Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2018 i BBC Wildlife Magazine

A serendipitous combination of our geographical location, varied marine habitats and rich wildlife-watching heritage makes island Britain one of the finest places in northern Europe to catch up with whales, dolphins and basking sharks. In fact, an astonishing 29 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises, or a third of the world’s species, have been recorded inhabiting anywhere from shallow coastal waters to the deeper waters either beyond the continental shelf or in various channels or trenches. While, in theory, marine mammals and basking sharks could be spotted at any point along our 31,368km of convoluted coastline, in practice few locations will deliver regular sightings during the April to October spotting season. The peninsulas, points, heads, bays and islands, which are considered marine wildlife hotspots, do tend to be well-known among…

You might have noticed them: weird, bright growths on wild roses. Like scraps from fuzzy jumpers, snagged on thorns, they catch your eye and look out of place in the hedgerow. They’ve always fascinated me. When, as a child, I asked what they were, the answer – “robin’s pincushions” – was mysterious. As if that explained anything! Also known as bedeguar galls, the fire-red growths can be up to 10cm across and at a distance look almost flower-like. A closer glance reveals that they seem to be an integral part of the wild rose. But if they’re not flowers, what are these alien growths? Sometime in spring, a tiny 4mm-long wasp – black with yellow-orange legs and an abdomen the colour of honey – stuck its hypopygium (a sharp protrusion…

In Maori mythology, the kiwi’s ancestor helped Tane Mahuta (Lord of the Forest) save the trees, which were being eaten by bugs and beginning to sicken. All the birds were called together and asked if one would come down from the forest canopy to live on the forest floor and help save the trees. Tui refused because it was afraid of the darkness on the ground; Pukeko refused because it found the forest floor too damp and Pipiwharauroa, the shining cuckoo, refused because it was too busy building its nest. But Kiwi agreed – it grew thick, strong legs to rip apart logs and it lost its coloured feathers and wings. Since then, Tui has worn two white feathers at its throat, the mark of a…

The rice apple snail is one of the world’s top 100 worst invasive species. The reasons it is so ranked are its huge capacity to reproduce in great numbers year-round, its unfussy and voracious eating habits, its ability to withstand harsh environments, and its tendency to spread via many different routes. It has a lung to breathe air and a gill to survive underwater. It can withstand heat up to 32ºC and cold down to -3›C (although only for a couple of days). It can close its operculum, or snail door, over its open end and hibernate in mud for months if its wetlands dry up. The Catalan government has spent in the region of €350m trying to get to grips with it, employing nets, pesticides, lime, salt water and…

Major milestone Colombia’s Serranía del Chiribiquete NP has expanded by 1.5 million ha, making it the world’s largest national park protecting a tropical rainforest. Home to nearly 3,000 species, the park has also been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tongue tied Unlike their avian descendants, dinosaurs could not stick out their tongues, according to new research. PLoS ONE reports that birds may have developed their tongues once their forelimbs were put to use as wings. Billion-dollar bear A new analysis challenges concerns that giant panda conservation wastes money. According to Current Biology, the 67 panda reserves are worth US$6.9 billion annually to China’s economy – 27 times that spent on panda conservation. Here to stay We could have as many as 275 breeding pairs of common cranes in the…

One of the great challenges in conservation is that there is no end. We can never let our guard down and say, ‘Right, that’s such-and-such a species saved – now let’s go and save something else’. The original threats rarely go away and, with unerring inevitability, there are new ones lurking just around the corner, ready to strike the moment we take our eyes off the ball. This means two things. First, it makes conservation interminably expensive, because we can’t take money away from one species to save another. Second, conservation is seriously difficult to ‘sell’. How can we inspire people to support something so complicated and long-winded, with absolutely no guarantee of success? When I first started working in conservation – straight out of university – one of my…

Lola ya Bonobo is the world’s only bonobo sanctuary. Located in a beautiful sprawling forest just outside Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is not just the ‘Paradise of Bonobos’ (as its name means in Lingala) but a valuable conservation resource. Thousands of Congolese people, most of them children, visit Lola every year. Visitors learn that bonobos are an Endangered Species, and that it is illegal to hunt or capture them. When bonobos are rescued from the bushmeat trade, they’re brought to Lola. Some are subsequently released into the wild. • Find out more at: lolayabonobo.org…

The Ardnamurchan Peninsula on Scotland’s west coast is Tolkienesque in more than just name: it’s a land of rock and salt, wind and water, hill and burn. There are woods here, too, lush with rain; their trees, especially oaks, are low-laid wraiths, forced into ‘advanced yoga positions’ by the wind. No surprise, then, that a childhood here left its mark on naturalist Polly Pullar. The mammal spirit of this place is the pine marten, a species whose history, like that of the Highlanders who lived here, is scarred by persecution, but whose present is a story of resilience and recovery. This delightful memoir-cum-documentary records both with familiarity and humour, weaving the lives of individual martens with those of Les and Chris Humphreys, a couple whose lochside garden has become an…

If you fancy sharing your kitchen with the best of Africa’s wildlife – think cheetahs sprinting across oven gloves and elephants parading across lampshades – have a browse through Animals of the Savannah, a stylish new homewares collection by Sophie Allport for ZSL. The products, which range from aprons to umbrellas, feature these iconic savannah species against backgrounds of sand yellow and forest green. Proceeds (prices start at £8 for a pencil case or cloth shopping bag) will help to support ZSL’s conservation work in the field, which includes initiatives such as training rangers and working with local wildlife authorities.…

This relatively new podcast explores a diverse range of topics across the field of zoology. Co-hosted by PhD students Farley Connelly and Anne Aulsebrook, Animalia looks at the diverse adaptations and behaviours of animals around the world. Recent episodes have discussed the strange mating strategies of insects and spiders, and how different animals sleep. Themes to be covered in future episodes include the effects of artificial light at night on wildlife, animal vision, and the impact of salinity on amphibians. Episodes are refreshingly varied in length; longer instalments feature interviews with expert scientists, while ‘Shorts’ consist of Connelly and Aulsebrook chatting about interesting zoological facts.…

A Many animals learn behaviour, be it songs, foraging techniques or mate preferences, by copying the ways of their elders. Such essential life skills are usually learned from parents, but not always. Young banded mongooses, for example, are routinely looked after by adults other than their mothers and fathers, and are more likely to inherit their dietary preferences from these unrelated individuals. Humans might, however, be unique in choosing our role models on the basis of their success in society. The difficulty is deciding what exactly to copy. Adopting the ploughing techniques of a successful farmer is likely to be more useful than mimicking, say, their taste in hats.…

In zoology, instinct (also known as hard-wiring) refers to behaviours that are not learned. A classic case is a gosling’s urge to imprint on the first thing it sets eyes on after hatching – usually its mother – and follow it everywhere. In practice, most behaviour is a blend of instinct and learning. Imprinting may be hard-wired, but a gosling must still learn what its “mother” looks like. Which is why it will famously follow a bearded zoologist everywhere if that’s the first creature it lays eyes on.…

Madagascar has more than its fair share of endemics, but some are easier to spot than others. This image shows a mossy leaf-tailed gecko on a tree, but the point at which one stops and the other starts is far from obvious. It’s not just the lizard’s uncanny, bark-like colours and textures – a lacy flange around its body, legs and chin provides the finishing touch to a seamless transition. Geckos are thought to be able change colour to blend into their background, like chameleons. But perhaps the tree is mimicking the lizard.…

Three projects you can get involved in: Ranscombe Farm Plantlife’s volunteer team meet every Wednesday at this important reserve for wild flora in Kent. Tools are provided for conservation work. plantlife.org.uk Nestbox Challenge When the breeding season is over, clean out your nestbox and take part in the BTO’s Nestbox Challenge in 2019. bto.org/volunteer-surveys/nbc Britain in Bloom Register to‘re-green’a disused area in your local community in this year-round competition. rhs.org.uk…

Bring back wildcats! I agree with Pete Cooper (Should we bring back the wildcats of Olde England? August 2018) that we should bring wildcats back. There should be no harm in reintroducing them to what was a natural terrain for them. I would also encourage the re-introduction of wolves and lynx. If these animals can live in human-dense countries like Germany, Holland and Spain, they should be able to thrive here. Hally Hardie, via email Wildlife in the press What a brilliant article on great whites attacking UK dolphins (Truth or Fiction? July 2018), showing another example of the UK media vilifying wildlife. The usual culprits are adders hunting people in order to bite them, or giant spiders! As professional ecologists and zoologists, we get asked by the media to…

“Sallow kitten and dusky clearwing moths love to munch on goat willow.” When did you fall in love with willow? When I think of willows it brings back such happy memories from my childhood. While I was growing up we were lucky enough to have an extended garden that we referred to as ‘The Willow Garden’ because an ornamental golden willow was its focal point and looked so impressive within the space. I spent a lot of time outdoors playing with my sister under the shade of that wonderful tree and fell in love with it. Why did you choose to champion goat willow? It’s a beautiful species with pretty catkins. Male catkins (pictured) start off grey, then become bright yellow with pollen – they’re meant to look like a…

TESSA BOASE Historian Tessa has researched the forgotten female founders of the RSPB. “It started as a women’s campaign against feathered hats,” she says. “They built the society with astonishing speed – then the men took over.” See p26 JO PRICE Deputy editor Jo saw the world’s rarest kiwi on her honeymoon in New Zealand. “The country has an ambitious plan to save this important national icon from the brink of extinction, and it’s working,” she says. See p32 LOUISE TICKLE Wildlife journalist Louise went swimming in the Arctic Circle in search of sea eagles. “It was worth plunging into icy water twice a day to see marine wildlife in its own environment – I think!” she says. See p66 PIOTR NASRECKI Entomologist Piotr travelled to Costa Rica to photograph…

Bottlenose dolphin This is the archetypal dolphin (pictured below and right), which can reach close to 4m in length with blue-grey coloration, a distinct beak and a prominent hooked (or falcate) dorsal fin. The bottlenose is a sociable cetacean that is mostly a coastal species around the UK. It adores bow-riding, lobtailing and breaching. Short-beaked common dolphin Only occasionally reaching beyond a couple of metres in length, this diminutive dolphin has an hourglass pattern, intermingling with a yellowish patch along its flanks and a white underside. Often encountered in large pods, these entertaining dolphins are acrobatic, energetic and fast-swimming. Harbour porpoise The only porpoise in British waters, this petite species rarely shows more than a brief glimpse of its dark back and a low triangular dorsal fin before slipping back…

Folklore has sprung up around robin’s pincushions. The ‘robin’ part of the name may refer to coloration – in Sussex, these galls are sometimes called ‘robin redbreast’s pincushions’. Or it may be the woodland sprite Robin Goodfellow (Puck). Historically, the galls – also known as briar balls, briar bosses and tousles – were said to have healing properties. A gall hung around the neck was believed to cure whooping cough and toothache, or if kept in your pocket, rheumatism, while a gall under a pillow cured insomnia.…

Three diseases have had a devastating effect on rabbit populations MYXOMATOSIS Deliberately introduced to Australia in 1950 to reduce feral rabbit populations, the viral disease proved highly effective. British farmers welcomed its appearance in 1953 but Winston Churchill was aghast. Symptoms are swollen or closed eyes, with animals huddled listlessly above ground. RABBIT HAEMORRHAGIC DISEASE (RHD1) This is another viral control first trialled in Australia, from where it again somehow ‘escaped’. Often fatal, it is a disease that can be spread via shoes or machinery as well as rabbit-to-rabbit contact. It causes haemorrhaging and usually shows as blood coming from a rabbit’s nose. RABBIT HAEMORRHAGIC DISEASE (RHD2) Despite its name, this disease appears not to have evolved from RHD1. Little is known about its transmission and there are no visible…

1 NORTH ISLAND BROWN APTERYX MANTELLI Key characteristics: Medium-sized kiwi (40cm). Dark greyish-brown feathers streaked lengthways with reddish-brown. Differs from other kiwi taxa in brown rather than grey, rufous or dark brown plumage, stiff rather than soft feather tips. Range: isolated and fragmented populations on the North Island and some adjacent islands of New Zealand. Status: Vulnerable Total population: 26,600 (2015) Population trend: stable 2 LITTLE SPOTTED APTERYX OWENII Key characteristics: Smallest kiwi (30cm), brownish-grey with fine, white horizontal mottling. Pale legs and long ivory bill. Range: eight offshore islands to which it has been introduced, and two mainland sites where it has been reintroduced. Stronghold is Kapiti Island. Status: Near Threatened Total population: 1,700 (2013) Population trend: increasing 3 SOUTHERN BROWN APTERYX AUSTRALIS Key characteristics: Dark greyish-brown (Fiordland population),…

Experts have backed the idea of leaving North Sea oil rigs and wind turbines in place when they come to the end of their working lives. Studies show they provide fantastic habitats for endangered Lophelia cold-water coral, which in turn can be a home for sharks and fish. In a survey, 36 (out of 38) scientists and consultants with relevant knowledge of the decommissioning of oil and gas installations said that treating each one on “a case by case basis” would provide better “environmental outcomes”. Anne-Mette Jørgensen, who runs a not-for-profit organisation called North Sea Futures, which aims to enable the North Sea to thrive as an ecosystem, says that society needs to rethink the way that it deals with these old rigs. “By setting out to remove all 1,300…

“People are managing reserves correctly and we’re still losing insects.” An RSPB Conservation Science Award was recently given to Caspar Hallmann for a ‘scientific paper of high conservation value’. His research captured the attention of press across the globe. Caspar Hallmann’s interest in wildlife hasn’t always focused on insects. Born in Greece in 1983 (he retained his Dutch nationality), he spent much of his youth counting eagles and vultures with his father, who was a professional ornithologist. He later moved to the Netherlands to study tropical forestry (BSc), and forest ecology management (MSc) at Wageningen University. After that, he got a job as a junior researcher at the Sovon Dutch Center for Field Ornithology, which coordinates the monitoring of wild bird populations in the Netherlands and carries out research on…

Eating one’s greens is all well and good, but some greens are tastier than others. New research shows that leaf-munching insects are far fussier eaters than one might think – they will even pick and choose leaves on the basis of how symmetrical they are. Biologists in Finland have found that of 11 species of herbivorous caterpillars and beetle larvae, nine show a significant preference for either symmetrical or lopsided leaves. Some species on certain trees prefer symmetrical leaves, while other species on different trees prefer lopsided ones. Higher asymmetry in biological structures that are normally symmetrical may indicate mistakes in the developmental process. In some cases, asymmetrical leaves may be less well defended with natural insecticides, making them an attractive menu option. In others, they may lack nutritional value,…

RIVERS AND LOCHS A day’s tuition in fly-fishing costs up to £360, or £10 for two hours ‘catch-and-release’ trout fishing. But if you prefer to watch a naturally talented fisherman ( above ), a morning’s photography session at the Rothiemurchus osprey hide is up to £140, or £30 without a guide. FORESTS AND GLENS Glen Feshie offers the chance to go deer-stalking (for £600), but the prospect of spotting an alternative monarch of the glen, the capercaillie ( above ), may be more alluring. A day with a wildlife tour company is about £200–£300 for up to six, though caper sightings are not guaranteed. MOUNTAIN AND MOORLAND In local sporting pursuits, grouse shooting has the highest price tag – up to £2,700 for two days in some cases. In contrast,…

“He hopped onto a rock jutting squarely out of the water, as if flying through space on a magic carpet.” The local name ‘Hell Valley’ deters few tourists from hiking up the steep slopes of Jigokudani Yaen-koen, in Japan’s Nagano prefecture. Because this is the only place in the world where you can enjoy close-up views of wild Japanese macaques – also known as snow monkeys – bathing in the steamy warmth of a volcanic spring. Japanese macaques are the world’s most northerly non-human primates. They have lived in these mountains for centuries, but it wasn’t until 1963 that one particular troop discovered thermal waters, which bubble at a toasty 30o C, as a means of escaping the chill of their high-altitude home. The monkeys had become regulars at a…

Trees have provided us with shelter, food and medicine throughout our evolution, and have become embedded in our cultural history. In this handsomely produced volume, beautifully illustrated by Lucille Clerc, Jonathan Drori has selected 80 species from around the world, ranging from the familiar London plane to the Upas tree of Indonesia, that are particularly important to humanity and have fascinating stories to tell. The breadth and depth of his knowledge and his engaging writing style make him an outstanding narrator and armchair travel companion. It’s a book you will want to dip into, then find very hard to put down.…

Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Forest is just a remnant of its glorious erstwhile expanse, but the large number of letters after its name (SSSI, SAC, NNR) point to the significance of its heathland, grassland and woodland habitats. This podcast discusses the history of the forest, the RSPB’s imminent takeover and the wildlife found in this landscape: the largest collection of ancient oak trees anywhere in western Europe (including the 1,100-year-old Major Oak), each of which is thought to host up to 1,000 species, and rare birds such as lesser-spotted woodpeckers and redstarts.…

SHARE THE HARVEST When picking fruit, leave an autumn offering for butterflies. Old mushy bananas will be feasted on by species such as the red admiral and comma. HELP A HEDGEHOG Provide a place for a hedgehog to spend the winter. Log and leaf piles, compost heaps and the areas under sheds may all be used, or try making a home. www.hedgehogstreet.org GO TREETOTAL Consider whether you could plant a native tree, such as holly or hawthorn, this winter. November to March, when the roots are dormant, is the general planting season.…

My bookshelf is crammed to bursting with guides on how and where to find the best of Britain’s wildlife. Here, zoologist Isla Hodgson offers some seductive suggestions for the same – across a variety of habitats, including coasts, moorland and urban spaces – but through memoir rather than manual. Hodgson is well known for her popular blog Where The Wild Things Live, and this is written in a similarly engaging and companionable style. The descriptions of her encounters with our most elusive animals – from seldom-seen cetaceans and sea eagles to hen harriers and hares – are fun and delightful, if a tad Scotland-centric.…

Return flights from London (or other UK airport) to Longyearbyen via Oslo Hotel, dinner and bed and breakfast in Oslo Transfers and baggage handling in Longyearbyen 7 nights/8 days aboard MV Plancius – choose your own cabin All meals throughout the voyage, including snacks, coffee and tea All shore excursions and activities by Zodiac Programme of lectures by expedition staff, BBC Wildlife and Heatherlea team members Not included: Holiday insurance, optional tips to ship’s crew/other staff, drinks other than coffee and tea, other personal expenses and lunch in Longyearbyen on Day 2.…

A Blue seaweeds are conspicuous by their absence, though there may be one exception, depending on the angle from which you view it. Rainbow wrack, a common British rockpool species, has an opalescent quality that can make the plant appear blue, green or pink. The colours are produced not by photosynthetic pigments, but by microscopic, oil-based structures that scatter light in all directions, much like real opals do. This opalescence may increase light absorption when the seaweed is submerged. At low tide, the plant switches off the effect, perhaps to protect itself from the full glare of the sun.…

WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS WALLABY GROUPS? Wallabies, the smaller relatives of kangaroos, are found in Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand, and are broadly split into brush, hare (below), nail-tail, scrub, forest and rock wallabies, plus a single species of swamp wallaby. Most are found in grassland, shrubland and woodland, but some shelter in thick undergrowth and scrub, while others live in rugged, rocky areas, often near water. DO UK WALLABIES COMPETE WITH NATIVE SPECIES? Wallabies came to England as zoo animals and many were released during World War II, when private zoos had to close. A population famously became established in the Peak District, but has since disappeared. Wallabies continue to escape from zoos and are particularly abundant on the Isle of Man. Studies here suggest that these herbivores…

On the wing I have been photographing the beautiful birds visiting my garden feeders for two years. During a sunny morning in June, I decided it would be another good day to set up my hide, focus the camera close to the feeder and wait. I was over the moon when I looked through my photos afterwards and found that my patience had paid off with this action shot of a greenfinch. I always try to photograph birds in flight, which is challenging, but more rewarding. Gary Padgett, Durham, UK 1 A well-earned rest On a trip to La Gaume, Belgium, my friends and I spotted this endangered violet copper butterfly. I held some grass in the background to help create a bokeh effect. It was a fantastic encounter. Simon…

“Most plant species bear hermaphrodite flowers with both male pollen and female ovules, so every plant can set seeds. The goat willow is dioecious – there are separate male and female trees, so both sexes need to grow close together for successful pollination and only half the population can produce seeds. Willows have the same properties as aspirin because their twigs contain acetylysalicylic acid, which is the aspirin molecule.” Phil Gates is a botanist and Guardian country diarist.…

The UK’s varied coastline offers plenty of opportunities for boat trips to observe sharks and cetaceans, from the southernmost tip of Cornwall, to Scotland’s Inner Hebrides. 1 Tobermory, Isle of Mull in West Scotland is the perfect place from which to explore ‘The Minch’, the shark and cetacean-rich waters situated between the Inner and Outer Hebrides. 2 Cromarty, Moray Firth will give you a fine opportunity to get close to the resident pod of bottlenose dolphins calling this corner of Scotland home. 3 Whitby, North Yorkshire is a historic whaling town with boat trips into the North Sea, and offers a great opportunity to spot harbour porpoises and minke whales. 4 Penzance Harbour offers a variety of trips of different lengths taking you to well-known marine hotspots off Cornwall’s Lizard…

kk It is not easy to find a kiwi in the wild. Visit renowned bird sanctuary Stewart Island (stewartisland.co.nz) or go on an Okarito Kiwi Tours trip for the best chance of seeing one (http://okaritokiwitours.co.nz). kk You can also see kiwis in simulated environments on both islands: Ototohanga Kiwi House and Native Bird Park (http://kiwihouse.org.nz) and Wellington Zoo (https://wellingtonzoo.com) or West Coast Wildlife Centre (wildkiwi.co.nz) and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve (willowbank.co.nz).…

The bonobo research site at Lonoa was established by Dr Martin Surbeck in collaboration with the Bonobo Conservation Initiative supported by funding from the Max Planck Society. It is part of the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, created by the Democratic Republic of the Congo government in 2009 as a vast community-based nature reserve. Long-term field research sites such as this are crucial for conservation. “We are a constant presence in the forest,” says Surbeck. “We remove snares, discourage hunting, provide work, buy local food and provide other community benefits.” With bonobos as a flagship conservation species, other animals that were hunted out also have a chance to return.…

WHITE-TAILED EAGLE Resident all year, these huge raptors are most easily seen on boat trips around the islands. Views can be spectacular: some eagles will even come to seize fish held out by experienced guides. You might also see otters, grey seals and porpoises. PUFFIN Sightings are guaranteed from April to July at the huge seabird cliffs (Norway’s biggest) on the outlying island of Røst, together with razorbills, kittiwakes, shags and fulmars. Other seabirds in the Lofoten Islands include Arctic terns and great and Arctic skuas. ORCA Norway has one of the world’s largest populations of orcas, which in winter can be seen around the Lofoten Islands from cliffs and boats, singly and in small pods. If you’re lucky, you might also experience the Northern Lights.…

Like many composers, Beethoven was greatly inspired by nature. The second movement of his Pastoral Symphony mimics the sound of a bubbling stream; the opening fanfare to his famous Fifth ( da-da-da daaaaa! ) is an imitation of the call of an Ortolan bunting. Indeed, for centuries humanity has woven nature into art, science and culture. Yet since the 1970s, a staggering half of the mass of wildlife on Earth has been lost – there are now considerably fewer songbirds singing along babbling brooks. This thought-provoking feature for BBC Radio 3, produced by Mary Colwell, examines not why such declines are happening, but whether our creativity is affected as a result.…

The One Show presenter unwraps plastic pollution and offers a guide for change. When did you notice plastic over-use? When I was eight, my grandad – a retired scientific translator for Shell – told me how plastic was made from oil, and that oil was a precious resource. He would protest at checkouts about overpackaging – he was way ahead of his time. What’s the worst example of plastic over-packaging you’ve come across? In 2005 I saw a shrink-wrapped coconut in Morrisons. The excuse was that a child could inhale the fibrous hair from the shell. Of the plastic we put on the kerbside, how much is recycled? Official figures are problematic. According to statistics I’ve studied from various sources, I’d say about 12 per cent. But this may change…