A very good day!

13th August.  This morning I headed down to Golspie, to meet RSPB Conservation Officer, Kenny Graham and Assistant Conservation Officer Vicki Saint, and then Scottish Government case officers for agri-environment applications, Andrew Sorley and Murdo Mackenzie, at the Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID) offices just outside the town (shared with Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage). At RSPB, we discussed the distribution of Great Yellow Bumblebee, and the recent new locations that I and others had discovered.  We talked also about the success of the 'Birds & Bees' crops, and the pivotal role that seed merchants such as Richard Shearer (Orkney) and others play, and the areas where conservation objectives of BBCT and RSPB converge.  Kenny suggested I contact a farmer near Thurso, who has a 'Birds & Bees' crop.  These are in short supply in the Great Yellow Bumblebee area, but given the enormous success in Orkney, we hope that increasing areas are put towards this or similar beneficial crops.

 

At SGRPID, I went over the status, distribution and requirements of Great Yellow Bumblebee, and the measures within the agri-environment schemes that can help, particularly within Rural Development Contracts.  Andrew and Murdo deal with a large number of applications from Caithness, and were keen to discuss where input from BBCT can provide a justification that a particular measure in a particular area will benefit Great Yellow Bumblebee.  BBCT is increasingly recognised as a source of reliable information and advice for bumblebees, so a letter of support endorsing the proposed management ensures that the Great Yellow Bumblebee - a priority species in Scotland - is taken into account when the application is scored.  As funds become more restricted, and application numbers rise, there is clearly considerable competition for the funds available.  Great Yellow Bumblebee frequently does not occur on so-called Designated Sites, especially in Caithness.  This means that applications here miss out on scores towards National Targets, so our written support for beneficial management here is crucial.

 

Andrew and I made a visit to his own 'Birds & Bees crop, near Loch Fleet. This is well to the south of any Great Yellow Bumblebees, but it often pays to keep an open mind as these flower-rich crops are so attractive to bumblebees. It was not to be today, but we saw a good range of bumblebees in a short period, including a female Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee and a worker Buff-tailed Bumblebee - more evidence that this southern species is increasingly well-established in the north.

 

Heading north the weather was excellent, so it was an opportunity to look for bumblebees.  Being without a useful map, I had to guess, turning off on minor roads to look for suitable areas of flowers, particularly lesser knapweed.  Great Yellow Bumblebees seemed to have moved on to this flower, now at its flowering peak, as the flowering of Marsh Woundwort has diminished.

 

I decided with time available only to check areas off the A99 beyond Latheronwheel towards Wick.  The first area, at Forse, showed some promise, with useful roadside verge flowers.  Towards Forse Castle, and the North Caithness Cliffs,  the quantity of lesser knapweed increased and one grass field held a huge number of yellow rattle seed heads.  The knapweed quickly produced several male Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebees, and a hefty queen Buff-tailed, as well as the more usual common species in the area.  At the cliffs themselves, there were great ranks of lesser knapweed, with a nice patch of marsh woundwort.  I could have sent a day here, but couldn't…this time.  The stars of the show were a number of Moss Carder Bee workers, and Broken-belted was also present.  This was noted as an area to visit again - everything felt 'right' for Great Yellow.  One or two other stops were less productive, but then I pulled off the road at Occumster and quickly found a field full of lesser knapweed.  I headed to the nearest house and knocked on the door - no-one home!  Fortunately, the owner arrived, having picked her daughter up from school, and no doubt wondering who this stranger with the white van was.  I explained, and not only received permission to look for bumblebees, but also a willing helper.  One of the first bumblebees we saw was a worker Red-tailed Bumblebee - not a bad start as this is very scarce in the north!  Heath and Broken-belted were here, and was that a Moss Carder Bee?  I would have checked, but there in front of me was a Great Yellow Bumblebee - success!  We netted her, transferred her to a pot and showed the owner.  Before long we had a total of four worker Great Yellow Bumblebees, their presence indicating at least one active nest in the area, and a male.  The picture above is of one of these bees,  This was fabulous news, as it extended substantially the known area occupied in Caithness by Great Yellow Bumblebee, and is the furthest south (on the UK mainland) that it has been found nesting for many years.

 

Time was ebbing away, as I had arranged to meet the Thurso farmer. However, there was a chance to check an area nearer to Wick, by Loch Hempriggs.  There was a sheep field with a lot of white clover (perhaps those flower-nibbling wee scamps had only just arrived).  I was reluctant to disturb the sheep and didn't have much time, so instead - and very lazily - scanned the clover heads with binoculars.  Remarkably, after a few minutes I found a Great Yellow Bumblebee, either a large worker or a queen.  I watched for some time, to be absolutely sure, but had no doubts.  Another new 10km square logged, and so I headed off to Thurso.  By now it was early evening and cooling down.  I met James and we went to his 'Birds & Bees crop.  The bees there were pretty groggy,  mainly males about to spend the night there, sleeping rough as usual.  Before too long we had found two male Great Yellow Bumblebees - perhaps earlier in the day we would have found a few workers, but no complaints.  What a day!