Tarka Tales. Meandering beside the Marshes

This is Isley Marsh, the RSPB Nature Reserve just off the Tarka Trail beside the Taw/Torridge Estuary between Yelland and Fremington Quay. Visitor access is restricted to public footpaths, largely outside the reserve itself, but allowing expansive views across the estuary and the surrounding farmland. From here you can see across the estuary to Chivenor and Saunton Sands and the North Devon Biosphere..

It is an important haven in the busy estuary for undisturbed feeding and resting birds, especially the wintering flocks of ducks such as Teal and waders including significant numbers of Curlew, Greenshank and Dunlin. In recent years, numbers of little Egret have increased. 

 

An incredbly dull day on Sunday but we enjoyed the walk from Yelland to Fremington Quay. going past Isley Marsh we spotted two Spoonbills, a flock of Lapwing and a little Goldfinch. Further along the trail at Fremington Quay we saw 4 Oyster Catchers, 1 Curlew, 2 Shelduck and one Redshank. (Article photos credit Pat Adams 13 January 2019)

 

RSPB Isley Marsh Wildlife Refuge beside the Tarka Trail

RSPB Isley Marsh Saltmarsh and Mudflats beside the Taw/Torridge Estuary

The Tarka Trail is popular with runners, walkers and cyclists. The section between Instow, Yelland and Fremington Quay is popular with birdwatchers. The Big Garden Birdwatch 2019 is from 26-28 January

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North Devon Focus on RSPB

North Devon Focus on the Tarka Trail

North Devon Focus on Fremington Quay 

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Tap here for details on RSPB Isley Marsh 

Tap here to sign up for the The Big Garden Birdwatch.

Moor rain, winter storms, wet recollections and looking skyward

January is nearly over and we still haven’t seen enough light to take a decent shot, a sunrise or a sunset. Such a gloomy start to 2018 colourless, featureless skies and rain, rain, rain…..

A succession of storms hit the UK as the New Year was heralded in with Storm Dylan followed in quick succession by Storm Eleanor on the 3^rd January then Storm Fionn on the 16^th. The constant roar of the wind, the sound of rain and hailstones lashing on the window pane made for a disturbing night’s sleep. The downpours have continued, culminating in flash flooding in parts of North Devon on the 21^st January.

We were driving over to Exmoor, dodging stone-studded flooded roads and diversions, driving up hill, as water cascaded from hedgebanks, culverts and gullies beside the road, then down again motoring on slowly through pools of water at the bottom of each hill. We passed swollen rivers, fast-running streams and flooded fields and still it rained….we stopped briefly at Simonsbath to take a shot of a wider than normal River Barle then headed out over Brendon where the River Exe was just starting to bleed onto the road then down to Malmsmead where Badgeworthy Water raced through the ancient packhorse bridge and over the ford.

We saw very little wildlife on the way, a buzzard, an Exmoor pony, head hung low, a few Ruby Red cattle and sheep of course all well prepared for the harsh weather up on the moor with their natural, fluffy winter coats. Looking a little less at home in the rain were a couple of horses over the fence standing stock still in their man-made coats. This makes me realise how birds and animals can fare well in bad weather with maybe just a little help from us humans. Local farmers are out feeding their animals at all times of day even on a Sunday and you too can do your bit by leaving food and water out for the  birds and critters in the garden.

As January 2018 draws to a conclusion it’s once again time for some colourful events starting with the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch on 27th-29th January. Stargazers enjoyed  the first of two 2018 supermoons on 1^st January. The next one is on the 31^st January,  I am so hoping for a clear star-lit night and no moor rain....!!!

The River Barle in flood at Simonsbath. Photo copyright B. Adams (All Rights Reserved)

River Exe heading for the road. Photo copyright Pat Adams (All Rights Reserved)

Free running Badgeworthy Water at Malmsmead - Photo copyright B. Adams (All Rights Reserved)

 

The Road Ahead. Flood waters 21st January 2018 Photo copyright Pat Adams (All Rights Reserved)

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Lunar Eclipse and Supermoon 2018 

Tap here for Where and when to see the Supermoon 2018 UK

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 What is a Supermoon 

“Some people will call the full supermoon on January 31 a Blue Moon, too. That’s because it’ll be the second of two full moons in one calendar month. Moreover, the January 31 supermoon will stage a total eclipse of the moon.”  http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-a-supermoon

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Big Garden Birdwatch. 
Join in, and count the wildlife that's counting on you.
Tap here for information/request a pack

My Garden Today. Looking back and looking forward to an EVENTful Year

New resolutions and revolutions as the circle of life begins for another year in my North Devon Coast and Chronicle. It’s a fairly damp start but I have already seen Snowdrops rising, Pussy Willow and even a Daffodil and Marsh Marigold in bloom and to brighten the gloom a Song Thrush rested a while in the Apple tree today. 

The garden birds have been darting and dashing to and fro, a female Blackbird was singing atop the hedgerow yesterday and there was a cacophony coming from the privet in the front garden, a permanent roost for our local Sparrows. In addition to our regular visitors I was thrilled to see my first Firecrest and a Nuthatch. 

A bonny male Bullfinch brought New Year greetings on the 1^st January 2016. Had to rescue a wee mouse from a wee house after he got himself trapped behind a suet ball in the bird feeder. February saw a couple of Red-legged Partridge on the field, it was, though, a good idea for the rest of the birds to take shelter as Henry and Imogen stormed in with eighty miles an hour winds. On 15^th March Philip the Pheasant took up residence in the garden, returning each day for a drink of water. His mate Phyllis then did a recky of the site, supposedly to see if he’d chosen a decent spot for nesting. 

Marvin, the amorous Blue Tit returned to do his soulful dance on 5^th April. It was wonderful to see the return of the Swallows on the 23^rd and to catch sight of Mrs Tiggy and her little one at the front door at the end of April, there was also hale and snow flurries at that time so I hope they hadn’t come out too early.  We also welcomed a new “friend” in April a very cocky Spring Chicken who scurried about, pecking away in the front garden for a few days. I got up early at the end of April to listen and record the Dawn Chorus. Not quite as tuneful as I’d hoped but that’s nature for you. 

I was sitting quietly in the back garden at the beginning of May when a very noisy big yellow bird suddenly rose up from behind the hedgerow. Reminded me of watching Airwolf. It was in fact the “Linesman for the County”. I think we made a connection. Later on about 200 crows descended on the newly harvested field.   

Also had some magic moments while out walking, I watched as a deer galloped through the Bluebell woods at “Hart”land Abbey, and, as well as hearing the Skylarks as they hovered above us on Northam Burrows,  I also finally got a decent pic. Heard the screaming Swifts aloft in July and the 3^rd brood of fledgling Sparrows emerged in my garden. 

I said farewell to the House Martins and Swallows as they gathered on the wire mid-August. October had a close encounter with a Servil at Tamar Otter Sanctuary, watched a Dipper dancing across the stones on Exmoor’s River Barle and recorded an Egret a Cormorant and a Heron down the beach at Sandymere.  November took pics of inanimate but lifelike big birds and other critters at the Rosemoor Garden’s Winter Sculpture Exhibition in Torrington. Returned in December to walk off all that Xmas fayre and recorded two Redwings. 

New Year’s Eve day enjoyed a bracing walk and watched the teeny Sanderlings tripping the light fantastic across the sand and surf at Westward Ho! Today (1st January 2017) the soggy damp day was brightened by the return of the Song Thrush in the Apple tree, hopefully he is now a regular.

There were some out of this world sunsets, sunrises and super moons in 2016 including a Strawberry Moon on the longest day, the 20th June.  I spotted an amazing low-lying red moon out my window at 4.30am on the 8^th July. There was a Harvest Moon on the 17^th September, got shots of the Supermoon (Hunters Moon) on the 15^th, 16^th and 17^th October and finally there was another Supermoon on 14 November and again on 14 December! Also out of this world was Major Tim Peake, the first British Astronaut to walk in space. He made his historic Space Walk Live on the 15^th January 2016. What an eventful year, round and around, resolutions and revolutions, looking forward to an EVENTful 2017 in North Devon, hope you are too. (Article P. Adams 1st January 2017) 

P.S  The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is from 28th-30th January this year.

Tap here to Sign Up for the Big Garden Birdwatch 2017
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My Big Garden Birdwatch 30th/31st Januaary 2016  

3 Blackbirds 2M 1F - 6 Blue Tits

2 Doves -  3 Chaffinch 2M 1F

1Sparrow -  2 Robin

2 Starlings - 1 Willow Tit - 1 Wood Pigeon

Watch Marvin's Little Spring Bounce

Queens Birthday Honours 2016. Major Peake, The UK's first official astronaut, was on the International Space Station when he received the news he would become a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for services to space research and scientific education. Wikepedia Stub - Tim Peake

Wikepedia Stub - Airwolf . An 80s action-espionage television series with Stringfellow Hawke, a pilot who has to retrieve the helicopter named Airwolf from the hands of its creator Dr. Moffet with the help from his friends, while going through a series of adventures.

My Garden Today. Highlights on a rainy day

It's dull, it's raining again and BBC Springwatch is over for another year. I particularly liked the brave Blue Tit mum who took on the Great Tit chicks (it gets confusing this nature lark).  There was more violent scenes in this year's Springwatch than an episode of Peaky Blinders and that's saying something. The last chick standing took an age to haul itself out of the nest box but I hope he or she is off having a wonderful new adventure now.

There has been a flurry of activity in my garden today with another brood of Sparrow fledglings, the first batch was on the 31st May. Amazingly spotted four fledgling Blackbirds scurrying around below the Rhododendron with Mum on hand to dish out the grub. The Robin chick was first to explore the big wide world on the 14th May but I didn't see the first baby Blue Tits until 12th June. So cute, great balls of fluff rather like a new yellow tennis ball.

It's important for them all to find their own food and there are plenty of insects around to eat but Mums and Dads need to eat as much as they can after all their hard work so I have given them a choice of mealworm suet block, peanuts and dried mealworms mixed with pastry. It was comical to watch a baby Blue Tit trying to grapple with a peanut on the feeder, pushing it round and around in circles.

At this time of year there are lots of chicks grubbing around, Robins and Blackbirds for example don't fly straight away but scuttle through the undergrowth so take care when mowing the lawn or strimming (if you have to). The RSPB advise not cutting hedges and trees between March and August as this is the main breeding season for nesting birds. (Article P. Adams 17/6/2016)

 

 "Nice to feel the sun on my back"

RSPB Advice on Hedge Trimming

It is an offence under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 to intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. It will be an intentional act, for example, if you or your neighbour know there is an active nest in the hedge and still cut the hedge, damaging or destroying the nest in the process.

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 

Countryside Hedgerows regulation and Management (The main nesting period: 1st March to 31st August) 

Catch up with BBC Springwatch from RSPB Minsmere 

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All photos copyright Pat Adams North Devon Focus (All rights reserved)

North Devon Focus on Flickr

About RSPB Reserves located in North Devon  
Need help buying the right bird food? Use the RSPB 'Which bird food?' charts to help you decide

WGCCxxx

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

It's been an event full year. Thanks for visiting hope you drop by in 2016.

Don't forget to feed the birds and wildlife over the festive season.

Big Garden Birdwatch 2016 is from 30th-31st January

A little Spring Bounce

I took this video of an incredible display from a male Blue Tit last Spring. Such a big effort from a teeny bird. He started what I think was his courting ritual in April, jumping to the log, fluttering up and down the window then across to the feeder and back again, the only sound "tappity tap" as he collided frequently with the window. Marvin's visits started early morning and went on for hours each day. For three weeks the ritual continued until he finally found his soulmate.

Spring has arrived early this year, as I am writing this I am thrilled to say Mr. Blue Tit is back again and has started his merry dance once more, I would like to think it’s Marvin. Around and around isn’t nature fantastic.

Window on the World: A short vido clip by P. Adams (2014)
Photo: Marvin's return 10/3/2015

Power walk on the Tarka Trail

The sheep are back in the field there’s a break in the weather and blue skies at last so time to get out in the open air to see if there is any sign of Spring. The Tarka Trail is ideal for a walk run or cycle ride and one of my favourite stretches is from Yelland to Fremington Quay which is about 2.25 miles. As we stepped from the car about 30 Crows were roosting atop piles of wood on a recently cleared puddle-filled field. Off the Trail there are a couple of points of interest for birdwatchers and nature lovers, a path which skirts the shores of the Taw Estuary and the small RSPB Reserve Isley Marsh and the Gaia Trust’s Home Farm Marsh. There is a Permissive Path around Home Farm Marsh both paths are wild-flower rich in Spring/Summer and at this time of year the marshes are havens for over-wintering birds. Today I caught sight of about 10 Egrets along this stretch. There are field upon field of winter stubble on the other side of the trail and I noticed further up there is now another Permissive Path linking the trail to the village of Fremington. Amongst the winter stubble I spotted two male Pheasants. The Tarka Trail can be quite busy so listen out for the sound of tinkling bicycle bells. Watch out for these cyclists, they come in all different forms and all at different speeds. Head down racers, family groups (there is always one slow one bringing up the rear) Little ones teetering on the back of Dad’s bike or tots on trikes, wheelchair users or wheelchair tandems, this fantastic Trail is open to everyone, even folk with bicycle trailers specially designed for pampered pooches. Today we just had a pot of tea and a toasted teacake at Fremington Quay Café but Sunday Roast is also on the menu at this time of year. There is also an exhibition here which offers a fascinating insight into the Victorian quay’s past, with touch screen, video and sound displays. The tide was creeping into the Pill, I spotted about 15 Oystercatchers on the mud flats beyond and there were two flocks of seabirds flying in to join the multitude out on the estuary. No sign of the Seal that was a regular visitor to the Pill last year. A quiet but brisk walk back the way we came, a twittering Blue Tit, a Robin and a large group of Chaffinch fluttering up then settling in a nearby tree. Luckily the late afternoon sun lit up the old power lines over Isley Marsh and highlighted the estuary across to the iconic Saunton Sands Hotel. On the horizon the new power turbines at Fullabrook Wind Farm. Article Pat Adams Sunday 18^th January 2015

Don't forget to register now for the Big Garden Birdwatch 2015 which is on 24-25 January

Access and Parking - Head for the Estuary Business Park Road, West Yelland EX31 3EZ off the Bideford to Barnstaple B3233

or Access and Parking - Fremington Quay EX31 2NH

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Focus on the RSPB Reserves in North Devon
North Devon Focus on the Tarka Trail
Points of Interest

The Gaia Trust
Please note: Dogs are not permitted anywhere on Home Farm Marsh, even on leads. This is because of the Trust’s purpose for the Marsh to support and encourage breeding and over-wintering birds. Cycling is also not allowed, but cycles can be left chained to the railings at the entrances to the site, at the cycle owner’s risk.
RSPB Isley Marsh
Fremington Quay Heritage Centre was renovated and officially opened it’s doors to the public in 2013. Located in the replica station building that also contains the popular Fremington Quay Café, on the Tarka Trail, the Heritage Centre now offers a fascinating insight into the Victorian quay’s past, with touch screen, video and sound displays enabling the visitor to step back in time. A charming community space, a good place for visits by local groups or schools or anyone wishing to learn all about the history of Fremington Quay and Fishleigh Pottery. 

Return of the Swallows.

I saw the first Swallows today and although the horizons are changing in the countryside it’s nice to know that some things stay the same. The lambs are gamboling close to their mothers in the fields, the cows are out to pasture after a long wet winter inside and butterflies are making their first outing, quivering over paths  and fresh green grass.  I spotted a Speckled Wood, a Peacock and a Large White on my walk today. Greater Stitchwort abounds in the hedgerows along with still flowering Blackthorn. I can see the first green leaves on the Hawthorne so I am hoping they will be full of May Flowers soon too.  I saw my first Cuckoo Flower,  Dog Violet, Field Speedwell and  a small pocket of Bluebells.  Along with the Swallows swooping overhead,  I recognised the trilling of a Robin and a Wren. Lambs bleating, cows mooing, distant Doves cooing, the sounds of countryside and the return of the Swallows, Summer is on it’s way.

 

Swallow soaring overhead

Lambs on the look out
 
 Walkers and cattle enjoying the sunshine

Speckled Wood on a Bramble

 Greater Stitchwort

Wind turbine next to the Church, an ancient green lane with a new horizon

National Trust Commission “Tweet Music” : Celebrating the sounds of Spring

A leading UK beatboxer has vocally recreated the nation’s best-known songbirds to celebrate the sounds of spring and encourage the nation to get outdoors and experience nature first hand. The album of Tweet Music was commissioned by the National Trust after academic research found that listening to birdsong, one of the Trust’s 50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾, not only makes people calmer but boosts positivity. Despite this, almost one in five (19 per cent) rarely hear birdsong with 19 per cent of city dwellers regularly woken up by the noise of cars or planes. Beatboxer and vocal sculptor Jason Singh visited National Trust places for inspiration before creating the album, which features birds and wildlife including Blackbirds, Robins, Woodpeckers, Crows, Skylarks, Owls, Warblers, Buzzards, Frogs and Crickets. Singh explained, “I love the magic of spring, particularly at Tatton Park which I have been going to for years. When the silence of winter comes to an end, you can feel a real sense of change as the parkland erupts with noise, bursts of colour and new life. This is what makes spring so special for me and it’s this that I really wanted to capture in this project. “It was important to me that the bird calls and environments I recreated were as life like and authentic as possible, so it was great to work with the National Trust’s nature experts to better understand the flora and fauna of spring.” Listeners are set to find the new National Trust soundtrack a soothing experience after a recent psychological study found that natural sounds have restorative qualities. The study found the that birdsong and other sounds of nature like a running stream help people recover much quicker from stressful scenarios compared with the noise of urban living.

 Celebrate the Sounds of spring

Leading UK beatboxer, Jason Singh - Photo copyright National Trust (All Rights Reserved)

• Click here to download the free “Tweet Music” tracks, 
• Click here for 50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾
• Find a Place to Visit with the National Trust

New Year rainbows, soggy walks. and counting birds.

I am feeling a little “under the weather” so I’m not getting much gardening done. According to the RSPB this is the best time to cut back trees or trim hedges before the mating season, which tends to start in February, so I really am eager to start. After such a turbulent start to the New Year, you’d think the birds would be quite wet enough  but this week both the male and female Blackbirds were splish-splashing in the tinfoil bath in the back garden and today a Starling was going at it like a jet skier in a water filled planter in the front garden. So by the look of it the birds  are already beginning to rouse themselves. There is a little more action also on our bird feeder and on the hedgerows and field nearby. Spotted two Buzzards today, the Starlings were enjoying the stubble on the field earlier in December and this week they have been gathering in quantity on the telephone wires  beside the A39. Last week, after the storm, we took a soggy walk on a debris strewn beach at Instow on the Torridge Estuary then moved on to a seemingly tranquil Fremington Quay where a small cluster of seabirds, an Egret and one lone Curlew were quietly drilling down in the mud. We returned via Bideford and spotted a Murmuration swooping and swirling above Bideford Long Bridge. As light was fading we parked awhile on Brunswick Wharf to enjoy the spectacle. Meanwhile back in my garden the Chaffinch, Great Tits, Coal Tits and Sparrows are constant visitors, Mr. Robin is already stating his claim with an occasional song, and the Blue Tits continue to sneak nuts out from under the beaks of our resident Doves which plonk themselves on the feeder. Rainy days have been lit up by rainbows after some short bursts of sunshine. The only down side to this perfect little scenario is a local ginger cat that languishes below the feeder and waits.... What’s the betting that all this action disappears when it’s time for the Big Garden Birdwatch which this year is over the weekend of 25^th and 26th January

A little under the weather and ragged round the edges, just like me

The first rainbow of 2014

Lone Curlew off Fremington Quay

Count the wildlife that's counting on you. Bird populations are a great indicator of the health of the countryside. That's why it's so important to take part in surveys like the Big Garden Birdwatch to keep an eye on the ups and downs of the wildlife where we live.  All you need to do is spend an hour over the weekend of 25-26 January counting the birds in your garden. It's that simple! The more people involved, the more we can learn. So, grab a cuppa and together we can all help to give nature a home. For more info and to register, please visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch

Click here for Big Garden Birdwatch 2014 Results

• Explore Instow with the North Devon Focus Picture Tour
• Explore Fremington Quay with the North Devon Picture Tour
• Explore Bideford with the North Devon Focus Picture Tour

EMPTY NEST SYNDROME.......

Finally get to see where all the action has been coming from. Feel a little sad, a bit like when my son left home for the first time. I expect lots of Mums and Dads will be feeling the same as they tentatively drop their toddlers off for their first day of school or wave their bigger toddlers off to university . This masterpiece was tucked away in the Apple Tree, it just caught my eye after the light flooded the area after hedge trimming. It was still very much camouflaged but I recognised the dry Ornamental Grass and Monbretia that I had left out for just such a purpose earlier in the year. I think the nest belonged to the Blackbirds that have been keeping me so amused in the garden this summer. I have been watching them leaving the nest, ducking, diving and dodging cats. Here are just some of the stars of the summer show. Hope they have a safe journey, I will miss them.

Hot enough to put the washing out. Fold and remove after use!!

Heard a constant cheep, cheep this morning as I was making the coffee. Looked out the window and thought I'm sure I'd brought all the washing in, then realised all was not quite as it seems. This little fella had just fledged and he stayed, cheeping away for 15 minutes. I was beginning to think he was stuck, as I believe they can't fly when they first leave the nest but decided not to assist. Sure enough he eventually (with encouragement from Dad) flitted back into the shade under the Apple tree.The garden birds have been busy since February when nest-building started. I saw my first blackbird fledgling back in the beginning of June so it is easy to think that the breeding season is over when in fact all the birds are back in the nest with another brood. So spare a thought for our little feathered friends, especially in this hot weather, hold back on the hedge trimming, leave a long grassy border round the lawn and leave out lots of  water. I have been watching the Blackbirds in my garden splashing around in a large shallow, tin-foil plate, a successful makeshift bird bath. I put it in the shade beside a bush so they could "wash and go". I have watched as they lazed, feathers akimbo, in the sun and while they had fun tossing a pile of grass I'd left after mowing the lawn, presumably they were searching for insects. All in all wildlife love it when we aren't too tidy.

 

Spare a thought for wildlife as the Southwest Sizzles - Read all about Devon Wildlife Trust's 6 Point Plan 

It is against the law to knowingly disturb or destroy a nest. For advice on wild birds and the law check out the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981

Devon’s Nature in Trouble. Conservation organisations join forces to call on people to take action

OUR NATURE IS IN TROUBLE – this is the conclusion of a groundbreaking report launched today by a coalition of leading conservation and research organisations. Scientists working side-by-side from wildlife organisations across the UK, including Devon Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Buglife and Butterfly Conservation, have compiled a stock-take of our native species – the first of its kind in the UK. The report reveals that 60% of the species studied have declined over recent decades. More than one in ten of all the species assessed are under threat of disappearing. Peter Burgess, Conservation Advocacy Manager for Devon Wildlife Trust said: "Once familiar species including hedgehogs, lapwings and cuckoos, are declining in extent and numbers. Our seas too are in a fragile state as the recent death of thousands of seabirds due to pollution has shown." The report concludes that woodland, Culm grassland, heathland, upland, fresh water and wetland, coastal and marine species are all under threat in Devon. The State of Nature report will be launched by Sir David Attenborough and UK conservation charities at the Natural History Museum in London this evening. This report serves as a reminder to us all that nature needs our help and we can all do our bit to save it. Its authors are calling on people to support conservation charities and take action for wildlife. Sir David Attenborough, who wrote the foreword to the publication, said: “This groundbreaking report is a stark warning – but it is also a sign of hope. For 60 years I have travelled the world exploring the wonders of nature and sharing that wonder with the public. But as a boy my first inspiration came from discovering the UK’s own wildlife. “Our islands have a rich diversity of habitats which support some truly amazing plants and animals. We should all be proud of the beauty we find on our own doorstep; from bluebells carpeting woodland floors and delicately patterned fritillary butterflies, to the graceful basking shark and the majestic golden eagle soaring over the Scottish mountains. “This report shows that our species are in trouble, with many declining at a worrying rate. However, we have in this country a network of passionate conservation groups supported by millions of people who love wildlife. The experts have come together to highlight the amazing nature we have around us and to ensure that it remains here for generations to come.”  Dr Mark Eaton, a lead author on the report and a Senior Conservation Scientist for RSPB, said: “This report reveals that the UK’s nature is in trouble - overall we are losing wildlife at an alarming rate. “Reliable data on these species goes back just 50 years, at most, but we know that there has been a historical pattern of loss in the UK going back even further. Threats including sweeping habitat loss, changes to the way we manage our countryside, and the more recent impact of climate change, have had a major impact on our wildlife, and they are not going away." Devon Wildlife Trust’s Peter Burgess will be speaking at the event alongside Sir David Attenborough. Peter commented: “For the first time in the history of the conservation movement we have a clear picture of how Britain’s special wildlife is faring. Nowhere is this information more important than in Devon, a county that supports the country’s most biodiverse parish {Braunton] and which is home to two of the ten most-threatened species in Europe [the marsh fritillary butterfly and the freshwater pearl mussel]. It’s a great honour to be involved in launching this report by presenting alongside Sir David Attenborough – someone that has done more that anyone else in reconnecting people with the stunning wildlife that we have in this country.” Peter continued, “None of this work would have been possible without the army of volunteer wildlife enthusiasts who spend their spare time surveying species and recording their findings. Our knowledge of nature in the UK would be significantly poorer without these unsung heroes, and that knowledge is the most essential tool that conservationists have. "Peter concluded, “It is time for us to take action to save nature and we are calling on people to give their support. We can all do something for nature, whether it is volunteering on a nature reserve, surveying species, making wildlife-friendly gardens, supporting campaigns or by becoming a member of a conservation charity."

 Please go to www.devonwildlifetrust.org for details on how to support Devon Wildlife Trust. 

State of Nature national fact file:

• The total number of larger moths had fallen by 28% since the late 1960s and two-thirds of the 337 species monitored had declined, and 37% by more than half.
• 72% of butterfly species had decreased over the previous 10 years, including common garden butterflies that had declined by 24%.
• The UK has lost 44 million breeding birds since the late 1960s.
• In 16 counties, one plant species went extinct every other year.
• Britain's mammals have seen losses and gains, with decline of hedgehogs, the ongoing loss of red squirrels, and the recovery of otters.
•  In 2010, Norman Maclean's book Silent Summer summarised dramatic declines in the UK's insect populations, and concluded that 'our wildlife is clearly in for a bumpy ride'. 

State of Nature Devon fact file:

• 80% of England’s Culm grasslands can be found in Devon. A survey of Culm Grassland in the early 1990s indicated that between 1984 and 1991, some 65% of the Culm Grassland area present in 1984 and outside of protected areas was lost. 80% of this loss was due to agricultural improvement, the rest due to afforestation, neglect or development.
• 30% of the Pebblebed Heaths lowland heathland were lost in the twentieth century to plantation, arable, improved grassland and mineral development.
• Devon is thought to hold 20% of the UK’s species rich hedgerows. The implementation of the Hedgerow Regulations 1997, together with the positive influence of agri-environment schemes, is likely to have halted the net loss of species-rich hedges. However, it is also likely that the condition of a number of hedges is continuing to decline due to a lack of suitable management.
• Between 1987 and 1991, it is thought that 24% of unimproved grassland sites within Devon had deteriorated due to inappropriate management, 24% of sites had deteriorated due to neglect, 4% of sites had been partly destroyed and 2% wholly destroyed.
• In 2007, Devon was estimated as holding 4,063 hectares of parkland and wood pasture. However, it is likely that well over 50% of working wood pasture and parkland has been lost to either scrub woodland and/or to arable/improved grassland over the last 50 years.
• Devon has the first Marine Conservation Zone around Lundy. Devon Wildlife Trust has been working for over 15 years to protect the Lyme Bay Reefs resulting in the development of Britain’s largest inshore marine protected area.
• The cuckoo has declined by 80% in Devon and is now absent from much of the county’s farmland. Lapwing numbers have fallen to below 100 breeding pairs on farmland in Devon.
• Ring ouzels are nearing extinction on Dartmoor.
• Devon holds 20% of the known UK marsh fritillary butterfly colonies. Although, once widely distributed throughout the UK, marsh fritillaries have declined substantially over the last 150 years. The butterfly has recently died out over most of eastern England and eastern Scotland. Despite a quite widespread distribution in south west England colonies are estimated to be disappearing at more than 10% a decade. 
• The only remaining UK population of the rare cuckoo bee Nomada sexfasciata hangs on along a short stretch of the South Devon coast.
• England’s last remaining population of the narrow-headed ant (Formica exsecta) hangs on at a single site in Devon.
• A 99% decline has taken place in greater horseshoe bat populations throughout the UK over the last century. Devon remains one of its last strongholds.
• Freshwater pearl mussels on the rivers Taw and Torridge have not produced young for over 40 years – these represent the only remaining populations in the south of England.

Sir David Attenborough

‘The lapwing is just one of many species that a new report says is struggling in Devon.’
Photo, Neil Bygrave