Orkney

Stoat Snippet 102

2021-07-01T16:30:00Z

Welcome to the latest news and updates from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project New to our blog and want to find out more about the project, how to volunteer with us or have a question? Visit our Facebook page, our website or email us at info@on...(read more)

Stoat Snippet 101

2021-05-28T00:26:00Z

The latest blog from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project, the world's largest stoat eradication, explaining the impact of invasive non-native species during this year's Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) week.(read more)

Curlews in Orkney - Outrageous Goals, Extravagant Hope , by Richard Clubley

2021-04-21T12:00:00Z

photo courtesy of RSPB Images

When Stephen Hawking was writing “A Brief History of Time” someone advised he would lose half the potential readership with each equation he included; so he settled on just e=mc² in the entire book. I’m thinking the same might be true for curlew statistics so how about: the number of curlews in the UK has halved since the millennium; they might be all gone in 50 years? Do we really need any more convincing to do something about it? Apparently we do, since the number continues to fall.

The UK holds a quarter of the world population of Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata) so one might imagine we would feel some responsibility for them. Orkney is the world capital for curlew breeding so, in these islands, we have an even greater duty of care.

A duty of care, that is, if one believes in the importance and value of curlews. They are not an economic species: they do not feed us; they aren’t pollinators or pest controllers. So, those among us who feel the need to conserve wildlife – for its own sake and for our own wellness – must find ways to galvanise a critical mass of people. Conservation must become a mass movement, not just a mass lip service. We will not achieve this by criticising farmers, foresters, governments or builders – we have to inoculate everyone with the conservation bug. All must feel it. When this happens curlews will be safe (and puffins, hen harriers and the white rhinoceros)

photo courtesy of Christine Hall

Mary Colwell in Curlew Moon explains there is no formula written down for lasting change. The Save the Whale campaign was ignited by two things: the public being made aware that whales ‘sing’; and by film of a small, flimsy boat – Rainbow Warrior – getting between a whale and a giant Japanese whaling ship. Who knew they would be seminal moments in a global change? Colwell goes on to quote American sociologist, Eric Hoffer: ‘…we must know how to kindle and fan extravagant hope’. My old school headteacher, Ken Cook, used to say ‘We must have outrageous goals.’

In 30 years the red kite has gone from a handful – one of only three globally threatened species in the UK – to 10,000 birds widespread. It could be the biggest species conservation success story in UK history. Today the same challenge faces the curlew. Actually, no challenge faces the curlews, they don’t know what a challenge is. The challenge is ours, so let us have extravagant hope and set outrageous goals.

photo courtesy of Alan Leitch

Stoat Snippet 100

2021-04-21T08:17:00Z

Stoat Snippet 99

2021-04-08T14:05:00Z

Welcome to the latest news and updates from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project. (read more)

Stoat Snippet 98

2021-03-19T10:50:00Z

Welcome to the latest news and updates from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project safeguarding the future of Orkney's native wildlife with an ambitious project to eradicate stoats from Orkney and put biosecurity measures in place to ensure they cannot return(read more)

Looking back to a night of thanks and celebration of over three decades of RSPB Local Group in Orkney!

2021-02-17T15:15:00Z

This time last year we were hosting an evening of thanks and celebration for all of our Orkney RSPB volunteers, with staff and volunteers coming together to enjoy an evening of talks and displays, food and catching up, and celebrating the hard work of all our volunteers. It was a great evening, and little did we know then that it would be one of the last chances to get together for a while! During the evening, Long Service awards were presented to many of our volunteers, and we took the opportunity to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the RSPB Orkney Local Group providing support to the RSPB in Orkney.

RSPB staff, volunteers and Local Group committee members at a 'Thank You' evening in February 2020, photo by Christine Hall

Set up in 1985, the Orkney Local Group is made up of local RSPB members and functions as a support system for the Orkney RSPB team. The group carry out a range of activities on behalf of the RSPB, from helping to run the tent at the annual Orkney County Show, representing RSPB at the Orkney Charities Bazaar Christmas Fair, and taking part in many fundraising activities. Over the past three decades, the Local Group has raised an incredible £20,000 for the society!

RSPB Local Group and staff members running a stall at the Christmas VAO Charities Bazaar, November 2019, photo by Eleanor Davison

Local Group members run fieldtrips across the Mainland and islands, with the support of local RPSB staff, which are open to RSPB supporters and other members of the public alike. These trips are a great opportunity for anyone to experience the wonders of Orkney’s wildlife alongside passionate and knowledgeable guides. A regular bulletin entitled ‘Latest Happenings’ is sent out by group secretary Pauline Wilson to members, detailing upcoming events, trips and other information.

A misty birdwatching trip to Sanday organised by RSPB Local Group, September 2019 , photos by Eleanor Davison and Alan Leitch

Local Group Chair Dick Matson is at the front of the first picture, while Sites Manager Alan Leitch seems to be reading out something interesting to the group! An exciting find of migrating birds has been spotted in the second picture!

The Local Group have helped to raise the profile of RPSB Scotland in Orkney in a very positive way, and the support of the members, and in particular the hard work and commitment of the committee members, is very much appreciated by the Orkney staff and members of the public.

RSPB Local Group AGM with talks given by RSPB Orkney staff, November 2019, photos by Eleanor Davison

During the Thank You evening last February, Grace Currie, Local Group committee member, received her award to recognise 30 years of volunteering for the RSPB. Graham and Kathie Brown, Treasurer and committee member respectively, both received their 10 year long service awards. Dick Matson, Local Group Chair, and Pauline Wilson, Local Group Secretary, had both received their 20 year long service awards in 2016. Shirley Tolley, committee member, received her 5 year award, with Robert Wilson, committee member, having received his 5 year award in 2018.

In recognition of the 35 years of support provided by the Local Group in Orkney, Dick Matson was presented with a personal Thank You card from Anne McCall, Director of RSPB Scotland, which he accepted on behalf of the group.

We hope that Local Group and other volunteering activities will be able to return to normality soon, and in the meantime, we are looking back to a great night last year and would like to say a big Thank You! again to all of our volunteers for all the hard work they contribute to the work of the RSPB in Orkney - THANK YOU!

More birdwatching with the Local Group on Sanday September 2019, photo by Eleanor Davison

Stoat Snippet 97

2021-02-04T20:39:00Z

Updates from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project. A partnership of the RSPB Scotland, Nature Scot, and the Orkney Islands Council to protect Orkney's native wildlife from the invasive non-native stoat(read more)

What will you see in the Big Garden Birdwatch? The world's largest garden wildlife survey returns 29 - 31 January 2021!

2021-01-27T17:53:00Z

For over four decades, the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch has united people across the UK in taking time to watch and count their garden birds over the last weekend in January. We are calling on Orkney residents to celebrate your love of nature and join the thousands of people throughout Scotland and the UK in taking part this weekend!

Each year, close to half a million people take part in the survey, spending just one hour watching and recording the birds seen from their garden, balcony or window and sending in their results. Throughout the last year in particular, we’ve seen how important the natural world is to our mental health and wellbeing. There has been a surge in interest in the nature on our doorsteps and watching our garden birds and local wildlife can bring joy and comfort in these unsettling times. A survey by Scottish Environment LINK in July 2020 found 76% of respondents said they had become more aware of nature during lockdown.

This year’s event takes place on 29, 30 and 31 January 2021. To take part, first sign up to the survey on the RSPB website and download your free Big Garden Birdwatch guide. This includes charts and information to help you identify garden birds, along with top tips for your birdwatch and advice on attracting wildlife to your garden. You then pick an hour to spend over the weekend and watch the birds you can see from your home or immediate surroundings. Only count the birds that land and record the highest number of each species you see at any one time – not the total you see over the hour.

Since 1979, the Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted who is thriving and who is struggling in the garden bird world. In this time, over 144 million birds have been counted by participants, giving the RSPB an astonishing amount of insight into how our most recognisable species are faring.

The most commonly seen Orkney species naturally differ from elsewhere in Scotland and the rest of the UK. In 2020, the starling was our most common garden bird, stealing the top spot from the house sparrow, which remained top in both the overall Scotland and overall UK results. Orkney’s results also saw blackbirds taking a higher spot than elsewhere, and collared doves, feral pigeons, rooks and dunnocks taking places in the top 10 held by chaffinches and tit species in Scotland and the UK overall.

While house sparrows and starlings may be the UK’s most commonly sighted birds, a closer look at Big Garden Birdwatch data shows that numbers have in fact dropped dramatically since the Birdwatch began in 1979. House sparrows are down 53% while starlings have declined by a dramatic 80%. It is a pattern echoed by two more garden favourites, with blackbirds and robins down 46% and 32% respectively in this time. Having this data allows the RSPB to investigate the reasons for these declines and understand what is needed to protect these species.

Keith Morton, RSPB Senior Species Policy Officer, said: “The data you submit from your Big Garden Birdwatch helps us create a picture of how bird populations in Scotland are faring, which then informs the work we do to protect those species most at risk. Last year almost 18 thousand households in Scotland counted their garden birds for an hour, which makes for a massive amount of data. Could you give an hour of your time this year to get involved? Every submission is important, even if you don’t see a single bird, and enjoying nature is just as important as counting it.”

Running in parallel to the main event, the RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch takes place from 6 January – 21 February 2021. This year it celebrates its 20^th anniversary of connecting children with nature in their school grounds. Since its launch, over a million school children and teachers have taken part. To find out how schools can still take part this year please visit www.rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch for more information.

You can register to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch 2021 by visiting www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch  

For further information on taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch please contact Eleanor.davison@rspb.org.uk . For information on Big Schools Birdwatch please contact Holly.peek@rspb.org.uk. You can also follow the RSPB Orkney Facebook page for information and to let the team know what you see over the survey weekend!

Stoat Snippet 96

2021-01-17T17:36:00Z

Welcome to the latest news and updates from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project.

New to our blog and want to find out more about the project, how to volunteer with us, or have a question? Visit our Facebook page, our website or email us at stoatsightings@rspb.org.uk

Monitoring Orkney's native wildlife

A belated Happy New Year everyone! We hope you are enjoying nature's gifts as much as possible in these challenging times.

In our last issue, we introduced our monitoring programme, what it does, and why. This work surveying the Orkney wildlife expected to be affected by the threat posed by the invasive non-native stoat is huge and varied. In Snippet 95 we explained what we do each year to assess our native wildlife populations of the Orkney vole, skylarks, meadow pipits, curlew, lapwing, oystercatcher, redshank, and snipe.

It doesn’t stop there. We also analyse data with the valuable help of the Orkney Raptor Study Group (ORSG) and the RSPB Scotland.

The productivity of each species is determined by calculating the nest successes from the samples found during the breeding season. From that we estimate the overall number of species in an area to have a better idea of their population by area. By knowing what birds are in an area we are surveying, we can estimate their productivity. We consider a nest is successful if any of the clutches of eggs have hatched.

Seabirds - Fulmar, shag, kittiwake, guillemot and razorbill

Seabird productivity is monitored annually at four sites across Orkney Mainland by the RSPB Scotland staff and their enthusiastic volunteers.

At the end of the project, productivity will be compared between three periods; pre-stoat arrival, pre-eradication, and post-eradication. This will be compared with Fair Isle as it is a stoat-free island around 40 km northeast of Orkney with large, annually monitored seabird colonies. It is also where seabirds are likely to experience similar levels of food availability as found in Orkney.

The results from the 2019 season showed breeding success was higher than the long-term average for at least three seabird species – fulmar (pictured in flight copyright RSPB images), kittiwake, and guillemot.

Productivity has generally been poor in recent years, having declined before the arrival of stoats and mainly driven by a lack of food linked to climate change. Our continuing analysis will assess whether any local variation in productivity could be due to stoats, which potentially have access to some nesting ledges.

Hen harrier and short-eared owl

Orkney is famous for its landscape, its history, its culture, and its wildlife. Despite the combined land area of Orkney’s 70 islands accounting for less than one percent of the UK, these islands are home to nearly a fifth of the UK’s breeding hen harriers. We are extremely grateful to the ORSG and the RSPB Scotland, for kindly sharing their data with us from their own annual surveys of these species.

Hen Harrier in flight (RSPB images)

The majestic short-eared owl is very difficult to monitor and there is currently no standard method. Consequently, we will assess the short-eared owl population size through a combination of community sightings and because of the generosity of the ORSG, which kindly shares their survey data with us.

Anyone who spots a short-eared owl can record the information on the dedicated short-eared owls in Orkney FaceBook page.

Thanks to the community effort, 211 sightings were recorded in 2019, and these are extremely helpful to our study programme.

Red-throated diver (Gavia stellate)

The productivity of the elusive red-throated diver nests will be compared between three periods;

pre-stoat arrival,
pre-eradication and
post-eradication

This will be from a sample of annually monitored red-throated diver nests. We use data provided by the RSPB Scotland surveyed at four of their reserves - two sites on Orkney Mainland, one in Hoy and one in Rousay. In 2019, 39 pairs were found, fledging 28 chicks.

Join us

Last month we mentioned we are advertising for seasonal research field workers for the project monitoring programme advertised online here. The closing date for applications is imminent, 18th January 2021, with interviews scheduled for early February.

Stoat Snippet - 95

2020-12-30T10:37:00Z

Welcome to the latest news and updates from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project

New to our blog and want to find out more about the project, how to volunteer with us, or have a question? Visit our Facebook page, our website, or email us.

Monitoring our native species and what to do if you want to be involved

Running alongside the eradication arm of the project, which deploys thousands of traps to eradicate the stoat, is the research and citizen science programme.

This team focuses on recording the data to monitor the population of selected species in Orkney deemed most threatened by the non-native stoat. As the eradication progresses year on year this information also examines how this invasive non-native predator is impacting on Orkney’s native wildlife.

The monitoring to observe specific species takes place between April and July. The Orkney vole is also monitored again in September. We recruit seasonal monitoring staff for this, but volunteers wanting to take part in this citizen science project are vital. In 2019, 1142 hours were volunteered to help the project monitor Orkney’s wonderful native wildlife. If you are interested in volunteering for the 2021 season, please contact our Monitoring Officer, Zoe Edwards.

Our monitoring sites are spread throughout areas of Mainland Orkney as well as the outer isles. Although there is no evidence of stoats on these isles, it allows for an annual comparison between areas with and without stoats. This photo shows Amy King, Monitoring Officer 2019, out in the field on Rousay

The research is focused on species most likely to be affected by stoats, collecting and analysing data throughout the lifetime of the project and comparing this to historical data pre-stoat arrival in 2010, as well as pre-eradication (where available).

For voles, skylarks and meadow pipits, the surveyors visit the chosen sites and pick a ‘transect’, which is a line across a habitat or part of a habitat. The transects we use are one-kilometre lines across an area, pre-determined to be the same place at each time for accurate comparison. The surveyors record specific observations along the line depending on what they are looking for. For instance, with the Orkney vole, this involves stopping at 25 GPS marked points 40 metres apart along the transect line and recording what is found within an area known as a ‘quadrat’.

For those that don’t know, a quadrat is a frame which is traditionally square. It is used in ecology and geography to isolate a standard unit of area for consistent study of the distribution of a chosen subject over a large area.

A map showing a survey area at the RSPB Trumland

The quadrats we use are relatively small, just 300mm square, and these are square templates that are thrown at each of the identified 25 points, to land within three metres of the transect line. This ensures we are unlikely to survey the same spot each time.

A quadrat is a simple tool, yet an effective one
Once on the floor, the surveyors inspect the vegetation to search for signs of vole activity, such as clippings (from feeding) and their poo. To find these signs you must pull the vegetation to one side carefully all the way to the earth, looking closely at what is uncovered.

Below is a summary of the results of the 2019 monitoring season on the Orkney vole, skylark and meadow pipit. We must thank all the volunteers, the Orkney Raptor Study Group, and our partners for their help gathering the essential monitoring data for the season. With the valuable help of the Orkney Raptor Study Group (ORSG) and the RSPB we are also monitoring other bird species potentially affected by the invasive non-native stoat. Look out for more information on these bird populations in a future issue of our Stoat Snippet.

Orkney vole (Microtus arvalis orcadensis)

We monitor the vole population each year on 31 sites across Orkney Mainland, the linked isles and the four stoat-free islands of Eday, Rousay, Sanday and Westray. Data from these sites will be checked against historic data from before 2010 (when stoats were first reported in Orkney) as well as each year of the project.

These surveys are completed in the spring and autumn across the Orkney Mainland - four in the linked isles and eight in the North Isles. The 2019 season showed a significant drop in the abundance of voles on West Mainland sites since 2008. In the last 10 years the population has steadily dropped back from a peak to the pre-stoat numbers recorded in 1999/2000 - 10 years before the stoat was first sighted on Orkney. In the autumn there were more signs of voles on the stoat-free Northern Isles compared to the Orkney Mainland.

Meadow pipit and skylark

These birds are known collectively as passerines. We monitor their population estimates and breeding success annually.

We consider a nest is successful if any of the clutch of eggs found at the nest has hatched. When at least one chick fledges from the nest this is considered a ‘breeding success’. The productivity of each species is determined by calculating the nest successes from the samples found during the breeding season monitoring. From that we estimate the overall number of a species in an area to have a better idea of their population by area. By knowing what birds are in an area we are surveying, we can estimate their productivity.

These surveys involve recording birds seen in front and to the side of the person recording, noting the behaviour, age and distance from the transect line. We survey these at the same sites as the Orkney vole in May and June. The 2019 survey results show both the meadow pipit and skylark population have increased since 1998/1999/2000 in West Mainland. Their population now is similar between the islands and Mainland.

Meadow pipit nest, South Ronaldsay

Waders – curlew, lapwing, oystercatcher, redshank and snipe

We also monitor wader breeding success across Orkney Mainland, the linked isles and other islands. We focus on curlew and lapwing, including monitoring the nests we find and their broods until they succeed or fail. In addition to this, large-scale population monitoring surveys were undertaken in the first year of the project (2019) to provide a benchmark for the repeat of the survey in the project’s final year. The comparison with late 2000s data shows greater declines of curlew on the Orkney Mainland than the islands. Lapwing, oystercatcher, redshank and snipe face similar declines.

Lapwing (RSPB images)

Join our monitoring team!

We are looking for enthusiastic, skilled, and experienced fieldworkers to join the project from March 2021 for a few months. Monitoring the populations of Orkney's native wildlife is an integral part of the project and these researchers will join our volunteers to carry out a programme of wildlife surveys between March and July 2021.

Details on how to apply before the deadline of 18 January 2021 are online.

Happy Holidays

As we come to the end of an extraordinary year for everyone, we hope you enjoyed a hearty, merry Christmas and wish you and yours a healthy New Year.

A trap round overlooking Hoy (Kinlay Francis)

See you in 2021!

Stoat Snippet 94

2020-12-10T11:30:00Z

Welcome to the latest news and updates from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project.

New to our blog and want to find out more about the project, how to volunteer with us or have a question? Visit our Facebook page, our website or email stoatsightings@rspb.org.uk

Trap network nearly complete!

We are delighted to report that we have almost finished deploying trap boxes across West Mainland to complete our initial eradication network! Our network currently covers 76% of the land in Orkney Mainland and the linked isles – 78% coverage in East Mainland, 73% coverage in South Ronaldsay and the linked isles and 76% coverage in West Mainland.

Finishing deployment on the hills

We are so grateful to all the landowners who are supporting the project by giving access for trapping on their land and it’s not too late to join them. If you are a landowner now able to grant permission for trap boxes to be placed on your land, please do get in touch by emailing us at stoatsightings@rspb.org.uk

The total number of stoats caught so far is 780 stoats.

Why can’t we translocate stoats from Orkney?

This is a great question and one that recently came up on the letters page in The Orcadian.

Stoats in Orkney are an invasive non-native species and were first recorded in Orkney in 2010. With no natural predators here, they pose a serious threat to our native wildlife particularly the Orkney vole, hen harriers, short-eared owls and other ground-nesting birds including red-throated divers, Arctic terns and curlews. More information about the impact of stoats in Orkney can be found in this NatureScot commissioned report. The only way to protect our native wildlife (and its contribution to our economy) is to remove stoats from Orkney.

Stoat with vole

Translocations are not always the most suitable action for the welfare of the animals or other wildlife in the release area, the logistics are difficult and costly and any translocations are strictly regulated with a Scottish Code for Translocations. Translocating stoats from Orkney would likely be cruel and inhumane to both them and the wildlife already present in release areas. Live captures are stressful on animals and the stoats would need to be kept in prolonged captivity before being transported by ferry across to the Scottish mainland. Some stoats would not survive this.

Finding suitable translocation release sites on the British mainland would also be problematic. Legal killing of stoats is routinely undertaken in many areas and stoats from Orkney would need to compete with locally established stoat populations for territory and food sources and they would not be familiar with predators such as foxes and badgers, increasing chances of mortality. In addition to this the live traps would need to be checked daily – not logistically possible with the huge area covered by 6000 trap boxes across the county.

Fox by Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)

Using legal lethal humane traps to kill stoats is not an easy decision to have made but it is a necessary one – the risk to Orkney’s native wildlife is severe if we do nothing and by not acting now, we can expect irreparable changes to Orkney’s natural heritage. Eradication of stoats is the only way to protect Orkney’s internationally important native wildlife.

Curlew chicks on South Ronaldsay, June 2020, by Julio Merayo

Back to stoat school

We are often sharing information about why and how we are eradicating stoats in Orkney but not so much about what they are and how they work! So, it’s time to go back to school and find out a few facts about their biology and ecology.

Stoat by Steve Sankey

The stoat (Mustela erminea) is a relatively common species in the UK and is native to the Scottish mainland but not in Orkney. Stoats are sexually dimorphic which means male stoats are generally bigger than females. However, stoats have a large variation in body size and their body length can range from 250mm to 310mm and weight can range from 140g to 440g and we often find large females and small males – not confusing at all!

Age is trickier to work out, but a look at the sharpness of the teeth may help identify a juvenile or older animal – the sharper the teeth, the younger the animal. Stoats can live over five years, but usually only survive 1-2 years in the wild.

Big eaters

They are incredibly active with a high metabolic rate, travelling up to 2 km in a few hours to hunt at speeds of up to 20 mph! That’s the hundred metres in 11.1 seconds. They have ferocious appetites, needing to eat 12-30% of their body weight daily (about one vole) and up to 200% for females feeding young. How much would you have to eat to match this?!

Stoat with rabbit by Jemma Ward

Like many carnivores, stoats also engage in surplus killing – killing more than they need to eat – and storing food which is one of the reasons we are so worried about their impact on Orkney’s native wildlife. Stoats in Orkney feed on Orkney voles, rabbits, mice and the eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds. We are also often asked about rats. There is no evidence that stoats could control Orkney’s rat population. A UK study of the diet of stoats analysed stomach contents and found that rat was found only twice in 570 stoat stomachs. The stoat is an opportunistic predator and seeks much easier prey in Orkney.

It is also unlikely stoats would be naturally controlled by predators such as short-eared owls and kestrels as they mainly feed on smaller mammals. A hen harrier may take an occasional stoat, but this would not have a significant impact on stoat populations. Quite the opposite in fact as hen harriers are one of the species highlighted as most at risk from stoats, mostly due to competition for food (voles) but a brave stoat could also take their eggs or chicks.

Prolific breeders

Stoats are highly fertile with very young sexual maturity and pregnant females can delay implantation to ensure offspring are born in the spring when there are good food supplies. Studies have shown that young females (or kits) can be sexually mature at 20 days, while males mature at around a year. Virtually all female stoats (juveniles and adults) are already pregnant by the time they leave the den as males will visit to mate them and the adult female during the breeding season. Litter sizes vary but up to 14 kits can be born to a single female each year, so stoat populations can multiply quickly, particularly on islands such as Orkney where they have no natural predators. Other than in the breeding season, male and female stoats tend to be solitary animals living in separate territories, hence the large network of traps covering the whole county to ensure we can catch each individual.

Skull science

Stoat skull side view (credit www.ecologycenter.us)

Stoat skulls tell us a lot about the animal and a few of the team have been collecting skulls as a resource to show at community events, talks and school sessions when we are able to do these again. Stoats have large jaws and necks for such a small mammal and their skull contains big spaces for these features to give them a strong grip and bite. The teeth are designed for meat eating, with sharp front canines for catching prey and dispatching it instantly with a crunching bite through the neck and skull. They have back teeth used for chewing on bones, but no grinding teeth so will instead slice through their food and swallow it in lumps.

Stoat skull (credit Klaus Rassinger und Gerhard Cammerer, Museum Wiesbaden)

The project is keeping the stoats we catch to help scientists and conservationists understand more about the stoat population in Orkney, providing projects for UK Universities to study stoat biology and behaviour. Studying the weight, length, skull size, teeth and sex of the stoats we catch will help us measure the success of the eradication, make any adaptations in the efficiency of the traps and trial different trapping locations and baits used. We will keep genetic samples for using to determine if the stoat population in Orkney is more closely related to populations in Aberdeenshire or Caithness which will help us focus our biosecurity work to prevent a spread of stoats happening again in the future. We will keep you posted on our findings as the project progresses.

Covid and stoats

One other question that has been coming up is about stoats and Covid. As the world continues to discover more about SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes Covid-19 – it is now known that several types of animals can be infected and a question we have been asked recently is could stoats infect people. Across the world small numbers of pet cats and dogs have tested positive, several lions and tigers at New York Zoo and mink on fur farms in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark and the United States. In all these cases, it is believed likely that people passed the virus to these animals initially.

As both ferrets and mink can be infected, it is reasonable to assume that other mustelids such as stoats might be too. However, it is also reasonable to assume the probability of human to stoat transfer is significantly lower outside of a fur farm or domestic setting – there have been no recorded cases of Covid-19 in wild mustelids.

Biosecurity trap deployment in Flotta

As our project staff do handle dead stoats, we have always been working to strict safety and hygiene protocols including wearing gloves and regularly washing hands. We will continue to review and amend these to ensure the safety of our staff and our community.

2020 Orkney corncrake survey results - thank you to Orkney public from RPSB Orkney!

2020-11-20T15:22:00Z

We are happy to announce the results of our annual corncrake survey, and give a big thank you to the Orkney community for the enthusiasm you have shown in making reports to us this year!

In encouraging news, a total of 20 calling male corncrakes were reported and verified across Orkney during the corncrake survey period this summer, up by 1 bird on last year’s total of 19.

Corncrake, RSPB Images

This is particularly encouraging given the Covid-19 restrictions this year which affected when and where we were able to carry out survey work. The additional difficulties in carrying out the surveys made the reports we received from people across Orkney all the more important and the Orkney team would like to pass on a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to get in touch with reports of a calling corncrake, as well as the many others who kept an ear out just in case!

As these elusive birds are rarely seen, the call of the males at night during their breeding season is what is used to carry out population surveys, and we rely on members of the public contacting us when they have heard the distinctive ‘crex-crex’ call. These reports are then verified with a survey carried out at the location on a calm night between midnight and 3am, when male corncrakes typically call from the centre of their territory to attract a female.

Male corncrake calling, RSPB Images

Our Conservation Officer, Jo, who carried out the majority of the surveying work this year passes on her thanks - "We are especially grateful that people have taken time to let us know when they have heard a corncrake, whether on their own land or elsewhere. It has certainly been an unusual year for us humans, but it seems that a lot of our wildlife has been getting on just fine, including the corncrakes! We know that nature in general has been a source of comfort to many people during all of the restrictions this year, and it’s been great to hear from people letting us know about their experiences of hearing corncrakes“

Reports of corncrakes were received from all across the Orkney islands this summer, with a cluster of records between Evie and Woodwick in West Mainland, and Papay having something of a bumper season with 6 calling birds confirmed over the season! The Holm area and Shapinsay had 2 birds confirmed each, with single birds confirmed in Toab, Birsay, Flotta and North Ronaldsay. The report from Flotta came complete with a very rare photo which the spotter has very kindly shared with us!

Corncrake June 2020 on Flotta, photo sent in by Stephen O'Neil

For the second year running a single bird was confirmed at Marwick and we were delighted to again have a calling bird on the Marwick reserve. It was heard in an area where we have been carrying out habitat management to benefit corncrake for the last few years. Corncrakes need high vegetation cover throughout the breeding season which is what we provide at Marwick, and as our neighbouring farmer joins us in leaving some areas covered in the adjacent fields, this provides an extensive area of cover for corncrakes and seems to be having the desired result!

Orkney has seen an increase in corncrake numbers over the last 3 years, from only 8 birds confirmed during the 2017 season, to 20 individual calling males this year. This is in marked contrast to the national picture, with overall corncrake numbers falling; 33% fewer corncrakes were recorded nationally in 2019 compared to 2014. The national corncrake numbers for 2020 look to be broadly similar to 2019 (870 total across Scotland), but RSPB Scotland do not have a complete picture as due to Covid-19 travel restrictions it was not possible to undertake surveys in all locations this year.

Once widespread across the UK, corncrake numbers began to fall dramatically from the early 20^th century onwards following the mechanisation of farming and earlier mowing of grass crops. Now found in only a few locations in the North and West of mainland Scotland and on some of the Scottish islands, they are one of Scotland’s rarest breeding birds and are listed at the highest level of conservation concern.

Due to the concern over the long-term future of corncrakes in Scotland, RSPB Scotland have recently launched of an ambitious project to protect them. The ‘Corncrake Calling’ project, part funded through the generous support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aims to conserve these iconic birds for future generations by working closely with local communities across Scotland. RSPB Scotland will work in partnership with crofters and farmers to deliver corncrake friendly land management and will provide a variety of events and information to both locals and visitors in each area, to bring people closer to corncrakes and their conservation story.

Corncrake hiding in tall vegetation, on RSPB Balranauld reserve, RSPB Images

In Spring, when the birds return after spending the winter in Africa, they need early cover of tall vegetation such as nettles, yellow flag iris or cow parsley to hide and feed in. Later on in the season high grassy vegetation is ideal for concealing their nests and chicks, who are unable to fly at first. Sadly, around 60% of corncrake chicks are killed by modern mowing practices, as the birds are reluctant to break cover and unable to outrun mowers. Leaving an uncut strip around the edge of fields and cutting from the inside out gives the female corncrakes and chicks more chance of escaping to safety. Delaying mowing until later in the summer when chicks are more likely to have already fledged also has a big impact on survival rates, and these practices have benefits for other wildlife as well.

We are aware that delaying cutting or grazing and maintaining both early and late cover can be problematic, particularly due to the need to produce enough silage for winter fodder and are very grateful to all landowners who, despite this, do manage to leave some areas of tall vegetation throughout the season to benefit corncrakes. We are keen to support others who may be able to do the same, as explained by our Conservation Advisor Tom - " Delayed and corncrake-friendly mowing are crucial practices in retaining a viable population of corncrakes in Orkney, and will help ensure that both residents and visitors continue to enjoy this iconic species. We are always delighted when someone reports a corncrake on their land and very happy to discuss land management options”

If you could help bring back the ‘crex-crex’ call of the corncrake as a sound of the Orkney summer then please do get in touch with Tom on Thomas.wells@rspb.org.uk for advice on corncrake-friendly land management and information about Corncrake Initiative payments.

Corncrake in meadow on Balranauld, Outer Hebrides, RSPB Images

Stoat Snippet 93

2020-11-12T08:30:00Z

Welcome to the latest news and updates from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project.

New to our blog and want to find out more about the project, how to volunteer with us or have a question? Visit our Facebook page, our website or email stoatsightings@rspb.org.uk

Final push to complete the trap network

Thank you to the many hundreds of landowners who have chosen to help safeguard the future of Orkney’s native wildlife by granting permission for stoat traps on their land.

As an invasive non-native species in Orkney, stoats pose a very serious threat to our wildlife such as the Orkney vole, hen harrier, short-eared owl and other ground-nesting birds as well as to free-range poultry such as chickens and ducks. Protecting our native species is also important for our economy as nearly half of visitors to Orkney spend time watching wildlife, helping contribute to Orkney’s £70 million tourism industry. A decline in our native wildlife (for example caused by stoats) may also impact agri-environment funding available for Orkney farmers who currently get more points for being in a priority area for wildlife. Orkney’s nature has never been more important in supporting the health and wellbeing of those who live on the islands during this pandemic and is vital to protect now and for future generations. For more information about how the project it is benefitting wildlife, communities, tourism and the economy, follow this link.

Hen harrier (female/juvenile) by Christine Hall

With 757 landowners now supporting the project, our trap network currently covers just over 70% of the land in Orkney Mainland and the linked isles – 78% coverage in East Mainland, 73% coverage in South Ronaldsay and the linked isles and 67.6% coverage in West Mainland. We still have some very important gaps to fill in the network and we hope the final 30 or so landowners will get in touch to grant us permission for traps to be placed on their land to enable our team to complete a robust eradication network. We are also trying to identify areas of land where owners remain unknown or where they are under common grazing. The Project is aiming to have secured land access and deployed all trap boxes by the end of this year so if you think you can help, please get in touch by emailing us at stoatsightings@rspb.org.uk.

Stoat by Steve Sankey

Radio Orkney postbag

A Radio Orkney listener asked a great postbag question recently about why we are not using GoodNature A24 traps from New Zealand for stoat eradication. We are!

For over a year we have been trialling 267 GoodNature traps on Special Protected Areas (SPAs) in Birsay and Orphir which are protected areas for rare and vulnerable bird species such as red-throated divers, hen harriers and short-eared owls. GoodNature traps are incredibly useful here as they only need checking every six months, meaning we can minimise visits and not disturb these sensitive species during the breeding season between March and September.

GoodNature trap by Sam Ranscombe

GoodNature A24 traps were designed in 2005 as a humane rat trap, but they are also able to catch mice and stoats. The traps are small, light, and easy to move and use, giving an instant and humane kill. They self-reset up to 20 times and use a long-life bait, so require less frequent checking. The bait we are currently using is a chocolate lure which is designed to be particularly attractive for stoats!

So why are we not using GoodNature traps instead of the DOC 200 traps that are housed in wooden boxes? GoodNature traps are quite a new product, originally designed for rats not stoats, so we want to trial them first to measure how successful they are. To do this we have set cameras opposite some of the traps to record what is being caught and we will be checking this footage over the winter. The cameras have also been picking up some surprise appearances by native wildlife species including a short-eared owl, a merlin and a snowy owl in Evie!

Snowy owl caught on camera trap

Trap stats

We realised that we have become a bit irregular in sharing stats about what the traps are catching, so each month or two we will be bringing you some trap stats to update you on the project progress so far. Here are the first ones:

	September 2020	October 2020	Project total so far
Trap boxes active	1874	1894	2047
Trap box checks done*	2908	2572	22407
Stoats caught**	82	109	750

*many trap boxes contain two traps

**the stoats are killed using a type of lethal, humane trap – the DOC 200 – which is approved by the Spring Trap Approval Order for Scotland and the UK and meets the welfare standards defined by the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS).

For more details about the trapping network and why some of our traps, particularly in West mainland are currently closed see our previous Stoat Snippet 92.

Stoat carrying a vole at The Loons by Martin Lever

Despite extensive efforts to try to prevent it, all eradications will kill some animals that are not the target species – this is called bycatch. We are taking all possible measures to ensure as few other animals are killed as possible: the trap safety boxes that house the DOC200 traps have been designed with small entrance holes (60x60mm) which should exclude larger animals. The traps are calibrated to trigger on the weight of the lightest free-ranging young stoat (approximately 100g) so lighter animals shouldn’t spring the traps. We also use baits and lures selected to attract stoats. The only non-target animals that we cannot minimise catching are brown rats as they are a similar size and weight to stoats and are attracted to similar baits.

You’ll maybe remember from early snippets that we caught quite a few rats during the development phase of the Project and since eradication trapping began in 2019, the traps have killed 2068 rats over 20,424 trap box checks (or more than 35,000 trap checks as most boxes have two traps in).

Unfortunately, our efforts to minimise catching animals that are not stoats are not always successful. Over the same 20,424 trap box checks where the 2068 rats were caught, the traps also killed 242 rabbits, 111 starlings, 2 blackbirds, 2 water rails, 4 small cats, 10 voles, 48 mice, 18 hedgehogs, 9 frogs/toads and 12 unidentifiable small birds and rodents.

We realise that this will be deeply upsetting for many people. It is for us too. But we are committed to learning from these incidents and taking prompt action to make any adjustments that could further reduce the chances of catching other animals.

We are particularly sad that four small cats were killed this summer because we thought we had taken adequate steps to prevent this happening. In 2017, despite the safety measures in place, a pet cat got its paw caught in a trap during the Project’s development phase trapping trial. The cat went on to make a full recovery, but we immediately changed from using standard to extended trap boxes to prevent an inquisitive cat being able to reach the trap mechanism from outside the trap box in the future.

An extended trap box without the wire tie

There had been no further incidents until this summer. We want to reassure people that these incidents are incredibly rare (four out of more than 35,000 trap checks) and that we acted immediately to try to reduce the risk further. Following catching the first small cats, we started making further adjustments to the trap boxes, first by adding additional wire mesh and then by adding wire ties to reduce the size of the external entrance holes from 60x60 mm (2.4 inches tall and wide) to approximately 60x40 mm (1.6 inches wide). This should further reduce the chances of catching other animals while still allowing large stoats to enter the trap boxes. We are rolling this out as an additional safety measure prioritising boxes near houses.

Extended tunnel with wire tie added (20 pence piece for size comparison)

While we cannot promise that we will never catch anything that isn’t a stoat, we can promise that we will do everything we can to minimise the chances.

We can also promise that we will continue to learn from each incident. Orkney has quite a lot of feral cats and we’ve been unable to confirm if any of the cats killed were pets despite searching lost pet pages on social media. So, we’ve purchased a microchip scanner and will knock on doors or contact folk living nearby to help us discover if there is a missing cat. These measures will be used by staff, if needed, as part of a strict protocol to ensure the Project is being open and transparent.

We are also planning to continue to share figures about what else has been caught by the traps as part of these regular updates.

While it may not provide much comfort, the Project would not have been able to happen if it was predicted that the eradication would cause more harm than good to our native wildlife. During the Project’s development phase, the potential impact of catching other animals was investigated as part of an independent feasibility review. This concluded that, for species of conservation concern, the numbers caught in the traps would be too small to affect their populations in Orkney and also that the impact of stoats would far exceed the impact of efforts to remove them.

Stoats are very skilled hunters and have high metabolic rates meaning they need to eat up to a quarter of their bodyweight a day to survive. This amount increases for females during the breeding season to up to two times their bodyweight. And stoats often kill more than they immediately need if opportunities arise.

Not eradicating stoats will cause irreparable change to Orkney’s natural environment and have devastating impacts on Orkney’s native wildlife with internationally and nationally important populations of ground-nesting birds (from curlews to Arctic terns to hen harriers) and the unique Orkney vole all threatened. Given the importance of wildlife for our individual wellbeing, our culture and our economy, the cost of not eradicating stoats would be too great.

Curlews at Brodgar by Alan Leitch

Conservation dogs delayed due to England lockdown

Covid-19 lockdown restrictions announced in England this week have sadly delayed the arrival of the first three of our conservation dogs coming up from Kryus Limited in Merseyside. In Stoat Snippet 91 we told you more about the six dogs that are being trained and our three dog handlers and how they will detect stoat signs and smells to indicate presence. As there are currently no stoat detection dogs in Europe, their arrival in Orkney is very exciting and we can’t wait for Thorn, Riggs and Spud to join the team! Thank you Kryus for sending photos to keep us going until then.

Spud the stoat detection dog by Kryus Ltd

Pupping season for grey seals in Orkney , by Holly Peek

2020-10-22T09:33:00Z

Grey seal pupping season in Orkney

Orkney is rich in marine life, with approximately 15% of Scotland’s seal population inhabiting the dramatic coastline. Grey seals (known in Orkney folklore as selkies) are a common sight in Orkney, with their haunting howls echoing through the cliffs at this time of year. October is a very special time for grey seals because this is when they start to pup. Chubby splodges of bright white fur can be spotted along the beaches, take a closer look with your binoculars and you will see that these splodges are actually incredibly cute seal pups.

Grey seal female with pup, RSPB images

Common (also known as Harbour) seals pup earlier on in the year, around June/July time. Compared to grey seals these pups have very different starts to their lives. Common seal pups moult their fur while still in the womb and can swim almost instantly after birth, whereas grey seal pups have a thick layer of white fur which they must moult before taking their first proper dip. It is crucial that grey seal pups spend enough time on land suckling from their mother. This will help them triple in weight over a short period and allow for a thick layer of blubber to form, which is essential to survive the cold Orkney winters.

Grey seal mum and pup, RSPB images

You may at times see grey seal pups on the beaches without their mothers, don’t worry this is perfectly normal. The mothers will leave their pups to go hunting, do not approach or touch a lone seal pup as this might cause a mother to abandon them. If you find a pup that looks poorly or skinny, there may be something wrong and someone might have to intervene, however please call trained professionals (BDMLR). Checking seal pups is a risky business, and if not done properly can result in a very nasty bite. As well as the risk to yourself disturbance to either pup or mother can have fatal consequences, resulting from pups not being able to suckle enough, abandonment and entering the water before they are ready.

Grey seals with pup on beach, photo by Wild Orkney Walks

Watching seals go about their business is very enjoyable, they all have their own personalities and watching them interact with each other can give you a real insight into their lives. Their characters and playfulness demonstrate how the selkie folklore stories came about. But how do you tell the difference between grey and common seals?

Grey vs Common Seals

Grey seals are bigger than common seals
The eyes of a common seal are closer together than a grey seal
Grey seals have a long elongated ‘roman’ nose whereas common seals have concave short nose. I explain this as grey seals are more like a Labrador and common seals are more like a King Charles spaniel
- common seals have a v shaped nose, very much like a dog’s nose, whereas grey seals noses are more like two parallel slits.
Common seal pups are usually born in June/July, have a brown coat and are ready to swim
Grey seal pups are born much later in the year (around October time on Orkney), usually with a white furry coat and it takes a few weeks before they are ready to swim

Grey seals, RSPB images

Common seals, RSPB images

Disturbance and why does it matter?

Disturbance is a big threat to seal populations across the country. Although it may look like a little bit of disturbance won’t do them any harm, after all they are just going into the sea like they do every day, however it can be very dangerous for our wonderful selkies. Seals haul out at sites to digest food, to moult fur, to rest, to feed their pups and to avoid danger. Although you may only witness one act of disturbance this could be 1 of 20 times those seals have been disturbed that day. Which can result in underfed pups, distressed pups and mum, injury when seals are trying to flee, irregular thermoregulation, tired adult seals and changes to behavioural traits. All of which can put our globally important populations at risk. Under the Marine Scotland Act 2010 since 2017 it is a criminal offence to intentionally disturb seals.

Grey seal mum with pup, photo by Wild Orkney Walks

What can you do to help?

We are very lucky in Orkney to have so many seals, so what can you do to help these beautiful creatures? It’s easy:

keep your distance (stay at least 50 metres away)
view the seals from a safe spot with binoculars
If you think you have spotted a seal in danger call BDMLR to report it
keep your dog on a lead around seal haul out sites
carry out a beach clean - even taking away just a few bits of litter every time you visit makes a difference!
please spread the word to give seals space during this vulnerable time

One of the best ways we can all help is by sharing our knowledge, often disturbance occurs due to lack of understanding rather than malicious intent. If we share our appreciation for these wonderful creatures and discuss what disturbance means to them, this will help people better understand and hopefully be more mindful when out walking. If you witness individuals repeatedly or intentionally disturbing seals, please report them to Police Scotland on 101 and ask to speak to a wildlife crimes officer.

Grey seal pup, RSPB images

Have a go activity

Explore the coastlines where seals can be seen regularly and watch them without disturbing them. Get to know their personalities and habits then have a go at writing your own selkie short story using a maximum of 500 words. Get inspired by what you see at the seal haul out sites and let your imagination run away! If you would like to, please share your stories with us by messaging our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RspbOrkney or emailing us on Orkney.rspb.org.uk

Look out for the Orkney storytelling festival this week, for 2020 it has moved online and there will be a lot of wildlife and folk tales being shared throughout the festival. Just the thing to get your creative juices flowing!

Useful contact information :

BDMLR

https://bdmlr.org.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/BDMLR

Telephone: 01825 765546

SSPCA

https://www.scottishspca.org/

https://www.facebook.com/scottishspca

Telephone: 03000 999 999