Bid to make Glen Affric Scotland’s next beaver release site

 

A community consultation that will help decide whether beavers are reintroduced to Glen Affric has been launched in the Scottish Highlands, led by Trees for Life.

 

The rewilding charity is carrying out the consultation on behalf of four private landowners and Forestry and Land Scotland, who all manage land that has habitat capable of supporting a beaver population. 

 

If the proposal is successful, it would be the first official release of beavers to the north-west Highlands since the species was driven to extinction some 400 years ago.

 

Trees for Life has long campaigned

SNH and partners testing new ways to protect lambs from sea eagles

White tailed sea eagle

Trials are underway by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and its partners on how to reduce the impact of sea eagle predation on sheep farming.

Removing trees where sea eagles nest next to lambing areas and new scaring methods are two techniques being tested on a small number of 'monitor farms' in west coast locations. These methods are being trialled in places where other management measures, such as extra shepherding, have failed to prevent loss of livestock.

SNH granted a licence this week to Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) to fell two trees where sea eagles have nested previously. The trees are on the

Red squirrel reintroduction success with breeding and natural expansion

Red squirrel © Peter Cairns www.scotlandbigpicture.com

A project by Trees for Life relocating red squirrels to their old forest homes in northwest Scotland has been boosted by evidence of breeding and natural expansion by the new populations.

The conservation charity is reintroducing squirrels to suitable native woodlands in the Highlands, from which the species has been lost. Because reds travel between trees and avoid crossing large open spaces, they can’t return to these isolated forest fragments on their own.

“Early indications are that this could be a real wildlife success story. The new squirrel populations are not only flourishing and breeding in their new homes, they

Beaver shooting must stop. Scottish Wild Beaver Group Press Release.

European beaver feeding © Laurie Campbell

News of the shooting of beavers in Tayside by some farmers has led to an outcry from supporters, conservationists, and animal lovers everywhere. Of especial concern is the fact that, while an overdue decision from Scottish Government to adopt the protection due to the species under the European Habitats Directive, there is not even a closed season and the females can therefore be shot pregnant or lactating, killing kits slowly by starvation.

SWBG call for an immediate moratorium on shooting in advance of an early decision to enshrine EU legal protection of the species in Scotland.

Louise Ramsay, Co-Chair of SWBG says: “We flew a

Humpback whale spotted in western Scotland’s Firth of Clyde

Humpback Whale in the Firth of Clyde, 

copyright Elise Rankin

 this is the only image of the whale currently in the Clyde

An adult humpback whale, possibly greater than 12 metres in length, has been sighted in the Firth of Clyde last week – the fifth such whale to be seen off western Scotland in the past month, compared with a usual total of just one or two per year.

The whale was sighted off Tighnabruaich in the Kyles of Bute on 6 July. On 8 July it surfaced alongside the Scottish Ocean Youth Trust’s yacht, spouting and swimmingly strongly in a northward direction into Loch Fyne. The whale was observed breaching out of the water and lob-tailing – a dramatic manoeuvre in which the animal throws its massive tail, up to five metres across, out of the water, creating a huge splash visible for miles. This behaviour could be used for

Rejecting extinction: beaver reintroduction offers major benefits to Scotland

European beaver feeding © Laurie Campbell

The potential reintroduction of beavers to Scotland after almost 500 years is a historic opportunity that could bring major environmental and economic benefits to Scotland – including by generating millions of pounds through eco-tourism, said award-winning conservation charity Trees for Life today.

This week or next, Scottish Natural Heritage is due to report to the Scottish Government on the Scottish Beaver Trial – a five-year trial reintroduction of beavers in Argyll’s Knapdale Forest – paving the way for the government to announce later this year whether the species will be allowed to live freely in

Funding hope for conservation of iconic Scottish glen and rare wildlife

Loch Affric - TFL

Hopes of protecting and restoring a magnificent Highland glen and its rare wildlife – including golden eagles, red squirrels and Scottish wildcats – have received a major boost after conservation charity Trees for Life was named as finalist for a major European funding project, with the winner to be chosen after an online public vote.

The charity’s Glen Affric Landscape Project is in the running to secure almost £20,000 in the European Outdoor Conservation Association’s ‘Outdoor’ funding scheme, with online voting taking place over two weeks until Monday 6 October. Trees for Life can be supported via www.treesforlife.org.uk/voteTFL.

The Trees for Life project will also create

First whale week festival spotlights western Scotland’s internationally important marine life

Minke whale in Hebridean waters / HWDT

A new annual week-long festival boosting the profile of The Hebrides as an internationally-important hotspot for whale spotting and conservation action will be launched on World Oceans Day on 8 June, in what is believed to be the first event of its kind in Scotland.

 

Humpback whales, orcas and bottlenose dolphins will take over Tobermory on the Isle of Mull between 8-15 June 2014, as conservation charity Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) celebrates its 20^th anniversary with its

New Trees for Life conservation scheme in Inverness region

New conservation scheme to offer health and training opportunities in Inverness region

A new programme of special Conservation Days designed to benefit disadvantaged people in the Inverness region is being launched by conservation charity Trees for Life thanks to funding from the People’s Postcode Trust.

The new initiative will provide an opportunity for people completely new to conservation volunteering to learn about Scotland’s Caledonian Forest and its rare species, and to take part in rewarding and effective conservation action in their local area.

Volunteers taking part will be able to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of moderate regular

International Day of Forests

Call for renaissance of Scotland’s forests

 

Conservation charity Trees for Life has welcomed the first United Nations International Day of Forests today (21 March), with a call for more people to get involved in helping to create a renaissance for Scotland’s beleaguered forests.

 

The UN General Assembly has proclaimed 21 March to be the International Day of Forests – a day to celebrate and raise awareness of the

CHARITY LAUNCHES PROJECT FOR A MILLION MORE TREES IN NEXT FIVE YEARS

A remnant of Scotland's old Caledonian Forest
Scots Pine forest in the Glen Affric
National Nature Reserve

Reforestation could benefit Scotland’s economy by boosting wildlife tourism.

Conservation charity Trees for Life has announced an ambitious new goal to double its current rate of restoration work in Scotland’s Caledonian Forest, with the establishment of one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration within five years.

The charity’s new Million More Trees campaign is a response to environmental problems including deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss, but could also bring significant benefits to

Osprey at nest with Acorn 6210MM

Osprey are returning to Scotland for the 2012 nesting season; and I've been lucky to have contact with Photographer Val Gall who is using a Ltl Acorn 6210MM to monitor a pair at the nest for this season.

The camera is set to periodically transmit images to her cell phone, and she has very kindly given me permission to publish the two images below; which are of the first bird to put in an appearance just this last couple of days.

First Osprey at the nest for 2012.      Camera Ltl Acorn 6210MM

She hasn't been able to confirm the identity of the Osprey yet, but hopes it is the first of the breeding pair (usually the female arrives first) that has used this nest in previous years.

If you would like to see how things progress during the year, and to see some of her first class photography, please visit Val's web site.

First night shot, apparently taken in heavy rain.        Camera Ltl Acorn 6210MM 

Just edited this post to add this sunlit early morning shot.      Camera Ltl Acorn 6210MM

Trees for Life Lecture Tour during March and April 2012

LECTURE TOUR CELEBRATES PLANTING OF A MILLION TREES IN CALEDONIAN FOREST

Celebrations for the planting of the Millionth Tree by conservation
charity Trees for Life in Scotland’s Caledonian Forest will be launched in
March with a two-month lecture tour across Britain by the charity’s
founder and executive director, Alan Watson Featherstone.

From Ullapool to Devon, Alan will travel the length and breadth of the
country throughout March and April to inform and inspire audiences with
The Millionth Tree lecture tour. Trees for Life will plant its Millionth

BBC News - Concern over squirrel pox at Culzean Country Park

"Concern is growing for Scotland's red squirrel population after a case of deadly squirrel pox was confirmed at Culzean Country Park in Ayrshire."

"The virus was found in a grey squirrel, which is unharmed by the pox, but can pass it on to red squirrels.

Until now, cases had largely been confined to the far south of Scotland.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) said the presence of the pox virus in Ayrshire "represents a concerning leap to the north".


Squirrel pox was detected at Culzean by NTS rangers and staff from the Red Squirrels in South Scotland Project. It was later confirmed by expert testers."

The disease is almost always fatal to Red Squirrels. It causes lesions around the mouth, nose and eyes similar to Myxomatosis in Rabbits and usually kills the squirrel in 7 to 10 days.


Click the link below to read the rest of the story.

BBC News - Concern over squirrel pox at Culzean Country Park:

The squirrel pox virus (squirrel parapoxvirus) is believed to be transmitted from grey to red squirrels by parasites in dreys and by contact at feeding sites. 

Because of the latter, people are being advised not to provide squirrel feeders in areas where red and grey squirrels are both present.

Read a full report about this by clicking the link below.

Nature lovers urged not to feed red squirrels

Lesions to the eyes, nose and mouth of a red squirrel, caused by the squirrel pox virus

Trees for Life - Volunteer Support Appeal

Trees for Life have just launched their volunteer support appeal and as they state their case much more eloquently than I ever could I have just included their mailing below. 


Please join or donate to this worthwhile cause if you can. Their work is invaluable in helping to restore the indigenous forests and wildlife of the old Caledonian Wildwood.

You could even book yourself a working holiday and really get to appreciate the Scottish Highlands.

Please help us recruit more volunteers to plant trees! Dear Supporter, This month we've launched our ‘Volunteer Support Appeal’.  Ever since Trees for Life began practical work in 1989, volunteers have been an essential part of our project, carrying out crucial tasks such as planting trees, collecting seeds and helping in our tree nursery. As our volunteer programmes have grown over the years, so have their costs, and much of our fundraising is directed towards them. It’s vital for us to keep our programmes accessible to as many people as possible, through providing subsidised places on them, so I’m writing today to ask for your help in raising £15,000 for this. Volunteers make all the difference to our success. You can make a real difference too, by sending a donation today, and my heartfelt thanks to you for any contribution that you can make. Why not become a member? A great way to support our work is to join one of our membership packages for as little as £3/month... These come with many benefits and by completing a simple online Direct Debit sign up, your donations help us throughout the year. Please visit www.treesforlife.org.uk/membership to find out more. Thank you for your ongoing support, Alan Watson Featherstone Executive Director Trees for Life is an award winning conservation charity working to restore the Caledonian Forest and all its species to a large contiguous area in the Highlands of Scotland. Trees for Life is a registered charity Scottish charity No. SCO21303, and a company limited by guarantee No. 143304 with its registered offices at Forres, Scotland.

The Highland Red Squirrel Group

The Scottish Highlands is now the only large UK mainland area where our native squirrel can still be found living in large healthy populations, free from the threat of competition by the introduced American Grey Squirrel.

There are plans for so called refuge forest areas to be created in the Highland region, consisting chiefly of small seeded conifers which, it is hoped, will provide a Red Squirrel friendly environment of little interest to Grey Squirrels as they continue their inexorable march northwards.

Part of this effort is the ongoing Scottish squirrel survey, the purpose of which is to accurately determine the true extent of the Highlands squirrel population. In the Highland region this is the remit of the Highland Red Squirrel Group which is a charity relying on volunteer surveyors. This method of attempting this task has an inherent problem in that it relies on the unpaid effort of people who have jobs and families to support with relatively little spare time.

I am in the fortunate position of being both active, retired and a bit of an anorak about the plight of our small red friends. Consequently I am able to devote a relatively large amount of time and effort to the task but I am only one person and there's a lot of forest which has never been properly surveyed.

Tay Beavers re-visited

In retrospect I feel I should make an apology to SNH for referring to them in a previous post, as control freaks and for anyone wishing to see both sides, direct them to the SNH Press Release regarding the Tay Beavers.

I'm afraid that when I hear about animals being trapped and placed in captivity I tend towards a red haze.

In all fairness, there is a risk in allowing un-monitored release which is, of course, against the law anyway; and if these Beaver are of a different genus and possibly carrying parasites not indigenous to the UK environment, SNH have little choice but to do as they are.

I feel extremely sorry for the Beavers in question, for the grief and misery that we heap upon them; and I am fully in favour of properly re-introducing species to the UK, considering that they would have been here now if we hadn't caused their extinction for our own selfish ends.

Wild Mountain Thyme

Apparently not Irish in origin as has been suggested but a Scottish song based on Pailsey poet R Tannahill's song The Braes of Balquidder.

This video of The Silencers performing Wild Mountain Thyme was directed by Steve price with Photography by John Brown in 1996 and shot around Lochranza on the Isle of Arran.







Ther are 28 videos of performances of Wild Mountain Thyme on the tube and much as I like such as The Corries I keep coming back to The Silencers.



I was inspired to add this after visiting http://roonthehoosemindthedresser.blogspot.com/



I think it's great and makes you home sick when you're at home.