The Reserve Plan Review for Forvie National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

 

Foreword

Forvie NNR is one of a suite of NNRs in Scotland. NNRs are special places where some of the best examples of Scotland’s wildlife are cared for. Nature comes first on NNRs, and people are welcome to discover the rich natural heritage of these places and to contribute to our knowledge and enjoyment of these areas.

In 2014, we carried out a public consultation on our future proposals for the management of Forvie NNR. Your feedback from the consultation informed the completion of the Reserve Plan 2014 – 2024, which set out our management for the reserve during that period. We have now come to the end of that plan and have started to think about the future direction of our management. This report reviews our achievements and progress against the management objectives set out in the Reserve Plan for Forvie NNR 2014 – 2024.

Address:

The Reserve Manager
NatureScot
The Forvie Centre
Collieston
Aberdeenshire
AB41 8RU

Tel: 01358 751330
Email: [email protected]

Our Vision for Forvie NNR

Forvie National Nature Reserve is special; the aim is to keep it that way. The Reserve Plan 2024 - 2034 sets out our vision for the Reserve describing how we would like the Reserve to be in 2034.  The management we have carried out over the past 10 years has been framed with this vision in mind.

Vision

Forvie is a beautiful and wild place with thriving wildlife. It is a place where people value, respect and enjoy nature.

The dunes are a wild and natural place with a complete succession of coastal habitats from mobile dunes through to fixed dune heath. We leave natural processes to take place whenever possible. The habitats are all in favourable condition and management is in place to prevent the spread of trees and invasive species onto dune habitats. The impacts from visitors are minimal; we only intervene when an issue arises such as erosion from people accessing the dunes. We continue to work in partnership to reduce the impacts of land management upstream on the level of nitrogen in the Ythan Estuary.

The colonies of terns and eiders are flourishing with measures successfully taken to ensure Forvie provides a safe place to nest and roost. The active management of the colonies ensures they are relatively free from disturbance and predation. People understand and respect the need to take care to avoid impacts on wildlife.

There is something for everyone at this very special place; Forvie is accessible for people to enjoy, learn about and appreciate its rich natural heritage. Facilities and information provided at Waterside, the visitor centre at Collieston and the hide at Waulkmill ensure there is something for everyone. Whether you are looking for a short visit or a full day there is something for you at Forvie throughout the year. During the winter months the southern section of the reserve provides a truly wild and natural experience.

It is a key attraction for visitors to the north-east with strong links with other reserves along the east coast. The local community are proud of the reserve and have opportunities to participate in protecting this internationally important wildlife site. The site is well regarded as a place for outdoor learning and education groups from nursery to tertiary use the reserve on a regular basis. There are good connections with universities and colleges who use the site for research.

Management for Natural Heritage

Objective 1: Maintain the extent and variety of coastal habitats by allowing naturally occurring processes to shape the system.

Projects to be delivered during life of plan:

Task no.	Task description	Task outcome
NH1.1	Undertake Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) of Sands of Forvie Special Area of Conservation (SAC) features in 2020/21.	Not achieved
NH1.2	Undertake SCM for SSSI Sand Dunes in 2016/17.	Achieved
NH1.3	Establish baseline monitoring of Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) vascular plant assemblage in 2013/14.	Achieved
NH1.4	Establish baseline monitoring of SSSI saltmarsh feature in 2014/15.	Achieved
NH1.5	Establish the maximum tolerable extent of rosebay willowherb (i.e. the baseline levels) in Year 1. Areas of sand dune which have been colonised will be restored back to baseline levels by Year 5. Control by cutting or other means will be carried out to limit or prevent the spread of rosebay willowherb into restored or other sensitive areas annually.	Partly achieved
NH1.6	Maintain watching brief for non-native invasive species including pirri-pirri bur and Himalayan balsam, and remove any such species found.	Achieved
NH1.7	Working in partnership with SEPA and others, contribute to the monitoring of the estuary in relation to water quality.	Achieved
NH1.8	Protect the dune habitats by removing all trees which have self-seeded onto SAC habitats.	Partly achieved
NH1.9	Restructure the plantation next to the eider car park by removing non-native species but leaving native species outwith the SAC for biodiversity benefits.	Achieved

Objective evaluation:

For the most part, Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) indicates that site is in favourable condition. However, there is still considerable uncertainty over whether the levels of rosebay willowherb present are detrimental to the site. We will maintain a watching brief on this.

Monitoring of rosebay willowherb continues, however in the past few years it has not been deemed necessary to undertake control due to lower levels being recorded on the site.

Control of Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) is ongoing. We have now discovered the source of the Himalayan balsam outwith the NNR and are hopeful that ongoing work with the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) team will significantly reduce this in the next few years. The potential source of pirri-pirri bur at Foveran Links (outside the reserve) remains a concern and we are alert to the species spreading onto the reserve. We continue to carry out pirri-pirri control at Foveran to maintain a buffer for the reserve.

There is some indication that groundwater quality around the Ythan catchment is improving but weed mats remain a concern. Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) no longer monitor water quality here, but we may ask if this can be re-started if the weed mats appear to be a problem.

Very few non-native trees self-seed onto the dunes and these are removed when found. It is likely willow scrub is expanding but as a part of a natural ‘wetting up’ of the reserve, as historical moor grips become blocked. The next management plan will investigate if this needs to be removed or is an acceptable part of the evolution of the site.

SCM was not carried out in 2020/21 due to the national SCM program having changed since the reserve plan was written. It is likely at least some of this will take place as a national contract.

The plantation at the eider car park was restructured when the parking area was created for anglers and staff.

Objective 2: Maintain population and extent of habitat in suitable condition for breeding terns.    

Projects to be delivered during life of plan.

Task no.	Task description	Task outcome
NH2.1	Monitor tern population including breeding pairs and productivity annually.	Achieved
NH2.2	Erect and remove boundary fence for tern sanctuary and electric fences round colonies annually.	Achieved
NH2.3	Erect and remove seasonal signs and information about sanctuary and its purpose annually.	Achieved
NH2.4	Engage with visitors at the tern sanctuary by providing information about the role of the sanctuary; promoting responsible behaviour and inform visitors about the breeding success of the terns and eiders.	Achieved
NH2.5	Improve tern productivity by controlling foxes and corvids within the tern colony annually. Contract let is 'Control of foxes, nests, eggs and nestlings at Forvie NNR' and is for shooting of foxes and removal of corvid nests under general licence to protect ground nesting birds.	Achieved
NH2.6	Provide permits for research, monitoring and ringing projects within the tern colony which are beneficial to the resource annually.	Achieved
NH2.7	Produce reports on tern breeding success and submit to UK Little Tern group (led by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)) annually.	Achieved
NH2.8	Input data on tern breeding success to Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Seabird Monitoring Programme annually.	Achieved
NH2.9	Review methods used to protect terns on an annual basis and consider alternatives.	Achieved

Objective evaluation:

The Forvie tern colony has been probably the big success story of the reserve during the past 10 years. Terns, by their nature, are fickle and ephemeral site nesters, but the lack of suitable undisturbed nesting sites elsewhere in Aberdeenshire means many birds now use the site at Forvie.

The predator-proof fence and public exclusion zone during the nesting season are vital to the success of the colony. This requires a large amount of staff input, in terms of managing the fence, monitoring the birds and engaging with the public, particularly at weekends. Maintaining the sanctuary area and current level of public engagement is dependent on adequate staffing levels.

After many years of effort, the public are generally on-side and will report incursions into the ternery to staff.

Targeted fox control around the ternery helps mitigate the impacts of predators, but there has been no need for corvid control in the past 6 years and the terns themselves provide an aerial defence force.

 The decline in Arctic tern numbers may be due, at least in part, to the modification of their breeding area through eutrophication. There has been a tern and gull colony on this site for at least 60 years, and during that time, the birds themselves have altered the environment by soil enrichment from their droppings. Far less open shingle is found on the site now, and the enrichment of the ground favours colonisation by marram grass and various herbs. The next management plan will explore options around whether modifying the habitat here is desirable.

 In 2022 and 2023, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) hit the reserve. While the terns were not affected in 2022, it had a significant effect on the colony in 2023, with up to 18% adult mortality in Arctic tern and a 75% lower fledging success in Sandwich tern compared with the previous season. We will continue to work with the HPAI taskforce to monitor this and follow any recommendations as the situation evolves over the next few years.

Objective 3: Maintain population and extent of habitat for breeding eider.

Projects to be delivered during life of plan

Task No.	Task description	Task outcome
NH3.1	Monitor eider population annually by weekly counts of individuals around spring peak and using nest counts obtained at end of season.	Achieved
NH3.2	Count fledged eiders in early August, annually.	Achieved
NH3.3	Minimise disturbance by establishing eider breeding 'zone' annually.	Achieved
NH3.4	Improve eider productivity by controlling predators at the main nesting area at Forvie NNR through trapping and shooting birds under general licence that are seen to be targeting eider eggs and ducklings.	Partly achieved
NH3.5	Erect seasonal signs and information about sanctuary areas and their purpose annually.	Achieved
NH3.6	Report population counts and breeding success for the Forvie eider colony. Contribute results into national research to allow Forvie to be assessed in the context of local, National and European trends.	Achieved
NH3.7	Support academic research into condition of mussel beds.	Not achieved
NH3.8	Review methods used to protect eiders on an annual basis and consider alternatives.	Achieved

Objective evaluation:

Eider numbers have been dropping at Forvie for many years. However, there is some indication that the breeding population has now stabilised at a lower level of around 100 nesting females each year.

During the period of the plan, eider breeding distribution has markedly changed, with most having abandoned the traditional nesting areas on the heath and along the estuary. The bulk of Forvie’s eiders now nest within the predator-proof enclosure that also harbours the terns. The reasons for this are not fully clear but are likely to be a combination of protection from predators and human disturbance. While practically impossible to quantify, we suspect that human- and particularly dog-related disturbance along the estuary may be a significant factor in this. Even simply seeing something that it perceives to be a predator can cause a bird to regard an area as unsafe for nesting.

As mentioned above, HPAI hit the reserve in 2022 and 2023. While there appeared to be negligible adult mortality in 2022, anecdotal evidence suggested that chick survival was seriously impacted, with a notably low fledging rate (21 fledged from a hatch of 180+). By contrast, 2023 proved to be the most productive season since the year 2000, with 340 young successfully fledged. We will continue to monitor the breeding success of the eiders, as this has been unpredictable in recent years.

Objective 4: Maintain extent of habitat for breeding birds and wintering waders and wildfowl.

Projects to be delivered during life of plan

Task no.	Task description	Task outcome
NH4.1	Undertake SCM of notified waders and wildfowl. SSSI Pink-footed goose cycle 3 2013/14.	Achieved
NH4.2	Monitor wintering waterfowl assemblage on an annual basis.	Achieved
NH4.3	Identify trends in the wader and wildfowl numbers by providing the long term data to an academic institution to compare to level of algae to assess impact.	Achieved
NH4.4	Report any illegal use of lead shot or irresponsible wildfowling within the estuary to wildlife crime officer.	Achieved
NH4.5	Review and update wildfowling best practice guidelines.	Achieved
NH4.6	Contribute and support projects relating to the water quality of the Ythan estuary including providing existing data.	Achieved
NH4.7	Monitor components of the breeding bird assemblage to identify population trends and inform future management.	Achieved

Objective evaluation:

The wintering wildfowl assemblage on the estuary is monitored on an annual basis. The SCM carried out early in the period of the management plan suggests that both pink-footed geese and the wintering wildfowl assemblage were in favourable condition.

Where it has been requested, we have supplied data to academic institutions and are awaiting results on one project, looking at the numbers of birds in relation to weed mat cover.

We continue to liaise with the police and the local wildfowling groups over responsible wildfowling on the estuary.

Many of the species which use the estuary are affected by off-site factors – e.g. curlew, which are in decline due to loss of breeding habitat related to intensive agriculture – so we may expect to see declines corresponding to this in the future.

Objective 5: Contribute towards the biodiversity strategy through provision of data and delivering projects to benefit agreed species.

Projects to be delivered during life of plan

Task no.	Task description	Task outcome
NH5.1	Count breeding seabirds and submit annual data to Seabird Monitoring Programme.	Achieved
NH5.2	Monitor transect for the National Butterfly Monitoring Scheme weekly between April and September. Submit data annually.	Achieved
NH5.3	Update targeted species information for selected vascular plants, lichens, mosses, bryophytes, ferns, grasses and sedges. Note presence, population and for less common species location.	Achieved
NH5.4	Count non-breeding & breeding seals and submit monthly counts to Sea Mammal Research Unit along with samples of scat for dietary identification.	Achieved
NH5.5	Working with Ythan Fishery Trust use electro fishing to identify species within Sand Loch.	Not achieved

Objective evaluation:

Seabird data is submitted to the JNCC annually and volunteers carry out the butterfly transect during the summer. We have one of the longest-standing butterfly transects in the UK.

A baseline has been established for the vascular plant assemblage on the site. This has been added to the notified features of the site. No baseline has been established for bryophytes and lichens due to the specialist nature of this work.

It was decided that carrying out electro-fishing in the Sand Loch was not a high priority. At the time, there was some suggestion that pike were taking ducklings, but the levels of disturbance around the loch are so high that very few birds even attempt to breed here.

For NH 5.4, the situation regarding the seals has changed significantly during the period of the plan. Seal numbers have increased at the haul out from around 1000 in 2014 to a peak of over 3000 in 2023. Due to the increased seal numbers, Marine Scotland designated the Ythan mouth as a protected seal haul-out in 2017.

There are considerable visitor management challenges surrounding the seals. While the haul-out is protected, the offence is to ‘harass’ rather than ‘disturb’ seals and most of the negative behaviour we see does not cross the threshold between these. However, cumulative impacts of disturbance, injury during stampedes and potential abandonment of pups are all consequences of disturbance. We advise that the public watch the seals from Newburgh (outwith the reserve), where a new car park has been built by the Newburgh and Ythan Community Trust and carries interpretation about the seals. There is an evolving situation here, with an increasing number of females starting to pup at Forvie; it may be that this will become a major pupping site in future years. The next management plan will need to explore options for managing visitor access around the seals.

 

Management for People

Objective VM1: Provide a high-quality visitor experience for a range of audiences ensuring that >80% of visitors asked rate their experience as good or above.

Projects to be delivered during life of plan

Task no.	Task description	Task outcome
VM1.1	Repeat National Visitor Survey in 2014/15.	Achieved
VM1.2	Collate data from all people counters and update quarterly reporting.	Achieved
VM1.3	Submit visitor numbers to national visitor census.	Achieved
VM1.4	Improve the sense of welcome at the Waterside entrance by providing shelter for education groups and other users at the edge of the plantation by the end of 2013-14. Provide interpretation for the shelter focused on the natural heritage features of the reserve by the end of 2014-15.	Achieved
VM1.5	Restructure the plantation between the car park and shelter to create a more open and welcoming access to the reserve with a clear route marked to guide visitors towards the shelter and interpretation by the end of 2013-14.	Achieved
VM1.6	Upgrade the track from Waterside to the reserve entrance by the end of 2013-14.	Achieved
VM1.7	Landscape the area at the grassy knoll providing a parking area for fisherman, rerouting the path, providing seating and seasonal interpretation by the end of 2013-14.	Achieved
VM1.8	Review the Forvie Centre in 2016 including option appraisal for location, purpose and future use.	Money not approved
VM1.9	Review and update the Visitor Management plan for the reserve in 2017.	Money not approved
VM1.10	Implement outcomes of Forvie Centre review and VMP 2017-2019.	Money not approved
VM1.11	Replace the Forvie Kirk Trail interpretation by the end of 2014-15.	Achieved
VM1.12	Upgrade the access to Waulkmill hide including improving the track surface, adding passing place(s) and resurfacing the parking area by the end of 2013-14.	Achieved
VM1.13	Maintain the waymarked trails in good condition to reduce visitors creating desire lines or braiding paths annually.	Achieved
VM1.14	Minimise disturbance in the estuary by distributing and promoting the Good Practice Guidelines for recreation groups (windsurfing - outwith SOAC as coastal waters, wildfowling - foreshore legislation applies).	Achieved
VM1.15	Ensure the Forvie Centre is open daily in summer and weekdays in winter.	Achieved
VM1.16	Ensure that a proportion of all visitors encounter staff on site through the employment of a seasonal weekend assistant.	Achieved
VM1.17	Offer a minimum of 8 guided walks and events every year.	Achieved
VM1.18	Review and update the information on the NNR website relating to Forvie every 6 months.	Achieved
VM1.19	Use a variety of media to inform people about Forvie and provide up to date information.	Achieved
VM1.20	Review and update the NNR leaflet by the end of 2015-16.	Achieved
VM1.21	Promote Forvie with key audiences. Respond to media requests. Ensure Forvie is marketed within the Aberdeen and North East area.	Achieved
VM1.22	Promote Forvie as part of the coastal series of reserves working with East Grampian Coastal Partnership and Energetica.	Achived
VM1.23	Review provision of waymarked paths and consider any suitable extensions or additions.	Achieved
VM1.24	Manage the heath trail and path to Hackley Bay.	Achieved

Objective evaluation:

A visitor survey was carried out in 2016/17 and the results are shown below. In general, visitor satisfaction was high at nearly 90%. The average group size is 3 and almost a third of groups have children with them.

We also asked about the types of visit and how often people come as set out in the charts below. This helps with identifying whether visitors are local or tourists and how often they come to the reserve.

Data from people counters is collected monthly and submitted to the Moffat Centre national census. Visitor numbers are shown below. The peak of over 60K visitors was a post-COVID lockdown surge in numbers as people returned to the countryside. Visitor numbers from 2021 until the first part of 2023 were under-recorded, as ageing people-counter equipment became increasingly unreliable. All counter equipment was replaced in May 2023, and visitor recording from this point forward should be more accurate. Data from the new counters would suggest that numbers have been under-recorded in the past (e.g. by footfall counters freezing) and that actual numbers are higher than previously thought.

VMPs 1.4 -1.7 were achieved. Waterside car park was resurfaced and new signage installed, while the education shelter (the Hub) was completed in 2014. This is used by groups visiting the reserve and by day visitors. The track onto the reserve via Waterside Wood was resurfaced and parking created in the shelter belt downstream from Waterside.

VMPs 1.8-1.10 were not achieved. This formed part of a package to potentially look at re-locating or redesigning the visitor centre. As the financial climate was tight at the time, money was not approved for an options appraisal.

The interpretation at Forvie Kirk was upgraded, along with that on the wider Dune Trail. This takes the form panels inserted into fish-box style supports. These have received a lot of positive feedback from the public and, due to their low profile, are not visually intrusive in the landscape.

The track to Waulkmill bird hide was resurfaced and a passing place created. Recently, CCTV cameras have been installed at the bird hide in response to anti-social behaviour.

Maintaining trails in good condition is an ongoing task. Many desire lines developed during COVID as locals walking on the reserve daily got bored of usual routes, or actively tried to avoid other people. Much of the Heath trail has been surfaced during the period of the plan, but other unsurfaced sections of the Heath trail will need to be reviewed due to flooding, to ensure there is a sustainable path route here in the long term. Sections of the coastal path have been surfaced in response to erosion from footfall and this work is ongoing. (VMPs 1.12,1,13, 1.23 and 1.24).

Disturbance on the estuary is managed through the provision of Local Access Guidelines (LAG) (e.g. signage for windsurfers at Inches Point, seasonal breeding bird signage) and liaison with the local wildfowling group. As mentioned in the previous section, disturbance to seals has become an issue and we have created LAG signage (alongside the Marine Wildlife Watching Code) to inform visitor of the best way to watch seals without disturbance. This is an ongoing process and will be subject to review as the situation evolves. There may also be a need for monitoring of disturbance on the wider estuary and reserve, as dog ownership appears to have increased and many disturbance issues are related to uncontrolled dogs.

The Forvie centre is generally open daily April – Christmas, although low staff numbers means there is the occasional day now and then when it remains closed.

Our events programme is generally well-attended, especially by locals, and helps promote links with the local community. There was a hiatus in the events programme around COVID, when groups could not gather, but this target was met during the other years of the plan. 3561 people were noted to have attended events here during the period of the plan.

Social media around the reserve has developed significantly during the plan period. Our webpage is managed centrally and updated as needed, including with forthcoming events. Our Facebook page has 2400 followers, and our blog was viewed over 11,000 times last year. This gives us the opportunity to reach an audience much wider than the local area and allows us to tell ‘stories’ about the reserve and what we do – which, in turn, helps people feel engaged with the site. We have had lots of really positive feedback about the blog from locals and visitors alike – the stories we tell help people feel ‘involved’ in the reserve.

The NNR leaflet has been updated to reflect the current corporate standards. This information is also available on our web page and it is increasingly likely we will move to electronic-based media in the future.

We work closely with our Communications Team to respond to any media requests. Recently, Forvie has featured on ‘Grand Tours of Scotland’s Rivers’ and we have had several media requests and interviews associated with HPAI. We have supplied leaflets to local tourist information offices in the past but many of these have closed as information has moved on-line.

We continue to work with East Grampian Coastal Partnership (EGCP) on beach cleans and other joint awareness-raising activities. We distribute the Energetica Walking and Wildlife leaflet from the visitor centre.

Objective VM2: Provide a range of opportunities on the reserve for educational groups.

Projects to be delivered during life of plan

Task no.	Task description	Task outcome
VM 2.1	Support at least 8 secondary to tertiary education groups per year.	Partly achieved
VM 2.2	Hold an in-service day or twilight session for teachers at Forvie every 2 years (if demand is there).	Achieved
VM 2.3	Develop a 'Teaching in Nature' project for the cluster of schools within close proximity to Forvie by end of 2013-16.	Achieved
VM 2.4	Employ contractors to support reserve staff in delivering education every year.	Partly achieved
VM 2.5	Support at least one Higher/Advanced Higher or honours student project every year.	Achieved

Objective evaluation:

Over the course of the plan, we have supported visits by 60 pre-schoolers, 884 primary school pupils, 1247 secondary school pupils and 1361 tertiary education students.

The prescriptive targets set here of 8 school groups per year haven’t been achieved over the lifetime of the plan. However, we accommodate and facilitate education groups wherever possible. No groups came out in 2020 due to COVID and these didn’t really start up again until 2022. School transport costs increasingly restrict school visits, especially primary schools, and we are seeing fewer, larger groups brought to the NNR. We continue to maintain strong links with local university groups (Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University (RGU), Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)) and regularly support groups undertaking conservation, life sciences or planning and development courses. We continue to do our best to support student projects where they fit in with our ongoing management obligations and research needs, but we are not able to support all projects and especially where they might impact negatively upon the NNRs designated species or habitats.

We have held sessions for teachers through in-service days and teaching in nature. Unfortunately, these never really gained any momentum, and demand for these was low and follow-up visits by schools were few. Alongside the RSPB, we did support employment of a teaching assistant to deliver group visits, but this ended when the RSPB centralised their effort on their own reserves. It was not then cost-effective for us to employ a teaching assistant due to the low level of group visits.

Objective VM3: Engage with wider community and support volunteering.

Projects to be delivered during life of plan

Task no.	Task desription	Task outcome
VM3.1	Hold two Forvie Advisory panel meetings (March and September) per year.	Achieved
VM3.2	Engage up to 4 regular seasonal volunteers to monitor species and/or carry out estate task every year.	Achieved
VM3.3	Organise 2 beach cleans open to the public to volunteer every year.	Achieved
VM3.4	Engage with community and volunteer groups to undertake tasks on the reserve each year.	Achieved

Objective evaluation:

The Forvie liaison panel meetings have been held twice annually except for the time around COVID. The Panel continue to provide good stakeholder feedback to the reserve.

There are currently 8 long-term volunteers who help out at Forvie, often on an ad-hoc basis, but also with planned activities like putting up the predator-proof fence at the ternery.  Other groups who volunteer here have included the Aberdeen University Conservation Society and Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) volunteers. Over 1000 volunteer days (1017) have been logged over the period of the plan.

Except for around COVID time, a minimum of two beach cleans are held here every year. We work in partnership with the East Grampian Coastal Partnership (EGCP) on these and are grateful for their input.

Management for Property

Objective PM1: To carry out estate management and maintenance works following best practice.

Projects to be delivered during life of plan

Task no.	Task description	Task outcome
PM1.1	Ensure legal responsibilities of owners of scheduled monument sites within the NNR are adhered to.	Achieved
PM1.2	Operating costs - utilities, office costs, materials, equipment and repairs. Electrical testing, septic tank, wheelie bin, security, stationery, postage.	Achieved
PM1.3	Property Section planned maintenance includes: Forvie Centre car park repairs in 2015, 2017. Forvie Centre carpet replaced in 2016. Forvie Centre windows replaced in 2021. Forvie centre heating replaced 2017.	Achieved
PM1.4	Maintain drainage from neighbouring land.	Achieved
PM1.5	Maintain boundary fences and shared access.	Achieved
PM1.6	Maintain vehicles and equipment.	Achieved
PM1.8	Ensure 5-year testing of hard wiring.	Achieved
PM1.9	Purchase additional land around visitor centre.	Achieved
PM1.10	Service wind turbine annually.	Achieved

Objective evaluation:

Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) regulations have been adhered to. We have had a watching brief from the Aberdeenshire Council archaeologist whenever work has been carried out around the SAM (mostly at Forvie Kirk). The new interpretation at Forvie Kirk sits on the ground surface, so does not require any digging and is less intrusive to the SAM.

Most of the rest of the targets here are ongoing annual maintenance and/or mandatory payment of utilities. We maintain drainage at Cotehill Loch and contribute towards fencing on the NNR boundary. We carry out monthly vehicle checks and book these into the garage as required for repair, MOT and servicing. The wind turbine is serviced annually and NatureScot’s Property section leads on many of the infrastructure projects on the buildings here – for example when new insulation and carpeting were installed in 2022.

Summary

Overall, most of the objectives set out in the management plan have been met.

We have allowed the site to develop naturally and have protected the nationally and internationally important tern and gull colony. The protection of the tern and gull colony here has made it virtually the only undisturbed nesting site in North-east Scotland and the only nesting site for many of the species between Montrose and Spey Bay.

Our monitoring of all the birds on site (breeding seabirds and wintering waterfowl) feeds into national databases, which in turn can be used to establish population trends for the various bird species. This has become increasingly important as the challenges facing seabirds have increased due to climate change and HPAI. It has also highlighted the need for flexibility and adaption in our work and in the planning process – e.g. for eiders, whose distribution has changed completely over the period of the plan. This objective was largely delivered by seasonal staff who maintained fencing and liaised with the public at weekends and (along with managing visitors in relation to the seals). Volunteers have contributed significantly to the reserve, and this ongoing contribution is highly valued by the organisation.

We have contributed to local biodiversity monitoring and have responded to the evolving situation with the seals, where their numbers increased and the haul-out was designated during this management plan period. Seasonal staff hours have been extended to cover the pupping season and we will need to keep our management of people in relation to the seal haul-out under review.

Most of our on-site visitor management objectives have been met. Path maintenance and upgrade is ongoing and we have invested significantly in ‘future-proofing’ our paths by providing high-quality surfaced routes. There will be a need continue with this in the next planning cycle.

Construction of the ‘Hub’ has provided us with a venue to host outdoor groups at Waterside, and the upgrade of the car park there has provided a good quality arrival point for visitors. This and the classroom at the visitor centre are our main venues for education on the reserve.

One major objective we have not been able to take forward is the redevelopment of the visitor centre.  In view of the biodiversity crisis we are facing, we have prioritised investing money and staff time out on-site, to help and monitor wildlife and manage visitors. While it remains desirable to modernise the visitor centre to improve the visitor experience, it will require significant investment and this will need to be planned and budgeted well in advance.

The way ahead

Our next steps are to draft a new ten-year management plan for the reserve, taking account of what we have learnt from our past management, and what we still need to continue with to ensure we fulfil our vision for Forvie NNR.

Document properties

Author: Catriona Reid
Editor: Neil Mitchell
Approved by: Alan Monk
Date: 30^th January 2024