Project uncovers species and habitats believed lost in Herefordshire UPDATED 13/12/24

Project uncovers species and habitats believed lost in Herefordshire UPDATED 13/12/24

Local Wildlife Sites project uncovers existence of hawfinch and tree sparrow, believed to be extinct in Herefordshire, as well as a fragment of one of the rarest types of woodland in the world: Celtic Temperate Rainforest. 

UPDATE 13/12/24:

CORRECTION TO OUR ORIGINAL NEWS STORY:

Many apologies but in our original News Story below, we incorrectly stated that there had been no breeding records of hawfinch in Herefordshire for over 100 years. We had been unable to find any more recent data but we have since been contacted by members of the public and the county recorder for birds to inform us that there have been very recent records of breeding pairs in the county. 

While we are extremely sorry to have made this error, we are thrilled to have been wrong! The hawfinch is a rare bird – on the ‘red list’ for Birds of Conservation Concern – so it has been very heartening to hear from people that that have seen individual birds as well as signs of breeding, such as juvenile birds, in their local area. Great news for Herefordshire!

 

 

The breeding hawfinches were recorded in a woodland Local Wildlife Site by local ornithologist Daniel Webb. Remarkably, this is the first breeding record of this species in Herefordshire in 140 years and is very significant as this bird is one Britain’s rarest woodland birds, with an estimated population of just 500 pairs: that’s around the same as all of Scotland’s golden eagles! These huge finches often nest in colonies so this record may indicate the presence of a previously unknown population in Herefordshire and the Welsh Marches.  

Small brown bird perched on a twig amongst green leaves

Tree sparrow, Herefordshire (c) William Lambourne

A colony of around five pairs of tree sparrow were found nesting on a farm in north-west Herefordshire, the first breeding record in nine years. They were discovered by William Lambourne who was on a work experience placement with Herefordshire Wildlife Trust. Tree sparrows have suffered a catastrophic decline of 98% since the 1960s, due in large part to the onset of Dutch elm’s disease which resulted in a loss of nest sites and changes in modern agriculture which has led to drastic declines in the arable weeds that they were once dependent on over winter. 

It was at this same site that a fragment of Celtic Temperate Rainforest was discovered. With less than 1% of its original extent remaining, this unique and primeval looking habitat, full of mosses and ferns, and home to scarce breeding birds such as the pied flycatcher, is usually only found in the mountains of Wales, Western Scotland and Ireland, making this one of the only examples of known to exist in Herefordshire. 

Both discoveries came about through surveys being conducted on Local Wildlife Sites, by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust on behalf of Herefordshire Council. This project is reviewing and updating records on the county’s 750 designated Local Wildlife Sites. In total, 24 Local Wildlife Sites were surveyed this year, including nine new sites being designated, totalling 896 hectares. The project is set to continue in 2025. 

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust’s Project Officer Toby Fountain said: 

“As well as turning up some brilliant wildlife and habitats, this project is also revealing some of the exciting and ambitious conservation work being carried out by private landowners in the county, and I hope this will be the basis of a productive long-term partnership between such individuals and Herefordshire Wildlife Trust.”  

If you have any queries about Local Wildlife Sites in Herefordshire, please contact Nature Recovery Officer Toby Fountain t.fountain@herefordshirewt.co.uk or see  www.herefordshirewt.org/localwildlifesites  

 

About Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) 

Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) are areas of land that are especially important for their wildlife. They are some of our most valuable wildlife areas in the UK. LWSs in Herefordshire reflect the county’s local character and distinctiveness and, since first selected in 1990, have played an important role in maintaining and enhancing wildlife in the county by supporting a rich diversity of habitats and providing networks and corridors across our landscape. 

LWSs are identified and selected locally by partnerships of local authorities, nature conservation charities, statutory agencies, ecologists and local nature experts, using scientifically determined criteria and surveys. Their selection is based on the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional or local context. 

LWS are found on public and private land and include a vast range of semi-natural habitats from species-rich grasslands, ancient woodlands, fens and orchards to rivers and stream corridors. They complement the existing statutorily protected sites and form the core of a resilient ecological network.