Glenogil Estate Limited & Dr. Dan Hoffmann GCD

Glenogil Estate Limited, in the Angus Glens, together with The Game Conservancy Deutschland, in collaboration with HAWK in Göttingen and students from several German universities, began environmental studies at Glenogil Estate, Angus, in April 2015. The first two years focused on understanding the ecosystem (grouse moor) with all it's different parts and habitat diversity. We described the bird fauna in a species list, paying particular attention to the habitat use of these species. So far they have recorded at least 105 bird species on Glenogil Estate, a staggering number.

Dr Dan Hoffman and up to 15 German students come to Glenogil each year in the spring/breeding season to monitor and record the various species of birds that live on and migrate to Glenogil Estate. Advanced technology is used to study the birds, their nests, their eggs and then their young after hatching. Not all species breed on the estate, of course, but they often use the area to feed or rest during migration. In Germany, 16 different hunting laws have been introduced since 2006. Snaring, trapping of corvids (banned since 1987), lamping, the use of leghold traps and restricted hunting have all had a major impact on bird species in Germany. The curlew, cappercallie, snipe, golden plover and short-eared owl, to name but a few, are now threatened with extinction in Germany, and the redshank, lapwing and meadow pipit are critically endangered. Dr Dan Hoffman and his team are studying the different land management practices in Germany and Scotland to show that grouse moor management and biodiversity conservation go hand in hand. The combination of habitat and predator management is the most effective and sustainable choice for biodiversity. The evidence of biodiversity and species diversity on the estate is outstanding. Glenogil is a mixed sporting estate of some renown, where conservation through wise use of the natural environment and a responsibility to look after the countryside and the people who live and work here is fundamental to everything they do.

Typical of much of the estate is the abundance of heather moor, but there are also several natural flowing burns in the grass-dominated valleys. At first sight these moors appear to be species poor, but in fact they are very diverse. To facilitate this diversity, burning old heather in small mosaics across the landscape is an important management tool, providing breeding and foraging habitat not only for grouse but also for many other species. For example, the mice-hunting short-eared owl prefers low and jagged vegetation. For wading birds such as the curlew, we have shown that the early stages of heather growth are the most important feeding and breeding habitats. Habitat management, including sheep grazing, works in parallel with legal predator control and is an important tool to maximise higher densities of threatened species. To prove the positive impact of both habitat and predator management, we started further research in 2017. During the 2017 breeding season, more than 30 nests of waders such as oystercatchers, golden plovers, lapwings and curlews were equipped with wildlife cameras and thermaloggers. The loggers are placed in the nests and record the date, time and temperature so that the estate can read the information after the nesting period to assess whether a clutch was lost or whether the brood was successful. Combined with the cameras, this will give us an accurate picture of hatch success and any causes of loss. So far there is not enough data to make an informed statement, but from initial observations hatching success seems to be very high compared to other areas. Since 2016 they have also focused heavily on mountain hares and have now established several counting areas. Thermal cameras were used for the night counts and they repeated the work each spring and late summer to get numbers on breeding success. In 2017 they can see that the mountain hare population on Glenogil has almost tripled. This is an exceptionally high success rate, exceeding the breeding success of the European brown hare, which is monitored on more than 450 German study sites. With their partners at the Research Institute for Wildlife Ecology at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, the next step will be to look at the health and immune systems of the mountain hares. With all the data they will be able to discuss the sustainability of use and give advice on how to make conservation most effective. In 2017, they identified 10 sites of 1 km2 each where further research will begin. Every year, they take drone flights to get a clear picture of the landscape. They use special methods to measure the changing activity of animals and birds as a function of landscape structure. They will also count them using standard ecological methods to get accurate information about their densities. On these sites they will also monitor the development of vegetation, insects and small mammals. This will also be done using systematic methods.

Density and availability of food can be seen as another key factor in breeding. Insects are also monitored at Glenogil using pitfall and flying insect traps. As part of a bachelor thesis in 2020, 10 sites were surveyed - 400 samples were taken from the pitfall traps and 80 samples from the flying traps. Over 6800 individuals were recorded from these samples.

Dr Dan Hoffman is doing his part to protect the gamekeeping and rural community as a whole. His and the students' work to defend and promote the benefits of grouse moor management is a great step forward for the community. The focus is not only on game management, but also on wildlife management, with a drive towards higher standards of conservation and, in turn, environmental stewardship. Glenogil is working to achieve a balance that, at its core, enhances wildlife and their natural habitat. The sustainable use of land on the Glenogil Estate not only supports a myriad of bird species, but also the social and economic objectives of the fragile rural environment.