Rousay

I've got very behind with the blog as I've been out in the field and then identifying things, so I'm going to back-date a few posts, but this was yesterday. A lovely sunny day, a bit of a breeze but nothing too much. This had been the day I'd set aside for going to Eday, I'm glad I didn't do that as the Snowy Owl was elusive and not seen all day.

We walked through the village, through the Trumland reserve to the top of Knitchen Hill, then along the ridge to Blotchnie Fold, then down via Knitchen Loch and back to the pub for tea/coffee and cakes and the boat home mid afternoon.

Brinian village was full of birdsong when we arrived, including Goldcrest but possibly Blackcap as well. Bumblebees were frequent and a Small Tortoiseshell went by. First good find was an ant on the path not far from the entrance to the reserve (via the east path). Subsequently confirmed as Myrmica ruginodis, second record for Rousay I think.

Myrmica ruginodis (re-identified via iRecord)

Next I managed to find a bumblebee that stayed still long enough to be photographed, Bombus lucorum agg

Bombus lucorum agg

Along the top ridge I glimpsed Hen Harrier and Buzzard. There was Red Grouse, poo seen and bird heard - is this hedgehog poo on the grouse droppings?

Grouse droppings with Hedgehog poo maybe?

As I got towards the second (mighty) summit of Blotchnie Fold I came across a small pool with inverts in it. I'd been examining each of these as I'd walked across, as had the, by now, very muddy hound.

View from the top with one of the moorland pools.

Four pondskaters and a whirlygig beetle were somewhat unexpected.

Gerris costae (left) and Gyrinus substriatus (right).

The Gerris looks a lot better like this, Gerris costae, the moorland pondskater, not previously recorded for Rousay.

On the way down the hill I pounced on a Carabid beetle. This looked like Pterostichus nigrita but they are a tad hard so I took the specimen. P.nigrita is a difficult ID from P.rhaeticus requiring gen det, but on a fairly big beetle that isn't too tricky. Today I had the microscope and tools out and I'm fairly sure this is ok as P.nigrita.

Pterostichus nigrita, first for Rousay.

While I was about it I got the specimen from Hoy from last week and took a look at that too, also nigrita.

As we approached the pub a Green-veined White went by, my first this year and whilst drinking (very good) coffee and enjoying Simnal Cake in the garden Bombus terrestris was well seen. All in all a pretty successful day out despite missing Emperor Moth (target species) - mostly due to my having lost the pheromone lure over the winter.

Back home a check of The Shunan produced a Black-tailed Godwit, but no sign of yesterday's Swallow, and the moth traps went out, but just Hebrew Character, Common Quaker and Clouded Drab were caught.

On the bird front today, the Bramblings have gone but there are three redpolls, two Lesser and one Mealy.