On Orkney, our reserves are large and varied, ranging from moorland, wetlands and cliffs. The Birsay Moors is one of our largest at approx 2000ha, it is a fantastic site, home to iconic birds like hen harriers and short eared owls but also to the smaller, more humble meadow pipit!
A site this size has it challenges for monitoring the different birds, as it would be near impossible for us to know the exact numbers of every species breeding on the reserve. One of the ways we survey the Birsay Moors is by walking set transect lines. There are many of them in strategic places over the reserve to look at specific areas in different management.
Each transect involves walking along an imaginary line using a GPS and noting down different birds at different distances away from you and how they are behaving. Each transect line is walked 3 times during the breeding season, every year. It builds up a snapshot of how well the different species are fairing on the reserve.
The underfoot conditions can be difficult at times, however, and there are comedy moments of when you are busy watching what the birds are doing and fall flat on your face when you trip over a large tussock, quickly stand up again, look round and are very glad when its only the birds or voles that could see what’s just happened....
This week while doing one of these surveys I came across this little guy and the rest of his siblings.
Red grouse chicks have incredible camouflage and I only knew the chicks were there as their parents flew off. Needless to say I moved on quickly to cause as little disturbance as possible!
If you would like to visit the Birsay Moors you can find information on the best places to enjoy the reserve on http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/collections/orkney.aspx