Objectives

The aim of this project is to provide young citizens and their educators (teachers, parents, etc.) across Europe with a range of e-Infrastructures and access to expert now!edge on their usage for a joyfu! exp!oration of e-"cience through e-Infrastructure. #$%&'$ excursion targets pupi!s (ettheen )*-)+ years of age. ,articipating schoo!s and science communicators wi!! engage in communication and teaching activities. %(jective within #$%&'$ excursion is to ena(!e an ever increasing num(er of users from a!! science and engineering discip!ines to pu(!ish, and effective!y disseminate their use of e-infrastructure in order to increase participation !eve!s in research of g!o(a! re!evance and to a!!ow potentia! users to access and share faci!ities and instruments. In this context four (ig areas of science have (een se!ected to (e initia! use cases for the #$%&'$ excursion- nanotechno!ogies, (iotechno!ogies, vo!unteer computing and !ife sciences.

Intoduction
'n excursion is a trip (y a of peop!e, usua!!y made for !eisure, education, or physica! purposes. It is often an adjunct to a !onger journey or visit to a p!ace, sometimes for other (typica!!y wor -re!ated) purposes. ,u(!ic transportation companies issue reduced price excursion tic ets to attract (usiness of this type. %ften these tic ets are restricted to off-pea days or times for the destination concerned. "hort excursions for education or for o(servations of natura! phenomena are ca!!ed fie!d trips. %ne-day educationa! fie!d studies are often made (y c!asses as extracurricu!ar exercises, e.g. to visit a natura! or geographica! feature.

Bold Burn and Glenmead Burn Excursion, 14th April 201

' party of . turned up on a very thet day for the first T/I0 excursion of the season. %ur destination was &o!d &urn and #!enmead &urn near Inner!eithen in the "cottish &orders. This va!!ey site is ).+ m !ong and consists of a narrow (urn and associated riparian ha(itats. /hen the site was surveyed (y the "cottish /i!d!ife Trust ("/T) in 1222 an 'dder s in was found. The aim of the fie!d visit was to !oo for signs of repti!es in the va!!ey and to record other wi!d!ife on site. The day started poor!y with heavy rainfa!!. 3ortunate!y, the there a(!e to sit out the worst of the theather in the comfort of the !andowner4s conservatory and he!p themse!ves to a hot drin . 5eu(en "ing!eton, our !eader for the day, too the

opportunity to give us some (ac ground information to the site and repti!e recording. 5eu(en exp!ained that 'dders usua!!y come out of hi(ernation at this time, hence why the there visiting in 'pri!. 6nfortunate!y, spring was !ate this year, and with the current theather conditions our chances of seeing 'dders there not high. 5eu(en had p!aced some ti!es at various !ocations on site prior to the fie!d visit, which the wou!d chec as part of the outing. /hen 5eu(en had put these out, had no choice (ut to p!ace them on a !ayer of snow7 %nce the rain had eased the set out to &o!d &urn. The site is nown to have mature 8uniper (8uniperus communis) a!ong the (urn and this was our first port of ca!!. The (otanists amongst us a!so attempted to compi!e a p!ant !ist as the thent, which was not easy as it was sti!! ear!y in the season. 9everthe!ess, the there a(!e to identify the tough !eaves of Tufted :air-grass (;eschampsia caespitosa) and the fine !eaves of ,ignut (0onopodium majus). The former p!ant is one of the first grasses peop!e !earn to identify, having a tufted growth form and rough-textured !eaves that are a!most impossi(!e to run your fingers a!ong in one direction. ' sing!e ,rimrose (,rimu!a vu!garis) was in f!other on the (an , (rightening the scene.

The exp!oring &o!d &urn. 9ote 8uniper (8uniperus communis) in foreground. ,hotograph (c) #ary :ove!!

6pstream, #raham spotted %tter spraint prominent!y positioned on a <o!e hi!! next to the (urn. the too turns at sme!!ing it= %tter spraint has a s!ight!y p!easant aroma, which some peop!e !i en to the sme!! of 8asmine tea, whereas <in

spraint is distinct!y unp!easant.

approached the area that 5eu(en considered to (e most suita(!e 'dder ha(itat, the ceased our conversation and moved more s!ow!y in order to improve our chances of seeing repti!es. 5eu(en informed us that the 'dders there !i e!y to (e sma!!, perhaps >2 cm !ong, and dar , even (!ac . the ept a carefu! !oo out and 5eu(en (armed with thic g!oves) !ifted the ti!es and other 'dder refuges, whi!st the rest of the stood at a respecta(!e distance to watch. Each time 5eu(en !ifted a ti!e there was an air of anticipation amongst the . "ad!y, the there not !uc y on this occasion. :othever, 5eu(en wi!! return to the site in due course to chec the ti!es again. %n our return !eg to #!enmead, the too the forestry trac and came across severa! c!umps of 3rog spawn in the poo!s and ditches adjacent. "evera! (irds a!so put in an appearance, inc!uding 0hiffchaff, "ong Thrush, <ist!e Thrush, 0oa! Tit and a &uzzard overhead. <ore 8uniper (ushes there seen on the east side of the (urn, some ?uite young p!ants, which the suspected there p!anted. %ne of the 8uniper specimens had a co!umnar form. 'nother p!ant noted a!ong the trac was 0o!t4s-foot which was in fu!! f!other. 0!ose to #!en(enna, the o(served a !arge patch of variegated @e!!ow 'rchange! ($amiastrum ga!eo(do!on ssp. argentatum). The p!ants most !i e!y originated through the dumping of garden waste. In the fina! i!ometre, the saw a f!oc of 0haffinches= another reminder that spring is !ate getting underway this year.

Addiethell !onds Excursion, 4th and "th #a$ 201

'ddiethe!! ,onds (c) <i e &eard This was the second of two joint excursions with the $othian 'mphi(ian and 5epti!e ($'5#) this season. This time the visited 'ddiethe!! ,onds, near thest 0a!der in thest $othian. 'ddiethe!! ,onds was origina!!y !isted as a potentia! /i!d!ife "ite (a precursor to $oca! &iodiversity "ites) due to the presence of (reeding amphi(ians and dragonf!ies. 6nfortunate!y, no existing amphi(ian records there avai!a(!e for the site. T/I0 therefore approached $'5# to survey the ponds in order to chec the status of the site for amphi(ians.6nder grey s ies the ponds !oo ed co!d and uninviting and our !eader #ary too care to point out the dangers of deep water and su(merged hazards (efore !eading us on to the safer southern margin of the !arger pond. :ere #ary shothed us the type of !ocation (est suited for our traps. the then set a(out ma ing them. 0!ean 1 !itre p!astic (ott!es there cut through a(out )2cm (ac from the cap end (cap removed7) and then the short section was inverted and inserted (ac into the !arger part so that it formed a funne! and entrance to the !arger cham(er. The construction was then secured (y a cane inserted at a s!ight ang!e through ho!es, a(out 1-*cm (ac from the cut edge, such that the (ottom of the (ott!e was s!ight!y higher than the funne! end. This he!ps ensure that a sma!! poc et of air remains when the trap is su(merged. the mar ed the canes with a co!oured Af!agA of p!astic to ma e it easier to spot the canes amongst the vegetation the next day. %nce assem(!ed, the traps there chec ed and counted.

,utting out the traps /or ing in s and each armed with a coup!e of traps, the set off to p!ace them at interva!s a!ong the pond edge. This invo!ved tentative wading out from the (an to find a spot that was not too si!ty, soft enough to push the cane secure!y into the mud and deep enough to ensure that the (ott!es there comp!ete!y su(merged. The traps there positioned so that the funne! ends faced away from the (an . They there fi!!ed with water unti! a sma!! air poc et a(out the size of a 1 pence piece remained, and then su(merged. %nce a!! the traps there set, they there again counted to confirm the tota! of tthenty-two. 8o( done. It was time to head home and hope that curious amphi(ians wou!d investigate our traps (y morning. %n "unday morning the retraced our steps (ac to the pond to retrieve and chec the (ott!e traps. Ta ing it in turns, the each had a go at pu!!ing out the traps from the water. The first few traps there disappointing= severa! there empty, whi!e others contained Three-spined "tic !e(ac and not much e!se. :othever, after a few goes the there awarded with a fema!e ,a!mate newt. #ary confirmed the identification and pointed out the prominent pa!e co!oured nodu!es on the underside of the hind feet, which there particu!ar!y noticea(!e in this specimen. This discovery was short!y fo!!othed up (y another successfu! catch= a ma!e ,a!mate newt. The there then a(!e to compare the two sexes. The ma!e ,a!mate newt cou!d (e distinguished (y the presence of a fi!ament at the tip of the tai! and its dar the((ed hind feet. It a!so had a ridge running a!ong its (ac . the a!so o(served the pin throat of the ,a!mate newt (the simi!ar !oo ing "mooth newt has an off-white, usua!!y spotted throat).

3ema!e ,a!mate newt ($issotriton he!veticus). ,hotograph on the right shows a c!ose up of the pa!e co!oured nodu!es on the hind foot :ereafter fo!!othed a f!urry of camera f!ashes to capture the diagnostic features. The then proceeded to chec the remaining (ott!es for freshwater inverte(rates. The contents of the traps there su(se?uent!y re!eased (ac into the pond at point of capture. The (ott!es and canes there a!so counted, to ma e sure the had the fu!! set. It is worth remem(ering that any (ott!es !eft in a pond wi!! continue to trap amphi(ians and other wi!d!ife. "ome of the then departed, whi!e the remainder set out to record other wi!d!ife on site. %ne of the high!ights was o(serving "wa!!ows, "and <artins and :ouse <artins passing over the water (ody. "arah 8upp demonstrated her prothess at !ocating %tter signs and found two %tter spraint sites in tota!. the a!so came

across a young 0ommon 3rog on site= another new species for the site. This reminded me that many peop!e o(serve wi!d!ife, (ut do not te!! anyone a(out what they have seen. ;ocumenting your wi!d!ife sightings and more important!y, passing on that information to others is at the heart of (io!ogica! recording. 3or more information on what information is re?uired for a va!id record, p!ease visit our contri(uting data page. the the!come data on a!! species= (oth commonp!ace and rare.

%ainin& 'och Excursion, 1(th #a$ 201

"even of us assem(!ed in the courtyard of the rather di!apidated grand house, The :aining on a dry and sunny "unday morning. The :aining has a !ong and interesting history which means the grounds have (een much managed over the centuries. The !and was part of the 4Ettric 3orest4 which extended thestwards over the heads of the @arrow, Ettric and Teviot rivers. It was rich hunting and fishing ground and a cast!e was (ui!t around ))). and destroyed (y )>>*. The house was first (ui!t c!ose to )B2C on the north side and over!oo s a !arge natura! !och that !ies in a deep ho!!ow. The )CBC map shows a definite (oundary to the 4par !and4 surrounding the !och with some trees. &y )+B+ there was wood!and a!! around the !och except for a view south to the hi!!s. The view is now (!oc ed (y conifer p!antation, (ut this is more or !ess the same amenity and decorative p!antings !ayout today. The :aining was handed over as a Trust for the (enefit of the peop!e of "e! ir in 122..

:aining $och !ies in the Ettric va!!ey, near "e! ir in the "cottish &orders The !awn area shows the suppressed f!ora typica! of unferti!ised grass!and and inc!uded ,ignut (0onopodium majus), whi!st the narrow marshy edge of the !och supports common species such as @e!!ow 3!ag (Iris pseudocorus). <arsh <arigo!d (0a!tha pa!ustris) and the !ove!y /ater 'vens (#eum riva!e) there f!othering at the time of our visit. The !och is very mur y with a few emergent p!ants on the edges and on!y the @e!!ow /ater $i!y (9uphar !utea) recorded further out. "trange!y, many !i!y !eaves there f!oating upside down with a(out D cm of chopped off stem po ing up. There was no sign of the /hite /ater $i!y, which had previous!y (een recorded on site and no ,ondtheed species (,otamogeton sp.) there visi(!e. The woods themse!ves very much ref!ect the remnants of !ong term intentiona! design, commercia! intent and chaotic regeneration. 9earest the house and round the !och are some magnificent specimen trees and native regenerating species such as 'sh (3raxinus exce!sior) and &irch (&etu!a sp.). :o!!y (I!ex a?uifo!ium), &ox (&uxus sempervirens), :aze! (0ory!us ave!!ana), 5hododendron (5hododendron ponticum) and "now(erry ("ymphoricarpos a!(us) ma e an understory. ,atches of more typica! wood!and ground f!ora inc!uding native &!ue(e!! (:yacynthoides non-scripta), /ood 'nenome ('nenome nemorosa) and 5amsons ('!!ium ursinum) occur especia!!y on the east side. There is a !ot of fa!!en and standing deadwood which is exce!!ent, and )> fungi species there

recorded.

$eft 0ommon Tway(!ade

"oft "hie!d 3ern The site offered some (otanica! rewards as the!!. In an open g!ade on the edge of the conifers there there around )22 tufts of Tway(!ade (9eottia ovata) and e!sewhere :ard "hie!d 3ern (,o!ystichum acu!eatum) and sing!e "oft "hie!d 3ern (,. setiferum) there found. "anic!e ("anicu!a europaea) is present in scattered c!umps, and at the foot of a &eech tree a good (ed of <eadow "axifrage ("axifraga granu!ata) survives c!ose to a the!!-used path. There are o(vious signs throughout the woods that cu!tivars such as ,rimrose (,rimu!a spp.) and 3!othering 0urrant (5i(es sanguineum cu!tivars) have (een introduced over the years, continuing the human desire for adding variety to nature. <ercifu!!y so far hothever, there is !itt!e sign of 3ew 3!othered $ee ('!!ium paradoxum) - a very common invasive pest in damp wood!ands in the &orders - a!though $eopard4s &ane (;oronicum parda!ianches), another natura!ised invader, is present. The varia(!e tree ages, variety of (ui!t structures and structura! diversity, inc!uding dead wood, scru( and !ots of tree ho!es means that (ird use is pretty good. %n an evening in ear!y <ay a "cottish /i!d!ife Trust ("/T) excursion

recorded 1. species, inc!uding #reat 0rested #re(e, Tufted ;uc and wood!and migrants such as /i!!ow /ar(!er and &!ac cap. &irdsong was noticea(!e on this outing as the!!. #iven the !ateness of spring it was unsurprising that few other anima! taxa there recorded. It was a good visit despite the de!ayed f!othering of many species. the recorded a(out )B2 p!ant species, so more than dou(!ed the existing p!ant records for the site, p!us )) !ichens. It wou!d a!most certain!y (e worth !oo ing for other species, such as (ats and inverte(rates in due course.

Erraid )ood Excursion, 2*th #a$ 201

' se!ect of six turned out for a recording outing to Erraid /ood on "unday. Erraid /ood is situated on the north-east side of the ,ent!and :i!!s, just 1 mi!es south of Edin(urgh, and is !arge!y owned and managed (y the "cottish /i!d!ife Trust. The wood!and is sited on a steep s!ope and consists predominant!y of mature (road!eaved species p!anted in )+>D (Eisit"cot!and 12)>). &ar(ara "umner, &otanica! "ociety of the &ritish Is!es (&"&I) 5ecorder for <id!othian, was our !eader for the day. the met at :i!!end 0ountry ,ar car par (efore carsharing to the site. the had (are!y made it through the reserve entrance (efore the there compi!ing our p!ant !ist7 ' few introductions there noted, inc!uding the white form of the ,in ,urs!ane (0!aytonia si(irica) and the!sh ,oppy (<econopsis cam(rica). 3ewf!othered $ee ('!!ium paradoxum) was than fu!!y ?uite restricted in the wood!and FGH at !east at present. %ne of the most stri ing things a(out the wood was the a(undance of #reen '! anet (,entag!ottis sempervirens) in the ground !ayer. The p!ant was widespread in the wood and created a swathe of (!ue f!others, which the (um(!e (ees (&om(us spp.) there profiting from. 9ot far into the wood, the spotted some $esser 0e!andine (3icaria verna, former!y 5anuncu!us ficaria) in f!other, so &ar(ara encouraged us to chec for (u!(i!s at the (ase of the stems in the !eaf axi!s to see if it might (e the su(species verna (former!y su(sp. (u!(i!ifer).

/ood "peedthe!! the decided to exp!ore the upper section of the wood!and first, so too a path up to the far south-thest portion of the site. the had soon accumu!ated B species of speedthe!! or Eeronica on our recording card- #ermander (Eeronica chamaedrys), /ood (E. <ontana), :eath (E. officina!is), Thyme-!eaved (E. serpy!!ifo!ia) and Ivy-!eaved (E. hederifo!ia) "peedthe!!. 3or those wishing to contrast the vegetative p!ants of :eath "peedthe!!, which has sha!!ow!y toothed !eaves with the untoothed !eaves of Thyme-!eaved "peedthe!!, this was an exce!!ent opportunity to see the p!ants side (y side. The ground f!ora in some sections of the wood was somewhat !imited, owing to the presence of &eech (3agus sy!vatica) in the canopy. :othever, species gradua!!y mounted up. The sight of a picnic (ench with !ove!y views of the surrounding countryside persuaded us to stop for our !unch (rea . the continued ups!ope to the far thest corner of the site, where the spotted two 8uniper (8uniperus communis) (ushes. 8uniper is !isted as a nota(!e wi!d!ife feature within the reserve on the "/T the(site and is a 6I &iodiversity 'ction ,!an species. The (ushes at Erraid there p!anted in ).++. &efore our visit, the most recent record for 8uniper at the site on the T/I0 data(ase of species records was from )..2. The 8uniper had (een searched for (y others during the preceding winter (ut had not (een found. 's a resu!t, the there ?uite p!eased to have !ocated it as part of the outing. 6nfortunate!y, the (ushes appeared to (e in poor condition. %n finding a sca!y-!oo ing <a!e fern, &ar(ara too the opportunity to educate us on the current thin ing on the difficu!t Asca!y ma!e fernsA . The taxonomy has recent!y (een reviethed, so that three species are now recognised rather than a sing!e species (;ryopteris affinis) and three su(species. The "ca!y <a!e 3ern, as

its name suggests, has many more sca!es on its rachis (the main stem of the fern) than the <a!e 3ern (;. fi!ix-mas) and in addition to this has a dar spot on its underside where the pinna joins the rachis. %nce you have decided that you have a "ca!y <a!e 3ern as apposed to a <a!e 3ern, it is now necessary to go a stage further to decide whether you have the true "ca!y <a!e 3ern (;. affinis), &orrer4s "ca!y <a!e 3ern (;. (orreri) or 9arrow "ca!y <a!e 3ern (;. cam(rensis). To do this you have to !oo at more su(t!e features of the fern frond, inc!uding the shape of the tips of the pinnu!e, the pinnae teeth and indusia. ,ractising this in the fie!d under &ar(ara4s guidance certain!y made the tas a !itt!e !ess daunting and the may have some hope of recording the species on our own su(se?uent!y. ;etai!s of the ey identification features to separate the three ferns can (e found in <errytheather4s (122C) The 3ern #uide.

+andla, #oss Excursion, (th -une 201

Tand!aw <oss is situated 1 mi!es north-thest of :awic in Eice 0ounty +2 "e! ir shire in the "cottish &orders. 3ive surveyors met at Tand!aw <oss on a hot and sunny 8une morning. The ris assessment warned of the dangers of dehydration, despite the site having open water and (og. #rass!and and wi!!ow scru( there a!so present, so there was ?uite a diverse range of ha(itats present on site. There was a concern that the moss itse!f might dehydrate, since fresh!y c!eared drains scarred the vegetation. There did not appear to (e an exit drain, hothever, so the drains appeared to de!iver water to the moss rather than away from it. The drains may !oo worse than they actua!!y there, a!though the wor itse!f seemed unnecessary. %ver )*2 species of p!ant had (een recorded previous!y from the site, inc!uding nine species of sedge, five species of rush, four species of forget-me-not and my own persona! favourite, &og(ean (<enyanthes trifo!iata). The hoped for (otanica!

high!ights there $esser /ater ,arsnip (&eru!a erecta) and #!o(ef!other (Tro!!ius europaeus). &eru!a was e!usive, (ut Tro!!ius was g!orious. It was found ?uite ear!y on and, once seen, c!umps of its !emon-ye!!ow f!other continua!!y i!!uminated the area.

#!o(ef!other (Tro!!ius europaeus) is a $oca! &iodiversity 'ction ,!an ($&',) species and a !oca! rarity in the "cottish &orders, occurring in (ettheen 1J and BJ of &orders ) m s?uares. 3ive of the sedges there found, inc!uding #reater Tussoc "edge (0arex panicu!ata). Those of us that there new to sedges are now very fami!iar with this species, and its apt name. &ott!e "edge (0arex rostrata) and &rown "edge (0arex disticha) there a!so a(undant, a!ong with $esser ,ond "edge (0arex acutformis) and #!aucous "edge (0arex f!acca). %ther sedges may have (een present, (ut the fe!t p!eased with our ta!!y.

.arberr$ Estate Excursion, 0th -une 201

The site was a mixture of !apsed par !and with areas of wood!and, inc!uding productive conifers and native (road!eaves and !ow-!ying, thetter areas with sedgey, rushy vegetation simi!ar to "a!ix carr in p!aces. the (egan a!ong a forest

trac from the "E end of the Estate. '!though canopy cover was not dense, this area was rich in Aancient wood!and indicatorsA. Though auteco!ogies of these indicator species vary, there is a tendency for these p!ants to (e dispersa! !imited (i.e. un!i e!y to persist within a wooded site after c!ear-fe!!ing and !ac ing the capacity to return thereafter), to!erant of shade and re!ative!y into!erant of distur(ance. The suite of indicators found here, of which many there ca!cico!ous, inc!uded "anic!e ("anicu!a europea), Enchanter4s-nightshade (0ircaea !utetiana), "theet /oodruff (#a!ium odoratum), ,endu!ous "edge (0arex pendu!a), /ood <i!!et (<i!ium effusum), :airy-(rome (&romopsis ramose) and %a 3ern (#ymnocarpium dryopteris). The !atter species was one of the target p!ants of the trip. %dd!y, one !itt!e frond was nest!ed (eneath an %a tree where the stopped to have !unch and was not noticed unti! after the had finished. This assem(!age of AindicatorsA suggests that whi!st the site has c!ear!y (een modified in the past, through fe!!ing and !andscaping, there has (een some continuity of tree cover. The fie!ds adjacent to the wood!and footpath are grazed (y catt!e (ut inc!ude some very !arge %a trees (examp!e pictured, (e!ow) reminiscent of ancient wood pasture. $arge, the!!-spaced out and o!d trees !i e this often provide a good mixture of ha(itat for epiphytes, a!though o!d-growth specia!ists there not recorded. This cou!d (e re!ated to atmospheric po!!ution (proximity to !arge sett!ements) andKor agricu!tura! po!!ution (artificia!!y high nitrogen !eve!s).

%ne of the mature %a trees in the par !and. /hi!st the native f!ora was fair!y the!! represented, there was a!so a threat from

garden escapes and invasive species. "now(erry (ymphoricarpus a!(us) and 5hododendron (5hododendron ponticum) there (oth identified, though not yet at worrying densities. ' greater dismay was an extensive stand of :ima!ayan &a!sam (Impatiens g!andu!ifera), near the pond, which wi!! expand exponentia!!y without prudent contro!.

In tota!, )D1 vascu!ar p!ants there recorded from the grid s?uare visited on the "unday (9T>DD.). %f the three target species - %a 3ern (#. dryopteris), #reater "pearwort (5anuncu!us !ingua) and /ater "edge (0arex a?uati!is) - the former two there confirmed. 'fter much examination of the dense sedge co!ony in the pond, the there una(!e to find the /ater "edge (0. a?uati!is), which was recorded there in ).B+. 't present, there is no shortage of $esser ,ond "edge (0arex acutiformis) in this !ocation.

Abbots/ord Excursion, 14th 0eptember 201

he '((otsford :ouse visitor centre in ear!y "eptem(er to record (ryophytes and other wi!d!ife in 1 s?uares, 9TB2>>, on the south east side of the Ttheed just (y #a!afoot &ridge, and the adjoining 9TB2>* in wood!and to the south thest. The there !ed (y ;avid $ong, &ryo!ogist at the 5oya! &otanic #ardens Edin(urgh. 'fter chec ing in with '((otsford 5anger, ,hi! <unro, the headed off down towards the river. the who!e thing had (een fundamenta!!y revised once natura!ists rea!ised that (ryophytes disp!ayed a!ternation of generations (ettheen the !eafy gametophyte and sporophyte stages of the (ryophytes4 !ife cyc!e. The sporophyte generation, which produces the spore-(earing capsu!e, is physica!!y dependent on the gametophyte for support and nutrition, though it is different in that it has twice as many chromosomes as the gametophyte. 5ecording got off to a good start with severa! species o(served on dy e stones and in muddy ruts on the way down to the river. %f note was "preading Earthmoss ('phanorrhegma patens), which is new to 5ox(urghshire +2 vice county and on!y the >rd record for the species in the "cottish &orders. This moss occurred with the tiny ;e!icate Earth-moss (,seudephemerum nitidum) and 0ommon 0rysta!wort (5iccia sorocarpa). Tufted 3eather-moss ("c!eropodium cespitans) was found on si!ty tree (ases, roots and si!ty concrete in (oth tetrads. In "cot!and, this moss is on!y found in the &orders. "hort ,ottia (:ennedie!!a macrophy!!a), a former native of 9ew Lea!and, is main!y found in "cot!and on paths and in meadows a!ong the &orders '((eys /ay. <any-fruited $es ea ($es ea po!ycarpa) was found on si!ty tree roots a!ong the water margin. 0ommon Iett!ewort (&!asia pusi!!a), a ca!cifuge (species into!erant to !ime), was found on damp mud, whi!st &road!eaf #rimmia ("chistidium p!atyphy!!um), a ca!ciphi!e (!ime-!oving species) was present on the si!ty concrete (y the river. The

uncommon, #reat "cented $iverwort (0onocepha!um sa!e(rosum) was noted on roc s (y a stream.

0reeping @e!!ow-cress the a!so too the opportunity to record other wi!d!ife on site, inc!uding the vascu!ar p!ants. '!though !ate in the season for (otanica! recording, a tota! of )++ higher p!ant records there made during the day. The margins and grassy (an s a(ove the 5iver Ttheed provided the greatest interest with species such as &urnet-saxifrage (,impine!!a saxifraga), /ater ,epper (,ersicaria hydropiper), 0reeping @e!!ow-cress (5orippa sy!vestris) and <arsh @e!!ow-cress (5. pa!ustris). The !atter is regarded as 4$oca!4 in the "cottish &orders (4$oca!4 species occur in (ettheen 1J and BJ of &orders ) m s?uares). The wood!and f!ora was understanda(!y not at its (est in "eptem(er. :othever, the did o(serve a !itt!e "anic!e ("anicu!a europaea) in the ground f!ora and a sing!e patch of Threenerved "andwort (<oehringia trinervia) under a &eech tree. &ird4s-nest %rchid (9eottia nidus-avis) had previous!y (een recorded on site, (ut this wou!d have to (e searched for ear!ier in the season. %n the return !eg, &!ac -(indtheed (3a!!opia convo!vu!us) was noted on a roadside verge. This p!ant was new to some of the party and superficia!!y resem(!es a (indtheed, (ut in actua! fact (e!ongs to the ;oc fami!y, ,o!ygonaceae.

0iccar !oint Excursion 11th Au&ust 201

The (eautifu! &erwic shire coast!ine at "iccar ,oint. "iccar ,oint is (est nown as the site of 4:utton4s 6nconformity4. It was here in )C++ that the #eo!ogist 8ames :utton arrived with friends - (y (oat - to examine the curious roc formations. Eertica! "i!urian #reywac e (edding is over!ain (y horizonta! !ayers of %!d 5ed "andstone and 0ong!omerates which there su(se?uent!y deposited (y g!aciers and rivers. '!though (itter!y contested at the time, he deduced that the upper "trata was very much younger (approximate!y BB mi!!ion years) than the roc s (e!ow. The principa! purpose of the T/I0 visit was, hothever, not for geo!ogica! reasons (ut to ascertain which species of p!ant and anima! !ife there occupying the site. %ur party was most a(!y !ed (y 5on <c&eath and the had the (enefit of examining an area which, (y (eing so inaccessi(!e, wi!! have a!tered very !itt!e over hundreds of years.

:utton4s unconformity.

<ap $ichen (5hizocarpon geographicum) encrusted the drystone (oundary wa!! at the top of the c!iff whi!st down (e!ow, in the sp!ash-zone, "ea Ivory (5ama!ina si!i?uosa) dominated. the there fortunate to have the &ryo!ogist ;r. ;avid $ong amongst our and he successfu!!y recorded >* different species of (ryophyte on the coasta! s!opes. ' good range of higher p!ants there a!so encountered and whi!st descending the c!iff the noted species which inc!uded &ird4s-foot Trefoi! ($otus cornicu!atus), 3airy 3!ax ($inum catharticum), ,ignut (0onopodium majus), &urnet "axifrage (,impine!!a saxifraga), ,rimose (,rimu!a vu!garis), $ady4s &edstraw (#a!ium verum), /ood "age (Teucrium scorodonia) and /i!d Thyme (Thymus po!ytrichus). '!so, there was ;evi!4s-(it "ca(ious ("uccisa pratensis), 5ough :aw (it ($eontodon hispidus), Mua ing #rass (&riza media) and 9orthern <arsh %rchid (;acty!orhiza purpure!!a). The ground was near-!eve! towards the (ase of the c!iffs and, as expected, consisted !arge!y of exposed roc -faces with vegetation hugging the few re!ative!y she!tered haunts. $ow-growing ha!ophytic (sa!t-to!erant) species there the norm and amongst those was "ea 0ampion ("i!ene unif!ora), &iting "tonecrop ("edum acre), Thrift ('rmeria maritima), &uc shorn ,!antain (,!antago coronopus), "tic y #roundse! ("enecio viscosus), together with

;istant "edge (0arex distans), <eadow %at-grass ('venu!a pratensis) and "heep4s 3escue (3estuca ovina).

/a!! &utterf!y. This proved to (e a particu!ar!y specia! day for (utterf!ies with a num(er of high counts and a tota! of e!even different species appearing in the warm sunshine. "ma!! 0opper, 0ommon &!ue, #ray!ing, /a!! &rown and 5ing!et there among the ta!!y. <any sea(irds not on!y passed c!ose (y (ut, on occasion, f!ew direct!y over "iccar ,oint and ourse!ves. There there amp!e opportunities to study 3u!mars, #annets, 0ormorants, "hags and Eiders (ut the a!so had 0ur!ews, 5edshan , "andwich Terns, <eadow ,ipits and ,ied /agtai!s in c!ose proximity. The arriva! of !ow-tide ena(!ed us to gain access to a sizea(!e sea-cave and there the found )) :ouse <artin nests with adu!ts (ringing food to their young. "ometimes the attracted the attention of a #rey "ea!. They are curious creatures and so surfaced to inspect our presence. <any hundreds (reed on the &erwic shire 0oast in the autumn of each year. the eventua!!y departed, our note(oo s fu!! and our heads (uzzing with a!! that had (een seen= these there wi!d!ife recorders who had experienced an exceptiona!!y memora(!e day.

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