The Sgurr - a day stolen from spring

On yet another one of spring's rare gifts to Islay residents and tourists, Fiona MacGillivray and I set off on a walk through blanket bog east of Glenegedale and up the Sgurr. It was mainly a reccy for Fiona's forthcoming survey work for Islay Energy Trust. Wow! What a day! The Golden Plover are returning to their breeding grounds and the lichen are, well, doing what they do all year round to be honest, but we enjoyed this day of days - slipping and sliding (and sometimes falling!) our way across bog and moor. The clouds were just fantastic - cumulus and cirrus for those who thought my cloud interest was just a passing phase! Come on spring, give us more days like this!
Becky

Fiona on the Sgurr

Various Cladonia spp

Fir Club Moss - Huperzia selago

Flock of Golden Plover

Hen Harrier pellet (probably)

The Sgurr

Seashell Workshop

Fiona MacGillivray provided an excellent seashell workshop at the Centre yesterday afternoon. She gave a very informative talk about the seashells of Islay (she has found 110 species on our shores), providing easy (ish) tips of how to distinguish between similar species. Fiona had brought with her an impressive display of all her finds, all labelled, and we were able to look at them closely through the hand lens and microscopes. Sybil couldn't wait to get into the laboratory to find her own stuff so we sifted through some sand and gravel to find some tiny specimens of nut shells, trough shells and needle whelks. Thanks Fiona for making seashell identification more accessible. We look forward to the book!
Becky

Fiona's sketches of the underside of various bivalves

Part of the bivalve display

Sybil was first in the queue for the 'hands-on' activity

Seashell Workshop - Sunday 4th September

Seashell Workshop

Do you enjoy a walk on the beach? Do you find you can’t resist collecting seashells? Do you wonder what they all are?

I have been inspired since working on the display of shells at the Islay Natural History Trust (INHT) visitor centre many years ago to build up a collection of shells, most gathered from Islay.  So far I have recorded just over 110 species from Islay’s beaches and 129 in total from across the UK.  These range from the big Iceland Cyprina (up to 12 cm) which can live up to 100 years, the small but beautifully ornate Pheasant Shell to the tiny yet common Turtonia minuta (barely 2mm) which you probably unknowingly are walking all over, mixed up in the sand under your feet. 

I will be running a workshop and short talk at the Islay Natural History Trust centre on Sunday 4^th September from 2-4pm (donations welcome). If you have an interest and would like to learn about some of the shells you have found anywhere in Britain, bring them along and get some tips on identification techniques. There’ll also be an opportunity to use microscopes and the chance to get your hands stuck in shell-sand. We’ll be looking at other beachcombing finds too – so bring along your other strandline treasures as well.

Why not go beachcombing at your leisure sometime before and bring along your specimens?

If you have a collection of your own from Islay or further a field then please do get in touch (seashells@green-bug-productions.co.uk).  I would very much like to compare specimens and see if you have species missing from my list.  I am looking at photographing as many species as possible of all qualities, as a representation of all conditions likely to be found which will help aid identification. 

Fiona MacGillivray