Scottish Wildlife_Issue 098_Jul 2019

Number 98 | July 2019

LOCHSIDE CELEBRATIONS Beaver protection and 50 years of Lowes

ALSO INSIDE: How can sound be used to inform conservation?

Welcome from the Chief Executive

FIRST WORD From Chief Executive Jo Pike © Amy Lewis

I

t was a great honour and an enormous privilege to take up the post of Chief Executive in April. I feel very fortunate to be following in the footsteps of my predecessor, Jonny Hughes, with whom I have worked for the last nine years, latterly as the Trust’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Public Affairs.

Little did I know when I took on the role that the following weeks would see an unprecedented awakening of public interest in our natural world and the need to protect it.

Schoolchildren captured the headlines by calling on politicians to do more about climate change and the ecological crisis.

The First Minister declared a climate emergency and more than 22,000 people supported the ‘Fight for Scotland’s Nature’ campaign, calling for an Environment Act, which we and 36 other environmental charities came together to run. Meanwhile, every major media outlet covered the publication of a ground-breaking report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) on the state of our planet’s biodiversity, painting a bleak picture of a “safety net… stretched nearly to breaking point”.

This public realisation of what is at stake has come not a moment too soon.

In Scotland, one in 11 species is threatened with extinction. Globally, a million species are at risk.

So why have we found ourselves in this position? Based on the systematic review of about 15,000 scientific and government sources, the expert authors of the IPBES report – almost 150 of them

Once widespread, the marsh fritillary butterfly has suffered significant declines in recent decades

from 50 countries – concluded that the top five reasons for the loss of biodiversity so far are changes in land and sea use, followed by direct exploitation of natural resources, climate change, pollution and invasive nonnative species. At this crucial time, Scottish Wildlife Trust supporters are already making a difference as the Trust is actively tackling all five of these threats through a combination of practical conservation, partnership working and advocacy. Is there still time to act? Yes,

The Scottish Wildlife Trust will rise to the challenges ahead... building on the many successes we have already seen.

according to IPBES Chair Sir Robert Watson, “but only if we start now at every level from local to global”.

We already know that when we put our minds to it, great things can be achieved. On 1 May, after more than two decades of work, beavers finally became a European Protected Species in Scotland, a major milestone for conservation and the result of determined, effective and sustained collaboration.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust will rise to the challenges ahead, bringing people together and building on the many successes we have already seen. We will show how nature-based solutions can be transformative and that, by saving nature, we can secure a better future for us all.

JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 3

Contents

Inside this issue

06

16

06 ROCKY SHORE

Discover which of our reserves have rocky shores and what you might find in this ever-changing habitat.

08 NEWS

News round-up from the Trust and the world of conservation.

16

50 YEARS OF LOCH OF THE LOWES

Polly Pullar looks back on a historic half-century at a reserve she treasures.

23

AGM

26

BEAVERS: A MOMENT IN TIME

32

SOUNDSCAPES

38

TALKING POINT

Book your place at this year’s AGM, taking place in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders in September.

26

32

As we celebrate the beaver becoming a protected species, Rich Rowe looks at the journey to this point.

We investigate the acoustic environment – and what sound can tell us about the natural world.

Art, awareness and advocacy – we hear how three supporters are helping to further the work of the Trust.

WI CULI N A ADVE NARY LOCHNTURE B SUNA Y SEE P RT AGE 37

Scottish Wildlife magazine is published by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. © Scottish Wildlife Trust. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. All photography © Scottish Wildlife Trust unless otherwise stated. The Scottish Wildlife Trust accepts no liability for omissions or incorrect data in advertisements and letters. Views expressed in Scottish Wildlife are not necessarily those of the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

ISSN: 0143 1234.

Registered office: Harbourside House, 110 Commercial Street, Edinburgh EH6 6NF. Tel: 0131 312 7765. Fax: 0131 312 8705.

Email: enquiries@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk. Website: scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland (no. SC040247). It is also a Scottish registered charity (no. SC005792).

Scottish Wildlife is published three times a year: March, July and November.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is affiliated to The Wildlife Trusts, a UK-wide network of 46 Trusts with more than 2,000 wildlife reserves.

4 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

Deadlines for news: 1 January, 1 May, 1 September. No unsolicited articles please.

Scottish Wildlife is free to members. Membership rates from 1 April (excluding discounts for paying by Direct Debit): Individual (concession) £40 (£18); Joint (concession) £47 (£24); Family £57; Watch £18; Life (joint) £900 (£1,300); World/Overseas £45.

Patron: HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay. Chair: Linda Rosborough.

Vice-Chairs: Karen Chambers, Amanda Forsyth, Kenny Taylor. Chief Executive and Editor: Jo Pike editor@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk Production Editor: Pete Haskell.

Design: Connect connectcommunications.co.uk Advertising: Elliot Whitehead 0131 561 0021, Clare Stebbing 0131 561 0024.

Printing: InkMark – inkmarkltd.com Cover photo: Shutterstock

Spotlight: Acorn barnacle

ACORN BARNACLE

© Paul Naylor

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT:

(Semibalanus balanoides)

‘Acorn barnacle’ is the collective common name for barnacles that grow their shells directly on the surface of a hard substrate such as rock, as opposed to those that attach via a stalk.

Semibalanus balanoides is the most common of the acorn barnacles in British waters and is typically found in the ‘intertidal’ zone – the section of coast between high and low tide.

Closely related to crabs and lobsters, barnacles are suspension feeders, using feather-like limbs known as ‘cirri’ to catch plankton and other edible detritus floating in the water.

The giant acorn barnacle is the world’s largest barnacle species.

Occurring in the North East Pacific, it can grow to a diameter of 15cm and a height of up to 30cm.

Darwin’s barnacle is an Australasian species that was unintentionally introduced to the UK in the 1940s and has since become a widespread invasive species.

JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 5

Spotlight: Rocky shore

WITH EVERY TURNING TIDE There aren’t many habitats as diverse and changeable as the rocky shore. With every ebbing tide, each rockpool contains a new menagerie of marine critters, from starfish and periwinkles, to hermit crabs and blennies.

With around 60% of the UK’s coastline, Scotland isn’t short

EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER

A common sight and sound of the coast, these stocky black and white waders specialise in feeding on shellfish, which they prise or hammer open with their long orange-red beaks.

BLADDERWRACK

This olive-brown seaweed is exposed at low tide and is recognisable by its round air-filled ‘bladders’ that allow the seaweed to float upright in the water column when the tide is in.

6 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

of rocky shores to explore. You may well have childhood memories of turning over a rock with nervous anticipation as to what might be lurking beneath, and for many of us a day at the beach is still not complete without a spot of rockpooling. So next time you’re at the coast, have a look out for some of these common species.

BUTTERFISH

These slippery fish grow up to 25cm long and are common in rockpools all year round. The distinctive black spots along their eel-like backs make them easy to identify.

BEADLET ANEMONE These deep red anemones look more like blobs of jelly when exposed to the air, but as the returning tide re-submerges them, they unfurl to reveal a ring of bright-blue beads at the base of their tentacles.

Spotlight: Rocky shore

A C D E

RESERVES A EILEAN NA CREIGE DUIBHE

OS Landranger 24, NG823334 A small wooded island close to the shore in Loch Carron that is accessible by foot only at the lowest of tides. The dense Scots pine that cloaks the island is home to a large heron colony. The herons hunt in the shallows around the island which is also the favoured playground of otters.

B ISLE RISTOL

SHORE CRAB The most common crab species found on rocky shores around the UK, shore crabs are usually green-ish in colour and can often be found hiding under rocks.

OS Landranger 15, NB971112 One of the Summer Isles, Isle Ristol is a stone’s throw from the mainland. Undisturbed, it has a wealth of habitats from machair to mires, and a coastline of white sandy beaches, rocky shores and sandstone cliffs.

C ISLE OF EIGG

OS Landranger 39, NM474875 The second largest of the Small Isles, Eigg is a habitat mosaic of farmland, scrubland, woodland, raised bog and moorland. Surrounding the island is a predominantly rocky coastline, along which otters hunt and off which seals, dolphins and minke whales can be spotted.

D DUMBARNIE LINKS

OS Landranger 59, NO441022 Dumbarnie Links is a lime-rich grassland on the Fife Coastal Path, home to more than 2,000 species, including 1,200 insects and a variety of shore and sea birds. At low tide, rocky outcrops are exposed on the beach south of the reserve.

E KILMINNING COAST

ACORN BARNACLE Common on any regularly submerged surface including rocks, boat hulls and pier legs, acorn barnacles attach themselves using cement glands.

Inside their shells, barnacles are essentially lying on their backs with their legs projecting upwards.

OS Landranger 59, NO634091 Also along the Fife Coastal Path, this stretch of coastline includes species-rich grassland, salt marsh and coastal scrub, and has an extensive rocky shore at low tide. In summer, look out for dolphins and seals that can sometimes be spotted offshore.

For full reserve information, visit scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves

JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 7

Main image: Eilean na Creige Duibhe © Mark Foxwell, Oystercatcher © Amy Lewis, Butterfish © Ben James, SNH, Shore crab © Graham Saunders, SNH, Bladderwrack © Kirsten Smith, Beadlet anemone © Paul Naylor, Acorn barnacle © Lara Howe

B

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

Latest news

News from the Trust, our projects and the wider world of conservation

KEEP UP TO DATE

All the latest Trust news is available on our website scottishwildlife trust.org.uk © Shutterstock

Scotland’s climate emergency FOLLOWING the recent increase in public concern, climate change has shot back up the political agenda.

In April, the First Minister declared a climate emergency and the Scottish Government set a more stringent target of net-zero emissions by 2045, five years ahead of the rest of the UK. The following month, a statement from Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham set out Scotland’s response to this emergency, indicating that climate change will be at the heart of the next Programme for Government and that Scotland’s Climate Change Plan will be updated.

The Trust expects this process to lead to more radical actions, a clear timetable and appropriate funding.

As well as measures to reduce our emissions and halt our dependency on fossil fuels, the vital role nature can play must be fully recognised.

Restoring peatlands and woodlands, and enhancing the marine environment are critical if these targets are to be met. You cannot solve the climate emergency without addressing the biodiversity crisis.

Government also appears to be planning a review of all policies to see where we can go further and faster.

This must include the Economic Strategy and a more radical approach to forestry, the rural economy, renewable energy, transport, land use planning and urban design.

The first signs from the Scottish Government are encouraging, but we still have a long way to go.

Dougie Peedle is the Trust’s Head of Policy

8 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

Yesnaby cliffs on the Orkney coast

Oceans of value A NEW method of valuing the marine environment is being pioneered by the Trust in Orkney.

The innovative Oceans of Value project, carried out in collaboration with Heriot-Watt University, will combine interviews with local people who use the sea – including fishermen and recreational users – with a comprehensive assessment of the area’s stocks of natural assets.

This work comes at an important time. Orkney Islands Council is beginning to develop a new strategic plan that will shape how the region’s waters are used by people, including where developments such as tidal and wave power generators could be sited.

A final report produced through our project will aim to inform this plan.

Orkney’s seas contain a rich range of habitats which support a variety of sea life, from oysters to orca. They are internationally important for seabirds and both harbour and grey seals.

Alongside this natural value, industries such as fishing, marine renewables and wildlife tourism are important to the local economy. The

Trust’s Marine Planning Manager Dr Sam Collin, who has developed the project, said: “Ultimately, we want to identify opportunities for coastal communities to thrive alongside healthy living seas and ensure all of these values are recognised.

“Oceans of Value provides opportunities to incorporate local knowledge, identify ‘hidden values’ and improve our ability to tailor marine plans to meet societal, economic and environmental needs.”

James Green, Senior Policy Planner for the Development and Marine Planning Team at Orkney Islands Council, added: “The more we know about what’s important about our marine environment and resources, the better we can manage them and make sure the community benefits for years to come.’’

The Oceans of Value project has received funding from the John Ellerman Foundation and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch).

The research is part of our Living Seas programme, which is supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

Anniversary chicks THE ospreys at Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve have helped to make the reserve’s 50th anniversary season a memorable one.

LF15 and LM12 successfully hatched three chicks for the second time in five seasons, although sadly the youngest chick died in late May. Our Perthshire Ranger Sara Rasmussen said: “This season has been quite a ride. In March, our male LM12

arrived earlier than ever before, and we have seen a huge number of intruding ospreys – up to six in one day!

“There have been several stressful moments, notably when LF15 gave up incubation of the eggs for two hours on a cold spring night, and when the youngest chick sadly died.

“However, we’re delighted that our pair have proven to be effective providers once again and their two remaining

chicks are growing quickly. I’m grateful for all the support we’ve received from dozens of dedicated volunteers who give their time to keep careful watch over these fantastic birds of prey, and to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for supporting our osprey protection programme.”

This year is LM12 and LF15’s fifth season as a breeding pair. All ten of their chicks from previous seasons have successfully fledged.

New research on lynx reintroduction © Shutterstock

THE Trust has welcomed new research that indicates there is enough suitable, connected habitat to offer a realistic chance of establishing lynx in the country, should a reintroduction ever go ahead.

The study suggests the Kintyre Peninsula is the most suitable of three sites considered, and that a population could naturally spread across the Highlands in 100 years following release.

The model also suggested the Central Belt would act as a barrier between the Highlands and the Southern Uplands.

Our Chief Executive Jo Pike welcomed the findings saying: “Returning the lynx to our landscape as a top predator could

help restore the health of Scotland’s natural ecosystems. This is a useful contribution to the evidence base that needs to be carefully developed and assessed over the coming years.”

Tom Ovenden, who was the Trust’s Handa Ranger in 2016 and 2017 and who led the study, said: “This initial research is encouraging and suggests that Scotland is indeed ecologically suitable for the reintroduction of Eurasian lynx.

“Our findings help to inform one aspect of a complex decisionmaking process that must involve a wide range of stakeholders and, as a result, it does not recommend whether we should, or should not, reintroduce Eurasian lynx to Scotland.”

JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 9

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

© Pete Haskell

IN BRIEF Reserve voted best of the year by Countryfile THE Trust’s Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve has been named Reserve of the Year in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2019.

The stunning scenery and diverse wildlife found on the reserve helped it to win a public vote on a shortlist featuring five fantastic places for wildlife. Falls of Clyde is also included in Wild and Majestic, a new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland which runs until November.

Our international volunteers gain skills

THE Trust has recently welcomed ten new European Voluntary Service volunteers from France and Spain.

Thanks to support from Erasmus+, they are working with our Reserves Project Officers based in Dundee, Irvine, Inverness and Castle Douglas until 2020.

They will gain skills and experience to help gain future employment by helping us manage our wildlife reserves across Scotland.

Ocean giants A LONG-awaited public consultation on four new Marine Protected Areas in Scotland’s seas has begun. These MPAs will add to the growing network of protected areas and will safeguard species such as basking sharks, Risso’s dolphins and minke whales. Find out how you can show your support at scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/ MPAconsultation

Plant sale supports local wildlife

THE Trust’s Dundee Local Group raised more than £500 to help maintain the reserves in their area by hosting a plant sale in May which proved popular with local gardeners.

CALLP Community Grant Scheme

ELEVEN heritage projects have been awarded a total of £23,938 through Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership’s Community Grants Scheme.

Supported projects include the purchase of e-bikes, a programme of guided walks and archaeological research.

10 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

Saving Scotland’s rainforest THE Trust has joined a number of nature conservation organisations to begin developing a strategy to save and expand Scotland’s dwindling rainforests.

Atlantic woodland is found along the west coast and on the islands of the Inner Hebrides. This unique habitat of ancient oak, birch, ash, pine and hazel woodlands is rich in lichens and bryophytes, and includes spectacular open glades and gorges.

A new report published by the newly formed Atlantic Woodland Alliance has found that while there are 352,600 hectares of woodland within the ‘rainforest zone’, less than 10% supports the rich biodiversity that allows it to be classed as ‘true’ rainforest. The remaining fragments of rainforest are small and isolated from each other, and almost all of the rainforest is too heavily grazed to be able to regrow so is in danger of being lost forever.

Members of the Atlantic Woodland Alliance are developing an ambitious plan to revive and reconnect these important woodlands to allow them to survive into the future.

Threats to the forest: OVERGRAZING Almost all the remaining rainforest is overgrazed to a degree that will prevent it from re-growing INVASIVE SPECIES Invasive rhododendron can be found in 40% of rainforest sites NON-NATIVE CONIFERS One in every five sites has been planted up with exotic conifer plantations DISEASE Ash dieback threatens the future of our northern and westernmost ash woods CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change and air pollution are set to destroy the last refuge for many rare plants

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

© Scottish Wildlife Trust

New home for water birds in Ayrshire

Volunteers tow the raft into position

ONE hundred plastic bottles, a discarded pallet and a fishing net have been used to build a new floating home for water birds at Oldhall Ponds Wildlife Reserve in Irvine.

The platform was constructed and launched by volunteers as part of our Connecting Communities to Nature in Ayrshire project, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

It is designed to provide a safe roost for a wide range of birds including coots, mute swans and moorhens, as well

as ducks such as mallards, tufted ducks and goldeneyes.

Volunteer Anne Stobbs said: “It was a great experience to get out on the water in the canoe to see the island in place. It really made me feel close to nature, and see the reserve from the perspective of the wildlife. I will be checking the island for signs of use whenever I visit.”

To find out more about volunteering opportunities in Ayrshire, email Harry Richards: hrichards@ scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk © Amy Lewis

© Steve Gourlay Photography

Ullapool Sea Savers and Noel Hawkins on Mada-Chuain

Spring migrants THE first recorded sightings of two spring migrants occurred on Trust reserves this year. The first common tern of the year noted by the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club was recorded at Spey Bay Wildlife Reserve in Moray on 10 April, and the first grasshopper warbler, above, was seen at Cathkin Marsh in Lanarkshire on 12 April.

Leadership changes

Living Seas project sets sail OUR Living Seas project is taking to the waves in a new accessible landing craft.

Mada-Chuain (Gaelic for ocean wolf or orca) will help local groups including young people explore the seas and shoreline of North West Scotland. The craft can be used for activities including

clean-ups on remote beaches and snorkelling, and is accessible for people in wheelchairs.

The purchase of the craft has been supported by Highland & Moray FLAG through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

IN ADDITION to the appointment of Jo Pike as our Chief Executive (First Word, p.3) Sarah Robinson has joined our senior management team as Director of Conservation.

Sarah said: “I’m thrilled to be joining an excellent team. It is clear that nature needs to be given a higher value across society and the Trust is well positioned to respond to that challenge.”

Sarah joins the Trust from the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization. She previously spent ten years working for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, and has been a member of the Trust’s Conservation Committee since 2015.

JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 11

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

© Ian Hastie

Young people join the fight for nature CHILDREN were among thousands of people who wrote to Nicola Sturgeon to call for a Scottish Environment Act to protect Scotland’s nature.

Eighty per cent of our environmental protections stem from the European Union.

Brexit could unravel much of the legislation that helps charities like the Scottish Wildlife Trust safeguard wildlife and take action to tackle problems like air pollution and habitat loss.

Ullapool Sea Savers, a group of primary school pupils, wrote: “As children we are very aware that important decisions taken now about the environment will have the biggest impacts on us and future generations.”

Haris, a pupil at Hillhead Primary School in Glasgow, added: “I am only 10 years old and I feel very worried about what’s happening to nature.

“It’s not fair that children my age might never see the amazing wildlife that adults have taken for granted.”

Fight for Scotland’s Nature is a campaign for a new Environment Act that would embed EU environmental principles in Scots Law, create an independent watchdog to enforce laws, and set clear targets for environmental protection.

The petition calling on the First Minister to act to better protect Scotland’s nature was run by members of Scottish Environment LINK including the Trust, with support from campaigning organisation 38 Degrees. A total of 22,181 people took part.

Five-star dining THIS striking image of a herring gull clutching a starfish – taken by Ian Hastie – is one of three winners from the first photography competition organised by our Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire Local Group.

The competition aimed to celebrate the diverse range of nature found in the north-east of Scotland.

It was open to all Trust members in the local area and included special categories for young people and photographs taken on mobile phones and tablets.

Red squirrels return to Luss RED squirrels appear to be staging a comeback on the western shore of Loch Lomond.

Following years of targeted action by local landowners, volunteers and Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels staff, the first red squirrel has been recorded back in Luss, an area where greys have been established for more than a century.

Luss is strategically important for red squirrel conservation because it sits on the Highland Boundary Fault and forms a gateway where grey squirrels inhabiting the Central Belt could enter the Highlands. Conservation Officer

WHALE and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) has teamed up with the Trust to launch a new Wildlife Watch group based at the Scottish Dolphin Centre at Spey Bay, Moray.

The Earth Guardians group meets on the last Sunday of each month from May to October. It is aimed at young people aged between nine and 13 and encourages them

12 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

to spend more time outside exploring the nature on their doorstep.

WDC’s Education Officer Lorna Hall said: “We are very excited to be partnering with the Scottish Wildlife Trust for our Earth Guardians group. It is our hope that local young people will join us regularly bringing their own enthusiasm and interest for the natural world.”

Help the project by submitting your sightings at scottishsquirrels.org

© Lorna Hall WDC

New Wildlife Watch group in Moray

Mary-Anne Collis said: “Local volunteers have been contributing to grey squirrel control work in the area for many years, so it’s great to see their efforts are paying off.

“These recent sightings are a reason to celebrate, but continued conservation effort will be essential to ensure this trend continues.

“To keep up the momentum and ensure our work is as effective as possible, we now need more detailed information on what is happening on the ground.”

Wider news

Magpie moth

SCIENTISTS have warned that sea level rise caused by climate change may be higher than previously predicted.

A group of 22 experts projected that without action to curb a rise in global temperatures, melting ice sheets could raise sea levels by more than two metres.

This could result in the loss of nearly two million square kilometres of land and displace up to 187 million people.

Lead author Professor Jonathan Bamber said: “A sea level rise of this magnitude would clearly have profound consequences for humanity.”

Their findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

The state of Scotland’s moths

Devolution of forestry in Scotland TWO new Scottish Government forestry agencies were created on 1 April 2019 as a result of devolution.

Forestry and Land Scotland is now responsible for managing land formerly known as the National Forest Estate.

Scottish Forestry, an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, replaces Forestry Commission Scotland, and is responsible for forestry policy, regulation, support and the awarding and payment of forestry grants. © Evelyn Simak

FIVE million records compiled by thousands of volunteers have been used to show for the first time how moths in Scotland are faring.

The report finds that moth numbers in Scotland have declined by almost 50% over the last 25 years, but their range across the country has increased by around 16%.

Eight of the 20 species that are most rapidly declining are associated with moorlands, indicating that the insects may be disproportionately struggling in this habitat.

Of the top 20 most rapidly increasing species, 16 are associated with woodland

habitats, suggesting that common woodland moths are faring well.

Climate change is likely to be an important factor behind these trends.

Some species are being driven north by rising temperatures, and warmer, wetter winters negatively impact some moths.

Other species are suffering population declines as a result of detrimental land management and habitat changes.

There are positive signs of the effect of conservation work. In 2018, monitoring at the single site on the west coast where the New Forest burnet moth survives found the highest count in years after efforts to protect its habitat from overgrazing. © Niall Benvie-2020VISION

Himalayan balsam

Invasive species remain a threat OFFICIAL statistics published by Scottish Natural Heritage show that nearly 80% of more than 5,000 protected natural features – including habitats, species and geological features such as fossil beds and caves – were assessed as being in a favourable or recovering condition in 2019.

Invasive species such as Himalayan balsam remain the single biggest reason for Scotland’s protected areas being in unfavourable condition, accounting for 21% of all negative pressures, followed by overgrazing (17.6%).

14 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

© Danni Thompson

Fresh warning on sea levels

A salt marsh at the south end of Achnahaird Bay, Coigach and Assynt

Salt marsh survey will shape policy RESEARCHERS are recruiting citizen scientists to carry out a simple survey of their local salt marshes.

CarbonQuest volunteers are asked to complete a survey using a smartphone app and basic equipment as part of the first

large-scale study of the role of salt marsh in storing carbon. The study’s outcomes will provide practical guidance for coastal managers and help inform policies that safeguard carbon storage in intertidal zones.

You can find out more at c-side.org

A lifelong passion for ecology lives on Donald McVean was a pioneering Scottish ecologist and author who supported the Scottish Wildlife Trust for four decades.

Donald’s career began in the 1950s at the newly formed Nature Conservancy.

A field botanist, his ecological work often took him overseas, including projects in Iceland, Australia and New Guinea.

Donald went on to become an environmental consultant, specialising in land use advice in the Middle East, India, Malaysia, Chile and Africa.

However, Scotland remained home for Donald and in 1979, when his work overseas had slowed down, he settled on the Ardentallen Peninsula. He first joined the Scottish Wildlife Trust in 1980 and he helped set up the Lorne members’ group.

Donald’s passion for ecology continued into his retirement. He moved to Eredine, on the south-east side of Loch Awe, in the mid-1990s and spent much of his time there improving the biodiversity of the small patch of woodland he created.

Donald will be remembered for his tireless energy and commitment to nature conservation in Scotland and around the globe. His work lives on through his two books, Plant Communities of the Scottish Highlands, which he co-authored with Derek Ratcliffe, and Ecology and Land Use in Upland Scotland, with James Lockie.

Derek Ratcliffe in his book In Search of Nature described Donald as an “ecologist of great perception and an enthusiast with real devotion to land use conservation”.

Thanks to Donald’s generous gift in his Will, the Trust will be able to invest in ambitious landscape-scale conservation in the future.

Image: Woodland restoration scheme with Beinn Eighe in the background. Donald created one of the first native tree nurseries in Scotland at Beinn Eighe. © Mark Hamblin 2020VISION

Every gift in every Will, no matter how large or small, really does make a difference to the future of Scotland’s wildlife.

To find out more, call Zoë on 0131 312 4772 or visit scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk

50 years of Loch of the Lowes News

© Steve Gardner

LIFE ON THE LOCH

18 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

50Social years media of Lochlink/Web of the Lowes link

Having visited the reserve since childhood, Polly Pullar returns to Loch of the Lowes to look back over the 50 years since the Scottish Wildlife Trust acquired it.

tight, calling intermittently to his absent mate. From the hide, the nest is visible with the naked eye, and visitors can watch activity close-up through binoculars or a telescope. It’s an idyllic location, a lush setting of mixed deciduous woodland, heather moorland, and crags – one of the most exceptional viewing hides anywhere in the country for experiencing these magnificent birds first-hand.

IN THE BEGINNING

I

t’s early May, shortly before dawn.

A tawny owl hoots gently from deep within the trees, accompanied by a wood warbler. Cuckoos echo vocal ping-pong across the loch as a blackbird leads an orchestra of song thrush, chaffinch, wren and willow warbler, with a greater spotted woodpecker drumming in the background. I tiptoe up the steps into the hide. Two sleepy species protection officers have been up all night, watching patiently over the ospreys.

On a screen, CCTV reveals live action on the Scots pine nest – the male sits

The Scottish Wildlife Trust purchased this nationally important site in 1969 for £5,250 and, conveniently, a pair of ospreys turned up soon after. Miserable to be sent away from my home in Ardnamurchan to a boarding school near Dunkeld, I was eight when I first came to Loch of the Lowes, and it was here later that I saw my first osprey from the reserve’s shoogly hide built on stilts.

There were red squirrels to watch, and winter dusks filled with the cacophony of hundreds of roosting greylag geese, and sometimes whooper swans. Coal tits and chaffinches fed from our hands and fallow deer paddled out to nibble succulent water plants. Regular visits here and the area’s abundant wildlife played their part in fuelling my passion for wildlife. It left its mark on me as it does on an average of 20,000 visitors that come here annually.

Much has been achieved in the half-century since its purchase.

Following an expansion and the

JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 19

50 years of Loch of the Lowes

addition of a neighbouring management agreement, the total area of the reserve now stands at 160 hectares.

A two-storey hide and an unobtrusive visitor centre with excellent educational exhibits nestles in the trees, and a crannog hide sits on the loch. There’s even an eco-bothy for staff. Acquisition of the first binoculars for the hide was as a result of the once popular Green Shield Stamps scheme. There wasn’t even a telephone here in 1969, but technology has since moved on.

Today, a high definition camera provides a live stream from practically inside the osprey nest and is enjoyed by more than half a million people around the world each year. Young ospreys have

also been satellite tagged in the past, revealing their extraordinary migrations south to overwinter as far off as Senegal.

NATURE’S PLAYGROUND

© Andrew Parkinson, 2020VISION

Great crested grebe

20 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

Few would argue that this reserve is rightfully famous for its ospreys – in particular Lady, a record-breaking bird whose 24-year breeding saga was followed by millions – but Loch of the Lowes has plenty of other wildlife spectacles to offer.

Otters and pine martens are regular breeders on the reserve, and the extremely rare slender naiad, a mostly unknown aquatic plant, is included on the extensive list of remarkable fauna and flora and is one of many characters for which the site is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

In 2012, there was the first exciting glimpse of a beaver, and two kits appeared the following year. Now beaver watch events are added to the reserve’s many wildlife delights. The Loch is a mirror on the natural world, constantly changing, continually reflecting nature’s seasonal activities.

A pair of great crested grebes, heads tucked under wings, doze on a palette of muted grey water. These beautiful grebes and their forebears have been returning here since the 1850s. Now rare, great crested grebes were one of many avian species pushed to the brink by the burgeoning millinery trade during Victorian times to make exotic hats for rich women. Mute swans drift, too, while

mallards guddle through beds of tawny reeds fringing the water. These ubiquitous human-savvy ducks take advantage of bird feeders, greedily hoovering up the spills as red squirrels and small birds feed above.

A WATER CEILIDH

Light gently seeps over the loch as a flotilla of goldeneye begin to rouse.

Though nest boxes are put up, they usually choose sites elsewhere, but Tayside’s largest body of mesotrophic water makes the perfect stage for their dramatic courtship.

A group of visitors dressed in earthy camouflage clothing and weighed down with immense camera gear join us in the hide. I retreat to the one below, where I am closer to the water. Two men sit silently watching.

As gathering light colours the scene, there is a whiffling rush of pied wings as more goldeneye splash in, resplendent in their breeding livery. A breathtaking

This reserve is rightly famous for its ospreys... but Loch of the Lowes has plenty of other wildlife spectacles to offer.

© Peter Cairns, 2020VISION

A goldeneye spreads its wings on the reflective surface of the loch

50 years of Loch of the Lowes

night watch duty, using walkie-talkies lent by Pitlochry Theatre.

Though threats posed by human egg thieves have diminished, species protection officers keep watch over the nest round-the-clock until the young have hatched. Egg-pilfering pine martens can also be a problem, so tree limbs are trimmed and guards fitted to deter their climbing.

Though members of the public are usually considerate, threats remain, perhaps the worst being those posed by photographers with drones, as well as canoeists. Unruly dogs off the lead in this extremely vulnerable habitat can also cause severe damage.

Over the last 50 years, staff and volunteers have recorded numerous anecdotes, such as one concerned visitor asking if the ospreys were locked away at

night. Another time, visitors paddling out into the loch, causing disturbance, were politely informed that the enormous pike (one netted here was 27lbs) had particularly sharp teeth, leading to a hasty retreat.

Perhaps what I love most is that compared to many other wildlife reserves, Loch of the Lowes retains a lack of commerciality. What truly matters is the wildlife; the approach is as sensitive and sympathetic as you will find anywhere.

This is what nature needs now more than ever. In this peaceful setting is an exemplar of the finest conservation work in Scotland today, together with an astonishing array of species.

Polly Pullar is a conservationist, freelance writer and photographer who lives in Highland Perthshire.

© Chris Cachia Zammit

water ballet commences. In clockwork formation, they bob and weave around one another, turning and twisting, throwing heads back rhythmically amid clicking sounds and sprays of water. It’s as close to a Highland reel, with its figures of eight and pas de bas footwork, as any duck can do.

The female osprey returns as shrill calls fill the air. She stands and preens, readjusting the lichen-covered sticks on the nest beside her brooding mate. There are no fish on this occasion. There has been disruption of late with the intrusion of several unpaired ospreys. It’s not unusual, and often there are aerial jousting sessions as young birds endeavour to establish breeding sites.

The duo is ill at ease. A few days ago, I watched as the female osprey bombarded a cheeky carrion crow. It had pushed its luck – she is a jealous guardian of her revered patch.

The loch fizzes with drizzle, the palette changes as the grebes sail serenely towards us, passing close to the hide.

Their eyes are red, headdresses flamboyant, glorious shining russet and black, but best suited to a grebe. Behind diffuse light, the sylvan backdrop is tinged with watery yellows, limes and greens as the curtain rises on a new arrival – a young fallow buck comes to the water’s edge, stoops to drink as if admiring itself in the mirror. In skittish mood, he splashes in, bouncing on springs before leaping away.

A large beaver appears from nowhere and swims strongly out towards the opposite bank. We watch, holding our breath, until it vanishes along a small channel out of view. Soon after another appears, and then there is a third.

“We’ve recently returned from a trip to Sweden to see beavers,” whispers one of my companions, “but we saw nothing.

This is a first for us. It feels amazing to have them wild in this country.

“We’ve come from England but never believed we’d see them here.” A weak sun struggles to pierce a duvet of grey cloud that bursts through a small peephole, throwing a nacreous oval reflection on the water. I can sense the euphoric glow in the hide despite the chill breath that daylight brings in, with its tendrils of smoke on the water.

THE PROTECTORS

The importance of rangers, species protection officers and 50 dedicated volunteers to the success of Loch of the Lowes cannot be underestimated.

Over the past 50 years, ospreys at Loch of the Lowes have fledged a total of 80 young. In the early days, there were several attempts to rob their nest. In 1991, the Gordon Highlanders volunteered for JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 21

LEARN more about Scotland’s incredible marine environments at the Scottish Seabird Centre this summer, a leading education and conservation charity and five-star visitor attraction. ©Sean Bell 22 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

Based in the beautiful coastal town of North Berwick and adjacent to the Bass Rock – the world’s largest colony of northern gannets – the charity is ideally placed to tell the story of Scotland’s diverse marine wildlife and habitats.

The team does this through a wide range of education and outreach programmes and in the award-winning Discovery Centre.

Remote viewing cameras on the local islands give visitors the opportunity to experience the internationally important breeding colonies of seabirds, providing insights into their behaviour without disturbing the birds.

There are regular wildlife talks, 3D films and fun children’s activities, including Live Science Shows,

throughout the summer. The charity will also be hosting a series of environmental themed evening talks during Fringe by the Sea, an arts festival held in North Berwick every August.

Wildlife adventure trips out to the neighbouring islands, in partnership with local boat operators, are another core aspect of the experience on offer.

Highlights include the Bass Rock, home to more than 150,000 gannets, and the Isle of May Nature Reserve, where thousands of puffins, terns, guillemots and razorbills breed each summer.

To find out more about the charity, its upcoming events and boat trips visit www.seabird.org

©Nicol Nicholson

Scottish Seabird Centre

Annual General Meeting

Join us in the Borders for this year’s AGM This year, our Annual General Meeting will be held at the Scottish Borders Campus of Heriot-Watt University on Saturday 21 September. If you wish to attend, please complete the booking form overleaf or visit scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/ agmbooking EVENT PROGRAMME

10.30 Registration and refreshments 11.00 AGM 12.00 Presentations and questions 12.30 Free light lunch 13.30 Optional guided walk 15.30 Close

NOTICE is hereby given that the 55th AGM of the Scottish Wildlife Trust will be held on Saturday 21 September in The Main Hall, Heriot-Watt University, Scottish Borders Campus, Nether Road, Galashiels, TD1 3HF, from 11am to 12.30pm.

A light lunch will be provided, followed by the opportunity to join a guided walk of the local area. We would like to thank the Central Borders Local Group for helping to organise this event.

AGENDA

1. To approve the minutes from the 54th AGM held at the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF. 2. To receive the Council’s report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2019. The Annual Report and Financial Statements can be downloaded from the Trust’s website. Copies are available on request from the Company Secretary. Copies will also be available at the AGM.

3. To re-appoint auditors of the Trust: RSM, Centenary House, 69 Wellington Street, Glasgow, G2 6HG. 4. To note co-option of members to Council.

5. Any other relevant business. All other business must be notified to the Company Secretary by 30 August 2019.

Susan McKenzie (Company Secretary) Registered Office: Scottish Wildlife Trust, Harbourside House, 110 Commercial Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6NF.

© Alison Smith JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 23

Annual General Meeting

Venue information

Gala Water Dale

Neth er R d

Heriot-Watt University, Scottish Borders Campus, Nether Road, Galashiels TD1 3HF Larc

Heriot-Watt University Scottish Borders Campus

hba

the No.74 to the HeriotWatt car park, or it is around a 15-minute walk (0.7 miles).

BY CAR: The Heriot-Watt campus is located off the A7, just north of the Kingsknowe roundabout.

Free car parking is available at the venue’s main car park.

Tw ee

st on in

Rd

ot

A60

A7

91

le Bo

Book your place Please complete the booking form below using CAPITALS and return to: Membership Department, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Harbourside House, 110 Commercial Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6NF (by 2 September). Alternatively, book your place online at scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/agmbooking

11.00-15.30

Saturday 21 Septemb er (AGM 11.00-12.30)

Name of first member

I/we wish to attend (please tick all appropriate) AGM only

Light lunch

Guided walk Please use this space to let us know about any access requirements you may have

Membership number Name of second member (if applicable) Contact address Postcode Telephone Email Please note that this is a ticketless event. If you have any questions about your booking, please contact the Membership team on 0131 312 4700 or email membership@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk

24 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

Rd

W

d

fo

Tw ee

Rd

dR d

la

ACCESSIBILITY: The site is fully accessible, with lift access to The Main Hall.

Winst on Rd

ENTRANCE

sid e

BY BUS: The X95 bus, operated by Borders Buses, runs hourly from Edinburgh to Galashiels, stopping on Abbotsford Road near the fire station.

From there, you can catch

Rd

Rd

BY TRAIN: The HeriotWatt campus is 1.3 miles from Galashiels Train Station on Stirling Street.

Several local buses run between the train station and the Heriot-Watt campus.

Tw eed

nk S t

Ga

Galashiels has good rail and road connections.

We would strongly recommend that guests use public transport options where possible.

St

Please state if you have any special dietary requirements (please tick) Vegetarian

Vegan

Coeliac

Nut allergy

Other (please specify) _____________________________________

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II SWAROVSKI OPTIK SUPPLIER OF BINOCULARS

EL LIMITLESS PERFECTION SEE THE UNSEEN

Beavers: A moment in time

A moment

IN TIME When Scotland’s beavers achieved European Protected Species status on 1 May, it marked a milestone in Scottish conservation. Rich Rowe reflects on the journey to this point – and what comes next.

26 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

Beavers: A moment in time

A

glance around the room said it all.

On 1 May this year, key figures from the project partners involved in the Scottish Beaver Trial gathered in Edinburgh to celebrate the historic moment when Scotland’s beavers achieved European Protected Species status. They were joined by Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, who, a decade ago, played her own part in this landmark conservation project.

For many who were there, it marked the culmination of almost 25 years of work by countless organisations and dedicated individuals to return beavers to Scotland – the first time that a mammal has been officially reintroduced in the UK.

Now, more than ever, it’s vital that people see and believe that change can take place.

European Protected Species status means that it is now illegal to carry out a range of activities, including killing beavers or destroying established dams and lodges, without a licence. The importance of the moment cannot be overstated, not just for Scotland’s beavers but also as a symbol of what can be achieved.

“I think this moment represents making the impossible possible,” says Jo Pike, Chief Executive of the Trust. “Now, more than ever, it’s vital that people see and believe that change can take place.

At times like this, it’s incredibly important to pause for thought and look back at what can be achieved when different stakeholders come together.”

Such legal protection is a further key step forward following a five-year trial reintroduction programme that began in 2009 when the Trust and its project partners, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and what is now Forestry and Land Scotland, undertook the first licensed release of wild beavers in Scotland after their absence of more than 400 years.

Centred on the mosaic of heavily wooded slopes and waterways of Knapdale Forest in the heart of Argyll, the Scottish Beaver Trial became one of the largest and most comprehensive field trials of its kind in

Roseanna Cunningham and Allan Bantick at a beaver release in May 2009

Europe. With independent scientific monitoring carried out by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the aim of the trial was to enable the Scottish Government to make an informed decision on the future of a species that had been hunted to extinction in Scotland in the 16th Century.

When the subsequent report on the trial was presented to the Scottish Government in 2015, it led to an announcement the following year that beavers could remain in Scotland – a ruling that also applied to a separate, unofficial population of beavers on Tayside, which had grown following escapes or illegal releases from private collections.

A LONG ROAD

In many ways, reintroducing a species such as the beaver should have been relatively easy. Unrivalled ecosystem engineers, beavers are a keystone species that increase the health and resilience of the natural environment through their coppicing, feeding and, in some cases, dam-building activities.

As well as boosting biodiversity, these supremely adapted wetland mammals also provide us with a range of ecosystem services – from reducing the risk of flooding downstream to filtering pollution – as well as delivering economically by creating opportunities for wildlife tourism.

But to say that it has been a long and winding road to this point would be something of an understatement, for the story of the beaver’s return to Scotland is almost a quarter of

a century in the making. Rewind to the early 1990s and more than 200 beaver translocation projects had taken place across 25 European countries – but the UK remained a hold-out. However, in 1995, SNH took up the challenge of building a thorough case for reintroducing beavers to Scotland.

Following a decade of research, reviews and studies, SNH submitted a licence application for a trial reintroduction in Knapdale. However, the application was turned down by the then Scottish Government on the grounds that the impact on protected areas of woodland and the exit strategy should the trial fail were unacceptable.

It was around this time that a broader conversation began, with the Scottish Wildlife Trust speaking to ministers behind the scenes about revisiting plans for a trial reintroduction. A change in government saw more of a shared vision for biodiversity in Scotland – with new impetus leading to SNH taking a step back and the formation of a partnership between the Trust and RZSS to build the case for a trial reintroduction.

In 2008, a new licence application was submitted for the release of Norwegian beavers, again in Knapdale. This time, it was approved by Scottish Ministers.

Roseanna Cunningham MSP – then the Scottish Government’s Environment Minister – helped release the first wild beavers in Scotland the following year at Loch Coille Bharr.

One man who knows more than most about what it took even to get to that point is Allan Bantick, the founding chair of the JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 27

Beavers: A moment in time

steering group for the Scottish Beaver Trial. “I must admit, I was terrified to begin with as this was clearly a project that would have a great deal of profile,” he recalls.

He also realised very early on just what a hot potato he had taken on.

“Whereas the general public were largely on board, there was a great deal of hostility and suspicion from landowners and estates,” says Allan.

However, the initial anger started to diminish as people began to understand more about the trial – and the animals themselves. He also cites SNH’s creation of the National Species Reintroduction Forum as being particularly helpful in calming some of the rhetoric. With representatives from conservation organisations, government departments, landowners and estates, plus the farming, fishing and other interests, the forum gave everyone a voice.

“It was a masterstroke,” believes Allan. “At the time, we had the Beaver Trial plus sea eagles being introduced into other parts of Scotland, so SNH felt that there needed to be a forum within which the whole question of reintroductions could be discussed openly by all concerned parties.”

Given all the challenges, it’s perhaps no surprise that Allan admits he has hardly stopped grinning since beavers were granted European Protected

28 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

I’d really like to see beavers expand their range and for the Scottish Government to consider further releases in other parts of the country.

Species status. “Looking back, it just makes reaching this point all the more delicious,” he smiles.

NEXT STEPS

But while European Protected Species status marks the end of one chapter in the story of Scottish beavers, it is also the beginning of another. What happens now is as important as what has gone before.

An immediate priority is to maintain a viable population in Knapdale. Since 2017, the Trust has worked with partners on the Scottish Beavers Reinforcement Project which allows for a total of 28 additional animals to be introduced over a period of three years. To date, 14 animals have been released. Ironically, such reinforcement is necessary precisely because of the geographical challenges of the area itself. While the area’s complex ‘knap’ and ‘dale’ landscape and loch systems were well-suited to keeping the trial population of beavers in one place, it has proved less helpful in terms of families of beavers meeting and extending their range.

“Since we started increasing the

population, there has been more movement between catchments, so that’s good to see,” explains Gill Dowse, the Trust’s Knowledge and Evidence Manager, and another key figure in the trial since its very beginning.

With the Norwegian animals used for the initial trial at Knapdale representing a limited gene pool, the aim is to boost the genetic stock of the population by translocating beavers from Tayside. The animals there all originate from Bavaria, with more recent research by RZSS showing that the two populations are not genetically distinct.

“Ideally, we would like to see breeding pairs in Knapdale as a result of the translocations,” says Dr Helen Senn, Head of Conservation and Science Promgrammes at RZSS. “The original trial was intended to test what is possible with a small number of beavers, but for a population to be healthy long into the future it’s important to have a good mix of genetic diversity.”

Meanwhile, a second key priority is to ensure that the management framework drawn up to accompany

Beavers: A moment in time

The water level of Dubh Loch has been raised through the activity of beavers – from the air, the old path that is now submerged is obvious

legal protection for Scottish beavers is fair, balanced and transparent to all.

It should, says the Trust, carefully balance the protection of beavers and the ability to extend their range across the country, with the understanding that, in some cases, land managers must be able to deal with localised negative impacts caused by the animals.

At the time of writing, SNH, which oversees the licensing system, had held several training sessions for those who may need to undertake lethal control in the future. Attending a training session is compulsory for anyone wishing to become an accredited controller, but that doesn’t mean licences are automatically given; they must be applied for separately, with licences granted for dam removal and translocation, as well as lethal control.

“We believe that the framework needs to be there and that the needs of everyone must be taken into account,” says Jo Pike. “However, it is equally important to ensure that lethal control is only ever used as a last resort – and only in exceptional circumstances between April and August when beaver kits are

dependent on their mothers – and that this does not threaten the successful spread of beavers into other parts of Scotland.”

There are concerns, however, that the balance could be skewed towards control. “When numbers of beavers themselves are still only around 500 in Scotland,” says Gill, “it will be very important to monitor the population regularly. We’d like to see this monitoring built into a national conservation action plan for beavers now that European Protected Species status has been granted.”

Little wonder then that the Trust plans to keep an extremely close eye on how the framework is implemented.

“Transparency will be important at this next stage, so that we can properly assess the impacts of beavers on people and vice versa,” confirms Jo.

RESTORING BALANCE

Like many with a long history of working with the animals, Gill believes the challenges that have been experienced on Tayside, where the potential conflict between beavers and

prime agricultural land is high, should not colour the future spread of the species.

“I’d really like to see beavers expand their range and for the Scottish Government to consider further releases in other parts of the country where there is less conflict with people,” she comments. “We know they are already as far west as Crianlarich and, at some point, we’d love to see the Knapdale and Tayside populations meet up.”

For the Trust – at last, after so many years of work – it is now possible to imagine a day when beavers are present and accepted as part of the scenery in many parts of Scotland.

“We’ve always said that this is as much about people as beavers,” says Jo. “It’s about restoring the balance of nature that we have thrown so badly off-course – and reappraising how we live alongside species other than ourselves.

“Given the multitude of benefits they provide, I see legal protection for beavers as a pivotal step in the transformation of Scotland’s landscape.”

Rich Rowe is an outdoors writer based in Innerleithen, Scottish Borders. richardrowe.co.uk JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 29

Q&A

Q&A

OLY Hemmings and Pete Creech are the founders of the Heart of Argyll Wildlife Organisation. For the last three years, they have been guiding groups of visitors on wildlife walks and events from the Barrandaimh Beaver and Wildlife Visitor Centre in Knapdale.

Oly, what has been your most memorable moment on a wildlife tour?

One memorable moment for me happened at the start of an evening beaver walk with a large group of guests.

We arrived at the loch and I turned to tell the group not to set their hopes of seeing a beaver too high because of the size of the group. I was interrupted midsentence by one of the guests, proudly announcing that a beaver happened to be sitting in the water about five metres behind me. Who says animals don’t have a sense of humour!

As a local wildlife organisation, what part have you played in the return of beavers to Scotland?

We have a contract with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland as part of the Scottish Beavers project to monitor 30 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

Oly Hemmings and Pete Creech Heart of Argyll Wildlife Organisation

the beavers in Knapdale which generally involves setting up a lot of trailcams.

With our visitor centre and guided walks, we’ve also been the public face of beavers in Knapdale for some time.

People come from far and wide to see the beavers, and we’re able to provide them with information on what has happened here over the ten years since the first releases. We hope to educate and inspire the visitors, locals and schoolchildren we work with about beavers and the various benefits they bring.

Pete, what environmental changes have you seen in Knapdale since beavers were released?

We’ve been lucky enough to witness first-hand the great transformation that’s happened so far within the landscape over the cycle of beaver activity. New wetland habitat has been created following the beavers building dams.

This has then boosted numbers of invertebrates, amphibians, fish and waterfowl in the area. And when the beavers move on to a different area, the water levels recede, leaving fertile meadows rich in vegetation. All of this

has led to an increased diversity of wildlife in the area.

Do you think that local businesses have also seen a positive change since the Scottish Beaver Trial?

There have definitely been economic benefits, too – the increase in tourism has given a boost to many local businesses, not least our own! Our jobs rely on the beaver’s presence in Knapdale – around 80% of our visitors tell us they are coming to the area to see beavers. Other businesses that have benefited range from wildlife photography tour providers to hoteliers, B&B owners and local eateries.

What are your top tips for looking for beavers?

A still evening, plenty of midge repellent, a lot of patience and the ability to stay up late or get up early are all necessary for beaver watching. Also remember to listen out as well as watch – they are very noisy eaters!

For information on upcoming walks and events, visit argyllbeavercentre.co.uk

Acoustic environment

SOUNDSCAPE ECOLOGY Opening your ears to conservation

In our highly visual culture, we can be guilty of paying too little attention to the sounds around us. Yet sounds can tell us much about what is happening in the world, explains Ewan Klein.

W

hen was the last time you stopped what you were doing and just listened? The sounds we hear can tell us much about our environment. On a spring day we might hear hungry chicks calling to be fed, children playing in the local park, a telephone ringing in a nearby house. All these sounds form a ‘soundscape’ unique to the location that you are in.

The term soundscape was coined by analogy with landscape to capture the idea that the sounds we perceive form a rich and nuanced acoustic environment.

We can broadly categorise sound according to its origins. Sound created by birds, mammals, insects and other animals is termed ‘biophony’, while the sounds created by human activity is termed ‘anthropophony’. Soundscape ecology studies the relationships between these types of sound and how different organisms interact acoustically with their environment.

Many animals use sound to communicate within social groups: to attract a mate, to announce the arrival of a predator, for navigation and for territory holding. There is a rich tradition 32 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

of scientists making field recordings of animal sounds around the globe, resulting in extensive audio libraries covering many species – much of which is now available online. With sound recording equipment improving all the time, it’s now possible to collect acoustic data around the clock, yielding rich information such as the presence and daily activity of certain species in a specific area. The technology has to date been used to monitor bats, birds, frogs, crickets, marine mammals, elephants and even some fish.

As well as studying specific species, researchers have tried to account for the way in which soundscapes are structured. For example, the ‘acoustic niche hypothesis’ proposes that animals such as birds and insects will tend to make their vocalisations stand out by pitching them at a frequency different to that used by other species that typically

live alongside them. That is, the available frequency ranges somehow become shared out between species so that there is minimal overlapping.

It’s not surprising that there is evidence to suggest that the increasing noise that humans create, for example from road traffic and industrial activity, can have a negative effect on biodiversity. In the case of birds, anthropophony can block out sounds which signal danger and can also interfere with the messages that males use to defend territory and attract mates.

Some species have learned to compensate for this, with urban bird populations having different behaviours from their forest counterparts. One strategy exploits the so-called ‘Lombard effect’ – like humans at a cocktail party, birds will raise the volume of their sounds to overcome the background noise level.

Other responses are to shift the time of singing activity to avoid urban rush hour,

The increasing noise that humans create… can have a negative effect on biodiversity.

Acoustic environment

The CitySounds project captured the urban soundscape for six hours from midnight to 6am on 13 June 2018

or to raise the pitch of songs to avoid them being drowned out by low-frequency traffic rumbles.

Reducing ambient noise is good for both humans and wildlife, yet mitigating the acoustic effects of road traffic – for example, by erecting noise barriers or making road surfaces more porous – is expensive and often not feasible in city centres. As well as reducing noise pollution in general, planners are recognising the importance of preserving and enhancing existing ‘quiet areas’, including parks and private gardens.

From a wildlife conservation perspective, more research is required on the noise sensitivity of different animals and whether, for example, targeting noise reduction measures

during the breeding season can achieve significant benefits.

In the CitySounds project, which included Edinburgh Living Landscape as a key partner, we set the goal of capturing a comprehensive ‘picture’ of an urban soundscape, using recording equipment in trees. Our initial focus was on the sounds that can be detected in the Meadows, a busy city-centre greenspace.

Our follow-on project, ParkLife, has expanded the scope to embrace three other parks within the city and also to integrate information from social media about human use of the greenspaces. As well as looking for acoustic indicators of biodiversity, we are interested in the variety of sounds produced by human activities beyond background traffic: for

example street music, festivals, recreational games, emergency sirens, and so on.

We are still in the process of collecting this unique and substantial soundscape dataset and although we have not carried out significant analysis of the data, we can begin to observe patterns. The image, left, spans six hours from midnight to 6am on 13 June 2018. Towards the right-hand side of the image, an increase in spectral activity is noticeable. This correlates to what we would expect about 4am on the morning in question – dawn was 3:56am in Edinburgh that day.

Longer term, we hope to be able to use artificial intelligence to detect and recognise different categories of events within a noisy city soundscape. This will give us more precise tools for understanding soundscape ecology, which in turn will help us to be smarter and more effective in reducing our acoustic impact on the natural world.

Ewan Klein is Professor Emeritus of Language Technology at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics. For more information on the CitySounds project, visit iot.ed.ac.uk/ projects/edinburgh-citysounds JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 33

34 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

The big picture

© Phil Johnston

THE BIG PICTURE Phil Johnston

AS REEDBED specialists, bearded tits (or bearded reedlings as they are also known) have declined across Britain as land use has changed and reedbed habitats have become fewer and further between.

Today, there are an estimated 630 breeding pairs in the UK, with one of the largest populations occurring along the River Tay. Phil Johnston, an Edinburgh-based wildlife photographer who specialises

in bird photography, captured this beautiful shot among the Tay reedbeds.

“I had heard about bearded reedlings on the River Tay a few years ago and went to see if I could get lucky with them,” explains Phil. “Following a rough map I was given, I found the spot where the birds come down to consume grit.

It was a matter of just waiting.

“After an hour or so I heard their distinctive ‘ping’ calls getting louder through the dense reeds. Then finally a

flock of about 20 to 30 appeared and landed right in front of me! It was an amazing sight to behold.

“I was lying down in the mud and captured this image of a male that posed perfectly for me on some rocks.”

To see more of Phil’s photography, visit flickr.com/photos/122593843@N04 Camera: Nikon D7100; Lens: Nikon 500mm F4 G VR; Shutter speed: 1/640; Aperture: f4 ISO: 400 JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 35

Watch out for

Watch out for...

Some things to enjoy over the coming months Mobile

Where to Watch Birds in Scotland From the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) Available on the App Store and Google Play, Free

36 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

365 Days Wild

by Lucy McRobert Published by William Collins ISBN 978-0008292423 Paperback RRP £16.99 THE Wildlife Trust’s 30 Days Wild campaign challenges everyone to do one random act of wildness every day in June. But why stop after just a month?

In her first book, Lucy McRobert provides an impressive assortment of ideas for an entire year of living that little bit closer to nature.

From DIY projects such as building moth traps and making elderflower gin, to learning to identify a new species and increasing your vocabulary of wild words, this book is packed full of inspirational ways to engage with the nature on your

doorstep. McRobert’s passion for injecting wildness into the day-to-day lives of ordinary people bursts from every page, and with clear benefits to both the participant and the local wildlife, it’s no wonder. In her words: “A wild life is a happier, healthier life.”

Event

Great Scottish Squirrel Survey 23-29 September, 2019 THIS autumn sees the launch of the first Great Scottish Squirrel Survey.

During National Red Squirrel Week, the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project is calling on people to get outdoors, explore nature and be on the lookout for tufted ears and bushy tails.

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels monitors squirrel populations throughout the year, but autumn is a particularly rewarding time for squirrelwatching as they busy themselves gathering food and preparing for the colder months ahead.

Both red and grey squirrel sightings should be reported during the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey, which will help to provide a snapshot of the situation, helping the project

© Steve Gardner

AFTER nearly three years of research and development, this free SOC app provides a unique and valuable resource to birders of all experiences.

Nearly 400 birdwatching sites in Scotland are included (and others will continue to be added), with comprehensive details on each site including location information, the best season to visit and what rare species have been seen at the site.

The recent sightings section on each location’s page allows you to see the very latest species spotted at the site. And if there is a particular species that you are desperate to get your binoculars on, you can find out which locations it has been recorded at across the country.

While this easy to use app doesn’t include any information on bird identification, it is an incredibly useful tool to help you plan and make the most of your next day birding.

Reading

understand how populations are changing over time and to decide where to focus its conservation efforts.

Visit the project website at scottishsquirrels.org.uk if you would like to find out more.

Watch out for

Prize draw

Win a culinary adventure in Ardnamurchan

K

ilcamb Lodge Hotel is hills and beaches, with the the only 4-star hotel Scottish Wildlife Trust’s and 3AA Rosette Rahoy Hills Wildlife Reserve Restaurant on the beautiful just a half-hour’s drive away.

Ardnamurchan Peninsula.

It would be hard to Voted by its customers as imagine a setting more the best UK Boutique Hotel beguiling than this beautiful 2019, Kilcamb Lodge lochside hideaway. is also the winner Famous far and READER of the best wide for dining OFFER Pet-friendly excellence, its Hotel. menu features Gourmet Dine & Stay This accomplished Two nights’ dinner, bed and beautiful cuisine, breakfast for two, for £530 boutique delicious You will be greeted with Afternoon Tea and Scones on arrival. Then enjoy hotel is set fresh fish and sumptuous meals from the à la carte within shellfish, or seven-course tasting menu, prepared by 3AA Rosette 22 acres of Scottish beef Head Chef Gary Philips. meadow near and venison. the head of Loch A more relaxed Sunart. It is a perfect Brasserie menu is base for exploring the local available for those seeking

less formal dining. Luxury rooms and suites offer comfort and style for your stay, as does the excellent team of helpful, friendly and professional staff.

Kilcamb is a member of Scotland’s Hotels of

Distinction, www.hotelsof-distinction.com To be in with a chance of winning an overnight stay for two with dinner and breakfast, enter our superb competition.

To enter, tell us which peninsula the Kilcamb Lodge Hotel sits on.

Send your entry to Scottish Wildlife Trust Competition, c/o Connect Publications, Studio 2001, Mile End, Seedhill Road, Paisley, PA1 1JS.

Terms and Conditions: Prize cannot be redeemed during weekends and special events.

Black out dates may apply and the prize is subject to availability. Prize must be redeemed within six months of winner being notified. This data will be used by Connect Publications (Scotland) Ltd solely for the purpose of managing the competition.

100%

organic cotton clothing range now available online

“I’m proud to be fighting for Scotland’s wildlife. Join me in supporting the Scottish Wildlife Trust and get your t-shirt today.”

Gordon Buchanan

Wildlife Filmmaker and Presenter

scottishwildlifetrust.teemill.com JULY 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 37

Talking point

WE HEAR Y’D LOVE TO O OF SUPUR STORIES PORTI NG THE TR UST

NEW FEATURE

Talking Point

Talk to us on Twitte r: @Sc otWild Faceb life ook: fa scottish cebook.com / or ema wildlifetrust il us: e n quiries @scott ishwild lifetrus t. org.uk

Art, awareness and advocacy - here, we look at three ways that people are helping to support the work of the Trust.

Fly fishing

Street adverts RAISING awareness of the Trust is essential for continuing our growth and impact as a conservation charity, but many forms of advertising come with a big price tag.

So when Emily Johnston and her business partner got in touch offering some free advertising space around Dundee and Perth, we jumped at the opportunity!

“After speaking with a Trust recruiter at the Dundee Ethical Market, we signed up as members but felt like we wanted to do more,” she said.

“Our company provides advertising space, primarily for promoting local arts and culture, but we felt so passionately about the Trust’s work that we wanted to offer free space.”

38 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2019

WHEN illness struck in 2015, Gwyn Winter turned to art as a coping strategy.

What began as a form of therapy quickly became an all-consuming passion, and one that she was able to combine with her lifelong love of wildlife.

Self-taught as an artist, Gwyn won the Earth Hour Challenge art competition in March, so we were delighted when she got in touch offering to do a pastel painting of an osprey that we might auction as a fundraiser to support our work.

“Through my art I hope to

help raise awareness of the plight of some of our most iconic and endangered specie,” explains Gwyn.

“Ospreys are a bird very close to my heart after seeing one catch a fish at Loch Rannoch so it has been a

great pleasure painting one for the Trust.”

The work, “Fly Fishing”, will be auctioned from July 8 on the Trust’s eBay account.

To see more of Gwyn’s work, visit gwynwinter.co.uk

The determination to make a difference GIULIO BIONDI is a 29-year-old Italian with a thirst for knowledge, a passion for nature and a determination to change the fate of the environment.

Having represented young people on our volunteer strategic review in 2018, Giulio became the Trust’s first official Young Leader.

He has now been joined by 11 other young people, all of whom share his ambition to protect and restore our natural world. “I have been an advocate for the

environment since I was a child,” Giulio said. “I guess it’s just something that has always resonated with me.

“Growing up, I have become increasingly aware of the importance that a healthy and functional ecosystem has for the wellbeing of all lifeforms on Earth, including ours.”

Most recently, Giulio organised a clean-up event at Sighthill, Edinburgh, for his employer and has been planting native trees and shrubs along the Leith shore

for the Edinburgh Shoreline Project, part of the Trust-led Edinburgh Living Landscape.

All of this he does voluntarily.

When asked what one message he would like to tell members of the Trust, Giulio said: “If you’re reading this, you already care about the environment, but sadly a lot of other people still don’t.

“Our first job should be to help them change their mind and appreciate the value of nature. If we are to succeed, we need as much help as we can get.”