2022 County Report for South Ebudes

Simon Smart

Recording in 2022 centred largely on Islay and Colonsay. Annual orchid monitoring carried out by Malcolm Ogilvie on Islay showed that it was a poor flowering year, perhaps reflecting the dry spring. The colony of Spiranthes romanzoffiana (Irish Lady's-tresses) discovered last year had just 5 flowering spikes (14 in 2021). The two regularly monitored sites of Platanthera chlorantha (Greater Butterfly-orchid) only had 56 (297 in 2021) and 16 (125) flowering spikes, and it was an equally poor year for P. bifolia (Lesser Butterfly-orchid). Slightly better were the 193 flowering spikes of Epipactis palustris (Marsh Helleborine) at their main site, only slightly down on the 218 in 2021.

On Colonsay, new sites were found for Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort), Carex limosa (Bog-sedge), Ophioglossum azoricum (Small Adder's-tongue), Sparganium natans (Least Bur-reed) and Gymnadenia borealis (Heath Fragrant-orchid). Recording was carried out by Pete Stroh, Angus Garbutt, Owen Mountford, David and Anita Pearman. David McNeill (VCR for Co. Antrim) also made some excellent records, including a new site for Ajuga pyramidalis (Pyramidal Bugle).