Cottage Holidays throughout Scotland

29th June 2009 – Butterflies

The commonest and most widespread butterflies in the Highlands so far this year have been green veined whites, small tortoiseshells , peacocks, red admirals, speckled woods, orange tips and painted ladies. The speckled wood is an interesting butterfly and one that is often overlooked as it is so well camouflaged. There seems to be colonies in the north of Scotland and other ones in England with large gaps in between. Perhaps this is why Adrian M. Riley claims that are two sub-species in his book “British and Irish Butterflies” what he calls the speckled wood and the Scottish speckled wood. He claims that the first Scottish speckled wood was identified on the Isle of Rum by Harrison in 1949 but this must surely be suspect. Speckled woods are interesting because in the summer they do not seek nectar from flowers but fly up to the tops of trees and take in the honeydew that covers many of the leaves. In late summer however when honeydew is scarce they descend to seek out flowers. The start has not been a very good one for small tortoiseshells as far as the Highlands is concerned with, in most places, not more than three seen together at any one time.
The event of the last few weeks must be the massive invasion of painted lady butterflies as millions of these attractive butterflies arrived. The migration started in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco in north west Africa 1000 miles away from Britain. In mid February a researcher saw very large numbers of the butterflies emerging and starting to fly northwards. They were subsequently seen in large numbers in Spain in April and a few weeks later in France. The first records for Britain were on May 21st when members of Butterfly Conservation reported seeing large numbers off Portland Bill in Dorset. Butterfly Conservation encouraged members to send in their records and the distribution map started to develop. Thousands were seen flying across southern England from Cornwall to East Anglia. It is difficult to imagine the numbers but some idea can be gained from records at Scolt Head island along the Norfolk coast. On 27th May 18,000 flew past at 50 a minute over a 400 metre front.
By 1st June the map on the computer had recorded them not only in Sutherland and Caithness but also in the Northern Isles and even Ireland. Later records indicated they had been found, of all places, in Norway and Iceland. A similar mass migration took place in 1996 and then it also made the headlines in newspapers. The butterflies we see now have come from Africa with suitable tail winds or breezes. The caterpillars feed on a few plants but thistle is the commonest and there may be a few broods if the summer is favourable. There may also be a further immigration from the Continent. In other years numbers visiting Britain are variable but there have been good numbers in the last few years. It seemed strange in one or two years to look at Buddleia bushes in the Highlands and see more painted ladies than small tortoiseshells. This is not because there are very more painted ladies but simply because the small tortoiseshell numbers are so low. It is a national mystery which Butterfly Conservation is trying to solve in its current surveys.

22nd June 2009 – Recent bird Status in the UK

Prior to May this year the most recent assessment of the status of birds regularly occurring in the UK, including the Highlands, was in 2002. The assessment was indicated by a colour code with the red list including birds that were considered of “high conservation concern”. Included in this red list were birds such as corncrake and ring ouzel. The amber list indicated birds of “medium conservation concern”. This included birds such as osprey and Slavonian grebe. The green list indicates “low conservation concern”. This included birds such as heron, great tit and moorhen. The colour status does not take into account how many birds are present but is largely based on the changes that have taken place in recent years whether an increase in them, a decrease or a stable population. Some of the declines have been outwith our control such as the conditions found in the African winter quarters of migrants including warblers. The affect of global warming, real or perceived, has also given rise for concern particularly with some Highland birds such as snow bunting and ptarmigan.
The latest re-assessment of this colour coding was in May this year and there are some worrying trends although it is not all bad news. The greatest concern lies in the list of sixteen birds that have gone from the amber list to the red list. As far as the Highlands are concerned this includes birds such as cuckoo, fieldfare, herring gull, lapwing, redwing and wood warbler. The lapwing does not come as a surprise as many people have commented on the decline in recent years. Perhaps we have become so used to the herring gulls being a “pest” in some areas we have failed to realise just how much they have declined.
Perhaps one of the most remarkable declines has been with the breeding pairs of arctic skuas. As a breeding bird they are confined to Scotland as far as the UK is concerned and in particular the Northern Isles. Between 2000 and 2004 they declined by 46% and annual counts have indicated the numbers may now be as low as 1,000 pairs. For this reason the very unusual assessments have been made in the bird going from the green list to the red list and missing out the amber list altogether. Possibly the biggest anomaly is the fact that both the starling and house sparrow that are on the red list can be culled in Scotland. Under the “General Licence” held by the Scottish office both these birds can be shot in Scotland providing you have a good reason such as damage to crops or feed. Who could have envisaged that both these once very common and widespread birds could be on a “high conservation concern” list. At one time neither of these abundant birds were studied as it was thought they were so common nothing could adversely affect them.
However, the 2009 assessment does contain some good news. Six birds have been moved from the 2002 red list and placed on the amber list. This is partly because there has been a recovery in their numbers or range or we have made a better survey of their numbers. This list contains a Scotland speciality namely the Scottish crossbill. This is the only endemic bird in the UK and in fact has its total world range confined to Scotland. A survey funded by the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage has now found between 10,000 and 15,00 of these very attractive birds. The five other species are stone curlew, woodlark, quail, bullfinch and reed bunting.

15th June 2009 – Nairn Harbour

Nairn Harbour and the adjacent parking area has good views over the Moray Firth and is well worth a visit at any time of the year. In the summer there are plenty of gulls about but the local council have erected signs about them. The signs ask you not to feed the gulls as they have become a nuisance and will dive at people and sometimes make contact with their sharp claws. On the sea there are likely to be eider ducks diving for shellfish and they are usually accompanied by herring gulls seeking out any morsel of the food the ducks may leave behind. Herring gulls and great black-backed gulls and their offspring will be wheeling round and scavenging for anything along with hooded crows and jackdaws. Terns, common or arctic, may fly past going to and from their feeding grounds and colonies. These are very delicate looking seabirds and a local name for them is “sea swallows”. Waders such as oystercatchers will feed along the edge of the water and if the tide is in this may bring the birds that much closer. Their long orange-red beaks are very strong and it enables them to feed on shellfish such as mussels and cockles. The harbour itself can yield a few birds especially if the weather is stormy as lots of mallard and occasionally mute swans will seek shelter. This part of Nairn is one of the best places for butterflies in the Highlands, mainly amidst the dunes to the east of the residential caravan site and the river. Bright sunny days with little wind are the best time to visit the dunes and there is a wide array of wild flowers. There is one feature in the harbour that is very easily overlooked despite the fact that it is of a person and is life size. This is the Nairn Fishwife in bronze and based on an actual person, Annie Ralph, one of the last of the Nairn fishwives. The statue was erected as part of the Highland Year of Culture 2007. There is a creel on her back and a basket at her feet and she is holding fish in her hands and it is so lifelike you would think she would suddenly reach out and offer you some fish. In the heyday of the fishing industry in the late 19th century the fishwife would have played a major role apart from being responsible for caring for house and family. Before the men went out in their fishing boats the fishwife would gather bait, sometimes having to walk some distance at low water, and then they would bait all the lines. Stories of them carrying their men to the boats has often been discussed and sometimes just not believed. It is likely to be true however as if the men went out wet to their boats they never dried off. The fishwives gathered derkins (pine cones for smoking fish) and when the fish were caught the fishwives prepared and smoked them and then carried the creels for miles around to sell the fish. If you visit Nairn it is well worth looking at other sites in the area such as Culbin Sands and Findhorn Bay, both to the east of Nairn. Culbin has Forestry Commission and RSPB Nature Reserves whilst at Findhorn there is a public hide for bird watching.