my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

[ian mcdonald]

Robert and Maggi. I,m Yorkshire and always will be. I know the "new" area fairly well and have spent a lot of time looking for wild flowers here. There is a wide range of habitats from sand dunes, pine forests, rivers, farm land and broad-leaved woodland. I will miss the "local patch" though as it is unique. I will not miss the ever increasing destruction to the countryside for warehouses and the non stop traffic which has turned my former village into a car park. The community has been destroyed in the name of "progress" and people hardly ever talk to each other as many are strangers. I have noticed straight away that people in my new area still talk to each other and strangers, just as we used to do in my former village. I,m still in contact with my colleague from the local patch and he is sending me updates on what is happening there and the wildlife seen. I,m sending him photos. of this area and hope to continue recording wildlife, although I don,t have his expertise when it comes to identifying invertebrates etc. I hope he will continue sending me photos. of the wildflowers that he has found. In this area the habitats are more spread out whereas in the former"local patch" the site, though large, was in a contained area, if that makes sense.

[Hoy]

I think your new area looks great, Ian! Of course it can never be the same as the old one but still may be very interesting. Maybe you can visit the old site sometimes.

[ian mcdonald]

Thanks Hoy. The old site is about 400 miles away and I doubt if I will travel that far. I will keep in touch with what is happening there through my colleague.

[ian mcdonald]

I had a walk along the local river, due to the amount of rain lately the river was high and running fast. The weather is mixed, with rain and sunny spells. Trees are well into their Autumn colours and are dropping their leaves.



Green alkanet, Pentaglottis sempervirens still have some flowers.



Red campion are still with some flowers.



Lichens clothe the trees.

[cohan]

The new area looks quite lovely-- glad to hear that at least socially it is an improvement. If I may ask (you don't have to answer) was it a move for work or just a needed change? I'm still up in the air about mid to long term plans here, kind of in a holding pattern, but status quo is not sustainable longer term..

[ian mcdonald]

I,m retired Cohan.

[cohan]

I,m retired Cohan.

Enjoy your free time-- it's good you have lots of interests to keep you lively.

[ian mcdonald]

Last week I went for a local walk among a conifer woodland which became broad-leaved woodland following a stream. I found a number of bird feeders which were well stocked and saw a jay, blue tits, coal tits, long tailed tits, chaffinches and  a red squirrel. I met two people who told me that crested tits and crossbills were also in the woodland. I made a point of looking for fungi but most are past their best now. I did find a Yellow Stagshorn on a log and a white slime mould. There are many mosses, lichens and liverworts in the woodland.











Feathers of a great spotted woodpecker.

[ian mcdonald]

Slime mould.



Usnea? species.



Fruits of Bullace? probably planted.

[ian mcdonald]

This week I paid a visit to a large conifer forest, it covers an area of around 16 square miles and was formerly drifting sand dunes. The Forestry Commission planted trees here in the 1920,s. It is the site of many plants which are found among conifers, including various Wintergreens, Twinflower and Lesser Twayblade. Because the trees are growing in sand any "brashings" after tree clearance are left on site. Again, I was concentrating on looking for fungi. Many have already turned to "mush" as if there had been a frost.

[ian mcdonald]

Near the forest is a field which has contained Corn Marigold for many years. I was surprised to see that some were still in flower. Due to changing farming practices this is now a rare sight in the UK.

[Hoy]

Ian, the landscape in your new area looks great! I think it is more variation than in your previous area?

Did the Forestry Commission plant other trees than Scots pine in the sand dunes?

[ian mcdonald]

Trond, there is a good variety of habitats here. The Forestry Commission have planted different species of conifer in the forest.

[Hoy]

....
 The Forestry Commission have planted different species of conifer in the forest.

I am interested because here they planted several kinds of conifers on an island I often visit after a devastating attack of the European spruce bark beetle 50 years ago. It was spruce forest there, and they planted many kinds of spruce, fir and pine. Now they do regret! Exotic trees are unwanted.

[ian mcdonald]

I went to the coast again today. There was a slight mist over the water. I noticed several Rock Pipits hunting for insects among the stones and seaweed.



A first for me was seeing four Long Tailed Duck just off shore.



Growing in fissures in the sandstone cliffs were Sea Spleenwort, Asplenium marinum.



A sea stack of Old Red Sandstone is in one small bay.



View of Sutherland across the Firth.