Tuesday 20 March 2012
The first cuckoo.
I havn`t got a lot of time today to blog, so i thought it would be a great idea for anyone who comes onto my blog to start listening out for the first cuckoo. As we enter spring tomorrow,(i have a blog about the spring equinox) this wonderful bird that has evolved to lay her eggs in other birds nests. For me its magnificent to hear my first cuckoo calling. So let me know when and where you are when you hear your first cuckoo of 2012.
Sunday 11 March 2012
The cervidae family.
Part eight the axis deer.
Native to India and Sri Lanka, the spotted axis deer can be seen in Britain in a few parks at woburn and whipsnade in Bedfordshire. It is the most attractive of India`s eight species of deer, and its hindustani name is chital, which means spotted deer. In its homelands, the axis deer lives mainly in lowland forest areas where there is good cover along with good grazing. It will also wander from the forest to feed on crops of nearby villages which has led to alot of the deer being killed by the locals. At the start of the twentieth century herds could be reckoned in their thousands, but now they number much fewer in their native India. As like most deer, axis deer graze by day or night. When they are alarmed, they emit a shrill whistle. They have no fixed breeding season, the young calves may be seen among the herds in Britain parks at any time of the year. A stag rubs its antlers against a sapling in order to remove the velvet or to mark its territory. Nor is there a fixed season for stags to shed their antlers, so all stages of antler growth, as well as hard antlers cleaned of velvet, can be seen among animals in the herd at any time. The attractive axis deer has a rich brown summer coat heavily dappled with white spots, and it has a white bib. Winter colouring is slightly darker. A stag`s three tined (pointed) can grow up to thirty inches. The stag is about thirty seven inches at its shoulder, with the hind being slightly smaller.
Native to India and Sri Lanka, the spotted axis deer can be seen in Britain in a few parks at woburn and whipsnade in Bedfordshire. It is the most attractive of India`s eight species of deer, and its hindustani name is chital, which means spotted deer. In its homelands, the axis deer lives mainly in lowland forest areas where there is good cover along with good grazing. It will also wander from the forest to feed on crops of nearby villages which has led to alot of the deer being killed by the locals. At the start of the twentieth century herds could be reckoned in their thousands, but now they number much fewer in their native India. As like most deer, axis deer graze by day or night. When they are alarmed, they emit a shrill whistle. They have no fixed breeding season, the young calves may be seen among the herds in Britain parks at any time of the year. A stag rubs its antlers against a sapling in order to remove the velvet or to mark its territory. Nor is there a fixed season for stags to shed their antlers, so all stages of antler growth, as well as hard antlers cleaned of velvet, can be seen among animals in the herd at any time. The attractive axis deer has a rich brown summer coat heavily dappled with white spots, and it has a white bib. Winter colouring is slightly darker. A stag`s three tined (pointed) can grow up to thirty inches. The stag is about thirty seven inches at its shoulder, with the hind being slightly smaller.
Friday 9 March 2012
Red deer cull.
Part three.
Keeping deer numbers low on private estates is unusual as the land owners normally want high numbers of red deer for hunting. But the land on these estates is grazed like sheep by the deer. After there has been a cull on a private estate its completely transformed, it becomes a beautiful wild blossoming habitat full of heather and young trees. These young trees will grow into the caledonian forest of the future. Its a difficult decision to make for the land owner, but in the long term these habitats might become home to some of Scotland's most spectacular species. For the landscape as a whole, the highest numbered animal the red deer do need to be culled. This is for the balance of the eco-system and to benefit the red deer, even though it is a very difficult decision. Man has manipulated the landscape for so long that conservation issues like this one are hard, emotionally as a human it is hard to watch a cull but you must understand that its about a fine balance. Could indigenous predators be re-introduced? I think yes as long as it is correctly monitored, but those decisions are not for me to make. Red deer also bring lots of money into the highlands, so there is a lot of conflict between land owners. Let me know what you think.
Keeping deer numbers low on private estates is unusual as the land owners normally want high numbers of red deer for hunting. But the land on these estates is grazed like sheep by the deer. After there has been a cull on a private estate its completely transformed, it becomes a beautiful wild blossoming habitat full of heather and young trees. These young trees will grow into the caledonian forest of the future. Its a difficult decision to make for the land owner, but in the long term these habitats might become home to some of Scotland's most spectacular species. For the landscape as a whole, the highest numbered animal the red deer do need to be culled. This is for the balance of the eco-system and to benefit the red deer, even though it is a very difficult decision. Man has manipulated the landscape for so long that conservation issues like this one are hard, emotionally as a human it is hard to watch a cull but you must understand that its about a fine balance. Could indigenous predators be re-introduced? I think yes as long as it is correctly monitored, but those decisions are not for me to make. Red deer also bring lots of money into the highlands, so there is a lot of conflict between land owners. Let me know what you think.
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Red deer cull.
Part two.
Red deer's are monitored across the highlands by Scottish natural heritage. Red deer are normally in herds of between forty and sixty. This is then looked at to see what effect the deer have on the landscape. Because of these herds, the treeless landscapes are under stress as a result. On the lower slopes of the highlands, their are dying remnants of the old caledonian forest. For many years , the older trees have not been able to establish a younger crop below them. This is because the young pine sapling are being eaten by the red deer, they are a great food source for the red deer. Some of the highland estates have put in a management programme to protect the saplings, reducing the impact the red deer has on the saplings. In some areas, woodland is much more dense, there are so many more trees. Most importantly there is clear evidence of the young trees coming up through the vegetation. From a great height its easy to see that high numbers of red deer result in grazed and barren moors. Where there are low numbers of deer, rare caledonian pines are making a come back.
Red deer's are monitored across the highlands by Scottish natural heritage. Red deer are normally in herds of between forty and sixty. This is then looked at to see what effect the deer have on the landscape. Because of these herds, the treeless landscapes are under stress as a result. On the lower slopes of the highlands, their are dying remnants of the old caledonian forest. For many years , the older trees have not been able to establish a younger crop below them. This is because the young pine sapling are being eaten by the red deer, they are a great food source for the red deer. Some of the highland estates have put in a management programme to protect the saplings, reducing the impact the red deer has on the saplings. In some areas, woodland is much more dense, there are so many more trees. Most importantly there is clear evidence of the young trees coming up through the vegetation. From a great height its easy to see that high numbers of red deer result in grazed and barren moors. Where there are low numbers of deer, rare caledonian pines are making a come back.
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