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Ecological Networks

  • January 17, 2011
  • Blog

The forthcoming Natural Environment White Paper, expected in Spring this year, is a hot topic of conversation in ecological circles at the moment. Government has been to the people to seek advice in their consultation paper An invitation to shape the nature of England, and the previous administration sought advice from a panel of experts, culminating in Professor Sir John Lawton’s Making Space for Nature: A review of England’s Wildlife Sites and Ecological Network.

Possibly the main conclusion of Making Space for Nature is that currently, the network of protected sites, including statutory and non-statutory designations, “does not provide a resilient or coherent ecological network” and is not going to sustain the UK’s biodiversity as is without a “step change in nature conservation”. The government itself has promised to “introduce measures to protect wildlife and promote green spaces and wildlife corridors in order to halt the loss of habitats and restore biodiversity”. Strong words indeed, but can the White Paper deliver the goods?

The emphasis here is on networks, linkage and barriers to movement. Ecological barriers are not always easy to define, and of course different species disperse using very different methods, so while for one species a new road may form a significant ecological barrier, this may be no problem for a wind-dispersed plant or a migratory bird. Conversely, ecological linkages can be problematic. What best links two semi-natural areas with diverse ranges of species, or two areas with particularly poor dispersers? How do we measure the benefits of ecological connectivity against possible negative impacts (say transmission of invasive species or increased predation)?

The Lawton report specifies four methods of improving ecological connectivity, aside from improving the management of existing wildlife sites – make existing sites bigger, create wildlife corridors, create new sites and buffer existing sites. It also foresees a much more prominent role for the current network of non-statutory wildlife sites, two thirds of which are not currently being managed for their special interest. The Lawton report also specifies 24 recommendations for establishing a coherent and resilient ecological network, including the setting up of 12 Ecological Restoration Zones in the next 3 years. Estimates of the costs of implementing these 24 recommendations, estimated at the end of the report, appear miniscule in comparison with such things as bailing out of banks, trade deficits, NHS budgets etc.

What would our countryside look like in fifty years’ time, if any of the vision progresses and is effectively rolled out? How will such a fundamental demand on our land fit against the background of a rapidly growing UK population, a higher demand for locally produced foods, and the ever-progressing technology applied to agriculture? It will require the strongest leadership, the brightest minds and the greatest goodwill to make this happen, but dare we raise our hopes to think that it might? Those of us who have grown up with the backdrop of disappearing songbirds, ploughing up of grasslands and woods and degradation of habitat quality through neglect and encroachment will need to raise our sights beyond the here and now.

Rob

Robert Yaxley

Waxwings

  • December 1, 2010
  • Blog

These chubby yet gaudy wanderers from Scandinavia are being seen in their hundreds this winter, with big arrivals along the east coast in the autumn from mid October onwards. They have long been a birders’ favourite, often allowing close approach and appearing in otherwise bird-barren urban areas such as supermarket car parks.

I had the excitement of seeing a flock of 18 flying in over the shingle bank at Cley marshes NWT in early November, as well as singles over our office, 3 on survey in Perthshire and 1 over Norwich Cathedral yesterday. Those tuned in to their call will find that it’s not unusual to encounter the odd roaming singleton flying over in these irruption years.

Waxwing spotted by Rob. Photo Jonny Rankin

Waxwing spotted by Rob. Photo Jonny Rankin

Waxwings are an irruptive species, arriving in the UK in varying numbers each winter. The key driver to their movements would seem to be the supply of wild berries in Scandinavia. The 1965 irruption, according to Birds of the Western Palearctic, was a result of an “acute imbalance between population size and food supply in Fenno-Scandia”. An awesome set of photos from Fair Isle  shows that birds crossing the North Sea were hungry enough to feed from the hand. Judging by the plethora of photos of waxwings appearing this autumn, once birds reach Britain, their favourite nosh would seem to be rowan berries, including ornamental varieties.

An interesting article in BirdGuides shows the movement through the country of a colour-ringed waxwing, from Orkney to Aberdeen in six days, and from Aberdeen to Cumbria in another seven. Previous patterns of invasion have shown that larger flocks tend to aggregate in city centres later in the winter, presumably because of the variety of food sources available.

And here’s the tenuous link; here is a piece of evidence that all the BREEAM assessments we undertake which recommend berry planting, and all the urban landscaping schemes which include berry-bearing shrubs and trees, do at least benefit this one species of bird in its hour of need. That is not to say that they do not benefit other birds in the same way. What sometimes seem like token efforts on small sites can cumulatively be of critical importance.

Rob

Robert Yaxley

Rob Yaxley started birdwatching at the age of 3 and saw his first waxwing in a garden in Costessey in 1985. Best memories including seeing a single waxwing in the trees at Guist Bridge in 1987, and hearing a flock go over while coppicing in Wayland Wood with the golden pheasants sometime in the early 1990s. Rob enjoys eating berries and hanging around in supermarket car parks.

Cementing Ecology into Buildings – BREEAM & CSH

  • October 6, 2010
  • Blog

The Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (or BREEAM) and Code for Sustainable Homes assessments (CSH) are tools designed to encourage developers to consider the environmental impact of their building project. They involve assessing many facets of a development; from Energy and Water usage to Pollution and Land Use and Ecology, to give an overall rating of a building’s environmental performance.

As Suitably Qualified Ecologists (SQEs), we are regularly consulted by developers looking to obtain credits for the Lane Use and Ecology part of BREEAM or Ecology section of the CSH. These sections of the assessments offer credits for projects which reuse previously developed land or land of low ecological value, protect features of ecological value, mitigate the ecological impacts of development, provide ecological enhancement, minimise building footprint and consider the long term ecological impact of the development. By visiting the site before development commences and examining the site plans we can determine how many BREEAM Land Use and Ecology credits or CSH Ecology credits a building project is eligible for. Occasionally this is a straightforward process; if a developer is looking to put a car park in a woodland, for example, it is fairly evident that they will not be able to comply with most (if any) of the creditable issues. Alternatively if a green-roofed eco-house with a surrounding wetland and wildflower meadow is proposed on a contaminated urban industrial site, credits will be widely available.

However, such clear-cut developments are rare, and it is more often partially disused brownfield, suburban or arable plots which are subject to BREEAM and/or CSH developments. These plots are typically overgrown, completely hedged or fenced off from surrounding areas and are often home to dilapidated buildings. At first this type of land seems ideal for developments; it is often in prime locations, its disuse means it is likely to be considered an untidy eyesore, ripe for development, and landowners are often keen to sell or develop these relatively unprofitable parcels of land. However, there is a conflict in the BREEAM and CSH guidance which frequently occurs when such sites are developed. These plots are often undergoing a process of being reclaimed by nature, as weeds spread across the site, climbing plants encase derelict buildings, shrubs and hedges create impenetrable perimeter walls and small creatures take up residence. While these sites look untidy and out-of-place amongst the geometric hard surfaces of towns and villages, they can become ecological oases of great value to birds, small mammals, insects and plants. This ecological oasis element regularly comes into conflict with the BREEAM and CSH credits on a range of issues, raising the following questions: what can be classed as land of low ecological value; has the development protected features of ecological value?; have ecological impacts been adequately mitigated?; can a relative ecological enhancement can be achieved? It is understandable that these questions arise as the raisons-d’être of BREEAM and CSH are to minimise negative ecological impacts, but some developers are learning how to avoid this conflict…

The method for determining whether the development will result in an ecological enhancement (and whether it deserves BREEAM/CSH credits) involves counting the number of plant species present on each plot before development, and comparing it with the numbers of plants present (or planned to be planted) after development. If the numbers have increased it is considered an improvement and credits are awarded. If the numbers fall by a large enough margin, no credits are awarded. Some developers have become wise to this issue and only consult an ecologist once the site has been partially or completely cleared of vegetation. This way the number of plant species observable before development is so low that a minimal level of post-development planting will result in an increase in species numbers, earning credits. Furthermore it is possible that features of ecological value which should have been protected in order to earn BREEAM/CSH credits (such as trees, hedges or ponds) have been removed, with no signs that they were ever present by the time the ecologist visits the site. Early clearance of a site can be necessary for access or topographic survey, for example, but an ecologist should ideally be consulted as soon as possible so that an accurate assessment can be conducted. The BREEAM guidance does state that the SQE’s report must be based on an assessment of the site prior to commencement of development, but this is often unrealistic as developers do not want to delay their project while they await quotations, site visits and reports from ecologists. Consultation with BREEAM and CSH specialists more commonly happens during the project, i.e. when site preparation or construction is underway. Unfortunately this delayed consultation can result in loss of credits which could otherwise have been easily achievable through simple measures such as erection of protective fencing or timing of works. This is why we always aim to visit a BREEAM and CSH sites within one week of instruction, and issue our report within the following week.

As ecologists we are passionate about maximising the value of ecological enhancement and minimising the negative ecological impacts associated with any development. We want to see BREEAM and the CSH working to their full potential as they can achieve these things, as they were designed to do. When assessing any project we want to recommend that maximum credits are awarded whenever this is possible. Early consultation is a key part of this, so if you are involved in a BREEAM or Code for Sustainable Homes development, please don’t hesitate to contact us during the project’s conception or infancy. The sooner we can become involved with a project, the more likely it is that you will be able to earn more credits.

It is also worth noting that in certain districts, such as North Norfolk, all housing developments are required to have a CSH minimum 3 star rating by 2010, rising to 4 star in 2014. As environmental awareness becomes more prevalent, it is possible that other councils will adopt a similar standard at some stage in the future.

Will

Will Riddett

Will Riddett

Will is Wild Frontier Ecology’s BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes expert. He has been responsible for undertaking BREEAM assessments on a variety of projects including office blocks, medical centres and a hospital. He has undertaken Code for Sustainable Homes work for large scale housing developments in Thetford and Mildenhall, as well as numerous smaller development projects throughout Norfolk and Suffolk. Will also undertakes protected species and habitat surveys.

Visit our BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes webpage or contact us for further information on these surveys.

 

A Bat Survey in Norfolk

  • September 22, 2010
  • Blog

Love ‘em or hate ‘em – bats are one of those marmite species groups that either cause shudders of pain or coos of delight. I fall firmly into the latter camp, and doing bat surveys in Norfolk is very often, I think, one of the most intimate of wildlife experiences.

While some of my more experienced colleagues are licensed experts, being qualified to handle bats amongst other things, my own experiences are limited to arm’s length surveying techniques, such as using bat detectors. As we routinely record all bat sounds using these devices, surveys can be undertaken by ecologists with a relatively low skill base. Some bats are not heard on survey, but only discovered lurking on the sound recording on analysis the day after. The bat species recorded on our Norfolk surveys are often quite predictable.

The commonest species are almost always the two pipistrelles, common and soprano. These bats forage widely in the East Anglian countryside, and are often encountered hawking for insects along hedgerows remote from any potential roosting site. Their distinctive echolocation signals also make them easy to identify, with common pip registering at 45KHz and soprano registering at 55KHz, and they will frequently fly very close to observers, perhaps mistaking you in the dark for a small tree or insect-attracting farm animal.

Larger bats are generally scarcer in Norfolk, but because they are wide ranging do often get recorded on surveys as a single fly-through. Noctule, serotine and Leisler’s bats fall into this category. Being larger, they also echolocate at a lower frequency, though if close the calls can be almost deafening through the bat detector. Brown long-eared bat, though a relatively common species, rarely gets picked up on bat survey transects due to its short echolocation range. The other group of frequently encountered bat species in Norfolk are the Myotis bats – especially Daubenton’s and Natterer’s. These species have distinct habitat preferences, with Daubenton’s preferring to forage over water, and Natterer’s preferring woodland. Daubenton’s fly in a distinctive manner, skimming low over the water with an immobile body, and fast fluttering wings. Their echolocation is broadband, and has often been likened to a marble bouncing on a mirror.

The last group of bats is the rares, the ones that make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Barbastelle is the ascendant among these, thinly distributed in East Anglian woodlands, but there are also other species such as Brandt’s and whiskered bats and Nathusius’s pipistrelle about which very little is known in Norfolk. There are no doubt concentrations of these species in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire awaiting discovery.

Rob

Robert Yaxley

Robert Yaxley

 

Bird Surveys in Norfolk

  • September 3, 2010
  • Blog

Doing bird surveys in Norfolk, Suffolk and the rest of East Anglia has stacked up to be a significant part of my working life for nearly 20 years. From my teenage years, undertaking BTO Atlas surveys on my bike in Central Norfolk, through years of RSPB research, to consultant surveys and wind farm vantage point watches on sites proposed for development, it has provided a constant touchstone through the years.

In work terms, the dewy early morning at the start of a Common Birds Census survey always provides a frisson of excitement, especially for some sites in East Anglia, where even the most average-looking piece of farmland could turn up the odd quail, marsh harrier or stone curlew. Indeed, over the years, surveys have turned up the odd genuine rarity such as crane, red-backed shrike, Savi’s warbler, purple heron, and lesser grey shrike (not all original finds, for the bird historians out there).

Bird surveys can provide genuine ecological surprises too – birds nesting out of their known range, surprising densities, or (more commonly) surprising absences. They also give a snapshot of what is really going on with the general bird zeitgeist – for examples, ever increasing numbers of buzzards, little egrets and peregrines in the East of England, and ever dwindling numbers of willow warblers, cuckoos and grey partridges in the wider countryside.

It has also provided me with intimate knowledge of a few species – the difficulties faced by pairs of yellowhammers in a modern farming environment where the machine is king, and the bizarre behaviour of the huge flocks of golden plovers that overwinter in East Anglia, particularly on the huge prairie fields of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. My colleague Graham spent many years getting to know all of Norfolk and Suffolk Breckland’s stone curlews on first name terms, and sure knows a thing or two about their weird ways.

Wild Frontier has evolved a pragmatic but thorough approach to ornithological and bird assessments partly through the experience our bird team has accrued, particularly in lowland situations, but also through our understanding of the impacts of development on birds. Our pool of expert surveyors, some of them big league birders, is not just a tool for getting the best quality surveys, it is also an unbeatable resource of shared practical experience and knowledge.

Rob

Robert Yaxley

Conserving the White-clawed Crayfish: Is it too late?

  • August 3, 2010
  • Blog
Rare Blue White-clawed Crayfish

Rare Blue White-clawed Crayfish

The white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes, is the only native crayfish species in the UK and unfortunately it is very much under threat from invasive species, disease and changes to water quality. Is it too late for them?

The answer is NO.

Although a slightly different approach to the conservation of white-clawed crayfish must be taken than to other species. The normal approach to conserving a species is through connectivity of populations but with white-clawed crayfish a new approach of creating ark sites or unconnected populations look to be the most likely way prevent the extinction of the species. As with all conservation projects education has a key role so the people understand the plight of the species.

White-clawed crayfish are under threat in the UK due to a mixed of ignorance, poor policy and malicious intent. These factors have caused the introduction and spread of signal crayfish along with other potential more invasive species of crayfish, such as red swamp or virile crayfish.

Signal crayfish were introduced to the UK in the 1970 in aquaculture trials although they were known from their introduction in Sweden to be highly invasive and to carry crayfish plague. The trade in crayfish in the UK never really took off, but the animals remained. If left to their own devices the spread of signal crayfish across the UK would take centuries as they move relatively slowly through the river system. This, however, is not the case as the animals are still being illegally introduced to new areas. This is known to have happen through naivety but also through malicious intent. To release or allow the escape into the wild of these or any non-native species of crayfish is illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. An excellent five day course I recently attended highlighted these issues as well as giving me an excellent grounding in crayfish surveys.

In recent years the spread of signal crayfish has been worsened by celebrity chefs promoting signal crayfish as a food source. Personally I would not eat signal crayfish primarily for the reason that they are a lot of faffing around for very little in return, as you can only eat the tail and the claws on some larger males; – also if you catch ones are too small to eat you can’t throw them back but have to kill them too. You also need a licence to fish for the animals. Another reason is if your crayfish trap is not set up correctly you may trap water voles and otters. Then I would seriously consider whether they are safe to eat. Although our rivers are cleaner than they once were very little work has been done on the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in signal crayfish but in Europe other species studies have shown that the noble crayfish does accumulate a considerable amount of heavy metals in organs and tissues.

Signal crayfish also carry crayfish plague, which is… which has decimated the white-clawed crayfish as they are believed to be 100% susceptible to it and when it reaches a white-clawed crayfish population it will kill all the crayfish in that stretch of the river.

Alarming recent work on signal crayfish is starting to show that the presence of signal crayfish is not only impacting on white-clawed crayfish, or having an economic effect on restoring waterways with signal crayfish but also that they pose a threat to game fisheries. It is being found that the spawning success of salmonids is reduced in headwaters where signal crayfish have been introduced .

It is not all doom and gloom – we can do something! Help to get the sale of crayfish banned in the UK, this is a start. If you are an angler ensure your equipment such as nets and boots are clean, dried in the sun and even disinfected to prevent the accidental spread of crayfish or crayfish plague. If we don’t actively spread crayfish plague or the non-native species this should allow us the time needed to find a solution to the problems they cause and prevent the extinction of a species.

John

Ecology Technology

  • June 14, 2010
  • Blog

When I started out on my career in ecology – as an assistant warden on the Farne Islands – new boys were sent on a computer training course. I remember the darkened room with green monitor screens, the general confusion caused by the clunky and counter intuitive spreadsheet and word processing packages, and the general amusement caused by the whole charade, as in reality there was only one computer to be shared between nine of us. One generally felt that the technology was more trouble than it was worth, and anyway none of us were that good at it.

Life on the islands was simple, with two way radios our only regular form of communication. All our ornithological note-taking was done by gaslight, mainly in notebooks with paper and pencil. No-one had the money to buy decent photographic equipment. Communicating with friends and family was possible by letter or occasional phone call. The toilet flushing water had to be hand pumped from the North Sea. Need I say more?

When I visited the Islands last year, Dave Steele the head warden explained how the wardens’ lives had been revolutionised by mobile phones, blogging, solar panels, motorised winches and the bird recording by the use of digiscoping. The wardens looked like healthy, balanced individuals as opposed to the crazed bunch of half-starved zombies that emerged from the islands in December 1991. There was no doubt that in the intervening 18 years what is at times a very challenging job had become significantly easier, more effective and more fun for those lucky enough to work there. If you visit their excellent blog http://farnephoto.blogspot.com you can readily see the results of the tech advances. I didn’t ask about the toilets.

In more mundane localities, ecologists have also taken full advantage of the available technology to make their work more effective, accurate and accessible. Our reports are now full of accurate site plans, using GPS, lavishly illustrated, superbly designed, and take far less time to produce than even ten years ago. Surveys are supported by superb pieces of kit like bat detectors coupled to recordable mp3 devices, crystal clear optics, mobile phone cameras, sophisticated weather recording devices, endoscopes, night vision equipment – the list goes on. Use of digital aerial imagery has also greatly assisted in accuracy of site mapping. Ecologists are, as a result, able to achieve a great deal in much less time, and to a much higher standard.

Technology has driven up the standards of ecological work as new kit has become readily available. I have frequently seen tenders and work specifications which request data or survey techniques which require a technological solution – be it recordings of bat calls, sophisticated mapping imagery or use of complex databases. Digital photos allow evidence to be scrutinised thoroughly, and accurate mapping has changed vegetation survey from an art to a science.

So, looking forwards, how can technology improve yet further the quality of ecological work, and what would be on my own wish list for ace gadgets? Well, this is not an exhaustive list, but here goes:

  1. More practical and sophisticated equipment for static bat detection and recording, perhaps with predictive software for bat identification.
  2. The further integration of high quality optics with digital camera technology at an affordable price.
  3. An all-in-one field device for ecologists – a weatherproof gadget that takes photos with GPS location, and allows mapping directly in the field, as well as the collection of audio and visual evidence.
  4. Satellite imagery that’s completely up to date (like – yesterday).
  5. Teleport (no more Travelodge!).
  6. X ray vision (this would also be fun for a number of reasons).
  7. Bionics.

The last three are optional, but just think…

Rob

Robert Yaxley

Who is an Ecologist?

Having been working in this field for a considerable time, and being in the position of recruiting and managing ecologists, I frequently have cause to reflect on the ecologist’s role, and what makes a good (and bad) ecologist. Needless to say, all WFE’s staff are of the highest calibre, and exhibit all of the qualities required for success(!). Here are a digest of some of these reflections.

In short, a good ecologist needs to be a jack-of-all-trades. Aside from the basics – high levels of literacy and numeracy, commitment and passion, all sorts of bizarre secondary skills can be required to see through a job from start to finish: metalworker, hydrological engineer, graphic designer, motor mechanic, statistician, caterer, accountant, negotiator, labourer, animal handler, geographer, legal adviser and explorer – all fall under the ecologist’s umbrella. The old stereotype of a dry, strictly scientific existence are belied by the reality of the world of work.

That is not to say that many of the places one finds oneself in are anything too glamorous – the distinctly spooky burnt out cellars of an old maltings, the most degraded arable wastes, open miles of beach shingle, semi-detached lofts, polluted balancing ponds and supermarket car parks – all are worktime hangouts for the jobbing ecologist.

The sheer variety of challenges that are encountered are certainly a major attraction of the job. I have experienced months where I have been involved in all of the following one after the other: vegetation surveys on exposed tops of the Yorkshire Dales, writing detailed reports on bird populations in lowland farmland, catching reptiles in Kent, locating and labelling veteran trees in Norfolk and doing topographic surveys in the Broads. And that is on top of juggling several subconsultants, trying to keep the money coming in and the ageing vehicle running. And it’s not just me – virtually every ecologist I know is presented with a similar array of challenges.

Excelling at multi-tasking and conceptual ball juggling are not the only demands – a keen observational faculty, attention to detail, a steady hand, consistency, clear thinking and physical stamina all play their part. It’s not easy being green. The upside is a hugely rewarding and fulfilling job, and many of us I believe feel that we are “living the dream”.

For those people starting on a career in ecology, the advice is clear – you made the right choice, stick with it and don’t give up! Times are tough, and our profession as well as many others has been quite deeply affected, but we will always be needed, and I am very optimistic for the future. Go get em!

Rob

Robert Yaxley

The Great Crested Newt Survey Experience

  • March 26, 2010
  • Blog

Great crested newts are fascinating creatures. Since joining Wild Frontier Ecology it has been my privilege to undertake many great crested newt surveys, looking for these beautiful amphibians. The female is the larger reaching up to 170mm, but it is the smaller male which is the real beauty with his jagged crest. Both are dark from above, but sometimes as they flick away through the water you get a fleeting glimpse of their fiery orange or yellow belly. The dragon is alive and well and can be seen living in English ponds! To me part of the magic is that many people will have never seen one. Although great crested newts are fairly widespread, and can be found in rural, suburban and urban areas, they often go unnoticed. They skulk away in quiet unmanaged places, or hide away in the depths of ponds.

Last summer WFE undertook extensive great crested newt surveys, we surveyed 257 ponds right across Norfolk. All these ponds were within the buffer of a linear infrastructure development, and therefore required survey. Four survey visits to each pond are required to establish whether great crested newt are present. Logistically it was a challenge to ensure all ponds were fully surveyed within the correct time period, but one that we were delighted to rise to.

Great Crested Newt, caught by Kelly.

Great Crested Newt, caught by Kelly.

Although we had calculated a Habitat Suitability Index for each of the waterbodies, newt occurrence cannot be predicted so simply. Whilst I might think an area truly lovely, newts can be nowhere to be found, yet an unpromising tiny garden pond suddenly yields a medium sized population. In this job you never know what you will find next. Last Spring I was to be found out and about in the farmyards, fields and gardens of Norfolk. Fortunately we were blessed with plenty of fine weather, so it was a joy to wander from pond to pond, clipboard and dip net in hand. Although it is of course, never that simple.

Not all ponds are easily accessible. On private land, away from the footpaths the terrain is not always straight forward, dense woodland always makes finding even a large pond difficult and a small one far more of a challenge! The modern technology of GPS fails as soon as trees obscure the sky. It’s up to me, and me alone to navigate the dense bramble and work out where the pond is and where I’ve ended up. Even ponds in the middle of arable fields come with their own unique set of challenges. You might be able to stroll up to within 2 or 3 meters of the water, then dense hawthorn, barbed wire, or even just an entanglement of fallen willow make getting oneself and the awkward dip net to the water’s edge nearly impossible! I might not be the fittest, strongest or most knowledgeable member of the WFE team, but as the smallest I am at least well placed to wriggle through the smallest of gaps! Trousers, shirts and wellies, are inevitably by the end of the season all full of snags and holes.

Then of course there is the local livestock; cows, horses, sheep, pigs. Their ponds are often easy to access as they have been in first. Unfortunately, they all seem to delight on sneaking up on you whilst your attention is focused into the ponds murky water. As soon as a land owner tells me there are ‘friendly’ animals in a field I am at once on my guard, for these are precisely the inquisitive animals like nothing better than to come and investigate. And a ‘friendly’ herd of bullocks all vying to examine me and my net is to say the least a little unnerving!

In late spring and early summer as the sun went down, and most people returned home, I set out once again, with powerful torches in hand, to retrace my daytime steps. Torch surveys by night allow a fascinating view of pond life. Gone are the daytime reflections allowing a view into a newt’s world. Steadily the water is scanned with the powerful torch beam and sightings are methodically noted down. Sometimes nothing can be seen in the murky depths; sometimes the merest flick of a tail gives the newts away as they head for cover. On some days however, we’re rewarded with the wonder of a clear view as, seemingly untroubled, they proceed about their business!

By night the Norfolk countryside is a whole different world; the wildlife is out and about. Badger, fox, hedgehog and deer have all come upon me in the darkness only to panic in my torch’s fierce glow. For the local people our nocturnal habits are somewhat confusing. I had to smile when on one occasion I returned to a site for a subsequent visit to find out that startled locals had suspected me of being a UFO. It is however, well worth the late nights to ensure a job well done.

As spring blooms once again, now is the time of year when WFE start getting lots of requests for great crested newt surveys. I have already been out and about, conducting waterbody assessments and the first survey visits at sites up and down the country. Now I’m eagerly anticipating what the next visits might bring!

For further information on great crested newt surveys take a look at the amphibian page or contact us.

Susie

Susannah Dickinson

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