Camping and caves at Bagh an Da Dhoruis

Wow! What a trip this was! Two days away from toil and trouble; days when you have to pinch yourself to know you're still human and living on earth and not on some amazing Paradise. Of course, Islay can be utopian, or almost (there are always midges and clegs and tics to remind us of its earthly status). Those aside, however, and you're left with something so idyllic you want to invent a new word for the occasion. Walking from Bunnahabhain northwards and inland, we descended very steeply to the beautiful Bagh an Da Dhoruis where the sunshine and clegs welcomed us and the caves beckoned. Armed with a good torch and the gung ho attitude of our youngest two members, we set off to explore Islay's inner core. The intrepid need not read on. It was a belly crawling experience in parts with the wonder of stalactites and stalagmites, spiders, dead goats and cave pools bathed in sunshine. We went in about 200 metres to the rear of the cave's chamber where you could stand up in complete darkness and be afraid - very afraid! We emerged from the cave's birth canal onto sun-kissed sand and sea, gathered wood and had a banana BBQ before hitting the pillow. Of course we saw lots of flora and fauna en route:

FLORA
Cross-leaved Heath, Bell Heather, Bog Asphodel, Tormentil, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Heath-spotted Orchid, Wild Thyme, Thrift, Sea Campion, Flag Iris, Milkwort, Lesser Spearwort, Meadow Buttercup, Bog Myrtle, Self-heal, White Clover, Red Clover, Bracken, Marsh Bedstraw, Eyebright, Marsh Thistle, Creeping Thistle, Spear Thistle, Common Nettle, Common Cottongrass, Round-leaved Sundew, Butterwort, Foxglove, Bilberry, Wild Strawberry, St John's Wort sp

BIRDS
Pheasant, yellowhammer, Redpoll, Blackbird, Wren, Stonechat, Whinchat, Whitethroat, Common Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Shag, Kestrel, Peregrine, Buzzard, Grey Heron, Black Guillemot, Fulmar, Gannet, Swallow, Arctic Tern, Hooded Crow, Cuckoo

MAMMALS AND AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES
Grey Seal, Red Deer, Common Frog, Common Lizard, Rabbit

INVERTEBRATES
Sea Gooseberries, Dung Beetle, Large Heath, Small Heath, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Small Copper, Ringlet, Peacock caterpillars, Forester Moth, Elephant Hawk Moth, Emperor Moth (caterpillars), Green Tiger Beetle, Carabus glabratus, Golden-ringed Dragonfly, Large Red Damselfly, Pond Skaters, mating Bumble bee sp

A fantastic trip!
Becky

Bagh an Da Dhoruis

Emperor Moth caterpillar - final instar

Forester Moth

Golden-ringed Dragonfly

Mating Bumble Bees

Peacock caterpillars

Sun-kissed sand

Whinchat

Into the grim grotto!

Golden-ringed Dragonfly Exuvia

I found this on our ever so slow ramble down Glen Astle the other day. I'm pretty sure it's the nymph case (or exuvia) of a Golden-ringed Dragonfly and quite an unusual find.
Becky

Storakaig to An Cladach

In glorious weather Lorna and I walked from Storakaig to An Cladach bothy via Gleann Choireadail and back to Storakaig via Gleann Logain on Saturday. It was a fantastic walk with lots of wildlife, though few birds. Highlights of the day were the otter, adders and dragonflies. Here's our list:

BIRDS
Twite, Rock Pipit, Raven, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Gannet, Cormorant, Red-throated Diver, Linnet, Rock Dove, Stonechat

INSECTS AND SPIDERS
Small Copper, Meadow Brown, Dark Green Fritillary, Common Hawker, Black Darter, Golden-ringed Dragonfly, 4spot Orb Weaver Spider, Wolf Spider, Craneflies, Pond Skater, Whirlygig Beetle, Common Green Grasshopper, Harvestmen, Dor Beetle

REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS AND MAMMALS
Adder, Common Frog, , Common Lizard, Otter

FLORA
Skullcap, Devil's-bit Scabious, Cross-leaved Heath, Hawkbit, Bell Heather, Marsh Thistle, Heather, Marsh Lousewort, Long-leaved Sundew, Round-leaved Sundew, Butterwort, Spear Thistle, Creeping Thistle, Eyebright, Milkwort, Bracken, Heath-spotted Orchid, Tormentil, Rowan, Common Nettle, Bramble, Bilberry, Bog Myrtle, Cotton Grass, Juncus sp.

Four-spotted Orb Weaver Spider

Black Darter (male) - obelisk position - tail raised (to allow air to circulate better round the body and thus cool down on a hot day)

Common Hawker - male

Common Green Grasshopper

Furrow Spider -  larinioides cornutus

Golden-ringed Dragonfly ovipositing

The moorland pool where we saw all the dragonflies

Nature Ramble, Killinallan

We had six people for our ramble today and, as we watched the sun shine over at Ardnave, we willed it over our way to entice the butterflies, but, predictably, the sun came out just as we went in! Still, we got a very good list, the highlight for most people being the Golden-ringed Dragonfly which had just emerged from its exuvia. (Thanks Scott!) It was also delightful to see the Pyramidal Orchids just beginning to flower. The challenge for the next visit is to find the Frog Orchids! Thanks everyone for your contributions. Keep them coming in, nature ramble or no nature ramble! Let me know if I've missed anything out!
Becky

BIRDS
Great-black-backed Gull, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Buzzard, Eider, Rock Dove, Pied Wagtail, Raven

FLORA
Meadow Buttercup, Tormentil, Silverweed, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Lesser Meadow Rue, Pyramidal Orchid, Heath-spotted Orchid, Northern Marsh Orchid, Germander Speedwell, Heath Speedwell, Heath Bedstraw, Lady's Bedstraw, Daisy, Marsh Thistle, Creeping Thistle, Sea Milkwort, Sea Plantain, Sea Arrowroot, Thrift, Yellow Flag, Water Mint, Marsh Horsetail, Marsh Pennywort, Marsh Lousewort, Lousewort, Burnet Rose, Black Bog Rush, Heath Milkwort, Bog Myrtle, Cat's-Ear, Eyebright, Fairy Flax, Curled Dock, White Clover, Bracken, Wild Thyme, Common Nettle, White Clover, Cuckoo Flower, Marsh Marigold, Ragged Robin, Meadowsweet, Yorkshire Fog, Common Rush, Tufted Vetch, Marram Grass, Goat Willow, Common Scurvy Grass

INSECTS
Golden-ringed Dragonfly (and exuvia), Large Red Damselfly, Meadow Grasshopper, Meromyza pratorum (probably), Bracken Chafer, Six-spot Burnet, Small Heath, Green-veined White



LICHENS AND FUNGI
Xanthoria parietina, Lecanora gangloides, Ramalina sp.,

MAMMALS AND AMPHIBIANS AND SHORE CREATURES
Grey Seal, Common Frog, Shore Crab, Rough Periwinkle, Acorn Barnacle, Common Limpet

Meromyza pratorum

Bracken Chafer

Six-spot Burnet

Golden-ringed Dragonfly and its exuvia

A dragon(fly)

A head-on view of a Golden-ringed Dragonfly which let me take its portrait before flying away. Try clicking on it to enlarge it. It's quite frightening!
Malcolm

Isi's Golden-ringed Dragonfly Video

Five year old Isi was so excited about showing me this video she had made with her dad at the River Laggan. They came across the dragonfly just after it had hatched and it was reluctant to fly in the cold wind.
Thanks for sharing this with us Isi! The video is best viewed as it is, on the small screen.
Becky

Golden-ringed Dragonfly and a 'real' fence post

Everyone's sending me photos of fence posts and I love it! Thanks to local member Peter Roberts for this one and the scary Golden-ringed Dragonfly photo. Great to see a head-on photo like this! Thanks Peter and Pia!

The British Dragonfly Society

The aim of the British Dragonfly Society is to promote and encourage the study and conservation of dragonflies and their natural habitats, especially in the United Kingdom.

Dragonfly Society

Cordulegaster boltonii - Golden-ringed Dragonfly - photographed at Lorgba in June 2006 by Jan