Scottish Wildlife Trust

Update from the Reserves Manager

Red Moss of Netherley

Our Convenor for this site – Mr Gordon Morris resigned in late 2009 for personal reasons.  I would like to thank Gordon for all the work he has put into the reserve in the past.  So…. we now have a vacancy for a convenor at this site – anyone interested please contact me.

We have completed work on digging out the ditch alongside our access track onto the moss.  We have also erected a new fence to stop the cows from our neighbours land walking onto the access track and “puddling”  it.

As you are probably aware, the Aberdeen bypass has been given the go ahead by the Scottish Government.  This does however mean that SWT are very likely to receive around £16,000 from the Mitigation Fund to carry out more work on this reserve over the next three years.  Mike Stevens has completed all the damming work and SNH seem pleased with this work

Longhaven Cliffs

Initial figures would suggest the seabird colonies on the reserve have had a reasonable season at Longhaven – certainly better than some other sites particularly on the west coast.  I am regularly getting unconfirmed sightings of sea eagles from the reserve.  There is certainly one of the recently released birds in the general area.

We have received funding to allow us to improve the footpath on the reserve. After much discussion, we have decided to construct a level walking surface along the length of the reserve. This will be carried out by a combination of contractors and Mike and his volunteers.  This level surface will be much easier for Mike to mow/strim on a regular basis and keep clear.  We intend to start this work in April 2010.

We still occasionally have a problem with motorised vehicles (trail bikes) using the southern part of the reserve.  I have spoken to SNH and the local Wildlife Crime Officer about this matter.

We are also in the final stages of completing a funding application to allow us to revise completely the interpretation on the site. This is to complement the upgraded footpath.

Coulnacraig Meadow

Mike Stevens continues to carry out annual cutting of the meadow.  A new Management Plan was completed in November.  During the writing of this plan I spent a very interesting (albeit wet) morning on the reserve with our Convenor, Morag Wilson.  There is little change in the actual management tasks within this plan; however, we agreed that monitoring, which Morag had been carrying out for many years, should be revised.  Anyone within the Members Centre who would like to input their ideas to this revised monitoring is very welcome to contact me

Gight Woods

Mike is once again carrying out his annual tasks of keeping the footpath clear and reducing the amount of non native trees within the reserve.  We have had to fell a few large trees near the footpath for safety reasons, and the recent snow decimated the blackthorn thicket near the entrance to the reserve.

Our Convenor, Dr Mark Young, and I met with the Ythan Angling Association and the Forestry Commission (FC) recently regarding a bridge the Angling Association had constructed over the river, without any consultation with us or FC who own the land on the other bank.  It was felt this bridge was not safe and we requested it be closed.  We are willing to discuss plans for any future proposed bridge with the Angling Association however, we would need to carefully consider the implications for the reserve before supporting any proposal.

We are still in the process of applying for funding to carry out woodland management and access work within the reserve.

If anyone has any question about the above report or any matter relating to Aberdeenshire reserves please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Rab Potter

Volunteering Opportunities

Members are welcome to attend volunteer days held on the first Saturday of each month. Please contact Mike Stevens before the Thursday of the preceding week.  Limited places are available for pick up from the Aberdeen area. Actual tasks to be carried out will be dependent on priorities at the time.

Tel 01466 780164

Rab Potter is also keen to hear from members who can help by undertaking surveys on a regular basis during the summer months. This could be butterfly transects; bird; fauna; and flora surveys. You can help us whilst pursuing your own particular interests.

Tel 01828 634205

Planning and Forestry News

Over the last six months, we have responded to a number of consultations and planning proposals.  The first of these was the Main Issues Report concerning future development land in Aberdeenshire; we responded by stressing the need for biodiversity and habitat networks to be given much greater consideration during planning decision making.

We were also invited to contribute to the Aberdeenshire Open Spaces Strategy.   Aberdeenshire Council would like to see future developments include a higher proportion of open green space, some of which would be managed for amenity and recreation and some for wildlife.  SWT support this aspirational idea, but of course, there are costs involved, which would be borne by developers, and in these harsh economic times, the building industry is reluctant to bear the extra costs.

As to planning proposals, we lodged an objection for a proposed development of several hundred houses in the Castle grounds in Ellon, on the basis of loss of habitat for red squirrels, badgers and bats.  There have been several applications for small groups of wind turbines across many parts of the shire, we have not objected to these, as SWT policy is to support the development of renewable energy as a means of combating rising CO₂ emissions.  The developments were all small-scale and did not pose a significant risk to any valuable habitat.

Forestry activity has been very quiet, but we have just received an invitation to review the forest design plans around our Gight Reserve near Methlick.  We hope to have a site visit along with Forestry Commission staff to look into how the commercial plantations can be managed with as little disruption to the habitats and species on the reserve as possible.

Douglas Gooday

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels aims to stop the decline of red squirrel populations in key areas of Scotland north of the Central Belt and to improve conditions for viable red squirrel populations across Scotland.  It is a partnership project between the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland and the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association. It is part of Scotland's Species Action Framework, which sets out a strategic approach to species management in Scotland. 

As part of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS), the first nationally co-ordinated project in Scotland for red squirrel conservation led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT), action is now underway to save red squirrels in North East Scotland – and it looks like this action could already be showing signs of success. North East action to save red squirrels could already be making a difference.

Grampian is home to a very large and nationally important red squirrel population but these populations are under threat.  The grey squirrel, a non-native species from North America, has an established territory in Aberdeen and is now spreading across Aberdeenshire, particularly up the river corridors of the Dee and Don. The red squirrel has already disappeared from many areas due to grey squirrel spread. 

However, thanks to SSRS work to protect reds with co-ordinated grey squirrel control and advising landowners in key areas about woodland management techniques to help red squirrels thrive, the project reports that red squirrels are beginning to return to some areas.   

Hollie Walker, the SSRS North East Project Officer employed by SWT, explained:  “We are now receiving reports of red squirrel sightings in areas where they haven’t been seen for many years.  This includes areas such as Cults and Countesswells, as well as Bieldside in AberdeenCity.  These signs are encouraging as it could indicate that our efforts are already reaping benefits. 

“The North East is lucky to still have huge areas of good quality red squirrel habitat, and many of these areas still remain free from grey squirrels.  However, we must act now to halt grey squirrel spread to these areas and protect our red squirrels. 

“Grey and red squirrels cannot co-exist together.  Once grey squirrels move into an area habituated by red squirrels trends show that red squirrel numbers will decline over time.  This can be seen in the Central Belt, where red squirrels have almost completely disappeared.  We are working to ensure this doesn’t happen in the North East.”

The work of SSRS depends on the involvement of land managers and gamekeepers in the project’s key areas as well as support from the public.  To find out more or get involved visit www.scottishsquirrels.org.uk or contact Hollie Walker at redsquirrelgrampian@swt.org.uk.     

If you spot a grey or a red squirrel while out and about, please report the sighting to the Grampian Squirrel Group, using the sightings page at www.grampiansquirrelgroup.co.uk. 

For more information, please contact:

Nicola McGovern

PR Officer, Scottish Wildlife Trust

Email: nmcgovern@swt.org.uk

Tel:  0131 312 4742

Mob:  07827248117

EU rules on improving the ecology of Scottish waters

Some people think few good things come from our EU membership but those concerned about their environment have welcomed one set of new rules wholeheartedly.  The Water Framework Directive was adopted into Scottish law in the last few years but 2009 has seen the first fruits of that legislation.  The WFD requires EU countries to assess the condition of all rivers, lochs, estuaries and inshore coastal waters and ensure they come up to a standard called good ecological status by 2015.  This good ecological status is defined by the health of aquatic invertebrates, algae, plants and fish and it is a pretty rigorous standard.  Where our surface waters fail to come up to this ecological benchmark then we have to do something about it.  Public bodies, for example the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, have to put together a plan to achieve the target of good ecological status or explain, in some cases, why this is not possible because of over-riding economic consequences, for instance where a hydro-power dam is in place.  The first such plan for Scotland has just been published and can be seen on the SEPA website:

http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx

There are two River Basin Plans, one for the cross-border river catchments of the Solway and Tweed and another for the rest of Scotland.  The plans set out how the Scottish Government, public agencies, industry, communities and voluntary groups will work together to take action to improve water bodies to the ecological standard required.  Sometimes the rivers, lochs and coastal waters are already of such good ecological health that they exceed the EU good status standard in which case we must protect that higher quality and not let it deteriorate.  The plans run for six years, to 2015, after which SEPA has to review what has been achieved and see if there are still any waters failing the standard expected by the EU.  If so, these remaining problems have to be addressed in another river basin planning cycle up to 2021.  However, this is not allowed to go on forever; the maximum time limit for action is until 2027.

The great thing about the River Basin Plan is that we can all have our say and contribute our own thoughts and priorities.  There are ten stakeholder groups; a wider stakeholder forum and plenty of opportunity to comment on the plans through the website.  I also think there is a golden opportunity to use the Plan to look at other environmental objectives such as biodiversity improvements; natural flood management and climate change adaptation because these can be delivered in parallel with the EU’s ecological objectives for our surface waters.  I would encourage you to look at the new plans now and comment on them.  The more people participate and say what is important to them about their environment the better.

Roger Owen

SWT Outing to Montrose and St Cyrus, 13 August 2009

A disappointingly small number of members gathered at the SWT Montrose Centre where the Manager, Caroline Hendry, met us.  Caroline spoke to us about the Centre and then handed us over to the SWT volunteers who were to be our guides at the Centre.

We looked out of the windows and the osprey made its first appearance of the day.  A peregrine falcon followed shortly after. Down in the basin there were mute swans, cormorants, eider duck, goldeneye, lapwing, turnstone, dunlin, and oyster catcher.  In the Centre grounds were a collection of “small stuff”, goldfinch, blackbird, starling and linnet.  Bigger waders showing were curlew, redshank and godwit of both species. Out on the sandbank, 9 common seals dozed away the morning.  The highlight was then spotted, a ruddy shelduck, a vagrant here.

Moving on to Old Montrose pier and walking up the river between the Slunks and the Lurgies we saw numbers of pink-footed geese and shelduck together with the more simple house sparrow and woodpigeon.  There was a little egret there, but there is some disagreement whether we actually saw it or not!

The weather, showing signs of rain persuaded us to lunch at the Centre in the warm and dry.

After lunch, with improving weather, we motored to St Cyrus where Alison Couch, one of the Rangers met us in their visitor Centre and spoke to the group. I get into difficulties here, as I did not take part in the walk on the reserve due to my recovering from a knee operation.  However, on their return they all enthused over the birds, plants and butterflies seen.

Rodney Payne