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I’m sure that all of the projects are good ones, but when I saw that the UK entry was Abernethy, and the money would be spent on extending the forest to link to other areas, I was keen to cast my vote.
In Fighting for Birds (pp 172-175) I mention some good times I’ve had at Abernethy and also describe two species that were calling me back to Abernethy. The first species was pine marten and I was lucky enough to see one of these at Abernethy in June – as I told you in this blog. The second species was swift.
Swift? You’ve seen lots of swifts! And of course I have, but I have, for ages, wanted to see the swifts that nest deep in the ancient forest of Abernethy – tree-nesting swifts. And, I did.
As you visit Abernethy forest, a forest of Scots pine, birch, alder etc on the lower slopes of the Cairngorms, you will pass stands of Scots pines of different types and different ages. There are modern plantations of even-aged trees but also lots of older stretches of forest. In a few spots in the forest are the most ancient Scots pines in the country and I was taken to see them by Desmond Dugan of the RSPB one day last June.
We travelled through the forest in Desmond’s Land Rover and chatted about wildlife, the weather and RSPB folk until we came to a grassy knoll where we parked, looked at the view across a valley and then headed into the forest. Des picked his way through the forest ground cover with skill and precision as though he were a roe deer who lived in this place and I tried to keep up with him resembling a camel in a woodland, or a bull in a china shop.
It was a choice between looking at your feet, and the way ahead, or looking up for wildlife. Wildlife won, which is why I ended up on my backside a couple of times.
We stopped a couple of times to look at particular trees and after a while we stopped on a wooded slope, with the smell of pines in our nostrils, and looked down on a group of ancient pines. These are the oldest pine trees in the country. Ring-dating has shown that some are over 350 years old. Some are hanging on for life and are mostly dead limbs. This old dead wood provides opportunities for great-spotted woodpeckers to make their nest holes and swifts nest in some old woodpecker nests.
This must have been where swifts nested before we built houses (with dead wood originally of course) in ancient days. The swifts that scream down my road in a small Northamptonshire town all through the summer are nesting under the eaves of a few houses but their ancestors will all have nested in ancient trees and their holes. As far as I know, I think as far as we know, the ancient Scots pine forest of small parts of northern Scotland provide the only places where swifts still nest in such sites in the UK. i wonder whether there are some undiscovered, or perhaps just unknown to me, tree-nesting swifts in ancient forests such as the New Forest or the Forest of Dean. At Abernethy there is a handful, or maybe a few handfuls, of such tree-nesting swifts and I was eager to see them.
After a while a few swifts skimmed the top of the trees, looking to us as though they were interested in the area below them and lying in front of us. We could see some old great-spot holes that had been used by swifts, but when one bird dived down under the canopy and disappeared behind some trees we couldn’t see whether it went into a more distant hole or was just larking around in the forest. I like to think that it dived into a hole and perhaps was changing over on the nest with its mate. But who knows? And it doesn’t really matter for now I know where the swifts nest in the forest and have seen the ancient Scots pines that they favour and sat and talked about them. It was a treat – a privileged look into the ancient life of a familiar bird, in the ancient heart of a wonderful wildlife-rich forest, and in the company of an amusing and knowledgeable naturalist.
It was a treat and Abernethy can deliver many treats from pine martens to capercaillie, from red squirrels to crested tits, from the detail of a blaeberry to the vista of a commanding view, from the lichen on a dead tree trunk to the multitude of scurrying ants around their nest of pine needles. A host of rare invertebrates and a mass of common birds, tree-nesting golden eagles and the chance of an otter swimming across a loch. It’s a magical place and I’m not surprised that an American friend with whom I dined in London on Wednesday headed to Abernethy this week on his first ever visit to the UK (and saw capercaillie).
The RSPB has been extending the forest at Abernethy over the years but want to do much more. Grants from government haven’t always been forthcoming and so your vote for their project in this poll might just unlock the funds that will bring more natural wonders to Abernethy. We often talk about nature conservation at a landscape scale and that’s what Abernethy is all about. Please vote to help the forest thrive.
![By Keta (Detail of Apus_apus_flock_flying.jpg) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://markavery.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Apus_apus_flock_flying_1.jpg)
“Swifts? You’ve seen lots of swifts. And so have I of course.”
Unless we start to build swift boxes in new-builds or retro fit boxes to old buildings (and erect swift towers), your words will be very sad indeed to look back on in a couple of decades, Abernethy or not.
Then there’s always the neonics, so beloved of Owen
goalPaterson…I agree that Abernethy is a great place and getting better all of the time. What I would like to see happen is that the landrover tracks be closed down landscaped and the area rewilded or as close to this concept as possible. I totally am against over priviliged ex RSPB workers being ferried around the forest on guided tours. I was in Abernethy two years ago and a landrover passing me destroyed the feeling of peace and tranquility that I was experiencing. Indeed walking in the forest is a much more healthy option anyway and some people myself included definitely need more exercise. The Scottish National Trust closed down some landrover tracks on Mar Estate and this has been a vast improvement.
I think it would be good if the RSPB did a consultation exercise to find out what people think should happen to the area in a similar manner to what has happened at Ennerdale, Cumbria http://www.wildennerdale.co.uk/stewardshipplan2011.html
I
Have voted for Abernethy since I was one of many donors who contributed to the purchase of the site way back when (though it was a close call – there are lots of other very deserving projects).
Rather tend to agree with DavidH’s comments re. landrovers too. I recall being miles up a glen in the Cairngorms some years ago when a landrover with Tony Soper at the wheel (and with a few clients behind him) drove past us, spoiling the wild atmosphere completely. Further more, it was raining hard and he didn’t stop or offer to give us a lift – perhaps just as well on reflection or I’d not have been able to complain about him now would I?
Nick B
Thanks for that link Mark. I actually voted for the Gabon project- but they all sounded pretty worthwhile. I understand the Landrover comments re noise pollution etc but is this a major issue? Much more important is getting locals on side and feeling protective of ‘their’ wood, dune or rainforest.
Well after fully reading the website and not just the projects I don’t think I’ll register a vote. Sure it’s great that companies whos products are used “outdoors” are putting something back into the enviroment etc and I applaud them for that BUT why Abernethy, surely the RSPB etc should be focusing some of their money on the project instead! Mark how about doing a blog post closer to home and have a look at the mountain bike trails that have been installed at Fineshades, right underneath Red Kite nesting spots?
And there was me just going to say what about the value to cycling of these land rover trails. I don’t know about bouncing around on mountain bikes but in my experience cycling is a much better way to see wildlife. That nice smooth level procession of a cyclist is rated by wildlife as a car and not a threat, compared to the bouncing gait of the walker (predatory human)
As far as I know, there is a 200 year vision for Abernethy (and others) – which involves essential positive management.
This would probably include felling of trees, planting of others, creation of more “wild” habitats (natural forest expansion and bog woodland as opposed to modern plantation), red deer management, fire risk mitigation, not to mention trail management for walkers and also fences, signs and facilities for visitors.
All this requires access.
Access often (at least) big enough for landrovers to use (very often bigger).
If you want “wild”, are physically able to do so and allowed to do so (i.e. you’re not trespassing or entering areas you shouldn’t), then I’d suggest leaving the trails way behind to leave the landrovers even further behind.
Badda bing Badda boom.
If, though, by “wild”, you mean, shut up shop and let “nature” take over, most of the areas that you walk in now would very possibly be unwalkable in a few years, at least to people slightly less physically able than you.
Also – because of mismanagement of areas like this (until recently in many cases), the biodiversity left in your “left wild” areas would often be far less rich than it should or could be.
Positive management is very important (essential some would say) in ensuring we have areas like Abernethy, restored properly to be as biodiverse as they can be.
In my experience in this area, complaints about “not enough toilets” far outweigh complaints about “too many landrovers”.
Doug – thank you. Quite right.
To doug Mac D
I disagree with all you say.
In the past I have walked over a lot of the area along the River Nethy before and after its purchase by the RSPB. Unfortunately as age catches up with me I am now disabled and struggle to walk any distance at all. Bada bing bada boom as you say!!
The caledonian pine forests evolved quite well for 10,000 years without human intervention. In fact it was only when man started making inroads into the forest areas and managing the environment for timber production 300 years ago that a serious declline in wildlife and the forest occurred.
I admit that some form of deer management may be required initially, at times, but to rid the environment almost completely of deer in my view is foolish. The deer keep open a series of glades which leads to increased diversity of wildlife. The deer themselves provide a valuable source of protein for predators when they die.
The regeneration at Abernethy is admirable compared to where it was 30 years ago, but I think there is now too much regeneration. Too dense a growth of trees will provide an overabundance of fuel which will over intensify any fire thus killing the forest. Fire is a natural part of the ecology of pine woodlands in the northern hemisphere and requires a more open woodland structure in order that not too many trees are killed when a fire ocurs. Fire helps improve the diversity of the forest and almost certainly helps with capercaillie abundance. Fire is believed to occur naturally every 80 to 100 years . Now that a fair amount of regeneration has occured deer should be allowed back into the forest.
The Abernethy forest given the chance would now cope quite well in many areas without management , fences, bird counts, landrover tracks, Fire breaks , etc . So why not just give it back to nature. Many people who enjoy the Cairngorms enjoy the wilderness aspects and do not want all of these landrover tracks everywhere.
Some years ago in Greece I was very pleased to House Martins. Rather special House Martins, as they were nesting in a natural cave, along with some Alpine Swifts.
DavidH – I hardly expected you to agree with me, it would be fair to say….
(https://markavery.info/2013/03/19/7369/#comments)
In fact, if you had agreed with me, I’d have been more than a little worried.
I’d not hesitate to suggest to you that Scottish Natural Heritage and the RSPB know a great deal more about restoring Caledonia to its original state than you do.
And for that matter, the Forestry Commission Scotland and the Scottish Wildlife Trust certainly do also.
But if you think you know better than those now currently managing the restoration of Caledonia, then might I suggest you write (if you haven’t done so already) to:
Scottish National Nature Reserves http://www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/contact-us/feedback-form/
or
Scottish Natural Heritage http://www.snh.gov.uk/contact-us/
or
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (Scotland) http://www.rspb.org.uk/contactus/
Tell them what you think and why they should listen to your expertise in forestry management and/or wildlife conservation / ancient habitat restoration.
You know, many interested in conservation believe a relatively quick “giving it back to nature” is often the best technique to employ.
It was ok before humans got here, etc etc etc…
But that’s the whole point.
Generally speaking, once a long period of mismanagement has happened (i.e. when man has taken over from “nature” and (mis)managed an environment as far as wildlife is concerned), any withdrawal has to be better managed – often this needs a long, long time to be successful – more than 30 years for example.
A failure to run an extended, managed restoration often leads to further loss of original habitat and biodiversity – there was that much damage originally done.
Yep…. your view of “giving it back to nature (quickly)” is shared by many, but not by many employed in successful land management or successful conservation / restoration of habitat and biodiversity; at least not in the primary and secondary phases of long land restoration projects.
Of course, some might say that those employed in the environmental or conservation / habitat restoration sector have a vested interest in “positive land management” as it keeps them in employment.
But that would be an awfully depressing opinion, although not something you believe, I’m sure.
But, hey.
Like I say – if you know better…. Get emailing the bodies I mentioned above.
Well Doug not a mention from you of my main point about restoring bulldozed landrover tracks in Abernethy. Dr Adam Watson SNH and Tom Weir (journalist) began a campaign around 40 years ago to draw attention to bulldozed tracks in the Cairngorms impinging on the beauty and landscape values and destroying parts of the environment. SNT and the John Muir Trust are still concerned and are taking action to restore these tracks to their previous state. Bulldozed tracks through Abernethy have only existed for I would estimate less than 60 years, after all bulldozers were pretty uncommon before then!.
You mention write to SNH which I did about the Trump golf course and look what happened there.
Furthermore Doug you do not know how much I know about Caledonian pinewoods!. I have actually visited almost every fragment of caledonian pinewoods that exist.
Doug just a shame that you are not a little more enlightened and open to other peoples viewpoints and cannot enter into an intelligent debate without taking a personal approach.
Writing comments here is at times like banging your head against a brick wall. Will I be writing anymore comments ? I do not think so.
That would be a shame David if you were to stop commenting, how boring would it be if everyone backslapped each other, I have to agree that my namesake may have put his point over slightly better but he does raise some valid points as do you. Let me say it like this, often our MP’s get some right old s**t slung at them, the trick is to take it on the chin and make your point in your own way.
Abernethy is indeed a magical place, and I am happy to have voted.
As for hill tracks there, I know that the RSPB have already removed quite a few of them, but a certain number are still essential for management purposes, including the limited methods of predator control that are undertaken.
Surely if Abernethy is to be truly wild and the deer properly controlled, wolves will have to be reintroduced.
Phil – lynx first? or both together?
Since wolves were apparently here much more recently than lynx I’d bring back wolves first.
Phil – although that is only because wolves were more difficult to wipe out I think.
I’d like to go and see the tree nesting swifts. How easy are they to find? Is it a loose colony in many trees over a wide area?
Thanks
Mark
N Ireland
Mark – not that easy and deep in the forest. Your best bet is to see if someone from the RSPB would take you – but I’m not sure how feasible that might be.