Mud In Your Eye

New Year Bloomers John Muir Way walks Latest events, volunteering and more...

Scotland’s Big Nature Festival! pages 6-7

seasonal best

out & about

biodiversity

february 2015

East Lothian Council Countryside Ranger Service

seasonal best

3

out & about

4-8

in the spotlight

9

volunteering

10-11

top tree

12

Welcome to the 28th Edition of ‘Mud In Your Eye’ We’d love to hear from you! Email: rangers@eastlothian.gov.uk or follow us... @ELCrangers

East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service

Cover photo by Martin Mallet

Published by East Lothian Council’s Countryside Ranger Service www.eastlothian.gov.uk/rangerservice

New Year’s Day

Bloomers

seasonal best

Many of us like making lists and ticking off something new. In the natural world there are people who travel 100s of miles just catch a glimpse of some poor exotic bird that has turned up exhausted on our shores.

One group that you may not have heard about however, are the New Year Plant Hunters. On January the 1st each year, recorders go out to note any species of flower that is in bloom. To find out more visit: www.bbc.co.uk/news/scienceenvironment-30754443 Across the whole of the UK this group expect to find perhaps 20-30 plants in flower. Imagine their shock when on Jan 1st 2015 they collected in total records for 368 species! That’s about 25% of the total flora for the British Isles.

This dramatic increase in species is probably in part down to the increased number of recorders going out to look – yes it’s getting popular. But most likely a changing climate is involved too.

In East Lothian you can take part as well. I can think of 6 species that were in bloom on New Year’s Day; gorse, winter heliotrope, red campion, snowdrop, spring cinquefoil and winter aconite...

It’s never to early to start planning a search for Jan 1st 2016!

Gorse g n i r p S il o f e u Cinq

Red Campion

Flowers h ave a coconu t scent. lant one p Only in n k now thian & o L recy!

East to sec n r o I’m sw

Plants are either male or female.

out & about

wild nature “a place to come to feel the wind in your face, to gaze across the Firth of Forth to Fife, to spot a huddle of Oystercatchers on the shingle beach, braced against the wind�

4

A winter walk along the John Muir Way between Prestonpans and Port Seton

with Jennifer Lothian, West Area Outdoor Access Officer

e

on your doorstep Along the John Muir Way in the historic coastal town of Prestonpans, John Muir gazes down at passing walkers from a large mural near the waterfront. The route named in his honour passes close by. Following the path behind the sea wall you are taken back in time.

Weathered sandstone walls of the old cottage above the shingle beach recount tales of surviving winter storms.

This landscape, dominated and moulded by the sea, has nevertheless been shaped and utilised by people over the centuries, and it is subject to constant and ongoing change.

Symbolic of this changing coast is Cockenzie Power Station. No longer operational, it resembles something from science fiction, even if the bobbing eider ducks offshore bring you back to reality as you pass.

The path skirts around the ‘green hills’ east of Prestonpans, where people walk their dogs, even in this arctic weather.

Further east is Cockenzie.

Along the waterfront the route follows a concrete path below the old settlement, winding along the tideline of a white shingle beach with sheltering arms of black rocks, gulls wheeling overhead – a haven for beachcombers like myself in search of shells. Splashed by the sea spray at high tide, this is an easily accessible place to experience wild nature on your doorstep.

The John Muir Way is a national coast-to-coast route between Helensburgh and Dunbar, and walkers who pass along here experience the diversity of East Lothian’s coast and countryside. Yet to me this path belongs to the local people who walk it every day, who contact me about the route because it is important to them and they care about it. This is a place to come to feel the wind in your face, to gaze across the Firth of Forth to Fife, to spot a huddle of oystercatchers on the shingle beach, braced against the wind.

The path emerges at Port Seton harbour, replete with fishing boats unloading their catch. Gazing off Port Seton promenade at low tide, another world is revealed along the intertidal zone, of limpets, chitons and crabs, right below your gaze.

5

artisan foods

guided walks

bush crafts

Join us at East Lothian’s reowned birding hotspot Situated at the mouth of the River Esk the picturesque location for this years event is a reserve on reclaimed land which has been specifically rehabilitated for wildlife and people to enjoy. It is home to a vast range of biodiversity and a great place to see wading birds.

Visitors can enjoy a full events programme with something for everyone: expert talks in our three events marquees, guided walks, bird-ringing demonstrations. We have lots planned for families at the show like bush- crafts, photography and pond dipping. The event will be serviced by excellent locally sourced artisan food and drink and a farmers market.

There are great retail opportunities for visitors, with everything from state-of-the-art optics to rare natural history books, wildlife art and outdoor clothing.

With many of Scotland’s conservation organisations attending, you are sure to discover something new, and feel inspired.

For more info and to buy tickets visit:

www.scottishbirdfair.org.uk 6

bird-ringing

pond-dipping

photography

*

MUD INY OUR EYE

Tickets: Adults £12 /£10 for members and *Mud In Your Eye Readers Children £2, under 5s free.

7

Embrace the grey About 15 years ago the good folk of Gullane planted their Millenium Woodland.

For those planting the wee trees it must have seemed an eternity before woodland appeared.

I recently had the good fortune to enjoy the habitat that they created, and what a lot of wildlife I saw. There were tell-tale snuffling marks where a badger had scuffed the leaves and top soil looking for worms and other food. No badger sett but it would be close by. Follow some of the tracks that lead away from the wood and you may well stumble upon it.

Winter can be dreich. Birds and trees seem to adopt a greyness in solidarity with the weather. Even in the depths of a freeze, though, wildlife never sits still.

Oak apples (the home of the gall wasp larvae) could be seen on some young oaks. There was also a line of older trees marking the field boundary. This included an old dead elm with a low-slung branch, just perfect for me to perch and enjoy a snack as I looked out across to the Garletons.

Invertebrates had made their home in the elm some time before. Young trees and deadwood are home to many species.

Birds included a few cheery chaffinches, but my favourite find was an anvil stone littered with snail shells. This is the spot where a thrush chose to prepare its lunch.

Wildlife never really sleeps. You just need to give it a chance and it will come along to brighten your day.

8

JUNIOR RANGERS

in the spotlight

Since East Lothian Junior Rangers began almost 2 years ago, our band of 15 volunteers has worked at sites all over East Lothian working on 35 different projects including building a tern raft at Lafarge quarry, removing invasive species such as pirri pirri burr, erecting bollards, plant and bird monitoring and even promoting the work of Junior Rangers at the Scottish Parliament!

They have also worked with other Junior Rangers at Hopetoun House and Holyrood Park to widen their knowledge and understanding of the Ranger profession.

We are all benefiting through the time and effort they put in on the sites that we all enjoy, so a big thank you to them all for their hard work.

For more information on Junior Rangers in Scotland please visit:

http://scra-online.co.uk/the-rangerprofession/junior-rangers-in-scotland

9

“

“

volunteering

I’m learning so much about the countryside and wildlife by volunteering with the Rangers

Are you bee curious?

Recruiting now for 2015, we have space to take on and train up a few people to help us out with bumble bee surveys this year. If you want to help out and learn about these fascinating wee beasties, please let me know.

Can’t tell the wheat from the chaff?

We are also looking for budding (!) botanists, or at least people with a willingness to learn a bit about our county’s plant life. Again we’ll train you up and in return all we ask is you show enthusiasm and can help out in our summer plant monitoring programme.

Please contact me if either of these appeal.

Duncan Priddle, Countryside Officer: dpriddle@eastlothian.gov.uk

visit www.eastlothian.gov.uk/rangerservice for news, events and opportunities in volunteering 10

Our volunteer groups continue to work wonders across the county - would you like to join in? Please do - no experience necessary!

diary dates

date

activity

location

ranger to contact

Sun 15 Feb 9.30-15.00

Sea Buckthorn removal: pulling, digging, chopping & burning

Aberlady

John: jharrison@eastlothian.gov.uk

Tues 24 Feb 10.00-12.30

Woodland maintenance: thinning deadwood/ habitat pile creation

Levenhall

Nick: naitken1@eastlothian.gov.uk

Tues 24 Feb 10.00-16.00

email for details

North Berwick

Sam: sranscombe@eastlothian.gov.uk

Wed 25 Feb 10.00-16.00

Gorse removal: burning

Barns Ness

Tara/Laura: dcv@eastlothian.gov.uk

Wed 4 Mar 09.30-15.00

Beach clean: clear up of beach and saltmarsh

Aberlady

John: jharrison@eastlothian.gov.uk

Thur 5 Mar 9.30-15.00

Spring clean: litter, painting and pathwork

Yellowcraig

David: dwild@eastlothian.gov.uk

Sun 15 Mar 9.30-15.00

Electric fencing: removal of fencing from grazing area

Aberlady

John: jharrison@eastlothian.gov.uk

Tues 24 Mar 10.00-12.30

email for details

North Berwick

Sam: sranscombe@eastlothian.gov.uk

Wed 25 Mar 10.00-13.00

email for details

Dunbar area - tbc

Tara/Laura: dcv@eastlothian.gov.uk

Tues 31 Mar 10.00-13.00

Tree maintenance: removal of old tree shelters etc.

Levenhall

Nick: naitken1@eastlothian.gov.uk

Wed 1 Apr 09.30-15.00

Electric & twine fencing: removal from grazing area.

Erect twine fence & signs to keep visitors away from nesting birds

Aberlady

John: jharrison@eastlothian.gov.uk

Thurs 2 Apr 10.00-12.30

Walling

Yellowcraig

David: dwild@eastlothian.gov.uk

Sun 12 Apr 09.30-15.00

Sea Buckthorn control: pulling

Aberlady

John: jharrison@eastlothian.gov.uk

Wed 22 Apr 10.00-13.00

Tern fence: help put up the tern fence to zone-off the area for nesting birds

John Muir Country Park

Tara/Laura: dcv@eastlothian.gov.uk

Tues 28 Apr 10.00-13.00

Wader scrape management: drain Wader scrapes

Levenhall

Nick: naitken1@eastlothian.gov.uk

Tues 28 Apr 10.00-12.30

email for details

North Berwick

Sam: sranscombe@eastlothian.gov.uk

11

top tree no.6

Copper Beech St Mary’s Church, Haddington One of our more unusual selections for top tree this month. Indeed by the time you read this, the tree may be no more as it is scheduled to be taken down.

Why a top tree therefore?

Well, in its prime this was a magnificent copper beech tree (one of a few) that helped decorate the design of the landscaping around the church.

It was of some size too, measuring some 3.65m round the middle, or in old language, 162 inches. I include the inch measurement, as a rule of thumb has it that a deciduous tree roughly increases its girth at a rate of 1 inch per year. As such you have a rough way to easily age a tree.

Either way, age and structural weakness have decreed that this grand old specimen is for the chop. Indeed it lost a large limb in 2001 which took out one of the church windows. You can see the scar in the photo.

12

The tree will, however live on. The tree officer has collected some of the seed and brought on the next generation to plant up.

Local people may be offered the chance to take small sections for wood turning, or even some of the smaller limbs to use for firewood.

So, far from a sad tale, this tree’s loss will be others gain and in 150 years or so, my descendants may be toying with a similar problem!