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    Worrying declines in adder populations

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    Eleven years of monitoring adder populations has provided evidence of what many ecologists have sensed for a long time - that one of our iconic reptiles, the adder is in serious decline. 

    The study showed that 90% of adder populations were small and declining with only 10 having large populations that were healthy.  Worryingly, there is a danger that in 10-20 years, the adder populations would become increasingly fragmented and isolated and this could lead to a serious risk of extinction.

    The risks to adders are multiple - they are in danger from mechanical cutting of vegetation and overgrazing which reduced the cover they need.  Adders often hibernate together and are site-faithful, returning to the same hibernation site year after year - this can make them vulnerable to the loss of such sites and potentially the loss of a whole adder population at the same time.

    In my view, there is an urgent need to increase the protection conferred to adders, which at the moment receive limited protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

    The monitoring study was undertaken by the Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK (ARG UK) through the ‘Make the Adder Count’ project, a citizen science survey to monitor adder populations across the UK, and published in association with Reading University. 
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    The full research article, published with open access by the British Herpetological Society, can be found at https://www.thebhs.org/publications/the-herpetological-journal/volume-29-number-1-january-2019
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    March on with the ecology surveys

    Ecology Survey huckle-ecology-blog-views-news-and-updates Protected Species
    Little Ouse headwaters between Redgrave and Hinderclay

    Misty morning in Redgrave, Suffolk

    Somehow, all of a sudden, January has passed effortlessly into February, which in turn has morphed into March, which can only mean that ecology surveys will start to pick up in frequency.

    It has been a bit of an odd winter - the mildness has been noticeable, with a few frosts but relatively little snowfall in our little corner of rural Suffolk.  At this time last year, we were getting blasted by the 'Beast from the East' which had a noticeable effect on delaying spring for much of our wildlife.

    At Huckle Ecology, the winter has been busy.... there have been a steady flow of preliminary ecological assessments, usually to inform planning applications. These include an extended Phase 1 Habitat survey, and aim to identify the potential ecological constraints and whether more detailed surveys for protected species such as bats, reptiles and great crested newts are required.  In addition, we have had wintering bird surveys to complete, involving surveys of an area to identify the use of that land by birds during winter.

    But now, attention turns to spring and at the end of March, the first breeding bird surveys are already in the schedule.  Many species are already actively seeking nest sites at the moment, and fully engaged in courtship and territorial behaviour - evidenced in our garden by the toing and froing of at least 4 male blackbirds all competing for our patch of choice shrubbery!