Falklands Conservation

NEWS DIGEST 15

From Falklands Conservation Newsletter 45, Stanley

March 2000

Plant Project

For the past six months David Broughton, a botanist from Queen's University, Belfast, has been undertaking fieldwork in the Islands as the first part of a special plant project funded by the UK Darwin Initiative Project. As a result of this work a much better understanding of the status and distribution of the Falkland Islands flora is beginning to develop.

Forty seven 10km grid squares (comprised of records from 170 1km grid squares) have been surveyed and over 7,110 records entered on to the botanical database.

We know that Yellow Pale Maiden (Sisyrinchium chilense), Bristle sedge (Carex microglochin), Antarctic Mountain Berry (Gaultheria antarctica) and Marsh Pennywort (Hydrocotyle chamaemorus) are all much commoner than previously thought. Bristle sedge, for example, went from being one of the rarest sedges to one of the commonest in the space of a week.

Species continue to be 'rediscovered' after a long absence of records. These include: Falkland Sedge (Carex macloviana) - last recorded c 1908, White Sedge (carex curta) - c. 1968, Rescue Grass (Ceratochloa cathartica) - 1937, and Blood-beak Sedge (Carex aemotorrhyncha) - c. 1968.

We have the first record of the rare waterplant Tasselweed (Ruppia filifolia) from East Falkland and only the second record ever from the Falkland Islands. Shoreweed (Littorella australis) has been refound on East Falkland and this is only the fourth record of this species.

Darwin Project fieldwork will continue with a second recording season in October 2000.

Recent Sightings

Reports of butterfly sightings over the last few months have been abundant, possibly due to the warm dry summer which has allowed them to survive for longer and breed in the Islands. As well as increased numbers of Southern Painted Lady butterflies from all corners of the Falklands, in mid February Ann Reid spotted what was originally thought to be an American Painted Lady butterfly in the garden at Government House. Later research revealed that it was actually a Philippi's Red Butterfly (Vanessa tersipchore) which although normally scarce is found in gardens in Chile from the Province of Coquimbo to Tierra del Fuego; and in Argentina from the Chubut Province southward. Nothing is known of its life habits.

As is usual at this time of year we have started to receive reports of Cattle Egrets. A large group of about 50 were seen near the Butchery on 12 March. A White-winged Coot (Fulica leucoptera) was resident on Bleaker Island over Christmas until the end of January. This is the smallest of the three coots recorded which shows a faint white line along the edges of the wings when in flight. Woods (1998) says that they are common on lakes and marshes in Tierra del Fuego, and reports three sightings around the Falklands between 1960 and 1983.

Falklands Boy to Represent the Islands at the Millennium International Childrens Conference

Over 1,000 young people, between the ages of 10-12 from over 100 countries will get together in Eastbourne, UK, for an environment conference. This will provide a forum for the children to learn, share experiences, voice their concerns, join a world-wide environmental network to promote positive action and produce a Charter to present through the United Nationals to their respective Governments.

Following an essay competition in which members of Falklands Conservation junior members WATCH club were invited to write a short passage on the difference they could make to the environment, 12 year old William Hammond was selected to represent the Islands. An extract from his essay is given below:

One person leaving fishing line by the water can made a difference to the Seamer Duck that gets snared with her chicks. One persons abandoned waste netting can made a difference to the last rare dolphin pod. One persons spilt diesel can make a difference to all the wildlife of the river. One persons careless oil spill can make a difference to all the young seabirds of the year. One persons smashed glass bottle can fire a whole island. Yes, one person can made a difference. Quite a lot!

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