Friday 15 July 2011

Flora and fauna Ardnave 15th July 2011

Hurray! Another ramble - nine of us today. The rain which came as predicted (thanks, Malcolm) did not dampen our spirits - well, not too much anyway!
We chose a different route today because of the news of the Rose-coloured Starling here yesterday (see Islay bird blog) and joined with a few local birders who were grouped together near the farmhouse. George was the only one fortunate enough to catch a fleeting glimpse of this rare visitor - but that's enough for us to be able to add it to our list:

BIRDS
Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Redshank, Snipe, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Hen Harrier (f.), Starling, Rose-coloured Starling, Skylark, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Sand Martin, Swallow, Song Thrush, Wren, Blackbird, House Sparrow

LICHEN
Foliose
Anaptychia runsinata(bronzey-brown when dry, green when wet), Physcia adscendens (very old specimen on rock - with 'eyelashes')
Crustose
Xanthoria parietina (yellow one), Lecanora sp.,(white with black 'jam tarts'), Rhizocarpon geographicum (bright green one), Caloplaca crenularia (orange dots on rock)

INSECTS
Small Tortoiseshell butterfly

FLORA
Foxglove, Purple Loosestrife, English Stonecrop, Mouse-ear Chickweed, Mouse-ear sp., Forget-me-not sp., Common Milkwort, Heath-spotted Orchid, Cross-leaved Heath, Heather, Iris, Water Cress, Lousewort, Wild Thyme, Self-heal, Meadow Vetchling, Meadow Buttercup, Lesser Spearwort, Lesser Burdock, Marsh Thistle, Creeping Thistle, Spear Thistle, Cuckoo Flower, Marsh Marigold, Silverweed, Tormentil, White Clover, Red Clover, Bog Asphodel, Lesser Trefoil, Daisy, Eyebright, Ragged Robin, Bramble, Gorse, Common Cottongrass, Bog Pimpernel, Meadowsweet, Sheep's Sorrel, Common Sorrel, Curled Dock, Yorkshire Fog, Ragwort, Marsh Ragwort, Fool's Watercress, Redshank, Common Hogweed

MAMMALS
Rabbits

No photos today due to weather so I thought I'd grab the opportunity to post some lichen photos for the enthusiasts amongst us!

Anaptychia runsinata (brown when dry, green when wet)

Caloplaca crenularia

Xanthoria parietina (yellow)  and Physcia adscendens

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