A short walk from Sligachan is a foothill of the Black Cuillin called Nead na h-Iolaire, which translates as The Eagle’s Nest and is better known to climbers than to botanists. In 1909 someone called A. Wallis recorded Hymenophyllum wilsonii (Wilson’s Filmy-fern) from the chimney and yesterday I was able to go straight to it.
Eagle’s Nest Chimney (It is steeper than it looks)
This refreshed the records for this plant in the 10 km square NG42 where the last record was in 1976 from Allt Daraich, even nearer to Sligachan – somewhere to pick off another day. See recent distribution map.
Clearly, this is a spot where no-one has recorded vascular plants, probably because it is all too easy to go straight past heading along Glen Sligachan or up to Pinnacle Ridge, recording only the moor and bog as one passes through.
Even at this time of year I was able to add Alchemilla alpina (Alpine Lady’s-mantle) as new to the tetrad (2 x 2 km square) and refresh the 10 km square record for Asplenium adiantum-nigrum (Black Spleenwort) for which there had been only an unlocalised and undated record for the whole 100 sq km.
Pinnacle Ridge
In fact, I added 20 species to the list for the tetrad containing The Eagle’s Nest, almost all from the drier ground above the bog.
Some things just carry on, never mind the season:
Sporing Huperzia selago (Fir Clubmoss)
Tags: Plants
Plants of Skye, Raasay & The Small Isles 
February 29, 2016 at 1:07 pm |
You are clearly getting itchy feet! Me too! If you’d like to send me your list for that tetrad I’d be happy to try and add to it.
February 29, 2016 at 1:19 pm |
Yes, indeed! Will do. Best, Stephen