Shades of Black (Grouse) - 16 November 2022

Following last year's talk on his research into the life of the urban and rural red fox, Dr Carl Soulsbury gave the group a second fascinating account of another area he is studying, namely the world of the black grouse, and the impact of human activity on the species.

Black grouse are still widespread throughout northern Europe. Dr Soulsbury had spent time in Finland where there is a  sizable population. His research is focusing on attempting to unravel the evolutionary strategy of the species, especially concerning the lek, where male birds, often in significant numbers, gather together for breeding rituals, resulting apparently in only a small number of dominant males securing a mate.

Survival is fraught with problems – predation of adults by goshawks, and at the nest by pine martens, high mortality among chicks , and the reliance on specific snow conditions to enable over wintering - these are all factors underlying the decline of the species, including sadly the impact of human activity. It was a most interesting evening.

Nature Reserves from the Air – 18 October 2022

“Landscape Amnesia” is the latest buzzword said Dave Bromwich to the Gainsborough Area Group of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Dave is Head of Reserves at the Trust, overseeing their 99 reserves. Drawing on his vast experience and illustrated with photos taken on an aerial tour of those reserves, as well as later drone footage, Dave outlined not just the history and ecological interest of the sites, but also the challenges of managing them. Decisions about their future could be controversial, and the views of his audience were sought.

In essence, many reserves were acquired as last ditch attempts to conserve surviving remnants of landscapes, being destroyed by arable farming, industrial and/or housing developments. These disappearing landscapes, peat bogs, heathland, freshwater marsh or wildflower meadows had supported biodiversity, now greatly reduced nationally and vanishing from Lincolnshire.

Citing Professor Lawton's mantra that reserves need to be 'bigger, better, and more joined up', the Trust had opportunities to do all three, but as his photos showed, some reserves were too isolated, too small, or degrading through encroaching scrub and trees. Should such reserves be sold? (The Lawton review of 2010 looked at how to help nature thrive.)

Other coastal and estuarine reserves, particularly on the Humber Bank are at risk from flooding or erosion. Should they be protected at vast cost?  Opportunities to recreate vanishing landcapes were however also occurring on the East Coast to link up large areas and recreate coastal marshes.

At Snipe Dales, the reserve was to be rewilded with dogwalking only permitted on the Country Park area.  At Willow Tree Fen, public access was restricted, to protect the cranes who have returned to nest after four hundred years – they are extremely sensitive to human disturbance.

As a representative of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, Dave sought the views of the audience on what were often controversial decisions, it was a most stimulating and enjoyable evening.

Fungus Foray – 2 October 2022

The sun was shining on 2nd October when a large group met our guide, Vicky Buckberry, (Senior Education Officer at Whisby Nature Park) at Kettlethorpe for a Fungus Foray. Vicky describes herself as an enthusiast rather than an expert and her enthusiasm soon spread across the group - young and old eagerly searching out a fascinating array of fungi.

Vicky happily described and discussed the collected specimens over the next four hours as we wandered through woodlands. Vicky urged caution when considering identification of edible species, since texture, smell, as well as more obvious physical features are important when differentiating species. Thank you, Vicky, for a lovely day sharing your knowledge so generously.

Thank you also Rodge and Alison Brownlow for hosting the event in your woods – for the welcome refreshments and also for sharing the results of an overnight moth trap exercise with us.

A History of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust – 21 September 2022

Rachel Shaw who is our Senior Communications Officer focussed on the Pioneer Conservationist, Ted Smith, who in the 1940's founded the 'Lincolnshire Naturalists' Trust' when still only in his twenties.  Growing up in Alford, Ted Smith (1920-2015) had taken a keen interest in local wildlife from childhood, cycling to Gibraltar Point from his home.

By the end of the Second World war, the development of the countryside and a rising population were having an increasingly adverse impact on both landscape and wildlife. It was Lincolnshire's Ted Smith who had a vision and began the development of formal organisations to actively protect key sites for nature conservation.

In his 1915 List, Sir Charles Rothschild had foreseen the need to protect such sites, he included Lincolnshire's Gibraltar Point, Scotton Common, and Huttoft.

Gibraltar Point, especially dear to Ted Smith's heart, was a priority and from 1947 he promoted access for all in contrast to the earlier more elitist approach. The Bird Observatory had been launched in 1947, and a management agreement with the County Council followed, as the Lincolnshire Trust for Conservation was set up. In 1950 Friskney Decoy Wood was given to the new Trust and in 1953 Scotton Common was bought for £400, a surviving fragment of what had been a vast expanse of heathland, still hosting hen harriers, stone curlew, and black grouse into the early twentieth century.

Rachel's slides outlined how approaches to nature conservation have evolved. Gradually many more reserves have been acquired, roadside verges management promoted, with a focus on bringing back biodiversity to sites such as Roberts Field. This was a conifer plantation when first leased in 1991 but now restored into a more diverse grassland habitat. Wildlife Trusts also now try to connect wildlife friendly sites wherever possible.

Ted Smith himself remained a well-respected elder statesman of the Wildlife Trust movement until his death in 2015. A truly remarkable man. Thank you, Rachel, for a very interesting evening.

Details of forthcoming events organised by the Gainsborough Area Group can be found on our What's On pages.