Mammals
Chalk rivers are important for water voles and otters. Otters are recovering well from the brink of a pollution related extinction in the 1970s. Water vole numbers however continue to decline across the UK due to predation from the introduced American mink and changes to river management. Chalk rivers often provide this species with valuable habitat.
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, the Environment Agency and others are working closely with landowners to conserve both of these beautiful creatures and preserve and enhance their habitats. Effort is also being targeted at improving the water quality across Hampshire, through "Catchment Sensitive Farming". Other initiatives include providing mitigation at otter mortality roadsites and advice on otter predation issues at fisheries.
European otter
The European otter is a flagship species for wetland habitats and has a high public profile. Hampshire lies on the edge of a naturally expanding population of otters from the west and north-west, but populations are vulnerable. Once common in Britain's chalk rivers, otter numbers fell dramatically in the late 1950s due to the use of toxic chemicals in farming. Thanks to the work of organisations like the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust together with the Environment Agency and other partners, otters are now returning to Hampshire's rivers and can be found breeding on both the Test and the Itchen. There are also increasing records of otters using the rivers of the New Forest and the rivers Hamble and Meon. There are no resident otters on the Isle of Wight.
Otters often travel under the City Mill in Winchester and you can see signs of their passing in the "spraint" or droppings they leave behind to mark their territory. As otters themselves are seldom seen, we can find out more by studying their unique DNA. Trained volunteers go out regularly to find fresh otter spraint which is analysed by specialists. From this information, we can study individual otters, numbers of animals, their gender and movements. Several Hampshire otters have been traced as far as Sussex.
The European otter is a highly protected mammal listed on Appendix 1 of CITES, Appendix II of the Bern Convention, Annexes II and IV of the EC Habitats and Species Directive, under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and listed as globally threatened on the IUCN Red Data list. For a thought provoking article about the impact of otters on some aspects of angling, see the Times Online.
Water vole
The water vole is the UK's most rapidly declining mammal species; it was lost from 94% of sites during the 20th century. South-east England is the national stronghold for water voles and Hampshire and Isle of Wight probably contains the highest populations within the region.
Some of the best remaining populations in England live by the River Itchen and can often be seen in the mill stream above the City Mill and at the nearby Winnall Moors Wildlife Reserve. Look out for water voles feeding on floating weed at the edge of river banks and their droppings, which are often left in piles by the river bank.
The River Itchen catchment was last surveyed in 1996 and contained large unfragmented populations which are of national importance. A survey of the Itchen Navigation was carried out in 2006 and found water voles in 46% occupation.
The water vole now has full protection under section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
As the Isle of Wight has always been "mink free" populations of water vole are considered the best in the country. A third whole Island survey has just been carried out (2008) and resuts are very encouraging.
To find out more about these species and more, visit our Wildline page and download a information leaflet.
