The Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre (WSBRC) is housed at the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust as a not-for-profit partnership and provides a central reference point for environmental information on geology, habitats, sites and species in the County of Wiltshire and the Borough of Swindon. Find out more about us.

Recent interesting records

We have recently received a record of an Otter (Lutra lutra).

The record was of one adult on the 18/06/2009 at 7:30am. It was observed swimming upstream on the Upper Avon at SU080582.

We have also recently received a record of an Otter seen earlier in the year on 30/01/2009. This one was seen in a tributary of Nadder by the Town Path, Salisbury. It was in the stream by side of the path swimming under water heading for Queen Elizabeth Gardens.

If you see anything similar let us know!

Pond at Wedhampton Meadows WWT/Rob Large

Welcome a WIMBY to your patch

25 Jun 2009

Now you have the opportunity to create a little piece of wetland in your own back yard, support local aquatic wildlife, help out with a survey and even enter a competition for doing so.

All of this is courtesy of the recently launched “Wetlands in my backyard” campaign.

Wetland habitat, and the wildlife that depends on it for survival, is under pressure and has been shrinking for decades.

So, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust wants to replace at least some of these historic losses by encouraging householders to create a wetland patch, bog garden or pond, in their own gardens.

All you need to know about how to build and plant your pond, help out with their wetland survey, and enter their competition is available online.

Against the flow – nationwide survey of non-native invasive aquatic plants

9 Jun 2009

The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's Wessex Chalk Streams Project has been taking a lead in recording the presence of non-native invasive plants identified as a significant threat to the characteristic species and habitats of the River Avon. The three most serious invasive plants species in the River Avon catchment have been targeted - Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed and Himalayan Balsam but with scope for targeting key aquatics such as Parrot’s Feather and Floating Pennywort.

Now Plantlife has launched a nationwide public participation survey on non-native invasive aquatic plants. That aims both to gather useful data about the extent of the continuing sale of such plants in garden centres and pet shops and their distribution in the wild, as well as to raise public awareness of the problems associated with non-native invasive aquatic plants.

River Monitors
Newsletter

The first
newsletter is a
chance for monitors, and those interested in getting involved, to read about events within the scheme, some highlights of the season so far and to reinforce how important monitoring like this can be by looking at incidents around the country where without similar schemes pollution cases may have gone unnoticed. Click here to download the newsletter.

Click here to find out about our River Monitoring Scheme.

Hairy Caterpillars

Super Villains or Super Heroes?

Brown-tail Moth, By Eco Heathen May 2007

Recent press coverage of the Brown-tail Moth may have caused you alarm at the prospect of an imminent invasion of some killer insect plague. There are many hairy caterpillars resident in this country and have been here for thousands of years. Most are harmless, but as the caterpillar, or larval form, of butterflies, moths and sawflies they can sometimes suddenly appear in quite large numbers and cause some concern.

Consider for a moment just how elaborate are the life stages of these insects. How fragile is their existence at every stage, how vulnerable to predation they are and why they need their hairs as a form of self protection.

Click here to read more

Now is the time to look out for.......

Cuckoo Flower - Cardamine pratensis also known as Lady’s Smock or milkmaids. It can be found in damp meadows, pastures, marshes, roadsides, hedgerows, woodland flushes and along streams amongst other meadow plants including Ragged Robin, Marsh Marigold and Fritillary. The flowers are have four lilac or pale pink petals and is in flower until June. The plant can grow up to 60cm tall. The lower leaves are kidney shaped, upper leaves are narrow, and all are sparsely hairy. It is also one of the main food plants for the Orange Tip and Green-veined White butterflies.

Marsh Fritillary - Eurodryas aurinia is a fairly small fritillary that can mainly be found on the wing from late May to early July and can be found on chalk grasslands. In April last years larvae, that had hibernated overwinter, pupated and the adults will now be emerging. Over the next few weeks the female will lay large patches of eggs on the underside of leaves of Devil's-bit Scabious, its foodplant; the eggs are yellow in colour and turn red later. The number of Marsh Fritillaries has undergone a massive population decline, in Wiltshire the Marsh Fritillary was widespread until its numbers started to decline and in a few years had become rare with a few scattered colonies remaining. The numbers of these colonies still seems to be declining.

Scarce Chaser - Libellula fulva as its name implies they are scarce, and the River Avon in Wiltshire is one of its strongholds. A colony can be found along a stretch of the Bristol Avon from Melksham, downstream past Bradford-on-Avon, and on into Somerset. Active May to July, with the peak time being June, they can be found on rivers with a slow to moderate flow. Occasionally they can be found in mature gravel pits such as at Cotswold Water Park. They prefer areas that have good water quality, which support submerged and floating plants, and emergent vegetation.

Send us in records of your sightings in Wiltshire. All records are important, from the most common to the rarest, we would like to hear about what you see in Wiltshire. You can submit your records via our on-line recording form, or download our excel recording form to fill in with your records and then email back into us.