Meeting Minutes

Song Thrush Meeting Minutes

13.02.2006
7:30pm in Terrace Parlour, York House, Twickenham

In attendance: For reasons of confidentiality names are omitted from the website

Monitoring

KM was not able to attend but had left notes contributing to discussions pertaining to monitoring and data collation. Our discussion acknowledged that we all have our ways of recording and data production. In the case of Ham Lands a standard walk is undertaken to count singing males in May. This is very time consuming and is not always appropriate. Sometimes presence/absence is all that is possible.

Data

Data was obtained from the Surrey Bird Recorder illustrating different types of data held, for example, winter fly-pasts of song thrush at the London Wetland Centre. This data illustrates that:

There are many groups holding data on Richmond sites and care should be taken when collating records from well-watched sites such as LWC.

Song thrushes use the site in winter and sometimes comprise continental birds. These records are interesting, demonstrating the all year round importance of the site.

Richmond data has been put onto a spreadsheet and sent to MD at the London Biological Records Centre. This data is not from all our Richmond sites as it would represent duplication from those maintaining their own databases such as:

TH - Richmond Park RP
JA - Barnes Common BC
RB - Wetland Centre LWC
KM - Crane Valley etc CV
AF - Ham Lands etc HL

Other data sources: KM has obtained data from the BTO in the past. The London Birders website has occasional Richmond records www.londonbirders.com. Records can be viewed as Patch Lists for some Richmond sites such as Lonsdale road e.g.

http://www.londonbirders.com/wiki/Lonsdale_Road_Reservoir

The group discussed areas of Richmond where we had no access to records such as Kew Gardens whose records are collated by SB who has been contacted. Once data is collated territories can be mapped as follows:

Song thrush display

AF and KM had been to the Crane Park island shot tower (see photo under Sites in Richmond page) to discuss use of exhibition space in the tower. Estimates were obtained for the Production of graphics for the panels. This type of display may not be practical for outside events and as most of the events discussed have been outdoors (Barnes Common) we should rethink. To this end some examples of outdoor triple boards have since been sent to CW for approval. If anyone has desk top triple boards that can be borrowed we would like to hear from them.

Achieving a better deal within the planning system

We are looking for mitigation measures which are suitable to use in developments where song thrush have been recorded. Part of the problem is that song thrush are never considered as field surveys are usually looking for protected species such as bats.

Aspirations are contained within the Richmond upon Thames Song Thrush Action Plan (SAP) include Action 2.4 ‘Lobby for safeguards within the planning framework to ensure that survey and mitigation are included whenever song thrush populations might be affected’. At the time of writing (1.7.07) the numbers of sites containing mitigation for songthrushes in the brough is precisely 0.

A meeting was convened to discuss how this might be achieved on 15.3.06. It was hoped to attain some recognition for ‘biodiversity’ or the web of life, within the planning framework and not just for statutory protected species. Below are the brief Minutes of this Meeting with Head of Development and Enforcement and Environment and Scrutiny Committee council member.

Issues

Lack of comprehensive surveys, only one protected species accounted for in surveys, no method statement / site management plans/Watching Briefs etc, no mitigation, no biodiversity gain etc.

What features do song thrushes depend on?

Basically, the research papers below assert that song thrush depend primarily on earthworms. Snails are a slightly inferior food, important for first winter birds, but long hot summers render both unavailable. Second and third broods rely on being fed spiders, with the consequent failure of the young to thrive. Farmland habitat now has little to offer song thrushes and urban gardens are becoming increasingly important, especially the urban fringe. Close canopy woodland, which has been further overgrazed by deer (so that it has no under-storey or scrub) is of little use to song thrushes. Woodland, (in these papers) is used to describe any small group of trees and scrub together.

Recent research:

Habitat selection by song thrushes in stable and declining farmland populations W. J. Peach, M.Denny, P. A. Cotton, I. F. Hill, D. Gruar, D. Barritt, A. Impey and J. Mallord
Demographic and environmental causes of the decline of rural Song Thrushes Turdus philomelos in lowland Britain W. J. PEACH, R. A. ROBINSON & K.A. MURRAY
Summer diet and body condition of Song Thrushes Turdus philomelos in stable and declining farmland populations D. Gruar, W Peach & R Taylor
Song thrushes now largely restricted to the built environment in eastern England? C. Mason

Application

So, we are looking for the retention of scrub, the retention of groups of trees and wetter areas. Open habitats for foraging, as predator free as possible. Ecological management plans, covenants restricting cats, are all mechanisms which can be used in the planning process. It is the task of the working group to develop these ideas. Additional suggestions are welcomed.

Useful Links

Local Sites

Local song thrush sites affected by development.

Ham Lands Issues

Articles

Floodscape Consultation

Letters

Biodiversity on Ham Lands
Ham Lands Floodscape

Platt's Eylot

Articles

More proposals on Platts Eyot

Letters

New Plans for Platt's Eyot

Local Sites to enjoy

Green chain walk

Articles

http://64.91.236.194/~sayita/newsdev/news/twickenham.html