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discoverwildlife.com JUNE 2022 NIGHT DIVE Issue 07 Vol 40 Breathtaking RBARINITFAOIRNE’SSTSOREUDHRIASABCNIOTCAVIETENRT images of the world’s strangest How to see sea creatures barn owls this summer £4.99 June 2022 | Issue 07 Vol 40 Germany’s grey wolves return Six animals outsmarting climate change The rise of hybrid pet cats

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II SWAROVSKI OPTIK SUPPLIER OF BINOCULARS ATX THROUGH COMPLETELY NEW EYES SEE THE UNSEEN

discoverwildlife.com Earlier fruit harvests are tempting bears away from salmon COVER: MAGNUS LUNDGREN/NATUREPL.COM; THIS PAGE: BEARS: ALAMY; FAMILY: GETTY; MAGNIFYING GLASS: MONIKA HALINOWSKA/GETTY Head to your local river, visit a Animals are being forced to nature reserve – or just look out adapt to climate change the window. Nature is everywhere! PAUL McGUINNESS, EDITOR Take part in 30 Days Wild A s I believe I’ve mentioned before on this page, I feel very lucky to have my job. My time is spent Every year, the Wildlife talking to hugely passionate and knowledgeable Trusts invite people to do experts about every kind of life on Earth. one wild act every day I love hearing these people explain the unique during June. It could be adaptations of whichever species it is we’re discussing. No matter wildlife-watching, eating what the obstacles to life, nature always somehow finds a way. outdoors, walking on Isn’t that what makes wildlife so endlessly fascinating? the beach or listening to birdsong. Our team will But let’s not kid ourselves here. The climate emergency be taking part – will you? threatens wildlife in all its magnificence – and we’re no longer See how to get involved talking about an event we may have to face in a few decades’ time. at discoverwildlife.com/ How nature responds will determine the future of life on Earth, 30dayswild. which is why we asked Thor Hanson to report on how various species around Keep in touch the world are already beginning to adapt (p50). I can’t think of anything [email protected] more important for us to understand. instagram.com/bbcwildlifemagazine twitter.com/WildlifeMag discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 3 facebook.com/wildlifemagazine

EDITOR Paul McGuinness DEPUTY EDITOR Jo Price ART EDITOR Richard Eccleston FEATURES EDITOR Sarah McPherson PICTURE EDITOR Tom Gilks PRODUCTION EDITOR Catherine Smalley EDITORIAL AND DIGITAL CO-ORDINATOR Megan Shersby GROUP DIGITAL EDITOR Carys Matthews ACTING GROUP DIGITAL EDITOR Tanya Jackson CONTRIBUTORS Nick Baker, Franco Banfi, Nicky Bay, Emli Bendixen, Simon Birch, Stuart Blackman, Paul Bloomfield, Richard Brooks, Gillian Burke, Laurie Campbell, Kryssia Campos, Mark Carwardine, JV Chamary, David Chapman, Robin Chittenden, Lucy Cooke, Charlotte Corney, Ben Cranke, Stephen Dalton, Mike Dilger, Guy Edwardes, Holly Exley, Juergen Freund, Nick Garbutt, Axel Gomille, Andrew Griffiths, Ben Hall, Mark Hamblin, Dave Hamilton, James Hanlon, Thor Hanson, Ben Hoare, Laurie Jackson, Adam Jacot de Boinod, Ernie Janes, Richard Jones, David Leadbetter, Greg Lecoeur, David Lindo, Hannes Lochner, Magnus Lundgren, Duncan McEwan, Archie McGuinness, Michael Patrick O'Neill, Parshina Olga, Loic Poidevin, Jenny Price, David Robertson, Andy Rouse, Helen Scales, Peter David Scott, Manoj Shah, Guy Smallman, Oliver Smart, Richard Smyth, Wanda Sowry, Lindsey Swierk, Kenny Taylor, Andy Trowbridge, Nick Upton, Will Watson, David Whitaker, Leoma Williams, Christian Ziegler ADDRESS Our Media, Eagle House, Bristol BS1 4ST EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES [email protected] @wildlifemagazine FACEBOOK @WildlifeMag TWITTER @bbcwildlifemagazine discoverwildlife.com INSTAGRAM bit.ly/bbcwildlifeyoutube WEB YOUTUBE ADVERTISING MARKETING GROUP AD MANAGER Laura Jones SUBSCRIPTIONS DIRECTOR Jacky Perales-Morris SENIOR DIRECT MARKETING MANAGER Aimee Rhymer [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS MARKETING MANAGER Natalie Lawrence PR MANAGER Emma Cooney BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Amy Thacker 0117 3008858 PRODUCTION [email protected] AD CO-ORDINATOR Charles Thurlow AD DESIGNER Julia Young SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE Dan Baker 0117 3008280 PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Sarah Powell PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Emily Mounter [email protected] BBC STUDIOS, UK PUBLISHING BRAND SALES Mia Dorrington 0117 300 8266 CHAIR, EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARDS Nicholas Brett MD, CONSUMER PRODUCTS & LICENSING Stephen Davies [email protected] DIRECTOR, MAGAZINES AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS Mandy Thwaites COMPLIANCE MANAGER Cameron McEwan BRAND SALES Stephanie Hall 0117 300 8535 [email protected] [email protected] BBC EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD CLASSIFIED SALES EXECUTIVE Marc Hay 0117 300 8758 Nicholas Brett CHAIR Lee Bacon HEAD OF DIGITAL, BBC NATURAL HISTORY UNIT [email protected] Alasdair Cross PRODUCER, BBC RADIO 4 Jane Lomas SERIES EDITOR, BBC COUNTRYFILE INSERTS Laurence Robertson 00353 876 902208 Bill Lyons EXECUTIVE EDITOR, BBC COUNTRYFILE, COAST, SECRET BRITAIN Susy Smith INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT [email protected] Mary Blanchard ZOOLOGY LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM LICENSING AND SYNDICATION RIGHTS MANAGER Emma Brunt 0117 300 8979 [email protected] DIRECTOR OF LICENSING AND SYNDICATION Tim Hudson IMMEDIATE MEDIA PUBLISHING GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR Andy Marshall MANAGING DIRECTOR Andrew Davies ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Rob Brock HEAD OF BRAND MARKETING Rosa Sherwood PUBLISHING ASSISTANT Lara Von Weber PHOTOGRAPHY AND ETHICS BBC Wildlife champions ethical wildlife photography that prioritises the welfare of animals and the environment. 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64 WOLF: AXEL GOMILLE; WOODLAND: ALAMY; HUMMINGBIRD: JEFF R CLOW/ GETTY; MONKEY: KRYSSIA CAMPOS/GETTY Germany’s wolves are on the up THE COVER “I photographed this amazing mauve stinger swimming in the open sea at night, between the islands Pico and Faial in the Azores,” says Swedish conservation photographer Magnus Lundgren. He used a Nikon D810 in a Sea & Sea underwater housing, 105mm, 1/250th sec at f18, ISO400. Every month, only in BBC Wildlife NICK BAKER GILLIAN BURKE MARK CARWARDINE LUCY COOKE MIKE DILGER “The lek period for ghost The Springwatch presenter “We need to get out of our “Lionesses are known to The broadcaster and moths is defined by the says we must believe in conservation bubbles and mate one hundred times naturalist tells us about period after sunset when the ability of humans to into the real world,” says with multiple males during barn owls’ clever flight light intensity drops” P.36 do good P.17 our frank columnist P.29 their fertile period” P.27 adaptations P.32 6 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

08 Wild Times 74 Catch up with all the latest Explore the undergrowth of Britain’s rare rainforests developments and discoveries making headlines in the world Hummingbirds MORE of wildlife have better vision than Q&A 32 How to see barn owls humans p84 this summer Why are male mallards violent? Mike Dilger offers his top tips for 88 Go Wild witnessing these beautiful birds of prey quartering the fields in search Find out what to expect from of small rodents Springwatch this year, and about Iolo Williams’ new Welsh series 36 Hidden Britain 91 ID Guide Ever seen a ghost moth? In the summer twilight, the amorous males Top tips for identifying orchids perform a swaying and bobbing this summer dance in order to attract a female 94 Photo Club 40 Cover feature: the world’s strangest sea creatures This month’s competition We take the plunge with Swedish 99 Crossword photographer Magnus Lundgren as he shines a light on the weird and Plus Spot the Difference wonderful marine life on the move in night-time waters 100 Your Letters 50 Six animals outsmarting Join the debate climate change 106 Tales from the Bush As the world warms, animals are transforming themselves in amazing A lightning-speed lizard battle in ways to cope the searing heat of Qatar 60 The rise of hybrid discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 7 pet cats We investigate the growing trend for keeping semi-wild savannah cats as trophy pets 64 Germany’s grey wolves return Following persecution, grey wolves are making a comeback, thriving on military ranges in the east 74 Britain’s rainforests Our cold and wet oceanic climate is perfect for rare and ancient temperate rainforests DON’T MISS... ...new research that reveals spider monkeys get drunk on fermenting fruits Page 14

HANNES LOCHNER What’s happening right now STORM BREWING Sediment from powerful dust storms can travel thousands of kilometres – just think of the Saharan dust cloud back in March that made its way across Europe and caused English skies to glow orange. Here, three hyenas, a jackal and two elephants endure swirling sands under a dramatic and foreboding sky in Botswana’s Chobe National Park. 8 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

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GREG LECOEUR A glimpse beneath the waves World Ocean Day and the mysterious beauty of the marine world Imagine bidding the human world goodbye, donning your scuba-diving mask and plunging into the crystal-clear blue waters off southern Baja California. Gently treading water with your flippers, you watch, disbelieving, as a sparkling bait ball teeming with thousands of sardines is struck at by the pointed bills of migratory striped marlin – then local sealions tumble into view and join the feast. For most of us, it remains a dream. Or an unseen realm we can barely imagine. Which is perhaps why our oceans have silently slipped into such a sorry state – we don’t witness the beauty of the marine life at risk, just as we don’t see the effects of overfishing, plastic pollution and coral bleaching. World Ocean Day on 8th June acts as an important annual reminder. And this year the 30x30 campaign is asking world leaders to protect 30 per cent of the planet’s oceans by 2030. More than 90 countries have made the commitment so far. Find out more at worldoceanday.org. MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER “They launch dazzling attacks” French photographer Greg Lecoeur took a two-hour boat trip from a small fishing village in Magdalena Bay to witness this spectacle. Frigates feeding on the surface were the tell-tale sign. “The underwater view is splendid,” he says. “One by one the striped marlins and sealions launch dazzling attacks that leave their prey no chance of surviving.” discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 11

Battle of the beetles Go on a stag hunt as the dramatic ‘rutting’ season for one of Europe's largest insects is under way The stag beetle ‘rutting’ season kicks off in May and is in full swing until early July. Males do battle with fierce-looking serrated mandibles as they try to shove their rival aside, or even better, flip him upside-down. You’re more likely, however, to spot these magnificent 6–7cm beetles (Europe’s largest) as they clumsily buzz around in search of females. Both sexes are lured to light and have a tendency to clang into lit windows or outside lights after dusk. Like many adult insects, they don’t live long, so you may also find their spent bodies. Most of their living, and most of their eating, took place underground as wood-munching grubs. Stag beetles are restricted to southern England in areas with old broadleaf trees and warm, sandy earth for the females to lay eggs in. The People’s Trust for Endangered Species monitors them through its annual Great Stag Hunt, which, like other citizen-science surveys, enjoyed record participation during the coronavirus lockdowns. The majority of sightings came from Greater London, with other beetle hotspots in Essex, Surrey, Sussex and the New Forest. Ben Hoare 12 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

Male stag beetles have large, antler-like mandibles to compete with rivals during their short breeding season A US Geological Survey team captured the moment a bobcat swiped at a Burmese python Cat versus snake in new Everglades contest Bobcat preying on Burmese python eggs is a notable first and could benefit Florida’s native wildlife irst sighted in the Everglades eating some python eggs one evening when BEETLE: ROBIN CHITTENDEN; BOBCAT & PYTHON: US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY National Park, Florida, in the 1990s the female snake was temporarily absent, and not recorded as breeding there the bobcat returned the following night. until 2000, Burmese pythons have There was then a fight, with the snake since caused major declines in birds, lunging at the feline and the bobcat making mammals and other reptiles. These a swiping blow. huge snakes compete with native wildlife for food and eat creatures such as raccoons Florida ecologists now say that since and opossums which – like pythons – often cats in general can be very flexible in their forage at the water’s edge in Florida’s diet, it’s possible that bobcats could make subtropical swamps. python eggs a regular food choice, with Import of Burmese pythons as exotic potential benefits for other native species. pets to the US was banned in 2012 and Florida has removed Kenny Taylor restrictions on hunting them, but as pythons can produce large clutches, their population continues to grow. That makes trail camera footage of a native bobcat taking eggs from a python nest potentially very significant. The event was captured by a US Geological Survey team last summer. It showed that after Evidence of a native bobcat predating Burmese python eggs discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 13

Fruity little numbers Spider monkeys are fond of alcohol. And like humans, they can have too much of a good thing. ew research shows that spider The monkeys’ attraction to the fruiting season. They were vomiting monkeys routinely feed on fermenting fruits of the jobo tree is not for and falling out of trees. fermenting fruit, supporting the mere amusement. Breakdown products of idea that humans inherited our alcohol in their urine prove that they are “Things that may be beneficial in small proclivity for alcohol from our gaining a calorific benefit from imbibing it. amounts can be really bad for you in high primate ancestors – the so-called quantities,” she adds. “Ethanol is similar to “drunken monkey hypothesis”. Christina Campbell of California State sugar and fat in that respect. It becomes a University, who led the work, says it’s not problem when there’s an excess of it.” Certain non-human primates yet known how much alcohol the monkeys enjoy a drop of the hard stuff. are consuming, though it was found to be Campbell is concerned that, in their Chimpanzees are known to raid stocks of present in the fruits at concentrations increasingly fragmented habitat, the monkeys palm wine brewed by villagers, and feral of one to two per cent – vervet monkeys in the Caribbean are famous comparable to a lager shandy. may be unable to avoid the fruit when for stealing alcoholic drinks from bars. “We know it’s not enough the alcohol content becomes too The new study, though, published in to make them drunk on a high. “They don’t have the Royal Society Open Science, is the first to regular basis,” she says. digestive system to survive demonstrate that wild primates – black- on leaves.” handed spider monkeys in Panama – enjoy a “In 15 months, I only saw tipple as a part of their natural diet. them get drunk twice. That Stuart Blackman was towards the end of the 14 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022 Christina Campbell led the spider monkey research

Catch all five episodes of The Green Planet on BBC iPlayer To pollinate, water crowfoot becomes a plant of both water and air Star of The Green Planet Seek out a plant celebrity this summer – June is peak flowering season for the water crowfoot ater crowfoot is one of the poses a problem: how will the flowers be MONKEY: KRYSSIA CAMPOS/GETTY; CROWFOOT: LAURIE CAMPBELL; GREENFINCH: BEN HALL/RSPB-IMAGES.COM home-grown stars of the BBC’s pollinated? Water crowfoot’s solution is to epic The Green Planet, in which Sir become both a water plant and a plant of the David Attenborough takes to a boat air. Masses of stiff flowering stalks appear, to explore the crystal-clear waters which lift the carpet of blooms clear of the of the River Avon in Wiltshire. river. The display can be spectacular on He visits in June, peak flowering season for chalk streams such as the River Avon, though this pretty plant, a white-petalled member these are sadly among the planet's rarest and of the buttercup family. Its floppy stalks most fragile habitats. Of the 260 true chalk create a lush tangle of foliage just beneath streams on Earth, 224 of them run through the surface, but as Sir David points out, this the English countryside. BH Black-handed spider IN BRIEF Good news for FACT. monkeys enjoy a the greenfinch tipple in the form of Positive sign Crocodile fermenting fruits, hatchling gender reports Royal Society The results of the RSPB’s Open Science Big Garden Birdwatch 2022 is a matter of revealed a small increase temperature. in greenfinch numbers, Those hatched indicating to scientists that at 32°C will this might be the first sign of mostly be males, a population recovery. In while a degree recent years the species has either side tends suffered a population crash to produce caused by disease, and was therefore awarded Red List females. status (highest conservation priority) in 2021. discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 15

Small but mighty: Coming this tiny seabird ashore can travel huge to nest distances in search of food Storm-petrels visit remote UK islands to breed from May eing tiny is no barrier to life at sea for a bird. The storm-petrel is roughly the size of a sparrow, making it the smallest seabird nesting in Britain and Ireland, yet it covers huge distances, deploying an extraordinary sense of smell to locate floating food. At sea it will often follow in the wake of ships. Only the urge to breed brings this inveterate ocean wanderer ashore. Its colonies are on remote islands, which it visits after dark, avoiding moonlit nights to escape marauding gulls and skuas. Storm-petrel breeding seasons are long – the female lays a single egg in May, hatching is in July, and the chick takes its maiden flight in September or October – but difficult to observe. So researchers are using sniffer dogs to find the burrows, which have a musky aroma. In summer 2021, the canine helpers proved for the first time that petrels are breeding on the Isle of May, in the Firth of Forth. BH ORIGIN Herbivorous reindeer REINDEER: SYLVAIN CORDIER/GETTY; STORM-PETREL: ROBIN CHITTENDEN OF PIECES have a clever digestive system AN ANATOMICAL MISCELLANY A ruminant’s stomach he multi-chambered stomachs of cattle, deer and other ruminants are dedicated to releasing the considerable energy contained in the complex sugars that form the structural bulk of plants. The magic happens in the rumen, a fermentation chamber containing an ecosystem of microbes with biochemistry skills lacking in mammals. The resulting cud is regurgitated and chewed again ready for a more conventional digestive process. SB 16 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

I love the natural world There is a lot of (obviously) but my work, time bad but we must and energy have been increasingly believe we can drawn to figuring us humans do good too out. Everything we are and everything we do is, after all, an intricate part of the natural Catch all world. In just my lifetime, we’ve blown past episodes of six Earth Summits and 26 Conference of the Springwatch on Parties (COPs), and more than a century BBC2 and iPlayer. It airs from has passed since the first seminal paper was 30th May for three weeks. published on global warming. Meanwhile, the atmosphere is hotting OPINION up and critical carbon sinks like the Amazon rainforest and the Arctic tundra are now GILLIAN BURKE carbon sources instead of carbon stores. It’s “We lie dangerously close to no longer a question of when the tipping several planetary boundaries” points will tip, some already have. We lie EMLI BENDIXEN/GAL-DEM dangerously close to, or have even pushed Closer to home, the organisers of the orchard where human activity provides a past, several planetary boundaries. annual Oxford Real Farming Conference, boost to biodiversity. For centuries, orchards Despite this, I choose to whole-heartedly which is the most diverse and inclusive offered a mixture of habitats, from the fruit reject the “humans are a blight on Earth” environmental event I have yet to attend, trees to the grassland floor and hedgerow narrative. In my view, this is dead-end are not afraid to lay their cards on the table. boundaries, as well as ponds and streams. thinking and completely absolves us of They provide a rich information and cultural taking responsibility, particularly those of exchange on how human activity can bring In a world awash with bad news, you us (like me) who enjoy some of the most about “a better world for farmers, wildlife, could do a lot worse than reach for any energy-intensive lifestyles on the planet. We the biosphere and humankind in general”. number of defiantly positive views of our can be an excellent keystone species and species. Sure, there is a hell of a lot of bad, I’m not alone in thinking so. A rising tide is Even BBC Wildlife has run features but we must believe we can do good, too. For helping to elevate our thinking and rebuke championing people as positive agents in those of us who have uncoupled from living this self-loathing view of our species. the natural world. One of my favourite in harmony with nature, it will take a seismic Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding articles, ‘Changing with the seasons’ by shift in our world view to embrace our better Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Benedict Macdonald (January 2021), was selves but, for me, anything less is only ever Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants draws an intricate portrait of a traditional English going to be tinkering away at the edges. from both her academic background as well as her Potawatomi heritage to reveal how humans can be good for the Earth. As a botanist, Robin commands on the tools of science to ask questions of nature but leans on her indigenous knowledge and practices that embrace the natural world itself as our oldest teacher. This wider “ecological consciousness” invites us to understand that we are in a relationship with the rest of the living world, where reciprocity and honourable harvests are the order of the day. Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) is a revered perennial grass native to northern Eurasia and North America. Its long leaves grow on sterile shoots and are harvested for weaving and braiding after the plants have finished flowering. Harvesters are careful not to pull out the roots so that the plant will survive into the next year, yet the action clears old growth and scatters seed. Postdoctoral students carrying out hours of fieldwork have been able to confirm what indigenous people already know – sensitive harvesting of sweetgrass encourages more abundance and biodiversity, not less. Catch all the wildlife action of Springwatch on BBC Two from 30th May. Gillian Burke is not presenting this series but will return. discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 17

See thrift in bloom from April to July on wild coasts throughout the UK PINK AND PERKY Coastal cliffs, so bleak and forbidding in winter, now blush as thrift erupts into bloom. The salt-tolerant plant clings to clifftops and the tiniest ledges, where its baby-pink flowers dance to and fro in sea breezes – the classic setting for photos of nesting puffins and fulmars. Thrift also flourishes on salt marshes, an even harsher environment for plants. 18 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

The aquatic axolotl Sonam Lama with inspired Wooper a GPS-collared red panda named 10 wild-inspired Ngima. The species Pokémon is found in 25 out of 77 districts in Nepal. Many ‘pocket monsters’ from the computer game appear to be based on real animals. MEET THE SCIENTIST 1 DRAGALGE: leafy seadragon Sonam Lama Aquatic character similar to the camouflaged marine fish The winner of the 2022 Whitley Awards discusses red panda conservation in Nepal 2 DROWZEE: Malayan tapir THRIFT: DREW BUCKLEY; SPIDER: LINDSEY SWIERK; AXOLOTL: STEPHEN DALTON/NPL(CONTROLLED CONDITIONS); Body shape, blunt nose and coloration When Sonam Lama read a newspaper story for red pandas, which is why RPN has SONAM: RED PANDA NETWORK; JIWAN AND SURENDRA RAI: RASHIK MAHARJAN/RED PANDA NETWORK closely resemble a Malayan tapir that featured the red panda research of launched ‘Plant a Red Panda Home’ American Brian Williams, it changed his life. – a national restoration campaign to target 3 KROOKODILE: gharial “The article pushed me to know more about core habitats and establish a biological Modelled on crocodilians in general the species and work for its conservation,” corridor where endangered wildlife, but looks most like a gharial he says. When Brian founded the Red Panda including red pandas, can flourish.” The Network (RPN), Sonam was recruited. “I was scheme has provided alternative income 4 DEWGONG: dugong responsible for generating awareness of the opportunities for local communities. Attributes of narwhal and beluga but red panda and mobilising the community to said to be inspired by the dugong monitor the species.” “I am very positive about the future of red pandas in Nepal because a passion for 5 MANKEY: Barbary macaque “When I was a child, I played with a stuffed conservation among the Nepali youth is Apparently based on a Barbary red panda pelt that was killed and brought growing,” he says. “Also, the communities macaque (excluding its prehensile tail) home by my dad (he now regrets this a lot). where RPN works are supportive because we I didn’t know what animal it was or anything are helping people to diversify their earnings 6 PSYDUCK: platypus about its conservation status,” exclaims through ecotourism, habitat restoration and Semi-aquatic and found in freshwater Sonam. “I decided to work to protect red red panda monitoring.” Jo Price habitats, like the platypus pandas by teaching people about the value of the species.” 7 CATERPIE: eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar “Nepal’s red panda population is Inspired by a master of mimicry struggling, with the Covid-19 pandemic a contributing factor, having caused increased 8 POLIWAG: translucent tadpoles levels of poaching,” says Sonam. RPN is Looks like tadpoles that lack pigment tackling this problem by collaborating with law enforcement agencies and increasing 9 WOOPER: axolotl forest patrols. “Previous research indicates Like the aquatic, larval-looking axolotl poaching is based on the misinformation that red panda pelts have high monetary value.” 10 SHELLOS: Loch’s chromodoris Resembles a brightly coloured seaslug “The government has prepared a Red RPN’s Jiwan Rai (left) and Surendra Rai Panda Conservation Action Plan for Nepal monitoring red pandas and their habitat IN BRIEF (2019-2023) with the aim to protect and manage red panda populations,” he states. A hairy tum helps if “Habitat loss is a matter of grave concern you’re trying to escape Spider superpower For South America’s streamside-living Trechalea extensa, a mat of belly hairs traps air and provides insulation when the arachnid plunges into streams to avoid predators. As individuals spend up to 30 minutes concealed underwater in aquatic vegetation, it explains why T. extensa is the hairiest of an otherwise fairly smooth genus. discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 19

Adding and taking away has its plus points for stingrays Doing the maths The millipede that STINGRAY: FRANCO BANFI/NATUREPL.COM; MILLIPEDE: DEREK A. HENNEN; WOODPECKERS: ARTHUR A. ALLEN/WIKIMEDIA/CREATIVE COMMONS celebrates a pop star Stingrays and cichlids join the growing list of animals capable of performing simple sums NEW SPECIES DISCOVERY ew research on fish proves you “When they are shown the blue-two Nannaria don’t need fingers to learn to count or [two blue shapes], they pick the blue- swiftae even to perform simple addition and three, and for the yellow-two, they pick subtraction. Biologists at Germany’s the yellow-one,” says Vera Schluessel, who WHAT IS IT? University of Bonn have been training led the work. “Either they are learning the One of 17 newly described millipede cichlids and stingrays to count up rule ‘pick the bigger or smaller’ or they are species found by researchers examining to five by presenting them with a selection actually adding or subtracting. But if you the taxonomy of twisted-claw millipedes in of shapes on card and rewarding them if give them the blue-three and then include the wilsoni species group of the Nannaria they swim through a door marked with the blue-four and blue-five in their choice genus. A key difference of Nannaria correct number. options, they pick the blue-four significantly swiftae was the morphology of the male’s Their latest research in Scientific Reports more often than the five, so I do think they modified legs. The recent discovery brings requires the fish to perform simple sums are actually adding and subtracting one the total number of Nannaria species to rather than picking larger or smaller.” 78. The genus had 23 species before the before they are rewarded. scientists began studying them in 2015. Blue shapes mean they Schluessel’s team are now pushing the In 2021, 37 species were added and a must add one to the fish to solve harder sums. “We also want to subspecies was given full species status. total; yellow ones test the concept of zero,” she says. “Do they mean they must know that one is more than nothing?” WHERE IS IT? subtract one. The millipede Nannaria swiftae can be Like honeybees, which are capable of found in the USA but it only occurs in a Zoologist Vera similar calculations, fish lack a neocortex, few spots in the Appalachian Mountains in Schluessel hopes her the part of the brain responsible for south-east Tennessee. research will allow us to complex cognition in mammals. see fish a bit differently WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE “[Fish] are capable of amazing things,” SCIENTIFIC NAME? says Schluessel. Stuart Blackman The ‘swiftae’ in the scientific name honours the US singer and songwriter Taylor Swift because Derek Hennen, the lead author of the study, is a ‘Swiftie’ (a fan). He also named the species Nannaria marianae after his wife, as a thank you for her patience when he stops to look at millipedes on walks. Find out more: bit.ly/TaylorSwiftMillipede IN BRIEF Drum roll New photos of what appear to be ivory-billed woodpeckers suggest that this magnificent species, which was last seen in 1944 and is in the process of being declared extinct by the Fish and Wildlife Service, still clings to 20 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022



Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, welcomes a black-browed albatross for the second year in a row Lost & Found VAGRANT SPECIES DIARY Black-browed albatross here’s something iconic about and sometimes a quick rest on the cliff face. IN BRIEF those record-breaking ocean It was only during 2021 that it decided to wanderers, the albatrosses. Many make these very cliffs its temporary home. Small talk disperse north from the southern oceans to the tropics in winter and one Visitor numbers swelled last summer New research raises the tantalising species, the black-browed, occasionally as birders sought out this rare sight in the possibility that fungi communicate shows up on British coasts during land-based UK. The albatross, blissfully unaware of the between distant parts of their colonies seawatches, often in inclement weather, yet fuss it was causing, could be unpredictable, by means of something similar to otherwise highly unpredictable and rarely disappearing out to sea often for days at seen on more than two or three occasions a time. But when in residence it would language. Bursts of in any one year. effortlessly ride the thermals among the electrical activity along Usually notoriously difficult to catch gannets, wowing the crowds, sometimes the subterranean up with, some individuals have summered metres away. networks of filaments in isolated island gannet colonies over the contain repeatable years, inspiring only the intrepid to visit. But When a little bit of the Southern Ocean ‘words’ organised in recent years one bird has been roaming arrived in Britain last year, it seemed almost into ‘sentences’. the North Sea. Initially spending its summers rude not to go and pay homage. And the on the German coast, it visited the English good news is that though the albatross left in east coast to flirt with the gannetry at September 2021 as expected, it returned in Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, with odd flybys late March 2022 for another season of, well frankly, showing off – giving people a second chance to see it glide. James Hanlon JAMES HANLON FUNGI: PETAR BELOBRAJDIC/GETTY; SKIPPER: OLIVER SMART 22 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

In England, the chequered skipper butterfly breeds in flower-rich woodland GUESS WHO’S BACK? June is the flight season of one of Britain’s rarest butterflies – the chequered skipper – and you can now visit its English reintroduction site for the first time. The species died out in England in 1976, but has made a triumphant return to Northamptonshire’s Fineshade Wood. Be patient, keep to marked paths, and you may see a fast-flitting male pause among the grass. discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 23

Mary Colwell (inset) New GCSE hopes the new GCSE goes ahead will connect young people with the Qualification in natural natural world history to be brought into secondary schools he UK Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has announced that there will be a new natural history GCSE, which will be developed and introduced into schools by 2025. “We are delivering a new natural history GCSE, which will, I hope, inspire young people and empower them, give them that agency, not to just be anxious and distressed about climate change, but actually to make a difference,” says Nadhim Zahawi. The idea of a natural history GCSE was the brainchild of conservationist and author Mary Colwell 11 years ago. Since then, she has worked with the government and the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA examination board to make it a reality, describing it as a “game-changer for the nature of Britain”. The GCSE aims to connect students with the natural world and teaches them about the environment and sustainability. Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, says, “This is a pivotal moment for education, and one which could change all our futures for the better.” Megan Shersby COLLECTIVE The collective noun for a bullfinch is based on the NOUNS bird’s appearance rather than how it gathers WHAT’S IN A NAME? BULLFINCHES: KARL ANDER ADAMI/GETTY; STUDENTS: GETTY A bellowing of bullfinches he term ‘A bellowing of bullfinches’ relates to a bird that, unlike many other finches, actually lacks a powerful flocking instinct, so must derive from its extraordinarily thick neck. After all, the name ‘bullfinch’ comes from the species’ bull-like appearance and compact, neck-less body. The bird emits its renowned song – a short, low- pitched whistle or fluted ‘phu’ note – using its short, deep bill. Adam Jacot de Boinod 24 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE WILDLIFE HAVENS Every ancient tree is a hotspot for biodiversity. The Woodland Trust needs your help to protect them. S tanding tall for hundreds world, yet despite this, our oldest recent years, the Ancient Tree Most of the UK’s ancient trees are of years, our ancient trees face a range of threats with Forum, Forestry Commission, scattered throughout the landscape trees have survived limited protection to help them. councils and tree professionals with limited protection to help them some of the nation’s have also played an essential most momentous historical Most of our ancient trees role in maintaining them. But to the mature trees in urban events, while providing an aren’t located in ancient not every old tree is safe. areas, many ancient trees face invaluable home for rare wildlife. woodlands or nature reserves, the threat of land development. so the legal protection that LOOKING FORWARD Some are already on the Our oak trees, for instance, safeguards those areas doesn’t That’s why the Woodland Trust, frontline of land-use changes, support more life than any apply to them. Instead, they’re the UK’s largest woodland and Tree Preservation Orders other UK native trees. They scattered throughout the conservation charity, is working only offer protection to specific house hundreds of insect landscape, rooted in hedges, tirelessly to raise the profile of trees, if approved by a local species, provide food and next to roads, in fields and our oldest, most valuable trees, planning authority. shelter for birds and their sometimes even gardens. while also calling for better deadwood creates an important protection of them. The Woodland Trust believes microhabitat for endangered For centuries, some of our that even small changes, such beetles and other threatened oldest trees have been looked From the national landmark as safeguarding root protection wildlife. In autumn, mammals after by families or organisations trees that deserve veneration, areas, could help many more such as squirrels, badgers such as the church. In more trees survive for centuries and deer feed on their acorns, to come. And, by joining the while their soft leaves break Woodland Trust, you can play down to form a rich leaf a part in that change. mould beneath that supports invertebrates and fungi. STEEPED IN HISTORY England has more ancient oak trees than the rest of Europe combined, while our oldest yew trees may pre-date the Egyptian pyramids, and some are thought to be almost as old as Stonehenge. They truly are one of the natural wonders of the To become a member of the Woodland Trust from just £4 a month, visit woodlandtrust.org.uk/join or scan the QR code Registered charity numbers 294344 and SC038885 June 2022 BBC WILDLIFE 25

Smarter in more ways than one: the water shrew is well adapted to an aquatic lifestyle Hidden talents The largest shrew species in Britain has two secret weapons to deploy he water shrew is perhaps our female gives birth, though the species’ fur for buoyancy, and hairy feet for most mysterious mammal. Dominic exceptional shyness and preference for swimming. It is carnivorous, unlike the Couzens, in his mammal-ogue My well-vegetated ponds and ditches means shoot-nibbling water vole – and this is Family and 50 Other Animals, calls sightings are rare. (Many reports are where its two secret weapons come in it “a shrew in a dinner jacket”, recordings of its ultrasonic squeaks, handy. The enamel in its red-tipped teeth an apt description of its smart picked up by bat detectors.) The water is strengthened with iron, and it has pelage: mole-black above and silvery shrew’s many adaptations to an aquatic venomous saliva potent enough to subdue white below. June is said to be when the life include a hairy tail and extra-dense small fish and frogs. BH

FEMALE OF THE SPECIES AFRICAN LIONS Lucy Cooke on licentious lionesses protecting their offspring Croc comebackWATER SHREW: ROBIN CHITTENDEN; CROCODILE: JEREMY HOLDEN/FAUNA & FLORA INTERNATIONAL; HARE: BRENT HARDY/500PX/GETTYIin the Maasai Mara, Kenya, Nursing ILLUSTRATION BY HOLLY EXLEYexperimenting with audio playbackfemale The biggest ever release of 25 captive- as a means of deciphering lion lions stick bred Siamese crocodiles into the wild together as part of a national reintroduction the recording of a lion’s roar into programme has been completed by dependent offspring and a coalition of two Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and a response. This rather audacious line of males. When fresh males take over a pride, its partners in Cambodia. It represents scientific enquiry resulted in three lions they often kill any unweaned young. This a massive boost to the survival – one female and two males – racing over to stops them wasting energy raising cubs that chances of this critically endangered our Land Rover to investigate. aren’t theirs, but more importantly it means reptile. The crocs have been fitted with The males quickly got bored when they they get to father their own sooner. transmitters so they can be tracked. failed to find a rival and padded off. The female, however, pinned us to the spot, Nursing females are unavailable for UP legs akimbo, for over two hours. She was mating, so infanticide forces a lioness into in oestrus and, in addition to mating with oestrus much faster than waiting for her DOWN her consorts, she also wanted to mate with cubs to wean. Given that a lioness will only me. Apparently, this was nothing special for give birth once every two years and the Mountain hare a lioness: females are known to mate one average pride tenure for males is also two numbers at a low hundred times with multiple males during years, the selective pressure for this brutal their fertile period. behaviour is intense. England’s last mountain hare I was surprised to discover the licentious population in the Peak District is now nature of the female lion. At university I was Females have evolved several cunning at low densities across most of the taught that males, with their bountiful supply counterstrategies, however. By breeding uplands, according to the first detailed of cheap sperm, are wired for promiscuity in groups nursing mothers seek safety in population assessment for 20 years. whereas females, with their limited number numbers and will either flee or aggressively The research estimated the population of costly eggs, must be choosy and chaste. fight off alien males. density is 10 mountain hares per Someone clearly forgot to inform the lioness km2 – there are just 3,500 hares of this “universal law”. When fertile, their main weapon is sex. throughout the National Park, putting The main problem with this neat Mating with multiple males, inside and the population at risk of extinction. classification is, it’s wrong. We now understand that females from species as outside the pride, confuses paternity diverse as langurs, lizards and lobsters and deters any incoming males from employ a wanton sexual strategy of multiple infanticidal behaviour. mating. Female promiscuity increases the This means the lioness I chances of genetic or immune compatibility, seduced by accident was compelled which results in healthier offspring. to have sex with me, not because The lioness has an additional she fancied the sound of my tinny maternal motive for her wanton roar but so I didn’t wind up nature: to protect her vulnerable murdering her babies. cubs from murder. Lions are the only social species of big cat. In Africa they live in prides of around 4-6 related females, their Catch Lucy is a broadcaster, up with zoologist and author of Political Bitch: A Revolutionary Animals, Lucy’s recent Guide to Sex, Evolution three-part series and the Female Animal. discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 27

Confusingly, black Slugs are RHINO: BARNEY LONG/WWF US; POO: NICK GARBUTT/INTERNATIONAL RHINO FOUNDATION; SLUG: DAVID CHAPMAN slugs aren’t always nature’s black – they can also recyclers be orange or brown Look out for a common POO and vital garden mollusc CORNER ID GUIDE aybe we should learn to love slugs? Even the Royal Horticultural Sumatran Society, traditionally no friend of rhino garden molluscs, has vowed to stop calling them pests. After all, This rare rhino lives in dense rainforests on one can hardly blame slugs for the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo, sliming towards the abundance of juicy new feeding on the leaves of plants including Ficus seedlings at this time of year, sweet peas and jackfruit trees. “Fresh poo is a brown bolus and beans being particular favourites. Only a quarter of Britain’s 40 or so slug species that is on average 8–12cm in chow down on garden plants anyway. And diameter,” says Christopher some of those, including black slugs, prefer Whitlatch from the rotting material, so are happier in compost International Rhino heaps. By recycling nutrients, they play a key Foundation. “It turns part in healthy ecosystems. yellow and changes Admit it – black slugs look smart too shape as it breaks (some can be orange or brown), with a down.” Sumatran rhinos beautifully grooved body often offset by a are listed as critically frilly orange ‘skirt’. We may as well admire endangered, with less these 150-million-year-old, one-footed than 80 left. Megan Shersby hermaphrodites, and leave it to frogs, beetles and hedgehogs to control their numbers. BH 28 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022 Sumatran rhinos spread seeds through their faeces 8 to 12cm

n a couple of tweets about a White-tailed eagles are white-tailed eagle – found dead in making a comeback but his West Dorset constituency – my still face persecution local MP demonstrated such apparent ignorance that it raises questions about “We have a duty to ensure politicians conservation’s own failings. are informed about wildlife” White-tailed eagles were driven to MARK CARWARDINE OPINION Iextinction in the UK by gamekeepers, who relentlessly shot and poisoned in Dorset, killing our lambs and plaguing their cohorts live in oblivious isolation from them. But now they are being brought back – there are already 130 breeding pairs our farmers”. Unfortunately, though, he had the ‘normal’ world outside – but we spend in Scotland and we’re in the middle of a five-year programme to reintroduce them to failed to realise that his ‘evidence’ had been too much time in our own ‘Conservation England. One of the release sites is the Isle of Wight and, as hoped, some of these birds staged with a captive eagle and a dead lamb Bubble’. By mixing with like-minded people, are now dispersing along the south coast. for an article on the subject. In truth, lambs who reinforce our views and share our But two white-tailed eagles died under suspicious circumstances earlier this form only a tiny part of a white-tailed eagle’s aspirations in a conservation echo chamber, year (one in Dorset, the other in Sussex). Although the birds of prey are protected by diet (they prefer fish and seabirds, and we forget that there are influential people law, they have been the target of persecution because of the perceived threat they pose to are happy scavenging fish scraps or eating out there who have never even heard of a game bird shoots and sheep farms. carrion) and even then, white-tailed eagle, let alone So when Conservative MP Chris Loder RICHARD BROOKS/RSPB-IMAGES.COM criticised Dorset police for investigating they take almost exclusively “The idea of MPs have an informed opinion on the eagle’s death and argued that they stillborn and non-viable pontificating on whether or not they should be should direct their resources to catching lambs very early in the things they don't living in West Dorset. drug dealers instead of wildlife criminals, lambing season. They are his comments were met with derision and To ensure our good work disbelief by many. not, by any stretch of the understand is isn’t undone, we need to Loder denies any vested interest or imagination, plaguing nothing new” get out of our conservation wrongdoing (The Guardian reported that our farmers. bubbles and into the real his 2019 election campaign had received a £14,000 donation from a shooting estate in The idea of MPs world – before other MPs his constituency), so the only alternative explanation for his comments is sheer pontificating about things declare that eagles (or other ignorance. First, you can’t pick and choose which laws to enforce (by suggesting that they don’t understand, or forming strong endangered species) are not welcome in their you can, he has essentially given eagle-killers a free pass). Second, there is overwhelming opinions based on frighteningly little constituencies. Or worse. The Dorset wildlife support for the reintroduction of raptors to the UK (a 2018 public consultation in the knowledge, is nothing new. But we shouldn’t crime team has since been ‘rebranded’ as Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Dorset and Sussex, where the reintroduced birds are most likely to settle and breed in future, revealed an impressive 76 per cent of people supported the project), so he wasn’t representing his constituents. And, third, clearly he doesn’t know much, if anything, about white-tailed eagles. Fighting back, the MP posted two pictures of an eagle eating a lamb, “For local don’t want eagles Conservationist Mark Carwardine says we shouldn't assume politicians understand wildlife and conservation just despair. When it comes to wildlife, we the ‘rural crime team’, reflecting a change in have a duty to ensure they are informed. focus. It raises concerns about the hostility We often grumble about the to wildlife crime investigations. MP Chris ‘Westminster Bubble’ – in which MPs and Loder and his landowners got their way. discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 29

Banning bottom trawling benefits seabirds such as puffins, which for species including puffins and kittiwakes. feed on sandeels “It’s fantastic to see much-needed protection offered to sandeels and the wildlife that depends on them,” says the RSPB’s Ruby LADYBIRD: GETTY; FIONA: FIONN GUILFOYLE/GREENPEACE; PUFFINS: ANDY TROWBRIDGE/NATUREPL.COM UK’s largest sandbank Temple-Long. “They may seem innocuous but sandeels are one of the most important fish in our waters and protecting them is key to be fully protected to supporting much of our amazing marine life above and below the waves.” In addition to Dogger Bank, three other MPAs will be protected from bottom Banning of controversial fishing technique that trawling. These are Inner Dowsing, Race threatens marine life framed as a ‘Brexit Bonus’ Bank and North Ridge, which lies off the south Lincolnshire coast; the South Dorset marine conservation zone and the Canyons marine conservation zone, which lies more uffins and kittiwakes are among technique that causes widespread damage than 320km off Land’s End in Cornwall. the wildlife winners following the to wildlife and the seabed. However, environmental campaigners government’s decision to protect the Environment secretary George Eustice are calling for protection from bottom biggest sandbank in the UK, Dogger says: “Outside the EU, we are using our new trawling for all the UK’s MPAs. “We need Bank, from damaging fishing practices freedoms to protect our marine the government to get us on track in a move welcomed by campaigners. environment. We will be stopping this year to fully or highly protect Dogger Bank lies in the southern North trawling and dredging in these all of our Marine Protected Sea and provides a crucial habitat for a wide Marine Protected Areas to Areas,” says Fiona Nicholls range of marine life including hermit crabs, protect wildlife and habitats, from Greenpeace UK. “That flatfish and starfish, as well as commercial through powers we have in means, as a starting point, species such as cod and sandeels. our Fisheries Act 2020.” banning all destructive Despite being designated one of the UK’s Banning bottom trawling industrial fishing vessels. 76 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Dogger on Dogger Bank will benefit This could be done using Bank has been subjected to increasing levels seabirds that feed on sandeels, Greenpeace UK’s post-Brexit powers to restrict of bottom trawling, a controversial fishing which are a vital food source Fiona Nicholls fishing licences.” Simon Birch FROM THE BBC WILDLIFE ARCHIVE June 1990 NEXT ISSUE 30 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022 TWO-SPOT LADYBIRD Why you should consider yourself lucky if you see this colourful beetle in your garden

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You're most likely to see barn owls hunting on farmland WILDLIFE SPECTACLES The broadcaster, naturalist and tour guide shares the most breathtaking seasonal events in Britain SPIRIT IN THE SKY BARN OWLS HUNTING As the light fades away, the ghostly barn owl takes flight, quietly quartering fields in search of voles hile the robin holds the mantle to farmland management presided over of ‘nation’s favourite’, surely a perilous population decline, a thorough our most loved owl must be the understanding of the owl’s needs has seen a strikingly beautiful barn owl. marked improvement in its fortunes. Recent Most often spotted when either estimates suggest a breeding population flashing through car headlights of about 9,000 pairs, so with a little bit of or quartering rough grasslands at dusk, the insider knowledge, the chance of catching up ghostly spectacle of a hunting barn owl can with this spectacle is quite possibly the best perform the simple magic trick of lifting the gloomiest of spirits. it’s been for a generation. One of the world’s most The barn owl is widespread bird species, with a presence on supremely designed for every continent bar one of its key missions Antarctica, the barn – that of catching small owl can also be mammals, which in encountered Britain comprise mostly across much of short-tailed voles, also lowland Britain. called field voles. Following a number of Did you know? difficult decades, Grassy margins around fields, when changes especially along hedges and ditches, provide important sources of small prey 32 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

“It performs the simple magic trick of lifting the gloomiest of spirits” discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 33

Mike Dilger’s WILDLIFE SPECTACLES TOP 1BOURNE in south 2SUNK ISLAND on Lincolnshire hosts the north bank of the FIVE two owl towers built Humber Estuary in East by the Len Pick Trust Yorkshire is a good place to PLACES with the help of local catch up with owls hunting college students. A across the rough grassland 5WWT MARTIN MERE live webcam will give of this flat landscape. RESERVE in West you 24-hour access Lancashire has five into the owls' lives. 3BURNHAM NORTON barn owl boxes spread AND BURNHAM across the wetland 4WESTHAY MOOR OVERY STAITHE are site, with up to three is managed by the two villages along occupied in most years Somerset Wildlife Trust the A149 in North and second broods and part of the wider Norfolk. Both are terrific often recorded. Avalon Marshes complex. locations from which to The lowland acid mire look for barn owls in the and surrounding farmland surrounding farmland. represent your best chance for a barn owl encounter. For locating its prey among rank vegetation, hover or hang in the wind whenever further LOOK CLOSER the main tool in a barn owl’s armoury is investigation is required. Flight noise is Screams and snores its exceptionally acute hearing. Here, the vastly reduced by hair-like fringed edges on Sometimes called ghost owls, other nicknames throughout history have distinctively shaped face effectively operates the wings, which enable the owl to detect included screech owl and demon owl, which refer to their surprisingly noisy as an elaborate hearing aid, funneling any the slightest noise emanating from its prey nature. A strange, piercing shriek or scream can often be heard during courtship, while sound to the two ear openings. These are set without giving its own position away. White calls for food by the young can vary from a loud snore to a hiss. Any intruders will get asymmetrically on each side of the facial disc. underparts may also help blend its outline the hissing treatment too. The tiny time difference between into the sky above. A bone to pick the perception of sound in the “The owl’s Pouncing will not just The digestive juices of barn owls are far less acidic than most day-flying raptors, left and right ear (30 millionths of distinctively occur directly from the air, so any fur and bone remains undigested a second) enables the owl to tell but can occur from perches, in the foregut until muscular action its prey’s direction of travel, and shaped face with this latter technique compresses it into a tight mass and it is regurgitated in pellet form. Look for the asymmetry allows it to detect operates as considered more important these below favourite perches. if the sound is up or down. in winter when the owl may Their eyes are specially an elaborate also need to conserve energy. Finding feathers modified to operate in low light, hearing aid” Irrespective of where it drops While taking care not to disturb with a high density of light- from, the descent is normally either roosting or nesting spots, it is worth looking out for any YOUNG: ANDY ROUSE/NATUREPL.COM; FEATHERS: D.HARMS/ALAMY; GANNET: GETTY sensitive rods in the retina, plus rather slow and controlled, moulted primary feathers from May onwards. A complete an exceptionally large cornea and lens that with the wings held back and above the moult can take two or three years due to fluctuating food help gather as much light as possible. The body, while the neck is extended. At this supplies and the continuing need for wing efficiency. forward-facing position provides excellent point, micro-adjustments can be made NEXT MONTH binocular vision and helps gauge distance. before the legs then swing in front of the Search the rocky seaside cliffs The most commonly observed hunting head and the talons spread in preparation for noisy ‘cities’ of gannets technique involves a slow and deliberate for a strike. If the first attempt fails, the patrolling across suitable habitat, usually owl may sometimes run across the ground at a height of about 2–4m, while pausing to in pursuit of the prey, but once captured, it is either swallowed whole on the spot or carried back to the young. Clutch size can vary according to both habitat and whether it is a good vole year, but four to six is normal. Asynchronous hatching also occurs, with the oldest chick considerably larger than the youngest, but certainly by June all the young will be continuously demanding food from their hard-pressed parents, necessitating more flights in daylight hours. Finally, if you fancy looking for you own ghost, remember barn Barn owls will raise their young in tree holes, owls aren’t fond of flying in either the wind ruins, cliffs and quarries – as well as barns or rain – but who is? 34 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

An aerial view of Rock Mount, a popular ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE glamping spot located in the island’s lush, green interior ST HELENA AWAITS YOU This island offers something different, something unexpected and something worth exploring With its uniquely ocean possesses a distinctly from the hustle and bustle location, the island has very rich diversity of unique landscape and biological of busy, everyday life. Many special biodiversity. There heritage-based diversity — unlike anywhere else visitors describe going to the are more than 500 endemic attractions, both in the world. island as stepping back in species of flora and fauna on St built and natural, St Helena time, comfortingly familiar yet Helena. What’s more, the island offers many things to see and EXPLORE A CAPTIVATING heart-warmingly different. Once boasts the last remaining cloud lots to do. The sub-tropical LANDSCAPE you get beyond the surface forest on British soil. The forest volcanic island spans just 47 St Helena is certainly unique. of Britain’s second oldest is situated within the ‘Peaks square miles and is located What was once a place of colony, you’ll find a mixing National Park’ and holds around 2,000km west of the Angolan exile for Napoleon is now a pot of cultures and influences 250 unique species, equating to coast; you can perhaps place explored by the likes of stemming from Europe, Africa more than one-sixth of the UK’s understand how it could be holidaymakers and backpackers, and Asia with a distinctive total endemic biodiversity. missed on the map. However, who are welcomed by the landscape as your backdrop. St Helena is not a destination island’s friendly locals, referred There are colonies of to be overlooked. This tiny to as ‘Saints’. The island is The island allows you to seabirds including red-billed island in the middle of the a breath of fresh air, away explore a world’s worth of tropicbirds, white terns and landscapes and microclimates the only extant endemic bird within a few minutes’ drive. From species, the St Helena plover, the capital city of Jamestown, locally termed the wirebird. Last sandwiched between the but not least, no trip to St Helena rolling hills of James Valley, to would be complete without the breathtaking views from its paying a visit to Jonathan the highest mountain, Diana’s Peak tortoise, who is celebrating his (823 metres), there is plenty to 190th birthday this year; making be explored on this idyllic isle of him the oldest living land animal volcanic origins. in the world. He can be found at Plantation House, alongside An endemic wirebird BRIMMING WITH WILDLIFE a handful of other younger chick held by a local You are sure to be amazed tortoises. Visitors are always conservationist by the natural beauty of St encouraged to come Helena. Due to its remote and say hello! Find out more about the unparalleled beauty and adventure of St Helena at: sthelenatourism.com BBC WILDLIFE June 2022 35

Nick Baker’s HIDDEN BRITAIN The popular naturalist, author and TV presenter reveals a secret world of overlooked wildlife MOON DANCE GHOST MOTH Amorous male moths bob and sway in a strange, ethereal twilight display to attract a mate In the UK, it’s not just the males of in and out of cover. These moths are It is thought that capercaillie and black grouse that gather all males, and this is the culmination by flying close to in groups to lek and compete for the of their life-cycle. vegetation, ghost attention of females. Other species do it moths are harder too, including one of our more unusual As they pendulate – a name that for bats to detect moths. Observing ghost moths (Hepialus describes this bobbing and swaying flight humuli) lekking on a still, warm summer’s behaviour rather well – each male releases evening is one of the more subtle and gentle a musky, goat-like perfume into the balmy wildlife spectacles you can witness. evening air from clusters of hair-like scales on their rear legs called tibial brushes. This It occurs in damp, wild meadows where pheromone is unusual in that it lures in the grass grows long. About 45 minutes both sexes – more males to display with after the sun has dipped below the horizon, and females to mate with. When a female in the dim half-light, the moths start their sees the male moth of her dreams, she flies ‘dance’. Slowly at first, one or two brave to him, and then they drop down into the individuals get the party started, looming grass to mate. up from somewhere in the dense vegetation where they’ve been patiently waiting for the Usually it only takes 30 minutes from perfect moment. the start of the lekking flights for the air space to empty and, whether lucky in love It’s a mass participation event and on or not, the males retreat to dance again good sites their numbers can very quickly another night – if they’ve got the energy. swell until there are dozens of them on This is meant literally, as ghost moths don’t the wing. As if suspended from invisible, have functional mouthparts and so are ethereal threads, they hover on silver wings unable to refuel. All their activity, from the just above the tops of the grasses, bobbing moment they form a pupa until they mate, 36 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

“When a female sees a male lay eggs and die is powered by fat reserves moth of her dreams, they drop laid down as caterpillars. down into the grass to mate” So why such a short and specific time window? Given the rush against the clock you might imagine they’ll dance until the death. Well, the lekking behaviour has some interesting hidden elements to it and is all about compromise. The males need to be seen by the females, but by becoming visible they stand out to predators such as birds and bats. It is thought that the reason they choose this twilight transition zone is because neither diurnal nor nocturnal predators are fully active at this time. Watching the males lek, they can give the impression that they are lit from within – each insect seems to glow with an eerie light. However, perceived incandescence is not a figment of your mind but a trick of the light. The lek period for ghost moths is defined by the period after sunset when light intensity drops steeply to between 2-10 lux (outdoor daylight lux is 10,000 upwards). As the ambient light falters, the wavelengths of light available become shorter, and the reflectance of the grassy vegetation also drops. This is when the contrast between the male moths’ wings and their environment is at its highest: in short, when the moths stand out to the females the best. The ‘glowing’ lekking males of ghost moths were thought to be the souls of the departed and perhaps provide the origin of fairies LOOK CLOSER A close-up view of the scales of the male ghost moth Shining light ILLUSTRATIONS BY PETER DAVID SCOTT/THE ART AGENCY The perceived incandescence of male ghost moths is further enhanced by the microscopic nanostructure of their wing scales. Unlike the females, the scales of males are not actually pigmented, they are clear. The sheen comes from the reflective mesh structures found in their scales – these are precisely spaced to maximise and reflect all the light available to them during the lek. discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 37

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Photos by MAGNUS LUNDGREN NIGHT LIFE As darkness falls over the world’s oceans, strange and wonderful creatures emerge that use cunning tricks to hunt and survive in the gloom Gimme shelter Juveniles of many fish species at risk of predation in open water seek protection among the stinging tentacles of jellyfish. Magnus photographed this young driftfish as it flitted through the darkness in search of a suitable host in Balayan Bay off the south of Luzon in the Philippines. 40 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

PORTFOLIO discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 41

Great shakes ALL IMAGES: MAGNUS LUNDGREN/NATUREPL.COM Ribbonfish are commonly believed to appear after major tremors, hence their nickname ‘earthquake fish’. Magnus encountered this juvenile scalloped ribbonfish while the Philippines’ Taal volcano was erupting nearby, sending vibrations through the water. Its slender appendages, like lengths of delicate bunting, possibly mimic drifting seaweed. Cling-on octopus “It’s a sad fact that aggregations of plastic often occur at the best spots for pelagic [open sea] underwater photography, typically where two or more currents meet,” says Magnus. So it was with this tiny brown paper nautilus, cadging a lift on a piece of plastic debris in Balayan Bay. 42 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

PORTFOLIO Blanket warning When spooked, a female blanket octopus instantly unfurls webs she normally keeps tucked away between her arms, revealing a dramatic display featuring rows of ‘eyes’ – markings designed to deter predators. That’s not her only defensive trick. If bitten, she can shed a section of ‘blanket’ and escape without major injury. MAGNUS: STAFFAN WIDSTRAND Millipede mimic Though it resembles a terrestrial millipede or centipede, this is actually one of about 10,000 polychaete (bristle worm) species. Some burrow into the ocean floor, others scuttle along the seabed – this one uses leg-like parapodia (lateral appendages) to swim through open water. ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER Magnus Lundgren is a multi-award- winning Swedish conservation photographer. He is co-founder of Wild Wonders of Europe and Wild Wonders of China. See more of his work at magnuslundgren. com or on Instagram @magnuslundgren photography discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 43

Rapid strike With its distinctive markings and weed-like appendages, the sargassum frogfish blends in perfectly with the algae on which it typically lives, crawling around using adapted fins. This individual in Longdong Bay, Taiwan, had ventured into open water to hunt. It’s a voracious predator, sucking unwary prey – sometimes even juveniles of its own species – into its gaping maw in a split second. All rise At dusk each day, countless zooplankton species rise through the ocean to feed on phytoplankton near the surface, returning to the relative safety of deeper waters as dawn approaches. They’re followed by predators from the deep, making night drift dives very rewarding. 44 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

PORTFOLIO In full flow A mauve stinger dives through mid-Atlantic waters between the islands of Pico and Faial in the Azores. Research suggests that jellyfish have significant impacts on marine ecosystems – not just as predators, prey and hosts, but also by helping move water vertically through the oceans as they swim. discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 45

PORTFOLIO Inky disguise Cephalopod molluscs are known to emit clouds of ink to befuddle predators, allowing them to escape – but this shimmering, beautifully coloured flying squid was being more strategic. Positioning itself near Magnus’s lights in Balayan Bay, it pumped out ink to create a kind of hide – from which it darted forward to hunt creatures arriving to feast on plankton that had been attracted to the artificial illumination. Jack and jelly This juvenile trevally or jack in Balayan Bay has taken on the same golden-yellow hue as the jellyfish it’s chosen as a protective host – and which seems to be giving it a warm embrace. It will become silver in adulthood. 46 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

Viewfinding Nemo Magnus used a long, slender tube to capture this novel image of a tomato clownfish nestling among the stinging tentacles of its sea anemone host in the waters around Green Island, off the east coast of Taiwan. Hitching a lift The small free-swimming octopus called the brown paper nautilus (top) will hitch a ride on objects or other organisms, such as this blue-coloured jellyfish-like medusa. The female nautilus pictured may be enjoying not only energy-free transport but also protection – when she detected Magnus, she turned the hydroid so that its tentacles faced him. discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 47

Flying without wings A small flying fish moves among numerous tiny jellyfish at night, feeding on the profuse plankton near the surface of Longdong Bay, Taiwan. “We don’t know too much about flying fish,” observes Magnus, “so this could be a juvenile, or a small species – I just can’t say for sure!” Falling star While diving in Norway’s Saltstraumen strait, exhalation bubbles from Magnus’s scuba- diving equipment rose up to an overhang, beneath which common starfish clustered – prompting some to release their grip and fall past him, possibly a response to a perceived predation threat. 48 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022

PORTFOLIO Lured in Striated markings and countless sprouting spinules help the hairy frogfish blend into its environment in the waters of Raja Ampat, Indonesian West Papua. But its most effective tool may be the greyish, forked horn-like structure shown just above its eye in this picture. By holding this before its mouth as a lure, it snaffles unfortunate prey faster than the human eye can see. discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 49

O CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change has been causing brown bears to ditch salmon fishing for berry picking 50 BBC WILDLIFE June 2022