Council accidentally bulldozes roadside nature reserve

13/04/2019

Kent County Council has unwittingly destroyed a nationally important roadside nature reserve (RNR), home to tens of thousands of orchids, as it carried out drainage ditch clearance works.

Verges at Blue Bell Hill RNR, just north of Maidstone, were churned up by heavy vehicles working on the site, in some places down to the chalk. 

Owned by Kent County Council, the verge has been managed by volunteers from Kent Wildlife Trust for 15 years. As well as 9,000 Pyramidal Orchids and nearly 8,000 Common Spotted Orchids, it was also home to Bee Orchids, the scarce Man Orchid and a wide range of other special chalk downland flowers. These attracted a host of pollinating bees, butterflies (20 species, including Chalkhill Blue) and other insects, which helped support a thriving population of small mammals as well as Common Lizards and Slow-worms.

A stark contrast: Blue Bell Hill RNR in summer 2018 and spring 2019 (Plantlife).

After removing some trees from the ditch, the council scraped the bank smooth. Such intensive works will inevitably mean that much of this wildlife is lost for good from the site; other species will take years to recover. At this time of year, the Common Spotted Orchids will have been beginning to show above ground, ahead of flowering from late May onward.

Dr Trevor Dines of Plantlife said: "I worry that I've become immune to 'bad stuff' happening to wild flowers over the years. But the destruction a few days ago of 17,000 orchids on a road verge in Kent proved that I'm not.

"This mistake highlights just how vulnerable and threatened the fragments of our species-rich grassland have become – whether in a farmers' field or on a road verge – and the importance of raising our management across the entire network of road verges rather than just a few vulnerable 'jewels'."

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Tens of thousands of starfish wash up on British beach following extreme change in temperature – via Nichola Sullings

Lewis Pennock 

Thousands of dead starfish washed up on a British beach following the 'beast from the east' weather snap.

The spectacular scene in Ramsgate, Kent, was described as "like the armageddon" by wildlife enthusiast Lara Maiklem, 47, who photographed the phenomenon.

She estimated "hundreds of thousands" of starfish and other sea life were washed ashore this weekend following the spell of subzero temperatures.

Lara travelled to the beach with her five-year-old twins, Edie and Beau.

And in a bizarre twist, they also discovered a pair of false teeth among the mass of dead wildlife.

She said: "It was incredible. There were starfish as far as the eye could see, there were fish in there and sea urchins.

Read more 

Foxes are in the doghouse again – and everyday foxism is to blame

Lucy Jones

Tales of vulpine hooliganism are deep in our cultural DNA. But why do we still feel the need to vilify these brilliant, adaptable predators?

Friday 3 June 201615.44 BST

Another day, another story about urban foxes up to no good. Police officers in Tunbridge Wells said foxes are to blame for “destroying” brake lines on a number of cars. Poor foxes, in the doghouse once again.

Certainly, the animals, especially when they are young and developing, like to chew on objects, and may choose to hang out in the warmth under a car. Wildlife expert John Bryant has confirmed that foxes may well have gnawed through the cables in Kent. The story hasn’t tipped into complete fantasy, yet: previously reports have suggested marauding gangs of young vulpine louts were actually“addicted” to brake fluid.

This hooligan urban fox is a common character in the British media. If one animal is anthropomorphised more than any other in Britain, it is the fox – and its urban variety is often a target for a peculiar mixture of hatred, fear and myth. A fox that“trapped” a group of people in a social club in Alconbury, Cambridgeshire, in 2015 was described in news reports using colourful terms that suggested the fox was displaying behaviours outside its wild nature. “Psycho”, “vicious”, “marauding”, “aggressive”, “rampaging”, “angry” were some of the surprisingly unscientific words used. But this was by no means a one-off incident.

Occasionally it is comic. In 2013, a Kent newspaper told of the “fox horror” of a man who had a foxy intruder when he was sat on the toilet. “It was like a struggle for my life,” he said. Often, however, there are sinister undertones with no basis in reality that serve to whip up fear.

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Foxes blamed for motorists’ severed brake cables

Kent police warn drivers in Tunbridge Wells to check brakes before travelling after six incidents since blamed on fox cubs chewing through cables

Chris Johnston and agencies

Thursday 2 June 201622.41 BST Last modified on Friday 3 June 201610.46 BST

Drivers in Tunbridge Wells have been left outraged after hungry foxes apparently chewed through the brake cables of several cars. Kent police have now warned drivers to check their brakes before setting off on journeys.

Officers called on wildlife expert John Bryant to determine whether there was an explanation other than deliberate damage to six vehicles in the second half of May. He concluded that a family of teenage fox cubs, rather than a human vandal, had gnawed through the brake cables.

“It is a pretty rare occurrence, but you do get a couple of cases every year. It is the cubs who are teenage hooligans now, so they are up to all sorts,” Bryant said. “They get under cars and snap away at all the cables when they are hyped up.”

A Kent police spokesman said an expert had confirmed that the damage was not caused by humans. “Foxes, especially cubs at this time of year, are known to rest under vehicles, and can chew through pipes. There is no evidence at this stage to suggest the damage was deliberately caused by a person. However, any new reports will be thoroughly investigated,” he said.

Read on … 

Rare albino squirrel abandoned on London doorstep defies the odds

 Mark Molloy 

29 APRIL 2016 • 10:27AM

If you thought Britain’s squirrel wars were all about red v grey, then these photos of a completely white member of the furry rodent’s family may just surprise you.

CREDIT: BNPS

Albino squirrels are incredibly rare and staff at Folly Wildlife Rescue, a wildlife sanctuary based in Tunbridge Wells, were left stunned when one arrived at their door.

The all-white baby rodent, now named Polly, was close to death when she was abandoned and left in a cardboard box found on the doorstep of a property in London.

It was thought the squirrel, found with a bloody face and shivering in the box that was filling up with water, would not survive when she was initially taken in by the RSPCA.

Experts have speculated the squirrel was rejected by its mother and pushed from the nest because of her pale fur and later picked up by a member of the public.

The young squirrel is now on the slow road to recovery after responding well to treatment at the Folly Wildlife Rescue centre where she is being hand-reared.

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Headless boa constrictor is second snake found dumped in park in a week

15:04, 19 NOV 2015 UPDATED 15:46, 19 NOV 2015

BY ADAM GILLHAM

The RSPCA is investigating the incident and has warned people to be aware of the amount of care exotic animals need before buying them as pets

An investigation has been launched after the body of a headless snake was foundjust days after a 6ft boa constrictor was rescued from the same public park .

The decapitated snake was discovered in the park just over a week after the boa constrictor was found by two dog walkers in the same area.

Dad-of-two Ian Willey and his sons, Calum, 12, and Evan, eight, made the discovery in Danson Park in Welling, Kent.

The family spotted the four-foot long dead reptile just yards from the children’s play area before reporting it to park rangers on Sunday.

The RSPCA says it is “extremely concerned” about the second snake, which is believed to be another boa constrictor.

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New species of wasp discovered in England

Parasitic wasp spotted at Kent nature reserve is confirmed to be new genus and species to Britain

Press Association

Wednesday 21 October 2015 14.58 BSTLast modified on Thursday 22 October 201500.25 BST

New species of wasp Lymantrichneumon disparis. 

Photograph: Natural History Museum

A species of wasp that has never been recorded in the country has been discovered at a British nature reserve.

The parasitic wasp, Lymantrichneumon disparis, now known to be a genus and a new species to Britain, was found by a butterfly collector at the RSPB’s Broadwater Warren near Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

But is has taken two years for experts to confirm the 2013 discovery made by Tony Davis, of Butterfly Conservation, who was undertaking a moth monitoring programme when he came across the specimen.

He said: “I’d finished my work and was leaving the reserve but couldn’t resist one last sweep on my net and that’s when I found the wasp. I knew it was something special, but I could never have guessed it was an entirely new species to the country.”

Dr Gavin Broad, an expert on ichneumonid wasps, employed by the Natural History Museum, has confirmed the species which has no common name and no other specimen has yet been found.

Broad said he believed the find had been a recent colonist from continental Europe.

He said: “It’s not uncommon to find parasitic wasps new to Britain, but to find a new genus for the country that is large and showy is very unusual and good evidence of change in our fauna.

Read more ...

Dead whale washes up on Kent beach

Experts believe 36ft carcass found at Foreness Point is a minke whale

Press Association

Wednesday 14 October 2015 14.52 BSTLast modified on Wednesday 14 October 201517.03 BST

A dead whale has been found washed up on a beach in Kent.

The cetacean, believed to be a 36ft-long (11 metre) minke whale, was discovered at Foreness Point, near Cliftonville, on Wednesday morning.

Experts from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) plan to take samples from the dead creature, which has a police cordon around it.

“The animal has been floating off the Kent coast for a couple of days and shows signs of being hit by a ship,” said a spokesperson for the Natural History Museum, in London.

It is understood that it will be up to Kent county council to dispose of the carcass, once samples have been taken for testing by ZSL veterinarians.

Julia Cable, of the East Sussex-based British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said: “It looks like an 11-metre long adult minke whale, but it is difficult to say with certainty without seeing the underside of it.”

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More short-haired bumblebees, once extinct in the UK, have been brought to the Dungeness RSPB reserve.

21st May

The latest batch of a bee once extinct in the UK has been released in Dungeness.

A new group of short-haired bumblebees, comprising 46 queens, was brought to the RSPB reserve there on Monday.

Earlier this month, a team of scientists and volunteers travelled to Sweden to collect queens and brought them back to Royal Holloway University of London to be screened for disease.

The RSPB says that a warm spring and a bumper crop of the bee’s preferred early foraging plant, white dead nettles, meant the team were able to collect all the queens in just two and a half days.

Continued

Giant Asian Hornet heading for Kent after 'causing deaths' of six people in France

17 April 2014

by KentOnline reporter

Giant Asian hornets which have been blamed for the deaths of six people in France are heading to Kent, according to reports.

Experts believe the insects, whose sting can be fatal, are likely to enter Britain by flying across the Channel. Kent and other parts of the South East are at the highest risk.

The likelihood of them entering the UK has been highlighted in a report by the Government's Environmental Audit Committee, which says they could arrive "within days".

The report adds: "Some invasive species have direct human health effects. The Asian Hornet, which might soon arrive here, has killed six people in France."

The hornets are believed to have entered France in a shipment of Chinese pottery in 2004.

Continued

Successful breeding in captivity raises hope for highly endangered species native to Vietnam and China

theguardian.com, Monday 17 March 2014 17.00 GMT

One of the world’s rarest primates, Francois’ langur, both in the wild and in captivity, has been born at a zoo in Kent, England. The newborn is the first ever of its species to be born at Howletts Wild Animal Park, near Canterbury and is a step towards the conservation of the endangered species. 

Francois’ langurs, which are listed as endangered, are born with striking red fur, which will gradually darken until they are one year old and turn black, a spokeswoman for the zoo said. 

The primates live in a matriarchal group that is led by females, who share parenting duties between them. 

The species is native to north-east Vietnam and southern China, where they live at a slightly higher altitude than most langurs, the spokeswoman said.

Read on

Stunned motorists see rotting 50ft whale driven down A2 on lorry

A sheet of tarpaulin was draped over the body but failed to hide the dead animals from passing motorists

By Rishma Dosani | Yahoo News – Fri, Feb 28, 2014

Motorists were left stunned by the sight of a rotting 50ft whale being driven along a busy dual carriageway.

The sperm whale died more than a week ago after it became stranded near Seasalter, on the Kent coast.

Its rotting body was left unattended for five days before it was finally loaded onto the back of a lorry to be taken to a landfill site.

The corpse was strapped to the truck with part of the mammal hanging off the back.

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Villagers adopt lonely Porrick the pig

A lonely pig abandoned in a Kent field for months has been enjoying some regular home comforts after local residents took pity on her.

Villagers at Shorncliffe, near Folkestone, built a makeshift shelter for the female swine, who they have named Porrick, and donate copious food so she can eat like a pig.

"She's a real local attraction," said Trevor Boxell, whose son owns the land on which Porrick grazes.

The pig had been left alone for four months after the previous owners moved, taking her herd with them, Mr Boxell explained.

The owners had 40-odd pigs in the field but when they left to go elsewhere, they left this poor little porker behind.

Mr Boxell said Porrick was now enjoying a healthy diet of potatoes, sprouts, swede and vegetable peelings from locals and appears very much at home.

"People round here started to take an interest in her and built her a pigsty using tin, wood and tarpaulin. They come in their droves to see her and feed her," he said.

"I've left the gate open for her several times but she never wants to leave. I would like to find her somewhere permanent to stay but she seems quite happy, wagging her tail in the field."

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Villagers_adopt_abandoned_pig

Rare moth recorded in Kent for the first time

Rare moth species first for Kent

August 2013. A species of moth not previously seen in Kent and known only by its Latin name Harpella forficella has been discovered at Kent Wildlife Trust's Holborough Marshes nature reserve, near Snodland.

This striking cream and brown moth, native to Europe, was found by amateur naturalist and Trust volunteer, Ross Newham. Ross undertakes moth recording at a number of Trust reserves across West Kent, with all records helping to build up a detailed inventory of the species in the area. Using this information, conservation bodies can then study the biological records available to plan the management of sites.

After being caught and photographed, the sighting was confirmed by ecologist, Dr Marc Botham and Somerset-based moth expert David Agassiz; the moth then being released back at Holborough Marshes by Trust staff.

Harpella forficella was first recorded in the UK in 2011 with two subsequent records in 2012. This record in Kent may therefore prove to be only the fourth occasion the species has been found in the UK.

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Endangered Maid of Kent beetle makes rare appearance

A rare beetle has appeared in Kent for only the third time in 16 years.

The Maid of Kent was not seen in the county for almost half a century up until 1997 and was at one time feared to be extinct.

But since the late 90s it had been recorded twice - at Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) reserves in Elmley Marshes and Rye Street.

And now it has been spotted at the charity's reserve at Cliffe, near Rochester.

Ecologists and farmers believe the environmentally friendly farming methods used in the area may have contributed to its revival.

Cow-pat

One of the reasons for its decline in the 20th Century was thought to be that its normal habitat - rough pasture grazed by cattle and horses - had been destroyed by modern agriculture practices.

Farmer Keith Loveridge said: "We can't use chemicals or any type of fertiliser here. If we had used this certain type of wormers in the cattle, it would have killed the beetle.

"And I think that is why we have ended up with these rare species on the marsh."

The precious find, which attracted a number of ecologists to the reserve, was in a cow-pat.

Mark Gurney, the RSPB's reserves ecologist, said: "This is just a cow-pat, but living in cow-pats there is a whole community of insects and other tiny creatures that live on the dung.

"And living on them there are bigger predators. And this beetle is one of them."

video

'Extinct' short-haired bumblebees due to be released

4 June 2013 | By Olivia Midgley

AN EXTINCT species of British bumble is set to make a comeback in Kent.

Experts have spent two weeks collecting short-haired bumblebees from farmland in southern Sweden and this week they will be reintroduced to the RSPB’s reserve at Dungeness.

The last confirmed sighting of the species was in 1988.

The project, backed by Natural England, RSPB, Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Hymettus, began last year with an initial pilot reintroduction which followed four years of work with local farmers to create the ideal wildflower habitat for bumblebees across Romney Marsh and Dungeness.

Conservationists said the move is a ‘sign of hope’ for all the UK’s bumblebees.

Of the 25 native species in the UK seven are declining and two are extinct - one of which is the short-haired bumblebee.

Continued

Village scraps popular dog show after competitors started fighting and 'football hooligans turned up for showdown with rivals'

• Trouble started at dog show when visitors struggled to find room to park
• An 18-year-old volunteer was allegedly hit by a motorist and a cyclist 
• Fighting broke out and football fans turned up looking for rival supporters 
• Rubbish and verbal abuse was also thrown at show organisers

By JAMES RUSH

PUBLISHED: 16:52, 30 May 2013 | UPDATED: 09:37, 31 May 2013

A village dog show has been scrapped after fighting broke out between competitors who acted like 'football hooligans'.

The annual dog-grooming competition began as an event for families in sleepy Higham, in Kent, five years ago and has grown in popularity.

Organisers expecting a record 700 dogs for this year's event found themselves overwhelmed by a crowd of nearly 2,000.

The huge numbers put pressure on facilities at the village's Memorial Hall playing fields and trouble erupted when visitors struggled to find room to park.

One motorist got so angry at queueing traffic he allegedly punched an 18-year-old volunteer. A cyclist is also said to have hit the volunteer because traffic was blocking up the street.

The bad feeling spilled over to dog owners who apparently turned on event organisers complaining their pets had not won a rosette and demanded compensation.

Two women rivals allegedly started fighing and rubbish and verbal abuse was thrown at show organisers.

It was also claimed football fans turned up without dogs looking for a showdown with rival supporters.

Police were called to resolve the parking disputes and angry pet owners were sent home without compensation.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2333404/Village-scraps-popular-dog-competitors-started-fighting-football-hooligans-turned-showdown-rivals.html#ixzz2UtGDj1Zb

Porpoise 'pelted with stones' by yobs in Gravesend canal basin

by Thom Morris

Yobs have thrown stones at a harbour porpoise that swam into the canal basin at Gravesend, it has been claimed.

They are said to have pelted the animal last night as it awaited the opening of the gates.

The stone throwing has now been reported to the Kent Police wildlife crimes unit.

Onlookers gathered as the harbour porpoise was spotted in the canal basin yesterday afternoon.

The mammal swam through the open gate but refused to leave.

Attempts to move the creature back out failed until 5am today when it was high tide again.

Continued: http://www.kentonline.co.uk/gravesend_messenger/news/2013/april/30/porpoise_in_gravesend.aspx

And when the malicious spawn are caught, throw them in a swimming pool and throw stones at them.  

Council plan to DNA dog poo

A Kent parish council wants to use DNA testing on dog waste in a bid to catch owners who allow pets to soil the pavement.

Councillors sitting on Sundridge with Ide Hill Parish Council discussed the plans after hearing a string of complaints from villagers.

People in the two villages, near Sevenoaks, complained inconsiderate pet owners were "ruining the area".

The council says it is now considering collecting DNA from waste and using it to prosecute anti-social owners.

Although never before used in the UK, DNA testing on dog mess has been used in Germany and the US.

Owners must give consent for a DNA sample to be taken from their pet, but once they are on the database their behaviour can be logged for their entire lifetime.

According to the minutes of the meeting, the council agreed to take a tougher stance on fining offending dog owners and to make sure the dog warden visited the area regularly.

The minutes added: "If this still remains a problem it is possible to take DNA from the poo and trace it back to the dog and its owner."

Anna West, 36, of Sundridge, who walks her dog Harvey in the area, said: "It just seems bizarre to me. Crazy. It's Big Brother gone mad, really."

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Council_plan_to_DNA_dog_poo

‘Britain’s Bigfoot’ spotted in Tunbridge Wells

You see some strange things in and around the county, but perhaps this could be the weirdest yet, after claims a British Bigfoot has been spotted in woodland near Tunbridge Wells. 

Dubbed the Kentish Apeman, it is claimed he towers eight-foot tall, is covered in hair and has red demonic eyes.

And while that may sound like lots of people after a night on the town, what’s intriguing many is the fact a recent sighting ties in with one nearly 70 years ago on the same spot.

The most recent sighting is believed to have taken place last month on Tunbridge Wells Common – the 200-acre wooded site which sits in the centre of the town and is one of its most picturesque features.

But after it was reported, it jogged the memory of another local resident who went online to reveal how it tallied closely with a story he had heard years ago.

The author, who billed themselves as Graham S from the town, revealed how when he was working as a painter in the house of an elderly lady, she regaled him with a tale of coming face to face with the apeman on the Common during World War Two.

The post read: “One particular day she went to the Common with her husband and was sitting on a bench when they became aware of a shuffling noise behind them.

“Upon turning around both her husband and herself saw what she described as a tall, hairy ape like creature with eyes that were burning a reddish colour and it was moving towards them at a slow pace. They observed this creature for some time until they became afraid and they both fled – terrified.

“She went on to say that they told the police and members of their family, thinking that a gorilla had escaped from a zoo, but were laughed at and were not believed.”

Sceptics may say the incidents could be down to a trick of the light, but Neil Arnold, a paranormal expert from Rochester, said he has received numerous reports of the apeman over the years.

Read on: http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/britain_s_bigfoot_spotted_in_tunbridge_wells_1_1699895