Grouse Collins New Naturalist Library Book 107

Author : Adam Watson
Publisher : HarperCollins UK
ISBN 13 : 0007405227
Total Pages : 134 pages
Book Rating : 4.20/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Grouse (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 107) written by Adam Watson and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2010-08-19 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With less than twenty species worldwide and only four British and Irish species, the grouse is surprisingly well-known. Its habitats are diverse and relatively remote – ranging from deep forests, through open moorland, to Scotland’s highest peaks.

Author : Adam Watson
Publisher : Paragon Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782221018
Total Pages : 108 pages
Book Rating : 4.12/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Hill Birds in north-east Highlands written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2013-05 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author documents hatch-dates of ptarmigan and red grouse in relation to blaeberry growth and climate. He collates field observations on golden plover, involving proportions of dark-plumaged summering birds, breeding success, population density within and amongst areas, and declines since the late 1970s. Another chapter reviews evidence on dotterel abundance. The last chapter presents counts of the spring numbers of birds on many moorland and alpine study areas.

Author : Adam Watson
Publisher : Paragon Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1908341122
Total Pages : 140 pages
Book Rating : 4.29/5 ( download)

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Download or read book A Snow Book, Northern Scotland written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2011-09 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book documents long-term studies of snow on high land in the Cairmgorms, including fresh snow lying in summer, the extent of snow on Ben Macdui plateau at the start of June, and dates of the first fresh lying snowfalls at the sites of the main snow-beds. It reviews data on the survival of snow patches through to the following winter, and recounts a decline of snow patches in recent decades. The author describes observations on rock lichens in relation to snow-lie, and lists vantage points on public roads with good views of places with snow patches on alpine land. He describes skiing in and near Aberdeen in the snowy winters of the early 1950s, and an exceptional snowfall in the Cairngorms at the start of September 1976. The author presents some descriptions and photographs of how birds and mammals use snow for shelter and sleeping. It has long been well known that red grouse, ptarmigan and mountain hares use snow hollows, but here the author illustrates how a fox used a snow hole, and how an otter made a snow slide. He presents photographs of snow pillars, snow holes made by human parties practising in winter, and avalanches. Next he draws attention to the observation that the extent and species of lichen and moss on cliffs, boulders and soil signify the extent of snow-lie. These plants are absent on sites where snow lies very late, or where frequent avalanches plunging down the cliff or water flowing down it prevent plants from growing. Where prolonged snow-lie occurs at the foot of cliffs or on cliff-tops, a band of pale, greenish-yellow rock lichens that thrive in snowy conditions is conspicuous, and in sunshine easily visible to the naked eye at over a mile distance. Lastly he presents some photographs that show snow mould growing on hill vegetation in Iceland and Scotland. Keywords Snow, climate, weather, physical geography, science, birds, mammals Author Adam Watson, BSc, PhD, DSc, DUniv, raised in lowland Aberdeenshire, is a retired research ecologist aged 81. He began lifelong interests on winter snow in 1937, snow patches in 1938, the Cairngorms in 1939. A mountaineer and ski-mountaineer since boyhood, he has experienced Scotland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, mainland Canada, Newfoundland, Baffin Island, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Vancouver Island and Alaska. His main research was and is on population biology, behaviour and habitat of northern birds and mammals. In retirement he has contributed 16 scientific publications on snow patches since 1994. He is a Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Royal Meteorological Society, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and Society of Biology, and an Emeritus Member of the Ecological Society of America. Since 1954 he has been a member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club and since 1968 author of the Club's District Guide to the Cairngorms.

Author : Ian Newton
Publisher : HarperCollins UK
ISBN 13 : 0008298513
Total Pages : 971 pages
Book Rating : 4.17/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Uplands and Birds (Collins New Naturalist Library) written by Ian Newton and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2020-07-09 with total page 971 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ian Newton, author of Farming and Birds and Bird Migration returns to the New Naturalist series with a long awaited look at the uplands and its birds.

Author : Adam Watson
Publisher : Paragon Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1908341777
Total Pages : 172 pages
Book Rating : 4.78/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Human Impacts on the Northern Cairngorms written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2012-04 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This authoritative impartial scientific account by a recognised expert, will be of interest to planning officers, ski companies, skiers, hill-walkers and mountaineers as well as the many in the public who appreciate wildlife and the Scottish countryside. The first part of this book presents the evidence of the author as the main scientific witness at the 1981 Lurcher's Gully Public Inquiry into proposals for ski developments on Cairn Gorm. The Inquiry examined human impacts for a week and remains the most thorough Inquiry on this topic so far in Scotland. Following the decision of the Reporter in charge of the Inquiry, the Secretary of State for Scotland rejected the proposals. In the second part of the book the author presents his unpublished research on certain aspects of the Inquiry that he continued to study afterwards, in more detail.

Author : Adam Watson
Publisher : Paragon Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782223975
Total Pages : 170 pages
Book Rating : 4.79/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Ugly Deeside. Land vandalism by big timber machines written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2015-09-11 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author noticed severe damage to ground from big timber machines during the 1990s. Later he found that this destroyed the original pinewood soil and vegetation, and led to water-logging and wind-throw of standing trees beside machine ruts. In 2011–15 he surveyed this in many woods on Deeside and Donside, owned by the Forestry Commission and private owners. In every case, mistreatment of woodland by timber machines breached the conditions of The UK Forestry Standard 2011, as authorised by the FC. Machine use severely damages scenery and the public's ability to walk or ski safely. It has damaged and polluted watercourses. The public pay for this vandalism, because the UK timber industry depends on taxpayer's subsidies. The monster machines should be banned, the hypocritical and wasteful FC chopped.

Author : Adam Watson
Publisher : Paragon Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782221883
Total Pages : 70 pages
Book Rating : 4.83/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Plants in north-east Highlands written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2014 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Timing of blaeberry growth, tree regeneration, land use, plant orientation The author noted when blaeberry buds on Scottish alpine land began growth in spring and compared this with climatic data. He mapped natural tree regeneration on Deeside and Donside. The author criticises invalid claims about land use in Scotland and Norway, and about the alleged effects of sporting estates in reducing land fertility. Signs of orientation by plants and animals are described.

Author : Adam Watson
Publisher : Paragon Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782220763
Total Pages : 246 pages
Book Rating : 4.63/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Points, sets and man written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2013-04 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, the author looks back at 56 years of personal experiences with his own pointers and setters, and those of members of the research team that he came later to lead. They studied the population biology, territorial behaviour, habitats and environment of red grouse and ptarmigan in Scotland. The joint achievements of men and dogs elicited a fresh understanding of populations and behaviour of animals in general, drawing international attention and recognition to the human workers. It is time to sing for recognition of the dogs, because the human achievements would have been immeasurably less had the faithful dogs not joined them to form a crucial inspirational partnership. The author tells of that partnership, its development and fruition. The book is mainly the author’s personal account, describing how the human workers gradually gained insight and experience that made the partnership ever more effective. Because the author’s dogs lived with him and his family, and the others in the team who had dogs usually kept them at home, part of the book tells of these relationships. Personal anecdotes and humorous events enliven the text. The author knew some other workers who used dogs to aid their research on wild animals, and visited them in Canada, USA, and Norway. Also he was in close touch with other colleagues who used dogs for wildlife research in France and northern Italy. A valuable international aspect to the book has been contributed by a few of these colleagues. Numerous photographs illustrate the text, showing dogs and men in fieldwork together and apart, as well as portraits of both. Hunters, shooters, researchers and dog enthusiasts in general will enjoy and appreciate this book

Author : Adam Watson
Publisher : Paragon Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782221204
Total Pages : 156 pages
Book Rating : 4.03/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Mammals in north-east Highlands written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2013 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Timings of antler-shedding by red deer were noted, as well as deer-beds and winter deaths of red deer. The author recounts some old published statements about sheep, deer and vegetation in the Highlands, and uses old sources to estimate the numbers of red deer in Scotland at low ebb in the 1780s. Next he collates field observations by several colleagues and himself on vertebrate animals in the Cairngorms. He documents the abundance of mountain hares amongst different areas, and changes in their numbers within study areas and across years. This leads to a chapter on recent reductions of mountain hares by heavy killing on grouse-moor estates.

Author : Adam Watson
Publisher : Paragon Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1907611584
Total Pages : 184 pages
Book Rating : 4.82/5 ( download)

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Download or read book It's a Fine Day for the Hill written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2011 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adam Watson's interest in snow began at 7, the Cairngorms at 9, mountaineering and ski-mountaineering in later boyhood. His book recounts many fine days on the hill in Scotland, Iceland and northern Scandinavia on foot or ski, often on his own in wonderful places that excited him beyond measure. He tells what it was like to be with four remarkable Scots who greatly influenced him as a young naturalist and mountaineer, Seton Gordon, Bob Scott o the Derry, Tom Weir and Tom Patey. The beauty and variety of the hill, the weather and the wildlife were and are an inspiration to him, and his descriptions touch on this. In these modern times of pervasive regulation and politically correct control, this book is a breath of fresh air as a proclamation of the value and wonder that are the greatest joys of lone exploration on the spur of the moment. Author Adam Watson, BSc, PhD, DSc, DUniv, raised in lowland Aberdeenshire, is a retired research ecologist aged 80. He began lifelong interests on winter snow in 1937, snow patches in 1938, the Cairngorms in 1939. A mountaineer and ski-mountaineer since boyhood, he has experienced Scotland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, mainland Canada, Newfoundland, Baffin Island, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Vancouver Island and Alaska. His main research was and is on population biology, behaviour and habitat of northern birds and mammals. In retirement he has contributed 16 scientific publications on snow patches since 1994. He is a Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Royal Meteorological Society, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and Society of Biology. Since 1954 he has been a member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club and since 1968 author of the Club's District Guide to the Cairngorms. This book is testimony to the idea that Exploring for yourself by your own free will, without formal courses or training, is the best joy the hills can give (my Preface, The Cairngorms, 1975). Now I would add 'without detailed planning', for my best days have been lone trips begun without such planning, indeed on the spur of moment and weather, almost chance events. Four chapters salute Scots to whom I owed much as a young naturalist and mountaineer, Seton Gordon, Bob Scott, Tom Patey and Tom Weir. They held to the above idea. Reading Seton Gordon's Cairngorm Hills of Scotland in 1939 changed my life. I wanted to be in these hills at all seasons. Exploration by one's own free will is best pervaded by humility and wonder. Alien to this are avalanche alerts, 'challenge' walks, 'character-building', courses, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, guided walks, hill-runs, interpretive boards, marker cairns, outdoor centres, qualifications, rangers, route-cards, school outings, signposts, sponsored walks, tests of snowpack stability, text messages sent as avalanche alerts to mobile phones, transceivers, visitor centres, 'walk of the day', wardens, and 'wilderness walks'. Also alien are Munros, Corbetts and other anthropocentric designations, those who 'bag' them as if hills were shot birds, and assault, attack, battle, conquer, conquest, fight, vanquish and victory as if hills were enemies. Many with flashing camera, global positioning, map, compass, mobile phone, and survival equipment are unsafe, as rescue accounts often reveal. Even climbers have been rescued after neglecting navigation on easy ground after completing rock climbs or ice climbs. Those who behave as if alone on an icecap when nobody else knows where they are and no help is possible, have greater inherent safety. They are also more likely to understand and appreciate the hill and its weather, snow, wildlife and indigenous folk.