Dundreggan News - August 2009
First Impressions
It is now three months since I took up the post of project manager at Dundreggan and I am penning my first article for Caledonia Wild! to the accompaniment of a thunderstorm, which has brought an end to a week of blistering hot weather. Starting in April has allowed me to experience the transition of spring into summer. There was a profusion of spring flowers on the estate most notable of which were the banks of primrose in sunny glades in the wood. It was great to witness the trees coming into leaf with the vibrant bright green of early growth as the buds burst. Now that we are into summer there are numerous orchids present on the slopes of Binnilidh Bheag as well as brightly coloured displays of bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum) and the strange looking insectivorous oblong-leaved sundew (Drosera intermedia).
I have been fortunate to spend time with local naturalist Jane Bowman who knows the estate so well and has shown me many of Dundreggan's special qualities; with her enthusiasm and penchant for finding rare insects she regularly drops in the office to keep me and Allan Common on our toes. She recently showed me some Scottish asphodel (Tofieldia pusilla) with a delicate white flower, which she was excited to find.
Allan Common has been very helpful, and his friendly manner, invaluable local knowledge and practical approach have allowed me to settle into my new role and life in the glen. I am still in the process of getting to know the ground but have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the estate and seeing the huge potential for woodland restoration. During the spring there has been loads of natural regeneration both within the woodland and beyond its current limits. There are many challenges ahead in balancing different priorities and objectives the detailed survey work already carried out, currently being carried out and planned will help inform future plans and decisions.
 Trees for Life Patron Vanessa Collingridge planting a hazel tree at Dundreggan, as part of the celebration event. Photo by Mick Drury. |
Celebration Event
On the weekend of June 6/7th Trees for Life staff welcomed supporters, donors and volunteers to a celebration event which saw the unveiling of a plaque acknowledging the individuals, organisations and trusts whose generous donations resulted in the purchase of Dundreggan. Alan (Watson Featherstone) made a short toast, before Bruce Bacon, on behalf of the Audrey and JJ Martindale Foundation (the largest donor towards the purchase) unveiled the plaque. This was followed by a tree planting ceremony, in which aspen and hazel trees were planted by Bruce, Trees for Life patrons Roy Dennis and Vanessa Collingridge, Jane Bowman, Richard Brockbank, Alan and myself.
The assembled guests then enjoyed a meal served in the marquee on the lawn interspersed with a slide show presentation by Alan about Dundreggan's biodiversity and this was followed by a highly entertaining auction conducted by Vanessa, who made a very enthusiastic amateur auctioneer. The auction was a great success and, thanks to some very generous donations of items and competitive bidding, raised over £2,600. On completion of the auction, the tables and chairs were rapidly cleared and the entertainment continued with a ceilidh into the wee small hours.
The celebration event was followed on the Sunday by an Open Day, which attracted members of the public along with those who had stayed on for the whole weekend. A range of guided walks were available throughout the day, along with slide show presentations and displays of TFL activities, including aspen propagation and future work programmes. Entertainment and craft activities for the younger generation were provided by Wild Things!, the environmental education charity that is an offshoot of Trees for Life.
Ongoing Projects
Thanks to generous donations from the Audrey and JJ Martindale Foundation we have made a couple of significant purchases a brand new 4 x 4 pick up truck, which allows us to access the more remote parts of the estate, and, in anticipation of the upcoming stalking season, we will be taking delivery of a purpose built deer larder in early August. The lodge is now enjoying the benefits of free hot water following the fitting of solar panels that were donated by the DIY chain, B & Q. Thanks to the efforts of Allan Common and Richard Brockbank, along with local volunteers Derek Peacock and Graham Wood, the entrance to the lodge and the keeper's cottage have been widened to improve vehicle access. This work, along with expanding the car park at the lodge, will make it much easier for our minibuses to turn there.
After an 8 month stint with us as a long term volunteer Richard departed in early June. He has left numerous reminders of his time here and his woodworking skills are much in evidence in the lodge and the office, along with the beautiful wooden frame he crafted for the commemorative plaque. He will also be missed for the time he spent on the little green lawn tractor keeping the grass in check around the buildings. If anyone is willing and available over the remainder of the summer to help out with odd jobs around the estate please get in touch (as an inducement we have just replaced the aforementioned lawn tractor with a shiny new one).
Future Projects
We are preparing for the arrival of the much-heralded wild boar at the end of August and are busy addressing the licence requirements with regard to fence specifications, signage, delivery and inspection of the animals. I am very much looking forward to reporting about the progress of this project in future editions of Caledonia Wild! We are also waiting for approval for grants from the Scottish Rural Development Programme for tree planting programmes throughout the estate, which will be carried out by volunteers during Conservation Holidays this autumn and next spring.
Volunteering at Dundreggan
If you are interested in helping out at Dundreggan outside of the autumn and spring Conservation Holiday seasons there are opportunities to come for longer periods we would look for a commitment of three weeks in exchange for accommodation in the cottage. Daily tasks would be routine grounds maintenance, grass cutting, weeding nursery beds, bracken clearance etc, as well as working with local volunteers. Please get in touch with me via email. You'll need to complete an application form and provide details of availability and relevant experience, and places will be limited, depending on accommodation and work requirements.
Steve Morris
Biodiversity surveys
 Left: Forest bug (Pentatoma rufipes) found on a hazel tree (Corylus avellana), during the spider survey in July. |
We have a number of biodiversity surveys taking place at Dundreggan this year, and in May Sean Reed carried out several days of surveying for birds, assisted by Jane Bowman, who has been keeping records of birds on the estate in recent years. Sean's report suggests that black grouse is the most significant bird for conservation on Dundreggan, with a minimum of 17 males on the estate this year. He's made a number of recommendations for management to enhance the habitat conditions for black grouse, including reducing deer numbers, ending the winter feeding of deer and the possibility of some small conservation burns of heather. Other recommendations from his report include the installation of nesting rafts on the hill lochs in the north of the estate, to encourage breeding by the black-throated divers seen there, and the benefits that will be provided to a number of bird species by the restoration of more native woodland.
At the end of June Alastair Lavery spent 5 days at Dundreggan, carrying out a survey of spiders and harvestmen there. He's still working on the identification of all the spiders he collected, but has already made two important discoveries. One species of comb-footed spider (Dipoena torva) that he's found is on the UK's Red Data List and is classified as Nationally Vulnerable. It is a native pinewood specialist, and feeds on wood ants (Formica spp. ) that it catches on the trunks of Scots pines. This spider has mainly been recorded from the Spey and Dee catchments, and its discovery on Dundreggan fills a significant gap in its distribution. The other interesting find is a large orb web spider (Araneus alsine) that is a spectacular orange colour. This is a Nationally Scarce (Notable B) species, with only 7 previous records in Scotland, and as its distribution is otherwise confined to the southeast of England, its presence on Dundreggan is significant.
As this edition of Caledonia Wild! goes to press, John Douglass is carrying out a lichen survey to complement and add to the work done by Joe Hope in 2007, and we have other surveyors coming soon to look at mammals, fungi and Diptera (two-winged flies).
Meanwhile, Jane Bowman is continuing to add to the species lists of various groups of organisms on Dundreggan, and this year has added several orchid species, including the early marsh (Dactylorhiza incarnata), northern marsh (Dactylorhiza purpurella) and small white orchids (Pseudorchis albida). She's also continuing to document the insect diversity on Dundreggan, and is invaluable in providing useful information and support to the visiting specialist surveyors.
Alan Watson Featherstone
Pages about Biodiversity on Dundreggan on this site
New discoveries in charity's 'Lost world' Highland Estate - 20th January 2012
Biodiversity News - April 2011
Rare and endangered species found in Highlands estate's "lost world" - 17th December 2010
Rare sawfly discovered for first time in UK - 5th November 2010
Biodiversity surveys and discoveries - October 2010
Biodiversity surveys at Dundreggan - May 2010
Alder tongue fungus found at Dundreggan (and near Plodda Lodge) - 15 April 2010
Biodiversity surveys identify over 50 key species on Highland Estate - 15th February 2010
Biodiversity discoveries - November 2009
Biodiversity surveys - August 2009
Surveys and biodiversity discoveries - November 2008
Reaping the results of our biodiversity surveys - May 2008
Dundreggan's diversity keeps growing! - November 2007
Biodiversity on Dundreggan - First impressions, August 2006
Biodiversity on Dundreggan
Pages about Dundreggan on this site
- Dundreggan home page
- Become a Friend of Dundreggan
- The Dundreggan Estate - the perfect site for forest restoration. Management plan in brief.
- £1.65 million Dundreggan deal a milestone for Scotland's Caledonian Forest
- Our purchase of Dundreggan is complete, at last - August 2008
- Dundreggan News: articles from 2006 to the present
- First impressions of Dundreggan's potential for forest restoration
- Biodiversity on Dundreggan - First impressions, August 2006
- Biodiversity on Dundreggan
- The History of the Dundreggan Estate