30 July 2013
Field trip to Loch na Sreinge
Our July midweek field trip took us along the String of Lorn from
Lochavich House to Loch na Sreinge, where we were hoping to find Awlwort
which was recorded there in 1990.
Scotch Argus butterflies were numerous on the way to the loch.
This one has an unusual green and purple iridescence at the front edge of the
wings. We also saw Green-veined Whites and a Dark Green
Fritillary, and Cynthia spotted a Barred Straw moth.
Vapourer Moth caterpillars were about in numbers, on a remarkable
variety of plants (often with feeding signs), including some up in
the trees on an island close to the loch shore. |
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I thought this was the Goblet Waxcap (Hygrocybe cantharellus) but
in fact it's the scarce H coccineocrenata, which I've never seen
before and is a new vice-county record. It seems to lack an
English name but the Latin translates as Wavy-edged Scarlet
Waxcap. |
The loch was rich in aquatic plants. This is Floating Bur-reed.
You can tell what's growing out in the deeper parts of a
loch by looking at pieces washed up on the shore. This is
Perfoliate Pondweed.
The water level was very low. Here the stems of
Water Lobelia, originally upright, have become nearly horizontal as the
water level dropped, and then grown vertically from the tips to hold the
flowers clear of the water. The tangled mass of red vegetation on
the right is Alternate Water-milfoil.
Close-up of Water Lobelia flowers. The leaf-rosettes on the
loch floor can also be seen. The blunt ends to the
strap-like leaves distinguish them from other aquatic rosettes. |
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Various-leaved Pondweed, which has broad opaque leaves on the
surface and narrow translucent leaves underwater. |
This Horse Leech was making its way towards Julian as we sat eating
our lunch at the loch edge.
Our target species Awlwort proved very elusive, and was finally
spotted by Chris just as we were about to give up. A single
tiny plant with one flower and one fruit (the fruit is mostly
hidden by the stem in the pic). It normally has several but
having to grow out of water due to the low loch level will have
made things difficult. The much larger leaf-rosettes
of Shoreweed are around it in the pic, these were everywhere along
the loch shore. |
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Bristle Club-rush, found by Chris in a wet area beside the track
to the loch. |
Water plants found at Loch na Sreinge
Callitriche brutia |
Narrow-leaved Water-starwort |
Well above current water level |
Carex lasiocarpa |
Slender Sedge |
|
Carex rostrata |
Bottle Sedge |
|
Eleocharis palustris |
Common Spike-rush |
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Equisetum fluviatile |
Water Horsetail |
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Isoetes lacustris |
Quillwort |
Washed up |
Littorella uniflora |
Shoreweed |
Very abundant. Flowering due to low water level. |
Lobelia dortmanna |
Water Lobelia |
Abundant |
Menyanthes trifoliata |
Bogbean |
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Myriophyllum alterniflorum |
Alternate Water-milfoil |
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Nymphaea alba |
White Water-lily |
Leaf washed up. Not seen on loch surface. |
Potamogeton alpinus |
Red Pondweed |
Washed up |
Potamogeton berchtoldii |
Small Pondweed |
Found once, perhaps overlooked elsewhere |
Potamogeton gramineus |
Various-leaved Pondweed |
Plentiful near the island |
Potamogeton perfoliatus |
Perfoliate Pondweed |
Washed up |
Potamogeton polygonifolius |
Bog Pondweed |
|
Ranunculus flammula |
Lesser Spearwort |
|
Schoenoplectus lacustris |
Common Club-rush |
Forms large stands |
Sparganium angustifolium |
Floating Bur-reed |
In bay formed by the island |
Subularia aquatica |
Awlwort |
Scarce! |
This photo by Julian shows well the difference between Water Lobelia
rosettes and the narrower and more pointed Shoreweed rosettes.
Photo © Julian Overnell.
A
Golden-ringed Dragonfly. We saw two or three of these, also several
Large Red Damselflies and one Common Blue Damselfly.
Photo © Sallie Jack.
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copyright © Carl Farmer except where stated.
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