Scottish Charity No. SC024418

Issue No 84 January 2012 ISSN 0966-1964

Recorder News Conservation (SAC) or the further 6 SSSI features, Culbin is so What’s special about Culbin Sands – p.1 much more than this. Culbin has a history so fascinating that it Stewart Angus has been the subject of an entire book: The Culbin Sands – fact What’s special about Slugs and Snails in Scotland and fiction by Sinclair Ross (Centre for Scottish Studies 1992) Adrian T Sumner p.5 that superbly reviews the history and the many myths NBN News and Updates p.9 surrounding this fascinating site. Culbin is a system that LRC News p.10 provides a superb story of interactions over time between • The Wildlife Information Centre has new Manager sediments, changing sea levels, climate, land use, and • Good news from Dumfries and Galloway Environmental vegetation. Resource Centre The SSSI covers just over 5,000ha, stretching from Kingsteps Report from BRISC ‘s Annual Conference and second (just east of Nairn) to Findhorn and Kinloss, but includes large AGM in 2011 areas of plantation, as well as Findhorn Bay. A direct line east to • Chairman’s Report p.10 west stretches 16.5km. • Minutes of BRISC’s Second AGM 2011 p.11 • Conference Picture Gallery p.12 Some helpful / interesting Websites p.13 Book News p.13 • A lost Biological Manuscript turns up 70 Years after the Death of its Author – Peter Maitland & Colin Adams Book Reviews p.14 • Prys-Jones & Corbet (2011). Bumblebees [Dave Goulson] • Hart, C. (2011). Plume . [Duncan Davidson] • Scott, R. ed (2011). Atlas of Highland Land Mammals [Gordon Corbet] • Bernard, PC (2011). RES Book of British . [Keith Bland] Kindrogan FSC Professional Development Courses p.16 Chairman’s Column – Jonathan Willet p.2 Editorial - Anne-Marie Smout p.2 BRISC Contact Details p.2 Copy Deadline for Next Issue p.2 The east end of the Culbin system, with the Buckie Loch spit on the left. This encloses a saltmarsh, and the site of the Buckie Loch itself can just be discerned behind the saltmarsh. Findhorn and the basin of the River WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT CULBIN? Findhorn are visible in the left background. The east end of the Culbin Bar is seen in the centre and right, also enclosing a saltmarsh. By Stewart Angus © Patrica & I Macdonald. One of the things we almost take for granted in Scotland (away from settlements) is the way our coastline has largely been allowed to do its own thing. At Culbin, there are vast expanses of shingle ridges, still responding to the interactions of sediment supply and a general westward drift, and a system of dune and shingle bars stretching for almost 10km, separated (almost) from the ‘mainland’ by great stretches of saltmarsh. With the exception of a small area around a building, there are no seawalls, and there are no groynes, yet Culbin is the site of what is arguably the largest coastal protection scheme in Scotland – the Culbin Forest. Though it is possible to talk of this site in superlatives relating to the three features for which it qualifies as a Special Area of Mixed sand and shingle on the seaward side of the Culbin Bar Continued on p.3.

BRISC Recorder News No 84 1 www.brisc.org.uk Chairman’s Column Editorial Today, as I write this, I have just turfed out Happy New Year to you all. The season of high our Christmas tree – which did not drop a winds and heavy rain is upon us, just like winters single needle though it was squeezed through used to be. No seriously freezing temperatures, a couple of doorways before being dropped snow, blue skies and sunshine like the last two in the garden – how different from the winters. The Phenologists amongst you will no doubt be seeing Norway spruce of my earliest memories. The garden centre some changes in the first dates of plants this year in comparison calls it a nordman fir Abies nordmanniana, although it is with the last two; some amphibians may also be fooled into native to the Caucasus Mountains. Denmark used to export thinking that Spring is just around the corner. But our two these trees to the UK, but this year I was told it was Scottish coldest months are January and February so a bit of proper sourced, presumably raised in a tree nursery before being winter is still to come. grown on. This made me wonder: had it originally been raised from seed or imported as a growing seedling? Our AGM and Conference was held at the beginning of Today’s nurseries prefer buying in growing seedlings to November in Stirling and proved to be a very interesting day planting seeds, which presumably results in quicker profits. with lots of discussion about Citizen Science and collecting and However, this clearly has its drawbacks. Global traffic in managing biological data. The weather was very kind and the rooted plants lends itself to unintentional imports of two field trips to Abbey Craig and Wester Moss went very well, unwanted pests, and it seems that, in spite of all precautions, both sites had a great deal of interest to talk about, great views more and more of these arrive, some new ones, some more and also new things to learn. I became familiar with the Tree virulent versions of existing pests, and trees are not Slug, one I hadn’t seen before. immune. Since 1960s, we have lost most of our elms, resulting from the accidental introduction of a new and The peril of meetings in Autumn is that they inevitably clash highly aggressive form of a pathogen which turned out to be with other events so this year we are going to try having the a new species - Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, helped along by conference at the beginning of October to minimise the clashes. bark beetles (Scolytus spp); the first horse chestnut to be Please do let me know if there are any conferences or meetings affected by the leafmining , Cameraria ohridella was on at that time. noted in England in 2002 (albeit it does not kill the tree).This leafmining moth has since spread and horse You may have sensed a slightly downbeat and frustrated tone at chestnuts planted here in Fife are now showing signs of the end of my last Chairman’s Report regarding the progress being affected. (More about an electronic recording scheme being made on organising the first meeting of the Scottish devised to report new cases in the next issue of Recorder Environmental Information Forum. Well, I am happy to report News). The pathogen Phytophthora ramorum is a new that things are moving on and a first meeting of the Forum is species of Phytophthora, first identified in California in planned at the end of April. This will discuss what the Forum 2000 and then in Orogon, US, causing the highly damaging needs to do, can do and will do relating to biological data issues tree disease known as Sudden Oak Death. First reported in in Scotland. I will report back to you on the progress in due the UK in 2003 on viburnum, it has attacked Japanese larch course. here, but does not seem to have affected oaks as much as feared. Phytophthora ramose also affecks bilberry and Finally with all this foul weather there is no excuse not have rhododendron. See distribution and risk maps at . typed up your records from 2011 (and before) and submitted http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-5UBESN them to the relevant recording scheme or local record centre. However, the latest tree disease to worry us is the Red Band Before you ask I did this before Christmas… for once. Needle Blight (Dothistroma septosporum), which attacks conifers, but species of pine trees are particularly In terms of New Year’s resolutions well, I’ll stick with the usual susceptible. RBNB was first recorded in Scotland in 2002 one of spending more time out and about doing some biological and has been spreading ever since. At first non-native recording. I wish you all the best for the New Year ahead. species appeared most vulnerable, such as lodgepole pine Jonathan Willet and Corsican pine, but RBNB has recently been found also on Scots pine, and if that becomes widespread, it could spell a very dire future for our pine woods. See various articles about it by the Forestry Commission Scotland, such as

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/StatementRBNBinScottishtr eenurseries.pdf/$FILE/StatementRBNBinScottishtreenurseri es.pdf Anne-Marie Smout BRISC Contacts: Copy Deadline for the April 2012 issue is Chairman – Jonathan Willet, 7 Muirden Road, Maryburgh, IV7 8EJ 16 March 2012. Email [email protected] All material – preferably in electronic format - Secretary – Louisa Maddison, South Lanarkshire Council, Calderglen Country Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QZ, Email - [email protected] to the editor, address as in BRISC Contacts. Treasurer and Membership Secretary - Duncan Davidson, 140 Pitcorthie Drive, Dunfermline KY11 8BJ Email [email protected] Editor - Anne-Marie Smout, Chesterhill, Shore Road, Anstruther, Fife KY10 3DZ Tel. 01333 310330 Email [email protected] Website Manager - Andy Wakelin, 32 Tailyour Cresc., Montrose, Angus DD10 9BL Email [email protected]

BRISC Recorder News No 84 2 www.brisc.org.uk Continued from p.1. that there was a major sandstorm in 1694, and that the Laird, Alexander Kinnaird, made a plea to the old Scottish Parliament for tax relief in 1695, on the grounds that “the two best parts of his Estate of Culbin, by an inevitable fatality, was quite ruined and destroyed, occasioned by great and vast heaps of Sand … so that there was not a vestige to be seen of his manner place of Culbin, yairds, orchyairds and mains thereof”. His plea was so successful that the Parliament passed an Act forbidding the uprooting of bent (marram) and juniper in Scotland, and the Act remained in force until 1973. On the other hand, one author attributed the great sandstorm to a breach of the Sabbath by the Laird, who was playing cards with the Devil and so missed the whole thing.

The west end of the Culbin Bar, showing the sequence of shingle ridges. Part of the saltmarsh enclosed by the Bar is seen on the right. Though the inlets behind the bars are often described as lagoons, they are merely tidal pools. © Patrica & I Macdonald.

The saltmarshes are extensive, and have well-developed pioneer zones, but perhaps their most distinctive feature is the prolific growth of a free-living form of the seaweed channel wrack, Pelvetia canaliculata ecad. libera, found in Scotland only in this area and at Tyninghame.

Culbin saltmarsh. The posts were inserted to prevent enemy gliders landing in World War II. All the black dots in the picture above are mudsnails Hydrobia ulvae. This species is often present in vast numbers on saltmarshes The real fame of Culbin, however, relates to its dunes, once and mudflats, and provides an important food source for birds. containing by far the largest area of bare sand in Scotland. Though the dunes are extensive today, they once covered much of the area now occupied by the Culbin Forest. There can be few areas of Scotland’s coast where sand movement has been so closely linked to human history – it even generated a new law. The popular belief that the old lands of Kincorth on the Culbin Estate disappeared overnight in a great sandstorm seems to originate from an account of 1922 by Bain, who reported that the storm “came suddenly and with a short warning. A man ploughing had to desert his plough in the middle of the furrow. The reapers in the field of late barley had to leave without finishing their work. In a few hours the plough and barley were buried beneath the sand”. As Sinclair Ross so ably explains, the story is riddled with inaccuracies, and agriculural and geomorphological inconsistencies, but the area had had a recent history of problems with sand blow, allegedly threatening Nairn Part of the mobile sand area of Culbin, photographed in 1909, and in 1663, with another sandstorm at Delnies in 1689. It seems true reproduced in a paper by J.A. Steers published in 1937.

BRISC Recorder News No 84 3 www.brisc.org.uk Obviously all this sand had to come from somewhere, and the trees inland, but the inestimable Sinclair Ross informs us outer parts of the Culbin system were probably significantly that such events date from at least 1984. mobile at that time – the farm covered only parts of the system – any impressions of the whole area being farmland prior to the sandstorm are unfounded. The need to halt the pulling of bent after the great sandstorm illustrates all too clearly the principle of sustainable land use! Attempts to stabilise parts of the area by planting trees date back to 1837 (with great successes in some places and failures in others), but the real efforts began when the newly formed Forestry Commission acquired the lands of Culbin from 1923 onwards. That some of the tree planting had succeeded is confirmed by the fact that the Commission spent its first few years replanting the plantations that had been felled during the Great War. When their attention moved to the more open areas, they planted marram for three years prior to planting trees, but it seems that exposure was so high in some sections that even marram could not cope, and the foresters instead carpeted the surface of the sand with brashings, and this worked very well. There was a lot of land to cover, and an aerial photograph taken The overwash area near Buckie Loch, photographed in July 2011. in 1947 shows a very large section just west of the mouth of the Note the extent of dead vegetation, including trees in in the Findhorn still bare sand. The tree planting programme went on background. [033] until 1963. Rising sea levels are now affecting the whole of Scotland, Today there is a vast forest of Scots pine (65%) and Corsican and we can expect to see more changes on this coastline – pine (30%). Unfortunately the trees are self-sowing on to the but it has always changed. An even greater change may be dune, and the Forestry Commission has been exemplary in on its way inland, however. Corsican pine is known to be embarking on a programme of removing these to conserve the susceptible to the fatal Red Band Needle Blight, which is dune interest. In 2011 alone, 20ha of scrub and young conifers now also affecting Scots pine, and no other conifers are were restored to dune, between the Buckie Spit and the site of really suitable for this type of environment. Possibly there is Buckie Loch. An earlier attempt in part of this area a few years potential for an expanded programme of restoration on the ago resulted in a spurt of birch growth, which is thought to have back of this, but care must be taken to keep all interested been due to an unexpectedly low level of wind exposure, and the parties involved – the entire area is heavily used for second attempt here produced the very unusual (and perhaps recreation, and the forest is undoubtedly a major component unique) advice from SNH – use machinery to cause as much of this. How much (if at all) this will affect Culbin’s disturbance as possible to the vegetation surface! conifers remains to be seen, but contingency planners might be interested to note that an SNH consultation with local people about the impacts of climate change seems to have uncovered a local desire to see some of the dunes restored. No one who loves the forest need panic yet – there is an awful lot of it. Even conservationists now appreciate this forest, because it contains many plants of native pine woodland, and locally wonderful carpets of Cladonia lichens have developed. Granted, they are not as species- rich or important as the lichens of the more open areas, but conservationists are not necessarily the only judges of value, and there can be no denying the visual spectacle of these great expanses of lichens. This site is so large and varied that it has something for everyone, and the Forestry Commission are to be commended for their inclusive approach to the management of this resource.

A failed attempt to restore scrub to dune, pictured in 2008. This failure There are two main car parks at Culbin, at Wellhead and is thought to be due to an understimate of the exposure of the area – it Cloddymoss, but they are some distance from the beach – had been thought that sand mobility would be restored following tree clearance. This area was included in a new restoration project in 2011, access is by foot or bicycle only. You will need more than a but with additional measures to re-mobilise the sand. single day to explore this vast area … but watch out for the mosquitoes. The 2011 restoration area included a section of dead native woodland, thought to have resulted from a marine flood of the For further information visit www.culbin.og.uk area around the Buckie Loch. When I visited this area with FC staff in May 2011, we found evidence of recent overwash over an extensive area, burying heath plants and apparently killing the

BRISC Recorder News No 84 4 www.brisc.org.uk WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT that are found over large parts of Scotland). All this means SLUGS AND SNAILS IN SCOTLAND? that it is generally straightforward to monitor changes in By Adrian T. Sumner distribution of slugs and snails. Slugs and snails are special for many reasons. People have been There are about 126 species of non-marine slugs and snails attracted to snails for thousands of years because of their colours in Scotland, compared with over 180 in England; many and patterns, shapes, and shell sculpture, and in many of our lime-loving species, and some of Mediterranean origin, do larger species in the family Helicidae the colours and patterns not extend as far north as Scotland. With the exception of form definite polymorphisms. The polymorphisms of our two the minute cross whorl snail, Vertigo modesta, an arctic- species of banded snails, the white-lipped Cepaea hortensis and alpine relict species, there is no snail found in Scotland that the brown-lipped Cepaea nemoralis, have been studied does not also occur in England. intensively for more than half a century (Sumner, 2009), and have played a large part in studies in evolutionary genetics. The The distribution of slugs and snails in Scotland is heavily background colours of the shells (yellow, pink or brown) and the influenced by geography. In particular, mountainous areas number of bands (which varies from 0 to 5), are under genetic and acid peat bogs have very few species, and especially in control. Different patterns are subject to natural selection, the north many species are restricted to coastal areas; these (www.molluscs.at/gastropoda/terrestrial/banded_snails.html) have the advantage that they tend to be more basic, and different populations have different proportions of the influenced as they often are by shell sand, as well as being various colour and banding morphs. Predation by song-thrushes, warmer than inland sites. Such species as the heath snail which take the forms that are most conspicuous in any particular Helicella itala and pointed snail Cochlicella acuta, which habitat, appears to be a selective factor, though further work favour dry, calcareous places, are present in abundance in indicates that many other factors, especially climate, are suitable habitats on the west coast. Temperature does involved. indeed seem to restrict the range of some species. For example, the white-lipped sna il Cepaea hortensis extends The recent Evolution Megalab (http://evolutionmegalab.org/) right up to the north coast in Sutherland and Caithness, and aimed to see if there had been any changes in the proportions of into Orkney and Shetland; its close cousin the brown-lipped polymorphisms in recent years. Results already available do snail, Cepaea nemoralis, evidently not so hardy, is largely indicate changes in proportions of polymorphisms; there was an absent from the north of Scotland. The garden snail, Cornu unexpected decrease in unbanded shells, and an increase in mid- aspersum (formerly Helix aspersa), used to have a banded morphs (Silvertown et al. 2011). There is no evidence predominantly coastal distribution in Scotland, but is now that these are related to climate change, though changes in thrush turning up more often at inland sites where there is suitable predation could be involved. habitat, perhaps as a result of ameliorating temperatures. Snails have also had a special part to play in the science of embryology. Most snails have dextral shells; that is, they are coiled clockwise when viewed from above. More simply, when held with the mouth of the shell facing the observer, the mouth is on the right. However, a minority of species have sinistral shells, and in many dextral species, sinistral shells can occasionally occur. In the 1920s, A.E. Boycott and Cyril Diver, neither of them a professional conchologist or geneticist, carried out an enormous number of breeding experiments on the common freshwater snail Lymnaea peregra (now known as Radix balthica), and established the mode of inheritance of dextrality and sinistrality. They demonstrated the first known example of maternal inheritance (i.e. features of the offspring are determined by the genes of the mother), and that a single gene could Fig. 1. The Worm Slug, Boettgerilla pallens © Adrian Sumner influence the whole structure of the body. These observations are still of great significance for present-day developmental In fact, we have good evidence that many species are biologists (Gurdon, 2005). increasing their ranges in Scotland. One of the best documented is the medium-sized worm slug, Boettgerilla But perhaps what most readers of BRISC Recorder News will pallens (Fig. 1). This was first discovered in Britain in 1972 find special about slugs and snails is the wealth of distributional in the Lake District, apparently imported from eastern data available for them. When the Conchological Society of Europe with potted plants. Since then it has spread in all Great Britain and Ireland (http://www.conchsoc.org/) was directions, with the first Scottish record in 1983, at founded in 1876, recording of both marine and non-marine Inverkeithing in Fife. It is now widely distributed from molluscs was among its aims. At the start, records were Galloway up to Caithness, and even in remote spots on the organised by vice-county, but in 1961 the Conchological Society Western Isles. Almost certainly most of this spread has launched a scheme to map non-marine molluscs on a grid of been assisted, unwittingly, by people. It seems to be a 10km squares, one of the first societies to do so. A definitive harmless introduction, living mostly underground in small Atlas was published in 1999 (Kerney, 1999), and recording numbers. continues with increasing resolution to the present day. There are, of course, scattered records that predate the formation of the Another slug that has spread widely in recent years is the so- Conchological Society, and it is possible to get records dating called greenhouse slug, Lehmannia valentiana (Fig. 2). back thousands of years, as shells can be preserved indefinitely This medium-sized slug was originally an inhabitant of the in the right conditions (though unfortunately not in the acid soils Iberian peninsula, but it became established in glasshouses

BRISC Recorder News No 84 5 www.brisc.org.uk in botanic gardens in Britain many years ago. Then it took to the The situation with the Limacus maculatus (Fig. 5) is rather great outdoors, and turned up in Edinburgh, where it is now different. It is one of a pair of species, the other being the widespread. It has been in my garden at North Berwick for yellow slug Limacus flavus, that are difficult to separate on several years now, and I have found it as far south as Drummore external characters alone. The Atlas shows scattered records (the most southerly village in Scotland), on the east coast in for Limacus flavus, mostly in the Central Belt, and very few Dundee, and on the west coast as far north as Plockton in Ross- for Limacus maculatus, mainly in the Lothians. Now shire. Its distribution remains patchy, however – or perhaps it is Limacus maculatus is much more widespread, and I have the distribution of observers that is patchy! It seems quite not seen Limacus flavus for many years; has it been replaced extraordinary that an apparently delicate slug from the south of by L. maculatus? Limacus maculatus is often found in large Europe should be able to withstand the Scottish climate, but it numbers in compost bins, where it probably plays a has come through recent hard winters without any problems. Of significant role in breaking down vegetable matter; it also course, slugs, with their narrow compressible bodies, can easily climbs on to conservatory roofs and cleans them by rasping find refuge deep underground beyond the reach of all but the away the algae that grow there. most extreme frosts.

Fig. 5. Limacus maculatus, a large slug. © Adrian Sumner Fig. 2. The Greenhouse Slug, Lehmannia valentiana. © Adrian Sumner Many snails are extending their ranges as well. Among A number of other slugs seem to be extending their ranges as freshwater species, Jenkins’s spire shell, Potamopyrgus well, though here the evidence is not quite so clear-cut. The antipodarum (Fig. 6), arrived in Britain in the middle of the large Durham slug, Arion flagellus, (Fig. 3) is apparently 19th century, and is now widespread and common, though endemic to the British Isles, but for many years was not clearly still patchy in Scotland. Its spread has no doubt been aided distinguished from certain other species. In the Atlas (Kerney, by the fact that it reproduces parthenogenetically, so that 1999) it is shown as occurring in the west of Scotland, mainly in only one individual is needed to found a new population, Strathclyde, with a significant population in Caithness. Now it and it is also tolerant of brackish water. is common in the Lothians and other parts of Scotland. The situation with the medium-sized Arion owenii (Fig. 4) is similar; this species was not distinguished until the 1970s (Davies, 1979) and first described from Ireland. Initially it seemed to be primarily a western species in Scotland, but is now also increasingly common in the east. Obviously there is the possibility that these species have always been present throughout their current ranges but not recognised, though my own experience is that they are indeed turning up in places where they were not found before.

Fig. 6. Jenkins’s Spire Shell, Potamopyrgus antipodarum. About 5mm tall when fully grown. © Adrian Sumner Another interesting freshwater species is Leach’s bithynia, Bithynia leachii (Fig. 7). Until a few years ago, this was Fig. 3. (left) The Durham Slug, Arion flagellus. This is a juvenile; the known from only two sites in Scotland: the Forth & Clyde adults are a nondescript greyish colour. Fig. 4. (right) Arion owenii¸ a Canal at Grangemouth, and an artificial loch near Pitlochry. medium-sized slug. © Adrian Sumner This made it one of Scotland’s rarest snails. In the past 10 years, however, I have found it throughout the Forth &

BRISC Recorder News No 84 6 www.brisc.org.uk Clyde and Union canals, and also in Unlike the slugs mentioned above, many of the less Strathclyde Loch near Motherwell, and common terrestrial snails seem to form scattered colonies in in Lanark Loch, so it is evidently not a different parts of the country, often separated by large rarity these days. There seems to be no distances, so if a new colony is discovered it is difficult to reason why it should not occur in say if such species are spreading, or merely that their various other suitable bodies of water; localised colonies have been overlooked. Do snails have a however, I failed to find it at the different mechanism of dissemination from slugs? One Pitlochry site a few years ago. example is the glossy glass snail Oxychilus navarricus (formerly O. helveticus) (Fig. 10). In general, this species Fig. 7. (left) Leach’s Bithynia, Bithynia leachii. About 6mm tall when adult. © does not reach the most northerly parts of England, and until Adrian Sumner the 1970s it was only known from two sites in Scotland, both on the west coast. Then I discovered it at Inverkeithing Certain other freshwater species, such as the great pond snail in Fife, and it turned out to be common over an area Lymnaea stagnalis and the great ramshorn, Planorbarius extending as far east as Aberdour, though apparently not in corneus, also seem to be increasing their ranges, perhaps in part or to the west of Dunfermline. That was until autumn 2010, as a result of the restoration of the lowland canal system, though when I discovered it at Charlestown, west of Rosyth on the they are also turning up elsewhere. Both species are popular for banks of the Firth of Forth. However, a visit in 2011 to aquariums, so one might suspect that they sometimes reach Blairhall several miles to the west of Dunfermline did not previously uninhabited ponds and lakes when people are reveal this species, but something perhaps more exciting. cleaning out their aquaria. Another species that is turning up Looking at a bridge abutment on the old railway line there more widely is the introduced Physella acuta (Fig. 8) (now the Millennium Cycle Way) disclosed some large door snails, in fact the large plaited door snail, Cochlodina laminata (Fig. 11), rediscovered for the first time in 110 years! There still seems to be a good population of it along the old railway line (Fig. 12). Elsewhere in Scotland this species is rare and occurs only in Perthshire, and on the English border in Dumfries-shire. It is surprising how rarities can persist unnoticed, even close to large centres of population. Meanwhile, Oxychilus navarricus has turned up in Galloway, and in 2011 on the outskirts of Edinburgh. An old record from Aberdeen, in the form of specimens in the National Museum of Scotland, has yet to be confirmed.

. Fig. 8. Shells of Physella acuta, a medium-sized freshwater snail. © Adrian Sumner The new Queen Margaret campus at Musselburgh opened in 2007, and included a SUDS pond (Fig. 9). Not long after, I discovered it to have a large population of this species. The fact that the pond was surrounded with lush marginal vegetation not long after its construction suggests that P. acuta might well have been introduced with the plants. At the time it seemed as if P. Fig. 10. (above left) The Glossy Glass Snail Oxychilus navarricus. acuta only occurred at one or two sites in Scotland, but it is now A small to medium species. Fig. 11.(right) The Plaited Door Snail, turning up more widely (e.g. Glasgow, Dundee). Cochlodina laminata. Our largest door snail, which grows to a height of about 15mm.

Fig. 9. The Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) pond at the Fig. 12. The Millennium Cycle Way near Blairhall in Fife, a new Queen Margaret campus at Musselburgh, habitat of Physella acuta. former railway line, that is home to the Plaited Door Snail. © © Adrian Sumner Adrian Sumner

BRISC Recorder News No 84 7 www.brisc.org.uk The Kentish snail, Monacha cantiana (actually a Mediterranean therefore be susceptible to loss through flood prevention species; Fig. 13) is a species with an interesting history in schemes. When I learnt of an old record (1930) in East Scotland. In England its distribution is in the south and west, Lothian, it was essential to go and search for it, something where it prefers dry calcareous habitats. According to Kerney made more difficult by the fact that there was no Ordnance (1999) it was first recorded in Scotland in Fife, in 1920. The Survey National Grid back in 1930, and there are two Peffer population at Charlestown, dating from then, is still present, burns (the quoted site of this record) in the county. hanging on in a narrow strip of rough vegetation between a road Eventually, a thriving colony was tracked down, apparently and the shore (Fig. 14). A population on the east coast of not at the original site, where I had searched in vain, but Sutherland, around Golspie and Brora, is supposed to date from further downstream nearer the coast (Fig. 16). A nice 1975 according to the Atlas, rediscovery. Another old site, at the mouth of the River though there is reason to suppose Avon opposite Grangemouth, failed to yield this species, but that it was deliberately the site has been changed radically, with extensive land introduced in Victorian times reclamation and building of sea walls; a site near Stirling (Baillie, 1887). Other has not yet been re-investigated, but may also have been populations have appeared affected by developments in recent years. recently, at Aberlady in East Lothian a few years ago, and in There is no doubt much more to discover and rediscover. 2011 beside the Water of Leith in With existing species spreading, and new species appearing, Edinburgh. there is plenty of scope for getting out there and recording, Fig. 13. (above) The Kentish Snail, Monacha cantiana, and in particular to follow the spread of these fascinating which grows to a diameter of about 20mm. © Adrian Sumner organisms. As the Conchological Society’s non-marine recorder for Scotland, I am always ready to look at any difficult specimens or advise on aspects of collecting and identification.

Fig. 14. The habitat of Monacha cantiana at Charlestown, Fife, where it was rediscovered in 2010, 90 years after it was first recorded © Adrian Sumner Fig. 16. The patch of coastal grassland beside the Peffer Burn in East Lothian where Succinea oblonga lives. © Adrian Sumner And finally, a species that is nationally rare in Britain: the small amber snail, Succinea oblonga (Fig. 15). • References • Baillie, W. (1887). Colonizing land and freshwater shells in East Sutherland. Journal of Conchology, 5: 192. • Davies, S. (1979). Segregates of the Arion hortensis complex (Pulmonata: Arionidae) with the description of a new species, Arion owenii. Journal of Conchology, 30: 123–128. • Gurdon, J.B. (2005). Sinistral snails and gentlemen scientists. Cell¸ 123: 751–753. • Kerney, M. (1999). Atlas of the Land and Freshwater Molluscs of Britain and Ireland. Harley Books, Colchester. • Silvertown J, Cook L, Cameron R, Dodd M, McConway K, et al. (2011). Citizen science reveals unexpected continental-scale evolutionary change in a model organism. PLoS ONE 6: e18927. (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0018927) • Sumner A.T. (2009). Banded snails (Cepaea spp.) and Fig. 15. The Small Amber Snail, Succinea oblonga. © Adrian Sumner the Evolution Megalab. BRISC News. No. 75: 1, 3. Of the handful of known sites, more are in Scotland than in (www.brisc.org.uk/newsletters/newsl75.pdf) England, but a high proportion are pre-1965 records. In Scotland this species tends to prefer flood plains, and would

BRISC Recorder News No 84 8 www.brisc.org.uk

NEWS AND UPDATES In Practice Data Management Tools Workshops News The NBN Trust and JNCC ran two free workshops on biodiversity New website data management tools in Edinburgh on the 15th October and in The brand new NBN website is now live! The site has been given an London on the 19th November. The workshops were attended by updated design and simpler navigation, so that information can be found over 60 participants from a wide range of organisations in the more easily. As you will know, the NBN produces a large amount of voluntary, commercial, academic and public sectors. information and editing of the content on the website will be an ongoing Subsequent feedback has been very positive; one participant said process over the coming weeks to streamline and condense things even “It’s really promising to see the NBN Trust and JNCC supporting further. All feedback on the new site will be gratefully received, so do such events and encouraging the uptake of excellent tools that will have a browse around and get in touch with Mandy at make a real difference to biological recording, biodiversity [email protected] if you have any comments. information management and objectives which depend on both.” ALERC National Coordinator Most participants said they intend to incorporate the tools into The Association of Local Environmental Records Centres (ALERC) is their organisation’s data management activities within the next six recruiting a National Coordinator to facilitate the adoption of new months. Presentations and other course materials are available to biodiversity data management technology, encourage exchange of ideas download from the NBN website. It is anticipated that similar and promote collaborative working between local records centres and events will be run in the future. National Biodiversity Network partners throughout the UK. Formed in 2009, ALERC represents the interests of the local records centre Use of NBN Gateway data to support proposed Galloway and community at a UK level, whilst developing a support-based network of South Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Plans are underway to create a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in knowledge and advice to meet the needs of its members. The National Galloway and South Ayrshire. This site has been proposed because Coordinator will build on ALERC’s achievements and play a key role in of its unique combination of special landscapes and wildlife areas, driving forward the Association’s work on the promotion of professional rich cultural heritage and communities that care about their standards in biodiversity data management and use. It is hoped that the environment and culture and want to develop it sustainably. It National Coordinator will be in post from January 2012. Financial could be the first ‘new style’ Biosphere in Scotland and would be support for this position is provided by ALERC and the NBN Trust. only the third in the UK. Work towards the designation is being led NBN Conference by Southern Uplands Partnership (www.sup.org.uk), which was The NBN Conference took place on Friday 18th November at the Royal created to help address issues faced by local communities within Society in London. Over 150 people attended the event, the theme for the Southern Uplands, and to promote biodiversity, sustainable which was “Evolution or revolution? The impact of technologies on business and nature-based tourism. The Southern Uplands biological recording”. The Conference focussed on the tools and Partnership is gathering and collating data on biodiversity within resources available through the NBN and the services offered by the the core and buffer zone of the proposed reserve. NBN Gateway. The keynote speech was delivered by Richard Benyon The NBN Gateway has been an invaluable source of the data for MP, Minister for the Natural Environment and Fisheries. His speech the project, providing the Partnership with 69,000 species records noted the importance of new technological approaches, and the need to from 92 datasets supplied by 39 organisations in accordance with draw in younger people. He also put the work in the perspective of the the Gateway’s access controls and terms and conditions of use. Government’s recently produced White Paper and Strategy for the These data not only provide baseline information for the site, but environment, and their underpinning studies, summarised by the UK will also help to identify and address gaps in knowledge, inform Environment Assessment. See the NBN website for a full report. management of the Biosphere Reserve and highlight opportunities for further enhancement. For further information visit http://www.gallowayandsouhernayrshirebiosphere.org.uk

Gateway News Scotland’s Red Squirrels Data access control consultation Launched in February 2009, SSRS is a three-year partnership The initial phase of consultation over a proposed new system of data project which aims to halt the decline of red squirrel populations in access controls for the NBN Gateway is now complete. There was an north Scotland and improve habitat conditions to allow red squirrels excellent level of participation – we received 93 online responses from to thrive. SSRS have made excellent use of new NBN technology 85 organisations, including national recording schemes, local records by embedding the Gateway Interactive Map into their website centres, conservation NGOs, local natural history societies, independent http://www.scottishsquirrels.org.uk/. This enables users to view the researchers, ecological consultants, statutory agencies and academic distribution of red and grey squirrels based on records from the institutions. Seventy-seven respondents were current data providers. Scottish Squirrel Database supplied by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. We are now revising the proposals in the light of feedback received The website also enables the public to submit their own squirrel and embarking on a second phase of consultation, during which we will sightings to help fill gaps in the map. address specific concerns and provide further information to illustrate how the proposed new access controls would actually work. We will gather feedback from January to March via the NBN forums, Did you know? meetings and correspondence with data providers, aiming to reach a Using the NBN collective decision in April. Subject to agreement from data providers, The new NBN website showcases practical examples of how NBN the first version of a new system of access controls could be launched in tools and services are being put to use by organisations across the June 2012. For more information visit the NBN website. network. The ‘Examples of Use’ button on the home page takes you to a list of examples categorised by use type, including New dataset – lichens in Scotland research, education, conservation, public engagement, planning and The British Lichen Society recently made their Lichens Database for policy making. Scotland available at full resolution via the NBN Gateway. This is a We aim to develop this portfolio of case studies, to provide collation of available lichen records for Scotland from 1700 to 2011, for guidance and inspiration for anyone wanting to do more with the purposes of conservation, future monitoring and research. Habitat and data, tools and services made available through the NBN. substrate information is included where available. Compilation of this Please get in touch if you are already using the NBN in any of the dataset, which comprises over 300,000 records, was supported by a grant practical ways we have listed, as we’d love to share your example from Scottish Natural Heritage. more widely. Contact Paula Lightfoot on [email protected]

BRISC Recorder News No 84 9 www.brisc.org.uk LRC NEWS Good News from Dumfries and Galloway Environmental Resource Centre. The Wildlife Information Centre has a new manager Important changes regarding DGERC have recently been The Wildlife Information Centre (TWIC), the biological records taking place. . After a spell of worrying uncertainties centre for the Lothians and the Sco ttish Borders, has employed Southern Uplands Partnership have agreed to be DGERC’s Graeme Wilson as their new Centre Manager. Graeme, who new host organisation, and DGERC has now completed lives near Westruther in the Scottish Borders, has come from their move to new offices only 10 minutes by car away from Midlothian Council where he was the Biodiversity Officer for Dumfries. This is particularly good news as BRISC is over five years. He has nearly twenty years involvement in the planning to hold this year’s Annual Conference and AGM environmental field including running a training team in here. Their new address is Berwickshire of up to 24 DGERC, Studio 1, Hillhead Mill, conservation trainees, working as Kirkgunzeon, Dumfries, DG2 8LA. an environmental education co- Tel 01387 760274 - email [email protected] ordinator and spending over three www.dgerc.org.uk years as an environmental community development fieldworker covering the Scottish REPORT FROM BRISC’S ANNUAL Borders. This experience will be CONFERENCE AND SECOND AGM IN put to good use to help TWIC continue to grow, as it has over 2011. recent years. BRISC Chairman’s Report. Graeme (left) said, “I am really March 2011 to November 2011. looking forward to my future with The first thing to report is that there is a new Chairman of The Wildlife Information Centre, continuing the great work that BRISC. I was voted into post at the AGM held at Glasgow the Centre carries out, as well as developing projects that will University on the 10th of March 2011. I must thank Patrick engage a new audience to get them out looking at wildlife and Milne-Home for all his work in steering BRISC in the right reporting their sightings to us. The information we receive is direction over the last 5 years. vital to other organisations in developing new conservation projects and to make sure that planned work does not impact on Having two AGMs in a year is unusual but it was required important habitats or protected species.” to get us back to having Autumnal AGMs and conferences as the committee felt this was the best time to have these One of Graeme's first tasks in post has been to set up a Facebook events. The AGM at Glasgow University was a success with page for TWIC as a new way of engaging with a wider audience more students than BRSIC members attending the event. and getting them involved in wildlife recording. He said, The committee will be working to develop better links with “Although we want to encourage everyone to get involved we student organisations at all the main Scottish Universities are especially keen to bring on the next generation of wildlife over the coming year. Murdo Macdonald of iSpot gave a recorders and for that reason we have launched The Wildlife talk on project and there was a great discussion about Information Centre Facebook page. This is just one of many “apps” and internet interfaces with smartphones aiding future planned developments but we hope it will allow us to let a biological recording. We must thank the ZooSoc for hosting younger group of people know about what we do and how they the event and of course the cheese and wine afterward. The can get involved in different projects.” current Zoo Soc president met past presidents of the society TWIC is currently working on a variety of projects including a from 20 and 50 years ago! Hedgehog Survey, Phase 1 habitat surveying of Scottish Borders During the last nine months BRISC has held two committee sites and helping develop a project with the Lothians and meetings, both of them held at Perth Museum and Art Borders Mammal Group, as well as planning new projects for Gallery. This location has proved to be the most convenient 2012. location for our committee members to travel to. We must Anyone wanting to find out how to get involved in helping out thank Mark Simmons for making the room available to with TWIC’s work, either in the field or assisting in the office, BRISC. The main topic for discussion at these meetings has should contact Graeme on 01875 825968. been the AGM, ongoing and future projects and discussions about what BRISC does and how it should go about doing If you are on Facebook, please feel free to like it. TWIC are that. Discussions in the committee are ongoing and once we going to use it as a tool to help engage with a wider audience. have agreed on a way forward we will be consulting with Don't worry if you are not on Facebook, TWIC will not be members about what they think of our ideas. neglecting other communication tools like our website and forums so you will still find out about the latest TWIC news In terms of current and future projects the only future one about events and the like. The Facebook address is - not already underway is the Data Scoping Project which http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wildlife-Information- seeks to catalogue key data sets and prioritise those which Centre-TWIC/235871683133226. are of highest priority to mobilise. We feel this is a key Graeme Wilson, Centre Manager, project as it is to an extent a “one-off” and there is no The Wildlife Information Centre, obvious alternative organisation that would take forward Caretakers Cottage, Vogrie Country Park, this project. The Bursary project is going very well and we Nr Gorebridge, Midlothian, EH23 4NU will continue this as long as the coffers of BRISC can Tel: 01875 825968 sustain it. All of the BRISC Bursary recipients have produced an article for the newsletter this year.

BRISC Recorder News No 84 10 www.brisc.org.uk The last major project is the e-petition, it is still moving at a Minutes of BRISC’s second AGM glacial pace and this, though not surprising, is incredibly Saturday 5 November 2011 frustrating. The e-petition text was “..to urge the Scottish Pathfoot Building, Stirling University Government to establish integrated local and national structures Present: Alan Cameron , Alexa Tweddle, Anne-Marie for collecting, analysing and sharing biological data to inform Smout, Claire Seymour, Adrian Sumner, Duncan Davidson, decision making processes to benefit biodiversity.” A meeting of Gill Dowse, Glenn Roberts, Gordon Corbet, Graeme key stakeholders was convened that BRSIC attended on the 22nd Wilson, Jonathan Willet, Louisa Maddison, Mike Beard, of January 2010 and from this a paper was drafted in April 2010 Natalie Harmsworth, Patrick Milne-Home, Richard Weddle, by the Biodiversity Science Group Sub-Group see Thomas Huxley http://www.brisc.org.uk/pdfs/ScienceGroupReport.pdf . The main recommendation was, “The Scottish Government, SNH 1. Apologies: Richard Sutcliffe, Barbara Sumner, Craig and others should establish a Scottish Environmental MacAdam, Andy Wakelin, Peter Slater, David Information Forum (SEIF), whose membership should be cross- Lampard sectoral and whose role should be to develop a strategic 2. The minutes of AGM of 10 March 2010 in Glasgow approach (by consensus) to the collection, collation and sharing were accepted with no chan ges: Proposer: Anne-Marie of biological data across Scotland.” Over a year and a half to Smout, Seconder: Gill Dowse arrange a meeting does seem quite a long time to wait… 3. Chairman’s updated report for last 6 months was tabled Two editions of the Newsletter were published since the last 4. Annual accounts and Treasurer’s report for 2010 AGM. Once again thanks to our editor Anne-Marie Smout for were tabled, and explained by Duncan Davidson. continuing to make it a diverting and interesting read. These were the same as presented to the AGM in Our membership has not changed a great deal but we do require Glasgow to have more members if we are seeking to represent the 5. Membership Secretary’s report – was tabled. biological recording stakeholders of Scotland. This again is 6. Projects update - The Chairman’s report has being discussed by the committee. information on current projects • The future of BRISC is being discussed in Our Treasurer (and Membership Secretary), Duncan Davidson, committee as well as the benefits to members. has done another year of hard work on BRISC’s behalf. His reports are attached with the AGM papers. Our finances remain • The data-scoping project is ongoing, this work will healthy but will be running down over the next few years due to hopefully start soon the Data Scoping Project and the continuing support of the • The e-petition has resulted in the planning stages of Bursaries. a Scottish Environmental Information Forum meeting working toward addressing the issues of BRSIC continues to be a member of the National Federation of data collection, management and sharing in Biological Recording. They have 4 meetings a year; Scotland. First meeting of Forum planned for unfortunately I have not been able to attend the last two this April 2012 year. Though many issues are not directly relevant to Scotland 7. Election of Honorary Officers and Council for due to devolution the fact that our biota does not recognise 2011/12 borders and that many schemes and societies work at the UK • Sam Ranscombe and Peter Slater have stepped level means that communication between countries in the UK is down from the committee. Gill Dowse will be very important. I will be seeking to attend at least 50% of the stepping down from 2012. Our thanks go to them. meetings in the coming year. New committee members: Sam Ramscombe an ex-BTCV Natural Talent Apprentice and • Daisy Shepperd and Gwen Potter will share a seat, co-opted BRSIC Committee member has had to stand down. Proposer: Anne-Marie Smout, Seconder: Richard Sam had been looking after the Bursaries and had done a grand Weddle job. To replace Sam we asked some of the current crop of • Graeme Wilson, Proposer: Mike Beard, Seconder: apprentices if they would be interested in taking over from Sam, Adrian Sumner. All other officers were duly we got two takers and as they were both so keen we will be elected at the previous AGM held in Glasgow. looking forward to seeing Daisy Shepperd and Gwen Potter at 8. AOCB - Thomas Huxley recommended that contact the next committee meeting. Peter Slater is also standing down with OSCR (Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator) is due to having too busy a retirement! We thank Peter and Sam for made. Duncan Davidson reported that we already all their input to the committee. I must thank the rest of the submit annual reports to them. committee for giving their time, energy and ideas to the 9. Anne-Marie Smout reported from a recent Fife Nature meetings, projects and helping organise and run the AGM and meeting that SNH grant decisions are to be centralised Conference. which may affect SNH grant offers for some organisations. Claire Seymour indicated that although To end on an upbeat note, the Western Isles have secured the structure of how money is held has been changed, funding to create a data sharing partnership primarily through the priorities for delivering it has not. However, money the creation of a validated and verified database of biological for any particular area cannot be guaranteed – it must records in the Western Isles. They have secured funding for 6 be justified. The Scottish Environmental Information months to get the ball rolling; we wish them all the best. In Forum will be a good place for discussions such as addition a funding bid is being developed to creating a Forth these. Valley Recording Group with a dedicated officer to support and increase the biological recording undertaken there. There was no further business and the AGM closed at 1300. Jonathan Willet, Nov 2011

BRISC Recorder News No 84 11 www.brisc.org.uk Conference picture gallery: See what some of you missed!

Lunch was sandwiches and fruit, coffee and teas. (above) Pathfoot provided an excellent venue for the Leanne Casey (above) Beewalks Co-ordinator, Some people felt we could have done with soup. conference, just a pity that not more people attended talked about using Citizen Science in monitoring Bumblebee populations, such as by transect walks (below)

Louisa Maddison, BRISC Secretary, busy selling and folding tickets for the raffle

(above) Prof. James Curran giving an excellent key note address on SEPA’s initiatives involving Citizen Science, such as SEWeb, (below) an electronic information hub developed to provide up-to-date information in one place on state of the environment.. It is further being developed to invite individual interaction

In the afternoon Daisy Shepperd led an outing to her favourite bog, Wester Moss (above and below) Daisy Shepperd (above), a Natural Talent Apprentice, inspired the audience by her love for bogs (below) and the often astonishing wildlife they support, such as the Pseudoscorpion (below).

David Black – Plantlife Scotland Volunteer Co-ordinator enthusiastically describing all the great works carried out by volunteers and the huge benefit in getting new people involved. He also handed out a very useful folder with cards illustrating common native flowers to be surveyed View from the bing by Wester Moss

BRISC Recorder News No 84 12 www.brisc.org.uk SOME HELPFUL / INTERESTING WEBPAGES BOOK NEWS Interested in birds but having difficulty with some of the more confusing species? Then help is a hand. The British Trust for A Lost Biological Manuscript turns up 70 Ornithology has launched a set of videos at www.bto.org/about- Years after the Death of its Author birds/bird-id which aim to sort out the difference between: In 1940 Robert Hardie published Part I of a book he had • blackcap and garden warbler been labouring on for over 20 years. Its title was Ferox and • common and arctic tern Char in the Lochs of Scotland. An Inquiry. His thesis was • grey geese that very large brown trout Salmo trutta, known as Ferox, • marsh and willow tit occurred only where there were also Arctic charr Salvelinus • reed warbler and sedge warbler alpinus, which seemed to be the main food of these large trout. Part I described the distribution of these two • roseate, sandwich and little tern salmonid fish in lochs in southern Scotland and in • short-eared and long-eared owls catchments on the east coast, leaving the way for Part II to • whitethroat and lesser whitethroat deal with north and west Scotland and the islands. • willow warbler and chiffchaff • wood and green sandpiper The theory behind this new tool is the fact that o ften when confronted with a less familiar bird, all the observer usually gets is a brief and partial view, and this is when it is essential to know what salient features to look for. Even for experienced birdwatchers these videos are extremely useful, often pin- pointing critical points not noticed before.

As we have now left the darkest days of winter behind, spring beckons ahead, and with spring the miracle of migration is upon (Above) Ferox Trout (5 kg) from Loch Shin © Peter Maitland us once more. BTO’s website is particularly interesting to visit at migration time, when observers throughout the UK are invited (Below) Arctic Charr (0.5 kg) from Loch Killin © Peter Maitland to report sightings of early migrants which are then plotted on a map and anyone can follow the spread of dots daily at . http://www.bto.org/about-birds/migration-timeline Another feature of the website is ‘Tracking cuckoos into Africa’. Last summer five first year male cuckoos were caught and fitted with small 5g satellite tags to track their individual movements from the breeding grounds in East Anglia to their winter quarters in Africa. This has been extremely interesting to Part I, published in Edinburgh by Oliver and Boyd, was well follow, as the birds not only set off at different times but took received and scientists and anglers alike awaited Part II with rather different routes (which are mapped if you read their interest. However, 1940 was a bad time to publish such a individual ‘blogs’), but now they are all more or less in the same book, with World War II already well under way. Moreover, area in West Africa. The number of cuckoos reaching our Hardie was not well at the time and, sadly, by 1942, he was shores has been declining seriously in recent years but the reason dead. It was known that he had been working on the book for this is unknown. Very little is known about the cuckoos once as a whole for some time but, as an elderly bachelor, there they leave Britain, and this project aims to throw light on where was no one close to him to be sure of its status. After his they spend the winter and how they get there. The satellite tags death, it seems that his sister-in-law packed up many of his are still active and you can read the most up-do-date date papers and passed them to a colleague at the University of information about these five birds at Edinburgh, where Hardie had spent most of his working life http://www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking -studies/cuckoo- as a Lecturer in Ancient Philosophy. tracking The story seemed to end there for, although keen readers of BTO is of course far from the only website to track migration: Part I discussed the possibility of a Part II from time to time, the journal Atropos – which deals mainly with and there was never any sign of it, or indeed of any of Hardie's Odonata - has an ongoing webpage for migrant insects called personal papers. Flight Arrival at http://www.atropos.info/gb/ - amazingly quite a number of dragonflies were active well into December. The In 1979, Niall Campbell, a noted Scottish fish biologist and British Dragonfly Society also has a webpage with latest one of the few scientists who had carried out work on Arctic sightings at http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/content/latest- charr published a landmark paper 'Ferox trout (Salmo trutta sightings, and Butterfly Conservation has a page at L.) and charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) in Scottish Lochs' and http://www.butterfly- in it he mentions seeing a manuscript and notes of Hardie's. conservation.org/text/853/first_sightings_2012.html. where all However, it was assumed that he had seen this many years British butterflies are listed with a space for when and where previously, and nothing further was known until Niall died each species is first seen. Already there are records of red in 2005. Subsequently, his son Ronald, in clearing out the admiral 1/1/12 (Sussex) and brimstone 2/1/12 (Hampshire and attic of the family house, came across a box of Hardie's Surrey). Worth taking a look though! papers which Niall had carefully stored away, and passed The editor these to Peter Maitland. After much sorting and collation, it was found that there was actually a complete handwritten

BRISC Recorder News No 84 13 www.brisc.org.uk manuscript for Part II, some of it written, apparently, as late as like to be able to identify the species you see in your garden, 1940 and 1941. The missing volume, Part II, was prepared or would just like to know a bit more about them, then get a directly from that manuscript. copy of this great little book. Dave Goulson Part II of Ferox and Char in the Lochs of Scotland, by Robert

Purves Hardie, edited by Peter Maitland and Colin Adams, has now bee n published by Perfect Publishers of Cambridge as a Hart,C. (2011). British Plume Moths. print on demand volume at ca £15.00 and is available from a British Entomological and Natural variety of booksellers. Moreover, such is the interest in the History Society Publishers. whole book - Part I has long been out of print - that Paul Hbk ISBN 978-1-899935-06-2 £24.00 Morgan, an enterprising bookseller in Wales (Coch-y-Bonddu

Books), has republished Part I and is now able to offer together, I have always found the Plume moths of for the first time, Parts I and II of Ferox and Char in the Lochs the family difficult to of Scotland, as high quality matching volumes in a fine slip case. identify and I am not lucky enough to So the story has a satisfactory ending and Hardie's many years of own a copy of Beirne’s 1954 British hard work have proved worth while. He would be pleased. Pyralid and Plume Moths. Comparing pictures on the Peter S Maitland & Colin E Adams internet without knowledge of the salient diagnostic features University of Glasgow has never been very satisfactory and so this new publication has been eagerly anticipated. Does it live up to expectation? BOOK REVIEWS After a brief introductory chapter, Chapter 2 starts with some excellent advice: “...avoid going straight to the colour Prys-Jones, O. & Corbet, S. A. (2011) plates... first use the key.” For the inclusion of the two keys Bumblebees. Naturalists’s Handbooks 6, 3rd alone, one to genera the other to species, this book is worth edition. Pelagic Publishing. every penny! The keys use readily identifiable features, Pbk. ISBN 978-1-907807-06-0. £19.99 often with the aid of a simple sketch to help navigate through the couplets. Only after keying out should one refer When I first became interested in bumblebees to the plates and text. nearly 20 years ago, I obtained a copy of the However, by all means browse through the plates, because first edition of the Naturalists’ Handbook they too are excellent. Each of the 44 species described is “Bumblebees”. It was excellent – a combination of ID guide and illustrated by one or more pairs of colour photographs – one introduction to the general biology of bumblebees, with practical of the pair is of the set specimen actual size and the other is sections on breeding and study techniques. It was also a very enlarged four times. There are also colour photographs of convenient size, easy to slip in a pocket and take out to the field. early stages of all but two of the species and it is fascinating The paintings of the different species were lovely and pretty to see, in some cases, how closely the pupa resembles the accurate; together with the excellent key, and detailed line larva and how easily they could be confused. The author drawings, anyone can fairly quickly become adept at identifying suggests that many species are easier to find as larvae than bumblebees using this book. as adults and indeed the majority of set specimens were I was delighted to see the arrival of this third edition. It is reared from larvae. For the specialist there are pictures of reassuringly familiar; a little larger but still more-or-less pocket- both male and female genitalia for all species along with sized, and in large part it has been effectively updated, useful notes on differentiating features. Around one third of particularly the chapter on conservation, and there is a very the genitalia slides were sourced from the National useful list of web resources. The paintings are as good as ever, Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh, so we can be sure of with the addition of the recently arrived B. hypnorum making the quality! If I were to be picky, I should like to have seen them complete – by chance I was the first person to see one of pointers highlighting some of the diagnostic features on the these pretty bees in the UK, in 2001, and it makes me smile to illustrations. see them on the cover of this book. “Bumblebees” still has a The text against each species is well laid out. Detailed slightly eclectic level of detail – I am not sure that the large table descriptions of the adult and early stages are followed by describing the chemical constituents of the male pheromones of interesting snippets on the biology of the species and some different bumblebee species will be of huge interest to many – very welcome tips on finding and rearing the moth. For but in a way this is part of the charm. Some parts do feel slightly example “The larva is completely hidden, but can be found out of date – the figure comparing bumblebee distributions pre without too much difficulty as it causes a black stain on the and post 1960, for example, is starting to look like ancient young stem, usually near the tip and amongst the newest history. However, tucked in the back are entirely up-to-date leaves.” distribution maps which are very useful, if a bit depressing as they highlight the alarming declines which many bumblebee My only gripe is the absence of distribution maps. The species have suffered. author does state that “...distribution maps...will become out of date in a few years” and that he prefers to list vice There are few competitors for this book. Benton’s New counties or localities where each species has been recorded. Naturalist is “Bumblebees” is hugely expensive, while Edwards However, I should argue that such lists will be out of date in and Jenner’s photo-based field guide lacks the detailed drawings the same way as distribution maps. A map, even at vice and the key that really help with identification of the trickier county level, gives a better appreciation of the distribution species. So, if you have a passing interest in bumblebees, would snap shot than reading a list. At the risk of labouring the

BRISC Recorder News No 84 14 www.brisc.org.uk point, in some cases even the list is somewhat lacking and vague It is likely that records held by the BRC and NBN would and I give as an example the gonodactyla. It is answer the queries posed about the origin of some records described as “...recorded from most counties in England and from small islands. Wales but is much scarcer... in Scotland...” This gives no clue This is a highly commendable achievement for a small about Scottish distribution, though it is actually known from 22 group in a large area, but as always it pinpoints the gaps Scottish vice counties (Young et al. “Micro-lepidoptera records waiting to be filled by visitors and residents. Records can from Scottish Vice-counties “- updated Feb 2010; unpublished, be submitted online via the HBRG website: but available on the web). Of the 44 Plume moths described, 21 www.hbrg.org.uk or sent to [email protected]. get a Scottish mention, but you have to read quite a lot to Gordon Corbet discover which ones.

As well as the points already mentioned, there are general notes on rearing, structure of the life stages, migration and camouflage Bernard, P. C. (2011) The Royal to list a few. I particularly like the index of the plants mentioned Entomological Society Book of British in the text that also includes the associated moth species, which Insects. Wiley - Blackwell, is a step up from listing the plants alone. Chichester. 382pp. Hbk. ISBN 978-1-4443-3256-8 £39.95. In conclusion, this book is very nearly perfect. It many ways it has exceeded expectations and is a very welcome addition to my This book is a 'must' for all who have a bookshelves. I look forward immensely to using it in anger in serious interest in British insects. It is the coming season and I recommend it not only to those who an up-to-date comprehensive summary aspire to Plume identification, but also to anyone who would like of the while British fauna, all 24,000 species. To to find out a little more about this fascinating family or simply to make sense of this multitude, the book is organised have as a reference. taxonomically - all the higher divisions of orders, Duncan Davidson superfamilies, families and subfamilies are briefly discussed with many colour illustrations. All 6000 genera of British

insects are listed under their appropriate grouping and fully Scott, R. (editor) (2011) Atlas of Highland indexed. For ease of use, the 27 orders are described Land Mammals. Highland Biological alphabetically, as are the subdivisions within each order. Recording Group. Pbk. 142 pp. References are given to the most recent information on ISBN 978-0-9552211-3-2. identification for each family, as well as relevant websites. Available to BRISC members from Ro Aimed primarily at students and amateur entomologists, it is Scott, Peddiston Cottage, Cromarty, equally valuable to the professional. Priced at under £40 for IV11 8XX for £5 plus £1.50 pp, cheques 383 well-illustrated A4 pages, it is a very worth-while to HBRG. purchase. This ‘atlas’ presents the results of recording Keith Bland by members of the Highland Biological Recording Group (HBRG) over the period 1999 – 2010, and also incorporates the Thinking about improving your taxonomic skills results of earlier surveys of particular species or groups of or taking up a new group? mammals by the HBRG and others. The format is of 10km maps distinguishing between 2000-2010 and pre-2000; and ‘Highland’ On the final page of the present issue of BRISC means the area covered by Highland Council, i.e. from Morvern, Recorder News is a complete list of tempting 2012 Lochhaber and Strathspey northwards. However it is much Professional Development Courses at Kindrogan. more than an atlas; with about two pages of text per species (37 of them, including the resident seals but not cetaceans) it Kindrogan is Scotland’s Field Studies Centre. .It is set provides a valuable concise account of the mammals of the in wooded grounds on the bank of the River Ardle in the region. picturesque Scottish Highlands. It lies within easy reach of some of the remotest areas of the UK with inspiring Topics covered in the text are earlier history, conservation status, landforms and rich range of wildlife habitats. ecology and behaviour, management and recognition, although it does not claim to be a comprehensive handbook for The Field Studies Council (FSC) is a pioneering identification. Of the 18 colour photographs 12 are of tracks and educational charity committed to bringing environmental signs. With nine authors (including the editor) a lot of hands-on understanding to all. Established in 1943, the FSC has experience is embodied in the text. become internationally respected for its national network of 17 education centres in the UK, international outreach Comparison is made with the last British atlas of mammals training projects, research programmes, information and published by the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology in 1993. In publication services and wide range of fascinating view of the great interest in the occurrence of mammals on the professional training and leisure courses. smaller islands, for ecological, genetic and historical studies, it is on the one hand commendable that the text lists the islands on Contact address is which each species has been recorded, but rather disappointing Kindrogan Field Studies Centre, Enochdhu, that this is not apparent from the maps since so many 10 km Blairgowrie, Perthshire, PH10 7PG squares bridge the gap between two islands, like Raasay and Tel 01259 870150 Fax 01250 881433 Skye, or between an island and the mainland. All HBRG Email [email protected] records have been transferred to the NBN Gateway, but it is unclear to what extent records have been passed the other way.

BRISC Recorder News No 84 15 www.brisc.org.uk Kindrogan Field Studies Council Professional Development Courses Course Title Tutor Dates 2012 programme

Lichen Identification Rebecca Yahr Friday 30 March - Friday 06 April

Special Spring Moths David Brown Monday 02 April - Saturday 07 April

Sphagnum Moss Martha Newton Tuesday 24 April - Saturday 28 April

Mosses and Liverworts Martha Newton Saturday 28 April - Saturday 05 May

Big Tree Country: Tree Identification for Jerry Dicker Sunday 29 April - Thursday 03 May Improvers

GPS Training 1 Day Course Jim Butcher Monday 07 May

GPS Training 2 Day Course Jim Butcher Tuesday 08 May - Thursday 10 May

NVC: Woodlands Ben Averis Friday 11 May - Monday 14 May

Small Mammal Ecology and Survey John Haddow Saturday 19 May Techniques

Birds by Character for Improvers Jeff Clarke Monday 04 June - Friday 08 June

Eileen Cox and Elliott Freshwater Algae Friday 08 June - Friday 15 June Shubert

Identification of Highland Plants Bob Callow Friday 15 June - Friday 22 June

Wild Orchids of Scotland Martin Robinson Tuesday 19 June - Saturday 23 June

Mammal Identification Weekend John Haddow Friday 22 June - Sunday 24 June

Plant Communities of the Scottish Highlands Bob Callow Friday 22 June - Friday 29 June

Aquatic Plants Nick Stewart Friday 22 June - Friday 29 June

Spiders: An Introduction to their Alastair Lavery Friday 29 June - Monday 02 July Identification

Fern Identification Heather McHaffie Monday 02 July - Friday 06 July

Grass Identification Judith Allinson Friday 06 July - Friday 13 July

NVC Grasslands Ben Averis Friday 20 July - Monday 23 July

Introduction to NVC Ben Averis Monday 23 July - Thursday 26 July

Monday 06 August - Saturday 11 Identifying Sedges and Rushes Fred Rumsey August

NVC: Heathlands Ben Averis Friday 10 August - Monday 13 August

Saturday 18 August - Saturday 25 Highland Butterflies and Moths David Brown August

Saturday 18 August - Saturday 25 Identifying Spiders Michael Davidson August

Tuesday 21 August - Saturday 25 Invertebrate Surveying Techniques Jeff Clarke and Paul Hill August

Scottish Mammals John Haddow Friday 24 August - Monday 27 August

Friday 07 September - Friday 14 Identifying Fungi Liz Holden September

Friday 28 September - Monday 01 Harvestmen Spider Identification and Ecology Mike Davidson October

Friday 05 October - Sunday 07 Bird Survey Techniques BTO Trainers October

Friday 05 October - Tuesday 09 Small Mammals Jeff Clarke October

BRISC Recorder News No 84 16 www.brisc.org.uk