The Wildlife Information Centre

for the Lothians and Borders

A ladybird beetle (Calvia 14-punctata)
 | Home  |  | News  |  | Recording  |  | Get Involved  |  | Services  |  | Data Management  |  | About Us  |  | Useful Links  |  | Search  |

News


TWIC Spring Conference March 2013

Last month 40 people attended the TWIC Spring Conference at Newtown St Boswells in the Scottish Borders. Delegates enjoyed a series of talks on the topic of upland recording and conservation, a free lunch and the chance to browse displays by various organisations. You can read the full conference report here.

Posted: April 5th 2013


TWIC Autumn Conference and AGM, Saturday 17th November 2012

The TWIC Autumn Conference and AGM took place in the Eric Liddell Centre in Edinburgh on Saturday 17th November. The day provided an opportunity for recorders and others interested in the wildlife conservation to get-together at the end of the recording season. A variety of talks were delivered on the theme of grassland recording and conservation, from the challenges and opportunities associated with recording bees, ants and wasps to the lessons learned from a grassland management project in East Lothian. TWIC Directors Ian Young and Kate Byrne chaired the morning and afternoon sessions respectively.

Summary of talks and AGM:

The first speaker of the day was Ali Murfitt, who spoke on the topic of grassland fungi. Ali introduced the CHEG(D) fungi; the Clavariaceae (coral fungi), Hygrocybe (waxcaps), Entoloma (pink gills), Geoglossacea (earth tongues) and Dermoloma (crazed caps). These 4(5) groups of fungi occur on unimproved to semi-improved grasslands that have been continually managed (e.g. mown), but have not been subject to any form of fertiliser application. The waxcaps are perhaps the most well-known of the CHEG fungi, including for example the beautiful Pink Ballerina waxcap Hygrocybe calyptriformis and the Blackening Waxcap Hygrocybe conica, whose cap changes from orange/red to black on contact.

Throughout her talk, Ali drew on her experiences as a Grassland fungi and wildflowers Natural Talent Apprentice with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and National Trust for Scotland as well as other published work. Ali reminded us that to the fungal diversity of the site cannot be determined by one visit alone, due to the irregular and ephemeral nature of the fruiting bodies. She also indicated that botanical diversity could not be used as an indicator of the diversity of a site for grassland fungi, as studies had shown low congruence between waxcap diversity and botanical diversity. Despite these peculiarities, Ali enthused us to get involved in recording this diverse group of organisms and gave a useful insight into how amateur recorders could usefully contribute to identifying sites for further survey and outlined which groups of fungi were most accessible for the beginner.

The Fungus Group for South East Scotland (FGSES) runs fungal forays on the first Sunday of every month. For further information on this local group as well as other information on fungi recording, including guidance on microscopes (an essential piece of kit for the mycologist), please visit the Scottish Fungi website https://sites.google.com/site/scottishfungi/.



Hygrocybe (Waxcaps)


Duncan Davidson, Recorder for the East Scotland branch of Butterfly Conservation, spoke next. After dispelling some misconceptions regarding the differences between moths and butterflies, Duncan moved on to the main body of his talk. Duncan had cleverly reduced the vast topic of grassland butterflies and moths to a more manageable subset of species that have grasses as their principle food plants (95 moths excluding micro-moths and 17 butterflies). He then reduced the number of species further by choosing to focus his talk on those species that occur in the Lothian and Borders region only (the TWIC area). Even so, he could only cover a select number of moths in the allocated time.

Duncan drew our attention to the fact that the Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus does not occur in the Lothians and Borders. The ‘double eyespot’ on the forewing tip is often referred to as a diagnostic feature for the species; however Duncan has also seen Meadow Brown butterflies Maniola jurtinawith this feature. He therefore urged people to take a photograph of any suspected Gatekeeper specimens in this area in order that the record could be verified.



The Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus is not found in the Lothians and Borders. This specimen was photographed in Somerset. Photograph (c) Natalie Harmsworth


Last year, Butterfly Conservation, in collaboration with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, published “The State of the UK’s Butterflies 2011”. This report, which is available to download from the Butterfly Conservation website http://butterfly-conservation.org/, summarises the findings of the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme and the Butterflies for the New Millennium project. In the context of national trends, Duncan described how butterflies were faring in our region. Overall, Duncan painted a mixed picture with some species faring better than others. It was interesting to note the northward expansion of species such as the Wall Lasiommata megera and differences in the fate of two nearby Meadow Brown populations.

Duncan concluded his talk by demonstrating the value of moth and butterfly recording both for personal wellbeing and enjoyment, but also as a necessary and valuable dataset for monitoring and the planning purposes.

Andrew Jarman of Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS) delivered the final talk of the morning. Aculeates are part of the vast order, the Hymenoptera. There are approximately 590 species of aculeate Hymenoptera in the UK. Andrew indicated that these insects are grossly under-recorded in Scotland; indeed, for quite a few species the distribution maps are simply an indication of where the recorders live! There is therefore huge scope for people to make a real difference to what we know about the current distribution of aculeates by undertaking recording. What is more, there are fewer species to get to grips with in Scotland as compared to the south of England.

Andrew then covered some of the challenges to recording. He suggested that the species can be unobtrusive and small (some only a few mm long) and many are solitary, so they are easily over-looked. Recording is also weather dependant because conditions must be warm and still for the species to take to the wing. The flight periods of many species may also be short. Andrew described the types of grasslands that are particularly favourable for aculeates, in terms of foraging and nest sites. Knowledge of the requirements of the species e.g. a preference for sunny south facing slopes would clearly be useful if one was to look for them in the field.

Perhaps the most formidable challenge to recording is identification. Most species require considerable skill and experience to identify them and Andrew warned that photographs may not be sufficient for identification of all groups to species level. Bumbleebees are surprisingly tricky to identify, with the queens being more straightforward to ID than workers. The BWARS website http://www.bwars.com/ provides a list of identification guides and runs workshops across Britain. Andrew is also happy to a receive specimens locally. For Andrew’s contact details, as well as other ‘Local Experts’ for the Lothian and Borders region, visit the recording section of the TWIC website http://www.wildlifeinformation.co.uk/recording_experts.php.

Before lunch there was an ‘open mike’ session which allowed participants to advertise their own projects and events. Speakers included Graeme Wilson (Lothian and Borders Mammal Group); Natalie Harmsworth (TWIC Public Surveys); Adrian Sumner (The Girdled Snail); Elaine O’Mahony (BeeWalk and BeeWatch Surveys); Laura Coventry (Edinburgh Urban Sparrowhawk Study) and Julie Nicholson (Pine Martins in Urban Areas Project).



Natalie Harmsworth plugged the new TWIC ‘Spots and Stripes’ Survey, which is aiming to gather information on the distinctively marked Leopard Slug (Limax maximus) and Badger (Meles meles). For information on the survey visit the survey page of the TWIC website http://www.wildlifeinformation.co.uk/spots_stripes.php.


During the lunch break TWIC’s AGM took place. This was the first AGM to take place since there had been a concerted effort to increase the number of TWIC members at the 2012 Spring Conference. Twelve members attended the AGM where David Dodds, TWIC Chair, gave a report on the previous year of TWIC’s work. The Financial Statement was presented and accepted and the following Directors approved – Sarah Eno, David Campbell, Ian Young and Kate Byrne. Alastair Sommerville was also re-elected to the Board. Craig Macadam and David Dodds remain as TWIC Directors. It was also agreed that the annual membership fee stay at £5.

Stuart MacPherson, Biodiversity Officer at East Lothian Council, provided an insight into a coastal grassland management project at Yellowcraig. Yellowcraig is situated 3km west of North Berwick near the village of Dirleton. In the late 1990s management of the turf nursery ceased and there was concern that expansion of Sea buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides could threaten the important grassland habitats at Yellowcraig. Through some innovative Powerpoint work, Stuart showed us how grasslands decline when management is removed.

A Sea buckthorn control project was initiated in addition to grassland management works in the turf nursery. JCBs were used to remove Sea buckthorn in order to remove the plants including the roots. Scots pine trees were also removed from some areas to prevent succession to woodland flora. Initial opposition to the works from some people was diminished by providing education. Use of JCBs created ruts in wetter areas, so some landscape restoration was needed after the works were complete.

In 2008 management was reinstated using flail mower. 4ha were managed in this way, with the remaining 1ha left as longer grass, scrub and trees. An annual quadrat survey was undertaken to monitor the effect of the management. The results of this survey for the period 2009 and 2012 show that the mowing has improved the structure of the sward in areas that were previously rank grassland dominated by False oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius. In the short turf, the effect of the mowing has been mixed with some new species colonising the sward, but other desirable grassland species being lost e.g. the lichen Cladonia.

Overall, the landscape at Yellowcraig appears more open. However, the management regime has created a waste product (grass cuttings) that must be disposed of by the Council. Maintaining the management regime will cost £2000 year hereafter. Stuart indicated that the ideal would be extensive grazing over a wider area rather than small scale mechanical cutting. Stuart speculated that an undesirable effect of Sea buckthorn removal may have been to reduce the rabbit population that previously helped to maintain a short sward. He highlighted the need for management to be both continuous and sustainable.



Stuart MacPherson giving his talk


Heather McHaffie, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), spoke about the Scottish Plants Projects at the RBGE. The ‘Target 8 Project’ is based on the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, which aims to develop ex-situ conservation collections for 75% of threatened plants with at least 20% available for restoration and recovery programmes. The plants are collected and cultivated at the greenhouses at RBGE, providing a terrific educational resource.

One of the projects Heather described was the Arran Sorbus Project. Heather explained how the common tree Rowan Sorbus aucuparia had crossed with Rock Whitebeam Sorbus rupicola to produce the Arran Whitebeam Sorbus arranensis. The Arran Whitebeam had then backcrossed with Rowan to produce the Arran Service-tree Sorbus pseudofennica. A third species was formed when the Arran Service-tree backcrossed with Rowan producing the Catacol Whitebeam Sorbus pseudomeinichii. The Catacol Whitebeam on Arran is the only specimen left in the wild and the Arran Whitebeam and Arran Service-tree are regarded as Vulnerable. It was therefore decided to propagate a conservation collection. Attempts were made to propagate plants from seed in 2006, but propagation was poor. In 2007 cuttings were collected and grafted onto Rowan at RBGE. This proved effective and now the grafted material is being encouraged to grow its own rootstock so that independent plants will eventually form.

It was clear from a number of projects Heather described that the reintroduction programmes are meticulously planned and monitored. Heather emphasised the importance of monitoring to make sure that plants not only survive re-introduction but that the plants are able to reach sexual maturity and are able to set seed. In Heather’s talk we also observed how over-grazing could be just as detrimental to plant communities as neglect.

Further information on the Target 8 project can be found on the RBGE website http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/scotplant/Index%20+%20list/index.html. Heather is also course tutor for the RBGE Certificate in Field Botany and runs a Fern identification course at Kindrogan Field Studies Centre.

Kate Byre, TWIC Director, summed up the event. She said that Cultural Heritage groups could learn much from Natural Heritage regarding mobilising volunteers. Kate finished by thanking everyone on behalf of TWIC for their continued support and attendance.

Natalie Harmsworth

Posted: December 18th 2012


A second sighting for Scotland – courtesy of iSpot

The conservation charity that I work for had been creating a ‘window list’ of the species that we observed at our offices at Sighthill, Edinburgh. So, in November 2010, when I saw a weevil at the bottom of our stairwell I decided to try to find out what it was. I took a few photos and asked around our countryside and gardening staff to see if anyone had any clues to the weevil’s identity. None were entomologists, but they thought that it was most likely a Vine Weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus). Little did we suspect that it would prove to be much more interesting.

Wanting to explore iSpot (www.ispot.org.uk) I decided to post my observation and see how it could help me to confirm the ID. Pretty soon an invertebrate expert called Mark Telfer posted on my photo record page (http://www.ispot.org.uk/node/97731) that it actually looked like one of two species of foreign weevil recently arrived in England, and that it might be the first time that either had been seen in Scotland! His opinion was seconded on iSpot by an ecologist from the National Biodiversity Network, so clearly this was worth taking further. Mark said that a specimen would be required to confirm the ID, but unfortunately I had released it after taking my photographs. Anyway, he advised me to keep looking in the same area because I was pretty sure to find another one. He also told me that I could send a live specimen to be confirmed and how best to keep it alive.

I spread the word around the office that I wanted any weevils that people saw; surprisingly it took over a year for one to appear on my desk enclosed within two sellotaped plastic cups; it had been captured that morning by our facilities officers. I decided that I should liaise with our local expert, and referring to the TWIC website found that it was Richard Lyszkowski, who is Assistant Curator of Entomology at the National Museums Collection Centre. Once I had contacted him to confirm that he was interested and available to receive my weevil, it was carefully packaged up as advised and sent in the post.


Otiorhynchus armadillo (c) Mike Beard


Richard replied that it was indeed Otiorhynchus armadillo as suspected, but it was not the first record for Scotland because the late Bob Saville had found one in Dalry, Edinburgh in July 2000. Nevertheless it was an interesting and important record because it helped confirm that the species was probably widespread throughout the UK, but under-recorded due to its similarity with our native vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus. Richard also very kindly forwarded me an article that discussed this species, so that my colleagues and I could find out much more about our unexpected foreign guests.

Mike Beard

Posted: July 18th 2012


Most southerly record for the Longhorn beetle Judolia sexmaculata

Last month, Chris Sullivan found the Longhorn beetle Judolia sexmaculata in a cleared area within a conifer plantation at a site in West Lothian. This beetle is Nationally Notable A, which means it has been found in fewer than 30 10km squares in Great Britain. This is the first time the species has been confirmed in the Lothians and it is also the most southerly record for the species.

To keep up-to-date with Chris’ recording activities, visit his blog http://christopher-sullivan.blogspot.co.uk/.

Posted: July 18th 2012


Are British Slugs under Threat?

An interesting article by the BBC on an invasive slug species from Spain possibly threatening native species. Has anyone seen this invader in their gardens? If so, please send your records in!

Posted: July 4th 2012


New Beetle Species for the Lothians

Chris Sullivan recently identified Oedemera (Oncomera) femoralis in West Lothian. This is the first record of the species in the Lothians, and is the first time it has been sighted in Scotland in nearly 80 years. For further information, visit Chris’ blog http://christopher-sullivan.blogspot.co.uk/.

Posted: July 3rd 2012


Beetle Identification Workshop, Thursday 19th July

TWIC are pleased to announce that we will be hosting a joint TWIC/Buglife workshop on Beetle Identification on Thursday 19th July, 10am-4pm at Vogrie Country Park, Midlothian, EH23 4NU.

This workshop is an introduction to the identification of different beetle families that are found in Britain. There will be a short presentation introducing beetles and their different families and this will be followed by an outdoor session where you will learn were and how to survey for beetles. The workshop will be led by Suzanne Bairner, Project Officer at Buglife.

No prior experience is necessary; however booking is essential as places are strictly limited. Please return the booking form to natalie@wildlifeinformation.co.uk to book your place on the workshop or call 01875 825968.

This event has been generously supported by a European Year of Volunteering 2011 grant funded by the Scottish Government.

Posted: June 25th 2012

Green tiger beetle, Cicindela campestris, by Greg Hitchcock

Bloody nosed beetle, Timarcha tenebricosa, by Suzanne Bairner


Mammals Workshop, Saturday 16th June 2012

TWIC will be hosting a Mammals workshop on Saturday 16th June, 9am – 12pm and 5pm – 11pm, at Vogrie Country Park, Midlothian. The workshop will be jointly led by Graeme Wilson and David Dodds. The day will consist of two sessions covering a variety of mammal subjects including Longworth trapping of small mammals as well as badger and bat survey skills. No prior experience is necessary, but booking is essential as places are strictly limited. Please return the booking form to natalie@wildlifeinformation.co.uk to book your place on the workshop or phone 01875 825968.

This event has been generously supported by a European Year of Volunteering 2011 grant funded by the Scottish Government.

Posted: June 11th 2012


Ground beetle Bembidion bipunctatum found in West Lothian

Chris Sullivan recently found the Nationally Scarce ground beetle Bembidion bipunctatum at Harperrig Reservoir, West Lothian. This is the first record of this species for the Lothians.

Bembidion bipunctatum is a small (3.5-4.5mm) ground beetle found on sandy mull river banks and lake shores among sparse vegetation. Chris recorded his beetle on the shoreline of the reservoir under stones.

Posted: June 7th 2012


Rare snail found in the Scottish Borders

Adrian Sumner found the rare Three-toothed Moss Snail, Azeca goodalli (pictured, courtesy of Adrian Sumner) on a recent TWIC excursion to Denholm Dean. This is only the second modern site for the species in Scotland; the other site being Kippenrait Glen near Bridge of Allan, Stirling. Due to its rarity, the species is listed on the Scottish Biodiversity List of species of principal importance for biodiversity conservation.

The shells of Azeca goodalli are small, ranging in height from 5.5-7.0 mm when adult. The species occurs locally, amongst moss, herbage and ground litter in woodlands, hedgerows and scrub, usually though not always on calcareous soils. It prefers light shade (Ellis, 1969; Kerney, 1999).

TWIC are always keen to receive your wildlife sightings – both rare and common species – please do not assume we already know.

Posted: June 4th 2012


Recorder's Conference, Saturday 24 March 2012

The Wildlife Information Centre’s (TWIC) Spring Recorders’ Conference took place in the Scottish Borders Council Chambers in Newtown St Boswells on Saturday 24th March. The day provided an opportunity to hear a range of talks on the theme of recording in woodlands. Presentations were given by individuals representing Borders Forest Trust, Fungi Group of South East Scotland, Lothian & Borders Badger Group, the British Bryological Society and Red Squirrels in South Scotland.

Anna Craigen, Borders Forest Trust (BFT), spoke first. Anna started working for BFT in 2002. Much of her work is focussed on working with young people and local communities – sparking their interest in the natural world as she shares her enthusiasm for wildlife and the environment. Her presentation focused on some of the projects that BFT are currently involved in, including woodland habitat projects like Carrifran Wildwood. Anna highlighted the value of volunteers and the need for long-term monitoring on sites undergoing habitat restoration. Recording on such sites is vital if we are to understand how specific management actions affect biodiversity. To find out about ways to volunteer with BFT visit their website www.bordersforesttrust.org. Anna would be interested in receiving photographs that people have taken on BFT sites for use in publications etc. Email anna@bordersforesttrust.org.

Neville Kilkenny of the Fungus Group of South East Scotland (FGSES) described some of the challenges involved in recording fungi and outlined the support available for anyone thinking about becoming involved in recording this group. Some of these challenges would have been familiar to people recording other groups. A live demonstration of the Scottish Fungi website followed, with particular reference to the online data entry feature that feeds into the British Mycological Society (BMS) database. This is one of two UK databases for fungi. The other database is hosted by the Association of British Fungus Groups. In the fast moving world of taxonomy, it is vital when recording fungi to state the literature used for identification purposes. The BMS database is therefore preferred as it retains the original name that the recorder gave the fungus with its literature reference. This allows the record to be interpreted correctly in the future if taxonomic changes occur. Download the PowerPoint presentation here. To find out about recording fungi and other useful resources visit the Scottish Fungi website http://sites.google.com/site/scottishfungi/. The site also contains a link to FGSES.

The presentation of the Bob Saville award followed. This award is presented each year to someone who has made an extra-ordinary contribution to recording in our area. It is awarded in memory of the late Bob Saville, someone who did so much for TWIC as well as recording. Douglas McKean made the presentation and the recipient was Jackie Muscott. Jackie is a respected botanist and botanical recorder for West Lothian. She has been involved in the Wildlife Sites system since the 1980s and does a lot of voluntary work with local groups. Records submitted to TWIC date back to the late 1970s. To date she has submitted around 70,000 records covering 20 species groups, a truly phenomenal effort!

Before lunch, there was an ‘Open Mike’ session, which allowed participants to advertise their projects and events. Chris Sydes from the Lothian and Borders Mammal Group (LaBMaG) talked about the 2012 Mammal Society Hedgehog Monitoring project, which has been greatly ‘slimmed down’ this year. Please email chris.sydes@tiscali.co.uk for details and to sign up.

Natalie Harmsworth, Ecologist at TWIC promoted the 2012 recording excursion programme and encouraged as many people to attend as possible. These events are aimed at existing and budding recorders and cover sites across the Lothians and Borders. Excursions this year will focus on Local Biodiversity Sites. Before a site can be assessed as LBS an up-too-date plant list and other species records are needed. A full list of excursions can be downloaded from the Recording Events page of the TWIC website http://www.wildlifeinformation.co.uk/recording_events/.

Finally, Graeme Wilson, TWIC Centre Manager, announced that TWIC are seeking a wider membership and outlined the various benefits associated with becoming a member of TWIC. Individuals and organisations can become members and the membership fee is currently set at £5. For further information, including a membership form, please visit the Get Involved section of the TWIC website http://www.wildlifeinformation.co.uk/involved/.

Over lunch delegates were able to view the various displays and posters, and have a go at the woodland themed quiz. The Borders Recorder Group also met during the interval.

After lunch, Chris Sydes from the Lothian & Borders Badger Group (LBBG) spoke on the topic of badger recording. Sadly, illegal badger-baiting activity remains a threat to badgers in the Lothians and Borders, as in other parts of the UK. Legal protection is therefore aimed at safeguarding badger welfare rather than species conservation. Chris indicated that badger recording varies markedly between Local Authority areas; the coverage is fairly complete for Midlothian and Edinburgh, while recording in the Borders is still in its infancy. Through a series of photographs, Chris outlined the badger signs and tracks that indicate that badgers have been in the area. His presentation also included a captivating video of a family of badgers, which he had recorded himself. Chris’ badger videos are available to view on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/csydes, while his photographs of badger tracks and signs can be viewed on his aptly named website ‘How to Read Badger’ https://sites.google.com/site/howtoreadbadger1/.

David Long, British Bryological Society (BBS), spoke on the topic of woodland bryophytes. The bryophytes comprise the liverworts, hornworts and mosses. With over 1000 species, Britain is rich in bryophytes. David gave an overview of the life cycle of bryophytes, using specific species as illustration; described the reasons why bryophytes are important in the context of woodlands (for example for nutrient cycling and as indicators of air quality); and highlighted some of the most bryophyte-rich habitats present in Scotland and the Scottish Borders. The Oceanic Woodlands on the west coast of the Highlands have been dubbed “Atlantic rainforests” due to their terrific diversity. Bryophytes are an important and conspicuous component of such woodlands. David finished his presentation by describing the essentials of bryophyte recording, emphasising the need to record location information accurately using a GPS. He also called for further action for bryophyte conservation.

The British Bryological Society website, http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/bbs/bbs.htm, contains useful information on recording bryophytes, including an online Field Guide and details of forthcoming field meetings. Details of how to become a member of BBS are also available on the website. There is also an active Bryophyte Group in Edinburgh, which covers the SE Scotland region. Please contact David Chamberlain, d.chamberlain@rbge.org.uk, or Liz Kungu, e.kungu@rbge.org.uk for further information on the local group.

Karen Ramoo, Red Squirrels in South Scotland (RSSS), provided an interesting talk on the RSSS project and the Importance of Data Collation. The Grey Squirrel was introduced to Britain from North America in the 19th Century and has since displaced the native Red Squirrel by disease and competition for food in much of the country. Grey Squirrels carry the parapox disease, which is deadly to the native Red Squirrel (the Greys show no ill effects of the virus). Karen described the main incursion routes used by Grey Squirrels to move into South Scotland, and through a series of maps indicated the instances of seropositive Grey Squirrels and pox outbreaks in Red Squirrels. Karen went on to talk about the measures being implemented to try to prevent further northwards expansion of the greys, including the trap loan scheme, and touched on new novel approaches to controlling the spread that may be used in the future. The RSSS and Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) projects will soon merge, providing a more coordinated approach to Grey Squirrel control. Please visit the RSSS website for further information http://www.red-squirrels.org.uk/.

Graeme Wilson, TWIC Manager, announced the winners of the quiz (Neville Kilkenny and Reuben Singleton) and summed up the day. Graeme touched on facts from the talks that were particularly interesting or memorable, for example the badgers that ‘remembered’ where the edge of the woodland used to be and the fact that mowing your lawn will encourage moss growth by generating new propagules (the perfect excuse for not mowing your lawn as frequently!).

All in all, the Conference was an enjoyable and interesting event. The next Conference will be in the autumn of 2012 at a venue in the Lothians and the plan is to host TWIC’s AGM at that meeting.

Posted: April 20th 2012


Scottish Invertebrate News Volume 3 Issue 1 available now

The Scottish Invertebrate News Volume 3 Issue 1 is now available to download at: http://www.buglife.org.uk/resources/Buglife/Documents/ScottishInvertebrateNews_3_1.pdf.

This issue is packed with articles covering a wide range of topics, including a report on Scottish dragonflies during 2011 and a report by Adrian Sumner on the rediscovery of the Small Amber Snail in East Lothian. There is also a feature on Buglife’s Action for Scottish Invertebrates project, and progress update on delivering the Strategy for Scottish Invertebrate Conservation.

The need for invertebrate records is highlighted throughout. Please send your invertebrate records for the Lothians and Borders to TWIC or to the appropriate recording scheme.

Posted: March 28th 2012


Plants of Peebleshire - the first checklist for the county

BSBI David McCosh has recently published an annotated checklist of plants for Peeblesshire. This attractively produced book is available for £6. Full details are currently prominently displayed at www.bsbi.org.uk.

Posted: March 2nd 2012


TWIC is a company limited by guarantee - registered in Scotland No. SC234339. A recognised Scottish Charity SC034113. TWIC acknowledges financial support from SNH.