We had fine weather for our midweek recording walk at Kilmartin on Tuesday, and guided by Alan who lives nearby, we walked around the hill Barr Mor, recording in squares NR8399 and NR8499. This route gave us great views of the surrounding countryside and of the Kilmartin valley down to Moine Mhor and the Crinan Canal. Also in the foreground was Kilmartin Castle, which has been restored in recent years.  

As we began the walk a Grasshopper Warbler could heard reeling close to the village and a female Stonechat sat up on a perch nearby.  Cuckoo Flowers were blooming merrily and the Cuckoo itself was heard too. There were huge numbers of Wolf Spiders hunting over the grass, and caterpillars of  both the Garden Tiger and Drinker Moths were quite plentiful and conspicuous.   

One of the highlights was a freshly emerged Emperor Moth which allowed us to approach as close as we wished. Dor Beetles (Geotrupes stercorosus) were also out in numbers, as were the attractive Copse Snails (Arianta arbustorum).  Off to the west was a small gravel pits, where probably two hundred Sand Martin were swirling around the sandbanks.

       
Further ahead a male Stonechat could be seen on a perch with the female close by in a bush.  Climbing Corydalis was present in several places amongst the bracken and one clump had good early flowers, despite having hardly started its climb, which keeps pace with the bracken stalks. As we climbed towards the summit of Barr Mor a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming in the distance telling us spring was definitely here.

As we descended back to the village a male Blackcap was singing gloriously, welcoming us back to the village and our lunch at the Kilmartin Hotel.

Carl Farmer & Richard Wesley