Poppy Dean – Page 2 – Hoopoe

Training Course: Bats for Building Professionals

The recent training course by the Bat Conservation Trust, Bats for Building Professionals, aimed to provide direction and understanding on the legal protections surrounding bats and their roosts in buildings. Suitable for contractors, pest controllers, surveyors, architects or those working within the construction industry, the session aided building professionals in developing their bat roost identification skills and taught them how to navigate situations where bats are present on site.

The seven-hour course, run over two interactive online sessions, explored bat ecology, biology, best practices, the latest guidance and legal information.

The course began with a comprehensive overview of Britain’s breeding bat species, covering their biology, ecology, adaptations, habitat preferences and roosting types. Speaker Katie Swift introduced the Bat Calendar – a particularly interesting aspect of the session which revealed how contractors and construction workers can plan work around bat activity to minimise disturbances (see below).

Bat calendar indicating best times for construction works — The bat calendar shows how contractors and construction workers can plan work around bat activity to minimise disturbances.

This led to a discussion of bat roosts in built structures, where Katie explained why bats favour these spaces and detailed attractive features for both cavity and crevice roosting species, such as soffits, eaves, and cladding. Exploring the different uses of these roosts throughout the year, Katie highlighted how occupied spaces change between summer and winter, and which bat species commonly utilise buildings for this purpose. Using examples like pipistrelles and horseshoe bats, she demonstrated how different species utilize roosting sites and how to recognize an active roost.

The second part of the discussion focused on legislation and bat protection, educating attendees on the laws that are in place to ensure bat protection, actions that are considered an offence, and highlighting advice services available. Katie then reviewed the European Protected Species License, explaining its role in safeguarding bats within the UK, outlining how construction activities can potentially harm bats in buildings, and when to seek advice as a building professional in keeping with best practice guidelines.

Common pipistrelle bat — Image by Bio Blitz via Flickr

The second session concluded with an interactive quiz of working examples for building professionals, covering a range of typical building works including barn conversions, door repairs and gutter replacements.

The ‘homework’ task between sessions was a particularly enjoyable aspect of the course – through independent field work, attendees had the opportunity to report on the potential bat features of their chosen building or structure and apply the knowledge learned throughout the session to understand which species may be present in the area, the areas bats may utilise on the structure and what works might impact a roost.

This insightful and informative training course provides a valuable resource for building professionals seeking to learn or refresh their knowledge about bats and building projects. The speaker’s expertise ensured a comprehensive and engaging learning experience, covering everything from bat ecology, to bats in buildings and licensing.

Find out more about upcoming events and the extensive range of training courses with the Bat Conservation Trust via their website.

Top 5: Binoculars

A good pair of binoculars is a staple in any naturalist’s kit. Whether you are wildlife watching, insect spotting or exploring the wilderness, we have a fantastic range of optics to enhance your outdoor activities.

Discover our top 5 best binoculars for wildlife watching below, where we highlight the key features of each for easy comparison.

Bushnell Prime Binoculars 8×32 BP832B

A great entry-level option with high quality optical performance, these binoculars are waterproof, lightweight and robust which makes them great for fieldwork. A wide field of view makes these ideal for fast moving animals and large landscapes, and the anti-reflective coasting ensures a bright image with high contrast.

EXO barrier coatings to repel oil, dust and water
BAK-4 Prisms for excellent image quality and low light performance
20-year guarantee
Weight: 479g
Magnification: 8x
Field of view: 130m @ 1000m
Eye relief: 18mm
Close focus: 9ft / 3m

GPO PASSION ED 8×32/42mm Binoculars

Combine value and performance with these lightweight binoculars from GPO. A magnesium body provides a robust chassis, the Schmidt-Pechan prisms further enhance their durability, while superb clarity and exceptional colour transmission ensure an excellent price to performance ratio.

Suitable for all levels of expertise
Multi-coated lenses for exceptional clarity and colour transmission
Wide field of view
10-year guarantee
Weight: 520g
Magnification: 8x
Eye relief: 16mm
Field of view: 139m @ 1000m
Close focus: 2m

Hawke Optics Nature-Trek Binoculars 8×42

Completely waterproof and fog free, these robust binoculars are ideal for fieldwork. The multi-coated optics and an inner-focus optical design ensure high resolution images, and a close focus distance of 2m make them great for observing insects.

Shock resistant polycarbonate body
BAK-4 roof prism
Lifetime guarantee
Winner – Best Low Cost Binocular Award 2014
Weight: 638g
Magnification: 8x
Eye relief: 18mm
Field of view: 129m @ 1000m
Close focus: 2m / 6.6ft

Opticron Explorer WA ED-R Binoculars 10×42

An impressive field of view makes these compact binoculars great for surveying large landscapes and fast-moving animals, and a close focus of 2m makes them suitable for viewing insects too. Multi–coated lenses allow extra light transmission and colour contrast, ensuring clear, crisp viewing.

Nitrogen waterproof construction
Close focus: 2.5m / 8.2ft
Weight: 660g
Magnification: 10x
Eye relief: 15mm
Field of view: 113m @ 1000m
10-year guarantee

Swarovski CL Pocket Binoculars with Wild Nature Case 10×25

Ideal for travelling, these pocket binoculars are compact and lightweight, while providing users with a large field of view and great close focus suitable for insect observation. A high-quality lens and prism coating ensure excellent optical performance, even at low light, and SWAROBRIGHT phase prism coating ensures better colour reproduction and light transmission.

10-year warranty
Waterproof to 4m
Magnification: 10x
Eye relief: 17mm
Field of view: 98m @ 1000m
Close focus: 2.5m
Weight: 350g

For more information on how to choose the right pair of binoculars, see our blog post on the Conservation Hub.

Top 5: Thermal Scopes

Thermal scopes detect and display temperature variations and can use the infrared energy (heat) emitted by warm-blooded animals to create a distinct thermal profile. They produce an image that displays different temperatures in different colours which can be used to visibly detect the location of animals that may not otherwise be seen due to lack of light.

Thermal scopes are typically used to survey nocturnal or elusive species. Particularly useful when used in bat surveys, they can be used to identify roost access points with greater accuracy and can provide improved-quality images of animals in flight. Thermal scopes are also used in surveys for other wildlife, including bird ringing programmes and nest box monitoring, particularly for Pine Martens. This non-invasive technology allows ecologists to monitor wildlife whilst minimising disturbance, allowing for more accurate data reporting on wildlife behaviour. They can be used during both the day and night and offer different colour palettes to improve visibility in different environmental conditions.

Thermal scopes are designed with varied capabilities and are suitable for a range of users, from naturalists to ecologists. Here we explore a range of thermal scopes available on our website, including both affordable and more advanced options, and highlight the benefits and features of each.

Pulsar Telos XP50 Thermal Imaging Monocular

Featuring an industry-leading thermal sensor, this high performance monocular provides high resolution imagery in all conditions and has a built-in laser range finder (LRF) capable of long-distance measurements. Durable and user–friendly, these waterproof optics are suitable for all weather conditions and are designed with a wear-resistant rubberised body to maximise longevity.

Sensor: 640 × 480, 17µm, <18mK NETD
Lens: 50mm/F1.0 Germanium lens
Magnification: 2.5-10.0× (and 4× digital zoom)
Frame rate: 50Hz
Detection range: 1,800m
Video/photo resolution: 1024 × 768
Rating: IPX7
Operating time: Up to 8.5hrs
Weight: 720g with battery

Pixfra Sirius S650 Thermal Imaging Monocular

A compact, powerful monocular offering an incredible optical performance. This monocular has an impressive magnification and detection range, making it ideal for wildlife observation and recording thermal images at a distance. And with 64GB built-in storage, still images or video can be recorded at the push of a button.

Sensor: 640 × 512, 12µm, <18mK NETD
Lens: 50mm/F0.9
Magnification: 3.45 ×
Frame rate: 50Hz
Detection range: Up to 2,600m
Rating: IP67
Operating time: Up to 6 hours
Weight: 537g

Pixfra Arc 600 Series Thermal Imaging Monoculars

A great all-round choice at a competitive price point, this thermal monocular is compact, lightweight and has the widest field of view in the Pixfra range making it ideal for emergence surveys. A highly robust chassis and an IP67 rating mean that this monocular is incredibly durable and is built to withstand poor weather conditions, drops and scrapes in the field.

Sensor: 640 × 512, 12µm, NETD <30mK
Lens: 13mm/F1.0
Magnification: 0.875×
Frame rate: 50Hz
Detection range: 670m
Rating: IP67
Operating time: Up to 6.5h
Weight: 304g (excluding battery)

Pulsar Merger LRF XP50 Thermal Imaging Binoculars

High-spec, professional-level thermal binoculars, this device features a built-in laser range finder and a highly sensitive thermal sensor operating across a long detection range. Lightweight and durable, these advanced thermal optics are highly resistant to harsh environmental conditions and can be submerged in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.

Sensor: 640 × 480, 17 µm, NETD <25mK
Lens: Fast aperture F50/1.0 germanium lens
Magnification: 2.5×-20× (and digital 8× zoom)
Frame rate: 50Hz
Detection range: 1,800m
Video/photo resolution: 1024p × 768p
Rating: IPX7
Operating time: Approx 10hrs
Weight: 800g

Pulsar Axion 2 XQ35 Pro Thermal Imaging Monocular

A lightweight and highly portable mid-range monocular, this thermal scope features an industry-leading sensor and a high-quality aperture objective lens to ensure clear, distinguished viewing. Innovative in design, this monocular allows for still image and video recording to internal memory, and is Wi-Fi enabled to allow for easy downloads to a mobile device.

Sensor: 384 × 288, 17 µm, NETD <25mK
Lens: Fast aperture Germanium 35mm/F1.0 objective lens
Magnification: 2-8×,
Detection range:1,300m @ 1.8m
Video/photo resolution: 528 x 400p
Rating: IPX7
Operating time: Up to 11 hours
Weight: 380g

Recommended Reading:

Thermal Imaging for Wildlife Applications

Paperback & Hardback | Oct 2023

A practical guide that collects findings from academic research and applied field protocols to inform readers on the fundamentals of the technology, its methods, equipment and applications.

The NHBS Harp Trap: New Model Assembly Instructions

This blog provides a step-by-step guide on to how to set up and disassemble the latest model of the NHBS manufactured Harp Trap.

Please note that the NHBS Harp Trap is a made-to-order item, contact us at customer.services@nhbs.com for enquiries and we will be happy to advise on the current lead time.

Handling your trap

The trap carry bag has been designed to allow handling/carrying by either one or two people.

What’s in the bag?

1 × Harp Trap, 4 × legs, 2 × support poles (in two parts), 1 × accessories pack (including instructions, 4 × pegs, 4 × guy ropes and spare line)

Please follow these instructions for correct assembly and disassembly. We recommend that this is carried out by two people.

Setting Up

1 . Carefully remove the harp trap from its carry bag and place the frame upright on the floor.

2 . Take the legs out of the carry bag and insert them into the holes on the underside of the frame – it is easiest to do this one end at a time. When required, all legs can be individually adjusted to raise the trap or to level out when setting up on uneven ground.

3 . Undo the straps and allow the collecting bag to settle by opening the arms of the frame out fully. If using guy ropes, attach them to the upper carriage now.

4 . Release the spring locking pins at both ends of the trap by pulling the lever out and rotating 90° to lock in the open position. Grab the longer piece of the support poles and hold upright with the connector facing down. Now, loosen the star handled screw and carefully lift the top carriage, raising it away from the main frame. Insert the support pole through the hole, where you removed the upper carriage from, and allow the poles to sit on the floor. Then insert the top carriage locating pins into the open end of the support poles.

5 . If using guy ropes, untie and allow to hang.

6. Working at the same pace, slowly raise the support pole so that the bottom of the pole is just below the lower part of the main frame, watching closely to ensure no strings get tangled. Once you reach this height, tighten the star handled screw to secure the support pole in position.

7 . Take the shorter parts of the support poles and attach them to the bottom of the longer parts by screwing together.

8 . With the support poles now at their full length, while holding on to them, loosen the star handled screw and continue to raise them, still working together and checking for any string snagging. Raise until the bottom of the pole is level (or as near as possible) with the bottom of the frame and tighten star handled screws.

9 . Engage both spring locking pins to secure the lower carriage.

10 . If you are using them for stability, you can now peg out the guy ropes and your trap is ready for use.

Disassembly

1 . If used, pull out the pegs and store them carefully.

2 . Release the spring locking pins from both ends of the trap. Hold the support poles (one person at each end) and loosen the star handled screws to lower the poles.

3 . Continue to slowly lower the poles and as you do so, carefully start winding the bottom line carrier, taking great care to ensure no lines get tangled. Guiding the lines with your hand/arm is key. Keep lowering the support poles slowly and evenly while winding the line carrier until the support poles rest on the floor.

4 . With the support poles resting on the ground, tighten the star handled screw to hold the pole in position, unscrew the lower/short part of the support pole and safely place to one side.

5 . Hold onto the support pole, loosen the thumb screw, and continue to lower until the pole sits on the ground. If used, gather up the guy ropes, tie them up, detach from the frame and place safely to one side.

6 . Now lift the top carriage off from the top of the support pole, slide the pole out from the frame and place to one side. Continue to lower the top carriage, whilst winding the bottom carriage, until the top carriage sits on the main frame.

7 . Once the top carriage has been lowered fully, engage the spring locking pins and tighten the star handled screw to secure it in place, fold the arms of the catch bag assembly inwards until they meet, wrap the bag around the trap and tie the straps to secure.

8 . Remove the legs from the frame, working on one end of the frame at a time is easiest. If you have extended the legs, to aid storage, reduce them to their shortest length.

9 . Place the guy ropes and pegs back in the accessories bag. Put the legs and the support poles in the bottom of the carry bag and finally, carefully place the trap and accessories bag back into the carry bag, safe and sound, ready for next time.

Author interview with Susan Young: Night Vision and Daylight Camera Systems for Wildlife

This comprehensive guide describes how wildlife can be monitored and recorded in a non-intrusive way using well-developed and reliable technology. Detailing key techniques for capturing high-quality footage of a range of species, from nocturnal mammals to elusive birds, this practical resource is ideal for both professional ecologists and amateur naturalists alike who are seeking to enhance their understanding of the natural world.

Susan Young is a photographer and writer based in South Devon, who has a wealth of experience in wildlife photography. She has authored several books, including CCTV for Wildlife Monitoring and Wildlife Photography Fieldcraft, and is currently carrying out research with Natural England, the Woodland Trust and Mammal Society on the use of remote cameras for wildlife monitoring.

We recently spoke to Susan about her latest book, where she explained how she first started working with visual systems, how ecological and wildlife-watching camera systems differentiate, and more.

Firstly, could you share a little bit about yourself and your background working with visual systems?

My background is in physics and engineering, but I have had a keen interest in wildlife from a very early age. Since moving to Devon some years ago, I developed my interest in photography and wrote several books on various technical topics. I used trail cameras before they became ‘famous’ and finding some aspects frustrating, moved to bird box cameras – I then became interested in using security cameras with separate recorders as they had more useful features.

In 2015/2016 I started as a volunteer with Natural England and the Woodland Trust where I was encouraged to develop my ideas for portable CCTV systems, which led to the discovery of three calls of Barbastelle Bats not previously recognised. Further work with dormice, otters, deer, small mammals and birds showed just how well the systems performed, being much richer in features than trail cameras and much less expensive than thermal systems.

Your previous book, CCTV for Wildlife Monitoring was published in 2016. What inspired you to revisit the topic for a second book, and what advancements or changes does your latest title encompass?

My book in 2016 was more of an introduction to CCTV technology, which was just taking off and becoming more readily available. Since then, the technology has advanced dramatically, with HD cameras giving very high-quality images, and recorders becoming available with solid state drives making them very portable.

There are many other features not found in other visual systems – in particular, security recorders have inbuilt video analysis which can be controlled by the user, greatly reducing the amount of video data to analyse. My book has detailed step-by-step instructions for all aspects of the night vision camera systems with the aim of flattening the learning curve.

Night Vision systems are commonly associated with ecological research and wildlife watching, how do the camera systems you describe differentiate from them?

The systems I describe have a raft of features, as described above, making analysis much easier. They can also be left outside unattended and are particularly useful for remote areas. They are also relatively low cost and portable.

Why did you feel that it was important to include a section on public engagement and education in this book?

Public engagement is important for raising awareness of the plight of our wildlife, as well as for attracting funding. High-quality videos from security camera systems, particularly of protected or rarely seen species, have proven successful. My book gives step-by-step instructions to encourage the use of this technology without the need for costly specialists.

Regarding schools, introducing children to technology at an early age makes use of the systems less daunting in later life.

Have you come across any emerging or under-utilised applications for this technology that you believe hold potential?

Many of the applications I have developed using my camera systems are new and I believe hold great potential. Because the systems can be set up and left for long periods, it means little or no disturbance to wildlife – for example monitoring breeding birds of prey in remote habitats, observing dormice behaviour in dormouse boxes, or surveying bats in hazardous environments.

Have you encountered any particularly memorable or exciting wildlife captures? Can you share any highlights from your experience?

On the conservation front, discovering new Barbastelle calls was very exciting, as was viewing previously unseen dormouse behaviour. On the naturalist level, filming four young Fallow Deer running round and round my rural garden in play was very heart-warming.

Finally, what’s next for you?

I am planning some research using my systems for small mammals which are often under-recorded. I am also producing educational material for the Mammal Society.

Night Vision and Daylight Camera Systems for Wildlife is available here.

Interview with WILDGuides Publisher Rob Still

The award-winning WILDGuides collection is a series of comprehensive and practical natural history titles. Ranging from photographic field guides covering the wildlife of Britain, Ireland and Europe, to visitor guides and reference works on wildlife across the world, this authoritative, easy-to-use series contains some of the best identification guides to date.

Robert Still is the co-founder and publishing director of WILDGuides, and has contributed to more than sixty titles in the series. In his spare time, he is a prolific natural history author, ecologist and graphic artist. We recently had the opportunity to speak to Rob about the WILDGuides collection, including how each volume is produced, which titles are due to be published over the next few years and more.

Firstly, can you tell us about the history of WILDGuides and how the collection came to be?

I (Rob) had been working as a designer, using photoshop and producing somewhat rudimentary montages and cutouts for adverts since 1991. When the programme’s features really took off in the late 90s, my thought was whether these new capabilities could be used to produce ‘best birding’ moments, such as idealised scenes of multiple tanagers in the same tree, or a Sueda bush chock full of vagrant Phylloscopus.

From there, it was a short transition to figuring out if the technology could be used for field guides – hence the birth of WILDGuides, which started with a guide to Galápagos wildlife by Andy Swash published in 2000, followed relatively quickly by Whales and Dolphins of the European Atlantic (2001) and Britain’s Butterflies (2002) – this covered a relatively small number of species and all were easy to cut out. Britain’s Dragonflies (2004) followed and was the first book written by Andy prior to the expansion into the other taxa groups as seen today, alongside multiple evolutions/editions of the first titles.

For anyone unfamiliar with the collection, how would you describe them, and who are they intended for?

The books are intended for anyone who wants to put a name to something they encounter in the field. I would describe them as a guided, primarily photographic pathway that hopefully helps in that process.

Each work in the collection is a passion project of dedicated scientists, conservationists, and researchers. How long does it take to produce a title from start to finish and what kind of work goes into creating them?

It varies a great deal. Some have taken a good 10 years from concept to fruition, others have taken just a couple of years. However, a title typically requires a couple of photography seasons, as a significant number of the images in each book are commissioned and the specific image requirements often don’t come to light until the design process is underway.

How do you decide what makes a good subject for WILDGuides? What are you looking for when creating new volumes?

A good subject is really any group or taxa within a defined region – WILDGuides is looking to work with any experienced specialists to present that group in the WILDGuides way.

One of the strengths of the WILDGuide collection is the use of a unique ‘roadmap’ for each published topic, allowing users to navigate identification, and the book itself. Can you elaborate on the process of these roadmaps, and why you feel they are so important for these guides?

Sure, it is a relatively straightforward process insofar as it is simply the production of an identification pathway from start to finish. This is slightly disingenuous, as on occasion, it can be harder than one might think to unequivocally achieve this. It requires a team that really knows the subject being prepared, who is able to combine their field experience to focus on what really matters in the identification.

Their importance to the guide, I believe, is that they are an amalgamation of this ‘hands-on’ experience and so the pathway is both realistic and pragmatic.

Can you speak on the process of updating editions in the collection?

Obviously, nature is dynamic and lists of taxa within a region change. New, reliable field identification features come to light, improvements are suggested by our users and the exponential rise in available images means that there is now a good chance that better pictures (in terms of quality and showing the key identification points) become available. Consequently, we keep an update file covering all of these areas, and will update these editions when the time is right to do so.

What can we expect from the collection over the next couple of years? Are you able to share any new titles that are on the way?

Yes, the existing collection should improve over the coming years with the feedback and new images mentioned. WILDGuides is also looking to expand the series into other taxa not already covered to match the increasing diversity of species groups that people are looking at, with the hope that more accurate records are sent to organisations managing citizen science databases.

On the near horizon are updates to Britain’s Spiders and, at some stage, Britain’s Birds as well as new titles covering Britain’s Trees, Birds of East Africa and Birds of Madagascar, each in the style of Europe’s Birds. Further down the track we are looking at gaps, particularly in Britain’s series, that are relatively obvious to spot – so if any reader of this piece wants to be a potential part of that expansion, we’d love to hear from you!

Explore the full WILDGuide collection here

This Week in Biodiversity News – 3rd February

Pollution

Flea and tick treatments are contaminating songbird nests. A recent study surveyed 103 tit nests that utilised pet fur in construction, and found that 100% were contaminated with fipronil, a chemical component of pet flea and tick treatments that is banned for agricultural use in the UK and the EU. Contaminated nests were found to have an increased number of unhatched eggs and dead chicks, placing significant pressure on breeding bird populations. The findings have led to calls for a thorough environmental risk assessment of veterinary treatments, and to consider restricting their use as a preventative measure to an active treatment.

Great tit with nesting material — Image by hedera.baltica via Flickr

The Arctic carbon sink is now a source of emissions, a new study concludes. Rising temperatures in the Arctic landscape are facilitating the release of vast amounts of carbon dioxide, which is currently stored in the region’s permafrost, and over 40% of this is now significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions in the context of global warming. The effects of rising temperatures are also reflected by visual changes in the landscape – ground collapse, increased plant growth, microbial domination – and changes in the carbon cycle in the region.

Environment

Wales’ plan to reverse wildlife decline lacks plan, action and investment according to Senedd’s cross-party environment committee. A recent report identified several shortcomings that have impacted the Welsh government’s ability to tackle nature loss and boost biodiversity. These include legislation that failed to deliver, outdated key policy documents, a broken promise to update the Nature Recovery Action Plan, and a history of delays, undelivered commitments, and missed deadlines. With 1 in 6 species at risk of local extinction in Wales, and a 20% decrease in wildlife over the last three decades, the committee urged the Welsh government to prioritise setting targets to address biodiversity loss by 2030, bringing Wales in-line with previously agreed biodiversity commitments.

eurasian curlew — One in six Welsh species are threatened with local extinction. Image by Antje Schultner via Flickr

T he Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has published a report on the prospect of the UK meeting its environmental targets and commitments. The third OEP assessment analysed the government’s current progress towards improving the country’s natural environment between April 2023 and March 2024, and determined that the UK remains off track in meeting legal commitments due to slow progress and a loss of momentum. Key issues identified were as follows: policy or regulatory frameworks are not adequately developed or delivered; actions do not address all major pressures; inadequate resource provision and a lack of urgency. To tackle this, the report concluded that the UK government should speed up, scale up, stack up and catch-up actions to make adequate progress.

Wildlife and Conservation

A Greater Mouse-eared Bat (Mytosis mytosis) has been discovered in Sussex. In mid-January 2025, a breeding female Greater Mouse-eared Bat was found hibernating in the South Downs National Park, marking the first identification of a new female since the 1980s. This species was declared extinct in the UK in 1992 following decades of species decline, however two male sightings, one in 2002 and one in 2023 suggested the potential for their return in the future. Conservationists have ringed the newly discovered female to allow for future identification, monitoring and research, with the hope of discovering an established breeding population in Britain.

Galicia’s shellfish stocks are declining at an alarming rate. Europe’s primary source of mussels, and the world’s second largest producer of shellfish, has seen a dramatic fall in cockles, clams and mussels. In 2023, cockles crop fell by as much as 80% and last year, mussel production was at its lowest for the last 25 years with some stocks falling by 90%. It is thought that the climate crisis and pollution from agriculture and local industry are at the root cause of this catastrophic decline, with increased rainfall reducing the salinity of the water and invasive species attracted to rising water temperatures.

Brown Trout survival is at serious risk as English rivers warm with climate change. A Government report suggests that these native fish are at risk of extinction in large parts of England within decades. The first national temperature projections by the Environment Agency forecast an unliveable environment at the height of summer by 2030. Brown Trout have a temperature threshold of around 12°C, above which there is a significant risk of egg mortality, small hatching sizes and development defects. For adult fish, this increased temperature could also amplify the impact of pollutants and an individual’s susceptibility to pathogens.

This Week in Biodiversity News – 13th January

Wildlife

Water Vole populations are undergoing a national decline in the UK. A new report from the Wildlife Trusts, The National Water Vole Database Project Report, was released last month to document the findings of a nationwide investigation examining Water Vole distribution over the past ten years. Although the report documented a 39% decrease in the number of occupied areas across the UK, it also identified a further 11 new regional key areas of increasing local populations, including several in East Anglia and Yorkshire. The report reveals a bleak national picture with declines across the country due to habitat loss and deterioration, but shows that in the right conditions, and with the help of conservation practitioners, it is possible to reverse their historic decline.

Bumblebee on a lavender flower — Image by Indy via Flickr

Conservationists have observed active worker bumblebees nest-building in Scotland during the winter months. Unusually mild weather during the Christmas period has led to early awakening from hibernation, and at least two species have started to build new nests early in the winter season. However, the subsequent return of cold weather and the scarcity of winter food sources pose a significant threat to these early nests, risking their collapse. In this instance, fewer queens would be available to build nests in the spring and could contribute to the national decline of bumblebees.

Conservation

The National Trust has announced plans to create 250,000 hectares of biodiverse landscape. Equivalent to 1.5 times the size of Greater London, these nature-rich landscapes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will address a current national need and are estimated to provide habitat for 1 billion earthworms. Labelled audacious yet achievable, this goal will be actioned on Trust properties, but also in partnership with other organisations, farmers and communities, to create larger tracts of landscape to tackle the climate and nature crises.

Male Lynx in the snow — Image by Tambako the Jaguar via Flickr

Last week, Lynx were reported in the Cairngorms National Park. A total of four animals were illegally released and subsequently captured by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RSS), where they were taken to be quarantined at Highland Wildlife Park (later one sadly died). The source of these animals remains unknown, but experts have raised concerns about the nature of their release – these animals were released in sub-zero temperatures within areas of logging activity, which has been deemed a highly irresponsible action that has drawn criticism from conservationists.

Climate Crisis

2024 marks the first calendar year to surpass the 1.5°C warming limit. Now thought to be the world’s hottest year on record, 2024 has brought the world closer to breaking the international warming target of 1.5°C – although this target is based on long-term temperature averages, last year’s trends signify an upturn in global temperature, with the last decade being the warmest on record. Predominantly due to harmful greenhouse gas emissions, which are still at record highs, this record is met with calls for cuts in emissions over this calendar year.

Wind turbines at sunset — Image by Michael Mueller via Flickr

The UK generated its cleanest electricity ever in 2024, with 58% from low-carbon sources. The amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels has halved in the past decade, with the UK having seen an upturn in the use of renewable energy sources. In the past twelve months, renewables have generated 45% of the UK’s power, and when including nuclear sources, this number totals to 58%. Despite this, fossil fuels are still generating approximately 29% of electricity in the UK, and in order to meet climate and emission targets experts are urging for an accelerated phase out.

Finance

In a ‘landmark’ deal, the world’s first private sector loan based on biodiversity net gain unit models has been granted. Triodos Bank UK has loaned £3.85m to environmental consultancy Nature Impact – the money will be used to purchase a total of 122 acres over two sites, unlocking degraded farmland for biodiversity net gain. These degraded sites will undergo restoration and habitat creation, including native wildflower meadows and wetlands, to enhance their support of British wildlife and climate goals.

Habitat restoration site with wildflowers — Image by Robert Miller via Flickr

Ecologists at Oxford University have designed a new framework to classify how a unit of nature is defined for biodiversity credits. In the review, researchers acknowledge the lack of clarity on how one unit of nature is defined, or how measurements are standardised, and demonstrated the challenges involved with the biodiversity credit market. It presents a framework exploring how biodiversity is quantified, how positive outcomes are detected and how the number of credits can be adjusted to account for uncertainties. The authors caution against biodiversity credits to offset negative impacts, and instead direct focus on avoiding and reducing these factors.

This Week in Biodiversity News – 30th December

Conservation

Tasmania’s farmers are helping to conserve native grassland. These critically endangered habitats have undergone widespread deterioration due to historical agricultural practices, and remaining patches are degraded and fragmented throughout the state. An innovative partnership between landowners, the Tasmanian Conservancy and Bush Heritage Australia – the Midlands Conservation Partnership (MCP) – was formed to conserve and protect native grassland on private property through empowering farmers to manage their land sustainably.

Tiger in Jacksonville Zoo — Image by Caitlin Regan via Flickr

A growing number of zoos across the globe are reporting animal death by avian influenza. The virus appears to be spreading throughout captive animal collections, which could have grave, and potentially fatal, consequences for endangered species – already, zoos have reported deaths of a number of threatened species, including lions, tigers and panthers. It is thought to have been spread through infected wild birds landing in open air enclosures, and experts emphasise the need for enhanced biosecurity, or vaccination, to ensure the safety of captive animals.

A leading wildlife expert is calling for the legalisation of rhino horn trade. Martin Wikelski wrote to the journal Science, urging authorities to take the market out of criminal hands, in order to establish carefully monitored, legal transactions and regain control of the market. Wikelski argues that monitored trade could help to raise money for increased protective measures and save the last remaining populations, since crime syndicates have overcome every countermeasure that has been implemented to protect rhinos thus far.

White rhino in South Africa — Image by Ian Turk via Flickr

Discoveries

Twenty-seven species new to science have been discovered in a survey in Peru. A 38-day survey in Alto Mayo, a well-populated region in north-west Peru, has uncovered over 2,000 species of wildlife and plants, including new, rare and threatened species. Of these species previously unknown to science, there are four mammals, an arboreal salamander, seven species of new fish, a frog, ten butterflies and two dung beetles – and a further 48 species are awaiting verification before confirming their discovery. Alongside these exciting new discoveries, the expedition identified 49 threatened species from the IUCN Red List, including birds, amphibians and primates, and it is hoped that these discoveries will bolster conservation work in the region.

A recent study has discovered that right whales may live almost twice as long as previously thought. Four decades of photo identification data was used to analyse the life expectancy of Northern Atlantic Right Whales and Southern Right Whales. Researchers observed a life expectancy of up to 150 years for Southern Right Whales, and a contrasting 22-year average for North Atlantic Right Whales – primarily due to anthropogenic impacts, including entanglement in fishing gear, ship collisions or starvation which could be linked to environmental change. Authors plan to expand the scope of the study to examine other whale populations, in order to learn more about how whaling practices have impacted the abundance of older individuals and allow for estimates of recovery to pre-whaling population sizes.

Wildlife

Data shows that almost three quarters of the UK’s Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI’s) have had no assessment of their condition since the start of 2019. These sites consist of ecologically valuable habitats, wildlife and natural features, and are legally protected to prevent environmental degradation. In the last assessment, nearly 40% of features were in unfavourable condition, and without further monitoring, conservationists warn that British wildlife could be disappearing unnoticed. In response, a long-term programme is being developed by Natural England to determine SSSI assessment, as well as making improvements to monitoring and data use.

a clutch of bird eggs in a nest — Image by Lisa Risager via Flickr

Over 6,000 wild bird eggs have been seized in the UK. In the largest haul of it’s kind, raids from Scotland, South Yorkshire, Essex, Wales and Gloucester uncovered thousands of wild bird eggs in attics, offices and drawers. The raids took place under Operation Pulka – an international effort tackling wildlife crime, especially the trading of bird eggs. Harvesting by egg collectors is placing additional pressures on already threatened and rare wildlife, and for species with a limited geographic range, could be the difference between existence and extinction.

Author interview with James Shipman: Identifying Bats of Britain and Ireland

Packed with insider information, Identifying Bats of Britain and Ireland offers expert guidance on how to identify bats in the hand for beginners and field ecologists alike. Filling a gap between introductory books and more technical volumes, this humorous guide uses detailed images, diagrams and tables to communicate, in simple terms, the fundamentals of bat ecology, survey equipment, techniques required when training for a bat licence and the key features that distinguish one species from another.

James Shipman is an ecologist and bat enthusiast who loves to inspire and motivate future bat workers. He works as a senior ecologist and is involved in numerous bat-related projects. In 2016 he was recognised with the Bat Conservation Trust’s Pete Guest Award for outstanding contribution to bat conservation.

We recently chatted with James about his inspiration for the book, which challenges he faced when constructing a detailed identification guide and more.

Can you tell us a little about yourself, your history of working with bats, and why you chose to write this book?

Originally I planned to work as a game ranger in South Africa, but after returning to the UK, I studied zoology, met my wife and fell into landscaping as my first career and passion. A roofer and a builder both mentioned that I may ‘like’ working with bats, as I’m an animal person, so I explored the idea of them as a hobby!

After a few events I was gripped, and I have now volunteered with bats for nearly 15 years with the intention to install passion, enthusiasm and fun into everything bat-related for volunteers and professionals! Within this time I have helped to train over 50-75 individuals (could be more, I don’t count!) and after nearly 20 years in the landscaping sector, I now work in ecology as a professional.

During my years of training, I found that the more serious and technical books available out there made it hard to learn, and that digestible guidance that was fun, relatable and easy to work with would be beneficial! A lot of my trainees suggested the idea for the book originally, and other bat authors with Pelagic mentioned to the publishers that I would bring a nice approach to ID for ecologists – so here we are.

You have taken a relatable, and oftentimes humorous, approach in the way Identifying Bats of Britain and Ireland was written. Why did you feel this was important, and with that in mind who is this book designed for?

Who said science, research and volunteering can’t be fun! If you enjoy what you do, it’s more fun and you usually get more out of it!

I thought it was important to bring my open, welcoming personality to bats and volunteering into the book, as well as an understanding of how hard it can be to learn in the world of ecology.

Public opinion of bats is often contested, and their associations with rabies and vampirism contribute to this negative perception. This guide contains a section on the myths and rumours of bats – why did you feel it was important to debunk these misconceptions?

Well spotted! It’s one of my favourite parts of any walk, talk, training or even in the book itself. Bats have such a negative view through media – whether it’s Halloween, Covid or other diseases, the positives (not just bats but anything in life) are very rarely talked about! So let’s try and win one for the bats – 2,000 less mosquito bites a night is a good seller!

This guide also features vagrants and species that are extremely rare in the UK. How did you navigate writing about species that you may not have met? And did you find it challenging to construct identification guidance for these scarcer species?

Fortunately I have handled and seen these species abroad in my years of volunteering and training (which I will touch more on in your last question), and I have even been lucky to handle one or two of these in the UK too!

The hardest part of it all was trying to address the elephant in the room (or maybe I should say vagrant in the sky!). I believe there are now 21 species found in the UK – some of these are not proven residents, but are not far off – plus a few others that I chose not to include at the time of publication as records were too scarce!

Were there any other challenges that you came across in the process of writing this book?

As previously mentioned, mental health is important in all areas of life, and I felt that slight delays in finishing this book were due to anxiety of judgement on the final product. However, many close friends and ex-trainees assured me that more positives will come of this work than negatives.

The book is aimed at any level of bat worker and should taken with a light hearted approach. It’s important to address these things when discussing books and publishing – it’s a hard process, and without friends, family and a decent publisher (plus the bats) you can sometimes feel isolated. Luckily, I had the best support from all of the above!

What’s your advice for those just getting started in this field?

Well I could say read the book (haha), there are some good sections about starting out with bats. In short, don’t give up, persist, find bat workers who are open, friendly and passionate with no judgement (they are out there, I’m one of them), and most importantly have fun!

Finally, what’s next for you? Do you have plans for more books in the future?

Um… a break! It’s harder than I ever imagined. However, I would love to eventually write a similar book for bats of Europe! But it may take a while to compile some new jokes!

Identifying Bats of Britain and Ireland is available from our online bookstore here.