Breeding Pheasant - A mating game

Proud cock pheasant with his ladies

Pheasant are not a native bird to the UK and therefore the majority of birds seen around the countryside have been released at some time, albeit a few successfully breed in the wild.  A previous blog on pheasants was published back in May last year. Sporting Estates invest huge amounts of time and effort into their bird stocks and so it is with great interest I am going to follow the breeding season of a few pheasant on the Dougarie Estate.

Davy Anderson with a small pen

The Estate hasn't bred it's own birds for quite a number of years, but the new gamekeeper, David Anderson, has a lot of experience in this area and will be testing his skills over the next few months.

One of the main pens

Capturing the birds provided the first hurdle, and Davy set traps to capture both male and female (Cocks & Hens), before transporting them back to the ready made avaries on the estate.  One one return journey - he stopped outside the lodge and commented about the number of hens he had seen while driving back, before realising he hadn't closed the basket on the back of the quad!

Female (hen) pheasant 

Undeterred, sufficient birds are now being managed in purpose built avaries.  There is plenty of room, as the cocks will fight for the females, along with fresh water, food and shelter.  The same needs of any animal and if the accommodation / care isn't good enough the birds are unlikely to breed.  The pen is covered to prevent predators (mainly buzzards - there are no foxes on Arran) from having an easy meal.

The birds enjoying a bit of sunshine

Unlike hens, pheasant tend only to lay eggs in the breeding season between February & April. So now we are just waiting for the first egg!

Images copyright of Arran in Focus

Machrie Bay Golf Course - A challenging year!

1st Fairway underwater - Dec 2013 (snow on hills in the background)

How the fairway should look!

It seems fitting to be very near the end of the year and Machrie Bay Golf course, part of Dougarie Estate, is in the forefront of our minds again. To say it has been a challenging year would be an understatement, most of the pressure being bourne by David the Greenkeeper. The year started with fire and ended in flood, with most other extreems inbetween!

1st fairway with sea & debris - Dec 2013

It has to be said that throughout the year David has done a tremedous job keeping the greens in fabulous condition despite having no greenkeepers sheds.  And he is currently mopping up after the latest storm which breached the sea wall and flooded the first tee, leaving behing piles of seaweed and debris.  Brodick Golf Course suffered a similar fate.  However visiting golfers should not be put off as we have 7 very varied courses on the island and a driving range.  Golf on Arran website has all the details.

The tearoom opens under new management with views across the fairway to the sea.

The snow melts slowly under blue skies - April 2013

Fortunately, the new shed is now up and running so tools are near to hand and the tearoom has stayed open for the winter, providing hot soup, sandwiches and huge mugs of tea (or even better steaming hot chocolate). After the snow earlier in the year the summer proved to be a scorcher and was a well needed break from the freak weather.

The snow arrived - March 2013

Experience has shown that the greens survive better if the snow is left undisturbed

Currently we have a special offer on for the quiet winter months where you can play a round of golf and get soup and a sandwich (or toatie) at the tearoom for £10.  

Greenkeepers shed burnt down - January 2013

Garden Open Day - 29th June 2014

Herbaceous border

Once a year the public get a fabulous opportunity to view the private terraced gardens of Dougarie Lodge, situated on the West side of the Isle of Arran.  From easily recognisable flowers to exotic rare plants there is something for everyone dotted around the terraces in nooks and crannies.  There is even a small woodland area to explore at the side of the formal top lawned area and a traditional kitchen garden.

Lily 

Black Iris

The terraces are castellated and provide shelter for more delicate plants and allow for beautiful herbaceous borders. Each terrace has a lovely lawn and a different display.

Mrs Gibbs is a very keen horticulturalist and does most of the work herself only having a few hours of help each week to maintain this massive garden.

Grevilia

Wandering around it is easy to miss some of the smaller blooms between huge displays of colour which have been trained up the stone walls and cascade over stairways. The position of the gulf stream allows for some more exotic plants to grow in this unique climate.

Steps with flower cascades

A few seats are placed to take in the view which stretches across the lawns in front of the lodge down to the river Iorsa and beyond.

Clematis & Sphaeralcea 

Marigold 

The plants bloom at different times of the year so there is always something of interest to view, although June sees some of the best displays of flowers.

Seats in little nooks

During the open afternoon cream teas are served in the Boathouse, which is a listed building not usually open to the public, and there is a small plant stall.

The gardens are open through Scotlands Open Garden scheme, between 2pm – 5pm, Sunday 29^th June.  Admission is £3.50 for adults and free for children.  Profits are divided between Pirnmill Village Association who receive 40% and the remainder goes to other beneficiaries.

Dicentra

Abutilon

 

Scabius

Aeorium

View down to the River Iorsa

 All photographs copyright of Arran in Focus

Strange Antlers on Red Deer

Antler deformities

Arran is well known for its red deer which are easily seen around  Lochranza and on the flanks of the fells when going across the Sting Road, for those who don’t want to stray off the beaten path.  The Estates and Forestry Commission on Arran take the management of deer seriously, ensuring that stocks stay healthy and numbers are maintained.



Little and large antler - asymetric so likely to be injury related.

But like any wild animal anomalies and injuries can occur, sometimes with striking results for the red deer!

Antler deformity, injury or disease?

Antlers are large, branching bony appendages on the heads of the male red deer.  Antlers are shed and re grown each year from a pedicle.  New antlers are covered with a soft skin called velvet which helps too supply nutrients to the underlying growing bone. Once the antler is fully grown the velvet is shed and the bone underneath dies becoming very hard.  It is this dead bone that is the mature antler.

Curly antlers used to be seen around Catacol believed to be genetic

The growth of the antler requires a significant amount of nutrition and is the fastest known bone growth of any mammal. Lack of nutrition or minerals may be the cause for some abnormalities.

Fractured skull around pedicle caused this one.

The antlers are fully grown and hard by the time of the rut (mating season) and they serve as fearsome weapons between battling males, and can inflict fatal injuries. Fighting may damage or break an antler but it does not cause the growth anomalies shown in these pictures.

Plain antlers without tines, likely to be genetic.

The full reasons for abnormal antlers are not fully understood although some conditions are hereditary (most likely cause for the curly antlers), and these occur year on year and genetic causes will affect both antlers. Curly antlers were once a regular feature of deer around Catacol.

Hooks at the ends of the tines in this case were thought to be caused by liver fluke

Injury to the pedicle or skull can cause a direct anomaly to the antler, and also it has been well documented that an injury to the leg can cause a deformity in the antler on the same side! Both of these display as a one sided defect.


Curly antlers

Parasites and disease such as cryptorchism and hypogonadism, are the other most likely causes, along with the previously mentioned nutrition.

A closer view of the fractured skull and resulting deformity.

More curls

All images copyright of Arran in Focus

http://www.arraninfocus.co.uk/

Pheasant - A brief overview

Pheasant cock

Pheasant are not a native bird in the UK although they have been around for a considerable time, possibly as early as the 10^th century. They are a regular sight on many country roads where they seem to forage at road edges, dicing with death, near to car wheels. They are very easy to spot along the Machrie Moor Road.

Cock with hen in the background

The main habitat of pheasant is around woodland edges, grassland and shrubby open ground, although they roost in trees of an evening and take shelter in woodlands.

Muted tones of the hen pheasant

The Estates that rear pheasant and conduct shoots take considerable care in managing the bird welfare and habitat for the birds.  This has an impact on other wildlife and a study by Game and wildlife conservation trust found this created favourable conditions for song birds and fauna.  It is the opinion of some experts that the pheasant population would collapse without the regular release of reared birds and the land management that goes with it.

Red legged partridge, also found in small numbers on Arran

The popularity of the pheasant as a game bird grew throughout the 19^th & 20^th century, overtaking the partridge. It is estimated that around 30 million pheasants are released each year. The pheasant is believed to be the most hunted bird in the world! Although commonly seen, the birds quickly recognise hunting parties and retreat to safety and hiding.

Pheasant retreating from human contact

The birds do not fly by choice, preferring to run or walk.  When they do fly, it is only for short distances and with a noisy wing sound and alarm call.

Working dog retrieving a hen pheasant

The male is known as a cock and the female a hen. The female, as with most birds, is much plainer and has a shorter tail. Young take the appearance of a female until they are around 10 weeks old when the male plumage begins to appear.

Some of a shoot 'bag'

The season for shoots in the UK is the 1^st October to the 1^st February, the birds are protected outside these months.


All photographs copyright of Arran in Focus

Auchagallon Stone Circle



Auchagallon stone circle

The stone circle at Auchagallon sits south of Dougarie Lodge near the junction of the Shore Road and Machrie Moor Road.  Although it cannot be seen from the road, due to its elevated position, about 100 foot above sea level, it is well signposted.
 

Kerb stones

 It is believed to have been built in the Bronze Age (3000 – 4000 years ago / 2000BC) as a burial chamber (cist), similar to others around Arran.  Cists were stone lined chambers that housed the bodies and precious objects, sometimes with items for their ‘journey’.  The cists were covered with stones and the area defined by a stone kerb.


View over to Kintyre

The location of the circle on the edge of the ridge, with fabulous views, suggest that this may have been the burial place of some prestigious person.

Sandstone and granite

The kerb stones are mainly of red sandstone but a couple are of granite.  There is nothing to suggest this has any significance, or information as to if these are original stones. The circle is approximately 45 foot across and has about 15 stones.

Clearly shows the centre mound

The centre of the circle is now raised to a much higher level than 100 years ago, when it is documented as being quite flat and the kerb stones standing much taller.  This is because the farmers threw all the loose stones and boulders into the centre of the circle off the cultivated fields over a number of years.  These raised the level and became covered in grass, now giving the appearance of a mound.  This similar appearance can be seen in other stone circles.

Peeping out from behind a standing stone, evidence of loose stones

It is also believed that the raising of the ground level now obscures some of the original standing stones.  It is also documented that this cist was excavated in the 1800’s but there are no records of what was found – if anything. The raising of the ground level would now make any excavation more difficult. Also worthy of note is the change of spelling, from Auchnigallan (c. 1830) to Achangallon (c. 1900) to the current Auchagallon. 

Top of one of the standing stones

The Circle is easy to get to, up the zigzagging farm track, please make sure you shut the gate, so the sheep don’t escape!

   

Sign at the beginning of the track



A hasty correction to the sign!

Very triangular?

Classic red sandstone

 Photographs courtesy of Arran in Focus