The Forth Naturalist Historian
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
the Forth Naturalist andHistorian Volume 37 2014 1-3 Prelims 4 Author Addresses Naturalist Papers 5 Dunblane Weather Report 2013 – Neil Bielby 17 Changes in the King’s Park Flora during the last Hundred Years – Roy Sexton 31 Rookeries in the Upper Forth Bird Recording Area – Neil Bielby 43 2012 and 2013 Moth Records For Stirlingshire and West Perthshire – John T. Knowler 49 Forth Area Bird Report 2013 – Chris Pendlebury 77 Report on the Forth Naturalist and Historian Wildlife and Landscape Forum 2013 – Michael Usher Historical Papers 83 Upper Carron Valley and the Highland Drovers – John Mitchell 87 Loch Lomondside’s Heraldic Birds and Beasts – John Mitchell 91 Prehistoric Pottery from Excavations at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum Stirling – Nick Aitchison The Changing Biodiversity of Central Scotland 101 Man and the Landscape Conference 2013 – Richard Tipping 107 What Factors have had the most Impact on Central Scotland’s Biodiversity during the last 30 years – Stirling Scottish Wildlife Trust What’s Changed Surveys 1983 – 2013 111 Giant Hogweed in the River Allan and the Upper Forth – Guy Harewood 121 Tailend Moss - a 30 Year Investigation of the Aquatic Invertebrate Fauna – Craig Macadam 129 A Survey of the Hoverflies of the Inner Forth – Scott Shanks 135 Falkirk Moths – Heather Young 139 A Survey of Large Heath, Purple Hairstreak and Northern Brown Argus Butterfly Populations in the Forth Valley – Stuart Bence and Lorna Blackmore 2 Forth Naturalist and Historian, volume 37 Published by the Forth Naturalist and Historian, University of Stirling – charity SCO 13270. ISSN 0309-7560 EDITORIAL BOARD Stirling University–M. Usher (Chairman); Marilyn Scott, Computer Services; R. Tipping–Environmental Sciences; M. Thomas–Environmental Sciences; Melissa Shaw, Student Rep. Non University–N. Bielby, Dunblane; M. Cook, Stirling; M. Dickie, Stirling; G. Harewood, Stirling; J. Harrison, Stirling; R. Sexton, Stirling. Honorary Secretary: Marilyn Scott, Computer Services, University of Stirling FK9 4LA. Journal Editors: N. Dix, 7 Laurelhill Place, Stirling, FK8 2JH. M. Vallejo-Marin, Environmental Sciences, Stirling University FK9 4LA. ISBN 978-1-898008-72-9 These articles are copyright and should not be reproduced without permission. Copies of single articles may be taken for private or educational use. Cover: front– Rainfall anomaly map of the UK December 2013 – supplied by the Met Office. Cover: Printed by Meigle Colour Printers Ltd., Tweedbank Industrial Estate, Galashiels. Set in Zapf Calligraphic on 115 gsm Silk and cover 300 gsm Silk. Forth Naturalist and Historian, volume 37 3 THE FORTH NATURALIST AND HISTORIAN The Forth Naturalist and Historian (FNH) is an informal enterprise of Stirling University. It was set up in 1975 by several University and Central Regional Council staff to provide a focus for interests, activities and publications of environmental, heritage and historical studies for the Forth area, comprising now local authority areas Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannan- shire. Since then the organisation of an annual environment/heritage symposium called Man and the Landscape has been an important feature. The annual Forth Naturalist and Historian has published numerous papers, many being authoritative and significant in their field, and includes annual reports of the weather, and of birds in the locality, plus book reviews and notes. These volumes provide a valuable successor to that basic resource The Transactions of the Stirling Field and Archaeological Society, 1878-1939. Four year contents/indexes are available, and selected papers are published in pamphlet form, while others are available as reprints. In addition a 230 page book Central Scotland – Land, Wildlife, People, a natural history and heritage survey, was produced in 1994 and is available in the form of a CD-Rom, Heart of Scotland’s Environment (HSE). Other FNH and associated publications still in print include – Mines and Minerals of the Ochils, Airthrey and Bridge of Allan, Woollen Mills of the Hillfoots, The Ochil Hills – landscape, wildlife, heritage – an introduction with walks, Alloa Tower and the Erskines of Mar, and the Lure of Loch Lomond a journey round the shores and islands. Several of these are in association with Clackmannanshire Field Studies Society. FNH publications are listed on the internet British Library (BLPC) and by booksellers e.g. Amazon, Bol, Barnes and Noble. Offers of papers/notes for publication, and of presentations for symposia are ever welcome. Visit website for instructions to authors. Honorary Secretary Marilyn Scott, Computer Services, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA. E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.fnh.stir.ac.uk 4 Forth Naturalist and Historian, volume 37 Author Addresses Nick Aitchison, 22a Snowdon Place, Stirling FK8 2JN Stuart Bence, 14 Stein Terrace, Ferniegair, Hamilton ML3 7FR Neil Bielby, 56 Ochiltree, Dunblane FK15 0DF John Knowler, 3 Balfleurs Street, Milngavie, Glasgow G62 8HW Craig Macadam, Invertebrate Conservation Trust, Balallan House, 24 Allan Park, Stirling FK8 2QG John Mitchell, 22 Muirpark Way, Drymen, G63 8HW Roy Sexton, 22 Alexander Drive, Bridge of Allan, Stirling FK9 4QB Scott Shanks, Invertebrate Conservation Trust, Balallan House, 24 Allan Park, Stirling FK8 2QG Heather Young, Butterfly Conservation, Balallan House, 24 Allan Park, Stirling FK8 2QG Forth Naturalist and Historian, volume 37 5 DUNBLANE WEATHER REPORT 2013 Neil Bielby The weather station is my suburban back garden in Ochiltree, Dunblane. This is situated 50 m to the east of the Dunblane Hydro ridge, 100 m a.s.l., in a shallow, sheltered valley. (GR NN 78990143). I have been recording the weather since 1995 and all averages etc. refer to the last 19 years. (Note: because there is much variation from year to year in Britain in the parameters used to define climate, climatological averages are usually taken over periods of 30 years for temperature and 35 years for rainfall. Therefore, all averages in this report should be viewed with some caution). I am indebted to Dr. John P. Holland for providing automatic Met Office data and additional weather records from Kirkton Farm, Strathfillan (NN 359283; 170 m a.s.l.) and Killin. Weather recording began in 1991 at Kirkton Farm and means etc. for this site date from that year. Killin means date from 2000. The data from Kirkton (this is close to Tyndrum – the latter name being used by the Met Office for online data from this station) allows for some interesting meteorological comparisons between the far north-west and central areas of our region. Daily rainfall (> 0.2 mm), maximum and minimum temperatures, barometric pressure, cloud cover, wind direction and speed (Beaufort scale) are recorded. All except the maximum daily temperature are recorded at 09.00 hours. A brief description of the day’s weather is also noted along with exceptional and unusual weather phenomena across the UK. Unless indicated otherwise, daily (24 hour) rainfall amounts are measured from 09.00 hours on the date mentioned until 09.00 hours the following morning. 2013 was cooler and drier than normal. The mean temperature of 7.99°C (7.88°C Kirkton) was 0.44°C below the average with a high of 29.0°C (9th July) and a low of –8.9°C (12th March). There were 91 air-frosts (average = 72), 3 ground frosts while snow lay on the ground at 09.00 hours on 20 occasions. The 989.0 mm (2,384.0 mm Kirkton) of precipitation was 89 % of the norm with measurable amounts on 196 days (54 %; average = 207; 57 %). Ten months (including the first nine) had precipitation totals lower than their norms while that for December was the highest for that month and the second highest ever. The maximum 24 hour total (09.00-09.00) was 36.4 mm (29th December). The average air pressure was very close to the norm at 1011.8 mb with a high of 1040 mb (25th November) and a record low of 952 mb (27th December). At Kirkton, the highest temperature recorded was 27.7°C (19th July) with a low of –8.4°C (12th March). Air frosts were recorded on 96 days. Precipitation of 2,384.0 mm was 94 % of the 1991-2010 average with measurable amounts on 275 days (75.5 %). 6 Neil Bielby Lying some 13.5 miles (21.6 km) to the east of Kirkton, Killin (at the head of L. Tay), received 76 % of the formers precipitation in 2013. Turning to the seasons: Winter (December-February) was warmer and slightly wetter than usual with December 2012 accounting for 58 % of the precipitation whereas February had less than half the norm. Spring (March- May) was cooler and drier than usual with the mean temperature being 1.86°C and precipitation 21 % below their norms respectively. The mean temperature for March was 3.07°C lower than normal. The mean summer temperature (June-August) was above normal but rainfall was only 62 % of the average making this the driest summer since 1996. The mean July temperature was 2.08°C above the norm. Autumn (September- November) was a little cooler and drier than usual with the mean temperature for November being 2.07°C below the norm. (Monthly temperature and precipitation details can be found in Table 1 with a graphic depiction of rainfall amounts in Figure 1). January was a little milder and drier than usual. The mean temperature of 2.39°C (3.27°C Kirkton) was 0.12°C above the norm. The maximum temperature was 10.0°C, 3rd (10.7°C Kirkton, 8th) while the minimum temperature was –5.3°C (–3.4°C Kirkton, 16th). There were 17 air-frosts and snow lay on the ground on 10 mornings. Precipitation of 98.5 mm (252.0 mm Kirkton) was 83 % of normal with measurable amounts on 21 days. Across Scotland it was marginally warmer and drier than average.