May on the Isle of Skye
| 7 May 2014 . . . . Kylerhea Road . . . . The second orchid species of the year and a new fungus. | |
Dactylorhiza maculata (Heath Spotted Orchid) |
Mitrula paludosa (Bog Beacon) |
| 8 May 2014 . . . . More new moths. | |
Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia) |
Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli) |
| 12 May 2014 . . . . Found a large (c.30) colony of Orchis mascula this morning and later saw my first Orange-tip of the year on the walk out to Irishman's Point. | |
Orchis mascula (Early Purple Orchid) |
Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) |
| 13 May 2014 . . . . Beautiful weather, though not particularly warm. Started the day with a new moth and ended it with a new beetle. The beetle was at Kinloch, where I also saw more Orange-tips, my first Speckled Wood of the year and a couple of Tree Pipits. | |
Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) |
Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela campestris) |
| 14 May 2014 . . . . Lots of these moths around at the moment: | |
Common Heath (male) (Ematurga atomaria atomaria) |
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| 17 May 2014 . . . . Spent this morning exploring the area between the deserted village of Cill Chriosd and the main road. The Beech Fern was quite plentiful in the woods. Later I saw a flock of around 20 Golden Plover on the open ground above the woods. | |
Phegopteris connectilis (Beech Fern) |
Golden Plover |
| 19 May 2014 . . . . After checking the moth trap (under attack from midges), I went back to Cill Chriosd and found a specimen of Green Spleenwort to add to the FERNS page. The Kidney Vetch is not particularly rare, but I don't often see it. This one is growing outside my house! | |
Pebble Prominent |
Galium odoratum (Woodruff) |
Asplenium viride (Green Spleenwort) |
Anthyllis vulneraria (Kidney Vetch) |
| 20 May 2014 . . . . A nice day so a few butterflies were on the wing (Green-veined White, Peacock and Orange-tip) and various other insects: | |
Lucilia sp. (a Blowfly) |
Sericomyia lappona (a Hoverfly) |
| 23 May 2014 . . . . Out walking the dog and spotted a giant caterpillar: |
Lasiocampa quercus f. callunae (Northern Eggar moth) |
| 24 May 2014 . . . . Boreraig and Suisnish On the way back from Suisnish saw a Large Red Damselfly and a Four-spotted Chaser. |
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Large Red Damselfly |
Four-spotted Chaser |
| 25 May 2014 . . . . U3A Nature Group outing to Balmacara Woods. We had a lovely walk and found newts and this rather striking beetle: |
Dictyoptera aurora There are only two records for this species from Western Scotland and both of those date from the 1970s. |
| 26 May 2014 . . . . I had a walk out to Irishman's Point and recorded a very varied flora including 3 species of Speedwell and an early flowering Cranesbill. | |
Veronica filiformis (Slender Speedwell) |
Geranium sanguineum (Bloody Cranesbill) |
| 27 May 2014 . . . . Kyleakin Hills | |
Saxifraga stellaris (Starry Saxifrage) |
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| 28 May 2014 . . . . Dog walking on the outskirts of Broadford | |
Craneflies mating |
Clouded Border |
Cranefly |
Common White Wave |
| 30 May 2014 . . . . Three new moths in the trap this morning. | |
Bordered White |
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Pale Prominent |
Scalloped Hazel |