A Far North Naturalist

A Far North Naturalist Nature guide for hire, visiting sites of special interest in north Sutherland. With 40 years experience in nature conservation. Fully insured. This is my diary.

Focussing mainly on two features: peat bogs at Forsinard; seabirds on the north coast. I’m an ecology graduate with 35 years working in nature conservation for The Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB and local authorities.

In the warm, breeze less conditions, Ben Griam Mor was alive with insects. Numerous Snipe Flies (fam. Rhagionidae) on th...
20/06/2025

In the warm, breeze less conditions, Ben Griam Mor was alive with insects. Numerous Snipe Flies (fam. Rhagionidae) on the ascent, then at the top, many of the micro moth Large Marble (Phiaris schultziana). On the cairn, I got a very pleasant surprise as there sat a male Giant Horntail Wood Wasp (Urocerus gigas). And adding to the ‘giant’ theme, the Tachinid fly Tachina grossa. There was a lot of chasing going on too, as Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and, to my delight, Painted Lady! The warm weather has brought them northwards. A Painted Lady summer! Hurrah! Have you been seeing any? The next generation will actually migrate southwards in late summer.
Various pug moths were flying too, feeding on Mountain Avens. I had a tiny ‘picture-winged’ fly on my arm for a while, signalling by waving its wings independently. The hairs on my arm give a sense of scale, it really was quite small.

As the temperature dropped, the biting midges appeared. Day done!

I had a super day in the Ben Griams SSSI yesterday, in search of wild flowers. In particular, seeking base-loving plants...
20/06/2025

I had a super day in the Ben Griams SSSI yesterday, in search of wild flowers. In particular, seeking base-loving plants in the otherwise acid rock-scape. I was particularly delighted to find Holly Fern (Polystichum lonchitis), Purple Saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia), Moss Campion (Silene acaulis), Stone Bramble (Rubus saxatilis) and Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala). Lots of Alpine Meadow-rue (Thalictrum alpinum) too. But the find of the day for me - under old, leggy Heather (Calluna vulgaris) - was Dwarf Cornel (Cornus suecica), because I had no idea it grew at this particular location. That and I like it!

The Large Marble moth (Phiaris schultziana) was on the wing too. Its larvae feed on a variety of Alpine dwarf shrubs.

More pics to come.

Hi folks. I’m leading a guided walk at Forsinard this evening, 1800-1930. See my Events listing. Please contact me if yo...
18/06/2025

Hi folks. I’m leading a guided walk at Forsinard this evening, 1800-1930. See my Events listing. Please contact me if you’re planning to come along.

One of the many lichens to be seen is this beauty: Ochrolechia frigida. Usually found at higher altitude (high moors and mountain summits) and in a ‘crustose’ form, I found it here in its coralloid form. Unusual in both respects. Splendid!

15/06/2025

Well, that was a memorable day. I tracked down the hen Ptarmigan that I’ve been keeping an eye on for the past 7 weeks. In fact, I’ve been watching what I’m certain is the same pair since mid-February now. I’d found her nest in early May. She eventually laid 8 eggs, with 7 hatching (see my post of 7 June). Today I saw that just one of the chicks has survived to date. The cool, wet weather in the previous fortnight took its toll. Very bad timing.

Anyway, I was very pleased to see the little one. It’s thriving. The video also shows the hen dust bathing. What it doesn’t show is that the male was there too! So he has remained with her. Super. They didn’t see me, so I managed to get some okay footage of entirely natural behaviour. I’ll not revisit for at least a week now. Watch this space.

I was delighted yesterday to see that the splendid Large Heath butterfly (Coenonympha tullia) is on the wing again. It’s...
13/06/2025

I was delighted yesterday to see that the splendid Large Heath butterfly (Coenonympha tullia) is on the wing again. It’s one of few butterflies to be found in the far north, and this is the only one I’m sure to see on my excursions out onto the vastness of the Flow Country blanket bog in mid summer.

It only flies in sunny, or very warm, weather, so as the sun came and went so did the butterflies — flurries of activity interspersed with perching in the vegetation. They perch with wings closed, and often with the super peach-coloured fore wings tucked away, which is a pity. But it does make a flying episode a spectacle to behold. Up here we have the subspecies scotica, on which the underwing eye spots are small and poorly defined. Races from further south are very well marked.

Their main sources of nectar are the beautiful pink flowers of Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix) which are, of course, just starting to appear. Perfect timing!

Its caterpillars eat Hare’s-tail Cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum) and are present from August through to April (yes, the small caterpillar overwinters!), when they pupate. The adults start to emerge from the pupal cases in mid-June — right now! They’re on the wing for just a few weeks, mating and egg-laying, with the last ones to emerge flying until the middle of August. The larvae hatch quickly and start eating and growing.

I’m undertaking a Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey in a square kilometre of bog this year and it’s probably the only species I’ll encounter. That’ll do nicely.

13/06/2025

Golden Eagle country… ❤️

The geology in north Sutherland mainly consists of acidic metamorphic rocks, but some base-rich seams here and there can...
12/06/2025

The geology in north Sutherland mainly consists of acidic metamorphic rocks, but some base-rich seams here and there can result in some streams being fed by rainwater that has percolated through these more alkaline parts. The resulting base-rich water emerges on acidic cliffs and provides suitable niches for plants that would not otherwise grow here.

Some cliffs I visited yesterday exhibit such a situation and there are a number of ‘unusual’ inhabitants. This is a ‘ledge community’ of plants, a habitat characterised by thin or rocky soil, and a high degree of exposure to the elements. In addition , and essentially, grazing animals cannot reach them. Here, some ‘Arctic-Alpine’ species are found, due to the high latitude and cold temperatures, despite this cliff being at low altitude. This is typical of much of the far north of mainland Scotland — numerous mountain plants grow down at sea level!

So, the splendid mix I found included Early Purple, Frog Orchid, Globeflower, Moss Campion, Northern Rockcress, (all happy in a range of soil acidity/alkalinity, or pH) and Alpine Cinquefoil (a base-lover, alkaline, high pH). Lots of flowers to excite my nasal passages, although the Early Purple Orchid is a bit suspect despite its attractiveness…

There was so much more besides those named above, including Dwarf Willow (Salix herbacea). A tree that is just a couple of centimetres high! All in all, a botanical Shangri-La — albeit one that’s a struggle to get to.

A month after thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of Emperor Moths (Saturnia pavonia) on the wing, alas they are no more. ...
12/06/2025

A month after thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of Emperor Moths (Saturnia pavonia) on the wing, alas they are no more. However, the next generation has been born, despite me not seeing a female this year! The males fly by day, the females do not and remain perched in the heathland shrubs, where they are difficult to see. But they’ve definitely been about.

I know because I chanced upon some 3rd instar caterpillars (an instar is a larval stage, separated by a complete moult of skin as it becomes too tight for the growing larva). It’s only at this stage that they’ve become obvious to my eye. From the 4th instar onwards the caterpillars are bright green and black, with pinkish spots. This coincides with the peak growth of their foot plant, heather, so being big and green doesn’t make them much easier to see!

Spotted Flycatchers are nesting in the open-fronted nestbox on the side of the garden shed. Last year Pied Wagtails used...
10/06/2025

Spotted Flycatchers are nesting in the open-fronted nestbox on the side of the garden shed. Last year Pied Wagtails used it successfully. I’m hoping the Clematis will grow over it a little more before the eggs hatch, to conceal it. No Pine Martens with a litter in the shed this year, it doesn’t mean they won’t be visiting the garden!

It’s often said that the blanket bog of The Flow Country (a World Heritage Site, more on that below*) looks like a waste...
09/06/2025

It’s often said that the blanket bog of The Flow Country (a World Heritage Site, more on that below*) looks like a wasteland. Granted, for most of the year it’s coloured a uniform dull brown, although it is definitely getting greener by the day now (June) and in August much of it is coloured pink by Heather flowers. But at ALL times of year, there’s a multitude of colours to be seen. To experience them entails a wander across the vast wetness. It’s the various Sphagnum mosses that give it colour (30 species!). These photos though show an even more splendid spot - a small wet flush (one of many) in the Ben Griams SSSI, where the colours are extra special. I love this place. .

* WHS. The inscription by UNESCO does NOT include landscape as a qualifying feature! Only ‘functioning ecosystem’ and ‘biodiversity’.

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Strath Halladale
Forsinard
KW136YT

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+447864322776

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