2006 Spey Side area (Moray) 4th to 8th July Main Meeting
A sunny morning greeted us on Monday, our first day at Findhorn Dunes where we were welcomed by our leader for the week, Ian Green, the vice-county recorder for Morayshire. Amongst many outstanding plants seen at this site highlights included Ligusticum scoticum (Scots Lovage), Senecio x albescens (Silver x Common ragwort), Vicia lathyroides (Spring vetch), Dianthus caryophyllus (Clove Pink) and Ophioglossum azoricum (Small Adder's-tongue).
In the afternoon we did a whistle-stop tour round Burghead, Duffus and a site near Lossiemouth, where amongst the many goodies seen were the following - Artemisia verlotiorum (Chinese Mugwort), Centaurea cyanus (Cornflower), Chrysanthemum segetum (Corn marigold), and Scleranthus annuus (Annual Knawel) were shown to us by lan.
ALASTAIR STEVENSON
Tuesday started with an exploration of Loch nan Carriagean, on the shores of which were identified Apium inundatum (Lesser Marshwort), Lythrum portula (Water-purslane), Eleocharis palustris (Common Spike-rush) and Littorella uniflora (Shoreweed). On the banks unusually for v.c. 95, Coeloglossum viride (Frog Orchid) was seen flowering. A number of sedges including Carex echinata, C. ovalis, C. rostrata and C. vesicaria (Star, Oval, Bottle and Bladder Sedge) were sorted out. Moving on, down the road to another loch. Loch Vaa, we came across Gnaphalium sylvaticum (Heath Cudweed), the pretty Viola tricolor ssp. tricolor (Wild Pansy) and Persicaria vivipara (Alpine Bistort). At the loch we were shown the first hybrid willow of the outing, Salix x multinervis with the leaf showing the characteristics of both parents S. cinerea and S. aurita (Grey and Eared willow).
The third stop of the day was on the edge of Abemethy Forest (the largest remnant of a Caledonian forest), near Boat of Garten. In a dry area adjacent to the car park Sagina apetala (Annual Pearlwort), Pilosella aurantiaca (Fox-and-cubs), Lathyris linifolius (Bitter-vetch) were among the species identified. Moving to a marshy boggy patch a number of characteristic species were seen including Narthecium ossifragum(Bog Asphodel), Pedicularis palustris (Marsh Lousewort), and the insectivorous plants Pinguicula vulgaris (Common Butterwort) and Drosera rotundifolia (Round-leaved Sundew). The site was known for Deschampsia setacea (Bog Hair-grass); samples were found and keyed out satisfactorily by lan Green and Vince Jones.
We next stopped briefly at Dulnain Bridge where along the bank of the River Dulnain was found Peucedanum ostruthium (Masterwort), a former potherb with leaves pleasantly aromatic when crushed, along with Claytonia perfoliata (Pink Purslane) and Geranium sylvaticum (Wood Crane's-bill). From the bridge itself was admired a large bush of Lonicera xylosteum (Fly Honeysuckle) showing red fruits. Finally we visited a magnificent Scotch pine forest, Anagach Wood where we found Pyrola media (Intermediate Wintergreen) with the style just protruding from the petals, Carex curta (White Sedge), Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Cowberry) in flower with V. microcarpum (Small Cranberry) in berry and Empetrum nigrum (Crowberry). Dryopteris carthusiana (Narrow Buckler-fem) was found in a boggy area adjacent to a pond. A moth expert among us, Roy Hilton, identified a local moth, the Rannoch looper. The day ended on an even higher point with Listera cordata (Lesser Twayblade) and Linnaea borealis (Twinflower) growing near each other. We felt privileged to have seen so many plants representative of the habitats in this area.
RICHARD ROBINSON
Del Shannon was singing of walking in the rain as I drove to our first meeting point on Wednesday, and, a few minutes later Katrina and the Waves followed with "Walking on Sunshine" but I'm afraid that it was the former that was spattering on the windscreen. All cagouled up we met at Drumin in v.c. 94 for our first stop of the day to see below the ruined castle walls the huge leaves and spent flower heads of last years naturalised Telekia speciosa (Yellow Oxeye) and close by the river a stand of Rumex pseudoalpinus (Monk's-rhubarb), an unmistakable plant but its fruits did not resemble those as pictured in Stace. A short drive took us to the old stone Livet Bridge with the river rushing past below, but ensconced in the crevices was Cystopteris dickieana (Dickie's bladder-fern) discovered here in 2001. It did not have its textbook appearance where the pinnae are much closer together and overlapping than in C. fragilis (brittle bladder-fern) but it has been determined as such as its spores are rugose and not spinose.
Small patches of blue sky appeared but refused to coalesce and brighten up as we moved into v.c. 95 at Upper Knackando. On the verge was the commonest Spiraea species which grows in N.E. Scotland, S. x rosalba (Intermediate Bridewort) with its pinkish hued flowers where the stamens are longer than the petals. On the other side of the road was a Mouse-ear hybrid, Cerastium arvense x C. tomentosum (Field Mouse-ear x Snow-in-summer) which is fertile.
There were some striking trees here of grand architectural proportions which we determined as Abies (fir) species. A willow hybrid, which has a new name, was found at the roadside edge, Salix viminalis x S. cinerea, and a tall, very imposing grass Poa chaixii (Broad-leaved Meadow-grass), which is an introduced one from Europe looked very attractive in the woodland edge.
Craigellachie was to be our last official stop of the day. Walking over another imposing bridge built by Thomas Telford, but restored in the '60s, we scrambled underneath through nettles and tall Japanese knotweed to find a lone, but impressive, Symphytum asperum (Rough Comfrey) with its sky-blue flowers and eponymous bristles growing in virtually desert conditions in the shade of the bridge above us. Our final plant of the day was a common enough flower but this time in an attractive shade of green, Scrophularia nodosa var. bobartii (Common Figwort).
On Thursday from the ski centre car park we headed south up a gentle slope, the ground cover dominated by Trichophorum cespitosum (Deergrass) and at a wet flush came across Luzula luzuloides (White Wood-rush). Vince Jones had us looking at various subspecies of Rhinanthus minor (Yellow-rattle) during the week and today we found a montane variety, ssp. monticola. Huperzia selago (Fir Clubmoss) raised its head on many parts of the moorland, and the rare Lycopodium annotinum (Interrupted Clubmoss) grew close by in the heather showing its distinctive bare stems where the new growth started. Soon there were patches of the enchanting Alchemilla alpina (Alpine Lady's-mantle) with its silvery silky leaves. The party stopped for a while to enjoy the sight of several Cornus suecica (Dwarf Cornel), the white bracts surrounding the central purple flowers. We climbed ever slowly upwards but still quite gently, encountering plants at the path's edge without having to take any detours with Carex species such as C. bigelowii (Stiff sedge) telling us that we were now above 600 metres. One of the plants of the day was Pinguicula vulgaris (common butterwort), so many violet blooms surmounting those pale lime-green leaves. By the small burn that trickled down the hillside were the small white flowers of Saxifraga stellaris (Starry Saxifrage), each petal adorned at its base with two bright yellow spots. We now left the path and traipsed across the bog and headed up into Coire an Lochain our destination being the dark wet slab we could see in the distance. We came across the minute creamy Tofieldia pusilla (Scottish Asphodel) and the aptly named Juncus trifidus (Three-leaved Rush). Nineteen alpine species were new to me which I had to somehow take in the details of and record. I cannot mention them all by name but Veronica alpina (Alpine Speedwell), Cerastium cerastoides (Starwort Mouse-ear) with its three styles compared to C. alpinum (Alpine Mouse-ear) with five, Cochlearia pyrenaica ssp. alpina (Pyrenean Scurvygrass), Veronica serpyllifolia ssp. humifusa (a bright blue mountain form of Thyme-leaved Speedwell), very rare Carex lachenalii (Hare's-foot Sedge), usually found where snow lies late and Saxifraga rivularis (Highland Saxifrage) growing in a vertical cleft in the rock-face, were just a few.
Now came the descent which was hair-raising for a few of the party but we all made it safely down. A cry went up as a ptarmigan was found; I hurtled down the rocks to where she was stock still amongst them guarding four endearing little chicks. Her eyes were like the darkest limpid black ink and her cryptic plumage was exquisite.
On Friday we met in the Wellhill car park in the Culbin Forest on the west side of the Findhom Bay. This is a very large forestry plantation planted after the First World War and is now crisscrossed with forest walks one of which is labelled as a flower walk and is provided with interpretative posts along the way. This led us to Orthilia secunda (Serrated Wintergreen) unfortunately mostly over but the serrated leaves are distinctive. It has a much more poetic name of Yavering Bells; just a few yards away for comparison was Pyrola minor (Common Wintergreen). We had to watch our steps here as there were hundreds and hundreds of froglets and toadlets; in one of the many ponds were still high numbers of tadpoles swimming amongst the leaves of Potamogeton gramineus (Various-leaved Pondweed). Hydrocotyle vulgaris (Marsh Pennywort) grew in abundance and, for once, it wasn't difficult to find their minute flowers.
A transfer to the edge of the forest and out onto the saltmarsh of the bay. In the sand of the bay itself are rows and rows of poles - were they for stringing fishing nets between; for growing oysters on? Something much more historically interesting - they were there to prevent the Germans landing in seaplanes during the last war. On the sand we found growing next to each other for comparison Ruppia maritima (Beaked Tasselweed) with its pointed leaves, together with Zostera angustifolia (Narrow-leaved Eelgrass) and Z. noltei (Dwarf Eelgrass) with their blunt-ended leaves and flowers showing through inflated sheaths. We were plagued with horseflies here, or, as the locals call them, clegs. A little search showed us three couch species growing side by side, Elytrigia repens, E. juncea (Common and Sand) and its hybrid E. x laxa.
After lunch we walked along the edge of the saltmarsh where we found Centaurium littorale (seaside centaury) with its parallel-sided leaves and bright pink flowers. Clumps of grey sharp-pointed Juncus maritimus (Sea Rush) and creeping J. balticus (Baltic Rush) grew amongst the saltmarsh grasses such as the Glaucous-leaved Agrostis stolonifera var. marina (Creeping Bent) and Festuca rubra ssp. litoralis (Red Fescue). Comparisons were made between the denser flower headed, flat leaves of Triglochin maritimum (Sea Arrowgrass) and the laxer heads and furrowed leaves of T. palustre(marsh arrowgrass). In a wet flush we came across a really beautiful sight of hundreds of blue Scutellaria galericulata (Skullcap) growing with yellow spikes of Ranunculus flammula (Lesser Spearwort) and pink Epilobium palustre (Marsh Willowherb) and white strands of Galium palustre ssp. palustre (marsh bedstraw) linking them all together.
Back into the moss-strewn woods with their mosquitoes for our finale to find Alnus glutinosa (Alder) with its rounded indented leaf, and A. incana (grey alder) with its oval pointed leaf, and their hybrid A. x hybrida growing side by side. Our piece de resistance is here with its flattened pendent white flowers, poetically known as St Olaf's Candle, Moneses uniflora (One-flowered Wintergreen). Our final record for the day is yet another hybrid but one that defies the imagination, akin to the mating of a Great Dane with a Chihuahua - Carex paniculata (Greater Tussock-sedge) with C. remota (Remote Sedge) combining with features from both known as C. x boenninghausiana.
The week was now at an end. It had passed oh so quickly and in good company and with excellent weather. All our thanks go to Ian for his hard work, knowledge and enthusiasm. I know what it's like after leading just a weekend of walks and he must have been exhausted after five day's worth. Much appreciated.
STEPHEN CLARKSON