|
Loch Affric
Loch Affric is a freshwater loch within Glen Affric, in the Highland council area of Scotland. It lies about southwest of Beauly.Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 scale Explorer map sheet 414 and 415 The loch sits in a national nature reserve known for being home to a number of rare species and the loch itself is popular for trout fishing. An annual duathlon is held on the banks of the loch in May and the loch has been widely used as the backdrop in films. Geography Loch Affric is one of two large lochs within Glen Affric, further up the glen to the southwest of Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin. The River Affric is the main inflow and outflow for both lochs. A number of smaller lochs surround Loch Affric. At the southwestern end sits Loch Coulavie located at the base An Tudair Beag and a slightly higher elevation. Also at the south western end, the River Affric flows into the tiny loch of Loch na Camaig. At the north eastern side, Loch Pollan Fearna drains into Loch Affric. Much of the area ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inverness-shire
Inverness-shire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Nis) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Covering much of the Highlands and Outer Hebrides, it is Scotland's largest county, though one of the smallest in population, with 67,733 people or 1.34% of the Scottish population. Definition The extent of the lieutenancy area was defined in 1975 as covering the districts of Inverness, Badenoch & Strathspey, and Lochaber. Thus it differs from the county in that it includes parts of what were once Moray and Argyll, but does not include any of the Outer Hebrides which were given their own lieutenancy area — the Western Isles. Geography Inverness-shire is Scotland's largest county, and the second largest in the UK as a whole after Yorkshire. It borders Ross-shire to the north, Nairnshire, Moray, Banffshire and Aberdeenshire to the east, and Perthshire and Argyllshire to the south. Its mainland section covers a large area of the Highlands, bord ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scots Pine
''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orange-red bark. Description ''Pinus sylvestris'' is an evergreen coniferous tree growing up to in height and in trunk diameter when mature, exceptionally over tall and in trunk diameter on very productive sites. The tallest on record is a tree over 210 years old tree growing in Estonia which stands at . The lifespan is normally 150–300 years, with the oldest recorded specimens in Lapland, Northern Finland over 760 years. The bark is thick, flaky and orange-red when young to scaly and gray-brown in maturity, sometimes retaining the former on the upper portion.Trees for LifeSpecies profile: Scots pine/ref> The habit of the mature tree is distinctive due to its long, bare and straight trunk topped by a rounded or flat-topped mass ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White-faced Darter
The white-faced darter or small whiteface (''Leucorrhinia dubia'') is a dragonfly belonging to the genus ''Leucorrhinia'' in the family Libellulidae, characterised by red and black markings and a distinctive white patch on the head. It is found in wetlands and peat bogs from northern Europe eastwards to Siberia, and the adults are active from around April till September, which is known as the "flight period". It breeds in acidic bodies of water, laying its eggs in clumps of sphagnum moss that provide a safe habitat for larval development. The larvae are particularly vulnerable to predation by fish, and so are usually found in lakes where fish are not present. ''L. dubia'' is listed as a species of least concern (LC) by the IUCN Red List, however, it is potentially threatened by habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. Description This species has a predominantly black body, usually in length - the abdomen is long and the hindwing is long. Mature males ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern Emerald
The northern emerald (''Somatochlora arctica'') is a middle-sized species of dragonfly first described by Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt in 1840. The male can be recognised by its pincer-like appendages and its narrow-waisted body. The female has distinctive orange-yellow spots on (only) the third segment of the abdomen. This species lives in bogs and lays its eggs in very small water-filled depressions. It hunts between trees and avoids open spaces. In Great Britain, it is only present in north-western Scotland and is confined to the south-western part of Ireland. It is present in all of northern Eurasia. In Western Europe, it is present in alpine areas and wherever a suitable habitat can be found. It is found in the Rila Rila ( bg, Рила, ) is the highest mountain range of Bulgaria, the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula and Southeast Europe. It is situated in southwestern Bulgaria and forms part of the Rila–Rhodope Mountains, Rhodope Massif. The highest summit is Mus ... mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brilliant Emerald
The brilliant emerald, ''Somatochlora metallica'', is a middle-sized species of dragonfly. It is the largest and greenest of the ''Somatochlora'' species; long. ''S. metallica'' is found across most of northern Eurasia where it is the commonest of its genus. In Great Britain, it is locally common in south east England and has a very restricted population in Scotland. The East Asian ''Somatochlora vera'', scientifically described in 1914 by Aleksandr Bartenev based on a specimen from Ussuri, Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ... (and later also reported in northern China), is typically treated as part of ''S. metallica'', but has also been considered a synonym of the East Asian '' S. exuberata''. References Corduliidae Dragonflies of Europe Insects de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Downy Emerald
The downy emerald (''Cordulia aenea'') is a species of dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate .... It is metallic green and bronze in color, and its thorax is coated with fine hairs, hence its name. Like most other emeralds, the downy emerald has bright shiny green eyes. Adults are around 5 cm in length, and are in flight from May through July each year. This species lives in woodlands near lakes and ponds; like other dragonflies, it lays eggs in water and its larvae are aquatic. It is distributed throughout most of Europe. Although it has been eliminated from some of its historic native area in Great Britain due to habitat loss, dense populations of the downy emerald can still be found there in spots where its ideal habitat remains. After the downy emer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Azure Hawker
The azure hawker (''Aeshna caerulea'') is one of the smaller species of hawker dragonflies, (family Aeshnidae). The flight period is from late May to August It is about 62 mm long. Both sexes have azure blue spots on each abdominal segment and the thorax also has azure markings. The markings on the male are brighter and more conspicuous than in the female. The female also has a brown colour form. This species flies in sunshine, and will also bask on stones or tree trunks. It shelters in heather or similar low vegetation in dull weather. Unique to this species is that the blue of the male pales to a more grey colour at lower temperatures. The species is widespread in the Eurasian polar region. In Great Britain, the azure hawker occurs only in Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scottish Crossbill
The Scottish crossbill (''Loxia scotica'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is endemic to the Caledonian Forests of Scotland, and is the only terrestrial vertebrate species endemic to the United Kingdom. The Scottish crossbill was confirmed as a unique species in August 2006, on the basis of having a distinctive bird song. The genus name ''Loxia'' is from Ancient Greek ''loxos'', 'crosswise', and ''scotica'' is Latin for 'Scottish'. The Scottish Gaelic name for a crossbill is ''Cam-ghob'', which means 'crooked beak'.' History and current status The British Ornithologists Union first classed the Scottish crossbill as a separate and distinct species in 1980, but some ornithologists believed there was insufficient scientific research for its status. It was considered to be possibly a race of either the red crossbill or the parrot crossbill, both of which also occur in the Caledonian Forest. RSPB research showed that Scottish crossbills h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Golden Eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their napes. Immature eagles of this species typically have white on the tail and often have white markings on the wings. Golden eagles use their agility and speed combined with powerful feet and large, sharp talons to hunt a variety of prey, mainly hares, rabbits, and marmots and other ground squirrels. Golden eagles maintain home ranges or territories that may be as large as . They build large nests in cliffs and other high places to which they may return for several breeding years. Most breeding activities take place in the spring; they are monogamous and may remain together for several years or possibly for life. Females lay up to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red Squirrel
The red squirrel (''Sciurus vulgaris'') is a species of tree squirrel in the genus '' Sciurus'' common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent. In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers have decreased drastically in recent years. This decline is associated with the introduction by humans of the eastern grey squirrel (''Sciurus carolinensis'') from North America. However, the population in Scotland is stabilising due to conservation efforts, awareness and the increasing population of the pine marten, a European predator that selectively controls grey squirrels. Description The red squirrel has a typical head-and-body length of , a tail length of , and a mass of . Males and females are the same size. The red squirrel is somewhat smaller than the eastern grey squirrel which has a head-and-body length of and weighs between . The long tail helps the squirrel to balance and steer when jumping from tree to tree and runn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurasian Otter
The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia. The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of the weasel family (Mustelidae), it is found in the waterways and coasts of Europe, many parts of Asia, and parts of northern Africa. The Eurasian otter has a diet mainly of fish, and is strongly territorial. It is endangered in some parts of its range, but is recovering in others. Description The Eurasian otter is a typical species of the otter subfamily. Brown above and cream below, these long, slender creatures are well-equipped for their aquatic habits. Their bones show osteosclerosis, increasing their density to reduce buoyancy. This otter differs from the North American river otter by its shorter neck, broader visage, the greater space between the ears and its longer tail. However, the Eurasian otter is the only otter in much of it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scottish Wildcat
The Scottish wildcat is a European wildcat (''Felis silvestris silvestris'') population in Scotland. It was once widely distributed across Great Britain, but the population has declined drastically since the turn of the 20th century due to habitat loss and persecution. It is now limited to northern and eastern Scotland. Camera-trapping surveys carried out in the Scottish Highlands between 2010 and 2013 revealed that wildcats live foremost in mixed woodland, whereas feral and domestic cats (''Felis catus'') were photographed mostly in grasslands. It is listed as Critically Endangered in the United Kingdom and is threatened by hybridization with domestic cats. Since all individuals sampled in recent years showed high levels of hybridisation, this population is thought to undergo extinction. Taxonomy ''Felis grampia'' was the scientific name proposed by Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. in 1907 who first described the skin and the skull of a wildcat specimen from Scotland. He argued that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
.jpg "Click for more on -> Red Squirrel")
