2023 County Report for Clyde Islands

Angus Hannah, Sarah Cowan

–VC100, Clyde Isles, 2023

 

JVCR Sarah Cowan (Arran)

 

3040 records were made for Arran, of which 545 were additions for monads covered in the previous 3 years, visiting at different seasons.  29 new monads were visited, 12 not recorded since 2000 (some never).

 

Talks and walks with local groups and individuals included:

 

• nature walk with NTS Rangers and COAST (Community of Arran Seabed Trust) at Kildonan with 50 participants of all ages.
• botany walk for the Arran Natural History Society at Sannox, North Arran.
• summer field study for NTS Rangers and Geopark Rangers to improve ID skills.
• survey work for North Ayrshire Council with bird Recorder.
• field study with BTO bird ringers and moth experts.
• supplying local landowners with updated lists.
• Scouting suitable areas for the British Lichen Society visit in spring 2024

 

Arran Rare Plant Register was updated in May.

 

JVCR Angus Hannah (Bute)

 

In first 6 months of year I made 4000 records, mostly common species new to monads in current date-class.

I visited RBGE several times, helping select specimens from George Ballantyne’s Rubus collection for E, GLAM and ABN. From his surviving notes I digitised 900 bramble records at monad precision for vcc86 and 81.

After June my efforts were devoted to brambles, mostly in other vcc, having become Scottish referee for Rubus in succession to David Welch. My annual workshops were held in Maybole vc75 in July, and I began work on a Scottish Brambles Handbook and photographic reference gallery.