In August 2021, work at Loch Lomond to improve the habitat for wintering geese commenced after delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Around 1% of the global population of Greenland white-fronted geese spend their winter at RSPB Loch Lomond. The reserve is within the Loch Lomond Special Protection Area (SPA), which is designated to help protect this habitat for the rare geese and other wintering birds. The geese prefer short vegetation to feed and roost in, which requires management to prevent plants like reed and sedge becoming too dense.
Many areas of the wetland at Loch Lomond are inaccessible with conventional machinery and so a new approach was required to cut sections of the reserve for the geese. Through the LIFE 100% for Nature project, we purchased a tractor with specialist Soucy-tracks. These are low-ground pressure tracks that stop the tractor from sinking into the boggy areas and reduce the impact of the tractor on the sensitive habitat. We plan to cut, and remove some of the vegetation, in sections of the site between August and October each year of the project to 2024. We hope that this will help increase the amount of good quality habitat available for the geese during their stay at Loch Lomond.
Watch our video to find out more and see the tractor in action on a damp day at Loch Lomond!