Report Badger Crime!

 

Foxes and AIV

 

As if to emphasise what I have been trying to warn people about, and one reason why we carry out the post mortems on dead foxes, it is confirmed that Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) is now being isolated from some foxes.  So the University involved is reviewing its health and safety routine regarding fox PMs re zoonotic risks (as it has re. Badger Pms and Bovine TB).  Some post mortems may still be possible with some mitigations

Dead birds are a free meal to foxes and it was only a matter of time before this happened; the risk is bird to fox to humans.

The other crossing over we have been waiting to find (thankfully not yet) is covid in foxes. Again, the risk is fox to human through close contact.

This is serious advice: feed any fox at a distance and DO NOT hand feed or try to coax a fox into your home. This is not a joke. If you use a bowl to feed a fox (or badger) clean it out every day with a disinfectant. If you feed on one spot regularly -do not. Move where you place food nightly.

Foxes are best fed and watched from a distance, as are badgers. If you are a feeder you now have a serious responsibility to make changes to how you interact with foxes and badgers. Keeping AIV isolated to wildlife and not crossing over to humans is extremely important. If AIV spreads throughout UK fox populations that could lead to a cull. We do NOT want that.

Keep any AIV in foxes isolated and do not help to spread it.

Terry Hooper-Scharf

British Fox Study

Pumpkins Kill Hedgehogs

 

Badger Feeding -PLEASE Read

 I am fully aware of Badger feeders just as I am aware of fox feeders.

I have seen photographs and video clips of people opening doors to entice badgers to take food from their hands. You can be as careful as you want but as with a fox being too slow will lose you fingers.

Although badgers and foxes tend to live in a "you don't bother me then I wont bother you" way with each other and domestic cats there can be problems.

Just as foxes are WILD canids so badgers are WILD mustelids and they are NOT "garden pets". With badgers and foxes you must -if you put supplementary food out every few days- leave it away from the house: bringing badgers and foxes to the doorstep is a challenge to house cats which means that you create conflict. Cats will take any opportunity to attack foxes and might not fare so well against a badger (though cats seem to display a sense that foxes they can attack but not badgers).

Social Media "Likes" is not what wildlife are there for. Photograph or video them from a distance but not only might your habituating them to humans lead to problems with neighbours (badgers are protected but I've been involved in a number of cases where neighbours have threatened to "remove" them.

Habituating foxes and badgers to humans makes it far easier to snare or kill them. There are a lot of sick people out there who love doing this for 'fun' and profit selling to taxidermists.

Personally., if it were withing my power I would make it illegal to feed foxes and badgers during summertime when all of their natural prey are out there in abundance and when they kill rats and mice there is less need for poisons to be used. Winter feeding when things are rough, okay, but summer time they do not need feeding up.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider how you interact with badgers.

What to Feed and NOT Feed Hedgehogs (now a Red Listed species)

 From a hedgehog rescue:

don’t feed calciworms. An excess of calcium is just as harmful as a lack.

Dried insects can also cause bowel impactions which are not good for wild animals whatsoever.

Stick to meaty cat or dog food, dry kitten kibble is a good match with their mouth size, with a meat ingredient listed first not cereal. Higher protein in the analysis is best - definitely over 30% and preferably 35 and up.

Plenty of fresh water at all times. Wet food attracts flies and freezes solid in winter, so dry is often better. If cats are a problem, a cat proof feeding station or try one of the few hedgehog specific foods that are safe and relatively nutritious - brambles dry or semi moist, spikes dry (their semi moist contains high levels of sugar which rots teeth leading to death by starvation). Avoid any that have oats, fruit, seeds, nuts, honey, or insects. No bread or water, no fruit or veg.

Local Wildlife News -Face Book Finds it Offensive and against 'community' guidelines

 

Face Book sees this newsletter and my original comments as spam and violating the 'community standards' while sex scammers and conmen as well as supporters of blood sports and more are considered "safe". I may be moving all future content from my group here.

The 'offending item'

Wildlife News (33:22)

Lots About Rivers in this Edition

What a Difference a Day Makes

In the last Wildlife News, we reported that the BS3 Wildlife Group had failed to secure £5,000 to fund Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) to undertake a survey of Colliter's Brook as part of our aim to enhance the stream for human visitors and wildlife.     The very next day, we were informed that 'an anonymous donor' had stumped up the money.    The Colliter's Brook project will therefor go ahead along with the Malago/Pigeonhouse project.      We hope to circulate both reports sometime in the first half of 2023.

Although we'll be carrying news of these projects from time to time on both facebook and in this newsletter, we are also beginning to gather together individuals and organisations that want to help in the actual delivery of the projects over the next six? months.    We already have two quite long lists, but we are happy to make them longer.     Get back to mywildbedminster@virginmedia.com if you would like to know how you might help.     The range of skills that we are likely to need is quite extensive, from litter picking to organising a press conference and recognising otter poo when you see it.

The Butterflies of Manor Woods

Manor Woods Valley (BS13) is a Local Nature Reserve in South Bristol.      It's probably the best kept and surveyed stretch of the Malago.    Attached is their latest butterfly survey, their fourth.     The report says: 'There are 57 resident butterfly species in the UK, several of these have a limited geographical distribution.    There are also 3 migrant species that occur often, but do not establish self-sustaining populations.    38 species have been recorded in the Bristol region since 2014 and reported to the BRERC online database.    Exactly half of these - 19 - including one migrant, Painted Lady, have been recorded in Manor Woods Valley during the butterfly monitoring surveys'.

Not surprisingly, the surveys carried out in BS3/Greater Bedminster suggest very much the same species are to be found.    One difference is that the Brown Argus (a 'blue'!) has not been reported in Bedminster, although a tentative Small Heath (a 'brown') was claimed a year or two ago.     Also, in Bedminster they have identified Small skippers several times, whereas in Manor Woods they have hedged their bets and declared for Small/Essex skippers (Thymelicus sylvestris and Thymelicus lineola).     These are two seperate species, but very hard to tell apart.     I guess too that the balance between the two areas may be different in that woodland species will do well in Manor Woods, but the woodland of BS3 is thin on the ground.    Indeed, a few years ago, BCC judged Bedminster Community Partnership as ranking 14th (ie last) for tree cover amongs the then Neighbourhood Partnerships.

We know that other groups will have been monitoring their space for butterflies and it would be good to receive more reports like the excellent and informative one from the Manor Woods Valley Group.

Monitoring the Wildlife of the Bristol Region

A few species have been well surveyed either nationally or locally over a decade or two, so our understanding of whether or not they are thiving is quite good.    But, many surveys are one offs.     Different methodoligies are used.    So, for many species although we may have a general feeling that species X is declining, expanding, moving from one area to another or whatever, we can't be certain.    It's difficult to be sure whether fluctuations are short-term responses, perhaps to weather, or longer term responses, perhaps to climate.

As we've reported previously, there is a working group in Bristol looking at what reliable information is actually available.    We expect that report before the end of 2022.     The report may also include suggestions about best and more consistent practice in monitoring particular types of wildlife.     Of course, producing suggestions and putting them into operation are two separate things.      We will also have to choose between leaving monitoring to an expanded cohort of professionals funded by taxpayers or training up 'citizen scientists' who will do it for free.      Oh the horror!!      Having to wander around on a sunny day looking for grasshoppers.

River Frome Story Map

Although our main interest in rivers relates to Natural History, their History History can be quite interesting too.    See https://arcg.is/XDvPv for the history of Bristol's second river.

Bristol Folkhouse

Many of you will know the Bristol Folkhouse on Park Street: a long term and well respected adult education centre.    They applied to the recent BCC fund administered by Quartet and unlike BS3 Wildlife Group were successful first time.     They have been awarded £2800 to make their courtyard into a more wildlife friendly space by installing a pond and a sedum roof.     Good luck to the Folkhouse and we look forward to some pictures.

As part of the response, the Folkhouse has been requested to provide a 'safegarding policy' presumably especially in relation to the pond, but it's not clear what this means.     Does anyone else have a 'safeguarding policy' for ponds and sedum roofs that they could share with the Folkhouse.    If so, please send it to Wildlife News and we'll bounce it on.

It would be good to hear about other successful applications to this fund.   What did you get?      How will you use it?     Got any pictures?

Grass Raking in Sea Mills

We used some of our Bristol Health Partnership money (now all gone) to commission a scientific survey of land next to the River Trym in Sea Mills.     Basically, this advised that the council should let the grass grow.     The report was presented to Parks officers and was agreed, provided volunteers could be found to clear away the grass when it was eventually cut back.     See the attached pictures illustrating  the success of this strategy.

Thanks to Nikki Jones for this information.      What's happening in your part of the region?    We know there are lots of good things happening, so don't be shy.     Pick up your trumpet and blow it.

Big Blob Identified in Bristol Region

The neighbourhood wildlife groups began to appear in 2017 with the BS3 Wildlife Group and the following year the first facebook group was established, thanks to Finbar Cullen      It now has over 1500 participants sharing ideas, information and, most important of all, pictures of local wildlife.      The BS4 Wildlife Group followed and soon several other districts had a facebook group.    Our latest map (thanks to Dougal Matthews and Glenn Turner for putting this together) shows that there is now a facebook group operating in everyone of Bristol's postal districts and that the Facebook blob is beginning to invade the surrounding region.    The estimated participation rate is over 5000 and growing.    Has The Blob reached your postcode yet?

Please pass this newsletter on to friends and neighbours and invite them to join the circulation group.    Let me know if you want to drop out.

My added comments

Hi, Ben,

Hope you are doing well.

Ahh, leave it up to volunteers and "citizen scientists" 🙂 I've been doing fox, wildcat, badger and wildlife advisory work for free since 1976 and the one thing I've found is that people will not even report dead foxes or badgers but that might be because Bristol, like most places, is not interested in the carnivorous mammals -pretty deer, birds and butterflies.

I started monitoring wildlife in Ashton Vale when I moved her in 1994 and found that no one was really interested (I had to deal with adders and such not to mention sick and injured birds by myself). It would be nice if each area had 2-3 people dedicated to helping injured wildlife but I think in 20 years (doubt I'll be around) we'll still see the same situation. For many its a hobby or being part of a social group. Few are willing to deal with the blood, broken wings etc.

I'd really like to see wildlife groups liaising more because I've accumulated far more information on Bristol badgers (not info for release) and foxes than you can find online. Basically you cannot expect people to do what you would like but you often hope to find people with dedication!

Cheers

Terry

Be Tick Aware!