Ray Collier Highland Country Diary - Moles

Moles
21st September 2006

Throughout the summer and autumn animals in the Highlands have been eating to boost their fat reserves whilst food has been readily available but as the nights get colder there is less food around and they have to start to cope with the coming winter. Contrary to popular belief only one land animal hibernates and that is the hedgehog. All the others from the largest, the red deer, to the smallest, the pygmy shrew, have to feed on a regular basis and for the very small ones this can mean every day. Moles are no exception and fresh mole hills can even be seen in snow and ice conditions showing where these creatures have been active. Low temperatures mean that the main food of the mole, earthworms, are more difficult to find because the worms are deeper in the soil. However, although there tends to be the suggestion that worms are all that moles eat they will in fact take other prey such as beetle and fly larvae, centipedes, millipedes, slugs and even small frogs. In the winter this source of other food is more difficult to find so during those months worms form more than 90 percent of its prey. As with many other animals, from rabbits to deer, there are problems in relation to moles and ourselves as they are reputed to damage farmland in various ways, although to a certain extent this depends on the numbers of molehills. In fields where there are large numbers - one record breaking field had 7380 molehills per hectare, which obviously met the criteria of loss of pasture - problems can arise from the provision of bare soil that can be colonised by weeds. Damage to machinery can also occur when cutting machinery hits the molehills. Another problem, even with low numbers of molehills, is that the soil contaminates silage and through chemical changes the silage is not properly preserved and it putrefies. In contrast moles can be beneficial by stirring leaf litter into the soil, helping to allow roots to penetrate and enhancing the drainage and aeration. Moles have also been known to throw up, to the benefit of archaeologists, flints and small pieces of glass or stone used by the Romans to make mosaic floors. The velvety, short and stiff fur of the mole is unusual in that it has no natural grain. It stands straight up which enables the animal to go backwards and forwards in its narrow tunnels without ruffling the fur. It is also very dense to prevent it fouling with soil or dirt. Apart from the once well known habit of using the pelt of the mole for clothing, such as moleskin breeches, it was at one time also used by plumbers to wipe smooth the tapering solder joint between two pieces of lead pipe. With all these good and bad aspects in mind, it was little wonder that at one time the specialist mole-catchers were a common feature of rural life. Although these days they are few and far between... Just occasionally a gibbet of moles hung on a fence can be seen and this harps back to the old days of the mole-catchers who hung them up in the belief that this deterred any remaining moles they had missed. Apart from people, moles, collectively known as a labour or company, have other predators, especially when they are above ground, which they occasionally do both at night and by day. This is particularly serious when the young are dispersing. They fall prey to foxes, buzzards, herons etc. and also some will starve or drown by being flooded out, although under normal circumstances they can swim. There may still be plenty of moles and their give-away molehills, but it is really a question of surviving despite what we have done to them in the past rather than because of anything we have done for them. Now that strychnine is banned it will be interesting to see if the numbers of moles increase.

Ray Collier Highland Country Diary - Red Admiral Butterflies

12th September
Red Admirals

One of the largest and most attractive butterflies in the Highlands, the red admiral, is now on the wing and they regularly fly into gardens after nectar from flowers. The name admiral was given to it in the 18th century, although it was also given the name of the alderman after its rich colours reminded people of robes. The butterflies are around from May to October and those seen before July will almost certainly be from the Continent. It is possible these first butterflies could have hibernated but those that do have the peculiar habit of hibernating in open places - such as on the sides of tree trunks or on the outside of buildings - and are often killed by frosts. So the red admirals we see in the Highlands earlier in the year have come a long way and although we would expect them to have tattered wings, this is not the case as damage to the wings normally only occurs in displaying or mating. When the first butterflies start to arrive in May, they patrol small territories and will often chase intruders from areas such as hedgerows, gardens and woodland clearings. They seem to love the sun as they will often rest with their attractive wings fully open well away from any food plant. With this in mind it comes as a surprise to realise that this is one of the very few butterflies that sometimes flies at night. The butterfly lays its eggs on stinging nettle, more unusually the annual nettle is used, and one egg is laid on the upper side of a leaf. When the solitary caterpillar hatches it uses silk like threads to form the leaf into a tent like structure and when larger the caterpillar rests in a characteristic shape like a figure of six. An unusual feature of the caterpillars is that they can be either green or brown. The chrysalis is formed in the summer and autumn and it often hangs from the stalk of the nettle and is one of the easiest to find as they have attractive gold spots. Unfortunately, they are also found by parasites such as the beautiful black ichneumon wasps which inject them with eggs and kill them. Unlike most butterflies, and perhaps because of their size, red admirals seem to need a lot of moisture as they can sometimes be seen drinking from puddles and they also feed on sap oozing from trees and on rotting apples which is a habit they share with peacock butterflies. There is also another unusual habit with these butterflies as when they are migrating, they will often go to the top of a hill where they fly around in a wide circle as if orienteering and then suddenly they will head off. They have been seen doing this "hill topping" as it is called on various high spots in the Highlands. As the summer goes by, the butterflies hatch to swell numbers but throughout more and more come in from the Continent which gives the impression that large numbers are involved every year. However, for some reason this is not the case as the numbers of red admirals vary from year to year and nobody know why. However, there is a twist to the story as from mid August some of the butterflies move south and by mid-September large numbers gather on the south coast of Britain but whilst some undoubtedly get over the channel, it is not clear how many succeed. As for global warming it may well be that more and more red admirals will be able to survive the now much milder Highland winters so the whole situation could change.

Ray Collier Highland Country Diary - Red Deer

Red Deer
10th September 06


Throughout the Highlands there are many evocative sounds in the countryside that epitomise the wildness of hills, straths and glens. One is the famous "go-back, go-back" calls of the red grouse as the males challenge rivals in the spring. In the summer the raucous calls of kittiwakes from sea cliffs is a reminder of the great seabird colonies of the North. In the winter, the whistles of the male wigeon in the various firths indicate the huge invasion of wintering wildfowl such as ducks, geese and swans. The otter has a different whistle and, when heard, it indicates the private lives of many animals that we rarely see. Perhaps the most evocative sound of them all can be heard at this time of the year, and well into October, as the red deer stags in glens, straths, open hill and woodland roar out their challenges. For most of the year the stags will have been away from the hinds, often in large herds, but then, in September they move into the areas occupied by the hinds. This is the rutting or mating season and the stags will be in good condition after the rich summer feeding. There are various ways in which the stag can not only attract the hinds but also challenge any would be rivals. One is to find a wet peaty area and roll around in the soft ground until he is coverd by mud. There is some mystery as to why they do this in these wet areas called wallows. One theory is that it cools the stags down. Another is that it helps to spread the strong rutting smell all over its body. Yet another theory is that when the stags stands up, the mud and peat hanging from its antlers makes it look fierce to other stags but at the same time attracts the hinds. The general idea of the rut is for the mature stags, usually five years or more, to attract a small group of hinds which he holds for as long as possible in what is called a harem. The problem is that other stags have the same idea and there are frequent challenges that take various forms. The stag holding the hinds is forever on the move trying to keep the hinds together, roaring to other stags and mating with each hind as it comes into season. The deep, loud bellowing roars are kept up for long periods and are aimed at discouraging other stags. If an intruder thinks he has a chance he will approach the hinds. The two stags are still assessing each other and the next stage is crucial as they slowly walk side by side weighing up their individual strengths and size of antlers. Even at this stage, one may walk away but if they are evenly matched they will begin to fight. Such fights are furious and noisy as the antlers crash together and each stag tries to push the other away. There may be injuries and it has been known for the antlers to interlock so much they cannot be pulled apart and both stags die. However, despite what the media says fights to the death are very rare. To the victor may not go the spoils as the stags use up an enormous amount of energy and emerge from the rut thin and exhausted. At this time of the year and for the next several weeks if you go into most parts of the Highlands, especially on a still warm evening, you may be privileged to hear the roaring of the stags and you will never forget the experience. If you are lucky enough to see a stag roaring then the head will be pushed forward and its antlers lying along its back as it roars its defience.