News, The Climate Crisis, Wildlife Conservation

Developers are Pushed to Reconsider plans for Contentious Wash Barrage in East Anglia

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Plans have been put forward on The Wash in East Anglia to build an ‘unworkable’ tidal barrage regardless of the damage it could cause. The estuary would be redeveloped to produce electricity, which will cost nearly double per MWh compared to any modest carbon energy source and have a major impact on one UK’s most important wetlands. 

Gateway to the Wash National Nature Reserve by Bob Jones is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

The RSPB, alongside the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, and Wild Ken Hill Estate have joined forces to ask the government and developers to reassess this proposal and to avoid devastating impact on the habitat and wildlife. 

The Wash estuary is home to several species, including England’s largest common seal population, and salt marshes which are feeding grounds for curlews and oystercatchers.  Building a tidal barrage would essentially modify the intertidal habitats that animals rely on.  A barrier would be erected across The Wash’s mouth, altering the tidal flow both in and out of the estuary and might lead to more flooding and substantial coastal erosion.

Businessman, James Sutcliffe, CEO of Centre Port Holdings Ltd, is managing the plans, which now include a deep-water port. Construing a deep-water port in the shallow waters of the Wash could be challenging because intense dredging would need to be maintained. Currently, it’s not clear what impact this would have on the ports of Boston and King’s Lynn. 

Centre Port Holdings Ltd, is planning to bring about a major source of tidal energy to 600,000 homes and businesses, creating local job opportunities such as multi-skilled apprenticeships and working with schools and universities, levelling up the coastal towns of Boston, Skegness, Kings Lynn, and Wisbech.  Additionally, major flood defences are going to be built to ensure the Wash’s nature reserves and wildlife areas do not disappear. This could happen within two generations. 

Photo by Stephane Hurbe on Pexels.com

Nick Bruce-White, Director of RSPB England, says

“It’s absolutely necessary to look at where the UK sources its energy and how we produce more of it ourselves from renewable sources, but we have to make sure we’re striking the right balance for nature.

“The Wash is one of the most complex coastal habitats, known for its hydrology and stunning range of wildlife. Spending millions of pounds on assessments and surveys is a waste of time and money that could be better spent on more workable, established solutions to generate green energy, such as wind and solar power.”

Adding,

“Based on the current evidence that demonstrates the destruction this would bring to The Wash, we consider this project a non-starter.”

At a time when the UK is reconsidering its energy strategy and moving towards green alternatives, the balance between protecting nature and addressing the climate crisis is likely to become more complex in the future.

Animal Identification

Five British Bird species to spot this Winter

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The UK is brimming with spectacular bird life throughout the winter months from gardens to parks, and hedgerows. This is a particularly good time of year to see birds from the order of passerine which can be recognized by their toe formation, with three toes pointing forward and another one facing backward which enables them to perch on branches.

Here are five species to look out for:

  1. Blue Tit

The blue tit is instantly recognizable by its colourful assortment of plumage, which includes blue, yellow, white, and green. In the winter, they can be observed feeding in family flocks and are often joined by other tit species. Blue tits are regularly confused with great tits because they share the same colour feathers. An easy way to distinguish between both species is to look at their marking. The head of the great tit is black and white with a broad black bib that runs centrally through its yellow underparts. Whereas the blue tit has a blue crown, a white face, and black eye stripes. 

Blue tit perched on a branch
Blue tit perched on a branch – photo by Ellie May Forrester

2. Robin

The robin is one of the UK’s most iconic bird species and is immediately recognizable because of its red breast and face it also has a brown feathered back and a yellowish-white belly. Robins have a wingspan of twenty to twenty-two centimetres and can weigh between fourteen to twenty-one grams.  Unlike, the adorable birds that adorn our Christmas cards every year, robins are very territorial and will actively scare intruders away.    

Robin on a branch
Robin by Debbie Turner is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

3. Blackbird

The male blackbird has a yellow-ringed eye, yellow beak, and black plumage. Whereas the female has brown feathers and a brown beak. They eat a wide range of food including earthworms, caterpillars, and berries. Blackbirds are seen often foraging in the undergrowth where they turn over leaves looking for food. 

Blackbird on branch
A male blackbird at Legerwood by Walter Baxter is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

4. Long-tail tit

The long-tail tit is a small black, white, and pink fluffy feathered bird with a tail that makes up half its body length.  Long-tail tits have a distinctive broad black stripe over their eyes and can be seen in flocks of up to twenty birds. These are gregarious and noisy birds that huddle together throughout the winter. Their flight is weak and undulating as they string from one tree to another. 

Two long-tailed tits sat on branch
Long-tailed Tits by Mick Lobb is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

5. House Sparrow

The male and female house sparrows are distinctively different in their markings and colourful  plumage.  Males have a chestnut brown mantle, a grey crown, and a black chin and throat. Females are plain brown with grey under-parts and their back feathers are made up of both black and brown stripes.  Being gregarious in nature has allowed the house sparrow to exploit human rubbish enabling them to colonize the globe. 

Male house sparrow perched on tree and female in flight
Male and female house sparrows (Passer domesticus) by Walter Baxter is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0
News

Shropshire towns set to get on-street electric vehicle charging points

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Electric car green and white car being charged.
Image Description: Electric car green and white car being charged. Photo by Mike B on Pexels.com

Shropshire motorists who are already using electric and hybrid vehicles will be gaining on-street electric vehicle charging points in their hometowns. A successful bid for Government funding has enabled Shropshire Council to invest nearly £1000,000 in more on-the-street charging points.

Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for climate change, environment, and transport says, “We’re committed to improving and developing infrastructure to enable residents and businesses to lead more sustainable and self-sufficient lives, which in turn helps reduce the impacts of climate change on our environment. Providing more electric vehicle charging points that are accessible to all motorists is just one of the ways we are delivering on this priority.”

Adding, “This is one of the biggest awards to have been made to any council under the on-street residential charging points scheme from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles, and it means we can add 270 more charge points to our streets and car parks to benefit the growing number of hybrid and EV owners in the county.”

“This is one of the biggest awards to have been made to any council under the on-street residential charging points scheme from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles“

The Office for Zero Emissions, with support from the Energy Saving Trust, has been awarded £902,940 to install the on-street charging points in Shropshire. The county is currently ranked sixty-five out of three hundred and seventy-five local authorities for its number of charge points. This new development will boost Shropshire to eleventh place, within the top three percent nationally. 

Shropshire Council is expecting to add four to twelve charging points in each of seventeen chosen areas: 

  • Albrighton – Crown Hotel and High Street
  • Bridgnorth – Innage Lane and Listley Street North
  • Broseley – Bridgnorth Road and Dark Lane
  • Church Stretton – 6 Essex Road and Easthope 1-4
  • Cleobury Mortimer – Childe Road East, Childe Road West and St Mary’s Lane
  • Clun – High Street
  • Gobowen – Railway Station
  • Highley – High Street, 25 Woodhill Road
  • Ludlow – Galdeford Zone A, Corve Street and Broad Street
  • Market Drayton – Frogmore Road
  • Much Wenlock – Falcons Court
  • Oswestry – Edward Street, Wats Drive and Lloyd Street
  • Prees – Church Street
  • Shifnal – Aston Street, 56 Broadway and Victoria Road
  • Shrewsbury – Bainbridge Green, 131 Copthorne Road, 93 New Park Road, 79 Bishop Street, and Abbey Foregate
  • Wem – Aston Street and Mill Street
  • Whitchurch – Castle Hill, Newtown, Sherrymill Hill, St John’s Street and George Street

Ian Nellins says, “The locations have been chosen using insight from data which predicts the locations of early adopters of technology in residential areas where properties have little / no off-street parking. The installation is intended to give them confidence in their ability to access chargers when and where they need them”.

At a time when drivers are considering alternative forms of energy, this news is welcome and will eventually enable more Shropshire residents to make the switch. 

News, Wildlife Crime

A Higher Sentencing secures a successful future for Scottish Badgers

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Image description - badger wondering through the grass - Photo by Leo Sam on Pexels.com
Image description – badger wondering through the grass – Photo by Leo Sam on Pexels.com

There is good news for Scottish badgers as a recent case has resulted in a higher sentence being given to a former gamekeeper, Rhys Davies, who was involved in badger baiting at the Millden Estate in Scotland. Davies, from Gwynedd, North Wales, received a sentence of eight months imprisonment and was ordered to pay a fine of £1,800. The Milden Estate has indicated that they were not aware of Davies’s crimes.

The horrific crimes Davies committed toward wildlife were further exposed when he tried to get professionally printed photographs of his ‘trophies’ and was subsequently arrested. A photo lab technician reported Davies to SSPCA having viewed one of his images, which showed both a badger and a dog fighting.   

When the police raided Davies’s estate cottage in October 2019, the degree of animal abuse that had taken place was revealed. Dogs were found with hideous injuries and kept in squalid conditions, whilst the inside was scattered with dead wildlife and unsecured firearms. Veterinarians later stated that dogs had substantial injuries from regular fights with badgers. The dogs had facial and bodily mutilation where they had been treated with DIY treatments, which included using unapproved medicines and staple guns to avoid him contact with vets, who would have reported him for animal offenses.

The dogs had facial and bodily mutilation where they had been treated with DIY treatments, which included using unapproved medicines and staple guns

The sentence Davies has received is one of the heaviest ever imposed for organised badger baiting. This crime was prosecuted under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act, 2006, because of the seriousness of the dogs’ injuries.  The legislation was updated in 2020, with a potential increase in the sentencing of up to five years and unlimited fines. Davies received eight months imprisonment and a fine of £1,800.

“A custodial sentence sends a clear message to anyone who wants to use dogs to bait and maim wildlife – they will be punished for it.”, says, SSPCA Chief Supt, Mike Flynn.

This crime has highlighted that the Badger Protection Act 1992 is not always effective in its primary purpose to protect badgers from being persecuted. Therefore, the Badger Trust is campaigning for the law to be strengthened in line with Animal Welfare and the (sentencing) Act, 2021. An offender would receive a maximum sentence of five years for abusing a badger as they would if it’s a dog.   

Image description: The Badger Trust- poster showing a divided photo with a badger on the left and on the right a terrier dog which is black and white and their noses are joined together. On the left side in white text on a black background it says, MAKE BLACK AND WHITE PROTECT BOTH. A white strip at the bottom which says Protection of Badgers Act -30 and underneath #StopBadgerCrime
Image description: The Badger Trust- poster showing a divided photo with a badger on the left and on the right a terrier dog which is black and white and their noses are joined together. On the left side in white text on a black background it says, MAKE BLACK AND WHITE PROTECT BOTH. A white strip at the bottom which says Protection of Badgers Act -30 and underneath #StopBadgerCrime

Currently, wildlife crimes such as the persecution of badgers are not notifiable to the Home Office. As wildlife is not recorded in this way, there are no official national statistics. Increasing sentencing would by default make a crime under the Badger Protection Act a notifiable offence.

To find out more information about the Badger Trust click here

News, Wildlife Crime

Historic First Sentence – For Speedboat Driver Who “Corralled” Dolphins

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On the 9th of July 2021, Christopher Barker, 45, from Brompton-By- Saward, North Yorkshire, was seen driving his speed boat, disturbing a pod of bottlenose dolphins feeding near the shore of Scarborough’s South Bay.

This led to an investigation by North Yorkshire Police resulted in Barker being charged with the intention of or carelessly disturbing a dolphin which is an offense under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.  Barker pleaded guilty on the 9th of June 2022 and subsequently had to pay a two-hundred-pound fine plus a victim surcharge fee and prosecution costs bringing the overall total to three hundred and four pounds.

Image descripton – A pod of bottlenose dolphins diving in and out of the waves – Photo by Pexels User on Pexels.com

“Dolphins are an intelligent, social species, often living in large communal groups. Over recent years sightings of dolphins off the Yorkshire coast have increased dramatically, proving popular with locals and tourists alike. But this has also led to an increased risk of human interference”, said, PC Graham Bilton, Wildlife Crime Officer for North Yorkshire Police, who investigated the case. 

In addition, Bilton added;

“Cetaceans such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises are especially susceptible to disturbance, both physically and acoustically, and are legally protected here in the UK.

I urge all boat and watercraft operators to act responsibly and respect the marine environment. We are extremely lucky in North Yorkshire to have such diverse wildlife. It’s important that we enjoy, protect, and live alongside it.

North Yorkshire Police is committed to investigating offences which have a detrimental effect on our wildlife, and I hope that this prosecution underlines that message.”

Image Description – A speedboat circling in the sea – Photo by Sanndy Anghan on Pexels.com

Working in collaboration with North Yorkshire Police were other agencies including, RSPCA Operation Seabird, and the Crown Prosecution Service. Enabled a successful partnership that achieved the desired result for all involved. 

Geoff Edmond, RSPCA Inspectorate National Wildlife Coordinator, said,

“This was clearly unacceptable behaviour, and combined determination to investigate the dolphin disturbance, in this case, has been achieved with the help from the members of the public who witnessed this incident and who were themselves very concerned about what they saw taking place.”

The successful outcome in North Yorkshire, however, is not something that has been reflected throughout England and Wales. In New Quay Bay, West Wales within Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation, the bottlenose dolphin population are under considerable threat from speed/motorboats.  Research revealed earlier this year that eighteen to twenty-nine percent of recreational vessels have been ignoring the voluntary code of conduct in place to protect marine mammals. The impact of boat traffic on bottlenose dolphins can include death, injury, breeding success, and behaviour changes, for instance, increasing diving intervals.

Historically this case is significantly important because it is the first time that someone has been prosecuted for distressing dolphins. It sets a positive precedent and deterrent. 

Image Description – Bottlenose dolphin pod Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Pexels.com

VIEWING NATURE & THE ENVIRONMENT FROM ALL ANGLES