Young photographer sheds light on British countryside

The winning photograph

16-year-old Christopher Page was named the winner of the award earlier this year by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and I had the pleasure of presenting him with his trophy  the other day. The Julian Gardner Award is named in honour of the East Sussex farmer who was tragically murdered while defending his property in 2010. Julian was a life long supporter of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.

 

Christopher's winning photograph depicts an atmospheric  woodland scene bathed in soft golden sunlight and autumnal colours.  It was taken at the Polesdon Lacey estate in Surrey while Christopher was 15, and entered into the 16-and-under category of the Julian Gardner Award. Christopher's talents have also been recognised by The Sunday Times Magazine, who made the same photograph one of the finalists in their Take a View Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards 2013.

 

Christopher said, "I particularly enjoy taking photographs of landscapes. I love the way it makes you really look at the detail."

 

Why don't you think of entering this competition?

 

Find out more at: http://www.gwct.org.uk/support_us/3290.asp

Christopher Page being presented with his trophy by me!

And they are off! Follow satellite tracked woodcock on their long journey back to our shores.

Head project scientist Dr. Andrew Hoodless with one of the stars!

In autumn and continuing through December and January, Britain and Ireland see a large influx of migrant woodcock escaping freezing weather in northern Europe. ‘Falls’ of woodcock are often most noticeable around the full moon in November, commonly referred to as the ‘Woodcock Moon’. As many as 700,000 to 1,200,000 migrant woodcock from Scandinavia, Finland, the Baltic States and Russia may spend the winter with us.
 

GWCT scientists have been radio tracking woodcock and have revealed that these birds can fly up to 750 miles over a 30 hour period, averaging almost 25 miles an hour. It has also shown the birds are faithful to their breeding grounds in Eastern Europe and Russia, returning to the same sites each year.
 

One male Woodcock called Monkey, tagged in Cornwall last year, recently completed what is at least his third annual migration, and researchers estimate he has flown more than 24,000 miles (39,000km) in his lifetime. Monkey, has returned to exactly the same breeding ground in Siberia for the last two springs after over-wintering in the UK, the satellite tracking has shown. It will be fascinating to follow his progress and the other radio tracked birds as they make their way back to our shores to spend the winter months here – often to be found feeding in the exactly the same field that they were originally caught in!!

Most of the Woodcock have now started their long journeys - you can follow their individual routes back to the UK by going to: http://www.woodcockwatch.com/index.php

The Cranborne Estate - ahead of the game!

Viscount Cranborne and his estate team receiving the trophy from GWCT's Mike Swan

Congratulations to the Cranborne Estate who has been awarded the GWCT's Wessex Grey Partridge trophy this year. The estate team has put in place a programme of measures which combine together to support grey partridges (and many other farmland bird species) throughout their life cycle. These include improved hedgerow management, grass margins, beetle banks and insect rich brood strips to provide food for chicks.

There is also abundant winter escape cover, large areas of wild bird seed mixes and a generous winter and spring supplementary feeding programme. All of this has been coupled with targeted predation control to maximise the number of pairs that successfully rear their young. This has resulted in an increase from just a few pairs to a total of 34 pairs in 2012. Sadly the dire summer of 2012 saw very few chicks surviving, and resulted in a reduction to 18 pairs in the spring of 2013. Despite this halving of the pair count, there were many more partridges to be seen this autumn than last year, and we can anticipate continued population growth from here on. 

The Julian Gardner photographic awards

Competition winner Martin Munn with his wife Kelly and winning photo

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) runs a photographic competition each year and the winners for 2013 were announced a few days ago at the Game Fair, held at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire. Laurie Campbell, the internationally acclaimed wildlife photographer is the senior judge and he said that this year’s winning photo’s, from both the senior and junior entrants, were “incredibly impressive”. 

The competition was made possible by a kind donation from the family and friends of Julian Gardner, a farmer, countryman and lifelong supporter of the trust, who was tragically murdered while working on his farm in Sussex. What was very special about the awards this year is that seven family members and friends had travelled up from Sussex to the fair so that they could watch the presentations take place. Richard Benyon, who is the DEFRA Minister for Natural Environment and Fisheries, very kindly made space in his hectic schedule, to come to the GWCT stand to present the trophies.

The winning photo titled “Lady in red” of a ladybird inside a Tulip flower was unanimously chosen by all three judges as the number one shot, even before we came together to discuss which photos should be placed in the last three – and that doesn’t happen very often! The winner Martin Munn and his wife Kelly duly turned up at the GWCT stand, having driven up from Surrey the night before, to stay just eight miles away. I say just eight miles away, but it took them two hours to travel these last few miles on the Saturday morning – they began to panic that they might actually miss the presentation!

Unfortunately, the winner of the 16 and under competition, Christopher Page of Orpington, Kent, who took a glorious picture of an autumnal woodland scene, could not make the fair. However, this was more than compensated for by the young lady who came third, who attended the presentation with her photo of a superbly atmospheric winter landscape. Eloise Rux Burton who is only 9 years old, (incidentally she would  like to be an actress when she grows up rather than a photographer!) was presented with her enlarged photo by Richard Benyon – a memory which will surely stay with her for years to come!

It was a lovely occasion, bringing together people who closely observe our surroundings and capture that particular moment for all to enjoy. I hope that the winners enjoy having the “hare” trophy on their mantel piece for the year, before handing the trophy over to next year’s winner.

 If this year is anything to go by – the standard will be high – but don’t let that put you off – get out there and see if you can’t take that winning photo!! 

To find out more about the competition go to: http://www.gwct.org.uk/photocompetition

     

Minister Richard Benyon presenting Martin with his trophy

Eloise Rux Burton receiving her picture from Richard Benyon

Rachel Carson's "Silent spring" still reverberates 50 years on



Silence, except for the wind

Rachel Carson started off studying literature, but fortunately for us, changed to biology because she went on to write the famous book “silent spring”, which caused reverberations across the scientific and agricultural worlds alike. The book highlighted the effects of direct poisoning of wildlife by pesticides, the bioaccumulation of residues within food chains, and the sub-lethal effects of pesticides on wildlife during the 1950s and 1960s”.

Gillian Gooderham has written a fascinating piece for National Geographic on the writing of this book and the input that the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust had at the time, (including copies of old letters written) carrying on to look at how the Trust’s continual research has since managed to over-come some of the problems and issues that Carson raised.

I highly recommend that you take a look at this excellent article, which can be read by clicking here  

Doctor gets himself in a hole - more than once!



The doctor looks into yet another hole!

Alistair in his element!

I spent the day at the GWCT farm at Loddington in Leicestershire yesterday, running another BASIS training day and was helped this time by Dr. Alistair Leake, head of the project there. Alistair has many arrows to his bow, but he is perhaps best known for being a top authority on soil and water and how different farming techniques influence the way these important resources interact.

Alistair often says that there is no supplement to getting the spade out and digging a large hole in the ground to see what the soil structure looks like, as the composition of the soil is vital for growing top quality crops, increasing earth worm numbers and also helping to prevent flooding events amongst other things.

Certainly the group enjoyed the walk around the farm yesterday afternoon, looking at various habitats and discussing how they are created and maintained, but perhaps the stop they found the most intriguing was the doctor in his hole!

As if that was not enough, Alistair found himself peering down another hole later on as the sewerage from the new “eco-build” conference centre was not running away quite as it should! Apparently, the farm manager had used up the collected water supply that normally flushes the system through, to irrigate a newly grass sown grass lay – not something that had been factored into the building’s plans!!    

Still Alistair is never happier than when in a “bit of a hole”!!

Alistair getting a "hole" lot of attention!

The tale of two rare needles

Francis with his rare Shepherd's needle

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has many research projects running across the country including one on the beautiful Rotherfield Park estate in Hampshire, which is not far from where I live.

Dr. Francis Buner, the GWCT Grey Partridge biologist lives on the estate and he and I carry out farmland bird surveys through the summer and winter months. Francis, like so many of the research staff at the GWCT is interested in all wildlife, not just partridges! So I was not hugely surprised to receive a rather excited text from him saying that he had found some “Shepherd’s needle” growing in a cultivated margin on the estate.

These are field edges that are cultivated, but not drilled with a crop, so as to allow the arable flowers to flourish. These flowers in turn attract many insects so that the farmland birds, including Francis’s beloved partridges, have plenty of readily available food for their chicks. The other purpose of these margins is to allow the rarer plants to appear once more – and we have both been looking without much success over the last two to three years, to see if we can find any of these so called “rare arable plants”.   Now we have one!

Shepherd’s needle used to be so common that small boys were employed at harvest time to climb into the reaper machines to unblock them from this irksome weed, so called because of the long needle shaped seed pods they produce. Nowadays, grown men get very excited when they find just a few plants!!

Then I hear that the fastest bird in the world has turned up in the UK for only the 10^th time ever - a White-throated needletail  - jetting around on the island of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. Two exciting needles in one day - WOW! The tom – toms soon started to work their magic amongst the “twitching community” and before long there were 30 or so birders gathered together in a huddle, watching this superb bird which should really be racing around the skies of central Asia and southern Siberia at this time of year.

As the assembled birders were being rewarded with some spectacular “fly bys” from this large, cigar shaped swift like bird, with its needle shaped tail, the show ended rather abruptly. Fairly nearby was a small wind turbine, which hardly anyone had even noticed, that is until 30 pairs of binoculars followed this mega rarity straight into the rapidly turning blades. Death was instant.

So, the tale of two rare British needle species, one of which has become even rarer, but the other one hopefully now has a brighter future!

  

Monkey makes it home, but two others don't!

A nesting Woodcock

I’m pleased to announce that Monkey, the male woodcock that was radio tagged in Cornwall by GWCT research scientist Dr. Andrew Hoodless has successfully made it back to his breeding ground in Siberia, completing his third annual migration! Andrew reckons that Monkey has already clocked up 24,000 miles (39,000 Km) in his lifetime! Hopefully he is one of many woodcock now “roding” – the peculiar display flight that male woodcock perform at dusk to attract females – around his Siberian woodland territory.

16 woodcock with satellite tracking devises have arrived safely on their breeding grounds, but unfortunately 2 have gone missing including Busy, also tagged in Cornwall in February 2012, who was found by a member of the public being eaten by a Sparrowhawk in a wood near Andover in Hampshire! Don’t forget to follow how these birds fare over the coming months on the woodcock website.   

Belgians - good with chocolate but not conservation - yet!

Belgian group visit the Allerton project

I spent today at the Allerton project in Loddington, Leicestershire. This is the GWCT’s research and demonstration farm – where we trial numerous conservation techniques to see if they really do work and how they fit in with the farming programme. This farm is also a key way of showing all sorts of people, from farmers, conservationists, politicians and the public, exactly what can be achieved on a working farm.

Today we had a visit from Belgian politicians, farmers and Government policy makers, who wanted to see firsthand how Stewardship schemes work in England and how game management is integrated in with these schemes. They were astounded by how advanced our schemes are compared to what is available in Belgium and also how “up for it” our farmers are – certainly not the case over there!!

It is exciting when GWCT research not only influences our own UK Government, but spreads far and wide to influence and impact on European countries and also the States, which has already been the case in many instances.

I really hope that these Belgians will go back to their country inspired as to what can be achieved, so that the habitats and associated species in their nation can benefit from our research and experience too, after all in many instances their wildlife is our wildlife – human boundaries are just not recognised by many species which move from country to country during the course of a year.        

The State of Nature Report

I thought I would simply copy the press release that the GWCT put out today in response to this pretty damning report, as it really is time now that we all stop talking about what we are going to do, and actually get on with it. In most cases we do actually know what needs to be done to reverse these widespread wildlife declines, so the time for action is NOW! This is the statement:

  "We need to work together for wildlife recovery right now," says Teresa Dent, Chief Executive of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) in response to the launch of the alarming State of Nature report by a coalition of wildlife organisations today, Wednesday 22nd May.

"Bringing back our wildlife from decline demands a relentlessly positive sense of purpose from everyone involved", she urges.

"The State of Nature Report is a serious wake up call. We welcome it and we salute the wildlife organisations for revealing such dramatic declines.

"But we must seize the moment and recruit as many people as possible to play their part in turning 'feel bad' decline into 'feel good' recovery. Nothing else will succeed," Teresa Dent continues.

The GWCT has achieved over 80 years of outstanding research and understanding of the ecology of many crucial habitats including arable farmland, lowland woodlands, chalk rivers and our internationally important moorlands. We have a proven record of world class work into precious species such as the black grouse, water vole, grey partridge, woodcock, trout, salmon, lapwing and golden plover. During all this time we have worked with people who manage land and wildlife and have inspired their confidence.

"The continued decline of wildlife is frustrating and depressing for everyone involved. We simply have to harness the huge potential of farmers, game managers and foresters, along with the concerned public. If only we can unite all the good will for wildlife, we can take on this task and deliver," Teresa Dent explains.

"As an immediate contribution, we offer ten principles to achieve highly effective wildlife recovery. Stick to these, and our chances of success will soar. We're ready to play our part for wildlife right now," Teresa Dent concludes.

Ten principles for highly effective wildlife recovery:

• Stick to objectives: only single-minded commitment to saving species will succeed.
•  
• Own the problem: get those who actually manage land on side and recruit local leaders on the ground to show initiative.
•  
• Maintain good morale: this is a tough task and a positive state of mind will be vital.
•  
• Get a Reality Check: farmers and land managers need to know really how bad things have got.
•  
• Make it local: people will respond to places they know, wildlife they see.
•  
• Be precise: what exactly is needed to achieve a species' recovery? Sort out the 'pinch points'.
•  
• Cooperate, cooperate, cooperate: we need an economy of effort and synchronised actions by all.
•  
• Enough resources: maximise effective conservation with realistic funding and drawing in additional support.
•  
• Support the ordinary: stop everyday wildlife today becoming rare wildlife tomorrow. Value it to keep it.
•  
• Be agile and flexible: don't let process dominate purpose: if it works, give it support.

And the Woodcock are off!!

Although the spring migration of woodcock is rather delayed this year, it has now started in earnest! It is amazing how much we are learning about this largely nocturnal species through radio tracking – a small backpack fastened onto the bird which allows us to follow them to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and Russia. They do often travel amazing distances in “one hit” before stopping to rest and feed.

We have also found that many are quite site faithful, coming back to our shores to over winter, sometimes to be re-captured in exactly the same field! Of course, not all woodcock migrate, some are resident and they will be sorting out breeding territories now and the males will start “roding” soon – flying at dusk around their woodland territories, all the while emitting a strange grunting and squeaking sound.

I will blog more about this later in the season, but in the meantime, why not follow the migrating woodcock, by clicking on: www.woodcockwatch.com

It is truly fascinating!

Soil association meeting



From left: Alistair Leake, Emma Hockridge & Peter Melchett

I had a meeting yesterday with Peter Melchett and Emma Hockridge of the Soil Association, hosted by Alistair Leake, (project head of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Allerton Project) at Loddington in Leicestershire. The meeting was arranged to thrash out some of the detail of how a future organic Stewardship scheme might look like when the next version is launched - probably some time in 2015. There is currently much activity on how all future stewardship schemes might evolve, but of course a lot depends on how CAP negotiations also pan out! Still, we had a good practically based meeting and I think improved the current scheme somewhat – we shall wait and see!