2023 County Report for East Inverness-shire

Andy Amphlett

  • 9258 records of 755 taxa were collected in 2023, from 264 monads, in 27 hectads.
  • 84% of records were at 100m precision or better.
  • 78% of the records were collected by the VCR, with 18 additional recorders providing the remainder.
  • 10 new taxa for the vice-county were recorded; 2 natives: Carex × helenae ( demissa × C. viridula) and Montia fontana subsp. chondrosperma; 1 archaeophyte (Spergula arvensis var. arvensis), and 7 aliens.
  • 7 taxa were recorded for the first time post-1999.
  • Although only 4% of hectad records were new, 37% of tetrad and 57% of monad records were new.
  • 752 records of 90 RPR taxa were recorded, of which 48% were new monad records.
  • In addition, a further 1550 records for previous years were uploaded to the DDb.
  • All records have been verified and validated.
  • A new vice-county webpage was created - https://bsbi.org/easterness. Downloads available via that webpage are:
    • A Checklist and RPR taxon list for v.c.96 (Excel).
    • A list of taxa first recorded in v.c.96 since the publication (in 1978) of Mary McCallum Webster's Flora of Moray, Nairn & East Inverness (Excel).
    • An analysis of altitudinal ranges of all taxa in v.c.96 (Excel).
    • Ten maps of the vice-county, including four showing recording coverage.

Carex × helenae (C. demissa × C. viridula)

This apparently very rare hybrid sedge was found at 3 locations around the shore of Loch Ceo Glais, the first post-1999 record for GB. Material was determined by Nigel Blackstock.

Aristavena setacea (Bog Hair-grass)

A thorough survey was undertaken around the whole shore of Loch Ceo Glais, where Gus Routledge had recently refound this species after a gap of 47 years, finding the species at 3 locations.

Corallorhiza trifida (Coralroot Orchid)

Successful targeted searches were made at Cran Loch, Lochloy Wood and SE of Big Burn.

Juncus balticus (Baltic Rush)

A new site was found beside the Allt a’ Mhuilinn, at Coignafearn, at 400m AOD. This is 6km upstream from the nearest previously recorded location. In the photo, the J. balticus are the thin dark stems in the foreground.