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News
Rare alien snail at university
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Between 2007 and 2008, Queen Margaret University moved to a new campus at Craighall, Musselburgh. One feature of the campus is a SUDS (sustainable urban drainage system) pond, which collects rainwater from the roofs of the University buildings and from paved areas. This pond, which is surrounded by well developed reed beds (Figure 1), has quickly attracted wildlife, including dragonflies, and breeding swans and coot. Investigation of the freshwater molluscs in the pond in 2009 showed that it supported a large population of snails, as well as some freshwater bivalves.
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The commonest snail, which has been identified as Physella acuta (Figure 2) by Adrian Norris (Non-marine Recorder of the Conchological Society), was a surprise, as it is a species that has only been found twice before in Scotland. Presumably it was introduced with the marginal plants that surround the pond. P. acuta is an alien species, probably introduced to Britain from southern Europe in the early 19th century, although it may originally have been introduced to Europe from America.
At present it is doing well at Queen Margaret University, and also occurs in an artificial pond next to the university’s academic building. It will be interesting to see how the population develops in future years as the site matures, and whether P. acuta turns up elsewhere in the Lothians.
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A name change and a new remit
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We are very pleased to announce that the Centre now has the responsibility for providing its services across the Scottish Borders area as well as the Lothians. We have taken on the role previously held by the Scottish Borders Biological Records Centre (SBBRC) and now extend our services to the Scottish Borders Council and Scottish Natural Heritage in the Borders.
As a result of our new coverage we have changed our name to more accurately reflect what we now do.
It is particularly exciting that we are working with the naturalists in the Borders and have had talks with the existing SBBRC Recorders Group (chaired by Sarah Eno) about meeting their members and holding a Recorders’ Forum in the Borders. We will, of course, be carrying news about the developments as they happen.
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Welcome to the Borders!
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There are a great many keen naturalists in the Borders who have contributed in allsorts of ways to the development of the previous record centre and we hope that you will welcome the change to The Wildlife Information Centre. To start to get to know you and what you are doing we have started a Yahoo discussion group specifically for the Borders, paralleling the one we already have in the Lothians.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/borderswildlife
We would encourage all of you in the Borders to also join
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/lothianwildlife/
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Blaeberry Bee in East Lothian
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As a result of the article on Bryan Hickman’s dragonfly sighting, we’ve had an email from Abbie Marland. Abbie spotted a blueberry/mountain bumblebee
(Bombus monticola), in her garden in East Lothian. Although the species has been recorded in Edinburgh and West Lothian over the past ten years, there are no previous records of it in East Lothian.
Abbie spotted the bee on 23rd March, where it fed on Sallow for a week. It’s nice to see that despite the recent decline of bumblebee numbers, we are seeing species in new places.
Interestingly, one of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust featured surveys this year is for B. monticola. Links to this, and other surveys, can be found on their website http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk/
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Red-veined Darter at Bindwells
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Bryan Hickman spotted a male Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) at Blindwells (near Tranent in East Lothian) this month. This species is a regular migrant to the British Isles, mainly in SW England. Although there are scattered records for elsewhere in the UK it has not been recorded in the Lothians since 1911! Back then it was recorded at Aberlady Bay, Edinburgh and the Isle of May.
Bryan posted his find, with photographs, on the Lothian Wildlife Yahoo group. The group provides a great platform to discuss news, events and views relating to Lothian's wildlife. As well as posting your own photos of unusual sightings, you can find out about up-and-coming excursions or ask for advice on where to see the species or groups you are interested in.
To join the Yahoo group go to http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/lothianwildlife/
and click on “Join This Group!”
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