Sunshine, moths and scrub removal...

What fantastic weather we have been having the last few days, just in time for our scrub removal at Fallin Bing yesterday. Silver birch is encroaching across the Bing (and Wester Moss) and is shading out wildflowers such as Oxeye daisy, Common birds foot trefoil and Common knapweed that are incredibly important for many species especially pollinating insects. The birch saplings were cleared from an area to the north west of the bing and the removed material was carried into woodland to create habitat piles for small mammals, amphibians and maybe even reptiles.  

Clearing some birch that is overhanging the footpath around the bing.

I would like to say thank you to TCV, SUNS (Stirling University Nature Society) and to Stirling Ranger Scott Mason for coming along to help. A big thank you also goes to Kate Fuller who joined us at lunch time to tell the group about the Inner Forth Landscape Initiative (http://innerforthlandscape.wordpress.com/).

It was really nice to see the flowers out across Fallin and with the warm weather all the bees, butterflies and hoverflies were out. Common blue, Meadow brown and a male Orange tip butterfly were all seen during the day along with the caterpillar, chrysalis and adults of the 6 spot burnet moths. It was nice to show the group these amazing insects whilst we worked.

The underside of a female Common blue butterfly seen during the day

While the group were clearing scrub I was getting footage of the work we were doing and also of some of the invertebrate life living at the bing. I was really lucky to get some excellent footage of the 6 spot burnet moth caterpillar and even some bees feeding.

A 6 spot burnet moth on Vipers bugloss in front of the group clearing scrub from the bing (C) Suzanne Bairner

The date of the fourth visit to Fallin Bing will be in 2 or 3 months time and has yet to be decided. We will be making bee banks on some of the slopes that are free of vegetation and maybe planting more wildflower seed. If you are interested in coming along to this event or for information about the project please contact Suzanne Bairner at suzanne.bairner@buglife.org.uk and 01786 447504.

Keep reading the blog for more updates on the project and for more information on the history of the Fallin.

Scrub clearance 24th June

Hello,

We have been really lucky with the weather the last few weeks and I’m looking forward to seeing what stage the wildflowers we planted last month are at- fingers crossed!

A Red campion that was planted during visit 2 of the project

I am hoping that this lovely weather will remain for our habitat creation day at Fallin Bing next week on Monday 24^th June! The habitat creation day runs from 10am-3pm and everyone is welcome to attend for as little or as long as they want. It will be a great chance to meet new people and learn about the history of coal mining at Fallin and also to learn about the Inner Forth Landscape Initiave from Kate Fuller who will be coming along to speak to the group.

We will be removing encroaching scrub, mostly Birch, from around the bing and making small habitat piles for mammals, amphibians and reptiles within the woodland. Volunteers from TCV will be coming along to lend a hand and will also be bringing equipment for us to use. I hope that no one is camera shy as I will be bringing along the cameras to film the work we will be doing! For more information about the day contact Suzanne Bairner at suzanne.bairner@buglife.org.uk and 01786 447504.

Summer has arrived at Fallin!

Paul Gunn (TCV Natural Communities trainee) and Anthony Morrow (TCV Natural Communities Co-ordinator) went along to the event at Fallin Mining museum organised by Polmaise Community Council on Saturday the 1st of June. We would like to say thank you to Ros Griffith for organising the event. The event was a great success as not only was the sun shining but we spoke to different members of the community council and have begun to collect stories about the Bing from the people who know it so well.

Plaque at the entrance of the mining museum at Fallin
 

The mining museum looking grand in the sun

Paul is busy organising a timeline of the history of coal mining at Fallin that will be put up in the library shortly. Visitors to the library can put up suggestions of positive changes they would like to see on the Bing and also share their stories.  We aim to get this up before the third visit to Fallin through the All Our Stories project on Monday the 24^th of June.



A new sign at the entrance of Fallin Bing highlighting the importance of the site for wildlife

The third visit to fallin on Monday the 24th of June will involve removing birch scrub that is encroaching onto the Bing and we aim to collect more stories from people who have been helping us with the habitat creation work on the Bing and from people from the local area. If interested in coming along to the event please contact Suzanne Bairner on suzanne.bairner@buglife.org.ukand 01786 447504.