Sornasairidh from Ballachlaven

Lorna and I enjoyed a long walk in the spring sunshine across bog and tussocks and heather from Ballachlaven farm to the lovely ruin of Sornasairidh. It was 8 miles altogether and we saw 15 lizards, 4 ruins, 5 Golden Eagles, 1 Buzzard, 1 dun and 0 clouds!
Becky

Carabus glabratus

Clach an Tiompan

Cladonia sp

Drinker Moth caterpillar

Golden Eagles

Emperor Moth - female

Common Lizard

Red Deer hinds

Sornasairidh ruin

An Carn, lost village on Jura

On my last day on Jura we visited the ruined village of An Carn. It's a long way from anywhere - 4 miles from Barnhill and about 20 from Craighouse. Park at the road end and head across tussocks, scrubby woodland and bog to the coast. You will be rewarded for your exertion, as we were, with fine views of the Sound of Jura and a poignant reminder of life gone by in the form of several ruined houses and some excellent cup marked rocks. It was a day full of both social and natural history. What a wonderful place Jura is!
Becky

An Carn village, Jura

Cup-marked Rock, An Carn

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, An Carn

Pregnant Lizard

Reed Bunting

Scaly Male Fern  (Dryopteris affinis) at An Carn

Forester Moth (Adscita statices)

Nature Ramble at Killinallan 17th June 2013

What a fantastic ramble! There were seven ramblers out enjoying the sunshine with the Grey Seals at Killinallan today and we were rewarded with the most obliging Common Lizard ever, which ended its 5 minute long display by starting to run up Riona's leg, much to our amusement! She said she wouldn't have been as calm if it had been an adder! Malcolm also showed us Adder's Tongue Fern, a diminutive member of the fern family and a new species for me and we saw the first ever nature ramble Marsh Fritillary. Birds, there were few, but there was enough to look at besides - oh, and the beautiful Burnet Rose was in bloom too. Thanks for coming everyone! I have a hopeful feeling I've left something out of the lists and that someone will notice!
Becky

Adder's Tongue Fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum) named after a belief that its similarity to a snake’s tongue meant it could be used as an antidote to snakebite.

Burnet Rose (Rosa pimpinellifolia)

Common Lizard

Ramblers at Killinallan

Sea Spurrey sp.

BIRDS

Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Eider, Herring Gull, Redshank, Wheatear, Skylark, Raven

FLORA

Meadow Buttercup, Burnet Rose, Early Marsh Orchid (subspecies pulchella and coccinea), Heath-spotted Orchid, Sea Spurrey, Sea Plantain, Sea Milkwort, Common Milkwort, Common Butterwort, Adder's Tongue Fern, Pyramidal Orchid, Germander Speedwell, Heath Speedwell, Tormentil, Marsh Marigold, Thrift, Daisy, Bog Myrtle, Cat's Ear, Marsh Thistle, Heath Bedstraw, White Clover, Bracken, Common Twayblade, Cuckoo Flower, Bogbean, Ragged Robin, Iris, Meadowsweet (leaves), Yorkshire Fog, Carnation Sedge, Soft Rush, Fairy Flax, Water Mint, Common Scurvy Grass, Black Bog-rush (Schoenus nigricans), Marsh Lousewort, Common Sedge, Star Sedge, Common Cottongrass, Common Spike-rush, Water Horsetail

INSECTS

Small Heath, Marsh Fritillary, unknown beetle (awaiting id), Bombus lucorum (White-tailed Bumble Bee), Six-spot Burnet Moth, Dung Flies, Green-veined White, Large Red Damselfly

MAMMALS, REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

Grey Seal, Common Lizard, Common Frog

Common Lizard

Thanks to Vicki and Les from Glenegedale who sent us this photo of a colourful Common Lizard they saw basking in their garden earlier this month.
Becky

Ramble in Bridgend Woods

Lorna and her boyfriend went for a ramble in Bridgend Woods and added to their holiday bird etc list. Here's a few of Mark's photos:

Speckled Wood

Common Lizard

Emperor Moth caterpillar

Common Lizard

Thanks to Jane Dawson for this photo of a Common Lizard taken last month.

Common Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) - Martin Armstrong

Great shot of a common lizard by Martin Armstrong who came across it sunning itself at Saligo