Kirkcudbrightshire Botany Group at Trostrie Motte Farm, 5th July 2024
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A group of 10 of us assembled at Trostrie Motte Farm by kind permission of the owners. The part of the farm that we particularly wanted to survey was the low-lying basin containing the loch, together with the adjacent areas …
Dumfriesshire Botany Group at Springkell, 16th June 2024
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Seven of the group met at Burnfoot with kind permission to survey the Springkell Estate grounds from Rachel Johnson-Ferguson. A route had been discussed with Rachel before the visit and we stuck to that route as closely as possible which …
Kirkcudbrightshire Botany Group at Southerness, 22nd June 2024
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Despite a meeting at Southerness in September 2023, this area was substituted for the original Tallowquairn site due to difficulty with access. The intention was to go as far westwards from the square Southerness lighthouse as was possible in the …
Kirkcudbrightshire Botany Group at Knockbrex and Barlocco, 8th June 2024
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As we gathered, a Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca was rattling in the scrub nearby, the first of the year for most of us and a great start to the day. Our aim was to record the single monad NX5849 which …
Kirkcudbrightshire Botany Group at Ken Dee, 1st June 2024
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The RSPB Ken-Dee Marshes reserve, probably best known for its wintering populations of Greenland White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons and for its breeding Willow Tits Poecile montanus, is a complex and diverse wetland site with large areas of open water, fen, swamp …
Dumfriesshire Botany Group at Chanlockfoot SSSI, 18th May 2024
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Five of the group met on a warm day in the valley of the Scaur Water to take a closer look at the plants growing in the Chanlockfoot SSSI by kind permission of Queensberry Estates who gave access permission. The …
Dumfriesshire Botany Group at Coshogle Woods SSSI, 5th May 2024
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On a day with a forecast of occasional rain eight of us met in mid Nithsdale. In the morning we parked at the rest area by Glenairlie Bridge and recorded along a stretch of the river from the edge of …
Species of the Month: Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata (June 2024)
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A streaky greyish-brown bird of woodland edge, parks and mature gardens. Spotted Flycatchers Muscicapa striata are migrants, spending the winter months in Africa. They are typically one of the latest summer migrants to return to their breeding grounds, seldom appearing before mid-late …
Kirkcudbrightshire Botany Group at Brighouse Bay, 17th May 2024
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Those of us who arrived a little early took the opportunity first to check out the Perennial Flax Linum perenne in the dunes at the back of the beach. We had feared that it might not be in flower yet, …
Species of the Month: Green Tiger Beetle Cicindela campestris (May 2024)
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The Green Tiger Beetle Cicindela campestris is a distinctive species of ground beetle, the commonest and most widespread of five species of tiger beetle found in the UK. They are approximately 10-15mm in length and are easily recognised by their iridescent …
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