The amazing wildlife at Fallin Bing

Last week, Paul and I went to visit the bing to get some photos and video footage of some of the wildlife that use the site. As soon as we got to the site we could see lots of butterflies and bees flying around but also hundreds and hundreds of 6 spot burnet moths (Zygaena filipendulae). There were so many of them that you had to be really careful were you stood and some flowers were almost drooping with the weight of them!

Creeping thistle covered with feeding 6 spot burnet moths with some Red soldier beetles.

6 spot burnet moths all over a Spear thistle

The 6 spot burnet moth is the most common of Britain’s day flying moths and can be seen flying from June to August. Caterpillars of the moth feed on Common bird’s foot trefoil which is plentiful at the bing. The adults feed on the flowers of a variety of species including Vipers bugloss, thistles, knapweed and scabious.

There were also hundreds of Red soldier beetles (Rhagonycha fulva) all over the Bing. These beetles are predatory and they also feed on plant pollen. They are typically found on Umbellifers such as Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) but are also found on thistles (as seen in the photo above).
 

There were lots of Red soldier beetles mating on this Hogweed

This year appears to be a really good year for 6 spot burnet moths, Red soldier beetles and also some other species of butterfly and bumblebees. Visit Fallin today to explore the bing and see what cool bugs are around!

Story board of the history of coal mining at Fallin

The coal mining history of Fallin village is really interesting as 110 years ago there were only a few cottages and today there is a thriving community. We want to show the community of Fallin how amazing their village is and how important the Bing is as part of their history and for the wildlife and people that use it today.

Paul Gunn (TCV Natural Communities Trainee) has been out to the library at Fallin designing a new story board on the history of coal mining at Fallin along with the work we have been doing at the site through the All Our Stories project and what management the people of Fallin want to see happening at the Bing. The board will be on view for a few weeks so go along and see it and let us know what you think! The opening times of the library can be found at: http://www.stirling.gov.uk/services/community-life-and-leisure/libraries-and-archives/libraries-general-information/list-of-libraries/fallin-library

The story board up at Fallin library

With this fantastic weather we have been having Paul also visited the Bing for this amazing shot of several 6-spot burnet moths feeding at Vipers bugloss!

 

6 spot burnet moths have been seen at Fallin bing in great numbers this year.

 

Sharing stories of Fallin

Throughout this project we will be asking people from the local community and volunteers helping out during the site visits to share their stories and thoughts about Fallin Bing. We have been asking people various questions, for example ‘What was it like to grow up in Fallin’, ‘Do you remember the coal mining industry, what was it like?’ and ‘What do you think of the Bing today’.

So far we have stories from the Polmaise Community Council event from the 1^st of June and also a Stirling Ranger and also from someone who used to work in the coal mines! We have filmed people telling us their stories and have also done voice recordings for those who didn’t want to get filmed.

Paul Gunn (TCV Natural Communities trainee) filming on top of Fallin Bing

TCV Natural Talent Apprentice Niall Currie has been surveying Fallin Bing for invertebrates using pitfall traps and sweeping the vegetation with a sweep net. We have filmed him at Fallin using his sweep net and talking to us about some of the bugs he has collected. We also got him to speak about the work he has been doing at the site.

Niall Currie (TCV Natural Talent apprentice) sweeping vegetation for invertebrates in the wildflower meadow at Fallin Bing

As well as filming people we have also been filming the view from the top of the Bing and also some of the wildlife that can be found living there. From the top of the Bing you can see all around the village of Fallin including Stirling castle, the Wallace Monument, the Ochils, Grangemouth and Cowie.

We still have lots of filming to do so if you see us out and about on the Bing please come and speak to us. If you have anything you want to share we can either film you telling your story or get an audio recording of it.

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.

Fallin Mining Museum- WIldlfower planting 1st June.

Polmaise Community Council is running a wildflower planting day at the Mining museum, of Stirling Road in Fallin on the 1st of June from 10am-2pm. The wildflowers will be planted in the garden of the mining museum and will provide food for pollinating insects including bees, butterfly's and hoverfly's. They also aim to raise awareness of picking up litter and cleaning up after your dog. Everyone is welcome to attend the event and help make the mining museum and the surrounding area of Fallin a cleaner place for everyone to enjoy.

This Foxglove was planted last week at Fallin Bing and will help the pollinating insects at the bing. 

For more information about the wildflower planting day on the 1st of June or the All Our Stories project contact Suzanne Bairner at Suzanne.bairner@buglife.org.uk and 01786 447504