A Living Landscape
Jon Traill reveals a ‘hidden’ wildlife haven as he continues our exploration of the natural world in association with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

SITTING next to a crystal clear stream on a sunny morning a dragonfly cruises past and brown trout surface, causing tell-tale ripples in the water. A short distance away a loud ‘plop’ is heard as something lands in the water. A plump stubby water vole then paddles furiously against the current and climbs out on the grassy bank. After cleaning itself it then begins to nibble at the grasses and other waterside plants, stopping occasionally to check for signs of danger. A flashing dart of aquamarine sees a kingfisher whizz by to end a peaceful, wildlife packed morning. Is this a fictional scene or a description of a bygone era? It may well be, but it also describes a typical day in the life of a hidden and often overlooked area of East Yorkshire.

The River Hull valley lies in the heart of the East Yorkshire landscape and is the most northerly chalk stream river catchment in the UK. It rises along the Yorkshire Wolds edge, around Driffield, flows due south through a lowland farmed landscape past scattered villages, Beverley and Hull, before entering the Humber estuary at the city. The influence of the river on the landscape cannot be overlooked with much of the land at sea level. The first attempts at any draining of the land were carried out by monks in the 13th century, with further more extensive drainage from the 16th century onwards. This drained land still exists today with intensive agricultural production and pockets of wetland scattered through the valley.

The wildlife of the valley is varied, but what is so striking is that many of the ‘threatened’ species talked about in the national press are holding on and even doing well along the river. Water voles, brown hares, barn owls, tree sparrows, grass snakes and great crested newts are all thriving. But in 2007 the idyllic scene depicted earlier took a turn for the worst. The summer floods of that year saw a huge amount of rainfall that no-one could have predicted. Previous weeks had been cold and wet and with the ground already saturated thousands of acres of land succumbed to the worst flooding seen in modern times. 
Lowland river systems often experience flooding, but normally during winter months. This event flooded out wildlife at a time when broods of birds had just hatched, small mammals were increasing in number as new litters were born and insect life was on the rise, as the days lengthen and warmer temperatures abound. Surveys carried out immediately after the floods showed a landscape with much less wildlife and stories from landowners confirmed this. Barn owl breeding suffered as areas of hunting ground were under water at a critical time and small mammals searched for new homes.

18 months later there were signs of recovery. Surveys carried out by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for water voles at known sites showed a mixed picture. They had been washed out of some areas, while in others they seemed to have managed to hang on. What we did find was that sites where voles had not previously been present had been colonised, particularly in areas where the water receded early. The survey season of 2009 added to the ongoing monitoring of the wildlife of the river Hull valley. If good weather prevails visitors and locals will still be able to see kingfishers whizzing past, barn owls floating over field edges and fish picking insects off the water surface, in this idyllic place that is the River Hull valley.    

•    Jon Traill is Water for Wildlife Officer for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust


Britain’s fastest declining mammal

THE water vole, referred to as ‘ratty’ in Kenneth Grahame’s children’s book ‘The Wind in the Willows’, was once a familiar and common sight on most watercourses in the country. Today, sadly this is not the case, with large areas of the UK now almost water vole free. Numbers began to decline after the start of the 20th century, as land management changed with increasing mechanisation and industrialisation. By the 1950s another man-made threat appeared in the form of escaped American mink, from fur farms. An adept predator both in and out of water, the mink has colonised most parts of the UK and can have a devastating effect on water voles; a female mink can wipe out an entire water vole colony in one season. National surveys carried out in the 1990s have shown that water vole numbers have crashed and this once common creature is now Britain’s fastest declining mammal.

Much work has been done over the last 10 to 15 years to try to halt the decline, with the creation of new wetland habitat and improved management of existing wetland and river habitat, but the picture is patchy. In some parts of Yorkshire you will be hard pressed to find a water vole today. Your best chance of encountering one is in the waterways of East Yorkshire. Entirely vegetarian, they spend their time patrolling the water’s edge and feeding on aquatic and bankside vegetation. They excavate interconnected tunnels in the banks and control a territory of around 300 metres. Male territories overlap those of several females to maximise his chances of breeding with as many females as possible. Up to eight young can be born in a litter and a female can have up to five litters a year. Many young water voles fall prey to not only mink, but also our native predators, such as herons, pike, stoats and barn owls.
If we can increase numbers of water voles and help them to re-colonise areas where they used to thrive, we are not only rescuing ratty from possible extinction, but also helping to ensure our other native wildlife flourishes now and for future generations. 

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

THE Trust has worked for 60 years to protect wildlife of all types, and the places where they live. It manages and protects 82 of the best and most important nature reserves in both rural and urban Yorkshire. It works to protect and save threatened species, such as otter and water vole, while inspiring people, helping people of all ages understand and enjoy their natural environment, and encouraging communities to protect wildlife in their local area.

Advising landowners on how to manage their land for wildlife, from large companies and local authorities to farmers and individuals, is a large part of the Trust’s work, as is influencing planning decisions and campaigning for better protection for wildlife. The Trust is the only conservation organisation working exclusively in Yorkshire and is currently one of the fastest-growing charities in the UK. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is based in York. To find out more call 01904 659570 or visit www.ywt.org.uk