Nature Ramble at Sanaigmore

Just four of us enjoyed a leisurely ramble down to the beach and then over the burn to the east and onto the area of flat wet ground over the burn.  We were hoping to find a Marsh Fritillary, but no luck today, the Lepidoptera were confined to a number of Small Heath butterflies and a newly emerged Cinnabar moth.

The list of flora was:  Thrift, Forget-me-not, Carnation sedge, Birds-foot trefoil, Yellow flag, Monkey flower, Silverweed, Marsh marigold, Meadow buttercup, Daisy, Hemlock water dropwort, Watercress, Sea Rocket, Sea dock, Sea mouse ear, Ragwort, Butterbur, Sea purslane, Marram grass, Lady's bedstraw, Bell heather, Bog asphodel, Deer grass, White clover, Common sorrell, Shepherd's purse, Small-leaved cranesbill, Dog violet, Common speedwell, Eyebright sp., Ragged robin, Lady's smock, Water mint, Star sedge, Pennywort, Meadowsweet, Water stitchwort, Wild thyme, Foxglove, marsh thistle, Heath spotted orchid, Lousewort, Tormentil, Heath bedstraw, Sea sandwort.

We also found Hard fern, Lady fern and Royal fern, plus at least three lichens that we would need Becky to identify....

Our only mammals were rabbits, and birds were hard work but we did see Sand martin, Wheatear, Meadow pipit, Oystercatcher, Pied wagtail, Skylark, Ringed plover, Common sandpiper, Linnet, Jackdaw, Herring gull, Common gull, Great black backed gull, Lapwing, Dunnock, Rock dove, Shag, Swallow and Raven.

We also found this snail which I would suggest is Trichia striolata - the Strawberry snail

A ventral view - just to be good...  :-)