LAND AT REAR OF PARAPET HOUSE LENHAM KENT REPTILE SCOPING SURVEY

Transcription

1 LAND AT REAR OF PARAPET HOUSE LENHAM KENT REPTILE SCOPING SURVEY BY MARTIN NEWCOMBE 5 th June 2015 D100. Lenham (TQ ).R2 Martin Newcombe Wildlife Management Consultancy

2 Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION METHODS RESULTS DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY 8 APPENDIX 1 SUMMARY RESULTS OF REFUGIUM MONITORING Land rear of Parapet House, Lenham, Kent; reptiles Page 2

3 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This document was compiled in order to report upon a reptile survey of land at the rear of Parapet House, Lenham, Kent 1. It is proposed that the site eventually be redeveloped. 1.2 The site has already been the subject of an earlier ecological scoping report 2 which describes the site and its location. 1.3 Common reptiles such as common lizards 3, slow worms 4 and grass snakes 5 are protected from harm under sections 9(1) and 9(5) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is necessary to take account of them prior to the commencement of development, irrespective of any planning considerations. 1 OS / TQ approximate location. Grid reference taken from 2 Newcombe, Zootoca vivipara. 4 Anguis fragilis. 5 Natrix helvetica. Land rear of Parapet House, Lenham, Kent; reptiles Page 3

4 2.0 METHODS 2.1 Within the site a total of 20 pieces of bituminized roofing material measuring approximately 0.75 x 0.75 m were placed throughout suitable habitat 6 on Friday 24 th April 2015, in order to act as refugia of the type described by Gent and Gibson (2003). These were allowed to remain in place untouched for approximately ten days, and then were individually checked at intervals on eight 7 subsequent occasions 8, between 8 th and 21 st May 2015, during suitable weather conditions. 2.2 On each occasion, a transect route through the site was also walked slowly and methodically so as to attempt to detect any animals 9 which might be basking, following the method described by English Nature (1994). During this walk the refugia were also turned over and examined for the presence of reptiles. 6 Mainly in areas dominated by grass, although other suitable habitat was also used. The site had been largely flattened by winter maintenance work which had reduced the predominant ruderal vegetation. 7 Normally only seven visits are required, but an additional one was made outside the main survey period in order to determine whether or not the large numbers of juvenile animals that were found were not the result of some additional factor e.g. animals being put onto the site without authority from a translocation somewhere else. It would normally be anticipated that, had such an event occurred, the animals would not necessarily remain so concentrated over time in particular areas. 8 Usually twice a day. 9 Particularly common lizards. Land rear of Parapet House, Lenham, Kent; reptiles Page 4

5 3.0 RESULTS 3.1 The results 10 are shown in Appendix 1. A mean of seven adult and 23 juvenile slow worms were found on site under the refugia whilst the transect was being walked. The bulk of these animals were found in the southern half of the site, although the animals were scattered throughout the site as a whole. 10 I.e. number of animals recorded. Land rear of Parapet House, Lenham, Kent; reptiles Page 5

6 4.0 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 4.1 The methodology of the survey has been used before on other sites, and the number and position of refugia was more than adequate for a survey of this type. 4.2 The weather was also suitable, especially since the site was fairly sheltered by topography and landscape features for the often cold winds that characterised the spring of Initially it was thought that one or two slow worms would be found, but given the proximity of gardens in the area, it is not really surprising that slow worms were present. In addition, the management of the site in the last year or two, when the original bramble 11 and nettle 12 dominated vegetation was removed as a result of site clearance, immeasurably helped boost the reptile presence as a result of an increase in basking sites and by increase of soil biomass 13 as a result of soil enrichment from the clearance process. Areas with a mosaic of scrub, tall ruderals and shorter vegetation, such as now occurs on the site 14 can often have a very good reptile fauna 15 (Gent and Gibson, 2003; Mortimer et al, 2000). 4.4 The results suggest that there is a fairly substantial population of slow worms over the whole site, although, as no capture recapture exercise was conducted, there is no reasonably accurate way of assessing its size. However, based on previous experience of such sites, it is probable that there are between 20 and 80 adult slow worms present. The number of juveniles may run into hundreds of animals. This is purely conjecture, but the trapping results suggest that there is a substantial number of animals on the site. 4.5 Given the presence of the slow worms there is a requirement for further action to be taken with respect to them because they are protected. When the time comes for development, reptiles will need to be dealt with first. The guidance given under the guidelines 16 necessitates the erection of a reptile 11 Rubus fruticosus agg. 12 Urtica dioica 13 Including the organisms that slow worms feed upon. 14 As opposed to the dense bramble and tall ruderals that are understood to have formerly dominated the site. 15 Gent and Gibson 2003; Mortimer et al, 2000). 16 Herpetofauna Groups of Britain and Ireland, Land rear of Parapet House, Lenham, Kent; reptiles Page 6

7 fence 17 and an as yet indeterminate number of subsequent visits for translocation, for which a receptor site will have to be found in advance. Translocation will have to be undertaken at some time during the period of usually April to September inclusive, depending upon weather conditions. Further discussion of general mitigation and procedure is given in English Nature The purpose of a reptile fence is to prevent animals from coming into a site which is being subjected to translocation so that the vacuum created by removal of animals is not continuously filled and the translocation therefore goes on for a lot longer than without a fence ; Land rear of Parapet House, Lenham, Kent; reptiles Page 7

8 5.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY English Nature Species conservation handbook. Survey and monitoring of reptiles. Peterborough, English Nature. English Nature Reptiles: guidelines for developers. Peterborough, English Nature. Gent T. and Gibson S Herpetofauna Workers' Manual. Peterborough, Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Revised reprint. Herpetofauna Groups of Britain and Ireland Evaluating local mitigation / translocation programmes: maintaining best practice and lawful standards. HGBI. advisory notes for Amphibian and Reptile Groups (ARGs.). Halesworth, Suffolk, HGBI. Mortimer S. R., Brown V. K., Fuller R.J., Good J. E. G., Bell S. A., Stevens P. A., Norris D., Bayfield N. and Ward L. K The nature conservation value of scrub. JNCC report no Peterborough, Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Newcombe, M. J. T Land at rear of Parapet House, Lenham, Kent: Ecological scoping survey. Unpublished report. Land rear of Parapet House, Lenham, Kent; reptiles Page 8

9 APPENDIX 1: SUMMARY RESULTS OF REFUGIUM MONITORING (All data approximate) LOCATION: Land rear of Parapet House, Lenham, Kent. DATE REFUGIA LAID DOWN: 24/04/2015 NUMBER OF REFUGIA: 20 Visit Inspection number date General description of weather Number of reptiles: Adder Grass snake Common Lizard Common lizard juveniles Slow worm adult Slow worm juvenile Slow - worm indeterminate Total lizards Total slow worms Total reptiles Additional notes 1 08/05/2015 Wind S3, 13 degrees C., showers Two visits 2 09/05/2014 Wind WSW4, 14 degrees C, dry Two visits 3 10/05/2014 Wind SSW? 4, 14 degrees C., dry Two visits 4 11/05/2014 Wind SW4 16 degrees C., dry Two visits 5 12/05/2014 Wind WSW3 15 degrees C, showers One visit

10 6 13/05/2014 Wind N3 13 degrees C., dry Two visits 7 15/05/2014 Wind NW3, 12 degrees C., sunny, dry Two visits 8 21/05/2015 Wind SW1, 20 degrees C, cloudy Validation visit Total: Mean: Land rear of Parapet House, Lenham, Kent; reptiles Page 10