Biological Recorders' Seminar 2020 - Sussex Biodiversity

As Storm Dennis started lashing the country with rain, I was heading towards Sussex Biodiversity's 2020 Biological Recorder's Seminar.

Fixing and Linking Our Wetlands

Last weekend, I had been exploring an old Uckfield Tithe map and noticed just how many ponds there were in the area back in the 1840s.  Coincidentally, my first conversation was with a representative of the Fixing and Linking Our Wetlands (FLOW) initiative. She had also been looking at old tithe maps to find out where ponds had been so they could restore them.  She has been receiving communications from landowners whose ponds have been restored saying that they are not experiencing flooding even though it has been an exceptionally wet year.

Highlights of wildlife recording in 2019

Many of the highlights are explained in Adastra 2019.

Tall Ramping Fumitory - Victoria Pleasure Grounds

A couple of items relevant to Uckfield and the local area are:

• In the Freshwater Fish report (page 29) a report about Dace in the Uck (not far from the bypass). They spawn in March/April and you might be lucky enough to see a silver flash as they jump over obstacles or try to catch a fly.
• In Amphibians and Reptiles (page 32) they thanked the Uckfield toad patrol "for their continued effort to protect toads crossing roads, to and from their breeding ponds.
• Vascular Plants (page 12) mentioned the new site for Tall Ramping Fumitory that I found during my survey of Victoria Pleasure Grounds, undertaken for the SBRS Village Green and Recreation Grounds project.

A couple that really struck a chord were:

• The comment this this year was Fungi Heaven - back in December I wrote about this in A wonderful year for fungi..
• The cuckoo split insect survey - I had a go at this when "cuckoo split" was visible on plants in the summer but want to do more this year.

Soil Biodiversity

This is a truly fascinating area,  I was aware of microrhizal fungi but there is so much more going on down there. Natural England had set up microscopes so we could see live millipedes, springtails and even a Tardigrade.

Ouse and Uck

At the first break, I stumbled on the stand for the Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust and bought some copies of their new book, "Ouse and Uck, sketch of a Sussex Catchment."

There was also a stand about the River Ouse Project comprising a poster (available from their reports page) with a wealth of information about Meadows.

Potters on the Heath

I very much enjoyed John Walters talk, illustrated with his wonderful photographs and drawings about potter wasps.

Notable Sussex Bees

James Power of Sussex Bees and Wasps Recording Group gave brief descriptions of 10 notable Sussex bees and wasps.

1. Macropis europaea - Yellow Loose-strife Bee
2. Ammophila pubescens - Heath sand wasp
3. Anthophora retusa - Potter Flower Bee - Seaford Head
4. Halictus eurygnathus - Downland Furrow bee - Lewes, Slindon
5. Andrena vaga - Gray-backed Mining Bee - Dungeoness, Rye Harbour
6. Cerceris quinquefasciata - The Five Banded Tailed Digger Wasp - High and Over
7. Nomada zonata - Variable Nomad Bee - becoming WIDESPREAD
8. Colletes cunicularius - Early Colletes - attracted to Willow
9. Bombus muscorum - Moss Carder Bee - flower rich grassland
10. Osmia bicolor - Red Tailed Mason Bee - downs, nests in abandoned snail shells

I haven't met any of these bees yet but I live in hope.

Botanical Recording in Sussex Churchyards

Girdled Mining Bee - Holy Cross - 27 April 2017

Helen gave a lovely talk on this, which featured one of my bee photos, taken in Uckfield's Holy Cross Churchyard. I wrote posts on my Early April, Late April, June and August 2018 surveys

One unexpected point was that, for finding unimproved grassland plants, Victorian churches were the best. Medieval ones were not so good.

National Bat Monitoring Programme

Philip Briggs outlined bat recording schemes and some of the results.

The Spiders of Sussex

Graham Lyons outlined highlights of 2019 intensive spider recording.

Back home

After all the talk of ponds and rivers, I decided to check our own pond. As I approached, there was a splash and a glimpse of a webbed foot. Our frogs have arrived and are spawning.

Biological Recorders' Seminar 2019 - Sussex Biodiversity

As the media fill with news of massive insect declines and the children's climate strike, I attended this year's biological recorders seminar.

Biological recording is simply noting down which plants and creatures that I see. Often I do this casually, while I go about my business and sometimes I take part in public project such as the New Year Flower Hunt.  The tool that I use most often is iRecord, which is available both as a website and an phone app. The latter is really easy to use because it figures out the location for you. Once they are in the system, they can be searched and used.

Some of my Uckfield iRecord results.

Before the seminars had even started, I found a great poster about Gill Valleys created by the University of Sussex River Ouse Project. Apparently there are some of these very near Uckfield but they are on private land, so it is difficult to get access to them.  Sussex Gills are steep-sided valleys in sandstone and mudstone areas. The habitat is usually undisturbed and has a rich variety of flora.

Frog in my Uckfield garden

It was with great pleasure that I found myself sitting next to "Agent Amphibian" who brings great style and imagination to the serious subject of amphibian conservation. A few years ago, in Brighton, I saw her TED talk on the subject. Later in the day, by the Sussex Amphibian and Reptile Group's stand, we and another had quite a chat about frogs and toads and when I mentioned that I was from Uckfield, talk turned to the Harland toads - it seems that they are famous! If you want to know more, visit the Harland's Pond Toad Rescue Facebook group.

30 Years of the Sussex Biological Recorders' Seminar

Tony Whitbread outlined some of the thrills and spills of the seminar over the 30 years in which it was running. We can't know what questions we will be asking in 20 years time, so we must collect data ready for when it is needed.

The Seals of Chichester Harbour

John Arnott gave a talk about the Common and Grey Seals of Chichester Harbour. The first record was in 1993 and their main haulout (rookery) is at Oar Rithe. The name Selsey comes from Seals-ey, which means isle of the seals.

Fungi of Lullington Heath

Martin Allison gave a great talk about Lullington Heath. It is unusual because it is chalk heathland, which has got both acid-loving healthland plants (heathers) and chalk-loving vegetation (Roundheaded Rampion). When grazing was stopped, this important habitat started being overtaken by scrub. Grazing has now been resumed. He explained that Waxcaps are often found on downland grassland.

Oily waxcap in Uckfield's Holy Cross Churchyard

Waxcaps are indicators of high quality, nutrient-poor grasslands, which are precious for various types of insects as well as fungi and plants. I found out, when doing a Churchyard survey, that these can preserve this type of habitat.

Some fungii such as Clouded Funnels make fairy rings. One lovely story is that shepherds would not allow their sheep to graze within fairy rings for fear that they would become enchanted.

Also, pony poo fungus was common in Victorian times but is rare now due to modern ponies being given treatments of various sorts. However, because conservation ponies are living in a more wild way, it is making a small comeback.

UK Seed Conservation at the Millennium Seed Bank

Stephanie Miles and Jenny Peach outlined projects at the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) at Wakehurst. MSB has now conserved 98% of UK species. As well as collecting the seeds, they use them for conservation, restoration and educational projects - for example Marsh Gentian seeds have been used at Chailey. One of their projects is preserving the Spiked Rampion flower, which is present at 8 sites in Sussex - it is found on roadside verges and in coppiced woodlands.

Bryophyte Recording in Sussex

Wall screw moss (Tortula muralis) - Uckfield High Street, Feb 2019

Brad Scott talked about Bryophyte (mosses, hornworts and liverworts) recording in Sussex. Bryophytes are important because they are pioneers - they get the vegetation going. Records go back to the 1600s. In 1840s, it was already being noted that some habitats were drying out. To my surprise, one of the slides listed me as a contributor to the records - I haven't recorded that many and only easy species such as the Wall Screw Moss (Tortula muralis) suggested by the Sussex Biodiversity species of the month page. 

Here at last! Otters in Sussex

Otter print (left) from Mammal Society tea towel.

The big 'aww' moment came when Fran Southgate showed photos and videos of otters, including youngsters, in Sussex.  Fran described the types of "field signs" (prints and poo) to look out for:

• prints show five toes and cannot (unlike mink's) be covered with a £2 coin
• poo has a fishy-jasmine smell and is crumbly with no curl at the end.

A couple of years back there was a lot of excitement when someone thought that they had seen an otter family on the Uck but cooler heads realised that they were mink.

The Sussex Local Wildlife Sites Initiative

At last year's seminar, Clare Blencowe, outlined the Sussex Local Wildlife Sites initiative. This year, Daniel Watkins  and Henri Brocklebank outlined how this has become a reality. Daniel is the Local Wild Sites officer and both collects evidence  and provides advice to landowners about managing these sites - 637 in Sussex. Henri emphasised the importance of a network for protecting these and other sites:

• When new planning policies threatened to leave these sites unprotected, a petition was organised, which succeeded in gaining protection for them
• For the public to be the Wildlife Trust's eyes and ears and passing on information about threats to these and other sites.

Collection and analysis of grasshopper and cricket records in Britain

Bjorn Beckmann and Ralph Hobbs talked about recording grasshoppers and crickets. Sussex has 26 of the 31 UK species:

• 8 (of 11 UK) grasshoppers
• 3 groundhoppers
• 12 bush crickets
• 3 (of 5 UK) crickets

Lesser Marsh Grasshopper - Uckfield Garden

Again, this appears to be an area where a little effort on recorders' part can make an impact because I only record grasshoppers and crickets casually but my name was mentioned as a contributor. 

Earthworms: the state of the nation and more

Emma Sherlock gave a very lively talk about Earthworms and the National Earthworm Recording Scheme. There are 29 UK species and their roles include:

• Edeniac - composter
• Epigeic - on the surface - e.g. the red ones you find under pots
• Endogeic - soil worms - pale
• Anecic - deep burrowing worms - up to 40cm

Takeaways

As I looked through the newspaper on the bus home with news of the children's strike, I found myself reflecting on Tony Whitbread's opening words about the power of uniting rebellious youth with cantankerous old gits! I am, of course, firmly in the latter category. He had pointed out that the apparently simple, pleasant act of recording wildlife provides evidence for action. Recording is a political act.

Over the next year, I intend to:

• Go on with my rather haphazard, semi-casual recording - as it is making a genuine contribution to some of the less recorded groups such as grasshoppers and mosses.
• See if I can get reports on the flora and fauna in the Uckfield area.
• Find out more about local wildlife sites in and around Uckfield.
• Do another playing field plant survey. I am tempted by Victoria Park although the size of it is rather daunting.
• Find a Gill Valley.

Biological Recorders' Seminar - Sussex Biodiversity

Biological Recording is noting, and sharing, information about the plants and creatures that we find. This knowledge enables wildlife organisations and others to map and help wildlife. Some recorders specialise in a particular group of species and others (like myself) record different types.  I started recording fairly seriously when I did the 2014 Garden Bioblitz and record most of my finds in iRecord.  On the 11th of February, I attended the 28th Biological Recorders' Seminar, which was organised by the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre.  There was a wealth of information, so I will just pick out a few items from the main talks.


Delegates gathering for the Chairman's Welcome.

Record Centre update

Claire Blencowe explained:

• some of the challenges in the balance between the desire for open data (as now required by Natural England) and being fair to the recorders who have entrusted county centres with their records
• the contribution of Peter Hodge who provided approximately 50,000 beetle records in 14 densely written note books
• that they have recently been surveying Local Wildlife Sites (Uckfield examples are West Park and Snatts Road Cemetery).

Saltmarsh Recreation

Barry Yates outlined how they restored salt marshes at Sussex Wildlife Trust's Rye Harbour nature reserve. They used a 1950s RAF photo as a guide to what they wished to achieve although they had to make some adjustments to fit in with modern developments.  Systematic recording shows how successful the scheme has been.

Developing an ID resource with support from a museum

Chloe Rose explained her contribution to creating a key to a particular type of wasp using the specimens kept at the Natural History Museum. She did this work as part of the Identification Trainers for the Future project, in which trainees produce a range of materials designed to help support naturalists in their own identification work. So far they have produced keys for grasses and orchids.

Weevils

Weevils are a type of beetle. Characteristics include:

• a rostrum (snout)
• elbowed antenna, which are clubbed at the end
• heart shaped feet.

Mark Guerney has provided guides at www.tinyurl/weevilguides and suggested that Twitter users follow @WeevilRS.


Look out behind you!

Forest Row Natural History Group

Tom Forward and Brad Scott said that the group:

• grew out of a meeting in a pub
• has monthly 'meetings', which are usually walks around the village area
• has regular talks
• gets involved with events such as national fungus day
• record flora and fauna in a 1km square, which embraces the community farm
• keep in touch through a Facebook page and their Nature's book website.

I have encountered this friendly group online through the New Year's Plant Hunt and it was great to put faces to names.

Slugs, why bother?

Before the event, Chris de Feu had asked us to bring in any slugs that we found so he could identify them. So the day had started with a trail of people dutifully dropping off plastic containers with their slimy little finds and watching with fascination while Chris examined and identified them.


Iberian Three band Slug

He said that if you wish to ID a slug from a photo, you should photograph from the following angles:

• underneath - maybe using a Perspex sheet
• right-hand side - so you can see the breathing pore
• above - to see the overall shape.

... and to answer the original question - very few people record slugs so we know very little about their distribution and how it is changing. Chris also found that people were very motivated by being able to put a new dot on the map, which is easier for an unpopular group.  On the day of the seminar, Chris examined 119 slugs brought in by the public and had identified 17 of the 28 species found in Sussex.

The Sussex Butterfly Atlas

Michael Blencowe gave a highly entertaining talk about the creation of a new Sussex Butterfly Atlas. The first person to note a proper record (with an exact date) was William Markwick, who recorded a Swallowtail in Catsfield on the 22nd of May 1770. 

Small Tortiseshell - the regular resident, with black legs.

Some points from survey:

• Meadow Browns, which have featured strongly in my own Big Butterfly Counts, were found in every single map square throughout Sussex.
• The spectacular Purple Emperor, which eluded many experienced recorders, was found in a cat litter tray - it likes poo
• The addition of Continental Swallowtails, Longtailed Blues and Scarce (Yellow Legged)Tortiseshells to the Sussex lists
• The loss of the Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries from Sussex. Numbers of these butterflies spiked a few years ago but seem to have been wiped out by mild winters and wet Junes.

Scuttle, Spring, Slither and Slide

Paul Stevens emphasised highlighted that many familiar species such as the Common Frog are very badly under recorded and asked us all to record them. This can be important because, for example, it can highlight where amphibians have to cross roads to get to their breeding pond.

Frogs are beginning to emerge and need to be recorded.

BN5 Owl Project

David Plummer gave an excellent account of the BN5 Owl Project accompanied by his own spectacular photos. There was a wealth of detail. systematically collected over years, but the thing that really got my attention was the high density of Tawny Owls near the village itself. David suggested that they might be using the gardens and the corridor provided by the disused railway line. His tip for those using recordings to elicit owl calls was to use the recording then wait at least five minutes for a response as the presence of a human is likely to delay their reaction to the invader.

Summing up

My takeaways from the day were:

• The Sussex Biodiversity team have recently been surveying Local Wildlife Sites including those in the Uckfield area.
• It is important to record apparently common and/or insignificant creatures such as frogs and beetles. This knowledge will help wildlife organisations track changes in population and spot a decline or invasion.
• I can get help with identification from more places than I thought. In a future post, I will curate some online sources.
• Much of the best work is being done by amateurs. They are only amateur in the sense that they are not being paid for the work they have put in and the expertise that they have developed.

Robin in Hempstead Meadows Nature Reserve - 28 Jan 2017

Thinking about my own recording, it has been helping me enjoy nature more deeply:

• Because recording requires me to identify plants and creatures to a species level, I have learnt much more about identification.
• Now that I've built up a couple of years' worth of records in iRecord, it is easy to go back to an observation rather than scrabbling through old photos and journals.
• Using social media while taking part in recording events such as the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch has put me in contact other people who are interested in local wildlife.
• Being caught in the act of photographing a insect or peering through binoculars has led to local people telling me about their own wildlife encounters.