Welcome to the twenty-first 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
You’ll remember that we were at Flotta on Thursday last week for a consultation event. Almost all the children on the island came and we had an afternoon of fun and games with them. We were having so much fun that we sadly forget to take any pictures.
We had a great turnout for the evening talk and lots of good questions and folk wanted to get involved.
The Flotta community was exceptionally welcoming and interested in the project. We hope to be able to develop activities and resources that they will enjoy in the future.
Then on Tuesday we were in North Ronaldsay. We met some lovely people and had a good turnout at a talk at the Bird Observatory. We’d really like to thank everyone for making us feel so welcome and being so supportive of the aims of the project. We look forward to working with them more in the future although the flight back to the Mainland was interesting with a sideways take off through heavy crosswinds. Thankfully we had a very skilled pilot.
We are delighted to be going to Graemsay on Friday for our final event for an evening talk from 6.30 – 9 pm.
It’s your FINAL CHANCE to have YOUR SAY on the future of the project! Although, we will start collecting in the paper copies of the questionnaire next week, you can still return them to the SNH office if you have filled it in as long as we get it before the end of the month. And we have decided to extend the deadline for the online version of the survey to 25th Feb. You can find it at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ONWP.
Also if you have any further thoughts on the citizen science plans or if you are a teacher in Orkney and want to be consulted about the school sessions, please get in touch by emailing amy.king@snh.org.uk.
The initial trapping trial data is being looked at along with the footage from the cameras watching the Goodnature traps. Remember, if you have any questions and the trapping trial or any other aspects of the project, you can contact us on the email addresses below.
Orkney Mainland Predator Invasion Biosecurity Project
The traps were checked again next week.
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 all the DOC traps and all trail cameras have been checked on both Hoy and South Walls. Work has been largely straight forward this week after a difficult previous two weeks.
No stoat or stoat sign has been picked up in DOC traps or on camera footage this week. This does not mean no stoats are present as they are incredibly difficult to detect when the population is very low.
There have been six rats caught in traps this week, all on Hoy. One of the traps also caught a mouse. The DOC traps are supposed to be triggered by larger animals only and mice can usually enter and exit traps without setting them off as they are too light (see video on the Orkney Native Wildlife Project Facebook page). Some traps can be more sensitive than others which has been the case here, so we have modified the catch in the offending trap to try to prevent more mice from setting the trap off. Further modifications will be made next week if this proves too little and if it continues then the trap will be removed.
The camera traps have also recorded some more interesting wildlife, with the highlight being a great shot of an Otter at Whaness Burn.
The same camera also picked up a wren, showing that the cameras can be sensitive to small quick moving wildlife. Occasionally the cameras also pick up humans too, with one of the cameras filming the Hoy warden maintaining a fire break near Berriedale.
Please remember, if anyone thinks they have 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.