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u3a Botany Group - 30 July, 2024 - Egilsay
by Kate Sutton - 11:18 on 06 August 2024
Five of the botany group met at Tingwall, and, having had discussions on the wind speed, decided to continue to Egilsay. It’s to be noted that not a mention/ thought was made of midges because of the wind. But making photo taking a bit difficult. There were also two showers that were hardly noticed, such is the beauty of Egilsay’s wild flowers.
Firstly we visited the fields around the Cenotaph. These were a sea of yellow marsh ragwort, and because these fields are ungrazed , the ragwort provided protection for a myriad of smaller plants. Some of these included Eyebrights, Red Bartsia, Lesser Trefoil, Sneezewort, Thyme, Tufted Vetch, Autumn Hawkbit, Knapweed, Lesser Spearwort, Marsh Willowherb, Marsh Marigold, Selfheal, Ragged Robin, Yellow Rattle, Watermint, Marsh Pennywort, and many more. Also found were Greater Birds-foot-trefoil, and a pink milkwort plant. Is it a wonder we spent well over one and a half hours in this tiny part of Egilsay alone?
Moving down the track into the fields below North Culdigo, we were amazed by the carpets and swathes of flowers. Those mentioned above were in profusion plus Lady’s and Marsh Bedstraws, Tufted Forget-me-not, Yarrow, Marsh Cinquefoil, Tormentil, Common and Sticky Mousear, Hybrid Woundwort, Angelica, Fairy Flax, Bogbean, and Knotted Pearlwort.
We lunched on the white sands by Maeness and here found Sea Rocket, Scurvy Grass, Babington’s Orache, Perennial Sow Thistle, and Cleavers, another bedstraw to add to the list.
We made a quick sortie to the Loch of Watten, in the hope of finding Holy Grass, but arriving at a profusion of plants covering the loch sides, realised it was a lost cause. But in our quick visit, we found Amphibious Bistort, and a stand of Mare’s-tail in a semi dried out scrape, as well as Northern Marsh Orchids in late flower, and Devil’s-bit Scabious in early flower.
Returning via the Manse Loch field, again we were all amazed of the many swathes of different flowers. These included Tufted Vetch, Sneezewort, Eyebright, Selfheal and Creeping Thistle. In the wet ground around the Loch were found beautiful carpets of Bog Pimpernel, (so big, it was impossible not to walk on them,) a mass of the tiny white flowers of Knotted Pearlwort, alongside the larger flowers of the Grass of Parnassus , Butterworts and various Sedges.
Here the species were so numerous that a foot square quadrat could have maybe counted up to twenty plants.
Returning to the Community Centre for refreshments, we realised we had probably only covered a mile in our six hours botanising, and while probably missing many species, there were many that we saw that went unrecorded…grasses, sedges, thistles, owing to the abundance of so many plants, and so little time to look at them. Thanks has to be made to the RSPB for the management of the fields, and also to the wonderful wind of the day that kept the midges at bay…and the wonderful company.
Swathe of Eyebrights and Buttercups
Amphibious Bistort and Watermint
Bog Pimpernel
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