Wilderness Cottages

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Coots

2009-10-30T09:45:00.001Z

26th September 2009 - Coots
Just as bank nesting birds along rivers in the Highlands such as sand martin, dipper, grey wagtail and kingfisher have problems with water levels so do birds nesting on lochs. The source of the problem is the same, huge catchment areas and high rainfall and various birds have found ways in which to cope. Unfortunately not all birds have adapted to the problem and that has been the case with the two divers that nest mainly in the Highlands. The black-throated and red-throated divers lay their eggs in scrapes close to the waters edge. The reason for this is that they are ungainly on land and if there is danger they need to slip quickly into the water. The red-throated diver does not suffer too much from water fluctuations because they tend to nest on smaller water bodies that do not vary too much. It is the larger lochs that the black-throated divers utilise and it is these that often have the huge catchments areas. The famous diver islands have been the answer in many areas as these are artificial islands that rise and fall as the water fluctuates. There are 58 such rafts in the Highlands and they may well have been responsible for the increase in breeding pairs from 187 in 1994 to 217 in 2006.

Two other water birds, the moorhen and coot, will nest in vegetation such as sedge beds actually in the water although both birds will sometimes build their nests close to the edge. The moorhen sometimes even nests well off the ground in trees or bushes. Both species tend to nest on smaller water bodies such as Loch Flemington to the east of Inverness so like the red -throated diver the water levels may not fluctuate too much. If the coot is faced with the water level problem it simply builds up the nest and sometimes they can be a foot in depth and look incongruous and very conspicuous for any predators. The coot in the photograph was taken at Loch Flemington where it was feeding in the shallows. The rare Slavonian grebe which breeds mainly in the Highland sub-area of Inverness tries to solve the problem in another way. The nests are mainly in sedge beds and to a certain extent they are constructed so that they can rise or fall if the fluctuations are not too great. One problem over the water for these attractive grebes is wave action that sometimes swamps the nests. The Slavonian grebe has always been a mystery in the Highlands as to why it does not do better. Recent figures from the RSPB show that 2009 was a poor year for them. The most famous site is Loch Ruthven, a few miles south of Inverness, which is the Highland stronghold of the birds, and an RSPB reserve and yet, even there, in 2009 there were only 9 pairs and they produced no young. There seems to be something we do not know about these grebes.

Apart from fluctuating water levels there are other problems facing the birds on lochs and one main one is predators. If the bird leaves the nest invariably they will pause to cover the eggs but if they are frightened or the disturbance is sudden they may well leave the eggs uncovered. This is when the hooded and carrion crows are in their element and any such nest is quickly predated. Eggs and young are taken by mammals such as otters, mink, stoat and pine marten and sometimes it seems incredible that young birds fledge at all.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Fallow Deer

2009-10-30T09:42:00.001Z

19th October 2009 - Fallow Deer.
Fallow deer are mid way, in size, between roe deer and red deer and the male, called a buck, is about three feet at the shoulder. The antlers of the buck, as shown in the photograph, are easy to tell from other deer in the Highlands because at the top it has a flattened section to each antler like a hand with fingers and so this is called a palmate. The females, called does, can be identified by their tail markings as the long , white tail is topped with black. There are a number of colour variations with one of the commonest being various shades of chestnut with prominent cream or white spots on the flanks in summer. In winter the spots are lost and the deer become a shade darker. There is another colour variation where the deer maintain their spotting throughout the year. There is also a black variation where the spots are even darker but this is only seen at close quarters. White deer occur that are really cream coloured and this appears where inbreeding is common. In the wild white deer are very rare but they are more common in deer parks.

These deer are gregarious but less so than red deer and even in the wild they rarely live in large herds. They are mainly woodland deer and have the reputation of being shy and cunning and feed mostly by night. They will graze on grassland and crops but will freely strip bark, mainly from smooth barked trees, tearing the bark off at four to four and half feet.. They are particularly fond of acorns, beech mast and chestnuts plus young shoots of holly and bramble. They can cause considerable damage to woodlands, conservation and agricultural interest and where they occur in numbers further south they need to be managed. The mating season takes place slightly later than red deer, in October and November. There is some doubt about their origin but most sources agree that if they were originally in Britain they were made extinct by the advance of the second glaciation. They were probably reintroduced to Britain by the Normans in the 11th century and their current presence in the Highlands is the result of them being kept in deer parks and escaping or being deliberately released. They were a firm favourite in deer parks because they are more docile than red deer and the spotting colour form is quite attractive.

One of the most famous deer parks was one of 2,000 acres at Rosehall near Lairg and fallow deer were the first ones to be enclosed there around 1877. In 1923 the park contained 200 fallow, 150 red, 40 roe and 50 sika deer. By 1949 very few deer were still in the park and there had been many escapes. Now only one deer park, with white fallow deer, exists in the Highlands. This small park is at Berriedale on the Welbeck Estate and they were first introduced in around 1900. The numbers have been kept at a low level for some years because the enclosed area is so small. They can readily be seen from the main road just to the south and above Berriedale although at a distance most people probably take them for sheep! These days there are various reports of fallow deer in various parts of the Highlands although in recent years the only positive ones appear to be in woodlands on the west side of Loch Ness. Other records have recently come from the Dornoch area, west of Garve, and Balmacaan. One intriguing old record, unconfirmed, is of fallow deer at one time being introduced to the Isle of Rum.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Alder

2009-10-30T09:40:00.002Z

5th October 2009 - Alder
If alder trees are left alone they have regular branching and a conical shape and can grow to 22 metres high. The leaves are one of the last ones to form in the spring and the last to fall in the autumn. They are dark green, alternate, rounded and sometimes notched at the tip. The bark is rough and often sprouts young shoots. The male and female catkins grown on the same tree and the green fruits of summer darken later in the year and stay on the tree throughout the winter. The withered fruits look like small cones so that the leafless tree can look like some type of deciduous conifer. The roots of the tree are unusual as they have numerous nodules that contain bacteria that ‘fix’ atmospheric nitrogen that makes up for the lack of the chemical in the very wet conditions where alders often thrive. The trees have very deep tap roots and will survive for many years in dried out earth but as the soil around them shrinks the fluted upper rootstocks emerge so that the trees look as though they are in a mangrove wood. The wood is white when first cut but then darkens to a fresh orange or chestnut colour when exposed to the air.

Alders are found throughout the Highlands but there are only scattered records for the Western Isles and it is an introduced tree to the Orkney Islands. It is commonly found along rivers such as stretches of the River Nairn south of Inverness. In some places it forms woodland such as at Urquhart Bay and the Mound near Golspie. The latter has formed since 1816 when the embankment, the mound, was built across the head of Loch Fleet and the marshy area left inland was quickly colonised by the trees. This alder wood is probably the largest in Britain and until recently it was a National Nature Reserve. The fruits of the alder attract birds such as lesser redpolls and siskins and flocks of these birds can be seen in the trees at the beginning of the winter. The exposed root systems of the trees on the sides of rivers and burns form ideal holts for otters

The leaves and the bark have been used to make dyes and although the timber is now only used for shoe soles and broom handles in the past it was exploited for a number of uses. It was valued by furniture makers for its deep colour and attractive grain, qualities which gave it the name ‘Scotch Mahogany’. Because of its resistance to water it was particularly useful for making walkways, water wheels, piers, bridges and lock gates. Perhaps its most famous use was for clogs and the Irish settlers at Coignafearn and Coignashie on the Upper Findhorn had a ready supply of trees for this purpose. One advantage of utilising the tree is that it readily re-grows again from the cut base and this coppicing was often found close to smelters and gunpowder factories as the timber was used as charcoal. In other parts of Britain the alder tree has declined through drainage but we are fortunate in the Highlands as drainage has been relatively localised. Maintenance of river and burn banks sometimes means the trees are cut down but colonisation often takes place as the seeds have corky outgrowths that keep them afloat until they reach some fresh soil to germinate. In some area the trees have been planted to enrich poor ground or to prevent erosion of river banks and other water courses.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Widgeon

2009-10-30T09:36:00.001Z

11th October 2009 - Widgeon.
The easiest way of identifying wigeon is to look for the males as they are so colourful compared with the drab females. This medium sized duck is smaller than the mallard and it has a rounded head and small beak. The head and neck are chestnut, the forehead is yellow, breast pink and the body grey with a white stripe of feathers on the wing. The tail is black and pointed and in flight the adult males have conspicuous white wing patches. These white wing patches are absent in the younger males. Another ready means of identification is the call of the males as it carries for long distances and is a musical whistle “wee-ooo”.

During the winter wigeon can assemble in large numbers in some areas around Inverness. Their main food is vegetation which they get by grazing on land, especially stems, leaves and roots of plants such as grasses, pondweeds and particularly eel grass which grows in some firths and estuaries. They will feed in water and have been known to take any plant remains left over by the feeding activities of other water birds such as coots and swans. They are equally at home feeding in fields along with other birds such as geese. In the winters flocks of up to a thousand wigeon can be seen at coastal sites such as Munlochy and Nigg and watching large numbers from hides such as the ones at Udale and Nigg Bays is well worthwhile. During the winter months these large flocks also receive attention from predators such as the peregrine falcon. These birds of prey, particularly the larger female, can take wigeon and there is the suggestion that some peregrines spend the winter along coasts such as those near Inverness predating the ducks and waders. Seeing a peregrine “stoop” at a flock of ducks is outstanding.

The two volumes of “Birds of Scotland” published by the Scottish Ornithologists Club in 2007 indicate there are between 240 and 400 breeding pairs in Scotland. Numbers vary from year to year and sometimes small colonies are formed. This duck is notoriously difficult to count as a breeding bird as it is so shy and secretive. It is suggested that there are around 80 pairs in the Flow Country of Sutherland and Caithness and up to 50 pairs in the Spey Valley with about 20 pairs annually on the reserve at Insh Marshes. Nesting may begin as early as April and the nest is a hollow amongst thick cover such as old heather. It is lined with grasses and leaves, and the female adds her own down feathers for the final lining. Only the female incubates and the male generally leaves during the incubation.

These small numbers of breeding birds are swelled during the winter months when up to 96,000 birds fly in from Northern Europe. They breed close to the tundra between the ice caps and northern tree line. They also nest in woodland areas but not dense forest. The winter numbers make the wigeon the most numerous of Scotland’s winter migrant ducks. Scots names include bald pate, half duck and whistler, while the Gaelic name is Glas-lach meaning grey duck. Wigeon are protected during the close season but may be shot during part of the winter. There is evidence that where wigeon occur in unprotected areas such as the open foreshore they tend to move to protected areas such as nature reserves where they are largely undisturbed. There is also evidence that the total numbers of wigeon are increasing and this may continue as long as the eel grass beds do not fail for some reason.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Rosebay Willowherb

2009-10-30T09:32:00.001Z

5th October 2009 - Rosebay Willowhearb.

During the summer months the very tall flowering stems of rosebay willowherb were conspicuous especially where they occurred in large beds on the sides of roads. A few of the loose tapering spikes of large bright pinkish purple flowers are still persistent but they are being replaced by the white, plumed seeds that flow over the countryside at the slightest breeze. The densely clustered flowers are always held horizontally and can be up to 48 inches high. The leaves on the upright and usually unbranched stems are arranged in spirals with each leaf being narrow at both ends, like those of a willow. They are hairless and have slightly toothed edges. The success of this willowherb is because it spreads in two very different but highly successful ways. The downy billows of seed are carried to new areas and then once established at a new site the plant can spread by the thick, woody roots which spread horizontally. These roots send up new shoots at intervals and large dense clumps are formed. The clumps can be so dense that they exclude most other types of plants although an exception is the foxglove and they can often be seen growing side by side.

Rosebay willowherb is now one of the most widespread of plants in the Highlands and is common in some parts of the Northern Isles but less common on the Western Isles. Its abundance tends to hide the fact that a hundred years ago it was rare as a wild plant although it was grown in a few gardens. In one of the old floras for the Highlands by G C Druce ‘The Flora of West Ross’ published in 1929 he describes the plant as being found at Gairloch, Loch Broom, Coigach and Applecross. He noted it as ‘certainly native on Knockan Rocks’ near Ullapool and that ‘In East Ross it ascends to nearly 2,000 feet’. The mystery is what turned this comparatively rare plant, one that is hardly likely to go un-noticed, into one that so readily colonises bare or disturbed places such as cleared woodland, roadside verges, railway embankments and even cracks in walls and chimneys.

The most marked change occurred in the two World Wars in the first by the extensive felling of woodland, including burning, as part of the war effort. In the second the bombing of areas gave disturbed and burnt areas that the willowherb relished and so much so this habit gave it its other common name of ‘fireweed’. This is not the complete answer as the spread in fact, particularly in the south, started before these two events. Perhaps it has been a combination of the wars and other factors such as new roads and the railway system all of which helped the remarkable spread. It could be that new areas to colonise is not the whole answer and the plant underwent a genetic change that made it a more vigorous and adaptive plant. It is easy to see why it could happen as the seeds of the plant are so small and light and each plant produces about 80,000 and all transportable by the wind. Over the years there have been theories that perhaps a new strain of rosebay willowherb came from abroad such as France or America, in the latter it is simply known as fireweed. Such theories have never been proven from the genetical examination of plants from various parts of the country. To see the splendour of this plant, its colourful flowers, and the vigour of the plumed seeds then simply drive or walk along the southern bypass around Inverness.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Woodcock

2009-10-30T09:28:00.001Z

Woodcock - 21st September 2009

One of the most secretive birds to be found in the Highlands at this time of the year is the woodcock which is surprising considering it one of the larger waders and has a very long beak. The reason it is so difficult to see is partly because of the outstanding camouflage of its plumage and partly its daily cycle of feeding and resting. The plumage is brown and black with much barring across the feathers and when the bird is sat on a woodland floor it is almost impossible to see unless it is disturbed. The birds feed at night and will flight to and from the feeding areas at dusk and at first light. During the day they will lie up in woodland containing either broadleaved trees or conifers particularly where there are glades and open rides. The long and sensitive beak is ideal for probing for food such as worms so damp areas are sought out by the birds where it is easy to probe the soil.

The winter is the best time to see woodcock as although some of the breeding birds in the Highlands fly to Ireland for the winter those that remain are boosted by winter visitors. It is estimated that 800,000 woodcock visit Britain each winter from Russia, Latvia and Finland and a proportion of these come to the Highlands including woodland around Inverness. One myth about these migrants is that they are guided over the North Sea by goldcrests which migrate to us at the same time and so much so that these much smaller birds were known as “ Woodcock Pilots”. The photograph shows an area of woodland close to Inverness where the woodcock spend the day in the dry areas under the birch trees or under the dead bracken in the foreground. Fifty yards away is a wet area on the edge of the trees where the woodcock fly to feed at night although many have been recorded simply walking between the day roosting area and the wet feeding site.

One of the biggest controversies in the bird world is whether woodcock, in the breeding season, carry their young when in flight. Many people who have seen woodcock all their lives refuse to believe the birds deliberately carry their young because they have not seen it happen. In contrast many people have actually seen the event and the general consensus of opinion is that the young are clasped between the adult birds long legs. There are records of the adult moving a chick in this way and then coming back for the other chicks. This is normally where the birds is suddenly disturbed such as by a dog and the young are carried to safety.

The woodcock is on the quarry list and is reputed by sportsmen to be the final accolade in shooting because their twisting flight makes them a very difficult target. Their tiny outer wing feathers that are only about an inch long and called “pin” feathers are much prized and at one time were collected to use by artists when they wanted the finest of brush strokes when painting. Unfortunately in the last decade or so woodcock have decreased as far as breeding birds are concerned. In some parts of Britain this has been put down to habitat change but in areas where there appear to be no significant changes such as the Highlands and in Ireland the decline is still present. The Scots name for the bird is either cock or great snipe whilst one of the three Gaelic names is Cioleach-coille meaning Cockerel of the Wood

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Red Grouse

2009-09-17T14:44:00.001+01:00

Red Grouse - 14th September 2009

Adult red grouse have a reddish brown and mottled plumage with a white stripe on the under wing. The males having a red wattle above the eyes and redder plumage than the female. The birds are plump with a small head, a slightly hooked beak and a short black tail. The birds often look as thought they are hunched up but if disturbed by anything then the neck is extended. The legs and feet are covered in whitish feathers which often give the birds away when they are on bare ground or on low growing plants. Their favourite type of ground is heather moorland on which they are very well camouflaged. Often the first sign of the birds presence is when they fly up fast and direct on short stubby wings. The flight alternates between whirring wingbeats and long glides on downward curved wings. Their famous loud and gruff call has been likened to ‘go-back, go-back, go-back’. During the breeding season the birds are territorial but there are family parties from July and then several families may join together for the winter. In bad winters flocks of over 100 birds, sometimes more, have been seen. The name grouse is linked with the drink of that name but it nearly had another famous reputation. Several years ago when there was a U.K. poll on which should be the bird of Britain and the red grouse was put forward on the basis that it was, wrongly, an endemic bird . Perhaps it is just as well the robin won.

The birds breed throughout the Highlands and Islands where extensive heather moorland is present although they can be found on upland bogs and rough grazing. The number of birds is related to how well the heather is managed in terms of careful burning known as ‘muirburn’. The balance between short heather with fresh shoots and lots of insects for the chicks and long heather as cover against predators is an art in itself. There are codes of conduct for muirburn with legislation restricting the time of year, generally in the winter, when it can be implemented. Unlike other game birds such as pheasants and partridges, red grouse cannot be reared in any numbers. The adults fall prey to both golden eagle and peregrine falcon but it is another bird of prey that has, in recent years, caused a furore in the bird/sporting world. The blame for lack of success on some grouse moors has been laid squarely at the door of the hen harrier who is reputed to take so many young grouse that it adversely affects the numbers. There are many tales of hen harriers being shot and eggs and chicks crushed underfoot. One alternative method to this is to supply the harriers with food and on one estate dead rats were put out but the jury is still out on the success or otherwise of this food for free.

The marked variation in numbers of birds each year has long been a talking point particularly as grouse shooting, beginning on 12th August, is a multi-million pound business. However well heather moorland is managed there are still poor and good years for the birds and this is likely to be due to parasites together with other factors such as weather. One of the main problems in the Highlands has been loss of heather moorland due to large scale planting, overgrazing by sheep and deer and uncontrolled fires. The decrease in the numbers of keepers has meant that some grouse moors have not been managed properly and predators such as foxes and crows have flourished.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Violets

2009-09-10T17:37:00.001+01:00

Violets - 7th September 2009

The Forestry Commission Scotland has now added two butterflies to its forestry strategy and they join a list of other plants and animals. One of the butterflies is the pearl-bordered fritillary that is in trouble in many parts of Britain. This attractive woodland butterfly has become extinct in some counties in England since 1997 and may well be heading that way in Wales. In the Highlands the situation is unclear but the latest distribution maps show that a number of colonies have been lost in the east of the area since the surveys of 1980 to 1994. What the Forestry Commission will be doing is to positively manage areas of woodland for the butterflies. To assess how this can be done is to look at the requirements of the butterflies. To start with they need a food plant for the caterpillars and in the case of this fritillary it is mainly common dog violet, heath dog violet and, less commonly, the marsh violet.

The common and marsh violets are common throughout the Highlands with the marsh violet, as the name suggests, being found in wetter areas. The photograph is of common dog violet taken on a wall on the edge of birch woodland near Inverness. The heath dog violet is scattered in various parts and is absent from large areas. Then there is the food requirements of the adult butterflies and these are limited as it is the spring flowers they go for as a nectar source. At one time this butterfly was known as the April fritillary as it flew that early in the year. Then many years ago the calendar was put back by 11 days so it now flies in May and is on the wing now and up until very early in July. So the nectar sources are mainly early spring flowers such as bugle, dandelion, birds-foot trefoil and bluebell.

The nectar source and the food plants of the caterpillars may be present but they have to be in the right sort of conditions. This means that they have to be in sunlight and in sheltered situations. In the past this was achieved by common and widespread forestry practices that led to an abundance of woodland butterflies. Coppicing, mainly hazel to make sheep hurdles, and fencing, created glades where the spring flowers flourished and they were warm and sheltered. The same could be achieved by regular felling on fairly short cycles. Woodland rides were wide for access and these were sunny and sheltered. Such woodland practices have died out in many areas especially where conifer plantations took over.

All these aspects will have to be implemented and there is one addition that was not found in the old woodlands. Undulating margins in glades, rides and woodland margins can give small areas where the plants are present and at some time during a day the sunshine comes in and it is sheltered from the wind. Another important aspect is that where colonies occur there would ideally be “corridors” of suitable habitat so that there can be an exchange of butterflies from one colony to another. Once the females have laid their pale yellow eggs on the violet leaves it is just the start of a cycle fraught with problems such as predation. The caterpillars feed intermittently on dense flushes of violet seedlings or fresh leaves of older plants. During the winter the caterpillars hibernate in curled up leaves and then start feeding again in March before pupating under the leaves of the violets or on nearby plants. Where the appropriate management is implemented regular transect counts can be made to assess the success or otherwise.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Bird Cherry

2009-09-10T17:36:00.002+01:00

Bird Cherry 31st August 2009

Bird cherries were spectacular earlier in the summer when the long, hanging bunches of small white flowers fill the air with an almond fragrance. Each of the flowers have petals 6-9mm long forming elongated crowded heads with up to 35 flowers and up to 15 cm long. The leaves are widest at the middle, rounded and narrowed towards each end and are light green with fine, regular teeth. The bark is smooth and dark greyish brown and has a strong, rather offensive smell. Like other cherries there are horizontal marks on the bark that is often peeled. Timber from the tree has a reddish brown heartwood and white sapwood. The cherries, called ‘hags’ in the Highlands are black , globe shaped and more or less round in cross section.

The trees are scattered through the Highlands but there are large gaps in such places as the flowe country of Sutherland and Caithness. It is not native to any of the Western or Northern Isles but has been planted in a few places. Bird cherry has been found much further north than the wild cherry and is found in moist woodland and scrub , sides of burns and shady, rocky places. They occur in a wide variety of soil types but avoid very dry areas and very acid conditions. It is a favourite in tree nurseries as it is relatively easy to grow and in the last two decades tens of thousands have been reared and planted in new and old woodland and gardens and parks. One feature of the tree is its ability to form dense thickets. In some areas the leaves are often eaten by so many small ermine moth caterpillars that the tree can appear leafless.

The tart taste of the cherry is due to its richness in tannin but birds seem to love them and trees may easily be stripped. One of the reasons birds like them is their small size at 7-8 mm in diameter so they can easily be swallowed by even small birds such as robins and warblers. Other birds are fond of them such as blackbird, song thrush and mistle thrush. In contrast the foliage is poisonous to stock, especially goats. Some years ago there was a rookery in a large dense mini woodland of bird cherry on the banks of the River Nairn just south of Inverness. The use of this type of tree by nesting rooks must have been unique but although the stand is still there the rooks were shot out.

In the old days there were medicinal uses for various parts of the tree such as the bark being used as a tonic and as a sedative for upset stomachs. At once time pieces of bark were hung outside doors and put into drinking water as a guard against plague. The tree is classed as common around Inverness and is characteristic of the river banks such as Glass, Conon, Carron and Alness plus others. John Miller in his “Trees of the Northern Highlands” mentions fine displays along the road from Ardgay to Croick and along the road to Glen Affric. There are a number of local names such as hag cherry, hawkberry or hag berry from the tree’s old Norse name “ heggr”. The Gaelic name is “Fiodhag”. Despite how widespread it is in the Highland it does not seem to have been used as one of the plant badges of the Clans. With its attractiveness, ease of growing and the early blossoms attracting so many insects, including butterflies, the future for the bird cherry seems assured.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Red Deer

2009-09-10T17:35:00.002+01:00

Red Deer - 24th August 2009

An item in a local Highland newspaper last month was from that newspaper 100 years ago dated 6.8.1909. It stated that “The first stag’s head of the season, a beautiful 10 pointer, shot by Madame La Marquise de Gannay, Beaufort Castle, has been sent to Mr. John Macpherson, Taxidermist, Church Street, Inverness for preservation”. From the trophy point of view little has changed in the Highlands in the value of such “heads” although many other aspects of red deer and stalking have been transformed.

The record from 1909 does not bother to mention that this was a red deer stag, it is just presumed, but these days things are different. Roe deer bucks have their own following with many stalkers believing that this is the final accolade as a trophy. Medals are given for outstanding roe heads in the same way as red deer. Sika deer have yet to get such a following perhaps because they are considered an unwelcome, non native, intruder as they hybridise with red deer. This hybridisation may well threaten the purity of red deer throughout mainland Scotland let alone Britain as a whole.

Red deer stags, especially those with well formed antlers, attract sportsmen from the continent and from all parts of the world despite what can be harsh terrain and poor weather. At present the red deer stag close “season”, when they cannot be culled, is October 1st to June 30th. At the end of June some stags are still in “velvet”, that soft hair covering the growing antlers. Unless stags are taken out purely for the herd management the stags are left until the antlers harden off. To put the antlers, as a trophy, into context a telephone call to a current taxidermist specialising in mounting mammals was revealing. A red deer shoulder mount , the neck is no longer in fashion, can cost between £500 and £700. This is on top of what the stalker has to pay for the stalk. Deer stalking is still big business and there is the spin off of accommodation and other considerations.

Interestingly, the stag shot as a ten pointer could, in those days, have been called a “royal” although the current fashion means that a royal has twelve points but they must be in the right formation. There should be three matched forward points on both antlers. Then at the top the twelve points are made up of three points at the top on each antler. Technically, and to the purist, these three points must be so shaped that they are large enough and deep enough to hold a glass of wine, or should it be whisky?

These aspects of stalking may not have changed but others have. Perhaps to the stalker that has the hard work of managing and culling deer out-with the guest periods there has been one fundamental change. The eye or canine teeth, sometimes called the tusks or tush, of the red deer stags were once in great demand. They were made into such items as brooches, tie tacks, necklaces etc. and, for a good pair, at one time several pounds were paid for them. People, including established firms and tinkers, would visit estates to pay out for them and Germany was the favourite market. It was one of the perks of the stalker and when it ceased, because of New Zealand flooding the market with imports, many stalkers felt it financially. There are some of the older stalkers that still have jars full of tusks as they waited in vain for the market to change.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Wild Iris

2009-09-10T17:34:00.002+01:00

Wild Iris - 17th August 2009

The dramatic, large and showy yellow flowers of the yellow iris or yellow flag may well have gone over by now but the characteristic broad, tall leaves are still dominant. The plant develops dense patches or areas of the sword like leaves that are up to 15 mm wide and, sometimes, over a metre tall. The bright yellow flowers shown in the photograph seem to have a golden glow that was captured by G. Clarke Nutall in his “Wild flowers as they Grow”. “The marsh seemed lit up with these bright lamps of gold under the shadowy willows and dark alders”. If the flowers are outstanding so are the dramatic looking leaves that have inspired many writers and poets. Variously described as “grey sashes of the long leaves” to miniature swords. Indeed one of the country names “segg” from the Anglo-Saxon means “short sword”.

These leaves have been put to a very wide range of uses, perhaps unparalleled compared with other leaves. One of the more practical uses was for thatching as in Orkney, for example, they were used to bulk out the reeds for thatching. The St.Kildans on the island of Hirta went one further as at one time their thatch was entirely composed of the leaves of yellow iris. This is not surprising as there was little else on the archipelago they could use for thatch. Scottish children had their own use for the leaves as through a slit in the leaf the tip was threaded through to form a “seggie” boat that could be sailed on water. The leaf could also be placed between thumbs and blown through to make a loud squeak, hence another local name of “cheeper”. Yellow iris was well known to the old herbalists although its use for medicinal purpose seem to be almost confined to Scotland and, in particular, the Highlands and also the Islands.

These, the largest of the native irises, occur throughout the Highlands and Islands, including the Northern Isles. It is normally a plant of lower altitude but can grow at over 400 metres in favourable sites. Part of its success is its ability to grow in a wide range of places, albeit normally wet sites. These include wet meadows and woods, margins of lochs, lochans and slow rivers. It also occurs in coastal burns, shingle, upper salt marshes and raised beaches. It reproduces by seed and by vegetative spread. There is a mystery surrounding the yellow iris in recent years in the Highlands. The traditional show of the flowers that can “make” a scene or landscape seems to have gone. The leaves seem to be as vigorous as ever but the impressive flowers seem either to be weak and small or, sometimes, even non existent and this year has been no exception. From a wildlife point of view the beds of leaves hide the secretive nests of the corncrake, snipe and redshank. It is also the food plant of the caterpillars of at least seven moths but, unusually, instead of feeding on the leaves four of them, including the rush wainscot, feed on the stems.

With such a widespread use for practical purposes, medicinal, culinary and folklore it is not surprising that there are many names for this plant. ,The local names include flag plant, flagger and duck’s bill. Scots name included seggen and water-skeg. One of the two Gaelic names is bog-uisge meaning “rainbow” whilst the other, seilisdear, has two other spelling but all three mean “plant of light”. The photograph was taken in a boggy area on the Essich road south of Inverness.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Meadow Pipits

2009-09-10T17:33:00.002+01:00

Meadow Pipits - 10th August 2009

Meadow pipits are the traditional “little brown jobs” as it is very difficult to tell one pipit from another, the others being the tree pipit and water pipit. Some people even extend this to some of the warblers but it was the pipits’ confusion that first coined the phrase. The meadow pipit may indeed appear small and uniform but close to it is a different matter. It is smaller than a skylark and of slimmer build with a finer beak and distinctive call. It is the bold streaks of dark brown that continue from the breast along the flanks and contrast with the lower parts that are attractive. The song is characteristic as the bird starts as it flies off from the ground and continues whilst it parachutes down on half spread wings and back to the ground.

As a breeding bird the meadow pipit is common and widespread in the Highlands and Islands. There is an estimated 1.6 million meadow pipits nesting in Scotland each year but only an estimated 50,000 remain for the winter. In many areas it is the commonest bird of the hills and upper moorland in the summer and one can go some distance on high ground and only hear their call notes. Some birds remain on this high ground in winter but the majority move off the hills in late June and early July. They move to the lower ground and around the coasts for the winter. Many leave Scotland and may reach the continent and even North Africa.

Meadow pipits are not on the red alert list of birds that represent those species whose number are rapidly falling or their ranges are contracting. There is still cause for concern which is why this bird is on the amber list which indicates a moderate decline in numbers or its range. Such changes are reflected in changes of other birds. A good example is the cuckoo that lays its eggs in other birds’ nests and the host rears its young. Cuckoos lay a single egg in the nest of a number of other birds and top of the list is the dunnock. The second host on the list is the meadow pipit so a decline in meadow pipits is one of the many reasons for the decline in the cuckoo. This has led to the cuckoo now being classed on the red list. The favourite food of the merlin, a special bird of prey for Scotland, is the meadow pipit and here again the decline in this prey is one of the many factors for the decline of the merlin.

The meadow pipit, considering it is such a small and easily overlooked bird, has a wide variety of names. Local names include chitty and titling whilst there are no less than nine Scots names that include teetan, moss cheeper and hill sparrow. Not to be outdone there are four Gaelic names with one being Tacharan cuthairg meaning cuckoos’ attendant or page. The latter because the species is so often the foster parent to cuckoos. Despite the huge numbers of breeding birds from a conservation point of view there are problems that may escalate in the future . Habit change is the main one especially where moorland is declining through over grazing by deer and sheep and overburning. The planting of trees is a danger although the birds can nest in the early stages of new plantings. As the birds normally nest on the ground they are prone to predation by a number of birds and mammals. Mammals include stoat, fox, pine marten and mink and birds include crows, buzzards and gulls.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Local Nature Reserves

2009-09-10T17:31:00.002+01:00

Local Nature Reserves - 3rd August 2009

There are many nature reserves in the Highlands with some of them having been established many years ago. A good example is Beinn Eighe lying on the southern shore of Loch Maree in Ross-shire. It was originally established for its extensive native pinewood and has a wide range of wildlife. It was established in 1951 by the then Nature Conservancy and was one of the first reserves of its kind. Other reserves, closer to Inverness, include the Glens Affric and Strathfarrar with, again, the emphasis on ancient pine woodland. These reserves are large by any standards in contrast to a more recently declared reserve on the very edge of Inverness.

The Merkinch reserve is unique in the Highland as it is the only Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in the area and it was declared in 2007. Whilst it is the only existing LNR in the Highlands there was one other at Munlochy Bay which was declared in 1975. It was de-declared in 1985 as agreement could not be reached over the general public having access to the site. The Merkinch LNR is 54.7 hectares but in many ways the principles of management are the same as other much larger nature reserves. The background to this is the statement made when the reserve was first declared. “The vision for the only LNR in the Highlands is to create the best LNR in Scotland; a place where people and biodiversity co-exist to each other’s mutual benefit”. That vision is essential when you consider where the reserve lies as it is at Westfield, Muirton Ponds and the associated foreshore area of Merkinch on the west side of Inverness.

As with the much larger reserves there are three main considerations at Merkinch LNR. One is management in terms of both habitats and species. This can vary from tree planting to Michaelmas daisy control. Another one is access and amenity closely coupled to interpretation. The access is a major policy on this LNR such as a walkway to prevent erosion. Another is one that has to be considered, perhaps before the first two, and that is wildlife surveys coupled with monitoring. Monitoring is often very time consuming but it is no good carrying out management to achieve aims if you do not know whether it has worked or not. A wide variety of surveys have already been undertaken by a large number of individuals and organisations. Many of these, like the management tasks, are ongoing.

There have already been some surprises, although these may not have been surprises to local people who knew and frequented the area before it became an LNR. One group of plants that caught the imagination are four orchids namely lesser butterfly, fragrant, heath spotted and marsh. As for the mammals, otters, stoat, common shrew and roe deer have been seen although none of these were a surprise. As for the birds the rarity that has been known for many years is the kingfisher that is more regularly seen in and around the area than probably any other site in the Highlands.

Part of the attraction of this LNR is its surroundings whether it is the Beauly Firth, lower slopes with woodland or the hills on most sides albeit in the distance. For more information on the progress with the LNR go on line to Merkinch Local Nature Reserve and access the Management Plan. Other information includes the history of the site and where the names originate. All the very many people and organisations involved must be congratulated on what has been achieved so far as the Merkinch LNR is plainly a success.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Wild Flowers

2009-09-10T17:06:00.001+01:00

Wild Flowers - 27th July 2009

There are a few wild flowers that are really widespread and abundant in the north and one of them, bird’s foot trefoil, in now in full flower. Its bright yellow flowers are small, less than a centimetre across, but this is compensated for by the sheer number of them. The plant is found all over the mainland and the Western and Northern Isles in a wide range of habitats. In some situations it can carpet the ground such as where the photograph was taken on some waste ground on the Longman in Inverness. This is likely to be a single prostrate plant about forty centimetres across. Where it is growing there is not competition from other vegetation. If there is competition such as medium long grasses the plants can grow tall and be rather straggly. In other situations such as on walls it can hang down like curtains of yellow blossoms. It is also well known from cliff ledges even up to 950 metres in the hills.

It is well known as the food plants of the caterpillars of no less than five different butterflies. The commonest, as the name suggests, is the common blue which is widespread. The green hairstreak has scattered colonies but is rare in Sutherland and is not in Caithness as far as we know. The small blue is very localised along the east coast with none in the west. The dingy skipper is rare with a few colonies around Inverness and along the east coast towards Aberdeen. The fifth is a migrant with numbers varying each year and this is the clouded yellow. Interestingly there is one site in the Highlands when all of these five species can be seen and it is the dune system just east of Nairn. The road east of the river and harbour leads down past the caravan site to a small car park. Walk east until the open dunes are reached and there you can see all the five species if you are lucky including the migrant clouded yellow.

Less well known is the fact that bird’s foot trefoil is also the caterpillar food plant of no less than ten moths and six of these occur in the Highlands. Interestingly, for some unknown reason, all six are day flying moths so if you are looking for butterflies you may also see some of the moths. Four of these day flying moths are burnets namely slender scotch, six spot, five spot and New Forest burnets. Two of them are very rare indeed and the New Forest burnet must be about the rarest moth in Britain. Despite its name it no longer occurs in the New Forest but is found at one site on the west coast of Argyll. The slender scotch burnet is restricted to the Inner Hebridean islands of Mull and Ulva. The other two moths are the burnet companion and the mother shipton. The last named is supposedly named after the pattern on the wings resembling a person’s face, the witch Mother Shipton of Yorkshire.

Moths that fly during the day often have bright colours and they use them to warn birds that they are poisonous. A good example is the black and red of burnet moths. If birds do attack some moths have a poison spray or drop of deterrent liquid emitted from their legs or thorax. If day flying moths are dull in colour this is compensated for by their speed of flight. A good example is the silver Y moth that is migrant and is very unusual as it flies by day and by night.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Cormorants

2009-09-10T16:40:00.001+01:00

Cormorants - 20th July 2009

There are a number of birds in the Highlands that are controversial and these days they seem to be making the headlines more than usual. Buzzards are a good example as they have been blamed for losses in game birds and domestic poultry. Peregrine falcons and sparrowhawks are blamed for taking racing pigeons some of which may be worth hundreds if not thousand of pounds in value. The hen harrier has been blamed for red grouse losses and there has been a great deal of research done to sort out this problem. One of the reasons is that on many estates their finances are geared up to losses and gains on the famous grouse moors. The sawbill ducks, namely red-breasted mergansers and goosanders take fish and are another source of debate and one that does not seem to go away.

One bird that is often overlooked from such controversy, unless you are an angler, is the cormorant, or to give it its correct international name, the great cormorant. These goose sized birds can be recognised in the spring by their sheer size and white feathers on the face and thighs that form small but conspicuous patches contrasting with the overall black appearance of the rest of the bird. The only other bird that could be confused with the cormorant is the shag but they are smaller and much slimmer and lack the white face and thigh of the cormorant. Any bird found on freshwater is more likely to be a cormorant as shags very rarely go to freshwater. There are a few inland colonies of cormorant but no inland shag colonies.

The photograph, taken on a breakwater on the Black Isle, shows the typical heraldic pose of an adult cormorant with wings outstretched. There is still some debate as to why the wings are outstretched with one school of thought that it aids digestion whilst the other is that it is drying its wings. The problem is that why should a bird that spends much of its life on or in the water not have waterproof wing feathers. Another point is that you can sometimes see cormorants with their wings extended when it is raining. It would not be surprising if the habit is to aid digestion as the birds can take quite large fish and an eel of 2 ½ feet has been recorded. The birds have an elastic throat pouch and a specially hinged beak which means that, unlike herons, they can cope with large flat fish. The bird on the right in the photograph is an immature cormorant and on the left is an immature herring gull.

Cormorants are fairly adaptable as far as their breeding sites are concerned. They mainly nest along the coast in trees or on cliffs but there are a small number of inland colonies. Studies have shown that they eat a very wide range of fish especially along the coast where they have had over 80 species of fish recorded. The problem inland is that they are attracted to where game fish occur in artificial numbers such as well stocked lochs with trout and where trout gather around fish farms. Annual licences have been issued to certain fishery boards to enable set quotas of the birds to be shot. The problem is that while legal quotas have been issued an unknown number of birds are killed illegally and the numbers seem to be rising in the last few years. The other problem that cormorants face are oil spills around the coast and numbers have been killed in this way in the past.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Foxgloves

2009-09-10T16:39:00.001+01:00

Foxgloves - 13th July 2009

One of the most striking wild flowers in the Highlands and one that is at its best at this time of the year is the foxglove. This tall plant, it can grow to 150 cm, is unmistakable with its clusters of large flowers that start at the top of the stem and are all on the same side. The flowers vary in colour but the commonest is deep pink on the outside and paler inside with spots and rings. There can be between 20 and 80 thimble shaped flowers. At the base of the plant the oval shaped leaves form a rosette with toothed edges. Whilst occasionally single plants can be found there may be hundreds in one small area which can be a very impressive sight. It is common in many parts of the Highlands especially where there are acid soils in hedge banks, open woods, heath and moorland margins, cliffs and waste ground. It occurs in the Western Isles and some of the Northern Isles. Part of its success is the fact it can grow in a wide range of places and the fact that each plant can produce one to two million seeds. The photograph was taken on the side of a road near Inverness on disturbed ground near birch trees.

Most wildlife avoid foxgloves because they are poisonous but this does not seem to bother insects. It is a favourite for bees as they seek out the honey in the plant. Other insects also visit with some of them taking shelter inside the large flowers away from the rain or cold. Three species of moths use foxgloves as the food plant of their caterpillars. One is the aptly named foxglove pug which occurs in the Highlands wherever the plant grows. Interestingly, and unusually, the green caterpillars do not feed on the leaves but seek out the flowers where they feed on the stamens and unripe seeds. The adult moth is 22mm across the wings and is attractively mottled in brown and orange. Apart from the plant’s height it is also prominent because animals such as deer, sheep and cattle avoid the plants but graze down the vegetation all around.

Although foxgloves are very poisonous they have been used for medicinal purposes for a very long time. The use for treating heart complaints is its best known application and this came from studies by William Withering in 1785. However, some of the work had already been done by other people, in particular a Mrs Sutton a botanist and pharmacist. When the results were published people began to think that foxgloves could be the cure for virtually every illness. It soon became apparent that they were not and there was decreasing confidence in the plant. Suffice to say it is now a constituent of modern heart drugs.

The name foxglove has a fanciful interpretation that suggests that the bell shaped flowers would be suitable as gloves for foxes. It seems much more likely that the name came from other aspects. Glove could originally have been “gliew” which was the old name for a musical instrument with many small bells. Fox could be a corruption of “folk’s” which were little folk or fairies. Another twist to the story is the belief that in fact the fairies gave the flowers to foxes to put on their toes so they could tread softly when hunting. Local names include foxter and deadmen’s bells. Scots name include Scotch mercury and fairies’ thimbles. Unusually there are at least five Gaelic names with the commonest being Lus nam Ban-sidh meaning “Fairy Women’s Plant”. The foxglove is the plant badge of the Clan Farquharson.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Butterflies

2009-07-05T10:04:00.002+01:00

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.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Recent bird status in the UK

2009-07-05T10:02:00.002+01:00

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.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Nairn Harbour

2009-07-05T09:58:00.001+01:00

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.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Ruddy Ducks

2009-07-05T09:55:00.002+01:00

1st June 2009 - Ruddy Ducks

When the ruddy ducks started breeding in the Highlands in 2004, albeit only one site with ten pairs, it caused quite a stir in the bird world for a number of reasons. To start with it seemed so far away from the nearest colonies elsewhere in Britain. The original source and its success is phenomenal as the total British population is around 700 breeding pairs with 50-100 pairs in Scotland. These numbers have built up from just three full winged young birds that escaped from the collection at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, in the winters of 1952/53 and 1953/54. Then came the problem as they started migrating to Europe and in Spain they started to hybridise with the endangered white headed duck. The answer came in October 2005 when the decision was made to cull ruddy ducks in this country.
The interesting point is, when such birds are included in the "British List" of birds, and what criteria are used and what about other birds. The body responsible for assessing whether a birds goes on the British lists is the British Ornithologists’ Union and there are a number of criteria they use. The main one affecting the ruddy duck is " although introduced they now derive from a self sustaining population". So where can all this information about other birds in the Highlands and around Inverness be found? The easiest way is to consult the most important books of recent publication namely the two volumes of "The Birds of Scotland" published in 2007 by the Scottish Ornithologists Club". At the top of each species there are abbreviation letters denoting which category various birds come under. Under the ruddy duck, for example, it states. "IB Category C" which stands for "Introduced breeder" and C meaning sustaining population.
Two of the easiest introduced birds to be found around Inverness are the pheasant and red legged partridge as both come under IB Category C. Both have been introduced in very large numbers for shooting amidst great controversy from the pros and cons of rearing birds to be shot. The numbers of pheasants in Scotland are extremely high with around 350,000 naturalised pairs but over ten million at the start of the shooting season. Once the shooting season is over there may be a maximum of 800,000 naturalised birds during the winter months. So what about birds that have become extinct in the past and were introduced in the Highlands such as capercaillie and red kite. Both have the extra two letters FB meaning "formerly bred".
There are other birds that come under the basic category that covers the ruddy duck and that is the exotic looking mandarin duck. The photograph of a male pheasant also shows a male mandarin duck and the extraordinary plumage with the large orange inner wing feathers that are called "sails". The photograph was taken a few miles south of Inverness in Strathnairn. Mandarins are tree ducks which mean they often perch in trees and roost there. Despite their plumage they are very secretive birds and are often overlooked. They normally nest in holes in trees but they will also use nest boxes, in particular those designed for goldeneye. At this time of the year the females will have tiny ducklings to look after if they can avoid predation by a wide range of animals and birds. The males play no part in rearing the ducklings but they sometimes roost nearby. The moult in the males starts at this time of the year and some of the first feathers to be shed are the "sails".

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Garden for Wildlife

2009-07-05T09:52:00.001+01:00

25th May 2009 - Garden for Wildlife

Readers of this Highland Country Diary will know that I always like a mystery and the latest one is over the three pairs of starlings that are nesting in the small, free standing doocot in the garden. The doocot is only a few yards from the house so close enough to see the starlings without using binoculars. The doocot is shown in the photograph in our wildlife garden. The starlings have always been a little mysterious, for example why do they roost in the doocot each winter? There are packs of starlings in the strath during the winter days but they all assemble and then fly to the large roost in Inverness. You can see why as at any time of the year the difference in temperature from our house at just under 700 ft is normally several degrees colder than in the middle of Inverness.
So this year when spring came along we were not surprised to see the birds taking straw into the small holes in the doocot. It indicated that the breeding season was at last under way. The entrance holes lead into their own compartment of the doocot so that whilst the pairs of starlings may be physically only a few inches away from each other they are separated by timber. Looking out of the window each morning to see the starlings struggling with nesting material, such as straw, it was difficult to understand how some of the larger pieces went in. This was particularly because whilst the entrance holes are the correct size, according to the books, they still have to squeeze their way in. The birds often have to wave their two feet around in the air as they struggle to get in.
Then one morning we realised that something strange was going on because we realised that sometimes three birds were going in the same hole with material. Then sometimes two birds would come out and then another. Some birds took some material into a hole and then the rest into another hole. One bird was seen taking material out of one hole and putting it into another. It all seemed very strange and somewhat chaotic so I started looking up the starlings in my many bird books. One of my favourite bird books is the "RSPB Handbook of British Birds" by Peter Holden and Tim Cleeves revised in 2006. I can but quote as it sums up the situation admirably. "Mating system is flexible and pairs may change mates between broods. Male sometimes has several females, and it is not uncommon for females to dump their eggs in another starling’s nest. They may have two broods". I must confess that I have a soft spot for the starling especially when you see the colour of their plumage on a sunny day. Their otherwise drab looking feathering reveals a whole host of colour with some iridescence. Its song is an intriguing mixture of warbling and musical whistles but what sets the bird aside is its mimicry. This is sometimes of other birds but also things such as the ring of a telephone. What surprises me about "our" starlings is that they can mimic the curlew all the year round despite the fact that there are no curlews here in the winter months.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Ice House

2009-05-25T15:22:00.000+01:00

18th May 2009 - Ice House

In a recent "From Our Files", in a local newspaper in the Highlands , it was noted that 125 years ago in April 1884 a fish salesman in Inverness had received "Their first consignment of pure Norway ice for the season". What would a large quantity of ice from Norway be used for in the Highlands that was renowned for its ice and snow? This importation of ice was partly to meet the demands of the growing number of ice houses with the first being built in Britain in 1619. The practice spread and during the period of 1750 to 1875 some 3,000 ice houses were built. In the Highlands during the period 1800 to 1810 many ice houses were built around the Moray Firth coast and from old maps and charts no less than 29 have been identified. All were associated with salmon fishing stations based on salmon rivers They varied from Tugnet to the east and as far north as Duncansby Head. The basic concept was to have a large stone structure partly underground to maintain low temperatures. Some had wooden structures on the top of the ice house for the storage of the fishing nets.
Salmon were never actually stored in the ice house as when the salmon were caught in the summer the fish and ice were packed into special boxes that once sealed weighed around 34 pounds. The common problem with so many ice houses was getting ice. This is why so many ice houses were associated with rivers such as the Findhorn ice house on the side of the River Findhorn east of Inverness. The Tugnet ice house, reckoned to be the largest in Scotland, was based on the side of the mouth of the River Spey. The present Tugnet ice house was built in 1830 and so probably replaced an earlier structure mentioned in 18th century literature.
To start with the ice came from two main sources with one being the natural inlets along the sides of rivers. The other source was specially constructed fish ponds often associated with rivers. These were shallow dug out areas that were filled with water through a sluice and when they froze each winter there was plenty of ice. The problems came in the early 1800s as the demand for ice was ever increasing and to add to the problem winter temperatures rose. This meant there was less ice to go round and, incredibly, they began to bring in ice by ship from Norway, then Canada and after 1840 from the USA. The latter was particularly pure clear ice cut in blocks from Wenham lake near Boston, Massachusetts. This ice found it way to fashionable parties and even mixed with drinks.
These days it is difficult to imagine the importance of such fishing stations and ice houses but some facts from Tugnet tell the story. In the late 18th century over 130 people were annually employed in the fishing season. In the year 1792 no less than 24 ships called at Tugnet for cargoes of salmon preserved in ice from the ice house for the London market. The early boats for catching salmon were the round Spey coracle or currach later replaced by the cobles. These latter boats are in the photograph with the Tugnet Icehouse behind. The frame of the coracle was made of wicker with a cow’s hide stretched over it. The trade had language of its own and the tools included ice grabs, wooden mells for breaking the ice, ice saws, "yarlins" used for unwinding the hanks of net making twine, needles for net making and marlinspikes for splicing the fishing ropes. A world of its own and now almost forgotten.

Ray Colliers Country Diary - Rabbits

2009-05-25T15:18:00.002+01:00

4th May 2009 - Rabbits

Around Inverness and elsewhere in the Highlands rabbits seem to be making a comeback in more ways than one. To start with the increasing numbers are a reflection of the life cycle that has developed over the last decade or so. The numbers build up in the breeding season that starts very early in the year until in late summer, they seem almost everywhere and often in considerable numbers in crops. There are various theories as to why the disease myxymatosis seems to strike in the latter part of each summer. One is that when the numbers build up there is more chance of the disease spreading as the rabbits are in close contact with each other. The story is that the rabbit flea is responsible for the disease spreading and when large numbers of the rabbits are in holes and large warrens the disease strikes. Another reason is that some people deliberately catch a diseased rabbit and put it down elsewhere. This is, of course, illegal but it is still being carried out around Inverness and beyond.
The rise in numbers are also reflected in the road casualties and these have been rising in the last few weeks. This is an abundant source of food to many scavengers with birds and mammals involved and some of these, at this time of the year, will even start to patrol roadsides looking for food. Where you get woodland on both sides of the road or woodland on one side and a crop on the other are the best places to find dead rabbits. Birds such as buzzard, red kite, crows and gulls will take them whilst mammals include badger, fox, pine marten, stoat and wildcat. Some of these predators will remove them fairly quickly from the road and this means that the casualties we see during the day, even early morning, are only a percentage of the actual mortality.
There is some debate as to the source of the rabbit in the Highlands although the general belief is that that were introduced to England by the Normans as a food source. They were originally kept in enclosed warrens and carefully guarded against poachers. Some of the warrens were on islands and the rabbits were given supplementary food. The substantial increase in wild rabbits was in the 18th century but they were introduced into Scotland much later. Up until the 1950s rabbits were an important source of food especially when other food was short such as during the two World Wars. Then myxymatosis came and there were stories of diseased rabbits having their heads cut off and still sold for meat. People went off the meat and even today there is still a bias against eating it even for people actually living in the countryside. Rabbits sell in supermarkets but they are mainly farmed rabbits specially bred for the purpose.
There is a sign that rabbit meat is making a comeback as far as we are concerned. Seven years ago whole rabbits were for sale from one local game dealer for £1.20 whereas today they are £3.00. As for what a game dealer actually pays these days rabbits depends on how it has been killed. Shot rabbits are normally not bought so other means have to be used. A very popular one is by using ferrets and the sleeping ferrets in the photograph were at the Scottish Gamekeepers Association stand at the Moy Fair, near Inverness, last year. Snaring is widespread but coming under close scrutiny these days and box traps along fence lines are becoming common, if expensive. Perhaps rabbit meat will make a comeback.

Ray Collier Country Diary- Guillemots

2009-04-27T15:37:00.001+01:00

27th April - Guillemots

There are many evocative sounds in the Highlands such as the roaring of red deer stags in the Autumn. Seabird colonies of auks such as guillemots in the middle of the breeding season may be raucous as their calls echo round the sea cliffs but it is still very impressive. In the last two weeks greylag and pink footed geese have been heading north to their wintering grounds in Iceland and beyond. Their calls seem to epitomise the colder wildness where they will breed but despite the loud calls in flight they can sometimes be difficult to actually see. Of all the evocative sounds perhaps none is more so than the bird displaying in the glens, straths and moorland of the Highlands at present, namely the curlew.
The call notes have been described as "an eerie lamenting cry" and have given rise to a great deal of superstition. The mournful notes led many to say it signified death but others were far more stimulated in a much more positive way. Norman MacCaig who stayed in Lochinver wrote a poem in March 1987 entitled "Curlew" that contains the lines "trailing bubbles of music/over the squelchy hillside/Music as desolate, as beautiful/as your loved places./ Mountain marshes and glistening mud-flats/by the stealthy sea". The very wide range of local, Scots and Gaelic names is typical of many others birds that were shot for the pot. The plumage of the adult curlew is darker in summer than in winter hence the Scottish proverb " Be she white or be she black/The curlew has ten pence on her back". Curlews were much prized in the old court banquets and it was not many years ago that they could still be shot. It seems to have been an acquired taste especially after it had been feeding in the winter in the mud of the firths and the foreshore.
Curlews have an unusual breeding cycle and as they nest on the ground they suffer from predation by a wide range of predators such as fox, mink and crows. The male makes several scrapes and it is the female who decides which one will be actually used and then she alone lines it. The nest is mainly in the open on a mound or tussock but sometimes protected by vegetation. Both parents will incubate the eggs but this falls mainly to the female. Once the chicks have hatched and are active the female leaves with only the males tending them before they fly to the coast.
The curlews calling in the Highlands are birds that will have come back from their wintering grounds in southern Britain or Ireland. The males move into the territories first and wait for the females to arrive. Curlews have had to adapt to changing land use and it is now difficult to imagine it was not too long ago that they were confined to upland areas whereas now they breed down to sea level. Overgrazing and over burning may have forced it to breed at lower altitudes but in recent years such areas have not been ideal. Changes in the times that grasslands are cut has adversely affected curlews that are now classed as on the "amber" list. This means it is of "medium conservation concern" as opposed to the "red" list which means of "High conservation concern".

Ray Collier Country Diary- Rosemarkie on the Black Isle

2009-04-27T15:34:00.004+01:00

20th April - Rosemarkie on the Black Isle

The stretch of coastline east of Rosemarkie on the southern edge of the Black Isle has a wildlife quality of its own and scenically is one of the most attractive areas around Inverness. Car parking is near the outlet of the burn falling from the Fairy Glen and there is a path leading east to the famous Scart Crag locally known as Scart Craig. The cliff is about one and a half miles from the parking and the white washed cliff is the result of generation of cormorants droppings. "Scart" is one of the many Scots names for a cormorant. The path runs through woodland, scrub and dunes that have been stabilised with marram grass, and all the way the cliffs on the landward side vary in steepness and size. Buzzard nest in the woodland and the birds can often be seen hunting along the coastline for rabbits for their chicks. At one point there is the finest array of rock pools in the eastern parts of the Highlands and they support a wide variety of wildlife from crabs to anemones and sticklebacks to shell-fish.

The dominant seabirds are the fulmars that are present almost all the year round and nests in a small colony on the edge of Rosemarkie. How strange to think that before the end of the 19th century the only British colony was on St. Kilda. Now fulmars glide along the cliffs by the firth or low over the sea seemingly effortlessly with only an occasional wing beat. Scart Crag and the surrounding cliffs once supported herring gulls whose eggs were much favoured for eating by local people. They were not the only predators as sometimes, even during the day, foxes and otters could be seen raiding their nests. The gulls no longer nest there but other birds have taken their place and in the last couple of years a pair of ravens have nested there, the first time for very many years on the Black Isle. A much smaller bird and in a way much more surprising is a colony of house martins first located in 2004.

This is one of the best places around Inverness to see butterflies and the speciality and a great rarity in the Highlands and beyond is the northern brown argus. Its caterpillars feed on one of the most attractive of wild flowers, the common rock rose. It is one of the smallest of the butterflies being dark brown with a tiny white spot on the fore wings and the adults are still on the wing at this time of the year. Other butterflies include the small copper, grayling, common blue, pearl bordered fritillary, dingy skipper and speckled wood. The reason for the abundance of butterflies is the wide range of wild flowers that give the butterflies a nectar source. These include bloody cranesbill, wood vetch, stonecrop, hemp agrimony and dyer’s rocket.

If the tide is out then waders such as oystercatcher, curlew and redshank will be feeding in the mud and sand whilst the beds of mussels and winkles may well have a few of the very well camouflaged turnstones with the occasional purple sandpiper freshly arrived from their breeding grounds in Norway or Iceland. On the sea at this time of the year are red throated divers that have bred on hill lochs, red breasted mergansers and goldeneye. What often steals the show, however, is not the birds but the sea mammals and there is always a good chance of seeing grey and common seals especially when the fish are moving with the tide and the seals are feeding. To many, even more exciting, are the resident numbers of bottle-nosed dolphins that are now famous and much admired from boat trips organised especially to see them.