Welcome to the nineteenth weekly stoat snippet!
These snippets will be a short update on progress with both the Orkney Native Wildlife Project and the Orkney Mainland Predator Invasion Biosecurity Project, as well as addressing any concerns that folk have raised with SNH and RSPB Scotland.
If you are new to these snippets and want to know more about the project, check out this blog.
Orkney Native Wildlife Project
We had a great turn out for the consultation event on Shapinsay last week; it was one of the best events so far. There were lots of supportive folk there and a few potential wildlife ambassadors for the future including a young boy who was extremely knowledgeable about Orkney’s amazing wildlife and very excited about the education sessions we will do with schools in the future.
Colouring-in and making masks of some of Orkney's iconic wildlife as part of the consultation event on Shapinsay
We also had a good time on Westray and Papay. A lot of pupils from Westray School visited us and cleared out our colouring-in sheets. A big thanks to all the children for being so well-behaved. Then we met approximately a quarter of the Papay population at their coffee morning, so we are really grateful that they let us come along. They were really supportive and understanding about the aims of the biosecurity programme, ie keeping stoats off the island, and we look forward to working with them more in the future.
There is just a few events left, starting with Rousay tomorrow, then Sanday, then Flotta and North Ronaldsay later in February.
Upcoming events:
For more information about these events, phone 01856 875302 or 01856 850176 or email north@snh.gov.uk or orkney@rspb.org.uk.
And if you haven’t already had your say about the project through the community consultation questionnaire, you can find it at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ONWP or as a paper version at various locations around Orkney. Remember, you only have until 18 February to take part.
You’ll hopefully remember that in Stoat Snippet 16, we were talking about trialling education sessions at Orphir Primary School. We met lots of enthusiastic kids and were delighted to hear that one of the pupils was so keen that she recently gave an assembly to the whole school about what she had learned. If you are a teacher in Orkney and want to be consulted about the potential school sessions, please get in touch by emailing amy.king@snh.org.uk.
The trapping trial will continue for the next three weeks. Remember, if you have any questions and the trapping trial or any other aspects of the project, you can pop along to one of the consultation events or contact us on the email addresses below.
Orkney Mainland Predator Invasion Biosecurity Project
The traps will be checked again soon.
Potential incursion responses
Rousay: We would ask folk who live or visit Rousay to remember to get in touch if there is even the slightest suspicion that they have seen a stoat.
Hoy: This week 46 DOC traps and 19 trail cameras have been checked leaving a small amount to finish off next week. Work was difficult this week due to Storm Georgina passing through on Wednesday. No stoats or stoat signs have been picked up in traps or on camera footage this week.
The trail cameras have picked up some interesting footage of other species though, including cannibalistic rats, cats, mice, rabbits and hares. Native wildlife spotted has included woodcock, stonechat, blackbirds and an otter. The trail cameras also film passing livestock, with this week’s farm animal of the week being a jumping sheep.
Stonechat on a snowy day (above) and jumping sheep (below)
If you think you've seen a stoat on Hoy or South Walls, please report it immediately by phone or email.
In fact, if you live on any of the islands, and think you have seen a stoat, it is essential that you contact us as soon as you can by calling 01856 886163, by emailing north@snh.gov.uk or through the ‘Stoats in Orkney’ Facebook page.
Answering your concerns…
Remember, if you have any comments or concerns please contact north@snh.gov.uk or orkney@rspb.org.uk.
And, once again, don't forget to keep reporting any sightings of stoats, including those in winter coats, whether on the mainland or outer isles, as soon as possible, to SNH by calling 01856 886163, by emailing north@snh.gov.uk or through the ‘Stoats in Orkney’ Facebook page.
And remember, to keep up-to-date with the project, please follow our Facebook page.