RSPB Conservation Scientist, Alison Beresford, tell us about dotterel surveys in the Cairngorms.
Birds, blizzards and… more blizzards: surveying for Dotterel in the Cairngorms
I’ve always been drawn to the hills. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of space and perspective you get sat on top of a big hill in the middle of nowhere, especially if you’re lucky enough to get a good view. So when I was offered the job of surveying some of Scotland’s highest mountains for Dotterel this summer, I jumped at the chance. I pictured long summer days spent roaming the high plateaus, a sort of peaceful serenity washing over me as I lay on the mountainside watching the birds going about their business… Of course what I failed to imagine were the blizzards. I stood on the top of Cairngorm in glorious sunshine in the middle of March, not a snowflake in sight. Little did I imagine that, come May, I would be spending my evenings studying weather forecasts full of phrases such as “frequent snow/hail”, “whiteout” and “will feel like minus 17 with wind-chill”, and I certainly didn’t imagine looking into my wardrobe and wondering how many pairs of trousers it was physically possible to wear whilst still retaining the use of my knees!
So it has been a slow start to the Dotterel survey season this year. Dotterel over-winter in North Africa and the Middle-East, but migrate back north to breed. Most birds that pass through Scotland will continue on to Scandinavia or Russia, but some stay behind to breed in the UK, favouring extensive open ridges and high plateaus above the natural tree line. Dotterel are on the amber list of birds of conservation concern in the UK and Scotland holds over 99% of the British population. National surveys in 1987/88, 1999 and 2011 suggest that the population may be in decline, but it’s difficult to get accurate estimates for species that inhabit such remote locations. It’s important to know how the Dotterel is faring though. As a montane specialist at the southern edge of its breeding range in Scotland, Dotterel could be particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change. They have already been shown to be sensitive to fluctuations in weather conditions in late May and early June, and have been identified as a key indicator of the “health” of montane habitats.
Photo: Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
Back to my long summer days roaming the hillsides then… well the higher study sites of the Cairngorms are still covered in snow, but I have managed to get out and about and fit in a few surveys around the Drumochter hills. Conditions have not been ideal, but the odd bird has been brave enough to show itself between the snow and hail showers and with patience I’ve been rewarded with sightings of Golden Eagle, Dunlin, Ptarmigan, Wheatear and even… Dotterel! The weather is forecast to improve dramatically next week and I’m looking forward to such delights as “no precipitation”, “many summits cloud free” and “steady snow-melt”. I’m sure the birds will appreciate an end to the harsh wintery conditions too.
Find out more about the dotterel study here.