Number 112 | March 2024
60 years of action
Reflecting on six decades of protecting Scotland’s wildlife
Spot the difference
Know your swallows, swifts and martins
Reserve portrait
Longhaven Cliffs, Aberdeenshire
Calum Maclean
On saying goodbye to the ‘jumping tree’
Awarm welcome to the first issue of Scottish Wildlife in 2024. To mark our 60th anniversary year, we’ve made a few changes to our flagship publication, taking on board the valuable feedback we’ve received from members. These include new features, such as a seasonal spread with information on things to do and see over the coming months, as well as accessibility improvements related to how we print text.
It’s not the first time that the Trust has refreshed its communications, of course. Looking through our collection of historical documents recently, I was delighted to come across the very first issue of the newly revamped Scottish Wildlife magazine, published in the summer of 1987.
By that time, the Trust was already 23 years old and had built quite a following. Inside was a short news piece celebrating the success of a recent fundraising event in Edinburgh – a night at the Playhouse with none other than comedy legend Billy Connolly. Two sentences in particular caught my eye: “Billy confessed that saving Scotland’s wildlife was not a major concern during his childhood in Glasgow. In fact, he rather considered that he was part of Glasgow’s wildlife.”
It’s easy to imagine the Playhouse audience roaring with laughter at that moment – it was a full house that night – but the punchline also hints at a deeper truth: the fact that people are part of nature.
Being part of nature is perhaps why spending time in the natural world –whether in a peaceful woodland, a rugged landscape or a garden filled with birdsong – is so good for our mental wellbeing.
That link is increasingly well documented. But I believe it goes further than that. People who see themselves as part of nature are not only more likely to want to protect and restore
People who see themselves as part of nature are ... likely to be happier.
our delicate ecosystems; they’re likely to be happier.
At least, that idea would fit with the conclusions from an interesting experiment led by Dr Virginia Sturm, an associate professor of neurology and behavioural sciences at the University of California. In the study, which documented the wellbeing benefits of taking regular outdoor walks over an eight-week period, one group was given a special focus on cultivating a sense of ‘awe’ at what they saw around them. This included noticing the beauty of nature.
When examining the results, researchers made a surprise observation. When asked to take selfies at the end of each walk, those who were encouraged to experience a sense of awe not only grew gradually happier over the eight weeks but they also became smaller in their own pictures. It seems that
understanding we’re part of something bigger makes us focus less on ourselves, increasing our happiness.
It feels like an appropriate time to reflect on this, as we work towards getting as many people as possible behind the effort to halt nature’s decline and accelerate its recovery. Looking back over six decades of working to protect and restore Scotland’s wildlife – all of wildlife, across all of Scotland – there are many achievements to celebrate.
But we know that the work of the Scottish Wildlife Trust will be needed just as much, if not more, in the years to come. Helping more people to see that we are part of nature, that we need to help nature as nature helps us, could perhaps be the most important step in that journey. We’ll find ourselves caring better for our environment and be happier as a result.
Big picture
Bank vole, by Karen Miller News
News round-up from the Trust and the world of conservation Pioneers
34
Rebecca Crawford on boosting engagement in marine policy Viewpoint
Calum Maclean reflects on the loss of an iconic tree by the River Tay
Seasons
Natural spectacles and how to help wildlife this spring Species spotlight
The bizarre world of the common cuttlefish Reserve portrait
Longhaven Cliffs – high drama on the coast near Peterhead
Watch out for Things to enjoy in the coming months PLUS competition
Scottish Wildlife is published by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, a Scottish registered charity (no. SC005792) and company limited by guarantee (no. SC040247). Registered office: Harbourside House, 110 Commercial Street, Edinburgh EH6 6NF. Tel: 0131 312 7765.
Patron: The former Duke of Rothesay. Chair: Kenny Taylor. Vice-Chairs: Tim Duffy, Ian Jardine, Bill Lambert. Chief Executive: Jo Pike. 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.
Moments in time
As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, Rich Rowe highlights the Trust’s role in key moments during our history while, later, three influential figures reflect on their own career- and life-defining roles with the Trust
Living the sky life
As swallows, swifts and martins make a welcome return to Scottish skies, Lindsay Quayle explores the behavioural quirks and differences between these treasured harbingers of spring
Scottish Wildlife is published three times a year –March, July and November – and is free to members of the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Managing Editor: Pete Haskell – editor@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk
Contributing Editor: Rich Rowe
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For me, photography is all about being outside in the company of wildlife, learning the behaviours and trying to capture something of the essence of the animal.
At one of my regular woodland spots, I’d scattered a handful of hazelnuts hoping to attract some of the local red squirrels down. The bank voles that live in old tree stumps all around kept darting out and stealing the nuts. Initially I was a little irritated as the nuts were for the squirrels, but it didn’t take long to notice just how adorable they were.
Voles are extremely nervous out in the open, so when leaving the safety of their burrows they would sometimes stand on their back legs and sniff the air, checking for danger. I call this their ‘Tommy Cooper’ look! It didn’t happen very often, so was a real joy when I managed to photograph it.
Karen MillerCamera: Nikon D500; Lens: Nikkor 500mm pf f5.6; Shutter speed: 1/400; Aperture: f6.3; ISO: 2800
karenmillerphotography.co.uk
LAST month, the Trust launched a new community-focused website designed to inspire and support communities to take action for nature.
Developed as part of the Nextdoor Nature project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the site includes a series of immersive case studies showcasing some of the best examples of community-led conservation in Scotland.
The case studies – which are a mix of written, audio and video content –range in scale from a group of residents in the Ayrshire village of Symington, who are boosting habitat for their local pollinators, to the population of Eigg, who purchased the island more than 26 years ago and have managed it for both wildlife and people ever since.
“While we’ve only been able to feature a handful of examples, there are many
fantastic stories of communities pulling together and taking action for wildlife in Scotland,” commented Pete Haskell, the Trust’s Head of Communications and Engagement.
“Many of these begin with just one or two determined individuals wanting to see change happen but communities can and do rally behind a cause.
“We hope that the inspiring stories presented on our new website will give more people the confidence to start the proverbial ball rolling where they live.”
The website also includes a growing resource library designed to support communities in delivering action for nature.
Through the Nextdoor Nature project, the Trust has worked with more than 30 communities across Scotland so far via its Pioneers Programme, designed to give participants the necessary
skills required to lead action for nature where they live.
Thanks to an extension of the project to the end of October, a fourth cohort of individuals will now be supported through the programme.
From April to September, the project team will work with people from communities in Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian. Past participants of the programme have gone on to create community wildlife gardens, design local nature trails and support people in becoming more connected with local wildlife.
For more, visit community. scottishwildlifetrust. org.uk or scan the QR code.
OUR Montrose Basin Wildlife Reserve is one of the largest roost sites for pink-footed geese in the UK, with many birds also using the reserve as a stopoff point before continuing further south. It’s likely that more than 100,000 pinkies pass through the Basin between September and November.
The 2023 season started with their early arrival at the very beginning of September, with numbers gradually increasing throughout the month.
On 15 October 2023, counters with the Icelandic-Breeding Goose Census recorded 46,705 pink-footed geese – the peak number for 2023. The census repeated the survey on
19 November, logging 23,185 pinkfooted geese.
While these numbers are lower than some recent years, the November count is considered high for the time of year which suggests that many remained in the area, perhaps due to the increased number of roosting sites created by the flooding during the previous month.
On New Year’s Day, our Montrose Basin Visitor Centre staff welcomed over 50 visitors to get their 2024 birding list off to a flying start. In all, they recorded 53 bird species. This included expected sightings of pink-footed geese, tree sparrows and eider ducks, plus some more unusual ones such as water rail and long-tailed duck.
COUL Links – a delicate sand dune ecosystem in East Sutherland and a site with three levels of national and international designation – continues to be under threat from a proposed golf course development.
Members may recall that the Trust, along with a coalition of other organisations, fought to protect this site between 2017 and 2020 following an application to develop it into a golf course. Fortunately, having called in the plans and following a public inquiry in which we gave evidence, the Scottish Government denied planning permission for the development.
But in April 2022, a second and very similar application was proposed and in December 2023, the Highland Council accepted the plans. Again, the Trust and other organisations in the coalition flagged environmental concerns to the
Scottish Government. In February, we were pleased to learn that the government has called in the plans for review once more, meaning they will make the final decision on whether the development can proceed.
For more information on the site and our campaign to protect it, visit scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/coul-links
WE are delighted to have recently launched our first public-facing Riverwoods fundraising appeal. This appeal has been significantly enhanced thanks to the generosity of one of our Major Donors, who has pledged an outstanding £50,000 in match funding to this appeal. From this pledge, every £1 donated to Riverwoods will be matched, unlocking up to a potential £100,000 for this critical initiative.
Riverwoods aspires to develop and enhance a network of thriving riverbank (or riparian) woodlands and healthy river systems across Scotland. These woodlands support thousands of plants, invertebrates and mammals, whilst providing communities with countless benefits.
But these biologically rich habitats are facing unprecedented risk. Agricultural intensification, increased urban development and improper afforestation have all contributed to river woodland decline. Combined, these issues have eroded woodlands’ natural ability to mitigate against flood risk, capture carbon and provide havens for wildlife.
This partnership project will create healthier, more robust waterways across Scotland. Over the current phase, 100 hectares of native riparian woodlands will be planted in three demonstration areas across Scotland, a Digital Centre of Excellence for knowledge exchange and best practice will be developed, and engagement activities will be delivered around the country.
To support Riverwoods or get involved, visit scottishwildlifetrust. org.uk/riverwoods
Sarah Robinson Director of ConservationSee page 10 for details of the Riverwoods showcase.
In brief
BY using a small, transportable Alaskan sawmill, reserve staff at Carstramon Wood in Dumfries & Galloway undertook on-site milling of non-native larch they had felled. The resulting timber was used by the team to repair a bridge on the reserve.
THE Trust would like to thank everyone who has bought bottles of our Connell’s Wild Scotland Gin from Selkirk Distillers. The first batch of 103 bottles raised £721 in donations. A new batch is now ready, making it the perfect way to celebrate our 60th anniversary on 14 April. Buy now at scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/gin
OUR network of Wildlife Watch groups for young people has gained two fantastic new additions: Muiravonside Wildlife Watch group and the Orkney Junior Wildlife Watch group. Discover where your nearest group meets on our website.
THANK you to everyone who took part in the consultation following the Trust’s decision to step back from managing Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre in Grangemouth. We are pleased that, as a result of the consultation, TCV, Buglife and Under the Trees have all expressed an interest in collaborating to secure a future for the site. Options are currently being explored.
IN celebration of our 60th anniversary year and recognising that Scotland has a rich history of storytelling, plans are afoot for a nature storytelling campaign this year. It will include a programme of events on reserves (see page 32), a podcast series and a national competition. Further details will be made available on our website.
DURING the fifth annual Great Scottish Squirrel Survey held over a week in October, nearly 2,000 squirrel sightings were reported.
Mapping the records confirms that the Highlands of Scotland remain a haven for red squirrels and free from greys thanks to the hard work of staff, landowners, partner organisations and volunteers working along the diagonal Highland Boundary Fault Line to prevent grey incursion northwards.
The results of the survey also reflect the significant success of efforts in Aberdeen over recent years, with only very small numbers reported from the city and its outskirts.
In the South of Scotland, a mix of the two species remain with volunteer groups working hard to lower grey densities in the region.
Sightings of both species can be reported year-round at scottishsquirrels.org.uk/squirrel-sightings
WE were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our former Chair, Allan Bantick OBE, an inspirational leader with a deep passion for nature, who devoted his later life to conserving Scotland’s wildlife.
As well as being Chair of the Trust between 2008 and 2014, Allan took on
several other prominent volunteer roles, including chairing the Scottish Beaver Trial and the Scottish Wildcat Action project.
Allan made an immeasurable contribution to nature conservation in Scotland and his infectious enthusiasm and determination will be greatly missed.
SINCE 2020, when two wildflower meadows were created at the Beach Park in Irvine using purchased seeds, the Irvine to Girvan Nectar Network has been pioneering the use of ‘green hay’ to transform large-scale public greenspaces into colourful native wildflower meadows for pollinators.
Working with North Ayrshire Council and agricultural contractor Hamish Gilbert, the Trust’s Nectar Network Co-ordinator, Lynne Bates, has helped the local authority to manage its meadows and create new ones too.
Wildflower meadows only require cutting once, at the end of the growing season, saving local authorities time and money compared to regular cutting during the summer. However, the cuttings must be removed to ensure the soil does not become too fertile and allow grasses to dominate.
Cutting and collecting the wildflowers just before they shed their seeds and then scattering them over a prepared new site
is an effective way to dispose of the cuttings. This is the process known as making green hay.
To date, eight hectares of wildflower meadow have been created by the Nectar Network – five of which used green hay seed from Beach Park.
Last year, with a further five meadows added, including enhancement of a site at the Trust’s Oldhall Ponds Wildlife Reserve in
WE are seeking new Trustees to help reinforce our governing body’s knowledge, expertise and diversity.
This year we would especially welcome applications from individuals with governance, legal or accounting/finance experience, as well as anyone who can help the Trust further strengthen equality, diversity and inclusion across all of its activities. We invite and encourage applicants from across
Irvine, a total of 14 large meadow sites were created, with nine of these using seed from a donor site.
The Irvine to Girvan Nectar Network is supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (managed by NatureScot) and the Fairways Foundation. Find out more at scottishwildlifetrust. org.uk/nectar-network/
Scotland and of all backgrounds. We are open, welcoming and committed to being a diverse, equal and inclusive organisation. Elected Trustees will take office for an initial term of three years from this year’s AGM which will take place in Edinburgh on Saturday 7 September (full details will appear in our next magazine).
The closing date for nominations is 31 May.
For more information, please contact Martin Cullen at mcullen@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk
WE were delighted to be associated with two awards at the 2023 Nature of Scotland Awards. Get Sett Scotland, our partnership project with Scottish Badgers, won the Health and Wellbeing category for its Whispers from the Woods & Wilds programme.
Featuring outdoor wellbeing sessions that were both inclusive and trauma-informed, the initiative fostered a sense of ‘belonging’ to Scotland’s natural environment as a key (and largely overlooked) aspect of integration.
Meanwhile, the winner of the Coasts and Waters category was Biosecurity for LIFE, a collaborative effort to safeguard Scotland’s seabird islands from invasive mammals.
The Trust participated in this project through protecting the major guillemot, razorbill, Arctic and great skua breeding colonies found on Handa Island.
Watch a short video of the Whispers from the Woods & Wilds programme at bit.ly/3w7FW7D or by scanning the QR code.
AS part of the Trust-led Riverwoods initiative, Scotland: The Big Picture has created five short films, together with accompanying articles, that highlight a range of practical interventions that can help catalyse the restoration of habitats in and around Scotland’s rivers.
Creating Riverwoods showcases a series of real-life case studies featuring landowners, gamekeepers and fisheries experts who have come together to restore the health of Scotland’s threatened rivers.
The five films each cover different themes: riparian planting; revitalising wetlands; catchment scale restoration; returning rivers to their natural state; and the role of wildlife.
Together, the case studies help increase awareness of the benefits of restoring rivers in their entirety and a wider appreciation of river health and function.
Watch the videos at bit.ly/3wdKhGw or by scanning the QR code.
WHEN the Scottish Wildlife Trust organised the inaugural World Forum on Natural Capital just over a decade ago – with partners including the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – it became the world’s first major global conference on the topic.
The Scottish Forum on Natural Capital, which was launched at that event and became part of its long-term legacy, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary at an event held at the University of Edinburgh’s Climate Change Institute.
At its heart, the concept of natural capital (comprising geology, soil, air, water and all living things) highlights that a healthy natural environment is not only something to cherish for its intrinsic value, it’s also our most precious asset. Natural capital approaches help make the case for protecting and restoring the natural world by showing us that our economy relies entirely on nature and not the other way round.
With over 150 organisational members from a diverse range of sectors, the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital has
grown into a vibrant network of ‘hubs’, collaborating around topics such as nature finance, sustainable land management, marine natural capital and nature technologies.
The Trust continues to provide the secretariat and membership has remained free, thanks to support from the Scottish Government, NatureScot and others, including the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
To find out more, visit naturalcapitalscotland.com
MAX Loraine, 14, who lives by Milkhall Pond Wildlife Reserve near Edinburgh, recently approached the reserve convenor, Peter Sykes, about undertaking work on the reserve for the volunteer module of his Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.
A small reserve that has been owned by the Trust since 1976, Milkhall Pond has been surveyed several times down the years. Its reservoir and ponds are home to mute swans, little grebes and numerous dragonflies, while an adjacent mixed woodland is rich in songbirds and mammals, with a fine understorey of flowering plants and fungi.
Using the iNaturalist app, Max identified the species he found on the reserve from his regular summer visits. New species recorded included red campion and white ermine moth caterpillar. While neither are particularly rare, it was Max’s reports of fungi that were surprising, with nine types that had not been previously recorded on the site.
“Both the Trust and Max’s family are delighted with the results and it shows how using modern technology and youthful enthusiasm can really work together to add to our knowledge of our wildlife and environment,” commented Peter.
NATURESCOT is calling for farmers, landowners, crofters and land managers to assist with its online Scottish Adder Survey, open until 31 March.
The survey, which takes about 10 minutes to complete and is anonymous, seeks to source information about adders (and other reptiles) that may or may not have been found on land across Scotland.
There is growing evidence of a long-term decline in adder populations in Britain, especially in England, although the situation in Scotland is less clear – which is why NatureScot is keen to better understand adder distribution and conservation status.
The adder is the only widespread native snake occurring in Scotland, with the last systematic survey undertaken in the early 1990s.
It is hoped that better information on the conservation status of the species and on population trends will help minimise risks to adders from significant threats such as climate change impacts.
The online form for the Scottish Adder Survey can be found at nature.scot/doc/ scottish-adder-survey
THE UK-wide State of Nature Report 2023 has highlighted how the management of land and seas, climate change, pollution and invasive non-native species are all causing ongoing nature loss.
The Seabirds Count, one of several elements in the report and the fourth census of Britain and Ireland’s internationally important populations of breeding seabirds, took place between 2015 and 2021 and shows that 11 of the 21 species recorded have declined since the last census (1998 to 2002). The effects of avian flu have yet to be considered in the datasets.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Terrestrial Breeding Birds 1994 – 2022 report from NatureScot shows that the warmer and wetter weather now being experienced is creating significant
A project to help protect wetlands – one of the world’s most important but threatened habitats – has secured £2.66 million in funding for a team of scientists led by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.
Called ECOWILD, the project will train the next generation of environmental scientists through a new Centre for Doctoral Training based across Heriot-Watt and four partner institutions: the University of Oxford, University of York, University of the Highlands and Islands and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
Students at the centre will research the threats to these critical environments and help determine the best ways to protect them.
changes to the numbers and species of birds thriving in urban, woodland, upland and farmland habitats.
Scotland’s upland birds are faring poorly, with a steady decrease since 1994 due in large part to increasing summer rainfall.
Twelve of the 17 species in this category have seen their population drop. Black grouse, curlew and dotterel have declined by more than 50%, with factors including climate change, forest expansion and changes in land management practices to blame.
Woodland birds have seen the largest increases, with farmland and urban birds showing slight increases, demonstrating that our warmer summers are attracting some terrestrial birds that would not normally venture north.
With the Scottish Wildlife Trust marking its 60th anniversary this year, it has witnessed during that time large changes in the legal frameworks and regulations affecting the environment and wildlife. Upon reaching this milestone year, let’s take stock on where we’ve been before considering what's on the horizon.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, brought about by an EU Directive, consolidated and reformed the existing laws on bird protection and gave protection to native species and enhanced protection of Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and this remains a relevant and key piece of legislation today.
With devolution came the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011, which continued to promote the conservation of biodiversity, wildlife and natural environment.
A further landmark statute in the post-devolution era was the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, which enshrined into law a right of access in favour of the general public over all land in Scotland. It also brought with it the first Community Right to Buy provisions.
So what does the future bring in terms of further reforms for the protection of wildlife and habitat? The drive towards net zero will undoubtedly see greater emphasis being put on land use and in recent years the private markets have been overwhelmed with interested parties seeking to take advantage of Scotland’s natural capital.
This has seen a surge in the creation of new tree planting schemes, peatland restoration projects and various rewilding activities. The purpose and intent behind each project can vary widely but they do ultimately all serve to restore and regenerate Scotland's rural landscape.
On the parliamentary agenda in the meantime is a further round of land reform, with an ever-increasing emphasis on the environment and habitat, notably through the Natural Environment Bill.
Further to that, new land reform proposals would now make it mandatory for large-scale landowners to create and publish their land management plans setting out who owns and manages land and summarising the main objectives of land management alongside key activities and priorities.
Up until now, these Land Rights and Responsibilities Statements were
only published by landowners on a voluntary basis.
Elsewhere, the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill published at the end of 2023 contains proposals to bolster the restoration of nature and biodiversity gain. These include powers to support cleaner air, water and soil, and to make support payments conditional on outcomes that contribute to these objectives.
There is also the potential for the review of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code by NatureScot, as pressures mount to provide clarity on ambiguous aspects of the Code. It is now 20 years old, and such activities as drone deployments and geocaching could never have been envisaged or possibly dreamed of by the initial authors.
It is impossible to know what Scotland, or indeed the world, will look like in a further 60 years but it is clear that our rural and urban green spaces will continue to play a critical role in future policy.
Morton Fraser MacRoberts, through its various prior iterations, is proud to have acted for the Trust since its inception in 1964. We would like to congratulate the Trust on reaching such a significant milestone.
– Matthew Barclay, Morton Fraser MacRoberts
As new life begins to emerge, we explore some of the natural spectacles and animal behaviours to look out for this spring and how we can all help wildlife in the coming months
One of the single best ways to add wildlife value to gardens is to create a pond. Don’t worry if space is at a premium: even a tiny area of water can support a vast amount of life, from plants to insects, amphibians and birds.
This kind of project requires nothing more complicated than an old bucket or other watertight container. Location is important: too much light could lead to an algal infection, while siting beneath a tree will mean an endless fishing out of leaves in autumn. The ideal site is a flat, sheltered spot that is at least partially shaded.
Once a site has been found, it’s time to start digging. The hole needs to be deep enough to hold the bucket or container with little or no lip above the surface. Remove any sharp rocks from within the hole and then line the bottom of the hole with sand.
Insert the bucket into the hole, filling any gaps around the edges with
soil to make it stable. Then, create a tower of rocks or bricks up one side of the bucket. This will help animals get in and out of the water safely.
Scatter pebbles into the bucket and add a small selection of submerged aquatic plants that will help oxygenate the water and provide cover for pondlife. If space and budget allow, add what are known as marginal plants around the pond edge to provide cover and shelter for various species. Plants such as meadowsweet, marsh marigold and yellow iris all work well and look great too.
Finally, fill the pond with rainwater (not tap water). Over the coming weeks, be sure to check whether water levels need topping up. Then, sit back and enjoy the wildlife that is attracted to your brilliant new garden feature!
Remember that young children must always be supervised near garden ponds, especially those under the age of six.
• Old bucket or watertight container
• Spade • Sand
• Bricks, pebbles or small rocks
• Native pond plants
• Additional plants for pond edges (optional)
Garden ponds can attract an astonishing variety of life © Mark Hamblin/2020VISION
Spring sees a revolving door of comings and goings in the bird world, with overwintering species returning to breeding grounds and an influx of summer visitors, including various warblers – a highly vocal family of birds.
Keep an ear out for three species in particular. The most colourful is the wood warbler, a bird of mainly upland oak woodland with a green tinge to its head and wings, a yellow throat and eyebrow stripe. Wood warblers sing from high in the
in
and
One of the joys of spring is seeing an expanse of bluebells carpeting the floor of ancient woodland. “There is a silent eloquence In every wild bluebell,” as Anne Brontë once wrote of this serene scene.
Bluebells remain underground as bulbs for much of the year, emerging to flower and leaf from April onwards. A boon for pollinators seeking an early source of nectar, such timing allows them to utilise the increasing sunlight that reaches the woodland floor before the tree canopy above is itself in leaf and blocks the light.
Easily recognisable, bluebells have long, narrow and often drooping leaf fronds and flower stems that seem almost incapable of holding the series of blue, bell-shaped flowers. Occasionally a natural mutation results in the flowers being white or pink.
The UK is home to half of the world’s population of common bluebells, with the plant having many other wonderfully descriptive names, such as fairy flowers, goosey gander and adder bells. Also native is the Scottish bluebell, although it is actually part of the harebell family and flowers in the summer.
Different again are non-native Spanish bluebells – first introduced by
By contrast, the garden warbler is a rather nondescript brown and beige. A bird of dense scrub and woodland edges, it sings in rich, whistling tones.
Similarly plain is the grasshopper warbler. A bird that nests in scrub and reedbeds, its song is high and long, with a sound like a very loud grasshopper.
The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club often record sightings of these melodious visitors from April onwards, including at Trust reserves.
Victorians as a garden plant but now sadly invasive – which have larger, unscented flowers in a lighter blue. Unlike native bluebells, which have flowers on just one side of their arching stems, the flowers of Spanish bluebells are positioned all the way around upright stems.
Common bluebells are legally protected and highly sensitive to trampling. Stepping on them destroys the plants’ ability to photosynthesise, which causes them to die back and stop sending food into their bulbs, so stalling the production of new flowers and seeds. It can take years for a single bluebell to recover and reseed.
Carpets of bluebells can be enjoyed on walks at a variety of Trust reserves.
Reserves to visit
Good for bluebells:
A Cumbernauld Glen
B Carstramon Wood
C Wallacebank Wood
D Shian Wood
Good for warblers:
E Shewalton Wood
F Garnock Floods
G Cathkin Marsh
As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, Rich Rowe highlights the Trust’s role in several key environmental moments during our history while, over the page, three influential figures reflect on their own career- and life-defining roles with the Trust
It was in the early 1980s that the Trust began to use its increasingly influential voice for concerted campaign work. One of the first issues in its eyeline was a key concern of the day: the ecological dangers of acid rain.
At the time, local-level studies had identified areas of freshwater that had succumbed to acidification but no comprehensive survey had yet been undertaken to determine just how big a problem acid rain and other atmospheric pollutants was becoming in Scotland.
In 1984, determined to dig deeper, the Trust organised an international conference that provided a unique opportunity for informed public discussion on the issue. Held in Edinburgh, and billed as The Acid Rain Inquiry, it brought together leading scientists and the general public to share available knowledge on the issue and encourage open discussion.
The conference was a two-parter. The first half provided scientists and professionals with a forum in which to debate the major points of evidence around acid rain and the damage that it causes. The second half saw attendees presented with a review of the scientists’ deliberations, together with information on current research followed by discussions on action required.
As an event, it advanced knowledge on the subject, positioned the Trust among the leaders in the debate and, crucially, prompted action. Delegates agreed on a detailed resolution that called for the UK Government to implement, without delay, the then emission abatement requirements of the European community as well as proposals around reducing atmospheric pollutants being discussed in Westminster.
Fast forward to the 1990s and the Trust’s campaigning turned to a habitat that remains very much in focus today.
A Trust-led Peatland Campaign saw a series of National Bog Days introduce many to peatland wildlife, as well as spread the message of peat-free gardening with demonstrations at garden centres.
One big win involved television, with a special report on the Peatland Campaign reaching five million viewers when it was screened on the BBC’s much-loved children’s programme Blue Peter.
And as this early championing of peatland habitat began to gain traction, the Trust secured European Commission funding for a three-year study of the condition, management and restoration potential of lowland bog habitat.
As Dr Rob Stoneman, who led the subsequent Scottish Raised Bog Conservation Project, commented at the time, the initiative was “Scottish in scope, but European in outlook”, with one key objective being to develop a blueprint for conservation of such habitat Europe-wide.
Working alongside Scottish Natural Heritage (now NatureScot), the Trust undertook one of the most comprehensive assessments of any habitat in Britain, which resulted in the creation of a digital database of the location and condition of Scotland’s 143 remaining raised bogs.
Field research into peatland restoration techniques led to the publication of a bog management handbook for use by land managers across Europe. Such early focus helped increase the profile of peatland and created a framework for achieving significant conservation gains in the years that followed.
Although better known for its work on terrestrial habitats, the Trust soon stepped into the marine environment, with sustained campaigning for improved marine conservation legislation.
In 2007, the Trust played a leading role in drafting a strong Scottish Environment LINK paper that was submitted to the Scottish Government’s Advisory Group on Marine and Coastal Strategy. Among its recommendations were the development of a new network of Marine Protected Areas, a statutory system of marine spatial planning, improvements to the protection of key marine species and habitats, plus the establishment of a new independent body, Marine Scotland.
There were promising signs when the Scottish Government’s eventual consultation on the Scottish Marine Bill addressed the bulk of what the Trust was calling for. Two years later, when the subsequent Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 finally received its Royal Assent, there was considerable satisfaction in what had been achieved: an Act made far more robust thanks to the many years of campaigning by the Trust and its members.
The past decade or so has seen some of the most ambitious projects in the Trust’s history to date. Living Landscape initiatives have been established in Cumbernauld and Edinburgh as well as the rather wilder setting of Coigach & Assynt, while Riverwoods is set to accelerate the creation of thriving riverbank woodlands across Scotland, recognising these as the arteries of the landscape.
The Trust has long championed landscape-scale planning for nature networks, hosting the first National Ecological Network Conference in 2013 and subsequently helping to produce guidance on both Local Nature Conservation Sites and Nature Networks.
This thinking informed the Trust’s development of the Edinburgh Nature Network in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council as part of its Thriving Greenspaces Programme and under the umbrella of the Edinburgh Living Landscape. A first of its kind, the Edinburgh Nature Network aims to connect and improve natural spaces across Scotland’s capital, with potential for offering a blueprint for local authorities elsewhere.
Such networks serve as nature’s highways, with good quality habitat connected either physically or ecologically in a way that allows wildlife to move easily across the landscape.
Touching many aspects of the Trust’s work, the physical elements of such networks vary greatly in type and scale, but all have a common goal: to improve ecosystem health for nature and for people, wherever they are in Scotland. ■
Our Head of Reserves, Alan Anderson, who has been with the Trust for 35 years, considers just how far the Trust has come during that time – and the challenges that await
The Trust acquired its first wildlife reserves in February 1966, driven by our Ayrshire and Borders members. Today, we manage more than 100 sites, from the massive Ben Mor Coigach estate near Ullapool to the tiny Longcraig Island tern colony beneath the Forth Road Bridge.
Our members have been at the core of the Trust’s land management operations from the very beginning, not just on our own reserves but working across hundreds of other wildlife sites. Often, their activities kickstarted on-theground conservation for the first time in many parts of the country.
From 1987, the Trust ran a Conservation Training Programme with up to 1,000 participants a year, including myself. While we no longer run this programme, volunteers are still recruited from far and wide and trained to assist staff on reserves from Handa Island in the far north west to Carsegowan Moss on the Solway coast.
Carsegowan was one of the beneficiaries of EU peatland funding which, from 1993, enabled a range of practical conservation work: grazing, felling, damming across more than 50 sites and surveying hundreds more. This experience led to the Trust becoming a leader in peatland management, bringing together and implementing innovative techniques that are now enshrined in the definitive bog management handbook. It’s work that we are committed to continue.
When I joined the Trust in the 1980s as Urban Wildlife Officer, the urban environment was seen as something of a Cinderella habitat – rather uncared for and unappreciated. Today, nearly a fifth of our reserves are in and around towns, with places such as the former ‘New Towns’ of Cumbernauld and Irvine being turned into areas where wildlife can re-establish and thrive.
At the turn of the millennium, the Trust delivered on a major £5 million upgrade
across 90 of our reserves. It was an exciting time for many, but perhaps not if you were an area Conservation Manager having to deliver across multiple habitats on multiple sites with multiple contractors, all within budget and on time! It remains the Trust’s largest externally funded project.
One of the legacies of that project is our Flying Flock of sheep and cattle which, for the past 20 years, has grazed reserves from Lanarkshire to Perthshire. During that time, it has been instrumental in improving species-rich grassland habitats in many areas.
While the Trust continues to move forward on its land management work, there have been lean periods when savings have had to be made and personnel reduced. These difficulties have been in part offset by having a smaller but better trained workforce – both staff and volunteers – along with the increased use of technology, mechanisation and targeted fundraising efforts, which are well supported by our membership.
We see many land management challenges in the years ahead. There are new ones such as pests and diseases, the ongoing battle with invasive species, plus the established problems of funding and pressure from competing land uses, which must change to complementary ones if we are to address the biodiversity crisis.
However, the current work is exciting; woodland and peat bog restoration at scale on upland reserves, opportunities for habitat networks around our lowland reserves, and increased emphasis on gathering consistent species and habitat data with which to measure impact and preempt habitat decline.
I’m very proud that I also share the Trust’s 60th anniversary. I feel very
grateful for the opportunities the Trust has given me – after all, I’ve been paid to visit all of its reserves! – and, most of all, I value the 7,000 staff and volunteers I have met on my and the Trust’s journey, all of whom do it for Scotland’s wildlife. ■
Our members have been at the core of the Trust’s land management operations from the very beginning.
A Young Leader turned Trustee, Emma Steel looks back at her own journey in conservation – and how others can be inspired to follow a similar path
For 60 years, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has played a vital role in championing nature, inspiring countless individuals throughout Scotland to value and safeguard the natural world. My own journey with the Trust provides just a glimpse of the remarkable efforts undertaken during the preceding six decades – and the power that it can have to steer lives.
As a Young Leader turned Trustee, the Trust has not only had a profound impact on my own career in the conservation sector but has nurtured my love for nature and passion for ensuring the environment is protected for future generations to come.
Growing up in rural Scotland, studying zoology at university and then going on to work in marine conservation, my appreciation for wildlife has been constant throughout my life. What began with chasing butterflies around in the sunshine during childhood has progressed to keeping a vigilant eye out for whales and dolphins along the coastline in Orkney, where I now live.
My involvement with the Trust, particularly as an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion on Council, emphasised a crucial point if nature conservation is to succeed: that nature is for all, and that individuals from all walks of life, irrespective of age or background, must have access to the natural world to learn about its value.
Such an inclusive approach not only fosters a deeper appreciation for the environment but also serves as a catalyst for individuals to contribute meaningfully to the preservation of the natural world.
© Matthew Cook
Over the decades, dedicated staff, volunteers and Trustees have spearheaded this movement and secured many wins for nature. In doing so, they have given us all an important responsibility to equip and empower the next generation so that it can carry forward this vital work.
And that’s exactly what is happening in many places. Founded in 2018, the Young Leaders Group provides a powerful platform for young adults to engage with the Trust’s work and ensure their voices are heard across Scotland. The group has gone from strength to strength, with developing Nature Assemblies for young
Founded in 2018, the Young Leaders Group provides a powerful platform for young adults to engage with the Trust’s work and ensure their voices are heard...
people ahead of COP26 in Glasgow and sitting on the steering group for the Sea Scotland conference among their many achievements to date.
On a personal level, my involvement as a Young Leader from 2018 until 2020 helped to instil a sense of community and confidence, meeting like-minded young adults and going on to become the youngest member of Council in 2020. My role there is to ensure that young people’s voices are represented at all levels of the Trust’s work.
We can all make a positive difference for nature in our own lives too – from supporting the work of the Trust to building a wildlife pond or putting up a nest box in our garden. Perhaps most important of all is to simply encourage the young people around us to be amazed by the wonders of nature, so they too grow up as stewards of the environment. ■
In 2008, I was given the chance to move from my previous role as a Reserves Manager at the Scottish Wildlife Trust to lead on the groundbreaking Scottish Beaver Trial: the first formal reintroduction of a mammal anywhere in the UK.
To this day, it is a project considered by many to be one of the Trust’s finest nature restoration achievements in its long and rich history. For me, personally, it also remains the highlight of my 30-year career in nature conservation – well, so far!
Let us be clear, beavers would not be a widely accepted, legally protected species again in Scotland or the UK today had the Trust not pushed on with this bold, and occasionally controversial, trial project.
Working alongside the Royal Zoological Society for Scotland, and with what are now NatureScot and Forestry and Land Scotland, the Scottish Beaver Trial did much of the first hard-won scientific work showing how we could live with beavers again. Escaped beavers were already living wild in parts of Scotland as they do today but the trial gave legitimacy and evidence for the return of beavers. This paved the way for government ministers and their
statutory agencies to support wider reintroductions of this remarkable species that we are now seeing being reintroduced elsewhere across the UK.
On a personal level, the trial took me on a five-year rollercoaster through forests, lochs, rivers, cities, boardrooms, village halls, farms and zoos, as the multi-disciplinary team and the many experts we worked with planned how to capture, quarantine, release and study the very first families of beavers.
Every day was different for me and the whole team of people who worked on the trial. There was funding to be found, dealing with national media interest, listening to local community and landowner concerns and ideas, and even figuring out how to safely glue a GPS tracker onto a beaver’s backside.
It was exciting stuff and for someone who had always loved wildlife, it felt like I was living the dream – even if that dream meant lots of midge bites, regular soakings and occasionally being accused of introducing devastation to forests and waterways.
Some of the most special wildlife encounters I have ever had stem from
Some of the most special wildlife encounters I have ever had stem from my time working on the trial.
my time working on the trial. I remember vividly watching beavers fell young willow trees, build dams and swim alongside otters, and marvelled at the biodiversity they helped create: the sheer volume of insects, fish, amphibians and water birds that abound in a mature, beavercreated pond.
These marvellous first-hand wildlife encounters, which thankfully can be experienced in many more places in the UK now, are also backed up by a wealth of scientific evidence which shows that beavers – tubby, industrious, herbivorous rodents – really are ecosystem engineers. Simply put, where there are beavers, there is more nature.
The trial also widened an awareness of the Trust’s work internationally. Our team was welcomed warmly and supported by overseas colleagues in Norway – where the first beavers were trapped for translocation – Germany, Denmark and Lithuania, who all shared their experiences of living alongside wild beavers.
Today it is our turn to share knowledge from the past 15 years of working with beavers, as colleagues from other parts of the UK come to learn about how to release, manage and live with them.
I’d like to thank the Trust, its staff, Trustees and supporters for taking those exciting and sometimes difficult first steps all those years ago to release beavers into the wild in Scotland. It was a dam fine thing to do, and a great tail along the way! ■
As swallows, swifts and martins make a welcome return to Scottish skies, Lindsay Quayle explores the behavioural quirks and differences between these treasured harbingers of spring
As we wave goodbye to shorter days and cooler nights, colonies of swallows, swifts and martins begin their epic journey home from wintering grounds in west and sub-Saharan Africa.
The return of these much-loved species is a treat for all: there are few sights and sounds more heartening after the dark winter months than a swooping display or the distinctive call of these lively summer visitors.
One challenge, however, is to differentiate between each species, as their dark, narrow wings, turn of speed and aerial prowess look remarkably similar
when witnessed in flight. Watch and listen closely though, and the characterful markings and social behaviours that set each of these charismatic birds apart soon begin to shine through.
The unmistakable white rump of the house martin makes it one of the easiest of all to identify. With a glossy blue-black upper, white body and throat and short, forked tail, these small, slightly dumpy birds are one of the earliest returners to Scotland, arriving around mid-March.
The ultimate socialites, house martins migrate and feed en masse. They are
also colonial nesters, with hundreds gathering in rural outbuildings or smaller numbers clustering around distinctive mud nests under the eaves of houses. Spot one pair of breeding house martins and it’s almost guaranteed that there will be others nearby.
Such clustering together can make for a noisy summer for those in close proximity to nesting sites. House martins’ hard, quick, chirping prrit or twittering song is relentless as they flit excitedly back and forth, depositing mouthfuls of mud for their intricately constructed nests or delivering food for their young. Although they feed entirely on the wing,
it is possible to catch a fleeting glimpse of a house martin closer to ground, gathering mud from nearby streams or puddles. Numbers are in worrying decline though – partly due to the availability of favoured insect prey – so witnessing this sprightly bird hard at work is a seasonal moment to cherish.
It’s no surprise that swallows are commonly mistaken for house or sand martins: they all belong to the same family of passerine songbirds known as the hirundine.
The handsome swallow’s blue-grey back and cream underside resembles that of the house martin but a rusty-red throat and forehead helps distinguish it – with a longer, forked tail with two extended streamers the final giveaway.
These streamers not only act as a practical aid for this family
of supreme fliers but also play a key role at the height of mating season: for females, the more symmetrical a male bird’s streamers, the healthier and more viable it is as a potential mate.
Country dwellers at heart, swallows spend vast amounts of time in rural landscapes, gliding gracefully over open farmland, meadows and heath in close proximity to water.
Their flight path is generally lower than that of swifts or martins, swooping especially low to catch large flies or to sip from water bodies close to their favoured nesting sites in open-fronted barns or the eaves of old buildings.
Despite their famed aerial abilities, they are also content to take the weight off their feet when needed. A ‘gulp’ of swallows perched high on a telegraph wire or roosting in reedbeds is a familiar sight towards the end of summer –much-needed preparation for a 6,000-
mile migration back to their wintering grounds in Africa.
It’s getting harder to predict when many of our migratory visitors will make their first appearance of the year. A changing climate plus other environmental factors have impacted migratory patterns, with some species, including swallows, now returning to the UK earlier and remaining here for longer.
One thing is guaranteed though: when you spot your first swift of the season, it won’t be perched on a wire. Or perched anywhere, for that matter. These aerobatic wizards spend most of their year at high altitude, feeding, mating and even sleeping on the wing.
Sooty brown in colour, but often appearing black from the ground,
Continued on page 24
Far less soothing than the swallow’s chirruping warble or the chittering of sand or house martins, the swift’s screaming ‘parties’ are notoriously loud.
the arrow-like swift is typically the last to return to breed. But while its stay may be brief, its arrival is celebrated more widely than most: “They’ve made it again/Which means the globe’s still working,” exclaimed Ted Hughes in his tribute to this revered summer visitor.
Their long, scythe-shaped wings not only give the birds their iconic silhouette but also provide them with total stability in the sky; swifts can glide through even turbulent weather conditions with apparent ease. Their lifetime spent in flight also makes them more agile and powerful than swallows or martins – and easily the quickest too.
As the UK’s fastest bird in level flight (reaching speeds close to 70mph) the chances of studying a swift’s distinguishing features up-close are near zero. But if you did get a peek beneath its strong, slender body, you would discover a pair of unsubstantial legs and two tiny feet –characteristics that it shares with its closest relative, the hummingbird.
Perhaps a better way of identifying them is to listen out for their shrill, high-pitched call. Far less soothing than the swallow’s chirruping warble, or the chittering of sand or house martins, the swift’s ‘screaming parties’ are notoriously loud.
Fast and frenzied, tightly packed swifts tumble and twist above gardens and rooftops, their piercing soundtrack an audible reminder that they still thrive on living amongst humans, just as they have done for thousands of years.
Sadly, the sound of partying swifts is one being heard less frequently across the UK. Like house martins, swifts were added to the red list in the 2021 UK Conservation Status Report, a marker that the species is in worrying decline.
Environmental changes are taking their toll. But so too are human adaptations to the urban landscape. Swifts typically nest in the rooftops and eaves of old buildings but modern house renovations and the closing up of soffits has resulted in the loss of crucial nest sites.
And they are not the only Scottish visitor facing nesting issues. The charismatic sand martin, the smallest of the hirundine family, with brown upperparts and a distinctive brown breast band across its white chest, relies on riverbanks, sandy cliff faces or quarries as a base for its nesting tunnels
– some of the most impressive being up to 90cm long.
In some areas, however, all is not well and the birds have benefited from a helping hand. “Irvine has a history of sand quarrying and rivers with sandy banks,” explains Gill Smart, Reserves Manager at the Trust’s Gailes Marsh Wildlife Reserve in Ayrshire. “But river levels are up and down too much these days, flooding out and eroding the sand martin’s favoured nesting sites.”
In addition, Irvine’s sand quarries are gone now, their voids having been used for landfill. However, thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, in early 2023 Sandy Waddell, the Trust’s local Project Officer, was able to extend a specially constructed nesting house built on the reserve for displaced sand martins, increasing its capacity from 48 to 100 nesting chambers.
And 2023 was a positive year. “Of the 100 chambers, 69 were occupied and 509 new birds were ringed – 34 adults and 475 chicks,” reports Gill. This increase of more than double the birds ringed at the reserve in 2021 demonstrated what a “visible and tangible” difference the nesting house has already made.
Gill is quick to commend the efforts of the Clyde Ringing Group and their dedication to ringing and monitoring these sociable visitors. As well as helping track visiting numbers, this level of constant monitoring is like an early warning system for the species worldwide. Gill stresses: “If things start going wrong for sand martins across the world, it’s important we know quickly.”
Last season, the reserve was able to support the University of Glasgow’s research into sand martin ticks. Although numbers collected at Gailes Marsh were thankfully low, it is such data that “will prove invaluable to the future health of the species”.
For now, it’s a positive story for sand martins at Gailes Marsh and the many people who come to see these fluttering little burrowers for themselves. It’s hoped that we will see an equally healthy return of swallows, swifts and house martins over the coming weeks – nature’s sign that the world is, indeed, still working. ■
Lindsay Quayle is a freelance writer based in the Scottish Borders.
Rebecca Crawford reveals how the use of social science research techniques enabled the Trust to highlight the value of community input into marine policy planning in Orkney – with potential applications for community consultations throughout Scotland
HEN the Trust’s Living Seas team began its Oceans of Value project, a key ambition was to capture what people really felt about the marine environment around Orkney. The area and timing were deliberate: Orkney is one of the most studied marine environments anywhere in Scotland and a location where the local council is developing a Regional Marine Plan for its waters.
The intention was for the project to help generate greater understanding among all local stakeholders of the different values that people place on the marine environment – and, crucially, for those values to then feed into ongoing marine planning.
Capturing such values in a meaningful way can be challenging, however, so one strand of the project involved the use of an approach known as the Community Voice Method (CVM). Originally developed in the US as a means to encourage dialogue around land use conflict, and first brought to the UK by the Marine Conservation
Society, CVM combines a range of social science research techniques, including community interviews, transcript analysis, film production and public workshops, to better understand what people care about.
In what was the first such CVM application to be based solely in Scotland, 26 people from across Orkney were interviewed. Each interviewee was posed questions based on a standardised interview guide that covered the ways in which the marine environment was important to them and how they would like to see the area’s coast and seas managed in the future.
The transcripts created from the interview recordings were analysed using specialised qualitative data analysis software. By examining the opinions and perspectives across multiple interviews, it was possible to identify the most common themes and select content to include within a film that would explore those interview responses without any unconscious bias.
As such, the subsequent Oceans of Value film was unique to how local residents feel about living in Orkney and their various relationships with its coast and seas. The film premiered at a screening in Kirkwall in January 2023, after which the audience took part in an interactive workshop that explored how they felt about the common themes expressed within it.
One clear theme was a desire for sustainable development of coasts and seas for future generations. Another was the adoption of a more holistic view of the ecosystem services provided by the sea: food, employment – from fishing to nature tourism – recreation and benefits to our health.
Positive and lively, the post-screening workshop highlighted just how useful CVM can be in overcoming the ‘consultation fatigue’ that often discourages people from attending more traditional consultation workshops. Audience members were quick to comment on how the use of “weel kent”
(well known) local faces in the film helped deepen their own engagement with the content and the issues discussed.
One question asked of all those interviewed for the film was whether they would want to be involved in the development of a marine plan for Orkney. Many responded by saying they would be reluctant as they did not feel sufficiently confident or informed to be involved.
This mirrored feedback from the audience workshop; consultations needed to be more inclusive if community members were to feel confident about participating and see themselves as genuine stakeholders in the decisionmaking process. For many, consultations feel like a ‘tick-box’ exercise, with the decision having already been made.
Throughout 2023, the Oceans of Value film was a key element of the Living Seas team’s engagement work with communities. It was screened at a variety of events, with a series of follow-up workshops taking place within seven of the 11 Scottish Marine Regions.
Responses from each of the workshops have now been compiled and fed into the development of National Marine Plan 2 – the Scottish Government’s overall guiding planning framework for the sustainable development and management of how our seas are used.
Now at an end, the Oceans of Value project has provided valuable insight into how consultation methods can be improved to ensure that community voices sit at the very heart of policy decision-making.
And there are plenty of ideas for how that might be achieved. A dedicated educational programme could help enthuse local people about the species and habitats found in their waters, while a concerted effort to incorporate the wealth of local knowledge that exists in so many coastal communities into consultations could stimulate far more meaningful community involvement.
Although the project has now finished, the Living Seas Team is taking forward some of the key findings from the
workshops. In particular, there will be a focus on improving education and awareness of marine issues through our work on Ocean Literacy – essentially an understanding of the ocean’s influence on a person and that person’s influence on the ocean.
While people may place different values on the sea or differ in opinion on some of the key issues, it is clear from the conversations had throughout this valuable project that most have a common goal: they would like to see thriving coasts and seas, and to find a sustainable balance between human activity in our waters and environmental protection. ■
Rebecca Crawford is the Trust’s Marine Planning Officer. Oceans of Value was funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the John Ellerman Foundation, with additional support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. The Oceans of Value film can be viewed at scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/ oceans-of-value/
Most often seen in spring and summer when they migrate to shallow waters off the west and north coasts of Scotland to breed, the common cuttlefish is one of the most alien-like creatures found in Scottish seas.
Not fish but cephalopods, common cuttlefish are related to squid and octopus. Growing up to half a metre in length, they live on sandy or muddy sections of seabed into which they burrow to hide from predators such as seals and dolphins.
Cuttlefish have eight arms with multiple rows of suckers along each, two elongated tentacles for catching prey, a mantle – a hood of muscle and skin that covers its body – and billowing, skirt-like fins. Night-time predators, they feed on small fish, crabs and molluscs, using a beaklike jaw in the middle of their arms to break open shells.
Cuttlefish have an oval internal shell, known as a cuttlebone, that is often found washed up ashore. This shell helps regulate buoyancy using hollow chambers that can be filled with gas and/or water.
Equipped with one of the largest brains of any invertebrate and with a well-developed nervous system, cuttlefish are smart and adaptable animals. Their brains can process inputs from sight, smell and even a kind of sound in the form of pressure waves from the surrounding water.
Much like other cephalopods, the cuttlefish’s large eyes are particularly sophisticated. Although they cannot see colour, they can perceive the polarisation of light, which helps enhance their perception of contrast. Meanwhile, their curving, W-shaped pupils even allow them to see behind themselves!
Perhaps the animal’s most remarkable physical attribute, however, is an ability to change the colour of its mantle – a camouflage that is used to hunt, to avoid predators and to communicate. Cuttlefish achieve this thanks to special pigment cells in the skin that can be used independently or together to produce a range of colours and flashing patterns. As well as colour, they can even change the texture of their skin to mimic their surroundings.
And the physiological oddities keep on coming. As with all cephalopods, cuttlefish have three hearts (one for the body and one for each set of gills), blue-green blood that is so coloured due to a copper-containing protein and a sac from which they can fire ink (called sepia) when in danger. ■
Common cuttlefish have been spotted on a variety of the Trust’s network of snorkel trails around Scotland. For more, visit scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/ snorkel-trails/
Rab Potter, the Trust’s Reserves Manager for North East Scotland, introduces a spectacular coastal reserve that is just a stone’s throw from Peterhead
I’ve always felt that Longhaven offers a striking sense of surprise and drama. Marking the coastline of an often flat, treeless and intensively farmed landscape, the deeply faulted granite cliffs, narrow inlets and rocky promontories far below could not have a more different feel.
It is a small strip of ‘wildness’ in an otherwise human landscape. The towering pink-red cliffs – which reach heights of 60m in places – are located just a few miles south of Peterhead, yet still manage to feel a world away from the hustle and bustle of one of Scotland’s busiest fishing ports.
Having been the Reserves Manager for Longhaven since 2006, I’ve got to know it pretty well. Assisted by dedicated seasonal staff and committed volunteers, we manage the reserve’s mix of habitats – coastal cliffs, maritime grassland and coastal heath – together with a footpath that weaves along the clifftops. On its way, the path skirts exposed headlands, secret inlets, arches, sea stacks and forbiddingly steep cliff faces.
Nesting seabirds such as kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills and puffins are a big draw for many people. Roe deer and foxes are also often seen, while seals haul out on the rocks far below. It is no
Walk around the corner and everything is drowned out by the cacophony rising up from the seabird colonies on the ledges below.
surprise that the reserve has multiple conservation designations.
There is variety and interest at every turn. On a spring or summer day, visitors can sit just off the path and listen as insects buzz from flower to flower in grassland full of sea pinks, campion and hawksbeard. But walk around the corner and everything is drowned out by the cacophony rising up from the seabird colonies on the ledges below.
Meanwhile, a walk along the cliff on a winter’s day – not recommended when very windy – often leaves visitors in awe of the sheer power of the waves that crash against the base of the cliffs, the spray sent high into the air.
Although a place with a special magic throughout the year, one of the most enjoyable things for me is simply introducing others to the beauty and ruggedness of the reserve. I can understand why so many people return time and time again.
There is much work to be done here too, of course, although 2024 may prove
to be a little quieter. In each of the past two years, we have completed major projects to upgrade badly worn sections of footpath and dilapidated steps –with materials airlifted in and out by helicopter due to the steepness of terrain – so this year should just involve more regular management, maintenance and habitat monitoring. ■
Plan your visit A 1.5-mile stretch of the Buchan coastline between Peterhead and Cruden Bay, Longhaven Cliffs is renowned for its nesting seabirds (May to August), coastal heath wildflowers and dramatic coastal geology. The clifftop path offers wonderful views, although may not be suitable for young children. Learn more by scanning the QR code or visit bit.ly/LonghavenCliffs
STV Player, until 31 March
NOT so much a watch out for as a last-chance-to-see (for free at least), Scotland Ocean Nation is a three-part series that follows vet, adventurer and ocean advocate Cal Major’s 800-mile stand-up paddleboarding expedition around the coastline of Scotland.
This is adventure with purpose: an extraordinary journey and physical feat, yes – not least when facing the strong tidal races of the north coast – but also one that explores our human connection with the ocean.
During her 10-week paddle, Cal meets a wide range of people in coastal communities throughout Scotland and learns how their lives are so entwined with the sea, be that as individuals or through powerful community projects taking place around it.
There is wildlife here, too, of course, with Cal doing a wonderful job of revealing more about the species and habitats that together make up the complex ecosystems found in Scotland’s coastal waters – and the ocean’s role in tackling the twin biodiversity and climate crises.
Along the way, she encounters some of Scotland’s most impressive wildlife – from orca to thousands of seabirds – and also makes some horrifying discoveries about the human impact on marine life.
Perhaps most importantly of all, Cal takes viewers beneath the waves to reveal more about the importance of seabed and coastal habitats that are so often out of sight and out of mind.
Tom Mustill
Published by Harper Collins
ISBN 9780008363420
Paperback £10.99
A BIOLOGIST turned filmmaker and writer, Tom Mustill always had a passion for whales. But his relationship with the species changed dramatically one day when a humpback breached onto his kayak, nearly killing him.
After a video clip of the event went viral, Tom was inundated with theories about why it happened. It got him thinking and he became obsessed with trying to understand why the whale did what it did.
This fascinating book charts Tom’s investigation into the deep ocean and the complex science of decoding animal communication – especially amongst whales. With their huge, mammalian brains and sophisticated ‘languages’, whales offer one of the most realistic opportunities for us to translate and connect.
Using underwater ‘ears’, robotic fish, big data and machine intelligence, he details how scientists and tech-entrepreneurs across the world are turning on its head much of what we know about these mysterious creatures.
In his investigation, Tom asks what it would take for us to actually ‘speak’ with a whale. And perhaps even more pertinently, are we ready for what they might say?
AS part of the Trust’s storytelling campaign launching later this year, a series of six events will take place between April and June to explore the wealth of human and wildlife stories on some of our reserves.
From Carstramon Wood in Dumfries and Galloway to Ben Mor Coigach in the North West Highlands, the events will delve into the history and wildlife of each site, explore the priorities and challenges of conservation work, and include stories from people that know these reserves intimately.
While ticket numbers will be strictly limited, the events will be recorded, edited and included as part of our podcast series launching in the summer.
Tickets will be available through our website once details are confirmed, so please check back regularly to avoid disappointment. scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/events
Reviews and competition
THERE is nothing quite like heading to a festival for a fun way of learning more about particular species and the special places in which they live – with several standout events coming up in the year ahead.
Now in its third year, the Edinburgh Conservation Film Festival is a family-friendly event, founded by Edinburgh Conservation Science, that features short films of nature conservation success stories from around the world.
This year’s festival on 14 April will have a particular focus on films that represent people and their links with the natural world. It will centre on the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, although screenings will also take place at other nearby venues.
In May, the Orkney Nature Festival returns for another four-day showcase of Orcadian wildlife. While the programme is still being firmed up, visitors can expect nature photography classes with local experts, guided walks, cruises around seabird cliffs and much more. Then, in June, the Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival offers a fabulous
APRIL sees the launch of a fantastic new nature series from Princeton University Press, the Little Books of Nature. Initially including volumes on butterflies, trees, spiders and beetles, these pocket-sized books are packed full of fascinating and remarkable facts about their subjects.
Written by natural history experts, the books have been brilliantly produced in a very easy-to-understand format and contain bite-sized information on a wide range of topics, from the evolution and anatomy of their focal subjects to their cultural history and conservation.
As well as including detailed line drawings and colour photographs, the series is illustrated by wildlife artist Tugce Okay, whose watercolour paintings help to bring the books to life.
With another four titles due for release in the autumn (whales, fungi, dinosaurs and weather), this is set to be a highly collectible series and, at just 4 x 6 inches (approx. 10 x 15 cm) and 160 pages each, they aren’t too hungry for shelf space!
Stories from afar at the Edinburgh Conservation Film Festival © ECFF
opportunity to learn more about the wildlife found on the outer fringes of the west coast, both on land and in the sea. As well as the main festival week, a fringe programme of events will run throughout July.
Very much a collaboration, the festival is coordinated by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust on behalf of Species on the Edge –a multi-partner conservation effort dedicated to improving the fortunes of 37 priority species found along Scotland’s coast and islands.
that meant so much to him and many others
We think the tree fell in the night when no-one was around. Did it make a sound? It certainly caused a lot of conversation, with the ripples felt widely within the community. Memories and stories were shared. Generations had met at, jumped from and swum by the ‘jumping tree’ in Aberfeldy. It looked like it had lived up to its name by jumping into the River Tay. A local icon, gone.
I’d swum past the tree in all seasons. Even before moving to Aberfeldy, my first visit had been on a sweltering summer day where the deep, still pool beneath the tree provided the perfect spot to soak in the river. I popped my head under and saw fish darting around. Its huge limbs stretched out over the water, creating a perfect walkway over the river.
In winter, the tree created an eddy that brought you back upstream from the powerful rush beside it. In spring, snowmelt makes the river brutally cold, but the tree was still my go-to spot for a local swim.
Autumn saw its leaves turn a beautiful gold colour before they fell. Then, one spring, the leaves never returned. The jumping tree was noticeably grey against the green of the riverbank.
I’m not sure what caused the tree to die. It’s hard to be certain. Years ago, people had installed a couple of platforms to aid jumping. Had the nails been copper? The river had slowly eaten away at the bank upon which it stood. I spotted a wasp nest in the root system once it had
already fallen. The tree hadn’t been touched by the prolific beavers that live nearby. Eventually, the weight of the large branches proved too much for the dead root system and it fell. Autumn rains then hauled it downstream, where it currently sits, jammed against another local icon, Wade’s Bridge.
It may now be left to create a new underwater habitat for wildlife and, indeed, looks to be protecting the bridge somewhat from the current. The eddy created by the tree now washes through more than it had before.
Everyone has a place that’s special to them, in fact we may have several. Places that we go to recharge, to relax and to reach for something that we need. I find this on windswept mountain tops, floating over kelp beds and immersion in wild waterfalls.
I also had this just a few minutes from home in the shade of the jumping tree. I’d previously thought about a long-term photo or video project to document the tree through the seasons but then ‘parked it’ for the future.
Change is constant and we can’t know exactly what’s ahead, so don’t park all your ideas. Why not choose something you love and document it? Both for others to see, and for you to truly appreciate what you have now. ■
Calum Maclean’s first book, 1001 Outdoor Swimming Tips, is out now, published by Vertebrate Publishing.
For more, visit caldamac.com
