Shropshire BAP News


News from the Shropshire Biodiversity Partnership

	News snippets
Submit records of geological features using the new online form. The latest newsletter of the Shropshire Invertebrate Group is out now, read it here. Paper published on heathland creation at Prees Heath for Silver-studded blue.

	Shropshire Entomology
Entomology in Shropshire is buzzing! It has probably never been so active. Catch the latest news in the fourth edition of the Shropshire Entomology newsletter whch can be downloaded here. Please contact Pete Boardman if you would like to be added to the mailing list.

New site for the Sandy Stiltball

A second population of what is probably Shropshire's rarest and most heavily protected fungus has been found at Worfield near Bridgnorth. The Sandy Stiltball (Battarrea phalloides) is nationally endangered and is listed on Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act which means it is an offence to pick, uproot, cut, destroy, collect or sell any part of the species.

The first population was discovered near Dudmaston in 2004 and this year is the first since then that this population has failed to appear. Fungi don’t produce fruiting bodies every year so this does not mean the population has been lost. The good news is that the new population is large. Roy Mantle, Shropshire’s county recorder for fungi, was notified of the new find by Dr David Ashcroft and visited the site. He says the population “is much larger [than the first population], (about 200yds long) in a hedge bank. There were 21 fruit bodies in various stages of development. This may be a major UK site. I am trying to contact Kew to see what they think”. Roy is one of the experts gathering species records on behalf of the Shropshire Ecological Data Network. All these records are submitted to the National Biodiversity Network. You can see a map of where Sandy Stiltball is found here: http://bit.ly/Sandy_Stiltball_map. If you have seen wildlife of interest please help us by recording what you have seen using our online form (http://bit.ly/Record_wildlife) or emailing natural.environment@shropshire.gov.uk

Photo of Sandy Stiltball by Roy Mantle

Paper published on heathland creation at Prees Heath

A paper has been published by Aspects of Applied Biology (108, 2011: Vegetation Management) on heathland creation at Prees Heath. The full summary is copied below:

The re-creation of dry heathland and habitat for a nationally threatened butterfly at Prees Heath Common Reserve, Shropshire
By JOHN DAVIS¹, STEPHEN LEWIS¹ and PHIL PUTWAIN²
¹Butterfly Conservation, Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham BH20 5QP, UK Email: jdavis@butterfly-conservation.org & slewis@butterfly-conservation.org
²Ecological Restoration Consultants, Neston CH64 9QG, UK & University of Liverpool, Ness Botanic Gardens, Ness, Neston CH64 4AY, UK
Email: philp@liverpool.ac.uk

Summary
The Silver-studded blue butterfly (Plebejus argus) is a priority conservation species under the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) as a result of severe declines over the past 100 years through loss of habitat extent and quality. Prees Heath Common in Shropshire has supported the last population of the butterfly in the English Midlands since the 1970s on small areas of relict heathland. Butterfly Conservation purchased part of the Common to safeguard this population and to undertake a re-creation of lowland heathland in an attempt to ensure its persistence. Heathland vegetation has been established on sandy soil enriched by previous arable cultivations and associated uses. After 4 years the aim of greatly increasing the area of suitable habitat by creating dry dwarf shrub heathland and acid grassland mosaic communities is progressing well. The techniques used involved soil profile inversion through deep-ploughing, chemical acidification, and sowing by spreading recently harvested heather brash. Control of invasive plants such as Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense) and of Silver Birch (Betula pendula) has been essential. Browsing by the large resident rabbit population was feared likely to have a severe negative impact but in 3 years an extensive cover of Calluna vulgaris has nevertheless become established and small stands of Erica cinerea are persisting. This should continue to develop and provide the principal larval food plants (Erica cinerea and Calluna vulgaris) for the butterfly and the habitat conditions needed by its obligate associate, the black ant (Lasius niger).

Look out for breeding Red Kites

Red Kites almost became extinct in Wales in the 1930s, but the population has increased and spread since then. Two pairs nested unsuccessfully in Shropshire in 2005, and one pair fledged two young in 2006, the first successful breeding for 130 years.

The Shropshire Ornithological Socieity have continued to monitor Red Kite breeding in the county, with 14 successful nests found in 2010. All records to date have been in the AONB in the south-west Shropshire hills.

More records are needed to fill gaps in our knowelegde of the Red Kite population in Shropshire. All reports will be treated with the strictest confidence. To read Leo's full article on the Red Kites of Shropshire click here.

Invertebrate fauna in the Stiperstones area

In 2009 Sarah Whild and Alex Lockton produced a comprehensive guide to the Flora of the Stiperstones. Inspried by this, Pete Boardman, together with a team of recorders and surveyors, has compiled a guide to the invertebrate fauna of the the Stiperstones area. An impressive 1295 invertebrate species have been recorded on the Stiperstones and surrounding areas, including 449 different Lepidopterans (butterflies and moths and 251 different Coleopterans (beetles). The guide is a fascinating read is excellent indicator of what to keep an eye out for, when you are out and about on the Stiperstones.

To read the full guide click here.

Pink waxcap churchyard survey

This autumn Sue Cooper from Caring for God's Acre undertook mycological surveys at a 18 Shropshire churchyards, leading to six new site records for Pink waxcap (Hygrocybe calyptriformis).Hope Bowder and Eaton under Heywood.

Particularly impressive patches were recorded at St John the Baptist Church in Stokesay where a total of eight waxcap species were present, including the Pink waxcap. The latest survey forms part of an on going attempt to find new Pink waxcap populations in Shropshire.

West Midlands Launches Forestry Commission Grant to Help Woodland Birds

West Midlands is the latest region where the Forestry Commission has launched a new type of grant to encourage landowners to help reverse the decline of the region’s woodland birds.

There is also a new FC leaflet available entitled Reversing Woodland Bird Decline.

Measures which could be funded under the new scheme will include preserving dead trees to provide natural nest sites, coppicing, thinning, controlling grazing levels and creating glades and scrubby areas favoured by many species. Monitoring of the target species will take place to see what difference woodland management makes.Grant guidance and application forms can be downloaded from the grants section of the Forestry Commission’s West Midlands web pages www.forestry.gov.uk/westmidlands or by calling Bob Evans on 01905 533802.

New Midlands Fritillary Project

Butterfly Conservation started a new project called the ‘Midlands Fritillary Project’ in the West Midlands Region earlier this year thanks to funding from Countdown 2010 and the Tubney Charitable Trust. The project aims to direct effort on practical conservation measures to improve habitat for five fritillary species on 168 individual sites in nine areas of the West Midlands region and the Forest of Dean over the next 3 years. In addition to the focus on the High Brown Fritillary, Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, the work will benefit a further 11 UK BAP Priority Species of butterfly and moth, and two other fritillaries, the Dark Green Fritillary and Silver-washed Fritillary.

For more details click HERE

Million Ponds Project - Pond Creation Toolkit

Please register new ponds that meet the Million Ponds Project criteria here The three criteria are that the new ponds need to meet are:

1. A clean water source.

2. To be left to colonise naturally.

3. To be left to thrive without undue disturbance.

Pond Conservation are still fundraising for the £50,000 needed to unlock £500,000 of Landfill Community Funds so that thousands of wildlife rich ponds can be dug across England and Wales. If you have any enquiries about the Million Ponds Project or the nature conservation of ponds please send email Pond Conservation at info@pondconservation.org.uk

The Pond Creation Toolkit with all the advice you need to dig new, clean water ponds that contribute to the Million Ponds Project targets, is now available to download FREE from the pond conservation website

Fresh Guidance on Managing Aggregate Industry Sites for Biodiversity

There are two new and potentially very useful guidance documents which provide suggestions and best practice for managing aggregate industry sites for biodiversity.

BugLife have produced 'Managing Aggregates Sites for Invertebrates - A Best Practice Guide' which can be downloaded from the Buglife website. This guide aims to provide the aggregates industry with methods for halting the decline of invertebrate species on their sites.

Managing Aggregates Sites for Invertebrates - A Best Practice Guide

Pond Conservation have also issued a 'Pond Creation Toolkit for the Aggregate Extraction Industry' which can be downloaded from the Pond Conservation Website. The toolkit provides advice on when, where, why and how to create ponds for wildlife on aggregates sites.

Pond Creation Toolkit for the Aggregate Extraction Industry

Potential funding from the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network.

The Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network is an exciting new initiative that is open to anyone with an interest in nature. We aim to create and inspire a new generation of nature-lovers by getting people to explore, study, enjoy and protect their local environment. In 2007 OPAL received a grant of £11.75million from the Big Lottery Fund.

OPAL can provide support, funding and equipment for societies. A major goal of OPAL is to promote and support natural history societies and recording schemes, and ensure that they benefit from the funding, outreach and publicity opportunities that OPAL offers.

The OPAL programme will run until 2012.

For more details on the funding available from OPAL please visit the OPAL website

	NEW! Stiperstones & Long Mynd Field Studies Council Leaflet
There is a new Field Studies Council leaflet available which has been specifically produced for The Stiperstones and Long Mynd. The leaflet covers flora, fauna, geology and history of the area. This project is supported by the Field Studies Council's Biodiversity Training Project. Copies are available from FSC website

BARN OWL POPULATION ON THE INCREASE IN SHROPSHIRE

Shropshire Nest Box Scheme Helps to Begin a Population Recovery after a Long and Significant Decline

Work by the Shropshire Barn Owl Group, a member of the Shropshire Biodiversity Partnership, to install in excess of 200 Barn Owl Boxes across Shropshire since 2002 has helped the population of this striking and beautiful bird begin a recovery after a long and significant decline.

Barn Owl nest boxes provided, installed and monitored by the dedicated team of volunteers who make up the Shropshire Barn Owl Group have produced 262 chicks since 2002. This exceeds the 172 chicks which have been produced from natural nest sites monitored during the same 6 year period. Barn Owls using natural nest sites are breeding well but the additional nesting sites provided by nest boxes are clearly having a positive effect on the population in Shropshire.

The decline of Barn Owls began in the early 19^th century and is thought to have been due to a decline available nest sites, loss of habitats for hunting, persecution and land use changes. The Shropshire Biodiversity Partnership has produced an ‘action plan’ for the Barn Owl in Shropshire which is being led by the Shropshire Barn Owl Group along with other organisations including The Upper Onny Wildlife Group, Forestry Commission, Environment Agency, Shropshire County Council and E.ON at the Ironbridge Power Station. The action plan has helped to provide artificial nest sites in boxes matched with suitable habitat which has increased the number of chicks being produced each year and has also increased each year the number of pairs of adult Barn Owls in Shropshire.

The Shropshire Barn Owl Group is keen to maintain the current momentum in establishing pairs of breeding barn owl on new sites and can provide advice on habitats and nest boxes to landowners who are interested. Barn Owl sightings by members of the public are very useful for this work and can be reported to the Shropshire Ornithological Society (www.bto.org/birdtrack) or the Shropshire Wildlife Trust (enquiries@ShropshireWildlifeTrust.org.uk or call 01743 284280).

	Rural Hub news