2023 Species Hunt!

We are in a lucky position with the woodland, in that it isn’t yet a woodland, it’s an ex-grazing field with saplings in it. This gives us an exciting opportunity to watch how the biodiversity of the site changes over time. The introduction of the trees and the different habitat types that will come about will increase the number of species present and will also lead to changes in the types of plants and animals that call the field home.

So what is living there now, before it becomes a woodland?

To answer this question we carried out a species hunt at the woodland over the summer, with help from a number of experts and a team of enthusiastic volunteers at our open day in July.

We looked for birds early in the morning and we found that the field is a feeding ground for Meadow pipits, Yellow hammers and Swallows. We looked for bats late in the evening and, using the bat-detectors, identified Common and Soprano Pipistrelles using the neighboring trees.

We were so lucky to be supported for our open day by Pete and Hilary Moore from Butterfly Conservation Highland Branch. They set their moth traps up the night before and despite unseasonably chilly nighttime temperatures captured 23 species of moths. It was undoubtedly the highlight of the day revealing all these beautiful creatures from the traps and enjoying them before they took to the wing and disappeared back into the long grasses.

The stand-out species were a dazzling shiny Gold Spangle and an enormous Poplar Hawk Moth.

Pete and Hilary also ran a butterfly walk and sharp-eyed volunteers spotted Large White, Meadow Brown and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies, not easy considering what a windy day it was.

The creeping insects weren’t neglected either and armed with sweep nets and ID guides we found some gorgeous insects including several Common Green Grasshoppers, Marmalade Hoverflies (so named after their thick and thin orange stripes!), Mirrid Bugs, Ladybirds and several species of spiders.

Later in the month members from the Botanical Society of Britian and Ireland visited the site and had a really good look through the grasses and flowers, revealing beauties such as Purple Fumintory, Meadow Buttercup and Yarrow along with grass species. There was an astonishing 43 different plant species identified, a number which will grow and grow as the field changes into a woodland.

The plan is to revisit this project in 5 years time to see what has changed in the numbers and types of species in the field.

If you are interested in a full species list please contact us.

With enormous thanks to everyone who helped with the open day, all our species hunting volunteers and especially the people with expertise in their subject who gave up their time to help us;

Pete and Hilary Moore – Butterfly Conservation Trust

Mary Eaglestone – County Moth Recorder

Jayne Kelly – Kelly Ecology

Brian Balinger, Mary Dean and Rod Hill – Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland

Ro Scott – County Mammal Recorder

Helen Chance – Inverness Bat Group

Lynn McKelvey, who ran our fascinating nature table

Marcia O’Hara – Highlife Highland Ranger Service