Wildtravel 06/14 by StStilinski

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Contents Features

Essential Scotland

28 Trip report: birds of prey 50 Gallery: giraffes c c Photography duo Steve and Ann Toon photography, Czech Republic

78 Why?

Matt Havercroft joins professional wildlife photographer Ben Hall and six other snappers on a birds of prey photography workshop in the Czech Highlands

share a selection of images of Africa’s giraffes from their new, appropriately titled book, Giraffe

Kenny Taylor makes the case for choosing Scotland over more exotic climes

80 Where? c Introducing the best of Scotland’s wildlifewatching hotspots from the southern Borders to the Highlands and the islands

38 Take me there: Mauritius c

60 Special report: ABTA wildlife tourism guidelines

Anthony Ham reveals how the former island home of the extinct dodo has restored its reputation as an idyllic haven for wildlife, as well as honeymooners

We look at the implications of the guidelines for acceptable wildlife tourism that have been issued by ABTA The Travel Association

48 Anatomy of a Komodo dragon c

66 Trip report: Kidepo Valley, Uganda c

97 How?

Discover how the Komodo dragon is adapted to life in the harsh climate of Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands

Gary Almond heads to one of Africa’s least explored national parks and discovers a pristine wilderness

Everything you need to know before you go, including country facts, a suggested itinerary and recommended lodges

All cover stories marked with a c

92 What? Golden eagle, grey seals and European beaver are just a few of the species on our Scottish must-see list

JUNE 2014 3

CONTENTS Regulars 12 Wild world We review the latest images from the world of wildlife, from Alberta in Canada to Koh Tao in Thailand, as well as the latest conservation news and wildlife-watching tours

22 Wild UK c Inspiration for wild days out across the UK, from spotting swallowtails on the Norfolk Broads to seabirds on the Farne Islands

99 The knowledge c Our experts explain what to do if you find a stranded whale or dolphin and how to photograph puffins, plus an interview with Chris Packham on his new book

114 Column: Confessions of a wildlife traveller

Anthropomorphism can distort our view of the natural world but it can also be something to celebrate, writes Mike Unwin

Departments 07 Editor’s welcome 08 Inbox Our selection of the latest comments, tweets, photos and wildlife stories we’ve received

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European otters play on the shoreline in Shetland, northern Scotland

WELCOME Contributors

Anthony Ham Anthony offers his guide to the burgeoning wildlife of the paradise island of Mauritius

Ann & Steve Toon

Are you feeling intrepid? Watching amazing wildlife doesn’t have to involve long haul travel and gruelling days on the road. In fact, it doesn’t need to involve a great deal of travel at all. For those of you looking to get your wildlifewatching kicks closer to home we’ve dedicated a 21-page chunk of this issue to our guide to Scotland’s most spectacular wildlifewatching experiences (turn to page 77). Inside you’ll find rutting stags, strutting eagles and elusive pine martens, along with plenty of other wonderful wildlife that can be found in the blue and white part of Britain. For those of you willing to venture a little further in order to improve your wildlife photography skills, how about joining a birds of prey photography workshop with professional tuition in the Czech Republic, just two hours from Prague airport? I was invited to do just that and can highly recommend it (you can see the results on page 28). If, however, you’re feeling particularly intrepid, then why not follow in the foosteps of writer Gary Almond and book a trip to Kidepo Valley in Uganda? This is one of Africa’s least explored national parks, where you can enjoy the wildlife and big skies without another tourist or safari jeep in sight (see page 66).

COVER IMAGE: © PAUL HOBSON/FLPA. ABOVE: © GIEDRIUS STAKAUSKAS/ALAMY

Matt Havercroft, Editor

WILDTRAVEL To subscribe Tel: 0844 848 4211 Email: wildtravel@subscription.co.uk www.subscriptionsave.co.uk www.greatbritishmagazines.com (US only) To advertise ADVERTISING GROUP SALES MANAGER Kim Lewis, Tel: 01242 211 072; kim.lewis@archant.co.uk ACCOUNT MANAGERS Katy Byers, Tel: 01242 265 890, katy.byers@ archant.co.uk; Justin Parry, Tel: 01242 216 060, justin.parry@archant.co.uk

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To contact editorial Archant House, Oriel Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1BB ; Tel: 01242 211 080 Email: editorial@wildtravelmag.com EDITOR Matt Havercroft DEPUTY EDITOR Sheena Harvey EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Debbie Graham DESIGNER Steve Rayner ARCHANT SPECIALIST MANAGING DIRECTOR Mark Wright; mark.wright@archant.co.uk For customer services Tel: 01242 216 002; Email: sylvie.wheatley@ archant.co.uk, or estelle.iles@archant.co.uk Printing William Gibbons ISSN 2048-2485

© Archant Specialist 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of Archant Ltd. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication is correct at the time of going to press, we cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience however caused. For the latest travel and health information on all destinations covered in the magazine, go to www.fco.gov.uk

WILD TRAVEL IS AN OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER OF

The Toons share a selection of images from their new e-book dedicated to the giraffe

Gary Almond Gary discovers the wildlife of Uganda’s Kidepo Valley, far from the standard safari circuit

Kenny Taylor Kenny makes the case for booking a wildlife watching trip across Scotland

On the cover...

Cover image: a Eurasian red squirrel clings to a tree stump in Scotland

JUNE 2014 7

InBox Winning letter To frack or not to frack The fracking debate in your May issue (Wild UK) made compelling reading. I can see reason in both points of view, for and against, but ultimately this debate is about money versus the environment. On the one hand our current natural resources are

Send us your thoughts on the magazine, wildlife travel pictures and recommendations, or stories of your own wildlife encounters. The author of our favourite letter, picture and story will receive a brilliant wildlife book

dwindling, while our population is increasing, which means heating our homes will become ludicrously expensive in the near future. But while I dread this, I don’t think the search for power alternatives should be at the expense of our environment and wildlife. However many assurances Chief Exec of UK Onshore Operators Group Ken Cronin gives, the fact remains that fracking will have an impact. How much we may not know yet, but I for one do not want us to find out the cost too late to put it right. Instead of putting money into this, the government should be putting money into green alternatives. Barbara Freeman, via email

was really interesting – I can’t believe they have only been going for 25 years and have achieved so much. I also did not realise the late Gerald Durrell had been involved at the start – along with many other conservation giants. I think the organisation’s simple ethos of buying an acre of land at a time sends out a powerful message that small bites, when combined together, can achieve greatness. Here’s to another fruitful 25 years! Rupert Lonsdale, via email

Nature’s way

Memorable Azores

I just wanted to say thanks for a really interesting feature on using nature to navigate (The Knowledge, April 2014). I never knew there were so many signs out there pointing the way, and it really highlighted just how much we rely on modern technology today compared to our ancient ancestors. It was clear that with just a little more observation we can all get more involved with nature and follow the clues it sets. I would never have thought that a hedge could help me find my way, but after reading your article it is logical that the warmer, southern side is going to grow quicker than the northern shady side, and likewise with trees. As Adam says, the clues are all out there…but I won’t be giving up on my trusty compass and maps on hiking trips just yet! Rodney Hayes, Devon

Your wonderful article on the Azores brought back such great memories for me. My husband and I went birding with the very knowledgeable Gerby Michielsen, who’s mentioned in your piece, and found the Azores bullfinch in the cloud forest. I had not realised what a cloud forest was until that trip. I now know it’s a magical place of mists and vivid green foliage, dripping with moisture. No good for keeping your hair looking smart, but fabulous for birdlife! Incidentally, visitors might not know but Gerby was responsible for the extensive walking trails all over the islands, so every nature-loving tourist owes him a debt of gratitude for making some wild places accessible. Frances Seeley, Portsmouth

8 JUNE 2014

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What do you think? Join the debate at http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/ news/Fracking-debate.html

InBox 1

Your photos This month’s selection of photos from our Flickr site 1 Julia Wainwright captured this female common kestrel from a hide in Yorkshire. “I have no doubt that she knew I was there,” she says 2 A crab spider (Synaema globosum) captured by Paul M Davis in Malaga, Spain 3 A vivid wild red bishop looks photographer Roy Balfour straight in the eye 4 An elusive water vole was captured by Maggie Campbell 5 Dinner time. This cute image of two gentoo penguin chicks being fed by the adult was taken by Bob Brewer

To upload your own image, or view and comment on those already there, visit www.flickr.com/groups/wild_travel

Winning image

JUNE 2014 9

InBox Your stories Frozen meal During a polar bear-watching trip to a glacier bay just outside Holmiabukta, near the northern tip of Spitzbergen Island in Svalbard, Norway, I was unbelievably fortunate in the bear activity I witnessed. The bears wanted to take advantage of the remains of a whale carcass – the spine of which we could see as it was partially exposed above the water. This bit was totally picked clean, but at low water the bears could still feed on the rest by diving down and retrieving the remaining meat and blubber. Solitary male bears were coming and going, as well as nursing mothers with young cubs, but there seemed to be some kind of pecking

order for feeding on the carcass. It was great to be able to watch bears just getting on with being themselves, and we were wonderfully entertained at one point watching the antics of a young bear, just balancing precariously on the whale vertebrae and trying to get scraps from its mother. At one point the mother shook herself and water, meat and blubber went everywhere. This caused the youngster to lose its balance and fall off into the water. It reappeared a few seconds later,

@wild_travel reading back issues, quite spectacular! From Lumberjack @fly_lil_birdie

clutching onto the whale backbone in order to haul itself back out again. The mother seemed totally unconcerned about her offspring’s brief aquatic adventure but we were all highly amused! Charles Kinsey, via email

Good news for whales The news the International Court of Justice found the Japanese whaling industry in the Antarctic illegal under international law (May, Wild World) was greeted with both delight and caution by our readers.

Wildlife query My friend says that the pipistrelle bat is the smallest bat in the world but I don’t think they are right. Can you help? Belinda Becker, Tewkesbury, Glos Editor writes: You are right. Although the pipistrelle is small at between 35mm and 45mm in length, and 3g to 8g in weight, the bumblebee bat is even smaller at between 29–33 mm in length and weighs just 2g. Do you have a question you want to ask? If so email us at editorial@wildtravelmag.com

Yes indeed, this is great news so long as the ruling is upheld. Norway and Iceland must also now surely follow suit to end this surreptitious means of supplying the human food chain. Andrew South, via wildlifeextra.com Well, if it’s true then it’s a great victory, but I shall hold my judgement a bit longer. All credit to the Aussies. Terry, via wildlifeextra.com Japan have been getting away with this for far too long. Anyone who has seen the film The Cove will appreciate their complete disregard for cetaceans. Ben Smalling, via email At last! Irene Saunders, via Facebook

Getting in touch POST: Letters to the Editor, Wild Travel, Archant House, Oriel Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1BB EMAIL: editorial@wildtravelmag.com

We welcome your letters but reserve the right to edit them. Please include a daytime telephone number and, if emailing, a postal address (this will not be published)

10 JUNE 2014

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PHONE: 01242 211 080

Wildworld Latest visions from the world of wildlife Kenya

Drone strike The Kenya Wildlife Service is to deploy drones in all 52 of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national parks and reserves in an attempt to combat the poaching of elephants and rhinos. The announcement follows a successful pilot project in which the use of the unmanned, remotely controlled aircraft was found to reduce poaching by as much as 96 per cent. Since 2012, Kenya has lost more than 435 elephants and around 400 rhinos to poachers, driven primarily by the demand for ivory and rhino horn in Asia. The drones monitor the landcape and movement of the animals using radio frequencies and have the ability to spot poachers before they have killed an animal. The ÂŁ103 million project is being funded by Kenya along with the US, Netherlands, France and Canada.

Wildworld Canada

Big horn record Canadian Fish and Wildlife officer Dennis Prodan looks over the skull of a bighorn sheep that was found at Gregg River Mine near Hinton in Alberta. Local wildlife officials believe that the set of spiral horns, which are said to be just over 209 inches long, will set a new world record. The current record stands at 208 and three-eighths inches and belongs to another ram whose skull was also found in Alberta. Bighorns are the largest of all North American wild sheep, with around 6,500 bighorn sheep thought to be living outside Albertaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national parks.

United Kingdom

Ponies in peril

ÂŠ ALAN SMITH/ALAMY

A pair of striking white New Forest ponies graze on the moors of the national park in southern England. The native wild pony has been listed as a rare breed for the first time as the number of new foals has plummeted in recent years, dropping from 1,463 newborns five years ago to just 423 in 2012. The dip is thought to have been caused by an attempt to prevent overgrazing by limiting the number of stallions put out to breed. Today, there are fewer than 3,000 registered adult breeding females.

Wildworld

Thailand

Diver Alex Tyrell took this surreal fluorescent image of a juvenile raggy scorpionfish in the waters off Koh Tao in Thailand using a camera in underwater housing with external UV flash strobes. The image is one of a set of psychedelic images he took using the same technique of fish, shrimp, crabs and corals shining like aliens submerged in the deep waters.

Portugal

Bug tornado This bizarre funnel-like cloud of insects was spotted by photographer Ana Filipa Scarpa in Vila Franca de Xira, north of Lisbon in Portugal. Ana was about a quarter of a mile away when she spotted the 1,000-foot-high swarm of bugs, which are thought to be red locusts, in an area of the country known as Leziria Grande, meaning big plain.

ÂŠ ALEX TYRRELL/CATERS NEWS AGENCY, ANA FILIPA SCARPA/MERCURY PRESS/CATERS NEWS AGENCY

A fresh light

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Contact us for personal assistance: Heike Elmering | Unique Tours & Safaris, Namibia Email: info@unique-tours-safaris.com | Web: www.unique-tours-safaris.com

Shorts

Our roundup of the latest news, discoveries and tours that have got the wildlife world talking. For more, sign up to our weekly e-newsletter at www.wildlifeextra.com

New species

Worldwide

LAND GRAB Precious forest in Mexico and Indonesia receives protection The future for the conservation of many endangered forest animals and the maintenance of wildlife corridors for migrating species lies in perserving as much virgin habitat as possible from destructive mining, logging, agricultural and urban development. To this end, 435 acres of old growth forest in Mexico was bought recently by the World Land Trust with help from a local conservation partner, Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda. This will help maintain what is known as the ‘jaguar corridor’ of the Sierra Gorda mountain range, home to all six species of the country’s wild cats. Across the other side of the world, one

million hectares of rainforest and other ecosystems are to be restored in Sumatra and Kalimantan with support from the Asia Pulp and Paper Group (APP). Deforestation for the paper industry has devastated vast areas of tropical forest in the past, but now this producer, one of the biggest in the world, has declared a conservation policy of immediate and permanent cessation of natural forest clearance across its supply chain.

10,000 By numbers

The number of hunters killing spring migrants passing over Malta

MARSUPIAL DISCOVERED A creature formerly considered to be a dusky antechinus has been re-named the black-tailed antechinus after scientists from Queensland University of Technology distinguished it by the yellow-orange markings around its eyes and rump, its black tail and feet, and its habitat. The new rare marsupial lives only in high, wet regions found in the Tweed Volcanic Caldera in north east New South Wales. The dusky, by contrast, lives in the south east of the state. The black-tailed has an unusual reproductive life in that a female’s brood will be sired by several fathers. The males can mate for 12 hours at a time, which raises stress hormones to such a level they rarely survive to witness their offspring born.

China

Tiger feats Chinese-language online advertisements for tiger-part ornaments and tiger-based medicines appear to be in decline, according to a new report by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network. Though tiger items are still being advertised online, there were signs that the number of times such advertisements are appearing is in decline. There seems to be greater awareness of the illegality of such sales as well as a growing number of internet retail companies who have pledged a zero tolerance

20 JUNE 2014

policy towards such illegal trade and routinely remove such advertising. In addition, people caught eating rare animals in China could face 10 or more years in prison thanks to a new interpretation of the Criminal Law being passed. Currently, there are 420 species of wild animals that are considered rare or endangered in China, including giant pandas, golden monkeys, Asian black bears and pangolins. According to the new legal document, anyone who eats animals on this list or buys them for other purposes will be considered to be breaking the law and will face a jail term based on the degree of offending.

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SOURCE: WWW.BIRDLIFEMALTA.ORG

Wildlife weekends

Swallowtails and amazons T

his weekend is all about water, in its abundance and (near) absence. Visit saturated fens, reed-lined broads and tiny pools in arid dunes. Norfolk’s Broadland comprises a mosaic of open water, sodden fen, reedbeds, marshes and carr woodland – all topped by big skies and distant horizons. Broadland’s flagship creature is the swallowtail, our joint-largest and most localised butterfly. See it at Hickling Broad, a short sail from the setting of two books in the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome. Start along the Weaver’s Way footpath, south of the broad. Swallowtails particularly occur between the hide overlooking Rush Hill scrape and Waggonhill plantation. Most restless on warm, sunny mornings and evenings, swallowtails power past before plunging to slurp nectar from a yellow flag iris, ragged robin or thistle. Dragonflies abound. Red-eyed, 22 JUNE 2014

blue-tailed, azure and large red damselflies inhabit iris beds lining the dyke. Four-spot chasers nestle alongside black-tailed skimmers in drier vegetation. Top of the pops is a ‘dragon’ almost as constrained in range as swallowtail: Norfolk hawker. Males of this East Anglian speciality patrol low over grazing-marsh ditches, clashing over territorial rights. Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve on the north shore of Hickling Broad offers further opportunities for swallowtail, particularly along the western boardwalk near the landing stage (check for otter, too). Nearby, keep an eye out for fen mason wasp at one of its few British sites. The trails traverse varied habitats. Check reeds for the reclusive brown heron and peruse pools for grass snake. Scan Hundred Acre Marsh, a breedingseason haunt of the common cranes for which northeast Norfolk is famous. Make

time for a unique Broadland experience: exploring Hickling from the water aboard an electric boat, which transports you to an otherwise inaccessible hide and magnificent canopy tower. The latter may produce intimate views of purple hairstreak and white admiral. As you float silently and serenely through reeds and channels, bearded tits betray their presence by calling. Marsh harriers and hobbies are everywhere, the former quartering low, the latter hawking high. If the evening is dry and mild, and particularly if there has been rain, spend an exceptional evening at Winterton Dunes. The beach protects one of Britain’s healthiest colonies of little tern, an irrepressible seabird. Then scale the dunes inland to where piddling pools (some natural, most purpose-built, all fenced off to safeguard from dogs) huddle in heathy hollows. Choose a pool and wind down. wildlifeextra.com

Head to the Norfolk Broads in June for spectacular swallowtails, Norfolk hawkers, natterjack toads, nightjars and the famous common cranes, writes James Lowen

WildUK Clockwise from left: a natterjack toad making some noise; the hobby, a speedy bird of prey; the four-spot chaser dragonfly; a Norfolk Broads speciality – the swallowtail butterfly

PRACTICALITIES

A cuckoo calls before roosting. A roe deer grazes. A woodcock ‘rodes’ in display flight. As the sky thickens, a nightjar churrs in front of the woods, deeper inland. As dusk becomes dark, a different churring pulses from the pool: a chorus of male natterjack toads. Using binoculars or night-vision equipment, scan the shallows for this rare amphibian. Each squeaky rattle is produced by an inflated vocal sac that gleams white in the gloom. The next day, explore further south. Upton Fen is magnificent, offering the best of Broadland wildlife in a primeval setting. The air bristles with dragonflies. Norfolk hawker is common, even in the clearing by the car park. One step down in size, the hairy dragonfly is one notch up in abundance. Among numerous damselflies, look closely to see variable damselfly, a scarce insect with a disjunct distribution. Among other aerial attractions, hobbies dash overhead, ready to seize errant dragonflies that have whirred too high. Marsh harriers monitor the reedbeds; swallowtails occur in further-flung parts. Where wood segues into fen, look for wildlifeextra.com

Chinese water deer in the heart of its British range. Savour damp meadows teeming with yellow flag iris and ragged robin. Look carefully for southern marsh orchids, including a recently described form previously thought to be Pugsley’s marsh orchid, a rare northern species. Across the Broads as a whole, there is plenty more for botanists. Interesting plants include marsh helleborine, great fen-sedge, skullcap, bog-rosemary and round-leaved wintergreen. There is even the odd fen orchid colony (a rare species you can target elsewhere). The sensitive sites inhabited by this plant are not made public, but stay alert to open days. Strumpshaw Fen rounds off the weekend. Less wild than Upton Fen, this RSPB reserve has become very popular for those seeking swallowtails. The best area is the footpath and boardwalk in the north of the reserve, including around the obvious, flower-rich (but private) garden. As you walk, check dragonflies for Norfolk hawker and scarce chaser, and areas of open water for otter. In Broadland, wherever there is water there is wildlife.

WHERE TO GO: Hickling Broad Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) (TG428222; Tel: 01692 598 276; www. norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/hickling). For the Weaver’s Way footpath park in the obvious layby at TG413208. Winterton Dunes National Nature Reserve (TG495205; http://tinyurl. com/wintertondunes), park at the beach (TG498197; but check closing times). For little terns, walk north along the beach for 1km. For natterjacks, walk north along inland paths for 1.5km to pools. Upton Fen (aka Upton Broad and Marshes) NWT reserve (TG380136; http://tinyurl.com/uptonfen). RSPB Strumpshaw Fen (TG341065; Tel: 01603 715 191; www.rspb.org.uk/ strumpshaw) . For possible fen orchid ‘open days’, check the NWT website. SUGGESTED BASES: Aylsham (www. visitaylsham.co.uk), Acle (www. acle-village.info), Martham and Brundall, and villages as well (www. norfolkbroads.com/accommodation). Sutton Hall (Tel: 01692 584 888; www.suttonhallnorfolk.co.uk) offers two luxurious bedrooms with four poster beds in a sympathetically refurbished country hall. FLEXIBILITY: For swallowtail midJune to early July is best. Norfolk hawker flies June–July; variable damselfly, May–July. Natterjack toad is active April to June on warm, dry evenings following damp days. Orchids are good all June. Nightjar mid-May to Aug; crane is resident. RECOMMENDED READING: Purchase James Lowen’s 52 Wildlife Weekends at the special price of £7.79 (inc free UK p&p) by visiting www. bradtguides.com and using the discount code WT52. Offer expires 19/02/15

JUNE 2014 23

WildUK Spotter’s guide

Moths

Les Hill of Butterfly Conservation (www.butterfly-conservation.org) provides a guide to six of the moths you can find flying or resting in gardens across Britain during the summer months

Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae A day-flying moth that is well distributed in the UK but mostly coastal-living in Scotland. It is the easiest of the burnet moths to identify without any difficulty. It is found in many habitat types, from flower-rich meadows to roadside verges and wasteland, and is usually seen in numbers taking nectar from thistles and knapweeds. Males are quite often seen looking for unmated females. Large numbers of caterpillars are parasitised. Flight period: Mid-June to August

Silver Y Autographa gamma This is our most abundant moth visitor from the continent. It flies by both day and night, sometimes arriving here in the tens of thousands at a time, but numbers can vary from year to year. It can be found anywhere in the UK, and regularly visits garden buddleia to refuel. Recent studies show this moth can sense wind direction and it is known to fly at high altitude. Flight period: January to December (most frequent May to September)

Small Magpie Anania hortulata This moth is common throughout the UK, but more local in Scotland. It is one of our easiest to identify smaller moths with its yellow head and body, and black and white wings. Most easily disturbed by day from nettle patches where it rests. Found in a wide range of habitats including gardens and hedgerows where it is often seen nectaring. Not be confused with the larger, similar-looking magpie moth. Flight period: May to September

Privet Hawk-moth Sphinx ligustri This is our largest resident moth, which is more common in the southern half of the UK, and mostly coastal in Wales. The horned caterpillars feed on a wide variety of plants and can grow up to six inches long. The adults are often seen during the daytime shortly after emerging on fence posts and tree trunks where they also mate. The adults have no proboscis and do not feed. Flight period: June to July

Cinnabar Tyria jacobaeae Similar-looking to the burnet moths, it flies by day but is mostly seen as gaudy black and yellow-striped caterpillars feeding on ragwort. These caterpillars are poisonous to predators and the adults retain the poisons to discourage predation by birds. Cinnabars are found throughout England and Wales, but are mainly coastal dwellers in Scotland. They’re most numerous in well-drained grasslands. Flight period: Mid-May to July

Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata This is an unmistakable small, yellow moth that is common throughout its range, but not found in Shetland. It is easily attracted to porch lights and lighted windows, and is sometimes disturbed by day, but most often seen at dusk. Multi-brooded, the caterpillar feeds on a range of plants but prefers hawthorn and blackthorn. It is found in gardens, hedgerows and woodlands. Flight period: April to October

wildlifeextra.com

JUNE 2014 25

Clockwise from left: grey seals hauled out on Staple Island; the lighthouse on Inner Farne; a shag in its attractive irridescent black and green breeding plumage

Tour of Britain

Farne Islands Off the Northumberland coast, opposite Bamburgh Castle, lie a group of islands that are the summer breeding grounds of some charismatic seabirds Wildlife

The Farne Islands are columns of hard, igneous Dolerite stone, some with a covering of clay and peat. The cliffs and tops of the islands are safe breeding grounds for 150,000 pairs of seabirds – including puffins, arctic terns, guillemots, razorbills and eider ducks. There are also 6,000 grey seals, and an unknown number of rabbits. The rabbits and puffins share burrows, with birds evicting rabbits when it’s time to lay eggs, and keeping them out with sharp nips until the chicks have fledged.

A 2013 census of puffin burrows on the Farnes revealed 39,962 nesting pairs – an 8 per cent increase on the previous census in 2008. Later in the year, between September and November 2013, over 1,500 grey seal pups were born. All told, there are 23 species of seabirds that spend the summer on the islands. Getting close to the wildlife is not a problem as eider ducks, in particular, realise that humans afford their eggs and chicks protection from predatory gulls and skuas. So you’ll often find a female eider on the nest with her chin resting on the boardwalk. Guillemots and shags nest the tops of the cliffs and can be inches from your feet as you gaze over the edge. Arctic and sandwich terns fill every available flat space on the top of the island. Razorbills and kittiwakes join the throngs on ledges and in crevices all the way down to the sea. The air and sea are alive with noisy avian life.

History Although nothing more than rocky outcrops in the North Sea, these islands have witnessed some important Celtic Christian events. In the 7th century St Aiden and St Cuthbert, patron saint of northern England, both lived there as hermits. St Cuthbert offered special protection to the islands’ colony of eider ducks and other nesting seabirds with what is thought to be the earliest known bird protection laws. He died on Inner Farne in 687. In 1536, the islands were owned by Durham Cathedral and were leased. In 1838, the Longstone Rock lighthouse keeper and his daughter, Grace Darling, battled in a rowboat in fog and strong gales to save nine people from the wreck of the paddle-steamer Forfarshire. The islands are currently owned by the National Trust and a group of wardens live in the ancient pele tower on Inner Farne for 10 months of the year.

26 JUNE 2014

Seasonal highlights In early summer there are puffin courtship displays, and shags with beautiful iridescent plumage tenderly presenting their mates with fronds of seaweed to decorate the nest. Later, there will be chicks galore and ferocious aerial skirmishes as parents protect their offspring. Then it’s advisable to wear a hat or carry an umbrella to avoid a divebombing. Towards the end of the year there will be fluffy white seal pups with melting eyes.

NEED TO KNOW OPENING TIMES: 1-30 April and 1 Aug-31 Oct, Inner Farne only, 10.00am to 6.00pm. 1 May-31 July, Staple Island, 10.30am to 1.30pm; Inner Farne, 1.30pm to 5.00pm. Seahouses info centre and shop open all year, 10.00am to 5.00pm. Access only from Seahouses Harbour via boat companies licensed by the National Trust to land. No landings in bad weather. PRICES: April and August to October £5.75 Adults, £2.90 Child, £14.40 Family; May to July £6.80 Adult, £3.50 Child, £17.50 Family. Free to NT members. Prices don’t include the boats. FACILITIES: small visitor centre; toilets; boardwalks on most of Inner Farne. CONTACT DETAILS: Inner Farne and Staple Island, off the Northumbrian coast opposite Bamburgh Castle. Access from Seahouses; park in pay & display near harbour.Tel: 01665 721099; Email:farneislands@ nationaltrust.org.uk wildlifeextra.com

What

WildUK Trending

Events

Boar necessities

Wild boar are thriving in the Forest of Dean, but with plans for a cull in August, Forestry Commission wildlife manager Ian Harvey explains the issues

How many wild boar are thought to be living in the Forest of Dean? We undertook a thermal image survey of the boar in late winter 2013 and this indicated a minimum population of 535 animals, before juvenile recruitment from spring births. We carried out a repeat survey in February 2014 and are awaiting analysis of the results. We anticipate it indicating a growth in the population.

need to be controlled due to the fact that their breeding dynamics and lack of natural predators lead to population booms. The fact the boar root up the ground while feeding is also contentious as some view this as natural behaviour leading to enrichment of the habitat, while others see it as damaging and unsightly. There have also been incidents of the boar frightening horses, causing riders to lose control, and attacks and injuries to dogs being walked.

How did the boar come to be here? Boar became extinct in the UK in the 17th Century through hunting and habitat loss. The boar first became present in Forestry Commission woodlands near Ross on Wye in the 1990s as escapees from a farm. In 2004 a group of about 60 animals were illegally dumped near Staunton to the west of the forest. These two populations have since mingled and bred to form the population that exists today. They are in no way the result of a planned re-introduction programme.

How is the Forestry Commission managing the wild boar?

Why have the boar been so successful in the Forest of Dean?

How can people see the boar?

The Forest of Dean offers perfect habitat for wild boar. They are primarily woodland animals and ideally look for areas of thick cover for security and a variety of food sources. They are also free to forage for food outside the forest on farmland. The forest provides a large area within which the animals can live with little disturbance from humans and light hunting pressure.

What are the current issues surrounding the boars? The boar cause huge controversy. Some feel they are a great benefit and ought to be allowed to thrive, some feel they have no place here and ought to be eradicated. Some are happy for them to be here but understand that their numbers

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The Forestry Commission survey the boar population each winter once we have finished our annual cull. This gives us a minimum population estimate. We also monitor boar activity and habitat impact before setting a cull level each year. Our strategy is not to eradicate the boar, but control numbers so that damage to grassland and gardens is limited, the number of animals struck by vehicles is reduced and the threat to the public is minimised.

WILDLIFE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2-7 June Mall Galleries, London One week of wildlife art exhibitions, including pieces that have made the 2014 Wildlife Artist of the Year shortlist and stunning originals from David Shepherd. www.davidshepherd.org

BRISTOL FESTIVAL OF NATURE 14-15 June Bristol’s harbourside The UK’s largest free natural history event that has a packed schedule of films, exhibitions and talks. The BBC Natural History Unit will be there and famous guests include The One Show’s Mike Dilger. www.bnhc.org.uk

The boar are present throughout the forest but can be elusive. The best way to see them is simply to walk through the forest quietly keeping to the main tracks and trails and away from the busiest visitor attractions.

What should people do to avoid problems with the boar? We discourage the public from feeding the boar. If you come across a boar we advise you to stop and keep any dogs under control. Give the boar space to move off, or take an alternative path. We also give advice to residents and businesses with regards to adequate fencing to prevent the boar accessing their properties, and recommend driving at around 40 mph through the forest, to avoid collisions with boar, deer and sheep.

WAY OF THE WOLF 14-29 June Brookvale House, Matlock, Derbyshire An exhibition of 50 wolf paintings by artist Pollyanna Pickering from her book Way of the Wolf. Ten per cent of all sales from the exhibition will be donated to Born Free’s Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Projects. www.pollyannapickering.co.uk JUNE 2014 27

Raptor If you want help with your wildlife photography, then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at hand in the Czech Highlands, where you can enjoy an avian photographic odyssey accompanied by six other snappers, 15 birds of prey and one professional tutor

paparazzi

WORDS BY MATT HAVERCROFT

28 JUNE 2014

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Trip Report

CZECH REPUBLIC

A rescued red-tailed hawk perches in the branches of a Czech fir tree â&#x20AC;&#x201C; perfectly at home despite being far from its natural American home

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JUNE 2014 29

All was quiet

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in the forest, attempting to take a publishable image of it in flight. Judging by the hushed elation of my fellow paps, I could only conclude they had faired distinctly better than I had as I glumly scanned the set of blurry images popping up on the screen of my DSLR. This, I thought, was going to be harder than I’d bargained for. The previous day I had arrived in Žárské vrchy, two hours south east of Prague in the Czech Republic, to take part in a three-day, two-night bird of prey workshop organised by UK tour operator, Tatra Photography. Joining me were six other seasoned and aspiring snappers from across the UK, with professional wildlife photographer Ben Hall and Filip Fabian, our Slovakian driver, interpreter and day-to-day cajoler, completing the crew.

ver the duration of our trip we were given the opportunity to photograph 15 different species of raptor, both in flight and at rest. As someone accustomed to spending more time searching for wildlife than photographing it, the idea of being delivered captive birds on tap seemed a bit like cheating. In fact, let’s be honest, that’s exactly what it was. However, I hadn’t travelled there to find and photograph the native wildlife of the Czech Republic, I’d come to take pictures of a wide variety of birds of prey in the hope of improving my meagre wildlife photography skills – an objective that would have been impossible to achieve under any other circumstances. So why, as one of my companion’s wives asked, was it necessary to fly to the Czech Republic? After all, don’t we have the same birds in captivity in the UK? The answer to that particular question is

Clockwise from right: Rene, an 11-year old golden eagle, takes flight; a Siberian eagle owl; professional falconer Milan Straka introduces Charlie, a 20-year old buzzard; the raptor paparazzi get into character

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with only the whisper of a winter breeze stirring the closely set firs and the trill call of a bird hidden somewhere within its shadowy recesses. Underfoot was a thick carpet of sallow grass and copper leaves, while a shawl of vivid green lichen covered rocks and tree stumps. The scene was positively Tolkien-esque. All we needed now was for the star of this particular show to perform. He was an 11-year-old golden eagle called Rene, with pin-sharp talons, a fearsome fish-hook beak and a glossy sweep of chocolate and charcoal-coloured feathers. He was magnificent – and I was here to capture him in action in my new role as a member of the unofficial raptor paparazzi. Arriving with bird on glove and smoking pipe in mouth, professional falconer Milan Straka set Rene down on a mossy mound about 50 feet away. To the left of the bird’s perch was a rough stone path that cut a swathe through the forest, leaving a clear line of trees in the distance. It was the perfect backdrop, providing a sense of depth to our images, and, just like every other location we visited, had been selected specifically for its photogenic qualities. Pacing back and positioning himself behind us, Milan began calling Rene, whose eyes locked on a dead chick hanging limply from Milan’s glove. I had barely focussed my lens on his beak when he raised his powerful wings above his head and launched himself high into the air before swooping towards us, the rush of air over his outstretched wings accompanied by a rapid burst of camera shutters as we attempted to seal the moment on memory card. If the thought of having one of the world’s most finely tuned avian predators flying straight for you sounds terrifying, then try looking at it through an unwieldy telephoto lens, while

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Here: professional wildlife photographer Ben Hall captured this beautiful image of the barn owl in flight; fellow pap John Devries gets a close up of Oliver, the eagle owl

“To ensure a pin sharp shot of a bird in flight it is vital that shutter speeds are fast enough” Helena Kuchynková, founder of Station Stop – a local wildlife rescue centre that houses a number of birds of prey. She is a keen photographer who has spent years searching out the best locations for herself and others to take pictures of her birds.

hen there is the region itself. Known as the Czech Highlands, this part of the country is popular with cross-country skiers thanks to its undulating landscape and vast tracts of fairytale fir forests. During the winter months the entire area is usually blanketed with several feet of snow, providing the perfect backdrop for nature photography and an added dimension that would be hard to replicate in the UK. “We run this trip both in November and February to coincide with autumn colour and winter snow and light,” said Ben. “We limit the group numbers to seven, so each participant has ample room, and it is also more manageable from a tuition point of view. The standard varies greatly from complete beginners to more accomplished photographers who come for the chance of adding some great images to their portfolio.” Sadly, in our case, the weather had not cooperated and any hope of snow quickly dwindled as we headed up into mountains dappled with sunlight. After dropping our bags at

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our hotel and grabbing essential gear, we headed straight out on the road, or rather straight up the hill outside our hotel, before pulling up in a park where Milan was waiting for us. As locals walked their dogs and the pale evening sun cast long shadows over the fields, we were introduced to Charlie, a 20-year-old buzzard, who was the first of our photographic subjects. Placing him down on a tripod, Milan immediately set to work, calling him to and from his glove as we rattled off the first set of photographs. In between flights Ben walked around the group, asking us how we were getting on, recommending different camera settings or encouraging us to try a different angle to give our pictures a different feel or a more complementary backdrop. Next up was a red-tailed hawk, a North American and West Indian native that nevertheless didn’t look out of place perched on the dewy branches of a Czech fir tree as we grappled with lenses, tripods and spent memory cards. It was followed by a mighty steppe eagle that was placed in an area of long grass and seemed perfectly content to bask in the final rays of the day, occasionally ruffling its feathers or eyeing us suspiciously as we crawled across the frozen ground, trying to find the perfect angle, until poor light stopped play. The following morning started with a dawn drive and

JUNE 2014 33

Clockwise from left: finding the perfect angle of a steppe eagle; Albie the snowy owl ruffles its feathers, Helena Kuchynkovรก with a rescued nothern goshawk; fellow pap Julia Wainwright captured this image of a golden eagle flying over the pond; Matt photographs a barn owl on its log perch

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Trip Report

CZECH REPUBLIC

brought fresh challenges as we were given the opportunity to photograph a number of birds in flight. These included Albie, a three-year-old snowy owl that dutifully performed a series of fly-bys across an open marsh, and Sammy, a four-year-old golden eagle that glided across a frozen forest pond as we ran from one end to the other, experimenting with water-level and elevated views while trying to perfect the art of maintaining focus during a burst of continuous shots. “Probably the most common mistake is to use a shutter speed that is too slow for the situation,” explained Ben, as I swept my camera from side to side, struggling to keep Sammy in the frame. “To ensure a pin sharp shot of a bird in flight it is vital that shutter speeds used are fast enough to freeze a moving subject,” he continued. “I find people are often reluctant to shoot at a high ISO setting for fear of noise, but as I always say – it is best to have a sharp image with noise than a soft image that is noise-free.”

hile Sammy pushed my skills to the limit, an even greater challenge was provided later that afternoon as we headed up to a wooded hilltop surrounded by open fields. This time our muse was a small lanner falcon as it performed aerial acrobatics, circling and hovering effortlessly overhead, before folding its wings back and hurtling to the ground to claim a small mouse-sized toy that Milan dragged across the ground. Sadly, all I managed to capture on camera was a blurry shot of its fanned tail feathers as I attempted to track its aerial stunts. Back at the hotel that evening we were given a presentation by Milan and Helena, who explained how they had forged a living working with their beloved birds. While Milan offered an insight into his 34 years working as a professional falconer and breeder, not to mention consulting on a number of Hollywood films featuring his birds, including Van Helsing and Brothers Grimm, Helena described how she had established her rescue centre for birds and small mammals such as pine martens, foxes and hares, before putting us to shame with a slideshow of her own wildlife photography. On our final morning, proceedings took a macabre turn as roadkill was introduced as a photographic prop – first with Hades, an eight-year-old raven, which was offered the severed head of a young

BIRDS FOR BEGINNERS Ben Hall offers his top 10 tips for taking beautiful images of birds

SHOOT AT EYE LEVEL Depending on the height of your subject, this might mean lying flat on the ground, or trying to find a raised vantage point, so it is not always as simple as it sounds!

2 3

FOCUS ON THE EYE The eye is the most critical part of the image and must be pin sharp, unless, of course, you are using some intentional blur for creative effect. WATCH YOUR SHUTTER SPEED The main cause of a soft image is the shutter speed dropping too low. Keep a close eye on your settings at all times and increase your ISO if necessary.

BLOW OUT THE BACKGROUND Using a wide aperture will lead to an out-offocus background. This will in turn eliminate distractions and help the bird to ‘pop’ from the frame.

LEAVE NEGATIVE SPACE IN FRONT OF THE BIRD When composing your shots, leave room in the frame for the bird to move or look into. This will help to create a pleasing and balanced composition.

USE A STABLE SUPPORT Tripods are, of course, essential for wildlife photography but this doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of other means of support. Beanbags are especially handy for ground level subjects.

7 8 9 10

PRACTICE HANDHOLDING Handholding your camera for flight shots gives you much more freedom of movement. Just be sure to keep your shutter speeds high enough.

EXPERIMENT Using a slow shutter speed and panning with a moving subject can convey a sense of motion and energy. Just be prepared to take lots of images! USE PREDICTIVE FOCUS When shooting birds in flight, switch to the predictive focus mode which will track your subject as it moves. GO WIDE Rather than attempting to fill the frame, pull back and show your subject in context. This type of image is often by far the more interesting.

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Trip Report

CZECH REPUBLIC

deer Helena had found dead on the roadside the previous day (it turned out Hades was more interested in biscuits), and then later with a northern goshawk, which was presented with a dead hare. No sooner had the hare’s corpse been placed on the forest floor than the goshawk set about attacking it as we looked on through our viewfinders, not sure whether to be horrified or in awe.

ast up were the little guys, starting with Adele, a two-year-old boreal owl that perched motionless in the branches of a birch tree, seemingly oblivious to the volley of shutters all around. As we experimented with angles, distances and settings, Helena explained that the boreal owls are native to the Czech Republic, with a small number living in 20 nest boxes she had personally installed in the forest we were standing in. Providing the pint-sized finale was Ruby, a little owl that Helena carefully placed in a hole at the base of a fir tree, back in one of the original forest locations we had visited. As my fellow paps erected tripods or hunkered down behind tree stumps for the last time, I knelt down to one side of the tree, the owl just visible at the mouth of the hole, and focussed my camera. Distracted by my movement (or was it the swishing of my waterproof trousers?), it leaned forward to see what this strange human was up to, and I took a couple of shots of it looking towards me. For once, I’d captured the moment just as I’d wanted – the resulting image of it peering grumpily out of its tree root hole providing my favourite memento of our avian photographic odyssey.

Clockwise from above: proceedings take a macabre turn as road kill (in this case a dead hare) is introduced as a photographic prop; a little owl called Ruby peers out from a hole in the base of a fir tree

Providing the pint-sized finale was Ruby, a little owl in a hole at the base of a fir tree

COST RATING

SAMPLE TOUR: Tatra Photography’s Birds of Prey Workshop runs in both October and February and costs between £499 and £529 per person. This includes return flights between the UK and Prague (departure airport negotiable), all transport, two nights’ accommodation and three days’ photography tuition. Over this period you will have the opportunity to photograph a number of birds of prey 36 JUNE 2014

in flight and at rest in a variety of natural settings.

GETTING THERE: The flight from London to Prague takes just under two hours. From Prague airport it is a further two hours’ drive to Žďárské vrchy. All of the photographic locations are within an hour’s drive of the hotel. VISA REQUIREMENTS FROM THE UK: No visa is required for British passport holders

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: During the winter this region of the

Czech Republic can be covered with several feet of snow so take appropriate clothing and footwear. As the majority of the birds’ flights are performed at relatively close proximity, a lens offering a focal length of up to 300mm should be sufficient, although you may want to consider taking both wider and longer lenses for variety. Matt used a Nikon D3200 DSLR camera with a Nikon Nikkor 70-300mm lens and a Sigma 150-500mm lens. For the static shots a tripod or bean bag is recommended for stability. As this is a short trip, only the evenings are spent at the hotel and there is little time available for

uploading or editing photos, so take chargers, spare battery packs and plenty of memory cards.

WHEN TO GO: Go in February for the snow and winter light, or October for the autumnal colours. The variety of birds will be similar at either time so it comes down to personal preference in terms of the natural backdrop on offer.

TOUR OPERATOR

TATRA PHOTOGRAPHY, Tel: 0161 408 8988; www.tatraphotography workshop.com

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TRIP ADVISER

COMPETITION

WIN a place on Tatra Photography’s Birds of Prey Workshop

Enter our competition to win a trip to the Czech Republic, where you will get the chance to photograph a wide range of raptors with professional photographer Ben Hall! Would you like to join us on the ultimate birds of prey photography workshop? We have a place on the workshop taking place from 28 to 30 October 2014 to give away. The winner of our competition will be invited to join Ben Hall in the Czech Republic, to spend two days photographing a wide range of raptors, including golden eagle, sea eagle, peregrine falcon and a variety of owls, both in-flight and posing in stunning natural settings. Nowhere else can replicate the diversity of opportunities that this location provides. The course culminates in a unique opportunity to photograph at eye level eagles gliding above a natural pond.

To stand a chance of winning, simply answer the following question:

What is the Latin name for the golden eagle? Please send your answers to: comp@tatraphotographyworkshop.com

Terms & Conditions: Closing date: 25 June 2014. Tatra Photography is supplying the holiday prize for this competition. Tatra Photography is bonded by the CAA, Atol No 6404, Tatra Photography, 2nd Floor, Station House, Stamford New Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 1EP, Tel: 0161 408 8988. The holiday prize is one place on the Bird of Prey workshop in the Czech Republic from 28th – 30th October 2014. The prize includes return flights from the UK, two nights half board in a single room, professional tuition from Ben Hall and all transport. Tatra Photography will require the prize winners to complete a booking form and adhere to Tatra Photography’s terms and conditions, which can be viewed on its website, www.tatraphotographyworkshop.com. The holiday supplied is restricted to people aged 18 years or over. Proof of eligibility must be provided on request. Failure to claim the prize or other promotional item by the time or in the manner specified for the particular promotion will make any claim invalid. The holiday provided is not transferable, may not be re-sold and is subject to availability. No cash alternative will be offered. Publicity may be given to promotion winners and winners’ names and images may be published on the Tatra Photography website and other website(s) relating to the promotion. Winners must be prepared to co-operate fully for publicity purposes if so required. wildlifeextra.com

JUNE 2014 37

38 JUNE 2014

Take me there

MAURITIUS

EDENProject Once the land of the dodo, before human settlers wiped them out, Mauritius has become a conservation success story, with abundant wildlife living in reserves beyond its paradise beaches and honeymoon resorts

WORDS BY ANTHONY HAM

JUNE 2014 39

The story of

wild Mauritius

is one of paradise

When European sailors first arrived on the island late in the 16th century, they came upon an Indian Ocean idyll, a land devoid of people, clothed in dense forests and rich in wildlife. There to greet them as they made landfall was not a tribe of troublesome indigenous inhabitants but a plump, flightless and rather tasty bird so tame as to waddle up to the sailors to investigate. Within a mere three decades, this bird – the dodo, as it would become known – was extinct. Thereafter, Mauritius was marked as the place of the dodo, the starting point and most enduring symbol for all extinctions to follow. Even so, for centuries, Mauritius remained a veritable Galapagos of abundance, even down to the giant tortoises that once plodded across the island. In 1691, the French settler François Leguat wrote of Rodrigues, an island 600km north-west of Mauritius, that ‘there are so many tortoises on this island, sometimes there are groups of two or three thousand, so that one can take more than a hundred steps on their shells without touching the ground.’ Centuries later, when Mark Twain visited the island, he would quote an islander saying: ‘Mauritius was made first, and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius’. But by then it was a very human version of paradise, one in which forests had disappeared under the weight of human settlement and the island’s last remaining species had dwindled until very few were left.

BY THE 1970s AND 1980s, the steady decline of Mauritian bird species reached its nadir. In 1974, just four Mauritius kestrels survived in the wild. A decade later, there were a mere 12 pink pigeons and only between eight and 12 echo parakeets. In such precision lay a tragic reality – when it is possible to count an endangered species’ last remaining individuals accurately, it is unlikely to be long for this world. Mauritius 40 JUNE 2014

very nearly lost.

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Take me there

MAURITIUS

Mauritian Wildlife Foundation THE CONSERVATION BODY RESPONSIBLE FOR RESTORING THE ISLAND’S PRECIOUS HABITATS Founded in 1984 at the height of the modern Mauritius’ extinction crisis, the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF; www. mauritian-wildlife.org) oversees many of the programmes that have become such an important part of Mauritius’ conservation story. It oversaw the formation of the Grand Montagne Nature Reserve on Rodrigues and is solely responsible for the research and implementation of conservation measures taking place on Île aux Aigrettes. So successful has the restoration of the latter ecosystem proved to be that there is little room left for population growth for some species. As a consequence, the MWF has well-advanced plans to introduce the pink pigeon, as well as the echo parakeet, into the Vallée de Ferney, a privately run reserve that will one day rival Black River Gorges National Park and Île aux Aigrettes as an epicentre of Mauritian conservation. With most of the signature species on a positive trajectory, MWF is working to restore habitats by replacing foreign with native plant species – the Rodrigues MWF office in particular has a large nursery of endangered native plant species. MWF is also looking to grow the islands’ ecotourism potential, both on the main island and on Rodrigues, and other outlying islands. And MWF officers are present at the visitor centres of Black River Gorges National Park. They accept visitors wishing for day-long volunteer programmes, and their website is excellent.

Clockwise from top: the turquoise waters and dense coastal forests of Ile aux Cerfs; a breeding programme for giant tortoises from the Seychelles has restored populations on Mauritius; long-tailed macaques are common in the Black Gorges National Park; diving is popular in the summer months

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commonly sighted around Pétrin, thanks to a breeding centre alongside the visitor centre. Elsewhere, the Parakeet Trail, a strenuous 8km trail from Plaine Champagne down to Black River Gorges Visitor Centre, is the best place on earth to see the Echo parakeet, a really rather lovely species of which an estimated 550 now remain.

THE PARK’S MACCHABÉE TRAIL, a taxing 10km trail, is another fine choice for traversing the park. It follows a ridgeline that affords splendid views out across the valleys, before dropping steeply down off the escarpment all the way into Black River. Dense tropical forests, beloved by locals foraging for wild berries, carpet the terrain in all directions, while white-tailed tropicbirds wheel out above a forest where one-third of the plant species are endemic to the island. It is Mauritius’ most spectacular corner, a reminder of both what was lost and saved on this dramatic island rising up from the ocean depths. These last remaining vestiges of wild Mauritius may evoke a poignant sense of wildlife clinging to survival in a remote corner of the ocean. But it is Rodrigues, situated far away to the north-west but administratively part of Mauritius, that truly evokes sense of a forgotten paradise somewhere close to the end of the earth. Encircled by a coral reef that resembles a turquoise halo from above as the plane drops down from the clouds, Rodrigues is a slower place, an isolated outpost of quiet civilisation yet to be claimed by tourism. Were the island’s 40,000 inhabitants so inclined, Rodrigues would be a prime candidate for a small-scale ecotourism project, peddling remoteness and paradise in manageable quantities. Unlike the Mauritian mainland, sugar cane

“Mauritius was made first, and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius” – Mark Twain

44 JUNE 2014

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trekking country. This sphinx-like land formation is a challenging hike – expect a few rocky and somewhat hairraising scrambles. But the views from the lion’s ‘head’ are glorious, taking in all the drama-filled up-thrusts of the island’s interior. Lion Mountain also happens to be a bastion for the Mauritius kestrel. From its 1974 low of just four individuals, 400 now patrol the skies, with 250 of these around Lion Mountain and the nearby private reserve of Vallée de Ferney. Having perhaps learned the lesson of the dodo, the kestrel is a secretive bird, although sightings are a real possibility during the breeding season from August to February. The other remaining Mauritius kestrels, all 150 of them, soar above the Black River Gorges National Park. Here, too, there is the sense of Mauritius as it once was. This is dramatic country, a vertical world of deep gorges, plunging waterfalls and the last remnants of the great forests of Mauritius. It may be all that is left and it may cover a mere two per cent of Mauritius’ land mass, but the park, in the island’s southwest, has a way of enveloping you within its embrace, closing out all views, clamour and even any sense of the island’s human population and all that goes with it. That the park survived owes much to its former role as a hunting ground for the island’s elite – introduced wild boar, deer and macaque monkeys are common here. But stars of the show, alongside the splendid landscape, are the endangered bird species that have recolonised the park’s interior. Trails cross the park, connecting a triangle of access points: the Pétrin Information Centre, high atop the plateau in the park’s east; the high-altitude Plaine Champagne Police Post, along the Chamarel-Pétrin road; and the Black River Gorges Visitor Centre, at sea level in the west. The pink pigeon is

Take me there

ARDNAMURCHAN PENINSULA, SCOTLAND

Far left: a hawksbill turtle in Mauritiusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; clear waters. Clockwise from above: the Black River Gorges; a spinner dolphin close to the Mauritius coast; a bannerfish peeps round some bright soft coral; a grey crowned crane

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JUNE 2014 45

Take me there

MAURITIUS

plantations are nowhere to be found, and quiet back-lanes lead to tables d’hôte, small guesthouse-restaurants serving up traditional cuisine and organic produce. Postcard-perfect beaches and coastal walking trails surround the island, at once beautiful in their own right and launching points for rarely visited snorkelling and diving spots pristinely preserved. Atop the island’s summit, the Grand Montagne Nature Reserve shelters native forests, not to mention the Rodrigues fody and Rodrigues warbler whose stories represent two of the most stunning turnarounds in the annals of conservation. In the 1970s, there were just thirty warblers. There are now four thousand. In 1968, just six pairs of the fody survived. Now eight thousand individuals inhabit the island.

AWAY TO THE WEST, close to the airport, the François Leguat Reserve is another success story, the site of an ambitious programme to plant 100,000 indigenous trees, as well as a wildly successful breeding programme for giant tortoises; hundreds now roam the grounds just as they did when the real François Leguat made his famous comment back in 1691. Offshore from Rodrigues, 17 minor islands and lesser islets rise gently from the lagoon, within sight of waves that crash against the point where the reef meets the vastness of the Indian Ocean. Of all of these islands, Île aux Cocos stands out for its sheer beauty (untrammelled white sands, palm trees and turquoise waters) and bird populations – this is the only island in the Indian Ocean where the lesser noddy, brown noddy, fairy tern and sooty tern breed on the same island. Along Île aux Cocos’ sandy trails, it is the tameness of the lesser noddys and fairy terns in particular that will prove most memorable, for here is a birdwatching experience that is at once precious and extremely rare. Inevitably, as you walk barefoot across this tiny Eden, it is difficult to escape the sensation that, here at least, in the land of the dodo, humankind may have learned its lesson just in time. More than that, perhaps it is time for Mauritius to shake off its reputation as the forerunner to mass human-caused extinctions, and instead be known as one of the most remarkable conservation success stories of our time.

COST RATING

SAMPLE PACKAGE TOUR: Bird

four direct weekly services between London-Heathrow and Mauritius. British Airways also flies direct to Mauritius from London-Gatwick twice or three times per week.

VISA REQUIREMENTS FROM THE UK: Holders of full UK

Quest (www.birdquest-tours.com) offers 10-day birding trips to Mauritius, the Seychelles and Réunion that start at £4130; unusually, the itinerary includes Rodrigues.

passports do not require visas to enter Mauritius and may stay for up to three months.

GETTING THERE: Air Mauritius

TIPS & WARNINGS: Cyclones are

(www.airmauritius.com) operates

a recurring fact of life in Mauritius as

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the island lies in the path of the Indian Ocean cyclone belt. December and January are the peak cyclone months, but they remain a possibility into March and even April. Direct hits on Mauritius and Rodrigues are not common but, if there’s a cyclone nearby, extremely strong winds are almost certain and island-wide alerts are impossible to miss.

WHEN TO GO: High season runs from November to April. This coincides with the Mauritian summer which can

be hot and extremely humid. May to October is winter, although it’s still pretty warm.

TOUR OPERATORS

BIRD QUEST TOURS, Tel: 01254 826 317; www.birdquest-tours.com RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL, Tel: 01273 823 700; www.responsibletravel.com AUDLEY TRAVEL, Tel: 01993 838 000; www.audleytravel.com

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TRIP ADVISER

Above: Benitiers Island, one of the hundreds of islets that surround Mauritius and provide habitat for many of its endangered species. Left: a fruit bat

Anatomy of a...

Komodo dragon The largest of the monitor family of lizards, the formidable dragon has a deadly arsenal

Nose Komodo dragons have an acute sense of smell – handy for searching out carrion and finding prey it has wounded but not killed outright. It smells like a snake does, sampling the air with its forked tongue and picking up airborne scent molecules. The tongue tips are then touched to the roof of the mouth where chemical receptors analyze the concentration of molecules. If there are more on the right tip than the left, the dragon knows its prey can be found to its right. It will then attack, or patiently follow a previously attacked deer, pig, even water buffalo, until it drops. It can detect carrion as far away as 4km (2.5 miles).

Eyes and ears Dragons can view objects that are 300m (984ft) away, especially if it is moving, so their eyes play a part in hunting. Their vision works well in daylight but they cannot see so well at night or in dim light. This is where their sense of smell comes into play. Their range of hearing is narrow so it’s likely they cannot hear low calls or high pitched cries – or screams.

Mouth and tongue Komodo dragon saliva is infested with more than 50 different strains of bacteria, some septic, and toxins that cause the prey to go into shock and prevent its blood from clotting. Its bite, therefore, is deadly – perhaps not straight away, but within 24 hours most of its prey will be dead of blood loss or poisoning. This enables it to tackle animals many times bigger than itself, using large, curved and serrated teeth, rather like a shark does, to tear it apart. The lower jaw can open unusually wide to swallow big chunks of meat.

Legs The dragons’ legs are chunky and bowed - not surprising as they are the heaviest lizards in the world, weighing more than 136k (300lb). The feet end in sharp claws that help the animal catch and open up its prey. It attacks by knocking the legs out from under its meal. There is strength enough in its legs to lunge, and with these stubby apendages it can run at 11 miles per hour and climb trees.

Where in the world?

Stomach

Dragons have an expandable stomach to accommodate a large meal. In fact, they can eat up to 80 per cent of their own bodyweight at a time. They are also efficient eaters as they only leave about 12 per cent of their prey unconsumed. Unlike other large carnivores, dragons chomp through bones, tough hide, even hooves with ease. Intestines they shake vigorously to remove the contents. For this reason young dragons, that run the risk of being eaten by bigger ones, roll in dung to cover themselves in a smell the adults will avoid. If the animals are threatened in any way they throw up their meal to lighten the weight and allow them to run away.

Reproductive system

Despite the fact that they are huge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; about 3m (10ft) in length â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Komodo dragons are egg layers. Mating takes place between May and August and the females lay around 30 eggs in September. The young are only about 40cm long (16in) and spend their early years in trees. Not only do they have to beware of predators, including humans, but also of adults of their own kind as they regularly eat other dragonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; offspring.

Komodo dragons only live on the Indonesian Lesser Sunda Islands, to the west of the archipelago. There is a population of between 3,000 and 5,000 divided between Komodo, Gila Motang,Gila Dasami, Rintja, Padar and Flores Islands. They usually live in tropical savanna forests, but can be found all over the islands, even on the beaches. The species has endangered status because of their limited range and loss of numbers due to human persecution. They are now protected by Indonesian law. Komodo National Park (covering Komodo, Padar and Rintja) was established in 1980 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. The park can be visited as a day trip from Flores.

Tail

When males want to assert their dominance and win a female they use their tails to support themselves as they employ their forelegs in grappling and attempting to wrestle their rivals to the ground and into submission.

Tall

tales

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Gallery Giraffes have always been a firm favourite of wildlife photographers Ann and Steve Toon. Here are a selection of their images of these gentle African giants ahead of the inaugural World Giraffe Day on 21 June, launched to highlight their conservation needs PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANN AND STEVE TOON

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LOCKING HORNS (previous page) What looks to be a tender moment between an adult and young giraffe is actually two males sparring; using their necks to establish breeding hierarchy. Except for mature bulls, the whole performance is generally quite stylised and measured and no-one gets hurt. You can see they’re males because their horns have bald tops on them worn smooth from such bouts. That’s how you tell a giraffe’s sex from a distance, as a female’s horns are tipped with tufts of hair and are thinner.

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Gallery

MAKING A SPLASH A bull giraffe traverses a flooded pan in Etosha National Park in Namibia. Giraffes get around 70 per cent of the moisture they need from the leaves they eat. In desert areas giraffes have been known to survive for as long as three years without drinking water, but where water is readily available they will drink quite frequently.

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OR WILDIDA F E R A C & E RESCU HORSES IN FLOR MUSTANG

VOLUNTEER WITH AMERINDIAN COMMUNITIES IN THE AMAZON

VOLUNTEER TASMANIAANND CARE FOR DEVILS

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Gallery

TRIPLE VISION When temperatures rise during the day, giraffes tend to stand around with their necks held aloft like this trio of bulls, either in the shade or out in the open, resting or ruminating. Giraffes are browsers, feeding mainly on trees. Being tall is a huge advantage when competing with other browsing species for food, and extra height gives giraffes access to their own â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;top-shelfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to feed from. A big male can stretch to a height of 5.8m (19ft) when feeding. wildlifeextra.com

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SAVANNAH SUNDOWN

(left) Recent research suggests that like elephants and blue whales, giraffes can communicate using infrasound – low frequency sound inaudible to humans. A small number of giraffes scattered across the plains at sunset may be more of a group than it might at first appear, as they disperse to take advantage of available food resources.

HEAD AND NECK ABOVE THE REST

of the animals on the African plain, you’d imagine the tallest mammal in the world would get the conservation notice its impressive size and remarkable outline commands, yet it doesn’t. Among all of Africa’s best-known big game and iconic megafauna, the towering, lanky, crazy-paved giraffe, star of any safari, has bizarrely been overlooked. Which is why we decided to write a book about these stand-out creatures we’ve enjoyed, marvelled at and been fascinated by for the many years we’ve been travelling to Africa as wildlife photographers. It’s also why this month on 21 June, the longest day of the year (superlatives are very much in order in the case of this gingerpatterned giant) conservationists are celebrating the first ever World Giraffe Day. The aim is to flag up the need to protect these awe-inspiring creatures at a time when their population is fast declining. Recent estimates put the number of giraffes in Africa at around 80,000, fewer than a fifth the number of elephants. So, to do our bit, we’ve brought together some of our favourite giraffe images with the giraffes’ intriguing, untold story in a new ebook, ‘Giraffe’, celebrating giraffes for wildlife lovers like ourselves, travellers on safari, and the growing iPad generation. Giraffe by Ann & Steve Toon, with a foreword written by leading giraffe scientist and conservationist Dr Julian Fennessy, co-chair of the IUCN’s Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group, is available for both iPad and Mac from the iTunes stores at £4.99.

After a life-changing sabbatical spent in Africa’s game parks, STEVE AND ANN TOON swapped journalism for a second career as wildlife photographers specialising in nature, travel and conservation. Based in Northumberland, they split their time between the UK and Africa. ‘Giraffe’ is their fourth book. Visit www. toonphoto.com and toonphotoblog.com

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Gallery

AIMING HIGH To maintain their huge bulk, giraffes can consume up to 34kg of food a day. As a specialist feeder the giraffe has a long, prehensile tongue, up to 45cm (18in) in length, in addition to that long neck. The tongue has horny projections on it to help it pluck the leaves more easily from thorn trees. Giraffes also have thick, sticky saliva for extra protection against those fiercely sharp spikes.

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Gallery KEEPING A LOOKOUT Giraffes are at their most vulnerable when drinking and are always very nervous around waterholes. You’ll often see one or two keeping a watchful eye out for lions while the others are enjoying some refreshment in the heat. This was the case with this loose-knit group in South Africa’s Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

AHEAD BY A NECK Two male giraffes engage in a bout of necking – spectacular ritualised combat to establish dominance and breeding rights. These tests of strength have been put forward as one reason why giraffes have evolved their long necks, although this is often disputed. Sparring bouts between mature bulls can sometimes get pretty serious – a well-aimed blow can knock an opponent right off his feet and even render him unconscious.

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The culmination of the bull run in Pamplona, Spain

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Special report

ABTA GUIDELINES

ABTA The Travel Association has published a set of Animal Welfare Guidelines designed for tour operators and their suppliers. The question is, will they make a significant difference to the lives of animals?

CREATURE DISCOMFORT WORDS BY SHEENA HARVEY

ou may be familiar with this scenario. You’re on holiday in a foreign country – doesn’t have to be anywhere particularly exotic – and your hotel or tour operator offers an exciting educational trip to an ostrich or reptile farm, a dolphinarium, an elephant or tiger sanctuary. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get close to these animals. Then you get there and the animals are in tiny, dirty cages or concrete pits with no natural enhancements. There’s no question in your mind that this is wrong. However, suppose the animals look well cared for but instead of just watching them at a distance that doesn’t disturb their natural behaviour, you’re offered an interactive experience: the thrill of riding an ostrich, swimming with a dolphin in a small artificial pool, watching elephants play polo or witnessing a man wrestling a crocodile. Maybe it isn’t quite such a dramatic invitation, maybe it’s just someone approaching you to have your photograph taken holding a cute monkey, a bush baby, a bird of prey, a snake, a koala. In animal exploitation terms are these situations any different to the more obvious cases of neglect? The ABTA The Travel Association doesn’t think so. A year ago it released guidelines to its Members covering what were completely unacceptable practices in the area of animal welfare, and those that should be actively discouraged.

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Some of the unacceptable practices will be obvious to a wildlife lover. Canned hunting for example, where animals are pursued in a confined space with no chance of escape. Or dancing bears, cockfighting, or shows where elephants stand on their heads, parrots ride bicycles and chimps smoke cigars. Others, however, might not be so apparent, because they have become associated with a country’s culture. Events such as the Pamplona bull run, and the sight of a snake charmer, or a tropical bird on display in a bar. Equally, the practices that ABTA wants to be discouraged could surprise. Feeding wild animals by hand, for instance, with food like bread, biscuits or popcorn. Also, the tethering and handling of birds of prey by the public. Tour operators are also advised that, while respecting the cultural beliefs of a country, they should not offer a ritual sacrifice at a religious festival as a tourist spectacle. The impetus for creating the guidelines came from increased customer demand to see and interact with animals while still having a concern for their welfare. ABTA’s motivation was to ensure that customers gained meaningful and rewarding experiences whilst safeguarding the health and safety of both animals and people, including those working with them. “Animal attractions and experiences make up a large part of the tourism supply chain,” says Simon Pickup, Sustainable

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Richard Branson looks to be taking serious steps to understand the impact that dolphin shows have on cetaceans. If he feels that they are detrimental, then hopefully he’ll take the brave but important step of stopping Virgin Travel from selling tickets to this kind of show. That will mean ending a relationship with SeaWorld, though, which is a big step for any business.” For Simon Pickup and ABTA, this take up is the obvious hope, but achieving it in the right way is also important. “Naturally, the first focus has been on dissemination of the right guidelines to the right suppliers,” he says. “Tour operators working with the guidance have committed to developing processes to ensure that the minimum requirements are in place across their supply chains. This may be through training tour operating staff to conduct inspections, or using third party auditing companies.” Mansbridge agrees: “There are plenty of things that operators can be doing right now to make things better for animals. Getting a basic understanding of the way animals should be kept or treated would be a good start for many, and then translating that knowledge into action. If a poor zoo in Eastern Europe or Asia receives a few complaints from members of the public, they will probably not act. But if tour companies threaten to stop sending big numbers there unless conditions improve, then something may well be done.”

“In some cases up to 60 per cent of excursion programmes feature animals in some way”

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he concrete evidence that this is happening and the guidelines are being embraced by tour companies is beginning to come through, says Pickup. In purely practical terms, to ignore them would be bad for business. “ABTA Members are serious about improving the way they do business. They recognise that UK consumers have a strong affinity for good welfare, and that if they see animals suffering or in distress it can undermine their holiday experience – which is bad for business and can impact upon Members’ reputations. “Some Members have been developing their own animal welfare policies and have been disseminating the guidance to their suppliers, as well as developing processes to inspect suppliers against the minimum requirements.” For Philip Mansbridge this progress is slow but promising. “It’s hard to tell how well they are being implemented at this point, but it was very encouraging that four of the biggest tour companies worked with ABTA on putting the guidelines together. If they follow through with action, then other companies will also have to take it seriously. Like any set of guidelines, these will only work if people implement them.” A year on, however, some have raised a question mark over whether a significant enough number of tour operators have modified their programmes to exclude exploitative attractions and practices, and have taken sufficient steps to encourage their suppliers to raise standards of welfare. One reason for doubt is that the guidelines do not come with any form of sanction for non-uptake, or overt reward for

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Tourism Manager at ABTA. “In some cases up to 60 per cent of excursion programmes feature animals in some way and, as such, it was felt important to ensure best practice in welfare was in place across these businesses.” The seven manuals that make up the Animal Welfare Guidelines are intended as practical guides for the providers of animal experiences and holiday attractions involving animals. They cover good animal husbandry, best practice in avoiding detrimental impacts on animal welfare, and condemnation of the exploitation of animals for the tourist trade. There is an encouragement to lobby governments and local suppliers and raise awareness of best practice, and to avoid any involvement with local suppliers that do not adhere to certain standards that respect what ABTA calls The Five Freedoms. Many guidelines are associated with animals in captivity but some also deal with viewing wildlife responsibly and removing incentives for local people to exploit animals for money. “The guidelines were born out of the collaborative efforts of ABTA’s Animal Welfare working group,” says Pickup. “This was created in 2010 to provide a dedicated focus for efforts to improve and promote the industry’s performance around animal welfare. We embarked on a multi-stakeholder consultation process involving over 200 expert organisations and individuals from all around the world. ABTA’s consultative partner in the process was the Born Free Foundation. “The aim of the consultation was to ensure that there was a balanced mix of stakeholder input into the creation of the guidance, to maximise the acceptance of it in a market place where there are such divergent opinions.” Another of the expert organisations consulted was Care for the Wild, a UK-based charity that launched the RIGHT tourism campaign to promote responsible, informed, guilt-free and humane tourism. “At Care for the Wild we were consulted on the guidelines and added our thoughts,” says CEO Philip Mansbridge. “From our point of view, there’s been a growing awareness about the impact of tourism on animals over the last few years, in some ways as a part of the Responsible Tourism movement. Our own work has given us plenty of examples of animals mistreated due to tourism, which is why three years ago we set up our RIGHTtourism website, giving tourists advice on how to enjoy animals without harming them, in every country in the world. The growing popularity of that website shows that more and more people are becoming aware and concerned about this issue.” The guidelines were launched in the European Parliament in June 2013 and since then ABTA Members have been rolling them out to their suppliers. The hope is that implementation will be a speedy process. Mansbridge says: “We’d obviously like to see things moving as quickly as possible! We understand that it won’t always be easy, but we’d like to be seeing positive signs – for example,

Clockwise from top left: chimps forced to behave like humans for amusement are a far cry from animals living natural lives in the forest; snake charming involves the removal of a snakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fangs or sewing up of its mouth; the weight of a human can damage an ostrichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skeleton; cockfighting invariably leads to the death of one protagonist

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Special report

ABTA GUIDELINES The cruel sport of elephant polo is gaining popularity

The Five Freedoms The main principles for good animal welfare followed by ABTA ■ GOOD FEEDING: absence of prolonged hunger and thirst ■ GOOD HOUSING: comfort when resting, ease of movement and thermal comfort ■ GOOD HEALTH: absence of injuries, disease and pain induced by inappropriate management procedures ■ APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR: being allowed to express natural and social behaviours, good human-animal relationships, and having a positive emotional state

implementation. However, they do rely on the desire by Members of ABTA to uphold the best industry practices and enhance their reputations in line with the organisation’s Code of Conduct on supply and relationships with customers.

eing able to display the ABTA symbol gives tour operators a certain standing in the eyes of their customers and reassures the holiday-buying public of a level of quality. So, without having to have teeth, these guidelines should nonetheless be having a global effect. This is certainly the view of Simon Pickup. “The guidelines are voluntary,” he says. “Our approach is about influencing our Members to best use the guidance to achieve progress in this area of tourism. The Membership is very wide and diverse and companies are at very different points on the journey. Members using the guidance have committed to working with suppliers who meet and exceed the minimum requirements. “However, this needs to be approached on a case by case basis. Sometimes, walking away from a business with poor standards isn’t a sustainable option, on the basis that such an approach often doesn’t lead to performance improvements. Clearly though, where standards are very low and the supplier is reluctant to work with the tour operator, then ceasing contractual ties is an inevitable outcome.” Care for the Wild would undoubtedly prefer a carrot and stick approach, but Philip Mansbridge is realistic. “We’d love ABTA to be able to threaten, then carry out, disbarment of members who don’t adhere to the guidelines, but they do require work to implement. There is growing evidence that tourism money is moving to companies in the ‘Responsible Tourism’ sector, so we’d hope that operators will see financial as

well as moral benefits to adhering to the guidelines.” The speed of take up aside, the guidelines are felt to be a big, positive step towards a better future for both wild and captive animals where tourism impacts on their lives. “Our ambition is that our ABTA guidance becomes the global benchmark for animal welfare in tourism,” says Pickup. “As such, we hope it’s even more widely adopted by the industry and in time helps to raise the bar for animal welfare globally. Of course, the hope is also that they help consumers be reassured they can have great experiences on holiday, without concerns of animals’ welfare.” Mansbridge feels this attitude fits very well with his charity’s ambitions. “Our aim is for a world that enjoys animals and wildlife without exploiting them. The tourism industry is a key battleground in this fight because where money is to be made, animals will be exploited. So we need a major shift in the way both tourists and the tourism industry view animals. They are not our playthings. “These guidelines, for which ABTA and all those involved should be very proud, are a fantastic step in the right direction. To fulfil their potential, we need tour operators and the public to be fully aware of them, until all ABTA Members are adhering to them 100 per cent. “Then we need to see similar guidelines brought in by travel associations and operators around the world. ABTA companies can inform and persuade their customers but they won’t have an impact on tourists from Russia or China, for example, who are often major consumers of animal-related activities. “If we’re really going to make a difference for animals, then we need the world to shift!” Getting the world to shift might seem a daunting task to anyone but, as Mansbridge concludes: “This is a great start.”

To read the ABTA Animal Welfare Guidelines go to abta.com/about-abta/raising-standards/animal-welfare For information on animal tourism in every country in the world, discussion of the key issues, and guideance on how to report what you have seen, go to RIGHT-tourism.org 64 JUNE 2014

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■ PROTECTION FROM FEAR AND DISTRESS: absence of general fear/distress/apathy, ability to seek privacy and refuge, absence of surgical or physical modification other than for the purposes of genuine medical treatment.

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Kidepo Valley in Uganda is one of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s least explored national parks. Its remote location and the years of political conflict suffered by a country now at peace, combined to preserve a wilderness to which outsiders have rarely ventured

SPLENDID ISOLATION WORDS BY GARY ALMOND IMAGES BY STEWART GAME

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Trip Report

KIDEPO VALLEY, UGANDA

A view over a guest room and a National Park road from the ‘watch tower’ at Apoka, where a lookout monitors the wild animals in order to ensure visitors can move around safety

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he horizon swelled with dark muscle and grey horn as the biggest herd of buffalo in Africa flowed in and out of the dry river valley. The sheer numbers were awe-inspiring, the dark backs in the long savannah grass resembling spilled oil on a yellow sea, ever spreading and expanding across the far distance. Tiny birds dipped on and off the buffalos’ hulking backs.

Our guide Patrick estimated there were nearly 2,000 animals in the herd, out of a total of over 10,000 to be found in the entire park. The scene in front of me was taking place in one of Africa’s most untouched wilderness areas, in a national park that has been cut off from mainstream tourism by geography and circumstance. The isolation only adds to the impact of one of the most exhilarating safari experiences in the world. Located in the north-eastern corner of Uganda, on the borders of South Sudan and Kenya, Kidepo Valley National Park was for many years rendered inaccessible by the vast, arid plains to the south, mountain ranges to east and west, and South Sudan to the north. Civil war, local tribal conflict and a series of Ugandan dictatorships also deterred visitors. Nowadays, with improved infrastructure and a lasting peace in the region, this secluded natural gem is opening up to intrepid wildlife travellers, who are discovering an abundance of animals with the most minimal of human presence.

THE VALLEY IS AN OASIS in the mainly arid Karamoja region of Uganda. Perennial running water in the Narus River combines with the seasonal flow of the Kidepo River to create an unusual combination of ecosystems that provide a home to over 80 species of mammal and 460 recorded bird species. I travelled by car from Kampala, breaking the journey with a night in Kitgum, the last major town on the route and 134km southwest of the park. To access the valley we first had to traverse the Napore Mountains, where battered, fissured roads wind their way through scenery of prehistoric proportions. Once over the mountains we entered the panoramic valley and were faced with a swathe of savannah, with a backdrop of the Morungole Mountains to the east. I was staying at Apoka Safari Lodge, which was built in 2007 in the centre of the park around a large granite koppie that was once a traditional celebration point for hunters and tribes people. I was woken in the mornings by warthogs scratching at the veranda of my comfortable room and walked to breakfast through scattered groups of waterbuck. Tourists to Uganda usually head southwest towards the gorillas of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the game in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Or they head northwest to Murchison Falls, in large part due to to the convenience of these journeys from Kampala. However, once you reach Kidepo the extra effort immediately becomes worthwhile and the rewards obvious. I asked the man operating the gate to the park how many tourists he had let through that day. “You are the first,” he said, needlessly checking his clipboard. That afternoon, as we made our first game drive, we encountered 17 giraffe,

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Trip Report

KIDEPO VALLEY, UGANDA

THE KARAMAJONG Historically troubled villagers around the National Park are now keen to welcome visitors

four orphaned lions, 14 elephants, two ostriches, Top: a herd of Jackson’s hartebeests keep a a 6ft long spitting cobra, numerous zebra, buffalo, wary eye on the warthogs, eland… and not one single other photographer. vehicle or human being. It was a surreal Above: the end of the experience, one that was to be repeated over road; from here the route is a mud track. three days of game drives and activities. To be the Below right: villagers only people enjoying such an abundance of wildlife stage a welcome dance in a stunning setting felt like a guilty pleasure. There were only ever four guests staying at Apoka in my time there, the others flew into the airstrip 4km from the lodge. The lack of other claims on his time gave me plenty of opportunity to talk to the lodge manager George, and hear stories of lion and leopard sightings, of crocodiles and hippos in the Narus River, of changes he had seen in the park over the last six years, and the continued challenges the lodge faces in attracting visitors. Kidepo was designated a national park in 1962, yet it has struggled in the 50 years since to establish itself as a tourist destination. Just 10 minutes’ drive through the entrance gates you pass the shell of a vast hotel built into the mountainside, which commands a fantastic view over the savannah. Katurum Lodge acts as a metaphor for the entire park: construction was begun in the late 1960s but abandoned by its Indian financiers when the then President, Idi Amin, banished the Asian population from Uganda in 1972. Since then there has been numerous attempts to reignite the project but each have got bogged down in political, financial and circumstantial issues. Today, over 40 years since work was first

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raditionally nomadic people, the communities around Kidepo Valley have settled into land on the borders of the park, farming maize and sorghum, and keeping small numbers of livestock. For decades there was a sustained conflict between neighbouring tribes and the people and wildlife in Kidepo. Heavily armed raiders attacked villages to steal cattle, and also poached in the park. The last white rhino in Kidepo was shot in 1983, and by 1990 the Rothschild’s giraffes had been virtually wiped out. A controversial government policy of disarmament in the last 10 years, which saw the UPDF accused of heavy-handedness and brutality, was followed by a bigger effort to engage with the Karamajong and promote understanding of the benefits the park offers. I spoke to the Council Chairman of the local community, who is responsible for representing the Karamajong to the local authorities and tourists. As I toured the village it was noticeable how engaged the community was in promoting the park and developing the area. Money from tourism has built new pit latrines, which has significantly cut the instances of cholera. A new medical centre is being built on the village edge. Improved relationships have also benefited the wildlife. Giraffe numbers in the park have increased in the last 10 years from a precarious position to abundance, and there are now plans afoot to attempt to reintroduce white rhino from a sanctuary. The lives of the Karamajong are intrinsically linked with wildlife. The settled communities at the base of the mountains bordering Kidepo demonstrate how conservation can be universally beneficial, and how promoting communal animal and human existence can enhance the lives of all involved.

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Clockwise from top: a family of elephants benefitting from the protection of local tribespeople; a game drive free from crowds; rooms or bandas at Apoka Lodge, linked by stone pathways; the orphaned lions of Kidepo

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Trip Report

LIWONDE NP, MALAWI

halted, court battles are still ongoing to ascertain ownership. Beyond Kidepo, the region of Karamoja suffers from a reputation for lawlessness, with stories of vicious rivalries between nomadic, cattle-herding tribes affecting the general population and the wildlife in the area. However, whilst there is cattle raiding and conflict in the south of the region, the 1,500 Karamjong on the borders of the valley are settled and peaceful, and have developed working systems with the Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF) to ensure all parties benefit from tourism in the park.

IN 2012, AN AMERICAN ORGANISATION released an online video publicising the hunt for Joseph Kony. Kony is the notorious leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), that until 2006 fought a brutal campaign across northern Uganda in opposition to the government forces. The video became a viral sensation, with over 100 million views worldwide on YouTube, but it provides a glaring example of the type of misinformation that has kept Kidepo from the tourist mainstream, and has isolated the park within its own country. I asked many people during my trip about the influence of Kony in the region. There was an obvious frustration at the question and each showed bewilderment that it was being raised as a continuing or current issue. All stressed that the LRA had never been to Kidepo and that Kony has not operated in Uganda for eight years. This is a frustrating situation for the locals, who are keen to

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This secluded natural gem has an abundance of animals and the most minimal of human presence promote the joys of the park and attract more visitors to enjoy the exceptional seclusion that can be found there. The long line of distractions and obstacles may have prevented the park from becoming one of Africa’s most popular, yet they have also served to shelter its natural beauty and allow wildlife to thrive. Kidepo is the only park in Uganda where giraffe and zebra can be found living side by side, and it is able to offer opportunities and activities that a more populated park would not, all in a more relaxed manner than elsewhere. Walking safaris allow you to lower your viewpoint and stumble upon the most unusual of animal inhabitants. Led by Patrick, we encountered a leopard tortoise minding its own business, peered nervously down a warthog’s lair, and strolled casually towards a herd of zebra. At one point, as we reached the bottom of a shallow bowl of land, we heard a huge commotion over the ridge in front of us. “Baboons,” said Patrick. “They must have spotted a leopard. Or a cheetah.” Kidepo is the only park in Uganda where cheetahs can be found, yet sense prevailed and we

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Trip Report

KIDEPO VALLEY, UGANDA

TRIP ADVISER

COST RATING

SAMPLE PACKAGE TOUR Visits to Kidepo are arranged on a custom basis. Speke Holidays Uganda organised the transport (excluding flights), park permits and safari activities for the writer, Gary Almond, while he sourced his own accommodation at Apoka Lodge. For a five day trip you should expect to pay US$2,500 (around £1,500) per person.

GETTING THERE There are regular flights to Entebbe Airport from London Heathrow with a number of airlines. Entebbe is an hour from the capital Kampala and Kidepo is a further 14-hour drive from there. The park can also be accessed by a chartered flight, which takes 2-3 hours from Entebbe and costs US$690 (£410) per person (minimum four people).

altered our course away from the baboons’ noise and I avoided the embarrassment of having to ask to hold Patrick’s hand. A night safari revealed yet more wildlife for our eyes only: a greyish eagle owl perched in a tree; a crested porcupine scurrying through the scrub at the roadside; a family of serval cats looking after their young. My personal highlight of the nighttime explorations was coming across a pack of spotted hyenas just moments after they had enjoyed a feed. I had previously only caught fleeting glimpses of the animal, but this time the adult female stood tall and motionless, intimidating and ugly, and a mere metres away from the safari truck.

IN ALL NATIONAL PARKS there is a balance to be found between ‘commercialising’ the wildlife and protecting it. What makes Kidepo so exceptional is how far, at present, the balance is swayed in favour of the animals. This is, of course, as much to do with circumstance and location than any human failing or missed opportunity, but it is exceptionally rare to find a situation where human tragedy and conflict has left relatively little lasting collateral damage to the wildlife or landscape. Kidepo has had to endure more than its fair share of obstacles and challenges. But it has emerged from international and regional conflict in a position to offer the adventurous tourist the opportunity to see wildlife in the most unspoilt and rugged of settings, and to admire the nature of Africa as it was truly intended to be seen. 74 JUNE 2014

VISA REQUIREMENTS EU nationals require a visa for entry to Uganda. This costs US$50 (£30) and is payable at the airport.

TIPS & WARNINGS Kidepo is so remote it is essential that you take sun cream and insect repellent with you. The equatorial sun is extremely penetrating and tsetse flies can be encountered on the edges of the park. The temperature drops in the evening, especially during night safaris if the wind runs through the valley, so a warm jumper is recommended. For walking safaris, long trousers and socks are required and proper walking shoes are highly advisable. Top: tracking down a herd of zebra in Kidepo. Above: a spotted hyena caught in the light of a torch

WHEN TO GO The rainy season tends to be from March to April and October to November, but this is changeable. The rains don’t really impact the wildlife, only the roads into the region, which can become very rutted and difficult to navigate, so Apoka offers both low and high season pricing.

TOUR OPERATORS

SPEKE UGANDA HOLIDAYS Tel: +256 312 294 531 www.spekeugandaholidays.com APOKA SAFARI LODGE Tel: +256 414 251 182 www.wildplacesafrica.com JOURNEYS DISCOVERING AFRICA Tel: +44 (0)208 144 4412 www.journeysdiscoveringafrica.com wildlifeextra.com

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ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND Your complete wildlife-watching guide

78 WHY?

Pine martens, golden eagles and now even beavers abound, says Kenny Taylor

80 WHERE?

Our guide to the places in Scotland to see wildlife in numbers you will not find anywhere else in Britain

92 WHAT?

The most iconic species to look out for in Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national nature reserves, including our only endemic bird

97 HOW?

ÂŠ ALAMY

Everything you need to know before booking your Scottish getaway

Scotland may be small, but its Highlands, islands, mountains and moors shelter an impressive array of wildlife â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you just need to know where to look

Where

eagles dare WORDS BY KENNY TAYLOR

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ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND WHY?

Here: a golden eagle, master of the Scottish skies, surveys the heather-covered moor for likely prey

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ou can’t typecast Scotland. Name the nation, and many will immediately picture mountains, deer and purple moorlands, perhaps with a golden eagle flying high above the scene. All that can be true, of course: I’ve been there and seen those things, sometimes in precisely that combination. Such a blend of wildlife and scenery is heady, like the tang of a good malt whisky. But just as Scottish whiskies have great variety for those who savour them, so too does their country of origin. When it comes to watching wildlife in magnificent surroundings, diversity is a key part of the Scottish experience. In many places on the Scottish mainland, for example, you could see buzzards and squirrels in an oakwood or pinewood, then move out along a river to look for signs of otters and salmon. Reach the coast and many kinds of seabirds and waders would be on the realistic wish list, with a chance of harbour porpoises and seals offshore. Then you could climb a hill to look for eagles, ravens and red deer: a busy schedule, but by no means impossible in the long days of the Scottish summer. Scotland is a fairly small country, in global terms. But straightforward measurements miss the crucial details. The coastline is huge, for example, with more than double the tally for England and Wales combined, including hundreds of islands. Small wonder that otters, seals, cetaceans and seabirds figure prominently in so many parts of the country. Around three-quarters of all the seabirds in the UK breed here. Some places are international seabird hotspots, including St Kilda – home to the world’s largest gannet colony and hundreds of thousands of puffins and fulmars. Away from its sea-sprayed edges, Scotland is also a country shaped by freshwater, with more than 30,000 lochs large and small and thousands of rivers and burns (streams). Icing on the wildlife cake comes with the uplands. Scotland has the eagle’s share of high ground and most of the mountains in Britain and Ireland, home to arctic-alpine plants, ptarmigan, mountain hares, eagles and even reindeer. Small country? Yes, maybe it is, but for wildlife, it’s huge. JUNE 2014 79

MY SCOTLAND BRIAN MORRELL WWT Centre Manager, Caerlaverock Watching the dawn flight of barnacle geese is an amazing experience. I grew up in this area and have worked at Caerlaverock since the 90s, but I never tire of it. Our dawn flight watches are from October until late winter. We start in complete darkness. As we wait, looking out over the estuary under the big Solway skies, we can often hear the barnacle geese chattering on the mudflats. The calls are highpitched, like yapping terriers. At first light they come in. Sometimes the numbers are small, but I’ve also seen 10,000 at a time. Then there’s the chance to see other wildlife – hen harriers or otters. It’s something you never take for granted: it’s always different. www.wwt.org.uk/wetlandcentres/caerlaverock/

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Borderlands and Solway Part of the divide between Scotland and England is a great wedge of salt water – the Solway Firth – between Cumbria and the shores of Dumfries and Galloway. Once a much-contested borderland, scene of many raids, feuds and battles, this is now one of the country’s most impressive wildlife havens. Huge tidal mudflats spread over the inner estuary, flanked by saltmarsh (‘merse’ in local parlance) and with fields beyond. A classic combination of these is found at the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve (NNR). Close to Dumfries, which is the first major Scottish town across the border, Caerlaverock provides feeding and breeding space for a huge range of wildfowl. Barnacle geese are the stars of the show. The entire breeding population from the Norwegian archipelago of Spitsbergen stays on the inner Solway from autumn until spring. Thanks to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve facilities, Caerlaverock is the best place

to see them. Large flocks of pink-footed geese, whooper swans and many kinds of ducks also winter here, as well as nearby at the RSPB’s Mersehead Reserve. Come summer, the pools in the merse are the only Scottish location to hear a small population of natterjack toads in full mating croak. At the world-famous elopement village of Gretna Green, which is also not far from Dumfries, the winter roost gathering of starlings has been one of the largest in Britain in recent years. Travel west and the Threave Estate, just outside Castle Douglas, is Scotland’s only bat reserve, with seven species recorded. Between Threave and New Galloway, the wetlands of Loch Ken and the River Dee are one of the finest fairly natural freshwater systems in northwest Europe. The blend of marshes, open water and oakwoods here is beautiful, and a boon to both wildfowl and to woodland breeders such as redstarts, pied flycatchers, wildlifeextra.com

ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND WHERE?

While you’re there...

birds of prey and red squirrels. This is one of the best areas in Scotland to watch reintroduced red kites, thanks to viewing facilities and a feeding station along the Galloway Kite Trail around Loch Ken. Continue west, and the bluebell woods in the valley of the River Cree are superb. East of Dumfries, the character of the southern Scottish landscape changes. Rounded hills with steep-sided river valleys are the norm here in the Borders. The River Tweed, which runs past several Border towns, is now one of the world’s finest for Atlantic salmon. Walk any Borders river and the chances of seeing goosanders, grey wagtails and dippers are high. Where the Borders meets the North Sea at the St Abb’s reserve, near Eyemouth, the coast is wild, rocky and thronged with seabirds, including the best guillemot and kittiwake colonies in the south. In early summer, swathes of purple milk vetch, primrose and thrift splash colour over the cliff top grasslands. wildlifeextra.com

Mainland Scotland now has some of the best mountain biking facilities in the world. The south has the most extensive network of trail centres and crosscountry routes. Visiting one of the centres can be a great way to add a bit of adrenalin rush to appreciation of hill slopes or give variety to exploration of different areas. It can also greatly extend possibilities for seeing crossbills, red squirrels and lots of other forest wildlife. Cross-country routes, such as the excellent riverside trail between the Border towns of Innerleithen and Peebles, can be spiced with views of goosanders (below), grey wagtails and more. Across the south, the ‘Seven Stanes’ comprises seven different centres, from near Newton Stewart in the west, to Glentress and Innerleithen, not far to the south of Edinburgh. Facilities usually include bike hire and repairs, and cafes, in addition to marked trails.

Clockwise from far left: the starling murmuration over Gretna Green is a wonder to behold; red squirrels inhabit the oakwoods in Galloway; barnacle geese feeding on the marshes at Caerlaverock; Atlantic salmon making their way up the River Tweed to spawn

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ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND WHERE?

An osprey on the Loch of the Lowes, taking a perch back to the nest for its chicks

MY SCOTLAND UWE STONEMAN RSPB Reserve Manager, Vane Farm, Loch Leven The flocks of pink-footed geese that come in to Loch Leven are amazing, especially when they’re on the move in spring and autumn and are at their most chatty and excited. I’ve also got a soft spot for where I used to live, near the Highland boundary near Dunkeld, Perthshire. This has the densest concentration of breeding ospreys in Scotland – a source of great local pride. I walked up a heathery hill there a few years ago and saw seven osprey eyries. Five were occupied – each with an osprey sitting on it. One nest was beside a path, with a dead tree nearby where the male would sit keeping an eye out, sometimes eating a fish. Some of the people who walked along the path didn’t even know the birds were there. www.rspb.org.uk

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Central Lowlands Even within Scotland’s densely populated Central Lowlands, much wilder ground and waters are never far away. Breezy uplands, spectacular river valleys, boglands, old woodlands, lochs and estuaries are all part of the mix. Among the rivers and canals that thread the lowlands, the most dramatic stretch is where the River Clyde squeezes through a steep-sided gorge and over a series of cascades at the Falls of Clyde, south of Glasgow. Ancient woods of oak, ash and hazel overhang the river here, within a major Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) reserve – part of the Clyde Valley Woodlands NNR. Organised badger watching and bat walks are regular activities, and summer viewing of breeding peregrine falcons is excellent. Within easy reach of Glasgow, Loch Lomond, far-famed in song for its ‘bonny, bonny banks’, combines both Highland and lowland in its long spread. A prime site along

its southern shores is around the mouth of the River Endrick within the Loch Lomond NNR. Small flocks of Greenland white-fronted geese and thousands of other wildfowl visit here in winter. In summer, ospreys fish the shallows and redstarts and wood warblers nest in the oakwoods. Between Glasgow and Edinburgh, more ducks breed at the Loch Leven NNR than anywhere else in inland Europe. These include tufted, gadwall, teal and shoveler. Thousands of migratory waterfowl visit from autumn until spring, including huge flocks of Icelandic-breeding pink-footed geese. The sight and sound of pinkfeet are also features of the broad boglands that cover part of the floodplain of the River Forth, west of the city of Stirling. The Flanders Moss NNR is now Britain’s largest surviving raised bog, used by lowland-dwelling mountain hares and many kinds of dragonflies. North of Perth, the River Tay and its JUNE 2014 83

ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND WHERE?

tributaries is now home to the majority of Scotland’s free-living beavers. In the heart of this area, near Dunkeld, the Loch of the Lowes SWT reserve holds the eyrie of Scotland’s oldest-known breeding osprey, known as Lady, who has just nested for her 24th year running. It is also a good place to see otters and red squirrels. The large and fertile peninsula of Fife juts into the North Sea between Perth and Edinburgh. At its eastern fringe, the Tentsmuir NNR includes the fastest growing stretch of coast in Britain. Offshore from it, the Abertay Sands are major haul-outs for both grey and harbour seals, while inland, the dune hollows hold orchids and a big variety of butterflies and moths. Also off east Fife, the Isle of May NNR – accessible on day trips from Anstruther – is one of the largest single-island puffin colonies in Europe, with tens of thousands nesting. Guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and shags breed along the low cliffs and this is also a great place to see grey seals all year, off one of their largest British colonies. 84 JUNE 2014

Much of the centre of Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh, is a World Heritage Site, designated for the wealth of historic buildings in both the Old Town – along the length of the Castle Rock – and the Georgian New Town below it. Strolling the streets here, not least the ‘Royal Mile’ between Edinburgh Castle a(left) and the Scottish Parliament, is a great way to get a flavour of many centuries of history. Edinburgh’s natural heritage is also exceptional. There are several hills within the city, including the full-blown uplands of Salisbury Crags and Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park (below). Study of the rocks here in the 18th century helped to shape the science of geology, and there’s an excellent centre devoted to everything geological – Dynamic Earth – below the crags. Stroll up these hills and you can follow in the footsteps of key Enlightenment thinkers, enjoy huge views across the city and beyond, and look for peregrine falcons and grassland flowers at the same time.

Top: puffins on the Isle of May; grey seals and pups at Tentsmuir Point in Fife; the impressive Falls of Clyde

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DAN PUPLETT GUIDE AND TRACKER The old Caledonian forest in Glen Affric is one of my favourite places. There’s a unique feel to it, and if you have a close encounter with forest wildlife, it’s very special. One day I was doing an aspen survey for Trees for Life, and went to an isolated aspen cluster among the old pines. There was an almost primeval feel to the spot. Then I saw a massive pile of pine marten scat and heard a scraping from a Scots pine beside me. A few flakes of bark fell on my head and I looked up. A pine marten was scampering up and out onto a branch. It looked at me, then moved to the top of the tree and peered down again. So I got a prolonged, unforgettable look. That encounter has made Glen Affric feel even more special to me. www.danpuplett.net

86 JUNE 2014

The Highlands Even by Scottish standards, the range of landscapes in the Highlands is huge. But there’s no escaping the presence of mountains across the whole area, whether seen at close range or as towering shapes in the middle distance. There’s more mountain ground in the Cairngorms National Park than anywhere else in Britain and Ireland, but the beauty of it is that the heights are skirted by Scotland’s finest ancient woodlands, magnificent moors and unpolluted rivers, with low intensity farming in the valleys and lower hills. Added together, these different aspects explain why the National Park is the best place in the UK for its range of nationally rare species. Scottish wildcat, ptarmigans, snow buntings, rare wood ants and fungi: the list could run and run. A good place to explore different layers and levels of the Cairngorms scene is from Aviemore to Cairngorm Mountain. Across the

plain towards the mountains, Scotland’s finest surviving Caledonian pinewoods thrive in Rothiemurchus, Glenmore and Abernethy. Walk paths here and you’ll have a good chance of seeing Scottish crossbill – Britain’s only endemic bird species – and red squirrels. Pine martens are more elusive, and Scottish wildcats even more so. But it’s fun to know you’re walking in their home ground. If you’re very lucky, you might glimpse a capercaillie in the trees. This big grouse has declined in recent times, but four in every five of the UK’s capercaillie now live in the Cairngorms National Park, mostly in Strathspey. The Scottish subspecies of crested tit also has its national stronghold here, but doesn’t live in Deeside on the other side of the Cairngorm Mountains, despite further excellent pinewoods there. Deeside is also a prime area to look for herds of red deer, including in the Mar Lodge Estate, owned by the National Trust for

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MY SCOTLAND

ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND WHERE?

While you’re there...

Scotland and found beside Braemar, famous for its annual Highland Games. Red grouse are common on the many moorlands here, which are managed to boost the birds’ numbers for shooting. To the north of the Cairngorms, where the waters of the Moray Firth narrow, is the core of the range of the world’s northernmost population of bottlenose dolphins. You can take boat trips to see them, but the onshore watching at Chanonry Point, near Inverness, is possibly the best in Europe. Across the northernmost mainland counties of Caithness and Sutherland spread blanket bogs of global importance. These ‘Flows’ have a tundra-like bird community,

including golden plover, dunlin, greenshank and black-throated diver. The RSPB’s Forsinard Flows reserve, accessible by train and with a visitor centre on the station platform, is a great place to get a taste of the megabogs and to look out for the hen harriers that hunt across them.

Given Scotland’s wealth of real-life wildlife, it’s ironic that the most famous creature in the nation is more a figment of the popular imagination. The Loch Ness Monster – Nessie to its fans – is said to live in its namesake loch (above), emerging on occasion to allow blurry, inconclusive pictures to be splashed across news media. Fantasy apart, the Loch Ness area, just south of the only city in the Highlands, Inverness, is a fascinating area to visit. Take a boat trip down the loch and you’ll literally sail over the major faultline that divides the northwest and the central Highlands. Birch, pine and oak woods round the loch are prime sites for red squirrels and the pine marten, and there’s an impressive gorge and waterfalls at Foyers, near to the southern end. If Nessie still beckons, a visit to Castle Urqhuart (above), on a promontory overlooking the deepest part of the loch, will put you at the epicenter of alleged monster sightings.

Far left: a red deer stag Top: the majestic beauty of the Cairngorm mountains, rising behind Drumintoul Lodge near Aviemore Above left: an ultra-rare sighting of a Scottish wildcat Left: red grouse, common in the Highlands because they are bred on the heather moors for shooting interests

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ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND WHERE?

Here: island stacks, as found on St Kilda, provide a home for thousands of seabirds Below: a basking shark feeds on plankton Bottom: a female merlin on Islay

Western Isles

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Scotland has around 800 islands and many of these sit off the western mainland. For sheer variety of birds of prey, the island of Mull is Scotland’s top location. It’s the best place to see white-tailed eagles, but the island list also includes golden eagle, merlin and many more. Waters around Mull often hold good numbers of minke whales and common dolphins in summer. Just to the north, the ‘Small Isles’ of Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna share some of this cetacean abundance, and are Scotland’s prime summer waters for basking sharks. The Rum NNR, with its cluster of lofty peaks, is a stunning location to watch herds of red deer and wild goats. Stay overnight, and you could visit one of the world’s largest colonies of manx shearwaters, found high on the slopes of the hills. Just to the south, the low-lying isles of Tiree and Coll have superb areas of

machair grassland, where windblown shell sand fertilises the soil. Grazing by sheep and cattle promotes an abundance of machair flowers and makes a good sward where dunlin, oystercatcher, redshank and other waders breed. Finest machair of all is in the Outer Hebrides – the island chain that curves like the outline of a sea monster guarding Scotland’s northwest Atlantic edge. The machair along the Atlantic side of the Uists, Benbecula and South Harris has some of the biggest concentrations of breeding waders in Europe. The crofts’ farmlands here are also a European stronghold for corncrakes, with the RSPB’s Balranald reserve a top site for hearing them, and to see waders and machair flowers. Ultimate western island prize is St Kilda – far to the west, tricky to reach and a World Heritage Site for both nature, as it teems with seabirds, and history. JUNE 2014 89

ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND WHERE? Here: European otters on the shoreline in Shetland Below: a northern gannet breeding colony on the Isle of Noss NNR

Scotland’s North Isles stretch across some 270km, from Orkney’s southern tip to Shetland’s ultimate skerry. The Vikings knew these islands well and settled here for centuries. You can still sense strong Nordic links in both people and nature. Orkney and Shetland are some of the best places in Europe for the numbers and variety of breeding seabirds. Add breeding waders, coastal plants, seals and orcas to the mix and they give massive scope to enjoy nature, with a bracing splash of sea spray included for good measure. Unlike much of mainland Britain, waders are still a strong part of the Orkney farmland scene. Curlew, lapwing, redshank and snipe are common. Orkney is also the best Scottish breeding location for hen harriers, which can be found on many of the widespread RSPB reserves situated on different islands. The reserve at Marwick Head is the finest Orcadian location to watch thousands of 90 JUNE 2014

guillemots. Just inland from sea cliffs at Yesnaby, south of Marwick, Scots primrose – found nowhere else in the world but on Orkney and Caithness – grows in the maritime heath. The hundred-or-so islands of the Shetland group host some of Scotland’s most important seabird colonies. For sheer spectacle, a boat trip under the cliffs of the Noss NNR gives close views of gannets nesting on the honeycomb-patterned rock. Great skuas chase kittiwakes offshore, while puffins, guillemots and razorbills ferry food to youngsters. Other easily viewable puffins are at the RSPB’s Sumburgh Head reserve and at the Hermaness NNR, close to Shetland’s (and hence Britain’s) northernmost rim. Orcas are typically unpredictable, but the Sound of Mousa is a favoured sea area. A summer night’s trip to the island of the same name to watch storm petrels in the Iron Age broch tower is unforgettable.

North Isles

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Ones to watch The Scottish specialities to look out for during a wildlife-watching tour of the country

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ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND WHAT?

Red deer

Cervus elaphus The largest land animal in Britain and Ireland and one of the biggest species of deer in the world, the red deer seems to mirror the grandeur of many of the Scottish upland areas where it lives. The country as a whole has hundreds of thousands of red deer, which poses a problem for tree regeneration in many places. But this abundance means youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have a high chance of seeing some if you make more than a fleeting visit to Highland glens and other prime red deer ground. You can find red deer on mountainsides, out on boglands, on moors, rough island pastures and in woodlands. Excellent sites for deer watching are on the Isle of Rum NNR, Deeside between Braemar and Mar Lodge, and in the many glens that run west of Loch Ness.

ÂŠ GORDON PHOTOGRAPHY, MIKE LAWRANCE 07/ALAMY

Spotting tip: Winter can be a good time for deer watching, since herds will move to lower ground in cold weather. The bellowing calls of the stags in the autumn rut are a give-away of red deer presence nearby.

Grey seal

Halichoerus grypus Scotland is one of the best places in the world to see grey seals. More than one in three of all grey seals on the planet breed here, the majority in the Hebrides and Orkney. Grey seal watching is best wildlifeextra.com

done away from the colonies. This avoids disturbance to the animals, which in any case only come ashore to breed for a few weeks in late autumn. At other times, keeping alert for seals as you travel along the inshore is a good idea in most parts of the Scottish coast, as seals haul out on

beaches, sandbanks and rocks to rest and relax after feeding. In a few places, the seals make it easy for you. For instance, the inner harbour at Stornoway, on Hebridean island of Lewis, can be popular with large bull seals, which visit there to take advantage of discards from fishing boats.

Spotting tip: Scotland is also home to tens of thousands of harbour, or common, seals, which are smaller than greys but are often confused with them. Look for a long, down-slanting skull and parallel nostril slits in adult greys, to distinguish from more dog-like heads and Vshaped nostrils of harbour seals. JUNE 2014 93

Pine martens are elusive, but it’s fun to know you’re walking in their home ground

Martes martes Once persecuted to near extinction in Britain, with only a small number surviving in northwest Scotland, the pine marten has made a big recovery across the country in recent decades. Wooded areas in the Highlands are still strongholds, including at classic sites such as the native pinewoods of the Beinn Eighe, Glen Affric and Glenmore National Nature Reserves. But although they need woodland within their large territories, martens also range over more open areas. This makes places such as the Black Isle – a peninsula near Inverness with a mix of conifer plantations and farmland – a good location for them. Some wildlife holiday operators offer marten watching from purpose-built hides, including at Aigas House, on sites in Speyside, and at the Kindrogan Field Studies Centre in Perthshire. Spotting tip: You’ll often first see signs of pine marten presence, rather than the creature itself. On forest tracks look out for their droppings, which are narrower than fox scat and thicker than a cat’s. In autumn, these may be stuffed with rowan berries, cherry stones or the shiny wing cases of dung beetles.

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Pine marten

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ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND WHAT?

Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos See sunshine glint on the golden nape feathers of an adult bird, or watch one soar high above a glen, and you’ll know why the golden eagle is such an icon of the Scottish wilds. Scotland is home to almost all the 440 or so pairs that breed in the UK, making it one of the top countries in Europe to see this scarce predator. Almost all the Scottish birds live on the Highland mainland and islands off the west coast, with very few in the south and none on the North Isles. The Hebrides now has one of the highest densities of golden eagles. Boglands in central Lewis, the mountains of Harris and much of the island of Mull are all good places to look. Spotting tip: Soaring eagles hold their fairly rectangular wings in a shallow ‘V’ shape, whereas buzzards (often mis-identified as eagles) soar with rounded wings kept level to the body.

Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus Bottlenose dolphins are widespread across the world’s oceans, but Scotland has the northernmost groups. These Scottish animals are big, weighing-in at 400 kilos or so when fully grown – much larger than members of the same species in places such as Florida. There are several different groups of bottlenoses off the Scottish coast. Thirty to 40 known individuals live in the Inner Hebrides, between Kintyre and Skye, and about a dozen are regularly seen in and near the Sound of Barra. The largest and best-known group, with around 130 animals, swims from the Moray Firth, along much of the east mainland, almost to the border with England. Hotspots for watching these east coast bottlenoses are at Chanonry Point on the Black Isle, the Kessock Channel and Cromarty, near Inverness, and at The Battery, overlooking the entrance to Aberdeen harbour. Spotting tip: The inner Moray Firth has more sightings in summer months, while Aberdeen harbour can be a good location for winter watching. A rising tide is a likely time for bottlenoses to feed inshore at hotspots, and at Chanonry they come close to shore.

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ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND WHAT?

Spotting tip: Scottish crossbill calls are deeper than those of common crossbill, and their heads can also look a bit bigger, but for confidence in identification you really need to go with a local guide experienced in separating the species.

European beaver

Castor fiber Recently re-introduced to Scotland after centuries of absence, European beavers are now well established in different parts of the mainland. A small population from the Scottish government-backed trial re-introduction

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Scottish crossbill

Loxia scotica Different species of crossbills are typical birds of the boreal forests that circle much of the world at northern latitudes. The Scottish crossbill lives in the pine-rich Caledonian forests that are outposts of the boreal and it is our only endemic bird. The core of its range is the Scots pinewoods around the Cairngorms, particularly Abernethy, the Glenmore NNR, and Rothiemurchus. Scottish crossbills also live in mature conifer plantations. All crossbills feed by prising seeds from cones using their trademark crossed mandibles. If you’re lucky enough to be close to one, you can hear the cracking sounds as its beak tweaks the cones.

can be seen in Knapdale, close to Crinan and Lochgilphead in Argyll. There’s a small visitor centre here and scope to go on organised watches with staff from the trial project. A much larger group has established and spread in the catchment of the River Tay in Perthshire since early in the millennium. Careful exploration of riverbanks and lochs in the area between

Bridge of Earn, Perth, and around Dunkeld could pay dividends. This area is also excellent osprey country. Spotting tip: Look for obvious signs of beaver presence, such as small logs with teeth marks and bark nibbled clean, or twig dams across watercourses. When swimming, a beaver keeps its large head up but much of its body submerged.

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ESSENTIAL SCOTLAND HOW?

Factfile COUNTRY FACTS ■ Location: northwest Europe ■ Capital city: Edinburgh ■ Terrain: river valleys, hills, lowlands and estuaries in the south and centre; mountains, bogs and moors across the Highlands; hundreds of islands, mainly off the west and north coasts. ■ Highest point: Ben Nevis ■ Population: 5.2 million ■ Language: English with regional dialect words; Gaelic as second language in parts of the Hebrides. ■ Currency: Pounds sterling ■ Time zone: GMT ■ Flight time from London: 1 hour 30mins

Classic Itinerary SHETLANDS

This 12-day tour of Scotland’s national parks and islands will immerse you in the nation’s brilliant diversity of wildlife and scenery Outer Hebrides DAY 4 TO 6 ■ Peatbogs, machair grassland, mountains, islands ■ Golden eagles, corncrakes, meadow flowers, otters, dolphins, gannets

ORKNEY

Cairngorms National Park DAY 1 TO 3 ■ Pinewood and mountain walks; night observations ■ Scottish crossbills, ptarmigan, red deer, reindeer, pine marten

OUTER HEBRIDES

CLIMATE Mild and oceanic. Heavier rainfall in west than in east. WHEN TO GO ■ June and July: warmest months, floral colour peaks in Hebridean grasslands, best time to see breeding seabirds but midges very likely! ■ August and September: peak purple heather moorland colour ■ October and November: red deer rutting season in hills, peak autumn colour in woodlands ■ December to March: coldest months, shortest days, snow on mountains, big flocks of over-wintering geese, wildfowl and waders on lochs and estuaries ■ April and May: rapidly lengthened and warmer days, winter migrants leave, summer migrants arrive, bluebells and birdsong TIPS & WARNINGS ■ Sheep ticks are active all year in grasslands and

moors. Tuck trouser hems inside socks and check body and clothes after walks. Consult doctor if circular red rash develops as it could be Lyme Disease. ■ Biting midges are superabundant in the western Scottish uplands, west coast and islands. Midge veils can be useful, as can Skin-so-soft lotion to deter bites. BASES FOR WILDLIFE WATCHING HIGHLANDS ■ Glencanisp Lodge – community-owned former hunting lodge in heart of Assynt mountain country. Self-catering or organised courses. www.glencanisp-lodge.co.uk ■ Glenloy Lodge – old hunting lodge with views over Nevis Range. Organised tours or self-guided. www.glenloylodge.co.uk ISLANDS ■ Glebe Barn – converted 19th century barn on scenic wildlifeextra.com

Inverness

Aberdeen Forth Islands and Fife DAY 10 TO 12 ■ Seabird islands, sandy coasts, woodlands ■ Gannets, puffins, grey and harbour seals, red squirrels, waders Edinburgh Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park DAY 7 TO 9 ■ Lochs, oakwoods, bogs, hills, river valleys ■ Red squirrels, redstarts, roe and red deer, peregrine falcons

Isle of Eigg. Self-catering. Guided walks from resident island nature ranger. www.glebebarn.co.uk ■ Papa Westray Hostel – converted cottages with en-suite self-catering on northern Orkney island (reachable by ferry and world’s shortest scheduled flight). www.papawestray.co.uk

Glasgow

■ Corsewall Estate – luxury cottages on red

squirrel-rich historic estate on Rhins of Galloway. www.corsewallestate.com MORE INFORMATION www.visitscotland.com www.welcometoscotland.com

CENTRAL ■ Kindrogan Field Studies Centre – converted

TOUR OPERATORS

mansion in the heart of Perthshire, with tutored courses and also facilities for self-guided visitors. www.field-studies-council.org/centres/scotland

■ Wild Scotland, portal for many wildlife tourism

providers; www.wild-scotland.org.uk ■ Aigas, 01463 782 443; www.aigas.co.uk ■ Heatherlea, 01479 821 248; www.heatherlea.co.uk

SOUTH ■ Millwheel Cottage, Threave – converted corn mill on Threave Estate (bat reserve and wildfowl refuge); self-catering. www.cottages-and-castles.co.uk

■ Speyside Wildlife, 01479 812 498;

www.speysidewildlife.co.uk ■ Wilderness Scotland, 01479 420 020;

www.wildernessscotland.com JUNE 2014 97

Theknowledge Your wildlife travel survival guide

HOW TO SKILLS VOLUNTEERING BOOKS DVDS KIT LIST PHOTO WORKSHOP How to...

Cope with a stranding Finding a live dolphin or whale stranded on the shore can be an unexpected and emotional experience, says Sarah Dolman from Whale and Dolphin Conservation

he first and most important thing you can do is alert the experts (see Useful Phone Numbers at the end). You will need to provide accurate details of where the animal is, its size, condition and species, if possible. You need to be aware that it may be too late, that the whale or dolphin is dying of natural causes, or is very near death. Every year, though, stranded whales and dolphins are returned to the sea. Before help arrives it is vital to minimise stress to the animal, so keep people and dogs away. If you have access to sheets, then wet them and cover the animal for protection from the sun and wind, keeping the blowhole clear. It is equally important to keep yourself safe, so stay away from the blowhole to prevent breathing in what the dolphin or whale exhales, and from the tail, which can be powerful. Don’t touch the animal without wearing gloves and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. The people who do ‘rescue and return’ are well trained, but generally are passionate volunteers. Hopefully a veterinary surgeon with experience of triaging marine species will oversee the rescue, and sometimes marine mammal scientists are involved. The information gleaned from each rescue is critical. Everything we learn about how to cope with individuals that are healthy enough to be returned to sea, we learn from each other and from experience. As well as reporting live strandings, it is very important to report dead stranded dolphins, whales and seals as well. In the UK we have a government-funded scheme, called the Cetacean Investigation Stranding

Programme (CSIP). The CSIP team collects reports of dead stranded whales, dolphins and porpoises (and seals in Scotland). Wherever possible, post mortems are undertaken. This information helps us understand a great deal about natural causes of death, such as disease outbreaks, as well as those that are caused by people, such as entanglements in fishing gear. In the UK, WDC works with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) which is an organisation dedicated to the rescue and well being of all marine species in distress around the UK. BDMLR provides training for volunteers to become accredited marine mammal medics who are qualified and insured to attend rescues of marine wildlife around the UK coast. The course is a full day’s session and the fee is around £90, and that includes your first year’s supporter’s fee and third party insurance while on a rescue.

To find out more about the work of WDC visit www.uk.whales.org/ Find out more about becoming a marine medic at www.bdmlr.org.uk To read how a young Risso’s dolphin was rescued by the BDMLR in Cornwall, visit www.wildlifeextra.com/go/whales/Behindthe-scenes-of-a-dolphin-rescue.html

Useful phone numbers

• FOR LIVE STRANDINGS British Divers Marine Life Rescue 01825 765546 England & Wales: RSPCA 0300 1234999 Scotland: SSPCA 0131 3390111 • FOR DEAD STRANDINGS England (cetaceans): Natural History Museum 0207 9425155 England (seals & turtles): Zoological Society of London 0207 4496672 Wales (all species): Marine Environmental Monitoring 01348 875000 Scotland (all species): SAC Veterinary Services 01463 243030

Have you ever seen a stranding? Write and tell us about it by emailing editorial@wildtravelmag.com wildlifeextra.com

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Skills

Stay happy, healthy and wise on your wildlife-watching adventures with the help of our expert mini-guides

Insider’s guide to...

Helping migrant birds Dr Danaë Sheehan, RSPB Migrants Programme Manager, advises on how you can help safeguard a bird’s passage across continents

magine spending a whole summer not hearing a cuckoo. Far-fetched? Well, perhaps not. For centuries, the return of these birds from Africa each spring has heralded the arrival of summer, but fewer of these birds are returning each year. We are used to conservation problems being hard to solve, but I feel that my role of trying to work out what’s happening to our migratory birds like the cuckoo, turtle dove (below) and yellow wagtail (right), and coordinate action to save them is harder than most. These birds are transients, shifting between continents. So when we’re looking for reasons for their decline, we have to look for problems at both ends of their migration, and the route, too. This is an enormous job. Warm summer weather provides a great opportunity to get out to see and hear many of these birds. Their presence is as much a part of defining seasonal change as the leaves unfurling on the trees. If you hear a cuckoo, stop and appreciate it and then imagine what it would be like without it. The more people understand about, and engage with, these birds, the more

they will care about saving them. If you want to do more to help keep our migrant birds safe, join a conservation organisation such as BirdLife International (www.birdlife.org.uk), working to protect, conserve, improve, restore and create habitats for them, wherever they are. Many also lobby decision makers in the UK and EU, to encourage adoption of wildlife friendly policies. In particular BirdLife Malta has been campaigning to end the illegal killing of birds every spring on their island. Undertaking this work adds significant strength and credibility, so your membership really does count. If you want to do more, I would also encourage you to write to your MP or MEP and ask them what they are doing to help protect the natural environment, here and abroad. www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/birdswithoutborders This spring Chris Packham filmed reports of the hunting season in Malta. To find out more visit www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ Chris-Packham-bird-massacre.html

First aid

Treating a suspected broken leg Dr Joseph Javis on what to do if you suspect someone has broken a leg in the wilderness A fracture when you’re miles from anywhere could be a life-threatening emergency. First you need to ascertain whether the leg is broken. Sometimes there are obvious signs – a broken piece of bone sticking out or the leg at an odd angle, but sometimes it’s ‘just sore’. Look for bleeding and if you can see bone. Does the leg feel ‘crunchy’? Can the casualty feel you touching their toes and do the toenails look pink? Can they move the limb? If it’s broken, you should move

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the leg back into its normal position, if possible. This helps the pain, and reduces potential damage to blood vessels and nerves from sharp bone ends. I know it doesn’t feel the right thing to do, but it is. If the femur (thigh bone) is broken you need to apply traction. Do this by pulling the leg so it’s the same length as the other one. Hold it in place and tie the feet together using duct tape, to keep the leg in position. This can be maintained with a walking pole/stick (from hip to

toe) as a splint. Prevent rubbing with padding between the legs. Ideally, an open wound should be cleaned – water will do if it’s all you have. Direct pressure can stop/reduce bleeding. However, if it’s a thigh bone break, don’t waste time cleaning the wound, apply pressure as this is a medical emergency. Blood loss in a femoral fracture can be two to three litres (a lot when you just have five litres of blood). Think about the kit you carry –stick duct tape on everything!

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Volunteering