Sunday 7 April 2013

Puffin or puffout ? Vote for Puffin for the Big Five?




In case you hadn't noticed it is the Year of Natural Scotland this year - of course natural Scotland is there every year to be studied, enjoyed and examined, so you shouldn't really look at it anymore this year than any other year but it is an opportunity to bring it to the attention of others that might not have noticed all of the resplendent landscape and wildlife that surrounds us in Scotland.
As part of the Year of Natural Scotland there is a Big Five campaign that highlights 5 of the most iconic species found in Scotland, otter, red deer, golden eagle, red squirrel and harbour seal. There is loads of information about these five species and where you can see them including websites and iPhone apps (see links below:)

Scotland's Big 5 website - www.scotlandsbig5.co.uk
But.....none of these animals are found on the Isle of May. So where does this leave the island which from a biased point of view (mine) in one of the best wildlife spectacles in Scotland ?  It is the minimal number of marine creatures in the Big Five that I feel is a bit of an omission, especially with the UK being on an island, surrounded by a long,, biodiverse coastline that because of its geographical position holds important percentages of world populations of some pretty iconic creatures. So what about grey seal or gannet or best of all puffin? Surely one of these should be in the Big Five?
You can have an influence as the public can vote on their favourite Big Five and it can be whatever you think. So if you think that the puffin, or gannet or grey seal represent a much loved, easily recognised species that represents habitats and landscapes that Scotland is famous for the you can vote here - just click on this link. Vote for Scotland's Big Five





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