SNH Area News


Western Isles Correspondent: Roddy MacMinn


LIFE+ launches


January saw the launch in Uist of a project to safeguard the machair of the Hebrides, its traditional crofting methods and the wealth of wildlife it supports. The machair LIFE+ project will continue for four years and aims to support crofters and farmers in delivering practical wildlife-friendly land management. Machair is the fertile, low-lying


coastal grassland found in the north and west of Scotland. The funds will be used to provide machinery, labour and advice to crofters, as well as addressing issues such as grazing by geese and changing ploughing methods. It will also promote beneficial techniques such as late harvesting, arable ‘stooking’ (stacking) and the use of seaweed as a fertiliser. The project will extend government funding that’s available for machair management through the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP), and the results will later feed into the next version of the SRDP in 2014. It’s hoped the funding will help to develop a better understanding of how to conserve this way of life and a special habitat for wildlife for future generations.


If you’d like to find out more about the project, or are interested in taking part, please contact the project team on 01870 603 361.


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Return to normal


The project to remove mink from the Western Isles is improving conditions for ground-nesting birds. Arctic tern (shown above) colonies on Lewis and Harris, for example, have reclaimed previous ‘no-go areas’ for the first time in more than 20 years.


“In previous years we’ve seen all the Lewis birds withdraw into ‘super colonies’, often with hundreds of pairs at one site,” explained Martin Scott, local officer with RSPB Scotland. “They’ve sought safety in numbers from predators and their range shrank dramatically, as there were so few places left that were safe to breed. “Last year, however, they produced


more chicks and were spread over a wider area. Smaller colonies have appeared all around Lewis and Harris and have generally been successful in rearing young.” The manager of the Hebridean Mink Project, Iain Macleod, said it was likely that the intensive trapping of mink, a non-native mammal, had helped the terns re-establish. “What‘s been quite surprising is the speed with which the terns have gone back to behaving normally. The fact that they feel comfortable enough to do this means they’re suffering less predation by the mink. Other birds, such as red- throated divers and greenshank, will also be benefiting.”


New Harris ranger


The North Harris Trust have launched a new ranger service for the island. The Trust are a community group set up in 2003 to manage, develop and conserve the assets of North Harris sustainably for the benefit of the community and enjoyment of the wider public. The new ranger, Robin Reid, will be working closely with the islanders and the many visitors who come to Harris each year. “My aim is to inspire people about the environment around them,” he explained, “and to help them find out more about it. We’re very fortunate in North Harris to have so many great landscapes, habitats and wildlife spectacles right on our doorstep.” He already has plans to host a series of walks and other events from seashore to mountain top this spring. Robin will also be visiting local schools to work on some environmental projects with pupils. He recently visited Scalpay to explore bird flight with the children there by building flapping gannet, goose and eagle mobiles. For more information on the North Harris ranger service and the events and activities on offer, contact Robin on 01859 502 222 or email robin@north- harris.org


The Nature of Scotland


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