The Saltings - Local Nature Reserve, West Dunbartonshire

This morning I visited the Saltings in Old Kilpatrick to take part in a bird survey. The Saltings is an area of marshy meadow and mixed woodland which lies between the River Clyde and the Forth & Clyde Canal, below the Erskine Bridge. It is West Dunbartonshire's only nature reserve and recieved that designation fairly recently.

In the brilliant sunshine Ringlet butterflies (Aphantopus hyperantus) fluttered above the multicoloured meadow flowers. Tall dense-flowering spikes of orchids were everywhere in vivid shades of magenta and pink. Closer inspection revealed these to be Common Spotted (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), Northern Marsh (Dactylorhiza purpurella) and many which looked suspiciously like fuchsii x purpurella hybrids.

Northern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza purpurella) 

Northern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza purpurella)

Nothing too unusual on the birding front - some Blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) could be heard calling and there were some warblers flitting about which may have been Whitethroats. Standing, silently frozen, by the edge of the canal, was a very rufous-brown Roe buck (Capreolus capreolus) with a fine set of antlers. Further along we spotted a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) which took off hastily. On the path we found a dead Common Shrew (Sorex araneus).

There were many Blue-tailed Damselflies (Ischnura elegans) along the canal.

Common Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Valerian root has sedative effects and has been used to treat insomnia, anxiety and as a pain-reliever. This plant is also a cat attractant (containing actinidine) with effects similar to catnip.

Kilpatrick Hills, West Dunbartonshire

I took another short after-work walk in the Kilpatrick Hills - around Little Round Top and the Test.

The marshy meadow at Little Round Top is full of Common Spotted Orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), which are very photogenic!

Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii)

Marsh Stitchwort (Stellaria palustris) is also flowering at Little Round Top.

The slope below the Test is covered in Heath Speedwell (Veronica officinalis) and Eyebright (Euphrasia sp.). I had to take a detour to avoid a herd of cattle with their youngish calves (which was a bit of a drag but I'd rather not take any chances).

Heath Speedwell (Veronica officinalis)

Eyebright (Euphrasia arctica x nemorosa?)

This Eyebright (above) is possibly Euphrasia arctica x nemorosa, but only an expert could say for sure. This genus of tiny, near-identical semi-parasitical plants are named after their traditional use in the treatment of eye problems.

The Large Black Slug (Arion ater) is a very common species in the Kilpatrick Hills and is often found on damp grasses during the day. When disturbed, these slugs will contract and rock gently from side to side in a strange fashion. They also exude a thick sticky mucus which is very difficult to wash off. Although there exists a less common brick-red colour form, normally this species is jet black (as indicated by its scientific name: ater = coal-black).

Large Black Slug (Arion ater)

Large Black Slug (Arion ater)

Large Black Slug (Arion ater)

At the Test a quick search underneath stones revealed a Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus) and a large Common Frog (Rana temporaria) with a distinct purplish tinge and beautiful gold flecked eyes.

Common Frog (Rana temporaria)

Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus)

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)

Kilpatrick Hills, West Dunbartonshire

After work I went for a short walk on the Kilpatrick Hills, there has been a massive influx of Painted Lady (Cynthia cardui) this year and I spent at least an hour chasing through meadows after them. These butterflies are very flighty and not easy to approach and I was only able to photograph them when they landed to bask.

The Painted Lady is a migratory butterfly and many of the adults we see in the UK have travelled here from North Africa.

Painted Lady (Cynthia cardui)

Painted Lady (Cynthia cardui)

In the marsh at Little Round Top there were lots of delicate little blue damselflies: Coenagrion puella. This species can be easily distinguished from the other blue damselflies by the U-shaped black marking at the base of the male's abdomen.

Coenagrion puella male

Coenagrion puella male

Coenagrion puella male

Whilst photographing damselflies, I heard an insistent peeping coming from a hole in an Elder branch. On closer inspection I found the source of the noise - a nest full of nearly-fledged Blue Tits (Parus caeruleus)!

I waited a distance back and hid in the Yellow Flags (and nettles!). The parents duly returned and resumed the constant ferrying of caterpillars into, and white poop-sacs out of, the nest-hole. I very much wished I had brought my tripod with me in order to take a better picture, but it would just have added to the weight I was carrying.

Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)

Around Little Round Top there are thick Rhododendron ponticum bushes - an extremely invasive introduced species (the large evergreen leaves block out sunlight and so nothing can grow underneath these shrubs). The whole plant is poisonous.

Rhododendron ponticum

Yellow Flag (Iris pseudacorus)

The root of Yellow Flag (Iris pseudacorus) is emetic, cathartic and can cause severe gastric disturbance if consumed.

The hawthorns are still lushly blanketed in gorgeous snowy blossoms:

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Pignut (Conopodium majus), Tall Ramping Fumitory (Fumaria bastardii), Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor) and Heath Speedwell (Veronica officinalis) are all flowering around Little Round Top.

I walked to the Test (a marshy area South West of the Greenside Reservoir) where you are almost guaranteed to see a flock of Reed Buntings (Emberiza schoeniclus), and today was no exception. Some Ravens (Corvus corax) could also be heard croaking and cawing hoarsely in the distance.

I found this caddis fly (Micropterna sequax) at the edge of the stream:

Caddis fly (Micropterna sequax)

Caddis fly (Micropterna sequax)

Caddis fly (Micropterna sequax)

Caddis flies (Trichoptera) are closely related to Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) and have aquatic larvae which build protective cases from riverbed debris.

At the Test I searched beneath stones and found a Common Lizard (Lacerta vivipara) and 2 Palmate Newts (Lissotriton helveticus).

Common Lizard (Lacerta vivipara) female

This lizard's pale yellow, unspotted belly indicates that it's a female.

Common Lizard (Lacerta vivipara) female

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And for comparison, the underside of a Palmate Newt:

Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus)

Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus)

Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus)

The Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus) is the smallest of the three newt species native to the UK and is very similar to the Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris). In its terrestrial, non-breeding stage the Palmate Newt can be distinguished by its pinkish-white, unspotted throat (Smooth Newts have white throats with black spots) and by the presence of two small tubercles on the soles of the feet (females only). During the breeding period (aquatic stage) the male Palmate Newt develops an unwavy ridge along his back, a long tail filament and black webbing on the hind feet. In contrast, the male Smooth Newt develops a wavy crest from head to tail and is heavily black spotted.

Also at the Test were a pair of Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) and a female Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea).

Wharncliffe Heath, Sheffield (ENGLAND!)

I went to Sheffield to visit some friends and made a trip to Wharncliffe Heath with Richard, to look for Nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus) and bats (I got a loan of a heterodyne bat detector!).

Wharncliffe Heath is a VERY small area of heathland (about the size of a large field) with oaks dotted through it. The surrounding area is a patchwork of old oak/birch woodland (with lots of bluebells) and sheep fields. We walked through the woodlands from the Wharncliffe Arms, in the direction of the Wharncliffe Crags. The woodland was full of Speckled Woods (Pararge aegeria) and some were landing on muddy river banks to drink. Green-veined Whites (Pieris napi) were also on the wing and we found a rather ragged-looking Peacock butterfly (Inachis io).

Peacock (Inachis io)

The Wharncliffe Crags are popular with rock-climbers and are very dramatic. The rocks were baking hot, so we sat in the shade of the trees to eat our lunch.

Wharncliffe Crags

Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)

There were lots of Green Tiger Beetles (Cicindela campestris) hurriedly scurrying along the sandy path ahead of us.

Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela campestris)

Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela campestris) mating pair

We walked over the sheep fields as we had time to kill before dusk. Perching on a dry stone wall there was a plump Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa).

Once the fiery-orange sunset had faded, we began doing a circuit of the heath with the bat detector switched on. After about 30 minutes we began hearing our first bats! The sound they emitted was like a sputtering, wet-slapping, clicking sound. It took us awhile to get the hang of using the bat detector - estimating the frequency peak and range was difficult. The bats we heard were definitely one of three Pipistrelle species: Common Pipistrelle, Nathusius' Pipistrelle or Soprano Pipistrelle.

In the half-light we could see Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) circling above our heads and uttering 'tssick tssick!'. This shy bird is an unusual species of wader (Scolopacidae): being both a woodland species and nocturnal.

Soon the sky became pitch-black and we took our torches out. We waited until 10:30pm and then, just as we were thinking about heading home, we heard our first Nightjar! At first the churring was intermittent and seemed to be a single Nightjar but after awhile the churring was coming from several directions. We walked in the direction of the nearest churring but, in a grasshopper-like fashion, the churring stopped as soon as we came close and restarted again further away! Chasing nightjars in the dark is like following will o' the wisps!

It was impossible to work out which path we had taken through the forest as there were so many unmarked intercrossing paths on the map. The path we chose took us a longer route and we ended up walking along the side of the railway line, looking for the crossing which would save us time and allow us to catch the last bus home. Walking through the rough gravel took ages and eventually we had to concede defeat and we scrambled up the side of a railway bridge into Oughtibridge, where we phoned for a taxi outside The Cock Inn (feeling like prank-callers!).

Balfron to Dumgoyne, Stirling

I got lost. That pretty much sums up today's walk :(

With the intention of walking from Killearn to Stockiemuir, I took the number 10 firstbus (Glasgow to Balfron) and got off at Blane Smithy roundabout. Instead of taking the road to the left, I took the road straight-ahead (Northwards). To make matters worse, I forgot to bring my map.

I followed the A81 up to Gartness where there were many fields full of Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) and Curlews (Numenius arquata). In flight you can see the lapwing's distinctive large rounded wings.

Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) female

Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)

When I reached Killearn Bridge I was able to leave the road and have my lunch on the banks of the River Endrick (and have a wee look for Otters!). Plenty of Lapwings nesting here too. Swifts (Apus apus) reeled through the air above, swinging low over the river in pursuit of insects.

Once I reached Balfron it was clear that I had taken the wrong turn-off, so I went back the way I came. Along the way I came across a dead Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) on the road.

Just after Blane Smithy Roundabout, heading Southwards, I suddenly heard the loud peeping of baby birds. The calls were coming from a chiselled hole, high up in an oak tree. I watched the nest hole and didn't have to wait long for a Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) to return. I had to stand a short distance from the tree for the female to enter the nest-hole (she was very wary of me).

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) female at nest 

Further along I took a detour to look at a little forest on the banks of the Endrick which was carpeted with delictae white Ramsons (Allium ursinum), also known as Wild Garlic. This plant is a wild relative of the cultivated Garlic (Allium sativum) and is very edible!

Ramsons (Allium ursinum)

In the sheep fields below Dumgoyne were more nesting Lapwings and, just at the roadside, a loudly piping Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) which tried to lead me away from its clutch of speckled eggs.

Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

Shortly after this I managed to hitch a lift to Milngavie train station, where I caught a train home.

Kilpatrick Hills, West Dunbartonshire

I got up early this morning (4:30am!) to help out with a Black Grouse survey to the West of the Kilpatrick Hills. We didn't see/hear any Black Grouse but we heard plenty of Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus). It was extremely cold before day-break and the ground was damp with a dew-frost.

I walked to Burncrooks Reservoir, briefly investigated Burn Crooks valley and then walked over to the Whangie and onwards to Stockiemuir. By 10am the thick blanket of mist had lifted, giving rise to a sunny, cloudless day.

As I approached Burncrooks Reservoir I found lots of Drinker Moth (Euthrix potatoria) caterpillars on the grasses. The drinker is a common moorland species and gets its name from the old belief that the caterpillars drink dew (they are often found on dew-covered grasses in the mornings). Its scientific name means 'good-hairy drinker' (Eu = good, thrix = animal hair and potatoria = drinker). This caterpillar may look gorgeously fluffy and adorable but if handled the irritant hairs embed themselves into your skin and the affected area swells up and becomes incredibly itchy, so it's best not to handle these cuties!

Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) larva

Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) larva

I spent some time searching amongst the boulder piles and loose scree around Burncrooks Reservoir for Adders/Common Lizards/Slowworms, without any luck. I did see some Curlews (Numenius arquata), Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) and a male Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba).

I wandered a short way down Burn Crooks valley and disturbed a Sparrowhawk (Acccipiter nisus) which had been sitting in a tree. On a river-side rock I found a fresh Otter spraint: a good sign!

At the Southern end of Burn Crooks valley (near the dam) was a patch of flowering Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara). The young leaves and flowers can be eaten raw/cooked and can also be dried to make an aromatic tea with a licorice-like flavour. The whole plant is rich in mucilage which has a demulcent effect which is why it has long been used as a treatment for coughs and sore throats. However, Coltsfoot contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which can damage the liver in large doses (but are largely destroyed by boiling) and it shouldn't be consumed in large quantities.

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)

All around Burncrooks Reservoir, the fungoid sporing stems (strobili) of Common Horsetail (Equisteum arvense), were emerging from the ground. Horsetails are very rich in silica (10%)and can be used to scour/polish metals. Horsetails are also astringent and can be used externally to staunch bleeding. This is another plant that shouldn't be consumed in large quantities: it contains both thiaminase (which breaks down vitamin B) and equisetic acid (heart and nerve sedative: dangerous in large doses).

Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) strobilum 

Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) strobilum 

Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) strobilum 

Below the Whangie was a very placid herd of black Galloway cattle. The fresh cowpats were swarming with Golden Dung Flies (Scathophaga stercoraria). Males are thickly covered with plush golden hairs and are especially photogenic! The females are smaller, greyer and less thickly furred.

Despite its striking shimmery golden fur, this fly is not blessed with the most appealing (or imaginative) of scientific names: 'Dung-eater of-dung' (Scatho = dung, phaga, from phagein = to eat, and stercoraria = of-dung). Although the larvae feed on cow/horse dung, the adults are predatory: hunting the smaller flies attracted to dung.

Golden dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) male

Golden dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) male

Golden dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) male

Golden Dung Flies (Scathophaga stercoraria) mating pair

Golden Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) male

Golden Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) male

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) flowers

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) flowers

Unable to find Black Grouse on Stockiemuir, I spent the rest of the day exploring the interesting, steep-sided rivers which criss-cross the moor. They look to be good Otter habitat and have trees (birch, willow, rowan) growing up their rocky sides.

When I got back to my flat in Glasgow (West End), there was a plump, slightly nervous-looking Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus), sitting on the roof.

Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)

There are plenty of Woodpigeons in Glasgow's West End due to the proximity of the Botanic Gardens and the many large trees dotted about the avenues and gardens. Woodpigeons are the largest of our native pigeons with distinctive, noisy wing-claps in flight (usually alerting all other species to your presence!).