On New Year’s Day I went with Dave Morris for a short walk on the Dorback Estate which had previously been managed primarily for sporting purposes. The estate had been owned for the last four years by Salingore Real Estate Ltd, registered in the Bahamas, but at the end of 2024 was bought by Oxygen Conservation (see here) who are saying they want to plant trees and sell carbon credits (see here). The southwest boundary of estate marches with the Abernethy National Nature Reserve owned by the RPSB and includes an area recorded on the Caledonian Pinewood Inventory (see here).
We had walked less than a hundred metres when we came across this unlawful sign asking people to stay on the path and keep their dogs under close control from April till August. What the Scottish Outdoor Access Code actually states is “Access rights apply off-path, but when you are close to houses or in fields of crops or in places where the environment is particularly vulnerable to damage, it may (my emphasis) be sensible to follow paths and tracks where they exist”. It also advises “keep dogs under close control from April till July”, the bird breeding season. The Cairngorms Capercaillie Project recommended extending this period till August so they may have been responsible for erecting this sign: if so they somehow failed to notice the almost unmarked killer deer fence on the left side of the track.
If it was not for the plastic markers, the fence would have been almost invisible to the human eye and almost certanly would be to any young capercaillie dispersing from the Abernethy Forest in search of their own territories. The deer fence extended along the strip of farm woodland to an area of newish native tree planting
One of the justifications for planting native trees like this, as Oxygen Conservation say they wish to do, is that it will create new habitats for birds like capercaillie. Unfortunately, the single most important proven cause of premature capercaillie mortality is collision with unmarked deer fences (see here) such as those in these photos. Without the posts the fence would be almost invisible to the human eye but our brains can deduce what is in-between. There is no evidence birds can do so.
As we walked up the Dorback it was good to see that the Caledonian Pine Forest was regenerating successfully and had expanded across the burn. That is an indication that the previous owners had successfully reduced grazing pressure and that there is no need for planting. Unfortunately further expansion of the Pine Wood is blocked by the spruce plantation at the top of the bank. The good news for the Caledonian Pine Forest is Oxygen Conservation have stated “any species considered non-native will go”.
The current rules are that there should be no planting of non-native trees within a 500m buffer zone around woods recorded in the Caledonian Pinewood Inventory. It looks as though those rules were breached here but we clearly need much larger “extension” zones, such as the whole of the catchment of the Dorback, which preclude any planting if the Caledonian Pine Forest is to expand significantly and provide habitat for birds like capercaillie.
Further along the plantation at the top of the embankment changed from spruce to native trees and another section of unmarked deer fence became visible. With the Caledonian Pine forest just a few hundred metres away on the other side of the burn any dispersing capercaillie to this area are likely to be decapitated.
A few days after my walk I was sent this photo by Dougie MacMillan, a parkswatch contributor, who thought this grouse had died after colliding with the fence on the other side of the track. Few people ever come across evidence of these collisions because carrion eaters get there first. Perhaps part of the reason for the recent decline in red grouse numbers is that they, like capercaillie, are flying into the deer fences that Scottish Forestry is paying to have erected around most new forestry carbon offsetting projects?
Abernethy pioneered the removal of deer fences after their staff, Desmond Dugan and Ron Summers, and others conducted research in the 1990s showing the number of capercaillie being killed in collisions each year. The numbers were horrific, over one capercaillie dying for every km of deer fencing each year. RSPB immediately began removing deer fences and experimenting with marking them to make them more visible. Further research showed that prominent marking reduced capercaillie mortality through collisions by about two thirds, less than that for other species.
The continued risk of marked fences to capercaillie is why RSPB’s Abernethy reserve is now free of deer fences except along the march with Dorback. The reason for that fence is that the land title contained a number of burdens (conditions) to maintain fences and up till now RSPB has never got agreement from the previous owners to remove it. This fence is shown on on the Capercaillie Project’s map of deer fences in the Cairngorms (below the black arrow):.
The map shows the rest of Abernethy and Dorback as fence free by contrast to the area around Carrbridge and Aviemore which is covered in blue lines. The Capercaillie Project’s fence map (see here)) was an important initiative but since becoming interested in the impact of deer fences on wildlife, I have realised there are far more fences around Strathspey than were ever recorded on the map. My short walk on Dorback provided further evidence of this:
Why the Capercaillie Project didn’t obtained accurate maps of all the deer fences that had been paid for with public funds from Scottish Forestry is unclear. However, had they done so the problem posed by deer fences might have been impossible to ignore. Instead, the Cairngorms National Park Authority’s Capercaillie Emergency Plan treats deer fences as just one factor among others – like walkers! – which are leading to the extinction of the capercaillie for the second time in Scotland (see here). It includes a budget to remove/mark fences of £790l in the next two year which is clearly far too small – but what price saving the capercaillie from extinction?
The situation at Dorback helps demonstrate that one of the last surviving strongholds of the capercaillie at Abernethy cannot disperse anywhere without having to cross deer fences. And the research shows it is young capercaillie, those that are most likely to disperse, which are most likely to collide with deer fences. Capercaillie are almost certainly doomed unless we tackle this issue quick.
Instead of waiting to decide what to exactly to do at Dorback, as they claim to be doing on their website, Oxygen Conservation should start removing all deer fences from their property now. They also need to reach early agreement with the RSPB that they no longer require the deer fence part of which runs along the boundary of the two estates. Most of the deer fences featured in this post could, with a bit of will, be removed before this year’s capercaillie breeding season and, if that goes well, might allow some of the young capercaillie on Abernethy to disperse.
Along with this, of course, Oxygen Conservation will need to employ sufficient stalking staff to ensure deer density on the estate is kept at two or less per square km and that the removal of the deer fence does not result in higher deer numbers at Abernethy.
While deer fences marked with wooden batons reduce bird collisions there has been NO research to show how far it at all marking them with thin bamboo canes, which catch the wind less and are cheaper, stops the carnage. The capercaillie population is now in such a perilous position, c500 individuals according to last year’s survey, there is no excuse for Oxygen Conservation removing the fences around the plantation in the photo. Removing this fence will immediately attract in deer which is why Oxygen Conservation also need to employ a team of stalkers in addition to the existing estate staff named in the Scotsman article (link above).
The Oxygen Conservation website encourages people to criticise them (see here). Please use this to ask them to remove all deer fences and take on a team of stalkers to ensure the Caledonian Pine Forest and its wildlife can naturally expand through the Dorback catchment.
If we had proper National Parks, however, there would be no need for people to do that. In a proper National Park land would either be publicly owned or at the very least any private owner required to sign up to legally binding commitments before they could purchase land. A proper National Park would NEVER have allowed the new deer fence in the photo above. Having allowed the carbon offsetting planting disasters at BrewDog’s Lost Forest, Muckrach and Far Ralia to go ahead without protest, the CNPA needs to speak out at Dorback and tell Oxygen Conservation that, with one of the most important remnants of Caledonian Pinewood spilling over onto their land, it is not appropriate to plant trees and that they should reduce deer numbers, remove deer fences and let nature do the rest.
For a further critique of the Capercaillie Emergency Plan Victor Clements wrote a very interesting post in November which was published on the Scottish Gamekeepers Association blog and is well worth reading (see here). Among the important points he makes is that the population of the capercaillie may now be just too low to survive without being re-inforced from abroad, something discounted in the emergency plan – perhaps because the CNPA knows that any reintroduced bird would most likely end up dead by a deer fence!
It can be relevant, to refer to film shown yesterday as part of BBC’s Countryfile program. This concerned a project to conserve, study and hopefully reintroduce a viable concentration of Pine Marten on Dartmoor.
The mindset of the general public would appear to be undergoing deliberate modification by environmental campaigners, some now in positions of influence working within multi-media? Their proclivity is forcing a situation in which Pine marten are also to be regarded as a “cuddly” highly adept and fascinating species, not unlike urban foxes and squirrels, while ground nesting wild bird species can be left, largely to fend for themselves.
The irresponsible release of mink by campaigners several decades ago also impacted the period to which Victor refers. These imported ‘vermin’ behave now as a ‘top predator’having gradually infiltrated right cross much of the highlands. A noticeable decrease of indigenous colonies of ground nesting seabirds in coastal areas has been the result.
So much disturbance to natural processes across Scotland has always been initiated by those who failed, either deliberately or carelessly, to take full account of historical ecological balance. Wrong choices have routinely faced far too little legal sanction (and now we have media biass.)
Any hope for stability now so future generations may experience ‘natural places’ – face this insurmountable, unforeseen consequence.
Well said Tom …. Pine Martens have proven to be deadly with Capercaillie nests as shown with RSPB’s own survey in Abernethy Woods…. and they don’t just predate capercaillie. In my own woods they have decimated Owls too.
Mike, can I ask if you have put up owl boxes and if so what they have made of? When Pinemarten reached Loch Lomond they predated all the wooden nest boxes that had been put up for redstart and pied flycatcher – its much easier to spot such boxes than nesting holes in trees. Those boxes were then replaced by ones made out of woodcrete, marten proof.The main diet of Pine Marten, established by research is small mammals such as voles- not birds and their nests which they predate opportunistically. Thise presence of marten therefore helps native woodland, on which capercaillie depends, to regenerate naturally without planting trees with plastic vole guards around (foxes do the same job). Marten also predate the non-native grey squirrel, which are well known for destroying trees and woodland by stripping trees. While research has shown pine marten are responsible for a sizeable proportion of the predation that takes place on caper eggs, that has happened for thousands of years across their range and yet capercaillie has survived. The only reason why there is such a focus on Pine Marten and caper now is because caper numbers are so low and breeding success has reduced considerably because of other factors like wetter springs. The argument is when numbers are so low, we cannot afford the predation that is taking place, hence the diversionary feeding project. Meantime it is worth noting in respect of this blog post that IF RSPB had not removed all the fences they were able at Abernethy, we would not be having this debate as caper would likely to already be extinct there. Its killer fences, not “killer” marten, which are the primary issue which needs to be addressed
Deer numbers are already very low in the Dorback area as much of the natural regeneration wouldn’t happen if deer numbers were too high.
I am not sure that carbon credits are paid on natural regeneration hence the fences allow for the counting of the density of trees for the selling of future carbon credits.
Oxygen conservation is an investment fund which is using nature to generate wealth, a totally different operation to the neighbouring RSPB Abernethy estate
Hi Thomas, yes deer numbers must be low to have allowed the natural regeneration on either side of the Dorback burn but clearly the previous owners were not confident they could plant a large new area without deer fences – which suggests further reductions may be necessary. The Woodland Carbon Code allows for carbon credits to be claimed on natural regeneration although the process for doing so is more complex than for planting see point 2.2.3 I hope to cover the financial model behind Oxygen Conservation in another post but you are right, they are primarily a private business and therefore totally unlike the RSPB: one key test of them as a business, however, is whether they can do what RSPB has done at Abernethy and remove deer fences
I have to say that I was not aware of the hazardous nature of Deerfencing, it is disappointing that efforts to make the fences more visible to birds has had limited success.Is it feasible to try to augment greater visibility, more obvious existence and fabrication using impact absorbing material so that birds which fly into fences, do not break their necks.Optimally we need a decent Deer population and the right environment for strong growth of native tree numbers;it would appear fences of some kind are required.
Deer Fencing is not used in the Alpine countries, partly because it is so hazardous to wildlife and indeed is basically illegal in France – I have explained this in article in British Wildlife with Ron Summers Nov 2024 but will cover here
I recall when restoration of the Caledonian Pine inthe4 Ballochbuie on Balmoral took place many years ago by fencing, I went around them with the late Simon Pepper, the head of WWF Scotland. The fences had been visibly battered in places by woodland grouse – but there were no dead birds. The reason for that we later realised was that local foxes etc learned that a tour of fences provided a free meal. This tends to lead to an underestimate of the impact of the fences. It is not the only situation where feces are having an impact on grouse. Estates have been strongly pressurizing tenants to give up their sheep flocks so they can take over the sheep and use them as tickmops as they call them, Fences confining the sheep on their land then appear, going for kilometers at times. (I am unclear how they are paid for).The top wire is at the height grouse often fly at. One local estate on Donside had to remove the top wire because of the number of grouse they were loosing on that wire through collisions. This problem will not be confined to one estate
In my younger days the Blackwood of Rannoch had quite a big population of capercaillie,they could be seen in birch woods all round the loch also, shooting was legal at that time with around 20 being shot in a day. When shooting etopped the population plummeted. Inbreeding was put forward as a possible reason, flying in to deer fences was not the cause here, the Blackwood was not deer fenced and predators were few and far between. I do not know if there are any caper left in the Blackwood now.
It would be more logical to allow deer in by removing all fences. Trees can be protected while young to prevent deer from damaging them. Sheep cause more damage roaming the hills than deer do. Keeping out a wild animal that is essential to the ecosystem is not the answer.
Whatever the law states regarding straying from a footpath it can only be beneficial to all wildlife including Capercaillie for people to stay on the footpath and have their dogs on a short lead for the time they are walking in wildlife sensitive areas. This is just common sense and common courtesy. Very few dog owners are in reality able to keep their dog strictly ‘at heel’ under close control – so a short lead is both needed, courteous to other folk and beneficial to wildlife.
Pine martins and ground nesting birds do not mix well and Dartmoor will suffer the consequences of introducing pine martins all the ground nesting birds will disappear it’s obvious so why are they going ahead with this project . David James
Pine marten equally predate on tree nesting birds. The relationship between pine marten and birds is complex and needs to explain how both have co-existed in Pinewoods for millenia. Part of the answer is pine marten are predated on by other species including foxes, goshawk and golden eagle but also that unless their population is artificially boosted – eg people feeding them – they only find a proportion of birds nests and enough breed successfully to maintain their population.
I’ve not yet read all your article as yet but am aware that Capercaillies are regularly killed by flying into deer fences. During an early visit in the 1980’s a colleague and I chanced upon a fine male alongside a deer fence that it had clearly flown into. In recent times I spoke to a ghyllie who informed me that the biggest culprits nowadays are Pine Martens which have dramatically increased of late and presumably eat eggs and chicks. Sadly they are loved by most of the public despite being vicious predators.
I think there are far too many people with vested interests/biased views on the stocking, environmental and forestry sides.
All of the above hoover up tax payers money one way or another. Unfortunately you don’t always get what you personally want and it is economically clear that- native forestry re-establishment should trump a few birds that may be artificially present for shooting. Remote areas need decent employment etc. Caper are dying out, but so are many other things, should we spend limited resources on a few birds that are clearly not suited to life now and should just be allowed to fade out. Many species will not cope with climate change and you need to accept this and move on.
Frank Garssen. there can never be a natural recovery, as something so unnatural as miles of deer fence across Scotland. This gives more pressure with more deer per square kilometer in the remaining non-fenced areas, which means that no natural recovery takes place. and less grazing also means fewer sheep and cattle on the hill. nature needs rest and time to recover, when the habitat is restored, the animals will follow naturally
Thank you for the article. Unfortunately, the link you provide to ask oxygen to remove the fences doesn’t work.
I hope its now fixed but its here
Please note that the opportunity to Criticise Us on Oxygen Conservation’s website leads only to a selection of FAQ’s.
I emailed instead asking how they were intending to look after capercaillie, needless to say they haven’t replied.
Hi Anne, you are perfectly right, I should have followed this link through. Its not possible to submit a criticism – not a good sign – and instead all you can do is try emailing “hello@oxygenconservation.com”. I have written to Rich Stockdale, founder and CEO of Oxygen Conservation (but not the owner of the business) asking for a meeting where I will raise this.
If no- fences works for RSPB Abernethy, as part of Cairngorms Connect, then that should work at Dorbrack as a neighbour. Indeed, joining Cairngorms Connect would be the logical thing to do, and get continuity of management across the wider area. Much easier to manage as well.