Habitats.

Part fourteen mammals of the mountain sides.

Britain`s mountains are not very high-only one, Ben Nevis is, above 4,000 ft (1,200m)- but they are bleak places for warm blooded creatures to live, especially in winter. For roughly every 500ft (150m) of height above sea level, it gets almost two degrees colder. Rain and mist as well as stronger winds also add to the chill. Trees rarely grow on high, windswept uplands, so there is little shelter. Consequently, few mammals live on the exposed high ground. Although they forage on the heights in summer, red deer and, to a lesser degree, mountain hares move to lower ground for the winter. Small mammals, such as field voles that live amid the upland grass, do not make long migrations. Although they lose a lot of body heat because they have a large surface area of skin in relation to their bulk, they can find shelter in burrows or among thickets of heather or bilberry. Despite the cold, small spiders and insects are surprisingly numerous amid upland vegetation, and provide food for pygmy shrews. Stoats thrive on field voles but will also take meadow pipits and other upland birds. Crows and foxes search the mountain- sides for carrion such as dead hares and sheep. Small herds of feral goats may be seen in a few mountainous areas. They vary widely in colour, ranging from white to piebald, skewbald, dark brown or black. Young goats are not likely to be seen before April. In their winter pelage, mountain hares look like snow against the dark heather. They show up only when they move. On upland slopes they take the place of rabbits and brown hares. Many upland areas now have commercial plantations of dense conifers(some wildlife trusts are now taking some of these out). They rob mountain hares of their living space, but may provide homes for pine martins. Red deer move down the valley during winter, returning in spring. Stoats have great camouflage in winter because of their winter pelage. It also helps to preserve body heat, because white fur radiates less than dark fur. Where there are meadow pipits there may also be pygmy shrews. Both feed on tiny insects among the stones and heather. Pygmy shrews remain well hidden but nay be heard squeaking.

Magpies-do they have an effect on our small birds?

Should magpies be culled?

Magpies like the rest of the crow or corvid family which include rooks, jays, ravens, choughs, and nutcrackers are all known for their intelligence and adaptability. But theres no getting away from it that they are unpopular with some people because they raid nests taking eggs and chicks. Magpie numbers have doubled since the 1970`s where we have seen farmland and garden birds suffer dramatic declines. Is there a link-are magpies responsible? Do magpies make any difference to the overall survival rates for our songbirds? No, magpies and crows have lived alongside our farmland and garden birds for thousands of years. Songbirds can deal with there presence . The way they deal with it is by having more chicks to make up for any numbers they may have lost. They are the masters of probability, because they know that by having lots broods and chicks they can deal with the predators. But some gamekeepers might not agree, larson traps are used on some estates to trap magpies and other corvid members. Which are then killed humanely. Gamekeepers control the amount of magpies and crows where they keep game birds(grey partridge and pheasants) because they say they(magpies and crows) have a damaging effect on their game birds. But the B.T.O  looked at thirty song birds species, which are prey species and seven predator species. Both predators on adult birds, hawks and kestrels and also predators on nestlings and eggs of songbirds-magpies,crows and grey squirrels. There were very few significant relationships between the growth in the predator population and the decline in the songbird population. From this evidence magpies have little or no effect on overall populations of songbirds. Songbird survival trust isn`t convinced that predation can be dismissed entirely. They don`t pretend its the major factor necessarily . Habitats,nest sites and food supply are as likely as predation. Predation is a major factor that hasn`t been looked at properly. More likely though the decline is down to farming and land use practices than predation. Even though song bird survival aren`t satisfied, everything else that i have read say the decline is down to habitat issues rather that predation. It seems predation can be a problem at a local level. The r.s.p.b control magpies and crows on some of there reserves. In some cases the numbers of songbirds have fallen to such a low because of changes in habitat that a predator such as a magpie or a sparrowhawk can be the final straw because the population of songbirds will be low anyway.There is a lot of evidence to say that magpies and crows have no overall effect on our songbird population. Magpies will always raid nests to survive . I think though that nature will find its own balance and that the magpie is a scapegoat because as humans our emotions take over,

Habitats

Part four motorways as havens for wildlife.

The amount of grassland and scrub along the broad verges of Britain's major roads exceeds the total area of all the country`s nature reserves put together. People rarely walk on roadside verges because its unsafe and its forbidden to do along motorways. Because of this they offer a comparatively safe home for all kinds of animals that can tolerate traffic noise. Moles, particularly, benefit because no one needs to plough up their burrows, and because traffic vibration brings worms, their major food, to the surface. Small mammals such as bank voles and shrews abound, and foxes and rabbits are quite common as well. The varied plant life offers food as well as cover to some of the small mammals, but it is often contaminated with salt and oil from the road surface and with lead from the exhausts of cars. Road verges serve as corridors along which animals can spread into our cities and also across wide areas of our country. The actual crossing of roads is a problem , however. Many animals do manage it-even slow- moving moles- but rabbits, hedgehogs, deer and other animals active at night are often dazzled by vehicle headlights and ran over. Many thousands are killed on our roads every year. But their corpses serve as a food supply for scavengers such as foxes, crows, magpies and even buzzards. Rabbits dig their warrens in well drained, undisturbed embankments, but will normally feed in near by fields and not by the road side. Hovering kestrels will be looking for voles, mice and beetles for them to eat.  A newly built road may cut across an established badger trail, and badgers using it may get run over because of this. Early in the morning crows may be seen feeding on the casualties from the night before, such as hares, rabbits and even hedgehogs. Next time you are driving along some of our busy roads have a lookout for some of this wildlife.