A closer look at the natural heritage and wildlife of the Kyle of Sutherland area.
Nature
Just how many birds are visiting our gardens? Portable Universe Codec (PUC) technology can help identify them. By Cherry Alexander (Left) (Right) The birds that visit my garden are a constant source of joy to me. Right now, in the winter, the robin is the most vocal of my visitors,
Nature
The Dundreggan Rewilding Centre, part of Trees for Life, run a variety of interesting courses throughout the year, but the one that caught my eye was Wildlife Tracking, led by Dan Puplett. By Cherry Alexander I think I had envisaged us pushing through undergrowth in search of animal tracks and
Nature
As summer starts to retreat into autumn, the hills and woods of the Highlands put on a spectacular show of mauves and purple. The heather is in flower. By Cherry Alexander The ling heather on our surrounding hillsides is Calluna vulgaris, a member of the heath family of plants which
Nature
Secretive and rarely seen, the European Pine Marten, (martes martes) is about the size of a cat. It can be ferocious, with sharp teeth and claws which help it to hunt birds and rodents. By Cherry Alexander Dark brown on their backs and with a distinctive yellow bib, this is
Nature
Common frogs are one of the only six native species of amphibians found in Scotland. They come to ponds to breed during the spring and spend much of the rest of the year feeding on dry land. They generally appears shiny and wet, in contrast to the dryness of a
Nature
The European or Eurasian Badger (Meles meles) is a native British species of mammal and a member of the mustelid family, which includes pine marten and stoats. By Cherry Alexander In the rural area of North Dorset where I lived previously, badgers were very common, and hedgehogs were not. I
Nature
They are great for wildlife and diversity, providing food and homes for invertebrates, mammals and birds. By Cherry Alexander Isabella Tree, who farms at Knepp in Sussex, which is famed for its successful rewilding project, encourages gardeners to abandon perfection. “Perhaps the greatest insult to nature in a garden is
Nature
Cherry Alexander tells us about the recent Lichen Safari in Ledmore & Migdale Woods. These complex organisms are made up of a fungus and one or more algae living together. By Cherry Alexander The first Lichen Safari was rained off and although the Easter Ross Ranger, Marcia Rae from High
Nature
The first book that Greta Thunberg wrote was pocket sized. It consisted of speeches she gave aged 15 & 16. Her latest, The Climate Book, is 400+ pages of essays from experts across the spectrum of climate science, meteorology, energy and food production interspersed with her own essays. The main
Nature
Have you ever wondered what wildlife comes to your garden? Thinking of getting a camera trap? Here are some ideas By Cherry Alexander I wouldn’t want to be without my camera traps, although I only use them to identify what wildlife is coming into our garden and woodland. My
Nature
So how many bat species are there in Sutherland, and which areas are best? By David Patterson Only six species of bats have been recorded thus far. Two of these are scarce/rare; Noctule and Natterers bat. The main bat fauna involves four species; common and soprano pipistrelle bat, Daubenton’
Nature
No summer’s day in the garden would be complete without the buzz of the busy bees. Bumblebees are the most noticeable species of bees. Their genus name is Bombus, allegedly named for their deep, booming buzz. By Cherry Alexander Although there are only 19 species of bumblebees that are