Dubh Lochs
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Slavonian grebe (Podiceps auritus), breeding | Favourable | — | 2005-03-31 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Peat habitats store centuries of carbon and depend on a stable, waterlogged water table. Warmer, drier summers dry out peat, making it far more vulnerable to wildfire and to carbon release — a pressure that can undo years of restoration work regardless of how well the site is otherwise managed.
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Peatland / Mire
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| Slavonian grebe | Breeding |
Description
Dubh Lochs The site consists of two small moorland lochs at 390 m that lie on a broad ridge approximately 2.5 km south-east of Balnain in Glen Urquhart. The site is of special nature conservation importance by virtue of supporting a nationally important breeding population of Slavonian grebes Podiceps auritus. The birds occupying this site have regularly reared two young since 2005, emphasising the quality of the site. Each loch supports a natural aquatic plant community dominated by bogbean Menyanthes trifoliata and white water lily Nymphaea alba. Around the edges of the lochs there are extensive beds of bottle sedge Carex rostrata which are important nesting habitat for the Slavonian grebes. The land surrounding the lochs is a diverse mosaic of wet and dry heath and mire communities.
Species mentioned
Show the 4 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slavonian grebe | Podiceps auritus | NT (NonBreeding), CR (Breeding) | bird-grebe | podicipedidae |
| bogbean | Menyanthes trifoliata | LC | herb | manyanthaceae |
| white water-lily | Nymphaea alba | LC | herb | nymphaeaceae |
| mire bottle sedge | Carex rostrata | LC | sedge | cyperaceae |