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Otters, North Uist
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Western Isles - Balranald and western North Uist
Otters (Lutra lutra) running along the beach on the coast of North Uist.
05 August 2017
Great Yellow Bumblebee on Common knapweed, Balranald
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Western Isles - Balranald and western North Uist
Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinguendus) on Common knapweed (Centaurea nigra) at RSPB Balranald Nature Reserve, North Uist. The distinguishing feature of this rare bee is the band of black hairs across the thorax where the wings join the body.
05 August 2017
Machair, Balranald, North Uist
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Western Isles - Balranald and western North Uist
One of the rarest habitats in Europe, machair is formed only on exposed, west facing shores in Scotland and Ireland. It is low lying, fertile sandy ground which hosts a rich variety of plants and birds. Here you can see the purple flowers of Common knapweed (Centaurea nigra) and the yellow ones of Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris), along the coast of Hougharry Bay, RSPB Balranald nature reserve, North Uist.
05 August 2017
Great Yellow Bumblebee on Red Clover, Balranald
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Western Isles - Balranald and western North Uist
Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinguendus) on Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), Balranald RSPB nature reserve, North Uist. One of Britain's rarest bumblebees, the Great Yellow is now restricted to some Scottish islands and the very north of Scotland. It has a particular association with nectar producing plants such as Red Clover and Bird's Foot Trefoil.
04 August 2017
Moss carder bumblebee on Bird's Foot Trefoil, North Uist
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Western Isles - Balranald and western North Uist
Moss carder bumblebee (Bombus muscorum) on Bird's Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Balranald, North Uist. More frequent in the north and west of Scotland, this bee can be found in flower-rich habitats. The abdomen is usually paler than the thorax, appearing almost blonde in some individuals, while the thorax is often a deep ginger colour, darker than the Common Carder.
29 May 2017
Tufted Vetch, North Uist
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Western Isles - Balranald and western North Uist
A member of the Pea family, Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) is able to live in a variety of habitats including woodland edge, coastal margins and scrubland. The purple, tube-shaped flowers appear between June and August. This photo was taken on the machair at RSPB Balranald, North Uist.
08 August 2017
Common Carder Bumblebee, North Uist
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Western Isles - Balranald and western North Uist
Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum), RSPB Balranald, North Uist. This somewhat worn example might be mistaken for a Great Yellow, but the black section is the thorax showing through the worn hairs. The black section does not extend across the back between the wings, and does not consist of black hairs.
08 August 2017
Corn Bunting, Balranald
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256
Western Isles - Balranald and western North Uist
Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra) perched on barbed wire fence at Balranald RSPB nature reserve, North Uist
05 August 2017
Great Yellow Bumblebee on Common knapweed, Balranald
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256
Western Isles - Balranald and western North Uist
Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinguendus) on Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) at RSPB Balranald Nature Reserve, North Uist. The distribution of this bee has declined by 80% in the last century, due to the loss of flower-rich meadows, making it one of the UK's rarest bees. Note the band of black hairs across the thorax, joining the bases of the wings, which distinguishes this bee from others such as the Common Carder, with which it might be confused.
05 August 2017
Moss Carder Bumblebee on White clover, Balranald
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Western Isles - Balranald and western North Uist
Moss Carder Bee (Bombus muscorum) on White clover (Trifolium repens), Balranald RSPB nature reserve, North Uist. More frequent in the north and west of Scotland, this bee can be found in flower-rich habitats and has a preference for Clover and Knapweed.
