Scotland's Nature

The Lockdown Sessions – NatureScot’s virtual house band

Posted on August 28, 2020 by NatureScot

During the early days of lockdown when most of us were just getting acquainted with Zoom, the NatureScot Virtual House Band was formed. Each in their own little corner of Scotland the musicians merged to entertain the troops with some of their favourite tunes and show that while lockdown kept us apart, we were still connected through technology, music, nature and more!

We each have our own favourite sounds in nature. Maybe yours is the crashing of breakers on a shingle beach, the rustling of leaves as the wind blows through the canopy or the call of the sometimes elusive corncrake.

Nature has inspired some of the most beautiful pieces of music ever composed from the rising and falling of Vaughan Williams ‘The Lark Ascending’ to Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral Symphony’ and in more recent times, Neil Young’s album ‘Earth’.

Scotland has deep roots in connections between music and nature through its own ancient classical music for the bagpipe, called Piobreachd. Tradition has it that nature gifted the piper the melody with some of those tunes still with us after over 300 years. There is a lovely story attributed to the early composers of Piobreachd, that they would compose at low tide and capture the notation on the sandy shore. Once practiced and perfected, the tune remained with the piper whilst the tide rolled in and washed the stave away forever.

It is our pleasure to share with you these few nature melodies — you can tell there was an ornithologist in charge of tune selection! The group’s final song … their swansong … is called ‘The Little Bird’. A fitting tune for spring 2020 when many say they became more aware of nature changing and the intensity of new life bursting around them.

Musicians

Sally Thomas – Concertina and Flute

Juan Brown – Low Whistles

Kirsty North – Clarsach

Cathy Tilbrook – Cello

Daryl Short – Accordion

Stuart MacQuarrie – Low Whistle, Uilleann (Irish) Pipes and Scottish Small Pipes

And for Lark in the morning & Eagle’s whistle:

Alasdair MacQuarrie – Guitar and sound/video production

Posted in art, Nature in art, SNH, Staff profile, Uncategorized | Tagged art, Corvid-, Covid-19, lockdown, music, nature, NatureScot, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, technology | Leave a comment

Career through a lens: my favourite photographic memories

Posted on August 25, 2020 by NatureScot

Working with us for over forty-five years now, our celebrated NatureScot photographer, Lorne Gill, has seen many changes to Scotland’s countryside. The creation of the West Highland Way and several other long-distance routes, two National Parks and the reintroduction of long lost iconic species to the Scottish landscape, to name just a few…Today Lorne shares some of his favourite memories from a career through a lens …

About me

I started my working life in 1975 as a trainee cartographer and surveyor and changed my career path to photography in the 1980s after gaining a vocational photography qualification at Napier College in Edinburgh.

Working with film cameras and spending many hours in darkrooms processing and printing seems like a lifetime ago now. The advent of digital photography and the ability to shoot and edit video on a personal computer means that I have never stopped learning new skills. To my mind, the value of photographic collections only increases over the passage of time as these records allow us to contrast and compare them with the places of today.

I hope some of the photographs that I have captured over my working life will prove useful for many years to come. Do I have a favourite? Read on and find out!

John Strachan, farmer, in a conservation area at Tullo Farm, Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire.© Lorne Gill/SNH

Farmland biodiversity. John Strachan, farmer at Tullo farm near Oldmeldrum. I visited John on a summer’s day in the early nineties as John had won a national farming and conservation award for his farm. I recall him saying that he was steadily creating ponds, woodlands and wildflower meadows reversing decades of agricultural improvements and encouraging wildlife to return. As we talked he was thrilled to see an osprey fishing on a newly created pond.

Letham Moss, © Lorne Gill/SNH

Letham Moss. Commercial peat extraction at Letham Moss near Falkirk. Many of Scotland’s lowland raised bogs lay hidden behind a fringe of woodland. This aerial photo was taken in the early nineties as part of a national survey to establish their condition. It has been used many times in national campaigns to encourage the use of peat-free garden compost. I believe that peat extraction no longer takes place on this site.

Dick Balharry MBE. NatureScot has had many dedicated and visionary staff, both past and present. I met Dick at Creag Meagaidh NNR, just as the upland birch woods there were showing their first signs of recovery after many years of overgrazing. Dick had been instrumental in the woodland recovery at Beinn Eighe NNR and then at Creag Meagaidh too. Dick’s passion, enthusiasm, knowledge and can-do attitude was a joy to behold.

Seacliffs at Hermaness NNR, Shetland Isles.©Lorne Gill

Dick Balharry in birch woodland regeneration at Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve, July 1997. ©Lorne Gill/SNH

Hermaness. I visited Shetland in the summer of 1995 to offer audiovisual support to Magnus Magnusson, the then SNH chairman, who was on a public lecture tour of Scotland. I stayed on for a few days to photograph our reserves and other points of interest. The highlight was the unexpected evening light that bathed the amazing seabird cliffs at Hermaness NNR. I got back to the carpark after dark and too late to pitch a tent, so I slept overnight on the visitor centre floor!

White-tailed eagle. There have been several white-tailed eagle reintroductions to Scotland over the years. Firstly on the Isle of Rum NNR, then Wester Ross and more recently in north east Fife. Working for NatureScot has given me the opportunity to see these amazing birds in close detail and to witness the dedication and professionalism of the project teams that are key to their continued success.

A re-introduced young white-tailed eagle. ©Lorne Gill/SNH

Scottish Primrose (Primula scotica) Yesnaby, Orkney, May 2007.©Lorne Gill/SNH

Primula scotica. I have always loved photographing plants, and looked forward to receiving calls from colleagues in which they would report a particular plant was in flower and could I find time to visit. Primula scotica or Scottish primrose is our only endemic plant, so it was inevitable that I would find myself travelling to photograph it. It is very particular in its choice of site, and can only be found in coastal areas in the very north of the country and in Orkney. It’s more challenging to photograph than most plants as it’s unexpectedly small.

Puffin chick on the Isle of May NNR.© Lorne Gill/SNH

Puffling. I have visited the Isle of May NNR many times over the past 30 years, mostly photographing the wildlife and day visitors enjoying the reserve. However, on one trip in the nineties, I photographed some of the seabird researchers including Mike Harris showing me a puffling that was resting in its burrow. Mike has been researching seabirds on the Isle of May for well over forty years and is a source of all knowledge on the island’s seasonal residents.

Bluebell woods,© Lorne Gill/SNH

Bluebell woods. I have known this woodland for over fifty years as it’s not far from where I grew up. It’s also one of the first places that I visited when I bought my first proper camera. The best time to visit to see the bluebells is usually the third week in May, but it does vary annually depending on the type of spring we get. A warm spring and it’s earlier, cool and it’s later. I must have thousands of images that I’ve taken over the years, but the vibrant colour and the intense perfume of the flowers always draws me back. Long ago it wasn’t unusual to be the only person in the woods, but as the years have gone by it has got busier and busier, so much so that I only visit there at dawn and dusk now.

Panorama of Beinn Eighe at sunrise from the slopes below Meall a Ghiubhais, Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. ©Lorne Gill/SNH

Beinn Eighe morning and Loch Maree evening. It was the first day of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July 2014, and I found myself sleeping in my car at Beinn Eighe NNR to avoid the summer midges. I set off up the pony path in near darkness to reach the high ground north of Beinn Eighe before sunrise. There are never any guarantees that an early start will be rewarded, but on this occasion, all worked in my favour. It was one of the hottest days I can remember but it wasn’t over yet, as I intended to photograph the Loch Maree islands later in the day from a high viewpoint overlooking the loch. Several hours later and with tired feet it was mission accomplished. A perfect end to a perfect day.

Panorama of the Loch Maree Islands NNR. ©Lorne Gill/SNH

Taynish NNR. I have visited many NNR’s over the years but one particular visit to Taynish sticks in my mind. I went on a guided walk with reserve staff and a group of eighteen young men from Zambia, who were part of a cultural exchange programme with local residents, up over the hilltop path and back through the woods by the shore. My enduring memory of the day was the joyous rendition of the Lion King sung in great voice and amazing harmonies as it echoed through this Scottish rainforest.

Eighteen young Zambians visited Taynish NNR for a guided walk by SNH staff on the 12th of August 2010. Argyll and Stirling Area. ©Lorne Gill/SNH

Storm. I have visited the Uists many times but mostly in the summer to photograph the machair and its wildlife. However, I did visit a couple of times in winter. On one occasion a storm blew up giving me the perfect opportunity to photograph stormy seas and the impact on the dunes. It was so windy I could hardly get the car door open, and when I did venture out, I could barely stand up. The blowing sand stung my face and hands, and the gusting wind made my tripod blow over several times.

Atlantic storms eroding the sand dunes at Stadhlaigearraidh, South Uist, Western Isles. ©Lorne Gill For information on reproduction rights contact the Scottish Natural Heritage Image Library on Tel. 01738 44177 or http://www.snh.org.uk

Snapberry. I have always been an advocate for the power of nature photography, running the Scottish Nature Photography Fair for many years. So it’s no surprise that Snapberry, an annual photography and nature project by NatureScot and Lochgilphead High School, is one of my best NatureScot memories. It was the brainchild of Caroline Anderson from our Lochgilphead office and Lesley Donald, an English teacher at the school. The annual springtime visit to Taynish or Moine Mhor NNRs has seen many school pupils connecting with nature through the lens of a camera for the very first time. I never failed to be impressed with their creativity and enthusiasm.

Lochgilphead High School S3 pupils participating on the Snapberry photography project at Taynish NNR, June 2011. ©Lorne Gill/SNH

Leaping salmon. Photographing wildlife used to be a specialist subject with only the most dedicated photographers achieving the standard required to capture quality images. Its difficulty was mainly due to the need for expensive equipment, fieldcraft skills and very slow fine-grained film that meant almost every shot was taken with the camera mounted onto a tripod. When digital photography came along everything changed. No longer were photographers constrained by the number of shots they could take, they could also view their results instantly, taking the guesswork out of getting the correct exposure and seeing if the images were sharp. Things have progressed so fast that images that were thought to be too difficult to capture, like birds in flight or leaping salmon became achievable. This image is a result of this new era of photography.

Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) leaping up a waterfall on the River Almond. ©Lorne Gill/SNH/2020VISION

And finally…People have often asked where’s my favourite place to photograph in Scotland? That’s a very difficult question to answer. Almost anywhere can look amazing in great light or at the perfect time of year. I’ve always liked working locally as you have more opportunities to be in the right place at the right time, whereas fleeting visits to faraway locations are not so easy to predict. However, I have found that spending at least a few days in a set location allows me to clear my mind and begin to focus on the job, without worrying if I should be somewhere else or working on an urgent image request or video edit.

One of the most memorable occasions was on a once in a lifetime trip to St Kilda. The archipelago is the only UK World Heritage Site designated for its cultural and natural heritage and I was lucky enough to spend four days there in early May 2009. By the end of the trip, my feet hurt and I felt like I had hardly slept as I photographed from dawn until dusk due to the fine weather. The long hours were rewarded when I witnessed this spectacular dawn view over Boreray and the sea stacks of Stac Lee and Stac an Armin. It was an uphill walk from the village to a viewpoint at the Gap, so the scene that awaited lay hidden until the last moment.

Stac Lee, Stac an Armin and Boreray from Hirta, St Kilda, Western Isles Area. ©Lorne Gill/SNH

If I was pushed to choose I’d have to say that the view that unfolded on that early morning was a real highlight from many years of photographing in Scotland. I felt so lucky to witness it standing there alone in complete silence without another person around. For a photographer, there are always personal memories behind an image that makes it more special and this was one of those occasions.

Posted in art, Nature in art, photography, Staff profile, Uncategorized | Tagged Lorne Gill, nature, naturephotography, NatureScot, photography, Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, Wildlife, wildlife photography | Leave a comment

Natural born killers – biocontrol of invasive non-native plants in Scotland

Posted on August 20, 2020 by NatureScot

Biological control is the use of living organisms to help control pest populations. In this post Marion Seier, Senior Plant Pathologist at CABI (Centre for Agriculture & Bioscience International), describes the work being carried out by CABI’s Invasive Species group to develop biological control agents for use on the UK’s non-native plants…

Control of invasive non-native plants in Scotland is typically carried out by hand – cutting, pulling and removing seed heads – and with chemical herbicides. These types of control can help reduce the impact of invasive species in limited areas but they are expensive and unsustainable. There is also concern about the environmental impacts and toxic effects of the widespread use of herbicides, such as glyphosate.

Classical biological control – or biocontrol – has been used successfully to control invasive non-native plants species in other parts of the world. It is based on the principle that in their new locations, non-native plants grow in freedom from the natural enemies that in the countries from which they originate – their native range – keep them in check. By introducing selected host-specific natural enemies to the introduced range the plants lose the vigour that makes them so invasive. Scientists at CABI are currently undertaking research and development of biocontrol agents for three invasive non-native plants causing problems in Scotland, and one that isn’t present in Scotland yet but is expected to arrive in the future.

Japanese knotweed in its native Japan (C)CABI

Japanese knotweed

In its native range of Japan, Taiwan and Korea, Japanese knotweed is found growing on hills and high mountains. In Scotland it can form dense stands on riverbanks, outcompeting native species and causing an increased risk of flooding. Two biocontrol agents are being investigated for use in the control of Japanese knotweed; a bug and a fungus.

Biocontrol for INNP - Scotland's Nature blog - psyllid on JK image credit CABI

Psyllid on Japanese knowtweed (C)CABI

The bug, Aphalara itadori, is a sap-sucking psyllid that feeds on Japanese knotweed. Initial trials have had limited success as the bugs haven’t thrived in UK weather conditions. However hardier bugs were collected last year from a more northern area of Japan and subject to final safety testing and approvals it looks hopeful that these hardier bugs will be suitable for release in the wild.

Biocontrol for INNP - Scotland's Nature blog - psyllid impact native range Japan_Murakami_Niigata - image credit CABI

Psyllid impact on Japanese knotweed (C)CABI

A fungal leafspot pathogen was evaluated as a classical biocontrol agent but during safety testing it was found to cause disease symptoms on a couple of UK native plants and so is not suitable for release in the UK. The fungus does, however, have potential for use as a mycoherbicide (herbicide based on a fungus). This would allow targeted spray application against Japanese knotweed without the fungus being able to persist and spread in the field to infect any non-target plants. Field trials are ongoing and it is hoped that ultimately a product will be developed that could be applied much in the same way as a conventional herbicide but without the risks associated with chemicals.

Mycosphaerella leafspot on Japanese knotweed (C)CABI

Himalayan balsam

Native to the foothills of the Himalayas, in Scotland this plant can form dense monocultures in damp semi-natural woodlands and along waterways, replacing native vegetation and destabilising river banks.

Himalayan balsam (C)GBNNSS

In 2016 CABI scientists discovered a rust fungus (Puccinia komarovii var. glanduliferae) infecting Himalayan balsam in its native range. Extensive testing confirmed that the fungus infects only Himalayan balsam and was therefore safe for release in the UK. Two strains of the rust have been released at test sites in England and Wales and the results have been promising. However, not all populations of Himalayan balsam are susceptible to these two rust strains and so CABI is currently working to locate new rust strains in the hope that they will be more compatible with the resistant Himalayan balsam genotypes. This year, with funding from the NatureScot Biodiversity Challenge Fund, a Tweed Forum project with CABI is extending the field trials, releasing the rust into Scotland for the first time.

Rust fungus on Himalayan, (C)CABI balsam

Surveying for fungus in native range, (C)CABI

New Zealand pygmyweed

A native of New Zealand and Australia, this plant can form dense mats in lochs and marshy ground. It can choke out native species and reduce water oxygen levels making the habitat unfavourable for aquatic animals.

Crassula helmsii smothering pond - taken by Stewart Angus_m195124

New Zealand pygmyweed being invasive in Scotland, (C)Stewart Angus

CABI scientists have discovered a gall-forming Eriophyid mite from Australia which causes stunted growth of the plant in its native range. Extensive testing confirmed its safety for release in the UK and it has subsequently been released at five sites in England and Wales during 2018-19. Results have been promising with mites developing self-sustaining populations. Further field testing is ongoing and it is hoped that in the future the mites may help control New Zealand pygmyweed in Scotland.

Gall-forming mite on bud (C)CABI

Floating pennywort

Native to the Americas, floating pennywort is widespread and damaging to waterbodies in England and Wales. Thankfully it has not yet been recorded in the wild in Scotland, however, should it be in the future, we might be glad of some weevils form South America. The weevil Listronotus elongatues is currently being investigated for its suitability for release in England and Wales.

Floating pennywort in its native habitat in Argentina (C)CABI

Weevil, Listronotus elongatus (C)CABI

Summary

While biocontrol will not provide a silver bullet to rid us of invasive non-native plants, it is hoped that it will become another useful tool to be used as part of integrated pest management.

Dedication

This article is published in memory of Dr Carol Ellison who recently passed away after a prolonged illness. Carol was a passionate and dedicated scientist, a tremendous contributor, mentor and coach to CABI’s science team and to our broader work on invasive species. She leaves a legacy of significant scientific achievement, including on the biocontrol of Himalayan balsam.

Posted in invasive non-native species, Research, science, Uncategorized | Tagged biocontrol, biological control, CABI, Fungus, invasive non-native species, mites, NatureScot, pests, rust, Scottish Invasive Species Initiative | Leave a comment

Aiteann – ceangal eadar Dà Dheoch / Juniper – a link between Gin and Whisky

Posted on August 13, 2020 by NatureScot

Bidh daoine a’ ceangal aiteann ri sine ach air a’ Ghàidhealtachd tha am preas cuideachd ceangailte ri uisge-beatha / Juniper is intimately linked with gin but, in the Highlands of Scotland, it also has connections to whisky …

Aiteann – ceangal eadar Dà Dheoch

Anns na làithean seo, nuair a tha tòrr thaighean-staile beaga gan cur air chois air a’ Ghàidhealtachd, bidh an fheadhainn a tha gan ruith gu tric a’ dèanamh sine, oir bheir i airgead a-steach fhad ’s a tha an t-uisge-beatha a’ tighinn gu ìre ann am baraillean daraich. Ge-tà, chan e rud ùr a th’ ann gu bheil ceangal ann eadar sine agus uisge-beatha. Ged as iad staoineagan (dearcan aitinn) a chuireas am blas àraidh ann an sine, bhiodh na Gàidheil, gu h-àraidh ann am meadhan na Gàidhealtachd, a’ losgadh fiodh a’ phris seo nuair a bha iad ris a’ phoit-dhuibh sa mhonadh, agus e an aghaidh an lagh. Carson? Uill, cha tig toit mhòr sam bith às an fhiodh agus chan fhaigheadh na gèidsearan lorg orra. ’S e sin as coireach gur e ‘connadh nam mèirleach’ a chanas feadhainn ri fiodh an aitinn (cho math ris an droigheann-dubh).

©Laurie Campbell/SNH

Thathar a’ cumail a-mach gun do chaill an dùthaich tòrr dhen aiteann aice bho dheireadh an ochdamh linn deug a-mach, agus am poball a’ dèanamh an uisge-bheatha fhèin leis gun robh deoch-làidir cho daor, taing do chìsean is laghan riaghaltais. Roimhe sin, biodh Gàidheil a’ cruinneachadh staoineagan anns na coilltean airson an cur a-null don Òlaind, far an robhar a’ dèanamh sine leotha. Tha ceangal inntinneach eile ann eadar an dà dheoch – bhiodh na Gàidheil aig aon àm a’ cur dearcan is duilleagan de ghrunn sheòrsachan ann an uisge-beatha airson a bhlasachadh. Nam measg, bhiodh staoineagan.

Tha an t-aiteann a’ nochdadh ann an grunn ainmean-àite, leithid Tom Aitinn, deas air Inbhir Nis, far a bheilear a’ dèanamh uisge-beatha, Caochan Aitinn agus Ruigh Aiteachain (coille bheag aitinn) anns a’ Mhonadh Ruadh, agus Ruighean an Aitinn ann an Asainte. Thathar a’ dèanamh dheth gun tàinig am facal aiteann bho fhreumh Ind-Eòrpach a’ ciallachadh ‘biorach’, mar thuairisgeul air cumadh nan duilleagan. Ann an Gàidhlig na h-Èireann, tha aiteann a’ ciallachadh ‘conasg’.

: Cnap Chaochan Aitinn ann an àite iomallach sa Mhonadh Ruadh. Saoil an robh poitean-dubha air an obrachadh faisg air làimh?! Cnap Chaochan Aitinn ‘the lump of the juniper streamlet’, is named from the burn to its immediate west – Caochan Aitinn – whose name is an indication of a past ecology and might suggest the possibility of nearby whisky distilling! Detail from OS One inch map (pub. 1927). Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

Bhathar a’ cur an aitinn gu feum ann an dòighean eile cuideachd, leithid mar stuth brodach agus airson a dhol ann an cungaidhean. Bhathar cuideachd ga chur gu feum airson casg-breith adhbharachadh, agus bhathar a’ cleachdadh staoineagan briste ann am fuar-lite mar leigheas air bìdeadh nathrach. Ann an Srath Spè, bhite ga losgadh air Latha na Bliadhn’ Ùire ann an bàthaichean, stàballan is taighean mar dhòigh gus na h-àiteachan ùrachadh. ’S dòcha gun robh e uaireigin air a chur gu feum ann an taighean airson an deathachadh às dèidh do ghalar a bhith ann.

Anns na h-Eileanan an Iar, bhiodh daoine a’ cumail pìos aitinn a-staigh airson an taigh a dhìon bho theine. Ge-tà, chan e ‘aiteann’ a chanar ris mar as trice anns na h-eileanan, ach iubhar-beinne no iubhar-talmhainn, oir bidh e a’ fàs gu h-ìosal, faisg air an talamh. Agus tha fiosrachadh àraidh aig Eideard Dwelly anns an fhaclair aige fo ‘Failceadh de dh’iubhar-beinne’. Tha an abairt sin a’ ciallachadh ‘amar air a dhèanamh le snodhach aitinn’ – agus a rèir Eideard còir, bha e air leth math mar leigheas airson ceann goirt!

Juniper – a link between Gin and Whisky

Heather, juniper and birch, Glenmore, Cairngorms National Park. ©Lorne Gill/SNH

In these modern days, when Scotland’s new whisky distilleries often turn to gin production while awaiting the maturation of their primary product, it will perhaps come as a surprise to some that there is an older relationship between the plant that provides the flavour for gin and our country’s national alcoholic drink. While juniper berries – called staoineagan in Gaelic – give gin its unique flavour, the wood of the juniper bush (which reaches the size of a small tree in the Central Highlands) was one of the smokeless fuels of the Gaels, known as connadh nam mèirleach ‘the fuel of the robbers’. It was not only robbers that made use of the wood, knowing they would not be located by the smoke, but also illegal distillers of whisky who were operating a poit-dhubh (illicit still) despite the close and energetic attention of excise officers.

It is reputed that Scotland lost much of its juniper cover when illicit distillation increased, following attempts by the government to more closely regulate the whisky industry in the Highlands in the late 18^th century. Prior to that, there had been a trade in juniper berries from the Highlands to the Netherlands – for the production of gin. One other interesting link between juniper and whisky is that the Gaels at one time added various ingredients to flavour whisky, one of which was juniper berries.

©Lorne Gill/SNH

The Gaelic for juniper is aiteann, which some will recognise in the name of a well-known distillery (and village) south of Inverness. Tomatin is from Tom Aitinn, meaning ‘hillock of juniper’. Aiteann appears in other place-names across the Highlands, such as Caochan Aitinn ‘juniper streamlet’ and Ruigh Aiteachain ‘juniper wood slope’, both in the Cairngorms, and Ruighean an Aitinn ‘the small slope of the juniper’ in Assynt. The word aiteann is likely to derive from an ancient Indo-European root meaning ‘sharp’, in reference to the leaves; in Irish Gaelic, the same word generally refers to whin (gorse).

Ruighean an Aitinn faisg air an Druim Bheag ann an Asainte. Ruighean an Aitinn ‘the small slope of the juniper’ in Assynt. The loch also carries the name of the plant. Detail from OS Six inch map (pub. 1907). Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

Juniper had other uses as well, being employed as a stimulant, an ingredient of lotions and ointments, and as a means of causing abortion of a foetus. A poultice of bruised berries was reckoned a good treatment for adder bite, and in Strathspey it was burned on New Years Day in byres, stables and house fireplaces, perhaps an echo of an earlier use in fumigation following the presence of an infectious disease. There is also a Christian legend that the Holy Family hid in a juniper bush while being pursued.

On the west coast and islands, the shrub has a low, creeping habit and is often referred to as iubhar-beinne ‘mountain yew’ or iubhar-talmhainn ‘ground yew’. In the Western Isles it was sometimes kept in the house as a protection against fire, and Dwelly’s Gaelic Dictionary has this fascinating entry: ‘Failceadh de dh’iubhar-beinne “bath of the juice of the juniper” – a popular remedy for headache’. Most people would consider paracetamol to be a more straightforward treatment today!

Bha am blog seo air a sgrìobhadh le Ruairidh MacIlleathain, a tha na sgrìobhadair, craoladair, eòlaiche-nàdair is sgeulaiche, stèidhichte ann an Inbhir Nis.

This blog was written by Inverness-based writer, broadcaster and storyteller Roddy (Ruairidh) Maclean, whose work highlights the connections between the Gaelic language and Scotland’s environment.

Posted in Folklore, Gaelic, plants, Uncategorized | Tagged Folklore, Gaelic, Gin, juniper, nature, NatureScot, place names, Scottish Gaelic, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, whisky | Leave a comment

Partnership working on beavers

Posted on August 4, 2020 by NatureScot

A few months on from the publication of the 2019 beaver licencing statistics, we take a closer look at the ongoing work with partners to reduce levels of beaver control measures in future.

©Lorne Gill

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has supported efforts to bring beavers back to Scotland for many years, and beavers became a protected species here in May 2019. Beavers are ecosystem engineers and provide huge benefits to people and nature, improving water quality and flow, and creating new habitats that foster many other species. However their burrowing and dam building activities can also occasionally cause significant problems, especially on farmland.

This is particularly the case in parts of Tayside which has some of the most productive farmland in Scotland and can be very susceptible to flooding. The beavers in Tayside and surrounding areas are the result of unauthorised releases or escapes, with many animals settling on Prime Agricultural Land where they have had serious impacts.

In such circumstances it may be necessary to manage beavers and their dams under special licences issued by SNH. We reported in May that in the first year we issued 45 species licences which permitted either lethal control or dam removal. These were granted when there was no other effective solution to prevent serious agricultural damage. Under these licences, 15 beavers were trapped and moved to either Knapdale or trial reintroduction projects in England, 83 beaver dams were removed and 87 beavers were shot by trained and accredited controllers.

©Lorne Gill/SNH/2020VISION

While it has always been clear to both SNH and our partners that lethal control of beavers would sometimes be necessary as a last resort, we recognise the upset that these cull figures caused and are working hard behind the scenes to look at how we can reduce the level of lethal control measures going forward.

Co-operation is key and our beaver work is informed by the Scottish Beaver Forum, a group of partners representing conservation, farming, fisheries, and other interests, and chaired by SNH. We were pleased to bring together the forum by video conference recently for a productive discussion on a range of different alternative measures to lethal control.

This includes working with land managers to increase the live trapping of beavers for relocation to conservation projects in England, where demand remains high. Beavers are also expanding their range naturally in Scotland, and we will be considering opportunities to translocate animals from areas of high to low conflict within existing catchments, in line with the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations.

©Lorne Gill/SNH/2020VISION

A repeat survey of the Tay and Forth catchments will take place this year to give the most up to date information on the beaver population and range to help inform these conversations. This will include modelling of beaver habitat suitability and dam capacity which could help identify which areas are most or least suitable for translocations.

We are also continuing work on mitigation measures as an alternative to culling. In the first year our Beaver Mitigation Scheme provided advice and support for more than 40 cases, including installing flow devices, trialling water-gates, tree protection work, exclusion fencing and bank protection to protect agricultural land, infrastructure and property. Demand for advice remains high with good engagement and mitigation proving to be successful, in many cases with ongoing dialogue.

We look forward to continuing to work with forum partners to progress this work over the coming months, with the aim of reducing the level of licenced culls in 2020. Meanwhile we also expect to see the beaver population expanding away from high conflict areas and into suitable habitat where beavers can thrive and bring the positive benefits we want to see.

Posted in wildlife management | Tagged beavers, Scottish Beaver Forum, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH | Leave a comment

Dirty camping

Posted on July 31, 2020 by NatureScot

Today’s blog is written by Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve (NNR) Manager, Catriona Reid, who’s had her hands full since she’s been able to get back on the reserve a few weeks ago, once restrictions lifted.

Loch Kinord

It sounds idyllic, doesn’t it? Scotland’s beautiful scenery spread out in front of you, your nice cosy tent pitched somewhere quiet, the smell of the pines and the sausages frying on your stove … and, when you pack up to go, there’s only a wee flat bit of grass to show you’ve ever been here. That’s proper wild camping – you leave no trace and you should be rightly proud that your visit and enjoyment hasn’t damaged anything or spoiled anyone else’s day.

And then there’s the other sort. With the lockdown being lifted, people are piling into the countryside in droves … it feels so good to get out again. But it’s likely folk can’t go far on holiday – places in the UK are booked up and foreign travel is fraught with risks, from catching COVID to suddenly having to quarantine with no pay. So it’s safer to stay at home, right? After all, Scotland has the most amazing and varied landscape, so why not spend a few days out there? And that’s great – we need visitors to come back to restart local economies and it’s heartening that so many people want to spend time in nature. Unfortunately for nature, some of those people are very destructive. I will say, right now, that the majority of visitors are great, it’s a selfish minority who spoil things for everyone. But there are so many people in the countryside just now, that those who choose to please themselves are causing serious problems .

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The problems often start on the roads. If people have resolved that they are going to a certain destination, they are often unwilling to change their plans, even if a place is overly busy. At Muir of Dinnet, we’re seeing issues with up to 58 cars parked on the verge and people walking on the roads, putting themselves at risk. We’ve had to call the police because of the parking on more than one occasion and hope there isn’t an accident. But we’re not alone in seeing this – our sister reserve at St Cyrus has similar problems, as do other local beauty spots like Glen Muick and Glen Tanar. On Deeside, on a sunny weekend day, it’s likely every reserve and beauty spot car park will be full by 11am. Look at the advice on our website and avoid the busy nature reserves.

full car park

With the high visitor numbers, we’re also seeing unprecedented amounts for irresponsible camping, litter and fires. I tend to think of this as ‘dirty camping’ ….tents pitched any old how, sometimes right on footpaths. This can really upset other visitors who have to step round these, especially if the tent’s residents have been partaking of a drink or seven.

abandoned tent

Another big issue is that most people who camp want a fire, even if it means scorching a bit of the NNR and they all seem to want their own fire – even if it means scorching another bit of ground only feet away from another fire pit. Often, live branches are cut for these fires (which is vandalism, pure and simple, and a bit of a waste of time, because green wood doesn’t burn well). Even collecting dead wood destroys habitat for invertebrates and that’s not counting the risk of wildfires when people walk away and leave them burning. The the best solution is for people to use a stove as there are often very few places that a fire can be safely lit, especially in wooded sites.

We’re also seeing more litter on the reserve than I’ve ever seen, in 15 years of working here. It’s not uncommon for us to pick up two wheely bins worth of litter over the course of a weekend. As well as being unsightly, it can be dangerous to wildlife and other visitors…we’ve found some horrible shards of broken glass where bottles have been thrown into the loch or burn. Human waste is also an issue. Yes, okay, if you’re in the countryside and need the loo…well, it happens and when you gotta go… but there are ways and means of going. ‘Go’ well away from water and bury any waste. Don’t use wet wipes (we must have picked up hundreds in the past few weeks, and quite a few were brown-stained) …but far too many people are ‘going’ right by the path and leaving everything lying. I’m pretty sure we don’t need to elaborate further!

All of this is, or has the potential to have a huge detrimental effect on our wonderful country…and on wildlife and visitors. The NNR staff, along with rangers from the Cairngorms National Park, do our best to keep on top of it, but, like many land managers, we’re struggling with the weight of numbers. Things like litter also have a financial implication for land managers as we have to pay to have waste removed…and there’s been oh,so much of it.

So, please, if you’re out on a nature reserve this weekend, be respectful of others, leave our beautiful natural sites the way you find them, and follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC). There’s more info on the SOAC website on responsible camping, dog walking and more.

Posted in Access, Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve, National Nature Reserves, SNH | Tagged litter, Muir of Dinnet, National Nature Reserves, nature reserves, responsible access, Scottish Outdoor Access Code, wild camping | Leave a comment

#YCW2020 A Day in the Life – Bog Manager David Pickett

Posted on July 29, 2020 by NatureScot

During the Year of Coasts and Waters 2020, we’ve been joining SNH staff working along our shorelines and watery places to gain an insight into the important and varied work they do. This month, following on from International Bog Day, National Nature Reserve (NNR) Manager David Pickett tells us about the importance of the bog habitat he looks after at Flanders Moss NNR.

At work ©Jessica Langford

At Flanders Moss you might be long way from the sea but there is certainly no shortage of water! In fact the reserve has been called “the land of water” as it consists of an enormous area of peat 5m thick covering an area of more than 2,000 football pitches of completely water-logged peat.

For hundreds of years, landowners and tenants alike put in a huge amount of time and effort trying to get rid of what was seen as agriculturally unproductive land, resulting in about 40% of the original bog disappearing down the River Forth – cut, removed and flushed away.

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Luckily 60% avoided this end and, though damaged and drying out, it survived to modern times to be saved as a National Nature Reserve. We now look on bogs with very different eyes and greatly value them for their rare species, the ways they help to reduce flooding by holding onto rain water and how they can help to reduce the effects of climate change by capturing carbon. Plus of course they are wonderful places to visit!

I do feel a bit of an affinity to the workers who cleared the bog though – the moss lairds as they were known locally – as much of what we do today is spent working with water on the difficult bog surface. The difference being that they spent their time trying to get the water off the moss quicker to dry it out while we are working to hold the water onto the moss to restore the bog habitat.

I also feel an affinity with Rob Roy who roamed the area nearly 300 years ago plying his trade of stealing cattle and disappearing with them. He was reputed to be one of the few to know their way round the impassable wetlands of the Carse of Stirling. Walking on Flanders today is tricky – there was are many hidden, water-filled ditches that can spoil your day if you don’t know the paths round them. Since first venturing out on Flanders Moss 20 years ago I have found most of these the hard way but nowadays don’t fall in as many as I used to!

It’s not just communing with the ancients, although things certainly don’t happen quickly here – after all the bog has taken thousands of years to grow to what it is. An end of year report can say “another mm of peat accumulated”. But time away from the place can highlight that changes are happening. After three months of lockdown my first walk back across the moss revealed carpets of sphagnum spreading across the bog surface, sparkling with sundews, white-beaked sedge, cranberry and other rare bog species. A break from a site can be very illuminating – less is taken for granted, details are not passed over but observed, walks across the moss become more rewarding.

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That first walk was to plan more restoration work, removing invading scrub and damming more ditches. This work has been ongoing going since the site became an NNR and the positive effect of damming km’s of ditches can now clearly been seen. Despite the very dry spring, sphagnum carpets are spreading, two bog specialists – large heath butterflies and northern emerald dragonflies – are turning up in new places and the moss is so wet that waterlogged conditions are causing some invading trees to die.

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This is a long-term restoration process using water to rewild and it is tremendously exciting to be have personally been able to watch the recovery of such an amazing place, and to take the bog and the work we do to people through social media, photos and our regular blog. As bogs go, Flanders is one of the wettest and getting to be one of the wildest! Why not come and visit and discover the bog for yourself.

Posted in Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 | Tagged #YCW2020, bog, Flanders Moss NNR, National Nature Reserve, NNR, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH | Leave a comment

An t-Ùraisg – Mac-meanmnach no Fìor? / The Urisk – Scotland’s ‘Bigfoot’?

Posted on July 21, 2020 by NatureScot

Ma nochdas ainm ‘gnè ainmhidh’ air mapa oifigeil, feumaidh gu bheil e fìor is creideasach … no an fheum …? / If an ‘animal species’ is named on an official map, it must surely be a biological reality …. mustn’t it?

An t-Ùraisg – Mac-meanmnach no Fìor?

Tha e na shamhla dhen lagachadh ann an dùthchas is cultar nan Gàidheal, agus nan Albannach san fharsaingeachd, gu bheil mòran nar measg an-diugh nach eil eòlach air an ùraisg (no ùruisg). ’S e a th’ ann ach creutair a tha, no a bha, beò (mura robh e gu tur mac-meanmnach) ann an ceàrnaidhean uaigneach, iomallach dhen Ghàidhealtachd. Tha faclair Dwelly (stèidhichte air seann fhaclair Armstrong) ag innse dhuinn gun robh e na chreutair a ghabhas a-steach buadhan mac an duine agus buadhan os-nàdarrach. Tha na h-aithrisean a th’ againn air na h-ùraisgean ag innse dhuinne gun robh iad air am fuadachadh às na h-àiteachan san robh iad uaireigin a’ fuireach.

urisk front

Tha iad, ge-tà, air na mapaichean againn, mar gur e ainmhidhean dùthchasach a th’ annta. Mar eisimpleir, air cladach a deas Loch Ceiteirein anns na Tròisichean, eadar Bealach nam Bò agus Ceann an Fhèidh, tha Coire nan Ùruisgean far am biodh na creutairean sin a’ tighinn cruinn còmhla aig amannan. Nas fhaide tuath, faisg air t-Sàilean ann am Muile, tha Coire an Ùruisge. Beagan deas air sin, ann an ceann a deas Mhuile, tha Sloc an Ùruisge, agus tha àite leis an aon ainm ann an Tiriodh. Timcheall Ghleann Urchaidh, bha am facal boireanta oir an sin tha Eas na h-Ùruisg faisg air Taigh an Droma, agus Clach na h-Ùruisg ann an Abhainn Urchaidh. Ann an Carmina Gadelica, tha Alasdair MacIlleMhìcheil a’ toirt dhuinn cunntas de Gleann na h-Ùraisg deas air an Òban, far nach rachadh eadhon ‘daoine treuna’ air an oidhche, agus Coire na h-Ùraisg ann an Cuiltheann an Eilein Sgitheanaich.

Coire nan Ùruisgean (‘na’ should be ‘nan’) on the shores of Loch Katrine, The Trossachs. Detail from OS Six-inch map pub. 1901.
Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Tha cuid de sgoilearan a’ cumail a-mach gur e ‘uisge’ an dàrna eileamaid ann an ainm a’ chreutair, agus tha na ceanglaichean a th’ aca do dh’uillt is aibhnichean gu math aithnichte. Bha cuid dhiubh air an aithneachadh gu pearsanta, le ainmean orra, agus tha trì-deug dhiubh air an ainmeachadh ann an rann à Bràghaid Albainn. B’ e fear dhiubh Padarlan no Padarlaidh, a th’ air a chuimhneachadh ann an Allt Coire Phadarlaidh siar air Feàrnan air cladach a tuath Locha Tatha. Tha naidheachd ann mun dòigh a chuir tuathanach às an dùthaich e, le bhith a’ cur a mhic fo bhruid.

Shaoileadh cuid gur e Padarlan an aon ùraisg a th’ air a chomharrachadh gu pearsanta ann an ainmean-àite na Gàidhealtachd, ach bidh feadhainn ann an Obar Pheallaidh a’ cur an aghaidh sin, oir tha iad dhen bheachd gu bheil am baile a’ faighinn ainm bho ùraisg air an robh ‘Peallaidh an Spuit’ a bha a’ fuireach faisg air an eas as àirde san allt a tha a’ sruthadh tron bhaile.

Fada tuath air Siorrachd Pheairt, bhathar ag ràdh gun robh dithis ùraisgean beò faisg air eas air Allt a’ Pholl-choire, deas air Poll Iù ann an Ros an Iar. ’S Crotachan Liobastan a bh’ air fear dhiubh, agus Ciuthach Caogach a bh’ air an fhear eile. ’S iongantach gun robh iad bòidheach don t-sùil! Tha sgeulachd ann, coltach ri sgeulachdan à sgìrean eile, gun d’ fhuair boireannach cuidhteas iad le foill, agus nach fhacas bhon uair sin iad.

’S e Bràghaid Albainn an sgìre leis an dualchas as làidire a thaobh ùraisgean. Dh’fhoillsich Raibeart Armstrong am faclair iongantach aige ann an 1825. Bhuineadh e don Cheannmhor, taobh Loch Tatha, agus b’ e fear de na h-earrannan cinn-fhacail as motha a th’ aige anns an leabhar an tè mun ‘Ùruisg’! Ged a thuirt e gun robh iad mac-meanmnach, sgrìobh e mar gun robh iad air a bhith ann am bith ann an dha-rìreabh, ged nach fhaiceadh duine iad mura robh an dà-shealladh aige no aice. Anns an fharsaingeachd, b’ fheàrr leotha a bhith leotha fhèin, ach aig deireadh an fhoghair bhiodh iad a’ tighinn timcheall nam bailtean, agus bha iad cianail measail air bainne, ìm is càise. Cha robh iad fòirneartach, agus cha robh annta ach peasanan draghail, ged a dh’fhaodadh iad a bhith ràcanach aig amannan. Tha na h-ùraisgean gu mòr mar phàirt de ar dualchas, agus bu chòir dhuinn na sgeulachdan mun deidhinn aithris, ged nach urrainn dearbhadh gun robh iad dha-rìreabh, seach mac-meanmnach.

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The Urisk – Scotland’s ‘Bigfoot’?

It is perhaps a mark of the weakening of our cultural heritage that more Scots are probably familiar with the North American ‘Bigfoot’ – a humanlike creature dwelling in remote places, which bears a dubious connection to reality – than with the array of anthropoid creatures that pepper our own folkloric heritage. Among those – and once widely celebrated – is the urisk, known in Gaelic as ùraisg or ùruisg, which Dwelly’s dictionary informs us ‘had the qualities of man and spirit curiously commingled.’ The past tense is perhaps appropriate, as verified sightings of such creatures have not been reported in recent times, and no photographic evidence of one exists.

Coire an Ùruisge ‘the corrie of the urisk’ near Salen on Mull. Detail from OS One inch map (pub. 1927).
Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

And yet they appear on our maps (even those produced by the Ordnance Survey) as if they were any other native animal species. On the shore of Loch Katrine in the Trossachs, sandwiched between Ceann an Fhèidh ‘the headland of the deer’ and Bealach nam Bò ‘the pass of the cows’, there is Coire nan Ùruisgean ‘the corrie of the urisks’, reputedly a place where these creatures would meet. Further north, near Salen on Mull, there is Coire an Ùruisge, presumably a corrie where an urisk lived, and from which he would descend to cause a nuisance among the populace. In the south of Mull and on Tiree, there are hollows named Sloc an Ùruisge, while the creature is also remembered (in grammatically feminine form) in Eas na h-Ùruisg ‘the waterfall of the urisk’ at Tyndrum and Clach na h-Ùruisg ‘the stone of the urisk’, a riverine stone in Glen Orchy. Alexander Carmichael in Carmina Gadelica Vol II has an account of Gleann na h-Ùraisg near Kilinver south of Oban which ‘strong men’ avoided at night, and of Coire na h-Ùraisg in the Cuillin of Skye, neither of which appear on the modern maps.

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Some etymologists have claimed that the second element in the creature’s name is uisge, the Gaelic for ‘water’ – and, certainly, they are commonly recognised as living near streams or rivers. Individual urisks became so well-known to the populace that they had personal names – indeed thirteen different urisks are named in a rhyme from Breadalbane. One was Padarlan or Padarlaidh, who is remembered in Allt Coire Phadarlaidh ‘the burn of Padarlan’s corrie’ near Fearnan on Loch Tayside; he is reputed to have been forced to leave Breadalbane by a farmer who kidnapped his son. Padarlan might be considered to be the one urisk whose individual name survives in our toponymy, but any such assertion is likely to be challenged by some of the residents of Aberfeldy who consider their town – Obar Pheallaidh in Gaelic – to be named after Peallaidh an Spuit ‘Peallaidh of the spout’, an urisk who is reputed to have had his abode near the Upper Falls of Moness.

Far to the north, two urisks reportedly lived near a waterfall on Allt a’ Pholl-choire near Poolewe in Wester Ros. One was called Crotachan Liobastan, crotachan being a ‘hunchback’, while the other was Ciuthach Caogach ‘the squint-eyed shaggy man’. In an echo of folkloric heritage in other parts of the Gàidhealtachd, there is a story there of how a woman, being fed up of the urisks visiting her kitchen and wasting her time, outwitted them and caused them to leave.

But it is Breadalbane that affords us the strongest evidence of the presence of these creatures, and some folk on Loch Tayside still tell their stories today. Robert Armstrong, a native Gaelic-speaker from Kenmore, compiled an outstanding Gaelic dictionary in 1825, and one of his most comprehensive and lengthy entries is for the Ùruisg. Despite characterising them as ‘imaginary beings’, he wrote as if they had truly existed, although seen only by those who had second-sight. In general, they favoured solitude, but they became ‘more sociable towards the end of harvest and had a particular fondness for the products of the dairy.’ In general, they were good-natured and mainly of nuisance value, although they could become ‘wantonly mischievous’. The urisks form a rich vein in Scotland’s heritage and their stories deserve to be told, even if it is unlikely that a specimen of Homo uriskus will ever be unearthed!

The Author

Bha am blog seo air a sgrìobhadh le Ruairidh MacIlleathain, a tha na sgrìobhadair, craoladair, eòlaiche-nàdair is sgeulaiche, stèidhichte ann an Inbhir Nis.

This blog was written by Inverness-based writer, broadcaster and storyteller Roddy (Ruairidh) Maclean, whose work highlights the connections between the Gaelic language and Scotland’s environment.

Posted in Folklore, Gaelic, Uncategorized | Tagged Bigfoot, Folklore, Gaelic, legend, maps, mythology, NatureScot, place names, Scotland, Scottish Gaelic, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, Urisk | Leave a comment

I’ll Walk 500 Miles

Posted on July 17, 2020 by NatureScot

It’s 5am and time for Yvonne Ferguson to rise and take her Border collie, Jess, out for a walk before she sets out from Collieston, 15 miles north of Aberdeen to Newburgh, walking four miles across the wide expanse of Forvie Moor.

By 6.45 am she is on the ‘Mussel Roadie’ or ‘Fish Wivies Path’, named after the Collieston fisher folk who, in times long gone by, used the path to and from the Ythan estuary to collect mussels as bait for the long-line fishing boats that once worked out of Collieston harbour.

Collieston fishing folk baiting their lang-lines with mussels collected from the Ythan estuary. Note the basket beside the woman in the middle which would be carried on her back along the ‘Mussel Roadie’ or ‘Fish Wivies Path’. Photograph from ‘Old Collieston and Slains’ by Ellie Ingram Stenlake Publishing 2012.

It takes her an hour and a quarter to reach Newburgh where she gets the Aberdeen bound bus. And come late afternoon, she does the return leg. I’m tired just thinking about it. Yvonne has been doing the walk since lockdown at the end of March when the bus service she uses to go to work was suspended, leaving her with no transport to get to her job in Aberdeen. Working in a laboratory means that she cannot work from home, and without a car, she has no alternative but to catch the bus in the neighbouring village of Newburgh. On a couple of days a week she manages to get a lift from friends who also work in Aberdeen but for the most part, from Monday to Friday, she walks to and from Newburgh to Collieston. I asked if she could use a bicycle but the bus company doesn’t carry them unless they can fold-up. In any case, there’s nowhere to safely leave bikes in Newburgh.

Yvonne Ferguson on the trail

On this glorious late May morning, I join Yvonne on her daily commute, meeting up near the Trig point at the heart of Forvie Moor, the highest point of Forvie National Nature Reserve. We walk together for a while and I do a quick back of the fag packet calculation and reckon by the end of June she will have clocked over 500 miles! I try hard not to start singing “I’ll walk 500 miles…”

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Yvonne’s route across Forvie NNR

On her daily commute Yvonne experiences the full range of weather that the Scottish climate can throw at you – late winter snow and hail in March and even April, frequent rain showers and on this occasion, wall to wall sunshine.

A male stonechat on Forvie Moor. Copyright Ron Macdonald

She has seen the moor change from the faded browns of winter to the fresh greens and yellows of spring and early summer – the scrub willow now covered in fresh green leaves while clumps of wild tormentil and birds foot trefoil adding splashes of colour on the sand dune ridges that poke out of the brown moorland and heath.

I ask about what wildlife she has seen in her travels and immediately Yvonne mentions the normally shy roe deer that have become accustomed to her and rather than run away they stay put. The other morning Yvonne swears blind that one was following her.

Roe deer at Forvie NNR. Copyright Ron Macdonald

She frequently sees birds such as the meadow pipit and skylark and where there are clumps of gorse and trees stonechats scold her from their treetop perches. At the moment they’re busy raising their first brood of chicks so are wary of people. From Waterside Bridge, she’s seen an Osprey fishing in the Ythan estuary, the bird hovering above the water looking for its next meal.

Osprey fishing over the Ythan estuary. Copyright Ron Macdonald

I leave Yvonne to continue her journey across the moor. She’s setting a cracking pace which in little over an hour will see her arrive in Newburgh. As she disappears over the horizon she looks so small in that big landscape. We rightly salute our medical and other key workers who are doing so much in the fight against the Covid-19 virus. But there are also other, unsung heroes who continue working, doing their bit to keep our society functioning and supporting the economy. Yvonne is one of those.

The tiny figure of Yvonne setting across the wide expanse of Forvie Moor, part of the Mussel Roadie or Fish Wivies Path.

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank the following for help in writing the blog. Ellie Ingram for providing me with the image of fisherfolk baiting their lang-lines, staff in SNH’s Geographic Information Group (GIG) for producing the map showing Yvonne’s daily commute across Forvie National Nature Reserve and last but not least Yvonne for allowing me to write about her walking those 500 miles!

The Author

The blog is written by Ron Macdonald who retired as SNH’s Director of Policy & Advice in 2015. Ron is a member of the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Conservation Committee, chairs the North East Biological Records Centre Advisory Group (NESBReC) and is a Trustee of the Macaulay Development Trust. Since retiring his newfound passion is wildlife photography, examples of which appear in the blog. You can follow Ron’s passion on Twitter – @ronpon_ron

Posted in Access, active travel, Forvie NNR, National Nature Reserves, photography, Uncategorized | Tagged Coronavirus, Covid-19, Fish Wivies Path, Forvie NNR, lockdown, NatureScot, NNRs, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, walking | Leave a comment

The wasp and the ladybird

Posted on July 15, 2020 by NatureScot

Photographer in residence at St Cyrus National Nature Reserve, Pauline Smith, not only takes awesome wildlife photos, she writes fascinating blog posts too! Today she looks at the intricate adaptations and evolution of mind and body-controlling parasites, through the very specific relationship between a wasp and a ladybird…

Ladybird lockdown!

I found this lovely seven-spot ladybird posing on the Ceanothus in the garden but suspected something unusual was going on when I saw it again the next day in exactly the same spot. A closer inspection revealed the sinister truth: the ladybird was`standing guard’ over a cocoon (among the fibres you can see under the ladybird), the cocoon of a parasitic wasp (Dinocampus coccinellae).

This wasp is a specialist parasite of ladybirds and has a very interesting life cycle.

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Ladybird on guard over a cocoon, (C)Pauline Smith

The female parasitic wasp (about 3mm), using her ovipositor (the `spike’ at her rear end), injects an egg into the adult ladybird. On hatching inside the ladybird, the wasp larva first kills any other parasitoid eggs/larvae already present inside the ladybird (to have the host to itself!). As it develops, the larva derives all of the nutrition it needs from the ladybird, and by taking nutrients only from non-essential parts of the ladybird, the wasp larva ensures that the ladybird survives, at least for the duration of the parasite’s larval development.

After a few weeks, the larva, still inside the ladybird, is fully developed and ready to move to the next stage, where the plot takes an even more sinister twist! After burrowing out of the ladybird’s`undercarriage’, the larva spins itself a cocoon – incredibly, the ladybird is still alive but now rooted to the spot, where it stands guard over the cocoon (which is what I witnessed above). While the wasp larva develops inside the cocoon over the next couple of weeks, the ladybird remains in place, providing shelter and protection against predators for the cocoon; the ladybird even twitches if anything gets too close!

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The parasitic wasp (Dinocampus coccinellae), (C)Pauline Smith

Almost immediately after emerging from the cocoon, the adult wasp will be on the lookout for a new victim, into which it will inject an egg, and the whole cycle will begin again. Interestingly, these wasps are primarily parthenogenic; the female is capable of reproducing without the input of a male wasp, which occur only rarely.

Amazingly, the story doesn’t always end there for the ladybird: one-third of ladybirds make a full recovery, and may reproduce … and they may even be parasitized again! This almost unbelievable recovery of the ladybird is also a testament to the parasite’s `care’ to not kill the ladybird, at least while the wasp develops – and any surviving ladybirds are then available for future `use’ by another parasitic wasp.

The wasp’s strategy is as clever as it is cunning! The ladybird provides all that the wasp needs to comfortably progress from the egg to the adult stage. It acts as a protective shelter for the egg and the larva, and also a source of food for the larva, and it then continues to provide shelter and protection for the pupa; all of this is strengthened by the ladybird’s striking colouration, which warns potential predators of its ability to release unpalatable and poisonous chemicals.

Curious as to why the ladybird would stand guard over the cocoon, in 2015, researchers found evidence suggesting that the female wasp also injects a `mind-controlling’ virus along with her egg into the ladybird. This virus is thought to be responsible for the zombie-like state of the `locked down’ ladybird. Much more is yet to be discovered.

I find these types of inter-species interactions absolutely fascinating, and can never quite get my head around how this would all have begun!

Posted in biodiversity, gardens, Insects, National Nature Reserves, photography, St Cyrus National Nature Reserve, Uncategorized | Tagged insects, ladybirds, National Nature Reserves, NatureScot, NNRs, parasites, Pauline Smith, Scotland, Scottish Natural Hetitage, SNH, St Cyrus, wasps | Leave a comment