Nature to look out for

Nature to look out for

Everytime you join Boots N Paddles for an activity or when you hire a boat from us, you're going to be out in the wonderful Highland countryside. The Highlands are well-known for their natural heritage and we feel very privileged to have the opportunity to work and play in this environment every day. You may come across all sorts of flora or fauna yourselves, but just to whet your appetite here are a few things to look out for.

If you do come across any of our local wildlife, rare plants or perhaps some unusual funghi we'd love to hear from you. Post something on our Facebook page and we'll put a summary of sightings on our website at the end of the year.

Boots N Paddles Facebook page to post your sightings on our page.

	Common name: Bumble Bee Other names: Bummiebee; Bummle; Foggie-toddler
Habitat	Hedges and edges; heath, moor and mountains, machair, gardens.
Interesting facts	Bumblebees are beautiful, hard working and incredibly important pollinators. The UK had 27 species, but sadly 3 are nationally extinct, and others are seriously threatened.
When to look out for them	On just about any of Boots N Paddles' activities, or come and see the nest by our office!
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	Common name: Caledonian Pine Other names: In the old Gaelic alphabet, where each letter is denoted by a tree whose name starts with the letter, the Scots pine is not listed under its Gaelic name of Guibhas but rather under P for Peith, which is the alternative Gaelic for the tree. Guibhas (pronounced goo-ass) crops up in several place names in Scotland both in its native Gaelic, such as Allt na Ghuibhas in Wester Ross.
Habitat	They prefer dry, sandy soils and so don't grow on land over 640m high.
Interesting facts:	Granny pines are old, lone and wide-crowned Scots Pines which have survived the last two or three hundred years. A Granny pine povides the seed for future generations of Scots Pine.
When to look out for them	Archery or TreeZone at Rothiemurchus, canoeing on Loch an Eilein, gorge walking at Achlean.
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	Common name: Dolphin Other names: Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus (latin)
Habitat	The Moray Firth - dolphins can often be seen leaping close to shore on calm days, with April to September being the best months to see these animals in their natural habitat.
Interesting facts	As it's so cold in the North Sea waters, dolphins here are much longer and heavier than their Florida relations; this is due to the large percentage of blubber they have in their bodies to insulate them from the colder water temperatures of the North Sea. Dolphins can dive for up to 20 minutes at a time and to depths of up to 300 metres! They communicate with one another using a combination of body movements and sounds such as whistles and clicks.
When to look out for them	Sea kayaking.
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	Common name: Midge Other names: Highland Midge, Culicoides Impunctatus (latin), various other uncomplimentary names!
Habitat	Mainly in the Highlands but there is another type of midge that can been found in towns and cities. Larvae grow over summer and each square meter of soil can contain up to 700 larvae!
Interesting facts	Only female midges bite! The male mouth parts aren't strong enough to pierce the skin and they feed on rotting plants or nector from flowers. Females need the blood to form eggs. It is the midges' saliva that irritates our skin and causes itchy lumps and bumps. The midges saliva stops the blood in the wound from clotting so it can keep drinking! It is estimated that in an hour, up to 40 000 midges can land on an unprotected person... ouch!
When to look out for them	On just about any of Boots N Paddles' activities, but particularly where there are trees, shady, damp areas.
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	Common name: Mountain Hare Other names: Lepus timidus
Habitat	Live mainly in higher parts but in the North they live lower down, such as in Caithness and Sutherland where they are found at sea level. Normally found on heather moorland but can also be seen in grassland, rocky out crops and new tree plantations.
Interesting facts	Males and females are called bucks, whilst the young are called leverets. A group is known as a drove or a husk.
When to look out for them	Hill walking (summer or winter), mountain biking in the hills.
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	Common name: Osprey Other names: Sea Hawk; Pandion haliaetus (latin)
Habitat	The Osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all continents except Antarctica, although in South America it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant.
Interesting facts	The Osprey differs in several respects from other diurnal birds of prey. Its toes are of equal length, its tarsi are reticulate, and its talons are rounded, rather than grooved. The Osprey and Owls are the only raptors whose outer toe is reversible, allowing them to grasp their prey with two toes in front and two behind. This is particularly helpful when they grab slippery fish.
When to look out for them	Canoeing at Loch an Eilein, TreeZone, canoeing in the Aigas Gorge.
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	Common name: Otter Other names: Lutra lutra (latin), Biast Dhubh (Gaelic)
Habitat	In the British Isles, otters are found in fresh and salt water, although coastal otters like those in Scotland and the Shetlands need access to freshwater pools to clean their insulating fur.
Interesting facts	Otters use their long whiskers to feel the vibrations that a fish or eel makes as it swims through the water. As a result they can hunt and catch this underwater prey in pitch darkness. In contrast their eyesight is very poor both underwater and on land in daylight.
When to look out for them	Sea kayaking, canoeing on fresh water.
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	Common name: Peregrine Falcon Other names: Falco peregrinus
Habitat	Uplands of the north and west where it nests on crags and cliffs. Rather than a nest, the falcons have a scrape, and use their feet to scrape out a shallow bowl on a ledge.
Interesting facts	Peregrines usually pair for life. A male seeking a mate will put on a courtship display (in which the male brings food for the female) sometime between early March and late April.
When to look out for them	Sea kayaking, walking or climbing in craggy areas.
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	Common name: Red deer Other names: Cervus elaphus (latin)
Habitat	In autumn, the mountains and hillsides are the venue for the red deer. In winter, when food is scarce, herds of red deer descend from the mountains in search of food.
Interesting facts	Red deer are Scotland’s largest surviving native wild land mammal. They have a body size a little smaller than a domestic donkey. Males are called stags and have antlers up to a metre long. These branch-like horns drop off in the spring and are grown again in the summer ready for the autumn rut, or breeding season. Stags live in small wandering groups, except during the rut when they become solitary and fight other stags for the control of a hind herd.
When to look out for them	Canoe trips, hill walking, mountain biking in exposed areas.
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	Common name: Red kite Other names: Milvus milvus
Habitat	South West and West coast of Scotland and the Black Isle.
Interesting facts	At signs of danger a mother will signal the young who will "play dead" to the extent that a fox will believe them to be dead and leave them, thinking it can return to eat them later.
When to look out for them	Sea kayaking and canoe trips, mountain biking.
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	Common name: Red Squirrel Other names: Sciurus vulgaris
Habitat	Red squirrels prefer woodlands that contain a fair proportion of conifer trees.
Interesting facts	Excess food is put into caches or buried in holes or nooks in the trees and eaten when food is scarce. Red squirrels often cannot remember where they created caches, so have to search for them when in need. Many caches are never found again resulting in new trees growing.
When to look out for them	Archery and TreeZone at Rothiemurchus, gorge walking and swimming, mountain biking, orienteering, canoeing on the River Spey.
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	Common name: Scottish Thistle Other names: Spear Thistle, Cirsium vulgare (latin)
Habitat	Found in bare ground and waste places where its windblown seeds are carried on thistledown. It does not do well in woodland or marshy areas.
Interesting facts	In the language of flowers, the thistle is an ancient Celtic symbol of nobility of character as well as of birth, for the wounding or provocation of a thistle yields punishment. For this reason the thistle is the symbol of the Order of the Thistle, a high chivalric order of Scotland. It is also the national emblem of Scotland.
When to look out for them	Hill walking, mountain biking, camping while on canoe expeditions.
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	Common name: Sea Eagle Other names: Erne (from old norse); Lolaire mhara (gaelic); the eagle with the sunlit eye
Habitat	West coast and islands of Scotland, especially Skye and Mull.
Interesting facts	The 4th largest eagle in the world. Their bones have been found in a bronze age burial tomb in Orkney where it is said that they may have fed on the human flesh of corpses laid out as part of cultural practices common at that time.
When to look out for them	Canoeing on Loch Maree
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	Common name: Silver Birch Other names: Betula pendula
Habitat	On well-drained, drier soils and downy birch preferring wetter locations.
Interesting facts	Silver Birch is Finland's national tree. Occasionally one uses leafy, fragrant boughs of Silver Birch to gently beat oneself in a sauna. The boughs are called vihta or vasta. This has a relaxing effect on the muscles.
When to look out for them	Most Boots N Paddles activities.
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	Common name: Slow worms Other names: Anguis fragilis
Habitat	Old discarded corrugated iron sheeting or similar refuges, which might be used for warmth. Usually seen in vegetation on damper ground, it feeds on earthworms and slugs.
Interesting facts	This reptile is easy to confuse with a snake, but it is in fact a lizard that has evolved to have no legs.
When to look out for them	Hill Walking, archery, mountain biking.
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	Common name: Sphagnum Moss Other names: Bog moss or peat moss
Habitat	Damp, wet places - beside streams, in wet woodland, on moorland and in particular, on bogs.
Interesting facts	The dead remains of sphagnum mosses pile up and get pressed together to eventually form the soil we know as peat. This is a very slow process and it can take from 7,000 to 10,000 years to produce a layer of peat 7-10 metres thick.
When to look out for them	Hill Walking, mountain biking on the hill-sides
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If you're looking for more information about anything to do with Scotland's natural heritage, here are some useful website links that you might find interesting: Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Wildlife Trust Wild Scotland Forestry Commission Back to top