Had a superb half-day tour today with my customers John & Rita Gray from Perth. We began at Cliad where there was a single Basking Shark offshore. The machair was alive with Red-shanked & Moss Carder Bees, a superb queen Garden Bumblebee (look at the length of that tongue in the photo below!) and a stunning Great Yellow Bumblebee. A nice range of plants included Frog Orchid, Devil's-bit Scabious, Fairy Flax, Field Gentian, Grass of Parnassus & Red Bartsia.
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| Great Yellow Bumblebee |
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| Garden Bumblebee |
Next stop was Grishipol where we saw seven Irish Ladies Tresses and a fabulous Brown Hare. We checked the machair at Hogh where we saw many more bumblebees including another Great Yellow amongst a carpet of Red Clover, Knapweed and Wild Carrot.
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| Brown Hare |
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| Photographing Great Yellow Bumblebee |
Offshore there were another five Basking Sharks whilst the drive through the Hogh dunes included Pyramidal Orchids and a couple of cracking Highland Darters. We found a large clump of the pale striatum form of Bloody Crane's-bill alongside the normal purple form and saw numerous newly fledged Wheatears.
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| Bloody Crane's-bill striatum |
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| Highland Darter |
Next stop was Crossapol where we drove along the 1.5 miles of golden beach with the azure sea lapping ashore. A group of Sanderling and Ringed Plovers were seen and then numerous Dunlin, more Ringed Plovers, a juvenile Knot and a juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit. Offshore were Eiders, Mergansers, several Common Seals with new pups and another 5-6 Basking Sharks. The strandline was covered with several species of orache, Prickly Saltwort, Sea Rocket, Sea Mayweed, Celery-leaved Buttercup, Sea Sandwort and Sea Beet.
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
Near the airport a newly cut field held a large mixed flock of Curlew, Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwits, a Buzzard soared overhead, Swallows and a Sand Martin feasted and the uncut field opposite secreted a feeding flock of 150+ Twite.
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