The Nature of Scotland

Summer
Wild
calendar
Kenny Taylor gives
some seasonal
tips for savouring
Scottish wildlife and
landscapes
Take a long summer day. Add a pinch of wildlife.
It could be the call of a lone falcon over a moor
where nothing else moves. It might be 10,000
daisies, studded like stars on the turf of a field.
Stir in some water, whether that’s the river, sea,
cascade or a sunny shower. Now blend in a
Scottish backdrop to your taste. Drink deep of
this glorious season.
1
1
Purple milk vetch was
so-named from a belief
that it could boost milk
production in cattle
that ate it.
2
The six-spot burnet is a
day-flying moth that
often lives near the
coast. Its colours warn
predators that it’s
poisonous.
The big B at St C
Sea, sand, flowers, brightly coloured butterflies and other
insects make a potent summer combination. At St Cyrus
National Nature Reserve, near Montrose, you can see all
these things by the beach-, cliff- and grassland-load.
Part of its wildlife power comes from the sheer number of
plants here (about 350 higher plant species, and counting).
Some of these have names to quicken the pulse of those
with a liking for fine flowers. Meadow saxifrage, purple milk
vetch and bloody cranesbill are part of this exciting bunch.
Part comes from the variety of insects here, including all
five Scottish-dwelling species of grasshopper and cricket,
more than a dozen different butterflies and more than 200
species of moth. Perhaps the most striking of these moths is
the day-flying six-spot burnet, resplendent in shiny black and
scarlet.
So, in this International Year of Biodiversity, St Cyrus is a
great Scottish example of variety of life in a much-cherished
place. Give it a visit to discover what the ‘B’ word really
means.
Web tips:
www.nnr-scotland.org and click ‘Find an NNR’
www.snh.gov.uk/pdfs/education/burnetmoth.pdf
4
The Nature of Scotland