Life's a beach...

In February each year, hundreds of people all around the UK go out and walk along their local beaches looking out for dead seabirds.  This may seem somewhat macabre pastime, but what they are doing is taking part in the National Beached Bird Survey (BBS).  The results of this national survey are used in conjunction with those from other European countries to document trends in chronic marine oil pollution and to promote adequate methods of controlling illegal oil discharge to help reduce seabird mortality.  The project has been running since the 1970s, so it has an impressive data set, but the RSPB (who coordinate the project) are always looking for folk to help out on their local stretch of coast.  So if you would like to add a purpose to your beach walk, whilst also feeling like you are doing your bit to help with seabird conservation then check out this link then why not consider joining in.  Go to https://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/projects/details/203916-national-beached-bird-survey for more information.  I have walked 4 out of my 6 beaches so far, and am pleased to say that I have found no oiled birds.

First Footing!

Over the last couple of months my gang of trusty volunteers (whose numbers have been swelled by a new recruit, Barnie) and I have been doing a fair amount of footpath maintenance. Winter is a good time to do footpath work as it is when the paths are at their wettest so you can see where the drainage problems are, and where more surfacing is needed. Clearing out blocked drains, topping up surfacing material and cutting back brambles and gorse are never ending tasks. Maintaining footpath furniture like gates, stiles, steps and boardwalks to ensure that they are all in working order, is important too. And also making sure that the paths are wide enough for the folk who are going to use them to be able to do so comfortably. This is especially important with our All Ability Trail, which, as the name suggest, enables folk of any ability to get to a viewpoint overlooking the cliffs at Starney Bay. The path needs to be of a prescribed width in order for wheelchairs to be able to pass along it, but grass gradually grows in from the edges causing the path to get narrower over time. So we have been digging back the encroaching grasses by hand, which is hard but satisfying work. 

Ernie and Barnie working on our All Ability Trail



Hopefully all the effort we have put in will help make people’s visits a more enjoyable experience. We take great care to make sure that any footpath work we do carry out doesn’t look too manmade or jar with its surroundings. So if you do come and visit, please don’t expect to be able to walk around without getting muddy. The best we can do is make sure you don’t get too muddy – this is the countryside after all!

Season's Greetings!

Sorry that we have fallen behind a bit with the posts this year, it has been an incredibly busy year and the blog has paid the price.  New Year's resolution - must do better!  Here's hoping you all have a great festive season.

The Great Reckoning

May and June is seabird monitoring time and as such is the busiest time of year for us every year. Our monitoring takes two forms – counting the total number of birds that are attempting to breed on the cliffs, and also monitoring how well they get on with their breeding. As the seabirds are only here for a very short time it is a pretty intense few weeks for us, and we have little time for anything else. For example, this year we spent some 250 hours, or 7 working weeks, out on the cliffs monitoring seabirds in May and June - phew! This is mostly me and Jack, our Seasonal Ranger, with a little help from some volunteers for a couple of days. This year was a big year though, as we were carrying out our quinquennial count of auks (guillemots and razorbills) as well as all the other species.  Our auks are so numerous (numbering some 35,000 birds) that we only have time to count them every 5 years! 


But why spend so much time counting seabirds, I hear you cry? Well, the presence of the large seabird colony is one of the main reasons why St Abb’s Head has been declared a National Nature Reserve, so it makes sense that they are a main area of focus. But also, did you know that some 45% of Europe’s seabirds breed in Scotland? So we have a huge responsibility to make sure we do as much as we can to conserve them. But also, seabirds are very good indicators of the health of the wider marine environment. So, by monitoring numbers and breeding success, we can have an idea of how they are faring, from year to year, but also in the longer term. And if the numbers decrease (as sadly, they have been for the last decade or so) then we can then look more closely as to the reasons behind this, and is there anything we can do to reverse this trend. So, seabird monitoring is arguably the most important thing that us Rangers do at St Abb’s Head.

And the fruits of our labours? Well, we can tell you with confidence that 42,490 seabirds settled down to breed at St Abb’s Head this year. But that this number, although it sounds impressive (and is truly is spectacular when you visit the colony) it is down on last year, and merely half of the number of birds we had breeding here in the late 80s and early 90s. The reasons for this decline? There are many factors involved, but climate change effecting food supplies and leading to extreme weather conditions is thought to be the largest contributor. So when wondering whether you should do something to reduce your carbon footprint – bear in mind the plight of our seabirds.

Anyway, here a breakdown of that figure: Guillemot 32,990 birds (decrease of 0.6% on 2008).
Razorbill 1,820 birds (increase of 7.9% on 2008).
Kittiwake 3,403 pairs (decrease of 21.1% on 2012).
Herring Gull 239 pairs (decrease of 10.1% on 2012).
Fulmar 104 pairs (decrease of 21.8% on 2012).
Shag 94 pairs (decrease of 45% on 2012).

We haven't finished our monitoring yet, still continuing with monitoring the breeding success of shags and kittiwakes, but its not looking like a productive year, sadly.  Watch this space for a report on these results.  Figures are emerging from other seabird colonies too, and it seems we are not alone in having a poor season.  I will report back with more information on that too.

Doing their bit

Once again a group of pupils form Berwick Academy visited us to undertake activities as part of their John Muir Award.  As usual, they helped us with the seemingly never ending task of controlling creeping thistle, or thistle thwacking as it is affectionately known!  They also had a go a trying out the methodology we use for monitoring the wildlfowl on the Mire Loch - not an easy task as, with all the chicks about at the moment, it can get a bit confusing.  Nevertheless, they most certainly seemed to enjoy their time with us - and many thanks to them for all their help!  Here's a few photos of them in action!

Seabird season…

Shag

A huge amount of work goes into monitoring the various seabird populations at St Abb’s Head. We monitor the birds mainly by two methods. Firstly by carrying out full colony counts and secondly by studying smaller nest plots for productivity. Annual monitoring has been carried out here for over 35 years, creating a very valuable data set.

Seabirds are a fantastic indicator of the health of the marine environment as they react relatively quickly to changes. By understanding changes in seabird numbers we can get early warning signs of other changes in the marine environment.

Changes in seabird numbers and nest productivity are governed by three main factors; firstly the availability of food, secondly the weather conditions and finally the level of predation at the colony.

Availability of food

If a food supply is poor then generally seabirds suffer a poor breeding season. However seabirds have several clever techniques when food is short; some delay breeding until later in the year when food is more readily available, some refrain from breeding at all and take a year out. Others will travel further to find food and may even change nest site closer to a food supply. Some species will also diversify and switch to more abundant food sources, if they are available. With sea temperatures predicted to continue rising it is likely that we will see continued changes in the amount and types of food available to our seabirds.

It’s important to remember that when food IS readily available then most seabirds will maximise on this with larger, earlier and more successful broods and a greater percentage of chicks will reach fledging stage.



Fulmar



Weather

Weather plays a huge role in the life of a seabird, many species such as Auks (Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins) are well adept to dealing with harsh weather, after all these species spend most of the winter out on the open sea only returning here to breed in the summer. It’s the young birds who suffer most at the mercy of the weather.

Rough seas mean that feeding becomes difficult for adult birds and if poor conditions occur while chicks are still young then they quickly become emaciated and starve from a lack of food. Recently hatched birds also lack the insulating and waterproofing feathers of an adult birds plumage and are thus highly susceptible to exposure, relying on the parent for shelter, warmth and protection.

Over the winter many east coast sites have experienced high numbers of dead birds being washed ashore (known as wrecks). From January to March we received many worrying reports of dead birds (mainly Shags and Auks) being washed up on the beaches here. Most were found in an emaciated condition, perhaps reflecting the difficulty feeding during the prolonged periods of rough weather.

It’s worth noting that many seabirds will usually experience high mortality rates during the winter months, with inexperienced first-year birds often being worst hit. During the first few months of this year the east coast experienced a long period of on-shore wind and this brought any dead birds ashore. These birds will usually decompose at sea so perhaps we are being made more aware this year.

From monitoring it is already clear that 2013 is shaping up to be a poor year for many species. Unfortunately it looks like this year will be an example of how poor weather, particularly during early summer can spell big problems for many species. Only when our full counts and productivity figures have been analysed will be know for sure how species have coped.

Levels of predation

Ever wondered why seabirds choose inaccessible ledges, remote islands and sea stacks as nest sites? The answer is down to the lack of predators at these inaccessible sites. Predators can include animals such as Rat, Fox, Stoat, Weasel as well as other birds. An impressive spectacle at St Abb's Head is when young guillemots begin to jump from the safety of the cliffs to the ocean below. Hungry Herring Gulls lay in wait and pick off ‘jumplings’ not quick enough or accurate enough to make it to safety.

Recently a number of island locations have undertaken rat eradication projects to protect breeding seabirds. Since introduced Brown Rats were eradicated from the Island of Canna the populations of Manx Shearwater have began to return and other seabirds are also benefiting. A huge operation is also currently underway in South Georgia.

Guillemots

Long-run...

With sea temperatures predicted to continue rising and scientists predicting a more erratic weather pattern, it’s thought that the marine environment is likely to undergo some dramatic changes in the not too distant future. With our continued monitoring we will be keeping a careful watch on how our seabirds react to these changes.

With peak seabird breeding season here it’s a great time to experience the sights, sounds and smells of a busy seabird colony. Many birds are now on eggs and others are busy displaying, mating and nest building.

Park at the visitor centre and enjoy a walk around the dramatic coastal scenery of the headland and look out for our rangers carrying out monitoring, we are happy to answer questions but please don’t disturb us mid count... 12,067…12,068… “excuse me, where are the puffins?”... doh’

JI

Spring into action...

Jack here; having arrived back a couple of weeks ago I thought I would keep you all updated on what’s about on the reserve at the moment.

It’s finally beginning to feel a little bit like spring here today. It’s been a tough winter for many of our seabird species, birds such as Guillemots and Razorbills spend the entire winter out on the open sea. Imagine that... 7 months on the open sea! They arrive back in early spring to breed. Our Auks (Guillemots, Razorbills and one or two Puffins) will come and go at this time of year, checking out old nest sites and enjoying the novelty of being on dry land.

The affect of unseasonal weather has meant that many of our seabirds have been slow getting started. Guillemots and Razorbills have just about become a permanent feature on our cliffs and Shags have begun building some impressive nests. The cliffs are a noisy place, with bird’s pair bonding and disputing territories. Keep a look out for the first eggs. Last year the first Guillemots were seen on eggs on the 14th April.

During the spring many migrant birds pass through the reserve on their journey north to breeding grounds. St. Abb’s Head provides the perfect stop-off point as it is a prominent headland. This year many of our migrant birds have been later than usual due to the strong north east wind (who wants to fly into that). In the last week we have been graced by Chiffchaff, Wheatear and White Wagtail and this morning provided the first records of Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Swallow.

A few signs of spring on the reserve...

Frogspawn

Peacock Butterfly (first of the year)

 

Mute swan courtship display

Hare (keep an eye out for boxing)

Spring Migrants?

So, spring may not have sprung yet as far as the wildlife is concerned - not a sign of a wheatear, a sand martin or a ring ouzel on the Reserve yet - but we have had a couple of human migrants. On Good Friday Jack Ibbotson  returned  to St Abbs for his second year as Seasonal Ranger (the arrival of the Seasonal always signals spring in my mind), and then Easter Monday was our new Marine Ranger, Laura Smith's, first day at work.

Regulars will remember Jack (pictured top left, looking decidedly camp!)  - a very keen birder and all round general good egg (aha ha!).  Jack left us last September, went off to spend a couple of months working with the Trust's Ranger Team on Arran and then spent the rest of the winter gadding about birdwatching and generally enjoying his freedom.  But he seems to be pleased to be back in the saddle at St Abbs again!

Laura (pictured bottom left, looking rather demure) has migrated south from Spey Bay where she has been working for the last 7 years working for the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society.  Laura brings with her a wealth of experience of working with volunteers and of environmental interpretation, including storytelling skills, which will be invaluable in her new job. We are very pleased to welcome her to our small, but perfectly formed, team!
 

Taking stock...

The winter months are a time for taking stock, and, amongst other things, examining data gathered during the previous field season.  Surveying and monitoring is an incredibly important part of the Trust's nature conservation work.  Because you need to know what you have got, and how what you've got changes over the years, in order for you to know whether you are managing an area correctly.

At  St Abb's Head we carry out annual monitoring of various types of wildlife, but we concentrate mostly on our seabirds and our butterflies.  The data that we have gathered over the years has helped guide our management of St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve, but has also been fed into national databases to help inform wider scale conservation work.

On top of this annual monitoring, we also carry out less frequent monitoring.  Last summer our Nature Conservation Adviser, Lindsay Mackinlay undertook some monitoring of our grasslands (see blog entry for last October) and we also commissioned a survey of the entomological (insect) interests of our grasslands too.  This work all forms part of our Grassland Management Plan for St Abb's Head.

Well, I have just finished reading the report on the Diptera, or True Flies, to be found at at St Abb's Head.  The wet and windy weather that we had so much of last summer was not ideal for surveying insects, but even so, the study still turned up some interesting results.  It found one species rare in Scotland, and several that are uncommon in Scotland, including Cheilosia vernalis (pictured top), which was found by the Mire Loch.  It makes you wonder what they could have found had the weather been more conducive!

And you may be thinking, who cares about flies, they're just annoying!  But as we know, every single organism in an ecosystem has a vital role to play, and if you take out one link in the web of life, everything could come tumbling down, so its vitally important that we know as much as possible about all the different types of wildlife on the reserve.

Face to Face...

By the way - if you want to keep up with what's going on at St Abb's Head on a more regular basis then please check us out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Abbs-Head-National-Nature-Reserve/

Time flies!

So, today is 1st March, but where did February go?  Sorry that things have been a little quiet on the blog front over the last few weeks, the reason being that I have been somewhat busy with so much other stuff that there just hasn't been time.  So what has been going on then I hear you cry!

Well, apart from the seemingly never ending stream of office work that needs to be done - report writing, work planning, updating our Safe Systems of Work, that sort of thing - I have also been managing a big project to upgrade the visitor facilities and footpaths around the property.  It has taken some time, and has been a bit of a battle with the weather, but we got there in the end.  So we now have a completely resurfaced car park (much easier for folk of all abilities to walk on), with demarcated bays (including two reserved for disabled visitors) and a path to the Nature Centre that is of a gradient suitable for wheelchairs (pictured left).  This should make life a whole lot easier for our less able visitors, and ties in nicely with our All Ability Trail which enables visitors in wheelchairs or with baby buggies to get to the viewpoint overlooking Starney Bay. We also have improved signage and a leaflet dispensing machine so that people can get a copy of the property leaflet (and map) even when the Nature Centre is closed.  And we have installed bike racks so that folk who are using a more sustainable form of transport can explore the reserve without fearing that their transport may not be there when they get back!

On top of all this we have also had work done on about 650 m of the coast path, primarily around the Starney Bay area (pictured right) where is the path was getting very gullied and muddy, and generally uncomfortable to walk on.  And also a good deal of path work has been carried out around the Mire Loch which has been a bit of a quagmire with the incredibly wet weather that we have "enjoyed" this year.

So, as I say, a lot of work, but the results have been great and should really improve visitor access to the Reserve.  The work has been 50% funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) because St Abb's Head is a Spotlight National Nature Reserve (NNR).  The designation as a NNR means that the area is nationally important for wildlife (one of only 50 or so in Scotland) and the term "Spotlight" indicates that SNH see St Abb's Head as one of the creme de la creme as far as visitor access and enjoyment is concerned.

And if all this wasn't enough to keep me occupied, I also has to go through the complicated process of recruiting a new member of staff as Georgia, our Marine Ranger, is moving on to pastures new, or more accurately, she is running away to sea!  She will working as crew on a dive boat that travels all around Scottish waters and even across to Norway on occasions.  Georgia will be leaving us at the end of this month, so you will need to get in quick if you want to say your goodbyes. 

Happy New Year!

The winter solstice has passed and the days seem to be getting a longer already, which is always a bonus in January when spring seems still to be very far away.  But I spotted another herald of warmer times yesterday - a little splash of colour in the form of a small clump of winter aconites flowering in the car park.  Maybe not wild native plants (they are survivors from the old farmhouse garden), but beautiful never the less.

Season's Greetings...

The winter solstice is past and the nights are beginning to draw out, so here's a photo to remind us all what the cliffs look like around the summer solstice.  And here's wishing you all a peaceful and warm Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Camera...action!

Just back from the Lochgilpehead where I spent a long weekend, along with 14 other colleagues from around the Trust, learning about the art of wildlife filming.  This is all part of a Trust-wide "Wildlife Watch" project, which involves training staff in the use of professional standard cameras so that we can capture broadcast quality footage of the amazing array of wildlife that can be found on our properties around Scotland.  Not only is the equipment top notch, but the training was second to none too.  Our teachers for the weekend were John Aitchison (picture top), his wife, Mary-Lou and their colleague Martin, all of whom work in the wildlife film-making industry.  All three have been involved in many of the documentaries that we have all marvelled over for many years.  An absolute privilege to work alongside them, and if we can come away with even a fraction of their ability, then we should get some great footage.

Georgia was also making movies last week, but she was on the other side of the camera gathering footage for her Educational DVD project.

And people say, "What do you do in the winter"!

No conferring?

November is conference month in the Trust.  Last week I was up in the Highlands at our Countryside Conference, and next week I will be going to Pitlochry for our Managers' Conference.  The Countryside Conference focuses on a different locality each year, and this year we were at Corrieshalloch Gorge and Inverewe.  A long way for us folks from the deep south to go, but as the Trust is a National organisation, there is no getting away from travelling. And, wowee, was it worth the trip! 

Corrieshalloch Gorge is the UK's best example of a box canyon, and has the third highest waterfall in the UK which was in spate on our visit, and is breathtakingly beautiful, especially in November, with the autumn colours (picture right). It is no wonder that it is so popular with visitors.  Inverewe is a property with hidden depths.  Most folk tend to think of it as a garden, a garden of note, but just a garden, when actually the property takes in an extensive area of woodland, hill and moorland (picture below left) supporting a huge amount of wildlife - otters and common seals being the highlight of our visit.

But we weren't just there for a jolly.  The theme of the conference was landscape level conservation (looking at the big picture rather than focusing in on the minutiae) and visitor safety in the countryside - issues common to all of the Trust's countryside properties. There must have been 80 or so staff there.  Most were countryside staff, but also staff from a wide range of other departments within the Trust, from Digital Media Managers to Health & Safety Advisers. And as always, the topics discussed were many and wide ranging.  Every year, I come away from the Countryside Conference feeling proud and privileged to be part of an organisation that looks after such amazing properties and employs such experience and knowledgeable staff.

Seabird Summary 2012

Fulmars (pictured left) – have not had a good year. We counted 133 nests, which is a decrease of 35% on last year’s count, well below the 10-year mean of 172 and about half of the 28-year mean. Although we weren’t able to carry out a formal study of fulmar breeding success, we only found 5 fulmar chicks that had reached fledging stage on the whole reserve.

Shags – well here, things looked a bit more rosy with 171 nests counted, an increase of 7% on 2011, and similar to the counts since 2005. However, this is below the 10-year mean of 192 AON, and well below the 28-year mean of 250 AON. Breeding success was down on last year (but last year was an exceptionally good year) but about the same as the 10-year and the 23-year means. Shags this year fledged, on average, 1.25 young per active nest.

Herring Gulls – have done OK this year as well, 266 nests counted which is above the 10-year mean, but below the 28-year mean of 354 AON.

Kittiwake – continue to have a difficult time of it. This year’s count of 4,314 nests is the lowest on record, well below the 10-year mean of 5,653 AON, and less than half the 28-year mean of 10,631 AON. However, to put it in perspective, although the number of kittiwakes has declined by 78% since the highest count in 1989, the counts since 2009 are now in the region of the counts from the 1950s. As far as breeding success goes, not as good as last year (but like the shags, last year was exceptionally good), with only 0.48 young fledged per nest. However, this is about the same as the 10-year mean, and only slightly below the 26-year mean.

Guillemot & Razorbills (latter pictured right) – we do not have the resources to count all the guillemots and razorbills every year, but we do count numbers on the same study plots every year so that we can compare whether numbers. This year guillemot numbers have decreased since last year, and are below both the 10-year and the 28-year means. Razorbill numbers are down on last year too, but are about the same as the 10-year mean, if below the 28-year mean.

Puffins – sadly for many, the puffin breeding numbers went down again this year from 7 birds ashore during the height of the breeding season (so probably with chicks in burrows) last year, to just 4 this year.

Keeping track...

For the second year in a row, our seabirds were the subjects of closer than usual study this year, with a small number of birds being fitted with electronic tagging devices. This year it was the RSPB undertaking the work as part of their Future of the Atlantic Marine Environment (FAME) Project. This involved attaching small a Global Positioning System (GPS) logger to the feathers of kittiwakes and guillemots, which they carried for just a few days. During that period, the logger recorded an accurate picture of the foraging destinations of the birds thanks to the high precision of GPS technology. These surveys will start to answer one of nature’s mysteries – where do seabirds go to feed when they leave the cliff. This will provide us with important information about what the birds need to thrive and will help us to conserve them in the future. Here's what a couple of our kittiwakes got up to over a couple of days:

The first was tagged on the 26th of May when it was incubating a clutch of two eggs. The map on the right shows the flight path this Kittiwake took during a two day period. The GPS tag attached to the feathers on the birds back logged a GPS point every 1 minute and 40 seconds. In areas where the dots are spread out the bird flew fast and in areas where the dots are clumped the bird slowed down to feed or rest. 

The second Kittiwake was tagged on the 27th of May when it, too, was incubationg a clutch of two eggs.  During the three day period this Kittiwake did three flights out to sea, one short trip south and two longer flights north (see map left). You can see quite clearly where this bird searched for food, flying tight circles. If you look closly you can see the side trip it did to visit the Isle of May.

It is truly amazing to see where these birds go to search for food during the breeding season. The map below shows the flight paths recorded for both of the above Kittiwakes on the same map, and gives a bit more perspective as to how far these small creatures travel over a small period of time. There are still many questions to answer, for instance, these maps show that not all bird go to the same place to feed, so what makes them choose the direction to fly in?  As usual, the more we find out, the more we realise we don't know!

Over the season the FAME Team were kept very busy as they were collecting data on kittiwake, guillemot, razorbill, shag and fulmar flight patterns on Orkney, Fair Isle, Colonsay, Isle of May, the Sillies, North Aberdeenshire, Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve and  Flamborough Head as well as at St Abb’s Head.

Another interesting project that stemmed from this work was "SEA Art in a Differnt Way" a collaboration between artists and scientists, culminating in an exhibition at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow between the 13th and the 21st October - check out the RSPB blog for more details   http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/getinvolved/b/seabirds/default.aspx

Long time no see

So sorry that it has been so long since the last post.  I can assure you that this is not because we have not been doing anything – rather to the contrary really.  It is due to the fact that we are having IT problems in the office.

So, what has been going on since July I hear you cry!  Well, we had a couple of groups of volunteers out fighting the good fight against creeping thistles on our grasslands.  A group of NTS Conservation Volunteers (or CVs as they are affectionately known - pictured right) came down from Edinburgh, and a group of Berwick Academy students who are working towards getting their John Muir Award.

Also, out on the grasslands one of the Trust’s Nature Conservation Advisors, Lindsay Mackinlay, came and spent a few days monitoring our grasslands – all part of our new grassland management plan that we have instigated this year.  This has also included us replacing nearly 2.5 km of fence to make sure that we can graze areas when we want to, but exclude stock at other times.

In August, Jack and Dave spent a couple of days working with the Trust’s in-house Footpath Team up at Ben Lawers.  The Footpath Team are experts in using a variety of techniques to repair footpaths, making the paths more comfortable to walk on, and so, in turn, protecting the habitat through which they pass.  Because if a path is uncomfortable to walk on, people will take a route that they find easier, forming more and more paths, and spreading erosion across the surrounding area.  Although the weather was far from balmy (see pic of Dave in the mist, left), Jack and Dave really enjoyed their time at Ben Lawers and learnt an awful lot.  This week, they have been putting their new skills to use on the path around the Mire Loch, improving drainage and surfacing, and putting in some steps. 

We had yet another wedding on the reserve last week - Anita and John got married on the clifftops above Petticowick (picture left). A bright and breezy day, but that only enhanced the already fantastic back drop, by adding in white caps on the dark blue sea and scudding clouds in the bright blue sky!

Also last week, we got a brand new 4WD for the reserve.  We have been having terrible trouble with vehicles over the last 3 months.  Our old 4WD died without warning in June, which rather left us in the lurch.  Luckily, our colleagues from Glencoe had a land rover that they could spare, and they were kind enough to lend it to us for a number of weeks.  It was a bit of an old banger, but better than nothing, but I must admit to being very relieved when I was told our new vehicle was ready to be picked up.  The land rover obviously didn’t want to go though, as it had two punctures in 24 hours, so delaying me being able to pick up the new vehicle by a number of days! 

Through the eyes of another...

A couple of weeks ago Becky Riseborough spent a week volunteering on the reserve.  During her time with us she spent part of her time shadowing us and also helping us with tasks like bracken bashing, thistle thwacking, producing children's activity sheets for the Nature Centre and producing a guide to the sea slugs to be found in the Marine Reserve. Plus, knowing that she takes fantastic photographs, I asked her to takes some shots to illustrate her time with us.  There's no real facility to upload them all onto the blog here (at least that I am aware of), but check them out on our Facebook page.  This link should allow you to access the images even if you are not signed up to Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.263281210442538.48636.213846425386017&type=3&l=3f7cc99f57 . Or you could check out some of her images which are on display in the Nature Centre (although they have lost some of their luminocity in printing).

Becky also wrote these words to go with her images: "These photographs were taken as part of my week spent volunteering up at St. Abb’s Head. Whilst there I learnt a great deal, from the nesting habits of guillemots and shags, to flower preference of an array of butterfly species. I took these photos to reflect the vast beauty that can be found around the reserve. It is not often that I find myself in the situation that allows the time to stand back and truly appreciate the unspoiled environment that can be found around our area. My week as a volunteer on the reserve has changed my perceptions of the natural world and taught me to really appreciate even the smallest of detail. I share these photos with the mind that everybody can experience and appreciate the minute, cherished details that we so often take for granted."

Enjoy!

Butterfly update...

Part of my job as seasonal ranger is to monitor butterflies on the reserve. This is done by carrying out weekly transects. This involves walking a set route around the reserve covering many different habitat types and counting the number of different species encountered. Transects can only be carried out when strict criteria such as minimum temperature and wind speed are met.

Carrying out butterfly transects allow us to monitor butterflies on a local level as well as to contribute nationally. At the end of the year our records are submitted to Butterfly Conservation and though them our records feed into a larger dataset helping to build up a picture of how species are doing nationally. Analyzing the data allows us to see things such as population declines, increases and distribution trends within individual species.

So far this year’s records are indicating that it has generally been a quiet start for many species on the reserve. Cold and wet weather is thought to be the reason for this.

To find out how this year’s weather has affected butterflies nationally visit the Butterfly Conservation website and read this great article. http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/article/9/287/wild_spring_weather_baffles_butterflies.html

Fingers crossed that the weather will be nice for our Moth and Butterfly morning on Sunday the 1st July... further information below.

Rumblings in the jungle?

Folk walking along the coast path will have spotted some strange goings on in the undergrowth at Starney Bay yesterday.  In fact, it was so strange that I ended up having shouted conversations with several people explaining what was going on.

Well, what WAS going on, I hear you ask?  Volunteers Ernie, Dave and myself were carrying out a little bracken control.  Being a conservation organisation we don't like to use chemical control where we can avoid it, so we were bashing the bracken using bamboo canes.  Now, this is not just a strange method we have come up with, it is tried and tested.  The idea is to damage the bracken as much as possible so that it has to expend a lot of energy healing rather than growing.  We will aim to bash it twice a year, and after three years it should be gone.  Its the same principle as using a tractor towed roller, or using cattle to trample the bracken.  But, of course, neither of these two methods are going to work on the 45 degree slopes above Starney!

I must admit, it must have looked really rather comical to passers by - like people talking out their aggression on the undergrowth with their walking sticks in a Fawlty Towers kind of way.  Ah well, a double whammy then, conservation work and entertainment all rolled into one!

Here's a couple of photos of Dave (top) and Ernie (bottom) to literally put you in the picture!

Stepping up to the mark...

This week saw the completion of a new flight of steps up the Mire Dam.  Regular visitors will know that it has always been a little tricky negotiating the spillway and then scrambling up the dam itself via some small stone steps.  Hopefully the new steps and the wee bridge over the spillway will make life much easier.  They both look very new and straight and perhaps a little out of place at the moment, but give Mother Nature time and she will soon help them blend in.  We have also replaced the stile at the top, and intend to put in a dog gate too in the future just to finish the whole area off. 

This work is the start of a larger project to improve the access to the Reserve.  Later in the year, when there are less folk about, we will be upgrading the car park and carrying out work on the coast path around Starney Bay.  This work is 50% funded by Scottish Natural Heritage with the other half being covered by the Trust.

Upcoming events...

We are running two new events this summer;

Firstly ‘Jumping Jumplings’ on Saturday 16th June, 8:30-10:00pm.

Every year when Guillemot chicks reach around three weeks old they take a dramatic plunge from their rocky shelf into the ocean below. Join us to watch as the flightless Guillemot chicks try their best to evade the hungry Herring gulls and reach the safety of the sea. The event is at the height of the season so the cliffs will be packed with birds nesting and feeding young. We ‘may’ also be able to pick out one or two Puffins. A car share from the nature reserve car park to the lighthouse will ensure that this event is accessible to all.

Meet at St Abb’s Head Nature Reserve car park (NT 913 674) at 8.30 pm on Saturday the 16th June to car share to the lighthouse. Bring binoculars if you have them, and come suitably clad and shod.

The second event is a ‘Moth and Butterfly morning’ on Sunday 1st July 9:30-11:30am.

We will be discovering the variety of moths at St Abb’s as we open up our live traps (set the previous night). This is an excellent opportunity to see moths close up and in daylight. After opening the traps we will take a leisurely walk around the Mire loch looking out for butterflies, day flying moths and other wildlife. Target species include Small Copper, Common Blue, Dark Green Fritillary and Northern Brown Argus. Experts will be on hand to help you identify.

Meet at St Abb’s Head Nature Reserve car park (NT 913 674) at 9:30am on Sunday the 1st July. Bring binoculars if you have them, and come suitably clad and shod.

Both events are priced at Adults £3, Children (16 and under) £2, Family (2Ad 2Ch) £10. Please note that children must be accompanied, at least one adult to four children.

For further information contact St Abb’s Head Rangers Office on 018970 71443