SWT, Aberdeen Members Group Newsletter

The first SWT outing of the year took place in early May at our Longhaven Reserve a few miles south of Peterhead with about a dozen people turning up to brave the cool but dry, and sometimes sunny, conditions. This site is a linear stretch of sea cliffs offering fabulous open views combined with a labyrinth of granite quarry workings, one of which is still active but mostly slowly reverting to nature. SWT’s Mike Stevens donned his guiding hat for the day and led us around all the best locations for viewing the impressive seabird colonies as well as showing off some of his own very professional work on the footpaths and stairways.

The birds are unquestionably the highlight at Longhaven with masses of Guillemots, Razorbills, Shags and Kittiwakes filling the air with both their squawking cacophony and their delicate aroma. It was useful to get some identification tips from the twitchers amongst the group. Shags can be distinguished from Cormorants by the crest on the head and the lack of a white throat patch. The single Puffin was difficult to spot until one looked for the distinct orange feet. The head colour (brown or black) and the width of the bill separating the Razorbills from the Guillemots wasn’t quite so easy (they were all Guillemots in my opinion). Away from the coast a Kestrel was spotted giving itself a dust bath before flying down to join it’s mate in their quarry nest, hopefully not to face blasting operations.

Various other species were identified during the day, many being new additions to the list kept for the Reserve. Large Red-Tailed Bumblebees (Bombus Lapidarius – as identified by Ken) were much in evidence along with some plant-specific hoverflies, one to celandines and another to hogweed. Several additions were made to the, currently rather limited, moth list with larvae of Dark Tussock (Dicallomera fascelina), Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum), Garden Tiger (Arctia caja) and 6-spot Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae) being found. A colony of Grey Seals and a Stoat in the quarry were the only mammals seen but there were some signs of recent deer activity, rather surprisingly given the open, treeless environment.

From a botanical point-of-view our findings were a mixed bag. We found what we thought was a hybrid between Primrose and Cowslip and an Ivy-leaved Toadflax, a native species but scarce in NE Scotland. When we then found yellow Tulips and multicoloured Polyanthus we realised these were all garden escapes bought in with soil being used around the working quarry. We did have some success however, finding one of the Water Milfoils, none of which appear to have been recorded in this 10 Km square (not too surprising given that it is 95% sea), and, at the most northerly point reached during the day, Tuberous Comfrey (Symphytum tuberosum) which was not on the plant species list. An all-white form of the Sea Pink was just coming into flower – definitely not just a faded specimen.

Anyone tempted to visit the reserve should take note that it is not signed from the main road but you should follow the dirt road leading to Blackhill Quarry. The junction is at NK112398 and is easily spotted by the long slip roads. The small car park is just short of the quarry next to a ruined cottage. Beware the large potholes! The more adventurous can reach the reserve on foot by following the Buchan Coastal Path.

June Outing : A Gallop Over Garvock - Bob Daly

The June botanical outing led and organised by David Welch has become something of an annual institution, much anticipated and never disappointing, and this year’s, run as a joint outing with BSBI (The Botanical Society of the British Isles), was no exception. David has a habit of coming up with sites which one wouldn’t otherwise visit – or even know about for that matter – and on this occasion we visited three. The first, and main one, was on the southern slopes of the Hill of Garvock which is across the dual carriageway from Laurencekirk. Here, the geomorphology and chemistry of the volcanic rocks coupled with the preservation offered by it’s former use as a medieval hunting ground have given rise to a rich and very diverse flora. Although all open, currently it is private agricultural land used by cattle, there is an interesting tapestry of different habitats all merging into one another making it difficult to predict what botanical gems were going to appear next.

In the marshy parts of the area we found several orchid species. Perhaps the most significant of these was the Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia) which, though not fully in flower at this time – causing some confusion with the Twayblades we were expecting to find, occurring in such numbers that it must rate as one of the best sites for it in the country. One has to assume that the cattle grazing has helped in this respect, not just through keeping the vegetation from getting too rank , but also from their hoof prints providing suitable micro habitats. Some lucky people spotted a Roe Deer fawn lying motionless amongst the vegetation so these must also do their share of grazing. Another impressive display was that provided by the Globeflowers (Trollius europaeus). Usually one just sees an occasional flower but here there were extensive patches of pale yellow splashed across the marshy hillside. Not unlike a large, upright buttercup, the flower, as the name suggests, remains as an enclosed globe for most of the time though it does open eventually – presumably it has to allow pollination.

We made a brief and breezy visit to the Tower of Johnston at the top of the hill, a folly built out of the leftovers from the stately home below and, rather unfortunately, built slap bang on top of a bronze-age site still identifiable by the large pile of very rounded stones. These presumably had their origin in the river valley below as there didn’t appear to be any local source on the hill itself. Lunch on the more sheltered slopes below was then followed by a final search for plants on the way down. Someone with sharp eyes managed to find Brown Sedge (Carex disticha), here at its northerly limit. Several other sedges were found during the day - 11 in total – including Spring Sedge (Carex caryophyllea) which isn’t too common in NE Scotland, Dioecious Sedge (C. dioica) which is on the decline in lowland habitats and Tawny Sedge (C. hostiana), again, uncommon in the NE.

The second visit was to St. Cyrus to see Knotted Clover (Trifolium striatum) – also at it’s northerly limit - growing in the main visitor centre car park, and also a beautifully coloured and extremely rare Martin’s Ramping-fumitory (Fumaria reuteri) growing in an arable field edge nearby. The miniature bottlebrush flowers are predominantly white but this merges though pink into a deep purple at their tips and at this time of year were absolutely at their best. The difference between this species and similar ones is, to say the least, subtle so a sample was taken to send to the Royal Botanic Gardens (Edinburgh) for confirmation. A sobering thought is that it would only take one spray of weedkiller to wipe out this population (one of only a handful in the country – the strongholds being Cornwall and the Isle of Wight).

The final visit of the day was to Garvoch Churchyard - the history of this site, if not the church itself, dates back to the thirteenth century - but this was knocked on the head somewhat when we discovered that strimmers had been at work recently. We did record Pignut and Primrose, the former being indicative of undisturbed ground (in a churchyard?), as well as admire some of the pictorial gravestones, a style more commonly associated with the west coast. Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus) - sometimes called St Anthony’s turnip - was also found, identified by it’s angular stem and reflexed sepals (ie. the points of the star shape underneath the flowerhead peels away to point back down the stem). The adjacent burn had a good stand of the locally-rare Masterwort (Peucedanum ostruthium) on its steep banks and it is interesting to speculate whether, in some way, this has given rise to the reputed magical effects of the water in St. James’s Well just a few yards downstream. As mentioned in the report on last year’s trip when Masterwort was found near Gight Woods, it is thought to have antiseptic qualities. The waters of the aforementioned burn emanate from St. James’s Lochs where a medieval fair used to be held. Sadly, the ‘large ale tents’ were no longer on-tap to provide us with post-event refreshments and neither was anyone too keen on emulating some of the local noblemen from that period who murdered one of their compatriots, boiled him up and then all partook of the resulting broth (you didn’t need to leave so promptly David, we need you for next year’s outing). Thankfully, Denis came to the rescue with an offer of a brew-up in his campervan.

Click here for some photographs from this outing.

July Outing: Rock Pools Day (Seaweed Identification) - Ruth Crundwell

Introductions were made after meeting 9 SWT members at the windy Torry Battery car park. Clare Scanlan is a senior marine ecologist with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and I am a BTCV Natural Talent Seaweed Apprentice working with SEPA.

Soon we were all scrambling across the boulders. First stop was at the top of the shore where we found a rock pool that had mainly washed up seaweeds in it. On the surrounding rocks there was a lot of the brown fucoid algae (or wracks) and some unidentifiable, (unless with a microscope) green seaweed. Seaweeds are algae and we had discussions on various aspects of algal identification, including shape and type of reproductive bodies, holdfasts, and the zone (or area of the beach) that best suits which type of seaweed.

Other, more interesting, rock pools around were investigated. Clare took some braver members down towards the lowtide mark to search for some of the seaweeds which prefer that habitat. The greatest diversity is found around low water or in rock pools, or in the subtidal, but we definitely weren’t going diving. A short sharp shower alerted us to the fact that it was nearly lunchtime, so we made our way to the SEPA building. The new offices are shared with Scottish Natural Heritage and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and are built to the highest environmental standards.

After lunch the afternoon session was in the laboratory. Microscopes are required for identification of many types of seaweed including the small red ‘flowery’ ones. A scraping of a green one found growing on Fucus revealed a type called Ulothrix, which are seen as single cell thick strands under the microscope lens. Many seaweeds are epiphytic (grow on top) of other seaweeds. They can also be found growing on or in animals such as molluscs and hydroids. We also found that a few beasts had hitched a ride including a small crab, isopods (like woodlice) and tiny snails. Seaweed is an important part of the inter-tidal food web providing shelter and food for many of the creatures that inhabit that area.

Using the keys and ID books proved to be a bit of challenge but I feel that most people were pleased they had tried to use them. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves when they left. I know I was tired at the end of the day, but it was well worth it as we all discovered how interesting and varied seaweeds can be. We even found a seaweed Clare hadn’t seen around here before, so that was interesting.

We found 31 species, (not definitive, a full search might give us twice as many!).

Click here to see full list of species and links to related websites.

Montrose Basin Visitor Centre Contents Chairman's News Update from the Reserves Manager Volunteering Opportunities Convenor Needed for Red Moss NESBREC Montrose Basin Visitor Centre SWT Summer Outings
Chairman’s News I wonder how many of our members are aware that a really important new wildlife bill has just been introduced to the Scottish Parliament in June this year and it is out for consultation now? The Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill has some sensible aspects but also some startling proposals. For example, it seeks to reform the game laws; including the colourfully titled Night Poaching Act 1844 and the Hares (Scotland) Act 1848 and it will repeal the offence of poaching in disguise. But it also proposes to include black grouse and ptarmigan as birds which can be killed or taken outside of the close season. These species feature on the IUCN red list and SWT believes they should be assigned protected status. The Bill also proposes a close season for mountain hares, in other words, an open season for rest of the year. Worryingly, the Scottish Government seems also to have reversed its position in favour of a statutory duty to manage red deer sustainably and proposes instead a non-binding code of practice, which may advise on deer management. You can imagine how effective that will be in tackling our extensively overgrazed landscape. This Bill will strengthen powers of appropriate bodies to prevent release of non-native species in Scotland and that proposal should be welcomed but there is confusion over re-introduced species, like the beaver, and SWT will be asking for specific protection for species present as part of a licensed re-introduction. It would be really useful if SWT members would look at all these proposals and comment back via their MSPs. Details are at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/briefings-10/SB10-39.pdf That brings me to some really good news which will have broken by the time you read this newsletter. Two of the SWT introduced families of European beaver at Knapdale have already begun to breed. Young beaver kits have been spotted for the first time and it is a resounding success for the project. It shows that the beaver families feel at home and that our modern environment suits them. We look forward to seeing more beaver in our landscape in the future. The local Member Centre Committee are working hard to bring you more wildlife opportunities and our summer programme is going well; most recently an SWT group was guided on local sea-shore fauna and flora by expert Clare Scanlan of SEPA and this was a very enjoyable experience for our members. The Committee needs some help though and would be very grateful for one or two more willing hands to assist with the organisation of our activities – would you consider joining the committee? In addition, we need someone to take an interest in protecting SWTs local wildlife interests from development pressures by keeping on eye on local authority planning. SWT can provide guidance on what to look for and how to do this effectively; and has a network of Member Centre planning volunteers. It is an important role for us in this area so if you have an interest please consider volunteering! Roger Owen - Chair Aberdeen Member Centre
Update from the Reserves Manager Red Moss of Netherley The possible funding from the Aberdeen Bypass Mitigation Fund is still alive. Although the Scottish government has given the go-ahead for this road, there are currently two legal challenges to the proposed bypass. If these go to court, it could be a further two years before any decision is made! In the meantime, I am meeting with SNH Officers to discuss the possibility of SWT managing the whole SSSI. There are four other landowners within the SSSI and we would require SNH to negotiate terms before we could start any funding bids to carry out any future management outwith the reserve boundary. I met a group of students from Craibstone College on site on the 13th of May. Mike Stevens continues to read dipwells and carry out routine maintenance on the reserve. Gight Wood I met with the Case Officer regarding our Scottish Rural Development Funding application. During discussions it was suggested that we coppice some of the hazel within the wood. I am looking into this at present. A Forest Plan is to be written as part of this funding application, which will (hopefully!) agree with our current Management Plan for the reserve. Mike Stevens reported a peregrine nesting site within the reserve last month. Longhaven Cliffs Our SITA funding to provide “a level walking surface” and some updated interpretation has finally come through! Mike will be carrying out most of the work with a contractor doing the more “dangerous” parts. Part of this funding has allowed us to buy Mike some new machinery to help him do the job. This has to be completed by June 2011. It is our intention that by then we will have a level path along the whole coastline of the reserve, which Mike can mow as required. It is very pleasing to see this project begin as it has involved a lot of “behind the scenes” work. Apart from funding applications, we have had to agree access agreements with our neighbours, temporary access for machinery with neighbouring farmers and liaising with contractors who quoted for the work. I, accompanied by our convenor Dr Mark Young, met staff from Ennstone Thistle Quarries, SNH and Aberdeenshire Planning Authority regarding possible landscaping work to be carried out by the Operator on completion of their works – they had applied for a 10 year extension onto the time scale within which they could quarry here. This did not include any additional size of the quarrying though. Still occasional (unconfirmed) reports of Sea eagles around the reserve. Coulnacraig Meadow Mike is carrying out annual work on the reserve as planned. Unfortunately the land use of one of the neighbouring fields has been changed (looks like horses will be kept there) which may impact of the reserve. We will have to keep an eye on developments. Finally I have moved into more spacious accommodation which allows me to have a separate office (means I can close the door at 5pm!). My contact details are below: Robert Potter Scottish Wildlife Trust Reserves Manager North East The Kennels nr Cortachy, by Kirriemuir Angus DD8 4QE Tel 01575 540396 Mob 07920 468568 e-mail rpotter@swt.org.uk As always, I am happy to help with any information regarding the Aberdeenshire Reserves, or any other wildlife/SWT related issue. Probably easiest to reach me by e-mail. Rab Potter

Volunteering Opportunities Members are welcome to attend volunteer days held on the first Saturday of each month and alternate Wednesdays. 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 Convenor Required for the Red Moss of Netherley Do you want to do a little more for local wildlife management? We have a vacancy for the voluntary post of Reserve Convenor for the SWT reserve at Red Moss of Netherley. This is an unpaid post but a very rewarding job for someone with enthusiasm and a flair for organisation. The Red Moss of Netherley, near Stonehaven, is an important wetland reserve for the Trust and we need someone who is willing to take a lead in its management and ensure we can optimise its public benefit for enjoyment, information and education. You will work with the Reserves Manager, the local Conservation Team and the local volunteer team of volunteers as well as the local SWT Members Centre. The Convenor acts as the eyes and ears on their designated reserve and as such is often the person who has the most knowledge of the species, habitats, problems and opportunities on the reserve. There are many tasks Convenors undertake on the Trusts 120 reserves including: v Carrying out regular visits to the reserve, ideally once a month, as agreed following discussion with the Reserves Manager. v Follow all SWT policies and procedures in relation to health and safety of yourself and others on the reserve. v Implement selected management works and coordinate the work of reserve volunteers, if available, in accordance with SWT policies and procedures. v Report problems and enquiries to the appropriate member of staff. v Assist in the production of an annual reserve report, including tasks undertaken and recording notable species. v Co-ordinate the reserve management group (where one is active). v Attend local Members Centre Reserve Committee and regional reserve convenors meetings. The management of the reserves is a cornerstone of the Trust’s work and a key focus of partnership working between members and staff. If you would like to volunteer as convenor of the Red Moss of Netherley, or would like to discuss the job, please contact Roger Owen on 01569 762479 or at roger@owen25.fsnet.co.uk
(NorthEast Biological Records Centre) Lorna Anness In the North East of Scotland we are extremely fortunate to have an outstanding records centre. It was voted one of the best in Scotland by an SWT survey. NESBReC is a hub for biological data exchange and maintains a database which currently holds over 630,000 species records. It collates, manages and provides biological information for the North East of Scotland. Biological recorders are an integral part of this work and NESBReC runs free training opportunities every year across all skills levels. You will see at the end of this article a list of those still to occur this year. So it’s easy for you to become involved. Since 2000 NESBReC has supported the North East Biodiversity Action Plan (www.nesbiodiversity.org.uk) and the National Biodiversity Network (http://data.nbn.org.uk). In 2009, coverage was expanded to the Cairngorms Local Biodiversity Action Plan area. NESBReC is a partnership and depends on a range of organisations for support, including public bodies, local authorities and conservation charities. Partners, decision makers, education and conservation bodies, national recording schemes and the wider community to assist with land use planning, conservation, site management and research, frequently use the data. On their website (www.nesbrec.org.uk ) you will be able to access an informative newsletter, online recording forms and maps and records for species in North East Scotland. You can also contact them by email: nesbrec@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or by phone: 01224 273633 You are invited to attend a workshop on Squirrel Surveying Wednesday 6th Oct 10.00am -1.00pm, Room ZB19, ZoologyBuilding, University of Aberdeen.
MontroseBasin Visitor Centre –“Successful Camera Appeal” Montrose Basin Visitor Centre has an exciting new edition to the viewing facilities in the form of a flat screen television and a new 36x optical zoom camera. A fundraising appeal was launched by SWT to install the new camera which will allow live close-up images of the Basin’s bird life especially around the Rossie Spit high tide wader roost. The funds raised came after a very successful appeal letter was posted to members of SWT together with contributions from Scottish Natural Heritage, a range of SWT Member Centres, along with donations from the Angus and Dundee Bird Club. The Centre now “sports” the new large screen and plans are in place to provide live images to the public via the SWT website in the near future. This camera marks the first of a larger scale project which aims to replace all of the existing cameras in the future.
Outing Reports May Outing : A Lope Around Longhaven - Bob Daly The first SWT outing of the year took place in early May at our Longhaven Reserve a few miles south of Peterhead with about a dozen people turning up to brave the cool but dry, and sometimes sunny, conditions. This site is a linear stretch of sea cliffs offering fabulous open views combined with a labyrinth of granite quarry workings, one of which is still active but mostly slowly reverting to nature. SWT’s Mike Stevens donned his guiding hat for the day and led us around all the best locations for viewing the impressive seabird colonies as well as showing off some of his own very professional work on the footpaths and stairways. The birds are unquestionably the highlight at Longhaven with masses of Guillemots, Razorbills, Shags and Kittiwakes filling the air with both their squawking cacophony and their delicate aroma. It was useful to get some identification tips from the twitchers amongst the group. Shags can be distinguished from Cormorants by the crest on the head and the lack of a white throat patch. The single Puffin was difficult to spot until one looked for the distinct orange feet. The head colour (brown or black) and the width of the bill separating the Razorbills from the Guillemots wasn’t quite so easy (they were all Guillemots in my opinion). Away from the coast a Kestrel was spotted giving itself a dust bath before flying down to join it’s mate in their quarry nest, hopefully not to face blasting operations. Various other species were identified during the day, many being new additions to the list kept for the Reserve. Large Red-Tailed Bumblebees (Bombus Lapidarius – as identified by Ken) were much in evidence along with some plant-specific hoverflies, one to celandines and another to hogweed. Several additions were made to the, currently rather limited, moth list with larvae of Dark Tussock (Dicallomera fascelina), Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum), Garden Tiger (Arctia caja) and 6-spot Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae) being found. A colony of Grey Seals and a Stoat in the quarry were the only mammals seen but there were some signs of recent deer activity, rather surprisingly given the open, treeless environment. From a botanical point-of-view our findings were a mixed bag. We found what we thought was a hybrid between Primrose and Cowslip and an Ivy-leaved Toadflax, a native species but scarce in NE Scotland. When we then found yellow Tulips and multicoloured Polyanthus we realised these were all garden escapes bought in with soil being used around the working quarry. We did have some success however, finding one of the Water Milfoils, none of which appear to have been recorded in this 10 Km square (not too surprising given that it is 95% sea), and, at the most northerly point reached during the day, Tuberous Comfrey (Symphytum tuberosum) which was not on the plant species list. An all-white form of the Sea Pink was just coming into flower – definitely not just a faded specimen. Anyone tempted to visit the reserve should take note that it is not signed from the main road but you should follow the dirt road leading to Blackhill Quarry. The junction is at NK112398 and is easily spotted by the long slip roads. The small car park is just short of the quarry next to a ruined cottage. Beware the large potholes! The more adventurous can reach the reserve on foot by following the Buchan Coastal Path. June Outing : A Gallop Over Garvock - Bob Daly The June botanical outing led and organised by David Welch has become something of an annual institution, much anticipated and never disappointing, and this year’s, run as a joint outing with BSBI (The Botanical Society of the British Isles), was no exception. David has a habit of coming up with sites which one wouldn’t otherwise visit – or even know about for that matter – and on this occasion we visited three. The first, and main one, was on the southern slopes of the Hill of Garvock which is across the dual carriageway from Laurencekirk. Here, the geomorphology and chemistry of the volcanic rocks coupled with the preservation offered by it’s former use as a medieval hunting ground have given rise to a rich and very diverse flora. Although all open, currently it is private agricultural land used by cattle, there is an interesting tapestry of different habitats all merging into one another making it difficult to predict what botanical gems were going to appear next. In the marshy parts of the area we found several orchid species. Perhaps the most significant of these was the Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia) which, though not fully in flower at this time – causing some confusion with the Twayblades we were expecting to find, occurring in such numbers that it must rate as one of the best sites for it in the country. One has to assume that the cattle grazing has helped in this respect, not just through keeping the vegetation from getting too rank , but also from their hoof prints providing suitable micro habitats. Some lucky people spotted a Roe Deer fawn lying motionless amongst the vegetation so these must also do their share of grazing. Another impressive display was that provided by the Globeflowers (Trollius europaeus). Usually one just sees an occasional flower but here there were extensive patches of pale yellow splashed across the marshy hillside. Not unlike a large, upright buttercup, the flower, as the name suggests, remains as an enclosed globe for most of the time though it does open eventually – presumably it has to allow pollination. We made a brief and breezy visit to the Tower of Johnston at the top of the hill, a folly built out of the leftovers from the stately home below and, rather unfortunately, built slap bang on top of a bronze-age site still identifiable by the large pile of very rounded stones. These presumably had their origin in the river valley below as there didn’t appear to be any local source on the hill itself. Lunch on the more sheltered slopes below was then followed by a final search for plants on the way down. Someone with sharp eyes managed to find Brown Sedge (Carex disticha), here at its northerly limit. Several other sedges were found during the day - 11 in total – including Spring Sedge (Carex caryophyllea) which isn’t too common in NE Scotland, Dioecious Sedge (C. dioica) which is on the decline in lowland habitats and Tawny Sedge (C. hostiana), again, uncommon in the NE. The second visit was to St. Cyrus to see Knotted Clover (Trifolium striatum) – also at it’s northerly limit - growing in the main visitor centre car park, and also a beautifully coloured and extremely rare Martin’s Ramping-fumitory (Fumaria reuteri) growing in an arable field edge nearby. The miniature bottlebrush flowers are predominantly white but this merges though pink into a deep purple at their tips and at this time of year were absolutely at their best. The difference between this species and similar ones is, to say the least, subtle so a sample was taken to send to the Royal Botanic Gardens (Edinburgh) for confirmation. A sobering thought is that it would only take one spray of weedkiller to wipe out this population (one of only a handful in the country – the strongholds being Cornwall and the Isle of Wight). The final visit of the day was to Garvoch Churchyard - the history of this site, if not the church itself, dates back to the thirteenth century - but this was knocked on the head somewhat when we discovered that strimmers had been at work recently. We did record Pignut and Primrose, the former being indicative of undisturbed ground (in a churchyard?), as well as admire some of the pictorial gravestones, a style more commonly associated with the west coast. Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus) - sometimes called St Anthony’s turnip - was also found, identified by it’s angular stem and reflexed sepals (ie. the points of the star shape underneath the flowerhead peels away to point back down the stem). The adjacent burn had a good stand of the locally-rare Masterwort (Peucedanum ostruthium) on its steep banks and it is interesting to speculate whether, in some way, this has given rise to the reputed magical effects of the water in St. James’s Well just a few yards downstream. As mentioned in the report on last year’s trip when Masterwort was found near Gight Woods, it is thought to have antiseptic qualities. The waters of the aforementioned burn emanate from St. James’s Lochs where a medieval fair used to be held. Sadly, the ‘large ale tents’ were no longer on-tap to provide us with post-event refreshments and neither was anyone too keen on emulating some of the local noblemen from that period who murdered one of their compatriots, boiled him up and then all partook of the resulting broth (you didn’t need to leave so promptly David, we need you for next year’s outing). Thankfully, Denis came to the rescue with an offer of a brew-up in his campervan. Click here for some photographs from this outing. July Outing: Rock Pools Day (Seaweed Identification) - Ruth Crundwell Introductions were made after meeting 9 SWT members at the windy Torry Battery car park. Clare Scanlan is a senior marine ecologist with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and I am a BTCV Natural Talent Seaweed Apprentice working with SEPA. Soon we were all scrambling across the boulders. First stop was at the top of the shore where we found a rock pool that had mainly washed up seaweeds in it. On the surrounding rocks there was a lot of the brown fucoid algae (or wracks) and some unidentifiable, (unless with a microscope) green seaweed. Seaweeds are algae and we had discussions on various aspects of algal identification, including shape and type of reproductive bodies, holdfasts, and the zone (or area of the beach) that best suits which type of seaweed. Other, more interesting, rock pools around were investigated. Clare took some braver members down towards the lowtide mark to search for some of the seaweeds which prefer that habitat. The greatest diversity is found around low water or in rock pools, or in the subtidal, but we definitely weren’t going diving. A short sharp shower alerted us to the fact that it was nearly lunchtime, so we made our way to the SEPA building. The new offices are shared with Scottish Natural Heritage and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and are built to the highest environmental standards. After lunch the afternoon session was in the laboratory. Microscopes are required for identification of many types of seaweed including the small red ‘flowery’ ones. A scraping of a green one found growing on Fucus revealed a type called Ulothrix, which are seen as single cell thick strands under the microscope lens. Many seaweeds are epiphytic (grow on top) of other seaweeds. They can also be found growing on or in animals such as molluscs and hydroids. We also found that a few beasts had hitched a ride including a small crab, isopods (like woodlice) and tiny snails. Seaweed is an important part of the inter-tidal food web providing shelter and food for many of the creatures that inhabit that area. Using the keys and ID books proved to be a bit of challenge but I feel that most people were pleased they had tried to use them. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves when they left. I know I was tired at the end of the day, but it was well worth it as we all discovered how interesting and varied seaweeds can be. We even found a seaweed Clare hadn’t seen around here before, so that was interesting. We found 31 species, (not definitive, a full search might give us twice as many!). Click here to see full list of species and links to related websites.
Delivery of Newsletters - Gavin Forrest Every newsletter delivered by hand saves the branch the cost of a stamp. There are already a band of volunteers who deliver a bundle of newsletters in their area, but we could do with wider coverage. So if there is anyone who would like an evening or two of exercise twice a year please contact me. Notes on meetings The October and November dates for the talks in the SWT Events & Activities booklet that came with the magazine are incorrect. The correct dates click here.

	Scottish Wildlife Trust
	Aberdeen Members Group
	Newsletter - Autumn 2010

Scottish Wildlife Trust

Aberdeen Members Group

Newsletter - Autumn 2010