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Suzi View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2005 at 3:54am

Yes even as I was typing my posting above I was thinking of Tony and all his experience of this sort of management. If he can't achieve changes, as an expert with years of experience and data, what hope is there really?

At what stage can birds such as nightjars be considered as fairly safe and well established and thoughts turn to the other species that might have been forgotten in the meanwhile?

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2005 at 7:24am

I'm really not sure if there is an answer but I agree with Brett entirely that we should look at all ways of raising the profile of management issues and particularly the protected species legislation.

If we have enough voices and enough evidence maybe in time it will filter through. A recent case I've been involved in came down to the statement 'all we did was remove some scrub' in fact all they did was totally trash the last remaining habitat at a wildlife reserve that was in use by herps - this after I surveyed the site and highlighted the sensitive areas. If I was to be cynical I might think they used my data to finish the adder off at the site

Add to this the utter rudeness of those involved and refusal to even meet on site to discuss the issues and I can understand how Tony feels. In all an estimated 1-2% of the area of the reserve was being used by herps due to past management impact, and now that is gone too.

I'm sure herpetologists are not alone in this issue, other special interest groups have a stake in this as well, what about mammals, inverts and birds, they are all suffering the same fate of unsympathetic management.

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2005 at 6:30pm

Brett,

I'm not sure getting extremely frustrated with some nature conservation organisations is the same as giving up on a species.

The main drive in my voluntary work at the moment is collecting data from areas that are not under management from certain agencies, trusts etc. for comparison with areas that are.

Results so far are astounding. Take for instance fears regarding declines of viviparous lizards in various habitats. I know in the 20 odd years I've been actively observing herps that many of the heathland populations I visited in the early days have crashed as have populations where grazing and mowing are employed to maintain meadows..  seen it happen time and time again.

Now look to an area like the Essex seawall, it is still possible to count vast numbers of vivi lizards, in fact as a function of survey effort (I've used visual survey as the standard) the density is 80 times higher than at my favourite trashed Essex nature reserve.. not giving up, simply looking at other ways to address the issue.

I think perhaps it takes having a taste of the senseless arguments that are thrown at you when you approach some of the people responsible for these decisions to know how Tony feels. They will say absolutely anything to justify their methods, none of it based on experience of the species involved.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2005 at 9:01pm

I ought to add that on a positive note I also have data from an Essex reserve where the warden is sympathetic to herpetofauna.

Though grazing is used at the site as a management tool in restricted areas (in my opinion out of necessity) provision of log and brash piles and existing wide marginal areas has put the comparative visual counts of viviparous lizard towards the top of the scale - nearly as good as the data from brownfield sites, food for thought isn't it.

What a shame that at site calamity they made a huge brash and bracken thatch heap next to an adder hibernation bank during the spring emergence this year and set light to it.. not very thoughtful really...

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2005 at 2:15pm

Also on a positive note, like Gemma, the change of position of the cattle fence that I mentioned the other day was probably a temporary arrangement as I saw the cattle being moved across the heathery area onto one of their more usual sites.

After a few cooler days here - East Devon - it was back to hot and sunny today. The cooler days have been good for seeing adders lying out - males now back in evidence after complete lack of for a couple of weeks. Lizards everywhere yesterday but not one seen today. Yes I have been out very early but I think the ground temp. is so high they need little warming from the sun. Always rely on seeing them under tins though. A few weeks ago it was all young grass snakes and now not seeing any at all.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Robert V Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2005 at 4:28am
Wished I could be as positive as you two. Once again EF has been roped off (electric wire) ready for the bovine bulldozers. Despite me meeting with head of conservation last year and pointing out GS egg laying site, for the 2nd year running the site has been included in the boundary. As I've previously mentioned GS group now down in numbers from 20 to 3. Sloughed skins still in evidence around the egg laying site, but how much longer they'll persevere with the disturbance I don't know. R
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2005 at 5:18am
Not really positive Rob, just trying to find ways to make these people realise. Went to site calamity this morning, the bracken they cut down and burnt during the spring adder emergence has of course recovered, well it would wouldn't it, I think I learnt at primary school that cutting bracken is futile, so all their efforts achieved was to remove the vital cover during the emergence and mating period. No adder in evidence at all today - hopefully it was just the weather.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote herpetologic2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2005 at 6:46am

Dear all

I have a positive note - a site in South Essex being managed by the Essex County Council and its Ranger Service - has seen a doubling of adder numbers from 6 to 7 (2001/02) to 13 to 14 (2005) within an area being managed with the adders in mind -

The area is a scrub coppie where I think a 1/3 of the scrub is hand cleared - the logs and brash are then piled into log piles which are then left in position while the scrub/grassland is left to grow up around them - Along the grassy rides an alternating pattern of cutting is undertaken - one length of 30metres then the opposite side for 30 metres and so on. The idea is not to take out important invertebrate overwintering areas - this also benefits the adders as they have a new edge to bask along - the old tree roots have been found to provide single hibernacula -

The grass arisings are piled up within the scrub in sunny areas - plus within bramble patches.

The log piles are kept open with winter hand clearance the arisings are piled up around the log piles to provide protection from people - if they manage to get through the thorny thicket -

There is a reasonable amount of thorny scrub which provides good shelter/cover for the adders while at the same time provides a good edge habitat for basking. We have alot of log piles well over 25 in total with around 6 to 10 in each coppice compartment. 

The active log piles have, on average, 2 to 3 adult adders on them in the spring. A purpose built hibernacula was constructed in 2002 within one of the coppice compartments - logs and wood chippings were buried underground by hand. Entrances were made from 50mm electrical piping which lead into underground chambers within the wood and logs. These chambers were filled with wood chips to provide protection from predators (weasels stoats etc).

This year, 2 and half years on from the construction of this hibernacula, I can now report that two male adders were seen basking a few feet from the hibernacula this spring 2002 - I cannot prove that they use the actual hibernacula - but their presence is most pleasing - It marries up with the suitability of the coppice for adder which in this site is normally around 2 years growth when the bushes are high enough to good cover but open enough to provide good basking opportunities.

The site has been surveyed for the 'Make the Adder Count Survey' by Ray (my dad), Andrew Woodhouse the Head Ranger and myself -

The males would have ventured to the grazing marshes from this hill side site - I hope to find some pregnant females when I get up there this August.

Regards

 

JC

 

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2005 at 7:25am

Nice to hear of a success Jon, we'll be off to Hindhead Surrey next week where an area that once held many adder and grassies but unfortunately suffered drastically from birch infill over the last 20 years was managed 18 months ago, again with the snakes in mind. Will let people know if the logs and brash are in use.

(PS can you think of another site that might benefit from this sort of management in Essex??)

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