Village wildlife flourishes

Fungi and wildlife are flourishing at a site in Bishopton.

BAE Systems is redeveloping Dargarvel Village, which is the location of the former Royal Ordnance factory.

According to its recent newsletter the company says it is proud of the variety of wildlife, trees and plants it has in Bishopton.

It adds that its eagle-eyed ecologists are always on the lookout for new or rare species appearing on site.

And recently two rare species of fungi were discovered.

The wi l l ow blister, a candidate for the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) Global Fungal Red List on account of its rarity worldwide, was spotted earlier this year, the newsletter said.

This attractive fungus has been seen fewer than 100 times since its discovery in 1801, but since being spotted at Bishopton, other sightings have been recorded in Orkney and around the Clyde area.

BAE Systems ecologists have also spied the Godronia fuliginosa – a miniature cup fungus.

They say this is its first sighting in Scotland and the last recorded in the UK was in the 1950s.

Fungi can be found in abundance around the development, and a second flush of ‘chicken of the woods’ – a fungus common in northern Europe – that is easily identifiable by its bright colour has been spotted.

BAE Systems ecologists have also seen the tree bumblebee on site for the first time.

This was first recorded in Scotland in 2013, but is common across northern Europe and Asia, but had not been seen at Dargavel Village until this summer.

The company was recently awarded the Certificate of Performance Beyond Compliance by the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) for the fourth consecutive year.

On a recent visit by the scheme’s auditors, it awarded an ‘excellent’ score in four of the five categories, and was rated ‘exceptional’ in the ‘ Protecting the Environment’ category.