General Subjects > Blogs and Diaries
my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
MarcR:
Ian,
Your countryside is amazingly beautiful!
ian mcdonald:
Thanks Marc. I think people tend to take it for granted, especially if they live in the area. Too much TV and not enough walking? Any area has wildlife to offer if we take the time to look?
Robert:
Hello Ian,
There have been many unexpected changes here. As we are able, Jasmin and I continue to enjoy your photographs and postings immensely. Jasmin especially enjoys birds, however everything is incredibly fascinating. I will get back to you with our details in a number of days. Tomorrow, Thursday, I have a long day at the farm. I am still trying to catch up with some of my research. July 2024 in our region was the warmest July in recorded history. Many high temperature records were broken. On many days high temperatures exceeded 43.3 C. My trials with local Eriogonum species were quite encouraging. Other local native species faired well too.
Thank you for sharing your excellent photographs and your insights of your local flora and fauna.
ian mcdonald:
I had another trip to the coast yesterday. The area I visited is just behind the piles of shingle thrown up by the sea. There are areas of low marsh with much Creeping Willow, Salix repens. Also there is the variety argentea. Marsh Pennywort, Hydrocotyle vulgaris is common here, as is Marsh Cinquefoil. Other plants on the marsh include Marsh Lousewort, Northern Marsh Orchid, Common Butterwort and rarely Coral Root Orchid. In another area piles of pebbles have been arranged in a semi-circular fashion. These piles are colonised by a variety of plants including Burnet Rose, Sheeps Bit Scabious and Bell Heather. Creeping Willow carpets the ground in-between the mounds. Many Silver Y moths were here. Gorse is out-competing the area. Seen yesterday were two Scotch Argus, my first this year. In an area of short turf Field Gentians, Gentianella campestris, can be seen. On bare sandy areas are many dry habitat plants such as Common Birds-foot, Ornithopus perpusillus, Hop Trefoil, Trifolium campestre and Sheeps Bit Scabious. Most plants had finished flowering now. I then went to an area where mud was exposed by the out-going tide. I met a party of bird watchers who told me that Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Ruff and Godwit were there. I did not see any godwit (that I recognised). Photography was hampered by a strong sun making the birds a silhouette.
Semi-circular banks of pebbles.
Creeping Willow.
Burnet Rose.
Sheeps-bit Scabious.
Field Gentian.
ian mcdonald:
Silver Y.
Scotch Argus.
Ruff on left, Dunlin behind and Ringed Plover.
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