BBC ᠰᠡᠳᠬᠦᠯ ᠤᠨ 5 ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ ᠶᠢᠨ ᠳ᠋ᠤᠭᠠᠷ᠂ ᠵᠡᠷᠯᠢᠭ ᠠᠮᠢᠲᠠᠨ Wildlife - May 2019.pdf

SE E THE U N S EEN CL C O M PANION T H E FR EED O M TO E X P E R I E N C E MOR E BY AP POINT M EN T TO HE R M A JE S T Y Q U EEN EL IZ A B E T H II SW A ROV SKI OP TIK S UP PLIE R OF BI N OCUL AR S Vo l u m e 3 7 N u m b e r 0 6 “W h y I u s e d to re a d p o e tr y to hor s e c h e s tn u ts .” B en jamin Z ep haniah RE ADER HOLID AY Join us on a wildlif e cruis e in Bur gundy TO O M A N Y H U M A N S ? H O W C A N W E STO P P E O P L E R U IN IN G T H E W O R L D ? WIN A r u c k s a c k f u ll o f t r a v e l c lo t h e s wo r t h £ 8 2 0 ! COUNT Y DURHAM A biodiv er se hea ven among the pits and limes tone quarries C a n y o u g u e s s t h e w o r l d ’s m o st t r a ck e d a n i m a l? ST R A N G E B U T T R U E Queen of THE REAL -LIFE PA D D I N G T O N Ho w P eru ’s be ar s sur viv e their har sh en vir onment Th e s to ry o f N oo r, I nd ia ’s ce leb ri ty ca t  -)/ %%% $)/0. )/ b ea r J o ã o M a r cos R osa ; b u t te r fl y : C h r s R o b b n s / A a my João Mar c o s R o s a Sh eena H arv e y Edi t o r M e e t th e A n d e a n b e a rs th a t ro a m th e pa ra m os a n d p u n a s of So u th A m e rica . Find out mor e on p18 . Q A dv ertising neil.llo yd@immediat e .c o .uk; 011 7 300 82 7 6 QSub s criptions bbc wildlif e@buy sub s criptions .c om; 0 3330 1 62 121 QE dit orial enquirie s wildlif emag azine@immediat e .c o .uk; 011 7 300 8 5 7 0 QS yndic ation emma.brunt@immediat e .c o .uk; 011 7 300 8 9 7 9 S a v e w h en y o u s ubs cribe! S ee pa g e 2 6 CO NTENTS FEA TURES WILD NE W S 18 Th e r e al - lif e P a d din gt o n W e tr ack do wn the Ande an be ar , which, unlik e it s lit er ar y c ousin, relie s on mor e than marmalade to sur viv e in har sh, high-altitude habit at s 28 Is fr ee will uni qu e t o h umans ? Ar e w e superior in our abilit y to c ontr ol our ur g e s , or c an other cr e atur e s mak e rational choic e s , too? 3 2 Co un ty Dur ham Dis c o ver ho w a former mining and quarr ying ar e a has been re s tor ed to a p ar adis e o f wildlif e gr as slands 38 M o s t tr a c k ed animal O n c e tw o -a -p e n n y, w h y e e ls h a ve to d a y b e c o m e a th re e -b illio n -d o lla r delic ac y, shipped to A sia’ s kit chens 49 N e w s The judg ement on failur e s to as s e s s imp act o f b adg er cull on other wildlif e 51 Co nserv a ti o n r epo rt Fe w er than 50 A siatic cheet ahs s till sur viv e in Ir an 53 M ee t th e sci en tis t E nt omologis t Andr e w S alisbur y on dis c o vering a w eb spinner c olon y at the RHS Gar den W isle y 55 Tru th o r cti o n ? Do g o rilla s h av e fu n e ra ls ? 57 Mar k Carw ar din e Should c ons er vation gr oup s join for c e s? 4 BB C W ildlif e Ma y 2 01 9 58 N e w s : t oo man y h umans ? E xponential population gr o w th is pushing wildlif e t o the brink – but what c an be done? 62 R obert Ma cf ar lan e The be s ts elling writ er tells us about the ‘w oodwide w eb’ , wildlif e c amp aigning and wh y w e need natur e writing mor e than e ver 68 P h o t o s t o ry : ti g er s L e arn about be autiful tigr e s s Noor – hunt er , fight er and r eigning matriar ch o f India’ s R anthambhor e National P ark K e e p u p to d a te w ith th e b ig n a tu re st o ries a n d la test w ild life d is c o ve ries WIN u p to £ 8 2 0 w o rth o f tra ve l ge a r fr om R ohan. Pa g e 5 6 CO V E R S TO R Y CO V E R S TO R Y CO V E R S TO R Y CO V E R S TO R Y OU R W I L D WO R L D RE G ULAR S 93 Q blackhall r ock s: Bob Gibbons/FLP A; tig er s: Andy R ous e eel: Nick Upt on; Z ephaniah: Philip F ormb y; illus tr ation b y P et er D a vid S c ott ￿￿ WIL DMO NTH S e v en e ss en tial wil dlif e e v en ts t o en jo y this m o n th, c o m p il ed b y B en H oar e . Dav i d K j a e r F lame shoulder , sallow kitten, powdered quaker… M ay ’s moths write a special kind of poetry with their names. In looks, though, few can hold a candle to the emperor , Britain ’s only representative of the silk moth family , S aturniidae, which in the tropics includes bird-sized giants. The wings of this large, spring beauty sport two pairs of ‘eye spots ’ reminiscent of the roundels on old RAF aircraf t. P erhaps, like those of the peacock butterfly , they startle or intimidate predators. When a male moth opens its hind wings, there is also a startling flash of bright orange. Emperor moths are widespread and not especially scarce but, to glimpse one, your best bet is to stroll across a heath, moor or another sandy , scrubby habitat in fine spring sunshine. M ale emperors fly by day – and strongly , too – so, at first, you might think you ’ve spotted a butterfly . B y contrast, the ‘empresses ’ emerge af ter dark. N either sex has mouthparts, meaning their time in this world is limited – they meet, mate, then die. M oths are fascinating and interest in them is growing. Later this year , B utterfly C onservation publishes the first atlas of moths in Britain and Ireland, based on over 25 million records submitted by enthusiasts. FIND OUT MORE L e arn about moths at ukmoths .or g.uk and butt erfly -c ons er v ation. or g/ moths . 1 | EMPER OR MO TH D a y an d ni gh t ONLINE NA TURAL HIS T ORIE S St ep int o the w orld o f mo ths . WILD MA Y Ma y 2 01 98 BB C W ildlif e WILD MA Y Iris was the Ancient G reek goddess of the rainbow , tasked with carrying messages for the other gods. Though the Balkans are rich in irises, only two are native to the British Isles, of which the glorious yellow flag is the most abundant by far . From M ay to A ugust, its flowers glow in ponds, canals and anywhere marshy , the length and breadth of the country . Dense iris beds of fer valuable shelter in the shallows to species such as moorhens and water voles, help control floods and act as a giant filter , improving water quality . FIND OUT MORE Dis c o ver w etlands: ww t.or g.uk 3 | YELL O W FLA G IRIS G o ld en w o n d er M ermaid ’s purses are beachcombing gold in autumn and, for many of the sharks and skates that produce these leathery egg cases, spring is the breeding season. The undulate ray is a beautifully marked species found along English Channel coasts, reaching 90cm long from snout to tail-tip. On certain beaches – in Dorset and H ampshire, for example – you stand a chance of seeing one in water that is only a couple of metres deep. C onservation action has led to a dramatic recovery in the species ’ numbers, though it remains Endangered. GET INV OL VED To log sighting s visit undulat er a y.uk 2 | UNDULA TE RA Y R a y o f h o pe Ray : M a t t Do g g e t t ; i r i s : Dav i d C h a p m a n ; h e d g e h o g : L a u r i e C a m p b e l l ONLINE THE E S S AY Fiv e epis ode s on the me aning o f flo w er s . WILD MA Y Aristotle thought that hedgehogs mated belly to belly , with the female standing upright. It was a reasonable assumption, given the insectivores ’ upper body is covered in around 5,000 spines (and, to be fair , Aristotle correctly recognised these as a form of hair). In fact, the old joke about hedgehogs mating carefully is fairly accurate. It is preceded by long bouts of huf fing and grunting, and a nose-to-tail chase that hedgehog expert P at M orris describes as “singularly lacking in apparent af fection ”. Lucky garden owners can hear the performance on warm evenings from M ay onwards. G E T IN V O LV E D Hedg ehog A w ar ene s s W eek is 5– 11 Ma y: britishhedg ehog s.or g.uk 4 | HEDGEHOG Sp iky a air ONLINE NA TURE P aul E v ans in ve s tig at e s hedg ehog decline s . Ma y 2 01 910 BB C W ildlif e WILD MA Y G reen grow the rushes, O! This much- loved folk song ’s refrain is an apt description of these plants, which we seldom give a second glance. Yet great wood-rush, as its name suggests, is hardly inconspicuous. Its flat, strap-like leaves spread into impressive patches in damp woods, and stay verdant all year , so gardeners plant it for winter interest in shady areas. In M ay and June, each clump sends up masses of delicate brown flowers on tall, many- branched sprays called panicles. FIND OUT MORE L e arn about British flor a: plantlif e.or g.uk 5 | GREA T W OOD-R U SH L ush rush It ’s of ficial – 2019 is Year of the F ly. W ith about 7,000 species in the UK, in every conceivable habitat, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to Diptera (the order ’s name means ‘two wings ’). To see this handsome example, simply head to a nice, fresh cowpat: you won ’t have to wait long. V irtually the entire insect is the colour of English mustard, except for its eyes and wings, which are chestnut-brown. The adults are fierce predators – just look at those mantis-like front legs – but the larvae munch dung. FIND OUT MORE L e arn about in vert ebr at e s: buglif e.or g.uk 7 | Y E L L O W D U N G F LY Dun g d eal Tu r t l e d o v e : O l i v e r S m a r t ; w o o d - r u s h : L a u r i e C a m p b e l l ; fl y : L e s G i b b o n 6 | T U R T L E D O V E S o un d o f s umm er ONLINE THE LIFE S CIENTIFIC Fly e xper t E ric a Mc Alis ter . ON RADIO TWEET OF THE D AY W eek da y s at 05 .58 The gentle, ventriloquial ‘turr turr ’ of a turtle dove, coming from deep inside a hawthorn tree or hedgerow , was until recently a classic sound of the countryside. S adly , within a human generation, this summer migrant has almost disappeared from Britain, due largely to hunting in the M editerranean and the loss of weedy fields. Today , the turtle dove just about retains a toehold in south-east England and East Anglia. Its hypnotic call features in a new track of birdsong, Let Nature S ing , that celebrates nature ’s dawn chorus choir . GET INV OL VED Lis ten at rspb .or g. uk/letnatur esing Spe ct a cu lar Na tu r al En co unter s b y D ay, So u l -Sa tis fyin g Ind u l g en ces b y Ni g h t dventur es ® W orldwide Vacation Destinations s u135 Cocos Isl and, Cost a Ri c a u135 Cub a u135 d jibouti u135 pagos u135 Ha w aii u135 Indonesia u135 M ald ives u135 Me xi co u135 UDAN u135 Sri L ank a u135 Thail and u135 Turk s w o o d s : I a n D a g n a l l / A l a m y Ma y 2 01 9 13BB C W ildlif e WILDLIFE W AT CHING In his s eri e s o f gr ea t p la c e s to w a tc h wil dlif e in th e UK, th e s tar o f BBC On e ’s Th e On e Sho w this m o n th hi ghli gh ts th e rar e s peci e s tha t li v e wi thin Bri tain ’s dam p an d h umi d A tlan ti c oak w oodlan ds . MIKE D IL GER ’S T he impact of the mighty G ulf Stream on Britain ’s climate, our natural habitats and the wildlife they contain, is hard to overestimate. Originating in the G ulf of M exico, before finally lapping on our western shores (as the N orth Atlantic Drif t), this long-distance ocean current ef fectively operates as a conveyor belt, delivering warm C aribbean water north-eastwards across the Atlantic. Thought to elevate Britain ’s winter temperatures by about 5°C, the current ’s influence is the sole reason, for example, why palm trees thrive in west Scotland, while at similar latitudes across the Atlantic, polar bears survive in sub-zero temperatures. H owever , the G ulf Stream ’s ef fects are not just responsible for our mild w in ters – th e accom p an yin g sou th -w esterly winds are famously moist, too. W ith western Britain the first port of call for any rain- laden clouds driven ashore, this explains why Borrowdale, in Cumbria, averages over 3m of rain a year , while the village of St Osyth, at the epicentre of the east coast ’s rain-shadow in Essex, averages only about 50cm. Following the glacial retreat af ter the last ice age, these mild and moist conditions along Britain ’s C eltic fringe created the perfect growing conditions for a special category of magical forest to form and then thrive. Once peppering the entire Atlantic fringe from southern N orway to P ortugal, much of the middle British and Irish section disappeared at the hand of prehistoric man, but pockets of this ‘C eltic rainforest ’ can still be tracked down, if you know where to look. Dominated by sessile oak, with a supporting cast of birch, the understorey of these damp and humid woodlands OA K W O O D S IN MA Y P ayin g a visit to Bo rro wd a le ? Ex p e c t s h o w e rs , ev e n in s u m m e r. C la m b e r u n d e r th e lichen-and-mo ss- cove re d b o u g h s o f th e a n cie n t a n d e e rie W istm a n ’s W o o d in th e he art o f D artmoor . Ma y 2 01 914 BB C W ildlif e is frequently open and characterised by a lush layer of ferns, mosses and lichens that creep across the woodland floor and up the gnarled tree trunks. While these temperate ‘rainforests ’ may initially have a remote, wild and untouched feel, humans have lef t their mark. The more-accessible forests have historically been heavily exploited for timber and firewood, while their understorey has been grazed by livestock for generations. Thought to consist of not much more than 83,000ha across western Britain, a number of the remaining fragments have also suf fered the indignity of being ‘polluted ’ by fast-growing conifers. A dditionally , the aggressive invasion of rhododendrons, which escaped from large V ictorian gardens nearby , has also seen the understorey simply blotted out, to the obvious detriment of lower plant life. C ertainly , in spring, many birders will make an annual pilgrimage to these Atlantic oak woods to catch up with redstarts, wood warblers and pied flycatchers. C ollectively nicknamed ‘the western trio ’, these summer visitors from sub-S aharan Africa are so called because of their distinct preference for mature woodland habitat in the rainier , western half of Britain. B ut, of course, to the well-rounded naturalist, these woods are about much more than just birds, with the bluebell and lichen displays frequently world-class across this fine month. R eds tart Similar in siz e t o a r obin, but slimmer , with long er wing s and t ail, the bright or ang e-r ed che s t, rump and t ail o f a spring male pr o ve s a s triking c ontr as t to it s black f ac e and thr o at . Oft en f ound in the slightly mor e open ar e as , their short , s trident w arble fr equently kick s o the da wn chorus . W ood w arb ler L ar g er and long er wing ed than the willo w w arbler , with a bright yello w thr o at , upper br e as t and super cillium, this bus y bir d mo ve s with gr e at agilit y among s t the br anche s . P o s s e s sing tw o quit e dis tinct s ong s , the ‘spinning c oin on a marble slab’ v er sion, with it s shiv ering and ac c eler ating trill, onc e he ar d, is ne ver f or g ott en. P ied y c a tc h er Smaller and plumper than hous e sp arr o w s , the male s ar e indeed black -and- whit e pied ( belo w le ft ), while the female s ar e mor e w ashed- out v er sions . D e spit e the UK population o f ‘pied flie s’ ha ving f allen b y jus t under 50 per c ent in 25 y e ar s , their lo ve o f ne s tbo xe s has helped boo s t number s wher e a short ag e o f natur al ne s t hole s e xis ts . Blu ebells R epr e s enting the glor y o f man y w oodlands in spring, sur ely this plant needs no intr oduction.