Barley Harvest at Rockside Farm

There was a short window of good weather on Thursday which allowed a start on the barley harvest on some of Islay's farms.  These pictures were taken at Rockside near Kilchoman.  It poured with rain again yesterday though which stopped the work.  Many fields are still too soft to take the combine harvester, and in any case the crop is not fully ripened in some....
Carl

Birds in the Barley Crop

Starlings and Rock Doves

Grey-lag geese.  Note the, probably feral, bird with a white neck.

There has been a large increase in the Grey-lag population in recent years.

The wild bird population is helping itself to a large proportion of the barley crop on Islay as the farmers wait for the right conditions to bring in the harvest.  Much of the barley is being grown for Bruichladdich Distillery.  Growing grain crops is always going to be a marginal, high-risk activity on Islay.  Seed cannot be sown until late in the spring because of the geese.  This means the crop ripens late and faces difficult weather - and these days even more geese...  Red deer are also doing significnat damage.  They come down at night to feed from the forestry plantations where they hide out during the day.
Carl

Otter at Bunnahabhain

Thanks to James Deane for sending us these three lovely shots of an otter at Bunnahabhain.  They were taken by James' friend Paul Murphy who is visiting Islay...

Hedgehog at An Gleann

Thanks to Jane Mitchell for sending us these pictures of a young hedgehog, originally posted on Facebook under the title '101 things to do with Bruichladdich boxes'.  Jane says the hedgehog weighs just eight ounces and will need looking after if it is to make it through the winter.

http://www.angleann.co.uk/

Please help raise funds for the Trust

Another appeal for supporters of the Trust to help us raise funds at no cost to yourselves....

All you have to do is register at the easyfundraising site via the link below, and then remember to click on it before you buy anything at on-line retailers such as Amazon, or Ebay or John Lewis etc.  The retailers then make a small donation from the purchase price to the charity of your choice, which in this case we hope you will nominate as the Islay Natural History Trust.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/panel/

It really is very easy.  At the moment we have a Magnificent Seven who have signed up.  I really hope we can add to this total before long...

Thanks for your help - Carl...

Cattle on the Strand at Blackrock

It seems like an eternity since we had a decent day to celebrate.  Even these cattle were looking relieved as I pedalled home this evening...
Carl

Next event at the Natural History Centre

This will be Mick Durham's third presentation here and well worth seeing. Check out his website at
http://wildlife-photographer.net
Malcolm

Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)

Found in my peanut bin at Lorgba in Port Charlotte this morning when I went to fill up my feeders...
Carl

Butterflies

I posted a photograph of a Red Admiral in my garden a couple of weeks ago. They remain very scarce but here's another one taken on Saturday on the Michaelmas daisies, joined by a Peacock.

Malcolm

Flora and Fauna at Kintra 9th September, 2011

Yes, it was miserable this morning, but thankfully by the afternoon we had a glimpse of celestial yellow stuff for the ramble at Kintra. Didn't mean we didn't get VERY muddy! It was the third ramble for the three ramblers from down south and they've also joined Craig on Colonsay and Mark on Islay for the RSPB walks so, by now, they were reeling off the names of all the flowers and birds themselves! Goldcrest is a new one for our rambles list. Thanks Carol, Sandy and Phil. Here's our list!

BIRDS
Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Starling, Hooded Crow, Chough, Raven, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Grey Heron, Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Swallow, Common Gull, Cormorant, Eider Duck, Red-throated Diver, Greylag Goose, Gannet

FUNGI AND LICHEN
Red Waxcap, Yellow Waxcap, Clavulinopsis luteo-alba, lots of unknown species, Peltigera membranacea (Dog lichen)

INSECTS
Green-veined White, Emerald Damselfly (female), Red Admiral, Bombus pascuorum (Common Carder Bee), Common Hawker, Cranefly, Grasshopper sp.

AMPHIBIANS
Common Toad

FLORA
Lady's Bedstraw, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Red Bartsia, Red Clover, White Clover, Ivy-leaved Crowfoot, Sheep Sorrel, Eyebright, Self-heal, Marsh Marigold, Flag Iris, Common Reed, Common Spiked Rush, Jointed Rush, Heather, Cross-leaved Heath, Bell Heather, Bog Pimpernel, Devil's-bit Scabious, Harebell, Daisy, Hawkweed sp., Marsh Thistle, Creeping Thistle, Spear Thistle, Tormentil, Meadow Buttercup, Lesser Spearwort, Silverweed, Mouse-ear sp., Ragged Robin, Common Cottongrass, Bog Asphodel, Bog Myrtle, Yellow Rattle, Yarrow, Marsh Pennywort, Common Nettle, Milkwort, Yorkshire Fog, Marsh Willowherb

Grasshopper - any ideas which species?

Clavulinopsis luteo-alba (I think!)

A little yellow is needed in our lives this morning.

Looking out of the window, I feel that I need to add a little yellow to my life this morning.  The view seems a little short of what is perhaps the cheeriest of colours...   I have therefore posted this picture of a field of Charlock taken up near Killinallan last weekend....
Carl

Bumble Bee nest - Bombus lucorum

Alistair MacCormick of Craigens sent us this photo of a bumble bee nest he found in his garden. I'm pretty sure they're Bombus Lucorum - White-tailed Bumble Bees. Thanks, Alistair!
Becky

Fox Moth

These caterpillars are abundant in rough grassland at the moment...

Agaricus arvensis - The Horse Mushroom

I think these are Agaricus arvensis, the Horse mushroom, up beyond Killinallan.  They were really large - as are the boots in the picture...
Carl

Flora and Fauna at Ardnave, 5th September 2011

Low on numbers today (only 4 of us), but still an enjoyable ramble, enhanced by the sunshine which came out the minute we'd all donned waterproofs for the brief shower! We took a left, instead of a right, turn once at the coast, just for a change and here's our list:

BIRDS
Chough, Hooded Crow, Raven, Mute Swan, Curlew, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Cormorant, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Linnet, Pied Wagtail (and White), Common Gull, Sand Martin, Starling

LICHEN
Physcia adscendens, Xanthoria parietina, Ramalina sp., Verrucaria maura and lots of other species; Red Waxcap, Yellow Waxcap and several other species.

MAMMALS
Grey Seal, Rabbit

SPIDERS AND INSECTS
Orb Weaver Spider (in its silken home), Daddy-long-legs

SHELLS
Flat Periwinkle, Dog Whelk, Common Periwinkle, Common Cockle, Common Mussel, Purple Topshell, Turban Shell, Pfeiffer's Amber Snail (Oxyloma elegans)

FLORA
Lesser Water Plantain, Harebell, Daisy, Dandelion, Hawkweed sp., Mouse-ear sp., Forget-me-not sp., Water Cress, Water Mint, Grass of Parnassus, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Dove's-foot Cranesbill, Common Storksbill, Lesser Spearwort, Eyebright, Wild Thyme, Yarrow, Brooklime, Marsh Lousewort, Marsh Willowherb, Groundsel, Knotted Pearlwort, Square-stalked St John's Wort, Marram Grass, Self-heal, Creeping Thistle, Spear Thistle, Silverweed, Perennial Rye Grass, Yorkshire Fog, White Clover, Red Clover, Ragged Robin, Common Spiked Rush, Jointed Rush, Lady's Bedstraw, Lesser Meadow Rue, Common Nettle, Bracken, Marsh Pennywort, Flag Iris, Curled Dock

Although on coastal rock, this is a land, rather than a marine snail, not sure of species though.
Pfeiffer's Amber Snail (Oxyloma elegans)

Scallop!

Here's a brief video Andy shot on one of his dives around Port Askaig recently. I've certainly never seen a Scallop swim before, so I think it's pretty cool. Apparently Scallops have 100 eyes, and swim by rapidly opening and closing their shells. They take some spotting too, as they will partially submerge themselves on the seabed.. The photo below shows one in hiding, just to the right of the big Sun star. Thanks again to Andy Ferrier!

Seashell Workshop

Fiona MacGillivray provided an excellent seashell workshop at the Centre yesterday afternoon. She gave a very informative talk about the seashells of Islay (she has found 110 species on our shores), providing easy (ish) tips of how to distinguish between similar species. Fiona had brought with her an impressive display of all her finds, all labelled, and we were able to look at them closely through the hand lens and microscopes. Sybil couldn't wait to get into the laboratory to find her own stuff so we sifted through some sand and gravel to find some tiny specimens of nut shells, trough shells and needle whelks. Thanks Fiona for making seashell identification more accessible. We look forward to the book!
Becky

Fiona's sketches of the underside of various bivalves

Part of the bivalve display

Sybil was first in the queue for the 'hands-on' activity

Sea trout leaping up waterfall in Gortantaoid River

There were much larger fish jumping too - probably salmon.  Tricky to photograph though...
Carl

Know your Anemone.

More of Andy Ferrier's underwater pictures, taken in the clear waters of the Sound of Islay. Here's some of the Sea anemones that are about down there.  Anyone know what they are?

The sea bed in this last shot seems to contain a huge amount of broken coral fragments

Seashell Workshop - Sunday 4th September

Flora and Fauna at Sanaigmore, 2nd September 2011

Yesterday's ramble broke another record - the wettest yet, but all six of our ramblers refused to turn back, despite pressing from the leader! That's what I like to see! Botanising was more of a challenge as a lot of flowers were resolutely closed against the bad weather. Thanks eveyone for making it such an enjoyable ramble.
Becky

BIRDS
Chough, Swallow, Stonechat (family of 7), Ringed Plover, Curlew, Gannet, Rock Dove, Herring Gull

LICHENS AND FUNGI
Xanthoria parietina (foliose; bright yellow on rocks and wall), Parmelia saxatilis (foliose; grey), Anaptychia runcinata (foliose; brown/bronzey patches on wall), Porpidia sp., (crustose; black dots on wall); Ramalina sp., (fruitose; grey/green bushy patches on wall), Physcia adscendens (foliose; 'eyelash lichen'), plus other unknown species, waxcap sp., (also lots of unknown fungi spp). I intend to return and do a thorough lichen inventory of this wall. Any closet lichen experts/enthusiasts please get in touch!

FLORA
Forget-me-not sp., Chickweed sp., Hawkweed  sp., Monkey Flower, Yellow Rattle, Creeping Thistle, Spear Thistle, Meadow Buttercup, Red Bartsia, Daisy, Harebell, Self-heal, Redshank, Shepherd's Purse, Hogweed, Butterbur, Eyebright, Autumn Gentian, Field Gentian, Common Centaury, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Common Storksbill, Silverweed, White Cover, Red Clover, Groundsel, Pineapple Mayweed, Common Nettle, Lady's Bedstraw, Common Ragwort, Black Knapweed, Jointed Rush, Prickly Sow Thistle, Cleavers, Marsh Willowherb, Yorkshire Fog, Yarrow, Thrift, Marram Grass, Scarlet Pimpernel, Ribwort Plantain

OTHER
Common Toadlet, Fox Moth caterpillars, White-tailed Bumble Bee, Common Carder Bee

Rather wet Fox Moth Caterpillar

Let's submerge...

Something a bit different today. Andy Ferrier does lots of diving for scallops and other shellfish in the waters around Port Askaig and has started taking his camera down on dives, with some great results. We've not had much (if any?!) underwater photography sent to us before, so it's doubly nice to see. If you can't get to the Natural History Centre in Port Charlotte to see our fabulous marine tanks, make do with these...

Here's a Cushion star

And a Dogfish, posing for the camera. Andy commented on how tame these were 

And neither myself or Andy know what these tube-like things are, but it's a great picture. Any ideas?

Lots more to come over the next few days, including a pretty cool swimming scallop. Thanks Andy!

Mark

Mesolithic excavation at Storakaig

Professor Steve Mithen of Reading University, whose presentation to the INHT was attended by around 100 people last night, is leading a second year of excavations on a site near Storakaig.  Last year, radiocarbon dates were obtained from the site placing it at the end of the Mesolithic, at around 5,800BP.  Steve says that this makes the site particularly interesting because it may provide clues as to the nature of the transition between the Mesolithic and Neolithic economic and cultural systems.

Of particular interest is the amount of organic material on the site, unusual on Islay because acid soils usually dissolve organic materials.  At Storakaig, however, the site sits on a limestone outcrop and preservation is enhanced.  This has enabled preservation of plant materials such as hazel shells, and also animal bones.  Mammals identified so far include Roe and Red deer, Badger, and Wild boar.  These latter two species are not now found on Islay of course, and Steve points out that finding their bones does not necessarily indicate that they were present even during the Mesolithic - they could have been imported by this highly mobile seafaring community for use as food or, more likely, tools. Alternatively, they could have been found dead on the shore - a badger was washed up on the Big Strand about 15 years ago.

Simon, Karen and Matt drive a core sampler into the peat to determine the extent of the Mesolithic living surface.

Once the core is removed it is examined for the dark staining that indicates the presence of the degraded organic material that comprises the living surface.

The living surface can be detected in this core between around 52-58cms;  the white flecks are bone fragments.

Steve Mithen (right) shows Mark Reynier of Bruichladdich fragments of worked stone on the areas of living surface being excavated in detail under a polytunnel.

Steve shows a stone that has obviously been used as an anvil - with a pronounced depression in its centre where it has been repeatedly struck.

Inside a second polytunnel, students work on sorting the finds.

The work is very painstaking.

Steve explains the significance of some of the more dramatic finds.

Barrow Boys.



A tiny arrowhead fashioned from quartz



This tiny flint microlith shows the delicate reworking of its edges



A flint core from which blades have been struck



Mesolithic tool kit.