BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #10

WILDNEWS By J P

STUART BLACKMAN,
JAMES FAIR, HELEN
PILCHER, NIKI RUST,
SIMON BIRCH
and O RICE



KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE WITH HE BIG NATURE STORIES
T




Clownfish Amphiprion
ocellaris signal their host
anemone’s danger. Inset,
below: A. ephippium’s warning
coloration is not compromised
with camouflaging stripes.









































EVOLUTION
Whatisitthatmakesclownssoscary?



Clownish colours warn of danger – but it’s not the ish that predators are meant to fear.


emo, the cartoon clownfish that lost who led the work. And now he has an clownfish species sporting more white
N its way, is not the most intimidating answer. Working with Jennifer Kelley of stripes, which Merilaita and Kelley
of characters. And yet new research has The University of Western Australia, he believe is more to do with camouflage
found clownfish colours evolved, in part, has found a correlation between the colour among the tentacles. But what of the
to instil fear into predators. But these are patterns of the fish and the potency of classic Nemo clownfish look, with
warning colours with a big difference. venom deployed by their hosts. The more both bright colours and white stripes?
Clownfish are famous for the intimate dangerous the anemone, the brighter Merilaita says it may be a compromise
relationships they form with sea anemones. the clownfish’s colours. The fish are between camouflage and threat.
Top: Reinhard Dirscherl/FLPA; bottom: Georgette Douwma/naturepl.com
They seek protection among anemone palatable: it’s the host anemone that the “The balance is between avoidance of
tentacles, apparently immune to stings, fish are warning predators about. “We detection by predators at long range and
and in return they aerate their hosts do not know of any other warning of the toxicity of the host at a
and fertilise them with nutrients. The animal groups that closer range.” Nemo, it seems, would
30-odd clownfish species specialise in might advertise a rather not be found. But should he
partnering different species of anemone defence possessed be spotted, his message is clear:
and come in a wide range of bright by another “Get lost!” SB
colours and white stripes. species,” write
“I’ve had the question about the the biologists. FIND OUT MORE
function of their peculiar coloration in Less venomous Journal of Evolutionary Biology:
my head for a long while,” says Sami anemones host https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
Merilaita of Finland’s University of Turku, less colourful doi/abs/10.1111/jeb.13350






October 2018 BBC Wildlife 51

WILDNEWS



































SUSPICIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Researchers lost track of‘Fred’the golden UNSOLVED KILLING In South Lanarkshire last year an unidentified person was
eagle in mysterious circumstances in 2017.His satellite tag was tracked inexplicably heard firing a shotgun and,shortly afterwards,was seen dumping something in a ditch.
going round the Edinburgh bypass. It stopped transmitting off the coast of Fife Ness. The following day, the police retrieved the body of a short-eared owl.































SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION Last year there were four prosecutions across DOUBLE POISONING The number of incidents of raptor persecution has not
the UK relating to alleged raptor persecution,but only one was successful – that of a decreased in England.Two peregrines were killed in Shropshire in 2017 after feeding
gamekeeper who shot a buzzard on a pheasant shoot in Scotland. on a pigeon carcass laced with pesticide. Police linked the crime to pigeon racing.



WILDLIFE CRIME

Scotland’sraptorpersecutionrates fall


New ‘progressive’ legislation may be responsible for reducing bird crime.


he number of confirmed instances should their gamekeepers break the by gamekeepers, in order to kill raptors.
Tof raptor persecution in Scotland has law. “The Scottish Government is very Known victims in 2017 included
dropped well below the long-term average progressive,” Thomas adds. 22 buzzards, 7 red kites, 3 marsh harriers
in a trend that conservationists say could All birds of prey – raptors – are fully and 1 hen harrier.
be down to new legislation that came into protected under UK law, but many are still But the RSPB also says that these
force there in 2012. deliberately killed every year – a total of 68 figures are just the tip of the iceberg. It
There were five known crimes relating confirmed incidents in 2017, including the believes that bringing in vicarious liability Clockwise from Golden Eagle: Guy Shorrock/RSPB; Ben Andrew/RSPB; Shutterstock/RSPB; Ben Hall/RSPB;
to birds of prey in Scotland in 2017, four examples shown above. – and the licensing of grouse moor estates,
compared with an average of 27 a year over But Thomas believes that ‘vicarious which is currently under consideration in
the past five years, according to the RSPB’s liability’ north of the border has deterred Scotland – would help lower persecution
latest Birdcrime report. In comparison, estates from trying to poison birds of rates in England and Wales as well. JF
there has been no decline in the number prey. “All the police have to do now is
of crimes detected in England. find poison that’s incorrectly stored, FIND OUT MORE The Birdcrime
Mark Thomas, from the RSPB or not legal, and the landowner can be Report: rspb.org.uk/birdcrime
Investigations team, says that under prosecuted,” he points out.
the law of vicarious liability, Scottish The RSPB says that shooting is now the WANT TO COMMENT? Email us at
landowners can be convicted of a crime primary illegal method employed, mainly [email protected]




52 BBC Wildlife October 2018

WILDNEWS






CONSERVATION REPORT RED DATA

BOOK OF
UZBEKISTAN
CentralAsian LISTED


sandcat



This month the spotlight falls on a feline
that is almost impossible to track.




For bumblebees
Wheredoesitlive? Howendangeredisit? it’s goodbye to
Sand cats live in the desert belts Globally the species is of ‘least concern’ neonicotinoids,
hello to new
stretching from north Africa, through but the central Asian subspecies is
pesticide threat.
the Middle East, and up into central thought exceptionally rare. They don’t have
Asia. There are four known subspecies a Red List in Uzbekistan, so it has been
of which the central Asian or Turkestan added to the Red Data book, a government CONSERVATION
sand cat is one. It lives in the Kyzylkum list of endangered animals that gives them
Desert in Uzbekistan. legal protection. New bumblebee
pesticide risk
Whyisitsounique? Whatarethemainthreats?
It’s the only cat to live exclusively in People. Habitat is becoming fragmented
desert habitats and so has a number of by the oil and gas industry. The land is pesticide poised to fill the gap left
distinct, specialised features. It doesn’t also used by sheep herders. Recently a Aby neonicotinoids – banned by the
really need to drink and gets most of its shepherd found a dead lamb and blamed EU earlier this year on the basis of the
moisture from its food sources; mainly sand cats. He destroyed the kittens in a danger they pose to pollinating insects
rodents and reptiles. It has a flat, round nearby den, but as adults weigh about – has been found to have similarly
head with very broad ears, short legs and 2kg it’s unlikely they were to blame. harmful effects on bumblebees.
the undersides of its paws are completely Biologists at Royal Holloway, University
covered in fur. Whatcanbedonetohelpit? of London have found that bumblebee
Left alone they would probably be fine, colonies exposed to Sulfoxaflor, in a
Whyisitsoelusive? so it’s about educating people not to class of pesticides called sulfoximines,
Its unusual paws, which are thought persecute them. Scientifically, little is produce significantly fewer workers and
to help it dig rapidly for prey, leave known about this amazing animal so reproductive males – an effect similar to
nondescript circular marks in the sand, baseline population surveys are needed. that caused by neonicotinoids.
which make it almost impossible to “We’d like to understand more about
track. It’s shy, nocturnal, lives in burrows ROBERT J BURNSIDE is a conservation why Sulfoxaflor has the effects that it
and, when it does come out, it’s perfectly biologist at the University of East Anglia. does,” says Elli Leadbeater, one of the
camouflaged. If startled, an adult will researchers. “Is it because bumblebee
often run away then stop, sit and blend in FIND OUT MORE The Sand Cat Working larvae that are exposed to the insecticide
with the background. Group: sand-cat.wild-cat.org fail to develop, or because exposed
worker bees are less efficient?”
There’s also the question of whether
the EU’s banning of neonicotinoids was
hasty, in the absence of well-considered
alternatives. “No, I don’t feel that’s
the case,” says Leadbeater. “The EU’s
decision was well considered, based
Sand cat: Robert J Burnside; bee: Chris Gomersall/2020VISION/NPL
on a large body of evidence.”
“Sulfoxaflor has been available in
many non-EU markets for a number of
years,” she says, “so hasn’t appeared as
a result of the EU’s decision, although
that may well make it more attractive
to European markets. What our study
highlights is that the issues surrounding
neonicotinoids are unlikely to be limited
to those particular products.” SB
A rare Central Asian
sand cat photographed FIND OUT MORE Nature: nature.
by Robert Burnside during com/articles/s41586-018-0430-6
his research in Turkestan.


October 2018 BBC Wildlife 53

WILDNEWS








EVOLUTION

Anole lizards in the Some anoles have
larger sticky toe
pads that help
eye of the storm them hang on to
leaves in the face
of a hurricane.
urricanes Irma and Maria were
Hdevastating for the Caribbean,
but presented an opportunity to study
the effects of extreme weather on the
evolutionary process. When storms struck in
2017, biologists led by Harvard University’s
Colin Donihue had just completed a survey
of anole lizards on Pine Cay and Water Cay
islands north of the Caribbean. By repeating
the study after the destruction, they established
how a select few survived the 265kph winds.
“There were definitely fewer lizards,” says
Donihue. “We had to work harder to catch our
sample.” The team wondered whether surviving
animals had features that helped them cling onto
trees. “The sticky toe pads on their fingers and toes,
we thought maybe they would be larger,” says Donihue.
Indeed they were. But the survivors also sported longer than
average forelimbs and shorter hindlimbs compared to the
pre-storm population. Wind-tunnel experiments confirmed
that these characteristics keep anoles anchored (long
hindlimbs, for example, are unhelpful, catching the wind
like a sail). With hurricanes expected to rise in intensity,
anoles may need to get an even tighter grip on things. SB


FIND OUT MORE
Nature: nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0352-3







NEW SPECIES DISCOVERY It’s an honour: IN NUMBERS
the naming of
Squalus clarkae
Genie’s dogish immortalises a 1%
marine biologist.
Squalus clarkae of mountain hares remain in
Scotland’s eastern moorlands
compared with the level recorded
WHAT IS IT? This sleek, green-
more than 60 years ago.
eyed shark has been named
Squalus clarkae after trailblazing
marine biologist Eugenie Clark, 4,000m
who died in 2015 aged 92.“Not just
is the altitude that small birds
the first female shark biologist, she
occasionally reach when
was one of the first people to study
migrating from Europe back to
sharks,” said Toby Daly-Engel, one of
Africa,according to
the scientists behind the discovery.
Swedish researchers.
WHERE IS IT? Genie’s dogfish is a
deep-sea species from the Gulf
of Mexico and western Atlantic, 34
a region that was well known to
chicks fledged across northern
Eugenie Clark, who founded the Mote Anole: Colin Donihue; dogfish: Mar Alliance
Marine Laboratory in Florida. Clark SOURCE Zootaxa England in the most successful
and widely celebrated hen harrier
led expeditions around the world, https://biotaxa.org/
breeding season in recent years.
pioneering the use of submersibles in Zootaxa/article/view/
marine biology and diving to 3.5km SB zootaxa.4444.2.1




54 BBC Wildlife October 2018

8




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knowledge of the islands and their wildlife














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IT’S IN







YOUR HANDS








Bread is surprisingly bad for waterfowl when fed to them

in excess – but luckily there are lots of alternatives that

are good for both animals and the environment


FEEDING BREAD TO the ducks is a fond Bread can also cause harmful
pastime for many of us, reminiscent of changes to the natural ecosystem.
happy childhood trips to the local park. Rotting bread at the bottom of rivers
But did you know that bread actually and lakes allows bacteria to breed,
poses a danger to birds, as well as the spreading disease and attracting rats
environment? Eating it can cause our and other vermin to our waterways.
feathered friends to develop a condition It can result in algal blooms and the
called Angel Wing, which is when too presence of a mould called Aspergillus
much bread makes birds’ feathers grow too, which has the potential to kill
too quickly. This additional weight puts a waterfowl and other wildlife if it gets
strain on their muscles, causing their wings into their lungs.
to twist and drop open, and if not treated But this doesn’t mean we have
fast, they can lose the ability to fly. to stop fun trips to feed the ducks.
“Angel Wing can be remedied if we Giving birds the right food – like
reach birds before it has developed too frozen peas, sweetcorn and lettuce
severely,” says Caroline Simpson, a trustee leaves – is good for both them
of UK charity Swan Lifeline, which has and the environment. So, next
rescued and treated more than 30,000 time you visit your local park,
birds over the last 20 years. “Otherwise take a healthier alternative
the repercussions can be dire – such as with you and do your
amputation of the wing.” Adult swans can bit to protect our
also develop gut and heart disease, so it’s precious wildlife.
important we do our bit to prevent this by
feeding wild birds the right kind of food.



BE A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS
WildThings Swan & Duck Food has launched the ‘Better
than Bread’ campaign to highlight the risks of a calorific
diet to water birds. The campaign advises that there are
much healthier alternatives to bread, such as vegetables and
specially developed feeds. WildThings’ nutritious Swan & Duck
Food is a wholesome option that contains all the vitamins
and minerals wildfowl need and, alongside a balanced diet 10% off
of vegetables, helps to protect our wildlife and ecosystems.
WildThings Swan & Duck Food also floats on the water’s
surface, so birds can enjoy every last bit. Stock up for your your next purchase
next trip to the park with 10% off at Pets Corner stores. of WildThings Swan

& Duck Food at any
Pets Corner store


Valid until 30/09/18



To find out more, visit spikesworld.co.uk/betterthanbread


Customer Terms: This coupon may be used for 10% off your next purchase of WildThings Swan & Duck food at any Pets Corner store. Coupon must be presented at time of purchase, can
only be used once and must be surrendered upon use. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer, promotion or discount. Only original and undamaged coupons are accepted. Void
if altered or tampered with. Not available online. Valid until 30/09/2018.

WILDNEWS






MEET THE SCIENTIST



StephenThackeray




Lake ecologist, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology





Ecologist Stephen Stephen studies
Thackeray reveals the freshwater plankton in his
laboratory. Below: Arctic
efects of ‘underwater charr are impacted by

heatwaves’ on freshwater increasing temperatures.
wildlife and the most
likely cause of the

high temperatures we
experienced throughout

June and July this year.




affodils flowering
in December, oak
trees coming into
leaf in March and
swallows arriving
Dbefore spring should
properly have sprung – we’ve all
noticed changes such as these.
Less well-known is that climate-
change-linked phenomena are also S Windermere’s Arctic oxygen levels. Over the summer,
happening beneath the surface of charr become stressed these had decreased to below 7mg
our lakes and rivers, unheralded. per litre, close to the charr’s limit of
As an example of spring’s now at anything above 15˚C. T 5mg per litre. When it breaks down,
untimely arrival below the water line, the algae also releases toxins that can
Stephen Thackeray, of the Centre for poison livestock, pets and people.
Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), cites Fieldwork for Thackeray and his
how perch in Lake Windermere of salmon and trout. “They become team involves taking water samples,
are spawning earlier. “It’s only a stressed at anything above 15˚C, recording temperatures and oxygen
few days each decade, but if this is so this is far above their thermal levels and analysing levels of
sustained over a long period it can range,” Thackeray explains. They nutrients such as phosphorus. He
be enough to disrupt relationships can dive (to 64m in Windermere) is also trying to devise new ways to
between species.” The appearance of to cool down but the habitat understand these ecosystems using
the perch larvae moves out of sync available to them is reduced. satellite imagery to spot freshwater
with the seasonal proliferation of the The problem is compounded as algal blooms – CEH recently launched
plankton they feed on, leading to warming temperatures also fuel an app, ‘Bloomin’ Algae’ so the public
poorer survival rates. the growth of blue-green algae can join in helping with this.
Thackeray is in little doubt that – cyanobacteria – which sinks to the Biodiversity decline has been more
this is being caused by long-term bottom and decomposes, depleting rapid in freshwater systems than in
changes in our climate, which also terrestrial or marine habitats. “The
probably contributed to the extremity Office for National Statistics (ONS)
of this summer’s prolonged values our freshwater systems at
Stephen: Liz Davidson; arctic charr: Ian Winfield temperatures in July were 2.2˚C anyone is going to find an answer, it’s
£39.5bn,” he says. “But what do the
heatwave. But while provisional
Met Office records suggest air
impacts on them mean for us?” If
most likely to be Thackeray himself.
above the 1981–2010 average, the
surface water in Windermere
James Fair
reached 22˚C, 4˚C higher than the
READ THE PAPER Read Stephen’s
long-term average. This, Thackeray
says, will impact species such as
blog: ceh.ac.uk/news-and-media/
Windermere’s Arctic charr, a relative




BBC Wildlife
October 2018 blogs/stephen-thackeray 57

WILDNEWS









MAMMALS
How zebras didn’t

earn their stripes



ebras may have the coolest pelts on the
Z savannah, but that doesn’t stop them
overheating, according to new research. Their
stripes are as mysterious as they are striking;
about 18 different hypotheses have been put
forward over the years to explain their function
– ranging from camouflage to communication
to optical illusions that deter biting flies or
cause carnivores to mis-time their lunges.
Now, however, biologists from Sweden and
Hungary have narrowed things down, if only
slightly, by ruling out another possibility – that
stripes help keep zebras cool in the sun.
The theory goes that the black stripes heat
up more than the white ones, thus creating
little swirling vortices in the air above
them, which keep air moving across the fur
resulting in a net cooling effect.
To test whether this works in practice,
biologists filled zebra-sized barrels with
water, covered them with zebra, cow and
horse hides of different shades and left them
out in the sun. Unsurprisingly, the water
temperature rose highest under black pelts
and remained cooler under white ones.
Crucially, though, the black-and-white
stripes did not keep the water any cooler
than did uniform grey pelts. SB
The evolutionary
purpose of the
FIND OUT MORE Scientific Reports: www.
zebra’s distinctive
coat remains elusive. nature.com/articles/s41598-018-27637-1







Nature in brief

Cull suspended Breeding success
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) The removal of invasive rats and
suspended a cull of ravens in goats from the Caribbean island
Perthshire on finding it“didn’t of Redonda (see our May 2018
provide robust scientific feature) has yielded spectacular
conclusions”. Alicence was results for its seabirds.The
granted earlier this year to see if island’s frigatebirds and boobies
reducing raven numbers boosted (several species) are having their
wader breeding success. best breeding year on record. Zebra: Den s-Huot/naturep .com; raven: Seppo Hakk nen/Getty; cora : Fab o Bada ament ;



Cooperative corals Penguin peril frigatebird: Ed Marshall/FFI; penguins: David Merron/Getty; stinkhorn: Tai-Hui Li/Kew
Tiny coral polyps that usually The world’s largest king penguin
feed on microscopic planktonic colony,on Île aux Cochons,has
prey can work together to subdue plummeted from two million
much larger creatures.Reports birds to just 200,000 since the
suggest corals from Sicily work 1990s,reports Antarctic Science.
cooperatively to trap,dismantle The reasons for the decline
and consume large jellyfish. remain a mystery.




58 BBC Wildlife October 2018

WILDNEWS





FUNGI TRUTH OR FICTION?

Fungi report is

irst of its kind Doorcasmourn



eading mycologists from the their dead?
LRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have
collaborated with an international team
of experts to present a new report on
our knowledge of fungi, highlighting its
importance to life on Earth: the organisms
decompose dead material, cycle nutrients
and can even help prevent desertification.
“When looking for nature-based
solutions to some of our most critical News of an orca apparently
global challenges, fungi could provide grieving for her dead calf hit
many of the answers,” says Prof Katherine
Willis, director of science at Kew. the headlines this summer, but
The availability and efficiency of DNA- can we say she was mourning?
based methods has enabled scientists to
detect thousands of new fungi species
per year – 2,189 were described in IN LATE JULY, an orca known as When apparently
Is it right to
2017, predominantly from the phylum Tahlequah – part of the endangered ascribe animal grieving behaviour
Ascomycota – but there are at least two Southern Community group that behaviour to is witnessed,
million species yet to be described. mainly lives in Puget Sound and off familiar human continues Hoyt, it
emotional
The global market for edible the south coast of Vancouver Island responses? demonstrates “that
mushrooms is worth approximately – gave birth to a calf. Sadly, the calf an individual is in
£32bn per year, while genera such as died, but the mother nonetheless trouble and the mother wants to help,
Penicillium – which is used in cheese, carried it around with her for at least but it doesn’t prove actual grief.” The
antibiotic and contraceptive-pill 17 days. News reports suggested that idea that whales and dolphins have
production – underpin many everyday she was grieving for her dead baby, developed culture – orcas in their
products. Despite their value, only but can we really understand what idiosyncratic feeding behaviours, for
56 species of fungi have had their was going on in her mind? example – is widely accepted, but
conservation status assessed compared “We know that orcas have large “the question is have they developed
with 25,452 plants and 68,054 animals. brains and are social, so this kind culture around death?” asks Hoyt.
“Fungi should be viewed on a par with the As Bearzi points
plant and animal kingdoms,” says Willis. S We know that orcas have out, some examples of
“We have only just started to scratch the behaviour interpreted
surface of knowledge of this incredible large brains and are social, as mourning could be
group of organisms.” Niki Rust so this kind of behaviour something entirely
different – a male
does not surprise me
FIND OUT MORE State of the World’s T short-finned pilot whale
Fungi report: stateoftheworldsfungi.org carrying a calf in its
mouth could have come
of behaviour does not surprise me,” after it killed the juvenile, possibly
says Erich Hoyt, a research fellow for as a way to mate with its mother.
the UK charity, Whale and Dolphin The real tragedy in this case,
Conservation, who once witnessed observes Hoyt, is that the Southern
similar behaviour in a female Pacific Community that Tahlequah belongs
white-sided dolphin. “Orcas are heavily to is declining, with an estimated
invested in their young, and they three-quarters of all newborns
remain with their mothers for life.” failing to survive during the past two
Hoyt points to a 2017 study by decades and its population dropping
another cetacean researcher, Giovanni from nearly 100 to 75 over the
Bearzi, which examined 45 cases of same time period. JF
cetaceans showing caring behaviour
towards dead or dying animals – in ERICH HOYT is the author of the
most cases individuals of their Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins

The crinoline own species. The paper notes that, and Porpoises.
stinkhorn is one where a species invests a lot in its Orca: Robin W. Baird/Cascadia Research
of 144,000 named relationships, then grief is the cost WANT TO COMMENT? Email
and classified or trade-off of that commitment. [email protected]
fungi species.




October 2018 BBC Wildlife 59

NEWS FEATURE




























HOW WELL DID WILDLIFE WEATHER

































































Ducks: Alisdair Macdonald/REX/Shutterstock; blackbird: Erica Olsen/FLPA














No, it’s not India or Australia.
It’s a pond in an English village
(in 2006, another challenging
year for wildlife). Such sights
could become more common in
the UK. Inset, right: baked soil
made it diicult for insectivores
such as blackbirds to find food.





60 BBC Wildlife October 2018

NEWS FEATURE











The heatwave, while extreme, has

not been the only scorcher in recent


years. While we cooled of with a choc

ice, our temperate maritime habitats

sufered. If this is the future, how will


OUR SUMMER? our lora and fauna cope?





Report by Richard Smyth







his is the year the conditions, the repercussions
UK sweltered. The for other species can be serious.
satellite heat-map “Seed-eaters that rely on the
was a rash of autumn seed crop might be
red. For six weeks affected, as many seed-bearing
many of us were plants are burned off in drought
Tsleeping badly and conditions,” says Paul Stancliffe of
praying for rain – and wild things the British Trust for Ornithology
were also feeling the heat. (BTO). “Fruit crops may ripen
Sustained warm, dry weather early and be smaller – that
tests the resilience of ecosystems could mean a berry shortage for
like few other natural phenomena. thrushes and migrant warblers
Climate change will only make such as blackcaps.”
scorching summers such as 2018,
2003, or most famously 1976, Winners and losers
more common. How will plants, As with many insects, butterflies
mammals, birds and invertebrates were very visible this summer.
cope and what might the future “UK butterflies tend to do very
hold as the global temperature well in hot weather,” explains
mean creeps upwards? Richard Fox of Butterfly
Some challenges are obvious. Conservation. “It enables them to
Hard-baked soil is impenetrable be active, find mates, disperse to
to the bills of insectivorous new areas and, most importantly,
birds – not just the blackbirds lay eggs for the next generation.”
on our lawns, but also breeding But food plants wither in the
waders such as curlews (already heat. “Drought impacts severely
in steep decline). on the survival of caterpillars of
As earthworms the current generation,” continues
and other soil Fox. “This leads to depleted
animals burrow further populations in future. After the
down in search of cool 1976 drought numbers of
moisture, mammals butterflies didn’t recover
are also liable to suffer. fully until 1984.”
Fox cubs and hedgehogs There are likely
are denied an invaluable to be winners and
protein source; walkers losers – though it’s
might find starved moles, a delicate balance.
forced above ground in search “Some are more
of alternative food sources. drought-sensitive
Conservationists are keeping than others.
a close eye on food-chains: if Species such as
one link gives way due to dry the speckled





October 2018 BBC Wildlife 61

NEWS FEATURE











60





US wildfires were recorded
in early July, burning
504,000 acres of land –
up by about 25 per cent
from a year ago.






33ºC





was the top temperature in
Finland, so even the
Arctic Circle felt
the heatwave.







Right: the 2018 many freshwater
wildfires, such as habitats could
in Lancashire, may cope; the heat
cause permanent benefitted some
peatland damage. of our native
Far right, from the butterflies,
top: watercourses including the
dried out, but purple emperor.




wood and ringlet suffered large declines But with little significant rain between is resilience – the capacity of a species or
in 1996 after the very dry summer in May and mid-August, many plants were ecosystem to return to good health once
1995. But warm weather may speed the forced to adopt drastic survival tactics. normal service has been restored.
northward spread of butterflies such They jettisoned flowers, leaves and even Jeremy Biggs of the Freshwater Habitats
as holly blue – assuming they aren’t above-ground shoots in order to withdraw Trust is keen to stress the natural variability
hindered by drought impacts.” resources into the roots. of water levels in ponds, lakes and rivers.
In some ways there’s nothing surprising “Droughts are normal in fresh water,” he
Odd year for plants about a heatwave. It’s summer – isn’t it says. “About half of everything that lives in
Trevor Dines of Plantlife paints a grim supposed to be hot? “I tend to think this water is fine with drought. There’s a range
picture of the UK’s flora. “Grassland year has been a rare return to what was of aquatic plants that are happy with, or even
that was full of wildflowers this May once normal,” says Jon Dunn, a specialist need, periods of drought. The plant starfruit,
and June was brown, parched and in orchids. “That’s probably been good for for example, is fine in temporary ponds.”
desiccated by July,” he says. However, orchids – and indeed other wildlife.” But Froglife patron Jules Howard is similarly
it’s impossible to get a meaningful idea as the drought dragged on, he adds, later- upbeat about the potential of freshwater
of the current condition of our plant life flowering orchid species found life hard, habitats to handle the heat. “I’m not too
without considering the longer-term wilting or even failing to flower. concerned,” he says. “It has been a splendid
context. As we sweltered, it was easy to The immediate impacts of drought can be year for pond-watching, because so many
forget that this year’s blistering summer dramatic, but what’s often more important animals are drawn towards them for Firefighters: Lindsey Parnaby/Getty; watercourse: James Osmond/Alamy; purple emperor: Derek Middleton/FLPA
followed a long and severe winter. water. Ponds have
“It’s turning out to be an extreme – incredible value
and odd – year for plants,” Trevor says. “ Species of bird that feed on in years like this.”
“The long, hard winter was great as it Jules goes into
helped a process called ‘vernalisation’, aerial insects had a bumper detail on life in the
which stimulates the production of breeding season, but species ‘drawdown zone’ –
flowers. Though spring was long and the area exposed as
cold, many plants flowered like mad that depend on soil a pond’s water level
through March, April and May. Even invertebrates sufered.” is lowered in the
up until mid-June, meadows and summer.
grasslands were looking fantastic.” Paul Stanclife, BTO “One of the myths




62 BBC Wildlife October 2018

NEWS FEATURE









Drought: the winners andlosers

Certain British species and habitats are more likely than
others to be afected by 2018’s heatwave. Some may evenno
longer make a home here, but there could be new arrivals.











BAD

YEAR


Badger
Red fox (right)

Hedgehog
Mole
GOOD Large, small and

YEAR green-veined white butterflies

Speckled wood
Swallow (right)
Ringlet
Swift
Blackbird
House martin
Starling
Spotted flycatcher
Late-flowering orchids
Comma (above)
Wildflowers with shallow
Holly blue
roots on shallow, dry soils
Purple emperor
South-facing chalk grasslands
Black hairstreak in south-east England (below)

about ponds is that they should stay full all year. Marbled white Montane habitats
In fact, in the classic ponds that nature creates, Early purple
each will regularly have seasons where the water orchid (below,
pulls back, opening up this new environment. visited by
Most wetland animals are adapted to deal with an orange
Comma & scotch argus: Michel Gunther/Biosphoto/Alamy; swallow: Alan Williams/NPL; orchid: MYN/ Niall Benvie/NPL;
dry years or dry seasons. Some amphibian tip butterfly)
tadpoles, for instance, speed up their growth in
such years, metamorphosing at a smaller size to
get clear of the shrinking waters.”
bee eater: Ray Wilson/Alamy; fox: Wild Wonders of Europe/Geslin/NPL; grassland: Blackbeck/Getty
Problems can arise, though – and the picture
can grow more complex – when we factor
in variables other than drought alone. Us,
for example. Consider peat bog: it’s a pretty
tough habitat, when it’s allowed to be. Rob
Stoneman, the chief executive of the Yorkshire
Wildlife Trust, characterises sphagnum mosses, POTENTIAL NEW POTENTIAL LOSSES
the keystone species of healthy bogs, as the COLONISTS FROM THE UK
“ultimate ecosystem engineers”, adapted to wet European bee-eater (below) Mountain ringlet
conditions yet resilient to drought.
“A walk across a peatland landscape in the Glossy ibis Scotch argus (below)
blistering heat of summer 2018 would have Hoopoe Dotterel
left footprints in white crispy sphagnum moss, Black-winged stilt Snow bunting
dried and seemingly dead as the water-table Swallowtail butterfly Ptarmigan
fell away,” Stoneman says. “However, (Continental
sphagnum has evolved to cope with drought. subspecies gorganus) Specialist alpine
It loses water from the top of the moss-mat, flora
yet below, water within the peat is drawn Various dragonflies
upwards to keep the moss alive. Through this and damselflies
ecosystem engineering, sphagnum mosses




October 2018 BBC Wildlife 63

NEWS FEATURE








WhatcanIdo Peat bogs can balance

drought and flood – but
tohelpwildlife only if we leave them alone.
during droughts? 41.1ºC



was the temperature in
the city of Kumagaya,
a new record high
for Japan.



4%


PROVIDE A BOWL OF WATER
for birds and mammals to drink and of the usual July rainfall
bathe. It should be shallow or, if fell in Eastern England,
it’s a large bowl, arrange stepping the driest since Met
stones so small animals can get out. Office records began
in 1961.








maintain water-tables close or near to the “Climate change has greatly increased
surface throughout the year.” the frequency of severe heatwaves over
Things go wrong when we step in. much of the globe,” says Corinne Le
“If we burn a bog to encourage heather at Quéré, director of the Tyndall Centre
CREATE A WILDLIFE POND the expense of sphagnum, or cut drains for Climate Change Research at the
Even the tiniest pool has enormous to lower the water-table, the situation University of East Anglia. “Studies that
value, but a deeper area (with changes,” Stoneman says. “The ecosystem- have separated the role of human-caused
stepping stones so small animals engineer properties of sphagnum are lost. climate change from natural cycles show
don’t drown) is less likely to dry out. Rotationally burnt peatlands of the North that the risk of heatwaves has more than
York Moors in 1976 never recovered, as doubled due to climate change so far in
the peat was entirely burnt away in places. large parts of the world.”
As this summer’s wildfires in Lancashire How will our wildlife respond, if
showed, the impact can be catastrophic.” summers like this one become the
norm? Change isn’t always destructive
The human impact for everyone. Droughts and hot weather
Ponds and streams, too, become more create new habitats, and insectivorous
vulnerable if human activities skew the birds such as swifts, swallows and spotted
system. Jeremy Biggs stresses that a flycatchers may prosper in a hotter Britain.
PLANT NECTAR-RICH healthy response to extreme temperatures We might also see further colonisation by
FLOWERS to compensate for the is only possible in a healthy freshwater Mediterranean birds such as hoopoes.
lack of wildflowers in droughts. Top habitat. Where a water body is polluted, On the flipside, Britain’s montane
up from rainwater butts or use ‘grey’ the resilience of its ecosystem is habitats will warm, snowlines will creep
water from baths or washing-up. compromised. A heatwave lowers the higher, and we could lose specialist
water level, but the level of pollution breeding birds such as snow bunting, as
remains the same, resulting in a more well as alpine flora such as saxifrages. Peat: Ashley Cooper/naturepl.com; hedgehog: Coatsey/Alamy; pond & water butt: Gary K. Smith/naturepl.com; echinacea: Ilpo Musto/Alamy
intensely polluted habitat. “From the Wild things will often find a way to
perspective of clean standing water, I don’t cope, even as temperature records tumble.
think droughts are problematic,” Biggs But the reality is that in the decades ahead,
concludes. “Droughts are occasional, but in Britain and beyond, the flora and fauna
pollution is everywhere.” of the landscape as we know it will be
How occasional droughts will be in tested to its limits.
future depends on the global climate –
MAKE YOUR GARDEN which is getting hotter at a frightening RICHARD SMYTH also wrote
DROUGHT-RESILIENT by rate. The long, hot summer of 1976 was a this month’s feature on
adopting plants, techniques and British phenomenon in a broadly normal kittiwakes (see p32).
features that save and store water. Europe, but this year we were locked into
Download a Rain Gardening Guide something bigger. Everywhere in the FIND OUT MORE Stephen Thackeray
at www.wwt.org.uk. Northern Hemisphere was hotter. discusses ‘underwater heatwaves’ on p57.




64 BBC Wildlife October 2018

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VIEWPOINT












MY WAY OF THINKING




MARK CARWARDINE







The broadcaster and campaigner is bemused by the high value we place on

protecting art and architecture compared with conserving wildlife and wild places.










ow much money money? The problem is that everyone deemed to be worth nearly two and a
do we need to save accepts – without question – the half times the total annual income of
the world’s most importance of protecting old paintings, the RSPB – and no one bats an eyelid.
threatened species say, or old buildings. But they don’t Another recent purchase – albeit
and protect the most accept the importance of protecting a smaller one – was a little more ironic.
Himportant wildlife wildlife or wild places, which are In June, an anonymous collector paid
sites? I’ll give you a clue: it’s roughly treated as a luxury. Whenever and £7.2 million for the world’s most
the same as the amount paid out in wherever nature expensive book – equivalent to one-
bonuses to bankers in the UK, the comes under threat, S A single third of the entire annual income of
United States and Canada last year. there is always the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. The
Or, to put it another way, roughly the a battle to persuade painting cost title? Birds of America by John James
same as Americans spend on fizzy the perpetrators 2.5 times the Audubon. Just imagine how that
drinks every year. and decision-makers money could have helped to protect
A few years ago, experts from that badgers, great total annual the actual birds of America.
conservation and research groups crested newts or income of I’m not suggesting that we should
around the world came up with a wildflower meadows save wildlife but not art or architecture.
robust assessment of the cost of are worth protecting. the RSPB. T We should save both. (Though as my
conservation. They estimated that Last year, someone great friend, the wildlife artist David
it would cost £3.7 billion each year in Saudi Arabia paid Shepherd, used to say: “We could
(at current exchange rates) to save about £350 million for Leonardo da always rebuild the Taj Majal, but
threatened species from extinction, Vinci’s masterpiece Salvator Mundi. we won’t be able to rebuild a tiger”.)
and £59 billion per year to protect the The price is insane, of course, The money is clearly out there. We
most important wild places. Though and it’s a reflection of the massive just need to find more imaginative
these figures are eye-wateringly disproportion of wealth around the and persuasive ways of getting our
daunting to us as individuals, in globe, but what’s interesting is that hands on it.
global terms they are trivial. no one questioned the basic principle That figure of £62.7 billion for
Conservation is actually rather of preserving a painting. In our weird annual conservation costs is merely
cheap. The estimated cost, totalling and warped world, a single painting is a target. We are nowhere near
£62.7 billion, is a drop in the heavily spending that kind of dosh. Current
polluted, overfished ocean. And just conservation expenditure must rise
Audubon’s Birds of
think what we get for our money: by an order of magnitude if we are to
America sold for over
immeasurable beauty, pleasure for £7 million – how much have any hope of protecting the natural
billions of people, and a moral obligation conservation work world. And the real irony is that, if we
fulfilled. Oh, and don’t forget the could that fund? fail to do that, there’s a good chance
‘ecosystem services’ provided by nature we will actually lose our life support
(such as pollinating crops and removing system – and then the bankers won’t
greenhouse gases from the atmosphere), get any bonuses at all.
which form the basis of our entire life
support system. That’s quite important. MARK CARWARDINE is a frustrated
The cost of conservation is dwarfed
and frank conservationist.
Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters by all of the benefits we get back from or shoot him down in flames, email
nature. Besides, it’s not a ‘cost’ at all –
WHAT DO YOU THINK? If you
it’s an investment.
want to support Mark in his views
Why, therefore, is it so frustratingly
difficult to raise anything like enough


BBC Wildlife
October 2018 [email protected] 69

Education is key:
Turtle Watch
volunteer Mary
Lechleidner shows
members of the
public a hatched
sea turtle nest.

SEA TURTLE NESTS






















































































A very By Margo Pierce

Photos Ben Watkins



PERSONAL










PASSION












Each volunteer monitoring Florida beaches has their own special

reason for making it their life’s work to protect nesting sea turtles.

SEA TURTLE NESTS














efore sunrise in May, the
sand of any beach on Anna
Maria Island isn’t warm. In
fact, it’s cold enough to make
my toes go numb if I were
strolling barefoot. But that’s
Bnot allowed for a group of
beach walkers out on the first of the month
– shoes with soles are required. They aren’t
your average beachcombers, either. They’re
carrying mobile phones and tablets, but
they’re looking down at the sand not their
devices, searching for an impermanent
treasure – the flipper trails left by sea turtles.
Zipping up and down the shore on an all-
terrain vehicle (ATV) is a woman who stops
to give the walkers water, answer questions
and snap pictures. She’s also wearing shoes
and has the same high-visibility t-shirt that
they all have on.
Meet the conservation volunteers of Anna
Maria Island Turtle Watch. Suzi Fox, the
charity’s director and unofficial cheerleader,
is the one driving the ATV. The volunteer Flipper trails at
walkers monitor sea turtle nests along part dawn are the sign
of the 19km shoreline of Anna Maria Island that a loggerhead
has laid her eggs
(AMI), which lies off Florida’s southwest
overnight in a nest
coast, just south of Tampa Bay. This scene on a Florida beach.
repeats daily during the nesting season, from
1 May to 1 November. The primary mission
of AMI Turtle Watch is to protect the nests of Initial reluctance turned into a passion for thunder, everybody stays off the beach until
five species of sea turtle that use the beaches saving turtles. Indeed, it seems every AMI we know the coast is clear.”
as an incubator: loggerhead, green turtle, volunteer is motivated by a highly personal Walkers will don waterproofs and go out
leatherback, hawksbill and Kemp’s ridley. reason for taking on this time-consuming in the rain, but safety is a top priority. The
job of protector. Conversations are peppered coordinator who schedules the volunteers is
A passion for saving turtles with lingo they use to describe their work: available to provide assistance throughout
Since its inception in 1982, the grass-roots ‘walkers’ hit the beach in pairs to monitor every walk. Everyone is required to call their
effort has been a resounding success. By their assigned 1.5km portion of coastline coordinator when they find a new nest, if
September 2018, it had documented 8,386 every day in the season. They’re ‘on the sand’ anything unusual happens or if they need
turtle activities, protected 4,942 nests and 20 minutes before sunrise and collect ‘data help (heat exhaustion is a real possibility).
their contents (a total of 312,402 eggs), and points’ on new nests and check the status of When Pete Gross retired from his
ushered 282,336 hatchlings into Tampa Bay existing ones. They also note ‘false crawls’ computer science career in 2008, he and his
and the Gulf of Mexico. Considering that just – tracks left by a female turtle that comes wife dived into sea-turtle volunteering that
one in 1,000 sea turtles will live to adulthood, ashore but doesn’t nest. same year. Both started out as walkers. Now
this is an important contribution to the global “I have 117 people who work for me every he’s a coordinator for two sections of beach
effort to prevent extinction. Of the seven species day for free. They love what they do,” Suzi near his home. “It’s my job to go out on the
of sea turtle, two are Critically Endangered, says. “I get up at 4:30 every morning and go beach and collect the data for the state,” he
one is Endangered and three are Vulnerable; straight for the weather. Everybody watches says. “We try to identify turtle nests and put
the final species, the flatback, is classed as their email to make sure it’s safe. If we hear four-foot stakes in the sand around them
‘Data deficient’ so, although they don’t know
for sure, it could be in trouble, too.
Suzi credits the turtles with providing her
salvation. “In 1990 I was severely depressed
because my mother had passed away. With
her gone, I was hiding out – not getting “In 1990 I was severely
out of bed,” she tells me. “A friend who depressed because my mother
did the turtle watch came over and said,
‘Come on, you get out and walk with me in had passed away. Turtle watch
the mornings.’ That’s what I did, and I can
honestly say it probably saved my life.” probably saved my life.”


72 BBC Wildlife October 2018

SEA TURTLE NESTS









Clockwise from importance of dark
right: volunteers beaches – lights
including Pete scare females and
Gross (in grey cap) can draw hatchlings
examine a nest away from the sea;
to see how many a nest at night,
turtle eggs have with light pollution
hatched; anatomy behind; Suzi Fox,
of a sea turtle the director of AMI
nest; a sign on the Turtle Watch.























Shiting sands: O An adult female will nest 2–10 times
each season.
Sea turtle nests O A turtle nest is 45–55cm deep.
O It is excavated using the back flippers
and covered again by throwing over
sand with the front flippers.
O Each nest contains 50–200 eggs,
depending on species. The eggs hatch
one and a half to two months later.
O The most common nester at Anna
Maria Island is the loggerhead, below.
















Laying eggs: A & J Visage/Alamy










































October 2018 BBC Wildlife 73



as protection. Later, after the babies have
all hatched and left, we excavate the nests,
which means we take out the eggshells and
everything else for examination.”
How many eggs hatched, how many
didn’t, the number of dead hatchings and
other details are all duly noted. Nests are
also carefully excavated if a predator such as
a raccoon or domestic dog has raided them,
thereby gathering valuable information about
Clockwise from behind); feeding
the impact of predation. The hatchlings are
top left: volunteers a saved hatchling
never handled by the volunteers. fence of a new at Mote Marine
Pete uses his professional expertise to nest; the team Laboratory and
compile and report all the data collected. always excavates Aquarium – once
nests 72 hours it can dive and
In the USA, national and local authorities
after they hatch compete for food
enforce wildlife management policies. These (and, in this case, it will be released.
government agencies set data collection rescue hatchlings Below left: flags
requirements and provide mandatory that were left mark turtle nests.
training, controlling all of these activities
through a permitting process.


Swimming frenzy
Throughout the state of Florida, there are
approximately 150 turtle monitoring permits,
with permit holders coordinating local years in the Azores, off the coast of Portugal. says. “When you collaborate and share that
activities. Suzi holds four permits and works Eventually reaching sexual maturity at 25–35 information with really good people it is
closely with Pete to make sure their data years, they return to the beaches where they brilliant for conservation.”
includes all of the necessary information hatched in order to reproduce. “The males Mote has its own turtle nest monitoring
before submitting it to the state-wide nesting never leave the water and females only come programme on the mainland, responsible
database maintained by the Florida Fish and out to nest,” Pete says. “The turtles’ whole for beaches south of Anna Maria Island. But
Wildlife Conservation Commission. life-history is just incredible.” the partnership includes all things sea-turtle-
After 45 years working for a computer But global warming is threatening this related. If a member of the public calls Mote
science company, why is Pete still geeking ancient life-cycle. Higher temperatures mean about a stranded turtle, AMI volunteers are
out with technology when he’s living in a hotter sand. The warmer, upper portion of a quick to respond. When a sick or injured
tropical paradise? I had to ask. His answer sea-turtle nest produces females, while the turtle is found on the island, they work with
reflects the awe in which he holds one of the cooler portion at the bottom produces males. Mote to get it to the aquarium for treatment.
planet’s few remaining dinosaurs. The female-to-male ratios used to be 1:1, but This intervention can include ‘washbacks’ –
“What’s amazing to me is these little recent studies reveal that nests on many baby turtles that don’t make it safely to the
hatchlings weigh around 21g and fit into nesting beaches now result in 90 per cent seagrass beds and are pushed back to shore
the palm of your hand. When they struggle female and 10 per cent male turtles. by waves, too weak to try again.
out of their nest, they head straight for the AMI collaborates with the Mote Marine
water,” he says. “They then swim against the Laboratory and Aquarium in mainland Satellite tagging
oncoming waves, and beyond the waves Florida as a way to expand what they When the body of a dead adult Kemp’s
they use the Earth’s magnetic field to do to help sea turtles. Gretchen ridley (the rarest species found here) was
navigate. And they swim in a frenzy for Lovewell, a marine biologist discovered, Suzi asked Gretchen if she
24 hours, making a beeline for some who serves as Program wanted to carry out a necropsy. Of course!
seagrass beds 25km offshore.” Manager for Stranding A wealth of biological information can be
As they grow, the turtles ride Investigations, gushes gleaned from such a procedure. Satellite
the currents around the southern praise for Suzi and the tags also provide invaluable information
end of the Florida peninsula and walkers. “They’re collecting about turtles after they leave a beach. AMI
across the Atlantic Ocean, with really important data and are volunteers hosted Mote biologists on the
many spending their juvenile wonderful to work with,” she island during the 2018 nesting season in


October 2018 BBC Wildlife 75

“We started to focus Left: a school
visit to Mote
on educating Marine Aquarium
Below: a new
hatchling makes
people… It became its precarious
journey from
about teaching the nest to
the shoreline.
them how to share


beaches with turtles.”

























Simple ways to

help sea turtles


Volunteering isn’t the only way to
make a diference – we all have a part
to play in our everyday lives, even
when we’re a long way from turtle
nesting beaches.



ON SEA TURTLE BEACHES
O Avoid taking chairs and cool
boxes as they can inadvertently
crush turtle nests.
O Dim mobile phones from dusk
to dawn, or keep them of the order to select two adult females to tag. Back silvery, eerie time of morning and the sun
beach altogether. Artificial lights on the island, Suzi talks about how they have comes up, I watch the grains of sand change
disorientate turtles. focused on outreach. from grey to golden,” she says. “You have this
O Choose watersports with care as “In the mid-2000s, we started to focus beautiful water that also changes colour. That
turtles may be drawn to the sound on educating people,” she says. “Once we quiet, peaceful time… it just fills your heart.”
of outboard motors and sometimes started doing that, the tone of everything But Mary’s tone shifts from calm to intense
don’t see boats until it’s too late. changed. It became about teaching people as she describes how a plastic bag floating in
O Don’t fish near nesting beaches how to share beaches with turtles.” Suzi the water can appear to a leatherback turtle
or, better still, visit fish instead by trains beach walkers to chat to residents and like its favourite food – jellyfish – and how
going snorkelling or scuba-diving. holidaymakers about their work, and leaflets eating plastic will eventually kill it. Even
with conservation tips are distributed to species that don’t normally prey on jellyfish
ELSEWHERE shops, hotels and restaurants. may end up ingesting plastic.
O Use reusable containers to avoid Mary is optimistic that people can and will
the single-use plastics in food- Enjoying marine life help care for sea turtles. “You’ll see folk
wrappers and carrier bags. Guided walks on beaches and Turtle Tuesday walking along the beach with a bag picking
O Say no to the use of plastic talks are free to the public. The message up rubbish. They’re not part of any organised
straws since plastic never Suzi want to communicate? “Look what’s group – they’re simply here to enjoy the
disintegrates, but merely breaks happening because you are doing the right beach and marine life,” she says. “All living
down into microplastics. thing. Take a bow! You made the difference creatures on Earth are our responsibility.”
O Don’t release balloons as they can in what’s going on with sea turtles today by
entangle and choke sea life; turtles doing the right thing.” MARGO PIERCE is based in the
often mistake deflated balloons and Mary Lechleidner is a retired teacher and USA and writes about wildlife and
strings for food. turtle watch volunteer. Her vivid description science; extraordinarylimits.com
O Adopt a nesting turtle through one of sunrises on the Gulf of Mexico reveals
of the various schemes, such as the her deep love of the natural world. “When FIND OUT MORE Florida’s AMI Turtle
one run by AMI Turtle Watch. I’m walking along the shoreline and it’s that Watch: islandturtlewatch.com


76 BBC Wildlife October 2018

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KENYA

STIRRED BY








HORNETS










The long, hot summer of 2018 has been


fabulous for wasps of all species – especially

for dedicated hornet watchers.





few years ago I was these chestnut-and-gold insects flew by me.
ambling through the They were simply mesmerising.
woodlands of the RSPB’s I felt immensely privileged. For while
Arne reserve in Dorset hornets may be big and somewhat
in pursuit of striped intimidating, they are characteristically
ladybirds. These are a secretive – far more so than the common
A fairly scarce and localised wasps with which we are more familiar (and
species associated with Scots pine, and Arne which made their presence felt during 2018’s
happens to be great for them. Suddenly, long heatwave). Standing just a metre or two
without warning, I came across some much from the Arne hornets, I was captivated by
more imposing insects: I found myself near their beauty – and, yes, their calm.
patrolling European hornets – the largest Hornets are relatively common in mature
species of social wasp native to this country, woods across central and southern England,
or indeed the continent. A steady stream of but also occur in parks and rural gardens.

By Helen Roy Photos Stephen Powles


AMAZING FOOTAGE
OF HORNETS






































































































A hornet flies back and
forth to the nest site
carrying pulp made from
masticated wood fibre with
which to build the nest.

They are expanding in range, and now can “My interest actually Above: A queen returns
be seen as far north as Northumberland. to her nest in a grassy
I encounter individual hornets reasonably began when hornets tussock. The European
hornet Vespa crabro
frequently in and around my own garden in feeds on insects and
Oxfordshire, and am always delighted to moved into one of my other invertebrates,
get a glimpse of these alluring predators. But supplemented by
one man has taken things a step further. barn-owl nestboxes.” sugary sap from trees
and windfall fruit.
Stephen Powles has long had a passion for
hornets, and quite literally has a window into
their secret lives, thanks to a rather special
nestbox that he has made in the converted
barn where he lives in Devon, with a window “One summer I climbed into the loft to Vespinae. Many of these are yellow and black,
facing into his spare bedroom. He had been check for possible signs of a roosting barn whereas hornets are yellow and brown.
hoping to attract blue or great tits, but ended owl,” Stephen recalls. “I carefully opened the Hornets are large wasps, with queens reaching
up hosting a much more interesting species. ‘back door’ of the nestbox, only to be greeted about 3.5cm in length and workers about 3cm.
by 200 or 300 irate hornets. I don’t know They are commonly confused with queens
Unexpected visitors who was more surprised – them or me! I of the median wasp, but lack the deep black
Instead of welcoming birds, the nestboxes quickly closed the door again, and so began markings of that species. Additionally, hornets
have for the last few years been occupied a 15-year fascination with these insects.” do not have yellow markings on the thorax,
by hornets – and Stephen is delighted. His Since then, Stephen has spent hours while the median wasp has distinctive yellow
passion for these wasps is inspiring. “My capturing hornet behaviour on film and in bands running along its sides and the workers
interest in hornets began when they moved photographs, creating a uniquely detailed are, of course, much smaller than hornets.
into one of my barn-owl nestboxes,” he says. perspective on the life history of, in his In recent years, the Asian hornet has
This choice of nest site is not that unusual, words, “these much-maligned super-wasps”. also been much in the news in this country,
since hornets readily use roof spaces and In 2016, BBC Wildlife writer Mike Dilger though as ever with non-native species, some
outhouses, as well as hollow trees. What is even paid a visit, with film crew in tow (their of the reporting has been sensationalist.
a little out of the ordinary is that Stephen’s remarkable film is still available to view on Slightly smaller than the European hornet,
barn-owl nestbox was built into the gables BBC One’s The One Show website). this species has yellow ends to its legs, unlike
of his roof. Up there, the hornet nest was Hornets are closely related to a number the all-brown legs of its relative. Its head is
able to reach impressive dimensions. of other social wasps within a group called dark from above but orange in front, while


80 BBC Wildlife October 2018

HORNETS








British wasp nests


All social wasp nests look supericially similar,
but variations in size, shape, location and position
of the nest opening can help you work out which
species made them. Here are four to look out for
(illustrations show completed nests).





























EUROPEAN HORNET COMMON WASP
Vespa crabro Vespula vulgaris

Spotability Spotability
Nests are usually cylindrical, Beige and usually conical
with a single wide opening nest with a small opening
at the bottom. Cavity at the lower end. Nests in
nesters and generally found cavities above or below
in chimneys, barns and the ground, though also
other outbuildings along behind fascia and so t
the head of the European hornet is yellow The queen begins with attics and hollow trees. boards or roof cavities.
from above and to the front. building the nest in
spring. The larvae
Hornets are described as ‘advanced
develop in hexagonal
eusocial wasps’ – that is, they form a colony cells which are sealed
comprising overlapping generations, with with a cap made from
the adults represented by the reproductive a silk-like substance
under which they
queen and non-reproductive workers. The
will pupate.
workers undertake various tasks, from caring
for the larvae that develop in small cells
within the nest, to foraging for food, water
and nest materials. There is some evidence
that, as with honeybees, worker hornets take
on different tasks at different stages in their
short lives. “The life of a worker hornet is
certainly very busy,” says Stephen.
Clearly, the queen hornet has the most
important role in the colony – that of
producing offspring. Indeed, she is mother
to all the individuals within the colony, MEDIAN WASP ASIAN HORNET
which can eventually, as with the nest in Dolichovespula media Vespa velutina
Illustrations by Peter David Scott/The Art Agency in Britain, hornets have an annual life-cycle Grey conical nest, with a small Spherical or pear-shaped,
Stephen’s owl box, grow to include several
Spotability
Spotability
hundred workers. Like other social wasps
– in other words, it begins afresh each year,
nest, which can grow very
opening positioned slightly
starting with the emergence of a mated
large and has an opening
of-centre at the base of the
queen from her winter hideout. Stephen
to the side.At least 10m
nest. Usually built at less
has finally succeeded in documenting most
above ground. Non-native;
than 2m above ground, often
stages of this fascinating cycle, which ends
only a handful of confirmed
in bushes or trees and only
with the demise of the entire colony, except
for the newly mated queens.
October 2018 rarely in buildings. UK records to date. 81
BBC Wildlife

Clockwise from above:
a male (note the long
black antennae) basks
on a tree stump while
looking for a queen
to mate with. The
larvae develop in
hexagonal cells where
they are fed by the
workers. Note the
protein ball (probably
insect wing muscle)
that has been brought
to the nest. Larvae of
the hornet rove-beetle,
which often lives in the
nest with the hornets
and feeds on their
detritus. The nest is
built up layer by layer.











A predatory role is important; eggs in these cells; these eggs hatch
after about a week and the queen rears the
by feeding on invertebrate larvae on a mixture of mashed-up insects
and spiders. A predatory role is important;
species, hornets contribute by feeding on invertebrate species, hornets

contribute to the functioning of our
to a functioning ecosystem. ecosystems. It is an intensive start to the
year for the queen hornet, who feeds on
carbohydrate-rich substances such as
nectar and honeydew – or even honey
A mated queen hornet will spend the winter stolen from colonies of bees.
alone in a sheltered position, such as under After about two weeks, the hornet larvae
bark or in a crevice of some kind. In common have gone through five growth stages called
with many British insects, she is dormant instars and are ready to pupate. Each larva
throughout the cold winter months. In spring, produces a silk-like substance to close its
she emerges to find a suitable nest site – at cell and then pupates for a couple of weeks.
this time of year, queen hornets can be seen The newly emerging adult worker rasps at
foraging for wood fibres, scraping dead wood the surface of the silk cover with its strong
with their strong mandibles and macerating mandibles, slowly rotating its head while
it with saliva to form a pulp for constructing a progressively scraping away, and only cutting
small, embryonic nest resembling a sphere. through the cover once it has been breached.
Inside are hexagonal cells that open The new worker hornets then remain in
downwards within structures known as the nest for a few days before taking their
combs. The queen will lay her first brood of first flight. During this time they fulfil the


82 BBC Wildlife October 2018

HORNETS





























Alien arrival:

Asian hornet




The Asian, or yellow-legged, hornet is
native to South-east Asia, and was first
seen in Europe in south-west France in
2004, probably having been introduced as
a stowaway in pottery imported from China.
It has since spread across France, and there
are now records from the Channel Islands,
too. Since 2016 there have been isolated
sightings in southern England, but any nests
were rapidly eradicated. There are concerns
about the species’ impact on biodiversity,
particularly pollinating insects, because of
its wide range of prey. A recent study
showed that the Asian hornet is more
effective than the European hornet at
establishing new nests, and it is also
considered bolder and more active and
exploratory than its European cousin.
O Report sightings using the free
‘Asian Hornet Watch’ app, or online at
nonnativespecies.org/alerts/asianhornet



important task of raising the temperature of but there are some beetles and parasitic wasps The magnificent sight of hornets in flight is
the cells they sit on. The way in which social that will feed on the developing brood. cause alone to stop and watch, but when you
insects can control the temperature of their Later in the season, the internal delve a little deeper, you realise these wasps
nests is quite incredible. Not only can hornets architecture of the nest changes, as large cells are masterminds of architecture and social
warm up cells, but they can also reduce the are built to accommodate the rearing of new organisation. “The ways in which individuals
temperature by rapidly beating their wings to queens. At this stage males, characterised by within a colony work together is inspiring and
fan the cells or by delivering and spreading their long, black antenna and lack of a sting, captivating in equal measure,” says Stephen.
cooling water to the surface of the cells. will also be produced, but they will usually be If you are fortunate enough to see hornets,
The first brood of adult workers takes over assigned the smaller cells. Before the onset then please do, like Stephen, take your time
the nest-building work and looks after the new of winter, the founding queen is neglected to observe them. Enjoy the behaviour of these
broods hatching from the queen’s eggs. So the by the workers and she dies. incredible aerial predators, though keep a safe
colony grows. Every second counts to ensure distance and don’t cross their flight paths.
its survival. “Hornets will continue to fly well Annual life-cycle While Stephen has spent “countless happy
Asian hornet: Michel Gunther/Biosphoto/Alamy out. “Like moths, they’re attracted to the lights mate with only a single male. This is not pages show, these unsung heroes of the insect
after dark on warm evenings all through the
Now the young queens and males emerge
hours” very close to hornet nests, this is not
without its risks. But as his pictures on these
from the nest and mate. Most queen hornets
summer and early autumn,” Stephen points
world are worth celebrating.
always the case, however: sometimes a queen
in our homes. So hornets can be seen circling
might mate with two or three males, but
outside security or porch lights, or flying up
even in that scenario, most of the queen’s
and down lit windows.”
HELEN ROY is an ecologist at the
offspring will be eggs fertilised by only one
Things don’t always go to plan, however.
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
There are a number of guests – some possibly
of the males, so the female workers are still
and an expert on non-native species.
extremely closely related. Following mating,
unwelcome – sometimes to be found within
the hornet nests. Some are simply scavenging
FIND OUT MORE Bees,Wasps and
the workers all gradually die off.
and feeding on left-overs within the nest,
October 2018 the queens settle down for the winter and Ants Recording Society: bwars.com 83
BBC Wildlife

COOLING OFF
Bandhavgarh NP, Madhya Pradesh, India
Two 14-month-old siblings cool of at
a watering hole. The total Bengal tiger
subspecies population is estimated at
fewer than 2,500 and most are found
in India. The Endangered mammals are
threatened by poaching, habitat loss
and conflict with humans.
Photo Steve Winter

Exhibition Eye on the Tiger Photo
story



Burning








bright











With approximately 3,800 tigers left in the wild, Save Wild Tigers

has launched a photography exhibition to raise awareness of

their plight. This selection of images celebrates these beautiful

big cats, and reveals why there is hope for their future.

PHOTO STORY TIGERS












BATH TIME
Ranthambore NP, Rajasthan, India
Three cubs follow their mother
into a watering hole. Tigers are
mostly solitary creatures, apart
from females raising their young.
The big cats typically have two
to four ofspring every two
years. The youngsters will gain
independence at two years and
reach sexual maturity between
the ages of three and five.
Photo Jami Tarris


LONE RANGER

Bandhavgarh NP,
Madhya Pradesh, India
At first light a male moves
silently through the park in
search of prey. As an apex
predator he influences the
ecosystem: protecting tigers
benefits other species.
Photo Bjorn Persson








































































86 BBC Wildlife October 2018

LEAP TO SAFETY
Sunderban National Park,
West Bengal, India

Conflict with humans
over territory is a problem
for tigers, so on the
fringe of the Sunderban
National Park the Forest
Department traps tigers
that enter or come close
to villages. Rangers then
transport and release the
big cats into a safer area
away from people, near or
in the mangrove forest.
Photo Anish Andheria








TIME TO REFLECT
Ranthambore NP, Rajasthan, India
A beautiful reflection of a
male creates a peaceful image.
Unlike most other cat species,
tigers are keen swimmers and
often visit streams and lakes
to escape the heat of the day.
Photo Baiju Patil


October 2018 BBC Wildlife 87

PHOTO STORY TIGERS












SAVED BUT CAGED
Aceh Province, Indonesia
A snare cost this six-month-
old Sumatran tiger cub his
right front leg, which had
to be amputated because it
was so badly mangled. He
was trapped for four days
before being rescued by
anti-poaching forest patrols.
Sadly, he will have to spend
the rest of his life in captivity.
Photo Steve Winter




POWER GRAB
Ranthambore NP,
Rajasthan, India
Female ‘Noor’ brings down
an adult sambar. Tigers need
to be within 20m of their prey
before launching an attack and
rely on explosive acceleration
to catch it. Photo Andy Rouse







































































88 BBC Wildlife October 2018



PHOTO STORY TIGERS







PREVIOUS PAGE
KEEPING TRACK
SEEKING SHADE Ranthambore NP, Rajasthan, India
Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India
A female known as ‘Arrowhead’
Dominant male ‘Fateh’ steps out after a nap in an old walks around a lake at sunset.
building, which was once part of a village in the park. India’s national tiger census uses
Its residents were relocated and the dwellings now camera-traps to record sightings of
ofer Bandhavgarh’s tigers shelter and shade. individuals because no two tigers
Photo Kim Sullivan have the same stripe pattern.
PhotoAndyRouse

























































BIG DADDY
Ranthambore National Park,
Rajasthan, India

‘Kumbha’, a 12-year-old male,
has sired several cubs. This
year, Rajasthan’s chief wildlife
warden reported a population
rise in the state, including
26 births in Ranthambore
between 2016 and 2018.
Photo Vladimír Cech Jr





SPOTS AND STRIPES
Pench Tiger Reserve,
Madhya Pradesh, India
White ear spots play an
important role in intra-species
communication between
big cats, especially at night.
Cubs use them to locate their
mother as they follow her
through the dense forest.
Photo Anish Andheria


90 BBC Wildlife October 2018

FOOD FIGHT
Ranthambore NP, Rajasthan, India
This old female (left) had been feeding
for a couple of hours on a freshly killed
sambar when a large male appeared.
She wisely backed of and watched
from a distance. Without warning, he
left the kill and attacked her. Luckily, he
stopped after she rolled on her back in
submission, then he calmly returned to
his meal. Photo Chris Brunskill
















EYE ON THE TIGER is a photography exhibition on
display in the Amphi Corridor at London’s Royal Albert
Hall. It includes images from over 30 of the world’s
leading wildlife photographers and has been organised
by Save Wild Tigers. See the website for September
and October dates: savewildtigers.org


October 2018 BBC Wildlife 91

S I tried using a tripod,

but gusts of up

to 50mph made


it impossible to

compose accurately. T













92 BBC Wildlife October 2018

Behind
the
image





A lock and


a hard place



by BEN HALL 2007



Photographing lamingos in their habitat is
tougher than it sounds – particularly when
that habitat is the windy Chilean Andes.




photograph can evoke
a vivid sense of place –
but one thing that’s tricky
to capture on camera is
Awind. Yet it has a huge
impact on animals and photographers
BEN HALL
alike, as Ben Hall discovered while
is an award-winning tracking flamingos in the Torres del
wildlife photographer
with a passion for Paine massif in Chilean Patagonia.
“We drove up to a point on Mont
protecting wild places,
particularly Britain’s Almirante Nieto from where we hiked as
fragile ecosystems: high as we could, up to about 1000m,”
benhallphotography.com he recalls. “The temperature dropped as
we climbed – but it was the driving wind
that made conditions most testing.”
These jagged peaks experience
powerful katabatic winds that Chilean
flamingos must battle when migrating
between alkaline lakes – and Ben found
himself fighting the same icy blasts.
“I tried using a tripod, but gusts of
up to 50mph made it impossible to
compose accurately. So I increased the
ISO and shutter speed to reduce camera
shake, changed to a more manageable
100–400mm lens, and hand-held the
camera to capture this shot.”
This adaptation to the tough
conditions proved serendipitous: “The
smaller lens meant I was able to include
more of the environment in the frame,
highlighting the relationship between
the birds and their dramatic habitat.”


Think pink
The most southerly flamingo species
is found from Peru and Uruguay down
to Tierra del Fuego, and from sea level
up to 4,500m in the Andes. Gregarious
birds forming flocks of many thousands,
Chilean flamingos migrate between
shallow alkaline lakes where they feed
on tiny diatoms. They’re classified Near
Threatened due to illegal egg-harvesting,
hunting and habitat loss.
“For me, this image speaks of both
the beauty of the birds and of the hostile
conditions they endure in this harsh but
spectacular environment,” says Ben.


October 2018 BBC Wildlife 93

LOSE YOURSELF IN A WORLD of






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October 2018 BBC Wildlife 95

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96 BBC Wildlife October 2018

WILD AT HOME






MEET THE AUTHOR
BOOK
Underbug
Michael Quetting
LISA MARGONELLI, ONEWORLD, £14.99

Termites are small, but The ornithologist recalls the challenges and
have grand effects.
Their biomass in a joys of raising a clutch of greylag geese.
tropical forest can
match that of Serengeti
wildebeest, they construct cities of So,whyraiseaclutchofgeese? Howdidyougetthegoslings used to
cement and they digest all I was working on a long-term project at yourmicrolight?
cellulose, from trees to the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology I’d played the sound of the propeller into
cowpats. But this book to research whether geese could be trained the incubator, so they weren’t fazed by the
explores more than just their to carry tiny data-loggers. The aim was that noise. We took daily walks with it – I’d taxi
ecology. The boundaries of they would collect real-time meteorological the craft into a field and the birds would
Margonelli’s interest expand data and information on the flight follow. Later, we moved to an airfield and
outwards to meet the mechanics of birds. To ensure we could they would follow me along the runway.
programmers and roboticists fit and remove the devices easily, the birds
looking to replicate termite had to be raised – and taught to fly – by a Howdidyourirstlightfeel?
building skills that might human. Because I can fly a microlight, I Amazing. The birds flew beside me so
terraform Mars, and was chosen as ‘Papa Goose’. effortlessly. Sometimes it was as if they felt
inwards to the geneticists sorry for me, in my carbon machine.
unravelling the insects’ Howdidyougetthebirdstoimprint?
gut biochemistry with a I read to the incubating eggs for a couple DidanyofthegeesegoAWOL?
view to creating fuel of hours a day so they knew my voice, Indeed. And it was exhausting, because I
methane. An eminently and made sure I was the first thing the had to spend ages searching for them. I’d
readable melange of the hatchlings saw. I held them and put them usually find them sitting in a cornfield.
termite microcosm. under my jumper to give them my warmth

Richard Jones and smell. If the birds were to eventually Werethegeesediferent?
Entomologist follow me in my microlight, it was crucial Yes. I had no idea that their personalities
that they accepted me as their leader. would be so distinctive. Paul was obedient
and caring; Calimero was very protective.
Howintenseweretheearlydays? Freddy was the only one who unmasked me
Very. It reminded me of when my own as a fraud. He didn’t want to fly with me.
children were born. The birds needed
constant care and reassurance, so I lived in Didthegeesegobacktothewild?
CRAFT FOR KIDS a trailer beside their aviary for the duration Yes, that was always the plan. I had
The Big Sticker of the project. Goslings make a distinct imagined a moving scene in which
sound when they’re tired, which sounds I solemnly released them. But, as I
Book of the Blue like someone gently blowing a whistle. discovered, nature doesn’t much care for

When hungry, they peck at your toes. solemn moments. And neither do geese.
YUVAL ZOMMER, THAMES & HUDSON, £8.95

How do you make
Michael flying in
a book on marine
formation with
wildlife even more ‘his’ geese.
fun? Add stickers! In
marinated anchovies: Kyoko Uchida/Alamy; temite mound: Denis-Huot/naturepl.com
this lively follow-up
to Zommer’s previous Big Books
of Beasts and Bugs, kids are
encouraged to think about how
sea creatures communicate, swim
and eat by sketching, colouring
and sticking. They’ll learn how
anglerfish use dangling lights to
lure prey; how the flattened tails
of sea snakes power them through
the water; and how seahorses grip Papa Goose:
seaweed with their tails. Minor One Year,
Seven Goslings, Michael Quetting: colourFIELD tell-a-vision
inaccuracies aside (‘humpbacks’ and the Flight
are clearly sperm whales), this is a of my Life
£16.99,
colourful treat for youngsters. PB
Greystone
Books

October 2018 BBC Wildlife 97

WILD AT HOME






HOUSE AND HOME
Bee houses


WWW.GREENANDBLUE.CO.UK


Of course you can create a perfectly
good home for solitary bees with a
bundle of bamboo canes, but you
have to love the stylish dwellings
designed by Cornish company
Green&Blue. Standing out from the
crowd of bee hotels on the market,
these pleasingly minimalist products
are cast in concrete, 75 per cent of
which comprises waste material
from China clay processing. The
collection includes the renowned
Bee Bricks and Blocks (coming to a
new-build near you); Beepots (smart-
looking planters with built-in nesting
tunnels); and the newest addition
YOUNGER READERS
– the Beepost, a striking, 230cm-tall Emily Dickinson, Robert Louis
nesting tower for the more ambitious I Am the Seed that Stevenson and Benjamin Zephaniah,
landscaper. Prices start at£18.75. SM for instance – though many of the
Grew the Tree poems are anonymous.
Beepots (£49 each) This is a satisfyingly hefty book to
ofer food and shelter. BIG PICTURE PRESS, £14.99
hold, and the poems are framed by
My daughters loved dipping gorgeously immersive and colourful
into this beautiful book, an illustrations that evoke the four seasons:
anthology of 365 poems spring flowers, swooping swallows,
about the natural world, shimmering shoals of fish, autumn
taking turns to read out leaves and wintry snowscapes. While a
their favourites. Most are short, some few words and verse structures are
just a few lines long, and there are also tricky, most of the poems can easily be
haikus, limericks and tongue-twisters. managed by seven- to ten-year-olds.
Famous names crop up – Ted Hughes, Ben Hoare BBC Wildlife Features Editor




T
OUT IN HE GARDEN
PODCAST BOOK
BEE BANQUETS The Future of A Honeybee Heart
Plant crocus and snakeshead
fritillary bulbs, ready to bloom the Countryside has Five Openings
in time to ofer a rich nectar
bufet for early spring bees. COSTING THE EARTH: WWW.BBC.CO.UK/PROGRAMMES HELEN JUKES, SIMON & SCHUSTER, £14.99
Britain’s post-Brexit food The nature-writing memoir
CLEAN BIRD BOXES security has made headlines is a well-trodden path, but
Take advantage of the last recently, with the National this story of a year of
autumn sunshine to spruce up Farmers’ Union claiming beginner-level beekeeping is
your bird homes ready for next that the UK – which today produces only beautifully written and
year’s nesting season. By law 60 per cent of what it needs – would run informative. Author Helen
you can clear old birds’ nests out of food by August each year in the Jukes moves from London to Oxford,
between 1 August and event of a no-deal Brexit. So this four-way where she starts a new job (that she
31 January.
debate on the nation’s farming future, hates) and, to effect change in her life,
hosted by Costing the Earth regular decides to keep honeybees in her back
GO WILD WITH WOOD Tom Heap, is particularly timely. Join a garden. Embarking on her journey, she
Pile up some logs and dead farmer, an agricultural scientist, a green obsessively researches the inner
wood, ideally in dappled shade, economist and a food campaigner as they workings of the hive, immersing herself
to create a winter shelter for discuss how public investment should in her new wards and sharing what she
a multitude of species. Dead best be spent to ensure both increased learns from other beekeeping tomes. A
wood is particularly important food production capacity and the raft charming, gentle and pleasant story that
for stag beetles.
of environmental benefits that the teaches a lot about honeybees.
government says is its priority. PB Kate Bradbury Wildlife gardener and author


98 BBC Wildlife October 2018

WILD AT HOME






CROSSWORD Win a prize with our brain-teaser. Answers WILDWORDS
in our
December
Compiledby RICHARD SMYTH 2018 issue Piotr Naskrecki/Minden Pictures/FLPA















1) the definition for tulchan
AUGUSTANSWERS
A a spur attached to the heel of
Across: 1 Corncob, 5
a fighting cock
Snowcap, 9 Waterweed,
B a stufed calf’s skin set beside
10 Tulip, 11 Islands, 12
a cow to induce her to give milk
Eritrea, 13 Heart, 15
C a leather strap used to bind
Eggshells, 17 Sapsucker,
19 Chard, 21 Ouabain, a hawk’s wing
23 African, 25 Draco, 26
2) the animal you associate
Widowbird, 27 Needles,
28 Reynard. with the adjective ostracine
Down: 1 Cowfish, 2 Ratel,
A a lark
3 Coronet, 4 Beefsteak,
B an oyster
5 Sedge, 6 Ostrich, 7
Chlorella, 8 Poplars, C a penguin
14 Alpha Male, 16
Germander, 17 Snowdon, 3) the ofspring of a monkey
18 Ural Owl, 19 Caraway,
A a farrow
20 Denuded, 22 Newts,
24 China. B a whelp
C an infant
AUGUSTWINNER
N Marshall Gwynedd 4) the sound made by
grasshoppers
ACROSS fruits, glossy leaves and milky, mildly 6 Marine flatfish (4)
8 Flowering shrub in the rose family, toxic sap (7,3) 7 Tube-nosed seabird of the order A a chirp
widely cultivated, with dense, 26 Photosynthetic organism such as Procellariiformes (6) B a creak
colourful inflorescences (6) kelp or Chlorella (4) 13 The branching, leaf-bearing part of
C a chant
9 Small plants sometimes called 27 Chickweed named for its soft, hairy a tree (5)
windflowers (8) leaves (5,3) 14 UK region, home to the RSPB 5) the name for a female
10 A rabbit’s tail (4) 28 The ___ elephant is a subspecies of reserves Minsmere, Strumpshaw Fen
11 Cross between a raspberry and a the Asian elephant (6) and Titchwell (4,6) turkey
blackberry (10) 15 Large, bamboo-eating mammal,
A a queen
12 Large Atlantic seabird that might DOWN native to China (5,5)
B a gobbler
be lesser or great (5-6,4) 1 Patterned with spots, like the wood 19 Flat-bodied, venomous marine fish,
C a hen
16 ___ lands, term for marginal urban butterfly Pararge aegeria (8) related to the sharks (8)
or suburban habitats popularised by 2 Elegant seabird that makes the 21 Spotted cat of South America (6)
Marion Shoard (4) longest annual migration of any 23 The caterpillar of the ___ moth 6) the collective noun
17 Name given to divers in North bird (6,4) may squirt formic acid if attacked (4) for eels
America (5) 3 Bright blue-flowering member 24 Tree in the mahogany family, also
A a bed
18 Tree shrub Myrcia paganii, native to of the bellflower family, native to called Indian lilac (4)
B a raft
Puerto Rico (4) Florida (3,7) 25 Fronded, flowerless vascular plant
20 Slender, insect-eating songbird 4 Modified maxillary tooth found in that reproduces via spores (4) C a pit
Motacilla clara, found in the uplands of carnivorous mammals (4)
sub-Saharan Africa (8,7) 5 Meaty seed of a plant in the family
22 Tree of the genus Ficus with small Fabaceae – mung or soya, perhaps (4)
Questions setbyADAM JACOT DE BOINOD
Find out
the answers
on p119
WIN A ‘TURTLE MAT’ WILDLIFE DOORMAT General terms and conditions
1. Visit www.discoverwildlife.com/general
HOWTO ENTER This competition is only open to residents of the UK (including terms and conditions 2018 to read the full
the Channel Islands).Post entries to BBC Wildlife Magazine, October 2018 terms and conditions. 2. Competitions are
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