Wildfowl in Great Britain

✍ Scribed by Myrfyn Owen, G. L. Atkinson-Willes, D. G. Salmon

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 628
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The Wildfowl Trust (founded by Sir Peter Scott in 1946) has worked actively to promote wildfowl conservation over many years and this volume will surely be recognised as one of its finest achievements. Here in one volume the Wildfowl Trust, supported by the Nature Conservancy Council, presents a synthesis of detailed data collected by a wide range of enthusiasts on the distribution of wildfowl and their major habitats. The importance of sensitive conservation planning is stressed as is the vulnerability of wetlands to modern technology. The international dimension of wildfowl conservation is also well covered, especially by the clear maps of ringing recoveries and migration routes. This book emphasises the need for international action in conserving wetlands and stresses the benefits enjoyed by the fortunate countries endowed with these habitats. By their very presence the spectacular flocks of wildfowl provide one of the strongest arguments to convince laymen, planners and politicians that our wetlands are not wastelands but a very precious and vulnerable part of our heritage.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Frontmatter......Page 2
Contents......Page 6
List of location maps......Page 9
Foreword by William Wilkinson......Page 10
Acknowledgements......Page 12
Conventions and abbreviations......Page 14
Part I - Introduction......Page 16
Introduction to the survey......Page 17
History and organisation......Page 19
Count coverage......Page 20
Catching and methods of success......Page 22
Marking methods......Page 30
Information from catching and marking......Page 31
Information from shot birds......Page 35
Part II - The survey of wildfowl habitat and distribution......Page 40
Introduction......Page 41
Cornwall......Page 44
Devon......Page 49
Somerset and Avon......Page 55
The lower Severn and the Warwickshire Avon......Page 66
South Wales......Page 73
West Wales......Page 80
South and south-east England......Page 86
Southern England......Page 87
South-east England......Page 101
The Thames Basin......Page 126
Norfolk......Page 150
The Wash......Page 156
The Fenland and its fringes......Page 160
The middle and upper basins of the Great Ouse, Nene and Welland......Page 168
The Humber catchment......Page 174
North Wales......Page 195
North-west England......Page 200
Teesdale, Tyneside and the Borders......Page 217
The Solway Basin......Page 226
The Clyde Basin......Page 239
Forth......Page 250
Inland Fife and Kinross......Page 260
Tay......Page 264
Deeside, Gordon and Buchan......Page 275
The Moray Basin......Page 283
Caithness and the north coast......Page 305
Argyll and the Inner Hebrides......Page 313
The north-west Highlands and Skye......Page 324
The Outer Hebrides......Page 329
Orkney and Shetland......Page 340
Shetland......Page 345
Part III - Species accounts......Page 350
The seasonal pattern of numbers......Page 351
The mapping of the British distribution......Page 352
The analysis of trends in numbers......Page 355
The assessment of the British population......Page 357
Mute Swan......Page 360
Whooper Swan......Page 365
Bewick's Swan......Page 369
Pink-footed Goose......Page 374
Bean Goose......Page 378
White-fronted Goose......Page 380
Greylag Goose......Page 390
Canada Goose......Page 395
Barnacle Goose......Page 398
Brent Goose......Page 403
Common Shelduck......Page 408
Mandarin Duck......Page 412
Wigeon......Page 414
Gadwall......Page 418
Teal......Page 421
Mallard......Page 426
Pintail......Page 431
Garganey......Page 435
Shoveler......Page 436
Pochard......Page 441
Tufted Duck......Page 445
Scaup......Page 450
Eider......Page 453
Long-tailed Duck......Page 456
Common Scoter......Page 458
Velvet Scoter......Page 460
Goldeneye......Page 462
Smew......Page 466
Red-breasted Merganser......Page 468
Goosander......Page 472
North American Ruddy Duck......Page 475
Egyptian Goose......Page 480
Red-crested Pochard......Page 481
Steller's Eider......Page 482
Hooded Merganser......Page 483
Part IV - The conservation of wildfowl and their habitats......Page 484
Introduction......Page 485
Losses and threats to habitat......Page 491
Pollution......Page 501
Shooting......Page 508
Water-based recreation......Page 510
Wildfowl and agriculture......Page 516
The creation of habitat......Page 522
Supplementing wild populations......Page 533
The dynamics of wildfowl populations......Page 535
Aims and criteria......Page 541
Wildfowl and the law......Page 543
The importance of refuges......Page 546
The present position......Page 549
The management of wetlands......Page 552
Public access and education......Page 562
Conclusion......Page 565
References......Page 566
Indexes......Page 581