Commissioned Report 252 - Scottish Natural Heritage

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Table 10. Wildfowl and wader numbers at Edderton Bay roosts. WN T. MA OC RP BA CU RK Roosts A+B 8 6 2 3 1 1 3 3 Roost C 3 0 1 3 3 The saltings on the east side of the bay from NH74323 84359- NH74338 84423 (site C on Fig 9) form a secondary roost, used particularly during periods of strong easterly winds (table 10). This site can be accessed from the Meikle Ferry road, or from a small layby on the A9. The roost does therefore get disturbed from time to time, particularly by wildfowlers, occasional walkers and the farmer. Table 11. Changes in wildfowl and wader numbers at Edderton Sands. WN T. MA OC RP BA CU RK Pre 1995 8 2 2 2 1 3 3 1 Post 1994 8 6 2 3 1 1 3 3 Common teal numbers, using the bay, have increased significantly in recent years (Table 11). Bar-tailed godwits now rarely use it. On rare occasions large flocks of red knot and dunlin (order 4/5) use roost C for short periods of time, if displaced from Ardjachie Bay. Tain Bay There are four main roosts located between Ardjachie and Tain (Figure 10). Overall there has been little change in the numbers using this area (Table 12), though northern pintail, red knot and Eurasian curlew have shown increases, whilst mallard have declined. Table 12. Changes in wildfowl and wader numbers at Tain Bay. WN T. MA PT OC RP L. KN DN BA CU RK Pre 1995 8 6 5 1 4 0 3 2 4 2 3 5 Post 1994 8 6 4 3 4 1 3 4 4 2 4 5 The roost at Ardjachie is located on the saltmarsh running south from the point at NH75518 84992 to NH75227 84694, centred around NH75318 84782 (site A on Fig 10). This is the largest roost in the bay used by large numbers of duck and waders (Table 13). Access is restricted to this site, so the only disturbance tends to come from the occasional wildfowler or the local farmer feeding stock. Further east another regular roost is found on the boulder beach just east of the Morangie distillery. Ducks and waders use the area between NH77347 83367 to NH77244 83489, with the core around NH77304 83431 (site B on Fig 10). Access to this area is not easy so, apart from the occasional wildfowler, birds are seldom disturbed. Table 13. Numbers of wildfowl and waders using Tain Bay roosts in recent years. WN T MA PT OC RP KN DN BA CU RK Roost A 8 0 0 3 4 1 4 4 2 4 5 Roost B 8 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 Roost C 7 6 4 0 4 0 0 4 0 0 5 Roost D 2 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 13
Figure 10. Roosts in Tain Bay. A Based upon Ordnance Survey material with the permission of the controller of HMSO © Crown copyright (1996) Licence no. 100017908 There are two roosts at Tain. The first is below the sewage works based on the salting point at NH77823 82851 (site C on Fig 10), though it can extend from the beach at NH77852 82812, just east of the sewage works outflow, to the west end of the adjacent bay at NH77693 82919. Despite being close to Tain, this roost does not suffer much disturbance from walkers. Activity at the sewage works, particularly if drivers of vehicles stop to lock or unlock the gates can cause some disturbance, and the birds move to roost at Morangie or even Ardjachie. Formerly, up to the early 1990s, there was a regular roost on the saltmarsh point at NH78474 82461 (D on Fig 10) just west of the suspension bridge on the north side of the Tain river, used mainly by common redshank (up to 300) and Eurasian oystercatchers (50+). As a result of regular disturbance by walkers and children, particularly since 1995, this roost is now only irregularly used by a few Eurasian oystercatcher and duck. Many of the birds from the latter site now use the sewage works roost. Morrich Mor This is really the outer part of Tain Bay. The main roost is nowadays located on the western tip of Innis Mhor at NH83178 86501 (site A on Fig 11), a large offshore sandbar, where birds feeding in Tain Bay and off Dornoch Point find a safe undisturbed roost site, where access is virtually impossible. On bigger tides (>4.7m) the birds disperse further east along the bar, on both sides. Ducks and a few waders roost on the saltmarsh opposite the bar at NH83333 85717 (site B on Fig 11). Formerly many birds roosted at NH81469 84341 (site C on Fig 11). This roost has been abandoned since 2000 due to disturbance from walkers and bombing range security guards. Many of the birds from this roost, now roost on the bar at Innis Mhor. Table 14. Changes in wildfowl and wader numbers at Morrich Mor. WN T. MA OC RP KN DN BA CU RK Pre 1995 7 4 5 6 1 5 6 6 4 4 Post 1994 7 4 4 5 2 7 7 6 5 3 B C 14 D
Page 1 and 2: Scottish Natural Heritage Commissio
Page 4 and 5: COMMISSIONED REPORT Summary Moray F
Page 6 and 7: INTRODUCTION.......................
Page 8 and 9: List of tables Table 1. Wader numbe
Page 10 and 11: INTRODUCTION The Moray Firth is the
Page 12 and 13: These changes should be taken into
Page 14 and 15: RESULTS DALCHAM-DORNOCH Dalcham, Br
Page 16 and 17: Eurasian wigeon, mallard, dunlin, b
Page 18 and 19: following the coastal track boundin
Page 20 and 21: 88319. Even here, however, walkers
Page 24 and 25: Figure 11. Roosts on the Morrich Mo
Page 26 and 27: CROMARTY FIRTH Nigg Ferry There is
Page 28 and 29: This is the most important roost si
Page 30 and 31: Table 25. Changes in wader numbers
Page 32 and 33: Alness Bay Table 30 gives details o
Page 34 and 35: There has been little change in num
Page 36 and 37: y the river on the south side and d
Page 38 and 39: This bay appears to have been subje
Page 40 and 41: and walkers on the road. The duck a
Page 42 and 43: Munlochy Bay Munlochy Bay holds lar
Page 44 and 45: Longman Point - Alturlie Point This
Page 46 and 47: vehicles and walkers is regular and
Page 48 and 49: INNER MORAY FIRTH Fort George - Whi
Page 50 and 51: The largest roost is found on the t
Page 52 and 53: On the east side of the bay roosts
Page 54 and 55: SUMMARY OF CHANGES Of the 121 Moray
Page 56 and 57: disturbance to roosts and forcing t
Page 58: Scottish Natural Heritage is a gove

Commissioned Report 252 - Scottish Natural Heritage

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