There will be an Open Meeting on Tuesday 27th July at 7.30pm in Holmehill Annexe, Scottish Churches Houses, to discuss the response of the Holmehill Community Buyout Group to the Main Issues Report of the Stirling Local Development Plan. The plan may be viewed at www.stirling.gov.uk/localdevplan and www.stirling.gov.uk/openspace
This is a really important time for us to make our views known, so we would encourage as many members as possible to attend this meeting, and to fill in the questionaires available online using the links above.
The Main Issues Report does recognise the importance of Holmehill as a green space, and our aim is to ensure that this is maintained
Next Board Meeting: The next open Board meeting of Holmehill Ltd/Holmehill Community Buyout will be the AGM. It will be held on Tuesday 31 August 2010 at 7.30 in the Braeport Centre (Room 2).
Holmehill’s 3rd Dawn Chorus Walk was held on Sunday 9 May 2010.
Some 30 folk gathered at the Braeport centre at the entrance to Holmehill at 5am today, to take part in the annual Holmehill Dawn Chorus event. As in previous years, participants were divided in to two groups, led by local Dunblane ornithologists Douglas Kerr and Chris Spray. Each explored the hill and the AllanWater and Laighills area of Dunblane, taking in a number of different habitats, and stopping to identify and listen to the various bird species encountered along the way. Clear, bright, dry and still conditions were ideal, though the early morning temperature at times felt a little bit more like winter than summer! Nevertheless, with promises of hot drinks and cooked breakfast rolls at the finish, the groups set off in good spirit.
The range of summer migrants was not disappointing either, as along with the Hill’s now well established pairs of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, the Laighills produced singing Garden Warblers, Willow Warblers and Whitethroats. Even if the low temperature was probably not ideal for some of the aerial insect-feeding specialists, the Sand Martins were out in force over the river and both Swallows and Swifts were seen overhead. Of our resident songsters, Robins, Wrens, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds were in good voice, along with the quieter Goldcrests and Dunnocks.
Down on the river, we had excellent views of a pair of Goosanders feeding, Herons and our local Dippers, but no sign of any Common Sandpipers as yet, and we somehow even failed to find either Grey or Pied Wagtails, though both are usually present. The newly arrived pair of Stock Doves were calling on the Hill, and a lone Buzzard watched us go by. High up above in the rookery (89 nests this year), life was very noisy with both Jackdaws and Rooks very active even at this time of day.
The walk ended with hot Bacon and egg rolls, coffee, tea and fruit juice served up by Debbie, Clare and Libby in the Braeport Centre, and the traditional reading of the full species list for the day. For the record we saw or heard 42 species:
Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Mallard, Goosander, Buzzard, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser black-backed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Sand Martin, Swallow, Dipper, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Bullfinch.
Saturday August 14th
Only the Wood pigeons were making any real noise this morning, even though it was bright and warm, so it was hard to locate many birds in amongst the dense foliage. That said, a mixed flock of young Blue and Great tits were quite obvious, even if they were keeping relatively quiet as they moved through the upper branches of the trees. A treecreeper was also with the flock and elsewhere a brief burst of song from a Goldcrest identified its presence high in a conifer.
The rooks are away from the colony now and only a couple of pairs of Jackdaws were present, but our magpies were very much in evidence. Although there were no signs of Chiffchaffs, a single Blackcap was calling loudly from a dense thicket, so at least one summer migrant has not quite yet headed south for winter! Sadly, all the Swifts seem to have departed this week which to me really does herald the end of summer. I saw and heard my last screaming party whizzing high over the Hydro on the evening of August 5th. A family of Buzzards though were present on the hill a couple of days later, and very noisy they were too, the young constantly “mewing” at their parents!
Two Roe deer were lying up in the brambles, an adult female and a well-grown calf, and there was the distinct musty smell of a fox as I entered the hill from the Perth road. And the entrance, as also the one at Braeport, now has brand new signs! These were provided by Stirling Council and errected by the Ranger and members of the Holmehill Group last week. So, thank you to all those who took part; and for those who were unable to help, the local papers had some great photos this week. The signs will be a great benefit, as up until now the entrances have seemed most uninviting and many folk, locals and visitors will have thought they were private paths and an area not to visit.
Have you seen Holmehill Community Buyout’s leaflet and map of Green Walks in Central Dunblane? You should! It has been produced in order to help residents and visitors to Dunblane enjoy its central green spaces with their rich history, flora and fauna. The map provides a bird’s eye view of local landmarks and the many footpaths that exist in the area, some of which might be unknown even to local people. The leaflet and map cover not just Holmehill but also the Laighhills, Ochlochy Park, the Riverside, the grounds of the Hydro Hotel and Knockmafuddy Wood.
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Contributions towards the costs of the leaflet have come from the Double Tree Dunblane Hydro, Scottish Natural Heritage and Holmehill Community Buyout. The leaflet is available free from many local outlets in Dunblane including the Museum, the Burgh Chambers, the Cathedral and the Library. A copy of the A3 colour map will be available shortly to be downloaded from our main website www.holmehill.org
The Holmehill Calendar 2010 was once again a spectacular success. All but a few of the 500 we printed have been sold. Many thanks to all the people in Dunblane who bought Calendars and to all those who helped to sell them, particularly the staff in the Post Office who at their busiest time of year sold more than 70. Thanks also to the staff at Meldrums (Newsagent), Bhattis (Newsagent), Scottish Churches House, McCulloch’s (Dentist), the Museum and the Old Curiosity Shop. The next Calendar will be for 2012.
Saturday July 24th
The hill is almost quiet these days, and indeed not a single Rook was present as I wandered round early this morning. Similarly, the Jackdaws have virtually all left their nesting trees, and of the crow family only the Magpies were making their presence known, as the young ones clammered to be fed by their parents. The Stock Doves are still present though, along with numerous Wood Pigeons, but the only bird really singing was a Chiffchaff, which kept up its song for a long while. I presume this is one of the early birds and may just be having a second nesting attempt. Certainly, there are other Chiffchaffs around feeding quietly in the trees, and which like the Blackcaps have not yet considered heading South for the Winter.
By now, the hill is dominated by the purple drifts of Rosebay Willowherb; the flowers of which are remakably intricate and delicate, and the more careful observers will also have noted that the wild Raspberries are now ripe. A lone Meadow Brown butterfly was a surprising sighting this early in the morning and with hardly any sun to speak of as yet.
I didn’t see any of the Roe Deer this morning either, but an adult female with a well grown fawn crossed the road and was wandering through Ledcameroch Gardens one night earlier this week, so it seems that all is well. A less happy sight was that of a very freshly killed Hedgehog, lying on the road at the Bogside junction of the hill. There are many less Hedgehogs around than previously, and sadly road kills still take their toll.
Thursday June 24th
After heavy rain, this was a surprisingly still and clear early morning, and may be because of this there were still a number of songbirds still singing this late in the season. At the same time, there were a number of newly fledged and not so newly fledged young birds either hiding in the undergrowth or noisly following their parents begging to be fed. Undoubtedly the noisiest are the young rooks, but being high in the canopy they are difficult to see. Slightly more obvious and almost as noisy were various young Jackdaws fresh out of their nest holes, and a family of carrion Crows. Closer still to the ground, families of Blue Tits and Great Tits were much in evidence, as were young Robins.
Both our Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were still singing, as were several Wrens and the odd Chaffinch. However, the Hill has taken on a distinctly summer feel, with tall grasses and the yellow flowers of the many Buttercups, Groundsel and Whin bushes to the fore. Less brash are the more delicate blue flowers of Speedwell, the Vetches and Red Campion.
The most encouraging and enjoyable sighting this morning though was of a couple of our mammal species – a Common Shrew scuttling through the grass, and then two Roe Deer adults and a very small fawn. The fawn was no bigger than a poodle, with its beautifully spotted coat, and quickly followed its mother back in to the protection of the brambles.
WILDLIFE BLOG
Thursday May 27th
The leaves on the trees are almost fully formed, and although they are very much still young and bright green, it is becoming impossible to see much in to the canopy now – the rookery is out of sight, though not out of earshot! Below them, the bluebells are looking slightly bedraggled in the recent rain, but the white flowers of Pignut are coming out all over the south facing slope above the Perth Road. It was too early this morning when I walked round to see any butterflies, but there have been numerous Orange tips around in the sun over the recent warmer days.
Amazingly, I yet again almost bumped in to a Tawny Owl in full daylight, sitting on a low branch almost out in the open. Needless to say it flew quickly away and in to the relative darkness of the nearby conifers when I disturbed it. A single Roe Deer was grazing the Braeport “meadow”. There was still quite a chorus of song, with Robins, Wrens and Chaffinches very much in evidence. Less so loud, but still singing strong were our two warblers, Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap, and a pair of Siskins were display flighting over the open area by the Lime trees. Blackbirds, Robins, Chaffinches and one of the Chiffchaffs were all seen visiting nest sites or feeding young.
WILDLIFE BLOG
Saturday May 8th
A decent sunny warm morning at last, and an Orange tip butterfly was obviously enjoying the warmth up on the hill. Also just arrived (saw my first ones earlier this week over the cathedral) were a small party of swifts, slicing through the air at speed, high up above the trees. These are usually the last of the regular summer migrants to arrive this far north, and we can expect the “screaming parties” to be hurtling up and down Ramoyle and around the Hydro tower where they nest for the next few weeks and months.
Otherwise two pairs of Blackcaps seem to have established themselves, with one male in full song in the bushes by the Ramoyle entrance. The chiffchaffs also seem well settled now in the same areas as last year, and the stock doves were calling from the central Lime trees. Further away, a Green Woodpecker could be heard calling (”yaffling”) from just across the road in Ledcameroch, where a Nuthatch has also recently been much in evidence – the latter species yet to be seen on the Hill, whereas Treecreepers and both Green and Great spotted woodpeckers have.
WILDLIFE BLOG
Monday 26th April
The hill is slowly beginning to move towards summer, but the flowers of spring are still very much in evidence, with daffodils still prominent, alongside the much smaller yellow Lesser Celandines and the more delicate pinky-white Wood Anemones at ground level. Foraging queen bumble bees are out and about looking for potential nest sites, but very few butterflies are yet on the hill, bar an odd Peacock in the sun. Above, the tree canopy is still fairly bare and the rook nests very visible. A careful scrutiny will also reval three crow nests and at least one magpie nest in the upper branches, with numerous Jackdaw nests in holes in the larger trees.
Surprisingly, I yet again saw a Tawny owl out and about, with a young bird landing on a branch close to me this morning in the strong sunshine – all fluff and big eyes! – before flying back in to the conifers to no doubt hide up for the rest of the day. Of our returning summer migrants, we have two pairs of chiffchaffs now well established on territory and our Blackcaps have recently reappeared (though the female is more accurately a “browncap”) singing in the brambles. The Stock Doves are clearly nesting, which is a new species for the Hill’s breeding list, and a Green Woodpecker was calling (as it has been all month in Ledcameroch woods across the road). Siskins are much in evidence still locally as well. However winter hasn’t yet completely gone – over 400 Pinkfeet Geese were passing over heading North back to Iceland, though quite what the final few miles will be like for them as they approach the south coast and the ash clouds from Eyjafjallajokull is another matter!
The dawn chorus event in a couple of weeks time should be good, as by then, all the other species should have arrived, not least the final “sound of summer” – the screaming parties of swifts – which should be here in the first week of May. If you’re interested in joining the dawn chorus walk, please ring 07500161397 to reserve a place (and a cooked breakfast!).