NEWSLETTER

Central Borders Group Issue No 17 February 2016

Message from our Chair, Lawrence Robertson

Every month our guest speakers surprise and delight us

with their experiences and insights and we have a fine

time catching up and blethering. Our outings take us to

poke about in various parts of our beautiful countryside,

see and learn a bit more, and share ideas while sitting

on a damp tussock with a packed lunch. These are the

things that make us happy and keep us involved.

There is another aspect. The SWT exists to campaign on

behalf of wildlife and our natural environment. Few of

us want to be front line troops but we can all gradually

get familiar with the issues and the SWT policies that

are trying to address them. Go at your own pace and dip

into the SWT web site and, of course our very own-first

and only in Scotland-Facebook page. “50 for the Future”

is a nice thought-provoking section of the web site. Go

digital.

Porcelain Fungi

Philip Munro photographed these Porcelain fungi

Oudemansiella mucida at Abbotsford. Also known

as Poached-egg fungi, they are usually found on

rotting beech .

Borders SWT members can help in various ways

– reporting sightings, helping with squirrel

surveys in the spring (2 woodlands near Lauder,

at NT5446 and NT6048 require volunteers to

check feeder box hair-traps this spring),

volunteering to help with hair sample

assessment, trapping grey squirrels or making a

donation.

See http://scottishsquirrels.org.uk/how-you-can

-help/ for detailed information and contacts

Talks and Outings Our next two winter talks transport us to the delights of St

Abbs Head with Lisa Cole on March 10th, and to Skye with

Alison Smith on April 14th.

Then, on our first two outings of 2016, we can experience for

ourselves the Ettick Marshes (April 23rd) and our own SWT

reserve at Duns Castle (May 21st). Full details of these and

other events are on our website page.

The Ettrick Marshes viewed from one of the bird hides

‘50 for the Future’ – Essential reading.

In a new publication SWT is calling for 50 changes over the next 50 years to dramatically restore Scotland’s natural environment. The suggestions include the reintroduction of lynx, the restoration of all peatlands and the designation Scotland’s first urban National Park.

‘50 for the Future’ lists 50 actions that could transform Scotland’s natural environment for future generations. It is divided into five sections: uplands (see above), lowlands, urban, marine and Scotland-wide. From saving the Scottish wildcat in our uplands, to bringing back beavers to our lowlands for good, de-paving our urban areas and ending the overfishing of our seas, the final 50 cover a wide range of issues, species and habitats.

‘50 for the Future’ was born last year at the end of the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s 50th Anniversary, when members, supporters and experts were asked by the Trust to submit their ideas on "What one thing would most help Scotland's wildlife in the next 50 years?”. We would encourage all Central Borders Members to study this visionary document. It can be found at http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/blogs/category/50-for-the-future/

Planning Reviews reports Alison Smith

Within your committee a small group try to keep up to date with the many planning applications submitted to the Scottish

Borders Council (SBC).

We regularly review these applications on the SBC website and attempt to identify those which may have an impact on

wildlife and habitat and which require our response. Perusal of windfarm proposals forms the major part of the work.

To help keep track of events one of us produces an ongoing spreadsheet noting basic details of applications, updates,

references to noteworthy comments from other parties and recording planning decisions.

At the moment we circulate the spreadsheet only amongst our small planning group. Our pool of local knowledge is

therefore small and we are aware that we could be missing important aspects of some applications. So we intend to

disseminate the information more widely – for example to the SWT Berwickshire Group committee, and to other

conservation groups in the SBC area.

We will also be requesting assistance from members of the Central Borders Group with relevant knowledge in relation to

site-specific habitat, plants, birds, butterflies, moths, insects, bats etc. …matters that it is felt may be adversely affected by

the planning proposals.

The 10 changes suggested for the Uplands

A Light Walk enjoyed by Malcolm Lindsay

I need to visit the Outer Hebrides for their heady “fix” of air,

landscape, seascape and wonderful wildlife. I need that

regularly and delay leads to withdrawal symptoms.

Many find the great sandy strands and machair of the

Hebridean west coasts most immediately attractive. The

rocky east shores, though, bring their own drama of heather

moor peppered with ancient rocky outcrops, convoluted sea

lochs and brave headlands confronting the stormy Minch.

In October we were in Scalpay, off the east coast of Harris. On

its rocky headland of Rubh' an Eòrna stands the great

lighthouse of Eilean Glas the site of the first Hebridean

lighthouse built in 1789. The light we see today was built by Robert Stevenson in 1824.

Recently a fine moorland path has been constructed to the lighthouse and arrival at the headland with dryish boots is

possible. From the lighthouse the Shiant Islands seem close and the Scottish mainland is visible far across the white-flecked

sea. Two golden eagles floated over us on the walk out. Gannets, fulmars, cormorants and kittiwakes tumbled about the

headland. But the highlight of our day - and my wildlife highlight of 2015 - came as we packed up our picnic. A large

triangular fin appeared in front of us, then another and another - a pod of dolphins, swimming past the headland and so

close that we could hear them blowing and tail-slapping. These were Risso’s dolphins with large blunt heads , several almost

white in colour. Confined to deep waters they are likely to be seen only from ships or from headlands.

So unexpected. So thrilling. That has kept me on a Hebridean “high” through a dreadfully dreich winter.

Can you help with a Butterfly Survey? asks Sarah Eno

Just a couple of miles east of Selkirk by the A699 to St Boswells lies a group of special wetlands. Murder Moss is one of these and it lies in a hollow below Lindean Reservoir.

For around 20 years the butterflies on Murder Moss have been monitored weekly from April to September along a fixed route (a transect) through different habitats. Over the years, Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip, Ringlet, Scotch Argus and Small Heath butterflies to name but a few of the possible twenty species, have been recorded. Quite often in July there is also a wonderful hatching of the Narrow-bordered Five-Spot Burnet Moth.

The information is sent to the Butterfly Conservation (BC) who put it together with a 1000 other transects to understand national trends in butterfly distribution and abundance. You can read the latest report at www.butterfly-conservation.org It is important that this long run of data from Murder Moss is kept going, so we know what

is happening to some of our most precious insects locally and nationally.

Now we are appealing for help to maintain this survey. The idea is that a pool of people is formed from which one or two people will be delegated as available, to take a turn walking the transect when the weather is reasonable As you walk you record the butterflies seen within a 2.5m 'box'. The walk takes 20-40 minutes. This is an opportunity to learn a bit more about the wonderful wildlife of Murder Moss, share the task of the monitoring, have a bit of fun and help BC and our butterflies.

You don't have to be an expert as training and assistance would be given. If you would like to be part of a group or want to know more, please email saraheno@riseup.net or ring 01750 76398.

Orange-tip Small Heath

Borders Wildlife Recording

Why bother with wildlife records? For your personal enjoyment and accuracy

of recall it’s good to keep wildlife records in a notebook or in digital format. But

these will be of little value to anyone else and in all likelihood the records will

not long survive you. It’s so much more useful to submit your records and help

build up a big picture of our wildlife. And it’s not just about exceptional sightings

and rarities. Pooled records of common and abundant species help to build a

more complete picture of our biodiversity, and of changes and trends within it.

Where do I send my Borders wildlife records? You can send your records

(preferably on-line) to a general recording body or directly to specialist recorders. You need to describe where you were (OS

grid references are ideal), when you made the observation, and what you saw. However, if you are not sure what you saw ask

a more knowledgeable friend or use Ispot if you have a photo, www.ispotnature.org If that fails contact the relevant

specialist recorder providing a description and, if possible, a photo (mobile phone pictures are often adequate).

General recording - All Borders wildlife records can be sent to The Lothian & Borders Wildlife Information Centre (TWIC). Visit

www.wildlifeinformation.co.uk/ TWIC may decide to send your records to specialist recorders for verification.

Some specialist Recorders (many others eg for mammals, dragonflies, ladybirds, spiders, fungi etc can be found on relevant web sites)

Birds - Send to the Borders Bird Recorder, Ray Murray, bordersrecorder@gmail.com , or submit to Bird Track at www.bto.org/

volunteer-surveys/birdtrack. Borders Bird Track records will be reviewed by Ray Murray. Bird Track is great for storing your

records for easy personal retrieval.

Plants - Consult the website of the Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) for contact details of the Borders counties

recorders: www.bsbi.org.uk

Butterflies - Send to Butterfly Conservation Butterfly Recorder (Borders), Iain Cowe, orb@lammer.orangehome.co.uk or to one

of the Moth recorders (below)

Moths - Consult the website of Butterfly Conservation East Scotland— www.eastscotland-butterflies.org.uk/ —for details of

the Borders counties moth recorders.

First Stirrings

This Fox Moth caterpillar (commonly known as a “hairy oobit”)

has spent the winter as a fully grown larva. Early in the year, it

emerges from its winter torpor and basks in any sunshine, as it

prepares to pupate. It will emerge as a fast day-flying moorland

moth in May. Photographed Feb 11th on the Eildon Hills.

We have now set up a Facebook page for the Central Borders

Group. This can be accessed via a link on our webpage http://

scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/local-member-group/central-

borders/ or by browser search for “Scottish Wildlife Trust

Central Borders Facebook”. A great place to post a story, show

photographs, give an opinion ,find out about our events or ask

for identification help.

First 500,000 !

Congratulations to our very active members, Sarah Eno

and Andy Swales (on left) with Derek Mackay, Transport

Minister, and Phil Verster of Scotrail.

Sarah and Andy were the 500,000th and 500,001st

passengers on the Borders railway.

Just how did they work out when to make that journey?

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