Yardley Chase Training Area, a military training area in Northamptonshire, is little known, but the secrecy and protection it benefits from as a consequence has resulted in an unique site. Jeff Blincow describes the history of Yardley Chase Training Area and the wonderful variety of habitats and wildlife found there. Northamptonshire rarely features in conversations
Well known among herpetologists, Beam Brook Field Station has been home to numerous non-native reptiles and amphibians over recent decades. Peter Sutton provides an introduction to the site’s history, wildlife and scientific significance, and explains what is being done to preserve this special place. Beam Brook Field Station, near Newdigate, in Surrey, is known to
Natterjack Toads are rare in the British Isles, but they were previously far more widespread. By examining the changing fortunes of the Natterjack, it is possible to gain a fascinating insight into the ways in which our countryside has changed over the past few hundred years. Trevor Beebee explores the reasons behind the decline of
This is a story of how a British species slipped through our hands just as we were discovering its importance. But it is also one of hope as the research and activity that this has engendered have been impressive. Until very close to the end of the 20th century, the Common Frog Rana temporaria was considered the
Great Crested Newts declined substantially in Britain as a result of post-war agricultural intensification and were granted legal protection in 1981. Because they remain widespread, however, conflict between development and conservation has continued and an effective strategy for securing the long-term future of this species remains elusive. It was one of those unforgettable childhood days.
Ponds are a tremendous, but still largely unrecognised resourcce for nature conservation in the British Isles. This is especially true in agricultural areas, where, if sufficiently buffered from the farmland, ponds afford wonderful watery patches, often buzzing with species.
Clean water is now a rare habitat across much of Britain. In England it is almost extinct. This is important, because 80% of our most threatened freshwater plants and animals rely on clean water. And anyone who has dipped much in streams, ponds or lakes will know the vast difference between the weary monotony of
The British Isles supports seven native species of amphibian. Of these, as a result of their restricted distributions, the Great Crested Newt Triturus cristatus and Natterjack Toad Epidalea (Bufo) calamita are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the European Habitats Directive 1992.
The Oxford Clay, which was formed 160 million years ago in the Jurassic Period, outcrops in narrow band which snakes across England from the Yorkshire coast to Dorset.
In the last two decades, there has been a vast increase in reports of non-native frog species occurring in Britain, particularly in the south-east regions of England. The aims of this article are to discuss the identification, origins, distribution, habitat choice and ecology of the introduced species of water frog.
Leeches have a bad reputation. One of the definitions of a leech is 'a person who clings to or preys on another person'. Despite this, one species, the Medicinal Leech Hirudo medicinalis, can boast a longer, more useful and definitely more intimate relationship with people than can most other animals.
In the June 1999 issue of British Wildlife, Ken Tyson and Roger Smith (1999) described the seasonal emergence pattern of Common Frog Rana temporaria spawn. They related the first spawning dates for a site near Okehampton in Devon between 1990 and 1999 to the accumulated day degrees of temperature above freezing from the shortest day (21st December) to
Another non-native species threatens to become naturalised in Britain, with the discovery of large numbers of North American Bullfrogs Rana catesbeiana at a site in East Sussex. This species has been widely introduced outside its natural range, and has been blamed for diminishing numbers of local amphibians and other wildlife. As it is a potentially damaging addition
Ditches are ubiquitous features of Britain's lowland wetlands. In the past, networks of ditches have served to conduct water away from fens and marshy areas to permit the exploitation of land for agriculture. Today, however, many of our remaining wetland landscapes are being conserved and, in some places, former wetlands are being restored. In these
The first frog spawn (already one to two days old) of 1999 was seen in a garden pond in Crediton, Devon, on 18th January. Within a few days of this date, Common Frogs Rana temporaria were spawning over a wide area of mid-Devon. The trigger for bringing frogs out of hibernation to return to their breeding ponds
Crassula helmsii, commonly known as New Zealand Pigmyweed or Australian Swamp Stomecrop, is a succulent perennial herb from Australasia that in recent decades has become an invasive plant in the British Isles. It can occur in a wide range of habitats, including ponds, lakes, gravel pits and other static waterbodies, and is now present at
Ponds can be one of the easiest and most rewarding semi-natural habitats to recreate and, by applying simple principles to their design and location, most ponds can quickly develop into useful wildlife habitats. Important principles for pond creation are: (i) Locate new ponds in areas where they are at least risk from pollution, (ii) Where
The United Kingdom has few amphibians. There are just five well-known native species, with two or three more that have been brought into the century and released into the wild in recent times. This contrasts with the situation in France, for example, where there are at least 30 different kinds of frogs, toads, newts, and
The history of the Pool Frog, Rana lessonae, in this country is curious. There is no conclusive proof to say that it is not a native. Furthermore, it was originally misnamed Edible Frog, R. esculenta, as it was not realised at the time that the Pool Frog was a separate species. Both frogs belong to a genetically
Pond management is one of the most popular practical conservation tasks, and throughout Britain thousands of ponds are regularly dredged, desilted and cleaned out. Yet remarkably little is known about the effects of management on ponds. Over the last six years, Pond Action has undertaken a wide range of survey work on ponds in the
