Cute little critters....

We are currently gathering support for our idea to provide extra manpower in the western catchments area and that seems to be going well, and we are currently also trying to identify suitable funders. Protecting water voles and other riparian wildlife by eradicating mink would be an important part of that. The water vole distribution was one of the important outputs of our TWCP survey work.

This photo has been submitted by Katy Freeman, habitat Manager for FCS at Cowal & Trossachs Forest district in Aberfoyle. Katy recently captured some young water voles from within our area to help develop their water vole re-introduction programme within the LLTNPA area. Hopefully some more photos from that in due course....

Regeneration Monitoring at CCC

Here are some photos of the Scots Pine regeneration at CCC on the banks of the Cononish on Monday. There is a swath to the west of the main wooded block that is doing well, but towards the west of the site, while many seedlings are evident, they are growing very slowly, some are getting browsed, and that area is very vulnerable, especially as the stocking of healthy mature trees is very low, typically about 1 per ha or less.

Scots Pine Regeneration at CCC

This area is to the west of the main forest block, SP regen fairly widespread, growing slowly, long way from becoming established.

Close-up

This tree is growing better than most, putting on 10-12 cms this year.......

Birch regen in an open glade

Closer......

Thicj patch of Scots Pine regen

Two of the better trees......

These two trees are obviously doing well, but are unusual in that they are growing so fast and straight.

Some quite big trees......

Getting away......

There is a good swath of regen here down this shoulder

In slow decline........

The tree in the foreground here, and another further down are obviously in decline, although the rate of decline of the trees here is not known. These two particular trees have not apparently changed that much from 2007, but a photographic record provides a better way of checking.

You can also see that there is much less regeneration on the west of the site.......

Bit choppy on Loch Tay

Boreland Forest, Loch Tay side

Boreland Forest on Loch tay side is managed by the Forestry Commission.

Closer......

You can see the extensive felled and restocked areas at Boreland.

Closer......

Kenmore Church

Looking up Loch Tay........

A hedge of white butterburr.....

Photo from Kristina Hayward.....

Invasive species patrol........

Last night I was having a check up on some of the invasives records we found last year. To my dismay, the few square metres that we found at Keltneyburn last year has now become several hundred square metres.....illustrating how quickly these species can spread. I found several other sources between here and Aberfeldy.......we definitely need to try and get a grip of this next year before it becomes a big problem that is too expensive to rectify. You can see white butterburr here in the foreground as well, another invasive species present in the Lyon catchment........

Himalayam Balsam at Keltneyburn

Two invasives together......

White butterburr with himalayam balsam growing through it......

A swath of white butterburr........

Under the butterburr leaves......

You can see here that after a period of time, that much of the ground vegetation is going to get shaded out.

Red squirrel on a Wellingtonia

Two more great photos from Kristina Hayward.

Little partridge in the garden.......

Newtyle beat on the Middle Tay

These two great pictures of Newtyle were taken by head ghillie Martin Ritchie. There are a few fish moving in the middle river just now. If you are ever looking for a great place to fish in the middle Tay, you could do a lot worse than give Martin a phone. You can get the Newtyle details through the FishTay website.

Another great picture of Newtyle on the Tay.......

Loch Voil

Loch Voil lies in the glen to the south of Glen Dochart. Another typically wet and midge infested wilderness within the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. I was down here yesterday looking at a woodland regeneration site, and took a moment to visit Rob Roy's grave on the way back.

Trees on the shoreline.......

Rob Roy MacGregor's grave

Rob Roy is buried in the graveyard at Balquidder near Loch Voil.

Defiant..........

Balquhidder Church

Closer......

On Aberfeldy Golf Course

Himalayam balsam on Aberfeldy Golf course

Himalayam balsam looks slightly different in different circumstances, depending on density, level of shading, age etc. This is HB in all these photos......it is useful getting your eye in for it at this stage. Once flowers come out, seeds can be produced very quickly indeed, and it will soon be too late for pulling. These pictures were taken on Aberfeldy golf course two weeks ago......they will almost certainly all be purple by now.

And again......

And again........

And again.......

And again......

And again.......

The 13th green

How invasives get started........

This nice little plant has been planted by the council in a new playground in Aberfeldy.

Fairly harmless, you would think......

Closer......

Compare this with the lambium below, which is definitely becoming an invasive species in some woodland areas. Notice the similarities.......pretty leaves, spreads quickly to cover the ground area.......just like an invasive plant!!

Invasive Lambium beside Loch Dochart

Closer........

The River Lochay yesterday

This is the lower Lochay, just above the Bridge of Lochay hotel on Boreland Estate.

Looking up the Lochay

Looking down the Lochay towards hotel

A rapid fall in level.......

The river level on the lower Lochay is artifically controlled by the power station, levels going up and down several times a day.....these rocks had been covered in water a few hours before......this unnatural flow regime tends to promote erosion of the banks, as seen below.

Under-cut banks on the River Lochay