Rockpooling at Bruichladdich

Having recently arrived back on Islay for the summer, high on my list of priorities was, of course to explore some rockpools! At Bruichladdich, this usually means turning over the many stones available at low tide, and often discovering something different with each visit. The weather yesterday was not exactly in our favour, and also seemed to affect the usual abundance of creatures. However, dipping into the shallows, mum and I were excited to find a Comb Jelly (4cm long, but grows up to 12cm), and a Leuckartiara Jellyfish (about 1cm long) which belongs to the Hydrozan medusae group. I have long wanted to see the latter, sometimes wandering down to the shore at night, hoping to pick them out by torchlight. We were happy to be able to contribute a few new additions to the INHT Visitor  Centre touch tank, such as 15 Spined Sticklebacks, and a pretty pink Hermit Crab. Another species common at this location is the Small Brittlestar, which due to their size, will not be kept in our tanks, but are well worth looking for. 

Keep an eye out for our INHT family activity sessions, including our popular rockpooling trips. On Friday 4 July, at 2-3.30pm in Port Ellen, we will be Exploring Sandy Shores. Bring your wellies, and join us! 

Comb Jelly

Leuckartiara Jellyfish

Lorna

Welcome to Chris Bristow

The Management Committee would like to extend a long overdue and warm welcome to Chris Bristow, the Centre's new manager, originally from Kent, but recently graduated from Cumbria University with a degree in Wildlife and Media. He is a keen birder and has many exciting plans for the Visitor Centre in Port Charlotte. Why not pop in and introduce yourself?
Becky

So What's been happening?

So I believe after 3 weeks as center manager I am well and truly overdue a post to the blog, My name is Chris Bristow, I will be center manager for the summer. My training is within Wildlife media and so over the course of the next few months I will endeavor to update displays and create new interactive displays, updates on this will be posted on here as new displays are prepared and created.

Now a quick update on the wildlife front, many of you may have heard about the Red-Necked Phalarope seen at the RSPB Gruinart reserve, unfortunately after 3 visits on separate occasions I have yet to see it but fortunately someone has been able to provide us with some images showing us just what we missed.

From what I have heard it may or may not still be hanging around so anyone eager to see one may be in with a chance, if you do spot it please let me know as I will be out with binoculars as soon as the center closes.

Alongside the Phalarope I have just received some pictures from some visitors who were lucky enough to find a velvet scoter,once again here is a picture for anyone who were not as lucky.

A new micromoth for Islay

I caught this very small (c.12 mm long) moth last night. Unlike many micromoths for which I have to call on expert Danny Arnold's invaluable help to identify, this one is distinctive enough for me to be confident in my own identification!
There is no English name, but its scientific name is Olethreutes schulziana - also called in some books, Phiaris schulziana. It is the first reported for Islay (with no records from neighbouring Jura or Colonsay, either) and has a somewhat disjunct distribution, occurring in northern England and Wales and southern Scotland, and then in northeast and northwest Scotland, including the Outer Hebrides, with a big gap inbetween in which sits Islay!
Malcolm

Beinn Bheigier from Kynagarry

Wow! What a day! I wasn't looking forward to 3 miles of monotony along the Kynagarry track to the start of the moorland trek to Beinn Bheigier, but I can tell you, I was looking forward to it on the way back after miles of making muscles you'd forgotten you had work harder than they have in a long time! Also, I was wrong about the 3 miles of monotony; with almost every footstep we saw something new - the air was truly alive with the sound of natural music. It was a great morning for insects and I was delighted to see my first 2014 Marsh Fritillary, plus the bonus of one freshly emerged (I wished we'd come upon it minutes earlier as I've never seen its chrysalis). The biggest bonus of the day, for me at least, was the brief sighting of 2 Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk Moths. They were too quick for a photo - as was the adder - James' highlight of the day. We just managed a photo of its disappearing tail.

Approaching Islay's highest hill from this direction is definitely more difficult than from Ardtalla, but it was a rewarding walk, with stunning views, and well worth the effort. I'm just glad that, unlike James, I didn't have to go and play rugby afterwards!
Becky

Adder tail

Small Copper

Thrift - growing on top of Beinn Bheigier

Allalladh and Red Deer

Beautiful wispy clouds and Beinn Bheigier

Emerging Marsh Fritillary

Elephant Hawkmoths

Last night, I caught an Elephant Hawkmoth, which I have seen many times in my moth trap. However, there was also a similar but much smaller hawkmoth, which I was delighted to identify as a Small Elephant Hawkmoth, of which there is just one previous Islay record - one seen by Becky at Killinallan in 2011. The only other record in this area is one in north Jura in 2004.
The tubes the moths were photographed in are the same size, which nicely demonstrates the difference in their sizes.
Malcolm

Elephant Hawkmoth

Small Elephant Hawkmoth

Preparing for Opening Day

Thanks to our band of willing helpers for coming to scrub walls, direct, fill tanks, drill holes and a host of other things today. Hopefully we'll be ready for Monday - grand opening day!
Becky

The Search for the Spring Squill

With a bunch of helpers and sunshine and enthusiasm and a spring in our step, I thought we were on a winning streak when we set out early this morning on my annual search for the diminutive Spring Squill. I had everyone almost on their hands and knees at various points, dangling over cliffs, poised with hand lenses and all but hanging on the end of a rope into a gully - and almost all totally in vain. The paltry specimen we saw was barely worth the effort (I say it in a whisper!) Another nearby specimen had been grazed and therein lay the answer for our futile search!

Still, no-one but I was bothered! We saw Fulmars glide within inches of us, Razorbills, Guillemots, Black Guillemots, Gannets and a host of flora and had the most glorious sunshiney day on one of Islay's most colourful corners. I could wax lyrical about this walk, but will restrict myself. The Sea Pinks adorning the rocks were resplendent, as were the smiley-faced Marsh Marigolds and the cerise Early Marsh Orchids. Everything was peaceful and even the Oystercatchers did not seem to mind our presence too much. There, I did not overly wax lyrical!

Becky

Black Guillemot

Common Frog

Daisies Galore!

Early Marsh Orchid

Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar - rescued from the tide!

Green-veined White

Watching the Fulmars

Marsh Cinquefoil

Gannet, Fulmar, Rock Pipit, Linnet, Skylark, Black Guillemot, Guillemot, Razorbill, Rock Dove, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Meadow Pipit, Arctic Tern, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover (10), Redshank, Corncrake, Shelduck (and 8 young), Eider, Wheatear, Rock Dove, Sand Martin, Pied Wagtail, Raven, Hooded Crow, Chough, Starling

Early Marsh Orchid, Marsh Cinquefoil, Marsh Marigold, Bogbean, Thrift, Daisy, Meadow Buttercup, Heath-spotted Orchid, White Clover, Eyebright, Wild Thyme, Water Mint, Common Scurvy Grass, Lousewort, Milkwort, Spring Squill, Bluebells, Roseroot, Flag Iris, Wild Pansy, Dog Violet, Cuckoo Flower, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Tormentil, Bog Cotton, Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill, Sea Campion, Marsh Pennywort, Silverweed,  Speedwell sp, Forget-me-not sp, Marsh Thistle, Mouse-ear Chickweed, English Stonecrop

Common Frog, Grey Seal, Hare, Rabbit

Green-veined White, Green Tiger Beetle, Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar

Hedgehog

My dog spotted this snuffling around in a clump of grass in an ungrazed field today, but wisely kept his distance. Hedgehogs were introduced to Islay in the 1970s (and possibly several years before that) when a gamekeeper, recently moved to the island, brought them in to eat the slugs in his garden, from where they steadily colonised virtually all the low ground on the island. Like virtually all introductions it was a mistake. Though not predating ground-nesting waders's eggs on the scale that has done so much damage in the Uists, hedgehogs have been caught on camera predating Lapwing nests on the RSPB's Loch Gruinart reserve.
Malcolm

A walk on The Oa

On a recent walk between Upper and Lower Killeyan on The Oa peninsula we saw lots of Marsh Fritillary caterpillars, all looking rather large and ready to pupate. I'd hoped to see some adults on the wing as they have been flying down south for a couple of weeks already, but it was not to be; ours are far behind their English counterparts.  We also saw about 4 very large Garden Tiger Moth caterpillars and some beautiful spring flora including one of my favourites, Thrift and the deeper purple of the Early Purple Orchid.
Becky

Early Purple Orchid - Orchis mascula

Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar

Marsh Fritillary caterpillar

The Azores - Nine islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Flora and Fauna near Rubh' a' Mhail

What a fantastic walk Paul and I had yesterday at Bagh an Da Dhoruis and around Rubh' a' Mhail. The air was alive with dancing Green Hairstreaks and the ground was carpeted with Marsh Fritillary caterpillars and spring flora.

Becky

Early Purple Orchids, Primrose and Lesser Celandine

Green Hairstreak or Callophrys Rubi (Beautiful Eyebrow - you can see how it got its Latin name)

Job Vacany at INHT

Green Hairstreak and Oil Beetle

I'm always very excited about seeing my first Green Hairstreak and this was especially precious as it actually crawled onto my hand!!! As if this excitement was not enough, we also saw a species of Oil Beetle which is quite scarce. I await Crystal's id! Watch this space . . .
Becky

Green Hairstreak

Violet Oil Beetle

Violet Oil Beetle

Emperor Moth

Thanks to David Griffiths for sending us this spectacular photo of a male Emperor Moth, taken on the Walk Islay walk up Beinn Bheigier last week.
Becky

Emperor Moth - Saturnia pavonia

Sornasairidh from Ballachlaven

Lorna and I enjoyed a long walk in the spring sunshine across bog and tussocks and heather from Ballachlaven farm to the lovely ruin of Sornasairidh. It was 8 miles altogether and we saw 15 lizards, 4 ruins, 5 Golden Eagles, 1 Buzzard, 1 dun and 0 clouds!
Becky

Carabus glabratus

Clach an Tiompan

Cladonia sp

Drinker Moth caterpillar

Golden Eagles

Emperor Moth - female

Common Lizard

Red Deer hinds

Sornasairidh ruin