Biodiversity boost as great yellow bumblebee is spotted in substation meadow
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A rare species of bumblebee has been spotted in a specially created wildflower habitat surrounding a Caithness substation in what is being hailed as a welcome boost for the local ecosystem.
The great yellow bumblebee was observed beside the Thurso South substation, developed in 2017 by SSEN Transmission as part of the £970 million Caithness-Moray transmission link.
The great yellow – which has the Latin name Bombus distinguendus – used to be found all over the UK, but its numbers have declined by 80 per cent over the past 60 years. Removal of its preferred wildflower habitat over the decades now finds the great yellow bumblebee confined mainly to the far north of Scotland, the islands and a few areas of western Ireland.
SSEN Transmission sought advice from bee experts at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to ensure that its Thurso South works created an attractive long-term environment for the great yellow.
Work was carried out to create a bee-friendly habitat by planting a flower-rich landscape in all 10 hectares of earth around the substation site. By providing a mix of flowers, including abundant flowering plants, nesting and hibernation places, it was hoped that a diverse range species would benefit from the enhanced biodiversity.
Until now, according to the experts, it has been difficult to attract the great yellow to purposely created habitats. But three years after the Thurso South wildflower meadow was created, and after some close monitoring, the bee has finally been seen making the site its home.
Katy Malone from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust said: “I have been monitoring the site for three years and I have seen the wildflower habitat around the substation flourish year on year.
"It has welcomed a variety of species in that time. The first year we saw several indigenous insects, followed by a group of wild rabbits the following year, with the rabbits' burrows a great home for the great yellow to nest in.
"As its popularity with other species grew, we hoped it would only be a matter of time before we saw our first great yellow.
“Wildflower meadows like this are vital, as they create new protected spaces where rare species can access pollen and nectar throughout spring and summer. A lot of careful work, consideration and collaboration with SSEN Transmission went into creating the perfect habitat around the Thurso substation – it is a legacy that will continue to support the local ecosystem to flourish for years to come.”
SSEN Transmission's environmental net gain manager Francis Williams said: “We are delighted to have our first confirmed great yellow sighting on site. As a responsible developer, we are keen that our developments have a minimal impact on the communities and environments that we operate in and we have committed to ensure no biodiversity loss at any of our sites by 2020, with ambitions plans to deliver biodiversity net gain by 2025.
“By working with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust early on, we were able to create the right habitat for the great yellow bumblebee. We hope the meadow will continue to go from strength to strength.”
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is looking for a volunteer who can continue to monitor the meadow and track great yellow activity. To find out more, email katy.malone@bumblebeeconservation.org
