2021 County Report for Argyllshire

Gordon Rothero

Some 7000 records were made during 2021. Despite now officially retired as County Recorder, Carl Farmer continues to make an enormous contribution to recording in Argyll, for which I am very grateful. In addition to going on many recording expeditions by himself, he organised 10 Lorne Natural History Society outings, digitised all those records, as well as many others from me and other contributors and fed them all into the BSBI Database. I urgently need the help of a joint recorder in this big, mountaneous vice-county, particularly one who is hill-fit, enthusiastic and good at data entry before Carl really retires! Please get in touch if you are interested.

There were notable efforts by Jim McIntosh on Lismore where he provided useful updates and some first records from the offshore island of Eilean na Cloiche; and by Marion and Ian Moir in the Glencoe area. Marion recorded micro-species of Taraxacum and produced three new records for the county, Taraxacum hamatulum, Taraxacum hesperium and Taraxacum marklundii, with the help of the Referee.

A visit to Coire a' Ghabhalach, Beinn an Dothaidh by Jim & Ian Moir resulted in records of several noteworthy species being renewed including Veronica fruticans (Rock Speedwell) last recorded in Argyll in 1992 and Adoxa moscatellina (Townhall Clock) last seen at this site in 1950. An excursion by the British Pteridological Society, lead by Andy MacGregor, to Coire Ghamhnainn, Beinn Udlaidh renewed records of Woodsia alpina (Alpine Woodsia) and Micranthes nivalis (Alpine Saxifrage) both last seen on this mountain in 1992 and Equisetum pratense (Shady Horsetail) last seen here in 1983, amongst others.