The 16 year wait is over!

One of Britain's most enigmatic and elusive native mammals is the Otter. I have longed to see one in the world right from childhood. In fact, funny story, as a very young child, perhaps 11 years old we went on a school trip to St Nicholas Park in Warwick. Whilst the others played on the climbing frames I sat on my own and watched the tiny stream that runs from the tearooms to the river for an otter. In my naivety I  believed it to be perfect for them in actual fact it was two shallow, too busy and too man made to ever be of interest to an otter. Since then I have looked for the in Wales and more so on my patch of the Avon after the caretaker of the Saxon Mill told me had seen one some 10 years ago.

Today it finally happened. I was late for my usual visit and I had just crossed the first bridge, when what I assumed was a dog at first caught my eye. It paused on the cobbles before the second bridge and both, startled, looked at each other. We actually made eye contact before it slipped into the backwater by the main Mill Pond. Excitedly I stowed my notebook and pulled out my camera. It suddenly appeared at the edge of the Mill Pond. It was like a ghost, it hardly made a ripple. Again we made eye contact and this time I had my camera in hand.

Amazingly it seemed just as interested in me. I think it was curious about the camera as it began to swim closer for a better look. It was safe in the water now and obviously more confident. 

Once its curiosity was sated, which was perhaps only in a matter of seconds it just ducked below the water and was gone.

It was a remarkable encounter. On land it seemed quite large suggesting it was a dog Otter. Its fur was slicked back and deep brown and it had the arched back gait which is familiar for the species. In the water it was silent and graceful. I was able to see the sensitive whiskers, bright beady eyes, full of enquiry, tiny flap like ears and strong rudder tail. This is without the best Christmas present I could have asked for. (Sorry everybody - you have got to go a long way to beat this on the 25th)

Godfray and the Cull

It has long been an approach of government to publish bad news amongst worse news or at least use the smokescreen of a major event to smuggle out news. Five days ago, the Government published the results of the Godfray Report, an investigation into the efficacy of the Badger Cull in England. Sadly, the findings of this report did not garner the news time it deserved due to the ongoing development of Brexit.

The BBC at least ran a short piece on the findings, but anyone not already involved in the debate could easily have missed it. So, what did the report say and what were its aims?

Sir Charles Godfray is a population biologist who was commissioned by Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, to review the Government’s 25-year Bovine TB strategy with a view to gaining a better insight into planning the next step in the aim to eradicate TB by 2038. Godfray was walking a fine line in his report and when I saw him interviewed, I felt him choosing his words very carefully. The thrust of his findings was that whilst Badgers do transmit bovine TB to cattle and are part of the problem the farming industry must take more responsibility for biosecurity and develop safer trading practices. This may not sound like much but Godfray is providing more evidence that whilst there is a reservoir of TB in the wildlife the primary transmission vector is between cattle themselves.

True the culling has had a modest effect, modest is the key word the report uses. Its obvious, if you kill any reservoir of the infection then there will be some effect, however we know that the perturbation effect reduces this benefit and does not stop reinfection from cattle.

Even I, an environmentalist understands that the fight against TB is a holistic one. It needs many parts for it to work. You must tackle the reservoir in the wildlife as much as the reservoir in the stock. What has happened so far is an over emphasis on the wildlife and the use of culls rather than vaccination. Farmers are easily demonised in this response and I certainly get angry with the NFU’s blinkered view, but this ire needs to be tempered by the realisation that farmers are business men and that this needs an element of business behind the decisions. Farmers need to be rewarded for good biosecurity and compensated for loses. Biosecurity needs a legislative footing and powers to prosecute more easily alongside the assistance for those that are trying. Because of these points I applaud Godfrays suggestion of an independent body for disease control, if the cull has taught us anything DEFRA, Natural England and the NFU have an inability for a coherent scientifically backed approach.

This report is a small but significant step in ending the cull and still moving towards TB free status, we just need to keep up the pressure. I would urge all interested to read the report and then contact you MP requesting that the cull be replaced by a vaccination programme, biosecurity is increased and that an independent body is established.

Muntjacs abound

Whilst being a non-native deer species there is something endearing about this diminutive mammal. Small as a large dog these these oriental deer are widespread in the UK and a common sight on my trail cam.

They use the hedgerow as a dispersal conduit and can occasionally be seen foraging, in fact this past few weeks has seen a fair bit of activity of this species.

This first clip shows two interesting pieces of behaviour, it starts with the male becoming aware of something and then stamping his leg. This is an aggressive posture which he follows up with a bark like call. This continued for 13 minutes, I suspect it was a rival or perhaps more likely the Fox cub, the fox would register as a predator but its size and the size of the deer would not have meant the deer was under threat. The muntjac was just asserting himself, hes big and aggressive so leave me alone.

This week I actually got some views of a muntjac fawn. I saw a picture, as seen below that looked like a scene of family bliss -

You can see two adults and a tiny fawn perhaps only a week old, in fact the male pictured is not the father. Muntjac are able to breed all year round and the male has detected that the female is no receptive once more to mating. Video reveal him pursuing the female, smelling closely for receptiveness, this attention has spooked the fawn who dashes about in panic.

We next see the fawn and mother thankfully undisturbed again this morning.

This weeks star - the Roe Deer

As you are aware the loss of the bridge has meant that I have only just been able to collect my camera and when I did I had over 2000 clips to analyse! I have finally finished ploughing through them and collating the information and I hope to be able to give you some insights in the next few posts especially regarding the presence of a Fox cub.

Today, however, I want to share with you several photos captured this week. They were taken at 11.10 am on the 11th September and show a young Roe Deer.

You can tell this is a young Roe Deer rather than a Muntjac for several reasons. Firstly the head lacks any of the correct markings, secondly, fur is of a different texture and colour. The muntjac has a more orangey colour and is smoother looking, in this case, the fur is coarser. Thirdly you can look at the ears, here the ears are more pointed and more upright whereas muntjac ears are rounder and stick out more from the side. Muntjacs are also shorter legged than this individual, lastly, there are diagnostic black spots on the rear legs.

It is also possible to tell that this is a young deer from its general appearance, the coat looks fresh but lighter than one would get in an adult, it is also possible to see faint white marks on the hin quarters when as a fawn it would have had spots. Last is the eye, juveniles generally have larger eyes in relation to their bodies, this is true for humans too. Eyes are proportionately larger at birth and it takes some time for an animal to 'grow into them'.

Confessions of a Photographer

The post title says Confessions of a Photographer but I wouldn't really call myself a photographer. I am someone who dabbles in Wildlife Photography, I have taken some, in my opinion, good photos and photography is most definitely a hobby for me.

I enjoy being immersed in wildlife and I like the long-term value a nice picture of a wildlife experience can give you. That is why many of my blurry pictures of rare animals and birds can mean so much to me. They are by no means technical masterpieces but the capture a viewing.

I do of course try and take good photos and sometimes that takes a little work. Many professional photographers stage their work, and for me, that usually only involves removing stray twigs from eye line or where I hide. I am averse to heavy photoshop editing and will only ever crop, play with the light levels and perhaps do a little sharpening to an image.

In this particular case, I decided to make use of the fact that we are regularly getting Wood Mice visiting the garden to get a nice shot of a mouse. That nice shot is the one shown above. However, to achieve this shot I experimented with some staging.

At the moment the mice visit the bird table which isn't especially natural looking in aesthetic. So instead I built a stage. I used some wood to create a bridge between the table and the hedge and covered in natural material, moss, twigs, bark and brambles. I then baited this and waited for the mice to use it.

It took a little while for the mice to get used to the new bridge but pretty soon one ventured on and I got the shots. The two shots at the head of the post are the results, but even that still took time, I still had to compose correctly and focus right. Even now the focus of those pictures is a little out.

I make this post as a kind of warning of the shots you might see out there. People with more talent and time can create all manner of wonderful images with each tweak you lose a little of the naturalness and wonder. Some amazing photos are heavily photoshopped or even used stuffed animals. Of course, not all do this but it's important to be aware of the facts, modern technology has made photography achievable by all but it has also raised the possibility of erasing its veracity.

I am content with my limits, I want to see my subjects as natural as possible, I want to leave the animals with the option to take part, the ability to leave at any minute or to not even to show up. I also respect their right to peace and quiet. In this case, I waited only 20 minutes so as not to disturb them and to allow them to forage happily once I had a few shots in the can.

This was a fun experiment but do not expect me to roll out this for all shots, nature is best seen in its raw form.

The 6th Mass Extinction

In the week of the 28^th July, the New Scientist ran a very interesting article on whether life on Earth is really in crisis. It was called ‘Life on the Brink’ and explored why biodiversity is important and if we are currently in a sixth mass extinction event.

The previous five mass extinctions stretch back 439 million years and it is worth considering each of these to consider the current status. We have fairly good data on previous extinctions in the fossil record. Marine invertebrate are particularly sensitive to extinction level changes and are consistent in the fossil record and so make for a good benchmark on which to measure changes.

The first mass extinction was the Ordovician-Silurian one peak occurring at the end of the Ordovician period and another in the Silurian. It was typified by the massive reduction in sea creatures such as Trilobites, Brachiopods and Graptolites. A reduction of about 85% of all species was thought to have occurred.

The Devonian extinction occurred 367 million years ago in the late Devonian period with 83% of species going extinct. It saw the loss of the armoured fish and the agnathan’s with them being replaced by modern fish.

The late-Permian mass extinction came in 245 million years ago and saw 96% of all species die out. It took place during a time of great continental upheaval. From this, the basal tetrapods were replaced by the Amniotes and allowed seed-bearing plants to become dominant over mosses, ferns and liverworts.

208 million years ago an increase in seismic activity led to extreme volcanic eruptions that had global effects on climate resulting in what we call the Triassic-Jurassic Mass Extinction. This series of extinction events over 18 million years resulted in 80% of all species dying out and led to the diversification of dinosaurs.

The final, most famous and most recent of the big five mass extinctions occurred 65 million years ago called the Cretaceous-Tertiary or K/T event that saw the end of the dinosaurs and pterosaurs along with a total of 76% species going extinct. The winners of this event were us, the mammals that diversified and proliferated greatly.

This brief history of extinction brings us to now and claims that we are living in the sixth extinction event. Extinction is a perfectly normal part of life evolution on earth. It happens regularly even outside of the main events this natural extinction rate is the background rate. It is calculated that if there are 10 million species and the average lifespan of a species is -10 million years then the extinction rate would be about 1 or 2 species every year.  During Mass Extinctions this rate is much higher, to put this in perspective with a high background extinction rate we would expect to see an extinction level in mammals of less than 1 species over 400 years but in fact we are saw 69 species going extinct. This is a strong indicator of mass extinction. Work by Jose Montoya states that the extinction rate is currently 1000x that of the background rate with many more species on the brink.

The problem with measuring extinction is that we do not have an accurate number for the total number of species on the planet, there are 91,000 on the IUCN list but this is a tiny proportion of all species extant on Earth. It is likely that 100’s of species have gone extinct before they have been recorded by science. We are all aware species number and population sizes on the whole are falling, although some species are bucking the trend, these will be the survivors of the extinction level event. A key issue in resolving the debate is the lack of data. Vertebrate taxa are pretty well documented but invertebrates, with the possible exception of the molluscs, is less well documented.

We lack rigid and robust data upon which to tie our theories and this is making it harder to push the agenda. Anecdotal evidence is abound to the reduction in insect splats of car windows in our youth to the lower numbers of butterflies seen. Work is ongoing but progress is slow, should funds be spent on studying the decline or working to combat it?

Perhaps the scariest thought is the cause of the extinction, most scientists agree it is happening, but instead of in previous causes, the cause was a meteor, major climatic change or volcanic eruption this extinction seems to be on us. The extinction rate seemed to accelerate from 1500 as the human population increased in number and spread across the whole planet. Many species have been hunted to extinction and with global warming altering the natural climatic cycle it is likely that many more will follow suit as the rate of evolution cannot keep pace with the selection pressures we are putting on species.

Don’t get me wrong, I m not trying to be all doom and gloom. Life on earth will go on. There will be survivors from the extinction event like last time, and in previous extinction events, recovery tales between 10 and 100 million years as the survivors radiate into all the newly vacated niches. The question is will human be one of the species to survive? The answer is probably yes, we are a resourceful and adaptable species but do we want to have the distinction of being the first species to extinguish the life of others? Given that the Dinosaurs thrived for millions of years it is not an auspicious start to a species as young as ours.

Of mice and... moths!

This week our garden bird feeder was visited by some new visitors. I was sat out in the garden hoping to try out my new EchoMeter Touch 2 Bat Detector (review to follow) when I could hear something on one of the bird feeders on the pergola. Taking a closer look I saw a little Wood Mouse. He was joined later by two more.

Since their first sighting they have returned each night and last night was joined by another two that were visiting the bird table.

With the warm weather and a fully charged battery I have been making good use of my moth traps and this weekend got a manageable haul. I m still learning the species and so I do not want too many to overwhelm my ID skills.

I have reached about 50 individual species so far. I plan to do a full exploration of 'mothing' but for now here are some of what I have found.

Dark Arches

Scalloped Oak

A noctuid moth popping out to say hi

Heat Wave and Birds

https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/13609/t/82953.aspx

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past month you will be abundantly aware of the heat-wave Britain is currently experiencing. Normally I am writing about long winters or prolonged snow but warm weather can be as disruptive.

Birds lack sweat glands and so are unable to sweat to lower their temperature, instead, they must cool their body temperature via respiratory regulation and use behavioural changes. A bird’s natural body temperature is naturally higher than a mammal, between 37.7-43.5⁰C.

If the temperature of the air exceeds 38⁰C (which thankfully it isn’t in this heatwave) then birds actually undergo extreme stress which actually increases the body temperature until it dies. So to avoid this, birds undertake 3 cooling methods.

1.       Non-evaporative cooling – by raising feathers and spreading them out air is allowed to flow over the skin and cool the bird.

2.       Cutaneous cooling – as well as wind cooling the skin, can be cooled by water evaporating, due to the lack of sweat this is a lot slower but can be improved if the bird baths.

3.       Respiratory evaporative heat loss – This is seen as panting and many species of bird do this. By flushing their throat tissue with blood their allow heat to dissipate.

Birds will take behavioural changes such as seeking shade or sitting with their back to the sun, their feathers raised.

It is just as important in the summer to keep feeding the birds. Energy is needed to thermoregulate and sometimes heat waves cause scarcity of local resources. It is important to provide water baths and troughs for them to drink from, ponds are especially valuable. 

The Humble Sparrow

Now a declining species in many parts of the UK Warwick is blessed with a decent sized population of the once ubiquitous House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). Many disregard this common bird as drab and boring but I find them charismatic and fascinating.

Their ever-present cheerful cheeps and squabbles fill our gardens all year long and this year I took a closer look when I began to notice a higher than usual incidence of mating.

 

Male Sparrow (c) M. Smith

 I first did a deep dive on the House Sparrow in 2012 when I was looking at comparing sparrow numbers in two different housing estates. I was looking to see if numbers were different between two adjacent estates, one built in the 1950’s and one in the 2000’s. My dataset was poor and the results were inconclusive, however, it did mean I read a lot about this bird.

The sparrow evolved in the Fertile Crescent (modern day Iraq and Iran) some 10,000 years ago. It spread widely with populations now found across the western Palearctic. In Britain, there is an estimated population of between 2,600,000 and 4,600,000 individuals which is believed to be an underestimate. This may seem a huge number but this is following a 45% decline in numbers between 1967 and 1999.

Female and Male Sparrow (c) M. Smith

Sparrows are mainly granivorous birds, only feeding their week-old young insects. This led the species being linked to agriculture and small villages where they nested in buildings. During the 19^th century, the species was having such an effect on crops that local Sparrow Clubs were set up in every parish in an attempt to eradicate them.

Declines in the cities seemed to be linked initially to the disappearance of the horse but later was more closely linked to the types of building and housing. In natural habitats, House Sparrows are gregarious colony breeders, building nests in caves or old trees. Early housing with poor roofing provided excellent artificial nest sites. Pre-1919 buildings have been found to be favoured the most but with the advent of plastic fascias and smaller gardens, suitable nest sites have been declining since the 1960’s and markedly more so since the 1980’s.

Sparrows keep in good condition by dust bathing, here on the canal towpath. (c) M. Smith

The sparrow has become dependent on mankind and its dwindling numbers are caused by an increase in pesticides reducing chick food, herbicides reducing adult food, haymaking occurring prior to seed set, reduced spillage of grain and better storage of grain and an increase in predators like Sparrowhawks and cats. In fact, studies on cat predation have shown that 28% of prey taken by cats were sparrows. Squirrels are also frequent nest raiders and will often chew through nest boxes to get the nestlings.

Breeding takes part from February onwards with as many as 4 broods a year possible. Unlike their distant cousin, the Dunnock (Hedge Sparrow) House Sparrows are mate faithful. Nest are built in holes in buildings or trees. Dominance in males is marked by the breadth of the black bib and chest and mating can be solicited by both the male and the female. I have seen this, this year. Early in the season, I watched a male pester a female for 20 minutes. Calling intently and flitting closer and closer until the female relented and yet weeks later I watched another female on the fence actively encouraging to mate. In both cases coupling was quick but repeated, I counted 8 copulation with a 3 minute period.

The act (c) M.Smith

Clutch sizes tend to be between 3 and 5 eggs which are incubated for 11-14 days with an 11-19 fledging period. Young birds emerge all looking very similar to the female with males developing their characteristic caps later in the season. The young birds continue to be supported by their parents for awhile and beg for food by rapidly flapping their wings and calling. Eventually these young will join packs of other fledgelings and adults in small flocks that squabble together loudly.

Two fledgelings being fed by an adult male (c) M. Smith

Cull Campaign update

This week two more letters returned from government bodies I have contacted regarding the Badger cull.

I will post these responses below so you can make your own mind up about the responses. I have also removed the and address lines as well as any references to local people. I do not think it right to make these public.

The first response was from Natural England.

This letter pretty much follows the party line given by DEFRA, it just offers reassurance that they are doing the right thing in the right way.

I also wrote to Warwickshire County Council. I know they have no power over national policy but the cull will be happening in their county and they have a responsibility to at least have a view on the matter and hopefully be persuaded to oppose any culling on county-owned land.

I m not sure what this response leads to, it backs up my general feeling that local government had no idea about the cull expansion but also seems to suggest that they will support the cull... although it could mean they are willing to consider all options such as vaccinating badgers along the lines of the programme once led by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. At my next local surgery I will have a clarification chat with my local councillor.

Thats all for now on the cull. A lot of data and information had been released about last years cull and I am formulating a post regarding my take on the data they have released.

Global Warming – Are we missing the point?

Global Warming – Are we missing the point?

As a conservationist for nearly 30 years, the issue of global warming despite its topicality has often faded into the background. When I was growing up in the 80’s and 90’s whilst global warming was a looming threat the danger to the ozone layer was more imminent. Ironically ozone is a part of the complex picture that global warming presents but with the ban on CFC’s the crisis was averted something that cannot be said for global warming.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Annual_Average_Temperature_Map.jpg

Global Warming is a contentious and occasionally divisive issue. It is a complex issue with a multitude of intricate physical and chemical interactions that feed into one another. As a biologist, I am well aware of my limitations with regards to chemistry and physics and have been content to align my views with those of the majority in the scientific community, up until now. With global warming continuing to be mired in the debate over the causes I decided it was time I did a deeper dive on the issue and get educated. To do this I have begun a course on Coursera called Global Warming 1: The science and modelling of climate change by Professor David Archer of the University of Chicago.

The course is exceptionally well put together and informative even if it is operating right at the limits of my understanding. The units are well arranged and help you build up an understanding of how climates are regulated and modified, this new found knowledge, however, has not changed my fundamental viewpoint that even after all this time we are missing the point about global warming.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Climate_science_opinion2.png

For years scientists have clashed with pseudo-scientists, industrialists and deniers and despite a worldwide consensus between the majority of scientists and reputable scientific bodies that global warming is occurring and is caused by man, it is this second fact that has caught the current debate in a thick syrupy trap. Few would disagree that the climate is warming, nor that we are still coming out of an ice age. We are already seeing changes in species distribution, loss of some glaciers and the defrosting of permafrosts. These things are happening now and are measurable. The practical among us would say that we need to be looking at are strategies to mitigate climate change and/or to reverse it but this is not going to happen at the appropriate scale until we shutdown the deniers and end the current debate, and this is the way to do it.

For many, the controversial point is the belief that global warming is not man-made and therefore we should not concern ourselves with our production of carbon dioxide and methane. Alternatively, deniers point to the fact that the climate naturally shifts over time and this is normal, that sun cycles, and sunspots account for the rise, the earth’s eccentric orbit, natural carbon dioxide release from volcanoes and so on. You can counter each of these points scientifically to show how they fit into climate models but the average man on the street is never going to understand the complexity of the models.

The simple answer to me as to why we need to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases like methane is linked to timescales and what is achievable. Regarding timescales, the issue is the short timeframe that these changes are occurring on. Yes, the climate changes, yes carbon dioxide in the atmosphere shifts but these changes are usually on the tens of millions of years scale not like we have seen in the 300 or so years since the start of the industrial revolution. Such a short timeframe is insufficient to allow natural processes such as evolution in organisms to occur or for the planets own regulatory system to adjust to the change nor is there necessarily the time available to protect those nations under threat of higher tides or other devastating effects.

Achievability is the key. What can we do to avert the threats coming from a rise in temperatures; the obvious answer is to cut emissions before we reach brink points. The barriers are the people who believe that this is all natural. The bottom line is temperature is rising and this will have a drastic effect on human populations, but what can we have an effect on? Can we alter the sun cycle, move up the cooling period to counteract the rise? No. Can we change the sunspot cycle, global dimming, and volcanic eruptions? No, no and no. We only have control over the quantities of greenhouse gas we are pumping into the atmosphere. This is the way we should be focusing our arguments. We need practical approaches to mitigate and reduce the negative effects. Act on the issues we can control to counteract the ones we cannot.

We can’t all follow the science behind climate change and not everyone will trust the scientists who study this for a living. We need a smarter more nuanced approach to the climate debate to move outside of the arguments that are going round in circles and move onto a more constructive argument that concerns practicalities. My piece of advice to end on is keep on fighting and educate yourself.

Britain's Mammals 2018: The Mammal Society's Guide to their Population and the Conservation Status - A review

It was with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that I opened my latest book purchase, ‘Britain’s Mammals 2018: The Mammal Society’s Guide to their Population and Conservation Status. This latest publication by the well-established organisation was published alongside much fanfare regarding the success and failures of our mammal species. National news picked up on the headline facts that one in five British mammals are at high risk of extinction and it is the findings of the review that this book is based on.

As one would expect from the Mammal Society the publication is well presented and illustrated with first-rate photographs of all the species. There is a breakdown of key findings in the first few pages before each species, in turn, is assessed. There is also a very interesting section on future priorities that should help guide and focus conservation efforts in the future. As someone interested the practical application of ecological theory and data this section alone is worth the reasonable cover price.

In the species accounts, each species’ IUCN status is listed and its population calculated with upper and lower limit estimates where possible. Past and future trends for the species as well as indications of changes to its range are also accounted. There is a written description of the fortunes of the species between 1995 and 2008 and details of the key threats. There is some information on habitat preference and this may seem scarce at first but there are many other publications which cover the specific ecology of these species and this is definitely not the thrust of the publication.

This publication is a status update and it does exactly what it does on the tin. Information is presented concisely and colourfully. One can be confident in the credibility of the data and appendices deal with the methodology. This is a must buy for any mammal enthusiast and the only negative thing to say is that it almost seems too colourful and well presented to contain such depressing news on the state of our mammals.

The publication is available from the NHBS priced £17.99.

A response at last

I have finally recieved a response from DEFRA. I will post it below. It did't really satisfy me. They did, to their credit, give links to the supporting materials. What annoyed me the most is the lack of public consultation on the expansion of the cull zone. Yes one was carried out in 2010, 8 years ago. A lot has changed in that time.

I leave you to formulate your own opinions:

Dear Mr Smith,

Thank you for your email of 9 March to the Secretary of State regarding bovine TB and badgers. I have been asked to reply and I apologise for the long delay in doing so.

Bovine TB is one of the greatest animal health threats to the UK. Over the last 12 months over 33,000 cattle have been compulsorily slaughtered in England to control the disease. That is why we are taking strong action to eradicate the disease and protect the future of our dairy and beef industries, with a comprehensive strategy including tighter cattle movement controls, more cattle testing and badger control in areas where badgers are an important factor in spreading disease to cattle. There is no evidence to suggest TB in other wildlife species is a problem that is driving the epidemic in cattle.

We are carrying out a review into what we should prioritise in the next phase of our strategy for achieving Officially Bovine Tuberculosis Free (OTF) status in England by 2038. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-strategy-for-achieving-bovine-tuberculosis-free-status-for-england-2018-review

In response to your query regarding the scientific validity of badger culling, The Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) provides scientific evidence that proactive badger culling in areas of England with a high incidence of bovine TB reduces levels of the disease relative to similar un-culled areas.

With regard to your comments that the outcome of previous badger culls were not made public, the results from the 2017 cull show that the culls were carried out safely, humanely and effectively in all 19 badger control areas. The Chief Veterinary Officer's (CVO) advice states that data gathered from the 19 areas showed that industry-led badger control can deliver the level of effectiveness required to be confident of achieving disease control benefits. Results of badger control in previous years can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bovine-tb-controlling-the-risk-of-bovine-tb-from-badgers

Regarding biosecurity, the encouragement of better on- and off- farm biosecurity (i.e. measures to reduce the risk of transmission of TB between cattle and between badgers and cattle) was one of the commitments in the Government's TB Strategy in 2014. It is a key part of our strategy (alongside tougher cattle measures, badger vaccination and culling where the disease is rife). A biosecurity initiative is the five point plan. This practical biosecurity guidance was collectively agreed by Government and industry. It sets out basic good practice for TB biosecurity. The guidance contains five key recommendations that farmers can implement to help protect their herd from TB, which can be found at http://www.tbhub.co.uk/biosecurity/protect-your-herd-from-tb/

In response to your concerns regarding other TB reservoirs, cattle and badgers are the two main reservoirs of infection in this country. Other species are considered 'spillover' hosts and so play an insignificant role in the persistence of bovine TB in England, particularly when compared with cattle and badgers.

Cattle measures - including reducing the disease transmission risks from cattle movements - are the foundation upon which our Strategy is based. As we tackle the disease in wildlife, we must reinforce our cattle measures to sustain the benefits we expect to achieve. We continually look for opportunities to enhance them. In recent years TB cattle controls have been tightened considerably. For example, in 2016 we introduced compulsory post-movement testing of cattle moved from annual (or more frequent) surveillance testing areas of England and Wales to the Low Risk Area (LRA) of England, the compulsory pre-movement testing of cattle from such herds has been in place since 2006.

Regarding your concerns of the welfare of the badgers being culled, the CVO's advice remains that the likelihood of suffering in badgers culled by controlled shooting is comparable with the range of outcomes reported when other culling activities, currently accepted by society, have been assessed, such as deer shooting. We publish a report of humaneness each year which makes clear that the likelihood of suffering in badgers culled by controlled shooting is comparable with other culling activities accepted by society. The report can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bovine-tb-controlling-the-risk-of-bovine-tb-from-badgers

In response to your concerns that culled badgers were not assessed for the presence of TB, as part of the evidence base to support an adaptive TB Strategy, it is important that we understand TB disease in both cattle and badger populations. To supplement the existing comprehensive TB surveillance in cattle, in the 2016 badger control operations we initiated development of a TB surveillance program on badger carcasses obtained from the culling operations. Tissue sampling, followed by culturing and genotyping is the most reliable method for diagnosing TB in badgers, but challenges remain with this technique when the quality of the carcasses is variable. Once the method has been optimised, the data obtained will not be used to inform short term decision-making, but to provide a longer term view of the disease pattern in the cull areas. The information on the 2016 surveillance project is available on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/go vernment/publications/bovine-tb-surveillance-in-wildlife-in-england-2016-to-2017

Finally, in response to your comment on Natural England's "Opportunity to Comment" consultation, a consultation was previously run in 2010 which allowed individuals to comment on the social, ethical and scientific aspects of badger culling.

Kind regards,

TB Correspondence Team

Ministerial Contact Unit

Three days of Wildlife

This long weekend is the last before I return to work tomorrow for the final 7-week haul to the Summer Holidays.

As part of my action against the badger cull I started Friday by posting off 13 letters to the heads of DEFRA, Natural England and Warwickshire County Council. I am not expecting a reply but I have to say something. Additionally,
my welcome pack from the Badger Trust arrived and I got in touch the Warwickshire Badger Group to tell them of the setts I knew of.

Several weeks ago I discovered a large network of holes not far from me and so in the afternoon I set up on of my trail cameras to see what I could find. I continued my cycle up to the top fields where sometimes I see Little Owl, sadly none were in evidence but I did spot a vibrant Greenfinch and the local Buzzard wheeling casually in the sky carrying his dinner, a rabbit from the looks of it.

The following day I went back to the camera to see if the sett was being used and retrieved the camera. I was pleased to discover that it is in use and had at least one cub. In the clip below you can see play-fighting behaviour.

Last night with my battery recharged I put out my moth trap. I was a little disappointed with the results this morning but I did get some interesting non-moth inhabitants including an Alder Fly and 3 Mayflys Ephemera danica. 

I collected 8 moths in total. 4 Heart and Darts (Agrostis exclamationis), 1 unknown Pug, 1 White Spotted Pug (Eupethicia tripunctaria), 1 Marsh Pug (Eupethicia pygmaeata) and 1 micro moth Eudonia pallida.

Heart and Dart

White Spotted Pug

Mayfly

Save Mr Brock

As any reader of this blog will know I am vociferously against the ongoing Badger cull in the UK. I have highlighted my scientific concerns many times. 

This year plans were put in place to extend the cull to 8 new regions in Low-Risk Areas, which is set to include my home turf, Warwickshire. As you may recall I have both emailed and written to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Micheal Gove and my local MP, Matt Western.

I sent the last letters on the 22nd April and so far haven't received a single reply, a sad indictment on our political situation. My local MP has lost my vote in the future. 

Letters aside I was horrified to read an article stating that approval of the new areas is a done deal and that to encourage shooting squads that every badger killed will net them £50 (Telegraph). All hope isn't lost yet, two legal challenges are due in July but given the success of previous cases, this is nothing but a tenuous hope, as DEFRA have already posted their guidance to Natural England regarding cull licencing (Natural England).

I worry about the setts near me. I worry about my badgers the ones I am slowly getting to know and identify. I find it so hard to rationalise the image presented by DEFRA and the reality. Take for instance their main web page ( See below)

DEFRA splash page 28th May 2018 (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs)

The six lead articles are inspiring and uplifting. Action taken across the globe to protect the environment and species and yet at the same time, the same organisation is implementing a vendetta against a species on a political whim rather than a scientific one.

So what is there to do... well there's not much I can suggest, write to everyone you can you may have more luck than me. Talk to your friends and colleagues, maybe boycott UK milk and beef, help fund local action groups or donate to the Wildlife Trust or Badger Trust. I do not advocate any illegal action in any form, there is always an alternative to such actions. 

Links:

Badger Trust

Wildlife Trust

Warwickshire Badger Group

Nature, red in tooth and claw

The cycle of life was brought into sharp relief yesterday when a Sparrowhawk caught a juvenile Starling in the garden. 

The young starlings have been quite prolific this year and there are several noisy families on the estate. Starlings once a common sight in gardens is actually in decline nationally even though locally they still seem to be doing well. The species have been red-listed by the IUCN and are a local biodiversity action plan listed.

Sparrowhawks, on the other hand, have a favourable conservation status and in the UK have increased in number considerably since 1974. This is partly due to reduced persecution and increased brood sizes.

The individual show in the picture is a female, no doubt catching food for some nestlings somewhere. You can tell it's a sparrowhawk rather than another raptor or falcon by the distinctive thin 'knitting-needle-like' legs. You can tell it is a female from the brownier plumage and lack of yellowish buff neck and front.

Consider the duck - a philosophical musing

Although the bridge is still out of action I still go and have a drink down the mill, read a book and watch the world go by. Last week I watched a Heron hunting and this week a lone male Mallard caught my eye. He was comfortably paddling amongst the reeds oblivious to those of us on the terrace sipping drinks or finishing of a platter of breakfast.

Mallard Drake (c) M. Smith

He swam slowly, almost leisurely between the vegetation pausing to dip his head down to sample the food below. Finding a good spot he would upend in the traditional fashion un self consciously showing everyone his white rear end as his neck delved below.

As I watched his antics I consider how his life varied from mine and what that meant. I placed myself in his webbed feet. Were our roles reversed my life would revolve around basically food and sex, not bad you might say but dig a little deeper. Most of his day would be taken up foraging for food just to make it to another day. During my degree I explored Optimal Foraging Theory; this is the delicate balance species have to make between expending energy in gaining energy. It is no good expending 300 calories of effort to get only 200 calories of reward. In the wild this seemingly complicated mathematical analysis is innate, get it wrong and you die, get it right and for time being you get to live. It is a concept now being exploited in computer games, the survivor genre is often accompanied by zombies or the apocalypse as in State of Decay 2 or Metal Gear Survive but the ingredients are the same, get food, water, medicine first or you won’t survive long enough to turn back the zombie horde or to build the best outpost.

Balancing life and death decisions on this level is something we are remote from. Consider the duck again; he will forage for as long as he is able. He must find a suitably safe roosting spot and in the long term find a mate with which to procreate. The basics of being an organism, I, however, had just paid for someone to give me a cola and if I so wished would have brought me food. In 5 minutes my sustenance needs were met, I had a home for shelter and even more food and drink waiting for me there and I was able to spend the next hour just sat reading a book. Okay the money I used had to be earned and I spend 5 out of 7 days achieving that but what leisure time did the duck have and what did it do with it?

The critical point for mankind was the development of farming, the minute we could produce more food than we needed daily we became something new. Free time was invented when we did not need to spend all day hunting and gathering when we could build houses and walled towns to protect ourselves. Free time is what allowed the development of civilisation. That free time allowed for hobbies, tools and weapons didn’t need to be merely functional; they could be intricate and beautiful. Time spent drawing, painting; singing no longer interfered with the basics of staying alive. Art for art’s sake, for pleasure, was possible. Humankind was able to begin its dominance over the world. But let us not forget that we are still one species amongst many, that our roots are the same as a dog or monkey.

Do animals do things for pleasure? This is a more complex issue than I wish to address today but let’s look at an animal further along the scale, say a cat. Domestic cats have their meals provided and have a shelter so what do they do with their spare time. Well, like all good followers of optimal foraging theory they conserve energy, they sleep, but they also go out and hold territories, they don’t need them but they still do it. They hunt, they don’t need to but they still do. They play, they don’t need to hone their skills to hunt, but they still play. Are these innate hold over’s from a pre-domestication time. Has the passage of time not been long enough for basic urges to be overcome as they seem to have been in man or perhaps the cat has chosen to do these things with its free time? Are we then in thousands of year’s time to see the art and civilisation of animals we have raised up or as David Brin may have put it – uplifted?

And yet the duck keep paddling about until I have finished my drink and I have decided to go home and make myself a sandwich.

Pellet Analysis

Last month I discovered a large batch of 31 owl pellets beneath a tree not far from where my trail cam was in operation.

The dark pellets belong to a Tawny Owl that I believe uses the tree as a roost site. Tawny Owls are occasionally seen on the site, I have been lucky enough to see a young owl a few years back and last, June was fortunate enough to catch a failed kill on camera.

As you can imagine dissecting the pellets took some time. I used a dry method waiting until the pellets were completely dry before working on them by teasing them open with gloved bare hands.

Each pellets length and width was measured and its weight recorded. I then separated out the bones and reweighed it giving me a bone mass and a fur mass. I used skulls and jaws as my main counting method to determine the number of prey per pellet.

The results were very interesting I was amazed at the high number of Shrew prey in the pellet, far more than I ever expected. It is unclear how long a time period these pellets represent and until the bridge reopens and I can collect any new pellets the timeframe is unknown.

What is interesting is the amount of available small mammals in the area. I regularly record Wood Mice on the trail cams, Bank Voles I see if baited out in the late afternoon and Shrews can be seen or heard in the summer, but bear in mind that the Tawny Owl isn't the only predator in the area, I have recorded Weasel, Stoat, Fox, Kestrel, Buzzard and Grey Heron on the site, all of whom would prey on these mammals.

I hope to supplement these observations with some small mammal trapping and follow up pellet analyses ( if the same tree is still being used).

The main data:

Ongoing Projects - an update

I haven't posted in awhile and there are some good reasons for that, so I thought I would update you on whats going on.

Over the last two weeks, the weather hasn't been very inspiring and I have felt out of sorts this has meant I haven't been out as much as usual, add to that I have had an assignment to write for my Master's course.

Camera Trapping
My camera trapping project is coming on a pace and I am still wading through the piles of data to collate them into a suitable document for publishing.
The bait camera trap is still producing excellent results and I am starting to build up a database of individual badgers that use the area.
At home, with help of Ron Bury, I have managed to repair my two Acorn cameras and was able to use one this week to finally solve the mystery of what has been making a hole in the lawn - a mouse!

Campaigning
I m still campaigning against the Badger Cull and the lack of scientific rigour in the government's plans, there will be more on this soon.
Sadly I still haven't heard back from Micheal Gove or my local MP yet.

Owls
Whilst pottering about on my land I discovered a huge haul of over 30 owl pellets. I believe them to be from a Tawny Owl that uses the oak tree as a roost. I have spent the last 2 weeks slowly dissecting each one. It is fascinating to see the number of prey eaten. I have only dissected out 21 so far but have counted 72 individual prey items - all rodents to far although one did contain a beetle leg, another a feather and nearly all of them soil - an indication of worm consumption.

We don't need a cull to reduce Badger numbers!

We don't need a cull to reduce Badger numbers we are already deadly enough.This week just off the estate near a busy road I found this small badger, sadly deceased.

The poor sow didn't seem to have a mark on her. It is likely she was clipped by a car and then struggled to the verge and died of internal injuries. Injured animals often seek a quiet spot when dying and can travel some distance to achieve this.

You can tell the individual is female due to the prominent teat. I had believed that given the small size the sow was a yearling perhaps displaced by new cubs born in the sett during February and March but now I am not so sure, females often remain in the setts and males are more likely to move off.
Luckily despite the teat, there did not seem to be heavy with milk so I hope that there are no orphaned cubs.

A report in 2001 estimated that upward of 50,000 badgers are killed on the roads every year alongside 100,000 foxes and 100,000 hedgehogs (Mammal Society).

This was the first time I have had a chance to have a close up look at a badger and I revelled in her beauty and wallowed in my sadness. You can see clearly the pads on the feet that make the distinctive footprints and the powerful claws used for digging. Death is a natural part of ecology and I have posted before where I have found dead and dying animals, but such an individual as this is different, this one did not suffer a natural death. A death from starvation, disease or predation or even old age, this death was at the hands of a human, intentional or not.

On a side note, I have yet to have had a reply from Micheal Gove or Matt Western which is both disappointing and infuriating, in better news, however, I met with a local county councillor who has agreed to place the matter before the council cabinet, not that I hold out much hope that the county can do much.