Kirkcudbrightshire Botany Group at Rascarrel and Loch Mackie, 7th September 2024

After a prolonged wet spell, sunshine arrived at last with a very warm day for our last meeting of the summer. Nine of us met for a walk through the forestry to Loch Mackie and Rascarrel Bay beyond. We were also joined by Keith Kirk who took some photos of the group in action for a forthcoming article by Laura Jones for Dumfries and Galloway Life.

The walk through the forestry was more speedy than usual as Keith preferred the loch location for his photos and he had another commitment to get to. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the colourful display of Western Gorse Ulex gallii and Autumn Hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis flowering along the path.

On reaching the loch we encountered dense stands of Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus and Common Reed Phragmites australis fringing the open water. Aquatic plants included Broad-leaved Pondweed Potamogeton natans, Round-leaved Crowfoot Ranunculus omiophyllus, Alternate Water-milfoil Myriophyllum alterniflorum and Water-starwort Callitriche agg. At the water’s edge were Common Spike-rush Eleocharis palustris, Water Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile, Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara and Floating Sweet-grass Glyceria fluitans. It was good to see 130 Greylag Geese Anser anser, a flock of Teal Anas crecca, and a Grey Heron Ardea cinerea as well as many Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum dragonflies and a Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta butterfly.

The pasture above the loch has wonderful stands of Gorse Ulex europaeus while closer to the water’s edge there is an extensive marshy area containing a rich mix of flowering plants including Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica, Velvet Bent Agrostis canina, Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris, Whorled Caraway Trocdaris verticillata, Marsh Willowherb Epilobium palustre, Marsh Cinquefoil Comarum palustre, Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, Common Marsh-bedstraw Galium palustre, Purple-loosestrife Lythrum salicaria, Greater Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus pedunculatus, Water Mint Mentha aquatica, Parsley Water-dropwort Oenanthe lachenalii,  Skullcap Scutellaria galericulata, Ragged-Robin Silene flos-cuculi and Marsh Violet Viola palustris. Sedges present were Star Sedge Carex echinata, Carnation Sedge C. panicea and Glaucous Sedge C. flacca.

Many of these plants were already past flowering and we identified them from their leaves, but Marsh Willowherb and Sneezewort were still showing well.

The richness of this area has clearly been maintained by the traditional farming practice, and we were delighted to meet the farmer while we were there and learn that she values the gorse for shelter and chooses to farm the land in a way that is sympathetic to the wildlife interest.

After enjoying lunch on a sunny bank above the loch, we walked down the footpath to the shore, noting on the way a dense stand of Grey Willow Salix cinerea and a huge ancient Crab Apple Malus sylvestris. On the path itself we found two special but very tiny plants, both of which are scarce in Kirkcudbrightshire as well as nationally. These are Chaffweed Lysimachia minima and Allseed Linum radiola. They favour dry bare ground near the sea and often grow together. ‘Allseed’ is a particularly appropriate name as the photo below shows!

When we reached the shore, we only had time to look at one small area of merse and shingle where we recorded Common Saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia maritima, Sea-milkwort Lysimachia maritima, Sea Aster Tripolium pannonicum, Common Sea-lavender Limonium vulgare and Thrift Armeria maritima. There were also a few plants of Sea Spurge Euphorbia paralias, Sea-kale Crambe maritima, Long-bracted-sedge Carex extensa, and Sea Rush Juncus maritimus. A return visit is desirable to record the rest of the shoreline here which appears to have much potential.

We had an excellent total of 194 species for the monad (1km square). This is an exceptionally high number and reflects both the range of habitats present and the fact that they are managed in a way that is sympathetic to the wildlife interest.

My thanks to the group for their company and observations.

Sarah White

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