May on the Isle of Skye


5 May 2017 . . . . First Orange-tip of the year
Copyright: Steve Terry Copyright: Steve Terry


6 May 2017 . . . . Down at Skinadin with Bob McMillan this morning and we saw or heard Blackcap, Whitethroat and Lesser Redpoll, as well as the ubiquitous Willow Warblers.

Common Whitethroat
Copyright: Mark Medcalf
Lesser Redpoll
(copyright: Mark Medcalf)
Copyright: Tony Hisgett
Blackcap
(copyright: Tony Hisgett)


6 May 2017 . . . . Later on I was at Tarskavaig with the Broadford Botany Group, and found two species new to me and new for the tetrad.

Cerastium diffusum (Sea Mouse-ear)
Copyright: Steve Terry
Sagina subulata (Heath Pearlwort)


10 May 2017 . . . . Found two moths sat on the wall of the house this morning. Perhaps it was the full moon shining on it that attracted them.
Copyright: Steve Terry
Striped Twin-spot Carpet
Copyright: Steve Terry
Ruddy Highflyer


21 May 2017 . . . . The Broadford Botany Group had a wander around Lusa today. The square was already well recorded with almost 200 species, but we managed to add 10 more, including a common plant that I'd never actually recorded before: Sticky Mouse-ear.

Not a new record, but always nice to see was the Common Vetch. I think all ours are the subspecies nigra. It is heterophyllous - the lower leaves are different from the upper leaves.

Copyright: Steve Terry
Cerastium glomeratum
Copyright: Steve Terry
Vicia sativa nigra
Copyright: Steve Terry
Vicia sativa nigra


22 May 2017 . . . . On our outing to Teangue last weekend, Tim spotted a few plants of the hybrid bluebell Hyacinthoides x massartiana. Today I spotted some more on the outskirts of Broadford.
Copyright: Steve Terry Copyright: Steve Terry Copyright: Steve Terry
Hyacinthoides x massartiana


23 May 2017 . . . . I've seen most of the orchids that grow on Skye, but one I hadn't seen was the Narrow-leaved Helleborine. I put that right today, visiting two locations and finding a couple of plants at each.
Copyright: Steve Terry
Cephalanthera longifolia
Copyright: Steve Terry
Cephalanthera longifolia


24 May 2017 . . . . Around 40 moths of 16 different species in and around the trap this morning. Here are some of them.
Copyright: Steve Terry
Nut-tree Tussock
Copyright: Steve Terry
Early Tooth-striped
Copyright: Steve Terry
Grey Pine Carpet
Copyright: Steve Terry
Red Twin-spot Carpet
Copyright: Steve Terry
Small Phoenix
Copyright: Steve Terry
Knot-grass
Copyright: Steve Terry
Brimstone
Copyright: Steve Terry
Pale-shouldered Brocade
Copyright: Steve Terry
Small Angle Shades
Copyright: Steve Terry
Flame Carpet
Copyright: Steve Terry
Ruddy Highflyer
Copyright: Steve Terry
Scalloped Hazel


25 May 2017 . . . . Dalavil
Copyright: Steve Terry
Mother Shipton (First record for Skye!)
Copyright: Steve Terry
Barred Umber
There were quite a few Small Heath butterflies around and I also caught a brief glimpse of my first fritillary of the year:
Copyright: Steve Terry
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Saw three species of damselfly: Blue-tailed, Large Red and Beautiful Demoiselle and two species of dragonfly: Four-spotted Chaser and Keeled Skimmer.
Copyright: Steve Terry
Four-spotted Chaser
Copyright: Steve Terry
Blue-tailed Damselfly (immature male)
Copyright: Steve Terry
Four-spotted Chaser
Copyright: Steve Terry
Four-spotted Chaser
Copyright: Steve Terry
Four-spotted Chaser
Copyright: Steve Terry
Four-spotted Chaser


31 May 2017 . . . . Visited the Kingsburgh Community Woodland with the U3A Nature Group. It didn't look too promising, but we found quite a few interesting things.
Copyright: Steve Terry
Large Red Damselfly
Copyright: Steve Terry
Pedicia rivosa (a hairy-eyed cranefly)
Copyright: Steve Terry
Newt
Copyright: Steve Terry
Golden-ringed Dragonfly
This is likely to be the Palmate Newt (the Common Newt is very rare on Skye, though Colin reckons he has them in his garden!)


Before we'd even started the walk I spotted an unfamiliar plant which turned out to be Leopard's-bane, a plant not previously recorded north of Mull!
Copyright: Steve Terry
Doronicum pardalianches (Leopard's-bane)