6 BRISC Committee members Issue No 106 - September 2017 ISSN 0966-1964 BURSARIES 2018 Christopher McInerny, Chair www.brisc.org.uk Email: [email protected] Biological Recording in Scotland www.facebook.com/BriscScotland (BRISC) and Glasgow Natural Louisa Maddison, Minutes Secretary History Society (GNHS) will be Scottish Charity No. SCO24418 Email: [email protected] offering new bursaries to anyone living in Scotland to cover some of Sarah Eno, Editor the costs of attending a suitable Email: [email protected] training course in 2018. Up to £200 Recorder News Andy Wakelin, Website Manager or 75% of the cost of the course, whichever is lowest, is usually deadwood, seasonally flooded willow and Membership CONTENTS Tel 01674 676783 offered to successful candidates. carr, saltmarsh, mudflats, disused Email: [email protected] Biological Recording on the sand quarries and other types of wild The closing date is likely to be the Ardeer Peninsula…………………….p.1 brownfield land. Jonathan Willett end of January 2018. Please watch Email: [email protected] for updates on the BRISC website: Chair & Editor columns…………...p.4 For the past 10 years there have been concerted attempts to develop the site Duncan Davidson Conference Programme…………..p.5 http://www.brisc.org.uk/Bursaries.php for housing, industry and leisure. Email: [email protected] Bursary Reports……………………..p.7 Currently the landowner is keen to develop a large housing estate, power Graeme Wilson LRC reports & News………………..p.10 plant, sports complex and holiday Email: [email protected] Reviews…………………………………p.12 Membership costs per year village in the sand dunes and a marina Christine Johnston, Scottish NBN NBN News……………………………..p.14 on the saltmarsh. One long-standing Liaison Officer obstacle to conservation at the site BRISC Information………………….p.16 Email: [email protected] Individual £15.00 was the fact that the peninsula had a negligible number of biological records Glenn Roberts, NESBReC Coordinator Student £5.00 pertaining to it. Because it had been Email: home to an explosives factory for over [email protected] Corporate, LRC’s etc £50.00 Biological Recording on the Ardeer Peninsula a century, next to no naturalists had Richard Weddle been allowed to visit the site. On being Email: [email protected] Iain Hamlin opened to the public in 2009, the The Ardeer Peninsula is a large sand FRIENDS group* led a push to record Kelly Anne Dempsey NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE dune system in Stevenston, North wildlife on the peninsula. We amassed Email: [email protected] ● JANUARY 19th 2018 Ayrshire. Its hundreds of hectares a site list of several hundred species and contracted Buglife to undertake ● Please send articles, news, contain a diverse array of habitats, fieldwork to supplement this. Sarah Jayne Forster events and reviews, in Word & including dynamic foredunes, botani- Email: cally-rich fixed dunes, dune heath, a photos in jpeg preferably, to Moth trapping has produced records of [email protected] me at: variety of temporary and permanent uncommon moths, such as Coast Dart wetlands, broadleaved woodland, ● [email protected] (Nationally Scarce B), Thyme Pug Francesca Pandolfi (co-opted) unmanaged conifer plantations full of (Nationally Scarce B), Broom-tip

BRISC Recorder News No 106 16 BRISC Recorder News No 106 1 bee, , which is Thank you for your patience whilst we NBN Conference – not too late to commonly encountered on the resolved the issue with downloads and book! peninsula’s Hogweed, Angelica and speed of response from the NBN Atlas and This year’s NBN Conference 2017 is taking Giant Hogweed in July; the hoverfly, we hope you find the larger download facility suits your needs. place on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th , which is often November at the National Museum Cardiff. swept from areas of open sand containing its larval foodplant, Sheep’s- Nominations are in for the 2017 As we continue to move around the UK, and based on feedback from 2016, Wales UK Awards for Biological Record- was the next logical place to visit, ing and Information Sharing! especially with the launch of the NBN Atlas We are delighted to announce that 2017 Wales this year. Bookings are still open saw us receive more nominations than in and you can find the latest information and Coast dart the previous two years, with 59 people programme on the NBN website: nominated across the six award categories! https://nbn.org.uk/news-events- (Nationally Scarce B), Small Yellow publications/nbn-conference-2/nbn- The five short-listed nominees from each conference-2017/ Wave, The Anomalous and Archer’s category will be announced on 29 Dart. Observations of Lepidoptera September, giving us the opportunity to during the day have added Beautiful recognise the achievements of more biolog- NBN Atlas use statistics Yellow Underwing to the site list, along ical recorders than in 2015 or 2016. Keep with local butterflies such as Dark an eye on social media and Network News Having started to analyse the use of the Green Fritillary and Small Pearl-bor- bit; and the large, orange-legged for the names of those who have been NBN Atlas through Google Analytics, we dered Fritillary. robberfly, shortlisted from 29th! have brought together the statistics from launch on 1st April, to date. which has been caught in the more The winners will be announced at a special The information can all be found on the sheltered, inland parts of the dune ceremony on the evening of 16th November We’ve found many interesting beetles NBN website: as part of the NBN’s annual conference, so on the peninsula too. The ‘sandy system. https://nbn.org.uk/news/nbn-atlas-use- why not come along and meet them in volcanoes’ of the Minotaur beetle statistics/ are found across Of particular note is the assemblage of Cardiff? most of the site, with dead beetles bees and wasps. Over 100 species The Awards are kindly being sponsored by being found regularly. Absent from have been recorded on the peninsula. Opticron, Paramo and the Field Studies most of Scotland, this southern species This represents the largest site list of Council. appears to be locally common only in any site in Scotland. Rare species the dunes of Ayrshire. Another rare found at the site include the mining dung beetle recorded from the site is bee, (RDB3), the (Nationally Scarce B), a specialist of dung on sand dunes.

A further interesting beetle species found on the peninsula, (Nationally Scarce A), is part of an assemblage of invertebrates largely restricted to dune systems in the northwest of Britain. Other species in this assemblage include the mining a mining bee

BRISC Recorder News No 106 2 BRISC Recorder News No 106 15 researchers use recommended citations digger wasps, interesting. The first Scottish record for their download DOIs. (Nationally Scarce A) and pertains to a male caught nectaring on This practice makes it easier for GBIF to (Nationally Scarce B) and the Wild Thyme on the Ardeer Peninsula. link user downloads applied in research and Subsequent records from neighbouring policy back to its contributing datasets, dune systems suggest that it flies publishers and countries. earlier than other northern . You can read the full article written by Kyle Furthermore, unlike the NBN News – September 2017 Copas of the GBIF Secretariat on the NBN found elsewhere in Scotland and website: https://nbn.org.uk/news/update- Northern England, which attack the Update from NBN Atlas makes UK nbn-atlas-makes-uk-2nd-largest-data- nests of , Ayrshire’s the 2nd-largest data publishing publishing-country-gbif/ attack the nests of a country to GBIF Download limit on NBN Atlas has different host, . These In July, when the NBN made its first major been increased marked differences in ecology have led update of datasets from the NBN Atlas to to a genetic study of Ardeer’s Epeolus GBIF.org, the 47 million occurrence records We are pleased to report that the original spider-hunting wasps, bees to investigate the possibility that it added immediately made the United limit of 50,000 as the number of records (Nationally Scarce B) and they represent an as yet undescribed, that could be downloaded from the NBN Kingdom the second-largest national The peninsula cryptic species. Atlas Scotland has been removed. contributor of data to the global index. plays host to several species of bee and This milestone marks the conclusion of This is the same for NBN Atlas and NBN wasp that are at the northern limit of Although the site’s species list now NBN’s own efforts to implement machine- Atlas Wales. A much higher figure of 10 their British distribution. These include runs into the hundreds, it lists only a readable licensing of all occurrence million records is now in place and this the tiny, yellow-faced bee, fraction of the what is present. Some seems to be working well. With the 10 datasets. In August 2016, to give NBN more , the black and red cuckoo of the notable gaps in biological million record download facility users can time to work with our data partners and bee, and the recording pertain to the peninsula’s ensure appropriate licensing and permis- download all the data for any species and black and white striped digger wasp, wetlands. There are many wetlands at sions, GBIF and NBN withdrew 329 datasets all the data for any dataset except for the containing 27.3 million records, BTO dataset – Birds (BTO+Partners) which . Among the the site, varying from shallow to deep, representing 72 percent of all occurrences has 151 million records. ‘southern’ species found on the permanent to ephemeral, freshwater peninsula, the cuckoo bee to brackish. However, next to no pond published by UK institutions at that time. The new system is queue based, which is perhaps the most dipping has taken place, leaving the More than half of the withdrawn datasets means that if there are lots of requests, aquatic fauna largely unrecorded. have now returned, restoring nearly 12 they are queued and handled one at a time. million records, joined by 484 new ones During periods of high activity this may Similarly, although the over-mature, holding more than 35 million occurrences. result in a longer response time, but this unmanaged conifer plantation that About two thirds of NBN’s data partners should only be noticeable for the larger dominates the north of the peninsula now choose to share open data through the downloads. There are several queues in (the Black Powder Wood) represents a GBIF network. use, larger downloads being handled on regionally important deadwood one queue, smaller on another. Thanks to a reconfiguration in how NBN resource, its fauna has been largely shares data from the UK, each of these NBN New features include: ignored by biological recorders. Regarding families, spiders are particu- data partners all now appear in publisher ● shapefile downloads search results on GBIF.org. That change larly poorly recorded and the recording means they also receive clearer, more direct ● customised downloads – allowing of flies has largely been restricted to Cuckoo bee credit when their datasets contribute to users to select groups of fields hoverflies. There are undoubtedly published research, at least when many rare species yet to be discovered.

BRISC Recorder News No 106 14 BRISC Recorder News No 106 3 The biological recording efforts stay on the island in Millport Field Mammal Atlas consultancies, who all need access to described in this article have resulted in Centre accommodation. We very much of North-East wildlife data. the peninsula being formally hope that you will be able to attend this Scotland & the recognised as the most biodiverse Local event. Cumbrae is a beautiful island. Cairngorms Nature Conservation Site in North Pub. NESBReC. Ayrshire and form the basis of current The summer weather has been rather attempts to protect the site from mixed this year, but I personally have The most development. been able to get about to enjoy many comprehensive *http://stevenstonconservation.org plants, insects and birds. I particularly description ever enjoyed seeing Large Heath and of land mammals Further information also available on Scotch Argus butterflies. I have also in North-East https://swseic.org.uk/2017/07/secret-wildl- been continuing to survey reptiles and, Scotland was launched in Aberdeen ifederelict-ardeer/ despite the weather, have seen a quite recently, showcasing animals as varied few juvenile Adders, Slow-worms and as pine martens, wildcats, bats, deer, Common Lizards. So, it looks to be a seals – and even humans. Fox on outskirts of Aberdeen good breeding year for these creatures. Photo Paul Chapman Chairs column Best wishes, and good recording The Mammal Atlas of North-East Scotland The atlas encompasses the local authority Chris McInerny through the autumn and winter. And I and the Cairngorms, compiled and areas of Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, very much hope to see you on published by the North East Scotland Biological Records Centre (NESBReC), is a Moray and the whole of the Cairngorms Can I start by encour- Cumbrae in October for the BRISC National Park. The total area covered is aging all BRISC autumn conference. fully-illustrated book, mapping 43 mammals found in the North East, using 77,592 11,629 km2, which is around 15% of members to come the records from 1,472 observers from all over Scotland’s land area. This region includes BRISC autumn conference, which will the area and beyond. approximately 297 km of coast and land up be at the Millport Field Centre on Editor’s column to 1,309 m altitude at the second highest It tells some fascinating stories of the many point in the UK. Cumbrae on the 14 October, focusing Sarah Eno on marine recording. The advert for amazing mammals found throughout North-East Scotland, including the recovery Funding for the publication was sourced this conference, and booking details, I have done some of red squirrels, the recent significant from Aberdeenshire Council, Cairngorms are shown on page 5 AND note travel- recording this year, spread of pine martens eastward to the National Park Authority, Forestry Commis- ling details on page 6. mainly botanical but outskirts of Aberdeen, and the discovery of sion Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Ornithologists Club. also as they appear, a number of dead a new bat species (Leisler’s Bat) for the area. New BRISC committee member Sarah- mammals - shrews and a surface The project, which began in 2013, encour- The book is on sale at shops throughout Jayne Forster has helped enormously in hunting mole on our local patch! aged the public to report animal sightings, North-East Scotland and is also available the organisation of this event, and it from those who had never before submitted from several online sellers. looks like it will be a great conference. However I also registered for the BCT a mammal sighting through to experienced Following last years’ very successful Bat Roost Count knowing our larch clad biological recorders. In the book, each Glenn Roberts format we will have talks by bursary ‘eco-house’ has 55 Pipistrelle roosts. mammal species is depicted by a NESBReC coordinator awardees, followed by a series of Dutifully I sat out on the two summer photograph, a distribution map and a short presentations on marine recording and evenings to count their emergence. So account of its ecology, in both the local and UK contexts. The data from the project will recording in south-west Scotland; there it was disappointing that only 7 and 8 will also be a wildlife walk on the day. continue to be held by NESBReC and used emerged from their maternity roost by planners, researchers, conservation There is also the option for delegates to over the front bay window. Now, agencies, students and environmental

BRISC Recorder News No 106 4 BRISC Recorder News No 106 13 REVIEWS After such a drought of mammal field BRISC Annual Conference and AGM 2017 guides it could be said that any quality WILDGuides of field guide would get a good review Britain’s Marine Biological Recording but this book is full of high quality Mammals: A field guide to the photos and so much information that it Saturday 14th October 2017 mammals of is hard to find anything negative to say FSC Millport, Millport Field Centre, Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland, KA28 0EG Britain and about it. In fact, having read it cover Ireland by to cover, not just once but twice, I Programme Dominic Couzens, have only found one thing that I can 0930-1000 Arrival and registration Andy Swash, possibly criticise and that is that one of 1000-1005 Chairman's welcome Robert Still and Jon the distribution maps is clearly wrong. Dunn. Princeton I know that distribution maps can be 1005-1045 BRISC Bursary talks University Press slightly historical but in this book the ISBN 978-0-691 - Bee identification - Introduction to seaweeds 15697-2 RRP Reeves’ Muntjac Deer map has it - Hoverfly identification - Grass identification £17.95 shown as quite widespread in Scotland which is not the case. Other than this 1045-1115 (Where's Wildlife in Ayrshire) Putting Ayrshire's Wildlife Many with a keen interest in mammals have small niggle I struggle to find anything on the map. spent a number of years waiting and to be critical about in this well written wishing for a new mammal field guide. 1115-1145 (Seasearch Coordinator Scotland) Seasearch – How However that wait is over and the waiting and well laid out field guide. In fact I volunteer data contribute to protecting the marine environment was worth it! WILDGuides have produced was so impressed by this WILDGuides 1145-1200 (The Conservation Volunteers) The Edinburgh Britain’s Mammals: A field guide to the book I have invested in nine other of their shoreline: Engaging with the past and the present mammals of Britain and Ireland. It is a titles! well-made and well layed out field guide Graeme Wilson 1200-1230 (FSC Millport) Recording at Millport, past, present and that covers both terrestrial and marine future mammals, including vagrants and introduced species. Each species is given 1230-1300 (Scottish Marine Stranding Scheme) Dead Useful? between a quarter page (mainly rare What strandings can tell us about the Marine environment vagrants and extinct reintroductions) and 1300-1400 Lunch and Raffle Draw up to 4 pages with high quality photos and very in depth information on the specific 1400-1430 BRISC AGM species. 1430-1440 Conference Close and briefing for field visit WILDGuide books are not just about identi- 1440-1630 Field Visit to Cumbrae fying species though. Their books are so much more. They are, to put it plainly, a 1630-1700 Depart, Tea and Coffee fine read! There are nearly 50 pages before Costs: Student: £15; member £35; non-member £40 the guide even starts detailing the species The Editor’s mole - oblivious to us Overnight B&B for Friday night: £35 for shared room with dinner. accounts. These pages cover subjects watching, she was moving so fast that including the biology and life cycle of it was hard to photograph her. But we mammals, their history in Britain and got a great wee video of her snuffling BOOKING by Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brisc- Ireland, names and classification and all the different ways to watch and monitor in the wet clover-rich lawn. conference-agm-2017-tickets-34104174504?aff=es2 or search for BRISC mammals. at www.eventbrite.co.uk

Or email: [email protected] for other payment options.

BRISC Recorder News No 106 12 BRISC Recorder News No 106 5 Directions to BRISC COUNTING SNIPE TWIC do that but once you have you can also Graeme Wilson enter records into other activities or just Conference, Millport, Cumbrae use iRecord for general recording!

Trains: Regular services from Two! Scottish Spider Search Once your Edinburgh and Glasgow to Largs for record has been ferry. See www.scotrail.co.uk One! The Wildlife Information Centre is working submitted to in partnership with the British Arachnolog- Buses: Regular services from iRecord spider Three! ical Society, Caledonian Conservation Ltd Glasgow to Largs for ferry. See experts from and Buglife and part funded by Scottish the British https://www.firstgroup.com Four! Natural Heritage to carry out the Scottish Arachnological Ferry to Cumbrae: travels from Spider Search project. In the survey we are Rocketing up Society will Largs every 15 mins only asking for records of four species of check the Now there’s three more spider. These should be easy to identify records to without any special knowledge or Daddy Long-legs Spider confirm the Woops! Nearly tripped! equipment, but you will need to look identification. I can watch dozens going home at closely! The The information will be sent to the Society’s spiders are the 0530 am! However, now isn’t the right Another five! Spider Recording Scheme, which collects Four-spotted recording date for the BCT roost count! records of spiders from across the UK. It Go round that pool Orbweb will also be published on the NBN Atlas Spider, Daddy Scotland. Your information will help us to Many thanks again to authors of the I saw six rise Long-legs understand the distribution of these spiders contributions, and those who have Spider, Zebra I’m up to forty better and provide information to help pointed me to sources such as Iain’s Spider and the monitor their spread or decline. article. There is always pressure to Look out! Take care ... Nurseryweb develop coastal sites for such as new Spider For more details see golf courses. I find these the most Another three www.http://www.wildlifeinformation. Four Spotted Orbweb Spider If you see one upsetting especially as there are often of these co.uk/ It’s slippy there sufficient facilities nearby. spiders please Zig-zagging so fast let us know by recording your sighting on The hard copy of this newsletter only iRecord. To help us to confirm your has B & W photos (to keep costs Five! observation, please include a photograph with your record. Additional details such as down). If you want to see these in full Six! habitat, behaviour, number of individuals glorious colour and much better detail, are also interesting, you should contact Andy Wakelin (see Eight! so include them if back cover) for the A4 or A5 download- you can. Simply go to able copy. Two! https://www.brc.a Over 70, now c.uk/irecord/join/s The lovely poem Snipe, is by Barbara cottish-spider- Nurseryweb Spider Mearns, a busy recorder in Dumfries Must be passing through search to sign up to Photographs of 4 Spotted Orbweb, and Galloway. She wanted more the activity and enter How many on the bog? Zebra and Nurseryweb Spiders (c) Chris naturalists to read them and is trying to your records. If you Cathrine. Photograph of Daddy Long- have not registered get a collection together to publish. I wish we knew! legs Spider (c) Colin Legg. for iRecord before Zebra Spider you will also need to

BRISC Recorder News No 106 6 BRISC Recorder News No 106 11 remained difficult to identify, as initially, and Glasgow Natural History Society Local Record Centres - news BRISC PROJECTS they all looked very similar. This was (GNHS). The bursary allowed me to attend NESBreC Bursaries exacerbated by my starting my PhD in a weekend introductory-level course on Glenn Roberts October, so vegetative features were all I lichens at the Field Study Centre (FSC) in had to go by. However, thanks to Kindrogan in May 2017. Here is a short update on some of Grass Identification NESBReC’s other activities so far this year. Magdalena Blantz BRISC/GNHS/SNH, I was able to attend a This very rewarding course not only On 25 March we held our annual Recorders’ four-day FSC course on grass species provided me with a basic understanding of Forum in Aberdeen. This was another Currently in my first year of studying for a identification at Malham Tarn this past July, lichen biology and ecology, it also successful meeting with 98 recorders from PhD, I am investigating historical and introduced me to ID techniques, such as all over the North East (and some from archaeological evidence of animal food and using a hand-lens and dissections under a farther afield) converging to listen to some fodder in the North Atlantic Islands, for microscope. interesting presentations and to discuss which I moved to the Orkney Islands. My work focusses on the consumption of I also learnt how to conduct chemical different facets and issues to do with recording and supplying records to seaweeds and grasses by terrestrial examinations on lichens, so called “spot animals. When the first humans arrived on tests” both in the classroom and in the field. NESBReC. The audience was a good mixture of experience levels, interests and the Orkney Islands around 9000 years ago, Furthermore, it encouraged me to use ID forests would have been dominating the keys without being intimidated by the ages. It is good to see younger people at these events where they are able to make landscape. In contrast, today, Orkney is volume of information held within its pages nearly entirely deforested, and has a (>1,000 pages). And I gathered a small contact with long-established and knowledgeable recorders. It is a good grassland-dominated economy, with over reference collection of lichens during the 90 % of agricultural land being used for course, which have helped massively in my starting point for future recorders as well as a great forum for recorders to learn from grazing sheep and cattle, and cereal Grass identification at Chapel Fell, with current studies of this wonderful world. Malham Tarn in the background each other. production threat to wild grasses. Since the introduction of livestock to Orkney around As we do every year, we are running vari- 6000-5000 years ago, the range and instructed by Dr Sarah Watson-Jones. In ous training days at various locations to abundance of grasses thus changed addition to greatly improving my identifica- boost species identification skills and dramatically, while the distribution of tion skills, this also provided me with an Some Winter Conferences encourage record submission. These excellent opportunity to meet and discuss events are very well received by attendees, with ecologists and volunteer recorders, See BRISC or own websites for details especially since we are able to run them for and to learn about their different views on free, thanks to a contribution in our grant current conservational efforts, and sustain- th ● October 7 Butterfly Conserva- from SNH. In addition, we have been able land management. tion Trust - Annual conference, attending diverse events across the North- Battleby. East in order to raise awareness of biologi- On the first evening we got to grips with the cal recording and to showcase our Mammal nomenclature of grass morphology, and th ● November 4 BSBI/BBS Annual Atlas, of course. The book has proved to be how grass morphology may vary between Conference, RBGE, Edinburgh a very useful tool to help get our message different genera and species. Much of the across – there is nothing quite like a prod- next days was spent outside, where we ● November 16-17th NBN Confer- uct you can hold in your hand with lots of were shown 36 species of 25 different ence, Cardiff genera and an intergeneric hybrid, from a great photos and maps of the local area to Instructor Dr Sarah Watson-Jones help- range of different habitats, such as ● November 25th TWIC Annual demonstrate how the public can contribute ing with grass identification in the lab limestone plateaus, limestone hillsides, Conference, Stow, Scottish to our understanding of local biodiversity. wetlands, acidic soils and roadsides. For Borders seaweeds would have been much more To keep in touch with NESBReC, visit similar to that of today. several species, identification was www.nesbrec.org.uk or performed in the lab, as this required use www.facebook.com/nesbrec Soon after taking up my PhD studies, I of hand lenses and microscopes, in order to improved my seaweed ID, but grasses see the small glumes, awns, lemmas and

BRISC Recorder News No 106 10 BRISC Recorder News No 106 7 other identifying features. The range of your own, and after dabbling for a few allow me to record and identify the lichens that there are more than 1,900 species of different keys available enabled me to find years I knew that I was only going to get that I find while I am out exploring the lichen in Britain alone, photographs are my personal favourite (Grasses, by Charles to the next level of expertise with some Highlands, but it will also allow me to share certainly not enough to identify them. So E. Hubbard). guidance and tuition. I was made aware of this enthusiasm more effectively with to advance my passion in the world of the BRISC bursary by colleagues who have others. In my work as a Countryside lichens, I needed to branch out and find My future recording work will involve the applied and so decided that this year I Ranger I hope to set up some Lichen identi- support from lichen experts. study of macroalgae at the tidal island would apply for the funding to do a two day fication and recording events and Brough of Birsay, and the North Atlantic As part of my student placement, in 2016- course in Lichen Identification at Kindrogan encourage other people to love lichens and Islands in general, and coastal grasses, and 2017, I worked as Operations Support with Field Centre in Perthshire. record them. how the species distributions of seaweeds Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) at their and grasses are likely to have changed over I spent two fantastic days with a wonderful They are not only a joy to discover but they Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve. the last 5000 years. group of like-minded people and the are valuable indicators of air quality and a With the help of residential volunteers, I brilliant tutor Rebecca Yahr. We split our valuable habitat or source of food for other was responsible for wildlife surveying and Over the last year, I have been involving time in the lab and out in the grounds at wildlife, as such it is very important that recording on the reserve. This experience other students in my research in order to Kindrogan collecting and identifying all the they be recorded and monitored to ensure taught me the enormous value in share my new-found knowledge and our own quality of life, and the quality of maintaining biological recordings. enthusiasm for seaweeds and grasses. This life of the other animals that depend on In the short time that I was researching also helps in detailed investigations of them. selected species as part of archaeological lichen, I very quickly understood how and environmental studies in addition to under-recorded they are in Scotland. With supporting ongoing recording efforts. Love life, Love Lichens! this in mind, and for my own personal Jo Kruk interest, I applied for a bursary from the Biological Recording in Scotland (BRISC) Loving Lichen The wonderful world of lichens has had me Marcia Rae fascinated for many years. About a year Ever since I have worked in the Highlands ago I decided I wanted to delve into this I have been fascinated by Lichen, their mysterious world a little more, so I started to photograph these interesting organisms, with a view to begin identifying them. Whilst out exploring in Scotland however, I species that we could find. And there are a very quickly realised how complex and lot! A typical venture outside would only diverse lichens are. see us getting a couple of feet from the Lichen grow everywhere in the great door, our attention caught by the number outdoors; at the seashore in the form of of species on a single wall or a single tree! white, orange and grey paint-like Lichen fruiting bodies are called “jam tarts” or Time in the lab was spent looking in detail “splashes”; in the moorland, where they apothecia. at the different characteristics of each build densely webbed antler-like structures; lichen species and learning to use the in woodlands where you can see bright equipment essential for identifying them green hairs dangling from tree branches; correctly. This seemed a little daunting at you will even find them in urban areas – first, but microscopes and spotting attached to roofs and walls. unique forms, their durability and historical equipment are very easy to use once you With all these glorious lichens at my finger- importance for both humans and other have been shown how, and the new tips, how could I not be satisfied? The wildlife. They can be hard to miss in all perspective that they give you on the problem I faced was that I didn’t have any their fluffy, colourful glory on display in the different lichen species is amazing. clean air of the north of Scotland. However experience with specific lichen ID Lichen identification and ecology does The new found confidence and knowledge terminology in the field guide. Also, given seem a rather complex subject to tackle on that I have gained with Lichenology will

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