North Coast Jewels

In August, Paul Castle, Highland Council North Sutherland Ranger, found and photographed Great Yellow Bumblebees at two new sites, each representing a new 10km square for the distribution.  This was fantastic news as it showed, for the first time, a link between the records at Bettyhill (Farr Glebe and other areas) and Scrabster by Thurso in Caithness, a distance of about 30 miles.  Paul found his first at Melvich in Sutherland, on 6th August, feeding at lesser knapweed.  This, and another one seen later in the month, were both workers, indicating an active nest in the area.  The photo is a little blurred as he was suffering the attentions of Scotland's finest, The Midge!  Melvich is at the far eastern end of one of Plantlife's Important Plant Areas, stretching from here all the way to Oldshoremore in the west, embracing all Sutherland's Great Yellow Bumblebee sites.  Paul followed this up with a worker and a male at Sandside Bay, by Reay in Caithness.  The extra yellow hairs on the face of the male are clearly visible in the photo.  I had looked at this site at the end of July, and found a good amount of knapweed, plus Broken-belted Bumblebee (which Paul also saw), so I am delighted that Great Yellow has been confirmed here.  Donald Mitchell, Highland Council North West Sutherland Ranger, also got in on the act, confirming - thankfully - Great Yellow Bumblebees in Durness this year, an area where the species may be particularly vulnerable.

 

A great boost in recording activity this year has seen a number of new 10km squares have been recorded with Great Yellow Bumblebee.  Other squares with old records have been visited and the bee found still to be present.  All this information is invaluable in maximising benefits to Great Yellow Bumblebee through agri-environment schemes.  It is also wonderful that more people are now familiar with the species, and can distinguish the different queen, worker and male castes. The north's good weather in August this year has certainly helped, as this month has peak numbers of Great Yellows. Hopefully there is now a healthy 'bank' of hibernating queens for 2010.  We will tot up the total number of occupied squares.  It will be a long way below the pre-1970 total of 158 squares (across the UK) determined by bee, wasp and ant expert Mike Edwards in a 1997 review for Scottish Natural Heritage, so this bee will definitely be remaining at its official 'Nationally Scarce b' status (between 31 and 100 occupied 10km squares in the UK).