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| Thursday 7th August 2008 |  | |||||||||||||
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Scotland Magazine section Scottish WildlifeSpeed kingsThere is no faster animal than the Peregrine Falcon. Graham Holliday looks at where you can find them in Scotland The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest creature on the planet. With its one metre wide wings swept back, this slate grey blue bird of prey can stoop from very high, dropping like a stone reaching speeds of around 185mph. The Peregrine is resident year round in Scotland. Despite a history of persecutio... By Graham Holliday from Issue 29 published on 25/10/2006 Holy voley!This issue, Graham Holliday considers the rare Orkney Vole One of Scotland’s smallest, and more unique species is the Orkney Vole. It’s a subspecies of the common vole, which is found in Europe but not in Britain. The Orkney vole, as the name suggests, is only found in the lowlying, green sweep of the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland. It’s ... By Graham Holliday from Issue 28 published on 20/09/2006 Where Eagles dareGraham Holliday goes bird-watching on the isles of Mull and Skye The islands of Mull and Skye are two of Europe’s best destinations for wildlife watchers. Acombination of wild, rugged mountains, windswept moors and high, inhospitable coastal cliffs make these two islands popular with deer, eagles, otters and a wide variety of bird, plant and sealife. At this tim... By Graham Holiday from Issue 27 published on 09/06/2006 Magical machairA look how this unusual maritime pasture is becoming a haven for flora and fauna The machair is a unique and fertile pasture that lines the west coast of Scotland, particularly along the broken chain of the Outer Hebrides. It is one of the most unusual and spectacular visual habitats in Europe, filled with flowers and home to an abundance of wildlife. You’ll find it along the be... By from Issue 26 published on 21/04/2006 Snakes aliveNot much can hurt you in Scotland, but the adder can, and as Graham Holliday reports, it’s much maligned as a result The adder is Scotland’s only poisonous snake. As such it has earned a dubious reputation as a threatening animal. However, adders are very rarely dangerous. In the last 100 years only 12 people are known to have died from adder bites, whereas several people die every year from insect bites and pet ... By Graham Holiday from Issue 25 published on 17/02/2006 Getting your goatThe primitive goat is becoming a rare sight. Graham Holliday gives hints as to where to see one The wild, feral or officially named British primitive goat arrived in Scotland with the very first neolithic farmers. The shaggy haired species ruled with a cloven hoof until the late 18th century when Swiss and Nubian breeds were introduced It was once widespread in the United Kingdom and found i... By Graham Holiday from Issue 24 published on 05/01/2006 Well and truly hen-peckedThe hen harrier gets a hard time but keeps quiet about it. Graham Holliday reports The hen harrier is the most persecuted bird of prey in Britain. It acquired its name because of its predilection for taking poultry and grouse. The bird was driven to extinction from mainland Britain by 1900 and gamekeepers and landowners are still suspected of shooting the bird illegally. The a... By Graham Holiday from Issue 23 published on 14/10/2005 It's looking black for rare grouseGraham Holliday seeks out the very rare black grouse The black grouse is one of Scotland’s rarest, yet most spectacular birds. It can be found throughout much of mainland Scotland and in the Inner Hebrides. Like the similarly rare but far larger capercaillie, the males, or black cocks as they are often called, come together to perform lekking display... By Graham Holiday from Issue 22 published on 10/08/2005 Go wild in the countryMarieke Smegan argues that wildlife alone is worth visiting Scotland for Scotland has an amazing number of animals. There are hundreds of different species of birds, mammals and sea animals, some of which are quite easy to spot. To list them all would be impossible. However, Scotland houses plenty of visitor centres and nature reserves, which make the wildlife even more ... By Marieke Smegen from Issue 22 published on 10/08/2005 Bucking the trendWhile some species of bird are struggling, Britain’s most distinctive sea bird is thriving reports Graham Holliday The puffin is Scotland’s most distinctive sea bird. It mates for life and returns to the same cliff top burrow to nest every March. Britain hosts nearly a million of the small black and white birds each year. The majority of those nest in Scotland before leaving for the Bay of Biscay in August. In ... By Graham Holiday from Issue 21 published on 10/07/2005 Salmon killers on the looseWild salmon are under threat from among other things, pollution and hundreds of thousands of farmed salmon that have escaped and are causing mayhem. Graham Holliday reports Scotland’s salmon are famed internationally, but the species is under threat. Many rivers where salmon could once commonly be seen leaping are seeing fewer and fewer fish. In January 2005, the World Wildlife Fund published their Marine Health Check. It concluded that Atlantic Salmon are in ‘signifi... By Graham Holiday from Issue 20 published on 10/04/2005 A walk on the wild sideAt this time of year Scotland is ablaze with wild flowers. Lindsay Mackinlay explains what you should be looking for Scotland is quite rightly famous for its whisky, its rebellious history, lochs, hills and the hospitality of its people. It is less well known for the beauty and diversity of its wildflowers, yet there is a floristic treasure trove to be discovered by those who look into the wet bog or the wood as ... By Lindsay Mackinlay from Issue 20 published on 10/04/2005 Go west and follow the skipperThe chequered skipper butterfly is very rare. But your chances of seeing one improve in the Fort William area. Graham Holliday reports The small chequered skipper butterfly is one of Britain’s rarer butterflies. Numbers took a steep dive in the 1960s and the species finally became extinct from the damp woodlands of the English Midlands in 1975. It was discovered in Scotland in 1942. This dark brown and yellow butterfly with a dis... By Graham Holiday from Issue 19 published on 20/3/2005 Rare but welcome river dwellerOtters are making a comeback. Graham Holliday reports Otter numbers throughout the United Kingdom declined from the 1950s as a result of pesticides entering the food chain. This large fish and crab-eating predator, about the size of a small dog, can be found in rivers, lochs and the sea and is often nocturnal although you might catch it fishing by day... By Graham Holiday from Issue 18 published on 8/1/2005 A great deal to shout aboutGraham Holliday explains where you can hear and perhaps see – the shy and elusive corncrake The corncrake is one of Britain’s most vocal, yet most elusive birds. Its repetitive, rasping calls were once heard all over the Scottish countryside, but changes in farming methods and the destruction of much needed cover means the din of calling male corncrakes has become a rare event in the count... By Graham Holiday from Issue 17 published on 29/11/2004 In praise of ospreysThe osprey represents one of Scotland’s most spectacular success stories, having re-established itself there without human intervention. Graham Holliday reports The osprey is one of Scotland’s most remarkable conservation success stories. Persecuted to extinction during the Victorian era, the bird disappeared in 1916 when the last known pair bred on an island in Loch Fyne. The bird, which is Britain’s only bird of prey to feed exclusively on fish, didn’t r... By Graham Holiday from Issue 16 published on 15/9/2004 Scottish resident with a sweet toothPine martens used to be common but not any more. Graham Holliday goes in search of the elusive distant relative of the stoats and weasel The Pine marten, with its distinctive cream coloured throat, was once widespread throughout Britain. As a result of deforestation, hunting and persecution, numbers of this carnivorous mammal were severely decimated by the beginning of the 20th century. It is now confined to the forested areas of the... By Graham Holiday from Issue 15 published on 18/7/2004 Scotland's cool for catsScottish wildcats are extremely rare, but it's still possible to spot them if you're patient enough, says Graham Holilday By 1880, the wildcat was extinct in England, Wales and the south of Scotland due to human persecution and habitat destruction. Many wildlife buffs and hillwalkers spend a lifetime wandering the wilder regions of Scotland without ever encountering Scotland’s most elusive, shy and beautiful mammal. W... By Graham Holiday from Issue 14 published on 2/5/2004 The eagle has landedSea Eagles are among the United Kingdom's most impressive wildlife, says Graham Holliday Britain’s largest bird of prey, the white-tailed eagle or sea eagle, is a magnificent, if rare, sight in the wilder reaches of the western Scotland. This massive bird, the world’s fourth largest eagle, with a wingspan stretching eight feet across, became extinct in Britain in 1918. Laws were chang... By Graham Holiday from Issue 13 published on 25/3/2004 On the path of hares and crossbillsCatching wildlife in late winter isn't easy. But hares and crossbills are there say Graham Holliday Mountain hares were introduced to the Pentlands in 1867 and 1868 to provide an additional game species for the area. The hares were shot as part of the popular sport of hare drives during that time. There are thought to be some 350,000 mountain hares in the United Kingdom, of which only some 500 ar... By Graham Holiday from Issue 12 published on 19/1/2004 Plenty of thrills in winter chillsWith winter approaching, Graham Halliday tells us how red squirrels are the main attraction in the coming weeks The chill of December and January brings with it amorous action in the forests and hills as the mating season for foxes commences and red squirrels begin their courtship rituals. It is easier to find the endangered, bushy tailed red squirrel at this time of year as the trees have lost their leaves.... By Graham Holiday from Issue 11 published on 17/11/2003 Time to get in a flapGRAHAM HOLLIDAY PROVIDES A GUIDE TO SPOTTING THE THOUSANDS OF GREY SEALS AROUND SCOTLAND’S SHORES The islands and remote shores around the coast of Scotland heave with a proliferation of grey seals in October and November as the females arrive onshore to give birth to a single fluffy white pup each. With an estimated 90,000 grey seals around the coast of Scotland the chances of spotting these bl... By Graham Holiday from Issue 10 published on 5/9/2003 Lets go spy a kiteGRAHAM HOLLIDAY EXPLAINS WHERE TO SPOT BIRD OF PREY THE RED KITE, ONCE EXTINCT BUT NOW SUCCESSFULLY RE-INTRODUCED TO SCOTLAND Red kites were once widespread in Scotland, but became extinct in the 1870s. The 1990s saw Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (the RSPB) team up to return this striking raptor to Scottish shores. At the RSPB reserve around Loch Ken, near Castle Douglas ... By Graham Holiday from Issue 9 published on 20/7/2003 Deep watersGRAHAM HALLIDAY KEEPS US UP-TO-DATE WHALE-WISE The number of whales, dolphins and porpoises in Scottish waters begins to swell from July. Hebridean waters in particular play host to a number of species. “Rissos and white-beaked dolphin are common in the north around Lewis,” says Juliet Shrimpton, marine ranger for the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin ... By Graham Holiday from Issue 8 published on 17/5/2003 Wild capersIN EACH ISSUE GRAHAM HOLLIDAY WILL EXPLAIN WHAT WILDLIFE TO LOOK OUT Hunted to extinction in 1785, the capercaillie was reintroduced to Scotland in the 1800s. This turkey-sized grouse inhabits the old Caledonian pine forests of Abernethy, Glenmore, Glen Affric and Tay Forest. A decrease in available brood habitat, an increase in predators such as foxes and crows and... By Graham Holiday from Issue 7 published on 7/3/2003 |  | ||||||||||||
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