See it: Seil Natural History Group’s survey walk to Dunollie

This is about learning to look at where we are, at the UK’s richest biodiversity hosted in Argyll. The level of expertise and commitment amongst the 100+ strong Seil Natural History Group combine to make their survey walks a valuable scientific contribution in the field of natural history and a thing of wonder to the rest of us. The photographs and the narrative lead one to start considering membership and calculating journey times to Seil.

The account of this particular survey walk – to Dunollie on 29th December – is by For Argyll’s Joint Natural History Editors, Richard Wesley, Chair and Carl Farmer, both of the Seil Natural History Group.

The survey walk to Dunollie

We parked on the sea-front road towards Ganavan just before the War Memorial at (NM852309).  Waiting for other members to arrive, we looked over the railings and as well as two Mute Swans and an Oystercatcher, we found three Turnstone (pictured above RW) searching for invertebrates amongst the rocks and seaweed  Indeed, that is how this industrious wader gets its name, a perennial winter visitor to the shores around Oban, arriving from Greenland or possibly Arctic Canada.  These birds are remarkably tame due the fact that their breeding grounds are normally far from human habitation.  They can be seen in flocks of around thirty in Oban, sometimes feeding within several yards of pedestrians passing by on George Street.

As we walked towards Dunollie Castle the views to our left took in the northern tip of Kerrera and beyond to the snow covered hills of Mull (pictured above CF), an awesome sight.  Within a hundred yards we followed a track off to our right leading away from the road, amongst deciduous woodland. The usual woodland birds were to be found here including Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Wren.

The next feature to greet us on our left was a huge mound of rock topped by several conifer trees (above left RW). This rock was formed in the Devonian period some 350 to 400 million years ago, when Scotland was nearer the equator than it is today. The deposition of sedimentary rocks washed down desert valleys (wadis) during flooding, into sediment-rich shallow seas, formed what is known as a wadi conglomerate.

Also not to be ignored is Dunollie Castle (above right RW), a stone 13th century keep and courtyard fortress, built on an old site of the Kings of Dalriada. In the 15th century, a four storey keep was built on to the castle enclosure.

Walking along the track we found mature Beech and Oak trees with some of the expected species of Lichens shown above, Lobaria pulmonaria (Tree Lungwort: above left RW)  and Lobaria virens (Green Satin Lichen, above right RW). It was good to see these along a popular walking route so near to the town centre. Also observed were Degelia atlantica (Felt Lichen, below left RW) and Parmotrema crinitum (Desperate Dan!, below right RW).  Altogether we recorded a good number of species indicating how pollution-free this area of Lorn is, so close to Oban.

More unexpectedly we found Pertusaria Amara (Bitter Wart Lichen, below left RW) and a fungi, Hypoxylon fragiforme (Beech Woodwart, below right RW) growing on a dead piece of Beech.

At the end of the track we turned right through a gate and continued alongside the woodland and to our surprise a Red Squirrel (below left CF)was spotted on a mossy bank inside the wood. Continuing our search for Lichens another expected find was Sticta limbata (Floury sticta, below right RW) on a tree close to the track.  There were several trees with wind damage, attesting to the severe winds experienced on this west coast.

Turning left now and wandering into another section of woodland we discovered what, for me, was the  highlight of the day – two groups of three ladybirds hibernating on a tree trunk (both pictured below RW). They have since been identified as 16-spot Ladybirds (Halyzia 16-guttata), to be precise. All insects in cold places like Scotland need to find a way of coping with winter, when not only is it cold but there is less around to eat.  Adult ladybirds do this by hibernating.  In this state they can withstand sub-zero temperatures.  They go into suspended animation, their bodies do not develop, they do not eat or move; and must rely on their stored body fat to sustain them until spring.  Their bodily processes slow right down to a 20th of their normal active rate, which helps the body fat last longer.

Close by we discovered some Ganoderma australe (Southern Bracket fungus) on some decaying tree trunks. . Other common fungi recorded were Trametes versicolor (Turkey tails, below left RW0, Stereum hirsutum (Hairy Curtain Crust, below right RW)) and Xylaria hypoxylon (Candlesnuff fungus, not pictured).

The fungi attack dead wood and rot parts, which means a huge increase in insect life, which in turn is food for birds and also results in the trees having lots of holes and soft areas for birds to nest.  In a truly natural wood there is a huge amount of dead and rotting timber compared to live healthy trees. Another fascinating discovery was this bird’s nest (below left C MacL), sheltered below some bracket fungus, home sweet home!

As we returned down the track to the road a pair of Redwing (above right RW) and a Song Thrush were rooting amongst the grass and leaves looking for food on this desperately cold day.  This completed our last survey walk of 2009, a year full of memories of interesting finds and walks to new locations.

Richard Wesley and Carl Farmer, Natural History Editors

Photographs above are copyrighted, as initialled in the text – code below -  and may not be reproduced without permission:

• RW, Richard Wesley
• CF, Carl Farmer
• C MacL Catherine MacLeod

For information on Seil Natural History Group, phone Richard Wesley on: 01852 300388