What's been seen in Wester Ross recently? Have a look at Peter's Diary! Just click Here.
(Courtesy of Peter Cunningham, local naturalist)
Gairloch is having a "Wildlife Weekend" on May 29th and 30th. For details, click HERE.
The Wildlife of Wester Ross.....
When good fortune guides you towards Wester Ross, you reach the sea via a splendid wilderness of bare mountainsides, bogs and moors, with the odd stand of trees or shining loch scattered here and there. On a good day, it is unbelievably beautiful. On a bad day, it is simply awesome. The underlying geology was shaped by nature over millennia, but the overlying landscape is, inevitably, the work of man. Much of today’s bare hillsides and moorland were rich in mixed forests until felling for shipbuilding, iron smelting, grazing and other human needs shaped the present scenery.
In modern times, the climate change debate has reminded us that we do not live (and indeed never have lived) in a cosy, static little world – we are surrounded by change. The familiar natural changes associated with season and latitude are accompanied by more anthropogenic changes that may or may not be reversed in the fullness of time. In this respect the Wester Ross area is no different from anywhere else.
As an example, a photograph taken from the top of the hill overlooking Gairloch before the First World War, illustrates the point well at the local level. This photograph shows much of the "Lonemore" area as being agricultural, with arable fields. Very different from the moorland, rough pasture and housing development of modern times. This kind of physical change brings with it more subtle changes to the natural history. In 1886 J H Dixon published a book on Gairloch, describing many aspects of the natural history, including the birds and the flora. When crofters grew oats, barley, potatoes and turnips, the area was home to an abundance of Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings. Rooks and Barn Owls were common, and even Partridges were not unusual. Today the first three species are rarely (if ever) found here. Barn Owls are very scarce, and Partridges a thing of the past. Populations of predatory birds have also changed, perhaps as a result of other kinds of human intervention. Peregrines were “abundant” in the late 1800s, and Merlins were “ very common”. They are still around today, but you may need luck to see them on a short visit.
Other changes in bird populations are less easily attributable to man. For example, Dixon reported that Redstarts were “rather common” and Ring Ouzels a “common pest on fruit trees”. These species are still seen in some places in some years, but they are by no means common.
Fortunately, there is another side to the coin, and not all changes in bird populations have been negative. The Eider Ducks that were rarely seen in the 1800s are now a regular feature of the area, as are the formerly “rare” Great Skuas or Bonxies. If you go sea fishing during the summer months, the Bonxies will boldly encourage (menace) you to share both catch and lunch.
Swallows were not common according to Dixon and neither Whitethroat nor Wood Warbler were mentioned in his book. Swallows are now fairly numerous, and both these warblers are regular, although not common. The Blackcap (a summer visitor) noted as “not common” by Dixon is still not abundant, but can now be seen in winter some years. Climate change rears its head again, perhaps? The most potent symbol of positive change is, however, the White-tailed Eagle. This bird occasionally occurred in Dixon’s time (one was killed locally in 1879), but it was soon to become extinct in Scotland, with the last native bird shot on Skye in 1918. Today, thanks to re-introduction, you are probably more likely to see these huge birds over some part of Wester Ross than you are a Golden Eagle or a Peregrine. A watchful eye over a few days summer holiday should yield results.
Change is also evident in the flora, and even in the late 1800's, it is instructive to note the negative impacts of human activity on plant abundance and biodiversity. Dixon cited the virtual extinction of the Narrow-leaved Helleborine Orchid from the area, attributing the decrease, and the scarcity of many other flowers, to the introduction of sheep farming. He also cautioned tourists and others not to collect excessively, lest others lose the chance to see some species.
Depressing to think that even in the late 1800s, the old times were thought to be environmentally better and tourism was already a perceived threat! Such insights give us further good cause to question conventional concepts of environmental stability and sustainability. The reality is that things have always changed, and will always change, most notably as a result of human activity.
Wester Ross today continues to change, with major reforestation projects well underway and focusing not on exotic commercial timber, but on restoring the native flora. Large mixed plantings of species such as Scots Pine, Rowan and Silver Birch are now widespread over much of the area, and this will ultimately have a major impact on both flora and fauna. Proximity to old Caledonian Forest remnants (e.g. Glen Affric and Beinn Eighe) and the creation of connective corridors, will surely encourage the re-establishment of species such as Crested Tits and Red Squirrels, and perhaps even Capercaillie and the once numerous Black Grouse. The abundance of young trees in wild places may well attract back the now scarce Hen Harrier as a breeding bird. What is present today could actually (climate change permitting) be less diverse than what is to come. What is certain, is that the visitor arriving in Wester Ross in 10 years time will be greeted by a very different panorama.
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