Every Month in the Autumn and Winter months our Local Group of the Wildlife trust hold talks on a wildlife related themes, one of the ones that stands out was by Brian Eversham, Chief Executive of BCN Wildlife Trust on Climate Change which he gave us the following predictions and facts

• there has been a doubling in the frequency of climate-driven environmental catastrophes since 1980;
• up to 50,000 human deaths in Europe were caused by the ‘hot’ summer of 2003 (which was only 2°C warmer than the current average, and may be the norm by 2050);
• a 1°C temperature rise would threaten 10% of species with extinction;
• sea level in the Thames estuary is now rising by 3mm a year, and this will increase to 8.5 mm a year by 2055;
• global carbon emissions mean that the chances of limiting warming to 2°C is now very unlikely.

On the plus side he said 80% of British wildlife species are southern and eastern in their current distribution, so can be expected to increase and spread in response to climate warming, IF the landscape is fit for them to move through. These are the potential ‘winners’.

I did not need to look far this week as already I have seen flowers in bloom you would normally expect to see in May like cranesbill that I have seen this last few days flowering in Ely and Cambridge.

Also we have seen ‘Summer’ birds like Blackcaps that breed in Britain and Ireland and migrate south in Autumn to winter in the Mediterranean and Africa, but the BTO has recorded over recent years Breeding Blackcaps from Europe heading West to spend Winter in Britain and Ireland, also last January I saw Chiffchaffs in Ely they normally arrive in Early Spring but it seems they are spending Winter in Britain and Ireland as well, could this be a sign our Winter’s are milder and they are able to find food. Best we keep our bird feeders well stocked and maybe we will see these new Winter birds in our gardens during cold snaps.