|
Aims
The Conservation and Wildlife Group has achieved much over the last two years.
- Working to recognise, publicise and protect key areas of biodiversity importance
- Mapping and recording species and habitats
- Developing environmental policies
- Physical conservation works to manage habitats
- Public events and publicity, including an award-winning community wildlife project supported by the Millennium You and Your Community fund.
The scale of the work involved in realising the opportunities at Moelyci, however, means that a new structure is needed to focus effort and resources in the conservation sphere. The Moelyci Environmental Management Project is proposed as a step forward in that direction.
EMP is a new managed project set up to develop and continue the work carried out by the Conservation & Wildlife Group. The broad aims of the project are:-
- education and training in conservation and land management areas
- establishing and maintaining land management planning, biological database etc.
- conservation-based activities, opportunities and environmental projects for local people and communities
- a sustainable training and consultancy enterprise which will support both conservation works and the wider Moelyci.
Summer successes
Conservation report 2008
During the summer we improved access to the land which runs along the streamside through the old oakwood. This project, funded by the Countryside Council for Wales, has involved putting in oak gates, fencing, bridges, and bat and bird boxes. Most of the work was carried out by volunteers on regular Wednesday workdays, which are now getting through a lot of winter work.
Improved access has allowed us to control bracken and Himalayan balsam, using the 2 wheel cutting machine funded by Natur Gwynedd and nPower Renewables.
Grazing on the Mountain, Parc, and ffridd have continued to maintain the heathland and grassland in good condition with a breathtaking diversity of plant and animal species thriving. We are now using Dexter cattle (a small and hardy breed from western Ireland), Welsh mountain ponies and Welsh mountain sheep.
Birds had a generally poor breeding season, due to the weather; exceptions were red grouse and green woodpecker, both of which did well. Amongst the butterflies, small pearl-bordered fritillary also coped with the rain. Work on grassland fungi has continued, with another important field identified this year.
Personally it has been an encouraging start to my role in developing conservation courses, which have taken off this year – members and visitors alike using the natural resources of the farm to learn about wildlife, conservation, ecology and land management.
John Harold
conservation@moelyci.org
Conservation Courses
Habitat management for farmland birds
5-6th November
This course looks at how land-managers can implement simple and practical measures to improve habitat conditions for a wide range of birds, including declining BAP and Red-listed species such as linnet, yellowhammer, and reed bunting. £90
Coppicing and Hedgelaying.
5th – 6th December
An introduction to these 2 traditional woodland management techniques, useful products and their use in conservation management. £90
Phase 1 Habitat Survey
12th -13th November
3rd - 4th December
A 2 day introduction to the methodology and practice of undertaking Phase 1 habitat surveys. A very popular course – book early to avoid disappointment. £90
Other summer news
Wildlife events were high profile this year and three of them were included in the road show which saw the launch of 'Natur Gwynedd' the Gwynedd Local Biodiversity Action Plan. These events were well attended and enjoyed. The launch of 'Natur Gwynedd' after 5 years of development promises to bring some important new initiatives to protect and enhance biodiversity in our area and to give more people a chance to be involved with wildlife. Well done the Gwynedd Biodiversity team Aisling, Nerys, and Rhys.
Moelyci was also represented at the official launch of 'Natur Gwynedd' in September, at which Iolo Williams was the guest speaker. Rather imaginatively, a number of the talks were given on a boat in the middle of Llyn Padarn. Unfortunately the rain was so heavy that the noise it made almost drowned out (and indeed almost drowned) some of the speakers. The enduring image is of Iolo taking a fine pair of Arctic charr away for his tea; I'm not sure how that will help conserve them though! Several people were heard muttering about what would have happened to the local environment if the boat had gone down with so many local conservation 'leaders' on board; the less charitable ones seemed to think it wouldn't be noticed!
Autumn events include a fungus foray and two bird watching events.
Much work has gone into bramble and bracken cutting over the summer. There is always lots of habitat management work to do. It's relaxed, it's good exercise, it's in a wonderful place, and it's an excellent opportunity to learn about wildlife and conservation. If you want to get involved, come along to Conservation Workdays on the first and third Wednesday each month, from 10am til 3pm. Meet in the farmyard.
Other wildlife and conservation news
Regeneration of the heath vegetation after the fires on the mountain has been mostly very good. Bilberry and western gorse are coming back strongly from the roots, while ling and bell heather have sprung from the seedbank quite well in many areas. Numbers of meadow pipits and skylarks are near normal, stonechats are down, perhaps seriously. Red grouse are still hanging on, though the lack of dense cover may yet finish them off when the local birds of prey have young to feed. Some of our rarer birds have returned, but it is too early to tell whether they will breed this year. This years bilberry crop was fantastic!
It is good to see the fencing up and grazing back on the lower meadow ant fields. No doubt our resident Green Woodpecker(Woodpeckers?) will be watching with interest meadow ants are their most important single food.
A work party earlier in the year repaired the damage to the marsh with the seasonal stream; the various dams seem to be keeping the (very scarce) water where it is needed in the marsh!
Last year's scrub bashing around the bottom marsh seems to have been popular with the birds! snipe, woodcock and water rail used it through the winter and early spring. A heron has been helping itself to frogs, newts and other beasties, and a tantalising 'small crake' eluded the elite of birdwatchers who came to try to identify it!
This marshy area and associated habitats are proving to support an impressive diversity of wildlife. Recent finds include the Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly, a species of Hydra (a freshwater type of sea anemone), and the gorse beetle Phloeophthorus rhododactylus, for which this is the only known site in the whole of Gwynedd.
The cultivation of the veg fields last year, and the subsequent profusion of arable 'weeds' greatly benefited our farmland birds over the winter and early spring. Finches and buntings in particular have made full use of this 'harvest' of seeds and insects; the linnet flock peaked at over 150 birds, with good numbers of chaffinch and greenfinch, regular yellowhammer and occasional reed bunting, redpoll and skylark. Through this summer there have been up to 25 linnets still feeding here. Linnet is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan Species, largely because of the severe recent declines in population. These declines are linked in part to the demise of mixed farming, and to the increase in 'tidy' farming which eliminates weedy, seedy corners and margins.
This year a lot of work has gone into cutting bracken and brambles in the butterfly orchid fields, in preparation for a resumption in grazing.
Barn Owls have been seen regularly throughout the year, no doubt drawn in by the explosion in numbers of short-tailed field voles in the rank grass.
Other recent sightings include;-
A female Emperor moth sitting in the grass in the top orchid fields, with a whitethroat singing nearby.
A good clump of primroses in the upper fields - does anyone know where there are more on the farm?
Green Woodpecker, redstart, willow warbler, chiffchaff, blackcap, goldcrest, nuthatch, and swallow, all in the lower fields.
In the farmhouse garden itself a lovely variety of 'old-fashioned' flowers! woodruff, Solomon's seal, dame's violet, lungwort, the flore plena variety of cuckooflower (lady's smock), bluebells, primroses and polyanthus. Mixed in with these are an interesting range of 'weeds' including figwort, red campion, and a very interesting looking mullein.
Work has begun on compiling a biological database for Moelyci, a huge job but one which will provide us with the basis for sound management and a measure of our success as stewards of the Moelyci land. About a thousand records have been processed so far, just a fraction of the existing body of data on our fauna and flora. Just the tip of the iceberg really.
Interested in developing or learning new skills in the conservation field. From practical habitat management for wildlife, to identification of birds, plants, butterflies etc. Let me know and we'll see what we can do! Moelyci could develop a useful training service for local people, amateur and professional ecologists/conservationists.
|
