middleton Lakes,

near Tamworth on the north-east edge

of the Birmingham conurbation. In this

area of wetland remodelled from old

gravel workings, we are putting

something back into an area which has

suffered huge ecological loss. Over

time, we hope that Middleton will

become a gateway site for people to

connect with nature; to enjoy, learn

and, on their return home, perhaps

commit to taking individual actions to

benefit nature.

Another site where we have been

restoring nature is at The Lodge – the

RSPB’s UK headquarters. The Lodge

protects remnant heath, once part of a

much larger sweep of heathland along

the Greensand Ridge of Bedfordshire

and Cambridgeshire. In recent years,

we have removed 44 hectares of

conifers and spread heather seed. It is

incredibly rewarding to see heather

steadily colonising the restored area.

The two sites are connected in

rather a special way. Middleton is an

important place in the ecological

history of Britain, as Middleton Hall

was home to Francis Willughby and

John Ray, who produced the first

truly scientific attempt at plant

classification. Ray’s Cambridge

Catalogue of plants, published in

1660 and researched whilst he was a

Fellow at Trinity College, describes

the botany of a now largely lost

landscape, including the Lower

Greensand ridge. He gives a vivid

insight into what we might aim for as

part of the restoration: for example,

shepherd’s cress Teesdalia

nudicaulis, found "in a sandy lay near

the windmills beyond Gamlingay

towards Sandy", is now only present

in a few small colonies. It would be

good to see its former abundance

restored. Lamb’s succory Arnoseris

minima, is now extinct and would

require reintroduction, probably to

areas of disturbed ground.

We now take the ability to identify

the plants and animals around us for

granted. But this obviously depends

on successive generations wanting

to learn how to identify plants and

animals, and having the right training

to do so.

We are clear that there are people

who wish to learn, and the creation

of identification guides, whether in

print or on-line, has done much to

support this. But the emphasis on

ecosystem processes, rather than

more traditional approaches to botany

and zoology, mean that access to

formal learning is declining. We have

been delighted to play a small role in

trying to address this skills gap

through "Nature Counts", a Heritage

Lottery Fund (HLF) supported project

under which we are supporting 12

ecologists over three years to work

with RSPB ecologists to develop their

taxonomic and identification skills,

focusing on more difficult, under-

recorded groups of species. We hope

the result will add to a new

generation of ecologists, better

equipped to help us understand and

contribute to the conservation of a

rapidly changing world, as well as

helping the RSPB to manage

reserves better in the short-term.

IntroductionSaving Nature

Martin HarperDirector of Conservation

Gwyn WilliamsHead of Reserves & Protected Areas

6

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

RSPB nature reserves support about 7% of the UK breeding population of hen harriers.

7RSPB RESERVES 2 012

There are several strategic aims within the RSPB’s Reserves

Conservation Strategy:

• We have set ambitious targets for key bird species: to

increase the populations of 15 species and maintain

population of 11 others.

• To ensure that wildlife thrives on our reserves, we aim

to maintain rare and scarce species of plants, fungi and

animals and to enhance numbers of some of the most

threatened species.

• We will continue to create important new habitats on

existing reserves and to acquire further land where this

helps us to conserve priority species and habitats.

• For those areas of reserves designated as Sites and Areas

of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs and ASSIs) where the

RSPB is responsible for delivery of Favourable Condition,

our aim is that all are classified as in Favourable

Condition or Unfavourable-Recovering Condition.

This chapter reports on progress made towards these aims

during 2011.

Reserves and wildlifea review of 2011

8 RESERVES AND W I LDL I F E – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

Progress towards bird species targets

We aim to maintain the populations of

11 key bird species at or above their

2005 levels on reserves. Ambitious

targets have been set to increase

populations of a further 15 key species

breeding on our reserves by 2012

(see table, page 11).

Figures for 2011 show mixed

progress, with populations of a

range of species declining on RSPB

nature reserves in 2011, probably for

a variety of reasons. Four species

are making good progress towards

achieving their ambitious increase

targets, and eleven species are

expected to maintain their existing

numbers on reserves. Seven

species appear unlikely to achieve

their existing targets on reserves,

with an additional two species

likely to fail to colonise, or

re-colonise, RSPB reserves. The

remaining two priority species are

not monitored regularly on RSPB

nature reserves.

Numbers of black grouse have almost doubled on RSPB nature reserves since 2005.

Species making good progresstowards achieving their 2012“increase” targetsFour species are currently on track to

achieve their 2012 increase targets:

bittern, black grouse, crane, and

stone-curlew.

Numbers of booming bitterns on

reserves continued to increase, with

our strategy of creating reedbed for

bitterns and other species away from

vulnerable coastal areas continuing to

pay off. The increase was particularly

pleasing, especially given the severity

of the previous winter. At Ham Wall

(see page 26), there were 10 booming

bitterns and seven nests (eight

boomers and eight nests in 2010).

At Lakenheath Fen, there were seven

boomers and seven or eight nests

(six boomers and five nests in 2010).

Black grouse also increased, despite

the winter conditions. At Geltsdale,

there were 45 lekking males. This

compares with 38 in 2010, and 18 in

2009. Numbers of lekking male black

grouse also increased from 10 to 19

at Lake Vyrnwy.

Cranes nested successfully at

Lakenheath Fen for the third year

running. There were two pairs and

these fledged one young. A pair of

cranes bred for the second year

running at the Nene Washes, and

again fledged one young. Of the 21

cranes released into the Somerset

Levels in 2011, 18 survived their first

winter. A further 17 have been

released in 2011, and these two age

groups are interacting well together.

Numbers of breeding stone-curlews

continued to increase at

Winterbourne Downs, and on the

acid grassland created at Minsmere.

There were 13 pairs of stone-

curlews breeding at these two sites

in 2011, compared with just two

pairs in 2005.

9RESERVES AND W I LDL I F E – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Species making good progresstowards achieving their 2012“maintain” targetsEleven priority species are expected

to achieve their 2012 Reserves

Conservation Strategy “maintain”

targets: Slavonian grebe, common

scoter, hen harrier, spotted crake,

corncrake, black-tailed godwit

(limosa race), whimbrel, woodlark,

chough and, on lowland wet

grassland, redshank and lapwing.

Some of these remain on track

overall, despite recent declines.

Slavonian grebes are maintaining

their numbers on the RSPB reserve

at Loch Ruthven, but have declined

on the rest of the loch. Numbers of

Slavonian grebes increased on the

loch as a whole in 2011. Slavonian

grebes had a good breeding season

at Loch Ruthven in 2011, raising 11

young on the whole loch. This bodes

well for 2012.

Numbers of lapwings, redshanks

and snipe breeding on our lowland

wet grassland reserves declined for

a second year running. Some of

these declines were probably at

least in part due to the dry weather

conditions in spring, and might also

be the result of a second hard

winter reducing overwinter survival.

Numbers of breeding black-tailed

godwits remained fairly stable at the

Nene Washes RSPB Reserve (43 in

2011, compared to 44 in 2010).

Efforts to maintain wet grassland-

breeding waders in the countryside

outside nature reserves, through our

Futurescapes programme, are

described on pages 60-63. These

contrast with the more extreme

interventions that are now having to

be used to maintain isolated core

breeding populations of lapwings in

areas where their numbers have

collapsed in the surrounding

countryside (pages 40-43).

Numbers of spotted crakes were

particularly low in 2011, but numbers

arriving in the UK are known to often

fluctuate greatly from year to year.

Total numbers of choughs breeding

on RSPB reserves have only

declined slightly since 2005, but

have shown a large decline at The

Oa, from seven pairs in 2006 to just

two in 2011 (but with another two

pairs nesting just off the reserve).

A key problem for these choughs is

low first year survival. A project is

underway to look at foraging and

food preferences during the post-

fledging period.

Mark H

amblin (rsp

b-images.co

m)

Common scoters breeding on RSPB reserves have remained fairly

stable since 2005.

10 RESERVES AND W I LDL I F E – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Ben Hall (rsp

b-images.co

m)

Dartford warblers declined on some RSPB nature

reserves in 2011, almost certainly due to the hard winter.

Species making unsatisfactoryprogress towards achievingtheir 2012 “maintain” targetsSeven species are currently not on

track to achieve their 2012 “maintain”

targets: snipe (on lowland wet

grassland), red-necked phalarope,

capercaillie, little tern, nightjar,

Dartford warbler and golden oriole.

An additional two species, cirl

bunting and black-necked grebe,

have failed to achieve our target of,

respectively, colonising and re-

colonising RSPB nature reserves

(although single pairs of black-necked

grebes have bred for single years at

three sites during the five years).

Numbers of male red-necked

phalaropes on the RSPB’s managed

mires on Fetlar remained the same

as in 2010 (eight males). This follows

two years of increases following the

clearance of existing pools, and

creation of new pools in these mires,

prior to the 2009 breeding season.

Numbers of returning males to the

UK are thought to be determined to a

large extent by off-site factors related

to conditions at sea in their (as yet

unknown) wintering grounds. Despite

this, we still need to maintain good

habitat conditions for them on our

nature reserves, so that returning

birds can breed successfully.

There were 40 lekking male

capercaillie at Abernethy, up from 31

last year. This increase follows good

productivity in 2010, when 23 chicks

were recorded from 25 hens.

Productivity was lower in 2011 (12

chicks recorded from 34 hens).

Little terns declined slightly on

RSPB nature reserves in 2011, and

productivity was generally low at their

main RSPB sites. This low productivity

was due principally to predation and/or

storms washing out nests. The long-

term prospects for little terns in the UK

appear poor, unless improvements to

their breeding sites can be made on a

large scale. This species has suffered a

long-term decline in Britain, explained

by low breeding productivity. Pressure

on breeding little terns is likely to

increase further, as a result of sea-level

rise, and possibly increases in

recreational use of coastal areas.

Numbers of Dartford warblers breeding

on RSPB reserves declined sharply in

2011, due to reductions in numbers at

Arne (from 52 pairs in 2010, to 17 pairs

in 2011) and Aylesbeare Common (from

13 pairs in 2010 to three pairs in 2011),

both no doubt caused by the prolonged

cold period during the previous winter.

Numbers of Dartford warblers remained

fairly stable at other RSPB sites.

The decline in numbers and likely

imminent extinction of breeding golden

orioles in the UK (Lakenheath Fen has

probably been their only regular

breeding site in the UK), mirrors their

decline on the near-Continent. There is

nothing to suggest that it is due to

changes in the extent or quality of

breeding habitat in the UK.

11RESERVES AND W I LDL I F E – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Steve K

nell (rsp

b-images.co

m)

Species 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012target

Slavonian grebe 2 2 3 4 4 2 3 2

Black-necked grebe 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 5

Bittern (booming males) 18 19 20 26 29 34 37 34

Common scoter 11 14 10 10 12 11 11 11

Hen harrier (nests)* 53 - - 43 56 47 48 59

Black grouse (lekking males) 104 151 189 174 141 169 195 170

Capercaillie (lekking males) 48 39 47 41 32 31 40 60

Spotted crake (calling males) 10 13 14 12 12 10 5 10

Corncrake (calling males) 242 266 294 240 289 246 245 330

Crane 0 0 1-2 2 2 3 3 3

Stone-curlew 7 7 6 10 12 17** 20** 20

Lapwing (on lowland wet grassland) 1,311 1,366 1,392 1,458 1,500 1,402 1,249 1,650

Snipe (drumming males on lowland wet grassland) 542 579 495 565 568 507 357 700

Black-tailed godwit race limosa 46 50 43 43 43 45 44 46

Whimbrel 10 - >8 8 - 8 - 10

Redshank (on lowland wet grassland) 1,070 1,128 1,180 1,196 1,192 1,178 1,057 1,300

Red-necked phalarope (males) 18 12 8 6 11 13 11 18

Little tern 191 127 137 113 122 122 106 191

Nightjar*** 71 75 68 65 59 63 60 71

Woodlark*** 38 51 53 50 50 33 33 38

Dartford warbler*** 139 108 c 125 c 147 c 85 100 59 165

Crested tit c 200 - - - - - - c 200

Golden oriole 2 2 3 2 2 0-1 0 4

Chough 31 34 37 34 33 32 29 40

Scottish crossbill (individuals) - - - 23 - - - -

Cirl bunting 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Note: Figures are pairs except where stated otherwise. * The original target has been revised because of changes in recording area at one of their key sites, Forsinard Flows.** Includes two females, which both laid in the same nest, and which we have counted as separate “pairs”.*** The original target has been revised because one of the sites at which they breed, Avon Heath, is no longer an RSPB reserve, and because of changesin recording at North Warren.

Populations of priority bird species on RSPB reserves present in 2005In some cases the population on the entire RSPB reserve network is higher than this, because birds on land acquired

since 2005 have not been included in this table.

Slavonian grebes enjoyed a good breeding season at Loch Ruthven in 2011,

but their status as a breeding species in the UK remains precarious.

12 RESERVES AND W I LDL I F E – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Wildlife discoveriesIn 2011, RSPB ecologists discovered

a population of the beetle Omophron

limbatum in a new area of East

Anglia. This is one of the rare beetles

found at the margins of pools at

Dungeness. For many years Rye

Harbour and Dungeness were long

thought to be the only British

localities for this species, but several

new sites were found in Breckland in

Norfolk and Suffolk in the first few

years of the 2000s. It seems that

Omophron limbatum has colonised

Britain at least twice, because the

beetles in East Anglia are darker and

more extensively marked than those

in Kent and Sussex. The beetles at

the new site match those from

Breckland, so they are likely to have

come from the same source.

One of the RSPB's Nature Counts

trainees (see page 78) made a very

unexpected discovery at South Stack

Cliffs. The beetle, Calosoma inquisitor,

known as the caterpillar-hunter, is

associated with ancient woodlands.

It is a scarce and spectacular beetle,

but it has been lost from a number

of its former sites. Colin Lucas found

one walking across the maritime

heathland at South Stack, several

kilometres from the nearest sizeable

wood. Calosoma inquisitor does not

seem to have been recorded from

Anglesey before; the nearest

locations in the provisional atlas of

ground beetles are on the Welsh

mainland. So if this was a wanderer

it was very lost indeed, but there is

the exciting possibility that there is

a resident population of Calosoma

inquisitor on Holy Island in a

heathland habitat. We shall look for

it again in 2012.

The trainees in Scotland, Clare

Rickerby and Ndurie Abah, found

a new colony of Orthotrichum

obtusifolium at Insh Marshes. This

rare moss is found on tree trunks

in eastern Scotland. It was lost from

England more than a hundred years

ago, but it has recently been found

in a few places in East Anglia, so it

might be recolonising.

Genetic analysis of tooth fungi from

Abernethy has confirmed two new

species for Britain. In 2010,

mycologists Martyn Ainsworth and

Alan Lucas collected some

specimens with the help of former

Discovery of a new site for the beetle Omophron limbatum

was one of the highlights of 2011.

Mark G

urney

13RESERVES AND W I LDL I F E – A REV I EW OF 2 011

One of the mystery tooth

fungi at Abernethy has

been identified as

Hydnellum cumulatum,

a new species for Britain.

Mark G

urney

site manager Stewart Taylor, who has

mapped the distribution of tooth

fungi at the reserve every autumn for

the last five years (see RSPB

Reserves 2009). The results of their

analysis of these confusing fungi

show that Hydnellum cumulatum and

Hydnellum gracilipes grow in several

places at Abernethy and in nearby

pinewoods. Several other collections

from Abernethy are still being

analysed, and they appear to include

some undescribed species, so there

should be more new records to

report in future.

In 2011 the BTO staff and the RSPB

staff challenged each other to find as

many species as possible on their

headquarters nature reserves. Here

at The Lodge we found and identified

2,025 species, of which more than a

third had not been recorded before.

Several species were added to the

county list, and among the additions

to the reserve list were 45 rare or

scarce species, including a new moth,

the square-spotted clay; a distinctive

dead-wood beetle Tomoxia

bucephala; and Theridion pinastri, a

handsome spider associated with

heaths and open woods.

Five-spot ladybird Coccinella

quinquepunctata is known from a

number of places in the Spey Valley.

Steve Wilkinson, a long-term volunteer

at Insh Marshes, set out to try to find

it on the reserve in April 2011. His

search was successful, and he added

this unusual ladybird, which lives

among river shingle, to the reserve

list. Also new to Insh Marshes, and to

Scotland, was the conformist, a

spring-flying moth found by Matthew

Deans and Paul Bryant. This extremely

rare species used to be resident in

South Wales, but it has recently been

recorded only as a vagrant in Britain.

Matthew and Paul also found Kentish

glory, Rannoch sprawler and sword-

grass on the reserve.

More than 15,200 native species have

now been found on RSPB reserves;

just under one third (32%) of all UK

land and freshwater wildlife. We look

after many threatened species, from

sand-dwelling beetles on the sea

shore to rare sedges on the top of

Cairn Gorm. You can help us by telling

reserve staff if you find anything

unusual when you visit our reserves.

14 RESERVES AND W I LDL I F E – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Land acquisitionDuring 2010/11, the Society acquired

8,446 hectares to add to its land

holding. This area comprised four new

nature reserves totalling 6,658 ha

(78.8% of the total) and the extension

of 13 reserves (21.2% of the total).

On 1 April 2011, the RSPB managed

141,833 ha at 211 reserves, of which

57% is owned, with the remainder

leased or under management

agreement. The new reserves were:

� Great Bells Farm, Isle of Sheppey,

Kent (lowland wet grassland

restoration in partnership with the

Environment Agency)

� Dove Stone, Greater Manchester

(upland heath in partnership with

United Utilities – see pages 56–59)

� Eastern Moors, Derbyshire (upland

heath and woodland in partnership

with the National Trust and Peak

District National Park)

� The Crannach, Deeside (upland

heath and Caledonian pinewood)

At Ouse Fen, Cambridgeshire, the

first transfer of land from Hanson to

the RSPB occurred and significant

extensions were added to Wallasea

Island, Essex; Dearne Valley, South

Yorkshire; Saltholme, Cleveland, and

at Forsinard Flows, Highland.

Our supportersIn 2010/11, we received £1,234,300 in

grants for land acquisition. A number

of these were from private donations,

particularly at Forsinard Flows,

Highlands, and Wallasea Island, Essex.

We are grateful to all our supporters –

a comprehensive list and

acknowledgement is published in the

RSPB 2010–11 Annual Review.

Ben Hall (rsp

b-images.co

m)

Our new nature reserve at Dove Stone in Greater Manchester,

managed in partnership with United Utilities.

15RESERVES AND W I LDL I F E – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Condition of RSPB-managed SSSIs and ASSIs

Almost three-quarters of the land

managed by the RSPB is designated

as SSSI/ASSI (Site/Area of Special

Scientific Interest), reflecting the high

value of the RSPB’s reserve network.

In England, 93.4% of the area of

SSSIs managed by the RSPB is in

Favourable Condition or Unfavourable-

Recovering Condition. Remedies have

been agreed with Natural England for

99.996% of the area of SSSI land

which is in Unfavourable Condition,

and for which the RSPB is

responsible for its management.

Chris G

omersall (rsp

b-images.co

m)

RSPB nature reserves support approximately 700,000 wintering and passage waders

and wildfowl, including large numbers of knots and dunlins.

We do not have recent data on the

condition of RSPB-managed SSSIs in

Scotland. As of April 2010 (for which

the most recent data are available), of

802 features assessed, 660 (82.3%)

were assessed as being in Favourable

or Unfavourable-Recovering Condition.

The 142 features assessed as being

in Unfavourable-Declining or

Unfavourable-No-Change include a

large number not in RSPB

management control. This reflects, in

particular, the large number of

breeding seabird SSSI and SPA

features on the RSPB’s reserve

holdings in Scotland, as well as a

more widespread attribution of

Unfavourable Condition of bird

features to influences with no

“on-site” remedy. Taking this into

account, 95% of the features for

which there are considered to be on-

site remedies are now in Favourable

Condition.

Information on the condition of

RSPB-managed units in Wales and

Northern Ireland is not available

from the statutory conservation

organisations.

16

Roseate tern

by Chris G

omersall an

d heath

fritillary by Jackie C

ooper (b

oth rsp

b-images.co

m). G

round beetle b

y Roy Anderso

n. Fen

orchid, an

t-lion and fungus by M

ark Gurney.

Just a few of the many fabulous species for which RSPB

nature reserves support a large proportion of their UK

population. Clockwise from top left: roseate tern, heath

fritillary, the ground beetle Badister meridionalis, fen orchid,

ant-lion, and the fungus Stereopsis vitellina.

17RSPB RESERVES 2 012

Saving natureAn amazing variety of birds, plants, animals and fungi depend on

RSPB nature reserves for their survival, particularly species with

small UK populations that have specialised requirements. Over the

last half century, RSPB reserves have played an important part in

preventing the extinction of several UK breeding birds, such as

marsh harriers and Dartford warblers, and have greatly aided the

recovery of others, such as bitterns, avocets and corncrakes.

Increasingly, we are managing habitats for other wildlife and are

focusing attention on rare and threatened species with important

populations on our reserves, and those threatened through loss of

habitat elsewhere.

18

Ellen

Rotheray

The RSPB’s role in reintroduction projects for birds is

widely recognised, but fewer people are aware of our

work translocating other animals and plants to our

reserves. As translocation of species has become more

widely regarded as a valuable tool for conservation, so

the number of translocation projects on RSPB nature

reserves has increased.

JANE SEARS, BIODIVERSITY PROJECTS OFFICER

Reintroducing lost species to RSPB nature reserves

The pine hoverfly is arguably

the most endangered hoverfly

in the UK.

19SAV ING NATURE

As long ago as the early 1980s,

natterjack toads were translocated to

The Lodge and Minsmere nature

reserves, and in the 1990s we

helped establish a silver-studded blue

colony at Aldingham Walks in Suffolk.

Now we are helping to secure the

future for some of the UK’s most

threatened species. By providing

continuity of suitable habitat

conditions, our reserves can help

maintain and enhance existing

populations of vulnerable species

that are confined to very few sites,

or help restore populations of

species that have gone extinct

in the UK.

We consider that reintroduction

should be used judiciously and

should never be a substitute for

conserving species through habitat

conservation at their existing sites,

or encouraging natural colonisation

of suitable alternative sites.

We recognise the opportunity that

habitat creation schemes provide to

restore species to their former

ranges, or to provide alternative sites

when their existing habitat is

threatened through changes, such as

sea level rise. All of our projects are

carried out in partnership with other

organisations, and proposals are

assessed against IUCN guidance.

The following three cases illustrate

our approach to wildlife translocation

projects.

Pine hoverfly – an unwillingcolonistThe pine hoverfly Blera fallax is

arguably the most endangered

hoverfly in the UK, having been

confined to just two Scottish native

pinewoods in Strathspey since the

1990s. It was previously known from

eight sites including the RSPB’s

Abernethy reserve, where it was last

recorded in 1982. The species is

saproxylic or “rot-loving”, requiring

wet decay in holes naturally found in

dead and decaying trees, or within

the stumps of trees cut for forestry.

It is thought to have declined due to

changes in forestry practices, and a

lack of over-mature, senescent or

dead trees in Scottish native

pinewoods.

Since 1999, the RSPB has been

working with Scottish Natural

Heritage (SNH) and the Malloch

Society to increase populations at the

two known sites, and to provide

suitable habitat at neighbouring sites,

including Abernethy, hoping that the

hoverfly would expand its range

naturally through dispersion. Having

studied the hoverfly’s ecological

requirements, we found that by

cutting slots in cut stumps and filling

them with wood chips, we could

increase the amount of breeding

habitat available (see photograph).

Although the population at one of the

sites increased, after five years none

of the neighbouring sites had been

colonised, so reintroduction was

considered necessary.

In 2007, the pine hoverfly was

included in SNH’s Species Action

Framework (SAF) with a target to

“achieve an increase in range to five

sites by 2012”. Captive breeding of a

saproxylic hoverfly had not been

attempted before, so a technique

was developed by Ellie Rotheray, a

PhD student at Stirling University.

Reintroductions to historic sites

commenced in 2009, with the first

Ellen

Rotheray

of three years of releases at

Rothiemurchus Estate, and then in

2010 and 2011 to the RSPB’s

Abernethy reserve. Each year at

Abernethy, through our “deadwood

creation programme”, a few plantation

pines will be felled and stumps cut to

provide continuity of habitat for the

hoverfly, and to benefit other species

too. After three years of releases,

larvae will be monitored annually in

the hope that a self-sustaining

population of the pine hoverfly will

become established.

Slots are cut into pine stumps to

provide extra breeding habitat for

pine hoverflies.

I. MacG

owan

The female pine

hoverfly has a

lighter tail than

the red-tailed male

(shown opposite).

20 SAV ING NATURE

emergency measures were called for,

so a programme of reintroductions

commenced, supported by Natural

England’s Species Recovery

Programme. Since then, populations

have been established at four sites

within the species’ historic range in

southern England, and there are

Rowan Edwards

Field cricket – new homes onrecreated heathlandIn the early 1990s the endangered

field cricket, Gryllus campestris, a

flightless “true cricket”, numbered

fewer than 100 individuals in the UK,

all present at one site in West Sussex.

With very limited dispersal powers,

ongoing reintroductions to several

others to increase connectivity

between the sites.

We are contributing to this programme

through heathland recreation work at

two of our reserves; Pulborough

Brooks in Sussex and Farnham Heath

in Surrey. By removing trees from the

former heathland, we are restoring the

type of conditions the field cricket

requires for burrowing and foraging:

warm, tussocky grasslands with light

soil and up to 50% bare ground. Field

cricket nymphs were released in 2010

and 2011, and adult calling males were

heard at both sites during 2011. Further

releases will be made to suitable

habitat in adjacent areas to extend the

occupied range at each site, and the

habitat will be managed to retain the

early successional conditions.

Jane Sears (R

SPB)

Male field crickets call from their “sun-beds” of warm bare ground.

Once released,the field cricketsquickly digburrows.

21SAV ING NATURE

Short-haired bumblebee –benefiting other declining beesRestoring species that have gone

extinct in a country is never easy,

especially when the life-cycle of the

source population is six months out of

sync with the season where it is being

re-introduced, and on the other side of

the world! That was the challenge

facing us when we joined with Natural

England, Bumblebee Conservation

Trust and Hymettus in an ambitious

programme to restore a native

population of the short-haired

bumblebee Bombus subterraneus to

the UK. Once widespread across the

south of England, occurring as far

north as Humberside, the short-haired

bumblebee suffered a major decline

from the 1960s onwards and was

declared extinct in the UK in 2000. Its

decline was almost certainly the result

of the loss of the species-rich

grassland on which it depends. It was

last recorded near the RSPB’s

Dungeness reserve in 1988, but a

population of UK origin survives in

New Zealand, where it was introduced

in 1895 to pollinate red clover.

The project has assisted in the

creation and restoration of more than

550 ha of flower-rich habitat within the

Dungeness and Romney Marsh area.

This includes 4 ha of arable reversion

on the RSPB’s Dungeness reserve,

which has benefited other declining

bumblebee species, such as the shrill

carder bee Bombus sylvarum and the

large garden bumblebee Bombus

ruderatus, recorded there for the first

time in 2010. Two attempts to captive

breed the bee in New Zealand were

unsuccessful, and a genetic study

suggested high levels of inbreeding.

The decision was therefore made to

source the bees from Sweden, rather

Nikki G

ammans

than attempt to return bees of UK

origin. Subject to satisfactory disease

screening, we anticipate the first

release of queen bees at the RSPB’s

Dungeness reserve in spring 2012.

In future, we anticipate an increasing

need for translocations as populations

become more threatened and

fragmented, and vulnerable to the

impacts of climate change. We need

to learn from past and current

experience, and develop the expertise

to ensure the greatest chances of

their success.

Nikki G

ammans

A farm day event to learn about bumblebees.

Short-haired bees are to return to the UK after an

absence of nearly 25 years.

If asked, most people will say that the RSPB’s

involvement in farming is confined to advising

farmers and landowners on the management of their

land for birds and other wildlife, or carrying out bird

surveys on their land. This is far from the truth,

however – yes, the advisory function is a big part of

our work, but the Society is also very much involved

with farming by letting land to farmers, and farming

on its own account alongside, and with, nature.

IAN BAKER, HEAD OF LAND AGENCY

Farming with nature

Many of our reserves, as here at West Sedgemoor, provide grazing for local farmers’ livestock.

Malco

lm Ausden

22

23SAV ING NATURE

The RSPB manages more than

140,000 ha of land for nature

conservation, a significant proportion

of which depends on agricultural

management, particularly grazing by

sheep and cattle. We carry out farming

at a large scale, working within the

boundaries of the EU Single Farm

Payment and agri-environment

schemes. Our farmed estate is varied,

and we take on different roles to suit

local circumstances.

We carry out in-hand farming,

involving managing our own livestock,

at a number of reserves where it

makes sense both economically

and ecologically. Practical farming

experience is therefore important

as it helps inform our approach

through agricultural policy to matters

such as Common Agricultural Policy

(CAP) reform.

We also let out large areas of land to

local graziers. Sometimes a

shepherding service is provided either

by skilled RSPB staff or local farmers.

This is the most cost-efficient way of

managing vegetation on reserves, and

avoids the Society investing in

livestock at a high capital cost.

To help tailor the sometimes unusual

demands of nature conservation with

commercial farming, the RSPB has

developed incentivised tenancies.

These offer a rebate from the agreed

rent upon delivery of features

beneficial for nature conservation.

These features can be a specified

grass height, or the application of

farmyard manure.

In 2011, there were 350 farmers with

640 agreements with the Society,

farming more than 23,000 ha on our

nature reserves across the UK.

Agreements vary from terms of one

grazing season to five year tenancies,

and are drawn up according to the

circumstances and needs of the

reserve. In all cases, we try to ensure

the farmer and the RSPB benefit from

the EU Single Farm Payment and

agri-environment schemes. Indeed

agri-environment grant is essential

to help support the costs of

management, especially in keeping

Natura 2000 sites in favourable

condition. This also requires the RSPB

to meet the rigorous requirements

of cross compliance (meeting certain

statutory and management

conditions) across all its reserves in

order to receive that money. Sites

and livestock are regularly inspected

by government agencies to ensure

these standards are met.

Latterly, the RSPB has become more

involved in the management of large

scale farming operations, for example

at Lake Vyrnwy for the last 15 years,

but more recently at Dove Stone, on

the moors in north west Derbyshire,

and at Haweswater, in the Lake

District. These schemes are managed

in conjunction with public utility

companies who have a legal

requirement to meet EU targets on

water quality at the lowest cost

commercially. The work at Dove Stone

is described on page 56.

Farming and Natura 2000 sites

In places, our farming activities

take place within, and are

essential to the management of

“Natura 2000” sites – Special

Protection Areas and Special

Areas of Conservation which are

the most important sites in

Europe for wildlife.

Within these areas, management

practices are required to maintain

(or where necessary to restore)

the value of the habitats that they

protect. The protection afforded to

these special places does not

prevent their ongoing agricultural

use. But it does ensure that these

special places are managed with

wildlife in mind, and provides a

focus for both partnerships and

funding to deliver innovative

agricultural management.

RSPB also carries out

large-scale, in-house

farming operations, such

as here at Loch Gruinart.

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

Management of reedbeds for bitternsand other wildlife

A view across the reedbed at Ham Wall towards Glastonbury Tor.

Although well known for their bird life, reedbeds also

support a wide variety of invertebrates, including rare and

specialised species dependent on reed. They also provide

important refuges for water voles from mink predation.

The RSPB is working closely with others to develop and

promote reedbed management for all of its special

wildlife interest.

MATT SELF, RESERVES ECOLOGIST; STEVE HUGHES, SITE MANAGER, HAM WALL;

JANE SEARS, BIODIVERSITY PROJECTS OFFICER

David

Kjaer (rsp

b-images.co

m)

24

25SAV ING NATURE

Reedbed is a rare habitat with only

an estimated 6,600 ha in the UK.

Since the RSPB leased its first

reedbed at Minsmere in 1947, we

have majored on restoring and

re-creating reedbeds and now

manage approximately 1,600 ha of

the habitat.

Much of the reedbed creation and

management has been led by the

requirements of bitterns. Despite

targeted management work through

the 1990s, bittern numbers declined

to a low of only 11 boomers at just

seven sites in 1997. This led to a

re-energised campaign of reedbed

restoration and re-creation with other

organisations and agencies, helped

by EC LIFE-Nature and informed by

detailed research work on the

behaviour and requirements of

bitterns. The results have been

favourable with an impressive

increase in bittern numbers.

Numbers of booming bitternsin 2011

The graph shows the increase in

numbers of booming bitterns since

the start of reedbed creation, at Ham

Wall in 1994, and at Lakenheath Fen

in 1996. These, and other reedbeds,

have been created to compensate for

the loss of coastal freshwater

reedbeds due to rising sea levels. Of

the 12 RSPB sites with bittern nests

in 2011, five (with 12 nests) are at risk

of imminent coastal flooding. Inland

reedbeds, such as at Ham Wall and

Lakenheath Fen, will become

increasingly important.

There were 10 booming

bitterns at Ham Wall in

2011, just one fewer than

the total number of

booming bitterns in the

whole of the UK in 1997.

Richard

Revels (rsp

b-images.co

m)

2

4

6

8

10

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Year

Nu

mb

er o

f b

oo

mer

s

Ham Wall

Lakenheath Fen

0

26 SAV ING NATURE

Creation and management ofreedbed at Ham WallOne of the key sites for bitterns is

Ham Wall. This was created from

former peat extraction areas in the

Somerset Levels, starting in 1994,

and is one of the best examples of

how a degraded industrial site can be

turned into good wildlife habitat. In

18 years, the site has expanded to

230 ha, of which at least 153 ha is a

diverse mix of reed, mixed swamp

and inundation communities, pools

and ditches.

Ham Wall was acquired in phases, as

peat extraction was completed in

each block of around 20 ha. The mix

of vertical banks and deep pools was

re-worked with diggers to create a

network of channels, open water

bodies and reed blocks. With deep

voids and relatively little material to

rework, most areas have more open

water and more deeply-flooded reed

than in a typical reedbed. This has

proved to be ideal fish habitat, and

the very wet reedbeds have turned

out to be very resistant to the

accumulation of litter and debris, and

the succession process. Rudd were

introduced to the site to increase

food availability, and they have

thrived. More recently, an eel pass

(provided by the Environment

Agency) has been installed to allow

access to the reedbeds from the

separate main drain nearby.

It is often difficult to keep up with the

scale of reed management at large

reedbed sites, and with the disposal

of arisings from reed cutting. Ham

Wall has managed particularly large

areas of reed, typically over 5 ha per

year, and has developed innovative

approaches to these problems. Much

of this has been tackled with a

specialised low ground pressure flail

harvester (based on a “Softrak”

platform), supplying “pods” which

turn cut reed into garden compost.

An alternative to this traditional cut-

and-remove process is also being

trialled at Ham Wall, aiming to

“rejuvenate” a block of reed by

lowering water levels, undertaking

an initial cut, then introducing hardy

cattle (Highlands) to the developing

grass sward. The first rejuvenated

block is due to be re-flooded in 2012.

Work at Ham Wall started in 1994,

but it took until 2003 for the first

booming bittern to be heard. No

nesting attempts took place until

2008, when there were two boomers

and two nests. Since then numbers

have increased greatly, to 10

boomers and seven nests in 2011.

Bringing Reedbeds to LifeAn understanding of reedbed design

and management for birds has been

developed over many years, but there

is less information on the

requirements of other wildlife.

Within the RSPB and Natural England

Steve H

ughes

The Softrak cutter in action, cutting and removing reed.

27S AV I N G N AT U R E

Matt S

elf

Reed re-growing in the rejuvenation areas following lowering of water levels and cutting.

The vigour of the re-growth is further reduced by grazing.

(NE) Bringing Reedbeds to Life

project, a range of taxa and their

microhabitats were surveyed in detail

at Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Hickling

Broad, NE’s Stodmarsh National

Nature Reserve (NNR) and the

RSPB’s Ham Wall reserve, to

improve our understanding of the

value of reedbeds and develop

suitable management

recommendations. The importance

of dry areas within reedbeds for

invertebrate diversity was

re-confirmed, but the value of wet,

early successional reedbed for

specialist invertebrates was also

demonstrated. Seasonally flooded

pools were important for common

frogs, and well vegetated ditches

were important for smooth newts.

Water voles and mink were found to

be co-existing at all the sites,

reinforcing the belief that reedbeds

provide refuges for water voles

from mink predation.

As a relatively new restoration site

on degraded peat excavations, it was

expected that Ham Wall would have a

poorer fauna than the mature and

long-established reedbeds at Hickling

Broad and Stodmarsh. However, a

respectable 552 species of

invertebrate were identified at Ham

Wall. This was similar to the numbers

recorded at the other sites. Numbers

of wetland specialists and reedbed

specialists (those dependent on reed,

reared from reed or only found in

reedbed habitats) were also similar at

the three sites. Seventeen Nationally

Rare or Nationally Scarce flies were

recorded at Ham Wall. Two are

classed as Vulnerable (the ornate

brigadier soldierfly Odontomyia ornata

and the hoverfly Sphaerophoria loewi)

and one Near-Threatened (the

dancefly Poecilobothrus ducalis),

together with eight UK BAP species

of moths. Ham Wall also supported

good numbers of common and marsh

frogs and smooth newts were

recorded even within pure reed.

All parts of the hydrological gradient

within reedbeds have biodiversity

and conservation value, and dynamic

management that maintains a range

of successional stages is key to

maintaining a high diversity of

wetland species. We have also

demonstrated the value of re-created

reedbeds for a range of species in

addition to bitterns. Combined with

an extensive programme of reedbed

auditing and the provision of advice,

it is hoped this work will result in

a coherent strategy for reedbed

conservation for the next decade.

Thanks to:

EC LIFE-Nature for funding reedbed

creation work, and to NE for

supporting the Bringing Reedbeds to

Life project, via the Countdown 2010

Biodiversity Action Fund.

28 RSPB RESERVES 2 01128

The Lower Lough Erne Islands Reserve in County Fermanagh

is the RSPB’s most westerly reserve and comprises 39 islands

in the UK’s third largest freshwater lake. It is home to an

important population of breeding waders, and targeted

management over the past 11 years has reversed declines in

breeding lapwings and redshanks. Work is currently

underway on the largest of the islands to benefit the

curlew, a species in rapid decline as a breeding bird

across the whole of Ireland.

BRAD ROBSON, FERMANAGH AREA MANAGER

Lusty More Island – restoration managementfor curlews in Fermanagh

The once widespread curlew is now confined to a smallnumber of islands and wetland sites in Fermanagh.

Steve R

ound (rsp

b-images.co

m)

29SAV ING NATURE

The curlew is familiar to many people,

having been a widespread breeding

species in both meadows and bogs.

However, this distinctive wader is in

serious trouble on its Irish breeding

grounds, both in the north and south.

In 2011, BirdWatch Ireland, the BirdLife

partner in the Republic of Ireland (ROI),

estimated the breeding population of

curlews in ROI to be fewer than 200

pairs. In Northern Ireland, the breeding

population was estimated at 5–6,000

pairs in 1986–87 (Partridge 1988). By

2000, this population had decreased

by 60% across both key breeding

wader sites and the countryside

outside these areas (Stanbury et al.

2000). Although there is not a more

recent estimate, evidence suggests

that the population is now at a critically

low level. The breeding population on

the reserve has declined from 57 pairs

in 1994 but has remained stable at

34–35 pairs since 2007.

Lusty More Island is, at 38 ha, the

largest island on the reserve, and the

most varied. More than 230 species

of vascular plant have been recorded

including cowbane and purging

buckthorn. The woodland is home to

several species of fungi found

nowhere else in Ireland; marsh

fritillary has been recorded and otters

are regularly seen along the shore. It

is owned by Fermanagh District

Council and the RSPB manages it in

partnership with a local farmer. It is a

wonderful example of a low input

grazing system benefiting a wide

variety of wildlife.

The open grassland of the interior is

hidden from the lough by an

encircling belt of oak and ash

woodland, making the meadows

unattractive to breeding lapwings and

redshanks. However, up to three

pairs of curlews and five pairs of

snipe have bred on the island for

many years. Curlew productivity has

been poor, with young only fledging

in two of the past 14 years of

monitoring. The dense woodland and

close proximity to a neighbouring

island, where foxes regularly take

© Crown Copyrig

ht, Lan

d and Pro

perty S

ervices,Licen

ce number 1548, M

ay 2012

The removal of field boundary trees and encroaching scrub will createa large open centre to the island suitable for breeding curlews and freefrom disturbance.

Ray K

ennedy (rsp

b-images.co

m)

Redshanks do not breed on Lusty More although targeted management onother reserve islands has increased the population from 23 to 52 pairs.

30 SAV ING NATURE

food handed out from a restaurant,

have hampered efforts at control.

An aerial photograph from 1969

shows the island at a time when the

then owner had cleared trees after

many years of abandonment, in an

attempt to revive the working farm.

However, this project ran into

difficulties and after the initial work it

was abandoned to a low level of

cattle grazing and consequently

scrub re-invaded the edges of the

meadows. In 2011, funds were

secured from SWARD through the

NI Rural Development Programme

2010 and, where appropriate, stumps

have been painted with glyphosate

immediately after felling to minimise

re-growth. All felling has been done

using chainsaws, with cut materials

stacked close to existing woodland,

removed or burnt where appropriate.

A 20-minute boat journey from the

mainland has added to the logistical

complexity of the operation; the

RSPB cot, usually used to transport

livestock, has been used to transport

machinery and materials.

With habitat restoration nearing

completion, the second phase of the

project will begin in August 2012. A

2 km solar-powered electric predator-

proof fence will be erected around

the meadows to exclude foxes. On

the reserve’s Rabbit Island, curlews

breed at a density of 1.2 pairs per

hectare. Lusty More is quite different

from that site but it is hoped that

following restoration, and in the

absence of fox predation, it could

support 10 pairs of breeding curlews

and an increased breeding snipe

population. If a productive population

becomes established, then young

curlews could repopulate some of

the other islands and mainland sites

around Lower Lough Erne, bringing

the bubbling sounds of spring to a

much wider audience once more.

Brad

Robson

Brad

Robson

We manage our Western Atlantic oakwoods for

pied flycatchers and other summer migrants.

The wet meadows with naturally undulating topography generate softground conditions and a large amount of invertebrate prey throughoutthe breeding season.

By 2010 nesting habitat for curlews andsnipe had deteriorated due to scrubencroachment and rush infestation.

Exposed limestone and shallow soilsat the eastern end of the island are richin vascular plants and invertebrates.

Brad Robson

and from Fermanagh District Council

to remove 2 ha of invasive alder, birch

and blackthorn scrub from the

island’s meadows, to flail a further 2

ha of bramble and gorse and to

remove 2 km of field boundary trees

to recreate nearly 20 ha of

unimpeded open meadows.

Work began in October 2011, with

local contractors flailing bramble and

gorse using low ground pressure

machinery to minimise the impact on

the sward and soils. The standing

trees were all injected with undiluted

glyphosate by reserve staff in autumn

31SAV ING NATURE

Brad

Robson

Low density cattle grazing fromApril to December creates suitableconditions for both nestingcurlews and a high diversity offlowering plants.

Thanks to:This project has been supported by

SWARD through the NI Rural

Development Programme, Fermanagh

District Council and the Northern

Ireland Environment Agency.

ReferencesPartridge JK. (1988). Breeding waders

in Northern Ireland. RSPB

Conservation Review 2:69-71.

Stanbury A, O’Brien M and Donaghy

A. (2000). Trends in breeding wader

populations in key areas within

Northern Ireland between 1986 and

2000. Irish Birds, 6, 513-526.

Orkney is a very special place, containing high densities of

breeding hen harriers, amazing seabird colonies and

archaeology, and still hosting good numbers of farmland

birds. In this article we describe some of the special

features of the birdlife of Orkney, and what we are doing

to help maintain its unique bird life – crucial for an area

where so many of the visitors come to enjoy the natural

environment.

ANDY KNIGHT, ORKNEY RESERVES MANAGER

Our amazing Orkney reserves

Numbers of hen harriers have recovered well, with RSPB nature reservescurrently holding a third of the Orkney population.

32

Mark H

amblin (rsp

b-images.co

m)

33S AV I N G N AT U R E

The RSPB manages 13 nature

reserves on Orkney, covering 8,439 ha.

The majority of their area comprises

upland heath and montane habitat,

together with smaller areas of

marginal and agriculturally improved

farmland, wetland and a range of

coastal habitats. Our nature reserves

contain 41 known archaeological

features, including six Scheduled

Ancient Monuments.

Management of the RSPB’s nature reserves on OrkneyAbout a third of the area of our nature reserves is open to grazing. Our reserves

support five common grazings, and 21 grazing lets. This arrangement provides

benefits to local farmers and contractors (see also the article on pages 22–23).

In terms of management of all of these habitats, there has been a general

move towards more of a landscape scale approach. It has become increasingly

important to incorporate management on nature reserves with advisory and

advocacy work outside reserves. Reserve boundaries blur more into the

countryside outside these days – this applies to management of moorland,

arable, farmland and wetland habitats. Management for corncrakes, waders and

songbirds is all combined into integrated farmland bird management.

For farmland and wetland habitats, agri-environment agreements have been

important in supporting grazing of hard to graze wader habitats, the use of

specialist cutting equipment, and delayed mowing for corncrakes.

0

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In ornithological terms, Orkney is

perhaps best known for its hen

harriers (as well as Eddie Balfour who

studied hen harriers on Orkney in the

1950s) and seabirds. Harrier numbers

declined from their 1970s heyday to

just 30 territories in the early 1990s.

This prompted an RSPB-sponsored

study into the causes of this decline.

The study linked the decline of hen

harriers to low availability of their main

prey, Orkney voles, in late winter and

early spring. This low food availability

was itself correlated with high

numbers of sheep, whose intensive

Numbers of hen harrier apparently occupied territories on the RSPB’s Orkney West

Mainland reserves

grazing reduced the area of ranker

grassland in which the voles live. Bad

weather in spring also has a negative

impact and accounted for annual

variations in productivity. A

combination of reserve management,

the Natura 2000 Hen Harrier Scheme

and agri-environment schemes

encouraging reduced sheep stocking

on hill land, has resulted in a stunning

recovery of hen harriers back to the

levels seen in the 1970s. In 2011, there

were 103 sites occupied by hen

harriers on Orkney, 37 of which were

on RSPB nature reserves.

The situation regarding seabirds

remains of high concern. For example,

34 SAV ING NATURE

numbers of seabirds at Marwick Head

have declined by 53% since Seabird

2000, and by a further 22% since

2006. The situation has vividly struck

home to fieldworkers, who now visit

productivity monitoring plots that no

longer have any birds in them. Despite

these declines, the seabird spectacles

at Noup Cliffs, Marwick Head and

Copinsay still remain impressive. The

spectacle at Noup Cliffs is heightened

by its burgeoning gannet population.

Gannets first bred in 2000 and there

are now 600 nests. Puffins, black

guillemots (tysties), great skuas and

red-throated divers have not suffered

the big declines or fluxes of the other

seabirds. Research is being carried out

to increase our understanding of

seabird feeding behaviour to help

identify the location of important

seabird feeding areas, and the

potential effects of marine renewable

energy developments (see boxes). �

Orkney is also becoming one of those

ever decreasing places where

farmland birds (perhaps still taken for

granted by us locally) are a feature for

visitors, with large numbers of

curlews, lapwings and skylarks, birds

once regarded as typical of many

areas of farmland on the mainland.

RSPB sites contribute significantly to

this, achieving wader densities of two

pairs per hectare on wetland habitats

such as at the Loons, and one pair per

hectare on farmland mosaic habitats

such as at Onziebust. Most reserve

wader populations have increased or

remained stable, but moorland-

breeding curlews are showing signs

of a decline. The reasons for this are

unclear, but we are focusing on

adjusting our grazing, cutting and

burning management to try to ensure

that we cater for their requirements.

Tracking bonxies on Hoy

The movements and foraging behaviour of great

skuas – also known as “bonxies” – are being

tracked on Hoy by Helen Wade, from North

Highland College – University of the Highlands and Islands. The aim of this

research is to increase our understanding of the potential effects of marine

renewable energy developments on this species.

Initial findings show that during the breeding season some individuals

undertake foraging trips of more than 1,300 km, travelling farther north than

the Faroe Islands. The average foraging trip, however, was 85 km, with birds

making trips to the Caithness coast and down to the Moray Firth.

Continuing FAME

FAME – Future of the Atlantic Marine Environment –

is a project to monitor and track seabirds across the

western seaboard of Europe, in order to help us

understand their feeding behaviour.

We had a really successful year tagging seabirds in Orkney in 2011. This

allowed us to see if the long journeys that some birds were making in 2010

were unusual. In 2011, some birds again travelled long distances to find

suitable feeding areas, as did their neighbours on Fair Isle.

Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Mark Sisson (rspb-images.com)

Movements of breeding razorbills from Orkney in 2010 (left) and 2011 (right).

Further details of FAME can be found in RSPB Reserves 2011 or at

www.rspb.org.uk/FAME.

35SAV ING NATURE

Thanks to:Tracking of bonxies

was funded by the

Marine Renewable

Energy and the

Environment

(MaREE) project,

European Regional

Development Fund,

Highlands and

Islands Enterprise,

Scottish Funding

Council, British Trust

for Ornithology

(BTO), Department

of Energy and

Climate Change

(DECC).

FAME is 65%

funded by the

European Regional

Development Fund

Atlantic Area

Transnational

Programme.

Orkney Reserve SnippetsHoy – 3,962 ha of mountain and moor, home to Britain’s

most northerly native woodland. A new (to Orkney) UKBAP

solitary bee species, the tormentil mining bee Andrena

tarsata was found this year, and has since been evaluated

as one of the largest aggregations now known in the UK.

Brodgar – surrounds the famous stone circle, the Ring of

Brodgar, part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World

Heritage Site. A great short walk with skylarks and

farmland waders for company. An easy place to see the

rare great yellow bumble bee in August.

The Loons – a great wetland with great views of wetland

birds all year round, brilliant for water rails in the early

Autumn.

Marwick and Noup – the classic seabird cities in the most

magnificent of seascapes.

RSPB nature reserves on Orkney

Mainland Moors (Birsay Moors, Hobbister and Rendall

Moss and Cottascarth) – for the best views of nesting

red-throated divers, and the core of the hen harrier

population.

Mill Dam – a jewel of a wetland, with our favourite hide

providing an almost aerial view over the reserve. Great at

any time of the year.

North Hill on Papa Westray – a coastal heath supporting

skuas and the enigmatic Scottish primrose.

Trumland – a hearty walk rewards with stunning views

across Orkney between ducking bonxies.

Onziebust – principally managed for corncrakes, this reserve

surprises most people with its abundance of farmland

waders, skylarks and botanically species-rich meadows.

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyrightand database right 2012.

RSPB nature reserves are home to more than 15,000 species.

Here are some of the rarest, found in only a few places in

Britain. From high mountain tops to coastal marshes, our

nature reserves are important refuges for these plants,

animals, and fungi. Some may be the last survivors from

ancient times, living archaeology that can tell us about our

past. Others may be the vanguard of lost species that are

trying to return. Although some seem always to have been

rare, others have now retreated to nature reserves as their

habitat has been lost from the countryside.

MARK GURNEY, RESERVES ECOLOGIST

Meet some of our special species

36

Tim Strudwick

The mason wasp Odynerus simillimus is a globally rare species found on RSPB nature reserves.

It catches weevil larvae and brings them down its chimney.

37SAV ING NATURE

From Scotland to theHimalayas with only one stopJoergensen’s notchwort

Anastrophyllum joergensenii lives

under heather on boulder covered

slopes at Abernethy. It is a rare

species, found at a few other places

in the Cairngorms and north-west

Scotland. Its nearest neighbours are

across the North Sea on a mountain

in the rugged Fjordlands of southern

Norway, but the only other

populations of this liverwort are

thousands of miles away in the

majestic peaks of the Himalayas.

Traveller in time or space?Issler's clubmoss Diphasiastrum

issleri is an enigma. It is of hybrid

origin, and while one of its ancestors,

Alpine clubmoss Diphasiastrum

alpinum is a common plant in the

uplands of Britain, the other,

Diphasiastrum complanatum, has

never been found here. How can two

plants that have never met leave their

progeny growing in a steep valley at

our Abernethy reserve in Scotland?

Perhaps fine spores have been

carried on the wind across the sea

from one of the areas where

Diphasiastrum issleri grows on the

continent with both its parents. Or

perhaps Diphasiastrum complanatum

once grew in Scotland but became

extinct as the climate and landscape

changed, leaving its genes in Issler's

clubmoss as a time capsule and the

only reminder that it was ever here.

Snake in the grassDespite its English name, viper's-

grass Scorzonera humilis is a

member of the daisy family, with

yellow flowers like a dandelion. Noel

Sandwith added this plant to the

British flora when he was only 12

years old, and he was rewarded with

a day off school to show the plant to

the doyen of British botany a couple

of years later. Viper's-grass still grows

in the field at our Wareham Meadows

reserve, which has the only large

population of this species in England.

Prior to our involvement, the meadow

had been neglected for many years,

but it is now mown and grazed to

provide suitable conditions for the

viper's-grass, which has even spread

out into some of the neighbouring

fields since the RSPB started

managing them.

Mark G

urney

Mark G

urney

Issler’s Clubmoss Diphasiastrum issleri : a living relic from prehistory?

Our nature reserve at Wareham Meadows supports the only large

colony of Viper's-grass in England.

38 SAV ING NATURE

Transatlantic survivorA few years ago, RSPB staff on the

Inner Hebrides found a northern

parula. This vagrant warbler from

North America lingered for five days,

but there is another American

species here that has stayed a lot

longer. Irish lady's-tresses Spiranthes

romanzoffiana is widespread in

Canada and the USA, but its only

appearances on this side of the

Atlantic are in Ireland and the west of

Britain. It is a plant of wet pastures in

the Hebrides, with populations on

RSPB reserves on Coll, Tiree, and

Islay. This orchid has been with us for

at least two hundred years, but it

sometimes seems to be almost as

transient as a vagrant bird, appearing

at a site for a few years and then not

being seen again.

Cherry stickerThe weevil Rhynchites auratus was

long thought extinct in Britain. The

eminent coleopterist Canon Fowler

wrote “I know of no record in recent

years” in the last volume of his work

on British and Irish beetles in 1891.

Nigel Cuming rediscovered this

striking weevil in Essex 165 years

after its last appearance in Britain. It

is now known from several sites

around Colchester, including our Old

Hall Marshes reserve, where it is one

of several scarce species associated

with blackthorn hedges. It lays its

eggs in the soft stone of unripe fruits,

including cherries and apricots in

warmer parts of the world, where it

has been called the “cherry sticker”.

Little Miss MuffetIt is not only nursery rhyme

characters who have a liking for

tuffets. One of Britain's rarest beetles

seems particularly fond of tufts of

Despite its name,

Irish Lady's-tresses is really

an American species.

Mark G

urney

39SAV ING NATURE

The weevil Rhynchites

auratus was feared

extinct in Britain.

grass on RSPB nature reserves. The

black-and-red Badister meridionalis is

found in only four or five locations

and two of these are RSPB reserves:

Otmoor and West Sedgemoor.

Studies commissioned by the RSPB

suggest that this ground beetle

spends the summer on bare mud

around the edges of seasonal pools,

and retreats to tussocks of grass in

the winter. Tussocks are important

over-wintering sites for many

invertebrates on our wet grassland

sites, as they provide shelter from

freezing temperatures and rising

water levels.

Something old, something newThe small dotted footman is one of

the rarest of the rare moths at Sutton

Fen. It was found in the Norfolk

Broads in 1961, and this is still the

only area where this moth breeds in

Britain. Many of the threatened

species at Sutton Fen are associated

with early stages of new growth after

reed has been cut, but some,

including small dotted footman, are

more associated with older reedbeds.

We are managing the reserve to

provide a range of habitats from open

water to wet woodland so that there

are suitable conditions for all the

special wildlife at this site.

Well-stocked larderRSPB reserves in eastern England are

proving to be good areas for the

mason wasp Odynerus simillimus. This

is an elusive insect, known in Britain

only from Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex,

and it is very rare in the rest of

Europe. The adult wasp hunts for

weevil larvae, which it paralyses and

brings back to its nest. The nest is a

burrow with a small chimney at its

entrance, and it can be stocked with a

dozen or so weevil larvae, which are

the food of the developing wasp

larvae. Suitable nesting sites are rare

in the wetland habitat of this wasp, so

we have created some banks for it at

one of our reserves.

The pretenderThe royal bolete is a suitable name for

Boletus regius, a stately mushroom

whose garish red caps set it apart

from the commoner species. We

used to think that the royal bolete was

found in a few places in southern

England, but close examination has

revealed an imposter: most of the

reports of Boletus regius in fact refer

to a look-alike species, Boletus

pseudoregius. This fungus has been

given the apt English name of the

pretender, like the Stuart princes who

claimed royal titles in the 1700s. The

pretender might not be the true royal

bolete, but it is still a rare and

beautiful species, and is one of the

many special fungi at Tudeley Woods.

A new hopeOne of the RSPB's wardens, Joan

Childs, spent a summer visiting

reserves and recording hoverflies. Her

most exciting find was Chrysotoxum

octomaculatum at Arne. This boldly

patterned species has always been

rare, and it has declined so much that

it was feared extinct in Britain. Joan's

records were a welcome sign that

there may still be hope for this

species, which seems to be

associated with dry heathland edges.

Cleaning out the drainsThe freshwater snail Valvata

macrostoma is found at four RSPB

reserves. It has declined in Britain and

is threatened in other European

countries too, so it is good to know

that it is still thriving at West

Sedgemoor. It likes shallow, unshaded

ditches, which are noted for their rich

mollusc fauna. These can become

shaded and choked with vegetation,

so to keep the ideal conditions for the

snails, we clear parts of the ditches

when they get overgrown.

Mark G

urney

On some areas of lowland wet grassland, there is strong

evidence that nest predation by foxes and some other

generalist mammalian predators is reducing lapwing

productivity to levels that are too low for them to maintain

a stable population. In this article, we describe the use of

fencing to increase breeding success of lapwings and other

lowland wet grassland waders.

GRAHAM HIRONS, CHIEF ECOLOGIST

Increasing the breeding success of lowlandwet grassland waders using predatorexclusion fences

40

George M

cCarthy (rsp

b-images.co

m)

Redshanks conceal their nests in long vegetation. We still have very little

information on nest survival and breeding productivity of redshanks.

41SAV ING NATURE

The problemLapwing, redshank and snipe were

formerly familiar and widespread

species in lowland England and Wales,

breeding commonly in areas of wet

grassland. Driven largely by habitat

loss and deterioration due to drainage

and agricultural intensification there

were large population declines in all

three species (lapwing 38%, snipe

61% and redshank 29%) between

surveys in 1982 and 2002 (Wilson et

al 2005). The declines were

accompanied by significant range

contractions and these species are

now confined mainly to relatively few

sites, the majority of which are nature

reserves or other protected areas

managed specifically to provide

suitable habitat for them. The

conservation of breeding wet

grassland waders in lowland Britain, at

least in the short term, will depend

upon the successful management of

the remaining important sites. This is

in contrast to large areas of northern

Britain where breeding waders remain

a feature of the countryside and there

is still hope that other conservation

mechanisms will help retain their

numbers and distribution.

Predation on nests and chicksEvidence from nest cameras show

that foxes are the most important

predator of lapwing nests at the

majority of lowland wet grasslands at

which predation has been studied (see

Ausden et al., 2009). Badgers and

hedgehogs can also be important nest

predators at some sites. On many

RSPB reserves predation reduces

lapwing productivity to below the level

needed for population maintenance

(0.6–0.8 chicks per pair). Experimental

studies have shown that reducing fox

abundance can increase the survival of

lapwing nests (eg Bolton et al 2007),

but it is difficult to maintain fox

densities low enough to achieve even

the minimum level of productivity

required (ie that sufficient to maintain

the population). Predator exclusion

fences offer the possibility of both

increasing productivity and reducing

the need for lethal control of foxes.

Predator exclusion fencesThere are 10 lowland wet grassland

reserves owned or managed by the

RSPB with predator exclusion fences.

The areas fenced range in size from

3.5–76 ha and comprise 6–100% of

the reserve’s wet grassland area. The

fences are designed to exclude foxes

and badgers but not stoats.

There are two distinct types of fences.

One is electric fencing (either

temporary or semi-permanent)

comprising alternate live and earth

wire strands at 5–10 cm intervals up to

the standard stock fence height of

1.1 m. Animals receive an electric

shock if they try to pass through the

fence. The other is a combination

fence that provides a physical barrier

against predators (8 cm mesh livestock

netting 1.25 m tall, buried 25 cm into

the ground) and gives them an electric

shock if they try to climb up or over it

via an offset electric wire at c 65 cm

above ground level, with two further

live wires at 10–20 cm intervals above

the fence. The main advantage of

electric strand fences is their lower

cost, typically £3.50 per m; their main

disadvantage is their higher

maintenance requirement and their

shorter lifespan (c 10 years).

Combination fences are far more

expensive (c £12–£15 per m), semi-

permanent structures but they have far

lower maintenance requirements than

electric fences because their lowest

electric wire is set higher off the

ground and is less vulnerable to being

shorted out by touching vegetation.

Their predicted lifespan is also much

longer (possibly more than 20 years).

Permanent fencing will restrict the

movement of other mammals,

particularly hares. One option is to

keep the electricity on all year, so that

predatory mammals do not become

accustomed to passing through it

without receiving a shock, but to leave

gates open outside the wader

breeding season so that mammals can

pass into and out of the fenced area.

Temporary electric fencing is the only

option where the fence cannot be left

out all year, for example in areas prone

to deep winter flooding.

How well do the fences work?The survival of lapwing nests to

hatching within fenced areas has been

on average 74%, more than double

that in unfenced areas. This is

considerably higher than the 45–50%

nest survival estimated to be required

to maintain a stable population of

lapwings (see Ausden et al 2009). This

high level of nest survival is particularly

encouraging, especially given that the

reserves chosen initially for fence

installation were those where lapwing

nest survival (and overall productivity)

had been consistently low. We do not

know the effects of anti-predator

fences on the survival of redshank or

snipe nests.

Grah

am White

The combination predatorexclusion fence at Otmoor.

42 S AV I N G N AT U R E

Once hatched, chicks still remain

vulnerable to predation, including by

raptors, especially in years when

alternative prey such as small

mammals are less abundant.

Furthermore, chicks can pass through

the fence into areas unprotected from

fox predation. However, lapwing

productivity increased from an average

of 0.2 chicks fledged per pair before, to

an average of 0.9 chicks fledged per

pair after fences had been installed,

even though at many sites only a

proportion of the suitable breeding

wader habitat was fenced (see box).

As lapwings require an annual

productivity of 0.6–0.8 fledged young

per pair to maintain their population,

this level of productivity on reserves

would allow lapwings to increase

and/or re-colonise other areas of

suitable habitat away from the reserve.

The futurePredator exclusion fencing is a cost-

effective means of reducing, but not

eliminating, predation; no type of

fencing will ever be 100% effective at

excluding foxes, badgers or

hedgehogs. However, the use of

predator exclusion fencing, sometimes

combined with fox control before the

wader breeding season, has proved

successful at increasing lapwing

productivity to levels higher than that

required to maintain a stable

population. This combination of

measures is also likely to benefit other

wader species.

The largest area so far enclosed by a

single fence on an RSPB reserve is

50 ha. Fencing larger areas would cost

less per unit area of land fenced, and

would enable more feeding habitat to

be enclosed within the fenced area.

These advantages should be set

against the practicalities of fencing

larger areas, and the increased

difficulty of removing any foxes that

do breach the fence.

The use of fencing is especially suited

to increasing the productivity of high

density, core breeding populations of

waders. In the short-term in lowland

Britain, fences are likely to play a vital

role in preventing breeding waders

from declining on the network of

reserves still supporting viable

populations and helping to increase

their productivity to levels enabling

birds to be exported to surrounding

areas of suitable habitat sustained by

agri-environment schemes.

ReferencesAusden, M, Bolton, M, Butcher, N,

Hoccom, DG, Smart, J & Williams, G.

(2009) Predation of breeding waders

on lowland wet grassland – is it a

problem? British Wildlife 21: 29-38.

Bolton, M, Tyler, G, Smith, K and

Bamford, R. (2007) The impact of

predator control on lapwing Vanellus

vanellus breeding success on wet

grassland nature reserves. Journal of

Applied Ecology 44: 534-544.

Wilson, AM, Vickery, JA, Langston,

RHW, Smallshire, D, Wotton, S and

Vanhinsbergh, D. (2005) Changes in

the numbers of breeding waders on

lowland wet grasslands in England

and Wales between 1982 and 2002.

Bird Study 52: 55-69.

Are fences cost effective?Assuming a 20 year lifespan for a combination fence and 10 year lifespan for a strand fence, the cost per year of fencing

50 ha would be £2,100 (at £15/m) and £1,300 (at £3.50/m) respectively without adding in the cost of routine maintenance.

The higher maintenance requirement for strand fences would probably mean that the annual costs are more similar.

Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that nest survival is higher within combination fences than strand fences

(Malpas et al in prep), so their cost effectiveness is probably roughly equivalent.

How does the cost of fencing compare with employing a marksman to shoot foxes at night? Assuming two sessions per

week for 18 weeks from mid-February to mid-June at a cost of £100 per session, the rough cost of controlling foxes over

a 250–300 ha of lowland wet grassland would be £3,600. However, at Berney in 2011, to achieve the same overall level of

lapwing productivity as the fenced sites (average 0.9 chicks per pair), required 51 night sessions from January to June at a

cost of £6,250 (assuming a cost of £35/hour). Therefore, even undertaking additional limited night shooting at sites with a

predator exclusion fence at a cost of c £1,200, the cost of a fencing regime to reduce the impacts of large mammal

predation would compare favourably with fox control based on shooting alone.

43SAV ING NATURE

The use of predator exclusionfencing at the RSPB’s Otmoor reserveLapwing numbers and productivity

remained low at Otmoor even after

the introduction of fox control in 2008.

In 2010, 14% of the wet grassland

area was enclosed by a predator

exclusion fence. Since then lapwing

productivity has been satisfactory and

numbers have increased over the

reserve as a whole. In the first spring

after the fence was erected many

lapwings laid their first clutches

outside the fenced area, but then re-

laid replacement clutches within the

fence after their first clutches were

predated. In 2011, a higher proportion

of lapwings laid their first clutches

within the fenced area. Even though

raptor predation on lapwing chicks

was observed in 2011, the overall

productivity of 1.45 chicks fledged per

pair would still be sufficient to allow

the lapwing population to increase

and eventually re-colonise suitable

habitat off the reserve managed

under agri-environment schemes.

Number of breeding lapwings at Otmoor

0

20

40

60

80

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011Year

Pop

ula

tio

n (

pai

rs)

100

Nigel B

lake (rspb-images.co

m)

Lapwing productivity at Otmoor

0.00.20.40.60.81.01.21.41.6

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011Year

Pro

du

ctiv

ity

(nu

mb

er o

f ch

icks

fle

dge

d p

er p

air)

Wolves Wood in Suffolk used to be a rather wet wood, but

it has been partially drained to help improve conditions for

removal of coppice products, and is also now surrounded

by drained arable land. In East Anglia, spring 2010 and

spring 2011 were both exceptionally dry, and the trend

towards drier conditions in spring and summer is projected

to continue as the climate warms. We are therefore now

blocking the artificial drains in Wolves Wood, to reduce this

additional pressure on the site's plants and animals.

MARK NOWERS, WARDEN, STOUR ESTUARY; MATT SELF, RESERVES ECOLOGIST;GRAHAM WHITE, SENIOR WETLANDS ECOLOGIST

Re-wetting Wolves Wood

44

Mark N

owers

One of the re-wetted ditches at Wolves Wood in May 2012.

45SAV ING NATURE

Wolves Wood is an ancient Suffolk

woodland RSPB reserve, which has

been well known for its nightingales

and other woodland wildlife, much of

which is linked with traditional coppice

management. The wood has an

impressive ground flora, including

herb paris and violet helleborine, and a

number of characteristic wet

woodland species.

The site is a 37 ha SSSI primary

ancient woodland, in existence since

at least the 12th Century, and has not

been completely cleared of trees in

recorded historical times (from around

1600 onwards). It has a long history of

management and exploitation, most

notably for coppice, the products

being used for early building work (the

body of the panels between timber

frames), and also fencing, basket

making, horticulture, and tool handles.

Demand for coppice products has

declined steadily over the 20th

Century, with the shift of workers to

cities and wartime losses, to the

extent that only small areas are now

managed this way, mostly by

conservation organisations. Coppice

management has been reinstated and

continued by the RSPB since the

wood was purchased in 1972, with

around 1.5 ha of the wood cut each

year, a total of 25 ha in the total cycle.

Despite the continuation of coppicing,

numbers of nightingales declined from

up to 23 pairs in the 1980s to fewer

than five from 2003 onwards. Other

birds in the wood have also declined:

song thrushes from peaks of more

than 40 in the early 1980s to fewer

than five now, and willow warbler

from 60 to almost none. It has been

suspected that the wood has been

drying out in summer, possibly

affecting the abundance of invertebrate

prey for some bird species. Work has

taken place recently to reverse the

drainage effects in the wood, with

encouraging early results.

The wood lies on the upper part of a

broad ridge, which historically would

have had poor drainage. This is often

the reason for the persistence of East

Anglian woodlands in an otherwise

intensively farmed landscape. Several

factors have probably contributed to

drying out of the woodland:

� In the past, a number of internal

drainage ditches have been created

to improve ground conditions

around the coppice coupes for

workers and carts. These ditches

have been maintained over the

years, and in more recent times

were even cleared out in an

attempt to retain surface water

features for the benefit of

invertebrates.

� The wood is surrounded by arable

land with a modern drainage

infrastructure, some of which

drains into a deepened perimeter

drain, which speeds water away

from the site.

� Deer browsing has opened up the

understorey, reduced regeneration,

and this has probably increased the

penetration of drying wind and

sun. A programme of culling has

been taking place to reduce this

pressure.

Initial work was undertaken in 2009–10

to assess the soils and drainage in the

wood. The ditches were surveyed to

determine gradient and cross section,

and their significance was graded red,

amber or green according to their

capacity to remove water from key

parts of the wood. This was used to

identify the most effective locations for

low dams in the ditches, aiming to

achieve the greatest drainage reversal

with the fewest bunds.

In autumn 2010, a mini-digger was

used to extract clay from shallow pits

close to the dam locations, but which

were not connected to the ditches, so

as to reduce the risk of deep seepage

into the chalk below. Sixteen dams

were installed, each of which

incorporated a 300 mm right-angle

bend overflow pipe set close the base.

The pipes serve the dual purpose of

allowing storm overflow without

overtopping the dams, which would

scour and erode, and enable ditches to

be drained as needed in areas where

coppicing may be carried out in future.

Vehicle access is important for efficient

coppice work, but can be difficult in

wet conditions. Around four dams

were installed per day, at a total cost

of approximately £2,500.

Initial observations in early 2011

suggested that the ditches were

holding water well, although

exceptionally dry conditions in late

winter and spring resulted in eventual

drying. Nightingales have increased

from three territories in 2010, to six in

2011, and nine in 2012. Monitoring

work will continue over the coming

seasons, and the results will guide

similar projects at other woodlands.

Liz Cutting

We hope that numbers ofnightingales will increasefollowing re-wetting of the wood.

Since 1973, the RSPB has been working hard to ensure

Titchwell Marsh remains an amazing place for wildlife.

In recognition of the richness of the site, it is designated as

an SSSI, and is part of the Natura 2000 network of sites,

protecting wildlife habitats across Europe. But since 1996,

the reserve has been under increasing pressure from

coastal erosion and the future of the freshwater habitats

was uncertain.

ROBERT COLEMAN, SENIOR SITES MANAGER – TITCHWELL AND SNETTISHAMRESERVES; HELEN DEAVIN, PROJECT MANAGER, EASTERN ENGLAND

Managing coastal erosion – the TitchwellCoastal Change Project

46

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

“Little bit more... little bit more... STOP... back a bit... back a bit...”

47SAV ING NATURE

The reserveBetween 1974 and 1982, Norman Sills,

the warden at Titchwell Marsh, built

new sea walls and added to existing

ones, to exclude seawater from

certain areas, whilst capturing the

fresh water from the abundant springs

which rise from the chalk to the south

of the reserve. Since then, these

freshwater and brackish habitats at

Titchwell Marsh have grown to

support significant populations of a

wide range of breeding, wintering and

passage bird species and there are

currently 1,557 species of animals and

plants recorded from the site. These

freshwater and brackish habitats also

now hold important populations of

breeding bitterns, avocets, marsh

harriers, bearded tits and ringed

plovers. Wintering species include

dark-bellied brent goose, pintail,

wigeon and a significant wader roost

which uses the islands on the brackish

lagoon during hide tides. Other

important wildlife includes nationally

important populations of water vole,

important assemblages of reedbed

moth species and internationally

important plant communities.

The problemOn 19 February 1996, a large surge

tide threatened to flood much of the

Norfolk coast. Titchwell was lucky and

escaped the worst of the flooding. It

was this event that caused concern

for the RSPB. Could Titchwell be

protected from the threat of salt

water inundation, or was the

recreation of reed beds further inland

the solution? The problem was

confirmed to be rapid coastal erosion

at the site. The overall loss in the

previous 65 years amounted to over

200 m (Figure 1).

If this erosion was allowed to

continue, the northern sea defence

would eventually fail, flooding the

freshwater habitats to the south and

destroying much of the special and

legally protected features of the site.

The solutionEarly in the planning process, a study

of coastal processes demonstrated

that the rapid erosion was shifting

westward. The understanding of the

natural processes gave confidence to

the decision of providing protection to

the key freshwater habitats, through

the construction of a new sea wall

and realignment of the brackish

marsh (Figure 2). To avoid disturbance

to breeding and wintering birds,

construction work was carried out for

three months each year (between

August and October), over a period of

three years.

Bearded tits rely on the freshwater habitats at

Titchwell for continued breeding success.

Andy Thompson

Figure 1: Coastal erosion between 1946 (left) and 2010 (right).

Crown copyrig

ht

Enviro

nment Agency 2010

48 SAV ING NATURE

Key features shown above:

1 – the grazing meadow (outside

SSSI but within the reserve)

Before the start of the project, this

was simply a damp grazing meadow.

In 2009, material was excavated from

here to build up the new sea

defences and the resultant hole has

been landscaped to provide an extra

2.2 ha of wet reedbed.

2 – the west bank

This bank protects the freshwater

marsh and reedbed from tidal flooding.

However, the bank was weak so, in

2010, we raised and strengthened the

bank, widening and resurfacing the

footpath in the process.

3 – the realignment area

Following the breach in 2011, the

brackish marsh will gradually return to

saltmarsh. The new saltmarsh will

provide protection for the new sea

defence and be great habitat for

wildlife.

4 – the new Parrinder wall

During 2009 and 2010, the existing

Parrinder wall was raised and

strengthened and the new wall is

now the northern sea defence. Much

of the material used to strengthen

the wall was excavated from the

grazing meadow along the southern

edge of the reserve (1). Finally a

bespoke wildlife viewing facility was

installed, with specially designed new

window openings.

5 – the north wall

This sea defence is coming under

increasing pressure as the dunes

erode southwards. It is already

showing signs of erosion. It was not

feasible to strengthen this wall and

we will let it erode naturally.

6 – the breach

In September 2011, a breach created

in the old sea wall, linking to an

existing tidal creek in the saltmarsh

east of the reserve, allowed the sea

into the brackish marsh. In time this

will revert to saltmarsh.

7 – the fresh marsh

Fresh marsh habitat was restored

and mitigation for the loss of

breeding avocets and roosting wader

habitat was created. A new water

control regime was enabled through

the installation of a new sluice on the

freshwater marsh.

The result

� Improved avocet breeding with a

record 80 pairs on newly created

islands within the fresh marsh.

� Continued successful breeding of

bitterns.

� Increased bird usage on the

Figure 2: Relative position of key features at Titchwell Marsh, 2010.

Mike Pag

e

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

49SAV ING NATURE

freshwater marsh following the

rehabilitation work.

� Better control of water levels for

vegetation control and bird usage.

� Improved public footpath path

access and viewing.

� 2.2 ha of new reedbed habitat

landscaped from the area of site

won material for seawall creation.

� New viewing facility within the

sea defence (Parrinder hide).

We have also provided some shingle

areas in the final year’s work, to

encourage little terns and ringed

plovers to breed. The development of

new saltmarsh should provide

breeding habitat for redshank, and

also provide protection for our new

sea wall.

In the mid-late nineties, there were

concerns that the future for

freshwater species at Titchwell would

Adam Rowlands

Figure 3: The breach took less than a day but changed the reserve forever.

be short. A combination of coastal

erosion and rising sea levels could

culminate in the inundation of the

reserve with saltwater, dramatically

changing its wildlife interest. The

Coastal Change Project has proven

that through adaptation and working

with natural processes we can secure

a positive future for some of our

coastal freshwater sites, and maintain

a great site for wildlife and people.

Thanks to:The EU LIFE + Nature Fund, WREN,

SITA Trust and the Marine

Communities Fund, for their

contributions to funding the project.

Thanks also to the Climate Proof

Areas partnership for funding towards

the hide, via the European Regional

Development Fund (ERDF) through

the Interreg IVB North Sea Region

Programme 2007–2013.

Skeins of geese stretching across a cold morning sky

provide some of the most evocative sights and sounds of

winter, and RSPB nature reserves are some of the very best

places to experience these. After decades of increase,

thanks to a range of conservation efforts, at least some

populations of Arctic-breeding geese and other wildfowl

now face a less certain future.

MALCOLM AUSDEN, PRINCIPAL ECOLOGIST

What future for our wintering geese?

50

David

Tipling (rsp

b-images.co

m)

Pink-footed geese arriving to roost at Snettisham, Norfolk.

51SAV ING NATURE

The increase in populations of most

of the Arctic breeding geese and of

many other species of wildfowl has

been one of the great conservation

success stories. Reduced hunting

pressure, provision of safe, legally-

protected roost sites and, for some

species, increased winter food, have

resulted in some dramatic recoveries

in the populations of many species.

RSPB and other nature reserves have

played an important role. In particular,

RSPB nature reserves in south-west

Scotland support a high proportion of

the world population of three types

of goose (see page 52).

In Scotland, Local Goose

Management Schemes have been

particularly successfully in reducing

conflicts between conservation and

the practical and economic interest of

farmers and crofters (see page 53).

Unfortunately, funding for these

schemes has recently been cut.

Numbers of European white-fronted

geese, Greenland white-fronted

geese, and dark-bellied brent geese

wintering in the UK have been

declining in recent years. The decline

in numbers of European white-fronts

is thought to be due to birds not

having to migrate as far west as the

UK to avoid harsh winter conditions

on the Continent. The reduction in

the UK wintering population of dark-

bellied brent geese since the early

1990s (from which there has since

been a slight recovery), coincided

with a decline in their entire world

population. This took place during a

sustained period of low breeding

productivity.

The breeding success of dark-bellied

brent geese and of a suite of other

Arctic-breeding birds is linked to the

cycling of lemming-dominated rodent

assemblages in the Arctic. When

rodent numbers are increasing, Arctic

foxes and other predators

concentrate on eating rodents, and

birds tend to have high breeding

productivity. When rodent numbers

are falling, predators feed more on

eggs and chicks, and birds tend to

have low breeding productivity.

Rodent cycling has largely ceased

around the Arctic, almost certainly

due to changes in winter weather

and snow conditions. The lack of

productive breeding seasons

experienced by some Arctic-breeding

birds might be at least in part due to

the lack of peak rodent years.

Other factors are thought to be

responsible for the steep decline in

the world population of Greenland

white-fronted geese between

1998–99 and 2006–07. The first is

shooting of Greenland white-fronts

on their staging areas in Iceland. The

second is increased competition on

their breeding grounds with Canada

geese, which expanded their

breeding range from Canada to West

Greenland in the late 1980s and early

1990s. A voluntary ban on shooting

Greenland white-fronted geese in

Iceland has been in place since 2006,

in response to this decline. The RSPB

will continue to work in partnership

to ensure that the conditions these

birds meet in their Scottish and Irish

wintering grounds are as optimal as

possible, ensuring that the population

is as robust as it can be to face

pressures elsewhere.

What does the future hold for these

and other wildfowl, which rely so

much on the UK’s network of

protected areas? A recent study

predicts that the UK will remain

climatically suitable to support large

numbers of wintering wildfowl,

although the species composition of

waterbirds at individual sites will

inevitably change (Pearce-Higgins et

al, 2011). It is therefore important that

we continue to maintain optimal

conditions inside and outside the

UK’s network of protected areas for

our internationally important

populations of wintering wildfowl, to

help maximise their overwinter

survival. As we have seen, it is also

important to maintain a network of

suitable sites for wildfowl and other

migratory waterbirds throughout their

entire migratory cycle.

Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

RSPB nature reserves

support a high

proportion of the world

populations of

Greenland and Svalbard

barnacle geese in

winter.

52 SAV ING NATURE

Destination South-west ScotlandSouth-west Scotland hosts populations of geese from a

wide arc around the Arctic, with RSPB nature reserves in

this region supporting a high proportion of the world

population of several races of goose. The summed

maximum counts of Svalbard barnacle geese at

Mersehead, Kirkonnell Merse, and Campfield Marsh on

the English side of the Solway, are equal to about 80%

of its world population. Loch Gruinart supports about

40% of the world population of Greenland barnacle

geese, with Coll, Oronsay and The Reef also hosting

significant numbers.

South-west Scotland also supports a large proportion of

the world population of Greenland white-fronted geese –

most of the world population winters on Islay and at

Wexford Slobs in Ireland. Loch Gruinart supports about

6% of the world population, with smaller numbers also

found at several other RSPB nature reserves, notably The

Reef and Ken-Dee Marshes.

The only regular wintering flock of taiga bean geese in

Scotland roosts at the RSPB’s Fannyside nature reserve.

The only other regular wintering flock of taiga bean geese

in the UK is at Mid Yare RSPB Reserve in Norfolk.

Crossing the Greenland Ice CapThe migration of Greenland white-fronted geese (shown

above) is particularly amazing. The barnacle and pink-

footed geese which visit the UK from Greenland all nest

on its eastern side. But Greenland white-fronts breed in

West Greenland. This means that the first migratory

journey of young Greenland white-fronts is a 600–700 km

crossing east across the foreboding 2,500 m high

Greenland Ice Cap. They then stage in Iceland, before

all moving on to winter in Britain and Ireland.

Greenland white-fronts have unusually long-lasting

family relationships. Flocks typically comprise extended

families, and offspring have been recorded spending up

to nine winters with one or more of their parents.

Greenland white-fronted geese

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

53SAV ING NATURE

Local Goose Management schemes in ScotlandPopulations of migratory and resident wild geese have increased over recent

decades. This, and an intensification of their use of agricultural land for feeding

– often in response to intensification of agricultural management – has led to

localised but sometimes serious conflict between geese and farming,

particularly in Scotland. Since the early 1990s, a Scottish national goose group,

chaired by Scottish Government officials and on which the RSPB sits, has

advised on the operation of Local Goose Management schemes in seven

locations across Scotland.

These schemes offer affected farmers payments to support management

techniques that alleviate the conflicts and facilitate scaring to protect crops.

Though maintaining a balance between the conservation interests of the

geese, the economic and practical interests of farmers and crofters, and

securing value for the public purse has been challenging and complex, overall

these schemes have been successful in alleviating tensions.

The RSPB’s nature reserves, for example at Loch of Strathbeg and Loch

Gruinart, provide refuge areas for the birds, and our advocacy seeks to

maintain the conservation status of the populations concerned. The schemes

were reviewed in 2011 and, in response to recession and budget deficit,

funding has been significantly reduced across schemes. We are active in

maintaining the schemes successes whilst keeping public expenditure focused

on areas where the highest conservation priority outcomes can be secured,

either through direct benefit to priority goose species such as the Greenland

white-fronted goose, or through protecting High Nature Value farming areas,

such as the machairs of the Uists and Tiree.

References Pearce-Higgins JW, Johnston A, Ausden

M, Dodd A, Newson SE, Ockendon N,

Thaxter CB, Bradbury RB, Jiguet F and

Thomas CD (2011). Final Report to the

Climate Change Impacts on Avian

Interests of Protected Area Networks

(CHAINSPAN) Steering Group. Defra Ref:

WC0750/CR0440.

RSPB reserves support about 36% of the UK’s wintering pink-footed geese.

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

54

Ian Hughes, D

ove Stone vo

lunteer

55RSPB RESERVES 2 012

Working in PartnershipOur management of nature reserves is made possible

through a large number of partnerships. These range from

partnerships with other conservation NGOs, statutory

bodies and private companies, to relationships with farming

tenants and local communities.

In recent years, we have developed bigger and bigger

partnerships, such as our joint nature reserve at Eastern

Moors, Greater Manchester with the National Trust, and our

work with United Utilities at Dove Stone in the Peak

District. Partnership working with statutory bodies such as

the Environment Agency has enabled us to add value to

habitat creation schemes, for example the creation of

reedbed at Snape in Suffolk, and of intertidal habitat at

Medmerry in Sussex.

56 RSPB RESERVES 2 01156

In 2010, the RSPB formed a new partnership with United

Utilities at Dove Stone in the Peak District, which builds

on the earlier work of the Sustainable Catchment

Management Project. Improving water quality, carbon

stewardship and biodiversity are key objectives of a

landscape-scale approach to habitat restoration. In this

article we will look at some of the early signs of changes

in water quality and ask how two of the blanket bog’s key

birds, golden plover and dunlin, are responding to changes

at Dove Stone.

ED LAWRANCE, UNITED UTILITIES WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION OFFICER;

DAVE O’HARA, PEAK DISTRICT SITE MANAGER, DOVE STONE

Reversing habitat loss at Dove Stone – frombare peat to a green recovery

Bare peat at Dove Stone December 2007, with heather brash about to be spread.

Andy Kelvin

, CPP Caven

dish Press

57WORK ING IN PARTNERSH I P

The uplands of Britain provide more

than 70% of our drinking water, one of

a suite of vital eco-system services,

including carbon storage and

sequestration. In Northern England,

United Utilities, working with the

RSPB, has implemented The

Sustainable Catchment Management

Project (SCaMP) over a number of

upland water catchments. In the Peak

District, an innovative programme of

conservation management has

included water table restoration and re-

vegetation work on some of the most

damaged blanket bogs in the UK.

Blanket bog – a globally rarehabitatBlanket bog is an internationally rare

habitat; the estimated 23,000 sq km

in the UK representing around 15%

of the global area. Around 9.5% of

the UK’s land area is dominated by

blanket/raised mire, reflecting the

climatic suitability of our uplands for

blanket bog development. Blanket

bogs form the largest areas of semi-

natural habitat found in the UK.

Blanket bogs of the SouthPennines and Peak District – astory of historic degradation Extensive bare peat and eroding

moorland is the legacy of two

centuries of pollution from the

industrial north-west, compounded by

inappropriate vegetation burning and

sheep grazing. The desolate bleakness

of the higher areas of the Peak District

blanket bogs is legend, particularly for

areas such as Black Hill at Dove Stone

that are crossed by the Pennine Way.

Many Pennine Way walkers, most

notably Wainwright, commented on

the gloom of these eroding peatlands.

Contrast this with healthy peatlands; a

subtle richness of green, red and

orange Sphagnum mosses and home

to fascinating flora such as the

carnivorous sundew.

Sphagnum, two species growing together on bog…

The same view as on the opposite page, in June 2010.

Ed Law

rance

58 WORK ING IN PARTNERSH I P

Restoration managementThe ongoing landscape-scale

restoration is happening on a

breathtaking scale; hundreds of

hectares of once bare peat have been

successfully re-vegetated by the

application of heather brash, grass

seed, and a programme of lime and

fertiliser application. Grazing has been

reduced or excluded to allow

vegetation recovery. Thousands of

heather bale or stone gully blocks

have been installed to help reverse

processes of erosion and raise water

tables. We are also starting to develop

techniques for re-introducing

Sphagnum mosses – the building

blocks of blanket peat.

Monitoring the effects onwater quality United Utilities’ main priority is the

quality of raw water coming off the

catchment, and the influence of

catchment management on water

quality. Therefore, at the start of the

SCaMP programme they employed

Penny Anderson Associates to

monitor key changes in hydrology and

vegetation. Of most concern from

these eroded Peak District bogs is

Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) and

Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC).

DOC is particularly expensive to treat

and monitoring changes in the

‘colour’ of water running off the peat

has been a focus for the hydrology

monitoring. Other measurements

include stream discharge, water table,

rainfall and temperature.

The first reports were published in

Spring 2010 and can be found at

http://www.unitedutilities.com/Document

s/scamp4.pdf. Early results show a

small but significant reduction in POC

after the re-vegetation work,

indicating a reduced loss of carbon

from the land. There was also a small

rise in water table within the peat

body. However, there has been no

statistically significant reduction in

DOC as yet. We expected the water

quality response to the land

management changes to be slow

within these systems. Therefore the

monitoring is being continued until

2015 and more reports will be made

available on the United Utilities

website.

Golden plover and dunlin –population change of two keywaders There has been a comprehensive

programme of moorland bird

monitoring over the period of

restoration, including a 12 sq km

moorland sample, initially surveyed

every second year and now annually.

Despite a drop in 2011, since 2005

there has been a moderate increase

in golden plovers. Dunlin have shown

a steady increase (see graph).

Whilst a range of factors might be

involved, such as winter mortality

and wider population changes, it is

likely that these birds will have

benefited from the early stages of

vegetation recovery, higher water

tables and increased surface

wetness. Cranefly (Tipulid)

emergences are the key food supply

for growing wader chicks on blanket

bog, with one species, Tipula

subnodicornis, often accounting for

75% of the above-ground

invertebrate biomass. Research has

shown that re-vegetated ground

retains moisture and wetter peat

supports higher Tipulid numbers.

With re-vegetation combined with

the water table restoration projects,

there has been a clear increase in

wet peat on site. Just as importantly,

restoration of the water table

increases the resilience of both the

peatland and the Tipulid populations

to periods of summer drought.

A more detailed, three-year monitoring

trial is underway to assess golden

plover productivity, following the

progress of individual pairs. The first

year of this saw 10 monitored pairs of

golden plovers all fledge young

The challenge for the futureActive blanket bog with Sphagnum

mosses forming new peat is our long-

term aim. Innovative methods for the

introduction of Sphagnum are being

trialled currently. Detailed monitoring

will allow us to understand how water

quality and key bird populations

respond to this recovery in the

moorland ecosystem.

Laurie Campbell (rspb-im

ages.com)

Restoration should eventually lead

to re-establishment of Sphagnum

mosses and accumulation of peat.

59WORK ING IN PARTNERSH I P

Chris G

omersall (rsp

b-images.co

m)

The graph shows the sum of the

maximum number of golden

plovers and dunlins recorded in

each of 12 1 sq km survey plots.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2005 2007 2009 2010 2011

Year

Max

imu

m n

um

ber

of

ind

ivid

ual

s re

cord

ed

Golden plover

Dunlin

To hear the haunting calls of peewits, curlews and

redshanks on a May morning has become a rare thing in

most parts of modern Britain. Their decline has been one

of the most serious in bird conservation over the last 40

years. In many parts of England and Wales, this experience

can now only be found on managed nature reserves. But in

some parts of Scotland, these birds are still widespread

and part of the farmed landscape. The question is, how to

keep it that way?

PETE MAYHEW, SENIOR CONSERVATION MANAGER, NORTH SCOTLAND;

KAREN SUTCLIFFE, SITE MANAGER, INSH MARSHES;

BRIDGET ENGLAND, ADVISORY OFFICER, NORTH SCOTLAND

The Strathspey Wader Futurescape

Strathspey still supports good numbers of breeding snipe.

60

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

61WORK ING IN PARTNERSH I P

Waders in StrathspeyThe importance of Strathspey in

Northern Scotland for breeding

waders was only fully recognised in

2000, when the first co-ordinated

survey of the whole area was

undertaken. This survey covered

approximately 50 sites over an area

of 9,000 ha along 130 km of the

River Spey and its tributaries. The

findings surprised even those who

had set up the survey – there were

some 3,000 pairs of breeding

waders. Of these, 2,700 pairs were

associated with farmland (lapwings,

snipe, curlews, redshanks and

oystercatchers). Strathspey was the

most important area for breeding

waders on the mainland of the UK.

Why is it so good?Several factors combine to provide

superb conditions for large numbers

of breeding waders: the extensive

semi-natural floodplain system

stretching over 130 km; the fairly low

intensity mixed farming system,

which has created a mosaic of

habitats, including grazed and mown

grasslands, wetlands and cropped

fields; and the cool climate with a

short and late growing season, which

means intensification seen within

other farming systems in the south is

limited in Strathspey. In particular,

low temperatures in spring delay

grass growth, enabling waders such

as lapwings to fledge chicks before

silage is harvested in July/August.

However, subsequent surveys in 2005

and 2010 showed that the wader

populations were seriously declining.

Between 2000 and 2005, numbers fell

by a deeply worrying 27%, with a

further decline of 19% between 2005

and 2010. Lapwings and redshanks

have fared worst, while oystercatchers

and curlews have been more stable.

Snipe, surprisingly, have shown an

increase over the last five years. The

cause of these declines is not fully

understood, but probably involves

recent changes in farming regimes

and, possibly predation in some areas.

Reserves at the heartAt the heart of the wader population

are two RSPB reserves, Insh

Marshes and Ballinlaggan. These two

wetland sites currently support 350

pairs of waders. In the same way

that the wider Strathspey population

has undergone declines, so has the

reserve population, although at 12%

over the last 10 years the declines

are far less severe. The management

regimes have remained relatively

unchanged over the same period.

Water levels cannot be controlled due

to the natural flooding regime, but in

a normal year the site is relatively

wet throughout the breeding season.

Site staff have been increasing the

stocking levels through an

incentivisation scheme which is run

with our five graziers. Over the last

five years, this has resulted in more

livestock on site, which, along with

topping with a flail and the use of a

specialist Softrak machine for cutting

very wet areas, has lead to improved

sward conditions for waders across

the site. Removal of 15 ha of scrub

has also created more suitable areas

for nesting waders.

The FuturescapeThe fact that a quarter of the wader

population in Strathspey is on nature

reserves could result in one of two

approaches to wader conservation. The

first would be to focus all of our effort

into maintaining good conditions for

waders on these nature reserves. The

second, which we favour, takes the

view that if we do not look after the

wider population, then the reserve

population may continue declining as

well. The RSPB believes that wildlife-

rich habitat should be accessible to

people in the countryside, and not just

confined to nature reserves. These are

the principles behind the RSPB’s

Futurescapes projects, running

throughout the UK. They define a

wider area of countryside, often

surrounding a nature reserve or

designated site, where conservation

work can be targeted to help create

more resilient populations of

threatened species. But what is the

most effective way to go about

conserving this wider population?

We felt that a combination of very

targeted advice, with follow-up

monitoring, along with assistance into

the Scottish Rural Development

John Bridges (rsp

b-images.co

m)

We hope to halt the decline ofbreeding lapwings in the Futurescape.

62 WORK ING IN PARTNERSH I P

RSPB

Partnership with farmersThe partnership is, in part, informed

by a management agreement the

RSPB had entered into at Balliefurth

Farm near Nethybridge. This

partnership has enabled the RSPB to

support the work a local farmer

carries out for waders. Alistair

Maclennan’s family has been farming

at Balliefurth for 50 years, and his

farm supports one of the largest

populations of lapwings and

redshanks in Strathspey. Conservation

work is at the heart of his farming

operations, and Alistair has

demonstrated that economically

viable farming is possible alongside

managing land for waders. So, the job

was to transfer Alistair’s experience to

other farms in Strathspey.

First, we had to ensure that farmers

were aware of the issues, so a fair bit

of time went into raising the profile

of the Strathspey waders and the

threats to them. This was not just

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Oyste

rcat

cher

Lapwin

gSnip

e

Curlew

Redsh

ank

Species

Nu

mb

er o

f p

airs

2000

2005

2010

Programme (SRDP – the agri-

environment scheme in Scotland)

might provide the right combination to

deliver good wader management. The

model was a bit like lots of “light

touch” nature reserves on a grand

scale. The wardens are the farmers,

but they need money and sound

advice that doesn’t just come and go.

So in early 2009 we set up the

Strathspey Wetlands and Waders

Initiative (SWWI). This is a

partnership between the RSPB,

Scottish Natural Heritage,

Cairngorms National Park Authority,

Scottish Agricultural College,

independent advisors and Strathspey

farmers. All signed up to the principal

aim of safeguarding the wetland

habitats, and halting the decline of

the wader population.

An aerial view across Insh Marshes toward Loch Insh.

Changes in numbers of waders

breeding on farmland in Strathspey

between 2000 and 2010

63WO R K I N G I N PA RT N E R S H I P

about the farmers. Agency staff who

make decisions on SRDP applications

also had to be brought up to speed

on these issues. Deciding where to

start work was a combination of

finding open doors, but also targeting

where the best wader populations

remained. Encouraging waders to re-

expand into previously occupied

areas will be for another stage of the

project. The key part of the project is

getting to know the farmer, how he

or she manages their land, where the

waders are on his or her land, and

how they are best safeguarded.

One of the key outputs of survey work

is that every land manager involved

The boundary of the Strathspey Wader Futurescape

receives a feedback leaflet, and a farm

visit to discuss positive wader

management. Once a plan is agreed, it

can be converted into an application to

the SRDP. This is a skilled job as the

system is not simple. Due to the

partnership approach, we have had a

high success rate in SRDP

applications. To date, 46 applications

covering 2,250 ha have been

submitted. The SWWI has also

received funding to purchase topping

equipment for free loan to farmers,

and is investigating other land

management delivery mechanisms.

In addition to delivering positive land

management through SRDP, the

SWWI is investigating a variety of

research options. These include

assessing the effect of predation and

of control of generalist predators on

productivity of breeding waders,

investigating overwintering survival of

waders, and researching historical

changes in land management and their

likely effects on breeding waders.

We do not know yet whether the

recent declines can be halted, and

widespread wader populations can

be retained in Strathspey. But the

level of support for the project from

all quarters really does make this

objective seem achievable.

64

Elean

or Bentall (rsp

b-images.co

m)

64

65RSPB RESERVES 2 012

Reserves and peoplea review of 2011The growth of the RSPB nature reserve network and the

appeal of the reserves to visitors go hand in hand. As we

have increased the land that we have taken into conservation

management we have, at the same time, extended the

opportunity for people to visit our reserves. Inspired by their

visit, many people go on to provide the moral, financial and

voluntary support necessary to acquire and manage new sites

– a virtuous circle which is good for both people and wildlife.

By 2012, we want to extend opportunities for people to be

connected with nature – our nature reserves will represent

the best manifestation of this ideal, welcoming

2.2 million visits per year.

Our aim is that on leaving an RSPB reserve, visitors will feel

they have had a special and enjoyable time. We want them to

have a high quality experience, in which they have connected

with birds, other wildlife and the natural environment, and

consequently feel more committed to their conservation.

Our progress towards these objectives during 2011 is

reported in the following chapter.

People on reserves in 2011I joined the RSPB at Radipole, at seven years old,

whilst on holiday in Weymouth. By the time I was a

teenager, I’d been to many national parks and almost

every part of the English and Welsh coastlines on

family holidays. My interest in wildlife was sparked

by these early visits to RSPB nature reserves. Our

reserves remain as important now as they did then

in exciting today’s children, who, like me, hold a

lifetime interest waiting to be ignited.

BRYAN BLAND, HEAD OF PEOPLE ENGAGEMENT

66

Jesper M

attias (rspb-images.co

m)

Even traditional favourites, such as pond dipping, provide children

with a chance to experience nature directly, in a way that will

stay with them for the rest of their lives.

67RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Dee developmentsBurton Mere Wetlands, on the Dee

Estuary between England and Wales,

is a unique landscape with newly-

restored reedbeds, fenland and

farmland. A new reception hide,

“wader scrape”, trails, car park and

toilets have brought this fabulous

reserve’s visitor facilities right up to

scratch.

Saltholme sensationsSaltholme on Teesside has been a hit

with people and birds from the start:

five years on, a special “Welly Season”

series of events attracted more

families and people new to birds and

wildlife watching, giving the nature

reserve even greater people-appeal.

Play and learn at FairburnFairburn Ings is a long-established

reserve but with a bit of time, money,

effort and imagination even old

favourites can be freshened up.

Themed wildlife play structures, a

large swing and a bug hotel have

gone down really well with families.

Dove Stone Dove Stone is the northern gateway

to the Peak District National Park.

Walking, climbing, running, playing,

cycling and even sailing: if you're into

adrenalin-pumping activity or simply

want to chill out surrounded by

amazing wildlife, streams, waterfalls

and woodland, then Dove Stone is a

must. We had a live interpretation

day to train teenagers in live

interpretation techniques, as part of

their community outreach project.

Middleton Lakes opensAfter four years converting 160 ha of

quarry pits and surrounding land into

a fantastic wetland, the new

67

Balancing noisy enjoyment

with potential disturbance is

usually quite simple: and to see

children enjoying our nature

reserves is a great bonus.

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

Our superb reserve at Saltholme continues toprovide great and accessible wildlife in an area ofpast environmental damage and deprivation.

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

68 RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Vane FarmWe're turning this into a bigger,

better, flatter, wetter reserve. A

refurbished visitor centre and an

improved network of paths help give

better access to its wildlife. The name

has changed to Loch Leven, to help

put us on the tourism map for this

part of Scotland.

Baron’s HaughVolunteers made a big difference,

helping to remove invasive non-native

plants such as Japanese knotweed,

Himalayan balsam and rhododendron,

which had been smothering out

native wildlife and damaging river

banks. With money from Scottish

Natural Heritage and the Community

Volunteer Fund (through Central

Scotland Forest Trust) we recruited

28 volunteers between April and

October, and trained them to use

specialised equipment.

Uwe Stoneman & Vicky Tu

rnbull

Work at Vane Farm has included

some heavy engineering: expensive

and radical, but well worth it for the

improved experience for visitors.

Middleton Lakes reserve opened in

2011. Three viewing platforms, a

viewing screen and an innovative

natural play meadow, offering children

the chance to explore nature in an

unrestrained, hands-on manner, make

the reserve a great place for people

of all ages and experience.

Minsmere magic Minsmere in Suffolk is one of the

RSPB’s premier nature reserves for

watching wildlife and enjoying the

countryside. It has been a long-term

aspiration to widen the appeal of the

reserve to new visitors and in

particular families. In 2011, after five

years of planning, the reserve was

successful in various funding

applications and grants, enabling an

exciting programme of work to begin

in late 2011. The 33-year old Island

Mere hide has been replaced with a

more spacious and accessible hide.

At the visitor centre, a new reception

area allows more space to welcome

visitors. An exciting new Wild Zone

and Wildwood Adventure area allows

families and school children to enjoy

and explore Minsmere, with a range

of structures and spaces to

encourage outdoor play and nature

discovery. This is teamed with a new,

purpose built Discovery Centre.

Children can explore an

artificial sand martin

bank in the Wild Zone

at Minsmere.

Ian Barth

orpe

69RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Crook of BaldoonAt this, our newest south-west

Scotland reserve warden, Paul Tarling

set up a series of walks for visitors

and local people throughout the year,

mostly at high tides to see the best

wildlife spectacle. Volunteers help

Paul at the reserve, and at our new

osprey project in the nearby Wigtown

County Building.

Mull of GallowayAs with many reserves, the Mull of

Galloway saw fewer visitors in 2011 but

the visitor centre was overhauled

during the last two seasons, with

completely new interpretation and

information. This has been extremely

well received, particularly by families,

who now stay longer, talk more to our

staff and enjoy the new nature table, a

display showing the diving depths of

seabirds, a floor map, bird microphones

and a life-size gannet model.

Adam Rowlands

Families and school groups can

learn about Minsmere while

having fun in the Wild Zone.

On the boardwalkIn Northern Ireland, we have a splendid

new, easily accessible boardwalk at

Portmore Lough. This helps everyone

get to the wetland area and hide to see

the breeding wading birds and wintering

wildfowl. A fabulous viewing platform

has been installed, too, giving amazing

panoramic views of the reserve.

Girlguiding Cymru on reserves in WalesRSPB Cymru celebrated its centenary in

2011. As part of the celebrations a

partnership was formed with Girlguiding

Cymru. Guides across Wales took part in

special centenary projects such as

“Operation Tawny Owl”, aimed to get all

members of Girlguiding Cymru to enjoy a

visit to an RSPB reserve, to take part in

activities, learn about wildlife and get

experience of conservation work. This

included vast numbers of guides camping

overnight on RSPB Cymru reserves!

Richard Bosworth

Brownies watching wildlife at Newport

Wetlands National Nature Reserve.

70

Access to Nature – the South Essex Peopleand Wildlife ProgrammeEssex – the very word can conjure up dramatically

different images in people’s minds. For you, is Essex

the home of the Lakeside Shopping Centre, Boy Racers

and Essex Girl jokes? Or is it the county that inspired

JA Baker’s The Peregrine, with a wild and beautiful

coastline rich in birds?

STEVE ROWLAND, PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGER, EASTERN ENGLAND;

KATE BLINCOE, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, EASTERN ENGLAND

Hannah Chisholm

A Wildlife Explorer enjoying being outside in South Essex!

71RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Essex is certainly heavily populated

with its fair share of social

challenges. The South Essex Marshes

sit within the RSPB’s Greater Thames

Futurescape, which covers more than

1,000 square km. With the creation

of a suite of reserves, we are

transforming the area and a

landscape that was previously

inaccessible has been opened up for

people to discover and enjoy.

The South Essex People and Wildlife

Programme aims to put the local

community back in touch with its

landscape and wildlife. It is the largest

urban community outreach project the

RSPB has ever undertaken.

Of course, it is undeniably

impressive that we have so far made

contact with more than 100,000

people from all kinds of backgrounds

and age ranges. However, what is

really worth shouting about is the

way this has provided not just

fleeting moments of contact, but

genuine improvement in the quality

of many lives.

How have we done this? Well,

money always helps and the

extensive package of funding

awarded to the project has given us

the freedom to be innovative. The

project is supported by £500,000

from Natural England through Access

to Nature (as part of the BIG Lottery

Fund’s Changing Spaces

Programme), and also by £239,168 of

European funding (from the Interreg

IVA 2 Seas cross border programme).

Not forgetting the vital 10% match

funding from our members.

Hannah Chisholm

Warden Days offer teenagers a chance to learn practicalskills, out on the reserve. We are oversubscribed andcurrently taking bookings two months ahead.

Hannah Chisholm

Tiff with Little Owls (under 5’s club). They meet twice a monthand Tiff, a group leader, plans and leads themed sessions.

72 RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW OF 2 011

We wanted to provide more

opportunities for local people to learn

about the natural environment and

gain new skills. We set out to

develop a programme of lifelong

learning benefiting 670 adults and

4,600 children over the period of the

project. We’ve exceeded those

targets already.

Children have been an integral part of

this work. We quickly realised that

just because we are here, it doesn’t

mean families will simply start

visiting our fantastic reserves. We

have needed to take our message to

young people. Here are two

examples of how we’ve done it.

Little Owls This popular preschool club has seen

the children getting hands on; they’ve

learnt about farming and have grown

their own vegetables in our wildlife

garden. Nearby woodland has provided

a magical setting for story time,

making musical instruments and

playing hide-and-seek.

Youth Nature OfficersWe’ve employed five local teenagers a

year in just the sort of job many of us

would have dreamed of. They have the

task of attracting more young people

to the RSPB by planning, promoting

and running their own events. They are

currently working on a mini fringe

festival called “Step Up”.

Volunteering has seen exciting results,

too. It is here that we can truly

demonstrate the profound effect this

programme has had on people. I could

give you many examples, but the one

that moved me most was the story of

Tiff and Elliott, her brother.

When we first met Tiff, she had little

belief in her own abilities and she

was unemployed. Having dedicated

herself to caring for others she had

never had the chance to pursue a

career she truly wanted.

Tiff clearly had a real aptitude for

inspiring children and we were keen

to work with her to develop this.

Thanks to our funding we were able

to help Tiff achieve her Forest Schools

Level Three exam, the equivalent of

an A Level qualification. Tiff now

volunteers for us in many capacities,

including as a field teacher. As she

told us, “Volunteering has really, really

changed my life and now I am helping

to change other people’s. It has

tested my bravery but empowered

me. It’s amazing.”

Elliott is blind. Initially very shy, he has

blossomed through the opportunities

and support we have given. Elliott now

helps to lead wildlife walks, picking out

birds by their songs and calls, and he

also writes our volunteers’ newsletter

assisted by voice recognition software.

Now, with the increased confidence

and self esteem that volunteering has

given him, he has taken the plunge

and moved into his own flat.

The RSPB is doing some truly creative,

adventurous and meaningful stuff in

South Essex. Local communities are

learning the value of the habitats on

their doorstep, and we are improving

lives. This is conservation at its most

exciting and sustainable.

Tiff in a tree doing her Forest Schools training, whichhelps children discover nature.

Hannah Chisholm

73RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW OF 2 011

Hannah Chisholm

This popular pre-school club has seen children getting hands on experience of nature.

74

Springwatch at Ynys-hirBBC Springwatch 2011 saw the RSPB take a leading role

in the popular BBC programme, with the shows coming

live from our Ynys-hir nature reserve in Wales. The BBC’s

decision to move the studio location from Norfolk was

extremely well timed, as in 2011 the RSPB celebrated 100

years of its work in Wales.

RUSSELL JONES, WARDEN, YNYS-HIR

The Springwatch presenters Martin Hughes-Games, Chris Packham and Kate Humble.

BBC

75RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW 0 F 2 011

Hosting BBC Springwatch promised

to be a great opportunity to showcase

the RSPB’s efforts to save nature on

our reserves and inspire more

support for our work. It also enabled

us to promote the spectacular and

diverse 700 hectare RSPB Ynys-hir

reserve, with its great variety of

habitats, to almost 3 million viewers.

From the very beginning, good

communication and co-operation

between the BBC and the RSPB was

essential. A project group was created

within the RSPB with representatives

from across the organisation to look at

how to capitalise on the “Springwatch

effect”, all staff at Ynys-hir and a large

(and essential) group of volunteers

were mobilised to help with the

anticipated increase in visitors, and a

member of staff was appointed to be

the main “on the ground” contact

between both organisations.

Due to technical difficulties, the main

Production Village was located off the

reserve, in a neighbouring farmer’s

field. The distance between the main

“wildlife hubs”, the studio, and the

Production Village itself meant that an

ambitious technical rig was required.

This included nearly 40 miles of fibre

optic cables, much of them buried

underground. Both BBC staff and

outside consultants ensured that

Bryan

Bland

Bryan

Bland

everything was completed in time for

the live broadcasts.

On the reserve, to enhance the visitor

experience, some infrastructure work

was also necessary. New signage

was designed and erected, an

over-spill car-park built (with a “park

and ride” facility on offer for visitors

The presenters rehearsing ahead of a live broadcast.

Inside the studio.

76 RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW 0 F 2 011

with mobility issues), new pathways

laid and five extra portaloos brought in

and placed in both car parks.

The live studio was near the Visitor

Centre with an existing tractor shed

extensively modified by the BBC for

this purpose. A number of wildlife hot

spots, away from the visitor trails,

were chosen where cameras were

set up for live web-cams. The BBC

also supplied a live video feed of its

webcams into the visitor centre. This

allowed visitors to feel part of the

“Springwatch experience” as most of

the film locations/studios were

inaccessible and off the visitor trails.

The web-cams at nests provided

intimate views into the family life of a

number of species. Shots of wood

and grasshopper warblers, buzzards

and barn owls were especially

memorable, with the demise of both

pied flycatcher broods a disappointing

reminder of the vagaries of the

British weather. Unexpected stars

were the writhing grass snakes on a

compost heap, and the thousands of

young toads emerging from the pool

below the main car park.

For the viewers, the stars of the

show, apart from the presenters,

were obvious: warblers, redstarts and

other snap-shots of the wildlife of

such a special place. For me though,

the star was the habitat management

team at Ynys-hir, whose hard work

and dedication ensured that there

was a wealth of wildlife for the

camera teams to film. From wetland

to woodlands, and from barn owls to

pied flycatchers, almost everything

filmed was a result of careful

hands-on habitat management.

The programmes were broadcast live

from 30 May to 16 June and were full

of spectacular, informative and

inspiring pieces. From Scotland to

Skomer, and from Ynys-hir to Pitsea

landfill site, the series showed the

best of British wildlife in spring.

In the 2011/12 financial year, we have

increased our visitor numbers by

30% and have easily surpassed our

membership recruitment targets. The

benefits to the local community have

also been substantial with the BBC

production crew and the presenters

staying in nearby accommodation.

It was a fascinating and exciting

period for all members of staff and

our wonderful team of volunteers and

we are all looking forward to the next

series, again broadcast live from

Ynys-hir, in Spring 2012.

Thanks to:Dick Squires and his family for

helping with production of

Springwatch.

Springwatch studio: the former tractor shed is unrecognisable. With filming now over, plans are touse parts of the structure as an outdoor classroom for the reserve.

Bryan

Bland

77RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW 0 F 2 011

Jesper M

attias (rspb-images.co

m)

Stars of the show:

thanks to the heronry

camera, we were

treated to wonderful

footage of grey herons

and their chicks.

Malco

lm Hunt (rsp

b-images.co

m)

Nature CountsIn 2010, the RSPB was successful in gaining support from

the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Skills for the Future

programme. This new programme, Nature Counts, will

provide 18 UK wide training placements over three years.

It will teach people missing skills that are essential to

safeguarding the future of the UK's natural heritage.

Twelve of these placements will provide practical ecology

experience for people who want to start a career in

protecting some of our more overlooked wildlife. So far,

four keen people have completed their nine month

placements – identifying insects, lower plants, and fungi,

and giving advice on their conservation.

MARK GURNEY, RESERVES ECOLOGIST

78

The Nature Counts trainees out in the field.

Mark G

urney

79RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW 0 F 2 011

Each ecology trainee has attended

courses, accompanied RSPB

ecologists as they work, and had a lot

of practice at surveying and

identifying their chosen group of

species. The funding runs for three

years, so with four trainees each year,

we hope there will be twelve new

naturalists who have the skills and

experience to begin their careers in

this important area of conservation.

Our first trainees were Clare Rickerby

(mosses and liverworts), Ndurie Abah

(mosses, liverworts, and lichens),

Colin Lucas (beetles and other

insects), and Phil Evans (vascular

plants). Two report on their training.

Phil Evans writes:

“I was one of the four people given

a fantastic opportunity to re-train

to work in conservation. Right from

the start I wanted to make the best

of this opportunity and get

everything I could from the nine

months. So what have I done?

I started in April, getting to know

the common plants and how to key

them out. In May, I attended my

first training course on habitat

surveys, which I was able to

practice a couple of weeks later

when I helped out with vegetation

surveys. While I was not doing

surveys or attending training

courses, I spent my time in the field

practicing my identification skills

and trying to get my head around

the many identification keys.

I wanted to spend as much time as

I could at reserves in Wales. I learnt

a lot from the staff at Ynys-hir, and

helped them with survey work

throughout the summer. I went to

find and count some of the scarce

plants on the reserves, such as

wood bitter-vetch, South Stack

fleawort, and elongated sedge.

My identification skills were

improving rapidly, thanks to a lot of

practice and a course on grasses,

sedges, and rushes. I also attended

courses on management plans for

nature reserves, using the National

Vegetation Classification, and

identifying mosses and liverworts.

The last nine months were an

opportunity for me to get trained

up so that I can find a career I have

only dreamed about for many

years. I can now identify many

plants, and I can survey and

monitor vegetation. This job has

given me a great sense of

achievement, and lots of

confidence that I didn’t know I had.

For once in my life I can say that I

am extremely proud of who I work

for and where I work.

I have spent my time alongside

some dedicated, knowledgeable

people who have treated me like a

friend and have really made me

feel special. This is why I have

enjoyed myself so much and why

the nine months I spent training

Phil Evans, who spent nine months developing his botanical skills.

Phil Evan

s

80 RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW 0 F 2 011

Ndurie Abah (middle), with Mark Lawley and Liz Kungu at Forsinard, learned how to

identify mosses, liverworts and lichens.

Clare R

ickerby

81RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW 0 F 2 011

has felt like a week. I don’t think

I’ve known a year to fly by so fast,

and at the end of it I realise that

the more I see, the less I know.”

Ndurie writes:

“Last April, we started down an

amazing road thanks to an

opportunity with the RSPB. Our

goal: delving into the murky

waters of the identification of

overlooked species.

Although based in Edinburgh, we

have quartered the country from

Sutherland to Bedfordshire,

visiting more than 20 RSPB

reserves. The RSPB ran courses on

the identification of Sphagnum

mosses, grasses, sedges and

rushes, as well as management

planning and vegetation surveys.

We were supported and

encouraged by working with other

people too. Experts at the Royal

Botanic Gardens Edinburgh helped

enormously with field training and

identification of tricky specimens,

and we went on field trips with the

British Bryological Scoiety and the

British Lichen Society. These were

brilliant intensive training courses

where we were surrounded by

experts on all sides, and it was

always possible to find an

enthusiastic teacher.

Armed with our new knowledge,

we headed out to look for mosses

and liverworts on reserves around

Scotland. On the stunning cliff top

reserve of Fowlsheugh, we

recorded the distribution of the

nationally scarce St Kilda hook-

moss Sanionia orthothecioides.

Now that its location is known,

reserve staff will be able to protect

it when they repair the path. At

Glenborrodale we went to see

whether the plants had responded

to the removal of rhododendrons.

We found an increase in species

diversity and cover, so it looks as

though the bryophytes are

recovering. As the reserve is on the

species-rich west coast, it was also

a great opportunity to see some

lovely oceanic species.

One of our surveys even helped

save an RSPB reserve from being

damaged by developers. The rare

and protected Orthotrichum

obtusifolium, which grows on

aspen trees, was recorded at a new

site at Insh Marshes. This area was

threatened by a proposal to build a

power line, but our discovery

Clare R

ickerby

Ndurie discovered a new site for the rare moss Orthotrichum

obtusifolium, which resulted in the re-routing of a power line.

helped in the campaign to re-route

the line, and the woodland will

now not be felled.

Our nine month stint with the

RSPB has been a wonderful

opportunity, and we have come

into contact with a host of

dedicated people. We encourage

you to follow your own interests in

wildlife, even if it is only finding

out what you have growing in your

garden. With threats from so many

directions, the more we know

about what species are out there,

the better we can protect them.

Happy hunting!”

Thanks to:This project is supported by the

National Lottery through the Heritage

Lottery Fund.

The economic benefits of nature reservesWith 2 million annual visits from across the UK to RSPB

reserves, it is clear that the unique experiences offered by

these sites are in high demand. But the benefits delivered by

the network are far more wide ranging. Under the

intensifying glare of the economic spotlight, we set out to

explore whether investments in conservation around the UK

deliver for the economy, as well as for wildlife and people.

DOMINIC MOLLOY, ECONOMIST

82

Nature reserves are fun, and also provide jobs for local people.

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

83RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW 0 F 2 011

With unemployment at a 17-year high

and economic growth struggling to

pick up following the recession, the

economy is understandably a major

current focus for national and local

decision makers. It is therefore more

important than ever to recognise the

links between the environment and

the economy, and the variety of

benefits conservation delivers to

people and communities.

Whilst RSPB reserves are primarily

designed to perform crucial ecological

functions – to conserve wildlife – they

can also be seen as an economic

investment, providing employment and

income to local areas through a

number of means. In 2002, the RSPB

launched the first report in a series of

work looking at the local economic

benefits of our conservation work.

“RSPB Reserves and Local Economies

2002” found that the reserve network

supported over 1,000 Full-Time

Equivalent (FTE) jobs and almost £20

million of spending in local areas

across the UK.

In 2011 this study was repeated,

using a different sample of reserves

and an industry standard

methodology which focused on five

types of economic impact:

� Direct employment – RSPB

employees on reserves.

� Spending by employees and

volunteers – Money spent in local

areas by employees and

volunteers.

� Expenditure by reserves –

Investments on site using local

contractors.

� Grazing lets – Areas of the

reserve used for productive

agricultural purposes.

� Visitor spending – Spending by

visitors in the local area attracted

by the reserve.

The study used the most up to date

RSPB and independent data, and

collated visitor surveys that were

collected in 2009 and 2010 at 10

sample reserves to inform estimates

around the impacts of visitor spending.

Economic assessments were carried

out for these 10 sample reserves

individually, before aggregated

estimates were made for the network

as a whole.

The report found that RSPB nature

reserves supported an impressive

Table 1: FTE jobs and spend supported by RSPB reserves in 2002 and 2009

Economic impact FTE Jobs supported Expenditure supported (£m)

2002 2009 2002 2009

Direct employment 308 553 4.1 11.1

Employee spend 35 61 1.2 2.7

Reserve spend 101 110 2.7 7.9

Grazing lets 234 143 - -

RSPB and farming 678 867 8 21.7

activities total

Visitor spend 335 1,005 11.7 44.2

Total 1,013 1,872 19.7 65.9

Caro

lyn Merret (rsp

b-images.co

m)

Visitors to reserves, such as here at Titchwell Marsh, also spend moneyin the area and thereby benefit the local economy.

84 RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW 0 F 2 011

Dawn at Minsmere in Suffolk. This reserve supports the equivalent of 103 local full-time jobs.

Mike R

ead (rsp

b-images.co

m)

85RSPB RESERVES AND PEOPLE – A REV I EW 0 F 2 011

1,872 FTE jobs and £66 million

expenditure in local communities

across the UK, representing

increases of 87% and 235%

respectively since 2002.

One of the most eye-opening

messages to come out of the study

was the huge increase seen in

tourism, and its economic impacts,

around RSPB reserves in recent years.

Between 2005 and 2009, domestic

tourism trips taken in the UK to the

natural environment increased by

10%, despite tourism as a whole

declining by 9.2%. In this same period

however, visits to RSPB reserves

increased by a staggering 38%. This

illustrates how our conservation

network is at the forefront of green

tourism, a significant growth sector

within the UK economy.

Amongst the findings were also some

standout results from the individual

reserve studies, for example, Titchwell

Marsh (see pages 46–49) and

Minsmere reserves supported an

estimated 132 and 103 FTE jobs

respectively in their local areas. There

were also positive messages from a

range of reserves across the UK, from

coastal and rural to urban fringe,

illustrating that important economic

benefits can be gained from a variety

of conservation initiatives.

The impacts, whilst perhaps less

striking at the national scale,

nevertheless represent important

sources of economic stimulus in the

areas close to reserves. These are

sometimes small, rural and coastal

communities characterised by less

prominent income and employment

opportunities. Seen in this light, it is

clear that there are great potential

gains to local communities from

investing in conservation, with the

opportunities to deliver for nature,

people, and the economy.

For the full technical report including

methodology, or the summary glossy

“Natural Foundations”, please visit

www.rspb.org.uk/localeconomies.

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.co

m)

Rathlin Island nature reserve

supports Northern Ireland’s largest

seabird colony, and the number of

visitors to the island has trebled in

the last 10 years.

86

Caro

line Thomas (rsp

b-images.co

m)

A woman holds a basket of cassava ready to be processed into garri,a local staple, in the village of Gbeworbu, Gola, Sierra Leone.

Supporting partnersaround the worldThe RSPB is part of the BirdLife International partnership

and works in more than 20 countries around the world and

in the UK Overseas Territories. Our work involves building

the capacity of other BirdLife Partners to become strong

and independent nature conservation organisations, and a

strong voice for nature in their countries. We also help

them to set up, raise funds for and implement important

projects in their own countries. We get involved with

training the staff of our partner organisations in areas

such as scientific research, management planning and

management of protected areas. In this chapter, we

describe just one example of the many international

projects on which we are working.

87RSPB RESERVES 2 012

The Gola Rainforest: Sierra Leone’sfirst Rainforest National ParkThe RSPB has the opportunity to work in some of the

most amazing places, not only in the UK but also

worldwide. These include an international partnership

for the conservation of the Gola Rainforest in Sierra

Leone, as part of the RSPB’s Tropical Forest programme.

The work carried out in this rainforest is unique due to

the context, longevity and dedication of these partners.

NICOLAS TUBBS, TROPICAL FOREST CONSERVATION MANAGER

88

Guy Shorrock (rsp

b-images.co

m)

White-necked picathartes – Gola Rainforest is a world stronghold of this enigmatic bird.

89SUPPORT ING PARTNERS AROUND THE WORLD

Caro

line Thomas (rsp

b-images.co

m)

The Gola Rainforest is one of the

largest remnants of the Upper

Guinean Tropical Rainforest in West

Africa. It is the largest rainforest in

Sierra Leone, where 327 bird species

have been recorded, 14 of which face

global risk of extinction, including the

endangered rufous fishing-owl

Scotopella ussheri and Gola malimbe

Malimbus ballmanni. Of global

conservation concern, and no doubt

the most emblematic bird species

there, is the white-necked picathartes

Picathartes gymnocephalus. These

bird species are only a few of those

that drove the international

recognition of this area as a global

biodiversity hotspot.

For the last century, unsustainable

mining and timber extraction have

been serious threats to Gola’s

biodiversity, and to the local

communities that rely on the forest

for their livelihoods. Sierra Leone is

ranked as the seventh poorest country

worldwide. The estimated 140,000

people living in Gola’s immediate

surroundings could well be considered

as the “poorest of the poor”.

Commercial logging arose as early

as the 1930s, though the highest

pressure from timber peaked in

the 1980s. The 1990s’ civil war had

major impacts in and around Gola,

especially as the governance of

minerals was long argued to be

at the heart of the conflict.

The RSPB became involved in work

at Gola more than 20-years ago with

a rapid biodiversity survey. This

indicated the importance and the

unique value of this site, as well as

the enormous threats that it faced,

but also the great opportunities that

Conservation of the rainforest

directly benefits local

livelihoods. Here a woman

holds a bag of garri in the

village of Gbeworbu.

elusive pygmy hippo Choeropsis

liberiensis, threatened with extinction

and restricted to forests in this part

of Africa. Many endangered mammal

species also live in Gola, including an

estimated 300 chimpanzees and

populations of 44 species of larger

mammals. However, the

development of the Gola region did

not survive as well as the

biodiversity, and a significant part

of our work has gone towards

supporting local communities.

forest boundaries and running an

environmental education programme.

From the time of a small-scale project

to the current large-scale programme,

regular biodiversity surveys have

been undertaken. The forest

biodiversity proved to have survived

relatively unscathed thanks to the

partners’ dedication, with for example

518 butterfly species recorded to

date, three of which are new to

science. Gola also holds one of the

most important populations of the

existed to protect the forest. It then

led to an appeal to RSPB members

for their support. In 1990, a

partnership agreement was signed

between the Forestry Division of

the Sierra Leone Government, The

Conservation Society of Sierra Leone

(National BirdLife Partner) and the

RSPB to manage sustainably more

than 71,000 hectares of the forest

(just under twice the size of the Isle

of Wight) by developing a

management plan, maintaining the

SUPPORT ING PARTNERS AROUND THE WORLD90

Guy Shorrock (rsp

b-images.co

m)

A shy shining-blue kingfisher perches briefly beside a stream.

One of the stunning dragonflies found in the Gola Rainforest.

Guy Shorrock (rsp

b-images.co

m)

S UPPORT ING PARTNERS AROUND THE WORLD 91

Through this collaboration, the local

communities are building better lives

for themselves as well as helping to

save the forest.

Nonetheless, the management

needs to stay particularly vigilant, as

illegal logging and mining remain

significant threats. These issues offer

the prospects of quick gains to a

handful of outsiders, whilst depriving

local communities from their rights

and their dues. The programme is

working with local communities

continuously, so those living on the

edge of the forest can benefit from

its conservation and sustainable

management. This close collaboration

with local communities has resulted

in major achievements. These range

from building of roads and bridges,

the provision of scholarships, and

more recently resulted in the

construction of a district hospital. This

collaboration is the key to the future

sustainability of the park; the

management of Gola Rainforest

National Park is focussing not only on

biodiversity conservation, but also

sustainable management and

working to improve local livelihoods.

The conservation of this rainforest,

the species it hosts, and the range of

services it supports and provides,

including mitigating climate change

through more than 13 million tonnes

of carbon stored, were the catalyst

not only for the protection of this

rainforest itself, but also for the

implementation of a landscape-scale

initiative covering over 2,500 sq km

with neighbouring Liberia. In

December 2011, the President of

Sierra Leone launched the Gola

Rainforest National Park, laying a

tremendous milestone in the 20-year

partnership. The creation of the

National Park (only the second in the

country) is an impressive example of

how a long -term vision, dedication

and effort can have a positive impact

at both site and landscape-scale.

Thanks to:The Global Conservation Fund initially

funded the large programme at Gola

in 2002. Donors since contributing to

increasing the work include the UK

Government, through its Darwin

Initiative; the French Government,

through its Global Environment Fund;

and the European Union.

92

Our conservation work on reserves has been made possible

by a large number of people and organisations. We would

like to thank our members, volunteers, individual and

legacy donors, charitable trusts, business supporters,

public bodies, non-governmental organisations, the

statutory sector and government agencies for the support

we have received. A comprehensive list of our funders and

supporters for the financial years 2010–11 and 2011–12 can

be found in the relevant RSPB Annual Review.

Join usIf you would like to support the RSPB in working for a

healthy environment for birds and wildlife to create a

better world for us all, then please contact us at one of

the addresses on the back cover.

Thank you to our supporters

Mark H

amblin (rsp

b-images.co

m)

Abernethy

Vane Farm

Lochwinnoch

Rathlin

Belfast Lough Mersehead

Haweswater

Leighton Moss & Morecambe Bay Bempton Cliffs

Fairburn IngsBlacktoft Sands

VDearne alley – Old Moor and Bolton IngsSouth Stack Cliffs

Conwy

Freiston ShoreLake Vyrnwy

Ynys-hir Sandwell Valley

Minsmere

The Lodge

Rye Meads

Ramsey Island

Rainham Marshes

Dungeness

Radipole Lake

Arne

Titchwell Marsh

Mid Yare Valley

Lyth Valley

The Crannach

Dove Stone

Eastern Moors

Fetlar

Mousa

Sumburgh Head

North Hill

Mill Dam

Hobbister

Forsinard Flows

Culbin Sands

Loch Ruthven

Insh Marshes

Fowlsheugh

Loch of KinnordyGlenborrodale

Inversnaid

Loch Gruinart/Ardnave

The Oa

Lough Foyle

Portmore LoughLower Lough Erne Islands

Baron’s Haugh

Coquet IslandAilsa Craig

Hodbarrow

Marshside

Exe Estuary

Hayle Estuary

Mawddach Woodlands

Valley Wetlands

Marazion Marsh

Frampton Marsh

Ken-Dee Marshes

St Bees Head

Campfield Marsh

Mull of Galloway & Scar Rocks

Dee Estuary

Coombes & Churnet Valleys

Carngafallt

Gwenffrwd/Dinas

Cwm Clydach Nagshead Otmoor

FowlmereNorth Warren

Stour Estuary

ElmleyMarshes

Harty Marshes

Blean Woods

Cliffe Pools

Shorne Marshes

TudeleyWoods

Northward HillNor Marsh & Motney Hill

Havergate Island & Boyton Marshes

Wolves & Ramsey Woods

Farnham Heath

Fore WoodAdur Estuary

Langstone HarbourPilsey Island

Garston Wood

Lodmoor

Ham Wall

West Sedgemoor

Aylesbeare Common

HighnamWoods

Snettisham

Lakenheath FenOuse Washes

Berney Marshes & Breydon Water

Wood of Cree

Coll

Ardmore

Balranald

Loch of Strathbeg

Corrimony

Nigg and Udale Bays

HoyCottasgarth & Rendall Moss

Marwick Head

The Loons and Loch of BanksBirsay Moors Trumland

Onziebust

Troup Head

Grange Heath

Bracklesham Bay

Lewes Brooks

Broadwater Warren

South Essex Marshes

Fen Drayton Lakes

Saltholme

Wallasea Island

Newport Wetlands

Tay

Meikle Loch

Seasalter Levels

Lydden Valley

Labrador Bay

Langford Lowfields

Vallay

Great Bells Farm

Crook of Baldoon

Yell

Ramna Stacks & Gruney

Loch of Spiggie

Noup Cliffs

BrodgarCopinsay

Priest Island

Eileanan Dubha Ballinlaggan

The Reef

Oronsay

Smaull Farm

Horse Island

Aird’s Moss

Kirkconnell Merse

GeltsdaleLarne Lough Islands

Read’s Island

Tetney Marshes

Dingle Marshes

Nene Washes

Ouse Fen (Hanson-RSPB project)

Church Wood

Grassholm

Chapel Wood Greylake

WarehamMeadows

Brading Marshes

Pulborough Brooks and Amberley Wildbrooks

StoboroughHeath

Normanton Down

Barfold CopseIsley Marsh

Old Hall Marshes

The Skerries

Aghatirourke

Carlingford Lough Islands

Strangford Bay & Sandy Island

Inner ClydeFannyside

Skinflats

Inchmickery

Fidra

Edderton Sands

Fairy Glen

Eilean HoanLoch na Muilne

Colonsay

Hesketh Out Marsh

Malltraeth MarshMorfa Dinlle

Middleton Lakes

Beckingham Marshes

Sutton Fen

Winterbourne Downs

Snape

Dunnet Head

Broubster Leans

Bogside Flats

Durness

Locations of RSPB reservesFeatured reserves

The RSPB

UK Headquarters

The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL

Tel: 01767 680551

Northern Ireland Headquarters

Belvoir Park Forest, Belfast BT8 7QT

Tel: 028 9049 1547

Scotland Headquarters

2 Lochside View, Edinburgh Park, Edinburgh EH12 9DH

Tel 0131 317 4104

Wales Headquarters

Sutherland House, Castlebridge, Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff CF11 9AB

Tel: 029 2035 3000

www.rspb.org.uk

The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the

problems that threaten our environment. Nature is amazing

– help us keep it that way.

As a charity, the RSPB is dependent on the goodwill and financial support

of people like you. Please visit www.rspb.org.uk/supporting or call

01767 680551 to find out more.

Front cover: Red-necked phalarope by Steve Knell (rspb-images.com)The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England & Walesno. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654 120-1639-11-12

I N T E R N A T I O N A LBirdLife

We belong to BirdLife International, the global

partnership of bird conservation organisations. RSPB RESERVES 2012