Welcome to the twenty-seventh stoat snippet!
These snippets are 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
As you know the trapping trial and community consultation have finished and we’ve been analysing the results. Don’t forget that if you have any questions or concerns you can still get in touch.
Invasive Species Week
This week it has been Invasive Species Week. Run by the Non-native Species Secretariat (NNSS), it aims to raise awareness of invasive non-native species and inspire people to #GetINNSvolved and stop the spread.
We have been posting on Facebook each day about a variety of invasive species issues. If you missed it, go take a look for more information.
To spread the awareness further and to help people #GetINNSvolved, tomorrow (Saturday 31st March) we are holding an event at Brodgar nature reserve for the Easter weekend, with RSPB Scotland leading a guided walk from 10 am - 12 pm focusing on native and non-native species. ONWP staff will be around to answer any questions and there will be a self-guided nature trail quiz around the reserve for the whole weekend too. So pop along whenever you are free to learn more about this issue!
Incursion responses
Hoy: Work continues on Hoy to try to determine whether there are multiple stoats and how widespread they are. A full check of the areas surrounding the last stoat sighting, followed by a whole island check last week produced no positive stoat signs. So that means that overall, we’ve caught no stoats but had one confirmed and one potential sighting on camera.
As usual there were a few surprises on the trail cams this week, including a nice woodcock. Our Hoy trapper also found an exciting bee species! Called Andrena clarkella, they were first spotted in 2016 in Orkney by Mary Harris. They favour open heath and moorland, so Hoy seems quite suitable!
Rare bee (Andrena clarkella) that we spotted on Hoy this week.
We need your help!
We are currently looking for people from Hoy, or anyone who can access Hoy easily, to volunteer to be part of a local team skilled in finding stoat sightings! Suitable volunteers will be trained to use our thermal imaging camera and in other techniques. Do get in touch if you are interested.
And please remember, if anyone thinks they have seen a stoat on Hoy or South Walls please report it immediately by phone or email.
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, 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