Delivering action for Kent and Medway’s priority species
Advice and guidance will be available from this page in due course.
Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy Priority Species Heat Maps
Mapping of potential measures for the Strategy’s priority species has not been developed, due to the complex nature of the bespoke action required. To aid locating where action could be taken, priority species heat maps have been developed for a range of habitat assemblages. These maps identify the areas that are considered to offer the most benefits for priority species, using the density of priority species for that habitat assemblage as a proxy. These maps are indicative and are intended to provide additional and supporting information for delivery. They should be used in consultation with species experts, when delivering action for priority species. It is intended that these maps will be available via the online mapping tool in the future – for the time being they are provided as an addendum to the Strategy.
Species toolkit – below
Please refer to Part 3 of the Strategy, Section 8 from Page 194 for details of species priorities and potential measures and also to Appendix 3.1 for bespoke species measures. What we have done below in our toolkit, is gathered together additional guidance on how to help each species, along with, in some cases details of useful partners & projects.
- Amphibian priority species
Common Toad and Great Crested Newt
Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group – providing general advice to conservation organisations and the general public.
- Annelid priority species
Tentacled Lagoon Worm
- Bee, wasp and ant priority species
Buglife and Bumblebee Conservation Trust provide useful advice on this range of species.
- Four-banded Weevil-wasp
- Fringe-horned Mason Bee
- Long-spined Ant
- Maidstone Mining Bee
- Moss Carder Bee
- Oak Mining Bee
- Sea Aster Bee
- Shrill Carder Bee
A Conservation Strategy for the Shrill Carder Bee in England and Wales 2020-2030.
- Shining Guest Ant
Maintaining sunny glades and rides is important for Shining Guest Ant , particularly on south-facing slopes, further information here.
- Beetle priority species
- Anthicus bimaculatus
Natural England report on the Darkling Beetles and their allies:- ensure the natural dynamism of coastal sand dunes is maintained, that renewal of suitable areas of open sand is more or less constant
- Black Night-runner
- Dune Tiger Beetle
- East Coast Dune-walker
- Haliplus variegatus
- Kentish Clown
- Longitarsus aeruginosus
- Noble Chafer
Peoples Trust for Endangered Species, have this advice on Noble Chafer friendly orchard management.
- Omphalapion beuthini
- Ophonus puncticollis
- Phoenix Clown
- Pride of Kent Rove Beetle
- Pseudeuparius sepicola
- Red-horned Cardinal Click Beetle
Buglife habitat guidance here.
- Sandwich Click Beetle
- Smicronyx coecus
- Southern Oyster Mushroom Beetle
- Spangled Button Beetle
- Bird priority species
- Barn Owl
How to build a Barn Owl nest box
RSPB Barn Owl advice for farmers.
- Bearded Tit
- Bittern
- Brent Goose
- Common Tern
Tern nesting platforms as used by RSPB and Environment Agency.
- Corn Bunting
The ‘big three’ – safe nesting places, insect-rich summer foraging habitats and winter seed food. As outlined in this RSPB Corn Bunting advice for farmers.
- House Martin
House Martins need damp mud to build nests – not always readily available so artificial nests can be installed.
- Grasshopper Warbler
- Grey Wagtail
Grey Wagtails will take to nest boxes located under bridges.
- Kingfisher
Kingfishers will take to artificial nesting tunnels.
- Lapwing
RSPB farmers advice for helping Lapwings on arable and grassland.
- Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
- Linnet
Boost seed food by providing uncut areas on grasslands, a wide mix of crops, stubbles or seed-rich wild bird cover crops – see RSPB advice.
- Little Tern
- Marsh Harrier
- Marsh Tit
- Nightingale
BTO advice: “Nightingales like thickets of vigorous scrub with a dense canopy of twigs and leaves. This shades out the plants below, leaving the ground free from vegetation, but often with a covering of leaf litter. Nightingales like to forage on the ground.”
- Nightjar
- Oystercatcher
- Pochard
- Redshank
Extensively graze wet grasslands and saltmarshes to provide a mosaic of tall and short vegetation. Provide standing water into May and June as insect-rich feeding areas for chicks. See RSPB Redshank advice.
- Ringed Plover
RSPB advice on avoiding disturbance of this ground nesting species.
- Sand Martin
Artificial nest banks can be installed. This advice from Nature After Minerals.
- Sandwich Tern
- Shoveler
- Swift
Swift boxes can be bought or made – see Wildlife Trust guide on how to make one.
See swift action in your area.
- Tree Sparrow
- Turtle Dove
Turtle Doves need to feed on the ground on the seeds of low-growing plants and have plenty of open areas. See Operation Turtle Dove.
- Waders and wildfowl
- Wheatear
- Yellowhammer
Needs short, thick hedges and ditches with wide grass margins. See RSPB advice for farmers.
- Yellow Wagtail
- Butterfly priority species
- Adonis Blue
Butterfly Conservation fact sheet – “Maintain substantial areas of unimproved grassland turf in the height range of 1- 4 cm”
- Brown Hairstreak
Butterfly Conservation fact sheet – “eggs and caterpillars occur on young blackthorn twigs, so adopt appropriate cutting regimes.”
- Chalk Hill Blue
- Dark Green Fritillary
Butterfly Conservation fact sheet – “Grazing by cattle is best, encouraging violet regeneration. Reduce grazing pressure in the spring and summer.”
- Dingy Skipper
Butterfly Conservation fact sheet – “Maintain a sparse sward interspersed with bare ground.
- Duke of Burgundy
Butterfly Conservation fact sheet –
“Maintain a mosaic of open, sunny grassland with abundant Primulas in medium height swards (5-20cm)”- Grizzled Skipper
Butterfly Conservation fact sheet –“Maintain mosaic of short herb-rich grassland with patches of bare ground for breeding. In woodland, needs ride, glades or clearings.”
- Heath Fritillary
Butterfly Conservation fact sheet: “In woodland aim to ensure a succession of sunny clearings with abundant Common Cowwheat, in otherwise sparse vegetation.”
- Silver-spotted Skipper
- Small Blue
- Wall
- White Admiral
Butterfly Conservation fact sheet – ”Produce dappled shaded conditions in woodlands.”
- White-letter Hairstreak
Butterfly Conservation fact sheet –“The overall aim is to maintain elm trees in suitable habitats”.
- Caddisfly priority species
Tinodes pallidulus
- Crustacean priority species
White-clawed Crayfish
- Dragonfly and damselfly priority species
Brilliant Emerald Dragonfly
- Fish priority species
- European Eel
- River Lamprey
- Sea Lamprey
- Smelt
- Short-snouted Seahorse
- Spiny Seahorse
- Fungi priority species
- Marram Oyster Fungus
- Orchard Tooth
CRT regenerative farming example.
- Pink Waxcap
- Purple Webcap
- Sweet Webcap
- Grasshoppers, crickets and allied priority species
- Rufous Grasshopper
- Wart-biter Bush Cricket
From Species Recovery Trust guide: “ensure a heterogenous habitat structure, with a mosaic of vegetation classes, a flower-rich sward and areas of bare ground”.
- Lichen priority species
- Enterographa elaborata
- Cladonia mitis
- Mammal priority species
- Beaver
“Education and engagement key, plus assisting landowners and river users with with issues”. See Natural England guide.
- Bechstein’s Bat
- Brown Hare
Hare Preservation Trust guide to land managers to help hare survival”.
- Brown Long-eared Bat
- European Water Vole
PTES guide, as endorsed by the UK Water Vole Steering Group.
- Hazel Dormouse
- Leisler’s Bat
- Noctule Bat
- Serotine Bat
- West European Hedgehog
PTES page on how to help hedgehogs, plus report, showing that rural hedgehogs are suffering the most.
- Millipede priority species
- Boring Millipede
- Kentish Snake Millipede
- Mollusc priority species
Shining Ram’s-horn Snail
- Moth priority species
- Aspen Knot-horn
- Barred Tooth-striped
- Black-veined Moth
From Butterfly Conservation guide: “The overall aim is to provide substantial areas of variable turf, 10-25cm tall,
on chalk downland”.- Daisy Case-bearer
A Kent Moths recording project has been set up.
- Drab Looper
From Butterfly Conservation guide: “Requires a supply of Wood Spurge in sheltered, open situations”.
- Fisher’s Estuarine Moth
Limited to where the caterpillars’ sole food plant – Sea Hog’s fennel is found. Efforts have focused on settling the plant in areas not at risk of flooding. Essex case study.
- Forester
- Lappet
- Liquorice Piercer
A North Kent Woods and Downs NNR flagship species.
- Marsh Mallow Moth
An opportunity to learn from East Sussex.
- Milkwort Beauty
- Scabious Leaf-miner
- Scarce Goldenrod Plume
Inconspicuous except when flowering in late summer, the food plant is key. See this Butterfly Conservation habitat guide.
- Straw Belle
Lydden Temple Ewell named best place for Straw Belle Moths in the UK. Also discovered on Birling Estate.
- Sussex Emerald
- White-spotted Sable
- Reptile priority species
- Adder
- Spider priority species
- Distinguished Jumping Spider
- Duffey’s Bell-head Spider
- Sand Running Spider
- Yellow-striped Bear-spider
- True bug priority species
- Greater Streaked Shieldbug
- Prostemma guttula
- Vascular plant priority species
- Bedstraw Broomrape
- Borrer’s Saltmarsh-grass
- Bur Medick
- Dwarf Milkwort
Kent action for this species, otherwise known as the Kentish Milkwort.
- Frogbit
- Greater Water-parsnip
Greater Water Parsnip Project.
- Green-Winged Orchid
- Ground-Pine
From Back from the Brink guide – “This species requires regular soil disturbance and scrub clearance can be important in order to maintain populations in grassland habitats”.
- Heath Dog-violet
- Juniper
- Lady Orchid
- Least Lettuce
- Lizard Orchid
- Musk Orchid
- Opposite-leaved Pondweed
- Ox-Tongue Broomrape
- Slender Hare’s-ear
- True Fox-sedge
Priority species documents of the Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy
Appendix 3.1 – Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy priority species bespoke measures
Appendix 3.2a Rare, threatened and significant species of the Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy area
Download PDF (933 KB) - Appendix 3.2a KMLNRS Rare, Threatened And Significant Species
Appendix 3.2b – Priority habitats and associated rare, threatened and significant species of the Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy area
Appendix 3.3 Rare, threatened and significant species of the Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy area requiring further evidence
