Corncrake - Dean Eades

Two lovely shots of a Corncrake from Dean Eades.  Check out his website at
http://www.birdmad.com/

Flowers of the Shorefield

English stonecrop (Sedum anglicum)

Water Avens (Geum rivale)



Ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi)




Spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) with meadow buttercups (Ranunculus acris)

 Flowers pictured during a ramble through the Shorefield on Sunday afternoon.  Bird species that we saw appearing to hold territory included Whitethroats (feeding young), Oystercatchers, Lapwing, Common Gull and a pair of Arctic terns.  We also saw Eider, Redshanks, Rock and Meadow pipits, Goldfinches and Linnets.
Carl

Photos from Paul Hadley

Purple lichen



Common seals




Spotted orchid



Wild goats

Thanks to Paul for these photos taken while backpacking on Jura...

Flora and Fauna at Killinallan 20th June 2011

Here's the list and what a list today! We had five folk on our ramble, each enthusiastic and it was encouraging to see new species of orchids appearing, my first sighting of Common Blue for the year (freshly emerged and pristine) and most of all, the Small Elephant Hawk Moth, which is a first for me, as was the Sexton Beetle. Thanks to all for their contributions. Do let me know if I've missed anything off. I suspect there may be some jealous eyes reading this now!
Becky

Small Elephant Hawk Moth (Deilephila porcellus)

Common Sexton Beetle (Nicrophorus vespilloides)

Common Blue male (Polyommatus icarus) Look at the detail on the antennae!

Frog Orchid (Coeloglossum viride)

BIRDS
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Meadow Pipit
Skylark
Pheasant
Oystercatcher
Redshank
Rock Dove
Cormorant

FLORA
Eyebright
Early Marsh Orchid
Northern Marsh Orchid
Pyramidal Orchid
Heath Spotted Orchid
Frog Orchid
Common Twayblade
Common -spotted Orchid
Chalk Milkwort
Marsh Lousewort
Tormentil
Bird’s-foot Trefoil
Silverweed
Horsetail
Water mint
Marsh Pennywort
Burnet Rose
Germander Speedwell
Meadow Buttercup
Marsh Marigold
Cuckoo Flower
Thrift
Primrose
Marsh Thistle
Yellow Iris
Black Sedge
Daisy
Chickweed sp.
Wild Thyme
Autumn Gentian (not yet in flower)
Cats-ear
Grass of Parnassus (one only)
Lesser Meadow Rue
Forget-me-not sp.
Fairy Flax
Sea Arrowgrass
White Clover
Scurvygrass
Ragged Robin
Tufted Vetch
Meadowsweet (not yet in flower)
Lady’s Bedstraw
Bogbean
Spear Thistle

MAMMALS
Grey Seal
Rabbit

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
Frog (large adult)

INSECTS
Common Blue (1 male)
Small Heath (6)
Small Elephant Hawk Moth (1)
Common Sexton Beetle (Necrophorus (or Nicrophorus) vespilloides) (1)
Click Beetle - Agrypnus murina (1)
Six-spot Burnet Moth (6)
Fox Moth (1 female)
Bumble Bee (Bombus pascourum)

SHORE
Shore Crab (lots of babies)

LICHENS
Xanthoria parietina (bright yellow)
Lecanora gangaleoides (white crustose lichen with black ‘jam tarts’)
Ramalina sp. (grey-green tufty species on stone walls)
Anaptychia runcinata

Adders

We've had several reports of adder sightings within the past week. Thanks to Paul Hadley for this photo of a female adder taken on his west coast of Jura backpack.
Becky

Roe Deer and Fawn - Gordon Yates

Thanks to Gordon for sending us this lovely picture of the Roe doe with her fawn at Shorefield.

Greater Butterfly Orchid - (Platanthera chlorantha)

Shorefield - Bruichladdich.

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

Northern marsh orchids (Dactylorhiza purpurella)

Orchid identification is not straightforward - and it is complicated by their ability to hybridise.  These are, I believe, Northern marsh orchids growing on a bank behind Shorefield.
Carl

Lesser Meadow Rue, Snipe Fly, Hoverfly and Beetles

Due to the poor weather yesterday there was no nature ramble. Earlier in the week, however, we had some glorious weather and here's some of my finds from Killinallan and near the Singing Sands:

Lesser Meadow Rue. Thalictrum minus



Hoverfly. Sericomyia lappona



Snipe Fly. Rhagio scolopaceus



Garden Chafer. Phyllopertha horticola



Plateumaris or donacia sp.

Becky

Professor Alasdair Skelton

An audience of over one hundred packed into the Centre yesterday evening to hear a presentation entitled 'The Geology of Islay' by Professor Alasdair Skelton of the University of Stockholm.  Alasdair's talk was highly entertaining as well as informative and the Trust appreciates his efforts.
Alasdair has a long association with Islay - research for his PhD centred on the geology of the Ard peninsular near Port Ellen during the 1980's and he has visited a number of times since both with his family and with groups of students from Stockholm.
He is proposing to bring another group during March 2012, and has offered to conduct geology field trips for people on Islay at that time.  We will bring you more details of this as arrangements firm up.

Carl

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!

Small Copper and Six-spot Burnet moth

Thanks to two of our regular visitors for these lovely photos of a Small Copper and a Six-spot Burnet Moth.

Becky

Snail Post

To make a change from our usual lichen adorned fence post piccies, Armin has sent us this lovely photo of a 'snail' post at Kilchoman! Thanks, Armin!
Becky

Green Saw Fly - Rhogogastrus viridis

I wsas a bit disappointed by the name of this beastie when I identified it because it looks too beautiful for such a violent name.We saw it at Killinallan yesterday. Apparently the female uses her saw-like ovipositor (egg laying tube) to cut into plants where she lays her eggs. The larvae are very similar to caterpillars.

Becky

Parasite on Rock Rose?-

We noticed this orange stuff on some of the Rock Roses at Killinallan and were worried it was a parasite. It was difficult to tell whether the flowers affected were worse off than the unaffected ones - no noticeable signs (to the non-expert!) Any ideas?
Becky

The Geology Of Islay - Alasdair Skelton

Sea eagle management scheme "now open for business" says SNH

Photo: - James Deane

Crofting and farming communities have the chance to help sea eagles and their local communities by applying to join a sea eagle management scheme.
It encourages community groups, farmers, crofters and land managers to positively manage land and livestock to reduce the impact of foraging sea eagles whilst improving the birds’ nesting, roosting and feeding areas.
The scheme can also be used to boost the local economy by capitalising on the tourism potential generated by sea eagles.
It is being rolled out across the Inner and Outer Hebrides including Mull and Skye, parts of mainland Argyll and Lochaber, and Wester Ross. A partnership comprising Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS), RSPB Scotland and the Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) helps manage the project.
And staff in local SNH offices are on hand to conduct one-to-one surgeries to explain how individuals and community groups can get involved.
Entrants to the scheme can participate for up to three years and the initiative will be open for applications until autumn 2013.
Ross Lilley, the sea eagle scheme manager, said: “We are delighted to be able to extend this new sea eagle management scheme across their entire breeding range. Our staff will be talking to land managers across the Highlands, Islands and Argyll about it in the coming days and weeks.
“This is a means of allowing land managers to adjust their operations, particularly livestock management, to accommodate the birds whilst the sea eagle breeding population becomes established. But more importantly by accessing start-up funds, communities could generate more benefit from the tourism impacts of having sea eagles in their area.
“Visitors are prepared to inject money into the local economy to view sea eagles and that kind of support could be a massive boost for many areas. We hope that many communities will benefit from the presence of these magnificent birds in their areas.”

Roe Deer with fawn at the Shorefield

George has sent in this rather touching photo of a Roe deer doe with her fawn at the Shorefield.  Nice one!!
Carl

Our first 'Welcome to Islay' evening is a success

Many thanks to all those who made our first Welcome to Islay Evening such a success.  We had over fifty people attending.  Michael Thompson has always been most enthusiastic and supportive at Bruichladdich Distillery which provides such an excellent and convivial location.  James McEachern played the pipes, dancers from the Ella Edgar school entertained us with the Highland Fling and other routines, Grahame Allison sang three songs from the Bards and Malcolm Ogilvie gave an overview of the natural history of the island.  We are also grateful for the support of James, Eleanor and Mark who were wearing their RSPB hats for the occasion. 
We are looking forward to the next two, on 11th July and 8th August...
Cheers everybody!!
Carl

Sundews

Common sundew - prostrate round leaves

Great Sundew - Drosera anglica

Non-viable hybrids between the two carnivorous plants are common, but I think this is the real thing.  The Great sundew (sometimes called English sundew) is much less common nationally, although it is still quite widespread on Islay in very wet acidic boggy locations.  These were pictured near Bun-an-uillt on Sunday.
Carl

Oystercatchers - Ron Steenvoorden

Three lovely shots of Oystercatcher from Ron taken while on Islay during May...

Flora and Fauna List Kintra 13th June 2011

We had the best ever turn out for today's ramble at Kintra - nine folk! That meant more eyes and ears - and definitely cameras! It really was an enjoyable walk, if windy. May thanks to all for their contributions. Here's the list - big on lichens today as well as birds.
The Golden-ringed Dragonfly was a pleasant surprise, given the wind, but the same wind caused this battered Small Heath to cling tenaciously to Mark's finger. The top picture is of an unidentified beetle - any ideas? Noticeably not a single mammal today!
Becky

BIRDS
Meadow Pipit (3)
Ringed Plover (1)
Common Gull (50)
Great Black-backed Gull (2)
Herring Gull (4)
Rock Dove (6)
Pied Wagtail (2)
Oystercatcher (16)
Eider Duck (40)
Swallow (4)
Sand Martin (6+)
Linnet (2)
Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Redpoll (6)
Twite (2)
Wheatear (2)
Raven (6)
Common Sandpiper (2)
Rock Pipit (3)
Chaffinch (6)
Hen Harrier (1 fem.)
Shag (4)
Fulmar (6+)
Razorbill
Red-breasted Merganser (2)
Willow Warbler (1)
Wren (1)
Skylark (1)

INSECTS
Dung Flies
Green-veined White
Small Heath
Small Copper
Golden-ringed Dragonfly
6 spot Burnet moth
Green Tiger Beetle
Bumble Bee sp. (Bombus ?)
Poecilus sp. (bronzey beetle in peat)

LICHEN
Xanthoria parietina (bright yellow)
Caloplaca crenularia (orange dots on rock)
Lecanora gangaleoides (white crustose lichen with black ‘jam tarts’)
Ramalina sp. (grey-green tufty species on stone walls)
Peltigera membranacea (dog lichen in grass)
Lecanora sulphurea (green crustose lichen on stones)
Parmelia saxatilis (leafy lichen on wood or stone)
Cladonia portentosa (Reindeer moss/lichen)
Cladonia fimbriata (cup lichen in peat)
Cladonia floerkeana (matchstick lichen)
Ochrolechia parella (white - ‘fish-eye’ lichen)
Parmotrema chinense ('Powdered Ruffle lichen’)

FLORA
Bird’s-foot Trefoil
Meadow Buttercup
English Stonecrop
Dove’s-foot Cranesbill
Forget-me-not sp.
Heath Bedstraw
Marsh Marigold
Silverweed
White Clover
Daisy
Mouse-ear sp.
Early Marsh Orchid
Eyebright
Marsh Thistle
Spear Thistle
Creeping Thistle
Lousewort
Thrift
Cuckoo Flower
Lesser Spearwort
Ragged Robin
Sweet Vernal Grass
Yellow Iris
Bracken
Cat’s-ear sp.
Butterwort
Milkwort sp.
Cotton Grass Multiflora
Star Sedge
Tormentil
Heath-spotted Orchid
Wild Thyme
Round-leaved Sundew
Heath Speedwell
Heather
Hard Fern
Pennywort

Heron behind Shorefield

Thanks to George Jackson for these fine photos of a heron at the pond he excavated behind his house at Shorefield.

Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha)

Cockchafer resting up on heather near Bun-an-Uillt.  These big beetles used to be very common but they are much less so now due to pesticide use through the 20th century. 
They were very destructive to crops prior to this apparently - and in 1320, cockchafers (as a species) were taken to court in Avignon where they were ordered to leave town and relocate to a specially designated area, or be outlawed. All cockchafers who failed to comply were collected and killed.
That will have sorted them out....
Carl

A second encounter with a Roe Deer

A few days ago I posted a couple of photos of a female Roe Deer which came very close to me (and my Labrador, Merlin) because she was trying to move us away from her young fawns. The next day, we had another encounter in which she charged my dog butting him in his flank with her head. I didn't manage to photograph the actual moment of impact which took place barely three feet from me, but did get one of the aftermath about a second or two later, as can be seen. As soon as Merlin was on his feet, he clearly wanted to play! The Roe didn't, however, and moved away, and so did we to leave her to get back to her fawns.
I've been reluctant to post this photo, though strongly encouraged to by those who have seen it. My problem is that I don't want to hurt my dog's feelings, because it was very much a case of: Roe Deer 1, Merlin 0. And furthermore, everyone who has seen it has burst out laughing! So, finally, I've agreed to post it, but I do so only on condition that when you look at it you don't laugh. After all, you wouldn't want to further embarrass a young dog, would you? OK? Promise?
Thanks, Malcolm (and Merlin)