CurracagNewsletter:September2014 Contents ObituarytoPeterCunningham-JohnLove 1 OHBRGrant- Spiders 10 ObituarytoPeterCunningham-BobWeymss 3 NationalNestReferenceCollection 15 TipsforOtterSpotters 5 RockallExpedition 16 GreatYellowBumblebeeProject 8 OHBRGrant-Mosses&Liverworts 17 JohnLove PeterCunningham On8th July2014justaweekafterhis96th birthday- theOuterHebrideslostoneofitsfinestnaturalists, andcertainlythemostvenerableWAJ Cunningham,or'Peter'asweallknewhim.Hewas broughtupinGlasgow,wherehismotherwasa teacher.Hisgrandfather,aBanffshireGP,dislikedhis grandson'sgivennames,soinsistedoncallinghim Peter,afterJMBarrie'sfamouscharacter.Andthus thenamestuck,our'Peter'alsodevelopingasimilar youthfulpassionandenthusiasm,butforwildlife ItwasonaJordanhillCollegeSchoolcruisethatPeterfirstvisitedtheOuterHebrides.Onannualholidays withhisgrandfatherhowever,inthewhiskycountyofBanffshirethatPeterchosehisfuturecareerinHM CustomsandExcise.ButhisfirstpostinginClydebank,wasinterruptedbytheSecondWorldWar,Peter joiningtheRoyalNavyasanordinaryseaman;hewouldenditaLieutenantCommander.Ahighly distinguishedservice,forwhichhewasawardedsixmedals,includednofewerthansixvoyagesassurface escorttotheArcticconvoysfromPoolewetoMurmansk.Itwouldnotbeuntil2013that thegovernment sawfittoawardamedalforthisespeciallyhazardousduty,duringwhichover3,000liveswerelost. MercifullyPetersurvived,andlongenoughtoreceivehisArcticStarinpersonlastyear. AfterthehostilitiesPeterreturnedtohispreviouscareerandin1949finallywonapostasCustoms OfficerandReceiverofWrecksinStornoway,whereheremainedfortherestofhisdays.Hewasofcourse abletofollowhispassionfornaturalhistoryandsoonbecamethelocalrecorderfortheScottish Ornithologists'ClubandacontributortosurveysfortheBritishTrustforOrnithology. Forlongalonevoiceinthewildernesshefoundalocaloutlettosharehisinterestinweeklycontributions totheStornowayGazette,aselectionofwhichwerepublishedas'AHebrideanNaturalist'(with illustrationsbythelateAndyMillerMundy)in1979.Ayearearlierhehadpublishedanaccountofthe StornowayCastleGroundsand,in1983,adefinitivethoughalltoobrief'BirdsoftheOuterHebrides'.This tappedintoalengthierbutunfinishedandstillunpublishedworkbyhisfriendandcorrespondentthelate DrJWCampbell.MorerecentlyAndrewStevensonhaspulledtogetherafuller,moreuptodateaccountfor 'BirdsofScotland'tappinginto,ofcourse,theOuterHebridesBirdReports. IfirstmetPeteroverfiftyyearsago,whileIwasatschoolinInverness.HeoftenvisitedDrMaeveRusk, secretaryofourBirdGroup(nowabranchoftheSOC)-andaverydearmentorofmine-whometupwith himwheneversheheldophthalmicclinicsintheOuterHebrides.IndeedPetercontributedadelightful appreciationofMaeveinScottishBirds,whensheherselfdiedonlyayearortwoback.Inthe1960sPeter alsoenjoyedcompanyinthefieldfromBTOmemberNormanElkinswhenameteorologistatStornoway. Indeed,especiallyafterheretiredin1978,Peterwasalwaysreadytoshowoffhis'patch'toanyone interested.IwashonouredtotakehimaroundSpeysidein1986,whereheespeciallydelightedinthe TwinflowersIshowedhim.Hisinterestswerebynomeansparochialand,afterthedeathofhisbeloved wifeNanin2000,heundertookavoyagetoSouthAfricaontheStHelenamailboat,birdwatchingallthe wayofcourse.InFebruary2008hewaspresentedwithaprestigiousawardbytheRSPB. Whenagebegantotakeatollonhismobility,hisbirdingactivitiesbecamerestricted,butfortunatelyhe continuedtocontributetotheStornowayGazetteforseveralmoreyearstocome.WithhispassinginJuly theOuterHebrideshaslostitsfinestnaturalistsinceWilliamMacgillivray,whocompiledthefirstlistof localbirdsin1830.Harvie-BrownandBuckleywentontopublish'AVertebrateFaunaoftheOuter Hebrides'in1888.PeterwasabletoincludesomeofJimmyCampbell'sunfinishedworkwhenhisownlist waspublishedin1983.Initsforeword,theirfriendProfVCWynneEdwards,adistinguishedsuccessorover acenturylatertoMacgillivray'sChairofNaturalHistoryatAberdeenUniversity,wrotehowPeter'sbook 'seemsassuredofanenduring,usefullife,beingbyfarthebest-researchedstock-takingevermadeofthe islands'birds.'InhislatteryearsPeterwasdelightedtoencountersomanyornithologistsnowlivingand workingintheOuterHebrides.ButhehadpreparedthegroundsotokeepPeter'slegacyalive,thetimeis surelyripeforanewchecklisttobepublished. 2 PeterCunningham1918-2014 W.A.J.Cunningham,orPeterashepreferredtobecalled,wasborninGlasgowin1918.Peter'sinterestin naturewasstimulatedasayoungladinhiswalksinthefieldsandfarmlandthatstillexistedtheninthe environsofthatexpandingcity.WhileapupilofJordanhillCollegeSchoolhewasamemberofasponsored cruisearoundtheOuterHebridesandSt.Kildathusinitiatinghislongrelationshipwiththesebeautiful islands. BobWeymss HisadultcareerbeganasacivilservantwithH.M.CustomsandExcisesubsequentlyservingintheRoyal Navyfrom1939untiltheendofthewarhavingjoinedasanordinaryseamanandleavingasaLieutenant- Commander.BelatedlylastyearasoneofthefewremainingmembersoftheArcticConvoys,hewas awardedtheArcticStar.AfterthewarPeterre-joinedH.M.CustomsandExciseandwasstationedin Stornoway.HisrelationshipwiththeOuterHebrideswascompletedwithhismarriagetoNanMacivera teacherfromCarlowayonthewestsideofLewisandtheraisingofafamilyoftwosonsandadaughter. SadlyhiswifediedinNovember2000andhemovedtolivewithhisyoungestsonJohn. HiscontributiontotheIslands'communitieswasconsiderable.Hewasanelderinthechurchforfiftyyears andsession-clerkfortwentyandbecameheavilyinvolvedinthelocalmusicorganisationsinadditionto beingacommanderoftheSeaCadets.However,Peterwillbestberememberedbothlocallyandnationally, forhiscontributiontotheunderstandingofthenaturalheritageoftheOuterHebrides.Hebeganrecording birdsintheOuterHebridesonhistravelsthroughtheIslandsinthe1950s.Inadditiontohissignificant contributionstotheScottishBirdReportsandtotheBTO'sAtlasprojectandtheBOU's'TheStatusofBirds inBritainandNorthernIreland'PeteralsobecametheBirdRecorderforLewisandHarrisandco-author, withTimDix,oftheOuterHebridesBirdReports.Hewasalsoapioneerintheidentificationand disseminationofinformationabouttheislandspeciesidentified,inotherwordsaBirdlinebeforethedigital age!Oftenhewouldreceiveaphonecallfromanislandresidentdescribing'astrange'birdintheirgarden. Itwasonesuchphonecallthathealertedmetoanduponvisitingthelocationinsteadoffindingwhatwas oftenamis-identifiedcommonerspecies,IfoundaWhite'sThrush! Upuntiltheearly1990stherewereveryfewlocalbirdersresidentontheIslandsbutPeterwasawareof theincreasinginterestbeingtakenbythecasualvisitorandthoseseekingnewspeciesfortheir'lifelists'. Hedidhisbesttoassistthemintheirendeavoursandwasalsoveryhelpfultotherecentlyarrivedresidents totheislands,ofwhichIwasaveryappreciativeone,inhelpingthemgettingtoknowtheOuterHebrides' habitatsandspecies.However,hewasalsoveryprotectiveoftheislands'rarerbreedingbirdsandhadno timeforwhathecalledselfishlife-listtickersandcallouseggcollectorsandtheimpacttheyhadonrareand endangeredspeciessuchastheRed-neckedPhalarope. Peter's'NatureNotes'appearedinthelocalnewspaperthe'StornowayGazette'everyweekandwere eagerlyawaited.Theyconveyedhiskeenobservationsandinsightsinaninformative,elegantand sometimeswittystyle.Hewasineffectamasterincommunicator.Inadditiontohispopular'NatureNotes' hegavemanylecturesandtalksandwastheauthorof'AHebrideanNaturalist'publishedin1979and'The BirdsoftheOuterHebridesaGuidetotheirStatusandDistribution'publishedin1983abookwhich becamethestandard workonthesubject.Thesebooksconveyedtolocalandnationalaudiencesthe importanceofthenaturalheritageoftheIslands. 3 OneofhisgreatpassionswasthesocialandnaturalhistoryoftheStornowayCastleGroundsanareaof historicimportanceandthelargestareaofdeciduouswoodlandintheOuterHebrides.Hewasvery involvedintheinterpretationofandthepublicitygiventothisimportantpartofislandheritagecomposing whatisgenerallyregardedasadefinitiveaccountoftheGrounds.Inhistenthdecadehewasstillwriting booksauthoringthe'TheCastlesoftheLews'and'PicturesofBygoneIslandLife'. PeterdiedpeacefullyinStornowayonJuly8th daysafterhis96 th birthdayandwasburiedinDalmore Cemetery.Hewillberegardedasawellrespectedgentlemanineverysenseofthewordandassomeone whogavegenerouslyofhistimetothelocalcommunity.Hispassingleavesamajorgapbutalsoalasting legacyinthestudyandunderstandingofthenaturalheritageoftheOuterHebrides. Curracag-MysteryObjectsQuiz CongratulationstoJaneandEricTwelvesofSouthUist,whocorrectlyidentifiedthemostitemsinthe recentQuiz.TheirprizeisayearssubscriptiontoCurracag. ThequizranalongsidetheCurracagPhotographicCompetitioninSgoilLionacleitMuseum,andreceiveda lotofpositivefeedbackwithmanyvisitorssayingitprovidedaninterestingadditiontothephotographic GwenEvans display.Wewerepleasedtoowiththenumberofentries. Severaloftheitemshadbeenshowninthespringsummer2013newsletter,soyoucanlookbacktogeta flavourofthequiz.Despitethis,someitemsstillmanagedtocatchfolkout!Itjustgoestoshowthat lookingataphotographcanbequitedifferenttoseeingtheactualitemsinreallife. Verymanythankstoallwhotookpart. CurracagPhotographyCompetition2014 WewerereallyimpressedwiththehighstandardofentriestothePhotographicCompetitionlastyear.So thisyearwearegivingyoufreereignandachancetoreallyimpressuswithyourkeeneyeandourspecial wildlifeandplaces.Weareinvitingentriesonanythemeofyourchoosing,sogetthereoutandtakesome snapsofyourfavouritespecies,habitatsorlandscapesandsharethemwithus. PleasereadthePhotographyCompetition2014informationandrules,whichareavailableat: MattTopsfield www.curracag.org.uk/competition ApapercopycanbeobtainedfromMuseumnanEilean,Isleof BenbeculaorbycontactingMatthewTopsfieldat12Griminish,IsleofBenbecula,HS75QA,07775812036, [email protected]. Youcansubmitasmanyphotographsasyouwant.Theclosingdateforentriesismidnight on Tuesday30th September2014.Entriesshouldpreferablybesentasdigitalimagefilesto: [email protected]