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Wildlife in Hurst

Recording sightings of wildlife in Hurst

The UK is amongst the most nature-depleted counties in the world with continuing declines in many species of birds, mammals, insects and plants.

Biodiversity is an increasingly important tool for controlling and managing development in urban and rural communities.

Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) will assess the richness of biodiversity for all sites subject to planning applications and this can weigh heavily on whether a site receives approval. WBC gathers biodiversity data from a number of sources including Thames Valley Environmental Record Centre (TVERC). TVERC in turn accesses information from a host of wildlife recording sites. One of these sites is iRecord. The iRecord site can be accessed through your computer or Smart phone app which allows you to manage and share your wildlife sightings.

At present the records for our village are not very extensive or up to date and so we are encouraging parishioners to register with iRecord and start logging the wildlife you see and particularity those species on the at-risk list. However, do not ignore common species as they could find themselves on the at-risk list in the future.

The easiest way to make sure your records are used in local-decision making is to submit your records directly to TVERC via iRecord.

How to share your records

All wildlife sightings are important and TVERC welcomes records of any wildlife that you have observed in Berkshire or Oxfordshire. There are several ways in which you can share these with them. You do have to register with iRecord initially.
TVERC has its own online recording activity in iRecord here
Entering sightings via this activity allows us to quickly and easily add the data to our database.

If you have never used iRecord before, TVERC has made a quick video guide on adding a record through the app or the website. 

When using the app you need to join and then select Activities and select TVERC Species Records as your default.

If you use a different online recording website or app, please download the data in a .csv file and email it to TVERC at tverc@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Remember to take photos too as this will help verify your records.

Once you have entered a record:

  • You can amend or delete a record, explore your own or all records
  • Explore records of a particular species.
  • Explore records for Hurst
  • Know once your records have been verified

*Birds that have been seen in Hurst               

Birds of Conservation Concern 4 Red List Birds
Aquatic Warbler
Arctic Skua
Balearic Shearwater
Black Grouse
Black Redstart
Black Tailed Godwit*
Common Scoter*
Corn Bunting
Corncrake
Cuckoo*
Curlew*
Dotterel
Fieldfare*
Golden Oriole
Grey Partridge
Grey Wagtail*
Hawfinch*
Hen Harrier*
Herring gull*
House Sparrow*
Kittiwake*
Lapwing*
Lesser Redpoll*
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker*
Linnet*
Long Tailed Duck
Marsh Tit*

Marsh Warbler
Merlin*
Mistle Thrush*
Nightingale*
Pied Flycatcher*
Pochard*
Red Back Shrike
Redwing*
Ring Ouzel*
Ringed Plover*
Ruff*
Scaup*
Skylark*
Song Thrush*
Spotted Flycatcher*
Starling*
Tree Pipit*
Tree Sparrow
Turtle Dove*
Whimbrel*
Whinchat*
White Fronted Goose
Willow Tit
Wood Warbler*
Woodcock*
Yellow Hammer*
Yellow Wagtail*

Some of the Biodiversity Action Plan priority Bird species not on the Red List
Bullfinch*
Dark Bellied Brent Goose
Eurasian Wryneck*
European Nightjar*
Grasshopper Warbler*
Great Bittern
Greater Scaup
Hedge Accentor (Dunnock)*
Wood Lark*

** Species that have been seen in Hurst

Mammals (International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List)
Hedgehog (vulnerable)**
Water Vole (endangered)**
Serotine Bat (vulnerable)**
Grey Long-eared bat (endangered)
Nathusius’ Pipistrelle Bat (Near threatened)**
Leisler’s Bat (Near threatened)
Greater Mouse-eared Bat (Critical)
Hazel Dormouse
Eurasion Badger**
Mammals on the Biodiversity Action Plan Priority List
Barbastelle Bat
Brown Hare
Otter
Bechstein’s Bat
Noctule Bat**
Soprano Pipistrelle**
Brown Long-eared Bat**
Greater Horseshoe Bat

All bats are protected
Amphibians – Priority Species (protected)
Great Crested Newt**
Smooth Newt**
Adder
Common Toad (in serious decline)**
Grass Snake**
Natterjack Toad (extremely rare)
Common Lizard
Slow Worm**
Palmate Newt**
Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 Schedule 5 Priority Species
Stag Beetles (inc Lesser Stag Beetle) (protected)**
Insects, Moths and Butterflies on the Biodiversity Action Plan priority list
There are so many – please register as many as you can for ladybirds, bees, spiders, beetles, dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies and moths.
For a list go to:  List of UK BAP Priority Terrestrial Invertebrate Species (2007) (jncc.gov.uk)

References