Sheskinmore has a wealth of plants, birds and insects. Environments include dunes, machair, rough pasture, marsh, bog and rocky outcrops. There are pockets of fresh water, brackish water and saline.
Far too many images for one day, so I'll present them in chronological order over the next two days.
3 x Wall Brown, 1 x Dingy Skipper, 2 x Small Copper, 1 x Green Hairstreak, 1 x Large White.
Dry with sunny spells.
A nice sequence showing the transition from larva to pupa of the 6-spot Burnet - Zygaena filipendulae.
This little beetle pops up no matter which part of the coast I visit. I must try to get an id for it.
Two plants that are way ahead of my local specimens. The Gulf Stream has quite an effect. Common Butterwort - Pinguicula vulgaris - on the left and Heath Milkwort - Polygala serpyllifolia - on the right.
Two early orchids. Early Marsh Orchid - Dactylorhiza incarnata - on the left and Early Purple Orchid - Orchis mascula - on the right.
This Creeping Willow - Salix repens - was everywhere. The seeding specimen on the right was only about 10 cm. tall.
Kidney Vetch - Anthyllis vulnereria - is the foodplant of the Small Blue butterfly, but none were seen. Mouse-ear Hawkweed - Pilosella officinarum - on the right.
Two shots of a female 4-spot Chaser - Libellula quadrimaculata.
One of the butterfly species we were particularly looking for was the endangered Marsh Fritillary. But we were clearly too early for this location. Larva (2 cm.) on the left and pupa on the larval foodplant - Devilsbit Scabious - on the right. Euphydryas aurinia.
A new species for the website: Rue-leaved Saxifrage - Saxifraga tridactylites. The flowers are about 4 mm. across. Common Scurvygrass - Cochlearia officinalis - on the right.
Sea Campion - Silene uniflora - was pretty frequent.
There are three Violets in this area. This is the Wild Pansy - Viola tricolor.
Black Bog Rush was very frequent near any kind of water. Schoenus nigricans.
Biting Stonecrop - Sedum acre - has a peppery aftertaste.
A new Woodrush for the website: Luzula campestris - Field Woodrush.
And a new Crucifer - Arabis hirsuta - Hairy Rock-cress.