Ramble at Killinallan, 12th August 2013

Just two for today's ramble and it would appear I arrived five minutes too late because I'd just missed the female hen harrier and, more importantly the juvenile White-tailed Eagle which was fishing on Loch Gruinart prior to my arrival. Just the way it goes I suppose. We nearly missed being rained upon today, but not quite. The wonder of Killinallan is that from May through to September there is a splendid, ever-changing floral carpet. The predominant colour today was blue with a gorgeous array of Devil's-bit Scabious and Harebells adorning the dunes, providing much food for the bumble bees which were also in abundance today - hurray!
Becky

BIRDS
Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Eider, Curlew, Meadow Pipit, Wheatear, Oystercatcher

MAMMALS
Grey Seal

INSECTS
Green-veined White, Dark Green Fritillary, Small Copper, Common Blue, Carabus Clatratus, Tachina Grossa, Common Darter

FLORA
Grass of Parnassus, Black Bog Rush, Self-heal, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Cat's-ear, Eyebright, Spear Thistle, Marsh Thistle, Lady's Bedstraw, Red Clover, Bracken, Wild Thyme, Marsh Pennywort,  Lesser Meadow Rue, Northern Marsh Orchid, Frog Orchid, Field Gentian, Ragged Robin, Iris, Meadowsweet, Yorkshire Fog, Soft Rush, Sea Spurrey, Thrift (only just), Harebell, Tufted Vetch, Fairy Flax, Water Mint,  Marram Grass, Yarrow, Common Knapweed, Devil's-bit Scabious, Burnet Rose, Autumn Gentian, Devil's-bit Scabious, Autumn Gentian

Autumn Gentians

Shaggy Ink-caps

Small Copper

Tachina grossa

Flora and Fauna at Kintra, 22nd August 2011

What a great ramble! There were 9 of us today and we were able to cross the mighty ravine this time. I like it when folk stop and ask me questions - lets me know they're still interested, so thanks to all for their questions and patience and enthusiasm. Here's the list. Look out for the GREAT, BIG FLY (yet another Bumble Bee mimic) and see Carl's previous post. Thanks also to Catriona (I think) for demonstrating how to use a rush for a wick and to Ann and Bill for the geology lesson!
Becky

BIRDS: Cormorant, Shag, Black Guillemot, Eider, Common Gull, Wheatear, Rook, Chough, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Swallow, Twite, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Starling, Raven, Pied Wagtail

FUNGI AND LICHEN: Panaeolus semiovatus (in cow dung), Red Waxcap, Puffball, Xanthoria parietina (yellow on rocks), Anaptychia runsinata (brown seaweed foliose species), Ramalina sp. (on stone), Cladonia portentosa - Reindeer moss (grows in grass), Ochrolechia parella - Fish-eye lichen (white on stone), Parmelia saxatilis (foliose on stone/fence posts), Rhizocarpon geographicum - 'map' lichen (bright green on stone)

FLORA: Red Bartsia, Harebell, Tormentil, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Devil's-bit Scabious, Black Knapweed, Marsh Thistle, Spear Thistle, Creeping Thistle, Dove's-foot Crane's-bill, Marsh Pennywort, Marsh Lousewort, Lady's Bedstraw, Daisy, Meadow Buttercup, Lesser Spearwort, Ivy-leaved Crowfoot, English Stonecrop, Yellow Rattle, Mouse-ear sp., Hawkweed sp., Heather, Cross-leaved Heath, Bell Heather, Common Nettle, Germander Speedwell, Wild Thyme, Bog Myrtle, Common Spiked Rush, Perennial Rye Grass, Yorkshire Fog, Common Cottongrass, Silverweed, White Clover, Red Clover, Curled Dock, Carnation Sedge, Reed, Knotted Pearlwort

INSECTS: Peacock Butterfly, Meadow Brown, Green-veined White, Tacchina grossa, Bombus lucorum (White-tailed Bumble Bee), Bombus pascuorum (Common Carder Bee), Carabus sp., (Ground beetle), Eristalis arbustorum male (hoverfly)

Catriona demonstrates how to use the white inside a Common Spiked Rush as a wick - a lesson learned from Loch Tay crannog.

Tachina grossa

Eristalis arbustorum

Happy ramblers at Kintra.