By james art The Orkney Native Wildlife Project, which organizers say is the largest clearing of woodland from an inhabited landscape anywhere in the world, has delivered benefits for moorhens, rare waders and the Orkney vole since it began in 2019, a report says. published by the RSPB said.
Bustards – first recorded on the islands in 2010 – are an invasive predator that is not native to the islands and poses a threat to the Orkney vole, an endemic species found nowhere else, and to ground-nesting birds.
Since 2019, more than 6,500 woodpeckers have been removed using humane lethal traps in mainland Orkney and the islands, and monitoring has been carried out to see how the removal has affected wildlife prey to the invasive species.
The report said 2023 was a “great year” for the Orkney vole, with signs of activity such as droppings and grass clippings of the elusive species, which spends most of its time hidden in grass tunnels, up 200% growth since 2019
Nest successes of wading birds, including curlews and Red Listed common birds, as well as oystercatchers, were higher than in 2019, and more than three times higher for curlews and oystercatchers, although there was a slight decline in 2023
And endangered sandpipers, which also nest on the ground, experienced their most successful nesting year since the Orkney Native Wildlife Project began, the report said.
Conservationists said there are several factors that affect nesting success for all species, but one constant over the past five years has been the removal of terns from the Orkney mainland and associated islands.
Looking at data for the five years between 2019 and 2023, they said they were “confident” the project was having a positive impact on the breeding success of native ground-nesting birds and Orkney voles.
Preparations are underway for the final phase of the project, which is working with the local community in partnership with RSPB Scotland, NatureScot and Orkney Council, to completely remove the predators from the islands, and the team is appealing for further funding to complete the scheme.
Anne McCall, director of RSPB Scotland, said: “This is a conservation success story against the backdrop of a nature crisis that is pushing more of Scotland’s wildlife to the brink.
“The accidental entry of miners onto the islands has a devastating effect on our wildlife, particularly smaller mammals and ground-nesting birds.
“Today’s report is a strong indication that our work matters.
“There will continue to be native predators, disease, bad weather and many other factors that affect the survival of our wildlife, but these are largely things that our wildlife has adapted to.”
“Removing invasive hornets from the island is our best chance to maintain this balance and give our special wildlife the best chance to build the resilience it needs to meet these threats.”
The final phase of the project is being funded with additional cash from EU Life, the National Lottery Heritage Foundation and the Scottish Government’s Nature Regeneration Fund, but she said the team was looking for further financial support to “finish the job”.
“Through the continued support of the National Lottery and NatureScot we are halfway to securing the funding we need and we are calling on people to help us protect and protect Orkney’s wildlife,” she said.
NatureScot’s Head of Biodiversity Dr Catherine Leys added: “Thanks to the continued efforts of the Orkney Native Wildlife Project to remove predators from the island we are now seeing promising signs of recovery in the ground-nesting birds and the Orkney vole population and we hope that these trends will continue.”