As the Chair of Natural Devon

Devon Species Action Plans were produced for the following species:
Dormouse

Data	Moderate but increasing. Over 40 sites are being monitored as part of the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme run by PTES. Many have only recently been established but they will allow us to detect trends in the future.
Context	Over the last 100 years dormice have become extinct in seven counties in the northern part of their range and populations have declined elsewhere, particularly in the north. This is believed to be due to changes in woodland management (cessation of coppicing) and loss and fragmentation of woodland, probably exacerbated by a decline in the number and quality of hedgerows. There is evidence that weather has significant impacts on dormouse population dynamics with the UK’s Atlantic climate being less favourable than the continental climate. However, the impact of climate change cannot yet be assessed. Dormice are widespread in suitable habitat south of the Thames, where they are present in the majority of 10km squares.
Range	Favourable. Dormice have been recorded from the majority 10km squares across Devon. Squares / part squares with no records occur south of Lynton, between Ilfracombe and Bideford, the South Hams coast and SW Dartmoor. The NBN records show that they are scattered throughout the county with concentrations around the edge of Dartmoor and in East Devon. This pattern is very likely to be due to under-recording in most areas.
Population	Unknown.
Habitat	Favourable – but with scope for improvement. It is widely believed that dormice require continuous, less intensively cut hedges and deciduous woodland; especially coppice woodland with areas of secondary growth and a vigorous shrub layer with a variety of species to provide food through the active season (Bright, Morris & Mitchell-Jones, 2006). However in recent years dormice populations have been shown to live in a much wider range of habitats and conditions including habitats which are no species rich or structurally diverse. However management of woodland to increase structural complexity and species diversity would benefit dormice, as would management of hedges on a longer rotation and to maintaining a greater cross sectional area. Habitat connectivity is important and roadside trees and shrubs, along with hedges, must be maintained.
Future prospects	Favourable / unknown? Provided there are no significant detrimental changes in the management of woods and hedges or changes in climate.  Improved management of hedges and road side wooded habitats would be beneficial (see above). Dormice are undoubtedly affected by climate but possible impacts of climate change are unknown. Development continue to fragment habitat and increase disturbance. The impacts on dormice populations are not known.
Overall Devon status	Favourable??
UK status (JNCC, 2008)	Bad and deteriorating

Otter

Data	Good. Provided by DBRC’s Operation Otter Project and the fifth National Otter survey (2009-2010), run by the Environment Agency (EA, 2010)^1
Context	Otters came close to extinction in England in the 1950s, the main reason being the use of agricultural pesticides. The population has slowly recovered since stricter control of these pesticides. Devon is recognised as having an internationally important otter population that has recovered naturally from wild otters surviving the decades of decline.
Range / Population	Favourable. Survey data shows that good populations of otters are found on all river catchments in Devon. Likely that all Devon’s rivers are at or near carrying capacity for otters, other than in East Devon where the population continues to increase (otters present at about 70% of sites during the last survey).
Habitat	Favourable.
Future prospects	Favourable.
Overall Devon status	Favourable
UK status (JNCC, 2008)	Favourable

Water vole

Data	Good.
Context	The national water vole population declined sharply in the second half of the twentieth century due largely to loss and fragmentation of habitat leading to isolation of populations which are then vulnerable to extinction, especially through predation by the introduced American mink. Water voles were once widespread across Devon with recorded populations on the Exe, Tavy, Dart and Grand Western Canal. The Victoria County History of Devon (1906) stated that they were ‘common everywhere’ and pre and post WW2 generations report having seen water voles as common animals in rivers and other watercourses. This changed rapidly once mink had established themselves on many rivers in the 1960s. Other than occasional records up until 2002, they were largely extinct by the second National Water Vole survey (1996-1998).
Range / population	Unfavourable bad. The River Axe Water Vole Recovery Project was set up in June 2006 and this was followed by the Devon Water Vole Recovery Project which ran from 2008 – 2011. The aims were to, ‘encourage natural re-colonisation of water voles from existing populations in Dorset and Somerset and to undertake a comprehensive mink control programme on the Axe, Otter, Lim and Sid as part of a ‘cordon sanitaire’ across the head of the South West peninsula. Reintroductions were carried out in 2009 and 2010 on the Axe, Coly tributaries and the Tale. The Tale Valley Trust had previously reintroduced water voles on the Tale in 2004 and 2006. In late 2012 there were water vole populations on the Tale and lower Axe.
Habitat	Unfavourable inadequate. Water voles thrive where there is a continuity of un-shaded and un-grazed bankside with tall emergent marginal plants, good aquatic vegetation and occasional ‘step banks’ that allow tunnelling and give protection from predators and flooding. Much habitat is ‘improving’ due to riverside fencing undertaken through Catchment Sensitive Farming projects and the Devon Water Vole Recovery project. However, mink control needs to be ongoing in order for water vole populations to recover.
Future prospects	Unfavourable bad. The future of the reintroduced populations and their expansion by natural re-colonisation is dependent on continued control of mink. This is currently coordinated by East Devon District Council and Tale Valley Trust.  A strategic approach to habitat improvement is required to provide the ‘stepping stones’ for wider colonisation of new sub-catchments.
Overall Devon status	Unfavourable bad
UK status (BARS, 2008)	Fluctuating, probably increasing

Brown hare

Data	Poor. No survey carried out in Devon.
Context	Concerns in the 1960s and 70s about the status of the population and impact of agricultural intensification and a decline in mixed cropping. Brown hares are now more common in the east of England where farming is predominantly arable.
Range / Population	Unknown
Habitat	Favourable? Prefer a mix of arable, grassland and woodland and can also be found commonly on extensive tracts of semi natural grassland e.g. The Culm.
Future prospects	Unknown
Overall Devon status	Unknown
UK status (BARS, 2008)	Increasing

Greater horseshoe bat

Data	Moderate. Data on national trends is collated by the Bat Conservation Trust through colony counts and hibernation surveys (both carried out since 1997). This monitoring includes 11 summer roosts and 33 hibernation sites in Devon with varying numbers of bats present. Further statistical analysis would be needed to assess the potential for producing statistically robust trends for this species in Devon. Additional data coming into the monitoring programme would improve our assessments of populations both at the national and local level. NE also undertake condition assessments of SSSIs designated for greater horseshoe bat.
Context	In the UK greater horseshoe bats are confined to South West England and South Wales. Devon represents an international stronghold. Nationally the population of greater horseshoe bat is thought to have declined by 99% during the 20^th century. The national colony counts show a significant upward trend but this result should be treated with caution. The national hibernation counts show a stable trend but this is based on a small sample size. The Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project ran from 1998 – 2003 and worked with land managers to improve habitat.
Range	Favourable? Maternity and hibernation roosts occur in East Devon, South Devon and North Devon. Known roosts in these areas have been continually used since monitoring began and the range of greater horseshoe bats across the county appears therefore to be at least stable.
Population	Unfavourable inadequate - improving? Monitoring of maternity roosts indicates a population increase in these roosts of 58% between 1995 and 2004 and of 17% between 2005 and 2010, with 75% of this increase occurring in roosts managed by the Vincent Wildlife Trust. We do not know however if this is a reliable measure of wider population increase.
Habitat	Unknown. Greater horseshoe bats require a mix of permanent, grazed grassland and woodland linked by woodland edge / or hedges to suitable roosts. Whilst these habitats are widespread in Devon no assessment has been made as to their quality and spatial distribution in relation to known (or potential) roosts.
Future prospects	Favourable? Key roosts are protected via SSSI and/or SAC designation. There is however considerable development pressure around a number of key roosts. In 2010 NE produced planning guidance for the South Devon SAC (designated in part for greater horseshoe bat) which aims to protect key foraging areas and flight lines from development. NE has produced internal guidance to facilitate the prioritisation of HLS targeting of key greater horseshoe bat habitat. Since 2009 East Devon AONB has been running a greater horseshoe project around Beer Caves SAC. Radio tracking and public awareness campaigns have been carried out to find new roosts and improve knowledge of how bats use the landscape. A Devon wide project for greater horseshoe conservation is currently being developed by a number of organisations led by East Devon AONB and Devon Wildlife Trust.
Overall Devon status	Unfavourable Inadequate but improving?
UK status (JNCC, 2008)	Unfavourable Inadequate but improving

4.2 BIRDS
Key species identified for conservation in Devon (Devon BAP, 1998)
Woodland - willow tit
Coast and marine - puffin, guillemot, peregrine, black throated diver (winter), red-throated diver (winter), great northern diver (winter), slavonian grebe (winter), gannet, razorbill, dark bellied brent goose, wigeon, avocet, little egret, grey plover, lapwing, redshank, curlew, black-tailed godwit, oystercatcher, snipe, shoveler, sanderling, turnstone
Rivers and Standing open water, reedbeds - bittern, cetti’s warbler, reed warbler, sedge warbler, reed bunting, dipper
Wetlands - curlew, snipe, dunlin, golden plover, lapwing
Grassland and heathland – golden plover, nightjar, Dartford warbler, red grouse, hen harrier (wintering), whinchat, wheatear, skylark, ring ouzel, merlin, stonechat*
Hedges / farmland - cirl bunting, linnet, song thrush, reed bunting, barn owl, skylark, grey partridge, woodlark, bullfinch, buzzard*
Bold = current UK priority species. Green, amber, red = increasing level of conservation concern (BoCC, 2009) * - selected as characteristic of Devon or of popular appeal
There are now a number of amber and red listed species missing from this list. These include belearic shearwater and aquatic warbler (both on the IUCN global red list), redstart, pied flycatcher, spotted flycatcher, wood warbler, manx shearwater, kittiwake, and herring gull. The list will be updated in liaison with the RSPB.
Devon Species Action Plans were produced for the following species:
Barn Owl

Data	Good. Devon Barn Owl Survey Report, 2003^2 (Barn Owl Trust and Devon Birdwatching and Preservation Society). 2013 survey report due in 2014.
Context	Like many farmland birds, the barn owl underwent a major decline during the 20^th century primarily due to agricultural intensification.
Range	Favourable (stable since 1998). The 2003 survey showed that barn owls remain widely distributed other than in the upland areas of Devon. Barn owl are also scarce in some lowland areas, particularly between Dartmoor and the Tamar, Teignbridge, much of East Devon, and along the major road networks due to road mortality.
Population	Favourable (increased since 1993). The 2003 Devon survey estimated the population to be at between 350 and 470 pairs, a 37% increase since the 1993 survey.
Habitat	Unfavourable inadequate (see future prospects) Barn owl require rough, tussocky grassland with a litter layer and high density of field voles for foraging and suitable roosting and nesting sites. Barn owl habitat has increased slightly in Devon due to agri-environment support and the work of NGOs such as the Barn Owl Trust, DWT and FWAG.
Future prospects	Unfavourable inadequate. Although barn owl populations have almost certainly increased, their numbers are significantly less than historical levels as most farmland still lacks areas of prey-rich habitat. Many of the benefits from the conservation measures implemented (such as advice on habitat and rodenticide use) may be short-lived. Factors such as agricultural policy, support for agri-environment schemes, support for the Barn Owl Trust (and other conservation organisations), transport/road policy, and Local Authority planning policies will strongly influence the barn owl population in the future. The latest (2010) Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme results show that 91% of Barn Owls contain anticoagulant rodenticides, the effects of which are unknown. Currently ~ 30% of all fledged young are killed on trunk roads. [^60]
Overall Devon status	Unfavourable inadequate
UK status (BoCC, 2008)	Amber

Cirl bunting

Data	Good.  RSPB survey.
Context	The British cirl bunting population is principally found in south Devon, (although there are sporadic records from Rame and the Lizard in Cornwall, a small population in East Devon and an increasing population in south Cornwall due to a re-introduction programme). The cirl bunting has been the focus of considerable conservation efforts. The RSPB cirl bunting project^3 has been working with farmers for the last 24 years. The project provides advice and encourages farmers to establish and manage suitable habitat for cirls and other wildlife, largely through agri-environment schemes.
Range	Unfavourable inadequate but improving. Despite the increasing population the range of cirl buntings has, due to their sedentary nature, undergone only a limited expansion and the species therefore remains vulnerable. Releases in Cornwall only finished in 2011 and it won’t be until 2015 that we will know whether there is a geographically separate, self-sustaining population. It is hoped that the recently colonised East Devon population will continue to expand.
Population	Unfavourable inadequate but improving. In 1989, when the project started, the population was 118 territories. By 2009, the last national survey, the population has increased to 862 territories. The highest concentrations are found around the Kingsbridge, Dart and Teign Estuaries.  There have been localised declines in population e.g. between the Yealm and Avon. The population north of the river Teign is particularly fragmented and threatened by built development. The reliance on agri-environment schemes means that any changes in funding can have a large impact.
Habitat	Unfavourable inadequate.  Weedy winter stubbles/spring cereals, low intensity grasslands and appropriately managed hedges have increased through the RSPB, and others, encouraging farmers into agri-environment schemes. Cirl bunting conservation is likely to be dependent on targeted agri-environment support rather than sustainable market driven farming practices and the future of agri-environment is uncertain.
Future prospects	Unfavourable inadequate.  The cirl bunting project has been one of the great conservation success stories in recent years and the project will continue. It is likely that some historic cirl bunting areas around coastal settlements will be developed but there is potential to compensate for these losses through the creation of strategically placed reserves. However changes in agricultural policy, support for agri-environment schemes, and support for wildlife projects will have an impact on the population. This will require more creative ways of using limited resources.
Overall Devon status	Unfavourable inadequate
UK status	Increasing (BARS, 2008) Red (BoCC, 2009)