Grebe research
New research is hoping to shed light on the lives of one of Scotland’s rarest birds. The Slavonian grebe only began breeding in the UK in 1908 and today its population remains restricted to northern Scotland. Latest counts have shown that only 22 breeding pairs remain, which is the lowest level since monitoring records began.
As a relative newcomer to the country, many aspects of the bird’s behaviour remain unclear. But conservationists are hoping that further study will identify what may be driving a decline in numbers. “This striking species only began breeding in Scotland just over a century ago,” commented Stuart Benn, RSPB Scotland’s conservation officer for the south Highlands, “so we still have a lot to learn about its behaviour and its movements in the winter months. “What is clear is that while populations are thriving in Iceland and Norway, things aren’t going so well here. It would be good to find out why that is and what we could do to turn around the fortunes of our Slavonian grebe population. “To do this we’ll need to focus our research on key areas, such as the role of weather and climate, as well as when and why chicks die. We can then compare our results with other countries whose populations are faring well.” Despite a worrying decrease in the UK population, 2010 has provided one of the best breeding seasons in recent years. A total of 17 chicks fledged this summer. Six of them were at RSPB Scotland’s Loch Ruthven nature reserve, near Inverness, which remains the best place in the country to see breeding Slavonian grebes. It’s unclear exactly why Loch Ruthven’s breeding pairs were successful in 2010, since they had failed to raise any young in the two previous years. But it’s thought that a drier and less stormy spring may have helped. Nests are destroyed by waves, so excess wind or stormy conditions can be damaging. In a bid to counter this, they’re hoping to install nesting rafts next spring. It’s hoped that these will protect vulnerable nests from damage and allow more chicks to fledge.
18 The Nature of Scotland
NEWS
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