The State of Nature Report

The recently published “State of Nature” report has attracted a great deal of press interest thanks to the sheer enormity of its scope. A collaboration between twenty five conservation charities from across Britain, the report looks at a range of different habitats from cities to forests, documenting a variety of case studies which ultimately tells quite a sorry story for many species.

In relation to the uplands, the report mentions that out of 877 species associated with the British uplands, 65% have decreased to some extent during the past fifty years, and 35% are described as having decreased “strongly”.  Fourteen upland species have become extinct altogether in the U.K., and a number of plants and insects are gravely threatened.

The report links these declines to largely to intensive grazing and burning, as well as commercial afforestation and habitat fragmentation. There are some positive outcomes, such as a successful initiative to conserve the Twite on upland farms, but the predominantly downward trend is clear to see.

As with all conservation issues, there are some elements of controversy to the report. Rather than accept the impressive array of statistics and case studies as the definitive “last word” on modern British conservation, the report serves an even more important purpose by generating discussion and helping people to look ahead to the future of Britain’s countryside.

Click here to download a copy of the State of Nature Report

Black Grouse Breeding

Lek surveys across Scotland showed an appreciable increase in black grouse numbers during the spring of 2012, but the subsequent wet summer last year has surely had knock-on effects on successful reproduction.

Like red grouse, black grouse chicks are extremely vulnerable to periods of cold, wet weather, particularly in their first two or three weeks of life. There are already anecdotal reports of blackcock numbers struggling to hold their own, and some smaller leks have vanished altogether. It remains to be seen what the survey results will reveal for the 2013 season.

Broods of black grouse in Scotland tend to be made up of more chicks than broods in England, meaning that the birds could soon bounce back from last year’s disastrous weather given a mild, dry summer. 

Interestingly, birds in Scotland tend to live only half as long as their English counterparts – a sorry statistic apparently linked to more intensive gamekeeping south of the border. A blackcock in England might well live up to seven years in the wild, whereas a Scottish bird will struggle to make three years.

In some areas, increases in black grouse numbers are being linked to the expansion of native woodland. While there is no doubt that some trees are an advantage to the birds, it is hard to deny that sensitive upland agriculture, predator control and the sound management of heather moorland are the foundation for healthy black grouse populations.

Heather Beetle 2013

Having received the first sighting of heather beetle for 2013, the new beetle survey map is now up and running.

The first beetles of 2013 were spotted in Blackheath in Surrey on the 8th April. This is early for adult beetles to be up and about, although adult beetles were spotted in the Inner Hebrides in March last year.

The Heather Trust is planning a big push on beetle surveys for 2013. The information gathered in previous years has been extremely helpful and some themes and patterns are beginning to emerge in outbreaks, but without a constant flow of reports and surveys coming in, it's hard to keep an eye on what the beetles are doing.

Along with the survey, our research project in the Peak District is now underway, and we are making progress not only towards identifying some key causes of large scale heather beetle outbreaks but also to restoring beetle damage as quickly and as simply as possible after an outbreak.

With your help, we can continue to build a vital store of evidence around beetle outbreaks so that in the future, the destruction caused by attacks is easier to manage.

"Bulgy eye" in red grouse

A new problem currently facing grouse stocks is the disease colloquially known as “bulgy eye”. 

Until recently, outbreaks of “bulgy eye” (caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma gallisepticum) had been confined to pheasants and partridges, and the appearance of the same symptoms amongst red grouse were blamed on infected birds moving up from the low ground and spreading the disease amongst grouse.

Recent research has revealed that the symptoms described as “bulgy eye” in grouse are actually caused by a totally different species of bacteria – Cryptosporidium baileyi. There is currently no explanation for why or how this disease has suddenly appeared amongst wild red grouse populations.

Birds infected with C. baileyi exhibit very similar symptoms to those suffering from M. galliseptum, which effectively mimics severe sinusitis. The tissue around the eyes becomes extremely swollen with a cheesy pus, leaving the grouse blind. In extreme cases, death results after starvation or predation, and there is evidence to suggest that the disease could become a serious issue for the future of grouse management.

It is known that infections are caused when grouse inhale or eat C. baileyi bacterium, and early research suggests that infection “hot-spots” could well be around grit stations, particularly where there are splashes or puddles. The best advice currently on offer is to increase the number of grit stations so that birds are not concentrated around just a few and to spread sand or wood chips around the immediate vicinity of grit boxes in order to keep the ground dry. There are treatments available for C. baileyi, but these are so toxic that they are impractical for use on wild birds.

It may also be relevant to consider biosecurity measures for the moor, since it has been suggested that humans and dogs could be responsible for transmitting the disease.

Anyone who finds a grouse which they believe is suffering from “bulgy eye” should contact the GWCT or St David’s Game Bird Services.

The Return of Asulam

On the 26th February, the news of an approved "Emergency Authorisation" for the use of Asulam for the control of bracken was released. EU legislation prohibited the use of Asulam from the start of 2013, and given that the chemical is the only selective herbicide which can be applied by helicopter, many were concerned about the subsequent difficulty of managing bracken in its absence.

Thanks to targeted lobbying from a number of organisations including the Bracken Control Group which is co-ordinated by the Heather Trust, the use of Asulam will be permitted during 2013. Members are advised to stand by for more details.