Red Data Book Species & Conservation. Free Lecture Series, Birkbeck Spring 2016

Ecology and Conservation Studies Society, Birkbeck Free Lecture Series: Spring 2016
Red Data Book Species and conservation

 

Six Friday evenings. Feb 5th to 11th March. 18:30 to 20:00. Lecture Theatre B35, Birkbeck, University of London, Torrington Square.

[Gehan's Comments: I have copied here the programme for the Spring 2016 Free Friday evening lecture series. I have attended many of the talks in the free lecture series at Birkbeck on Ecology and Conservation held in Spring and Autumn. I think they are brilliant. A chance to listen to some of the world’s leading experts who are based in the UK explaining their work to a public audience. Some of the lectures I have attended in the past have been be a little techy but most of them would be intelligible to an informed audience].

Species conservation is embedded in national and international regulations, but does this achieve good representation of biodiversity? For example, invertebrates are not well catered for, let alone many fungi. Can we conserve the Great Crested Newt by translocation without providing for maintenance of both the ponds and terrestrial habitat that it needs? Or does the protection of species such as the Violet Click-beetle act as a flagship to conserve the whole suite of veteran tree biota? Are Red Data Book species the best indicators or flagships of biodiversity value, or should we rather examine concepts like “ecological engineers”. What of widespread species that may be declining un-noticed? This series examines the questions around the protection of threatened species.

Feb 19th "Red-listing the English flora - a better approach to conservation prioritisation?"

Fred Rumsey, Natural History Museum.


Feb 26th "Has being a European Protected Species helped the great crested newt?”
Brian Banks, MIEEM, Director, Flag Ecology.

March 4th “The return of the native; the reintroduction of the short-haired bumblebee”.

Nikki Gammans, Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

March 11th “Action for Species – the RSPB’s Species Recovery Programme”.

Hannah Ward, RSPB.


COMPLETED LECTURES

Feb 5th “To protect or not to protect? Extinction risk, Red Lists and the agony of choice”.

Monika Böhm, Indicators & Assessments Unit, Institute of Zoology.

Feb 12th “Stinking Hawk’s-beard, species recovery – the inside story”

Brian Ferry, Royal Holloway University of London.


A reading list will be available later. To receive this, please email ecssoc@gmail.com or consult the website, or pick up a copy at one of the lectures.

 Bee Orchid photographed on a walk with Graham Loasby in Soham. This image is not related to the talks above, but illustrates how many local communities volunteers to manage reserves such as Soham for their plants.

Cairngorm National Park in Carrbridge near Aviemore – Dalrachney Lodge Hotel

I received this note addressed to the committee and members of the London Bird Club from Gordon & Trixie Taylor of the Dalrachney Lodge Hotel. I have copied it below as it may be of interest to others planning a wildlife holiday to Scotland. (Note. At the time of writing, I have not visited his hotel).

To the Committee and Members of the London Bird Club

We have a lovely Edwardian Hotel set in 3 acres of land in the Highlands of Scotland within the Cairngorm National Park in Carrbridge near Aviemore – Dalrachney Lodge Hotel.  We are lucky to be in one of the most picturesque parts of Scotland which happens to be teeming with wildlife!

www.dalrachney.co.uk

 Together with local providers we will be organising  bird watching/Wildlife and photography field trips, which can include talks in the evening at the Hotel.  One of our partners specialises in bespoke trips for 2-6 people and others cater for larger group trips.

From nesting Wetland Birds and Waders in the Spring to watching the White Mountain Hare in the snow, Red Deer on the hillside and photography with Colin Prior, there are many types of trips that can be arranged to suit you and/or your Group.

We have 12 double/twin bedrooms plus a two bedroomed cottage, so if you are a larger Group, it is like having a Country House all to yourself – with our Chef to cook dinner for you of course!!

Whether it’s an overnight stay or a week long trip, you decide the length of stay you want, and we will contact our partners to help tailor make the trip to your requirements.  If you are organising group trips and would like to come and see us for a site visit, let us know and we be happy to give you a discount on overnight accommodation (in low/mid season).

We are sure that Dalrachney Lodge together with our local partners can provide you with a wonderful holiday.  You can view our great reviews on TripAdvisor – click here

Please do drop us an e-mail or call us on 01479 841252 if we can be of service.

Kind regards

Gordon & Trixie Taylor
Dalrachney Lodge Hotel
01479 841252
www.dalrachney.co.uk

The London Naturalist 2015

The latest issue of the London Naturalist has been published and contains a wealth of information for wildlife enthusiasts who live or work in London.  This is one of the annual publications members receive. Membership of the society represents terrific value from money and I recommend membership. See www.lnhs.org.uk for more details. Copies of the journal can be purchased.

With the Editor's permission I have outlined below the contents and included some sample pages.
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The London Naturalist 2015

Contents of Volume 94

Journal of the London Natural History Society

                                                                                      

London Natural History Society                                                                                                           4

Officers                                                                                                                                                     5
The Society’s Recorders                                                                                                                         5
Editorial                                                                                                                                                     7
Report of the Society for year ending 30 June 2014                                                                         8
Treasurer’s report for the year ended 30 June 2014                                                                      10
Official and sectional reports for 2014                                                                                              16

Presidential address: Helen Baker                                                                                                      30

House Sparrows, with particular reference to London: Helen Baker
(Presidential address delivered after the Annual General Meeting on 1 December 2014)

The address:

• gives a brief history of house sparrows Passer domesticus in London
• recaps on LNHS Survey 1995 to 2003
• says a little about some further surveys on urban house sparrows
• looks at colonies of house sparrows in seven tetrads north of Heathrow in the 2014 breeding season
• considers possible reasons for the house sparrows’ decline
• gives Helen’s conclusions and suggest actions that can be taken to help house sparrows.

Odonata report for 2014: Neil Anderson                                                                                     46

A summary of sightings in the London Area for 2014.

Butterfly monitoring report 2014: Leslie Williams                                                                     52

Data from over twenty sites in London, monitored using the transect walks method, were used to calculate collated indices for butterfly species for 2014.  The indices enabled comparisons with previous years. Species accounts were supplemented by records from other sites, surveys and observations. 

Notes on the current status of butterflies in Blackheath and Greenwich Park: Joe Beale                               63

This paper is based largely on the author’s personal observations and aims to give an overview of the current status of butterflies in Greenwich Park and Blackheath in south-east London. Twenty-nine species known to have occurred between 2010 and May 2015 are noted and commented upon. Discussion focuses particularly on 2014’s observations but also refers to selected other observations from the mid-1990s to early July 2015 and any changes observed. Brief notes on a selection of moths are given.

Pocota personata returns to London: Russell Miller                                                                 88

Pocota personata is a rare hoverfly and an excellent bumblebee mimic. Last recorded in London in Blackheath in 1966, it was seen at Abney Park Cemetery Nature Reserve in Hackney in 2013, 2014 and 2015. This paper details all known records for London and discusses the species’ history and ecology.

Survey of Bookham Common: seventy-third year
Progress report for 2014: Stuart Cole et al.                                                                               102

GiGL and the LNHS: Mandy Rudd                                                                                                 109

The history of Greenspace Information for Greater London CIC (GiGL) is reviewed, with particular reference to its relationship with the LNHS. A number of the projects in which GiGL has been involved, and future plans, are described by Mandy Rudd, the Chief Executive.

Obituary: Ron Kettle                                                                                                                       119
Obituary: Paul Cornelius                                                                                                                121

Book reviews                                                                                                                                   123

                Nature in Town and Cities by David Goode

                Urban Peregrines by Ed Drewitt

                Tales from Concrete Jungles – Urban Birding around the World by David Lindo

                Bill Oddie Unplucked: Columns, Blogs and Musings

                Behind the Binoculars: Interviews with acclaimed birdwatchers

                Mammals of Essex by John Dobson & Darren Tansley

                Menageries in Britain 1100-2000 by Christine E. Jackson

                Where do Camels belong: The Story and Science of Invasive Species by Ken Thompson

                Field Guide to Invasive Plants and Animals in Britain by Olaf Booy, Max Wade & Helen Roy

 

 

 

 

 

Free Walks with the London Bird Club

London Bird Club Walks in 2016

The London Bird Club (LBC) is part of the London Natural History Society (LNHS). See www.lnhs.org.uk The LBC has a varied program of walks many of which are free and these are open to non members. People can join these walks by reaching the location at the stated meet up point using the good public transport infrastructure in London. For specially arranged coach trips there is a charge for the cost of transport.

I have over the years joined many of these walks and seen a lot and learnt a lot from walk leaders and others who join these walks. It’s a wonderful way to spend time on the week end and especially so if you are interested in wildlife. It’s also a terrific way to accelerate your learning and upping your skill levels if you are looking to pursue a career in field biology or conservation. As someone very keen on wildlife photography, I have found them useful to learn locations and how to find subjects for photography.

For ease of reference, I have copied below into my blog an extract of the walks run by the LBC. Visit the website for more details and also consider becoming a member. In addition a varied programme of events, members also receive three high quality publications, The London Naturalist its annual journal, the annual London Bird Report, a fact filled chunky tome published annually, and a quarterly slim Newsletter. Members get a lot for what is a relatively modest annual membership fee.

 

MARCH 2016

6 Sun. BIRDS. Hampstead Heath for ducks and woodland birds, including Nuthatch and Green Woodpecker. Possibly Kingfisher and early arriving spring migrants. Joint walk with Marylebone Birdwatching Society. Marion Hill & David Allen.  Meet 09.45 Belsize Park tube station (Northern) or 10.00 Hampstead Heath Overground Station. Long half-day. (Toilets.)

13 Sun.  BIRDS.  Beddington Farmlands for Green Sandpiper, Tree Sparrow and perhaps Water Pipit and Jack Snipe.  Derek Coleman.  Meet 09.30 Hackbridge Stn (NR Vic).  Stout footwear recommended.  AM only.  (No toilets.)

20 Sun. BIRDS. Brent Reservoir for wildfowl, late winter visitors (Bullfinch possible) and early summer migrants.  Andrew Peel. Meet 10.00 Cool Oak Lane Bridge (TQ219 877).  Nearest station, Hendon (NR St. Pancras.).  AM only.  (No toilets.)

26 Sat.  BIRDS.  Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens for wildfowl, gulls & possibly Tawny Owl.  Helen Baker.  Meet 09.30 at top of escalators, Marble Arch Stn (Cent).  AM only.  (Toilets).

 

APRIL 2016

9 Sat. BIRDS. Amwell NR for Buzzard, wildfowl and perhaps Marsh Tit. Pete Lambert. Meet 09.30 at St Margaret’s Stn (NR L’pool St). Bring lunch. (No toilets.)

16 Sat.  BIRDS. Fairlop Waters for spring migrants.  Alan Bell.  Meet 08.30 Fairlop Stn (Cent).  AM only.  (No toilets.)

24 Sun. BIRDS.  Crossness for early migrants and waders.  George Kalli.  10.00 Belvedere Stn. (NR Char X).  Bring lunch.  (No toilets.)

30 Sat. BIRDS. Stocker’s Lake for wildfowl, summer visitors and possibly Red Kite. Helen Baker. Meet 09.30 Rickmansworth Station (Metropolitan or NR Marylebone Station). Bring lunch. (Café and toilets at Bury Lake).

 

MAY 2016

7 Sat.  BIRDS. Dungeness for passage sea birds and migrants, with chance of rarities. Previous trips have produced Whiskered Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Great White Egret and White Stork. Neil Anderson. Meet 08.00 at Embankment U’grnd Stn. Bring lunch. £20 to leader (contact details page 15). Permit fee for non-RSPB members.

14 Sat.  BIRDS.  Wandsworth Common for spring migrants.  Peter White.  Meet 09.30 ticket office Wandsworth Common Stn (NR Vic).  AM only.  (Toilets).

21 Sat.  BIRDS.  Cheshunt Gravel Pits for warblers, Nightingale and Hobby.  Martin Shepherd.  Meet 09.30 Cheshunt Stn (NR Liverpool St).  Bring snack.  (Toilets.)

29 Sun. BIRDS. Greenwich Park for Nuthatch, Woodpeckers, Blackcap and fledglings. Joe Beale.  Meet 09.00 at Blackheath Gate entrance (TQ392768).  Nearest stn Blackheath (NR Charing Cross) and buses 53, 54, 202, 380. AM only.  (Toilets).

JUNE 2016

5 Sun. BIRDS. Totteridge/Darlands Lake for woodland birds & spring flowers.  Robin Blades.  Meet 10.00 Totteridge & Whetstone Stn (Northern).  Bring lunch.  (No toilets.)

25 Sat. BIRDS. Strumpshaw Fen for warblers, Bittern, Marsh Harrier,

Swallowtails and Norfolk Hawker, maybe Otter, Chinese Water Deer, Water Vole. Neil Anderson. Coach trip 08.00 from Embankment U’grnd Stn. Bring lunch. £20 to leader (contact details page 15).Fee for RSPB Reserve for non-RSPB members.

 

JULY 2016

30 Sat. BIRDS. Tooting Common for young Sparrowhawks.  Peter White.  Meet 09.30 south entrance Tooting Bec Stn (Northern).  AM only.  (Toilets).

 

AUGUST 2016

6 Sat.  BIRDS.  Lee Valley Country Park for breeding warblers, waders, Buzzard, butterflies & dragonflies.  Roy Woodward.  Meet 10.00 Cheshunt Stn (NR L’pool St).  Bring lunch.  (Toilets.)

14 Sun. BIRDS.  Greenwich Peninsula & Ecology Park for Common Terns, Kingfisher, Reed & Sedge Warblers, Whitethroat and Swift.  George Kalli.  Meet 09.30 North Greenwich Stn (Jubilee).  AM only. (Toilets at station and at the Ecology Park.)

21 Sun. BIRDS. Staines Reservoir and Staines Moor for wildfowl, grebes and waders.  Goosander and Water Pipit possible. Andrew Peel.  Meet 10.00 Hatton Cross Stn (Picc) then 203 bus to reservoir.  All day for both sites, finishing at Staines Stn. Bring lunch. (No toilets.)

27 Sat. BIRDS.  Rainham Marshes RSPB for waders, other passage birds and raptors.  Pete Lambert.  Meet 09.30 Reserve Car Park (TQ547788).  Nearest stn Purfleet (NR F’church St).  Bring lunch.  (Toilets.)

 
COACH TRIPS
For ease of reference I have repeated below details of the coach trips.
 

7 May 2016 Sat.  BIRDS. Dungeness for passage sea birds and migrants, with chance of rarities. Previous trips have produced Whiskered Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Great White Egret and White Stork. Neil Anderson. Meet 08.00 at Embankment U’grnd Stn. Bring lunch. £20 to leader (contact details page 15). Permit fee for non-RSPB members.

25 June 2016 Sat. BIRDS. Strumpshaw Fen for warblers, Bittern, Marsh Harrier,

Swallowtails and Norfolk Hawker, maybe Otter, Chinese Water Deer, Water Vole. Neil Anderson. Coach trip 08.00 from Embankment U’grnd Stn. Bring lunch. £20 to leader (contact details page 15).Fee for RSPB Reserve for non-RSPB members.

Images below of Brent Geese and Sanderling are from the London Bird Club Coach trip to Holkham NNR in Norfolk on Saturday 16 January 2016.

 

NOTES

Changes to the Programme

Changes are posted on the LNHS website (www.lnhs.org.uk). Changes are also posted (for members only) on its message board and in the newsletter.

Outdoor Meetings

These are field meetings or guided tours. Lunch and Tea should be brought on all whole-day meetings. You do not need to have a car - where the programme says 'cars needed' this is to remind drivers they will need to pick up people at the station or meeting point. At meetings involving cars, those receiving lifts are expected to contribute to the cost of petrol used.

For more information on our on-going surveys at Bookham Common and Hampstead Heath, and our Bookham Field Study Days, visit our Surveys page.

 

Taking Public Transport to Outdoor Meetings
Train times where given should be checked, as timetables change and engineering works take place on Saturdays and Sundays. There is also an extensive programme of engineering works taking place on the Underground at weekends at present.

'NR' in the programme refers to National Rail lines (as opposed to Underground/Docklands Light Railway lines).

For NR train times and information, phone 08457-484950, or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk, or www.thetrainline.com, or the websites of individual train companies. The latter are a useful source of information about current and planned engineering works.

For London bus, Underground, DLR and Tram information,  phone 020-7222 1234, or visit the TFL website.

Coach Trips

These go to well-known wildlife sites in the South and East of England. Bookings must be made in advance using the booking form that is mailed to members. It can also be downloaded from the LNHS website. Members can bring guests (at the same rate per person) so long as they are included on the booking form. The coach trip organiser is Neil Anderson TEL: (020) 8578 2464.

Members are asked not to travel to coach meetings independently, although in some cases the organiser may be prepared to allow this if application is made in advance.

Coaches normally leave from the road alongside the south entrance to Embankment Underground station. Occasionally they can pick up at a second point en route on the outskirts of London (check with organiser). Bear in mind that engineering work and weekend line closures are taking place on the Underground - please check in advance whether your route to Embankment station will be affected.

 

Sri Lanka Wildlife Publications (Articles, Books, Presentations, Media Briefs etc.

I am frequently contacted by wildlife film crew researchers, print media, business studies students, conservationists, birders, wildlife photographers, tourism professionals, etc. for pdfs of various published material I have authored.

To make access easy, I have loosely categorised these into a series of folders in Google Drive which can be accessed by anyone on-line by clicking on the links below. Each link will take you to a folder and you should be able to 'drag and drop' all the documents onto your computer. The links provide access to over 300 articles and dozens of pdfs and presentations.

People (or corporate entities) have my permission to upload these pdfs to their own websites. But please do not make any changes to the original pdfs when re-uploaded.

 



Publications
Many of these pdfs were first designed for print form and are now long out of print. Some of them have been instrumental in establishing Sri Lanka as a top destination for wildlife.

Presentations
These contain many tables and graphs which I have used in public lectures. Tables and graphs are often absent in the articles published in popular magazines and these pdfs will be of interest to the serious student. Bear in mind that the presentations are designed to accompany an oral presentation so the text is light.

Articles
These are a mix of article pdfs. There is one pdf which has the 330 plus articles I have published in a text only format. Not pretty, but good to search through for specific items.

Buying Books
 Click on the link above for Amazon UK where you can buy a series of photographic field guides as well as good overviews to Sri Lankan Wildlife such as 'Wild Sri Lanka' and 'Sri Lankan wildlife'.
 

British Birds launch Free, Monthly e-newsletter

I have copied below some news on a new initiative from a magazine I subscribe. British Birds (or BB to aficionados) is a publication that has something for everyone from technical articles on scientific work, cutting edge pieces on field identification to some easy to read but thoughtful and insightful opinion pieces and book reviews. I find the mix of hard science and popular pieces a very nice blend.


Free, monthly e-newsletter
Many birders with a focus on British or European Birds will already be  already be subscribers to British Birds or may have taken up trial offers. Whether or not, you may like to receive their free e-newsletter every month. This offers a flavour of what has been published recently and what is in the pipeline in areas such as book of the month, news and comment, the rarities section and special offers.

This is a new initiative from one of Britain’s leading birding publications. It covers the UK and Western Palearctic and has been the birdwatchers’ journal of record since 1907. It is read and recommended by many amateur and professional ornithologists, writers and photographers with Simon King stating that ‘British Birds is the gold standard of ornithological literature in the UK’.  

To receive the newsletters, just log on to www.britishbirds.co.uk and complete the sign up form at the bottom of the page. Give it a try.

Contents (British Birds November 2015) pdf

News and Comments (British Birds November 2014) pdf


 




 

A Photographic Field Guide to the Butterflies and Dragonflies of Sri Lanka

A Naturalist’s Guide to the Butterflies and Dragonflies of Sri Lanka

de Silva Wijeyeratne, Gehan. (2015). Naturalists' Guides: Butterflies and Dragonflies of Sri Lanka. John Beaufoy Publishing Ltd. 176 pages, Paperback, 13 x 1.5 x 18.1 cm.

 Increasingly the segmentation between birders, butterfly watchers, dragonfly watchers and photographers is reducing as interests overlap and there is a demand for books that cover the three popular groups of birds, butterflies and dragonflies. Having written and photographed the guide to the birds of Sri Lanka in the series, Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne has produced a single, compact and portable photographic guide to the butterflies and dragonflies of the country. The emphasis in the 226 species featured (148 butterflies and 78 dragonflies) is on the commoner species, covering around 90 per cent of the species that a visitor is likely to see. It is also an excellent book for residents to learn about the commoner butterflies and dragonflies before progressing to more advanced technical books.

The guide is focussed on field use to help beginners as well as more experienced users identify species and provides information on their distribution and habitats. As identification of butterflies and dragonflies require a different approach, the two sections are done as two mini photographic field guides with common introductory sections to wildlife watching in Sri Lanka. The book includes information on the key wildlife sites, general introductions to the biology of dragonflies and butterflies, up-to-date checklists with local status and useful references for people who wish to progress further with their study of these charismatic and photogenic animals.

Reviews

 ‘Perfect for carrying on field trips. Highly recommended’. Simi Kamboj

 

‘The different angles of the butterfly photographs makes it easier to identify them in the field.’ Viji Underwood

 

‘Using this book I was able to very quickly identify a number of butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies from photographs I took on my last visit to Sri Lanka - if I go again it's coming with me’. Marianne Taylor

‘As a professional naturalist who has worked in Sri Lanka, I believe Gehan’s photographic guides should be a backpack staple for anyone spending anytime in on the island. His authoritative and yet user-friendly tone accompanied by just the right amount of scientific information makes this book the ideal guide for both the beginner and field professional alike’. Georgina Gemmell
 

‘This excellent guide now allows people with a general interest in the natural world or with a more specialised interest in some other group of organisms (such as birds) to get to grips with the butterfly and dragonfly faunas of the island. ..... The selective coverage of species is a strength of the book. It makes the fauna of the island more manageable for the beginner and enables them to reach identifications quickly’. Gabriel Jamie

 

 

‘This book fills a pressing void in covering this vital subject, not just for Sri Lanka, but as a representative popular field guide that would typically be absent or highly unusual in a developing tropical country............... Here, De Silva W. has used field experience and the relatively obscure historical references to resurrect and inform the reader about the island’s Lepidopeterans and Odonata – there is a fair amount of updated taxonomic information on families and subfamilies.’ Rajith Dissanayaka

 

Bookshops

Amazon UK

Amazon USA

 

Sri Lanka
Available in leading books shops including Vijitha Yapa, ODEL and Barefoot.

About the Author

Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne is one of Sri Lanka's most high profile wildlife personalities. In the words of British TV Naturalist Bill Oddie, no single individual has done so much to brand a country for its wildlife. A graduate from the Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine in London, he has been passionate about Sri Lanka’s wildlife since the age of three when he went on his first leopard safari. He has authored and photographed over 330 articles for national and international newspapers and magazines on Sri Lankan biodiversity, travel and business topics. His many books include Wild Sri Lanka also published by John Beaufoy Publishing and Sri Lankan Wildlife (Bradt Publishers). He branded the Elephant Gathering and introduced the concepts of Leopard Safaris and Dragonfly Safaris in Sri Lanka. He also publicised Sri Lanka as Best for Blue Whale, as the best chance for seeing a super-pod of Sperm Whales on a whale watch and publicised Kalpitiya as a third whale-watching hot spot. His media campaign in 2008 for Best for Blue Whale was responsible for the rapid establishment and growth of whale watching in Sri Lanka.