Isle of Skye U3A Walking and Nature Groups: September 2013

3rd

They just arrived one day, a party of around nine Jackdaws (Corvus menedula), probably an extended family from Portree out on a day trip into the countryside.

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

5th

The boys are back in town.

Babby food

6th

Juvenile White-Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

13th

Chimney Sweeper (Odezia atrata). Thanks to iSpot.

20th

Adult White-Tailed Eagle

Self defence

20th

The mysterious, and some would say sinister, phantom white ship, sometimes seen to float in misty seas around Skye and rumoured to be inhabited by the spirits of young management trainees on a character building/team bonding exercise who managed to sink their vessel after getting sloshed on ethane hydroxide at their going home party. Occasionally a faint whisper of drunken revelry, with menacing undertones of darkness and violence, is carried on the wind.

24th

Looks like a skinny young Greenfinch (Chloris chloris).

The western, raised edge of Portree, the northern crags of Ben Tianavaig across Portree Bay, and the island of Raasay, topped by Dun Carn, in the distance.

27th

Sunset over Skeabost.

29th

Sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica)(?) at Uigshader. It can be used as a herbal tea for joint and muscle pain, toothache, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, intestinal gas, tiredness, urinary tract problems, and loss of appetite. The alternative name Bastard Pellitory sounds like a good term of abuse or name for a pet praying mantis.

Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha or Platanthera bifolia, respectively); identified by Steve. I can't remember which; need to check with David or Steve - can be differentiated by the angle of the stamens or some such mega-pokey observation.

Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) - I like plants that are honest and upfront about what they are and don't mess with your mind.
I've since been told by Steve that "this is not one species but actually a

complex of many separate but somewhat similar species"; I imagine he was just trying to wind me up.

Looking across Loch Carron to the Applecross region.

I felt obliged to include this despite being an arachnophobe. What is it about spiders!

I presume this is Dog Rose (Rosa canina).

Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) - identified by Steve.

Ditto

Cross-Leaved Heath (Erica tetralix) - identified by Steve.

Common Sundew (Drosera rotundifolila)

Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha) - photo by David.

Bog Asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum)

Looking towards Loch Kishorn in the distance.

Yellow Hammer (Emberiza citrinella)

Common Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) - photo by David.

Common Blue - photo by David

Common Blue

One of those umbellifers that no one seems interested in identifying. According to Steve, it could be Valerian (Valeriana) but one would need to check the leaves before assigning a species.

English Stonecrop (Sedum anglicum)

Six-Spot Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae) - photo by David.

Monkey Flower (Mimulus guttatus) - identified by Steve.

Northern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza purpurella) - identified by Steve.

Broad-Leaved Willowherb (Epilobium montanum) - identified by Steve.

Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris) - identified by Steve.

Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor) - identified by Steve. The flowers look like tiny aliens wearing dark goggles, possibly waiting for a suitable abductee on whom they can carry out sinister, invasive procedures.

Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia) - photo by David.

Probably as above.

Northern Marsh Orchid - identified by Steve.

Steve says he's fairly sure it's a Dark Green Fritillary (Argynnis aglaja) but the Google images of the latter do not seem to fully match this image which has distinct white ovals and no white edging on the wings. Having checked out images of this on iSpot, I agree with Steve. The trouble with identifying wild life is that individuals of the same species sometimes look more unlike than those of different species. One would think that god of all people might have made a neater job.