. NEWSLETTER 49 AUTUMN 2011 Editor: Stephanie Dewhurst The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. Nature is amazing - help us keep it that way The Royal Society for the Protection of a million Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: voices for England and Wales No 207076; nature SAND MARTIN Scotland Charity No SC037654 GALLOWAY LOCAL GROUP GROUP LEADER’S REPORT Over the two days we raised £170 from the teas, Dear Members and a similar amount from another event in late July. What a relief it was when spring arrived after another long hard winter. And what a spectacular While on the topic of money you might like to know spring it was too with fantastic wild blossom and that from 1st April 2010 to 31st March 2011 RSPB marvellous spring flowers. I had the best show nationally raised £15,000 from used stamps and of cowslips ever all across one side of my knoll. £65,300 from old ink cartridges and mobile phones. The swallows returned on 10th April which was The total income since the appeal began for these earlier than usual but the awful weather in May and last two items stands at £325,000. This is such June resulted in their first brood failing. However, an easy way of raising much needed money for all they have raised two more broods since then the work RSPB does, all from items which would successfully. Now in high summer the air is filled otherwise just be thrown away so please continue with swallows hunting all those insects which plague to send these direct or bring them along to the group us and the barn owl which I had not seen for some meetings. Within 12 weeks of it being received, time is also out and about hunting. 91p in every £1 is spent on conservation work. In the last newsletter I mentioned the eight question- After Bobby Smith's enjoyable talk at the group naires, given out in January-February, which we had meeting on 15th February, he invited us to visit received back. The number increased to eleven and his artificial sand martin bank at a small reserve were discussed at the committee meeting in early near Lochmaben which took place in early June April. As a result we decided to change to the (report on p.4). As this was arranged after the last smaller venue at the Parish Church Hall, Queen newsletter had been distributed I regret that there Street commencing with our first meeting on 20th was no way of letting every group member know September. This change will, of course, be shown about the trip unless they heard the announcement on the programme so please be sure to go to the at the April meeting or saw it in the diary column of new place. Some of the other suggestions will also the Galloway News. be taken on board but we cannot please everyone! This year the group took part in the RSPB's “Love Once again some of us went along to Environment Nature Week” can collection in early June at Tesco's Day in Dumfries DGOne on 5th March, manning in Castle Douglas (the only supermarket to give their our sales table and, as usual, the event was very permission for the dates required). Five of us took well attended by families creating a really good part on a rota basis, two at a time, and I can tell you atmosphere with plenty of interest shown in all the Brian Nolan looked very fetching in his (rather hot) stalls. blue tit costume! Our total collection for the two days amounted to £755.10, so you can see shoppers A week later a few of us travelled up to Pitlochry in were very generous and interested in the RSPB. wintry conditions to attend the RSPB's Volunteers I understand one couple in Dumfries, where there is Day held in the comfortable Festival Theatre. This no formal RSPB group, did very well at Morrison's was a very good day with plenty of interesting collecting over £300. This makes a very creditable speakers and a nice buffet lunch but the drive home total exceeding £1000 for the whole region, about was through the remains of snow, then rain and one-sixth of the total raised in Scotland. finally fog on Fenwick Moor. I was glad I was merely a passenger! Galloway seemed quite balmy after all I hope you like the new programme for 2011/2012 that. and look forward to seeing you all again at our new venue on 20th September and at the Art Exhibition Later in March RSPB had organised a weekend we are planning at the Sulwath Centre from 15th to Craft Fair at the Sulwath Centre, Mersehead where 30th October inclusive. the group had the sales table and also served teas. Cynthia Douglas GALLOWAY RESERVES UPDATE JULY 2011 Mull of Galloway Life on the cliff edge this year has been at times Wood of Cree extremely blustery. The high winds in May created Following another hard winter which saw us carry misfortune for some guillemot and razorbill out a great deal of tree safety work on the reserve, birds with their eggs being blown off the cliff. More spring burst into life once again with a magnificent positively, the kittiwakes delayed laying until after show of bluebells, campion, stitchwort and wood the high winds and there are now chicks enjoying anemone. It has also been a good year for returning the long awaited sunny spells. Fulmars are also summer migrants into the wood with the first pied around albeit in low numbers, feeding young busily. flycatcher being seen on 28th March. The dry Puffins have been spotted flying around the cliff weather we had throughout April also enabled our edges and out at sea. However, there is no other key species: redstart, wood warbler, tree pipit confirmed breeding on the reserve as yet. and cuckoo (as well as many more) to advance on a large front and establish territories fairly quickly. The The Visitor Centre has successfully undergone dawn chorus was unbelievably busy and very noisy. refurbishment with new displays, information boards It has been a decent breeding season for most of and interactive materials available for all to enjoy. the bird species despite some predation and the Our CCTV system still continues to deliver live blustery weather we had in May. footage from cliff nests where visitors can really get a feel for life in the seabird colonies. Some damage had been inflicted on the reserve due to the high winds we experienced, with some fairly Work has been done on site to limit footpath erosion large branches coming down and trees being blown and help regenerate vegetation in areas worst over within the wood, well away from the trails. affected. There are also plans towards the end of the summer to create a wildlife garden in the unused Visitors have been using the new trails on our lighthouse garden. We hope to plant native shrubs Barclye extension and enjoyed fantastic views up giving benefits to passing migrants, plant wild and down the Cree Valley. Work is still ongoing on flowers and have picnic benches where visitors can our Woodland Pasture Trail and will be completed relax. towards the end of the autumn creating a three mile circular around the reserve with plenty to see. The Ailsa Craig trees in both our Phase One and Two continue to go Poor weather throughout spring and early summer from strength to strength; some saplings now stand has limited the time we have been able to spend on nearly two metres tall having only been planted last Ailsa Craig this year. Having only surveyed the year. colonies by boat this year, both the gannet and puffin colonies show encouraging signs of We are currently designing a new trail guide/leaflet expansion, with higher counts of puffin again this for the reserve, incorporating Barclye, which should year. There also seems to be healthy guillemot and be out by the end of the year. razorbill numbers with these birds crowding parts of the cliff edges in their thousands. Kittiwakes and Ken - Dee Marshes fulmars remain on the reserve in lower numbers Similar to Wood of Cree, many of the summer than previous years; however we hope for a good migrants returned at the start of April with the breeding year to raise their numbers. We also have woodland part of the reserve coming alive. Numbers resident ravens, peregrines, twite, whitethroat, and appear to be stable with more redstarts this year two great tits were spotted on the east side of the than in 2010. In the lagoon area, visitors have island. enjoyed watching the black-headed gull colony grow Will Cranstoun and develop. The highest count of individual birds Warden, Galloway Reserves reached over 300! We also had a pair of shoveler successfully rear two ducklings with redshank and lapwing also breeding in the lagoon margins. SCARE ROCKS Nuthatch, great spotted woodpecker and red squirrel The Scare Rocks are undoubtedly the least visited continue to visit the feeders outside both hides with of our reserves in Dumfries and Galloway, not ospreys and red kites regularly seen overhead. surprisingly as they lie about eight miles off the Mull of Galloway at the mouth of Luce Bay. Comprising Much of our ongoing conservation work on Ken-Dee Big Scare and the Little Scares they are officially still heavily revolves around the removal of non- part of the Mull of Galloway Reserve, but most of native plants and we also plan to review our visitors only get distant views from the Mull itself.