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.