For over 40 years, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has managed Vane Farm on the shores of Loch Leven. Next month, an ambitious project to expand the area’s wetland habitat will get under way in the hope of attracting endangered wading birds and improving visitor experiences.
Part of the Loch Leven National Nature Reserve managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Vane Farm is the largest water of its kind in lowland Britain.
Home to more breeding ducks than anywhere else in inland Europe, from late summer until spring, tens of thousands of wildfow from many different countries use it for short and long-term stopovers. Their presence gives Loch Leven year-round interest and global importance.
In order to make the land more appealing to wading birds, plans recently approved by Perth and Kinross Council propose large-scale landscaping work to reshape the wetland area.
The work will result in more level grassland and shallower pools, providing a better environment for breeding wetland birds and wintering wildfowl offering plenty of muddy edges full of insects and grubs for the birds to feed on.
Ultimately, it is hoped the development will attract more wildlife and also improve the visitor experience by bringing birdwatchers closer to the wildlife.
As with most of Scotland, mankind has used the countryside and its resources to benefit livelihoods, and one of these occurrences took place in 1830, when the bed of the River Leven the loch’s only outflow was lowered, the river course realigned and sluice gates installed.
This caused the loch and its surrounding wetland to shrink by more than half, and this in turn had a detrimental effect on wildlife, including birds and fish.
According to Uwe Stoneman, site manager of Vane Farm, the RSPB has had a long-standing relationship with Loch Leven.
“RSBP has been at Vane Farm since 1967 and it used to be a working potato farm,” Uwe explained. “Most of the time, the RSPB goes into an area because there is a population of birds that’s important, or a nice habitat, but here we had a relationship with the society even before it was granted its Royal Charter in 1904.”
In 1889, the Society for the Protection of Birds was formed to counter the barbarous trade in plumes for women’s hats a fashion responsible for the destruction of many species.
In its early days, the society consisted entirely of women who had been moved by the plight of young birds left to starve in the nest after their parents had been shot for their feathers. It went on to attract the attention of influential figures and leading ornithologists.
Uwe went on, “One of the first big jobs in the society was a watcher someone who guarded the nests of threatened birds the prime example to this day is Loch Garten, where the Ospreys are watched 24/7.
“One threatened species was pintail ducks and they were at St Serf’s Island at Loch Leven, so the first ever watcher employed by the RSPB worked here.”
When the farm came up for sale in the Sixties, RSPB decided to buy it because it was seen to be a good location for engaging with visitors from across Scotland.
Uwe explained, “The idea was the area was within easy reach of most cities in Scotland, but rural at the same time. It was also the first place where RSPB did education and we’ve been doing that for over 40 years. We now get between 2000 and 3000 visits from children every year.”
The expansion of the wetlands has always been a goal of the RSPB, but it only became a reality three years ago when Vane Farm received a Biffaward.
Biffaward is a multi-million-pound fund that awards grants to community and environmental projects across the UK. It is managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) on Biffa’s behalf and the fund’s money comes from landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services.
“Biffaward carry out mitigation work within a certain radius of landfill sites, and there is one in Glenfarg. After we found out about the award, this was followed by funding from Scottish Natural Heritage to carry out studies on the wetland,” Uwe said.
“Wetlands all over the world are disappearing at a rate of knots. In Britain, most of our wetland is gone or under threat. Here, lapwings have been steadily declining and curlews are also struggling.”
Uwe has a map of Loch Leven from the collection of the National Library of Scotland that dates back to 1796 and this shows there were substantial amounts of marshland around the loch at this time.
“The outflow of the Loch the River Leven used to meander nicely on its natural course on a flat area and there were a number of areas described as ‘moss’, which were boggy marshland,” he went on.
“Back then, the loch would have had its own flood plain, and this would include the land where the Scottish Gliding Centre is now located.”
After the river was lower and sluice gates installed in 1830, there was no longer a floodplain and the habitat was no good for certain types of wildlife.
“Everything we do at Vane is to recreate, in one area, a scenario of seasonal flooding. We always knew roughly the direction to go and our plan is called ‘Bigger, flatter, wetter, better’.”
Having carried out studies into water levels at Vane Farm and how quickly they fluctuate, work on the wetlands is scheduled to begin in mid-July and end by September. The tendering process finished at the end of last week and a contractor should be appointed by the end of June.
The timescale is such that work must begin at the end of the breeding season, but before the geese come to the loch in September.
“We are legally obliged to not disturb the geese as this loch is a designated European Special Protection Area. This means we had to prove beyond reasonable doubt there will be no adverse effect,” Uwe said.
Wading birds such as redshanks, snipes, lapwings and oystercatchers have long legs and long beaks and get their food in wet and muddy areas. Due to the fact the land will be freshly churned up by the development work, it is suspected Vane Farm will be more appealing to breeding birds in 2012.
“It’s always brilliant straight after, then it needs more and more work,” Uwe explained. “It will take two or three years to get a real indication of breeding numbers.”
Vane Farm has an area of over 300 hectares and the wetland development will take place in only 25 of these. It is hoped that lessons can be learned from the process, in case similar projects take place in the future.
There is a second phase of redevelopment planned for Autumn 2012 that, if passed, would improve the visitor infrastructure with better hides in better places.
RSPB want to reassure visitors that Vane Farm will still be open for business over the summer and autumn and that it will be a “bird mecca” by the time work is finished.
The second and third hides will be out of use that’s Carden and Waterston hides for regulars as they are located on the land where work is taking place. The Gillman hide will still be in use.
There will be a full programme of events for families and the cafe, which has observation points, looks directly on to the land in question. It will be a great position for people who see how work is progressing.
Uwe added, “If you have young children who might not be keen on birds but love yellow diggers, the next few months is the time to come!”
For more information about RSPB or Vane Farm, visit: www.rspb.org.uk