Autumnal Wild Highlights

Whether it’s the rutting of the deer in Perthshire, the abundance of seals around the coastline or the geese arriving in the borders, Autumn is a fantastic time to get out and see wildlife in Scotland.

The Caerlaverock Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT) reserve, near Dumfries is a key stopping off point for geese. Some 15,000 people visit the wetland reserve each year. The mudflats of the Solway Firth are perfect for whooper swans, barnacle geese and many other species. Between September and December, Caerlaverock operates a series of flight watches and wildlife safaris, "Our morning flight events have a warden with the visitors to interpret the whole scenario as dawn breaks over the reserve," says Brian Morrell who works at the reserve. "All of the Barnacle Geese roost overnight on the mudflats of the Solway and fly in to feed on the merses (saltmarshes) and coastal fields at first light. If the weather is good it can be spectacular with literally thousands of geese flying right overhead."

Barnacle geese have a creamy white coloured face and a distinctive black neck and breast. They often fly in noisy packs heading in long lines across the sky. They are found in north western Scotland, but the largest numbers are on the Solway Firth. They feast on leaves, roots and stems found in lowland fields, saltmarshes and grassy areas.

The geese arrive from Spitzbergen in Canada. "The Spitzbergen population has risen steadily to around 27,000 birds since the low in the late 1940's of just over 300," explains Morrell. However, in recent years the birds eggs have been prone to attack from Polar Bears in search of food and there are worries over the long term future of the population.

The ‘Morning flight’ watches take place on Sundays and start at 7am. Wardens are on hand to answer any questions visitors may have. The events are free for WWT members. Other events include wild swan feeds, where visitors can see swans closer than anywhere else in Britain and a very popular evening badger watch called ‘Stars and Stripes’. Visitors can observe the badgers from a comfortable observatory from 7.30pm. Booking for both events is recommended (Tel : 01387 770200). Overnight accomodation can be booked in advance if needed.

This time of year also sees the start of the ‘rutting’ – or mating – season for Red Deer. The elaborate displays of antler rattling battles for dominance among the male stags can be seen with a little luck throughout Scotland. "The deer are normally found in lower ground during the winter and spring period," says Rob Donaldson-Webster, the Director of the British Deer Society. "This is when they are often seen by travellers on the A9 road between Perth and Inverness or on the various highland railway routes."

The Red Deer is Britain’s largest land mammal and can live for up to eighteen years. They are no longer uncommon in Scotland according to Donaldson-Webster, "Red deer are surprisingly widespread, occupying most areas of hill ground and large forestry blocks throughout Scotland." They mostly feed on grasses, heather and bilberry and the best time to see them is at dawn or dusk.

The RSPB Vane Farm Reserve in Kinross sees thousands of Pink Footed Geese arrive in the first half of September. Vane Farm is part of the Loch Leven National Nature Reserve and 15 – 20,000 or more pink footed geeses are expected to use the reserve as a staging post this year. The majority of geese eventually move south in family groups only to return to the reserve in March the following year. However, as many as 10,000 remain at Vane Farm during the winter months making it a good place to visit from Autumn onwards. In total about 120,000 pink footed geese pass through the Loch Leven area in one year, although they don’t all stop at the reserve. Pochard, widgeon, tufted duck, pintail and goldeneye are also visible from September onwards.

The occasional rarity appears at Vane Farm. In recent years the Little Egret has stopped by, "You’d normally find it on the Mediterranean," says Colin Shaw, Vane Farm Information Officer. "It stayed with us over the winter last year." The reserve gave the unusual bird, which is like a white heron with plumes on the back of its head, the nickname Egbert.

Pink footed geese also alight in force at Montrose Basin Wildlife Reserve, which is run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT). In September they arrive from their breeding grounds in Iceland and eastern Greenland. To take full advantage of their arrival, SWT run a Goose breakfast morning, starting at 6.45am, to watch the birds fly at dawn. The event has run for the past six years. "Last year fifty people came for the breakfast," says Richard Averiss, Angus Council Countryside Ranger. "Normally we try to organise the breakfast at the time of peak geese numbers. Last year we got it dead-on. There were about 30,000 geese on the move at that time." This year the breakfast is planned for October 2nd and advance booking is essential.

RSPB Vane Farm also has events throughout the year. On October 29th there’s a ‘Feed the birds’ day. It’s a family event and four sessions are run throughout the day at a local park and on Halloween there’s ‘Spooky Sunday’. Children can take part in all manner of ‘spooky’ events including making a broomstick and discovering creepy creatures on the reserve trails. "It’s very popular, it’s the biggest event of the year," explains Colin Shaw, "The kids make things they can take home and get to go on guided walks." There are four sessions of both these events and advanced booking is also essential here.

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 in Scottish waters the chances of spotting these blubbery beauties are good.

Grey seals arrive on the Isle of May from October onwards. The Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) in North Berwick is an ideal vantage point for visitors. The centre overlooks both the Isle of May with its seal colonies and the Bass Rock, which is a major gannet nesting site. The isle has been a nature reserve since 1956 and is managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The SSC run boat trips to the May. "We see over a hundred seal pups being born during the breeding season," says Maggie Sheddan, a guide at the centre. "It’s awe inspiring, particularly if you get heavy seas and a high tide. The pups can get washed out to sea and you can see the cows going in to rescue them." The centre operates a series of remote cameras on the surrounding islands, two of which are on the Isle of May. At this time of year, visitors can use a camera joystick to manoeuvre the along the beaches where the seals bask and rear their pups. Another camera is placed under water near the isle and lucky visitors may catch a glimpse of some of the many seals that visit the area during the autumn months.

Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve
www.wwt.org.uk/visit/caerlaverock
Tel: 01387 770275

RSPB Vane Farm Nature Centre
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/vanefarm
Tel: 01577 862355

Montrose Basin Wildlife Reserve
www.swt.org.uk/see_wildlife/Montrose
Tel: 01674 676336

Scottish Seabird Centre, The Harbour, North Berwick
www.seabird.org
Tel: 01620 890202