Wet days are great for lichens!

Something to cheer us all up today; Martin sent me two lichen photos from Lochgilphead which reminded me that this wet stuff is appreciated by some living organisms, if not all. The first species is abundant on Islay, but I'm not sure of the second. Both species grow on trees annd the first one is also known as Lungwort (hence its scientific name). I wasn't sure sure of the identification of the second one so sent it to one of the lichenologists who were here in May. I paste his reply to my query here:

"both are Lobaria.
As you say, the first one is Lobaria pulmonaria.
The second is Lobaria scrobiculata. Usually it is more of a brown-grey colour, but when very damp it goes slate-blue, as in the photograph. The network of sharp ridges over the surface is, however, pretty much diagnostic (of this and L. pulmonaria).
In Lobaria pulmonaria, the algal partner is a green alga (Chlorophyta), and so the lichen remains green when wet.


In L. scrobiculata, the "algal" partner is a blue-green alga (Cyanobacteria), and the blue pigment shows through when the lichen is wet."

Thanks for sending the photos Martin!
Becky

Lobaria pulmonaria

Lobaria scrobiculata

Barnacle Geese - Loch Indaal

The village of Bruichladdich is in the background

A brace of Grey-lags

The Grey-lag goose population on Islay has risen very considerably in recent years and they are increasingly being targeted by farmers trying to protect their crops.  We are now well into the shooting season for the species.  I understand that most Greylags are shot on Islay using rifles, which have a much greater range than shotguns.
These two are about to have their large breasts removed.  They will be marinaded and flash fried after being sliced very thinly.  Grey-lag breasts have much more fat on them than those from Barnacle geese.
Carl

Common Scoter displaying - George Jackson

Two unusual shots of Common Scoter displaying close to the shore in Loch Indaal by George Jackson.  many thanks George....

Easyfundraising for the INHT at Christmas

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/how-it-works/

Hello everyone...

We hope that you will follow the link above and help raise funds for the Islay Natural History Trust while you are shopping on-line, at absolutely no cost to you.  When you click through Easyfundraising to a retailer's website and purchase something on-line then the retailer makes a small donation to  the Trust.  It really couldn't be easier. 
A large number of well-known retailers are part of the scheme, M&S, eBay, Vodafone, John Lewis, Boden, Groupon, Tesco, the National Lottery, GAP, Bank of Scotland  etc. etc etc.

Imagine how much more fun buying all those Christmas presents would be knowing that you are raising money for your favourite Natural History Trust...

Hope you can help...
Best regards
Carl Reavey

The incomparable Saligo Bay

Taken yesterday evening.  Yesterday was a lovely clear day.  Today is rather different...  :-(
Carl

Loch Indaal Lighthouse and the Paps

It has been a while since I posted a gratuitous photo of my favourite view, so, as it was a nice day, I climbed off the bike for long enough to grab this snap - Carl  :-)

Walk by Torra River

This lovely fencepost made up for a distinct lack of bird life on a very boggy walk along the Torra River on Sunday - the highlight being an unexpected and tantalising glimpse of a Dipper flying upstream. With the lack of anything happening above our heads, and the need to watch where every footstep was going, all heads were down and we noticed this disgusting stuff. Is it poo/vomit/slime mould? Any ideas?
Becky

Squelchy stuff - 1

Squelchy stuff - 2 (with lovely Cladonia lichen)

Jura Hills

Small Isles Bay on Jura from above Keils.  We saw lots of Red deer up here, and even more when we were travelling to and from the ferry at Feolin after dark when herds appeared to be feeding on seaweeds on the shoreline.



There were, as ever, plenty of the ubiquitous Fox moth caterpillars



Cemetery at Keils on Jura



The cemetery outside Craighouse near the crofting community of Keils has graves dating back to the medieval period right through to the present day.  The 'building' in the centre of the picture is a Campbell mausoleum.



This is a Medieval grave slab

Ragwort was still flowering, just, next to the burn flowing past the cemetery.  There was no sign here either of the Grey wagtails that used to grace these burns.  I have not seen a Grey wagtail on Islay or Jura since the big freeze last winter.

Human effluent on remote Jura beaches

The amount of human detritus on the Jura beaches and the associated littoral was depressing.  The vast majority of it would presumably have been washed up from the sea.

The island of Jura

Corran Sands on the island of Jura yesterday

Large amounts of kelp had been thwon up onto the beach at Corran Sands, which was full of flies and other small invertebrates.  These were being fed on by small parties of waders such as these Ringed plover and Dunlin, but also large numbers of Rock pipits.

Beetlemania

Crystal Maw's talk last night was disgustingly brilliant. It was the stuff horror movies are made of, but we all relished every moment as we watched  tiny creatures demolishing life forms twenty times their size. These diminutive animals may have tiny brains, but they sure are clever and the way they care for their young is amazing.

Crystal encouraged us to take a look at the charity Bug Life and specifically to get involved in the Oil Beetle Survey on Islay. These creatures may turn up on Islay, having hitched a ride from a bee, so take a look and think about getting involved.

Thanks Crystal for a wonderful talk (I for one didn't have any nightmares - yet!)

Becky

http://www.buglife.org.uk/getinvolved/surveys/Oil+Beetle+Hunt/Oil+Beetle+Hunt+-+How+to+take+part

Foliose Lichens

It's one of those days again and I thought I'd rummage through my lichen photos to bring you more lichen joy!

These are foliose lichens - that means they can be peeled from their substrate (although obviously we would never do that!) and they're kind of leafy. I'm pretty sure of the identification of all of them, but am prepared to be corrected . . . Just look at the different colours!
Becky

Anaptychia runcinata - This beautiful bronze-coloured lichen turns green when wet.

On a stone at Ardnave - Physcia adscendens (white) amongst Xanthoria parietina (yellow). This beautiful lichen has 'eyelashes' or cilia visible through a hand lens. The Xanthoria is plentiful round Islay's coasts.

Physconia distorta (I think) with Physcia adscendens - on fence at Gruinart

Melanelixia subaurifera (I think) - same fence at Gruinart

Arran Black Grouse Group

http://www.arranblackgrouse.com/

Dogfish and Fox Moth Caterpillar - Nyree Fearnley

Lesser Spotted Dogfish

Fox Moth Caterpillar

Thanks to Nyree Fearnley for these shots taken while on holiday to Islay recently...
Carl

Moths in November

Having not run the moth trap once in October - high winds and especially lots of rain are not conducive to trapping - I did so last night and caught a grand total of 2 moths. The first one is a Turnip Moth, the first record since 1983 - there were also records in 1972 and 1973 - and it wouldn't sit still to be photographed hence the slight blurring. The second one is a plume moth of which there are several different species. I am reasonably confident this one is Emmelina monodactyla which doesn't have a vernacular name. I've asked an expert to confirm it for me and to let me know if he knows of past Islay records. [Later: the species is confirmed and it appears it may be an Islay first.] As it is common and widespread in Britain, it is slightly surprising it hasn't been recorded here before.
Malcolm

Turnip Moth

Plume moth Emmelina monodactyla

Beetlemania - Crystal Maw to give our next talk

Crustose Lichens

With a broken camera and not much sunshine (except for today when I was tidying my shed!) I decided it was time to post some lichen photos on here. During the nature rambles this year I found myself almost apologising for diverting everyone from the bigger, more 'in your face' flora and fauna in order to study the unassuming but bountiful lichens adorning fenceposts, boulders and stone walls. To my delight I discovered that, far from being bored, most people actually seemed to thoroughly enjoy this diversion (either that or they were good at feigning an interest!) Now I am far from being an expert, but I'm going to post some crustose lichen photos here. These are the type that are kind of 'glued' to their substrate.
Becky

Haematomma ochroleucum (with immature red apothecia (fruiting bodies)

Rhizocarpon reductum

Lecanora campestris

Ochrolechia parella or 'Fish-eye' Lichen

Whooper Swans At Cruach - Dave Protherough

Or more properly Dave's Mum and Dad were here a couple of weeks ago and took this top sequence of  our largest passage migrants feeding near Cruach.  Many thanks to them for these lovely shots...