BSBI in Mayo and on social media

Recording hedgerow wildflowers in Mayo
Image: M. Long

Update from Maria on the BSBI Mayo Recording Week after collating records from the first two full days:

• 33 monads (1x1km squares) visited in 12 hectads (10x10km squares)
• 3,700 plant records collected
• 27 botanists out recording
• 1 talk given to the public by BSBI Irish Officer Maria Long.

And that's in just two days! Part of the success is undoubtedly due to the fast-becoming-legendary endeavours of the Rough Crew, a fearless band of botanists prepared to climb mountains and tramp through bogs in pursuit of wild plants.

The Rough Crew at Mweelrea Mountain
Image: M. Long

The BSBI Ireland Facebook page tells us that on Wednesday the Rough Crew tackled Mweelrea Mountain and recorded "a nice range of nice montane species... including Deschampsia caespitosa subsp. alpina, Salix herbacea, Carex bigelowii and Cystopteris fragilis".

It's great to be able to follow the daily progress of the Mayo recording team via social media - another example of how BSBI is using C21st technology to keep all our botanists in the loop. Watch this space and the BSBI Ireland Facebook page for more updates from Mayo!

BSBI using social media to spread the word

1. We are using the BSBI Twitter account to spread the word about BSBI and it seems to be working! This exchange from earlier today with a young ecological consultant complimenting us on our friendly approach on social media: 
2. 9 hours ago

   1. Grantham Ecologist @GranthamEcology
   2. #ff has to be @BSBIbotany whose excellent tweets and RT's engage, discuss, inform, enthuse and educate on a daily basis :)
3. BSBI ‏@BSBIbotany  43m43 minutes ago
   BSBI retweeted Grantham Ecologist
   .@GranthamEcology Thank you! @BSBIbotany aims to promote study understanding & enjoyment (v imp!) of B&I wildflowers
4. 
   
5. Grantham Ecologist ‏@GranthamEcology  5m5 minutes ago

   @BSBIbotany mission accomplished - I joined earlier this year based on how engaging and involved you are with members (and non!) on here :)
6. You can see what I put out on the BSBI Twitter account by casting your eyes a few inches to your right - that's the Twitter feed and you can view it without leaving this page - just scroll down to see images of plants (with discussions on ID and links to distribution maps), notices about conferences, new publications, links to open access papers, details of field meetings, training opportunities and general banter about British and Irish wild flowers.

BSBI Recording Week in Mayo

Happy botanists at Lough Lannagh,
Castlebar, Co. Mayo
Image: M. Long

The Mayo Recording Week is now underway and first reports are coming in from Irish Officer Maria Long, who says:

"Successful (though soggy) day 1, easing ourselves into the Mayo BSBI recording week. We made two plant lists, both with over 150 species, and we didn't stray more than 600m from our accommodation! I'd call that a good result!"

Drosera intermedia
Image courtesy of J. Crellin
http://www.floralimages.co.uk/page.php?
taxon=drosera_intermedia,1

Last night, Maria added "The BSBI Mayo recording week continues apace, a small group enjoyed getting out on lovely intact bog, at Knockmoyle Nature Reserve near Bellacorrick, nice things seen included the rare oceanic aquatic Eriocaulon aquaticum, and all three Drosera species".

Let's hope that Maria and the team (I think 35 botanists have signed up for the Recording Week!) get lots more good records for Atlas 2020. And that the weather is kind to them!

You can follow Maria's daily bulletins from Mayo on the BSBI Ireland Facebook page here. You don't need a Facebook account to take a look at the page, although you can only leave a comment if you do have a Facebook account.

Botanising on Shetland 1: Shetland Mouse-ear

Good to hear from BSBI President Ian Denholm who has flown up to the northernmost limit of BSBI's geographical range in pursuit of wild flowers. Ian says:

Shetland Mouse-ear
Image: I. Denholm

"A BSBI team led by Scottish Officer JimMcIntosh and Paul Harvey from the Shetland Biological Records Centre has assembled on Unst, the northernmost of the Shetland Islands, for a week of plant recording. 

"While awaiting the arrival of others, a small group visited the spectacular bare serpentine rock at the Keen of Hamar Nature Reserve in search of rare plants including the Shetland Mouse-ear, aka Edmonston's Chickweed Cerastium nigrescens var. nigrescens, known from nowhere else in the world (an endemic).

"This proved to be in good quantity and in perfect flower. Over the week, the team, which also includes our Hon Gen Sec and Eyebright guru Chris Metherell, and two other trustees – Lynne Farrell and Mick Crawley – will be recording at selected locations on Unst and its neighbouring island, Fetlar".

Thanks Ian! You can see the single red dot on this distribution map which shows where the plant is recorded but you will have to zoom in and up. It really is in only one square and nowhere else in the world! 

Interpretation panel on Unst
Image: I. Denholm

Botanising in Moray 3: Dwarf Eelgrass and Beaked Tasselweed

Moray VC95, Wild Flower Society meeting Mon 13th – Thurs 16th July 2015. Report by Dawn Nelson.

Thursday 16th July 2015.

Spring Vetch
Image: D. Nelson

"For our last day we met up at Findhorn Dunes and set off to explore. 

We were barely 30 paces from the cars when Ian drew our attention to a profusion of Ophioglossum azoricum (Small Adder’s-tongue). There must have been over 50, most with fertile blades 

Small flowering treasures included Hypochaeris glabra (Smooth Cat’s-ear) and Vicia lathyroides (Spring Vetch). 

Scots Lovage
Image: D. Nelson

Then we were shown foliage of established plants of Clematis tangutica (Orange-peel Clematis), Ligustrum scoticum (Scots Lovage) was also admired. Heading westward we found Vulpia fasciculata (Dune Fescue) and the intergeneric hybrid X Festuca hubbardii (Red Fescue x Dune Fescue), both of which were enthusiastically examined. 

The airborne fragrance of Rosa rubiginosa (Sweet Briar) caught our attention and not far away we found Astragalus danicus (Purple Milk-vetch) sadly past flowering, although the fluffy fruits were looking good.

Exploring around the village and harbour area we found Descurainia sophia (Flixweed), some escaped Kniphofia x praecox (Greater Red-hot-poker) showing its exserted stamens and Malva neglecta (Dwarf Mallow). 

Purple Milk-vetch
Image: D. Nelson

At the top of a slipway we got down on our hands and knees to examine Trifolium suffocatum (Suffocated Clover) and Trifolium ornithopodiodes (Fenugreek). 

As we headed back to the cars, we ticked off a few more goodies including Geranium pusillum (Small-flowered Crane’s-bill) Crassula tillaea (Mossy Stonecrop) and Teesdalia nudicaulis (Shepherd’s Cress).

Findhorn Bay beckoned so off we went. Here we saw a typical salt marsh selection of plants including Centaurea littorale (Seaside Centaury), Carex extensa (Long-bracted Sedge) and Blysmus rufus (Saltmarsh Flat-sedge) plus a well-known location for the rare RR Euphrasia foulaensis (Foula Eyebright). 

Foula Eyebright
Image: D. Nelson

Ruppia maritima (Beaked Tassleweed) was found in the wetter places but the tide was too high to get to the RR Zostera noltei (Dwarf Eelgrass) however we came back later and went out onto the mud flats to see it. 

In the meanwhile we went to our last location of the trip - Burghead Beach from where Mertensia maritima (Oysterplant) has been recorded and was seen here by Ian last year. 

This is another of the RR plants I have wanted to see for a long time, it is on the Red List, has not been recorded in England since 1995 and is classified as Near Threatened in Great Britain. 

But sadly, despite an extensive search, our luck wasn’t in today. 

Examining Festuca x hubbardii
Image: D. Nelson

However we had an enjoyable walk along the shore and found a few nice aliens in and around the community garden such as Artemisia verlotiorum (Chinese Mugwort) and Anisantha diandra (Great Brome).

So two plants I have wanted to see it for some years now, were not accommodating - but that’s another good excuse to come back to this wonderful area at a different time of year. 

I honestly find it hard to believe that this is not regarded as one of the honeypot areas for botanising. I added 43 new species to my life list.  

Dwarf Eelgrass
Image: D. Nelson

It was a great three and a half day meeting, with an exceptionally good leader; it was really enjoyable exploring such a selection of plant rich habitats, as well as being in the company like-minded folk. Even the weather was good".

Many thanks to Dawn for this report - let's hope she gets to see Oysterplant Mertensia maritima at some point! 

If you don't know what this rare and photogenic plant looks like, click here to see some pix of a right royal Oysterplant that BSBI members were privileged to see a few years ago.

Ellen Hutchins, Ireland's first female botanist.

Bantry Bay shoreline from Ardnagashel
Image: S. Maskey

A lovely surprise this week: we were contacted by Madeline Hutchins, great great grand-niece of pioneering Irish botanist Ellen Hutchins. This is what Madeline had to say: 

"I thought that BSBI members would like to know about the events happening in Bantry, Co Cork, Ireland, during Heritage Week this August (23rd to 30th) to celebrate that life and work of Ellen Hutchins (1785-1815) Ireland's First Woman Botanist, who worked mostly with algae/seaweed, bryophytes and lichens. 

Bantry Bay, Co. Cork.
Image: S. Maskey

"Donal Synnott, ex Glasnevin, is giving a talk, What the Eye Can See, about Ellen's botanical achievements, and there are a series of walks, In the Footsteps of Ellen, covering seashore, woodland and mountain, and a boat trip, all with botanists, to explore the areas in which Ellen collected plants. 

"There is a day focused on her home territory of Ballylickey and Ardnagashel, and a Pop Up exhibition of books and letters of hers, and including one of her botanical dictionaries, which will appear at various locations during the week.

"A small exhibition in the Bantry Library will tell her story through words and pictures, and at Bantry House there will be an art exhibition of her watercolours of seaweeds (prints of some of those held at Kew Gardens); this being the first time they will have been exhibited in Ireland.

Seaweed specimen collected by Ellen,
stored at Trinity College Dublin TCD
Image courtesy of The Herbarium,
Botany Dept., Trinity College Dublin.

"A plaque will be unveiled on the wall of the churchyard of Bantry old church where Ellen is buried, at present with no stone. This is one of the big blue plaques commemorating Irish scientists. 

"A smaller stone will be placed on the garden wall of Ballylickey House to mark her birthplace and home.

"I am giving a talk about her life and work, and including new material found in recently discovered letters from her to her brothers, and to James Mackay.

"The Bantry Historical Society, the Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve (NPWS) and the Hutchins family have worked together to present the programme, with funding from the Heritage Council, Cork County Council, NPWS, Bantry Bay Port Company, and Bantry Development and Tourism Association, and support from many local organisations and businesses.

"The events' dates and times are all listed on www.ellenhutchins.com and the Heritage Week site www.heritageweek.ie

One of Ellen's watercolours of seaweeds
Image: S. Maskey

"There will also be a little piece about Ellen and the discovery of some of her specimens in Trinity College Dublin's herbarium on RTE radio's Sunday Miscellany some time soon".

Many thanks to Madeline for telling us about these celebrations for the life and work of Ireland's "first female botanist" Ellen Hutchins. 

I hope some of our Irish members will be able to make it along - if you do, please take some photos to share here!

Stop press: Ace Irish botanist and bryologist Rory Hodd tells me that he and the amazing Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington, Emeritus Senior Lecturer in Botany at the University of Galway, are two of the botanists leading guided walks In the Footsteps of Ellen! He also acknowledges the huge effort that Clare from Glengarriff NR has put in behind the scenes to make this event a success. Clare is also the new County Recorder for West Cork VC H3.  

Botanising in Moray 2: some more rarities

Moray VC95, Wild Flower Society meeting Mon 13th – Thurs 16th July 2015. Report by Dawn Nelson. Part 2.

Wednesday 15th July 2015.

Small Cranberry
Image: D. Nelson 

Very different habitats were visited today; first off was a bog beside a small loch at Dava Moor. I didn’t have wellies so had to keep moving to prevent myself sinking and letting the water over top my boots. 

RR Vaccinium microcarpum (Small Cranberry) was found in flower and fruit. Many sedges were admired, including Carex pauciflora (Few-flowered Sedge), C. limosa (Bog Sedge) and C. canescens (White Sedge), and the rare RR Urticularia stygia (Nordic Bladderwort) was examined. 

Stag's-horn Clubmoss
Image: D. Nelson

Lycopodium clavatum (Stag’s-horn Clubmoss) was abundant in the layby and over the road we found RR Pyrola media (Intermediate Wintergreen) and counted the teeth on the leaf edges (mostly fewer than 15 on each side), Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Cowberry), with flowers and fruit, and Arctostaphyllos uva-ursi (Bearberry) with tiny hairs on the leaf edges.

Just up the road at Dava we stopped to tick off a handful of garden escapes including, Euphrasia cyparissias (Cyprus Spurge), Geranium x magnificum (Purple Crane’s-bill), Iris siberica (Siberian Iris) and a white flowered form of Sisyrinchium bermudiana (Blue Eyed-grass); we also saw Meum athamanticum (Spignel), a native, but probably an escape in this location.

Interrupted Clubmoss
Image: D. Nelson

Another short drive took us to Lochallan where RR Lycopodium annotinum, (Interrupted Clubmoss) was found in abundance and in the layby (again) we saw Viola x intersita (Common Dog-violet x Heath dog-violet) showing its sterility perfectly.

The next stop at Glenernie provided an abundance of both RR Gymnadenia borealis (Heath Fragrant-orchid) with its wonderful clove-like fragrance and longer-than-wide, barely-lobed lip, and Dactylorhiza maculata (Heath Spotted-orchid) in a multitude of interesting colour forms. Pinguicula vulgaris (Common Butterwort), Persicaria vivipara (Alpine Bistort) and Achillea ptarmica (Sneezewort) were also seen.

Heath Fragrant-orchid
Image: D. Nelson

Our last stop today was at Randolph’s Leap, a wonderful gorge formed by the River Findhorn. Yet another lay-by plant was seen too - Spirea chamaedryfolia (Elm-leaved Spirea). 

Along the footpath we found several self-sown seedlings of alien conifers. As is often the case in these scenic spots, many exotic trees had been planted by the Victorians. Several seedlings of Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea (Copper Beech) were also noted and County Recorder Ian Green, leading the meeting, showed us Laburnum alpinum (Scots Laburnum) with its shiny trifoliate leaves and winged fruit. 

Interesting natives included Circaea x intermedia (Upland Enchanter’s-nightshade), in the absence of both parents, which is not unusual as it is regarded as a glacial relic. Equisetum pratense (Shady Horsetail) more Orthilia secunda (Serrated Wintergreen) and some Melampyrum pratense (Common Cow-wheat) were also seen. 

Leaves of Intermediate Wintergreen
Image: D, Nelson

At the confluence of the rivers Findhorn and Divie two rather special plants were noted - Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting) and the endemic Hieracium chloranthum (Green-flowered Hawkweed). The latter is very distinctive with greenish-yellow flowers and is mentioned from here in the ‘Flora of Moray, Nairn & East Inverness’ by Mary McCallum Webster, 1978. 

Ed.: Thanks Dawn. Third and final part of Dawn's report follows on Friday - tomorrow we hope to tell you about a pioneer female botanist from Ireland - so keep watching this space!

Botanising in Moray 1: Wintergreens and Coralroot Orchid

Botanising in Culbin Forest
Image: D. Nelson 

BSBI member Dawn Nelson has recently returned from a meeting of the Wildflower Society (WFS) in northern Scotland, and she took to social media to share images of some of the amazing plants she saw. 

I always follow Dawn's botanical peregrinations with interest - she won our Star Recorder prize in this year's New Year Plant Hunt and really goes the extra mile to see and record nice plants -  so I'm delighted that she agreed to share a report on her trip with News & Views readers. Here's Part 1:

Moray VC95, Wild Flower Society meeting Mon 13th – Thurs 16th July 2015. Report by Dawn Nelson.

Monday evening 13th July 2015

I am just back from one of the most amazing wild flower trips I have ever been on. This was led by Ian Green, County Recorder for VC95, he knows his patch really well and was enthusiastic and diligent in sharing it with the 11 WFS members who attended.

One-flowered Wintergreen
Image: D. Nelson

The first foray on Monday evening was to Culbin Forest an extensive vegetated sand dune area that was planted up by the Forestry Commission after WW2. 

It is a treasure trove for Wintergreens and other delights. Pyrola minor (Common Wintergreen) and Goodyera repens (Creeping Lady’s-tresses) were the first plants of interest we found. 

The real highlights however were Orthilia secunda (Serrated Wintergreen), very rare RRR Moneses uniflora (One-flowered Wintergreen) and Neottia cordata (Lesser Twayblade) all, especially the first two, in vast quantities that simply took our breath away. 

Lesser Twayblade
Image: D. Nelson

After much grovelling for photographs, we moved on to a pond and found Carex oederi (Small-fruited Yellow-sedge), Salix x multinervis (Grey Willow x Eared Willow) and Hydrocotyle vulgaris (Marsh Pennywort) in flower. 

Ian gallantly waded in to retrieve specimens of Urticularia australis (Bladderwort) and Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall’s Waterweed) for us to examine.

  

Driving back, some of the group stopped to take a close look at one of the many huge stands of Heracleum mantegazzianum (Giant Hogweed) that sadly seem only too common in the area.

Tuesday 14th July 2015

Botanists looking for Curved Sedge
Image: D. Nelson

We spent the morning at Spey Bay near Kingston setting off westward to explore Lein's old gravel quarry, an area that stopped being worked in 1978 and has, in the 46 years that nature has been reclaiming it, become a rich habitat for plants and animal life.

Tiny delights were drawn to our attention by Ian, including Filago minima (Small Cudweed), Radiola linoides (Allseed) and Centunculus minimus (Chaffweed); as well as a good selection of Eyebrights including the dark purple-flushed Euphrasia micrantha (Slender Eyebright) and other interesting plants, including the most north easterly mainland population of Jasione montana (Sheep’s-bit). 

Coralroot Orchid
Image: D. Nelson

Other good finds included Carex maritima (Curved Sedge) and Reseda alba (White Mignonette). 

However I think the highlight must have been the sheer quantity of flowering Corallorrhiza trifida (Coralroot Orchid) that we saw along the sides of the path through the woods.

Our second stop today was Crooked Wood where beside the layby we found Cotoneaster rehderi (Bullate Cotoneaster) and further into the wood plentiful Trientalis europaea (Chickweed Wintergreen), some still in flower.

We also saw an extensive patch of Linnaea borealis (Twinflower) which sadly had finished flowering but some spent flower stems were found. A red squirrel was also spotted.

Our third stop was Sunbank Park south of Lossiemouth where we found RRR Corynephorus canesens (Grey Hair-grass) new to most of us and a white flowered clump of it too. 

Curved Sedge with leaf of Silverweed
Image: D. Nelson

Cytisus striatus (Hairy-fruited Broom) and C. multiflorus (White Broom) were seen and diligently compared with the common C. scoparius (Broom). 

Vast quantities of Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort) were seen, which was a frequent encounter throughout the days to follow.

From here we set off back to our various places of accommodation, some going to see Rumex alpinus (Monks Rhubarb), others to see Gaultheria mucronata (Prickly Heath) a delicate alien and much prettier than the far more common G. shallon (Shallon). 

Thanks Dawn, that's quite a list - and this is just the first part! Day 2 follows tomorrow. To sustain you until then, here is an image taken by Dawn of Serrated Wintergreen :

Article in Watsonia prompts play at Edinburgh Fringe!

'The Rhum Plants': the cast
Image courtesy of P. Baarda. 

Playwright Phil Baarda has been in touch to tell us about his new play, a comedy called 'The Rhum Plants', which is going to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe festival and then touring. It is about arctic-alpines and is based on a paper in Watsonia, the predecessor to New Journal of Botany! Over to Phil:

"In the 1940s, the botanical world was rocked by the discovery of many rare plants on the island of Rum by Professor John Heslop-Harrison. The trouble was, this ambitious working class academic had been making far too many similar discoveries over the previous decade to be credible. 

"The botanical elite despatched John Raven – classical scholar and botanist of note – to Rum to investigate. They suspected the Prof had been planting out rare plants and passing them off as genuine discoveries.

"These historical facts are the starting point of a new comedy, 'The Rhum Plants', written by Inverness-based Phil Baarda, which is going to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe festival, and also on tour in September around the Highlands – including to the island of Rum itself, and to the Ardtornish estate - home of Hugh Raven, the son of the play’s hero John. 

'The Rhum Plants': John Raven
Image courtesy of P. Baarda

"The play has been heavily inspired by John Raven’s own report of the investigation – which was considered to be so controversial that it wasn’t released until after the death of not only Professor Heslop-Harrison, but following the death of his son. 

"The report was eventually published in 2004 and can be found in Preston, C. D., Watsonia, 25: 17-44 

"The play features four excellent up-and-coming Inverness actors and is being directed by Dave Smith (co-writer of many top notch plays including 'Whisky Kisses' - on last summer at the Pitlochry Festival theatre - 'Who Bares Wins', and 'Accidental Death of an Accordionist', to name only a few). 

'The Rhum Plants' is a tale about deception, greed, class, ambition and arrogance with some gratuitous lust and cross-dressing thrown in – featuring false woolly knitted beards and long-john onesies. 

"The Rhum Plants is on at Sweet Venues on the Grassmarket 6th-30th August at 15:30 each day (except Wed 19th and 26th August).  For more information please click here". 

You can follow the play’s journey and tour dates/venues through Facebook (www.facebook.com/MangonelTheatre) or via Twitter @MangonelTheatre  #TheRhumPlants

BSBI Recording Week in Ayrshire (VC75)

Botanising in a post-industrial
landscape: Ayrshire
Image: J. MacKinnon

BSBI's South Scotland Recording Week was held earlier this month, based in Straiton, Ayrshire, and Jay MacKinnon was there - she has very kindly put together this account of what botanists saw while out recording for Atlas 2020: 

"Ayrshire is a particularly large vice-county (containing all or part of 52 hectads) with a vanishingly small population of resident BSBI members so the influx of foreigners clutching hand lenses and recording cards was warmly welcomed.

"Botanising in the parts of Ayrshire that have an industrial past was interesting for a number of reasons: 

1. Coal bings hosted some rare species such as Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort). 

2. Familiar species occasionally looked rather different growing on the unusual (and potentially toxic) bing soil, generating discussion.

3. Even the areas which were recently open-cast and relatively unvegetated gave insights into the colonisation processes. Tussilago farfara (Coltsfoot), for example, was an abundant coloniser of acres of bare ground near Skares.

Coincya monensis
Images: J. MacKinnon

"Coast and dunes were great for species that many of us don’t get to see nearer home, such as nationally-scarce Coincya monensis (Isle of Man cabbage), abundant on Prestwick dunes, and other coastal specialists like Calystegia soldanella (Sea bindweed). Pyramidal orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis in south Ayrshire were a particularly pleasing and unusual find on the last day.  

"Urban fringe habitats were rich in natives and weeds as well as some challenging aliens.  Most groups on most days encountered a variety of habitats so that the average recording card had well over 200 species marked.

Yellow bird's-nest
Image: J. MacKinnon

"Barony bing is a former coal mine, where mining ceased in 1989. The A-frame has been retained and surrounded with information boards and displays. 

"Some parts of the site have been landscaped and others left to natural succession – grassland and low birch woodlands cover most of it. 

"Common twayblades Neottia ovata are abundant throughout the woods. Groves of thousands of Yellow bird’s-nest Hypopitys monotropa were just emerging while we were there. 

Bee orchid
Image: J. MacKinnon

"We also found (and counted, for the records) colonies of Bee orchids Ophrys apifera. Carol Crawford knows parts of the bing well and was able to show us where bee orchids and other gems had been discovered previously.

"Epipactis helleborine (Broad-leaved helleborine) is rather frequent around Ayrshire, often growing as a weed in a shrub border at the edge of a carpark. Glasgow botanists among the group confirmed that Epipactis is really a car-park weed in this part of the world!

Matt and the Hogweeds
Image: J. MacKinnon 

"Our ‘homework’ in the evenings included examining plants from difficult groups – roses, Polypodium spp. and Scaly Male-ferns in particular – some of us have just begun to dip a toe into these taxa during Recording Week and others have gained confidence.

"Matt learned to distinguish the hybrid hogweed from its two parents, Common hogweed Heracleum sphondylium and Giant hogweed H. mantegazzianum. 

"The hybrid is closer to Common hogweed in height, stem diameter and number of rays in the umbel but closer to Giant hogweed in fruit size. We assume it has at least some toxicity, though thankfully none of us was blistered in investigating it!

"Fauna included a good number of bees and butterflies and a bad number of midges, though we largely avoided the predation of the latter by selecting our target tetrads to fit the day’s weather.

Homework: working on plant IDs
Image: J. MacKinnon

"As always, we were exceptionally well catered-for which contributed to the general atmosphere of conviviality. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge. A wonderful week!"

Thanks also to Jay for this report; she tells me that she plans to attend two more BSBI field meetings in Scotland next month, including the Ballater/Aboyne Recording Weekend. 

I asked Jay if she would consider writing reports for us on these meetings and taking some of her excellent photographs. I'm delighted to say that she agreed - watch this space!