Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2016 i BBC Wildlife Magazine

Most of us make an effort to welcome wildlife into our environment, whether it involves putting up nestboxes, planting pollinators’ favourite trees and flowers, creating ponds and log piles, or hanging up birdfeeders. But how on Earth do you prepare for the return of a bird that has not bred in this country for more than 300 years? That’s the ambitious plan of ecologist Derek Gow, to provide suitable habitat for white storks which, until medieval times, were familiar birds in Britain. You can read about the rationale and the practicalities on page 38. It’s clearly not going to happen overnight, but it will be fascinating to see whether we do end up with white storks nesting along our commuter routes like they have in many European countries. And if…

POPLAR HAWKMOTH NIGHT HAWKS Uncannily resembling a dead leaf, this large moth rests in an unusual position, with the forewings held behind the hindwings. If the poplar hawkmoth is disturbed, it will flash two rusty-red patches on the latter. Common throughout most of the UK and strongly attracted to light, the species often turns up in moth traps and is the main focus of this year's Moth Night. GET INVOLVED Take part in Moth Night events across the country on 9–11 June. For details visit www.mothnight.info RAGGED ROBIN PRETTY IN PINK Widespread, though nowhere particularly common, ragged robin blooms from May to August and is a joy to find. Search wet meadows, marshes and damp woodland rides for the frayed pink petals that give this delicate perennial its name. The…

The relationship between flowers and bees is – mostly – one of mutual trust. Plants rely on bees for pollination, while bees depend on nectar for food. To avoid wasting the bees’ time, flowers emit weak electrical signals that change from negative to positive after a pollinator visits – equivalent to a ‘sold out’ sign.…

Biologists in the USA have found evidence of a mutually beneficial alliance between a woodpecker and a fungus. Research led by Michelle Jusino of the US Forest Service has shown that red-cockaded woodpeckers transport a wood-feeding fungus between tree cavities. The scientists suspect that the fungus returns the favour by softening the wood for easy excavation. Red-cockaded woodpeckers are unusual in that they make their nestholes in living heartwood, which is far harder to excavate than the dead wood preferred by most species. A nest cavity can take months to complete, raising the possibility that fungal infection can speed up the process. The relationship might yet turn out to be just one of many ecological interactions centred on woodpecker holes. Jusino said: “On the rare occasions that I have seen…

THE RED QUEEN HYPOTHESIS Named after the character in Alice Through the Looking-Glass, who kept on running just to stay in the same place, the Red Queen Hypothesis is an idea used to explain evolutionary arms races, such as those between predators and prey. Cheetahs, for example, are no better o now than their slower ancestors would have been, because gazelles have also evolved greater fleetness of foot. Neither species has won the arms race – it’s neck and neck. A juvenile cheetah chases down a young impala.…

BEARCAT SOLUTION Research just published in Naturwissenschaften reveals why binturongs, or bearcats – carnivores from South-East Asia – smell of popcorn. Binturongs urinate over their feet and tail, using their damp fur to mark their territories, and their urine contains the same molecule that gives popcorn its odour. WORM DISCOVERED A new species of bone-eating worm has been found, according to PLoS ONE. Like other members of the genus Osedax – also known as zombie worms – the unnamed species burrows into the bones of dead whales. It is the first to be discovered in the shallow Mediterranean. EARLY ECHOLOCATION The first toothed whales used echolocation like modern dolphins, according to Biology Letters. Analysis of 26-million-year-old fossils shows that the first whales possessed ears tuned to the high frequencies required…

• If you want to find sea otters yourself, California’s top locations are Monterey Bay – especially near Monterey Bay Aquarium, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and Moss Landing Harbor – and Point Lobos State Marine Reserve in Carmel. Further north, in Washington state, you will also find sea otters in Olympic National Park, though views can be distant. • Wildlife tour companies o ering sea otter watching in Monterey Bay include Naturetrek (01962 733051, ) and Speyside Wildlife (01479 812498, www.speysidewildlife.co.uk) as well as numerous local operators. • In Canada and Alaska, sea otters are often best seen from the water. Companies o ering cruises include Reef & Rainforest (01803 866965, http://reefandrainforest.co.uk) and Wildlife Worldwide (01962 302086, www.wildlifeworldwide.com). Or take a kayak tour like those run by Kingfisher…

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON Believed to have disappeared in the 16th or 17th century, the night heron would be an intriguing addition to British fauna because it is a wetland bird that hunts at night thanks to its remarkable vision. It is an occasional visitor, with about 10 sightings every year. DALMATIAN PELICAN A 3.5m wingspan makes the dalmatian pelican one of the world’s largest flying birds, and it is regarded as Vulnerable by the IUCN. The species was found in the UK until the Middle Ages, but disappeared because of habitat loss and human disturbance. The Somerset Levels is one possible site. EURASIAN EAGLE OWL This species is a controversial candidate for reintroduction, because the most recent evidence for a native individual is as much as 10,000 years old. Escaped…

SIBERIAN CHIPMUNK Originally native to forests in Northern Asia, this small, striped squirrel is popular as a pet. During the 1970s escapees established wild populations in Western Europe, especially in Belgium and around Paris, which now threaten ground-nesting birds. RACCOON DOG This bandit-masked member of the dog family is from East Asia, but when the USSR introduced it to the wild to help support the fur trade it soon spread. Now found in much of North and East Europe, it is considered one of the continent’s most troublesome invasive mammals. COYPU Native to South America, the coypu, or nutria, is a semi-aquatic rodent. It spread from Eastern Europe to France after escaping from fur farms, and is considered a pest as it burrows into banks. A population in East Anglia…

“WE CARE AS EQUALLY ABOUT BADGERS AS WE DO ABOUT DAIRY COWS.” LEOPARDS’ LOSSES Leopards have lost 75 per cent of their historical range, according to scientists from ZSL, the IUCN and Panthera. The most widespread of all of the big cats, leopards occupy 8.5 million km2 in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, drastically down on the 35 million km2 they once inhabited. RAVEN CALLS A petition supported by 3,000 people is calling on Scottish Natural Heritage to allow the culling of ravens because of their impact on pregnant ewes and lambs. But a counter-petition had received the backing of 30,000 people as BBC Wildlife went to press. New RSPCA chief executive Jeremy Cooper promises a less adversarial approach to issues such as badger culling and fox hunting.…

As a child, I generated my own interest in nature, watching wildlife in the garden and feeding the birds. But at some point I realised that just watching nature wasn’t enough. a satellite tag for a hen harrier chick this year. Winning the award has helped raise awareness about the issues I’m concerned with. I’ve had lots of other young people asking me how I’ve done what I’ve done. Surveying birds is good because you can give your data to national organisations that help protect them, but I also want to raise awareness about species in decline. One of the best things has been making the model of Harry the Hen Harrier (pictured). Originally I did it to raise awareness in my area, but now it’s been all over the…

The Gola Rainforest is the largest swath of rainforest left in Sierra Leone. The RSPB became involved in Gola 25 years ago, after conducting a biodiversity survey that highlighted the area’s exceptional importance for wildlife – 330 bird species have been recorded here, 14 of which are at risk of extinction – and the threats the forest faced. A partnership agreement was reached between Sierra Leone’s Forestry Division, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone and the RSPB to manage the area for conservation. As a result the Gola Rainforest was declared a national park in 2011. Previously, the forest was exploited for timber extraction. Tropical rainforests such as this absorb vast quantities of carbon dioxide, helping to mitigate the e ects of climate change. So by eliminating logging, the Gola…

OUR EXPERTS STUART BLACKMAN is a science writer who is mildly obsessed with evolution. JULES HOWARD is a zoologist and author, and a patron of the charity Froglife. GRAHAM APPLETON is an expert on waders who formerly worked for the BTO. RICHARD JONES is a writer and entomologist with a fondness for dung beetles. PHIL GATES is a naturalist who has been writing for BBC Wildlife Magazine since 1987. BEN GARROD is an evolutionary biologist who specialises in both primates and skeletons. BIOLOGY Q Why do animals produce so many sperm and so few eggs? A One reason is that a sperm is vastly smaller than an egg, so males can afford to produce many more. But they don’t do it just because they can. Small, mobile sperm are good…

1 ARCTIC FOX Vindel ällen Nature Reserve Though the Arctic fox is at the southern edge of its range in Sweden, you still have a good chance of seeing this handsome, iconic polar mammal in this 562,800ha ‘Lapland’ reserve. 2 BROWN BEAR Bollnäs, Hälsingland Watching brown bears from rustic hides in which you spend the night has become a very popular activity in Sweden in recent years. The hides are usually well-adapted for photography. Go during the long summer nights in June or July to increase your chances of a daylight sighting. 3 WHITE-TAILED EAGLE St Anna & Gryt Archipelagos With an estimated 350 pairs and another 900 non-breeding birds, white-tailed eagles can be spotted in many parts of Sweden. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can explore the archipelagos by…

LOUISA PRESTON Astrobiologist and author Louisa has written this month’s Essay: “The key to discovering life on Mars is for us to become intimately familiar with the incredible diversity of life on Earth.” See p30 DAVID LINDO The ‘Urban Birder’ is the man behind the campaign to vote for Britain’s National Bird. He says, “It’s not just birds that interest me. Genets have entered my life and I’ve studied them from a ringside seat.” See p46 ZION LIGHTS Zion is the author of The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting. She says, “Who doesn’t love the idea that eating the right kind of chocolate can help to save the elusive pygmy hippo?” See p64…

Water scorpion NEPA CINEREA Leaf-shaped body, 30–35mm long. ‘Stinger’ is actually a breathing siphon. Grabs prey with pincer-like front legs. Dragonfly nymph VARIOUS SPECIES Thickset body, 40mm long. Uses extensible jaws tipped with sharp pincers to impale its prey. Damselfly nymph VARIOUS SPECIES Slimmer than dragonfly larvae and usually shorter (approximately 20mm). Hunts like dragonfly nymph.…

Large grubs found in soil under lawns and flower beds are usually cockchafers, while those in compost heaps are typically rose chafers. Stag beetles (an adult Lucanus cervus is shown) are the only ones found in buried rotting timber. Their dependence on this resource is part of the reason for their scarcity. So leave stumps in your garden to rot, and if you don’t have such a feature, why not add one by half-burying an untreated log? Don’t forget to report sightings to the Great Stag Hunt (http://bit.ly/1WV8jek).…

Grey wolves are pack animals, while striped hyenas are solitary hunters. But when needs must, these two top predators combine forces, according to new research. Eyebrows were first raised when hyena tracks were found among those of grey wolves in Israel’s Negev Desert, and suspicions were confirmed when a hyena was spotted travelling with a pack of wolves nearby. Of course, it might be a case of aberrant behaviour by a single hyena, though that raises the question of why the wolves tolerate its presence. Rather, the biologists suspect that both parties profit in the harsh desert conditions. “The hyenas could benefit from the wolves’ superior ability to hunt large, agile prey” they write. “The wolves could benefit from the hyenas’ superior sense of smell and their ability to break…

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First a bowhead whale was spotted o the Isles of Scilly in February 2015, then belugas were seen o Northern Ireland and Northumberland later the same year. Now another Arctic whale has turned up surprisingly close to home – a 2.9m male narwhal was found dead on the banks of the River Scheldt in Belgium. And in mid-May, there was also a sighting of a bowhead whale o the Cornish coast. Dr Peter Evans of the Sea Watch Foundation said that the narwhal was the first recorded in Western Europe in 70 years: “The fragmentation of floating ice may have resulted in whales typically associated with pack-ice straying further south”…

“BABY TURTLES SWIM LIKE CRAZY FOR UP TO 48 HOURS TO GET AWAY FROM PREDATORS” FACT FILE LOGGERHEAD TURTLE CARETTA CARETTA HABITAT Sargassum in the open ocean when young, then coastal waters as it gets older DIET Varied to begin with, then crustaceans such as crabs and molluscs as the turtle matures THREATS Fisheries (bycatch), degradation of inshore feeding zones and loss of nesting sites IUCN RED LIST STATUS VULNERABLE Tens of thousands of green and loggerhead turtles nest on the Florida coast, and about one in four use the 20km stretch of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge that is monitored by the Marine Turtle Research Group. After hatching, the turtles swim like crazy for up to 48 hours. This gets them offshore and away from predators and…

$1,000 in 1980 VALUE OF A SINGLE, PRIVATELY OWNED WHITE RHINO $29,783 in 2011 VALUE OF A WHITE RHINO $62,049 in 2015 VALUE OF A SINGLE TROPHY-HUNTED RHINO IN SOUTH AFRICA 5 kg   AVERAGE WEIGHT OF A SINGLE RHINO HORN $36.5K per property ANNUAL COST OF PROTECTING RHINOS FROM POACHERS ON PRIVATE LAND 6,300 NUMBER OF WHITE RHINOS IN PRIVATE RANCHES COST OF SEDATING A RHINO AND CUTTING OFF ITS HORN $20 ESTIMATED WHOLESALE VALUE RHINO HORN PER KG $30K $100K ESTIMATED RETAIL VALUE OF RHINO HORN MADE INTO A BANGLE OR BRACELET…

How hard is it to identify ‘character’ traits in a species? Worryingly easy! For example the housefly is all about being whizzy and cocky and doing little poos. Which was your favourite species to write? The edible dormouse. Most people won’t know about it, so there was a lot of explaining to get in. But the idea that he’s an angry Russian in exile came to me straightaway. And the most challenging? The peacock butterfly, as it doesn’t have the usual laughs. Insects tend to have short, lonely lives; in my monologues they usually work at keeping their spirits up. But this individual is too honest for that, trying to accept she’s about to die. What natural-history fact most surprised you? That the deathwatch beetle lives for up to 12…

Catalogue d’Oiseaux RADIO BBC Radio 3 Sunday 19 June, 4.30am – 12.00am If you like a bit of music to your ears, don’t miss the performances of Olivier Messiaen’s birdsong-inspired piano piece Catalogue d’Oiseaux, which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 from the Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk. The opus will be divided into four concerts across the day, each of which will be accompanied by the real-life sounds of the birds of the Suffolk coast. The first performance takes place at 4.30am to coincide with the pre-dawn chorus over the reedbeds at Snape Maltings. And at 5pm music journalist Tom Service explores how birdsong is used in music.…

Midsummer is just around the corner and our gardens and countryside are bursting with new life. Fledglings call from the trees, fox cubs are growing bolder by the day and baby rabbits (kits) are discovering the world outside their burrows. Rabbits are prolific breeders and produce numerous litters throughout the summer, but June is the best time to find and photograph them. Coastal dunes and field edges are likely spots, but they can turn up even in the middle of the city. Look for droppings and areas of grass that have been cropped short by their constant nibbling. Sam Hobson Wildlife photographer HEADS UP Rabbits don’t venture far from the burrow, so once you have found a warren, lie in wait and you are likely to see kits popping…

“THE CRIES OF PEREGRINES ARE NOW A SPINE-TINGLING PART OF BRITAIN’S CITY SOUNDSCAPES” Who would have thought, even 30 years ago, that it might be possible to sip a latte outside a café in Manchester while watching the fastest bird on Earth streak overhead? Yet such sightings have become an everyday occurrence not just in this northern metropolis but in many cities and large towns across lowland Britain. As the remarkable growth in numbers of urban peregrines continues, these falcons now breed on the majority of the country’s cathedrals, as well as on tall churches, o ce buildings, hospitals and even football stadiums. From February until late summer, when the juveniles disperse, urban peregrines provide some of the most exciting and accessible birdwatching in the UK. Many well-known pairs have…

“WITHIN HOURS OF OPENING, THE GILLS TURN TO GOO, FOLLOWED BY THE ENTIRE CAP” 17 SHAGGY INK CAP “Their mass rotted off them flake by flake/Til the thick stalk stuck like a murderer’s take,/ Where rags of loose flesh yet tremble on high/Infecting the winds that wander by.” This occasionally omitted verse from Percy Shelley’s The Sensitive Plant describes the liquefying self-digestion or ‘deliquescence’ of the shaggy ink cap. The distinctive hairy fruiting bodies of this common fungus sprout from June onwards, with such vigour that in addition to gracing lawns and meadows, they may force their way through the tarmac of car parks and roadsides. But this brawny robustness is short-lived. Within hours of opening, the gills turn to inky goo, followed by the entire cap. This self-souping is…

WHERE Morston Quay, Norfolk, NR25 7BH NT RANGER George Baldock WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT June is a great time to visit this National Trust reserve because the breeding season is in full swing and the saltmarsh is alive with colour and noise. WHAT YOU CAN SEE Blakeney Point is home to one of the largest sandwich tern colonies in the country. You can see these magnificent birds and their young at the end of the Point. Please note that dog restrictions are in place where the birds are nesting. TOP WILDLIFE SPOT By following the coastal path, you can get that little bit closer to redshanks, little egrets and maybe even a feeding spoonbill at Stiffkey Saltmarshes. JOIN ITS EVENT Meet a ranger on 25 June to find out how…

Paul Goldstein Tour guide and photographer Paul regularly goes the extra 26 miles for the tigers he loves. A little while ago Sir Ranulph Fiennes had a pop at me. I was flattered, because he is a hero of mine and I welcome criticism from people of his calibre. His point was that though I “have a lot to say about conservation”, I also ought to be raising some serious money for the causes I champion. A good point and I’m on the case Sir R, and I have an excellent mentor. If I’m honest, I cringe a bit when asked to conduct charity auctions. An auctioneer’s trade is a respected and skilful one, and trying to extort money from semi-sozzled guests at a charity dinner can be a luckless…

THERMOPHILE Pyrolobus fumarii is a single-celled microbe that survives in temperatures of up to 113°C around black smoker hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. PSYCHROPHILE The larva of the red flat bark beetle (an adult is shown) can survive at –150°C. It produces special proteins to stop its internal waters from freezing. HALOPHILE Halophilic micro-organisms can be found all over the world in salt crystals in salt mines, as well as natural lakes and ponds and saltmarshes. BAROPHILE Colwellia sp. MT41 is a psychropiezophilic (cold- and pressure-loving) bacterium found within deep-sea crustaceans living at 1,016 atm and 8°C. ACIDOPHILE The single-celled red alga Cyanidium caldarium has been discovered in nature surviving in sulphuric acid around hot springs and within moist acidic soils. ALKALIPHILE Natronomonas pharaonis is an archaeon found in…

The most famous nesting attempt was made by a pair of white storks on the roof of St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh in 1416. The Saxon name for the village of Storrington, near Worthing in West Sussex, was ‘Estorchestone’ which translates in Old English – ‘Storca-tun’ – as the ‘homestead with storks’. Other place names in the area, such as Storwood and Storgelond, also refer to the species’ former presence. Other locations in England are associated with the species. In 1086, Storkhill in Yorkshire was first recorded as a settlement. It was believed to be “a stream or island frequented by storks” in 1297, and lies adjacent to Stork House and Stork Dyke. Some sources suggest that the Welsh name for stork was ‘garan’ and several place names such as…

Practically all of the Viverridae family of mammals scent-mark. The scent, which is called civet, carries information about the sex, age and individual identity of each animal. The term ‘civet’ derives from zabel , an Arabic word that describes the pervading fluid and its odour secreted from the perineal glands, usually located between the genitals and the anus. The secretion is yellowish but turns brown with age, and the odour can last upwards of three months. Genet scent apparently has a subtle and pleasing allure, though the scent left by true civets is powerful and disagreeable. Common genets scent-mark by squatting, but males also leave scent on elevated objects by assuming a handstand posture. However, when they do this they are thought to be leaving behind a scent derived from…

WHILE ELNIÑO IS A NATURALLY OCCURRING EVENT, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT GREENHOUSE GASES ARE INTENSIFYING ITS EFFECTS” WHAT IS EL NIÑO? El Niño is a complex global weather pattern caused by changes in sea temperature in the tropical Pacific Ocean. South American fishermen coined the term to describe the appearance of warmer-than-normal coastal waters every few years around Christmas. El Niño means ‘boy child’ in Spanish – a reference to the baby Jesus. It can have far-reaching impacts on wildlife on both sides of the Pacific. HOW DOES IT WORK? Low-altitude trade winds in the tropical Pacific normally blow from east to west. They push warm surface water from Central and South America towards the other side of the ocean, where it piles up around South-East Asia and Australasia. Meanwhile,…

Every piece of chocolate that we eat begins as seeds found within the football-shaped pods that grow on cocoa trees. The seeds must go through a six-step process to become a palatable product. • The seeds are first fermented – usually in large heaps covered in banana leaves, or in wooden boxes. The pulp on the exterior matures, liquefies and drains away, and the flavour starts to develop. • Next the seeds are spread out in the sun to dry (drying equipment can also be used). Once cured, they are sent to processing factories where they are sorted and cleaned. • The seeds are shelled in a process known as winnowing, leaving the cocoa ‘nibs’. • Now the nibs are roasted at temperatures of up to 120°. • The roasted…

"WE NEED TO DO ALL WE CAN TO PRESERVE PRECIOUS ECOSYSTEMS” Why did you write The Activist ? I wanted my debut novel to tell the stories of the oceans and of the people defending marine life. What begins as a typical gap year for protagonist Thomas Durant develops into a life committed to animal rights and marine conservation. How have your experiences influenced the narrative? I’ve read that over 50 per cent of the world’s coral reefs are dead or dying, and that 90 per cent of the world’s big fish are already gone. After seeing mass coral bleaching with my own eyes, I believe we need to do all we can to preserve precious ecosystems. My lead character is aware of these issues and…

SHENTON SAFARIS ZAMBIA “Wow! Five di erent Leopards on one drive!”is something we often hear at Kaingo Camp.‘Kaingo’ translates as Leopard, and Shenton Safaris’ camp is aptly named for the many sightings of these beautiful animals. A safari with Shenton Safaris is one of the best ways in the world to experience and photograph the magnificent leopard. Join us on Facebook: Shenton Safaris. www.kaingo.com email: info@kaingo.com ON THE GO TOURS CHINA The panda is a beloved mascot of China, native to the mountain ranges in the south central region of the country. With less than 1,900 pandas found in the wild, they’re incredibly rare with many conservation projects in place to increase this number. Visit and support the Chengdu Panda Research Base with On The Go Tours where you can…

What does the MCS do? We’re all about protecting the UK’s seas, shores and marine wildlife. Our volunteers are known as ‘Sea Champions’. What do your volunteers do? They carry out beach cleans and marine bioblitzes, give talks, run workshops and events (such as our Cool Seas Roadshow), record marine wildlife, go on survey dives, raise funds, promote sustainable seafood, carry out office tasks... there are many ways to help! How much time do you request? As little or as much as people can offer. Office volunteers can give a few hours or days a week or month; a beach clean can be a couple of hours once a year. Do volunteers need to have any qualifications or training? No – all you need is a love of the sea.…