Field Notes: Return to Nevis

Conservation Officer Nathan Berrie shares his first glimpse of Steall Falls after a couple of months of lockdown

I've been out habitat monitoring during the nice weather. I love doing our monitoring, it makes me sit and focus on one spot, often coming across something I've never noticed before. For the last four summers I've visited the same 2m squared spots within the Nevis property and I always come across something new.

With less foot traffic, I’ve noticed the ground is much less trampled and we now have an amazing sward of wildflowers in areas where they struggled previously. We normally get flowers in Glen Nevis, but for some reason this year they seem much more vibrant! I’m wondering if this is actually the case or if I’ve just not noticed them in the past.

^ A heath bumblebee comes in for a smooth landing.

Photo by Nathan Berrie