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Sutherland wildlife group member's hunt for wood-ant nests


By Niall Harkiss

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Sample of a wood ant nest. Photo: Cairngorm National Park Authority
Sample of a wood ant nest. Photo: Cairngorm National Park Authority

A member of a wildlife group is encouraging people across north Sutherland and Caithness to report sightings of wood-ant nests in the area.

North Sutherland Wildlife Group secretary Stephen Kirkup appealed to group members and the wider public after receiving a booklet from the Cairngorm National Park Authority, which contained records of wood-ant nests up and down the country – but very few in the north areas of Sutherland and Caithness.

Mr Kirkup said: "The distribution maps for wood ant species is typical in that it shows no records for north Sutherland and Caithness. We come across this distribution gap over and over again especially for north Sutherland.

"For example, I run a moth light trap and three to four times a year, I trap moths not recorded in the area. Recently, we trapped a 'powdered quaker' which has very few records along the north coast and no records at all in the area I live.

"Last week, a moth was found in our garden that had never been seen in the county and is nationally rare. These are examples of a lack of recording historically, so it's important we look for wood ants in the area.

"Of course there may be no records because there are no wood ants, there's always that chance, but it's important to establish which it is."

Photographs and reports of nests can be sent to Stephen via North Sutherland Wildlife Group via Facebook.


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