Badger monitoring surveys

April 19th, 2012

UES are currently completing badger monitoring surveys of a site in Barnton, Northwich using remote wildlife cameras. Remote cameras are ideal for badger monitoring surveys allowing you to set it up onsite and return later to collect your images. Remote cameras can be set to take pictures or videos regularly with the time lapse facility, or when it is triggered by an animal moving into the field of view. Either way, it gives a remarkable insight into the wildlife in the vicinity.

Now is a great time to undertake a badger monitoring survey as cubs start emerging from their sett in April or early May, which gives them all of spring, summer and autumn to feed, grow, and put on sufficient fat reserves to see them through their first winter.

Find out more information here.

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Ancient woodland indicators

April 13th, 2012

Bedford Purlieus National Nature Reserve (NNR) in the Soke of Peterborough, is home to more plant and insect species than most other woods in the country. During a recent visit to the NNR we observed a number of ancient woodland indicators; Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), Primrose (Primula vulgaris), Wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa), Common dog-violet (Viola riviniana), Early dog-violet (Viola reichenbachiana), Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) and Stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus).

Ancient woodland indicators (AWIs) are species that are usually more common in ancient woodland than in more recent sites. They are most commonly vascular plants, although they have been identified in other plant and animal groups (e.g lichens, invertebrates).

Indicator species are often chosen for the following characteristics; poor dispersal ability, short-lived seed banks, poor ability to compete with more generalist species in sunlight, an adaptation to deep shade and low nutrients, and reliance upon vegetative propagation via rhizomes, stolons or suckers.

Further examples of AWI plants include:

  • Yellow archangel
  • Wild strawberry
  • Dog’s mercury
  • Herb paris
  • Wood spurge
  • Wood forget me not
  • Red helleborine
  • Green hellebore

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Great crested newt pond scoping surveys in Cronton, Merseyside.

April 4th, 2012

Our surveyors have visited a site to assess the ponds prior to carrying out great crested newt surveys in Cronton Merseyside. The ponds look good but we definitely picked the wrong day to do it… its FREEZING!! and very windy.
Warm cup of coffee on our return was most welcome.

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Bat Survey Guidelines 2nd Edition have been released for download!

March 30th, 2012

The new bat survey guidelines have been released for download from the BCT website or a printed version can be purchased from the NHBS store.

The new guidelines are an update to the previous document which was released in 2007.

New chapters include:

  • Pre planning considerations
  • Equipment and techniques
  • Assessing survey reports
  • Long term surveys for larger infrastructure projects
  • Surveying for wind farms
  • Interpreting results

We are pleased that the guidelines are out in time for the start of the bat season, and the team are busily studying the document to make sure that our 2012 surveys are carried out to the new guidelines.

Links to the new document on the BCT website are below.

http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/batsurveyguide.html

 

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Its the great crested newt survey season and they’re back in the ponds making egg folds already !!

March 20th, 2012

Our great crested newt survey season has started and we have already had positive results in the ponds that we are monitoring and in ponds that we are surveying for the first time.

A number of the ponds which we survey as part of our annual monitoring cycle have a number of great crested newt egg folds present, mainly on water forget me nots and willow-herb. This is relatively early in the great crested newt breeding season and it is possible that newts have been active early this year due to the mild winter.

Male great crested newt

Male great crested newt

It is particularly encouraging to find good numbers of great crested newts in ponds which we have actively managed over the last couple of years. The removal of willow trees which have encroached the ponds and the opening up of the pond banks are simple measures which have produced good results.

Female great crested newt

Female great crested newt

It will be interesting to see how great crested newt activity progresses in the ponds as the season goes on, and we hope to see an increase in the maximum numbers of great crested newts in the ponds and also an increase in amphibian activity in general.

 

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Lesser Horseshoe bats found roosting in Cheshire

January 30th, 2012

 

Toby and Stewart were out with the Cheshire Bat Group on Sunday when the group found the first confirmed Lesser Horseshoe Bat roost in Cheshire for a number of years.

The group found a single bat free hanging in a cave during part of the regular annual round of monitoring surveys. A subsequent search of a nearby cave found a further single lesser horseshoe bat roosting.

All in all a good days work for the group and good find for Ged Ryan who spotted the first bat.

Keep an eye on the groups facebook page for more info.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheshire-Bat-Group/286189644750950

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Dancing Herring Gull

January 13th, 2012

Worms will instinctively rise to the surface during heavy rain to avoid drowning in their underground burrows. The sound of heavy rainfall, or the vibration caused by the rain hitting the surface are mimicked by the gull’s ‘dance’. When they rise to the surface it’s an easy meal for the gull.

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Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey & Code for Sustainable Homes in Wirral, Merseyside

January 9th, 2012

UES have recently been commissioned to complete Extended Phase 1 Habitat Surveys and Code for Sustainable Homes: Category 9 (Ecology) assessments for 7 sites in Wirral, Merseyside for Wirral Partnership Homes.

Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes. The Code aims to reduce our carbon emissions and create homes that are more sustainable. The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against nine categories:

  1. Energy and carbon dioxide
  2. Water
  3. Materials
  4. Surface water runoff
  5. Waste
  6. Pollution
  7. Health and well-being
  8. Management
  9. Ecology

A total of 9 credits are available in Category 9 (Ecology), representing 12% of the points contribution in total. The approximate weighted value of each ecological credit is 1.33, second only to that of Category 2 (Water) at 1.50. The aim of Category 9 is to:

  • promote development on land that already has a limited value to wildlife, and discourage the development of ecologically valuable sites.
  • enhance the ecological value of a site.
  • promote the protection of existing ecological features from substantial damage during the clearing of the site and the completion of construction works.
  • minimise reductions and promote an improvement in ecological value.
  • promote the most efficient use of a building’s footprint by ensuring that land and material use is optimised across the development.

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Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute

January 9th, 2012

Mike Crabtree, our landscape architect, is a chartered member of the Landscape Institute (LI). The LI is the Royal Chartered body for landscape architects and promotes professional development to ensure landscape architects deliver the highest standards of practice.

Chartered membership of the Landscape Institute is an internationally recognised badge of excellence, formally recognising a member’s technical and professional competence as a landscape architect in the UK.

Landscape design is an important part of any development project and has a major impact on the final appearance of a project as a whole. Good landscape design can improve the working or living environment for people using the area and landscape design can also help to improve the quality of habitats for local species of wildlife.

Examples of landscape design by United Environmental Services Ltd:

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A hedgehog at Warrington hedgehog rescue gets some TLC and a good scratch!

December 22nd, 2011

This is an injured hedgehog which is being cared for by Virginia at Warrington Hedgehog Rescue. The hog is called Bridget and is a permanent resident as she has injuries which cannot heal. Bridget came in to the centre in a terrible state and took a log time to recover from her injuries and infections. She has lost one of her eyes and has a permanently broken back leg which will never heal. Despite all of this she is a very happy hog, and that is down to the care and attention she has received from Virginia and her team of volunteers at Warrington Hedgehog Rescue.

The centre always needs willing volunteers to help with looking after the injured hogs and donations of cash to buy supplies or dog food (no fish flavours!) are always welcome.

A link to the site is below, get in touch any amount of help will be gratefully received.

https://sites.google.com/site/warringtonhedgehogrescue/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Warrington-Hedgehog-Rescue/172294019452978

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