Plants of Skye, Raasay & The Small Isles

Bob, Nick and I took a dinghy to Staffin Island  today. I didn’t take my camera in case we ended up in the water but it was much more profitable than I had expected.

We made 132 vascular plant records on Staffin Island, the following (remarkably, in most cases) new to NG46: Atriplex glabriuscula (Babington’s Orache), Atriplex prostrata (Spear-leaved Orache), Juncus ranarius (Frog Rush) and Puccinellia maritima (Common Saltmarsh-grass). And there was another near the slip on Skye: Aira caryophyllea (Silver Hair-grass).

I have also taken a Euphrasia (Eyebright) specimen for expert determination – it looks like one of the uncommon ones to me. Later: Chris Metherell has determined it as Euphrasia foulaensis.

Bob recorded 21 bird species, 17 of them breeding.  This includes about seven pairs of bonxies.

Great Skuas on Staffin Island            Photo Bob McMillan

Nick found a small number of bryophyte species, but some rather good ones.

Tags: Birds, Plants

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