A former marl quarry, Loch of Kinnordy is one of the finest freshwater lochs in Angus. Historically, it has supported nationally important breeding populations of black-necked grebe and black-headed gull. The reserve also has whooper swan in the winter, and is one of the best places in the UK to see osprey fishing.
The site's history as a quarry had led to difficulties in managing the land and water in the longer-term, with encroaching vegetation threatening to swamp the loch and greatly reduce the available fresh water surface area, and the reliant wildlife. In the years up to 2002, due to a change in the water chemistry caused by agricultural phosphates and nitrates running off the surrounding fields, the loch's finely balanced natural ecosystem had been threatened by the rapid expansion of invasive bogbean and willow scrub.
This ambitious project to reverse the decline in the loch's water quality and value for wildlife, by clearing the intrusive scrub to enhance and improve the habitat at this former quarry, was instigated by the RSPB, thanks to generous funding support from the Scottish Executive's Community Environmental Renewal Grants Scheme, and Scottish Natural Heritage.
In Phase 1, completed in 2001-02, encroaching "mats" of floating vegetation were removed from the site by a unique machine on loan from the Norfolk Broads. At the same time, the main loch was connected to the main outflow channel, giving more opportunity for better control of water levels.
In phases 2 and 3, running concurrently from 2001-02 till 2004-05, RSPB are removing the dense willow scrub which had colonised over 40% of the reserve, and then grazing the land with livestock to suppress scrub regeneration and to improve the structure and diversity of the vegetation for breeding wading birds and wildfowl. Livestock are an extremely useful conservation management tool, often better than machines, as their different grazing habits provide suitable nesting and feeding conditions for a range of farmland and wetland birds.
During 2001-02, the task of removing willow scrub, and assessing just how big a job it was going to be to remove the required amount, was started by RSPB staff and volunteers. However, although many hours of effort were put into the project, the overall impact on the site was minimal.
The funding received in 2002-03 enabled RSPB to employ experienced local professional contractors, and the results could be clearly seen on the ground. Real progress was made, especially during January to March 2003, when about 5 hectares of willow scrub were removed.
Under normal circumstances, the contractors could have removed double the quantity but, due to the wet nature of the site, underfoot conditions were less stable, making progress much slower. Credit goes to the contractors for not giving up during periods of flood!
Scrub removal involved a chainsaw operator felling trees and two labourers stacking brash (felled willow) for burning at a later date. The brash was placed on a raised platform and the cooled ash removed from the site to reduce any unnecessary chemical or nutrient inputs to the reserve.
Subsequent grazing and some herbicide treatment helped to ensure that the regeneration of willow on the site was suppressed permanently, and that the structure and diversity of vegetation was improved. A local grazier supplied the first 10 cows, and RSPB hoped to have livestock on the reserve from July until October each year.
The view across the loch has significantly improved as the grazing marsh has opened up. Although RSPB were still in the early stages of phases 2 and 3, there were encouraging signs that bird populations were responding. There were increases in the numbers of breeding waders (curlew and snipe); reed buntings increased from 14 males in 2002 to 24 males in 2003 (a return to 1999 figures); and water rails were occupying areas of the reserve where they had not previously been heard calling, due to the presence of willow scrub. These encouraging signs should continue for the next few years, with other species also benefiting from the work.
If funding could be secured, RSPB intended to continue scrub clearance work in 2003-04 and 2004-05, using volunteers or continuing with contractors if possible. The impact of the operations was welcomed by visitors who commented on how good it was to see such an ambitious project taking place on the reserve, given the practical difficulties of working within the wetland.
Contact
RSPB Scotland
Dunedin House
25 Ravelston Terrace
Edinburgh
EH4 3TP
Telephone: 0131 311 6500
www.rspb.org.uk