Author: rangerservice

Frisa, Fish and Frolics.

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It has been a bit of a busy couple of weeks and only just getting time to draw a breath. We had a work placement student Tom Hilder, with us for three weeks and he was a pleasure to have as part of the team. Luckily he saw the best of the weather and the wildlife, with trips to our public viewing sea eagle hides with rangers Stephanie Cope and Debby Thorne, joined the eagle tag and ringing party with David Sexton (RSPB), out with Sea Life Surveys on a couple of boat trips and joined the Ranger Service on a couple of our guided events, including the evening trip to Staffa. He also had time out with wildlife ranger James Greig, learning about deer management, and we put him to work tidying up and inspecting recreation sites, also strimming and beach cleaning. Tom is welcome back anytime!!
On Saturday we had our annual fishing competition on Loch Frisa. Fishing is from the bank and the competitors have 5 hours to catch as many trout as they can over 8 inches using one fishing rod. Plenty trout were caught but none particularly large.

trout

Brown trout

Guy Bolton won the adult section and a visiting youngster, Fraser from Appin, won the junior section. It was lovely to have some ‘new kids on the block’, some who were total novices, but all the juniors came away with a medal, a prize and a couple of fish.
I headed off with my camera for a wee while. The MacDowell’s fields at Lettermore were full of wild flowers and it could not have been a nicer day, slight breeze, sun, lovely landscape and NO midges.

Flag Iris

Flag Iris

Tikka and wild flower meadow

wild Flower meadow with Tikka

The generosity of the local business that sponsor the event really make the day and I appreciate their generosity.

Ben Taladh and Loch Frisa

Loch Frisa looking towards Ben Taladh

Sunday was a different kettle of fish (pun not intended) all together. It was planned to have a tidy of Calgary Bay in time for the summer holiday rush, luckily the beach had little litter on it so in rather ‘damp’ climatic conditions, Matthew and Julia Reade and I spent time sorting picnic tables, tidying and strimming the camping area and plunging the wash hand basin in the gents, too much information I am sure).
To conclude my run of three events we held a guided walk at Ardmore yesterday afternoon. We were joined by retired wildlife ranger Steve Irvine and the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust. The weather had threated us again but miraculously the sun came out and there was a small breeze. We had a lovely companionable walk with views of an otter relatively close by the shore, a golden eagle flew overhead and then surprisingly a mole crossed our path which we would not have seen had it not been for Tikka, my vizsla, giving it a helping hand.

otter watch

Otter watching

Now the summer holidays have just started watch out for a wide variety of events for lots of different ages and interest, over the next couple of months.

by Jan Dunlop:

Going Wild on Treshnish

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Each spring, I look forward to the succession of plants and animals that emerge with the warming weather on Mull.

Now, on the back of beautiful sunshine throughout May and June, the banks of wildflowers are a riot of colour and industry. Myriad insects go about the business of pollination and procreation, crackling the air with acetate wings and fueling the blue-black halo of swallows above.

For interesting wildflowers, Treshnish Farm is a destination with much to offer. The site boasts certified Coronation Meadows, which were in full bloom at the time of our visit and an absolute joy to walk through.

We were joined by members of the Bunessan Gardening Group, who proved to be tremendously goods fun; in addition to a selection of other island residents from north and south.

Carolyne Charrington led the way, through the farm and out to fields brim-full of pignut and native bluebell. Burnet roses flowered in clusters alongside the track, and greater butterfly orchids poked their white heads out between the waxy green of bracken and hard fern.

It was fascinating to learn about the effect of different grazing regimes on wildflower diversity, and there were a number of rarer species present. Some – like wood bitter vetch – were completely new to me.

We finished the outward stretch of our walk at a huddle of restored fishermens’ cottages.

Goldfinches twittered sweetly from the fuchsia bushes, and popped down for titbits left out by guests. In a small burn, marsh marigolds and cress flowers nodded by the gurgling water. Orchids – such as heath spotted and northern marsh, grew in pink profusion along the banks.

I’m told that there are still people on Mull today whose families lived in these houses. Though I’m sure it was different in times past, now they are an idyll of quiet stone and windy reflection.

Bright plastic buoys and fishing boxes filled with flowers adorned the cottage gardens. Washing flapped in the breeze, adding a homely note to the peaceful atmosphere.

It was a lovely afternoon, and I would like to thank Carolyne for both her time and her enthusiasm. I certainly learned a lot!

Why not join Emily on Burg for more flowers and burnet moths on Wednesday 25th?

Stephanie Cope

A Busy Week!

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Good morning from the Ross of Mull! We’re enjoying a day in the office for the first time in a while after a busy week last week.

We kicked things off on Sunday with our Thistle Camp Volunteers who were staying at Burg for the week. In the morning we carried out some habitat management, clearing overgrown bracken which was hiding many of the old farm dwellings from view.

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Before

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After

After lunch, we moved onto beach cleaning and removed over 10 black bin bags full of ropes, plastics and other interesting items including several shotgun cartridges from Burg’s shoreline. For the remainder of the week, the Thistle Campers carried out various other tasks such as moth surveys, path and road repairs and gorse removal. Their effort throughout the week was greatly appreciated and we can’t thank them enough for their help!

On both Tuesday and Friday, Emily and myself carried out seabird surveys of the many islets around the coast of Iona with the help of the Mull Bird Club and aboard the ‘Birthe Marie’.

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The ‘Birthe Marie’ of Alternative Boat Hire

Sea bird colonies around  Scotland have been in decline for a number of years and therefore, it is important that we monitor our populations on an annual basis. During our two days surveying, we recorded numbers of shags, fulmars, gulls, kittiwakes, oyster catchers and puffins and Emily is currently in the process of writing up the results and I’m sure they will be published shortly.

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A ringed fulmar about to be released on Soa.

On Wednesday, we teamed up with tour operator ‘Turus Mara’ and the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to organise an evening trip to Staffa. Although the weather wasn’t as pleasant as the previous week, our guests had an extremely enjoyable evening. Staffa’s puffins were in great spirits and were often seen feeding mouthfuls of sand eels to their pufflings!

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A few of Staffa’s puffins

Whilst our guests were on Staffa, I carried out a count of the fulmar population on Staffa with the help of Izzy from the HWDT. We counted 94 pairs of fulmars on the island – a slight decrease in comparison to 2015.

On our way back, ‘Turus Mara’ skipper Colin spotted a Minke whale and we had the pleasure of watching it surface for around 10 minutes before it finally disappeared from view heading south towards the Ross of Mull. If that wasn’t enough, we also had the pleasure of enjoying another fantastic sunset!

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On Thursday, we carried out our annual goat survey on Burg. The goats here are feral and are believed to descend from those left behind during the Highland Clearances. We monitor the goat population so that the grazing on Burg can be managed appropriately. In total, we counted 115 goats, whilst we also had the pleasure of encountering two golden eagles and several red deer!

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Some steep scrambling on Burgs north coast

Overall, it was an extremely enjoyable and productive week and we thank the Thistle Camp volunteers, Mull Bird Club , Turus Mara, HWDT and Mark Jardine of Alternative Boat Hire for their assistance throughout the week.

Next up, we have our Moth and Wildflower walk on Wednesday at Burg. We will be meeting at the NTS Car Park at 10am. Booking is essential and can be made via email (ewilkins@nts.org.uk) or by phone (07717581405 or 01681700659).

I look forward to meeting you in the near future.

Daniel

Sunny highlights

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We’re enjoying weeks of almost unbroken warm sunshine here, time to give you a snapshot of what we’re up to in south Mull and Iona…

Thanks very much to the cheery NTS Thistle Camp volunteers, what a good-natured bunch of hard-working folk.  They are seen here checking out the results of all their efforts shifting boulders by giving the new stepping stones the ‘prancing test’!

 

Next a great group of students from George Watsons college in Edinburgh, on Mull for a John Muir Award week, who helped us out with a seaweed survey, Marine Conservation Society litter survey and beach clean up at Carsaig.

 

Iona and Bunessan primary schools teamed up for a visit to Tiroran Community Forest and Mull Eagle Watch, learning about our nesting sea eagles, measuring and identifying trees and minibeasts and having plenty of time to explore.

 

Not to be outdone, afterschool nature clubs at both schools have been collecting wool caught on fences and brambles, which was then washed and mordanted.  They also collected a selection of plants to produce their own dyes, and have carded the dyed wool reading for felting into pictures. Can you guess some of the plants we used from the photos?

 

Plenty of other things happening too – click on the events tab to see what’s next, then come and join us!

Emily

Hello!

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Hello folks! My name is Daniel and I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Volunteer Seasonal Ranger for South Mull, Iona, Burg and Staffa, where I will be assisting Emily for the next 10 weeks. I’m originally from Musselburgh, East Lothian, and have recently completed a degree in Environmental Protection BSc (Hons) at SRUC and the University of Edinburgh.

For the past year or so I have volunteered regularly with the NTS’ Lothian Area Ranger Service and I thoroughly enjoyed assisting in the provision of environmental education and various wildlife surveying and practical countryside management tasks. When the opportunity of a full time placement came up I jumped at the chance and here I am three days into my 10 week stint!

I have long had a passion for the outdoors, often spending my spare time fishing and hill walking (I’m at the summit of Meall nan Tarmachan in the photo above), and this has allowed me to develop an active interest in environmental management and conservation. During my time here on Mull, I look forward to carrying out wildlife surveys, including on sea bird colonies and corncrakes, as well as working with Thistle Camp volunteers and various school groups.

After a hard 4th year at University, which concluded a little over a week ago, I can’t find the words to describe how excited I am to get started. Already, I’ve been involved with building stepping stone paths across areas of bog on Iona, allowing easier access for visitors to the area. I’ve settled in well and spent last night fishing for mackerel from Bunessan Pier. I never caught any, its still a bit early, but it was a cracking night to sit and watch the sun set over the Dutchman’s Cap (Bac Mór).

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Coming up shortly, we have an evening’s sail to Staffa on the 8th June where we’ll be looking out for various cetaceans along the way before spending time with the Island’s puffin colony. Tickets are priced at only £30 and it’s certainly not an evening to be missed! However, we do have several other events planned for those who don’t have their sea legs! If you’re staying in the North of the Island, my colleague Jan is running a day trip to Ulva where she will provide a small guided tour on the 1st June.

Details of all further events can be found on the ‘Events’ section of this website or for the most up to date information please check our Facebook page.

I look forward to meeting you over the summer.

Cheers,

Daniel

Free Range(r) in North Mull

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From next Wednesday (May 25th), we’ll be starting a series of FREE drop-in sessions at both the Fishnish Community Hide and the Loch Tor Hide…

Come along to spot wildlife, learn about the animals and plants that we find, and pick up some top tips for enjoying wildlife responsibly elsewhere on the island!

The Ranger will be at Fishnish between 10am – 12pm, followed by Loch Tor from 1pm -3pm.

There’s no need to book and the sessions are free, but donations to our Mull and Iona Ranger Service are always welcome.

Glengorm (43)

In other Ranger Service news, we enjoyed a beautiful walk around Aros Park on May 4th. The weather was spectacular and the wildflowers were out in force – though, it was perhaps a little warm for the birds!

The Grey Herons were visibly panting in their tree-top roost, and the only buzzard to be seen was the stuffed specimen that lives in my office… he does appreciate a trip out now and again.

Spot of the day was a bright and shiny Large Red Damselfly; the first that I have recorded this year. Hopefully, many more exciting invertebrates will follow!

Thanks to the lovely guests who came along and shared the afternoon – it was a pleasure spending time with you all.

Wildlife (95)

Stephanie Cope

Mull and Iona Ranger Service

Fishnish Hide has makeover

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The Fishnish hide, kindly donated to the community by Laing’O’ Rouke (the company that put in the new water pipe to Craignure), has had a make over. Forestry Commission Scotland provided the information panels and the totem pole is the old sea eagle nest tree from Loch Frisa, a totem pole in every sense apart from not having a raven, but then it does have a midgie!!!

As you can see it is looking truely smart.Next to be replaced will be the drop down windows, which are to be replaced with something more user friendly.

Springing into action at Calgary

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Sunday 10th of April saw a hearty crew of 21 turned up to  Calgary Bay to help with our bi-annual beach clean.

As we worked our way along the beach from the camping area to the  far end , the banter and the chatter could be heard all around. Much thanks must go to those that came out on the day but also very much to those who walk the beach on a regular bases picking up a bag full of rubbish as they go. The predominant find on the beach was pieces of fishing twine  and ropes with plastic bottles coming a close sencond.One key and exciting  find was  what we though was a satellite transmitter from a basking shark. It had contact details on it so hopefully we will find out more in the not so distant future.

A lovely refreshing cup of tea with home-baking and contributions even from  Mr Tunnock, (in the form of tea cakes) were enjoyed by all. It was so warm I even came a way with a bit of a sun tan.

Thank you all again and see you for the next one at the end of June.picnic

Spring holiday events

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Hello again from the Ross!  It’s the middle of the school holidays at the moment and last week we were busy with several events.  First of all we had the lovely Aberdeen University Conservation Society helping out with tasks all around the island.  You can see what they got up to on our facebook page: beachcleaning at Aird Fada, path clearance and removing tree tubes in Aros Park, and outwith the ranger service, also helping out John Clare, Forest Officer, with improving wildlife habitats at Tiroran Community Forest.  Thanks for all your hard work!

Catriona Hood has been volunteering with me over the last few months and this week she stepped up her efforts to help plan two children’s holiday events.  For the first one on Wednesday 6th April we also had the help of the very capable Jane Gordon-Chauvet.  Although heavy rain and hail showers prevented us from being outside as much as we would have liked, judging by the time it took to clear up afterwards, a lot of fun was had by all!  The pictures show some of our Art in Nature efforts including games of ‘Nature’s Dominoes’ and ‘The Great Circle’ along with painting stones, making recycled paper and decorating suncatchers.  Thanks for coming along everyone!

Later in the week we tried out our first ranger service event in Tiroran Community Forest. Fifteen intrepid young folk took part in OrienTREEing during which they explored the forest in groups looking for clues attached to particular trees, with the help of a tree ID guide, a cartoon map drawn by Catriona and some pre-programmed GPSs.  They had to complete a number of challenges including discovering micro-worlds with the aid of magnifying glasses, choosing soundtracks or slogans to fit the views they could see, using all their senses to get to know the trees, smelling bog myrtle buds, finding wildlife from birds to tadpoles to a delicate moth chrysalis, exploring out what lives inside dead logs, investigating human impacts on the forest over time, collecting water and sticks to prepare their own hot chocolate.  We just managed to finish before the rain but most people had fun getting wet and muddy all the same!  Thanks to Maureen and Naomi for bringing their group from Oban and to Julie Ward for her help too, also to Celia Compton for driving the community bus.  Think we all know the forest a bit better now.  This was also a taster event for the John Muir Award and its themes of Discover, Explore, Conserve a Wild Place and Share the experience with others, so along the way we heard about John Muir himself and some of his crazy exploits.  If you know any 11-16 year olds who’d like to get involved in similar events during the summer holidays just get in touch with us!