life - COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING
Above: Grey Seal by Darin Smith - Below: Serotine Bat by Dennis Bright
bats in terms of the number of species found
and the abundance of the rarer types. The
Island’s Bat Group records roosts and reports
on any potential damage. Special sites for
these bats include the Briddlesford Copse
woodland complex, owned and managed by
the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, and
the populations found in the Wildlife Trust’s
St Lawrence Undercliff Wildlife Reserve.
4. WATER VOLES
The water vole is Britain’s fastest declining
mammal species yet has a strong population on
the Isle of Wight. Although the Island’s river
systems are not as rich as Hampshire’s famous
chalkstreams, the difference is, there are no
mink. This means that the water vole is able to
live in less than perfect conditions without being
threatened by its non-native mainland predator.
The water vole thrives in all the Island’s
major river systems, including the River
Medina and both the eastern and western
Yar. The only threats are poor management of
the rivers, which leads to the destruction of
its burrows, and the lack of management of
bankside scrubs and trees, which can lead to
its preferred waterside habitats being left in
shade. The Trust has co-ordinated two surveys
of water voles with help from the Environment
54
Agency and meets farmers to talk about the
management of rivers and riverside vegetation.
5. MARINE MAMMALS
The value of the Island is by no means restricted
to the land; its seas are home to an increasing
diversity of marine mammals. Common and grey
seals are commonly recorded, particularly on the
Solent shore as they make their way south to
the Atlantic. There are dolphins and whales too,
although they are less likely to be seen close to
the Island’s shore. Harbour porpoise, bottlenose
dolphin, common dolphin and pilot whale are
recorded most years in Island waters as they
come through the English Channel looking for
food. Larger whales such as Minke whale and fin
whale have also been recorded, more frequently
in recent times. The Wildlife Trust runs a
Island Life - www.isleofwight.net