Reeds

Scheihallion from the Rannoch Road

Working outwith TWCP area today, but pictures are more or less the same........

All now until Monday.

What a long tail you've got!!

Not just a great photo. Interesting that all the squirrels we have seen so far this summer have been sitting in alder trees. I am wondering if they are gathering the lichen here for their dreys. We seen another squirrel with a mouthful of this stuff a few weeks ago......

Surprise!! Roe Doe

Red Deer Hind on Rannochside

Photo is nicely in focus even though the hind is on the run past me.........

The start of the Tay

We have'nt been able to get out for a few days, but should be out again tomorrow and again next week.

Here are a few miscellaneous pictures just to keep things ticking over.

This is the beginning of the River Tay, the bridge at Kenmore on the east end of Loch Tay. The Dochart and Lochay rivers enter Loch Tay at the west end of the Loch. The Lyon joins the Tay a couple of miles down from Kenmore Bridge.

The Upper Tay through Pine trees

Circular Pen at Inverinain

Top end of Stronuich Resevoir

Photograph courtesy of Tay Liason Committee

Meggernie Pinewoods

Inside Fenced Enclosure at Meggernie

The Tarmachan Ridge from Creag na Ceardaich

Here are a few more gratuitous photos of Glen Lochay from 2007........

The Lochay as it enters Loch Tay

The Lochay just below Killin

The Lochay below the Falls & bridge........

Oystercatcher on the Lochay

The Lochay above Innischorach bridge

The Allt Challum

Banks of the upper Lochay

The banks of the upper Lochay are very stable, much more so than the upper reaches off the other two main rivers we are looking at.......

Sron Tairbh & Stob an Fhir- Bhogra

Grassy upper tributary

You can see how grassy Glen Lochay is here, and largely undergrazed in late summer.......

Gravel ford on the upper Lochay

Grazed Banks

In the summer of 2007, the banks of the river were getting grazed more than the fields beside them........!

Water Vole Habitat in Glen Lochay

Looking down on the Upper Lochay

Abstraction point on Allt Innis Daimh

Nae water

Doon the pipe......

The walking is steep

The Allt Innis Chaorach

Some nice native woodland remnants up here........

The (very) Upper Lochay

This is the Lochay shortly after it has left Lochan Chalein at it's source.

Closer View

Ben Lawers & Loch tay

I took this series of photos going up the south Loch Tay road to Killin about 9 pm in the evening. The south loch road gives a totally different perspective of the Loch than the road along the north bank........

Slightly Different angle

Loch Tay in the evening light

Loch Tay 2

Loch Tay 3

Loch Tay 4

Trees on the Lochside

The south side of loch Tay has an impressive range of native trees and woodlands, especially oak trees, silhuoetted here........

Ben Lawers across Loch Tay

Meall Greigh in the evening light

Clouds over the Tarmachan ridge

Sun going down over Glen Lochay

West Loch Tay with the sun gone down

Clouds over Glen Lochay

Benmore

Benmore & Stob Binnein

A quiet backwater on Loch Tay

Gathering Native Woodland Information

During our survey work, we have been trying to gather as much useful information on native woodlands as we can. Native woods are very difficult to age correctly, and yet knowing approx how old trees are is very important.

We are using a simple 1-7 scale devised by Tim Clifford for giving trees a "life-class", which simply describes where on the scale a tree is from unsecured regeneration through to over-mature, and indeed, dead. Although it sounds a bit subjective, qualifying criteria have been laid out, and once you get your eye in, it is a very simple and useful technique. For every woodland remant we survey, we are noting the species and life classes present. This will help us to easily describe the age profile present, which remnants are relatively young and healthy, which are at risk from extinction. This age class scale was devised for use with the native pinewoods at Glenfeshie. I have modified it a little bit to be applicable to broadleaved trees as well.

If you would like more information on this, e-mail me at victor.clements@scottishnativewoods.org.uk and I will send you a more detailed set of criteria.

Score 1 Unsecured Regeneration/ Planting

Trees are not yet established, generally less than head height, often just a few inches high. We are not differentiating between very small seedlings and those above vegetation height, but it is possible to do this.