Kirkcudbrightshire Botany Group at the Arvie Lochs 6th June 2026
A group of 11 of us gathered at Arvie with the kind permission of the farmer. Our aim was to update records for the monad NX7475. This had last been recorded by Olga Stewart in 1989, with a handful of other records, including one for Slender Tufted-sedge Carex acuta (1979) and another for the hybrid Carex x elytroides (Carex acuta x C. nigra) in 2014.
There are two lochs, Loch Arvie to the west and an unnamed loch to the east. The farmer had warned us that Loch Arvie itself was quite dangerous with soft ground at the edge of the loch and deep water beyond, so we started with the easier option and looked at the unnamed loch. Even here, the loch edge was very soft after recent rain, and we negotiated it with care. The swamp area contained a very nice mix of species including Bottle Sedge Carex rostrata, Bladder Sedge Carex vesicaria, White Sedge C. canescens, Water-plantain Alisma plantago-aquatica, Water Avens Geum rivale, Bog Stitchwort Stellaria alsine, Ragged-Robin Silene flos cuculi, Marsh Ragwort Jacobaea aquatica, Skullcap Scutellaria galericulata and Common Club-rush Schoenoplectus lacustris. There was Yellow Water-lily Nuphar lutea on the loch surface and Alternate Water-milfoil Myriophyllum alterniflorum was found in the outflow burn. A puzzling and rather beautiful sedge specimen found here was identified later by Jan as Carex x involuta, the hybrid between Bottle Sedge and Bladder Sedge.
At this point Bob and Jim went off to investigate Loch Arvie itself while the rest of us continued to record the wet pasture between the two lochs. This pasture was very species rich, with wet depressions and flushes and we recorded a wonderful mix of plants including abundant Whorled Caraway Trocdaris verticillata, both Hare’s-tail Cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum and Common Cottongrass E. angustifolium, Cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccus, Marsh Lousewort Pedicularis palustris and Lousewort P. sylvatica, Bog Asphodel Narthecium ossifragum, Round-leaved Sundew Drosera rotundifolia, Devil’s-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis, Round-leaved Water-crowfoot Ranunculus omiophyllus, Bog-myrtle Myrica gale and Common Deergrass Trichophorum germanicum.
By this time Bob and Jim had returned with reports of having made interesting discoveries on both sides of Loch Arvie. Bob said that he had found some different-looking sedges, so we followed him to an area on the SW side of the loch and after negotiating the barbed wire fence we found ourselves in an open area of sedge tussocks. These appeared on first impression to be Common Sedge Carex nigra, but the tussock structure was unusual and distinctive and Jan thought that they showed signs of hybrid character. This turned out to be absolutely correct, as the sedge referee later confirmed that, as well as Carex nigra, the previously-recorded hybrid Carex x elytroides was also present. This is a nationally uncommon plant and the only known location for it in southwest Scotland.
We then backtracked, following Jim to investigate the NW side of the loch. On the way Bob pointed out a clump of Greater Tussock-sedge Carex paniculata growing by the edge of the burn. Jim led us to a very nice area of fen vegetation with Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis, Marsh Cinquefoil Comarum palustre, Bogbean Menyanthes trifoliata, Meadowsweet Filipendula vulgaris, Common Reed Phragmites australis, Ragged-robin Lychnis flos cuculi and Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris.
At the loch edge there was Slender Sedge Carex lasiocarpa with its very fine leaves and hairy fruits. Further into the woodland were a couple of patches of the beautiful Globeflower Trollius europaeus, in full flower.
On our way back from the loch, Claire was delighted to come across a Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus nest with young.
In the meantime, David had opted to record an area of mire to the east of the lochs and which fell within the same monad and was pleased to record 80 species there.
Bob was also recording invertebrates and found 63 species including 41 beetles, 7 bugs, 4 dragonflies, 1 mayfly, 9 spiders, and 1 vertebrate (Palmate Newt Lissotriton helveticus). Notable among these were a Nationally Scarce spider, three Nationally Scarce beetles and the larvae of a rare mayfly Siphlonurus alternatus which is classified as Endangered.
Out total plant species count was an impressive 163 species including 13 species of sedge plus two hybrids. (The number of sedge species is always a good indication of habitat quality).
This was a very enjoyable day with many good plants and invertebrates recorded, including several rare ones. The wildlife habitats on Arvie Farm are exceptionally valuable, and we are extremely grateful to the farmer for allowing us access to explore them. My thanks to all who attended for their contributions and their company.
Sarah White
18th June 2026
