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| Abernethy Forest |
My main job for the RSPB was forest management which involved a large amount of winching down trees to create deadwood, something 80% of the species present on the reserve require to survive. Other jobs were equally destructive such as removing spruces from a scots pine forest, deer stalking to help floral species (such as Juniper) and faunal species (such as the elusive Capercaillie) recover.
Fortunately, to allow a break from the destruction, there was a large amount of invertebrate species for me to look at. In forest clearings male Scotch Argus butterflies flit across in search of a mate while Northern Spinach moths sip from the carpet of Bell Heather. Between fern fronds Cross Orb Weaver spiders spin their webs, lying in wait for the countless thousands of midges inhabiting the forest.
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| Scotch Argus |
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| Northern Spinach |
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| Northern Spinach sipping on Bell Heather |
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| Cross Orb Weaver |
At the base of the Downy Birch dainty Creeping Ladies Tresses Orchids dwell. Rarely found alone, these orchids hold small parliaments with their tiny white flowers nestled between the Blaeberry and Cowberry.
Resting against the roots of a towering coniferous monolith is the home of a large Wood-ant colony. An earthen mound covered in pine needles is a hive of activity with busy ants collecting food, clearing debris and defending against attackers. A Crested Tit alighting on the tip of the mound in the hope of an easy meal is met with a fine spray of formic acid produced by the disgruntled ants. Quickly deciding that this meal is not worth the effort, the Crested Tit rejoins a small passerine flock in the coniferous canopy consisting of Long-Tailed Tit, Blue Tit etc. A few metres away you may be lucky enough to spot a smaller wood ant nest inhabited by the Narrow Headed Wood-ant, one of Britain’s rarest wood-ants.
A buzzing above signifies the arrival of the Bilberry bumblebee, Bombus monticolor. A very distinctive bee, its orange coat extends almost the whole way up its abdomen while its thorax is decorated with two yellow bands. In late summer the Bilberry bumblebee feeds almost exclusively on bilberry flowers and bell heather due to it’s fairly short proboscis and lack of alternative pollen sources.
I stayed in a large burgundy coloured hunting lodge deep in the Abernethy forest. From my bedroom window I could look out at the bird feeder and see swathes of Chaffinch and Coal tit consuming the peanuts provided. Occasionally these birds were scattered by the arrival of the threatening Greater Spotted Woodpecker who would peck at any smaller bird who dared approach too closely. The endearing Red Squirrels were far more accommodating, knowing the squirrel meant no harm Chaffinch would come and feed from the bird table while the squirrel grasped nuts from the feeder.
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| Bombus monticolor |
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| Coal tit |
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| Red Squirrel with nut |
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| Red Squirrel |
In the dead of night the elusive Pine Marten emerges from her den and sniffs around the feeders hoping that someone has left out her favourite food, a jam sandwich. Finding none tonight, she slinks back into the forest to continue her search for food.
On the slopes of the Cairngorms above the reserve the soft light of dawn is accompanied by a soft burbling melody. Even in late August the Black Grouse are Lekking. One morning 12 males had gathered on a flattened area, showing off their white feathered rumps they size each other up, discerning who is the most powerful and most beautiful. Occasionally equally powerful and beautiful males cannot agree and fly up kicking and pecking, fighting until the winner is triumphant. The victor with his crimson facial markings proudly struts around his claimed lekking ground, knowing that his effort this morning has ensured him a female and the opportunity to pass on his genes to the next generation.
High on the grassy slopes a Roe deer doe grazes with her young calf, happily feeding and gaining weight for the winter and the stresses that come with the Roe deer Rut which will commence in the Autumn.
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| Black Grouse Lek |
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| Black Grouse |
High on the grassy slopes a Roe deer doe grazes with her young calf, happily feeding and gaining weight for the winter and the stresses that come with the Roe deer Rut which will commence in the Autumn.
As the day draws on and the sun is high overhead sunbeams stream through the cumulus clouds, illuminating the green and purple carpet of heather and blaeberry. High in the Cairngorms a curtain of rain moves down a steep glacial valley, the misty rain rolls slowly across the plateau before eventually reaching a small clutch of Twayblade Orchids nearing the end of their lives. Their flowers gone, all that remains is a drooping brown stalk cupped by a pair of yellowing leaves. Nestled beneath the heather they will decompose providing the nutrients needed to ensure the continuation of the great diversity of this habitat.
A moth trap put out each night collected an interesting array of species, many of which were new to me. A Barred Chestnut, Autumnal Rustics and beautiful Tortrix moths like miniscule jewels hide in the crevices of the egg boxes filling the trap. Quickly they will be identified and recorded by me and two other volunteers, Rory and Sarah, before being released back into the forest where they can feed again.
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| Rain moving down the Cairngorms |
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| A Loch and the Cairngorm mountains |
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| Autumnal Rustic |
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| Barred Chestnut |
