My Vanishing World

Endangered Species in a Vanishing World

Llandaff Weir (Photo: Steve Andrews)

Throughout my life I have been very sadly watching the natural world being destroyed bit by bit, pond by pond, forest by forest, field by field, habitat by habitat. Most of this is done in the name of ‘development’ and ‘progress’ and even in the name of safety, e.g. when trees are felled for being potentially dangerous and ponds are drained because a child could fall in and drown. These are the sort of reasons given for destroying part of the natural world, and each part that is destroyed was the home for many species of animal and plant.

As a child and teenager who delighted in the wonders of nature I was discovering, I never dreamed that once common birds, animals, insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians and wild flowers would become rare or even endangered species. But this has happened. Here in the UK, the decline in wildlife is truly alarming.

Small Tortoiseshell, a once common butterfly (Photo: Public Domain) 

The honeybee is having problems all over the world, and the new term “colony collapse disorder” is in use to describe their decline. Once common butterflies, like the small tortoiseshell are no longer frequently seen. The numbers of the house-sparrow and starling have dropped drastically. Both these birds used to be seen all over cities and towns and were regular visitors to most gardens but not now. The common lizard isn’t common. Ask yourself this: when did you last see one? Perhaps you have never seen one! The hedgehog, which used to be often seen in gardens, and often seen as a victim of road-kill is not even seen dead on our roads. There are so few hedgehogs about they are not there to get killed by traffic any more. The European eel that I remember seeing in their millions as elvers coming up rivers and streams each year is now listed as a critically endangered species.

Habitat Destruction

Habitat destruction is a massive part of the problem, and it doesn’t have to be tropical rainforest that we need to worry about, although of course the destruction of our jungles is a very alarming threat to the world’s wildlife and ecosystems. Natural environments much closer to home are continuing to be destroyed.

Llandaff Weir

Where elvers once climbed (Photo: Steve Andrews)

In Llandaff and Fairwater, in Cardiff, where I was brought up, there used to be many places where you could find newts, frogs and toads. In other words, there were a number of ponds available for them to breed in. I remember a large pond behind what was then Waterhall School in Fairwater but that has long gone. Right next to Llandaff Village is the River Taff and Llandaff Weir. When I was a boy there were two ponds on the river bank that supported newts, frogs and toads. There were also sticklebacks, as well as various pond snails, water beetles and dragonflies and damselflies that called these ponds their home. Both ponds were destroyed many years ago. The ground was bulldozed flat or made into embankment. Where did all the amphibians go when they returned in spring to find their breeding pools gone?

Elvers
I went along to Llandaff Weir recently with my friend Roger and we were looking at where the ponds used to be and also at the river and the weir. I remember when the elvers used to leave the water and slither their way up the wet concrete and stonework at the edge of the weir. There used to be so many that it was easy to fill a bucket by putting one under the mass of wriggling elvers and dislodging them into it. Every rock in the river would have an elver or elvers under it. This was normal. Now this species is in such small numbers it is listed as critically endangered, as already pointed out.

As a  matter of interest, the River Taff was terribly polluted when I used to go there as a boy back in the early 1960s. The water was black with coal dust from the mines up the Valleys, it foamed with detergents washed down in drains and the mud was also black and had an awful stench. No water plants would grow in the river. Amazingly though, there were minnows, bullheads, stone loaches, sticklebacks, and roach, all to be easily found doing surprisingly well at that time. The minnows and bullheads were the biggest I have ever seen, and this was really surprising because both these fish like clean well aerated water. I think the reason the fish thrived despite the terrible pollution was because of the vast numbers of tubifex worms that lived in the mud.  I used to carry this mud home and put it in a container and let it dry out. The pink or red worms would form into tangled balls as the mud dried out. This made them easy to remove, and after washing them they were ideal live food for the many tropical fish I used to keep.

I don’t know what fish live in the cleaner River Taff as it is today, although I do know that salmon and sea-trout can be seen jumping at Blackweir which is another weir a mile or so downstream. The river has improved in many ways but at the same time it has lost a lot. It has lost at least two ponds that were once on its riverbanks.

This story illustrates well the reason why it makes a great contribution to wildlife conservation if you have a garden pond. The more garden pools there are the better because they can serve as a partial replacement for the ponds that have been destroyed.

Monarch Butterfly Monitoring in Portugal and Spain

Monarch Butterfly Colonies in Portugal and Spain

Monarch (Photo: Public Domain)

I have been wondering what happens to monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) that emerge from their chrysalises in the late autumn in Portugal and Spain. I am wondering if there are any organisations or individuals out there that know or are monitoring the colonies and populations of these insects.

Migratory Monarchs

It is common knowledge that these beautiful butterflies conduct an incredible migration from Canada and the northern states of America down to Mexico and California in the south of the US each fall, and then repeat the journey in the opposite direction with the coming of spring.

Overwintering Monarchs (Photo: Public Domain)

The monarchs overwinter in vast numbers that cling to trees. Conservationists have become rightly concerned about the diminishing numbers of monarchs that are arriving to overwinter and that are successfully accomplishing this essential part of their life cycle. Forests in Mexico are being destroyed and freak winter weather due to Climate Change is taking a toll.

In America the subject of monarch migration is being taken very seriously and efforts are being made to monitor the numbers of these butterflies. If you search online for “monitoring of monarch butterflies” you will find plenty of relevant entries for America but not so if you search for “monitoring and distribution of monarch butterflies in Portugal and Spain.” Yes, there are plenty of results but none that I can find that tell you much about the populations in the Iberian countries, only that they exist. It is known that monarchs can be found on the Azores and in Madeira too, as well as the Canary Islands, which count as part of Spain.

Monarchs in Portugal

I have a book I bought in Portugal entitled thebutterfliesofportugal, edited by Ernestino Maravalhas and published by Apollo Books, and it has a distribution map for the monarch butterfly. It is shown as living in the Aveiro area on the northern coast and along the coast of the Algarve in the south.

Monarch caterpillar (Photo: Public Domain)

I have recently obtained some monarch caterpillars from a butterfly farm in Aveiro but the owner tells me there are no monarchs in the north in winter.  I have the food-plants scarlet milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) and the bristly fruited silkweed (Gomphocarpus fruticosus) growing here on which the caterpillars are feeding.

Bristly Fruited Silkweed  (Photo: Public Domain) 

Incidentally it is these plants that have been introduced into Iberia as garden plants that have enabled the monarch to colonise Spain and Portugal. The same goes for Tenerife and the Canary Islands where the scarlet milkweed is often grown as an ornamental garden flower.

Monarch on Milkweed (Photo: Public Domain)

I have successfully reared many monarch butterflies in Tenerife when I lived on the island where there are non-migratory populations, and I know that the insects there continue flying and breeding in the warmer coastal areas through the winter months when it becomes too cold and their food-plants die back in the mountains and higher ground. But I am wondering if the situation is the same in Portugal. If so what temperatures do all stages of the insect need to survive and complete their life-cycle? I estimate my caterpillars are going to need a week more here before they will change into chrysalises and probably a bit longer before they emerge than the ones I have reared before in the slightly warmer part of Tenerife where I lived. I estimate that the butterflies will be emerging late in December but what will they do if I set them free, allowing for sunny and warmer winter days here in Portugal. Will the monarchs attempt to overwinter, will they die doing so or will they fly south?

I have been trying unsuccessfully to find out in searches on the Internet but most information I find is mostly about the migratory monarchs in the US.

I know that the milkweed and bristly-fruited silkweed can continue growing throughout the winter here so the food-plants are available, but I don't know whether it simply gets too cold for any stage of the monarch’s life-cycle to survive.  Anyone reading this who can tell me more about the monarchs in Portugal and Spain, please get in touch or leave a comment.

Forest Farm and Glamorganshire Canal are Great Places for Nature

Forest Farm Reserve and the Glamorganshire Canal

Photo: Steve Andrews

Just on the outskirts of Cardiff lies a wonderful area for nature that I have been visiting since I was a boy. I am talking about Glamorganshire Canal and the Forest Farm Nature Reserve, which offer long stretches of freshwater, pools and wetland habitats, forests and fields.

Photo: Steve Andrews

There are several ways to get there but I usually walk up through Hailey Park in Llandaff North and continue along Ty-Mawr Road that goes past the old Melingriffith Tin and Iron Works and the old water wheel which is still there as a relic of the South Wales industrial past. The Melingriffith Works that were founded sometime before 1750, closed in 1957.  At the end of the road you reach the end of Velindre Road, which is part of the suburb of Whitchurch.

Here you can either go into the Forest Farm reserve or wander along the banks of the canal, which ends below Tongwynlais and in the area of the Coryton Interchange. It is also possible to get there by crossing the River Taff from Radyr.

Herons and Kingfishers

Photo: Steve Andrews

Birdwatchers can easily spot herons in this area and if lucky you can get a glimpse of the kingfisher too as it hunts for prey in the waters of the canal. I remember seeing one there many years back and it inspired me to write a song, aptly entitled "Kingfisher."

Mallard ducks are very common here and can be seen on the Glamorgan Canal and on the feeder which runs alongside it, as are moorhens. Water rail, snipe, dippers and reed warblers are also reported from Forest Farm Reserve. Even the elusive bittern have been seen here.

Photo: Steve Andrews

Beech and Oak

Beech and oak are the main trees that grow alongside the Glamorganshire Canal and in the Long Wood. Some of the trees are said to be 200 years old. In autumn the dead leaves in their brown and golden autumnal shades can be seen coating the ground and floating on the canal’s surface.

Common Toads

Common toads gather to spawn in the canal in springtime, and I remember when some ponds many miles away on the banks of Llandaff Weir were destroyed many years ago. I remember seeing toad tadpoles in the canal that year and wondered if it was possible that some of the displaced toads had somehow found the canal even though it was miles away. I often wonder what amphibians do when they return to spawning grounds to find them gone.

Grass Snakes

I have seen grass snakes swimming in the Glamorgan Canal too. It is good to know these once much more common reptiles, have found a home here.

Waterlilies

In summer the surface of a lot of the Glamorgan Canal is covered by the large rounded leaves of the yellow water lily. However, when I recently visited in late autumn they had all died back. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my recent walk along this canal that is an interesting place to visit all year around.

Photo: Steve Andrews

Where have all the British butterflies gone?

British Butterflies conspicuous by their absence

Small Tortoiseshell (Photo: Public Domain)

I have been in the UK since the end of August and have been sad to find that many once common British butterflies are conspicuous by their absence. It needs to be asked: where have all the British butterflies gone?

I remember a time when buddleia (Buddleia davidii) bushes were rightly also known as butterfly bushes, a time when you could count on seeing many species of butterfly feeding on the nectar provided by the colourful and perfumed flowering spikes. Those days, it seems, have long gone.

 Peacock on Buddleia (Photo: Public Domain)

Butterfly species that feed on Buddleia

Small White on Buddleia (Photo: Public Domain)

There used to be a butterfly bush in my father’s garden in Cardiff on which on a sunny day you could expect to see several small tortoiseshells (Aglais urticae), a peacock (A. io) or two, one or more red admirals (Vanessa atalanta), a comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album), several small whites (Pieris rapae) and a large white (P. brassicae) all at the same time. Now you are lucky to see a single butterfly. 

 Red Admiral on Michaelmas Daisies (Photo: Public Domain) 

At time of writing we are approaching the end of September, and despite the UK having had some very warm and sunny days, my butterfly sightings have been at an alltime low. Now you may be thinking, well, it is autumn, but the season shouldn’t matter. Hibernating butterfly species feed up in September and October too to help sustain them through the winter months ahead. The buddleias have mostly finished now but michaelmas daisies (Aster amellus) and orpine (Sedum telephium) are two commonly planted garden flowers that butterflies love, but this year the butterflies are missing.

It is not only flowers that butterflies will feed from. Red admirals, in particular, have a liking for rotting fruit and enjoy feeding in late summer and autumn on windfall fermenting apples and pears. There are plenty of apple and pear trees about but again a real shortage of butterflies. 

Reasons for the butterfly decline

The disappearance of so many British butterflies is a very worrying issue, not just because of the great beauty of these winged insects that we all enjoy seeing, but because it shows that all is not well in the environment. If butterflies are vanishing this will have an adverse effect on other creatures that feed on them. Many birds eat caterpillars, for example, so their numbers are affected by a shortage of food.

Many reasons have been put forward for the serious decline in many species of British butterfly, ranging from pesticides and herbicides, pollution, disease, parasites and Climate Change. A change in farming practices is another reason so many species are thought to be dwindling in numbers. 

 Comma on Buddleia (Photo: Public Domain)

Red admiral, small tortoiseshell, peacock and comma butterfly caterpillars all feed on stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) and there is no shortage of this plant, although I have seen it deliberately destroyed by herbicide.

The decline of the small tortoiseshell has been a real mystery, and a warm winter followed by a chilly spring, is thought to have done a lot of harm to this pretty species.

2016 has been recognised by scientists monitoring the situation as a very bad year for butterflies, and it can only be hoped that next year is a lot better. How many butterflies have you seen this year?

The Swallowtails of Portugal

The Southern Scarce Swallowtail

Southern Scarce Swallowtail (Photo: Steve Andrews)

There are two types of swallowtail butterfly seen flying in Portugal, and one of these is known as the Southern Swallowtail or Southern Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthamelii). A large and very beautiful insect it is often regarded as a subspecies of the very similar Scarce Swallowtail (I. podalirius). This latter species is actually a fairly common butterfly across many parts of Europe, but it earned its moniker because of rare migrants or strays that made it to the UK, where it is indeed a very “scarce” butterfly.

The Southern Scarce Swallowtail is also found in Spain, Italy, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It frequents gardens and parks as well as the countryside and will definitely catch your eye as it soars  and glides or sips nectar from flowers. It has attractively marked wings of pale yellow or cream with black bands and markings, and at the tips of the rear wings are the characteristic “swallowtail” projections that are bordered by blue spots against more black.

The Swallowtail

The Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)  is a very rare species in the UK where it is confined to the fens of the Norfolk Broads. This is because in Britain, the caterpillar will only feed on Milk Parsley (Peucedanum palustre), a plant which is uncommon in the UK, and which needs wetlands and marshes in which to grow. The British type of the Swallowtail can only be seen in the wild by visiting its habitat in the Norfolk Broads, and it is not found anywhere else in the UK.

Swallowtail (Photo: Public Domain) 

The continental variety of the Swallowtail does not have such specific food-plant needs and will accept Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Rue (Ruta graveolens) and a number of other plants. This has led to the wide distribution of this butterfly across Europe and elsewhere, and like the Scarce and Southern Scarce Swallowtails, it can be found in a variety of habitats, including gardens and parklands. There are as many as 37 recognised subspecies of the Swallowtail and P. machaon britannicus is the type found in the UK, whereas P. machaon gorganus is the widely distributed butterfly found in Portugal and across southern Europe. Other subspecies are found in central and northern Europe and in Asia and North America.

The Swallowtail is a large butterfly and the biggest species found in the UK, apart from the very rare migrant known as the Monarch (Danaus plexippus). It has pretty yellow wings veined and banded with black, as well as blue spots and red eye spots near the “swallowtail” projections from its hindwings.

Swallowtail larva (Photo: Public Domain)

The caterpillar is a pretty creature too with a pale green body striped with black and marked with orange. It has a defensive organ known as an osmeterium behind its head. This organ consists of fleshy projections that emit a foul smell and taste and can be retracted after deterring a would-be predator. The chrysalis is either green or brown.

The caterpillar of the Scarce Swallowtail feeds on species in the Plum and Cherry genus (Prunus) and also on Pear trees (Pyrus communis) and Apples (Malus domesticus). The wide distribution of wild species and cultivated varieties of all these fruit-bearing trees has benefited this butterfly a lot and have enabled it to live in very varied habitats. The green larva is difficult to see against the foliage of the trees it feeds upon and it will also eat Hawthorn (Crataegus spp).

Both the Southern Scarce Swallowtail and the Swallowtail are very beautiful species to look out for in Portugal and the other countries where they can be seen flying. We can help attract them to our gardens by growing their food-plants, as well as providing nectar-bearing and colourful flowers for the adult butterflies to feed from. 

 

Environmentally friendly bicycle trends

Environmentally friendly bicycle trends

A row of rental bikes in the center of Amsterdam (Photo: Michael Renner)

Bicycles are an environmentally friendly way of getting around because they do not burn fuel to do so. Bicycles rely on human energy to power them. They do not pollute the air with exhaust fumes like cars and other motorised vehicles do at present. Going by bike is one greener way ahead and is something many of us can do to help in turning things around in the world today. Of course, the more people who use bicycles the better, and in many parts of the world they are becoming increasingly popular, but are there any new eco-friendly bicycle trends? Let us take a look at how much cycling is being seen as the way forward?.

Denmark is becoming a cycling nation

Cyclists in Copenhagen (Photo: Colville-Andersen)

The Scandinavian country of Denmark is one of many nations where bicycles have become more and more popular as a way of travelling. Back in the 1960s cars were threatening to replace bikes as the main means of Danish transport but due to the oil crisis, the environmental movement and road traffic problems, the situation changed in a positive way and more people went back to their bikes or took up cycling. Amsterdam in the Netherlands is a very bike-friendly city too, where cycling has been a popular way of getting around the city for many years.

The demand is on for E-bikes

An E-bike (Photo: Jannis Blume)

The demand for Electric bikes or e-bikes is continuing to grow. These bikes are zero emissions transport vehicles which are usually powered by rechargeable batteries. Admittedly the electricity still needs to be generated and the disposal of the limited life batteries they use may be problematic, however, when all is considered e-bikes are more environmentally friendly because they make less environmental impact than cars and motorbikes. E-bikes are also useful for health reasons. They have been successfully used in cardiac rehabilitation medical programmes and to help obese people lose weight.

Wooden or Lumber Bikes

Wooden bike (Photo: Jose Hernandez)

Another growing trend is for lumber bikes made from wood. These bikes can utilise plywood and are marketed as having eco-frames. They look very attractive and are very different to the old-fashioned bicycles with metal frames. Bamboo is another natural material that is being used to make bicycles from and then there are the new D-I-Y bikes that are catching on too. There is something very pleasing about a bicycle you built yourself, and you don’t have to know too much about making things because you can buy a kit to assemble your bike from. You follow the instructions to build your own bike. It is fascinating to see how the bicycle is evolving in different ways.

Of course, e-bikes and wooden bikes, just like the old sort of bicycles we all know, depend on good maintenance to be in good working order. Small components, such as roller bearings, are so vital to safe cycling and a reliable machine!