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Damage to key refugia: |
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Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575  View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 29 Mar 2003 Dave and myself (and others) have expressed concern in recent times re the excessive level of 'management' on some important sites. A photo is worth a 1000 words as they say - but my scanner is bust. Gemma - I am going to send you some photos of recent management that has severly damaged key sites on SSSIs and NNRs. One such site is edited by administrator situated at Hartland Moor NNR and managed by Nat Trust under EN guidance. Walked around this morning - 22 sand lizard lying around with very little cover - good news for crows and buzzards. Also five adder, one large female outside a rabbit hole with just bracken stubble for cover. More when get photos.
Tony |
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Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575 View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 12 Apr 2003 Have just returned from my study site in the Mendips. This is my twelvth year on this site and the heather has depleted by about 40% during that time. It is a cracking adder spot, also grass snakes. But it is also popular with walkers, mountain bikers, and horseriders. There is also a problem with pine shading. Today there were two mating pairs but also three males unmoulted. One of the females is one of my original records from twelve years ago, she looked fine. The male was also a known snake from five years ago. The other female of the mating pair was very small, first time breeder, and there was a similar size female nearby. Also spotted another recapture from eight years ago, a non-breeding female. In my estimation this site will be gone in ten years. Somerset ARG know of this site but I will urge them on and see if something can be done. It really needs fencing off, (the public would be up in arms about that no doubt.) a few pines removed, and others brashed.
Tony Phelps |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090  View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 16 Apr 2003 Tony's Photographs:
I have to say, my first reaction to seeing them, appalled Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575 View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 16 Apr 2003 Paranoid & Pessimistic The school holidays are here and we have had a good start to the heath fire season, including 20 acres of HCT site. HCT staff made a vitriolic attack on East Dorset Council re lack of management re firebreaks which wwer supposed to have been agreed and done some time ago. Coming down the M3 M27 made it quite clear that the hordes are on their way. I pray for rain, but I think it will be 1976 all over again (and Southampton have a chance at the cup), is this De ja vu? If any of you are down this way this weekend keep a good eye out, idiots with stoves, having barbies on the side of the road, yes it does happen. But especially kids around urban heathland. We should now be geared up to tackle suspects, but just ring 999, fire first cops 2nd.
Tony |
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Mike Senior Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 74  View other posts by Mike |
Posted: 17 Apr 2003 If that was "management" done by "Nat Trust under EN guidance" what hope have we, words escape me. We too are well into the fire season, the park has had a few over the last few weeks and the Army ranges / heathland not to far away were well alight last night. We used to have 5 fire stations now it's 1, as for police forget it. "Paranoid & Pessimistic", add depressed and saddened. Mike Brickfields Park FREE 25th Anniversary Funday, 4th July 2010. Wildlife, Farm Animals, games, quizzes, refreshments and more. Fun for all. See - http://www.brickfieldspark.org/dates.htm |
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Mervyn Admin Group Joined: 14 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 41 View other posts by Mervyn |
Posted: 18 Apr 2003 According to Anglia News this morning (Friday April 18th) 5 acres of trees was lost to fire yesterday in Thetford Forest. Rain forecast for Saturday and Monday in Eastern England
Mervyn J. COTTENDEN, CPA |
- Damage to key refugia |
