Results of Surveys

Below is the summary of findings of all the surveys received to date.  Further details are available and can be found on our data report:

Many people have joined CHI’s natural history surveys to record the natural world in their local area. Results from the surveys provided information on the wildlife and habitats of Leicestershire and Rutland.  By gathering this data we can learn more about our environment and whether any changes in wildlife populations or habitats are taking place.

The aim of the CHI surveys was to show that anyone can get involved in wildlife recording. By encouraging young and old, valuable recording skills are learnt so that our natural history can be recorded for years to come.

The Initiative developed a five species surveys, working with county recorders and recording societies.  These included:

The use of photos to verify records became very popular, and helped in the identification of the first harlequin ladybird in Leicestershire and Rutland, as well as an unusual first, a freshwater jellyfish.  CHI also noted a trend of people going to record on a single site for multiple visits generating records for a longer term, which is of greater scientific value when looking at trends with climate change.

Survey returns over the course of the CHI programme showed that the garden was a favourite place to record wildlife. The success of the Spawn Spot and Butterfly Bounty surveys reflected this.  Gardens have an enormous potential to act as nature reserves.  There are 15 million gardens in the UK and they are estimated to cover about 270,000 hectares.  Domestic gardens enhance the quality of life and are a biodiversity asset for community recording often neglected by naturalists.  Allotment areas are also increasingly active and CHI has supported a number of open days with advice, literature, activities and collections.

Hedgerows are a priority habitat within the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Biodiversity Action Plan.  Surveying hedgerows has links to historical landscape studies and field names, and this aspect was developed by a local landscape historian in training sessions. Surveys were carried out mainly by Heritage Wardens, who wished to record the important features of their parishes.

Field ponds are a priority habitat within the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Biodiversity Action Plan.  The success of the Spawn Spot survey showed that members of the public are more interested in garden ponds. Although not a Biodiversity Action Plan priority habitat, garden ponds are becoming ever more important with the decline of field ponds, and could be a subject for a future community recording project.

The Ancient Tree Survey was developed by the county recorder for coleoptera due to the importance of mature trees as a habitat for beetles.  Mature trees are a priority habitat within the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Biodiversity Action Plan.  Concentrations of mature trees are particularly valuable as a habitat and landscape feature, the latter making mature trees an important community asset.

Results collated within the CHI programme life time have included:

They are changes that effect how we as humans live and our actions.  Surveys include spring and autumn occurrences. The Autumn Season Watch survey also re.cords leaf colour tint and leaf fall.

The survey aimed to continue the increase in butterfly recording that had occurred during the Butterflies for the New Millennium Project. The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain & Ireland was published in 2001, and changes in status and distribution of certain species were apparent. Many of these changes had been plainly evident in Leicestershire and Rutland, so it was important that local butterfly recording continued.  The Butterfly Bounty project helped to involve new recorders and resulted in records from previously under-recorded areas.  It also helped provide evidence of some of the rapid changes in distribution that are occurring such as the spread west into the county of the Essex skipper.  Over the course of the project 38 volunteers have recorded 3,121 individual butterfly sightings, often recording each year at the same sites.

This survey developed with the Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society targeted four species of bird identified in the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Biodiversity Action Plan as key species.  Most of the sightings recorded were of the barn owl. This helped the society to identify that barn owls were more widely spread than they had previously thought.  The survey also resulted in a number of general bird-watching diaries being submitted to the LERC.

This survey was developed with the county recorder for fish with support from the Environment Agency, who supplied photographs for the survey.  Six species, which were good environmental indicators and relatively easy to identify were chosen, although recorders were invited to send in records of any other fish they saw.  

This survey was developed to highlight basic ID skills and to show new recorders that by identifying a few key points they could ascertain whether the animal they had seen was a common species or something more rare.  The brown hare remains widespread in Great Britain, but has declined in abundance since the 1960s. It is estimated that the pre-breeding population is 800,000-1,250,000, and that that numbers declined by 80% during the 20th century with much of this decline occurring since the 1960s.  Little is known about how much change in agricultural practices have affected hares in Leicestershire and Rutland and they are included in the Priority Species of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.  

This survey was developed with the county recorder for coleoptera as a stepping stone to beetle recording. The species chosen varied from the easily recognisable; to less well-recorded species and those which were relative newcomers to the counties.  The first harlequin ladybird was recorded at Ketton cemetery in July 2006.  The Adonis and orange ladybirds were two species chosen for the survey due to them being recent additions to Leicestershire and Rutland. Sightings received show an increase in records and help to prove that both species are firmly established in the counties.  The project has also seen a significant number of colour variations of the harlequin ladybird added to the museum collections, when people have offered specimens brought in for verification.  

This survey was launched early in 2005 at the request of the Leicestershire Amphibian and Reptile Network and in 2006, after an initial slow start probably due to low temperatures in early spring, records indicated a 300% increase in records of spawn.  Records in 2007 indicated there was a definite increase in records of frogspawn in February.

Over the last five years, the Snakes Alive! Survey has added enormously to local knowledge of reptiles in Leicestershire and Rutland.  Findings have included:

The slowworm also has a concentration of records in Charnwood, with other odd records scattered around the two counties.