Ladybirds and Spider crabs

Who says crabs aren't cute? It's hard to resist with our recently arrived spiny spider crabs. They possess 2 'horns' inbetween their eyes, just visible beneath the various seaweeds pinned to their shells for camouflage. Their carapace also hosts a mini sponge garden where sponges take up residence, as well as barnacles which make full use of this moving 'rock' as they filter for food. Fascinating! All day yesterday the two spider crabs were clasped together, seemingly fighting (they are both male), so we have released one. The remaining crab is called Spongebob!

Our ladybird larvae are growing bigger every day! I expect they will pupate within the next few days, where they will metamorphosise, emerging as yellow adults 6-8 days later. The familiar red with black spots pattern will appear after several hours, once the shell has hardened.

Lorna

A Barn owl comes down a Portnahaven chimney

This Barn owl was an uninvited guest in a Portnahaven dining room last week where it spent some time before finally deciding to leave.  Like an unidentified member of the crow family that had also intruded a few days previously, it had come down the chimney. 
At least the owl had the decency to behave itself.  The crow felt the need to smash the place up, breaking a couple of rather nice decanters and knocking a number of bottles to the floor before eventually being ejected by the police.  In the middle of the night too.  No manners...
Thanks to Simon and Kat for the photo....

Lesser Butterfly Orchid

An area I check regularly for this species had 10 spikes last year, but I found 14 today, with many very small and still in bud, so the total may well climb as they become more visible. This was the furthest out.
Malcolm

Photos from the birding trio from SE England

A trio of men from somewhere 500 miles away visited Islay for the first time a couple of weeks ago, came on the ramble and spent many happy hours exploring the island. They became the 4th, 5th and 6th people to see the Spring Squill at Coul and took a myriad photos of many things- at least one of them did. Thanks to John Lloyd Parry for sending these wonderful photos.
Becky

Common Gull chick at Sanaigmore

Early Purple Orchids (Orchis mascula) at Killinallan

Brown Hares at Ardnave

Lapwing fledgling at Gruinart

Photos from Alistair Hutchison

Thanks to Alistair for these photos taken recently on a walk along the Big Strand.
Becky

Heath Speedwell (Veronica officinalis)

Field Pansy (Viola arvensis)

Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

Nature Ramble at Killinallan 17th June 2013

What a fantastic ramble! There were seven ramblers out enjoying the sunshine with the Grey Seals at Killinallan today and we were rewarded with the most obliging Common Lizard ever, which ended its 5 minute long display by starting to run up Riona's leg, much to our amusement! She said she wouldn't have been as calm if it had been an adder! Malcolm also showed us Adder's Tongue Fern, a diminutive member of the fern family and a new species for me and we saw the first ever nature ramble Marsh Fritillary. Birds, there were few, but there was enough to look at besides - oh, and the beautiful Burnet Rose was in bloom too. Thanks for coming everyone! I have a hopeful feeling I've left something out of the lists and that someone will notice!
Becky

Adder's Tongue Fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum) named after a belief that its similarity to a snake’s tongue meant it could be used as an antidote to snakebite.

Burnet Rose (Rosa pimpinellifolia)

Common Lizard

Ramblers at Killinallan

Sea Spurrey sp.

BIRDS

Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Eider, Herring Gull, Redshank, Wheatear, Skylark, Raven

FLORA

Meadow Buttercup, Burnet Rose, Early Marsh Orchid (subspecies pulchella and coccinea), Heath-spotted Orchid, Sea Spurrey, Sea Plantain, Sea Milkwort, Common Milkwort, Common Butterwort, Adder's Tongue Fern, Pyramidal Orchid, Germander Speedwell, Heath Speedwell, Tormentil, Marsh Marigold, Thrift, Daisy, Bog Myrtle, Cat's Ear, Marsh Thistle, Heath Bedstraw, White Clover, Bracken, Common Twayblade, Cuckoo Flower, Bogbean, Ragged Robin, Iris, Meadowsweet (leaves), Yorkshire Fog, Carnation Sedge, Soft Rush, Fairy Flax, Water Mint, Common Scurvy Grass, Black Bog-rush (Schoenus nigricans), Marsh Lousewort, Common Sedge, Star Sedge, Common Cottongrass, Common Spike-rush, Water Horsetail

INSECTS

Small Heath, Marsh Fritillary, unknown beetle (awaiting id), Bombus lucorum (White-tailed Bumble Bee), Six-spot Burnet Moth, Dung Flies, Green-veined White, Large Red Damselfly

MAMMALS, REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

Grey Seal, Common Lizard, Common Frog

Barnhill, Jura

Barnhill

I was fortunate again to have the opportunity of staying for a few days at this beautiful, remote location on the north-east coast of Jura. We had a great tickless and adderless (amazing for Jura!) time. The area is teeming with wildlife, of course. Here's a few examples.
Becky

Cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)

Red Deer Fawn

Wild Goats

Islay Welcome Evenings Video

Thanks to Ron Steenvoorden for creating this Youtube video of our popular Welcome to Islay evenings, held in Bruichladdich Distillery every month. Next Visitor Welcome Evening is 1st July at 6.30 pm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyAOU644ZC0

Here come the animals!

I'm very happy and excited about my second year here at the Islay Natural History Trust visitor centre. The arrival of some of our popular tank inhabitants last night makes me even more so. So far we have a spiny starfish, common starfish, sun stars, hermit crabs, lobster (I wonder what we shall name him/her this year) and my favourite the piecrust crabs!

Come to the visitor centre to give me a proper INHT welcome!

Lorna

Ardnave Nature Ramble, 10th June 2013

It was the first day in a fortnight that we needed jackets, but there were 6 additional, enthusiastic ramblers for today's ramble. Undeterred by wind and mobbing birds, we plodded on, noting the profusion and vivacity of the flora in particular. Butterfly species were thin on the ground, not surprisingly with the wind, but birdlife abounded and we heard a story of a personal encounter with an adder. Welcome back, Lorna and thanks for the photos!
Becky

BIRDS
Common Gull (plus nests and chicks), Arctic Tern (nesting), Redshank (nesting), Oystercatcher (nesting), Ringed Plover (nesting), Curlew, Pied Wagtail, Wheatear (juv), Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Chough, Jackdaw, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Sand Martin, Lapwing, Pheasant, Lesser Black-backed Gull

FLORA
Germander Speedwell, Heath Speedwell, Meadow Buttercup, Wild Thyme, Thrift, Meadowsweet (leaves), Water Cress, Water Mint, Marsh Lousewort, Milkwort, Brooklime, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Dove's-foot Cranesbill, Common Storksbill, Marsh Marigold, Silverweed, White Clover, Lesser Trefoil, Daisy, Mouse-ear Chickweed, Marsh Thistle, Creeping Thistle, Spear Thistle, Sea Milkwort, Cuckoo Flower, Tormentil, Common Nettle, Ribwort Plantain, Sea Plantain, Carnation Sedge, Bracken, Horsetail, Butterwort

LICHEN
Xanthoria parietina (bright yellow/orange on rocks), Ramalina sp (grey/green fruitose on rocks)

INSECTS
Green-veined White butterfly, Small Copper butterfly

MAMMALS
Hare

Ramblers at Ardnave Loch

Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) - a splendid display of this tiny flower this year.

Marsh Lousewort (Pedicularis palustris) - about a foot high - the tallest I can remember seeing.

Marsh Fritillary

A group from the West Midlands branch of Butterfly Conservation are here this weekend, enjoying the fabulous weather. They had none of them seen Marsh Fritillary before and it was one of the main reasons for their visit. There was some concern whether, in this late season, the butterflies would have emerged by now, but Mary McGregor, checking the main area for them on the RSPB Loch Gruinart reserve, reported seeing up to 12 on Thursday (6th), so we went there yesterday with high hopes which were completely fulfilled with about 30 seen, some on the wing, others resting on grass stems having clearly just emerged. This meant that everyone had wonderful views and should have got wonderful photos.
Malcolm

 Butterflies are not always this easy to photograph.

After I had taken this photo, one of the group delicately removed the grass stems in front of the butterfly without disturbing it and took more photos. The right forewing is still not quite fully expanded so it has clearly only just emerged.

Return of the Spring Squill

Yeah! The third time in 9 years. The Spring Squill at Coul Point was more prolific this year than in any of my previous visits - albeit that means there were only about two dozen stems. Not a patch on Colonsay. But, hey, let's not belittle this already diminutive flower, but rather sing its praises, competing as it was (botanically speaking) in a world of Sea Pinks and Marsh Marigolds. For me, anyway, it was definitely holding its own.
Becky

Coul Point

Spring Squill (Scilla verna)

Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata)

Glas Bheinn Walk

I can't believe that in an 11 mile walk I only have one natural history photo to upload! The adder was away before I could photograph it and I've already uploaded multiple Green Hairstreak photos, so here it is . . . Think of it as quality, not quantity. Not long ago this beetle hadn't been recorded on Islay before!
Becky

Carabus Clathratus - Golden-dimpled Ground Beetle

Sound of Islay from Glas Bheinn

More photos from the Rinns

Catching up with the photos I took a week ago on Sunday near Wavegen . . .
Becky

A type of click beetle, possibly Agriotes lineatus

Crowberry - Empetrum nigrum

'Double' Buttercup (Ranunculus sp.)

Sanaigmore nature ramble 3rd June 2013

What a great start to our season of rambles! I was delighted when 13 people turned up at Sanaigmore for our ramble today - each of them equipped with a pair of binoculars and oozing with enthusiasm. With the exception of Danny, none had been to Islay before. We stayed out in the warm sunshine for longer than usual, such was our reluctance to return to the cars. The highlight has got to be the ever present summer plumaged Great Norther Diver - and the Chough which flew over on cue just when we had resigned ourselves to a Choughless afternoon! Thanks everyone!
Becky

BIRDS
Dunnock, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Swallow, Chough, Arctic Tern, Wheatear, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Common Gull, Ringed Plover, Twite, Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw, Starling, Black Guillemot, Great Northern Diver, Shelduck, Reed Bunting, Skylark

FLORA
Germander Speedwell, Brooklime, Marsh Marigold, Lesser Celandine, Common Milkwort, Bulbous Buttercup, Meadow Buttercup, Daisy, Heath Speedwell, Wall Speedwell, Common Scurvy Grass, Thrift, Silverweed (leaves only), Dove's-foot Cranesbill, Common Storksbill, Lesser Burdock, Common Nettle, Spear Thistle, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Biting Stonecrop (leaves only), English Stonecrop (leaves only), Mouse-ear Chickweed, Cuckoo Flower, Common Cottongrass, Dog Violet, Gorse, Willow sp, Bluebell

LICHEN
Anaptychia runcinata (brown foliose sp on wall), Ramalina siliquosa (grey-green fruitose species on wall)

INSECTS
Bumble bee sp, Green-veined White Butterflies (lots), Small Tortoiseshell

MAMMALS
Red Deer

Common Gull Chicks

Watching the Great Northern Diver

Bulbous Buttercup - Ranunculus bulbosus

Bulbous Buttercup - Ranunculus bulbosus - differentiated from Meadow Buttercup by its downturned sepals.

Bulbous Buttercup - Ranunculus bulbosus.  I was asked why it was called bulbous buttercup and I found this photo of its bulbous root on wikipedia

Sperm whale.

Washed up long dead on the Big Strand.  Thanks to Brian Abbott for reporting it.  It measures 23 feet long, approx 7 metres.  A sample of tissue was collected and will be sent to the Scottish Agricultural College in Inverness for analysis.  The college is a partner in the Scottish cetacean strandings investigations programme.

Hoverfly on Marsh marigold

Abundant - Portnahaven yesterday.  Any hoverfly identification experts out there?

Bluebells - Wild and Spanish

Wild Bluebells.  These are the good guys

I believe these are Spanish bluebells - garden escapes that hybridise with the native stocks.  Bad news....  Port Charlotte

The Big Strand this afternoon

Echinocardium cordatum - Sea potato,

Big Strand

Primroses - Bruaich Jerich, Port Charlotte

Primroses appear to be particularly abundant this year.

Common periwinkles - Littorina littorea

Big Strand

Claddach near Portnahaven yesterday

Green Hairstreak - Beautiful Eyebrow

I make no apologies for posting another photo of my favourite butterfly, seen dancing in the sun last Sunday on the Rinns. There can be no such thing as excessive photographs of so exquisite a creature. In case anyone has forgotten (and I'm sure I have mentioned this before), this butterfly's Latin name Callophrys rubi means 'beautiful eyebrows' - and these photos illustrate why!

We were privileged to watch this species engage in wing-rubbing activity. Male hairstreaks have patches of specialised wing scales - 'androconia', located on their upperside forewings. Sacs at the base of these scales contain pheromones. Apparently rubbing the wings together helps to disseminate these pheromones, which attract females and induces them to mate. I attempted to video this activity, but it didn't work, so I've attached a link to a brief movie to illustrate it instead.
Becky

 Green Hairstreak - wing-rubbing behaviour