One of Ecology Matters’ directors, Tony Cross, has been monitoring and ringing Dippers in Shropshire and the borders for many years. Recently there has been an increase in the monitoring effort on the back of funding by various bodies and the listing of the Dipper as a Biodiversity Action Plan species for Shropshire.

A recent report, produced in conjunction with Leo Smith and John Swift makes interesting, if disturbing, reading. Dipper populations on the lower reaches of the main study rivers have all declined markedly and the body mass of adult and juvenile dippers, of both sexes, has dropped significantly.

Click this link to download Adobe PDF of the report.

shrops-dipper-report

chough nestbox article

A chough nestbox, designed by Ecology Matters Director Tony Cross has proved very successful in increasing the Welsh population of this threatened species. Ecology Matters is proud to be supporting this work, which is described in the attached article from ‘BTO News’.

If anybody sees a colour ringed chough, please note the colour combination, and date and place of observation and let us know via the ‘contact us’ feature on this website.

The findings of a two year study into the breeding and foraging of Nightjars in upland conifer plantations has recently been published. The project was a collaboration between Ecology Matters Director Tony Cross, Jerry Lewis, the Forestry Commission and Brecknock Wildlife Trust and was funded under CCWs Species Challenge fund. The report can be downloaded below:

Forest Nightjar report PDF